2017-09-19: Granas Treehouse, No Heathens Allowed
- Log: Granas Treehouse, No Heathens Allowed
- Cast: Rosaline Calice, Elena, Amelia Theodore, Ida Everstead-Rey
- Where: November City
- Date: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
- Summary: Elena introduces a new friend to Rosaline and Ida, who offer a late briefing on Reapers and Reaper safety.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
The November City Church of Saint Neil is mostly empty at this time of day. As is becoming her habit (hehe), Rosaline has taken up temporary residence at the adjoining clergy house. It's not uncommon for them to set up room for Etones and other travelling clergy, and so it's even possible that she's not alone in staying there right now!
But Rosaline is currently in the church proper, sitting on one of the pews near the front, eyes closed, hands joined in prayer. She left Ida and Elena a memory cube message, recently, asking to chat with them whenever would be convenient. Perhaps they've come to see her now, or perhaps they had business at the church, with the nun's presence a happy coincidence.
Illuminated by the rainbow of the stained glass, Rosaline looks more serene than she almost ever does. So serene, in fact, that she doesn't seem to notice anyone approaching at all, so absorbed is she. This may go on for several minutes, until one notices an unusual, high-pitched breathing sound escaping her lips.
'...zzzzzZZZZZzzzz...'
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
Elena had in fact been staying at the church, though she'd insisted on the minimalist treatment, not one to impose on others to treat her to great meals and luxurious rooms. At least, she was not one to impose on those in good standing with her. If it had been Cyre hosting her, she might be a bit more... demanding, instead. But he's not, so it's all good!
Arriving from the back of the building empty-handed, Elena pokes her head into the empty halls, and seeing Rosaline there and no one else, she steps forward and towards her sister from the Ethos, curious.
"Sister Calice, you wished to speak?"
It's really not that unlikely that Elena was the one who dragged Amelia along for the purposes of introductions, too.
Though it takes Elena a few moments to realize Rosaline is snoozing.
"Sister Calice, please wake up!"
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Amelia Theodore is a woman who goes where duty takes her. And currently that duty is 'get dragged around by Elena'. Nor does she particularly mind it. Having recently arrived to November City on orders of the church, heading out on that exciting dig, and now beginning to settle into the flow of things, she follows Elena at an easy pace into the church.
And Calice is sleeping.
If anything, a mild, thin, smile forms on the older woman's scarred features. Amelia is quieter when she speaks.
"I'm sure there'll be plenty of time to speak with her, why not let her have five minutes more, eh?" Ah, but there goes Elena initiating Operation Wake Ethos Nun. Well, Amelia won't intervene there.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida has attended several services at St. Neil's since arriving in November. While not as scrupulously faithful as, say, Elena, attending church was an important part of her upbringing, and it's nice to have some continuity. This time, though, there is no sermon, and no ceremony--just a meeting. Ida walks into the grand hall, her footsteps echoing in the empty space. The sunlight plays through the stained-glass windows, casting spots of color and light on the floor. Rosaline is in a big one.
She looks so serene that Ida can't quite bring herself to disrupt her meditation--but Elena does that for her. Instead, Ida walks up to the group, offering a little bow to Elena and the woman with her. (She's never seen Amelia, but she looks official-like.)
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline, too, has been content having a small corner to call her own and some water to go with her bread. She's on a quest to raise money for a large charity effort, after all, and so she's very careful to avoid being wasteful.
The beastwoman's ears perk up when Elena raises her voice to wake her. The rest of her follows a second later, her peaceful snooze turning into an 'Eep!'
She wipes her eyes blearily before her vision regains focus and she sees Elena and Ida already there, along with... a woman unfamiliar to her.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry... I haven't been sleeping very well lately... I should have, oh gosh..." She rises from her pew.
"A-Anyway, hello, Ida, Sister Elena..." Her eyes focus on Amelia. "We you with Elena...? My name is Rosaline Calice, Etone-in-Training."
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"Hello, miss Everstead!" Elena greets, once Rosaline has awoken from her catnap. "This is Sister Theodore. She is a Cathedral Knight and has been assigned to Badlands operations!" This also marks her answer about letting Rosaline keep snoozing. The church's halls are not the place to nap! Your bed is a great place to nap, however.
"I thought it would be nice for you to meet! If I understand the Etones correctly you two will have many stories to share, Sister Calice!" Elena still doesn't fully grasp how the Ethos and Etones function, but she's catching on slowly. For now she's easily pieced together 'kill dem zombies' at least.
"Ah... for what reason did you call us?"
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
No five more minutes then. Hands folding behind her back, Amelia's expression holds that soft smile as Rosaline wakes up, and Ida arrives as well. She dips her head in greeting to both, once Rosaline is fully roused. "A church should be as much a place of peace and rest for the body as it should for the soul." She says to all of the beastwoman's apologizing. "I wouldn't worry about it happening just the once."
Introductions though. "It's always a pleasure to meet our sisters of the Ethos." Elena introduces her as a knight, but her grin only broadens. "Only when needed. I prefer the cloth over plate, but duty is as duty goes. A pleasure to meet you both."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"That's... understandable, Sister Calice," Ida says. She's had her share of unpleasant dreams, too--she's certainly seen enough horror to make a lifetime's worth. Once Rosaline's introduced herself, Ida does the same. "Ida Everstead-Rey," she says, "of Guild Galad. A pleasure to meet you, Sister Theodore." She looks back at Rosaline, and takes a half-step back--she's careful not to crowd her. She knows Rosaline can get skittish around people sometimes.
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Sister Theodore," Rosaline says, softly. She smiles back, nervously. Perhaps Amelia's fearsome look would explain Rosaline's reaction, but she'll quickly discover that the Etone-to-be is like that with everyone.
"It wasn't for anything particularly pressing," Rosaline says, with a touch of apology in her voice that, too, is a Rosaline Classic(tm). "I just wanted to check in with you, since that operation in the frontier town... We haven't found anything conclusive with our investigation just yet, but it's clear that this crisis is not over and that there will be more Reapers to stop, so..."
She rubs her forearm, silent for a moment. "I know Sister Elena had a few questions we didn't have much time to answer, and Sister Theodore, since you might get embroiled in this too, this might be a good time to ask them."
Practical! But she doesn't stop talking, instead stammering on. "B-But I also wanted to say, I apologize, Sister Elena, I don't think we told you enough about what you would see there, a-and I know it can be very upsetting and..." She finally, mercifully lets herself trail off.
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"O-Oh... I see..."
Elena turns pale and loses her prior smile. Guess someone isn't over what she saw yet and had managed to stash it away until now! Fun fact, she still hasn't eaten any meat since then. That'll come back on its own eventually.
"I do not blame you. It is... it is our duty to face such hardships so that others do not have to! Perhaps... it is more your duty than mine," she says to all three others, thinking them all far more suitable exterminators than a Songstress, "But that does not mean I do not wish to help however I can. I am just glad that we disposed of that awful, Valmarspawn-creating machine once and for all." Oh poor Elena, if she knew there are more where that came from.
"... please forgive me, but I do not remember what questions I wished answered. It is all such a haze still, especially the end."
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
In spite of her grizzled knight appearance, Amelia almost seems to be nothing but calm air, and easy smiles. Her expression has yet to change from that placid smile that she's worn since before Rosaline was so rudely awoken. Though she gives the beastman-woman her space. She seems to have picked up on the nun needing to get used to new people.
"I suppose now is as good a time as any to listen in?"
Except Elena forgot what she wanted to ask.
Amelia begins to chuckle softly.
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
Ida nods to Rosaline. "I want to thank you, Sister Elena, for standing with us. It was... gruesome work, to say the least, but necessary. Even so, do not be ashamed if you feel disturbed about what you saw. Any sane person would be disturbed." That goes for you, too, Rosaline! "My mother fought those abominations for several years, and still remembered them well decades later."
Elena doesn't remember. Ida decides a different tack is necessary, and probably for the best given Amelia's presence here as well. "How much do the both of you know of the Reapers?"
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline looks at Elena sympathetically. That day has shaken Rosaline to the core, and dealing with situations like these is her job. She can't even imagine. Ida speaks of any sane person, and Rosaline can do nothing but quietly nod along. "Yes, thank you so much."
"And w-well, I'm here if you need to talk about it." She's mainly looking at Elena as she says it, but the glance at Ida makes it clear that this is an open invitation. "And just in general, I suppose... I need a few hours of confessional before I can earn my full Etone title," she says, a quirk at the corners of her mouth indicating that she's at least attempting to inject levity.
(Not joking, though. Those confessional hours are very important!)
She doesn't seem to mind Elena having forgotten. Most people would be happy they did, really. Ida goes back to the basics, then, and Rosaline nods. She actually sits back down onto her pew, leaving room for the rest, because why not make herself comfortable while they talk? (...relatively speaking.)
"You may have heard of them with another name. Generally they're known as Wels, but different regions call them different things. Some just call them zombies, but that term leads to confusion more often than not."
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"Not nearly as much as I should," Elena admits to Ida, likely giving consent for the floodgates of information to be opened insodoing. "I know that they are akin to the undead, men and beasts reduced to primal instincts and seeking food to stop their bodies from degrading."
That's about what she knows.
Not counting what they all saw in that mess.
As if seeking confirmation, she looks to Amelia to see what the Pardoner thinks, while answering Rosaline: "I believe I will take you all up on that. I know that keeping one's sorrow to oneself is not a healthy treatment."
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Down to business then. Amelia's smile falters, eye shifting between Rosaline and Ida. There is a glance to Elena, but it's far more brief. She's missed a lot here, but it's easy to gather something happened prior to her arrival. She doesn't prod on it for the moment. So on to the Wels.
"No personal experience. My duties as a knight had me tending to other issues for the church. I know our brothers and sisters of the Ethos have usually dealt with them to a larger degree."
There is a nod though, to Elena's sentiment. "Letting it out is for the best."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"We don't know where they come from," Ida says. This seems to bother her, just a little--the Church has never paid too much attention to that fact, and tends to focus on wiping them out whenever they appear. To her, it's like giving someone medicine for an illness while putting forth no effort to ensure they have clean water and adequate sanitation. "We saw a vector in the field, of course, but as for what creates them--we're still not certain. I'm looking into a possible source of one of these outbreaks, but it is dangerous and ill-advised, to say the least." Her lips quirk in a wry, self-deparacating little smile. The Ida of a year ago wouldn't do that. "But yes. Some theorize that they may be people who were transformed, but regardless of what they were, all they want now is to consume human flesh. They will take other flesh if they can get it--and in some circumstances, they will even cannibalize one another--but they prefer humans if available. And while we saw some... terrible examples of the strain, those are nowhere near the largest that have been documented. Mother claims she once encountered one that was as large as a good-sized Gear."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
Rosaline manages a smile when Elena speaks of taking her up on that offer. But right, now is time to chat about FREAKY ZOMBOS.
That makes two people who have never had to deal with them personally. Rosaline remains silent at that. Until somewhat recently, it hadn't even occured to her that there might be people who had never faced them. She had considered herself lucky that the few that had wandered by her hometown as she grew up were only isolated individuals or relatively small groups.
Ida is happy to explain, and Rosaline is happy to let her, interjecting only from time to time.
"Regardless of whether they're literal Valmar-spawn or not, or what they could have once been, it's clear that they stand as abominations against man and God. All we can do right now is dispatch them, and free their soul from this tormented existence."
"My Gear is currently being armed with weaponry meant to neutralize Gear-class Reapers," she says, softly, scratching the back of her ear while looking away. "I, um... I hope I don't have cause to use it often."
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
"There was a large one, that day... I do not have trouble believing they can become even larger, if they... feed," Elena says, hesitant to use that word. Still, everything Ida says is good to know, and mostly new information. Then Rosaline brings Granas into this!!
"Yes, it is our duty to bring Light to those creatures, whatever they may be. It does not matter if they are born of the Devil of Darkness or another evil, they must still be purged." That's a dangerous word there, Elena. Careful with it. "But I believe I will pass on acquiring one of those giant machines. I do not... feel that my place is inside one of those." Meanwhile Amelia might fit right in considering the average Cathedral Knight is apparently a ten foot tall, bulky monster that clangs like metal whenever it walks. No, that's never explained.
"Have you found any leads after inspecting that machine? Anything that might lead us to another one, or to whatever twisted soul designed it?" So she can sic said Knight on them, preferably.
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
Mentally, Amelia is taking notes for later. Internally memorizing every detail given as she gizes her eye on Ida and Rosaline fully. Creation and origin unknown, consume flesh, man, beast or otherwise, possibly used to be people. These things and more are silently jotted to memory, before she has enough of a picture to have a vague understanding of what they are dealing with. And still that's probably not enough for her to be anywhere remotely prepared.
She nods, regardless, both Rosaline and Elena taking the words from her mouth before she can say them, she opts not to add further religious platitude. "I do better on foot, myself. Getting a little too old to learn how those Gears work, I think," added self deprecatingly. "How best are they handled? If you say a blade works, then I have all I need to hear, for now."
<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.
"My Gear, likewise, will return to combat-readiness soon." Ida glances at Rosaline, wondering what manner of anti-Reaper weaponry doesn't involve fire. Granted, she more or less melted the generator, but if there's one thing Ida's picked up, it's that Rosaline's relationship with fire is strange and fraught.
Amelia has the easier question, so that's the one Ida answers first. "If you're close enough to strike one with a blade, Mother would say, it's always close enough to take chunks out of your flesh. Be wary, be strategic, and do not allow them to overwhelm you." On one hand, Ida feels... a little weird about giving advice to a veteran, but at the same time, these are Reapers. Well-trained Etones can go into battle with them and die because of a single poor decision. "Be on the lookout for large or unusual specimens, which may require a swift change in tactics."
And then, Elena. "...Mr. Kenny, Mr. Bart and I found a possible lead. We will look into it. That would, of course, be the fool's errand I mentioned earlier."
<Pose Tracker> Elena has posed.
Elena can do neither fire nor blade, but she can do wind, healing and BOMBS, which is probably a good combo for dealing with Wels too. Even if the Songstress might get jumpy and unusually distracted by the appearance of the creatures.
A fool's errands, though...?
"If you require any aid, miss Everstead, you need but ask! I will try to contain my lunch this time, I promise!" She said try, which immediatly spares her of criticism if she fails. That's how it works. "I am certain that Sister Calice and Sister Theodore would not deny you if you made the request, either!" Getting ahead of herself there, speaking for them, but she's pretty confident in her answer.
Though come to think of it...
"That said... there was an order from up high issued but a few days ago. It would appear the Church is mounting some kind of expedition to eradicate the threat of Wels in an area. I do not have all of the details yet, but it sounded important."
<Pose Tracker> Amelia Theodore has posed.
A good veteran continues to live long enough into their veterancy by knowing when to listen, learn, and take the time to try and research and understand their foe, even if it's listening to their juniors with more experience in a given field. Amelia will listen as long as Ida has information to give, and the level stare she offers is almost predatory in nature fore a beat, before a blink flicks the look off her face. "Mn. I'll take that to memory, it's good to know."
Yet then Elena is offering up her aid; though Amelia doesn't seem to mind. If anything, she's nearly beaming. "All you'd need to do is just ask."
That said, it's the final note that catches her ear. "That does sound important, aye."
<Pose Tracker> Rosaline Calice has posed.
"Aim for the head," Rosaline offers, as a piece of time-tested Wels-hunting wisdom, making the world's daintiest finger-gun motion. "But of course, that's often trickier than it sounds... Sometimes it's hard to find the head..."
Ida has her advice to offer too, passed down from a veteran. "You know," Rosaline says, idly, "I would love to meet your mother one day."
Ida speaks of her fool's errand, which Rosaline likely doesn't even need to offer to help with by now. Plus, there's still the matter of those dog tags Arleph meant to look into. At least they're not out of leads. And Elena brings up this expedition...
"It's true," Rosaline says, looking up. "I've... already volunteered for it. There's no rest for the weary, is there? But... where darkness dwells, there must be light to answer it."
She contemplates the stained glass for a moment.