[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
Look at you, being all open and honest and mature. If Belial were here no doubt he'd be patting you on the back and telling you what a magnificent dragon you are, just the wisest and most handsome dragon ever and oh look you must have freshly polished your scales because you look magnificent. And you'd smile and preen and tell him that it's- wait you should be paying attention to Makram.
"But he does have the appropriate level of awe," Makram continues suddenly, cutting you off. You scowl at him but he doesn't even look your way. "Yes, he is an earnest sort through and through. Endlessly fascinated by one such as I, my vast powers and my storied history and my many, many talents. Were my Master to order me to choose a favourite, well, I would find myself forced to say that Jun-ho is the one."
The great doors burst open in a sudden explosion of movement, tendrils of writhing shadow washing over the iron-banded wood and splashing across the stone like oil slicks as a figure strides purposefully across the threshold. A very familiar grey-skinned chest greets you, albeit slightly more covered up than the last time you saw it. Lyrros' long coat billows dramatically behind him in an unnatural wind, clinging to his shoulders for dear life. He holds his arms out wide to bask in the attention from all assembled onlookers, a silver-chased black leather suitcase dangling from one gloved hand. You notice he's even thrown on a charcoal-grey scarf, the twin tails long enough to dance in the wind with his silky raven-black hair. Honestly with even the thin strip of skin between his collarbone and chin covered up it makes his bare chest all the more prominent, you wonder how anyone who saw him on the way here got anything done that day.
As amazing as Lyrros' skills in making an entrance are, the best part about this is when you realise he probably did this the first time, and failed to wake Eldingar up.
"How's your head?" Issachar asks. You want to slap your hand over your face.
"Filled with songs and wonder at how the world has changed these past hundred years," Lyrros replies. "Delighted the tastebuds of any of your fellows here yet, chef?"
"You think yourself a musician, boy?" Makram retorts, only the barest pressure emphasising the final word, a promise of the full weight of age and experience he could bring down on Lyrros like a mace should he so choose. "I could do the work of a thousand without a breath of effort."
"But can you compose?"
"Can you?"
Lyrros chuckles. Makram projects an air of distant, condescending amusement. The air between them is so thick with tension you're not entirely sure if they're about to start throwing claws or passionately kissing.
Thiiiis though. I would be careful on this. Makram's inferiority complex runs deep and Lyross' grandeur may well end up playing into it. Watch this pair carefully.
can i just note that before we even have the definition of vampire, abzu is already asking it for some blood
Of the options... between a dearth of interactions and after Makram's comments, I'm inclined to say Abzu.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
Belial's silence concerns me a little as well (somehow I suspect Lyross' brand of showmanship has a lot in common with how new-to-the-job incubi behave), and Makram is definitely a point of tension to be managed, but Belial I trust to stay on the level and Makram feels the sort to grow suspicious if we heap too much attention on him. Too much potential to backfire.
And laying down ground rules might also be wise, because wizards
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
Look at you, being all open and honest and mature. If Belial were here no doubt he'd be patting you on the back and telling you what a magnificent dragon you are, just the wisest and most handsome dragon ever and oh look you must have freshly polished your scales because you look magnificent. And you'd smile and preen and tell him that it's- wait you should be paying attention to Makram.
"Shall I have to suffer through your interjections every time?" Makram asks in a long-suffering tone. You frown at him in reply, but after a long moment you force yourself to soften. He does have a slight point - at this stage it's best if you just let him talk uninterrupted.
You blink. You even double-take, as if the second time you look at Makram you'll find him flashing you one of his shit-eating grins. But no, he seems completely serious. You furrow your brow. "I don't understand," you reply. "Short of Jun-ho, Abzu seemed the least-objectionable of all the people the map's pointed me to."
"They're easily the most personable one, on that we can agree," Makram says, "but they have their own priorities, their own secrets. They are a wizard after all. I find myself wondering how much they would value this relationship in comparison to their original goals, that's all."
You scowl at him as deeply as it is possible for one dragon to scowl, stomping your way up the side of the golden sand-dune that is your hoard and bellyflopping down atop the pile like an incensed seal, violently ballooning out into your true form with a whumpf of displaced air.
You think it was 'fall asleep' because the next thing you know you're having your favourite dream, lying comfortably atop a pile of gold so staggeringly high that even you can't see the bottom, the very sky around you shining with a warm golden light. You wiggle happily, tail swaying back and forth like the gargantuan scaly flail that it is, giving serious consideration to leaping forward and letting yourself sliiiiiiide down to whatever bottom there may be in a torrential avalanche of treasure. Only to blink and see Belial there again, a splash of scarlet and sable amid the gold.
You extend one massive claw, talons splayed, its shadow passing over Belial like a looming mountain.
"Uh wait-"
"Shush."
You bring it down, talons curling down and around, raking through the gold as you drag him up to the peak with you as if he were no more than a toy, pressing him against your collarbone region and packing him in with coins. He's left submerged in treasure to the waist, back pressed against your shield-like scales, stunned and bewildered.
"There," you say. "Much better."
"You really are a secret sweetheart," he says.
"And this is a dream," you retort. "So no one will ever believe you."
The great doors burst open in a sudden explosion of movement, tendrils of writhing shadow washing over the iron-banded wood and splashing across the stone like oil slicks as a figure strides purposefully across the threshold. A very familiar grey-skinned chest greets you, albeit slightly more covered up than the last time you saw it. Lyrros' long coat billows dramatically behind him in an unnatural wind, clinging to his shoulders for dear life.
He throws his suitcase down flat on the floor and steps on it. "And I brought luggage."
The impact sends the buckles flying open with twin metallic clunks, Lyrros easing off the pressure only slightly to allow it to simply spring open of its own accord. What lies within is naught but a swirling vortex into a seemingly endless pit of shadows from which you swear you can hear the soft screams of the damned emerge. Lyrros stomps the lid back down, the buckles fastening themselves once more with a synchronous click.
"So, tell me everything," he says, tucking the folded arm of his sunglasses into his scarf for safekeeping as he scans the room. "Who is everyone, where shall I be staying, what are the accomodations like, what purchases will I have to make myself, and please; feel free to question me in kind. It's only natural to require explanation for"
He gestures in an all-encompassing fashion at himself.
"No no, an excellent question," Lyrros says, patting at the air in Jun-ho's direction. "Even I do not truly know the name of what I have become. You see I have been cursed, sired by a monster and forced to persist in this achingly beautiful predator's form for time immemorial - I was only recently freed from my prison of stone by the handsome Eldingar, freed to travel the land and come here, where I shall no doubt see yet more wonderous sights~"
"Does something amuse you, my golden friend?" Lyrros asks.
"Many things do," Makram replies. "But currently what amuses me most is the sheer energy and dedication with which your hurl yourself into this performative facade. I find myself wondering - do you ever allow yourself a moment to breathe without involving enough ham to shock a swineherd, or is this passion-play a special occasion for our benefit?"
"You think yourself a musician, boy?" Makram retorts, only the barest pressure emphasising the final word, a promise of the full weight of age and experience he could bring down on Lyrros like a mace should he so choose. "I could do the work of a thousand without a breath of effort."
"But can you compose?"
"Can you?"
Lyrros chuckles. Makram projects an air of distant, condescending amusement. The air between them is so thick with tension you're not entirely sure if they're about to start throwing claws or passionately kissing.
As amazing as Lyrros' skills in making an entrance are, the best part about this is when you realise he probably did this the first time, and failed to wake Eldingar up.
... I just got the most unholy open-mouthed grin at the thought of that. @ZerbanDaGreat! Zerban Zerban Zerban, can we have this as an interlude, pleeeeease? Maybe an omake from somebody, I must see this!
Votes, votes, votes... I am torn. Let's see, what's the tracker at,
Turns since spending time with Makram: 0
Turns since spending time with Jun-ho: 2
Turns since spending time with Belial: 1
Turns since spending time with Issachar: 3
Turns since spending time with Abzu: 5
Turns since spending time with Takara*: N/A (no options available yet)
Turns since spending time with Lyrros: First opportunity
Turns since spending time with Datu: N/A (no options available yet)
* Yes damnit I'm counting them still.
Mmm, Abzu has definitely been left out in the cold too long and we do have something to talk to them about already, but Guessmyname raises some good points about Belial and Makram. Hrn... I'm also tempted to abduct Lyrros immediately, it would be the mannerly thing to do as host.
Damnit I need @TenfoldShields to drop some analysis of their own... hmm.
[X] Offer to show Lyrros to his room. What better way to defuse the situation than abducting the focal point? Besides, it gives you an excuse to chat with him one-on-one and explain the situation.
[X] Offer to show Lyrros to his room. What better way to defuse the situation than abducting the focal point? Besides, it gives you an excuse to chat with him one-on-one and explain the situation.
... I just got the most unholy open-mouthed grin at the thought of that. @ZerbanDaGreat! Zerban Zerban Zerban, can we have this as an interlude, pleeeeease? Maybe an omake from somebody, I must see this!
He rolls over on his cloud, lying on his belly as if balanced on a levitating translucent pillow, stretched out as far as his body will go from fingertip to toetip, flexing and kneading his golden talons against the empty air.
"Mmmmverywellllll," he sighs rolling onto his side and languidly stretching out even further. He bends one leg at the knee, the other danging freely from the edge of the cloud.
Makram ponders the question. He rolls over again, one end of the cloud curling up, the lower-middle cresting like a wave, supporting his head and knees like a shaped couch of glittering sand. He elegantly laces his fingers together behind his head, crossing one leg lazily over the other, raised foot bobbing slightly as he thinks.
"An entire room? All to the likes of me?" Makram replies, faux-astonished, one hand resting delicately against his chest. "My my but you are being so wastefully generous. I am a djinn after all, Master. All the accommodation and comfort a dutiful servant like me requires is mine when I return to the crystal within my lamp. Surely the space would be better spent on others more deserving?"
You grimace. Why does he always have to be like this.
Because I'm 90% sure he's hitting on you Eldingar you dumbass and probably wants you to do that "slam your hand on the lockers" thing from all my Chinese cartoons. I mean somewhat seriously I think the key to...well I won't say getting into Makram's pants because a. that's kinda crass and b. he's not wearing any but the thing is that the guy sorta reads like he's low-key waiting for Eldingar to initiate. He's constantly teasing and trying to bait out a reaction, and while he does like just being admired and engaged if that's all he needed he'd probably mellow the fuck out once he spent more time with Jun-ho and Abzu.
Man though if Eldingar really wants to fuck (with) him all he really needs to do is to flat out reciprocate the next time he pulls that "here to satisfy your every need~" thing. Just call him on it like it's a very involved high stakes game of gay chicken. I mean he's hardly opposed to the idea and it's hard to gauge how sincere his previous offers have been, but I do think that, like- okay so sex isn't the end all be all of a relationship. And sex isn't at all a cure all for communication weirdness or social distance. But rather I do think that stuff with Makram will -probably not ease up exactly since the guy is just a bit of a bombastic asshole by characterization- but warm up maybe once things get physical. Since it does kinda read as a bit of a back and forth game of "are you going to make the first move or am I" and Makram does seem like the kind of guy who wants the other party to overtly express interest but is just bad at expressing that himself.
I think it's worth noting, fr'ex, that Makram doesn't seem happy that Belial's avoiding him so much as irritated and low-key frustrated that he scared him off. He wants people to snap back at him, to get in his face and keep the exchange going. He's attention hungry and seems to tie his self esteem to how much people fawn over him. It's not necessarily debilitating but it is inhibiting to his personal growth I'd guess and so it's something to work on over the course of the arc.
"How's your head?" Issachar asks. You want to slap your hand over your face.
"Filled with songs and wonder at how the world has changed these past hundred years," Lyrros replies. "Delighted the tastebuds of any of your fellows here yet, chef?"
"The kitchen here needs more setup but I've brought things from my house a few times," Issachar shoots right back.
"Ahhhhh. Then you should know that I hunger for only the finest of meals," Lyrros says, smooth as a serpent. You don't know if this is some kind of strange food-based flirting but if it is it's incredibly discomforting and you want it to stop.
you just guzzled a whole load of creamy mayo right where anyone could've seen you, smh
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
Let Lyrros bask in the attention of all his admirers and get his ego punctured a bit by an Issachar that isn't trying to bash his brains (and man those two are pretty cute together). Abzu's not doing anything wrong but their questions do demand more involved answers and are derailing/dominating the conversation a bit when right now Lyrros seems most comfortable with pretty light and breezy back-and-forth banter. Plus we need to talk to the goo anyway and clear the hurdle sooner rather than later. 'Cause Eldingar is 100% the type to put shit off and then never get around to it because ohhhh nooo now it's too late and too awkward and it'll be embarrassing to admit we slacked off in the first place so let's just bury it and pretend it never happened and move to a new country and change our name.
which, i mean, mood tbh but still.
Nothing Makram raised is wrong either, and OOC we know that Abzu's got some kind of tie in with the metaplot and rising dark water. So- I mean I'd say "so we should jump on that" but that was my advice with Makram too.
Thiiiis though. I would be careful on this. Makram's inferiority complex runs deep and Lyross' grandeur may well end up playing into it. Watch this pair carefully.
I'm actually pretty pleased that even side by side they feel distinct. There's some notable overlap in their personalities but Lyrros is much more of an entertainer and a showman while Makram is more the "haughtily lean back on his throne and call everyone mongrel" type. They're both drama queens but Lyrros actively tries to command the room's attention and is expressive, extroverted. Makram isn't necessarily and introvert but he wants you to come to him and rub his stomach and then he'll claw the shit out of you because he's a caaaat. Overall I think it's more a function of the fact that really similar people tend to either get along like a house on fire or go for each other's throats.
...Hah, God Jun-ho's the real stealth harem protagonist in all this huh? Sincere, earnest, and kinda dopey, mysterious past, and I'd be really surprised if Makram and Lyrros didn't end up in this weird competition thing to try to earn his affections (before remembering that everyone is kinda going with everyone here ).
Belial's silence concerns me a little as well (somehow I suspect Lyross' brand of showmanship has a lot in common with how new-to-the-job incubi behave), and Makram is definitely a point of tension to be managed, but Belial I trust to stay on the level and Makram feels the sort to grow suspicious if we heap too much attention on him. Too much potential to backfire.
Belial is pretty passive overall imo, he's been improving but he automatically seems to defer to people who swagger in. Bowing out and slipping away to the fringes to let them have the spotlight, he's deferential by default and cedes social ground even when he shouldn't. And you have to go actually hunt him down to get what he's really thinking or feeling about a situation. Part of remedying that is just getting him to be more sure of himself I think.
I hadn't even noticed that! That cloud is just Makram's best power, isn't it? A perfectly supportive piece of furniture to enable languidly seductive poses 24/7.
Because I'm 90% sure he's hitting on you Eldingar you dumbass and probably wants you to do that "slam your hand on the lockers" thing from all my Chinese cartoons. I mean somewhat seriously I think the key to...well I won't say getting into Makram's pants because a. that's kinda crass and b. he's not wearing any but the thing is that the guy sorta reads like he's low-key waiting for Eldingar to initiate. He's constantly teasing and trying to bait out a reaction, and while he does like just being admired and engaged if that's all he needed he'd probably mellow the fuck out once he spent more time with Jun-ho and Abzu.
Yeah that makes sense. He's hiding low self esteem, so he wants the other party to express actual interest.
Of course, he's also accustomed to being used and discarded, so he needs to be approached carefully, but then bedding someone is a topic to be approached with care anyway.
...Hah, God Jun-ho's the real stealth harem protagonist in all this huh? Sincere, earnest, and kinda dopey, mysterious past, and I'd be really surprised if Makram and Lyrros didn't end up in this weird competition thing to try to earn his affections (before remembering that everyone is kinda going with everyone here ).
Belial is pretty passive overall imo, he's been improving but he automatically seems to defer to people who swagger in. Bowing out and slipping away to the fringes to let them have the spotlight, he's deferential by default and cedes social ground even when he shouldn't. And you have to go actually hunt him down to get what he's really thinking or feeling about a situation. Part of remedying that is just getting him to be more sure of himself I think.
Mmm, if you're right then taking him aside now might be the wrong move, since it's enabling his insecurities. It might be different if Eldingar knew enough about him to address the problem, but... Eldingar.
Obviously he's the deconstruction of a harem protagonist, trying to cover up the gaping hole (heh) inside of himself by throwing himself into relationships in the desperate hope that he finds something worthwhile in it through pure random chance if nothing else.
...now I'm seeing him as the dragon version of a PUA, or rather, the bleak core of a PUA without all the terrifying sexual ethics.
Makram isn't necessarily and introvert but he wants you to come to him and rub his stomach and then he'll claw the shit out of you because he's a caaaat.
A bit off topic, but you do realize that when cats flash you their bellies, they're not asking you to scratch their belly, they're signalling that they trust you to NOT go for their vital tender bits, right?
That doesn't necessarily abstract out to djinn, though.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
It's wonderful that Eldingar isn't Jewish because that ham was delicious.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
Hate sex between Makram and lyrros when? I swear They e going to be the love/hate pair, the one always either arguing or having set times, and I'm just imagining an exasperated Eldingar and friends in a century or so just watching it happen.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
A bit off topic, but you do realize that when cats flash you their bellies, they're not asking you to scratch their belly, they're signalling that they trust you to NOT go for their vital tender bits, right?
That doesn't necessarily abstract out to djinn, though.
[X] Offer to show Lyrros to his room. What better way to defuse the situation than abducting the focal point? Besides, it gives you an excuse to chat with him one-on-one and explain the situation.
Edit: Post above mine deserves a meow, but alas, I only have the 'face swallowing a slice of fruit' emoji.
[X] Pull Abzu away. You get the feeling their analytical mind is the wrong kind of attention Lyrros craves, a feeling that's all the stronger thanks to the conversation you had with Makram just last night. Perhaps now's the time to really get into a talk with them, lay down some ground rules, work out just what their movements and plans are.
I deeply apologise for the lack of updates. I've been dealing with personal matters, back pain, and (right this second) a blinding headache. I hope to pick this up again very very soon.
