RP:What Is Human?

Summary :: Lanara pauses a game of darts, at The Fallen Star Inn, to converse with a newcomer, Scandal. The two share a drink and discuss what it means to be 'human' and agree that it's more than based on appearance. The two also discover that they are both in the upcoming Titan's of Winter Tournament. Perhaps these two newfound friends will become competitors in the near future?

Scandal rested his feet on the table. Clad in furs from head to toe, masking his bodybuilder physique, the ebony blackness of skin, marked with a mild shine, as his human like eyes while red, looked around the inn. He had just flown into venturil or rather its outskirts and had to scare off a pack of creatures who had been devouring a recently killed prey. Now having transformed into his humanoid like form, Scandal with his short red hair, and short beard sat breathing in the inn. The innkeeper had first marked him a drow, but when he had come closer the innkeeper wise to note his eyes and the sharp teeth in his mouth, soon was aware that he was no drow and merely another strange customer. Taking a seat close to a window, as the heat of the land fell hard on Scandal, something he was not used to, if only because he had just been in Xailous mountains, and the new enviorment was something new to him. Unlike the local place his corner smelled of cinanamon a scent that trailed with Scandal everywhere he went. As he sat, he drank from a tall glass of meade, something he seemed to like, as compared to the rum, that he had been served in cenril. A frown on his face, as he thought of the flight in, and the moutain he had banged into that was now a hundred feet shorter. "Just like a newbie flying, crashing into every mountain side and deforming the natural beauty of it all." He muttered to himself, as he looked into his drink, to find a mint leaf sitting at the bottom of his drink. "Figures, they just can't leaf it alone."

Lanara stands in the rear of the room, a dart held in her hand as she eyes the boar on the opposite side of the room, sizing up her target. In a fluid motion she flicks the dart and watches as it is delivered to the board, striking it at a dead bulls-eye, with a soft ‘ping’ sound. The elf smiles to herself, and brushes her long chestnut locks from her face, as she makes her way to retrieve the dart. However, on her journey to the dart board, she passes by a new face, and she narrows her chocolate hues, undecided on whether or not the dark-skinned red haired man would be a friend or foe. Scandal is given a long once over, as she tilts her head to the side, just in time to catch his quip about the leaf, and she chuckles. “Hey! Are you new around here? I don’t think I’ve seen you in these parts, before. I’m newish to Venturil, but not new to Lithrydel. I’m Lana.”

Scandal turned his eyes to the dart player and saw her turn to him, and and then introduced herself. "A pleasure to meet you Lana, I am Scandal, and yes this is my first time here to venturil." He took in her features but being that he had yet to experience experience mating drive, he was not attracted to her in any way other than another friendly face. He smiled without opening his mouth having learned that has caused some people to be terrified. His smile is natural for a humanoid and the warm cinnamon scent he gives off does put some at ease. "Tell me, is it always this hot here?"

Lanara drops into the seat at his side, her boredom being somewhat cured by the sight of a new face in the crowd. She doesn’t appear to be shy, that’s for sure, as she orders an ale, and tilts her head to listen to Scandal’s words. Odd, as Lana is often aloof around men and strangers, though, Venturil was helping her ease out of her shell. So it’s only natural that she’d find the one being that sticks out like a sore thumb, with his dark skin and fiery hair, and newcomer curiosity. As Cuthwine delivers her a bottle of ale, she crosses her legs and takes a long pull of the liquor. “As far as I know, it’s been pretty warm, here… I think it’s because we’re so much to the west, but I don’t know much about the weather. I grew up in a faraway forested land. Kelvar. It was always autumn there, and lots of trees to provide shade and breeze. Are you from around Lithrydel?” His name is noted, and though it’s slightly odd, she doesn’t make any comment.

Scandal listened to her words, trying to make sense of why somone would come here, then he'd stop that train of thought at the station, and apply a logical answer, likely she came here for a new start, and that of course was something he could appreciate, "Yes and no, another time and era." he said taking a sip of the mead, "Do you prefer the forest to here, or have you grown accustomed having giant lizards or something running about?" He glanced outside the window for but a moment to see something that looked like a Raptor with some sort of tribal belt and knife in a sash. Scandal shook his head and looked again to find it gone, so he chose to dismiss it.

Lanara sips at her ale, giving Scandal a sidelong glance. She had never seen a male quite like him, at least not in her four years in Lithrydel. She listens to his words and grins at his distaste for Venturil, knowing that the Wildlands and the West weren’t for everyone that set food in the four districts of the land. He may be better suited to a less harsh climate, and more social interaction. Kelay, perhaps. As he turns the question towards her, she finds that her answer is already hanging from her lips, as she had greatly missed her forestry. “I prefer the forest, hands down, to any other area in the realm. There are forests to the northern area of the Plains, though I haven’t quite ventured there yet, just once, and it was for a brief ritual.” Her words hang in the air, perhaps giving the dragon a hint to just what she was, being a sorceress of some sort. A woodland witch, to be precise, though not everyone knew what that entailed, and some had chosen to believe in the hysteria that Queen Josleen in Larket was spreading. “I headed to Venturil for a fresh start. I’ve only been here about two or three weeks. It’s growing on me. My fiancée and I are buying a home, soon, in these parts. It’s more his homeland than mine, but I’ll adapt… Is this where you are choosing to reside? Or are you merely passing through?”

Scandal listend intently or rather his body language did not hint that he did, but rather being a dragon his thoughts indicated. Unlike most dragons who were able to keep thoughts to themselves, Scandal had difficulty doing so as no dragon had ever schooled him in the art so some thoughts leaked out which to those who would listen might understand a better side of him, despite how he acts physically. (Thoughts able to be shared have the * at their start and finish*) Thinking to himself, * Sounds like Keylay, the forests their are nice, like she speaks of, Xailous though those meadows wow, love those. Brief ritual hmm, well that could mean anything from magic, to vampirism. But she doesn't look the, oh never mind Scandal, you don't look the part of any humanoid you've met.* In answer to her question he said, "Yeah, I was just flying by, but gods the heat, I had to get a drink, as for staying I am not really sure, I guess undecided might be the best words." Then he asked, "Are they a good sort of company, do you enjoy them?" He asked in the form of 'they' because long time ago another dragon got insulted when he used 'he' or 'she'. When he mentioned the flying he hoped she guess dragon, because that might open his appearance as a discussion topic.

Lanara puts two and two together that he’s some sort of dragon, and she tilts her head to the side as he asks about her fiancé. He wished to hear about Eirik? That could be dangerous territory, as her lycan wasn’t exactly loved by many, due to his previous nature as being a notorious witch killer and hunter. Reformed, but still. Scandal didn’t exactly look like he was here to do battle though, so she extends a short olive branch of trust and takes another sip of ale. “Yes, I love Eirik. We are complete opposites, yet we somehow complement each other, beautifully. We haven’t set a date for the wedding, just yet, but he’s the reason that I live in Venturil, now. He’s excellent company and he keeps me safe. Best be careful in certain parts of the lands, Sir. There are gangs and what not, all over. Especially in Cenril.” She pauses, unsure where to take the conversation next, and so she turns his own inquiry back on the man. “What about you? Do you have a wife? Or any children?”

Scandal makes notes of the gangs and such as he listens to her talk about her to-be-spouse, "If he keeps you safe, perhaps he could keep this region safe, surely a ruler would come of handy." He said with a softness as he drank a bit more mead. As she asked about him, and whether he had a wife or children, he said in reply, "Heh, I don't, have a wife or signifgant other, and I don't have any children, I mean I am sure I'd like one eventually, i just, I haven't, as old as I am, I just, I haven't really thought about what would like if I started looking." He shrugged, His body language less bad, almost like he was getting more relaxed, the pattern barely noticed in his skin, that had been among the faintest of scales, faded away becoming like skin again. "I know I don't look it, but before I hibernated, I wasn't of age to start noticing the attractiveness, and I am starting to wonder when I will."

Lanara tilts her head to the side, the witch being familiar with the hibernating of bears and such, being that she was a woodland witch and all. But she never heard of dragon’s engaging in hibernation. Not that she personally knew any dragons, before Scandal! She finds that she’s fascinated, and she inches forward in her chair, her chocolate hues full of intrigue. “How long were you asleep? You look like a grown man to me… So you slept away your childhood, in hibernation?” She wrinkles her nose, her tapered ears twitching, as she imagines what it would be like to sleep away her teenage years, and suddenly be twenty-six, her current age. He must have missed out on a lot, or have a very long lifespan. As he mentions that he has zero attraction towards men or women, quite yet, she laughs lightly and shakes her head. “I grew up in a mostly-female kingdom. I wasn’t really fond of the opposite gender for quite some time. Then I went a little boy crazy when I first arrived here. But giving your heart away is an entirely different matter. You’ll face heartache, heartbreak, and fall completely in love with someone. Trust me, you don’t want to rush! I’m sure you’ll meet someone great.”

Scandal shrugged, "This.." He motioned at his face and body, " was an attempt at an estimation of what humanoid look like based upon what I overheard other dragons speak of, it wasn't until that tried living among them the first time, that I realized how off I was, as for my age, your guess is as good as mine, I can remember an empire, of dragons, whether it was the one that is spoken in this lands lore I am not sure, but, after I woke up, and silly me so depressed to change into dragon before hibernation, I ended up trying to change into being in dragon form, to find myself miles long and miles high, I am so happy I did that in big open area." He explained before motioning with his hand like putting quotes on what he was about to say. "That would have been real bad, in a confined space" He said before listening to her story where she grew up, "Thank you for your support, and if I find someone, hopefully I can be friends with them before I offer my heart." He scratched his head, his thoughts of * seeing some dragons in courtship, but never really understanding about it* By all accounts Scandal's maturity was exceptional, though his teenage experiences had yet to come as of yet at least physically, had Lanara seen him as a dragon surely his appearance would still despite his great size look more similar to a dragon child, at least, for a little while longer, it was coming and Scandal didn't know it yet.

Lanara gives the male a long once over, her dark hues taking in his attempt at appearing ‘human’ and she returns her gaze to his face, while giving him a small smile. “For starters, most humans don’t have scales, but you hide yours well. And humans don’t have pointed ears. I do! But I’m an elf. Other than that, you could pass as a human. Though… It’s not ‘looks’ that make someone human, Scandal. It’s their actions, their thoughts, and their heart. Just be careful. There’s no need to hurry in growing up, or settling down. Just let it happen in time. I actually have a sister, Talyara. We don’t look alike all that much, aside from our hair coloring and similar stature, but she’s lovely on the eyes, and very intelligent. I know she’s talking to someone, but if they don’t work out, perhaps I can set you up on a blind date. Who knows?! Maybe you will make a friend, at the very least. True friends are rare to come by in these lands.” Slowly Lanara rises to her feet, and brushes her chestnut locks behind her ears, grinning at Scandal. “I better be on my way. I am an entrant in the Titan’s of Winter Tournament and I’m off to practice. It was a pleasure to meet you, Sir Scandal.” The elf waits a moment, to see if he will issue a reply, before she leaves the tavern.

Scandal nods thinking on her words, understanding that Humanoids or rather Drow, Elf, Human, are all seperate races. He shrugged to himself, as Lanara explained that what makes human is not by their physical appearance rather it their actions, thoughts and their heart, and while he might have more easily passed for a drow by this point, he realized that maybe he didn't need to look the part he just needed to act the part of what he wished to be. He smiled to her, teeth having changed from sharp to more human like. "True friends, they are aren't they." He smiled as she stood up and he stood as well. "You;re in the tournament as well? Perhaps we may practice together sometime." He pauses over the date. "I would be willing to give it a try. Thank you for chatting, and its just Scandal, I am no warrior or knight."