2018-02-06: Don't Talk To Strangers
- Log: Don't Talk To Strangers
- Cast: Catenna, Ethius Hesiod, Cyre H. Lorentz, Carina Wynne, Jacqueline Barber, Matilda Whitehead, Kourin, Fei Fong Wong
- Where: CaraKin
- Date: February 6, 2018
- Summary: CaraKin receives an important public service announcement about Veruni.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
This wasn't a conversation Catenna was looking forward to having. But it was inevitable: She's the only member of the CaraKin from Elru, at a time when Veruni are beginning to crop up here in Ignas, far afield from their usual stamping grounds. And then there's Kaguya.
And Ambrosius, for that matter.
Catenna set a small table outside the CaraKin with a few chairs and a few bowls, providing everyone with a tall glass of minted yoghurt-milk stuff and a bowl of medium-heat korma - simple dinner fare. She doesn't have any herself. She has, however, hung a chalkboard on one side of the CaraKin, from one of the vehicle's various and sundry exterior protrusions. She's jotted down a couple of words on it:
- VERUNI 101
Smoothing the skirt of her long day-to-day dress, Catenna draws in a little breath and collects herself, looking up towards the sky a moment, then checking out those who've come to see if Matilda made it. After the girl all but calling her a racist last time this came up, she isn't eager to give this lecture to her.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius is the first one here. He shows up punctually. If there was a specific time, or a descriptor of the sun's position of the sky, he is there at the appointed time without fail - exactly on time. Rather than have a seat, he stands off towards the left-hand side of the gathering (assuming from Catenna's point of view, if she stands to face back from the chalkboard).
He is quiet until she speaks, suppressing the natural small movements of the human body to stand motionless and at attention.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
There is an empty bowl of curry.
It's sitting in the vague proximity of one Cyre H. Lorentz.
Is it any real wonder where it might have gone, given the context?
But Cyre is sitting attentively regardless. After all, this is a topic that's gotten Catenna all kinds of riled up, and she needs his support! And thus, he is here.
He has always been here.
The fact that there is curry involved is only a side-benefit, definitely.
Still, he gives Catenna a reassuring smile as the others begin to trickle in. It'll be okay. Probably...!
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
If nothing else, Catenna can always count on Cyre to make her feel a little better. She inclines her head back to him with a small smile, not wanting to let her 'quiet teacher' mindset fade too much, yet showing a flash of gentleness and appreciation through it anyway. Kittum deserves that much from her.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
It is a safe bet that Carina will show up to just about anything if there's a meal involved. It could be a paperwork party and you could count on her presence! Of course, getting her to get any paperwork done would be another story.
"Hey, y'all!" she says, plopping into her seat with a cheery grin. You'd almost think nobody is about to talk about her painful past. She licks her lips at the bowl in front of her, and starts digging in without waiting for anyone-- Cyre obviously didn't, after all.
"So how's the babby owl doing?" she asks. "Still sitting snug in their egg? I haven't had the chance to check in a few days, or fit it for egg armor, or roost or anything."
No, Carina didn't roost. (Nor Locus, for that matter.) AS FAR AS ANYONE KNOWS.
Members of channel <O-Caravan Kinship> are:
Carina Wynne, Catenna, Cyre H. Lorentz, Ethius Hesiod, Heal Berry, Jacqueline Barber, Lunata Croze, Lydia Seren, Matilda Whitehead, Shalune Amira, and Sheriff Star
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Veruni. Until the situation with Kaguya, Jacqueline had thought they were just a myth. A story told to frighten children, and used as an excuse in various matters. She had never thought they might still be around...and yet, it became all too clear that they were.
One of them had even been living amongst them.
After her talk with Kaguya, Jacqueline is a little...conflicted. She's not to sure what to make of the situation, but even so she arrives. She takes a chair quietly and sits. Her attention turns toward the refreshments Catenna had provided, but right now they're not her primary interest.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
If nothing else, Catenna can always count on Cyre to make her feel a little better. She inclines her head back to him with a small smile, not wanting to let her 'quiet teacher' mindset fade too much, yet showing a flash of gentleness and appreciation through it anyway. Kittum deserves that much from her.
"It has yet to hatch," Catenna admits with a faint smile for Carina, her cheeks colouring. "I have had some help keeping it warm." She gestures to one side of the chalkboard.
There is a little stool there. The pure white Egg sits atop it, wrapped in a little striped scarf in an Ellurian geometric pattern.
Moving over to the chalkboard, Catenna picks up a piece of chalk and turns to the rest of the group. Her heels click gently together. "I will try to keep this simple, because I admit, there are many things about Veruni that are not known," she says. "Their ways are often mysterious, even to those who have been inside their Control Zones. What we do know of them, however, is that, much like Metal Demons, they are not... as far as we know... compatible with Filgaia."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius continues to watch and listen quietly. Not once does he face over to say 'hello' to any of the others he travels alongside on a daily basis. He sees no cause in which to interrupt through action or question as of yet.
Jacqueline Barber (Jay) pages Carina Wynne and Catenna: I'd be okay with that! Jay's also going to be wanting to relay something she learned from Kaguya at some point during this conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Little did absolutely everyone realize that this egg had been adopted by the resident quantum plurality known as Schrodinger. There is always a Schrodinger curled up around the egg, keeping it warm. Or maybe there isn't? There is a 50-50 chance that there is a cute cat curled up around the egg at any one time. You can't tell as long as you're staring at it. Stop staring. It's rude.
Cyre is not staring at the egg, he is instead watching Catenna intently, only looking away to wave hello to Carina and Jay as they shuffle in. And Ethius too, but he's a dirty cheater and was here before the sun alighted on the horizon this morning, probably.
"So that's what the business about seeing Elder Halle was, huh? Trying to get the Guardians to... fix her compatibility?"
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Carina notices the egg when Catenna points it out. She puts her hands to her cheek. "Aw! Whooo's a precious lil' egg babby? Yes, you are!"
Catenna starts speaking, and Carina's expression grows more serious. "Guess it makes sense that they'd be mysterious. Until like two weeks ago I thought Veruni were just spooky story monsters, like... gremlins 'n' such."
Gremlins are probably random encounters SOMEWHERE. Carina will be really mad when she finds out.
"Are, huuuh, the Guardians right 'n' cheesed with 'em too?" she asks, putting a spoonful in her mouth. "Sho now-- Sorry, so now they want to do a bunch of statue vandalism?"
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda, against her better judgment, is here. She's running a little late, and is one of the last to filter in; she enters about the same time that Catenna picks up that piece of chalk. She looks a little nervous; her shoulders are slighlty hunched, her arms crossed over her stomach.
She does listen, though -- and then when Carina asks a question, she actually has an answer. "The Guardians," Matilda says, "Regard them as their 'ancient enemy.' Not on a case by case basis, either -- every man, woman, and child."
... She doesn't offer more than that now.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline's attention turns to the egg for a moment when Carina brings it up. ...Seeing the egg wearing that little scarf is pretty adorable, she has to admit. The only thing that's missing is, say....maybe one of Shalune's bobble hats.
"'Not compatible'...Lucadia said something of the sort. She called them- yes." Jacqueline says, glancing toward Matilda as she arrives.
"...I thought that meant Metal Demons, but...it seems as if they're not the only ones..." Jacqueline comments with a frown.
'Not compatible'...what Jacqueline found worrying was Matilda's findings on Zopt Syndrome, and how it came from a different but similar source...what could that mean?
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Dragging a piece of white chalk across a board, Catenna draws out an irregular vertical shape, then taps it once. "Let us say this is, roughly, Elru. The Zortroa live here, near a city called Elesius," she says, circling a small area at the south of the continent. "And the Veruni hold an area which is called the Control Zone. It is roughly... here." She draws another circle over the representation of Elru.
It covers everything except the dangling southern bit of the continent.
She nods quietly to Cyre, her eyes tightening at the outer corners. "I believe so. Nobody knows what a Veruni's body is like...."
Well, okay, Catenna realizes. Matilda might.
Oh wait, Matilda's here and trying to make a statement. Great.
"...If you will let me answer, Matilda," Catenna says with a slight tilt of her head.
"What we know is this," Catenna says. "The Veruni first arrived about one hundred years ago. Nobody is quite sure of their precise origin, but many say they descended from the heavens during what was known as the Night of Falling Stars. It is because of this that my people call them Amanevy - the Strangers - though it is an... imprecise word, and probably not very nice." She clears her throat. "In any case. It is said that they arrived all across Filgaia and attacked immediately, but struck Elru the hardest. They were repulsed from the rest of the world, save most of the Ellurian continent. Until recent years, the lands of Arctica and Garlyle hemmed them in. In recent years, they too have fallen under the Veruni Control Zone."
Catenna tilts her head. "What we do know of them is that their people are dying."
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Well. That would explain a little bit why basically the entire northern bit of Elru is virtually a no-man's land," Cyre says with a soft sigh. How many people had been... Subjugated? Conquered? "I've never actually been to a Control Zone, myself. Nearest I've ever gone was the Lightless Shaft, and even then..."
He shakes his head, then shrugs. "They've got a presence on Ignas, is all I know. And they've got a bone to pick and a time limit. That makes them... Dangerous, I guess. Hm."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius continues to be a virtually unmoving figure. Standing at attention, hands behind his back, he does not so much as flinch from the outburst from Matilda's end. He takes in every word as spoken from Catenna - as someone who may know more about this Veruni than (almost) anyone else among them. This is only partially true.
What of his facial expressions can be read from his brow, there is a noted hardening that runs a gradient from 'staring intensely' towards... well, his gaze seems so focused that describing his eyes as 'narrowing' may not convey the nature of this change.
"They took immediate military action upon their arrival." He basically echoes Catenna's sentiments as he, at last, closes his eyes. This might be the first time he's blinked. "I apologize for the interruption, Miss Catenna. I do have further query on this subject."
He opens his eyes again. "You specified that Elru was struck the hardest. Do you have any theory as to why they seemed to concentrate their offensive upon the region?"
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Carina gives Matilda a welcoming look as she arrives. She seems nervous, which is understandable, not that Carina really knows the details there.
"That's rough," she concludes, eloquently.
Catenna continues, with helpful visual aids. Carina wonders for a moment, uncomfortably, whether she should be taking notes. ...Nah, it'll probably be fine. She stays silent, continuing to wolf down her food.
An ancient world takeover attempt. Most of a continent under their control. But they are dying.
"So everybody's got reasons to be desperate, huh. ...That's rough," she maintains, just in general.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin arrives late. She had to take the dogs for a run.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline looks over Catenna's representation of Elru, nodding in understanding. She had heard Elru was dangerous...inwardly, she tries to map out where Shalune would have stayed during her time in Elru, at least until Catenna continues.
"I do feel sorry for them, but it doesn't excuse the way they treat people. They might have an easier time finding a cure if they worked with us instead of, um, well..."
Jacqueline trails off. She...doesn't think she really needs to finish the statement, and if she does, she imagines Catenna can fill in.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda looks pretty chastised, and actually stays quiet for a good, long time. She goes back to listening, arms crossed, chewing at her lower lip a little. Jay's comment gets her to turn her attention her way for a few moments.
"... They're not all -- committed, to this, in the same way... some of them don't even know all of this is happening." Again, all she offers; she goes back to shrinking into the corner and worrying at her lower lip now.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"No, people do live within the Control Zone," Catenna says with a quiet shrug towards Cyre. "There are said to be cities. And as Elder Halle indicated, there are mines, which require... labourers."
The priestess drags her chalk over the board to circle an area in the middle of Elru. "I do not really know why," she concedes to Ethius. "There are mountains in that part of Elru. Perhaps they appreciated the defensive terrain. Or perhaps no nation of Elru was powerful enough to oppose them. Even today, none of us have weapons like they do... they have ARMs which are as powerful as some of the most ancient and wondrous ARMs we have ever discovered."
The priestess clears her throat gently, nodding back to Jacqueline. "I also do," she says. "As with the Metal Demons, I do not think that all of the Veruni are bad, nor all to blame for the actions of the past." Here, she nods to Matilda, her expression softening a little.
"Matilda is quite right in that respect. We do not know what goes on in whichever cities the Veruni dwell, or what their leaders think. It is said that they think of humans as inferior. But this is a general statement... to judge them all by this standard would be wrong."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"Those are sound theories." Ethius says. Defensible terrain, just to make extra sure their advantage in technology remains unchallenged... as talk about how there are those that are sympathetic, and how it is simply wrong to generalize them all, the strange man does not seem to see it fit to dwell on that particular subject.
"The Veruni are stated to have superior weapons available to them." To say nothing of their physical gifts. Plenty have seen what Kaguya was capable of doing to Ethius. His life came within inches of ending by a shoulder tackle into a suplex. That crater could have been his pre-dug grave, just for him.
"I do find the matter peculiar, Miss Catenna, if you do not mind my asking once again." Ethius' gaze is unchanging as he speaks. "'They were repulsed from the rest of the world.' What force was able to prevent them from overrunning the entirety of Filgaia?"
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Carina glances as Jacqueline trails off. This is another thing she doesn't know the details about. But as... scatterbrained as she can be, Carina sure has a big imagination. She knows mines can be total torture dumps, for starters.
She listens to Matilda's offer of nuance, and Catenna's acknowledgement thereof.
"Hmmm." Ancient and wonderful ARMs. Carina has a wonderful ARM, all right, but a whole race with those sounds like a very dangerous foe.
She then goes for a reckless rodeo on the elephant in the living room: "Where does Kaguya stand on all that stuff, anyway? I wasn't there when she, huuuh..." She gestures.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Mmmn, regardless of whether they're sympathetic or not, the fact remains that they keep humans as slaves, conquered vast swaths of territory, and I'd wager one of the few things that keep them in check is that sickness of theirs. If there's treatment available for it, then it could probably be found only near their home bases, right?" Cyre muses, swirling about a glass full of rich lassi.
"Anyway, what I want to know is what they're doing out... here. Are they trying to free the Demon Mother too? Or is there something else going on?"
A beat. He tosses back some of that drink before shrugging in Carina's general direction. "Good question," a mote of fury boils at the back of his throat, giving his words a noticable roughness and fury, "Nevermind stabbing us in the back and using Catenna and I to get her to Elder Halle, destroying the Guardian Statue, and... All this. If she's indicative of how the Veruni behave..."
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin remains silent. She knows little enough that she doesn't really even know what to ask. An expression of concern marks her face.
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
"... well, we're seeing each other," Matilda answers Carina, "Which seems to suggest some things about openness to humans."
The topic of the conversation shifts a little, and Matilda... decides that it'd be extremely unproductive
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
"... well, we're seeing each other," Matilda answers Carina, "Which seems to suggest some things about openness to humans."
The topic of the conversation shifts a little, and Matilda... decides that it'd be extremely unproductive to say anything else here. She knows when she's got the minority opinion and no productive way to bring it up.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline nods in understanding. Yes, it was important to remember that. Just as one couldn't put every human into one category, or even every Metal Demon, the Veruni must be the same way...
Catenna continues, speaking of the cities within the Control Zones and the higher-ups of the Veruni.
And then, Carina asks about Kaguya.
"Well, um...about Kaguya. I actually, um...I spoke with her a few days ago." Jacqueline says. She doesn't specify that Kaguya had actually requested she come alone at midnight to a section of November City, even if it was one of the more guarded ones. "I told her what Elder Halle said about what the Veruni were doing, and...it didn't sound like she had heard about that before."
She looks at Catenna, then.
"She asked about you, too. She was glad to hear you survived." She says. "And...additionally, um...she gave me a warning. About...one of their higher-ups. To relay to all of you."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"I am not sure, Ethius," Catenna admits with a frown, touching curled fingers to the point of her chin. "My grandmother told us stories from her grandmother's time of sky spirits who descended to fight the Amanevy, but I know nothing of how true they are. Only that they control most of Elru, and they their leaders wish to have more of it." She clears her throat.
Catenna glances towards Cyre and reveals, "Kaguya is not the only Veruni here. She is not even the first I have met in Ignas. The first took the viewpoint that only their kind could prevent humans from destroying ourselves. Opinions among them will vary... Kaguya was willing to travel with us, while Ambrosius was not. It is important to be aware that some of them will think this way... and that many of them may be their leaders, who will be the ones 'calling the shots,' so to speak...."
As Matilda speaks up, Catenna sends a quiet but profoundly sympathetic look her way.
But then, there's Jay, with word about Kaguya. Blinking quickly, Catenna purses her lips for a moment. "I hope she is well," she murmurs. "Please... what was her warning, Jay?"
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin looks surprised and blushes slightly as Matilda speaks up.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
"Yeah, okay, fair then," Carina tells Cyre, briefly looking sheepish. Then Matilda provides a counterpoint, which makes Carina blush a little, and she nods silently.
This seems... like a complicated situation!! Carina isn't great with those.
"Sky spirits..." Carina crosses her arms, looking thoughtful for a moment. Her eyes light up. "I... have no idea what those could be! Space ghosts, maybe?" She's helping!
Then Jay has an interesting tidbit to share. Carina's head swivels, almost launching the spoon from her mouth. She takes it out, because yeesh.
"Huh!!" She leans in to hear more.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius turns his head to cast a glance at the rest of them. (This might be why he elected to stand off to one specific side of the gathering, rather than sit at the center.)
Not a glance - practically a glare.
"While I understand that several of you have strong feelings as regards one specific member of the Veruni," Ethius says, without ever saying their name, "it is imperative one understands the nature and magnitude of the threat the Veruni now pose to everyone and everything you hold dear."
He says this without any real emotion behind it. Words just... spoken, exactly as they mean, with often suboptimal word economy. "I ask that we leave the matter of the one we are most knowledgeable of be, for sake of the subject."
He notices how Kourin seems to be quiet, maybe a bit disturbed, or... embarrassed? He takes a hand to his forehead. This is the first time he's broken that 'military man at attention' posture as he regards her. The one eye that can be seen thanks to the positioning of his hand closes. Does he have something to say to her?
He seems to think better of it, as he relaxes that hand back behind his... back.
"My apologies, Miss Catenna. Please continue."
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Space ghosts?" Cyre looks agog at Carina. "That's... Is that a thing? I guess those two in the Seven Pillars are kind of like Space Ghosts..." Well, nevermind that. Cyre gives Ethius a nod and a look that says he actually agrees with ninety-percent of what he's saying. This is perhaps not a look Ethius is particularly accustomed to.
"Alright, fair enough. Probably best to keep conversation to just the Veruni as a whole. It's not like this is the Vent Frustration Hour, right?" He glances back to Catenna and smiles sheepishly, "Sorry. It's been... A long few weeks."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
And suddenly
Lydia busts in, arriving late. Wait, was she gonna skip the lecture since she heard a lot already at the Baskar Colony?? Or is she just a little awful?? Or maybe she already figured out her opinion on 'The Veruni' as a whole and 'The Veruni' as individual people. Either way she waves over largely towards teh group. "HEY SORRY I'M LATE!" She says. "I had a brilliant idea!"
She spots Matilda. "OH hey Matilda! I ran into Kaguya and we worked shit out. I was looking everywhere for you, coolgal!"
She gives Matilda a comradely 'shoulder pat' with her metal hand before she realizes it's the metal hand she's using.
"Now we didn't really bring it up exactly, but I think we decided against trying to set up a threesome. I mean, we just kinda ran into each other to be honest but I guess it's not super healthy anyway while she's dealing with all this Primitive Filgaian Guilt."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"Miss Lydia." Ethius' voice is noticeably louder. He doesn't look her in the eyes.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin stares fixedly at her hands, folded in her lap, blushing bright, bright pink. She shifts her weight slightly.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline nods. It's true, focusing on Kaguya shifted further from the point at hand. And so, she moves on to deliver the warning...or at least she attempts to, until Lydia busts on in, with, um a lot to say! It leaves her a little dumbfounded and maybe a little red for a moment...before eventually she clears her throat.
"A-a-aaanyway...!" She says. It...takes her a moment to regain her composure, even after that.
"There's one of them that goes by the name of...'Kartikeya'. He's...well, in her words, he's a 'psycho'. It sounds like he only cares about fighting and destruction, and that he doesn't particularly care if it's human or Veruni." Jacqueline explains. "She said that he's leagues stronger than she is, and, well..."
She's certain they all remember what fighting her was like.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Lydia says "oh shit--" as she realizes Ethius is there (Why does he have to be so silent?!) and she covers her mouth with a hand.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Leave it to the team lump to get straight to the hard points. Catenna purses her lips as Ethius speaks up - and try though she might, she finds it hard to come up with a good reason to contradict him.
Because he's right. Personal feeling about Kaguya or not, the Veruni are a danger.
Before she can say anything else, Asteroid shows up shouting about sex. Catenna blinks a couple of times, her cheeks colouring slightly.
"'Primitive Filgaian Guilt?'" she asks, eyebrows coming up.
More to the point is what Jacqueline says. Frowning, Catenna lowers her head and folds her arms under the curve of her chest. "Troubling," she murmurs. "If he is one of their leaders, it may confirm what is going on... crazy leaders above a rank-and-file who are not much different than Kaguya."
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Cyre asks about space ghosts. "Maybe??" Carina says with a nod. "I mean, if there are regular ghosts, why not space ghosts, right?" She has never actually seen a regular ghost (unless you count Ge Ramda).
Then Ethius warns them about the danger the Veruni pose, with his usual ethiusness, trying to steer the conversation away from Kaguya.
Then suddenly, Lydia!!
Carina's cheeks redden. So THIS is what is going on in Lydia's cosmic mind!
But luckily Jay is there to save the day from awkwardness, and picks up where she left off. Carina doesn't like the sound of this.
"Yeah, okay, that's not great. Guess it's like we said, they've also got all kinds... So that means some trigger-happy nutcases. This guy's gonna be a problem, huh?"
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda gets metal-patted and looks up from her 'I'm-going-to-stay-quiet-this-time' posture toward Lydia. She is kind of bowled over by the sum total of... well, everything Lydia brings up. She looks gobsmacked.
"... We'll -- discuss that, later," is all that she manages to brig herself to say. She shifts a little uneasily -- but fortunately Jay gives her something else to respond to. "... That -- I'll note that, I suppose," Matilda says, taking a breath.
... granted, her dealings may put her in close proximity with Kartikeya sooner than the rest of them, if she keeps going to see Kaguya...
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Yes...Jacqueline wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. If only there were a way to get in contact with more of that rank-and-file, to try and explain what's going on, and see if they couldn't find anyone who may be sympathetic... Well, that'd be a difficult task, and right now it seemed there were only two Veruni they really knew about. And they already knew their opinions on the matter.
"Most likely, yes..." Jacqueline agrees with a nod. "We should keep him in mind...but for right now, we can only hope that we won't have to deal with him."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius closes his eyes again as the aftermath of Lydia's outburst plays out. He doesn't have his quarterstaff on him. The ground they stand on might be too soft even if he did, but...
"The matters of a Kartikeya aside," 'a' Kartikeya? Maybe he's mistaking that name for that of a Veruni rank label and not a terrifying monster, "if I am to understand the events that happened in which I was... incapacitated," he opens his eyes up again, "it can be directly confirmed that the goals of the Veruni and the goals of the Metal Demons appear aligned... in so much that one of the Veruni agents was able to successfully accomplish the destruction of a Guardian Statue."
...
A thought crosses him as he brings a hand up to his forehead. An interesting picture begins to form. He murmurs something about numbers in years, which he will probably not be sharing with the rest of the class.
It's a subject to return to for another time.
"Miss Catenna. Are there any means in which you are aware that we may be able to identify other Veruni agents that may yet be out on the field?"
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"It can be hard to tell," Catenna admits with a frown, deliberately detaching herself from the conversation about Matilda's sex life as she better turns towards Ethius. "Sometimes there are tells. I was able to spot Ambrosius because of his odd cadence, and the fact that he came from Elru but did not carry himself like an Arctican, Garlylean or Elesian. Kaguya, on the other hand... I would not even have guessed."
In hindsight, she should've.
"In any case," she says, moving one hand to rest at the curve of her hip with a firm plant, her stance shifting as she straightens her shoulders. "You may take the information about the Veruni in general however you wish. I am not asking anyone to change their opinions about Kaguya - only to be aware that there is a danger out there, and it may take the form of someone who is less sympathetic to us than Kaguya is, or less known to us for that matter."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Lydia is relieved when Ethius doesn't lecture him but she might be well trained enough at this point that she just shuts herself up on her own and Ethius doesn't have to. It's one of the benefits of Lydia actually liking you, maybe. Or at least this kind of liking.
Still that is pretty much what was going on in Lydia's cosmic mind. LOOK SHE HAS EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS. And it seems babbling about it like that has improved her mood maybe? Hard to say.
She unfortunately missed most of this meeting so she goes quiet for a bit as they go on about Veruni agents. "I always thought maybe they were crimson nobles. I mean, Kaguya said they ruled Filgaia like a zillion years ago and Kaguya has fangs."
Pause. "That's normal for Veruni right?"
She pats Matilda a few more times. pat pat. pat.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
"At least they both hate the Guardians and the Guardians hate 'em, too," Carina points out, as was mentioned earlier. "So I guess it'd make sense for them to tag-team once in a while."
She puffs her cheeks, thinking again. Filgaia sure is having a lot of weird, complicated problems she didn't know about, isn't it? But at least punching a Kartekiya doesn't seem too complicated. (Very dangerous, on the other hand!)
"Wait, are you saying Crimson Nobles are real too?" Carina asks Lydia, mouth agape, with the utmost seriousness.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius listens along to Catenna's observations and estimations about how one picks out a probable Veruni agent. His gaze falls upon the quieter Matilda, then towards the talkative Lydia who continues to let her mouth run with all manner of information.
He regards the two of them quietly for a while. Disapproving? Contemplative? It's hard to tell. Maybe if he'd take the bandanna off his face, they could see him... frown? Smile? Make weird kissy faces? They've only got the eyes to work with, and they don't give much. But those eyes take. Do they ever take.
"I have no further questions at this time." Ethius decides, leveling his gaze back towards Catenna and keeping his hands folded behind his back once again. "I ask all present to heed Miss Catenna's words on the matter closely. The matter at hand..."
There've been more pauses than usual in his speech. This one is especially long, as though he were considering his word choices carefully after he started speaking. This is rare.
"...I do not take lightly." Those are the words he settles on.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"Honestly," Catenna admits with a shrug for Lydia, "I have no idea what happened in early Veruni history. My knowledge begins when the Amanevy descended on the Night of the Falling Stars in the time of my ancestors. The teeth I don't know about... I did not see Ambrosius's teeth, though. He tends to keep his mouth covered."
The priestess flips her hair back, moving to retrieve the egg from her little side stool. She cradles it in her arms, adjusting its little hat and scarf.
"Santi," she murmurs to the little egg, smiling as if it were a child.
Looking up again, she turns her eyes towards Ethius with quiet gratitude - and perhaps a bit of doubt. It's not often that she gets outright support from the CaraKin's most cryptic member.
I hope this doesn't mean I really AM the odd one.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
That's a good question. Was there any way to identify Veruni agents? Jacqueline...doesn't really know the answer. It seems like some of them are easier to spot than others, and then there were those like Kaguya...it was entirely possible that they'd met other Veruni already, and weren't even aware of it.
With that, she offers a polite nod toward Catenna.
"Thank you for enlightening us, Catenna. If they're out there, it's important for us to keep them in mind...particularly if the desires of those in command align with the Metal Demons."
She says...and then glances toward Lydia with a slight frown.
"I, um...don't think that's the case, but I suppose I can't know for sure." She replied. She couldn't confirm or deny about Veruni commonly having fangs, though. "I used to think Noeline was a Crimson Noble, but, ah, I think that was just how she wanted it..."
<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.
Matilda stays quiet and lets herself get patted; she also continues to worry at her lower lip -- and lets out a small squeak of pain when, presumably, she gnaws on the skin a little too hard. The mention of early Veruni history gets her to speak up again, though.
"I've heard that as well -- that they once lived on Filgaia... It's something I've been -- meaning to look into, more." Again: All she offers. She's been very careful about how much she speaks.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Keeping your mouth covered," Lydia says. "Sounds like something a Crimson Noble would do."
She slowly slants her eyes towards Ethius. She hasn't seen any evidence they AREN'T crimson nobles so that means it's still on the table. "I guess I'll know for sure eventually, though."
She glances to Matilda. "Yeah. She mentioned that while she was kicking my guts in."
Carina Wynne (Locus) pages Jacqueline Barber, Catenna, and Ethius Hesiod: Thinking about it Iiii think I'll keep the dramatic reveal for another time, it's starting to be a bit too late to start a completely unrelated conversation
Jacqueline Barber (Jay) pages Carina Wynne, Catenna, and Ethius Hesiod: Alright! I think it might be good to give that its own dedicated scene, anyway.
Ethius Hesiod (Ethius) pages Jacqueline Barber, Carina Wynne, and Catenna: Probably for the best.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
"...Yeah," Carina says with a nod, at the end of Ethius' speech and Catenna's own conclusion. She doesn't have much to add, it's that simple!
"Is that what you're callin' 'em?" Carina asides to Catenna, resting her chin on her fists and returning her attention to the ADORABLE EGG.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"They may have," Catenna concedes with a shrug at Matilda. "If they did, then they somehow left Filgaia and returned."
Her eyes tighten at the outer corners. "I am not making a moral judgment on their claims, Matilda, nor am I saying they are invalid. I would prefer to live harmoniously with the Veruni. But wherever the Veruni may have come from, the Veruni of today have conquered almost all of Elru, own mines full of enslaved human beings, and have smashed two of the Statues needed to protect the world from Mother. We also know that, whatever individual Veruni may think, as an organized force they are unlikely to want to be your friend, or even to consider you an equal. We can hope that more of them are like Kaguya, or even Riesenlied. But we can expect that many will not be."
Catenna keeps her tone even, but there's a touch of unspoken frustration in her eyes as she begins to turn away, nodding to Jacqueline simply. Carina at least gives her something else to talk about.
"No, it means peace," she answers, her smile wan and just the slightest bit tired.
<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.
Kourin seems to have recovered somewhat from her earlier embarrassment. "Peace would be a good name," she murmurs.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
When it is brought up that the teeth are one way to identify Veruni, there may yet be suspicion about whether or not Ethius has those same teeth. If he's caught wise to the imaginations of some, one would imagine the reasonable thing is to go 'nope, not Veruni, see, look at my smile!'
He does not. He's got a hand on his forehead - he can't seem to help himself from doing that when he's stuck thinking - as the discussion goes towards matters of where the Veruni were prior to a century ago.
Is there something about this picture he should feel strongly about? True to what he has spoken, he has no further questions, and thus commences continuing to creep everyone out by his very presence.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
"I agree with Kourin!!" Carina nods with a grin.
+Vote: Ethius Hesiod has voted for you.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"I think for that, you would be better off asking the Guardians themselves... They must have done something long ago, to be considered 'ancient enemies'..." Jacqueline comments, then shakes her head. "I don't think it's anything that can be answered at the moment, however..."
She didn't think she had more to add to the conversation at hand, however. Catenna was right - as an organized force, they were dangerous.
For now, however, Jacqueline goes silent, quietly contemplating what all of this meant for the future...
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
That's it, Lydia thinks. He's a vampire.
She is convinced of this until she changes her mind.