[EDEL PRP] Chibi is not Chibi Anymore [Ankou/Tian Yue]

[A Wandering Esper]

Ankou couldn't help it - he laughed at that, unusually warmly. It was evident he was completely at ease around the dragon, one of the very few individuals he was actually completely at ease with. "As if having a temple meant being bolted into it." After speaking, though, he stopped to think. "...Though, that certainly wouldn't be beyond Toki to try it."

Nothing against the aoide himself, of course, but Ankou was glad he was not the one to have to put up with him. Jinx could be bad enough, at times.

Of course, he couldn't imagine himself having a temple, so this was very much a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

[Sosiqui]

"Of course not, but - well. There are other reasons, too." Tian Yue tilted his head back and looked at the empty sky. "Tien Lung's temple of old was set between the stars. I went there... once. Just once, in this life. A beautiful place. Gone now, I am sure... it was mine, and Universe's. Always shared." He looked down at Ankou again, a wistful expression on his face. "It doesn't feel right to have such a place alone. We are different, we Dragon Kings. Specific in duty and in purpose, embodying nothing save that duty. I shared what was his, really."

[A Wandering Esper]

Ankou followed the dragon's gaze to the empty sky, and then nodded, letting his eyes fall closed. Some part of him wondered why it was still blank, empty... If there had been something in the work that they had done that hadn't been right... But, no, they hadn't been the only ones tasked with assembling pieces of this massive puzzle. If a task similar to the one they had undertook had gone to another... He could see what would take so long.

He had to trust that if something else, if he was needed for anything else... he would know.

He did finally open his eyes again, returning to the here and now. "I wish I could say I understood. But..." Of course he didn't, not really. He was not a King, not one of Tian Yue's brothers. Likewise, the Worldshield would likely be unable to truly grasp what it was to be him.

"I hope they are well." He added, belatedly. "Your brothers."

[Sosiqui]

"They are well," Tian Yue said, smiling again; this time the expression was more fond, less sad. "I had missed them, terribly - only nine of us in all of Creation. For so long it seemed like Zhijian and I were the only ones left... it is good, very good, to see them." For a moment, a fierce pride filled the Dragon King - followed by the spark of an idea. Just a faint flame, and yet...

"I think... that perhaps a temple isn't exactly what I want," he said, slowly.

[A Wandering Esper]

"I certainly have enough of one brother." He said, his expression turning impish. "Im not sure what ill'd do with eight. Go crazy, maybe." Though, some days, maybe Nergal did count as eight.

The thought was amusing.

He calmed when the dragon voiced his thought, however, turning more curious than anything else. "Do you have an idea ?" There was no harm in asking - if it was too personal, Tian Yue simply would not tell him any of it, and that would be that.

[Sosiqui]

"An observatory. A place of learning, a place of remembering... of honoring the stars, once our Lord creates a new sky. Even if they are dead things, we can still delight in them... if not as wholly." His smile tilted towards sad once more. "A place where mortals can learn duty and honor as truly as any Dragon King."

[A Wandering Esper]

"You realize you'll probably have to kick Akakios out every night, right ?" That did seem to be his nephew's cup of tea, so to speak. "It does sound like a good idea, really. A place of learning. I can see you in this." It was odd, and strangely disconcerting, that there were very likely mortals that were born and had never seen a sky. That wouldn't know what a star was.

It was Ankou's turn to somber.

[Sosiqui]

Tian Yue chuckled. "That wouldn't be a bad thing, in my opinion. I'm rather fond of my godchildren. The observatory part, of course, will come later... when there is something to observe. I hope that time comes soon. Our own undertaking must have been only a part of what was needed..."

[A Wandering Esper]

"Clearly you've never picked up after Hurricane Sotiris." There was amusement in his voice - he wasn't completely serious. He did care for his nephews and niece dearly.

"Creation spoke of other pieces, didn't he ?" He remembered that, quite clearly. "If others had gotten similar tasks than our own..."

Well, Tian Yue had done pretty much all the work, in his opinion, and so it felt alien to call it 'our'. No amount of being told otherwise would change his mind, apparently. "We can only trust that if we are needed further, we will know of it."

[Sosiqui]

"No, I haven't - but that cleaning up would keep Toki nicely busy. I see no downside," the Dragon King teased. "And - no doubt He would. He would tell my brothers and I for sure, for we are sworn to see to His every command, moreso even than other deities. I know He moves, but such things are mysterious even to me. The Twin Crown can be unknowable when He so chooses."

[A Wandering Esper]

Ha, of course Tian Yue wouldn't see a downside to this. But having six deities living in his close space for months had had been just a bit frustrating on him. Issue of space, for the most part - it had felt like he couldn't do two steps without tripping on a child.

Or a cat.

Ankou was still a little clueless about Echo's love of cats.

"Well, then." He poked at the dragon's shoulder with the tip of one wing. "Nothing else to do but go on until things are ready, then."

[Sosiqui]

"Go on, and attempt to stop Toki from building me some kind of terrible... thing. I don't entirely trust his taste... oh, excuse me," he added dryly, poking back at the offending wing. "I seem to have walked into one of your appendages."

[A Wandering Esper]

"Not my problem~" Thankfully. For which, Ankou or Toki... well, it was debatable.

"Wing, thank you." He corrected in mock-affront. "And I poked you with it, you did not walk into it, thank you."

[Sosiqui]

"Is it tasty?" He snapped his teeth at it, though it looked quite a bit sillier in human shape than it did in dragonform - then again, if he transformed, he might accidentally snap up all of Ankou instead of just the wingtip.

[A Wandering Esper]

The wing did retreat back, mostly pure reflex than any conscious decision from the god who bore them. "Certainly not, silly dragon. Can't you recognize tasty when you see it ? Beside, you break my wings, you get to carry me everywhere."

Everywhere being literal in this case. He hadn't reached out too far, just yet, but.. he would.