RP:Assassins Don't Sleep Under Fountains
Never Freezing Fountain
Shintogi was snoozing beside the never freezing fountain. Though he wa quite cold at this point in time, due to kaitlynne being off on a hunt, his thick clothing seemed to help mildly. On a more subconcious level though he supposed, that the sound of the water warmed him as well. His subconcious was still new to this area so the thought of flowing water would not allow his mind to believe it was as cold as it was. The thick brown coat that laid over the half-elf hid his form mostly, so for the time being, mostly because he couldn't stand not having fresh air, the only thing visible was his head. The half-elf's ears twitched and turned slightly as his slumber drew on indication he was dreaming, but beyond that no movement was to be seen, beyond the casual shift of his hair with each gust of wind.'
Satoshi ambles along the snowy path with a spring in her step and a whistle on her lips, the very image of a mirthful foxkin simply going about her day. When she reaches the fountain, the kit pauses to stare silently up at the wolven centerpiece and, after a prolonged moment, dips her head in acknowledgement to it. It's then that she spots the bundle curled up on the ground beside the fountain's basin. Whiskers twitch in unconscious search of latent magic around the object even as her nose sniffs the air to gather available information. Alive. That much she can be certain of. Warm blood is hard for a predatory vampire to miss. As well as the sharp hints of lycan, too little to determine if the stranger themself is of that race, or has been near one recently. "Hm." Using her single arm to draw her mist-woven cloak about herself, Satoshi steps closer to the body before calling out in sing-song tones, "Hullo there~?"
Shintogi shuddered at the voice. It was nothing of a distaste for it, but merely being re-awoken to the feeling of the cold air surrounding him. He could have warmed himself of course, but he was not to kind to the thought of showing who he was to anyone who might amble by. Lifting his head towards the voice he deftly lifted a hand beneath his woolen cocoon to wipe his eyes. The action shifted his hair aside just enough to reveal something akin to elf ears, though a cautious eye would tell the on-looker that they were somewhere between elf and human. As shin's voice left it had the sing-songiness of an elf, however it was off kilter, like listening to only half the words of a lullaby. He was definately more elf than human, but he was also definately part human. "Daisy?" He didn't know many around this land, but kaitlynne and Daisy were the only he had met in this area. "S'at you?"
Satoshi's vulpine ears twist forward in response to the name 'Daisy'. Either this fellow is a worshipper of that bovine ascendi, or he knows the happy-go-lucky little feline she herself has become fond of. And considering the milk-able Daisy doesn't venture into Frostmaw, Satoshi can bet it's the sunshine kitten he's speaking of. Although that still doesn't tell the kit a great deal about this man, even if a few glimpses of his features are useful in piecing together a bit of his apparent heritage--apparent, because too often has she met people who are far from what they appear to be. Shaking her head, Satoshi responds once more in that voice that's part soothing lullaby and part ethereal whisperings, "Non, monsieur, I am not Daisy. Are you familiar with the little Sundrop, then?"
Shintogi shivered again> the tire in his mind plus her voice made his skin crawl. But not so as most would believe where it was if insects had covered his body. it was a warmer, softed crawling as if kittens had decided he was their bed. He eyes fluttered again as he tried to push sleep from his mind. This was a good sign. Could have been fake, but it was good none the less. The woman knew Daisy, and he didn't see Daisy being referred to so sweetly by one who would maim him for the hell of it. "Aye... I know the flowerchild." His eyes had finally begun to focus and the image of the woman before himbegan to clear, so slowly he pushed himself to a sitting position shifting the woolen cloak off his upper body. much like his face his upperbody mirrored his heritage. A lithe frame presenting a mild amount of muscle tension along his arms. "Who, if I may be so bold, are you?"
Satoshi, once the man sits up, rocks back on her heels, the gesture meant to put polite space between them, give her a chance to look him over properly, and overall just present an air of casual ease. When meeting new faces, the kit has learned that coming off as easy-going helps to maintain that image of relative harmlessness, as being underestimated is a valuable assert to one as small as she. But these are merely an undercurrent of her thoughts, natural instincts running calculations for possibilities that rarely actually take place. She has no intentions of maiming or otherwise engaging the stranger in anything but a conversation, unless he chooses to do otherwise. You don't survive long by assaulting every possible threat you encounter, after all, and allies are far better to have than enemies needlessly obtained. As such, the kit meets his question with a lopsided grin, the slight flash of fangs matched by a playful gleam of amber flecks in her blue eyes. "Who~? One who loves this snow-clad city, and one who cannot bypass so curious a sight as a fellow sleeping beside an already curious fountain. Although," she pauses, expression thoughtful, before adding with in amused tones, "it es better than sleeping in the street. The giants would likely step on you then~."
Shintogi looke dup at her taking in her appearance and form. Something was off about her speach, though he could not begin to gather what. It could have simply been his own instinct. Shinwas far from a weakling who could no defend himself. In his home land he was well known for being powerful, but this place. This world around him now. it seemed so alien, that some part of his mind actually feered he may be no more defencable than an infant by comparison. "The fountain comforts me M'lady." Shin wasn't always polite but when he was (it's dos equis) he tried to be amicable about it. This lady did not give an air he detested as some here had. The ones who annoyed him the worst were the arrogant, and those who were lacked all caution. She seemed to not be either of those. "I do not suppose you know of the queen of these lands, do you." He doubted she did. For though she seemed loosely attired for such cold, she seemed to be confused by the simplest thing of a fountain that showed it had been here long. "Flowerchild said she might be able to help me."
Satoshi's smile takes on a tilt that hints of curiosity, an expression mirrored in her voice. "Might be able to help you? Are you in some sort of trouble? I can, in fact, point you in the right direction, if..." Here Satoshi leans forward to squint closely at the half-elf in mock scrutiny. Voice lowered to conspiratorial levels, she continues, "-if- you're not an assassin, that es~. It'd be bad for my neck, tu sais?" While she's mostly joking, as is evident by her tone of voice, Satoshi does also use these methods to get a gauge on people. As much as she loves her role as the Lady of these lands, she hates how fake most act when they know who she is. Honest, natural, -real- people are what she prefers, and these are often the only methods she has in discovering them.
Shintogi You finally got a good look at the woman. She was cute and all, but any thought of cute simply drew his mind back to kaitlynne, and in that the promise he had made to her. That and his wish to make her happy. A low chuckle left his throat and a smile spread across his lips. "An assassin who sleeps, in broad daylight, as a huge lump of wool, beside a fountain thatnever freezes. I wouldn't last long, now would I?" His grin continued even as he pressed his hand to the ground and shifted to a standing positon with delicate ease. He made sure to keep the distance between them to keep the sanctity of mind it held for them both. "I am in no trouble. Not yet at least. I have no home, nor does my mate. She is of a colder upbringing, and though I am not, i wish her happiness. This seems to be the best place for it though."
Satoshi nods in understanding, but not before she remarks quietly, "Few are as they appear~. The best assassins appear to be bumbling ones." Because underestimating your enemy is the quickest path to a grave, as she knows too well. "So you seek a home for you and yours, hm? That, I can help you with, as the Sundrop said." With that, the kit takes a step back and dips into a sweeping bow, the gesture ended with a flourish of her hand and a salute. "Satoshi Azakhaer, at your service, monsieur. ...?" She trails off with the sentence in polite invitation for him to provide his own name.
Shintogi nods and thinks over Satoshi's thoughts on assassin's. "However. A true assassin doesn't sleep where another can easily find them." Shin eyed her for a moment as she spoke. The first thought he had was that she must have been joking. She well played herself as unknowledgable if that were the case. if so he would have some respect for her. Most could not pull such a ruse off so cleanly. "Shintogi Wo..." He paused and remembered his decision to shed most of his past to live in this land. "Shintogi, though most called me Shin." Realising he had temporarily lost his manors he gave a polite bow. "My apologies your majesty. My childhood home had a regent, but he has not even been seen since before my time."
Satoshi said to Shintogi, "Ah, non, the 'your majesty' bit esn't necessary. If I wanted to be referred to as such, I'd wear my crown and ride about on a royal mount so that folks knew who I was." Grinning a vulpine grin, the little magus moves to take a seat upon the fountain's smooth edge. With her solitary left hand, she strokes the water's surface, drawing swirling patterns within the ripples and leaving a faint glowing trail where fingertips touch. The designs seem absently created, left to writhe and flow as they will as the foxkin speaks, "What is it I can help you with, Not-assassin? You seek a home here, was it?"
Shintogi chuckled at her words. To be honest with himself, Shin wasn't sure that was how you actually adressed a king or queen, he had just assumed the books were right. Giving a polite not he moved, still staying some feet away and joined her upon the fountain's rim. "Not so much seek,a s i wish to build one M'Lady." He smiled faintly. "I want to give Kaitlynne... my mate, a nice cliffside view with a few trees and plenty of snow. She is a coldbearing husky lycan. She often gets uncomfortable when we press into the lands to the south."
Satoshi traces a few more patterns upon the water before she nods. "Ah, I know how she feels, then. When your heart is in the North, any other place does not feel like home. But yes, there is always room in Frostmaw for those that wish to dwell here. We have cliffs and snow aplenty, as I'm sure you've seen upon arrival. Trees as well, although with hungry wildlife that lurk among them. I'm sure we can find you a suitable place to appease you both." halfway through drawing an intricate design through the ripples, she looks up to peer at Shintogi a moment. "Do you wish to be within the city walls, or do you prefer the outskirts and the forest? They both have their advantages and disadvantages, of course.~"
Shintogi deftly shrugged. it almost appeared he did not even know he had made such a move. "I do not know this area well, nor does she. I was... brought to this world by accident, and she has merely only left her pack..." he frowned softly. I was hoping that you could help with that." Amused by Satoshi's designs in the pool he withdrew a hand from his lap and drew it somewhere around and inch above the shimmering surface. Smiling softly as he watched his hand the water began to raise to a point halfway between his finger and the shimmering surface, stand for a moment then drop down into the fountain with a riple-less sheen.
Satoshi observes the manipulation of water from the corner of her eye and takes silent note of it. She's always intrigued by those that exihibit skill over that particular element, as they're not a common occurence in this land of fire-lovers. But the man's words are what draw most of her attention, the kit nodding. "I see, I see. Well, I know Frostmaw's lands quite well. I can answer any question you have on them, et can likewise offer advice as far as home locations go. If you want a good deal of trees about, the forest is your best choice. It offers, solitude and scenery, but in return the danger is higher, for you are close to the wildlife, and in Frostmaw... everything tries to eat everything. Cliffs surround this entire territory, you won't lack those. If you choose to live within the city, you'll have a bit more safety--although we are a war-loving people, as forewarning--but also less privacy. Whichever you prefer, I know a variety of spots I can point out to you for selection, I'm sure."
Shintogi nodded and smiled, beginning to make slightly more intricate designs. They were just that though. Designs. Shin wasn't an artist by any means, but water was his heart and soul. Playing with other elements was fun, but difficult. "I would truly appreciate it M'Lady. If there was any service i could offer in return I would gladly do so."
Satoshi said to Shintogi, "Well, what sort of skills do you possess? There's bound to be places here that could use it. We're always wanting for something, and those with skills are not turned away because of such~."
Shintogi said to Satoshi, "Well I am fairly good at building things, am a strong hydromancer, can mildly use other magics, and I am a smartass when idiots talk."
Satoshi's pattern-making comes to an end when her hand plunges into the water as a result of the kit's laughter. The sound, genuinely mirthful, is decidedly musical and not unlike the tinkling of icicles against one another."Hellfire, another straightforward, honest type~. Life'd be a fair bit more interesting with more of you lot around, I must admit. That aside, however, yes we have numerous places where a builder and a spellweaver would fit in here. Especially the latter, as Frostmaw was until recently home to only warriors of might. Magic is a new feature for them, and it's been left to myself et a family member to maintain all things arcane here." That's not to say Frostmaw is without magic, as it evident by the colossal pair of golems that stand eternally on guard beside the fort, their immense size making them visible throughout the city and allowing them to serve as a monument to the abilities of the land.
Shintogi gave a cutr nod and smiled lightly. "I stand by the belief, that if you cannot say who you are, you do not fully believe that what you are doing is right. There are some situations where that is different, but that would be arguing scemeantics. There are too many men who would call themselves a great warrior, yet would be squashed in a heartbea. Then there are those who could fell a terrible king, yet don't want to reveal themselves. These are both fault. However the man who becomes an assassin, using the thought you spoke on earlier, to fell that same king, has hidden for good reason."
Satoshi nods. "Aye. It is easy to think in blacks and whites, but it does not always translate into life either. People are rarely what they claim to be, and most often for your former reasons, rather than for the assassin's reasons, unfortunately. I prefer truths. Even the ugly ones. You know where you stand, when someone speaks honestly, non?"
Shintogi said to Satoshi, "Agreed. I would far rather a man look me dead in the eye and tell me that he hates me, than have him feign friendship."
Satoshi said, "Feigned friends are often the ones that stick a blade in your back. An honest enemy at least as the decency to show you the sword before he sticks you with it~."
Shintogi grinned when she had spoken. Her words rung well in his mind. "M'lady I can soon see us becoming friends, but for now I must be off. I must find Kaitlynne and tell her of the news. I bid you Adieu." The closing statement was not one he would have not usually used, but her accent was one he had known from a friend long ago, so he felt it appropriate.
Satoshi matches the half elf's grin, and follows it with a salute when he bids her farewell. "Until then, Truthsayer~. I am sure we'll cross paths aplenty up here."
Shintogi smiled and nodded. "i'm sure we will." Without another word the half-elf turned and trecked off into the snowy drifts.