RP:Futile Attempts at Picking Fights
Part of the The Most Dangerous Game Arc
Heroes' Fall
Satoshi is tempting fate. By tempting a pair of territorial White dragons. Perched on the edge of the cliff and facing the cave entrance, the magus weaves patterns in the air with Asorial's blade, as if to ward off the snarls and hisses coming from within the cavern. "C'moooon," the kit taunts, with an emphatic gesture of the scythe, "enough noise making already, start with the lunging, biting, roaring, and all that!" The dragons are less than eager to play whatever game Satoshi is, firmly wedged in their lair and trying in vain to growl away the little fox that smells of cruel Winters and raging blizzards. They want nothing to do with the eidolon or her malicious weapon, being a relatively cautious and non-confrontational duo of saurian. Much to Satoshi's annoyance, as it wasn't exactly a cakewalk to conjure a staircase of ice climbing up the cliff-face.
Satoshi has +2 Dragon Harassment skills.
Kasyr might be tempting fate, but it's simply due to proximity to the kit, rather than any overt attempts at dragon attracting antics. Simply put, the Kensai's merely seated nearby on the highest step of Satoshi's glacial staircase, his legs dangling over the plunge to the bottom. "Hrm. So... Any particular reason we're going after a the draconian denizens of this cave? Because, I have to say, they don't exactement seem all that eager to antagonize, or be antagonized." The kensai redirects his attention away from the drop, and peers towards the caverns entrance. "By the by, if at any time you lot would like to be a part of this conversation, feel free to give a shout. I'll wait."
Kasyr has the easy-going perk.
Satoshi carelessly--or arrogantly--looks away from the dragons and toward the kensai to flash him a smile that's one part affectionate and two parts frustrated. Propping Asorial on her shoulder, she turns to better look at Kasyr--and perhaps tempt the dragons with a target whose back is turned. "I'm testing a theory, and as much as I'd rather not pick fights with a saurian breed so small and weak," this insult is spoken purposely loud enough for the dragons to hear. Satoshi's trying anything to get them to strike, apparently, but gets no more than a particularly gravelly growl from the larger female of the two. Continuing on with a frown, Satoshi elaborates, "Even if I were willing to hunt or harm the Frost Dragons here, they're all buried deep during the Winter. The Whites are the only ones active this time of year in Frostmaw. And they're being very uncooperative!" The last remark is half-yelled toward the dragons as Satoshi aims a kick at a stray scrap of bone, sending it sailing past Kasyr and off the cliff. "Bloody nuisances." The Whites are likely thinking the same thing of the pair of undead perched on their doorstep.
Kasyr carefully draws himself back from the edge...if only so that he can fully flop out on the snow that rests strewn about the cavern entrance. Idly, he begins to stretch out, fidgeting just enough to make an imprint of himself in the accumulated frost. "Okay. So, you have a theory that specifically implies to dragons of a glacial nature, then. So it's not a question we could get answered by picking fights with feral dragons from rynvale, or any that might be allied with the vestiges of the Leeches forces." Kasyr casually scoops a bit of snow up, and begins to pack it into a ball, "Does that sound about right? Now, you also specified if you were willing to hunt or harm; which also seems to allude that the end result might not necessarily be something..lethal- but es, at the very least unpleasent for the intended afflictee." With that said, the Kensai hucks it towards Satoshi, before he turns his head towards the cavern, "You know, this likely would go alot faster with some sort of discourse. Vraiment, the whole warning roar thing es not exactly providing the desired intent, since we're still here, et all." Sure, the Kensai -is- making the assumption that the dragons here -aren't- feral, but then, he'd like to think it's at least a decent threat, there is at least 2 present, and they haven't engaged in hostilities, despite the seemingly unassuming presence of the interlopers on their doorstep.
Satoshi cocks her head to one side, watching the incoming snowball with interest before voicing a short, bird-like whistle and taking Asorial in hand once more. As the ball approaches, it hardens further under the magus' command, transforming from harmlessly compacted frost into a glacial semblance of a rock. All the better for Satoshi to take a swing at it with the scythe, catching it on the flat of the blade and promptly sending it rocketing back at Kasyr. And all the while she's shaking her head at his assumptions. "Nope, nope, and nope~. No need to be of a frosty nature, or even a dragon. They're just the easiest to find and entice to fight, typically. What I need is something to pit myself against, that's durable enough to last for a good while. I need something that can make me -angry-. ...'cept these two are just annoying me. Not quite what I'm wanting." The male dragon snorts at this, drawing himself up and half-flaring his wings as he extends his head just beyond the threshold of the cave. 'Yee want discourse? Begone wit yee. How's that for discourse? We dun want trouble," although he keeps his sentences short and simple, along with a voice rough with disuse, there's a distinctly intelligent gleam in his black eyes as he regards the couple. Kasyr was correct, the two Whites are far from feral, just a pair of small dragons trying to get by in an unforgiving territory. Satoshi sighs, frustrated still as she calls over her shoulder to the male, "Look, I don't want to -kill- you, y'know. I just need a fight, is all. Be a sport, eh~?"
Kasyr blinks when his lazy snowball is sent hurtling back at him as a wad of ice, something that has him flailing a mesh-gloved hand into that glacial projectiles path. It's with a sharp cracking noise that the object impacts, a few errant chunks of frozen debris crumbling off as the rest of the whole goes hurtling cliffwards- leaving the revenant to simply shake his hand off. That said, the Kensai doesn't immediately interject, more interested to hear from both Satoshi and the dragon. It's only when they're finished, that he decides to glance over to Satoshi, his gaze fixating upon her scythe, "Angry, hrm? That's...worrisome." That said, he pushes himself up into a partially sitting position, and redirects his attention towards the dragon, "Well, I'd like to say that at the current moment, I'm not exactly trouble. What with moi being the level-headed intermediary here, at the moment." Doing his utmost to suppress the cheeky grin that crept across his face, the Kensai simply adds, "Is there any way in which we might be able to come to an agreement, however- since my wife does seem intent on this particular trial of strength?"
Satoshi huffs simultaneously with the male dragon, although he at least doesn't trudge over to flop down in the snow beside Kasyr. Somewhere along the way, Asorial's evaporated from Satoshi's grip, leaving the kit empty-handed and miffed, while the watching dragons take comfort with the weapon's disappearance. "Bah. Forget it. If they don't want to fight, they won't put any effort into it." A quiet 'that's right' can be heard from the female saurian as she withdraws further into the cave, hopeful the intruders will leave them in peace after all. Satoshi ignores her in favor of looking sidelong at Kasyr. "It's got nothing to do with Asorial, by the way. I just find it's easier to become angry, with it in hand." Which might explain why Ko'tar isn't hanging from her side tonight, to better avoid its calming qualities. "Svilfon asked a favor of me a while back. I've been trying to manage it, and I think I've found a way, but I need those flames of mine. While I can summon up them in small amounts easy enough, they're a fair bit more potent and manageable when I'm -mad-, y'know?" As Kasyr's likely encountered a time or two.
Kasyr gives Satoshi a contemplative look, "I can't say that beating down et then setting on people on fire (even with frosty flames), can be considered especially neighbourly, cherie." It's only after a pause that the kensai adds, "Considering the sort of escalation I can see happening with that weapon around- I can't say I'm particularly unhappy at this outcome...although.." It's at about this point the Kensai casts another glance towards the caverns entrance, and the male dragon resting at the forefront, "Hrm. Would either of you perhaps know of something violent, ou altogether unpleasant that might be in the vicinity? You know, since we've got the ball rolling, et we're talking now."
The dragon levels a remarkably human stare of incredulity at Kasyr. 'She ate th' Ruins King, what else ees there?' Satoshi's whiskers curl with the sudden grin she's wearing at the comment. "Oh, I like this dragon. I'm glad I didn't kill him. Anyway," the kit uses a brief pause to sidle closer to Kasyr, because... y'know, the snow is cold and body heat is important, right? It's a perfectly valid reason. "Most of the especially fearsome things in Frostmaw are sleeping during the storming season. Whites, wolves, and devils are the only predators that really bother to poke around. Easier pickings with the bigger beasties dozing~." From his place settling down at the cave's entrance, using his body as a barricade, the male dragon scowls and offers only a short, 'Go 'way already.'
Kasyr settles his chin on Satoshi's shoulder, before redirecting his attention towards the dragon, "I suppose I could stop imposing myself on your hospitality, shortly. Though, I do feel compelled to ask again, there's nothing you know of in the area that might pose a worthy challenge, nothing dormant, or laired away somewhere?" A shrug, and the Kensai adds, "If not, I do apologize for our intrusion."
Satoshi follows the dragon's gaze as it's pointedly directed westward in silent answer to Kasyr's question. The ruins, the deadliest location in a land that views the yearly death toll as a personal challenge. Clearly, the saurian has reached is quota for conversations, as he shuffles his form around to fill the cavern entrance with his broad back and tail. At this, Satoshi climbs to her feet with a groan. "All right, all right, we're going. Fat lot of use you two were anyway. May your eggs hatch runts as bitter and useless as you~." The only response the kit gets is the dragon's tail being cracked against the ground once, an irritated dismissal. Extending her hand in offer to Kasyr then, Satoshi sighs and tries on a crooked smile, "That's life, eh~? When you don't want fights, they're ambushing you left and right. Go looking for a fight, and even grumpy dragons don't want to get involved."
Kasyr takes Satoshi's hand, and rises to his feet after her, a bemused grin on his face, "J'en sais pas. It was sort of nice to talk to one that did not want to maim me for the sheer fact thereof, et knew how to string together sentences without the words 'insignificant' or 'superior' cropping up once." With that said, the Kensai shuffles over towards those icy steps that Satoshi had conjured up, "So, what's the plan? Head home in the interim, perhaps research any local legends for things that might be in the ruins? Or would you prefer to just amble and hope for the best?"
Satoshi skips down a number of steps ahead of Kasyr so that she can turn around and grin up at him, all the while descending the staircase backwards without a faltering step. Initially the expression she wears is purely one of affection for the kensai, but with each step further away from the cavern and dragons, it grows more vulpine in nature. "Why not both~? After all, I -am- walking home with one of the most durable and dangerous beings in existence, no~? And dashing, I might add." Because flattery works so effectively on herself, of course Satoshi's going to try it on the revenant too.
Kasyr grins broadly towards the kit, his ears perking up in a jovial manner, "Et bien, now I feel like you'd be disappointed if we departed before exploring further." That said, he simply stuffs his hands into his pockets, and picks up his pace, so that he might better catch up to her- inwardly grateful for the unnatural sense of balance he possesses, given the icy climb. "By the by.. Do you have anything like one of those infernal imps...or that mouse of yours that you might be able to leave around here, cherie? Just to..keep on an eye on things et all?" The revenant pauses there, before he cants his head off to one side, "I just...remember what you said about..Emiur, et all. Et while I was out et about that cave, I just had a bit of an odd feeling. J'en sais pas how to properly describe it." Despite how much the Kensai tried to keep his expression jovial, he couldn't quite hide the distant and distracted undertone his voice carried.
Satoshi's grin dies on her face at the mention of Emiur. Stopping dead on the stairs, she turns a narrowed gaze toward the cliffs and cave above before redirecting it to Kasyr, searching his face for some clue. "What do you mean odd feeling? Are the dragons up to something? Or is something threatening them?" The idea that the poachers could potentially have ventured into her territory is enough to turn the magus' tails into a writhing mass, not unlike a furry viper's nest. Her ability to sense presences in Frostmaw is better attuned to beings of extreme auras of darkness, light, or raw power. Normal humanoids are not easily picked out from the regular travelers and citizens, and as far as she's been able to discover, the poachers that took Emiur are normal. Clever, but normal.
Kasyr glances up towards the cliff, before simply shaking his head, "It's not the dragons- but rather, just- while I was there, it was an odd feeling. Familiar- like when I find myself walking, et end up in the middle of someone else's problem, j'suppose." A contemplative look crosses the revenant's features, "It's different, in a sense, though- since I didn't feel drawn here- I wasn't consumed by the urge to keep meandering until I found my way." Scratching at the side of his head, the Kensai manages a rueful smirk, "I'm over-thinking things, peut-etre." That said, the Kensai can't help but flicker his gaze upwards again.
Satoshi follows Kasyr's gaze, her own one of concern rather than disbelief. She's known the revenant for too long to brush off any feelings he gets, especially where trouble is involved. Considering this matter hits very close to home for the kit, it's far from one to overlook or disregard, A spell is necessary here, and so she's quick to pluck a series of snowflakes from the air and collect them into her palms. Satoshi leans over her cupped hands then and sings a string of notes to the gathered snow, a melody that's abruptly echoed seconds later from with her grasp before a tiny bird's head peeps out. Opening her hands, Satoshi releases the snow-made-chickadee to flit and flutter around them. When it swoops in front of the magus' face, it pauses to hover, head cocked to listen to Satoshi's words, "Stay and watch. If there's a hint of trouble, I want to know." The snow bird nods once and flies off to the cliffs above, leaving Satoshi staring after it thoughtfully. "With any luck, although I doubt it, your feeling was wrong." Between the keen eyes of a bird sensitive to danger, and an eidolon that intends to lurk in this area for days to come, they might just catch someone or something before any harm can happen.
Kasyr nods to no one in particular once those preparations have been made, his attention finally drifting back down to the path ahead. From there, he simply sidles up alongside the magus, before once more continuing his descent down those icy stairs- little else to say beyond a softly murmured, "I hope so."
Satoshi waits a moment longer to watch the little bird fly off before she hurries after Kasyr. As she draws up alongside the revenant, a hand slips its way into his own and offers a light squeeze. "Unfortunately for you and I, we don't run much on hope, hm? Stubborn survival, yes. Wishful thinking, less so." Leaning her head to rest on the kensai's shoulder then, the magus adds, "At least that prevents us from being caught offguard, as pessimistic as it sounds."