RP:Clockwork Owls and the Promise of a Hunt

Part of the What Lurks Beneath Arc

Characters

• Cerinii, Ancient Avian, Engineer.
• User:Satoshi, Kit-Vampire, Frost Singer.

Chapter 6: Clockwork Owls and the Promise of a Hunt

Cerinii only stumbled in here by pure chance. Her heavy coat had weighed her down and she tumbled backwards into the area, now on her back like a turtle as her limbs twitched with some tiny inch of effort. She huffed a sigh, quickling getting too hot. She tugged at her collar, wriggling out of the heavy coat with a grumble. "Stupid kitty cat.. Kahn.. Hmph. Wear ein coat, Cerinii. You are sick, Cerinii. Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh!" She rose to her feet, giving the coat a tiny kick. Scorpious wriggled out of the depths of the coat, crawling onto her boot and wriggling under her trouser leg. She writhed and hopped around like mad, until the tiny scorpion popped out of her collar. He whirred and chirruped with glee, pincers clicking and clacking with interest. She flared her wings out ever so slightly, to help cool herself down. "It seems safe here, Scorpious..."

Satoshi finds her quiet work abruptly interrupted yet again. Honestly, she needs to find herself a better work station. And the foxkin is grumble just such a thing as she looks up from her place at a low table, glaring in the direction of the turtle-esque intruder. "Oh." Recognition dawning, Satoshi's glare shifts into a look of delighted surprise. "Hullo, dove~. You... dropped by... just in time." A nod of her head indicates the serious of pristine azure fluorite crystals neatly gathered upon the table, chaotically surrounded by scraps of various metals, scrawl-riddled parchment, a variety of tiny tools, and a few painted magic circles. "I just finished weaving the enchantments into the gems for our experiment's eyes~."

Cerinii smiled warmly to Satoshi, dusting herself off. "Ah, sorry, Snow Maiden." She grinned, bowing in a sort of polite way, wings flaring further to be traditional and ever so respectful. She then straightened herself up, eyeing the gems quietly, "Oh! Ohh, for the owl, ja!" She grinned grabbing her satchel that was.. strung across the coat. She rummaged around inside, before pulling out the metallic owl. Her satchel quickly went flat, now the large object was gone. She waved him at Satoshi, grinning widely, "Here he is. Well.. he, she.. the sex is not determined." She eyed him quietly, noticing how there was no movement. Not a twitch. "Oh... Hm. I don't know what's wrong." She held it up to her ear, hearing nothing. "Ohhh!" She exclaimed with realization! She stuffed a hand into her hair, pulling out.. a cog. A small cog. "Heee. I knew I put you somewhere!" She giggled quietly, setting the cog between her lips to keep hold of. She opened the flap of the owl open with her free hand, before retrieving the cog and setting it in place inside the owl. She twisted gently, until it clacked wildly and then clicked and clicked. Loudly at first, until it was a silent steady clicking. She grinned widely, "There.. He just needs.. some personality." She held him out to Satoshi.

Satoshi gingerly lifts the metallic bird out of Cerinii's grasp, holding it above her head a moment to look over its structure. "Every feather... it's fantastic~. Just like a proper bird~," Satoshi comments breathlessly, properly awed by the exquisite detail put into its construction. Carefully, as if afraid to damage the true-steel creature with rough handling, the foxkin places the clicking owl down upon her table. Humming, the bardic mage runs her hands over the gathered fluorite in debate before selecting two of a matching pale blue. "These ones. They held the magic best, it felt like. Let's find out, shall we~?" With delicate movements, the vixen inserts the twin gems into the waiting holders of the owl's eye 'sockets', pressing until a click announces their firm placement. Satoshi pauses a moment, glancing at Cerinii, before she whistles two short, high notes. In response, the fluorite stones flare brightly a moment and they die down to a soft glow. And then... nothing. Disappointment is written on Satoshi's face when the owl remains unmoving. "Guess no-" 'Buuuuu~!' the animated owl interrupts Satoshi's words with a sudden, loud hoot, turning its metal head full circle once as it clacks its beak curiously at avian and fox.

Cerinii smiled as Satoshi eyed the owl and passed comment. She grinned widely at said comment, ever so pleased that her work pleased the feline. After all, she did live to please. Her overly pointed ears perked at the two short, yet high whistles. She smiled as the gems lit up, impressed. She whispered quietly, "That's pretty.." But then she was also disappointed by the lack of life. How irritating. She had worked ha- "Buuuuuu~!" That noise! The life of the owl made her jerk back in surprise. She grinned widely at Satoshi, "It's alive!"

Satoshi claps her hands together in childish delight as the petite owl begins to waddle about on the table, shimmering wings half-flared to retain his balance while poking about at the various items within beak-range. "Ahaha~. Look at him~. Curious little thing, no?" Twisting his head around to stare at the foxkin, the bird emits a querying, 'Buu~?' and waddles closer. Obligingly, Satoshi pats the constructions true-steel head. "You've an odd hoot, little owl." He merely stares at her, unblinking. "Can he fly, dove? As fascinating as he is, we're trying to make a courier that won't get eaten, aren't we~?" As if knowing how Satoshi speaks to, the owl shuffles his way over to the avian, hooting cheerfully all the while.

Cerinii grinned, "One way of knowing." She picked the owl up, "Right.. Let's see if you can fly eh?" She pushed her arm up, thrusting the creature into the sky. Of course there was a high pitched 'buuuu~!' of surprise and possibly fear, before the metallic wings flapped wildly. The golden talons closed, pulling up to become as aerodynamic as possible as he fluttered over to Satoshi. Well.. Over Satoshi! He landed behind her buuu-ing away with a certain level of glee. She grinned at Satoshi, "He'll get the hang of it."

Satoshi instinctively ducks when the clumsy flyer heads her way, watching in somewhat alarm as he comes to a decent landing--only skidding a little bit. "Well, that's good, then~. No good having wings if you can't use them, right?" The owl buu's his agreement, fluttering his wings experimentally as he half-hops, half-flaps his way around the field. Satoshi watches him with obvious amusement. Like a proper scholar, she's thrilled when a project goes well. "Did you name him yet, dove?"

Cerinii smiled warmly, sitting down upon the ground after a few moments. She raised the tissue to her lips, spluttering a cough into the crumpled tissue as Satoshi was distracted. She shook her head, clearing her throat before murmuring, "Nein! I thought that'd be for you to name him."

Satoshi falls quiet and thoughtful as she watches the owl continue to hop about. Now, Satoshi's never been much good with names--MDF can attest to this--so it's no wonder she simply combines the name of the owl's creator with the strange hoot he makes to produce a new name. "Ceribu." And the foxkin looks perfectly pleased with herself for construction the name. The newly named owl turns his head about in response, or possible just to test out his own mobility, it's hard to tell. But he at least buu's cheerfully either way.

Cerinii grinned at the choice of name. "Ceribu." She laughed heartily, "I like it!" She added quickly, "Ein good combination, I think. Ein good name. Heh." She grinned, before adding, "Oh! I meant to ask you something..."

Satoshi takes her eyes off Ceribu to look toward Cerinii, brows raising curiously. "Oh? What-what~?" The owl, hearing the questioning note, flutters over to perch on Satoshi's knee, where he can be pat again while listening. Clearly, he's as curious a creature as the minstrel. This could spell trouble for the little bird.

Cerinii grinned as she watched Ceribu, still musing over the name. Heee. Amusing. She then added, "Well.. I spoke to Jacklin, und Neema... They are interested in ein expedition underground. We... want your permission. Und you to join us." She paused, adding more seriously. "It'll be dangerous. Life-threatening. If we do not succeed, however.. Frostmaw may very well fall."

Satoshi strokes the owl's metal feathers in silent thought, mulling over the words. "To go after... those things?" Again the foxkin falls silent, before abruptly proclaiming, "Sound's fun! I'm in! Let's hunt those beasties down~. As for danger," Satoshi's expression becomes positively malicious, "I laugh in the face of danger! Hahaha~." Satie's not a lion cub in an elephant graveyard, I swear!

Cerinii grinned widely, nodding with enthusiasm. "I thought as much! I thought you might be more interested in the danger part." She smirked faintly, before falling serious again. "I spoke to Jacklin. We'll need her.. Not only to strengthen the alliance between Larket und Frostmaw, but for her skill as ein fighter. We need Neema to gain access to Durgoth. Unfortunately, I cannot open the door for us..."

Satoshi looks toward Cerinii with a baffled expression--the same tilted-head look matched by Ceribu. "What do you mean? And, I've no qualms working with Queenie. Better than her trying to stick -me- with some weapon, y'know?"

Cerinii sighed softly, rubbing the back of her neck with her fleshy hand. "Well.. er.. Mein execution, one hundred thousand years ago, was planned to be in Durgoth.. But then I escaped und the cities fell. If I were to open the door, the alarm would be raised. The sound would attract them all to our location." She chuckled, "Ja. Well, I have told her I will put her safety, Neema's und yours before mein own." She grinned widely, "Harder to kill ein metal woman, eh?"

Satoshi carefully climbs to her feet, trying to avoid jostling the owl now perched on her forearm. Those metal talons look particularly formidable, and she'd prefer her arm not shredded by mistake. Once standing, the foxkin grins at Cerinii. "No need to worry about me. I'm good at taking care of myself. Especially in the middle of trouble. It's a knack~." Stroking the owl's chest feathers, Satoshi adds thoughtfully while Ceribu buuu's happily, "When do you plan to go, by the way?"

Cerinii smiled softly, rising to her feet. "I'm not sure, to be honest." She sighed softly, "I have been deemed sick by Thea. So.. Once I have this check-up, I'll arrange something with us all." She grinned, "The sooner we get there, the better." She paused, adding, "Who knows what we'll find."

Satoshi nods in response, as does the owl. "Sounds good to me. I'll be here, as usual, when you're ready. Not wandering much these days, really. Trying to sniff out a place to set up home around here, that isn't that stuffy fort." There's something of a miffed tone in Satoshi's voice with her comment. Seemingly, the vixen feels the need to settle, but her former home in Vailkrin is too far away for that currently. Time to seek out a new hiding place, where silly members of court and council can't immediately find her.

Cerinii smiled softly, "I've been thinking of that, actually.. But.." She smiled more faintly, "But nobody to share it with, heh.. Nein point eh?" She then nodded, "I shall take mein leave, eh?"

Satoshi nods again, returning the slight smile. "Until later, then? Take care and all that, hm? I'll see if I can't make this little metal monster fly more gracefully." The owl buu's once in vexation at the insult, but Satoshi ignores him. "As soon as he learns, you'll be the first to get a letter delievered by him~."

Cerinii said to Satoshi, "I'll eagerly await said letter. Don't forget to wind him up!"

Satoshi looks at Ceribu in surprise. "Erm. -How-?"

Cerinii said to you, "Oh. Open up the chest flap. It's hard to find, but you'll see it when you look for it properly. You'll find ein flat cog. Press down und turn it gently ein few times."

Satoshi isn't surprised that the owl warily shuffles down her arm to put distance between each other when she gives him a baffled look. Hopefully she doesn't break the poor thing when she attempts to wind him later. But for Cerinii, she gives a brief nod. "All right. Flat cog. Turn it. Got it~."

Cerinii said to Satoshi, "If you break him, send him mein way. I'll fix it."

Satoshi said to Cerinii, "Will do~."

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