//OOC

After his experience on Haven Island, Ska’arq had slowly crossed the dock back to the main island as the sun rose slowly but steadily. He had thought he saw shadows leaking through the wooden boards beneath his feet, but as time went on, they faded away. He could still hear the accusatory words shouted at him within the jungle, but logically knew none of it had been real, despite how real it had felt.

By the time he had reached the Capricorn Tavern, he was exhausted. The siamese from the prior night was sitting at the bar, who waved as he trudged past and up the steps. Climbing into the bed he had chosen, he slept until late that evening. It was only the sun, a few hours away from setting, that awoke him. Heavy eyes opened and squinted against the rays that shone on his face.

Peeling himself from the mattress, the dragon grabbed his sack of belongings and left the Tavern. With no rhyme or reason behind it, his new goal was to find a house to claim as his own.

Ska'arq asked the nearest NPC, who promptly gave him directions to Barracuda Bay. Soft sand filtered itself between his fingers and toes as he crossed the beach, looking left and right at the various and numerous huts scattered about. Some looked newer than others, presumably built to accomodate for the growing island population.

Huts that were occupied were generally easy to pick out, and he walked right past them. The hut that caught his eye, though, was further back from the beach, partially in the foliage of the jungle. Brushing past a fern, he momentarily looked at a peculiar palm tree that sprouted from the sand nearby. It may have been crushed as a sapling, he mused, as its trunk was mostly horizontal to the ground. The tip, however, was turned up to the sun like any other tree.

Dragging his attention away from the oddball palm, he climbed the steps to the hut's porch, peering into the windows. Empty. No furniture, except for a single table in the corner and an aged rug. Unclaimed. Decidedly, he let his burlap slack slide off and onto the porch with a thud.

Pushing the doors open to his self-proclaimed new home, he set to work making it hospitable.

//OOC

Ska’arq had no sense of preference. If it was the first available, or simply in working condition, he would take it. As he stepped into his new home, the first thing he noticed was the dust, which promptly made him sneeze. The sun, stretching and straining to rest on the horizon, sent sunlight streaming through the thin curtains covering the windows, and he could see the dust particles floating through the air from the disturbance.

Back at his original home on the cliffside, the shallow cave in which he and his sisters resides was relatively barren. With no nearby civilization to speak of, anything they owned was hand-crafted or a rare find. Their mother had many tools made of stone. He recalled the lesson they were all given on how to make the tools; a rather strenuous task, but he learned fast.

The dragon’s only concern was making this home feel like the other home. While the tavern had been an odd experience, he was still under the notion that all homes should be barren, save for the necessities.

Pulling the curtains back to look outside, searching for a spot to make a fire pit, he spotted the draconic kit bounding up the stairs. Pulling his stare away from his sandy-grassy turf, he watched as the child pushed his way inside. Maintaining his blank stare, he replied, ”I am unfamiliar with much of your vocabulary. Please explain the meaning of ’hola’ and ’hogar dulce hogar.’”

At the same time, he moved Roan from where he stood, which was right on the scrappy carpet in front of the door. He dragged it across the room and shoved it under the desk, to be dealt with later.

When a second voice called out, he turned his head. This one was unfamiliar. Briefly, he scanned them up and down. Hmm. ”I do plan to make it resemble a normal interior, but the shape of this den is not what I am used to. I will persist, regardless.” The dragon abruptly turned around, looking over the relatively small space. ”I will need many rocks and stones. Primarily, I must find materials to make a nest with. I must also construct a fire pit,” he mused. While he was mainly speaking to himself, he glanced back at the two smaller animals behind him. ”Are either of you familiar with the best locations to acquire nest making materials?”