A Sorta Fairytale. (Orochi)

Ryoga was a prolific bookworm, so when Maya asked him for a specific genre, his eyes blanked for a moment as he tried to figure out what his favorite would be. More than anything Ryoga favored tales of great deeds, the kind of endeavors that turned men into legends, yes, that was his favorite genre. "The tales of great men are what I like, Maya-san. The epics of men and gods alike. Fantasies that last through time." Stories like the that of Gilgamesh or the Odyssey struck Ryoga, and of course the works of his own country were enjoyable as well, such as the Tale of Genji.

His comment struck Maya it would seem, as the girl quickly responded with embarrassment and appreciation. The dragon was tempted to comment, but his great eyes saw that Maya had more to add, and so he patiently listened to her next statement. Her words were worth the wait as well, as they hit Ryoga and caused the great beast to zone out again as well.

His reptilian brain tended to slow down and "chew" on thoughts that really intrigued him. Ryoga had assumed his Mother wanted him to learn something about the Americans or the Mutants in particular, it hadn't occurredthat perhaps the lesson hew as sent away to learn was one about him self, which of course would make sense, since all the Dragon could think of at times was himself or how to promote his "Godhood". Maya had essentially smacked him on the nose with the question that had been right in front of him the whole time, and his brain was having issue processing that realization.

The sudden silence from the towering creature might strike Maya as odd, but soon enough Ryoga came back to the world of the living with a laugh. A hearty laugh bellowed from his throat, a sincere sign of enjoyment and understanding. He lowered his head to the girl in a bow as he finished his laughter and began to speak.

"Please Maya-san, allow me to apologize for my own foolishness." Rarely did Ryoga admit a flaw on his part, but when one was so clearly pointed out to him in a way that failed to rouse his anger, he couldn't help but give in to his Japanese traits. "I was so certain that Mother wanted me to learn something about mutants, about this place, that I didn't even think the lesson might be one of character. I still have much to learn, even at this age it would seem."

Raising his head once more, Ryoga's eyes were nothing but aglow with respect for the small mortal before him. Ryoga didn't have friends, and the only beings he respected were generally his parents or men with authority. But this woman, Maya, had earned the respect of an Earth-bound God today. "I spend much of my time looking down at the world beneath me. Perhaps I should spend more time, remembering how the world looks from your perspective."

Ryoga was a mutant, and in his own head a God, but none of that could protect him from simply being arrogant or willful. He still needed to learn more, like how to temper himself to better think about the world around him. A God couldn't be blind after all. "I wonder Maya-san, and forgive me for continuing to be forward with you, but I wonder what you see when you look upon me. If perhaps...perhaps your perspective truly is similar to Mothers."