[Edel PRP] Learning to Wait (Alice/Xun)

[Meepfur]

It was a strange situation Alice now found herself in - beyond strange, really, when one got down to the details - dying, essentially, and knowing it. What did one do in the meantime, while waiting for a goddess to assume control of their body and consume their soul? While it had been her choice, the very concept remained somehow disturbing. The implications, the eventualities...thoughts she dismissed over and over again, not liking to think over them. They were useless, a waste of time - something now limited. But what was there to do? It wasn't like she'd ever formulated one of those ridiculous 'bucket lists,' and even if she had, she likely wouldn't have been able to do much of it. Places to go, things to see that probably didn't even exist anymore. She wondered, often, what had become of the Castle, of her friends, but could only assume that her home was no more; she could only hope that her friends were safe, somewhere. Somehow.

For the moment, however, she had found distraction. If she was going to die, she might as well enjoy herself a little, and to that end, she had found herself a furry friend: a dog, some large and scruffy stray that was still young enough for her to 'adopt' with relative ease. Kyrjadis did not precisely approve, since the animal would doubtlessly outlive Alice, but she said little on the matter. She could hardly begrudge her host the comfort of a pet...at least it was only one. The woman plainly adored dogs, it was clear from her memory, both recent and far-past. If it made her feel more at home, she was welcome to it.

Her host was, at present, playing some haphazard game of tag with the brindle canine, alternating between chasing and being chased through the gardens of the Pantheon.

[Zero Dream]

Alice wasn't alone, through the other hadn't seemed to have taken notice of her yet. It was, perhaps, a walking contradiction.

The two had met, yet they hadn't. Not like this, at any rate.

In ways the form was familiar - perched on top of a rock, balancing with an elven ease, twilight-colored skin and long ears. In ways, they were completely different - eyes turned different shades of blue rather than silver, purple hair that once was kept in a near braid now tinted with deep blue and resembling more a mane than anything else. To say nothing of the wings and the tail - the latter currently dipping in the water of the pool, as if to test it's temperature.

Getting clothed was an achievement in itself, and he had simply overlooked it for the most part - a very simple shirt and pants with carefully cut holes, which made no effort to hide the body's gender at all.

It all seemed a moot point, through, because it all got wet a second later, when the dragon let himself slide down in the water.

[Meepfur]

With all the water around the Pantheon, Alice should have seen it coming, that the dog would go diving in sooner or later. Sooner, it turned out. He ran into the very same water the Dragon King now occuppied, although he didn't notice immediately. He was too busy splashing and bark bark barking at Justice's host. Wouldn't she chase him into here? It would be fun!

No such luck. The woman was too busy staring at the now-vacant rock. Someone had been on that a second ago, and they'd looked a little familiar. She stopped near the edge of the water, breathing quickly after her run, and waited for the person in question to resurface.

The mutt trotted merrily through the shallows, jumping and whapping at her with a mucky paw. Alice fended him off with a wordless sound of correction before frowning down at the dirty streak on her shirt. "Not cool, buddy."

[Zero Dream]

At least, Xun Jiang seemed rather amused by his newfound visitor - he watched the dog paddle back and forth from under the water, making sure not to resurface too close to the beast in order not to frighten it. Too much, at least.

Had it been one of his brothers, he might have just pulled them underwater. Fun. Well, fun for the river dragon in his element - probably less fun for the others. Save perhaps Shen, wherever he may be.

Ah, well. There would be ample time for mischief later. Now, he finally noticed that he had company.

The dragon tilted his head to the side, face framed by wet locks of mane-like hair. Wasn't that... Oh, yes ! He remembered her !

Through, it seemed, he'd been right. If he was feeling the mana around her own correctly. "Your dog ?" The voice wasn't Illisia - it was low and soft, akin to gently rolling waves. "Ah... Alice, wasn't it ?"

[Meepfur]

The dog was momentarily surprised by the appearance of someone from under the water, but soon bounded in the stranger's direction until he was in water up to his chest, wagging the fluffy tail he carried arched over his back. Looking from one person to the other, he barked his excitement. Could it be he had two people to play with now?

Oh, it was Illisia! But even as she started to form the name on her lips, she realized that wasn't the case. The sound was wrong, the feel, and she knew enough to know that this was a god now, not the night elf she'd met. Somewhat like David and Glaucon, but without the drama of seeing it happen in front of her.

It took her a moment to answer. "Ah, yeah." To both questions. "I didn't realize Illisia was...well."

A host. Not that she'd quite been aware of them at the time.

[Zero Dream]

...Playful little creature ! Xun's long tail swirled under the water, sending rolling waves at the dog - gentle ones, but teasing. The pup had at least one playmate here !

"That is quite alright." Xun Jiang assured her. "You certainly had greater worries at the time, no ? Through... It seems you have taken one of my brethren as well ?" Not a dragon, no - not that kind of brethren - he was certain that he would have known if she had. There was still one missing... wasn't it ? And he hadn't seen scale or hair from Chien-Tang. Strange for the general to be elusive...

Hn.

[Meepfur]

The dog pounced and 'bit' at the waves, which served the dual purpose of playing and drinking. He was thirsty after all that running! The water was delightfully cool after such exertions.

"Yeah, Justice." Alice still had a somewhat awkward way about her, like a fish out of water as it were. She still wasn't sure what to think about everything, how to deal with these gods, all those things. It was just so weird, even after opting to take one on. How did you talk to someone who used to be someone you knew, but wasn't anymore? "She's a goddess," she clarified after a moment. Since there were, apparently, two of each, and Glaucon was her Other. Her brother.

[Zero Dream]

Xun, for all appearances, didn't have any of those problems - he was addressing the blindfolded girl just as easily as if he had been Illisia.

Which made sense, when you considered that he was, in a way, still Illisia. Still Illisia, but more Xun Jiang. A little complicated, perhaps, and he saw no need to bore her with the details unless she became curious. And she just might !

"Justice, hmm." He pondered out loud, sending more ripples toward the thirsty dog. Good, this was exactly what these waters were there for ! Drinking and bathing. After untold times of not feeling the water rush against his scales (what little he did have now, but, details !), the dragon king wasn't even certain how he was going to willingly extract himself from this lake.

"And a goddess at that..." There was a thoughtful expression on his face, then. "Do you know of her name, yet ? Sometimes it take a few days before we will speak, so close to true death as we were..." He was saddened then, shaking his head slightly. He had no idea how long Alice might have been given the stone holding Justice's essence.

[Meepfur]

After waggling a little more, the dog sat right in the water. Now that he'd stopped for a moment, he was tired!

"Kyrjadis," she answered, pausing a moment to consider what to do next. Apparently the lake was the place to be, but Alice didn't feel like wading in fully-clothed, and certainly not stripping down. Instead, she settled into a cross-legged sit. She'd probably end up wet anyway, once the dog was finished in the water, but at least she wouldn't be sopping. "It's been...a week? Something like that. She doesn't talk much, unless I prompt her."

Which was probably for her benefit as opposed to being the result of lingering weakness, since it weirded the woman out a little.

[Zero Dream]

"Well, some are also less talkative than others." He'd been quiet at first, due to his own weakness - even weaker than normal, thanks to his one failed host - through it looked like this time... He'd gotten it right. They'd gotten it right.

He had no desire to tell Alice of such things, through - his failed rebirth was something he was only comfortable discussing with his brothers, and his master. There was also no need to worry the girl needlessly. It seemed like it was a dragon problem, more than a deity problem.

Hn.

One hand reached out, fingers combing though the dog's wet fur with gentle care. His own, scaly tail, was wiggling back and forth, much like an happy dog's tail might. "If you have any questions, I would be happy to try to answer them, if you'd like." Illisia had sought answers - he figured Alice also might.

[Meepfur]

Alice laughed, though there was little amusement in the sound. "I'm not sure I want to know...or what to ask, even." What's going to happen to me? What will it be like? Those sorts of questions were ever-present, but she knew already that they weren't answerable. Other things, things about this god, were nosy - would it be rude to ask? She was, almost always, concerned about what she should or shouldn't do, and this situation was no different. Something basic to start, then. "What god are you?"

Pettings! The dog wagged his tail, stirring up dirt from the lakebottom, and craned his head around to sniff the god's hand while he petted...and licked it once for good measure.

[Zero Dream]

There wasn't much that Xun would refuse to reveal, really. He was not a perticularly secretive individual, and neither had Illisia been. His previous, failed rebirth was probably the only thing he would not speak about, through how would Alice have known about it ?

So as it was, Alice was rather safe for accidentally stepping on the dragon's tail, so to speak. And her dog certainly seemed to appreciate the petting, and so he continued.

"I am Xun Jiang." He answered. "The Dragon King Ti Lung, Lifewater of Worlds. I rule over the earth's rivers and it's waters." Perhaps she should have asked for the abridged version.

[Meepfur]

A Dragon King? She recalled brief mention of such a thing in Shyamaath's rundown of gods and what went on around here, but to be perfectly honest, she'd started to tune the aoide out after a point. She got that they were important and there were more than one, but that was about the limit of what she'd gathered.

"So you're...what does that entail, exactly?" Alice tended to try and associate the gods she heard about - or in this case, met - to the ones from mythology she was familiar with. Water naturally brought to mind Poseidon, but he'd said rivers, not seas - or was that implied in waters?

[Zero Dream]

Well, he figured that could be pretty unclair to those not used to such thing, really.

"It means that waters on earth are part of my domain." He said, his voice still calm, soothing, and even. He didn't seem to mind having to elaborate early. "From rivers to the most deeply burrowed wellspring you can imagine. Through I am not the god of Water, per-se." He'd heard that one of the pair was around - but where was he ? She ? So far he had found nothing of the reborn water's wereabouts.

"The dragon kings were made differently. There are only nine of us, and we are somewhat different from the other gods by our nature. There is a dragon for the stars, a dragon for the underground, a dragon for rains and storms, one for beasts, one for diplomacy, one for war, and the last two are guardians for the crown himself and the emperess."

[Meepfur]

Alice tilted her head slightly, considering the Dragon King's explanation of his own domain, and the listing of the other dragons. She was finding it easier to pay attention to her - him - than Shyamaath. There was just something about the aoide, almost too enthusiastic, too talkative, too nosy, and Alice was too...private, perhaps? Compared to Shy, anyway.

...and there was that quiet voice, just barely, correcting her. This was a he? He might be a King, but Xun Jiang did not look like a he. Was it only because of Illisia? That had to be awkward.

Uh. Moving on from that. The woman cleared her throat. "So if there's a water god, why is there a water, uh, dragon?"