RP:The Fox Kidnaps the Dove
Characters:
- Cerinii, Ancient Avian, Engineer.
- Small Titanium Scorpion, Scorpious.
- Satoshi, Kit Vampire, Frost Singer.
- White Superb-Lyrebird, Ko'tar.
Rowen's Letter
Jelko, sir
As you may be aware from reading our exchanges on Kelay Tavern Notice board. The Lady Cerini has forbidden her scorpion, Scorpius from becoming one of my bridesmaids next Sunday.(ooc Not a real wedding and any Sunday will do for the crazy rat)
I wish the metal bird lady no harm, but if your associates could arrange for her to be kidnapped and held,from 10am on Sunday until after the wedding reception is over, it would leave Scorpious free to fulfil his dream of becoming a bridesmaid.
I would be willing to pay 5000 pieces of gold for this kindness.
Rowen
Satoshi's Letter
Dove,
Got an interesting proposition for you. A friend of a friend is willing to pay said friend to make you 'disappear' for a few hours this Sunday, and with me being on working terms with you, I'm being asked by that friend to play 'kidnapper'.
Care to go see a show or such in that new city of yours with me? It'll be fun, we can pretend I stole you proper, friend will make some gold, friend's friend will be happy, and it'll all be peachy.
I'll tell you the details in person.
~Satie
Cerinii's Reply
Satoshi,
Sunday, eh? Hm.. I believe there is something of importance that day. Ah, Rowen und Lirithen's wedding, she continues to pester me about Scorpious being her bridesmaid. Is that who this friend is? I do not take well these 'putting away' things. But fine. I'm keeping mein possessions, though.
Signed, Cerinii.
The Kidnapping
Satoshi dashes in and hauls Cerinii off, like a well-paid, not remotely disguised foxish kidnapper. And makes sure the avian leaves behind the decoy Scorpious and a note for the board.
Satoshi said to Cerinii, "Awaaay~."
Cerinii drops an iron, non-sentient version of Scorpious. It doesn't move. Not a bit. It hardly looks like Scorpious, it's a bit rusty too. Out the door go fox and bird.
Cerinii had been escorted to her own city, quite aware of who her kidnapper was. Scorpious was perched atop her scalp, clinging to some strands of hair with his pincers. He whirred quietly in speculation as they hurried along. She opened the door to the Tavern, a hand waving Satoshi inside first and then herself. She closed the door behind them, murmuring quietly, "Well. I suppose that is considered ein success, hm?" She smiled faintly, "Let's have breakfast, shall we? I'm feeling rather peckish." She gestured now to a marble table, sitting down upon the cushioned bench first. Pulling Scorpious from her scalp to set him down upon the marble table. He scuttled around idly.
Satoshi refrains from commenting about a bird feeling 'peckish' and merely follows Cerinii's lead with a quiet whistle on her lips. She finds a seat at the table, one that allows her to occasionally poke Scorpious with a fork whenever he scuttles near enough. "I suppose I could nibble on something, myself. Not... in -that- sense, mind you." No reindeer here to make her feed, so why bother, right? Silly bloodlust-less vampire.
Cerinii inclined her head, "Indeed." She waved over the twin barmaids, smiling softly as they skipped over and offered a warm welcome to the two women. She now looked to Satoshi, passing her a menu. "What would you like?"
Satoshi gives the menu a cursory look before answering quickly, "Venison sounds about right." -Someone's- still got her mind on that damn reindeer. And there's another little poke to the metal scorpion. How does that thing work, anyway? Curious beastie. "So, what'd the rat want with him, anyway? Really to be a bridesmaid..?"
Cerinii inclined her head, "Two servings of venison please. Portion of fruit. Finest wine." She retrieved the menu from Satoshi, handing it back to the girls, "Pudding after." They nodded, scurrying off behind the bar and to the chef. She sighed softly, nodding her head, "Ja. It's ridiculous. She tried to bite mein boot." She paused, "You know, at first, I assumed Trishtar wanted me out the way for something. But the specific day given.. indicated it was Rowen who desired mein absence." She chuckled softly, "Ah, the life of an inventor hm?"
Satoshi's eye narrow slightly at the name. "That dragon married to the cat? No. You wouldn't get truly kidnapped from my contact or their employees, especially from him. I don't trust him or his lady, and my contact listens to my suggestions." There's something of a half-hearted devious grin on the foxkin's face then, followed up with the musical ring of metal against metal as the scorpion again passes by the lurking fork.
Cerinii watched as Scorpious whirred with irritation, stinger lashing out at the fork in a defensive manner. She frowned, pulling him back slightly, "Behave. Frau Satoshi is merely curious about you.." She smiled faintly to Satoshi before nodding, "That's right. Threatened to rip the wings off mein back if I approached Awne. Heh, coward. Knelltic threatened him back, though. Not that I should fear Trishtar, he's pathetic." She smiled warmly, "Mein Champion can deal with him." She winked in a playful manner, the girls already returning with the first serving. Venison, well done for Cerinii and a little bloody for Satoshi. "I hope it is satisfactory." A small portion of fruit was set in the middle of the table, bottle of wine and two glasses set down. "Danke." She waved the girls away.
Satoshi smirks at Scorpious' defensive manner. "Curious indeed. How did you make him? And can you make other creatures? Or just the crawlies like him~? Do they have a lifespan or such?" With the scorpion out of reach, the foxkin's left to using her fork to poke at the venison in vague hopes that it will provoke her long lost appetite. "If you could make ones with wings, think how useful and reliable of messengers they could be. Frostmaw's courier birds occasionally... meet predators, y'know?"
Cerinii 's knife slithered across the meat, prongs of the fork jabbing in and raising a square up to peony lips. She set it in her mouth, chewing quietly and calmly. Oh so civil, lessons learned through the classical training every young Avian lady received. Once she swallowed the chunk of meat, she responded. "I wanted ein pet. Ein companion, but the horse I had was useless. Don't need ein horse. Fyiero got big, grew lazy. He lays about the bed now.. Heh. Scorpious however.. Was easy. He's forever active, eternal until he is broken beyond all forms of functioning. If he was melted, for instance.. But even then, it'd be hard to melt this metal." She paused, "I could make other creatures, I made miniature ones for Frau Dezerae.. I made ein clockwork pony once." She smirked, "Boring old thing." She paused again, considering something quietly. "I could make another creature, ja.. But it depends on what size, what creature it is that would choose the metal und such. Even then, Scorpious has.. personality, the clockwork horse did not." She grinned, "It's all got to be specific.."
Satoshi continues to thoughtfully pick at her plate, shifting food about but not actually eating any of it. "Well, let's go with the messenger bird idea, for a creature. Say a small falcon or owl, the quick and quiet sorts. Is there a metal light enough that you could make one actually -fly-?" The kit-vampire laughs quietly to herself, trying to picture a clockwork courier. "Imagine the surprise when a predator got ahold of one of -those-~."
Cerinii nodded in all seriousness, chewing her meat quietly. She wasn't great at noticing jokes or things to be considered almost impossible. "Of course." She grinned faintly, before taking a sip of the wine. She then continued after smacking her lips together in delight, "Ja, mithril would do. Or true-steel, traditional metal used in Avian armour. True-steel or mithril would work well. Besides, true-steel would make ein lovely glittering colour, hee. Und if it were purely for the purposes of delivering messages, clockwork innards would work well. However, ein small bit of sentience would be necessary - so it could find the correct destination."
Satoshi brings her meat-laden fork to her lips, nibbling lightly less out of appetite and more for a chance to quiet contemplate. Brain-food, y'know? "Hrm~. How do you weave sentience into your creations? Obviously, he," the empty fork is aimed toward Scorpious, "has personality. Curious how you manage that. My beasties get life from my own lifeforce mana, but you're not exactly a spellworker, are ya~? And I don't have full control on -what- my beasties become, shape or personality wise."
Cerinii took another bite, chewing quietly as her eyes followed the fork prongs to Scorpious. She chewed quickly and quietly, before murmuring, "Indeed, magic is not exactly mein best field. But I use traditional Avian technology, heh.. Blood und the spirit." She grinned faintly, "You know, it cost me seven pints of mein own blood to get this city in the air. It constantly circulates in the core beneath us." She chuckled softly, "Our secret." She then paused, eyeing Satoshi, "You are more of ein.. spellweaver. So, could you not enchant something hm? Something like elerium or some magical storage device.."
Satoshi's ears perk up at Cerinii's words. "Fluorite~. It's a magicstone, I use it to store energy all the time. A small stone has a massive reserve and isn't too different from Elerium--I just have a better affinity with Fluorite, myself, especiall the blue sort. There's a decent vein of it in Frostmaw's mines~." Glancing about briefly, the foxkin grins and winks at the avian in a playfully conspiratorial manner. "I'm thinking it's experiment time, non~? Bet we could make a fine little owl or such if we mixed our skills."
Cerinii grinned widely, "Then that would work." She chuckled softly, "I'll get to work on it as soon as possible.. I have other things to do, waiting list." She winked in a playful manner, "But I'll bump you up, of course." She grinned widely, "Jacklin has not yet responded to mein letter, so in the mean time - I can work on your courier." She paused, "However, I will need you to complete your Fluorite business before I finish the creature. Und you need to decide on which metal you wish to use. Shiny one, or non-shiny one." She chuckled softly at the way she had put the metals. Ever so child-like. She took another square of meat, almost finished her meal.
Satoshi mimics Cerinii, working toward likewise finishing her meal despite appetite yet to be awakened while musing aloud between mouthfuls. "I could manage something with the fluorite as its eyes, most likely. Maybe talon tips. Eyes seem the most... useful. And just the look'd give it personality, no~?" Eating the final bit of venison, Satoshi adds with an almost incredulous look, "Shiny, of course!"
Cerinii grinned, before chewing the final square of meat. Once done, she set her knife and fork down, pushig the plate forward to signal that she was finished. She paused, eyeing Satoshi. "That'd work. Probably not the talon tips, more so the eyes." She chuckled softly, "I'll fit gem-holders in the eye socket for the fluorite." She nodded, "True steel it is then!" She took another sip of the wine, eyeing Satoshi. "Shall we go to the theatre?"
Satoshi pushes her plate forward as well with a nod. "We've been meaning to do that, haven't we? But first~," the bardic mage climbs to her feet, grinning. "I'll be back in a moment. The theatre is a chance to dress up, and I do so love a chance to dress up~." Saluting the avian, Satoshi ambles off in search of a place to change. "Meet ya there, dove~."
Cerinii had been waiting at the main door for Satoshi, cufflinks donned, top-hat too. Whenever Satoshi arrived, she would offer her arm and escort Satoshi to the private box in the upper levels of the grand amphitheatre. She smiled softly, "Wonderful outfit, Satoshi." She'd even tip her hat to Satoshi. She would make idle conversation as they climbed the stairs, "Have you considered what sort of entertainment you'd like?"
Satoshi's enjoying the role of nobility enough to graciously accept Cerinii's offered arm, and even throw in a short curtsy in response--the white lyrebird now perched on her shoulder offers a polite dip of its beak as well. "Thank you, dove~. I don't get the chance to don fancy clothes too often. Something about always getting into fights, and being queen to a warrior city that makes wearing a dress difficult. As for entertainment," the foxkin glances at her lontailed companion, earning a trill in reply, "Ko'tar and I are rather found of music, y'know~." You can dress the fox up pretty, but you can't quite make her talk pretty, it seems.
Cerinii grinned softly, nodding her head. "I see." She pushed the door open, head bowing slightly in indication for Satoshi to pass through. Once she had done, she closed the door behind them and took her own seat. A plush, wide seat. Obviously built for Avians and space for their wings. She smiled softly, "Instrumental or vocal or both?" She murmured, "Your wish is mein command! Heh. One of the perks of being in charge, eh?"
Satoshi glances about once she passes through the door, curiosity and interest obvious from perked ears to flicking tails. Ko'tar trills his own interest as he shuffles excitedly along the fox's shoulder. "Well~, if you insist on entertaining your kidnapper, how about a bit of both, hrm~?" Nodding at this, Satoshi claims a seat as well, settling in comfortably.
Cerinii smirked faintly, "You are hardly ein kidnapper, really.." She chuckled softly, "Besides. I'm in nein danger, eh?" She rolled up her right sleeve, pushing the arm of the seat open to reveal two thin yet sharp needles. She lowered her forearm onto it with a small wince, falling silent for a moment or two. A series of people ran onto the stage, musicians filling the box beneath and performers filling the stage. She murmured quietly to Satoshi, without opening her eyes, "Und where would you like this performance to take place, hm? I know some performers are preparing ein story about me, much to mein dislike."
Satoshi eyes the entire needle affair curiously, one ear flicking back when Cerinii jabs herself on it. The lyrebird seems more intent on watching the people running about onstage than observing the needles, but he and Satoshi can't help both voicing a querying sound at the question. "Where? What do you mean?"
Cerinii murmured, "Ein place, ein setting for the story." She chuckled softly, "Like so..." She focused carefully within her mind, picturing the throne room of Frostmaw with the recent ice throne made before her very eyes. The vision in her mind very slowly shimmered to life on the stage, she peaked an eye open to survey her work. Making it more accurate and true to the real throne room of Frostmaw. "Like that."
Satoshi leans forward in her seat, staring wide-eyed at the change of scenery. "Illusion magic? What fun~." Clapping her hands lightly in childish delight. "What about... The Mage Tower library~? Or the frozen library in Frostmaw~? Maybe Larket's zoo? The blood fountain?" Satoshi's favorite places are a tad on the odd side, but that's to be expected.
Cerinii laughed softly, "You are naming too many to decide from!" She chuckled, shaking her head and considering carefully what to select. The Blood Fountain, she was sure the performers could work with that. She closed her eyes once again, working from memory. The image of the area shimmered onto the stage, replacing the throne of Frostmaw with the eternal night of Vailkrin and said iconic fountain. She opened her eyes once again, when the scene was set. Keeping her arm upon the pins, she murmured, "Alright.. The show is quite ready to start." A knock then on the door, before the twin barmaids from the Tavern earlier shuffled in. They brought forth plates with a decadent gateaux, setting them down before Cerinii and Satoshi. Satoshi's plate had a helping of juicy fruit pieces for the lyrebird. The bottle of wine was set in a bucket of ice, glasses set nearby. Spoons and forks set on each plate. She grinned widely, "Pleased so far?"
Satoshi can't help but laugh. "I wish -all- kidnappings went like this. Hellfire~, food, show, dessert. This is the life, dove~." Saluting Cerinii with her newly acquired fork, Satoshi sets to slowly eating the newest edible, with Ko'tar delightedly pecking at the bits of fruit. Neither of them requires food, one being undead and the other a weapon, but the action is amusing enough for both.
Cerinii grinned widely, chuckling, "Ja! Best kidnapping I've had so far." She winked in a playful manner, spoon in metallic hand to scoop up a quantity of chocolate. "Hm." She murmured with delight. The lights dimmed, provided by mages above. Then a spotlight, set on the fountain and a young beautiful woman of elvish looking descent leaned against the Fountain. She was glancing around, as the instrumental struck up. The low, dramatic but relatively quiet shiver of strings. She watched eagerly, quite interested. A low warble of voices, accompanied by the fast dart of the elvish girl. She teetered across the stage, arms rising upwards; hands sliding against each other. She sprung across the stage, leg raised and other spun gracefully. A man, in dark garb, stomped across the stage. Warbling lowly. Cerinii didn't know the language in which they sung, but they at least told some kind of story. He reached for her hand, yet she pulled away, singing in higher tones. Cerinii's pointed ears perked quietly, glancing over to Satoshi for her reaction so far.
Satoshi watches intently with her head tipped to one side--the lyrebird matching the position unconsciously. Any attention they've had for the food is abandoned in favor of the performance, enthralled by the 'conversation' taking place through movement and foreign song. Satoshi, for the most part, is following it rather easily, being well-adapted to speaking through both body language and music. Opera seems to be just the thing for the foxkin.
Cerinii wasn't quite as good at understanding the situation solely on body language. She had frowned ever so slightly, during the performance. The man stomped towards the stage, hands clenched at his stage as he sang lowly and quickly, one hand extending into the air as the other shout out at the girl. She rushed toward him, singing in those higher tones again - in a rushed and worried manner. He seemed to push her back, stomping towards her as he sings aggressively. She seems to cower, hands raised in fear. She sings loudly, only to be interrupted by his harsher tones. She ran to the stage, then back again, his hands hoisting her hips and raising her up. Setting her on the other side, with an elegant twirl of her legs. They danced, the instrumental rising in pace and becoming ever so dramatic and rushed. He marched after her, singing the entire time as she rushed about the stage - hands flailing in a dramatic manner. Gaining a lofted brow from Cerinii as she ate her pudding. But then he grasped her, the crescendo sounding! She cried out, as he pulled her closer to his chest. A hand running to her neck, a dramatic note unleashed. He edged closer to her neck, the cymbals clashing in drama as the curtains fell and a high pitched warble from the female was unleashed. It was easy to guess the story there...
Satoshi's expression as the curtain falls is remarkably cattish for someone's who's lost her feline nature. And her clapping is just a tad on the morbidly amused side--even if the action can easily be mistaken for enthusiasm for the performance. "I love a story with a good ending~," the bard trills in delight, without Ko'tar's usually matching sound. Obviously the blade of Charity is not a creature of violence like his owner, even if he did take immense pleasure in watching the performance.
Cerinii clapped her hand atop her knee, smiling faintly. She removed her arm slowly from the thin spikes, sighing softly. She pulled the arm of the chair back over to cover the needles. She eyed Satoshi, "Ahh. It was an enjoyable performance, eh?" She grinned widely, "I've not really seen one such as that before." She paused, eyeing Satoshi. "So! Today has been enjoyable, eh?"
Satoshi nods in agreement, a hand going to stroke the feathers around Ko'tar's neck. "Quite. I should kidnap you more often, really~." Pausing, she glances toward the place where the needles have been hidden once more. "So, what do those do, exactly? You don't strike me as the type to take pleasure from pain and all that."
Cerinii smiled softly, "Avian technology is more focused on the blood. Ein donation is needed." She smirked faintly, "Donations allow me to set the stage, pilot the city, speak to the whole city from one room." She grinned widely, "Ah, fancy kidnapping. You should nab Jacklin, too. Kidnapping in Schezerade is ever so posh, eh?"
Satoshi puts on a rueful expression. "I imagine trying to kidnap Queenie would result in my earning a few broken bits. She's not the sort to go quietly, by the scent of her." A faint gleam comes into the kit-vampire's eyes then as she dwells on the thought. "It's not such a bad idea, though. Might be fine swapping blows with the likes of her, y'know?" For a creature without bloodlust, Satoshi's still exceedingly violent, isn't she?
Cerinii said to Satoshi, "Heh, und for this performance I thought you were ein lady, Satoshi! Warrior inside, eh?"
Satoshi shrugs helplessly. "What can I say? I can play any part, but I can't change my heart, eh? But, that aside, I imagine the rat's finished up her wedding or what have you by now. Care to return to the public eye, dove?"
Cerinii inclined her head, "Ja.. Time to return." She rose from her seat, taking up the bottle of wine and handing it to Satoshi. "To remember this day. It's been fun." She offered her arm once more, in order to escort Satoshi from the private box and to the city limits.
Cerinii inclined her head, "Ja.. Time to return." She rose from her seat, taking up the bottle of wine and handing it to Satoshi. "To remember this day. It's been fun." She offered her arm once more, in order to escort Satoshi from the private box and to the city limits.