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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Jan 29, 2023 14:47:59 GMT -5
“ M’hm!” Cantio agrees without actually thinking about the consequences of his answer; he had, of course, seen how many plates had surrounded Astrid at the ball... but he’s not really thinking about it! He’s just glad to see Astrid in a cheerier mood; as goofy as she usually is and sprawled out across the table in contrast to Cantio’s proper posture. Hands folded on the table in front of him, Cantio smiles warmly at her; although her excited suggestion of some of everything does take him off guard— at first, he thinks she’s kidding! A few moments later, as the barmaid comes around, Astrid perks up and does, in fact, order one of everything. “ O-oh?” Cantio blinks, smiling sheepishly at the barmaid as she sizes up their table, then wanders off to put in their order. He chooses not to fret about it, instead figuring that at some point, they can waive off the order if they get too full… he doesn’t eat much, anyways; although, Astrid’s still a growing girl, so maybe her eyes are too big for her stomach? It was a long night, after all! He chuckles at the thought, looking quizzically at Astrid when she leans forwards on the table and looks back at him. “What?” he inquires curiously, tail swaying idly; his brows furrow when she suddenly pulls her goggles down over her eyes, but he can’t help but laugh when she gives him a goofy grin. “Um… well,” he responds, the warm smile still on his face as he looks towards his right.
He watches busy barmaids pass, and listens to the soft chatter of people at other tables as he considers her questions. What… what do they do now? Cantio lowers his eyelids behind the mask, trying to internally thumb through their options; yeah, they could search for a house to live in, but they don’t have the money… They could work to save up money for a proper house, but his work tends to be a bit slow… He breathes a sheepish laugh, looking back at Astrid with a weak smile. “ Do you have a plan after this?” he asks her; he recognizes the mask she’s wearing— the little owl tuft feathers, and the blue-tinted glass over her eyes. It’s the same one from Sky Peak that she’d chosen when they’d first met. Cantio’s tail sways, “ Or, um… did you have any plans after you left the ball? Before everything happened? Jobs or places you wanted to go? Maybe we could go together, and we can plan along the way.” The mention of jobs and travel brings his foggy memory forwards; memories of Astrid sitting on the bench at the ball gleefully telling him of her adventures comes to the forefront. Memories of laughter while she tells him she’s been struck by lightning, and eaten by a charybdis… Cantio feels a flutter of worry in his chest. He can’t… help what’s already passed. He’s truly grateful Astrid is still sitting here in front of him and that she’s okay, but at the same time… she’s always going to be in danger out on her own. Even with other people! She had a friend with her in most of those scenarios, didn't she? He even knew several of them! A wave of concern washes over him suddenly; he doesn’t want to see Astrid get hurt, but based on his own experience, these kinds of things are normal. There’s danger around every corner; sometimes expected, and other times not… and you can only do your best to adapt. His tail starts to flick back and forth with an anxious edge, thankfully out of sight of Astrid. But at the same time, if he were to fret too much and try to shelter her, then… then he’d just be taking after his mother; and he still feels the sting of feeling trapped in his own home. Not trusted and not relied on to make the right decisions out in the real world… or, at least in Sol City. He remembers how scared he’d been stepping out of his hometown for the first time but how free he’d felt with time; surely, there has to be a comfortable in between, right? Completely distracted by a different train of thought, he entertains the possibilities of the in between: he can make sure Astrid’s prepared, maybe ask her to send letters back when she gets to cities, and make sure she’s well-equipped! Right? Those are possibilities. His eyes flick back to Astrid after his momentary distraction; she’s still wearing her owl mask; it glints in the light of the windows, one of the glasses tinted red by a passing plate from a barmaid, and something about it suddenly draws a story to mind. Clap!Both of Cantio’s hands clap against the table, his golden eyes wide with realization. “ Oh! Oh, goodness, sorry— so sorry, don’t mind me.” he offers a sheepish laugh at startled patrons who look their way, then looks back at Astrid with a sudden edge of excitement. “ Astrid— have I ever told you about the Chrono Knight’s Epoch?” This is completely off topic, but he pays that absolutely no mind.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Jan 31, 2023 22:59:59 GMT -5
There's some amount of relief hidden behind Astrid's smile when Cantio chuckles at her antics. There's also some mix of pride, if that's what she could call it. It's positive attention, he seems to like it, so she feels good about it. She feels good about being silly.
Sure, he seems flustered by the fact that she did indeed order a lot, but they're both quickly distracted by her last question: what now?
Astrid props her chin in her hand and purses her lips while she thinks. "No, I don't really have a plan," she finally says. "Never really do. I just kinda go where it suits me. Me friend an' I- Oh, their name's Blue Raspberry. Forgot ta mention that. Me an' Blue went on a bit of a foodie tour of Moonglade, I s'pose. We probably woulda just kept doin' that probably. Oh, but they weren't with us... Charles said they were busy finishin' off the buffet last night... Ah, well, s'pose I'll run inta them another time."
Her hand falls away from her face as the barmaid brings their drinks and the first course of breakfast foods. A few links of sausage, strips of bacon, fried eggs, and pancakes. It smells good, and Astrid practically glows with excitement. But this will not fill her, so she looks at the barmaid and gives a big grin. "This'll be gone in no time! Thanks!" Then, with fork in fist, Astrid spears the stack of pancakes, not realizing that the brown liquid in the ramekin to the side is syrup, meant to be poured over the pancakes. She takes a big bite, eating the pancake stack like a horizontal lollipop.
"They're so gooooood," she says through a mouthful, looking absolutely pleased with how soft and fluffy these little flat breakfast saucers are. Without pausing, she takes a huge swig of juice to wash it all down. Just before she goes in for the next bite, she pauses and looks at Cantio, realizing she didn't fully answer his question.
"I'd love ta go together!" Duh, of course, she would! "Honestly... I didn't really think all that far ahead... Figured we'd figure it out, ya know?" It dawns on her though that Cantio might have had plans of his own. Maybe he didn't, but she could ask still, right? "Did ya have any plans? I... I um... wouldn't mind taggin' along with whatever ya wanna do..." What she did not expect was to sound and feel so sheepish in asking. How could she boldly dare this man to be her father then be worried about all the unknowns in the aftermath?
Cantio seems to be heavily contemplating, and she wonders if he even heard her. She did just prattle on for a long moment... To fill the moment, she starts to shove another bite of breakfast in her mouth, reaching for the sausage links with her other hand.
Suddenly, a clap! Astrid jumps nearly out of her boots in a surprisingly Cantio-like fashion, and she looks at the tiefling with wide eyes behind her goggles. "Huh, what??" But he's excited! Oh, yes, this is good. If he's excited, it must be good.
"Chrono Knight...?" Astrid's head tilts her head, lowering her pancake-laden fork away from her mouth. "No, ya haven't told me that story... but... I mean, I haven't heard any of yer stories really." Come to think of it, besides the ball and the first time they met, she hasn't really talked to Cantio at all! No wonder she was so worried he was just caught up in the heat of the moment and agreed to be in her life. Luckily, the lenses of the goggles hide the gears turning in her brain trying to piece things together.
The last 18 hours have been wild.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Feb 16, 2023 18:40:01 GMT -5
“ Blue Raspberry?” Cantio repeats, blinking at the sound of the name; it’s certainly unique, isn’t it? It sounds like a cute nickname for a kid, though; maybe there’s a story behind it? He blinks, offering Astrid a smile while she talks about her friend. “ I see! Well, I’ll be happy to meet your friend sometime… the food at the ball really was quite good, so I can’t blame them for taking as much as they could.” He lifts his gaze when the barmaid returns carrying their first course; he offers her a grateful smile, slipping a small, “ Thank you,” into the air for her before she walks away and leaves them to breakfast. He reaches out, pouring himself a glass of juice while Astrid goes straight for the pancakes. He blinks, the warm smile still on his face as he watches her jab into a pancake in the most out of pocket way he’s ever witnessed. “ Do… you not like syrup?” he asks, looking at the ramekin of syrup left behind before cocking his head at Astrid. He listens while she speaks, but can’t help his exclamation when it comes to mind. She pauses for long enough to further inquire about the Chrono Knight after his exclamation, and mentions she hasn’t actually heard any of his stories. “ Well, that won’t do!” Cantio objects with a shake of his head. “ No daughter of mine can go without hearing at least one!” Oh, that feels weird coming out of his mouth; he ignores the heat that rises to his face and clears his throat. He plucks up a strip of bacon to occupy himself while he starts his story. “ I heard this one while I was visiting a friend in Zeinav City, and it’s always been one of my favourite stories— next to the Unicorn of the Shadewood, that is.” He takes a bite of the strip, holding it daintily between his fingers in one hand, while he waves his hand with the other. From the light streaming in through the windows, Cantio almost seems to gather the rays; it swirls around his fingertips with practiced ease, until he holds an orb of light in the palm of his hand. “ Have you ever heard of the young king, Ramaal Alzaman?” As Cantio snaps the last half of the bacon between his teeth, he frees up his other hand to toss the little orb between them. With a small flourish, the ball of light transforms into the tiny silhouette of a king. “ Maybe, maybe not? He was the ruler of a looooong-forgotten kingdom on the borders of King’s Valley and the Zeinav Desert, older than you, but younger than me.” He chuckles. “ He was a young, royal mage… a natural. Dedicated and passionate about the study of time and space— the magic of time— so much so that one could say he was obsessed.” Cantio closes his palm and flicks his hand, dropping the glowing silhouette of a pocket watch from the next orb he creates from the sunrays. (1) “ He thought that if one could master time, one could master the meaning of their life; navigating through trials and turbulence with ease, like a smooth flowing river… and so, everything he did was dedicated to this obsession. He thought he could use it to rule his people efficiently, and ensure their happiness and ensure his own.” Cantio tugs on the chain of the pocket watch, and it ascends back into his palm— he claps his hands, seemingly crushing the orb of light— and opens them to reveal the silhouettes of two small armies— one cradled in each palm— with the small silhouette of the king looking worriedly between them. “ But the young king did not live in a peaceful time… Their kingdom was located on the borders of King’s Valley and Zeinav… not quite one and not quite the other. Upon the transfer of the crown to the young king, he realized he had enemies who wished to pull him, his kingdom, and all the good he wished for his people down into the depths.” He closes his hands again, opening them to a slightly larger silhouette of the king hunched over a desk, clearly in distress. “ War was on the brink; the kingdom was outnumbered, and the king thought somberly, ‘All our people will suffer at the hands of those who wish to take the crown for themselves… But how can I protect us with so few?’” A flourish, and the king seems to be speaking with another silhouette in the tiefling’s palms. “ So the king made the decision; he would use all of his research, all of his passion; to ensure that his warriors were nigh untouchable. Their forces may be less, but if no one could touch them… then they would never lose a single soldier in battle.” Cantio closes his hands again, peeking over them to gauge Astrid’s reaction to the story so far before he opens his hands again and continues. This time, there’s a single silhouette in his palms— not regal, but the visage of a knight nonetheless. “ And so, the king’s noble circle of mages trained to become fearsome warriors; and among them, was the Knight Commander Faris Kurunu.” Cantio snaps his fingers and the light glows a little brighter— it reacts strangely— blurred, as though moving so quickly that it creates illusions of itself. (2) “ Knight Commander Kurunu was a fearsome knight and a fearsome mage; his power over space and time was so strong that it bled into the very armour he wore, entrenching it in time magic. When the Commander was on the battlefield, they say he was in the past, the future, and the present; displaced in time itself, near impossible to hit. The number of deadly blows that he avoided stacked and stacked; the kingdom’s enemies feared the Knight Commander, for facing him was as good as facing death itself. He was untouchable. They called him the Chrono Knight, Seen Twice. Some speculate that the Chrono Knight was Ramaal Alzaman himself protecting his kingdom from greedy invaders; others say it was a childhood friend of the king, who was even more powerful than the king himself.” Cantio closes his hands, and when he opens them, there’s a flower lying in his palms— bright, and glinting with sunlight. “ ... But either way, even the most powerful time mages will fall to time themselves; Commander Kurunu would grow old, and when he finally died, he was buried with his armour in an ancient tomb created for him, and him alone, of the lost kingdom… and he left his legacy and story behind.” The flower in Cantio’s hands evaporates in a wisp of sunlight; like smoke, it rises and dissipates back into the sunrays that the tiefling had originally gathered it from. He watches it dissipate before looking back at Astrid with a sheepish smile. “ They called that armour the Diplopia Armour— y’know, because you were seeing double vision when he was on the battlefield? And he wasn’t the only one— the king had many knights, each with their own specialties…” he trails off, tail flicking back and forth, before he leans forwards on the table— as though sharing a secret. He keeps his voice low to keep the intrigue high. “But… that guy who told me the story? He was an archeologist who studied that kingdom and its history; and you know what? He had a guess on where the lost kingdom had once stood between Zeinav and King’s Valley… and I remember where it is.” This is not entirely true; but it can't be too hard to find an entire kingdom, right? The guy had his guesses, and he was more than excited to share with anyone who would listen about his niche subject of some king who liked clocks; and Cantio happens to have a great memory for useless information!
He does have an ulterior motive bringing this story forward, primarily... Astrid's own safety. This.... was some time ago that he heard this story— a few years, at least... and while it's true that someone could have found the tomb by now... what if they hadn't? It's such a shot in the dark, but he knows a few things about Astrid: and the first is that she's passionate about armour.
It's maybe a little underhanded to appeal to her interests, but... if the rumours are true about the diplopia armour... if Astrid had that armour... she'd be safe. Right?
"I actually was thinking... what if we go and look for it?"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 8, 2023 1:29:31 GMT -5
"Aye, it's a weird name," she says with a smile on her face. "That's the name they gave me ta call 'em, an' it suits 'em perfectly. I hope ya get to meet some day. I think ya might like 'em."
Her feet kick under the table as she looks around for their server, excited for the meal to come. Come to think of it, she doesn't really know anything that Cantio likes besides masks and her and the color red. He mentioned something about playing earlier… What was that about?
She's quickly distracted by the food and shoveling pancakes in by the forkful. Cantio mentions syrup, and Astrid's chewing pauses as she looks to the ramekin he motions to. Her eyes slowly blink before she picks it up, sniffs it, then dunks a corner of bitten pancake into it. The fluffy breakfast saucer soaks up the sticky goodness, and she takes a big bite. Her eyes light up.
"Thish ish shhyrup?!" she exclaims in surprise through a mouthful. They'll have to work on manners. "I luf it!" She tries it on everything.
Meanwhile, Cantio recounts the grand tale of the Chrono Knight. He manifests magic to put on a show for her, and under her goggles, Astrid's eyes sparkle with interest. She didn't know Cantio could cast magic, and the way he weaves golden threads into a tapestry is breathtaking. The rate at which Astrid consumes her breakfast slows as she's enraptured by the story and the magic and how she's seeing Cantio in his element for the first time ever.
So that's what he meant by performing. Cantio's a performer, a bard. That's right, he said he has stage fright! But neither of them pay any mind to other patrons of the bar. They're both just focused on the story and each other. It's an incredible tale, really. Magic and mystery interwoven with one of Astrid's favorite interests: armor.
She's halfway to slack-jawed when Cantio cuts his eyes to her and says he knows where it is. "Y-Ya do…?!" Astrid exclaims. She jumps with so much excitement that her knees bash the underside of the table and nearly topple their drinks. Somehow things remain steady.
"And ya wanna go look fer it?! Together?!" Before he mentioned going together, Astrid already decided that would be her next adventure. Now she gets to go on it with her new dad?? She almost can't believe it. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER!!"
When she throws her hands into the air, her fist nearly bops the barmaid delivering the second round of food. "Ah, shoot, sorry! I'm goin' on an adventure with me da!!"
Wait. Astrid's eyes land on Cantio with a serious expression. "I can say that, right? I can call ya da?"
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 8, 2023 20:23:21 GMT -5
“ Oh!” Cantio jumps when Astrid’s knees bang into the bottom of the table; he clasps the table between one hand and lunges forwards to grab a drink with the other. He manages to save it before the contents spill; and the tiefling breathes a nervous chuckle underneath a shaky sigh.“ Goodness, Astrid! Are you okay?” He frets; he keeps his voice soft, fully aware of the eyes on them; but even so, his smile never really fades. He doesn’t much like to be the center of attention; and one could argue that Astrid’s outbursts of excitement only draw eyes to their table; and that’s true. On the flip side, though he doesn’t much like the attention, Astrid’s excitement fills his chest with warmth; he finds himself laughing as she exclaims and bounces again— nearly knocking the barmaid off her feet “Sorry!” He apologizes for her excitement with an apologetic wave of his hand and a sheepish laugh; he's glad to see the girl so excited about it. It makes him feel like maybe, just maybe, it's not such a silly idea after all.
Though the barmaid offers them an odd side-look, she starts to replace empty plates with— holy shit, did Astrid eat all of that herself while he was talking? Cantio does a double-take on the state of the table as the plates are replaced, before he looks back at Astrid with a blink. The tiefling blinks, his rosy complexion growing darker when Astrid looks at him very seriously. He laughs beneath his breath, tail swaying between the prongs of his chair, as he simply nods. “ Of course you can; that's what I am now, right?”
After wrapping up breakfast with Astrid that morning, they had returned to their room together; after last-minute packing and excited banter, he would lead them to Gold Port that evening; where Cantio was able to barter their way onto a merchant’s ship heading towards King’s Valley. During the trip, Cantio does his best to keep the merchant crew and Astrid occupied with tales and song; and in the evening hours, when Astrid has curled up for the night to rest, Cantio leans in his hammock with a needle and thread and a folded red handkerchief resting against his thigh. The idea came to him very suddenly on the first night of the voyage, when the happenings of the last few days finally settled in. Anxiety about being a good father-figure for Astrid faded away into a warm, fuzzy excitement to present her with something that, albeit small, he hopes will mean as much to her as it will to him. It won’t be as cool as phase-shifting armor; and it won’t be as grandeur as one of Veliky’s arcanitech golems; but it will be something from the heart, at least. A small celebration of becoming a family. As the days pass, Cantio keeps up the same routine; occasionally re-telling the story of the Chrono Knight as a refresher; and eventually, the father-daughter pair find themselves tucked away in a merchant’s wagon to take them to the Sunset Plains. Astrid has been sleeping for so long, that Cantio has pulled out the small sparrow which provides him light to work on his small, secret project. The bird twitters and twitches its wings while resting on the tips of his knuckles; the tiefling is too focused on what he’s doing to pay attention to Astrid, assuming her asleep as he pushes a needle laced with black thread through the fabric he’s been working on for the past few days.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 8, 2023 21:07:19 GMT -5
The way that Astrid's face seems to absolutely glow at getting to call Cantio da -at getting to call anyone da- properly, for the first time, makes her look like a little beacon of sunshine. She's positively radiant.
"Aye, that's what ya are, da!"
It's the best breakfast she's ever had.
Packing up together and talking about their course of action together helps make things feel more real. Each smile, each chuckle, each step taken side by side makes Astrid feel as if she's walking on air. If only she could!
With passage secured, they tuck themselves away into a cozy corner below deck when it's time for rest. Every time Cantio tells a story, she's enraptured, caught up in the moment, fully knowing that these are the kinds of stories that inspired her when she was younger. It's nice to feel hopeful about the future, to look forward to each day as a new adventure to tackle. Cantio helped her feel that way when they first met, and he continues to make her feel that way with each passing day.
She never leaves his side, but she also doesn't make him do all the conversational heavy lifting with other adults. She's been on her own long enough to get snarky when she needs to, and now that she has a family, she'll do whatever she has to in order to protect it. By the time they get off the ship, she has a suntan shaped like her goggles because she rarely took them off so long as Cantio wore his own mask. The sailors often joked about them both, but she never cared.
They pass the time with stories of some of their adventures. Astrid goes into more detail about all the wild shenanigans she's gotten into in a very short time. With Cantio so willing to listen and be attentive, she's always willing to talk. She feels heard, which is such a different feeling from... Nevermind. Neither of them talk much about the past, about the times before they started adventuring. Some things are better off left buried.
Sleeping has never been something Astrid struggled with, at least not in recent years. It doesn't matter how uncomfortable something might seem, she can sleep there. Snuggled up against Cantio's side, even with the tossing of the ship and the bumps of the wagon, she sleeps soundly, unafraid and unburdened.
Without much to do in the back of a wagon, she quickly found herself asleep, even early in the evening before the sun fully set. Unlike the ship, there isn't much to do. It's a quiet evening, and her eyes drift open, slowly taking in the setting. The soft glow of the golden bird draws her attention, and she glances over to see that Cantio's stitching something, but she can't see what at this angle.
"What's that?" she asks through a yawn. Sitting up, Astrid tries to peer at the project. "Can I see?"
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 18, 2023 16:20:04 GMT -5
Cantio’s tail sways lazily as he pushes the needle through the fabric; sunset peeks into the back of the covered wagon, the light warm but growing weaker by each waning second. It’s peaceful, actually; and so peaceful, in fact, that he completely forgets that he should be checking on Astrid. The glowing bird is the first to notice Astrid, it’s emotionless eyes turning towards the girl as she starts to sit up. It twitches its head, blinking tiny eyes at Astrid. Cantio, in the meantime, nearly stabs himself when he hears Astrid’s voice. “Wh-huh!?” He chokes, scrambling to put his work behind him. Shoot! “I, uh— What’s what?” He answers, despite having very clearly put something behind him, he is definitely pretending he didn’t as he shows Astrid his empty hands with a sheepish, but somewhat nervous smile. “I dunno what you mean—nothing to see, here! How was your nap? Sleep well? We should be arriving pretty soon!”
... This is most definitely an attempt to derail Astrid from whatever he was just doing.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 18, 2023 16:31:24 GMT -5
When she asks what he is working on, Astrid certainly does not expect Cantio to startle and fall into a full-blown panic. Did she scare him that badly?? Her eyes search his face, her own full of confusion after he's just completely thrown her out of any bleariness.
"Uh...?"
He shows his empty hands after having definitely stashed something behind his back. The confusion on her face turns more to curiosity. Leaning over him to try and find exactly what it was, she can't see immediately, but that doesn't stop her from searching. He doesn't have to hide anything from her. Why would he? But whatever it was, he stashed it out of sight, so since reaching over him doesn't work, she instead glances at his shoulder, and it's in that moment Cantio can see her plan.
"What are ya hidin', huh??" Astrid asks playfully as she tries to shove her hand in the crook behind Cantio. His attempts to distract her with questions won't work this time!
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 22, 2023 18:21:27 GMT -5
“Hm?” Cantio looks back at her with an air of innocence, head tilted slightly when he sees Astrid’s gaze wander and — OH GODS, OH NO, SHE’S ON THE MOVE. “H-hey!” Cantio jerks back in an attempt to hide with a surprised squeak; he tucks his knees in to keep distance from Astrid, pushing her back somewhat with a leg.
“Astrid!” He practically squeaks, his voice pitching high in an obvious ‘oh no I’ve been caught’ sort of tone, as he bubbles into an equally nervous fit of laughter. When Astrid suddenly tries to reach around him into the crook between the boxes that Cantio’s hiding his project, he panics— and reaches around Astrid to poke at her sides in an attempt to tickle her away.
“I told you I don’t have anything!”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 22, 2023 18:41:07 GMT -5
The sudden prod in the side sends a sensation crawling through Astrid’s body and out to every limb. Like a spider spritzed by water, she withdraws and freezes up suddenly, absolutely startled by it. What the heck was that? She’s never felt anything like that before. That was… so weird. I-Is that a special defensive technique he’s learned to keep his personal space? Why did it feel so…funny??
Her eyes are the only thing that moves as she looks at Cantio for answers. Wait, why are his fingers moving like that?
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 22, 2023 19:18:45 GMT -5
Astrid suddenly freezes up, but Cantio is very determined to keep this embroidery a secret; he very much wants to surprise her, and if she sees it now, there’s going to be no surprise! So he commits; he pushes Astrid a bit with the front of his knee and—
—proceeds to tickle her, because it’s not like he’s going to throw her to the other side of the cart or anything to get her away from the gift. He would never! But, gods above knows he’s ticklish, so he doesn’t even think twice as he pokes at Astrid’s sides playfully, bubbling a laughing, "C'mon, I'm really not hiding anything! Off, off!"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 22, 2023 20:00:23 GMT -5
Wh-What is this?! It feels weird! What is he doing?! And why can’t she resist laughing?!
“Ack! What’re ya- ACK!!” Astrid yelps and squirms, breaking into a fit of giggles as Cantio pokes and prods at her sides. “What’re ya d-d-doin’ ta me?!” she squeals, trying to get out of his reach. Unfortunately, the covered wagon is a small space, and there’s nowhere to run. “What is this?! Yer hidin’ somethin’, I k-know it!” More giggling.
In no time at all, she’s completely at his mercy, legs kicking in little motions as she tries to avoid absolutely bashing the fragile minstrel in the face. Her sides hurt from flinching and giggling and overall struggling against the smallest of motions to take her down completely. “O-Okay, okay! I g-give up! Please, da!” If this goes on any longer, she’s going to wet herself, and she doesn’t have another pair of pants.
When he finally lets up, Astrid collapses against him, letting her head plop against his chest while she breathes hard to try to contain herself. “What the heck were ya doin’ ta me?? What was that??”
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Apr 11, 2023 20:20:39 GMT -5
Cantio bubbles into a mischievous laugh; he, himself, is actually quite ticklish— which works well in the simple fact that Astrid does not try to return the favour in a twist of revenge— and instead squirms and giggles. “Keeping your nose out of my business!” Cantio teases, tickling her until she starts kicking, causing the wagon to shift ever so slightly.
He’s quick to stop when Astrid asks him, laughter escaping him; but with Astrid’s attention successfully diverted, he pulls the girl into a hug as she flops against him. “What do you mean?” He wonders, pulling Astrid back ever so slightly so he can get a better look at her. He cocks his head, brows furrowed quizzically. “You’ve never had someone tickle you before?”
Cantio can recall a number of fits in his youth around his parents; usually, its was his mother encouraging him to scurry away somewhere and hide; when he was fussy about going to bed, or taking medication, he'd get a poke that made him squirm. He never had enough smarts to just, get out of arm's reach; he'd just kick and squeal until he was shown mercy. It was rare, but he still remembers those moments fondly. “Uh, well— sometimes people are ticklish, and when someone pokes you, it makes you laugh.” He chuckles. “I’m ticklish; and it looks like you are, too.”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Apr 15, 2023 21:52:05 GMT -5
It’s a huge relief when Cantio stops poking and prodding at Astrid’s sides, and she takes some deep breaths to try to collect herself only to be pulled from the comfort of his arms and given a puzzled look. She returns his gaze with her own – one that doesn’t or wouldn’t know any better. “No, never,” she says. Being tickled was not something she experienced, but then again, there are many forms of physical affection she doesn't remember experiencing before meeting Cantio. Memories play back in her mind of seeing a mother chasing a toddler through the streets of Sky Peak, moving her fingers against his sides and causing him to squeal. They seemed to have fun, and if this is what that is then yeah, it is fun. “I wondered what that was…” she murmurs at the memory.
Finally, she plops her little head back on Cantio’s chest and snuggles up into his arms while he explains what being ticklish is, and her brow furrows thoughtfully. “Aye, it made me laugh, but it weren’t like when someone tells a joke. I couldn’t stop!” Astrid lifts her head again and gives Cantio a devious smirk. “Shouldn’t’ve told me yer ticklish too.” No consequences come of that. Yet.
“It was kinda fun,” she says, getting comfortable again. “This trip has been real fun so far, at least fer me.” The girl lets out a little yawn as drowsiness starts seeping back into her eyes. “Hope yer havin’ fun too.” How could she not have fun? In the last several days, Astrid has been on a cross-Charon journey with someone who enjoys her company and treats her like…treats her like a kid, but not in a condescending way. He makes her laugh and holds her close and teaches her about things like tickling and table manners and… being part of a family. It’s easy to sleep soundly, even on the road, because she feels safe. Astrid sleeps easily knowing Cantio will be there when she wakes up.
The next several days pass with small routines. Occasional the wagon stops to allow the horses to eat and drink, and Astrid and Cantio take the time to stretch their legs and look at the vast plains of King’s Valley stretching out before them. Grass. It’s all just grass. On the ship, it was all just water, but now it’s just a sea of grass.
Somehow, they’re never attacked by bandits or creatures of the plains. At one point, they see an impossibly large bird flying overhead, which the driver says is something called a Roc. He forces them to stop near an outcropping of boulders to avoid catching its attention. Astrid, of course, offers to fight the Roc, but she can’t possibly fathom its true size from her place on the ground.
Whenever they take pause, she makes sure to continue practicing what little lightning magic she knows, pulsing a charge into her battle hammer and keeping up her skills with throwing it at targets – usually a stump or a rock. The hammer itself is her most polished and prized possession, and she shows it off at any opportunity she gets. In the afternoon sunlight, it glimmers brilliantly from the amount of polishing she does to its surface.
Finally, the day comes that Astrid and Cantio arrive at the fabled Nomad’s Stone, a six hundred foot granite spire jutting out of the earth which marks the edge of Zeinav and King’s Valley. They see it in the distance long before they arrive, and suddenly the journey feels like it’s coming to a close, but really the stone is just a piece of the puzzle in their trek to find the tomb of the Chrono Knight.
They spend some time asking around for any information about the tomb in one of the few local villages that exist in King’s Valley. The stone itself is a pilgrimage site for nomads and the stories surrounding it are numerous. Each local asked about the stone has something different to say about it, a different story passed down by their grandpappies and grandmammies. The most common tall tale is that the stone is a finger of Ginma, broken off and left behind to guide the nomads of the plains, though one local’s tale feels like the most relevant: the stone was placed by Zeiv to help keep track of time in Charon.
How the fellblood and the child can use that information for their quest? They’re not entirely sure. The sheer size of the massive pillar looms over the two of them as they stand at the base and wonder what in the world they’re supposed to do now.
“I… don’t s’pose ya know anymore bits ta that story about the knight, do ya?” Astrid finally says after having stared at the gigantic stone for long enough.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Jun 28, 2023 19:11:10 GMT -5
Cantio chuckles; he pulls Astrid up into his arms when she snuggles up to him. His expression is quick to change from mischievous, to nervous, when he sees her devious grin. “Uh,” he manages to sputter; he laughs sheepishly. “ W-would you believe me if I said I was lying about that?” he jests, the tone of his voice indicating that he is most definitely not lying; but at the very least, Astrid seems too drowsy to actually go through with her implied revenge. … She’ll probably end up getting him when he’s least expecting it. A fond chuckle escapes the fellblood’s lips while Astrid yawns sleepily; and he pushes back a natural urge to do the same. His shoulders shudder a bit with the effort of holding back the yawn, but his eyelids grow heavy while Astrid speaks. The bard chuckles, resting his cheek against the top of Astrid’s head. He closes his eyes. “ I’m traveling to investigate a legend in real life with my daughter… How could I not be having fun?” For the most part, the trip goes without much of a hitch; from sea to land, Cantio and Astrid travel undeterred by anything save one singular, big-ass bird. He is quick to gently discourage her from actually trying to brawl it though, because he knows those things could probably eat her as an appetizer. Aside from that, though; things are peaceful. When they stop to let the horses rest, Cantio goes out with Astrid and watches her practice; sometimes when she stops to rest, he tells her small stories, myth, and legends of the King’s Valley like he used to for traveling merchants and mercenaries some year or so ago. The peace doesn’t last, though; and eventually they do find their way to the Nomad’s Stone; locals all have differing reports on the stone itself, with most of them differing from the tale that Cantio had originally told— but a few which fall right in line, or sound awfully similar.
Now, Cantio stands alongside Astrid, staring up at the gigantic stone as if it might speak up and tell them the answer to the mystery itself. “ Um…” Cantio blinks at her question, brows furrowing behind the mask. “ Anymore bits to the story? Well…” He cups his chin against the curled knuckles of one hand while he considers anything he might have missed, but he can’t… he can’t really think of anything. The fellblood frowns. He had been so excited to go on this adventure with Astrid, so hopeful to do something… good for her, for her future of adventuring, that he hadn’t even fully braced himself for the possibility… what if it wasn’t true? What if it was wrong? He’s been wrong before! He doesn’t want to see Astrid discouraged if it’s not real. “ N-no, I don’t think there really is much more to that part of the tale.” He admits reluctantly, “ It kind of stops there; I mean, the tale says he was buried by the king in the temple of time, before the stone where the nomads gathered, but there sure isn’t a temple here. There is a stone, sure. Just no temple.” While he speaks, Cantio paces around the girth of the Nomad’s stone; he stops in its shadow cast by the sun, hands on his hips. His tail flicks back and forth nervously. “ Mythology and tale tends to differ from place to place, person to person, family to family… Even everyone we talked to had a different story to tell… I mean, the finger of Ginma? That doesn’t really line up with the whole ‘Chrono Knight’ thing, but then again, most of the Kingdom that they once belonged to has long since been forgotten save a couple of stone tablets and artifacts that would suggest their presence.” Cantio nods to himself as if those things could not be forged, and this is definite proof; unfortunately, this still doesn’t help them figure out exactly how to find the aforementioned time temple.
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