(Untitled)

[the_measurers]

Last year, Geldeheim City had glittered for them, cold and translucent like a collection of great icecubes. This time, it was as if someone had taken a hammer to those icecubes. Many buildings still stood, but some were bisected, shattered by beams of power, or perpetually burning with magefire. Some of the city's ubiqutuous flat 3d projection

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[Where the Wild Thing Is]

[the_measurers]

The People's Glorious Educational Animal Menagerie (newly renamed) isn't in great shape. Inclement weather has messed things up. But the ruling council has decided that people need distraction from their power plays some cheering up, so funds have been authorized from the treasury. The heat is back on, at least, so the tropical beasts aren't dying any more. Which is good, because it's an open air zoo

[the_measurers]

"I am glad to volunteer for the duty of guarding the people's valuable monster from the overly curious and counterrevolutionary elements." He said, looking side to side, shivering, stamping his feet. "But um it does get cold." He still looked warily at the two girls, who had just recently been threatening him.

[birdhousesoul]

Anders catches that glance and looks in the girls' direction as well. "My sister and my niece. Our little Roxie is, well. How do I put this?" He lowers his voice confidentially. He's close enough to the guard to make himself heard even so, leaning in. "A troubled child. She's amazingly bright, though. A rich fantasy life. We play along with her, and it helps keep her calm. Thank you," he says, all sincerity and warmth, "for being kind to her. She doesn't understand your job, probably imagines you as an evil ogre who's keeping Prince Pretty Scales prisoner. That's the dragon's name."

[the_measurers]

With the strange and handsome man leaning in so close to him (and being warm! he'd almost forgotten what that felt like), a blush spreads on the guard's cheeks. And, well, it's...Actually he doesn't know what time of year it is now since these same heroes cancelled Christmas last year and getting into the Grendlsdag spirit would involve feeding one of their hands to that very dragon. But he feels somehow compelled to be generous and if he can make a crazy little girl's dream come true, then so be it.

"Alright. Look. I uh. Here." He thrusts a notebook, normally used to record shift times, and a pen into Ander's hands. "Sign your name and your intention and stay between your niece and the animal at all times. If it so much as bares its teeth, i'm tranqing it until it sleeps until the rainy season, so if I yell, everyone hit the floor."

[birdhousesoul]

"Oh, I think we'll be just fine," says Anders. His hands will be warm, too, when he takes the offered pen. "Looks like the dragon's taken a liking to her dog, for that matter. I imagine the keepers feed the animals here very well, and Roxie wouldn't make much of a mouthful, nor would Teo."

He signs the notebook Sebastian Vael, for kicks, and writes: My niece Roxana is utterly off her rocker and I accept all responsibility should her deranged activities result in injury or fatality to herself or others. I release this menagerie from any liability that may be otherwise incurred as a result of my family's actions.Handing the notebook back to the guard, he explains: "We've got to have a sense of humor about it all, you know. It's what keeps us going." A sad smile. "Thank you, again. This means more to me than you can know." He presses the pen back into the guard's other hand. "If you happen to be in the business district, later - ask around for Vael. I'd be more than happy to stand you a drink or two. The least I can do to

[the_measurers]

"I don't even think it's male, you know. Might want to talk to your niece about that kind of thing too."

Wondering what the hell he's doing and wishing he had a sassy gay friend to talk him out of this, the guard sighs, pockets his notebook and opens the gate with his key. He then trains the rifle on the dragon, hair trigger tense.

[lest_ye_become]

Roxie strides in promptly as soon as the gate is open, heading right over for the dragon. If she's afraid, it doesn't show on her face, though there is a certain tenseness in her body language, hands stiff in her pockets.

[try_winging_it]

Hawke has been quietly trying not to laugh herself sick and is nearly purple with the effort. Sister? Ask for Vael? Prince Pretty Scales?

But for now she smiles graciously at the guard, exagerratedly mouthing Thank you at him to add to the pretense that they're humoring Roxie. They'll have to do something to get him to stop pointing a gun at the dragon if they're to pull this off, but Teo can perhaps be of help there...or perhaps they can all fly out? It's not an untempting idea. She's always been a little sorry that Flemeth wouldn't just give them a ride

[birdhousesoul]

"Hush, you. Its scales are pretty. Nothing's going to happen that a good glyph of paralysis can't stop." Anders reaches back for his staff, giving the guard a reassuring nod and wave as he does so, and begins to use it as an extremely oversized walking stick. It's the best excuse for having it at the ready, even if it makes him look silly. "Look at me, I'm Sebastian Vael of Starkhaven," he singsongs under his breath, "having a little stroll before it's vespers, got a date to go suck a Templar's cock

[the_burnt_one]

"Hey! In front of the girl!" Yells the exasperated guard, pointing his rifle at the dragon. He is not going to be responsible for a little girl getting eaten on his watch.

The dragon, still pressed to the ground, began to back off, but stopped when Teo bumped it. Signalling...a means of communication...this gave it pause. In a wordless way, it thought that there was perhaps another way to do things. A way to communicate with more than just gestures.

Still, while it had stopped backing away, there was still that agitated guard to deal with.

[birdhousesoul]

Anders is fairly certain he has little chance of standing between Roxie and whatever she feels like approaching, be it a dragon or a fluffy kitten. Sighing, he spins to face the fence. It means turning his back on the dragon, but he takes for granted that Hawke will have that covered.

"I did hope I wouldn't have to do this."

He raises his staff and fires off two spells of creation in rapid succession: a glyph of binding to hold the guard; a glyph of repulsion to block anyone else from entering the dragon's enclosure.

"And he seemed like such a nice man," mourns Anders. "I suspect I won't be forgiven for this. Correction: Sebastian Vael won't be forgiven."

Mwahaha.

One of these days, Anders will do a true service to the resistance, and the name of Sebastian Vael will be lauded forever. Anders will hate that. So much.

[the_burnt_one]

The guard, seeing something happening with the big stick 'Sebastian Vael' was carrying, and seeing the girl and her mother appraoching the dragon, instinctively squeezed off two shots just before he was frozen in place. Thwif thwif they went, hitting the dragon in the side.

It hissed angrily, turning towards the source of the little pricks not Anders, noone thinks of him when they think little pricks. The fight seemed to go out of it as soon as it did so though, those blazing eyes suddenly filming over with sleep. It slumped, all its energy suddenly drained

[jedimacguyver]

Shouting, men firing dart guns and the unmistakable sound of a very large beast hitting the ground? Could nothing be simple, could nothing ever turn out according to plan?

Even without Anakin, this was- "Oh, I might have known."

Obi-Wan steps into the circle, wind billowing his robes and cloak impressively. He's not mad at you, Roxie, but he is disappointed. And you, Hawke, you're a grown woman, what's your excuse. Anders? No, he expected this from a man like Anders. He just levels them all with a mild frown. Do you feel ashamed yet? Well you should. Shame on you!

"Now what exactly have you done to this guard?"

Shaaaaaaame

[try_winging_it]

Nope, Obi-wan, Hawke in fact feels no shame at all. In fact she hasn't even noticed you yet, or that Anders has gone on the offensive. She's busy being extremely distracted by the fact that Teo's dragon is now human. And definitely not like Flemeth

[birdhousesoul]

"The guard?" For a second Anders doesn't get why Obi-Wan would even be concerned about the guard. Collateral damage = bad. Anders needs reminding of that, sometimes. "He'll be fine. See that little bit of calligraphy floating over his head? It's tying him up, basically. When I want it to go away, he'll be free to stomp around and shout and generally act in ways we'd find inconvenient. Or we could just leave, and let him stay that way for a while, and eventually the spell wears off. That's more what I had in mind." Unrepentant

[lest_ye_become]

Roxie gives Obi-Wan a flat look. "If they hadn't interfered I'd have just bought her," she says with a shrug, though she didn't seem so much forthcoming with that plan before. She flashes a glittering gold coin between her fingers and then slides it back away into a pocket.

She walks over to the guard, eying his frozen form. "You should have gone with the rock," she says. "If anyone shows up to bother us I'll take care of them," she adds, turning to Hawke and Anders. Her eyes are on the girl-it is not 'bother us', but 'bother her'.