2018-03-23: Metal Dreams

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<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

MERIBIA! Brawling city of XXX thousand souls! And significantly more actual people, probably.

Several cheap painted signs with an eye-catching blocky decorative pattern on the top have been propped up:

"METAL DREAMS" Get the weapon YOU dream bring YOUR dreams to LIFE !! (We pay for salvage!)

Plus some notes on which way to head from each sign.

"METAL DREAMS" is in the back of a farrier's shop. Like, literally. There are horses in the front. This seems to give access to a forge, or something near to one. Prissa herself is seated in this little niche that's probably honestly more meant for nailing shoes onto horse hooves, picking dirt out of her fingernails and looking grim to herself. An anvil and some worn tools sit nearby, along with that peculiar drum of hers.

WHAT DO?

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied is in town, in part because she can't rest on her laurels forever while Hammer is missing -- she's gone to Meribia to attempt to investigate and see if anyone's heard of the missing information gatherer. She's got a pretty huge bounty on her head, so it's in an eared hood and cloak that she's here...

"Oh...?" She stops and turns towards Prissa's store, with a smile. "Miss Prissa, hello again," she softly expresses. "Have you set up shop here?"

She looks at that drum. She's curious about it, but didn't ask last time...

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong is also interested in finding Hammer before it's TOO LATE. Who knows what sort of horrible tortures are being inflicted upon him as we speak? He has been missing for so long...could there be anything left of Hammer The Supplier?!?! And if not, how do we get the Trader's Card???

Fei is following Riesenlied as a result. His bounty is largely a Filgaian bounty and as far as he's aware, the Guard hasn't chosen to go after him yet here. He waves a hand towards Prissa, stops, and then tilts his head. "Oh?" He looks to Riesenlied. "You know this woman?"

He looks back to Prissa. "Hello there. Nice to meetcha."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

In the end, the message was clear -- to restore the Tzadkiel to working order and to return to Filgaia -- they needed to obtain information on this world in which they've landed, and they need to obtain raw materials. And to properly obtain the latter, the former is needed, and in abundance.

So.

With the information gathered from some of the teams further afield -- and with the providence of a much-needed change of wardrobe -- Loren has ventured alone to the northern continent in search of precisely that. Local politics, resources, tales of lost ruins -- in sort, anything Gebler can use to gain whatever leverage they could in their ultimate goal here on Lunar. Which is why he's here in Meribia.

His gaze travels the crowd here as he, essentially, people-watches. In the process, noting a very familiar face. Oh, good. The pilot /survived/. He takes a step forward, trying to make out the face of the person accompanying Fei.

And in the process bumps right into one of the signs set up here, thus failing his stealth check entirely.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

At Riesenlied's other side - having finally managed to pin the other demon down after her jaunt overseas in pursuit of mysterious voices from ruins - is a figure who's been quite active around Vane as of late, keeping tabs on it. While she's theoretically got a bounty on her, Noeline seems much less bothered by it than Riesenlied, not least because she had the good sense to wear a mask while accruing it and also because she's at least partially changed her look since then.

At the moment she's looking like a knight whose black armor is a little too far towards the 'stylish' end to actually be effective; she doesn't carry a visible weapon, preferring instead to hold onto the other woman's hand as the pair of them make their way down a Meribia highway alongside the martial artist.

"I could rather get used to Meribia, I think," she wonders aloud. "But I do have to admit being somewhat out of my depth when it comes to asking awkward questions like where missing people might be. Were we back home I'd just use the Memory Statues, but here..." she trails off, and just offers a light shrug. Somehow, she's a little more suspicious preying to a Goddess Statue rather than a more neutral figure, even if it has made strides towards mending Riesenlied's wounds.

Riesenlied's introduction and Fei's question make her look in that direction, and her eyebrows lightly raise up. "Ah-- I think you mentioned her, didn't you?" she asks the blonde. "Certainly, better to set up in Meribia rather than Vane, on the whole."

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"Oh! Hey!" Prissa says, startling up as she sees someone approach. A customer - and another person she's seen, yet. She grins at Riesenlied. "You thinking about repairs or something? How's the little one liking the knife? I hope she ain't cut off her fingertip or anything yet!"

She gets off her stool and gives Fei a bobbing bow. "Hiya. Welcome to the forge of the future! ... At least that's what I like to say. My name is Prissa and I'm a weaponsmith. Are you in the market?"

She's beaming tt Noeline too and is about to say something when

thump

Loren bumps one of the signs. Now, these signs were painted using whitewash on dark pieces of scrap lumber that happened to be relatively broad, and it seems that Prissa hasn't been hanging the signs out for very long. The sign slides off its precarious perch and falls directly onto him, leaving a couple of pieces of that decorative patern, "MET, "Get ", and "brin" on Loren's chest.

Also, Prissa's head whirls like it's on a turret. "Hs!" she says towards Loren. "Bumbler!" She snaps her fingers twice, pointing at him. "Bring that right here! You've ruined my advertising!"

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied tilts her head as she looks to Noeline and says, "I suppose you were rather the type to gather information at parties rather than inquiry... but I do wonder if the local taverns have any rumours or information." She nods towards Fei with a smile to say, "I saw her at Vane while I was training--"

The sign clatters, and she yelps. "Oh, goodness, are you all right--"

Riesenlied helps Loren. It's super awkward as they stare at each other.

"O-oh, Mister Thomas...?" her eyes widen, as she instinctively finishes helping him up.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong says, "I don't really use a weapon," to Prissa. "Are you primarily a reforger?" He thinks it over. "A nice hunting knife would be good. It's a lot harder doing it with my bare hands." He is largely saying these things in case Prissa has intel on Hammer and she seems like the outgoing type. Maybe she does have something. But he seems to be letting Prissa handle such negotiations.

He glances to Riese and nods once to her. Honestly, even he has to quietly admit that he prefers the locale of Meribia to Vane but he isn't going to say that out loud because Lemina might be lurking about. Or Ramus might, which would be even worse.

But before he can comment much to anybody else, suddenly someone bumps into one of the signs. Fei spins on a heel and looks at him.

His eyes hone straight in towards Loren.

"Loren?!" He exclaims, since he is not a master of subterfuge and also isn't a Gebler agent. "What are you..."

No no it actually makes total sense for him to be here.

"...looking to buy..?"

The awkward shift there is obvious.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"It's more that I don't even know where would be safe to try. I don't have a sense for the place yet," she points out with a quiet sigh. "Asking at taverns is one thing - asking at speakeasies would probably be much more effective, but it's a matter of figuring out where those are. I suppose you could say there's an extra step that needs to be done on top, is perhaps the best way I could put it," Noeline explains further as she flicks out some of her hair, pausing to study Riesenlied. Perhaps she's still a little worried about the other woman's mental state, given everything that's gone on, but the spy is being kind of quietly clingy today.

She recovers quickly enough to bow her head at the merchant, at least, letting out a quiet chuckle. "Ah-- I /was/ wondering. Mikaia's been taking to the cooking with a new sort of confidence, yes. ... she keeps asking for vegetables to cut to show off," she adds with an amused sigh as she rather theatrically tilts her head.

She's just about to respond to Fei when the man from Gebler bounces off a sign; her eyebrows raise in mild surprise, and a wave from her hand sends one of her rotund ARM-pods bobbling from behind her to hover next to Riesenlied. With a cheery sort of whistle, it does its best to help get the man back to his feet by simply bumping up against Loren's back repeatedly. It's almost kind of affectionate.

--and then Fei and Riese use different names for him, and her attention sharpens as she beams a bright grin.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

This, honestly, is what he gets for not looking where he's going: absolutely flattened by a sign. Which, naturally, falls to earth with a thud along with him. (But it's ok, the only thing injured here is his dignity.)

Flat on his back, glasses askew across his face, for an instant all he can see is the open sky of Lunar -- and more distantly beyond it, the curve of the so-called 'Blue Star', Filgaia.

Before Riesenlied pops into his line of sight and grabs for his hand as he starts to lever himself up. There is a surpremely awkward moment right here as their gazes meet. His lips press thin. /Well, this is good./

He shakes her hand off in the next heartbeat, as the shopkeeper starts berating him for it.

"What were you doing, hanging them so low to start with?" he retorts, but, notably... does pick up the sign. Noting in the process that he's got part of it down his shirt. Great. ...As Fei calls out to him by his real name. There goes any cover he might have had. Just by /looking/ at that expression on Noeline's face, he knows it.

Something in Loren snaps. That's it. /That's it./ He's just come off, relatively speaking, one of the worst series of days in his life to date, he's stuck on the Old Moon without any discernable way back home, left with more thoughts and feelings than he ever wants to deal with right now, /and/ the distinct sense he's started to lose his grip on reality. And he's just ended up with paint on his clothes.

The remains of the sign are thrust towards Prissa with barely a word, before he rounds back towards the rest. His gaze sweeps the lot of them, finally coming to rest on Riesenlied.

"Yes. Congratulations," he says flatly, "you've found out my real name. Did you have any other clever observations you'd like to make?"

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

After yelling at Loren for a moment, Prissa swerves towards Fei. It is like a light going on and off. "I'm pretty flexible at a bunch of stuff, honestly. For now I do make a lot of knives! Do you want a nice one, something with taste and style to help you deal with the struggles of life? You know, if you get tied down, the best thing you can have is a knife!"

Then she looks back towards Noeline and Riesenlied, as there is a counterblast. Prissa's head tilts back and she stabs her finger forwards with accusation. "No back-talk, Loren Thomas! You will not-" Her hand snaps down to sweep the sign parts up, and she looks over them with thought.

The smaller one is tossed over her shoulder. "LOREN THOMAS!" she shouts. "Hand me the jar and the brush there!" Prissa points: fortunately these things are sitting, strangely enough, on the top of a fence rail near a small heap of scrap lumber, which may also explain where the signs came from.

"So do you all know each other? I have only met Miss Riesenlied," Prissa continues. "And only Loren Thomas's name is known to me now."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Did you have any other clever observations you'd like to make?

Riesenlied pauses for a moment as Loren flatly and irritatedly snaps, before holding still for a few seconds...

...then brushing part of the sign off and wiping something that'd smeared on his cheek when the sign fell on him.

"Just-- just that," Riesenlied smiles, entirely too innocently. "I wouldn't want Miss Prissa's sign to smear on you," especially as Prissa moves to request the jar and the brush.

/... really????/

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Oh uh. I mean. Thomas...Loren...Blackwell?" Fei tries. He doesn't really want Gebler after Noeline and Riese---------oh wait they already are totally after the Waysiders. Maybe he shouldn't worry too much? Well whatever, he's not Loren's brother or anything.

He coughs into his hand as Prissa starts calling him Loren Thomas. He was hiding a chuckle wasn't he?! Wasn't he?!?! He was. Sorry Loren. He's trying. He's trying real hard here.

He lowers his hand and figures if Loren's going to be a smartass then by god, he can be a smartass too.

"Well, you might've not noticed this, but we're on the moon. It's called Lunar now. And the Althena Guard is in charge. And Roland and Hyland are at war." Actually Loren might not know about that particular one yet but that doesn't stop Fei. "So I guess you folks finally decided to visit the sights, huh?" He tilts his head. "Were you guys able to get the statue? I kind of lost track when the lion man showed up."

He pauses. "And I know a tailor if you need one. Named Peter Porter. Want the address?"

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"Now, Fei-- you know, speaking as an ex-spy, I do have to make the point that that's /terribly/ rude. It's just simple courtesy to make sure everyone's on the same page as far as what your name should be. A slip like that could set you back days," she chides the martial artist next to her in an almost solemn fashion, but... well, the grin on her face really says it all, her eyes lit up with amusement.

That said, it's probably important to note that her glance at 'Thomas' isn't actually mocking, at least not right now. For all that she's prepared to milk this for all it's worth, her teasing isn't anywhere near as cutting as it could be, and as she touches her forehead she can't help a quietly amused grin. By rights, she should be more angered - as it is, the man's outburst seems to speak to some sort of common feeling, and she's prepared to take a cue from Riesenlied as far as not making waves here in the middle of Meribia.

After all, in the eyes of the Church, there's every chance that anyone from Filgaia are going to end up in the same boat, and that doesn't mean the prison in the Dragonship Destiny.

"... my name is Noeline," she comments towards Prissa with a light bow and a flourish. "I am Riese's partner, and Mikaia's other guardian - and I'd like to think I help protect them both from time to time," she adds with a chuckle. "It is always a little tricky, mind you."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

"..." Fei earns the gift of silence from Loren, along with a look that if it says anything, say something like 'are you kidding me' as clear as day. Then moves to roll his eyes as Noeline informs the pilot that what he'd just done was 'terribly rude'. Wonderful. He's thankful for a Metal Demon interceding on his behalf. He's in hell, let it end immediately.

"No back-talk, Loren Thomas!" says Prissa.

It's met by the most deadpan, level stare Loren can manage.

Then she 'asks' him to hand her the jar and the brush. He blinks, then shakes his head. "No. Do it yourself. I'm not your errand boy." ...The cut of those words may be somewhat undermined as Riesenlied reaches over to touch his cheek (he flinches away, too late) and wipes some of the paint off. "...What?" He quite honestly does not comprehend.

The flat tone doesn't shift. "Yes. I'm capable of looking up," he informs Fei with a gesture up towards the heavens, and moves as if he were about to fold his arms over his chest before remembering 'oh right, paint' and instead shifts his weight from one leg to another, uncomfortably. "And I also have ears." The rest of it, he appears to brush off, as if attempting to ignore it altogether. Well, except for the last: "Why, are you recieving a commission?"

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"Oh, Thomas Loren," Prissa muses. "I err." One word, not a trailing sound. A pause, and she says, "I mean, my mistake. Sorry," she says with a laugh, "When I get startled I end up talking like my mother! You should have heard her when she got into a rant."

Then she trails off, looking from Fei to Noeline to Loren to Riesenlied as a great deal of exposition happens very quickly.

Prissa rocks back and forth a little... turns to face Noeline... and then extends one hand with an enthusiastically upraised thumb. "Got it!! She's super cute!!"

Her attention turns back to Loren. "Are the main street guilds paying you to walk around and break my sign and run off my customers?" she asks him, in a tone that indicates she is not entirely serious but also not entirely kidding. "You think we don't know? Eh? You think we're stupid? You think we just fell off a boat??"

Then there's a pause.

Prissa's arch tone vanishes as she asks Loren, with sudden thoughtful sympathy, "Actually, did you fall into the ocean? I don't know what happened with all of you," and here she makes two tight circling motions to indicate the assembled four-top. "I mean I know what you are saying and I believe you, don't get me wrong, but all this stuff about statues and lion-men is weird. Are you talking about the White Knight? He's more of a goat, I think, than a lion, but I sure won't say that to his face."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied steps back as Loren looks perplexed, but she turns her attention back towards Noeline and Prissa as she sighs. "I thought it would be useful if Mikaia had some weapon to defend herself with... but... I wonder if she is being /too/ enthusiastic. Still..."

She lowers her head. "We'd best just ask around..." A pause, as she bites her lip. "I feel responsible."

Were you guys able to get the statue?

She looks curious about that, blinking a few times. Gebler wanted the statue...? Why? She doesn't comment on what Prissa's saying to Loren -- she knows she's already had that conversation with her back in Vane...

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Noeline." Fei says. "He's more dangerous tha--" Riesenlied wipes some paint off of Loren's cheek incredibly adorably. "..."

Fei lowers his head, exhaling slowly. He closes his eyes. He counts to ten. Prissa talks about how confused she is but how is he going to explain it to her like this? And wait, White Knight Leo is like a goat? He's not sure about that. He thought 'unicorn' honestly.

He opens his eyes. Getting a serious talk in here will be pretty tough considering everything going on but he says, to Prissa. "Sorry, it's kind of hard to explain. Don't let me get in your way with your owrk."

He looks back to Loren. "Because your people chose to take it right from under everyone's noses while they were busy fighting the flippin' Quarter Knights." Fei says. "And it wasn't just to seal it."

But then he closes his eyes for another few seconds. A strange way for him to keep chill? Perhaps.

Fei is a bit conflicted on the matter of Gebler's presence on the moon. "...But hey, while you're asking, if you need a portrait, I can give you a good rate. I like to think I've gotten pretty good. Paintings are more expensive, but if you just need a sketch, hey, I can hook you up cheap."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

With a light laugh, Noeline picks up the Gebler man's aggravated glance - and turns back to Prissa as she bows her head with an amused smile. "... ah, well, that makes things a little easier if you know that much. Back where we come from, this man and the rest of us are somewhat bitter enemies, I suppose you would say - but here, at least for the time being, we are all stranded together, all of us looking for a way home. As for how we got here, it was ancient nonsense devices," she adds quickly and placidly, kind of guessing that will be enough for the excitable merchant.

She pauses, and breaks into another of those light grins as she glances to the blonde at her side. "... I do agree with you. On the other hand, I suppose we can't baby them forever, after what happened at the Gardens. Like it or not, the two of them are resourceful enough to try to come to our aid on a regular basis. Better they be able to protect themselves, I suppose." She does at least pause, and sigh. "I can't guarantee I'll be a good teacher, but... well, perhaps I can have a chat?" she suggests, her hand in Riesenlied's to give it a light squeeze.

When she looks back to Fei's warning, it's with a serious look in her eyes - but it's paired with a lopsided smile. "I am more than aware how dangerous they are. But we are all tired and worn still, and we are all in unfamiliar territory. At the very least, I don't think it would be wise for any of us to kick up a fuss - and by the sound of it, the feeling is at least mutual, at least until Mr. Blackwell here has gotten, oh," a pause, and a measuring look, "--I would say a week or so of sleep, at a guess?"

Her outlook is more pragmatic than peaceful - but she at least seems genuine in her desire to catch a little more breath, and to allow Riese some more time to recover.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

'Thomas Loren'. "Fine," he says, apparently willing to roll with that, or at least unwilling to correct her. Briefly, he closes his eyes as she explains away her earlier vitriol. Even on the moon, Lambs are still Lambs, it seems. Here is the point where Loren finally takes a much-needed steadying breath. Exhales it.

At which point Prissa interrogates him about the sign. If anything he looks briefly affronted, then shakes his head. "No. Of course not. You're quite paranoid, aren't you?" ...Said the pot to the kettle.

Which is the point where she asks if they all fell off a boat. Loren maintains a sort of silence, glancing between the other three unlikely bedfellows he has here, as if seeking some sort of mutually-agreed on answer, and--

And Noeline explains... much. Loren touches a hand to his forehead and breathes out a sigh. "Thank you," he says, in exactly the sort of tone that implies it /isn't/ heartfelt. "I'm certain she'll find that information completely useful and helpful." ...Snide as ever, it seems.

Fei might ask after the statue all he pleases -- and Riesenlied might query after it with a glance alone -- but this is one subject where Loren appears unwilling to say anything, meeting Weltall's pilot with an arch look and -- Well, it'd probably have been more impressive if his glasses weren't still askew. He makes an attempt to surreptitiously fix that. His withering sense of pride -- and anger that has been steadily replacing it -- is probably palpable at this point.

"What? No," he says to Fei, as the man offers to draw his picture, at once put off and completely baffled by the offer. "...And stop talking past me as if I'm not here. I can still hear you," he adds, as Fei and Noeline talk over him. He fidgets again with his glasses, irritated by the comment and his crumbling composure. Maybe there's some truth in that, but... Ugh, he's already slept more than enough as it stands...

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

Prissa's eyes flick behind her shadowy glasses. "What's a quarter knight?" she asks, parenthetically.

She sounds obscurely excited. This sounds like an adventure.

Noeline and Fei share some words and suggest further details. During this time, Prissa's arms fold and she nods along. Sure, it makes sense.

Then she says to Loren, "You know, I think I have you figured out!"

One hand comes up to finger-snap and point at him. Yes: Prissa has invented the snap-point, and now it's going to be part of society now. You're welcome. "I don't know all the detail here with the statues of the blue star and the quartered knights and whatever, but I can totally tell that you were in some kind of team and these three, right, they were on another team. Cuz I can see that whole, like,"

oh no she's imitating him

Prissa's stance matches Loren's almost exactly and her voice assumes a slightly lower, more nasal register, "Oh, thank you, I shall be absolutely certain to forget about it immediately, mmh, yes, yessss--"

Her voice returns to -- normal? -- and she steps up to put her hands on Loren's shoulders in what is encouraging but may be parsed as an attack. If not stopped she continues: "THING you're doing, and it's because YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR SAY! Right? Because I'll tell you, if you're worried, I'll take your side," she leans in close enough that Loren can tell that she had a chickpea wrap for lunch, "though you better buy something, got it," back to normal voice, "just so you're not alone!"

After this she twists away from Loren, keeping a hand on his shoulder. "That's fair, eh? I bet you're curious too. Just don't start any fights - not unless you buy a sword or an axe or a spearhead or something first!"

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied looks a little surprised, perhaps, but perhaps it was... best? That their relationship was laid out in the open...? She isn't certain. She didn't really want to make Prissa a target for Gebler, any more than they already are... but then again, she was always the kind who wanted no one to get caught up in her own bounty.

"Yes... we-- should have a conversation with Janey and Mikaia," she nods towards Noeline.

Prissa starts asking about a quarter knight, and she looks vaguely uncomfortable. "Look... I..."

She offers to have him buy a weapon! She-- attempts to defuse the situation as she expresses, "Mister Thomas, look, I know you're not having the best day, but I don't want to antagonise you any further. I could help heal you if you'd like? You must be feeling very stressed, and I could assist...?"

How do you even say that with a straight face

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei Fong Wong looks at Noeline. The strength and willpower of the Waysiders have surprised him time and time again. Their ability to persevere has constantly astoundeded him. In a normal universe, he should nod and leave it at that, but Fei doesn't go that route.

Instead Fei looks back at Noeline with tired eyes that have nothing to do with sleep deprivation. "No." He says. "You aren't. Nobody is."

Fei glances back to Loren. "Not even..." He pauses. "...Whatever. I try to..." He curls his fingers inward. Last time he made that gesture it became a fist and that fist went for Loren's stomach but this time he just straightens them back up again and forces himself to relax.

Maybe he's forcing himself to relax because Prissa is imitating Loren. He covers his face with his hand, his shoulders shaking. No sound escapes, because he seems to be fully intent on hiding humor in his face. It's not like he can help it. If something is funny, it's funny.

"Not starting a fight ma'am." Fei says. "Sorry for the trouble. Are you looking to get into acting?"

He lowers his hand. "Because your voices are quite good."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"--in fairness, I did try to be as simplistic as possible!" Noeline huffs at the poor bedraggled Loren, her hands on her hips. "Have you seen how many ancient nonsense devices exist in this world? You can barely walk a city block without tripping over several of them at a time," she grumbles in return to Loren, but her eyes glint with a quietly amused light.

At least she seems content to leave it at that, her gaze glancing back to Fei's quiet and solemn response. Something in it seems to move her, in some fashion - she nods slowly, closing her eyes for a brief moment as if to signal her understanding, and then pulls her attention back in the direction of her partner and the merchant busily motormouthing in their direction in an imitation of Loren that is at least distinctly passable.

"... better you not know, frankly," is all she says back to Prissa's question with another of those amused chuckles. "But, rest assured. Even if I'm not personally in need of any weapons myself--" says the knight with no sword at her side whatsoever, "--I am certainly in no mood to start a fight, and certainly not right in the city. I am reasonably certain that would get rather frowned upon, to say the least."

She steps back to allow Prissa to encroach on the Gebler soldier, guessing that's probably the best way to annoy him in the end, and looks to Riese with a quieter smile and a light shrug of one shoulder. It's not hard to figure out the meaning behind it - some level of resignation at having been spotted here in Meribia, but also a core of confidence behind it that, whatever may come of it, they'll pick their way through. "... I almost wonder if we should get you a normal sword for the time being, as well. You have a habit of losing them," she teases fondly.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

Noeline for a few seconds is on the receiving end of a look that just says 'are you kidding me'. "Fine. Tell the weapon merchants everything. Who's next on the list? The innkeeper?" he retorts.

There, for the first time in his life, someone says to Loren 'I think I have you figured out!' Loren is thus /visibly/ taken aback as she /points/ right at him. He says nothing but the look on his face says it all for him.

Right up and into the point where she...

oh no. oh no, he really is in hell

The look on his face once again says everything: if it were at all in his power to kill someone with a look alone, he would do it without a second thought. His gaze tilts towards Fei, and he wishes this thing doubly so.

Which of course is the moment when she wheels towards him and he rolls backwards a step -- board cracking underfoot -- but not fast enough to evade Prissa's clever hands. They plant on his shoulders. They're rigid under her touch. He's quite tense. Does he know he's that tense?

"...I... what?" he manages after a moment, still recoiling away from her in a vain attempt to stack some sort personal space back between them. "I don't know what you're talking about -- and stop touching me." She, in all probability, doesn't.

His glance in the meantime paces towards the contents of her cart, lingering on a thing or two, but--

"I don't know how to use these, and I'm not interested in a fight. Sorry," he says, in the tone of someone not actually sorry, "but you'll have to find someone else to pawn them off on."

Which, naturally, is capped off by Riesenlied offering to heal him.

"I'm a medic," he informs her, not particularly kindly.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

This woman is super nice, Prissa thinks about Riesenlied. Almost too nice.

Then Fei speaks. "Oh, you draw? - Oh, ha ha ha ha! A HA HA HA HA! No, no, I could never be an actress," she tells him, shaking her head hard enough to make her braids rattle a little. "No. Out of the question!"

Then to Noeline, to whom she looks at in silent reflection and appreciation as she describes what she, at least, hears as a story of the Blue Star. Finally, she says, "Oh! Yes, a sword - Hey, though, none of my swords are just normal. I'm an artist, you know! I've done work for noble houses!" citation needed "Even if all you can manage, or all you want, is a basic blade, I bring dreams to life here! I make the knives because metal doesn't grow on trees, and food only in the fall."

And then Loren speaks. Prissa's spread of equipment is scanty but the workmanship in the axe head, two swords, and polearm tips that she has laid out as either samples or perhaps as readied things awaiting pickup seems excellent; glossy new, about as sharp and clean as you could expect. Prissa's hand draws back from him.

He speaks to Riesenlied.

Prissa considers for a moment, and then says, "And the regular kind too, I guess. OUT!" Prissa shouts, sweeping a finger around in a spiral in the air. "Hit the road! Go wrestle a bear! No swords for you, rude boy! Come back two weeks!"

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei doesn't look directly back at Noeline, as if he's embarrassed at his own behavior AS HE SHOULD BE but Noeline is probably accustomed somewhat to Fei's issues. He doesn't comment on it directly any further. He isn't sure why he said that. Riesenlied continues to be a kind individual. Maybe this will reach out to Loren. Fei looks over to Loren, catching him glaring at him. He can feel the animosity in that gaze. He doesn't step backwards or anything dramatic as that, but he does flinch. And then, of course, Loren hears Riese's offer and throws it back in her face with a comment he takes as particularly sardonic. He fixes his gaze on Loren.

LOREN ID AGGRO METER [::::::::::::]

He opens his mouth but whatever he's about to say is preempted by Prissa again and he just lets it happen.

"Thank you." He says eventually to Prissa. "If I see any swordsmen in need of a blade I will direct them to you. And if you need an artist, feel free to hit me up. I do commissions."

He...

...totally forgot to ask about Hammer.

MEANWHILE

Hammer is being spoonfed cereal through the net by a small boy.

"D..don't you have any meat?"

"You get cereal and you like it, punk...!"

HERE

Fei asides to Riese. "Maybe we should try some seedier areas in town."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

I'm a medic.

Riesenlied's horns wilt like they're ears (let's be real, they're ears), as she expresses, "I--I know... you did give me a checkup that one time. Thank you!"

She smiles bashfully to Prissa, saying, "I--I still am interested in what we discussed earlier, Miss Prissa. If I find such a material, I'll be sure to talk to you."

MEANWHILE

Val sobs as she expresses, "It snaps..."

The boy expresses, "It crackles..."

Val's binocular lids pop wide open.

"IT POPS! IT POPS!!"

HERE

"... I--I'm a bit nervous..." Riesenlied admits to Fei.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"Oh, are you looking for--"

Prissa pauses meaningfully.

Fingers come up. Air quotes. "'Actresses'?"

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei looks back to Prissa. "We're looking for help finding a friend of ours named Hammer. He was looking into something for us and he hasn't returned."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied tilts her head. "Fei, what does she mean by 'actresses'?"

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"And you think he's spending time with............ actresses," Prissa asks.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"--oh, my," Noeline responds with a bright smile as she glances over at Prissa's sales pitch, her hand at her cheek as she lets her eyebrows raise. "Dreams including your own, by the sound of it? It's always good to aspire to something, though-- well, I would perhaps wonder how many dreams could come of weapons. Often they're at the expense of someone else, after all," she snickers to herself, but the teasing is light at the very least.

She looks back to Fei and Riese, huffing out a soft breath as she draws a hand back through her hair. "... I can think of a couple places to check, at the very least. I made a point of presenting myself to a couple of the other merchants around, not to mention the stagecoach office. It seemed as good a place as any to start."

Prissa asks, and Noeline pauses in place; the demon snickers for a moment, then snorts louder as Riesenlied asks. "--I'll tell you later," she promises, a twinkle in her eye.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

"Yes, exactly."

He's not exactly adept at making friends, is he?

But at least there's no need for anyone else to necessarily step in. Prissa preempts it alright.

Already 'done with this', in a sense, Loren blinks but once as she tells him to hit the road and... shrugs, ultimately. Without another word, he turns to see himself out (so to speak).

...He'll have to do something about the paint, though.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"No I..." Fei begins.

He hesitates.

"He might be." He admits, looking over to Riesenlied. "Well," He begins. "To answer your question I..."

He closes his eyes for a moment before adding, "Actresses are people who pretend to play a role, typically on a stage," with a straight face. "They often have to memorize lines and try to evoke an emotional or thoughtful response. They work hard and are often underappreciated."

He keeps his gaze as chill as possible.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"Oh, I thought you meant..."

Prissa pauses meaningfully.

To Fei, she says, "What's he look like? I can tell him you're looking for him if he's got a distinctive scar or something!"

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"He's a rat guy with glasses, green outfit, talks about his mad skillz, likes to refer to people as 'bro'." Fei explains to Prissa casually, his gaze still the same.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"Hat?" Prissa asks, after a moment.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Yeah! He has some weird hat." Fei says. "Do you know where he is!?"

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

"He came up to talk to me and I thought he was interested in something, but he kept asking me these weird open-ended questions like he wanted me to talk about my life or where I'm from or crap like that," Prissa says. "I had to shoo him off cuz he was like. Fine? But he was sort of taking up all the air."

A beat passes. "I dunno where he WENT but he was going by the north gate. And I don't think he's a rat, he's more like a lybo-- actually I can see the rat thing, now that you mention it."

"Oh! And he found some kind of treasure map! I bet he got hustled, the bottle it was in looked new."

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