[hr][center][color=808B96][color=8493ca][h2][b]X e l l[/b][/h2][/color]Southeastern Mir [b]-[/b] The Fall[/color][/center]
[hr]

Xell’s mandible was ajar in child-like wonder as he felt a metallic like object clink against his toes. The object rolling back a bit with a chink. He closed his azure blue eyes momentarily, wiping the sockets with his fists, before bending down further to take in what it was.
As if to answer his call, a light beam shone onto the ground to reveal that it was, in fact, a flashlight.
He rose up ever so slightly from his crouch, not enough to be far away from the torch but high enough to cast his sight upon the source of the light. 

[i]Coming from the Otter kid?[/i] he frowned, tilting his head from side to side unsubtly to weigh up if that was the case.

Had he been the one to throw out a lifeline? To hand him a match? In spite of his unhinged attitude towards a situation that could’ve been better handled with polite a question towards the assembly?

And where did that radiance of light come from to reveal the torch in the first place? 

With what little light there was, however, all the grey Draconi was able to make out was a placid, yet tight lipped and guarded expression upon the Youth’s face.

Before Xell could reach to fetch in time, the object was swiped away and denied.

“That’s a weird looking flashlight.” Max's voice bellowed which the Draconi processed slowly, with contempt. 

[i]‘Big kid of the playground trying to assert his way.’[/i] The pint sized dragon rose slowly. Staring daggers at Max. 
He’d let it go for now but push any more buttons at this inflammatory rate, and even the Draconi himself knew it wouldn’t be a matter of if, but when the gloves would be dropped. 

“Yeah thanks!” he called out sarcastically to the Coon, catching the torch Taffy had tossed over to him deftly “nice of you to show the moral [b]high[/b] ground.” He retorted, after listening on as she had a whinge about her night vision being perfect but condemned the unwise actions of people shining lights in one another’s eyes. 

He then listened on as she spoke of her Uncle’s lodge and how she used to vacation there. Her Uncle’s reason for living so remotely being to get away from the city and ‘it all’.
[i]There’s always more to that one than meets the eye[/i] he frowned conspicuously. If the Coon was all the more aware, being older and wiser of how dangerous it was to live out alone in the Fall, why was he still living a solitary life? Was there something she wasn't telling them?

Although she seemed benevolent in her act of tending to the Youth’s wounds and providing him with a nutrient bar, she still had a real chip on her shoulder.

“All to be saved for a rainy day’s story though, right?” he asked changing his tone with a smirk, catching up with the frontline of the group.

“What?” the Coon carried on striding forwards, giving the Draconi an incredulous look whilst recoiling her head.

“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all,” he practically sang. Earning a fatale styled sneer from the group leader who turned away to focus on the journey ahead.

“Do you have anything else to add?” Taffy asked sternly, not in favour of his company.

“Well… maybe I could refer you to various philosophies or belief systems, but I think you may find inspiration from this saying alone.”

“Whatever [b]first[/b] impressions you get of Novans, for better or for worse, it won’t be the whole nine yards.”
With that said, Xell let his pace slow down so that he was more amongst the middle of the group. Still keeping far to the side as his social energy had reached their limits.

Hopefully they’d find shelter or a location to settle in soon. A yawn escaped his mussel as his eyes started to weigh down like lead.

Taffy trailed to a stop, turning a radial 180 degrees to cover her perimeter with the flashlight without blinding the group.

“I think I heard something,” Xell cottoned on, he too, shining the flashlight around the periphery of his area. Normally he’d be afraid, especially since it had got this dark deep in these parts of the woods but the half life of the drugs wearing off was leaving him stoically fatigued.

He heard a faint voice, ears perking towards some rustling shrub and leaves as he turned his whole body towards the resonance.
 
“Hello? Excuse me? Can you help me, I think I'm lost.”

The Draconi exchanged looks with everyone. Wondering how they’d react to a newcomer. At this point, he felt it was their call. Although he was familiar of fables of monsters that could imitate innocent Novans, much like cats imitate a baby’s cry to earn attention from their owners, he thought it may still worth be uncovering the veiled identity.
He knew he had a knife ready, and that ruffian Spicate a handgun, if it was to boil to a smack down.

“Do enlighten us and show yourself,” Xell called out, shining a light towards the plumage of leaves. Getting a bit too tired for these larger parties of people now.