Jacquez stroked his chin, pleased with the reception he was given. Yes, this was how a king deserved to be treated! He had to build his reputation from scratch up here in the frozen north, but of course he was a well-known hero in his southern homeland! The tall Optime smiled, dark eyes sizing up the bubbly female before him. "That's me, all right - it seems you stumbled upon the greater world I discovered. I would love for you to be a part of it, mademoiselle Orin," he crooned, his fingers lightly catching her outstretched hand and brushing a kiss on her knuckles. He was ever the gentleman, when he needed to play the part. Flattery always brought out the best in him.
Firefly had to be the sour note in his praising chorus, though, not giving him a chance to bask in his own glory. He elbowed her none-too-gently in the ribs, edging forward to block her from the newcomers' view. "My associate here speaks of the terrible tempest that the fates brewed; a storm not unlike the one forming above our heads this very moment!" He gestured with his claw, face growing grave as the natural storyteller in him formed the lies on the spot.
"It's true; my magnificent ship was dashed to matchsticks, my crew left to fight the frigid waves on our own. We all washed up on different stretches of coast, but Lady Luck had a last trick up her sleeve, for she sent me to this oasis that became the Court of Miracles!" He flashed Orin a roguish grin, a playful gleam in his gaze. He liked this game. "The book you read... did it tell the story of how I lost my arm?" His tail whipped a happy tempo behind him, ignoring the rumbling in the clouds above them. There were plenty of small nooks to take cover beneath in the cliff walls, and enough driftwood to hopefully start a fire to keep warm. If the rain held off long enough, he could lead the pair to his cabin deeper inland. Firefly might get enough of a reprieve to stay there with them, if she kept her lip buttoned about why he kicked her out...