2018-09-23: Promising Leads
- Log: Promising Leads
- Cast: Riesenlied, Elvis, Noeline
- Where: New Petra
- Date: 23rd September 2018
- Summary: Riesenlied and Noeline spend time with the children in New Petra, when a lively guest arrives...!
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
For many a people, the old colliery village of Old Petra is just that -- a failed border village experiment amongst many that dot the line to the Badlands, ravaged by banditry and failed crops and a waning ore vein that little tells of its former glory days.
To those in the know, though, Old Petra became the staging ground of the Metal Demons last year, until it was decimated by the Demon of Elru in a climactic battle. But now...
Now, it is reborn as New Petra, where the Azadian refugees from Lunar have been staying -- several Manning cottage-style prefab buildings are crafted around a ring of caravans, with the Dragon-headed makeshift airship known as the Fereshte (present during the battle with Sin) parked on the side.
The village itself is... ramshackle, but it's quaint in a way -- a visitor would first notice the native Waysiders amidst the Lunarians -- humanoids with all kinds of deformities such as one guy with accordion tubing for legs and another with a refrigerator for her torso.
These are the Tainted, Metal Demons that were thrown away to the Gutter long ago for being 'impure' and of inferior quality, and then joined by those that have been deemed unfit for battle... all kinds of veterans and PTSD-afflicted have joined their ranks over the centuries.
And together, they've chosen to live away from the Photosphere, and try to make a living for themselves -- and for others, in the form of the Wayside Outreach where they seek to provide aid and refuge for those afflicted by Filgaia's many ailments.
It is here that Elvis knows Ambrosius has spent some time, though he's wisely had to abort overt relations due to what happened at Wayside when Siegfried and the others visited their wrath upon it; Matilda, another person he knows, also has ties with the Outreach and their studies into VR Factor may be an interest to him.
In the midst of all this...
Riesenlied is seated on an awning, gathered around several children that are huddled around her lap. Some are dozing, others looking up with wonder as she reads a story to them.
"Huff, puff, the big cucco ballooned into a big round form and took the children to the skies out of danger...!"
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
It was time to get back out onto the field.
Production of the Lunar-developed resistance medication was underway, as hydroponics sections have been dedicated solely to growing the crops needed provided by Matilda and Kaguya. Research had begun anew, though was short lived as the terminals and monitors glowed that soft green hue, flickering lightly against an empty room. Calculations constantly churn and record for when their administrator returns.
Instead, Elvis has wandered in to a settlement that scouts have mentioned, perhaps even Ambrosius reported on. A town made of refugees from the Metal Demon incursion on Adlehyde, and those finding solace from Lunar. Curious as to what befell those Humans that got away, it was time to look into things himself.
As well, a certain young lady may be present after the sudden teleportation. He saw her in those ruins...! She couldn't have gotten far!
Currently though, he seems to have his head buring in studying a device as he walks. A small, halo-like object, with some sort of high tech attackment to the side. "Dangit...! Last one! Come on...!" A small crystal-shaped disc is inserted in, and a button is pressed. it glows a soft blue, and the titanic fellow holds it up to his eye. "Yes... Yes...!"
A golden crack splits it in two, and then further pieces, spidering out like mosaic before falling out in exponentially more segments than when inserted. "Damn! I need a different material. That batch was flawed!" Elvis just throws his hands up in frustration before pocketing the device.
He currently is wearing hsi standard attire, with several slings and satchels for equipment, books and scrolls. He looks like some kind of actual researcher right now!
And in the process of his bemoaned project, finds his way to nearby Riesenlied and her fun times with the young'uns! "Huh. Peculiar." A large ironbound tome is plucked from a bag as his eyes are set on the Metal Demon-- or rather... "Believe they were called something else..." he says to himself, looking over some very old notes-- despite the outside metal framing, the book looks incredibly old on the interior. Perhaps centuries so.
The book is put away, and the man starts to approach Riese. "Yes, hello! Have a moment, young lady?" he asks firmly, from a man with purpose. "I seek a high purity workable crystal. Does this settlement have any?"
Picking her out of the crowd had ulterior motives too. He hasn't directly interacted with a Tainted before. Would prove for good study.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline is never all that far from Riesenlied, especially now that New Petra is charitably what you could call 'up and running' - with most of the organization complete, the village can more or less look after itself, leaving the Hyadean free to concentrate on Riesenlied's recovery from their recent trials while keeping gentle tabs on the repairs and improvements being done to the Fereshte.
She cuts rather a flamboyant figure amongst New Petra, especially for someone who is nominally known for being a Metal Demon spy before she turned traitor - or 'insane', depending on who you ask. While many of the Tainted wear utilitarian clothes and remnants of Photosphere armor, she stands out against the landscape in a dress of crimson and black, and though she's rather diminuitive for a demon she seems determined to make up for it in sheer force of personality.
Where Riesenlied is quiet and serious in telling her tale to the children huddled around her, Noeline is animated and upbeat with wide gestures, leaving her smaller audience rapt as she recounts what appears to be a rather... embellished description of Guild Galad and the Thames platform.
"Well, of course, climbing up the outside of the tower to reach its control room was going to be dangerous," she flicks her hair out, letting a bright grin show on her face. "But the fire was raging higher by the moment, and it wasn't as if anyone else there could manage those sorts of jumps. Someone had to hit the emergency switch - and so I braved the flames, leaping from beam to beam as I clawed for the summit!"
There's a beep at her shoulder, as a spherical ARM-pod bobbing at her shoulder apparently takes offence; Noeline grins at it, her eyes bright, and then sweeps out her arms again. "I made it in the nick of time - but paid for the effort of racing through the inferno. My wings were useless for weeks afterwards-- a Crimson Noble, confined to the ground!" She swoons - but purely for theatrics.
Maybe insane /is/ the word.
She's quick to sit up a little at the sight of the massive man and his approach, though, glancing aside at Riesenlied to gauge her initial reaction to the newcomer. She knows full well that her partner isn't about to turn anyone away, be they human or Veruni or anything else - but she's gotten used to tempering that impulse with a little caution from her end.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied smiles warmly as she strokes the hair of one of the children -- it's not Mikaia or Janey for once, but one of the children from Azado that she's taken time to babysit as their parents try to sort things out for themselves for the foreseeable future.
"Yes, the cucco is mighty as it is--"
A pause, as she cups her mouth and looks towards the very large man! He seems... vaguely familiar from -- of all places, the second battle of Adlehyde, but she'd been very distracted there and ran off to throw a fit to Siegfried.
Priorities, Riesenlied.
She bashfully smiles and looks towards Noeline as she tells her story, just a little red as she tries imagining it herself... Noeline's travels to the west had often made her feel-- a little by the wayside (pun entirely intended), perhaps, as she imagines what it might've been like if she were swept up into it and she left everything behind for a few centuries...
She didn't know Noeline had wings, though, once upon a time.
But as Elvis approaches...
"H-hello there..." Riese sounds somewhat nervous, though not of anything in particular as she tilts her head and looks confused at the question. "A high... purity crystal? Um, I'm not sure... I'm not much of a scientist, and I don't think we particularly have much valuable here."
Compared to other Metal Demons Elvis knows, Riesenlied is visibly -- weakened; there's a pallor to her skin and her posture that suggests poor health, and the scales that have erupted around her skin and seem to be spreading suggests a kind of deformity or degeneration as well.
Yes... a degeneration perhaps not unlike the Veruni so afflicted by the VR Factor that they require refuge in the pods back at Locus Solus.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
The horned Metal Demon's friend gets Elvis' attention with that odd reacting ARM. Interesting! Seems high grade. He ponders whom made it for a time, before passing a nod to Noeline. It seems like they were both entertainign the children. Suppose it is useful to do so whilst others construct this new civilization. Otherwise Human children would be rampaging around construction sites and the like, possibly with tools.
Indeed, Elvis is wearing pretty much the same thing from that fight, interestingly enough. Just without bullet holes and tears from over-exertion.
It could be very well her faults in her physical form that drew him to her. Much like Yarobeleedt. or any number of his own kin. An affinity for repairing others has formed over the decades of work he has done, and attempting to fix them could yield insight on his own cause. "Ah, I see," the man says, deep-voiced and casting quite the shadow. "Hahah, yes, the last batch I got was flawed and ruptured in my new invention. A shame! It will have to wait." A look between the two ladies and the younglings they tend together. "This is... ah, Petra, right?" Elvis whips out about three maps and a few documents in a flash, doublechecking notes. "WAIT. It was wiped out. A new settlement in its place?" he asks.
A casual glance around confirms his theory, at least on a visual standpoint. None of the buildings seem too old, or are recently modified.
"I have seen that large ship before too somewhere... where was it..." As he thinks, his eyes keep drifting to Riesenlied's form, specifically her aberrant alterations. "Huh. You seem to suffer from some sort of ailment or alteration. What might it be?"
Well that certainly is brash, Elvis.
"Apologies, such things intrigue me for my research."
This fella seems to bounce around topics like some sort of symposium savant. "Name's Elvis," he adds as well, though most don't know who he is. Metal Demons, even their shunned kind... might? Guess it was time to find out if it would be a place he is chased out of, or allowed to stay.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline does at least have the heart to glance towards Riesenlied, chuckling as the other Metal Demon seems to be listening along. It gives her a chance to intercept one of the children's questions, as a couple of the boys in her little circle go 'ehhhh' at each other and start to wonder the obvious aloud: if she has wings, where are they /now/?
"Well, of course, I chose to seal them away and live here in New Petra with the others," the spy answers, a hand theatrically at her chest as she lifts her head in a show of pride before she drops into a playful wink. "Not to say that I don't have them anymore, of course. It's just more accurate to say that Riesenlied is the one who lifts me up instead... with her love."
Immediately, half her audience go 'kyaa' and half of them start to grumble - and in the midst of the minor bout of chaos Noeline cackles happily, having got both of the reactions she was looking for in one fell swoop. She remains upbeat as she hops up to her feet, walking over to join Riesenlied at her side - though the hand that rests gently on the Tainted's shoulder is gentle, as she responds to that quiver of nervousness by offering the touch of something familiar, a reminder that she's there.
She seems reasonably able to keep up with Elvis' topic shifts, though her eyebrows do draw upwards as she lets out a quick burst of bemused laughter. "I suppose we could check if the airship had any stocks - unfortunately, I rather suspect that anything useful will have either been put to use or else may not have survived the numerous crashes we've had as of late. As for the village itself, well..."
She trails off when Elvis mentions his name, casting her mind back to the dossiers and Photosphere records. There was not a great deal of time to learn about the Veruni - their alliance came shortly before the Ebony Wings turned tail on the rest of the Metal Demons - but something about the name still plucks at her memory. "... it was an easy place to house a large number of refugees. We are not about to turn anyone away, but-- you should be aware that we are not exactly well-liked," she snorts under her breath.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks to the children and gently gestures for them, patting one on the shoulder. "Run along to the mess hall and we'll have lunch, okay? I'll just be a moment as I talk to this gentleman," with a sweet smile that the children seem enamored by. "Okaaay!" "Okay mom!" as they run off.
If nothing else, despite the lack of strength or vitality or resilience normally attributed to Metal Demons... she seems ever the image of a mother to all. Something Elvis might appreciate as a parent himself, perhaps.
She clings to that hand on her shoulder, placing her own in a way that's rather obviously affectionate and not secretively so. She's also incredibly red at that last line, though she c-can't really help but admit that she rather likes it...
"This is... well, we call it New Petra now. We're helping to house the refugees from Azado," Riesenlied expresses as Elvis muses about where he might've seen the Fereshte before. "We were there when that giant creature... obliterated the town..."
She furrows her brow-- and blinks when Elvis asks her if she's sick.
"I... I am, yes. A lot of us are -- um, 'Tainted', they call us. We are... the castaways of our brethren -- commonly known as the Metal Demons to Filgaia at large. Together, we work to provide shelter and aid to those needy -- no matter who they are."
But the name...
Riesenlied blinks a few times, glancing about and tilting her head. "Um, I'm sorry if I am forward, but..."
She furrows her brow. "Your name is... familiar, if I may...?" A pause. "Do you know of a 'Lord Volsung'?"
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
"HAH!" Elvis lets out loudly at Noeline's mention of those around being of less repute. "Neither am I by a lot of people, so all is fair if you ask me," he adds with a shrug.
The trip in to the profane grounds comes to mind at the moment. Mixed feelings between those who knew his fighting at Adlehyde, though some of them had willingness to forgive if he meant to help Humans somehow. He never was too fond of the Metal Demon's affinity for eradication of their kind-- would set back advancement of civilization as a whole considering their population.
Combined with Volsung's orders to aid them, he found himself in a strange place, especially one with concern for Carol's future.
"OH! THAT is where it is from, yes!" A large hand snaps a finger as a spark of intellect recalls that event. "Quite the creature. Was unable to get a sample for study sadly, was forced to flee, because-- well, you were there." No need to go in to ghastly detail if you experienced a town torn into nothing in the space of a few minutes.
"Hrn... New Petra..." One of his maps is quickly altered with a blotter and quill. Quite speedily for the size of his hands, at that. "Good to know."
The mountain of a man just absorbs what Riesenlied speaks of regarding the Tainted. "I see! So somewhat of a freelance sect of Metal Demons? Huh!" He heard rumors of such long ago, but thought nothing of it until now. "Well, I am certain your friends appreciate your efforts."
His lips purse at the mention of Volsung. There is a moment of quiet intensity given off. This pair knows a lot. More than most. They must have been very important, or found out a great deal of knowledge from somewhere, possibly Metal Demon contacts. "Y-Yes, I do." There is hesitation there. To confirm his existence. To even do so could be considered treacherous. But if he is going to make allies in helping those that fight against Mother, he has to start somewhere.
"...Who did you get that knowledge from?" he asks curiously. "It isn't something widely known."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Privately, Noeline squeezes Riesenlied's shoulder ever so slightly, accepting the other woman's hand atop hers. There's a quiet tension in her - even if she doesn't show it all that often, Noeline's got her own scars from the aftermath of Lunar, and she's been more defensive of Riesenlied than ever before the last few days. "... I doubt you could have recovered a sample even if you tried. I don't think I so much as managed to pierce its skin even once," Noeline mutters, much of her humour lost at the thought of that giant creature.
She recovers it quickly with a huff of air, lightly grinning to herself as she continues: "In any case, we've gotten pretty good at making villages out of next to nothing, and it isn't the first time we've taken in refugees. If it weren't for that Elw device underground things would have gotten rather nasty, but-- well, I cannot hope to speak for everyone here, but if you ask me, I'll take 'being on a different planet' over being dead any day."
She pauses at Riesenlied's question, and then chuckles softly at the man's response, both of which let the rest of her memories swing into line. "We were present at the Photosphere when the alliance between Metal Demon and Veruni was first forged," she admits with a nod of her head, but quickly frowns. "... though, with all due respect, I have to wonder how much longer that will hold up. Somehow, it's rather difficult to imagine Mother being willing to honour that agreement."
She pauses, and looks towards Riesenlied for a long moment, debating how many of their cards to lay on the table. It doesn't seem worth trying to dance around it - with their location already revealed, it isn't as if they have anything to lose. "... calling us 'freelance' is a bit of an understatement," she decides. "We are considered traitors for our desire to live in peace."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a somewhat shy look from Riesenlied as she feels like she-- encroached upon a sensitive topic, especially from the way Elvis' intensity exudes. She kind of buckles underneath it, clings to Noeline gently.
"... I met the man himself," Riesenlied offers gently, speaking in hushed tones. With how noisy the surroundings are with all kinds of construction jobs happening, as well as people calling for tools that they need and someone needing water over here, they've got a layer of privacy to speak under.
"Back when I still..." A pause. "... back then, when the alliance between our brethren and the Veruni was first established, I was informed of whom to contact to collaborate our efforts together. Before I... parted ways from Lord Siegfried."
There is a way of Riesenlied speaking that name that might sound... familiar. Familiar to the way Carol calls him, perhaps. A daughter to a father, though their relationship is strained.
"I am sorry, I just needed... needed to be certain. You are welcome here, of course -- we... we used to work a lot with someone called Ambrosius, if you are familiar with him. He is... still is a good friend of mine."
She nods very much at Noeline as she decides -- well, rather unsurprisingly, that honesty is the best policy. Elvis is... Elvis, and not the one described to her as basically 'Berserk, except a Veruni'. He seems like someone she can talk to, and between him and Ambrosius and Kaguya... well, she can only hope that she can help Matilda's own desire of curing VR Factor come true.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
A look to Noeline. "Well yes, though it shed numerous creatures that were a part of it. One of those would have sufficed, but everything happened so fast, afriad." A shame, too. Would certainly have been worth looking in to. Eyes squint when the alliance is mentioned. "That is... my moral quandry. Metal Demons say they wish to terminate humanity. That is different than saying terminate Humans. You know how that old saying goes. A painter that uses broader strokes misses finer details on his canvas."
Elvis seems to almost study Noeline as she speaks of being a traitor. Hrm. "They do live by such an odd creed that if you are not with them, you are chaff to be burned." There is a sour tone to his voice mentioning that. One of those large hands palms something disc-like in his pocket as he talks. Unseen, it was that pocketwatch with the picture of Carol in it. Re-assurance that his uncertainty in this time is a good thing.
"Ah, so that is why-- I must have been pre-occupied at the time." A thought of Siegfried when his name is mentioned. "Ah yes! Ambrosius!" the man says heartily. "A valuable member of our society! I know him well. I am in good company then." He holds out a massive hand toward Riesenlied and Noeline to shake. His hand looks like it could crush anything it held. "Elvis, Sentinel."
A quieter, though more formal introduction. If they know of Volsung they may know what a Sentinel is, which is the Veruni's sect of Quarter Knights, in a nutshell. Their leaders and commanders when their lord (or lady) is unable to do so.
"I'm not typically out and about enforcing our kind's orders, as I have the more important task of leading the charge of curing our people. I am sure Ambrosius may have mentioned this." A pause for a glance at Riese's abnormalities again. "I typically look into other's problems as well. As there could be a common link that could help, considering all the incurable ails that affect this planet."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline chuckles softly as Riesenlied - doesn't exactly backtrack, per se, but certainly does her best to clarify the situation. For her efforts, the twintailed demon chuckles and pats her affectionately on the shoulder, her fingers briefly brushing against Riesenlied's hand. "He cannot come by so often these days," she notes, referring to Ambrosius. "Or rather-- well, I suppose that is his own way to resolving those quandaries. Not exactly disavowing all knowledge, so much as keeping a respectful distance."
"... I can't fault him for it compared to his other options, I suppose, but he could at least come and give Janey some more workbooks from time to time. I'm worried what she's going to end up making if she's left /entirely/ to her own devices," she mutters, planting her free hand on her hip. The grumble is unmistakably fond - the sound of a parent, worry and exasperation and pride in equal measure.
Her face clouds at Elvis' rather harsh agreement as to a Metal Demon's nature - but she chooses not to offer a great deal beyond a sharp nod, and a furrow of her brow. Instead, she huffs out a breath and shifts back to that easy grin, especially when she curtseys in response. "Riesenlied, leader of the Ebony Wings, and Noeline, its second-in-command. ... quite a way up from where I used to be, I must admit." she teases Riese with a quick snicker.
She has the heart to turn more solemn at the next topic, nodding in respect. "I dare say that you must have been in contact with Kaguya, as well. We've done our best to help her when we can - she considers Riesenlied her mother," she notes with more of that quiet pride. "I suppose it would be fair to say we are most engaged in trying to understand and contact the Guardians - to learn more about the history of the conflict between our races in hopes of resolving it."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has a softly fond look to Noeline as she corrects, "Not the Ebony Wings anymore. We now operate as the Wayside Outreach," as she clings with her fingers lapped around Noeline's as she gives it a squeeze. She smiles very quietly and thinks of Ambrosius for a moment, missing him... she had time to reconnect with him on Lunar, but their own situation had always been so-- precarious.
"Yes... I'm very fond of Kaguya, and-- terribly worried about her condition. We've been working to research and support those that are ailing under such diseases as Zopt Syndrome... and--" A pause. "In no small part because of her, we also want to dedicate resources to studying and helping find ways to alleviate the VR Factor as well."
She glances up towards Elvis again as she reaches her hand out and shakes it -- her own hand is a lot smaller, and truly it could be crushed very easily! But there is a resolve there that is not so easily swayed.
"... our society is very-- rigid, yes. Perhaps moreso now than it has been in centuries... to not be useful-- is to be cast to the lowest depths of the Photosphere. A ghetto known as the Gutter... that was where we lived for the longest time, before we dared to try to strike it out on our own."
There is a softer sigh on her lips, as she says, "If you do... see Ambrosius again, please let him know I still support him and would like to see him again -- Janey does as well," as she nods to what Noeline's talking about.
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
Hm! Those two are quite close. "We have been delegated to assist the alliance where we can," Elvis says, grunting. "I'm not a fan of it, I have far more important things to do. Like find my darn assistant!" Eyes quickly dart around just to make a quick check that Carol wasn't there. Was she? No? Okay, back to normal then.
"Heard of her, too, huh? Yeah, Miss Kaguya was one of my brightest students back in the day. She has learned a great deal being off on her own. She also... is affected by VR now." A slow look down to the floor. "I think she is sitll on Lunar. For good reason too-- the VR has much less of an impact there. Most likely due to proximity to Filgaia."
"Guardians, you say?" Elvis asks, curious at Noeline's comment. Innovation can be seen flaring in his eyes. "You know about them?"
"I am surprised at the amount of people wanted to help I have not heard of! First this Human Matilda that helped out with a book-ful of research with Kaguya, now you!" A chortled laugh and a slap of the knee follows. "And people ask me why I bother venturing out!"
The handshake is very prim and proper. No crushing grip, no missing a hand afterward. "I can certainly let him know, yes! I see him often."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a glance at Riesenlied's mild rebuke, Noeline chuckles gently to herself. "... true enough. The Wayside Outreach it is," she responds with that same note of pride laced through her voice. Even with all the trials they've faced, she can cling onto things like that. "It's just been a long time thinking of us that way, I suppose."
She offers her own hand next - and in comparison to Riesenlied, her grip is stronger, the physical strength to Riesenlied's emotional strength. Noeline does not appear to be a Tainted - or at least, she doesn't display either her partner's deformities nor the piecemeal repairs and replacements that the rest of the Wayside Outreach have had to resort to in order to keep their bodies in working order. If anything, she looks a great deal more human than many Metal Demons, but perhaps that's part of the cover she was once intended to operate under.
"We have managed a fair bit more than simply 'knowing' about them. When a battle drove us into the Temple of the Guardians, we braved the space underneath - and Equites decided to show itself to us, demanding to know what we were doing there. When we explained we wished to try to forge some kind of peace, we were set with a geas - prove that we could be more than simple conquerors," Noeline tells the tale slowly and carefully, gauging Elvis' expression as she goes.
"That is part of why we have chosen this course - why our race thinks we have turned against them. ... well, even saying that, geas or no geas, I am simply doing what I wish to do," she adds with a snort. "What I feel is the best for 'Hyadeans' as a whole. I don't believe their current course is one that will lead anywhere good."
A pause, and she huffs. "As for how it is going, well--" there's a tang in the air, the unmistakable feeling of sorcery as Noeline lets a little of the power of Duras Drum pool in her hand. "I recall positively making Ambrosius' eyes as wide as saucers with this."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Poor Carol, forever doomed to be in a perpetual quantum state of being somewhere and yet not being anywhere until she is inevitably apped one day. Maybe...
"Still... on Lunar," Riesenlied whispers, eyes widening -- there's a quiet pang of regret that she won't be able to see Kaguya for a while, but... at the same time, as Elvis says -- that VR Factor has less of an effect there is... good. Proximity to Filgaia... she can't say she herself felt better, but the degeneration within her is much more direct in a way.
"Yes... we've met-- several Guardians. All of this... what you say here -- the hope that we sowed within the soil of Wayside was only made possible because a Guardian heard us out and chose to risk co-existence with us, rather than rebuff us."
A pause.
"It... was a turning point for us, a signal that it was possible to work together to fix the issues that plague us all."
She looks towards Noeline with a fond smile as she recants the tale. It's a very bold move, especially given some of the enmity she knows the Veruni has for the Guardians... especially Kaguya, but...
She lets go after that handshake, returning that hand to Noeline's as she lets her support her. That grip is comforting, the way she supports her through these times. She stares towards that pulsating power of Duras Drum's, and looks to Elvis.
"... I know Kaguya feels slighted by the Guardians, but... I fervently believe in cooperation, not conflict, as our path to seeing Filgaia saved."
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
"I think it sounds rather fitting, for those looking to help wayward souls that are victims of one circumstance or another," Elvis casually comments toward their group name. Noeline's grip gets a nod from Elvis-- A good grip. An unusually strong grip at that. "I don't even fully agree with my kind's treatment of Humans. It's a waste of intellect. Let alone extinction at the hands of Mother."
Noeline adjucates use of her magic as a show of force, or perhaps possibility. Elvis certainly takes notice, and looms over the girl, looking at the magic called forth. "I have seen this before! And it intrigued me. An avenue I have not looked into much. Veruni are intrinsically attuned to a special kind of magic-- though I always wondered if looking into the native magic of the planet could help the cause, somehow."
A look to Riese. "I can only assume. We haven't had any contact with her since all our return. She isn't one to not report in." God forbid something terrible befell her when everyone was fighting Sin.
"I... Can't say I have any feelings one way or the other regarding them," The Sentinal recalls, running a pair of fingers along a side of his moustache. "But I have always been gifted with the command of Water and Earth. I could see others becoming ill-tempered with them. If the VR Factor is somehow magical, and the way it affects Miss Kaguya differently on Lunar, makes me thing it could be magical, or spiritual somehow. Seeking out these Guardians could help my research."
"Hum."
A massive ironbound tome is pulled out of a satchel, a book sized for his hands. A quill is pulled out, and notes written down. "This certainly could be a promising lead. How does one find a Guardian?"
A look back toward Noeline. "I can try to find a way to help both your cause out as well. Somehow." A sigh. "At least I will try to."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... perhaps it's for the best," Noeline states gently; once the handshake is done she's quick to return back to Riesenlied's side in turn, though she's quiet as she makes the point. "She was clearly happier there, not to mention healthier." She has to pause, and quietly wonder if Kaguya is alright - given some of the events on Lunar and Kaguya's possible part in them, she does feel a little trepidation, but--
--but she shakes it away, because she's got to have trust, and it's not like she could do anything about it anyway. "We know there will surely be a way back there. The teleporters were part of a network, that much is clear - perhaps it's just a matter of finding one that isn't ready and primed to be destroyed by some external force." Her words are light, but-- there's definitely a rather sour note under there at the way Elw devices do seem to be strictly more dangerous than they need to be.
She raises her eyebrows as Elvis suddenly looms over her, and snorts softly as she turns the little ball of sickly greenaround in her hands to let him have a closer look before letting it dissipate. "For a Metal Demon, of course, the idea of one wielding the Guardian's power is more or less anathema. And yet, here we are - Riesenlied's feelings and hopes have summoned them more than once, while I was rather forcibly gifted a Medium of my own. As for meeting one..." she trails off, frowning a little in thought.
"To be honest, it is probably going to be difficult with Mother awake," she admits with a sigh. "Her power is suppressing the Guardian's ability to communicate - it is like a wall of cotton wool hangs over the world. I suppose it might be easier at one of their statues, but they can be capricious at the best of times, and this is hardly that."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"... Noeline is the only one of our kin that can use magic," Riesenlied expresses with a quiet nod. "Our brethen do not have that gift, unlike the Veruni... and yes -- it is through an astonishing circumstance that the Medium was able to work with Noeline," she smiles, clearly fond and not at all a little bit biased at how awesome she thinks that is of Noeline!
There's a pause, as she sighs to say, "I'll be helping Matilda try to relay a message. I do want to make sure she's all right..." A pause, "Not that I think she needs the help. She's very capable..."
She lets out a soft series of coughs, for a moment. "It's as Noeline says, though... their statues offer a stronger link to them, but-- right now, Mother appears to be... casting a veil over the world. My own senses feel... muted, in a way I can't quite explain." Cotton wool may very well be the best way she can express it.
"... I'm sorry, Noeline, would you be able to help me back to my room? I'm feeling a bit wan... Mister Elvis, please feel free to look around -- the Outreach would be happy to help."
<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.
"Her case is advanced. Whatever time she can buy on Lunar is best until I-- we can find a cure. Sorry. Force of habit. I only just started meeting people who actually care about the VR Factor!" A hand grips the book so strongly that muscles can be heard creaking.
Perhaps that is why they are all metal-bound. He seems rather excited mentioning it this time. "I am SURE with this much help, the mystery can be solved!"
"Yes, it is the same for Veruni. Filgaia only lets her current kind-- Humans, to use it. Though the fact that there is some way a Metal Demon, though different from her usual kin, can still use it intrigues me. Perhaps there is a connection there."
"Well, sounds like that will need to be remedied, though I am unsure if I can help directly on that front." A look from Riesenlied, to Noeline. "I thought something was different about you, though I couldn't put my finger on it. I felt it in your handshake."
"Last I saw her away from Adlehyde she was fine, and relayed some helpful research from Miss Kaguya. Was rather recent, if that helps ease your mind any."
Riese's cough causes Elvis to adopt a stern look, though says nothing. Immediate assumptions go to her degenerated form, though could merely be complications from such. Either way, it doesn't sound healthy.
"Thank you! I can't stay long, but will see if there's something I can help with before moving on. I need to find that pure crystal. I need it for a device I can use to see Malevolence to better deal with it." He pulls out that small metal halo with a device attached to it. "I call it the Malevo-Lens! Name is a place-holder. Maybe."
He has that look on hsi face much like a salesperson has-- perhaps a field test for the name?!
"I'll stop by from time to time to check in, nwo that I know this is a safe bet."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline is quick to rest a hand on Riesenlied's back, her brow furrowing for a moment in concern - then she sinks down enough to offer the other metal demon a shoulder to brace herself against, carefully pulling Riese up to her feet in a manner that's clearly practiced, something they've had to do a lot as of late. "Of course. I'll let the kids know to bring you something, as well," she chuckles quietly.
For a moment, she looks across to Elvis, gauging the man's exuberance in the face of new allies - and she quietly chuckles to herself, shaking her head. "... there is a drifter named Avril you may wish to talk to. Though she is an amnesiac, she managed to pick out the fact that I hold an 'Original Artificial Medium' - from what I gather, it is a Medium specifically designed to make it possible for those who are not Filgaian humans to commune with the Guardians. I would offer to show you, but Duras Drum thought it would be terrifically funny to turn it into very painful shrapnel - but it may provide a route of inquiry for you," she offers with a light bow of her head.
"As for anything else - feel free to relax instead, if you'd like. We are always in need of extra hands - and yet, we get by somehow," she chuckles. "Besides, I would very much like to see that device, once it's done."