Road Less Traveled [Kale&Risiko]

[Risiko Bann]

Last time we saw our heroes
Kale and Risiko were walking along the dirt path to the shore at night, mostly talking about what they were doing there. Risiko was showing Kale the Half-n-Half mask before he remembered he forgot to lock his door. Giving Kale the mask, he ran back to lock it from the incorrigible Snipe, leaving Kale holding the comedic mask.
And now, the adventure continues

Risiko came back down the path, breathing slightly heavily, having just ran up the trail up to his room. Thankfully, it was undisturbed, as that masked beastie hadn't found it. Walking in a determined, but less anxious pace, he kept an eye out for the dean. He didn't remember exactly where he had broken off, and he definitely had no idea if she had continued on or not. He grimaced as he wished he hadn't left his mask with here. If he couldn't find here, he didn't know when he'd get it back. Ugh, that'd be a pain.

[Kale]

The night had been quiet and calling. The interruption of a student had not been as god-awful as she had thought it might. In fact, this particular student had held some interest for her since upon first meeting, actually.

So, with the wind playing with her feathers, Kale had walked on for a bit. She studied the mask left in her hand as her legs followed the path. What an interesting thing it was, and so she was hesitant to put it on, especially without its owner actually present. Normally, she'd do tests first, experiments...

But, she was getting ahead of herself. And of Risiko. The harpy sighed and took to the side of the road to claim a low tree branch as a seat. Her legs swung idly as she waited, switching her gaze from the mask to the road and back occasionally. It was a bit later that she thought she could see some form moving. Perhaps he was nearing. Ah, and she'd yet to decide if she were actually returning the mask yet...hmm...

[Risiko Bann]

Breaking into a slow jog, Risiko peered ahead into the night ahead. His bag was knocking at his side, and no one was on the path to boot. Ugh he though, considering the possibility that Dean Kale decided to fly back, or worse, forwards. What terrible repercussions there might if the dean of the school had to wait at the docks! Risiko jogged at bit faster.

He glanced briefly up, looking for a shadow against the stars, and saw none. It was a wild shot anyways. He wouldn't be able to reach or speak to her if she had decided to wing it. He yelled and jumped to the side! There was a motion in the trees, unexpected. He looked up, and saw it was only the dean. He hung his head and laughed at his own timidness.
"Well, if you want to find a bird, look upwards! I should expect the same goes for harpies". He said. Looking up at her, he walked closer to the tree. His eyes glistened at the mask in her hands.
"Ah! Did you try on the mask? What did you think?" He asked excitedly.

[Kale]

And so he was. She hummed quietly to herself in thought, watching him.

It was only when she was spotted, giving him a slight startle it seemed, she seemed a bit amused.

"And I should expect it's the same for anything with capability to fly." The woman leaned forward with elbow braced upon knee and chin in palm, giving a smirk. "Welcome back. Hope all was well." She looked down to her other hand which loosely held the mask. "Alas, I've not yet tried it. I figure best to wait till the one who knows what it's supposed to do, returns."

Ebony eye was a little sharp with intrigue, and as she looked down at him, the woman showed no action to suggest she was coming down from the tree.

"So...you can guarantee my safety in using this?"

[Risiko Bann]

Left arm on the bag and right hanging straight down, Risiko continued to look up into the tree, as he tried to stand straight while addressing the dean. It was reminiscent of a child having to look upwards into their teachers face while answering a problem. For some reason, this made Risiko uneasy.

"Wellll, no" he said as gaze wandered down and left. A sharp return to her face "I mean, the mask itself is safe, but you won't be able to see things like trees and rocks and whatnot. And some people find it shocking". Risiko remembered Mr. Sharp trying on the same one. His mouth twitched upwards at the memory of the startled librarian. "But just by putting it on, no, you're fine" he finished quickly.

[Kale]

The woman leaned back, straightening and looking down on Risiko with a skeptically raised eyebrow. The boy didn’t seem the malicious, lying type. And so if it was within her control - the only risk from her own reaction, well, she could control that. Her eye narrowed slightly as it switched back to look at the mask.

Paranoia satisfied enough to let curiosity win out, Kale lifted the mask to her face. With a last look at Risiko, she settled its shape over her smirking expression. It was reaction to close ones eye when placing something over it, and when she opened her vision again, it at first seemed like nothing was different besides how dark everything had gotten. It was simply as if she was blind in both eyes now and her ears immediately strained themselves to make up for it. But, she was looking at nothing in particular, so her glance turned down to where she knew her own body to be. But, not there was her normal visage. Rather, the shape of her, her legs and arm and what she could see of her stomach. It was a silhouette of color: a yellow, tinged only slightly by an indigo-ish blue. The colors stayed, but in swam a slight brownish tinged. Curious…how very curious…The harpy glanced over herself, raising her hand and turning it in front of her.

The woman’s masked face then turned towards Risiko again, would he be colored as well?

[Risiko Bann]

Through the mask, Risiko appeared as a chartreuse figure against a black background. He grinned broadly, though she probably couldn't see it, at the sight of the Dean in an uncharacteristic accessory. He had never seen her genuinely smile or frown melancholily, and now both at the same time looked positively odd.

Wouldn't that be something? Masks based on someone... Risiko thought, making a mental note to try it later. It might be sort of fun, going for realism.

"So what do you think?" He asked, trying to contain his excitement. "Interesting perspective, yes? People as colours? Neat isn't it?"

[Kale]

She started quietly at the other figure. If not for the fact that she knew it to be Risiko in front of her, she may not have been able to tell from just the shape. The masked face turned from side to side as if suspicious of what it would see, but thing was, it saw nothing. There was all black asides from the colored figures.

The woman looked back at the boy.

"It is indeed interesting...but what is its purpose? Why see people as colors, do they mean something in particular?" Her voice was wary but with just enough restrained eagerness to be genuinely curious and interested in this new thing presented to her attention.

[Risiko Bann]

"What you're seeing" Risiko replied, leaning forwards and turning his head, excited to explain his work "is an emotional indicator. I'm guessing you see me as some sort of yellow or green, am I right? Those translate to alert and cheerful, respectively. Anything black is either unconscious or not alive. Swirls happen too, sometimes, but more often it's just a mix"

He leaned back, shifting his weight casually to his left hip as he bent his right knee. "We made it awhile back. It was an interesting project, totaling of inspiration, execution, and unexpected results. Like most everything I make." Risiko shrugged. "Was still quite a surprise though, finding out. Hard time figuring out what it did"

[Kale]

"And blue, brown? What do other colors indicate?" The woman was quick to continue her questions. This could be a great discovery, this boy. Pushing herself off the branch, wings flared just enough to ease her descent to the ground, landing in a gust before Risiko. 

"Who is 'we' that made this? And you do not know what something is going to do before you make it, or can you decide?"

The possibilities upon these answers were endless. There was much potential, and Kale was now dearly glad that she had encountered this boy, had time to sink claws into him before others. 

"What else have you made?" It was obvious she was a bit excited, and unusual to show it so.

[Risiko Bann]

In seconds, Kale had transformed from a harpy dean into a greedy wyrm, a hungry owl, a circling pack of wolves. Risiko brought his arms tight to his side and head down slightly, afraid of her sudden interest. 

"er..." he started, trying to remember what questions were asked. "Blue is calm, brown is confused...  indigo is tired, violet sad, red upset, orange nervous, white is terrified, and grey is bored"

His eyes lost focus for a moment as the thought on what exactly he had said "...I" he corrected. "And no. Sometimes it is something, sometimes it's just what it looks like. We... I don't get to choose." Risiko finished hurriedly. 

'We're in a bad situation here, aren't we?' he thought. 'I've told the king I can spin straw into gold' Still (and he stood a bit more relaxed as he thought this)... Kale wasn't a bad person to be used by... ambitious, powerful, sharp. It might not hurt to have someone who's a vested interest in you. 
'Until she finds someone else who's useful. You think you'd be the special one?' he thought 'shut up' he replied in his head. 

Risiko shook his head a little and straightened. "Just a few other things" he answered, noticeably more at ease. "Some other masks, a knife, a few odds and ends." he patted his side bag.

[Kale]

Seeing his change in posture, Kale backed off a little, folding her wings in tightly back against her. She needn't be too eager, now, she had time and opportunity. No, she needed this boy to like her, after all.

The harpy nodded, reigning herself in and sorting the information away in her brain. She reached up to take off the mask and turn it over in her hands for another quick look.

"It's brilliant, you've quite a gift. I'm sorry to say I've something of an excitable mind, and a strong curiosity that you've peaked. You'll have to forgive me. I'm a scientist, I like knowing even just for the sake of knowing." She did her best to sound a bit apologetic in an amiable way. "I would be very interested to see what else you have made...and what else you will make, if you'd be so kind as to indulge me with your creations." And, she held the half black, half white mask back out to him. Hopefully, returning it would be something of a show of good faith.

"Say, actually, what do you use to create these oddities? Raw materials or..?" She turned a hand over conversationally in the air, waiting for him to complete the sentence however he may choose.

[Risiko Bann]

"You're really too kind" Risiko replied calmly, smiling humbly. His head rolled back once before turning and facing forwards. He was grinning like a gambler with four aces as he took back the mask and deposited it in his side bag.

"We make them with whatever is lying around or that we can acquire cheaply." Risiko replied offhandedly, tilting his head down and opening his arms in a gesture of a friendly merchant.

"But it seems to me, rather than parade them out one by one, we could make a... different arrangement, hm?" His weight shifted back on his left hip again as he explained charismatically. He hoped he had read her excitement right. She's going to be might mad for our insolence. She doesn't have to deal with you, she'll just confiscate everything he thought with his paranoia. Shut up he mentally responded.

[Kale]

She observed his expression with a practiced, critical eye. And, while the answer about the materials was acceptable, the next part was just laughable. Disbelieving amusement crossed the harpy's face as she shifted her weight back and crossed her arms under her chest. A smirk quirked at her lips.

"Oh? And what kind of 'different arrangement' are you suggesting?" Her gaze was a bit piercing as body language was near daring. The kid had guts, she had to give him that...or folly. To want to make a deal with her...ha.

Well, she saw no way in which this could turn too badly for her. While she didn't want to underestimate the boy, she liked to think she had been around this block enough to handle herself with him. No, she would be fine, but she wondered if this boy knew just what he was doing. It was perfect, he himself had brought it up, not she. There was no backing out now, he'd crossed that line.

[Risiko Bann]

Risiko remained unfazed under the harpy's gaze. He was still grinning as Kale inquired about a deal. The problem with conspirators he thought slyly Is that they expect everyone to cheat like they do.

"It is the most beautiful kind of agreement, that is, simple." Risiko said. "You look out for me, you know, ensure any wrongdoings are overlooked, punishments dismissed, that sort of thing. Or better yet, think of us as partners, you watch my back, I'll watch yours, I'll present my plans, you share your schemes. And in return" he straightened and gestured of himself with his fingertips on his chest
"I'll willingly and honestly open up my... let's say, collection? To you, along with anything else that comes along"

Brilliant. Let the fox test that food for a trap.

[Kale]

And suddenly, it was just like the old days. The past eighty years or so previous to coming to this island had gone much like this. Someone wanting protection in return for what they thought she needed. Her corner of red painted lips curled up.

"And what makes you think I have schemes to share at all?" And for all the effort that whimsical, cute statement took, she knew it was up. "Walk with me." She started again, not giving time to respond, but instead turned to face down the path with ladylike arm out in pose for a gentleman to take. Given the general nature of the unknown in this deal, she assumed that she would not get to know what his plans were before she committed herself to sticking her neck out for him, and he would not get to know for what she would use his collection for until she had already used them.

"Here's my counter: I will look out for you, ensure your survival and relative comfort. You will reveal your collection and plans to me, and I'll give you access to my personal abilities, labs and materials you would otherwise not have, to practice your craft and make more. In return, you will report to me exclusively." She gave him a side-glance, and though it was not unkind or harsh, it had an unwavering hardness to it, as if set in ebony stone. "Not only will your collection be open to me, it will be open to only me. And yourself, of course. But you will not be going around using your trinkets to make more deals unless otherwise previously consulted with me. We'll be in this together from now on, after all, but lets be honest here, we're not equals."

[Risiko Bann]

Risiko took her arm gently, and walked alongside her on the path, listening carefully and quietly.

"Have you heard of the cattle egret?" he asked much more calmly, looking forwards at nothing in particular. His head lolled to the side. "They have a nice relationship going with those they accompany. The large mammal digs around, and the egret devours any insects or grubs they unearth. The mammal serves as some form of protection simply by being there, and the smaller bird can act as a warning system. The only downsides are a lack of loyalty, and when too many birds crowd around one" His voice became much more bold, as he glanced down at Kale. Curious, though she was much shorter, how much larger she appeared than he.

"But, impudence aside, it would appear that you are selling ice to eskimos. While certainly you mean well, I've very little use for your labs. I can and I have made functional objects out of paper, water and flour. And save, your predecessor and the castle crumbling aside, you do profess to run a safe school? Other students get this for free."

"Nonetheless," he corrected himself from his tangent and looked over his glasses at the headmistress. "We should be more than happy to inform you of my endeavors, and... lend you anything you might need or take a fancy to. But I would be willing to bet that you have strings attached to more places in the school than you let on. We're not equals" 'yet' he thought greedily, "obviously. Opportunity, at this stage, is the most important thing to me, and you, my dear" he said cheekily "Are the most able person I've met on this island."

[Kale]

Physical contact was established, and so she felt more at ease that should things go horribly wrong-- But, she didn't think they would. She doubted that Risiko would want to get into an actual fight with her. So, Kale listened easily, neither impressed or irritated with anything he said.

She calmly cast him a side-glance.

"Flattery will not get you very far, dear." She tilted her head just slightly. "You misunderstand my offer. I did not offer you the school labs, for of course those are already available to you. No, I offered you my lab and abilities. I assure you, it is not stocked the same as what the other students are allowed access to in the classroom. That would not fit a school professing to be safe, as you say." She did not elaborate what, exactly, her lab was stocked with. "And as for student safety, it may be a goal of mine, but I would hardly go out of my way to protect them from the other school staff's own punishments as you are asking for, for what should be obvious reasons. However, if you do not want it, then fine. Easier for me to accept your version of the deal." She paused a moment, just long enough for two steps to be taken before continuing. Her face was passive, she was neither smiling or frowning.

"Though I must say, I'm disappointed by your lack of enthusiasm. For one so eager for opportunity, you're not making use of one very well. You are severely and needlessly limiting yourself. If you can make such things with just paper, water and flour, imagine what you could do with other materials. Are you not at all curious? Or are you just content with what you have already?"

[Risiko Bann]

He gritted his teeth inwardly in frustration. If only he wasn't ...! If only he could...!
Her deal was good
But not good enough
Take it and go
There had to be a better way!
Yes... that would do nicely...
His arm holding Kale seized up, and his head gave a violent twist to the other side. It stayed there for a moment before slowly loosening. His head lolled back to the center, sitting at an angle, while his arm relaxed, leaving his wrist hanging loose. He had a grin.
"Please, allow me to explain myself better" He said slow and calm, as one awakening from a short nap. "As I find myself better to do so now."
"Your offer is... tempting, not to mention generous. One thing we failed to explain is the materials don't matter. Only the shape.  The materials only provide durability, a medium...ooh, science word there... for them. But!" he exclaimed suddenly looking towards her. His easygoing grin was gone, replaced with almost a mad desperation. He had stopped.
"I have set about motions for us. And while I have complete confidence in them, they only go so far. " He lowered his voice and turned his head down, looking at Kale under his brows.
"I cannot yet tell you to what end they go, nor their exact measurements, but I am willing to do anything...anything" his eyes flared. "to ensure my success." He moved his head slightly closer, voice an urgent whisper. "I need you for surety and briefly afterwards"

[Kale]

The sudden tensing in his arms was like a shock wave that trailed up through Kale's own arm and spread throughout her body. Rigid, her head had snapped over to look at him, and became like a statue. Coiled, she was prepared for whatever he might do, but she would not move first. And, eventually, he did relax, but in this did she not join immediately.

How curious a creature, to seem so entirely different now. She simply stared at him, her mistrustful look having gone bland to one simply listening. With such a grin aimed at her, she betrayed nothing to the sort of amusement she got from it. It was only when Risiko had finished that she hesitated but a moment longer before huffing a little scoff of a laugh and releasing from her strict stillness. She glanced ahead of them down the road before looking back up to him with softly angled eye at relaxed mast. It was there she finally showed her amusement as she leaned into him, tilting her chin up to look him more fully in the face.

"Shall I point out where you just went wrong?" Her tone had a laughing quality, a lightness to it.  Her volume, though, likewise softened to his level though it remained entirely more casual. "You just let me know, with fervor, that you need me without making sure that I need you. You've also just told me that you will do anything. So now..." Her tone went ever quieter, as if to tell a secret. The corner of her lips quirked up into a slight smirk. "You will get nothing form me unless you give everything." The quirk grew. "You're saved only by the fact that I still find you interesting. So, here's your new deal, and my final offer: I will help you wherever I can in any regard. Whatever you need, with few questions. But you" She lifted a limb to poke his chest lightly with her free hand. "will belong to me, not just your collection on lend. Call it a debt, if it please you, but you will follow my word and no one else's; be an extra set of ears and eyes, someone I can count on to some extent. Perhaps we can ensure both of our victories, hm? Work together?"

[Risiko Bann]

Yes, Yes, YES, YES, YES, YES,YES, YES, YESSSSS!!! There was nothing that could not be done now! The harpy might have just a well told him where they kept the spare magic and discarded gold! Though he did not show his complete excitement, the sly smile of a clever businessman appeared on him.

He impudently lifted the hand that had jabbed him without breaking eye contact, lightly cupping it from underneath.  “Subtleties and negotiations are not our strong suit., though I appreciate your critique. We’ve always found it enough to weigh the price of our want and pay for it accordingly. Not clever, but honesty is a fault with us" He let go of the hand and lifted his head back up.

“But! Your offer (provided you intend to keep your end) seems… shall we say reasonable? To me.“ He paused for a moment. “I’ve little doubt that you think you’ve got me cornered and I will admit that you have me over a barrel. But I can give you everything and still meet my goal. Whatever you ask (or perhaps demand is a better word) is an insignificant cost. Nonetheless, you can be sure that I will do everything I can to keep you content with your bargain"

Oh yes... whatever else happened, he would find value in this deal, even if Kale did nothing for him. She might be clever and forceful, but he was desperate, honest and willing. Altogether, things were going quite well for him, better than he had planned

[Kale]

The ebony eye looked over his face, and that smile that seemed to hold so much with such little weight. Her own expression adopted what it might upon looking at a small child that thought it had done something impressive.

"You seem to have such a stern opinion of me, dear." Kale tsked lightly with jest. "Simplify it to your last sentence and think logically. I assure you, my way of processing such deals is very much that: Make it worth my while - be loyally mine and do good work - and I'll go out of my way to keep you. There's about as much as ever needs to be said on this." She turned a bit sharply to keep walking, even without him, head high. To be honest, she didn't think he'd amount to too much, but at this point, it couldn't hurt her to gamble on such a thing. She'd find out one way or the other in time.

"Now do hurry up."

[Risiko Bann]

There she went again, being taller than him. How did she manage to be so, so, Superior?! While her back was turned, his hands clenched briefly. Do good work!? Oh, Kale would see that for certain, she would see he was the most talented one on the island!

He released his hands and released the aggression, taking a small breath in and out before catching up to the headmistress. Matching her pace by her side, he was careful not to look at her, but at the road ahead as she was. He mulled over what just transpired more carefully, noting he should not be so... passionate about his needs in the future. Passion was a weakness. But the more he thought about it, the more he agreed that Kale received more from this arrangement. He had received a key to his goal, but Kale had obtained a tool. One side had far more versatility and potential.

Next order of business. "Please now, do not think me rude when I ask this, but just for clarity's sake, beyond your lofty position as head of the castle, what... let's say, talents, are you capable of?" he asked politely, as if asking her to pass the biscuits.

[Kale]

As he caught up, she continued without acknowledging him. Her pace was determined and set. Even after he had spoken, the woman did not respond immediately in any way that indicated she had heard him. It was eventually that she looked over, expression flat with only a single raised eyebrow.

"You mean besides my skills as a biochemist?" Her voice drawled, the question rhetorical. She stared but a moment before rolling her eye back to down the path they walked. Abruptly, the woman stopped walking, reaching out a hand to grab at Risiko's shirt and tug him back to her. A crooked smirk formed on her lips as her other hand came up to curl pointer finger in a 'come-hither' gesture.

[Risiko Bann]

It crossed his mind that she had not heard, but seemed more likely that she was ignoring him. Out of the corner of his eye (that may or may not have been  traitorously looking for movement) he saw her turn his way, and returned the gaze while it lasted before the road became their concern again. Biochemist. Great. Just what he #$(@$^ needed. And a sarcastic one to boot. And to think, he figured she would be incredibly talented to monitor the school. Well, you rush into hasty deal, and this is what you get he scolded himself mentally. Never assume

The shirt grab took him by surprise. He had not been watching her at all, wrapped up in his frustration and disappointment. He stumbled back, nearly tripping before standing upright, brows furrowed. They were slowly replaced by an involuntary smirk, seeing her gesture. His right hand smoothed the side of his hair as he stepped forwards to her.

And Risiko thought

"Will you step into my parlor?” said the spider to the fly;
“’Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy.
The way into my parlor is up a winding stair,
And I have many pretty things to show when you are there.”

[Sponsored content]