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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 5, 2022 17:47:07 GMT -5
Sky Peak Village! It's cold outside, colorful inside, and full of vibrant life despite the desolate world outside the mountain. What an interesting, wonderful place to find oneself completely and utterly lost. The elevators and ladders scattered throughout the village created this vertical maze that Astrid struggled to navigate. Luckily, what little navigation she does need to do doesn't require her to peek above the heads of much taller people around her. Well, most of the non-dwarves are taller, anyway.
A sea of legs and torsos surround her, all unbothered by her evident and obvious perplexity. She scratches her head, her bottom lip pursed out in thought. She followed the scent of something incredible to get here, and realized she didn't have enough coin for the meat skewer that drew her in like bait for a fish. A chill washes along her, and Astrid tucks her hands under her armpits to hug herself. What's she to do with no money, no food, no idea where the heck she is?
After another moment, she shrugs and decides a trash bin's been her refuge before. They're practically best friends at this point, she and the trash bin she named Ben. If only she could find him...
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 5, 2022 19:05:14 GMT -5
Sky Peak Village.
He's been here a few times before— for a number of weeks— and for a number of chaotic ventures of which he was as ill-prepared as ever for. The Tiefling sighs, twirling the bright red parasol above his head idly as he walks through the streets of Sky Peak Village— looking much like a beacon, or a proud bird— in comparison to the beige and greys of a little working town. One look at the crimson stranger might tell a person all they needed to know about him; he is, by all means, a performer.
There is not a single doubt about it.
He breathes a soft sigh; the autumn chill has been setting in recently, and paired with the gusty village of Sky Peak? It's quite cold out! He bemoans the weather of Dragon's Cradle internally for a moment when something catches his attention; he spots a young girl, hugging herself off to the side of a stand selling meat skewers. People pour past the youngling, separating around her like she's a rock in a river; it's a little odd to see, honestly.
The minstrel tilts his head, turning his direction in the swath of people towards her.
Are those... horns? On her head?
Curious...
She doesn't seem like a Tiefling, but the horns would suggest some kind of unusual heritage; is that why the crowd is ignoring her? She seems a little... lost, doesn't she? Is she looking for someone? Maybe she's lost her parents in the crowd? He recalls losing his mother and father once in the Marketplace of Sol City; he had cried until they'd found him, huddled up next to a fruit stall, sniffling.
He waives the thought away with a shake of his head. Well... Sky Peak Village is a pretty big place, so it's completely possible she could've lost someone around here, so... maybe he can help? He breathes a soft sigh; then begins to excuse himself as he changes direction, weaving amongst the crowd until he reaches the place where the girl is standing.
Cantio swings down his parasol, and closes it as he approaches the girl. "Hello," he greets, tilting his head with a sympathetic smile. His tail undulates, swaying in a way that could be considered feline in nature. "Are you okay? You seem a little lost; are you looking for somebody in the crowd? Maybe I could help you find them?" he offers, taking a look over his shoulder towards the crowd of people, before looking back at the girl.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 5, 2022 20:37:55 GMT -5
Aaaaaaaaah the Dragon's Cradle is the worst. Why was he back here? He hated it here. It was too cold, too windy, too stormy, too acid geyser-y.
Zarius is sitting on a crate propped up against a building. He flips through his notebook trying to figure out a particularly convoluted string of rumors about a spy working for one of the three primary Ashen Fathers. He scratches his head frustratedly. Nothing was adding up and he couldn't tell what information to follow up on next.
He sighs and snaps his books closed. His fingers and tips of his nose and ears were cold. He watches the crowd filtering by for a while. All manner of weirdos as per usual. Except...was that? Oh. Oh, it was. A mischievous smile spread across his face and he quietly walks through the crowd.
Silently approaching behind Cantio, Zarius eavesdrops a bit. Who was he talking to? Huh. Some street urchin. A halfling he thinks. Cantio seemed to be trying to help the child. The bard is still a goody-two-shoes it seems.
He couldn't help himself though, Cantio was too distracted to see him coming. Stepping right up behind the bard, Zarius slaps him across the back hard enough to make a loud smack but not so hard to clobber the poor musical twig.
"If it is not my favorite partner in crime! Long time no see." He grins toothily then glances down at the smol bean. His head tilts to the side in puzzlement over the horns. Maybe half-halfling half-minotaur? Would not be the first strange halfie he had met before.
"It makes my heart sing to see you making new friends, Cantio." He teases the bard then addresses Astrid with a small bow. "Good day to you, little miss."
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Post by Veliky on Oct 6, 2022 10:28:05 GMT -5
It is never a good day when Veliky finds herself on the bleak, monster-infested, lightning-blasted wasteland that is Dragon's Cradle. Her only saving grace in this loathsome venture is that she's here on relatively simple business, and that that business has already concluded. She really needs to ask the gnome for a diplomacy-bot of some variety; that might ease her shoulders a bit, as well as her travel-weary legs (and those of Fisher, which was normally conscripted to carry her).
Unfortunately, leaving Dragon's Cradle as soon as possible just isn't an option. Rumours claim the mountain pass is blocked off - again - marooning her in Skypeak Village, the only settlement in Charon that Veliky wouldn't take over her hometown.
To pass the time, she's deigned to browse the various shops and stalls that can be found here. She's accompanied by Pawn, a new model, which now stumbles about as it struggles against the nearly three-foot-tall stacks of parchment and bottles of ink that Veliky made it carry. Carrying is its job, after all, and, to its credit, it's doing it fairly well - better than Fisher fights, at least. She'll need to give her compliments to the gnome, whenever she ends up visiting again.
Unfortunately, none of the shops sell any sandwiches and, in fact, most of the keepers only offered a confused look when she asked. The fact that it hasn't already caught on is disappointing to her beyond any moderate measure; after all, she intentionally neglected to patent them so that she might find them in other shops as she travels... and because patenting what is, in essence, a halfling cultural cuisine would be somewhat difficult. Not impossible, but difficult.
So, now she sits, with Pawn standing beside her, behind an old railing on a trail that rises up and along the cliffside, overlooking the market. She has her own sandwich, of course. She always does. Today, it's grease. It's a grease sandwich.
In truth, she had seen that stubby girl, meandering like a meandering goose, before the two familiar faces had even graced the scene. It would've been easy to see her and immediately presume her age, but Veliky would be hypocritical to do so. Her horns caught Veliky's attention, obviously natural (or, rather, supernatural) as they are. Is she a tiefling? She doesn't entirely look the part, but, then, Veliky hardly looks the part of a goblin at all.
But even stranger than the girl herself are the two familiar faces that approach her, both of which are also fiendish in heritage. That can't be a coincidence. Are they in some sort of club? It rouses a curiosity in the little merchant, and she speaks in a low, but casual voice to, seemingly, no one.
"I have a question."
But she is speaking to somebody: that omnipresent being that she can no longer be rid of. It appears beside her, albeit only to her, hovering in the air like some otherworldly idol. His voice bleeds with arrogance and vexation, and is silent to all but Veliky.
"Yes? What do intend on wasting my time with now?"
The quip only bothers her slightly. With Raguel, it is something to be expected. And, in fairness to him, she did just summon him from the Fields of Pyres Ever-Burning just to make a query.
"Why are there so many tieflings? I would think they were rarer."
"Asking the important questions, are we? Yes, this takes precedent over my sentencing of infamous mass-murderer Larin Voy, whose kills numbered in the hundreds during his six-century-long life."
"You can get back sooner if you answer." In truth, Raguel makes Veliky uncomfortable in a way that nobody else does. This is unsurprising, given that's he's immortal angel of divine justice. Still, she is excellent at hiding her thoughts, even from him.
The angel groans in contempt. It isn't an instinctual or reflexive noise. Nothing an angel does is.
"Those creatures of the lower realms - demons, devils, the lot of them - are beings of sin and vice. It is their calling, their purpose. They would gladly entertain the love of a mortal where an angel of goodness, bound by god-given virtue, would not. As for their congregation, it is the nature of mortals to seek alike. Where there is one, is it not simply common sense that you would find another?"
Veliky continues to stare down at the tieflings. She's met Zarius and Cantio before and, unexpectedly, they seem to have met each-other. But neither of them appear to know the little one.
"Do you hate tieflings?"
"No, actually. Fiends are born to do evil. That is why they must die. But tieflings, as all mortals, are born without purpose, even if their blood inclines them. For this same reason, lend no inordinate credence to those of holy blood: aasimars, they are called in Common. They are as capable of sin as any lecher."
"...I see. That's good to know."
"Yes, I suppose it is. Now, don't summon me again for at least two hours or I'll lash you to a pyre."
Raguel slowly fades, like an old memory. It's impossible to tell whether or not he was being serious in his threat. He's a fickle being, and neither possibility would surprise her.
With her sarcastic patron gone, Veliky continues to watch over the trio. This should be interesting, if nothing else.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 6, 2022 11:05:39 GMT -5
After days of people only paying enough attention to her in order to avoid her, being approached by two strangers, two tieflings at that, certainly catches Astrid off guard. It's partially because they're blocking her view, and partially because, well, people don't seem to like her. Not that she minds all that much as most of her interactions with other folks don't go so smoothly. In the past, she's considered getting a hat or a cloak, but those are expensive, and more importantly, she's not ashamed of her horns. They're pretty cool in her opinion.
Her response to Cantio comes in a ponderous, unsure humming. "Umm... No, I'm not lost. Well, that's not te say I'm found either. S'pose you've found me, though." Astrid looks the exceptionally dressed man up and down, admiring his full garb. It's unusual. She can't believe she didn't notice him sooner, as much as he stands about amongst the dreary colors of winter coats. It takes a long minute for it to strike her, though. "Yer a tiefling!"
And then to her extra surprise, a whole 'nother tiefling appears, seemingly out of nowhere. This one must have been hiding in the red one's coat, she decides. She can't think of any time she's ever met a tiefling, and now there are two in front of her right now! "Nice t'meetcha," she says cheerfully to Zarius. "Botha ya, I s'pose! I'm Astrid!"
Astrid takes no notice of the additionally wide berth the passing crowd gives to the group.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 6, 2022 12:44:59 GMT -5
The red Tiefling tilts his head slightly; he smiles sympathetically at her. She's not lost? She certainly seemed a bit baffled when he laid eyes on her earlier, but maybe she's looking for something instead of someone? "I suppose I have, haven't I?" he laughs softly, resting the tip of his umbrella in the dust. "Well, in that case— you're certainly not lost, but I..." he trails off as the young girl suddenly points out that he's a Tiefling. He hesitates, surprised by the outburst; but then he laughs. "I most certainly am," he agrees, "And you... ah!?"
Before he can even finish, Cantio lurches forwards as a hefty THWACK! resounds through the murmur of the street; he feels the impact, and it lingers across his back with a dull sting. He staggers forwards a step, putting his weight on his parasol, as he whirls to face the offender. "Ow! What in the—" He pulls back suddenly, as though the realization has literally bit him.
"If it is not my favorite partner in crime! Long time no see."
"O-oh, Zarius..." he stutters, his tail beginning to flick with a nervous twitch upon laying eyes on a familiar Tiefling; he laughs softly— a habit, when he gets nervous— and flips out his fan. It opens with a thwmp! as he uses it to cover the lower half of his face, fanning it with a polite, but sheepish smile. "Oh, yes— of course, of course. It's been some time, hasn't it? How have you been?" he remarks, his voice friendly; but his body language is poised just a tad nervously— as though Zarius might sweep him away into yet another heist if he were to let down his guard.
The young girl chimes with a comment suddenly beside them, and he looks to his side at her with a blink.
He almost forgot.
"A-ah, Astrid. It's nice to meet you as well; I am Cantio von Lumen, but Cantio will do. I am a musician." He offers the young girl a small bow with a flourish; snapping his fan closed with a flick of his wrist as he dips down. It's a bit of a habit as an entertainer, at this point.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 6, 2022 13:46:56 GMT -5
The charcoal skinned tiefling gives Cantio a toothy grin. It was evident his last encounter with Cantio had left an impression he had yet to forget. At least he had enough nerve to keep from running away screaming in terror.
"Too much time, my friend. I missed you and your flamboyant attire. I am fine, thank you for your concern."
He looks down at the strange halfling child. She was ratty. Probably an orphan if he had to take a guess. They were a dime a dozen. At least she had a plucky upbeat attitude which peaked his curiosity.
Watching Cantio introduce himself, he jumps at the chance to snatch his fan from his hand as the red tiefling bows to Astrid. Zarius unfurls the fan and flutters it in front of his face, mimicking Cantio.
"And I am Zarius. I am not a musician." He snaps the fan closed and offers it back to Cantio, only to hold it just out of his reach.
"Miss Astrid, are you a local in these parts?" He asks with a friendly smile, all the while playing keep away with Cantio's fan.
The bard was far too easy to pick on, unlike some other people he had met in his journeys. Astrid was one of the youngest and shortest though. He mused at the though that this child would grow with time and cast a shadow over a particularly bossy half-halfling half-goblin he knew.
He briefly wondered where she was at that moment and what she would be up to other than telling people what to do with a glare that would certainly send Cantio running for the hills.
He also wondered what business had brought the red tiefling to such a remote locale. He had thought the party city in the Dragon's Cradle was Storm Gale, not Sky Peak, but perhaps he was here for a different reason.
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Post by Veliky on Oct 6, 2022 17:03:20 GMT -5
...Is this how Zarius normally acts? In her interactions, he'd been slightly sarcastic, but otherwise very friendly, even meek. Then again, if Raguel's words are true, that it's 'the nature of mortals to seek alike,' then maybe this is some backhanded display of affection. If so, Cantio certainly isn't in on the joke. Little by little, the scene wears on Veliky's tolerance, that is to say that it's ticking her off. She lets out a frustrated growl before vanishing from sight[1].
It doesn't take long for Veliky to reach the trio. In fact, she need not even follow the trail, as she can simply walk down the cliffside[2]. When she does abandon her invisibility, she does so behind a corner, out of sight, so that her appearance seems more natural.
And so, rounding the corner of a shop is the minuscule entrepreneur that at least two of the half-fiends have seen and heard. She doesn't seem at all surprised by the sight of them, but does stare judgementally at the coalish tiefling.
"...Really, Zarius?"
Her eyes become softer - not soft, just softer - as they sweep to Cantio.
"Cantio," she greets with a slight nod. When it comes to pleasantries, even curt ones are a rarity from the businesswoman, who discourses on a schedule. "For a barren wasteland, this place is full of familiar faces. What are you doing in Dragon's Cradle?"
She eyes the little girl sidelong. Of course, 'little' would be a wholly unfitting and, in fact, hypocritical descriptor for Veliky to use, given that the child is over two-and-a-half times her height. Veliky is cautious at best with adolescents, who both possess the strength to lift her into the air and lack the social wherewithal to restrain themselves from doing so. She hopes that this isn't truly a child, but, if it is, she's curious as to what she's doing here.
1. Invisibility 2. Spider Silk Boots
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 7, 2022 8:55:26 GMT -5
"Cantio and Zarius," Astrid mumbles to repeat, hoping this will make the names stick. Then again, there's not many names floating around in her head to remember.
When Zarius asks if she's local, she scratches her head in thought. "No, don't think so. I snuck a ride in a cart here lookin' for me ma, and I haven't been able te find me way back down te where the carts are leavin'! This place is a maze, ain't it? S'pose I could've jumped down t'another level, but a few weeks ago I saw a guy slip, and I didn' want te turn into a meat pancake like him." She speaks candidly of the gruesome scene, having not seen the man's remains close enough to be more deeply affected.
She turns her eyes between the two of them, ready to ask why they've approached her, but yet another stranger appears before her! This one is quite short, so Astrid figures she's one of those halflings she's seen before. She gives the newcomer a cautious wave and then parrots Veliky's question. "Yeah, what're a coupla tieflin's doin' here? I heard tieflin's liked warmer places, and this certainly ain't the warmest place I've been." Not that she's been many places, but this is definitely the coldest so far. And to be stuck here with the whipping wind and cold stares of the real locals? Not a pleasant experience to say the least.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 7, 2022 13:08:54 GMT -5
Cantio feels the fan leave his hand; he perks up with a small, displeased noise of objection. "Hey—-" he furrows his brows beneath the mask while Zarius unfurls his fan and mimicks his introduction. Despite being a red Tiefling, a darker crimson flush crosses the bard's face; a bit embarrassed, he scoffs slightly as he stands to his full height, and crosses his arms beneath his chest.
Eventually, Zarius offers him back the fan; he reaches out to take it, still appearing somewhat disgruntled; but Zarius pulls it from his reach. "..." Cantio offers him an unamused glance, trying to take his fan again; but again, it's pulled just out of reach.
"Zarius!" he puffs beneath his breath, making another lunge for the fan— which he misses again— Cantio stumbles to the other side of Zarius with the momentum of his attempt, tail flicking back and forth in evidence of his annoyance. "Ugh." He takes a slow breath to calm himself, and adjusts his overcoat while the young girl speaks... he's giving up for now, but he's also keeping Zarius and his fan at his peripheral with the hopes to catch it off guard.
Cantio clears his throat, trying to regain himself. "So, you're looking for your mother, then?" he inquires; although, her comment about the meat pancake of a man earns a soft, but uncomfortable laugh from him. "Oh my, yes; best to use caution when descending from anywhere in the Dragon's Cradle... the road is a bit confusing though, isn't it? So, your ma is... at the entrance to Skypeak?" he guesses; when suddenly, a familiar voice sends a cold shiver up his spine, in a way that only her voice could.
"Ah, Veliky! Hello," he greets in a sheepish laugh as he turns to face the halfling, and also makes one last snatch for his fan from Zarius, now that another point of interest has arrived. He hopes to catch him off-guard enough to just get his fan back. "I came here to meet a friend— not him— but ran into little miss Astrid, here, along the way; what a surprise to see you here! And, for the record, I quite like moderate temperatures, myself. King's Valley has to be one of the nicest climates I've been to thus far." he adds to Astrid's inquiry.
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 7, 2022 13:59:05 GMT -5
Zarius' grin of amusement at Cantio's expense only widens as he sees his favorite entrepreneurial half-halfling half-goblin. "Good day, miss Veliky!" He notes that the BlixtbotsTM were nowhere to be seen. "How odd to see you traveling alone."
Zarius spots Cantio's last attempt to snatch the fan out of the corner of his eye and he quickly pulls it back again. Chuckling and deciding that he has had his fun teasing the bard and also not wanting to be scolded by Veliky, he simply hands it back to Cantio in earnest this time.
"What? Are you saying we are not friends, Cantio?" The was rhetorical, he knew their relationship was not the most friendly. That said, he would jump to Cantio's aid if asked. He had proven himself enough during their last job to have earned that much from him.
"I do prefer warmer climates myself, but I go where my work takes me." He replies to Astrid simply, keeping in mind that Veliky and Cantio knew one another and also knew two different sides of himself.
Only Cantio had a vague idea of what Zarius' real work was thanks to the job he coerced the bard into previously. He would rather keep that information from Veliky if he could help it. He'd seen her fight with holy magic and those types tended to not agree with the need for people who could provide more shady services such as himself.
Also, he knew Veliky had many tricks up her sleeves and many minions at her disposal. It would be troublesome to have her become his enemy, and their relationship as it was suited him fine for the time being.
He looks down at the child and notes that they're next to a stand selling food in the form of skewered meat. The kid looked cold and hungry. Cantio seems to be helming the conversation with the twerp, so he goes over to the stand and buys a few skewers then comes back and offers them to the group while chewing on the end of his own.
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Post by Veliky on Oct 8, 2022 2:03:46 GMT -5
Veliky only shakes her head at Zarius' offer of food. It's curt, but she does have the excuse that she only just ate a sandwich.
"Alone? I never travel alone."
As if on cue, , something that very much looks like a Blixtbot™, albeit unarmed, jogs onto the avenue - a strange method of locomotion, given that most of her other underlings move only with mechanical, stiff gaits. It trots in a small circle before spotting Veliky with the other three, then jogs in a straight line toward them, heedless of a number of crates in its path. To its credit, it is completely unscathed, not even slowed by the obstacles. The boxes are not so lucky. They scrape across the ground as they're rammed carelessly aside. Someone would surely be complaining right now were the perpetrator not a menacing, lifeless shell of a being.
Now, the bot stands beside Veliky, not acknowledging them, nor the havoc it caused, in any way. It only stares blankly ahead with its crimson, lens-like eyes.
"Pawn..." Veliky groans. "This is Pawn. New series. Still some quirks to work out. Wait," she looks up with concern and the potentiality of anger at the bot, "where'd you leave the papers and ink?"
Though it has no lips or mouth to speak with, it emits words in a low, monotonous voice. Its every word is accompanied with an odd scratching, reminiscent of the creaking of an old manor.
"Mistress Veliky, report: Your disappearance was sudden. As per protocol, a threat level silver was established. Locating you was of a higher priority than protecting the cargo."
The potential anger becomes quite tangible.
"You could've done both, you-... Fine. It's fine." She rubs her eyes in frustration, but it was only paper and ink. Pocket change. Her indifference returns as she faces the group again.
"The rest of the bots are nearby. I'm testing their sociological processors for battle data - don't be put off by the phrasing, that's just what it's called when something's tested in the field rather than the Gnome's basement. Anyway, what it means is I'm letting them do some shopping on their own to see how well they can manage. Pawn has managed poorly."
Despite the antics she has to deal with, she's still perceptive to the subtleties of conversation. This 'Astrid' referred to tieflings in the third purpose, implying that she isn't one herself. She also doesn't like that she finds Zarius' words more difficult to scry than others'.
Of course, there's also this girl. Cantio seems to think she's looking for her mother, but, by all appearances, if that is the case, then she's been looking for some time.
"Are we looking for someone? The bots could locate someone fairly easily."
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 8, 2022 20:32:01 GMT -5
The conversation moves in a blur for little Astrid. Rarely have multiple people with interesting looks and lives been around her in this capacity. She almost seems dizzy for a moment, but finds different questions to focus on. "Mmm I s'pose me ma could be at the gate, but I haven't seen a sign or sneeze of her here," she says to Cantio. "Ain't seen her in um..." --Astrid counts on her fingers.-- "a long while. That's alright though. S'pose I'll find her when I'm meant ta."
Zarius offers Astrid a meat skewer, and her eyes light up. It's been a while since she's had legally acquired fresh food! And now this stranger is offering it to her for free? Oh, she absolutely snatches it and starts chewing the tasty meat. The warm meat helps warm her core and renews her vigor a bit. "Thanks, mister!" she says through a mouthful. It's likely she could eat ten of these skewers before feeling full. Her appetite has always been the one things she struggles to suppress.
Suddenly, there's crashing from down the street as crates are knocked aside, and a strange metal creature comes charging up. Its glowing red eyes and dead stare initially make Astrid a bit nervous, but it's not aggressive, and none of the adults around her seem worried about it. Miss Veliky calls it Pawn. It has a cute name! These things cause Astrid to lose whatever worry existed behind her eyes, and she jumps in excitement.
"Whoa! What is this thing??" she asks, nearly losing grip on her meat stick. Don't lose that, it's valuable, Astrid. Then Pawn speaks, and she loses her shit. "It talks too?! But it's got no mouth! Incredible! Where'd it come from? Where do I get one??"
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Oct 9, 2022 16:56:38 GMT -5
He misses again.
Cantio grumbles to himself, eyeing Zarius suspiciously when he offers the fan once more; for a moment, Cantio doesn't reach to take it— and then he sudenly grabs it back, fully expecting Zarius might pull it away from him again. Surprisingly, he doesn't; and he actually gets his fan back. His tail flicks back and forth in his slight annoyance as he opens his fan to check for damages. "I am more than happy to be friendly with you— but you keep doing stuff like this." he puffs back, running his fingers over the fabric of his fan to check for tears— then winces, pulling his hand back as though the fan had bitten him.
Right, there's blades in it.
He forgot.
The cut isn't bad; it's mostly shallow, so he clears his throat and he tries to pretend it didn't happen by ignoring it. He rolls his eyes slightly at Zarius' answer instead as he puts both hands behind his back, holding the fan carefully. He looks to Astrid as she replies, a slight frown on his face. "Oh?" he remarks, tilting his head with a frown. He looks the child over— a little closer this time; she's a bit raggedy, isn't she? "If you don't mind me asking, Miss Astrid, how long ago was it since—?"
He startles at the sound of screeching; he's caught off guard by the bot very literally charging through everything in its path, trampling and scraping by crates and boxes as it heads towards the halfling. He jumps; watching it with wide eyes as it makes its report to her. "A-ah, of course." he remarks as it approaches; but it seems to have made an error, because Veliky is groaning. "This is a new one, then?"
Cantio frowns slightly, offering Veliky a sympathetic smile as she turns to face them again. "A new model... what does this one do?" He cocks his head at the bot; he knows a couple of Veliky's bot models loosely, after working with her multiple times in the past. "Ah, well... I don't know, now— Hm?" He furrows his brows slightly as Zarius hands him a meat skewer, and skeptically takes it from him. "Oh, uh— thank you."
Distantly, as he listens to the excited chatter of the young girl in response to the arrival of Pawn, he wonders if Zarius dropped this thing before he gave it to him.
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CCS Courier
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Renown
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Post by Eameia (Zarius unavailable) on Oct 9, 2022 18:16:07 GMT -5
"Oh please, you were shaking like a leaf in the wind just at the sight of me." He gives Cantio a bit of a curious head tilt when he winces while inspecting his fan. Somehow the bard had cut his finger tips and was doing a poor job hiding that fact. Was the fan a concealed weapon this whole time? How clever of the bard. His respect for Cantio increases just a bit.
Watching the new Blixtbot™ arrive on the scene, he chuckles at Veliky's exasperation. Some people never really change. "You seem to have an endless supply of those constructs, Miss Veliky. I cannot imagine the cost of upkeep for such a unique legion."
Where she kept getting all these things from remained a mystery to him. She has mentioned a gnome on occasion, but Veliky wasn't a particularly personal person. He was pretty sure she trusted him about as far as she could throw him, which was a much shorter distance than the other way around.
Zarius offers the extra kabob Veliky rejected to the other hungry little gremlin. It seemed that the others were intending to help Astrid reunite with her mother. So far, there has been no mention of a father. Perhaps she did not have one. "We are a capable lot, finding your mother should not be any challenge. What does she look like?"
He's pretty sure she does not hear his question as she continues to freak out over the new addition to Veliky's growing army. Oh well. If her mother was around and looking for her lost child, she would be easy to pick out in a crowd. He chews on the end of the skewer and notices Cantio is eyeing the meat suspiciously. He rolls his eyes.
"It is not poisoned. It would be counter productive to make you sick when I may have another job for you soon." And no, he did not plan on elaborating on that. They had to find this child's mother first, he assumed.
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