RP:Ghost Revisits the Chaotic Couatl

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  • Satoshi, vampiric feline mage.




Satoshi, shortly after departing Portea's company and sending Dansur on his way home, finds herself receiving gentle, mental nudges to take a western path. Oddly enough, the feline ends up following the coaxing as her instincts remain unalarmed. Still, cats are curious creatures and although she's not wary of this unseen caller, she can't help voicing aloud, "Where exactly am I going? And... who are you? You feel... familiar."


An answer comes first in the form of a slight increase of pressure to the mental-hands on her mind before the feeling passes and a voice remains behind, thick with amusement and gentility. 'Do you not remember me, Snow-Fox? You spared and saved me when I was under the taint of Chaos'. The last word comes with a strong sensation of loathing and an almost audible hiss before it suddenly gives way once more to the soft voice. 'You still wear the feather I presented to you, for which I am glad. You've seen spectacular events and I was able to play witness through the feather. I normally am no more than an observer, however... your conversation with that man and his dragon greatly intrigued me. Forgive me, but I felt the desire to interfere and...'


Satoshi blinks, eyes darting about in a want to settle them on -something- while being spoken to. It's an unnerving feeling for the feline to not see the one who speaks, and a peculiar one when she replies verbally, seemingly to empty air. "..'and'? Just where are you telling me to go? And why should I be following? Are you going to attack moi again?" Despite the reassuring tones sent down the link to her from the couatl, Satoshi can't keep herself from bristling, temper piqued at finding herself led along so easily by a distant, giant lizard. "I am not your puppet!" A passer-by blinks in surprise at the mage's outburst before hurrying along his business with head down.


A silent chuckle follows Satoshi's words, the couatl obviously amused, and a sensation not unlike calming strokes are delivered to the cat. 'My dear Snow-Fox, I have no intentions of harming you or making you my puppet. My kind are a peaceful one, I only attacked you before because the chaos was corrupting my mind. I could not stop the desire for blood and death. And you -were- trying to steal my scales... As for where I am leading you, it is to the place where we last met. The dead lands. And why? I believe we both have something we can offer the other, to play to both our wants. I shall explain further when you arrive. Shan't be long now.'


Satoshi's frown furthers and her steps falter--a small part of her suddenly startled to discover that she's been blindly walking this entire time. "How can I be certain, hm? How do I know this es not a trap?" Because if she had such gifts, she'd certainly use them to her advantage to capture prey.


The couatl seems to hear that stray thought and is swift to reply to it and the questions. 'I am not like you, little fox-cat. I do not use the powers of the mind to capture prey. I hunt with my physical gifts, as do the rest of my kind. The mind is a weapon of self-defense. As to your question,' again that pressure returns, heavily laced through with urgent feelings of sincerity and truth as the couatl allows part of his inner self to be viewed by the feline. The mage's instincts tell her what she sees and hears is truth, for not a shadow of deception lies in the words or emotions. 'I am incapable of lies. I can overpower a mind, but I cannot speak falsely to it. Now, little one, hurry your steps. Our meeting is not far off.' With that said, the contact is swiftly withdrawn, leaving the feline reeling with the sudden loss.


Satoshi shakes her head sharply, her tall, fox-like ears slapping against her cheeks with the quick motions in an almost comical fashion. "Hellfire... One interesting meeting after the other. You'd best behave yourself, monsieur. I could have killed you once, I could do so again." The mage is glaring at the rainbow-hued feather nestled in her hair as she says this, certain the couatl can hear her. And hopeful he can't detect her hint of anxiety as she resumes her strange trek.




He's already waiting when she arrives, and Satoshi gets a sneaking suspicious he's taken extra time to arrange himself to appear all the more breath-taking. Stretched out languidly over a bare patch of sunbleached earth is the impressive length of the couatl, emerald scales glistening like their gemkins in the sun. At the feline's arrival, the serpentine creature raises his slender head, tilting subtly forward to allow the light to catch his headdress. In a flash of color, Satoshi and the ground she stands on are dazzled with a display of rainbows from the magnificent crest of feathers upon the couatl's head: ruby red, golden yellow, sapphire blue, and a myriad others paint the white canvas that is Satoshi with their dancing lights. And if that isn't enough, the colorful creature can't resist spreading his massive wings wide and drenching the surrounding dead lands in further spectacular color--for all the good it does himself, with black and amber eyes healed yet blind after his last encounter with Satoshi.


All of this is lost on Satoshi, however, as she's seen the rainbow display before, and impatiently she folds her arms over her chest. "Are you done, monsieur? You're very pretty. I get it. Forgive me for not sighing in awe, since last time I saw that crest o' feathers on your head, those white fangs of yours were busy trying to chew on moi. First impressions and all that."


Almost sheepishly the couatl folds his wings again and settles down into his coils, a jet-black forked tongue darting out to self-consciously preen through the fan of feathers on his whip-like tail. 'My apologies.' Again that pressure on the mind returns, and Satoshi has come to recognize it as the psionic creature's way of establishing the link of communication. 'I was attempting to repair the damage of our first meeting. I went about it the wrong way.'


Satoshi can't help a smirk at the mighty beast's subdued mood. "Ah. It was impressive enough. If I hadn't met you before, I'd have probably reacted with more 'ooh' and 'ahh'. I'm sure." The feline's forced to duck her head then to hide a wide grin, a reaction to the couatl's sudden uplifting of mood and the bright gleam of delight in his blind eyes.


'Truly?'


Satoshi nods. "Truly. Now, what was it you brought me here for?"


Slowly, luxuriantly, the couatl lifts his great head from amidst his thick coils, rearing up like a cobra. 'I wish to offer my services to you, Snow-Fox.'


Satoshi simply blinks, head cocked to one side as she tries to process the words and their meaning. "Your services..? As in...?"


'You and I share the same interest in this place known as "The Eyrie". You are in need of a companion, are you not? The dragon you were with is far too young, as you said,' the couatl's mind-speech is deliberately slow, as if he's explaning himself to a young child. And considering his age is unknown to the feline, that's a valid possibility. 'Thusly, I offer my services as your... for lack of a better term, "mount".'


Satoshi, being the shrewd creature she is, can't help finding herself suddenly wary and asking, "What's in it for you, though? I've never known a being with abilities like yours freely offering to play flying pony to a mage." Deal-making, Satoshi at her bluntest.


A sound of laughter, both mental and physical, rings through the area at the question, the couatl finding it entertaining, clearly. 'Snow-Fox. ... Satoshi,' he corrects, catching a flicker of the thought from the feline. 'After I was touched by chaos, I was altered from the rest of my kind. I tasted violence. Not the kind one tastes when hunting for sustanence, but cold, unneeded bloodlust. I cannot return to the rest of my kin. And I do not desire to remain solitary in these lifeless lands. I desire companionship, and adventure. I wish to taste more of these things the chaos showed me, but I wish to taste them now that I once more have control of my mind. Allow me to accompany you for the Eyrie. -That- is what is "in it for me", as you asked.'


Satoshi finds herself finally staring at the couatl in awe, eyes wide with surprise at the unexpected offer. And with her tendency to gather strange beasties as followers, she can't hide the delight on her face and in her voice either. "Monsieur, I think I can agree to a deal like that. However," and here the mage grins ever so faintly, "you're asking for more than you're giving me. So... how's about you also teach me a few tricks of the mind like you do? Or at least how to keep a nosey pesterer out, if I wanted to?" With the small demand made, Satoshi offers her hand out in the usual gesture to seal a deal.


Delicately the rainbow-feather tail extends toward the offered hand, stopping just short as the couatl speaks, 'We have a deal, Satoshi. And you may call me Emiur. My full name cannot be spoken in any tongue, after all.' With a dipping of his slender snout, Emiur rests his tail in Satoshi's palm, properly binding the odd pair together with promises of adventures to come.


"Welcome to the family, Emiur."