2018-09-10: Alongside Us
- Log: Alongside Us
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline
- Where: New Petra
- Date: 10th September 2018
- Summary: Noeline soothes Riesenlied following a post-Sin anxiety attack.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has returned back to their collective room on the Fereshte, apparently following a rather difficult spike of anxiety and nervousness that's erupted from within when she was talking to several Drifters that'd come to visit. She's currently seated once more on her bed, arms drawn around herself as she closes her eyes and murmurs some gentle little things to try to calm herself down...
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline has... well, at this point the Wayside Outreach are more than capable of putting up temporary shelters on their own, with all of them well-practiced at working around each other and taking the jobs they're best suited for. It isn't a job that particularly needs someone overseeing them.
Regardless, Noeline's been there anyway, doing what she can to pitch in and help organize or else lend her strength. It gives her a chance to let her mind tick over on the events of the last couple of weeks, and gives her a chance to let Riesenlied rest in peace without fussing over her too much or leaving her to worry that there's no-one in command.
Still, Noeline is Noeline, and she can't stay away for long. There's a quiet knock on the door, and then the Metal Demon nudges it open with a knee, her hands full with a couple of steaming cups. "... Riese?" she ventures quietly, then spots the ball curled up on their bed, slipping inside to set the mugs down.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
If nothing else, the Wayside Outreach is rather sensitive to their leaders' own needs -- and as such Noeline's been urged to leave them to their work and to spend more time around family at a time of need. It's a nice thing, having bonds around the neighborhood such that everyone's aware of what each other need.
"N-Noeline..." Riesenlied whispers, as she looks up and jitters for a moment as her arms start to shake. She pauses, then draws in a bigger breath and smiles for her. "Welcome back. I've, um, I've finished drawing up a list of Azadian citizens earlier..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
The spy's eyes are dark as she sits gently down next to Riesenlied - not out of anger, of course, but out of concern. "... I'll make sure it gets double-checked against everyone," she promises with a quiet sort of smile. "Somehow, we've managed to house them all for the time being, but having a census should be useful when we petition Lacour, I imagine."
She uses the opportunity to place a hand on Riesenlied's arm where she can see it, then slowly let her touch travel around to her partner's back then into a full hug. "... well done." It dodoesn't sound a lot like she's talking about Riese's list, so much as the situation in general; she backs that up with a quiet breath, but lets go of whatever else she was about to say.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"I'm nervous. So much has happened in just a year... I cannot even be certain Lacour will hear us out, but... I hope so," Riesenlied can't help but express her worries and make them clear. She sags a little bit more. "But yes -- I want to make sure we keep track of who's still missing..." She swallows. "Even if they might not come-- back."
She hitches a little and clings tighter, sinking into that full hug with a need that's rather obvious. "I'm... I'm beginning to feel very scared, every time we rush into battle... I know I am no less guilty of it, but..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... all we can do is ask," Noeline reports quietly. "Ask, and do our best to get the Fereshte back into working order. The longer and more reliably we can fly, the more chance we have of finding a place for them - if not Lacour, we simply try another town, and another, until we succeed."
She keeps her voice steady, even if her brow furrows; shifting a little, she guides Riesenlied against her shoulder, and rests her cheek in blonde hair, careful of Riese's horns. "You saved them. If not for our being there, the casualties would have been much greater. It was a terrible thing to witness, but-- I wish to take pride in that much."
She's silent for a long moment, then slowly closes her eyes. "I still believe in your path, and in your hope. ... to be honest, I am rather scared as well, at times, but-- well, I am certainly not about to let you face all of this alone. Everyone here is willing to stand for your cause - none of them have any intention of being swept away."a
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... mm," Riesenlied nods for a moment, making a kind of bare sound as she responds in turn, "You're right..." There's a pause, and a kind of difficult sigh. Any other point and she might've thought a little more, said a little more about her plans, but right now it's just...
It's just her and Noeline. "I know we did a good thing. We just have to... remind ourselves of that, in the face of imminent and catastrophic danger..." A pause for a moment longer, shuddering as her horns wilt a little against her.
"Spoil me a bit more..." she admits bashfully. "Let me feel a little more-- alive."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Gently, Noeline lowers her head to bury into Riesenlied's neck a little; her sigh is a little rough, but it's terribly fond as well. "If you had asked me, decades ago, which of us was more likely to be the one who thinks too much-- I don't think I would ever have guessed the answer is you," she teases, pairing the last word with a kiss at the Hyadean's neck.
She tugs, gentle but insistent, until Riesenlied has maneuvered into her lap; her touch gently skims her partner's back, looking to soothe more than anything else right at this moment. "... you will continue to do good things. We are no longer the Ebony Wings - we have learned from our past and moved on, and are now the Outreach."
She evidently places enough stock in that to bring it up - though at Riesenlied's treaty she quiets again, chuckling quietly as she feels her cheeks heat. Half embrace, half massage, she lets her fingers brush at the base of the other woman's wings. "Of course. As long as I possibly can."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Was... I not the type to think too much? I didn't show it, I guess, but..." Riesenlied whines and whimpers just a little bit more, feeling a little less anxious in Noeline's embrace as the Hyadean gives her a kiss at the nape of her neck.
She's scootched a little closer, as she murmurs with faintly pink cheeks, "I always worried... but... it wasn't too good to show too much of it. People wanted something to inspire them..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a quiet laugh, Noeline shakes her head. "It just means I didn't know you well enough, I suppose," she admits, drawing the both of them back - and suddenly dropping to one side, bringing Riesenlied with her to wrap her partner up in a full embrace as they go horizontal. One hand snags a corner of blanket and throws it across - rather haphazardly, for sure, and it covers their heads while leaving Noeline's legs free, but her eyes glitter in the gloom regardless as she sneaks a kiss. "I'm glad I do now."
She pauses, closing her eyes to relax the private space between them. "... you still do inspire people. Even when they know your worries - even when they know the troubles you face. We are all at your side - and I, especially."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... it's inspiring, every time you reassure me like that," Riesenlied murmurs very quietly, closing her eyes a little firmer; her muscles slack a little as she rolls the sockets around her shoulders with a sigh and recline down onto the bed. She yelps a little with a laugh as they hide in the blankets, leaning back towards the kiss.
"... I still want to keep showing you. All that I am... all that you've made me," she whispers.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline lets out a gentler sigh this time; she tugs at her ribbons, letting her hair flow free as she dips her head to once more nestle into Riesenlied's shoulder and place a kiss on her jaw. You can almost see her Riesenlied Recharge bar go 'boop-boop-boop' as it fills.
"... you give me far too much credit," she admits with a lopsided and playful smile; her fingers still knead at the other woman's back, offering her a measure of comfort. "Or rather, I think your own strength has a great deal to do with it. That certainty, that conviction, was what brought me to your side in the first place."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"Do I really? It was you who taught me confidence and certainty, in many ways," Riesenlied has a broader smile as she helps untangle that hair and let it flow free, stroking that dark hair as she giggles at the smooching once more.
"I can't overestimate just how inspiring you've been, since the first days I've watched you survive on your own..." she murmurs quietly, rather fondly reminiscing.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"Hmmh," Noeline hums as her hair is stroked; she settles against Riesenlied with a contented sort of purr, closing her eyes as she steals a kiss that is a little longer, then another a little longer still. "... I wasn't doing anything special, I don't think," she chuckles softly. "I simply-- headed out into the world, I suppose. For the longest time, I had absolutely no idea what I /was/ even doing."
"Especially these last couple of years. When I returned to Arctica, I was still putting off the inevitable questions... then I did the same at Adlehyde. You were the one who showed me where I should be standing," she admits quietly, her voice soft. "... I have a great deal I owe you for that."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"You didn't need to," Riesenlied murmurs terribly fondly, that smile getting a little more wobbly and blobbly as she sinks into that memory. "I was just a scared girl who lucked into some things. Always have. It wasn't until I met you that I started thinking about taking charge of some things in my life..."
She relaxes very quietly, a sigh escaping from her lips. "... sometimes, we need someone else to show our perspective. You did it for me then... and I've done it for you a year ago."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's touch drifts up into Riesenlied's hair as she relaxes further; she lets her legs tangle with the other Hyadean's as she chuckles gently. "... really... ... it's not like that was the only time you've done it, and it's not like we won't have many more chances to show each other in the future. Especially with so many alongside us, now. ... I didn't ever think I'd have a family," she adds, her voice warm.
Less warm - but a lot more comical - is the way in which Noeline yelps in surprise as one weight impacts her back and then another, her head jerking up but still stuck in the blankets. She's just about to protest when she's cut-off by a telltale giggle that makes her positively glow crimson under the blanket.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... let's meld again together, sometime very soon," Riesenlied whispers. She smiles just a little bit wider, saying, "I didn't either... I wanted one, but... for it to have been with you--"
She yelps just a little as she flutters her eyelashes and perks her head up and she goes, "You two...!" as she gets an armful of Mikaia before too long. "Geez, you're overdoing it again, mom... and we just got back, too!"
"Everything's a-okay outside!" Janey salutes as she just about sits ontop of Noeline.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's moment of 'I'm actually cool, baaww!' panic leaves her clawing out of the blankets until she can actually see who's sat atop them, at which point she fixes Janey with a priceless expression paired with a deeply solid blush. Doing her best to ignore the latter, she heaves out a grumpy breath and cuddles closely into Riesenlied's side, taking care not to dislodge Janey in the process.
"Good work," she does at least allow as she folds into a wry grin, and: "That's a relief to hear. I realize that people are probably too tired to cause much of a fuss, but that at least means we can get everything up in peace. You did well."
Her expression draws down into another grump, but a lighter one. "We /were/ taking it easy, until a localized hurricane stopped by to say hello." Hidden a little under the sheets, Noeline's answer to Riesenlied's idea is to squeeze her hand in confirmation, then lace their fingers slowly together.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Janey's cheek is from ear to ear as she grins widely and says, "Wee-ll, you both looked really comfy but we needed mom-time of our own too," as she limpets onto Noeline's side in that way of hers. A little less affectionate and cuddling than Mikaia's, but no less fervent and strong in its mannerism.
"... let us keep taking care of you. We know it's hard, but... you're there to spoil us rotten when we're feeling down, so let us do the same for you in turn!" Mikaia is as precocious as always, prompting a little bashful noise as Riesenlied hugs her daughters and squeezes Noeline's hand in turn.
"Thank you..."