2017-06-05: A Mostly Alcohol-Free Wake
- Log: A Mostly Alcohol-Free Wake
- Cast: Rosaline Calice, Maya Schrodinger, Gwen Whitlock
- Where: Adlehyde - Starfall Saloon
- Date: Monday, June 05, 2017
- Summary: After the royal funeral, Gwen drags Rosaline and an exhausted Maya to an impromptu wake.
========================<* Adlehyde - Starfall Saloon *>======================== Located in the southwest quadrant of Adlehyde, the Starfall Saloon is situated next to the local Adventurer's Guild outpost and kitty-corner from an ARMs Meister; the mostly-happy not-at-all-coincidence has turned the Saloon into a popular gathering place for Drifters. Even in the wake of the battle of Adlehyde, the Saloon continues its steadfast tradition of serving some of Adlehyde's finest foods and beverages. The building has largely survived the wrath of the Demons' attack -- minus the shaved off shingles that have fallen prey to dragon fire, and a breached room up top that ate a cannonball to its balcony. The Saloon's proprietor and bartender is known as Honest Tom; this is a bit of an in-joke among the regulars, as the man rarely speaks more than a dozen words over the course of an evening. The cook is known to most as 'Aunt Hilda', the woman who, along with waitress Lunata Croze has concocted many delectable, mouth-watering specials and soups. The Starfall Saloon was widely known among Drifters for offering warm beds, cold beer and wonderful grub for a fair price... ...and now, it is serving as an additional hospital and clinic for the injured in the wake of the battle of Adlehyde. Most of the showfloor has been converted into a sick ward with plenty of gurneys and cots tending to the ill and injured -- and rooms are at limited availability with priority going to those who need intensive care. The sign reads: 'DOCTORS AND MEDICS WANTED', along with 'STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS'. Certainly, they have a downsized menu mostly sticking to mass-produced, but still delicious nurturing foods. A cup of warm, comforting soup to recover from a disaster... won't you have some? BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MQRL7xws7w
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
A lot of meetings have occured at the Starfall Saloon. This is when Rosaline would pinpoint the real beginning of her friendship with Gwen, for instance. This is why she can't help but think that getting back here feels a bit like closing a chapter in her life, at least where this town is concerned.
Naturally, Gwen's offer to drink the night away brought the Ethos nun and Maya-- whom said nun hasn't actually realized yet is Maya --to this Adlehyde favorite. The ambience is about as cheerful as you'd imagine after a post-disaster ceremony of remembrance, but at least Gwen seemed determined to make the evening a good one.
Rosaline has ordered milk, because she's that kind of girl. She drinks it from a tankard, at least, for proper cheering protocol. She's not going to be the one to initiate merry chat, unfortunately. Her tail sways nervously behind her stool.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
Through thick and thin, fire and brimstone, and demons from another world... the Starfall Saloon still stands tall. It's part miracle, and part hard work and gumption: ain't no coincidence that the Croze family and all the nasty tricks up their sleeves walked away without too much more than a handful of scratches.
It's the small blessings, in abundance, that really add up at times like these.
Anyway, Maya. Maya Schrodinger is not as easily recognizable as you might think. For one, she looks kind of--small, despite physically being about the same height and weight. Maybe it's a posture thing. She's missing the glitz, the glamour, and the boisterous spark of her usual gun-slinging self. She also has these moon-sized spectacles and shortly-trimmed hair, and a pretty little olive blouse and pleated skirt combo instead of the deafening orange dress.
What's important is that she's here in the company of friends--kind of a new thing, but, shhh! Don't tell anyone!
This bookworm incarnation of everyone's favourite Ace Drifter has a little wineglass full of something, uh, sparkling. It's probably grape juice, but that's okay. She's also not afraid to make conversation with her pals. "I'm glad I saw you during the ceremony..." it's a bit close to a nervous whisper, but spoken with a smile. "I'm not used to... to doing this. Remembering people, and things, like this..."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
If there was ever a strength of Gwen's that was also a fault, it was her over willingness to take things as they were. Maya seemed to have a lot of guises, and this one happened to have glasses. Maybe she was dressing more sober for the occasion! Very normal for a person to do, if they had more clothing choices than what Gwen had.
But at least Gwen got her clothes scrubbed up real nice and professional-like for the funeral! ... Because it would be a bad idea to come in with blood stained clothing.
nono, Gwen, don't think about the blood, you have been down this road before
"Gimme something good, Tom!" The courier's quick and to the point, raising her hand as soon as she comes in. The bartender sighs and motions to the back wall, to the many bottles of alcohol on display. Gwen, having been running on fumes, stands there like a deer in headlights, her cheery smile still stuck on her face. "T-that one!" She points to a darker-colored bottle, causing Honest Tom to look at it, sigh, and take it down. "I take it it's pretty popular."
"Yeah, for a few good reasons," Honest Tom says honestly, sliding a tankard of the foamy brew to Gwen's waiting hand.
She doesn't order for the other two- she had made it clear earlier that, despite her going to a bar, the others weren't obligated to drink. "Yeah, I'm glad I saw you guys too." She looks mildly surprised that Maya doesn't order a drink of her own, but, seeing as how she's dressed, there may be other events she may be needing to go to. "I guess I never realized... you wear glasses. I guess you're such a good shot that you don't need em to shoot."
It makes sense.
Gwen doesn't know how glasses work, really.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"I'm only used to small funerals, myself," Rosaline says to Maya, perhaps depressingly.
Then, to Gwen: "I was glad to see you, too." She already told her what she wanted to tell her, thanking her for her message, but just seeing her alive and well was reassuring in itself. "I got to see most people I know from here, after spending the week worried. There was that, at least."
Gwen speaks of Maya's shooting ability. Rosaline pauses, gears turning in her head, as she realizes she might have been impolite. Then: "My name is Rosaline Calice, by the way. It's nice to meet you." She smiles, because a friend of a friend is a friend indeed. She extends a thickly gloved hand for Maya to shake, shyly.
Now, Maya and Rosaline have only had brief interactions in the past, before they inevitably went their separate, explosive ways. Still, Maya has likely seen Rosaline introduce herself at least once before, prior to the attack on Descartes' base!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
The pleasant murmur of conversation in the background is rich with nuance, and serves to further calm the eldest Schrodinger girl as she nervously swirls the flute of bubbly in her fingertips. There are layers to her nerves, of course: the overloaded synapses from Riesenlied's mysterious light. The experience of being amongst innocents caught in the crossfire--in industrial quantities--for the first time. And most importantly, her inability to hide behind her usual mask.
But perhaps this nexus of tragedy forcing her from her shell is a good thing. A toss headlong into the deep-end, after years of skating by on a technicality.
"I don't--usually... need the glasses, but after all the fighting, a lot of me is really screwed up. But I'll be okay." Maya timidly defends (sort of) her unusual appearance, "I'll be back to... normal, before long. I need to repay people like you for all that kindness and strength."
Bold words, for a bookworm. Maya quickly hides behind a sip of her sparkling wine (Alcoholic Content: 0.125% by volume) as her mouth dries. Socializing: hard. Complementing strong, good people like Gwen without feeling like a dork: hard.
If Rosaline has been impolite so far, though, the blonde doesn't seem to indicate it. She hurriedly turns in her seat with an awkward kind of turn, almost as if startled. "O--oh! Hello, Miss Calice, my name is Maya..." she seems unable to decide which hand should be used for shaking. But she does pick one and go for it, with a shy smile, even if her grip is weaksauce.
It--would be a heck of a stretch to associate this with the same person at Riesenlied's briefing prior to the big scrap at King Justin's rescue, yep, especially since that Maya was wearing improbably huge pauldrons, a black cloak, and flew around on wings of wind shooting bolts of fire and light from her hands. But there's a spark of recognition in this Maya's eyes all the same!
"You were... you fought really hard to protect everyone in Adlehyde. Didn't you? You and Gwen, you're both... really brave like that."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
'You and Gwen, you're both... really brave like that.' Gwen blinks. "W-wait, you're sayin' that to me? I gotta take that as a compliment, seein' how you've stood up against some nasty critters out there!"
There were times where Gwen's own emotional defenses were shattered, whether it was due to seeing an unorthodox spell cast by Ethius cause some Metal Demons to contort in extreme pain, her own physical and mental pain upon her ARM being surgically removed by the expert hand of Kalve(?), seeing the face of the unconscious, pale Lucia, who nearly died trying to protect the king. The king's body lying limp in her arms, and the weight she felt upon implusively taking a duty that, despite a temporary one, came to haunt her once again upon news of the king's death.
No matter what, every time, there was at least one person there: the gentle urging of Rudy, the way Emma kept a delirious Gwen conscious by talking about random science-y topics before doing impromptu repair on her ARM, Ragnell's no-nonsense 'encouragement', Hiro's insistence, in the face of their helplessness in the face of a comatose Lucia, to spar despite their weary conditions.
"I was brave because everyone around me was brave. So, really, it's a reflection on everyone around me, y'know?" Hastily, she begins drinking her brew, wiping the bits of foam off her mouth. "But yeah. They really know how to do a funeral here! Not like the Badlands at all." Did someone mention awkward statements?
"But yeah, this is Rosaline! She's an Ethos nun, and she's really handy in a battle. She can heal, do magic, *and* fight! Not many people that can do all three, I tell ya!"
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline blinks, uncomprehending but understanding, when Maya says a lot of her is 'screwed up'. "It's been hard for everyone," she says, softly, with a nod and a sip of her tankard.
Rosaline has an awkward little laugh at Maya's handshake mishaps, not least because it feels a bit like looking into a mirror. Her grip is firmer than Maya's, but not by much. She could swear she met someone with that name, but that was bound to happen.
She looks down, blushing. So Maya saw her fight? Rosaline must have missed her. It was a chaotic night. And then Gwen praises her!
"Aw. Thank you... Though to be perfectly honest I don't remember all of the battle. I've noticed, lately... sometimes in very chaotic situations I get a little carried away, a-as if I were possessed, or on auto-pilot."
She looks up, this time at Gwen, and blushes more because she just admitted something embarassing in front of a friend and a stranger(?). For bonus points, she just used a book word that she's fairly sure most people don't have a solid notion of.
But she does have a nervous smile. "Having brave friends helps... I think I'm going to be officially travelling with Talise, Ida and the rest from now on."
"We didn't really mix it up in Hope Springs, funerals-wise," she then adds without really thinking, after a gulp of milk. It's not the Badlands, but it's closer to there than to here.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
"Well--er--yes. I am saying that to you." there's a moment of totes 'dorbs panic on Maya's face at Gwen's innocent confusion about the complement. "Even if you think it's because you're surrounded by braver, stronger people... I think you have to be strong to keep up. Someone not cut out to be a Drifter wouldn't be able to rise to the occasion..."
Ah, does that hit a little close to home? Little blonde glasses-girl feeling a bit introspective about relying on the rest of the gang while she reboots? Maya leans forward just a touch, cognizant of her habit of nerd-slouching in timidness. Her introvert downward spiral comes to a halt suddenly as she points with a pinky from her glass-holding hand at Gwen. "Oh--who was that friend of yours? The, er, the blonde man at the funeral? He was... he was nice."
Another hurried sip of Little Tony's 'My First Wine' follows, which for Maya's unpowered constitution, is probably pushing it. "Miss Calice must be really talented... um--but, autopilot in combat sounds scary. Wouldn't you want to be at the controls more than ever, then?"
In this form, hell, book-words are all she has.
Gathering herself, Maya finds the courage to ask a question that intersects with the way the conversation is veering. Call it excitement, call it naivete. "Um! Where will everyone... go, now? I might--have plenty of room at home, in Aveh, if your travels take you west and you need a place..."
A pause.
"I've never... been to a funeral, sorry, I'm all over the place. It's a little hard..."
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gwen nods at Rosaline's comment on her own behavior during battle. "Yeah, yeah, I totally get that!" she says, not completely getting what Rosaline is referring to. "I think it's a survival instinct. My auntie'd talk about it sometimes- we all got this instinct to fight or flee, no matter how advanced we think we are. And when our body decides to do one or the other, we just go into overdrive."
Auntie Frea would then launch into a strange mini-lecture about how humanity was tied to their primitive roots, and how that was a limitation, and some other things, but then she'd just get a strange look on her face and tell Gwen to go practice with her new ARM with carrying more teacups. So many teacups, smashed by primitive nerve responses-
Maybe it's the drink. Maybe it's the fact that Gwen is using the few mouthfuls of alcohol as an excuse. Maybe it's just Gwen being Gwen. Either way, the redhead is now hugging the bespectacled Maya, but not before making a small 'd'aww' sound. She can't help it. Surely, there's some calculated reasoning behind Maya's transformation from mighty gunslinging bounty hunter to quiet bookworm, but Gwen will just take Maya just as she is. Everyone's a little 'screwed up' right now. Why *wouldn't* Maya be a little messed up?
And Maya, right now, seems awkward and nervous. GWEN NEEDS TO FIX THAT.
Moving away from the quick, but tight hug, Gwen drains more of her drink. "I'll probably go to the Badlands eventually, once things die down. They should soon. As much as I hate to leave this area, I wanna see my auntie and make sure the Badlands hadn't blown up somehow. Spending too much time among all this greenery... I'd start to lose my edge, y'know? People seemed to take me more seriously when I trotted out the whole deal about me comin' from the Badlands."
Usually because they either are convinced she's slightly crazy, lying, or just trying to hide from all the sins she had committed. Something like that. "I'm going to be upgrading my cart soon, too! It'll be a full-fledged wagon, with a cover and everything. But tonight? Dunno... I guess I'll be heading back to a little nook to sleep whatever happens tonight off."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Haha, I'm... I'm really not so much," Rosaline says, regarding her being talented. "You're right, though. I don't... do it on purpose, really." She sighs.
But Gwen provides an explanation that sounds about right, honestly. "Yes! Yes. Fight or flight. It's a bit like that." The catwoman nods.
She gasps at the sight of such a sudden hug. Not that she thought Maya didn't seem like she needed a hug, but Rosaline's [* Guts] would need to be Dauntless for her to even consider it.
Maya then asks a surprising question, though one the Etone-in-Training is less nervous about answering, for once. "Oh! Praise be. That would be so kind of you. There are five of us in our travelling party, plus a Chauncey." She doesn't explain what a Chauncey is. Everyone should be friends with Chauncey if they aren't already. "But only if that's not too many for you to accomodate... I could probably manage, myself." She waves her hands dismissively, unwilling to impose.
But then she remembers that she never actually answered the question. "I'll be staying here a bit still to help with... everything, really. But soon we plan to go to Lacour, if they're still holding their tournament. After that... We were thinking of going West too. That would require the blockades to go down, so we'll see."
Gwen explains her own plans. This prompts a still-reserved-but-full smile from Rosaline. "Then we'll be going to same way? Thank Granas. Your aunt sounds like a nice person, I'd love to meet her if I have the chance."
She clasps her hands as in prayer. "A wagon! The super courier is moving up in the world, as she should. I'm so happy for you."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
B--bwaaah! Maya Schrodinger's greatest weakness: not bullets, spells, swords or rare and precious gems, but--friendliness rays!?
The glasses sit at a precarious and goofy-looking angle as Gwen easily tugs the lightweight into a more huggable position, and to be balanced in our approach to this, it's not like a great deal of resisting is going on right now. It's also over as quickly as it started, leaving a frumpy mess sitting at the table with spirals for eyes.
A-hem. Maya clears her throat pathetically (in the funny and cute way) and fixes her specs. "O--oh! You're from that far away? I've spent a few years... in the Badlands, when I first wanted to make a name for myself. It's not as bad as everyone here makes it out to be, don't you think...?"
Spoken with two fingers poking together, with as much authenticity in this form as your average herder boasting about whipping Vash's ass. Not too convincing. But we must move on. "My family is deciding where we'll go next, but... we can always depart for home and plan the rest from there if it lines up well with everyone else?"
Trying to ingratiate yourself on 0.25% batteries: difficult.
"Um--hmm, five guests..." Maya is forced to mentally retreat and start thinking about how much room there is in the manor, now factoring in Rosaline's sneaky tidbits of traveling info. "We could... certainly manage. Yes! Yes. And I'd really like to do everything I can to safely see everyone off after all you've done, it... um, seems right. Anyway."
That Rosaline hasn't thrown herself into the embracing equation doesn't appear to put her anywhere lower on the ladder, in this conversation. Maybe the exhausted Maya appreciates it.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
'Your aunt sounds like a nice person, I'd love to meet her if I have the chance.' Gwen's cheery demeanor breaks at Rosaline's comment, and by 'breaks', it's more like 'chokes on her drink'. Coughing a little and waving her hand in front of her mouth, Gwen then laughs. "Well, see, she's in her 70's I think, and has been in the Badlands for most of her life, so. Uh. I wouldn't say she's *nice*, but that's only because I know she wouldn't mind me admittin' it. She's..." She rubs the side of her face. "... Tough as nails. That's a good way to describe her."
Which doesn't really give a clear picture. "But either way, I'm glad to know there's people heading that direction. I've gotten so used to having friends around that it'd feel kinda empty if I just went back. We really bonded over some tough times; it'd be kinda nice to just know there's people out there who'd be willin' to lend a helpin' hand from time to time."
Turning to Maya, Gwen gives a nod, raising her tankard slightly. "Yep! Badlands born and raised!" ... So says the courier, who just *hugged an acquaintance out of nowhere* and has been seen *openly crying on several occasions*. "It's definitely not the easiest area to live in, but it really forces ya to really learn about your surroundings and use them to your advantage. You can't take things for granted, especially when it comes to good people. But... the music, the food, the everything, well. I miss it. Also, spicy foods! Adlehyde food is great, but people just hold back on spices like they're holdin' them for ransom-" Honest Tom gives Gwen a slightly annoyed look, causing Gwen to quickly double back. "But it makes you appreciate the subtle flavors, y'know? And all the fried items, and the cool desserts. You really don't get sweet things in the Badlands like here."
Rubbing her neck as she sips her tankard dry, Gwen hands it up to be filled up. "Whew, the drink's beginning to kick in, I think. But yeah, Maya, if you feel like havin' me as a guest, I'd love to see your place." Of course, despite knowthing the Schrodinger name, Gwen's vision of this 'home' may be different from what it is in reality. "Ah, there's my drink." She lifts the glass up and takes a swig, placing it back down on the counter with a satisfied sigh. "This is great stuff!"
It's popular for a reason: gets you drunk, and fast.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"I've never actually been to the Badlands myself," Rosaline remarks softly. "I've never been to much of anywhere except Dazil and... well, here." Now, now, there was Port Timney and Linga, but... well, that's really it for large cities.
Gwen chokes of her drink. Rosaline's eyes go wide, as if she'd inadvertently commited a murder. "O-Oh! I see, yes. I... I know someone who's a bit like that, too."
*****
Rosaline is in a graveyard, frantically reloading her ARMs and fumbling for her crests. Ghosts close in on her.
"Now, Rosaline Calice!" Mother Oba shouts out, standing tippy-toed on top of the church's belltower, arms crossed, "Imbue your bullets with holy power and defeat them all before the time limit!"
The tiny septuagenarian, it turns out, has the exact same vocal quirks as Norio Wakamoto.
*****
The nun nods along when Gwen remarks that it would be lonely to go their separate ways. "I feel the same. It will be good to see familiar faces on the road."
"Thank you so much, Maya," Rosaline says, so grateful and overjoyed that she has to resist the temptation to shake Maya's hand again. She actually tears up a bit. It's been an emotional week. "I'll tell them and we can plan the next time we see one another." Rosaline didn't catch this Maya's last name, and so has no idea what to actually expect. She just likes having a roof over her head and maybe a box to curl up in, so long as it isn't too noisy.
"You could go to the Lacour tournament too before you leave," she points out. "You might get business there, and I think we'll be hosting charity events besides."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
It's true that Gwen's mannerisms don't mesh with Maya's experience of the rough 'n' tumble lifestyle out west, but hell, let's not forget one of her other acquaintances from out that way:
~Virginia Maxwell~
So maybe there's just something in the water. Or the lack of it. Your pick.
A wobbly smile crosses Maya's face at the verbal onslaught. Not because she finds the enthusiasm irritating, or anything, but because it's a lot to take in at once. A touch of sensory overload. "O--oh! The food was good, which was surprising... and there was a nice sense of camaraderie, but now--here, people are..." she titters, trying to find her way back into the conversation as the courier's drink helps the tale flow. It's all the blonde can do to sit up and keep pace. "I'm--yes, Gwen, you'll be quite welcome! It's a very large house for how few of us there are, and it is my household now..."
Phew, this is getting pretty tiring. Maya has maybe had half of her drink, already feeling dizzy by the time Rosaline grabs her hand and tearfully shakes it. The dweeby Schrodinger girl's arm flops around bonelessly. "I~i~i~it's fine! I'll be here for a while yet! I still have things to do!"
Of course, how this spineless-looking shut-in would amount to anything in the Lacour tournament is... uh. Maybe she can invest in someone to fight for her.