RP:Kindred Spirits-Wraith and Ghost Discover The Azure Fox
Characters:
- Kirien, Wood Elf, Rogue.
- Satoshi, Kit-vampire, Frost Singer.
- True-Steel Clockwork Owl, Ceribu.
- Azure Flame Fox Spirit.
Satoshi stands in the center of the floral-ridden cavern seemingly lost in thought with head tipped sideways and an ear cocked up, as if listening intently. Just what the foxkin hears is a mystery however, as the only abnormal sound present is the whirring and clinking of the clockwork owl perched on her shoulder. If the true-steel bird could carry an expression, right about now it'd be a miffed one--Ceribu dislikes being ignored, especially for as long as Satoshi has been ignoring him, so focused is she on hearing a sound that isn't there. Ruffling his etched feathers with a disgruntled clatter, the owl occupies his time with turning his head in circles, lazily looking about the field through blue fluorite-crafted eyes and hooting a bored 'Buu~' frequently.
Kirien 's footsteps follow the beat of the earth beneath the Elf as he wanders through the streets of Frostmaw, not quite sure where he's going but absolutely certain he'll get there eventually. The wind is rough, tousling dark hair and ruffling the pristine fluffy trim of the thick coat wrapped about his form; aimlessly he walks for a while, allowing his feet to guide him as his eyes are closed. And it is then, as he nears the western side of town, that sensitive ears prick up, twitch in the frozen air, and catch the sound of something interesting floating on the unforgiving breeze. "Hm?" Trudging forward a few yards and turning, Kirien pauses as his feet come into contact with a hard surface void of snow, and the echo of his boot steps on the rock reveal to the rogue his location; a mine. And so onward he marches, following the sound through the cavern until he comes across a far warmer area than one would expect to find in a place such as Frostmaw. "Ah. Hi there," Kirien murmurs then, raising a hand as he comes to a stop in the field to point thin digits in the direction of the only other one present, "Satoshi Azakhaer. Fancy seeing you here."
Satoshi's owl is the first to react, his geared head doing two full rotations before coming to a stop backwards so that he can stare at Kirien with wide blue eyes. The minstrel is a few seconds behind, slowly turning to face the elf as she blinks, almost as if waking from a dream. "Nn? The bright-eyed elf. Kirien, non?" Shaking her head, and earning an alarmed buu from the owl, Satoshi focuses her thoughts and starts over, "Ah. Bright Eyes~. Hullo. You shouldn't be surprised to find me here. This -is- my city and all. But," the magus flicks her ears back toward the northern wall then, frowning in a distracted manner before speaking again, voice distant. "What brings you here..?"
Kirien grins a little at the response, cracking one of said bright eyes open to affix the amber orb upon Satoshi's form. He takes a moment to peer at the mechanical owl, lowering his hand in the process to stuff it back into one of the deep pockets of his coat. "That's Boss Lady's work, isn't it?" he asks idly, motioning with a tilt of the head to the metallic pet before canting it in a nod at the mention of his name. His eye falls closed again, the Elf stood there blindly in the cavern; or perhaps not so blind. "That's me~. Hm…? That's true, I suppose; you're quite entitled to be wandering around your own city." A few further steps carry him further into the field, the rogue taking the utmost care to avoid standing on too many of the flowers as he does so. "I heard something. I still hear it. It's intriguing."
Satoshi is in the midst of affirming Kirien's question about Ceribu when she falters at the rest of his words. Amber-flecked eyes widen before narrowing sharply, peering at the rogue closely. "You hear it too..? I've been hearing it, more and more, this past week. I was working in here on the spells to bring this owl to life, when the music started. It wasn't this... demanding... before. I can't... I can't get my mind off it. I feel like it's calling me." As if knowing it's being spoken of, the music rises slightly in volume, allow the lilting melody--a strange, alluring mixture of a lyre's voice and a soft whistle--to be more readily heard by the two. The notes are almost urgent, while lacking any obvious sense of malice, as they're emitted from the northern wall of the foggy cavern, and Satoshi instinctively takes a step nearer to it.
Kirien gives another little nod, peering sightlessly about the cave once more. His face turns also in the direction of the northern wall, the Elf pacing up to the rock and pausing just in front of it, hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I hear it. Just picked up on it a couple of minutes ago, when I was wandering around outside. I wasn't sure where I was going, you know? Just letting myself walk. I guess instinct took me here." The Elf's long ears twitch a little at the abrupt change in volume of the music, and he allows himself a moment to simply listen to the enchanting tune, lets it pulse through his body in the wake of the earth's beat, and smiles some. "I think it /is/ calling you." He raises a leg as if to take another step forward, although there is barely any space between Kirien and the wall so it likely seems as if he's about to walk willingly into the rock; this is, obviously, not the case, as the rogue slams his boot back down without warning. The resulting bellow of noise as his heel strikes the hard ground sends a wave of sound out through the cavern and beyond, allowing the Elf's finely-tuned senses to pick up a little on the area, and his head cants slightly to one side once again. "The rock is thick but…there's something there."
Satoshi falters in her approach of the wall as the soundwave passes her, leaving ears folded back and ringing. Ceribu hoots in surprise himself, wings 'shink'ing as he suddenly flutters off Satoshi's shoulder to land clumsily beside the elf, giving an inquisitive peck to the boot that produced such a sound. Satoshi ignores the clockwork owl's antics, however, and steps closer to Kirien while peering intently at the wall. "...I believe you're right. But, it's also not pure rock..." A satin gloved hand presses to the wall and she closes her eyes, voice falling to a murmur. "There's ice too. A fair bit. ...What you did just now. Can you do it to stone? Break it? I think... we can get through this wall between the two of us, if you can."
Kirien turns his head in Ceribu's direction, eyes opening to blink down at the little creature. "Oi, I don't need holes in my boots." He bends to pluck the mechanism from the ground, looking him over curiously for a few moments. "He's cute." It dawns on the Elf then that perhaps he should buy or otherwise come into possession of another pet, one small enough to carry around with him all day; while Nameless is amazing and could not possibly be replaced, Kirien sometimes finds himself 'lonely' when in small spaces the wyvern can't fit into any more. "Well…technically, I could, but to break stone with a sound wave requires…a lot more than that. Something deafeningly loud, and I don't think I could come up with something loud or concentrated enough on the spot. I quite like the idea of it though…" The Elf pauses, absently tucking the idea into the back of his mind, and hums thoughtfully while placing a hand upon the wall. "…I have another idea, though~," he laughs, "although you'd have to help out. I need water, and quite a bit of it."
Satoshi offers a faint smile as the owl buu's cheerfully in Kirien's hands, his head rotating around a few times in that odd fashion of his. Nodding, as much to herself as at the elf's request, the vulpine returns her hands to the wall. "You want water, Bright Eyes~? You'll have water." She brings her face nearer the stone then, hardly an inch away from it as she begins to whistle, the sound almost a soft croon. From behind the rockface can be heard a responding crackling of ice as it obeys the Frost Singer's call and rapidly abandons its solid form. If one were standing on the other side, they'd be able to see a shuddering wall of water standing where ice had been seconds prior, now pressing inquiringly with liquid fingers at the stone blocking it from the minstrel nearby. "Water's there, do what you do~," Satoshi trills as she continues to hold the water in place.
Kirien || It takes Kirien a moment to realise that what Satoshi is actually doing is exactly what he requires, save that it's on the opposite side of the wall. No matter, he decides silently, rolling both heavy coat sleeves up to his elbows and pressing both hands, palms-flat, against the unforgiving surface of the rock. Ceribu is welcome to seat himself on the Elf's shoulder or fly back to his foxkin mistress should he wish to, while Kirien himself glances to the Frost Singer with a raised brow. "I suppose I should give you a warning; if I get this right, there's going to be a hell of a lot of mud." With that said, the rogue will turn back to the northern wall and close his eyes, inhaling deeply. A long, slow exhale follows, the Elf allowing himself to relax and feel simply the beat of the earth, and the rock pulsating with the same tune beneath his fingers. Surely if he's able to separate water from earth, it shouldn't be too hard to do it the other way around, right? That's what he's relying on, really, else they'll have to find another way through. It will not be obvious for a good few minutes what the workings of Kirien's abilities are up to, unless one is able to feel or see the other side of the wall, where they will find the water seeping into cracks in the stone which lengthen and widen at their own slow pace. Kirien forces the particles of earth and rock apart, thrusting the more hardened pieces toward each side of the opening he intends to create, while concentrating the weaker substances in the centre and quickly feeling them melt and mix with the water. Eventually the cracks will have reached the side of the wall both foxkin and the Elf are situated on, and thick, wet mud begins to spurt from the fissures, likely catching Satoshi should she be within close range. "And my eyes are closed so I have no idea if you're still nearby or not, but if you are, you should be running for a higher spot right about…now," Kirien states, while pulling abruptly away from the wall and allowing the rather large torrent of mud to crash through the liquefied rock in the wake of his running steps.
Satoshi has enough presence of mind to tug her goggles down over her eyes at the promise of mud. Perhaps she has a fair idea of what Kirien plans to do, as she's obviously not unfamiliar with the various workings of magic. Throughout the rogue's work, Satoshi maintains her serenading of the water, calling it toward them through the wall and speeding along Kirien's creation of mud--not even faltering when a few small streams of mud strike her, goggles fortunately sparing her eyes. It's her sense of the approaching water that warns her to high-tail it out of there before the torrent hits--Ceribu tucked under her arm as she swiftly scrabbles to the other side of the cave and out of the landslide's way. A low, impressed whistle greets Kirien once the earth settles, Satoshi walking easily across the soggy surface and leaving a trail of frost in her wake. "Nicely done, Bright Eyes~." Wiping the mud from her face, she glances toward the gaping hole they've created and back at the elf, offering a wink. "Shall we~?"
Kirien now hangs suspended above the mud from the cavern's roof, one of his shadowy blades having been fired from his vambrace at some point during the chaos to carry him up and out of the way of the oncoming flood. He claps slowly a couple of times, each meeting of palm against palm resounding around the area - and the large grin painting the rogue's fine features might give a silent hint to the fact that he's extremely pleased his little idea went according to plan. "Aha, perfect. I'll have to tell Tiph!" He dismounts in a fluid motion, landing lightly in the mud and offering a nod Satoshi's way at her compliment, before bright eyes lower to the drowned flowers at his feet. "…I'll have to dry it out after," Kirien murmurs to himself, tone soft and almost solemn as he steps over toward the opening. An over-dramatic bow follows, the Elf curling one arm over his stomach as he leans forward. "You first, m'lady~."
Satoshi smirks at Kirien as she ambles past him and comments, "Emiur would applaud your manners~. ...if he had hands to applaud and such. Ehe." It's a good thing the couatl is too far away to sense the comment, or else she'd be getting a mental jab right about now. Passing through the newly formed opening then, Satoshi falters--likely long enough for the elf to catch up--and stares wide-eyed at the tunnel they've excavated. "Hellfire... What's a place like this doing hiding behind a wall?" She's not certain what to look at first: the obviously unnatural black stone path at their feet, the various pristine statues lining it, or the garden of twilight flowers merrily bobbing their dark heads in the new breeze. It's what can't be looked at, however, that catches Satoshi's attention most, for the music still calls, clearer now as it almost tangibly tugs her down the black walkway. "This way..." whether it's directions for Kirien or a voicing what what the music is telling her is hard to determine, but Satoshi's fervently following that call as if returning home to a long lost love.
Kirien grins despite himself, straightening up and following after the foxkin. "Hee~. I'm sure he'd rather smack me with his tail and assume I'm insulting his upper-class behaviour instead," he snickers. Eyes then fall upon the rock which makes up the pathway of the tunnel the two are traversing, the Elf's head tilting in curiosity as he retracts his blade back into its vambrace - the resounding snap of the weapon lodging itself in the hidden garment beneath Kirien's heavy coat echoes about the small walkway, and the rogue looks up abruptly. He blinks, wide-eyed, as ears twitch in the direction of the other end of the tunnel. "…There's something big along there. Liquid. An underground lake?" Passing by a stone sentinel and running his fingers across its surface, the Elf jogs along after Satoshi as she starts off again, likely following the music as he is more than the pathway itself.
Satoshi nods vaguely in response. "Likely a lake. Lot of them undeground from the snowmelt and such. ..Hm?" The foxkin halts, blinking as she glances from side to side curiously. The tunnel ends a mere step from where she stands, and the sudden expanse after the close walls is a disconcerting thing indeed, open spaces promising a certain level of vulnerability. "Just an exit, then..?" Hesitantly, Satoshi steps out of the tunnel and gasps in surprise when she discovers she's entered another cave--it does take her a moment to realize this, mind you. It's no wonder though, for the cave's creator obviously went to great lengths to arrange this spectacular duplicate of the night sky out of rock walls and gemstones. Even Ceribu can't help hooting in astonishment and spinning his head around twice when his hoots return to him in echoes. "Ehe~. Would you -look- at this place, Bright Eyes? No way this is natural. The magic in the air is making my tails stand on end~. It's all fluorite, too~." And the music is all the more prominent now, still calling in that gentle voice now mingled with the whisper of lapping waves upon a shore.
Kirien is alerted to the abrupt change in space by his own footsteps, which until reaching the end of the tunnel had been producing heavy echoes due to their hard heels; now, so close to the vast cavern jutting out from the passageway, those echoes were far quieter as the sound travelled across the much larger distance. "Big place..." He follows Satoshi out into the cave, although with his eyes closed it takes the foxkin's remark for him to open them and see the walls in all their glory. And when he does, there are no words in response, only a soft, sharp gasp of sheer awe as amber eyes widen and pupils dilate, taking in as much light as possible so as to view the magnificent scene in the highest quality possible. Reflecting fluorite stones glitter in already brilliant eyes, the Elf emitting another sound -- this one less of a gasp and more a sigh to expel some of that breath-taking feeling -- before speaking. "It's beautiful--!" He's caught off-guard by a sudden sneeze, and jumps back from the force of it. "A-And really…wow. That's a lot of magic." His voice becomes muffled halfway through that slightly obvious statement as Kirien tugs his respiratory mask up over his mouth and nose in an attempt to block out the mana. Damn allergies.
Satoshi manages to pull her attention away from the fluorite-stars to blink in confusion at Kirien and his newly donned mask. "Don't take well to so much cold air, Bright Eyes?" You and everybody else apparently--is the silent, slightly hurt comment tacked onto the end of her question before Satoshi shrugs and begins wandering further into the cavern. "The music's coming from this way. And I hear that water we felt back in the tunnel too. Maybe... it's mermaids singing us into a trap~? Or a musical Gem Dragon~? Bardic Spider, even~!" For all the deadly possibilities that could be waiting at the end of this magical Siren Song, Satoshi seems to be taking it with good cheer and adventurous spirit. Her owlish companion doesn't quite share the sentiments however, and at the mention of such creatures he hoots his anxiety and hurriedly shuffles sideways to tuck his little metal body under the foxkin's long hair.
Kirien quirks an inquisitive brow in Satoshi's direction. "Nah. I like the cold, actually. It's just that I got allergies," he mutters through the mask, breathing in deeply and causing the mechanism within it to rattle loudly, "to magic. Don't tell anyone; I'd rather the entire Mage's Guild /didn't/ know the best way to beat me. Although admittedly it takes a lot of magic for me to faint…" Shrugging, the Elf wanders toward the lake edge and pauses at the point where the sand is wet but not constantly washed over by waves, his amber eyes cast out across the water. At one point, his head turns to point his face at his companion, and he stares at Satoshi for a second before blinking. "Bardic spiders…aha." Now that would be an amusing sight; he absently decides that, should such things exist, he'll catch one and make it his pet. "…You know, I can't see to the other side of that lake, it's too dark, but…instinct tells me there's something there. D'you feel that?" He scuffs a boot in the black grains at his feet, frowning slightly.
Satoshi follows Kirien's gaze, squinting to make out the distant shape in the darkness. "Something's there. A lot of ice too, I can fell that. Ceribu~," the bard trills then, lifting the owl onto her forearm, "go see what's there, hm? Might be worth exploring~." Ceribu hoots once in response before he's thrust into the air, metal wings flapping frantically to keep him aloft as he turns toward the lake. The little mechowl is airborne for a breath's time when he's suddenly hurled to the ground at Satoshi's feet by an unseen force, steel feathers ringing loudly as they crash against the pebbled beach. ::Only one path exists here. Know it or depart. State your business or I shall remove you from here.:: The androgynous voice echoes from seemingly all directions at once, slowly condensing into a single point as it speaks--that point becoming a brightly burning wisp of fire, hovering just before elf and foxkin. Satoshi stares wide-eyed at the flame, more so out of bewilderment than a sense of dread, and carefully she responds to the will o' wisp. "There's music coming from out in that lake. It's calling me, and I'm trying to answer. Or, was that you doing the singing..?" The flame bobs once in something like a nod without replying as it shifts its focus onto Kirien, apparently waiting expectantly for his 'stating of business'.
Kirien, ever-suspicious and ever-bearing heightened Elven senses and a keen instinct, finds his ears twitching in apparent dismay as Ceribu launches himself from the foxkin’s arm with the intent of soaring across the vast expanse of water. It’s somewhere around then that he recognises the internal wriggling of his stomach to be a caution from his body. “Ah, something’s telling me that’s not a very good--!” He’s not even able to finish the warning before the mechanical creature has been thrust back violently by an invisible force and the Elf hisses low in his throat, abruptly on edge. He’d much rather not have to fight an unseen being, as trying to strike something which can’t be seen or felt in both the earth or the air is quite troublesome and near impossible; well, completely impossible, really. The voice that rings out to reach his ears and concentrates into one place as a flickering ember is immediately watched by Kirien with a scrutinising and careful gaze. “I’m an explorer~,” he says to the wisp once it deems Satoshi’s response satisfying; Kirien being Kirien, of course, speaks to the being as if it is simply another person and not a particularly sacred deity or anything of the like, rambling a little unconsciously and acting overly familiar. “And I kinda just wander wherever my feet take me a lot of the time. They brought me here and I heard the music so I was curious, and Satoshi was here too so we decided to see what the source of the music was~. And I seem to talk to a lot of odd things here in Lithrydel…though I think you’re the first…er, /flame/ that I’ve ever talked to.” Elethial gives a rather raucous chime at this point, causing the Elf to wince. “…And that’s Elethial.”
Satoshi stoops to retrieve Ceribu when the Flame's attention turns to Kirien, and with a quiet, soothing sound she tucks the shaken owl away. The minstrel straightens as the blue fire bobs once and speaks again, ::You heard the music as well, Explorer Elf? I know why the young Fox can.:: Satoshi shudders faintly as she feels an invisible presence sweep through her in something akin to a dog sniffing curiously at a new find--save that this unseen 'dog' is nosing at her very core, albeit in a harmless, if intrusive, manner. ::A Soul of Ice like hers will here that song. But only one may answer it. You, however, Elf...:: That same presence is turned on Kirien then, seeking to sniff about his soul in the same manner it had Satoshi. ::Perhaps there is something of the Fox about you...:: Satoshi shakes her head then, frowning. "Oi. What exactly do you want? Cryptic words bore me. Let us continue on or try to stop us, but enough with the chit-chat already." A feeling of potent amusement fills the air then as the Flame flickers brightly, as if laughing. ::Impatient, this one. You're more like her than I first thought. But I'll let the Elf choose our course. Speak or battle, Explorer?::
Kirien begins to pace, idly, before the flame, eyes narrowed only slightly and scrutinising the arcane creation. "That's what I said, yeah," he answers softly, almost carefully, as if he's not quite sure now how to speak with the orb. Curiosity is mixed with fear by now, though of course the rogue isn't about to make the latter obvious to anyone present; it is likely picked up when the presence sweeps through his body, causing a yelp and a shiver from Kirien as he resists the urge to jump back away from it. While he manages to stay in one place, he can't stop himself from hissing in warning, ears flattening to a near-horizontal position in fright. "D-Don't /do/ that! Jeez." Brushing himself down, although what exactly he's brushing off is a question, the Elf peers at Satoshi and then looks back to the fire once more, tilting his head. Why let him decide? "Why me? I'd have thought you'd have asked her." He shrugs then, head canting in the other direction as he mulls over the words in a pensive manner. "…Depends. If you're going to ask riddles then I'd rather you shut up. I don't like riddles. The thought of fighting something I can't exactly harm isn't too fun, and the former idea is the more logical, but…" The slightest of grins makes itself apparent on Kirien's features then, his arms raising and shifting to a battle stance; one held across his chest, the other around behind him with its hidden blade already slipping to peek out from beneath the fluffy trim of his coat. "…I've never been a fan of logic."
Satoshi can't help a flicker of worry when the Flame murmurs a soft, ::Hmm.:: before altogether vanishing from sight. The fox shifts, eyes darting around the twilit cavern warily as she edges nearer to Kirien, a soft hum coming from her. It's too much to hope the entity has simply left. And it proves how false a hope such is a few seconds later. A sound of rushing flames comes from behind the pair, the noise preceding the aerial charge of a massive nine-tailed fox, white fur blazing with bright blue flames. Whatever spell Satoshi is preparing is lost at the fiery sight as she scrambles backwards in instinctive flight, splashing into the frigid waves of the lake and slipping upon the smooth fluorite pebbles that send her crashing to be fully enveloped by the waters. If Kirien doesn't move, he's in for a full-body tackle from a horse-sized creature wreathed in fire--except, this fire does not burn, but rather freezes, with a bite more icy than a blizzard's. Frost in front and frost in back, the guardian spirit isn't leave much space for the rogue to maneuver.
Kirien , being small, lithe and absurdly flexible, does not need all that much space to manoeuvre around. Thus, when faced with the monstrous fox, he's not in that tight a spot in comparison to most and his grin even widens a little. "That's more like it. At least you look like something I can hit now," the Elf mutters, more to himself than anyone else. There's not much space to move around and enact anything particularly spectacular, but Kirien's smart enough to know when and when not putting on a show is a good idea and simply bends his knees and falls into a crouch. He bounces, once, twice, and a third time to build momentum and power, before leaping straight upwards as the fox comes within range, a mechanical whir filling the frigid cavern as his shield explodes from its hidden position and the rogue soars above the creature through the sheer power of his legs. Never underestimate an Elf's legs, or some such. With the shield angled in front of him as a protection against azure flames, Kirien falls - and he's not the first to come downwards, as a whistle and glint of silver in the air might hint. One of the rogue's favoured hidden blades is lancing out in front of him for the beast's shoulder, the Elf falling in the wake of its razor edge.
Satoshi's just returning to the surface--gasping for breath more out of old habit than an actual need for air--in time to see the blazing fox looming directly above her. It peers down at her for a fleeting second before it glances up at Kirien.... and smirk? Can foxes smirk? Apparently this one can, and the reason behind it becomes painfully clear to Satoshi right about then. Kirien's blade quite simply passes -through- the spirit's suddenly intangible body, on direct course with the wide-eyed minstrel. A shrill whistle is all Satoshi can manage as she hurriedly backpedals, the blade plunging into the water just in front of her before the waves freeze over rapidly, lifting the foxkin free and perching atop a small iceberg--and rough landing platform for Kirien to crash atop, if he doesn't land on Satoshi herself. The fiery spirit doesn't immediately attack at this point, however, standing upon the air with a look of surprise splashed across its muzzle as it stares at the hastily conjured iceberg.
Kirien will be a wide-eyed Elf to Satoshi as his blade penetrates the body of the fox and continues on its course toward the foxkin herself, the rogue falling in swift motion after it. He's unable to readjust his position in time to land upright on the iceberg and instead crashes face-first into it, saved from breaking his face and body completely only by his shield - there is, however, a rather sickening crunch despite this. He skids along the slippery surface on the metal object, whining in pain and struggling to his feet soon thereafter; he raises his arm as the shield shrinks back into its container, quietly noting the way the lower half of the limb appears to be bent at the wrong angle. "Ah. Damn." Apparently Kirien, ice, hard falls and metal shields don't exactly mix all that well, judging by his now broken arm. "I had to use the real one. Why didn't I use the metal one?! That'd have been the /smart/ idea, Kirien, good job. Now you're going to either have to see Melody or heal yourself, and you /hate/ doing both. Ah!" Throwing his good arm in the air with a frustrated cry, Kirien turns to Satoshi briefly and raises an eyebrow at her, before looking back at the fox spirit and frowning. Despite his injury the Elf's other arm is poised to release another of those blades should there be an attack, although by now he looks as if he might be regretting the decision to spar with something so sneakily intangible.
Satoshi might be breathing a sigh of relief at not being the cushion to Kirien's landing, were she not so preoccupied with dividing her attention between staring down the spirit and eyeing the elf's sickeningly angled arm. It's after one of these hurried glances at the rogue that Satoshi finds herself suddenly face to snout with the fox, the creature having crossed the distance between them in that minuscule span of time. The minstrel can't help a yelp of surprise as her gaze is locked by matching azure. ::Do that again.:: Satoshi blinks, the momentary spell holding her broken by her confusion, allowing her to glance at Kirien with a raised brow. "Do what...? Break his arm..? I think he'd protest..." The fox snorts once in vexation, the sound coupled by a sudden flaring of the fire gathered around its paws, tails, and neck, making Satoshi flinch. ::No. The ice. Build with it again. Keep your friend from the waters, if you can.:: There's almost something of a taunting tone in its voice then before it suddenly lunges at Kirien, jaws gaping in a feint meant to send the agile elf dodging--but any direction promises to take him off the edge of the iceberg and into the water. Satoshi's not given much time to think, so it's with an unsteady hum that she conjures up a ring of tiny, icy stepping stones around the mini-glacier. Elves have good balance, right? Because Satoshi'd rather not have a rogue-sicle if he manages to fall into the water.
Kirien does indeed protest, and loudly at that; an echoing stamp of the foot and an exasperated cry leaves the Elf, although he stays firmly planted on the iceberg away from the spirit. "I ain't /got/ another arm to break! This one's metal, and you're not breaking the upper parts. That hurts even more, goddamn." Amber eyes observe the two conversing foxes as his lips draw into a pout, the rogue taking in their -- most specifically the fox spirit's -- words until the beast lunges forth and he leaps back with a yelp of surprise. Slipping off the edge of the berg, Kirien tumbles down to hit the water standing - or rather, one of the stepping stones conjured by Satoshi as Kirien is nowhere near enlightened enough to be able to walk on water. He wobbles, a little unstable, ears flicking in agitation. "Oi. What the heck are we doing?" It's unclear who exactly he directs this question to, to be honest, but it's likely he's expecting an answer in some way or another from both.
Satoshi manages something of a lyrical response for the elf's question, "Dancing, I believe~. Move those feet, Bright Eyes~." The minstrel keeps up her tune, and now that she's not unbalanced or panicked, the spell produced is of far better quality. Each lunge for Kirien made by the spirit is followed by another outburst icy steps around whichever one the elf currently stands upon, allowing him to literately dance his way around the rapid attacks. The larger fox will keep up these quick-succession false bites until it manages to herd the rogue back to the beach--however long that takes. At that point, it'll promptly sit on its haunches mid-air and nod once in approval without saying a word.
Kirien is rather good at dancing, if he does say so himself. He's not got time to make useless banter and tell Satoshi how much he enjoys that particular hobby, however, as the spirit rushes forward again; his laughter might hint at it though, as he leaps back to land upon a sweeping curve of ice and slides along it, moving with as much grace as one not immediately familiar with ice can do. In leaps and bounds the Elf skips across the frigid waters, skimming the surface on conveniently placed slabs of frozen liquid. By the time he reaches the beach he's in a far more confident mood, and even performs a little bit of a spin as he makes the jump from the last platform to the sand. "Aha. I win," he murmurs with a smirk, too caught up in the situation to even be aware of his injured arm any more - at least, he is only for a moment before he takes note of it and winces.
Satoshi offers Kirien a brief round of applause even as she eyes the foxy spirit. "What in hellfire was that for, exactly? First you chit-chit, then you try to tackle us, then you make us sing and dance? I'm beginning to think we should have left that cave closed up." The spirit looks up in alarm then, narrow eyes widening as it stands up. ::No! I've been locked away for too long. Do not do so again.:: With a deep sigh, the nine-tailed being begins to pace the air between Satoshi and Kirien. ::Forgive me. I'm the guardian of this cavern. I should have chased you both out the moment you arrived, but... it's been centuries since I've seen a living being. And then, I sensed something in the both of you.:: Pausing, it looks toward Satoshi. ::A Soul of Ice, one that burns with the Elementals' cold fire.:: And blinking, it turns its muzzle toward Kirien. ::And a mixed Soul. Fox and not. I admit, I was intrigued. I had to test you both, to be certain what I sensed was true.::
Kirien sends a gentlemanly bow in Satoshi's direction, though the movement is punctuated thereafter with a soft string of curses as the Elf's arm shifts and twists a little when he bends forward. He opts to keep his mouth otherwise shut and allows his companion to berate the spirit, however, though he can't help but make a comment on the creature's loneliness at some point in time. When it surveys him with that ever-evaluating stare Kirien attempts to emulate it, watching the beast with a curiosity that only deepens when it mentions his mixed soul. "I've got a what now? You know, I'm quite aware that I'm obviously a little odd, perhaps even horrendously insane, but to say I've got a mixed soul is like. Insulting. I think. And not just to myself but to my parents! I'm pretty sure my father did /not/ do that sort of thing to a fox." He stops there, abruptly ending his words as his gaze turns to the floor and a frown crosses his fine features. "…Maybe he did, who knows. I wouldn't put it past him, I think." The topic of parents, especially his father, is not something the rogue is particularly fond of, apparently.
Satoshi and the fox spirit exchange baffled looks over Kirien's unexpected tirade, but it's the fox that speaks first. ::Ahem. A soul can become mixed through more than... questionable... lineage. Successfully angering a spirit is one way.:: Satoshi coughs a fair bit here, although it oddly sounds like "You can piss off anyone, Bright Eyes." ::Delving into soul-magic, or even coming too close to chaos are others. The soul is a delicate but powerful thing, it can be warped. And there is something of the fox about yours, Elf. Can you think of no reason why this may be:: The being pauses then, looking toward Satoshi curiously while awaiting Kirien's answer. ::And what, pray tell, did you do to end up with a soul like yours? You're certainly no elemental or spirit.:: The minstrel grins, a perfectly wolfish expression of amusement. "You're looking at a mage trained by Ice Elementals. My graduation gift was a little something that made me more like them, I believe~." The spirit's ears perk forward at that, but it refrains from commenting with more than a murmur to itself, ::There's more to it than you think...::
Kirien tilts his head slightly, an attempt to appear curious while the Elf silently wishes the spirit would stop trying to question his past and just resume talking to Satoshi or something. "Dunno, might've pissed something like that off at one point, I'm sure. Don't remember anything about soul-magic but I doubt it was that -- I'm allergic to magic and I'm not that stupid -- and, yeah, I kind of don't really remember much of my passed. Traumatic event at a young age, and all that." He shrugs, falls silent, and kicks a pebble absently while falling into a slightly pensive state. Perhaps he had dabbled in soul-magic at one point in time, who knew? As far as Kirien can remember he's been around chaos for quite a long time, most recently with Nemisis. It's highly likely that whatever happened to cause this happened years ago, however. "Ooh. You were trained by Ice Elementals? That's…like me being trained by Drow, only totally different!" Why he felt the need to point this out, even Kirien's not quite sure.
Satoshi shrugs at Kirien's remark. "Unusual sources of training make life more fun, no~? And we're full of surprises when we meet the 'normals'~. I can use ice in ways other mages only dream about." ::And yet you have no grasp of the Azure Flames,:: the spirit promptly cuts in, drawing Satoshi up short and leaving her blinking. "Azure whatsit?" If frost spirits could facepalm, this one would be doing so now. ::Azure Flames. The essence of ice. Touch the fires around my paw.:: Satoshi reluctantly obliges and blinks all the more for it. "It's cold! Like-" ::Ice. It -is- Ice. This is the core of the Elementals. And you carry it too. No other mage could use the Cold Fire, but you could. ...With the right teacher, once the Flames are awakened.:: The magus glances sidelong at the fox, quirking a brow as she asks in a sarcastic tone, "Lemme guess, you can do both, can't you?" The spirit looks toward Kirien then, amusement sparkling in its eyes. ::She's a quick one, isn't she? And what about you? Awakening a Soul's potential is an easy matter for a spirit. If you're prepared and willing to live with what will follow such a thing, that is. Some require learning, some require... adjustment.::
Kirien simply blinks at both Satoshi and the fox spirit before her. "Interesting. Sounds like some ancient, er, powerful form of magic. Glad I've got my mask on, at least," he mutters. Indeed, he's had it on this entire time, but the writer neglected to mention that, all those times the Elf was grinning, it obscured them. "So it's liquid -- no, gaseous -- ice? Flame is not a liquid, what am I talking about." He can't resist reaching to poke at the fire despite not being offered to like the ice magus, although he ends up barely even touching it due to the fear of being frozen solid, and retracts his hand quickly with a curious frown. "What do you mean…what will follow. What'll happen to me if you wake it up? Though if you could heal my arm, I might just have to hug you." After a short pause, the Elf snorts, and spins away, glancing over his shoulder at the two while placing his metal palm upon the upper half of his broken limb. "Kidding. I'll have it healed up eventually."
Satoshi is busy watching Kirien's antics--the elf is just plain full of them, and it amuses her to no end--when she suddenly finds herself standing beside him. She doesn't need to ask how it happened as the wave of nausea hits her, knees buckling beneath her while she groans, "..Hate teleporting magic..." Falling to her hands and knees, the minstrel simply remains there, shaking while the fox appears beside her. ::For your own safety. Some don't take well to having their soul Awakened. It's easier on you if you're on solid ground.:: Without any sort of ceremony, the spirit thrusts its snout under Satoshi, nudging hard against her torso to flip her over and effectively pin her beneath its massive paws as it presses its face close to her own, forcing gazes to be locked. For a lingering moment, both the spirit and foxkin are washed in a torrent of brightly burning blue flames, and it's difficult to determine which of the two is the source, but as suddenly as they came on, the fire dies out and the fox retreats to sit beside Kirien, tails waving casually. Satoshi moves only enough to drape an arm over her face as if to block out too bright a light, and groaning once she falls silent and still--save for violent shuddering, not unlike one who's just taken an unwanted dip in arctic waters. It was only a few seconds, but the magus feels as if she's been dragged through the final circle of Hell for the better part of an eternity, her soul ragged and frozen.
Kirien would have started at Satoshi's sudden appearance beside him had he not been of the odd mind, though his expression becomes clouded with concern when she shudders and drops to the ground. "You okay?" he asks, despite the fact that he is the one currently sporting a broken arm which continues to hang limp and twisted at his side. The Elf moves to put a hand on the foxkin's shoulder when, out of the corner of his eye, he notices the spirit moving toward them, and instincts tell him to back off; being one to listen to his instinct -- hey, maybe that's due to his 'mixed soul', he thinks -- he skitters back up the beach and pauses a few feet away. A brilliant flash of azure hits him then and Kirien yelps in pain, quite suddenly blinded by the flames which proceed too lick over the forms of both Satoshi and the fox itself. Reaching to cover his eyes and whining in agony, the Elf misses most of the event, although he does attempt to move to Satoshi's side by way of following the vibrations in the ground. "S-Satoshi?"
Satoshi doesn't hear Kirien, lost as she is in her reeling mind, feeling the chilling burn of a newly awakened magic coursing through her veins. The spirit doesn't miss Kirien however, swooping in between the two without a sound, paws not even touching upon the ground. Perhaps it's because of the elf's injury, or maybe his kind of soul requires a different method, but whatever the reason, the guardian does not knock Kirien over as it had Satoshi. Instead, it brings its snout level with the elf's face and, with jaws open, simply breathes. A swirling blue mist flows with the breath, wrapping around Kirien's head and entering his lungs once he takes his own breath. That's when it will hit him. A pain, as if his very core is being torn in two--with an excited yipping sound echoing within his mind throughout--will race through his body, extending out to the tips of his ears and ends of his toes, and back inward toward his center in the blink of an eye. Once that soul-rending pain returns to its origin, a wash of calm will follow along with the sensation of... something.. falling into its proper place. When the elf is willing to open his eyes, he'll be greeted by the sight of a bleary eyed Satoshi staring wide-eyed at him. And a noticeable lack pain in his arm. Once mangled, the limb is restored to its prior state in the process of Awakening his mysterious--and mischievous--soul. The spirit loiters nearby at the lake's edge, once more in the form of a blue wisp of fire.
Kirien literally walks in to the spirit and its chilly breath, his mind too clouded by the pain of his blindness to pick up on the whisper of arcane in front of him and his body unable to sense it at all due to the lack of contact it makes with the ground. The agony is abrupt as with the intake of air Kirien absorbs a mouthful of that mist into himself, and the rogue cries out from the suddenness of it; raising his uninjured hand to press his digits against his head, the Elf trips at some point in his aimless stumbling and ends up on his knees in the black sand, though of course he doesn't even notice this with the distraction of that searing pain. His breath comes in gasps, unheard by Kirien himself, as the sound of what can only be described as a fox's laughter echoes within his head, flowing through him in a way that seems so wrong and yet-- right. The pain it brings with it, while indescribably horrendous, feels the same in some twisted way. With that, and the abrupt retraction of the sensation, Kirien collapses suddenly onto his back, the world blurring out of focus for a long while. What Satoshi will see while staring at him, and what he himself won't even notice at first upon struggling into a half-seated position, is the growth of a long, elegant and fluffy tail, chestnut in colour with a brilliant white tip; his ears, too, change and grow, twitching as they do so, to become those of a fox, with the same colouration as the tail. A change not so obvious might be the slight elongation of Kirien's canines. None of this he'll take note of, as he simply stares back at Satoshi and then tilts his head, ears pricking naturally. "What? Is there something on my--oh, hey! My arm's all better~!" And he becomes distracted by this for a few moments, his tail giving a little twitch as if it wants to wag along with his excitement.
Satoshi continues to stare, for a very long time, trying to focus her thoughts while more are added to the behemoth pile. Eventually, however, the foxkin manages to speak, and she does so with a whimsical little smile. "We're more alike than I originally thought..." She's rather pointedly staring at his tail by this point, drawn by that quick flash of its white tip.
Kirien tilts his head, an expression of adorable bemusement defining his features at Satoshi's words. "What? I guess we are, but why're you saying this now?" It takes him a moment to sort out his vision properly, having not completely regained it after being blinded, but once he has he hesitantly follows the ice magus' gaze along the sand to see what exactly has captured her interest so. "Holy--!" An expletive follows this, the Elf leaping to his feet in the same moment and promptly regretting it thereafter as he groans and stumbles. Putting a hand to his head, he looks back around, craning his neck to eye the tail protruding very obviously from beneath his coat. "Er. Satoshi, I think something's wrong. There's a-a tail…coming out of my ass. Well, above it if you want to be anatomically correct b-but-but that's not… Why do I have a tail? That's not natural!" He squeaks, despite an attempt to silence it.
Satoshi bristles at that remark. "It's not unnatural! I have a tail, y'know!" As if to emphasize the words, Satoshi's trio of tails flicker sharply around her then, bristling in their own right. It takes a murmur and hand upon each to quell them--or rather, Asorial--before the foxkin onces more eyes the elf... or, other 'foxkin'? What is he now? Damn changes. So hard to keep up with. "So," she starts, face not betraying the slightest hint of her thoughts, "I guess you give new meaning to 'bright eyed and bushy tailed', huh~?" The hovering spirit bobs once then before speaking in an expressionless voice, ::On occasion, lesser spirits will take shelter in the bodies of other living beings. You were apparently harboring such a spirit, one of a fox, and were oblivious to it. I awoke it for you, and merged your entities. It's much to take in at the moment but, if I hadn't... it's possible that spirit would have awoken later and simply devoured your soul so that it could claim your body as its own. It is a matter of "Live with it, or die by it", I believe.:: The utterly humorless, matter-of-fact tone is hardly one that offers much comfort to the distraught elfish fox--foxish elf?
Kirien is a little too caught up in staring and tugging at his own tail to respond with a frown or anything of the like in Satoshi's direction. A shrill reply to her protest leaves his lips, however. "But you're a cat--fox! You've lived with a tail all your life. I'm kind of different here!" He continues to pull at the offending new limb as if thinking it may just pop off of its own accord, before whining in pain as he tugs too hard and pausing abruptly. "…Spirits, it's a part of me. It's actually…wow. Uh. Hm." Silent for a moment, the Elf -- foxkin? -- looks up when the azure flame speaks once more, eyeing it with a curious gaze and the slightest hint of nervousness. His ears flick a bit, pricking and then flattening out, folding back as a mixture of emotions passes through the rogue's body. "Hnnh. Right." Apparently unable to come up with a particularly intelligible response to that, Kirien goes back to watching his tail, before glancing to Satoshi. "It's tickling my legs."
Satoshi can't hold back her laughter by this point, although for the sake of the distressed Kirien she does at least try. That's more than she does for most. So, it's with chiming giggles half-stifled, that the minstrel stumbles to her feet--wavering in place a moment as her world spins--and approaches the rogue unsteadily. "Shush. You're not any help, I got this," she admonishes the spirit lightly and waves her hand dismissively at the flame. For a fleeting second, the foxkin wonders if she's actually -drunk- from this expansion of her magic. But, well, if she -is-, she's too far gone to dwell on it for long, and simply pats Kirien on the shoulder companionably instead. "You can probably move it, y'know. Shift it away from your legs. It'd be good practice anyway~. Need to know how to move a tail, since it tends to give away your emotions otherwise." Satoshi offers Kirien a lopsided grin before promptly slumping forward in a dead faint. ::Well... that took a longer than I thought to hit her. Durable little kit, isn't she? Having one's soul awakened to its true nature and potential is a particularly draining process.:: If wisps of fire could stare, this one is doing so, rather intently, at Kirien. Those words might juuuust be a foreshadowing.
Kirien is not too happy with being laughed at, his displeasure made obvious by his flicking tail and ear positioning; slightly flattened but still pricked forward, the tufty white edges poke into the Elf's peripheral vision and he blinks. "…Oh. Ears too, huh?" He reaches to touch them, finding the fur soft and silky and grinning a little. "You think?" he asks Satoshi at her words, absently noting her odd behaviour and stance and finding it a little amusing. "How…how d'you move it? Just not think about it, or--hey!" It's likely his last question won't be answered due to the foxkin fainting abruptly, the rogue not so cruel that he'd allow the woman to fall face-first into the sand and catching her instead. His skin prickles a little at the contact -- cold! -- but Kirien resolves not to let go and shifts the now unconscious female in his arms a bit, prodding her into a slightly more comfortable position with her head on his shoulder as he stumbles back to settle upon a large rock nearby. "Is she okay?" he asks the spirit cautiously, staring right back at it while continuing to hold on to Satoshi.
Satoshi obviously won't be hearing the flame's response. ::She'll be fine. As will you. You survived the awakening process. The recovery merely takes time. However,:: the wisp inches closer even as it melts into the large fox's shape once more and noses lightly at the unconcious Satoshi. ::I wouldn't continue to hold her, were I you. There's a chance errant Azure Flames will escape her while she's unconscious, and the damage it can do to you is far from pleasant. Besides,:: narrow azure eyes flick up to peer at Kirien closely, ::You'll be joining her soon, I'm certain. Your soul will shut down your body for a period of time as it adjusts. Make yourself comfortable before that happens. I'll make certain none wander in to disturb your rest afterwards.:: It might have been a fox's attempt at a smile, but... the brief parting of jaws could very well have been a yawn from the spirit. Perhaps the duo aren't the only two drained by this strange event.
Kirien 's amber gaze shifts from the spirit to Satoshi and back again, a ripple of tension making its way down his back at the mention of the Azure Flames escaping. "Er. 'Kay. I'd not like to be frozen alive or whatever they'd do to me, I guess." Muttering to himself, or perhaps Satoshi, chiding her for having collapsed and leaving him to drag her about the place, the Elf slides to sit in the sand and places the unconscious foxkin at his side, shifting a little bit away from her after making sure she's not lying at an awkward angle. He sighs, yawning, and watches her in silence for a few moments. "I have one hell of an interesting sister-in-law-to-be." His mouth opens to say something else, eyes flickering in the direction of the fox spirit, but he yawns before he's even started; and with that, the rogue is out like a light, slumping in the sand nearby Satoshi.
Satoshi might have commented about her being a "Trouble-in-law-to-be" were she awake, but she's not, which just leaves the spirit shaking its head to itself. With a yawn, the kitsune stretches out upon the sand nearby, head resting on blazing paws as it absently watches over the pair it's gotten itself tangled up with. ::Strange kits herald new days...::