Something like Pyrus was suggesting would make way too much sense despite how nonsensical it was... What the hell is adventuring doing to Tark's logic process?

  "Normally I'd be the sorry sucker going in face first Zerry, but Meiou has slightly better chances of not getting hurt at all without me stomping behind him to attract attention..." But he also wouldn't have to worry about Jamie awkwardly stopping him in the middle of something.

  "Let her get the pushiness out of her system now, Meiou.  Less likely for Jamie to get bored and do... whatever it is she does to you while you're in the middle of picking a lock that way."

What sorts of life choices lead to a person being used like a puppet?  Note to self.  Ask Meiu for his backstory.

"Anyone ever tell you that you catch more flies with honey?" Pyrus asks Jamie rhetorically, "Or is this the sort of thing where treating him as beneath you is part of the joy of the payback for whatever horrible thing it was that he did to you?"

He reaches over to pet Zerry, hoping that it'll help steady the high-strung child long enough for Meiou to do his job.

Just in time, Pyrus! Zerry was already starting to stomp her hooves anxiously*. She whispers to Meiou as he heads in, "Be careful, cute bunny!"

Meiou would find the mine to be eerily silent for the first minute of carefully exploring. But after that, he would be able to hear some distant scratchy voices, much like that of kobolds conversing with one another.

Zerry isn't sure she understands what is going on between the adults, but figures they will handle the adult things.

---

*This came to mind when Zerry was getting anxious:
https://youtu.be/uOnBUluT2jY?t=4m42s

"Oh, sometimes I'm prone to poke a little fun," Jamie said as she patted Zerry.  "After all, I need to remind him why he works for me:  My coven caught him trying to steal from us to repay a debt, so we pooled our resoruces and payed the debt from him.  He's now working to repay the costs."  She then gives the darkness a mischievous smirk.  "Soemtimes he needs reminding, don't cha, cutie bunny?"

Meiou crept closer to try and get a better look and listen of the situation in here. Best to see what he's dealing with and what the situation is before reporting back.

  "Huh, exactly how much was that debt in cash anyways?"  Tark has the feeling the answer will either be 'not telling' or some 'It was more gold than you'll ever see' type sum that even an artifact would not meet the economy crushing value of despite, somehow, being paid off.

  "Still, keep the more than verbal poking to when we're not on the job.  I don't want to see someone else up like I did a while back if I can help it."  And the short mouse probably would not be able to bounce back from 'that should have been fatal' injury once a day like he could.

  That said, he's glad to see Jamie and Pyrus trying to comfort the agitated Zerry.  Though hangs back because it would just be incredibly crowded and awkward if he joined in.

Pyrus ahs.  "Well that explains things in part.  It's good to hear that you all did him a kind turn rather than simply hand him over to his creditors and the law.  But why disguise him as a woman?"

He's trying to hide that he's getting increasingly uncomfortable with the silent absence of Meiou and is ready to rush in to the rescue on a moment's notice.

Meiou eventually finds a door. Meiou can see at the bottom of the door, there is some light coming from the other side of the door. At this point, he can hear the kobolds clearly and they are speaking in draconic. Lots of hissing, harsh scratching sounds and gutteral sounds compose their conversation*.

Zerry has a calm smile and her eyes close as she grabs Pyrus' hand that was petting her and rubs her cheek into the palm of his hand. Upon being pat by Jamie, she peeks an eye to smile at Jamie. Zerry then looks at Tark. "Like you did? What happened?"

*If you speak draconic, they are simply conversing about their card game at the moment.

Through her Warlock connection with Meiou, Jamie could hear the kobolds, and while she doesn't know draconic, she knows enough of those dragon wannabes to know they're up to no good.

"Meiou's got this thing for disguises," Jamie muttered, "And I know of some special costumes I'd like to try on him."

She then went through their mental link.  "I know Kobolds when I hear them, Meiou.  Don't get yourself caught."

"Kobolds up ahead," Jamie said.  "Don't know how many, and they don't know about us yet."

Through the mental link "Yeah well i was about to come back and regroup. Not like I know how many are in there and will you not advertise what I do to the world? "

  "A bunch of piled up stupidity from others that resulted with a broken pickaxe to the skull, a fake healing potion, and deciding adventuring would be less pointlessly dangerous."  Jamie's potions PROBABLY actually worked, even if her sales pitch was unfortunately familiar sounding.

  Speaking of, he comments to the Witch "Well if they don't know yet, at least Meiou's still safe for the moment.  They must not have had many people fall for the sign if they are just sitting around, that's encouraging I guess?"

Pyrus' heart melts from the adorable orphan affection and he leans forward to give her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"A thing for disguises..." Pyrus echoes as if the words were perplexing, "Special costumes?"

Upon hearing that it's kobolds he half chuckles.

"Ah.  You can probably leave everything to me.  Most kobolds worship dragons.  I am a dragon in disguise.  I drop the disguise and confront them and they'll likely do anything I say."

He sets down his backpack and approaches the entrance to the mine.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:02, Tue 24 Jan 2017.

Zerry looks confuzzled by Tark's tale.

At being kissed on her forehead, Zerry hops in place a few times. "Thanks for the idea, Pyrus." she comments before rushing over to Tark and, unless stopped, climbs him to kiss him on the spot where his wound's scar is. Then Pyrus mentions he's a dragon...

"....you're a dragon?! Coooooool! IwannaseeIwannaseeIwannasee!"

Meiou is able to make it back safely without issue.

Jamie places her hand on Zerry's sholder, "Shhhh..shhshhshh, you don't want to let them know we're here yet."  She then sees Meiou reappear.  "If you want to try to impress the little buggers, Pyrus, go on ahead.  Better plan than any, I suppose."

The rabbit came slipping out of the place and stretches out now that he was far enough away to not make noise. " So whats the plan here? "

  Despite how clear Zerry has made it she's a sweet adorable kind girl of a centaur, Tark is still surprised at her gesture.  "Thanks, Zerry."

  Then Tark discovers Pyrus was secretly a Dragon all along, a plot twist large enough to fly a helicopter  "I... okay?  Are kobolds picky about color coding or does any dragon do?"

  At Meiou's question, he just points at Pyrus. "Ask them, it's his idea."

Pyrus smiles at the sweet gesture of Zerry for Tark.  And that his new friends aren't negative about his race.

He chuckles and nods to Tark.  "You could say that.  On both points."

He nods to Meiou and explains, "I've got a nifty disguise too.  I plan to head in there and intimidate the kobolds into telling me their nefarious plans.  But please pardon, I must admit that my transformation is far less subtle..."

With that he rumbles with a growl, then bursts into flame!  For a brief moment, his human and draconic forms combine.  (( http://i.imgur.com/Xee53b6.jpg ))  Before long, he's transformed into a magma dragon!  (( http://img00.deviantart.net/e3..._by_njoo-d3ef1ma.jpg ))  ...Though his overall size hasn't changed much if at all.

"Mind the drool.  It can be hazardous to your shoes."

With that he heads into the cave to go knock on the Kobold's front door.

Zerry shivers from watching the transformation and looks terrified. "...that was sooo cool..." she barely says before keeling over unconscious, fainting.

(If Pyrus is allowed by the others to proceed inside, I will continue this post. If not, now is your chance to stop him.)

In reply to Zerry (msg # 80):

Jamie just stood there with her jaw sagging.  "That...what pretty awesome."

To himself mentally he jus grumbles. "Ofcourse. The dragon gets all the attention. That's always how it is. They shapeshift and boom everyones in aww but you unmask from being the local bar maid and its always "PERVERT!"  It really isn't fair."

  Even if Tark had ever seen Meiou pull said costume switch in this timeline (as opposed to nearly transparent Clark Kent swaps), he'd still be more concerned over the rabbit's personal safety than his lifestyle choices that still would not involve the risk of lava drool... at least, we hope they would not involve lava.

  Along similar lines, he goes to check up on Zerry.  The excitable centaur is probably fine overall, but being flopped over in the dirt in front of a kobold cave is probably low on the list of good positions to be.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:42, Fri 27 Jan 2017.

Pyrus winces at the sound of Zerry hitting the dirt.  Head ducked like a dog who knows he's in trouble, he looks behind himself to confirm his suspicions.

"Thanks, Jamie.  I'd rather it not have made Zerry pass out, though.  I'll leave her in your capable healing hands.  I'm afraid there's little I can do for her in this form."

Pyrus raises an eyebrow from Meiou's reaction.  Beats a freak-out, but why does the guy look bothered?

"Thanks for scouting ahead, Meiou."

Then onward to try the kobold's front door.  He's expecting it to be unlocked.

Unlocked it is. All of the kobolds immediately turn to point their crossbows at Pyrus when he enters, followed by panic, followed by one of them shooting himself in the foot. But all of them are too frightened to so much as scream. Shot foot or no, all of them slowly get down on their knees and bow low.

Meanwhile, outside the cave, Zerry slowly stirs. Tark can tell the centaur is, in fact, fine. Zerry peaks an eye at Tark, smiles and wiggles her fingers in a wave while slowly kicking a hoof. "Hi... Tarky-Tark..." she seems to be acting a touch drunk.

Jamie knows that she wasn't hurt, but rather fainted by the display.  She uses prestigitation to create a light gust of wind to regain her wits as the centaur shakes her senses back.

"Seems like Pyrus's plan is working."

"Well good thing he's not using breathe stuff. Wonder if its smoke instead of fire. If so does that mean we should call him smog?" the rabbit propsed to noone in particular. Just musing aloud to himself.