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

[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?"