RP:Taking Aim

Part of the Welcome To The End of Eras Arc

Summary: Struggling with the recent changes in her life, Rumiko had taken to studying her notes within the confines of the Council Room when she is found by first Quintessa then Kasyr. The opportunity to discuss the nymphs findings in Enchantment is taken, and Rumiko learns the full truth about the night she was turned.

Vailkrin Council Room

As the highest point of the castle, this room has the best view of Vailkrin one can achieve without taking flight. With that in mind, the room's walls are panes of stained glass. Through some magical means, the glass doesn't discolor the view for individuals within the room, but it doesn't allow for those that manage to fly up to the windows from the outside to peer in. Similar to the chandelier in the great hall, lanterns float high overhead near the ceiling, their light produced by glowing stones encased within. As is common with many rooms for planning and strategy, the largest and primary table is the focal point of the council room, and a map of Vailkrin with lands beyond it is burned into the surface rather than carved. The markings on the round table are a bit crude, but they're kept up to date by swapping the rounded panel the map is burned into out for a fresh map as needed. In the interest of maintaining clear lines of sight from every wall of windows, the large table doubles as a bookshelf., with the entire stone base of the table doubling as shelving for so many books and paperwork that what don't fit in the shelves are piled neatly either on the table or underneath it. Smaller tables are set at the four cardinal directions, but all seats are pulled to the main table for meetings. Here the sound of music within the castle is clearest, as if the sounds of the City of Undead have traveled and transformed into melodies that can only be heard within the room.

Rumiko was not sure just how long she'd been in the council room, though she was aware of just how tired she was of looking over the notes she'd been set to remembering. Scattered in a semi-circle before her were all of the notes Kasyr had given to her- or rather her own copies that she'd made before returning the originals. There were two pages for every one of the originals, the nymph having left plenty of space for notes as she learned new things or wished to simply make additions. It was not the papers that currently held her attention, however. Rumiko was sat upon the cold floor with her hands balled into the fabric of her skirt, once-again green eyes staring hard at the vase of flowers she'd pilfered from somewhere else in the castle. Her expression was annoyed, brows furrowed as she leaned in closer to the flora though she made no attempt to touch the plant. A second vase had been cast aside- settled in a wrecked pile of shattered ceramic and dried husks of petals and stems just behind where she perched. The music did not seem to settle her mind, this day.

Quintessa was the ghost that haunted Vailkrin’s castle walls. She was the spider on the wall, the snake in the eagle’s nest. She was the chill on your spine and the shadowed figure that disappeared just when you looked back to spot it. She was silent and secret, and when she entered a room it was not always obvious, so one could forgive someone for being surprised when she suddenly appeared in the threshold of the council room, a hand on her hip as mismatched eyes tried to spy at the notes that surrounded Rumiko. “You seem frustrated.” Came Quintessa’s voice in a soft coo, like a dangerous dove looming just over the nymph’s head. Slowly the changeling left her perch by the doorway and made her way to stoop down next to the shattered vase, her emotionless gaze staring at it blankly before a wave of her hand reassembled the ceramic vessel as if it was being smashed in reverse-time- Unsmashed. “What are you trying to accomplish?” she asks dryly, turning her head to take in the scene more fully. “Is this about your druidic powers? Hmm… I suspected some changes might happen…” Quintessa stands up, folding her hands behind her back as she looks at Rumiko a little more closely. “Perhaps I can help you.”

Kasyr s' arrival is the tardiest, but then- he's not coming empty hand, since his left is occupied by a kettle full of freshly brewed coffee, and his right is clutching onto a small array of fresh empty mugs. It's not the most regal look, sure- but it's practical. Which is the same justification that he used when he went about filling the pockets of his trench coat with a small sugar tin, a few biscuits, and a couple spoons for good measure. Really, the only graceful part about his entrance, is the uncanny quiet in which he's able to nudge the door open with his elbow, before his foot slips in and sweeps it open - providing him a good glimpse of how Rumiko had set up shop to study. "Well, this looks about right." And in his mind, it does- given that shoved off to the sides of the room would be his own disorganized notes. Obsessive notations, ranging from small scraps of paper bearing reminders, to leaflets, to larger chunks of essays are all neatly pinned to a few boards- a reminder of his time at the mages' guild. The only real difference, in his mind, was that she'd exchanged the coffee-stained gibbous moons that had adorned some of his works, with waning crescents made of broken glass - though Tessa, at least, seems to be in the process of correcting that latter element. ...Should he be mindful of the fact that she'd let herself in? He glances between the two dark Fae, offers a noncommittal shrug to none in particular- and then makes his way over to a smaller table in the room, to begin unpacking everything he'd acquired, "I'll admit, I’m more curious to know how all that studying es going."

Rumiko felt a presence enter the room though she did not look. It was likely because that burn was starting to resurface in the pit of her stomach, and her entire body was on high alert for sound over the melody that played. It was only once the changeling spoke that the fledgling would turn to see her, and there was the slightest narrowing of her gaze as if assessing, but her attention returned to the still living flora before her without much fanfare. The notes surrounding her were left where they were, and depending on how quickly Quintessa could translate the myriad of languages the nymph wrote in, they were little more than common notes on the remaining vampire houses still standing. "I am frustrated." More alert now that she knew she wasn't alone, her gaze flicked towards the door as Kasyr made his way in, and for the briefest of moments that annoyance shifted to a subtle tick of humor for the server-like appearance he carried. The softer sounds from the mending ceramic had the nymph reaching for the vessel before shifting back around to settle it next to the other. Mirror copies, when she'd first brought them in. Now one was untouched, and the other, still dead but no longer on the floor at least. "I cannot *feel* them." It was the second time she'd said the same phrase in this room, though Quintessa had known Rumi to be a druid whereas her sire had not. A gesture towards the scatter pages came then, though the scent of coffee had finally made its way over and she was slightly less irritable when she answered, "I believe I know the important bits. It will be placing faces to the names that shall be the challenge."

Quintessa finds herself looking away from Rumiko as Kasyr enters the room, the slightest of smiles pulling at the corners of her lips as he moves in to join them. “Good, this is perfect timing it seems.” Quintessa moves to join the Kensai, curiously watching as he unpacks everything onto the table. “I’m trying to figure out *what* she’s studying first,” she says with a hint of humor in her tone. Turning back to set her gaze upon the dark nymph, the changeling felt herself inhale deeply, a sympathetic sorrow in her voice when she repeated the words, “Cannot feel them…” It was all Rumiko had to say for Quintessa to understand, and her dark brows furrowed in thought as she struggled to come up with a way to rectify this. Druidic magic was unfortunately not one of Quintessa’s specialties, though she understood a decent amount about it through her studies of witchcraft. So far all this knowledge did was confirm some of the fears Quintessa had about changing into a vampire herself. Would she forever be cut away spiritually from the Dark Forest? She wasn’t sure she could imagine an existence like that, but before she can dwell very long on it she becomes distracted by Rumiko’s notes again, taking a step towards them so she could twist her head to read it upside-down. “Ventra… Mahara… Are these… the Vampire Houses?” Quintessa looks almost offended when snaps her gaze back up to look at Kasyr, her lip twitching as she resists pulling them into a pout. “How come you never taught me about the vampire houses?” She looks back to Rumiko, a slight shake of her head, “I had to learn all that stuff by myself when they tried to kill me.”

Kasyr is casually setting cups at each seat, though the only one he actually pours is his own- an action which also serves adequately to mask the moment where all the pilfered biscuits are neatly piled around the kettle. Once done, he simply takes a seat and begins to sip at the brew- content enough to soak in the back and forth. To that effect, Rumikos' response doesn't warrant too much, beyond a simple nod at the age-old issue of recognition, "People still blur together for me, enfin." His head tilts off to the side, before he adds, "Would a break help?" Quintessa seems to have a better idea of how to help his fledgling insofar as her existential quandary, so the revenant remains silent for a time, at least, until her focus snaps back to him. It takes a considerable amount of effort -not- to smirk at her, "Generally, those are the sort of lessons you try and learn well et before you try et stake a claim to anything in a city. Know your enemy, et all that." He pauses there, before he shifts his newly acquired seat to face the changeling properly, "What's more, between your ties to the former Dragana house et being a Vailkrin native? Most of that knowledge should have already been common. Though, I shouldn't be surprised if Larewen was remiss in teaching." His expression tightens briefly, as though invoking the name might someone hearken her into cropping up with some new conspiracy, "Lastly. Rumiko mentioned she didn't know. It's generally hard to help someone who doesn't let you know that they need it, non?" His expression grows a bit more somber there, almost melancholy- before his attention flicks back towards the table, "You seem to be getting better at that, these days."

Rumiko returned her gaze to the flowers before her, green eyes bouncing from living to dead and back again before reaching forward to touch one of the softer petals. It was velvet and fragrant, and she could not connect to it past that physical touch. It used to be that in her happiest of times, small plants would liven and bloom in her presence, and now? Nothing. It was that harder focus on the petal within her grasp that broke at a familiar name, and her attention returned to the table moments before she was pushing up off the floor to join. "You were a part of Larewen's house?" She kept her tone almost neutral as she claimed a seat, gaze wandering over the changeling once more. "Interesting that we did not meet until we did, no?" A hand snagged one of the biscuits then, and it was brought to her nose for a quick scent before tasted. "I have not seen her in a long time." And not anywhere near Vailkrin, as it were.

Quintessa moves to take a seat at the table, her lips peeling back into a grin as she sits down across from Kasyr. “Well, at first I didn’t have any interest in the city at all- I merely wanted to protect my forest. It’s House Nasar who pulled my attention away from my dark sanctuary long enough that I decided I wanted a piece of it too.” She wanted Nasar’s piece more specifically, and she spent her time as countess gobbling up more and more while she ignored the other houses almost completely. “And my time at House Dragana wasn’t spent learning about politics. Larewen disappeared shortly after I arrived and I was… forced to take control of her house. It was part of the forest and the forest was my domain, it just felt like the right thing to do, but we fae don’t speak of vampire politics. My aunties never taught me about it, they only warned me to stay far away from the City of Vampires, but I never listened to them. I was too fixated on their King.” She gives Kasyr a knowing look before she shifts her gaze over to Rumiko to continue the discussion about House Dragana. “Oh yes,” Quintessa exclaims with a smile, “I was her student. I’ve had many masters but it is Larewen Dragana who had the privilege of forming the backbone of my necromantic prowess. She was the first to recognize my potential. She was the first to reach out and pluck me from the mud and empower me to do something with my life. The day I started calling myself Quintessa Dragana was the day people started paying attention to me- really paying attention to me… And it was the day I placed a target on my back. I was only pretending to be a vampire at the time but everyone believed it, they believed it enough that they came from me with dragon’s blood and fire…” She chuckles at her ruse before she continues, “It wasn’t until I saw you transformed that I found out such a thing could even be possible.” She glances over at Kasyr with a wry smirk. “I suppose now we know.” Returning her mismatched eyes to Rumi she offers a sympathetic frown. “I have not seen her in a long time either. They say… Well, the rumors are that her mind has been forever warped by the curse that runs through her blood. It drove her mad and now she wanders aimlessly through Lithyrdel. At least that’s what the small folk say. Nobody knows what really became of her, but I do believe she is still out there somewhere.”

Kasyr is not an aficionado when it comes to picking cookies, but it is pretty hard to go wrong with madelines. There's something about the buttery sweetness, and the scent of orange and lemon zest which made them pleasant - even if some of the sugar had rubbed off on the inside of his pockets. Really, the only downside is that if you just leave them sitting on the edge of your coffee mug, they were liable to start sagging sadly as the steam keeps soaking in. "..Mmm. I have to wonder about that curse. How much of that es Shishis', or her own curse at this juncture? Et what does it mean for his kids?" Perhaps that was a bit too bleak a contemplation. He goes to lift his biscuit, only for a good half of it to plunk into his cup, leading to an impromptu bit of fishing around with one of the spoons he'd brought. "That all said, if she does return- she won't be subtle. She never really es." The swordsman pauses for a moment, the spoon now balancing a bit of sad looking pastry on it, "In any case, we can worry about that later. in the interim, I do believe there's some small bits of business to attend to. First off," Rumiko is glanced towards, the swordsmans expression more appraising than anything, "Would you be able to talk about your time in enchantment? I did not want to pry while you were still adjusting, but I was curious about what you had learned." What had, effectively, gotten her killed. The Kensai than turns his attention over to Quintessa, "For your part, I was wondering if you had anything to report on the necromancer situation in Vailkrin- as well as the side project I'd left on your plate with the paper."

Rumiko had always been curious about Larewen's past, though the pair had always seemed to always have more of an 'in the moment' type of relationship. It was that curiosity that had her listening intently now, and it had the bonus of adding to her knowledge about the changeling as well. Information was something the nymph always craved; she listened to everything and tucked as much as she could away, just in case. It wasn't until the tail end of Quintessa's story that Rumi's head shifted, a tilt sending crimson waves over a shoulder. "She is not as mad as she might one day be." But that was not the interesting bit that had caught her attention. Bright eyes turned to Kasyr then, and a brow arched over an expression of near alarm, "Did *you* know?" Rumiko had been more than half out of her mind when she'd asked- pleaded for him to stop the pain in whatever manner he could. It had never occurred to her until the changelings comment that she'd never actually seen a... well, whatever she was now. The cookie was placed on a napkin that she'd grabbed from somewhere as she grew quiet, though whether it was over her question or the swordsman's wasn't entirely clear until she responded, "It seemed fine. I am still not sure what upset Kanna so gravely. I had hoped to return to check on her and the young within the district, but have not... well not been the safest of company, as of late." She was still adjusting, though things seemed to be going decently well. At least for the moment.

Quintessa can only offer Kasyr a shrug. “Had I been as experienced a necromancer back then as I am today I would have had the perfect opportunity to study her blood and discern what exactly it is about it that drove her and her progeny all insane. Now we can only speculate… Unless Shishi is allowed to return. I could then perhaps conduct an experiment on him- for the good of the kingdom, of course.” She flashes another cheeky grin before she continues. “Speaking of curses- The newspaper, right. I copied some of the documents related to the aging curse, put them next to some information about the average conscription age of Larket’s army, dropped them off with a guy I know in the business and from there I let them connect the dots themselves. This isn’t exactly an issue I want the paper quoting me on, you understand.” Her mismatched eyes flicker back to Rumiko, her gaze becoming strangely intense when the phrase repeats in her mind ‘She is not as mad as she might one day be.’ This was the woman who had set Vailkrin ablaze so that she might rule over the ashes, but Quintessa still somehow believed Rumiko when she said those words. The changeling remains silent, however, her focus shifting to Kasyr as she awaits the answer to the nymph’s question. Did he know? Quintessa finally reaches for a cookie, nibbling on the edges as Rumiko continues, speaking on the issue of Enchantment and by extension, Kanna. “What?” Quintessa seems confused about something as she leans forward to examine Rumiko, searching her for some sign of deception. “You don’t know why Kanna was so upset?” She glances at Kasyr as if seeking him for an answer but her attention quickly returns to the nymph. “What… What is the last thing you remember about being in Enchantment?”

Kasyr s expression is more bemused than anything in regards to the changelings suggestion to recall Shishi, and only earns a, "When his errand is done, peut-etre. You weren't the only one I gave a task to." Though, given the complications intrinsic to Blues, it was perhaps time to switch targets. "Though, aren't you friends with the one of them? I feel that would be a good starting place." His musings on certain living dead girls aside- Quintessas report on 'The news' is received a bit more warmly. As she clarifies the current process, he works his way through both the sodden and dry bits of his cookie, before chasing it with the now slightly-saccharine coffee. That said, once she's finished, he can't help but add an approving, "Don't let them get a quote. I'm glad you recall." But it doesn't end there, does it? She's asking about the process, about the odds, and- he's not able to do much more than glance off to the side, "To be honete? Non. I'd turned a few people who were closely tied to elementals in past," With Satoshis' eventual ascension to Eidolon being an especially notable occurence, " But when it comes to fae- I'd encountered a fairly large number of undead dryads and other outliers. My intuition told me it was possible." Did he look sheepish in that moment? Better to distract himself with another cup of coffee, " I also wagered on having a strong bloodline. More than a few vampires have achieved curious feats which should not be possible. Even my own sire, en fait." She'd been practical nascent when she'd turned him, hadn't she? And what a monster he'd since become. "Franchement? I was more concerned about my curse eating you from the inside out." Perhaps, a bit too blunt there. His fingers press together awkwardly, his thumb dragging back and forth as he tries to figure out where to go, "In any case- what I can say is, between the research Quintessa has done over the years, et a recent once-over of my own notes- there's not much to go off of. I've been trying to look earlier back to see if it's tied to some form of risk leading to an unspoken taboo, or if you're an exception- but the lack of literature is almost conspicuous." The swordsman casually drums his fingers against the table, trying not to contemplate the possibility that he'd served as some sort of catalyst. That would do very little to endear him, or the city denizens beyond it. It's in the middle of these musings that Quintessa takes over the conversation directing the interrogation of Rumiko with a bit more proficiency than he would have managed, given his internal musings. Really, the only thing that wrenches his attention back into the present, is something indiscernible crossing Quintessas features as she glances over to him. "Hm."

Rumiko's gaze bounced from Quintessa to Kasyr in much the same way it had between the flower vases earlier, though she made no comment. Newspapers were not something she did anything more with than read on occasion, and felt there was no need to do more now that listen. It was the almost accusatory question that had the nymph sitting taller in her seat, cookie abandoned as hands laced together in her lap to keep from fidgeting. "Tis exactly as I just said. Kanna was not feeling well, but she brought treats for the children from Cenril. We crossed paths as I..." Why had she been standing in the forest below the cliff? Brows knit together a moment, the details still lost to her even as she continued, "I was on the path to the Kingdom proper when we met up. We went back up to the District so she might pass out the treats, we looked over the newly constructed playground and watched as they finished off another of the homes. Kanna was so under the weather I tried to walk her home but..." Another fuzzy spot, though this time it came back after a moment, "She... told me to find safety?" Again her gaze flicked towards Kasyr, though she refused whatever her thought was the moment it bubbled up. "I do not..." A heavy sigh came then, "I do not remember why she was so upset. Surely it was not so bad of a cold she would send me away." There was no deception on her part, though the changelings response did earn her an inquisitive glance, "Have you seen her?" Kanna. "Is she well?" Kasyr's admission that he'd had an idea her turning would be successful was a relief, though the other bit about his curse devouring her brought up other question. Rumiko would also seek out a library soon to start her own research on the matter. Later, though. Her attention was more focused on the confusion from the other fae.

Quintessa nods her head slowly, a bit unsure why she hadn’t sought out Leralyn since returning to Vailkrin. Things had perhaps been a bit awkward since the fall of Caluss, but there was no reason for her to avoid her any longer. “Aye, I’ll do that,” Is all she says, deciding it was probably better in this moment to keep her response short and focus on Rumiko’s recollection, thought when Kasyr praises Quintessa for remembering one of his lessons she cannot help but smile smugly, proud of herself for doing something right in his eyes. “Perhaps in the meantime I should study you instead? Figure out what makes you such an outlier…” Quintessa places the rest of her cookie in her mouth to keep herself from saying anything else, sapphire and topaz eyes flickering over in Rumiko’s direction again. She listens intentionally, reaching forward to take a drink of coffee to wash down her cookie before she responds. “Yes, I spoke with Kanna and she told me…” Quintessa pauses, taking a moment to pick her words carefully. “She seemed to be in decent health. She visited my camp in Kelay- you remember the one?” Quintessa casually tries to shift the conversation back to Rumiko, hoping this was enough to placate her. “She told me she saw you and told you to get someplace safe, but it seems your recollection is unclear… Can you recall anything about the Unseelie District? Was there any reason why it wouldn’t be safe? When she told you to find safety you did not return there... Can you remember any reason why that might be?”

Kasyr takes the unspoken cue from Tessa and allows the non-essential portions of the conversation to fall to the wayside, his focus divided neatly between the cup of coffee in his hand, and the two fae in front of him. There's something here that's missing- details that Quintessa seems to be searching for, despite the oddly askew details they're being provided by Rumiko. It's only when she finally mentions a cold that the Kensai perks up, because of any detail there, it was the one fact which felt wrong. "A cold? How long were you sick, peut-etre? ...For that matter, did you have enough to eat while you were...ill?" Because when she'd arrived, she'd looked gaunt - as though the subject of some lingering malnourishment, or some wasting sickness that had begun to sink its clutches into her. The swordsman passes his own glance towards the changeling, but beyond this small contribution, he allows the pair to once more lead the conversation.

Rumiko's jaw set as arms moved to cross over her chest. Her position in the chair relaxed enough for her to slide down just slightly as she stared at Quintessa. "I remember the one." Her voice was suddenly clipped, annoyance apparent more in her voice than that less proper seating. The silence that followed had more to do with the nymph's trying to recall the events than any sort of game, though she did little to hide the displeasure at being questioned as if she were on trial either. The words were a swirl in her mind, and it was a struggle to recall them as they were spoken. "Magic, it must have been." Why else would her memory be so out of sorts? Though she supposed it could be the trauma of the end of that particular day causing the issue. "The last place I felt safe before the Enchantment summit." The memory of stopping just outside the shrine played through her mind then, and she didn't like the line of thought that followed it. Just what *had* she been looking for? Kasyr's question was answered, but she made it a point not to look at him, "Kanna was the one that was sick. I rarely catch anything. Human bodies are... fickle." That word didn't seem right either, but she couldn't place why. "There was always food available... what is with all the questions?" Hands gestured to Quintessa then, "You say you saw her, surely she would know better than I why she sent me off to..." Die. Though that hadn't been the intention. Right?

Quintessa is silent for a long moment, though she does look at Kasyr for a moment when he interjects to ask his own question. She finds herself idly tugging at her bottom lip as she thinks, staring at Rumiko- though really she was staring right through her. “I understand your agitation,” She starts slowly, lowering her hand away from her mouth. “I’m sitting here asking you all these questions and you already know I have all the answers to them, so I’m going to do you a favor because I respect you. I’m going to be completely straight with you.” Quintessa inhales slowly, preparing to give Rumiko the whole story about what she had been told by Kanna. “You were indeed being affected by mind-altering magics, either by use of a powerful bardic artifact or the malignant poisonous mushrooms that the Queen has placed around the Unseelie district. Using powerful anti-divination spells, Lunalesca has been hiding this- creating the illusion that everything is fine in the Dark Fae territories in Enchantment on the surface while instead the conditions are less than acceptable… You said there was plenty of food?” Quintessa looks over to Kasyr, a question for him on her tongue. “Did she look well fed when you found her? Did she look like she was being treated well within Enchantment’s borders?” Quintessa quickly shifts back to Rumiko. “Kanna seems to think the dark fae are not getting the supplies I’m sending them. When she saw you…” The changeling pauses, shaking her head, “I don’t know what happened to you while you were there but she was trying to save you. That’s why she sent you away.”

Kasyr , when he allows himself to be himself, is a perpetual fidgeter- especially when bothered, which goes a long way to explaining why he first tries to busy himself with topping up mugs with now cooled coffee, and then to near pathologically begin to trace the rim of his own. After all, he was much the same as Quintessa in regards to his own interjection. He knew the answer, even if Rumiko seemed to lack that crucial detail. "You looked terrible. Even beyond whatever damage had been done to you, you looked ..." He pause, struggling to find the correct words, before finally settling on something factual, "The state you were in was not the sort of thing that would occur without a prolonged degree of neglect. The sort of thing you'd see in a prison, when food and care are the last concern." The swordsman pauses for a moment, still struggling to properly put the pieces together, "The problem, now, is we need you to remember that location, so we can direct others to it. While the war is currently consuming the attention of a number of factions- once it can be brought to an end, we can force the normal meddlers to scrutinize it." The well of black within the cup stares back at him, a bleak mirror to equally bleak thoughts, "Lunalesca has done a good job at cultivating her image. Beyond that brief lapse in the papers, I've not heard murmurings from the other cities- save their soft agreements towards the judgements she makes. She's not an obvious tyrant we can depose, until that changes." Or until the job can be done flawlessly. That part goes unspoken, by theres' a brief crackle that flits across his fingertips, coaxing a bit of steam from his drink. Tessa, no doubt, was struggling- worse than him, by all accounts.

Rumiko sat straighter then, the promise of answers drawing her in like a moth to flame. She was not however, ready for the answers that came. Lips parted as if to speak, though there were no words that came, not cohesive thoughts that she could easily string into a sentence. It was a good thing she did not need to breath, because she did not think she could have in those moments. Green eyes finally turned to face her sire, to listen to the state in which he'd found her within the halls. Hopefully Kasyr had set up whatever guards he had for his empathy, because the sudden wash of horror and guilt that consumed her would likely not be kind. It would also manifest in the sudden wilting of the remaining flower arrangement still settled in her semi-circle of papers. Quiet as the floral death was, it was the only real warning to the storm that surged within her, and the nymph was on her feet and started around the table and towards the door. "We must get them out." The children. Those poor children. If she looked as awful as described, how were the smaller, more helpless fae fairing? How many would still be there? The worse question, how many would not?

Quintessa finds herself pulling her hands up to her mouth again as she breathes slowly, elbows on the table as she listens to Kasyr’s account of Rumiko’s condition. It made the changeling sick to her stomach to know she had put her in that position, embedded her as a spy in horrific conditions. None of the failsafes Quintessa had put in place worked and now she was forever changed, transformed into a vampire. It takes everything in the Black Witch not to appear emotional, but inside she wanted to weep for her dear Rumiko. Her heartbreak was only eclipsed by the frustration that she could not yet avenge her friend and she need not be an empath to understand the guilt and horror that the nymph was experiencing. Finally Rumiko finds her words, a simple statement, a confirmation of something Quintessa knew they had to do. “Yes,” the changeling responds, a fire in her voice that betrays the mist building in her eyes, “We have to rescue them all. We have to put a stop to this- I’ve already had fae loyal to House Blackwell stop any refugees they see heading for Enchantment and are sending them to Camp Forlorn instead. That’ll slow the number of unseelie making it to Lunalesca’s open-air prison but that won’t stop everyone, and there are still many more still trapped behind those toxic mushrooms. We can’t get them out until we deal with that obstacle, but in the meantime we can tarnish the Queen’s squeaky clean reputation,” she looks to Kasyr, “And I suppose that’s where we work on our propaganda… I was hoping you could remember more but…” She offers an apologetic look to Rumiko, feeling a little guilty that she had made plans to use her story for political machinations. “It's fine, we’ll find another way… Although I’m still tempted to burn the Queen’s castle down myself for this. It’s not too late for that, y’know.” She gives Kasyr a pointed look. She meant it.

Kasyr should have braced, but the simple honesty of the moment meant he was fully present when those consuming emotions wash over him- his hold upon the cup fumbling, the content of his cup spilling onto the table. Those emotions, not wholly foreign due to his own part in this, take a few long moments to master. To take hold of that roiling discord, to pick out the fragments of righteous indignation that floated to the surface- all so he could focus them towards a singular point, "We can't make her a martyr. To make her justified in the eyes of the world. Or risk Vailkrin paying for our actions." There's a bitterness there, as yet another reminder of his stations weight makes itself known. Still, they were not without avenues, "I can't imagine it functions instantly, not with something that potent. Perhaps we can figure out where Rumiko or the other Fae were received as they waited to be directed towards the encampment? We might be able to find some hint of what was used to make them suggestible there. If we can, we can figure out a way to gather it, to inure ourselves, and move from there." His fingers tap against the table, trying to sift through the various details, until a sort of clarity hits. "Tessa, do you think Kanna would know of any of the officials who -would- oversee these transfers? When you're moving large numbers of people, you tend to need help. If we can kidnap some of them, perhaps avail ourselves of our records and release them to individuals with the ears of other rulers . . ." There's a pause, and he finds himself musing, "Et if they're entrusted with that, perhaps they'd know about skeletons buried in the good queens backyard. Hard not to have any, with a lifespan that long, non?" And whether or not some of them were necessary- optics were often the only thing that mattered. The memories of mayflies were short, and gratitude was often interchangeable with animosity - depending on whether their lives hung in the balance, or if they were left to lounge at their leisure, free of fear. "Mm. Also, you mentioned you had something important to mention, due to me turning Rumiko, non?"

Rumiko paused mid-stride to spin around, a move the might have made her a touch dizzy if she were not so intently focused on her want to aid Quintessa in burning the murderous queen's castle to the ground. It was that sudden flooding of emotions that had her more animated than she had been since returning to Vailkrin, and hands found their way to resting upon her hips as she looked towards the changeling, "The camp is still too close to her grubby little hands. We need to stop her before her people spot the diversion of foot-traffic to your doors." Neck craned to offer a better look towards Kasyr then, and her brows furrowed farther, "Martyr be damned, she is..." A struggle to say the word, but only because she knew the only reason she wasn't within the same category was Kanna, "She is killing fae, killing *children* in broad daylight no less." And it would be easy too, with so many eyes on the war who would care about the dark fae, other than themselves? There was a sudden calm that overcame Rumiko as an idea formed, and green eyes searched out the mismatched ones of the changeling. "It would be so easy to get close again." A small smile curved her lips, though there was nothing pleasant about it and the addition of the barest hint of fangs did not help either. "It is your cousin she thinks is within her trap, not I. She promised a tour, did she not?" Arms crossed over her chest once more, "We seek another audiance under the guise of offering support once more, insist upon the tour of the grounds and the changes that have been made since I sat the throne, and with less guards out in the forest..." It would be easy enough for the two of them to end the threat to their people. "And then all would be safe, including Kanna."

Quintessa is glad she is seated during all of this. With the multitudes of thoughts and ideas swirling around in her head she struggles to catch a single one of them, and in this momentary haze she is certain she would have forgotten how to stand during all of it. It isn’t until Kasyr speaks her name that she snaps out of her dissociative episode, mismatched eyes focusing on him again. “It’s a possibility that Kanna would have knowledge of something like that. She’s currently acting as a scribe or a seneschal or serving some other relevant court position, I’m not certain which, but she has access to records. She will be a powerful agent in this endeavor regardless. I’ll have her do a little digging and see what turns up.” Quintessa looks up to watch Rumiko spin around, a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth whenever the nymph points out that Camp Forlorn may still yet be too close to Enchantment for comfort. “You’re right… I need to reestablish myself in the Dark Forest. I must reclaim the Cobweb Keep in preparation for the return of our people- it’s…” Quintessa stops herself. She knew she was moving too fast. Taking a moment to compose herself, she listens to Rumiko’s plan, a grim smile of satisfaction spreading across her face. “It would be *so* easy.” She agrees with the fledgling, “We might not survive it but… That was my plan as well. I would appear as a diplomat like I always have. I would request an audience with the Queen, perhaps under the guise of funneling more refugees in. Once inside the castle I would utter the final words of the Rites of the Thrice-Fold Reprisal and then…” Quintessa shrugs, “I would create my masterpiece.” A grin spreads upon her face, “But with both of us there? My necromancy could empower your curse and transform you into an instrument of retribution. Their defenses would crumble against our wrath. Their magic would fizzle against our unshakable determination. We could capture the Queen alive, take her to a dark dungeon somewhere, and put her to the knife until she tells me every single thing I need to know to fix what she’s done.” Quintessa has a wild, feral look in her eyes as she describes what she would do if she followed her impulses, but that crazed luster slowly disappears as her more sober thoughts come to the surface, “But,” There was always a ‘but’. “Kasyr is right. Though we are justified in this course of action the blowback is still too great. We will keep this plan on the backburner. If the propaganda fails. If we cannot destroy these mushrooms from the outside and save the unseelie, then I don’t see any other recourse. It does not matter if Lunalesca becomes a martyr if we save the lives of the people she is subjugating. Let history recall me as a murderer if they must as long as I can save my people.” Quintessa looks back over at Kasyr, her shoulders lowering as she relaxes a bit in her chair. “What I wanted to say before… to infiltrate Enchantment, Rumiko was adopted into my house under the name Lynessi Blackwell. She accepted the name so the two of us are bound by fae law. When you turned her, inducting her into your own house of Azakhaer, you symbolically linked our two houses. Blackwell, Azakhaer… and Lyastri- Rumiko represents something special. She can be what binds us in alliance with each other, not as leverage, but as mutual understanding. The three of us in this room? We should look out for one another. Together we can wield unmatched influence throughout Lithyrdel if we utilize this opportunity correctly.”

Kasyr is familiar with this train of thought. He'd had this discussion with Quintessa before, so he's more than familiar with the queer elation that begins to bubble up as she walks through that violent fantasy. And yet, she reigns herself in- the swordsman nodding as she begins to talk herself back down. "Don't play recklessly with your life." Hypocrite. "There's a lot you can do while you're alive. For instance, if Kanna does manage to unearth anything- we might gain access to leads on other people looking to get even with the queen. And, again- we still have yet to direct this to your mother, or Valrae. Both of them would be quick to begin snooping, j'pense." The swordsman pauses for a moment to glance over at Rumiko, scrutinizing her to see if she was still caught in the throes of rage, "Is there anyone you could turn to, either to disseminate information, or to help you investigate?" Kasyr, for his part, is shuffling through the names he knows- but with how messy everythings become, the vailkrin situation, and the simple desire to have deniability, the only one that comes to mind is, "Lita might not be a bad option, either. A queen being deposed means opportunities for profit- and members of a corrupt regime to blackmail. And if she gets involved, that might drag Leo & rynvale at large into the mix." It's on that note that the Kensai finally shrugs, "We just need to tarnish her image just enough to excuse what ensues. Though, on the subject of what follows- we do need to address that matter of your rite, Tessa."

Rumiko hesitated for a moment after Quintessa mentioned returning to the Dark Forest. Not because she did not wish the fae to return home, but because of what she was about to offer. "When I returned months ago, before I started to stay within the castle, I reclaimed the old Dragana lands from the overgrowth." She would sacrifice her haven, her place of solitude for their needs. "It is a large bit of land, with little more than a cottage within the center. You can have your camp set up there, until the Keep can be righted. Assuming the wards I put up still hold with my powers on the fritz, it should be safe enough." Not that they couldn't care for themselves. She fell quiet once more as Quintessa further elaborated on the plan, or would-be plan, if they hadn't an entire city to consider. Vailkrin had enough on its plate without the papers headlined in bold lettering, claiming the kingdom had sent assassins after the 'fair' Pixie queen. It was a good thing she hadn't picked up one of those mugs; Rumiko might have thrown in across the room for her agitation. A feeling she had not yet equated to a different need for violence. Kasyr's question gave her pause, and nails tapped silently against the exposed skin of her arm as she thought over the options she had. "Suppose that depends on just how messy we want to make this. Magikrios is keen to hunt down the one behind my 'death'." The look offered towards the Kensai was intentionally softened, "He did not say such, but I do think he is glad for your aid that night." Slow steps carried her closer to the table and the chair she had abandoned moments before, "If we clue him in to the Queen's hand in all of this-" a motion to herself there- "We would have more eyes on the coming and goes of the Enchantment boarder. And more aid in turning the unseelie back towards Vailkrin and away from that nightmare."

Quintessa listens to both of them quietly, letting her thoughts gather before she decides to speak again. “Yes, the Syndicate will be sympathetic to our cause, I believe.” She did not hesitate to utter the name of their organization in front of Kasyr since he already knew they existed. “Magikrios, Valrae, Khitti… Queen Lunalesca will soon see her pool of allies dry up and instead look upon her with prying eyes. Even Lita and Mahri could be motivated to work at our behest, as they have historically been known to do. We have a wealth of possibilities before us. I will personally seek aid from Valrae and Khitti, if this is the case.” She looks at the nymph with tired, thoughtful eyes, “Rumiko, perhaps you can provide the details of your situation to him and see what he says? I trust his ability to act with discretion.” Next she turns to Kasyr, a slight tilt of her head as she meets his gaze. “And perhaps you, My Lord, could contract Lita or Mahri or both to… do whatever it is they do. We have enough people to really get momentum behind this, I believe.” Quintessa pauses to take a long drink of coffee, trying to combat the sleepiness starting to form behind her eyes. “Ah yes,” she smiles at Kasyr when he brings the Rites again. “I have less than three moon cycles to expel the energy I evoked to destroy Enchantment, or it will destroy me instead.” She clues Rumiko in, explaining how serious and how close she was to attacking the Queen by herself. “I will have to find a target that can withstand it and Kasyr has volunteered, but perhaps it is time for you to come join our spars too? We should all sharpen our combat skills for the days that lie ahead.”

Kasyr s' head tilts slightly at the mention of the Dragana lands being repurposed- as he hadn't really deigned to return to that area in quite some time. That said, while he was relatively impassive for the majority of what Rumiko had to say- the idea that Magikrios was grateful, to him of all people, was awkward, almost to the point of discomfort. And would that really be the case months or years from now? He couldn't help but feel palpably relieved when the conversation redirected towards business- and the imminency of the situation they were navigating, "Mahri and Lita still have business with me, so I'm certain I can broach the subject. Altogether, It sounds like we have a plan, then, non? Unless we're missing a key detail?" Unless there's something offered in that moment, beyond their prior idea of reaching out to Kanna, the swordsman sees fit to move the conversation forward. And it's not that hard, because when Quintessa opens up their prospective 'spar' to Rumiko, he can't help the small smile that tugs at his lips, "It's not a bad idea, vraiment. A good way to maintain close bounds- et we are all going to wind up targets in the upcoming months. A consistent training regime would help. That said, as far as lessons go, the most I could teach is things pertinent to vampirism, the sword, and blade-magic, enfin." Whilst he'd also earned a reputation as both a 'lightning-bug' and Daedria's chosen, neither of those were things that were readily taught. Which made fumbling over the finer points endlessly irritating.

Rumiko made it a habit to not talk about the Syndicate, though it was less about Kasyr and more simply her distance from the group. She was well aware that the swordsman knew of the more secretive collection, having seen him at the meeting table a time or two with her own eyes. "Mahri will help regardless of contract, once she is aware of my situation." A small smile for the wolf there, "Bonded sister though marriage, that one." It really was rather ridiculous the amount of ties the nymph had. "Though it might be needed to rope in Lita. And if she can bring the attention of this mess to Leoxander,"- and any of his wolves if he still collected them,- "Then all the better." Lowering herself in the chair, the nymph reclaims the cookie she'd nibbled on though does little more than roll in within her fingers. "I will write to Magik and ask for another meeting. With more information, this time." She couldn't help but feel a bit foolish for having fallen prey to the toxins of the mushrooms, though she had not been the only one, had she?. "I do wonder if one could build up a tolerance." Or if being turned would offer her a touch of protection against returning to that illusion. It was mention of the Rite that pulled her back to the current conversation, and the look of concern that crossed her featured was for both of other seated before her. "You have... a buildup of power ready to destroy the whole of Enchantment, and you want to hit Kasyr with it?" She was missing something, she felt. "And while sparring is all well and good, I am seemingly out of touch with my magic." A glance towards the twin vases of wilted flora earned a frown, "It appears as if my gifts are working in reverse." Taking life, rather than giving it.

Quintessa finishes off her coffee before placing her cup far away from herself, slowly inhaling as she thought of the many things she needed to do and the people she could delegate them to. “It seems we know what we have to do then.” Quintessa slowly rises from her chair to stretch her hands over her head, turning her attention to Rumiko as she pivots towards her. “If you are serious about using Larewen’s old demesne to shelter the refugees, then we should start preparing it for them. I’m certain there will be plenty of space for them there.” When she questions the changeling about her buildup of power she was planning to unleash upon Kasyr, she can’t help but grin impishly at him before turning her gaze back to Rumiko. “Oh, don’t worry about that, I always try to kill Kasyr during our sparring matches.” She flashes another grin over her shoulder, “Remember the day we first met and I tried to cut you in half? Gods, that day changed my life… Anyway,” She starts towards the door but pauses to look back, resting her back against the wall next to the threshold before she continues, “If your magic isn’t working properly, then perhaps we should develop the physical side of your new form instead. As a vampire you are considerably more durable than you once were… I’d love a chance to test those limits.”

Kasyr nods in regards to Rumiko's mention of Mahri, if only because of how much that would facilitate the negotiations. Really, the only thing he feels warrants some form of correction is the matter of 'leveling enchantment'. "Not..all at once? I'm pretty sure it would be one of those processes where you make an impact, et then just keep burning until you're eventually killed by the standing army, existing countermeasures, or a wandering hero." The swordsman pauses for a second, before he points towards Tessa, "Or Krice. That *does* feel like one of those moments where he'd conveniently arrive in time to stab you. Or if you made the mistake of monologuing. It's not just that it leaves you open- there's this almost..magnetic element to it. I've interrupted so many of them, myself." This is a tangent, though. A very peculiar slice of weird lived experience. In any case, the point to all of this, was they all had a job to do, "I'll catch up with you both soon. If either of you need anything, you know where to find me, typically." They can play the rest by ear.