[ The change in the guy's demeanor is almost funny, and Peter bites back his initial urge to laugh. Instead, he casts a quick smile up at the guy, where he's perched on the teeth. ]
You were so adventurous just a second ago. What happened?
[Don't laugh! Kaden pouts a little, deciding to just get it over with and cross the barrier into the death house. It already gives him the chills, shaking him from the tip of his tail to his shoulders.]
I can see the pool of bones, that's what's changed. What happened here? I wasn't expecting a delicious feast of freshly picked berries or anything, but this is still more yikes than my worst case scenario somehow.
[ Peter casts the guy a slightly smug look as he drops down to join him in the death-cave, though it's short-lived when he sees how genuinely freaked out the guy seems. ]
At a guess? Something like a ritual sacrifice deal.
[ And he points up at the walls, where the paintings depict some sort of weird cycle of death and bounty and fortune. ]
I only know what I’ve heard. [ And considering the size of the galaxy, Peter’s heard a fair amount, a good chunk of it apocryphal. ] But I can’t say I know much about this place.
[ Wyver. El Nysa, in general. Peter doesn’t offer a lot of trust to whatever gods are running this place, so honestly, it wouldn’t surprise him that they went through, like, some super goth phase where they were demanding annual sacrifices. ]
I don't know much about this place either. My people and I live on a mountain and pretty much keep to ourselves, so...my life can be summed up in the mountain, that crazy space place, and this creepy skull place.
[But he's pretty happy with his life! He has no complaints except for how things kinda sorta went before the storm hit.]
Come to think of it, I don't know much about religion at all. We kitsune pay respect to the spirits, but we've never committed mass murder for them. Is that something you humans do a lot of?
[ "Kitsune." He files the word away – he assumes that's the dude's species. (And in all honesty, Peter had assumed the guy was an alien.)
At the question, Peter snorts out a laugh, ready to reply in the negative— but then he pauses, thinking back on what little he remembers learning in class on Earth. ]
... I mean, a long time ago, maybe? And not everyone.
[ #notallhumans ]
I can comfortably say it's not common, but you can't account for all the crazy folks, you know?
Hmm...I already know that not all humans are murderers, but I've sure met a lot of soldiers and poachers.
[But religious people? That's really new to him. He saunters a bit closer, crouching down next to the bones.]
Where I'm from, humans that come to the hamlet aren't welcome. My fur sells for a lot, you know? But when I visit the nearby towns, I really love them. You all make the weirdest kinds of bread. Oh, and you drink milk straight from the cow, and you do it with a straight face! That's hilarious.
[ That last comment makes Peter snort out another laugh, grinning with amusement – mostly because that conjures the mental image of some dude suckling on some poor cow. ]
Yeah. [ In an agreeing sort of way. ] It’s super weird.
[ He clears his throat, idly wandering along inside the murder skull. ]
That sounds like it’s dangerous for you to wander into human towns if they might, like, skin you or something.
[Oh, Peter. Laughing with him just makes you one of his favorite humans. Kaden's ears perk a little in silent (but perhaps obvious) approval.]
It's not really dangerous. I don't do it often, but it's when humans come looking for me that there's a problem. We're so far out of the way that you don't just come across us unless there's an incentive, if you know what I mean.
[Again, poachers. He hates poachers. And they were his undoing, too! Sort of.]
But that's all gloomy talk. Between murdering humans and all these skulls, we haven't said enough nice things. We should break up it up a little. I'm Kaden, by the way.
[ He guesses that makes sense. And given that he spent a whole lot of time around folks who for decades he was convinced wanted to eat him (and even now, he's not certain that half of those guys were just kidding), maybe he doesn't have much room to offer advice or criticism. ]
Peter Quill. Folks call me Star-Lord.
[ No, they don't, but it's nice to dream, isn't it? ]
Those two names are pretty different. Has anyone told you that?
[Looks, he's just going to point that out there. But he thinks he gets it! One of the names is prettier than the others. After a moment, he nods and smiles.]
Mind if I just call you Star? Lord's pushing it a little for me.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaden;
[ The change in the guy's demeanor is almost funny, and Peter bites back his initial urge to laugh. Instead, he casts a quick smile up at the guy, where he's perched on the teeth. ]
You were so adventurous just a second ago. What happened?
no subject
I can see the pool of bones, that's what's changed. What happened here? I wasn't expecting a delicious feast of freshly picked berries or anything, but this is still more yikes than my worst case scenario somehow.
no subject
At a guess? Something like a ritual sacrifice deal.
[ And he points up at the walls, where the paintings depict some sort of weird cycle of death and bounty and fortune. ]
Might've been a super old cult thing.
no subject
None of it smells recent, so I think you're right. Super old. There's no flesh on these bones at all.
[His poor fox nose is grateful for that.]
Do you know a lot about cults or something? I've never met a cult before.
no subject
[ Wyver. El Nysa, in general. Peter doesn’t offer a lot of trust to whatever gods are running this place, so honestly, it wouldn’t surprise him that they went through, like, some super goth phase where they were demanding annual sacrifices. ]
no subject
[But he's pretty happy with his life! He has no complaints except for how things kinda sorta went before the storm hit.]
Come to think of it, I don't know much about religion at all. We kitsune pay respect to the spirits, but we've never committed mass murder for them. Is that something you humans do a lot of?
no subject
At the question, Peter snorts out a laugh, ready to reply in the negative— but then he pauses, thinking back on what little he remembers learning in class on Earth. ]
... I mean, a long time ago, maybe? And not everyone.
[ #notallhumans ]
I can comfortably say it's not common, but you can't account for all the crazy folks, you know?
no subject
[But religious people? That's really new to him. He saunters a bit closer, crouching down next to the bones.]
Where I'm from, humans that come to the hamlet aren't welcome. My fur sells for a lot, you know? But when I visit the nearby towns, I really love them. You all make the weirdest kinds of bread. Oh, and you drink milk straight from the cow, and you do it with a straight face! That's hilarious.
no subject
Yeah. [ In an agreeing sort of way. ] It’s super weird.
[ He clears his throat, idly wandering along inside the murder skull. ]
That sounds like it’s dangerous for you to wander into human towns if they might, like, skin you or something.
no subject
It's not really dangerous. I don't do it often, but it's when humans come looking for me that there's a problem. We're so far out of the way that you don't just come across us unless there's an incentive, if you know what I mean.
[Again, poachers. He hates poachers. And they were his undoing, too! Sort of.]
But that's all gloomy talk. Between murdering humans and all these skulls, we haven't said enough nice things. We should break up it up a little. I'm Kaden, by the way.
no subject
Peter Quill. Folks call me Star-Lord.
[ No, they don't, but it's nice to dream, isn't it? ]
no subject
Those two names are pretty different. Has anyone told you that?
[Looks, he's just going to point that out there. But he thinks he gets it! One of the names is prettier than the others. After a moment, he nods and smiles.]
Mind if I just call you Star? Lord's pushing it a little for me.
no subject
[ In his nearly thirty years out in space, no one has ever asked him that. ]
The one's kind of an all or nothing deal. It's either Star-Lord, or Peter. Or Quill, if you want.
no subject
[He's just calling it as he sees it.]
Since we're on a new planet and all, I guess I don't mind Star-Lord. I'll do my best to remember the Lord part, too! Just for you.