2017-04-30: Old Habits Do Die Hard
- Log: Old Habits Do Die Hard
- Cast: Rosaline Calice, Gwen Whitlock
- Where: Adelyn Ranchlands
- Date: Sunday, April 30, 2017
- Summary: Still recovering from a very violent weekend, Gwen makes a special delivery from the Ethos to Rosaline.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
A supernatural attack on a city has been warded off and a king has been rescued, and yet the world keeps on turning.
The group of Drifters has split off to, well, Drift in their own direction, even if most are hanging around for various reasons. Wherever Gwen subsequently goes to get her wounds patched up, she soon finds herself triggering a SPECIAL EVENT.
A young man in priestly robes approches her. "Ah, aren't you the Super Courier? I'd have something for you to deliver. It's for someone who's currently staying in Adlehyde..." The package is a large but soft bundle. Clothes?
One look at the name written on it will reveal that Gwen's trip would be much shorter than the young man anticipated.
Rosaline has made sure everyone knew where she could be found. She may have made a vow of poverty and try to camp out whenever she can, but this time she found herself a room in an inn to stay at for a day or two. Her wounds from yesterday were, after all, severe enough that time out to recover is a wise idea. She may be a good healer, but she can't work miracles just yet, and besides, abusing healing magic is bad for one's constitution.
She is in right now, and ready to receive visitors!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Indeed, the world keeps on turning. Packages need to be delivered, or else Gwen doesn't get paid. So, with her handkerchief wrapped around her face a bit more conservatively than the weather would permit, Gwen rations off bit of dried heal berries to chew on as she makes deliveries, getting stares at the bruises on her face all the while. "My horse got lost," is all she says, and people just sort of take it at her word.
Well, Gulliver wasn't really lost. He knew exactly where he was, and that was in that nice patch of shade the nice spikey haired man told him to go! He likes Spikey Hair Person, that Person is Good and feeds him and gives him rubs.
So Gulliver is happily trotting around, none the worse for wear as His Person just sits on him, the cart rolling behind her. "Mm?" She sees the priest and tries to smile. "Horse got lost," she offers, yet again, as explanation for her face. "But yes, Gwen Whitlock, at your service."
And so, that's why Gwen is delivering this package to Rosaline, knocking on the door to her room. "It's Gwen. Got a package for ya." She pauses, then adds, "I look pretty bad right now, just to warn, but I'm okay. Faces bruise real easy, y'know?" Another moment of hesitation. "Do they got ice here? Sometimes the real nice places do."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Oh! Yes!" Rosaline answers after a moment. She's smiling when the door opens, since she heard Gwen's voice. It's not precisely a broad smile, but it's more than she usually presents to people. "Gwen! Oh no, I see..." She has the expected reaction upon seeing her face.
The Ethos nun is, for the first time since Gwen met her, wearing something that isn't her usual habit. She has a very plain, long tunic instead, and most of her uncovered legs and arms are wrapped in bandages. Some of the fur around her feet is still singed in places.
She's still wearing her coif, which looks mismatched with the rest of her dress, especially since most of it has been burnt off, giving Gwen a good look at the nun's abundant natural pink curls. It probably wouldn't be a bad look at all, if her headpiece weren't in this sorry state.
"They don't, I'm sorry... It's a pretty small place, but they were nice enough to have me despite circumstances." One nice thing with being Ethos is that believers will sometimes go the extra mile for you, provided, in Rosaline's case, that they aren't mega racists. It about balances out, in the long run.
"Hold on, though..." She gestures for Gwen to come in. There's a chair she can sit on if she wants. The bed has been impeccably done, though it seems Rosaline was sitting on it until a moment ago. A book lies opened, apparently a novel about pirates.
The nun finds her crucifix and its attached crest graphs. She clutches it and concentrates, and soon there's a chunk of ice in her hand. She then goes to the foot of her bed, from which hangs a bundle of cloth. She tears some off and wraps it around the ice, to hand to Gwen.
No, wait, it's not just some old cloth.
It's her habit. They say old habits die hard, and so this one must have taken quite a lot of punishment indeed, scorched and torn much like Rosaline's headpiece is. It's dead, Jim.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
For the most part, the redhead seems pretty used to fielding reactions by now. "It's okay," Gwen says as she offers the package to Rosaline. "I lost my ho-" She stops herself, then says, "Turns out people don't need an ARM attached to them to use it as a blunt weapon." The courier isn't sure if all gunsmoke weapons qualified as 'ARMS' with a capital A, but when you're being hit with one, did it really matter? "Also one of them hits like a brick wall to the face."
"Oh, it's alright," Gwen casually waves a hand. "Just, the place seemed decent enough that I has to ask." She takes off her hat as she walks in, idling rubbing her fingers through her hair. "It's cozy enough, though. The kinda room I'd prefer myself if I just wanted to heal up." She looks over Rosaline's own injuries, her eyebrow raising. "I suppose, being a nun, it's kinda a bit of training to not heal herself," she finally realizes aloud. "Still, you gonna be alright? Those burns..." She purses her lips into an anxious line. "Burns aren't easy to deal with. I'm sorry I wasn't right there to help you."
That's when Rosaline, true to her nature, tries to help Gwen, using her own talents. Receiving the impromptu ice pack, Gwen raises it with a sheepish word of thanks before realizing just what the ice is wrapped in. "This is..." She looks at Rosaline with a worried expression on her face. "This is your old habit, right? Is this really okay?" Well, Rosaline *did* give it to Gwen, but, out of reflex, Gwen has to ask.
Old habits, whether cloth or behaviors learned at an orphanage, do die hard.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline's look is sympathetic when Gwen reveals the real reason for her injuries. It seems they both had a rather bad time of it. At least they won the day, and didn't lose anyone in the process. Rosaline considers that a win. The package is taken but momentarily forgotten.
"Suffering builds character," she simply explains, "and besides, I read that too much healing magic can affect natural regenerative capacities. In other words, it makes your body weaker. I made sure to patch myself back up to a state where it wouldn't leave scars." Some people may take pride in them, but she isn't that zealous yet.
Gwen apologizes, and Rosaline, being Rosaline, isn't about to be outdone in a contrition contest. "Oh no! I... I'm sorry I wasn't able to help you more, but we got held up at the entrance. I think... I think I got a bit carried away. That battle was a bit of a blur, to be honest." And then, realization dawns on her face. "A-Actually, would you mind a bit of healing magic for yourself? It could ease the pain, at least."
She laughs nervously when Gwen points out the source of the cloth. "It's okay... It's beyond repair now, and I'd rather it be used for something useful. I don't like it when things go to waste. And besides, I'm awaiting a new one any... day... now."
Her head slowly turns to the package on the nightstand. Wait. Could it be?
"Praise be!" she lets out, genuinely excited.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"Makes sense. And burn scars are not something that's fun to deal with down the road, so I think you made the right call there." Gwen offers no explanations for why she even knows this, and really, the way she casually mentions it, it's pretty likely it could be from a number of sources that aren't 'traumatic childhood injuries'.
Rosaline, being a nun and an overachiever, may win this round by default. "It's alright. Just as long as you're okay. You were there when the Port Timney attack happened too, and that was a wild ride as well." Her left shoulder didn't even have a chance to heal. "As for it being a blur, tell me about it. I could barely keep track of my end. There was a lot of fire and a lot of yellin' from your side of things, from what it sounded like."
Then the nun offers her skill with healing magic. The courier almost wants to say 'yes, please', but pride holds her back. "Er, well." Gwen self-consciously looks to the side, rubbing the back of her neck. "If it ain't too much trouble? A face like this's gonna really cramp my business, y'know? And my left shoulder still hurts from that fight. I really need to track down that Mr. Sorey guy and get him to explain what's up with Malevolence and all that. Those animals looked like there was some sort of black mist on them. It was really freaky. After all that, I kinda didn't mind gettin' shot at." And then there were the needles that got embedded in her side. Those were a pain in the ass to take out. Thank god Jay was being gracious with those potions of hers.
If there's one thing Rudy's taught Gwen, it's that sometimes it's okay to let people help you, especially if that's the one main way they express who they are. Rosaline, being who she is, probably is cut from the same cloth. ... Somewhat literally! "Oh? Y'think that's the new habit? Maybe this was all meant to be, then." Gwen begins to smile, just a bit. "I can wait. Go ahead and open it. If that's what it is, you'll probably feel better once you have it, sounds like. It was a priest who gave me the package, after all. He..." She can't help but beam. "He asked for me by that title! It's actually working!!"
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline was doing a lot of the yelling, but Gwen can't be blamed for missing that detail. "It was pretty harrowing..." she says, and leaves it at that, trailing off.
"It's no trouble," Rosaline says, weakly. She feels a little guilty for not healing her team more thoroughly, but then, she also keenly knows how precious and finite spritual energy can be. She was beyond exhausted when she got to the inn.
She still has her Ethos insignia in hand. She raises the free one and recites a prayer. With a soft glow and flow of healing power, Gwen's face and shoulder are soon good as new.
As Rosaline heals, her ears perk up at mention of Malevolence. "That's right! I heard that word too. What was it that Xantia was speaking of... Hellions?" Honestly, it's very unusual for Xantia to know something Rosaline doesn't. What an odd girl. "It was horrible... I don't remember seeing black mist, though, I only had this... this acute feeling of wrongness." She had never dealt with Seraphs or Malevolence before, after all, but her level of spiritual affinity is uncommon, for obvious reasons. "I'd also be curious to hear what he has to say on this, at least..."
"I know, right?" she says, in answer to Gwen's assessment that it might have all been meant to be. Rosaline, at almost all times, appears like someone who has the weight of the world bearing down upon her. Not right now. Her excitement is almost carefree, and she tears into the package. It would probably help if she took her gloves off, but no. She keeps losing them lately. It's a good thing she has spares.
The moment they catch a glimpse of its contents seems to confirm that guess. Her eyes wide, her hands clutching the bundle and her ears perked all the way up, she deposits the package on the nightstand and, without a word, very gently pushes Gwen out of the room and closes the door. She can probably guess why!
"I'm so happy for you!" she says through the door. "And I'm... haha, I actually don't think I told you yet, but I've begun training to become an Etone. This is why I was sent this. It seems the light of Granas is illuminating both of our paths!"
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"No need to make me all pretty or anythin'," Gwen states, worried at Rosaline's weak-sounding words. "In fact, if y'need to take a break, I'd certainly be okay with-"
But a nun's word is a powerful one, be it a promise or a prayer. Gwen stops speaking as she feels the sting of her left shoulder resolve itself, as well as the pressure on her face. "... W-wow. That's really a really amazin' skill you have, Rosaline.
"I guess it all makes sense, when you think about it. It's certainly what I felt their name'd be." Sitting in an adjacent chair and crossing her legs, Gwen's casual posture stiffens when Rosaline mentions she didn't see the black mist. "Wait, you didn't see it? It was pourin' off them. And worse, if they bit or clawed at you, you'd see it, trying to worm its way into you too..." Gwen slouches at the memory, pressing her hands onto her face, her fingertips rubbing her temples. "My auntie'd talk about things like that- how some diseases'd prompt carriers to cough to help spread the disease around. But that's, like, with colds n' flu. I felt that feeling too." She closes her eyes. "But what was weird was, when that Sorey guy was doin' things, it'd chase it all away. Like a cool stream over a burn. Couldn't do that with a flu, that's for sure." She opens her eyes, her lips set. "I'll need to get some answers, but I think I may make a detour first. But yeah, maybe one of us could chat with Sorey and figure out what's goin' on."
This may be a question to ask Hiro, as well. How did this all work together, with his girlf- er very platonic buddy being known as the Lord of Calamity?
This is what she thinks about when she's shoved out of the room, so Rosaline has a chance to change. "I guess so," she muses. "But an Etone? Aren't those the people Ethos has go after monsters or things? I can't remember. It's been a while."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"It's... pretty good," Rosaline acknowledges, regarding her healing skill. "Though I'm not as skilled as some others. From what I've been told some Songstresses of Granas are real miracle workers."
"I-I'm sorry," she says, reflexively, when Gwen says more about the black mist. "I don't know how I could have been that distracted." She looks at her friend, clearly wondering what this could possibly mean and coming up short. "That makes sense, though... Could it be some kind of magical disease?"
They seem to be in agreement about talking to Sorey, at least. Discussing like this, with more questions than answers, is not very useful.
And so, she changes. "Yes! They wander the world and hunt dangerous creatures on the Church's behalf. I had already begun doing this sort of thing anyway, so I thought... I thought I could go for it. To tell the truth, I'm still not sure I can do it, but Mother Oba seems to think I can. I'm going to do my best and try, at least."
The door opens shortly after, and Rosaline is wearing a brand new, purple habit. It's clearly higher-quality than her previous, though not ostentatiously so. The holes for her ears and tail seem to be an actual part of the design, rather than a hasty customization. The nun is smiling and NOT STOPPING.
"How do I look?" she asks, letting Gwen walk back in. She considers doing a little twirl, but... No, she decides. That would be vain, and let's maybe not go COMPLETELY crazy here.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"Yeah, but those songstresses ain't here, and probably shouldn't if their abilities are so rare," Gwen replies with a touch of humor to her words. "And that means if you need me to get you somethin' I can show my face with pride!" Even if a little bruising may still be around, that is. But at least she looks like she's on the healing end of things. "Like maybe some cake? Or some tea? Coffee? Maybe some of that really good fried bread from the fairgrounds?" The courier's stomach rumbles at the memory. "-Er, well, I suppose that's more stuff *I'd* eat."
"Nonono," Gwen says, waving her hands in front of her. "Maybe you didn't see it because of your training! Like, how some fighters don't immediately see another fighter in terms of how scary they look, but instead look at how skilled that other fighter is?" A magical disease. Huh. "Does stuff like that... really exist?" Somehow, the notion makes Gwen feel ill. Magic lies on a shakier foundation than that of science. "... I didn't like the way it made me feel."
Nope, nope nope. Gwen is taking that thought and those memories and putting them in a box, locking it with a key, and shoving it to the side to deal with later. "But it's okay now! I wonder if a nun can cleanse that stuff too, without having to hurt the person who's infected."
Indeed, the world is a big place. There's always a way to solve something, when people knock their heads together.
Listening to Rosaline explain through the door, Gwen nods, then, belatedly, realizes _Rosaline can't see her nod_. "Yeah, if that's where your heart is leadin' you, then it's worth a shot. Think about it- you'd have the best of both worlds! You can heal *and* defend people." Maybe, it's good for Gwen not to have completely understood or directly seen Rosaline's berserk state. If she had, the thought of Rosaline becoming an Etone would dampen the optimism leaping in her chest right now. "And if you find it ain't your deal, you can settle down someplace and write a book about it. Maybe dress it up and make it something inspirational for anyone who reads it, maybe...?" Gwen grins as she sorts through the many, many possibilities. "Hey, even if you keep doin' it until you're old, you can *still* write a book."
She's not sure why she keeps getting stuck on the book idea.
Coming in, Gwen looks over Rosaline, rubbing her chin as she looks at her from various angles. Then, seeming to feed into the enthusiasm Rosaline is feeling, Gwen clasps her hands together. "You look awesome, Rosaline! Like a proper saint, I'd say. How do you feel?"
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Oh, I couldn't possibly!" Rosaline says, waving her hands dismissively at the offer of delicious treats. "I've already spent on this room, I couldn't justify something as extravagant as cake."
Regarding magical diseases: "I don't know," she admits, "but the works of Valmar can be insidious." She has no idea if this is the work of Valmar, it's just that the Devil is usually safely to blame. "Me neither. I... I'm not sure, at least not unless I understand better what this is. I think I managed to make Talise and that other woman feel less ill, but it might not be the same thing."
"That's an idea," she says, through the door, playing along even though she's never written much of anything in her life. "I could call it... Tales of Xantia!" She's not sure why she's thinking of her friend for this specifically, but it just rolls off the tongue in a way she can't explain. Besides, she likes the idea of her friends still being around after her adventures... even if it's unlikely.
No, no, no, she shouldn't think about that! She's determined not to ruin this nice moment. She can definitely do this! That thought, too, goes into a box she locks for later.
"Me, a saint? Oh, I couldn't possibly imagine," Rosaline says, clutching her blushing face. "I feel... I feel better than I have in months, to tell the truth." It'll pass. "Actually, weren't you hungry? We could go eat something nearby, even if it isn't cake."
She's still recovering, but she seems to like the idea, and moves towards the door. She pauses for a moment, lowering her voice. "And how are you feeling now? I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier... I talk a lot about my own problems, I think..."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"Yeah, yeah, I was just lettin' my stomach talk for me." Gwen chuckles, waving the notion of cake away. "My stomach will always vouch for food that ain't the best to eat all the time." On cue, her stomach growls. Her face falls. "... And I can't tell it to be quiet."
"Maybe chat with Sorey a bit, then? I mean, if you guys can work together, that'd be a bonus for you and for everyone effected by this. Bbbbut only if you want to," she quickly adds. "I shouldn't be tellin' you what to do, and this whole thing's kinda weird. Like, it's a different faith n' all. But maybe there's a similarity in techniques. I mean, medicine and first aid doesn't care who someone worships, after all. Maybe it's like that?" She goes cross-eyed for a moment, then shakes her head to clear the faulty analogy. "Either way, if this stuff's here, it's here. But so's the answer. Maybe that's why Sorey and everyone got transported here- to help people. Just like I was brought in to bring in your nice new uniform."
Maybe the logic's faulty there too. "Tales of Xantia? I like the sound of that! She's like a heroine in a novel, isn't she? Heroic, strong, tries to do well, stickin' up for what she believes in?" Also, confused about her place in life and not quite knowing her past. "... I hope she's doing okay," Gwen then adds, her enthusiasm deflating. "She sounded really confused by what happened, last I saw her. WIth the lightning n' stuff. I wanted to talk to her, but..." She limply motions with one hand. "I didn't know what to say. I just couldn't get my brain to work, then, if that makes sense."
"Great! After all the stuff that's happened, you deserve this." The thought of food manages to perk the courier up immediately. "Oh yeah, that sounds great! I'll let ya pick, and I'll pay for my stuff, so don't worry." Following Rosaline to the door Gwen blinks when the nun looks back towards her. "Me? Oh, uh." Gwen raises her right hand, giving a thumbs up. "Doin' good. Nothin' can stop me today." Her stomach growls, once more. "Dang, not again..."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"That makes sense. I should!" Rosaline says, regarding speaking to Sorey. She misses what Gwen is saying about their being 'transported' here, simply assuming he's from another continent, maybe. She hasn't learned about the people from the Old Moon just yet-- That's tomorrow. If she did now, that would cause a TIME PARADOX.
"She was doing better the last time we spoke," she says of Xantia. "She's very positive, I almost envy her." They do say ignorance is bliss. "It's all right, I understand. She's not a very complicated girl, at least. I told her her ARM might be the source of the lightning, and she seemed to take it well. You could probably talk to her about anything, too. She needs guidance, and so far has proven a reliable friend." If one who can be hard to keep up with, sometimes literally.
Then it's agreed! They will get food. And there's that stomach growl again. Maybe that was what reminded her of Xantia to begin with. Nothing can stop Gwen today, and... Well, Rosaline wouldn't go so far, but there's one thing for sure. Today is a good day, and they should enjoy it while it lasts.