Mingle: For a limited time only...

[hearsthesea]

Who: Everyone!
Where: Anywhere on the hub
When: Days 134-139
Open/Closed: Open mingle goooo!

[Copper, lizards, and vines - oh my! With the recent installation of 9S and co.'s scanning equipment and the also recent, significantly wetter rainstorms there's quite a lot to check out on the island right now. Plus, the monitor robot still needs a name. You're not going to leave them nameless forever, are you?

Too bad Genette's put out word that everyone's about to be moving location soon. That means these are the last days the coven has for a little while to get everything in order, whether it's to take things to the next destination or to leave them behind. Get your bags packed and your huts cleaned, everyone!]

Comments

[oneandmikleonly]

If I don't get too sidetracked by going over how different they are from me in culture and in knowledge...yes, sometimes. People and their situations are generally complicated, they can always surprise you, but the longer you spend with individuals and the more you trust each other...

I guess that doesn't happen all at once, though.

[rootandbranch]

Was only knowing one human weird? Growing up, I mean.

[Mikleo's life sounds like it was very different than Geir's, growing up. he supposes that that's the case for most of the people he knows, even gods. interesting...]

[oneandmikleonly]

Yes. I think I had it easiest, actually, since I was growing up with him. But humans have very different needs from seraphs...we don't have to eat or sleep, and we...more or less stop growing when we want to. Everyone kind of had to adjust. He knew he was different from us too, of course, but I think everyone sort of adjusted so he felt like he belonged anyway.

[Mikleo sounds wistful. that was comparatively a much simpler time in their lives.]

[rootandbranch]

It sounds...

[he's not sure what he wants to say there. gentle? kind? a kind childhood isn't something he's really considered before.]

...nice. You all took care of him.

[oneandmikleonly]

He certainly needed taking care of.

[hmmmmpf. it's obvious to anyone his huffiness is mostly feigned though]

...it was a good way to grow up, though.

[rootandbranch]

Mmmmmm. I bet it would be.

[that's another thing that Geir wanted to ask about, honestly, and this doesn't seem like a bad place for it.]

...does he still need taking care of? The last time I talked to you guys was after that weird nightmare. It seemed pretty bad. Are you... I don't know... okay?

[he fidgets in the water a bit; he's not sure of the etiquette here.]

I don't want to ask if it's gonna make you mad.

[oneandmikleonly]

Oh...

[he sounds a bit surprised; not angry]

...it's fine. Thank you for--what you did back there. It helped when we talked, I think. We figured out something we could do about it, so it's been a bit better since then.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir seems more abashed than anything, worrying a little at the edge of the pool with his claws and not quite meeting Mikleo's eye.]

I don't know if I did anything that great. Mostly, I yelled at him. But if you guys need help with anything, I wouldn't mind. It looked like you were dreaming about a lot of weird confusing stuff.

[oneandmikleonly]

We went through some weird confusing stuff...a couple of months before we got here. I guess it took me a while to process some of it...? I'm sorry that -- that dream of mine was so aggressive.

[rootandbranch]

[with a touch of curiosity:]

You weren't very. You just snarled and snapped a little, and wanted someone to help you calm down.

[oneandmikleonly]

[wriggles a little, in embarrassment]

If Sorey hadn't been there, I would have attacked you. I'm pretty sure.

[rootandbranch]

[this is such a strange point to get hung up on, from Geir's point of view.]

I mean... I was on your ground, and you were scared and angry and all chained up. I wouldn't have been surprised if you attacked me.

[oneandmikleonly]

It's still...I normally wouldn't want to...?

[rootandbranch]

I didn't think you did, but...!

[Geir tilts his head, trying to puzzle out what's embarrassing Mikleo here.]

...is it really strange for you to get riled up like that...?

[oneandmikleonly]

It's not just getting angry. I mean -- I suppose it wouldn't be the same in a dream, I was still kind of aware of you somewhere -- but where I'm from, a dragon doesn't have the ability to really think or reason anymore, the way you or I do...

[rootandbranch]

Oh... huh. I think Sorey said something about that when I met him.

[it was embedded too deeply into a lot of terms he didn't understand to fully process it.]

Malevolence?

[oneandmikleonly]

Yeah, that.

[he's used to people not really getting the term now, fortunately]

It's...spiritual impurity, negative emotions, things like that. I guess you could say it's something that acts like a poison in our world. If a seraph runs into so much they can't deal with it anymore, they become a drake, and then a dragon.

I got pretty alarmed by my power when Qri brought us here, because of that. It's taken some getting used to.

[rootandbranch]

[things like Geir are LITERALLY POISON where Mikleo and Sorey are from, huh...

honestly, that seems legit.]

I remember him saying something about that, too. Does that mean you have to worry that you won't be yourself any more every time you get upset?

[oneandmikleonly]

...not quite. My pact with Sorey protects me from that, as long as he doesn't fall to it himself. We work together to keep each other safe, as best as we can.

[he doesn't really want to get into the humans-are-the-source-of-all-malevolence spiel; considering spoilers, that's more confusing than anything anyway]

[rootandbranch]

...it sounds like... a lot to be anxious about. I guess I can't help with that kind of thing, after all. I've got tons of that stuff.

["it sounds lonely" was what he first thought, and he's not entirely sure why. isn't keeping each other well what he and Vern do? but he doesn't feel besieged on all sides together with Vern; instead, Vern opens up a whole new world to him. he hopes Vern feels the same...

it's said with a grin: partly to indicate that it's not unfriendly, or a withdrawal of the offer, per se, and partly just to cover up that Geir suddenly suspects he's out of his depth again. he thought "poor kids" back in the dream, and felt an urge to... protect them, somehow? but trying to take care of Vern notwithstanding, what he is isn't really made to protect anyone, much less people for whom he might be poison? Geir's not really sure how the metaphysics of that works, but he knows it's probably not anything good.]

[oneandmikleonly]

Actually, you have far less of it than any dragon I've ever met at home. Though you do have some. A lot of things tend to.

[he rolls his head slightly to peer at Geir's expression, with a soft whuff of bemusement]

...thank you for the concern, though. It means a lot...? And you did help.

[rootandbranch]

I'm glad...

[Geir isn't quite sure what he did that was so helpful, but he peers back at Mikleo, also bemused.]

...I think talking about it is important, so I'm glad you two got to.

[he has that much experience with Vern, at least.]

[oneandmikleonly]

Yeah.

[wryly]

We're working on that, as best as we can.

[rootandbranch]

Maybe you're more used to it, since you grew up with it, but it's really hard.

[Geir sighs and closes his eyes, putting his chin back on his tail properly. take this conversation, for example.]

[oneandmikleonly]

Which part?