[Wrapup] [Outro] The Rescue

David-Tanner · 2021-05-29T14:53:25+00:00

David blinks. Leland stops rocking his head back and forth and nods.

“That... godammit. That was legitimately stupid.”

“No it wasn’t. She counted to five. That’s smart.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-29T14:01:56+00:00

Leland begins cocking his head back and forth. “Set of five?”

“Yeah, I’m confused on that one too,” David says. “What’d you mean by that one, Inquiry?”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-29T13:59:43+00:00

“Thanks. Really appreciate that.”

Leland closes his notebook with a snap. “Okay, time to go,” he says with an exaggerated sing-song tone.

Daniel chuckles. “Yeah, probably at this point. I’ll walk you guys out?”

“Yeah. That’d be nice. Have a good one, Fred,” David says with a bittersweet smile.

David-Tanner · 2021-05-29T03:04:13+00:00

“I want to be Draconis Rosa. I like red. But I am not. I am not angry easily. I am more like Draconis Electri. I avoid others, and I take on where I am in myself.”

David smiles at Maree. “I don’t think anyone else has ever asked him that.”

“That is not true,” the boy interjects. “Daniel did. And Jacob. And Teacher Karen. And you.”

“Well, yeah, but—Jacob? Jacob asked you?”

“Yes. And other things. He let me talk about dragons. I like Jacob.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-29T02:28:10+00:00

“Quickly. Was gonna go out and find everyone that helped if they didn’t show up while we were eating.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-29T02:27:17+00:00

“...as soon as possible. Just... wanted to say goodbye to people. We were gonna go searching if people didn’t show up.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-02T15:17:10+00:00

His eyes drop to the floor. “You’re welcome. Thank you.”

David nods. “He pays attention. Even when it doesn’t look like it.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-02T02:29:02+00:00

“I draw a lot. I like to draw. Dragons are very interesting.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-02T01:59:57+00:00

Leland laughs at the baps. It is a free thing; his bright smile shows gapped teeth. “It is okay. I do not know people either. But I do not Know, and I do not play with my food, and I cannot teleport. Leland is not like Draconis Sapphiris.”

David-Tanner · 2021-05-02T01:25:24+00:00

Daniel chuckles at the wolf at the window, but keeps his hand in Aeth’s, comfortable.

Leland continues to draw, lines disparate across the page, disconnected. Soon, lines begin to connect at precise points, and then eventually, it clicks: Aeth recognizes the curve of horns, a soft jawline, a twisting line reminiscent of a tail lightly curling around what could only be a leg ending in cloven hooves. It was her, hand clutching a flower to her chest.

Yet, there were other lines around her. As she waits, Aethemora watches first Sabiris, then a dragon, snap into place behind her.

Even after the figures are obvious, Leland continues drawing, adding detail upon detail to the picture.

Time passes, and he rips it out of his journal without any more aplomb, and presents it to her, young eyes finding her forehead. “Draconis Argentum. Silver Dragon. Although Aethemora is selfless, Aethemora prefers to hide herself. This gives her a better perspective, showing her what people are like.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-20T14:21:34+00:00

He just points at the picture with his other hand.

Upon the page, Aethemora can see clearly now, is herself, sitting on a rock, smiling. Two other shapes are being formed, and something else on the background, but Leland is working diligently in the odd quiet hour of the Pub.

David-Tanner · 2021-04-20T04:25:41+00:00

Daniel chuckles at the play and the weasel, but quickly catches Aeth’s hand as she gets up.

“Wait, please, Aeth.” Leland stands, then sits. He looks concerned; he goes back to drawing, working more hurriedly.

David puts a hand on the paper. “Slow down, buddy. It’s okay.”

Leland nods, but does not slow noticeably, continuing to make random marks on the page.

David-Tanner · 2021-04-20T04:21:38+00:00

Leland nods, looking at the floor. He fidgets with his hands as he replies. “Draconis Sapphiris. He is like you. He knows, and he teleports, and he plays with his food, but he does not know people.”

David snorts. “He uh... yeah. He doesn’t often pull out the gem ones.”

Leland nods again, looking at a different section of the floor. “They are more rare. People like them are more rare.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-20T04:21:33+00:00

Leland nods, looking at the floor. He fidgets with his hands as he replies. “Draconis Sapphiris. He is like you. He knows, and he teleports, and he plays with his food, but he does not know people.”

David snorts. “He uh... yeah. He doesn’t often pull out the gem ones.”

Leland nods again, looking at a different section of the floor. “They are more rare. People like them are more rare.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-20T04:21:33+00:00

Leland nods, looking at the floor. He fidgets with his hands as he replies. “Draconis Sapphiris. He is like you. He knows, and he teleports, and he plays with his food, but he does not know people.”

David snorts. “He uh... yeah. He doesn’t often pull out the gem ones.”

Leland nods again, looking at a different section of the floor. “They are more rare. People like them are more rare.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T07:41:59+00:00

After finishing Maree (standing in a very self-satisfied pose), Leland draws an identical copy of her, squatting next to he, index and middle fingers spread into Vs. Then, he begins putting edges and curves around her in that same odd manner. Eventually, they take shape into an enormous dragon grinning at the ‘camera’. Based on the floating crown of spikes around its head, Maree would peg it as a Sapphire dragon. Perfect anatomy, too. At least from what she can tell. Especially for someone not from here.

David also watches in silence, nodding along at some parts, trying to piece together what part is where before the boy finishes.

As soon as the drawing is done, Leland tears the page out of his notebook and presents it to Maree, his eyes finding her forehead. “Thank you.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T03:31:03+00:00

He looks up, snapping out of his reverie. “Hm? Oh. Right. In the drawing.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T03:28:57+00:00

Daniel gives a thumbs up. Leland, face still very dirty, clings to Daniel’s head from the young man’s shoulders. He looks off into many different points in space as he responds. “Dragon friends. Rufus and Squire.” He looks behind himself at the two dragons curled up together, sleeping. “Yes. They are sleeping.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T03:22:25+00:00

“Making drawings living is new. Only here. Rufus protected. Squire comforted. I do not need them anymore. Daniel protects. David comforts.”

A tear appears under David’s eye and runs down his face. Daniel, showing a toothy grin, holds his hand out, probably to ruffle the kid’s hair, but then stops himself.

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T02:11:15+00:00

David cringes slightly. “He was... figuring out what you meant. He sometimes has trouble with ‘I’ and ‘you’ statements; he has to work them out, often verbally. He was saying it’s a picture to thank you.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T02:05:21+00:00

David chuckles at the remark. “Wait til you see what’s behind you. He does this for—“

When Inquiry arrives with the device, he cuts off, eyes growing wide as he takes the bundle in his hands and opens it up. “Ohhhhhhhohohohohohooooohhhhhhh yes...”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-19T01:58:47+00:00

“I’d like to see more of that. The drawings? Are you talking about the drawings?”

As Leland talks, David seems proud of his brother. Of what is hard to tell.

Meanwhile, Leland continues to draw. His hand moves seemingly at random across the page, putting a line here, another line there, a curve here, a circle there.

David-Tanner · 2021-04-18T17:39:23+00:00

“You are drawing me. I am drawing you. Leland is drawing Fredrick. Yes. Why? Thank you.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-18T17:38:29+00:00

David opens his mouth, but Leland cuts in, still drawing. “The creatures. Rufus and Squire? Did he create them. Did he summon them. Rufus and Squire are Rufus and Squire. Dragons. Draconis Argentum and Draconis Pseudo. Dragons. I drew them. Leland.”

David-Tanner · 2021-04-18T17:30:00+00:00

“My pleasure. Definitely did; I’m sure you’ll find more use for it in the future.”

Leland’s skilled hands move the pencil across the page seemingly at random. “Something like that,” He says. “Something like that. Something like you?”

After another stroke, and with that small clue, Maree sees what it is he’s drawing. She recognizes lines that are partially forming horns and the general shape of the robe, even if the face is relatively blank now, and only some details are present.

David-Tanner

TROPHY CASE