2017-08-23: Nightfall at the Wayside
- Log: Nightfall at the Wayside
- Cast: Riesenlied, Lily Keil, Shalune Amira, Matilda Whitehead
- Where: Wayside
- Date: 23rd August 2017
- Summary: Lily pays Wayside a visit in her Gear, and the CaraKin and Riesenlied discuss plans to breach into Kislev to rescue their comrades...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Nightfall has fallen at the village of Wayside -- nestled in a valley overlooking two crested hills, largely safe from casual observance to deter the odd bandit of roaming monsters. There's not much they can do about, say, Solaris flying in from above like a pack of jerks, but... who can, really? Darned Sky Nazis.
Wayside is coming along rather nicely, in part due to the presence of the CaraKin and their supplies and help, with Big Shal the construction golem actually getting to do some of what she's probably intended to do in the beginning!
At this point in time, it's largely a ring of caravans and tents -- though there's a central building that's acting as an inn and food hall marked with a 'V4L-H4LLA' sign as is Val's want.
Riesenlied herself is seated just outside the inn, looking up towards the star as Gwen often told her to do -- there's a quiet lament as she holds onto a piece of the Fossil that she, Jacqueline, Shalune and Matilda retrieved from the Serpent's Coils, as she holds the memory dear to her as she's often wont to do.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Night has fallen, and sometimes blocking sight from others blocks sight out as well. ...This is not especially one of those times. A dark Gear is visible as it gets close, approaching the village a step at a time, unfamiliar. Step. Step. Step.
Little stops it before it moves into the valley, well outside the village, just close enough to be hidden by one of those hills from the outside. The cockpit starts to open with a loud hiss, now that the pilot has probably alarmed the place.
A rope dangles down and a woman in black climbs out of the gear, with black hair held in a ribbon. She is both bloody and dirty, dressed in obvious military attire, though her makeup is at least clear and used to cover over fatigue.
It's Lily Keil, who glances around to look for any welcome or attack. She has a weapon... but she doesn't really need it at the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
A 12-foot Dragon comes into sight rather quickly, with what Lily perhaps remembers is one of the Ebony Wings from the Adlehyde Fairgrounds -- there's a screech from the flame-wreathed dragon, along with the man holding up what seems to be an oversized sniper rifle...
... but then the cockpit opens, and then Riesenlied waves towards the heavyset man with the opaque lenses for eyes, and he relents.
"... Miss Lily?" she inquires upwards, perhaps not expecting her to have been in a Gear, as she walks closer.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda, herself, is /also/ freshly back from the Serpent's Coils; she blew through most of the good steps and hops she had for the day in that ruin, however, and is back to using a cane for the moment. She doesn't /need/ it, strictly speaking, but it's certainly easier.
She has a real one this time and not something she jury-rigged together from discarded weapons, which is a bonus.
As the Gear approaches, Matilda seems to freeze up; she takes a few steps toward her own, currently parked near the Carakin. It doesn't seem hostile, though... which means in the end, she doesn't /quite/ get in.
Instead, she moves toward the mystery woman -- and then sees that Riesenlied /also/ is. "... Who's this?" she asks, looking between the two of them.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied pauses as she twigs the conversation in the background, but -- clears her throat as she beckons for Matilda, saying, "It's all right. This is Miss Lily. She is an ally..." which is not technically untrue, given that they are allies in the pursuit of Gryndille.
A pause, as her eyes widen.
"Miss Lily, your aura..." she realises a moment later. She can't... feel any Malevolence from her...
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily does remember both the Dragon and the Demon, and for her part she seems to be both nonviolent and calmly regarding the sniper rifle as the cockpit opens. It puts her in a vulnerable position, certainly... But she doesn't sufer for it. She nods that man's way, and looks down at Riesenlied.
"...I should probably have announced I didn't mean any harm," Lily admits, "But I'm glad to see that you have some defenses for this village already."
Lily glances down at the approaching Matilda as well, with her cane and moving in the direction of another Gear.
Lily at this point lowers the cord and starts rapelling down from the cockpit, hitting the ground with her boots with a thud. She looks... Well, frankly, she looks like she's been in a warzone. Not so tired, though.
For Riesenlied, she may or may not notice the utter /lack/ of Malevolence in her aura.
"It's good to see you, Riesenlied." A pause and a look to Matilda with a crisp nod. "Lily Keil. First Lieutenant, Kislev Army Special Forces, Black Wolves." A pause. "...Former, anyway. I'm a medic. And I got a tip that you'd set up your village already," she says to Riesenlied. "I'd appreciate keeping my Gear parked here for the moment; I thought it better not to invite trouble by letting passersby know you had one here."
She pauses, when Riesenlied speaks up... And actually /smiles/ at her, a warm expression completely unlike what the woman has shown of herself before. "It's gone. Since I went through the Temple, thanks to Dan Dairam. I was only there to extract Fei and his friend, but..." A shake of her head. "Let's talk somewhere better than here. I'll apologize to your sentry if he needs it."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied smiles quietly as she places her hand to her opposing elbow, as she watches her zip down. She wasn't surprised to see that she'd been through a warzone -- they /all/ had, after all.
"... the-- Guardian of Time," she concludes, thinking of what Fei said earlier in the day. "Mister Fei said that the Guardians were able to purify Malevolence..." she smiles just a little bit warmer as she expresses, "You look radiant, Miss Lily."
She gestures back towards the village as she says, "It's early days yet, but I had already offered shelter to several I knew would be caught up in the battle."
The sentry -- Jedan -- just kind of waves it off with a grin as he half-shouts, "Gettin' used to Riesenlied's crazy friends, honestly! You're, what, the third to come here in a Gear?" He flies off into the air again.
There's a couple of other Gears in the village -- two, Lily notes, are regular Aveh models, though they appear to be damaged. The CaraKin's are probably around at this point in time as well.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda does not render comment on lasers for Shal for the moment, though she makes a note to render a comment later. "Ah -- I see," she replies instead to Riesenlied, before squaring up a little and facing Lily. "Doctor Matilda Whitehead, Academy of Linga College of Compounding and Pharmacy," she replies, nodding once to Lily. "You wouldn't be the first to park here... to say nothing of Shalune's -- friend, my own Gear isn't far."
The Malevolence talk goes over her head. Instead, she asks, "Are you a deserter? That's been terribly common over the last several years, I've noticed... though I mean no offense if you simply finished your tour and moved on, of course."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune appears to have been arguing with one of the members of the Tainted - though 'arguing' is a bad descriptor for what appears to be gentle ribbing back and forth. The mechanic-- looks like she's had better days, really. She's still looking pretty beat up, though rest has helped, and she's covered in mud and sand to some extent - her jeans up to just above her knees, her sweater's arms up to the shoulders. Her jacket is nowhere to be seen.
She's also sporting some bandage here and there, though not enough to seriously slow her down, and most of it hidden under clothes. She glances up, then perks up in turn. "O-oh!" she blurts, scurrying over but not wanting to interrupt the discussion just yet - instead, she dithers in place and mild surprise that picks up into a full nep when Lily's smile lights up her face.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"I look like hell," Lily counters lightly, "But thank you. I... feel better." She nods about Fei, and feels no need to comment on the obvious conclusion from what she'd said. Instead she considers the village, those Riesenlied had offered shelter towards.
Jedan grins and Lily laughs back at him, like... well, a reserved, but ordinary woman. It's a low laugh, not loud or sharp, but it's there. "Three isn't a bad number."
Lily glances up and down Matilda during introductions, taking obvious stock of her posture, her cane, and so forth. "Well, Dr. Whitehead, it's good to meet you." She hesitates. "Is Shalune here...?" Lunata...
"I remember seeing you move towards a Gear on my way in. Good instincts."
At that though Matilda asks something interesting, and Lily immediately shakes her head, her expression nearly blank. "I'm much worse than a deserter. I'm wanted for treason and espionage by Kislev. I'd prefer to maintain my own innocence, but you have little reason to believe me. As far as the world is concerned, I'm a traitor."
Only then does she spot movement behind the group and see Shalune looking at her in a way that... Frankly mystiies her. "Shalune!" she says, sounding, strangely enough, happy to see her. "I was just asking about you. You're..." She frowns. "You're all muddy. You're going to get sick running around like that."
Lily is a little muddy. Lily has a lot of dried blood on her clothes. Lily may be a little of a hypocrite.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has a little huff as she starts to feel just a bit motherly, saying, "Shalune, I'll have to wash your clothes after our trip out, make sure you take a bath and dry up nicely, or I'll tell Jacqueline, okay?"
She looks back towards Lily as her expression settles, for a moment. She looks at Matilda, and vouches, "The truth is less simple than Kislev would have you believe, and I can vouch for Lily's innocence. Given what we've just seen them do with the Golem Sado..."
She frowns just for a moment. It suddenly wasn't just Gryndille anymore. Kislev was stepping up its war game.
"Several of the Caravan members and our own have been captured by Kislev," she explains to Lily. "We're planning on mounting a rescue as soon as we can confirm where they've been taken."
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda looks back at the half-argument, half-sassmouth, and gives a smile. It's honestly nice to see the energy! "Yes, Shalune's here --" Matilda offers, shorty before Shalune is spotted and Lily starts to move along. It gives her time to digest what she's just been told about Lily, at any rate -- she comes along behind Lily, moving fairly slowly.
"I actually do believe that -- Kislev has conducted itself... poorly, as long as I've been alive," she replies to Lily and Riesenlied, when assured Lily is innocent. "I think it was absurd to expect Aveh to suspend excavation indefinitely, and the Battling Arena is..." She trails off, eventually giving a vague gesture.
When Riesenlied mentions the rescue, Matilda adds, "Do you have any advice on how to breach a Kislevi prison, or regarding Gear resistance in the area...? Do they house prisoners of war separately, or does everyone eventually end up in the pipeline to the Battling Arena?"
All business, for the moment, it seems.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"Miss Lily," Shalune burbles in turn rather gratefully, once she sees that the Yggdrasil officer is actually relatively unharmed when compared to her appearance; she steps forward to automatically offer a hug, but hesitates a little, knowing that Lily prefers her space. Instead, she squints under the dual scrutiny, pouting slightly at Riesenlied's threat in her position as the seventeen-year-old forever going on twelve.
"A-aww, I'm gonna be fine," she says to both of them with what she hopes is a disarming grin. "I rigged up a bunch of heating stuff for the caravan already, and it's not like I was runnin' around like this for the heck of it. I had to leap into the water flow or else I wasn't gonna be able to reach the purifier filters properly," she grumbles, which-- just about provides all the context you could ask for in a situation like this.
Of course, Riese knows that was actively hours ago...
"More than that-- um. I dunno how much you heard, but we're kind of beat up and battered, y'know? Mr. Cyre's missing, Miss Catenna got captured, and--" she reports, right up until her voice hitches in worry - but she sighs unhappily, then manages to push past it. "--and Lunie's I-don't-know-where," she finishes, shaking her head as she picks at her hair, and glances to Matilda's questions with an uncertain frown. "... I'm not sure if we're in a state to try doin' anything like storm a prison just yet, the way we are now..."
She swallows, then squints. She's not able to discern Malevolence in even the faintest way, but-- "Um, also, you're smiling, ma'am." S-shalune don't say it like it's worrying
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Double responsibility. Lily does hear Shalune's gratitude, and she sees her start to step forward... But she doesn't move her way at that. She still doesn't favor being touched, and appreciates Shalune's remembering it.
She also doesn't look very disarmed. "Hard at work then," Lily says, but hmmms as if she can tell there's something that hasn't been mentioned. "Riesenlied is right," she says instead.
But then, "I'd hardly call myself innocent, Riesenlied." Lily points this out with the air of an important correction, made to someone overly sentimental. "It's an academic point now regardless." She stops, and shakes her head. "Golem Sado..."
It troubles her, too.
"They've what?" she asks, sighing. "Of course. Not everyone was going to get out as successfully as we did. They'd have been completely unprepared for a warzone."
She moves along, and she does seem to move along fairly easily. No real injuries. She slows somewhat to accomodate Matilda's pace. "Do you?" she asks, and then mms thoughtfully, shaking her head. "Peace might've lasted if not for Shakhan's greed... Though maybe not. Centuries of war aren't easy to stop on either side." But the Battling Arena... Lily frowns.
"...Mm, I might, because I'm familiar with Kislev guarding procedures. The closer you get to Nortune, the greater defenses are going to be; if they've already been transferred to D-District, then we're in trouble." 'We', she says. "I don't know much about what we do with prisoners of war, honestly. The few times I took prisoners, I didn't concern myself much with what was next."
A look to Shalune, and Lily looks... sympathetic, downright concerned for her. "You're not," she says, in any state to storm a prison. "But it's wise to look at your next options. ...I'll have to discuss it with Leon, whether I can assist you directly. Going into Kislev is... Well, it's different for us."
She pauses, and looks... a little struck, when Shalune calls her out. She if anything looks /embarrassed/, faintly reddened. "Yes, well... Don't get used to it, or anything. It's not like I /can't/ smile, I just don't usually want to."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Double responsibility. Lily does hear Shalune's gratitude, and she sees her start to step forward... But she doesn't move her way at that. She still doesn't favor being touched, and appreciates Shalune's remembering it.
She also doesn't look very disarmed. "Hard at work then," Lily says, but hmmms as if she can tell there's something that hasn't been mentioned. "Riesenlied is right," she says instead.
But then, "I'd hardly call myself innocent, Riesenlied." Lily points this out with the air of an important correction, made to someone overly sentimental. "It's an academic point now regardless." She stops, and shakes her head. "Golem Sado..."
It troubles her, too.
"They've what?" she asks, sighing. "Of course. Not everyone was going to get out as successfully as we did. They'd have been completely unprepared for a warzone."
She moves along, and she does seem to move along fairly easily. No real injuries. She slows somewhat to accomodate Matilda's pace. "Do you?" she asks, and then mms thoughtfully, shaking her head. "Peace might've lasted if not for Shakhan's greed... Though maybe not. Centuries of war aren't easy to stop on either side." But the Battling Arena... Lily frowns.
"...Mm, I might, because I'm familiar with Kislev guarding procedures. The closer you get to Nortune, the greater defenses are going to be; if they've already been transferred to D-District, then we're in trouble." 'We', she says. "I don't know much about what we do with prisoners of war, honestly. The few times I took prisoners, I didn't concern myself much with what was next."
A look to Shalune, and Lily looks... sympathetic, downright concerned for her. "You're not," she says, in any state to storm a prison. "But it's wise to look at your next options. ...I'll have to discuss it with Leon, whether I can assist you directly. Going into Kislev is... Well, it's different for us."
She pauses, and looks... a little struck, when Shalune calls her out. She if anything looks /embarrassed/, faintly reddened. "Yes, well... Don't get used to it, or anything. It's not like I /can't/ smile, I just don't usually want to."
She pauses, and looks serious at Shalune, tilting her way to be more on her level even though it means not walking. "But I promise I won't ignore that Lunata is missing, all right?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied can't help but sigh quietly to say, "... just make sure you do not catch a cold, yes? I would hate for you to be under the weather. You are the rising star of Wayside, after all, hmm?" W-wow, with Noeline not around, it feels like Riese is regaining some of her control?!
She places her hand a little closer to her sleeve as she fixes it up, then glances to Matilda. "... indeed, the unending war between Aveh and Kislev has been part of my concern of pursuing Garlyle here. It is an environment they could undeniably thrive in -- much too well, I'm afraid."
She is less versed of Kislev's operations, though, so she's all ears on that.
"... I suppose so, but... I know you did not commit the crime pinned upon you," Riesenlied expresses. What she saw on Mount Eldrin... dispelled all doubt.
"Judging from how their forces moved, I think there may be some interrment camps -- it's difficult to move large quantities of prisoners without stops across desert terrain. Still..."
She sighs. "Yes, I'd like to speak to both you and Mister Leon again. I'm serious about what I offered -- Kislev and Aveh are not problems we can ignore."
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
"That may be," Matilda replies to Shalune, "but... right now I'm somewhat loath not to. Any prisoner with Beastman features in a Kislevi prison..." She winces a little at the thought before moving on quickly from it. Some things you just can't really lend any serious thought to without it becoming a problem. "Whether we can or not..."
Lily offers her ideas, and Matilda responds. "That doesn't sound promising, but on the other hand, it's better than no knowledge. We should work on finding out if they have any of those we're looking for in D-District already, and then work from there... do they guard D-District with Gears or just with typical soldiers? I assume there's Gear-scale guard for the arena, at the very least..."
Thinking this through immediately is giving Matilda a headache, and some misery besides. Riesenlied notes the internment camps, and Matilda nods. "We'll start by finding one of the local camps and seeing what we can see." It's all she's got.
"Thank you for your help in this matter, Miss Lily," she finally says. "I'm grateful for that much, even if the news is rather -- grim..."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"... more like working to keep busy," Shalune mumbles to herself as she picks at her hair. It's a rare serious moment from her as she squints a little from under the mess of pink, sand-streaked and grimy; she's evidently been really throwing herself into some work. "I dunno, I just-- wanted to do something at all, you know? We spent the day and night feeling pretty miserable with ourselves. Jay was-- seriously, seriously upset. An' I yelled at Big Shal a whole lot, too," she admits rather awkwardly, biting at her lip.
"... I promise," she admits to Riesenlied with a quiet sort of smile, and who knows when she first met the winged Metal Demon, but at least she seems comfortable enough here. But then, she's always been the sort to have an affinity for golems and machinery, so perhaps this is just an extension of that. Alternatively, it's the comfortable feeling of the village, which is still very much under construction; Noeline is who knows where amidst the village, helping to oversee some of the construction work given the low likelihood of there being any actual attackers at this point in their development.
"... mm..." she admits towards Matilda, frowning uncertainly to herself as she twirls some of her hair between her fingers. "I guess I'm just-- just really out've my depth all of a sudden. Leaping into Kislev like that... I dunno if I could do it when I'm actually feeling upbeat enough, let alone right now," she mumbles, picking at her hands before she makes a definite and deliberate attempt to pick herself up. "But-- I-- I dunno. If we had Lunie, that'd be two Gears, at least... I just don't know wher the heck she is."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"...I see," Lily says to Shalune, looking at her through those serious moments, seeing the squint, hearing the explanation. "If it makes you feel any better, Shalune... I do the same thing when I'm upset. Work, work, until I don't have any room to think about the things that are bothering me." She pauses, and sighs, shaking her head. "I'm sorry that you have to be wrapped up in this. None of you should be involved in this conflict, between Kislev and Aveh right now. It's not right that civilians have to be thrust into the middle... Even if it's always how it is."
After, Lily looks to Matilda with renewed scrutiny, her expression not soft precisely but with features that hint in the general direction of kindness. "You have a friend there," she concludes. "I'm sorry."
She pauses, and nods to Riesenlied. "Very well. I can't argue with that. I've done things... But not what they claim." Neither does Lily wnt to pretend that she has, though she's made her peace more or less with people assuming she's guilty.
"D-District doesn't need Gears as a rule," Lily points out. "The collars handle that. But it's still within the capital, which means it has the greatest defenses in Kislev. An open assault is suicide."
"That's true," Lily agrees, "And moving prisoners back is less of a priority than getting intelligence from them. I assume that's why Kislev has taken so many prisoners; information. That also gives good prospects that they'll keep your friends alive. Kislev interrogations are thorough." She grimaces. "...I'm certified in them. At least there's no reason for them to go all-out on a bunch of Drifters."
"I think..." She considers thoughtfully. "It's my medical opinion that both of you need to think about recovery, not about the plan with Kislev. Leave that to your military heads, like Riesenlied here. I'll stay long enough to help make some plans." A beat, "...You're welcome, Matilda. If it helps, I'm known for being grim."
"Riesenlied, do you mind if I stay the night? I'd rather not sleep in my Gear again yet."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied hears that change in Lily's words -- she feels she wouldn't have quite expressed it the same way months ago, when they first met in Adlehyde. When she comments on how civilians shouldn't be wrapped up in war...
"Collars," she murmurs. "I assume it's-- some kind of control collar, or worse, bombs? A self-regulating system, to prevent escape...?" she can only guess, but the kind of atrocities Kislev are willing to do... it isn't hard to imagine at all.
She smiles a bit weakly towards Matilda and says, "I'll need you at your best, of course. I agree with Miss Lily -- let us handle the reconnoitre missions and we'll update you when we have a lead. I don't plan to leave Wayside blind to the war happening on its doorstep."
She also looks to Shalune to walk in front of her and kneel, placing her hand to her shoulder. "And five Dragons. They may not be the biggest... but I've all my trust in them, as we raised them ourselves, mm? We'll keep an eye out for Lunata as well."
She blinks once at Lily's request, before offering with a gentler smile, "Of course. There are some cots near the campfire, and some spare ones in the caravans as well."
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
"It's no different than the hundred other impossible things we do every week," Matilda says wryly. "... perhaps if I tell myself that it'll even begin to sound true." In the end, she has no grand comfort to offer Shalune. "You -- shouldn't yell," she adds, though it's pretty half-hearted.
When Lily mentions the collars, Matilda winces. "That doesn't sound promising -- though it suggests that, yes, a subtle approach would go better. Are there schematics available for these collars? Remote explosives, drug administration? Direct mental tampering seems unlikely..." So many questions! Matilda -- ends up stopping herself, instead, saying, "I'm sorry, too -- you've arrived in poor condition and I've put you on the spot."
Besides -- Lily is pointing out Matilda's /own/ condition now. Matilda leans on her cane a little, adding, "It wouldn't be my first experience with working through an injury... but I do understand. I'll -- try to focus on recovery." She smiles weakly. "Thank you both."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune scratches at her hair again, still squinting one eye as she lets out an uncertain breath. For once, she looks her age, not to mention as tired as she surely feels. "... it's not your fault," she admits to Lily, shaking her head. "I mean-- to be honest, I don't really know whose fault it /is/. I haven't figured out if it's Aveh's, or Kislev's, or the Guardians for draggin' us over to that temple," she adds, a surprisingly harsh note coming to her voice for a moment before it dissipates a moment later with a sigh. "I know enough about this stuff to know that sort of thing isn't something to predict, right?"
She shakes it away more fully the next moment, dragging out a sigh. "Not-- that I'm sad it led us to this place, or anything, y'know? It's been really neat," she notes with a relieved and thankful smile, having to grasp for the word and settling for something that doesn't quite seem to express the full breadth of her thoughts on the Metal Demon village. "I think we needed this super badly. Me, and Jay, and everyone else. But--"
Riesenlied steps in front of her, and she looks down to frown at the Tainted commander, her brow a little furrowed as she quietly asks: "--is that /really/ okay? I mean, if you find Lunie, I'll be over the moon, but-- this village is only just gettin' started, right? If you go kick Kislev like the world's biggest hornet nest, isn't that gonna bring down a bunch of stuff on everyone here?"
She settles down a little as Matilda taps her slightly, still looking rather conflicted. "Just be careful, y'know?"
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Maybe Lily has changed. ...Maybe something else has changed. Maybe she would've said it the same way. Regardless, Lily is here and now, saying what she's saying.
"Worse," she agrees with Riesenlied. "Remote explosives," she says to Matilda and Riesenlied both. But still... Shalune speaks. Not her fault. Lily watches Shalune, quiet, thoughtful, conlicted, listening to her as she mentions fault, and the Guardians, and predicting... "You can't predict it, no."
'Neat.' "...Careful," Lily agrees. "That's the way to operate with a nation as powerful as Kislev. Kislev and Aveh both might take interest in this village. In your Dragons, even."
"But it's Riesenlied's job to make those calls, Shalune, to weigh her options and do what's best for her people. It's what comes of being a leader. I'm willing to assist... Since you've come up against Kislev. But if you can't trust her to act, then there's trouble."
She doesn't look at Riesenlied as she gives that vote of conidence. Instead she looks at Matilda. "I have no schematics. ...But it's all right. I'm accusomed to working without much sleep. And on worse injuries than these; I've already treated most of mine. The burns are the only ones still giving me trouble."
A shake of her head. "Yes. Focus on that, Dr. Whitehead. ...You're welcome."
And to Riesenlied, a nod. "...I think I'd prefer one of the caravans. I don't like to sleep in the open. It's too... exposed." A little of her paranoia shows through, but only that much.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"The people here -- every one you've interacted with today, every one who's agreed to take the hard job of travelling west in search of a new home... have all agreed to become part of Filgaia," Riesenlied expresses to Shalune. "And that means not turning our head away when others and in need."
There's a rueful chuckle as she looks to Lily. "Besides... we've chosen to set up shop here. Aveh and Kislev will eventually notice. And I was already embroiled in your struggles with Kislev, mm? We've a recharge station to investigate, eventually."
She pats Shalune on the head. "But one other thing."
She reaches to hold her on the hand. "I know you feel... frustrated, maybe helpless. But... don't focus on blame. In just one day, you've already directed your energy to help so much here in this village. You've helped us explore that Ruin today. Your energy and enthusiasm's much better channeled to that, than looking for someone to point a finger to."
The Tainted glances to the air and the shifting of the moon, before gesturing towards one particular to the side. "That one, then. I'd best check with Noeline and see if she knows things as well... we'd all best get some rest -- it's been a long day for us, and it'll be a long day tomorrow as well."
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
"Maybe it's not anyone's fault," Matilda thinks aloud, mostly for Shalune's benefit. "Perhaps the blame lies somewhere we can't even see -- or there's no blame to be laid at all." She sighs, taking a couple of steps back wih her cane. "... I don't know if I can think of anything helpful, at this point. Maybe Miss Lily is right."
She takes another few steps away, saying, "I know /I/ need the rest. Despite how well our excavation went, I'm... a little worn down. It was nice to meet you, Miss Lily."
She starts to move away, at this point, looking out toward Wayside. ... this place -- it's comforting, somehow. Even Lily's Gear gets Matilda to smile a little.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune doesn't really look comforted all that much, at first - but then, it's been a long day followed by a long night followed by a long day, and perhaps she simply needs to tire herself out to allow herself a proper night's sleep. "... I donno if I can really think that way right now, that no-one's at fault. It's-- not like I can just let it go like that..." she admits rather quietly, rubbing at her forehead - but she seems to appreciate Matilda's thoughts anyway, puffing out a breath.
"... okay," she admits after along moment, nodding first at Riesenlied and then at Lily. "Um-- but you should tell Jay, as well. And I'm still not totally convinced that 'attack Kislev' is kind of on the same level as 'not turning your head away'," she puffs up with something of a pout. It's lighter than it was, at least, even if it doesn't quite completely reach the level of her eyes.
Riesenlied's words hit home at least a little, and she furrows her brow. "I'll-- Devet said she might be able to build a Lunie-detector, so we'll keep looking for any sign of where she might've gone." Devet might have been getting carried away, and nothing more. "And-- if you know who's gonna be going to Kislev, just let me know and maybe I can fix them up a bit, or at least help shore them up. I'm not a medic or anything, but-- well, at least I can make sure people's replacement bits aren't gonna fall off."
It would almost be too blunt, were it not just Shalune being as matter-of-fact about machinery as she always is.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Part of Filgaia. "...Does it mean that?" Lily wonders aloud. "How many things do I turn my head away from? Am I not part of Filgaia?" She hhakes her head. "...I must be tired, thinking that way."
"I was thinking the same; Aveh and Kislev both will notice sooner or later. But... Yes, you are already involved, for better or for worse. I /still/ think it's too dangerous for you, Riesenlied."
Lily considers blame. She's thought a lot about blame in the past. But she does not immediately comment on it. "I can tell you need the rest," Lily says instead to Matilda. "...But it was nice to meet you, too. Maybe we can talk more before I move on."
Shalune says she can't think in those terms. Lily considers that for a little while, too. But she does seem to agree with what Lily said. "It might or might not be," she admits, on being the same. But...
"A... Lunie-detector," Lily repeats, handling the word gingerly. "Well, if it works..." A pause. She considers for a few moments.
"I /am/ a medic," she says, "And I have knowledge of prosthetics and ways people can adapt to traumatic injuries. It's... something I studied, because of my mother's injuries." Pause. "But I think you already have things on the right track, Shalune."
"As for blame... In this case, I think we can safely blame Kislev, much as I hate to say it. They took the action. Just my view." She looks off into the distance. "...Kislev has a lot to answer for," she says quietly.
"It was good to talk to you all. Thank you for the place to sleep, Riesenlied. We can talk in the morning. Take care." Lily starts towards the caravan directed.