[7:01 PM] Kwakado: With the last of the hedges trimmed, Sula stows the blades in one of the expansive pockets of his quaint-yet-flashy robe, humming dully as he wanders into the manor. Shimi had just had her bath and didn't feel like doing anything today, and the baby Nadia was out in the city with her mother and Sokonaro.
This left him with absolutely nothing to do at the moment besides stroll down the hall, as his droning hum shifts into a bouncing Dwabi melody. Stopping at the dining room door, the mysterious magician pokes his head in through the door, grinning wide.
"Ahhh! Kwemo, Arte-mi!"
[7:03 PM] Morderbanned: "Oh, hey Sula. Finish your yard work?"
[7:07 PM] Kwakado: "Omm..." The Dwabi smiles slyly. "A caretaker's work never ends, as long as the little ones have life. So there are no vacations, ha ha."
And with that, he sits down beside her, seemingly content to slack off anyway.
[7:11 PM] Morderbanned: "Have you ever played cards in Dwabi?"
[7:12 PM] Kwakado: "Cards-u? That is not a game that has come to the Dwabi."
[7:21 PM] Morderbanned: "Well uh... do you wanna play?"
[7:25 PM] Kwakado: "Of course, ha!" Sula plants his hands on the table, preparing to get up. "But what of those papers? Have you finished reading them?" He points to the deck of cards.
[7:26 PM] Morderbanned: "Th-...These are the cards...."
[7:28 PM] Kwakado: "Ha, Kato!" Sula's hands clap together. "What can you do with them?"
[7:30 PM] Morderbanned: Oh no... what have I gotten myself into? "So um, when you play a card game... you use the cards... to play the game."
[7:31 PM] Kwakado: "Yes, yes..."
[7:31 PM] Morderbanned: "...Any questions?"
[7:34 PM] Kwakado: "Ommm... How do you use these cards?"
[7:36 PM] Morderbanned: "Um, you're a beginner, so we're just going to play.... War, I guess. For this game, you're going to want all of your cards set up like this-" She put the deck in front of her face down.
[7:43 PM] Kwakado: Sula watches quietly, realizing that this was a game to be played inside, at a table. Just the sort of thing a king would think up, then gild with a gruesome name like "War".(edited)
[7:45 PM] Morderbanned: "Every turn, we both flip a card over, like this-" and she demonstrates what to do.(edited)
[7:49 PM] Kwakado: "So the, card, with more marks, defeats the card with less. Like soldiers..." Sula points to a picture of a hooded woman holding a flower in her hand. "Then, what is this one?"(edited)
[7:52 PM] Morderbanned: "Ok, you're getting it. These ones are called face cards; they go from Jack to Queen, to King. The highest card is the Ace, which beats everything."
[7:58 PM] Kwakado: "Greater than a king? That sounds like a scandal, ha...But, Arte-mi.." Sula scoots his chair back. "What is an Ace?"
[8:00 PM] Morderbanned: "It's just the name of the card, it doesn't really matter..." She starts shuffling the deck.
[8:02 PM] Kwakado: "Then, a king does not matter, either." Sula returns to the table. "What an interesting war..."
[8:05 PM] Morderbanned: "Hey uh, try not to take the game too literally, okay?" She starts to deal the cards out, one for her, and then one for him, repeating until the cards are all dealt.
[8:21 PM] Kwakado: "O-kay." Sula lifts the cards, looking over the symbols once more.
[8:22 PM] Morderbanned: "Oh, uh, you're not allowed to look at your cards while they're face down."
[8:25 PM] Kwakado: "Nanyo..ah, forgive me, ma'am." Sula drops them sheepishly.
[8:28 PM] Morderbanned: "Hey, it's fine. I should have told you before. Now, let's both flip over our top card like I showed you, on the count of 3... one, two, three!" Artemis flipped over her top card, revealing a 10.
[8:29 PM] Kwakado: Sula reveals a four, sighing theatrically as he is routed.
[8:31 PM] Morderbanned: "So, I had the higher card, so I take both of these and put them at the bottom of my deck. The first person to get all of the cards wins."
[5:36 AM] Kwakado: "I see, yes, I see it. As if my soldier has been convinced to change sides, in the middle of this war!" Sula laughs rhythmically at the notion, finding it as silly as Artemis probably would.(edited)
[5:40 AM] Morderbanned: "I guess that's a way to think about it, yeah... When you defeat your opponent's card, you put it at the bottom of your deck like this-"
She puts the two cards face down at the bottom of her deck.
[5:48 AM] Kwakado: Sula nods, placing his hand back on the stack, awaiting her countdown.
His next card is an 8.(edited)
[5:54 AM] Morderbanned: "...One...two...three!" She flips her next card over, revealing it to be another 10
[5:56 AM] Kwakado: "And another one goes, into the dust!" Sula tosses the card over to her in a tall arc.(edited)
[5:59 AM] Morderbanned: Artemis puts the cards at the bottom of her deck. "One, two, three!"
She lays down a 5 of spades in front of her.
[6:00 AM] Kwakado: 'Uuu... Ba-bi."
Sula's fingers slide away, revealing...a 5 of hearts.(edited)
[6:03 AM] Morderbanned: "Ooh, okay... when we put down the same number, we each have to lay down 3 cards face-down-" She does so to demonstrate, looking at him to do the same.
[6:03 AM] Kwakado: Sula follows along, laying down three cards to the side.
[6:05 AM] Morderbanned: "Now, we lay down a final card, face up, just like before. The highest card wins this whole pile of cards."
"One, Two, Three!" She flips the last card, revealing it to be yet another 5.(edited)
[6:15 AM] Kwakado: Sula reveals an Ace of Spades, its dark design more ornate than even the Kings. "Then, all this..?" His hand floats over the top of the 8 battling cards.
[6:16 AM] Morderbanned: Artemis shrugs in resignation. "All yours."
[6:17 AM] Kwakado: "So it is truly, all just a matter of fate!" Sula scoops the cards up into a messy pile, then places them under his stack one at a time. "But I think I understand."
[6:24 AM] Morderbanned: The game continues from there, lasting several minutes. Artemis' deck gradually diminishes, until she has one card left.
"Alright, here we go...one, two, three..."
She flips over her last card, revealing a 9.
[6:30 AM] Kwakado: Sula lays down the Jack of Hearts, chuckling to himself a little. The young, blond face before him almost seemed to resemble that of the young lord who had fled two years ago - to join a much more brutal war, rumor had it.
"Then, this is the end?"
[6:31 AM] Morderbanned: "Yep, you won!"
Artemis gathers up all of the cards.
[6:41 AM] Kwakado: "So what is it, you were doing with these cards alone?"
[6:43 AM] Morderbanned: "Nothing really, just messing around..."
She looks up towards the kitchen.
"Are you hungry at all? I'm thinking of asking the chef to prepare something."
[6:45 AM] Kwakado: "O-na...but that sounds Kwemo, yes yes!"
[6:47 AM] Morderbanned: "What do you want?"
[6:47 AM] Kwakado: Sula blinks. "Nn, I do not know. Just as long as it is spicy. Maybe...tempura jerk pork?"(edited)
[6:51 AM] Morderbanned: "Sure, I'll go ask him."
Artemis disappears into kitchen, returning after a few seconds.
[6:54 AM] Kwakado: "Thank you, ma'am." Sula rises from the chair, leaning casually against the table. "So much interesting food, interesting games, yes! Every day here is a surprise..."
[6:58 AM] Morderbanned: "I guess.... You sure seem to spend a lot of time with the baby."
Artemis sits down again.
[7:05 AM] Kwakado: "..Dyomu? Omm...."
The Dwabi stays suspended for a moment, humming to himself before he sits.
"Is it strange?"
[7:06 AM] Morderbanned: "No, I just noticed that you're with her a lot."
[7:08 AM] Kwakado: "Of course, of course, ha...Shimi-e gives me some more time now...not as many of her little storms in the hallways!"
[7:11 AM] Morderbanned: "Heh, I'm glad they found you to calm her down."
[7:16 AM] Kwakado: Sula smiles proudly. "And one night, Nadi-i was having a storm of her own. I can let no one disturb Lady Satomi, of course, so I tried giving her the song. And it brought them both, some peace."(edited)
[2:47 PM] Morderbanned: "Maybe that's why she always wants to go see Shimi all the time."
She leans back in her chair and rests one arm on the back.
[2:53 PM] Kwakado: "Do not worry." Sula's voice becomes quite stern. "Sula-o is no fool, to let a baby near Shimi-e. Not until, both of them, have grown."
[2:56 PM] Morderbanned: She puts a hand to her chin.
"Hey, you know what? That gives me an idea..."
[3:06 PM] Kwakado: "Huu?"
[3:13 PM] Kwakado: Sula mirrors her gesture. "A training idea?"
[3:14 PM] Morderbanned: "You could call it that," She smirks.
[3:48 PM] Kwakado: "Ommm...."
Sula smiles serenely.
"Go on, then. Let me receive this, tru-thu."
[3:52 PM] Morderbanned: "How about...we have a race."
She leans forward, interlocking her fingers.
[5:16 PM] Kwakado: Sula leans back, with a false look of confusion.
"Do you mean...kitsu-ne?"
[5:23 PM] Morderbanned: "What? I mean that we should race on Shimi and Apollo."
[5:29 PM] Kwakado: "Ha, ha, yes... But what is a race?"
[5:29 PM] Morderbanned: What the...
"Y-... you don't know what a race is?"
[5:40 PM] Kwakado: Sula chuckles softly. "It must be one of your interesting Khlin-games, yes?"(edited)
[5:40 PM] Morderbanned: "No... Races are a normal thing throughout... everywhere."
[5:42 PM] Kwakado: "Just like kings...but, do the Dwabi have either?"(edited)
[5:54 PM] Morderbanned: No, because Dwabi doesn't care about foreign polotics
"Well, no... A race is basically where people will try to reach a goal before the other people."
[5:55 PM] Kwakado: "Kwemo!" Instantly comprehending her explanation, Sula's expression brightens like a flame coming to life. "Where should we meet you?"
[5:58 PM] Morderbanned: "Well, first we should go get our mounts and meet outside...."
[6:00 PM] Kwakado: "i wonder, the garden gate path would be the proper place to start." With a wave of the palm, Sula departs abruptly to find his falcon.
[6:03 PM] Morderbanned: Artemis just stands there, confused.
How the hell has he never heard of a race...?
The kinshi knight goes to get Apollo before taking him over towards the garden.
[6:11 PM] Kwakado: She finds Sula atop Satomi's prized mount, which is clopping anxiously over the paving stones and whinnying spitefully at the kinshi. Her wings flap randomly, sending gusts into the freshly-cut hedges. Yet, surprisingly, this is better behaved than Artemis usually sees her.(edited)
[7:23 PM] Morderbanned: "To the skies, eh?" Apollo takes flight and slowly rises upwards.
[7:40 PM] Kwakado: Sula nods silently, focusing on the shaky ascent of his pitch-black pegasus. They come to the side of Apollo.
[7:42 PM] Morderbanned: "Okay, how about we start here, and race to the capital building and back?"
[7:50 PM] Kwakado: "Kwemo." Sula readies the reins for the race.
[7:52 PM] Morderbanned: "Get ready to taste defeat, Sula." She narrowed her gaze, and leaned down towards her mount.
[7:54 PM] Kwakado: Sula let out a booming, rhythmic laugh. "Only if you can serve it faster than that chef...Ba! Shimi-e!"
[7:56 PM] Morderbanned: She heard his command, and she took off towards the capital building.
[8:00 PM] Kwakado: Shimi broke into a furious gallop through the air, flapping alongside Apollo. Just as she caught up, the midnight-colored mount turned away from the capitol building, trying to ram into the bird aside her.
[8:04 PM] Morderbanned: The kinshi rolled sideways to evade their opponent. "So that's how you wanna play it, huh?"
[10:35 PM] Kwakado: "Aaaah! Shimi-e!!!"
The Dwabi nearly flung himself off the saddle as he yanked on the reins, holding Shimi back from her second attempt at a tackle.
[10:37 PM] Kwakado: Then Shimi let out an irritating neigh.
[5:57 AM] Morderbanned: "If you want to play it that way... Then so be it." The kinshi knight brought Apollo close to the Dwabi, and rammed into the side of his mount.
[11:38 PM] Kwakado: Shimi kicked furiously the bird away, but it sent her and Sula spinning out of control and tumbling towards a crowded gatehouse. Though the mount landed upright, the impact nearly threw Sula off.
[3:43 PM] Morderbanned: Artemis looks down at the two. "Gods, Sula..." She brings Apollo down towards the ground.
[6:46 PM] Kwakado: Sula draws a primitive-looking leather scroll from the side of his robe, watching them approach.
"Arte-mi, no! She was not ready!"
He dismounts at once, holding his arms out wide to shield Shimi.(edited)
[6:47 PM] Morderbanned: "I'm sorry Sula.. Is she okay?"
[6:48 PM] Kwakado: Sula takes a catious step back, looking over her legs and wings as he mumbles gently to her. He keeps a watchful eye on the Kinshi Knight, however.
[6:49 PM] Kwakado: "...a good landing, Shimi-e." He searches around the saddlebags for a meaty treat to give her.
[6:51 PM] Morderbanned: "Seriously though Sula, she shouldn't dish it out if she can't take it herself. She could have knocked me off of Apollo."
[6:53 PM] Kwakado: "No one should dish it out! It is rotten!" Sula continues to dote on his mount as he talks. "But she knows nothing of this game, either. It seems that we are not ready to be racists."(edited)
[7:00 PM] Morderbanned: She raises her hands in resignation. "I'm sorry Sula... We should have trained Shimi more before trying this."
[7:01 PM] Kwakado: He gives a small, slick smile. "And it was an interesting idea, dyo!"
[7:14 PM] Morderbanned: "Well, thanks for playing along. We should probably just head back to the mansion for now."
[7:19 PM] Kwakado: "Ha, ha! I wonder if more work will have sprouted up..." He climbs back onto the saddle. "If we press on, we can truly say it was a visit to the capital."
[8:52 AM] Morderbanned: "Sure, as long as Shimi's okay with it."
[1:31 PM] Kwakado: Sula nods proudly. "A few good kicks are just what she needs to be joyful!" He mounts Shimi at once, and the foreign beast leaps off into the air, making a wide arc around the city square. He knew Artemis could easily catch up.(edited)
[2:11 PM] Morderbanned: And she does. The kinshi knight brings her mount back up towards the sky with the man and his falicorn.
"I'm glad she's okay!" She yells over to Sula.
[2:13 PM] Kwakado: "Ha, ha!" Sula leans all the way back, looking upside-down at her. "This one has strength to match her beauty, you know!"(edited)
[2:15 PM] Morderbanned: "Oh, I believe it!"
She looks around for a second. "Where to now?"
[2:17 PM] Kwakado: The pair continues riding towards the intimidating structure at the heart of the city. "Not much further to the Shishin-den!"(edited)
[2:33 PM] Morderbanned: "Alright!"
Apollo speeds up a bit.
[2:39 PM] Kwakado: "I wonder...is it true, what they say? That this building is even bigger beneath the ground?"
[2:39 PM] Morderbanned: "I have no idea... I've never been there!"
[2:41 PM] Kwakado: "Hmm. Something we will never see, I am sure." The fliers glide over it, curving down to the side of its high walls.
[2:46 PM] Morderbanned: "You never know, but I personally don't even want to know what goes on there."
[2:47 PM] Kwakado: "As the Dwabi say..."
Sula's voice clears up, reciting a spur-of-the-moment proverb.
"Nothing good can grow / Where the sun can never go"
[2:48 PM] Morderbanned: "Sounds wise!" She chuckles.
"Did you make that one up?"
[2:52 PM] Kwakado: "Of course not...but to our holy men, making is just a part of taking. Our chef at the manor does not, make up rice, does he?"(edited)
[2:55 PM] Morderbanned: She rolls her eyes.
"No, Sula."
[3:09 PM] Kwakado: "It is the same with the recipe. All has been dreamed, in a time before time...."
Sula's eyes glaze over a little, but Shimi stays her course.
"You come from the, Water Tribe, yes?"(edited)
[7:01 PM] Morderbanned: "Yeah, what about it?"
[7:22 PM] Kwakado: "An island tribe, far from the kingdoms...."
[7:24 PM] Morderbanned: "Uh huh, that's where I'm from." She says it in a tone as if telling him to get to the point.
[7:24 PM] Kwakado: Shimi gives a thunderous flap as they turn the corner, and her rider looks the retainer in the eye.
"Did you hate them?"(edited)
[7:30 PM] Morderbanned: "Hate the people of the Water Tribe? My family? I wouldn't use a word as strong as hate, no."
She returns the gaze and makes eye-contact with the Dwabi.
[7:32 PM] Kwakado: "Not so strong....but you did not, like them?"
[7:35 PM] Morderbanned: "Well, not enough to stay there. I wanted to do more with my life, so I left."
[7:38 PM] Kwakado: "Kato Byana hi-kope....a life beyond your shore." Sula blinks.
"What did you seek?"(edited)
[7:39 PM] Morderbanned: "I don't know, adventure I suppose."
[7:39 PM] Kwakado: "And, you found it?"
[7:40 PM] Morderbanned: "I did, but... then I landed myself in Stormblade Manor for life."
[7:42 PM] Kwakado: "Aha, yes, yes! No better place to rest at the journey's end, yes?" Sula grins dishonestly.
[7:42 PM] Morderbanned: She exhales. "Oh yes, of course." she says sarcastically.
[7:51 PM] Kwakado: "Truly? You sound like you are looking for a new shore..."(edited)
[7:52 PM] Morderbanned: "Noo, never."
[8:03 PM] Kwakado: "Of course, of course." Sula looks down over the opulent, gaudily-dyed roofs of the decadent nobility. "A city as beautiful as this, is hard to find, yes, yes...."
[8:22 PM] Morderbanned: Hm, I've seen better.
"Sure, of course."
[8:27 PM] Kwakado: "Of course." The Dwabi masks his own regret at where his journey has led, and simply lets Shimi take him back toward the manor.
[8:31 PM] Morderbanned: Artemis and Apollo follow behind the pair.
[8:37 PM] Kwakado: ===END RP===
