Building Bridges [Closed] - Printable Version
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Fantasy (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=70)
+--- Forum: Misc Fantasy (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=82)
+--- Thread: Building Bridges [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=779)
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Fantasy (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=70)
+--- Forum: Misc Fantasy (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=82)
+--- Thread: Building Bridges [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=779)
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Viala - 11-10-2019
"I hope I'd notice a dragon shrinking in front of me. I'd be worried about my eyesight if I didn't!" She grinned, pleased with herself and her ability to joke about said dragon. Everyone in Aeris seemed to be (rightfully) terrified by their King, but until she saw him in the flesh, Tiff genuinely had no scale with which to appropriately adjust her fear levels. It was better to be bold and unafraid until you had due cause, right?Or maybe she was being too cavalier about it, if the expressions flitting across Bridget's face were any indication. Was it the eyesight joke? Did she not appreciate her king being compared to an iguana?? Her own smile faded somewhat at Bridget's obvious concern, and she shifted uneasily, tugging at one of her gloves. Normally she'd be chewing on her fingernails by now, even though they'd already been gnawed down to the quick. For obvious reasons, that was not something she could be seen doing right now. "Uh- alone? Why not? There can't be anything worse than being eaten, right??" Was there something worse than being eaten? If he shrunk, was he going to slow roast her first? Or maybe that meant he was planning on taking his time, eating her alive bit by bit, piece by piece-
Suddenly she was a lot more terrified of the King! That was probably why everyone was scared of him, if he shrank to eat people slowly!
Her slowly encroaching panic was interrupted by the assistant's tired announcement, and Tiff's head turned towards the door as it swung opened. "Oh! He must be ready for-" Her voice was high with just a smidgen of fear in it, but she doubted Bridget heard it as the woman immediately turned away from her to practically jog through the doors. It was difficult not to feel somewhat slighted, despite herself. Tiff had really thought she was doing okay being friendly and normal.
She followed at a (only slightly) more sedate pace through the doors, only to immediately stop dead as soon as her and two others made it through. It was massive. Indescribably massive, and beautiful, shining like gemstones and yet radiating power and wealth beyond her wildest dreams. It was staggering. She'd never seen anything like it, the beams arching high over her head to vanish into shadow-
...Oh! Yep! That was definitely a dragon at the end of the hallway that Bridget was marching towards. Wow that was a dragon. No wonder the throne room was so massive, if the King was that big. His voice rumbled through her chest, deep and loud enough to rattle her bones, and his words struck her with a horrifying conclusion: Was she supposed to bring a Tribute???
This was why she didn't trust word of mouth! People left out important things! If there had been some kind of rulebook for petitioning the King, it probably would have mentioned the fact that she needed a tribute, as Bridget clearly knew what she was doing and probably had an absolutely incredible tribute planned. Shoot. She was absolutely going to get slowly eaten and/or laughed out of the throne room. Possibly laughed at and then eaten, which would frankly be the worst possible option.
Watching the other people who had come in as well, Tiff anxiously followed their lead and copier what they did, her eyes lingering on the King and his lazily twitching tail. Hopefully, she could just follow Bridget's example and perhaps not get eaten in an incredibly agonizing manner.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - SolitareLee - 11-10-2019
The throne room was a stressful place for Bridget, and any distraction she'd garnered from Tiffany was gone from her posture. Her tail was stiff as a broom, her ears upright and aggressive, and she could control neither as she approached the King's... well. Throne was the wrong word for a giant pile of gold he slept on, but it served a similar function. She wanted to lie to herself and think that the King didn't know canine body language, but it was bullshit and she knew it. She should have worn a fucking hat. She risked a single glance over her shoulder as she approached the King, and noticed with a mix of relief and chagrin that Tiff had followed her in. She'd probably made everything there worse, which wasn't exactly a new track record for her, but. She should at least stick around and try to play interception. And maybe do better at it than Gareth had done for her ten years ago.
"If I was here only for tribute, your Majesty," Bridget said, smiling nervously, "I would never have shown up first thing on petition day and risk disrupting your entire schedule." She should have been used to him by now, and she wouldn't have been so shaky if he was small. It was all instinctual. It was an issue. She wasn't working on it. "Of course, if after your Royal Highness hears my petition, you would like to receive my humble tribute, I would, as always, be overjoyed." This was not nearly as bend-and-scrape-y as it sounded, but there were strangers here, including a foreigner. There were appearances to keep up. Frankly, her tribute came as often in the form of listening to him gossip--she was a very good listener--or tracking down someone he wanted and was too lazy to find as it did the sort of tribute her dress was probably making him think of. It was a very nice dress, in a color he liked her in, and not at all like what she normally wore.
She reached into the front of her dress, which likely made the King--and possibly some of the others, she didn't know their predilections--perk up with interest. She pulled out folded paper, which incited the same reaction in exact reverse. Unfolding it, she held it out in front of her grandly. There were many pages with very small writing on them.
"Protocol is, of course, that I should read my petition aloud to you, your Highness. However, as it's simply a formal appeal on the subject of all our previous conversations as to the library expansion, and in deference to the importance of your time, if it suits your will I can simply file it as-is directly to those among your officials who are responsible for such things."
She smiled cheerfully, tail waving in stiff, aggressive arcs despite her hopefulness for this all being over with quickly.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Tindome - 11-10-2019
Bridget skirted the edge of being disrespectful, but narrowly avoided it. She was correct that he'd repeatedly forgotten to do anything to formalize her requests. He usually forgot them as soon as he left the library, distracted by other things. Really, it was her own fault for not bringing it to official channels in the first place.
He made a thoughtful sound, taking his time. He used the opportunity to look over the two men who'd knelt in a row behind Bridget, and the woman who'd quickly knelt once she'd seen them doing it. The woman, obviously, was the more interesting one.
Oh, she was pretty. A soft one, it looked like, though harder to tell when she was so small. That would definitely explain his librarian getting flustered.
"Your petition has merit," he decided. "You may file it for further review." He did not, however, excuse her. "You may kneel," he said instead. "Rise, next petitioner, and introduce yourself to me."
One of the men who'd positioned himself strategically rose before anyone else could. "I am John Thorne, Your Majesty," he began, bowing at the waist. "I..." He glanced at the other man. He'd actually come to request investment from the treasury in a new business venture. Instead, he abruptly blurted: "Is it the official belief of the Kingdom of Aeris that a sausage cannot be reasonably categorized as a ravioli?"
"Objection," the other man said, although that wasn't how this worked. He stood, bowing lower at the waist. "I am Jesse Hodges, Your Majesty, and I would argue that in the Kingdom of Aeris we must recognize that a sausage, as a vessel intended to carry a filling, is arguably—"
"Ravioli is a pasta," the King said before he could finish. "It is an inferior dumpling. A sausage has a skin." He paused. "Arguably, you are sausages."
The two men considered this in silence.
"Would you like to continue this discussion?" the King wondered.
"Not particularly," Jesse said.
"I thank you for your wisdom, Your Majesty," John said with another bow. "If I may present—"
"I give you leave to excuse yourselves," the King said. They both wilted as they realized they'd lost their chance to make an actual petition. They muttered thanks, backing out of the room and elbowing each other. "Someone make a record of that," the King added.
"Rise, next petitioner, and introduce yourself to me."
He made a thoughtful sound, taking his time. He used the opportunity to look over the two men who'd knelt in a row behind Bridget, and the woman who'd quickly knelt once she'd seen them doing it. The woman, obviously, was the more interesting one.
Oh, she was pretty. A soft one, it looked like, though harder to tell when she was so small. That would definitely explain his librarian getting flustered.
"Your petition has merit," he decided. "You may file it for further review." He did not, however, excuse her. "You may kneel," he said instead. "Rise, next petitioner, and introduce yourself to me."
One of the men who'd positioned himself strategically rose before anyone else could. "I am John Thorne, Your Majesty," he began, bowing at the waist. "I..." He glanced at the other man. He'd actually come to request investment from the treasury in a new business venture. Instead, he abruptly blurted: "Is it the official belief of the Kingdom of Aeris that a sausage cannot be reasonably categorized as a ravioli?"
"Objection," the other man said, although that wasn't how this worked. He stood, bowing lower at the waist. "I am Jesse Hodges, Your Majesty, and I would argue that in the Kingdom of Aeris we must recognize that a sausage, as a vessel intended to carry a filling, is arguably—"
"Ravioli is a pasta," the King said before he could finish. "It is an inferior dumpling. A sausage has a skin." He paused. "Arguably, you are sausages."
The two men considered this in silence.
"Would you like to continue this discussion?" the King wondered.
"Not particularly," Jesse said.
"I thank you for your wisdom, Your Majesty," John said with another bow. "If I may present—"
"I give you leave to excuse yourselves," the King said. They both wilted as they realized they'd lost their chance to make an actual petition. They muttered thanks, backing out of the room and elbowing each other. "Someone make a record of that," the King added.
"Rise, next petitioner, and introduce yourself to me."
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Viala - 11-10-2019
Everyone was kneeling, so it made sense for her to kneel as well, her heart thudding in her chest. She wasn't really sure if she was supposed to keep her head bowed, but since the two men in front of her didn't seem to be looking down, she should be safe to do so as well, right? Lifting her head, she watched Bridget stop in front of the King, and begin speaking in a clear, concise manner. It was incredibly impressive, given how small she was in comparison to the King, and Tiff kind of envied her outward composure.Or she did, up until Bridget reached into the front of her dress, and she stiffened unconsciously, faint heat coloring her face. It didn't fade even as she drew her petition out, and she coughed quietly, looking back down and stubbornly studying the ground. Or attempting to, because faint movement towards Bridget's behind caught her eye.
....That. That was a tail. That was an incredibly adorable fluffy tail and oh goodness she kind of wanted to touch it but like with the ears, that would probably be incredibly rude! It was wagging slightly, and Tiff really, REALLY wanted to touch it. So intent was she on watching Bridget's tail, she barely noticed when she finished her petition, nor when the other two men promptly gave their petition, and were escorted out. She heard 'ravioli' somewhere in there, but that wasn't quite enough to drag her out of her thoughts.
It was only when the King spoke again, the full force of his attention on her that she jerked back to reality, looking up owlishly at him. Oh. Oh dear.
Swallowing nervously, she got to her feet, taking a deep, slow breath to try and calm herself. Be polite. Be respectful. Flatter him, and stick to the points. "My name is Tiffany Hart, Your Dragonness, and I have a proposal to completely renovate the castle, address Aeris' issues with air and water pollution from the industrial section, and potentially solve a few other problems that I believe your country has."
Nope! She was going to panic and just let words spew wantonly out of her mouth. This was it. This was how she died, but she was too much on a roll to stop herself now. If she got eaten, she would be eaten doing what she loved:
Infodumping.
"Looking at Aeris' Industrial section, specifically in the areas that are heavy in coal usage, the air quality there is beginning to reach toxic levels for anyone who lives there for a prolonged period of time," She explained, pulling her bag around to her front and rooting around as she continued speaking. "I've done some research, and the air quality tops out at about a seven on a scale of one to ten, which absolutely isn't ideal as I'm sure Your Bigness is aware. You may be okay with the level of smog, given your... everything, but this level of air toxicity isn't sustainable, and if the industry section continues with its current rate of growth, you may be looking at the life expectancy of your workers to go down by up to 1.8 years."
She finally pulled out what looked like a gigantic notebook, along with a collapsible stand that would hold it. Flipping through the book, she found the correct page with the charts she was looking for, and placed the book on the stand after setting it up. The chart inside looked very official, with lots of numbers that probably meant something to her, or anyone else interested in city-wide smog levels. "This isn't good for morale, Your Scaliness, and while I'm sure you could keep your workers in line through simply the threat of your existence, that, again, isn't very good for making sure people continue to enjoy your surely benevolent rule." Inclining her head towards him, she allowed herself to sink deeper into the infodumping headspace, pulling out a pointer stick and using it to indicate the proper charts.
"However, I believe I have a solution to your smog problem, if you will hear me out. I believe that by using a system that I have in mind, we can easily stop this before it gets worse, and potentially roll back the damage already done by as much as 26.58%, which would roll you back from a seven right now to perhaps a five in a few short years." Flipping the page, she snapped her pointer to a picture of what looked like a... tiny box? Underneath it in smaller, loopy handwriting, were the words 'free ink! more books!'. "These devices, which are small enough to attach to any chimney, smokestack, or any smoke-billowing object in the city, would collect the majority of the particles in the air, to be later converted to ink for usage in the Royal Library, bookstores, for the use for scribes, anything Your Toothiness would desire. With some more refining, it could also be potentially usable as cheap, viable dye for clothes."
She was pointedly not looking at anyone but her book as she flipped the page again, indicating a picture of what looked like a smokestack, but slightly... different. "While this proposal would take some time to implement fully, it would be incredibly easy to install these devices on Your Vastness' currently existing industrial section, thereby allowing them to continue to produce whatever they wish for the current moment. To see true change, many of the warehouses and factories would have to see significant architectural reform, which I am willing to offer my services for." She straightened up to her full 4'11 height, tilting her head back and regarding the King. "If Your Freeziness wishes, I am fully willing to offer a demonstration of my designing abilities. I would like to offer you a design for a tower that I made up previously, that would be large enough for Your Pointiness to perch on in your current form, and should appeal to your aesthetic tastes, if you wish to see it."
Crossing her arms behind her back, she watched the King intently, sweat running down the small of her back as she awaited the surely inevitable end of her life.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - SolitareLee - 11-11-2019
Bridget tried not to look too pleased about the situation when the King accepted her petition without making her go through anymore rigmarole. Saved them both the agony, frankly. It was bad enough that she'd had to come here; he had to know, after ten years, how much she hated it. Probably just didn't care. She would have been astonished if he had. He didn't dismiss her, however, instead having her kneel. It was a bit awkward in a dress. But this wasn't unheard of, or even a bad sign. It would let her keep an eye out for Tiff, and if the King was keeping her, it was likely because he'd want her around for tribute. A solid win, as long as he didn't keep her on the floor through all of the days petitions, ruining her plans for getting there early and removing herself from his dragonly presence as fast as possible. It seemed like something he'd do.
Also, people were sausages, arguably bloodwurst. She was surprised the humans were just now realizing this. One could, she supposed, make the argument that sausage meat needed to be ground first, and that one would need to thoroughly tenderize a human before it could be counted as sausage, but that seemed rather petulant. Wise ruling, as ever, from the King.
Now it was Tiff's turn, and Bree thrummed with nerves. That dread turned out to be completely valid when she managed to completely avoid the phrases 'your Highness' and 'your Majesty' during the whole entire speech, but Bree was almost too distracted to care. Caution forgotten, she stared over her shoulder at Tiff, jaw slightly slack.
She had ideas. And figures. And a notebook stand. The notebook had charts in it. She had clearly drawn them up herself.
Bridget's tail thumped dully against the ground in a beat that matched her pounding heart. Up until that moment, her attraction to women had been largely conceptual. She thought so, but given her use of the King as a stick measure for what was attractive, it had just never really come up. But it was coming up now. And how. The King might as well not have existed. They could have been alone in the room and Bree was still pretty sure she'd be stuck on her knees, staring like a dumbstruck fool.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Tindome - 11-13-2019
The King kept his head regal and still, but he looked between Bridget and Tiffany. Who both, in their own time, stared at each other.
Interesting.
He feigned interest in Tiffany's visual aids, but they were too small to be of any use to him. He had only the vaguest idea what she was talking about. It seemed to be about those buildings he kept being told he wasn't allowed to get rid of, for various complicated reasons. Even though he really wanted to set them on fire.
People had done perfectly well without them. He knew. He'd seen it. His advisors had weird ideas about what constituted a necessity.
She certainly acted like she knew what she was talking about. Bridget was looking at her like she knew what she was talking about, too. Then again, Bridget thought that about a lot of people, and had been subsequently talked into a lot of things. Maybe not the best metric.
"I may be interested in your services," he mused. "Show me these abilities, then."
Interesting.
He feigned interest in Tiffany's visual aids, but they were too small to be of any use to him. He had only the vaguest idea what she was talking about. It seemed to be about those buildings he kept being told he wasn't allowed to get rid of, for various complicated reasons. Even though he really wanted to set them on fire.
People had done perfectly well without them. He knew. He'd seen it. His advisors had weird ideas about what constituted a necessity.
She certainly acted like she knew what she was talking about. Bridget was looking at her like she knew what she was talking about, too. Then again, Bridget thought that about a lot of people, and had been subsequently talked into a lot of things. Maybe not the best metric.
"I may be interested in your services," he mused. "Show me these abilities, then."
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Viala - 11-15-2019
If Tiff had looked at Bridget, she likely would have just completely melted into a useless puddle at the look in her eyes. Unfortunately, she was too busy maintaining eye contact with the King, fighting back the tremors that wanted to work their way through her and betray her terror.Though, she probably stank of it already. Could he smell it on her, like dogs could? Now that was an unpleasant thought.
When he spoke again, Tiff could have cried with relief. Some of the tension left her shoulders, and she found herself beaming at the King like she did to everyone else who listened to her, too giddy from the fact that he didn't seem interested in eating her to really control that instinct. "Okay! Uh, one sec-" she held up a hand for a moment, fishing through her bag once again.
...Wait, she was telling the King to hold on-
She put it back down hastily, her grin turning sheepish. She should probably attempt an apology, but knowing her, that would probably only just make things worse. Thankfully, her fingers brushed the surface of a hard, cool object, and she pulled it out before she could begin the inevitable process of shoving her foot into her mouth.
The object in her hand was smooth and rectangular. It looked like it was made almost entirely out of a glass-like material, crystal clear except for a tiny carving within it, and an ink black base. Tiff ran her hand over the top of it smoothly, a soft blue light beginning to emit from the carving within it, slowly reconstructing a larger version of itself out of crisp, ice blue lines. She watched the light construct intently, placing all five of her gloved fingertips gently on the side of the crystal interface.
She twisted her wrist, and the image blew up to the proper size for even the King to see it clearly.
It was the outside of a tower, massive and looming towards the ceiling of the throne room. A massive spire made up the back half of it, tapering up to end in a defined point. At equal intervals up the side of the spire, sturdy ribs splayed outwards, connecting to two curved lines that connected close to the top of the main spire. In between the connected lines, layers and layers of what looked like massive panes of glass were stacked on top of each other, following the curve of the building but stopping a few stories before completely filling the arches. It flattened out on the top, with a shallow circular dip in the middle of the roof, perfectly centered between the two arches. Anyone or anything in that spot would have an unobstructed view of whatever the tower looked out over. The overall effect was that of a sail, or of a dragon's wing arched mid-flight.
"This the the tower I designed with Your Paleness in mind." Tiff explained, gliding her fingers along the edge of the crystal slowly. It spun gently at the same pace she moved, allowing everyone in the throne room to view all sides of it. "I have notes of what materials would work best to give a good balance of longevity and aesthetic, but the final decisions would all fall to you." She reluctantly looked away from her projection, watching the King. "This is what I do, Your Tallness, and I offer my services to you."
She started to bow, but the motion jolted the image of the tower above her, making it waver. Oh no, no wait, he had to keep looking at it-
She straightened back up quickly, deciding that it was probably more worth it to make sure the projection looked good than it would be to bow and scrape and risk messing it up.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - SolitareLee - 11-15-2019
The tower was beautiful. The whole presentation was very impressive, especially compared to how much Bridget had prepared for her job interview with the King, which was that she'd hand-written a resume as best she could from memory. Unfortunately, she also had, at no point during this process, addressed what she wanted out of this handy little arrangement. She even went so far as to offer her services--not herself, thank small miracles--to the King with nary a word on the subject of titles, wages, accommodations, or benefits. Bridget managed not to run a hand over her face, but it was a near thing. She was going about this all wrong. Petitioning the King was a great idea, but it was the King. He wasn't going to just volunteer her to a secretary who would take care of the situation properly. Not when she was small and cute and soft.
When Bridget had first met Gareth and the King, she'd thought that Gareth was awfully worried about all sorts of things that he didn't need to be worried about. Within 24 hours, she'd found that his worries were valid, and over 10 years, she'd learned that if one spent enough time around the King, the Garethification was inevitable. Which was why she fixed the King with a look that Tiff couldn't see, standing behind Bridget as she was, one that hopefully said "if you even MENTION paying her entirely in meat, I am going to take this small woman and run her like a football out of the room before you can declare her your legal property."
She might have to speak up. It wasn't the most proper thing to do, but she was probably going to have to.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Tindome - 11-15-2019
It was a much more impressive petition than most people managed. Certainly more impressive than Bridget, with her terse nod to formality. He missed the look on Bridget's face, too absorbed in considering the design of the tower. He hadn't seen its like before; it would be impressive indeed, if she could make it a reality. He was hardly an engineer, so he didn't know how realistic the concept might be.
But she was very sure of herself.
"Hm," he said.
He turned in place atop his gold, disappearing down the back of it. His tail was the last thing to leave their view. Then he came out around it, dressed in a black velvet tunic all embroidered with gold roses, white tights and black knee-high boots. He'd opted for a pair with more of a heel to them, today. A crown of gold set with opals rested on the wide curls and whorls of his obsidian-black hair.
He went for the notebook first, paging through the various charts she'd been trying to show him earlier. "Oh, this is much better," he said. "I couldn't see a damn thing up there, I didn't want to say anything because you seemed like you were on a roll." He still didn't understand what the numbers actually signified, but he could see that she had them. Lots of numbers!
Slitted pupils fixed onto her, next. "Look at you!" he said, surprised. He set his hand flat on top of her head, then brought it in against his chest. She barely reached his armpits. "You're teensy! Such big aspirations, for such a small thing."
But she was very sure of herself.
"Hm," he said.
He turned in place atop his gold, disappearing down the back of it. His tail was the last thing to leave their view. Then he came out around it, dressed in a black velvet tunic all embroidered with gold roses, white tights and black knee-high boots. He'd opted for a pair with more of a heel to them, today. A crown of gold set with opals rested on the wide curls and whorls of his obsidian-black hair.
He went for the notebook first, paging through the various charts she'd been trying to show him earlier. "Oh, this is much better," he said. "I couldn't see a damn thing up there, I didn't want to say anything because you seemed like you were on a roll." He still didn't understand what the numbers actually signified, but he could see that she had them. Lots of numbers!
Slitted pupils fixed onto her, next. "Look at you!" he said, surprised. He set his hand flat on top of her head, then brought it in against his chest. She barely reached his armpits. "You're teensy! Such big aspirations, for such a small thing."
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Viala - 11-16-2019
The King was looking at her building. He was studying her building with his massive dragon eyes, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking because she couldn't read reptilian facial expressions. This was the worst. And then he said "Hm," in that big deep dragon voice of his that rumbled in her chest, and left.What.
Why was he leaving?? Had he said something else, like "I'm going to go be terrifying somewhere else for a second, please hold"? Had she missed some hidden signal that he had to go somewhere? Was she so boring that he just decided to go do something more interesting, like other people did whenever she got too into explaining something?
The tip of his tail slithered out of sight, and Tiff was suddenly struck with a horrible thought.
What if he was shrinking.
She immediately went rigid, pure horror sweeping across her face as she stood there, rigid. Oh, no. He was totally shrinking, she had messed up somehow, and now he was going to shrink to an iguana size and eat her alive! Right in front of Bridget! That would probably completely mess up what little goodwill she'd garnered with the woman! No one wanted to be friends with someone who got eaten by an iguana sized-king! Should she run? Were the doors locked? Could she even outrun an iguana?
...How fast did iguanas run? Pretty fast, she assumed, since they were lizards and those were always pretty speedy-
Another horrible thought struck her, the rest of the color draining from her face as she stood there, paralyzed with terror and indecision. What if he kept the wings? How scary would a flying iguana be? What if he ate her face first because he could fly and everyone knew the face was the tastiest part of a person!
She was too busy inwardly screaming to notice Bridget's tail beginning to wag furiously. She was too busy standing completely still, her face going through a range of emotions that could all be described as 'panic'. She did, however, notice when a tall, strange man came over and started touching her notebook! Where had he come from! Where was the King iguana! She opened her mouth to protest, stepping forward, and then he was talking, and oh.
Oh.
Okay. She could see the crown on his head now, and now suddenly Bridget's warnings earlier were making sense. The King shrunk into a human, or at least into something that looked human, and not into a smaller dragon. This really wasn't much of a relief, since it was still entirely possible for him to eat her face as a human.
"Uh," she said back, rather eloquently. "You- you couldn't see?" That made sense, now that she thought about it; she'd prepared the charts with a human eye, from a human perspective. Because she was rather bad at thinking ahead, clearly.
She opened her mouth to try and explain her charts, maybe try and give her presentation again, when his eyes settled on her. She flinched automatically, still half-expecting him to begin the eating process, but all that happened was that he stepped closer, and his hand landed solidly on her head. "Um," she started again, a flush rising to her cheeks at his remark. "I-I'm actually kind of tall for a halfling?" It came out more of a question than anything else. She didn't really know how to react to this. How were you supposed to handle this situation.
...he really was kind of cute in a terrifying dragon-man kind of way. He had nice hair.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - SolitareLee - 11-16-2019
To anyone who was paying attention--so, no one in the room whatsoever--the exact second of the King's transformation could be pinpointed by the change in Bridget's body language. Her ears flicked down, and then up at a more calm angle. Her shoulders relaxed; her tail lowered, and as soon as the King stepped into view, began to wag furiously enough to create a considerable breeze for Tiff. She wasn't going to bound up to him, because this was the throne room and there were protocols and also she'd been told to kneel and would do so all day if necessary, but the urge was there. She could no more control the reaction than she could her reaction to his natural form, but at least there was less concern for offense. Not that he was paying her any mind; he walked right past her to focus on his newest would-be acquisition. This had never bothered her in the slightest before, so she was a bit puzzled as to why the sight of him so close to the tiny woman made her chest feel tight.
Sympathy? Concern, maybe. It had never been a problem before, because the only policing of the King's sex life she ever felt the need to do was chasing him out of the library time and time again with the reminder that he had many bedrooms and a dungeon for this sort of thing. But this woman reminded her far too much of herself ten years ago, and Bree ten years ago? Had gotten in over her head literally immediately. Tiff's head was a lot lower and her frame could definitely not take the same kind of abuse as Bridget's.
Gareth hadn't succeeded in rescuing her, but she still felt the urge to try. She just didn't know how.
Oh halfling! That did kind of explain the smell! She'd never smelled one before; apparently they smelled kind of humany but to the left, like the way pigs smelled a lot like humans who just hadn't bathed.
She shifted on her knees, wanting to say something or get up and knowing better than to do either. But now that the King's back was to her, she could sort of turn and catch Tiff's eye and... oh! Quickly and quietly, she scribbled "DON'T FORGET TO TELL HIM WHAT YOU WANT" on the back of one of her sheets of paper and turned enough to hold it up and wiggle it furiously but silently at Tiff, pointing at it in an attempt to get her to read it.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Tindome - 11-17-2019
"It's fine," he said, waving off her concern as he shut her notebook. "I got the gist."
"I don't think I have a halfling!" he said, quite pleased. He had a wolf, a snake, gnomes, elves, dwarves, humans, demonspawn, a weird little rat girl—did he have any halflings? Surely he'd remember. It hadn't even occurred to him that he should get one. Now that he knew he didn't have one, it became very important that he acquire one.
"The important thing," he declared, "is passion. I like leaving things in the hands of passionate people. The right kind of passionate. Yes? If I were choosing a shepherd, I would want someone with a passion for sheep—but in the right way. Some kinds of passion, I don't want." This felt like a good metaphor.
"You seem passionate about your subject," he said. "But you're trying to explain it to me with facts. Which is good! You need those. I have advisors who can check those for me." He loomed as a natural consequence of his height, eyes intent on her. "I want you to explain your passion to me with… passion. Why do you want to do this? Why do you want to do this for me? Try to make me feel it."
"I don't think I have a halfling!" he said, quite pleased. He had a wolf, a snake, gnomes, elves, dwarves, humans, demonspawn, a weird little rat girl—did he have any halflings? Surely he'd remember. It hadn't even occurred to him that he should get one. Now that he knew he didn't have one, it became very important that he acquire one.
"The important thing," he declared, "is passion. I like leaving things in the hands of passionate people. The right kind of passionate. Yes? If I were choosing a shepherd, I would want someone with a passion for sheep—but in the right way. Some kinds of passion, I don't want." This felt like a good metaphor.
"You seem passionate about your subject," he said. "But you're trying to explain it to me with facts. Which is good! You need those. I have advisors who can check those for me." He loomed as a natural consequence of his height, eyes intent on her. "I want you to explain your passion to me with… passion. Why do you want to do this? Why do you want to do this for me? Try to make me feel it."
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Viala - 11-17-2019
"Oh! That, that's good!" She managed, scrambling to try and keep up. It was good that he got the idea of it, though! She had been all set to try and give the whole spiel again, except maybe with less rambling this time. "Don't- don't have?" She repeated. She seemed to be doing that a lot, too clueless to really keep up with the King's rapid fire topic change. "Is- is it important that you have one...?" she trailed off, her eyes darting over to Bridget and the sign she was holding up and waving rather pointedly.
...oh! Right! Right, Tiff hadn't said anything about what she wanted out of this, besides permission to build a cool tower! Normally she'd be happy with that alone, but now that she was thinking about it, it would probably be a good idea to bargain for food and a place to stay at least. Her stomach would definitely thank her for it. Her eyes went back to the King, and she opened her mouth to try and steer the conversation towards that, "Um, can we talk about my wages," but he was still talking. And looming, his reptilian eyes locked on to her own. He had a natural talent for looming, it looked like, but almost everyone tended to loom above her. She'd been loomed over by particularly tall fences before.
Passion. He wanted... passion. A specific kind of passion, she noted as her cheeks tinted slightly at the implications. Those poor metaphorical sheep. They didn't deserve that. Her mouth went dry as she listened to his explanation of what he wanted, what he was seeking in her answers. He wanted to know about her, why she possessed the drive and passion she did.
She was silent, considering her answer. It had been a beat too long, the silence just on the edge of awkward, before she finally spoke. "I want to leave my mark somewhere impressive, so people will see it, and think 'Who built that?'. I want my projects and impact on this place to stay long after I'm gone, so I can't be overlooked anymore." She continued to look into the King's ice-blue eyes, knowing that if she looked away, if she thought about the sheer arrogance and hubris of her words, she would never be able to finish. "When people look at me, all they see is a tiny woman who talks too much about nothing. I want them to look at me and see someone who can change the world for the better. I want them to live somewhere beautiful, somewhere they can be happy, and I want to know that I helped them get there.
"I couldn't do that back home, because no one wanted to listen to a woman who knows more than them. And what's more impressive than the capitol of a country run by a dragon? That's why I came here, hoping that you'd be willing to give me a jumping off point and show off what I'm capable of. I want to help you and your country, yes, but I also want to be seen."
When she finished, she let out a quiet, shaky sigh through her nose, fighting the urge to avert her eyes from his own. If he was going to kill her now for being selfish in her aspirations, well. She was at least going to be eaten looking her death in the face.
Also she kind of wanted to watch his teeth grow if he was planning to munch on her. That would be a pretty cool last image.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - SolitareLee - 11-17-2019
It was very hard to stay focused on the task at hand (saving Tiff from certain dick-adjacent doom) when the King had that knack for making every word sound like the most important thing you'd ever listened to. Maybe it was because she'd never known him as anything other than a King, but it honestly felt to her like he was born to be royalty. Maybe it was a trait of dragons, but she preferred to believe it was a trait of his. He was uniquely good at getting people to want to serve him. She had arrived at the castle wanting little more than to be admired--similar, in some ways, to Tiff's goals--but after ten years, she could honestly say she'd go to war for the King. She knew Tiff would wind up there eventually, too. It was just the effect he had. Tiff's ambition was addicting in its own right, though. Bridget could see just a hint of her own desires in there. She'd never given a lot of thought to being remembered, but oh she did love to be seen and adored being admired. But Tiff had more ambition--and probably more talent--than Bridget in spades, and Bridget could feel the rising of that canine instinct to follow and help. That was why she'd settled so well into the library. Oh, sure, her love of books and willingness to throw small giants bodily out of the stacks if need be, but also, she did so love to find someone who was very good at what they did, and help them do it better. Her tail thumped in time with her heart, already thinking about all the books she had that would be of aid. Tiff would need a lot of help getting the high up ones. There would be a lot of opportunities for her to be appreciated, hopefully.
She didn't really have any doubts that Tiff would be successful. That was all but guaranteed the second the King decided he wanted a halfling. Unfortunately, she was starting to doubt her own odds of success, because once the King decided he wanted something, he always got it. And who could say no to a man so handsome? She couldn't really blame either of them for what was about to happen. But dear lord, poor Tiff's organs. Maybe she should pre-emptively get one of the King's favorite medics... Was there anything left she could do to warn her, without being crass or risking upsetting the King?
Underneath her last suggestion, she scribbled "be wary of any meat-based metaphors" and held it up.
RE: Building Bridges [Closed] - Tindome - 11-18-2019
"Ambition," the King mused. "A good ambition, to make good places." He plucked the crystal projector from her hands, and in his own it lit up brighter than intended. He set it on the floor and slid it a ways, so they could get a good look at the tower of light that it produced. "Still: not quite right."
"You're a small girl who wants to make big things, things to be seen. But you could make so many things! I have seen many with these ambitions, but they don't built beautiful towers, or try to clean the air."
That was what she'd been talking about, right? Something about the air? And the horrible smell? Something like that, he was sure. If she could make the smell of this city Less Bad he'd hire her just for that.
"Here, now," he said, coming around and behind her in much too intimate a way. He gave a passing squint at Bridget, who looked like she'd just scrambled to put something away. He rested his head on Tiffany's shoulder, reaching around to tilt her chin upward toward the tower of light. The tip of one black claw pressed against her skin. He smelled like cinnamon, today. "This thing you would like to make, what is it? When I look at it, I see… a big tower. Sort of funny looking. Haven't seen a tower like that before! I could sit on that."
"I don't think that's what you saw, though, is it? Of all the things you might offer me, all the things you have to see, you showed me this. Of all the things you might choose to make yourself greater, you chose this. You see greatness in this. Explain it to me, why this is the subject that speaks to you. What's important about it, that only you seem to see?"
"You're a small girl who wants to make big things, things to be seen. But you could make so many things! I have seen many with these ambitions, but they don't built beautiful towers, or try to clean the air."
That was what she'd been talking about, right? Something about the air? And the horrible smell? Something like that, he was sure. If she could make the smell of this city Less Bad he'd hire her just for that.
"Here, now," he said, coming around and behind her in much too intimate a way. He gave a passing squint at Bridget, who looked like she'd just scrambled to put something away. He rested his head on Tiffany's shoulder, reaching around to tilt her chin upward toward the tower of light. The tip of one black claw pressed against her skin. He smelled like cinnamon, today. "This thing you would like to make, what is it? When I look at it, I see… a big tower. Sort of funny looking. Haven't seen a tower like that before! I could sit on that."
"I don't think that's what you saw, though, is it? Of all the things you might offer me, all the things you have to see, you showed me this. Of all the things you might choose to make yourself greater, you chose this. You see greatness in this. Explain it to me, why this is the subject that speaks to you. What's important about it, that only you seem to see?"