elongatedsmile | [Action]

[The weather was getting colder, this fact had not been lost on Xzana. It worries her in fact slightly. The time for hibernation would be here sooner than she'd like and the animal population of the forest was no where near good enough to support a dragon who's preparing for it.

So she slinks into town. Deciding to give the free food thing another try. No raw meat is safe from her great hunger. She tries the market first and it doesn't take her long to find the meat section. Only the "skin" on the meat is nothing like she have ever come across before. BLECH! The plastic gets stuck between her teeth and in her throat.

After a bit of coughing and hacking she spits it up.] THIS MEAT HAS BEEN TAINTED!

[Finding very little else that interests her or she recognizes as being edible (even the bread was covered in taint!) she'll give Seventh Heaven another try. She managed to find food there last time.

Only she still feels the need to fill her stomach. So the bakery is next on her list, while that bread isn't "tainted" a dragon needs more than bread alone. She'll just follow her nose. Trying to find food that isn't guarded by humans and hopefully isn't cooked she can be spotted all around the village.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

That's a wise way to look at it.

It is just how life works, there is no other way to look and live in this world.

Yeah, but sometimes people get very attached to this world. It's impossible to appeal to them based on logic.

I do not need to worry about that. This world will take them to their final rest if they want to believe it or not.

Their body, yes. But sometimes the spirit manages to hang on. That's not healthy for them, either.

If they would not listen in life, then I do not think they'd listen any better in death.

You'd be right about that.

[And there's so, so much he could say about that. Instead he flexes his white wings anxiously, looking at the ground.]

What do you believe happens after you die?

[There's a long pause as she has to think about the best way to put it into terms that come close to human words.]

Our bodies return to the Earth to be consumed and turned into life. Your strength is given to those and the plants that take part in your final gift. The rest of your being is left to watch over those you love until you are called to roam the earth once more. Only those most pure and needed are gifted of a second life. It is a very honorable gift and very rare.

[He considers her answer for a moment. It's not a bad one, all things considered.]

I mostly agree with you. But I think the rarest gift must be to be allowed to rest, not be reborn again. Living can be a burden too, not just a gift.

Living is a burden, but to fully be able to interact with the world around you is a gift. No gift is given without some bad happening somewhere.

So you think it all balances out in the end? There's equal amount of good and bad in the world?

That all depends on your actions in life. If you seek an unbalanced life you will achieve it. If you follow your instincts and respect the world around you as is your status in life then, yes, I suppose you could say it balances out.

[But she didn't come in here looking for deep thoughts. Nope. She came in here for meat. So she'll just help herself to what's behind the counter, making sure she didn't miss anything there.]

[All that philosophical talk must've given her quite an appetite. He can understand that. Tsuzuki looks at the sweet stuff with open longing.]

Since you're back there already, would you pass me one of those with the powdered sugar on top?

[Sugar? What is he talking about? She looks about and then grabs a bagel and tosses it over.]

There you are. [She returns to her sniffing. Hm, she can smell nuts and stuff, but no squirrels that would have hid those things in here.]

[But those aren't sweet at all! He squints critically at the bagel, before shrugging and taking a bite out of it. Her treasure hunt is fascinating enough that he forgets he's supposed to show her the food in his kitchen. Tsuzuki leans on the counter.]

What did you find?

Bread and nuts. No meat. [Sadness. She pushes the muffins she was sniffing aside, not caring if it falls onto the floor. Well, this building was a disappointment. She'll be heading for the door now.]

That's because we're in a bakery!

[Oh well, if she's leaving, he might as well follow. He grabs an extra bun (because he might want it later!) and hurries after her.]

Are we heading home now? I mean, you did want some untainted meat, right?

You will still share your winter hoard with me, even after I have told you the danger of that?

Yes. [He points in the direction his house is, so she'll know which way they need to head.] You thought I wouldn't?

I thought once you had been taught the dangers of sharing food so close to winter you would have changed your mind. If you think you have enough then I will be happy to take some from you. [And even if you don't she'll still be happy to. If you're stupid enough to give away food you can't afford to give away, then she'd be the better choice for survival anyway.]

[She thinks she gets food, Tsuzuki thinks he's doing someone a favor. It's a win-win situation!]

I do. Besides, I don't mind eating food from the bakery, and it looks like you do.

[Walk walk walk~]

There is no nutrition there. [What she'd like to know is: WHERE'S THE BEEF!

And she's happy to follow him to his home, although she gets a little nervous about possibly entering his liar. Yet all the people of this village have been pretty friendly and haven't attacked her.]

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