[Nexus] Harnel's Plots

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

"I found out when I arrived here. tried to talk to a few nobles about it, but they were eceptionally stubborn." Harnel says, "If that isn't stopped, Cessie may be permanently cut off from returning home."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

"Or she could stay here." Methil replies. "You could too, it's not that bad here. You don't need to live in Hestopia after all, there would be plenty of places you could live without meeting hostility." He suggests as they walk along the half-empty streets.

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

Harnel sighs, "I know. But the reason we were going to stay in the Nexus is because we don't want our children to be stared at or mocked. Or even hunted, in the case of my world. There, they're just more people. Here though... I don't know. They may not like growing up in a place like this. It's something I'd have to discuss with Cessie."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

"I have been around, there are stranger things around here. There are places you would be accepted, sure they might look at you strangely at first but people would eventually get used to it. More importantly, Cessie have her whole family plus friends here. This is where she got married after all, this place still means a great deal to her." Methil says with a shake of his head. "It's unfair you would have to choose but if the suggestion is accepted by the councils you might be forced to."

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

Harnel nods, frowning. He doesn't like the thought of having to make a choice like that.

In an attempt to change the subject, Harnel says, "You know, I can't remember whether I was told if you were married."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

"I was married once, but it didn't work out." Methil freely admits. "I'm looking for someone new if you have any suggestions." He then adds with a soft laugh.

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

"Well, I know plenty of women in the Nexus," Harnel says, smiling, "But of course, that carries the obvious problems."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

"Yeah, I have heard some crazy rumors about nexus women." Methil says with a laugh "But we should get some warm food in our bellies before we go and look up those scholars." Methil tells Harnel as he points out a nearby inn that they just walk by.

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

Harnel's stomach gives a slight growl, which should be audible to Methil, "Yes, I think I could go for some food."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

Once they eaten and warmed up a bit, Methil takes him out on the streets again. "So where do you like to head now?"

[Halae]

[Snpwy Streets]

Harnel ate quite a bit more than probably anybody expected, "Let's head to your place for the night. We can see about contacting the specialists in the morning, I think. It's getting a bit late for us to do that now."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

He might have gotten a look or two from the other guests at the inn but thankfully it doesn't look like anyone inside were an mage that might have felt the illusion.

"I'm currently living with a friend of mine and his wife but I think they'll let you inside as well. They are pretty charitable that way." Methil explains as he start to lead the half-dragon into the richer parts of town.

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

Harnel nods, "Besides, it's only for a night. At most, a few nights, and then I should be on my way."

And we should probably timeskip to their arrival

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

"Yes, with some luck they aren't even home right now." Methil says with a grin.

As they arrive at a large manor hidden away by large now snow-covered fir's which have been planted around it. Closing and locking the gate behind them, the two can enter the manor without anyone greeting them... well, besides two large dogs who comes rushing as soon as the open the door.

They are quite curious about Harnel and start to sniff as they go around in circles around him. "Ah, should have warned you, they get pretty excited with strangers." Methil says with a laugh.

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

Harnel kneels down and starts petting the dogs, grinning. He loved loyal and friendly dogs. He won't even mind if they lick his face, though he'll keep wiping off the slobber, "I'm perfectly fine with that."

[Shadowcaller]

[Snowy Streets]

"Good to hear, they scared the wits out of me first time I visited." Methil says with a smile as she kneels down to pat one of the dogs, scratching it's neck gently. "But it's already pitch black outside so I suppose we should start head to bed." The sun isn't up long around here during the winter apparently. "Unless you have any other ideas of course, it doesn't look they're home at the moment after all. Erlan and Missy, the ones that owe the house probably won't come home until tomorrow at the very least."

Meanwhile the other dog is busy getting itself acquaintance with Harnel by licking his face.

[Halae]

[Snowy Streets]

Harnel rubs the necks of the dogs as well, letting them lick his face as he laughs a bit. Then he stands up, wiping off the slobber, "Let's get inside then, shall we?" and he moves inside. what's the sort of place it is on the inside?

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

Actually, they're already inside the house considering the ones living here aren't keeping their dogs outside during the winter. The place however is sparsely but tastefully decorated with deep-brown colored walls which gives the whole place a timber-cabin feel to it with a few potted plants decorating the vestibule.

It's rather dark inside however, the only light source Harnel will be able to see is the cozy fireplace in the large living room visible from the hall which the two dogs run into, now chasing each other humorously.

"You can take the other guest room, it's just through the hall to the left." Methil explains as he closes the door behind them, shutting off the cold outside. "I think I'm going to get myself a drink, do you want some?"

[Halae]

[Manor]

The tags confused me. I was assuming the dogs had run out to meet the stranger when Methil opened the door. "Sure," he chuckles, "I haven't had a drink in quite a while. Cessie makes a frowny face at me whenever I mention alcohol, and I haven't had the time to go out what with the children."

Something occurs to Harnel "... Unless I'm misunderstanding and you just meant milk or something. Then still yes, but with less assumptions."

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

Methil chuckles, "No, I meant alcohol. Not all of us are afraid of drinking once in a while. Besides, neither of us are sorcerers so the only thing we need to worry about is our host and he already stated it's okay." He says while walking off into what appears to be the stairs down to the cellar. "And it's not every day you meet your brother-in-law after all, so what will it be?" Harnel can hear Methil's downstairs, his voice slowly going fainter.

[Halae]

[Manor]

"I'll have some whiskey or wine will work just fine!" Harnel calls down after him. If the dogs are still around, Harnel will play with them until Methil comes back upstairs.

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

"Whiskey it is!" Methil shouts back, eventually returning with a bottle and two glass. He offers the glass and looks into the half-dragons eyes. "So are you going to show me now?" He asks with the same curiosity he might recognize in his own wife. "Your true self I mean. Without the illusion."

[Halae]

[Manor]

"Sure," Harnel says, seeing that look in Methil's eye. He'll hang up his coat, and then take off the nearly invisible gloves on his hands. once the first glove is off, the magic stops working, and Harnel will return to his normal shape, his clothing adjusting to all for his tail and wings, as well as wrappings for his oddly shaped feet.

He'll take the glass with a smile and wait for Methil to fill it. He acts very casual about the whole thing.

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

Methil takes a step backwards so he can fully take in Harnel's true form. He seems rather fascinated by the half-dragon's appearance. "You... you look like an angel." He chuckles. "This is almost surreal. I don't mean to offend but I would never have guessed my sister to be together with anyone like you. She's always so concerned with conformity."

[Halae]

[Manor]

Harnel nods, "For quite a while, she wasn't sure what to do with herself when we realized we were attracted to each other," Harnel says, taking a swig of whiskey, "She knew she liked it." he coughs, "When my tail touched her ankle once, she seemed almost like she was ready to bolt, just get away from me, but told me to keep my tail where it was. It was at that point, I think that we really got moving towards her getting past her conformity issues. Besides, she absolutely loves scales, and the Nexus population doesn't generally judge." Harnel chuckles a bit, "She told me I looked like an angel too."

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

Methil raises an eyebrow, looking rather surprised. He was no longer sure he and his sister meant the same thing when saying Harnel looked like an angel. He wasn't really sure wherever to be disturbed or fascinated as his eyes are drawn to the half-dragons wings. She loved scales eh?

"I guess I didn't know as much about her as I thought." He comments while taking a long sip of whiskey. "Funny that, a person can still take you completely by surprise after so many years." His thoughts were leading so many places right now, some he really didn't want to think about. But he just couldn't stop being curious about all this. "So you said you had kids? What do they look like?" His sister had part-dragons as children? He hadn't thought too closely about it first but this seemed stranger and stranger the longer he looked at Harnel.

[Halae]

[Manor]

Harnel nods, "Twins, a boy and a girl. Cora was a name Cessie came up with, but the boy is named Bastion, after my father. Bastion has Cessie's eyes, except slitted like mine. She's got a tail, red scales. She's very inquisitive, and tries to touch everything around her. Or, sometimes, put it in her mouth. we're trying to keep her from doing that too much." He chuckles, "Bastion is a fat baby, the sort that have to roll around because they can't really crawl anywhere. He's got wings like I do, and a tail as well. golden eyes, like mine, and, once again, red scales. He's also extremely grumpy all the time. I'm fairly certain they'll grow into this sort of thing, but yeah, They look distinctly human with non-human traits. Even I look more like a dragon than they do, honestly, which probably isn't surprising."

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

"That's feels strange to imagine." Methil was basically trying to combine Harnel's body parts with the one of a human baby. While this looked strange enough it felt even weirder to think this was Cessie's kids. How much had she really changed during her stay in the nexus?

"So how is she? Cessie I mean, has she changed a lot since you met her?" He asks, starting to worry if he would even recognize her anymore.

[Halae]

[Manor]

"She hasn't," Harnel says, "Always interested in magic stuff. Or, eldritch, aether, and similar things, rather. Still has that conservative hestopian modesty, and, well, really, I imagine she's changed a bit, but I certainly couldn't tell you how. She's too much like how she was when I first met her, behind her being less conformist. If you mean physically, she's still her old self."

[Shadowcaller]

[Manor]

"I see, don't know if I should be disappointed or happy about that fact really." He says with a faint smile.

The dogs are currently giving Harnel odd looks, apparently not sure what to think of his latest change. For now they seem to avoiding him, even barking at him at times. It's never outright threatening however, they just seem to be confused of the human who just turned into a half-dragon.

"So what do you see in Cessie then? She don't have scales after all." Their relationship sounded rather intriguing considering Harnel looked like an warrior.