2019-02-17: Chekhov's Crimson Noble
- Log: Chekhov's Crimson Noble
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline
- Where: The Fereshte
- Date: 17th February 2019
- Summary: Riesenlied spends a day melting into some novels, prompting a frank conversation that reassures her bonds with Noeline.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's been spending the last couple of days bedridden; a great amount of exertion on her part's left her more exhausted than usual, so it's with some begrudging acceptance that she's let Noeline, Janey and Mikaia let herself be moored to their bedroom within the airship of the Fereshte.
... which is a little unusual, that said, that she's got an extremely beet-red face as she finds herself being scattered around her partner's certain selection of romance novels, with a rounder and more pouty face than usual as she lets a cucco seat itself atop her head if only to absorb the steam and grump coming out of her.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline has done her best to reassure Riesenlied that the people of New Petra would prefer her to rest and recuperate rather than see her burn herself out - and to her credit, she's also thrown herself into checking up on people, the better to have some welcome news to report back each night. (There are probably a couple of new 'get well soon' drawings tacked up by the cabin's window.)
What she's not expecting to see when she returns to their rooms this evening is an increasingly round Riesenlied, obviously pouting and somewhat upset; it draws her up short for a moment, her eyebrows perking up as she maneuvers a tray of food through the door. "... did... something happen?" she ventures, the array of feelings too complicated for her to pick up.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied doesn't answer immediately, though she flecks her glance in the almost fever-like state she's in as the cucco continues to roost egg-like on her face like it were acting like an ice pack.
"... hmm--mmm," comes the incoherent moan; the literature's quite varied as well, since she appears to have found some novels about gallant lady-knights, chevaliers if you will. Maybe she's a bit savvier at finding gella-store novels than expected.
"Sort of... thank you for food," she remarks, almost childish.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Deciding to risk it, Noeline steps inside and gently seats herself next to Riese with the tray in her lap. A quick glance lets her take in the books scattered around; normally she would just assume that her partner is embarrassed over their content, but a little instinct tells her this is something more specific than just that.
"Of course," she chuckles softly. "It's a bit late for breakfast in bed, unfortunately, but perhaps it still counts." There's a common thread amongst the books, and her mouth turns up into a wry smile as she reaches to try patting Riesenlied's hair. "... did you like them? Or, perhaps not?" she prompts lightly. "I can't say they were an inspiration, exactly, but..."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied bites her lip as she looks towards Noeline, eyes softening for a moment as she leans her head against her shoulder with a soft, genteel sigh escaping her lips. The cucco flutters off as Noeline nears, perhaps thinking its job is done as it absconds out a window. Maybe to Riesenlied's very light chagrin.
"It's-- it's... when I imagine you in this kind of story, of course I'd get upset," Riesenlied sulks further as she clings to one of the books with a too-cute puft of her cheeks. "You're always dressing really... extravagantly..."
Her legs shift up a bit and-- there's a noise as one of her talons starts snagging against the bedsheet, with a sigh.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Pausing for an instant, Noeline's eyebrows perk upwards once more before one arm nestles its way around Riesenlied's waist. At least she's got enough in the way of tact to not chuckle aloud, and even to let a companiable silence pass between them before she speaks. "If I were in that kind of story, you know that it would only be because the other heroine was you," she says, genuine feeling mixed with just a little teasing. "Or perhaps we already are. A star-crossed pair, finding each other again after decades apart..."
She registers the tear out of the corner of one eye; immediately softening for the sake of Riese's nerves, she lets out a quietly fond sigh. "Perhaps I should be a /little/ more respectable, as the Outreach second-in-command."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied does indeed betray a vulnerability to such gallantry, whining again as she looks towards the last few lines in the book before setting it down as she comfortably nestles her larger arm against Noeline's and puts her human hand down on hers to cling. "I--I'd like our lives to be a bit more rounded, perhaps, but... it's not... bad..."
She blinks a few times to grump and say, "It's not like you're not respectable, but... I get... jealous, you know..." A pause. "And hearing you say you're my knight does feel very nice."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a quiet laugh, Noeline closes her fingers around Riesenlied's. She's long-since grown used to the draconic scales scattered over her partner and accumulating around her, and nestles against them without reservation. "Well... I think we're getting there. We've swung from one extreme to the other as of late. It's only natural to feel a little unbalanced, but... I'm enjoying the peace of New Petra far more than I ever thought I would."
"But there is truly no reason to be jealous," Noeline chuckles softly. "You know my feelings - that you are the only reason I've come so far. I am nobody's knight but yours," she promises with a fervent note in her voice - and then her eyes twinkle slightly in amusement. "Should I stay with you more tomorrow? We can see what else might be suitable for me."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied leans as she looks up tenderly, genuinely towards Noeline. Her finger brushes against Noeline's finger, then towards her fabric for a moment as she draws in on her and relaxes for a moment... then takes note of the cup of tea to sip from it, since she shouldn't let Noeline or her children's efforts go to waste.
"I'm glad. Providing you with a sense of peace and belonging... it's made me happier than I ever could believe," Riesenlied stammers, which is why there's a pout as she says, "I know there's no reason, so it makes me more mad that I am. But... m-mmm... it's not like I want to impose on how you should and shouldn't look..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline is careful to let Riesenlied relax at her own pace, knowing that it's better for her rather frayed nerves to not push her or try to be impatient. Besides, it isn't like Noeline particularly minds - she's finding that managing people is a lot more work than she ever expected, and the chance to sit and recharge with Riesenlied is a welcome one, going so far as to close her eyes for a moment as she leans back against her partner.
"... I think I would like to," she decides after a long moment, tilting her head just a little to meet the other woman's cheek with a kiss and a quiet smile. "It's not a matter of imposition. Just a matter of figuring out what we both like, and where they mesh, and how best to compromise. I would /like/ to think I've gotten better at that lately," she teases with more of a grin. "And quelling your worries a little on top."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
That there is always more to worry is something that Riesenlied well knows; it's why she's trying to take the time to not just overburden herself and be pulled in all four corners. There's a long sigh and a soft smile as she finds that kiss to hers, and nuzzles to brush her lips back in turn.
"Okay. And... and in turn, you know I want to know what you find appealing about my wardrobe and look too," Riesenlied stammers as she finds herself wanting to hide behind a book again for a moment. "Maybe having a few casual outfits would be relaxing for the both of us... and I have some garments from the Fereshte's customs I think would be fun to lounge in."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a quiet and peaceful laugh, Noeline shifts to kick off her boots, drawing her feet up to slowly shuffle the pair of them onto the bed proper. Fortunately the food is nearby, lest it be forgotten entirely, but for the moment Noeline only has eyes for her partner, stealing another light kiss as she starts to gather Riese in her arms.
"Of course," she hums more merrily this time, a light glitter in her eyes. "You don't think I'd let you get away free, do you? The Crimson Noble still has an innocent heroine to snare with her charm," she teases-- but softens with a curious smile, her hand drifting through Riese's hair. "... would that be alright? To be honest, I'd thought of it, but... I suppose I didn't know if it might be disrespectful in some fashion," she trails, as if she herself isn't really sure what she'd been thinking. "But... I suppose that in many ways this place is a continuation of the Fereshte's beliefs."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied finds herself enthralled and unmoving as Noeline gazes into her; whether it's some measure of buy-in into the whole Crimson Noble aspect or just passion in the moment, there's a soft whimper as she doesn't look away and finds that third kiss as Noeline draws herself up to her.
"You'll always be my Crimson Noble," Riesenlied murmurs. "It's more than just about species... you know--" A pause as she shuffles and pulls up a suspiciously familiar story book about a blonde Crimson Noble who meets a boy who catalogues their meetings together.
"They say they're the protectors of Filgaia. They have a stewardship and duty to the planet. And isn't that what you're doing, along with us? That spirit counts for a lot for me."
Her cheeks are redder still as she bobs and says, "They're not sacred or anything. They're called yukata," in a miraculous freak accident that doesn't get that localised to cardigans or something. Eat your Hamburgers, Apollo. "They're like robes... and they're pretty comfortable."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Nudging in closer, Noeline has a small but brilliant smile on her face - just a little sign of the neonate she used to be, highlighted in the midst of the person she's become. "I know. And I won't deny that I rather enjoy being your Crimson Noble," she whispers back, just before Riesenlied picks herself up. "But at the same time, I dare say I have the confidence now to be your Noeline instead. Whether Crimson Noble, or Hyadean, or whatever else she might choose to be."
She watches as Riesenlied hunts around her, chuckling at the sight of the book she selects. The rest of her novels are dog-eared and well-read, but this one she takes with a quiet reverence and care. "I always kept this one safer than the others. It felt-- a little more real, I suppose," she murmurs with a nostalgic hum. "Less adventurous, a little more concrete. As if its viewpoint on the Crimson Nobles were more correct. ... not that I had much thought for protecting Filgaia back then," she admits with a wry smile.
Carefully she places it back on the shelf, and then returns to her embrace with a quiet hum. "That sounds very pleasant, and I'll gladly try it. I suppose-- for the first time, we truly have a place to call home. A place we don't have to give up every so often," she adds, and snorts with good humour and sudden determination. "We should think about other furniture as well. Properly make this space ours." As if the myriad of children's drawings haven't already done that.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's cheeks are ever closer to a piqued red as she throatily murmurs, "My Noeline is everything she is, and everything she continues to be and chooses to be, because I'm in support of all that you are."
She smiles a bit wider as she looks to Noeline's recollection of her novels. "They're gone for a long time now... but perhaps there is something fond in thinking that there is a facet of wonderful truth, if we never know the breadth of history," she murmurs gently. She perks up with a smile.
"That we should," Riesenlied nods, grumping again for a moment. "I'll have to live vicariously through you for all the clothing articles I can't really wear any more, whether pants or shoes or..." she giggles. "Let's refresh ourselves, for us, for our children... for the space that's now truly ours."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a warm chuckle, Noeline steals yet another kiss - not a hungry one, but certainly brimming in warm affection. "... I hope so. I may not say it terribly often, but... above all else, I want to make you proud. I will do all I can to be worthy of that support, considering how much it means to me," she whispers, leaving her fingers tracing Riese's cheek for a moment.
"... who can say if they ever existed?" Noeline counters with a quiet and wistful smile. "I would like to think that they did - and not just from the point of view of a historian, but as someone who has taken inspiration from them. And I would like if they truly were what this book says. Hopefully I might live up to their example, as well."
With a snort, Noeline's spirits pick up more brightly. "You say that, but somehow it almost seems like barefoot would suit you better. You are a nomad shaman, after all," she teases happily, then breaks into a playful grin. "Personally, I would like a proper bookshelf. With bits of wire to help keep the books in place when we're in motion," she declares all of a sudden. "We can pin some of the drawings to it."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's an endeared noise as Riese focuses on the sensation of Noeline's fingers to her cheek -- as she touches at the part where skin ends, mottling into scale. "You already have. You continue to, and I have no doubt in my mind you'll continue to do that..." as she feels her eyes glistening a bit.
A soft hum, and...
"Well, honestly, we have a track record of myths being real. We were once myths to Filgaia too, after all," Riesenlied chuckles very bashfully. "Who knows? Maybe we will meet one, and on that day, I'm really hoping they'll approve of you."
- chekhov's_crimson_noble.txt:
A pause, though, as her eyes widen and she whines to go, "Noeline! That's almost-- almost-- too lewd, isn't it?" as she grumps and clings a bit tighter. "... besides, I like shoes. Used to like shoes. Humph."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With another gentle and free laugh, Noeline nudges her forehead against Riesenlied's, her hand slowly tracing up to sneak near an ear and then brush out some blonde hair. "... mm... perhaps they will. I suppose it's just as likely that they might get mad," she teases lightly - leaving their shared feelings as evident between them, signified by the way her ring glistens with the strength of them. "We have even made peace with the Elw, after all."
She blinks-- and scoffs with honest surprise, a burst of laughter escaping from her. "What? There's no end of tales of shamans preferring to stay in contact with the land they walk. It's supposed to be mystical," she cackles as she tugs Riesenlied closer, haphazardly tossing a blanket over them both then dragging the chair - with its tray of food - closer. "I suppose it doesn't count as much in a snowy wasteland, mind you."
She pauses as Riesenlied corrects herself, and can't help but furrow her brow a little. "... we will... find a way to let you enjoy them again," she mutters fervently. "That is a belief I would like to hold on to."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied bites her lip with a quiet nod, as she lets Noeline play with her hair for a moment; it gives her a little bit of distraction, enough for her to reach and nibble against a piece of bread, before putting it down to put just a little butter on it. "I /suppose/ so... still," she sulks just a little bit, before...
"Um... I'm sorry, still. About that time I... well, I'm not sure 'lose control' is the right word for it. But the time I turned back into the Dragon..."
A hesitant pause, as she tilts her head. "It's strange. The word keeps floating into my mind, over and over... but..." A longer moment. "I'm searching for a way to reassure you I can protect myself if it came to it. So..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline tilts her head towards Riesenlied's apology, a lopsided smile on her face. She's not quick to reply, obviously pausing to choose her words as she settles in and steals a rolled-up slice of ham for herself to chew upon it. "... it... I think it would be wrong to think of it as losing control. I think I should accept that it is a part of you - and I am very aware that when you changed, you changed in order to protect us. If anything, I was proud of you," she admits with a light chuckle.
She settles back, humming in soft thought and letting out a slightly conflicted breath. "I know you can look after yourself, truly. I think I am simply a little nervy given - well, given everything that happened. Perhaps it is just a matter of getting used to it," she wonders - but can't help but worry regardless, uncertain what prolonged exposure to that form might do to Riesenlied.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied settles for a little moment, watching Noeline eat the ham and not... going for it, as much -- she's still steadfastly sticking with her vegetarian diet. Maybe even vegan. She very well can't eat cucco eggs can she?! It'd be a travesty!
'it's ok riese,' whispers a cucco. 'some of the eggs won't hatch...'
noooo
"It is... and isn't. Or at least, the little things whispering to me... it isn't like when I was still utterly under its control, but it feels as if it has receded into my mind," Riesenlied frowns. "Things to think about and fix..."
A pause, as she smiles just a bit more. "I still find myself seizing up at the idea of visiting violence at anyone. ... it's been so long since I last did it that it's not ..." A pause. "Still -- it isn't as if I'll be relying on that alone. I have the sword and Medium... what powers I have under my own self. That my father taught me."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Gently, Noeline frowns again, and slowly tilts her head. The thought of things whispering in the back of Riesenlied's mind - well, it feels distinctly different to her case, that's for sure. "... it is a matter of not letting them rule you, I dare say. Of accepting that there are some things the Dragon can do that you cannot - and that that is alright - and there are times when it may be appropriate and others when it will not be."
The look on her face is one that says she knows full well that's a terrifically lacking answer, and more of a guess than anything. It leaves her somewhat dissatisfied, at least until she hits on something. "It may help to try accessing the Dragon on your own terms. Without the fear and worry of a battle nearby, with all of us around to support and help guide you. To make the point that it need not be a creature of war."
Noeline pauses - and softens into a warmer smile. "I still believe that there are many that you will be able to reach with words and feelings alone, without having to look to violence. I do not want you to have regrets on that front," she chuckles, and then pauses before continuing. "There will always be some we cannot... but for those, I will be there to fight at your side."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied takes a moment to breathe in further, drawing her cup of tea as an aide as she draws in the scent and takes a sip from it. She might not be bred from a tea ceremony-having culture, but she can still rock the look, it seems. "We might try it sometime. ... if only because I know Janey and Odjn and some of the others have been really wanting to see it," she chuckles mildly at that...
But nods as she squeezes Noeline's hand and whispers, "I would have that no other way. For all that we believe in, for all that's worth defending... we'll fight together, side by side."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's eyebrows twitch at that particular news, as the Crimson Noble looks comically glum. "... honestly... of course they would," she sighs with a fond smile creeping onto her face - but pauses as she thinks about it, and lightly nods. "Still, perhaps it really would be for the best. For your family to be there, and accept you in an instant... it may quell a lot of your fears."
But she nestles down immediately with a pleased little sigh. "Always. If you lose your way, I'll find you. If I need propelling forwards, I know you'll be there. --though, perhaps starting tomorrow," she teases as she lowers her head to the cushions to hide a yawn. "Really, everyone had something to say, today. I got three different lectures to take care of you," she grumbles good-naturedly.