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

[alicornucopia]

"I thought the name sounded familiar," nods Finnah.

[thisvorlunatic]

"I'm impressed. I wonder if she's going to drown in angry lizards now."

[alicornucopia]

"No idea," giggles Finnah. "You could ask her."

[thisvorlunatic]

"I just might."

[alicornucopia]

"Dear survey dragon. Your vocabulary may be suffering another gap. Lizards."

[thisvorlunatic]

He snickers.

"I'm going to go write her a letter right now."

[alicornucopia]

Finnah leaves him the newspaper and departs, giggling.

[thisvorlunatic]

Mial sits down and composes a letter to Avet.

Hey,

Couldn't help noticing your recent letter to the editor. How many angry dragons have written to you about it so far? It's only been a few days, but lizards move fast.

Mial

[poll_the_stars]

Hey,

Eight, so far. I probably should have expected it. I'm not sure if I should burn them or keep them for comedic value. They're not worth a reply, though the one that invited me to go into my natural form near a shren house was novel.

Avet

[thisvorlunatic]

Hey, at least you're old enough to shift. If you want to go gain a very personal perspective on all of Draconic's problems, I'm not going to stop you.

[poll_the_stars]

Pff. Then how could I go represent dragons that aren't terrible?

[thisvorlunatic]

Somebody has to do it, I guess. Although my dad had it pretty well in hand in his own quiet way before you showed up. He never wrote any angry letters to newspapers, though.

[poll_the_stars]

I see no issue at all with there being two representatives of dragons not being terrible in the world. I can share. You know. If I try.

Yeah uh I lost my temper there, can you tell?

[thisvorlunatic]

I was mildly surprised flames did not rise from the page as I read it.

[poll_the_stars]

It was not for lack of trying. Maybe next time.

[thisvorlunatic]

What, are you going to keep it up? My very own dragon champion?

[poll_the_stars]

Only if you'd like me to.

[thisvorlunatic]

I certainly wouldn't mind. It's a refreshing change from having every public acknowledgement of my existence by a dragon come in the form of berating someone else for publicly acknowledging my existence.

[poll_the_stars]

Makes sense. Well. I wouldn't say I'll be your very own dragon champion, I do not exactly have the free time to always write angry letters to the newspaper defending you, but - yeah. If people keep being stupid at you, I'll probably publicly defend you again.

[thisvorlunatic]

I appreciate it.

How's the survey going?

[poll_the_stars]

The actual survey of it is basically done. Violet groups were a pain - I have a merfolk form entirely because of them - and several shrens think I'm completely insane. Dragons, too. But my 'people that want a copy' list is taller than I am, so I must be doing something right in my insanity.

Now I'm compiling and organizing, because of course I am. It's going to take longer than the survey itself.

[thisvorlunatic]

Well, that sounds fun and exciting. Good luck. How up to date are you on information-handling spells? I could forward you some good ones if you're not already covered.

Also, taller than you are in which form?

[poll_the_stars]

Pretty up to date, but feel free to forward me some good ones in case I missed a few.

Human, thankfully. I shudder at the thought of a list taller than my dragon form.

[thisvorlunatic]

He attaches several (presumably copies of) books to his next letter. Some of them, Avet will have seen before; others are new. All together it's an impressive collection, and definitely an improvement on what she had - some of those books are not widely available.

Hah. A list taller than my natural form wouldn't be that impressive. It's as approximately half-sized as the rest.

Do any of these help?

[poll_the_stars]

Ooo. He has good taste in books. She approves.

Pff. Mine's a normal size, so the list would just be terrifying. Thankfully I'm not two thousand or something. I might want to flee to the moon if that were the case.

Those were incredibly helpful, thank you! I had a lot of those, but not all. I bet you just saved me a month. Maybe two.