sranks | a necromancer and a priestess walk into a confessional

a necromancer and a priestess walk into a confessional

catch-all for the dipshittery for these two. god help them both.

[Fighting is a natural part of life, whether Zvei likes it or not. He doesn't, really; it's not that he's a pacifist or that he prefers peace, he simply doesn't get much enjoyment from fighting. It's about the same as everything else in his life - something that happens that may occasionally entertain him for about five seconds before becoming dreadfully droll. He prefers his research. He prefers healing the aftermath of fights, because the puzzle of stitching flesh back together and soothing wounds that should have spelled death is a far more interesting usage of his time than flinging spells.

But he isn't going to sit idly by and let others do the heavy lifting either; Zvei is capable of defending himself and others, which is precisely what he was doing. Shields to block excess damage from hurting Amaya, spells weaved in to bolster her attacks or try to provide an opening for her, and healing to try to keep her going for just a bit longer.

The latter proved to be far less effective than it should have been, and that was more interesting than the beast they faced.

Oh, sure, her powers are fascinating as well - it's the first time he's truly seen her go all-out like this, and watching her body twist and reform to fit the draconic power she holds is all sorts of incredible - but it's the fact that his own power barely did anything to help seal her wounds that really catches his attention. Not to brag, but Zvei is an exceptional healer; he put the majority of his focus in magic into that very field, solely because it was one most people don't go into and provided him a unique place on quite a few exploration teams, even before he was taken in by Ruby Dawn.

But the battle is over now, and he's done the best he can for her with his magic; it isn't truly enough and those injuries are going to have to heal the old fashioned way, but she's still alive, and that has to count for something.

Zvei took her back to one of the medical bays - specifically a private room sequestered away in the far side of the building where very few people tend to tread. After all, it's a large building, and there's plenty of space in the front for the injured. Better to keep Amaya away from prying eyes while she's in this state, after all.

He returns from gathering a few more supplies and inclines his head a bit in greeting since his hands are too full for the usual gesture.]

Good to see you awake, miss Amaya! I would ask if you're in any pain, but I already know you are.

[Thanks, Zvei. Anyway, he sets the bandages and antiseptics down and takes a seat nearby, gesturing for her to lie back.]

I haven't fully treated your wounds yet. Try not to make it any worse, will you?

[Amaya lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding when she hears his voice, some sort of sound escaping her in the process; not quite a chuckle or any sort of assent, but...]

...Good to see your bedside manner remains atrocious.

[It doesn't quite sound sarcastic, though it is quite blank; it's about the closest to fond that Amaya gets, and she allows herself to sink back into the medical bed for a moment while she rubs at her eyes.]

It's quite unbearable, yes. You will not have to worry about me moving too much; the idea of moving at all feels like anathema to me, so...please, do not worry overmuch for me. [...] What of you? Are you quite alright? I didn't...

[hurt you, did I?

The words catch in her throat a bit, her gaze darting. Amaya fought damn well to make sure that didn't happen, at least. But even now, she questions it. She doesn't even know if the Dragon would have been able to puppet her after she had been incapacitated...

(It wouldn't. But it's still a real fear of Amaya's.)]

I don't know what you're talking about!

[He says this, and then immediately takes her arm without warning to get started. Which also means there's no warning for the stinging antiseptic he liberally applies to her injuries before setting about bandaging them. So yeah. The healer's bedside manner absolutely sucks, but if you know anything about Zvei, that likely isn't surprising in the slightest.

Of course, Amaya's asked him a question and a half, and he should answer them before she starts getting the wrong idea.]

Oh, don't worry about me. Even if you had hurt me - you didn't, by the way! - I would have been capable of healing it. I know my body better than anyone else, after all. Short of completely using up all my power, there's very little I truly have any reason to be afraid of.

[He states it as a matter of fact rather than bolstering his own ego. He's damn good at healing and he recognizes it, but he doesn't really have the capacity to be proud of it.]

You were very focused on protecting me. It would have been quite the long and boring battle without you to assist me!

[Amaya winces a bit at the antiseptic; oh, that absolutely hurts more than a bit, but Amaya's eyes slide closed as she gets used to the pain. It's not all bad, at least. It feels like a penance, after all. She deserves this and she can take this bit of punishment. It doesn't help that the scales start to fall off with the antiseptic, leaving raw patches of skin underneath, but...]

One of us doesn't have natural regeneration. Of course I'm going to endeavor to protect you. [Amaya's eyes open again, her head turning slightly to stare at Zvei with those same dead eyes as usual.] ...I am glad to see that I did my job well, then. Barely a scratch on you, as it should be.

[She is in so much pain right now, but she at least sounds as glad as she can be about that much.]

I wasn't expecting our target to be so durable...either that, or we finally found something that held a resistance to the darkness. A shame it couldn't put up nearly as much of a fight as anything else, but...

[...]

I...truly did not expect to almost lose myself like that. You've my apologies for that, if little else.

[Her life has always belonged to her people, and annoying as he is, Zvei is one of them now. For better, or for worse.]

[Truly fascinating... Maybe she'll even let him keep the scales to study them further! But for now he'll simply sweep them aside without a word, fingers running along the raw patches of skin to test it. Hmm, best to bandage that too, since it seems his healing isn't doing much here either...]

Kind and gracious as always. I would offer to show you I'm unharmed, but I am a bit busy, and I'm sure you can take me at my word on that!

[His word is not trustworthy, but at the very least he stands to gain nothing by remaining injured so like. In a roundabout way, maybe this much is trustworthy.

His mismatched eyes flick up to catch hers for a moment at the pause before Zvei resumes his work with the bandages.]

You don't need to apologize to me. Nothing happened, after all. Though I will admit I'm quite curious... I've never seen you change like this.

[His fingers of one hand slide down her arm to those sharp talon-like claws. Zvei's voice doesn't change at all, but there's an intensity in his gaze as he studies her fingers before pulling away to resume his work. Such traits are hardly unfamiliar - deimori like him manifest all sorts of odd traits that could be considered "bestial" or "draconic", so he finds the whole thing captivating rather than off-putting or confusing.]

T-That is not necessary and you know it, Zvei...I know you would not lie to me about this much.

[Don't you dare comment on the slight bit of pink that gets out of her. Shut up, Zvei.

Still, Amaya watches Zvei as he works, her gaze ever blank and almost unreadable as her face neutralizes. She falls silent for a bit, even as the unsaid question dangles in front of her. She usually doesn't need to push herself this far to assure victory; even the monsters of the forests of Quercetem could be felled with a certain level of ease due to the power that Amaya wields. But this...]

...I've only seen it extend this far once or twice, during particularly...difficult battles.

[Amaya idly moves her talon-like fingers just a bit as she continues to watch Zvei work, yellow eyes darting once again.]

The Dragon's power is the power I have trained for the more significant part of my life. It's...something of a crutch that I have gotten used to tapping into--seizing her by the metaphorical throat and wringing that power out of her to use for my own purpose. I've known that it could change me, but to this extent...I have not usually ever seen.

[It's quiet when she says that. She doesn't use her natural powers from birth very much, after all; it isn't lost to her, but it reminds her far too much of her father.]

But I am not surprised. She...would want to change me, I'm sure. To better fit what she wishes.

[teehee ☆

But he'll let that first part go to continue focusing on his work. This arm is all nice and neatly wrapped up - Amaya's fingers are mostly unharmed, so he doesn't need to linger on her current talons. Zvei gathers the bandages, antiseptic, and the chair to move to the other side of the bed to work on her other arm.]

That does seem to be how superior powers work, at least in my limited experience. I would imagine it is at least somewhat conscious - as conscious as it can be, anyway - in your Dragon's situation.

[The Aeli tried to reject him - but of course it did. It isn't the sort of power to be grasped and used by mortals, but that sure didn't stop Zvei from trying. Had he been merged with the World Tree for any longer, he likely would have been changed, though that likely wasn't conscious on the Aeli's part, as the Aeli barely seemed to understand what was happening to begin with. It was laughably easy to overpower for something that contains all the strength of a god.

But that's neither here nor there and not the point, so Zvei moves on without elaborating.]

Perhaps it's a punishment for using so much of that power... but then, it's hardly a grave one. Your injuries will heal and you'll recover eventually, and if the Dragon has left her mark, then so be it. It's quite attractive, anyway.

[i don't know what you expected.]

Oh, she is. She has been since I was defeated all of those years ago; watching and waiting for me to stray from the path I've chosen.

[Amaya will at least lift her other arm to help him a bit with it--the black patches of scales are far more prevalent here, and the hand seems to have almost turned pitch black from the overuse of power here. It's fading slowly back to that pale skin of Amaya's, but the scales here are much more hardy and formed. Though uninjured, notably. The rest of her arm got that much.]

...I don't regret using it. Using her for all she's worth, for what she caused. It's a fitting fate for her and I, to be damned down this path eternally. If she's going to reside inside of me, she can at least be useful--

[It's quite attractive, anyway.

Amaya was. Doing SO good at keeping her composure, what the--]

Zvei! You cannot be serious right now, come off of it... [Amaya's gaze averts, bringing her freshly bandaged hand over her eyes while she groans a bit--offering a view into some rather razor sharp looking teeth, the fangs very pronounced.] ...I doubt it will remain permanent, as she siphons more energy to sustain herself. I wouldn't be surprised if pieces of all of this begin to fall off in the days that come, at any rate.

[That probably at least explains where all of Zvei's healing magic is going...whoops.]

...Why do you even find such a thing attractive to begin with?

[It's a fitting fate for her and I, to be damned down this path eternally.

Mm. What a strange thought to have. Saying he disagrees wouldn't quite be accurate, as that implies he cares more about her judgment of herself and the Dragon than he truly does. He knows the broad strokes of Amaya's story and he knows that she isn't the sort to be swayed by pretty words, even if he did get the idea in his head head to argue for her.

The idea of believing oneself deserving of punishment is so truly baffling to him. After all, he usurped the power of a god and put the entire world at risk of destabilizing simply for his own selfish goals. He feels no shame or guilt about it. Hell, he'll do it again if he gets the chance because he was so maddeningly close to understanding the Aeli's power and harnessing it—

Ultimately, what it comes down to is that her words almost make him feel something. And Zvei doesn't really like feeling anything at all, actually.

So instead, back to this.]

That would explain why my magic hasn't been doing anything to help you heal...

[Hmm! Curious. Something to keep in mind in case there's a next time. Anyway, he does check over this arm carefully just in case. He'll need to bandage her once the scales have fallen off, but it's not like Amaya's going to be up and about any time soon anyway.

With that out of the way, he sets her arm aside and gestures for her to let him get a better look at her torso. What do we have here? Hopefully she's not embarrassed about this while having this exact discussion, because it's not like Zvei minds!]

Seeing such a prim and proper woman showcase a more feral side is truly captivating, don't you think? Why, imagine the damage you could do with those fangs and claws! You were quite distracting in battle, you know~

[You shouldn't have asked.]

...Preserve the rest of your magic until the rest of this falls off. Once she's sated on her own terms, my body should be allowed to take magic as normal.

[It's quiet when she says that, knowing damn well the Dragon will take everything until it's well and satisfied. Amaya never usually knows when that is; it simply seems to be a feeling, all be told. But the last thing she wants is for Zvei to keep forcing his power into an empty well.

(The last thing she wants is for the Dragon to gain enough power to potentially separate from her and bring him harm, even if her body's natural alignment is quite good at keeping it bound within her. But that isn't even the scariest possibility: it's that this is the Dragon's choice. To toy with her to this extent and simply never leave for her betrayal.)

But then Zvei opens his mouth again and Amaya groans outright, but yes, she'll let him get a closer look at her torso; it's here where the patches of scales are most prevalent of all, practically consuming her skin in an almost iridescent black that shines as the light catches those scales. But there's plenty of injuries on Amaya here, too; cuts and bruises and gashes that haven't quite healed right even with that magic of Zvei's. Th...ankfully, Amaya isn't too embarrassed to have this discussion, though her flush has grown the slightest bit and she has to look away while he works.]

Truly that enthralled, were you. [It's not a question. She knows damn well that he was.] I...do tend to lose myself in battle. It's all too easy to let one's fight or flight response dictate how one acts, and I did not realize you enjoyed it that much.

[Amaya's hand that had covered her eyes goes to cover her mouth a bit almost on embarrassed instinct. Don't remind her of the fangs! They get so much worse after battles, she hates it--]

It's...one of the few things she cannot take from me. Physical sensation, and the thrum of adrenaline. Perhaps that is why I seek it so.

[Zvei nods at the first part; message received, and he'd rather not wear himself out pointlessly. He knows his own limits better than anyone else and he hasn't reached them yet - thankfully, he does have quite the well of magical power at his disposal - but it's good to know that his assumption is correct in that waiting is the better option.

So! Onto her torso! Her poor dress has seen better days, but he's going to need to get her out of it to properly bandage all these injuries. For now he studies where they are, prodding to get a sense of how deep they run and just how to approach the healing process, nodding a bit to himself as he works.]

It's quite attractive! I wish I could enjoy myself that much while fighting.

[He wishes he could enjoy himself that much doing anything, really.]

Far be it from me to try to stop you, but do be a bit more careful. You're going to require quite a bit of time to recover from these injuries - even once I'm able to heal you, you'll need at least a week of rest before you're ready to fight again.

[With his initial examination done, he offers her a hand to help pull her up.]

I'll need to remove this [fingering her dress at the neck] in order to properly bandage you. That won't be a problem, I trust?

[It absolutely has. She...might actually need to get a new one, at this point. But it's far more likely that Amaya will simply insist on finding fabric to patch it up. It's what she's always insisted on; she hates the idea of new clothing, no matter how much Aneirin has tried to convince her, or even if Zvei has tried. She's always stonewalled it. But...Amaya doesn't flinch at the poking and prodding, at least. Thankfully the Dragon can't take away her muscles and definition of them, though they do run pretty damn deep--Zvei likely can be careful with them, but they do risk starting to bleed again with too much movement or prodding.

Amaya takes his hand with her far less fucked up one, talons taking his hand and wobbily standing up as she nods her head. Her gaze finally meets his, her eyes cold and dead as ever, although...]

...You may. But...do not be too shocked at what you end up uncovering.

[She knows, deep down, that he won't. He'll likely find what's going on underneath far more interesting.

Once he does get to work on disrobing her, he'll find that the Dragon's power has certainly done quite the number on her; there's a few deep cuts into her shoulderblades, of course, but the scales are far more patchy here. Still glinting in the light with that same iridescent sheen, but there's more of Amaya's bruised skin underneath, her toned body certainly having taken a beating. Even the bandaging that Amaya uses to keep her chest bound seems to have taken some injury, though she's thankfully not flashing him.

What might catch his eye is more toward the back of her, as he gets her out of that dress, something underneath rustles beneath it--once he properly gets the dress off of her back, he can see something a little surprising.

They're very small things; looking more like a flightless variant than anything, but a small set of wings seems to unfurl a bit from her back, stretching out of their own seeming accord. They're black as night, surprisingly thick and sturdy for such feeble looking things. There's even some small black spines that seem to come out of her back, as though they've outright grown from her spine...

Amaya doesn't have any sort of reaction, for the moment at least. She simply allows Zvei to work, but...]

...I will endeavor to not make you go this far out of your way again. I shall...rest, until I am able to enter the battlefield again; of this, you have my word.

[Zvei inclines his head a bit at her warning; partially a silent agreement, but mostly curiosity. How could he not be curious, if she's taking to warning him and given what he's already seen? What secrets is she keeping from him...?

Well, the injuries are more important, so once he's gotten the top of her dress down so he can work on them, he sets about doing that. There's no denying the way his eyes stray to those tiny wings, or the near-maddening desire to say screw it and give into his curiosity and poke and prod her until he's fully satisfied with what he's learned. It reminds him of how he was in the early days; after he first woke up deep within Ize-Vti, where his curiosity led him to study every single monster he came across, keeping detailed notes on every inch of their physiology. It had admittedly been partially a distraction back then - he'd needed some reason to keep going without any memories to guide him, after all - but his curiosity has always been boundless, and Zvei has always been fascinated by the unknown and dangerous.

Even from here, where he's still focused on dressing her wounds, he can tell that these wings are quite unlike those of the dragons he's has the pleasure of studying. His world's dragons are a touch more clever than your average monster, but are ultimately not at the level of sentience of any of the people of Aelios. Powerful, dangerous beings, yes, but another foe to be taken down. Their wings are far larger, far more powerful; but to think that this Dragon's power is able to warp a human body so thoroughly is truly, unbelievably captivating. What else can this Dragon do?

Ah, but such thoughts are the sorts of things Fiona would have scolded him for. This is difficult for Amaya - though she's willingly allowed him to see it, it's more through necessity than any desire to show him. Staring so openly - much less poking and prodding as he wants to do - would undoubtedly just make her feel agitated. Zvei exhales; a soft sigh that sounds the tiniest bit disappointed as he refocuses on his work. Unfortunately for him, there are more pressing matters to attend to.

Each and every injury is tended to with the same amount of careful, calculating precision as before, and Zvei never lingers for long until he's finally done and he helps escort her back to bed.]

We'll need to get you a new dress. [Yes, he's aware she likely doesn't want one.] Maybe I can convince you to wear black! You'd make it look stunning.

[just be goth, it'll be fine!

Anyway, he moves to check her legs over now, though she likely doesn't have as many serious injuries here.]

I trust you'd let me know if I've missed anything?

[Just so he's not totally stripping her out of her dress; he can at least pretend to have some decorum. Well, in this one regard, given how he just spent way too long doing the internal narration of 👀 at her wings.]

Absolutely not.

[Amaya comes down on that one with a groan, absolutely refusing to entertain the idea even slightly. She will patch this dress up until the original dress is nothing but rags, dammit. Even if...well, black would probably look nice...but she's not considering it!!!

...She can absolutely feel his gaze on her, though, and it definitely makes her fidget a bit. Running her fingers along her newly patched up arms, gently taking everything in that needs to heal over time. Everything hurts--but she's always preferred this. The dull ache of pain has always been something preferable to Amaya, but here and now, it feels...strange. There's a part of her that does want to tell Zvei to get on with it, but...there's still something internally, that wonders if she should...

Well. Thankfully, her injuries are tended to, and Amaya moves easily to let him patch her up. She doesn't have an outward reaction because her dulled feelings won't let her have one, not really. But by the time he moves to check her legs, Amaya nods her head gently.]

I will. You know that I won't hide anything from you.

[...]

Though, [A small hmph escapes Amaya.] if you want me out of the dress this badly, you need only ask.

[It isn't quite derisive, but to a certain extent, it's permission; stare if you're going to. Either way, she'll let him see her legs and sit on the bed if that makes it easier; he is at least right that there's no serious injuries there. A few cuts, and a few patches of those scales, though her feet have taken on the shape of the hind feet of a dragon in the process. Thankfully, this'll be easier to patch up, if nothing else.]

...You're holding yourself back a bit, aren't you?

[It's an idle question, as Amaya tilts her head.]

[Zvei laughs, the sound light and airy as he waves a hand as if to dismiss the thought. He won't ever truly push her on this - she likely already knows that anyway. It would be far too much effort for something he ultimately cares so little about. Maybe he'll just get her a dress and see if he can guilt her into wearing it. It might prove more effective than trying to convince the brick wall into doing it of her own free will, anyway.

He kneels to tend to her injuries here, fingers brushing against scales as his eyes dart to her feet - truly fascinating. Almost every inch of her bears some marks the Dragon left behind... what would she look like were the Dragon to fully take control? An idea that likely should have more of an emotional reaction, given that it likely would be the end of Amaya as he knows her, but as always, Zvei feels nothing. Well, nothing but scientific curiosity given the way he is aggressively staring at her feet while trying to keep his attention on bandaging. He's not doing a bad job by any means, but man. It's such a struggle to stay focused on the boring work. Magical healing is much more interesting, after all.

Her words earn another laugh and his gaze flicks back up to her.]

Oh, believe me, were you a little less injured, I wouldn't bother pretending.

[...thanks, zvei,,,]

Though you are right. [a mock sigh!] Do you know how difficult it is to focus on something as dull as injuries when you are so fascinating right now, miss Amaya? Why, what I wouldn't give to study every inch of you in-depth - to compare your scales and claws and wings to the dragons I've studied, and to see where every single difference lies?

[With the last of the bandages tied off, his fingers trail down the scales of her legs towards her clawed feet, but not quite reaching them in case she doesn't want him to touch. Were she anyone else, maybe he wouldn't bother. But she's Amaya, and he likes her about as well as he can like someone, so he can have the tiniest bit of restraint. Just for her.]

[The brick wall will never let up. That's why she always has her unstoppable force beside her, after all. ☆

But Amaya properly watches Zvei as he gets to work on her legs, watching how he tries not to stay distracted by the inhuman parts of her and keep at his work. In some way, she's sure she should be insulted; she isn't. Zvei's curiosity has always been eternal from what she knows of him. It annoys her; it's the closest thing to pleased that she can get, that he elicits this feeling from her. It's not like the constant, judgemental gaze of the cultists that oversaw her growth, twisting puppet strings until she was as rigid as they wanted her to be.

Zvei plucks those strings, of course, but she almost prefers the way he'd treat her strings--twisting them off and around and twisting her limbs in new and frightening ways, in blissful unawareness of pain and yet...that pain is also so strangely freeing, because he doesn't care. He doesn't care about who she is and who she wants to be. He finds her a curiosity, and it's strange how it comforts her.

Almost idly, Amaya reaches a hand out to touch Zvei's head, but she thinks better of it and withdraws it.]

I know you wouldn't. It must be dreadfully boring for you, indeed. To have to use such base implements, and then to see something so fascinating and yet...draw your focus away, to patch up the wounds of a reckless priestess. Truly, I've inflicted a great torture upon you.

[Amaya's head tilts again, to the other side--there's still nothing in her gaze, nothing but the vague annoyance and blankness in her stare, but...]

...But you should be rewarded for your hard work. Don't you agree?

[It's softer, this time. She's all patched up, after all; shouldn't he be rewarded for his good work? Even if it makes her a little uncomfortable to be perceived, it's Zvei. He wouldn't be Zvei without his curiosity, his annoying aspects, all of the things that make him the man she tolerates.

But it's permission. Explicit, this time. Her hand ends up craning downward this time toward the side of his face with one of those taloned hands if he'll allow it. The touch is shy, almost, because...well, Amaya sucks at this, and she seems almost ready to take it back.

Not the permission, though.]

Sometimes I wonder if you're merely humoring me...

[He hums a note of approval anyway, though, fixing her with that far-too-intense, unblinking stare with mismatched eyes. It hardly matters if she is humoring him; better that than being ignored or shunned, after all. And besides, she's presented him with an opportunity; humoring or not, it's one he intends to seize.]

I could tell you that this is all very routine and hardly the sort of thing worthy of a reward given that it is, quite literally, my job to tend to those in need of healing, but far be it from me to deny such a generous offer~!

[One of his hands comes up to hers, seizing it where she's laid it against the side of his face. The touch certainly isn't a problem, and he would let it linger were these any other circumstances. Calling it nice is overstating it, because it doesn't truly feel like much of anything, but there is an inherent benefit to being trusted with such gentle gestures that most would never dream of offering him. It might even be something he almost likes, were he capable of liking much in the first place.

But that will have to wait, because she's given him an offer, and Zvei is quick to seize on it. First things first, her claws. He takes her hand in both of his own, gently pulling it around to where he can examine it from where he's still kneeled on the floor. One hand comes up to adjust his monocle as the other trails over those scales - first one way, then the opposite, watching how she reacts to those scales being rubbed the wrong way.]

Truly fascinating... Much thicker and more durable than the dragon scales where I come from, though that's hardly surprising; dragons are more resistant to magic than weaponry, after all. Their scales are designed to serve as a ward.

[...Yeah, of course he's just going to Yap while doing this, because Zvei is nothing if not Aggressively Himself at all times.]

Do you think I have humor left in me...?

[It's a question Amaya knows she doesn't need to ask; they both know the answer. Not even the Dragon could take this much from her. Amaya's gaze meets Zvei's, her own gaze cold and dead and devoid of emotion in the slightest. But she'll gladly let him get to work, letting herself be caught up in Zvei's fervor as she allows him to take that hand of hers and examine it to the utmost.

It's unsurprising that he starts on this, and those yellow eyes roll the slightest bit as he gets going, but she doesn't stop him in the slightest. What aggravation, to have him spout these observations at her. How annoying. How endearing. Amaya watches with disaffected eyes as he touches those scales of hers, watching them catch in various colors in the light, the gesture...strange, but not unwelcome. If anything, Amaya almost relaxes her usual rigidity a bit at it.]

Indeed. The Dragon was quite used to combat against weaponry; while her magical stores were incredible, her physical endurance was forged from years and years of slaughtering humans on the battlefield. There were few weapons that could even pierce her scales; I'm unsurprised that they remain so durable, even now.

[She'll encourage the yapping. This is meant to be his reward, and...maybe she likes the yapping just a bit, shush--]

Fascinating. I wonder if the Dragon was almost like a god in her own right...

[Well, maybe not in Amaya's world. Still, having that much power would certainly place the Dragon far above most monsters. Maybe some of the truly ferocious ones awaiting at the top of the Aeli's Branches, the ones that absorbed the magicaeli and strengthened those stones when they inevitably fell.

But he's getting distracted, and Zvei shakes his head with a soft laugh.]

I suppose there's no point in trying to test that, then. I'd rather not damage my dagger.

[...implying he was considering it...???]

These claws are vastly different too - even though they aren't quite a perfect match for the Dragon's, I'd imagine, they are much sturdier; the better for ripping and tearing through flesh, sinew, and bone. The dragons we face rarely come into contact with humans; their prey are far weaker monsters. The differences are truly astounding...

[He'll let her hand go now and move down to her clawed feet, humming to himself as he works, hands gliding over the scales there and poking and prodding at the draconic feet.]

There are likewise a great many differences here; why, I'd venture that these are closer to a wyvern's claws than a dragon's, though wyverns' scales are more reptilian than draconic... Still, the power behind them is much closer in scale! Dragons are primarily beings that utilize magic and their ability to breathe fire - or whatever other element, of course. Wyverns are far more physical and are built to match. Though they are far weaker than dragons, so perhaps that isn't the most accurate comparison either...

[No, he will not shut up, thank you very much!!]

Father's cult worshipped her as one. I would not be surprised if she could rival the gods of Madide, considering everything she was able to do...

[Amaya's eyes idly close as she listens to Zvei go on and on, even letting out a small noise at the idea of him testing that durability with his dagger. What does it say about her, that she isn't immediately chiding him? She knows damn well that it isn't a joke, coming from him. She knows damn well that if he found a good enough reason to bring out that dagger, he would, and she wonders if her injured state would deter him at all.

(It's not like it matters. She'd only have herself to blame, for rewarding him so. And isn't that a reward in it's own right? To see the joy and elation upon his face, to see him chatter endlessly while he toys with her life like it were a plaything...

What agony. What bliss.)

Amaya's eyes open, half lidded as she listens to Zvei continue to speak, and this time she loses the battle to keep her hand out of his hair; the talon-like hand gently rakes through his scalp if allowed, the motion surprisingly gentle and considerate.]

I was unaware of much of a difference between them. Most of Madide simply considers the matter of classifying a wyvern or dragon based on their intelligence or elemental alignment; how intriguing, that it would be a reminder of such a thing. I know not if she was a half breed, or perhaps even something else entirely, given our very different worlds.

[Beat.]

...Madide and the Dragon's, I should say, though there are many differences between your world and my own. But...the Dragon, as much as she claimed the forests of Quercetem as her home, was not of our world. She was quite massive and fierce in person, easily dwarfing my younger self when I first met her. She was always quite adaptable, so I would not be surprised if her body had changed over time to accommodate that.

But it is...fascinating, to hear all of these little differences.

[Zvei nods along to her words, never looking up from where he's studying her talons... at least not until her claws run back through his hair. He looks up at her then, blinking owlishly like he's only just truly become aware of her. The claws in his hair aren't a bad thing; it's simply that Zvei has very limited experience with all things physical affection and he isn't really sure what to do with it. After a moment he settles a bit, leaning into her claws for a moment before resuming his examination as if that didn't just happen.

After all, who cares about his momentary hesitation with physical affection when he could be studying her temporary form? He's not going to have all the time in the world for that, after all!]

Truly fascinating that you already have experiences and knowledge of other worlds... Which does introduce some truly fascinating prospects for the Dragon and your own world, even when stacked against my own! I suppose some of my questions must go unanswered for the time being...

[Maybe he'll get the opportunity to travel to Madide and/or the Dragon's world someday and he can put those questions to rest, but Zvei's also come to terms with the fact that sometimes you just don't get to answer those questions. Still, they're absolutely fascinating and delightful distractions from the day-to-day monotony, so he's always eager to pursue them.]

[Amaya winds up staring for a moment, when Zvei blinks up at her. Her eyes don't quite go wide or anything of the sort, but any playing with his hair even idly just ceases for a moment. Even after he leans back into it, Amaya seems uncertain and her gaze darts when he speaks up again.]

I would not give it that much credit. She never told me of the world that she hailed from at all; from what I understand, she ensured it's destruction. We...never did talk about such insignificant things. I do hope that is not too disappointing, but it would seem so...

[Amaya's other hand seems to unconsciously come up to cover her mouth a bit when she speaks; the much larger teeth and fangs she has currently are something she's a little modest about, but she does look at Zvei afterword with the tilt of her head, circling back to something else.]

...Do you wish for me to remove my hand? I...can, if it is proving uncomfortable. The last thing I want would be to make you so.

[It's considerate when she says it; she may not have entirely functioning empathy but...she can fake it, and she likes Zvei. Her clawed hand does seem to start to remove itself almost on instinct.]

Mm, truly unfortunate...

[But he's accepted that for now so there's no point in dwelling on it. Amaya has a question of her own, it would seem, and Zvei looks up at her again at that.]

Oh no, it's quite alright! I rather enjoy it, actually. I was simply surprised; I've never had anyone play with my hair like this before!

[At least, not that he remembers. Maybe it was something he was accustomed to in the past, but there's absolutely no telling. That's just another reason why he needs to reclaim these memories; so he can actually understand who he is and why he's like this. Those memories will make everything make sense.

But that's not the point right now, and he reaches out for her hand as she starts to pull away.]

You know me well enough by now, miss Amaya, you know that there's nothing that makes me uncomfortable.

[That requires feelings, after all.]

[Amaya's head tilts a bit; she can't say she's surprised necessarily, given how Zvei is. He's too animated, too on the move, too...energetic. One would probably never think to do something like that unless they wanted to get him to sit still, but that isn't fair to Zvei. It should be his own decision whether he wants to or not, and...

She's at least offering him enough to sate his curiosity at least. Amaya feels his hand reach hers, and she understands the hint as her look neutralizes a bit. It may never soften, but it's the closest thing she can offer him as she runs those talons through his hair.]

I cannot see why. It is...nice, I believe. The texture is smooth, preferable. It's...a soothing gesture, I think.

[...]

It brings an empty feeling with it, but I do not mind it. I...am glad you enjoy it as well.

[It's honest, but Amaya listens as she runs her fingers through that hair, clawed nails gently scratching at his scalp.]

I do, yes. But I do like to check. Your agency in such matters is...deeply important to me, all be told.

[As someone who's been denied it her whole life.]

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