Shady

Aleth quickly moved to capture the offending piece, then looked up at Tarr. He'd be cruel if his wife produced a daughter first, Aleth was nearly certain. But, then, that ...

Aleth's eyebrows shot up in surprise -- and skepticism -- but he made sure only the surprise came through. "Impressive!"

@rida I don't think it's bad at all! so many fishies; DNA extractions and friendship in the lab

Colours kiss petals; the sun warming our faces, sweet love in our hearts

The children who died are ghosts. They wander what used to be the school. One of them ate fruit which turned him from human to dragon. Now claws replaced his ...

"I'm sorry," Aleth said softly. So, he'd been close with his grandfather? He didn't linger on it. "What's the kill that brings you the most pride?"

Aleth nodded, pretending like he had some common ground here. He'd never seen the appeal in hunting. Why go to all that effort and waste all that time when you ...

"Ooh, yes," Aleth answered, watching the board. He still didn't understand what Tarr was building up to, but he figured there would eventually be a moment where Tarr swiftly left ...

"Oh?" Aleth asked, not quite buying Tarr's nonchalance. From what he'd seen so far, humility wasn't one of the boy's strong suits. Probably just trying to play it down so ...

"I, unfortunately, don't have much time for games," Aleth answered. "I imagine you're quite good at this."

Lolll I fully didn't realize he'd followed them in the room xD Aleth considered the board for a moment, assessing his options, but mostly trying to predict Tarr. Would he ...

"Seems fun," Aleth answered, surprisingly, genuinely. Games of strategy kept him sharp. "Will you play the king?"

"Sounds lovely!" Aleth answered brightly, glad that he'd gotten his way. "I'm afraid I don't know what that is, though. What are the rules?"

"If by 'deemed necessary' you mean you need to consult Lord Loquitur before agreeing to the price, then I'm happy to revisit this matter when he arrives," Aleth answered. "But ...

Now they were actually getting into reasonable territory for negotiations. "I am willing to go as low as sixty, and not a clapper less," Aleth countered. "And of course, this ...