A lot of stuff that seems sexy and fun in the spur of the moment winds up turning into a profit-loss value assessment once you've got some years under your belt which uh... can kill the mood a bit.
Unless your partner thinks that's hot. Dragons do have a thing for value...
All the vote options are good, but I think I'll choose:
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
Eldingar was just accused of being a big ol' softie. A dose of 'irredeemable bastard' is just what the doctor ordered!
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Abzu. Probably the most overtly interested in a relationship with you besides Belial, they might be just the kind of low-risk practice you need. But then again who knows what goes through that weird wizard's head.
[X] Group bonding (cooking class). Now that you've resolved to make this polyamorous, this idea has even more utility beyond just getting to see Makram try to put his money where his mouth is about the feastmaking thing.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Group bonding (cooking class). Now that you've resolved to make this polyamorous, this idea has even more utility beyond just getting to see Makram try to put his money where his mouth is about the feastmaking thing.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Group bonding (cooking class). Now that you've resolved to make this polyamorous, this idea has even more utility beyond just getting to see Makram try to put his money where his mouth is about the feastmaking thing.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[X] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
"Alright, let's start somewhere small," you say. "What can I do for your room here? What kinds of fabric feel comfortable? I don't know the first thing about how you soft and squishy types like your living arrangements but I won't have you putting up with discomfort."
"That's... not really what I had in mind," he says, almost a touch confused that you'd bother to inquire about his comfort.
"Hm? Oh, ah- no I'm fine," he replies after a moment's hesitation. "If you're worried about the climate it hasn't bothered me yet, I'm meant to be walking around in basically nothing by design so my insane core temp keeps me comfortable in pretty much anything but an active snowstorm."
"Haha, alright alright Mister Showoff," he teases. "I waaaaant... a room that's just soft in general, I think. You joked about throw pillows but that's a great idea, just carpets and throw pillows festooned about the place so there's no end to places for people to lie down. And yeah the nook idea doesn't sound too bad, somewhere cosy to hole up in and hobby an afternoon away."
"Oh?" you ask. "Already have things in mind?"
"Ah, yes, I ah..." he plays with his ponytail as if needing something to do with his hands. "I've dabbled in art, on and off. Very useful to have in my line of work, like dance - picked things up from frustrated artists needing a muse, that sort of thing. And reading of course."
"Got it. All entirely doable! Anything is possible with a dragon of my refinement and resources on your side." You turn side-on and 'idly' inspect your talons, subtly flexing as you do. You glance out of the corner of your eye to check if Belial is suitably impressed. He's not swooning to quite the degree you would have liked, but he is smiling which is more than enough because honestly the way Belial smiles makes you feel funny deep in your stomach and your knees go all week and a-ahem
"See you around," Belial replies casually, letting you off the hook for your weird trip and stumble. You head through the door and into the hall again, pausing halfway through shutting the door again to leave it open for Belial to pass. He smiles at you over his shoulder and strolls down the corridor back to his room, slender arrowhead-tipped tail coquettishly swishing back and forth over a rear that is, to be frank, completely on display. You have to clear your throat and look at the ceiling just to keep from staring - honestly every time his heels strike the ground the shock runs all the way up his legs to make his ass pop up, right-left right-left in a hypnotic rhythm, and you know that's no accident.
When you finally lower your gaze you notice Belial paused at the end of the hall, one foot through his door and one hand resting on the frame. He's smiling, not at you but to himself. And then he's gone, disappearing into the room and shutting the door behind him.
Eee dream daddy got strut and he knows it. Like I know this is supposed to be all hot and flustery, but honestly to me it's just very sweet in a domestic fluff kind of way seeing Belial realising that he's not over the hill yet.
What I'm saying is that I will protect this smile.
Hrm, sorta in keeping with the recent tone of the updates I think part of what'll need working on with the Eldingar-Belial axis of this horny monster-man sprawl is the fact that Belial seems naturally...not deferential exactly? But like his default is to go "nah nah it's fine" even if it's not or even if he's just got shit to say. I mean part of this is probably just ingrained experience, nobody really asks Incubi much about their opinions on, like, dinner or what kind of interior decor they prefer so he's just used to not saying. But coupled with his line about being used to waiting to take a turn in the attention-spotlight and the fact that it sorta seems like a reflex- I mean what I'm saying I guess is that if Belial does it for smaller things as a reflex that he has to consciously walk back. He's probably going to do it for bigger things too.
This is actually one of the points where Eldingar's personality works in his favor I think. He can be pretty pushy and kinda nosy and even if he's not necessarily all that confident himself you can sorta see in the update how him being so over the top did encourage Belial to open up a little. Fake it 'til you make it and all that.
This is a good point, and also means that we kind of lucked into this conversation with Belial going really well, because it involved us showing we care about him by sweating the small stuff.
Votes. Hmm, reminder to self:
Turns since spending time with Makram: 4
Turns since spending time with Jun-ho: 1
Turns since spending time with Belial: 0
Turns since spending time with Issachar: 2
Turns since spending time with Abzu: 4
Turns since spending time with Takara*: N/A (no options available yet)
Turns since spending time with Lyrros: N/A (no options available yet)
Turns since spending time with Datu: N/A (no options available yet)
* Yes damnit I'm counting them still.
[ ] Jun-ho. He might be a bit more up for company now that you've let him sleep in.
[ ] Makram. Technically the very first, and you've finally replaced what he made you lose - maybe it's the right time to reconcile? Even if he is an irredeemable bastard.
[ ] Issachar. He said he has a farm in the countryside not far from here so he probably won't be in his room - but then again he'll probably just materialise out of thin air behind you once you decide to look for him.
[ ] Abzu. Probably the most overtly interested in a relationship with you besides Belial, they might be just the kind of low-risk practice you need. But then again who knows what goes through that weird wizard's head.
[ ] Group bonding (cooking class). Now that you've resolved to make this polyamorous, this idea has even more utility beyond just getting to see Makram try to put his money where his mouth is about the feastmaking thing.
It comes down to Abzu, Makram or group bonding. I. Hmm. I'm tempted to go for Makram, given that they're kind of tetchy and high maintenance, but on the whole I like group bonding given what we've just been talking with Belial about group dynamics. Plus, the second most tempting question for me was how everybody interacts with each other, so this lets us get a look-see on that.
Yeah,
[X] Group bonding (cooking class). Now that you've resolved to make this polyamorous, this idea has even more utility beyond just getting to see Makram try to put his money where his mouth is about the feastmaking thing.
[X] Group bonding (cooking class). Now that you've resolved to make this polyamorous, this idea has even more utility beyond just getting to see Makram try to put his money where his mouth is about the feastmaking thing.
Actually, how many of the group even eat? Belial feeds on sex, Abzu may not have a mouth, Makram is magic...
I meant relatively recently. as in the past day or so. I know about him eating an Orca with Jun-Ho and eating lightning. I was just poking fun at video game logic.
I meant relatively recently. as in the past day or so. I know about him eating an Orca with Jun-Ho and eating lightning. I was just poking fun at video game logic.
To say how you feel about him is 'complicated' would be an insult to the word. When you really think about it it's his fault you're even in this mess. You didn't even want it to be a djinn when you went pawing through your hoard and found his lamp! You just wanted to find something small and valuable inside, like a magic ring, or a compartment stuffed full of platinum, or the cure for scale-itch. Instead you had to find a golden squatter with an ego that doesn't belong in anything that isn't a dragon who blew up your gold. But... also fought to save it from Takara, based on what you've gathered of the fight that occurred while you were away. And the map still seemed to think you and he had a chance even before that. And Belial told you you have to talk to everyone, like a person, and even though the thought is as viscerally discomforting as having a fang pulled you know you have to do it.
First order of business - where the fuck is he? Answer: potentially anywhere, given his willingness to teleport at the drop of a hat. But what he also has is a body that's only being magically projected by his lamp, albeit at the kind of breathtaking power and fidelity to be expected of a precursor artefact, and you know where the lamp is. Glad to find something is actually easy for once, you head back upstairs to the main cavern - Jun-ho seeming to have gone out while you were speaking with Belial - and head to your treasurepile to retrieve the lamp.
That is, you reach the treasurepile and the temptation grows too strong. So you bellyflop on top of it instead, expanding to your true quadrupedal form mid-jump, and squirm into a you-shaped divot with a happy little sigh, all five limbs splayed out limp over the shaped golden surface. You deserve this. You've earned this. In fact, you need this, because the better a mood you're in to face Makram the better. You idly rake your claws through the treasure, only to hit ceramics instead of gold. Brow furrowing, you dig it out, only to discover the earthenware jug you bought back in Söfnun all those days ago. Hah, it was even your secret weapon to put the ifrit down when he was at his most uppity.
"... Mayonnaise," you say.
The jar rumbles ominously.
You roll over onto your side, keeping your injured wing out of the way, carefully pinch the jug between two talontips, and hold it high above your open maw. Gently gently, working at the stopper with another talon- there!
A high-pressure jet of creamy, eggy condiment goes shooting onto your tongue. You hold it aloft until the stream stops, shaking out the last drops, before carefully setting it back down and rolling your tongue around in your mouth to appreciate the flavour. You're a disgusting garbage dragon and you love it. You relax deeper into your treasurepile with a happy sigh, idly scratching under one foreleg with a sound like someone gashing at a shield with a massive set of shears.
But at last you can put it off no longer. With some degree of reluctance you shrink back down, skating down the side of your treasurepile on your ass like a glittering golden snowbank to go searching for the lamp in earnest. You still haven't had time to properly re-sort everything so you know where it is, but even this is soothing in a sort of mind-numbing way. It seems like no time at all has passed when you do finally dig the hard-edged thing out of the golden mass and hold it aloft by the chain.
Uh... hrm. You don't... actually know the first thing about how this works, it didn't exactly come with an owner's manual. You tilt your head this way and that, curling your neck around for an almost 360-degree scan. The little door is still open, and opening that to initially let him out has been the full extent of your interactions with it so far. You peer through said little door and notice that the innards mostly seem to be some kind of crystal, somewhat like what you've seen making up the internal systems to constructs. Albeit this, like all precursor artefacts, is far more advanced. You can tell the difference in quality by the smell of the magic alone, like comparing a fine vintage to the cheap swill you drink by the bottle in the same street you bought it. The crystal is gold of course, the ifrit seems to have a theme going (a very good theme that speaks to good taste and a deeper understanding of aesthetics and culture), and glows with its own inner light.
"(I... er... should-)" you mutter to yourself, free hand hovering around the lamp from this angle and that, searching for some sign of how to summon Makram. You're beginning to think your master plan isn't so masterful. You seem to recall something about rubbing? But you heard that was for initially summoning the djinn, and you did that just fine by opening the little door. Should you just shut that and reopen it? What if you trap him back in his lamp unexpectedly? Even if it's just for a second that'll definitely start things off on the wrong foot. Eventually you decide to just run one talon down the side of the lamp and hope for the best.
A thin trail of golden light follows your talontip, a soft musical keening filtering through the lamp housing in response. A swirl of golden sand flows from the crystal within, looping through the air and spinning itself into a shining dust-devil suspended in the air before you. Onward and onward it swirls, for just long enough that you begin to wonder if you're supposed to be doing something else, before all of a sudden Makram materialises with a fwoosh of heat and light. He's astride his cloud of course, one leg crossed over the other, arms folded and scowling.
"I was sunbathing," he says.
"... in this weather?" you ask.
"Yes," he replies testily, in much the same tone one would use when caught eating stale bread when there was nothing else in the pantry anyway. You purse your lips. This is going very poorly already, but there's still time to save it.
"Iiiiiii... aaaaapologise," you say slowly, forcing the unfamiliar words past your lips. "I was trying to find you but I didn't know how without the lamp." Speaking of which, you set the offending artefact down gently on the side of the treasurepile.
"Hm. I see." He looks down at you, luminous golden eyes haughtily inspecting you. "Well then."
He shifts smoothly on his cloud, rotating and reclining until he's in what seems to be his favourite pose - lying on his side like a magazine centrefold, cheek against his knuckles, regarding you with vaguely condescending amusement.
"And just when I was thinking I was forgotten, my lamp perhaps fallen to the bottom of the pile as your newer treasures took its place," he says loftily. "Is it for your wishes, my master? You do still have two left~"
You grimace. Belial's relationship sensitivity training must be working because even your dulled interpersonal senses are picking up some rather ugly undertones. Well... this would be the place to put it into practice, wouldn't it? You take a long, slow breath.
"I only wanted to talk," you say. "I recognise now, based on recent developments, that we... mmmmay have... gotten off on the wrong foot, when we first met. I suppose this is me requesting that we start over, you and I. Speak frankly, with a clean slate."
One eyebrow slowly, slowly rises in complete incredulity. Makram's gaze is suspicious, wary almost. Scrutinising you intently for any sign of deception, of any falsehood in your halting words.
"A clean slate, you say?" he repeats. "I should think this slate would be very hard to clean. After all, there are so many other slates for you to concern yourself with. If you intend to placate me in preparation for establishing your harem in an official capacity you should really just come right out and say it, it would save the two of us so much bother."
Right. Well, you really can't say you're surprised. The way Makram seems to crave attention, even if it's just you reacting to his barbs, there was no way he wouldn't jump to that conclusion. Time to take Belial's advice again. You take one more breath, suppressing the internal screaming, and speak.
"It's not a harem," you reply. "In truth at first it wasn't intended to be anything. Recently I've been reconsidering my stance on all this, how I feel about all of you, based on the map that Abzu so kindly demystified for us. I spoke with Belial about how to make things work and while I await the arrival of the final two to make this statement in an 'official' capacity, to all assembled, I intend a- uh... a polyamorous relationship." You stumble a bit as it comes time to say it out loud but you forge on ahead quickly. "Hence wanting to ah, start over. If the map singled you out then I intend to try and treat you more like a boyfriend than a nuisance, and you should feel free to do the same for anyone and everyone else in the lair. I don't intend to have you at my beck and call."
Makram takes his hand away from his face. He leaves it hovering, halfway to resting on the cloud, supporting himself on his elbow as he stares at you. The silence lingers and stretches on, unbroken. His molten-gold 'tattoos' seem to pulse gently, their inner light waxing and waning. You awkwardly shift your weight from foot to foot, in no hurry to speak first and jeopardise it all. At last, at long last, Makram moves again. He straightens up properly, the golden dust shifting and supporting him as he instead sits cross-legged in mid-air, hands resting on his knees.
"Very well then," he says. "If that is to be the case, then I suppose I can permit this... unpleasantness between us to be swept aside. If you have questions then you may ask them, and I may even answer them should the mood take me."
Spending time with Makram is like a cornucopia of bizarre and bewildering powerplay, but you figure you've already pushed your luck enough and decide to leave that alone for now. Instead you rack your brain for things to inquire about - what is it that's most important to ask Makram in this rare moment of (relative) civility?
[ ] Ask about the whole 'wishes' situation. How do they actually work? What can or can't he do in pursuit of granting them? How do they meaningfully differ from his own inherent powers he seems quite happy to use at the drop of a hat?
[ ] Ask about djinn. How they're created, what the particulars of their longevity are, why they're bound to lamps, what their purpose is. With your chance meeting with the marid in the risen temple, you're especially curious.
[ ] Ask if he's had any previous partners he's willing to talk about, if he has anything to volunteer about said experiences that might be helpful to you.
[ ] Ask how things have been going with the others so far. Who does he like the most, who does he like the least? If it's going to be poly, whether or not the others actually like each other is more important than ever.
[ ] Ask how you can best make him comfortable. While it's hardly an immediate priority for him like it was for Belial, both due to the lack of hypersensitivity and the fact that his body isn't strictly speaking 'real' anyway, he may at least appreciate the gesture. And hey, you never know.
Adhoc vote count started by ZerbanDaGreat on Jul 7, 2018 at 6:23 AM, finished with 2878 posts and 28 votes.
[X] Ask how things have been going with the others so far. Who does he like the most, who does he like the least? If it's going to be poly, whether or not the others actually like each other is more important than ever.
[X] Ask how you can best make him comfortable. While it's hardly an immediate priority for him like it was for Belial, both due to the lack of hypersensitivity and the fact that his body isn't strictly speaking 'real' anyway, he may at least appreciate the gesture. And hey, you never know.
[X] Ask about djinn. How they're created, what the particulars of their longevity are, why they're bound to lamps, what their purpose is. With your chance meeting with the marid in the risen temple, you're especially curious.
[X] Ask about the whole 'wishes' situation. How do they actually work? What can or can't he do in pursuit of granting them? How do they meaningfully differ from his own inherent powers he seems quite happy to use at the drop of a hat?
[X] Ask how things have been going with the others so far. Who does he like the most, who does he like the least? If it's going to be poly, whether or not the others actually like each other is more important than ever.
god i feel like that could be the subtitle of this quest
Also Makram: surprisingly cute apparently. It was pretty understated but Eldingar managed to legitimately surprise the guy quiet by not handling it like a fuck-up that it took him a solid thirty seconds to sorta process it and react. Good job on being responsible Eldingar! Communication works.
Eldingar: "communication is awful and i hate it"
he says, probably stress-eating a stick of butter by itself the garbage dragon
[X] Ask how things have been going with the others so far. Who does he like the most, who does he like the least? If it's going to be poly, whether or not the others actually like each other is more important than ever.
I thiiiiink...hrm. I think going off what we know so far it's not only possible but pretty likely that, in keeping with his overall aesthetic of being the weird cat that scratches at your door at three in the morning and then doesn't come in, Makram isn't 100% sure how to be super social. I mean think about it, interacting with people in a way that doesn't require you to pry your own foot out of your mouth is a learned skill. And for all that he was in suspended animation I really doubt that Makram was getting much chance to hone it beforehand. Talking about himself and being superior isn't so much a cover I think as just...a more comfortable default. 'Cause he is (just a little) bit arrogant too and if he doesn't know what to say he can just gloat about how amazing he is and then fuck off and it'll all look like he's a prideful cool-guy instead of an AI shut-in.
Plus I am legitimately curious as to who's getting along with him best so far. Considering how, uh, prickly he can be.
[X] Ask how things have been going with the others so far. Who does he like the most, who does he like the least? If it's going to be poly, whether or not the others actually like each other is more important than ever.
