2017-08-16: A Pledge To You All
- Log: A Pledge to You All
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline, Malfi, Kaguya, Ambrosius, Zed, Fenrir
- Where: Silver Coast
- Date: 16th August 2017
- Summary: The Tainted gather in their preparations to head west, under the banner of the Wings. The Veruni have joined them in this endeavour. Also, Zed gets slapped.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
In the weeks since Old Petra, Riesenlied has been busy -- and that business has not been without fruit.
Riesenlied has called for those that were at Old Petra to gather, after their vigil to honour the deceased; it is at one of the many highway villages that they gather, in preparation for their journey to the west. She has found a suitable location for them to strike hope anew, hopefully without the endgame of calamity at this point in time, and she wishes to relay that to the people at large.
As such, the Ebony Wings and the Tainted are largely here -- the hundred-odd capable Tainted who are healthy enough to venture out of the Photosphere and try to make a living, establishing a foothold on the frontier for their weaker, sicker brethren to come visit once all's said and done. There are caravans with wood wagons and horses gathered, and even one or two Metal Demons that have opted to try to pull wagons themselves due to their heavyset nature.
Several of the Dragons are assembled here, including Riese's own mount, a twelve-foot... yellow ahriman-shaped dragon that's currently going 'Muniii--' and playing with a medicine ball.
It's a dangerous mission. Even without enemies, the Badlands are not a hospitable land -- and yet it is further away, in the relative solace of the desert, ironically, that they may be able to stand a chance.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
It is with a sense of relief that Malfi unhooks herself from the wagon she's hauled all the way out here. Her motives aren't unselfish: if she catches any unusual monsters in this area, she has a few empty cages stashed in the wagon for the trip back: her superiors have rarely, if ever, considered her trophies worth teleportation. "Commander, Spymistress," she greets the few compatriots she knows, at least by reputation. She is always one for titles, Malfi. She heads to the main group and peers over them with alert eyes. One can't be a huntress without alertness after all.
<Pose Tracker> Fenrir has posed.
Among the Tainted is one with a missing arm - only her left remaining. A mane of long fluffy silver hair, a pair of wolf-like ears, and fangy teeth make up some of her most noticeable features, besides the fact that weird jagged fragments of flesh 'scar' the right side of her face and jut from the right side of her torso, blocked only partially by a shield taped to the side. She's beginning to move up towards Riesenlied to approach her directly, a scowl on her face.
Fenrir first arrived at the Gutters a few days after Old Petra. She announced herself, made her presence known, and then disappeared entirely until yesterday, where she left to go on some sort of mission. It's quite possible the reason she's Tainted - she ran up and tried to punch Id in the face at Old Petra - is known by any of the Metal Demons present. What she's been doing the whole time since, though, is probably a mystery. Until now, atleast.
Walking up to Riesenlied, Fenrir salutes briefly, before speaking. "Commander Riesenlied. Fenrir. I want to prove that I'm suitable for duty and join the Ebony Wings. Tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it, no matter what it is, and I'll do the best damn job you've ever seen." A tilt of the head towards Malfi. Sizing her up. Trying to figure out her rank based off posture and attitude, primarily - is she high-ranking, low-ranking, is it impossible to tell?
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
At Riesenlied's side, of course, stands her second - Noeline looks over the assembly with an almost thoughtful frown, letting out a soft sigh of breath. Even she's feeling some of the tension in the air as the Ebony Wings assemble for the first time since Id's attack, but this is the path she's chosen to take. Besides, she wouldn't miss a Riesenlied speech for the world.
Even now, she cuts a rather odd figure. Not as well known as the Tainted commander and not nearly as physically imposing as most Metal Demons, Noeline still manages to be something of a celebrity, whether for better or worse.
On one hand, as a spy and tactical advisor, her detailed maps of Arctica and Adlehyde were invaluable for the attacks upon those cities, accompanied with a wealth of information on guard rotas, attack vectors, and other facets of human life. On the other hand, she vanished off into the world for a couple of centuries, immersed herself in human culture - and when she returned, had taken to inexplicably calling herself a Crimson Noble, dancing through life with a playful and amused air that didn't exactly gel with the Photosphere in general and acting rather like a human sympathizer than a proud soldier - and even going so far as to declare herself Tainted, joining the Ebony Wings out of the blue.
Certainly Noeline looks significantly human, with no horns or other appendages to spoil her disguise; a little shorter than Riesenlied, she appears for all intents and purposes to be just out of her teenage years. The flamboyant dress she's wearing looks rather out of place amongst the rest of the Tainted... though perhaps a little less so when she's stood next to her Commander, both of them having left behind the Photosphere's gunmetal simplicity.
There's a glint of pride in her eyes as she accepts Malfi's greeting, tilting her head with a soft snicker. "That's a title I might not get used to, hm?" she nudges Riese lightly. "I suppose I'm not all that used to having subordinates--"
Cutting herself off, she blinks at the new volunteer with a mild sort of surprise, leaving a reply to Riesenlied as she skims through her memory for those Metal Demons whose identity she knows.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Malfi," Riesenlied nods. Though the animal researcher is not part of the Ebony Wings, she is welcome here, of course; her expertise on monsters and their biology and habitats is a useful asset wherever they go, and she'd like to encourage that pursuit however she can. "I am glad that you could join us."
It's with some surprise, though, that she sees the silver-haired wolf -- and her expression soften as she steps closer to her. "Fenrir," she whispers with a relieved tone on her voice. "I heard you'd-- left. To go train..." A pause. "But I'm glad you could make it with us here -- of course you're welcome amongst our ranks."
She steps closer to the wolf, holding her at her shoulder gently. "You'll have allies amongst us -- those that will respect you, and in turn, I know you'll be an inspiration to them as well." A hesitant pause. "... and I am sorry for Old Petra. Even knowing we did all we could... I still regret that I could not prevent your injury."
A sleek, black metallic feline creature slinks by Riesenlied's side -- this is Cetiri, Fenrir knows, one of the Ebony Wings' head scientists. Her eyes are more like electronic blinkers, and her voice sounds like a combination between a deep baritone and a cement mixer. "Ah... so you are Fenrir. I feel sympathy to your current plight." Spoken as someone who's had a transformation antic herself, centuries ago... "Rest assured we will see what we can do for you in the months to come."
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi can't help but overhear Fenrir introduce herself. /My, that one sounds determined./ She is likewise trying to determine her rank -- or at least her former rank. Malfi had been at Old Petra but too busy assisting in the evacuation to take part in the battle: she had heard rumors about the fighting, though...perhaps including Fenrir's terrible injury. Some rumors she might not have believed had she not witnessed them personally...especially /including/ humans in the evacuation.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
The Metal Demons aren't alone here, as it happens. A rather tall figure dressed in a brightly-colored poncho that conceals most of his body can be seen strolling up. He clearly wasn't a Drifter who had just gotten lost. He was walking toward the gathering with purpose.
Riesenlied and Noeline, at the very least, might recognise him as Ambrosius, one of their Veruni allies. He pauses for a moment. He hadn't expected a gathering quite as large as this, but it doesn't bother him too much.
Instead, he reaches up to his head, removes his hat, and places it over his heart.
"Friiiends..." He greets, with an incline of his head. "I do hope...I am not...too late..."
He doesn't say much other than that, or explain himself. Right now, he's focused on taking in the unfamiliar faces gathered here today.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
"Thank you," Malfi responds to Riesenlied. She is keeping quiet for the most part, gathering information. Some instincts die hard.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Look! Up in the sky! It's a twin-tailed hawk! It's one of those lame advertisement banner planes! It's...
...A dude with green hair and a bright, yellow scarf.
"Toh!!" The dude declares as he makes landing, sticking his dismount from some platform out of sight and surely high up abo-- wait why is he covered in gunpowder?
...Why is that shadow getting bigger?
Zed poses dynamically as a LARGE BOULDER slams into the ground behind him, missing his skull and shoulders by some narrow sliver of a milimeter. Off in the distance, a mesa smolders from where someone apparently shoved a whole bunch of explosives into the rock face.
"Good evening, friends!" Zed grins in spite of the somber atmosphere, his hands firmly on his hips and his chest thrust out like some kind of corny saturday morning superhero. His scarf billows in the wind. "How is everyone doing today? Well, I hope! Are we all looking forward to the journey? I KNOW I AM!"
Zed thumbs his chest. He grins. His smile sparkles.
"I brought everything I'll need. It should be here---" Another shadow. A large sack of STUFF falls out of the sky and lands atop the boulder. It... Seems to have come with a parachute. "Oh. There it is. Well, I'm good to go."
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi's concentration is shattered by the green-haired ninja who, it is obvious, just wants to be the center of everybody's attention. /So *that* is Zed the notorious./ If half the rumors about him are true, he should be dead a dozen times over. Every week. How he lived to pull these stunts was beyond her.
Unless the rumors were just that, rumors. She was going to attempt to find out. Though not right now. She spares a glance for the poncho-clad stranger who is obviously no Metal Demon but waits for her supiors to speak. Or explain things. Or something.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Answer: Zed is actually a cockroach.
Actual answer: Zed is actually not terrible at fighting things!?
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Almost daintily, Noeline takes a step backwards from the impact, her arm around Riesenlied to tug her back the same distance. It gets them out of the immediate way, and also allows the spy to lazily wag a hand; in response to the motion, a little sphere of silvery metal bobs up to her shoulder, spinning slowly in the air in acknowledgement before pointing towards Zed. The way it folds open strongly suggests someone is considering opening fire, but Noeline's sigh is rather put-upon as she lets the ARM hang in the air.
In contrast, her nod to Ambrosius is full of respect - even accompanied with a slight bow of her head in recognition. "It isn't as if we have much of a time limit, or even a schedule," she counters with an amused sort of huff. "If anything, from here on out, we are very much marching to our own drumbeat." If there's relish in her voice, she could probably be forgiven for it; the idea of getting the Tainted away from the Photosphere and able to make their own decisions on the world at large is something she can get right behind.
A glance at Riesenlied, though, and then she smirks pleasantly towards Malfi and Fenrir. "The Ebony Wings are not solely a Metal Demon force, remember," she explains for the both of them as she flicks out one long tail of hair. "We count Veruni amongst our number, and others besides. This is Ambrosius - his research, along with Kalve's, has been invaluable."
Poor Zed doesn't get an introduction... especially because the light of recognition has just hit the spy's eyes, as she manages to place Fenrir as being amongst the attack on Old Petra. "Ah..." she hums, her hand coming to her mouth in thought. For a moment she doesn't seem certain what to say in return, leaving the initial response up to Riesenlied before she finally manages a rather rueful chuckle. "... well. Certainly, I doubt we'll complain at having more in the way of numbers. You should be aware that our situation is a little unorthodox, however," she chuckles, but doesn't seem to want to go further than that just yet.
<Pose Tracker> Fenrir has posed.
Riesenlied's reaction...visibly confuses Fenrir. "Hwaaaaaah?!" There's a slow frown, which turns into an outright scowl. "Are you pitying me? I've spent the last month training to show that I'm still combat-capable, and your reaction is 'sure, come along'?!" Her scowl only deepens when she apologizes for the arm - it seems to sting the wolf. However, something she says - about being respected - seems to calm her down enough to not huff off or yell. Also the distraction of the robot-cat, Cetiri. "This is only temporary. My regeneration will be back soon, once my cells realize what's up. Scientists read the charts wrong or something."
And then, others arrive. A human?! in a poncho, who she slides back away from, and a...Zed. It's Zed who Fenrir vocally reacts to. "Who the heck are you?" Someone that outlandish, she'd have to know who he is, and he doesn't ring a single bell. "Fenrir." Though she doesn't forget to introduce herself.
When Noeline comes forward, Fenrir can immediately tell she's a person of authority, ish. She salutes Noeline, and then glances to Ambrosius. "Veruni?" It'd appear she doesn't know the term. "He's not human?" And then another pause. "What do you mean by unorthodox?"
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi bows to the Veruni and Zed. Politeness is the best bet in these kinds of situations.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There is mirth and hope in Riesenlied's eyes as she nods towards Ambrosius, glad that the Veruni could make it. And-- some alarm as Zed goes 'thunk' and down on his boulder, though it quickly gives way to joy as well, even as Noeline pulls her out of the way of the sudden collide.
There's an apologetic look as she shakes her head to Fenrir to say, "No, I don't... I just want to express that you'll have your place here, amongst us. I know you to be a very capable warrior, even before, and I wish to show you what we all can achieve together."
She gestures kindly towards Ambrosius. "The Veruni are those that are in a similar situation to us -- and we are currently collaborating with them. Mister Ambrosius has shown a great deal of resolve and expertise to our case -- please treat him well."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
As he is introduced by Noeline, Ambrosius bows toward Fenrir and Malfi.
"It is a...pleasure to...meet you..." He replies, then straightens up. He focuses on Fenrir for a moment.
Her response to Riesenlied...it made him think of Kaguya, somewhat. Though whereas she was resigned to her fate, Fenrir seemed to be denying it wholeheartedly. It would likely be best to treat her similarly.
"Ah...like yourseeelves...we Veruuuni also...come from...the stars abooove..." He explains.
...They didn't need to know the whole story right now. That was fitting enough. Riesenlied goes into a bit further detail, and nods.
"Iiindeed...I hope our...cooperaaation...will be fruuuitful...for both our peoples..."
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"Oh? OHHHHHHH!?" Zed steps out of his DYNAMIC ENTRY POSE an goes right up into Fenrir's grill. He is grinning like... Like a Zed. It's the only way to describe that fangy, too-confident smile. "Fenrir! I know you. You're the one who straight up tried to punch that one red asshole in the face! Hahaha! Good job! I'm Zed, nice to meet you!"
Zed.
His reputation... Is kind of a thing.
Good in a fight, apparently dumb as a sack of bricks and reportedly just as hard to kill.
He once fought a Quarter Knight and lived!
Also for some reason Berserk doesn't like him, but that's not exactly a unique position to be in.
There are other things most Metal Demons know about Zed. Like how he spends a lot of his time out in Filgaia Doing Things instead of training in the Photosphere. Or how his sword is apparently the most cursed thing this side of Berserk's gym locker.
"And the others who I don't know. Hello to you too! Like I said. I am Zed." Zed salutes with two fingers, grins and winks. A little star spins out of his face. Somehow. Maybe it was a trick of the eye? "The Ultimate Macho Man. The Grim Reaper's official pen pal. Zed!"
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
"Pleased to meet you," Malfi murmurs, not at all sure what to make of Zed. What was this grim reaper's pen pal business? She looks perplexed.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Someplace else, Lunata looks confused as Ge Ramda tries to quietly scribble a letter together....
<Pose Tracker> Fenrir has posed.
Riesenlied manages to placate Fenrir by telling her how she's a capable warrior, and she relaxes a bit. "Alright. Fine. Teamwork and all that, sounds good. I usually fought alone, so not too used to it." A single-shoulder drug, and then a glance to Zed. A frown at Zed. A growl at Zed.
A hand flying to slap across the face of Zed.
It's probably strong enough to knock him back, but not really HURT him, not in any serious way. He says his name and Fenrir realizes who he is - the guy who doesn't think, ever. "Shut the hell up. I'll let you off because I know your reputation, but next time I see that red bastard, I'm going to rip him in half and wear him as a cape. He's /mine/, and don't you forget it."
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi watches the exchange dispassionately. She isn't a bit surprised. Even though she could /charitably/ be described as "lacking tact," even SHE knew better than to figuratively rub salt in a wound that way. "Strike the red bastard once for me, if you will," she mutters to Fenrir. "I didn't get the chance last time." While she can fight, she will never rank among the elite warriors. Her programming will not allow it.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
A hand goes to slap Zed right across the face.
...And succeeds!
But only kind of!
Zed side-flips into the force of the blow, rolling across the dusty ground and then somersaults back up to his feet, his grin COMPLETELY intact. "Ahahahaha! That's the kind of spirit we need! You hit pretty hard, you know? If I was a human, it probably would have taken my head clean off! But I'm not. So it didn't. Also I know how to dodge."
Beat.
"Well! I think we're gonna get along great, personally. So...!" He... sticks out his hand?? "Put 'er there! This is what humans call 'a handshake.' It means hello, and also nice to meet you. And sometimes they jocky for dominance by trying to out-grip one another, but we don't need to do that!"
Do we??
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Blinking once in surprise, Noeline... thankfully doesn't burst into laughter at Fenrir's anger and confusion, but certainly looks like she could come close, an amused twinkle in her eyes as she regards the ire of the newcomer and the inevitable confusion that comes from leaving Photosphere to run right into Riesenlied's light. The Tainted commander does require something of a mental gear shift for many demons, after all.
Deferring to her, the spy lets the commander speak before she folds her arms with a huff of air. "... that is what Riesenlied does, after all. 'Understanding' should not be confused for 'pity', and the Tainted have the first in spades. You'll be expected - no, rather, /counted upon/ to do your share," she amends her wording, preferring to stress a more constructive response for Riesenlied's sake.
She pauses to allow Ambrosius to speak, apparently happy to take up the rear in adding details whenever needed. "The Quarter Knights have brokered an alliance with the Veruni - we are exchanging technology and information on the Guardians, not to mention pooling our resources for future efforts." It's a technically true answer, though it doesn't really begin to describe Ambrosius' situation or the level of trust that Riesenlied and Noeline have in the Veruni scientist. "While we may have been enemies in the past, this is hardly the time to worry about such things."
Her only response to the altercation with Zed is another of those put-upon sorts of sighs, a hand going to her forehead. "Honestly... we are not in the position where we can leave such a task as the defeat of the Demon of Elru up to one person. We have enough in the way of enemies that consolidation has become rather the name of the game, you realize."
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
The Veruni Kaguya is a little bit late. This happens someties. But the wagons stir--well, one wagon stirs--and the small blonde climbs out and hits the ground on her feet, beginning to walk into the circle with her cane looking at the Metal Demons gathered around, those she knows and those she doesn't.
Her particular wagon reads 'flowers' on the side, with a lot of blue.
"Wow everyone is loud..." But she doesn't seem to mind so much despite her apparent gump, looking over at Riesenled with a smile. She does listen as she walks, hearing Noeline explain the alliance and adds, "Hey."
Kaguya looks... terrible, but no worse than usual, just a little sleepy. She doesn't quite look human; pointed ears, sharp teeth.
"What'd I miss?" She leans on the cane.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a happy look towards Kaguya as the flower girl rolls on up to the rest of the caravan, and it's at this point Riesenlied climbs atop one of the larger crates, her wings fluttering gently. It seems that she has a particular idea in mind to take people off the altercation. The chatter dies down as Riesenlied calls for their attention. There's a large banner at he side, which she picks up; it has draped around it a velvet flag.
"Thank you all, for making it today. I speak with gratitude for those of you that could make it to Old Petra -- both to be there as part of the journey, and the experience of growing our home, our people. Unfortunately, many of us are not here anymore. But their spirit remains with us."
She bows her head in deference for a moment.
"But today is not a day of mourning. Today, we hold our heads up and our chins high. Today, we will seek our sights west, towards the Badlands."
She throws her hand up, and a large map is cast behind her, thanks to some technological wizardry that Devet -- who's currently huddled up next to a massive crate strapped onto her dragon -- is working on. It shows the Badlands, and a particular spot upon it.
"We will head to this point, to another village that was waylaid decades ago by hardship and tragedy. Our scouts have done great work to identify this location ahead of time. Once, this village was a prosperous highway village owing to its water purifier unit -- but it broke down, and the ravages of time and banditry sent its people scattered to the winds. I believe we have here the technical knowhow and expertise to resuscitate this, and create an oasis village that shall serve as our new home: a village we call Wayside."
She lets that sink in for a moment, and then pulls her hand to a large banner whose haft she holds.
"We shall carry the torch for those that have fallen. We shall spread our message of tolerance and awareness in the wake of hatred -- a hatred that haunts us from a thousand years ago, amongst our brethren, amongst the folklore of humans that have persisted over the centuries, amongst the Guardians and Elw whose presence we so keenly feel in the shadows."
"We shall be vigilant against those that would abuse the artifacts of the past to stoke the flames of war further -- the kingdoms of Aveh and Kislev, not to mention other brigands within the Badlands. Our mission has not changed in the least -- we shall rebuild, we shall stand in the wake of our wounds, for we are stronger together."
She thrusts the banner up, and it proudly flies, displaying the logo of the Wings.
"This, I pledge to you all!"
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
Malfi scoots over so she can study the map more intently. "Wayside," she murmurs. How far is it from this spot, she wonders? She does NOT want to pull that wagon the entire way!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius regards Zed with interest. He doesn't so much as flinch when Fenrir smacks him.
"Ah...I see...so you are the one...called 'Zed'..." He comments. "I have heard of you... There is a...friiiend of mine...who has wanted to...meet you..."
Well, more like cross blades with him, but Ambrosius wasn't about to admit to that. Prima could handle the challenge herself...
...Though unbeknownst to him she already had.
He offers Kaguya a nod as she approaches.
"Introduuuctions...primarily..." He explains, then turns his attention to Riesenlied as she begins to speak.
He had to admit, she was a good speaker. She knew how to rally her comrades.
"Well said..." He says, removing his hat once more. "And...as before...I will aid you...however I can..."
<Pose Tracker> Fenrir has posed.
Fenrir nods to Malfi when told to strike Id for her, and then tilts her head at Zed when he sticks his hand out after dodging her strike AND not being dampered at all. "Hand...shake? What?" A greeting to say hello? Wait, if you do that, doesn't it mean it's nice to meet them? Fenrir doesn't really think that...but jocky for dominance. Her hand moves to accept Zed's handshake, and then she tightens her grip as hard as possible. It is a VERY firm handshake, which lasts for a second before she pulls away and scoffs at Noeline.
"Fine, fine, but I get to finish him off." Fenrir doesn't seem like she's going to budge from that argumentatively, atleast not right now. A glance towards Kaguya as she walks out. A cane? "Are you one of those Beastmen? The guys with the weaponized ears?" A serious expression, and a glance to the ears. She's not sure she'll get away with touching them to check for weapons.
During Riesenlied's speech, Fenrir is quiet and listens, looking up at the map. Heading west? Not a problem for the wolf, she barely knows what the surface is like in general, another side is fine. The thing about 'tolerance and awareness' visibly causes her good eyebrow to rise. Wait. Is this how they're a bit 'weird' and do things differently? Fenrir suppresses a frown. This is her only lot in life left, and they'll still be fighting. She's good at this.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Kaguya gets a nod of greeting, same as Ambrosius, and then she stretches her arms out in an expressive sort of shrug to the flower girl. "It is time to move on, I dare say. There's not a great deal to keep us on this end of the world, after all, not with other things to focus on out to the west. We've been scattered a little too long, and it does seem that the general drift of the Drifters is sending many out in that direction," she explains - and then huffs, as Kaguya calls them loud. "To be honest, I'd rather see high spirits than not. Just-- perhaps not /this/ high, hm?"
Fortunately, Riesenlied aims to distract. Noeline pauses for a long moment to listen to the speech instead; her playful nature melts away in the wake of it as she gives Riesenlied her full attention, picking at her hair as she slowly takes in the map and commits the more salient points to memory.
"... this is what the Ebony Wings do. This is what the Tainted do," she adds, both comments delivered in a serious but almost offhanded manner - meant for Fenrir and Malfi, perhaps, but delivered to the open air. "The goal is not 'to defeat all in our path' - it is 'to stand again, no matter what'. It is a bit of an important distinction," she adds with an amused noise. "As such, I don't believe that Riese would be satisfied were I to let you fling yourself at the Demon of Elru until you got yourself killed, hm?"
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
That might not be the best idea, Malfi reflected. Fenrir was touchy about reasserting her competence as a warrior, and suggesting that the red Gear would simply up and kill her might not be the best approach. Especially since it was true. Anything that could cripple Lord Siegfried, however temporarily, was not to be trifled with, and only a great fool would think otherwise. Fenrir, however, was no fool: she was simply showing bravado, overcompensating for her loss. Malfi does not share these thoughts. As far as anyone can see, the map has her complete attention.
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
"Weaponized... Ears?" Kaguya asks, tilting her head at Fenrir and looking over her ruined side. "Huh. Better than assuming I'm a human. No, I'm Veruni. Like Ambrosius. He's probably said what we are."
A look over to Noeline, "...Moving on... And heh, you're right, maybe it's not bad to be loud." She smiles at Riesenlied, too, and /listens/.
It's a map, it's... Nt a day of mourning. Kaguya leans forward supported with her cane, which for those who look, she really does seem to rely on. Risenlied talks a village, and she talks tolerance, rebuilding...
"Mm..." Kaguya trails off, thinking about it. "I... Want to go here. I still don't know about tolerance and awareness in his situation; humans are so quick to be... /humans/. But..."
"You already know I'm going with you." And Riesenlied sounds sure. "I can do a lot for a village." That actually gets a smile out of her.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Ears are very dangerous weapons. To the uninitiated, they can shatter the mind and reduce even trained warriors to gibbering, cooing cuddle-bunnies.
Of course, Zed is well accustomed to Cute Animal Ears. His thorough knowledge of ancient human media has prepared him well!
"Ahahahahahaha~" Zed shakes out his SQUISHED HAND. That was maybe a bad idea! But he seems to be taking it in good stride. "Wow! That was... Quite a handshake! Well, as long as you don't squeeze THAT hard when you do it for real with other people... Won't be too bad, probably."
Zed pauses in his antics- a brief, uncommon moment of silence from the manic swordsman- as Riesenlied makes her speech. As it ends, he... shrugs, rolling his shoulders. "Well! You know I'm going with you. I don't think it really needs to be said!" Except he DID just say it. Such unnecessary use of breath. "You can count on me, Riese."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The map indicates that the village is somewhere closer to the 'neck' of the mountainous ring that surrounds November City and Little Twister, not too far from the site of disaster that consumed Lost July when Vash the Stampede, apparently, eradicated the city overnight on his lonesome. It is roughly equidistant from Little Twister, November City and Dazil all -- a fairly decent place as far as trade is considered, given that they can stave off the dangers of banditry and the risks of being in the desert with what they have.
It's a fair ways away from where they are, however -- but Malfi isn't alone; there'll be dragons, horses and the other Tainted to help her get her stuff where they need to go!
She nods vigorously at Kaguya as she says, "I already plan to have a greenhouse and garden bed there. Given the village's proximity to the aquifer, I plan to use the knowledge I've inherited to build a qarat to form an irrigation system. We can use the crops to both bolster our ranks and to trade and build more ties to the communities around us."
She looks to some of the more concerned fellows, and says, "We shall have more defenses than we did in Old Petra. Amongst with the warriors that you see assembled here, we shall have Ambrosius' defenses, and Kalve shall also be creating additional camouflage and monitoring to shelter ourselves against the worst. We shall not be caught unaware this time."
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
"I'm willing to accompany you," Malfi says, "temporarily. There might be new and different monsters there to study." She has never been to Western Ignas. She is still hoping not to have to drag the wagon the entire way. Surely there are some horses or something around here? She can spot a few from where she's standing, though they might already be designated for something else.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's huff is quite a bit softer as she steps back to Riesenlied's side, studying the map still as she tilts her head up towards it. "I suppose the big question is whether the local communities actually /will/ trade with us," she ventures after a long moment, furrowing her brow at the pessimistic thought. It's kind of the lynchpin in Riesenlied's plan - even she can see that without trades and ties, a central location could just as easily be a surrounded one.
She chuckles right afterwards, though, supplying her own counterargument: "On the other hand, I suppose water is one of those things that truly never goes out of style over in that part of the world. Gounon might be able to drink its own weight in wine, but they're something of a rarity."
She pauses, grinning back towards Kaguya with a light shrug of one shoulder. "Certainly, we will not let anyone trample the flowers underfoot. Tolerance does not mean that we're simply going to roll over - but at the same time, the events at Old Petra have made it clear that to survive out in the Badlands, we may need to make more in the way of alliances. Whether for supplies or support, it would be better to position ourselves in that fashion."
Unspoken, again, is Noeline's hope that it will teach some of the Metal Demons what the greater world outside is like - and perhaps provide them with a bit more of a place within it, far away from the rather stifling walls of the Photosphere. Even the dragons, too, might appreciate the space - even if one of them seems content to roll around in place behind Riesenlied.
"And, of course, it will provide support for those wishing to travel through. For instance, you'd be more than free to use it as a home base, hm? Or a point of retreat should the worst happen," she notes towards Malfi. She sounds mildly amused; the animal-centric Metal Demon is sort of following a similar path to her, just studying things with four legs instead of two.
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
"It /would/ give me more room for my creatures," Malfi muses. She's had to keep her collection small, lest the others in the Photosphere complain about the noises, or the smells. Or both. Of course, the bigger the zoo, the more maintenance required, the more time involved!
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
"Yes...this sounds wooorkable..." Ambrosius agrees with a nod. Good, it sounded like there was plenty of consideration put into it for those of them who required more in the way of sustenance to survive. He expected no less from Riesenlied.
"I trust you...receeeived my...list of neeecessary consideraaations...? I...made some...preparaaations of my own...of course..." He asks.
Mostly it was making sure he'd still be able to receive shipments of that most important liquid, Johnny Appleseed.
No self-respecting society could survive without it.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Of course, that remains a question unanswered... but my estimations say yes," Riesenlied speaks to Noeline's concern. "The Badlands is a landscape dotted with many distinctly separated communities -- communities that have been scarred both by the ravages of Aveh and Kislev's long-lasting war, resulting in frayed trade lines and no small amount of uncertainty to the people living in those lands. There is opportunity for a strong, reliable vendor of basic living necessities to unite them against the elements."
She does chuckle at Ambrosius and put a finger up. "As it so stands, I have a meeting with a supplier who'll be providing some of Gounon's finest through a sea route via Jolly Roger. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten."
She steps down as she sets the banner onto a post, and says, "And do not discount the fortunes of Drifters too. We are well placed in the midst of Ruins to support a Drifter economy -- Wayside tends to attract such drifting folk in turn, and what they scavenge, we can also turn towards additional funds."
She looks around and claps as she looks towards the sun. "I believe it is high time that we made our way. Unless there are additional questions...?"
<Pose Tracker> Kaguya has posed.
"Oh!" Kaguya smiles at Riesenlied, "Really? That sounds great! I wasn't sure you'd..." She trails off, and nods again, "That's great. Maybe..." She trails off; she can't entirely sort out her feelings so quickly. But the defenses...
"...All right, Noeline," Kaguya answers. "If you say so. I just worry about this stuff. We already saw one smashed, and humans are... You know." Pause.
"Yeah, necessary preparations... I'm still figuring out what I'm going to wear," she admits. Kaguya pauses again, looking over at Riesenlied and her eyes widen. "Oh! We're getting Appleseed? Yess!" She pumps a fist. "Awesome. That's what we needed."
"...Drifters, huh? No uh--Yeah totally. Let's get going."
<Pose Tracker> Malfi has posed.
"I'll be ready to head out as soon as someone attaches a horse to my wagon," Malfi comments. "To pull it, I mean," she adds unnecessarily. She has never ridden a horse, being far too heavy for one, nor used one with harness. She's more than a little out of her element here...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
As if on cue, the 12-foot rolling ball of a yellow dragon ... rolls up to Malfi's side, adorably. Several of the Tainted leash a harness onto Muni-Muni, who seems SO EAGER to do this, and... then it begins to... roll, and roll, and roll. Well... it's not a horse, but a rolling ball of a hyperactive adorable dragon... is kind of like a horse?