2017-05-21: Sworn to Protect
- Log: Sworn to Protect
- Cast: Noeline, Cetiri (Riesenlied)
- Where: Photosphere, the Gutter
- Date: 21st May 2017
- Summary: Noeline visits VAL-HALLA and receives specialised equipment from Cetiri, while at the same time ironing her differences out...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
VAL-HALLA, The Gutter
The Ebony Wings' headquarters aren't far off from the VAL-HALLA bar, and it's more or less their unofficial official hang-out spot; it provides a more accessible means to commune with the public, and gets them on the ground faster. The dragons are above, and the infantry remain below... and it's rather close to the Breach, the hole at the bottom of the Photosphere made centuries ago that they haven't had the raw materials to plug up. Officially, it doesn't exist.
Today, Val is cleaning up the glasses as she watches a little exciting and oft-forgotten flick from ages past, about a handsome martial arts demon who falls in love with the technique of... another martial arts demon! 'Your heel kick is... magnificient.' 'Ah, but your backdraft mountain drop...' 'Punch me!' 'Kick me!' Metal demon soaps are weird.
Riese is absent; Cetiri, the de-facto second in command of the Ebony Wings sits atop a stool, lazily waving a dagger-tail around as she watches. Noeline knows her as a scientist who had an accident... and was trapped in dog-form forever. Maybe. The stories are nebulous. Some say she did it deliberately to get off the hook and get thrown down to the Gutter after a failed project she couldn't get over.
"... you are here," Cetiri mentions as Noeline enters. "Riesenlied has taken absence today. She went out into the snowfields. I reviewed your request."
A pause.
"Are you certain?"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Truth be told... Noeline has not interacted all that much with the other Ebony Wings up until this point, at least not here in this bar when they're off-duty. It isn't out of a lack of knowledge - given her interest in the rise of the Tainted she's already well aware of their codenames and ranks, their personalities, and aware of the layout of the Gutter. It isn't out of malice, either - if she's honest, the spy reckons they're probably a lot more amusing to be around than the Metal Demons of the upper layers, and a lot less likely to judge based on appearance.
It's a matter of respect, more than anything. While she might be an unusual case, she was originally a pure Metal Demon, and there's a good chance that the Ebony Wings wouldn't appreciate her just striding in to their space without so much as a word.
Until now, at least.
She hesitates at the door for a moment, until she's caught sight of the Ebony Wings member - and waits for the question to come before she enters the bar proper, treating the comment as permission to step inside and up to the bar. For all that she's normally flitting around Photosphere like a bird, right now her shoulders are tense and her brow furrowed as she frowns.
"... technically, it is not a violation of orders," she huffs softly to herself, tilting her head in an acknowledging nod to the bartender and not looking directly at the Robot Dog Buddy. "Her words were to maintain my cover in the world outside - and to protect the plans she has laid. I can /hardly/ do that last part if she rushes in to some fool situation and gets herself killed."
"... besides... I do have my reasons," she adds almost thoughtfully, breaking into a rather rueful grin as she looks down towards her hands - then cocks her head in the canine's direction. "For considering myself a member of the Tainted. So, perhaps it is time to start properly contributing."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Over the last couple of centuries, many a pure Demon has come down here -- Dva, for instance, or even Devet more recently -- and if Riesenlied has instilled something in the Tainted around here, it's that prejudice and discrimination won't fly.
"It isn't my place to question her orders," Cetiri intones, her voice almost perfectly flat. "But I do wonder about her trust in you."
It isn't meant to sound suspicious. Protective, perhaps, from a different angle. It almost sounds familiar.
Cetiri hops off the stool as the bartender looks towards her. Val is... a curious lady, given that her torso appears to have been completely replaced by an old-model refrigerator with twirling cooling coils shaped to be like... decorations? Her eyes have also been replaced with binoculars.
"If it isn't the Lady of the Night. Care for a drink?" A pause. "A Demon drink, unfortunately. No human alcohol here."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... I'll take one, thank you," she nods, her head tilting slightly in a bow. Quite a bit more respectful than normal, though she's never been /too/ flighty here in the Gutter in the past. "That said, I suppose I should keep my head clear - so nothing that will hit me too hard. I'm not Lady Riesenlied," she adds with a soft snicker and a tilt of her head. "But I've got a lot of work to come in the next few days. I'm going to be busy," she sighs to herself, allowing a brief sag of her shoulders.
The next moment she's picked herself up, though, swivelling on the bar stool to let her gaze follow the canine as she pads away. "... have I done something to offend?" she wonders aloud, the fanged grin a little helplessly amused - though she draws a hand back through her hair, letting out a more genuine sigh. "I've done my best not to hurt her, I hope-- but things /are/ getting a little raw. Given what's about to happen, I'd think that's understandable."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Val mixes the drink up -- it's a mixture of metals designed to replenish Demons, along with whatever culinary arts the Demons have developed over the centuries to make it more palatable. Hey, even iso-whey proteins have chocolate or vanilla flavourings, okay? "... here's one that's named after your Lady, then," as she pours a black drink that gradients to orange, much like Riese's wings, along with a cherry garnish. It might not be a real cherry. "She still won't let me live it down. But she's fun to tease."
The bartender looks to the canine, and then looks to Noeline. "She's just the clingy sort. She frets about... 'outside influences', she calls them." There's a crooked metal smirk. "Then again, from all the gossip, you are too, aren't you?"
Cetiri's tail wags just a little as she moves towards a back chamber that opens up with a faint hiss. Metallic plates slide open, and then there's a rather familiar-looking suit of armor on a bust based on her designs. "Your armor," she announces, "is ready."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With another tilt of her head, Noeline accepts the drink - though she only takes a sip at first, paired with an appreciative hum. "My. I do appreciate the colour," she grins at it, lifting it to a light to watch the orange sparkle. "And it's quite true, isn't it? Though I suspect she might be more in need of consolation than teasing, in the time ahead. I'm entrusting her to you... temporarily, mind you," she adds with just a touch of pride.
Visibly, Noeline hesitates - but she's already come this far, and if there's one place in the Photosphere likely to be free of the Quarter Knight's influence, it's here. "... to an extent," she allows with a tilt of her head, returning the smirk with one of her own. "They can be a source of strength, after all, or a source of support. I've watched humans fight stronger than any demon in service to them. I've watched Odjn defuse a hopeless situation with some kind words. Your trust in her is rooted in those same influences, even," she points out as she lightly lifts her glass in what is almost a salute.
Her attention is quickly tugged away, though, as she steps forward slowly at Cetiri's call - and immediately pauses, almost holding her breath as the takes in the sight of the armor. Sleek and close-fitting, picked out in black and purple, it could almost be the light armor of a scout were it not for the solid-looking plates laid over it that match the solid boots and gauntlets. Her gaze lingers at the shoulder, where the emblem of the Ebony Wings sits.
"... how long has it been, I wonder? Something like this is definitely a trip down Memory Lane," Noeline decides softly, letting out a light breath before she bows her head. "... thank you. I owe you a debt. ... I suppose, technically, I am the subordinate," comes the afterthought, with an enormous grin. "Devet will be overjoyed she's not the new girl anymore, hm?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Val shakes her head and puts the cork-bottle away. "Girl, we've been with Riesenlied longer than you have," she points out. "We've seen her at her youngest, dragging herself out of the sand and the waste out there... we've been with her when you ran off by yourself, turning your head away through the daily hardships here." she leans and peers towards the window where there's a scrapheap just outside. "So don't lightly compare us to the humans you so love..." she snorts. "The way you always talk about them, it's like you'd rather have us be buried under the snow. Humans this, humans that..."
Cetiri's tail flicks once more, and she remarks, "It is more than just a regular suit of scouting armor. You will find certain enhancements in there that will suit..." A pause. "Your situation." Now whatever could that be referring to, hmm? She flicks a switch with her tail, and then there's an additional hiss as a second panel slowly slides open to reveal a certain greatsword with a frosty puff of breath.
"I am not interested in playing the game of debts and favours," the canine demon announces afterwards. "And Riesenlied herself has asked us to help you however we can."
She climbs back up onto what seems to be her favourite stool. "Riesenlied still has bad habits. That she is not here today is only proof that she has not let go."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline remains still for a moment, then lets out a breath as she turns towards the bartender with a rather rueful smile. "... my apologies. I do have my pride as a Metal Demon still, you know," she admits softly, following Val's gaze towards the remnants of scrap metal outside and pausing there for a long moment before she speaks again.
"... I suppose I simply want to make sure that the new world she finds is the one she's been searching for, with no regrets attached. And it might sound trite, coming from me - but I want to ensure the Tainted's safety in whatever world waits for us," she declares, glancing back towards Cetiri for good measure. "I realize I have not exactly been the most reliable of sorts - but this is my way of making up for that, in some measure. Both here in Photosphere - and out in the world at large, in Riese's name."
For a moment, she tests the weight of the unusually wide greatsword - despite its size, it only takes a moment of effort for her to gain purchase on it and heft it in her hands - and then she's made a noise of approval as she glances to the canine again. Her entire posture radiates curiosity as her eyebrows pick up. "Ah? Enhancements?" she wonders aloud.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Cetiri waves Val away with her tail, and the bartender relents with a quiet huff. Which... sounds a bit strange for a huff, given her motorised vocal cords.
Cetiri looks towards Noeline and says, "The greatsword is based on the design of your scythe, and you will find that it integrates and synchronises in the same fashion." There is a pause, and then the canine explains, "The inner lacing of the armour has been designed with a certain metal in mind."
A pause.
"It is not a metal found natively here in the Photosphere. It is not a metal anathema to certain resonances."
The canine demon glances aside, as she begins to curl up. "That is all I shall say. The rest... is up to you." Her tail snags her drink lazily as she tries -- haphazardly -- to try to sip from a cocktail glass, and winds up dribbling some excess off from the sides of her jaw.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
For an instant, Noeline's eyebrows jump up enormously - and then she dissolves into a lost little smile, looking back to the armor with almost a fond look, scratching at her cheek as she lets out a breath. "... I see... I suppose I owe you for much more than just the armor, in that case," she sighs as she reaches up to brush her hair again. "I shall certainly do my best to live up to the workmanship - and hopefully, in time, prove myself at least a little."
She hesitates a little longer, lingering by the armor - before she's stepped back over to the bar, sliding fully into the seat. "At the very least, let me provide a report into what to expect in Adlehyde - and also, who to watch out for. Some of them seem rather more dangerous than others," she adds. "If there is one thing I can say with confidence, it is that I am the most aware of that much."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Of course, any information you have will be very useful. And it seems that Riesenlied has spent much more time with the humans than she usually does..." Cetiri murmurs in return, glancing aside. "It makes me wonder whether she is letting her guard down, or whether she is letting bygones be bygones."
A pause, as she looks out the window once more, this time towards the Breach that's vaguely visible outside. "I fear that she will be hurt again. She may not recover a second time. Are you prepared to do what must be done, Noeline?"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... I will not leave her alone this time," Noeline says in response, her voice quiet and solemn - so much so, she could almost seem like someone else entirely. Perhaps this is a brief shade of the quiet Metal Demon that left Photosphere centuries ago, only to return as a brash and overconfident Crimson Noble. "I have sworn as much to her, and I will swear it again to you. Even if the world turns against her..." She pauses, and then nods. "... I will go through anyone I have to in order to see her safe."
For a long moment, she leaves it at that, turning her glass slowly in her hands as she stares into its colour before taking a long pull from it. "... it's not as if I don't share those fears, you know," she grumbles afterwards. "Whyever do you think I've decided to go this far?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Cetiri is silent for a while longer... and then nods slowly, her metallic eyes blinking -- the lights kind of blinking, not the mechanical eye-and-eyelids kind. "Then I shall allay my concerns for the time being. Perhaps you will have to commune with those that Riesenlied fears most in order to save her... what an irony that would be. But we shall watch over the two of you."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a soft snort, Noeline cocks an eyebrow and raises her glass in another of those vague salutes. "I appreciate that - and I'm glad for it. As much as I'd like to, I cannot be here all the time - if nothing else, I can't do as she wishes stuck here - and I do find that Riese is very good at wandering off and getting herself into trouble all of a sudden," she adds with an aggrieved noise. "I may need your counsel in the future - in fact, I think I should make sure I've got some more in the way of long-range communications on me, just in case."
The Crimson Noble pauses at the oblique mention of the Guardians-- then lets out an amused sigh as she rakes at her hair again. "I wonder... to be honest, I'm still getting used to it myself. Most of the time, I simply have to make things up on the fly," she admits as if it were some kind of huge secret.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"True, unfettered long-range communications are still impossible," Cetiri muses. "But the Ebony Wings use a subvocal radio-based frequency that works within a typical operation range. Your helmet includes a synchronisation linkup to the IFF bandwidths that we utilise."
There is a hoarse little noise that might approximate something like chuckle. "Indeed," Cetiri chirps in turn. "Whether or not it will assist you, or tear you and Riesenlied apart... ... I am afraid that remains to be seen."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Deciding to just break out of the serious talk for a moment, Noeline makes a theatre of sagging and letting out a deep-set sigh. "... really... aren't you too mean to the new girl, when she's all lost and uncertain about her new role? It's not as if I asked for this, you know," she grumbles, never mind the fact that she's the one who tried to contact the Guardians and got a faceful of Medium shrapnel in return.
She quiets again, though, as she glances over at the canine member of the Ebony Wings. "... yeah. I'm afraid, as well," she admits after a quiet moment. "What waits for us in the future - well, I'm the sort of person who worries too much, deep down, and feels they have to prepare for anything and everything. But-- I won't let that get in the way of protecting her, however it all shakes out. I've made that decision myself."