2019-01-01: New Year's Resolution

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<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

In the aftermath of the battle at the Photosphere, the Outreach has been active both in Elru and back in Ignas.

In Elru, they've helped the surviving Metal Demons that /did/ accept their help -- there's a great number who likely wouldn't -- relocate; some went to New Arctica, others with them back to New Petra. It's a time of great confusion for many people, some choosing to double down with zealous logic and others seeking to just have shelter after their home crashed into the ocean.

But.....

It's clear that New Petra is flourishing further.

The influx of Tainted from the Gutter have joined them, and many families and circles of friends have been reunited for more than a year. For a great many of them, this is the first time they've seen the world outside of the shanty they've been forced into; Ignas has been eye-opening, in more than one way.

The atmosphere is cautiously hopeful; it's clear there's a lot of work left ahead of them. Unity wouldn't be achieved overnight, even if it were possible. But for now... they have what they have, and that'll have to be enough.

Riesenlied is having more of a quiet day today -- she's recognised herself as having a lower cycle compared to other days, and has requested Noeline to have a moment of relative quiet...

It's not difficult to know what's on her mind, even without engagement rings that let them sense each other.

The ashen-blonde Hyadean is quietly holding onto several familiar crayon drawings inside, seated on a wheelchair as she has been confined to in the last month. It's not the Cucco-powered one, though. That'll have to wait for Lydia and Shalune's ingenuity.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline has found herself with no end of things to do in the new New Petra. It's not that she's rushed or hurried exactly - the Wayside Outreach are veterans at looking after each other and their leaders at this point, and everyone has begun to band together in earnest to try to make the settlement a home for all the newcomers from the Photosphere.

It's more that the moment she turns around, there's something new to do. Some of the Tainted are curious about how she managed to pull off sorcery; others simply want to soak up every scrap of knowledge they can about the new world they've found themselves in. Both require books and a fair bit of teaching - and then she'd been forced to realize that to even reach the point where that teaching would make sense, she'd have to step further back and actually follow through on her earlier idea of a crash course on Filgaian geography.

Then there's looking after the younger members of the settlement; when they're not clustered around Riesenlied for storytime they're looking to her for stories of a rather more adventurous nature, or asking her more questions about the world, or--

--or then there's the niggling to-do list she keeps turning over in her head. Lydia's already talked to the Baskar tribes but they should say hello themselves, once they get a moment to breathe, and then she should get in touch with Kalve and ask for more ferrofluid plants, in hopes they might be of use patching up some Tainted wounds, and--

--and it's like that, really. Not hurried, but certainly fidgety.

Which is why Riesenlied's request brings a sigh of relief along with the quiet concern, and why Noeline is more than content to sit with her. It's a peaceful sort of silence; even if Riesenlied's thoughts are elsewhere, she makes sure to keep a hand on the Tainted's shoulder to maintain contact and act as something of an anchor. A 'quiet day' at least means they're on the deck of the Fereshte, the breeze pleasant and the activity of New Petra below them as a reminder of how far they've come.

(Shalune is otherwise engaged trying to re-rebuild Diablo. And the Carakin. And Lunata's weaponry. And the Little Dipper. There's a long shopping list.)

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

Elly van Houten comes here, to the land of the Tainted, the place where they are building new lives for themselves. She has brought something with her.

Elly knows that life out here is hard, and that there often isn't a lot of call for the comforts of life. She knows also that she has the privilege of a relatively high cash income because she blew up a whole bunch of monsters and doesn't have a lot of expenses as long as she's willing to eat hobsteak and fire grilled popotoes instead of filet ninon and fine Blablis wine.

So... she had bought some things... and she had made Fei help carry them to the carriage... and NOW they've had to unload them onto a wheelbarrow because the things are several large canvas sacks containing smaller packages: wrapped loaf sugar and fine flour, with a little metal staple attaching a wrapped-up package of peppermint candy, a recipe pamphlet, and a deci-gella novel. The novels were more or less bought in bulk because Elly isn't made out of Gella - so they may not be the most popular ones...

But perhaps their dreams will suit the hearts of those who were also once rejected...!

Anyway, Elly is thus making her way into the village, distributing these packages to the curious. There's a bunch of them - there's more than one reason she asked Fei to put them in a wheelbarrow - and as she doles out two to several enthusiastic probably-children-but-possibly-just-short people, she asks Fei, "Do you think this is the same kind of thing as bribery...?"

("H*ck yeah, loot!" says one engifted person, running away and already stuffing the peppermint candy in their face hole.)

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Take your canvas bags. Take your canvas bags. Take your canvas bags to the supermarket.

Fei sadly doesn't have a lot of cash on him at the moment having been not exactly engaged in a lot of high moneyed digs as of late and also honestly giving a fair chunk of what he had to New Arctica because he for some reason felt a little guilty about how Arctica fell in part because Some Asshole blew up the middle of the continent. Naturally, he didn't exactly feel super comfortable there either but he has been making the rounds apologizing to people and trying not to get creeped out by weird boys doing weird geometry/light? tricks at a campsite (Fei would have probably mentioned the weird boy that made him think he was having a schizophrenic episode).

((the weird boy is Isiris????))

"We're not asking them to do anything illicit." Fei tells Elly. "But I suppose if you go reductive enough any gift could be bribery."

He pushes along the wheelbarrow since he does, if nothing else, have muscles and an eagerness to be helpful.

HECK YEAH LOOT.

"Not that it is much of a reduction." Fei admits. "I guess the, uh, news didn't get here yet?"

Has Riesenlied not told them? Or maybe they're just too sweethearted to show it. Or ... or maybe he's freaking out for no reason. Okay. Good.

(Meanwhile, Lydia is probably lets be real working on the Cucco-Engine any chance she gets. She has her priorities straight).

It's hard to think it's already the new year." Fei adds. "Feels like December just flew by."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Since the return from Elru, Lily Keil has been quite scarce again--but this time she didn't just disappear, but instead mentioned she'd be a little scarce. What she'sbeen up to is something of a mystery, but...

Just this moment, Lily has finished passing through the village and made her way up to the deck of the Fereshte, stepping onto its planks quietly before she looks down again over the village below.

She's in dark reds, civilian attire theoretically with a certain amount of layering, wearing sturdy boots with a pistol at her hip and a sling-staff in hand. ...Her usual knife, naturally, is holstered at her boot. Her hair is tied back.

"...It's growing," she comments, instead of some obvious greeting.

<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.

There's a lot to be done around here, in New Petra, and a limited number of technically skilled hands to do it with. To make the problem worse, there's a lot to be done outside of New Petra as well. But that's a plot arc a certain fluffy wheelchair-bound lady has nothing to do with... thankfully.

In addition to the things that need doing, Riesenlied needs a day of quiet. Lessons in elementary Hyadean are on pause, accordingly. So, the living multitool is leaving that to the Outreach #2 while she sits cross-legged next to a broken air-conditioning unit with a notebook and a mechanical pencil. Despite working with a greasy hunk of metal, Maya is still wearing an expensive white blouse and skirt, which are somehow pristine. Clothing is really easy when you can cheat your way through it.

An enigmatic comment of "it's growing," catches Maya's attention. She peers over the top of her ruined bit of machinery with an eyebrow cocked. "Eh? What's growing?" she echoes. Snapped from her reverie, she realizes that more visitors (a mysterious ponytailed forehead and a melancholy ginger) have drifted nearby. Familiar visitors.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

A few days (nearly a week, because Josie made sure to milk it) rest, some careful securing of 'materials' (like the cannon, which needs a little minor-level repairwork), some well-deserved carousing...

And then, after that, Josie had simply vanished, with nothing but a note saying she was following up on some likely leads and that she'd be back.

She hadn't said when that might be.

"Hey, now don't you all look right chipper," the archaeologist drawls, stepping in from alongside Elly. The new longcoat she wears is used but still pristine, compared to what she had lost in the Photosphere. Gawain rests slung over her shoulders. There perched atop braided and bound pale hair -- still betraying the uneven cut delivered by Lady Harken over a month before -- rests a particularly sedate-looking Penelope.

There's a pause.

"Growing? ...The plants?"

Another pause.

"Guess I missed something," she concludes, reaching a hand into the wheelbarrow to offhandedly attempt to snag a prize that she most definitely doesn't need and could afford herself if desired.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied has been happy to see Noeline be a resourceful well of answers as she often is; perhaps it's part of the way she wants to help guide her further to that role of leadership that they've both adopted, perhaps it's part of the way she wants to let her know she's not overdoing it by taking on all the burdens alone and is letting Noeline help support her.

But today, they're on the breezy deck of the Fereshte, her own ringed hand back to Noeline's on her shoulder. There's sorrow from within her, shimmering softly through the Dragon's Tear as she bites her lip and leans towards her side--

One Tainted child comes up to Elly. He has accordion tubing for legs and arms, and gawks as he asks, "Ma'am, may I have a satchel too...?"

Accordion Tubing Boy is accompanied in short order by the bigger parent, Accordion Tubing Man, patting his child with his (of course) accordion hand. "Say thank you," he reminds him, to which the child beams brightly towards Elly.

Accordion Tubing Man does look at Fei. Unlike the others in the Gutter, A.T.M. is a veteran of the Wayside Outreach and has been there through Old Petra and Wayside, seeing their ends such, but... still...

Accordion Tubing Man gives Fei a smile. It's the Wayside smile -- there's damage and hurt underneath, but with a look that says 'we're not gonna let this separate us'. Accordion Tubing Boy waves with both arms towards Fei, knowing less than his father.

"Thank you, Fei, Elly."

Riese senses Lily, perhaps before she sees her. A pause for a moment, as she glances towards where Fei and Elly are gathering, smiling wider as she calls out, "Everyone..."

Maya's the one that catches Lily's comment, and she tiredly chuckles as she expresses, "... the town. The town you've helped grow too, Maya... Josie..."

She pauses for a moment, heaving a heavier breath out looks towards the gathering Wolves and has a quiet smile for them, shifting over -- and weakly pushing her wheelchair over, guided by Noeline no doubt as she waves and witheredly says, "It's been a while..."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline registers Elly and Fei, though not as a rarity and only on a very surface-level, oh-look-it's-them in passing at first. It takes her several moments longer to blink up to a state of sufficient alertness; she's been zoning out a little in the midst of the rare peace and quiet, and that thought brings a quiet chuckle to her throat as she rubs her hand back and forth against Riesenlied's shoulder, not quite but almost shaking her back to awareness.

"... we've got guests," she points out with an incline of her head towards where the pair are handing out gifts - and then blinks over her shoulder as Lily makes her rather unorthodox greeting, pausing in mild surprise before she tilts her head in a nod of recognition. "More than one, apparently. Should you be walking?" is her first question, which might be a little odd until you remember that more or less everyone was feeling rather beaten up in the aftermath of the Photosphere. For some of them, it's a legitimate question.

"... we're getting there, at least. Many of the people down there are playing it solidly by ear, but we take it day by day. It's true that we've had to erect a rather large number of new structures, though, and the Fereshte's still being used as housing as well," she answers Maya's question with her own best guess. "Still-- as I've said before, it is rather a nostalgic feeling, having some actual time to ourselves and no world-ending panic encroaching upon us just yet," she notes, and if she's a little sour in her amusement it's only because she's still feeling a little bit strung-out from everything.

She lifts up to standing, puffing out a breath as she feels an ache in her joints. It's probably no coincidence she feels about as battered as when she first received her Medium, given what she'd been doing with it all this time, and even if she has the benefit of a long-term perspective when it comes to healing, it's still annoying to have to wait that long. But she can at least wheel Riesenlied towards everyone else, taking it carefully.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

Elly tells Fei, even as she shuffles out some of the packages, "I don't need that stuff, anyway. It's going to work out. These people have been through a lot, and I just hope that the new year is sweeter." Hence the sugar loaf.

She then tells Fei, as she draws her hands out to give the sacks a firm pap (they hold much sugar, brother), "We did peak early on, if you think about it." She smiles to him.

She startles at Lily. Turning around, she says, "Oh!" At Lily's remark, she looks at her own left hand, dubiously.

Calling up to the deck, Elly says, "Good afternoon! Do you want a package, too? I don't know if it's exactly what you want..." To Fei, Elly asks more quietly, "Does Lily eat sweets at all?" A beat passes, and she offers to the hidden voice of Maya D. Schrodinger, "We can toss them up!" Fei can toss them up, she means. Probably.

Then she is asked by ATB to give him one. "Of course," she says. Gathering one up she leans forwards to hand it over. "Please be careful with the packet on top. Enjoy the book - I think everyone's got a different one!" She smiles at the senior-AT, then, before her attention turns to Josie, who gets a smile and a quiet, heartfelt, "thank you" of unclear provenance, but before things can progress further in this meeting of the minds... "Oh! Riese!" she calls up.

Normally you'd say something like 'long time no see' or 'you look great' but Elly ends up saying, "It's wonderful to see you! I hope you don't mind this - I thought about just getting candy, but -" She trails off then, instead digging one out and advancing towards Extreme Sport Racer NoeLied to hand it over directly.

Josie obtains:

  • 8oz fine white flour
  • 8oz sugar loaf (approx)
  • 2x peppermint stick candy
  • 1x "Passion Among The Turnips Vol 4," by E.M. Lefanu
  • 1x Slight Feeling of Guilt (tradeable)

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Ah--" Fei says to Josephine. "You're back." He hasn't seen her in like a month (Fei was mostly passed out during the week she was around) and he's at a loss for a bit. Then he says, "Um. Thanks. And--sorry." He is trying not to make a big fuss in a crowd like this. He was honestly not sure if he was going to see Josephine again but he's underestimated Josephine plenty as of late, perhaps he needs to rethink his understanding of Josephine on a grander scale.

He laughs briefly at Elly's quip and adds, "Guess that's true. Seems like the Winter Wonderland made a big impression on you."

He picks up a sack and pauses at Elly's question. Has he ... ever seen Lily eat a sweet? He doesn't think so so he says, "Well, one way to find out, I guess!"

He tosses one of the sacks up to Maya. He has a good throwing arm! "Maya. Always good to see you." He says respectfully, having an easier time because he didn't shoot HER, at least, with a giant death laser in the past month.

He reaches for another one, looking towards Lily. "Did you want one....too?"

The stalling happens because he sees Accordion Tubing Man. According Tubing Man looks at him. This is probably one of those 4 second anime sequences where nothing is said but you get a nice good look at Accordion Tubing Man's expression and all the complexities therein. Then it ends and there's According Tubing Boy, also waving towards him.

Fei ducks down and offers According tubing Boy one of the sacks.

"...Nice to finally meet you." He says. "Glad you got out in time."

It's honestly a relief his other self didn't manage to hurt any of these people. It helps ease his shoulders down.

And then he looks towards Riesenlied. "Riesenlied. Noeline. Thank you." It's simple, but he makes sure it's clearly enunciated.

"You uh--having a good new year?" Fei asks Riesenlied.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Right. The town," Lily clarifies, nodding her agreement with Riesenlied, and turns to meet Noeline's eye. "I'm fine," she answers casually. "Not so much as a scratch left. I'm probably healthier now than I was at the Academy."

There's a certain wryness to the statement, a certain distance, but Lily doesn't hold herself too far apart here, with everyone.

Lily appears not to hear the debate as to whether or not she eats sweets. But when both Elly /and/ Fei ask, well. "Sure," the sorceress replies, and will accept one without much fanfare. ...She doesn't actually pull anything out of it yet, though. So the question of sweets remains a mystery...

Dog, however, comes out from behind her and barks cheerfully in greeting.

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Lily agrees, stepping closer, close enough for at least casual conversation anyway. "Still, you're doing well here. ...You're doing right by these people. It's..."

<Pose Tracker> Maya Schrodinger has posed.

Everyone is quick to remind Maya that the thing that has grown isn't some mysterious portent, it's the town. "Oh." she echoes at that, rubbing her cheek with the rounded edge of a screwdriver handle. It's been a long year of mysterious portents. "Well, yeah, everyone's been working super hard at it! And there's probably gonna be a steady stream of newcomers for the next couple of months--heck, years."

Someone downstairs offers to toss packages of gifts up there. This takes Maya by surprise, her expression briefly twisting to a curious squint. "Oh. Um, sure, toss them up here and I'll hand them out to the kids." she calls back down, closing her book on HVAC repair. This is a Shalune job, let's face it.

Also: Fei says it's good to see her. This is true, and it's also true that he hasn't slammed her with a death laser -ever-. The last time Maya got slammed with a death laser was by some creepy ghost which proclaimed it was gonna help someone take over the world. Which is going to need investigating, soon. "Oh, hello down there! It's splendid to see everyone in such good--"

A sack of gifts, while not terribly heavy, is distracting enough to stall the reply as it sails over the decking and lands atop the blonde's head. "--guhaaghbl!"

It's more alarm than discomfort, really.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

Josie is now one illicit package of holiday cheer richer. (As for the guilt, errrr...) (we'll get back to that)

"Hm?" She turns her head, regarding Fei for a moment. "Sorry about what? Making me promise to shoot you with a cannon if you lost your mind?" that's not even remotely how that promise went, josie She waves her now-free hand through the air. "Listen, all's well that ends well." She pauses. "Or, I guess if you like, 'all shall be well, and all shall be well...'"

She doesn't finish the quotation properly, instead reaching out to seemingly pat Fei on the head-- Only that turns into a, once again, a noogie.

Is that a smile of vaguely fond and vaguely sadistic satisfaction? Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies.

At least she'll eventually stop harassing Fei, leaving him behind with a pat on the shoulder.

But speaking of things being well...

"Sunshine! Feeling any better?" The comment is combined with a handwave from Josie (little finger wiggle and all). "...The town, huh? Heh, now that you mention it..."

"Yeah. It has."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Noeline's gentle shaking might've been rather the necessary one; Noeline's not the one that's zoned out, especially as they spend some time just to themselves on the deck as she smiles back up and keeps that hand held against her.

And she's not the only one with a Medium anymore within her; it's arguable (and possibly pointless) which is the worse state -- having it in fragments in your body or having it be forcibly grafted upon you, but...

Perhaps it's something else they can quietly hold as another point of relation between the two of them.

A.T.B. looks overeager to see his package, looking towards the novel and exclaiming, "Thank you, miss! I'll read this from front to back!" as if he just obtained an exciting treasure map. Well, to someone of his age, he might well be. The boy does look at Fei with a bigger smile and nods, saying, "I always believed... papa would come for me! And with so many others too...!"

Even down in the Gutter, bereft from so much light, good kids can happen.

Riesenlied lets out a soft yelp to Maya for a moment, but she smiles rather warmly as she receives her own when she's escorted closer. There's a quiet bashfulness and tiredness from her as she looks up and nods with a smile to Elly. "I'm really grateful you've done this for everyone-- ah--"

She looks to the novel on top. Her cheeks burn up a little as she admits to Noeline, "It reminds me of some of the ones I've stolen from your bookshelf a while back..." Uh oh, what's that about? You'll have to find out... in another mini-scene!!

Riesenlied chimes in with Maya's explanation. "... we have... further plans. Expansions, new facilities to help treat those who need it most... and... of course..."

She looks up to the sky for a moment. "... we've promised the Azadians we'll get them home. And when we do, we'll help them rebuild there too..."

She does pause towards Fei, when he steps forward to greet the both of them. She hesitates and starts fumbling as she tries to pull up and gather the drawings.

The one on top is the one with a certain blue knight 'granpa' on it...

Josie's comment to Fei gives her further pause, as she finds herself just a little more tense as she holds onto those drawings even as Josephine comically gives him a noogie.

She's kind of giving them both the answer at the same time, as she scoots forwards and places a hand to them both given they're piled up right now. It sounds as if tears and emotion are building up inside of her.

"... I'm glad... I'm glad you're all right. Both of you.... everyone..."

it's a terrible non-answer to 'are you feeling any better', but it's definitely a very riese answer

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline leans over the edge of the Fereshte, watching in a very curious fashion as Elly approaches them and as Fei's sack of goods sails up and basically right through Maya; were she not already occupied with the handlebars of Riesenlied's wheelchair, she'd-- help, probably. Maybe. The fanged grin of amusement on her face perhaps suggests otherwise. "Ah... watch out?" she helpfully suggests to the poor blonde, then huffs softly as she glances back at Fei; she can't really seem to find the words to answer his thanks, so she just tosses out her hair a little instead. "Are you coming up, already? It would be much easier than having to carry Riese downstairs."

Scanning across Lily... well, Noeline hasn't exactly studied human medicine outside of a distinct curiosity from time to time, so she can't really do much to the surgeon's statement but accept it - even if that same wryly amused smile from earlier flickers across her face. Lily is the sort to say she's fine even if the world is ending, after all, but she does at least seem more forthcoming than usual. "... small blessings, I suppose. Unless, right now, it counts as a major one."

Josie gets Riesenlied nudged towards her, though Noeline waits for her partner to finish before she offers her own opinion. "We are-- managing. To be honest, I have still barely begun to get my head around everything that's happened," she admits with a snort of air, careful to skirt around any specific events. "Really, life does have a tendency to change in an instant."

Noeline pauses, visibly softening as she looks to the other Hyadean - even if laughter bubbles up in her voice. "More than that, I believe I /own/ some of these," she comments with a sigh. "Elly, really, if you need help picking out the better ones you could have just asked. This looks more like a clearance sale-- and you realize I'm the one who's going to get asked if any of the children aren't sure what the words mean, don't you?" she adds with a solid grumble. "If you've ever thought the Talk was hard, try it to people doing their best to understand a completely different race in the process."

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

The merry bark from Dog is greeted with a laugh by Elly. To Lily though, Elly says, "Ask me later - I did get a little extra candy, and I even have something for her!" What is Dog going to get for the new year???

MEAT.

As Maya is slain by generosity, Elly is slain in the spirit by what Riesenlied says. Her cheeks flush. "It really isn't that much, honestly... I'm just glad we were able to get here in time."

As opposed to getting out in time.

Then Noeline speaks... and Elly blushes more intensely. "Are - are they inappropriate? I just bought all of the ones that they said were meant to be, be for everyone... I thought it was better to make sure that everyone could have one than -"

Elly pauses.

Her brow furrows.

Elly glances back at Fei, at Lily, and for some reason ESPECIALLY at Josie before she sidle-sidle-sidles to Noeline and says in a very quiet voice that only Noeline (and Riesenlied, who will hopefully not spread it around, or to people who can read lips, because Elly kind of over-enunciates muggle speech on a lip-flap level):

"does that mean sex?"

FLASHBACK DATELINE: ETRENANK

"Class, today we're going to be viewing a recording on the human reproductive process. Before we begin, can we take a moment to say thanks to our Emperor, who guides us in learning how to relate and understand one another better through the medium of - ODETTE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THAT PEN?"

Odette, a little tow-headed shite of a child, lowers the pen quickly. Elly quivers in anxiety, knowing full well what was just narrowly avoided. "Nothing, Teacher," Odette says.

"The Emperor sees your heart. If you stab your classmates again, Odette..." The Teacher makes a pish-hiss noise with her mouth, and half mimes tossing something.

Odette is good the whole rest of the day.

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei stalls when he sees that picture. Certainly, Id may have blown up like 3 of Riesenlied's hometowns, but 'granpa' feels like his personal failing. He failed them both. There is just enough of a pause to make one think that the overarching mood of the episode is going to take a sharp tick downward when suddenly...!!!

NOOGIES.

Fei makes a, "Gahkkk...!" noise as Josie wiggles her fist into his head. His arms flail helplessly as he is takes critical Big Sis damage, leaving him in a critical state.

Eventually, Josie stops, and Fei smiles back up to Josie. It's more broad now, less polite and more genuine. And she noogied him!! Well, it certainly prevented whatever he was going to say about 'granpa' and that's probably for the best.

"All shall be well and all shall be well..." Fei mururs. "...I'll have to remember that."

Fei straightens up afterwards. He certainly noticed that hesitation, but he may have misinterpreted the why behind it.

"I think there's a custom for new years where you make resolutions for what you want to be, what you want to do in the next year." And then he looks up. "Then it comes true."

He looks to to Noeline as she chastizes Elly. He takes in a soft breath and rubs his neck with an arm which certainly sounds like 'that means sex'. But he does say, "Education is important." with a deadpan expression on his face.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Another happy bark from Dog, one-two--because she sure understands 'something for her'. She wags her tail cheerfully up at Elly, tongue lolling pleasantly. "Looks like she'll remember whether I do or not," Lily points out.

"So I see," Lily answers Maya pleasantly. She still doesn't help with the gifts that land on Maya's head, though. She's still Lily. "So you're all keeping on track," she answers Riesenlied's followup. "It's quite the task... but if anyone can do it, it's the Outreach. You've gotten good at building settlements."

She does not look to the drawings for long right now. She doesn't need to, to understand what Riesenlied must be feeling now. But... Well, Noeline's easier to answer first. "I might be having more trouble if I hadn't had the chance to recover," she allows, sure that she (rightfully) won't be believed unless she admits she wasn't in great shape at least once. "I was asleep long enough, anyway. And I probably ate enough on waking to feed half this settlement. ...But now, I'm fine."

it does all change, sure. But--

To Josie, "There's few who could handle that if it came down to it. ...But I have no objections that it didn't, naturally." She looks to Fei, and it's clear that she's understating there. ...She seems to approve of the noogies. However--

"Ha," Lily answers about the Talk. Is she smirking? "You know, Carver, I could make them up some diagrams if they're that curious. I'm sure it'll be fine--offering the humans some awkward questions is a good way to break the ice and get to know one another, I think."

Beat, "...And also very funny."

Dog barks. ...She probably doesn't understand that. Probably.

<Pose Tracker> Josephine Lovelace has posed.

"Of course I am. I'm as right as rain," Josie affirms to Riesenlied, stiffly thumbing towards herself with her bad hand (the other a little preoccupied in distributing noogies at the moment). "Now you'd better focus on getting well yourself, Sunshine. Got it?" She pauses, and looks Noeline's way. "Though I think if you did anything right now, Sugar'd be right on after you. Or something."

She can't help but crack a slight smile, there. "Don't I know it. That's life, though! Just when you think you've got the steps down, you're at a different dance hall."

Josie meanwhile glances over at Elly. This turns into a steady stare, an arched pale eyebrow, and then finally a shallow nod. ...Well, that could have been worse.

"And all manner of thing shall be well," Josie finishes, as Fei echoes the sentiment.

"A little something someone told me once, a long time ago."

Isn't that a Nisan Orthodoxy saying...?

"Anyway. Now that /that's/ all settled," she says, giving a weary-eyed glance Lily's way, "/I/ think we need a right proper party someday. One where we're not all nursing wounds or whatnot."


<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

There's a forthrightness in Riesenlied as she listens to Lily that she accepts that she's all right; physically she doesn't have to worry about her, but she does wonder if she and Leon have had the discussion of what Sado was doing there. She can't imagine it would've been easy, but...

She also has faith in the two to be able to overcome that. She'd feel guilty otherwise, given its necessity was in part caused by her. No matter whether she was forced into it or not.

"... just a little at a time..." Riesenlied nods in return to Noeline, before-- biting her lip with a pout. She stares towards her own novel, before murmuring very quietly, "Maybe... but... could i not help with the explanation... of some of these?"

A pause as she glances towards Fei. She sees that stalling, she hesitates as she tucks the drawings away. She starts to stress, but Josie's on it, really!

"but fei... i mean it though..."

Riesenlied's voice is beginning to waver again, in time with her tone breaking up as she holds back sobs, even as she looks towards Dog wagging happily towards Lily. As she looks to Josephine and quietly nods at her, shifting just a little as she gazes towards that bad hand of hers.

"right now... right /now/... no matter what else... i'm just happy to see us all here. like this... it's a relief to be able to step through all that without even /more/ loss..."

She presses her hand to her throat for a moment, like she's feeling pain. The terrible mess of wiring and grafts ending in the Medium at the base of her neck is somewhat visible through her collar. She's listening to Fei talk about making a resolution.

"a new years resolution..."

A pause.

"i want to... deepen my relation with noeline, understand each other more, be more courageous and embrace what we are and what we have..."

She lulls her head, sobbing further.

"i want to... keep on providing for lydia, for maya, for the children here... whether it's teaching them our language, or telling them stories from books..."

She lifts herself up as she dabs at her hand.

"and... i want to see us help more people who are in displaced and in need. so many of the outreach have been working so hard to this end... and i want to be right there with them, seeing what we all can do together."

... it's not a new years resolution as much as it is an impromptu speech, but Riesenlied can be kind of wordy sometimes even when her throat is hurting.

"... i want us all to be happy."

HOWEVER

Lily's teasing about putting up diagrams and saying how it'll be funny. They might get a bit of deja vu to the /last/ time this happened. Riesenlied looks confusedly as she winds up catching Elly's lip movements, though, and is about to speak:

"what is s--"

Noeline is undoubtedly /immediately/ on hand to stop this disaster from happening.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline's touch lingers at Riesenlied's shoulder, sensing the shift in the Hyadean's mood ahead of time; she glances to Lily's further explanation with a grateful huff of air and a nod of her head, accepting the extended answer for what it is. And to Josephine, she offers a rather rueful smile and a nod of her head. "I will certainly do my best. We are both getting there, though it isn't like everything will be worked out immediately, I suppose."

Riesenlied begins to waver; Noeline's touch gets firmer as she leans over the chair and tugs the other woman back into what, given the wheelchair's handlebars, is an admittedly awkward but heartfelt embrace, and she keeps silent as the other Hyadean lets out her convictions and resolutions, treating them with a deep respect born of affection. When it's over, she smoothes a hand across Riesenlied's brow, quietly fussing over her partner--

--and then cutting her off with a cleared throat, her eyebrows shooting up as Elly whispers a question to her and Riesenlied mimics it back. She has to let her mental gears spin briefly; she knows this is a crossroads, and what she says here might make or break her. In almost any other situation, she'd be certain of her course, but one look at Fei and she finds the words dying in her throat. He's had it rough; the last thing he needs is a playful 'go ask Fei'.

"... I think it would be better if I let Lily field that," she diplomatically decides instead, but can't help but snort under her breath.


<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei hesitates as Josie finishes the sentiment and then nods to her, once. He doesn't ask about it today, but it does remind him of his hopes to visit Nisan soon. It gave some version of him peace, maybe he can find a lick of it there too.

Riesenlied says she means it. Fei knows full well that Riesenlied provided the avenue that let him be 'Fei' again in the first place. He thinks of how quick he had yelled at her when she attacked the fairgrounds, and the uncertainty of the wisdom behind her maneuvering, but truth is this is a person whom he owes much and he may never really repay.

And she's saying she is glad they are alright.

Right now she's just happy everyone is here without more loss.

He doesn't say anything. He lets Riesenlied make her resolution, state what she wants to provide for others, what she wants to pass on to the future, her life goal of helping people in need, and most importantly she wishes for something that is an easily forgotten desire amongst all the hefty goals and dreams chased by those on Filgaia.

She wishes for happiness. It's what Fei worried Riesenlied would sacrifice from the very beginning, but even now she can still wish for something so important.

"Alright." Fei says, with poignant simplicity. "Then that's the wish we'll make happen."

Like talking about performing a chore.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

'i want all of us to be happy.'

The wish from Riesenlied stirs something inside of Elly. She is close enough to reach out, to place a hand atop the physically suffering but spiritually enduring woman. She clasps that hand with both of her own and sinks into a crouch.

"I will do my best," Elly says. "Thank you, Riesenlied. If you had not been so brave none of us would be here right now. If I can do anything for you, to help you... You just have to call, or send me a cube message, or anything, and I'll do it as soon as I can."

She leans forwards. "I promise," she says.

Then she lets go.

A moment later Riesenlied asks that question and Elly blanches, guts seized by horrid anticipation. Now Josie will have the fuel she needs to destroy them all ten times over...!

But with love.

Right?

RIGHT???

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