un: hidden | audio

[matermali]

( cw; drug use—marijuana )

[ The woman's voice that scrapes through the network's channel keeps low and calm, with a vocal fry that is uttered in a distinctly English accent. ]

The dragon of recent arrival, whom I believe to be named Zhaera, wishes nothing to do with us, and so I would suggest leaving her be. Her only concern seems to be in mothering, and the power she wields would be no small thing if she feels the need to defend her nest. Best not to invite her ire when she has yet any cause to make of herself a monster.

She knows even less than we do about her sudden appearance. Perhaps if she did, she would not be so willing to keep to her singular cause.

I should also think that the serpents deserve no ill will en masse unless they become an immediate threat. I'm of no mind to make demands, but perhaps they can be herded into the woods where they can better find the prey they likely crave. A task I am willing to take on should any with the skill wish to assist.

Aurora has given us few choices aside from what we do with these trials presented.

[ The pause that follows is not from hesitation, but a drag that includes a whispered exhale of smoke that remains unseen on the network. Should anyone happen upon where she's seated on a bench near the café and bookstore, Vanessa—in all of her black-laced glory—is smoking a joint.

The rasp softens with her murmur. ]

We are all outsiders, after all.

Comments

[matermali]

[ Now that pause is hesitation.

The Dragon.

... ]

None but those read about in epic poems, I'm afraid. Never before did I think they could be real, but I ought to have known better given all else I have been witness to.

Have you known any?

[smallbat]

Not anything like this one. A spirt of one once in another world though.

I hate magic though.

[matermali]

[ Vanessa isn't about to defend her own magic. The self-loathing is too grand. ]

You've encountered some trouble with it, then?

[smallbat]

On more then a couple occasions.

[matermali]

Witches?

[smallbat]

More like magicians and spirt things.

[matermali]

Spirits?

Were you harmed?

[smallbat]

Not in the long run. Still was kind of a pain. I met a person who was from the Spirit world.

[matermali]

And what happened, on this meeting? If it isn't too painful to speak of.

[smallbat]

We talked to this other guy who could help save some people. I think they call him a sorcerer. Everyone ended up okay in the end but it was weird and I'd rather not deal with it again.

Do you know about that stuff too?

[matermali]

Witches and spirits, yes. I know something of the arts. [ An understatement. ] Sorcerers, no.

I admit to finding it difficult not to usually be suspect of witches, but I have also known one who was better than most people.

It does depend on how such knowledge is used. To help or to hurt. [ So she would probably be the misliked sort, then... ]

[smallbat]

If you find them suspect, does that mean that most of them are bad people where you come from?

[matermali]

Most of them gain their power by serving the Devil. Not all. I have known one who broke away and went on to use her knowledge to help people.

Unfortunate that they were not worth her service any more than Lucifer was.

[ If she sounds a little bitter, that's because she is. ]