Enter...The Dragon

[aloongstory]

A somewhat small but athletic, dark-haired man in a light parka( newly acquired, from the look of it) and running gear moves about the Library, gathering up a pile of books and setting them on one of the tables. There's an odd fluidity to his movements and he seems a somehow just bit faster in everything he does than most people. A glance at the titles suggests he's interested chiefly in a rather specific pair of subjects: Dragons (& other mythological creatures), and Human Apotheosis, though he's also picked up one slim volume on 'How to Harness ESP & PK Abilities'. After a while, he sits down and begins to study, making a few notes on things that appear to catch his interest in a small journal. It's fairly clear, though, he's not finding exactly what he's looking for, and he soon hails a librarian. "Excuse me, do you by any chance have any books like these,"---indicating his bookpile with a wave of his hand---"From a...non-human perspective?" Then, perceiving a possible problem with this request, he adds, "...In English or Chinese?"


That request attended to, he sits down near a group of other library patrons and asks, musingly, "Have you ever found out something very surprising about yourself, or your world? How did you deal with it?"

Comments

[hellsadvisor]

Belial had been looking for books on the species found in the Nexus for one of his ongoing projects. It would prove to be extensive and he wanted to read up on the known information before spring arrived.

He was as usual, attired in jeans, boots, and a dress shirt all in black. Pale skinned and long black hair pulled back his most unusual features were his large oily black wings and white eyes. Belial was blind but it didn't hinder him much by this point. Wings tucked in close so as not to bump anyone he brought his own two books over to sit down and read.

Opening the book, the black hawk jumped down from his shoulder to the table and perused the pages. Nychta was is eyes and, though at first it had startled people a little, he spent so much time in the library that no one really noticed any longer.

He hears the question, head cocking toward the sound, as the hawk looks quizzically at the speaker who has taken a seat almost directly across from them.

"Always." He responds placidly. "There's always something new and surprising to deal with and each instance needs its own response."

[aloongstory]

Hearing the same advice he's given to so many of his students tossed back at him so casually is enough to shake Kam Loong out of his briefly melancholic mood, and he laughs a bit sheepishly. "You are very right in that! Still, it can be interesting, and sometimes useful, to hear of others' experiences. And thank you for the reminder."

"I am Lei Kam Loong. And you are?"

[hellsadvisor]

"I've lived a long life. Is there a specific experience type you have in mind?"

The hawk regards the man as he speaks though the angel is still blankly looking elsewhere. The introduction though draws his blind eyes toward Lei.

"It is a pleasure. I'm High Chancellor Belial."

[aloongstory]

"Hmm. I suppose transformation to another species, acquisition of strange and unexpected new abilities, and discovery that something previously thought to be only folklore actually exists would all be things that would fit my situation."

[hellsadvisor]

"I can speak to most of those. Mortals turned immortal, and we are folklore to many." He reached out stroking the hawk affectionately. "I've had to acquire new abilities since my eyesight was taken."

He paused reaching back and closed the book he had been reading. "Are you speaking about yourself?"

[aloongstory]

That sounded reassuring, anyway. He feels inclined to like this...man?...Angel? Whatever he is, in spite of his somewhat startling appearance. "You...see...what the bird sees?" he asks, clearly fascinated. He's always been rather fond of animals, but this seems a very different kind of bond. Then, answering the question, "I...yes. I am here trying to make some sense of what has happened to me recently."

[hellsadvisor]

He nods. "Nychta's been my eyes for a long time. Our minds are permanently connected but it has its own personality and thoughts."

It seemed important to clarify, if only because it annoyed the angel when people thought of his hawk like a tool instead of a being.

Belial is slow to respond, if only to ensure politeness when asking prying questions. "What has happened to you?"

[silverseamariner]

"Well!" A large bird-creature looks up from the map she is studying, approvingly noticing the stack of books beside the stranger. "You're quite the scholar! It's a pleasure to meet you. Now, as for your question..."

Captain skekSa is a more frequent visitor to the Grand Library than would be expected whenever she visits the inhabited Nexus, and a striking one given her clothing and her size. Most of what she reads is nonfiction - books of marine biology, medicine, and charts, mostly. As an explorer, she's curious about the seas of other worlds, some of which she may want to visit someday.

"For me," the Mariner says after a moment's thought, "it was how much better sailing the Silver Sea was than serving the Emperor in the Castle of the Crystal. My brethren are a withered, sorry lot, but I have kept my plumage and my health." She refuses on principle to use the Crystal's power, which she feels has contributed to her vitality compared to most of her kind.

[aloongstory]

Kam Loong blushes slightly at being called a scholar. "Thank you! Pleased to meet you as well. I wasn't always a good student, but it is...different somehow, when you are not actually in school."

Considering her story, he continues, "I don't know this Emperor of yours, but I think I would probably choose the same in your situation. I've never really been a mariner, though I've been on boats a few times and always lived near the sea, but staying in a castle and serving an emperor...sounds like something I'd be even worse at than school," he finishes with a slight smile.

[silverseamariner]

"I never went to school either," says the Mariner. She's sure there was some equivalent, back when she and her uRu counterpart were an urSkek, but she doesn't think much about that. "There's always time to learn new things, especially in a place like this." She shows him the book of charts she was examining before his question.

"Be grateful you don't know skekSo!" skekSa's feathers flare briefly. "He's a miserable creature. But we've spoken too much of him already. I am Captain skekSa." She offers a clawed hand to the stranger.

[aloongstory]

He accepts the handshake, returning the grip warmly. "Lei Kam Loong. I teach martial arts." Taking an interest in the chart she showed, he asks, "And what is this?"

[silverseamariner]

skekSa carefully shakes his hand. "Hand-to-hand combat is an interesting choice. I favor swords, myself." She opens the map further to explain. "This is a nautical chart of a world I haven't been to. If you look closely, it'll show you how deep the water is and the location of the tides."

[aloongstory]

"Oh? I've learned a little fencing with my brothers, but on my world, real swords are illegal in most places, so unarmed combat is the safest choice if you don't want to end up in jail along with your assailant." He'd come close to doing just that a few times as a reckless youth.

Looking back at the chart, "Oh, interesting. Is it Earth?" Perhaps there'd be a map of Hong Kong in there somewhere.

[silverseamariner]

"I hear there are places for friendly sparring here in the Nexus, and this old lass would be happy to teach you a few tricks if you would ever like. Never know when they might come in useful." skekSa winks. The Mariner wants to keep her swordfighting up to snuff in this place, and as a pirate she cares little for rules.

"I don't know. The charts here come from all kinds of worlds." She offers him the chart. "Is Earth the planet where you humans come from?"

[not_the_question]

Today, the Doctor was in a pullover, a holey sweater and his blue Crumby jacket. As always, he also wore his dark blue trousers and Doc Martens boots.


The Doctor had more books in the TARDIS than he knew what to do with. Books from all across his universe. Point was - his universe. The Nexus, being what it is, he couldn't pass up the chance to see books from other universes. What was interesting to him was that Earth languages, by and large, were similar no matter what universe the book was from.

But some of the topics were... unique. He had found such a book and had settled into a chair to read it. Not long after, a young man stood near his chair and asked some questions. He took in the pile of books. He was tempted to comment on them, but the man spoke first. He put his finger between two pages to mark his place and closed the book around it.

"Several different ways I can answer that question. Care to get more specific?"

[aloongstory]

"Well..." he begins, suddenly realizing it might have been a little rude to interrupt the stranger's reading, "In my own case, I apparently have become, or perhaps discovered I was, something that I had always understood to be only a legend, or at most a spiritual metaphor. Naturally, I want to know more...and I suppose I feel a little unsettled about it."

[not_the_question]

The Doctor arcs an eyebrow, because that's actually a new one to him. He looks at the stack of books again. "You think you're some kind of god?"

The Doctor could relate to that. He had god status on many different planets. It's why he went across the universe deleting any information pertaining to himself. He considers the stack again. "How does dragon fit into it?"

[aloongstory]

Kam Loong nods gravely. "I am a dragon. In Chinese mythology,"---He is quite clearly Chinese, to anyone familiar with Earth---"Dragons are not simply giant lizards, but also weather gods. And also shapeshifters," he adds, explaining his presently human appearance.

[not_the_question]

The Doctor does everything in his power to not facepalm. Why do Earthlings always want to be more than human? Being human is wonderful. He'd rather be human. Since he had already started to move his hand, he smoothly changes to scratching his cheek instead, to hide what he was going to do.

"And do you know how those myths originated?"

Because he might drop a completely different idea on this poor person. He might be what he says he is, but what he says he is, he may not be.

[sumarusfinest]

While new faces in the Nexus are hardly new, it's the rather specific avenue of book titles that draws this late thirties Japanese man in a crisp grey suit to linger and observe rather than continuing on to his place of business.

The follow up question feels all too familiar.

"The sort of thing one can't un-know once discovered, perhaps?" He touches at one of the books giving an overview of traditional Chinese creatures in folklore lightly with the tips of his fingers before pulling away to make eye contact. "Something that might perhaps change one's entire world view...?"

[joblin]

"What kind of thing?" Peter looks genuinely confused, or maybe he's just wondering if the man was asking him specifically.