2017-11-28: Sunshines and Roses
- Log: Sunshines and Roses
- Cast: Riesenlied, Josephine Lovelace
- Where: Little Twister
- Date: 2017-11-28
- Summary: After their narrow escape from the law enforcement, 'Olivia' and Josie catch their breath and share a little about each other.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Soon after the rather unexpected fallout with the Sheriff and his men, as well as the meeting with 'Black Cat' and the auction, 'Olivia' finds herself rather exhausted from their extended trip out to Little Twister. Though the Hyadean can't rightly call herself a complete ingenue, there's... there's certainly something about the rambunctious ramblings of the underworld that flummox her beyond what she's used to.
Josie might need to pull her out of the fire and, more importantly, keep her low as they leave out of here. But on the flipside, at least they got what they came for.
"T-that was certainly-- something else," murmurs Riesenlied as she sits down on a crate as they hide out in a nearby alleyway. "... do you think the Sheriff will be all right? I tried my best to dampen the bullets, but..."
Riese didn't you used to be like, commander of a Metal Demon battalion and everything
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"Just play it cool," Josie had said, as they had parted ways with the others to make their exit.
Little Twister might be a little on the light-handed side where the law was concerned, but that still didn't mean that they were out of the woods. Taking it easy is a natural state for the archaeologist, but that still doesn't mean she's particularly okay with a run-in with the long arm of the law, as it were. Accumulating a bounty would seriously cramp her style.
Right now, things in town are...
Well, a little heated, from what she can tell, ducked back in the alleyway. Penelope is, helpfully, perched on a nearby crate, preening as if nothing is awry.
Josie takes another glance out, towards the street, using some of the debris here as cover. She doesn't so much as glance back at Riesenlied. "He's probably fine. I didn't see too much blood." ...probably unhelpful, as far as comments go.
"Still, that went pretty well. We've got ourselves an interested party, looks like..." She ducks back in, and settles into a loose crouch. "Any thoughts?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lets out a sigh as she brushes her capelet off -- still disguised as 'Olivia', at the very least her mannerisms fitting her disguise rather well. Still, she's a bit out of her element here.
"... I am not-- versed in the ways of criminal elements, but ..." Riesenlied had to admit, "... that hooded lady-- was of a different caliber to the crooks we'd dealt with."
She bobs her head to one side. "And perhaps knows too much. It felt as if she was waiting for the right moment to make her entrance? I can only hope it is not a trap."
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
It's hard to repress a slight smile at the sight, honestly. And there's barely anything that Josie /does/ ever repress, to all appearances.
"Don't worry about it, Sunshine. You played your part well, and that's what matters. Now, the only thing we need to worry about is getting out of here."
And that they're not walking into a setup with whoever this Black Cat is affiliated with, but that's a concern for later. ...Time for some gentle questions, perhaps. Assuming it won't tip their hand. Questions have a way of making their rounds.
Josie absently brushes off a sleeve. "...I'd have to agree there. Fiddy's an idiot, but a useful idiot, even if you can't trust him further than you can throw him. Her, though..." Josie sighs. "Further up than your usual dealers in relics, I'd say. We're dealing with someone who can afford professionals." She shrugs, smiling lopsidedly. "So, it's possible it could be a trap. I never like making a plan, but... I think we'll need to think ahead on this one." Her smile brightens. "After all, I hate to lose~"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks just a bit nervous as she peers up over the fence for a moment to admit, "... I just hope we can do this without really hurting anyone." Even in a town of crooks and criminals, you're still worried about not harming them, Riese? Geez.
She scratches her cheek for a moment and rises to her feet, breathing just a little deeper, a little les shakier. "... an auction, she said. It would follow that many high-end bidders would be there, but I cannot help but feel this is part of something larger... or, perhaps that is my paranoia talking."
She nods. "I have all the trust in you, Josephine. Thank you."
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie lifts one snowy brow. Then, closing her eyes, she sighs out a breath and smiles, shaking her head.
"Sunshine, you're really one of a kind, you know that?" she murmurs, punctuating the comment with a slight shrug. It's not just an everyday experience that someone runs into an ancient alleged monster of legend who's /worried/ about hurting some of the worst sorts that frequent this part of Filgaia.
"I'd say you're probably right about that. Maybe some folks from Guild Galad... or elsewhere." Rising to her feet again, Josie chances another look. "It's a little suspicious that we got interest so fast but... that's where we want 'em. So I say we do it. We'll just have to make sure we're ready for anything."
She moves to gesture towards Riesenlied. "Looks like the coast's clear. Let's go--"
"I have all the trust in you, Josephine."
Josie pulls a face. Sighs. "I thought I told you it was Josie..."
...Trust, huh?
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a probably amusingly timorous gasp from Riesenlied as she cups her mouth to say, "J-Josie! ... at least I caught myself on the 'Miss' this time," she manages to grump back, if a little bit lightly. They pick up and peer towards the streets, where--
--a none too surreptitious fat little Dragon is serenading the local crowd in what appears to be a rather transparent attempt to distract people. It's Odjn, if Josie's ever met her -- a foot-tall black and red thing that's a bit too Puff the Magic Dragon with adorable wiggly horns and stubby hands and feet to really be menacing.
"Wake me up insiiiiide~
Call m'name and save me from the daaark~"
"O-Odjn?" Riesenlied finds herself gasping, before-- clearing her throat and looking to Josie. "Ah, that'll be a good opportunity for us to slip through... I think some of the Wings will be waiting to airlift us on the other side of town."
She sighs at the little creature's antics and tries to look like she belongs as she steps down the street. Tries.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Josie waves a hand. "Close enough, close enough. Anyway, enough waffling, we should..."
She pauses, cocking her head to one side as if listening to a strange, difficult-to-place sound. "...Is someone singing?"
And this time she cranes further around the corner, trying to spot the source.
"..."
Josie has her moment of silence. Then, with a shrug, says, "Well, I'll take it. Let's go--"
Without further ado, and taking full advantage of Odjn's -- they haven't met, but something about the dragon's nature seems familiar enough -- distraction, makes haste slowly across the street as if this happens every day and she's just got other places to be.
Surreptitiously, she gestures for Riesenlied to follow.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied paces and follows after Josephine as they escape from the more crowded streets, shifting through traffic to get towards the perimeter of town. One point or another, she finds herself getting a little drowned in it, and needs to keep pace, perhaps using Penelope as a guidepost as well! ... hopefully it doesn't lure her into doom.
At the end of it, they're at a clearing as a certain adorable big 12-foot Dragon awaits them underneath a shed, apparently having been fed with a trough it's... having a bit of trouble leaning into.
"... say, Josie--" Riesenlied pauses. "Perhaps it is not my place to know, but... it occurs to me that I know so little of you."
There's a happy look on her face as she moves closer to Muni-Muni and gives her a loving pat, coaxing the trough a little closer to feed her. Aww, she's good with animals, isn't she? Even adorably strange round rubber animals that are purported murderbeasts of legend...
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Penelope, initially at a brief delay, wings up into the sky to flutter after Josephine. Perhaps that's as good a waypoint as any, as much as the little train the trio makes in crossing the street might draw a few eyes.
...Well, if there weren't a singing mini dragon out there. Suffice to say, an archaeologist, a pigeon, and an ingenue barely cause anyone to bat an eye. Just another day in Little Twister.
"...So that's the pickup, huh?"
It's a certain round twelve-foot dragon. Josie glances around, just in case anyone's happened by. Or noticed.
Only to ultimately helplessly shrug. Well, why worry.
"...Hm?" She pauses mid-stride, as Riesenlied speaks up all of a sudden. Silence rules for a split-second. Then Josie turns, a lopsided smile on her lips and her hands outstretched as if in a shrug. "I'm not really sure what else there is to say, Sunshine. I'm an archaeologist, though I guess not really purely one for a while now, huh? Well, desperate times, desperate measures. Compared to you or Tiger," by which she means Lily, "Or her boy, for that matter..." Her smile broadens. "Anyway, I'm just an old lady who doesn't know when to quit."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied places her hand to her cheek for a moment, as she coaxes Muni-Muni to roll out of the shed and away from her little treat -- perhaps with a whisper of, "When we return, I'll make you a tasty treat..." to which there's an excited 'Muni!' noise.
She does nod gently towards Josephine as she expresses, "Desperate times...?" She furrows her brow for a moment. "W-well, it's just... you've helped us enough, if there was something else I could do...?"
She has to pause to wonder who 'Tiger' is, but 'her boy' seems to make her connect it to Leon, given their recent outing. "What kind of Ruins do you have a particular interest in, as an archaeologist...?"
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Penelope settles on Josie's shoulder mere moments after she sights the dragon. Black eyes glitter as the pigeon stares on...
Desperate times?
Josie nods as if in agreement, briefly closing her eyes. "Mmhmm. As in, 'someone burned down my house'. You know. That kind of desperate." She props her good hand on her hip. "That's how I ended up becoming more Drifter than scholar, anyway. ...Everyone's got a story, I suppose." She sighs, her gaze briefly hooded, then shakes her head.
She jerks her head as if indicating herself. "Me? Zeboim-era's my area of study. Or was, if you're getting technical about it, but you've got to believe I'm still interested when I can find them, right? Hmmm..."
She regards Riesenlied critically for a moment. "I don't suppose you'd /happen/ to recall any interesting ruins. ...Asking for a friend?" Now that's a an unabashedly sheepish grin if you ever saw one.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The unending black orbs of death that are Penelope's eyes cast its unknowable, endless void on the glittering, endless rainbow cheer that is the 'yaaaaaaaaay' factor of Muni-Muni's eyes.
The two lock eyes.
Riesenlied places a hand to her cheek, as she squints in turn. "Oh no... I'm sorry to hear that," she furrows her brow. "Well-- I suppose I could say that I have had a few homes burned down too, most recently by the Demon of Elru, but that somehow..."
She pauses, as if she's lost her thought on try to connect that.
"Zeboim..." She pauses for a moment. "I had a lead from a Zeboim-era ruin of... er, strange note a while back, from the Colisea Arcadia. There was an audio-visual recording that I was able to replay, thanks to some ingenuity from the CaraKin... I could show you. There were some interesting warnings from the past... of diseases and atrophying of that era."
There's a pause, as if of recognition. "I recall... ah, it was Lily who could understand the warnings in that recording. Her recognition of the ancient language is amazing."
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Penelope continues to stare...
...stare, into the endless realm of glitter. ...Ultimately, the pigeon's feathers ruffle. She looks away, as if discomfited, and hunches up. K.O.?!
Josie, meanwhile, unaware that an epic battle of the eyes has been fought -- and lost -- by Penelope, merely shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. It was a few years ago, so what's done is done." She bares her teeth briefly. "Heh heh... Rivalry is a little /too/ fierce in academia, sometimes. But it's alright, they won't get a second chance at it." And though she smiles, there's something about that smile that...
"There's a few hints of it around here, but this really isn't the center of that civilization. Or wasn't, I suppose. ...Oh?" That's gotten Riesenlied Josie's attention. "Colisea Arcadia, huh? I had heard a few rumors about that place, but..." But her attention had been largely focused on finding and investigating a particular ruin.
"...Yeah. It sure is something, isn't it." Fishing her lighter out of her pocket, Josie toys with it for a moment or three, as if in contemplation of a smoke break. "Tiger -- Lily that is -- is chockful of surprises..." Even better than a linguist specializing in it, in fact. Hmm.
"Maybe I should borrow her arm sometime. I think she owes me after all that, anyway."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Muni-Muni continues to stare...
...stare, into the endless void of black. ...Ultimately, the rubbery blob of a Dragon -- tips. Tips in the way that a bottom-heavy thing does, discomfited, hunching up. "Muniii..." Double K.O.?!
There's a quiet shiver at Riesenlied as she places a hand to her opposing elbow. "... it was not so strange back home, but I never wished for it to be normal behaviour. But to know it happens out here too is..."
There's a quietly disappointed sigh, but she puts a smile back on.
"I heard... that there was a girl who encountered a Zeboim ruin, as well -- she was travelling with Jacqueline? I'd heard the tale here and there," Riesenlied also advises. "But I'm afraid there's no other leads I have..."
She does turn towards Muni-Muni, however, patting her on the head and encouraging her up. "Up you go, Muni...!"
The Dragon sproings back, suddenly refreshed, like a staring contest was the ultimate measure of it having made a friend!!
Who knows how Muni Logic works? It's as unknowable as Penelope Logic.
"Her ARM? Mm... I can't say I've seen it in action, but I do not use them myself... they do not synchronise with me at all," as she seats herself on the rider's saddle and holds her hand out for Josie.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
Or perhaps... mutually lost, by both parties. For very different reasons each, naturally.
"Happens in a lot of places, I suppose... Well, look. Like I said, it's in the past... and it's not something you've gotta worry about." Once again, the archaeologist shrugs expansively and sighs.
On the other hand, she'll take the tips about places to look.
"With the Caravan Kinship? Hmmm, I've got a good idea of who you might be talking about..." There's at least two kids she know who fit the bill traveling with those folks. "Arcadia Colisea sounds promising. Maybe if I can get down that way..." Not the ruin she was looking into, but there's such a thing as going above and beyond. It can't hurt, and who knows...
Josie pauses for a moment. Her lips move. "Her ARM? Oh. Right! No, not that kind of ARM, but I guess it could be either, considering the contents of some ruins..." She really should take a good look at that Rosenwasser thing sometime... assuming Lily doesn't shoo her away. Granted, by 'take a look at' Josie does really mean 'take apart', but you don't always get what you want.
"...Well, that's interesting," Josie remarks, taking ahold of Riesenlied's hand to climb aboard. As if irritated, Penelope fully hunkers down, eyes squeezed shut. "Now, here I'd thought that Metal Demons were naturals at using ARMs. A lot of those weapons come from that era, yeah? ...Interesting."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Let me know if you wish to go -- it's strange, but... perhaps there can be more that can be understood there. I can at least lend a hand," Riesenlied remarks as she starts to let them rise to the air. She thinks of picking up Odjn for a moment, but is sure that she probably wants to hustle and bustle at least a little bit longer...
"My brethren are, yes, but... ...my Tainted nature prevents me from doing so," Riesenlied scratches her cheek. "Just swords and bows for me, unfortunately."
With that, the yellow blob is up in the air and away -- surprisingly mobile, given its decidedly rotund and unaerodynamic shape.
<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.
"I'll keep it in mind. Way I figure, Lily," she says, using the girl's proper name for a change, "owes me one, so maybe we'll just make a girl's night out sometime. A little expedition for the ladies?" In spite of the fact that this is a terrible sort of pun, if it can even be called clever enough for that, she laughs /anyway/.
"Hmm."
That, is a bit of information the archaeologist quietly files away.
"You know there are people who think synchonization in humans is because they have Metal Demon ancestry? Wouldn't this be a laugh."
And with that -- and with a pocketing of her lighter (the smoke will have to wait) -- she settles in to hold on tight as they take off.
If any of the others ran into trouble on their way out... well, it's their own problem now.