2017-05-19: Getting ARMed
- Log: Getting ARMed
- Cast: Xantia, Rosaline Calice
- Where: Adlehyde - Fairgrounds
- Date: May 19th, 2017
- Summary: Having learned her bracer is in fact an ARM that is in some way defective, Xantia receives Rosaline's aid in getting it repaired. Along the way, both learn a few more things about the other.
=========================<* Adlehyde - Fairgrounds *>========================= Located in the northeast quadrant of Adlehyde, the Fairgrounds are situated on a large open space traditionally used to train soldiers in march and maneuver. As a result of the Ancient Culture Exhibition, however, a large number of tents and other temporary buildings have been set up to showcase the latest in ARM discovery and advancement. Paths between the tents and buildings have been set up more or less at random in the area, making it a bit difficult to navigate, particularly with hawkers and visitors clogging the arteries. The central focus of the Fairgrounds is a large plaza set up for demonstrations, as far away from anything flammable as practicable. A raised platform occupies the centre of the demonstration area, with a (probably not scale) model of Adlehyde's Golems - Diablo, Lolithia, and Barbados - occupying three corners. The fourth corner is taken up by a similarly-scaled model of a gender-neutral individual with an expression of dull surprise, holding a model torch in an upraised hand. A plaque at the bottom of the statue helpfully explains that this is meant to symbolize the concept of INNOVATION; it is accompanied by a smaller plaque that explains innovation means coming up with new things or ideas. Onlookers generally remark that it's nice that the sculptor tries hard, anyway. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MQRL7xws7w
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
The incident at Lahan left some in worse shape than others. Xantia took a few solid bruises, but by far the most notable of her wounds was her shoulder, pierced nearly all the way through by a giant sword. The crippling pain it must have caused is one thing - continuing to fight for as long as she did should have caused a dangerous amount of blood loss. Should have. Yet it's becoming increasingly obvious that 'should have's often don't apply to Xantia.
She definitely wasn't fine by the end of the battle, and the wound certainly bled as much as it should after she lost consciousness. But by all appearances, the bleeding had have been temporarily slowed, or even stopped. Rosaline may have some inkling as to the cause of that, given that she too was exposed to some kind of healing power employed by the amnesiac redhead.
Xantia being Xantia, it likely was no surprise that she didn't stay put to rest for the suggested amount of time. Two days after, she was spotted in the middle of an attempt to sneak off, and she bolted. She's apologized to Rosaline for doing that, citing the predictable reasons of being unable to stay still that long, needing to look into something without specifying what exactly, and most importantly: hospital food is never as tasty as real food, even when it's the clerical equivalent of a hospital. It doesn't seem to have affected her healing: her shoulder wound healed nicely, and she seems to be doing just fine again.
Even so, though naturally eager to follow up on the leads regarding her ARM by having some specialists looking at it, one thing has been noticably unusual about her. She's been quiet. Normally she'd be talking up a storm about whatever came to mind, but throughout the pair's walk towards the fairgrounds at Rosaline's suggestion, she's hardly volunteered a word. Instead, she's had the appearance of one lost in thought, not a look Xantia has shown very often. Perhaps not everything is as fine as she claimed.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
It's been rough for everyone. Rosaline walked away from the battle with few wounds compared to the others, but had to rest for some time herself. She put on a brave face when Xantia was around, but the battle had left her drained, spiritually and emotionally. Xantia running off didn't help at the time, making her worried sick on top of everything else.
Things are mostly all right, now. Mostly. She would normally be fine with silence, speaking very little of her own, but the absence of Xantia's excited chatter is making her realize that something is horribly amiss.
The pair approaches an ARMs Meister kiosk manned by a man with sunshades and monastic robes. Rosaline briefly chats with him, explaining the situation. He seems dubious at first, but it seems the Etone-in-Training has made a lot of friends in her short time here. A moment later, she turns around to Xantia, smiling.
"He said he'll do it."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia starts when spoken to. It seems she really was lost in thought all this time. She even seems a little confused when looking at her current surroundings. Did she somehow manage to forget where they were going, or fail to notice that they already arrived?
Once she gets her bearings, she finally returns Rosaline's smile. "Oh, good! I mean, that's great!" She still seems a little distracted, taking a moment longer to realize, "I guess that means I'll need to hand it over, huh?" She raises her right arm, and brings her left hand over to the device that she has yet to stop seeing as just a bracer.
Instead of removing the ARM however, she rests her hand on top of it, pausing as she regains that pensive look again. She's not very comfortable with taking the device off, but that isn't her main concern at the moment. It's just become too much. She needs to say something. Abruptly, she turns to Rosaline, asking a question that she's been wondering for a while. "Hey... why do you never ask me any questions?"
Well, that's not true, there have been questions. Just, not the ones she was expecting. Ones that other people have asked. So she corrects herself, "I mean, about me. You must have noticed things that made you want to ask questions. But you never do." She shakes her head then, realizing, "No, you did, once, before you knew me very well. But you never tried to ask me where I'm from again."
Oh yes, she heard that perfectly, way back then. And she remembers that it happened. A subject that she actively avoided at the time, then. But they've been friends for a while now, and yet she was never pressed for personal details. This is confusing to her. "So why? Aren't you curious?"
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline nods. "That would be helpful, yes. It'll be hard for him to work on it while it's still on your arm."
Her smile falters when she sees Xantia hesitant and pensive again. It's unusual seeing her in deep thought like this. This must mean it's really serious. She signs to the ARMs Meister to wait a moment.
Xantia speaks her mind. What was on it, however, wasn't quite what Rosaline expected. She seems confused, at first, until the clarification comes. "Oh!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't, it's true," Rosaline says, following her usual reflex. The rest takes a bit of reflexion. "It's true that I didn't. Don't get me wrong, I am curious about you, but..."
She shakes her head. "It didn't seem important to you the way it is for other people, I suppose. I thought maybe you were running away from somewhere, or you were hiding a secret. But then I saw how you... reacted to certain things, and I thought, what if she doesn't know at all? It'd be rude to remind you, then, wouldn't it?"
She crosses her arms, going on, thinking back. "I read a book when I was your age, 'Those Who Come and Go'. It really made me think about a lot of things. I remember a passage from it. To Drifters, it doesn't matter where you're from, so long as you're willing to lend a helping hand. In the end, we're all equal in the eyes of God." She MIGHT BE PARAPHRASING a bit.
A pause. Then: "I'm sorry if I've been assuming too much. To tell you the truth, I'm... I'm really shy. I don't like asking questions that might upset people."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia calmly listens without interrupting Rosaline, though she reacts in other ways. Her eyebrows raise when she hears about where she comes from not seeming important to her. She looks down when the possibility of her not knowing at all is brought up. A faint smile appears when Rosaline mentions the book passage. She's probably said a lot already without saying anything. But it isn't like Xantia to not say what she has to say regardless.
And the first thing she responds to is the final thing said, which prompts her to shrug, and shake her head. "I don't know why you're apologizing for that. Though it is a bit silly. Why would questions upset people? If they don't want to answer, they just won't answer, right?" If nothing else, she can always be counted on to see things in a simple way.
Seemingly forgetting about taking off the ARM for the time being, she instead scratches her head, then places the hand on her chin, stroking it in thought. "Does it really look like I don't think these things are important? That's weird. I think about these things all the time. Or, well... I guess it doesn't matter much to me where everyone else is from, that's true. But..."
She sighs deeply, shoulders sagging. "But, you were right about me not knowing at all. I don't remember. Not just that, anything that happened longer than a few months ago. I've been trying so hard to find out, but nobody recognizes me, nobody knows anything."
Now that she's gotten this much off her chest, she manages a smile again, from one moment to the next suddenly looking much more like the usual Xantia again. "I just wanted you to know. You're going through all this effort for me, and you didn't even know it's because I'm trying to find out who I am. It just, it didn't feel right, for some reason."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline has a tiny laugh at Xantia's dismissal of questions upsetting people. Yes, this is still the girl she knows. "I suppose you're right."
It would be rude to actually say it, but Xantia looks like she doesn't think much at all, period. Rosaline, instead, just mumbles out, a "Well, you do seem to live in a carefree way most of the time..."
Ah, so she guessed correctly, or close enough, at least. Not even a few months ago. I wish I could forget everything past that point, Rosaline finds herself thinking, and hates herself for it. Xantia is suffering because of this. She can't sit there and pity herself as usual.
Suddenly, the nun has pulled Xantia into a hug. "I can't even imagine what it must be like..." Or can she? There have been gaps in her memory before. Her mind flashes to the battle a week ago. She was fighting like someone possessed, screaming at the top of her lungs. What WAS that? Maybe...
She swallows, pulling away, looking at the girl in the eyes. "I wanted to help you because you've helped me before, and because I'm sure you wouldn't hurt anyone who didn't deserve it." Not like me, she thinks, then immediately short-circuits. "But now I have an extra reason to."
She forces a small smile, but it falters. "Now, though, people may have told you before, but if you forgot everything, it might be because you saw something that made you too sad or too scared all at once. And if that's the case, well... Just know that I'll do everything I can to be there for you, okay?"
The ARMs meister clears his throat. Rosaline's ears perk up. "Oh! We shouldn't keep the nice man waiting." She looks at Xantia's device. This could be very, very ancient... or very recent. Either way, it's one of the keys to the mystery Xantia is chasing. "Is it going to be all right?"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Unsurprisingly, Xantia appreciates hugs. Though this one did come as a surprise to her. Did she look like she needed one just now? It's strange how she seems to be projecting images she wasn't trying to project. How does that work?
Regardless, she returns the gesture. Mistaking the statement on imagining what it's like as a request to describe it, she has to admit, "I don't know how to describe it. I guess it's different for everybody." She knows, she's met other people who lost their memory. And they didn't seem at all motivated to find out about their past. She can't even identify with other amnesiacs, let alone people who do have all their memories. Which leads her to the conclusion, "...I feel alone a lot."
She doesn't correct this perception even as she's looking Rosaline directly in the eyes. She didn't mean alone in the sense of there being nobody who cares about her. Just that there's nobody quite like her. The mysterious powers that she can't explain don't help in that regard. At least there's one thing that always feels meaningful, as she declares with a bright smile, "I just like to help people! I'm glad you also do, that means we can help each other and do what we like at the same time!" Ignorance truly is bliss... or is it?
The thoughts regarding possible causes makes her smile fade away, and her gaze to briefly avert, confronted with the knowledge that despite what little headway she's made, the cause of all this remains as elusive as ever. "I don't know... it could be. I was found unconscious somewhere way out in the desert, that's all I know."
Perfect timing for attention to be drawn back to the matter at hand. She raises the ARM-wielding arm again, looking down at the wristguard. "I was wearing this when they found me. It's one of the few clues I really have, so..." She turns concerned eyes back to her Ethos friend, looking from her to the ARMs Meister and back again. "Is it going to be all right? I'm going to get it back, right? There's no chance it will break, or anything like that?"
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Mention of feeling along a lot gets Rosaline to tighten up the hug momentarily, either way!
But soon Xantia is back to her sunny, cheerful self. Rosaline can't help but smile back. Maybe it's going to be fine. "Hehe. You're right." If only she knew. But Rosaline doesn't want to ruin the mood with her own sad story. Maybe some other time.
"Ethos members are the best around when it comes to ARMs," Rosaline says, with no small amount of pride. She knows well that there's still a chance it will break, however small, but there's no sense in making Xantia panic, she thinks. She turns to the Meister. "Be very careful, okay? This is very important to my friend."
The man lights himself a cigarette, then gives a silent thumbs up.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It's probably the best reassurance possible. Even Xantia realizes that asking for a 0 percent chance of failure is unrealistic. She's just glad for the possibility of someone getting the ARM back to full operational status existing at all, really. It was hard enough to find somebody who could positively identify it as an ARM to begin with. It's easy enough to trust Rosaline, and whoever Rosaline trusts, but just thinking about the possibility of losing her best lead...
With sudden movement, her left hand clutches the device on the opposite wrist. It happens quickly, making it difficult to tell what she does exactly, but it appears twisting it in a certain way may be required to open it. A soft metallic hiss escapes from the ARM, followed by a click.
Xantia takes a deep breath. Her expression speaks volumes after how difficult it is for her to part with her ubiquitous bracer for even a moment. The sense of belonging, like it's a part of her, is extremely powerful. Even so, in the end, she withdraws her arm, sliding it out of the now loosened bracer. Evidently, it doesn't open so much as loosen - not fastened by clasps or anything of the sort, but by contracting itself around the wrist.
Wordlessly, she hands the ARM over to Rosaline for passing on, unable to keep herself from looking supremely perturbed by all of this. The pale spot on the right arm, untouched by sunlight, speaks volumes. She never takes this off.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline watches silently. She's mainly specialized in gunsmoke weapons, and so rarely gets to see technological marvels like these. An ARM this advanced is scary. It's everything she was warned against.
It's also... strangely exciting.
She takes the not-quite-bracer with reverence. It's a gesture of a kind she's used to. Delicately, she sets it on the counter. The silent man takes it, a touch less carefully, and examines it closely. Behind his sunshades, his eyebrows quirk. Recognition? Before Rosaline works up the courage to ask, he's already gone, having placed a 'BACK IN 15 MINUTES' sign on his counter.
Rosaline blinks. "Well, at least it won't take long."
She returns her attention to Xantia, remaining silent a moment. "Oh!" Something occurs to her. She reaches into her bag, from which she pulls out a simple leather bracelet. It's still a bit dirty, maybe something she found in a recent dig and never got around to cleaning and selling. (Her accessories in that slot are gloves, you see.)
"Do you want to put it on while we wait, maybe?"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Upon relinquishing her bracer, Xantia looks that much more pitiful. Not that she wouldn't look much the same way if you were to take a cookie away from her, which just drives home all the more the childish way she tends to react to things. Now at least it's a bit more clear why that is.
It's truly serious this time, though. She may take longer to get over a missing cookie than most people, but this... She has to physically stop herself from not running after the ARMs Meister when he leaves. She manages to keep it to just extending a hand in that direction, and withdrawing it with a distressed whine. Her glance to Rosaline makes it clear that she doesn't agree that 15 minutes isn't a very long time.
With the way she proceeds to clutch at the empty spot on her right arm, it makes sense to think that she might appreciate a replacement. But when Rosaline makes her offer, she shakes her head firmly. "It's not the same." She definitely wouldn't be saying that if this was about cookies.
A moment of awkward silence later, Xantia speaks up again. She doesn't look at Rosaline when she does so, still having eyes only for her wrist. She may be simply speaking her thoughts aloud. "Why would I have an ARM like that? I haven't seen anybody else who has one that looks like this. Did I find it? Did someone give it to me? Where does something like this even come from?" Just a few of the many questions that she commonly asks herself.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Oh, all right." Rosaline puts the bracelet back into her bag. She's disappointed, but Xantia would know best. If only she had had a cookie instead. And yet, she's not sure even that would have helped. The situation is that dire.
It's becoming very clear just how sorely Rosaline was mistaken about Xantia's easygoing attitude also including her own origins. "Aw, Xantia..."
She doesn't hug her again, because she just did, but puts a heavily gloved hand on her shoulder, at least. "There's no way to know for sure, here and now." At least not unless the man returns with the ARM and it starts projecting some sort of princess hologram. This seems unlikely.
"But there's one thing I know for sure," she adds, more certainty in her voice. "God works in mysterious ways, so I can't explain why you're being tested so. But you were given this power for a reason. Some people would use it to get everything they want from other people, or become even more powerful. You don't. You use your power to make others happy. So I can tell you this: When you worry about the past too much, you can think about the future. At the end of it all, there will be a reward waiting for you."
She grins as a thought occurs to her. "Maybe it will be a big feast for you and all your friends."
jRPG Religion: Almost always evil and built on lies, but at least they're comforting lies.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
There being no way to know anything for sure, that's exactly what's driving Xantia crazy about all this. The endless possibilities of what might be. She can imagine a great many scenarios, and knows there are likely many more besides that she couldn't fathom. She doesn't even know how she knows the things that she does know.
It may not be a hug, but the hand on her shoulder is welcome, and prompts her to rest her head against Rosaline's own shoulder. All things considered, Xantia probably doesn't understand much about religion, but wondering about the reasons why things are the way they are, she's no stranger to that. And predictably, with the thought of a feast awaiting her, she perks right up.
"Oooh, you really think so? I'd better keep making friends then, so it'll be a bigger feast!" Since nobody eats as much as she does, so a bigger feast means there'll be more left for her to eat. Xantia logic.
Raising her head, she looks towards Rosaline, admitting, "I don't really understand what it is you do." And then smiling when she adds, "But the same has to be true for you. So you should keep thinking about the feast, too."
Did she just... try to counter-comfort Rosaline? Perhaps she noticed some of the Etone-in-Training's own worries, despite them not being voiced. It's not impossible... as oblivious as she can be, Xantia can also be strangely perceptive about certain things.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Haha, yes!" Rosaline just rolls with the Xantia logic. Whatever distracts her from those anxieties she can't do much about.
Xantia reminds her that Rosaline never actually... explained what she does. Where would she even start? Etones? Nuns? The Ethos? Granas? Life, the Universe and Everything? That's more than she can cover in fifteen minutes! And with this girl, it seems best to assume she doesn't know anything about anything.
But she adds something that makes her forget that questioning for a moment.
"Wh..." The nun's eyes widen in surprise. Then, she has a small laugh. "You're right. I should probably heed my own advice sometimes."
She looks at the unattended ARMs Meister kiosk. Well, she supposes right now she's attending it, or at least making sure no one runs off with the merchandise.
"I... I get really carried away sometimes, when I fight, and I don't know why or what it means." She thought she wouldn't be getting things off her chest today, but Xantia brought it up... sort of. "So I suppose I have some mysterious things to worry about too."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
If Rosaline was expecting any sort of surprise on Xantia's part upon being told about these... tendencies, it's quite the opposite. She merely nods, as if something finally clicks, remarking simply, "Oh, so that's why." So she did notice it, after all! Perhaps not the exact nature of it, one would think there'd be more concern involved then. You never know with Xantia.
A perfect example lies in what she choses to focuses on in all of this. "I saw you using your claws, even though you told me you're not as skilled with them. I guess you weren't thinking about that, huh?" She genuinely doesn't seem to see the seriousness of the situation. And once again, perfectly quoting something Rosaline said months ago. There's obviously nothing wrong with her actual ability to remember things. At least, not at the current moment in time.
She makes a fist, looking determined. "Well, if I happen to find out something that could help explain that sort of thing, I'll make sure to tell you! There's no reason why I can't solve other mysteries along the way, right?" If she was trying to be cool, the effect is ruined by her immediately getting distracted by the still-empty kiosk and wondering aloud, "Has it been 15 minutes yet?" She's bad at keeping track of time to start with, these numbers mean nothing!
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
That Xantia doesn't think it's a big deal both helps and doesn't. On one hand, that she's not taking the problem seriously is upsetting on some level. On the other... Well, it helps Rosaline talk about it without getting too distressed.
But then she notices a detail Rosaline thought she wouldn't. "Oh!"
Her ears droop. "I'm sorry, Xantia. I'm afraid I lied." She'll have to remember to repent for this one later. "Or rather... Well, what I have with my claws isn't really skill. It's more just something I do." She gives a meaningful look. Surely Xantia knows how that is. "I have to be very careful with them so I won't hurt innocent people, so... I try not to use them, ever. I have other ways to fight."
"I don't know," she answers about the kiosk. She lost track of time a bit. Luckily, the man actually comes back just a moment later! Surely it's a good thing to teach Xantia, that asking if something is done yet makes it happen faster.
The cigarette-smoking monk has apparently finished his cigarette, and returned with the bracer ARM. "Here," he says, handing it back to Xantia. "Just be careful not to cut your hand off." What could he possibly mean?
"Thank you so much! That was quick," Rosaline remarks.
"Had some parts lying around that fit well enough," the man in sunshades says, shrugging.
"Does that mean you have some idea where it might be from?"
"Can't say," he says after a pause, taking sudden interest in returning to his kiosk.
"But..." Rosaline trails off.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia looks very confused at hearing that word being dropped. "Lied?" That's preposterous, why would people ever lie? Surely absolutely none of the people she's ever spoken to ever told her a single lie before. She seems a bit taken aback by it, but gets over it quickly enough. Even if it is just to point out another flaw that she sees in that logic. "But you can only claw one person at a time. Or, well, maybe two. Or... four?" Now she confused herself, trying to imagine hitting four people at a time using both hands and feet. She shakes her head. "Less than you can hit at once by shooting, anyway!"
Not that it really matters, especially after the ARMs Meister returns and thus her attention is fully drawn in that direction. Her attention, and all the rest of herself, zooming right over to the counter to accept the bracer back as soon as she possibly can, looking it over frantically for signs of damage. Even though she came here to repair damage in the first place. Internal damage, so even if she looks, it won't look any different.
It takes her a moment to react to the odd remark about cutting her hand off, which she does only by tilting her head inquisitively. What is that supposed to mean? The man's already half gone by the time she thinks of asking, "But, wait, how does it..." Gone. "...work?"
Well, first things first. She hurriedly slides her right arm back through the device, fastening it once more with her other hand. Even though she never seems to take it off, it looks like a practised motion. Precise to the point where she covers the pale spot on her wrist perfectly, exactly where it used to be. She visibly calms once that much is done.
And then immediately looks frustrated, wondering aloud, "It really is fixed now, right? It doesn't feel different, and it doesn't look different..." And she doesn't know how to make it do anything. Makes it a bit hard to really check anything.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"You make a good point," Rosaline says, unsure she wants to elaborate on the bit about having lied.
Not that she has much time to. The ARM's safe delivery comes as a relief to Rosaline too, just for how much it means to her friend. "Thank you so much!" she repeats--
And then he's gone.
Oh, he's still in sight, but there's been a line forming, and he's attending to the next customer's ARM's needs. Rosaline waves her hand, making hand signs, pointing to her wrist, looking confused and mouthing the words 'How does it work?'
The ARMs Meister shrugs exageratedly.
Rosaline sighs out loudly. "Honestly..." She turns back to Xantia, thoughtful. "Though thinking about it, maybe figuring this out on your own will be more helpful than having it told to you. It could jog your memory. As you do it, you might see images or hear things that will give you a clue."
She glances back to the monk. "...Or if you want, I could outright ask him later. ...Well, tomorrow, since he's about to close and there will be fewer people then."
WILL THERE BE FEWER PEOPLE TOMORROW? No.
LIKELIHOOD THAT ROSALINE WILL GET TO ASK BEFORE THE METAL DEMON INVASION: 0.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It's a good thing that Rosaline thanks the man twice, because Xantia seems to be forgetting to say thanks even once. These things can happen when she's been distressed, and still hasn't entirely calmed. Because now the realization is starting to set in that, with this goal accomplished, she needs something else to work towards. What should be the next step?
Rosaline helpfully provides an option, causing her to perk up considerably. "Oh, of course! Figuring it out on my own sounds much more helpful than just being told how it works. You're so smart, Rosa!"
Xantia immediately attempts to do just that. She looks the ARM over carefully, stares at it intently, throws a few experimental punches. None have any visibly result, but this will keep her busy, at the least. It's another concrete mystery to solve. That's much easier to deal with than having to still figure out the next step to begin with.
She blinks, pausing her activities when she suddenly remembers something. "Oh, but, don't we need to pay for this? You said it would be cheaper if you asked for it, but he didn't ask you for money. Does that happen later? Do I pay you the money back, or do you want some now?" Her tendency to just ask every question she has at once hasn't changed.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Haha. Aw. Thank you." Rosaline blushes at the compliment. She knows it's only a little thing, but you have to take what you can get.
"Be careful, though," she advises with a raised finger, as she sees Xantia do some experiments. "Rule number one with an ARM is never to point it at something you're not willing to shoot. We don't quite know what yours does, so you should play it safe."
"I paid for it earlier," Rosaline explains with a benevolent smile. Xantia was out of it enough that she mustn't have noticed. "As for paying me back, well..." Money is important to her mission, but she's not about to extort a friend. She has a small shrug. "You can pay me back a little if you want, but you should do it as is most convenient to you."
She has an idea. She pulls a piece of paper and a pen out of her bag. She writes a number on it, and hands it to Xantia. "This is how much you owe me. So you don't forget." Then again, with the way Xantia has been surprising her so far, it sounds like she's going to forget the paper but remember the number. Just as well. The nun would prefer to increase her odds. And besides, having a debt is a good excuse to keep an eye on Xantia, if for some reason friendship alone wasn't enough.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia nods several times when Rosaline cautions her about not pointing the ARM anywhere unless she means it. It takes her a few moments longer to really process it though, and then she looks confused. "But... then I can't ever point at anything with my finger either, with the ARM around my... arm." She frowns. Why did they call these things that, it makes everything more confusing. It's unclear whether she even thought of pointing with her left arm, but the point stands that it'll be difficult to have a thing never facing people when it's around your arm.
As for the payment, Xantia certainly did miss that happening. "You did? They already knew how much it would cost?" People knowing their craft well enough to be able to tell such things at a glance may be something many would take for granted, but a lot of such things are still amazing to Xantia.
The offered suggestion for repayment seems to confuse her, judging from her blank expression. Using the paper method to try and demystify it a bit seems to help - a smile returns quickly enough when she accepts the slip of paper and sees the number on it. "Oh, that's no problem! There's a lot of postings at the Adventurer's Guild that I can do right now. I'll just take care of a bunch of pay you back right away!"
It's extremely doubtful that she's understood the idea of paying back in installments, or not putting all the money she makes towards this repayment until the debt is repaid. At least she's sure to not stay in debt for long that way. That's not a bad thing, is it?