2017-07-05: Kindred Spirits Once More
- Log: Kindred Spirits Once More
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline, Lily Keil
- Where: Lacour
- Date: 5th June 2017
- Summary: Lily encounters the Metal Demons on her way to dinner, and agrees to speak with a kindred spirit once more...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The Lacour Grande.
One of Lacour's finest establishments so far as inns go, and at a reasonable rate too. It is here that Riesenlied and Noeline have been staying, thanks to favours the Crimson Noble has that she's been able to pull strings to get them a fairly secluded and well-appointed room with a balcony and a lot of light for their recuperation. But they're not within their room at present, for fairly mundane reasons.
Medicine.
Sooner or later, the question of 'is there anything that can help her through her anxious fits?' came up, and the two had headed out to some local apothecaries and pharmacies; they were relatively fruitless save for some comforts, but nonetheless the two are waiting at the hotel lobby for some herbal tea and relaxants to be delivered to them.
Riesenlied still has her Ellurian cloak on, and her hood -- with cat ear-shaped pockets for her horns -- is up, draped a little closer about her. She seems... diminished in size, shrinking into herself and not particularly confident or bold in her demeanor.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
The restaurant on the ground floor--and its bar--see brisk business by patrons and even others, given how good it is. There are plenty of black-haired women marked among patrons of same and current residents at the Inn, but one in particular is not very interested in her own balcony.
Medicine is a good reason to be out and about.
Lily Keil already has most of the medicine that she's likely to meet. It's timing, though, that sees something surprising happen.
Careful footsteps make it down the stairs, a gloved hand on the banister as Lily slowly walks down them, her black hair largely pushed behind her shoulders and her black dress revealing some of the bandages that go all the way up to her neck. She looks... Distracted.
Accordingly she starts past the two at the hotel lobby towards that eatery. Her face, however, is very easy to spot. Her bootfalls are quiet, like always. And her height makes her stand out.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Medicine, and also newspapers.
Old habits die hard, after all, and one of Noeline's oldest habits is catching up on events in the world as seen from a human perspective - something that she finds all the more important in the light of the recent attack on Old Petra and the combined evacuation of their forces.
As such, she waits for their tea with a folded morning edition in one hand and one of Riesenlied's hands in the other, sat closely to the other demon as if to simply offer some shared space. The 'Crimson Noble' cuts a very obvious figure, as finely dressed as ever in a mess of crimson and black, but all the more so given the sheer number of weathered and scruffy Drifters and fighters around the place. It's-- useful, right now, both to pick out her presence to any of their friends and allies and to ensure that the eye is drawn towards her and not the cowled woman next to her.
Still, her usual grin isn't there, replaced with quiet concern. "It should not be long," she decides, glancing up towards the kitchens.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lets a little cough and a little shiver, drawing down towards herself with a deep little shiver. She's trying to regulate her breathing, to centre herself and tune the noise out, but she seems to be struggling just a little. She also has to eat, and... she hasn't done much of that lately, having little to no appetite. Which is understandable, but at the same time...
Her eyes fleck forward a little, though, and she catches Lily's eye. "O-oh!" she gasps with a little shiver. "Miss... Lily," she exclaims, without really realising what she's doing. And pauses in hesitation. "Oh..."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
So out of sorts is Lily that at first she doesn't register the fine, obvious appearance of the Crimson Noble. That appearance is etched into her memory despite that, given Adlehyde and their work together then. She registers her only as well-dressed with some woman, with a nnewspaper. Except--
The woman is in poor health somehow, and more to the point catches Lily's eye and says her name. She stares back for the instant before recognition dawns, which prompts her to immediately shift course to step closer. "You--" And a look to Noeline with more confusion, "And you?" Back to Riesenlied, "You look terrible." As if she's one to talk. "What are you doing here?"
The whole way through what she says, her voice is raspy. "...Come with me to my room, we can talk." At least she's not starting an alarm... or a fight.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's flick of attention is rapid and tense, the look of someone who is defensively on guard - perhaps for her sake, but certainly for Riesenlied's, her touch in Riese's hand tightening a little as she recognizes the woman in front of them. On the other hand - the way Riesenlied calls her 'Miss' is something the spy puts a lot of stock in, and with an effort she allows herself to relax slightly.
After another moment of gauging the situation, she huffs out a soft breath, flicking out one of her twintails as she tilts her head. "... we are on /vacation/," she tries a light joke, though at the moment her heart isn't exactly in it. "I've always found the rooms here quite nice, after all."
Her gaze travels to Riese with a frown, obviously leaving the decision up to her - but she does tilt her head slightly, knowing that the winged woman would rather talk than not. "I can ask them to bring it up once it is ready."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's eyes shrink just a little, her pupils somewhat delated. They're rather both in rough shape, though Riesenlied is more mentally and emotionally fatigued and harmed than she is physically. She leans into Noeline just a little bit to clutch onto her elbow. "B-but, we were waiting...?" she asks to Noeline, as if she can't recall the details specifically.
She hesitates... but then nods very gently at Noeline. "... we-- Mister Fei was looking for you. Did you let him know you were here yet...?" She trembles just a little deeper as she recalls the encounter with Fei. By all rights, it was certainly a positive one by the end, but...
...that smile...
What was that smile reflected in his eye? It made her tremble, uncontrollably. Fei Fong Wong has reconnected.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily certainly doesn't look either inclined to nor /able/ to fight at the moment; even her steps are stiff, deliberate, as if she was working particularly hard at keeping her balance.
"Vacation," Lily repeats skeptically. As Riesenlied might already know, the black-haired sorceress is as a rule not one for jokes. After a pause she shrugs, "They are that. I wasn't aware you were acquainted..."
Ordinarily, that's none of her business, but given how often she seems to fight Riesenlied...
Lily looks at some concern at Riese's confusion, though it seems that Noeline has more than enough of her own. The question of Fei gets a nod. "You were the ones he spoke to," she says, not asking because it's already confirmed for her. "...Then I appreciate your concern. I can tell you what happened, once we get some privacy." She doesn't answer the question directly, but it might be good enough.
"Do what you need to do." She'll just postpone eating. "I have my key out already; I'll lead the way."
If they do get ready, she does just that. Whenever they get there, her room is a typical example of the rooms her, fine, save that it has a bottle of strange, faintly-glowing liquid with a glass beside it on the nightstand, and a few clothes scattered on the privacy screen. It's a little messy, overall. There's also half a bottle of brandy, with glasses.
But here on the first floor, "You really don't look well," she says to Riesenlied. "Are you taking care of her, then?" to Noeline.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline, to be fair, generally doesn't care whether someone actually /likes/ jokes before cracking them. In fact, it's often better if they don't, just because the reaction's that much more amusing. She's not really in the mood to push her luck right at this moment, though, instead nodding slightly as she mumbles a few words about collecting their tea to Riesenlied.
It is a little difficult guiding the other woman up towards Lily's room at the same time as she balances a teatray on one hand, but she manages to make it look easy enough. Setting the herbal mixture down for long enough to pair Riese a cup, she lets out a long breath, then hands it over to her carefully. "Here-- I cannot say if it will work, but it should at least provide some warmth," she mumbles with obvious affection, then straightens up to smirk at Lily - without much humour in her expression.
"Of course. We are companions and partners, after all, and I would not forgive myself if I allowed Riesenlied to face this malady on her own." She pauses for a moment, knowing Lily was present, and huffs as she picks at her hair. "Whatever that thing did to her, it is lasting. So, so shall I."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied nods nervously towards Noeline, looking for all intents and purposes like she might just run, but... some measure of worry for others overtakes that feeling of flight. She holds onto Noeline's hand tightly as she follows, so slowly. She seems to have some trouble with the steps, but they're there soon enough, with Noeline assisting her as she accepts that cup of tea from Noeline to sip from her.
She hesitates as she looks towards Lily, and lowers her head. "Miss Lily..."
A pause, as she double-takes towards her. There's no mistaking it. She can sense it, she can feel it. The aura of the Malevolence that surrounds her... was this what her Resonance that allowed her to perceive Ragnell was able to afford her?
"There is a dark aura about you... I did not... before..." her eyes shrink just a little further. "But yes... Noeline and I..." She hesitates, before she expresses more firmly, "Noeline is closest to me."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
For now, Lily is spared the vagaries of... humor.
Lily sees Riesenlied holding Noeline's hand as they finish their business down here, and goes up the stairs first, for her part. She's still slow and deliberate, but makes an effort to be faster, holds open the door for Noeline and the tea.
Once inside, Lily pulls the chairs at her little table for both Noeline and Riesenlied, clearing her books to allow the tea to be set down.
There's a book familiar to Riesenlied among them.
"Sometimes warmth and quiet helps. It does me." She looks to Noeline, seeing the smirk without humor and waiting for the other woman to speak. "Ah... I don't remember well what it did. But that man..." She looks afraid, for a moment. Genuinely afraid.
Her name. Lily turns to look at Riesenlied again. The dark aura... Lily says nothing at that, turning around and stepping the rest of the way to her bed to take a seat on it carefully.
"...So you sense it, now. Yes. Malevolence. I've had that aura for some time now. I can sense it as well." She has mixed feelings about it. She shakes her head, "Regardless... I understand, and I'll keep the two of you in mind. It's like Leon and me," she says, sure of it now. "I would do the same in your position, Noeline. ...Tonight we can set aside our enmity. I'm in no condition to fight in any case. Besides..." Again, she looks afraid, "That man... he had an aura of its own. It overwhelmed me. I don't even know what I can do about that, if I feel that way only being in his presence. It's not like the feelings of others that I can try to manage in small amounts."
"It seems we have a common enemy."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
In days to come, Noeline will replay some of Riesenlied's statements from the past week, and they will make her cover a severe blush and kick her legs a lot. For now, she just lets out a relieved breath as Riesenlied affirms the fact, sitting down next to the winged demon as she helps Riese to her cup with an obvious affection.
"For our part - well. We tried Gounon, but it was a little too quiet, a little too easy to slip off into dour thoughts and memories. I thought Lacour might be better, if only because there are both friends and things to be distracted by. So far, it seems to be working - in limited amount, perhaps, but I will take that over nothing." She picks at her hair again, letting out a quiet sigh as if to punctuate the sentence - but then shakes it away as her attention draws towards Lily's statement.
"Riese has been this way since attempting to reach him. Whatever he did--..." she trails with a genuine light of anger flashing in her eyes for a moment, but lets it go with an effort, knowing that the other demon would rather she not berate herself. Besides, there is something more concerning: "... if you are touched by Malevolence in such a fashion, then I would suggest that you should probably avoid all talk of 'enemies' in general," she huffs after a long moment, shaking her head. "Surely you must be aware of its nature, if you're that versed in it?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Unlike how Riesenlied typically is, confident in how she carries herself, empathic and gentle... there's none of that here. She seems shrivelled, wilted in how she clings to Noeline like she's her only lifeline in the world. The presence of Malevolence seems to disturb her. She tries to rein it in, however... but she's a novice at this -- she's never felt anything like it before.
On the other hand, with her new senses, Lily can sense that sorrow, that fear. It's a deep sorrow that lingers just beneath the surface -- the genuine, heartfelt grief over so many friends who'll never live to see the fruits of their labours, to see a peaceful world... a fear of someone borne of that red aura that Lily herself felt.
"... 'Id'. He gave me a name..." Riesenlied shares slowly, her head slightly drooping. "When I reached out to try to stop him from devastating us all... I heard you... I heard Noeline... then he trapped me in a space of his own creation. We spoke... he taunted me, goaded me... and when I resisted him, he--" She swallows. ".... he has experienced hundreds of deaths over so long a time. And he shared that with me..."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
It would be nice to see that Riesenlied. Lily hasn't said as much, has barely shown it, but she worries for her... And feels some immediate guilt that her Malevolence might harm her. Unfortunately, Lily's is not faint.
Lily experiences those feelings by feeling them herself, her shoulders drooping with sadness, which shows in her eyes; so too does the fear that builds on her own. She closes her eyes, managing to wrestle with it, see that this grief is not hers, and this fear can be controlled. She grits her teeth with the effort.
Noeline speaks, and Lily listens, taking in her anger and her explanation. But the rest makes Lily stop and look at Noeline with some confusion. "Avoid... enemies?" Lily asks. "No. I know only what I've put together, some notes on a lecture Sorey made--I've never met him--and what I could put together from my own experiences. I have notebooks..."
Id. Riesenlied reached out. "You heard... me? I was concerned for you, but..." She can remember it. Sort of. Her eyes widen. "That many deaths...? But how? This... Id..." Even now she doesn't know that there was a directive not to hurt her. "What is he?" A sigh. "You're committed to that peaceful ideal of yours. Though... I don't know what I can do to /harm/ such a man. I don't have enough power."
She hesitates. "...But you aren't only afraid. You have... a deep sorrow. I've never been able to isolate such feelings before, but with you I can. Though I should guess at it. I know you already." Her shoulders slump a little further. "Why...? Why is it like this for the two of us...?"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Letting out an angry, unhappy breath, Noeline gathers Riese to her, a hand in her hair to stroke through it. "... unprovoked, and caring not about the damage he caused - certainly, it's a fitting name," she mutters sourly, shaking her head - and not really certain of what to say to Riesenlied's tale, just as she hasn't all this week. For all that she can have a convincing turn of phrase when she wants to, what exactly do you say to someone who has been presented with an immediate glimpse of endless deaths?
Instead, she presses her lips to the other demon's forehead briefly, as if hoping to cut through her thoughts and shift the focus away from them for a while - then looks up, letting out a solid breath.
"Malevolence is born of anguish, of negative feeling. I do not pretend to know everything that Sorey talked about, but as far as I was able to tell it is a matter of letting it fester, of not letting it out. If you feel it afflicting you - I would strongly recommend you take some time to rest and recuperate, and try to get your mind off such things lest you make it worse."
"As for what he is-- we only know him as the Demon of Elru, it seems," she adds quietly, shaking her head. "More than that, I cannot say - but I will definitely be doing my best to pin down more in the days ahead, I don't doubt."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied grips at her chest and lowers her head once more, letting out a single tear roll from her as she begins to become entrenched in that sorrow once more. She must return to Old Petra, if only to bury those that she can and bring commemoration to those that she cannot... she owes them that much. Though indirectly, she's led many to their deaths by daring to take them away from the Photosphere walls, to see Filgaia for what it is.
"I can only be too keenly aware of loss... for every neonate and child I was not able to show the potential of Filgaia to... for all the old friends I've lost... yet, we must continue onward, difficult as it is," Riesenlied murmurs. She trembles just a little more, glancing towards that glowing bottle.
"... I do not want it to be this way, between us, Miss Lily..." she says with an earnestness that Lily has heard before. "I do not know why it is that Malevolence has wreathed you, but if there is any way I can assist you, to let that feeling out, to ease it... then I would do so."
She shudders, trembles for a moment longer. "... I do not think it is through power that I would defeat someone like Id. I must become stronger... in mind, in presence, to better stand to him. I won't give up..." she shivers again. For all that she's wounded right now, that iron conviction, that will... it's still well and alive. That's good.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"He seemed to enjoy it," Lily answers. That shouldn't be something that makes her uneasy; she enjoys a battle. It doesn't make sense, and she shakes it off as best she can. At least she managed to see mostly matter-of-fact. Unlike Riesenlied though, she sheds no tears just now.
"...I don't believe civilians should have to bear the brunt of war in the way that your people did. I'm sorry for what I contributed to that."
Lily catches Riesenlied's eye as she looks to the bottle.
"Mm... Is that it?" Lily asks. "It makes sense. ...I wonder though..." A shake of her head, "I don't know. That sounds plausible... But such things /are/ my life. I have little other than war and conflict in me. I'll get some rest upcoming regardless; I don't have a choice. At least until my magic recovers enough to start speeding the healing process more."
A look to Riesenlied with that earnestness of hers, and it's truthfully reassuring. "Neither do I," Lily admits. "I'm accustomed to fighting people I have no reason to care about. This is... Unpleasant." A pause. "I'll tell you if I think of something. Maybe come sit with me sometime."
"The Demon of Elru... That's who that is. Disturbing. I don't like being afraid." A pause, "If you don't mind, Noeline... I would appreciate knowing some of what you learn. I will help you if I can, somehow. If all I can do is treat wounds, then I can do that much."
Lily looks at Riesenlied's shoulders immediately. "I wouldn't expect anything less of you, Riesenlied. You have your way... But I have mine. Mine isn't a sword of light." She stops a moment, "...Not that I was strong enough to even dent Siegfried. I was a fool."
"...I saw you looking at the bottle, Riesenlied. It's a relaxant; it's the only thing that lets me sleep anymore. Very potent. If you like... I can spare a dose."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
For her part, Noeline doesn't add any words to Riesenlied's statements; she's already fully aware of the winged demon's convictions, even when they're buried under the fear and anxiety that Id has wrought in his wake. It would be fair to say that conviction and compassion is why she stood by Riesenlied even at their lowest point, and why she's still here now. She'd never really admit it - well, she might right now, but only to Riese - but that's what initially drew her to the Tainted commander in the first place.
"I do not believe that anyone can immerse themselves in conflict forever and come away from the experience unscathed. Space and time - these are necessary to unwind, to cope, to realize the magnitude of it," she lectures - not exactly kindly, but certainly not taunting either. More a blunt statement of belief.
"In a way, I consider that the story of the Hyadeans - trapped in Photosphere, unaware of the world at large and unwilling to be. Only when they were brought to Old Petra did some of them start to question that - and if nothing else, I hope that the situation Id forced may have opened the eyes of those that survived it."
She hesitates again, then lets out a breath. "Of course. I do not doubt that Id's wrath will fall on humans again given half the chance, so it's certainly best that anything we can find out be shared. ... besides," she adds with a wryly amused grin. "I do repay my debts. And aiding the evacuation of so many - not to mention Riese's survival - is certainly a debt."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... he did," Riesenlied answers glumly to Lily. "He was one... completely unrestrained by anything like -- logic, reason, empathy... running on pure instinct, answering to his basest desires." She lowers her head and trembles just for a moment more, shaking her head to force a smile on her face.
"... thank you, Miss Lily, for thinking that way. It is harsh, but... I still have faith in my brethren within the Tainted, on what we can become one day. I know we can coexist still, even when we face such hardship..." she places her hand to her side, then to Noeline's.
"War and conflict were meant to be my life as well," she shares. "That was how I was born -- intended to take to the skies, and serve as one of our winged. But it was not meant to be... and in that weakness -- I learnt humility, and kindness... I learnt empathy, and solidarity." She looks at Lily. "I... have faith that you and Leon can find a happy life one day, much like how Noeline and I desire that too..."
She jolts just a bit as she shyly says, "We-- were actually waiting on a relaxant... I have been sleeping poorly, as you can imagine. Yours is probably much stronger than what the local pharmacists can concoct on short notice... so if you would not mind...?"
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily looks into Noeline's eyes, her own gold and radiant in their own way. "...I don't think I came away unscathed," Lily answers with certainty. "I'm not the same person, in many ways, as that girl at the Academy, before my commission as an officer. ...There's too much to do for me to take much space or time. If it takes a greater toll on me... Then so be it. As long as I have Leon, it's fine."
Lily nods to Riesenlied, noting her gloom. "Like some kind of beast in human form. No... even beasts aren't destructive for no reason." Lily doesn't smile back. Instead she listens to the rest, and...
"It's hard for me to be as optimistic as you are, Riesenlied. But I will tell you that if it doesn't interfere with my mission... I won't interfere with yours. And I'll avoid harming your noncombatants as best I can, and work for the same with others. That's not a guarantee; I may feel it's the best way. But I will try."
The story of the Hyadeans... Lily watche Noeline thoughtully. "So leaving this... place of yours, whatever it is, has already started to open some minds. A massacre like that can certainly kill one's appetite for war, as well."
What Riese shares is unexpected. "...You were too weak to serve," Lily says, getting it immediately. "I knew a few like that. Those are... Not the lessons I have learned." She hesitates, at what Riesenlied says to her next, and a happy life, and there's a real anguish in the quiet woman's features. "I... That would be wonderful, but..." She shakes her head, closing her eyes. "I don't know that either of us has a future. Even if we can clear our names, I can never go home. The secrets I've kept--the lies even to the nobility..."
Her hand shakily curls as she calms herself.
Her eyes open. "Noeline, I feel the same way, but I didn't help. I was on death's door by the time that happened, being carried away from the battlefield by an unexpected ally. That day I accomplished nothing at all."
Lily straightens her shoulders with only mild difficulty. "...I can imagine, yes. I imagine mine is much stronger. It was meant to take care of another problem, but... Well, if you want to know about that I'll have to take care of my gloves. At least it helps me sleep." A pause, "I don't mind, but don't take it until you're ready to be in bed. The first night I took it, I couldn't even walk the rest of the way to my bed without Leon's help."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"That-- was rather my point," replies Noeline with an amused little huff of air. "By thinking that way, you are already feeding into it. 'A greater toll' is rarely something restricted to you and you alone - it will affect those around you, given enough fuel."
She doesn't push it, at least - not least because she can tell she doesn't quite have the connection with Lily that Riesenlied does. When it comes to the two of them, they are obviously equals but opposites - and Noeline chuckles to herself as she watches the back-and-forth, shaking her head just a little. "We are not expecting a miracle of instant cooperation. That-- would be rather unfair, given everything that's happened. But, bit by bit, perhaps our two groups can learn to work together a little more."
Notably, she's started to talk in rather inclusive terms - not to mention, the way she cradles Riesenlied to her, she's definitely looking pretty consorty.
Lily's admission that she was already out cold draws a slight shrug, and a quiet sigh. "I suppose that is fair - on the other hand, you did not press the attack on false targets. That, in and of itself, is a much different behaviour to the rest of the mob that attacked that day. I can at least recognize that much."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"That you were there to help is a great enough boon alone, Miss Lily... please don't forget that," Riesenlied expresses through some anxious difficulty -- and dares to reach out and press her hand gently on the woman's own, if allowed. "It is because of situations like these that I greatly fear... weapons like Diablo being used. I don't lightly make such an announcement, and it isn't for political gain... I genuinely don't want to see Filgaia be scarred more and more, through weapons that are too powerful for anyone's own good..."
She sighs timorously, drawing closer to Noeline. "Yet I know you would need it in defense against our kin. Against Lord Siegfried and the others..."
She wonders for a moment if they are doomed to repeat the escalation of the past.
On the topic of being too weak to serve, Riesenlied nods slowly... and insists, "Even when we were cast from our home, and explicitly told that we were of no worth... we built a home, there in the ditch that we were meant to be forgotten in. They call it a Gutter, but to us, it was home. And we made Old Petra a home, too... it's possible to create one anew..."
She blinks once at Lily, though. "I... won't probe on what secrets you keep, Miss Lily... I scarce can know what kind of life you yourself have led. But another time... when I am more whole... I'd like to relay to you more about my story, if you would hear it. A perspective... from those that live at the very bottom of our society..." (New BB Message (8/46) posted to '(IC) Rumors' by Tethelle Cirdian: Round 2 - Tethelle v. Xantia)
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"...I see," Lily answers somewhat guardedly, at first, and then nods. "I can see what you're saying. I'm not sure I agree, but I see it. But it's irrelevant in any case; I'm not any good at relaxation." Lily attempts to leave it at that with a shake of her head.
But there is a lot of conversation between Lily and Riesenlied; it's easier to talk to her than most, and Lily finds it difficult to talk to many. But she still listens to Noeline when she speaks up. "...I suppose. It might evn work for nations that haven't been at war for centuries." She doesn't feel like stepping on their hopes just now, though she can't help but show her skepticism of the idea. She is from Kislev, though.
...It's very consorty. That's not a bad thing, as far as Lily is concerned.
"All right," Lily says to Noeline, raising her hands. "Recognize if you want." She doesn't have the energy to press her own point; if Noeline wants to be helpful, that's just fine.
There to help. Lily shakes her head silently, and then looks down with widened eyes to see a hand on her gloved hand. ...After the initial surprise, she doesn't move. Instead, hesitating, she reaches her other hand to rub gently at Riesenlied's fingers. That doesn't last for long, her hand settling anxiously over the Metal Demon's, an effort to do /something/ for her when she's having such trouble.
"...I understand," Lily says to her. She lets go, if Riese moves. "But as you say, we may need such weapons." She's still not strong enough.
That insistence gets a thoughtful look, and some surprise. "...I... see. That must make you very resilient. I..." She thinks of her own home, Nortune, and where it puts those who are undesirable.
"...I don't know that I'll be able to offer you anything to say about it. But I will listen. It's a perspective that isn't mine, I admit. My adopted parents were military in Nortune, which meant respect. My mother had become injured in combat, and lost the use of her legs, but my father was still advancing through the ranks. ...I know nothing of my life before them. So I occupy a privileged position, second only to nobility. Or I did."
"...I don't mind sharing some of my life with the two of you. It's... fine. I know some of what it's like to be different among your own kind. ...A lot about that. I was just never treated that way because I hid it."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"We can only hope that over time, we may begin to overturn the demon's stance as a whole, and prevent this escalation on all sides. I would like to believe in that," Noeline adds, sounding very far-off from her usual devil-may-care amusement - yet still flicking out her hair, at least, as a moment's pride takes her over. "That is why I have thrown in my lot with Riesenlied - that is why I will follow her through whatever course she deems best. I trust her that much," she adds simply, then lets out a soft chuckle. "And, well, I am not about to leave her alone, given what we share."
"In that respect, the Demon of Elru is an enemy to both of us, despite his words to Siegfried. It hardly matters if someone says the Hyadeans are their enemy, if they then turn around and lay waste to everyone around them without a care," she mutters angrily, folding her arms.
Her ire is gone on a moment, though, as Risenlied continues quietly. "... for my part... I am not a member of the Tainted. But for much the same reasons, I trust them and the perspective they have gained. It is not any fault of the other Hyadeans that they are lacking - but the breadth of experience the Ebony Wings have is welcome. After all, I would not be here today without that consideration," she chuckles ruefully.
She perks up, of course, to listen to tales of Nortune; she's been in the region before, though it was no doubt some significant amount of time in the past, and she can't help but be curious to hear other viewpoints of local cultures and locations from the source, as it were. "Aah... yes, I can imagine. I recall there being something of a meritocracy there," she informs Riese quietly, as if trying to assist in filling in the gaps. "But-- well, my condolences. And I can understand if it must have seemed-- stifling."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied gives Noeline a look, as if to give Lily some space -- she of course appreciates her advice on Malevolence, but at the same time pressing it didn't seem to particularly be the right choice... not all at once, anyway. "Our cultures are very much alike... much of our resources and devotion have been geared towards vengeance and warfare. ... that I seek to brook that tide... is a large undertaking indeed, but I won't give up... as you know."
She smiles just a bit appreciatively as Lily hesitates, that she didn't pull away. She doesn't press it, either, just acknowledges it for what it is. A small step forward.
"... it is with Noeline's care and protection that I have been able to get this far," she answers with a soft and affectionate blush. Aww, they're very sweet in the moment. "I would have fallen and faltered, by myself... and the Tainted are alike. It is not resilience alone that holds us... it is care and understanding, the knowledge that there are those who can help you when you fall."
She listens to Lily's tale a little closer with a nod. "... even now, those that lose limbs and function in the battlefield are treated the same way. It is why you saw so many injured at Old Petra -- the Tainted care for them, at their bleakest moment... I did not know you-- were so close to nobility, though, Miss Lily. Though I imagine military and nobility are closely coupled, the way you say it... it..."
There's -- a faint cough, and another trembling from Riesenlied. "Mm-- ah--" she's starting to falter again, with a somewhat severe shivering, though it isn't that cold in the room, all told. "I'm-- I'm starting to-- feel it again," she notes with a hint of desperation to Noeline. She holds onto the Crimson Noble's fingers closer.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"It doesn't seem to line up with what people do, that hope," Lily points out. "...But my saying that didn't stop Riesenlied before, so I can tell that it won't change your mind either." A beat, "I respect that. I'd follow Leon anywhere. I trust him more than anyone." Letting that be a commonality, Lily moves with the subject at hand.
"Yes, that's true," Lily agrees. "What someone says is less valuable than what they do. And he threw a building at me, so I have a right to a grudge on top of that." It might be a joke. But probably not.
They /are/ very sweet in the moment, and Lily's eyes linger on both of them at Riesenlied's statement about her and Noeline. "Yes... I see." A look to Noeline, onsidering what she just said, and back to Riesenlied. "...I lost those that I trusted in that way. I was unable to protect them." Quietly. "Caring and understanding..." A shake of Lily's head. "Well Noeline, that seems worth considering."
"Are they? There's difficulty even in Nortune, though respect in sacrificing for the Kaiser and Kislev. ...I look into it, not only because of my mother, but also because I've performed amputations myself. I..." She trails off. "I had no title, but--"
A cough. Lily looks forward, alarmed. Is it the fear again, worse? "Riesenlied--" She rasps this too, and looks to Noeline in somehow calm alarm, "Noeline, is there anything I can do? I'm still a healer." She stands, and starts to move for a spare blanket.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
As flighty as she normally is, Noeline relents when Riesenlied gives her a wordless look; she huffs, ever so softly, and tilts her head in what might either be an acknowledgement or an apology or a little bit of both. "... I have been keeping Riesenlied company, doing my best to help her through this ordeal that demon visited upon her. ... I could not protect her adequately on the battlefield of Old Petra, but I shall certainly make sure that I do so now."
Thankfully, compared to how she was a week ago, there's conviction and steel in her voice, and her eyes flash with a determined light. It took a while to build herself back up, but no doubt it's a combination of Riesenlied's words and the bonds that the winged woman has made thus far that have really given Noeline hope for the other woman's health.
"It will certainly take time," she admits to Lily's skepticism, meeting it head-on with an dryly amused shrug but also a core of confidence. "Believe me, we have no illusions about that. A thousand years is a lot of history to overturn, and human anger over Adlehyde was certainly understandable - that is why I did what I could to stem the casualties, to help clear the city afterwards. Still, if we do not at least try... we will not get anywhere at all."
She cuts herself off the next moment, when Riesenlied starts to shiver - and in an instant she has offered her hand, whispering something gentle into the other demon's hair before she looks up over the top of Riese's head. "... I do not know," she admits, a rare moment of absolute truth. "It is not anything of the body. Comfort, I suppose, and talk." Noeline has partially disconnected.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's head lowers down with a rather rapid shaking, and she's all but rested by Noeline's side before long, flashed with sweat as she mumbles, "... fragments... I won't... stay away..." she shuts her eyes further, sucking in a pained and gasping breath as she looks towards both Noeline and Lily -- no, she looks over the both of them, like she's gazing into a distant memory.
"I--I'm sorry... I--" she looks towards the bottle again for a moment, before quietly requesting, "Would... would you share some...? It isn't a cure, I know, but..." she cups at her mouth again. "... don't leave me... don't reject me..." her voice is distant again in that moment.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Whichever it is, Lily doesn't necessarily catch the nuance anyway; social cues for the most part are a little difficult for her to read. It's just nother area of expertise. So she listens to what Noeline says, instead. "...Good. I don't wish her ill," glancing at Riesenlied, "And... Ah, nevermind, I don't need to say that."
"Ah. Fair enough. You're obviously sure of yourself, and if you manage it it works out for me for the most part. Maybe a better woman than I am would have some idea of helping you more directly." But she's not that person.
Riesenlied is shivering, and Lily returns with the blanket, but watches Riesnlied's sweat. "...Not something to aggravate right now..." She doesn't look at Noeline as Noeline speaks to her. "That's fair. Not of the body... And not an ordinary malady of the mind. I have some training in that." Fragments. She won't stay away.
"Yes," Lily answers Riesenlied immediately. "I would hope that like mundane maladies like this, it can ease with time. You just have to make it through the intervening period."
She pauses, and turns after she sets down the blanket, looking at Riesenlied. "...Even if we come into conflict again," she says quietly, "I won't reject you."
She goes to the glowing blue bottle, and pours some of that glowing blue liquid into the shotglass she uses for that exact purpose. She brings it back to Riesenlied.
"I don't know how it will affect you," she admits, "But here you are. Noeline, if necessary, she can take my bed for the night, and you can both stay here."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"Thank you," notes Noeline first and foremost, probably to her credit, as she accepts the shotglass; she hesitates for a moment, squinting at the liquid uncertainly as if she could possibly pick out whether it would work or not purely based on sight.
... well, Riesenlied did ask to try it. So she passes it over to the winged demon, pressing it gently into Riesenlied's touch as the vampire guides her hands. "Here. Do you feel it?" she prompts gently, helping the other woman to take it.
"And-- I appreciate the offer, but we do have a room here. It might be best if I were to get her back to it, at least to ensure we are properly hidden away should something arise later." The Crimson Noble does at least seem slightly apologetic about it, aware that it might sound a little possessive. "It is nothing against your skills, so much as my own concerns and worries. We are, after all, still in a rather shaky situation - even if Lacour has announced neutrality, and even if we have a great more allies here than I originally thought."
"... we're here," she adds quietly, her hand slipping back into the commander's hair to draw through it slowly. "Do not listen to that voice, if you can. I already know you are the sort to never reject anyone. Just try to let yourself rest," she coaxes with surprising gentleness.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied trembles, but maintains that fragile smile despite it all. "... I have hope it eases with time... it will-- it will not beat me..." she lowers her head with a quiet sniff, before accepting Noeline holding it up to her to quietly sip from the shotglass.
There's a quiet sigh as she closes her eyes, then nods towards Lily and Noeline again. "... thank you. Even in this short time, this conversation's made me feel much more sure... and in my own way, to be able to feel that which plagues you, Miss Lily... that gives me hope I can one day help... too..."
She droops just a little, and her eyes start to fade as she suddenly slumps onto Noeline's side. Wow, Lily wasn't kidding!
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily acknowledges the thanks with a nod, looking Noeline's scrutiny over. There's no way to tell; medicine can react differently in different people, all the more when different species are involved. ...She can look at it like treating Beastmen. Same concept. ...Maybe. No. Not really.
Riesenlied is still smiling, which makes Lily shake her head. "No. I don't believe it will best you. You held off death itself with your will." Lily speaks with a quiet certainty.
"Frankly, I don't take offense. Meaning nothing untoward, I don't like being around people for very long." It's blunt, but hopefully clear. And she doesn't mind possessiveness. She gets possessive in similar situations. "You're in a difficult position, and I can't help you at this time should something go wrong on that front. It's fine. If you're strong enough to carry her, all the better."
Noeline goes close, answers gently, and it touches something in Lily's heart, causes her to look down concerned to both. "...I remember, Riesenlied. You wanted to understand for yourself. It seems you finally have that chance. I hope it gains you want you wanted." If that's helping her.. That's fine. "Rest. If we're both staying here, we can talk more again."
Riesenlied slumps. Lily reaches out to take the shotglass. "I said it worked quickly," she says ruefully, and sets a hand over her heart in concern. "...Confession just between you and me," she says, when she's sure Riesenlied is asleep. "I hate being touched."
Lily steps back. "...I still need to get dinner. I can put in an order for you to have taken up, if you're hungry. Do you need any help?"
...She can't help, she said. But this is different. This doesn't count.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline shoulders the other Metal Demon's weight, watching with something like relief as Riesenlied begins to slip off. At the very least, she can hope that it might provide some rest, free of dreams. She has the distinct feeling that it may not be quite as recuperative as honest, dreaming sleep, exactly - but that barely seems to be an option right now, and so she'll take what she can get.
Her chuckle is rough, but undeniably fond. "... well. That is Riesenlied's power, uniquely hers," she hums with confidence and amusement both in response to Lily's confession. "Whatever barriers you put up in your way, however much you try to pretend or escape it -- she will still manage to reach and touch you in the end."
noeline, lily was probably talking more literally . . .
"That-- would be very welcome, in fact. Some of the soup from that cafe on the corner would be excellent, if you'd please, and the bookstore has an order that should have arrived for me already paid. I believe we are in your adjoining room, in fact," she adds as she glances to the door, judging the distance appropriately.
Slowly, she gathers Riesenlied into her arms, the mythical princess carry looking a little odd when she's the shorter of the two. She handles it easily, at least, cradling the woman's form to her as she smirks a quiet grin. "Two knocks, then three, then one-- well, I doubt very much it matters in Lacour, I suppose. And--"
She pauses, and then tilts her head and shrugs. "I apologize for levelling a sword at you as the Demon Knight. Given the circumstances, I'm sure you understand."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Poor Riesenlied would fret so much if she knew Lily hated being touched! In a cute way. As she is now, though, gently lifted up in an undeniably romantic princess carry, she seems so comfortable -- for a moment, she's spared the ravages of Id's machinations upon her, drifting off to peaceful sleep...
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"...Maybe." A slight shake of her head, "We had a connection quickly. Maybe it relates to that. Something is about her..." Lily sighs. "Well, it's fine. She meant well by it. And she's not well."
Lily was totally speaking entirely literally. It's almost like wearing thick layers and gloves all the time is partially because of her attempts to insulate herself from the world around her.
"I'll order you their soup of the night," Lily answers. "The book should be simple." A pause. "Ah... Well then. That makes this convenient. Leon is in the next over." Saying that is perhaps the surest sign of trust at this time.
Lily still doesn't look so great herself, but she's calmer since Riesenlied fell asleep, rather than being so agitated.
"I'll remember it. No code for me; I just blast any assassins into oblivion, generally. ...And I have the door blocked usually."
And? Lily blinks at Noeline--"Oh. Oh, that was you!" Lily nods in approval, after a moment. "Good work. If not for you I might have actually killed her." ...That's... a weird compliment to give...
It's fine, Riesenlied. It's fine!
"Yes, though, I understand. ...I'm afraid I can't apologize for running your girlfriend through, but I /am/ glad she's alive." Lily glances down to poor sleeping Riesenlied and moves to open her door for both. "She shouldn't wake for about eight hours. It's fairly restful, often dreamless. That's likely ideal given the circumstances. If it works for her... I can refer you to the apothecary I use."
Lily can get a new glass while she's down. Along with maybe some more solid food. How often is she glad to have invited people to her room and talked to them?