[HH PRP] Seeing one up close (Al + Zar)

[Saliru]

Al was anxious with dread as he entered through the portal alone. Word was never to go to the haunted house by yourself, ever, though he didn't follow much of what other people said to fully grasp why not. Dangerous? He was sure of it. What wasn't dangerous?

The fog curled around his form as he stepped out on the other side. Moving shadows loomed just out of his peripheral. His heart began to hammer in his chest as he continued to the looming building. He comforted himself with the thought that he likely looked like one of them. Not really though. None of them were wearing bright red like a bullseye.

He quickly made his way inside and began to carefully prowl down the entrance hall. Despite his best efforts, the floorboards made sure they squeaked just as he approached corners and doorways - just when he was at his most anxious.
 

[Baneful]

Zar resented the haunted house. Too often it took him unawares and pulled him into its dusty depths, leaving him meandering through endless halls. Certainly, sometimes there was rare and sweet human prey to be found, though they (rudely and unrelentingly) resisted being eaten, but overall it was an inconvenience which took him out of his tasks and threw him into a world between.

He hadn't expected to actually run into anyone that day, but a creak of floorboards not far off made him pause, arching his serpentine back and bristling his hackles.

Creeping, he moved in the direction of the taste of life and sounds of prey, easing into the entrance hall like a great looming cat, impossible to miss thanks to his size but confident that he could cross the hall in a few large bounds if whatever it was turned flighty and ran.

"Losssst?" he exhaled in a hiss.

Baneful

Saliru

 

[Saliru]

Al immediately froze, his blood running cold.

He stood there, clearly in the process of about to take another step when he was spotted. Part of him wanted to scream and run, another part was simply just paralyzed with fear - trapped somewhere between fight and flight and yet somehow a bit of curiosity curled itself around it all. What was this thing? Why was it here? Was this a "Halloweener"? He's been here so long and yet never really saw one up close, especially not without a golem. It was freaky, whatever it was. Animal like and yet not at all an animal.

This place was dangerous, he reminded himself, and now he was fairly certain why.

He watched Zar, refusing to move anything more than his mouth as he replied, "No. Are you?"
 

[Baneful]

"Oh no, I know where I am." and he effortlessly surged over the railing and climbed down the wall like a monstrous and enormous gecko. He unnervingly did not take his eyes off Al the entire time, head stable like a fixated hawk. "You look a bit lost." he said, looking Al over, flicking his tongue and tasting his scent.

"And you look like a hunter. What a good thing I am generous to hunters. Usually. If they are polite."

 

[Saliru]

Al seized up and pulled his arm back, bracelet carefully embroidered with Zar's initials, of all things. He was clearly about to summon his weapon until the.. whatever it was flicked it's tongue. Al was mildly impressed but he intentionally did not show it. "Yes, I'm a hunter - what about you?"

Al pondered what manner of creature Zar could possibly be, he didn't look like any traditional monsters he knew of, he could certainly see a lot of goat traits but also some clearly reminiscent of pit vipers. Nothing about him seemed lion-like which made chimera seem less likely.

"Generous?... In what way?"

Baneful