Kobolds and dragons tend towards the carnivorous, so almost every eatery in the under city serves meat of some sort. But each one seems to specialize in a particular type of preparation and seasoning, including raw. What's missing from the menus are seafood dishes. A few of the restaurants even allow patrons to cook their meat themselves at their table on slabs of heated volcanic rock, or have it prepared to order by a personal chef. None of them offer entertainment though, and only weakly alcoholic beverages. And they've apparently never heard of 'dairy' products like cheese.
"We could just get sandwiches to go," Kai also suggests.
"I want a big hunk of meat on a bone!" Tasha points at a big hunk of meat on a bone, which looks like it might have been prepared for someone a bit bigger than her. "With spices. Dragon spices."
"Dragon spices?" Kai asks skeptically. "You can't regrow your stomach you know."
"Okay, mild dragon spices," Tasha concedes with a splay of the ears.
"I also want spicy meat on a bone," Wulfgaar says.
"See, Wulfgar gets it," Tasha says with a nod, thumbing back to Wulfgar. "It's the wolf thing to do."
So Kai brings them to one of cook-it-yourself places that looks more like a butcher shop. Two meat-on-a-bone cuts are ordered, along with a tray of spices and a pitcher of cold water. "Only use the metal sifters to touch the spices," Kai tells them, demonstrating the odd nested-spoon looking devices. "You use the spice to actually cook the meat."
"Some kind of endothermic reaction," Tasha asides to Wulfgar. Tasha grabs one of the makeshift tables and begins carefully seasoning her meat, brows knitted, this is careful business.
The meat sizzles under the spices, and each one seems to cook it a little differently. "Wait for the sizzling to stop before trying to eat it," Kay warns. "There's no milk here for mitigating the heat of the spice."
Tasha goes 'pffffft', which on a canine face sounds a big lower, growlier, and more windy. "Don't eat the endothermic spices, I've had the 'don't eat dangerous chemicals' lecture."
"Well, mainly this time because if you don't wait, they'll start cooking your tongue while you eat," Kai notes.
Wulfgaar just grunts, but also cuts off several slices from his own meat to test each of the spices on in turn.
Tasha just spreads them all out, because it will make her meat an adventure, and it's big enough. She then plops her head on a hand and watches the food sizzle with canine fascination. "I love being a wolf. The Human me would find this boring."
"Cooking is never boring," Wulfgaar claims. "Not after hunting the meat first. Unless it's fishing with anything other than a spear or your hands."
"I like to fish with a bow." Tasha tilts her head back and forth. "Or a spear. Hunting, too. Most of what I hunt I can't eat though, which seems very unfair."
"Hunt sandwiches," Kai suggests. "They can be hard to catch if they're prepared right."
"Maybe when I retire," Tasha agrees, nodding. "Well, from here, how far to the Library?"
"Distance is relative," Kai explains. "Overland would be quite far, but we will be taking a shortcut."
"Why walk all the space between when you can connect to points and walk through the spaces." Tasha's meat slowly stops smoldering, leaving her to touch test it by poking it a lot. "Some kind of portal?"
The meat doesn't attack at the provocation, so may be ready. "I don't think there will be portals so much as.. something else. It's a mode of transport I haven't taken before."
"Oh, that's pretty exciting, given how much you've been around one way or another." Tasha picks up the meat and hefts it between her hands like some delicious maul. "I'm ready, how are you two doing?"
Wulfgaar is already chewing on one strip of meat, and while his face is red nothing is burning through his cheeks. Kai, as usual, just watches the others eat, and pets the goose in her lap.
Tasha suspects some sort of mind control with the goose, but she digs in. There's some snorting and a alot of omp-omp-omping, showing that even if her muzzle is smaller, it's still quite functional at its old job.
Her stomach is also smaller, but wolf instinct is to fill to bursting. The different spices do have a bit, but eventually her tongue starts to go numb enough that she can really taste the differences. The sad part is the lack of beer to go with it.
If only Tasha could summon beer. Maybe she'll discover how, some day. "So whant to go look for a grooto?"
"Alright, I saw a map earlier," Kai says. "The goose wants one with water."
"Not magic, holy water is it?" Wulfgaar checks. Even though the last 'holy spring' was used for bathing and washing socks.
Kai shrugs. "Just keep an eye out for shrines," she suggests.
"I wonder if holy water is tastier than regular water." Tasha knows that regular water is mediocre at best. She follows along, munching on her oversized meat stick as she goes. "Shrines, shrunes, where you youg."
The grotto district is apparently on the opposite side from.. everything. It's a bit of a walk, past livestock corrals and well beyond the merchant areas. The light wells are fewer and far between here, but the first grottos they come across are quite large, with actual waterfalls and mossy ledges and glowing plants.. and dragons. The ones with maidens playing on harps seems to be full up, with reptilian bodies sometimes piled up and sleeping.
"I see the maiden suite is taken, too bad. I didn't think dragons were comfortable with sleeping so closely together though." Tasha walks on, taking a break from eating to digest. her meat stick is a long term investment. "Pretty, though. Soothing."
"That's probably a family," Kai suggests, as the wend deeper into the zone. Eventually they start to come across smaller dragon-free grottos, where the local Kobolds have their trysts. They finally find an unoccupied one, where the light-pool seems more twilight-toned. There isn't a maiden playing a harp, but there are chirpy insect noises, and the central pool is clear enough to tell that there aren't any lurking monsters in it.
"Twilight, how appropriate. I feel like twilight sometimes." Tasha sniffs around to make sure the area really is free and not concealing some hidden surprises, but nods while doing it. "This looks relaxing. I like it. The insects seem to like it, too."
"They may just be sound effects," Kai points out, and looks around. "Should be safe, not many of the scaly psychopaths could fit through the entrance to this one."
"Scaley psychopaths?" Tasha looks around until she finds a nice grass spot near the pool, then sets her things down and pulls off her jacket, showing she's wearing just a high tech tank top made of diamond patterns. "Maybe it's made for smaller dragons? Or darker ones?"
"Dragons," Kai explains. "Narcissistic, cocky, obsessed with power, headstrong and focused, manipulative, lousy at empathy.." she starts ticking off on her fingers, ending with, ".. and god complexes. Usually."
"yeah you're both kind of similar so I see why you wouldn't get along." Tasha's tail wags. "I guess being born with great power and ability makes someone cocky. Unlike me, I'm more humble than anyone."
"Hmm, psychopaths usually make the best leaders, ironically," Kai notes. "Nobody sane would want that sort of job. Luckily, Kainudy is a false dragon, so she's not as self-centered."
"Maybe she's false self-centered. And aren't you connected to her? This seems like a suspicious declaration." It then occurs to Tasha she could have her other selves put in good words for her where ever they go; there are potentials. "I guess I must not be psychopathic enough to lead."
"Well, for dragons that's normal," Kai says, and winks at Tasha. "You're just crazy."
"Dragon puppets are crazy too," Wulfgaar claims.
"Focused," Kai corrects.
"I'm still crazy? I thought I was saner by now. This is very disappointing." Tasha tosses her coat aside and flops down on it, taking the meat with her to absently chew on. "I'm just eccentric. I can be that now, I think. I own a yacht."
"Goose is better," Wulfgaar claims, letting the beast go into the pond, before setting out the bedrolls. The moss is pretty comfy though, if cool. The ceiling has constellations on it, complete with the lines. Something Tasha never got to see on Sinai, due to the Procession.
Tasha decides against the bed roll, instead taking off her pants to show her tank top is really a one piece bathing-suit like arrangement, with gaps between it and the same material stockings she wears underneath it all. The material is diamond pattern and appears to have metal imbedded in it, and some sort of mesh. "It's not often I get to sleep on a planet, or at least a planet-like world, and not have to worry so much about monsters or bandits or bandit monsters or monster bandits. Or robots. Evil black goo. Temporal pitfalls. Spikey architecture. That kind of thing. This is nice."
"Well, there are meant to be places of serenity and meditation," Kai claims. "Since I don't need to keep watch, I'll help Wulfgaar work off that meal, if you don't mind the noise."
"I'll just go over to the corner and watch the stars. Or maybe take a walk, we have some time until sundown." Tasha stretches, grabs her meat, and stands up. "Go ahead, I'll just walk around for a while."
"Be careful," Kai says. "Watch out for bottomless pits."
"I eat a lot I'm familiar." Tasha doesn't bother with the rest of her clothes, the under suit was picked out precisely because it can move and it's light, in case she has another Charon situation. Once clear she puts her hands behind her head and intertwines her arms, walking a ways a way and humming to herself some aimless tune.
There are other tunes in the air.. usually in snippets, which then repeat with slight variations. They come from one of the other grottos along the path, and there is also a crew of Lesser Kobolds with buckets, bins, brooms and mop cleaning up another grotto.
Tasha doesn't want to get roped in to cleaning, so she skips that one. She isn't sure what the music is and would hate to intrude on a intimate evening, especially if the intimates are dragons and want to eat her. In a way it almost feels like a kind of zoo or exhibit combined with an inn, which is a weird combination she has to admit.
She does spot an even smaller grotto, full of very small lap-dragons, splayed out in odd poses while they sleep.
Tasha decides this is very cute, but she doubts the little dragons would appreciate her rushing in to pick them up and treat them like toys, so she, with great willpower, keeps going.
Soon she finds herself being followed by one of the smaller Kobolds, at a discrete distance.
Tasha pretends not to notice, but when she rounds the corner she presses up against a rock and waits.
The little Kobold rounds the corner, not even trying to be stealthy. It doesn't see Tasha at first, but does stop when it can't see her on the path ahead.
Tasha hunkers down, tips toes closer, than tries to grab the kobold!
The reptilian squeaks when grabbed, and struggles!
Tasha has to put the bone in her mouth to get enough hands to spin the kobold around face to face. She's never had to club someone with a meat stick before, but she is an explorer, so she's up for it. But that's only if. "HI. Why are you following me?"
"Bone!" the Kobold bleats out. "You done?"
"In a while," Tasha insists, the meat still looking very present on said bone. "I'm savoring it."
"Can't leave here," the Kobold claims. Is it one of the janitorial staff?
"Why not?" Tasha starts chewing on the bone, feeling indignant someone has rushed her meal, but she supposes the little guy may not be treated well. She knows what it's like to be on the smaller end of a species.
"That's how you get ants," the Kobold claims.
Tasha frowns. "You want to clean up the bone?" She looks at the object, then the kobold, and back again. Litter control, a park ranger. "Fine I'll eat it and you can have the bone."
"Very yes," the Kobold says. "Gotta be careful going further," it then warns.
Tasha perks her ears while chewing. "Sho whasch deeper in?"
"Hot and cold and others," the Kobold warns. "And Greeshka."
"Oh so ice and fire dragons. And Greeshka. What's a Greeshka?" Tasha pulls enough meat off the bone it's just meat on nothing, which she finishes nibbling up off her hand.
"Greeshka is.. Greeshka," the Kobold insists. "Only dying go to Greeshka. Or old. Or tired or sad."
Tasha does feel tired and sad a lot, but it sounds like a place to die, not live, but either way it intrigues her. "Only?"
"Nobody leaves Greeshka," the Kobold says. "It very.. much. Very muchness."
Tasha decides maybe visiting a Greeshka isn't a good idea. "Do you know of a Greeshka, Kai?"
"No," comes the reply. "Why do you ask?"
"Tiny Kobold says I shouldn't go farther or I'll meet her, some kind of dragon no one leaves, one that sad and suicidal people visit. It's apparently very muchness. So, probably big." Tasha hands the bone over as she think-talks.
"Oh.. one of those then," Kai notes. "Probably not a dragon, but a psychic slime. Just don't stick your head into it."
The little Kobold takes the bone, and seems about to leave. "You alright?" it asks.
"A slime doesn't sound like much of a conversationalist, maybe more like a garbage disposal." Tasha focuses on the kobold when it talks. "I was asking a question of my totally not a dragon fri- acquaintance. I thougth meeting a psychic slime might be interesting, but I don't think it'll have much to say."
"No.. no talk, is a slime," the Kobold notes. "But.. people linked still talk some."
"Their psychic impressions linger in the slime?" Tasha tilts her head. She supposes a thought eating slime might still be.. digesting thoughts. "Food for thought, thought for food."
"Nonono," the Kobold says. "Wear on head.. first.. then.. join up." It gesticulates a lot, as if that would be helpful.
Tasha squints. "Wear the slime on your head?"
"Nono, mustn't do that," the Kobold says. "But yes, that. That how you start. Then go to Greeshka. It a process."
Tasha's ears flick. "The kobold says wear slime on head but don't, or something else on head, then go to slime. It's a process." She blinks. "Maybe you could show me."
The Kobold hesitates a moment, then gestures for Tasha to follow as it heads deeper into the mountain.
"Do not put slime on your head," Kai advises.
Tasha stands up and shrugs, licking her fingers as she follows along. "I didn't think that was a good idea. I'm following him to see what he's on about, then I'll come back in a while."
Eventually the Kobold turns down a side passage, and brings Tasha to another grotto. It looks like the others, with the pool and moss, but the back of it is a translucent green mass, with dim shapes within, except for where they poke out still: bodies. All of them have serene expressions though. There are others with slime 'caps' on their heads that aren't part of the mass yet, but they also look serene. Most of them are very old, some are clearly sick or severely wounded, but all of them look happy.
"Greeshka," the Kobold says, as if making an introduction.
Tasha thinks she understands. The slime must absorb their ill thoughts, or all their thoughts, providing them rest and relief. She supposes that would be a certain kind of happiness, and for the right kind of situation, it could be the answer. She can't fault anyone here, seeing their condition, yet she knows this place isn't for her. Whatever promise of peace this place offers, it's not an end she wants or needs. "I think I've seen enough. Lets let these people rest in peace."
The Kobold leads Tasha back to the main passage. "They all together," it explains, and taps the side of its head. "In here. Very euphoric. But don't eat. Get absorbed.. not sure if they die though. Some say Greeshka is god and heaven. Not sure."
"I guess it all depends what you think god and heaven is. Maybe for those people, they found what they were looking for. And maybe they live on in there." It reminds Tasha a lot of Samael, and to a lesser extent, the Vril'ya, except Samael crushes souls like a pestle and takes their powdered remains to make himself, the Vril'ya absorb thoughts somehow, energy. She wonders if there's some way to do all that without destruction.
"Disciples have a gelatin stand in market," the Kobold says. "Different flavors. Sometimes with pudding."
"Hmm, gel priests. I suppose I get it. Destruction of pain through consumption, though control, or manipulation." Tasha shudders. Despite her battle with a creeping depression and the ever-present fear she's not what she was, can't be what people want her to be and, more than anything, maybe have lost the light that brought everyone together in the first place, escaping in to drugged pleasure would only make it worse. She doubts the others would forgive her.
Eventually the Kobold asks, "You won't get lost from here, yes?" It's the same place they met originally.
"No, probably not. Thank you for the tour." Tasha inclines her head to the kobold, then turns and heads off back to camp before he can see her tear up.
Things have settled down once Tasha gets back to her chosen grotto. Although Wulfgaar and Kai are still naked and spooning. The goose hisses at Tasha.. but she hisses at everyone who isn't Wulfgaar, generally.
Tasha just eyes the goose, locking gaze with it, as she silently walks over to her corner where she lays back down to put her hands behind her head and look up at the constellations and wonder if they're anything like anywhere she's been.
Since the stars actually seem to change, making the sketched out figures appear to move, it's probably not a depiction of any real sky. Especially when one becomes an outline that looks a lot like Tasha lying back against the blackness and looking back down at the real Tasha.
Tasha frowns at the constellation, a strange sight considering she assumed the illusion was meant to depict distant places and far away designs, not the viewer. Or, she supposes, maybe it's reflecting her own inner reflection.
As if sensing Tasha's mood, the constellations begin to break up into just an unfamiliar star field. It doesn't even try to recreate the Procession.
"Hmph," goes Tasha, who then promptly feels bad for getting annoyed at a star field that was probably made to help people feel better. It feels ungrateful and petty of her, which is something she's felt she's displayed more and more lately. An anger and aggression different from the ones she felt when she was younger. Something that has come along the way. She rolls over on her side and ponders what to do about it, but as yet, she isn't sure, because she doesn't know why it is other than obvious sources like 'I just died' and 'I just got my soul eaten and went berserk'. And when she thinks about those, it just gets worse, which isn't helping.
The grotto is mostly silent, with just the movement of water making sound. And there's no booze to help her sleep, either: she'll just have to try to get to sleep. Probably should have brought a book.
Tasha considers her options. She didn't bring much with her, which leaves her with two immediate ideas: Go try and find the dragon with the mechanical prosthetics, or try and connect to her other selves. The former is easier but uncertain; dragons are as grouchy or more so than herself, and prone to isolation, while dialing in to the others means inhabiting an unfamiliar body, and she supposes she should check first before simply diving in.
Given that connecting doens't require she leave, that wins out. She starts with Vasha, the least strange of the three, and requests a status report and what she's up to, stating she intends to try a remote occupation. She isn't even sure the communication will go through, distant as she is in unknowable ways.
There is a certain amount of synchronization issues, as if they're moving at different time rates. Vasha seems to be much slower. "Taaasssshaaa," is the reply. "Thiiingsss are ssslow heeeeree.."
At least it amuses Tasha that things are slow and sound slow. It is also alarming in the sense that she's probably moving through time much more quickly, experiencing perhaps double the passage of time. She has no idea what would happen if she connected now, but suspects she better be brief. or better yet, just instruct Vasha to tell the others she's okay but due to time distorting she can't inhabit anyone directly without risk.
"I'llll telll Gabrieeeel," Vasha promises. "Laaaaacccii isss givving meeee weirrrrd looooksss nowwww."
"Lacci always gives me weird looks, consider it part of the package. Tell her hi for me." And then Tasha drops the connection. With that done, there's only one other distraction available. She stands up. "I'm going out for a while."
"Alright," Kai responds, since she was only pretending to be asleep. "You should try to get some sleep soon though."
"If I can." Tasha nods to Kai as she passes, then heads out. From there's it's sniffing around as she walks. She was close to the dragon and her metal work, and she saw the exotic injuries, that should make her easy to trace unless there's an abundance of technomagical cybernetic dragons with chaos-stuff burns. She doesn't live here, she's not going to assume anything.
Gwyndrael is still where Tasha left her, though the kobold technicians are in the process of sealing up her arm at least.
"Hi," Tasha greets the dragoness. "I thought I'd come say hello again given I don't know anyone in the city and I didn't see you at the grottos," she offers.
The dragon's head lifts and turns towards Tasha. "Well, it takes time to put everything back together after the repairs have been made, but I've learned patience," she notes. "Plus I like the attentions, even if it's just a gaggle of Kobolds. I may go to the dragon wash after this."
"Well, I could use some company, so I guess I'll pay attention to you, too." Tasha then walks over to sit down on her butt next to the dragon's head so she can go back to laying down; she knows laying down is important for people who have been through a lot, such as herself. It also makes it easier for her to look at her at eye level. "So, what's a dragon wash? As it sounds?"
"It is a place where a dragon can be properly pampered," Gwyndrael claims. "With polishing and waxing as well. It is quite relaxing."
"I know the type, we have something similiar back home." She sometimes calls this place "Liza". "If you don't mind, I'll follow along."
"Do you need washing as well?" Gwyndrael asks, with a hint of bemusement.
"Why not? Mostly I'm bored and I'd like company, and I've only met a small amount of dragons, so why not meet another one now?" Tasha shrugs with her hands. "If you don't want my company I can leave?"
"I find you interesting," the dragon claims. "I've never seen a hybrid like you, or a non-dragon or non-fey that knows of the war." With a few cranks of a nut, her mechanical arm is closed back up.. and suddenly looks less mechanical. It still has seams, but the metal skin flexes as if it has real muscles underneath when she gets up onto all fours.
The red woman's tail wags at being interesting, it's a lot better than being dangerous, or obnoxious, or whatever else most people seem to see her as now. "That arm's more than it seems. Is it a magical effect, or something else?" Tasha is sure it's not purely mechanical. She knows of sophisticated cybernetics back in the Galactic that can do what she's seeing, but those don't run on gears. They may or may not be upkept by tiny lizards.
"It's a me effect," Gwyndrael claims, and starts striding out of the heated are of the forge. "Over time, dragons influence their surroundings. In my case, that includes my prosthetics."
"Is that so? I heard dragon-gods can do that, but I didn't know non-gods could. I suppose there's a spectrum, just as there is a spectrum of dragonhood. Kai says I'm slightly on it, too, though mostly I seem to draw people to me side. Or, well, did." Tasha walks beside thd argon, pleased that she's established, if not a repore, at least a friendly acquaintance, and one with a soul.
"It works for any dragon that sits in one spot for a millenium or so, to some degree," Gwyndrael seems to confirm. "But for me, it's because they're replacing parts of my body that my body still thinks are there. So they start conforming to what my body thinks they're supposed to be. Which is a small blessing, I suppose."
"I wonder if that will happen to me, if I believe I am what I was." Tasha doesn't see that happening for many reasons, not the least of which being that she isn't sure she is what she was, and therefore cannot remember it. Much like the missing part of her soul, she suspects something was lost in death, not unlike how Samael lost part of what he was with his sacrifice. "If the chaos-fire could be removed, do you think you'd heal? Do you want to?"
"Oh, the originally damaged flesh is long gone," Gwyndrael explains. "But the same thing that lets me treat the prosthetics as part of my body keeps me from actually being able to regrow what is lost." She takes a turn down one of the avenues, which really are wide enough for two dragons pass each other on. "Conflicting realities, or something. Because technically the wounds mean those parts never existed, which is objective reality, but my internal reality remembers them."
"Some form of more fundamental erasure then, such as on a universal scale or memory, rather than the subjective internal reality. Some beings are like bubbles, realities unto themselves, apart from the ones they touch. They may seem like anyone, but they're shells projecting their hyper-dimensional touch on the universe they inhabit. Like an angel. I do find it interesting a larger reality has forgotten but you haven't, I wonder what that means. I've encountered other beings with the powers of unmaking before, but what that ultimately means varies. If anything is ever truly gone, or some other answer," Tasha explains as she walks.
"It all depends on the answer to one fundamental question: does the past exist?" the dragon says. "Time isn't always the same between realms, but that isn't enough to say that your past exists in any given timeframe or reality. Do you bring it with you, or does your past in that reality only start the moment you enter it, and does it remain once you've left? It's hard to say the present exists, since you don't experience it in real time."
"Or it may all exist at once, or in hyper-dimensional waves beyond counting, as some think," Tasha replies, nodding slowly, "Or some sort of Akashic Record. Maybe each reality is different, which means each being that is a reality is also different. We're not even who we were, or who we may be. Not that any of this helps with coming to terms with who we are now, especially for people like us, who have been fundamentally injured."
"I think I believe that memory creates the past, just as action creates the future," the dragon offers. "Maybe there are multiple pasts that are all causally valid for the now, but the one I remember collapses the uncertainty, even though my memories are not infallible. Also, food. I like food. I think that's important." Up ahead is a steamy area.
Tasha wags her tail at food. "I also like food. You like being doted on, so maybe if you order something, I'll feed you during your bath? Maybe I'll get something for me, too." She also finds the idea her memory may decide her past interesting, though given her memory isn't the best -- and she tends to get injured often -- also makes such an idea an uncertain boon. She worries she may go so far that all she came from seems like haze on a distant horizon, one she is moving away from. Will she forget it all, then? Be thrown, untethered, in to the future? Something more or less than legend, a phantom that was and wasn't, a traveler of forever that may never be.
"I don't think they serve food, as dragons can forget to stop eating when their meal is finished," Gwyndrael notes. "Perhaps beverages though.." They enter into the steam, and come across an area white tile, brass boilers, and a lot of lesser kobolds. And at least half of them seem to swarm the arriving pair. "Welcome to wash!" several of them say at once.
Tasha didn't realize she had so much in common with dragons, first anger and fury, now eating. And then there's a love of shiny things. At the greeting from the kobolds, the young woman waves, "And welcome we are. Two washes please, unless my new friend wants me to do the washing." She very carefully keeps a straight face, curious how things will play out.
"We do the washing!" one of the kobolds retorts, as other bring out buckets and poled mops and lots of washcloths. One determines, after some tugging, that Tasha is actually wearing clothes, so a few of them form a huddle to discuss how to handle this. Maybe Tasha want's her clothes washed as well, after all. Meanwhile, several of the reptilian creatures are clambering over Gwyndrael and dumping hot, soapy water along her back.
And so Tasha just decides to strip herself rather than risk her gear getting destroyed. As she is often faced with gear destruction, not to mention personal destruction, she made sure her stuff is very rugged, and so she isn't terribly worried about some kobolds ruining it. She puts it aside and walks over to Gwyndrael and shrugs with her hands. "Clothes confuse many."
"I've never found much reason for them, beyond harnesses," the dragon notes. "Have to keep your weapons somewhere, after all. Besides, you're covered in fur anyway, which isn't as form-fitting as scales."
While Tasha is focused on Gwyndrael, a kobold douses her with hot, soapy water from behind.
"It does have its uses, it's soft and it makes me look amazing." Tasha looks smaller when doused, which is saying something as she's already not that larger, and smaller for death. But at leats it's warm and clean, which is a far cry for most of the places they've washed lately. She sits down beside Gwyndrael to get cleaned along side her. "I do have some scales," she holds her hands up with their talons and their feather tufts, "But that's about it."
The kobolds gets the dragon to spread her wings, so that they can get underneath, and it only takes three of them to get Tasha lathered up. They don't seem all that familiar with fur or mammalian anatomy, so some of the lathering gets rather awkward.. but at least she doesn't have on straddling her neck in order to wash her ears like Gwyindrael does.
"Usually I have a small rabbit woman do this," Tasha asides to Gwyndrael, "That or a service industry. Not a lot of either on the road, unfortunately. But at least this time I'm free of anyone's blood. So, want to talk about anything?"
"I really would like to get my own kobold servants someday," the dragon says, all while her nose is being polished. "A rabbit woman? Smaller than a kobold? How do you not try to eat her?"
"Oh, well, she's sentient, and my servant. I try not to eat either one, it'll just make me feel bad. Our cultures usually frown on that sort of thing, too. I've tried nibbling on her and that didn't go as well as I'd hoped, either, so it's really a dead end." Tasha shrugs, shoulders this time. "Do you have trouble getting servants, then?"
"I haven't tried recruiting any, to be honest," the dragon claims. "It's not like they're supposed to fend for themselves anymore, or worship you. They have to have comfortable living quarters, and food. I can't support enough of them that they might be self-sufficient."
"That's why it's better to have dedicated people. Sure, they have their own motivations and affairs, and you usually have to align with their desires, but they're more reliable. I like to recruit people who don't know where to belong, have lost their place, or are searching for something they can't find. Lost sorts." Tasha spreads her wings anyway, just to be helpful. "Not that I'm great at recruiting anymore. I suppose I have enough, unless I decide to lead a cult. It does sound nice. I've felt I've been distanced from community, which was a major motivator for me. I brought everyone with me, now I have no reason to return. You can become unmoored from normalcy that way."
"It is not easy for a dragon to align their desires with.. anyone," Gwyndrael snorts. This results in soap bubbles exiting her nostrils. "We are either ambitious loners or servants to the goals of a more powerful dragon or deity. We certainly don't get together for wars or lofty projects, not after the last one, which was a fluke."
"That's too bad. Well, some of the dragons I know go in for lofty goals, but I suppose they're more like pseudo-dragons and not entirely bound to draconic intent. And, wel, I'm low on the dragon fraction. Not that I don't end up working for powerful beings, but they're not exactly companionable." Tasha stretches, glad to have someone to talk to who isn't a soulless puppet. She likes Wulfgar, but she's not sure what to talk to him about and isn't sure the emotion is returned. "By the way, ever been to the Dragon Library?"
"Once, ages ago before I was an adult," Gwyndrael replies, lowering her head, just as it's time for the next 'rinse' of hot water. "It was my first time in a place with so many inhabitants, all supporting a single purpose. And my first encounter with a Dragon God. Certainly my most pleasant encounter. I don't remember if I actually read any of the books though. It was all overwhelming for me."
"Can you describe it? What was the Dragon God like? Do you think they'll approve of me?" Tasha tilts her head, she's probably tipping her hand but as Gwyndrael has been there and it doesn't seem to be an especially forbidden location, she doesn't see why not.
"Almaerifuhlon was a brighter than gold," Gwyndrael says. "The Sun Dragon, God of Knowledge. His presence was very warm and paternal. But he would also change shape often, depending on who he was conversing with."
"I do not believe he judges those who come to him, at least not when I was there, and I do not recall anyone being turned away," she adds.
"Well, those are positive traits! I've had enough of being judged and turned away." The former mostly by herself, and the latter by random strangers. She wonders if this new dragon acquaintance is a sign that may be changing, however. or if it isn't, maybe she can make it a self-fulfilling prophecy. "So, gold, warm, paternal, and I should work on pronunciation his name correctly. Some words are not made for canine faces. And he changes shape, which I suppose is a very god thing to do. And he'll be my second god of knowledge."
"Second?" the dragon asks, standing up so the kobolds can get at her undercarriage. "There are more than one?"
"Oh there are lots of gods, many of the same thing, and often very different. I knwo two deities of different kinds of madness, two gods of knowledge, a probably pseudo-god of nothingness, a god of vengeance, and a few pantheons of this and that. Deities are beings I travel close to." Tasha taps her nose. "I was a herald for a while, and now I do.. odd jobs for some of them, while working with others. They've all been quiet, though. I suspect they're less than impressed with me these days."
"Gods generally don't like clergy to work for other gods," the dragon notes. "They tend to be the jealous and vengeful sort, after all. Much like dragons."
"So it seems. I'm not exactly clergy though, at least, none of them have appointed me to any special role, except the first. And I moved on from that. I suppose I'm not very reliable in that regard?" Tasha frowns at this. "I've always thought loyalty was important, and I'm loyal to my family and friends, but I seem to be inconstant with religion and organizations. I left the last one -- well I'm technically still part of it -- in good hands at least. I do what needs to be done and move on it seems, which I guess is the best type of being prone to wander off."
"Sounds risky," Gwyndrael claims. "I think it would be much easy to stay in one place and let the problems come to you, and then have them go away when solved. Then the word gets out, and people will seek you out bearing gifts and tribute to listen to their woes."
"One of the kobolds did say I sounded like a sage. But that also sounds like retirement, and without any action or exploration. It's hard to explore sitting on your butt waiting for people to come to you, and besides, I hate certain kinds of leadership. It's not for me. Still, what I do is risky. Maybe I should start the cult, attract those lost people while giving groups a means to reach me through the facade. Oh, there'd probably be mysticism and the rest as well. Parties. But maybe it'd do what you say. I'm just afraid of becoming useless, or trapped in a role I don't enjoy," Tasha explains.
"A role? The only viable role is to be yourself," the dragon claims after a pause - not one for gathering thoughts, but likely because of where she's being scrubbed at the moment. "Think like a dragon. You don't conform to someone else's definitions. The world can conform to you, or the world can go hang. After all, reality does conform to a dragon eventually, perhaps in small ways but sometimes in very large ways."
Tasha has to look away to suppress a giggle, she's fairly sure she could survive being bitten, but she'd hate to lose being able to talk to Gwyndrael. "So.. just be myself then. No more roles or titles, just me, in something I build for myself? It would be nice to help people more, I've really enjoyed helping people with some dear wish or other, and the loyalty and gratitude that brings is pure. I'm sure the others would appreciate my being safer, too. Oh and I have my other selves, so I can still go places, albiet, um, awkwardly. They're not exactly like me, it takes some getting used to."
"Children?" Gwyndrael asks. "I suppose they are worth helping. Never had any myself, but I'd have a hard time attracting a mate anyway."
"And why not? You seem like a fine dragon to me. Clearly, it's their loss." And so Tasha nods. "And I don't mean children exactly, I have other selves. There are three lesser copies of me I use to do various thing, although it's a need development. Children.. Children will come soon. Soonish. I'm not entirely how children work with me, so that will be something to find out."
"I am pariah for joining the war, fighting against a dragon god, and being permanently scarred," Gwyndrael claims. "Those mark me as a trouble maker."
"Yeah I get called that too, that's why I came back to talk to you. I felt like we had something in common, and also, that's why I think you're fine." And so Tasha gives the dragon a thumb's up. "Troublemakers have to stick together, and what did you say, damn the world if it won't conform?"
"Yes, but that philosophy assumes you don't want to get laid," Gwyndrael claims. "Dragon courtship can be complicated, and we can't all have Komfort Kobolds to hug while we sleep."
"Hey I get laid all the time, it works just fine for me. You just need to find another troublemaker you're compatible with," Tasha explains, waving a hand. "Or an outsider, someone who doesn't fit in." She then tilts her head. "Does that mean you want to get laid?"
"At times," the dragon admits. "I'm still young, so I get urges. Never when any eligible young drakes are around though. They're easier to lure in than some elder who has outgrown being desperate."
"I see, that does make sense. I'm pretty young too, though clearly I'm different. I've had to be careful as I've avoided straying from my mate, Gabriel, but that doesn't seem to apply to women. And maybe even less so now that there are three other mes that have their autonomy and keep people company." Tasha then taps her chin, thinking. "I noticed you didn't mention sex, does that mean you don't mind men or women? Or beyond that?"
"I'm enjoying these kobolds right now, but I don't know what sex they are," Gwyndrael says, and then squints at Tasha. "I think you're female though, because you have hooves."
"For my specieses, it's usually other parts that indicate that. But yes. I mean, I'm at least female, though not all of my others are. Which is weird, but I suppose it will give me perspective?" Tasha' raises her brows. "Since we're both heading back to the grottos anyway, we could see how it goes?"
"See how.. your gender goes?" the dragon asks, as kobolds shammy her to a shine. "Do you switch between multiple ones then, depending on the phase of the moon or something?"
"No, I'm pretty sure I'm female all the time, but I've never been with a dragon and, well, I have an interesting tail Hakeber has been strongly hinting at. It's the closest thing to, well, you know, and if I'm going to be controlling my male side, maybe it'll help me get used to it? It could be fun." Tasha shrugs again, idly curling her hair around a finger.
The dragon blinks at this. "Oh! You want to.. court me?" she finally realizes. "But you can't subdue me and bite the back of my neck.."
"Well, mostly for fun, because why not? And don't be so sure, I'm stronger than I look." And so the much smaller woman winks. Then it's her turn. "I suppose if I lose you can bite me on the neck? I've never flirted with a dragon before." She's made passes but that's not exactly the same thing.
"Flirting," Gwyndrael repeats, as if tasting the word. "Well, I am a trouble-maker, so perhaps this will let me take control of other dragons. You have a grotto already?"
"Yes, though there's Kai and Wulfgar. Oh and the goose Anklebiter. The name is literal, but don't it it, it keeps our camp safe. We could always find oen of our own too, Kai knows where I am." And so Tasha rises, looking for her clothes. "Then again we could just annoy them with it. That might be fun to."
"Oh, is this something that requires privacy?" Gwyndrael asks.
"Well, not if you don't want to. I have been too timid lately," Tasha admits, grinning. "Alright, where-ever you want."