ixis | Portal Maintenance [For Katsuya]

Current Mood: waiting
Current Music: "Revolving Doors"-Gorillaz

Portal Maintenance [For Katsuya]

This is a long time overdue.

Ixis Naugus has no conventional means to reach the young man because phones are evil. And Verity is presently not on hand to pester her into doing it for him. Although he does have some questions regarding that. The wizard's not exactly the one to go to for relationship advice, but he's observant regardless.

So he figures if he is to find Katsuya, he will likely appear sometime around the portal the Ixis is meant to examine! And thankfully, Naugus remembers where it's located. So the mage loiters there, having brought some more of his roomie's baked goodies to bide his time with. It's some kind of toffee! Nice and crunchy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh god dammit.

No, by all means, everyone show up. Maybe some demons? Why don't we just invite Philemon and Nyarlathotep here to so this could possibly get any worse than it's about to be.

Katsuya hates his life right now. So, so much.

"I didn't realize it would be so intrusive. On either the door or my person." The officer offers quietly, not really of any hope that this will end peacefully, but certainly hoping that he doesn't have to take a side, here. And he knows if he does, the decision has been made for him. And he's not looking forward to it one bit.

He glances Ixis' way.

"Let's not fight, either of you...please?"

"I intend to," Schön replies, voice like ice water as he picks his way past Naugus to the door. It's like watching cats puff up and edge past one another.

Katsuya gets a look of reproach. "You let him work his spells on you?" He tsks quietly, before turning to inspect the door, fingertips tracing over the marks left from a half-inch away, feeling the weave of the magic they define.

"Vale's bones, what overreactions. The spell in regards to your person, Katsuya, is nothing more than a binding. Should the ward fail or fall, it will dissipate on its own." Or if the ward is undone violently, it might feel a little worse than that. But no need to be alarmist here! "It does little else other than give you that sense of people or beings leaving your zone. Just as asked."

The magicks Schön should be detecting are sound and solid; there's no nuance in its making. The runes are Ixian in nature and may not translate in any phonetic meaning, but the sense they give off is ones of warning, exit, passage.

"Yes, you've explained." Katsuya assures Ixis. "And I'm grateful that the experience was not as...unpleasant as you said it might have otherwise been. As I am grateful for your explanation when I asked."

He stands aside to let Schon examine what he will. Katsuya has no desire to get in either's way right now. It's a little bit insulting that both of them find the fact that this door is for Katsuya's world to be so trivial, each caught up in the rivalry they have between each other.

"Sergeant Suou," Schön drawls, not yet looking up from his examinations, "if you wanted some manner of alarm upon the door, why did you not come to me? I might be stung at such disregard."

He does look up from his study to cast a sidelong look at Naugus, asking, "and what did you charge, for this... 'service?'"

"Nothing! It was a courtesy to one close to a friend we share." Even if that qualifier is kinda in flux right now. "They spoke of labouring under profound debt for the cost of this doorway's installation, so I thought I would provide a kindness for no cost."

Oh god. This can't possibly get any worse.

"Don't drag me into this, either of you." He turns to Schon first.

"Verity lives with Ixis and the subject came up when we were discussing the demon infestation of the nexus. Ixis was not present on site and wanted to be filled in on the events that transpired. That was when this came up, you should have expected I'd be acquainted with Ixis at some point."

Then to Ixis.

"I said I appreciated the kindness, but I don't want you throwing me under a bus here because of your business with Schon. I am indebted to him for the work he has done for me. But I chose to accept that price. Please don't cheapen that choice or Verity's by using it as ammunition."

It could certainly get worse, Katsuya. They could come to actual blows, the collateral damage of their squabble could include the door... there are any number of ways it could be worse. Don't be such a pessimist when greater disaster still looms.

"Mm. He did miss all the excitement, didn't he?" Schön asks, in response to Katsuya's explanation to him. "I'm not surprised you became acquainted, Sergeant Suou, merely that you accepted an offer of such... nebulous terms, when mine are always so clear. Kindness can be circumstantial."

Interesting to note is Naugus' use, perhaps not conscious, of the f-word to describe Verity. That particular remark was delivered without his signature pomposity, so it might even be sincere. A possibility to examine another time.

Never think things can't get worse when there are distinct possibilities of magic duels and damaged property. Puffed egos and posturing are barely a blip on the radar when it comes to these two.

If the mention of Naugus missing out on the demon incursion is a barb, it's one he ignores with his usual toothy smile. "There were no terms. This is a gesture of good will for those who are already disproportionately burdened." Sorry, Katsuya, he's also ignoring your request to not natter on that point. "And your work still stands, so I'm uncertain what objections you could have to this installation! Other than a wounded pride of not being everyone's immediate go-to. What's it like to need so much external validation? I can't even imagine."

Coming from the world he does, Katsuya should be well versed in the notion of the infinite depth of getting worse possible at any one given time. He sighs and removes his tinted glasses to wipe them off.

All of this posturing is hitting really close to home for him, save that the two fighting are magi and not literal gods. Okay, he just found a way that this is better. They are not, in fact, gods. Let's try some positive thinking here.

Ixis has said he specializes in fire magics, so if this does come to blows, Katsuya should be fine on that front. Likewise, should Schon decide to cash in on a favor, it would be one less that Katsuya owes the magi. So many plusses...and this is still a bad situation.

Would they even notice if he left?

He leans against his door, arms folded, to watch this for a while longer. He's more worried about harm coming to his door than of them fighting. There's no way he's getting in the middle of that unless ordered to.

"Indeed, you cannot," Schön replies, readying a (metaphorical) acid barb. The head of his cane is a silver wasp today, and it seems not unfit. "When you have experienced some validation, external or otherwise, I would be happy to discuss the experience. Do be certain to call me."

But he isn't quite done, for Naugus has claimed not to put a price on his services here, and the thin man wants to press that point into contractual certainty. "Oh? Is your explicit word given on that? No terms, no price, no strings, no favor or obligation to arise at the moment of your convenience? Would you swear to such, on things you hold precious and before a third-party witness?"

"The only type of validation I need is self. It must be a desperate sort of life, not being able to generate any on your own. No wonder you're so active in your Nexus wheeling and dealing! Have to keep priming the pumps for that affirmation."

The mage chortles as he leans on his staff, the end of his tail curling around the base of it. "This really is a cause for projection with you, isn't it, Schön? You can't fathom a simple favour without stipulations or strings? No payments or debt? I would gladly take this vow if it was enough to quiet you!"

His claw moves to cover his heart as he clearly states, "I, Ixis Naugus, master of the elements and sorcerer supreme, do solemnly swear that if there is hidden terms or unfulfilled business OR expected payment that I have not expressed to one Katsuya Suou; if there is any repayment or debt expected on my part now or in the future for the conjuration and installation of one ward, I do rightfully surrender the chaos emerald affixed upon my staff to one Schön, surname unknown."

Well, it seems like some good is going to come from this. Ixis has put up a magical item as collateral that he wasn't going to take anything from Katsuya for this. Not...that the officer was worried he would. He trusts Verity's house mate as much as one can ever trust a magi.

Farther than one can throw them? But who? Katsuya can throw most anything pretty far. Such a strange saying. Can one apply the penal code to magi? This isn't exactly his jurisdiction, so is this legally binding?

Once again, officer Suou is thinking much too hard about probably not the most important point of the current events.

"Thank you, Naugus." Katsuya gives a hopeful glance Schon's way. Would that be enough to satisfy the other? "Is that sufficient?"

Once Naugus makes his vow, Schön declares, "witnessed." The world around them seems to throb with the word, as though they stood within a massive heart which gave a single beat. For just a moment, Schön seems somehow other, and the cane in his hand a great staff. But the vision passes, if it had ever been to begin with.

"That does begin to soothe ruffled feathers, so to speak. Still, Sergeant Suou, I would be grateful for some small warning before something is done to the portal, if that would not be an undue hardship?"

Naugus, up to now all smug smiles and self-assured pride, falters at that unusual pulse. He may not know the precise mechanics behind what caused it, or the reason for that faint flicker of Schön's being, but he can make some reasonable guesses. Invocation of True words and promises are not something he dabbles in often because, well.

And even if he has no intention of going back on his word, to know that his glib response now has some heft to it, that he could be bereft of the item that gave him more than these two will ever know...What if Schön tries to weasel this around, tries to set up circumstances where Ixis Naugus breaks his promise and the artifact ends up in the fae man's possession?

This frantic line of thought only took seconds to pass through his mind, but it's enough to make a very light sweat appear on Naugus' brow. He dabs at it with the hem of his cape and tries to look neutral.

"Of course. I would have today even, had I been more aware. I will do so in the future." He's not really in the position to refuse Schon much of anything, but he would even without such bindings.

It's only polite, after all.

"There now." Katsuya has seen Schon look Other before, once. He has no doubt that there was some ritual or point to the whole agreement that just took place, for even Helios stirred within him at the pulse that rippled through the area. He looks ixis' way with a grateful smile.

"I really do appreciate your generosity in such a matter. It will make my work all the easier to know when the door is being used. And of the other matter..." This he leaves vague because he really doesn't want the conversation to come full circle right now. not with both of them here and at each other's throats. "I will take your advice and think carefully."

See? Everything ended up going well, after all. He has no idea.

Schön gives Naugus a thin smile as he dabs, before turning back to receive Katsuya's answer. "Thank you, Sergeant Suou. Do keep in touch." While he's tempted to drop some remark about how he'd hate to see his work damaged as a result of someone's careless spellcraft, but he reins himself in.

He can come back and examine the ward to learn more of Naugus' particular style later.

Naugus harrumphs as his tail switches quick and angry. "Yes, well," he says to Katsuya regarding the taking of advice, "do follow up on it. That's all I ask of you. Nothing's final until the word is said." You know, like this exchange that just happened here.

With one last sneering look towards Schön, the wizard concludes, "Now if you'll excuse me..." before he vanishes in a heavy plume of smoke. Guess it's just these two now while Naugus goes and ~~has a panic attack~~ attends to more pressing affairs.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Portal Maintenance [For Katsuya]

Sorry! I'm tracking now. D:

S'okay

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject