nexus_crossings | (no subject)

Lucifer was laying out beside the tavern, his brother Beelzebub inside causing a ruckus as always, but the king as enjoying the warmer winter sun that said Spring would soon be here. He stretched his neck when he heard the word dragon, the ruff of multicolored feathers raising before he shook them. He's relaxed, forelegs crossed comfortably and wings resting at his back.

"Do you seek a dragon or THE dragon?" He asks lazily as the fan of feathers at the end of his tail flicks as if he was some giant, feathered cat. Here in the Nexus the answer to that question was an important one.

Caleb turns and looks at the other not at all afraid, "My friend was not exactly clear on the matter," he replies in his quiet way, "Something in his text simply mentioned an almost dragon needing my help and that was all." He chuckles softly. "Molly can get excited about new things and not include details."

"I am the Dragon, the original one." The hint of arrogance is unavoidable but he does raise his snout to smell the air. He doesn't sense another dragon of his kind but humans had once called many things dragons; whales, lizards, fossils, huge snakes, and volcanos. It could mean anything.

"I am not in need of assistance but, if there is a dragon then I would be willing to assist." All of his feathers shake before he stands and flattens them. He's more serpentine and long like an oriental dragon or some Central American imagery than the dragon of Europe. Lucifer is curious about the dragon this human might be talking about and he has nothing to occupy his day at the moment.

Caleb raises an eyebrow more amused than annoyed or afraid. He has faced down gods, dragons and wizards and little scares him anymore. "Have you seen a creature named Mollymauk around recently," he asks, "six feet tall, purple with horns, very colorfully dressed. "That is the friend who asked me to come...I believe if I find him I will find the creature he spoke to me about."

"I have not." Lucifer stands and shakes out his feathers to get them all to lay flat. "I have heard of a being with this shape coming to the plaza from my companions."

Surely, they could find this other person. Lucifer is bored and feeling generous, a disposition that is becoming more common as he spends time in the Nexus.

"A dragon? you mean like the big scary scaley types? Or the puff the magic dragon types? Or would it just be a big lizard?" Rayan's seen real dragons before, and well there was that alien one she met before... and of course some of the conspiracy theorists insist that the dragons in history were probably Dinos.

"I am not sure," Caleb replied with a slight smile, "my friend who sent me the message...we come from a world where dragons are real so he is using what he knows to describe what he does not." He chuckles quietly. "If that makes sense."

A creature swims into view, from where she was camouflaged not long ago across the street from the tavern. She sure looks draconic, spiky and scaly, all white. There are no wings, though, and lucky for everyone she does not breathe fire, or ice, or plasma, or anything but air.

She has a sign, an erasable whiteboard, which she holds up. It reads It me! With a smiley face below it. Then she pauses, makes a couple changes to the board, and holds it up again.

The smiley face is now a stick figure with horns and a tiefling's tail.

Caleb smiles and moves closer to study the board then nods with a soft chuckle. "That is a very good drawing of Molly," he says as he kneels down. "Hello there," he adds his quiet voice carrying a musical accent that rolls and floats certain words and letters. He is dressed in a loose white shirt, dark pants and leather boots with a simple purple coat over it all. His burnished hair is pulled back in a ponytail and his hands are scarred and callused speaking of an interesting life. His eyes are a bright blue and carry a spark of curiosity in them.

"I think I can see why Molly wanted my help," he says as he pulls a leather bound book out of his coat pocket along with a pen and begins to write and sketch. "You wish to be better able to communicate with the residents here, yes?"

Her head tilts, body language notably quizzical. How odd, to be spoken to so gently. Even when she was a hatchling, there was an awful lot of yelling around her. Stressed human voices: it's too strong for this enclosure! get the tranq!. But that's over now.

She is well over five meters tall when standing up, but since he's knelt down to appear less threatening, she decides to do the same, settling on her belly almost like a broody hen, except for the clawed arms folded in front of her. She sets her chin on the ground and chuffs, like a tiger.

Yes. Writing too slow. She scribbles on the board.

Caleb nods as he works. "I can help with that," he says, "I am a man with some talent...and I can use those talents to help you and am more than happy to do so." He's being modest and he knows Molly would dispute this, but he also knows not every world has magic and he doesn't want to spook the creature just yet and ruin the fragile trust they have growing.

She is willing to trust that his intentions are good--partly that comes from exposure to Molly, who took her shopping of all things and who also has horns and a tail and is therefore more dinosaur like than most of the people around here. Caleb is clearly his pack, so he must be okay-ish, right?

Magic talent? Does it hurt? Whether she means to ask if it hurts him or if it will hurt her is hard to tell, but it's probably worth having a discussion.

I am Indominus Rex. You can call me Queen for short.

Caleb thought about how to answer the question. "Magic can hurt in the wrong hands," he admits, "but I only use my abilities to help and protect....I have seen what magic can do in the wrong hands and I will not repeat those mistakes."

Did Caleb need his personal space? Nah, that was clearly open space for a tiefling to just drape against his shoulder, arms slinging around him. Molly had been ambling out of the tavern just in time to see his favorite wizard, just beaming at him.

"I was wondering when you'd show up!" He enthused, clearly pleased to see Caleb. "I did discover that Queen isn't a dragon! She's a dinosaur... an... Indoormouse Rex, I think she wrote?"

Caleb smiles slightly when Molly being Molly becomes a wizard blanket. "I came as quickly as I could," he says, his face a bit pink. "I have met...Queen..and I think I can help her. It will take some time to create the right spell, but I think I can do it with ease."

Caleb turns slightly so he can better look Molly over and for a moment a look of deep relief crosses his face and then it is gone. He leans in to press a gentle kiss to the tiefling's mouth. "It is good to see you Molly," he says.

"I thought as much!" Molly enthused, quite happy to remain like a clingy limpet as long as Caleb would allow. "As clever as you are with magic I figured you would absolutely be the best choice to solve her issue."

And pay no mind to the faint flush that creeps over his face at that kiss. Even if it remains as his smile slips to something a bit more gentle and fond. "And you. Frumpkin is wonderful company, but no replacement."

Caleb smiles his focus completely on Molly now. "I am sorry I have not been able to get away....teaching has kept me busy and then Jester, Fjord and Kingsley came to visit...and Essek too."

He has missed Molly very much...he would move to the Nexus if he could, but he knows he has a life on Wildmount too. "I am glad sending Frumpkin has worked out."

Molly certainly wouldn't mind Caleb living in the Nexus. But at the same time, he knows their friends adore him too. That Caleb has a life of his own to live. So long as the wizard continued to visit, to send Frumpkin, the tiefling would deal with the time apart.

"Well, I'll just keep sending you obnoxious pictures and texts." He decided, all but basking in Caleb's attention. "Frumpkin is a delight. Not sure he's especially fond of the pumpkins but they can't climb, so he has plenty of ways to avoid them."

The pumpkins on the other hand seemed to like him, even if Barbar was as usual, especially aggressive with their affections.

Caleb chuckled. "Jester almost heard my Point chime and was curious about it," he says, smiling at the memory. "She actually asked if I had a secret lover...." He shakes his head. "She was not entirely wrong.

"Oh Caleb, a secret rendezvous? How scandalous, I love it." Molly couldn't help but laugh, giving the wizard's ponytail a playful tweak.

Caleb chuckles again and runs a hand along one of Molly's horns toying with one of the decorations. "I cannot exactly explain where I will go when I visit you...it would make no sense to our friends even with everything they have seen and done."

Caleb ducks his head. "and for once I want something that is simply mine."

Molly certainly doesn't mind that, tilting his head into the feel of the hand, with the faintest hint of a purr under his chuckle.

"Well, I'm all yours, Mister Widogast."

Caleb leans in to steal a deeper kiss. "Good, because it has been far too long since I was last with you...and I do not find myself in the mood to discuss magic."

As if the tiefling would complain about that, more than willing to allow and return that kiss with a pleased hum.

"No magic? Positively shocking, though it does do wonders for my ego."

Caleb laughs as he pulls away to breathe. "We have been apart for months Molly and the last time we were together so many delightful things happened I wish to repeat. It has been a very long time since I wanted such things and I am a selfish man."

"I can't say I'd mind myself," Molly hummed, teasingly kissing the tip of Caleb's nose when he draws back. "If that makes one selfish then we can be selfish together, hm?"

Caleb chuckles low and leans in to nip at Molly's ear lightly. "Then perhaps we should find somewhere a bit more quiet..."

"Back to my apartment then?" Molly replied with a grin, offering an arm in a playfully gallant manner.

Caleb chuckles as he takes Molly's arm. "Lead on good sir," he replies, reaching over to tweak a pointed ear lightly.

"You're a menace." Says the King of Menaces, though he's smiling as he says it, happily guiding his wizard back towards the apartment he'd claimed. Caleb could certainly hear the noise already, of the trio of pumpkins bumping around in the living room, likely because they'd heard the footsteps.

Barbar complete with a cover that made him look like a fluffy sheep, naturally immediately charged Molly's feet the second the door was open.

Caleb looked down and bursted out laughing at the sheep pumpkin. He is suddenly reminded of his own sheep related adventures and it's brought on the giggles. "Oh Pelor," he says once he can finally talk again, "That certain is interesting." He snaps his fingers and Frumpkin appears with a pop. The fey cat stares at the pumpkins thoughtfully as he debates if he can play with it or not.

Molly can't help but smile wider at the response Barbar gets, nudging the pumpkin back just enough to get the pair inside and the door shut without pinching the poor things stem.

"I saw the wooly fabric and well it works!" The tiefling smiles down at the cat as Frumpkin pops into existence. "Hullo there ser Frump. Watch the fluffy one, he plays a bit rough, but the others are gentle enough."

Frumpkin would find plenty of vertical shelves either way, to get up out of range of pumpkin carnage if he decided against tangling with the trio, including several little bridges and napping spots mounted along walls especially for him when either Caleb came over or sent Frumpkin on his own.

Caleb smiled pleased at the cat gym for Frumpkin. "Go on and play," he tells his familiar gently, "I know you wish too and I have been a bit busy lately." The cat meows and bats at one of the pumpkins with no claws to see what would happen. Caleb turns back to Molly. "It is very cute...Jester would love it," he says still smiling, "all she wanted to do when I accidentally became a sheep was pet me...once they stopped me from floating away."

Gordie wasn't expecting the soft pap, rocking back slightly in an expression of surprise before it bumpily rolled a bit closer, gently bonking against Frumpkins flank before bouncing off again in an invitation to chase.

"I bet you made an especially fluffy sheep," Molly mused, an arm winding around his waist. "But I prefer you like this, big surprise there."

The cat zips off with a happy meow as Caleb smiles to see it. "I did indeed...orange wool and all," he mutters hugging Molly close and leaning in to nip his ear, "for a moment I was as colorful as you."

"Oh as if you don't shine in your own magical way." Molly hummed in a playful but genuine reply. He was no scholar himself, but the wizard's intellect was positively dazzling even to him.

And if that nip earned a soft chuckle and an arm slipped back around him again, well the tiefling was a clingy sort.

Caleb looks at Molly and his eyes shine with pleasure. "There would have been a time I would have denied what you just said," he replied, "but I have made my peace with my past and I can accept the compliment for what it is dear Molly."

"But I believe we are here for more than just to praise each other yes...so why don't you tell me what you want."

"Well I'm quite happy I don't have to bully you into being complimented at least." Molly teased lightly as he used the arm around Caleb to lead the way back down the hall.

"I figure we start with a little peace and quiet from the pumpkins and Frumpkin, and go from there?" The room wasn't too different than the last time Caleb had seen- a few more throw pillows and blankets in a riot of colors and patterns, more clothing packing the wardrobe and new knick-knacks scattered on surfaces.

The big difference being that Molly had finished painting one of the walls, a wandering mural of patterns and colors more than any particular portrait or landscape. But sharp eyes would pick up the shine of different finish, and Caleb would certainly recognize the gleaming edges of a unpleasantly familiar cityscape, picked out carefully in a gloss finish that was utterly invisible if not for the catch of light from the window.

Caleb does indeed notice the mural. He's seen enough of that city to notice. For a moment he goes completely still as he looks it over as his quick mind works out what this might mean and what he should do about it. He had been afraid of losing Molly to Luican....even though he knows how the whole thing turns out. He isn't ready to let Molly go again...he is sure he will never be ready for that. "This is new," he mutters quietly, "what made you paint this."

The way Caleb stops so utterly gives Molly pause, brows furrowing a bit with concern. Something about it, about the soft tone the question was asked in made him uncertain, looking at the wall with a curious eye, trying to see whatever it was that Caleb had in the swirls of colors and lines.

"The patterns? Well, I felt like the wall needed something, and I couldn't settle on like... a landscape or anything so went with patterns. Just painted what I liked."

Caleb doesn't answer right away. He doesn't like the idea that Aeor is something Molly knows about and likes....even if he isn't completely aware of why it's important. He takes a deep breath and turns back to Molly trying to shut out the image behind him. He knows he cannot stop the march of time....what will happen will happen....and he has dealt with the hurt before and will deal with it again.

"It is....nice," he says quietly.

Molly pauses, studying the wizard a long moment. He's not the smartest tiefling to grace the world, but something is clearly bothering Caleb.

"Are you alright?" He can't help but glance back at the wall, as if trying to discern something in the colors or swirls that might have caused some manner of upset.

Caleb nods. "I am fine Molly," he replies easily, "I thought I saw something familiar in the mural...I believe I was wrong though..." He had to have been seeing things....his clear memory playing tricks on him as his worries came to the fore.