RP:Kindred Spirits- A Very Vulpine Venture
In this newly discovered section of the Frostmaw mines, mist and fog forms as it is much warmer than the area around it. The environment in here could be compared to that of a sauna, as your skin begins to collect particles of water upon it from the dense humidity. Fauna grows wild here, though it is of a single variety: cerulean flowers with three petals each. It is a mystery as to how these flowers got here, or how they thrive in such harsh conditions. But, nonetheless, they are here, and they are flourishing in this outcropping from the mines.
- Kirien, Fox-like Elf, Rogue.
- Dune-Diving Wyvern named Nameless.
- Satoshi, Kit-vampire, Frost Singer.
- Frost Giant Guard named Tharn.
Satoshi is sprawled out on an outcropping of rock, panting heavily and glowering at the cavern ceiling. Lying at her side is Ko'tar, the blade's usual luster faded as it voices weary chirrups. And towering over the pair, leaning on a behemoth battle axe, is a leather-clad frost giant. The warrior stares down at the kit with a self-assured grin, his forearm wiping the glean of sweat from his face while Satoshi merely continues to glare at the rocks above.
Satoshi said, "You're a jerk, Tharn."
Kirien :: Nameless practically shoots into the warm network of caverns to interrupt whatever might have been going on here, his wings frost-covered, his breath a white wisp in the frigid air. Wings snap shut and the wyvern hits the ground at a run, though he manages to slow his momentum before he crashes into the wall opposite his way in. Only once he has stopped, breathing heavily, does Kirien slip from Nameless' back with a triumphant laugh - he's donned Christian's old coat over his own one, the heavy, fur-lined thing the fox will wear if he has to when it's especially cold, despite what he thinks of his fiance these days. As far as he believes, this coat is -his- now. Wrinkling his nose and sniffing some, Kirien spins about then to grin at the other, smaller rider still seated nervously astride Nameless' back as if he's not quite sure of how to dismount, or if he even should. "No worries, they won't look here," he says to the boy before his sightless gaze drifts past to peer beyond. He squints a moment at Satoshi and Tharn. "Satoshi! Don't tell about -him-, aight?" A finger is jabbed sharply to the confused elven youth before Kirien moves forward to pull the boy from Nameless so as to allow the wyvern to collapse and regain his breath.
Satoshi bolts upright at the sudden noise of an arrival, Ko'tar in hand, only to find the back of Tharn's legs in her line of sight as the giant moves with alarming speed to set himself between intruders and his queen. Cautiously, the kit tips sideways to peer around the axe-wielding giant and after a moment of blank staring, she laughs. "Bright Eye~!" The magus waves from behind Tharn as she scrambles to her feet, wincing, and moves to the edge of the rocks to grin down at the fox. After a moment, however, she glances back at her guard and scowls, lower lip jutting out in a pout. "Tharn~. Put down the axe. They're not here to kill me." Reluctantly, and with wary looks for the wyvern, the giant obeys and shuffles back to give Satoshi space. Nodding in satisfaction, the little vampire turns back to Kirien and flashes a fanged grin at the elven child. "Did you bring a snack, Bright Eye~?"
Kirien moves similarly to Tharn when the giant steps forward, heavy axe raised and ready to defend Satoshi - for Nameless has risen in response to the man's challenge, a low growl of threat rumbling in the back of his throat. The fox stands squarely between the two and seems relatively undaunted by the difference in his and Tharn's height and overall mass, his posture quite relaxed. "What she said, mister. I ain't about to kill my sister." It's probably the first time he's vocalised how he thinks of Satoshi even though he's felt like that for a long while, but he can't quite remember. A lean to one side round the giant defender and Kirien returns the cryomancer's wave, a grin playing over his lips. Behind him, the elven youth freezes at the mention of snacks, and almost looks as if he's regretting the decision to ask the fox to spirit him away from this godforsaken place. "Ah-- damn, should've brought another one. This one ain't for eatin' though, apologies. Whole load of them in your city now, I should suspect, if you wanna grab one later." Whirling about, he focuses his grin on the boy and attempts to reassure him with, "Don't worry - I don't eat elf."
Satoshi looks rather crestfallen, and even mutters a sullen, "But I do" in quiet retort to Kirien's reassurances. Nonetheless, if the fox's guest isn't for eating, she's not going to argue with him. So much for hoping she'd get to finally eat something after a week, though, and the new arrivals to Frostmaw will be too wary for her to succeed in that hunting as well... Pity. Those and similar thoughts coursing through Satoshi's mind, she ambles her way over to Kirien--with the occasional stumble, mist-hidden stones to blame, not her lack of meals--and eyes the little stranger. "Well then, who -is- your short friend? And who am I not telling about him~?"
Kirien makes a face at Satoshi when her muttered remark prompts a wave of uneasiness from the young elf. His nose scrunches up again a little, frowning slightly, agitated. "Quit scarin' him, I'm feeling too much of it," he grumbles to the cryomancer as she approaches, arching a brow at her tripping over her own feet-- or whatever else she may blame it on. He may pull her into a brief, one-armed hug though, while before the two foxes, the boy shivers in his pelts and furred cloaks, entirely unused to the cold, and eventually manages to speak up. "Erandir, ma'am, and I'd really appreciate if you didn't eat me." Kirien grins, then adds, "Don't tell Landirion, obviously. Or, well, any of the elves basically."
Satoshi allows herself to be drawn into the single-armed hug, an intent amber-specked gaze on the elf the entire time. The look narrows slightly at Kirien's words, nearly a frown. "I won't tell, but if they come crying for blood, it's on your hands alone, Bright Eye. How'd you come by him, anyway?" A flick of her eyes brings Kirien into focus, even as she murmurs from the corner of her mouth to the young elf, "I won't eat you, as much as I wish I could."
Kirien :: "I -think- I managed to get him on Nameless an' away without anyone seein'… Maybe no one'll notice." Kirien is mostly sure that the elves nearby them were too focused on figuring out what to do in this strange new land and where to set up tents that one boy's disappearance was not picked up on at all. After a pause he nudges at Erandir and motions toward Nameless (who has once again settled down now Tharn has drawn back), saying, "Look after him, aye? He's less dangerous than her." The latter being Satoshi of course. Once the boy has hesitantly nodded and moved away, Kirien focuses his full attentions on the magus, sightless eye finding her face even while blind. "Said he hated the cold-- an' don't give me weird looks, some people don't like the cold, okay? He told me he could work if I'd taken him elsewhere. I asked if he'd be willin' to work on a ship - he said aye. Friend of mine with a boat needs a new cabin boy, thought he might be useful there. Now we're here. Nameless followed the exodus group all the way here an' he was flyin' about too long in the cold, so we flew in to warm him up a bit…"
Satoshi's reaction to the mention of cold hatred isn't a negative one, in fact the kit smiles with delight, always amused by how much the general population dreads the element she thrives upon. "I wonder how more of them will seek places elsewhere, once the chill creeps into their bones~. I told that Druid Frostmaw isn't a friendly place, that its land and people will devour any fainthearted." Tharn, while trying to remain unobtrusive, can't help but grunt at those words. "Hopefully he doesn't lose too many. I have plans for them." Her smile widens then into a positively vulpine expression.
Kirien casts a glance or two in Tharn's direction, a curious sort of expression momentarily painting fine features each time. He finds it in him to grin at Satoshi though, while Nameless gives a shudder on the other side of the cavern and accidentally smacks Erandir with his tail. "Odd place to end up, I thought. Was surprised to hear they were coming here… What've you got planned, eh?" A laugh is only half-stifled but then he's turning her slowly away from the others and dropping his voice to more of a murmur, leaning in some. "By the way, I wanted to try-- try shifting. I guess I gotta do it eventually, right? An' I'd kinda…hate to end up in the den one time an' they all expect me to be able to shift, an' I can't. We could try while Nameless is warmin' up again, if you've the time."
Satoshi nods along to Kirien's words before allowing a grin to flicker across her features. "I have the time. I just finished a lesson with Tharn, and I won't be training with the Fox until this after nightfall." Pausing, she glances over her shoulder at the wyvern and elf, and than the frost giant. "Send them into the cavern, first. Sand-Scales can rest and defrost in there, and your little not-a-snack can try to pry fluorite from the walls. Tharn can keep himself busy pretending to care about attempted theft of Snow Maiden property~."
Kirien 's ears perked up and his tail swished around, though the latter's movements were significantly constrained due to it being stuck beneath a heavy fur coat. "That should be time enough then, I think." A whistle summoned Nameless and reluctantly the wyvern clambered to his feet, making sure to be more careful with his tail this time around. Though he looked unsure, Erandir followed as the fox pulled away from Satoshi and move along down the tunnel toward the wide, glimmering expanse of the fluorite cavern.
Satoshi whistles once to catch Tharn's attention, despite it being needly with how dedicated the guard is to his duties, and nods toward Kirien. "Look after those two. Bright Eye and I have work to do." The giant nods stiffly, hefts his axe, and trudges after the rest, while Satoshi rocks back on her heels with a trill--ignoring the moment of unbalance afterwards--and waits for Kirien's return. "This should be interesting~."
Kirien makes sure Nameless has settled down in the cavern, and has eyed Tharn and given him a muttered warning about the consequences of attacking his wyvern, before he returns. When he does he seems a mite less cheerful than before; but that's probably just the nerves. "I talked to it again the other night-- the fox," he says after a pause, standing awkwardly before Satoshi, "and it said if I took the plunge, if I bested it when I tried to change-- it'd let me shift when I wanted." He scuffed a boot at the ground. "Probably not without pain, I don't know, but still. If I beat it…"
Satoshi has settled into a cross-legged seat on the ground by the time Kirien's returned, and pats the place beside her once he's back. Across her lap rests Ko'tar, and while an object shouldn't be able to look tired, the blade looks positively drained from its exercise against Tharn. Nonetheless, katana and kit are ready, and Satoshi nods once at Kirien's words. "If you want to beat it, we'd best arm you. It's time to focus, Bright Eye. Gather your scattered thoughts and hone them into claws to bring against your trouble-maker~." Satoshi sounds like she knows what she's talking about, but in all honesty... she's winging this. Just don't tell Kirien!
Kirien takes up a spot on the ground in front of Satoshi rather than at her side and after a pause, shifts forward to nudge their knees lightly together. If anything, the contact seems to calm his nerves some. "Focus…right." He's not quite sure of how to do that though. Easily distracted, Kirien is not exactly the best at concentrating and he knows it, except when it comes to the earth he works with via terramancy. A blink follows that thought of his; a realisation and perhaps an idea forms in the fox's mind, for he lapses into silence, blind eye falling shut as if to wordlessly signal the beginning of what could turn into a vicious struggle between tangible and intangible. Though how this will turn out is unknown to him, he presses on warily, arms in his lap with hands resting on his ankles and gripping lightly at those modified boots. Almost as if in answer to some silent of his, the earth gives a low murmur and a crackle beneath the two foxes, the cavern shaking slightly as an odd sensation of tension builds in the air. Blue flowers shiver in response to the tremors. Kirien, meanwhile, trudges into the very recesses of his mind, to the deepest parts he can find and there envisions a large, angular block of stone that he must move aside to begin this fight. Behind it, the spirit grins as if in greeting or perhaps anticipation; and that grin only widens as Kirien presses palms to the stone and wills it to grind away and expose a small entrance. Though Satoshi will not see any of this, she will feel the earth continue to rumble underfoot, and the air become impossibly still as if holding its own breath.
Satoshi closes her eyes and falls silent as well, her flicking ears the only part of her that moves in response to the growing rumble of the earth. Instinct tells her to be wary and ill-at-ease at such a thing, but reason tells her to trust in the terramancer's actions. The tension in the air only increases as Satoshi begins to turn her focus inward, stoney stillness transforming into altogether frozen stiff with the Ice Magus' influence spilling outward. Trembling flowers cease their quivering as the dew coating them solidifies, leaving the two meditating foxes in a field of tiny ice sculptures--although Satoshi's oblivious to their surroundings as she drawns inward, directing Kirien along. "Unsheath your claws, Wraith," the kit murmurs, voice barely audible as she delves deeper into herself. And there lurking in the depths of her own mind is another fox waiting, a sadistic creature of wispy shadows and malicious grins. Asorial's been waiting for this chance. With Ko'tar weakened and Satoshi's concentration upon teaching Kirien, the Wrathful being finally has the opportunity to strike at her weakened mentality.
Kirien , silent on the outside, is anything but quiet in his mind. As soon as that stone was shifted aside, something in the man snapped and that restless spirit was fully freed, sprinting outward with every intent to consume and smother anything of his own psyche. Previously, the empath might have unwittingly allowed it due to lack of concentration; but, while he's not focused on the outside world, there's some calming sense of reassurance seeping into him from the general area of around his knees - the physical connection with Satoshi. Despite their occasional violent fights and her chilly aura, the ice magus is someone Kirien has always managed to find comfort in. So in response to that rushing fox is a thunderous roar that can be heard both in the depths of Kirien's mind and outside in the real world, the cavern shaking with tremendous force - it's a challenge that the spirit gladly accepts, quite sure of itself even as the Kirien it faces this time around is a far more focused one. He's got a reason to be here demanding a fight, after all.
Satoshi's ears fold back against the defiant roar of the cavern, her inner aspect's focus wavering, recognizing it as part of her kindred spirit's voice. Asorial launches itself at that moment of lapsed concentration, racing across the gap between kit and itself upon inky claws before leaping forward. As it barrels into Satoshi's chest it erupts outward and evelopes her in a blanket of liquid shadow, sibilant laughter issuing from it. Outwardly, the foxkin voices a soft cry and shudders, while her true struggle is reserved for the grappling of her mind against Asorial. The kit's essence, a pale blue blaze if one were to possess the skill to look within her, writhes against the creeping blackness of Asorial. Her light darkens with each passing moment as the ink spreads; although the shadowy entity gives a violent shudder when it attempts to wrap around Satoshi's intangible knees, meeting a wall of resistance: a quivering Ko'tar and Kirien. Satoshi leaps upon that chance, claws sinking into the palm of her hand to draw blood as she snarls out, "-Focus-!" The word is meant for herself, but it's loud enough for Kirien to hear as well, during his own internal struggles.
Kirien had become engaged in an odd sort of dance with the extra spirit within his body, their elegant clashes against and away from each other making obvious the years that the fox has spent inhabiting his body, observing and ultimately memorising his every offensive movement. The envisioned battle is merely a projection of that internal struggle for control and dominance, of course, for throughout this Kirien remains outwardly motionless and quiet, lips a tight line of concentration. The mischievous white fox might know his movements but whether by luck or skill, he manages to defend each oncoming blow (and subsequent possession should he be struck), up until he picks up on an odd sensation emanating from that spot at his knees - from Satoshi then, he knows. She feels uncertain, panicked almost and the moment's pause in concern for his sister's own welfare is all the fox needs to catch Kirien out. A whisper of white darts across the abyssal expanse of his mind, jaws snapping tight around an arm which causes Kirien to hiss in response, his breath a cold white in the now-icy cave as a frown creases fine features. That arm draws up and back against his will, controlled by the fox metaphorically wrapped round it and then he's throwing a clenched fist abruptly for Satoshi's pretty face-- "-Focus-!" comes the shout then and Kirien manages just in time to regain the use of his arm before he strikes the magus, throwing the fox away with a growl that resonates through the earth.
Satoshi is fortunate enough to not have her eyes open, thus sparing her the sight of an oncoming fist, and the instinctive flinch that would have followed. A flinch that would have lost her the last of her meager control against Asorial. Satoshi's struggles, at least, are of a less painful method than Kirien's, Asorial merely seeking to enshroud Satoshi, drawing its essence tight around her as it begins to whisper. A hissing voice full of promises fills the magus' ears, coaxing, wheedling, persuading. 'Remember the way they'd squirm in our grasp? Trying in vain to escape our combined strength. To flee their inevitable demise,' Asorial purrs to its keeper. 'Remember the sweet taste of their blood on our lips as their life drained away between our teeth? How they'd beg for mercy. Cry for loved ones. Even the stubborn ones broke beneath our bite, to blubber their sins to us.' A hiss escapes Satoshi then, the sound echoing against the frozen air of the cavern, as her claws loosen they pressure upon her bleeding palm. The scent of blood permeates the air, drawing another sweet hiss from the kit. She'd forgotten the thrill of a building Bloodlust at such a scent. Why had she let the Dragon Triachs take such a blessing away? If only she could -remember-... Upon her knees Ko'tar quakes, faint chimes escaping from its metal sheathe as it tries in vain to weave a net of soothing melody around the wavering kit.
Kirien is sure he can smell blood but is not able to open his eye to check - he remembers after this thought crosses his mind to look for the source of such a bitter scent that it would be a useless endeavour anyway, now that he's blind. As much as it mostly does not bother him, sometimes he wishes he could still view the world and its inhabitants in colour, and stare up at a blue, blue sky. It's another chance for the fox who, in eerily similar fashion to Asorial, gives a silky laugh and a whisper, its voice a crackle of violent energy. ::Do you wish to see it all again? The ocean, the sky, mountains and…her that you love so much? I can grant you your sight back…:: Kirien's response is the gritting of teeth and the clenching of fists, a tremor in the ground beneath following. Another dance and an exchange of blows, the empath knocking the spirit back in a burst of rocky spines that spear up from under its feet. ::If you allow me just a moment, I'll give you back your sight--!:: "No you won't. I ain't stupid." It's the first time Kirien has spoken since the beginning of this struggle and he's about to warn the wily creature not to bring up any kind of loves when something different hits him; white-tipped ears pin back in response. That feeling is not right at all. It reminds Kirien of things that are best kept locked away and out of sight, of constricted airways and the fight to draw in a breath: Asorial! "Satoshi!" Somehow her name comes out rather choked, but the concern and the warning is there in his voice. "Don't--!" He's interrupted when the spirit barrels into his chest with such force that he physically as well as mentally falls over backwards, the crunch of frozen flowers crushed beneath him only barely reaching his ears as his flailing grip of control wavers and loses its grip.
Satoshi hears Kirien's words, but it's another voice that speaks the words, a voice of quiet reason and reprimand reminding her of a promise that needs keeping. Don't. She'd promised. Asorial senses it too, coils tightening around the kit's mind in reflex. A voice falsely soothing whispers to her then, 'Shhh. We made another promise too, don't forget. To the one that holds your heart. You'll choose the -monk-' the word is hissed out thick with disgust, 'over your swordsman?' Satoshi's teeth grit together under the mental agony, at a loss for balancing her affections, until Asorial offers a soft, 'We can keep both promises, if you just listen to me.' No further words are need then as Satoshi's eyes flicker open, the amber flecks within them blazing with violent desire. A bloodied hand reaches down to take up Ko'tar, the blade shuddering miserably at the crimson liquid oozing down its length, before Satoshi hurls it aside. "You're not needed," she snarls to the sword when it clatters against the wall and falls to earth, defeated and dormant. A malicious grin slashes across her as she faces a prone Kirien then, lips peeling back to reveal gleaming fangs as she and Asorial hiss aloud in unison. Her body coils forward with serpentine grace until she's perched on hands and knees, tails writhing with dark delight, above the fox and peering down at his throat.
Kirien might have been pushed aside by the fox that quickly begins to take control but he's not about to give up and give in without a damned good fight, the will to keep struggling blazing inside. Even as the spirit laughs at his weakness brought about by others and the foolish friendships he dared to form with them, the limbs it should now be able to move easily do not respond, shaking but almost seeming held back by some unseen force. It tries to sit up but to no avail, as Kirien still as a firm grasp of the fox itself, if not of his own body. The mental battle continues as Satoshi is finally tricked into submission by Asorial; they dance a violent dance, empath and spirit, whirling and spinning and though this time around Kirien is injured and thus mentally weakened, fighting to get his body -back- as compared to defending it, he is also sufficiently distracting the fox so that it does not notice Satoshi creeping up on its newly-claimed body..
Satoshi trembles when she gazes down at Kirien locked in his mental battle, hesitation suddenly apparent in the kit's every line. 'He's lost his fight. It's a mercy what you'll do,' Asorial whispers in silky tones, and Satoshi--a failure in moments of inner turmoil--is too ready to believe the words. Anything to remove this crippling feeling of helplessness, guilt, and uncertainty tangled within her. Slowly her lips part to free her fangs as her head dips down toward Kirien's exposed throat. An almost tender, albeit chilly, kiss is planted upon that flesh then, before teeth sink into the pulsing artery that promises release from a mind whirling with conflicting lights and shadows. The rich taste of fresh blood is nearly enough to send the kit reeling as it floods her mouth, overwhelming her with the range of flavors unique to Kirien. The thick, almost cloying, taste of clean earth is the most prominent, laced with the sweet essence of mangoes, woven with the dry hints of sand, while the sharp tange of rum adds a spice that encourages Satoshi to latch on all the harder, yearning for the heady concoction. And beneath it all, Asorial feeds as well, creeping between the connection of Satoshi and Kirien to sink its own shadowy fangs into the intangible white entity of the Fox while it purrs in devious delight. At this rate, the Wrathful weapon will thrive well on physical blood and spiritual energy this evening~.
Kirien and the fox spirit have a problem aside from each other, it seems; a problem in the form of a diminutive vulpine; a problem that is made very obvious to the both of them as soon as those fangs sink into the neck of the empath's prone form. Their mental battlefield lurches underfoot, becoming less and less stable with every ounce of blood drained by the thirsting kit at Kirien's throat. Though the fox gives a hiss and attempts to bring the body's limbs to life in an attempt to shove Satoshi away, Kirien is still causing trouble for it by refusing to fall back and just give in. There's even more reason to fight when he realises how far gone Satoshi is, if her feeding from him is anything to say about it. His yell of, "Let go!" to the fox is heard as a menacing growl in the earth, the rock around the two still responding to the unheard call of the man's magic - though of course, it's met only with a slightly strained laugh. A sneaky wisp of wrathful obsidian makes itself apparent, whispering into being behind the white flicker of the fox and latching on; and Kirien himself does not see it but the spirit gives a pained howl, twisting in attempt to escape the shadowy entity. Taking a chance, Kirien shoves as hard as he possibly can, throwing the weakened fox off and away from him. In seconds he has the vulpine by the throat, long fingers curling tight in wispy fur, a triumphant look in his eye as Asorial continues to feed from the slowly shrinking spirit. "My win," the empath gasps, before he jerks beneath Satoshi, control regained when the fox abruptly relents. It almost pleads, in a bit of a whisper, ::Just get this thing off me…:: Kirien snorts but he manages to raise his hand so as to stroke his fingers lightly through Satoshi's silky hair; a ghost's caress, really, but a shaky sign he's still quite himself. The faint smile on his lips suggests things have gone well before he's even spoken.
Satoshi snarls against Kirien's throat, a wild animal guarding its prey as she senses Asorial's essence returning to her. But the Wrathful entity is satiated and subdued by the dual feeding. With no more than an amused snicker and a figurative pat on the head, Asorial returns to its dormant state and releases its hold upon Satoshi, leaving the kit to give a shuddering gasp and collapse atop the terramancer as self-control returns. For a long moment the magus doesn't move aside from taking ragged breaths, but little by little a whispered mantra becomes audible, "Focus. Focus. Focus." As each word is spoken, the kit's resolve solidifies until, quite suddenly, she sits upright and stares down blinking at Kirien beneath. After a pause, her impish lopsided--and crimson'd--smirk appears, seemingly unphased by the thin rivulets of blood coursing down the Wraith's neck. "Tamed it? Now -be- it, Bright Eye~," she trills, not missing a beat.
Satoshi pretends it didn't happen.
Kirien is more than a mite concerned by the sudden weight of Satoshi on his chest, clearly more worried that she might have passed out or suffered some mental injury than about the bloody bite wound at his throat. Fingers casually continue to run through her hair though, a silent sort of reassurance as he seems to be having trouble forming words right now, a little stunned by the events transpired and definitely weary after the other's feeding from him. Eventually, she sits up and the empath, lulled briefly by those softly repeated words, draws in a breath that's only slightly unsteady. "Be it…right. How do I--" He pauses, ears pricking up in response to the sound of the fox speaking from within. ::The ability is yours now. Hmph.:: Kirien might've grinned at the spirit's resigned nature, and it seemed to notice that. ::I suppose you don't know how to shift yet, however. Here, I'll give you a little nudge to get you going.:: That's all it says before the empath suddenly experiences a jolt of severe pain that courses the length of his spine - despite himself, he gives a shout of mixed surprise and agony. "This is-- marginally more--nngh--painful than I expected," he manages to Satoshi, twisting onto his side; a violent crunch of bones draws another yell from him while the fox snickers inwardly and reassures, ::It only hurts the first time~.:: Kirien does not bother to answer, his body jerking at the rapid unnatural changes overcoming it. Limbs are bent horribly out of shape and at awkward angles and by this point Kirien might be crying but he won't admit to that - it is obvious that he's clearly shrinking though, bones shifting, realigning, muscle and skin following suit. His hair changes colour, reddening, and more sprouts but by this point, he looks less human and more something between that and an animal. Eventually silence falls throughout the cavern and there lies amidst the flowers a pile of empty clothing-- well, mostly empty, save for a red fox that looks rather exhausted, lying half-curled with its head poking out of the baggy neck of that dark sweater.
Satoshi tumbles backwards and off Kirien as he begins to writhe to lie sprawled upon the icy flowers. Scattered wits and sated hunger combine to leave the kit simply staring dumbly at the Wraith, each crack and pop of his bones provoking no more than a lazy twitch of her ears. And once Kirien has all but vanished--save for his clothes--it takes a lingering moment before the sedated foxkin shifts forward on hand and knees, riffling through the abandoned clothing to unearth the fox beneath. Chilly fingers trace along the edges of one of the animal's pointed ears then, down to stroke lightly at the soft fur between and across a sharp muzzle where she gives the leathery little nose a flick. "Mission Accomplished, in one lesson. I really am the One Lesson Lady..." While Satoshi's voice sounds weary, there's none of the usual annoyance for the nickname detectable.
Kirien twitched at the flick to his nose, closed eye opening abruptly to reveal to the ice magus the same amber orb, blind as before. He huffs a bit upon taking note of this but quickly perks up at the abrupt realisation of the fact that he seems to have all four limbs. Without much thought, the fox leaps to his feet and, not used to having to deal with four legs all at once, stumbles and promptly falls back down again. ::That's my doing. Four legs or your sight in this form - I thought you'd rather you could walk properly,:: says the spirit with obvious amusement. Kirien sighs again, his head turning in Satoshi's direction when she speaks, wide ears tipped in white and black fur standing erect. Jaws open in what is probably an attempt to speak but all Kirien manages is an odd sort of cough, then a frustrated growl. He'll have to get used to that. A pause and then he tries to stand again, fails, and resorts to crawling over to his sister to promptly deposit himself across her lap, sleek tail giving a small swish. He gives her a look that clearly says, "You owe me this for trying to eat me," before laying his head atop his forelegs and closing his eye again. It's all right, he supposes - now he can sit on people.
Satoshi resigns herself to playing the role of a chair. ... for all of a few moments. Just enough for payback before, with a chuckle and a blurring of her outlines, the kit's relatively towering height--compared to the red fox!--abruptly evaporates from sight. And that's when she realizes her plan to escape from beneath Kirien has backfired. Cape Foxes are considerably small creatures, and this particular, pale-furred one is rather petite by even those standards. Something that makes it altogether impossible for her to unpin herself from under the sprawled Red. Tall ears fold back in feigned vexation as Satoshi squirms futilely, voicing small chirrups of effort as if to tell the shifted Wraith to, "Geroff-a me!"
Kirien senses the air around him change and has the feeling something odd is taking place - as he can't see, it's a little difficult for the fox to work out just what has happened until he feels a far smaller body wriggling under his, struggling to move him when Satoshi definitely should have no trouble at all. He blinks, takes a moment to work out what happened and then grins as best he can, all sharp teeth and tongue. It might almost be intimidating, but there's no way he's about to harm the petite Cape Fox beneath him. Instead, he bestows what is probably supposed to be an affectionate lick to one of her furred cheeks before rolling off to one side with a little yelp and a wiggle of slim legs. He's still having trouble finding his feet.
Satoshi heaves a sigh of relief, the sudden weight of the Red removed and once more permitting breathing--because this vampiric kit regularly forgets that she no longer needs to breathe. At the lick to her cheek she shakes her head, sending oversized ears flopping back and forth, and springs back to her paws. Kirien is faced as she hunkers down and emits a squeaky growl, tail waving like a battle standard above her. If her roguish companion can't find his feet soon, he'll have a tiny bundle of fur and ice barrelling into his side to sending him rolling across crystalized flowers.
Kirien , currently on his back, eventually manages to stand again, if somewhat shakily. There's a glance down at his own legs which is mostly useless due to his blindness; like Satoshi and her lack of need to breathe, he often forgets he can't actually see out of his eye any more. When the fox lifts his head, he finds the other crouched low to the ground in a clear sign that she's about to pounce - and just after he got up again, Kirien finds himself stumbling at the sudden weight in his side, already-precarious balance failing him completely as he falls in a tumble of limbs and surprised yelps. Now lying on his side again, the red's ears pin back some as he stares in Satoshi's direction. She'll receive sleek, white-tipped tail in the face for her little manoeuvre.
Satoshi is in the midst of leaping back onto her feet and making another assault on Kirien when there's a sudden wall of red and white hair blocking her view. Instinct, driven by that flash of movement so near her muzzle, results in the foxkin clamping down with needled fangs. And giving herself a brief flashback where this same action had resulted in a reflexive punch in the face from Kasyr. In response, she growls, sound muffled by the thick fur, and begins tugging, paws dancing backwards as she attempts to pull the much larger fox along the ground. Of course this is all a lesson for Kirien in how to move in his new form. It has absolutely nothing to do with Satoshi's desire for a simple, and oh so rare, game of play.
Kirien 's reaction to the smaller fox biting down on his tail is, obviously, to emit an oddly screeching, high-pitched howl of pain - his tail is sensitive, damn it. Black-socked black legs kick out automatically and could possibly connect with her in the process, as he's not really being too careful about that right now. Finding himself being dragged through the flowers, the red whines and wiggles, rolling to and fro as he tries to free himself or do something that will cause her to let go. He finds his feet briefly during all this movement and throws as much of his weight into his back legs as he can; the resulting sudden leap forward might turn the little game of tug and war around for the Cape Fox, light as she is in comparison to Kirien.
Satoshi's stubborn and refuses to release Kirien, despite the three long cuts that slash across her left eye from a flailing hindpaw. If anything, the scratches make her more determined to win this game of tug and war with flying colors. ...which proves a poor choice of words on the kit's end, when she abruptly finds her paws no longer connected to the earth. Kirien's momentum and strength might have sent Satoshi sailing to--or even out--the cavern entrance were it not for her deathgrip with his tail, providing a rather sudden end to the slingshot path and planting her in a ruffled heap across the Red's back instead. Grinning in that devious way only foxes can grin, Satoshi releases the tail and begins to subject Kirien to the worst of her torments: tiny claws, like so many biting fleas, scrabble with surgical precision down his spine in a bout of cruel tickling. Take -that-!
Kirien somehow manages not to topple over, landing on all four legs after his jump forward and seeming a mite surprised about it at that; the spark of triumph alighted in the fox is swiftly and brutally quashed, however, when Satoshi lands on his back with more force than such a small creature should rightly possess. Legs are knocked out from under him again and the fox falls in a heap to the ground, the magus still clinging on atop him. With a whine, Kirien finds himself subjected to some playful form of torment, realising his spine is surprisingly sensitive to that tickling sensation as he coughs out a resemblance of a laugh, wiggling around in attempt to escape those tiny paws and claws. Twisting and turning his head round, he catches the scent of blood and pauses abruptly - or tries to, but the tickling has his body jerking a bit in unconscious protest to the sensation. Eventually figuring out where the wound is and assuming he must've hit her at some point, he manages a lick to those scratches before he laughs again, hoarsely, and tries to roll over and pin her beneath him again.
Kirien somehow manages not to topple over, landing on all four legs after his jump forward and seeming a mite surprised about it at that; the spark of triumph alighted in the fox is swiftly and brutally quashed, however, when Satoshi lands on his back with more force than such a small creature should rightly possess. Legs are knocked out from under him again and the fox falls in a heap to the ground, the magus still clinging on atop him. With a whine, Kirien finds himself subjected to some playful form of torment, realising his spine is surprisingly sensitive to that tickling sensation as he coughs out a resemblance of a laugh, wiggling around in attempt to escape those tiny paws and claws. Twisting and turning his head round, he catches the scent of blood and pauses abruptly - or tries to, but the tickling has his body jerking a bit in unconscious protest to the sensation. Eventually figuring out where the wound is and assuming he must've hit her at some point, he manages a lick to those scratches before he laughs again, hoarsely, and tries to roll over and pin her beneath him again.
Satoshi's torture is short lived, forced to a screeching halt by wall of pink attacking her face. ...All right, so it's just Kirien's tongue, but still. When it's coursing over scratches that grace the left side of her face, it certainly -looks- like a wall. An indignant squeak comes in answer, before the Red's twisting sends her tumbling off tails over snout to land upon crushed flowers. And be promptly semi-crushed herself, once more finding herself victim to Kirien's larger weight.
Kirien makes sure to ease up on his weight a bit, pinning her but not crushing the air out of her lungs (not that it matters anyway, technically, but still). It's probably an odd scene for any to stumble across, a Red and a Cape Fox tumbling about the flowers together in this heated cavern, but Kirien does not care and he's sure Satoshi likely doesn't either. He's licking at those scratches again, a soft whine sounding low in the back of his throat that's likely some kind of apology. Due to not being able to form actual words right now, it's the best the empath can do. His tongue moves to scrape over pristine white fur after a bit; Kirien is not sure if foxes clean each other like cats do, but he's doing it all the same. At least they're both foxes right now, which makes everything marginally less awkward.
Satoshi suddenly knows how Simba felt when his mother was messing up his 'mane'. Or at least she would, if such a thing as movies existed in Hollow, for then the lion cub would have Satoshi's deepest sympathies. Still, sympathies or not, the kit's being subjected to grooming and all she can do is wriggle and whine childishly. Why do all the bigger beasts insist upon licking her when she's so small~? It's completely unfair with Kirien being twice her si-... there's an idea. Smirking that vulpine smile, the pale-furred fox begins to blur once more before the Red finds himself then licking the dead fur of her jacket. "Ahem," Satoshi purrs, reaching to take the fox up by his scruff. "I win~." Mischief gleams in her eyes, even the one with thin lines of blood on the flesh surrounding it.
Kirien keeps up his attempted grooming despite the smaller fox's protests, and there might be a smirk present there somewhere on his muzzle between that tongue and flashes of white teeth. Everything seems to backfire when abruptly that strange sensation is surrounding him again, and then suddenly the Red finds himself being lifted by the scruff of his neck. The smirk falls right off of him and onto the magus holding him in her grasp; he whines a little in response, wiggling some before he attempts to lean up and lick at those small hints of blood he can still pick out across Satoshi's skin.
Satoshi is seemingly expecting the return of that evil, wash-happy tongue--and considering she's played master to a slobbery, affectionate mastiff for two years it's no wonder she can predict the oncoming attack--and promptly holds the Red out as far as her arm will allow. "No more of that now. I know all you boys want to kiss me so, but I'm quite taken~," she teases before bringing the fox in close again to deliver a peck between his ears. With that, she drapes his sleek form across her shoulders and rises to her feet, fanning herself with his bushy tail as she turns in luxurious circles to inspect herself and her new 'shawl'. "Darling, do you think red is my color~?"
Kirien wiggles a bit in the magus' hold but he silently figures he'd rather not be released right now and left to drop the remaining distance to the ground - however short it may be. He'll probably just fall over again and embarrass himself if he does. This sort of position isn't much better though, he thinks idly, legs hanging and soft white belly exposed, his tail a swish of colour. There's a mildly exasperated huff at her comment and he might've blushed at that kiss, were he in a different form; it draws an odd little chirp from the Red instead before he's being lifted higher and set across small shoulders in some sort of living mockery of a red scarf, his tail toyed with as Satoshi spins and amuses herself. He leans up to nip one of her ears before nuzzling his head down under her chin, surprisingly comfortable.
Satoshi takes the nip to mean yes, and whirls about once more with a laugh. A moment or two more is spent by the kit in simply being a silly child in the company of a sibling before, all too quickly, she comes to a halt and lifts the fox off her to somberly be placed on a nearby mound of stone. Her face is set in an uncommonly serious expression and she gazes down at the Red with a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "You've passed the first test, and you haven't lost yourself to the beast, but you still have to be able to free yourself too, and go back to what you were. Can you, knowing the pain of change that likely awaits you?"
Kirien quietly decides he likes this moment they're in, and all the odd ones they have had and will likely experience in the days to come. It's a period of content, however brief, amidst daily turmoil and emotional storms; troublesome her nature may be (and occasionally violent too), but they're kindred spirits and siblings and Satoshi is one of the few people Kirien can truly feel at ease around, despite it all. As always though, and far too soon, that moment comes to an end when he is carefully removed from round the magus' neck and set upon rock instead, questioned in sombre tones that hint at a change of subject - or perhaps they're merely getting back to the topic they distracted themselves from. With a huff and a flick of tail that probably answers, "Of course," the fox hops down to the ground where it's more even. There's a pause in which he seems to be trying to figure out how to initiate the change; however it's done, he clearly works it out because a second later, another terrible crack of splintering bone resounds throughout the cavern. It's followed by more of those sounds and whimpers and cries from the Red that slowly become more human with his body, fur receding and limbs lengthening, twisting around into their original position. The sickening display ceases and after a long silence, Kirien coughs, blinking up at Satoshi through a mess of chestnut hair. "Why am I naked and where is my damn arm," he grumbles, seemingly groggy and entirely worn out.
Satoshi takes a seat on the vacated rock and absently dabs at the dried blood around her eye, finally bothering to take the time to survey the (minor) damage. An ear is cocked toward the Wraith, listening to his transformation and nodding in approval--not for the pain he endures, but the success of the reversal. The question, when it comes, is met with a short bark of a laugh as Satoshi turns eyes alight with amusement on the cloth-less fox, completely unabashed. "You'll have to master the knack of changing -with- your belongings, Bright Eye~. Until then," she leans forward to scoop up his jacket before tossing it into his face, "do be sure not to stray far from them."
Kirien sits up, trying somewhat to cover his dignity despite the fact that Satoshi seems completely uncaring as to his current state of undress. "Changing -with- my clothes? Is that even possible?" he asks though of course it's a rather foolish question when he's seen Satoshi herself transform twice now and not suffer his current predicament. That really could have made everything rather awkward, especially if someone had wandered by and discovered them both here in the nude. Sufficiently busy trying to block whatever needs to be blocked from sight, he's hit in the face with his coat and gives a muffled protest in response, flailing around a little but eventually sorting himself out. Using it to shield his lower half, the fox makes his way huffily over to the rest of his clothing and sets about putting everything back on. He does, after a moment, look back over a lean shoulder to the ice magus, lips quirked in a small smile. "Thanks, though." For everything today - except maybe the biting.
Satoshi, for the sake of Kirien's apparenty discomfort, finds something else to occupy her sight while he dresses. And so, when he looks back to smile at her, she has the start of a flower chain growing in her lap. A few more flowers are added before Satoshi plops the makeshift crown upon her head, grinning as the frozen dew glitters like so many gems. "Aha~. You're quite welcome, Bright Eye," is given by way of answer, along with a returned, "Thank you." For everything today -including- the biting~.
Kirien leaves the task of reattaching his damnable mechanical forearm to last, pulling on his clothes as best he can with the one and a half organic arms he somehow has managed not to lose in various fights or generally dangerous situations. Finally, the device is lifted and toyed with a moment, the thin cord dangling from the end where it connects to the remainder of his right arm wiggling around with a life of its own; when he positions it against the stump, it shoots forward abruptly, burrowing into the skin to meld once more with the nerves it was torn away from so suddenly during the transformation. Kirien winces, a slight grimace present on normally fine features, but he knows the pain will die down soon enough and turns then toward Satoshi, a smile only slightly strained forming on his lips as he shifts over to sit nearby. "Are they still blue? The flowers," he asks with an idle motion of the hand to the floral crown now set upon the magus' head, glistening in the light of the cavern. "If so, I think you look rather fetchin' in that." A wink and that grin turns a little more mischievous.
Satoshi plucks the crown of flowers off her head and drapes it on one of Kirien's ears now that he's near enough to do so. "I look fetchin' in -anything-, but yes, blue suits me best of all. Although a splash of red never fails to catch the eye~."
Kirien snorts, mildly amused, an absent flick of the ear almost throwing the crown off though he manages to catch it in time before it does so. It's righted and set carefully black in place as his grin broadens some. "I'm sure. An' a splash of red, aye? I might have to hang about round your neck more often. It's surprisingly comfortable there anyway - though you're a bit skinny."
Satoshi leans forward to flick one of the flowers, producing a faint belltone as the ice shatters and rains down in a tiny shower of powder. "You'd have to fight Aer for the spot. He's rather jealous of his perch. Speaking of," the kit trails off, looking toward the other cavern as if hearing something, "I believe your elf and my giant have raided enough of my pretty walls for one day, don't you?"
Kirien 's ears prick up at the sound before he sneezes some in response to the small dusting of ice particles drifting down to coat the bridge of his nose. "We can share! Or some such. I'm comfier anyway," he says with a smirk. He follows Satoshi's gaze with his own, blind as it is, in the direction of the opening that leads along to that twilit cavern. "…Eeeh. I forgot about him. Nameless should've warmed up enough by now.." A pause comes and then a barking laugh. "Surprised no one came to check on us, what with all the noise we made." From yelping to screaming and mental battles punctuated by earth tremors and ice, of course.
Satoshi rises to her feet, offering a hand to the fox. "I'm quite certain Tharn wanted to come running at every sound, but I told him to stay until I went to him. For all his over-protectiveness, he's obedient." Nodding fondly at the thought of her devoted young Frost Giant, Satoshi leads the way to the twilight cavern, and the waiting trio.
Kirien takes that hand but mostly uses the helpful push of his other arm to aid him in standing. He's not sure of whether or not he'd pull Satoshi right over if he relied on her to take all his weight, even for a second. She does look and feel quite petite after all, and though by this point Kirien knows to assume otherwise, he'd rather not test her strength further than he already has. "Nameless too, I'm sure. He's pretty protective. Kinda cute really - but I told him to stay put no matter what, since I didn't want him seein' something strange or anything. Considerin' he didn't barge in her at any point…he's pretty obedient too. Probably worried though. Maybe the kid fainted." He says this somewhat insouciantly as they make their way along that shimmering passageway and into the cavern, where the empath is almost immediately smothered by his wyvern. Erandir's pockets look fuller than they were previously.
Satoshi releases Kirien's hand to salute Tharn merrily. "I told you I'd be back et in one piece, did I not~?" The guard nods stiffly, eyes still sending wary looks Kirien and Nameless' way as if not fully trusting his queen's seemingly too amiable nature. Satoshi waves the giant off though, shooing him toward the field of flowers, where he trudges off unhappily. With Tharn gone, Satoshi turns on eye on the elf lad, pretending not to notice the bulges in his pockets and missing 'stars' in her 'sky'. "Do be sure to visit again, snackling. We love having old faces for dinner~."
Kirien regards the giant a little coolly in contrast to Satoshi's pleasant motions, but the look only lasts a moment before Nameless is licking him on the cheek - which ultimately means the empath's entire face. "Ugh, you sap, stop that." It's all playful though because he's laughing, shoving at the sand wyvern who simply nudges him back, warmed and strengthened after his rest in the glimmering cavern. Kirien casts a look to Erandir then, gaze flickering briefly toward the boy's pockets as he fights to withhold a snort. The elf looks more than a mite dismayed at Satoshi's comment about dinner and all its possible meanings but the fox is quick to pat him on the shoulder and urge him onto Nameless' back as the wyvern makes idly for the exit, clearly ready to get in the air and out of Frostmaw's bitter temperatures now he's able to fly again. "Dinner sounds fun actually. Maybe I'll cook for you some time," says Kirien with a smile to his sister as he begins to follow his companions.
Satoshi calls after the departing Kirien, "I much prefer my food at body temperature~. Just bring yourselves, and all will be well."