Come on wuss it's just a door

[poll_the_stars]

Avetlarinyarenesaar... Is currently trying to force herself to walk another few steps. She hasn't managed it, yet. Her reason for stopping was perfectly ordinary - check the address, make sure it was correct, be sure she was in the right place. She'd been quite sure, but there wasn't any downside to double checking, so she double checked. And triple checked. She stopped herself from quadruple checking, but she wanted to anyway. To - be sure that she was right. Yes. Not because she was procrastinating, or nervous, or thinking what am I going to say? She wanted to be sure that she was right.

Well. She's right. She checked three times, there's no doubt to it.

"Look," she mutters to herself, "I get it, it's scary, but deal. You are not allowed to - to -" To what? Go home? Maybe try to work up the courage later? Maybe try and avoid the shren house like so many other dragons?

It was a door. It's idiotic to be afraid of a door. Sure, there were shrens on the other side of it, but there could conceivably be shrens on the other side of lots of doors, some of them were in hiding, hair dye existed. Subtle colors existed. She could have been near shrens any number of times.

That - did not actually make her fear go away. Instead it makes her want to curl up in her little apartment and not go outside again.

Great. Okay. Stop that train of thought, it's not useful. If she stands here any longer, people are going to stare. (Is that person over there staring? Probably. Damn.) Just - door. Go. Walk.

She forces herself to walk to the door, somewhat stiffly. And then she is at the door. ... Does she knock? Does she just open it and go in? She has no idea. It's customary to knock, so... She takes a deep breath and does so. Resisting the urge to flee and teleport away (or scamper into the bushes) isn't easy, but she manages it.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

Ehail nods and teleports away. She is back a couple degrees later with some notes, which she offers to Avet.

[poll_the_stars]

"Thanks." Avet looks them over.

"You haven't analyzed any dragons with this," she observes. "... Do you want to fix that? Right now?"

[alicornucopia]

"Okay."

Ehail casts her analysis carefully and squints at Avet.

[poll_the_stars]

Avet holds still and resists the urge to ask a thousand questions.

[alicornucopia]

"You have a little bit more magic than a shren," says Ehail. "And it doesn't... wobble."

[poll_the_stars]

"... That. I wonder if that's it. Shrens - aren't missing any dragon abilities but flight in natural form, right? Nothing obscure that I'm not aware of? All forms present and accounted for?"

[alicornucopia]

"Right. Well. White-groups don't have group abilities."

[poll_the_stars]

Avet winces. "Yes, right, for - obvious reasons."

She looks at Ehail. "You know the obvious thing to do with this is to go analyze baby dragons," she points out. "Do you want me to send you notes on things I find with your analysis? I'll credit you for it, or - er, leave you anonymous if you'd like. Or - actually, are you okay with me running off cackling with your darling analysis to analyze everything even vaguely dragon-like?"

[alicornucopia]

"You can analyze anyone you like with it," says Ehail. "I'd - I'd appreciate copies of further notes you make, of course. But I haven't been able to, myself, you understand -"

[poll_the_stars]

"Yes," she says, realizing the obvious implications. "I'll - send you all of my notes. What's your line name, I'll mail you religiously."

[alicornucopia]

"I'm just Ehail."

[poll_the_stars]

"Oh."

Avet looks at Ehail. She realizes the other obvious implications.

"... I - sorry. I'm sorry, I'm a social klutz, I um. Sorry."

[alicornucopia]

Shrug.

[poll_the_stars]

Awkward, tentative smile. Avet wants vaguely to hug Ehail, but she's pretty sure that is a Bad Idea. So she doesn't offer.

"So, uh, I'll send you updates. Do you want me to mention your name when I say who's responsible for the analysis, or remain anonymous? I won't take credit for your work..."

[alicornucopia]

"You don't have to mention me. There's no point."

[poll_the_stars]

"I don't want to take credit for your work," says Avet, more gently. "It's - wrong." She uses the draconic word for morally wrong and also a bad idea. Draconic: convenient like that. "But I'll leave you anonymous? If anyone asks?"

[alicornucopia]

"Okay."

[poll_the_stars]

Avet makes a complicated face at Ehail.

"I would happily write your name on a giant banner and wave it around like a madwoman while loudly proclaiming that you invented your fancy spell," she says, lightly. "If you wanted me to. But you don't seem to? Or am I misreading you?"

[alicornucopia]

Blink. "Why - would I want you to do that?"

[poll_the_stars]

"Well, I don't know, I wouldn't want anyone to do it for me, but if you wanted me to I would."

[alicornucopia]

"Please don't."

[poll_the_stars]

"I will not," she promises.

[alicornucopia]

"Thank you."

[poll_the_stars]

"You're welcome. But, seriously, if you want credit, by name, I will give you credit, by name, and then glare at any dragon that scoffs at it and then ask them if they would like to keep letting their children die because a shren invented the spell that maybe might help stop it."

[alicornucopia]

"I don't - no, please."