Arnia
Everything about this felt so…wrong. Why were they chatting with the old rat, anyway? It’s not like he had much to offer the kingdom, other than his damn silk, but that was too impractical anyway. The idea of Maka wearing a dress of silk and prancing around, frolicking about to greet people was enough to make her want to laugh aloud.
But, she couldn’t. So she didn’t.
Instead, she let her mind wander away from the stench of death and onto what she could be doing right then.
If I find someone willing to lend me a pelt of some kind…I could harass the drunks…That’s always a good pastime… she thought, remembering fondly the drunken brawls. Sure, she wouldn’t have Maka to back her up that time, but she’d take a punch to the face over listening to this drivel. The sudden clicking included.
Had it not been for the clicking and incessant harsh tones, she’d have missed Maka’s attention turning on her. Tuning back in, eyes on her sister’s, her gaze held what her face could not. Very clearly in her utter distaste for what was being asked of her.
Why can’t someone else do it?! she screamed, as though speaking without actually doing so existed.
Why can’t someone else do it?! You want me to leave you alone with THAT?! A hand pushed itself through her hair, the mussing she’d done to it earlier now gone and back to its normal state of chaos.
“Adeezhí… chʼééh… tʼáá shǫǫdí…” was all she asked back through gritted teeth, her nod curt.
Yes, the lack of interest in anything the patriarch said was bordering on dangerous levels: dangerous enough she was considering doing just a
little something to liven things up. Something along the offensive variety…or accidentally falling (you know how pesky humans are, when it comes to balance and doing things)…But her pride wouldn’t let her do that. Just as the thought of catching another’s eye to do it and give her an excuse to “punish” them off in some dark corner somewhere, other words that did mean something to her caught her interest.
For all the wrong reasons.
Eyes that had long gone unfocused refocused in, this time on Dusk-Walker, keeping her face as placid as she could while the nonchalant threat was made. Stammering taking away from the seriousness of it, she merely nodded.
Awww…that’s cute, came a wry thought. “And if anything happens to her…” she started, voice even. A pause. “What happens to him will be the least of your concerns.”
The rat was lucky to waddle off, that she had to behave. Words spoken so callously to her often ended in at least one thrown punch, “on principle,” she’d tell herself. But, this was a
peace festival, and peace wouldn’t be had with her punching Cinder’s entourage, no matter how decrepit they may be. Her expression remained otherwise unreadable as she watched them walk off, only to feel another presence encroaching just as fast as the last had…except this one was far less wanted.
Does no one know how to do their damn jobs?!Both the hairless monkey and Gigantor appeared to her at the same time, giving their salute and asking questions they should have already known the answer to. The human, for what it was worth, she could have justified.
He’s stupid. He’s not been here nearly as long. The big ass leopard, on the other hand…And again, another interruption. Her eyes narrowed tenfold as yet another joined the party gathering around her: the Polar Bear.
I feel as though I’m on my way to being the butt end of a joke… Arnia thought with growing agitation that was kept inward once more, only her eyes showing exactly what she felt for all three of them in that moment.
“Right,” she started, smile on her lips that held no mirth. Her head tilted up to properly stare him down. “Let’s start from the top. Ro’que, what did I tell you to do earlier? Just like I told everyone else: this is meant to be a festival. You’re meant to be vigilant, but not directly in the action. Do we not know how big we are? You’re a ****ing giant. Let’s just hold up a flag, wave it around, and set off a light display to say ‘hey! I’m a guard who doesn’t know what I’m doing’! The queen is going where she was requested and you’ll do well not to follow her around like the big hulky bodyguard no one can seem to shake.” Everything was rattled off in rapid succession in their native tongue (and would continue to be so), barely letting out a breath in between each word. Despite the anger she harbored for the sorry lot, the words still held their standard musical quality. Match that to the smile and she’d appear to be sharing almost an inside joke.
“Next; You,” came the next breath, rounding on Ashton. “Everything was dandy until we all decided to congregate at once. Do we not know how this works? Were you asleep when we went over protocol? Is this how we handle things? I don’t know how it is back in Atlygaea, but that’s not how it works here, and you’d do best to remember that. Apart from a veiled threat, we’re doing ****ing perfect.”
“And you!” Nixus was now stared down. “Calm the ever loving **** down or so help me, I’ll beat the tension out of you. This is ****ing ridiculous. If there wasn’t going to be an attack, you’re sure giving them a reason to with how you carry yourself. ‘May as well do what they think we will! Can’t breathe without them tensing’!” As his gaze slid over to where her sister and the old geezer wandered off, she physically reached up and grabbed his snout, pulling his face back with a laugh, one she forced to some degree, but still held the same annoyance her amber gaze did. “Stop staring them down! That goes for all of you,” she added the last with a glance at the other two. “Do you really think being so obvious in your observations is wise? It’s like I taught you nothing at all when you went through bootcamp. Keep this up, you’ll each be demoted and put on armor duty.”
A calming breath as a hand clapped Nixus on the nose, her eyes roving over all three of them while her peripheral went elsewhere. “Now, because of you three I’ve now been delayed in my own task, the reason I left her side in the first place. So, I’d be extremely happy if you could all do your ****ing jobs and go elsewhere? Mingle, pretend like you give a damn about this festival and not making sure someone stabs Maka, and just pay the **** attention. Are we capable of multitasking? Is that beyond your comprehension, or are you good?”
This time, the smile that pulled at her lips was genuine, eyes falling back on her target just before he melted into the crowd completely. “If you’ll three excuse me…I have a rat to follow.”
And with that, Arnia turned on heel and casually melted into another section of the crowd, careful not to be too close to Dusk that it was obvious, but not so far away that she couldn’t see him or what he was doing. Occasionally, she pretended to care about conversation as people spoke to her, if only to keep up the rouse of her own milling about and this “peace” bullshit. Yet, her mind didn’t wander. Part of her hoped that Dusk would try something, if only to give her an excuse to take his threat and shove it up his long-tailed, hunchbacked ass.
- - - -
Nadja
The shock was slowly dissipating for her, the longer she sat outside amongst those chatting and laughing. As the festival was supposed to be a joyous event, she shouldn’t have been surprised by the turnout, but it didn’t keep her from being caught off guard. But, when the festival is being held in a kingdom that you once fought with, that hates magic, you’re bound to be a bit jumpy.
Add that you’re not often around people, and it’s the perfect storm for a panic attack.
But, like all things, that came to an end (for the most part). As she spent more time sitting at that table, watching everyone interacting, watching the general casual, if excited, atmosphere continue to remain as such, her tension eased. Where a tentative fox once sat, a quiet but calm one now replaced it. Her warm eyes continued to flit from face to face, stand to stand as her senses were overrun with new smells, new sights (at least, experiencing them herself, and not through a vision). Part of her wanted to get up from the table and try to mingle, but there was that side of her that wasn’t sure she could do that; That she’d run into one person who wouldn’t care what the festival was for and would, instead, act out their prejudice.
She’d already heard as much in another area since arriving, so it wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
No, Nadja told herself sternly, letting out a calming breath.
You need to relax and go for it. What kind of show of faith is it if you keep to your comfort zone, your own little bubble, instead of talking to those around you? What harm could it do?With that, she pushed off of the table, and started to move. Where she was moving to, she was unsure, letting her feet and the general motion of the crowd decide for her. Though she wasn’t hungry, one of her travels led her to a food stand, handed something she’d never seen nor heard of, accepting it and taking a bite to be polite. It wasn’t bad…in fact, was really good, a smile crossing her features as she indulged for a while, milling about in the crowd of people in her own bubble of happiness for that moment.
At some point, what she’d been eating was finished, its wrapping discarded, stopping for a moment to figure out where to move to next. …It was then that her eyes hit him, and her mind clouded over with a memory.
The memory was a pleasant one, back in the days of her normal schooling. He’d been a friend to her then, even if they hardly spoke. She, too quiet, and he focused on his studies. He was the one friend she’d lamented losing when her responsibilities caught up with her and took her away from the rest of the world into obscurity, living as mere myth for those who hadn’t met her directly.
Is it him? she wondered, staring while telling herself not to stare.
His face looks the same…if more mature…Last I saw him, he still looked more like a kitten, and now taller than I…Hard to be certain… Curiosity getting the better of her, she wandered closer to him, eyes on him still, glancing away now and again to try and appear less creepy, trying to discern if he were who she thought.
How can I be certain?“
THeia Therapeftis?” Nadja finally asked, eyes hesitantly making eye contact, praying it was he and that he’d recognize her, even if aged. Yes, she’d used his true name, not the name all would know, but, if he were who she thought, he’d understand.
Here goes nothing…