10/18/2010
Dray:
Arriving to Arx Infusco, the first thing that most would notice was the towering mountain ranges that rose up to either side of the valley like ragged, snow-capped teeth. The air was chilly, autumnal, with a hint of snow on the way even if the sky was clear, for now. Though a great swathe of land had been cleared around the Arx itself, the rest of the mountain-slopes were carpeted with a mottling of pine, spruce, cedar and bare-limbed aspen and poplars.
The Arx still sported scaffolding, and in places here and there, humanoids were working diligently upon the finer artistic details -- surrounding the gate, for instance -- under the watchful eyes of one draconic overseer or another. It was obvious that the Arx was still under construction, or perhaps was under reconstruction, as there was a great, blackened blast through one of the fortresses walls.
Inside, humanoids were laying out tables of sumptuous food, though it was obvious that there were far more who had locked themselves within the ramshackle buildings constituting the Stockyard. A few peered out nervously at visitors through partially opened shutters and hastily locked them up again for fear of catching attention.
Local dragons, on the other hand, strutted the landing grounds within the Arx's encircling walls without a care. Some scuffled with one another, others descended upon the feeding grounds with malevolent intent, but most were in a jovial mood. One or two had set up massive drums, lashed together from entire saplings and scaled hides whose origin nobody wanted to know, and were playing a raucous, competitive beat.
For most, attention was drawn to the Pavilion just outside the fortress: it was set aglow with lights of all magical colours, and food both prepared and in raw, bloody slabs was laid out in easy to pick piles. Humanoids were set up with seating around the fringes on a raised dais, the center of which was occupied by a throne, upon which sat the bond of the Lord. Agate, a blond, digitigrade-footed pale humanoid, was draped in a cape as well as a loose tunic and britches, and was layered in jewelry that probably weighed more than he did. He was graciously greeting newcomers as they were funneled to meet him, ears and eyes attentive to any trouble-makers.
Ezekiel'khan, the real Lord of the Arx, occupied a good chunk of the pavilion, sprawling this way and that to make himself seem bigger. Though all of his four heads were not currently occupied, it seemed as though he were greeting the dragons that came by in just the same way as his bond... even if he were a little more frightening. He too was wearing jewelry fit for a kin, with golden rings and bands and necklaces hanging wherever they would fit.
Beyond the pavilion, dusty, trampled grounds had been marked out and dragons were fighting in snarling, snapping good sportsmanship. A well-scarred dragon was watching -- probably refereeing the fighting.
Beyond that, in some of the stands that had been build, a gathering of humanoids and inquisitive dragons watched and occasionally cheered or cursed, watching tiny, dagger-tipped lizards spar with one another. Not a small amount of gold and other precious items were being passed around, a sure sign of greedy betting!
Yakima:
Through the crowd two wolves strode. One was pitch black, like the darkest midnight. His green eyes were greenish yellow, almost glowing. He was tall, bulky with muscle and had a pair of leather like wings tucked neatly along his back. These wings were scared and ripped from many battles but he wore them proudly. Next to him was a lithe, smaller female who kept her head low and tail tucked. She walked behind the black wolf and head featehed wings. She was, unlike her obviouse master, white. Her back was oddly green, like her eyes which matched the black wolves. They were a strange pair but powerful as well. They both held an aura of power around them. His was defiently on the evil side while hers was questionable but umistakenably tainted.
JKat:
Any number of fierce or feral beasties could show up to this noisome celebration, and in fact, that seemed to be the case. Not everyone showing up from around the Nexus was straight up diabolical, however -- some were simply, well, amoral -- and the social grapevine had (predictably) filtered news of the big bash to one blue godling's ears. Cyprium was old enough to enjoy a party like the one the Arx was throwing, young enough to be hungry for such a piquant experience. Old enough to know better, and young enough not to care. Anyways, his mother had sent him along with the suggestion that he might do some recon of Agate's new digs....
In any case, the fireling and all his blue flames popped into view above the mighty Arx and swooped overhead a time or two, admiring the lay of the land -- and the flavour of the party. Finally he banked and landed alongside the stately Pavilion, folding his blazing wings (but keeping them visible, vain fellow!) and trotting at a leisurely pace along inside.
Dray:
(( Yakima )) Humanoids who were out and about pulled back from the wolves as they made their way through the crowd, put on edge by their size and their feral countenances. Dragons, at least the smaller of them, took pause, though the two would find that trying to pull in front of some of the Arx's larger residents would be difficult at best, and challenge-provoking at worst! They could smell the bloody corpses of creatures being feasted upon in the feeding grounds, upwind of the fortress, and the scent of challenge and excitement was thick in the air. Shouts and cries mingled with lower conversation, some of it happy, some of it not so much. A humanoid wearing a thick, red cape around her neck, its hood pulled up, pulled up hesitantly beside the obvious leader of the two, clearing her throat in an attempt to begin a conversation.
(( JKatkina )) A number of heads (some belonging to different dragons, some to hydras!) turned at the godlings vain appearance, taking in the fireling with varying looks of appraisal. Some were envious, some disdainful. One dragon in particular, an oily gold creature with a sleek body and black wings, sat upright as Cyprium came up to the steps, nodding and blinking his crimson eyes. The black-barred shoulders and legs marked him as one of Agate's bonds -- the Lesser of the two, in fact. He may not have met Cyprium personally, however it was obvious that he treated the fireling with respect despite their difference in age. :: Welcome, may I have your name and origin, please? ::
Yakima:
(( Dray )) Balthazar ignored the figure next to them as long as pacients would alow before he pinned his ears back and snarled when she cleared her throat. "Yes, woman?" he snapped irritable. Where he came from, humans groveled before him. This one had some nerve...
StarFyre:
Ankara was distinctly not pleased. Reiji had swooped into her lair and disturbed her meeting with several pack leaders, declaring that there was a party for 'their sort' going on, and he needed a partner, because no gentleman went to parties alone. When she'd pointed out that she had no wings, no ability to teleport, and no desire to 'mingle', he'd dismissed her arguments as invalid... because he wished it.
So Ankara found herself clutched tight to the chest of Nenajan, one of Lord Kokuei's many (failed) attempts at creating a creature the size and strength of a Myrsilk, with Baishu speed and skills, high above the ground as they circled down towards the landing field at the Arx. With a twitch and a wriggle, she freed herself of the beast's grip as soon as they neared the ground and landed with the silent grace of cat, then turned to glare at Reiji, who had calmly landed at Nenajan's side.
"Nena, be a dear and wait around for us, will you?" Reiji turned his smile on the great one. "Feel free to get yourself some food if you care to, but don't leave until we're ready to go." Nenajan nodded her head docilely, then shifted to the side of the field and curled her great bulk into a ball, her brilliant green head-crystal shining in the sunlight. When he was sure the beastess was settled, he turned to Ankara and bowed gallantly, flicking a wing her way, "Well, shall we, milady?"
Yakima:
Jien, on the other hand, while bound to the side of her master, kept looking around with a feverish glint in her eyes. Long ago she had been a fighter for the avian wolves of Cani. Now she knew only how to turn her healing magic into painful misery, unless it was to heal under Balthazar's orders.
JKat:
~Cyprium Chxalli, here from the Firecaverns,~ the godling let the Beast know, his bearing jaunty if not, well, really respectful. Cyrpi was soaking up the flavour of the evening, well, to some degree. Certainly he was soaking up the looks that were getting shot his way, particularly the envious ones. To Ahiezer'zjan, he conversationally added, ~Great evening, isn't it?~ He gave the AAM Beast a look-over himself, and grinned bright white teeth at the other male. Through K' and chats with Ninetailth, Cypri at least knew of Agate's two bonds.
Dray:
(( Yakima )) The human woman seemed to balk, and kept her eyes firmly fastened upon the ground as Balthazar snapped at her. "I beg your pardon, m'lords," she stammered, "I'm one of those marked to attend to guests tonight. If there's anything you need, please let me know and I'll seek it out for you." She curtsied with trembling hands to her skirts. The sounds of fighting could be heard beyond the fortresses walls, and indeed, the two wolves were close enough to the gates to catch a glimpse of snarling dragons, many times their size in the middle of a match. if Jien were allowed to fight, she need only queue up near the fighting grounds!
Yakima:
(( Dray )) Balthazar grunted in response and trudged along. Jien's green eyes met the woman's with a genuine smile (and an appology as she was often embressed by her lords rash actions, use to them as she was), before trudging along behind.
Dray:
(( StarFyre )) It didn't take long for the Baishu and the deep blue mutt to come across some surprisingly familiar faces. There were a pair of sleek, curled-horned demons sitting and facing the Arx from a safe distance, tails lashing as they observed the partying from afar. The larger of the two, a shimmering copper creature, turned his sleek head in Ankara's direction, then tilted his head in bemusement. His tail flicked over to slap his mate, a dull, rust-coloured monster, to alert her to the arrival of another Baishu. The rust creature turned her head and hackled, sighting Ankara and obviously taking her as a threat.
(( JKatkina )) Ahiezer's eyes widened, as recognition came, finally. With it, and with the link between himself, his bond, and his bond's greater match, Ezekiel'khan turned one of his heads in the godling's direction. The far-left head lifted up in a roar, briefly silencing the Pavilion's other denizens. :: Come here, :: the black hydra insisted, though he hadn't otherwise moved an inch from his reclining place. Ahiezer bowed his head... and though it was hard to tell, perhaps he even winked in Cyprium's direction!
(( Yakima )) The woman, realizing that the two probably needed no help that she could offer, raised her hands in apology and bowed out of their path. It was some time, then, in the air that reverberated with deep drum-beats and voices raised in excited conversation, before Balthazar and Jien made further contact. It was then that, coming across what might have seemed like a metallic coal-coloured pipeline, they realized that they'd stumbled upon one of the Arx's stranger residents. The huge snake, fully seven yards long and with a wider wing-span, lifted its jeweled head towards them. When it opened its mouth, a secondary jaw reached out to hiss warningly at them. :: What do you two want? :: it asked, obviously disdainful. :: Can't you see that the party's beyond the walls? Unless you're looking for food... :: it canted its head slightly, and its large, black wings rustled. :: Unless you are food... ::
JKat:
Had the fireling not already been grinning, he certainly would have broken one out at Ahiezer's surreptitious gesture. The roar -- well, maybe that had caught him a bit by surprise, but the godling's ego was stroked by the attention nonetheless. This was different attention than usual, but then... variety is the spice of life, right? Cyprium re-settled his flaming wings and drew himself up a little more, feeling as if he was play-acting as he ascended the dragon-sized steps. His pace was unconcerned, though his bearing was not inattentive as he came to a stop before the great four-headed hydra. ~Evening,~ he greeted, maybe a little bit cocky.
StarFyre:
Ankara spotted the two Baishu at about the same time that they spotted her, and let her lower jaw drop open just enough for her prominent fangs to show - half threat, half acknowledgement of them, typical for Baishu interaction. She wasn't afraid of their sort - likely, they were just into maturity, no threat to an Honored like herself. Still, she stalked away from Reiji (damn blue mutt, he wouldn't tangle with three Baishu, that was for sure!) and towards the two who were lounging there, sending a flash of images their way as introduction - the essence of who she was as her pack saw her - Honored, leader, valiant warrior.
Reiji sighed and rolled his eyes as he was abandoned seconds upon taking the field. Not that he had much interest in Ankara! Heaven forbid, she was a frightening presence when she wished to be, and altogther too openly bloodthirsty for his tastes, but still... With a shrug and a flick of his wings, he swept through the crowd and looked for anyone interesting.
Yakima:
(( Dray )) Jien jumped a bit at the snake, expecially the second head coming out of the first but Balthazar only growled a snort at it. "Like you said, it's a party and I'm looking around. Got a problem with that," the demon lord growled. Jien rolled her eyes at him. While she was defiently a slave, she was also his favorite and knew him very well. "I'm tired of walking so if you're looking for something just find it already! And no," she turned to the snake with a hotty toss of her head, her fear forgotten. "We are NOT food."
Dray:
(( JKatkina )) Ezekiel'khan, even in a reclining position, was nearly as tall as the young godling. He dispensed with formalities, though was far from jovial in his address. :: You're of the Fire Cavern, are you not? :: he inquired, examining his ring-ladened claws with one head, even as he murmured with a dragoness with the head opposite of Cyprium, himself.
JKat:
~Now how did you know?~ the fireling joked, jostling his wings again. He heard the unpleasant undercurrent of the Arx's draconic leader, but far be it from the blue-flamed fellow to meet hostility with such a very head-on approach as returned hostility. ~And you're the biggest bad here, I take it,~ he returned, suspecting the lack of solemnity in his discourse might irritate somewhat. After all, he did know quite well who Ezekiel'khan was, at least. Ninetailth's descriptions were, if anything, vivid!
Dray:
(( StarFyre )) The exchange of images and experiences was a simultaneous and nearly instantaneous one: as the two gained knowledge of Ankara's deeds and rank, she gained an understanding of their place at the Arx. The two were a single pair, just into maturity as she had suspected, but with a fair number of kills to their name. They lurked on the outskirts of the Arx, wanting nothing to do with the intermingling of the creatures within, however they would often go on raiding missions with the larger dragons to test their strength. They had taken down two full-grown dragons to their name as a pair thus far, though they had no proper pack to acknowledge their talent. It was obvious that the female craved that acknowledgment, though with Ankara being an Honored as she was, none was expected. Finally, the male taking appropriate measures to note Ankara's status, he enquired, "what brings you here?"
(( StarFyre )) Reiji, probably better off for having left the Baishu to her posturing, caught the eye of a wingless red creature whose body rippled with purple flames. :: Evenin', stranger, :: she greeted, coming up alongside him to walk stride to stride. She was fully twice as tall as him, however that didn't seem to bother her in the least. :: Like what you see? It's not a small gathering of the wretched and the weak-willed, tonight. ::
(( Yakima )) The snake-creature gave a secondary hiss, eyeballing the lesser furred creatures with something like disdain, though it was hard to tell from her mostly alien face. :: You're traveling out of the main party grounds. Continue this way and the rest of the hive will gladly serve you up as a host for our young. The fighting is that way. :: It flicked its spiny tail-tip towards the entrance of the fortress, which the wolves had bypassed in their exploration.
(( JKatkina )) The Chaos-level beast seemed appeased by Cyprium's acknowledgment, however he wasn't here to take compliments... not from the fireling, at least! :: I have a proposal for you, :: he announced, red eyes heavy-lidded, paws crossing one over the other as he spoke. :: Your... mother... and her kind have made a place for themselves, as has my bond and mine. We are willing to wager our jewels to those meager offerings I'm sure you can provide over a friendly competition or two. :: He tilted his sinuous neck so as to regard Cyprium inquiringly.
StarFyre:
"The willing of a deadly little boy," Ankara responsed with a flick of her tail as she settled an appropriate distance from them. "I have a pack to run, and he is interested in 'mingling'." It was true, she hardly gave a thought to the successes of the pair - in her book, it was a respectable start, but they still had far to go before even claiming the rank of Notable, much less Honored. Still, she made note to mention to other, eager youngsters that there was a pack-seed here. Perhaps a few would decide to leave and join them when they came of age. And perhaps, in a year's time, she would send one of her Notable pack-mates to test the two, to see if they could claim the title of Notable.
::Good evening:: Reiji responded smoothly, letting a smile grace his muzzle. ::I do indeed like what I see. And it is good to know that there are other likeminded individuals out there, making a name for themselves.:: Considering that he worked side by side with Lord Kokuei and the Lord's experiments, a mere double his height was hardly worth mentioning. So, just as unphased by the difference as she was, he continued pacing along at her side. ::I am Reiji Caelumpictor, of Koshi Keidai, at your service. May I have the honor of your name, milady?::
JKat:
~Sight unseen, huh?~ The fireling laughed, but he had definitely perked up at the words 'friendly competition'. Whatever else he was, Cyprium was also a young man -- or something equivalent... and thus, obviously, invincible and unbeatable. But Agate's arrogant ball of heads wasn't getting him with no trouble at all, though! ~As excited as I am about the idea of walking away with your sparklies,~ and he sounded more amused than excited, ~I hardly think the mistress of the Firecaverns would be interested in more piles of rocks. However...~ He looked the AAM beast over with a playful eye, ~I suppose the wager is the fun. What kind of friendly competitions are you suggesting, O Big Bad?~
Cypri flexed his luminous claws on the polished rocks, and grinned rather more fiercely than before.
Yakima:
(( Dray )) With a snarl, Balthazar whipped around, hitting Jien in the face with his wing tips. The she-wolf shook her head, despite the few drops of blood rolling through her fur, then followed her master. "Seems to me," Balthazar grumbled as he approched the location the snake indicated, "they seem bound and determine to fight us. Well, as long as I have you on my side, healer, I say bring them on!" Jien rolled her eyes but said nothing. He was very sour after their sudden excile from Cani. Very sour. Was to be expected, perhaps, beign the Demon Lord of all Cani. Still she followed obediently as the black demon strode into the fighting grounds, ears pinned back and looking very pissed. Well, perhaps that would be useful, the currpted healer thought, his battle rage...Oh she would have a bloody mess to clean up afterward...
Dray:
(( StarFyre )) The female gave a snort at the idea of being bodily moved by anyone, let alone a mutt the likes of Reiji's kind. Still, she had no place to mock the Honored, so she kept her mouth shut. "You honor us," Hadari spoke for the both of them, "in speaking with us. We understand your desire to avoid mingling... however we can seek someone who will bring you back to your own pack."
(( StarFyre )) :: You may call me Mona Kaal. Originally of the firepits of the Bower, however I relocated here several months ago. The Lords of the Arx are quite enterprising. :: She nosed the direction of the destinations that she described as they walked apace one another. :: Food, there, and fighting if you're interested in the fame. :: she chuckled, the sound deep and throaty. :: Gambling, there, and whoring beyond the fortress walls -- you'll know where to look when you get there. That, :: she added, pointing towards the roofed pavilion, :: is where the Lords are currently residing, if you'd like to pay your respects. ::
StarFyre:
Ankara just smirked at Raseri's disgust, and noted in an offhand manner to Hadari, "I will stay. Perhaps this night will prove entertaining after all - I smell blood in the air. Besides, I would rather not meet with the displeasure of one who can take down an entire pack." And it was true. Reiji had proven himself the way any Baishu did, fighting one-on-one in honorable combat, and had survived the trial of Pack. And it was also true that an entire pack, together, could take the tough mutt down, but likely not without losing a few of their own!
Dray:
(( JKatkina )) Ezekiel'khan hissed dismissively at the youth, turning all of his heads away for a moment, before returning only the slightest attention to him. :: Your kind are not of the same caliber as mine; a fight would be unfair to put to my minions. Betting on the other hand... I know that your kind do not read the future. :: with a flick of his tail, he pointed towards the stands. :: Find the Daggerback pits and lay your wagers. I will have someone accompany you to make good our wager, and if you tire of that... :: he paused, obviously for dramatic effect, :: We will find something else for you. ::
StarFyre:
::I could hardly think of not paying my respects! Please, lead on, milady,:: Reiji said, as he indicated the pavilion with a flick of a gigantic ear. ::And if I may ask, what is being wagered on, over there?::
Yakima:
(( yeah, I had to...we'll see how long he lasts )) Above the Arx, a night blue dragon appeared and circled. He didn't dare land but his rider no longer needed him to. Giving his dragon a pat, Philippe stood on his dragons shoulders and shadow-stepped to the ground. He wore midnight blue and black, his signiture colors even from the palace days. While still pale from the two battles, Falas Weyr and at Astrael against the Wraith Lord, he looked far better then before. Of course, Philippe could care less about K'man's orders. What did his wingleader know about 'evil doers'? They were no threat to Falas. At least he hoped. Somehow, K'man was sure that him coming here would help. Philippe knew better. It was a test. Plain and simple. With a resigned sigh, Philippe moved into the crowd. Yeah, he was nervous (I mean, he DID just get his ass kicked by the most feared Necromancer of Sentra, even if he did win.) Perhaps if he grabbed some wine, mingled a bit then slipped off to find some pretty lasses to buy him some time he could be well on his way back to Falas Weyr and pass this little test. He knew it was a test. He expected it, given his own reputation from Sentra, but hell, this was a bit ridiculous. So, Philippe went for the one thing that would make him feel better - WINE! ((Dray, they better have it or he's not gonna be happy))
JKat:
Cyprium snorted and tossed his head, apparently disappointed that he wasn't getting a fight, but at the rest of the great hydra's suggestion he had to laugh, incredulous. ~You want to place a wager on a wager? Really?~ The youth leaned forward, annoyed on some level that he was losing the beast's attention, and his flames flared for a moment. ~That seems like a waste.~
Dray:
(( Yakima )) The battlefield here was littered with blood, the smell of which was nearly overpowering. Several dragons much larger than them were finishing up a fight, the winner placing her jaws over the loser's neck to symbolize a killing bite. There were humanoids, too, most of which were wearing ripped and bloodied red capes that seemed to indicate their slave status. Most of them looked terrified, but some stood resolutely, hefting their meager weapons. A large, demon-wolf like creature was watching the goings on carefully, and finally gave a roar to parade the victor around. Once he noticed that Balthazar and his companion were obviously interested, Ganan strode over to look the two over. "Awfully little to be fighting with dragons," he rumbled, "you want to challenge or are you just here to spectate?"
(( StarFyre )) This reappraisal of Reiji seemed to leave an impact on the two Baishu, who covertly glimpsed the mutt again before returning their attention to Ankara. "They fight in one-on-one combat, though they don't finish with a kill, at least, not tonight," Hadari explained. Raseri added, "They'd prefer to show their weak side to the rest of the worlds."
(( StarFyre )) :: Certainly, :: Mona grinned just a touch, and the two began towards the pavilion. :: The betting there? We've got a stock of little nasty lizards called Daggerbacks that fight one another whenever they get the chance. They're vicious, but some people like to keep them as pets or guard-animals. Worth a watch, if you have the time! :: When they reached the steps up to the heated stone surface of the pavilion, they were given a nod by Ahiezer'jhan, who was apparently playing guard. Beyond that, a Chaos-level hydra as dark as coal was just finishing a conversation with a fiery blue and copper creature, causing the two of them to have to wait a moment.
Phoenix:
Cyprium wasn’t the only dragon to arrive at the Arx in a fiery halo. This time the fireball in the sky was a sickly green halo as Anathema Scalesbane crossed the realms and arrived in this one. The balefire goddess wasn’t here to cause trouble, at least...she’d simply been drawn by rumor and intrigue. Perhaps sometime later, if the place interested her, the Arx would find her a nuisance...but not now. For now, she simply found a place to land, like any other well-behaved guest, and strode into the festivities to see what had drawn so many creatures together.
Yakima:
(( Dray )) Balthazar looked over a scene that was all to farmiuar - well, it was almost the same. It was missing the mangled figures of elves and avians, some dead some animated by his most trained necromancres...The demon-dog, standing almost 3 times taller then him, broke him from his pleasent day dreams. "Little?" the Demon Lord asked with a growl. "Looks can be deciving," he replied. "We'll challenge. She fights with me. Those are my terms." Jien rolled her eyes. It was the only reason she was kept alive, her powers. And his pleasures...
On his way to the tables, Philippe stopped to watch some of the new arrivals. He blinked upon seeing the green dragoness with balefire around her like a mane. Ah, well, he had heard rumors of such beasts appearing after he died. Of course, M'len and Tay had stayed away from them, thankfully. So, now he was in the same room as the rest of them. Great...making a note to stay away from the green-flamed dragon, Philippe moved away in his search for wine. The last thing he needed was to become corrupted by evil all over again!
StarFyre:
Ankara chuckled softly as the two glanced over at Reiji again, then back to her, but otherwise ignored their reaction to her statement. In fact, the chuckle could have actually been directed at Raseri's statement about the Arx residents showing their weak side to the world. "We don't fight to the death except in rare cases, or when fighting outsiders outside ritual combat," She commented lightly, "So as much as we could like for the beasts to kill themselves off, it is probably more than we can hope for."
Dray:
(( Yakima, for Phillipe )) if the Arx had anything in plenty, it was vice of every variety. Phillipe's unerring elven eyes spotted tables of wine and harder liquors, tins of powders displayed with the appropriate devices with which to imbibe; dragon-sized hookahs were ranged like jungle-gyms nearby, though Phillipe-sized smoking and drinking pleasures of every imaginable (and sometimes unimaginable) variety were out tonight for the partaking. Nearby, groups of humanoids brave enough to enjoy themselves were collapsed on furry hides (again, the origin of which most probably didn't want to know) drinking and talking. The elf would not have to look far to get his fill of just about anything he could want; even women wearing the red capes marking their status as slaves were present, and wearing little else.
(( Yakima, for the wolves )) "Two on two?" Ganan half-asked, half decided. "Well then, step up. Helekser and Trika," he turned, barking the names of two of the humans. "They get first attack. On guard!" And it appeared that the newest battle was on!
StarFyre:
Reiji tilted his head slightly to the side in contemplation, ::I believe I like the sound of those little beasts. Properly vicious and all that. Insert typical evil-doer's rant about keeping hungry guard-beasts around for throwing failed minions to.:: Reiji's muzzle showed his great amusement at his statement. It was hard to see this cheerful, gallant youth as an evil-doer of any sort, but surely he was, if he was bossing a Baishu around and going to parties like these... or maybe he was just a silly youth like Cypri?
Dray:
(( JKatkina )) :: Wheels within wheels, :: Ezekiel replied somewhat cryptically. :: We'll wager that you'll cheat, at some point, tonight. :: And here, he grinned, all four heads turning briefly to the fireling's direction. :: Now leave my presence, I have others to attend to! ::
cacopheny:
"Of course we'd be late," Venom grumbled, hopping off of Atnynvus's shoulder as the big, red monster teleported into the clearing by the spaceport. He had to flap his wings a few times to get to the ground, rather than dealing with breaking a few bones and having to reset them by landing from such a height. "You had to get side-tracked by everything you might bite on the way here."
"Isn't that what we're here for?" Atnynvus snapped snidely from his far left mouth. "Biting people?"
"Only once there's betting going on, moron," Venom grunted, and started walking towards the pavillion and stands set up over the pits. "Come on, let's find the fighting pits." Hopefully there'd be work here, too, but he wasn't going to hold his breath. ((done!))
Dray:
(( Phoenix )) Anethema drew a startled gaggle of gawkers from just about every group and table. Balespawn were known of in the Arx, even if none currently lived within the fortress or without. Though most didn't know that Anethema was the mother of all Balespawn (literally!) they knew enough to be wary about her. For the most part, the gathering was rather banal: fights were occurring under the jaded eyes of referees, the winners determined not by blood-kill but by carefully aimed stunning blows. Betting within quaintly lined pits upon pointy-looking lizards seemed to be all the rage in part of the field. A huge pavilion had been set up with a roof and raised stone ground, within which many dragons were resting and speaking. Drum-beats, heavy and reverberating throughout the fortress and beyond, marked dancing within the walls, and tables had been set up both inside the fortress and without with most any vice that one could think of. Of course, there were slaves of both dragon and humanoid variety running around, but it seemed that for tonight, they were under an unspoken protection, as none were being baited or tortured or even eaten. Yawn.
StarFyre:
Over by the table of drinks, one green-blue tinted Baishu, Aratha by name, was already indulging pretty heavily, her poison-green eyes not quite as alert as they should be, her tail coiled politely about her legs as she quaffed beer and occasional took a lungful of smoke from the hookah. She was young, unpaired, no mate and no siblings with which to spend her years and, as such, was a bit skinny about the ribs (well, more skinny than Baishu tended to be!) and paws, though what muscle she did have was lean and powerful - she was a solo hunter, and had been since she first left her pack two years ago. The fact that she had survived two years solo (and the first two, at that!) was a fact of some pride, but she was more than ready to leave the solo life behind. Thus, she had come here, in hopes of finding a pack, or those who knew of a pack... and had been distracted by these marvelous, strange inventions such a alcohol and hookahs.
Dray:
(( StarFyre )) Raseri flicked her dagger-sharp tail-tip in annoyance, disliking being put in her place. "Maybe you'd like to show us how to fight properly," she snapped, unable to keep quiet, for once.
(( StarFyre )) Mona cast a white-pupilled glance in Reiji's direction, ears flicking in amusement. :: Only if you don't mind being bitten or shat upon occasionally, :: she told him with some authority. By now, in any case, the copper creature that had been speaking to Ezekiel'khan was finishing up, and the hydra gestured for the two of them to come closer. :: Who is this young whelp, and why is he bothering me? :: he asked, apparently tired of silly youths.
JKat:
Hah! Cyprium laughed, snipped his wings partially open. ~And I'm sure you've got your pits rigged -- just in case, of course.~ The fireling turned, then, and left the beast's presence without a parting word -- well, a further parting word, anyway. He was, after all, eager to see what the rest of the party held.
Once he had left the pavilion, he launched himself into the air once more -- not entirely necessary, but nice! Above the grounds once more, he looked over his party prospects. Goddess, a Balespawn -- no, not just A A balespawn, THE balespawn. Cyprium steered clear. He wasn't here to be a hero tonight, after all. He was here to get a taste of the less savoury flavours of existence. With that thought on his mind, he passed over the pits -- for the time being, and a little bit to tweak Ezekiel's nose; nosES -- and began to descend on the tables full of lascivious feasts and less apparent delights. That smoke did smell awfully interesting.
Dray:
(( Cacopheny )) The fighting pits were easy enough to find, given that there were dragons fighting under the watchful eyes of referees, and spectators arguing and betting amongst themselves. A smaller field had been cleared for creatures, and currently, a pair of winged wolves were facing off against two humanoids -- a human male and an elven female, to be specific -- though such tiny challengers would likely have not interested one such as Atnynvus. They quickly spotted larger quarry, in any case. A huge black, red and white dragoness was mediating fighting between a xenodragon and some mutt or other, but it was clear that the former was winning, or soon would be. Once the battle was over, the dragoness turned and caught sight of the three-headed Atnynvus and opened her mouth to greet them.
Phoenix:
Oh, how delightful was this? People seemed to know her -- or at least something about her. This place, this "Arx", was full to bursting with all manner of deviant-looking creatures, and still she was drawing plenty of worried stares from so many of those she passed by. Utterly delightful! All these going-ons, these fights and feasting and violent celebration, were so straightforward and banal...but the celebrators knew that something truly fearsome had arrived, even if all they recognized was the sickly hue of her balefire mane. So pleasing to know that the reputation was spreading! She wasn’t particularly interested by fights or betting or even feasting...perhaps she’d just stroll around, make people uncomfortable, see who snapped first. That wasn’t causing trouble if she didn’t actually start it herself, right?
cacopheny:
((Jkat )) It was one thing to actually go to a party. It was another thing entirely to go to a party completely incognito, in spirit only, so as to keep out of one's partner's hair. Natron wasn't sure which was more fun. Being there in person meant getting to dance and eat and chat and maybe get into a fight or two-- being there in spirit meant she could spy on people and learn things. It was a toss-up. At the moment, she was hovering around by the food, invisible and wishing she could try some of the foreign delicacies-- or better yet, the wine-- when she spotted one of the incomings. A very familiar incoming. Oh, this was going to be awesome. She grinned widely, invisible but for a little spiritual heat shimmer on the air, and waited for her brother to land. ((dunno if he'd see her or not... XD ))
Yakima:
(( for Philippe )) With a grin, Philippe walked over to the table where the more humanoid beings were gathering. Grinning ruefully at some of the women, and thankful his weyrmate was safley tucked away on Pern (oh, she would smack him right now, no doubt about it) he accepted a glass of, well, something and prepared to 'try not to get into trouble'.
Dray:
(( Phoenix )) One creature who simply didn't seem interested in moving from the Balespawn's path was absolutely tiny compared to her; shorter even than a human, the little dragoness sat on her haunches and fanned her striped white-grey-black wings, munching on something that looked squishy and probably inedible. Little cat-bells tinkled from her spiked neck collar as she looked up, and up, and up and Anathema, though she seemed unperturbed. "Woah, am I green with envy," she joked (well, shouted) "lookit them flames! You mad or something?"
cacopheny:
((Dray)) Atnynvus answered the greeting with a growl from two of his heads, and a disdainful snort from the third. Venom swatted his foreleg-- below the knee; it was about all he could reach, the bastard was just that big-- and stepped in front of him. "Anybody wanna take on a three-headed hydracorn?" he offered with a toothy smile of his own. "I'd love to see someone take his ass down."
((dray)) "I'm sure you would," Atnynvus grumbled. Venom's smile didn't waver. If it would be nice for his big, angry bond to be laid up for a couple weeks, well... he doubted Atnynvus would really hold it against him. ((done))
JKat:
((Dray)) Cyprium hadn't been in the Pavilion for very long when he had been there, but he'd fulfilled his job just fine. It didn't matter that he hadn't checked back in; she'd managed to ride along and take a peek at the scenery through his eyes -- and most wonderfully, had caught a glimpse of Agate. Or rather, the Agate-shaped pile of frippery and gaudy jewels. This was K's first visit to the Arx since its creation -- negligent, negligent! -- but the change it had apparently wrought on him was just... just the darndest thing. Well, not surprising in the least, really, but seeing him play lets-pretend with his own fantasy castle homestead thing was something she wished she'd been watching from the first. Agate felt a warm breeze pass his overly-ornamented ear. "You look ridiculous," whispered a familiar voice.
StarFyre:
(( Dray )) "Are you challenging me, youngling?" Ankara asked quietly, as she turned her poison-green gaze on the rust-colored female, her body stilling into battle-readiness, her fangs dropping down once more in threat. These two may not be part of her pack, or part of the great gathering that had been called around Nyracii, but that didn't matter. Baishu challenged Baishu as a matter of course.
(( Dray )) Reiji bowed deeply to Ezekiel, stretching his paws out and basically fully prostrating himself for a moment in acknowledgement of Ezekiel's place as leader. ::My lord, I am Reiji Caelumpictor, of Koshi Keidai. Lord Kokuei sends his greetings and these small trinkets as gift.:: So saying, the mutt reached into a pouch that hung about his neck and drew out a matched set of paw rings, both shining with enchantments. ::Though mere trinkets, they hold some slight power of elemental resistance. I hope they please you, my lord.::
Yakima:
(( Dray for wolves )) At the demon-dog's cry, Balthazar snarled, turning to locate his first target. "Nice warning, pal," he grumbled as he strode, in a near crouch, into the battle grounds. "You're my next target after these two." ((12 for...something)) Jien stayed behind her lord, ears pinned back. She whispered some elven spell to prepare the sheild if it was nessacrary. ((12 for sheild activation upon attack))
StarFyre:
(( JKat )) Aratha happened to glance upwards as Cypri descended, and found herself staring in one part awe, one part 'it's on fire and the fire is blue, wtf!' at the fireling. She'd never seen something so... so shiny before, not even her Copper father at his finest! Curiously, she glanced down into her mug, as if to discern if the strange liquid (which she'd grown quite a taste for in the hour or two she'd been here!) was at fault for this flaming, shining creature.
Dray:
(( Yakima )) Though Phillipe got more than one fluttering eyelash and tempting grin, it might have crossed the elf's mind that these women were not necessarily here of their own volition; true enough, several other humanoids bearing red capes were standing and keeping a close eye on them, even as they drank and joked and got into scuffs of their own. If he paid close enough attention, he'd see coins and other rare or valuable items passing hands before said women retreated with customers into a nearby building. Perhaps this wasn't such a free-love environment, after all... In any case, the elf found himself next to a towering human woman who wore a cape not of red, but some grey fabric inscribed with a symbol not immediately recognizable. Her eyes were partially glazed over, and a silk-twined tube dangled from her fingers and she blew smoke up to the slowly darkening sky. Turning her bald head to glance the elf's way, she finished blowing smoke in his face. "Hey," she greeted without premise.
JKat:
(( cacopheny )) Cyprium came in for a landing and ruffled his flaming wings as he shut them, wondering if that was just the wind of his landing or if his spidey senses were tingling. The young fireling frowned and cast a look around, but in the hustle and the bustle, well, if anyone could hide from a godling, it would be a godling's sibling. He flipped his tail, a draconic shrug, and trotted for the tables. It was probably just a spiritual whiff from that nasty Balespawn over yonder.
(( StarFyre )) He snagged bits and pieces of this and that as he passed the tables laden with food, judging morsels as they passed his lips. His mood buoyed; most of this was good! But then, that was just the food... His little trek ended at a table laden heavily down with liquids. Dragon-sized tankards greeted him and tempted him... and as he selected and filled one, he realized he was getting the eye by a skinny young thing to his left. Cyprium grinned at the lady of unfamiliar species, taking in her expression, and said, ~Maybe I should have whatever it is that you're having.~
Dray:
(( Cacopheny )) The dragoness grinned snidely at the two of them, then turned her head towards some of the dragons who were in wait. "Chroquanth, you want to put your tail on the line yet? Surely this one is good enough for you?" A bronze Pernese dragon, previously standing at the sidelines, sized Atnynvus up and seemed to flair his wings idly -- all for show, of course. "Yeah, sure! Let's see what you got, bloodycorn!"
cacopheny:
((Jkat/Starfyre)) Natron couldn't help but snicker, quietly of course. Oh, her poor brother. He didn't even know she was here. Yet. That would change soon enough.... She crept closer, floating an inch or so above the ground so not even her spirit could disturb anything, waiting to see just how bad he was at flirting. ... probably better than her, but whatever. It would probably still be funny. Especially if she could get her paw into things.
Yakima:
(( for Philippe )) The elf sipped his wine, watching the other women as they would vanish for a time. His guts twisted and he scowled. Well, what had he expected at a party of the Nexus' most baddest baddies? Pleasure slaves, yeah. He gave several of the girls sarrowful looks before taking another sip of wine. The woman in gray earned another glance over before Philippe he blinked at the smoke. "Hello," was all he said, still studdying her. Rude was, of course, the first thing that flashed into his mind.
Phoenix:
(( Dray )) At the little voice from her feet -- practically from under a foot that might’ve gone straight down on top of the creature in another step -- Anathema halted, pulling back her foot in a slow, casual manner, not at all disconcerted by the address. Compared to what she’d been half-expecting, it was almost more interesting for the contrast. A foolish little creature, no doubt, but for the moment she regarded it with mild amusement. "Not at the moment," she told the little thing, with a little flick of her folding wingtips to stir the mane along her back. "There’d be a lot less partying going on if I were, I assure you."
Dray:
(( JKat )) "Ooh, I was wondering if you were going to show up," the blonde hair under the heavy crown filled with (obviously) agates of all varieties answered, under his breath. He flipped his ring-laden fingers at the women perched on either side of them, clearing space. "Now are you here or aren't you? This was practically a calling card, wench."
StarFyre:
(( JKat )) Aratha blinked once, debated whether or not the flaming dragon before her was real, then decided it didn't matter. He was talking to her, so why the hell not. "It isss, I wass told, the 'finesst brew of th'Arrx'. Whether that iss true... I am not ssure. I like it."
JKat:
(( Dray )) Well, given that invitation... K floated around for a few more moments, even making a nuisance of herself by stealing some kniccknack from his overornamented ear. But she did materialize, taking the recently vacated space -- naked, as much playing at contrast to him as just being herself, this time around. Fiddling with the earring she'd ganked, she grinned at him. "Me, a wench? Those were wenches." She pointed after the ladies who had skedaddled so obediently. "You have wenches now. How cute."
Dray:
(( StarFyre )) Raseri adopted a similar pose, despite her partner's warning growl. She wouldn't back down from a challenge, even if she hadn't intended it -- and Hadari, though he knew the outcome, would not come between the two females. Sometimes Raseri needed to be put in her place...
(( StarFyre )) Ezekiela watched Reiji's prostration with surprised pleasure, and the proffered gifts with interest. Instead of donning them immediately, however, he had another dragon come forward to accept them. :: Very generous, :: he replied, one head eying the procedure of looking for potential traps or curses as the other three heads focused on the young mutt. :: Consider Lord Kokuei welcome to the Arx whenever he should choose; please, pick your pleasure, :: he flicked his wings in the direction of all of the action, and grinned faintly in amusement. :: If you have brought any humanoids, they are welcome also. :: he cast a glance in Mona's direction, then added in a more covert tone of voice, :: Watch yourself around this one. :: With a grin, he bade them dismissed.
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) Entirely ignorant to his sister's listening non-corporeal ear, Cyprium gave this strange young lady a good looking-over. He liked her color... though he was not entirely oblivious to the vanity inherent in that thought. He grinned all the more widely for it, and responded to the rather bamboozled-looking Aratha, "Finest brew, huh?" He sat down, flicking his tail, his own mug held in one forepaw then brought up to his muzzle, sampling the brew. Now, this may have been Cyprium's first party of quite its size, but he wasn't SO naieve as to sputter and cough at the still not-entirely-familiar burning of alcohol down his throat. "Noooot bad, but I've had better" he bluffed -- really, he was hard-pressed to tell the difference between 'okay' and 'the best'. "So, what's your name, pretty little thing?"
Dray:
(( Yakima, for the wolves )) Balthazar leapt forward and fastened his jaws around Helekser's arm, and the human male pulled back, his gauntlets taking the damage. Trika, an elven female, was speaking words at the same time as Jien, and it seemed that out of nowhere, great, ropey vines erupted from the ground to grab at the black wolf's legs and wings, bringing him down. (3 earth damage to Balthazar!) Helekser attempted to bash the demon wolf lord up the side of the head, but his fists swung wide and the man missed. It was obvious that both contestants were sweating; being made to fight against wolves was a terrifying prospect!
cacopheny:
((Jkat/Starfyre)) Shrinking her spirit-self down a little, Natron crept right up beside her brother and called a bit of heat to the bottom of his glass, in a very fine point. It took a moment, but then the liquid started to bubble and steam as it rapidly heated up. That ought to make things a little more fun. ((done))
((Dray)) "Chroquanth," Atnynvus's central head snorted derisively at the stupid Pern-creature. He knew what this fight would entail already, but at least it would be a way to attempt something knew. Which he knew would fail. But he would try, anyway. "What kind of a name is that? No meaning at all."
((dray)) "Now, now, not taunting until you get fighting," Venom chided, without meaning it at all. Atnynvus bit at him, but missed. Because Venom dodged, Atnynvus wasn't really trying to bite him, and because he knew he would miss. At least this time he had a legitimate target to let the frustration out on. He leapt at the big bronze without pre-amble (11+3 for tackle), roaring and with little flamelets flickering around his open mouths (3+2 for fire magic). Venom flapped quickly out of the way. Apparently the fight was on. ((done!))
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) Aratha chuckled at Cypri's expression as he drank, then took another gulp herself, enjoying the burn as it went down her throat. It was like eating the finest magic-beasts, all the spice of magic but without the ever present danger of being hurt. "I'm Aratha," she said after she'd swallowed her gulp and savored the flavor. She decided, since this flaming vision was clearly nothing but a very vivid halucination, that bluntness was just fine. "What are you, anyway? You're all.. fiery." There! Now to see what her imagination came up with in response!
Dray:
(( Yakima, for Philippe )) "You think I'm rude, don't you?" she asked, grinning just a little. Her eyes were droopy, however, her pupils seemed to glow an angry orange colour, the irises of which were inscribed with some kind of runes or markings that glowed even brighter. Her face was gaunt, and it looked as though she'd gotten into a real fight more than once in her life, given the broken bent of her nose, and more recent bruises across her cheek-bones. "And no, it's not your expression that reads it, don't sweat it. I'm Susan. You're... mm... Fred? Phil? Philip?" It looked as though she were thinking, concentrating, maybe. The brass champ at the end of the hose found its way to her mouth again, and she took another drag, idly.
Yakima:
( Dray for Philippe )) Philippe tensed. How did the woman know his name. Well, okay, so he was a little well known throughout the Nexus thanks to his searching carrer but still. "Phillippe," he said, his manner shifting slightly into one that K'man called his 'royal face'. Whatever that meant. "Rider of night blue Faroth of Falas Weyr."
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) Rather taken by the drunken dragon's straightforward manner (or at least amused), Cypri failed to notice the odd behavior of his drink, at first. He drew himself up and told her flirtatiously, "I am a fireling. We're a--" Getting a faceful of vapourized brew unexpectedly, the young godling was caught by an unexpected and totally involuntary fit of coughing! "What the--" Getting ahold of himself, he eyeballed his drink and snorted a whuff of air onto it, sending hops-scented steam the other direction. "Jeez, they make this stuff strong!"
Dray:
(( Phoenix )) Esyrn finished her meal, wiping her long claws off on a clump of grass. "Woah, that's big words from a big lady. But I can dig it; you look tougher than nails! A real champion! The ultimate badass, a mega-pain in our collective butts!" She began picking her teeth after scurrying out of Anathema's general squash-zone, glowing red eyes focused and intent. It seemed like she never stopped grinning. "So what's the power all about? What's your gig if you mind my asking?"
cacopheny:
((Phe/Dray)) Netahiln had been at this so-called "party" for over an hour, now. She'd made a couple connections that might or might not pan out, made a little money on the daggerback fights, lost a little more on a fight in the actual pits, and on the whole was starting to think she wasn't going to hear anything useful. No one here had seen nor heard from her wayward bond, and he certainly hadn't come. She wasn't as invisible as her godling partner, but she was, at the moment, unusually unnoticeable for a decent-sized dragon colored as brazenly as she was, and with as much shaggy fur. Psionics and stealth magic combined to make her uninteresting to most.
((Phe/Dray))She was about to give up in disgust and go start a fight in the pits, herself, when she spotted the tale-tale green of balefire, and froze, fur bristling briefly as she fixed all her attention on it. It wasn't him. Not Habithi. But it was... his mother. ... well, well, well. She shook off most of her don't-notice-me magic, shaking her fur back into place in the same motion, and padded in her direction. ((done))
Yakima:
(( Dray for the Wolves )) Balthazar growled, struggling from the vines. (( 19 save? I was going to have him burn them but I don't think that's 'allowed' :P )) At the same time, Jien's aura flared to send Balthazar a bit of healing. (( 6 durnit he's gonna be pissed lol ))
Dray:
(( JKat )) "Ezekiela demands it," Agate replied, snatching the earring back and jangling in the process. "If I'm not decked out in gaudy gear all the time, he becomes very... disappointed in me." Of course, he was glancing over her shoulder and into a nearby mirror as he fastened the earring back in place. "The wenches are a side-benefit. So, what can I have brought to you, oh naked one? Food? Drink? A yule-log, maybe?" He grinned, fangs visible as he found a bit of cake and nibbled a piece of it.
StarFyre:
(( Dray )) As soon as Raseri took her pose, Ankara whipped her tail about and landed a stinging blow on the younger's snout without otherwise moving. Her posture said it all - you are not even worthy of my standing up to deal with you. "Do you wish to continue, child?" Ankara spoke dangerously.
(( Dray )) The examiners would find no tricks or traps hidden about the offered trinkets, but they would find that the paw rings held more than just some 'slight' power - they were, in fact, fully enchanted to grant the wearer full immunity to Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Ice, and Lightning magics when worn as a set. ::I thank you, my lord, for such a generous offer to my master.:: Reiji responded with another small bow, before he carefully backed away from the stand and left the pavilion. To Mona, he commented, ::A pleasant lord you have. Now then! I find myself interested in these daggerbacks you mentioned -- could you, perhaps, direct me towards the right place?::
JKat:
(( Dray )) The redhead reached over and ruffled his hair as he primped. "Only you would bond a creature so very vain," she told the Arx lord. "I'm sure you're just doing it to humor him, of course. Now..." She leaned back on the cushions some, and grinned broadly (not unlike her spawn, actually), surveying Agate's territory. Mocking, she suggested, "wenches, perhaps?" And then she changed tracks a little, eyeballing him. "Then again, I guess I should milk this moment of generosity for all its worth. What do you have to eat around here?" She grinned and rubbed her hands together.
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) It was certainly a surprise when the 'fireling' started coughing midsentence, and it set Aratha into a laughing fit. When she finally restrained herself, she peered over into Cypri's cup as well, then glanced at her own, "Hey, yoursss iss all ssteaming. Did the fire on yer pawsss make it boil?"
Dray:
(( Cacopheny, for Atnynvus )) The bronze gave a roar as Atnynvus charged him, taking a solid hit from the much bigger dragon. (5 damage for Chroquanth!) Taking a moment, whilst in close range, the Pernese raked his claws along the beast, leaving bloody rents along his vulnerable flesh (he got a nat 20, so Atnynvus takes 4+3=7 damage!) The swirling flames of Atnynvus' magic seemed to flicker erratically, but didn't manage to catch against Chroquanth's tough hide, even as the bronze took another chunk from the massive red beast, blood marring his teeth. (Atnynvus takes another 4 damage)
cacopheny:
((Jkat/Star)) Natron was a hardened spy. She did this every day-- or, well, every other day, almost! She really should not be fighting to smother giggles, and only halfway succeeding. Maybe hiding from Cypri was a bad idea. She gave it another attempt, though, not willing to give in yet! She manipulated the light around him enough to turn his flames briefly green, long enough for both him and his little girl-thing to notice, at least. Maybe that would give him an idea of who was playing with him-- but then, probably not. He probably had no idea anyone was playing with him at all. ((done)) ((hope that doesn't require a roll XD no damage or nothin', just pranking...))
Dray:
(( Yakima, for Philippe )) Susan nodded, holding a breath for a few seconds, then blowing the smoke out the side of her mouth -- thankfully away from the elf, this time. "Ah, yeah, I thought something like that. Don't like my party tricks, huh? My dad was one of them, whatyacall'ems... Gods. That's all. I get a good read on people, sometimes. Sometimes... not so much." She tapped her bruised cheek, grinning crookedly again. "I'm obviously not your type, I know. Mm, you want to avoid the worst of 'em, don't get with these hussies." She flicked her fingers in the directino of the slaves. "There are better out there and you don't gotta deal with their pimps if you don't wanna pay up. But... you're the romantical type, maybe just a little? Am I wrong?" she quirked her eyebrows, which were a strange, dark shade of green.
cacopheny:
((dray, for Chroquanth)) "Oh, come on, you big fucker, you've taken down worse!" Venom yelled at his bond, already winging off to make a couple quick bets. Atnynvus better not let him down. Atnynvus didn't back off, didn't even bother. He lit the air around him and Chroquanth on fire (13+2), and kept biting with all three heads (18+3, 7+3, 11+3), trying to simply wear the smaller dragon down, lashing with all three tails (3+3, 7+3, 18+3) to try and yank bronze feet out from under him. ((done))
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) Aratha was leaning in close to stare into Cypri's mug when his flames turned from blue to green! She let out a small squeek of surprise and pulled her muzzle back, then leaned in again to stare, "How'd you do that? Do it again!" She exclaimed when his fire went back to being blue. "Can you control your fire completely? Can you make it any color? And how do you fly with wings like that?"
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) "You know, usually I have to do that on purpose--" And again, Cyprium's attempts to be suave were immediately interrupted by his secret sister's prankery. Totally bamboozled by his color change, he peered at himself, back in his mug again -- That certainly didn't happen last time I drank, he puzzled, and then carefully set his mug aside. "You know, that's not supposed to happen either! I think they put something in this," he complained theatrically, but at the same time, he was doing a sensory sweep of the area -- more than the usual five, too. Now, one weird thing, he could excuse, but two in such close conjunction -- maybe someone here was trouble! It would certainly be on form.
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) Then he caught a whiff of something familiar, and perked up. Now where did he recognize that... that was... He had almost had it when Aratha leaned in and began her enthusiastic interrogation. He had to laugh and pull back, though now his extra-sensory senses were on the alert and juuuust waiting for another prank. "Generally I only tend towards blue. That was a trick especially for the occasion, I think," he only slightly fibbed. "As for flying, well... magic." Cyprium winked at the drunken lady. "Have you ever been flying?"
Phoenix:
(( Dray, cacopheny )) Anathema wondered if this little thing was attempting to mock her. That toothy, curled-at-the-jawline grin was hardly an endearing kind of expression and her manner of speech was decidedly flippant, whether or not she spoke seriously or in jest. Yet, for the moment, the little thing’s brazenness remained on this side of amusing, taken in comparison with the fearful looks so many others were leveling at the balefire goddess. With the regal arch she had to curl her neck into to look down at the far-smaller creature, she was currently unheeding of the brass-blood mutt heading her way. "Corruption," she said to the little black dragon, instead, with a sedate smile. "Taking things and making them mine. These looks I am receiving--" she nodded lazily towards the nearest gaggle of gawkers, "--would be because of that tendency in myself and my children."
Dray:
(( Yakima, for the wolves )) It seemed that after a moment of struggling free of those pesky vines, Balthazar's second lunge ripped the human's shirt open and left a gash in his chest, to boot (Helekser takes 3 damage!) Jien, shaken as she was by the vines ability to get through her shields, failed to speak the words of healing completely, and thusly Balthazar's wounds remained bloodied, for now. The humanoids fought back, but Helekser was busy backing off from the wolf and Trika had to recite a new incantation; both failed to do any damage.
cacopheny:
((jkat/star)) Getting control of her amusement again, Natron skulked around behind her brother, considering what to do next. She was pretty good with fire, by now, with all her practice... she attempted to co-op his flames entirely (natural 20 XD plus a 3 for AM) and turn them into a beacon of multicolored lights, this time, that fluttered like butterfly wings over his head. ((done XD ))
Dray:
(( StarFyre, for Ankara)) Raseri shrieked and snarled, backing down a moment later. Hadari watched all of this impassively, impressed by Ankara's economy of movement. That was the quickest he had ever seen Raseri put in her place... it was something that he would have to learn to emulate. Once it was clear that Raseri would no longer provoke the Honored, the copper male lifted his muzzle. "Would you prefer a fight in the pits?" he asked, voice clearly indicating that he had no wish to challenge her, himself.
(( StarFyre, for Reiji )) Mona, laughing throatily at the display once they were out of the pavilion, pointed with her muzzle. :: You could probably win your weight in pretties, if you wanted, :: she grinned. :: Do you mind if I join you? :: The pits themselves were dug into the ground, within which the ugly little lizards were dropped. As they settled in to watch, several dragons were calling bets in before the next fight began. A nearly black creature versus a red-mottled silver were hackling at one another from within the pit, giving shrill little cries of challenge.
Yakima:
(( Dray for Philippe )) "A god, eh." He sipped his wine, thoughfully looking over the women. For years he had been using one of his race's gifts of empathy without really knowing it. Now he tried to read Susan. he couldn't figure out things like names without being told but he could judge her character, emotions, and sometimes more if he tried. He also had his gift, which he hated so he tried not to think about it. At the mention of his romantic life, his lips quirked. "At times," he allowed. "I am a blue rider with a reputation at Falas Weyr," he shrugged.
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) "Flying?" Aratha shook her head, then shifted to present her wingless back to Cypri for a moment. "How could I fly?" She turned back just in time to see Cypri's flames turn into multicolored butterfly wings over her head, and her jaw dropped in astonishment. "So pretty!"
Dray:
(( JKatkina )) Agate surreptitiously raised two fingers and twitched them, a 'come' gesture, behind Kay's back. As he did so, he waved his other hand across the table spread before them. Food of all varieties was present; the center-piece a stuffed creature that looked suspiciously like a small dragon. Chocolates and candies and crystal matrixes of... something were laid out alongside decanters of wine and other alcohol. Snuff tins were discreetly laid between other decorations, along with other drugs... though Agate had a feeling that Kay was above such petty vices. A moment later, the wenches had returned, and with points to them for not deeming to hesitate, they settled like doves at either side of the little redhead. "Milk away," Agate told her, winking.
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) Totally derailed from his desperate attempts to salvage his flirtation (not that the audience was that critical, really), Cyprium yelped in alarm and stood up to try to shake off the crazy multi-colored flames that had suddenly taken him over. Looking like a giant, metallic butterfly as he tried to dispel the pretty lights, he cast his senses all out, and -- "NATRON?!" he yelped in a very different tone than what he'd been using on Aratha!
cacopheny:
((Jkat/Star)) Giving up now that she was found out and letting his flame go back to its natural blue, and natural shape, Natron pulled her body to her spirit, filling it in with green flame before she grew solid again, laughing all the while. "Oh, Cyp, that was awesome fun!" she cried gleefully, and pounced him. She was, currently, about half his size, so it wasn't much of a pounce, just one to get her in hugging reach, so she could throw luminous wings around him. His little girl-thing was forgotten, at least for the moment. ((done ^^ ))
JKat:
(( Dray )) K looked on in mild astonishment, her eyebrows raised clean up her forehead. The elemental grinned -- first at the lovely wenches, certainly with lasciviousness on her mind, and then at Agate, and admitted, "you know, I can kind of see why you're playing this game." She leaned forward and retrieved a morsel -- well okay, a good chunk of the luscious roasted mystery meat, and nibbled away at it. But she did give the decked-out blonde a sidelong look and add, "but really, it's a rigged game, isn't it? Where's the challenge?"
Dray:
(( cacopheny for Atnynvus and Venom)) The fight was really in full swing, now: the air was alight with fire and some of those burning orbs singed into the Bronze with a fragrant stench. (Chroquanth takes 6 damage) Bugling in pain, Chroquanth ripped another swatch of flesh from Atnynvus, sending splatters of fresh blood across the reddened battle-field (-7 damage to Atnyn), but the hydra gave thrice as good as he got. Two heads ripped bloody hunks from the Bronze's body, and the third laid across his throat, ready to tear it open. In a heartbeat, the referee was upon him, pulling Atnynvus away. "No kills!" she shrieked! "The visitor wins!"
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) Aratha broke out into fits of giggles as Cypri thrashed about like that, trying to dispel the flames (though she thought they were very pretty! But she supposed males, even those that were figments of her imagination, had their pride, and rainbow butterflies probably didn't fall into 'pride worthy'). She did, however, jump when Cypri yelped out a name, and another fireling appeared from nowhere and pounced him! Still giggling (she couldn't seem to stop), she glanced down at her mug, and wondered if the flaming dragon was right - certainly her mind was acting up more tonight than it ever had before! Two of the things!
Dray:
(( cacopheny )) Venom found himself with only a small gain: twelve thick gold coins for Atnynvus' victory, given his size outclassed the Bronzes.
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) For a moment, Cyprium was genuinely torn between irritation and glee -- but his was a happy nature, so out of place in tonight's nasty atmosphere, and he finally roared a broad laugh and caught his sister up, pouncing her in a hug that was basically brightly colored fire going in a lightshow everywhere. If they hadn't been laughing, it might have been mistaken for one hell of a magical fight. Cyprium thumped Natron with one luminescent wing and bellowed, "Natron! You sneaky beast! What the hell are you doing here? I mean, aside from cockblocking me!"
StarFyre:
(( Dray, for the Baishu )) "A fight in the pits would be agreeable," Ankara responded with a nod to Haseri, acknowledging his disinclination to challenge her. At least one of these two younglings acknowledged proper protocol! Though, really, Raseri might be a worthy foe in a few years time, given some seasoning and a bit of sense pounded into her head...
(( Dray, for Mona )) ::Humm.:: Reiji eyed the two contenders as they settled into their seats, then reached a paw into his bag again and pulled out a shiny gold coin and leaned over to where people were taking bets. ::I like the look of that silver and red one,:: he commented as he placed his bet on that one. As he waited for the match to begin, he glanced over at Mona and said with a charming grin, ::Your company is very welcome, milady Mona.::
Dray:
(( Phoenix, cacopheny )) Esyrn scratched her nose-tip, thinking about that. "Hey, that's pretty neat! Kids, huh? They're my specialty!" She tapped her fingers together. "One minute, cutie fluffy bunny snuggles, next minute--" she tried to snap her fingers together, but only managed a bit of strange clicking with her long nails, "foof! Snaggle toothed cyclopses and belly-mouthed barkers! Hah! Speakin' of which, you got any kids you want uglified? I'm a pro!" She failed to notice the big, fluffy, gold and red creature approaching, as small as she was. Most dragons were like a forest of limbs to her, after all. Only noteworthy if they were about to land on her! Not that Netahiln didn't look the part of one of Esyrn's prey: she was fluffy for goodness sakes!
cacopheny:
((jkat/star)) "I'm doing no such thing!" Natron exclaimed back, laughing heartily, herself, and batting at his wing like a playful cat as they turned into a miniature inferno together, they stood so close, of blue and green flame crackling around each other. Somehow or another, they didn't manage to set anything on fire, though several other guests edged away from the heat, anyway. She leaned on his shoulder. "Your little bint is still right there, isn't she! Hello, little bint!" she chirped cheerfully at Aratha, snaking her neck over her brother's shoulders and grinning. ((done ^^ ))
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) Though a bit put out by being ignored by the figments of her imagination, Aratha was enthralled by the way the two fireling's flames mixed and crackled and glowed like that. With a draconic shrug, she took another gulp of her drink - she was already seeing things, so a bit more couldn't hurt! When the little green-flamed one addressed her, she was a bit confused - what did 'bint' mean? - but she decided to respond anyway. "I'm Aratha, not 'little bint'."
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) "Hey!" Cypri batted at his sister's head with a wing. "She's hardly a bint. Well, I don't think so, anyways." Then he quickly amended, "And I think she's very pretty," he turned his attention for a moment back to the Baishu female, giving her a dashing grin -- now that no other tricksy happenings would interrupt, at least, none that he didn't know the source of! "Aratha, this is my sister Natron. She's trouble. Not like me."
Dray:
(( Yakima, for Philippe )) Susan barked a laugh at his boasting, settling the hookah hose back on its stand. From what he could read, it was obvious that the woman was unhappy here, though perhaps it was just that she was an unhappy person, in general. Swirling pessimistic thoughts were clouded by the various drugs she'd been imbibing upon tonight, but her bruises made a clear enough story of her typical aggressive behavior. "Falas Weyr, huh? Y'know Blue rider means less to me than the name of a place like that." She pushed herself to standing, towering over the man and giving a mock hip-thrust as she strode over to a nearby table to grab a mug. "Not to offend, or anything, of course." Her brows were quirked again, expecting of course the complete opposite. "Here, let me redeem myself. See those people there?" she pointed towards the pavilion, to the humanoids wearing capes that had not a stitch of red upon them. "You want to be wining and dining those ladies if you're looking for a good time. They're not slaves, and you'll leave with a better reputation than if you slummed it up with these Stockyard hussies."
cacopheny:
((dray)) Struggling futilely against the referee, Atnynvus wanted to kill. But he knew he couldn't. Knew he wouldn't. It wasn't fair, but life wasn't fair, now, was it? He growled and subsided, though his tails still lashed and he limped to one side to lick half-heartedly at his wounds. Venom winged over with about half of his winnings and a purchased medkit, which accounted for the missing half. "Well, you look like hell," he commented. "What did you do, forget he had teeth?"
((dray)) "Shut up," Atnynvus growled at him, but he did let his bond get to work fixing him up. He was going to get at least one more fight out of this gig. Even though he already knew he was, and should probably just give up now. But of course he wouldn't he was still angry. Venom ignored his grumblings and shiftings, and the little bits of flame that spurted up now and then from his skin, and just bandaged and patched until everything was taken care of.
((dray)) "Anyone else want to get in on the angry hydra action?" he called loudly from on top of Atnynvus's central head, looking around for another taker for his bandaged beast. ((done X3 aaand with a medkit, he's back up to full HP XD poor Venom, he didn't get to keep much of his winnings :P ))
((phe/dray)) ~Someone else who likes to warp younglings?~ Netehiln added to the conversation as she sauntered up to the two of them, her mind-voice very dry and not the least bit afraid. The glowing red eyes and cheerfully bared fangs might have made her look a little less like a fluffy, harmless thing, as she got close enough for a little flashed grin to be noticed. ~You've got a run for your money, here, looks like. Hello, Anathema. Long time no see.~ She doubted Anathema even remembered her, but hey. Act like you were on first-name-basis with someone, and sometimes they paid more attention to you. It would at least get her a second glance, and maybe bonus points for sheer cheek. Netahiln was good at cheek. ((done X3 ))
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) "I can see that," Aratha snorted into her drink, then grinned toothily up at Cypri. "Any other family hanging around invisibly that I should know about?" There. She was inviting her mind to let loose more of these creatures. Maybe if she got it all out of the way now it would make sense. Or maybe not. This was turning into one wiiieeeerd trip, and she hadn't even consumed any magic recently!
cacopheny:
((Star/Jkat)) Natron ducked the wing with a sweet smile, and rubbed herself against his shoulder and chest, again with the catlike, before backing off and sitting down, looking cheerful and a little wicked. "Just me, right now," she answered. "And don't believe him for a minute, Aratha, he's probably even more trouble. Especially for the pretty ones." Though even saying that made her snort with suppressed laughter, her flames crackling with amusement. Cypri probably didn't stand a chance with a girl who wasn't drunk off her scaly ass. ((done X3 ))
Dray:
(( JKat )) The meat was juicy and rich, tasting as though it perhaps had been magically steeped during roasting. For the wenches' parts, they had settled to combing Kay's hair with the silver and nacre-lined combs previously fastened to their own hair. Agate shrugged, leaning back upon his throne. "Maybe not such a rigged game. Not so much as your little flaming litter-box, anyways. I've been letting things... play out, as it were. Taking losses, like it or lump it. I really do it for them," he pointed from beneath his other hand towards Ahiezer and Ezekiela, who were busy with all of dragonkind. "Poor things. So mortal and fragile." He ignored the dark head that turned towards him from Ezekiela's resting place to growl deeply.
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) It may have been true, but that didn't mean Cyprium had to acknowledge it, even privately! He batted at Natron as she went by, but without any real attempt behind it. He had a moment where he almost answered Aratha with something about his mother being somewhere around here, and was glad for the interruption from Natron as he realized just how not sexy that sounded. Instead, he snorted at his sister and grinned at Aratha, letting the Baishu know in a particular tone, "if I'm trouble, I'm only ever the best kind."
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) Well, at least no more had deigned to show up at current! Aratha snorted in response to the little one's comment, then chuckled as Cypri made his statement. "Only the best kind, hmm?" She asked with a small flick of her tail, "And what kind would that be, oh great fireling?"
Dray:
(( StarFyre for Ankara )) Getting to his feet, Hadari gestured into the crowds and towards the fighting pits. There were a few fights going on at the moment: two wolves were battling it out with a pair of humanoids and receiving lashings at either end. An absolutely massive, three-headed hydra had only just finished disposing of a Pernese Bronze. But where would they fit in...?
Dray:
(( StarFyre, for Reiji )) "Two to one against Bloodybill!" the bet-taker exclaimed, as the bets were finished being taken. Mona rumbled a reply, well pleased by the remark. The two daggerbacks were finally properly released, and, flinging themselves at one another, became a momentary ball of scales and claws. For a moment, it seemed as though the silver were winning, but the black managed to get the spurs upon the back of its legs jabbed into the fleshy stomach of the silver, and after a few moments, the latter coughed up a gout of blood and fell, unmoving upon the floor. A roar went up as the spectators cheered or hissed their reaction. Mona clucked her tongue, disappointed at the loss on Reiji's part. :: You could always get your thumb in the pie, if you know what I mean, :: she suggested. Beyond the fighting pits, a monstrous creature of patchwork limbs was carefully tending a few cages of the beasts, taking coin for the creatures from hopeful battlers.
cacopheny:
((Jkat/Star)) Natron's eyes rooooooolled at that one, and her jaw gaped in a grin that was almost a laugh, but not quite. "Where are you getting these lines, Cyp? My gods, that's terrible! Are you really drunk enough to be falling for this, Aratha?" Okay, so maybe she was cockblocking a little bit, now. She couldn't help it. It was too easy. Besides, he couldn't resist baiting her poor brother. It wasn't like she saw him very often, she had to needle him a little. ((done))
JKat:
(( Dray )) "I'm not trying to be Queen of my particular patch of the universe," she shot back. "Anyways, I believe that about as far as I can throw it. Probably less," she amended, speaking of his professed philanthropism. "Ohh, that's nice," she added to one of the wenches, looking for all the world as if she might start purring. But then she cracked a nearly-closed eyelid and gave her bejewelled companion another look... grinning wickedly. "As for playing with the mortals, you seem to be taking it well. I heard you and Fa..." She waved the leg of beast and let it hang. She'd gotten the impression that Agate hadn't really intended to spawn!
Dray:
(( cacopheny, for Atnynvus and Venom )) Out of seemingly nowhere, a sparkly green and yellow dragon with a ridiculous jester's cap bulled his way through the crowd. :: Ohhh yes, me! Pick me! I'm Hurtmeth, I'll fight! ::
"Nobody wants to fight you, you hideous masochist!" the referee cried, shoving the huge dragon out of the ring, but to no avail.
:: Pleeeease pick me! Fight me! Thrash me! Oooh please! ::
Yakima:
(( Dray for Wolves )) With a snarl, Balthazar leapt for the human again (( 1 )) while Jien tried again to heal her lord. (( 4 ))
JKat:
(( StarFyre cacopheny )) What are siblings for, after all? "Hey!" the fireling exclaimed, and if he'd been human enough to do so he'd probably be blushing. HE thought he had been being at least reasonably smooth! "Apparently not the same kind as my sister here," he let Aratha know, and then very decisively grabbed a full, replacement tankard from the table and took a good gulp. There, that was better! "Here I never woulda thought you'd be evil enough for this crowd, Nat', but consider me corrected." He stuck his tongue out -- only a little sore, playing it up for the laughs!
Yakima:
(( Dray for Philippe )) "It's on Pern, not many people know if it, so none taken," Philippe shrugged, putting down his empty wine glass. He looked over to where she was pointing and nodded. They did look to be more like the company his alter-ego was use to. He could handle it. With a courtire-ish nod to Susan he set off for the pavillion. "Thank you. I think I shall," he told her, weaving his way through to the pravillion, wondering the entire way who he was going to find their.
cacopheny:
((dray, for Hurthmeth)) Venom gave the sparkling dragon an incredulous, disgusted sort of stare, but Atnynvus was already shaking him off, letting him flutter away and stare, some more, one last bespelled bandage hanging fron his hand, as Atnynvus lumbered reluctantly but purposefully in Hurthmeth's direction. He knew, of course, exactly what Hurthmeth wanted-- but if his anger could cause someone else pleasure? Well, why not?
((dray, for poor Hurtmeth... XD )) Besides, he knew perfectly well what he would do, what he would do, what what happen-- and that was what made him reluctant. Not anything else. And he knew that, as well. "Bring it on," he growled at Hurtmeth. "Let's see if you can lay a claw on me, before I'll lay one on you. Come on. I dare you." ((done X3 ))
Phoenix:
(( Dray, cacopheny )) "A pro, indeed?" Anathema repeated, a scaly brow arched with intrigue. It was hard to imagine this little thing possessing any significant measure of corruptive power, but appearances could deceive, and if that were so--
Now what was this interruption? Flicking one plumed ear, Anathema turned her head: first to the side, and then upwards when that first turn only revealed a brassy-furred chest. She regarded the mutt for but a moment, then a scornful smirk crawled so far up one side of her muzzle she almost resembled the little creature at their feet. The goddess looked back down at her tiny ‘companion’ with a head-tilt at Netahiln. "And of course, there’s always someone that takes offense, hm?"
Dray:
(( JKat )) Agate was leaning back on his throne chair, arms crossed over his elaborately adorned chest as he surveyed his domain. He cast a glance in the naked woman's direction, smirking faintly, though not in the way that Kay had intended. "The circle of life goes on," he began, "Gazzie had a flight, little Ahiezer there slipped in at the last to outdistance those Nidus wimps. It was a good night." Oh, the smarm! "Been a while, too; turns out living at the opposite end of the continent makes relationships a little difficult."
JKat:
(( Dray )) "Oh, bitch and moan; even playing by the rules, you have big old teleporting machines," she pointed out, gesturing with the bone of the now-consumed leg of yummy animal in the direction of Agate's four-headed monstrosity. She was, however, also giving Agate the definite eyeball, though it seemed an aside at the moment. "Somehow I don't get the feeling you're too broken up about that, though." Never had the man seemed the paternal sort, and playing Fantasy Warlord made him seem even less so. Having finished snack number one, she switched to imbibing instead, sampling one of the wee decanters of... whatever the syrupy looking stuff was.
StarFyre:
(( JKat, cacopheny )) Aratha had to chuckle again at the interaction of the two, then pointed out, "Sshe'ss yer ssisster - doessn't that make both of you troublemakerss?" It sounded logical to her after all! She wasn't much experienced with siblings, as the rest of her clutch had died because her parents had tried desperately for the more prestigious colors and failed horribly at tending their eggs, but she did know that most siblings she'd seen were so very alike despite protests to the contrary!
Dray:
(( Yakima, for the wolves )) Several dragons and humanoids had gathered to watch the wolf fight, but not to gawk in awe. Balthazar tripped over a poorly-timed vine-eruption, not so much hurting himself as his pride. Helekser tripped over Balthazar, managing to catch his foot on the wolf's jaw (Balthazar takes 1 damage XD) and wrenching it as he fell. The two females were casting at the speed of light and not managing to get much out of it; Trika's vines flopped limply along the ground and Jien's magic flickered over her lord's body in a futile attempt to heal it!
Yakima:
(( Dray for Wolves )) With a snarl, Balthazar sent a spell of black magic laced with green toward the human he had bitten. (( 15 using Demonic attack...whatever it was )). Jien, now growling to herself, tried again. ..............................................2))
Dray:
(( Yakima, for Philippe )) the pavilion was thankfully a little less skeezy looking than the grounds that Philippe had been strolling. Several women were sitting upon pillows, drinking from long-stemmed glasses and eating from delicate looking platters. Further down the table, the elf could see a heavily adorned humanoid with digitigrade legs chatting with a naked, red-haired human woman who was in turn being doted upon by a pair of red-caped women, though one of the humanoids at the lower table raised a glass to him. "Well hello, there!" she called, grinning widely, obviously a little drunk!
StarFyre:
(( Dray, for Ankara )) Ankara looked about the field, then snorted and approached the person who looked important. "I will fight," was all she said.
(( Dray, for Reiji )) ::Tch,:: Reiji gave a flip of his mane as he lost, then glanced at Mona as she commented about getting in on it. ::Oh really? Well then! With your expert eye, I am sure to pick myself a champion.:: So saying, he rose and moved in the direction she had indicated, looking over the cages and creatures offered.
Dray:
(( cacopheny, for Atnynvus )) :: Sure thing! :: Hurtmeth reared back on his hind legs, batting at the air in front of the hydracorn with mock aggression. He leapt forward, wings and arms spread to try to startle the other creature into an attack! Unfortunately for him, the tackle succeeded in shoving Atnynvus to his side. (3 damage for Atny!) :: Oh, I am so, SO sorry! :: Hurtmeth cried, startled, sprawled over the larger creature. :: Are you okay?! ::
(( cacopheny, Phoenix )) "What's life without it's straight-men?" Esyrn cracked back. "I don't just do kids parties, I can work the magic on just about anything pretty and fluffy... kinda like this one up here, though it kinda looks like she got a taste of someone like me right outta the shell!" She again cracked her knuckles, looking up at Netahiln... or at least up at the shape of Netahiln. The Chaos-mutt was simply too huge for Esyrn to comprehend properly.
((Phe/Dray)) Oh, so she was recognized. Netahiln flicked her furry wings, the tines poking out the ends, casually over her back and held her chin high. ~Your son did exactly as he set out to do, exactly what I'd asked of him,~ she commented, keeping her regret out of her mindvoice, at least, for this conversation. She was pretty damn good at showing only what she wanted to show, by now, since psionics was her only method of communication, ~Who can take offense to that, then, hmm?~ ((done))
Dray:
(( Yakima, for the wolves)) The green and black magic raced forward and slammed into Helekser, sending him head over heals skidding along the dusty ground. He gave a single groan before going completely limp. Ganan cried, "One down!" and cheers went up, distracting the elf from further damage, despite her attempt to make those vines do her bidding. The raucous cry seemed to affect Jien, as well, for the female wolf could manage nothing of her own, despite the very vulnerable elf standing a few feet away from her.
Yakima:
(( Dray for Philippe )) Feeling a bit giddy at the change in atmosphere, Philippe couldn't help but not only give the women a nod, and a wink before stopping just outside the pravilion. He felt safer over here. Well, not by much. Yeah, so he was some powerful necromancer on Sentra. Some people in the Nexus rarley heard of Pern, why would they hear of his homeworld? He laughed outloud at that, wondering if he should go find some more wine to pass the time. His eyes also studdied the women, of course, but from a distance right now.
cacopheny:
((dray, for Hurthmeth)) The shove couldn't possibly take Atnynvus by surprise, but he stumbled and fell, anyway, hooves flailing in the sand as Hurthmeth landed literally on him. The flailing hooves were dangerous enough (14+3 for RP since he's just reacting? XD ), but he had three tails (7+2, 18+2, 5+2) and two mouths (17+2, 16+2) aiming to take some stripes out of Hurthmeth's hide. Not that Hurthmeth deserved it-- in another life, Atnynvus could even have liked the beast, and hurt him carefully enough that it would cause him no lasting damage-- but Atnynvus knew that, knew all of it, and it only made him want to make it all worse. The only concession he made was keeping his flames to tiny little licks (2+2, 5+2), because-- he knew he would. "You pitiful-- squeaking-- freak!" his third mouth growled. ((done :P ))
Dray:
(( StarFyre, for Reiji )) The duo moved on from the pit to come up short before the Frankensteinien dragoness who was tending the daggerbacks. There were several in cages lining the way: one black, two silvers, one white, and a green-backed silver. "You want to purchase?" the strange dragoness asked, her voice sounding somehow hollow; undead. Many serpents swirled around the base of her neck, regarding both the daggerbacks and the two new customers. "Three gold pieces," she added, somewhat resentful.
Phoenix:
(( Dray, cacopheny )) Anathema thought she liked this little black creature. Certainly it was like in comparison to the indifferent kind of disdain she felt towards Netahiln. "Yours sounds like a talent that would be far more at home in my ‘Arx’, if you’d call it that, than around here," she chuckled, then rolled her gaze up at Netahiln with just a slight lift of her head to accommodate the look, having little interest in giving the mutt more attention than the far more interesting dragon at her feet. "Well, considering how you attempt to hound my son so...that question rather answers itself. Now, do you mind? You’re interrupting our conversation, here."
Yakima:
(( Dray for the Wolves )) With a grunt, Balthazar smirked, tounge flicking over his lips. "Now you, elf," he growled, not wasting time with his weaker physical attacks he threw anouther bolt of powerful demonic energy straight for the elf. (( 13 )) "JIEN!" he also barked though the white and green wolf was trying desperatly to shake her head clear, her green eyes glaring at the crowd that was causing so much damn noise. If she couldn't get this he was going to kill her! (( 5...even tried 3-4 more rolls out of spite and 5 was still the highest...urg))
Dray:
(( cacopheny, Phoenix )) The pipsqueek-sized dragoness moved between the two behemoths between her, raising both hands. "Ladies, ladies, can't we all get along?" Again, that slippery, toothy grin. "I don't know what your history is but tonight of all nights, we can get along and and burn a few houses down together, right? ...That's how that saying goes, right?" She seemed to be considering Anathema's remark, though she was not yet ready to reply to it, yet!
cacopheny:
((Phe/Dray)) ~Wasn't coming over here to start a fight,~ Netahiln commented dryly. ~Just to pay my respects. After all, it isn't as if the lady here meant for her children to always have it easy, is it?~ She grinned up at Anathema-- no matter what her grudge against Habithi, she was actually not here to pick fights with his mother; that would not only be stupid, it would be against her own interests here, which would be, finding out more about her stupid, arrogant, missing bond-- and cocked an ear mock-jauntily, peering down at Esryn with even more teeth showing. ~If there's houses to burn around here, and miss high-and-mighty can deign to team up with a chaos-queen mutt, I'm down for it.~ After all, Habithi didn't pick a total wimp to bond with. ((done))