2017-02-24: Of Golems, Seraphim, and Other Worlds
- Log: Of Golems, Seraphim, and Other Worlds
- Cast: Alisha Diphda, Cecilia Adelhyde, Seraph Edna
- Where: The Fairgrounds, Adlehyde
- Date: February 24, 2017
- Summary: Alisha runs into Edna. Their reunion is crashed by Princess Cecilia, though -- and it ends up that she can see the Seraphim.
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
Alisha came to Adlehyde with Sorey, Mikleo, and Lailah. Edna is the only member of their group missing -- the Seraphim had been scattered when they landed on this world, and they knew they needed to find her. After all, a lot has happened since then, and Alisha can't help but worry -- even if she knows that Lailah is right. She can't help but be curious, too, though.
The fairgrounds are a good place to get that curiosity out. They are still under construction for the Ancient Culture Exhibition. While many raised platforms have been erected, and have early demonstrations, others are still being built.
Alisha draws to a stop as she reaches one of the finished ones -- the one in the center. Her eyes lift up, towards one of the immense models of the Golems. She hasn't seen anything like that before. The princess draws in a gasp.
"Oh, amazing," she murmurs. People look at her, when she does. She still stands out -- wearing her armor, as she does, and her white and pink tabard.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.
Edna has been separated from Sorey's group for a bit of a while since they were drawn down to this... planet. So to speak. But she's taken it in extraordinary stride thus far. Being a Seraphim meant that one was invisible to most humans anyway. And besides...she wasn't alone. For certain reasons. But nevermind that.
The earth seraph wandered here and there, keeping her senses out for Sorey and the others, but also meandering and taking in the sight of Filgaia itself. Eventually though, she wound up in Adlehyde. Merely another stop on her wanderer's path. But perhaps this was a blesing of its own. For where she sits on a bench, which to other people seems to have an empty space inexplicably, she spies a familiar figure taking in the sights.
"Ohhhh?" Edna murmurs, slowly twirling her opened umbrella on her shoulder idly, blue eyes critically gazing at Alisha as she marvels at the sights before her. "Look who I found..."
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
It's a heck of a time to be in Adlehyde! The Ancient Culture Exhibition is coming up; the Lacour Arms Tournament is happening very soon; and the princess's 17th birthday has recently passed, signalling her return to the city. The city is in a lather, preparing itself for a raucous few weeks of celebration and very, very lucrative wagon trains. It's the sort of period the people of Adlehyde adore.
One such citizen, a young woman with a clean white dress and clean blonde hair, slips between the rather less elaborately dressed workers at the periphery of the fairground. She's walking with a certain determination, as if seeking something on the grounds, but slows as she recognizes the armored girl from before, and sweeps closer as she expresses that shock. "Hello again," she says, recognizing Alisha from before. She smiles, warmly. "Exploring the fairgrounds? The Golems are something to see, aren't they?
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
Alisha hears Edna's voice and blinks -- and then turns. She isn't Sorey's squire -- doesn't know she could be, yet -- and she doesn't yet have the resonance to see Seraphim on her own. She turns to look in Edna's direction but not at her. She looks at the tree she sits on, instead up into it. Her leaf-green eyes still widen with happiness.
"Edna!" she cries out. "It's you!"
People are staring, now. After all, it looks like she is simply talking to herself. And, in fact, waving at nothing at all.
"We were so worried about you!" Alisha calls out. In reality, Lailah and Sorey maybe weren't that worried -- they probably knew better. But the princess is the sort of person who worries about everyone. Which is what she is doing when Cecilia approaches. Her eyes widen sharply -- and a slight, awkward smile that threatens to become a grimace covers her face.
She turns to face Cecilia, smartly, and clasps her hands together. Recognition settles in after that. "Oh," she says. "I remember you from the saloon. It is a pleasure to meet you! They are."
Her eyes drift, nervously, in the direction of Edna -- without /quite/ looking right at her. This could get awkward, fast.
"What are these golems, exactly?" Alisha asks, and her curiosity is genuine.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.
Edna blinks ever so slowly at Alisha's rather energetic display of greeting and cheerful relief at her own wellbeing. It's mildly adorable. Mildly. Just to make the princess appear to be more crazy to everyone else, she says not a single word, and instead, lets a smirk slowly spread across her features. "Were you really?" Is all she says in response, before falling quiet again. It looks like the princess knight has company though, so she keeps quiet ever still and hops down to the ground.
Landing with a soft clop of her oversized boots, the earth seraph meanders on over by the other two women. She doesn't indicate herself as being with Alisha. Instead, she comes to stand right by her, looking up at the display before her with a half-lidded, somewhat bored gaze. She twirls her umbrella on her shoulder and keeps an ear on their conversation. It's easy to eavesdrop when you're a seraphim after all.
So Edna believes anyway.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Alisha is shouting out to some friend of hers or something. Cecilia follows her gaze and finds someone, so she doesn't think much of it other than being slightly surprised by Alisha's immediate change of gear.
Still. She's studied this, so it's an easy topic as she looks up at the titanic frame. "...Filgaia's bravest protectors," Cecilia says, quietly. More to herself. She looks over, more toward Alisha, "When the Metal Demons invaded a thousand years ago, the Elw worked togeter with Mankind and the Guardians to create weapons to fight them. The Golems were among the greatest of these. Titans with magnificent ARMs, controlling the elements themselves."
Cecilia looks up at it, a melancholic look on her face as her hand presses against the platform. "Though it seems terribly sad to think they could only ever be weapons, don't you think?"
She doesn't look at Edna quite yet.
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
Alisha nods -- to Edna, and with a smile far brighter than would really be right to show Cecilia. Indeed, when she looks back at the princess of Adlehyde, her expression is a little more muted. She blinks, a couple of times, at the explanation. "Metal Demons...? Ah, I'm very sorry, I never heard any of these legends before!"
Different worlds indeed.
"But... they seem very fierce. It is sad, though," she says, as she looks up at the golems again. Then, she glances back at Edna. She bites her lip for a moment. "This... was a long time ago, when all of this happened?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.
Edna's gaze is squarely on the golems. Ancient weapons of war. Blue eyes narrow then, and she shifts her umbrella a bit in order to peer higher upwards at the things. "It doesn't matter how far back you go. War is a constant in human history." The earth seraph murmurs to herself, though audible enough for Alisha and Cecilia to hear as well.
A rather mild, amused look crosses the girl's face right about then. "I know two dorks who would have a field day with this..." Edna muses aloud, taking steps aside to peer at the golems from another angle. ".... ....." She knew a third who would too, but she refrains from bringing that up. And her expression returns to its usual dour neutrality.
Nothing more is said. She contents herself with listening anew.
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
"Really?" Cecilia wonders, giving Alisha a look between confusion and intrigue. "It's so common in Adlehyde it's difficult to imagine..." ...she laughs, then. "Though, I wouldn't really know what's common here, I guess."
She shifts her weight to encompass both Alisha and Edna. "It was a thousand years ago. The Metal Demons haven't been seen since they were destroyed by the Guardian Blade. It's said that battle was the start of Filgaia's decline..."
And then, like it were nothing, she titters and looks dead at Edna. "I may know one of the young men you're talking about. With the white cloak, right? He was terribly excited when I told him about the Exhibition." ...tips her head, thoughtfully. "And also hadn't heard of the Metal Demons..."
Look back, between Alisha and Edna with equal conversational interest. "Are you all traveling together, then?"
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
Alisha smiles, awkwardly, but she doesn't lie about it. She doesn't know that she sees a reason to -- and the princess knight isn't really a dishonest sort. She couldn't lie to save her life. "I, ah..." She trails off, before she offers: "...I come from a long way off."
Her eyes wiiden, after that, though. It isn't what Cecilia says -- really, that /is/ interesting information -- but rather where she looks. She looks right down at where she heard Edna speak. Alisha is almost used to that -- to hearing the Seraphim and not being able to answer them, due to humans being right here.
But, Alisha realizes, Cecilia /sees/ Edna.
She hasn't ever seen Edna before. She can only guess what she really looks like. She looks back up at Cecilia, and instead of answering her question, she presents her own. "You--you can see Edna?" she asks, voice hoarse with disbelief. "You can hear her?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.
"Hmmm?"
Edna intones in a mildly curious manner. She turns her body partially to settle her gaze on Cecilia at this point, and she blinks slowly. Alisha is surprised enough for the both of them, so the blonde girl, clad in white, simply remains rather calm. She slowly spins her umbrella in her grasp and tilts her head just a little bit, her sidetail swaying from the motion.
"So you can see me." She starts, speaking in a rather non-committal tone. "I guess that raises your value." Pause. "Slightly." From there, the earth seraph gives the golems a sidelong glance. "The starry eyed fool in the white cloak, yes." She rolls her eyes, pausing at the question of whether they're all traveling together.
"In a manner of speaking, I guess." Edna shrugs her free shoulder dismissively. That doesn't account for the initial separation and loss of contact, but it's not technically a lie. "So-- How much trouble did our dear Shepherd and his bumbling band of misfits get you into to make you aware of them?"
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Cecilia is expecting maybe some weird questions. Why would you not be normal? The hell's a Guardian Blade? What kind of loser sympathizes with an inert statue? What actually is a Metal Demon?
'You can see Edna?'
The confusion on Cecilia's face is immediate and complete. Yes? Obviously?? "Is there...a reason I shouldn't?" Cecilia asks, blankly. "She's right there." Cecilia points directly an unerringly. Sometimes being part of a family tied to the Guardians by blood and fate finds ways to be annoying even in small ways.
But it's not like she felt when she spoke with Schturdark, with the Guardian of Water's overwhelming, eroding ocean of presence. She does feel a little tingly, though... and the girl sure is acting pretty sassy. Are they...are they pranking her? Are they literally pranking the princess?? Is...what does she...how does she react to this possibility???
The sheer confusion of the moment gives Edna a chance to work her way up to asking a question. "Shepherd?" she asks, immediately puzzled. "Is he a herdsmen, then? But - no, he was quite well-educated...that was what struck me most, he was terribly interested and informed, despite not knowing common history..."
THIS SUDDENLY DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. Cecilia pinches the bridge of her nose in the hopes that clearing her vision will make the Guardians kindly reset the scene.
Sadly, she doesn't get that Tool in this version.
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
"Yes, that is Sorey!" Alisha says. "He..." She pauses, before she looks down at Edna (or, well, sort of at her) and shakes her head. "...No, we only met her briefly once before, Edna. We just came to this city--ah, we were hoping we could find you here!"
She smiles at her. Or, really, at a spot about a foot in front of Edna's feet.
But then she looks back up at Cecilia, her eyes blinking a few times. "Most people can't see the Seraphim," she says. "They aren't so blessed as that. I... ah... I can only hear Lady Edna." She starts to remember her manners. "But you... you can really see her!"
A beat. "And you hadn't even had the Shepherd's help!" Truth be told, Alisha is a little jealous.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.
Edna smirks at Alisha's slightly-off attempts at looking at her. She doesn't correct her. Because it's amusing. Not quite as entertaining as say, abusing Meebo, but it would do. What's also entertaining is Cecilia's reaction to all of this. That smirk endures on her soft features and she casually asides to her reunited companion. "She thinks she's being pranked." The girl says matter-of-factly.
And then Alisha explains everything. Well, most everything. Edna waves a hand in a blithe manner. "Something like that. Alisha here can only hear me." At that point, she brings that hand to her mouth and yawns lightly. "Most other people can't even hear me, let alone see me." That icy blue gaze settles on Cecilia again and she regains her smirk. "But you can see *and* hear me." She lets that fact hang in the air for a moment.
"You must have a pretty fancy bloodline." As she slowly twirls her umbrella against her shoulder, she adds, "Maybe that's also why you seem to know so much about these Metal Demons, Golems, and Guardian Blades, hmm?"
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
CONTINUES TO NOT LINE UP
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NOT HELPING. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ANTI-HELPING. AHHH.
"The Abbey may be a place of learning, but ladies will find amusement where they must," Cecilia replies, with a little more edge to her tone at Edna's off-hand explanation. Which is probably her way of saying this isn't the first time she's been taken for a ride.
Her hand hovers over her side, the Teardrop in its small pouch slowly throbbing like a heart. A little faster than usual, she feels, though maybe that's her own heart she's thinking of. Her eyes cut to Alisha, some of the kindness gone. "I've never heard of such a creature," she replies, flatly.
Cecilia can't find it in herself to take it as fact, even with all the weight Edna hangs on it...but the quip about her bloodline makes her eyes cut to the side. Tch. It's always the blood, isn't it.
But she straightens up, drawing herself to her full, rather meager height, yet managing a rather more imperious look than before. This one might be familiar to Alisha.
It's one she has to wear often when dealing with Bartlow.
"I didn't introduce myself, before, did I," she asides to Alisha. "I am Cecilia Lynn Adlehyde, princess of this kingdom."
The Teardrop throbs at her side. There is more to that title, it reminds her, not through intent so much as gravity. She doesn't say it. That is not something to lord over people. That is a burden. "So yes," she says to Edna. "I would say my bloodline is of some weight."
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
Alisha catches the flat tone and her smile falters, a little, and her expression shifts with, perhaps, a sympathetic wince. She doubts that Edna meant that about her bloodline. She opens her mouth -- and then catches a familiar expression. One that she has put on herself, before. Her eyes widen at the introduction.
Then nearly seventeen years of etiquette training take over. Alisha had usually ignored her title with Sorey -- and a Seraphim didn't owe fealty or deference to a mortal. But, another member of royalty...
Alisha does a slight bow at the waist -- enough to be respectful, but not deep at all. An acknowledgement of an equal instead of a demonstration of obedience.
"My sincerest apologies, Princess Cecilia." Alisha nods, straightening her back out. "I hadn't realized. I am Princess Alisha Diphda, of the Kingdom of Hyland. We did not plan to come here. Lady Edna--"
She is about to say Lady Edna means no offense -- her eyes dart to where she thinks Edna is. That, she decides, may not be true.
"--She is a Seraph, a servant of the Goddess Althena. We were separated by whatever brought us to your lands," Alisha finishes. "Please, we meant no offense, and we wouldn't lie about something as important as this."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Edna has posed.
Ah, a princess. Edna figured. Random people just don't come with resonance strong enough to casually converse with Seraphim. Cecilia had to be *some* kind of big shot.
Sure, the manner in which she drew that info out of the young woman was coarse, but hey~
Naturally, the introduction doesn't draw any sort of guilt out of Edna whatsoever. In fact, she just ceases her umbrella twirling and tilts her head a bit. "Hmn. A princess. How quaint." And that's really all she has to say to that. Which is to say she doesn't give a crap, and she ain't bending knee or apologizing. But it's good info! "Well then, it's nice to meet you, dear princess." Edna greets with that smirk of hers. One that says 'I'm entertained by you.'
And then Alisha starts to explain things. Which surely isn't going to help matters at all. Edna rolls her eyes. "Ah, yes. Explain to the princess about a nation she's never heard of, that doesn't exist on her lovely little desert rock. That'll get her going." The earth seraph intones mildly, turning away to look off elsewhere.
"Alisha, let the ignorant princess believe what she wants to believe." She states, then proceeds to start walking off. "Trying to explain something to someone that doesn't want to understand is a waste of breath and time." She waves a hand dismissively as she walks off, not looking back. "You said the Shepherd's nearby? I'm going to find him. It's been ages since I got to take a rest inside."
<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.
Most princesses on Filgaia wouldn't have that kind of power, either, not that there's many of those left. No, Cecilia is...unique.
Her unimpressed face tracks Edna for a moment before Alisha profusely excuses herself. By claiming to also be a princess, of a nation Cecilia has never heard of, worshipping a goddess she's never heard of. Either Master Anje and Sister Mary were slipping in their world history or this was all a farce. Except...
'After so long, Filgaia is about to be once more enveloped in darkness.'
Cecilia has seen a lot of farces in the last week. Edna's smug attitude grates, but Cecilia finds her hand holding the Teardrop before she even thinks of it.
"I have heard of none of these things," Cecilia says, confirming Edna's quips. "...but there is surely something strange happening on Filgaia."
The Teardrop shines around her fingers, but doesn't release its full radiance. "...and I admit there is something peculiar about your friend," Cecilia says, quietly, releasing the stone and turning her eyes to watch the Seraph go. That feeling...a thread of curiosity lacing through the voices of the Guardians. What is going /on/?
<Pose Tracker> Alisha Diphda has posed.
Edna lays it out for Alisha, and she hesitates. She looks down for a moment, before she nods. "But... she hasn't had a chance, yet. I..." She sighs, then she nods, and points back towards the town. "We have rooms at the inn. He'll be glad to know that you're safe."
She looks back at Cecilia, then, and hesitates -- and is a little relieved to hear her not dismiss the idea out of hand. She hesitates, before she smiles briefly. "Then... that is what you call our world? Filgaia?" she asks. "We call it Lunar, where I am from."
She hesitates, then glances in the direction she pointed. "Perhaps we can speak more on it later, Princess Cecilia. I should go with Lady Edna. The Shepherd will want to know she is well. But..."
Alisha turns, then smiles. "It would be nice to talk to someone who is also royalty."
After all, Alisha's chances to talk to other royalty is impossible enough -- she certainly can't pal around with Rolance's royals.