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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 15, 2023 12:32:13 GMT -5
Previously on House Storm-Lumen... "I'll get ya into the guild. Promise. Then we can kick Morrigan's butt together! Pack yer bags, I'll see ya soon!"
After saying his goodbyes to Astrid, the communicator falls silent again, and Cantio returns it to its place on the counter. Shortly after, however, be it by his conscious or subconscious efforts or by her own somehow, Melodia manifests in the living room, hovering just on the edge of Cantio's vision. Her expression is soft, the ever-present resting smile on her lips, but there is worry in her eyes, indicated by the slight furrow of her brow. She waits for Cantio to notice her before she speaks, offering more of a smile though making few efforts to hide anything behind it. "You spoke with Astrid?" she asks softly. From what she can tell, their conversations over the last couple of weeks have been sporadic and brief at best. Astrid has barely called on her either. It's unlike Astrid to not check in or tell someone about her day, especially when the girl travels on her own. Melodia is concerned, but she doesn't have much to go off of to know if there's anything she can do to help.
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 16, 2023 22:30:33 GMT -5
Cantio looks to Melodia, the expression on his face hard to read even without the mask. “ I did,” he answers as he gets to his feet. The fellblood straightens out the collar of his shirt, golden gaze troubled as he turns towards the phantom. “ I’ve been… feeling a lot.” He admits. “ From Astrid’s earrings, that is…” Between his fingers, he twists the sun-shaped charm, a frown forming on his lips. “ Every time I try to get ahold of her, though, she doesn’t seem all that keen on talking...” He furrows his brows, feeling a soft thump from Smoothie as the moth lands on his shoulder; six little legs pad over the arch of his collarbones. (1) “ I’m worried about her; there was just this big…. This big…” Cantio doesn’t know how to describe it; the closest thing he can compare it to is when he took his first life. A sinking feeling, a dark place. “…I don’t know. Sadness. At first I thought something happened to her, and then I thought something happened to Blue— but they both seem fine, so I don’t…” Cantio looks up from his pacing; though, he didn’t realize he was even pacing to begin with. He turns to look at Melodia, “Did she talk to you about anything, Melodia? Does she seem okay? She’ll tell us if she’s not— I know she will, but I just…” he trails off, shoulders drooping.
(1) Smoothie, Mimic Moth
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 16, 2023 22:32:26 GMT -5
Melodia watches Cantio pacing. He does this when he’s anxious. There’s probably some excitement mixed in with the worry – he’s always been the fretful sort – but he’s right to be worried. She is too.
“I…” Melodia begins, but she pulls her words back, hesitant to speak on things she doesn’t know for certain. She and Cantio work together, though. There’s no reason to hide her worries from him. “I think something happened in Sol City,” she finally says. “I… I don’t know what that is exactly. Sadness seems apt… There’s something weighing heavily on her, and she’s been more active doing small quests. At this point it just seems like… like busywork.”
She looks at Cantio and the little scrunkly moth on his shoulder. “The most time I’ve spent with her was trudging through the swamp with her and Blue Raspberry. She seemed… Well, a bit more agitated and adversarial than I think I’ve ever seen her. Granted, she has some history with that Morrigan fellow – they've disliked each other from the moment they met, but still… It felt kind of odd for her, if I’m being honest. And even that task felt like she was distracting herself.”
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 16, 2023 22:33:47 GMT -5
Cantio looks at her with a hint of desperation; he obviously wants an answer, wants to know that everything’s okay, but it’s hard to know when to push and when to leave Astrid to process on her own. He doesn’t want to force her into telling him anything she’s not ready for, but… he at least wants her to know he’ll be here when she is. Cantio furrows his brows upon Melodia’s answer, golden gaze drifting towards the baseboards as he ponders the possibility of what could have happened in Sol City.
So many things.
“So she’s trying to distract herself from something?” He guesses; he can relate, he’s been there; maybe not exactly there, but he’s certainly kept himself busy with busywork— which is actually what he’s doing right now, in a way. Cantio has already taken the violin Morrigan had sent him out of its case, slipping it into his own, and breathing a shuddering sigh as he considers how excited he’d been to get the gift originally.
Almost like she’s reading his mind, Melodia starts to talk about the other fellblood. “Agitated and adversarial?” He repeats Melodia’s words with a hint of disbelief; he turns to look at her as he zips up his case; he’s packing, clearly taking Astrid seriously. “Are you saying she was starting something with Morrigan?” He seems puzzled as he paces across his room, pulling open the wardrobe to pull his overcoat out. “Astrid is a lot of things, but she’s not… I mean she doesn’t go around picking fights… that much, anyways… you think what happened might have had something to do with the wiz… with Morrigan?”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 16, 2023 22:35:02 GMT -5
"I… Can't say for sure," Melodia says, pondering what she does know, before she shakes her head. "No. No, I don't think Morrigan was involved. They ran into each other by happenstance, really, while Astrid was…" She trails off. What Astrid was looking for is a surprise for Cantio – that much, Melodia knows. Neither she nor Astrid expected to run into Blue or Morrigan in the Marsh Flats.
While Melodia considers what to say, the strands of her hair float around her, sometimes moving in jerky motions while she considers. They give away the conflicted feelings she's trying to mask.
"I think Morrigan was just an unforeseen obstacle in her looking for something for you," she finally says. "So they may have earned her ire simply because they were in each other's presence. I'm not privy to everything that happened between them, but she was being a bit curt about it all."
Then her eyes meet Cantio's, searching his for any hints, but finding them as lost as hers. "Whatever happened in Sol City… All I know is that she left the Fighter's Guild suddenly, and she won't talk to me about it." It stings to say that, but as much as Melodia tries to be a comforting presence for Astrid, there's only so much she can do for her as much as she wants to be able to do more.
"Sometimes children just need to be hugged, and that's not something I can offer her..."
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 16, 2023 22:56:31 GMT -5
Cantio looks towards Melodia with a slight frown; Smoothie, meanwhile, slowly taps her way up the fellblood’s hair to get to the top of his head. He ignores the tiny feeling of small pitter-patters. “While she was…?” He prompts slowly; he wouldn’t force Melodia to tell him, but she seems like she has something more to add… that she’s not.
In this case, when Astrid seems to be acting to strangely, he just wants to know the details; he’s not a smart man, and he has enough nervous energy to power Sol City; but the last thing he wants to do if something’s wrong is sit by, blissfully unaware. “Ah…” Cantio finishes folding his over-coat and tosses it onto his bed, sighing softly as Smoothie makes it to her desired destination of between his two horns. “I can’t imagine why Morrigan would…” he starts, and then trails off.
Well… if they were willing to sabotage his chances of getting into the Mage Guild, maybe they were willing to be mean enough to Astrid to earn her distaste. She’s changed a lot since those first days in Sky Peak— and frankly, he’s proud of her for standing up for herself. Still, he feels weird about the whole Morrigan debacle, having only really seen one side of them.
“Aha, never mind. I’m sure Astrid has her reasons, yeah?” He clears his throat, tail swishing as he turns back to his wardrobe and snaps up his boots from beneath hanging outfits. He turns back to Melodia when she speaks again, eyes wide. “Wait— wait, she left the Fighter’s Guild!?” He objects, distress pitching his voice. “Why would she leave the guild? She’s worked so hard to get in, and to keep up her membership!” Guilt washes over him at the realization that he hadn’t even known that.
What kind of parent is he, honestly?
But then again, if Astrid won’t even tell Melodia, then… Something’s certainly wrong; and while he doesn’t want to force Astrid into talking about it, he at least wants her to understand he’s here to talk if she needs it. He looks back up at Melodia, golden gaze dulling when she finishes; his heart sinks at her words, brows furrowing. “I’m… sorry, Melodia.” He’s not sure why he’s apologizing; but sometimes it’s easy to forget that Melodia isn’t physical, until given the reminder. “When she gets home, I’ll hug her for the both of us.”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 16, 2023 23:17:50 GMT -5
Watching Cantio struggle through the information Melodia presents him is painful. It isn’t that she intends to keep things from him at all, but she does respect both his and Astrid’s privacy to the best of her ability. She can’t manifest on her own to give Cantio updates on everything, and if Astrid chooses not to tell either of them anything… Well, there’s little she can do.
His outburst, while sudden, is not unexpected, and Melodia’s expression remains melancholic while she nods solemnly, her eyes turning down. “I’m fairly certain she did,” she says. “When I asked if she’d taken any work from them while in Sol City, she was dodgy about it. I don’t want to pry too much and make her feel uncomfortable talking to me, but… I worry about her, Cantio. I really do. She’s usually so open and full of energy, but lately she’s seemed like something is dragging her down…”
She looks at Cantio again, the two of them sharing a moment of pain and quiet. Feeling helpless to do anything for someone they care deeply about. He apologizes, and there’s a sad twinge to her brow but a gentle smile on her lips. “You don’t have to apologize, Cantio,” she assures. “It’s simply how things are.” But she lets the mask fall from her face. “But… I would appreciate that. I know she misses your hugs when she’s away.”
It’s at that point, the sound of the front door unlocking echoes through the spacious house, and the heavy oaken door slams open. It even startles Melodia, and she looks at Cantio with a confused, furrowed brow. If Blue really opens the door like that, they’ll have to have a talk with them. Instead, they hear Astrid’s voice.
“Hey da? I’m here! Sorry it took a bit. Cirice was showin’ me some stuff!”
Wasn’t she just in Moonglade??
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 17, 2023 20:07:43 GMT -5
Cantio’s expression is crestfallen when Melodia confirms that Astrid left the Fighter’s Guild— if he wasn’t certain before, he’s certain now that something really is wrong. “Dodgy?” he echoes softly, tail drooping as he looks towards the ghost. “That’s… She worked so hard to get in, why would she leave?”
Unless… did she get kicked out? Surely they wouldn’t kick her out! She’s done so much for the Fighter’s Guild— he’s heard so many stories about her journeys, there’s just no way… His tail flicks back and forth, eyes searching Melodia for an answer she doesn’t have to give him; but he nods hesitantly nonetheless, offering her a weak, but gentle smile in return. “I know, but… still.” He remarks, breathing a soft sigh. “I miss her when she’s away, but—“
He bristles and jumps when he hears the front door unlocking; the fell blood looks over his shoulder, about to call out for Blue, when Astrid’s voice catches him off guard.
Cantio looks at the communicator, then looks back towards the open door slack-jawed. “Hah? What? Is that…” He looks to Melodia quizzically, before turning and sweeping out the door to greet Astrid. “Astrid?” He calls, bounding down the stairs until the girl comes into view.
Without waiting, the fellblood swoops to her and envelops her in a hug that’s almost crushing for the man’s usual show of strength. As he pulls back, he rests his hands on her shoulders. “What in the world— how did you get home so fast? I thought you just said you were in the Moonglade!”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 17, 2023 21:26:17 GMT -5
Melodia seems equally confused by Astrid’s sudden appearance, and she shares a surprised glance with Cantio before he exits the room. Watching him descend the stairs, she decides to hang back and listen in while she still has some time remaining, hoping to learn something. It goes against her to eavesdrop, but she can’t help herself.
After Astrid closes the door, she lets Spicy Pawsage out of the special pocket for him, and the hound happily bounds through the foyer and into the living room to jump up on the couch and roll around on the cushions. When she hears her name, Astrid calls up the stairs. “Aye, it’s me! I said I was comin’ back home, didn’t I?”
Seeing Cantio rushing down the stairs, a familiar warmth gathers in Astrid’s chest and bubbles up into a smile. In no time at all, he gathers her into his arms, and she throws her own arms around him, nuzzling her face into his chest. He doesn’t usually squeeze her this tight, but it doesn’t bother her, she just tries not to crush him in return. The hug doesn’t last long though, as Cantio’s confusion and concern separate them.
“Huh?” she blurts, startled by the sudden break. “Oh! I was!” Astrid quickly fishes an unfamiliar key out of her bag and presents it like a prize. “I used this! It’s a magic key that’ll take me home from any door! Pretty cool, ain't it?”
Pet Pocket House Key
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 18, 2023 9:12:47 GMT -5
Something about Cantio certainly seems more attentive than normal; his golden gaze searches Astrid’s face when they pull apart. It’s almost as though he’s looking for something; a scratch, a bruise— but he knows whatever wounds Astrid’s carrying won’t show on the outside. He smiles warmly, his worry still visible in the crease between his brows as Astrid bumbles out a confuse sound when they part. “ Yes, you did, but I wasn’t expecting you back so soon when you said…” he trails off, looking at the strange key that Astrid pulls out of her bag. He blinks, looking at it, before looking at her: isn’t that just a house key? “ Magic key…?” He repeats, cocking his head as he looks at it. “ Really?” He looks wondrously at it, then blinks. “ How long have you had this? You didn’t want to come home sooner?” He asks, offering her a puzzled glance before deciding that… well, maybe she just didn’t if Melodia’s right, and something really is wrong. But she seems okay all things considered. It’s a strange kind of whiplash that Cantio isn’t sure how to process; but as something of an actor himself, he does have an idea. He breathes a sigh, pulling Astrid back into a tight hug. “Well… That doesn't matter too much I suppose— I’m just glad to see you home safe.” He admits— the second hug is, of course, for Melodia as promised. After a moment, he finally pulls away— brushing off the shoulders of Astrid’s cloak as he does so. “How was your trip? Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?”
It's the same kind of fretting he normally puts forth when Astrid and Blue come home; although, Blue doesn't seem to be with her this time. "Blue's off on their own again?"
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 18, 2023 13:20:40 GMT -5
"Aye, a magic key!" Astrid says with a bright smile. "I ain't had it fer long, just got it, really. Thought I might hafta come all the way home just take make it work right, but I didn't!"
Astrid notices Cantio seems to be searching for something, but she's not sure what. He pulls her into another tight hug, and she leans into it again, glad to feel his warmth. "I'm alright, da," she reassures him. Physically, she's fine. The minor cuts and bruises heal easily enough on their own, and anything more than that, the magic of her hammer can heal. Still, having the affection and warmth of Cantio makes her feel the safest.
This wouldn't be the first time Astrid's come home in a bit of a funk, but this time she doesn't have certain things on her mind. Before, she'd have a lot of travel time to bury it or work through it, but with the key, the luxury of time to work things out is instead spent on doing other jobs to stay busy. She likes to stay busy though. It's not unusual for her to do a lot of quests before coming home.
In all honesty, she had a pretty good time with Cirice, and she's feeling pretty good today - besides making Cantio question his friendship with Morrigan. But she can feel Cantio fretting over her a bit more than she expected. Maybe it was just the conversation from earlier, she decides. Did she say something to make him worry?
When he dusts off her shoulders, little bits of dirt and pebbles fall off and clink against the floor. "Today was easy, just pickin' up little rock creatures. They were everywhere!" she says, then she gives him a playful stink eye. "Ya know I'm always hungry, da."
She steps away to get her cloak and gloves off, some indication that she's willing to stay home and relax a little bit before just rushing off to go take whatever trip she's promised him. "Aye, Blue's gone off ta do their own stuff," she says, hanging her cloak on a hook in the foyer. "We ran into each other in the swamp. Morrigan suckered a buncha villagers outta their coin, an' we all just happened ta be in the same place. I think Blue said they were…eatin'. I didn't question it much. We split up after we got into a bit of trouble. Nothin' outside of the normal amount though, I'm pretty sure."
The normal amount doesn't involve pissing off the mob, but she's confident things will be fine. They were just a group of goons, after all.
When she looks back at Cantio, Astrid searches his face. "Da, ya seem… I dunno… Are ya alright? Don't say yer fine, I can feel ya worryin'."
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 18, 2023 22:39:13 GMT -5
Cantio blinks when she assures him he’s okay; and for a moment, he seems a little taken aback. His smile, when it comes, is warm but apologetic. “ I know,” he agrees. “ I just worry.” He breathes a chuckle as Astrid offers him a funny side glance. He grins back at her, reaching out to ruffle her blonde hair just before she steps away. “ I know, I know.” He muses fondly before breezing off into the kitchenette off to the side of the room. His steps are quiet, barefoot on the wooden floor of their little chateau. “ Rock creatures?” The sound of opening cabinets fills the quiet of the house, and Cantio’s tail sways as he finds the ice box, and props the lid open. He looks over his shoulder after picking something out from the cold container, his tail swaying back and forth when she mentions Morrigan. The fellblood blinks a few times, his smile growing a bit awkward as she talks casually about Morrigan suckering villagers out of their coin, which… well, he’s still processing it. “ You’re pretty sure?” He repeats, turning around with a small covered plate. He sets it on the counter as Astrid regards him; this time, asking him if he’s alright. She mentions the earrings, and for a moment, he wonders if he should mention that they’re a two way street; that he’s been feeling everything she has, even while she’s gone. It’s enough to give him a bit of a pause before he drifts back into reality; he doesn’t want her to feel pushed to tell him. So, he offers her an apologetic smile. “ We didn’t really get to talk much while you were gone, so I suppose I’ve been doing a little extra worrying.” He admits; he doesn’t really want to lie to her, either. “ I’m just glad you’re home safe; I was going to make you dinner, but I didn’t expect you to be home— uh, immediately.” He breathes a sheepish laugh, drifting into another topic. “I did make spiced jasmine biscuits a few days ago, if you want a few.” He offers, neglecting to mention that the recipe actually came from Morrigan, themselves.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 18, 2023 23:07:20 GMT -5
“I know ya worry,” Astrid says quietly before they separate. “I do me best ta stay safe so ya don’t hafta, but I know ya do anyway.”
As Cantio makes his way across the floor to the kitchen, she follows with much heavier and louder footfalls, bits of armor clanking together as she tells him about the day’s project with Cirice and when she ran into the others in the swamp. “Aye, pretty sure… We found some folks sellin’ bodies they stole outta the catacombs. They weren’t happy we made a mess of their operation.”
The plate touches down with the counter just as she asks if he’s feeling alright. She feels a little pang of guilt about not reaching out more over the last couple of weeks, and her eyes fall. She pretends her gaze was moving to look at the plate of scones. “Um, yeah, sorry ‘bout that,” she says, truly feeling apologetic about it. “It just… Well, lots of stuff was happenin’, an’ it never seemed like a good time.” Astrid pulls one of her gauntlets off to take a biscuit from the plate.
“Sorry I didn't give ya more warnin'... I didn’t wanna say I’d be home so fast in case the key didn’t work,” she admits. “I’m glad it did… I missed ya.” Astrid turns the biscuit over in her hand and sniffs it. “Smells good.” Then she takes a bite. It’s obvious she’s puzzling over something.
“Are ya sure yer alright?" she asks through a mouthful. "I felt… I dunno, a lotta worryin’ not that long ago.” Admittedly, she was a bit distracted during the time after their conversation while she finished collecting the geonids, so she wasn’t too focused on it, but he’s acting strange.
That’s when it hits her. She’s had the earring on the whole time. And she– Oh… Her stomach sinks a bit. She swallows the bite of her snack, finding some difficulty getting around the fresh lump in her throat. She has a feeling she knows why he’s been worrying more than usual. Guilt, sadness, a bit of anger at herself, all toil within her. Why didn’t she take the stupid earring off so he wouldn’t worry? Well, it would’ve been more suspicious if he suddenly couldn’t feel anything. That probably would have made him worry more. Her fingers come up to play at the earring, and her eyes stay glued to the counter.
“Right…”
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Post by Cantio von Lumen on Mar 18, 2023 23:34:15 GMT -5
“No, no—” He shakes his head, “I’m sure you were busy, it’s really okay!” he responds, propping his elbows on the counter as he watches Astrid pull off one of her gauntlets to take one. He focuses on evening out his breathing, trying to mask the worry with a warm smile. “I missed you, too.” He admits, before chuckling at her comment. “I would hope so, I used our last bit of jasmine to make them, so I hope they’re decent. I still haven’t run to the market yet, so I can’t really remake them if they’re not.” He sighs with a playful undertone, but…
Astrid repeats her question at him; the fellblood blinks, propped up against the counter as she remarks about the feelings she’s getting from the earring.
He supposes the earrings don’t care much for acting, do they?
He’s about to speak when, all of the sudden, he feels a wash of mixed emotions from Astrid; she’s staring at the counter, and he’s not sure if she’s figured it out. Guilt creeps into Cantio’s chest, gnawing at his heart when Astrid’s voice— tiny— speaks up. He takes a slow breath, folding his hands together in front of him while he leans against the counter.
“Astrid,” he starts, keeping his voice soft. “I trust that you’ll talk about it when you’re ready to.” Though his brows furrow, Cantio offers her a melancholic smile. “I don’t want to ask you to talk about something you’re not ready for, okay? I’m not going to make you.” Cantio pulls himself to stand, tail swishing nervously behind him. “I just want you to know that when you’re ready, I’m here. We’re family; and no matter what happens, I’m here to support you.”
He feels a nervous lump in his throat, a wash of uncertainty because… truly, he doesn’t know if he’s handling this properly. He didn’t want to make Astrid more upset when she’d come home smiling. “The only thing I do want to know right now is if you’re okay.”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Mar 18, 2023 23:42:22 GMT -5
Astrid’s hand grips the biscuit as tight as she can without crushing it, but the surface still cracks, and crumbs tumble across the counter. Try as she might to keep the tears from welling up, she can’t. She can’t anymore. She’s not okay, but how does she even talk about what she’s been through? She can’t even look at Cantio, her face turned down, but the simple question of asking if she’s okay breaks her.
“D-Da… S-Someone’s dead ‘cause of me,” Astrid manages to say, though her voice cracks. The floodgates open, and sobs wrack her shoulders.
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