the wind will be my hands

i saw you comin' with the gun in your hands

It takes some time to work through the channels of digging a space nearby the town that would eventually become other potential home options – a more industrialized sector, he thinks, where workshops would be able to move into. The Heartless has spent much of the morning and now early afternoon in his dragon shift, clawing at the earth in little perimeters he’s made not too long ago and marked off.

Each clawful is dragged into a large pile off the edge, the storm dragon wittling away at it chunk by chunk and only taking breaks on occasion. A few people come to offer help or snacks, each one the dragon’s grateful for, but he continues to work idly by himself for the majority, not wanting to take up anyone else’s time for such a large venture.

i can't want this, i can't want this

SUNJATA

People will stare.

With her permanent return to King's End, Nova decides to pick up a few shifts at the Sunbean. She's quickly learning the recipes her sister's put together - although any complaints are quickly buried in glitter and a bright smile - but the monotony of the day quickly starts to drain on her, and she finds one of the employees to relieve her for a much-deserved lunch. 

As she skips down the street, she's debating between a delicious burger joint she's been hearing about, and a delicious ramen place. With the wet, dreary weather, she's leaning towards the warm heartiness of a good ramen, but fries are always a good go-to, and she does love a good burger. Humming to herself, she turns the corner just in time to see a few people leave a basket next to a digging dragon.

Nova gasps, jolting to a stop so fast that the rainbow feathers of her sweater nearly tear from their stitches. "So you're the reason we're out of muffins!" Giggling, she rushes forward, not the slightest bit intimidated by the hulking form of the dragon or who it might be. "What did you think? Good right?! I like the blueberry ones the most!"

Make it worth their while.

Nova

i saw you comin' with the gun in your hands

Toiling away as the day continues to move on, it’s only when an extremely chipper voice distracts the dragon does he lift his large head to squint over at the girl that rushes toward him. Always a sucker for muffins, though, the Heartless offers a soft snort, scanning the young woman to try and place a name to a face. He’d heard of Safrin’s children moving here, and given the matching tattoo on her face, he can only assume she’s the other one of the three he hadn’t met yet. And if his memory is right, then he knows that one is a demigod, one is an attuned, and one is a hybrid.

Which means that there’s no real way for him to be wrong as he enacts the attuned bond to speak to her – presuming each one of them had the ability. Really good. Though I like the blackberry ones the best. It’s sent over with amusement, the dragon’s attention lingering on Nova for a few brief moments before he’s taking a break to stick his muzzle into the basket to pluck a muffin from the offering left behind, eating it whole without much pomp and circumstance.

i can't want this, i can't want this

SUNJATA

People will stare.

She's not the least bit surprised by the response, another giggle forming as she hears the accent through the bond. Although she's partial to sharing her beautiful voice with everyone around her, Nova switches seamlessly to the bond, leaning forward as she peeks into the basket. Oooh. The blackberry ones are good. It's impressive when his head manages to fit into the basket without getting stuck, one of the dozens of muffins vanishing into his mouth where she admires the sharp fangs. 

Tilting her head up at him, she grins wide. Have you had the coffee yet? It's to die for. I bet you'll work a lot faster if you have some! Just like how she ends up with a bottomless pit of buzzing energy, although her suggestion raises a question, and she looks to the mess of dirt and mud. What are you doing? Digging a hole?

Make it worth their while.

Nova

i saw you comin' with the gun in your hands

Exactly. The dragon hums with a bit of amusement, withdrawing once he’s devoured the little muffin before he settles and his wings tuck in, sitting there to survey the glittery youth. As she mentions the coffee, though, the attuned bond drifts over toward her with amusement and appreciation and the deep sense that he does very much enjoy coffee. I’m pretty sure I’ve had at least three cups today so far. He sends back over, wings twitching slightly.

His gaze drops to the square hole he’s digging, stepping back to let her see it. I’m making a foundation hole for a new little business section. He murmurs, his clawed hands scraping up some more of the dirt to add to the pile, as if showing her an explanation. You can help if you want to?

i can't want this, i can't want this

SUNJATA

People will stare.

The giant dragon moves closer and Nova angles her head up to take in the massive fangs that don't look like they were meant for muffins, enormous claws that gouge into the earth when he walks, and leathery wings that he tucks close into his body but make him no smaller. She giggles aloud at the excitement that doesn't fit his appearance, rocking onto her toes as she teases, Cups? Or jugs?

Although not one to help or do manual labor, his request doesn't require physical exertion and she's intrigued enough to stay. Okay! Her magic rises quickly to the task, earth parting like butter as she twists her hands, depositing a large portion onto his pile. What kind of business is this going to be?

Make it worth their while.

Nova

i saw you comin' with the gun in your hands

A laugh of amusement crosses over the attuned bond toward the hybrid, the dragon snorting physically as if he can’t keep it contained to just one mode of conversation. Jugs, probably. He’d be vibrating from it if he weren’t as strong as he was, nor in this shift. The effects of caffeine similar enough to alcohol that it was more habit to do it rather than receive anything from it. But that’s neither here nor there, not as Sunjata continues to dig through the ground and create little piles.

Her magic is useful as it maneuvers the dirt into the pile and creates more of a section like he’d been intending. This one’s gonna be for a carpenter. He murmurs, just based off of the sheer width of it. Granted, he’d had no real takers yet aside from hearing murmurings in New Haven of one of the wood workers wanting a larger space to expand, so he hopes this is enough to get them to move into the space to help their business blossom. It's a bit of a surprise. He informs her, glancing up at her with a draconic wink before he's back to digging.

i can't want this, i can't want this

SUNJATA

People will stare.

The laughter manifests into a draconic snort that vibrates through the air, ruffling the blonde curls around her face. Nova blocks the force of it, a giggle bubbling out from her mouth as she watches the dragon moves. Your laugh sounds funny like that! She's guessing it doesn't usually sound like gravel being poured off a cliff or air being shot from a cannon. 

Continuing to assist his digging with her magic, Nova lifts the dirt away in flourished waves of her hands, a grin breaking wide across her face as he says the magic word. Oooh! I love surprises! Excitement shimmers down the bond, vibrant with its force as she bounces and shifts around the hole to inspect the work. Are you going to build the whole thing like this? She doesn't expect it to be easy for dragons to put together buildings without hands, but they are pretty big.

Make it worth their while.

Nova

i saw you comin' with the gun in your hands

Thanks. He says with a soft laugh again, his accent thicker this time as he lets Nova start to assist him with working the ground away so he can lay some foundation. The earth is easily maneuvered under her attention alongside his clawfuls and it allows him to start actually carving out the corners of it before the dragon’s stepping over to a wagon nearby, snagging some of the bricks to lay in a line across the bottom.

At her question, though, the dragon shakes his large head. I’ll eventually use my hydra shift once I get the foundation put in. He offers her, pausing to glance over at her and try to see how she responds to the fact he has another shift similar to this in his skin.

i can't want this, i can't want this

SUNJATA

People will stare.

Who knew work could be so fun? While her magic moves and shifts the dirt around the dragon, their laughter bubbles between the bond, bright and carefree and coiling with amusement that only elicits more laughter from Nova. The sound leaks out into the damp environment, making it feel less like a dirt pit and more like a field of chiming bells. 

Sunjata doesn't have to guess at her reaction for long. The moment the words are out of his mouth (brain?), she's bouncing up and down, her feathery sweater fluttering with the motion. Ooh ooh! A hydra?! I wanna see!! Can I see?! It sounds eerily similar to asking a man to drop his pants, but Nova just sparkles, eyes blinking with pure innocence and curiosity.

Make it worth their while.

Nova

i saw you comin' with the gun in your hands

They make quick work of this foundation section, at least. And for that, the Heartless is quietly grateful for the process. As the dragon steps out of the hole he’d carved and looks back at her to see the reaction the mention of his hydra shift has had, he can’t help but to laugh to see her utmost excitement about it – and quietly grateful she’s talking in the attuned bond.

Sure, but I need to finish these sections first. The hydra will make it easier to do it once the grounds filled. He murmurs, squinting for a moment before he shakes his head and maneuvers over toward the mixture of concrete they’d been working on making. Ensuring he’d placed the little bars of metal inside for extra structure, Sunjata tips over the wet mixture to let it even out into the dirt. It’ll take a couple’ve days to set, but we could meet back here in a few days and I can show you the hydra if you want? He suggests, pausing to look over at Nova with a curious glint in his grey reptilian gaze.

i can't want this, i can't want this

SUNJATA

People will stare.

Although disappointed that the man doesn't plan to whip out his hydra right now, Nova accepts that she will eventually get to see it. She bounces up and down, clapping her hands together as the last bit of earth is moved away. Okay!!

As he pours the concrete mixture into the hole, she guides it into place with her magic, making sure it hits all the corners and settles evenly amidst the space. However, as she does so, a loud growl echoes from her stomach like a bell chiming the end of her current fun. She hops up, magic falling away as she remembers. Oh! I need to get my lunch and get back to work. Spinning to leave, she pauses to point a threatening finger his way. I'll be here a few days from now, so you better be here or I'll find you!!

Then, with a giggle and an innocent wave, she skips out into the street. See you later!

[FIN]

Make it worth their while.

Nova