Avishraa Reloaded

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sessions:thuban:rudusen_riitha:2013-02-22 [2020/06/20 22:14] – created rehchoortahnsessions:thuban:rudusen_riitha:2013-02-22 [2023/09/18 15:05] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-The question strikes Demarath as a non sequitur, eliciting an expression of confusion laced with irritation. "Outside? What exactly does going outside Udunshraa have to do with anything?" he asks, eyeing her with a skeptical look. He's not outright dismissing the notion, so there's at least a chance she'd be allowed, but he can't see why she'd '''want''' to.}}+The question strikes Demarath as a non sequitur, eliciting an expression of confusion laced with irritation. "Outside? What exactly does going outside Udunshraa have to do with anything?" he asks, eyeing her with a skeptical look. He's not outright dismissing the notion, so there's at least a chance she'd be allowed, but he can't see why she'd **want** to.}}
  
 {{wst>shyriath| {{wst>shyriath|
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 "Ilirith," he begins, right forepaw gliding up the back of her neck, before coming to grip the base of her skull firmly, central digit continuing the curve of her spine to rest at the back of her cranium, other digits splayed to the side. That didn't bode terribly well -- he very rarely addresses her by name unless it's a sign of disappointment. "Before I answer your request, there's something I should clarify for you, since you still seem to have a few unfortunate misconceptions." His expression has turned smug again, as the pressure of his claw against the back of her skull increases faintly. "Ilirith," he begins, right forepaw gliding up the back of her neck, before coming to grip the base of her skull firmly, central digit continuing the curve of her spine to rest at the back of her cranium, other digits splayed to the side. That didn't bode terribly well -- he very rarely addresses her by name unless it's a sign of disappointment. "Before I answer your request, there's something I should clarify for you, since you still seem to have a few unfortunate misconceptions." His expression has turned smug again, as the pressure of his claw against the back of her skull increases faintly.
  
-"I appreciate your usefulness. I really do. But please don't make the mistake of thinking that means you're entitled to any more favors from me than what I've already granted you." Another increase in pressure, still not yet painful but certainly uncomfortable. "You're incredibly lucky, Ilirith. Perhaps you don't realize that, but I assure you, your life could be '''much''' worse if I didn't have such a vested interest in your well-being." His muzzle lowers to a few centimeters away, silver eyes staring piercingly into hers. "...Am I making myself clear?" Oddly, that question isn't in the demanding tone she might expect, but rather a cautious, curious, almost hopeful one.}}+"I appreciate your usefulness. I really do. But please don't make the mistake of thinking that means you're entitled to any more favors from me than what I've already granted you." Another increase in pressure, still not yet painful but certainly uncomfortable. "You're incredibly lucky, Ilirith. Perhaps you don't realize that, but I assure you, your life could be **much** worse if I didn't have such a vested interest in your well-being." His muzzle lowers to a few centimeters away, silver eyes staring piercingly into hers. "...Am I making myself clear?" Oddly, that question isn't in the demanding tone she might expect, but rather a cautious, curious, almost hopeful one.}}
  
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-Whatever hint of warmth there might have been in the tone of his query, it's quick to vanish. The grip remains on her skull, but does not increase its pressure. "...You know, I ''was'' planning to let you go outside, as a reward for your good behavior, but if you're going to continue being this difficult with me despite my best efforts to make you comfortable, I don't see much point in doing so." His paw relaxes, and then relents, as he takes a step back. "But if you'd rather stay here and keep working, by all means." At that point, he turns away, and slowly makes his way towards the central stairway.}}+Whatever hint of warmth there might have been in the tone of his query, it's quick to vanish. The grip remains on her skull, but does not increase its pressure. "...You know, I //was// planning to let you go outside, as a reward for your good behavior, but if you're going to continue being this difficult with me despite my best efforts to make you comfortable, I don't see much point in doing so." His paw relaxes, and then relents, as he takes a step back. "But if you'd rather stay here and keep working, by all means." At that point, he turns away, and slowly makes his way towards the central stairway.}}
  
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-If angry glares were daggers, Ilirith's would pierce the back of Demarath's skull. Of all the things to be knowing about, he's picked the end of the Order-spurned world. Standing there with a smug look on his face - and in her present mood, she finds it hard to believe that she's not mistaken in seeing something less annoying there - while, while, while... '''bits''' of the world are just floating around in the distance. Arrogant bastard.+If angry glares were daggers, Ilirith's would pierce the back of Demarath's skull. Of all the things to be knowing about, he's picked the end of the Order-spurned world. Standing there with a smug look on his face - and in her present mood, she finds it hard to believe that she's not mistaken in seeing something less annoying there - while, while, while... **bits** of the world are just floating around in the distance. Arrogant bastard.
  
 Ilirith wants to ask for more details. She really does. But what she wants even more is not to give him any further excuses to wave his superior knowledge at her, and so she remains stubbornly silent on the matter. Anyway, if it's chaos... surely the monsters were involved in it, somehow. That's all she needs to know. Another thing they destroyed. She glances around, trying to avoid the sight of the sky. All of a sudden, she wants to find her father, dig him up, and then be back inside. Ilirith wants to ask for more details. She really does. But what she wants even more is not to give him any further excuses to wave his superior knowledge at her, and so she remains stubbornly silent on the matter. Anyway, if it's chaos... surely the monsters were involved in it, somehow. That's all she needs to know. Another thing they destroyed. She glances around, trying to avoid the sight of the sky. All of a sudden, she wants to find her father, dig him up, and then be back inside.
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 Demarath follows Ilirith in tense silence, antennae perked up in alertness, paying close attention to his surroundings in case of an attack. The fresh air, and the visceral reminder of his reasons for embarking on this process at all, help the copper Hzataal put his current troubles with Ilirith into fresh perspective. She hasn't yet agreed to convert -- perhaps giving her the option had been a mistake, but it's too late to take that back now; he'll have to adjust his strategy the next time. But... she was still considering it, and any actions he can take to improve the chances of that happening would be to his long-term benefit. If letting her find her father's remains improved those chances -- or offered the opportunity to improve those chances -- wasn't it his duty to ensure he made maximal use of that?  Demarath follows Ilirith in tense silence, antennae perked up in alertness, paying close attention to his surroundings in case of an attack. The fresh air, and the visceral reminder of his reasons for embarking on this process at all, help the copper Hzataal put his current troubles with Ilirith into fresh perspective. She hasn't yet agreed to convert -- perhaps giving her the option had been a mistake, but it's too late to take that back now; he'll have to adjust his strategy the next time. But... she was still considering it, and any actions he can take to improve the chances of that happening would be to his long-term benefit. If letting her find her father's remains improved those chances -- or offered the opportunity to improve those chances -- wasn't it his duty to ensure he made maximal use of that? 
  
-So she wants to understand how he thinks, in preparation for her conversion. She can't, of course -- he's already explained as much -- but she's certainly capable of ''thinking'' she does; and if she wants to believe she understands, he can certainly make efforts to satisfy that. He's not going to take anything like orders from her, of course; anything of the sort will still get quickly rectified if she's that dull. But perhaps, with enough time and effort, he can adjust her way of thinking enough to get her to convert.}}+So she wants to understand how he thinks, in preparation for her conversion. She can't, of course -- he's already explained as much -- but she's certainly capable of //thinking// she does; and if she wants to believe she understands, he can certainly make efforts to satisfy that. He's not going to take anything like orders from her, of course; anything of the sort will still get quickly rectified if she's that dull. But perhaps, with enough time and effort, he can adjust her way of thinking enough to get her to convert.}}
  
 {{wst>shyriath| {{wst>shyriath|
-Ilirith pays little attention to the copper; her brain isn't exactly on the present day in any case. She's quite sure that's the right tree; even dead,it's the right shape, preserved by the thin, dry air. This was where they'd been attacked, and they'd run toward the wall, '''this''' way... she turns, following the dim memories in her head.+Ilirith pays little attention to the copper; her brain isn't exactly on the present day in any case. She's quite sure that's the right tree; even dead,it's the right shape, preserved by the thin, dry air. This was where they'd been attacked, and they'd run toward the wall, **this** way... she turns, following the dim memories in her head.
  
 But as she continues, the silence becomes jarring. She's had enough silence in her life up to now. She asks, absently, "May I ask... what happened to your family? I assume they escaped the Culling?"}} But as she continues, the silence becomes jarring. She's had enough silence in her life up to now. She asks, absently, "May I ask... what happened to your family? I assume they escaped the Culling?"}}
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 Demarath's gaze shifts back to the other dragon, coldly observing her. She's afraid of him -- there's no snarky retort being bitten back, no misguided sense of superiority, just an entirely reasonable, and largely recognizable, terror. He still remembers his own fear of Shahrivrath, even if now it's little more than an abstraction. But his relationship with Shahrivrath was by definition different from that which he's attempting to cultivate with Ilirith -- Shahrivrath never gave him a choice, aside from 'obey or die'; so it was easy for him to wield that fear against his former self. But now, it's not clear that the same sort of fear will be useful to his purposes, even if it does bolster his injured pride. Demarath's gaze shifts back to the other dragon, coldly observing her. She's afraid of him -- there's no snarky retort being bitten back, no misguided sense of superiority, just an entirely reasonable, and largely recognizable, terror. He still remembers his own fear of Shahrivrath, even if now it's little more than an abstraction. But his relationship with Shahrivrath was by definition different from that which he's attempting to cultivate with Ilirith -- Shahrivrath never gave him a choice, aside from 'obey or die'; so it was easy for him to wield that fear against his former self. But now, it's not clear that the same sort of fear will be useful to his purposes, even if it does bolster his injured pride.
  
-So what ''will'' be useful, then? The only way to determine that is to observe, and to infer. What does he understand so far? She is a Writer; her books are precious to her -- that is leverage. She has some degree of sympathy towards him, rare as it is to occur and ill-founded as it is -- evidenced by the fact she offered to pray for his family. (A wire of irritation at that reminder makes its presence known; he stretches and flexes his wings in attempt to dispel it.) Irritating though that might have been, there is potential there. And she's... digging up her father's remains, now, for some reason? "What exactly is it you're hoping to accomplish by doing this?" he asks, tone and expression of curiosity, both.}}+So what //will// be useful, then? The only way to determine that is to observe, and to infer. What does he understand so far? She is a Writer; her books are precious to her -- that is leverage. She has some degree of sympathy towards him, rare as it is to occur and ill-founded as it is -- evidenced by the fact she offered to pray for his family. (A wire of irritation at that reminder makes its presence known; he stretches and flexes his wings in attempt to dispel it.) Irritating though that might have been, there is potential there. And she's... digging up her father's remains, now, for some reason? "What exactly is it you're hoping to accomplish by doing this?" he asks, tone and expression of curiosity, both.}}
  
 {{wst>shyriath| {{wst>shyriath|
 Ilirith wonders whether Demarath is that far gone that he can't guess the answer... or whether she's so far gone as to be incomprehensible. Neither answer is comforting. Aloud, however, she simply says, "I am reuniting my parents. It's... for my peace of mind." Placing the palm of one forepaw down, and leaning down so that her antennae is likewise touching the ground, she begins humming. Ilirith wonders whether Demarath is that far gone that he can't guess the answer... or whether she's so far gone as to be incomprehensible. Neither answer is comforting. Aloud, however, she simply says, "I am reuniting my parents. It's... for my peace of mind." Placing the palm of one forepaw down, and leaning down so that her antennae is likewise touching the ground, she begins humming.
  
-A faint blue glow builds up around the paw, and then, with hum suddenly being cut off, the glow vanishes into the dirt with a faint ''thump''. Her antenna twitches, she nods to herself, and she begins digging in a slightly different spot.}}+A faint blue glow builds up around the paw, and then, with hum suddenly being cut off, the glow vanishes into the dirt with a faint //thump//. Her antenna twitches, she nods to herself, and she begins digging in a slightly different spot.}}
  
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-When the dark green dragon had first stumbled upon this particular chunk of floating rock in the sky, it had seemed almost impossible. The Srian Citadel -- still standing, despite everything the Kaeans had done to try and break it. It didn't ''look'' terribly impressive, just a massive, broad dome jutting from the earth, unlike its Kaean twin. He didn't know whether anyone was still in there, or whether the wards were still active, or whether they'd do anything to him if they were -- though the answer to that last one was probably 'yes' -- but it was at least worth checking out.+When the dark green dragon had first stumbled upon this particular chunk of floating rock in the sky, it had seemed almost impossible. The Srian Citadel -- still standing, despite everything the Kaeans had done to try and break it. It didn't //look// terribly impressive, just a massive, broad dome jutting from the earth, unlike its Kaean twin. He didn't know whether anyone was still in there, or whether the wards were still active, or whether they'd do anything to him if they were -- though the answer to that last one was probably 'yes' -- but it was at least worth checking out.
  
-Neginath had flown down to the edge of the shard of earth, and begun the trek through the forest surrounding the Citadel. He didn't particularly want to be noticed flying up to the Citadel in case there ''did'' happen to be prying eyes watching from inside; he might've given the wrong impression. So the slightly longer way it was.+Neginath had flown down to the edge of the shard of earth, and begun the trek through the forest surrounding the Citadel. He didn't particularly want to be noticed flying up to the Citadel in case there //did// happen to be prying eyes watching from inside; he might've given the wrong impression. So the slightly longer way it was.
  
 It had all been going so well, too, until, not far from the edge of the forest, he caught the sound of voices nearby, followed by the sound of motion. He freezes in place, then slowly turns towards the source of the noise, making as little sound as possible. He reaches a hand behind his back, drawing the spear from its harness and gripping it firmly in both hands, his stance shifting to a firm defensive one. And he waits.}} It had all been going so well, too, until, not far from the edge of the forest, he caught the sound of voices nearby, followed by the sound of motion. He freezes in place, then slowly turns towards the source of the noise, making as little sound as possible. He reaches a hand behind his back, drawing the spear from its harness and gripping it firmly in both hands, his stance shifting to a firm defensive one. And he waits.}}
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