2018-11-10: What is Life, if not for Adventure
- Log: What is Life, if not for Adventure
- Cast: Maya Schrodinger, Riesenlied, Noeline, Ashton Anchors, Lydia Seren
- Where: Lost Village Fereshte
- Date: 10th November 2018
- Summary: Maya and Lydia, escorted by Ashton, come to support Riese and Noeline following the events within the village of the Fereshte.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
Two Weeks Prior
The Open Seas
An ancient phantom from an era unknown to even the more ancient movers and shakers on Filgaia gleefully twirls atop a mechanical boat riddled with dents, bullet holes, and scorches. With disembodied hands bobbing before a billowing black cloak, it hurls Drifters from the deck with terrific magical blasts. One such blast strikes Outreach associate Maya Schrodinger square in the torso, the strange negative energies throwing a bucket of water on her life's spark and throwing her into the distant waters with a splash.
If the Outreach recovery team have to rescue people like this all the time, truly, their life is suffering.
The Lost Village 'Fereshte'
Today
Advances in magitechnical medical science are stellar, and that's why the aforementioned Drifter is still here today. Albeit in poor health. Maya is summoned from the ship of the same name easily enough, to hear an update about their actual plans here in Elru and what's happened so far. She doesn't need a walking cane or anything, but is back to being powered down semi-permanently while her MaxHP% slowly recovers above 5.
Well. Powered enough to appear in orange, at least. That's a start.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied had heard about Maya's condition following the rather harrowing incident on the open seas, though she was not personally present for it because... well, because sometimes you're not present for a scene and maybe your body is just standing <AFK> or however these things work.
But indeed, Maya's been called because Riesenlied and Noeline have headed to what she described would be the long-dead remnants of her former Baskar village, Fereshte. But when the Gunslinger Gal got there...
Well, suffice to say that the nothern lights casts an unusual splendour above the village, bustling and healthy as if nothing had ever happened to it. There's a long story there, but for now...
She's spending time cradled within the hold of Noeline, in a state that soft resembles that moment where someone is whimpering following a significant breakdown. She looks... about as much at peace as she possibly can, in front of the bonfire and tent that they've set up.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline has carefully limped her way to a thankfully empty tent, taking Riesenlied's weight against her as she thoughtfully watches the strange tableau of the Fereshte Village and its inhabitants locked in time and life. Her instincts are tugging her in both directions; part of her would dearly like to stay and learn more about Riesenlied's time amongst the nomads, not to mention whatever might have happened to leave the village in this state, but the cloying pressure and presence of the place is making every nerve scream at her to get out, get clear, and get safe.
In the end, concern wins out - better not to push Riesenlied right now, not when it would be best to give her some time to work through everything that just happened. Besides, she's not in much state to hurry herself. Though the idealized version of herself that she faced in the village's shrine might have been a reflection and not a physical thing, her wounds certainly seem real enough, and she grits her teeth against the pain of her double's sorcery as she reaches over to toss another log onto the spitting fire.
"... Miss Schrodinger," she greets at the first sight of the Drifter, and huffs out a soft little laugh as she draws a hand through her beloved's hair in what she certainly hopes is a slow and soothing fashion. Earlier, muttering apologies to an unknown owner, she'd quietly stolen a blanket to draw around Riesenlied's shoulders. "Excuse me if I don't get up, but-- please, take a seat yourself. We may need a little while," she admits, "But it's good to have you here."
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
The scene is not quite complete, however - there's still another there. It's a dangerous world, and as mentioned Lydia's not about leaving things up to random chance right now.
Which likely explains her hired escort: the young man in the black and gold robe. For the moment, he's quiet. Watching, perhaps. Vigilant. Prepared. Professional. Trying to put a knit hat on one of the dragons sticking out of his shoulders, arguing quietly with it that darn it, you're going to catch a cold, I don't care if you don't like the color.
Okay. Maybe less of the first couple things, a lot more of the last. But at least he's trying to be unobtrusive about it.
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia Seren was busy delivering supplies to New Arctica so she couldn't come with the initial forray into Fereshte. So basically, she was too busy on the airship Fereshte to visit the village Fereshte for which the airship Fereshte was named after (Fereshte). Unfortunately, Amber the Falconeer (a minion) was too busy delivering supplies to escort Lydia for what's essentially a personal trip.
But who could Lydia hire to take her to the Lost Village of Fereshte? She just needs someone skilled at fighting and maybe a bit easy to lead around.
And then it happens. Lydia sees TWO DRAGONS and a MAN staring at a BARREL. Lydia watches for a little while before noticing his swords and approaching.
"Heeey you look like someone who is down on his luck and could really use a job. Luckily, I am an employer. I'd like a guard to help guide me to the Lost Village of Fereshte. I know the way but, well, Metal Demons. Monsters. I'm a lover not a fighter and money is my spouse if you get me."
NOW
Lydia pulls her cart along as she heads towards those tents. "Wow spooky... I didn't--"
She pauses for a moment. She looks to Ashton. She squints.
"Hey... didn't I hire you before? Or are dragon swordsmen ..." Her eyes widen. "It's Ashton! Well how 'bout that!"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
Well, the lady in the gawdy dress ladened down with guns has a good ol' hesitate upon finally making her way to the village. It seems to be in much better condition than she would have been first led to believe, but it doesn't look like Riesenlied has fared so well.
How do you greet someone in the current situation? Casual as Noeline is, anyway.
- 1: 'Hey.'
- 2: 'Hello, I sure do hope everything is fine here.'
- 3: 'I must go.'
Maya folds her arms and pretends to be very casual in return, as if nothing were amiss. "Uh, naturally. I just knew you two wouldn't stay out of trouble for long, so here I am." and she tosses her hair. Tries not to think about how much it hurts to do that. "Was this place already a bustling party before you got here, or is this your doing?"
It isn't long before the familiar squeaking of a cart in the distance draws the beleaguered blonde drifter's attention. She cranes her head to get a better look, dusting her sleeves as she steps to one side and cups her eyes. "Oh, Lydie's on her way too with some extra help. Did you all travel here together? I haven't clapped eyes on too many people since I--uh--woke up."
A pause.
"Said help's got dragons poking out of it. You -sure- you aren't related?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied is a... peculiar woman. And to Ashton, perhaps a woman of particularly interesting peculiarity.
She slowly rouses to wakefulness as Maya, Lydia and Ashton arrive; she softly rises as she overhears Noeline calling out to the gunslinger, then hears Lydia's familiar, comforting voice. Her daughter's come to support them, after the frankly harrowing things that have happened since.
The objects that haven't left her hands are clear -- a Medium in the same style Avril carries, and a crystal sword of some kind that doesn't look fit for combat.
But the most interesting peculiarity is her unmistakably Draconic features -- the dark, metallic horns protruding from her head; the dragon-like scales that are threatening to encroach over her face, the misshapen, scaled feet and hand that don't look particularly well-balanced.
"Lydia, Maya... thank goodness you're here. Um-- I'm terribly sorry about what happened." She doesn't know who the newcomer is, so... "Who's..."
She catches sight of Ashton's dragons.
Her horns... wiggle in interest, not unlike an excited dog's ears.
... they're really bad horns.
"Are those... Dragons...?" she whispers, as if she's uncertain whether or not she's so fatigued she's hallucinating.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Were Noeline a little more alert, she might be more concerned about a newcomer, especially the idea of one slipping into the strange limbo of the Fereshte village and what the power settled over the place might choose to do to him in return. On top of that, the mercenary is not exactly a common sight; Noeline huffs out a surprised laugh under her breath, but can't really bring herself to say anything as Ashton takes up a terribly serious sort of vigil.
That said, the fact that he's arrived at Lydia's side apparently counts for a great deal; after a moment's wary tension Noeline visibly relaxes and settles back against Riesenlied's side. She is not quite as unusual a sight as her companion - about the strangest thing about her are blood-red eyes and a distinct tendency towards flair even in the midst of Elru's snowy landscape. At least she's wearing a thick white coat over her dress.
"I'm not terribly sure you are one to talk about staying out of trouble," she grumbles towards Maya, though there's a slight grin on her face before Maya's question turns the expression more sombre. "... it is... this is how we found the place. Be careful of how far you go. I don't know if you could call the village dangerous, but... it is wrapped up in itself." She looks briefly dissatisfied with her own explanation, and lightly shakes her head.
Carefully, she helps Riesenlied sit up a little, letting out a warmer laugh this time. Perhaps it's a little forced, but they could certainly use anything to take their mind off things right at this moment. "They certainly seem to be. Either that, or an excellent travelling theatre."
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
"It is indeed I." Ashton gives a small bow to Lydia - then goes back to trying to force a knit wool hat onto his red dragon's head. "Thankfully as far as I know no one else has been cursed in quite this way, so they're a bit of a distinctive--"
And it's in that moment the others come into the play. Ashton leaves the introductions to the side for a moment to simply... look at Riesenlied. Which is not to say that Maya isn't striking - Ashton would be very prompt about that - but Riesenlied? For obvious reasons she draws his attention.
After looking at her for a moment too long for it not to be awkward, he clears his throat. "Well, yes. Yes, they are. This," he notes towards the red head over his right shoulder, "Is Creepy. And the other," he indicates with a motion of his chin to the blue head on the left, "is Weepy. And I would be Ashton Anchors - mercenary of the Adventurer's Guild. Miss Seren's hired me on as an escort today." He gives a small bow with a flourish to the other women present. "It is a pleasure to meet her associates." Of course, then Ashton quickly glances over to Lydia. These ARE her associates, right?
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia's eyes widen upon seeing Maya. She wasn't expecting to see her there, just Riesenlied, Noeline, and maybe a few others but not Maya. She lets go of her cart and rushes over to Maya, intending to give her a big ol' hug! "Maaaaya!! Maya Maya!! You're okay! You're here! Wheeeheeheeeheee!"
She looks over to Ashton. "That's right! They're my family!" SHe grins widely, showing off many sharp fangs. "I thought they'd get a kick outta Weepy and Creepy but don't let the names fool you, they're nice enough!"
She then whispers into Maya's ear. "He /named/ them and they /rhyme/, hee hee heee...!"
She then gives a thumbsup to Ashton. "Welcome to..."
Pause. She looks around a bit.
"This..is Fereshte?"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
"Lydia, it's so good to s--" is as far as Maya gets before she is immediately squeezed. Hug successful. The too-proud Drifter is not above public displays of friendship and affection, even if it means she doesn't look or sound as impossibly badass as her carefully-sculpted reputation is supposed to indicate. Also in this instance, she winces and gently pats Lydia on the head in approval despite the hurt.
Noeline first lectures her about staying out of trouble. This is fair, because she seeks it out repeatedly despite all warnings. "Didn't you read all that jargon I wrote up for you lot on -why- I was out there getting killed? Good reasons, all of it." Maya fends her off with that flimsy logic. Well. Sort of fends.
Anyway, Riese takes the initial burst of aggro away from Maya and that's always appreciated. She never queues as a tank. It gives the girl a moment to whisper conspiratorially back to Lydia in turn. "He has two dragons sharing a body???" with no shortage of surprise in her tone. However, let's be fair, there are things more impossible and weird in the world than a dude with dragons in his back. There might not be many of them, at present, but they're there.
So. Maya stands up straight again, clearing her throat softly. "Well now, always nice to see the Guild thinking of our wellbeing out here. Welcome along, Mister Anchors. Pretty sure this is what they call Fereshte, yes." her manner is somewhere between courteous and professional, but let's be fair, she's probably already planning her next suicidal head-on charge against an ancient ghost and/or angry spirit of a dead God.
"It's a mite dangerous out here, but mark my words: you won't be bored!"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The way Riesenlied remains in Noeline's arms is obviously fond; she seems fragile, possessed of poor health, and not particularly of any ability to move far under her own power right now. There's a quiet moment from her, as she hears Noeline describe the village. Lydia asks about it. She shrinks for a moment.
"... something definitely happened, but I do not know what. The village feels as if it was... stuck in time," Riesenlied tries to explain, though she holds her head after a moment. "... I found what I came for, though..."
It's an unpleasant topic. She bristles in fear, then looks towards the red dragon as she distracts herself, noticing Ashton staring to her.
"Creepy... and Weepy? Um-- okay, but..." Riesenlied seems fond of those nicknames. She nods as she says, "Thank you for escorting Lydia here. As she says, I think of her as a daughter."
She hesitates, looking to Noeline as if to ask her to prop her up. Her horns are still wiggling, a rather clear indicator of happiness even if it's not showing on her ill face.
"May I... say hi to them?"
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline does at least politely sit through the man's introduction, though she huffs out another quiet laugh at the way he seems to complain over his two friends. "... I see," she says afterwards, picking her words carefully in a way that suggests she's fighting back a grin. "It is pleasant to meet the three of you... is what I would normally say, but I'm afraid this is not the best of times. Please, forgive us if we're a little battered and beaten up. As I mentioned to Miss Schrodinger, I would not wander off too far."
She chooses not to discuss Riesenlied's identity, if only because it seems like it might be more appropriate and amusing to see what understanding the pair reach themselves; instead, she handles Lydia's sudden burst of energy with aplomb, smiling with obvious relief at the way she bolts about to and fro. "Are /they/ alright with those names, I wonder? I am used to dragons being rather more... proud," she mutters when she has a chance to catch the shaman.
"I certainly did, and for that matter appreciated it," she shoots back at Maya with a laugh. "But, well. I suppose it is the Wayside Outreach way, to get ourselves beaten up for good causes." She's actually forced to pause, and frown slightly; rubbing at her hair, she realizes that this time she was the one to launch herself into a fight that didn't exactly need to be fought. "If you happen to have some of Miss Barber's medicine on hand, I think Riese could use it right now."
Still cautious, the movement of her hand in Riesenlied's hair stills for a moment as her companion bristles. She would love to have the answers as to what happened here, but the only insight that Duras Drum gave her before falling silent was to be careful, and all she can do is extrapolate based on what she's already seen - an overflow of Ley power, through or in tandem with Odoryuks' sorcery. And that's the easier of the two questions. The other, they might never find the answers to.
But the light wiggle of Riesenlied's horns calls to her. Life goes on, and a moment's levity is welcome right now. Carefully, Noeline helps her other half up, letting out an amused sigh. "... only if they're alright with it, I suppose," she grins.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Fortunately, Lydia's answered the unspoken question in the best way. Ashton's quick to smile again, knowing this isn't about to devolve into a brawl. And, well.. these three look kind of tough. It's nice to avoid that.
"Fereshte," he repeats as Maya introduces the place. "I believe I remember a history or two mentioning such a place, but I'd thought it generations lost." Then Riesenlied makes her brief mention of things being stuck in time - and it makes a touch more sense. Well, sense within the world that a Drifter would know. Strange things happen, after all. "Do not worry, m'am. In my line of work, I'm used to meeting people in less than perfect situations." He flashes a little wink to Noeline at that.
Then a request - and Ashton kneels down before the Hyadean. "Of course! Though I do warn you they're not terribly good conversationalists to others." The two dragon-heads seem interested, however. Both snake up towards Riesenlied curiously. They seem quite interested in her, as well. "The two are actually one," Ashton notes, trying to help the situation. "Sort of. Before we were cursed together, they were a two-headed dragon. They didn't have names - when a friend gave them these, well. The two rapscallions were quite pleased to have them at all. Our situation has required certain... adaptation on all of our parts."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Ah! Sorry!" Lydia says, not realizing Maya was (still) injured. She raises her hands above her head as if to say 'see? Now I'm /not/ aggravating your wounds!
"A curse?" Lydia asks. "Man, talk about the best curse ever." Of course, Lydia, you're not the one who has to deal with two dragons on her back though Lydia did have back/tendrils/ for a while so she knows what it's like to an extent...
...especially if a door closes behind you a little too quickly x.x.
Lydia takes one more look around and adds, "I guess I didn't worry for nothing. I thought you were going to have a wild and crazy adventure delving into your past demons, but it seems like you've just been lazycamping all this time!" Lydia grins widely. "Good as time as any I suppose! Glad the ghosts of your past didn't come out and haunt you!"
"So...how'd you two like the lunchbox I gave ya? You'll be happy to know the Fereshte is docked and all is proceeding as dicated by this compas of merchantry."
Lydia doesn't have a compass of merchantry.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
To be fair to Lydia, this is an entirely new set and type of injuries and heck if there was much of a way for her to know beforehand.
So, Maya doesn't seem to take it personally. Her eye is more (for a moment) on Riesenlied fussing over the newest Dragons on the scene because it makes for one heck of an amusing image. "Right on the money." she signals that Ashton's history lessons have, in fact, gotten it right. "As we all remembered, this place was toast... but here it is. All in one piece, whatever that means. Personally, I take it as a good thing! People rebuild quicker than we all expect, and all that."
The blonde lady makes her way out of Lydia's recently-relinquished grip as she raps her knuckles on a nearby hut. As if to test whether it were real, or an illusion. And she pauses, the conversation turning to two-headed dragons and curses.
Note to self: do not handle strange artefacts while in bodily contact with others.
"Well, Mister Anchors, you certainly sound like you've learned to cope well with the situation. I think I'd go mad from the lack of privacy."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks appreciative of Ashton's accomodating nature, given the odd circumstances they're meeting in per Noeline's comment. As her partner helps her to her feet gently -- perhaps a good thing, given how much she's been recuperating in the last few hours, she looks wobbly and unsteady for a moment as if her head's gone light... but then she regains herself.
Lydia says it's a good thing the ghosts of their past didn't come out to hurt them. She-- lets out a trembling little laugh, the kind Lydia knows is a total lie given how much of a poor liar Riesenlied is. "Y-yes... oh, the lunch, um-- I'm sorry, I haven't eaten yet. ... we should eat soon, Noeline." She's famished, to be honest.
But on the topic of the Dragons...
"They remind me of... Muni," Riese expresses. A pause, as she apologetically explains after catching herself: "We take care of several Dragons in our stead. The one who's developed a fondness for me is simply called Muni-Muni, so I understand when you say they were pleased to just have a name, hehe..."
It's a good thing that she's able to let herself go for a few moments; Weepy and Creepy, as they're called, as she draws closer to them and strokes her hand gently against the red one's side, then the other. She's careful to not make Ashton uncomfortable, but there's an undeniable experience and care in the way she approaches them. She pauses to take a little snack out of her knapsack, offering it on her palm.
She does seem to know how to take care of Dragons.
"Hehe... you're both very energetic. You care about Mister Ashton, don't you, Weepy?" A pause, as she tilts her head. "Good..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... and we, in turn, have a tendency to end up in less than perfect situations," Noeline admits as she helps steer Riesenlied closer to the paired dragons. She doesn't butt in to her partner's greeting, though a curious light dances in her eyes; instead she addresses the man with a quiet nod, half respect and half thanks. "If you have heard of the Wayside Outreach, you're looking at its leader and its second in command," she explains, though doesn't pinpoint which of them is which. "We'd hoped that we might find some old memories here, and instead..."
A gesture at the activity around the village, and Noeline barely seems to know what to say. "... we found this. And I'll have you know we have absolutely had a wild and crazy adventure with our past demons," she huffs towards Lydia, letting herself sound weary. "I even spent a solid amount of time beating myself up, both literally and figuratively and emotionally and physically." A beat, and she adds primly onto Riesenlied's comment, in the manner of a cat licking its wounds: "... though we appreciate you giving us the lunch."
Maya's comment makes her furrow her brow, shaking her head curtly. "It is real enough, but-- fractured somehow. The villager's sense of time is completely off, and they do not seem to realize it fully," she reports quietly, hoping to save Riesenlied from hearing it so plainly. "The best way I can put it is that their life is continuing on, but at whatever cost it can find to pay for it. What would happen were they to leave... I cannot say," she adds, but seems convinced it would not be good.
Only once Noeline's sure that Riesenlied has found her feet and her balance does she nod, turning to hunt through their things for Lydia's packed lunch. Her intent is to let Riesenlied have a moment to herself with the pair of dragons, but she can't help but steal the occasional glance of affection, a quiet smile on her face as she watches her partner dote. When she takes Riesenlied's arm again and offers the lunch across, she's half expecting it to be offered forwards to Weepy and Creepy.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
"It's been less than easy, Miss Schrodinger." Ashton seems to at least able to crack a wry grin at his situation. "Though I do admit the nature of this little town is all the more fascinating to me - though perhaps that's because I've gotten a bit used to my predicament."
Which in turn lets him be silent as Noeline explains the place more. Ashton mostly just nods at her words as she goes along. "Fascinating." He has no idea the sensitive nature of the subject, unfortunately, and doesn't know to take care with his words. "And tragic. But it does seem the place has caring hands watching over it."
The two dragons do seem to appreciate Riesenlied's attention - they're well-behaved enough and let her do as she will. She knows what she's doing, and they respond in positive kind. Creepy seems the more forward of the pair, eagerly pushing its head against her hand and going for the little snack. Weepy holds back more, watching with the blink of a transparent eyelid. They're intelligent, it seems - Weepy might not speak back, but knows she's speaking to it.
"If it wouldn't be a bother, m'am, I may ask you for some tips later." Ashton tries to maintain a certain decorum - a bit difficult, given how he's positioned. "Truth be told, I've no idea how to care for these two properly. We've been playing it by ear. I would deeply appreciate hearing more about your Muni-Muni." He reaches up, readjusting the wool hat on Creepy's head. "We may have come together as result of a fight, but the three of us have learned to live together. And I might as well do my part to keep that arrangement pleasant."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia would probably -1 Rep if she saw food she specially made for Noeline and Riesenlieid given away to some guy's admittedly adorable back-dragons! Luckily it seems that Riesenlied has some snacks already. "Don't give them too many snacks or Ashton will get fat." Pause. "Or the dragons will get fat and I'll have to wheelbarrow him everywhere which kind of defeats the purpose of hiring someone else to do work for you."
This seems to remind her. "Oh! That reminds me." She tosses a pouch over to Ashton. "Catch!"
And then she stretches out her arms and adds, "You might want to stick around until we head back ourselves, of course. Elru isn't a place to be traveling on your lonesome. Least, not until our job's done here but really, even then..."
Noeline reveals they totally faced the demons of the past and whatnot. "Oh." Lydia says. "Well, I hope you learned something valuable about yourselves and each other."
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
There's a complicated look on Maya's face at Noeline's description for what has happened to the village. It isn't quite skepticism, so much as a cautious pondering of what the consequencies might be for meddling here. "A place out of time, hmm?" she withdraws her knuckles from where they once rested against a hut's wall, and glances worriedly at them for a moment. "But who would do such a thing, and why? Suppose I'd better keep my mouth shut about that one while I'm here..."
There are more cheerful matters to tend to, luckily, such as Caring For Your Dragon. The idea helps turns Maya's frown upside-down as she paces away from the building, peering deeper into the village out of curiosity. "Just be careful," the well-armed Drifter cautions Ashton with an outstretched finger as she circles around him. Lord, but there really are just two dragons stickin' out of him.
Her advice comes after Lydia's, at that. "Not only that, but they might want to get spoiled by Miss Riesenlied instead of listening to whatever you want 'em to do. You know, she has a way with cute creatures and all that."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied looks genuinely unnerved, like she... well, it's not like she wanted to keep Lydia and Maya in the dark. But when Noeline spills the beans, she winces and turns away from her partner as she explains things, which is already a bit uncharacteristic herself. She lowers her head with a shiver. She endures Noeline's entire explanation, mostly by focusing on the dragons.
She looks to Lydia, a bit bashful she attempted to hide something. "We... discovered the Medium. I wasn't certain if it would still be there-- but--" she lowers her head. "I'll... I'll need you and Noeline to teach me how to use it..."
"Something uneasy still rests in there..." is all she finds herself capable of adding, as she looks back towards Weepy and Creepy. Ashton admits he wants to know more of taking care of the two of them.
"That would be no problem at all... I love taking care of-- well, all kinds of animals, to be frank," Riesenlied admits about a second after Maya spoils the beans!! "M-Maya! I think they already seem happy to be with you, though. They have an energy they wouldn't have, if they were with someone they didn't like."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
On the topic of Muni, Noeline keeps wisely silent. She's not about to deny the blobby dragon a couple of new friends, after all, even if she rather suspects that looking after Muni is a whole different matter than looking after any other kind of dragon. Not that she knows that for sure, of course, so much as it's just her own perception of the rather upbeat and rotund creature when compared to the rest of its race.
Her glance back at Lydia is rather wan; she sighs quietly under her breath, picking at her hair for a moment. "... I wonder," she mutters softly to herself, a rare moment of pessimism showing through - it culminates in Riesenlied's quiet shiver, and a grimace of guilt crosses her face as she rests her hand on Riesenlied's arm. "... I am... sorry. That wasn't fair of me."
With an effort, she huffs out a breath and does her best to let it go, shaking her head once before she looks over at Maya with an appraising sort of eye. "You look well, at the very least, Miss Schrodinger. How far have you caught up with our adventures in Elru thus far? ... we may need your help if we wish to support New Arctica further. For-- obvious reasons, they are rather wary to deal with us directly."
To be honest, she isn't really certain what might have happened to the Life Medium, and there's a quiet hope that Lydia might know better. Taking it back to the Baskars would probably take much too long, and if the were to leave Elru right now they might never find their way back in time. "We will do our best to teach you, though I can't say I'm much more than a novice myself. But I have no doubt that Odoryuk has given you his blessing," she adds solemnly.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
The banter about the dragons makes Ashton laugh again. "I would say that Miss Riesenlied seems nice enough. And in all fairness, they don't listen to me so much as understand that working together is important for survival. Much as I don't enjoy being cursed, we -are- a team." Playfully, Creepy whips around and starts to (gently) gnaw on Ashton's head. He sighs with resignation.
But the subject of the town out of time is still on the table. And the mention Riesenlied makes... it gets the mercenary's attention. "A Medium?" He's fairly sure he hears that capitol M. "That would explain quite a lot." Ashton's expression has a hint of disbelief in it - true Mediums are almost a thing of myth, after all. "Well - they're even better protected than I thought before, then." He looks back to Lydia as she passes him the pay. "And it certainly sounds like you don't need my help to stay safe now. But - if the ladies are all accomodating, I would be happy to stay for a bit longer. At the very least to hear some helpful suggestions from an experienced dragon-handler."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Oh yeah, let mom spoil them so much and you'll probably have to follow her around forever because your pals there won't leave her alone." Lydia quips, agreeing wholeheartedly (if comically) with Maya.
Of course, then Riesenlied says she found a medium! Not just a medium, the Medium of Life! That's a big deal! LIFE IS IMPORTANT. Lydia's eyes widen as Riesenlied indicates her desire to make use of it, but then she says, "Well," after a moment. "I can't think of anyone better for the job. I'll be happy to lend a hand, though you'll have to get used to it yourself too! Some things only come with practice!"
And yet something uneasy remains. Lydia isn't sure there's the time to fret over a dead town's curse when someone is out there hoping to make many more dead towns but until there's a way into the Photosphere she might as well eat chips and do whatever.
Of course an Original Medium is different from the mediums Lydia uses so she might not actually be the best person to ask. She'd be surprised there is such a medium, quite frankly, in a Baskar village when it seems more reasonable for them to just have an actual medium. Even if it's a one of a kind item.
"Yeah, it's just--you don't want to be alone here, that's all." She says again, towards AShton. "Plus, an adventurer needs as many pals as they can get, I'm sure!"
<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.
Maya brushes Riese's outburst off her shoulder, so to speak, arms folded and a tired little grin on her face in the meantime. "I don't think I'm quite an animal person in the same way you are. I mean, you summon birds with music." she feels relatively confident with that one, gentle as the teasing might be.
Noeline thinks she looks well--which she does, even if she isn't feeling it. That one needs to be addressed. "I've been out until this morning, and haven't heard a thing. I know we arrived, but I'm not in much shape to do much other than chitchat for the time being." she admits to this openly, frustrating as it may be. "I dunno how much they'll listen to me, but I'll give it a try. I didn't even know we had a New Arctica."
A pause, dear reader, as the hunter of treasures (and justice, let's be real) observes the more mystically-minded taking sharp notice of the news of Riesenlied's Medium. It isn't that Maya doesn't care, it's that the gravity of these things aren't quite known to her on the right scale. "That, uh, that sounds... important." she chimes in lamely afterwards, glancing at the camera nervously.
"I don't know the first thing about these kinds of things, though. I don't think I'm very good with my veneration. And I couldn't save one of their statues. So--I'm glad they've decided to stop being mean to you, at least...?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"No... I just-- I wasn't sure if I was... ready to talk," Riesenlied is quick to appease Noeline with a gentle shiver again, as she holds onto that hand of hers. She pats it twice, before looking to Creepy for a gentle moment as it starts gnawing on Ashton's head, gently! Oh goodness! She quietly nods her assent to Maya, blushing a bit as she comments on the cucco flute. What a danger.
"There there... that's not fair to Mister Ashton, right, Creepy?" Riesenlied urges. She looks to Ashton as she expresses, "One thing Muni likes to do is play with toys... it helps her burn off energy. Maybe a similar chew-toy would be useful, if at least so it isn't your own head?"
Taking care of Dragons... actually a lot like dogs?? Well, if Riese's horns are anything like... ...
But Lydia advises her of the Medium. She looks uneasy, herself, as she looks towards the object in her palm. She cleaned it of blood, of course, but something still... feels disturbed. "I--I know. I shall practice, you don't have to worry about it. I just... I just don't know where to start."
Stopped being mean to her... she looks to Maya again. "I still remember Odoryuk's words well. That we can... eventually such overcome the barriers that separate us. ... and to that end I... want to try my hardest."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline raises an eyebrow as the dragon starts to quietly munch on Ashton's hair; she lets out a quietly amused breath, nodding her head. "... at the very least, it would probably be easiest if you made your way to the Fereshte with us, or else to New Arctica. Both are positively becoming hubs for Drifters, at the moment." She doesn't immediately explain what the Fereshte is, at least given the fact that she doesn't appear to be referring to the village in which they're standing.
Pausing, she nods quietly towards Maya's statement, and the way in which she draws in and lets out a slow breath is distinctly un-Noeline. "Believe me," she says carefully, almost having to choose her words. "It was certainly news to me, as well. Survivors-- I scarcely imagined we'd find any. They certainly need more in the way of supplies, or a bit of enthusiastic encouragement - but if it came from Riese or myself, that might be a little insensitive."
Gently, Noeline curls her fingers around Riesenlied's; she still looks uncertain, searching the other Hyadean's eyes for a moment before she lets it go and quietly chuckles instead. "I can only imagine you'll master it quickly. It is a matter of co-operation and communion - and you are not lacking in either. But... once you rest properly. You've been through a great deal," she adds, mock-stern.
She's quietly thankful for their two stowaways, right at the moment, and the knowledge that they'll be waiting for their return.
<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.
Ashton nods in appreciation at the advice. "A toy. I'll see what I can find for that."
But there are, for the moment, more serious issues at hand. It's perhaps a surprise when Ashton rolls up the sleeve of his robe to show off a complex red Symbological tattoo that runs up his forearm. "While speaking to a Medium is not my area of focus, I do know a little of them. If you've spoken to one directly, m'am, you are in exceedingly rare company. I would venture that where ever you start is the right place - you would not have been so trusted if it didn't have faith you would make the correct choices."
Of course, this is all guesswork on Ashton's part. True Mediums aren't exactly the best documented things and his area's an entirely different discipline. But he knows a few legends.
"And yes, m'am." Ashton nods once more, this time to Noeline. "I believe I -will- remain for the moment. Then likely to New Arctica. There's sure to be more in need there, and what's life if not for some adventure?"