Do not mock the humble survey

[poll_the_stars]

Avet... has found herself annoyed. She has only one form. This isn't the problem, but this is what led to her noticing the problem. There is no way to preview what a dragon will look like. There are species books of birds and bugs and animals - but some of them are sub-par on noting where the dragon's colors go, and miscellaneous gods that she doesn't worship help you if you want to see what your color will look like on the form.

She is going to solve this problem. By taking some surveys. As in, grab photo paper, gather up a list of lines to go visit, and then knock on some doors and ask some questions and create a book series that organizes all possible forms, all known forms, what known lines look like in the forms - that sort of thing.

She starts with blue groups, because blue groups have the most available forms - she's gotten all of the big lines (well, all of the big lines that gave her the time of day) and is on the smaller ones. The ones with only one or two people. Or, in some cases, none.

This particular one's easier than some others; she doesn't need to fly to another country. It's Esmaar. She flies to the address of one 'Avar,' no line name. Apparently he had one and had some kind of explosive spat about it and gave it up. Not that it's her business. He's just another person for her survey.

She knocks on his door.

Comments

[middlingalong]

And a dragon who could be anywhere between the ages of two hundred and four thousand opens the door. "Why hello."

[poll_the_stars]

"Hello. I'm doing a survey on forms and what to expect when shifting. Do you have a few degrees?"

(It's probably a good thing she has her empathy turned down, not that she's aware of that...)

[middlingalong]

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

[poll_the_stars]

"I'll need your name, a list of all of your forms, and with your permission, photos of all of them."

[middlingalong]

"I'm Aurinpardamlysalavid," says Aurin. "I've got this and a booted eagle. What's your name?"

[poll_the_stars]

"Avetlarinyarenesaar," she says, writing his name down. "Nice to meet you. Are you a parunia...?"

[middlingalong]

"I'm not, but my dad was, and he didn't have any other dragon kids."

[poll_the_stars]

She nods, and writes this down in a section that is really not meant for that. "And, may I take a picture of you...?"

[middlingalong]

"Sure." He provides a winning smile.

[poll_the_stars]

She smiles back, and takes a picture. "Thank you. And now the eagle form too, if you would please?"

[middlingalong]

He shifts. Eagle with feathery legs.

[poll_the_stars]

Picture!

"Thank you very much. Would you like a copy of the book once I finish it? I warn you, it'll likely take a while to finish."

[middlingalong]

"I'd love one. I'd offer to get you my mother to interview, but she's at work right now. Should I expect you back another time?"

[poll_the_stars]

"Sure. Any idea when she'll be back? I can come by then."

[middlingalong]

"Today, just after dinner, maybe thirteenth-and-naught."

[poll_the_stars]

"All right." She writes down Aurin's name on her (now very long) list of people who want her book. She smiles at Aurin. "Then if there's nothing else...?"

[middlingalong]

"Assuming you just want to get back to your survey, no."

[poll_the_stars]

... Eyebrow raise. What?

[middlingalong]

Smile?

[poll_the_stars]

Okay she has no idea what's going on. Empathy, help.

[middlingalong]

[poll_the_stars]

Oh. That's a proposition. Uh.

She coughs. "Um. You are very handsome and probably have a lovely personality but I'm not really the - casual fling type. Sorry."

[middlingalong]

Shrug. "Okay. Mother'll be back this evening." He is the very mildly disappointed of someone who does this all the time and runs into people who aren't up for it all the time.

[poll_the_stars]

Meanwhile, she's awkward as hell. At least he's not a green group.

"Sure. Thank you for your time."

And away she teleports!

[middlingalong]

When she comes back, Aurin's mother answers the door and gives her own name and forms.