riverviewlogs | (no subject)

who: Sombra & Khisanth
what: a run-in! literally.
when: nowish
where: somewhere in the city, toward the first fence
warnings: n/a

[ Really, Onyx should have worked out a better system for all of this. Something like the swords and skulls, currently magically small and compact about her neck, as a necklace. Why can't the rest of her hoard be so easily transported? Sure, the actual necklaces in the collection were easy enough to manage, but the rest of it...

...is currently scattered across the street, courtesy of the woman she'd met suddenly and violently coming around that corner. Everything from jeweled daggers to useless but shiny trinkets is laid out on display, and she'd only managed to keep ahold of a few things.

She shoots a glare up at the woman, but she doesn't have much time for that. More important that she drops to her knees immediately, beginning to gather up everything she'd dropped, snatching it up with the zealous protectiveness of someone who considers each and every thing here a fine treasure worthy of stealing. It's true in some cases, like the enormous diamond necklace still draped around her neck, but not quite in the case of the flashy but cheap broach of pastes and fake stones. It's fashioned in the shape of a winged serpent, though, so she'd liked it. And no one out here on the street can have it, it's hers. ]

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[ She doesn't seem to care in the slightest whether Sombra turns her gaze away or not. She also doesn't seem to care to clear things up at all. She leaves her clothing folded a little less than neatly in one corner of roots, and takes a moment to stretch her arms lazily above her head with a private little smile. She won't miss this body that much.

And then she's changed. It's a swift process, the unfolding of a shadow — in one second the human Onyx stands on the damp ground, and in the next it's Khisanth. Four black scaled talons, a horned head just scraping the ceiling 15 feet up, and leathery wings folded in tight, close to her long body. She fits into the large space under the tree, but she makes it look small and cramped.

Feeling smug and satisfied for her change, she directs a fiery orange eye down to Sombra. ]

You can call me Khisanth now.

[There are a lot of things that Sombra has witnessed, gained information on, and viewed from afar. Plenty of odds and ends, and even dragons aren't so impossible if Genji's any proof of it -- albeit in a different way.

This, though. There is no way that Sombra could predicted this. At first, all she can think of is holy shit, quite honestly.]

Khisanth. [quick say something else] That's a good name. [nailed it]

I think I just made a really special friend.

It looks like you did.

[ She settles herself down with care, a cat readying to relax into the perfect lounge. Her tail curls around her body, forefeet folding over one another, but her head looms overhead still on its long neck. Even lying down, she can't just let a human be taller than her. ]

Let's talk security. I have magic, and I can set up wards. What can you do better than that?

[Right. Talk shop. She can do this. Sombra doesn't feel particularly intimidated, but she's definitely very much impressed, so that's certainly something.]

Well. [Sombra shrugs, rediscovering her own casualness.] I'm definitely not an expert on magic. I'll give you that, so I don't doubt that you can protect your hoard in your way.

But you can't be too careful, and I'm gonna guess that technology isn't as efficient in your world as it is in mine. I can make security cameras that wouldn't be detectable by the naked eye, silent alarms -- nothing that would look out of place.

We could make it stricter than that, if you wanted, but I don't know how protective you are or how much you just want to scare off strangers. Everyone's got a different priority.

[ She's definitely learned a healthy respect for technology in this world — it's essentially magic that anyone can use, as far as she can tell. She is tempted, very tempted, to ask if she can make it lethal to intruders — but really, she would hate to be deprived of the kill herself.

She considers the situation for a few seconds, a few sword-length claws tapping out an idle rhythm against the old wood of the tree, then: ]

I want to be aware of intruders, and I would rather they not know I'm aware. And I only want to be alerted to human presence, not simple beasts. [ Her head sinks a little closer, cocking for a closer look at her visitor. ] Can you arrange that?

[Sombra smiles and tilts her head.] Oh, I can definitely get that done for you, Khisanth.

I should be able to come up with something for you in a couple of days. I don't have anything else on my plate, so it won't be long.

[ That's what she likes to hear. She looks pleased at the news, a few long, white teeth glinting as she smiles. ]

That's good. I think you'll find I can be a very useful ally, as long as you keep up your end of our agreements.