RP:Blessings for a Quetzal
Part of the Appeasing Aramoth Arc
Snow Covered Remains
Ignatius had been spending far too much time worrying himself back into the grave over the school, fretting constantly over even the most minor of details and it had occurred to him that perhaps there needed to be the occassion where one just sat back and enjoyed himself for a change. No man is a mountain, as the saying goes, and no man can do and do without collapsing or slipping into a madness of one sort of another. So with that ideal in mind, the old knight had vowed to do just that - letting the troubles of building a school and juggling a few other problems on the side fall to the back of his mind so that more pleasant things might have room to spread out in the front. Here he could be found sitting crosslegged in the melting snow before a roaring bonfire despite having no actual need for the heat that this fire provided. Truth be told, it was more of a symbol for comfort so that he might watch the flames dance about in their red and orange splendor - so beautiful to the eye and yet so viciously ruinous to the touch, much like a well-made sword in the undead captain's particular appearance. Alessia had been stabbed into the ground at Ignatius' said, the hilt angled ever so slightly towards him so that it might be easily grabbed should the need arise even if only because the knight had developed the habit of always being prepared for combat after long years of being a career soldier. But the thoughts of warmaking were so far from his thoughts, lost in another place and another time in favor of the much less destructive arts of music. His mandolin was in hand and fingers were plucking at a few strings while others toyed with pegs, his head tilted towards his instrument to catch ever subtle fluxuation in each note with all the obsessive care and focus of a bard.
Satoshi is on her return from a visit to the warfields, a place, strangely, she's able to find quiet, comfort, and peace, where most find nothing but rage, pain, and chaos. The spirits of the fields are a solace to the kit ever since she'd inadvertantly freed them from their enslavement, their mournful wails melting into nocturnal songs upon her ears, their intangible touch not biting or frigid, but welcoming and soothing. It's because of these things, that Satoshi often now visits the ruins' depths when she wishes to escape. While there, she is not a queen, a hunter, a murderer, or a rogue, she is simply Satoshi. But she cannot linger in such places forever, and thus has talked herself into making the trek back home when she happens upon the blazing inferno. Fire out in the frozen tundra is eye-catching alone, couple it with its proximity to the school's construction site, and the enticing sound of music, and you have a kit cutting a hasty--albeit ghostly silent--path in that direction. When she reaches the location, the magus shifts from a ground-bound tread to one that carries her atop one of the icy walls lining the street, allowing her to come up close to the fire site and oversee Ignatius at his playing without interrupting him. For the time being, Satoshi is content to crouch perched atop the wall and listen to the ebb and flow of music.
Ignatius was almost painfully meticulous about the tuning of his mandolin, turning each peg slowly until each string sounded exactly as he wanted it to before moving on to the next. But eventually those notes were as perfect as he could manage through mundane means and there was little else to do but to play his precious instrument. The song was soft to suit the mood that he was seeking to find, strings carefully plucked to let loose a melodic hum into the quiet air of the Frostmaw wilds. It was a happy enough tune, each string ringing with an upbeat energy as the old knight strummed away with fevered fingers. If he had noticed the frosty queen, Ignatius was not making any motion that would elude to such knowledge - his focus entirely upon his more artistic craft. "Il suo volto, così bello, mi fa sorridere senza cura." He began to sing, his voice echoing with tones of uninhibited happiness. "Così vieni con me, bel fiore, lascia a piedi per un po '."
Satoshi, while she doesn't fully understand the lyrics save for a few caught words, still finds the song appealing--if slightly irksome. The foreign words dance just shy of conscious understanding, to flit about her senses in an almost taunting fashion, aiming to drive the magus to frustration despite their gentle tones. Closing her eyes then, the kit tips her head skyward and cocks her ears to better absorb the music, letting it simply wash over her like calming waves, so that the song isn't heard as much as felt. Her tails begin to pick up the tempo and carry it in slow, gentle swishes as the music's meaning begins to unravel within Satoshi's mind, playing out before her closed eyes to paint the tale whose words she can't understand. Without meaning to, Satoshi starts to hum, the notes not matching Igantius' yet still able to weave and lilt among in a blending harmony. Where his tune is upbeat, hers is slow, the silken, flowing ribbons to a dancer's swift movements. When the magus switches from humming to singing, her words are as far from Common as the knight's own, archaic words forgotten by all by those of the arcane, glimpses of true and ancient names split so easily from Satoshi's tongue and setting into motion an environmental spell. All around knight-captain and queen the snows bloom, rising and opening into countless, multi-petal'd flowers that blanket everything in sight. Where the ice-crafted blossoms shift in the winds, they brush against one another to produce the ringing music of glassy windchimes, as if they want to contribute to the music too.
Ignatius could not help but smile as everything mingled amongst each other, the queen's humming entangling with his strumming as the winds and snow spiralled about to dance about to their combined song. It was so rare that Ignatius had a musical partner that he was quite unwilling to relent, his strumming becoming faster and full of more energy to match with the frost that now filled the air. He no longer sang now, all of his efforts now on giving the queen a good show and something truly entertaining for her to hum along with.
Satoshi, like Ignatius, rarely has the chance to take part in a duet, unless one counts occasionally singing snippets of melody to Ko'tar. Because of this, the foxkin continues even when the knight's voice goes quiet, determined to match his strumming with her singing. Serving as an undertone to the musical pair are the flowers still, their ringing crystalline and pure as they sway in time with the beat, with ripples running through patches of them to accompany rises and falls in Satoshi's arcane lyrics. It's certainly something of an arctic concert the two are creating, but like all good things, it must end at some point, this time by Satoshi herself. Words slow and soften, eventually trailing away until all lingers on a single note that's matched by the snow blossoms, held for a moment more before it's released to trail off into the wind. Satoshi blinks her eyes open, smile faint and thoughtful, and looks toward Ignatius, a nod of her head offered in unspoken gratitude. It's only then that she realizes the ruins and construction site around them have been coated by conjured blooms, placing them in a pseudo-flowerfield. "Aha~, you'd think we were druids, singing the flowers from the ground in Winter~."
Ignatius let his strumming eventually fall silent, dwindling calmly away to nothing as Satoshi finally chose to speak true words rather than melodic incantations and humming. He could not help himself but to laugh at her words, their little duet having certainly put him in much higher spirits than he had otherwise been up to that point. He stood himself up only so that he could give the queen an overly embelished bow, his scaled arm being thrown hard across his chest as he dipped his torso low to honor her and all that she represented. "La mia regina, sono così felice di vedere il tuo bel viso." He announced loudly if only to ensure himself that he would be heard over the wind. "Indeed and I am so glad we chose this moment to cross paths. I had something... how you say, very important to ask of you se si sarebbe così gentile da unirsi a me." He finished as he stood himself back up to his normal height. Things were doubtlessly looking up for the old knight, it would seem.
Whether it's simply the tone of the Common Ignatius speaks serving to explain the foreign, or their momentary synching through music, Satoshi finds no time spent puzzling over his accent. She returns his bow with a deep nod before saying in light tones, "Always a pleasure, Nocturne~. And I had something I had to speak with you about, in fact. But first, What is it you wanted to ask?"
Svilfon told Satoshi, "*An exhausted voice seems to sound within your mind, though you have the distinct feeling it's coming from your hat instead* He did not die, lady icicle, though when he wakes he might think that I did. Do not be too angry that I wasted a perfectly good meal on the deception. It was the only way... I have left him within your rooms, Satoshi queen. He will be tired, and perhaps rather angry at me, but nevertheless he is alive..."
Ignatius walked his way towards Satoshi to close the gap betwixt them a bit if only so he did not have to shout towards her. When he came to be as close as he deemed was entirely necessary, the old knight took a knee and his head lowered - humbling himself before his ruler as was the custom of the age that he had come from. "Mia Regina, I have sworn myself to you. I have promised my loyalty to you in anything that I do. E 'per questo che ho deciso che mi chiederà di voi il vostro permesso prima di agire." He began, his scaled hand touching to the snow covered ground so that he might remain poised and balanced upon that single knee that he was kneeling on. He spoke with calm dignity despite the stance that he had adopted, his words coming out firm and unshakeable because he was still knight-captain regardless of what rank any might hold over himself and he had to maintain some of the strength that such a title implied. "If you would give me your blessing, I wish to ask Quin-my-tutu for her hand in marriage." Ignatius remained kneeling even after he had finished speaking, silently awaiting what Satoshi's judgement on this request might have been.
Satoshi looks momentarily distracted, gaze trailing upwards not to the sky but to the brim of her magus hat. She even goes as far as to lift it tentatively off her head and peek inside before returning it to its place with an anxious frown. She's snapped out of her brief lapse in focus by Ignatius' question, however. The foxkin looks utterly baffled at first and struggles to compose herself properly before giving her answer, her voice just a hint shaky from wayward thoughts and unusual questions. "Tutu..? I... Oh! Yes, of course. Naturally. I could never deny such a thing, even if I had the desire to! My blessings and congratulations to you~." Who the heck is Quin-my-tutu?
Ignatius rose in an instant, his face turned up in the purest of delights to have heard that the queen had given her blessing. "I thank you, mia regina, and I can only hope that The Quetzal will be as open to the idea as you." He paused for a moment to clear his throat and regain his composure lest he begin fidgeting around anxiously, which was hardly good form for the stoic commander of Satoshi's knights and the headmaster of her school. He tugged at the collar of his frockcoat and even dusted needlessly at the sleeves of his shirt, fussing over his appearances for a moment before he finally returned his attention to Satoshi. "le Mie scuse, regina. You had something that you needed to ask of me as well?" He had almost forgotten in his excitement that the frosty foxkin had a question of her own to pose for him.
Satoshi doesn't miss the mention of 'The Quetzal'. He's asking the little treeling? My, my! The thought is enough to make Satoshi grin despite her air of anxiety and frequent glances eastward. As badly as she wants to see if the inaudible words Svilfon delivered her are true, the magus resists racing off home, seeing to her duties to Frostmaw's knight-captain. "Aye," Satoshi shakes her head to clear it, "it was about your letter, expressing interest to serve as the representative to Frostmaw. I think, with your present position as captain of the knights, and upcoming station overseeing the school, it might suit you very well. Especially as we're intending the school to be a gathering place for combat students from all locations. I have one other who is interested in the position, however, a frost giant known as Rosk. I haven't met him yet, so I cannot say whether or not he too fits the requirements, however in the spirit of Frostmaw, I was curious if you two might be willing to have a match in the arena. It wouldn't be the deciding factor for the position but... well, this -is- the city of war, non~? We do love ourselves a brilliant match of skill. Your blade against his fists would no doubt be one worth watching." Just trying to imagine such a fight is enough to momentarily keep Satoshi from fidgetting.
Ignatius watched Satoshi as closely as he watched everyone, the red lights within his head dimming to mere pinpricks as he drank in every detail of how she carried herself. She was distracted by something that he seemed to know nothing about, that much was clear to the knight thanks to those swordsman's eyes of his. He chose to keep this knowledge to himself for now and instead listen to the words that she spoke, his head tilting off to one side. "Sarebbe un onore affrontare questo gigante di tuo nell'arena." He replied after a time. "And I trust your judgement in the matter. I would love to serve as representative of your fine city ma l'ultima parola su questo è tuo dire." He gave a slight bow of the head as he spoke these words.
Satoshi is pretty sure she's caught all of what Ignatius said. Mostly. Maybe. ...Why did Svilfon say her husband was unconscious and angry at home?! Damn that wizard all to hell, him and his mysterious, doomsday notes. It's enough to make Satoshi huff in frustration, forgetting the formal company she's keeping at present. "Ah!" The magus has enough tact to look sheepish a moment. "Forgive me. Other business is pressing when I'd rather be left in peace, I don't mean to take away from our discussion. But yes, I'd like to meet this Rosk before making the final choice, nonetheless you are considered above all others for the role." The title of Frostmaw representative practically screams Ignatius, after all. Rising to her feet then, Satoshi bows to the knight, the gesture as much a formality as an apology. "I'm afraid I have to take my leave now, else I'll fidget myself to bits while being unable to devote my full attention to you, as you deserve. Thank you for the song. I have not enjoyed such music in a long time~." A salute is tossed to Ignatius before Satoshi turns to depart, only stopping then to look back and add, "I'm thinking of naming the school the Royal Academy of Aramoth. Thoughts~?"
Ignatius was in the middle of offering Satoshi a salute all of his own as she explained her reasons for departing so hastily, grinning happily over the thoughts of running off to tell Quin the wonderful news that he had just learned. "It sounds like as good a name as any other, given where the school is being built, mia cara." He replied as he gave her another nod of the head. She was busy and he did not want to keep her any longer than he had to with his normally longwinded ways. He was in a wonderful mood now, he potentially had another title to add to his many and the promise of taking the woman he loved as his wife to look forward to.
Frosted Parlor Room
Satoshi can be heard scrambling through the halls, charging through the rooms, and just generally tearing through the entire manor in search of a husband she's been told is here, unconscious, and potentially very, very angry. Even before she'd reached the cavern that hides the home, Satoshi's been calling out the kensai's name in anxious tones, as if he'd hear her before coming to. The various little servants have been sent running for cover to avoid the kit's frantic footsteps as she finally finds herself in the parlor room. "Kas- Oh." Peeking around the door, the kit falls quiet.
Kasyr had been lain out across a sofa, and has not stirred since then. An event which has since led to a red panda armed with a feather duster to prod at him- as though such an action might divulge his current state of being. That being said, before this particular experiment can progress much further, Satoshi comes rushing in- something which has this creature following the example of those others which had crossed Satoshi's path. Which is to say, it totally flees, feather duster and all.
Satoshi is nearly knocked off her feet by a feather duster-wielding red panda racing out the door. The kit is left momentarily reeling, arms flailing to return her balance, finally settling back into place with a small sneeze. Damn feather dust. Venomous glance shot toward the vanishing red-striped tail, Satoshi slinks into the room, footsteps cautious and whiskers rigid with unmasked worry as she approaches her prone husband. Once she reaches the couch, the kit hunkers down near the end where the revenant's boots rest, and cautiously she peers over the couch's armrest at him. Oh so slowly she reaches out a hand toward Kasyr to... of all things, poke one of his boots, in the same manner the panda-ish servant had been doing. "Kasyr..?" Her voice is hardly above a whisper, as most of the energy of the question is devoted to sending it through that link that binds their rings, striving to brush his consciousness with her own and manage a response.
Kasyr has apparently not stirred since his return to the room, considering that a note remains balanced upon his chest. As it currently stands, not even the Magus' nudging his boots manages to provoke a response. It's only when she directs her focus into and through her ring that she gets a groggy sense of cognisance. A muddled awareness, borne of great exhaustion.
Satoshi vaguely recalls an old proverb about the foolishness of poking sleeping dragons, but as Kasyr hasn't reared up to end her in some violent, wrathful fashion, she takes it as a good sign. Heartened, the kit moves to sit on the couch in a position that has her propped up at the kensai's side and in easy reach of the note resting on him. No thoughts for invasion of privacy stop Satoshi from taking it and reading it, although it takes considerable effort to keep herself from crushing the unfortunate page in her fist afterwards. That wizard... Force of will brings the letter to rest on the side table before trembling hands are pressed lightly to Kasyr's chest, the magus leaning forward to peer down into her husband's face. "Kasyr~," she tries again, this time following the word and mental nudge with a snowy kiss to his forehead.
Kasyr has been quite thoroughly exhausted by the trials he had been put through, drained not only through physical exertion, but also on a spiritual level. It's this particular level of exhaustion that has the Kensai as dead to the world as he currently is. Still, as withdrawn as he is from his surroundings, the Kensai can't help but take comfort from his wife's presence- her concern and proximity enough to coax a feeling of affection and reassurance from the Kensai.
Satoshi makes a mental note that the Sleeping Beauty treatment does not work on revenants. Not that this stops her from making another attempt--who can blame her for stealing a free kiss, anyway? Satoshi then lowers her head to rest atop the kensai's chest while fingers absently pluck at one of his unruly locks of hair. "What in hellfire did he -do- to you?" She's not really expecting an answer, as Kasyr seems out of her reach presently, but that's not stopping her from voicing her anxiety and frustration aloud.