Nina: ^ Why do I get the feeling that this might not end well? Vinya: Oh come on, where's your sense of adventure? Nina: I read enough SciFi to know that if it starts with "The" - you should probably run. *Sinead has entered the conversation* Sinead: Wait - there's dragon in here? I F**CKING LOVE DRAGONS! Vinya: What the hell?! ^ Nina: You seriously haven't seen all the sword and sorcery books in her office? Vinya: No, because I don't get called into the Editor-in-Chief's office on a daily freaking basis. And I'm not a stalker. Sinead: Both of you, shut up. TALK TO ME, DRAGON!
Nina: No! Definitely no dragons! Sinead: Zip it, Constantinos! I want to talk to a real life no-sh*t dragon. Rosseweisse: Don't worry, I'll make sure it doesn't get out of control. Nina: Who the heck are you? Rosseweisse: What? You thought you were the only project? Vinya: You mean we haven't just been "on hold?" I need to hit something. Rosseweisse: Don't worry, you guys are still the passion project, he's just been working on my story because his grad school classes got him thinking about the Holocaust - and because I'm more marketable, and because your book is done so you're in editing limbo. Vinya: Yeah, well, your hair sucks. Rosseweisse: When nine hundred years old you reach, look this good, you will not. Nina: I thought I was supposed to be the one who makes Star Wars references. Rosseweisse: I saw the original in theatres.
The Rishnaran: Very well, Sinead. [dragon appears] Dav: What the-- What's this place? The Rishnaran: Sinead, meet Davard Arrissa. He's thirty-two, which is about sixteen in human years. Khrizans age half as fast as humans. Davard's a novelist. He's writing a book about a mythical creature called daktars. Perhaps you would like him to tell you about them. Dav: [gasps] Are you daktars? The Rishnaran: He can't see me. But he thinks you are daktars. He's not entirely wrong. Why don't you say something to him.
The Rishnaran: Indeed. We are one and the same. My name means the Writer in Dragonese. In the old tongue I am known as the Ristlaron. The dragons know of me, those that believe, anyway, but they have only the Khagra for evidence that I exist. Those who use magic, though, know the truth.
Sinead: Hi Dav! *waves* I'm a human but I read lots and lots of books about dragons! Vinya: I seriously cannot believe what I'm seeing right now. Nina: See, I told you she might just be a Lawful Neutral. Vinya: More like a Chaotic Crazy. Rosseweisse: You seriously had my author drop me in here for this? I usually break up pogroms.
Maddox: [looks around] Whoah. Wait, what's going on? Who are you? [snaps into a fighting stance]Why the fuck is there a dragon-human-thing here?!
Dav: I'm all dragon, actually. Are you a human? The Rishnaran: I am. Would you be so kind as to censor your swear words, please? They offend me. Don't be alarmed, this is Davard, one of my characters. He won't hurt you. He's fascinated by humans. He doesn't know I'm here. Dav: Everyone here seems to be a human. Is that another word for daktar?
Maddox: [relaxes slightly, still eyeing the other inhabitants of the room] Uh... yeah? I'm a human... I think. Unless that weird explosion thing changed my biology or whatever, I'm human. [scratches head] I mean... I guess I can censor myself. You a Christian, or something? Jayden's Christian, but he still swears like a sailor. [mutters] wait davard can't hear him. Damm-- dangit. [looks up] So, uh. [clears throat uncomfortably] What's a daktar?
The Rishnaran: That's right. It's the reason I don't allow my characters to worship me even though I'm the closest thing they have to a god. I'm not a real god, so I don't want or need worship, especially since I worship a real God myself. And don't worry, Dav doesn't hear anything I don't want him to. My secret is safe. Dav: Daktars look like humans... exactly like humans, actually, now that I see you... but they can speak any language and vanish when nobody's looking. They emit a flashing light when they disappear. Their own language sounds like this. [does best impression of metal scraping on metal] I met a daktar once. I was trying to make that noise to see if I could find one and this daktar popped out of a tree and went, "Shush!" Then he went back in and scampered off! They're really good at hiding. I'm writing a book about them. I hear male daktars have two hearts. I wonder if that's accurate.
Vanna: I'm in Biology and I should not be doing this AT ALL. If Miss Herriot catches me, she'll take my phone away. Fortunately, since I'm the only person in the school who has one, they don't have a policy about it. Thomchan, that's just an old wives' tale. My friend Ophelia, who's known she's a witch all her life, thinks that they're all pretty pointless things to do. I'm not entirely sure what sort of spells there are out there. I only know a few, and they're all designed for use in combat. I was trying not to be killed by a dark wizard. I'm not sure how common it is. It largely depends what time you're in. I'm guessing that there weren't many in the Middle Ages, since they'd probably have emigrated, but I know my great-great-aunt, who was also called Vanessa Beaurenice and was very famous, lived there. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I've been sheepdogging kittens (sorry - that's what we call new girls), so I'm in that kind of mood. Rishnaran (or do you prefer The Rishnaran?), I've never met a god-type thing before. What do you do all day? Dav, I'm not a daktar - at least, I don't think I am - I think most people here are humans, but I'm a witch. Rosseweisse, if you break up pogroms, then I want to say that I really appreciate what you're doing. My friends and I get the newspaper and I've told them all about Hitler and the Holocaust, but most of the school are still blissfully unaware of the horrors kids their age are facing in Nazi Germany. Vinya, Nina, I think EMR mentioned that she was working on something else, but the main characters of that don't want to talk. We take it in turns to be neglected. One of her characters is only six, so I said that I could look after her, but she said that she has high-functioning Asperger's and doesn't want to be looked after. Maddox, come right in, it's OK. I'm just a schoolgirl, I can't hurt you. Besides, there's a serial killer here, and she hasn't laid a finger on any of us.
Captain Helen Chert: <walks in> "Hmm...interesting place. I take it Rktho is the manager of this facility?" Amos Garnier: <smiling, walks to a random character> "Hey, I'm Amos. How are you?" <extends hand> "Hope my eyes don't bother you. I'm blind, as you can see. However, I solve mysteries in my hometown." Mishu Jerni: "Is there food? Tell me there's food!!!" Kevin McKinley: "Relax, girl, I'm sure they'll give you food." Mishu Jerni: <grabs Kevin by the collar and pulls him down so his face is inches from hers> "You don't understand! FOOD! I NEED FOOOOOOOOOODD!!!!!" Captain Helen Chert: <sighs, pulls Mishu off> "Please don't embarrass us, Mishu." Amos Garnier: <bends closer to the random character> "Between you and me, Mishu's crazy. I feel for everyone who has to deal with her. But we're all the major 'protagonists' of this author's various stories."
Jade: @Mishu Jerni - Are you getting enough to eat at home? I'm a social worker - PM if you need someone to talk to.
Maddox: ...Alright. Fine. [plops down in the middle of the floor.] Mishu has a point, though. Food is pretty great. The last time I ate something that wasn't fish was... I don't know, two months ago. [furrows eyebrows] Wait. There's a serial killer in here? Good serial killer or bad serial killer?
