2017-08-24: Answers and Doubts
- Log: Answers and Doubts
- Cast: Riesenlied, Ambrosius
- Where: Wayside
- Date: 24th August 2017
- Summary: Ambrosius and Riesenlied catch up in Wayside, but their viewpoints may start to diverge...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Wayside has seen several days' worth of rapid progress and improvement; thanks to Shalune, Big Shal and the rest of the CaraKin, several of the village's core buildings have gone up in relatively short order, though the circle of caravans remains the primary settlement for the time being. It is just turning to morning, and the Tainted are already hard at work for another full day of construction progress -- in the distance, something resembling a garage is starting to come together.
In the midst of all this, Riesenlied finds herself looking towards some of the Gears that they were able to acquire in the wake of their mad escape from the Aveh-Kislev battlefront with a pensive look upon her face.
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
People hadn't seen much of Ambrosius since his arrival at Wayside. He had retreated to a more isolated section of the little village, and those who asked after him would be told that he was 'at work'. He left this little area of his only for meals and to occasionally observe the village's progress, but this never lasted long.
So, it might be somewhat surprising to see Ambrosius out and about at the moment. He isn't wearing his usual hat and poncho - those familiar with him recognize this as a sign that he's comfortable enough where he is that he doesn't feel the need to wear his disguise.
He approaches the Gears silently as well, and looks toward Riesenlied for a moment. While he is loath to interrupt her thoughts, it would be rude to simply stand there.
"Miss Riiiesenlied..." He greets with an incline of his head.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied places her hand towards her chest as she glances to the grey-haired Veruni, as she says, "Ah, Mister Ambrosius... is everything well?" She bobs her head to one side. She seems a bit wan at the moment, probably from the long days that she's had. "I hope that the Guardian Temple has not thrown your own plans into disarray...?"
At some point, she's going to have to address the elephant in the room: The topic of the statues. Technically, this is the Veruni's own plan. But what did Ambrosius think of it...?
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius studies Riesenlied for a moment.
"I could...ask the saaame of you...Miss Riiiesenlied...you look tiiired..." He replies with a light chuckle. "Regaaardless...things are...progreeessing aaadequately..."
He had made progress in his 'work' - developing some form of defenses for Wayside. That is what he would openly admit to...but he had also been in contact with Headquarters.
"I will admiiit...this is not the manner...in which I...iiintended to fiiind...myself here...but...my equiiipment is here...and thus...my plans can...still contiiinue..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a weary breath as Riesenlied leans against one of the Gear's legs as she says, "... I do feel tired, yes. Moreso than usual -- I think my experience in the Guardian Temple... the exposure I've had to a Guardian... may be doing something unusual."
A pause, as she places her hand to her opposing elbow. "I must thank you for your assistance in our escape. We would not have done nearly as well without you."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
That comes as a surprise to Ambrosius. He had not entered the Guardian Temple himself, so he was unaware of what had happened inside.
"You met one...?" He asked, surprised. She had been exposed to a Guardian...and wasn't feeling well. This was a cause for concern.
"Do you feel ill...? Weak...?" He asked. Was it possible that exposure to the Guardian had afflicted her with some form of the VR Factor...? He knew that he was likely worrying over nothing, but the Metal Demons and his people were similar in the Guardians' eyes. If they could do it, he didn't doubt they would.
"Regaaardless...do not overexeeert yourself...Miss Riiiesenlied... This village needs your guidaaance..." He states, trying to calm himself down. He shakes his head then, as she thanks him.
"Think nothing of it... Without your draaagons...and your squaaadron...I would not...have maaade it out..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied closes her eyes as she thinks on the experience for a while longer, ruefully chuckling. "Yes. In truth, we were in bad shape. We escaped into the temple's halls after the initial bombardment, and I was wounded. We scarce made it through the temple, and fell into a deep chasm."
She looks to the stars for a moment...
"There, I met Equites, the Guardian of the Sword. I think he was sent there to kill us..."
Hesitation.
"Yet, I was able to stay his hand. I pleaded for his understanding -- that I wished for more than just murder against the Guardians. I wished... to understand what happened."
She falls into silence there, as she places a hand against her forehead. "... I think ill is... mm, not any more than the usual, but it is like the first time I experienced contact with a Guardian at Adlehyde. Something feels... unstable... it's hard to say. The first time it happened, these empathic powers of mine started to manifest, but... at cost to my body, I think."
The photons that could suddenly start scattering were a result of Riesenlied herself becoming more unstable, after all.
"... Mister Ambrosius, I have a very frank, and if I were honest... dangerous question of you."
She looks towards the Veruni straight in the eye.
"Do you think... we will be able to understand the truth of the past by destroying the Guardian statues?"
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius listens quietly. So, a Guardian had been sent to kill her...and yet, she managed to convince them not to, in the interest of understanding.
That sounded like her.
He nods, then, as she further elaborates on her condition. That was a relief, admittedly...he would not wish the disease that currently plagued his people on anyone. However, her condition was possibly worse than that. Her body felt unstable...he could only hope this wouldn't result in something terrible.
And then, she looks straight at him, with a dangerous question.
He doesn't respond immediately. He stares at her for a moment and then begins to pace, hands held behind his back as he considers his answer.
Eventually...
"...No. I do not..." He replies. He then turns, looking at her once again.
"However...it may yet be...the only path...to our peoples' contiiinued surviiival..."
Was she having doubts...?
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lowers her head as she squints and gives it a longer thought. She thought of Ambrosius... she thought of Kaguya. She'd have to tell him that she was captured, too.
"Miss Kaguya apparently went into the Temple, with Miss Matilda. But... the experience she described was..." A pause. "In Miss Matilda's words, the Guardians apparently ignored Miss Kaguya." A pause. "Either that, or they were physically incapable of sensing or perceiving her. I do not know which."
She thinks for a moment longer, before she looks to Ambrosius. "You know me to be someone who is passionate in the continued welfare of my people. That is why we're here, risking life and limb to seek a new home. But..."
She glances to one side to say, "The Guardians... strike me as just as wounded as our people -- they have limited eyes into the world, and are incapable of affecting the world at large without the assistance of humans. They strike me as just as desperate, and harboring wounds just as old as that of our people -- both the Metal Demons, and the Veruni."
There's a heavy sigh.
"I feel that if we continue to stay our path... we highly risk repeating the same mistakes that our ancestors have made. The Guardians have bestowed their old grudge upon the humans, and in turn, Lord Siegfried has bestowed his grudge upon our young. Hatred, passed from one generation to another."
She laces her hands together.
"This world... cannot sustain much more devastation. You saw Kislev's Golem out there -- if this continues to escalate, both on the side of humans, the Guardians, the Metal Demons... we may very well be seeing a mutually assured destruction scenario."
Her lips are thin as she speaks more firmly, empathically:
"I've... chosen to not assist in the destruction of the statues. Not because I believe the Guardians to be right -- but because I believe that Lord Siegfried is clouded by his past -- his hatred. And I can't keep lending a hand to what I perceive will be the death of us all."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
They /ignored/ Kaguya? Why? Ambrosius's brow furrows. Did they consider her just that beneath her notice? Or perhaps it was out of spite?
He listens to her speak, taking in everything. It was hard to judge his reaction right away. He watches her carefully, arms clasped behind his back. It is only once she finishes that he speaks.
"Be that as it may... The Planet's rejeeection of my people...I can only imaaagine that the Guaaardians are reeesponsible..." He replies.
"They are dealing with their wounds...by consiiigning my people to death... Even those that...atteeempt to retreeeat...into the saaafety of cold sleep...are sought out and infeeected...with the VR Factor..." He explains. "I have seen it...as one who was once...responsible for maintaaaining our pods... I iniiitially believed myself to blame...for poor maintenaaance..."
He shakes his head.
"To do nothing...would only mean that I would be...leaving my people to extiiinction... I cannot allow that..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lets out a faint sigh as she says, "I do not wish to do nothing."
She places a hand to her chest as she rises -- a little too fast, as it seems, because she has to hold onto the side of the Gear. "I wish to continue to chase for answers. Where there are those that have answers due for us, I wish to make them speak, as I have done in the Guardian Temple. My people are anathema to them as well, Mister Ambrosius... yet--"
She grips at her hand as she squints just for a moment, as if in pain.
"I don't... I don't have answers for you, unfortunately... I don't understand what the VR Factor is, or why it happens. Much like how I do not understand how to make my people compatible with Filgaia yet..."
She closes her eyes.
"I don't... expect an answer from you immediately, and -- I do genuinely understand if you cannot follow where I choose to go. This will be a subtle and precarious time for us... a time of searching, a time for seeking answers -- not a time for fighting and destruction."
A pause.
"Another thing... Miss Kaguya has been captured by Kislev. I plan to mount an operation to rescue her, as is the rest of the Kinship."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius takes a step toward her as she stands suddenly, concerned for a moment that she might collapse. Fortunately that doesn't happen, so he returns to his previous position.
"...I will think on it...and give you my answer at a laaater time..." He says with a nod. It was a difficult situation. He had his own responsibilities to consider. If it were only so easy as just choosing to assist her...
And then he states something that he had been fearing. He hadn't seen Kaguya since the events at the Guardian Temple...considering what had occurred, there were only a few possibilities, none of them pleasant.
There's a sharp intake of breath, and he flexes his fingers.
"/Kislev/." He repeats a bit harshly, shutting his eyes. "I see."
"You will have my assistance in this."
Riesenlied may very well have never seen Ambrosius properly angry, but that was on display now. He was never the type to lash out, but he became...much more direct, in his statements.
He didn't know who or what the 'Kinship' was, having kept to himself the past few days, but if they were assisting, then it didn't matter.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied nods as she lets out another breath and says, "... I am sorry. It has not been an easy time. There... are risks and opportunities to consider, and no guarantees of what lie ahead in the future. Of course, I have a vested interest in researching the VR Factor myself, for I believe it to be highly related to what we are going through ourselves..."
She tucks her head down. "You have my support on that front, no matter what the answer is. We have been allies this far, and I would not abandon you such."
She gestures towards the skies. "We'll call you when we're ready. We're still gathering intelligence at present."
<Pose Tracker> Ambrosius has posed.
Ambrosius nods and takes a deep breath. He had to calm himself here. Focus. It would be important for him to think clearly in the coming days, if it was true that Kaguya had been captured...
"...You have my gratitude, Miss Riesenlied." He says. He did not doubt her when she said that she would continue researching it.
Another nod, as she gestures toward the skies.
"I see. If you need me for anything, do not hesitate to ask." He turns then, and begins to walk away. "I cannot let simply let this go..."
It seems he would need to make another report to headquarters. Would they consider her abduction an offense worthy of action?