2017-10-18: Thoughts of Home
- Log: Thoughts of Home
- Cast: Lunata Croze, Shalune Amira, Jacqueline Barber, Ethius Hesiod
- Where: November City - Market Street
- Date: 10-18-2017
- Summary: Lunata worries over news of Adlehyde. Jacqueline, Shalune, and surprisingly Ethius move to reassure, and together, a plan is formed...
=====================<* November City - Market Street *>====================== November City is the greatest and the largest of the Seed Cities. When it appeared after the Night of Falling Stars, it was already a large settlement, built by the survivors of that day quickly. It has since grown enormously, appealing to people in the Badlands in search of some security and the refugees from failed and lost Seed Cities. Market Street, its main thoroughfare, demonstrates this. On the outskirts of the city, shantytowns and shacks pop up along the street, gradually becoming the larger buildings in the heart of November. The street is named for the huge market that has sprung up across it, occupying the three and four story brick buildings along each side. It's a wide, paved road (a rare thing in the Badlands) and connected to Central Station, where all of the railways come. Here, one can find anything they want. The laissez-faire nature of November City's government makes the black market an open one, and this is one of the few places where ARMs and stolen goods from Aveh and Kislev can be bought with ease. There are also saloons, taverns, restaurants, and hotels to be found. November City is a true melting pot, where Drifters from across Filgaia mix with foreign merchants and locals of every class. Men wearing suits brush by peasants in homespun, while Drifters and knights bump into each other. The police force usually prevents outright gunfights in the streets, but November City's officials are infamously easy to bribe.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata's been spending more time in the cities than the ruins lately, and today's no exception... though she's not actually serving lunch or dinner at present, instead being by the CaraKin as she receives a missive from a nearby courier and has since gotten a little stuck and moody as she reads several papers that, on a brief glance, appear to have to do with Adlehyde lettering. A local publication from the town, several letters... it's rather clear she's worried about her hometown.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune, too, hasn't really gone near any ruins in a while - partially because she's enjoying lazing around a fully operational CaraKin, but also because there's been a glut of jobs waiting for her, as a number of friends and Drifters ask her to fix what could certainly be considered to be a rather worrying number of Gears. If she is worried, she hasn't voiced it in a general sense, but she's certainly made the choice to deliver a warning to each and every person asking for her help, in hopes it might prevent some escalations down the line.
It helps a lot that Dean is Dean and Gwen is Gwen, so at least some of them haven't fallen on deaf ears.
Sat at one of the tables in the kitchen, she's got an array of components spread out around the small table, doing her best not to get in the way; a thick cylindrical disk is the centrepiece, with a number of flaps open on the sides to expose wiring and some rudimentary controls within. Most of the components around it are laid out in a way to suggest that she's extracted them from said disk. The only slight wrinkle is that, every so often, she has to gently dissuade Snowlune from the idea that the plastic cover might be tasty.
The only alternative is not having the puppy in her lap, and obviously that's not happening.
"... ah... how's Aunt Hilda?" she ventures after a moment, trying an upbeat smile.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Contrary to Lunata and Shalune, Jacqueline had been all over the place. Things seem to have been going well lately, with the exception of one occasion where she had come back in a foul mood with only the name 'Akbar' as explanation.
At the end of the day, though, there was nothing she enjoyed more than returning to the Carakin where her friends would be waiting for her.
Today is no exception. She pushes the doors gently, and offers Lunata and Shalune a smile and a wave.
"I'm back!" She greets, though her eyes soon fall on Lunata and her low mood.
"...Did something happen?" She asks, taking a step toward her and glancing down at the papers.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata looks worn and tired as she looks up towards Jacqueline and Shalune, and not even the presence of their adorable dog can really cheer her up right now. "Um, Uncle Tom and Aunt Hilda are doing okay, they're holding the fort... they're still arranging a lot of refugee housing and reparations, but..."
She squints and scratches her head. "... I dunno, I'm just worried... the Althenan Guard is still there, and now they've moved to Krosse and the King there said he wasn't going to help Adlehyde anymore?"
She wrinkles her brow and says, "And our Princess is off in Aveh, of all places." She sounds a bit upset about that.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune frowns - and gently sets the puppy down, if only so that she can get up and gravitate towards the waitress in a manner that usually means a fervent hug is going to follow right behind. "... that's good at least, right? I mean-- the fact that there's enough stuff to arrange does at least mean Lacour's still helpin' out some, right?" she encourages as she pumps her fists; she is not terrifically political or religious, which probably explains the way in which she frowns in a quiet sort of bemusement. "... and those Althenan guys-- I mean, they seemed okay in terms of relief, at least? I snuck a look into their compound once and there was stuff everywhere."
For a moment, she chews at her lips - then leaps at Lunata's shoulders anyway, clinging onto the girl protectively. "... I don't know what the heck's happening with Krosse, I guess, but-- mm. Maybe they're just tryin' to look out for themselves in case something happens? It's kinda selfish, I s'pose..." But privately, she has to wonder if she could blame them. She didn't feel much for helping people after the Temple of the Guardians, not for a fair while at least.
She looks up to greet Jacqueline-- and kind of nudges Lunata in that direction, as if to offer her up for a hug from the alchemist in turn. At the same time, she looks terrifically sheepish. "Um, it sounds weird, but to be honest, before all this happened, I wasn't even sure we had a Princess. I mean, I think I vaguely remember some kinda celebration about her birthday? But that was aaages ago, and then nothin' for years." Given it's Shalune, it's probably more 'she didn't even think about it'. Not exactly a Royalist, after all.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Ah, it was news from home, then. Jacqueline nods in understanding. She had been keeping up with news, herself, and some of it was worrying, to say the least.
"...I can't trust the Guard, not after how they've treated Kourin." Jacqueline comments, shaking her head. "I can't help but feel that they're...up to something. Maybe they put the King up to retracting to support, I don't know."
Jacqueline shrugs slightly. She wasn't about to start spreading conspiracy theories, but...well, her opinion of the Guard was rather low.
Shalune hugs Lunata and then essentially volunteers Jacqueline for one, as well. ...Of course Jacqueline wasn't going to refuse. She smiles slightly and opens her arms, letting Lunata decide whether or not she was in the mood for it.
"The Princess, in Aveh? ...Hm...now that you mention it, I heard something about that." Jacqueline comments, curious. "Things must be difficult for her, as well...I can only hope she doesn't do anything too reckless."
...Jacqueline had yet to actually meet Cecilia, of course.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata has to kind of gawk at Shalune at the idea of her sneaking into an Althenan compound -- but doesn't make much of it as she says, "Y-yeah. Miss Emma's been helping me arrange all that legal hard stuff from the tournament, so all the Death Waitress merch proceeds've been going straight to the Adlehyde restoration funds..."
She sighs gently, tilting her head in turn. "... it's just strange, I thought they were all friends for a long time. But-- but--"
She complains rather plainly, "I liked our King, and even if the Princess hasn't been around a lot, I expected... you know, I expected her to take the mantle and help us through this tough time?"
A frown. "Like not even to do a great job, just-- being there? Instead of being... out here?"
Which Shalune and Jacqueline knows has been dovetailing to her own feeling of what she's doing... even though she knows consciously she isn't exactly a politician or a royal or anyone who can effect much change home.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"I do find the Guard to be a most curious sort." That's Ethi-- wait, when did he get here?! He wasn't in the dining room the entire time. He has his right hand to his forehead as he speaks, as he stands over yonder by one of the walls, while he holds onto what looks a lot like a rusted cylinder in his right. (The rusted cylinder is the latest Weird Random Garbage Object(tm) that Ethius is claiming for his own, it seems.)
What, no 'hello, I'm sorry to intrude,' or 'where the hell did I come from?' That's him, all right.
"They have accumulated significant social and political influence in a short span of time. The resources they have available - or the ability in which they've had to acquire them - are most peculiar, indeed, if what is said about their origins is to be believed."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"Mm... they do seem kinda heavy-handed, I guess, at least when it comes to how you should act. I had one of them complain about my hat, one time," she confesses, almost aghast at the idea of the scruffy, brightly-coloured bobble hat being a problem to anyone. "But-- I mean, even if their religion kinda sucks, they still passed out a ton of tents and clothes and food. If they wanted to hurt Adlehyde they coulda just... not done that, I guess?" she mumbles, scratching at her cheek.
She jolts bolt upright all of a sudden as Ethius makes his presence known - makes his voice known - and lets out a surprised 'wah?!' as the motion propels Lunata forward into Jacqueline's arms. The pout she sends in the man's direction isn't exactly upset, but it is a little owlish in the way she grumps.
It only takes her an instant to recover, though, letting out a breath. "I wonder what the Princess looks like. I mean, you'd think she'd be easy to spot, right?" Someone definitely has visions of something like a Disney princess, leaving flowers and trains of white fabric in her wake. Someone is going to be let down, eventually. "Maybe it's that whole 'save the world' thing. Like, maybe Zeldukes popped out of that statue for her and went 'hey, screw whatever you were doin', you'll do' like they did to us."
The mechanic hesitates, though, and frowns. "... your mom wouldn't want you to stay, though, not after-- everything. I mean, even with the best of intentions behind it, there's only so much you could do there? Not to mention, staying would mean--" Would mean accepting the curse of Ge Ramda, without even trying to find a way out of it.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
They complained about Shalune's hat? Truly, Althena's Guard are the greatest of villains.
"I appreciate what they've done, certainly...it's their motives that worry me." Jacqueline comments.
In a very Ethius fashion, Ethius is suddenly...there, surprising Shalune and causing Lunata to topple into Jacqueline's arms. She catches the two of them, giving them both a hug before helping Lunata stand upright again.
"It is a bit concerning how quickly their influence has spread... Making their public appearance right after...what happened, probably helped, however..." Jacqueline comments, still gingerly stepping around referring to the invasion directly. If she were being less charitable, she could maybe say that they were taking advantage of the situation for their own ends.
...She didn't say that, though she couldn't claim she hadn't considered the possibility.
"That's true...they say that the Royal Family has always had a close connection to the Guardians. It is possible she heard from them before any of us did, and if that is the case..." Jacqueline comments, hesitating a bit. "...She might've been forced to choose between staying in Adlehyde, or listening to the Guardians wishes..."
Jacqueline wasn't about to cast judgment on the princess, not when she, too, had left Adlehyde in its time of need...even if she had felt there was nothing more she could do there.
"...Yes, I agree. You made the right choice, Lunata." Jacqueline says with a nod, agreeing with Shalune.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata yelps just a little as Ethius appears, looking for once like she's a bit strung up and not particularly happy... but the hugs do help, as she clings onto both Jacqueline and Shalune with a sigh.
"... I know, I know, she's probably not doing it of her own will..." she mumbles, trying to keep positive like she'd normally do. She rubs at her face for a moment, looking back towards the cube as it floats gingerly in what might possibly be a recharge mode after Ge Ramda nearly strained her back trying to pull a massive pork shoulder roast out of the oven earlier.
"... I just feel stuck. Anxious, and... and, I don't know, like I'm-- worried I can see Adlehyde being in trouble and not being able to do anything about it..."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Powerlessness. Vulnerability. Feelings that the people of Adlehyde, as a whole, have had to grapple with when beset upon by once-believed mythical horrors whom unleashed so much death and destruction in pursuit of their ultimate objectives. (And, once again, reinforced by strange secretive men all but walking in on a tender moment between long-time friends that really did not need him interloping.)
He lowers the hand from his forehead. With the emotions running high in anxiety, fatigue, and suspicion, outwardly, he seems the least attached to the emotional read of the room - or maybe even the entire situation. Just Ethius, and a rusted cylinder in hand. No other cares in the world, than to just hold on to random garbage he finds?
"My apologies for the intrusion." Oh, now he touches on that, though he doesn't move from the wall he's currently affixing himself to.
"Miss Lunata." He doesn't really turn to face her directly as he speaks. If he is meaning to say words that are uplifting and reassuring, this is not exactly what one considers an ideal preface for such a thing. "What problems are you afraid would befall Adlehyde in your absence?"
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
This is where Shalune shines, of course, so she stays draped over Lunata's shoulders as she gives the girl what she hopes is an encouraging smile from beneath her pink hair - though it quickly turns uncertain. "Well... I mean, I gotta admit, I'm not really on board with the whole Guardian thing myself, so I can see Lunie's point. It kinda sucks to just up and go 'hey so I'm off to-- do-- something-or-other'," she finishes rather lamely. "If the Althenan guys really did wanna get up to somethin' shady, it'd be a whole lot harder with someone there to watch over the place, I guess?" she wonders towards Jacqueline, and then towards Ethius as she still tries to check her rather simplistic logic.
She does fall silent for a while as Ethius asks a rather pertinent question, but not so much out of respect for the question itself, more the way she's quietly mulling over their options, trying to grasp a mental thread she can hang onto.
"... I don't know that we'd be able to do much ourselves as the Carakin - maybe ferry supplies back and forth? But we'd haveta source them first, I guess. What about if we-- oh, um--..." she adds quietly and abruptly, in the tone of voice that suggests she has a terrible idea but one she's already considering rolling with.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Well, it's not as if Adlehyde has been left entirely without people to keep an eye on the situation...there's more people involved than just the Royal Family..." Jacqueline replies. She wasn't really prepared or qualified to give an in-depth discussion on how the place was run, though.
Ethius raises a good question, and Shalune had a good point, as well.
At Lunata's worry, though, Jacqueline tightens her hug and gives her what she hoped was a reassuring pat on the back.
"...I know. I worry about Adlehyde, too, Lunata..." She replies. Her family was there, after all, not to mention Heather who was trying to carry on her business.
"...But...right now, we have to trust in the people we've left behind. Trust that they'll be able to take care of themselves." She says. Unfortunately, while they did do well for themselves it wasn't as if they made anywhere near enough money to step in where Krosse had failed. From so far away, there was only so much they could do.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata's lips thin as she thinks on Ethius' question, looking towards him for a moment. ... and then holds her hand to her forehead too, now that she thinks about it, she's gotten a bit of a headache thinking about all this.
"I-- remember what Hiro told me once." A frown. "He told me Leo said to him that... the corruption needed to be burned out of Adlehyde."
She shivers at that.
"I just have this-- image that they want to turn Adlehyde into some kind of-- pulpit, for them to build their faith out of in Filgaia. That they'll force anyone who doesn't believe in Althena out into the gutters that're already forming around the walls now."
It's pretty intense thoughts from Lunata, who's otherwise so light-hearted and usually thinking about food... but it's been a pretty intense time for her.
She hears Jay and Shalune's words, tries to let them seep into her mind. To trust in those who're there...
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
'The corruption needed to be burned out of Adlehyde.'
"...Hm." A worrying thought for anyone - but outside of this vocal grunt, little about Ethius' expression appears to change. (Then again, with the bandanna around the lower half of his face, that's just cheating.)
What exactly runs through his mind, hearing these words?
"Words of such purpose, guided by such zealotry. That is an understandable concern, Miss Lunata." Ethius says, far from the hugging distance that Lunata shares with her long-time friends, as he seems to elect to tackle the emotional with the detached and logical. "If such were the case, I believe we would have heard as such by word of mouth." Whatever word of mouth could make it past the battlegrounds - this logic seems kind of shaky, on that factor.
Ethius brings a hand to his forehead once more.
"I scarce believe the corruption would be concerning the people of Adlehyde themselves. To the extent I was able to operate within the city following the assault," due to having decided that he just really had to steal a sample of ancient Metal Demon blood all to himself and not quite gotten away with it as cleanly as he had hoped, "I did not witness discrimination nor preferrential treatment."
...
He might yet have more to discuss with Kourin, if she is willing to open up to him further on the subject. He always has more questions, regardless of the subject. Would she be willing to open up to him about them...?
"We live in a time of uncertainty, Miss Lunata. We are in the midst of social upheaval as certain interests have made themselves known, and acted accordingly. While I cannot ascertain the current well-being of those back at Adlehyde down to the finest detail, I believe the lives of the people within are in no imminent danger."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"He really said that...?" Jacqueline said. She sounded...a little horrified, that anyone would even say those words about anything. It definitely furthers her distrust and dislike of the Guard. She didn't know what 'corruption' he was referring to, but words like that, said with such fervor...it was not unreasonable to think he could take it too far.
Ethius speaks, though, a lot more than Jacqueline had expected with very reasonable things to say. She nods in agreement.
"...Yes, I agree. I think everyone will be alright. They're good, smart people...most of them, anyway. If he tries to transform them like that, I don't think they'll buy into it so easily." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata does take a moment to breathe in, and out again as Ethius... Ethius seems to remind her, not by his words, but just by how he takes care in situations and doesn't rush in, that she should be patient. He is a role model for her in that way, at least, even if his taste in food and moral ambiguity probably shouldn't be emulated.
"... yeah... you're right..." Lunata finally expresses, nodding slowly. "I didn't think they'd, you know, burn the city down themselves or anything, just--"
She swallows. "There's been a lot of things from the east to worry about, so it just all piled up..."
She bobs her head as she hugs Jay a bit tighter again, then takes a deep breath. "Aunt Hilda'll stuff their mouths with the Saucery Globe if they tried anything horrible, I know it! So I shouldn't worry!"
It sounds a bit like an 'I think I'll be Okay' mantra, but... hey, it's probably a coping mechanism for her at present.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
As the three of them reinforce and consolidate their resolves through whatever cues they may - words, swallowed lumps, hugs, nods, and hte like - Ethius seems almost a static element. He is just shy of being a disembodied voice in the whole scenario. Is he a logical, reasonable, careful man... or simply one so detached, able to say such things free of greater concern? Free of having loved ones, of memories, of connections at all... these words just might be easy for him to fabricate, to keep everyone malleable to whatever ultimate end his journey with them is meant to drive towards.
Which seems to involve that rusted cylinder he has in one of his hands, maybe.
"I would say you have the right of it, Miss Lunata." Those words are said with the same tone as everything else he's said now. No warmer, no louder.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Yeah...I know." Jacqueline replies with a nod. What wasn't there to worry about, really? They piled up with each passing day...but if they let themselves get dragged down by those worries, they wouldn't be able to do anything about any of them.
She chuckles again, at Lunata's reassurance...mantra though it may be, it seemed to help her, at least.
"That's right. It'd be over quickly!" Jacqueline replies with a chuckle, meeting Lunata's tighter hold with another pat on the back.
She looks over to the side, then, and sends Ethius a smile as well.
"...And, thanks." She says, nodding towards him. She wasn't entirely sure if he said everything he said in an attempt to reassure them, but his words definitely seemed to help.
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Shalune does at least choose that moment to pipe up (let alone reanimate, having briefly become more still even than Ethius) - and perk up with a bright if rather sheepish smile, the look of someone who's still got a really terrible idea brewing in the back of her mind. "I was thinkin', though-- if this keeps preying on your mind, maybe there is something we can do? I mean, there was that news article that said Shakin' had the Princess, right?"
She swings a little on Lunata's shoulders for a while, biting gently at her lip. "Well-- um. I mean, I've been wondering whether it's right to get involved in the Yggdrasil's business, y'know, or whether it'd be better to stay well away. But what if we offered to help get her out of there? If nothin' else, maybe it'd give you the chance to speak your mind to her. Get it off your chest?" she wonders, scratching at her cheek. "I mean, um, it's a heck of a way to try to get your point across, I guess, and maybe a bit too dangerous... but it's a reason to get involved other than 'a favour to pay back'. Maybe it'd help?"
Trailing off, she redoubles herself as she pumps her fists, and frowns solidly. "But-- everyone's right. Aunt Hilda's super tough, she'd take no guff from anyone. Lacour's around to keep an eye on things, too, an' it's not like it's going anywhere in the meantime. Maybe we can arrange some stuff once we've got a bit more clout."
You know, more clout than already being one of the most armed merchant caravans around.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata doesn't sound terribly certain on her own front, but... yeah, that certainly wouldn't be a bad course of action. Miss Lily had disappeared under some kind of action at some point, and the rest of the Yggdrasil was busy with... something, but...
"Maybe we can show up with the Rephaim and point all its railguns at the capital and demand the Princess back!"
A pause. "... w-well, no, that'd be too-- too hasty, but..." she sighs. "I do want to help them out in some way..."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius actually stops leaning against the wall.
"Perhaps it would be beneficial to get one's mind off of the matter. Might I suggest--"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Shalune had been rather uncharacteristically quiet, but when she speaks up again, Jacqueline can understand why. She must have been mulling things over...and Jacqueline had to mull it over, herself.
"That might be pretty dangerous, if Aveh isn't willing to just let her go, but...I also wouldn't mind helping her out." Jacqueline agrees with a nod. "We should talk it over with everyone first, of course, see if they're alright with that, but..."
Jacqueline chuckles a bit sheepishly.
"It's not like we haven't already raided a Kislevi military camp..." She comments, then nods.
"But yeah, you're right, Shalune." She agrees, then glances toward Ethius questioningly.
"Ethius?"
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
"... w-well-- I mean, I'm the first to admit I really like the CaraKin life, y'know?" stumbles Shalune, grinning sheepishly as she rubs at her hair. "I mean, I don't really wanna throw myself into the whole Kislev-Aveh thing if I can really help it. It's not like I know anything much about what's going on, it's not like I'm gonna really understand it any time soon, but..." the mechanic trails off, then frowns for once. "I mean, I know enough to say that we don't have much stake in how the Yggdrasil do right now, and that's a pretty crappy way to fight. If we need a proper reason, then 'for the sake of Adlehyde' outta do."
She kind of bulls straight through poor Ethius' rare show of concern, punching a fist into the air as she grins at Lunata. "Well-- okay, yeah, if you go that far I think that'd be a bit more than I could actually hope to repair. Um, but, it's not like we have to go in with any guns at all. We're pretty much unknown to Aveh right now. And no-one's gonna stop a merchant caravan who wants to sell water and provisions, right? Not in wartime. Maybe we could just go and scope the situation out a bit, then decide from there. If they turn us away, oh well, but it's probably worth a first try."
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata nods a few times, giggling embarrassedly as she says, "Yeah, I think that'd be a good idea. I'm getting a bit stir-crazy just sitting in town not getting at it, so I'll come with you on the next few Digs too..."
... which, speaking of stress relief, Jay had an excellent source of it, didn't she?
"And Lunie's right too. We could totally nose our way around and see what's going on," she expresses. "I'll ask Mister Leon and see if we can help out with the situation any."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius went silent. His posture slouched noticeably, as Jacqueline turned her head towards him, at the tail end of her sheepish chuckling.
---
I did not wish to entertain this thought.
---
Did he have something to say? There's a noticeable pause - a pause where the air is instead filled by the other young women, rather than himself. This much might have become more certain, for their time with him - he seemed at a bit of a loss.
Upon reflection, when I had spoken to Miss Shalune and Miss Jay that fated evening, I had unwittingly sowed the seeds of this conversation tonight. When the situation dramatically improved, I was relieved... but also had growing concerns that the gravity of that entire situation and the realities that could have been - no, should have been - would have become lost.
"...Miss Shalune... I would say, has the right of it."
I was thankful that Shalune took a grounded approach. The humor of this situation, if such could be gleaned like one might squeeze blood from a stone, was not lost upon me.
"I see no issue in attempting to get one's bearings of the situation from your acquaintances." Ethius regains that stoic stride of his, but the delays between words in the previous sentence are not so easy to erase from recent memory. The man's verbal stumbles in rhythm are rare.
Nonetheless... given our circumstances from the infiltration of the Kislevi encampment, it was urgent I formulated a contingency. There might have been one way to give us some breathing room to maneuver, should there be no way to turn them from this dangerous divergence from the direction I had hoped to steer them. It came to me clearly.
"I wish to not jump ahead as though profess we have made the commitment to partake in battle," Ethius says, as he brings a hand to his forehead again, "but should we make use - sparse use, with intent to dispose of them almost immediately after the fact - the Kislevi Gears could afford those willing or able to pilot a momentary degree of anonymity."
I would rather not have encouraged the idea any further, but I had an understanding of the resolve that Miss Jay had cultivated. I recalled when Miss Riese scolded me for even having considered her a simple, ordinary, everyday merchant. The moment any one of them hatched such an idea... it seemed an inevitability. It was to my best interests that I presented the thought as soon as possible, for consideration.
"I will leave the matter to you, Miss Jay. Miss Lunata. Miss Shalune. If such proves vital to the continued operation and mission of the Caravan Kinship."
They were my responsibility. Their well-being is vital to the continued operation of my own mission, whatever it may be. No matter how ridiculous and absurd their ambitions.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline nods.
"Yes, I certainly wouldn't want us to fight unless we absolutely have to...we're supposed to be making the world a better place, after all, and that'd send the wrong message." Jacqueline agrees with a nod.
"But gathering information...I agree, that would be useful. I don't think anyone knows our connections yet." She says.
Ethius mentions the Gears, and Jacqueline frowns slightly.
"Hm...that's a good idea, but I'm afraid I won't be able to join the Gear-piloting team. The one I took, well..." Jacqueline says, looking a bit sheepish. "I've already made...arrangements...for it, that would make maintaining anonymity...difficult."
She nods, then.
"...Yes, I think it might be. We can't ignore what's going on in front of us, after all."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
Fortunately, Shalune is Shalune, and Shalune does as Shalune does. "Oooh," she chimes appreciatively as Ethius breaks his silence, and scratches at her cheek as she breaks into a grin. "You know it's important when Mr. Ethius says words."
Yes, she totally just said that aloud. "... that's super sneaky, though. I mean, yeah, not the first choice plan, but I do kinda like it. ... um, except for the part I can't pilot for toffee, so I can't really help out there."
She pauses, and flings herself forward to settle around Lunata's shoulders again. "Aw~w, Lunie! You know we've missed you too, right? I wanna take you for a flight or two sometime, too! I got everything working great, so sand dunes aren't a problem for the Little Dipper now!"
But, then: Jay speaks, and Shalune's enthusiasm kind of stops dead as an idea creeps up on her. "Jaaay..." she croons slowly. "... did you paint a giant logo on your Geeear?"
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata grumps just very faintly towards Shalune to say, "He's been saying a lot of words just now, Lunie!" though she does muss and pat at the girl's hair as she starts realising there are some errant locks in it. "You-- seem like you'd be a natural at piloting, though, but... if we need a pilot, then I'll give it a try!"
She does have the ability to kinda just download skills she needs off off the memories of dead people, after all...
She pauses, as she looks towards Ethius. "Wouldn't a Kislevi gear really set them on edge right away, though...?"
A longer pause, as she realises, "--what color scheme is the Gear? Jay! We have to stage an intervention!"
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius seems to go quiet, as though he were trying to adhere to a very specific budget of words that he has no doubt blown past and will have to answer to shareholders at the quarterly Ethius Dialgoue Box Quantity meetings, or something nonsensical of that nature as it applies to him.
His expression remains unreadable, watching Shalune embrace her dear friend Lunata, seeing Lunata find a spark of inspiration from the verbal flint he has provided, and Jay having come to her own decisions of the matter.
He seems intent on leaving the ultimate decision in their hands.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline can't help but chuckle a bit as Shalune flings herself at Lunata again.
"Now, you be careful, you two. Don't do anything too crazy." She comments, and then...has to look away.
"I-it's...not particularly giant! Just...one on the shoulder, and one on the front...and if we're being technical, I wasn't the one who painted it..." She replies.
"And don't worry! I just used the Kinship's color scheme. I didn't try to get experimental with it or anything..." She adds.
This might not still be all that reassuring.
She clears her throat, then.
"S-so, anyway! It's decided, then? We'll snoop around Bledavik to gather information...and in the meantime, one of you will try to get in touch with Leon and see if there's any way we can help out?" She says, to clarify the situation. They hadn't fully decided on using the Gears as anonymous combat units, but it was definitely a plan to keep in the back of their minds.
<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.
Lunata nods in turn, saying, "Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. I'd only want to break in with the Gears if we really had to, anyway... but it's a good idea to keep in mind." She looks towards Ethius, Jay and Shalune, then smiles and says a bit more quietly, "... thank you, everyone."
<Pose Tracker> Shalune Amira has posed.
The mechanic lets out an amused kind of 'kyaaa' noise, squinting her eyes as Lunata starts to pick at her hair - and so she starts doing the same back, fluffling the waitress' white hair into something of a mess even as Lunata tries to fix hers. "Nawww... I couldn't really get the hang of it, I guess. I can tell you how everything in a Gear works, but the minute I try actually usin' one I just flail the arms everywhere." Well, Shalune is not exactly a model of restraint, after all.
She rocks back, after a moment, and grins - she's tried to make two peaks, and even if she's not anywhere near it's enough for her to gleefully chime: "Luniecat!" Case in point.
"Hmm-- we'd probably need to stash the Gears somewhere safe. Man, I wish I could come up with some way to make 'em really tiny. Oh, and I guess we should ask everyone real carefully. I mean, this is a bit beyond just goin' to November City for a bit, or stopping by Wayside, I guess?" she ventures with another of those light grins, but relaxes as she shakes her head. "Nawww... I mean, I know I'm like this, but it's not like I wanna stand on the sidelines if I can help out some."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"No matter the course of action you decide to take," oh, I guess Ethius still has some room in teh budget to speak after all, as he stands now with his hands folded behind his back like he were some kind of military guy or something, "I would take every due precaution."
On one side of the room, a pile of good long-time friends. On the other side of the room, a man who is complicit in feeding what could be a terrible idea.
"You are in good company, Miss Lunata." That's... about as reassuring as anything, word choice wise?
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"The Yggdrasil Alliance might be able to handle any of the actual...breaking in, if we're lucky. But if not, well, it's definitely an idea to keep in mind." Jacqueline replies with a nod, and then smiles.
"Yes, we should let everyone know about this. There might be repercussions, so...everyone should have a say in whether or not we actually go through with it." She says.
With that said, though, she moves in to pull both Lunata and Shalune into another hug.
"I hope this has made you feel at least a little bit better, though, Lunata!" Jacqueline says, before pulling away.
Lunata was in good company, indeed.