1x1 with sugarbird

[sugarbird]

-----Orion felt his feathers bristle at her suggestion, and he swallowed hard in response. "K-k.. Kill?" he asked very faintly, his voice a meek little whisper. Though her plan was a solid one, he hated the fact that she was expecting him to kill someone. He didn't even know how to! He couldn't remember the last time he killed a single thing. Not even a bug, really. What, was she expecting him to know how to kill simply because he was a dragon!? "Th-that's a fine plan. It would make the most sense, since I doubt we'll ever be able to escape without anyone knowing at all, anyway. B-b-but.. I've never.. killed anything before." he began pathetically. "I've only read in books how dragons kill prey." He sounded awfully uneducated, and he was. Books might be able to tell him some valuable info, but hands-on experience was also valuable as well.

-----Orion then remembered the offer he was given, and shook his head. Who cares about his feelings about doing this plan? That didn't matter. They still needed to execute this plan with utmost performance. "No, no, no. I'm still doing this.." he half-whispered to reassured himself. "Okay, so.. after we take care of the guards and get the keys, I can unlock the door and get us out. I know how to use keys. There shouldn't be any wards on that door, only at nighttime does he add that extra layer of protection." Orion then sat up on his haunches as he got invested in this forming plan.

-----"After that, we could just.. fly and hope to all that is holy that we make it out. There's not a chance that we won't be seen outside, but we can get a head start." Orion then felt his tail tap as he began thinking about the aftermath. Okay.. then what? "Euh.. but, where do we go? Where is your home?"

[Bronzewing]

"I can tell you're not a fighter. If you don't want to, I'll get my claws dirty instead of yours." she said with a small smile. Looks like he wasn't the sort to kill stuff- she doubted he would even be able to hunt for his own food. That was as sad shame. No dragon should have to live their life without ever having to fight a bit for their food. "They should notice we escaped, of course. Do you really think they wouldn't notice dead guards and missing dragons? But by that time, we should be on the wing." This might actually work, and she was ready for it. Oh yes, she was ready for it.

"As long as you don't back out partway through, this plan is doable. You already know I'm going to go through with it. It hinges on you now."

She trotted around the room once more, doing a quick lap before going back to her position by the door. Actually, a lot relied on this other dragon- his ability to know the ways of the mansion, the fact that they needed to check for guards- both now and during the escape- and that she was a fish out of water in here. "Good. So you're on key duty- and I'll watch out for any intruders as you do that. This may actually work."

Her tail tapped happily on the floor. "Well, first and foremost- fly. I don't know how far this is from the desert, but I do know that we need to fly far and fast. No looking back, no waiting, just flying. We can figure out where to go once we're out of here." Where even was the desert? How far did they take her?

[sugarbird]

-----Alright, then. If she was willing to do the bloody work, she was more than welcome to. Orion is not be accustomed to the sight of violence at all, considering he hasn't seen much of it for the past two centuries that he's been alive. However, seeing a few people get killed wasn't all that rare. There are a lot of thieves and lowlifes that live in the nearby city, and it wasn't out of the ordinary to have a troop of some foolish and desperate men try to cut and hack and slash their way into the master's mansion. Obviously, it ended the same way every time. So, he doubted he would have trouble seeing a man die. It would've been an issue had he done the deed himself.

-----However, he was afraid he might back out or panic the moment Alphonse came into the picture. Knowing him, he'd definitely be at the sight of their crimes the moment the servants alerted him. And they were for sure going to during this mission. He just had to remember why he was doing this, and that he didn't care what the outcome would be. It was just a bit scary how much this mission relied on him to keep a cool head about breaking some rules for once. And when they flew out, she just explained that they would need to "fly far and fast." At least he knew her home was a desert, but he didn't know where exactly that desert would be.

-----"I can do this. Doesn't matter what will happen to me in the end." he mumbled more so to himself, looking out in the direction of the entrance to the chambers. He was really going to be doing this after all. If they played their cards right, this big, imposing mansion would no longer hold him captive here. And this young soul just beyond the door next to him would get to return home. "I j-just can't believe I might live to see the outside after all this time. Oh, I've read so much about it." he growled in a bit of a purr just thinking about it. "Well, it's obviously n-not going to be easy living as a wild d-dragon, but.. oh, imagine all the things I could learn about out there."

-----"And I- heh- I won't be alone." he spoke warmly, forgetting the fact that they were not even close to friends yet. She had literally just met him a little while ago. And she probably sees him as some pathetic walking hollow shell of a dragon anyway. But he would've been okay with that. However, this dragoness has easily been kinder to him than everyone else in his life has. Humans are simply just greedy creatures that kept him for bragging rights and nothing else, and thus paid no attention to him except for when he was needed to perform some task for them. Here, someone went down to his level and spoke to him like an individual. Maybe he was too trusting- maybe this dragon didn't care about him either- but he couldn't help trusting her. If she did end up abandoning him after this, then he supposed he'd figure it out himself.

[Bronzewing]

He definitely didn't want to fight. How would he ever survive out in the wild, where fighting was important to survival? Both battling animals and fighting for food- claws would sink into flesh at least a few times. They had to get used to the whole thing, and fast- but maybe asking them to kill something larger than a snake was too much for them? She did hope their reluctance wouldn't get the mission failed.

And if that wizard showed up- that was it. She had a feeling that they had some dragon-resisting measures in place, and if they noticed...well, up go the weird forcefields and there they go. That wouldn't be good at all, and that would surely lead to death instead of escape- or maybe more time in this infernal room! Looking left to right in the darkness, the smoke from her scales finally starting to dissipate, she turned back to the door.

"Reading about something and living it are very different, just so you know." she warned him. "Although you did already agree to the plan, so no backing out now!" She said that with a bit of a laugh, part of her mouth tilting upwards as she spoke. Not that the other dragon could see it, anyway. "Maybe you'll figure it out. I may even head out of the desert if the humans will keep combing it for dragons." she said, thinking. It wouldn't be as safe...but did she really want to leave her home?

"That's right. At least you're not trying to do a solo escape attempt!" she said, a touch of happiness in her tone. This was definitely better than her original plan to get out alone. "So...when do you think they'll let me out? I'm going mad from anticipation!"

[sugarbird]

-----He was well aware that reading about something and experiencing something first-hand is not at all the same. But she was right in possibly thinking that nothing, no matter what he did to prepare himself, would ever make him ready to face the wilds alone. And that was partially why not making it through this mission wouldn't be such a terrible outcome either. If he has an incredibly high chance of passing away out there in nature, then maybe getting killed instantaneously by a guard would be better than possibly starving, dehydrating, freezing, or getting torn to shreds by the dreadful flesh-eating gnats he's read about, among a ton of other predators. One of the upsides of having lived here is that he was definitely safe from outside harm, that's for sure.


-----None of it mattered, in the end. He still had a chance to make it through all of this alive. He was a dragon, after all. They were built to thrive in nature. They had natural instincts of basic survival, right? Hopefully he still had those. Though, he wouldn't be surprised if he lost them over the years. Upon being asked when she'd be let out, Orion remembered how much longer he had to sit here in the dark. With a sigh, he explained. "Well, you just got here, uh, ten.. twenty minutes ago? Er-- not that long ago." he shrugged, knowing how bad at perceiving time he was. Time seems nonexistent to him in this miserable place, especially when every moment of every day feels the same. He barely knew what day of the week it was and no way at all can he possibly tell the time to save his life, much less sense how much has passed.

-----"I'm guessing it's going to be a bit longer from this point on. But, knowing how excited the master is to have you in his grasp, probably not too long." he hummed, tapping his tail against the floor with almost as much impatience as her. This feeling the dragon gave him was overwhelming. It was like.. excitement mixed with fear. Mixed with.. something else. A longing for something, almost. It gave him a feeling that some big thing he's always wanted was waiting right around the corner for him. "You know, even though I probably won't make it, it's.. kind of relieving." he spoke aloud, talking more so to himself. "Er-- relieving that, either way, I won't be here anymore."

-----That was when the dragon came to his mind again. "I'm guessing you have a wonderful home to go back to." Orion was very, very curious about the desert. He knew it was among some of the harshest environments on the planet. But he also knew deserts could be filled with lots of life, too. Oases must be very pretty to see as well. "What's it like? If.. it's appropriate to ask right now." He figured conversing a bit longer would help pass the time quicker for both of them.

[Bronzewing]

She knew he wasn't ready, and he probably knew the same. But it was too late- they had already made a plan, formed an idea of how to get out of there, and the pair of them were committed. The wilds were hard and dangerous but at least made you feel alive, contrary to the mess that is being in this mansion. What would it even be like to never see the outdoors, to be stuck in these stuffy hallways?



"It's the way humans live, not us." she mumbled mostly to herself. "I'm going to bury their heads in sand." Smoke started to come off her scales again- and just when the last billows of smoke had left the room. She didn't know where it was getting out from, everything appearing to be closed- but at least she wasn't suffocating due to her own anger. Did the men really want to keep her around so badly? Did they see her as some sort of prize to show off? They wouldn't want her dead, and it sickened her. Knowing what these people did to the rest of her kin, she would feel nothing but shame to set around looking pretty while less fortunate dragons were slain.



"It's been that long? Strange- I thought it would have been longer by now." She was brought in only that recently? It felt like she had been in here for hours, talking. "I guess time goes slower when you're trapped. I'll have to wait this out." She sat down, getting ready for a long wait by the door. "Eh, you'll probably make it. There's danger out there, but not too much anymore that can challenge a dragon. With me around, you should be fine." she said with a wave of a claw, not able to stop gesturing while talking even though nobody could see her.



"The desert is a strange place, basic of colors and full of sand, but it's a great place." she said, closing her eyes. "What's it like- you don't want to hear me rant on about it. I love that place- wouldn't live anywhere else. Although..." She tilted her head, thinking, "after all this I would take anything."

[sugarbird]

-----Was it really that bad that she would take literally any other place in the world over this mansion? She hasn't been here for more than an hour or two. Or, well, maybe she was? He wasn't quite sure. But he's been here for a whole two centuries at least. He spent a fraction of his life outside of this mansion. By this point, this place was all he knew. She hasn't been here for a single day, and yet, she couldn't stand it here. Well, he supposed it didn't help that she came here in chains and had to spend the first portion of her time here in a dim chamber. But even with the knowledge that she would be living in this giant fancy mansion, free to roam wherever and cared for well, she would've preferred anything else.

-----Orion sighed at that. It says a lot that a place he's lived in for hundreds of years is unbearable to someone else who hasn't been here long. The wild must be a really fantastic place if it, along with all of its dangers, could beat this by a landslide. "Me too." he agreed with her last statement, lowering his head a bit. "But- w-we won't be here much longer." he spoke lightly. He's never felt so ready to do something so.. dangerous and out of his element. The thrill that was attached to this plan was unmatched by any other feeling he's felt in his life. He can very safely say that, too.

-----"Oh, I'm going to miss my books. I can't bring anything with me, or else the master might get suspicious." he huffed, thinking about the luxuries he would have to leave behind now that he has to leave this place. "Hmph. I can learn more about magic on my own out there. If I make it, of course." Orion began thinking about such pretty thoughts. He imagined the outside as this wonderful, heavenly range of different places. Tough and unforgiving maybe, but providing. A life rich in experience and stimuli. The desert would be their first stop. Once he learned how to live and be a proper wild animal, then his next stop would be the mountain.

-----At least, that's what he hoped for. The desert and the mountain would be entirely different places, and he was for certain that there would be a complete set of new obstacles out there for him to face alone. But he supposed if he were to die anywhere, he probably would pick that mountain. It just looked so beautiful at a distance, with a cap of snow at the top, and a blanket of forest and cliff faces crawling up to it. It'd be a miracle if he made it to the desert in the first place, but he was already so excited to see it. Hopefully Alphonse would return to get her soon, so they can move foreword with the plan and spend the rest of the night preparing for the gathering. "Desert or no desert, I can't wait to see what's outside this place."

[Bronzewing]

She quieted down for a moment, thinking about her situation. She would be stuck in here...but would she get used to it? Did she WANT to get used to it? Her decision felt so absolute, but if it had really been such a short time... She wasn't sure what to think anymore. How long was this other dragon here for- years? Centuries? How much of a dragon's life had they spent in this place? Iyt was a rather sad concept. She hoped this was the right plan, that she wouldn't get used to this place... who knew what time would do? Minutes were nothing to a dragon.

"If you would mind, could you tell me what it's like in here? How bad or good it can be? she asked, tilting her head a bit. "I'm curious." If she was going to tell him about her home in the desert, he would have to tell her what life was like in this place. "I can tell you about where I come from if you tell me about here."

"Why would you want to bring books with you? There's a ton more things to look at than stuffing your head in parchment- besides, if you really want them you can just get another copy." she said with a shrug of her own wings. She knew nothing about books or magic, only being familiar with what she had seen- the open world, the sky, the air. It was rather nice, and she preferred that over any dusty tome. Of course, she didn't know much in terms of magic that this other dragon knew.

"There's tons of magic out there- probably types you don't know much about. I would say you'll find something that suits you." she said. "Not human magic- maybe dragon magic, wild magic, whatever there is. If you're into magic you're sure to find something." The desert was full of magic- you just needed to know where to look for it. If he wanted magic, magic he would get.

[sugarbird]

-----"Books aren't that bad.. I don't know if I could ever find any in the wild, either." he responded quietly, wanting to defend his precious books. Of course, books were pretty much the closest things he had to entertainment in this place. The garden could be another source of entertainment, he supposed. But you couldn't do anything with a garden besides raise plants and.. watch them grow. Maybe his magic could count as entertainment? He does use it to entertain guests at the gatherings. But he still doesn't know much about water magic in the first place, despite that being his element. And he knows full well that magic is mostly for self defense and attacking, not for entertainment. Still, whatever. She didn't have to like books just because he did. She probably never read books before. Maybe dragons made books too? He wouldn't doubt that.

-----Then the question of what this place was like came up. Orion thought he would know the exact answer. And, to be fair, he did. But to describe with words was a bit.. hard. He's been here for so long, never once did he actually take the time to think about it. How would one describe what it is like in here? It took quite a few seconds for him to come up with an answer. "Well.. it's like nothing." he began slowly, still struggling to respond. He placed a claw on his cheek as he thought about it more.

-----"I g-guess there's more. It's like.. uh.. a big, big sanctuary. Where you are fed by the servants, groomed by the servants.. you're taught to do tricks for people, mostly the rich folk, but sometimes the servants too, if they want it." Orion couldn't tell if he was being descriptive enough for her, so he tried to come up with more to say. "You live with ease, and uh.. predictability. And-- a-and.. no one to talk to. Nothing to do."

-----His gaze suddenly glazed as he said that last part. It was almost like his voice so badly wanted to croak that last sentence out for ages by now. He wanted to tell someone that there was nothing here. Nothing to do, nothing worthwhile to see.. or live for here. Orion's ears fell back. "Nothing to do but exist by yourself. Exist in here for.. two hundred years at least. Until your days are up." he mumbled lowly. He remained silent for a little bit before suddenly perking back up. "Um, can we talk about your home instead?"

[Bronzewing]

"Well, some places have scrolls. But you would be right to say that the wild sure does have a lack of books!" she said, nodding her head. Why was he so connected to his books? Were they something personal? She didn't get it- she never cared much for scrolls and the like. Sure, they had nice stories, but they could only contain what was written down- while the sand and magic in the desert remembered everything. Why would you ask a book when you could ask the world all around you? Sometime she would get him to understand that, if he could even see what she found so intriguing about it.

She waited for him to tell her what this place was like- after all, if she was going to ramble about things, she would get him too. Maybe if a human passed by they would think he was trying to convince her to stay, and all suspicions would be gone! She would rather like that- the less suspicions the better.

"A big sanctuary for humans or just for you?" she questioned. "It feels more like you're being trained to be a show animal than anything else. Although you may be treated better than some of the animals." She had seen a horse once- and she never understood why the animal would let somebody on top of it. What a lack of dignity! "I would guess there's nothing to do in here. I would guess he doesn't let you see the ones he kills, eh?"

"Luckily for you, I might be your ticket out. Now, if you want to listen to me ramble, the desert..." There was a wide smile on her face.