2018-10-04: Some Time to Spare

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  • Log: Some Time to Spare
  • Cast: Riesenlied, Jacqueline Barber
  • Where: New Petra
  • Date: October 4th, 2018
  • Summary: Jacqueline comes to visit New Petra and catches up with Riesenlied...


<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied... has been kind of a scarce presence for Jacqueline, hasn't she?

Ever since the second battle of Adlehyde, the merchant knows that the Outreach has fled to Old Petra -- a bold move, but a necessary one; the Azadians need urgent help, and that was the only place around that they truly knew how to procure enough food and water.

And worse yet is the intensifying rumours of the 'Deceiver', especially as she's been seen again around the area and made everyone rightly concerned once more...

But, when the Caravan Kinship's leader approaches the crater, she would see something that's the spitting image of Wayside; a ring of prefabricated buildings around tents and caravans alongside the airship, and the very spirit of camaraderie and collaboration. Azadians are intermixed amongst the Outreach now; spirits are down, but everyone's clearly hanging on for now.

In the midst of this... Riesenlied has been struggling with her own degeneration -- as Jacqueline saw her when at the Seven Sages revisit. Both her feet have mutated further now, and she's... actually spending the day just doing simple things like balancing on her feet and walking to make sure she doesn't trip and fall over.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

It's true, Jacqueline hasn't been able to meet up with Riesenlied as much as she might have liked too. They both had their own to take care of - while Riesenlied was establishing New Petra and taking care of the refugees from Azado, Jacqueline was busy taking care of(and being taken care of by) her Kinship, doing the work that needed to be done to rebuild the connections that had faded in their absence...as well as making preparations for the future.

But now she has some time to spare!

She had been here once before when members of the Kinship went to deliver a strange pauldron they had found, but she hadn't had much time to take it in and appreciate it. Looking at it now...

They've really made something of it, haven't they? Sure, they were used to having to establish themselves in a hurry...but it was a testament to their inexhaustible determination and their drive to survive, together, against the odds.

Jacqueline manages a smile as she makes her way through it to find the person she was looking for. She'd heard the 'Deceiver' rumors, of course...she only hopes no one's done anything too drastic.

"Hey there, Riese. How's everyone holding up?" Jacqueline asks, offering her a wave as she approaches her. She notes Riesenlied's attempts to remain balanced. Jacqueline wonders when that happened...but she decides it's polite not to ask.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

That pauldron wound up being quite the furor, didn't it? The pauldron of Siegfried, which had set Riesenlied into a bit of an emotional state...

"Oh, Miss Jacqueline--" expresses the Hyadean, before suddenly stumbling as her ankle twists unsteadily and she drops to her knees. There's a yelp, as she winces and she bashfully says, "Ah-- just trying to... get my coordination back, I'm afraid. But New Petra's been doing quite well, I think."

She looks towards some of the people around them, smiling as a familiar accordion-tubing Hyadean plays with several Azadian children sitting on his shoulders.

"And you...?"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline gasps in surprise and hurries over to Riesenlied, leaning down to offer her a hand and a shoulder to lean on just in case she needs help getting back up.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to startle you...should we find a place to sit down?" Jacqueline asks. "Just keep working at it...I'm sure you'll get there."

Jacqueline follows Riesenlied's gaze, offering the gathered people a smile and a friendly wave. As long as they could still smile and play like that...well, it was a sign that things weren't all bad, wasn't it?

"I've been doing alright, relatively speaking..." Jacqueline explains. Adlehyde still weighed on her somewhat...but they were strong. They were able to endure. "I've had a lot of worried messages to respond to, clients to assuage...but I think I've managed to ease most of their concerns."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied takes that hand and picks herself back up, brushing some of the sand and dust from her gown and lets out just a little sigh of relief. "Ah, yes..." she gestures towards a nearby open tent where someone's serving tea, stumbling her way towards it and sitting down on a bench after giving the Azadian host a wave.

"It's been a very hectic couple of weeks... I'm still concerned about the further future of where we may relocate to," Riesenlied admits. "Old Petra is not exactly what I would call safe, as my brethren know where it is. But we didn't have any other choices."

She smiles a bit wider at Jacqueline, though. "You've really come to your own as a merchant and a leader... I'm really proud of you."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline nods and helps Riesenlied up, then follows her to the tent she indicated. She, too, offers the host a wave as she moves to take a seat near Riesenlied.

"I imagine...and Adlehyde's in no condition to accept refugees." Jacqueline replies. "I'm sure you'll find somewhere, though - I believe that you will. If there's anything I know about Wayside, it's that nothing can keep you all down for long."

Riesenlied's smile and earnest compliment gets an embarrassed chuckle out of Jacqueline.

"Th-thank you. Hearing you say that...makes me believe it's true." Jacqueline replies. Hey, she actually accepted a compliment for once. She massages the back of her neck.

"Lunar was...something of an eye opener for me, I guess. We were suddenly left with nothing but we had on us, and had to make do with what we had...we had to learn how to adapt pretty quickly. I think it helped, though." She comments.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

There's just the littlest bit of a delicate chuckle from Riesenlied, bashful as ever as the host serves them some tea with a wave.

"... I'm thinking of approaching King Ardryn of Lacour. I helped save him from bandits over a year ago, but I'm uncertain if he has any capacity for the Azadians..." Riesenlied tilts her head. "That, and he may not be able to act on my request without upsetting Krosse or..." Well, Adlehyde, but she feels hesitant to mention it.

She smiles wider as she nods at Jacqueline accepting the compliment. "... indeed... it was a very frightening time for us too. I genuinely thought, in my darkest times, that I'd lost the Fereshte and everyone onboard. We were very fortunate and blessed to be reunited again..."

There's a pause, as she says, "Did I... inform you about our plans to officially rebrand? We are the Wayside Outreach now -- the Ebony Wings are, officially, no more."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline accepts a cup and takes a sip, listening as Riesenlied explains her plans. Lacour, hm...?

"I think...the only thing you can do is try. The people of Azado need help, regardless of who does the asking...the only thing you can do is extend your hand and hope he reaches out to meet you." Jacqueline replies.

She smiles slightly as Riesenlied recounts her own experiences on Lunar. She remembers meeting Riesenlied in those times, back before the Fereshte was found.

"...Yes...but in the end, it lead to you making even more friends than you had before - people in need of help. In a way, that, too, was a blessing." Jacqueline comments. "And I don't think I would've thought to get myself certified by the Crest Sorcery Guild without everything that happened, so I can't complain."

Jacqueline pauses and listens as Riesenlied explains her plans to rebrand. She seems surprised - this is her first time hearing about it.

"No, you didn't. 'Wayside Outreach', is it? I like it. It sounds...a good deal friendlier." Jacqueline comments with a smile.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied smiles wider as she says, "No compromises anymore. We're focused on providing aid and relief to those who need it... and studying the long-term challenges that we can't just resolve with force, such as desertification, and the current rise of Zopt Syndrome and VR Factor..."

A pause, as she tilts her head and places her hand to her chest. "It's true. People were uncertain and concerned, but-- there's been a lovely kind of mingling between people here..."

She takes her cup of tea and sips from it. "Oh, the Crest Sorcery Guild? Are you thinking of taking the exam? I think you'd do great...!" She doesn't know that much about crest sorcery, but she knows enough that only licensed members can adjust the crest graphs that sorcerers bring in...

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline listens as Riesenlied explains the aim of the Wayside Outreach. She nods quietly as she listens. Those were some admirable goals.

"I see... That sounds wonderful. This world needs more people looking to offer a helping hand." Jacqueline replies with a bright smile. "You've come a long way...I'm proud of /you/, too."

She nods, then.

"I'm not surprised...there's always going to be some uncertainty when you're taking a step into the unknown. But...I think it's a step in the right direction. If you need my help, or Caravan Kinship's help, we'll be right there with you."

Riesenlied asks her about the exam, and Jacqueline nods.

"I am! It'll be a while before I can take the actual exam since I've got a lot of studying I need to do before then, but...I'm sure I'll be able to handle it." Jacqueline replies with a confident smile.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied lets out a little embarrassed pip as she plays with a bit of her hair, nodding quietly and laughing. "... it feels good. To be truthful and earnest, and doing what we feel passionate about. Not having to hide anymore..."

She slumps her head to the side for a moment. She breathes deeper and sips gently on her tea. "Thank you. I know we'll need to rely on your services to provide people with what they need... hopefully we'll be able to keep our funds in order, aha..."

Being a charity organisation does mean that the budget can be quite tight at times, after all.

"I wonder if Mikaia would be interested in learning crest sorcery. She's very precocious... did I tell you she made a mirror from that book you gave her that Miss Lily's using now?"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I imagine it must feel quite a bit different from what you're used to...but at the same time, it must be quite a bit of weight off your shoulders." Jacqueline comments with a chuckle, taking a sip of her own tea as well.

She nods, then, with a smile.

"We'll be glad to. As for funds...I'm sure you'll figure something out. You've always been able to manage before." Jacqueline replies. That was always the difficult part...in some ways, it was more challenging than any Dig.

Jacqueline can't help but light up when Riesenlied mentions Mikaia's mirror.

"Aww...no, you didn't! I'm so proud of her..." Jacqueline says with a smile. "Do you think she would be? My mother's a better teacher than I am, but I might be able to help...I know a few Crests that are safe for beginners to use, to get a feel for things. I started out with a simple 'Light' spell, keeping it up for lengths of time to strengthen my energy reserves..."

She hesitates for a second.

"...Th-though it was mostly so I'd always have something to read by..." She admits with a nervous chuckle.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"Mm... at this point, I feel it was basically a formality..." Riesenlied chuckles, on the topic of whether or not she's used to it or not. She nods gently as she laces her hands together. She didn't want the Outreach to be compromised, which made funding it a bit more difficult... she hesitates about the day they may not have a choice. But...

That's a bridge they'll cross when they get to it.

"A Light spell... I--I heard something about Mikaia wanting to try it out so she could 'eat more cake and not get fat'... is there any truth to that?" Riesenlied sounds genuinely concerned. Like she might not have enough cake to go around if all her children were suddenly calorie furnaces thanks to Crest Sorcery.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"I suppose it was." Jacqueline replies with a smile. She hoped it worked out, as well. The more people vying for peace in the world the better, her opinion.

Jacqueline...has to smother a laugh at Riesenlied's next words, though.

"W-well, I suppose there are worse reasons for wanting to get into Crest Sorcery!" She replies. "It.../is/ true that Sorcery burns more calories...though I don't know if I would suggest a complete lack of caution..."

...But at the same time, Jacqueline has not seen some of the terrible things /certain/ Crest Sorceresses have done to foodstuffs without any repurcussions...

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"I--I want my children to have a balanced diet, that's all," Riesenlied lets out a very soft huff as she picks at her hair again. "Not that I'm opposed to them learning new skills, not in the least..."

Though it's entirely possible, given Mikaia, that she's just teasing her mother. The tables really have turned...

"... pretty soon, we'll be... taking those that are willing amongst the Outreach and going to Elru," she confides. "There... are still more amongst the Tainted we need to relocate and move to safer places. And... I have somewhere I need to visit again..."

A pause. "A very important place I need to face, after shying away from it for so long."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"That's reasonable, really!" Jacqueline replies with a chuckle. She listens, then, as Riesenlied explains that they'll be going to Elru. She's quiet for a moment, and then she nods.

"We...the Caravan Kinship...we'll be heading to Elru, too. Matilda and I have been working on those recipes you gave me, so long ago. We're...trying to make sure we have everything we'll need to make it through." Jacqueline replies, then listens quietly.

A place she needed to face again...Jacqueline remembers Riesenlied mentioning something like that, a while back.

"...If you need me, I'll be there with you. You won't have to face it alone...though I'm sure you know that all too well by now." She replies, with a slight smile at the end.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"Those recipes..." Riesenlied pauses, looking just a bit shyer. "They're recipes from the Fereshte -- the tribe and the village, which our ship is named after." A pause and a quiet sigh in turn, lacing her hands together.

"We'll need everything in order to have the best chance against... against-- my brethren. And there, in the remains of the village which have been lost for so long now..."

A pause.

"There is a Medium there..." She hitches for a moment. "I am scared to return. My hands tremble thinking about it. But... it-- it would be... a disservice for me to not return."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Oh, I see..." Jacqueline replies. That made sense, when she thought about it. ...And now they would be put to use, to help them return there.

She listens quietly, though she notes Riesenlied's fear and hesitation. She lifts a hand, resting it gently on her shoulder.

"...It'll be alright. I know it won't be easy...but we'll be there for you." She says, trying to reassure her. Facing one's past, after so long...

It was a pain that was difficult for Jacqueline to imagine. She could only wonder for how long it'd been weighing down on her...

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied pauses for a longer moment, before drawing a harder breath with a quiet nod as she smiles and says, "Thank you. I'll let you know, when it comes time... we still have to think about other things like where to stay in Elru. And -- I imagine Catenna and Shalune have some inkling, but I'd be happy to share my own knowledge of the continent too..."

She bobs her head the other way.

"I know I won't be alone. It's okay to be scared, is what Lydie would say if she were here right now," she chuckles bashfully. "She's such a good girl."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline nods.

"Yes....we'll have to rely on them a lot when we get there. I'm sure Shalune will be thrilled." There's a slight chuckle, at that. "I'd appreciate that. I'm open to any help I can receive. Having the Carakin will help us...but that's just the first part."

'It's okay to be scared'. Jacqueline smiles. That was true.

"She really is." She agrees.