Scene #1642: Rain on the Parade

Owner	Pose
Yunomi Stadler	On the very outskirts of Izzet territory, where the haphazardly tended streets (now strewn with red and blue confetti and scraps of cloth), there's a decrepit bit of city block busily being tended to by a clutch of rats. Lizards cling to the walls, seeking the remaining warmth of the day and from the distant belows and steam vents below. There's a tower there, broken in places and with a gaping hole in the roof where timbers and shingles have fallen in. And to the side of it, crouched in the shade and against a broken part of a balcony, is a figure. She wore a gray T-shirt and cargo khakis and sneakers, her hair hiding its typical scarlet and azure bangs. Her ears were pinned back, her tail curled tightly around herself. She hadn't been seen around Nivix in her usual guises or haunts, either cooped up, tucked away in her lab, or seen skirting the laws of gravity in escape.
Rhapsody	And with everything that had been going on today, Rhapsody had thought a certain tanuki would be happy and joining in with the festivities. When Yunomi hadn't shown that day, out of concern, Rhapsody asked her sister to see if she could be found. Fast forward to now. Sidonia has been motioned off, Ryxinel was asked to stay home, Thianel refused to go beyond 50 yards, but least he was keeping distance at Rhapsody's request. In truth, the guildmaster wasn't even sure she should interrupt Yunomi, and even now, was hesitating to move forward with trying to find out what was going on.
Yunomi Stadler	The one thing that Yunomi had with her was her sketchbook. She wasn't aware of being watched, or that several had concern for her were nearby. Instead, she split open her sketchbook. She ripped a page from it, slowly, as if each ring that tore through the paper was a heartbeat. She crumbled the paper in one hand, tightly wadding it into a compact little ball, and then with a flare of red mana, she set the ball aflame, and watched as the wind took it, sending the paper-turned-ashes skyward and over the cityscape, and set her chin on her knees, watching until it was out of her vision.
Rhapsody	For a few more moments, the Guildmaster hesitates. The sound of fire turning paper to ash, though, is a reminder of Rhapsody's position. She is a Guildmaster, Yunomi is a sister to her, but also a magewright, and she'll be damned if she doesn't take care of her own. One deep breath taken, and then the she resumes her steps to the place the Tanuki had holed up in. "Yunomi?"
Yunomi Stadler	"I'm here, Rhapsody." Yunomi calls back, her ears coming up. Her tail flicks, and she takes a deep breath to try and straighten herself up, wiping a grubby, ashy back of her hand across her eyes, and then failing a presentable look, just assumes her natural guise. Becuase nothing says 'suspicious' like a two-and-one-half-foot-long racoondog in the middle of Ravnica.
Rhapsody	Hearing her name, the guildmaster slips in, taking a look around, taking a look at Rhapsody, and then she simply has a seat across from the racoon-dog. "It has been a very .. energetic day, for the Izzet. I didn't see you so... I was getting worried," she explains, gaze wandering the room before settling on the Tanuki. "Are you ok..?"
Yunomi Stadler	Yunomi blinks, and her eyes go wide. "The presentation day announcement! I missed it -- Rhapsody, I'm so sorry!" she hops to her feet, shaking out her fur, her ears laying back before she faces the draconic guildmaster, and she sits down, gazing up at her. "Fine. Why would anything be wrong? Just... had to get a breath of fresh air. Been feeling a little cooped up." she states unconvincingly.
Rhapsody	Headtilt. Peer. Headtilt the otherway, "There could be a lot of things, but I wouldn't know because I've been buried under the Azorious paperwork for taxes for the last few weeks. And, well," she motions to the empty, broken, dilapidated (sp?) room. "This is a rather odd spot to be burning pages of your sketchbook.."
Yunomi Stadler	The ears go back, and Yunomi resumes her human guise, displacing space with a blast of air and a puff of smoke. Back to the gray shirt and sneakers. "How long was Sidonia watching me for?" she grimmaces, hopping to her feet. She has ashes on her knees and smudged across her face.
Rhapsody	"I only asked her to find you, in the short time she confirmed your location, she simply caught sight of it, that is all, it wasn't long, I promise. I like to give your space, you know that, but I was really worried.."
Yunomi Stadler	"There's not anything to worry about. Like I said, I just had to clear my head." she rubs the back of her neck. "A lot has changed since the last Presentation Day. I was so confident then. I had everything I could ask for and more. Now... there's just less." Yunomi states, and she walks to the edge fo the broken balcony, looking out over the cityscape. "... I can't protect the Izzet like this."
Rhapsody	When Yunomi walks over to the balcony, Rhapsody pulls herself up to go and have a look at the view. "I don't feel like -I- can protect the Izzet the way I am," she starts, moving to just stand beside Yunomi, "But that's why I train with you. I train with Jeannette. I even want to train with Ryan, I still haven't asked Amalthea, maybe because I'm a little scared of biting off more than I can chew by doing so, but I want to," she muses. "But.. I do what I can, Yunomi. And all I'll ever ask of you, is to just do what you can do."
Yunomi Stadler	"But I can't /do/ anything." Yunomi's breath almost breaks. She puts her hands behind her, and keeps looking out past the cityscape, but her eyes don't see Ravnica's spires and towers. "I can make a garden, but I can't even do that correctly. Every time he ventures outside, Bedivere will think of the /witchcraft/ that created the plants. I can work in Nivix, but my heart's in a land that doesn't exist, or with..." She halts her speech. "... I'm just a dumb kid, Rhapsody. I will question your father's decision to put me in charge of anything until the day I die."
Rhapsody	"My father isn't here." Rhapsody's tone seems to go.. a little cold? That's probably really weird, but it doesn't seem like she's going to explain it. "Yunomi, I'm a scaless welp, very likely the runt of my clutch, and now i'm running a tenth of the City of Ravnica. I feel like i'm the -last- person that should be running the Guild, and yet he told me, the night before he left, that I'd be doing this. There wasn't even a chance to argue it. It was simply done," she continues before looking over. "We're both kids, Yunomi, but for whatever reason, he put us both in the positions we're in now. And while we don't agree with it? He had a -reason- for it. 'If we put our minds to it, we can make the world stop'. Its not what we can do -now-, Yunomi, its what he probably believed we could become. With time." Her gaze shifts back to the cityscape again. "He's not here," she says, not nearly as frigid as she was earlier, "He's up there," she says, motioning up at where the Red Star is. "And he hasn't given up on us yet. So. I'm going to keep on running the Izzet. I will not force you to stay, Yunomi, but I would prefer you didn't leave."
Yunomi Stadler	Yunomi visibly bristles at the cool in Rhapsody's tone, worse than a slap in the face, but her hand gripped in a fist. She doesn't turn to face Rhapsody. She doesn't argue the point, but she remains tense, like a rubber band stretched to its limit. "I wouldn't want to live that life if it means everyone is going to leave... I wouldn't abandon you, Rhapsody." she takes a deep breath. "But not for his wishes."
Rhapsody	The guildmaster has gone silent, at this point. Somewhere, not far, the music of that Izzet parade wandering around the city can be heard drifting in during the silence. "Its not a life I asked for, Yunomi, but whatever's on the table plays.." she muses, giving a sigh. "I'm not going to fold just cause I was given a bad hand, not now, not ever."
Yunomi Stadler	"Your courage is an inspiration to us all, Madame Guildmaster." Yunomi replies wryly, and she takes a deep breath. HEr form shifts, her armor coming out, rising from the shirt as leather and brass replace khaki. Her hair loses its unwashed dullness, and instead shows its glossy reds and azures. She turns, and gives a glance up to the Guildmaster. "... guess they're still at it."
Rhapsody	Rhapsody just smiles over, "I don't think they'll stop for a few more days," she notes. "We're family too, Yunomi, if you ever need anything, just say, ok?" she asks, dropping the more 'guildmastery' side and letting herself comeout a bit.
Yunomi Stadler	A look of discomfort crosses over Yunomi's face, and she rubs at the back of her head, as if embarrassed. "And you know I'd do anything for you guys. Have to do SOMETHING other than plant gardens, or else I'd get bored!"
Rhapsody	A laugh, "I think you do plenty besides that, Yunomi," Rhapsody counters. "Like, perhaps, come up with a presentation for next week?" smirk.
Yunomi Stadler	"And risk running everyone out of the hall? Not a chance!" Yunomi replies playfully, and then she hops off the edge of the balcony, to at least put on an appearance at the parade.