Xerxes and Xestria of The Kiyashi Clan

"Where is your auntie, Sokra?" Xerxes whispered to the white and blue scaled pseudodragon. "She appears to be off her routine, doesn’t she?" He nudged the small beast, scratching her neck before sliding his hand beneath her and pushing her into the air. "Go and see if you can spot her, won’t you dear friend?"

Sokra’s wings shot out with a woosh, and she flew up, up, and up above the city street.

Xerxes rested his weight on his ornate cane—it was polished blackthorn with gold scale patterns etched top to bottom. The handle was an orb of shiny black obsidian. The man was, of course, an elf; his slender figure dressed in the finery of nobility from hat to shoes, all fitting as if it were tailored special for him.

Leaning back onto his heals, he started to reach into his pocket when Sokra spoke back to him through visions of the street above. "Ah, there you are, sister..."

"Gah!" Xestria growled as she swiped the paintbrush across the canvas. Her sensei had suggested she take up the art to focus her mind, but all she could think about was the fact she hadn’t had a good fight in three days. Maybe it was time to hit up one of her old haunts. Isai Hamada always had some fun brewing.

Just then the flapping of wings announced the arrival of Sokra, her brother’s annoying little pet dragon. She usually liked to lay a trap for the thing but today her heart just wasn’t in it. Maybe it meant Xerxes was looking for her and had something to quell her immense boredom.

Tap-tap tap-tap went the sound of Xerxes cane against the cobblestone, his lavishly ringed fingers also clicking against the obsidian handle to the beat. His eyes were dark and glassy, and he grinned at the vision of himself approaching his sister through Sokra’s eyes.

With a hard blink he severed the connection and his eyes softened. He walked slowly, patiently waiting until close enough to speak in a near whisper. "Can you imagine my surprise to find you here and… painting of all things?"

His gaze flitted across the canvas and his grin straightened, but his amusement was still very much present in his manner of speech. "I assume your sensei is responsible for this? When will that old fool realize that you are like the raging river, and any attempt to dam you up will only encourage you to push through more furiously. It is one of the things I love most about you, dear Xestria."

Xestria turned and faced her brother, impressed as usual at his impeccable appearance.

"Dearest brother!" she shouted, jumping up and wrapping her arms around the man before lifting him and spinning him around. She planted a deep kiss on his lips then turned to her painting, arm around her brother's waist.

The art itself was a representation of a beautiful cherry tree in full bloom - the white pink petals of the cherry blossoms looking almost real. The brightness of the flowers were juxtaposed by the very dark environment. The tree itself was perched at the edge of a volcanic hellscape and dark, shadowy creatures lurked at the edges of the frame, threatening to pounce on the innocence of the beautiful tree.

"What do you think?" Xestria asked.

Xerxes places his hand gently on the small of her back and continues to take the imagery in for several beats.

"I should like to have it hung in my room to remind me of you, the sweetest of cherries beset by horrors and darkness!" He chuckled at his own joke.

Sokra landed on his shoulder, opposite of his sister and stretched out her neck to look closely at the painting before chirping and chittering like a fussy bird.

"Be nice to your sweet auntie, Sokra, and perhaps she’ll give us both a treat later." He turned to face Xestria, brushing a strand of hair away from her face and looking into her eyes. "Speaking of treats, I have one for you," he said, whispering again. "There is a certain magistrate we are both familiar with, and I may have a plan to win us some favor. I’ll need your help, of course."

Xestria scowled at the tiny dragon and grasped Xerxes' hand affectionately.

"For you, dear brother, anything. Truth be told, I was becoming bored with this." She gestures to, well, everything. "Rai has been so neglected of late, too" she adds, stroking the massive warhammer that stands by her side. "She will love breaking some bones. Hopefully there will be bones to break, yes?"

She reaches up and strokes Xerxes' cheek affectionately. "Tell me more! Is it that Haruto fellow I bedded last spring? Oh he was one for the roleplaying in the bedroom, if you know what I mean. Fun while it lasted. What's your interest, precisely."

"Yes, the exact man." Xerxes smiled with full teeth, the whitest of white with pointed canines that made him look more feral and fey-like than the average elf. "In fact, that juicy bit of gossip was what helped me discover that he was looking for someone to discreetly handle a dispute for him. I won’t bore you with the details, though. Haruto made an agreement, and the other party did not follow through as expected."

He caressed her shoulder. "With Rai’s braun, your passion for destruction, and my charm, I’m certain we’re perfectly suited for the task."