isleofavalon | May (dragon)flowers

🧙 WHO: Barbara & sundry
⚔️️ WHAT: Going about
🕒 WHEN:
🗺️ WHERE:
⚠️ WARNINGS:

🗡 Nudibranching out

[The call has gone out for adventurers to cull man-eating (or rather, naga-eating) nudibranchs, which as far as Barbara can tell, are an oceanic form of the terrestrial slugs she's familiar with. She doesn't know how to swim, but once she's confident that this underwater breathing potion of the naga works, she's got no objections.

So, one hour of breathing, a spear, and elemental magic which she hasn't yet tried in an aquatic environment. Does anyone want to join her?]

Training grounds

[The training grounds are a good bet for finding Barbara. She's gotten more proficient with her elementatal magic over the course of the month, thanks to the single-minded sense of discipline that allowed her to learn the Dragoon's art despite not having any human mentor.

This time she's not practicing her Jump, but instead trying to relearn the dragonbreath spells she used to know--they were all elemental, which is why she is attempting to breathe lightning, fire, or ice from her mouth. So far her result are mixed. She's getting her arms covered in sparks (which is why she's switched to padded cotton clothes, rather than her usual armor) and the ground around her that isn't covered in scorch marks is frosted over. Also, her water bottle turned into ice and burst.

Or maybe you'll find her moogle familiar, who's gotten bored with watching her trying to breathe fire out of her mouth. He is busy with a notebook and pencil--it looks like he's writing out a list of something, muttering, and then shaking his head a lot.]

Baby dragons

[It's not that Barbara is a nature girl, but knowing what this island of Avalon is and what lives here is essential to surviving here. That's why she spends a not-insignificant portion of her time exploring the parts of the island that haven't been populated by humans.

And today she has found... dragons.

Little baby dragons, flapping and tumbling in the flowers. At first, Barbara keeps a respectful distance--in her experience, dragons do not like their offspring being andled by anyone without strict permission--but as time passes, it seems that there aren't any parents. Just dragonets, playing in the field.]

Odd...

[Well. She's got some cold meat from something she hunted yesterday. Might as well crouch down and see if the baby dragons like it, right?]

wildcard

[ooc: Got something different in mind? Want to mix & match? PM me or hit me up at

compassinks!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Barbara might not know how to swim, but Darin felt completely at home in the water. So much so, he was going to tackle this in just his swim trunks (they have flaming anvils on them!) and his dao.]

So, only one of us can use the underwater breathing, right? I can hold my breath pretty well, so why don't you take it?

[what is that garment, darin. like. she understands that armor won't work in the water, BUT WHAT IS THAT GARMENT.]

Yes. [but she doesn't drink the potion just yet--] Darin forget clothes?

...You've never heard of a swimsuit before??

I don't wear armor and I don't want my normal clothes to get wet.

[why would you wear a suit for swimming. maybe they do that in coastal places?? but as someone who grew up in the mountains and thinks of swimming as a thing other people do... uh.]

What wrong with that? Hang clothes outside, get dry.

[Which is clearly what she plans on doing. Sure, you don't get your armor yet, but why do you need a whole extra thing.]

Well...yea but...

...Look, I'm not shy or anything but apparently people would complain if I was walking around naked while my clothes dried.

[...oh, right. humans. it hasn't been something she's thought about given that it was winter when she got here, but she does remember. being told as a child. that she has to wear clothes even when it's too hot to wear them.]

Darin almost naked now. [She gives a huff, well, her dress is just going to have to do. It's not like it's going to get any more noticeably weathered from the dip.] Human need special clothes for wet. Fine.

Whoa! Hey! This isn't as bad as it could be! The guy selling these things tried to get me into...one of those weird...hammock things. I dunno. And trust me, I love me a hammock, but that was not what I was picturing when he showed me!

[WHY DID BARBARA SEEM ANGRY.]

And I don't need anything but my weapon but I'm tired of getting yelled at! Are you ready to hunt or not??

[weird hammock

okay you know what she is not going to ask any more questions about that]

Barbara not yell! Too many strange human things. [WHY DO HUMANS NEED TO HAVE A SEPARATE PIECE OF CLOTHING AND A SEPARATE TOOL FOR EVERY LITTLE THING TO JUST HAVE A NORMAL DAY] We hunt.

[and with that she gulps down the potion, hefts her spear, and strides into the water.]

[That's a good idea.]

Look, I agree with you! Kinda! Hey, wait!

[Darin sheathes his dao and wades into the water after Barbara.]

So, hey, now that you mention it, does human stuff bother you?

[There are many things that don't make Barbara pause, the prospect of underwater combat with paralytic slugs while under a strict potion time limit being among them. But that question--well, that question does.]

Not bother. [...] Dragons raise Barbara. Humans complicated. Confusing.

[The way they talk to each other, the way they don't, trading, conversation, cooking... there's so much of it.]

Do you...want to understand it? Or would you prefer to just...keep things the way that you're used to.

Because if you want...I could try and help you.

[That is... a good question.

She grew to trust the Warriors of Light, fought alongside them, went back home to the wind drakes. But Avalon is different. She can avoid the big city to some extent, but she can't just completely avoid people because they're weird and confusing.]

Barbara not unhappy being Barbara. [...] But, should understand humans more. Yes.

Well, of course you're happy being you. Barbara is amazing. One of the best friends I have in this place, really.

But...if you ever want to learn about humans...

I wouldn't mind teaching you. I promise not to make fun. I had to kinda learn my way around 'normal people' too, once upon a time...

[Barbara's eyes widen at the admission. She doesn't know what to say to it. She trusted and respected the Warriors of Light once they had proven themselves worthy of it, and they did their best to protect and help each other, but... friends... that was different.

She trusts Darin as a partner in battle, and he's easier for her to talk to than some others. It's not so surprising to hear that he's had his own issues with dealing with his own kind.]

Yes.

[first real human friend. that's... a very strong feeling. it's big, and she thinks it deserves to have more words around it than that, but she doesn't know what words those are. still, the smile on her face says a lot.]

[Darin recognizes the smile and knows that no more words need to be shared, lest the moment be ruined. Instead, he steps up beside her and offers a closed fist to bump in solidarity.]

What do you say we go hunting, partner.

[Barbara stares at the fist for a moment. This is not a gesture she's familiar with--ah, but it's probably like a handshake isn't it? Just without the grip.

It's a little awkward, but she clenches her fist and bumps it against his with a satisfied nod. Time to hunt.]

May (dragon)flowers

Nudibranching Out!

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