meadowlarklogs | (Closed) The color of everything changes

It's evening, so it's bearable to actually go outside with the stifling heat for which Julian is glad--he knows Garak has been enjoying it at least. He walks into Red Wings with someone a tad shorter than him and distinctly not human.

"--really wasn't necessary to accompany me, you know," is the tail end of what he's saying as he comes within hearing range. "I can take care of myself."

He looks around the diner and it really isn't hard to spot the non-human in the room (aside from Garak). Julian has a lot of experience with non-humans so the features stick out to him. He comes right up to the table where Kai is seated.

"Kai," he states with a friendly smile, holding a hand out to shake. "Welcome to New Amsterdam. This is--" and he hesitates here a bit. They never talked about addressing each other in public. "--my partner, Garak." Not incorrect and potentially ambiguous? He doesn't want Garak to think he's ashamed of being with him or anything, but he knows Garak also may not want to broadcast their relationship. Then again, people know they live together and are from the same universe, so would it really be any less damning for them to be known as "together"?

He has time for a snort at Julian's declaration that he can protect himself before they're introducing, and the hand being held out gets another snort.

"Humans, always wanting to shake hands." Instead of offering his own, he dips his head briefly in a nodding-bow. "And you can now see why I figured you'd hardly need my name to know who I am, Kai."

He's grey, ridged, and scaled. His eyes and teeth would pass, his hair might if you didn't touch it, but otherwise, Garak is clearly not human.

Garak takes a seat, because he can't see them intending to stand the whole time and he's also not going to offer to shake hands even if Kai is inclined toward it. It's not a thing Garak's people do and there's only so much compromising of who he is he's interested in, especially having spent some time in a simulation that erased his entire cultural identity.

"Forgive me for insisting on coming, but I did set up the meet and so I felt some responsibility for making sure the good doctor got out of it safely."

Kai likes touch, likes making contact with outer people. After all the confusion of ending up here and the distress of being trapped in the safehouse, the simple physical reminder of his own existence would usually be welcome.

But he doesn't trust what he knows of the empathy bond and he doesn't trust that Garak won't object, considering he's already decided that Kai's a threat. So he offers an awkward wave instead, rather than making contact, and nods his head at both of them.

"I do see what you mean. Although I promise that stories of names being power to the fae are completely false, at least as far as my world is concerned." Kai has no idea whether that's something they'd be familiar with, are suspicious of, but it probably doesn't hurt to clarify. "It's nice to meet you in person. Both of you." Kai isn't used to this uncertainty, but he's a little thrown by Garak's presence, and can't quite keep it from showing. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Oh, right. It was such an automatic thing. Not only is Kai not human, but they have the empathy bond of course. He removes his hand and no harm, no foul. He sits next to Garak in the booth across from Kai but not before he gets in a good eyeroll at Garak's comment about humans.

"As you can see, I'm well acquainted with non-humans," he says with a hand waved in Garak's direction.

"I know that particular story by happenstance. On Earth where we're from, elfin people and faeries are mythological creatures--as far as we know, they never existed. There's not much more that I know other than children's stories" Of course there's no thoughts that at least elves were based on Vulcans.

"It's nice to meet you too. I'm sorry it's like this but, well, at least there's a few of us around." "Us" of course meaning the Displaced.

"What are you drinking? I'll have what you're having."

He nods again, smiling warmly. "It's nice to meet you as well."

While he can pick up on a little tension from Kai he's not entirely certain of the source just yet so he won't assume. It could be his presence, it could be Julian's, it could be the combination or something else entirely. There are far too many factors to consider and the spy does not yet have enough information to even make an uneducated guess.

"I'll have a gin and tonic, please. And I had no idea there were human stories about names having power. Julian will have to tell me about them later, as I'm sure you have a plan for this meeting that would interfere with." He's the very image of friendly and amiable, because right now he is. No threat so far means he's genuinely cheerful instead of simply pretending to be cheerful.

"I'm from Earth as well," Kai says, because he's not sure how he feels about his species being considered a mythological creature. He knows that Earth before the merge probably had thoughts like that, but it was very quickly cleared up when the elfin and their accompanying world showed up.

He glances between Julian and Garak, even as he rises to get them drinks. "I'm having a brown ale." He wants to ask if Garak is Julian's medical partner, but he's pretty sure already that that's not the case, that they would have said that.

He leaves his drink at the table with only a brief glance back at it, and returns with the two for them. "I think the plan for this meeting is to answer any questions that may be necessary in the event of a future medical emergency," Kai says. He wonders how Garak will take it if Julian does throw up, does feel that wave of roiling, uncontrolled disgust at the contact with Kai that elfin healers always get. Likely not well. "I'm not sure how abilities from other worlds will interact with my own biology and it seems better to answer that question ahead of time." There, that makes it sound a little less like it'll be Kai's fault if Julian does have a negative reaction.

Kai may not yet realize, but the fact that Garak called him "Julian" in public is actually quite telling of their relationship. No matter though, humans are frequently referred to by their first names. And perhaps he's been around Garak too long, but Julian found it quite heartening that Kai was willing to leave his drink at the table with them. He would hope that Red Wings of all places would be a safe haven for all of them.

He thanks Kai for the drink and takes a sip.

"I think what will help tremendously is knowing if there are any anatomical or physiologic differences that you know of off the top of your head regarding your people compared to humans. Any obvious differences that you can tell me will be very helpful as I don't have access to medical knowledge regarding your specific race. As I mentioned, I do have extensive experience with non-humans, though I will say from experience, knowing something ahead of time is always preferable."

He gives a bit of a sidelong glance at Garak but quickly refocuses his attention on Kai. Garak has denied Julian access to Cardassian medical knowledge in the past multiple times.

A brown ale. He hadn't known it was differentiated by colors on earth, but there is some variation now that he looks at it. Idly he wonders how syrupy sweet this means it is, but dismisses the thought quickly enough. Kai seems fine, this is almost definitely not a trap, but he's also not here to think about drinks.

Julian's glance gets the most prim expression in return. "How is a non-medical professional supposed to know what's relevant until it is, doctor? Is the detail that we're born with extra, vestigial toes that then fall off when we learn to walk relevant? I hardly think so, but perhaps it will be. No one can list off everything before it's needed."

He shakes his head and looks over at Kai. "He complains a great deal, but is rather good when he gets down to work. To be fair to him, complaining does seem like it might be a requirement of someone practicing medicine. And thank you for the drink."

It's the closest thing to kanar Earth seems to have and he'll take it. Garak raises his glass in Kai's direction before taking a sip and seemingly relaxing back in his chair.

As a general rule, the elfin only have one name, along with a clan, a family, and a court. Kai's too human for that, although if he needed to he is claimed by a court, now. Claimed in a way that Kai doesn't entirely object to.

Kai takes a sip of his drink when he returns, a show of trust that he knows he's doing, isn't sure how merited it is but it doesn't taste off, and maybe this is about showing that he trusts them, more than actually doing so.

"The elfin mostly rely on magical healing. Human drugs that I'm familiar with can be various levels of touch-and-go with us, sometimes we metabolize them too quickly for them to have the right effect, or in the wrong way."

He glances at Garak, not sure how much is a good idea to talk about at all, let alone to two strangers instead of one.

"We look very human, but I think a lot if is coincidental. Or…parallel evolution, although it happened on different worlds." That much Kai can't really speak to. "But he's right about not knowing what's relevant." Kai takes another sip of his beer. "There's a lot of culture bound up in what we know of our biology, too. Elfin hatch from eggs, does that mean the legends that we're descended from dragons are accurate?"

He's pretty sure he can't roll his eyes any harder if he tried.

"I wouldn't have to complain at you so much if you ever answered my questions directly." Which is practically a non-starter when it comes to Garak.

His eyes widen in fascination as Kai gets all of his attention again. "Your people are born from eggs? And yet you're endotherms? Or I might assume that based on how similar our anatomy outwardly appears. How interesting." Although he turns somewhat pensive again, trying not to get too distracted by his own curiosity as he takes another sip of his drink.

"I want to know things such as where your internal organs are, if you know of any human foods or medications that are deadly to you or that you're allergic to. Or vice versa if there are any medications which you know are tolerated and acceptable. I can remember what you tell me and I don't need to have any of that information in a physical chart or anything like that if you're leery about giving information about your species in general." Something that Garak has not-wrongly brought up in the past. Even if it was incredibly frustrating for Julian to find information about Cardassian anatomy and physiology.

"We're mammals, yes," Kai says, pairing it with a shrug. The relative compatibilities of humans and elfin is something he's not keen to think too much on, even less to talk about. Ryder could keep his own secrets. "Food should be fine, magic is more of an issue, and drugs. Antibiotics are usually fine, generally better to avoid anesthetics."

"My organs are in the same place but we're not cross-compatible for transplants. Not that I'd need one. I can heal from a bit more than humans." Kai's already said over the network the bit about the iron, the fact that he can't heal from wounds made from that. He doesn't know that he wants to repeat it, not in front of Garak. Although he supposes it likely that Julian has already shared the information.

"Possibly an incompatibility due to different immune systems," he muses aloud.

"And what about painkillers? Any experience with those? Please be careful so as not to put me in a position where I would have to perform surgery on you without anesthetics." It's half-joking and half-serious. He would rather not go back to the archaic method of drinking liquor to numb oneself prior to surgery.

"All of those things are quite helpful, actually, thank you, despite what Garak said before." He can tell there's some hesitation to what Kai is saying and sharing, though Julian supposes that's normal--especially outside of a private patient room. It's understandable.

"Yeah, I have some experience with painkillers. Alcohol's usually my preferred method, painkillers will do when I need to use them, but they make me sick to the stomach." Kai's well and truly used to drinking alcohol to help out when he needs it, it's definitely fine.

He does let out a huff at the suggestion of surgery. "Trust me, I'll be doing my absolute best to avoid needing any kind of medical care at all." It's quite possible that his best here will be better than it was back in San Diego.

"I'll hold you to that," he replies with a small quirk of a smile. "While I would prefer none of this information ever come in handy, I want to ensure I don't accidentally cause more harm." Primum non nocere and all that.

"Unless there's any other information you need me to know for emergencies...how are you doing since coming here?"

Garak has fallen deliberately silent, letting Julian learn what he needs to know while keeping more of an eye on their surroundings. Kai isn't a threat, at least not right now.

Julian's last question pulls his attention back. It's so typical, already offering compassion and friendship before really knowing someone.

"The initial captivity certainly isn't enjoyable," he says, seeming to offer understanding.

Julian seems a little too kind, the sort of attitude that tips over into making Kai suspicious. He wants to say that it doesn't matter, that Kai can handle himself including in healing if he needs to, but he doesn't.

Instead he shrugs in response to the question. "I can't complain too much." He certainly could, and he has, but right now that feels too much like sharing yet more personal information when he's already shared enough. "It looks like the rest of this place has been through worse."

"I think being flexible like that will serve you well here," he responds a bit wryly. It's been a bit of a wild ride since he and Garak got here after all.

"Also, I'm not sure if anyone told you, but once here, all of the Displaced seem to have some supernatural powers. I didn't have the magical healing ability back where we came from, for example."

"Don't count on it being useful," Garak hastily adds. "My ability is entirely useless thus far." It's becoming more useful, it seems, but it's still not as practical as healing would have been. Or some sort of poisonous touch as the opposite of the doctor's healing. He would have liked that.

"But do count on matters being... chaotic. With some frequency. Creating a stable situation for yourself should be the priority." It's the most helpful his advice has been in a while; he feels like perhaps he should make up for his suspicion of Kai just a little. But not too much. Anyone could still be a threat.

"I read it in the some of the materials," Kai says, because he hadn't had anything better to do during a lot of the time that he was trapped. "But I don't know. Magic isn't really my thing."

Sure, he's an elf, and a bit sidhe, but that's not the same as working with magic. Besides, he doesn't really feel different. He shoots Garak a half-smile, one that does show his fangs. "Chaotic, though, I can handle. Do you have any specific examples?"

"Well, whether it's your 'thing' or not, it's probably worth trying to discover. You never know what kind of uses it may have."

He turns to Garak with a cheeky smile. "Oh, I don't know, dinners are more interesting now." Julian, in fact, loves Garak's ability. Fresh herbs make food much more tasty. Especially when protein is usually made of insects.

At Kai's question, his expression sobers. "Yes. There was a time when the city was attacked by monsters. Literal monsters. Red Wings," he gestures around them, "was a makeshift medical camp for those injured while fighting them."

And Julian wonders why Garak doesn't let him use his real name outside of the apartment. The man is the worst partner for a spy to have. Julian gets a too-pleasant smile in return, one that's cold and not the normal soft one he gets.

"And apparently that wasn't the first time monsters attacked," he continues from where Julian left off, ever the appearance of friendly. "There's also cults that are trying to worship us for some reason, though it seems like they may no longer quite appreciate us after recent events."

The banter between Julian and Garak would probably amuse Kai if he weren't still a bit worried about both of them. As it is, there's still something almost sweet about it, something he wants to stay well away from.

"Monster attacks I can handle." Indeed he perks up a little at the idea, it's definitely well within his skill set. "That's the kind of thing I used to deal with in San Diego." Cult worship is a little less comfortable, feels a bit too much like the Diamond Kitty for Kai to be comfortable.

"Any advice on...how to figure out what my 'thing', other than trying meditation and getting really stressed?" Kai's no more the meditation type than he is the magic type, and he thinks he's already been stressed enough.

While the smile from Garak may not alert anyone else, Julian can see the cold edge it takes. Well then. Perhaps he'll find out later what it was that turned Garak's mood. He knows exactly what he said and how he said it, but he thought it rather harmless teasing. Maybe that was what Garak didn't appreciate.

At Kai's answer, Julian's eyes widen. "You killed monsters where you're from? Was that a common thing where you're from?" Certainly quite different than the San Diego he's used to. Their Earths have similarities at least.

"As far as power discovery...from what I can gather, they can be fairly random for some people, although I suppose from an anecdotal sample, my healing power complements my career as a physician. I've heard others say their powers do have some coincidental parallels to what they were or did where they came from. Discovery therefore varies from person to person dependent upon the power itself."

Julian has at least noticed. Garak wonders if he got the message and knew what it was, but can't ask right now. Later, in their place.

San Diego is unfamiliar. San Francisco is Starfleet Headquarters, if he recalls correctly. Perhaps they're near to each other.

"Before I was a tailor, I was a gardener. My ability is to make plants... move. A little. If you're lucky, you could gain a relevant ability." And that's as much as he's going to admit to in public when there's no pressing need for revelation.

If Kai has an ability that's relevant, it probably has to do with him being a monster, and Kai doesn't think he wants to know what that is at all. Better by far to stick with what he actually knows, what he can do with it.

"The monsters were common enough. Guess it's like any time civilization encroaches into the wilderness and the wilderness fights back, with added doses of worlds colliding." In some ways, Kai is old hat to showing up in places he didn't belong. Not that he remembers the merge, but he certainly knows the effect of having humans around.

"It's not necessarily common to hunt them, but I'm a Stalker, licensed with SoCalGov, and I obviously know others." It's a change of topic from powers, which is probably a good thing, at least as far as Kai is concerned.

Julian's brows furrow. "If there are enough to warrant a governing body, they sound like quite a problem. What kind of monsters exactly? You already sound far more equipped to handle New Amsterdam than I am, or likely ever will be." Sure, he's got some extra abilities that a normal human doesn't have, but not something that would help face to face against an actual monster.

A licensed stalker. It's an interesting title. Stalker instead of hunter might imply that the monsters Kai hunts have some sort of intelligence... or might not. Humans can be quite dramatic and inaccurate with their names.

"You're fine, doctor. Different people are made for different applications. People will get injured whether or not there are skilled fighters, and then we need doctors." And then sometimes the doctors shoot the fighters and the fighters need doctors even more.

"It's part of the local government oversight, but there is an office for posting and tracking jobs. From what I've heard here, there's nothing similar. You might have plenty of monsters, but no one's willing to pay to keep them contained." A shrug, he'll have to fall back on what other skills he can manage. "But I already owe you a favor, so if you ever need a hand I'm happy to lend one."

He takes a sip of his beer. "The usual kind, I suppose. Giant salamanders. Black dogs - they're not really like actual dogs, big, ugly, fast, and vicious. Dragons. Occasional human animals that have escaped from the zoo and gone wild too."

"'The usual kind'," he repeats, faintly. Julian wasn't aware that a "usual kind" of monster existed. His eyebrows raise at the word "dragon". "You're essentially a bounty hunter that also happens to hunt dragons." Kai must have quite a bit of combat experience to be the type of person to hunt dragons.

"I really appreciate your offer, but I'm sure you'll understand that I hope to never need to call in that favor," he replies with a wry smile. He takes a long sip of his beer. It certainly doesn't hurt to have allies that might actually be able to take on some of the things they see here. "I'm hoping to just stick to my day job as a researcher and illegally practice medicine on the side." It's totally a joke but also definitely not a joke.

"Dragons are impressive, then?" He can't recall there being any mentioned in the books Julian had him read, but Jadzia may have mentioned one from one of her and Kira's programs once. It's been some time since he's thought about Jadzia, and he's still not excited to let his mind touch on her.

"And I'll keep the offer of a favor in mind." Does Kai mean it? Many offer favors without thinking they'll be cashed in on, but Garak does like to keep track of who offers.

Edited 2021-01-27 05:02 (UTC)

Kai might be suspicious of Julian's offer of help when he hasn't done anything to earn that, but he's made his own offer almost as carelessly, and just as genuinely. So when Garak says he'll keep the offer in mind, Kai just shoots him a smile.

"Dragons are huge, they fly and they breathe fire." Kai shrugs. "The Elfin get pretty hung up on them, though, throw a big fit when someone kills one even if they're outside their territory. They're menaces, and sometimes people put a bounty on them too." The way Kai talks about the Elfin is pretty obvious, the fact that he doesn't think of himself as one of them.

"Dragons are large reptiles that fly and breathe fire, yes, but on Earth where we're from, they're only creatures of lore. A lot of lore across many different human cultures," he responds to Garak, his eyes still wide with disbelief.

Julian tilts his head at Kai's othering of himself.

"So, you're not bothered then, hunting dragons?"

Large is rather unclear. Humans have a tendency to exaggerate size, he's found, and Kai is from Earth so there's reason to believe he's a part of this habit. Garak's picturing larger-than-usual reptiles, somewhere around eight feet and therefore dangerous but not too dangerous.

He tilts his head at the other statement. "You said you were Elfin on the chips, but refer to them as separate?"

"I'm biologically Elfin." Unfortunate enough, but true, and Kai gestures at his face to back up the comment. "Not culturally. Don't get me wrong, dragons are...they certainly have a particular magnificence. I'm not opposed to them if they're minding their own business, staying away from civilization.

"But one comes after me or decides the city limits are the best place to hunt? I'll end it." Kai's not without a sentimental side on that front. But there is also a sense of pride he has in defeating some of them.

That...really sounds like there's a lot more there to unpack than is polite to ask about on a first meeting. Then again, Julian doesn't know what their culture is like where Kai is from.

"How on Earth do you take down a dragon?" Julian is completely enthralled with the idea that not only do dragons exist in another universe, but that the person sitting in front of him can actually manage to hunt them.

Garak resists the urge to suggest 'rope' or 'toothpick.'

"Quite an efficient point of view," is instead what he says. "Practical for many matters in life, even. I took the same approach to pests or weeds in my gardens." And to people who thought they could come after him for him doing his job. He's left more than a few corpses in his wake.

Kai has the impression that Garak is distinctly unimpressed by him, but he doesn't really care about that. Impressing other people has never been his goal, and it's possible he took personally Kai's identification as human.

"Last one decided my car looked like a tasty snack. Couldn't get off a good shot at it and drive at the same time." Mostly because he'd had Ryder in the car, spoiling what would have been a good shot. And because the dragon had at that point been very fast and very angry.

"I pancaked it." An amused smile. "It dove to grab the car, and we managed to not be there anymore, so it hit the road. Hard."

Julian can't help a small side glance at Garak when he mentions the "pests and weeds" in his garden. He knows Garak well enough by now to know what the Cardassian means. That, Julian knows better than to mention in front of others.

His attention is re-captured by Kai's story, eyes widening once again. "So you simply...shoot them. With firearms." Julian assumed Kai had a special magic power or something of the like where he was from but...no, it sounds like Kai uses projectiles. He's not sure whether to be more impressed or horrified.

"How big are they where you're from? Do they have magical properties? Many myths from Earth in our universe talk about parts of dragons being powerful all on their own."

Dodging was the main tactic, then? How disappointing. People from Earth really needed to get better at telling stories.

"Just parts? What, like a piece of its spine, or a tongue?" If dragons had tongues or spines. "Why would pieces be significant instead of the whole?" Julian's fascination with this topic was also in itself fascinating, though Garak rather hopes the next book recommendation from the good doctor isn't about animals. Anytime there's been animals there's been heavy-handed metaphors as well that he could do without.

These people aren't friends, or fellow stalkers for Kai to amuse with a story over a drink. They might be drinking, but Kai isn't going to make the mistake of letting his guard down, of losing himself in the telling of a story. Besides, the story makes him think of Ryder, which isn't entirely comfortable at the moment, so Kai would rather just...not.

"About seventy feet long. And yes, they're definitely magical. I'd imagine their parts could be used in spells, for anyone doing spells." But he has no personal knowledge of that whatsoever. Definitely not.

Julian takes another long drink of his beer. He's been too excitable and chatty to have taken a sip in a couple of minutes.

...Of course, he nearly chokes when Kai mentions how big they are. He manages to swallow his beer and clear his throat, attempting to compose himself while looking rather sheepishly at Kai. He turns to his partner to explain. Poor Garak, he has no idea what they're talking about.

"Dragons are thought to be almost synonymous with magic. If there's a dragon in a myth, usually there's an element of magic present as well. They're just myths where we're from so I'm not sure exactly why each part of them is imbued with magic but it's a very common trope in fiction."

The way Kai phrases things in a way that others himself again is fascinating. Just from his brief talk with Kai prior to meeting, it seemed like there's baggage with appearing Elfin, and yet he doesn't seem to identify himself among them.

He's impressed with the size now, having not expected anything along the lines of seventy, but he's rather distracted by his partner nearly choking on his drink.

"...And this explains why you almost died on a beer after surviving so many other things?" he asks mildly, very amused and not letting on much at all. "You've heard of these stories, are familiar with the creatures in question, and forgot how drinking works."

Garak looks back at Kai. "Forgive him. Obviously he's been, well. I don't know what polite excuse to make."

He's deliberately not in physical contact with Julian; there's no point in giving up the game too fast.

Kai lifts an eyebrow at Julian's reaction, although the glance he gives Garak after he speaks is a little more nervous. "I'm sure he's fine." Whatever their relationship, Kai does not need to be accused of trying to kill Julian.

"I'd understand a little more if I'd brought one with." A smile. "Would have made the time in the safehouse a little more exciting." Not that there would have been a safehouse left after that...which again, might have been an improvement.

Julian glares over at Garak, even as he finishes choking, but doesn't even address what Garak said.

"You can't imagine what it would be like to hear that a mythical creature from your own universe actually exists in another? Especially one that is so ubiquitous and meant to be awe-inspiring, even across different cultures?"

It's a wonder, really, that anything is similar across different universes, though it's fascinating to think that in one universe, a mythological creature is just that--it never existed and yet it's so prominent in lore. Meanwhile, in another universe, they're common--or so Kai makes it seem considering his attitude regarding them.

"Also, I doubt the people that were brought in with you would have appreciated a dragon in their midst."

He gives Kai a gentle smile before smirking at Julian.

"No. I cannot. The people of my world are far beyond believing in mythical creatures. Much like we left behind gods long before you Terrans did." He'd use human, but Kai comes from Earth and he doesn't want to be actually rude and leave the Elf out.

"On top of how unappreciative the people might be, the safehouse would have felt quite crowded. It's such a small place to begin with." Which he hadn't appreciated in the least.

Kai lifts his eyebrows at Garak. The man saying he doesn't believe in mythical creatures, in gods, it's a lot like some of the pre-Merge writing Kai's read. Which is ridiculous, because just as clearly the elfin, magic, it's all perfectly real.

"And yet these mythical creatures are real." Kai touches his neck, the scale that feels like skin, that he's used makeup to cover up. "Perhaps the human stories had something to them the whole time, some glimpse into something more."

But the thought of a dragon in the safehouse has cheered him up immensely. "It probably would have been a bit dangerous too."

"Yes, yes, Garak, your people are far superior," he replies, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He turns his attention back to Kai.

"Exactly! They're such fantastical creatures, it's hard to imagine someone spontaneously making them up when they're so ubiquitous across cultures. Perhaps there's been more communication with parallel universes than was originally thought."

"Their very existence makes them no longer mythical," he returns, smiling at both the touchy Earthlings. "My people are long past myths." They're not. But they've certainly tried to be, because myths don't fit in with focus on serving the state.

"It's good that you're learning what is and isn't real, though. That's progress, for people from Earth. Why, there was one time when several humans had figments of their imagination following them about the station. That was highly entertaining." Maybe not for Jadzia, and truth be told, maybe not quite for him. He'd known he wasn't the doctor's fantasy, but to have to see that confirmed had been... difficult.

Kai shrugs, focusing his attention on Garak for the moment. "I'm sure where you're from has many species that I would think of as fantastical, even as you know them to be real. Perhaps you could tell me about some of them?"

He's told what he can - or what he feels like - about dragons by now. And he certainly has no wish to speak on the Elfin further.

(Closed) The color of everything changes

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject