2018-09-09: New Friends and Old Enemies

• Log: New Friends and Old Enemies
• Cast: Lydia Seren, Talia
• Where: Adlehyde
• Date: 9/9/2018
• Summary: Having been transported to Filgaia, Talia and Lydia are reunited and discuss recent events.

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<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia Seren somehow made it back home. Huh. And it seems like folks are resettling Old Petra. Again. New Petra now. Huh.

It's honestly hard even for Lydia to feel motivated when it comes to mercantile work when she was on top of the world before losing everything due to a combination of religion (really Jay's fault did she HAVE to pick a fight with Althena's head priestess??) and being teleported off planet. While her wagon and her cart made it back, as well as a fair number of supplies, it's become apparent to her that it's just as hard getting people to shop at her cart as it was before she left. Maybe just a teensy bit easier due to the lack of a monster head or many obvious 'metal' parts.

Lydia is sitting down by where the fountain used to be that ihas been cleaned up but is still nonfunctional.

No wait, she just flopped over, staring up at the sky. She can't hear him so well right now. If anything, Rigdobrite is silent. She knows he's there, but it's still...not great, and while Lydia has given all her friends big smiles in this moment to encourage them and keep their spirits up, right now Lydia is alone.

And she can look as miserable as she'd like.

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

Talia, on the other hand, has never been to Filgaia. She arrived here bundled up with Amaranth--with Katherine Weaver, as she must be known to everyone else. It was no longer the absurd idea tied to mythology that it had been, once. It still beggered belief. She couldn't help but explore, though, once she had everything secured -- and once she made sure that Katherine would be fine. She lost track of most people, after Azado.

The memory haunts her, like a vengeful ghost. The knowledge that Ivan could be dead -- despite how she has tried to assure herself. The knowledge that, even if he isn't dead, he is further from her than he ever has been.

There is a thread of melancholy that runs through Talia's thoughts.

She slows, though, as she peers at the broken -- but no longer shattered -- fountain. Her eyes widen, slightly; maybe she worried the most for her brother, but she worried for the others who had headed towards Azado, too. For Avril, Rebecca, and Dean; for Jay Barber and the rest of her Kinship; for, before all of them, Lydia. To see her there sets a few fears at ease. Her dark red eyes widen.

Then, the smile breaks across her face, and she runs up. "Lydia!" she calls out, mid-run. She slows, though -- and her expression shifts to something more dour, after a moment, as she gets a good look at her friend looking miserable like that.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia hears Talia's GHOST talking to her and she thinks back to all the good times. Talia trying to kill her but not really, Talia assaulting her with some kind of super monster, blowing up a wall together! Okay, well, it wasn't all like that but now it's too late to--

--oh wait, no she's alive.

Lydia smiles suddenly--and genuinely considering she wasn't sure Talia was alive--as she sees Talia rushing over to her. "Oh hey! Talia!! I was wondering if you were okay. If you uh, made it out of Azado." She pauses for a moment. "Um, I guess I've been kinda...not exactly taking stock too well since it was all so sudden but..." She tilts her head to the left. "I hope your bro's okay."

She pats the side of the fountain if Talia wishes to sit down. Despite managing BIG SMILES she doesn't quite manage to jump back into high energy immediately, though.

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"I made it out all right," Talia says, with a smile of her own. The playful smile, like she is keeping a secret, but it is warmer than usual. Today, though, she is holding something back; she hasn't told Lydia about Kaguya yet. It seems important. It seems like it should wait.

She steps closer, then she sits down on the edge of the fountain. The other, younger girl seems more subdued; she isn't sure what she saw, a moment ago, but the absence of the usual energy cannot go ignored. Talia watches her for a moment. "As do I, no?" she says, rather than ask. "He..."

There is a tension, for a moment, to her jaw. "...He must be."

Then, she shakes her head. "It... was a close thing, wasn't it? What about... ah, what about the others in the Caravan Kinship? Miss Barber? And your other friends?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"They're all fine." Lydia says. "The Caravan I mean. I know Tilde made it back too. I haven't seen Katherine or Kaguya, though I'm guessing Kaguya stayed on Lunar since she seemed so much healthier there though if she was in Azado she might not've had a choice..." Oh it might be hard to avoid the topic of Kaguya. "Tadpole wasn't on site and Amber is still in Old Petra." The handsome Leon Albus is also probably okay since he visited a princess and all, but Lydia doesn't know about that. She's sure he's fine. He seems a bit tough to put down after all.

Lydia looks back to Talia, "I've been trying to keep folks' spirits up. I don't know if you know about her, but 'Mother' has awakened." She shakes her head. "The last time she woke up, we all nearly died. It's...not good. For us or Filgaia. And the Metal Demons that work for her--people like Riese, but not LIKE Riese--are gonna be fighting even harder to protect her."

She looks up again. "...I just got back and now I can't hear Rigdobrite's voice again. So I'm gonna have to find him, I guess."

He must be okay. Lydia nods to that. She can't prove it one way or another but there isn't much use worrying about that which can't be helped. "Speaking of Katherine." She seays. "You and Weaver, huh? You a couple?"

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"They did? That's a relief... I--well--I know I caused them all a lot of trouble. Especially Matilda. I owe her an apology," Talia thinks. And a conversation, besides. It may be an unpleasant one. Her expression darkens, for a moment, at the thought of Kaguya. She will need to tell Lydia, too -- but that can wait. It isn't something to dance around.

She looks up, then, and blinks a couple of times. Mother? Metal Demons? The words are all alien to her. She opens her mouth; then, she closes it, and Talia shakes her head. "It--it sounds like a damned mess. Rigdobrite... that's the spirit you summoned, yes? I--er. Is it dangerous? To find him?"

She realizes, and not for the first time, how little she knows of this land.

And then Lydia asks that question. Her mouth hangs open for a moment. She considers, for a moment, entwining fingers in a dark cave while talking quietly. Her cheeks turn red, and she glances to the side. "W-What!? We--um--we're--"

She sputters a few times. "There was a giant... gravity whale creature that destroyed a city and I almost died! We talked, certainly, and it was nice and I think highly of her, but--but I don't--I haven't had time to sort it out all out, no?! It's--"

She hasn't, in fact, ever flustered like this in front of Lydia. Or people that aren't Ivan.

Her arms fold. "A-And now we're here! So I--erm--I..." Then, she looks down and swallows. "...I don't know, truthfully."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Well 'Guardian' but--yeah, I guess you guys call them 'spirits'? They're basically the gods of our people. I tried not to be too up front about that on Lunar because I ain't quite that dumb." She manages a small smile. "Anyway, you're right. It's a damned mess. And I'm worried you won't even get to see much of Filgaia before it..."

She trails off, allowing Talia to get flustered on the far more important topic of SOCIAL LINKS. Lydia doesn't seem to be reflecting on the giant whale that nearly killed Talia, or for that matter nearly killed Lydia. She says, "Well the whale's back on the moon so." That's not a great forward looking attitude Lydia.

But her lip curls upward ever so slightly because what was 'suspicion' before has certainly been confirmed in her mind.

"Well, if you're not sure, maybe you should ask her out. On a date. And if it doesn't work out, then you'll know. And if it does work out, you can ask her on another date. You can have as many dates as you want until you're satisfied." She pauses. "That's the great thing about dating." She tilts her head to the right. "I get that it's sort of the time to be working hard to save the world, but feeling good is important too and well, if we fail, it'd probably be nice to at least have a date or two before we all get the life drained out of our husks."

She looks away for a moment. Sometimes she wonders if she's even likeable enough to be dated, or if she'll forever be in this kind of position. it's a strange thing to worry about in the current situation, but finding someone to share her life with on that level is still very important to her.

But it's more important to her that the people she cares about are happy themselves. Lydia doesn't just feel like she 'owes' them what blessings she can bestow, she enjoys seeing their eyes light up with joy, their spirits raising. Being good, well, feels good. It makes her feel...

"I have to go to the Baskar Colony myself. I'm probably heading over in a week or two. Normally I'd leave earlier but I gotta help out at Old Petra while I can. Er. New Petra." WAIT WHY IS SHE HERE THEN? Good question!

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"That's--"

Talia covers her face with her hand, her palm pushing against her nose and keeping her eyes hidden. Her cheeks are still red. She coughs, once. This is not a good look for her, she thinks. She is supposed to be more in control -- except, of course, playing at looking in control is easy when one doesn't let themselves get close or care. That went out the window, after Tryfan Vale.

With more than one person, really.

Talia opens her mouth, and then she closes it. "That's... thanks. I'll, um. I will keep that in mind."

Then, she turns her head to the side -- and her eyes widen a little. She doesn't know what Old Petra is, in truth. "To Baskar Colony?" she asks. "Well--ah. If you want company... I would be happy to come. I don't--in truth, I barely understand what a Guardian, Metal Demons, or any of these places are. But..."

She smiles, a little, and her hand falls away from her face. "I would like to help," she says. "If I am able to." Then, the smile becomes playful, and she winks at Lydia. "And I certainly think I am able to, no?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Of coure, it's also important to Lydia that she gets to enjoy this amazing reactions out of people when she points out their crushes. Life is hard.

Lydia nods once to Talia. "Yep! It's my hometown!" Lydia grins widely at that, though again she doesn't quite manage to get in the best spirits even if she's reaching normal energy levels. "And hey, probably the fastest way to find out about the Guardians. At least with Mother, I don't know much either! So we're almost on the same page there!"

She then adds, "And well, the company alone would be plenty help." Lydia says, smiling as she rubs at her neck awkwardly. "...I mean, uh, I intend to talk to my parents and...you probably...don't want to be there for that? It'll probably not be super...fun."

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"Your hometown!" Talia exclaims, and she beams at that. "Why, splendid! I have been curious about where you and the others from the Blue Star came from. I would be happy to come along. And learn what I can of these Guardians."

She nods, and then lifts her fingers to her chin. She opens her mouth -- and she starts to offer to come along, before she considers. After everything that happened with Lubov, would that really be the best idea?

"If you need the support," she concludes, "I would be happy to. I confess, I am still figuring out how to be sincere, no? It isn't something I practiced. But... you did a great deal for me, Lydia. I do mean to help you, how I can."

If she can, she thinks.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Heh, well, I know that it's not always fun to hear," Lydia says. "But really, just you being around would help a lot. I don't think I could uh ask you to, though. They're not 'nobles' or anything, but they are...assholes?" She repeats in case she hadn't mentioned. "They wanted me to cut off my horns, you know?"

She shrugs both shoulders. "But if nothing else you can check the place out. Oh! Granny would probably love to see someone from the Blue Star! Granny Halle is great. We're uh not related, that's just what everyboy calls her." She pauses. "She is important to me. When I'm done traveling, I'ma swear all the time like she does."

Halle doesn't swear all the time Lydia just decided that.

"Oh--though Katherine IS okay right?" Lydia asks. "Is she holding up okay? Being on another world and all?"

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"Cut off your--" It makes Talia gasp, softly. She tenses, after that. She knew the relationship between Lydia and her parents was fraught; she knew that Lydia had problems with being a Beastman. It was frowned on in Filgaia. She shakes her head, once, though. "Horrible. Well... I understand. I'll keep back, and have a look around the village. But... if you need to talk, I will be about, no?"

She tilts her head. Her eyebrows raise, for a moment. Then, she nods. "Sounds... nice. And, ah--yes, I believe so. I should check in with her soon, though. I was giving her some time to get settled."

Talia opens her mouth, and then closes it again.

"Ah--Lydia," she says, a little more somberly. "I'm... ah. I'm sorry." She glances to the side. "For the things I did before, but--ah... I know how you felt about me." She had, after all, all but said as much.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"They don't see it that way," Lydia tells Talia, looking back to her. "See, to them...the fact that I have these horns...these teeth." She grimaces, showing off so many fangs. "It means I'll live a harder life than other people. On top of being a Baskar, of course, which isn't exactly the biggest religion of the bunch here." She crosses her arms, looking to the side. "Though a sure lot of people found Guardian Worship once the Metal Demons attacked." She sighs faintly, but it's something she's been over for a long time. So maybe the 'sigh' is about something else. Maybe it's about that first thing, the parents. "To them, they were trying to help. To me..."

She snickers to herself. "Well I'm glad you met me after I met all sorts of wonderful people, instead of before. I was such a jerk."

She shakes her head. "So you don't have to apologize to me. We're square. Which is a pretty sweet position, since it means we get to be friends without having to worry about all that baggage."

She grins. "I'm gonna guess that Katherine's gonna need you sometime. I'll help you out then too, then you can owe me all you'd like."

She does the ff4-ff6 sprite laugh animation.

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"I, ah..." Talia hesitates. Lydia had implied as much before. It was hard to imagine her as being cruel; she hadn't known her then. Her eyes narrow, thoughtfully, and she looks down. She can, however, imagine the cruelty of a parent. It requires little effort and more pulling upon her memories; even then, though, Lubov never tried to change who she was and call it something that was for her benefit. Her life had been about his benefit.

She looks up, though. She blinks a couple of times. She had wondered about whether it would make things awkward between them; it felt almost like an afterthought, after the attempted murders.

Twice, Talia reminds herself.

She smiles, slowly, though. It is playful, but there is less hidden there than usual. "I am glad for it. You are... well, you are the first true friend I ever met. Before I met you, and then everyone else, it was only Ivan and I. I--"

Then she opens her mouth, and her cheeks redden all over. She looks to the side, arms folding. "...I shall keep it in mind, no?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"It's a pretty humble town," Lydia says. "So I can't promise you'd like it." She pauses. "I mean, I didn't. But I do like Granny Halle and I'll make sure they treat you right, at least." She says this pretty confidently despite being something of a pariah in the past. Well, Lydia thinks, I made Berserk hit his own face with his stupid weapon so I get to tell them to be nice. They can find their own Berserk to hit in the face OH WAIT THEY CAN'T BECAUSE HE'S DEAD.

It's not something that really puts her in a good or bad mood. It just is.

Lydia's eyes widen and she says, "Really?" Pause. "But you're so charismatic."

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"Ah, but every town on this star will be different than what I'm used to, no? All sorts of things to explore," Talia says with a sigh, "and all sorts of new ways to get in trouble, no? Not that I plan to get in trouble in your hometown." She winks again.

She opens her mouth, though, and closes it.

"I... well," she hesitates. "Growing up, my only peer was Ivan. And when you met me, I knew plenty of people that I was friendly with. Matilda--and even Kaguya--were like that. People I was friendly with, but they never knew me." She shrugs. "Not really. I knew I would turn on them. So, I..."

She looks to the side. "...I hid much of what I thought. I did from you, too. But you were persistent, and I let things slip."

She smiles, a little, and shrugs her shoulders. "I'm glad that I made a few mistakes. And that... ah, that I met everyone I did, too."

Except Kaguya, she appends.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia says, "Fair enough. You got me there." with a small laugh. She is starting to worry about this Ivan guy too. Maybe he's in a rough spot like Talia is. Maybehe's all ALONE now. He understands why Talia was reluctant to leave but...there's only so much you can do for others. Eventually you have to protect your own spirit, your own happiness, and it truly felt like Talia was on the brink. She might've become a hellion.

Lydia is reminded of Kaguya, though not directly. "I am sorry about what Kaguya said to you. When she gets mad she gets real mad, but I bet she's over it by now. Not that I expect to see her again."

She shakes her head. "Anyway, I'll be leaving in a week or two. I'm sure you could use your cool sword teleport trick to help with rebuilding here, if you want, or at New Petra. They'd probably appreciate the help. It'd be nice if Adlehyde was repaired before it blew up again."

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

Talia blinks, once, at that -- and her smile fades a little. "Ah... yes. I'll be sure that I'm ready, then--and keep having a look about in the meantime, no?"

Talia smiles, but it is briefer. It isn't the playful, secretive smile of before. It is an apologetic one, however. "About Kaguya," she says. "You... should be aware that she came to Azado. It was with, as far as I can tell, the express intent to kill me. We fought after that creature leveled the city, in the catacombs."

She hesitates. "I would be dead, had Katherine not appeared at the right moment, and saved me. Kaguya teleported away, after that."

Her red eyes meet Lydia's, then. "I'm afraid she likely won't be 'over' it. I doubt that I will."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Wha?" Lydia looks back to Talia. "Kill you?" She tilts her head. "Wait she can TELEPORT? She never teleported back on Filgaia!" Maybe she's focusing on hte wrong thing here. She shakes her head quickly, lowering her head. "...Tried to kill you. I don't get it. We fought one another so many times, why does she care so much about..."

She sighs, now no longer trying to force up that smile at all and just looking miserable again. "...I wanted to take her to Lunar so she could be free of Filgaia's illness. I didn't actually manage it. We sort of accidentally showed up but...I thought if she was no longer dying she'd chill out a little and maybe..." She sighs again. "...Kaguya wasn't my first crush," Lydia sinks back to the fountain and sits on the edge. "But she was the first I admitted it to. It wasn't going to go anywhere, I knew she had it for Matilda, but I had to tell her. I also knew she was a wild criminal type." She grins briefly. "I guess that's my tastes. I guess that explains a lot about me."

She sighs. "...but I've changed. I am no longer gonna be the type of person who blames the world and shits on it for all the bad shit that happened to me. I guess Kaguya still wants the world to suffer like she did. She should've showed you the same consideration folks've shown her. It's not fair."

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"It may have been a teleportation item," Talia muses, a little hollow in her tone. "I'd seen them once or twice."

She rubs her hand against her head. "...She said that whether things are good or bad don't matter. She said... where people come from, what they've been through, none of that matters. All that matters is that people who are strong enough..."

She feels a shiver run down her spine, at the memory of the words. "...can do whatever they want, while the weak are ground into dust."

She looks up at Lydia, her expression slightly hardened; she swallows, once. "It sounds as if she shows another side, but--she seemed to feel that way, to me. Given that she tried to kill me, I doubt she had reason to lie. And it may not be fair, but..."

She glances to the side -- towards a ruined house in Adlehyde. She sees, though, rain shooting through broken window in Pendrago; she sees blood on the floor. Talia looks down.

"...Life is rarely fair to us, no?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Man, is that what she thinks now?" Lydia says. "That'd the kind of thinking that leads to some hero knifing out your heart. And when I first met her, she could barely walk without having a coughing fit an' nearly dyin', so I don't see where she gets off!" She's feeling pissed now but she doesn't WANT to hate Kaguya, or even be mad at her. Life would be a lot easier if she could just turn here head aside and just let her be what she'll be.

She looks towards the ruined house that Talia is looking at. Does she see the blood from here? It was one thing if Kaguya tried to kill her during the fight, but afterwards? When she had already given UP?

Life isn't fair. Of course Lydia knows that, but she expected better of Kaguya. She's not surprised at her sociopathic tendencies, quite frankly, but this is still a level beyond her anticipation.

"I guess not. With luck I won't see her again and I won't...have to figure out what I'll do about that."

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"As far as I could tell," Talia says, with a sigh. She glances away from the destroyed home; when she looks down at her feet, there isn't blood pooling around them. She closes her eyes, and lets out a sigh that almost shakes. "...I hope that I do not, either."

Except for the part of her that does.

She looks back at Lydia, then, and her eyes open; the left is a little slower to do so. "I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news," she admits. "I... well, I thought it better to tell you than keep it to myself."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Nah." Lydia says. "I mean, no point in keeping secrets. and uh. If she tried to kill you then I should..."

Lydia trails off. "...Huh. What should I try to do? Trying to kill her for trying to kill someone feels pretty hypocritical, and I don't like doing it. It is super gross." She grimaces. "By the Guardians I'm gonna have to tell Riese." Shhe shakes her head. "Man, ain't this a pickle?"

She sighs. "Sorry, I get my reaction here isn't...great."

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"Ah--well... it is a conflict," Talia says, with a shake of her head. "I knew it would be, when I told you. And you didn't try to kill me, even after I tried to kill you." She could make claims that her reasons were different than Kaguya's; it wouldn't really square with what Kaguya told her, nor with what Lydia had done in the past.

She sighs.

"It isn't something we have to worry about for awhile, at least." Until they find a way back to the Silver Star. Talia had to hope one existed. Even if Kaguya was there...

So was Ivan.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

And hopefully Kaguya won't find him first! "Hm... Actually, if Ivan was in Azado, he might be at New Petra." She looks over to Talia. "I know it's a bit of a long shot, but before we head over to the Baskar Colony, what do you think about heading over there first?"

That seems to be her decision on what to do. As for Kaguya, later? Well, Lydia can't do much about that right now anyway. She's not sure what she can do. She can entreaty her, but she does know what Kaguya is like more or less and she doubts she can stop her.

<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.

"New Petra? Well... if he might be there..."

It isn't a hard decision for Talia. If there is even a small chance, she has to take it. Her eyes narrow with the thought -- and she looks sideways, before she nod.

"...Let's hurry, no?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Yeah!" Lydia says as the scene goes sepia toned, Roundabout plays and

<---TO BE CONTINUED.