[Open] It's not my style to be strong, strong enough to want to fight

[firewalled]

Who: Rich Goranski and you!
When: Throughout December
Where: Around the city
What: Catch all for the month! Quest shenanigans, as well as some full moon things.
Warnings: None at the moment!



This is not how the plot of Bambi went (Bringing Back Tradition)

Come on little guy...

[Rich, as per usual, is keeping himself busy. With the whole tea shop's opening, he doesn't have a lot of time for extra jobs, but with the holidays coming up, it was hard to resist one certain quest in particular. Bundled up in his warming scarf, Rich has been traipsing around excitedly in the snow, carrots clutched in his talons. The deer are hard to get the attention of, but some of the younger ones are curious enough to come a little closer to him.

One of these he's luring over now. He stays knelt down and attempts to be still, holding out the carrot as he offers soft, gentle words of reassurance.]

Yeah, that's it, buddy. Come on. I'm not gonna hurt you.

[This would be a sweet scene... if it wasn't for the fact that Rich has in fact been trying to lure over a female doe, and there's an angry stag coming out of the bush and looking just about ready to tackle him. Perhaps a warning is in order.]

But this is at least basically the plot of Mrs. Doubtfire (Undercover)

[Of course, aside from the excitement over the holidays, Rich's feelings on the whole... situation with Dorchacht hasn't changed. Fantasy racism was a fun enough concept in comics and DnD, but now that he's living it, it's extremely annoying at best. Whatever he can do to help combat it, he's more than happy to take part in. It's just a matter of if anyone is going to realize it's him doing it.

Thanks to Papyrus' smart thinking, Rich has found a different scarf from his usual one. Wrapped snugly around his neck, it seems to employ some sort of disguise charm, making him appear as an old woman. There was a lot of rehearsal Papyrus insisted on to get the part down, but in time, an elderly lady can be seen hobbling along the streets. Occasionally, she'll ask a passerby for help crossing the street, or carrying a bag. She becomes a regular sight soon enough... and then the only problem is that she starts showing up in places little prudish grannies should not be showing up in.

She gets into bars and gambling clubs easily enough, but Rich gets impatient, and he knows when it's time to rock the boat. So he channels all of his acting lessons from Mr. Reyes, and starts approaching the house of a rich aristocrat. When the elderly woman is stopped by a man at the gate, she blinks and squints in clear confusion, her voice trembling with concern.]

Oh! Sorry, dearie, I really don't mean to impose... well, it's just, I could have sworn I saw my husband... Harold? Harold, are you in there? Dear, come talk to this nice man! Honestly, you'd need a leash to keep him in line!

[The woman continues to fuss and ramble on about her apparent husband, making the guard more and more bemused. Christine Canigula would certainly be proud, but perhaps someone else would be willing to help Rich keep up the act.]

How much is that dragon in the window, the one with the waggly tail? (Full Moon)

[Rich has been here long enough that at this point, full moons are almost starting to feel dull. It's the same old routine. Much like PMS, once a month, Rich has to deal with sudden mood swings, excruciating pain, and unhealthy cravings. The only real difference is that Rich has to turn into a literal house-sized dragon.

So near Rich's residence, tail weaving through snowbanks, is a large red dragon, curled up and dozing through the evening. There isn't much Rich's roommates can do to make him more comfortable, but it seems there was an attempt: a teddy bear is resting in between its large claws.

Still, on a cold winter's evening, it's hard not to feel lonely. Rich watches with obvious curiosity as each person walks past, rumbling out a low whine, scaley tail idly swishing back and forth as he watches with big, sad eyes. If he's ignored, he whines louder, and rolls... a large barrel out onto the road with his nose. It's as if he wants to play.

...Wait, is this a dragon or a werewolf?]

No one tell him dragons can lay eggs (Network)

[A few days after the full moon, Rich has noticed not all the changes that used to come and go with the full moon have disappeared completely. Most of it, like the two black horns that have sprouted on each side of his bright red streak, are mainly able to be ignored, but there is definitely one that Rich finds frustrating enough to take to the network about.]

so like
do any dragons here have spines like i do
wondering if you guys know of tailors that could fix up shirts
id been just cutting holes before for my wings but at this point im gonna have to go around completely shirtless
and like
how the hell do you sleep on your back

any dragons have any other weird changes like this that i should watch out for
its getting annoying to think its over and then suddenly the universe decides to give me another little fuck you

Comments

lets befriend some animals...!

[hoboagogo]

[With the Wilde's habit of refusing to be the season it should be when farther out, figuring out the logistics for keeping warm when closer to civilization (where it was winter, as in the city) and not sweating to death when farther out, where the grass is still bright and lovely and many of the deer are friskily bustling about, had been a pain in the ass.

And now, in his return, he's getting back to one of the colder areas. He'd been about to sling his backpack down to the ground to fish his coat back out, when Koromaru at his side stills, tail up, before huffing and bounding out from his side.]

Ah-- Koro?

[The white dog blends in with the snow neatly, but for his red eyes, and he makes a beeline for Rich-- and then immediately past him to stand inn front of the stag, barking at it in warning. Unsure if this will spook off the doe or not, but at least it makes the buck think twice about rattling his antlers at Rich.

After a moment, Shinjiro approaches a bit more calmly- Still dressed for the warmer weather farther out, sure, with slouchy pants to fit over his weirdly twisted legs and a plain shirt. However, multiple pairs of hooves crunch on the snow as he approaches, as he's leading a trail of young deer behind him-- just a small group, all loosely roped about their necks to a lead he has in one hand. He'd been returning with his own catches from the day, after all.]

Might wanna watch yourself. They get kinda mean if they think you're taking their girlfriend. [At least its said with a bit of a good natured smirk. Those faun instincts and all, he can't help but be relaxed out here in the nature, taking care of a small herd.]

rich very much hopes to be friends with koro for sure c:

[firewalled]

[Rich is distracted from his attempts to charm the deer by the sound of a dog barking. He looks around in confusion, catching a glimpse of the stag before he notes a little Shibu yapping at it, looking ready to tackle the other animal despite it being at least twice its size. Rich yelps and backs away, and then hurries forward, attempting to sweep the dog up and away to safety.

Shinjiro, apparently, might be the source of that safety. Rich looks quite pleased to see him, moreso when he sees how many deer the other man has rounded up. Right, a faun would be way better at this...]

Yikes. Sorry to say but I haven't met any lady here that is my type. [He grins back.] Thanks for the warning though.

koro is a PROUD WARRIOR so long as he is treated as thus!!!

[hoboagogo]

[Rich's arms swoop down, and Koromaru nimbly hops them like a hurdle. He doesn't seem too concerned or alarmed- and as he trots a quarter-circle to keep both Monsters and the deer in his sight, it's easier to see where he has a straight up combat knife in its sheath strapped to his chest and accessible to him. Clearly this dog does not feel anything around him is a threat, tail and ears perked up in a casual sort of alertness, ready to watch out for the herd he's taken to guarding.

Shinjiro, meanwhile, hadn't moved from his place-- first, to avoid spooking off the doe Rich had been trying to lure, and then because the dragon had already gone and turned tail to get closer to him. He just gives a low, amused chuckle as he loops the lead onto a low branch, letting the deer he'd been leading back have a chance to mill about and sniff at the frozen scrub brush about them, ears flickering occasionally.]

Too many legs, or not enough for you? [It's clearly a rhetorical tease, and as he speaks he's going ahead and rummaging in his pockets for some of the food he'd brought for the deer, going ahead and feeding them to one of the bucks he'd been leading. At least it looks smaller and less ill-tempered than the one that had been ready to lock horns with Rich.]

So you been out here for a bit, or are you just getting started?

Rich is very impressed! He will treat the proud warrior with respect and... maybe pets?

[firewalled]

[Oh. Okay. So this puppy has better things to do than to be cuddled. Fair enough! Rich straightens up, giving a warm grin, though the sight of the knife certainly gets his attention. Sure, he's heard of attack dogs, but since when were they trained with weapons?

That's probably a question for later. The doe watches them all curiously while Rich chats.]

Hey, I'm not discriminating. Legs are great, no matter how many there are. Just would prefer more of a conversation partner. [He observes the stag, mentally taking notes on how Shinjiro gets them to be more agreeable.]

Really just started. Took me some time to find any, so I'm guessing you picked up most of them before I got here. You been working with this little guy? [He nods to the Shibu, silently praying that he will come close enough for pets.]

[hoboagogo]

Yeah, makes sense. Louis was saying they're kinda like dumb, mute children. [Well-- at least, that's how he'd mentioned Bela the Petalwolf. But he's sure Louis's opinion on these deer would be the same, if not more so. Because as sweet and dainty as they are (-Or, at least, attempt to be--) they're still just.... kind of dumb animals, looking for food and mates and completely blank-eyed to much else.

He gives the deer he'd been feeding a brief rub on its neck, before relaxing back and following Rich's gaze to Koromaru (who has happily gone to claim a nearby tree as his own.)]

Yeah, that's Koromaru. He's a teammate from back home. Showed up when the mirrors were spitting things out. [There's no jest in the way he explains it, because it's just matter of fact. He was an equal to them on the team, despite being a small dog. Capable of fighting and summoning a Persona, fighting for personal reasons just like the rest of them were.]

And nah, I was farther in. [He points in the direction he had come from.] The weather gets all fucked up the farther in you go, so I figure they're all hanging out where its warmer. Way more stuff for them to eat since it's like.... later summer or whatever out that way. The people who wanted 'em were saying thats why they don't got their winter coats right now.

[Another shrug, and, after sniffing about the perimeter, Koromaru returns, sitting down where he can keep an eye on the whole group gathered- Shinjiro, Rich, and all the deer.] Maybe why that guy Koro ran off was so pissed- he's missing out on everything if he's out here in the cold.

[firewalled]

Yeah, that's what I got from them too. Maybe a little more horny than children, with the whole mating thing.

[This is definitely above simple schoolyard crushes. Rich giggles a little at Koromaru's prancing around and... marking of his territory.]

Man, wish I'd been lucky enough to get a teammate. I don't even know if my stuffed bear was as cute as this little guy...

[He trails off and bends down, addressing the dog as best he can.]

Hey buddy, is it okay if I call you cute if you know I also think you're super tough?

[He hopes so. Rich likes being referred to as both, after all, so the dog shouldn't have a problem with it.

As for the comments on the weather, Rich raises an eyebrow. He's been out here a few times, but he obviously hadn't been in the right places. Granted, to a dragon, small changes in weather are still not enough to warm him up. He must have needed to get further out.]

Damn, I had no idea it was summer in the right places. I definitely should have kept walking then. I could use a good old fashioned sunnap.

[Weren't you out here on a job, Rich?]

[hoboagogo]

[His nose crinkles at that first comment, lips tugging downward. Because-- really? Comparing something to a kid and then immediately calling it horny... he shakes his head.] You always gotta make shit weird, don't you?

[But it's a throwaway comment, and he just shoves his hands back in his pockets to keep the fingertips warm, watching as Rich turns his attention to Koromaru. In response, the dog tilts his head slightly, tail giving a slow wag, as though considering-- before he gives a short, single 'Arf!' in response.

Shinjiro scuffs his hoof on the ground for a moment, considering.] Yeah. They said the deer are usually white with gold hooves in the winter-- but because of the Cwyld, things aren't right for most of the Wilde.

[A pause, and his twist curl in another amused smirk.] So maybe don't nap. You scalies are pretty prone to getting infected, right? Do you gotta go through a quarantine or anything when you get back in the city?

[firewalled]

[Hey, he was the one pointing out it was weird to compare them to children! Still, he seems to take the comment as something like a compliment, and he gives a wide, teasing grin, before bending down to hold his hand out for Koromaru to sniff.]

Yeah, you get me! You're a smart guy, aren't you? Let's get some ear scritches in, huh?

[He moves his hand, if Koromaru deems the smell of him acceptable, up to the puppy's head to offer those pets. He looks back up at Shinjiro, considering before making a bit of a face.]

Oh, yeah, probably. The check ups are pretty exposing, but I guess that's what I get for coming out here. It's dumb, though. Apparently dragons are so big and tough but we're the weakest when it comes to the infection.

Full moon

[prayerwheel]

[ Azura has vast experience with dragons even outside of Aef, so this scene just makes her pause thoughtfully. Nothing unusual about a dragon sleeping in the snow. ]

...is there something I can do for you?

[ She's not really sure what the barrel is supposed to indicate. ]

[firewalled]

[The barrel quite obviously indicates a round thing that could be rolled back and forth as a game! At least, the dragon thinks it's obvious, and looks quite disappointed when she doesn't catch on, letting out a huff of smoke through its nostrils.]

Bored. Want to play.

[It's hard to communicate during the full moon with a much larger mouth and a full set of teeth, but an attempt is at least made.]

[prayerwheel]

[ oh. uh. okay. Azura stoops down and pushes the barrel back to him. She looks at the dragon and then to the house, and...oh. ]

You can't fit inside your house, then...? I'm quite sorry you have to lay in the snow.

[firewalled]

{The dragon lets out a grumble of frustration and agreement. Is it really any wonder he's so bored out here? He noses the barrel back to her.]

It's okay... just quiet. And cold.

[prayerwheel]

[ that's so sad? wtf ]

Might I ask your name? [ push ]

[firewalled]

[He's a very sad, lonely dragon who just wants some friends! At least someone is playing with him, though!]

Rich! Who are you?

[prayerwheel]

Azura. My pleasure to make your acquaintance.

[ a nod. and she...goes quiet for a bit, because she's bad at conversation, but the least she can do is keep pushing the barrel back at him for a bit. ]