RP:Corvo Makes a Preposterous Suggestion
Summary: Uriphiel demonstrates the new enchantment he’s been working on, but winds up with a mud facial.
Date of Writing: March 7th, 2021.
Meadow, Xalious
The serene atmosphere here is a stark contrast from the dry mountains and the dense wooded area in the distance. Long stalks of grass and wildflowers might tempt one to lay down and enjoy the relative silence of the area. The flora thrives here, and gives shelter to bees and small creatures who make this meadow their home. Oddly enough, feathers of every size and color litter the ground here. Perhaps this is related to the ray of light leading upwards, where they are most concentrated.
To the south, the field suddenly stops to meet a steep cliff-face. To the north, a dirt path leads to a single building settled in a mountainous chasm between cliffs. To the west, the same pathway leads out into the hills, while to the east stands a forest of redwoods.
A Ray of Light Leading Upwards is here.
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[Uriphiel] The morning sun escaped the ravenous claws of the eastern treeline, defiantly rising above to spread warmth and joy all across the land of Lithrydel. It was warm. Much warmer than the many mornings of the previous months. The snow, once smothering the kingdoms in frigid white, was now retreating, turning into water so that the defrosted earth could partake and replenish its withered flora. The melodious song of the birds filled the air, and glimpses of life now stirred in the forests. Spring was on the horizon. Uriphiel, who had been working hard to bring glory back to Schezerade, had decided to take a personal day; A day to ease his mind and do what he enjoyed. Today’s enjoyment? Experimentation. The golden winged avian was far out in the meadow, stood on the western side of a large, dug out trench that was about eight feet deep and twelve feet wide. Beside him a makeshift table, littered with various tools and gemstones, as well as pieces of his alabaster armor. He wore a casual dress shirt in a signature navy blue, with grey, loose-fitting cotton slacks. On his feet, he wore his armored greaves and sabatons, and in his hand he carried the large fluorite core that was normally affixed to his breastplate. He seemed to be in contemplation as he looked over the trench.
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Brennia has been back on the campaign trail, so she has been traveling a lot, but that definitely doesn't have anything to do with the fact that she has a theory where the Flewminati cannot track her so easily if she keeps moving and keeps busy. It's a messed up logic. Unfortunately that means that her campaign manager is on foot with her and more than likely anyone can hear the man complaining, "and why don't we just fly there?" Brennia offers a shrug as she keeps walking along while unbuttoning the blazer to her stylish suit which accentuates her body shape pleasantly now, "well I am not really in a hurry, Corvo." The man rolls his eyes and scoffs, "you sure it's not because of that bum wing you've got? Really, whatever were you thinking?" His ignorant comment is ignored when Brennia spots Uriphiel and pauses in her path, but as Corvo nearly runs right into her, he also catches sight of the new Shar. A mischievous little grin shapes Corvo's lips, "well, would you look at that - it's Scherzerade's marvelous Shar." His solid pewter colored eyes carefully watch Brennia as he prods, "let us go say hi," but he doesn't give the woman a chance for rebuttal as he starts to walk right on up to the warrior with a charming smile, "Uriphiel Shar, how great to see you on this fine day." Brennia follows behind, already feeling embarrassment due to Corvo, but she smiles warmly to her friend all the same. The bard goes to open her mouth to also greet Uri, but she is cut off by Corvo asking, "say… I do hope you will join us at the fundraising event later on tonight." After she makes sure Corvo is done, her smoky alto timbre finally greets, "good morning, Uriphiel."
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Uriphiel turns his attention to the sound of a male’s voice, the gold of his irises gleaming as the morning light falls over them. He seems surprised to find Corvo and Brennia out for a stroll, the pair only having ever been spotted in the confines of the city. It wasn’t until a memory fell into place that the Shar suspected that Brennia might not be in the best condition for flight. That tournament battle had been one of brutality. “Corvo. Brennia.” he said, addressing the pair. “Fundraising event? Apologies, I did not realize that you were having one this evening. I have been a bit preoccupied, trying to convince other parties to take part in the race. I did not take into account that so many might be apprehensive to holding a position of government.” Uriphiel’s speech had instilled a sense of greatness among the citizens of Schezerade, but many still feared that the elusive cult might still be among them. Even so, there had been some success, with four candidates coming forward to run for a senate seat. Five out of seven was a start. “I supposed that I could attend. Is there a code of dress?” The Shar would give Corvo time to answer, before looking to Brennia and asking, “How are you healing, Brennia? I am sorry to have not asked before now. My mind has been preoccupied with all of this work. You fought valiantly, by the way. A good effort.” Uriphiel turned and took a few steps to the table he had propped up a few feet away, picking up a pair of smooth, oval, orange gemstones. He leaned over and snapped them into empty gem-slots, one on each side of the sabaton’s outer ankle. The Shar then took a moment to write something onto a notebook that was splayed open on the table.
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Brennia is relieved that Corvo is behaving… for now. Her wings shift slightly and fold a little tighter to her sides as the darkness of them contrasts nicely against the tan/gold colored suit she has on. Corvo nods once at the question, "somewhat, yes. People usually dress formally, or business formal," his hand motions to what Brennia is wearing, it is a smart suit with subtle flair and tailored perfectly to her slim shape. "Kind of like our madame Brennia, here. Isn't she striking?" The campaign manager is running a little experiment here, but Brennia is attempting to sort of backtrack because she doesn't focus much on vanity these days. "If you prefer to wear your suit of armor, I don't think anyone will have complaints, though," even as Brennia is curious what her friend might look like in a suit, she must admit that he's quite the sight in his armor. When Uriphiel starts to flatter her and inquire about her health, her expression softens and the tips of her ears turn a shade of red even though her cheeks are red as well, but she is wearing some makeup today to make herself look a lot less tired. "My wing will recover fully with time and I am making sure not to overextend myself, thank you for asking, Uriphiel," she prefers to say Uri, but Corvo is annoying and likes to tease her when she says the nickname. A soft and short chuckle is earned by his flattery, "you're too kind." Automatically, the bard follows his steps to observe his work and Corvo takes a couple steps back to observe something else entirely, but he is oddly silent during their interactions which may or may not be a good thing! "Oh…" Brennia softly gasps out with interest in her tone, "that looks fascinating. If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing?" Her solid teal gaze follows his movements as he snaps the gemstones into place and then tilts her head as she looks back up at him.
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Uriphiel stood there in silence for a moment, reading over the words he had just written. He repeated them softly, “Firmamentum Velocem.” It took him a moment to respond, trying to register what Corvo had said, and a slight hint of confusion fell into place when attention was called upon Brennia. The Shar was so distracted by his work that he did not even realize what he had been agreeing to. “Yes. Indeed, striking.” Finally, eyes of gold turned to the woman and he began to process what her adviser had been highlighting. She did look nice, he thought. Unique, even. Such a smart suit was a product of more recent times, so Uriphiel did not have much knowledge in this style of fashion. It was, though, fashionable. In an attempt to skip over his gaffe, Uriphiel dismissed the notion of wearing his armor. “No, if it is a formal event, then I will find something formal to wear. I think it is long overdue that I adjust to the customs of these times.” Brennia would receive a bit of ribbing next. “I will say that your technique could use a little work. We’ll have to enroll you in training at once.” There’s a bit of a grin to show that he spoke in good nature, before his attention was stolen by the inquiry into his work. “I am attempting to bolster my arsenal for combat. My armor, it is a conduit for these gems - all of which are blessed with enchantment. In my youth, I often theorycrafted new spells for the Knights to use in their armor. It was a long, taxing process, but there were some great advancements made.” With both gems locked into place, Uriphiel stood and took a few steps backward, switching the fluorite core from his right hand to the left. “If you would, could you both move back a little. I am uncertain if this will work, and I’d rather not have either of you come to harm.” Once he was sure that Corvo and Brennia were out of the way, Uriphiel knelt into a runner’s stance. He looked over to the pair of onlookers and said, “Wish me luck,” before pushing forward into a full sprint toward the trench. Just as he neared the edge, he jumped, shouting “FIRMAMENTUM VELOCEM!” as he left the ground. The orange gems in the ankles of his armored boots flashed with a brilliance, and a short eruption of flame shot out of both heels. Something had gone wrong. Uriphiel must have botched the enchantment, because instead of getting a quick boost over the trench and landing gracefully, his feet shot out from under him with such force that he managed to do a backflip before landing face first into the damp, muddy grass on the other side. If he wasn’t physically injured, his pride most assuredly was.
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Brennia wishes she had control over her wings like she used to and when Uri accidentally comments on her attire, her good wing twitches over so slightly. Here's to hoping that the Shar is too engrossed in his work to catch her slip up. When he had mentioned that she would need training, she simply lets out a short raspy giggle because he surely cannot be serious. "Well, if you're the one training me, I should be the most feared bard in no time," she jests in return because she's more of a pacifist. Corvo just continues to simply watch the pair interact with a slight grin stamped on his lips. Getting a little more education on his work, Brennia is enthralled and nods a long here or there before mentioning, "that sounds fantastic, Uriphiel." Then she is being instructed to stand back and she makes her way to where Corvo is standing to wait in anticipation as she eagerly calls out, "good luck!" Corvo side-eyes Brennia and says, "yes, good luck Shar." He is mildly interested in what is about to be shown as his gears are turning about something else entirely. The bard watches in amazement with her mouth left agape in awe while he is soaring without the aid of his wings, but when he is thrown askew Brennia gasps sharply before running to his side without hesitation. "Uri, are you okay?" Slipping up on his nickname due to the worry distracting her focus for the moment, she keeps her knees together and squats down to slip a hand under his arm and helps him up the best she can. Once he is standing, or at least gets his face out of the muddy grass, she pulls free the pocket square to her suit jacket and hands it to him in order to wipe his face. She doesn't care about material things, it can be washed or replaced, "I think that looked marvelous… you know… until the end bit, but you're really onto something there." Hoping to raise Uriphiel's spirits and encourage him to continue his work with assurance and kind words. Whenever he manages to wipe his face clear of debris, he would find the bard smiling warmly up at him as her wings slowly shift behind her due to her worried state.
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Uriphiel didn’t want to get up in that moment. He longed for the earth to simply swallow him whole, so that he did not have to face the embarrassment of his miscalculation. In the same instance, he also did not feel comfortable laying there, facedown in the mud like a sullied pig. Slowly, he lifted his head. To the amusement of Corvo and Brennia, Uriphiel would not look like Uriphiel. His face was caked in the thickest layer of mud, with pieces of grass and twigs poking out from all directions. He spit and sputtered, sending a gob of wet dirt back unto the earth from whence it came, soon reaching up to dig out the sockets for his eyes. He was horrified at first, realizing the mess he was caked in, but managed to sigh and respond. “I’m… fine.” There is a loud popping sound and the two gems in the knight’s boots explode into a fine dust that dissipates with a gentle breeze. Slowly, but surely, Uriphiel stands with the help from Brennia, happily accepting the offered square to clean the area around his eyes once the thickest parts of dirt were cast off. “That was not the way I imagined it going. I think that a longer, more controlled burst would be beneficial.” The Shar looks down at his clothing and groans - he was covered from head to toe in mud. His shirt was definitely ruined, he thought. It must be burnt, post haste. Spying the dropped fluorite, Uriphiel leans down to pick it up, immediately wiping it off. The bright glow within had dulled considerably, meaning that there was not enough of a charge to do further testing. He had been, after all, out here for the better part of the morning. “What time is this fundraiser?” the avian asked, trying to shift the focus away from himself.
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Brennia had flinched a little at the sudden burst from the gemstones in the boots, but her concern outweighs the potential danger. "That's good," she sighs out in relief when he says he is fine. By now Corvo has come over and hands out his kerchief if Brennia's fancy pocket square wasn't enough. "Well, I never imagined turning my home into a college," he had expressed admiration before about her accomplishment. "I know you'll figure it out," the bard says confidently while reaching up a hand to gently pull a twig from his hair. "It isn't until five tonight," since it is still morning, he has plenty of time to sort things out and then get cleaned up. "Brennia has decided to wear navy blue tonight," Corvo slyly mentions in case her good friend Uri wants to match Brennia, but the bard doesn't catch on as she's too concerned with helping Uriphiel at the moment. "I've been toying with an idea, actually. You two seem to get along well enough, yeah? Well, there is one thing that Schezerade hasn't seen in some time that will bring the citizens together along with dignitaries from all over," Brennia is not in the mood for Corvo's smartass ideas at the moment and she just mumbles a, "what's that," while she continues to help Urphiel, but then she remembers how he seemed to be uncomfortable by her touch the time they spoke in the college and she stops. "A political wedding," Corvo continues even though Brennia is now looking wide eyed at him, "between the two of you, you can really bring the right kind of attention to Schezerade." He can see the woman's expression shifting to embarrassment mixed with anger, "come on. It is not like you two need to be in love, it would just be a publicity thing to gear up your numbers, Bre." Brennia cannot even bring herself to look at Uriphiel out of embarrassment and the feathers on her wings have fluffed out some, "Corvo… Uriphiel Shar just pulled his face out of the mud and you want to further insult him with that suggestion?" She doesn't fancy herself good enough for someone like Uriphiel and can only imagine how repulsed Uriphiel might be at this moment and her stomach feels as if it just fell to the ground. With her ears bright red, she addresses Uriphiel without actually looking at him and she's stuck in her place feeling awkward, "I am sorry about Corvo."
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[Uriphiel] If it hadn’t been obvious before, it most certainly was obvious now; Corvo was an agitator. Whether it was just friendly chiding, or for personal amusement, Uriphiel could not help but feel anger toward the man. It wasn’t the suggestion that bothered the mud-caked avian. Hardly. It was just that Corvo reminded the Shar of someone from his past. Another mischief maker that always went out of their way to push others just to get some sort of a momentary kick. Uriphiel skips over Brennia’s apology, pointing out the holes in Corvo’s little plan. “Certainly, that would make sense had we come from different kingdoms. If either of us were known to the populace of Lithrydel in any meaningful capacity. With the size of the college, Brennia is known, that I am sure of. Myself on the other hand - unless my name survived the millennia, and I can very much assure you that it did not, then most dignitaries would have zero idea as to who I am. You might as well find a wandering tramp to fill in for me, because they would have the same reputation. Our own people, the elders that control the wealth, still have a hard time believing my claims - not that I blame them. The idea is fantastical, even to me.” The conversation provided the perfect distraction to keep Uriphiel from fretting over the messy situation, or the fact that Brennia had managed to place a hand on his person, even if it was brief. “No. We will put eyes on Schezerade in due time. I am hard at work securing partnerships from other nations to help our economy flourish. Seeing as the city has no real leadership, I will be reaching out to the many kingdoms’ rulers to see what sort of alliances we might forge. This is how we will put Schezerade into the spotlight. This is how we will bolster the security of our future.The next time you have such a daft suggestion, keep it to yourself, if you don’t mind.” No longer caring about his muddy predicament, the Shar pulls away and walks around the end of the trench, making his way back to the table where his belongings were still situated. He would jot something down in his notebook, most likely an amendment or notation as to how to test the spell next time. If the others had followed, Uriphiel would ask, “Have either of you had any luck in finding others to run for seats in the Senate? Any prominent business owners, or anyone well respected?”
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Brennia adds to the end of Uriphiel's reasoning with her own, "even if Uriphiel is more well known than he gives himself credit for, he shouldn't stoop so low as to be my betrothed." Corvo put his hands up in surrender, "look... I was just brainstorming here and I thought the Shar with the potential Ra of Schezerade would be one major power couple to the public's eye regardless of your renown, Uriphiel Shar. Please accept my apologies, both of you. I just… I don't know… was sensing something there," Brennia gently clears her throat and doesn't dignify Corvo's suspicions with a reply. Of course any avian woman or man would find Uri attractive and Brennia is just a simple avian, but she must not focus on that at the moment. "W-well, Hinder, the young man who came forth with his father's log book on his suspicions with the Flewminati, has decided to run for his father's position to honor him." She only follows Uriphiel at a respectable distance so she wasn't raising her voice to talk to him, but then Corvo joins in, "I'll even give it a try. I am not interested in being the sole leader, but I do want to help bring Schezerade into a more unified era and I'll do anything to help that along." Brennia is glad they got Corvo off the subject because it was causing all of these insecure emotions to rise up and making things awkward. Hoping to lighten the mood between herself and the Shar, she decides to switch to her and Uri's native tongue to joke at Corvo's expense without the campaign manager knowing, "I think he just wants to plan a wedding to fill the void of romance in his own life." There is a glint of humor in her gaze as she looks up at Uri and softly giggles before switching back to common, "we shall leave you to it, but before we go, do you need anything? A new shirt, or something from up there?" She points up to the clouds where their city floats just beyond that.
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Uriphiel seemed a bit annoyed. The idea of a wedding had really thrown him off guard. Then, there was the insinuation of some sort of romantic relationship between Brennia and himself. It left a sour taste in his mouth. It wasn’t that Brennia was unattractive. Hardly. In fact, by most standards, she was a beautiful woman. She was intelligent. Charming. Anyone to win her heart would be quite lucky. She was, as he deduced, someone that deserved to spend her days in happiness with another. However, she was just a friend. They had hardly gotten to know one another enough for Uriphiel to even consider romance as an option. And even if they had, well, Uriphiel was unlikely to move forward on his own instinct. The truth of the matter was that Uriphiel had never had a real relationship. Not one that he would ever deem serious enough to commit. The life of a soldier, his work as a Knight, it was something he chose to not put on another living soul. At any moment, he could be felled in battle, and whomever he decided to pledge his undying love for would be left to carry on, alone and with a heart full of sorrow. The idea of doing this to another living being was unfathomable to the Shar. No, for now, Brennia was just a dear friend. Someone that had put their faith in him, and helped him find his place among the remnants of a fallen Empire. Someone that he owed great gratitude towards. “It’s fine,” Uriphiel said, breaking the silence. “I am sorry that I was so curt. I have been under great stress lately and it has withered my patience. Forgive me.” The Shar turned to face the pair, taking note of who else was convinced to run. He figured Hinder might give it a try, but was genuinely surprised by Corvo’s admission. So far, seven in total. “Good. I suspect there will be a few more by the end of the month. This way we shall have a proper election, with actual competition. I may hold a rally in a few days. For the Avian populace, to lift their spirits and to get them excited for change. I would like you both to be there.” Uriphiel was thrown for a loop when Brennia spoke native, a welcome surprise to be sure. It had been so long since he was able to converse with someone in his home language. “Some just live for the drama.” he quipped back with a half smile. “No, I am almost done with my work. Just need to go over a couple of calculations, and then I will come to Schezerade to clean up, and find an appropriate attire for this evening. Thank you, though.”