Roleplay

Bubblegum's feathers fluffed and she gave a quick downbeat of her wings with excitement as she looked between the Coatl and the Nocturn. Albus was going to do science! It was like she was back home.

While Albus' eyes frightened most dragons, they made Bubblegum feel safe. Albus was so much like her fathers and now he was even talking of doing an experiment; it gave her a deep pang of homesickness to an extent she hadn't felt before, and she tried to subtly move closer to Albus, seeking comfort from his presence.

She looked at Imriel. "Ooh, you should do it! It's fun to be a super cool science experiment. You'll be sooo strong with all your new magics." She looked at Albus again. "Ooh, we should take an egg and expose it to all the elements that way we can make like, a super baby. Super baby fights the gods... You know, since each element is strong against another one? Ooh, you could also use existing rivalrys between gods to pit them against each other..." she starts humming and looking at nothing in particular, daydreaming about god fights

@cryoluxa
@genesisreborn

@Cryoluxa @akrimau

Imriel knew this Coatl was playing him like a fiddle, but he couldn't resist the tune. As he listened, his claws flexed nervously. He was sure he'd been exposed to his mother's fire magic as an egg so, according to what Albus was saying, he should be able to get his own fire magic back, but there was another factor in all this. He came from a world where the laws of magic weren't as exclusive as they were here, so the results would be unknown. This, however, was a risk he was willing to, no, a risk he had to take. Thus, when Albus put the question to him, he gave his reply without hesitation.

"Yes."

He kept his expression steady and determined as he met the Coatl's unnerving gaze, which his own slowly changed to mimic. This moment was when Bubblegum began to speak, however, and Imriel lost his focus and, consequentially, his mimicry of Albus. A snort of irritation blew out of him as he felt her energy began to creep into himself and he shook himself, trying to focus anywhere but the bubbly dragon.

@akrimau @GenesisReborn

With Imriel's answer, Albus' expression shifted into something much more focused, and his smile widened into a sinister grin while in his eyes ignited a sudden intensity. In their depths, one could see his passion for his trade surge like a sudden tide, as well as a calculated, yet menacing delight, like a predator who has just secured his prey.

This look evaporated back into his usual, detached, yet mildly amused expression as Bubblegum began going off again, leaving only small traces of controlled anticipation. It was fleeting and subtle, only appearing in the depths of those eyes, but it was the sort of look one gets when savoring the memories of a recent, enjoyable meal.

To Bubblegum, he simply smiled calmly and answered, "I suppose this might be considered an experiment, since I would like to confirm my findings, but this procedure has been successfully completed before. I will simply repeat what I did to myself, with only minor adjustments depending on which lines Imriel would like to have access to. But dragon eggs only absorb the magical energies of the region in which they are laid, so I'm afraid your proposed experiment is already doomed to failure, unless, perhaps, we subject the egg to the procedure I will perform on Imriel. The idea has merit, though I do not know if one as fragile as an egg would be able to survive the procedure. It is possible that the weaknesses of each element would also transfer to the dragon as well as the strengths, though I have not been able to test this as of yet. In either case, even if the child received ever type of magic and so resistances and vulnerabilities cancelled one another out, the child would still be a dragon with dragon-level strength. He or she would have no hope of killing any of the deities."

"In any case, that experiment would have to be performed at a later date; there are other things that take precedence. As for pitting the gods against one another, they already do that, to a degree, with the fights for dominance. They would do the same thing as they always to: send their exalted to war with one another in one form or other. No, I have other designs for them. Such discussion is not profitable at present, however." That line of discussion concluded, Albus looked to the two in their group who hadn't spoken yet: the female Pearlcatcher and the Wildclaw.

Nervous, jumpy, and anticipating the question, the Wildclaw trembled and, with something of a squeaky voice, introduced himself. "M-my name's Fergus! I...I don't mean to question the gods or anything...but...I- I swear I'm innocent! I used to work in the Great Furnace, stoking the flames for heating the metal -- you know, all that... But, um...well... I, uh, I'm a bit clumsy, so... Er, I...was the cause of a delay in shipments to the Shifting Expanse. And um...broke...the furnace... But really, I didn't mean to!"

"That why all that metal's hardened over ye?" asked Lovell.

Fergus looked to the ground sheepishly and began drawing circles in the snow with a claw. "Um... Yes..."

"I see," Albus replied contemplatively. Then, he looked to Lovell. "You brought him under you, correct? He will be your subordinate, then; I will not lay claim to him."

"What d'ye suppose this is?! A division o' the spoils?!"

Albus turned his head slightly, seeming at least somewhat innocent to the Pearlcatcher's accusation. "Is it not prudent to decide who will be responsible for whom since we have a moment? We seem to all be working together for the time being, at any rate, so we may as well organize ourselves."

Lovell growled at the logic in that. It still didn't sit well with him, though. Somewhat menacingly, he warned the Coatl, "We're only working together temporarily. Remember that."

Albus looked content as he nodded in response. "I am well aware."

(I love Imriel's reaction to bubblegum XD)
Bubblegum's focus snapped back to Albus when he addressed her, and she bobbed her head along with his explanation, listening carefully.

Bubblegum grinned at Fergus as he talked, attempting to be reassuring but coming of kinda creepy as he grin bared her teeth. She giggled at Lovell's outburst, enjoying the banter between him and Albus. "Ooh, what about me? Am I in charge of me? Or does someone else get to be in charge of me? If I'm in charge of me, do I get to be in charge of someone else too? I can keep an eye on..." She looked over the tied up dragons. "Hm, you probably wouldn't trust me to be in charge of Arianna huh... And since Albus is working with Imriel, I shouldn't be in charge of him either... Oh well. I can be in charge of me..." She grins at Albus. "Or you can be!" She looks at Lovell. "You don't get to be in charge of me. Sorry."

@cryoluxa
@genesisreborn

@akrimau @Cryoluza

((I haven't got anything else to say for right now, in case you were waiting for me))

((Thanks for the notice! I wanted to at least give you a chance to respond before I posted again. Though, I'm curious who Cryoluza is. ;P (Just giving you a bit of ribbing.) ))

@akrimau @GenesisReborn

Lovell's face held some distaste, but his voice had a stale intonation, and he wasn't shy about being blunt. "I ne'er wanted ye."

Albus loosed a light chuckle before telling Bubblegum, "Well, I will be pleased to accept your assistance." Then, he looked to Imriel, his expression gaining that sinister hint again. "As well as I am pleased to accept yours."

Bubblegum grins at Albus, ignoring Lovell. "Oh, great! Well, I'm happy to help."

@cryoluxa
@genesisreborn

(Sorry for short reply, trying to let the story focus on other characters for a bit)

@akrimau @GenesisReborn

All that said and done, Fergus nervously spoke up. "U-um, excuse me...but, um... W-who is this?"

The Wildclaw was indicating the female Pearlcatcher he'd helped escort from the Fortress. Lovell answered a bit carelessly and flippantly, "That's a servant o' th' Lady Plaguebringer. I came 'ere t' break 'er out n' deliver 'er back t' th' mistress, though I've permission t' make use o' 'er b'fore I return." Lovell grinned wickedly. "R'member, I'm t' be a plague on Sornieth once more. In that way, I'll serve my lady, spreadin' strife n' cullin' the weak."

Some sort of small, terrified squeak escaped Fergus at that response. While Albus had an unnerving presense full of foreboding, Lovell's threatening aura came from an unabashed love of chaos and destruction evident in his clearly violent nature.

"And her name?" Albus calmly asked.

Lovell gave the male Coatl a look of distaste before answering, "Looks like they've been callin' 'er 'Ondine.' Ye might as well follow that, too, not that she's likely to respond."

Indeed, Ondine looked just as out of it as she had throughout their entire escape, her eyes staring sightlessly at the ground and her face looking completely blank.

Albus tilted his head slightly in curiosity. "Is she one of your mistress' creations?"

Lovell huffed in displeasure at having to continue to speak with Albus, and though he was a little irritable about it, he did answer. "She belongs t' 'er, n' I have 'er on loan. I don't know much else about 'er, but she's the one who fished up me pearl fer my lady. She's a dragon, I think, but modified by whate'er diseases she was exposed ta."

Albus hummed thoughtfully as he regarded Ondine again. "Interesting..."

Bubblegum listened with interest to Lovells explanation of the wildclaw. "... Is she safe to touch?" She pipes up. "Or will we get sick? Since she's full of disease and all."

@cryoluxa
@Genesisreborn

@Cryoluxa

As it just so happened Savik looked up in time to notice one of the newer members of Jobo's crew shuffling on behind a few rather rough looking pirates. At first he was trying desperately to conceal his head, while trying to still keep an eye on the youth. His attempt lead to his chin being tucked into his neck with his head cocked at an angle.

He watched as the mirror dragged himself into a busy establishment he felt was likely a bar, or possibly a tattoo parlor being as the dragons just outside of it were comparing their inks. Murin never took notice of Savik, because his four eyes were facing the ground the entire time. The poor cub must be scared s--

"Was that Murin?" Darcy interrupted his thought with her question. "Yes," he replied softly. "He went into that buildin' there." He pointed the building to DePero.