2018-06-05: Washing One's Hands
- Log: Washing One's Hands
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline, Nall (NPC)
- Where: Taben's Peak
- Date: 5th June 2018
- Summary: Nall speaks to Riesenlied and Noeline about unexpected news...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has shown herself to be immensely helpful in the last couple of days -- not only do the Fereshte children already know and love her, she seems quick to have taken to the Taben's Peak orphans as well; the last couple of days have been lively, with the residents of the Fereshte eager to see their leader once more.
Right now, Riesenlied perhaps looks more in her element than she ever has been -- with a well-worn flower print apron and a pair of oven mitts, one shaped for her misshapen hand even, as she carries lunch towards an open table for the children. "Who wants casserole today?"
"Oh, oh, me, me!" "Does it have veggies? I don't like veggies!" "You have to eat your veggies or else you know Nall's gonna whoop you!" "Baww..."
The Hyadean giggles gently as she sets the dish down to complete the rather wonderful looking home-cooked meal. She sighs happily as she looks to Muni-Muni dozing off on the porch with several other children, and Cetiri still curled up in her little basket swatting a soccer ball with her tail towards a child eagerly kicking it back in her direction.
It's peaceful... and it feels just like Wayside.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's attempts to 'protect' Riese don't just extend to combat; she's more aware of her place within the Tainted these days, and is trying to be a bit more of a commanding officer rather than a wayward spy - especially during those times when doing so allows Riesenlied the chance to stay with her children and catch up with them all the more.
It's not like she's /spoiling/ Riesenlied, jeez...
So her own activity around the camp has been somewhat more wide-ranged - catching up with the Ebony Wings and providing her own reports of what's been going on in the world at large, providing information around their collaboration with the Black Wolves and the situation within Vane, and staring at the Fereshte and wondering - even with the Carakin's help and that of a certain astronomer - how the hell they're going to get the ship going again.
Still, she's careful to always range her way back to Riesenlied for dinner, patting one of the kids on the head as she slides into a seat in the middle of the bench - and flicks her hair out, more for dramatics than anything else. "Muni eats her vegetables, and look at her," she declares imperiously, but then flashes a genuine smile at Riesenlied.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Nall, really, isn't one to complain.
He loves the children too, but he is the person keeping them safe -- and, more than that, he is their leader. Leadership, sometimes, means distance; the cool older brother is always a figure apart.
The white-haired young man walks into the room, his arms crossed behind the back of his head. "Yo," he says, looking at Riesenlied, then at Noeline, and finally at the kids. "You gotta eat your veggies. It's how you get all big and strong, like Dragonmaster Alex did."
He flashes a grin at them, then looks at Riese and Noe. It's a lazy look, but there's purpose in his eyes. "You two got a second? I need to talk to you about something. Something serious-like."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied softly smiles with an understanding nod, saying, "The Dragonmaster needs a lot of nutrients."
The child furrows her brow to go, "I do want to grow up big and strong... but I'll be a Shepherd instead!" "Nuh uh, Dragonmaster's cooler!" "Shepherd!" "Shepherdmaster!" "... is that like a shepherd of shepherds?" "Woaaa..."
Riesenlied does blink when Nall asks for her presence, though. She nods and expresses, "Go ahead and start without us, children. I'll bring the soup out in a moment." She looks at Noeline and holds her hand to her, before stepping towards another chamber.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline looks up to meet Nall's expression; she reads it for a long moment of silence, and then her own eyebrows go up in turn - a curious look, but one with a glint of seriousness behind it. She's just as much an actor as he is, after all.
"If it's serious-like, I suppose it must be important," she snickers to herself as she carefully stands back up, fishing her way out of the crowded bench while doing her best not to bump any of the children. It's not all that easy with how clustered they are, but before long she's got Riesenlied's hand in hers, accompanying the other Metal Demon outside.
Her expression strays automatically towards the recovering shape of the Fereshte, and then towards the lookout towers that stand watch over the plains. It's another place she's been spending a lot of her time, especially after their rather explosive arrival.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Probably!"
Nall takes a chair -- then he spins it around, and sits with the back facing him. His experience as a cool older brother is long and refined. He leans forward, eyes looking between the two of them. Then, he glances upward. "I was taking a long look at Muni," he says. "He's... interesting."
They have no idea how interesting, Nall thinks. He isn't going to share.
"I wanted to ask you," he says. "Is he from the Blue Star? From your world?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's horns shift just a little bit, wilting as Nall comments on Muni-Muni. She glances back towards where the rotund yellow ball of living metal is dozing off in the sunlight... and then nods very quietly.
"... yes," Riesenlied glances to Noeline after a bit. "From the Blue Star. I do not know if our people from the Fereshte have told you, but we are... Hyadeans. Descendants of those from a distant, dying star. And many of our kind... hold a dim view of Filgaia -- the Blue Star."
She purses her lips for a moment. "Muni is one kind of Hyadean we call Metal Dragon." She glances towards Noeline again, then back to Nall. "... as... am I."
A pause, as she remarks a bit heavier, "But we are failures in the eyes of our brethren. If you are familiar, I imagine our shape drastically differs from that of a Dragon."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a soft huff, Noeline rests her hand on Riesenlied's back as the blonde begins to speak, offering a wordless sort of support. Her gaze turns a little far off at the story, shifting up to the Blue Star above; the twintailed demon watches it for a moment, her look pensive as she quietly reminds herself that they've got work to do there yet.
Only once the blonde is done does she chip in, letting out a sigh. "Riese-- understates it somewhat. It would be fair to say that our kind are firmly at war with the rest of the world," she mutters, not really finding it in herself to offer a joke or even an amused chuckle. "But for most of them, it is a matter of their teachings - teachings that they have never once even imagined should be questioned. If I had to liken it to anything, it would be to the Guard."
A shake of her head, and she pulls herself back up, placing a quiet smile on her face. "We have turned away from their path, and pledged instead to try to live in peace, with all that involves. There is-- significantly more backstory to go through," and /here/ she breaks into a chuckle. "But that is about the size of things at the moment. You could call us refugees, and the Fereshte was our escape ship."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Huh... that explains a few things," Nall says, after he listens to the story that the two Hyadeans tell. The white-haired young man nods, and doesn't -- immediately -- offer any explanation for what things their story explains. "It's sad, what the Guard's become... and Althena's Church. I don't think this is what the goddess would want."
He shrugs his shoulders. "But, I'm a refugee too. The kids here are. Someone has to look after them... and with everything that's happened... well, I guess I kind of fell into it."
He smiles. "I'd traveled the world, before that. I was an adventurer." He taps the sword, sheathed over his back, with a finger. "And that's why Muni's so interesting. See... a Metal Dragon, like him, is up here on Lunar, too."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied leans back on Noeline for a moment, regulating her breathing for a moment as she looks up towards Filgaia. She nods at Noeline's explanation, and then looks back towards Nall as he muses. "... you don't think so? But, didn't Althena herself issue the command?" she sounds a little confused.
"... it might not be my place to say, but ... when I first saw these children here, I was reminded of Wayside. Thank you, for looking after them. It pains my heart to see children be left alone due to illness, war..."
She shakes her head, but-- blinks a few times. "... a Metal Dragon? Here, on Lunar??" her eyes widen. "How is that... possible?"
A pause, as she frowns. Immediately, she thinks of Odjn... and the buried site of destruction she found her in. How Odjn wasn't even aware of the Photosphere or the Metal Demons... is it possible that there are unaffiliated ones?
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
The other demon considers Nall's words for a long moment, tilting her head with a thoughtful sort of frown. Riese has already voiced the counterargument, but... "... I have to admit that for a while now, I've felt as if the Church was a product of someone trying to reach past their means. Many of their intentions are noble enough when you look back to their roots - but the everincreasing declarations smack more of someone taking those intentions too far," she comments, with a faintly bemused tone to her voice.
She shakes her head slightly, though, letting the thought go with a soft but prideful huff at Riesenlied's capacity to care. Instead, Nall presents her with something a lot more interesting: a puzzle, at which her eyebrows shoot upwards in mild surprise.
It takes her a moment to offer any words on the matter, during which she shares another glance with Riesenlied. She's not as aware of Odjn's origins, but has picked up an inkling or two, at least. "There are plenty of signs that the two worlds may have been linked in the far past to some degree," she comments, her mind ticking over. "I cannot say if such a Dragon is one of-- 'ours', but it might be very appropriate to go pay our respects."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"That's what they say. I think you're right, Noeline. I guess... things change." It's a dodge -- or maybe just discomfort with faith and a real goddess not matching. "But, there's no need to thank me," Nall shakes his head, waving a hand once. "I did it because it was the right thing to do. I wish I could help them all, but... we gotta do what we can."
Then, he quirks an eyebrow. "I'm not sure. Lombardia's... old. She doesn't like to talk about where she came from. Or why she came here," Nall says. "I got the sense she wasn't from around here."
He cracks a grin. "A lot further than I thought, it sounds like."
He looks back at Noeline -- and then he nods, once. "Yeah. I think you should. Fortunately... I know the way there. It's in Glenwood--there's a little cave, far to the north in Volgran Forest, that'll lead up to her roost."
Leon Albus has reconnected.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Of those in my care... there is one whose origins are unclear to me," Riesenlied explains gently. "She is just a child, but... I found her in a deep digsite where there were countless numbers of deceased Metal Dragons. Originally I thought they were from our war when we first landed, but..."
She furrows her brow. "Lombardia? That truly is a name I do not know. Odjn has always said her memory is... blurry..." A pause. She sighs very softly.
"... Glenwood... that is a dangerous place to be right now, with what is happening in Lastonbell... but it is worth the investigation," Riesenlied speaks gently. A pause, as she hesitates gently. "Is it... all right to tell us this? I imagine she may not be very happy to see us..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... we're not terribly big on 'needs' or 'wants'. At the very least, we owe you a great deal for taking in and protecting our own for so long," Noeline comments with an amused laugh. "If it weren't for you, I imagine things would have been significantly rougher for all of us. ... and it was already a rather hairy situation as it is," she huffs as she rubs at hand at Riesenlied's back.
There is a pause, though, and she looks rather comically glum. "... I imagine that's part of why Nall is telling us. We have a chance of being able to communicate peacefully - and if she isn't happy at all, we at least are a neutral party in the whole situation."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Mm. I'm not sure," Nall says. "Truth is, I don't know a thing about the Blue Star. I was shocked to hear anyone's even from there."
He stays quiet a moment, and lets them talk. His eyes move between them -- and then, he nods. "Noeline's got it right. Sure, she's... she doesn't hate me. Just, we've had our differences! Actually, if you could give her something..."
He reaches into his coat, and pulls out a small, silver-lined scroll case. "It's a letter."
He cracks a smile, though. "So yeah. This isn't altruism, here. But I think... it would do you good. She may not be happy."
A beat.
"But sometimes, we need what makes us think."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied quietly nods; it certainly would be something to talk with Odjn later, to prepare herself and others as well. She'd love to see her get some closure on the questions of what her existence has been about... they all would.
"And us neither. To us, Lunar -- the Old Moon, in our parlance -- was lifeless and desolate... and we learnt it was because of an illusory wall created by one of the primal forces that sustain our world, the Guardians," Riesenlied expresses as she looks to Noeline. Duras Drum's words still hang in her mind, after all.
She accepts the scroll case gratefully if Nall gives it to her. "I will see her. Thank you, Nall. ... I've long wished to speak to someone of our history -- a history that seems to span both worlds now. So long we've only heard the words of those wounded..."
She sighs softly. "It's as you say. Sometimes... we need those that will make us think."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline pauses dead for a moment, not because she's hit her point of disbelief, but certainly because there's enough in the way of abject confusion that she has to voice it. "Hold on-- I had thought you were warning us about a more-or-less natural phenomenon. A creature you'd run across. Not a personal acquaintaince you're exchanging letters with!" she huffs as she folds her arms - but watches Riesenlied accept the scroll case with only a sigh.
"Really, now... this is a bit beyond 'adventuring', don't you think? You have some rather impressive friends, and a mountain of your own..." she lets out another sigh, this time definitely more amused - but she remembers to tilt her head in thanks, closing her eyes for a moment.
"If you'd like, I can provide you with more of the story - both what we know of our two worlds, and the situation around the Tainted. It may be of use in the future to at least know."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"What? Why would I do that? I'm some punk who lives on a mountain, not this wise and ancient guardian overlooking your journey!" Nall complains, with a groan.
He shakes his head once, and then he leans back. "I'm nothing special. I've traveled with people," he says. "People who've done and seen things I could just imagine. I was a tag along. I'm just an adventurer who decided it was time to settle down."
He shrugs his shoulders, once. "I'm happy to hear that story--but maybe later," he says. "I don't wanna keep the kids waiting. And... I need to get you a map."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lets out a soft little chuckle and says, "... but, either way, thank you." She can tell that Nall knows more than he's letting on, but... she's lived for long enough to know when some people want to just let past things lie. It's their prerogative to, and it's not her place to pry.
"Yes, I'd better get the soup -- and please, feel free to join us at the table," Riesenlied expresses warmly, bowing her head.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline just tilts her head, letting out a final and rather theatrical sigh. "Yes, yes-- if you can, a map would be very helpful. For that matter, I should see to getting an atlas of the area around Glenwood, just to have a better idea of the lie of the land. Especially with the events taking place there."
She helps Riesenlied up, doting as ever. "We've a little more travelling to do around that area ourselves, for that matter - and the more I can learn the better, I've always believed. Perhaps one day you'll get the chance to roam around Filgaia as well."
A polite pause, and she looks glum. "It is yellow and dusty."
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
There is a brief moment of hesitation, before Nall grins. "Yellow and dusty, huh? Maybe I'll see it some day."
He knows he can't. But, he doesn't want to share that -- not if they or the kids would ever look at him the same way. He smiles, then, and looks to Riesenlied. He nods once. "Sure, I'd be happy to. I'll get you that map after dinner."
He stands up, then he shouts with practice: "REMEMBER TO WASH YOUR HANDS!"