If you could only see the beast you've made of me

[why_me]

» WHO? Garion and you
» WHEN? just after he wakes up near the gym
» WHERE? Around (basically anywhere public is fair game)
» WHAT? There's a wolf walking around the station
» WARNINGS? None so far. Happy to use [ ] for any replies.


There is a wolf wandering around the station. A large wolf. A large white wolf with blue eyes.

Because he woke up in a chamber near the gym, that's where he's likely to be found, but he's wandering now, trying to sniff out something, anything, to tell him what's going on. Now, of course, he's not just a wolf. He's also a man by the name of Garion (or Belgarion, technically) but given that a wolf can cover distances much faster than a human can, that he'll have the advantage of a nose that can sniff out nearly anything on his muzzle, and the fact that between his teeth and his claws, he'll have more a weapon in that form should he encounter anything dangerous...

He's always scouted as a wolf. Really, this is no change. Or he tries to remind himself it's very little change, even though he can't sense his Aunt Pol or his Grandfather or even Durnik anywhere. Even though his wife is nowhere to be found and he can't smell her, not even on his own skin, not on the clothing he woke up in. Neither his wife nor his children and it's upsetting on two legs, but on four, it just gives him a sense of urgency.

So if you happen to see a rather large white wolf near the mess or the bar area or one of the crew quarters or just in the hallways, well...

He's as new to this as you are.

Comments

[magneticfields]

Sword? Alright then. He is careful not to react with much surprise to anything he's saying. There's a lot going on with this young man, and Erik wants to know what. Making him feel like a freak is likely to make him shut down. "Garion. I'm Henryk." He repeats the head bowing gesture, assuming it's some kind of greeting in lieu of a handshake.

"i'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions. I've just never seen anybody with this particular ability before." Raven only took the form of other people. Erik doesn't know if she could transform into animals. He's not sure if she ever tried. And that makes him wonder if all telepaths can talk to animals and Nina's the only one who ever chose to do that instead of reading the minds of people.

But that's a question Garion can't answer. "What happens to your clothes?"

[why_me]

Garion waves off the apology, since he's the last person to complain about someone who asks questions. It would be a bit hypocritical of him at this stage of the game, after all. As for the next question-

"From what my Grandfather says, it sort of goes into an inbetween place, a little pocket somewhere, until I change back. He never explained it much and I've never been given the benefit of a tower and a thousand years to figure it out so that's unfortunately the best answer I have."

[magneticfields]

Erik takes a seat because this is a lot. He rests his chin on his hand. "Your clothing goes into a pocket dimension when you shapeshift. Incredible." He can't wait to tell Raven about this. If only she were here. He has so many questions about the differences and this young man can only answer one half of them.

"Your grandfather has been living in a tower for a thousand years." Suddenly, he's grateful he has no grandchildren. "Do you ever let him out?"

[why_me]

"I didn't say he'd been in it," he points out, "he just has one. And from what I understand, most of the times when he's spent centuries in it have been his own choice."

And what he wouldn't do to have that kind of quote unquote free time sometimes. He wouldn't want to give up what he has to get it, though. That's quite literally what he wouldn't do, to be fair.

"He was trying to figure out something or other. That's generally what he does in his tower, from what I understand."

[magneticfields]

"Must be pretty spry for a thousand." His knees hurt sometimes now. "Going up and down all those stairs. But if you don't have a tower, what do you do when you need to figure something out?"

The man gets an entire tower to himself and claims to be a thousand years old. He must be a truly masterful swindler.

[why_me]

"Six thousand," he corrects mildly, "though he doesn't like to be reminded of it."

He offers a faint chuckle as he shrugs.

"And generally, I go into the throne room late at night and talk to a rock, so it's not really for everyone."

Of course, it's a rock that can talk back, but it's not as if that's normal either.

[magneticfields]

"Oh, of course. Forgive me." Can't get the grifter's details wrong, of course. Erik just goes along with it, though. Unless the old man happens to show up, it doesn't matter anyway.

"You have access to a throne room back home?" Erik glances about at the squalid, especially for space, mess hall. "Bit of a step down." The rock part doesn't even catch his ear. Erik's been known to talk to stranger things.

Solitary confinement leads to some extreme coping methods.

[why_me]

"Side effect of being a king," he says easily enough. It's not exactly a secret back home. "And one of the less irritating ones, to be honest."

[magneticfields]

This information is surprising. The man has an easy sort of confidence, apparently can shapeshift into animal forms, and has taken the radical change in scenery in stride. But he hasn't seemed to rush into any attempt at leadership. Erik wouldn't have pegged him for a monarch.

Maybe this is just some kind of vacation to him. "I hope you don't expect us to start calling you our liege or something."

[why_me]

The soft snort he gives at the very idea says enough but-

“I’m not your king,” he points out with a shake of his head. No. Really, no. “And it doesn’t have anything to do with anything as to why I’m here. Besides, I have a perfectly functional name.”

He glances over at Erik. Then, plainly, he informs him:

“Being a king mostly just means all the problems are your problems. And the crown gives me a headache.”

[magneticfields]

"You'd be surprised how little that matters to some kings," Erik points out. Most of the nobility he's crossed paths with over the years have been very anxious to make sure everybody knew it. Though it wasn't exactly limited to hereditary titles.

Though the complaints make him curious. "Have you ever thought about transitioning to a democracy?"

[why_me]

"I was raised a Sendar," he starts off before pausing, realizing that he actually needs to explain this as opposed to simply being able to say that and move on. "Which is the only country that has ever elected their king. I have a healthy respect for the idea of it, and I do think there's merit to letting people have a say in how the kingdom is run. All people, not just nobles."

But-

"The problem being that there's duties which only those of my line can deal with. Duties which, to some degree, are tied to the guardianship of my country and of the west in general."

He scratches at his ear a little.

"Though given the way things are now, it might be more of a possibility. I wouldn't mind it, mostly."

[magneticfields]

Luckily, for once, somebody realizes that Erik would have no idea what they're talking about and explains the thing they were just talking about. Erik's not sure that whatever Garion's duties are, it means he has to be king. There has to be some other way to deal with these things. Or have his role become more of a figurehead. But he would do better to focus on the political situation of his own planet before attempting to tackle another one.

"Something to think about when you return, then."