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Date & Time: Evening, 10th February 3312
Location: Transport Room
Characters: Open To All
Summary: Everyone is brought into the transport room at roughly the same time, in a great succession and flow of imported individuals. Everyone is being lead around in small bundles, or left to their own devices together inside the Initiative Hold.
Warnings: None.

Widespread and crowded, everyone is being transported into this unusually bright room with an efficiency that is almost horrifying. One after the other, new people are appearing -- being led, shown around and then ultimately abandoned with one final phrase; "Good luck."

The Initiative Hold is wide, like a small town in its depth and industry. You've received your weapon; you've got your keys, your netbook, and one of those robed strangers has shoved a small pouch full of what you can only assume is money into your open palm. You've been given an apartment, but where on earth -- are we on earth? -- is it? Your best opportunity right now is to mingle; at least, that's what everyone else appears to be doing. Those strangers in the robes have left. They're tending to the people who are arriving, one by one and in a quick procession. Energy bustles all around you, as you're strapped up with your sudden gifts and looking around.

Hey, maybe you'll even see some familiar faces.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Fell off? [ Bariyan blinks in surprise. He's never heard of birds having their wings fall off. Of course, Artika's not a bird, but still... ] How the hell did that happen?

It is a sickness we have sometimes. Most times we die. [ She's given on the smile, but the light and dismissive tone is here to stay. ] I was lucky, because I am a Shepherd, so I only lost my wings.

Ah. Well, I'm glad you're not dead. [ He hesitates right before the last word as his mind catches up to his mouth. That... probably wasn't the most appropriate response, but Bariyan can't think of a better one. ]

A shepherd? Of, er, what, exactly? [ Somehow, the image of Artika shepherding sheep is not one that is easily conjured to mind. ]

Of dragons. [ oh this is a much better topic! no more faking enthusiasm, she's back to it for real now. ] Shepherds are strong like dragons, but smart like people, and so we look after them.

[ And she looks up, beaming, always happy to show off. ]

Would you like to see? I look very good as a dragon.

[ Bariyan stares into space. It takes him a while to answer. When he does, he speaks in a complete deadpan. ]

You can turn into a dragon.

Yes. [ There goes the smile, in favor of a GOD WHAT ARE YOU, STUPID look ] That is what Shepherds do.

I... was always under the impression that shepherds had more to do with sheep than dragons.

[ Bariyan tries to come to terms with this whole new world. ]

But yes. I would like to see you, er, become a dragon? Are we talking about big dragon, here?

[ A shrug! ] Shepherd is Pyran's word. We called us-- [ oh look, yet another bird noise. gosh it's like she's a bird or something. ] --And I do not know sheep, but no one has wanted me to do anything with one.

[ And she's finally releasing his arm and stepping away! but only to... start to strip, wow, awkward. First goes that borrowed shirt, and the loin cloth after it, tossed unceremoniously to the ground. ]

[ Whoops. Common decency! Bariyan stares for a second, only because he's wondering what the hell she's doing -- then catches himself. He politely and hurriedly averts his gaze. ]

Is it, er, going to be all right if you turn in here?

[ He was always under the impression that dragons are pretty damn big. ]

Yes.

[ The word starts out normally enough, but ends in a hiss. It is, apparently, not a very lengthy process. Where Artika had stood is now a long, slender, black dragon, dropping down to all four feet and sort of twining around to keep herself more comfortably confined in the hall. She's only about ten feet long, though, so it's not much of a challenge.

Bright orange eyes rimmed in stark blue scales train onto Bariyan from only just under his own height, and a forked snake-like tongue flicks out. Then comes the friendly headbutt to his side, because really, how can he stand there and not pat her. It's just kind of rude. ]

[ For a second Bariyan balks and goes through a bit of panic: he's never seen a dragon before and, what the hell, where's Artika and is that thing going to eat him? But then it headbutts him and also he remembers that the dragon is Artika.

In which case, he's got no choice other than to go full-on Bariyan-while-there-is-a-dog-in-the-room mode. Except in this case, the dog is a dragon. His eyes light up and he grins and temporarily forgets that he supposed to be sad and dead and depressed and sad. ]

Heeey! Aw, c'mere. Aww aren't you a pretty dragon, yes you are. [ He gives her a proper headrub, and leans in to look at her teeth. ]

[ Oh, that's nice. Both the head rub (and she tilts her head into it, to introduce his hand to just the right spot under her long jaw), and the smile. It suits him way better than the gloom.

She coils once around him, long body wrapping a bit like a snake, but with just a little less killing intent behind it. And meanwhile those teeth are oddly mammalian, arranged more like a cat's than the crocodile her head lightly resembles. ]

[ Bariyan's so intent on inspecting Artika's mouth (and oh no, wouldn't that be awkward if she weren't a dragon right now) that he doesn't notice her coiling around him until he leans back and bumps into her. He looks around, slightly alarmed, but figures that he is in no terrible danger.

He grins back at her again, and looks for wings. ]

Can you fly this way?

[ There's definitely no wings in sight, just loads of long black body and stark blue stripes along the length of it-- with some circular pattern reminiscent of her Avian-form tattoos along her ribs. She pauses to hear the question, dropping her snout a little to fix him with as Really? of a look as she can manage in this shape. Gosh, of course she can't fly, dragons don't fly. Duh.

...She apparently can't talk, either, if this continued silence is any indication. ]

[ All right, no wings. Kind of a disappointment. Bariyan would have liked to flown -- he laughs inwardly at himself. What a good set of priorities he has. Still, this is fascinating enough on its own already. Bariyan strokes a hand down along her side, silently marveling. How strange.

He drops down to inspect a claw, reaching out to lift hers in both of his hands. ]

[ Oh--well, okay. Sure, she can shift her weight and offer up a forepaw, fine. She'll even flex her claws to show off a little better. The digits are slender, and look dexterous enough to be used as fingers, but are obviously built for walking on, and each claw is at least an inch long.

It's kind of weird that he's interested in such mundane things, but she'll put up with it for a full few seconds before butting her head in again for more pats. Her own village had treated her more like something to be revered than coddled, while Pyran wasn't the touchiest of people, and most of the other humans never came too near. So this kind of a reaction is just as nice as it is unusual. ]

[ Bariyan examines her claw silently, but with obvious interest. Gods, she's like a big... oversized lizard. Which would sound awfully rude if he said it aloud, but he doesn't mean it that way at all.

He sets her claw down and straightens up, still grinning. This is possibly the one of the few good things that's happened to him since his revival. ]

Heh. All right, come back here. [ He stretches his hands out to her head. Yep, time for more pats. ]

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pretend that was given UP* on the smile

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