2017-08-06: Drinking Sorrows Away

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<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

LAST TIME ON YOU MURDERED THAT POOR WOMAN, FEI FONG WONG

The Black Wolves + Fei Fong Wong feel miserable about themselves and then feel even more miserable about the people who are using Gryndille.

NOW

Fei Fong Wong went from there to pick up Xantia back in Lacour and take her to the Yggdrasill because it's pretty apparent that Xenogears is gestalting with Drakengard or something and everybody here is going to be psychologically traumatized by the end of the chapter and probably a killer with at least one mental breakdown if not more so might as well take Xantia to the right place for that.

The Yggdrasill!

It is a sand cruiser but it's been lurking near the outskirts of Lacour ever since the tournament began. Fei leads Xantia up and into the Yggdrasil, past the mech bay and towards one of the elevators. He reassures the staff that it's all good and he's not argued with because he periodically stares at his hands while talking to them.

Instead Fei takes Xantia to a classy bar, currently tended to by Maison. It's not particularly busy right now, though YOU the PLAYER CHARACTERS may be present.

Fei looks around and then back towards Xantia and admits, "I thought Bart would be here." But--nope! For once, Bart isn't here right now. "Well he'll probably drop by if we wait around long enough."

He sits himself down and just stays silent as hell. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata... Lunata is probably not going to end the chapter with hordes of mental trauma. Maybe, maybe not. I mean, she did take 'in a contract with the Death God because she accidentally bargained her life for her mother's' pretty well, all told. Maybe it's just the kind of mental fortitude that you get when you've waited tables all your life and your customers can sometimes pack six-shooters and you're kinda just used to ducking when you need to.

Anyway, the Yggdrasil!

Lunata is helping out at the classy bar in her waitress' outfit, which is mostly a maid-style black dress with white frills as she passes around drinks and also has a large reheater at the counter with today's soup:

TODAY'S ALLIANCE SOUP:

Tomatillo soup with poached chicken and jalapeno peppers

served with Great Sea pide bread

"H-hey, Mister Fei! Welcome back, uh..." she looks towards the bar where a certain someone is seated. 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Another drink," Lily Keil says, looking up at Lunata and sliding over her newly-emptied glass. She doesn't bother specifying which one; she's sitting at the bar, dressed in long pants tucked into her boots and an open militay-style high collar jacket, a gray shirt underneath. Her hair is down, long and black. Her eyes are perhaps a little glassy.

Her movements are a little too smooth.

Lily of course still has her strange malevolent aura, and has her own trauma that she usually keeps hidden. Today.. Well, maybe.

She sliiides her attention over to Fei with a brief study, and says, a little slurred, "Nice to see you, Fei. Who's your friend?"

She goes back to her soup. She does have soup. 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

In stark contrast to Fei, Xantia is as cheerful as always. Perhaps even moreso, if that's even possible. She's been hyped for this trip to the big pirate ship she's heard so much about. And completely misinformed about, or rather, she didn't have the information and just assumed that this would be, you know, a ship, that sails, on water. Seeing that it was a big metal beast traversing the desert sands instead... well, it sure wasn't a disappointment, if anything it just seemed to make her even more excited.

Seeing this strange, excitable red-haired girl wander through the corridors, stopping to gawk and comment in wonderment on everything she sees, that would be enough to cause people to stare. But at least part of the reason why people are staring is because of the comically huge backpack she's carrying. Even the biggest adventurer's backpack doesn't even come close, this one's way bigger than a person, bigger than several people even. That doesn't look very comfortable to carry. In fact, to most people it would look impossible to carry. But Xantia makes it look like it's no effort at all.

When they make it to the bar and it's clear that this is their destination for the time being, Xantia goes ahead and lets her backpack drop behind her, causing a loud -THUD- upon impact with the floor. She works the stiffness out of her shoulders a bit while she replies to Fei, "Okay, then I guess we'll wait!" Her gaze drifts to the bar, then, and she sees only more reasons to be excited.

"Oh wow, the Death Waitress is here!" ...is she just going to keep calling Lunata that now? "Congratulations on winning the tournament! I didn't know you worked here now. That's great, then I don't have to look very far when I want to fight you!" Definitely something that's still on her to-do list. Fighting someone that strong has to be lot of fun, right? 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Another drink," Lily Keil says, looking up at Lunata and sliding over her newly-emptied glass. She doesn't bother specifying which one; she's sitting at the bar, dressed in long pants tucked into her boots and an open militay-style high collar jacket, a gray shirt underneath. Her hair is down, long and black. Her eyes are perhaps a little glassy.

Her movements are a little too smooth, gloved hands settling on the bar itself as she sits. There's still a strange aura that those spiritually sensitive might spot of her, but trauma? Well, Lily's had her own, since before she met the crew of the Yggdrasil, and yesterday was... Something. She remained quiet after.

She knows how to deal with cheer, and to start with that's by not acknowledging it. The THUD gets her attention. Lily's head turns as she looks over the red-haired Xantia, eyebrow raised. She glances next to Fei.

"Huh," she says, "So is it like that?" Another glance between the two of them. She doesn't clarify her meaning. "If you're going to sit, take a seat. What's your name?" Her words are... a little slurred. Definitely slurred. 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

After all had been said and done, Josie had accompanied Leon and Lily back to the Yggdrasil, not least because they have a magic called functional showers.

Also a fully-equipped bar, which is always of comfort in a time like this.

In other words, congratulations, Fei; you've managed to shock the 30-something archaeologist/Drifter who has Seen Some Shit.

Which is basically the reason why Josie is hanging out at the bar at this very moment, her usual coat and scarf discarded to some sideroom somewhere (along with all the guns and traveling equipment).

Also Penelope is here, a fact that probably is A) irritating Maison and B) a complete mystery considering she was very much not present during the infiltration of the base.

Did Josie go and get her? Did she come to the Yggdrasil on her own power? ...Maybe it's best not to ask.

At the bar, she's slowly nursing a whisky, unusually silent at the moment as she tilts the glass this way and that.

As she's done several times since she's come to live life at the bar, she glances Lily's way, evaluating her silently. "...You okay over there?" Lily's starting to look a bit off.

There's a thud, which causes Josie to straighten and set her glass down on the countertop. Penelope takes this moment to hop off Josie's shoulder onto the counter, which is really going to irritate Maison, but for now, it's going to go unnoticed. Because Josie is turning to face the new people joining the group here. "...Xantia, wasn't it? Hey, good to see you again." She smiles easily, as if she hadn't just been deep in her cups a few seconds prior. It might be somewhat jarring to anyone who was watching her. "...Don't suppose you've come to join our merry crew?"

The bar is not the happiest place in the world right now, for some reason.

Penelope meanwhile remains on the counter, dark eyes glittering as the pigeon stares at Lily and Lily alone. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune is probably not going to end the chapter with hordes of mental trauma either, if only because anything of the sort seems to mostly roll off her like water off a duck's very friendly and smiley back; she's pretty damn hardy in her own way, after all, and when times get really tough a Lunie recharge generally serves to get her back onto her feet in short order.

While Lunata is a picturesque monochrome, the pink-haired mechanic is a riot of colours - even with her bulky red coat and beloved bobble hat left off and to one side, her short-sleeved sweater is a faded orange, with a long-sleeved sweatshirt in yellow underneath and battered-looking blue work jeans. The coat seems to make up much of her bulk; without it, she actually looks as slim as Lunata for once, especially curled up on a seat as she is.

(She does have some crossclass levels in waitress, and even offered to help man the bar - but the Yggdrasil is not a significantly populated ship, and there's only room for so many supermaids and superbutlers behind the bar. Shalune is starting to think Maison is just glued to it.)

For once, though, Shalune looks kind of quiet and serious - deep in thought, even, as she flicks back and forth through the pages of a tiny dog-eared notebook that appears to be covered in scribbles and scrawls. She's been like this since returning from the recent Rujm el-Hiri digs she and Lunata have done, alternately puzzling over the snatches of information she's taken from the ruins or else working on what she's referred to as a 'new component', a large crystalline sphere over a foot across that's now safely esconsced in the hold alongside Diablo.

Not that she's sunk into her thoughts too badly, though; she's looked up and even tried to talk to Lily, even if she didn't get terribly far given the prevalent mood, and has already offered - multiple times - to help Lunata and Maison out in a shot if required. "Ah--" she blurts as Fei enters, cutting off her greeting at the sight of the man's state - and the fact he's brought a visitor. "Um, hey! --please don't fight Lunie just like that," she adds, pouting ever so slightly. 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon is at the bar. He sits next to Lily -- and while he won't buy most women more than one drink, Lily Keil isn't most women. He one mug that is empty sitting near him. Another is in his hand, and half-drained. The blonde-haired man looks down at the mug; his hair is still longer and unkempt, hanging in front of his silver eyes, as he looks down at it.

He looks at Lunata, and tilts his head. "The soup looks good," he says. Then, he turns his head, to look at Fei and Xantia after Lily. He recognizes Xantia, from the battle with Grahf. His eyes widen a moment, when she drops the backpack. Then, he nods once, before he looks back at Lily and Josie both.5r

"Xantia," he says. "And Fei. Welcome to the Yggdrasill." 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong doesn't have any class levels in waitress. Dang!

"Oh uh, yeah?" Fei says. "Oh." He adds. "Yeah I guess." He throws a wave towards DEATH WAITRESS and remembers that strange hat he found in his possession but he isn't really feeling bringing up the weird hat because it'll probably be fairly embarrassing and strange no matter how he puts it.

He looks at the soup of the day. Ugh, he thinks, it sounds wonderful. "She worked here since before the tournament," He tells her. "It's kind of a long story. We do all our business at the bar in case we need to drink a lot."

He looks towards Lily and waves a hand towards her, briefly, before biting into his lip. He takes in a quick sharp breath and adds, "Oh uh, since we're headed off to the Badlands anyway, I figure Xantia could come along since we probably knew each other at some point and there may be clues in the Badlands."

He doesn't have the energy to explain further. He looks over towards Josie with Penelop and notes that her partner isn't here. He nods to himself lightly. "Er--wait," He pauses. "Are you joining our merry crew?" He didn't know Josie was part of the merry crew. He supposes that's okay. If she's almost over the hill she's half dead anyway right?

Ugh I wish I could stop thinking, Fei thinks.

"That's Shalune by the way." He gestures to Shalune. He isn't sure Xantia met them. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata's eyes are kind of blank as she jolts back just for a moment at both Xantia's energy and her gigantic backpack, waah! Even Shalune might not carry something that big! She's kind of worried the floor will just randomly give way underneath it or something. "U-um, my name's Lunata..." she blushes as she rubs her head. "Um, thank you! But it wasn't all my doing, it was because of Ge Ramda and everyone's support..."

Speaking of, the mysterious black cube is...

...

... actually serving as a floating tray right now, and it's ambling over to serve Fei and Xantia a glass of water.

Maybe the Impure Princess really wants to try out waitressing as well? Either that, or Lunata has found new and exciting ways to use ancient relics of deathly power in fantastically mundane ways. Next up: When the Washing Pole katana actually turns into a washing pole.

Compared to Maison, however, she seems to get along just fine with Penelope, though she does have to wonder if the mechanical bird feeds on anything. Anything other than blood and death. Maybe that's why they get along so well? Mysteries, mysteries.

She sighs at Shalune to say, "I--it's okay, though it's true that I've had so many requests for people to fight me..." A pause. "And people who ask me if I want to wait tables at their restaurant. And people who ask me for their recipes. And people who ask me for their hand in marriage."

Ugh!

She smiles at Josephine as well, before glancing around the room. "Yeah! Have some soup, it's all on the house for friends!" she claps her hands together. "It's a delicious tomatillo soup, freshly imported from the Great Sea Region! It'll really perk you up!" 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata also hesitates just a little as Lily asks her for another drink, then looks to Leon for confirmation like 'uhhh should I?' I mean, she's not really the one to make these calls... 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon meets Lunata's eyes. He nods once, but he holds a finger up to indicate exactly how many more drinks she should have. He frowns a moment later. "Ask your hand in marr--" He scowls. Despite his insistence that he is not the team dad, nor is he that much older than anyone else here, Leon immediately spits out: "Send everyone who did that to me. I'll... take care of that problem, Lunata." 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily glances at Josie a moment after she speks, looks intently with still-glassy eyes, and answers, "I'm fine." It is a short, simple answer, and she shakes her head after, leaning a little bit on the bar to keep her balance.

Lily's mood is not particularly talkative; it's not that she minds Shalune's presence, because she doesn't, but it's hard to keep up conversation with someone who just isn't talking much. But...

She's sitting with Leon regardless, and while it's too far to lean his way, her many empty glasses compared to his one mug close some of the gap. Her hair is messy. Her hair is not usually messy. At least she remembered her makeup today.

She looks over at Fei--vaguely over at Fei--and thinks about what he's saying slowly before a big shrug. "That sounds fine. Good you're finding clues. Hope it doesn't lead somewhere you don't like." Pause. "Xantia, try not to die. Fei's been through a lot."

Lily has noticed the cube helping. She is no longer commenting on it. When Lunata speaks up, sighing at Shalune, Lily looks right at her, and frowns. "...Of course you've gotten all those. Ugh." She shakes her head. "Can't even win a tournament without inappropriate..."

She puts a hand to her temples. "Lunata, is something wrong? You're usually faster." She doesn't even notice the exchange between Leon and Lunata about her having anymore drinks. Then she pauses, and nods firmly. "Right. People... People like that need to be taken care of." 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Good luck mental traumas, Xantia's sunny disposition will fight you! It's even managed to beat back other people's mental traumas for a little while, so watch out!

If she's noticed that there's kind of a downer mood hanging about, she doesn't show any indication of it, just continuing to smile brightly. "Hello! Yes - if you didn't know already, I'm Xantia, spelled with an X!" Nobody specified that yet, so that detail was important. Lily gets a bit of a confused look, she was sure she'd introduced herself in Lily's presence before. Of course there's a detail that might explain everything... a detail which she entirely fails to grasp, just like whatever else might be implied.

She does take that seat though, right after she takes a glass of water from Lunata and downing it in one gulp, hopping onto a free bar stool. "No need to be modest," she assures the Death Waitress, "If you're strong, you're strong!" Xantia hopes people will be less modest about their strength mainly so that her own won't stand out as much. Of course she hasn't considered that carrying around uncarryable backpacks probably isn't something you should do if you don't want people to notice how strong you are.

She gives Shalune a look that shows she has no clue why she shouldn't just fight anybody she meets, although she at least clarifies, "I'll ask first, of course!" And to Lunata, "But none of those other things. Just fighting is fine!"

Finally, she addresses Josie's question: "Yeah, I wanna be a pirate!" Pretty much for the sole reason of being able to stick close to Fei, who she proceeds to gesture at. "Fei said it'd be okay." So you know who to blame for every single thing that's going to happen as a result of this decision. Immediately she moves away from the topic, to announce, "Oh, oh, I want some soup!" Of course she does.

Lily's assertion to not die gets another look of confusion. "Well... of course I'll make sure that doesn't happen. Nobody wants to die." Nobody like that could exist in her worldview, at least. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Herst the very least, Shalune can offer Fei and Lily both a sympathetic smile; seeing them bear the weight of the world on their shoulders - or at least the weight of their own thoughts - is not unusual as far as the mechanic is concerned. Even if Shalune doesn't quite get the feeling behind it, rather incompatible with that sort of thinking, she can at least provide some cheer in their direction since, y'know, that's the Starfall Saloon promise, and to her the Starfall Saloon is wherever Lunata is at the time.

She does-- seem to pick up at last that the air is rather heavier than usual; Lily's hitting the bottle harder than some Adlehyde old regulars, and even Mr. Leon seems rather subdued - so she scratches lightly at her cheek, uncertain if she should speak up beyond a general "U-uhm... did somethin' happen?" that she voices rather quietly. She's not entirely sure if she wants to know the answer.

Instead, her focus tracks towards Lunata's answer, and her pout becomes steadily more solid as she lists out her woes. "W-what-- send them to me and Jay, too! We'll give them a super Lunie grilling! I bet if they're just rolling up like that to ask out of the blue, they're totally no good!" she protests, with a remarkably sudden shift towards a rare grumpy annoyance. In the space of a moment she's folded her arms, letting out a Noeline-class huff. "Or just pop Ge Ramda into view, then see what they say then. Hmf."

She looks down at her pad in the process, and that seems to twig her memory: "Ah, ma'am," she notes towards Josephine, sitting back up in her chair, "I found a bit for the Diablo. I-- I dunno that it's in working order just yet, though. It kinda needs one heck of a clean, y'know, and I'm not even sure how to get into it to clean it."

She does at least bob in place as Xantia sits down, though, her enthusiasm-- almost seeming to feed off the other girl's for a moment. "Mmm... as long as you ask, I guess it's fine, right?" she notes towards Lunata, scratching at her cheek. "Maybe havin' a good partner to spar with every so often might help Ge-Ge feel a bit happier, y'know? Oh, and I'm a mechanic more'n I am a fighter," she admits, having only reached the third round or so of the tournament. "We're kinda helping out here, though, when we're not with the CaraKin." 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Hey," Fei says to Leon too. He is jarred out of his self loathing by Lunata mentioning that people asked for her hand in marriage which makes him immediately shift into loathing others which is like an improvement? Nevertheless, he says, "They're really into it huh?" You don't want Fei to be team dad, not when you have Dream Daddy Leon Albus around at least.

"I'll have uh--some soup if you have soup. And--water's good. Thank you." He guzzles half of it down instantly. Maybe drinking water will help more. He looks over to Lily and gives her a small appreciative smile. Nice and to the point, that's our Lily. He figures Lily wants some time without being pestered right now, though, so he's kind of hanging back for the moment. He doesn't want to smother and he knows he's not in the best mindset right now anyway so it's best to not be too pushy in these circumstances.

"Uh, well, I said it'd probably be okay." Fei says as if that's going to help.

He looks towards Shalune and adds, "Oh uh, Yeah. Sorta. I mean. It's over for the moment. You know. As it happens." Pause. "Ge Ge?" Pause. "You gave that thing a nickname?"

He flops back into his chair. He's so jealous of their attitude. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata jolts just a little bit as Leon suddenly insists that she send people who ask for her hand in marriage her way. "O-oh, okay? I already said I wasn't interested, but... okay," she nods a few more times. Maybe she's happy at the idea that someone cares, maybe she's happy at the idea that someone will browbeat them-- oh no, but what if Leon accidentally winds up liking them?! Don't start approving of miscellaneous handsome ikemen, Leon!

Lily will be jealous!

Lunata's setting bowls of delicious tomatillo soup out for the others, Fei, Xantia and the like, before she... finally pours one for Lily -- setting it down in front of her. "Y-you want to be a pirate?? Wow..." she looks at Xantia, before smiling bashfully, "W-well, that means we might be working together, then! Like Shalune said, we're between here and the CaraKin, but I'm here to help you guys out, so...!"

A pause.

"Yeah, that's Shalune's nickname..." she tilts her head. "That's a good point. Ge-Ge did seem rather appreciative of what Hiro did for her..." 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon defies physics and leans into Fei's text. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU JUST CALL ME???" 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon has a sip of his beer, and he stays quiet for a moment. But he hears Shalune's question -- and he winces. How much did he really want to say? They were nice kids. They didn't deserve to hear the worst of it, even if -- he suspects -- he couldn't keep it away from them forever. He doubts the world will afford that luxury.

"We... had to fight some former friends, yesterday," Leon says, looking down at Shalune. His silver eyes aren't clouded with alcohol. His mood is still more sober than it usually is. "...Lily took it hard. We both did. We'll need a day or two."

He looks back at Lunata and raises his eyebrow -- before he nods. "They've both been a great help," he says to Xantia, before he looks back at her. "You... lost your memory, as I understand it? I'm sorry to hear that. If you're willing to help... well, we could use all the help we can get around here. We're up against ridiculous odds often enough." 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

Lily says she's fine. Josie lifts an eyebrow. "Okay, but the second you wobble I'm telling Maison to cut you off. I'm not carrying you back to your bunk." Cruel!

"Is she joining Bart's merry crew?

Josie blinks, honestly taken aback at that question. "Maybe, maybe not," she answers with a shrug, leaning against the bar. "I sure do keep seeming to fall in with you lot, though, huh?"

So this ship's going to the Badlands, too. It's certainly an option that remains open for her.

"...But I think I'll be parting ways with you guys soon, and I'm not sure what your bonny captain would think of that. No offence, it's been great and all that, but I've got something of my own I need to follow up on..."

Reaching around, she snags her glass, ice cubes rattling briefly as she lifts it to her lips.

Only in the most distant of ways is she listening to Lunata speak.

And visibly chokes when the girl says she's had marriage offers. She wheels around, setting the glass back down with a clink on the counter. "What? You're too young for them to be saying..." She pulls a disgusted face. "...If you've got it covered, Leon, I'll leave it to you. Honestly... of all the things to say to a girl her age..."

That one seems to have actually irritated her.

"...But if you're offering, how about some soup? And a little bread for Penelope."

Who is steadily but carefully approaching Lily.

"--Huh?"

This is also about when Shalune approaches her. Leaving her drink to one side, the archaeologist leans in to peer over at what the littlest mechanist is up to. "...You found something that might work? Whatcha got, and what's it made of?"

There are a few ways to clean something, depending. Some of them are semi-hazardous to one's health, even! 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily should remember Xantia's name. She might remember it now; she's ordinarily fairly sharp with names. But yes, there is a little detail that's relevant.

...Just like she spots Xantia's eagerness to fight. She rolls something over in her mind, but doesn't bring up the idea of sparring hersel. Instead...

Well, instead, "You'd be surprised," Lily says to Xantia about nobody wanting to die. "Want or not, people are really good at doing it. Might be what people are best at."

That cheerful line delivered, Lily looks to Shalune and comments, "I disintegrated someone I went to school with and my father might be why everything in my life went to shit." Her words slur there too, sharper than usual before she shakes her head. "Ugh." Leon said it more gently than she did and she lets out a ragged breath, "...Leon's right. I'm sorry, Shalune."

Working together...

"We follow up on our own leads a lot," Lily points out to Josie, lifting her next mug and taking a swig of it, closing her golden eyes. "...Won't expect you to carry me back," she says to Josie. "Have someone for that."

Penelope is approaching. Lily peers down at her. "Penelope, what...?"

A sigh, "I can't treat amnesia, but I can treat most else if you run into trouble. Just... Good luck." 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia's really just glad to have some measure of direction in her life. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, just sort of muddling through with half-baked ideas on how she might learn more about her past, and she was well aware of that. But a lot of things happened, and now... well, Fei already said it, their pasts must have something in common, or so Xantia has come to firmly believe. That's one solid lead that she intends to follow.

Of course, in her response to Lunata, this all just comes out as, "Yeah, it'll be good to work together! Being a pirate sounds pretty great! ...unless they're gonna make me wear an eyepatch, or get a peg leg, or a hook on my arm or anything like that. But Fei doesn't have any of those things, so I'm sure it'll be fine!"

Well, nobody said that her having absolutely no idea what she's doing was a thing of the past. Heck, she still has no idea who this 'Ge-Ge' even is, ready to fight Lunata without any idea where those powers come from.

She grows a bit quieter when Leon brings the subject to something more serious, phrased simple enough for even her to understand. Having to fight friends - seriously, not just sparring, as it sounds like - would make her sad, too. And Fei went through that also, not too long ago. It takes some of the wind out of her sails, leading her to quietly eat her soup for a moment.

And yet it's Leon who shows concern for her situation instead, which surprises her. "Oh, I- yes, that's right. Well, if I can help, I'd be happy to! I don't mind ridiculous odds at all!" Even though it'd probably be a healthier attitude if she did. But it's worked out for her so far. There's no indication of Lily's downer viewpoint affecting her in this regard. Perhaps Xantia literally is too dumb to die? 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Ah, I mean--" the mechanic isn't exactly on the defensive at Fei's question, but she does at least pause as if aware her upcoming answer might be a little strange. "Um. We went back into Rujm a couple of times to try to learn more about Ge Ramda, and I guess I managed to sort out my feelings a bit? I really don't think she's bad-- and she's definitely not a 'thing', either," she lectures, a very 'nooo fighting' kind of look on her face as she wags a finger. "Besides, she's part of Lunie now, so I'm gonna put my faith in that, y'know?"

She does listen dutifully to Leon's and Lily's explanations, biting at her lip for a moment as she digests them; you can see the good cheer drift out of her, but at the same time there's a determined little light in her eyes. "... it's okay. I understand," she nods afterwards to Leon, at least a little solemn, then chews on her thoughts for a long moment before nodding at Lily. "And-- um, I kinda get it. Dads can suck sometimes. ... I won't pry, but-- uh. I hope it was accidental rather than on purpose, y'know?" she mumbles, and perhaps there's just a little in the way of experience in her voice. She seems content to leave it at that, though, knowing enough about the pair to provide a little space.

"Um. We're still pretty new ourselves, don't worry," she adds towards Xantia, pumping her arms. "I know there's some politics we've gotta take into account as pirates - and I dunno all that much about it yet, honestly - but everyone here's been really nice and helpful. It'll all be fine," she promises, even if there's no substance behind that promise except sheer belief.

Her spirits restore themselves fully as she glances to Josie, flicking through her pad to the diagram; true enough, just like the thing she lugged into the cargo bay the other day, she's sketched a sphere with a gem in the middle. "I think it goes halfway up the leg to direct the power, but it's really scratched up, and all cloudy. I dunno how to de-cloud it, and I'm pretty sure hittin' it with a glass cutter is gonna end up with a broken glass cutter or a broken sphere." Pause. "Also there's really grody moss all over it, so I probably need a mop." 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

I just described your profile picture!

And Fei's heart.

"Yeah," Fei agrees again with Leon. He seems to have taken it hard as well but he isn't talking about it or going into detail. It's worse for Leon and Lily, he just doesn't 'take things' well. He has made amends with the fact that he had to leave Lahan, it's a bit harder to reconcile the fact that leaving his home was for forever. He'll likely never see even the survivors ever again, except for the ones that want him dead.

Fei sinks into himself a bit more at the mention of the eyepatch. Should he start wearing an eyepatch, he wonders, to honor the woman he brutally murdered? Probably not. It'd probably seem creepy.

"I think I'm gonna go wash my hands again." Fei stands himself up. "i'll be right back." He pats Xantia, briefly, before heading behind the bar to wash her hands in the sink.

Shalune pulls Nanakoface on Fei Fong Wong in the meanwhile and hel ooks up at it and then huffs up his shoulders and says, "Okay." He says. Either way, she is hanging around in the right place, I guess."

He squirts some soap onto his hands and rubs them against one another. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata has a quiet frown at Leon to say, "Fighting friends... that's..." A pause, and she nods. "That's no fun at all. I've got all the confidence you and Lily can make it through, though!" After all, if someone's going to shine a cheer on the glum Yggdrasil crew, it's gotta be the Lunies!

... the Lunies and the Xantie!

'Ge-Ge', however, comes to float alongside Xantia at this point in time, just a black tray with a piping-hot bowl of soup on it. Aww, look at who's being a very kind and precious harbinger of doom, you are!

Lunata nods at Josephine as she arranges another bowl for Josephine and -- aww, an adorable tiny one with ripped-out little breadcrumbs for Penelope! Is the bird going to go for it?

"Also, we haven't had to wear an eyepatch..." Lunata does advise Xantia. A pause. "Aunt Hilda made me wear an eyepatch once when I got an eye infection, she said it was also good for waitress training? But-- probably not!" 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon wrinkles his nose, then he looks sideways at Josephine. He caught that. The idea she might not stay on the Yggdrasil doesn't bother him so greatly. He likes her, but this isn't her fight -- and after yesterday, he is reflecting on what should and shouldn't be the Yggdrasil's fight. He has yet to make a conclusion.

"Something you need to follow up on?" he asks. His head tilts to the side. "...I won't pry, Josie. But if you do need help, you can ask us. Lily and I will be there."

He glances, briefly, in Lily's direction -- in case she differs, there. But, he looks back at Shalune, then, and he hesitates -- then shakes his head. "...No. It was people from Kislev, who attacked us. They--mm. Thank you, Lunata."

He isn't so sure of what she says. He is happy enough to change the subject. He looks back at Xantia, then, and nods. "Thanks," he says. "How did you and Fei meet? You think you're connected to him, somehow?"

A beat. "I am not wearing an eyepatch. For the record." 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

So that's what was going on. Josie had seen Lily convert another human being into so much ash, yes. But these things happen -- though admittedly, being an archmage's daughter might slightly skew Josie's outlook on 'acceptable magical outcomes'.

No, worse than the event was doing that to someone you used to know. She makes no comment, instead looking at the younger woman again. Pointedly, as she had the night before.

She makes no comment, instead silently lifting her glass to her lips.

Or rather, she makes no comment until she remarks on how much Lily's drinking. "You shouldn't carry her back if she passes out either," Josie informs Leon, casting Lily a Look in the process.

Slowly, slowly, slowly...

Penelope approaches Lily.

Penelope approaches Lily's hand.

Penelope carefully eyes Lily's hand. Leans in.

And a bowl rattles against the counter. The pigeon straightens, then turns to trot over to the adorably tiny bowl and hops on up to peck at the breadcrumbs.

What was that about...?

Dark eyes flit over the paper, taking in Shalune's sketches. A sphere with a gem inside it. "Well, first, you're gonna have to clean the moss off. I'd use a little bit of extra-dilute bleach, or something." They probably have some around here -- they have Gears after all. As for the gem, though... "If it were the outside, I'd suggest some isopropyl alcohol -- works a treat for cleaning things." Which things, she doesn't specify. "But," and she reaches over the tap on the paper, "That sphere in the way's the killer, isn't it? It might be a necessary component, and I bet there's not even any obvious ways to take it apart, huh. Hmm..."

Her forefinger drums against the counter. "Maybe with magic... but I'm not sure what'd be best. I wonder if it can take an electrical pulse and not shatter..." The finger keeps tapping. "If it breaks though, we're out of luck. ...Maybe light's better. ...So, what's your gut feeling on this, kiddo? Shalune." She adds that for clarity's sake. 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Doesn't mind ridiculous odds at all? LIly looks at Xantia as if staring until she can determine whether she means it... But she does seem to. She manages to stay cheerful after everything, and it admittedly mystifies the black-haired woman. Lily takes another draught from her drink, smoothly and easly.

"Ge Ramda... I'm still interested in her," the sorceress admits. But soon she's saying what she says herself, and Shalune's cheer drifting out of her is like a knife in Lily. "...It was on purpose," the older woman answers quietly, without her usual prickly tone. "The only thing I don't know is why. It's not like him..." The pain in her eyes is obvious until she closes them, looking away. Another drink follows.

"You should know," Lily points out, "That there aren't many women on the crew. Just something to keep in mind. If you need anything, come to me too. I'm..." She trails off, "Medic."

Fei goes to wash his hands, and Lily watches him thoughtfully. His hands weren't dirty. She notices things like that, even drunk. "...Hey Fei," she says. She doesn't get anywhere further than that.

Lunata mentions confidence in them and Lily looks up and tries to put on a smile. It doesn't really get that far; she just stares at her for a moment. "...We always get through," she says. "Even if Kislev comes after us... Us against the world, if it's what it takes. That's what I promised." She nods, before she finishes off her beer. Now she is wobbling, reaching out after a moment to set a hand on Leon's arm. "I'd wear an eyepatch," she suggests to Leon and Fei both. "Why not?"

But Josie's look at her she finally acknowledges, and does so by looking away from it. "...It doesn't matter if he doesn't," she says, and shakes her head. "I won't..."

Penelope is there, by her hand. Lily blinks as she leans there. Is she going to--

She didn't. Lily trails off, and then says, "What Leon said is right. If you need help again Josie, ask. I..." She hesitates, "...I like you. I'm drunk enough to admit it. So just remember that."

A sigh. Magic... "Lunata, could I get another?" She's slower, now, and visibly unsteady. 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Of course Xantia means it! She's the girl who climbed a Gear to get at its pilot, and punched another one in the knee. She's crazy.

Xantia smiles upon learning she's not the only fairly new one to join, nodding in satisfaction that the overall preference leans towards no eyepatches. Those books she read about pirates must've been exaggerating. Heck, they were already wrong about pirate ships being the kind that sail in water.

She doesn't even blink at a magically floating tray. It's just magic, doing magical things, what's strange about that? Anything that brings her more soup can't possibly be anything bad! If it's left up to her, she's gonna have more refills than Lily. She'll catch up pretty quickly, with how fast she eats, barely even letting the soup cool down. It's for the best, really. Keeps her from looking at Penelope the way she tends to look at other birds.

"Again?" she questions with a frown when Fei goes to wash his hands. He keeps doing that for some reason. How does he keep getting his hands dirty so quickly? She shakes her head, before responding to Leon. "Oh, that was a long time ago." A few months feels extremely long when all you have is about half a year's worth of memories to begin with. "Some bandits were bothering me. I don't think I was in any trouble, but Fei helped me anyway."

A meeting like any other, really. Fei did provide her first big lead, but she couldn't have predicted how things would go from there. Rather than go with the full story, she just goes with: "A lot of things happened since then, but... the way we fight is really similar, and it just..." She looks down at her soup, pausing a moment, before she shakes her head. "I can't explain it, it just feels like I've known him for longer than I actually have." She casts a doubtful look Leon's way. "Does that make sense?" 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei washes his hands. It's a good question, Xantia. He doesn't answer Xantia's reasonable questions.

"Xantia's really helped me out from time to time," Fei says. He doesn't give any examples and seems content to leave it at that but it's doubtful it was actually about any physical danger or situation. Though he can't help but reflect again about how many people there are with amnesia. Maybe there's something wrong with the water, he thinks, since Filgaia's such a crummy planet anyway.

He splashes some of the water into his his face and takes a cloth and rubs it dry. He blinks several times and then returns the washcloth to its original position. He also reflects on the strange way Xantia makes him want to look for answers when reality makes him want to crawl in a hole for the rest of his life.

"Even if we're not, Xantia's a good friend and I hope we can help her out." He tells Dream Da--Leon.

He smiles at Penelope for a moment but Lily says his name as he goes back to wash his hands again. "Huh? Oh, Lily. Uh." Can he really ask her how she's doing? He knows how she's doing doesn't he? Shittily, that's what! "...You know, I'm just glad you both made it out." He manages. "Since I know we went in thinking maybe none of us would." 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune's bob towards Fei's change of pronoun is a thankful one, at least; whatever else might be going on with Ge Ramda, Shalune's seen enough of her habits to consider the lich a person, if one linked to the Wheel and who knows what else, and one who occasionally sneaks away bits of Lunata's soul in order to protect her. Basically, it's complicated, but she's determined at least to treat the lich well, in hopes that might be part of the key to learning more about her.

"Y'know, I'm really sure Aunt Hilda was kidding back then about the eyepatch," she comments to Lunata as she chews on the end of her pencil - but she knows better than to second guess the master chef too strongly, even if she's not present right now. Somehow, Aunt Hilda just knows that you did it, and Shalune likes having a steady supply of food, thanks. "I mean, you're already good enough at stackin' plates."

"Aah... I'm afraid I still don't really get it right now," the mechanic admits to Leon after a moment, sheepishly rubbing at her hair. "I really need to get that talk from you sometime, sir, I guess. I mean, I'm not gonna think it's bad or anything, just-- better than we know, right?" she adds, trying an encouraging smile to see how it works on the man. It seems like she's been trying to act her age a little, recently... especially when she glances at Lily, and tentatively pats her on the arm as she softens. "If you don't know why, then-- maybe there was a real good reason behind it," she offers. "I'm not gonna say anything like 'all dads are perfect', but I'd like to think they look out for their kids no matter what, even if it's hard to tell how."

ha ha, sup Fei. Speaking of dysfunctional families, the girl lights up at Xantia. "Ooh... maybe you're a longlost sister, huh? I think Mr. Fei could use some support like that, y'know?"

Josie, on the other hand, gets a much brighter smile, as the topic veers back to more comfortable areas. "I haven't the faintest, ma'am. I mean, most of the stuff in that thing is weird as-is. Magic-- mmmight do it? I mean, I'm pretty sure it's a conduit - like it redirects the power around? - so maybe if magic is the power then that'll work. I'm about as magic as a rock, though," she adds as she scratches at her cheek. "A really dull one." 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

There are things that Josie actually really ought to say to Lily.

But between the current crowd and Lily's current state, she's going to hold her tongue.

That is, until Lily straight up says 'I like you'.

Josie blinks, taken aback once again.

"Well, that's nice," she says, with all the seriousness of someone who means the thing she's about to say. "But somehow I don't think Leon is the sharing type."

And then she just cracks up. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata is a little bit hesitant as she casts a look Lily's way, then remarks, "Mister Leon thinks you've had enough," since she did give her the one drink. Goodness, look at Lunie, being all responsible! She's about to get cowed, isn't she?

She looks down towards Penelope with a light smile as she tries to pet the bird a little bit atop the head with a light stroke, then looking back to Xantia. "I think that's sweet, though -- and we can show you the ropes around here when we're around!" 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon glances sideways, when he feels Lily's hand on his arm. He doesn't say anything. She is drunk, after all. He can see that plainly; she just said so, too. He pats her hand, before he looks back at Lunata. He shakes his head, subtly.

He can let her handle it. He suspects she must have cut off more than one person who was drinking too much at the Starfall Saloon. And he nods, when Lunata says just that.

He looks sideways, back to Xantia -- and then to Fei. He nods. "You do fight in a similar fashion," he says. "I wondered if you had both learned from the same style." He quiets, though, and then nods. "...So am I. That's something. What matters."

Along with the things Lily said, drunk or no. He looks down at Shalune, then blinks -- but he nods his head. "All right. But later," he says. "It's the sort of thing we shouldn't talk about when we're having drinks and food. It's a little serious for all of that. It's--"

He turns to Josie and glowers, eyebrow twitching. He picks up his mug and grumps down at it instead. "You're doing that on purpose!" he groans. "Just to get a rise out of me! I've caught onto your ploys, Lovelace! Hrmph!" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

Shalune immediately perks up, her eyes in wide circles as Josephine preempts the Lunie Sneaking and just goes straight to saying it out loud in front of them. "Wah, ma'am!" she hisses urgently as she leans in, in a way that is not terrifically subtle or quiet. "You've gotta be delicate with them! They're-- they're budding! Right?!"

She... looks at Lunata for backup here, because if one Lunie's about to go down she'll drag the other with her. 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

"Well, I'm a Symbologist too," Josie says, turning towards Shalune once again. "Of course, it's only so useful in combat -- that's the perils of practical magic, I suppose..." she laments, shrugging her shoulders. "Still, light and electricity are my areas of expertise. Stunning and illuminating, huh?"

She glances over.

"If it's raw power, though... we could get Lily to take a crack at it. --But kiddo," and here she raises her voice, enough to carry across this area of the barroom, "Try not to fry it, okay? There's only so many glass spheres in the world!"

Whereupon Leon responds to her comment to Lily.

Josie's expression is the perfect picture of innocence. "Well, yes. Of course~" she says to Leon, sweetly.

"You're quite good at it, you know--"

Uh.

She turns back towards Shalune, and slowly slowly tilts her head to one side. "They're... budding? Wha..."

Josie, also not helping with the Lunie subterfuge here. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

Lunata looks like she's just gotten roped into something she didn't want to spring out in the open, staring between Josie, and Lily, and Leon, and Shalnue to go-- "E-eh?! Eh??" 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Xantia is Lily's kind of crazy, admittedly.

Xantia actually mentions the handwashing, and Xantia talks about how they met, what their relationship is like, and Lily starts to remember conversations she's had already. "Mm," she says. "I understand, to a point," she says, slurring. "...I can't tell you why I understand, but I do." She looks at Leon, briefly, and then away.

Watchng Fei, she hears his sort of answer, blinks slowly at him until he manages to say something. "Ah." A pause. "...Yeah. Thank you."

Lily looks between Shalune and Leon, breathing slowly, and then goes very still when Shalune pats her. There's the obvious reaction there, slightly uncomfortable, but her eyes soften. "...Maybe there is. He always looked out for me when I was young. If he hadn't found me, I wouldn't even have a family."

She kind of does want anothe drink. But Lunata hesitates and then answers, and Lily is silent for a few short moments before she dips her head. "Sure. He's probably right, if he's saying it." There's no further argument.

But Josie answers her and really answers her and Lily stares dully before she leans forward with her face in her hands. "Aaaaaaaugh..." Leon answers back and of course that's what Josie is doing. Of course it is. But Lily continues to make a vague, quiet noise until it trails off into nothing. Her voice is... muffled, when she continues, "Josie you're awful."

A pause.

"...Budding...?" She stops. "I don't know if I want to know." Her elbows hit the bar and she does not show her face. There's a little red visible behind her hands though. "Why can't I just pass out now...?"

Sure, Lily'll use magic. When she's not drunk or dying of embarrassment. 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia doesn't particularly need answers to her questions to appear happy. For that, it's plenty to hear that she was helpful to Fei. Even if some portion of the mood is grim, and she doesn't fully understand why that is, or what certain people are laughing about, as long as she can feel like she's helping people, she can effortlessly continue smiling.

And effortlessly continue to misunderstand things that most people wouldn't, as shown in her response to Lunata. "Okay! Which ropes are you gonna show me? Oh, does the ship have sails after all?" ...yeah, that'll happen.

But it's Shalune's remark that draws Xantia's attention in particular, for being something that she'd never considered a possibility before. "...Sister?" Her gaze slowly drifts back to her soup, muttering the word to herself again, "Sister..." She's trying, and failing, to determine whether or not that sounds right, whether that's what her relation to Fei could be. Actually trying to remember is useless, but if the word would prompt some kind of feeling associated with it...

But, try as she might, that much might be impossible. Xantia has no idea what it means to be a sister to begin with. Let alone have any chance of figuring out if she is one, to anybody.

She returns to paying attention to everyone else just in time to completely fail to understand why everybody looks various degrees of flustered. "...did something happen?" 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Ah, light magic might work, maybe?" Shalune wonders towards Josie - though the look on her face suggests that her critical thought on the matter only really goes as far as considering 'light' to mean 'sparkly and clean'. "If you wanna take a look at it, I definitely don't mind - I just can't think of any mundane ways to fix up the inside of it, you know? The outside's just elbow grease, an' I'm pretty good at that."

"Family's weird sometimes. I learnt that much myself, y'know?" Shalune offers to Lily with a light smile. "But then, I got Lunie and Aunt Hilda and everything, so-- I dunno. I mean, I know my dad was looking out for us all the time." Past tense, but she doesn't seem to shy around the issue when she sighs lightly, and glances at Lunata. "He just, um, really didn't do the best of jobs, y'know? But that's why you've got everyone here!" she adds with indefatigable good cheer, and immediately turns a smile on Xantai as if to offer the same to her, whether she senses anything from the word 'Sister' or not.

She pauses in the wake of some well-meant chaos, and places her hands together in her lap as she grins towards Xantia. "Ehehe. You could say there's a couple of very troublesome kids around. Oh dear, oh dear," she adds, nodding as if she's suddenly become a gossiping Granny. Whether she's actively trying to lighten the mood or just letting herself be dragged in Josie's wake is hard to tell. 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei considers the long lost sister angle. "I guess it's possible," He admits, since he can't either disprove it or come up with a better explanation--but it's a far cry from saying that it's actually true. Fei knows he has to be a little more careful with his words when it comes to assumptions. "But I don't think guessing at it right now is going to help much since even the lead we have is not much. I hope we can find out a bit more in the Badlands." He considers this for a moment. "Doc didn't seem too thrilled about going there but I guess they ARE the Badlands." Why DOES Doc keep hanging around him anyway? Well, maybe he is just that nice a guy.

He actually laughs at the interplay between Josie and Leon. It does help his mood out somewhat. They can still have moemnts like this, he thinks.

"It still kind of worked though." He tells Leon since there's no escape from suffering.

Lily gets a quiet nod. He forces himself to pry his hands from the sink and dries them off as well.

"You're gonna have to get used to the innuendo here, Xantia." Fei quips as he makes his way back to his seat. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

"W-wh, err... the kind of ropes that..." Oh no, Lunata's kind of shortcircuited herself into a bit of an embarrassment loop, help! So the Death Waitress does have her weaknesses after all...! It wasn't swords, or spells, or ancient ARMs, but simple innuendo! A pause. "I--I just-- I've got to do some maintenance on the Rephaim!"

She picks up the tray as it turns back into a cube just-- just like that, and then frantically and flusteredly hurries off, goodness, what's that all about? 

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon groans, rubbing at his face. He sighs, once, before he looks at Josie and shakes his head. But, it may be good natured. (It is.) "Hmph," he repeats, before he has another sip of his beer. "That's the truth," he says after Fei. 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Fei's has some time to learn how to deal with Xantia - being too obviously subjective in your assumptions is just going to lead to Xantia leaning towards believing it's true. As it is, she's left to ponder this new possibility on her own.

When Lunata excuses herself rather abruptly, and Fei makes his remark, Xantia blinks blankly at him, asking in all seriousness, "What's an innuendo?" Maybe it's everyone else who's gonna have to get used to Xantia not understanding things! 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

If Lily's dad hadn't found her, she wouldn't even have a family...

Josie looks away, heaving out a breath.

There are things she could, should, wants to say. But right now, it might be better to hold her tongue.

So instead, she snatches up her glass and downs a gulp of it, very nearly setting it down again a little too hard.

Penelope, oblivious to the antics around her, continues to calmly peck at her bread.

"I can give it a shot. No promises, and I'll try not to fry anything important." Particularly with the electrical charge if she gives in and gives 'zapping the thing' a shot. "I'll try some less intrusive things first, though. It's probably pretty old..."

But this is all before Josie decided to tease Lily and Leon.

"I try," she comments, gazing towards Lily and batting her eyelashes. If there was ever a cat that got into the cream, it would wear an expression like this.

"Sort of," she answers Xantia, regaining a little bit of her mental footing in the wake of a crash-course in Lunies.

Which prompts her to add, as Lily wishes she were passed out already, "Well, at this rate, you probably won't remember what happened anyway, so try and relax, kiddo." She grins, in spite of her earlier warnings about overdoing it. 

<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.

"Wah, Lunie escaped!" Shalune continues to not help matters, nepped out as she stares after the disappearing waitress. More to the point, she realizes after a moment: "--Lunie! D'you even know how to maintain it?!" 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"...Like it's that simple?" Lily asks Shalune, not harshly. She can't really express what she's feeling, especially not through the haze of too much alcohol. "Mm. It must have been difficult..." She trails off, shakes her head, "I don't know. I just don't know."

But after Josie, it all gets... well, she's not thinking clearly about the things that are bothering her anymore, that's for sure. She manages a muffled noise that might be a laugh when Fei says that it works, but not for very long. Lunata's gone. Josie... Doesn't talk to her about what she might.

Try and relax. "That's a bright note. But I'm bad at relaxing." Lily remains otherwise quiet except for...

"Ohhhh no. I'm way too drunk to give you the talk, Xantia. Way too drunk. Not going to happen." 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

'What's an innuendo', Xantia asks.

Innocently.

Josie looks over at Lily.

Josie attempts to catch her eye.

And Josie grins.

Oh no. She's going to do it.

"Well, innuendo is--" 

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Josie don't... Don't you dare..." Lily is staring at Josie, unsteadily. And then...

Right at that moment, as Josie is talking, Lily finally tips and tumbles off of her barstool, thudding to the ground hard. Her eyes are closed, and her mouth is half-open. She's out like a light. 

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

I mean, there's a reason Lunata is just a Lunata-shaped cutout now, I'm just gonna say. 

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

"--Lily!?"

Good memories might recall that Josie had said that she wouldn't carry Lily if she passed out.

Nevertheless. Josie beelines for the fallen Lily, investigating her where she lies.

"Ugh. She passed out. Leon, give me a hand here..." 

<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.

Xantia leaps off her own stool when Lily tips over, in surprise and alarm. "Wah, Lily! What happened, are you okay?" Being worried for another's well-being is plenty to make her forget about any questions she may have asked. Crisis averted!

Or... replaced by another minor crisis, that works too.

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