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[Part of the problem with being a financial advisor, Ali realized, was that it meant he had to work. And it wasn't even the fun kinds of 'work' like stacking coins and sorting them by the quality of their gold or silver, oh no. The king had made it quite clear that any coin-counting was to be done only when requested, or outside of working hours. No, Ali had to do things like read and fill out paperwork, or run analytics on tax revenue and what kind of surplus or expenditures there were in the quarter. Or, at the very least, he had to assign all of that work to one of his several secretaries. After all, he at to at least keep up the appearances of being a financial advisor, and over the last few decades he had gotten pretty good at that. It wasn't impossible, but it also wasn't nearly as fun as counting coins.
Of course, he would get odd looks if he just sat around counting coins all day. To anyone else looking in, they did not see the fearsome dragon Aligrezoph, guardian of the kingdom's treasury. They saw Ali, a normal- albeit quirky- man who kept a very small social circle in the finance department and spent most of his days trying to keep expenditures to a minimum while saving up as much as he could. All for the kingdom's benefit, of course. It totally wasn't so there would be an even bigger pile of coins for Ali to count on his breaks.
Indeed, most who looked at Ali would just see an average-looking man. shoulder-length black hair tied back with a black ribbon, piercing blue eyes, a perpetual frown stuck on his face in most situations. A lean body that was more built for flexibility and speed than strength, and a very simple style of dress in neutral colors. He looked every bit like a stuffy accountant, though Ali would argue that he wasn't really THAT stuffy. He was just comfortable with the form!
He also would not talk about his other form under any circumstances.
On that day, Ali had an armful of expense reports with him. There was to be a meeting, and he had stayed up all night with two of his secretaries preparing these reports. With the midsummer festival coming up, the festivities had to be decided upon and paid for. And, as usual, Ali wanted to keep the expenses as low as possible. For the good of the kingdom, of course. Ultimately his team had prepared a few possible expense reports, with varying amounts spent on decorations, hiring out staff, and paying guards for keeping the peace. Any one of his plans would be acceptable, but Ali was sure that someone would complain. There was always someone who complained and called him a 'coin-pinching cheapskate', but those complaints had picked up more in recent years. Already Ali was annoyed just from the thought of the argument that would happen that day when he butted heads with a certain other advisor. Sparks would fly as usual, and these weren't the good kind of sparks.
But Ali was willing to give it a chance. As people arrived at the meeting- a meeting between the king and his dozen or so advisors in the various ways of running the kingdom- Ali worked to lay out one set of expense reports at each desk. It was only two pages of paper per table spot, so hopefully everyone liked to read!
Of course, when Ali passed a certain advisor, he had to fight the urge to make a snide comment. Instead, he just held out the two-page document to him, trying not to show too much contempt when he spoke.]
Do take care of those papers, will you? My staff stayed up all night finishing them.
[He was a dragon in hiding, not a snake in hiding, but his words still had bite to them.]
Of course, he would get odd looks if he just sat around counting coins all day. To anyone else looking in, they did not see the fearsome dragon Aligrezoph, guardian of the kingdom's treasury. They saw Ali, a normal- albeit quirky- man who kept a very small social circle in the finance department and spent most of his days trying to keep expenditures to a minimum while saving up as much as he could. All for the kingdom's benefit, of course. It totally wasn't so there would be an even bigger pile of coins for Ali to count on his breaks.
Indeed, most who looked at Ali would just see an average-looking man. shoulder-length black hair tied back with a black ribbon, piercing blue eyes, a perpetual frown stuck on his face in most situations. A lean body that was more built for flexibility and speed than strength, and a very simple style of dress in neutral colors. He looked every bit like a stuffy accountant, though Ali would argue that he wasn't really THAT stuffy. He was just comfortable with the form!
He also would not talk about his other form under any circumstances.
On that day, Ali had an armful of expense reports with him. There was to be a meeting, and he had stayed up all night with two of his secretaries preparing these reports. With the midsummer festival coming up, the festivities had to be decided upon and paid for. And, as usual, Ali wanted to keep the expenses as low as possible. For the good of the kingdom, of course. Ultimately his team had prepared a few possible expense reports, with varying amounts spent on decorations, hiring out staff, and paying guards for keeping the peace. Any one of his plans would be acceptable, but Ali was sure that someone would complain. There was always someone who complained and called him a 'coin-pinching cheapskate', but those complaints had picked up more in recent years. Already Ali was annoyed just from the thought of the argument that would happen that day when he butted heads with a certain other advisor. Sparks would fly as usual, and these weren't the good kind of sparks.
But Ali was willing to give it a chance. As people arrived at the meeting- a meeting between the king and his dozen or so advisors in the various ways of running the kingdom- Ali worked to lay out one set of expense reports at each desk. It was only two pages of paper per table spot, so hopefully everyone liked to read!
Of course, when Ali passed a certain advisor, he had to fight the urge to make a snide comment. Instead, he just held out the two-page document to him, trying not to show too much contempt when he spoke.]
Do take care of those papers, will you? My staff stayed up all night finishing them.
[He was a dragon in hiding, not a snake in hiding, but his words still had bite to them.]
he's a nerd (a cute nerd)
Ali is waiting right by the door, practically pacing as he waits for Concord, so as soon as Concord knocks Ali takes the two steps he needs to in order to reach the handle and open it.]
Hello, so good of you to-
[His words abruptly fall off, as he sees the mismatch in dress between himself and Concord. Immediately he feels like he's overdone it, like he assumed too much, and now he feels awkward.]
...
Just a moment.
[He closes the door as quickly as he had opened it.
He's not going far, and Concord might be able to hear him on the other side of the door anyway. He's just stripping off the coat and the cravat he had tied around his neck, leaving him dressed down closer to the level that Concord is. Within 10 seconds he's opening the door again, smiling as much as he normally does (which isn't much, but it's still there), acting like that first interaction didn't happen at all.]
So good of you to join me tonight. I trust the ball went well?
[He is standing slightly to the side, to give Concord room to step in. The coat and cravat have been hung on the coat rack nearby too.]
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Huh. Ali sure is a strange creature. He wonders if he should leave, if this was stupid of them... well, yeah, it is definitely stupid of them, but that isn't enough to stop them. There's something thrilling in that. Concord takes in a deep breath between Ali opening, closing, then opening the door again.
He'll step inside when bid to.]
... yes. It did. I did not see you in attendance, [which begs the question] had you other plans you were dressing up for?
[couldn't be just for him. Couldn't be. No way. Not for him.]
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[He is rambling and he knows it. The poor hem of his shirt is going to be so wrinkled, he'll need to iron it later.
It's confirmation that he's dressed up for Concord though, even if it takes a moment to get there. Though as soon as he's said it, he already looks a touch flustered. He knows he's rambling and he feels like a fool. Hadn't he just been teasing Concord for acting like a lovestruck teenager?]
I had thought that, well, with the fireworks starting soon it might be nice to find a spot up on the walls to watch it from.
[He pauses for a moment, then glances away as he adds a bit more.]
If you want to, that is. You must be tired from all of your duties, so I would understand if you prefer staying in.
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That is all... a touch romantic, Ali. [Despite the suspicious edge of his tone- there is always a sharpness, he simply doesn't now how else to talk- he says this with curious sort of wonder. He hears himself say it and it strikes him with some bashfulness, the very idea of it, Ali going out of his way to be that way towards him. Him. Of all people!
And yet, Concord realizes he's done the same. How embarrassing they are being. He reaches to Ali and slowly takes one of his wrists, turns his hand to face upward, and places their palms together briefly. Concord leaves... another shiny, silver coin behind, before taking back his hands. He got it while at the courtly ball, asked a noble to trade a gold coin of his for it. A silly, unequal trade... but the coin had probably never left the noble's possession, it was so freshly printed it looked fresh from a forge. It also... has the imprint of a horse, as the one before did, but it is in better condition.]
Which is fine. I do not mind.
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[He's stumbling over his words for an explanation, but he's cut off by Concord grabbing his hand. Which also serves to draw Ali's gaze to their hands, just in time to see Concord place that silver coin into his hand. He stares for a moment, then looks up to Concord, eyes wide in an open, stunned look. The first time could be counted as a fluke, but twice?
Ali opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. So he closes it, clears his throat to bring himself back to his normal way of speaking, and tries again.]
...thank you. Though if you're giving gifts, then please accept one from me too.
[His gift is going to be more of an experience though, so. He slips the coin into his pocket-and it clinks against another coin already there, three guesses as to which coin it is- and then he shifts his hand in Concord's grip to hold his hand instead of just having his wrist held. Yes, he wants to leaf Concord to the spot he has in mind.]
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He lets his hand he taken in turn. Wherever Ali leads him, he'll follow.]
You are welcome. I do not give gifts with any expectation of return. [but he won't turn it down, either. He's here for a reason, they both know it. The door is locked, right? They can feel free to do as they like.]
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[He sounds a little passive-aggressive, as he often does when pointing out how noble or upstanding Concord is. This time, however, he feels a bubble of affection in his chest as he says it. 'For some reason.'
Ali's quarters are connected to the treasury and are a patchwork job of turning old unused parts of the castle into a livable space for the dragon. A staircase had been walled off to give Ali privacy, but he could still access it from within his quarters. It's narrow, and Ali has to use his free hand to maintain a small bit of fire to illuminate the space, but it's private and it leads them up to a door that exits to the top of one of the castle walls.
It's not the highest point along the walls, but it is well above the main grounds below and offers the two men quite a view and some privacy. Ali dispels the fireball once they are up there, with the glow if the festival far below them providing enough light for them to see without tripping. The doorway isn't immediately visible unless you're looking for it either, and the space along the castle wall up here dead ends against one of the taller towers of the castle. Privacy brought on by multiple renovations over the years.
Once they are up there, Ali grins and gestures to the space around them.]
Well? Quite a view, isn't it?
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Do you come out here often? I imagine it is nice for discrete sunbathing, in the summers. [a cute image of a dragon comes to mind, like a lizard laying out on a hot stone to warm itself. He also considers that Ali probably couldn't do so in the space, if he's the kind of large dragon Concord presumes him to be.]
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[Ali abruptly cuts off though, realizing he's almost admitted to something he wants to keep private. He can't just admit to transforming into a dragon and sunbathing up here, if he were the proper size for a dragon then someone would have seen him doing it! He has to pretend to clear his throat, like he had just coughed for real and it's not because he's tripping over his words again.]
-sorry, as I was saying, I have to enjoy this space as a human. It's far too small for a fully grown dragon.
[Nailed it.
He absolutely does sunbathe up here as a dragon though. He's just so small that he doesn't even peek up over the castle walls unless he jumps up on the side of it.]
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He moves towards the parapet to look out over. It's dark where they are at, so he's not worried about being seen with any clarity. A very nice view, he could definitely envision lounging up here with a glass of wine, counting his coins. Another cute image...
Concord is glad he's long mastered patience, because this might be killing him, otherwise. He wants Ali, he's wanted him all week now. A minuscule amount of time in the grand scheme of things, but it feels like it's been so much longer.]
I will go out into the forest around the castle, when I need time to myself. There is so much stone here. Too much. I need to go roll in the grass from time to time. [maybe that's a funny image, a noble unicorn getting smeared with crushed grass stains, but it was only natural to him]
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Interestingly, when Concord describes his jaunts out to the forest, Ali doesn't picture him doing that as a unicorn. For a moment he imagines a very human-looking Concord rolling around in the grass, and he lets out a soft 'pffft' in amusement as he tries to cover up the smile on his face with a hand. He gets crinkles at the corners of his eyes though, betraying how funny he finds that mental image.]
How do you even have time for that? You're one of the most dedicated advisors to the king.
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I am glad you think so. [Concord doesn't mind the laughter, merely cocking his head Ali's way to watch as he tries to hide it. He presumes he's also got some cute image in his head from the description. Only fair, given Concord had similar about Ali...]
As for when. I need to do so at least every equinox. It helps the land turn over into a new season. [unicorn stuff, nothing special to him]
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Oh? You must have done that a few weeks ago then, yes?
[The summer equinox is usually about a month or so before the midsummer festival. Now Ali is wondering if he can remember Concord's absence from any work duties during that time. He has to admit to himself that he hadn't really been paying attention to Concord's comings and goings then though.]
Are there others who go with you? I don't know of any other unicorns in the capitol city.
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I would not suspect there are. We are anchored to whatever land we oversee, so leaving it is unwise. Only female unicorns can roam free and only when they are looking for a mate. They will travel the entire world to find a suitable partner.
[why is he sharing all this? Just because it is nice to do so? Maybe it isn't for Ali's sake, but his own. That's probably self centered of him, so he quiets down, leave it at that.]
Have you known other dragons?
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The question that follows prickles at the back of Ali's mind though. He's sure Concord is asking to be polite, and he has no way of knowing how sensitive the topic is. So Ali ends up leaning against the parapet and gazing out over the festival as he gives an answer. It's easy to talk in half-truths when he's not looking directly at Concord's scrutinizing eyes.]
A long time ago, yes. I actually have two other siblings I was hatched out with, and dragons tend to be social creatures. There's always some posturing over hoards- collections, but generally dragons who don't have overlapping collections can get along with each other.
But I'm a bit of a pariah among dragons, since I prefer this form over my dragon form. Dragons are a bit conceited, and most other dragons see my preferences as a sign that something is wrong with me. Dragons are often hunted by humans, after all, and usually for benign crimes like 'eating livestock' or 'having a home too close to a town'. Most dragons see humans as an annoyance at best. So it's just...easier, I suppose, to not constantly have the same conversation about why I like living like this.
[It's technically the truth, a lot of dragons do think Ali is weird for living largely as a human. But it's leaving out the very large detail of "being such a small dragon gets him teased by friendly dragons and outright bullied and stolen from by the more territorial ones".]
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I like living this way, too. Humans can do great misdeeds, but many are good, vibrant, and caring people. It would devastate me to return to solitude, having gotten to know this kind of life. [which is how most unicorns live, as secluded as they can within nature. He's never met another one, not besides his own mother.]
It is better to live how you want than how is expected of you.
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It's less lonely now, with the King and everyone in the castle. But for the most part they are all humans, and someday Ali will see them all buried. It's a truth of humanity he hasn't forgotten.
Still, when he speaks next, it's with a soft smile on his face as he watches the crowds below, and a touch of fondness to his tone too.]
They're so different from any other species. They live but a few decades, and yet in that time they accomplish more than any of us could even dream of. They burn so brightly...it's like they know their flame will be a short one, and they're making as much use of its light as they can.
[Ali is grumpy. Ali is distrustful. Ali doesn't make close friends that easily. But one truth about him is that he honestly admires humans as a whole. Even if individual humans drive him up a wall sometimes, the collective accomplishments of humanity continue to win him over, again and again.]
We can't hope to burn as brightly as them. All we can do is linger and feel their warmth.
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[He suddenly appreciates that about Ali, too, his warmth. He's a funny creature, but he is fiery and wicked in the good ways to be so.
Concord had his arms folded, but one drops to his midsection, pressing a palm over a spot to one side of his navel...]
Have you ever been told the story of how our King rescued me? He does not tell it much, believes it is too woeful a tale to boast of.
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No, he didn't. He's never been one to share personal stories like that, he's always told people to go ask the other parties involved.
[A trait that Ali is grateful for, since the King knows about Ali's size problem and bullying problem.]
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[Concord extends a finger and taps it gently to the spot he had his palm pressed to,]
Before he was a King, he came to these lands which were cast in perpetual winter. He discovered me pinned down into a stone, an enchanted sword through my back. I cannot say how long I was trapped like that. Time escaped me as I lay frozen for... perhaps centuries, I do not know. [it's a grim story, he knows, but it should probably be told. Ali would see the scar it left on his back and gut, the only one he had. A unicorn can heal away most wound, but that was too grievous to simply disappear.]
Another might have sawed off my horn or fielded me like common deer. Instead, he set me free and tended my wounds. I was not happy about that, mind you. It took me some time to not act the angry, wild, hurt animal.
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Ali's thoughts get away from him, and he comments before he can stop himself.]
Well if course, anyone would be angry and hurt after going through that. Why did somebody do that to you?
[In his mind, whoever did it is already a horrible person. But his question is a reflexive one.]
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[Concord bothers to crack a small, sad smirk. He's long come to terms with this tale, but the King helped me heal from it. Warmth against the cold he endured so long...]
His empire failed under the weight of an endless winter he himself caused. No records remain, no stories save the one I have to tell, and I cannot recall his name. A fine revenge, that he is lost to time, with no legacy to speak of.
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[Of evil people mostly, but Ali also has a feeling that the forgotten ruler was human. As much as Ali admires humanity as a whole, there will always be individuals who earn his ire. And this particular dead person has earned it in spades.
'For some reason.']
How did the King win you over? This endless winter was gone before I came to this kingdom, and I hadn't heard of this tale before.
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[Humans may be vibrant and worthy of protection, but also known for their hubris. Their King was never a conqueror, he was simply a noble man with a strong will and a good heart. He didn't need to make demands or threats to command a following. People simply want to, because they believe in him. That is rare in royalty, as far as Concord understands...]
With patience and kindness. He tended my wounds and aided my recovery, demanding nothing of me in return. [a short beat] Well, he did demand I not stab nor trample him, a fair requirement...
He called me brother and I could sense no deception in him. The land recovered with me... so, when he was ready, I bestowed it to his stewardship as King. The crown of his place once hung around my neck, after all. [a crown that never belonged to the cruel conqueror who trapped him, turning to dust upon his head when he tried to steal it. Only when the land was healed did Concord have the magic to create another one.]
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He would have been a young man then, I imagine. To think he was already that wise back then...
[The kindness and patient personality are expected though. Their king has always been like that.
Such a personal story gives Ali an idea though. He had been struggling to think of a suitable gift to give Concord in return, but now he has an idea. It makes him feel a bit silly, but based on Concord's story and his past comments he thinks Concord might like it. Which is why he holds out a hand towards Concord, palm-up, inviting him to take his hand. Such an invitation comes with a quick warning though.]
You cannot laugh about this under any circumstances, understood? I will shove you over the wall if you do.
[He would not, it's a blatantly empty threat, but still.]
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OH NO I THOUGHT I HAD REPLIED ALREADY I'm so sorry
NO WORRIES I have been wicked busy myself!!
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cw: mentions of coercive breeding practices
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