And I thought they smelled bad on the outside

[essucasa]

(In retrospect, maybe it wasn't the brightest idea trying to climb this mountain while a blizzard warning was in effect. The warnings were obvious and it's not like Mikasa ignored them at all; in fact, it's what had her decided to prepare that much more through thicker coats, climbing gear and the like.

But prepared as she may be, the weather was still garbage. Strong winds, lucky if the temperature hits 0* Fahrenheit...and yet she kept trudging forward. It's tradition that she make her way up to the peak, one that she and her parents shared for as long as she can remember. Now she makes the trip alone, even more determined to complete it because of that fact. It's reckless and even downright stupid, but she has to try, Mikasa tells herself. For their sake...

Of course, a year's a long time between these annual treks; that's plenty of time for things to change or certain individuals to make said mountains their home...)

Comments

[essucasa]

(A dragon. She stumbled into a dragon's cave. Wonderful.)

I'm making my way up the mountain.

(Once he does come into view, Mikasa does look back at him, staying seated and calm and she totally said she's doing a dumb thing with a straight face.)

[toaflame]

[He pulls his lips back in a grin, but with the way it shows his rows and rows of glistening fangs, it looks more like a grimace or a snarl than anything else.]

In the middle of a blizzard? You must be brave.

[essucasa]

Hm. I'd expect you to call to call me crazy like everyone else has.

(Because yeah, they totally did. Not that she let that stop her any; their disapproval isn't gonna slow her down.

Even if their concerns were extremely valid.)

Or to drive me out of your home.

[toaflame]

I mean, I also coulda just eaten you before you knew I was here. I haven't really been able to leave to hunt in a while.

[As if to punctuate that, he drags his tongue over his jaws, teeth shimmering in the firelight.]

[essucasa]

Yet you haven't.

(That could be for any number of reasons. Playing with his food, the thrill of intimidating someone, he could just want something from her...

Though Mikasa's normally steadfast, the cold isn't making her look as brave as she feels, the rough shudder leaving her rubbing her arms and wishing the fire would do more for her.)

...I'd share what I have, but I doubt that's enough for a dragon.

[toaflame]

Keep your dried stuff. As long as it doesn't snow for the next month, I'll live.

[He's survived on less before...no, he's more interested in the human that's wandered in. He's interested in how she's just speaking to him and hasn't drawn a weapon or even tried to run away yet.]

Tell me then...what are you expecting will happen?

[essucasa]

I'm not sure. You're not trying to eat me, you're not shooing me out...I think you're surveying me as much as I'm surveying you.

(And right now, keeping up the banter seems like the best option. Chances are he'll only get aggressive if she does. Even then, a lack of proper weaponry and exhaustion from the climb would only get her killed.)

The blizzard is keeping you locked in; if it's dangerous for me to climb, it's especially dangerous for you to fly, so my best guess is you'd rather have the distraction than the meal.

[toaflame]

Hmm, you're smarter than you look, then.

[The dragon seems to settle a bit as he says that, a long, spiked tail curling around his claws.]

Looks like you got me. Guess it doesn't take much to realize that if I wanted to eat you, I woulda' done so already. Then again, maybe I'm just the type who likes to play with his food.

[essucasa]

I can't promise I'll be very entertaining.

(The banter does help keep her mind off of the cold some, but only so much. Her arms tense as the frigid reminder of her own human resistances leaves her wondering how much more resistant to the weather the dragon is.)

Not when the climb has worn me down this much...

[toaflame]

...so why are you climbing the mountain, anyway?

[He knows humans can be stupid thrillseekers at times, but even this is a bit much given how bad this storm has gotten.]

[essucasa]

(Mikasa goes silent for a moment.)

It's an annual tradition for my parents and me to climb this mountain. They were travelers and this was their favorite location; mother would swear that the best sunrises and sunsets were at the peak. They took me along one day when I was little and came to enjoy it as much as they did.

...They were killed in a mugging a few weeks ago. I may not have had the chance to say goodbye, but I know they wouldn't want their remains in a cemetery. I'm going to bury their ashes at the mountain peak so they can always be someplace special to them...and somewhere I'll visit every year.

Of course, the blizzard makes this almost impossible, but I'm not about to let that stop me.

(Except that it did and here she is, freezing and waiting for her clothes to dry while confiding in a dragon who only partially doesn't want to eat her.)

[toaflame]

...Sooo...it's for sentimental reasons.

[He never said he was the most tactful or, dare I say, emotionally competent dragon. It's a miracle that he has yet to say something more offensive than he already has.]

[essucasa]

Yes.

(Honestly, she was expecting something more offensive than that. Calling the gesture stupid, laughing in her face...there's still time for it, she supposes, and she still braces herself for it.)

[toaflame]

Have you ever thought about the fact that maybe your parents would resent knowing you got yourself killed on a mountain just to spread their ashes?

[He doesn't really care, persay, but he just can't understand why she'd risk so much for something like this, sentiment or no.]

[essucasa]

...

(The girl is silent after the accusation. For all of her skill and determination, Mikasa can be pretty reckless when she's emotionally charged. What happened is still fresh in her mind and she tried to work through it as best she could, power through this one task and take some proper time to figure things out afterward.

Of course, she doesn't have much of a choice now. She's made quite a bit of progress during a blizzard and either progressing or going back both sound like bad ideas. This might've been avoided if she were patient, but damn if she doesn't get headstrong sometimes.)

[toaflame]

[The dragon snorts, his eyes squinting when she doesn't respond. And for a long moment it seems like he's done talking, too.]

...you might wanna take a step back, real quick.

[essucasa]

What is it?

(Not that she waits for an answer before complying, getting up and moving out of the way as best she can. It's a bit unexpected, coming out of the drawn out silence. Still, at least he's tolerating her presence. That's more than she expected.)

[toaflame]

[It's good that she just moves without him having to explain, because he wasn't going to anyway. The moment she's out of the way enough- or enough for him to...care- he takes a breath and exhales sharply over her small, barely lit fire, breathing a huge plume of flames overtop the kindling. It sets everything there sharply ablaze, and though it's probably not going to burn that brightly forever unless she has more kindling to feed into it, it's more of a heat source than it previously had been.]

You'll die with a wimpy fire like that. Just sayin'.

[essucasa]

(It's a good thing her instincts told her to get out of the way; dragon fire is nothing to mess around with! And thanks to that, the fireplace is far more impressive and warm. Unfortunately, so is her coat. Mikasa has to scramble for a moment to put it out, ultimately stomping it out as best she can. They're in a little too deep into the cave to get some snow, but it's not...totally wrecked.)

...Thank you.

(He still helped and that's more than what she was expecting. She'll worry about the damage after she's taken advantage of the stronger flame. Her bag was untouched and she can set a few things to help it last a little longer. Worst case scenario, she can toss her coat in there, too.)

[toaflame]

[Adrian snorts, his lips pulling back from his fangs in something of a lizardy grin as he tucks his claws beneath his chest while she beats out her coat.]

Don't worry about it. That's got character now, too.

[He can't really talk though, as someone who doesn't wear clothes.]