2017-03-25: Witch Watch
- Log: Witch Watch
- Cast: Riesenlied, Talise Gianfair
- Where: Starfall Saloon
- Date: March 25, 2017
- Summary: Riesenlied seeks out Talise to warn her about Sephilia's new friend. Both get an education about the dreaded Pyre Witch.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied is back in Adlehyde, which by itself poses some risks -- but the horned woman had other concerns than subtlety at this point in time. She's striding towards the Saloon where she knows the elven lute-player likes frequenting from time to time, if not to find her, then at least to start her search for Talise...
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Talise is one of those people who's easy to find, especially now that she finally got her lute fixed and re-strung.
At this point in the night, the inn's full of people interested in sleep, which has left Talise sitting outside, atop a bale of hay, beneath the light of a gently swaying lantern. The soft twang of lutestrings gives her away, slow and contemplative. So does the fact that she's singing, her voice fairly quiet. She's not /quite/ an angelic chorus but her voice is good enough.
"Wi~shing on a dream that seems far off~ Ho~ping it will come today~" o/`
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a sigh of relief from Riesenlied, as she gestures with a warm and friendly wave to the elf. "Miss Talise," she speaks, with a soft smile. Odjn isn't with her at the moment -- it was perhaps more prudent to caution the young dragon of the dangers of the witch elsetime. "I hope you are well. Do you have some time to speak...?"
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Lifting her eyes at the sight of someone approaching, Talise trails off in mid-song - "Into the starlight ni-..."
Recognizing the woman in the armoured miniskirt, the woman with the pointed ears leans her lute over her shoulder; signs of damage to it are all but missing at this point save for some new and diligent polishing around the neck and bowl, shoring up new wood put in place. She smiles up at Riese, tucking a leg up onto the hay bale. "Riese," she greets, hand coming up to her forehead in a gesture that's half salute and half wave. "All's good, more or less. How're you?"
She raises her eyebrows at the last but her smile doesn't fade. "Sure, sit down," she invites, patting the hay bale - and picking up a bottle of something pale green resting there. It's cactus wine. "Drink?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
G-gosh, there's more to Riese than the miniskirt, honest! Though even her thigh-high leggings are armoured at her knees and down, in that slightly ecclectic fashion of show and armor. "I had some troubles, but I'm doing well enough now," trying her hardest to not emphasize the 'now' part, sitting down. She holds her hand in apology, saying, "I know a certain someone who might have done something she regrets off that, so I'll refrain for tonight."
A pause. "You take care of that girl with the Fox doll, do you not? Sephilia. Has she been acting... strange recently? I must warn you of something, if not."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Yes, but it's distinctive! Talise is dressed in a much more pedestrian manner: It's her casual tunic and a pair of shorts, with a pair of boots that come halfway up her legs. It doesn't much hide that, despite her being unmistakeably feminine, she's also built solid enough that she could probably throw half the tavern patrons through a brick wall. Simultaneously.
Resting the lute in place, Talise winces slightly and shakes her head. "Well. Here's hoping the troubles weren't lasting. Althena knows we've had plenty of it here."
The question surprises her. Frowning, she tilts her head to one side, giving Riese a more intent look. "You mean Sephilia and Chauncey? Yeah, she sticks with me, Lyn and Ida... why, what happened?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"I went on a Dig to the Hillside Ruins with her and Ida," Riese recants the tale... and then says, "And a woman going by the name of Agatha."
A long pause.
"To cut the story short, speaking from experience, I have reason to believe this Agatha is quite the malicious sort," she frowns. "I do recall, at the end of the Dig... young Sephy appeared quite shaken about something, but she wouldn't speak to anyone about what bothered her." Another pause, as she frowns and rubs at her chin. "I was distracted at the time... I should have been more alert."
She sighs and pulls her cloak a little aside for air -- enough that the rather significant bandaging on her own sleeveless tunic was partially visible. Was she injured at some point? "She attempted to make me believe Ida had sold an artifact I put great reverence to, while at the same time leading her to believe I'd sold it myself for a profit." She lowers her head, with a distasteful frown. "The sort to try to turn friends against each other."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
Talise's eyes harden instantly at the mention of the name 'Agatha.'
She listens, though. Letting her breath out in a slow rush, she nods along with the woman's story. The last bit brings a scowl to her face, though; she wets her lips and glances down, then looks up to spot those bandages. "I hope it wasn't her that hurt you," she says, her voice low but taking on a note of something grim.
"Her pulling a trick on you, I didn't know about," she admits. "And I'm glad you told me about this. We got the story out of Sephilia. Unfortunately, Agatha is a lot more malicious than you probably imagine." Hand cradling her lute, she fixes Riese with a steady look. "You don't know much about legends from Lunar, I would suspect."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riese looks a little surprised at Talise's reaction, and tilts her head. "No, that was not her," she at least confirms, brushing a gloved hand against one of the lines of the bandages. "And no, I cannot say I am familiar with the legends from Lunar... is she, too, a Lunarian like you and Sephilia?"
At this point, it's too much to call it a mere coincidence. Hiro, Jean, Lemina and Lucia... Talise and Sephilia... and also that Kourin, they have corroborating stories that aren't easy to fabricate on a mass level. This was another point of uncertainy that she'd like more information about.
"Do tell... this is no enemy I would like to be underprepared against."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"Yeah. Agatha's a Lunarian," Talise confirms, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "I'm sure it seems like we're taking over the place at this point."
Shifting atop her hay bale, Talise turns herself to face Riese, then reaches down to brush a couple hay straws from the hem of her tunic. "There's an old story that's told in some parts of Meribus, the continent I come from. The eastern ports, anyway," she explains. "A ghost story, almost, about a spirit called the Pyre Witch. It's said that she seeks out those in desperate need, then appears to them and offers to help them. But there's always a price. There's always a burnt offering to invoke her power. But there's also the things. Your belongings, or your blood... and the blood of others. Sometimes people you care about, sometimes not. In the end, you might get what you want, but your soul is tainted forever by her."
Her eyes lock on Riese's, her tone slipping from that quiet storyteller's cadence to one that's quieter and more grave. "I'd assumed she was just a ghost story, until Ida and I ran into her a couple of nights ago and saw her power. She's the Pyre Witch and she's dangerous."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riese keeps her eyes level with Talise's, her expression rather dour as she listens to Talise's tale. "Unbelievable... this 'Pyre Witch'... and to think that we were all exploring with such a dangerous individual."
She folds her arms with a soft, genteel sigh. "I managed to sense something was amiss due to a slip-up in her letter to me, and managed to speak with Ida before... ah, anything untoward could happen." She thinks it's prudent to leave Zed's name out at this point, perhaps. "But I had no idea that she was more than just a sower of chaos..."
She taps at her chin, then smiles sadly. "I will do all I can to prevent her from getting her hands on anyone. I cannot stand those who would prey on others at their weakest, darkest moments..." maybe sounding just a little bit personal at this point. "And she has something of ours that I must reclaim, from what Miss Ida has told me."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"I'm more amazed that she wound up here," Talise grunts, scratching at one of her cheekstripes with a bleak scowl. "Bad enough that the Guard wound up here too, but having to deal with her is more than I really wanted to have to do. Especially if she's going to be stalking Sephilia..."
...who doesn't know better, Talise wants to say, but she cuts herself off.
Exhaling, the tall woman lowers her hand back to her lap. "Good, so she is capable of making mistakes. That's positive. She acts like she knows everything when you meet her in person."
As the other woman gives those sentiments voice, Talise flashes a smile, tight, but appreciative. "Yeah... I hate people like that. People who lurk in the dark and just jump out when they think they can hurt you." She nods, once. "What'd you give her?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Even if Talise doesn't say it, Riesenlied seems to already have the same idea. It's why she's here, after all.
"She's the type who projects that persona," Riesenlied murmurs. "And when you let your guard down, you let her know about yourself -- what makes you tick, what's important to you, what you can't let go... and then she twists the knife there." she drifts off for a moment. "In my case, we found a large Dragon Fossil at the bottom of the Ruins. I--"
She bites her lip, hesitating a little. "I was a bit ... emotional. ... the remains of those that have come before us always strikes me, especially when it is something that people frequently misuse nowadays. And it was that display of weakness that she preyed upon."
There's a part of Riese that berates herself for telling Talise this, but... in the end, Riese hates deception. Even if it's painful, she stands to gain from openness than concealment.
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"And that's how con artists work," Talise nods with a grimace. "I lived with them all my life; I know the tricks. That's what the con stands for - confidence. She acts like she believes in herself and you, and it convinces you because you think you're smart enough to spot the lie, and because /she/ seems so convinced. And then you get tricked."
As Riese opens up about the dragon fossil, the half-Beastwoman reaches out, momentarily resting a hand on the other woman's shoulder. She tightens her hand to a firm, encouraging squeeze. "I don't... pretend to understand what Dragon Fossils are," she admits with a blush. "Where I come from, the Dragons are the servants of Althena, and guardians of the world. Or were, anyway. I'm sorry she used that against you."
Moving her hand back, she tightens it into a fist. "She confronted me and Ida later on," she explains. "She knows I know who she is and she tried to intimidate me, too. So I stabbed her."
Her expression darkens, something grim in her eyes. "...She just melted into shadows and laughed at me."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riese pauses, and -- can't help but chuckle with a shake of her head. "Perhaps that would have been the right thing to do, yes. Conversation is her forte, and cutting that off quickly shuts her greatest avenue of entry against you."
She sighs and puts her hand on one cheek. "And, Dragon Fossils are the remnants of dragons that lived long ago in this world. Miss Ida is a particular avid student of them, as is her professor," she explains gently. "Nowadays, you find many Drifters and ARMs Meisters paying a fortune for them in order to fashion and upgrade ARMs."
Her expression levels for a moment, becoming a bit glum, but forced a little chuckle. "I cannot say I am religious, but I find myself valuing the sanctity of the dead's response more than others, I suppose, no matter who they may be."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"I let her talk much, much too long," admits Talise with a grimace. "Even so, attacking her accomplished nothing. I hate to say it, but I don't think I can do much to her... unless she has to come out of the shadows and fight eventually. But I think she'd rather talk than fight.
Arms draped over her thighs, she leans forward a little, nodding gravely. "I knew Ida was into them but I had no idea what they were," she confesses with a growing blush. "All this stuff about ARMs and Dragon Fossils is totally alien to me. Lunar doesn't have ARMs at all. We don't have /most/ of the technology stuff you have here on the Blue Star. It's all really confusing and I'm still trying to understand it."
At Riese's confession, she smiles a sad sort of smile, nodding. "I can understand that... though maybe that's just me being religious, even if the Goddess is making it hard lately."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Yes, the Lunarians I've met don't seem that familiar either..." Riesenlied nods gently. "And I did sense that there was trouble with the Guard, lately. Is it to do with the woman she proclaimed the Lord of Calamity? I don't mean to pry, but it does seem like a very touchy situation on both sides..."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"Oh, Goddess." Talise plants her face into her palm with a loud groan. "I don't even know where to begin with that. All I know is Lucia probably isn't the Lord of Calamity and neither side is talking to the other. And what kills me is they're all good people, they're just all so stuck in their own preconceptions, plus Lucia just doesn't seem to know how to talk to people, and...." Trailing off, she lifts her head again and sighs, smiling ruefully. "Sorry. I've been trying to make sense of that, and maybe make a /little/ bit of peace there."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Yes," Riesenlied chimes in, "I do hear you there. I've been around long enough to know the sadness that comes out of the misfortune of being labelled." A pause. "The Guard have been a bit scarce, but I heard they had a representative here... I shall have to see if I can't speak to her, try to understand their side of the story."
She picks herself up and brushes herself off. "Thank you, Talise. This clears a lot of things up, and some worries off my mind." She chuckles faintly, then flicks her a gella. "For your song. It was lovely."
<Pose Tracker> Talise Gianfair has posed.
"The Guard have a couple," Talise says with a grimace. "Though I've mostly seen the one. They're... frustrating."
As Riese rises to her feet, Talise stands with her, smiling and offering up a hand to the horned woman - and catching the coin adeptly in the other. She laughs gently. "Hey, thanks for your patronage," she says, still offering up that handshake. "It was nice to chat with you. And... thanks for letting me know about Sephy. Sleep tight, huh?"