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Kushiko It had been pretty interesting times in the Multiverse of late--but despite the changes--and conflicts that spring anew, time still gets made for something other than endless conflict. Rumors circulated, and it wouldn't be too hard for a certain Altus mage to get transport booked for one of the relays in the Origin System. While before, the mage might seem utterly out of place, the upheaval meant there was denizens from all corners outside and beyond making their way through of all different stripes besides the high tech nuances of the relay.

Accordingly, it was at the docks that the Tenno would be waiting. Might be nice to catch up and properly get to know one before the terrible horror that was fast paced snowday mayhem. Then again, some traditions might be different--did Thedans still celebrate Feastday? Hmmm.

...good thing Kushiko did not know of those traditions if they kept on. And 'she' was still that faceless Warframe, though this time she was accompanied by a rather large and black and purple patterned dog that would give a Mabari either envy or attraction; we're not sure which.
Dorian Pavus     Indeed, Dorian did quite feel out of place -- one single speck of archaic magic against a backdrop of all this smooth, sleek, technological splendor. It's hard not to look like a country bumpkin in this place. Particularly now, when there's no real pressing need to continue on and deal with a severe problem. Now he has time to actually LOOK at the place.

    He's dressed in his usual outfit now, the light-colored leather armor and white cloak over it, carrying the serpent-headed staff. It does take him a few moments to find his way through the docks. Mainly because he's looking at the place, the people. The first time he bumps into someone, though? He apologizes profusely and straightens up!

    Eventually he'll show up though; recognizing the faceless Warframe -- those things STILL creep him out a little. And the dog(?) beside her gets a quizzical look as well. However, he soon turns his attention back to the Tenno, and bows. "Greetings." Pause, and he looks at the creature again. "And to your... companion as well." He offers a smile.
Kushiko A shrug from the masked technician Dorian bumps into, "Hah, nothin' to worry about. Pretty impressive, isn't it? Just watch your step yeah?" There's other Tenno here--other Warframes, and a stupendously vast variety of them as well: masculine frames, ones that had bits of chitin on, ones that looked every bit the traditional ninja (if in space).

Others were gorgeously ornate works of art--though some of them... had dizzyingly blinding arrays of colors, perhaps on purpose. Whoever ran those perhaps was not as serious as some might lead others to believe. It was the holiday season after all.

Nonetheless, once Dorian made his way over to where Valkyr-Kushiko stood, she closed her hands together and gave a short bow, as the Kubrow gave a modest little *wuff!* to the mage's words. <"Nice to see you out here. We did not get much of a chance to talk before. We wanted to thank you again for your offer to help previously."> She meant it sincerely--looks aside, the mysticism the Altus mage was capable of was not out of place amidst the Tenno.

At least, if certain stories are to be believed. <"We are known as Kushiko. This is Kiras, a Huras Kubrow. Or maybe better explained, she's a breed of Kubrow bred exclusively to hunt." The dog's head reaches Valkyr's shoulders very nearly; a child could probably ride it if there were a saddle. <"You probably have questions by now, Snowday aside."> she pleasently offers. At least with her voice, it's undoubtedly a she, feminine features of Valkyr besides.
Dorian Pavus     So many COLORS!. Dorian wonders now if he ought to have some armor made for this place -- some that, even if it doesn't protect against space or that odd energy that the Tenno and others tended to use, would at least make him look not quite so out of place. Though the difficulty would be having the armor made that doesn't required he be wheeled through the area when he wore it! But yes.

    Dorian gives a smirk at the thanks. "I rather take exception to people who bully others for their entertainment. Reminds me too much of home, you see... and I'm ever so nasty to deal with them I'm homesick." He's only partly kidding. But it does remind him of one of those many things he left Tevinter trying to change.

    He seems almost surprised when the Kubrow wuffs, and blinks a little. That was in reply. Kushiko's explanation of the Kubrow gets a nod. "Ah, I see," he notes, looking to Kiras once more. "Tevinter has a breed of dog that are bred to assist warriors in combat, the mabari. They're capable of understanding speech, and far more complex commands than the average dog. They imprint on a single master... there are many stories of mabari going berserk when their masters fell, avenging his death, and then lying down next to his master to join him in death."

    Questions? Oh yes, he has many. He nods. "I do indeed," he agrees. Though he's... honestly not quite certain where to start. "Pardon the directness, but what exactly are you, personally? I've heard 'Tenno', but that doesn't say much." And there wasn't time to ask during the arena fight.
Kushiko Who knows, maybe they /could/ weave something a little more fashionably /sleek/ for the grim dark futures that Dorian finds himself in. Who knows! But in the meantime, there's a faint sound of amusement from the Void-fueled Warframe, her voice projecting making a little discordant echo.

<"Few sane people do, and those who do, well."> She shrugs her shoulder, Valkyr's tail flicking once behind her. Faceless as she is, the shimmering lines of energy along the biometal frame is a poor standard for emotive expressions. She's still somewhat... /shy/ about who and what she iss, even if she had begun to get slightly more talkative. <"Maybe if the time comes, we'll get to see that world too.">

As to the man's surprise given Kiras' response and furthermore, his explanation of the mabari, she actually laughs, theading her fingers between the Kubrow's ears and giving her a good scritching. <"Huh. That's... that's actually a lot like Kubrow. We do not know if they went to that degree at any point if their masters were lost, but... everything else?"> A smile could be heard in the Tenno's voice. <"Definitely describes Kubrow like her."> Another little pleased /wuff/ from the Kubrow, and as Dorian asks his question, the hound decides to turn once--twice, and a third time before curling up nearby.

Which prompts her to gesture to Dorian to walk with her and talk than just standing there. <"Direct. We like that. Though there are some things we cannot tell you for our own safety, we will do the best to explain some of it. We noticed you were looking to our face a lot sometimes, but you won't find one there, not really."> She pauses briefly. <"We do not know everything of what we are. This..."> She gestures to herself, <"Is a Warframe. Without a Tenno, it is a hollow shell. We put ourselves into them. I do not know how best to put it, so forgive me a little bit. It is both us and not us. We are warriors. We channel ourselves into them, and they are conduits for our strength."> She trails off because really, it's hard to put it into something that wasn't an esoteric term.
Dorian Pavus     Dorian looks distinctly uncomfortable at the thought that Tenno might need to invade Tevinter. "Maker, no. I hope it doesn't come to that." He raises his hands and shakes his head. "I would like to keep the place in as few pieces as possible. Less to put back together later. I'm sure you understand." A smile. Again, he might or might not be kidding.

    When Kushiko scritches the Kubrow, Dorian raises his hand up to the head of the creature as well, looking to pat it gently upon the head. Though if either Kushiko or Kiras herself indicate that it's not welcome, he will of course not do this.

    He nods to the words of the Kubrow. "They imprint?" he inquires. "I can understand, particularly with a creature that's designed to be a battle companion. Can't have the enemy 'buying' the loyalty of your companion with nothing more than a juicy steak."

    Kushiko's gesture to walk with her gets a nod, and he moves to walk alongside her as she begins to explain. He nods to the mention of not telling him some things for their safety. "I can understand that. Everyone has secrets like that." He listens to the explanation with a thoughful look. And when she trails off, he inquires, "The Warframes are your avatars, then? Well... something like an avatar, but something like a suit of armor?"
Kushiko Kiras does permit such pettings! The batlike snout flares a little bit, though the remark about invading Tevinter earns a slightly quizzical tilting of Valkyr's head, before she simply dismisses it for the time being before the Kubrow settles in. As an afterthought, she nods. <"Their collars in their cases signify as such, yes, and one Kubrow will only /ever/ have one Master in their entire life.">

And as to Dorian's understanding, the domed head of Valkyr nods once. <"You have the right of it. She, for example, is called Valkyr. There's others: Nova, Mesa, Banshee, Frost..."> She cants her head slightly as one of those--in this case, a teal and lightly colored Frost sprints towards the Relay's Concourse; if he didn't have that faceless helmet he could pass for a mystic--albeit, of certain futurey aspects, but still.

<"The key is adaptation for us. Some frames are suited for stealth, assassination more than others, where others are focused on the control of the battlefield. Frost, that one over there, he controls, well. Ice. Frost."> Wisely, she decides not to tell Dorian of more troubling powers. <"Magic actually fascinates us a lot, yours and other people's because its' a lot like the Void we use to power our abilities."> Occasionally Dorian still gets a look here and there, but with the purple and black colored Warframe walking along with him, they're only fleeting things.
Dorian Pavus     "Ah, I see." This to the note of the collar. "There are wild Kubrow, I imagine? Or are they only bred?" Dorian inquires. Then he explains the question, "It's extremely rare to find a feral mabari, because of the imprinting. And because of their value as a companion."

    Dorian looks to the side as Kushiko turns her head that way, looking at the Warframe as it runs past. This is actually a good way for him to study some of these designs. Though he does nod to Kushiko's observation. "So it's a matter of... well, basically wearing the skin that will be the most useful for whatever situation you expect to be in," he surmises. "You've seen my change my armor and which staff I use." Notably he's not wearing the same outfit or carrying the same staff as the arena battle.

    But he looks visibly surprised when Kushiko mentions his magic being similar to the Void abilities. "Oh? That's... almost frightening, I'm going to be honest. For a careless user, magic in my world is just as dangerous to the user as to whatever unlucky sod happens to be on the receiving end of it."
Kushiko <"There are feral Kubrow, yes. They breed naturally in the wild and lay eggs, as it happens."> Which given the clear mammalian influence, might be... surprising, to put it mildly. <"Before they were heavily modified by the Orokin and even now they've been prone to... modifications by the Grineer."> There's a hint of distaste in her words. <"They modified them crudely. Hairless, armored physically... and given their tendency to clone..."> She doesn't finish the statement; it should speak for itself.

If she could smile properly, she would, <"We noticed this, yes. It's very much similar, though our entire nature change. After all... some of these frames, you couldn't adapt them for everyone."> She gestures down to herself; the feet on this Valkyr for instance, ends in three-taloned claws, a slight curvature to the lower legs does not lend one to a fully human element, the tail asides.

At Dorian's assessment regarding the comparison, she... laughs. It's a short little sound. <"That confirms it for us then."> She gestures slightly, and a lilac nimbus of smoky energy manifests in her hand, swirling about for a few precious seconds before she fcloses her hand around it into a fist, the pulsing lines of energy along her hand flickering a little more. <"The power we have was something we could not control. We use these Warframes to keep that power in control as much as use it. A conduit, or a lens for focusing scattered light into one point.">
Dorian Pavus     Surprising? Definitely. Dorian's never heard of warm-blooded creatures that lay eggs. And he doesn't know much about dragons, so he doesn't know if they're more reptilian or more mammalian in nature. "Eggs? They don't give live birth?" he inquires. Though the notion of the Kubrow being experimented on by the Grineer does get the frown one might expect from him. "No redeeming traits whatsoever?" He's talking about the Grineer. "That seems highly odd. Out-and-out 'cackling villainous clichés' are incredibly rare. But it does make it easier to know what to do with them when metting them, at least."

    The mention of adapting the frames prompts Dorian to give the Valkyr a once-over. "I could imagine." He notes the taloned feet and the tail, and tilts his head. "I wonder... is it a whole other adjustment period in using a frame with a particular limb that another one doesn't have? Or the other way around -- using one that's lacking a limb another has? I've seen some that don't have tails." Pause. "As a matter of curiosity, can you use 'male' frames? Or does each frame have forms for both genders?"

    He watches the energy swirl around the Valkyr's hand, tilting his head to observe the phenomenon. When she closes her hand, Dorian looks back up to the not-face of the Warframe and listens. His head tilts back a bit in understanding. "That does sound similar, yes." He tilts his head, rubbing his chin lightly to think of how to explain it. "The sort of magic I use, the power is drawn from another place -- the mage is merely a channel for the power. It can be dangerous to draw great amounts of power, though. For... a variety of reasons."
Kushiko <"There's some who rejected that. But they were originally builders made by the Orokin. Which... that is it's own story altogether. They did a lot of genetic modification and made us, and uplifted the Kubrow. They degenerated after the Collapse... Selfish and greedy and..."> There's a slight sigh and for just a brief moment, the voice does not sound as it should--disarmingly young--but maybe it's just imagination. <"The Steel Meridian here is who those other Grineer were going to defect to. They care more about the people of the colonies than the Grineer do. There's also Clem. He's a man of few words, I'll have to introduce you some time.">

As to the frame swapover, she shrugs once then answers first--before demonstrating. <"They are shaped as they are. Male, female, it doesn't matter all that much. We used to use two of them that were as you might say... 'masculine'? Yes, that's the word. Vauban, Loki. Engineer and trickster."> As to the notion of switching bodies... she hmmnhs a little.

And then goes stock still for a moment, and energy wraps and wreathes around it; switching from the shape of Valkyr, to the blindfolded gunslinger known as Mesa. This one wouldn't seem out of place in a modern setting; fabric duster, woven and wrapped layers down the far more distinctly feminine figure that manifests, a light pulsing sound following. Heeled boots; struts that might look like spurs if they had the jangly bits (they don't) and on her hips are a number of canisters tucked into a belt. Lots of high tech gun-related odds and ends, and what seem like tonfas or bracing struts along the forearms.

<"The only adjustment period really is if we're used to using one set of powers for such a long time and have forgotten. It does not stay forgotten for long however."> Now Mesa might be slightly worse for Dorian to deal with given the completely overt notion of facelessness, what with a blindfold and wrap completely around her head, a patch woven over where the right eye should be. Though... Dorian's words kindle something in her. The danger. The power. From another place; all too familiar, this is. <"... do they call you demon sometimes too?">
Dorian Pavus     Dorian's frown eases a bit as Kushiko explains about the Grineer. Well, no, it doesn't ease. But it takes on less of a displeased quality and more of a sympathetic quality. "Your creators degenerated, so you had no choice but to call them your enemies..." It's hard to tell if that's a question or not. But there's a sharp edge in those words, and in his frown, that indicates that... maybe he knows how that feels, just a little bit...

    The mention of the detail between the masculine and the feminine of the frames gets a nod. It also brings him out of that little sad bit there! "So the frames being designed the way they are, male or female... that's just a detail? An aesthetic choice?" He doesn't sound disappointed, no. Just curious.

    He pauses as she begins to change, it seems, and watches what's going on. And yes, he does take a step back, just in case. "Fascinating," he observes, as the new frame appears. He notes the voice hasn't changed. Same person, different frame. If allowed, he'll walk in a circle around this new frame to look at it.

    Well, the frame is a little odd to him with the no-face, but if there are things where human facial features should be, there are places for Dorian to focus on. It looks like a blindfold, so Dorian can assume there are eyes behind it. Same with the patch over what should be the right eye -- it's a patch, so there could be an eye behind it. So when he addresses Kushiko, he'll be looking up at that patch.

    And then the words of 'demon'. He looks uncomfortable. "It's... conditional. With me it's 'Vint', and 'bastard magister', and 'mage scum'." He forces a smile. "'Demon' and 'abomination' tend to be reserved for special situations. But it's quite true... mages tend to be distrusted where I'm from. More so if they're mages from Tevinter. Which, incidentally, I am from, yes."
Kushiko <"... we do not know for certain. Only... parts of it. We slept. We slept for a long time before the Lotus woke us up again. When the Grineer and others wanted to take our power while we slept."> It's not necessarily clear which power is meant: the Warframe, or her. Them? Nonetheless, there's an odd little /feeling/ she has with regards to the mustached mage, his countenance, his reactions to the little things.

It kind of sucks that she's got the game set of 'extreme' difficulty when it comes to reading her, only her voice able to be used. Still, she does stay mostly still, shifting weight from one leg to another. She's got a pair of machine pistols strapped to her hips right now, and behind is syandana attached near the based of the frame's neck, splitting and flowing down just past her hip, three notches in both tails.

<"Takes moments if we're here or aboard our ship. If we're not, we can't change out any equipment or Warframe."> Which means not picking right can leave one in trouble, but that's why they try and account for all variables, or retreat and come back later. <"And yes, it is! Mostly it's focused around the role. And whoever designed them, sometimes that's just how they're made. Some of them don't even really feature something like that gender thing."> Some of them were just... /there/. No other way to describe it. But they definitely had personality.

Alas, if Dorian only knew properly--technically speaking there were some measure of eyes. Optics was the better sense of it, though for Kushiko herself, so far away from here had to suppress the urge to giggle a little bit when it comes to him addressing the 'patch' of fabric there, before she speaks once more.

<"We imagined as much."> the Tenno murmurs. <"Snake. Worm. Lizard. Leech. Betrayer."> If she could display a smile, she would right now, however bitter it might be. <"That's just a small sampling. But seeing as some of those come from the Grineer, well..."> Mesa shrugs her shoulders lightly. <"Kind of weird how there's something common here in this Multiverse without realizing it, huh? ... And you're sure don't want us to 'invade' Tevinter right?"> Her voice is a little teasing at that, <"Not that we would invade like that. We're more about discretion anyways.">
Dorian Pavus     Dorian definitely doesn't have the benefit of hiding his face to hide his emotions. Honestly, he's been taught to guard them better than this, better than to let those tiny little emotional tells show. Normally it'd take a Ben-Hassrath to ferret him out. But here? Here he's very much a wide-eyed child where all of this is concerned. Besides that, this isn't his world. He doesn't have the reputation here that he has at home. He doesn't have to hide every single twinge because someone might see him flinch and then go for blood.

    ...Which is nice, actually, to finally be honest. To just BE. To be Dorian, not 'Scion of House Pavus', or 'the magister's son', or 'the next link in the chain'.

    The explanation of choosing the right frame -- and the unspoken implications of choosing the wrong one -- gets a nod. "It's a bit different for a mage. There are schools of magic, but that's less for separating what can be done and more for grouping magic that uses a similar theory. Most mages that I know can do a little of quite a few schools. But sending a mage focused on healing into a situation where offensive power is needed is a similar mistake."

    The words of 'snake' and 'lizard' get a huff of breath. "Poppycock," he declares. "You look nothing like a snake." There's a roguish smirk there, so he's probably teasing her a little. The next, however, he's a little more serious about. "Besides. I think that may be a case of the pot calling the kettle black, if any of those are from the mouths of the Grineer." The smirk eases though, at the mention of something familiar. "It is," he declares. "Not just in the magic, either." He doesn't explain further, though.

    Ah, but then the words of invading Tevinter. He shakes his head. "I don't want it to fall, just to change. If the change doesn't come from within it, it's just 'being conquered'. It has to be someone born and raised in Tevinter that fixes it, otherwise the history books will just say Tevinter fell to the might of whatever Multiversal force invaded it." He looks upset by that prospect. "I won't let my country just be a footnote in a history book. Even if that footnote says 'the invaders graciously allowed the defeated Tevinters to keep their culture', it's still the fall of the Imperium.
Kushiko It is rather nice to just /talk/ and not have to worry about any pretense is it? Season's helpful for that, no doubt. Still, as they walk they make their way towards the Concourse. <"You'd /think/ that but... eh."> Tyl Regor and a few others had their sentiments about them, maybe justified, maybe not. <"Hate and anger."> she offers up as an explanation tot hat. As to Betrayer, well.

And then Dorian properly explains everything regarding Tevinter, and... honestly, she nods a little bit in understanding as they finally arrive at the Concourse. Banners. Little hardlight infused panels of light; script in that flowing language as seen before. Some of it's likely information about departures. In the center is a statue of a Warframe, one of the more masculine ones. There's a few scattered Warframes around, some at terminals from the look of it, but other civilians appear to be congregating nearby. Meditating. Given the blending of nature in the form of trees, the statue itself hewn of boulder and the harmonious blend of the tecnological with the organic, it's almost a garden as much as it is a hub for gathering.

It's then she speaks again, as Kiras pads her way behind the pair. <"We understand. I have doubts the Lotus would have us interefere there to begin with. However, should you ask, we may be able to, though we do not know if others would. They tend to keep to affairs here, for reason."> Everyone has their own problems that sometimes must be dealt with by one's own strength, or nothing ever changes. <"Welcome to Larunda,"> she announces, now that they've properly arrived.
Dorian Pavus     Dorian nods at this mention of hate and anger. "They ruin even the best of parties, don't they?" he half-jokes. "They come in uninvited like a pair of unhousebroken dogs, wreck all your carefully-prepared logical arguments, panic the guests, and generally shit the place up good and proper. Then all your guests go home thinking how you're the worst living being ever and have somehow personally offended them by existing."

    But there are a few things that will distract Dorian from either rants about Tevinter or one of his usual snark-filled tirades. One of them, it so happens, is the Concourse. This blend of natural and artificial, familiar and alien, is breathtaking. Trees seeming to grow from metal? Statues made of stone that looks like it would break most sculptors' tools, yet the statues have no visible toolmarks? Dorian mutters something under his breath that translates roughly into 'holy shit'.

    Kushiko's words raw his attention back, and he wipes the wide-eyed look from his face. Can't be seen actually being SURPRISED at something, can we? Old habit. But he nods when he registers what she's said. "That's probably for the best. If you were to start getting involved into Multiversal things, the Grineer might start going to offworld enemies too, and making deals with enemies there. I would hate to see the kind of trouble that would result from Tevinter getting hold of Grineer weapons. It would make the Qunari's 'gaatlok'' weapons look like... what would you call them... 'popguns'?"
Kushiko At first, Kushiko is puzzled. Then as all of the nuance of the flashy mage settles in, she actually /giggles/. Oh how true that is, all of it in one go. Still, her giggles fall silent at once to allow Dorian to really have the proper opportunity to drink it all in--the tapestries with the Lotus symbol, the flowing calligraphic script on others. The faint echo of trickling water from the central, raised platform. Curiously there's not many easy ways to to the upper levels--save a bit of parkour.

She mmnhs a little bit, wandering forward a little bit, Kiras padding over and into a hand, pushing into it rather for anothe petting. <"No doubt, given the way you've described them... but I think you and I can both agree; we've spent enough time on questions. Let's have a little fun, shall we?"> There's no mistaking a grin in her voice, lack of face or not. <"At least before we go back to work as it were. Just past here is the Conclave. And the opportunity for a little snowday showdown. Hope you've got a good throwing aim for snowballs,"> she teases.
Dorian Pavus     At first Dorian's a bit afraid that his admittedly rather stretching anlogy might have missed the mark. It's hard to tell someone's confused when they don't have a face to go o_O? with. But the giggle gets a smirk. So he didn't quite overshoot the mark, that's good. Trying to fix a faux pas like that is messy.

    For the area itself? It's pretty tranquil, whether there are people (and Tenno) milling about or not. It's one of those places that the presence or absence of people doesn't seem to detract from its overall appeal and the calming nature of it. Though that water sound might give some people trouble.

    When Kiras wanders over, Dorian takes a step and makes to try to pet the Kubrow again, this time on her back, avoiding anything sharp or pointy that might be back there. The mention of having some fun gets a smile. "That sounds like a capital idea, madam," he comments. As for having a good aim? "I'm a fair hand with aiming fireballs and lightning, and a decent throwing arm. I can't imagine I'd be too terribly bad at it." He bows. "Lead on, milady," he offers.