2018-11-24: Devastation Aftermath

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======================<* New Arctica - Hidden Harbor *>=======================

New Arctica is little to speak of.

The entrance, both from the sea and the handful of tunnels leading to the surface, is a harbor secreted away in a cavern. The harbor is a natural one, though a pair of wooden piers have been built out. There are small ships to be found here, at times, which are largely former Arctican and Ellurian merchant vessels that have been used to make supply runs to the handful of villages holding on in the wasteland.

The harbor itself has no permanent buildings. A few large tents have been put up, offering basic sales of supplies -- and a few training grounds have been established, where a handful of guardsmen train the able-bodied but inexperienced in the basics of military drills. However, this place is ultimately a chilly, wet cavern that has few places to live.

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntdIZ_TiCcs

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 The aftermath of any battle is always a terrible thing to behold.
 
 Some people might claim the only thing more terrible than a battle won is a battle lost, but it's hard to convince people who had fled to safety of that. But the Metal Demons had come on a mission of extermination, and instead had been driven back - their absolute grip on Elru broken by the strong resistance of the Drifters.
 
 Now it was a matter of cleaning up, and taking stock of the damage. Despite the hard fought defense on the part of the town's defenders, there were still some casualties - and Mihaya has been doing what she can to prepare them to be laid to rest. The fallen had been wrapped in shrouds, with some preparing to take them off for burial elsewhere, while a great pyre is being erected for those who preferred to have their corporeal forms cast off in such a manner. But there are a great many other things occurring - the Golem Asgard had emerged from the harbor yesterday, and the occasional Metal Beast was still lurking around the outskirts. There are no end of small details that can be attended to in the wake of the battle.
 
 And for some people, perhaps they simply wish to take a moment to commiserate, to reflect on why they were here, or to offer a prayer for those who had fallen. Mihaya herself stands before the cloth shrouded forms of the departed, staff in hand... and she takes a step, beginning a slow formal dance, her voice raised in a somber and strange hymn as she goes through the steps of her dance.
 
 A moment to reflect, or a moment to prepare for what comes next - a choice everyone who is preparing to fight against Mother must make. 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

A few days ago, Ashton had told Maya Schrodinger that he wasn't one for saving the world - small villages and individual lives were more his speed. And while that is still true, he was here. And he hurts.
 
There's not a lot for him to say about the dead. It's an ominous truth in the life of a Drifter, but it isn't one the young man's particularly eager to confront or think about. There's too much living yet to do, and no helping those who are already gone.
 
His preference is to busy himself with the living rather than the passed - which explains his presence here and now. Not to sing or grieve. Instead, he's offering out tin cups of hot blueberry tea - well-known as the most HP restorative of flavors. Even for those not still nursing wounds (he himself still has a few visible marks, including a burn on his cheek), the warmth will do wonders in the cold. 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna's job still wasn't done, even in the wake of the battle. The enemy had been driven off, for the most part, but there were still things that needed to be taken care of. As Layna's focus had been evacuating the townspeople, she had escaped relatively uninjured, and so many things fell to her and her crew.

Those who had only encountered Layna a few times before might be surprised by the shift in her expected demeanor, as she separates her crew and orders them to handle various tasks that needed doing with a seriousness that doesn't belie her usual attitude.

The crew of the Ruby Empress can be found going back and forth, searching for those unaccounted for, cleaning up debris, and supplying medical aid where possible through medicines on-hand or through those of them that possessed healing sorcery. It was hard to tell that they were pirates.

As for Layna herself...she leans against a wall, arms folded in front of her as she listens quietly to Mihaya's song. She's not familiar with the song or the ritual, but the feeling of it gets through well enough.

She doesn't say a word, at least for the moment. Even she wouldn't interrupt this.

A certain apothecary might be elsewhere, tending to the wounded with the medicines at her disposal, but she's too busy to appear onscreen. 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Strange thing to do, dancing to honor the dead, but I think I like it." Lydia says for behind Ashton, her body still healing from the prior day's attack. If Ashton stares long enough, he can actually skin being recreated along Lydia's left arm in real time. "I wonder if I'll be able to visit her homeland sometime."

She gives him an arm pat with one hand and grins at him, somehow managing a good mood though the redness in her eyes shows she is no stranger to sorrow. Lydia has taken the unenviable duty of trying to keep people's spirits up to heart. "Hey, thanks for tryin' to reach out to mom. I know it wasn't a job neither, so I owe you one. Anytime you need help, don't be afraid to ask me. I'm not really big on the violence, but I've got a lot of other skills."

Of course judging by the power of her Guardian channeling, she probably is good at violence. ... for a small window of time. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Everything's kind of a blur for Lanval, who decided it was a great idea to try and stand (...technically, at first, sit) against Siegfried - a foe of Filgaia dating back years before even his own existence - and claim that the place was under his protection. He's still alive, and New Arctica arguably withstood it... but after that high of battle wears down, there's that nugget of hope that maybe the Drifters of Filgaia have themselves a foothold against the collective might of the Metal Demons.
        He's been mostly quiet and staying out of the way, letting the world around him scurry about to and fro as the world generally does. He looks particularly contemplative as he lies down in a growing pool of... well, it is crystal-clear, fresh water, but that's still a growing pool of it that he's lying about inside, while the odd hymn of the dancing summoner seems to carry through the ambient noises of despair and worry about. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida knew very little about Arctica before she met Jack. When a handful of Metal Demons showed up, pretending to be Arcticans, she took it at face value. She was even intrigued--old family stories said that most of the founding members of house Everstead-Rey were feom northern Elru. A chance to connect with a past she never knew? Perhaps. But that past came back to haunt her, even as it helped save the lives of those Arcticans who survived the destruction of their home.

        Ida disappeared after the battle. She went back to her yacht, where Captain Grey stood vigil over frightened Arcticans as they finished unloading the shipment of medical supplies Ida brought. Ida retreated to her cabin, tended her wounds as best as she could, and then collapsed into bed for several hours. She tried to sleep. She couldn't.

        Now, Ida stands in the queue at Ashton's blueberry tea station, wearing clean, dry clothes, and a new wool cloak. Her right arm is still not present, unless one counts the vague suggestion of a right arm that might be what's bound up under said cloak, tied across her chest. She listens to Mihaya's song, recognizing the intent even if she doesn't understand the words. Lydia speaks up, and Ida looks at her with bleary, dark-rimmed eyes, her expression inscrutable for a moment. "Are you well?" She sees the regenerating flesh(?) on Lydia's arm. She tries to gag down her own worry about who saw what in the heat of battle.

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 It doesn't take too long for Mihaya to come to the end of her hymn, and she offers a formal bow to the fallen as those with families come to take possession of their remains, to dispose of as they will. There were a few others who had come forth to offer their blessings as well - a Priest of Granas and a Sister of the Nisan Orthodoxy offer their blessings in short order, and Mihaya does take a moment to listen respectfully to their words. It isn't her way, but it is a way - and it's always worth listening and learning about different cultures.
 
 As the small crowd around the ceremony begins to break up, Mihaya turns to walk towards a nearby bench - she has a faint hitch to her step, owing to her still healing ribs followed Harken beating her black and blue yesterday. Despite a few Heal Berries and curative spells, she still has a bit of mending to do - better to see to her own hurts once she was able to work than possibly deny healing to someone else who might need it.
 
 But she does sit down, and notices that someone is at least handing out tea! That's a plus. "Excuse me!" she calls out, smiling as best she can. "I wouldn't mind a cup of that, although..." She looks at the line. "...when you have a moment."
 
 She COULD stand in line. She could also stay here and rest her ribs. The latter sounds like a better option, truth be told. 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

"I fear I have things to apologize for on that subject," Ashton notes to Lydia, even as she thanks him. "But those regrets are for other days. For the moment, it's better to recover."
 
A pause - and a tin cup is handed to Ida with a slight nod. "Yes, on that subject. How -is- your arm? It looks.." The young man hesitates. "Improving?" Yes, that's about as well as he can cushion it. They all have their marks and maulings today, but it's still polite to ask. He also looks to Ida's own arm - trying to subtly point the question to both women.
 
Then - the music ends. And the beaten Mihaya comes hobbling over. There's no hesitation when he skips the line to offer her a cup as well. "For the singer's throat," he offers. "Wouldn't want you to get hoarse from a lovely performance." 

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

And far in the back, looming over it all, and easily mistaken for a statue but for the glowing spheric jewels (?) on his chest and arms, and the burning light in his eyes, is Asgard, the Earth Golem. He looms over the field, though like the other Golems, he isn't quite as titanic as some of the more tremendous Gears out there.

Sitting on his shoulder is Cecilia Adlehyde, who seems to have been healed at some point. The Princess of Adlehyde watching it all transpire with a muted expression. 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

The ceremony draws to a close and Layna steps off the wall, moving to make herself scarce. She does, however, spot a certain someone lying face down in a pool on her way out and manages to crack a smile.

"Lanval." Layna says as she walks past his pool. "You hangin' in there?"

He had taken a large burden on himself, challenging Siegfried personally. Even knowing what she already knew Lanval, she was impressed.

Her eyes track upward, finding the golem looking over the field. Layna sends a brief salute of greeting up, but it isn't long before she turns back around, looking toward where a line - and some familiar faces - are gathering.

While the tea sounds delicious, she already had a beverage of her own. She reaches into her coat and draws out a bottle, taking a swig. It's not alcoholic this time - she was reserving those for people who could use it more. 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia probably wants to rub herself all over Asgard but seems to be choosing to respect the golem's personal space rather than treat him like an opportunity for a science experiment. Nevertheless, she quirks her head at Ashton and says, "Not sure what you've got to apologize for, or is this one of those 'I'm being real hard on myself for no reason' type deals? You tried to help her. That means a lot to me. Even if it didn't work out, okay?"

She gives Ashton squinty-eyes for a moment before nodding once. She hasn't taken any tea herself, at least not yet, but she seems to be getting used to her body getting thrashed at this point so it's probably like that.

Lydia waves a half flesh half metal skeleton arm in Ida's direciton, completely oblivious. She--naturally--was a bit focused during the battle.

"Me? Aw, I'll be okay." Lydia smiles at Ida. "I mean, we didn't win, sure, but we didn't lose neither. And Riesenlied's still in there, I know it. So--it could've been a lot worse, yeah?"

But then she seems to notice something's up with Ida. And her arm. And her eyes. Lydia herself was running around one-armed before.

"Uh...though... they didn't take your arm off did they?" Lydia frowns. "Are YOU okay?"

She starts approaching Ida, with concern. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         Ceimglace hadn't been here last night. She wasn't really familiar with most of the people in the near area, she hadn't ever been to Elru before (Lunarian, so... duh), and to be quite frank, she wasn't super fond of fighting in the first place. There's also the little trick of 'being noticed': While she's had better luck on Filgaia than Lunar, some days, not being noticed is just saddening enough to make her not that concerned until later.
 
         Now is later.
 
         Making her way carefully through the crowd, Ceimglace finally hunkers down next to the pool of water containing someone she's pretty fond of, the hems of her very fancy dress getting wet in the process. "Hey, Lanval." She says, quietly. "What happened here? Stuff looks like it got hit hard, and there's a pretty lady perched on somethin' I've never seen before."
 
         Yes, she means Cecilia. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        "....Mmmm." Waiting on the 'hm' for confirmation. "Mmmm..." ...Any moment now. "...hmm." That's an 'mmhmm.' So that's a 'yes.' Hooray! He's hangin' in there, passed out in a puddle. The Water Seraph rolls to face back upward, catching glimpses of Ida looking esepcially worried and Lydia - that's Lydia, all right, with the weird skeleton-to-flesh trick thing she does - to face up to Layna and Lanval alike.
        "Heyyy... Ceimglace... mmm. Hey, Layna, didya meet Ceimglace...?" Lanval looks pretty beat, by Seraph standards. At least he's not dead! Just beat. "Mmm. A, anywaaaay," he raises an arm in the air, gesturing kind of uselessly, "shoooo, ya remember bein' shent here? While there wash a fight in shome town goin' on at the shame time? Wellllll... shame people. Metal Demonsh, they call 'em."
        Drunken exposition. Great. Lanval strokes at his chin. "Iiiiit'sh a lot ta go over right now, but, the mortalsh fought 'em off." That might be a dubious claim when one takes stock of the number of dead, the sheer destruction... but maybe 'fought 'em off' is synonymous with 'we're not all dead,' here on Filgaia. One eye opens half-lidded to the 'pretty lady perched on something.' He's not sure what to make of it, but... that's not a Metal Demon, is it? Nah, can't be. But maybe he ought to be careful about what 'looks' like one or isn't, to him.
        "Shooo I tried ta fight the, uh, I think that wash their leader?" He knows he's heard the name. "Shiegfried... he got a pretty shcary shpear, lemme tell ya."
        He got hit by the Negative Rainbow. Were it not for witnessing the courage and fighting spirit of the others against him, he'd have just stayed in that bottle and not come back out - possibly ever - after getting struck by something like that. He's not sure how he could put the experience in words.
        "Mmmm... I wash tellin' 'em I'm protectin' the place, he'sh all... 'thish ain't yer domain, go back to yer world' 'n the like."
        ...
        Lanval might have missed the significance of what it meant for Siegfried to say that. 

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 Taking the cup, Mihaya smiles at the nice young man who seems to have a *terrible condition* that everyone is probably just too polite to point out to him. I mean really, when you have a pair of dragon heads growing out of your back and shoulders... what else can go wrong with your life, really? But no need to be impolite. "Thank you, I appreciate it. This is hardly the longest ceremony I've done... it's up there, but not the worst."
 
 She takes a long sip of the berry tea - its nice to have something warm, given how cold and wet this place can be. ...like ten percent of that is probably her fault, with invoking the Aeon of Ice and all that, but that still doesn't mean the chill doesn't get to her from time to time. "Back where I come from... well, often times when something terrible happen, only the traveling pilgrims were able to provide last rites for the fallen. If people were not blessed and shown the way forward, they would often times become trapped by rage and bitterness and turn into fiends."
 
 Another long sip of her tea, and the elf smiles at Ashton. "I doubt anything like that would happen here, but I wanted to do something... and while one person can't protect a town on their own, I was here, and I always wonder if there was something more I could have done..." 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida is not left-handed, but this isn't the first time she's had to do things with one functional arm. She takes the offered tea, blows gently across the top to cool it, ever-so-slightly, and sips. It's hot and tangy and just a little sweet and it feels good going down. "Mother made this for us sometimes, when we were ill," she says. "Or green tea with ginger. It's lovely, thank you." A faint, warm smile crosses her face. Then Ashton inquires about her arm. "It, ah. I've been assured it will recover, in time," Ida says. Some of the old public face creeps back into Ida's expression--the carefully-disciplined look of polite pleasantness she put on like camouflage in social situations. Lydia inquires a bit more bluntly. She glances back at one of Ashton's auxiliary heads--the blue one--and tries not to feel like a hypocrite.

        Mihaya approaches. Ida's pulse quickens. A distinct ripple passes through the whatever-it-is bound under her cloak. "And I'm glad to see you're still well enough to stand," Ida says. "Probably all that can be asked for from a battle with that woman."

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 Mihaya tilts her head and looks at Ida for a moment. "She seemed... important, I guess? One of their commanders? Although the things she was saying were..." Well, weird to say the least. Mihaya didn't understand a third of exactly what she had been going on about. But as she leans back in her seat, she chimes in with the same question others have asked. "Are *you* alright?" she asks, looking at the rather protective way Ida is holding that one arm that is CERTAINLY NOT EVIL or anything like that. "Did you get patched up after all that?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

Both Lydia and Ida seem fine with their respective arm issues - and if they are, who is Ashton to argue? So to both, he nods slightly. Time heals all wounds and wounds all heels, after all.
 
"I was given the recipe from my mother as well," he points out to Ida with a gentle smile. "Excellent for curing a child's bumps and bruises - and there were indeed many. I'm glad that it's well recieved."
 
Another cup is poured out for one of the others in line - and he pauses to shift a new pot onto the burner. "We always wonder if there is more we could have done." And while Ashton's words are responding to Mihaya? He's looking at Lydia. That, perhaps, is the answer to her question. As is the wont of an errant adventurer. "I would say that yesterday we did what was needed - and today we do the same. Though I'm curious about those rites from your homeland. Some time, at least." 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

MEANWHILE

Fei has asked Hammer to check in on Cecilia while he went with Josie on a 'mysterious expedition'. The rodent-beastman approaches Asgard and looks up up uuuuuup at Cecilia. "Um." He says, gulping because she looks like she really isn't in the mood to be checked on by the beastman friend of Fei Fong Wong. "M-m-m-Miss Cecilia? Would you like some...coffee?" He holds up a pitcher, paws till fairly oilstained. "It um...seems like your journey...was a pretty big success!...?" The ...? comes in when he quirks his head uncertainly. "R..right?"

BACK AT ASHTON'S HOT AND COLD BEV STATION

Lydia gives a concerned glance towards Lanval but something soon seizes up her attention.

"Uh Ida," She points out. "You hiding a pet under there or something? Cause something's movin'."

Lydia shrugs faintly at Ashton and adds, "Don't got time for worryin' more than I already do." She does give another squintygazed look towards Ida's cloak. 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

...Well, he seems alright, at least. Layna nods as he speaks.

"Aye, I think we mighta met once?" Layna says, looking toward the other Seraph as he introduces her. She sends Ceimglace then looks back toward Lanval as he explains the situation to Ceimglace, who seems to have wandered in without really know what was going on.

"Aye, that's about the long and short of it." Layna confirms. 'This isn't your domain', huh...? She considers that for a moment, but shakes her head.

"Well, good on you for standin' up to 'im, lad. You did good." She offers him an encouraging smile. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         "I don't think I've met a Layna more than once, no. I don't think I've met most people here. So to greet: Hi! I'm Ceimglace. Seraph of Ice, former Lord of the Land of old Vane." Ceimglace says, in amusement. She does have the slightest frown on her face to go against the emotion, however, as she takes in Lanval's various scrapes and such. "May I? You have some bruises and such, and I did not have to do hard work yesterday. I can help ease them- and any of your friends here, as well."
 
         "Just might be a little cold." The ice Seraph says in amusement.
 
         She shakes her head. "Nah, it can't be a Metal Demon, she's just watching all of us. More like... protective. Like if one of us former Lords decided to claim an area again." Lanval mentions Seigfried knowing when something isn't protected by a Seraph, and she pauses.
 
         "Oh. That's... worrying. Slightly. I wasn't aware most anyone knew about the Lords thing, and much less domainship." 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        "That was Lady Harken," Ida says. "One of the Quarter Knights, the upper crust of the Metal Demon elites." Mihaya asks her if she's all right, and Ida's breath hitches in her throat. She looks back at Ashton, then at Lydia, who is doing Lydia things as only Lydia can. Her jaw tightens. A man with dragon heads grafted to his shoulders and a woman who seems equal parts flesh and malleable metal. Would either of them--

        "We should go somewhere out of the way," Ida says. The drugs must be working, because this thing is starting to respond to her emotions like it's really a part of her, and it's doing so very unproductively. "It's almost time to take my medicine. Some people might be, ah, bothered by needles." She glances across the back of the cavern, to one of the newer, smaller medical tents. "Perhaps there?"

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 One thing you learn as a Drifter is that there are Drifters who have some really strange issues, and its probably best to not delve too deeply lest you find something really strange and creepy about them. But Mihaya takes another long sip of her tea, and gives a quiet 'mmm, mmm' as Ida explains that she has some medicine that she needs to take. "I wouldn't want you to feel uncomfortable with whatever procedure that you need to do, especially if its something you need to keep private."
 
 Personally she has the metal image of Ida with her hand in a press, screaming as it sort of writhes around on its own and Lydia approaches with a large axe to threaten it into submission or something similar.
 
 Not weird at all.
 
 "Lady Harken, you say? She seemed... well, upset. About a lot of things." The elf pauses, and she pulls her legs up a bit closer as she adds, "Then again, the other guy in the armor also didn't really sound like he was doing too well either, so I guess the fact that we're here in Elru threatening them is probably making them all a bit tense."
 
 She glances at Ashton as he talks about feeling there was always something more they could do. And the elf gives him a brilliant smile, tucking a stray strand of hair back over one ear. "I just try and remember these people wouldn't have gotten any help without us being here, and we're trying to save everyone from this goddess of theirs." 

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia slumps against the mighty Asgard, tired and contemplative. But she eventually rouses when Hammer wanders up, the princess slipping down the giant's arm - it shifts ever so subtly so that when she comes down she lands on his palm. "Hammer," she says, kindly, stepping the rest of the way down to ground level. "Yes," she confirms for him. Her hand rests on Asgard's arm, fondly, for a long few seconds. "Asgard has chosen to join us."

She smiles, with a quiet distance in her eyes. "He just...needed someone to talk to him, was all," she says. Then, over to Hammer. "Ah, oh, a drink would be lovely, thank you Hammer." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        "Mmm... shure, that'd be peachy... thanksh a whole lot~ ha ha ha!" This might be a wholly reassuring thing to see, after Layna and several others watched how Lanval's been treated by his own kind in the past. Sure, Ragnell is capricious and unpredictable but generally been cordial with him, but Ceimglace there is being downright friendly! One could only imagine how much good it does the Seraph to have a friendly peer of a former line of duty.
        Anyway, subject back over to Siegfried, "I knooooowwww, right? I mean, ain't never heard of any Metal Demon problemsh up on... uh." His eyes open half-lidded, dumbstruck and without any shine of aquamarine. "...Huhhhhhhhh."
        While he's busy being all 'huhhhhhh' over maybe finally understanding what Siegfried's statements mean, his perceptions float along back over towards other familiar faces. The guy with the dragons on the back he helped beat up in a misunderstanding some time back, Lydia, and... he sort of goes back to squinting when he watches Ida shuffle along. There is something different about her, but not in the sense of 'she might be about to turn into a Hellion' or anything like that, it's... well, he doesn't know.
        "...Heyyyy, Layna," Lanval says as he rolls back and forth to sit up, "I wanna go check up on Ida... oh, yeah, Ceimglace, ya would like 'er too. She'sh shmart, 'n," he starts getting giggly at all the strange but fun things she showed him like 'running water' and all that fun stuff at November City. He's putting on a silly, dumb cat-like smile thinking of all the happier thoughts he can in this bleak part of a bleak world.
        Nothing like catching up with a friend to keep the spirits up high, when the amount of available spirits are kind of dry, as he starts to get up and stumble along over after where Ida's going. 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Another Lord o' the Land, huh? Wow." Layna remarks with an impressed whistle as Ceimglace introduces herself. She offers a hand. She's not sure if handshakes are a thing in Seraphim culture, but Layna figures she might as well offer.

"Layna Manydays, Captain o' the Ruby Empress - one o' Lanval's friends. Pleasure to meet you, lass." She greets with a grin. "Hope Filgaia's been treatin' you well, aye?"

Not that this was the best first impression. And Ceimglace makes an interesting point, and as she's considering it Layna glances back, where a large, muscular fellow - one of Layna's crew - seems to be trying to figure where to set somethin.

"Oi, Andy." Layna says with a gesture, getting his attention. She then points over toward the nearby tent. "Over there."

With a nod, the large fellow goes to deliver the crate of supplies, but as she does so she notices the crowd again.

"...Aye, Lanval, that'd be a good idea, I think. Let's go." She says, making her way in that direction.

"Ahoy there, folks." Layna greets with a wave. She'll follow them wherever they end up going. 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

"I would prefer to leave goddesses to those with the firepower to deal with them." Ashton pauses. "But I suppose one cannot always choose their battles. Ours has chosen us."
 
Possibly the spellsword would have more to say - likely something pithy but inane. However, he is momentarily distracted giving the red dragon coming out of his shoulder a light bop on the nose as it attempts to steal a cup of tea. "Creepy! You of all people don't need to be warmed up. Shame!" The dragon... simply looks right back at him, communicating in silence. Ashton grunts.
 
Turning back, he tries to get a grin back going for Lydia. "I try not to worry, but..." A pause. He shakes his head. "I suppose you're right. There's a lot more to be done ahead - and another try to be made for your family's happy ending." 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Hammer works on Gears so he's not surprised to hear of people talking to a Golem as if it's alive. Especially since maybe golems ARE alive. Needless to say, he isn't actually asking to perform a mechanical examination of the thing. He's interested in engineering, sure, but there's levels of engineering that he's decidedly not interested in exploring and 'Elw Shit' is certainly #1 on that list if it's at all avoidable.

"Voice-Command, huh?" Hammer says. "Or ...uh... Voice...Reactive? Well, glad to see you two getting along anyway." He scratches at his chin before pouring Cecilia a cup. Well, the cup is offered to her but she may just flat out take the pitcher if she wants and leave Hammer holding the cup.

"You seemed ...pensive." He adds, a bit hesitantly.

  1. 996ydia smiles at Ashton. "That's right." Her eyes are tired but that smile is bright. "I'll be right back. I've got some practice using needles."


Lydia gives Lanval a small nod and smile too. She worries, sometimes, with all that smiling she'll never know for sure if something's bothering him or if he too is trying to keep spirits up. But if she smiles back at least he won't have to worry about her.

But it seems Lanval is approaching Ida too so Lydia gives a small shrug at him and adds, "Don't worry, as a medical non-professional, confidentiality is key or whatevs."

Yeah she really is a non-professional. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         "You're welcome, lovabug." Ceimglace places her hands over his chest, ice slowly filming over her hands. She wasn't wrong, it is cold. Also, how weird is it to see ice as a healing implement? She eventually removes her hands, shaking them briskly. "That should help you out a bit. Now, my lovely, let's get out of that puddle. You'll turn into a Lanvalcicle if you stay in there."
 
         "Trust me, I know. It's kinda my thing, you know?"
 
         Wherever Lanval goes, however, Ceimglace follows, mainly to meet new people, see more things, and also be nosy as hell. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Lanval might've noticed Ida, but Ida doesn't seem to have done more than notice Lanval. Ida sighs at Lydia's 'confidentiality' comment, and shakes her head. "...You'd find out eventually," she murmurs. She glances at the approaching water spirit and his companions--thankfully, one of them is Layna, who already knows what happened. "This way. I wouldn't want to alarm the innocents further."

        Ida approaches the medical tent, and pushes the entrance flap aside. It's empty, except for a small oil lamp sitting on a table surrounded by chairs and cots. Ida turns it on.

        Ida reaches up and unbuttons the cloak, letting it fall from her shoulders. It drapes across the back of the chair, and she sits atop it, scooting the table closer with her foot. Underneath is a button-down shirt, its right sleeve hanging loose at Ida's side--Ida unbuttons it, revealing a thin sleeveless shirt, and wrapped layers of linen fabric, tied in place around the left side of her neck. Whatever's in there is... bigger than her other arm, but still arm-shaped. Ida unties the knot, even as her fingers start to shake. It's cold. She's nervous.

        Ida unwraps the layers, one by one, and gingerly lowers the arm onto the table.

        It's an arm. There's no seam between it and Ida's shoulder, no sign of damage or scarring. Nevertheless, it clearly came from someone much taller than Ida--someone long-limbed and well-built, to boot. The hand is long-fingered, the flesh has a soft but distinct golden-red tint to it. Bright red lines trace out a simple, elegant design from hand to shoulder, like a tattoo. The forearm still bears a long, metallic line, where the flesh is knitting itself together.

        Ida should explain. She can't find the words.

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 "Life has a way of making sure that we have the battles we need to fight, rather than the ones we might want to fight," Mihaya states, although if she's agreeing or disagreeing with Ashton is just one of those things. The Symbologist knows all about dealing with a terror you might never want to encounter again - everyone who had been present for the last transfer from Lunar back to Filgaia had seen the terror of Sin firsthand, and that was an enemy the elf both wanted to destroy from the bottom of her heart...
 
 ...and never see again if she could help it.
 
 Although as Ida walks off, Mihaya looks at her at the last comment she makes. "That's an interesting way of putting it - innocents~" That honestly amuses her - after the last few weeks, she doubts there's anyone who would be described as a delicate flower around here. She does sit back and sighs, looking over at the group. "Everyone has to have their secrets though, otherwise everything would probably fall apart into a giant mass of honesty and things would probably be a little boring." Another sip and she finishes off the last of her tea, looking at the gathered crowd. So many here who had fought the night before, but a few new (or at least new to the refugee town) faces as well. 

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia manages to miss Ida's reveal through the awesome power of dramatic irony. And explicit scene separations.

Cecilia hems. "He does respond to my voice, but..." She smiles, warmly, and shakes her head. "Well, it doesn't work like it sounds like you think it does, anyway. Asgard's chosen to join us. To protect people again, after all this time." She says it very particularly.

Asgard makes a low rumbling noise, like a dog that has noticed he's being talked about. She pats his arm fondly. Then she accepts the cup, not the pitcher, because she is a princess of refinement. And you can't prove otherwise.

"There's a lot to think about right now," she admits to Hammer. "What Siegfried was saying..." She grimaces. "And the state of Riesenlied, as well. As nice as it is to have a new ally, we're still so far on the back foot..." 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

There's a offered tin cup of tea for Layna as she arrives to the area - and a polite nod to the mistress of the Ruby Empress. "All's well for you, miss?"
 
Finally, he gets around to having one for himself now that the line's dwindled down. "Miss... Mihaya, I think someone said?" Ashton pauses for a moment just in case he needs correcting. "A secret isn't so bad. They can hurt, yes, but what's wrong with a bit of privacy for someone's soul?" He laughs a bit, bobbing his head slightly to indicate his.. other two heads. "Trust me, I'd love a bit more sometimes myself."
 
In response, the blue dragon playfully gnaws on his head. Ashton tries to ignore it. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        The Water Seraph fumbles his way into the medical tent. Actually, thanks to Ceimglace's care, and the nature of water and ice, his movements are a little less fluid to the point that he might be heeding the proper definition of locomotion more closely than usual. If only just.
        "Heyyy, Idaaaa," Lanval cheerily lets the vowel trail in his greeting, as though he were just checking up on a good friend. Well, he is, but he fails to read the mood of her trepidation as she paces the revelation slowly... deliberately, as he stumbles off to one side of the tent where a crowd builds. Not that he needs to be that concerned about space.
        He notices the asymmetry as regards her right side as she gradually removes layers of obscurity from it, and when her fingers start to shake as she undoes the last blinding layer from something that is obviously not quite right...
        ...
        Lanval should ask. He can't find the words. 

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 Mihaya actually giggles for a moment, hiding her mouth behind her cup as Ashton makes his solemn declaration about secrets being important and all that... and then is immediately gnawed upon by one of the dragons that have been attached to him. "Just Aya is fine, Ashton~" She did catch his name during their ruins exploration, after all.
 
 "And true, not everyone has to wander around with such a proud proclamation as you've been burdened with. 'Something strange happened to me! Please come over and ask me about it under the guise of being concerned for my wellbeing!'" She sets the cup down, leaning forward and smiling politely at the poor spellsword. Of course, that's why she never asked - Mihaya is sure if Ashton wanted to talk about his... well, current state of affairs, he was quite capable of bringing it up on his own.
 
 "...would it help if we fed him, or is this just something that happens when it feels annoyed?" she adds. "...I mean that DOES look like it hurts..." 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Aye, lad. Good to see you again. Good work out there." Layna remarks with a nod and a grin back toward Ashton. She certainly wasn't going to back down a drink if it was offered, so she accepts the cup and takes a drink.

She doesn't stick around for long, though.

"Andy over there brought a crate of supplies over - if you need anythin', feel free to help yourself." She says, nodding toward the crate with the large, muscular fellow next to it. The man nods, prying it open with his bare hands.

With that done, Layna moves to follow Ida to the concealed location. She understands why Ida would want some secrecy. The people of New Arctica were, understandably, no friends to the Metal Demons. And something like what she had to hide...well, she's probably right that people would be alarmed.

Layna herself doesn't show any reaction when Ida unveils the arm - she's already seen it, after all, so she's gotten over the initial shock and horror. Lanval's silence is about how Layna reacted when she first saw it, too.

"Take your time, lass." Layna says, trying to reassure her. It was an overwhelming change, and there was so much to explain, and so much left that they didn't know. 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia tilts her head. She doesn't seem horrified or anything, but this may be because of her own situation. She doesn't really have room to talk. Still, it's similar enough that she does hold onto her own arm for a moment even though, at present time, it's way more than just her arm.

"...Well," Lydia says after a moment. "Seems like you know what you need done. I can do the needle or hold the arm, up to you. Or maybe--ahh--maybe Lanval can hold your arm, and I can do the needle? If it's tough for you, I mean."

She looks over to Ida, looking into her eyes and gives her a big smile. "Don't you worry. It takes some getting used to, but you get used to it. I didn't get to choose about this stuff--" She gestures to her own arm. "But when I accepted it, I got to choose who I was. Sucks until you do though yeah? It's cool, we'll treat you nice."

She takes a moment to hold that demon hand with her own.

"Since we're friends at all."

Granted Ida did nearly shatter her once or twice but aside from that! Friends!

MEANWHILE

Hammer says, "Ma'am," to Cecilia. "When it involves the Elw, it never works like you think it does." He takes the pitcher back, quietly grateful Cecilia picked the cup. He still anticipates to pour another cup.

"I've seen what they can do enough times I'm not gonna complain about having the big guy over there on our team." He throws a quick salute towards Asgard before looking back to the princess.

"Riesenlied was always a real sweetheart to me. I hope you can help her. Being used like that--like a fire and forget weapon from mad scientist?" Hammer shivers. "That sounds like the worst."

He strokes his chin with a paw. "Well... I'm just a mechanic but... To hear them talk about it, seems like they're on the backfoot too. Ma'am, I know I'm a coward through and through, so believe me when I tell you..."

"When Siegfried called the retreat...he sounded terrified. Speaking from experience." 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

Ashton sighs deeply. "He doesn't have his teeth out," he assures the concerned elf. "Weepy is just being his usual puckish self and reminding me not to be too over-critical." He gently reaches back and gives the dragon a slight push to disengage it. Weepy, seemingly satisfied, curls up smugly.
 
A brief half-wave, half-salute is given to Layna before she departs to the aid tent. So much for Ida wanting privacy!
 
"I would hardly call the most obvious symptom of my bad luck 'proud'. I'd dare say my pride is what got me into this." Ashton, at least, can laugh at himself even as Mihaya points out his sorry state. "Though you flatter me, Aya, that you have such concern. I'm more often mistaken for a monster than as a conversation piece." A shrug; a sip of tea. "And in truth I suspect you have much more to say about the tales of your homeland than I do about my companions. Our curse is a fairly thin book." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         Sure, Ceimglace just walked into a room of people she barely knows and doesn't know at all and found something out in the process that she maybe would be off better not knowing. However, her nature means that, where normally she'd be frowning, she knows that whatever is going on, this... Ida is worried. Concerned. Possibly even scared.
 
         Lanval does get a bit of a pat though. "Love, just take things in your own time, and if you'd like me to forget, I can do that. I'm nosy, is all." Ida is informed. Ceimglace is kinda helping. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Lydia reassures her. Ida fumbles for words a moment more, then they just come spilling out. "It's a Demon--Hyadean arm," she says. "It... bonded, with me. It's--it isn't dangerous, Kalve said, but it--"

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 "...wow the teeth actually go in and out?" Mihaya asks, tilting her head to the side in amusement. Not exactly what she had been expecting to hear, although it does sound like all... three? of them had come to grips with their living arrangements. "Still, it's good that you have some humor about your situation - I doubt anyone who saw you fight yesterday would think you were a monster. Perhaps... weird, but not a monster."
 
 That's fair, isn't it? Weird can be a thing, and not always a bad thing.
 
 As Lanya wanders off towards the aid tent as well, the elf givers a faint shrug, her own thoughts mirroring Ashton's when it comes to poor Ida's privacy. "I'm sure she'd appreciate if everyone didn't barge in to see her in a delicate condition... whatever it might happen to be. I can't imagine what is concerning her so, but it sounds at the least embarrassing." It could be worse than that - there are a few conditions from back home Mihaya could imagine that might justify concealing an injury or something similar, but she'd not even heard of anything like that here on Filgaia, and all the better.
 
 "Still, I can't deny curiosity - but I am sure it will come out sooner or later. Such things usually do, in my experience. You cannot fight alongside or against someone without coming to know them very well." She starts to lean forward a bit, then winces as her ribs stab at her again. That Harken and her 'I'm going to show you how to be strong by PUNCHING YOU REALLY HARD'. Whatever she was intending to say next remains unsaid in a quick intake of breath at the pain, followed by a "...ow..." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Lanval is dumbstruck by what he's seeing, even as Lydia volunteers him to help hold the arm steady. Could he do that? Ceimglace gives him a pat which straightens him out a bit more while Ida is in the company of sympathetic, open-minded people - several of whom have had some very interesting and storied brushes with personhood-altering experiences whose natures fall out of the scope of anything he's ever really known.
        He exhales, as is his meditative habit. There is that striking similarity, now that he thinks about it, between what he kind of 'got' from Ida and then from Siegfried.
        He knows of all the sentiments and fears about Metal Demons out there, especially right after they nearly destroyed the place. Ida's discussions about not wanting to worry the innocent...
        "I'd never sheen anything like thish," who has, though? He's not alone there. He turns his head over to Ceimglace.
        "...She'sh a friend, y'know, 'n... it ain't a good thing ta forget 'bout 'em." As the days go on, many days after the fact, that's where the challenge to not do so would begin. As Lydia initimately supports Ida in a show of support for their somewhat similar situations, Lanval takes a step forward.
        "Sho, Lydia'sh shaid ya need my help with... holdin' yer arm, Ida? I... I can do that! Shureee! I can." He reaches out with one of his fat old hands to try and rest it upon Ida's shoulder. He has a gentle cat-like smile on his face. "...What're we doin', again?" 

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia sips at her coffee thoughtfully, eyes sweeping across the damaged, ramshackle settlement. "I do too," Cecilia says, and feels no twist at the words. For all that Riesenlied is a person Cecilia can be greatly conflicted about, she'd never have wished a fate like that on anybody, let alone that sweet a person. "We're really seeing who the Demons are now," she murmurs. "Unforgivable. But hardly the first unforgivable thing they've done..."

Her eyes glide shut, briefly. It's easy to hear the screams, sometimes.

She glances to Hammer, sucking in a soothing breath. "I noticed that, as well. Even his combat lacked its old heart. And did you notice? He as good as had us, but when Riesenlied leapt to take my attack...that was when his attitude changed."

Well, other than the shift involved in nearly killing Claude, anyway.

"I wonder if even they are beginning to question their methods." She sips her coffee, slowly, and half-consciously sets her shoulder against Asgard, murmuring.

"...I wonder if it's too late for that to do anything," she murmurs, her eyes downcast.

Asgard rumbles, quietly.

"I'd like to believe that," she says, as if in response. 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

To the first question? Ashton nods. "I believe they retract so as not to be damaged by the fire. Or frost. Given what it can do to a person, I expect it would be quite bad on their own teeth. So it's sensible, when you think about it in those terms."
 
He doesn't comment on being weird and/or a monster - perhaps that's something for his own sake of mind. And his own private moments. But he seems fine on the other point, his own eyes glancing towards the tent again.
 
"I'm curious as well, but it also isn't my business. We Drifters are an odd lot and for every one I've met that's a social butterfly? I've met three to whom the solitude of the road between adventures is golden. I wouldn't dare impune on--" Then Ashton frowns sharply, hearing that little grimace of pain. He's quick to set his tea aside, digging in the supplies around him for another of the healing herbal leaves. "Just a moment, I know I've got some here..." 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Hey, it's okay! Layna already knows what this is about, and she's a friend, besides. ...Also, she's a pirate, and as such most rules of social etiquette tend to be more like a suggestion.

Ida gradually begins to explain and Layna leans back. There wasn't much she could add there.

"Lemme know if you need anything, aye? I can take care of it or I can get one o' my folks on it." Layna offers. 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia says, "Um, well Kalve probably knows what he's talking about! He helped me too, y'know!"

But it's clear to her that wordly reassurances aren't enough here. It's not the same. She's scared. She could say that some of the nicest people she knows are Hyadeans and it'd probably bounce right on off. So what to do?

Lanval asks what they're doing. Lydia laughs a little and says, "Oh she needs to uh...take an injection. Probably to help with the bonding process? Well it needs to be done so we gotta do it, whatever it does."

And then she frowns thoughtfully at Ida, thinking further. At her lowest moment...what was her lowest moment...

Elly said 'there is nothing wrong with you' and then she...

Lydia closes her eyes for a moment. She exhales a thoughtful breath, then snaps her eyes open again in determination.

"Ida...it doesn't matter. There's nothing wrong with you."

And then...

And then Lydia gives Ida a hug. It's pretty awkward, for a moment, before she seems to finally get it--like she's remembering a similar moment and is trying to share it with her. It isn't too tight, but it's definitely there. But then...

STOP. HAMMER TIME

Hammer doesn't know of the metal demons enough to talk about how they're feeling, but he does know of Riesenlied. "I er, tried not to look at Siegfried too much." He says. "He might've looked back." Yeah that's probably smart. "But I think everyone who say it noticed it 'cause I've been hearing it all 'round camp."

He looks up at Asgard and then back to Cecilia. "What'd the big guy say?" He asks, hesitantly. 

<Pose Tracker> Mihaya has posed.

 Ashton's consideration earns him a thankful smile from Mihaya as she leans back in her seat. "Sorry about that, I guess that wasn't quite as healed as I would have liked..." she admits, looking for a position that doesn't hurt quite so much. Given that everyone else is worrying over Ida, she figures that taking a few minutes to rest isn't going to be too much of a problem... just put her straw hat on to keep any drips from the ceiling off, close her eyes and wait for that tea to be done.
 
 Ashton will find the elf has dozed off when he gets back, a faint (and slightly unladylike) snore issuing forth from under the brim of her hat.
 
 Summoning can be draining. Summoning on top of getting badly beaten is probably a bit worse. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        "There's a--there's a metal tin in the cloak pocket," Ida says. "Please take it." She's trembling. She feels exposed in a way she hasn't felt since she was purified, and as if responding to her, the arm pulls in upon itself. She doesn't meet Lydia's eyes. The way she reacted to her, repeatedly--the things she did to her. Lydia would have every right to just leave, and...

        'Ida... it doesn't matter. There's nothing wrong with you.'

        Ida goes rigid, but only for a moment. She rests her head on Lydia's shoulder, and breathes. Slowly, she wraps her left arm around the small of Lydia's back, while the other arm moves to join it. It's agonizingly slow, and Ida doesn't feel like it's wholly her moving it, but the hug is soon made whole.

        "There should be a, a smaller tin within the tin marked with today's date, and then a smaller tin within that with the number '3'." Kalve is nothing if not diligent, especially when it comes to a medical treatment he prescribed for his lover. "I think there should be two small vials, and a hypodermic."

        Ida looks at Lanval, and manages a small smile. "If you could aid Lydia, then..." The arm falls away from the Beastwoman's back. It hangs limp, as if waiting for the others to position it.

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

About a minute later...
 
The flap of the tent opens. Not the one you'd expect someone to come in through - the other side. It's Ashton's... butt? Yes, it's him backing into the tent. He doesn't seem to get just -where- he is as he's currently picking up some of those medicinal herbal leaves for Mihaya when she wakes up.
 
So as per Ashton's luck, he walks right into the very situation he said he was going to give privacy to by accident.
 
And he doesn't realize it until Creepy bonks him in the head to get his mind on track. 

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia chuckles. "It's generally best to be far away from that terrible dark spear of his, yes," she offers Hammer.

As for what Asgard said, she looks up at him. "'Say'," she repeats, quietly. "I'm not sure that's right, but..."

She pulls just a touch away from Asgard, enough to stand on her own feet. "'It's not too late,'" she says. "It's never too late." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Lanval quietly allows Ida and Lydia their momentary embrace as the two find themselves on the level after all that's happened that he hadn't been quite privy to. He watches the new arm move where - even with the noticeable difference in size and mass - seems fine and capable of returning a friendly gesture without inflicting harm.
        "Shure, shure." Lanval starts pondering how he might be able to actually help hold Ida's arm steady. The two can clearly perceive and interact with one another just fine, if she's willing to believe he can help keep her steady, sure, that can work.
        ...He probably shouldn't be trusted with the fine, delicate matter of injection given how uncoordinated his manifestation's movements appear to be!
        "Sho are ya makin' shome kinda... potion, or tea, oooorrrrr," he also probably doesn't understand modern Metal DEmon medicine either, that is also a challenge, "I can make ya the water fer it right now." 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna's not going to be much help with the medical applications. While she's kind of gotten used to the concept of Filgaian medicine, applying is something else entirely.

So she mainly just stays out of the way, while also keeping an eye on Lanval to make sure he doesn't slip up with whatever they end up tasking him with. But, of course, who else would appear but...Ashton.

"Ahoy there." She greets with an amused grin, both to alert him to where he was and to alert the others in case they hadn't spotted him yet. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         "You got this, Lanval." Ceimglace pats him again. "Shout if you want a hand- or an ice cube to go with the water, yeah?"
 
         Turning around, Ceimglace gets to watch Ashton get smacked by Creepy and greeted by Layna. She looks at him up and down, and there's that considering look as her gaze then goes left to right across the dragon heads. "Ehh...." She says, thoughtfully. "I'd still probably hit it." She mutters, mostly to herself. Layna and Ashton can probably still hear her, though. 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Hammer grimaces. He does not need the reminder to find Siegfried or 90 percent of the playerbase frightening.

"Never too late..." He murmurs. "Well, Ma'am..." He manages a smile. "Guess that means we're not too late either." It isn't the kind of sentiment Hammer normally delves in but it feels like Cecilia could use hearing that in this moment.

"So...uh..." He looks out into the distance. "Before I signed om with the Wolves, I was a prisoner. D-Block." He frowns. "Lived there my whole life. Thought I wanted to leave and see the world, be free..."

He looks to Cecilia. "Um but the world turned out to be pretty scary. I can see why living under Mother...or the idea of Mother could be a comfort. But to hear them speak of it, the Photosphere is just another prison. Even the Wardens can't really leave and the big tough guys rule."

He goes quiet. "Miss Riesenlied is the sweetest girl I know. She doesn't deserve to serve her time there. So... I hope your buddy's right. A race prison isn't a place to grow up in." 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

And yet...Lydia was taught to answer with kindness. From Riesenlied, from Elly...even Ida in small ways during her recovery from hellionization.

She holds position for a while. She holds it until the arm falls away.

Then she pulls back, smiles, and says, "You're a quick learner, Ida. One of the things I like about ya."

She reaches for the tin. "To be safe, anywhere there's a vein eork?"

She fixes the needle. "Or other special instructions..?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida takes one of the smaller bottles, shakes it thoroughly to mix the suspension inside, and pops off the lid. She scrunches up her face, and drinks the contents in a single gulp. It tastes like a gella piece soaked in heal berry vinegar. She uncaps a second vial, which does not seem to need a shake, and pounds that one back as well. It tastes like sugary chalk, with a cloying, lingering aftertaste. A moment later, she follows up with a swig of water from a flask, and then two small pills from an entirely different tin--compounded medicine from the pharmacist-alienist managing her therapy.

        When that's all finished, she manages a little smile at Lydia. "Thank you. I, ah, I can take care of the injection myself, I just want to clean the site first, and I need you to make sure it doesn't twitch out of the--

        The tent flap opens. Ida looks up at Ashton with the needle in one hand, an alien's arm attached to her shoulder, and a deer-in-the-headlights expression on her face.

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

"Creepy, what are y--"
 
Ashton freezes. Oh no. He slooooooooooooooowly turns around. Oh -no-.
 
"...Hi?" Oh, and my. Ashton's face is currently almost as red as his dragon's. He absolutely heard Ceimglace.
 
Then things get even more awkward as he processes enough of the scene to grasp what Ida's doing. Inside his head, gears turn. The clock ticks. And, with everything now quite off-kilter, the first thing that comes to his mind is what ends up spilling out of his mouth.
 
"Wow, that arm -is- worse than Lydia's." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        Lanval tilts his head as he watches stuff swish in that first small bottle before it disappears down Ida's mouth. Oh, looks like the potables are already handled, huh. Still, he stands around and more or less behaves as well as he's going to in the company of a delicate medical situation where he does not quite understand every step that is about to be taken.
        "Huh? Clean? What shight am I cleanin'-"
        The tent flap opens. How did Ida know there was going to be another sight, his eyes open half-lidded. "Mmm. Clean, okaaaay, okay! I got it~"
        Then he sprays water in Ashton's face. And the dragons'. "Ish thish what ya meant?! Cleanin' shight?" 

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna can absolutely hear Ceimglace. She also knows that Ashton can perceive Seraphim. So it's very difficult to keep herself from chuckling. So difficult that she fails, though she tries to hold it back.

And in the end Ashton freezes and says, presumably, the first thing that comes to his mind. Somehow Layna isn't surprised by this. What she is surprised by is the fact that Lanval then turns around and sprays water right in his face.

Layna can't help but laugh, though she does manage to choke out a 's-sorry!' in there somewhere. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        The surface of the arm ripples and quivers. The soft red-gold tint becomes more pronounced, and a faint, firey glow emanates from within. The arm might be disporportionately long, but in many ways, it perfectly matches Ida's face--which is presently beet-red. She sputters.

        "Lanval, no--!"

        That's all she can get out. She watches, horror written on her face, as Ashton takes a spray of water in all three faces, at once. "N--no, the--the arm. Wash it. Gently, please." She curls back in on herself, shoulders hunching. She doesn't meet anyone's eyes.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         "Oh, you heard me, then?" Ceimglace asks Ashton. She's kind of presuming he can see her at this point. She'd be glad to know she's not wrong. "I promise you I do much less action than I do looking - what can I say, I appreciate a good view, from all sides." Then Lanval pivots around and gets Ashton with a spray of water.
 
         Say what you will about Ceimglace, but her nature allows her too, without laughing too hard, just smile at the dragon-wielding man, clearing her throat noisily a bit without making a complete and utter fool of herself. She steps up to him, reaching up. "Well, howdy there, partner. Let's say you and I go get you dried off, hm? I'd offer for a more..." There's a pause- "Personalized..." One eyebrow raises, lowers-
 
         "But I'm more of a ice queen, if you will..." 

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Okay, if you're sure." Lydia says, smiling back at Ida. "And Ida, I want you to know--"

ASHTON.

"Huh? What's the matter?"

She looks towards Ashton. She stares at Ashton. She takes in a deep breath, shoulders pushed up. She stands up, somehow now has a soccerball at her feet, and she kicks it right for Ashton as hard as she can which is, well, pretty hard. Luckily this is anime antics level violence so nothing that should seriously hurt Ashton.

"Ashton y'dork!!" She says before turning to Ida. "Your arm is fine. You are fine."

She sits back down. "Um." Pause. "Oh, yeah, I wanted you to know that so long as you need me, feel free to lean on me, alright?"

She gives one morer quicker hug with one arm before giving Ashton the huffiest of huffs. 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

As soon as it's out of his mouth, Ashton knows he made a mistake. He's quick at least to try and do something about that. "W-well I mean as far as injuries go it could bWHARRGARBL"
 
Any attempt to recover gracefully is ended very promptly by being shot in the face by water. Both dragons get around a quarter of a second to look very amused before they to are sprayed.
 
Hey, remember how Ashton's compared them to cats before? Because he has. And they react about as one would expect - hissing angrily and thrashing around. Ashton attempts to get them under control, which goes very poorly. Then he's hit in all three faces - in sequence - by a soccerball ricochet. All three end up on the ground in a damp, writhing pile.
 
Perhaps -that's- what Ceimglace was hoping for in her heart of hearts? 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        "Huh? Ohhhh. The arm. The arrrm." Lanval strokes his chin, underreacting to the mayhem he just initiated. "Mmm. Armsh don't have eyesh."
        This misunderstanding may yet persist for a while longer, but all roads do lead back eventually to the Seraph gently laying hands upon the fiery glow within. "Take it eashy~"
        Seraphim are notorious for having an existence that simply does not make sense to the laws of the universe, except for maybe gravity presumably as some sort of grandfathered clause from the creation of the very universe. How curative magic interacts with the burgeoning understanding of microbiology upon this planet is a source of debate - if the cleansing water is a healing spell, and it is, wouldn't it by definition make microbiological organisms thrive? ...Ah, that's a thought for another time, a thought that doesn't cross Lanval. Lanval also probably doesn't actually have a brain, so that thought may never come.
        In any case, through more of his Seraphic Artes, gentle, soothing, cleansing waters wash out about Ida's arm. His touch basically is just like the surface of water. He keeps his straight cat-like face going even as Ceimglace flirts about with the mortal over there. 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         Ashton and his dragons go down into a damp, writhing pile.
 
         As beautiful and terrible things go on behind her, Ceimglace sighs, her own Artes shimmering in her hands as she summons together a bunch of tiny, tiny ice cubes she promptly breaks into even more viciously cold bits of ice and such. She continues staring at the trio.
 
         "Hey?" She asks. "Chill out for a second, won't you?" Then she starts sprinkling the ice-bits on Ashton and company like they're sprinkles on a lovely cake. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Lydia's hug seems to help a bit more than the soccer ball to the face(s). Ida leans towards her, and waits for Lanval to do his thing, the sounds of displeased, hissing dragons providing a dissonantly comedic accompaniment. She readies the needle, and--as Kalve taught her to--locates a vein on the underside of the arm. Now that she knows what to look for, Ida has no trouble finding it. A pale, silvery-violet line beneath the flesh, which could twitch aside or cut itself off under the right conditions. Ida takes a breath, inserts the needle, presses the plunger down.

        A tiny droplet of quicksilver lingers a moment at the injection site after Ida pulls the needle out. She looks at it, almost meditatively, before it seals itself against her flesh and congeals into a scab with remarkable speed.

        Ida lets out a breath. "Another week of this," she says. "And then... I don't know."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.

        One of Lanval's eyes open a bit more as Ida injects herself. He comes just shy of asking why she'd be stabbing her own arm. He sees that little tiny droplet of quicksilver, much the same as to what he'd see come out of Siegfried when he suffered any number of heavy strikes from the others around him earlier that day.
        "...I don't know either, shoooo yer not alone there!" Lanval says jovially. "I, I mean, doeshn't sheem like yer lackin' fer anybody ta figure that out..." 

<Pose Tracker> Ashton Anchors has posed.

The ice... helps? Maybe? It's hard to say, really. When Ashton gets up again he's certainly not in the best of shape - to say nothing of the fact that both dragons look quite perturbed at the whole situation. (Creepy more than Weepy - the blue is actually a bit better with water and ice, to no surprise.)
 
"Er, yes. Chill out." Ashton tries to recover what little is left of his dignity, clearing his throat and brushing off his (very wet) robe. "Apologies for the accidental intrusion."
 
For a moment perhaps just a bit too long he eyeballs Ceimglace - confirming that he can absolutely see her as well as hear. He seems conflicted - almost a bit confused about just how to respond to her teasing-slash-flirting-slash-commentary. In his current state, with so much going on? The luckless mercenary simply... slides it aside. He'll have to wrap his head around it - and figure out who the heck IS that - later.
 
Instead, he opts to soldier forward and try to recover more. Or what little he can. "And I apologize to you, too, miss Ida. Miss Lydia's right - that was extremely rude of me and I'm sorry. After all..." He motions to the two sourpusses on his shoulders. "I have little place to speak from." 

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ceimglace has posed.

         Ceimglace is eyed. She is pleasantly unsurprised.
 
         "Hi...~" She wriggles her fingers at Ashton, beaming the whole time. "Anyways. I'm gonna let you lot clear out. Come find me at some point, mister dragon." She then wanders off, humming merrily. 

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida sighs. The fingers of the right arm curl themselves into a fist, and then uncurl, though as with the hug, Ida is unsure how much of her is really doing it. The thought of this being someone else's body part haunts her still. Hopefully once the drug regimen is finished, it will be hers again--after all, her flesh is still in there, in the amalgam of human and Hyadean.

        "Apology accepted," Ida says, to Ashton. She's not going to hold a moment's slip against him.

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