2019-04-24: Being a Busybody
- Log: Being a Busybody
- Cast: Talia, Riesenlied, Noeline
- Where: Luca
- Date: 24th April 2019
- Summary: Talia catches up with the Fereshte in Luca.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia is in Luca, again. (Still?)
She's been keeping an ear and eye out for Ivan, but also for other things. One of these other things is the other members of the Outreach. She hasn't seen the Fereshte in awhile -- but she sees it in port now. True to form for an ex-assassin, she does not walk onto the deck as much as drop down onto it.
She lands in a three-point stance, a little to the side of Riesenlied; her landing makes the deck rattle. Talia stands up straight, then, and dusts her hands, before she turns to her best friend's mom-slash-her new boss, and beams at her.
"I am not too late!" she exclaims, cheerfully.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The Fereshte is... pretty hard to miss, because where it goes, people tend to chat about the strange Dragon (Fiend, if they're less chariable)-headed ship that's been carrying supplies between Kilika and Luca along with the other group of otherworlders, the Guard.
It's been a bit tough to coordinate efforts with that layer of suspicion and her own big bounty ontop of it, but the Azadians amongst the Outreach were able to help bridge the gap -- in the name of Kilika's people.
Riesenlied is calling out to several workers as she spots for them -- "Easy, easy..." as they carry a large beam up the ramp of the ship towards a cargo bay, then--
Yelps as Talia lands near her!!
"Oh goodness... Talia...?" Riesenlied sighs, wheeling her wheelchair back to give the exuberant girl some space.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Once upon a time, Noeline's tactics for avoiding the sort of rumours the Fereshte spawns wherever it goes would have been to start some kind of counter-rumour, or at least walk amongst the people to try to pick out what exactly they were saying and amicably (and mischievously) debate them.
That was then. This is now - and she's finding that it's much more effective just to get on with things and throw kindness and hard work at people, relish clear on her face as she helps shove the beam up the ramp, lending her considerable strength to the job.
It means she doesn't exactly have the space to jolt with surprise when Talia abruptly lands on the deck, but she does start to swivel suddenly at Riesenlied's yelp, nearly turning the whole scene into a comedy skit as she sweeps the beam around with her before managing to catch its momentum.
She stares at Talia for a long moment-- and then reflexively looks upwards, trying to gauge where exactly she must have come from.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Perhaps to no great surprie, Talia leaped down from the rigging of a nearby ship -- and got /there/ from the top of the seawall around the city, outside the port district. It is likely that teleportation was involved at some point.
She turns towards Riesenlied, and flashes her a bright smile; both of her hands land on her hips, and she lets out a long sigh.
"Yes! I was trying to find the Fereshte, no? But so much was happening, and it felt like I should try to find you myself!" She winks. "And then I saw you! And now you are both here, no?"
She winks.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has seen better days since Talia saw her... probably at the time of the Lost Sanctum, where Riesenlied fell and was separated from those that were headed for Ragnell and K.K. -- but was able to channel the Ley directly through herself to help cleanse the Malevolence within...
And it's taken a toll on her. More diminished, she's struggling to keep the effects of Lily and others' physical therapy routines on her, but she's keeping it up with a smile regardless of whether she needs a chair or not.
"Goodness, I haven't seen you in a while... I hope that you have been okay," Riesenlied chuckles as several workers scream as Noeline nearly takes out their heads in a comedy spin of beams.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Left in the middle of a radius of space, Noeline has the beam shouldered all by herself for a moment, kind of giving away that perhaps she could have been doubling their work - though at least from the mildly amused look on her face it's not likely that she was shirking work so much as tying to ensure everyone pitched in. "... my apologies," she tries to recover with grace as she maneuvers the beam back into position for the crew to pick it up.
Mostly it just makes her look like she's a cat who's been caught doing something embarrassing and is desperately trying to pretend it didn't happen.
Stepping away, she walks over to rest a hand on Riesenlied's shoulder; she doesn't know Talia all /that/ well, having missed her in the confusion around the sanctuary, but she's doing better at acting as the Outreach's second in command these days, not about to shirk away. "We've been around and about - mostly, doing our best to stay out of trouble," she chuckles. "It's something rather novel, I must admit."
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"It has been a little time, no? I joined and thought it would be easy, and then the world got all topsy-turvy. Twice, in fact," Talia adds. Maybe three times, if they should count Sin. She still looks Riesenlied over for a moment; she wishes, and not for the first time, that she kew a way to help her in the face of how she seems to grow smaller and weaker.
She nods her head once, though. "I am better now that I have found you two, and the others!" she says, with a glance at Noeline. She smiles at her, head tilting to the side. "Ah, but... you are avoiding trouble? That is for the best."
She looks over the Fereshte. "It looks like you are loading up supplies?" she asks. "For... the town that suffered damage, no?"
Talia has reconnected.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has seen better days since Talia saw her... probably at the time of the Lost Sanctum, where Riesenlied fell and was separated from those that were headed for Ragnell and K.K. -- but was able to channel the Ley directly through herself to help cleanse the Malevolence within...
And it's taken a toll on her. More diminished, she's struggling to keep the effects of Lily and others' physical therapy routines on her, but she's keeping it up with a smile regardless of whether she needs a chair or not.
"Goodness, I haven't seen you in a while... I hope that you have been okay," Riesenlied chuckles as several workers scream as Noeline nearly takes out their heads in a comedy spin of beams.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied would probably point out to Noeline it isn't the Outreach if a few superpowered individuals did all the work rather than everyone chipping in anyway, though the way the Crimson Noble likes to show off certainly isn't something that's changed in the time they've known each other.
"Yes... Kilika was attacked by Sin before we arrived here," Riesenlied expresses. "We've been assisting with the Althenan Guard -- it's not easy, always, to avoid some of their more temperamental crew, but at the very least we have White Knight Leo's approval to do it."
Noeline comes by and she holds her hand out to her with a squeeze, chuckling weakly. "I'm afraid I haven't been very healthy to go out and Dig. The atmosphere around Spira makes it more difficult for me too... with the pyreflies..."
She bobs her head a few times. "Did you see Lydia? We ran into her the other day. She's as energetic as ever, but it's important we keep our spirits up..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"The world has a habit of going topsy-turny, it seems," Noeline sighs theatrically as she tugs at her hair for a moment. She's dropped some of her pomp and show, and not just for the sake of Spira; she looks more comfortable on the whole, and is open enough to offer Riesenlied a warm smile and squeeze her hand in return.
"Ships are always useful here in Spira, I've gathered," she hums to herself, that light smile persisting as she looks back towards Talia. "I suppose any kind of sea travel is technically courting trouble, but given we seem to be stuck here for the moment, I'd much rather offer a hand in hopes we can get along with people. Better that than let misunderstandings build up, especially when quite a few of us count as walking machina."
She's more aware than anyone how much Riesenlied's deterioration has advanced - but at the same time, she can't imagine trying to stop the other Hyadean from following her own course and doing her best to connect with and help people, not after how far they've already come. Besides, the order of the day is to avoid Riesenlied being cooped up - her being out and interacting, working with people seems to help her most of all.
Besides, Noeline is there to help, nudging Riesenlied's chair forwards so she's closer to Talia, the better to talk without getting in the way of the crew as they work. "... energetic, but obviously very worried about how dangerous Spira can be," she amends with a frown. "She'd certainly feel better with friends with her, I imagine."
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"Walking machina? I never even thought of it that way. But if the Guard doesn't mind... Well, I can hardly complain about that!" Talia says. She frowns, and then she brings her fingers to her chin for a moment's thought. "Maybe I will chance it. Though... if Lubov has people besides Ivan there, it could go poorly... mm."
She sighs, and muses that to herself. Then, she nods her head. "It is fine!" she says. "The rest of us, we can the Digging while you... try to feel better, no?"Then the topic moves to Lydia, and she nods, with a smile. "I did! Well... she found me," she says. "She seems to be doing well, if--you know. Standard levels of Lydia. She, ah, is helping me with the thing with my brother. I think she is a little worried about everything here. There is a lot to be worried about in Spira, no?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
"I would not take it against anyone if you are hesitant, Talia..." Riesenlied expresses very softly to Talia, as Noeline nudges her forward with a quiet smile. As much as she recognises her own limitations, she's been working very hard to counteract it as always; going out and about, being active, exercising herself back from regression.
"Mm... I appreciate it," she smiles. "We'll try to be helpful as much as we can, of course... and-- well, even outside of more dangerous areas, we have our own ways of assisting the land and the people around it."
She nods as well at Noeline at her mention of sea travel; they have a seaworthy boat, and it's all the best that they try to use it for the benefit of those that need it. But Talia mentions her brother, as well as Lydia. "We were able to give her some support, but I have no doubt she'll appreciate yours too..."
And on the topic of her brother-- "Oh... mm, I'm sorry. I am not at all aware about your brother-- is--" She bobs her head, horns wilting gently. "If it is anything we can help you with..." Talia has partially disconnected.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline pauses, and slowly raises her eyebrows; she's not entirely certain what Talia's plans are as far as the Guard are concerned, but she can figure out enough context to huff in quiet amusement. "Do at least be careful. The Guard work with us openly, but I'm not honestly sure what might happen if we try pushing matters with them. Leo is-- the sort to be a good man at heart, but some of the others can be rather fervent. Stuck as we are here in Spira... well."
She leaves it at that before it can become a lecture, resting her hand back on Riesenlied's shoulder and snickering quietly. "Not to mention, we can at least serve as a home base of sorts, even if it's one that often moves around at present. Particularly if you're planning to open communications with the Guard, we might be able to help in a more-- 'official' isn't quite the word, but at least we can make an appeal as the Outreach as a whole."
She falls silent for a moment, frowning as the topic of Ivan comes up - and she nods at the same time as Riesenlied, her mouth drawn into a line. "If it's alright, I'd like to know more myself. We may not be able to directly assist Lydia and yourself, but-- well, let's just say we've all been in situations where we felt trapped and uncertain, and were able to help each other out of it."
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"I'll be careful! I don't want to get in too much trouble, no? Besides... it wouldn't do much good to spoil all our hard work," Talia says, with a sigh. She puts a hand on the back of her head, looking down for a moment.
"I... don't know what Lydia told you about me," she says. Far be it from Talia to criticize their daughter to them, but she wonders if she said everything. "I was an assassin, no? I killed people for my father--ah, I'm illegitimate, so... Lubov thought it was a good use for me."
There is a certain forced casual way that she says it. If it sounds rehearsed, it is because it is: Talia learned to find a way to say it without letting herself get too emotional about it.
"I stopped. Ah... Lydia, Rebecca, and others--" But she focuses on the ones they know. "--helped. My brother, ah, he was not there. He did not come with. And he still works for Lubov, until... we can convince him otherwise?"
She deflates a little, at that. Forced bravado at trying to impress the new bosses falters in the face of, simply, that she hasn't managed to do that very well.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied cups her mouth for a moment, before swallowing and nodding very gently as she lets Talia work through her thoughts and expressions and gives her time; it's for a moment that she reaches to Noeline to squeeze her hand, then frees it up as she extends it for Talia if she'll hold onto it in turn for support.
"I do not know if you know our history, but..." Riesenlied's face is more wan as she expresses, "I... we can understand having a difficult past you are trying to get past." She sucks in a deeper breath, saying, "I know I struggle with the things I've done-- have allowed to happen, still..."
"I never gave up on any of the people you see around you. My brethren, both of the Tainted and not... I wanted to give them a chance at a better life."
A pause, as she swallows deeper. "... and ... of course, I would help you and your brother with all my heart, as much as I can, Talia." She opens her eyes again, shimmering with a bit more brightness in them.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"I'm not saying 'don't do it', just to be careful," Noeline amends with the quietly amused smile of someone who is not immune to being mischievous when it comes to other organizations. Perhaps not so much nowadays, but she's had her moments in the past. She leaves that to one side as Talia continues, however, her expression drawing more quiet as she glances towards Riesenlied with a tiny nod.
"... I was once a Metal Demon spy, intended to walk amongst humans to learn about and subvert them," she volunteers solemnly. "I also... decided to stop. But it took me a very long time, and I admit I put off the issue as long as possible out of fear of what might happen. Too long, in fact. At the time, it felt as if an opportunity like that would be the most unrealistic thing in the world to have happen."
She hesitates, recognizing that the obvious questions bubbling up in the back of her mind are likely to be rather sensitive ones; she moderates them a little, frowning as she compares their situation. "I suppose the first step would be meeting with him and trying to talk with him, then? And I assume that Lubov will not exactly be open on that front. Do you know if Ivan would be?"
It's a much nicer way to ask the question, she decides, than something like 'How much were you forced to do under his thumb?'.
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
"I know a little, no? Lydia told me what she could, before we went to the Photosphere," Talia says. Ida also told her a little, though she didn't understand it that well at the time. She still isn't sure that she /really/ understands, but it's never been her nature to dwell on that. She looks down for a moment, though.
She knows about regret. She glances at Noeline, though; her eyebrows lift at the word "spy."
She is grateful to not be pressed to say how much she did. Her thumb, idly, runs over the hilt of the short sword at her side. "I met with Ivan. He... ah... it did not go well, no? He--said he is happy I left, but... he gave up on getting out. He thinks it would be better to stay. I am still trying -- so is Lydia, and Katherine, my--er--girlfriend-- and Rebecca said they will help. But... it is hard going."
Then she looks up, and she frowns. "Lubov will have problems with it. If you help... ah, I would appreciate it very much, no? Even if it is the reverse of what I intended. I thought I would be helping you."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied, more tellingly, keeps more mum about her involvement; she doesn't exactly want to get stressed into the detail of how much she's had to command and instruct the troops in both Adlehyde and Arctica, as well as several operations beyond that. It feels like a world apart...
Yet she can't exactly move past it.
But she listens closely, and nods in the end. She settles her hand down gently and says, "We help each other here, in the Outreach. Aid goes both ways... and if we aren't able to help each other, we'll be in less a problem to help other people," she expresses warmer.
"And it is as Noeline says. If nothing else... you have a home here, on the Fereshte, and the places that we settle. We wouldn't ever think to turn you away."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's smile is at least assured, especially when Riesenlied speaks; it is the punctuation to her partner's promise. "... it can easily seem like there's no way out for either of you," she says with patience and not a little sympathy. "It may be he wants to avoid Lubov's wrath coming down upon you - it may be he simply has trouble imagining a life different to the one he has. But I suspect that, if he is happy for you, then that is a good place at which to start picking."
"And really! I would have thought, if Lydia would have told you anything at all about us, it is that we are busybodies. What kind of Outreach would we be if we didn't reach out?" she puffs up her cheeks with an amused laugh.
Quietly, her mind is already ticking over the issue; privately, she wonders to herself what Leo would think of the news 'the upstanding Guard has assassins', but turning straight to that sort of agitation feels wrong after she's come as far as she has. Not that she discards the idea, but she does set it far aside - besides, who knows what direction Leo would fly off the handle? Unpredictability is probably the last thing they need.
"... as Riese says, we'll do what we can to help. It might be best to just try to build a picture of his situation and what he's said thus far, so we can understand his reasons better."
<Pose Tracker> Talia has posed.
Talia smiles, a little, and then tilts her head to the side. "Help each other... well, I will try to do just that, no?" She laughs, then; she looks to the ground for a moment, a /little/ embarrassed -- but not so much that she wants to run for the hills, She has gotten better about that.
"I appreciate the help. I will try to do this, no? Understand what his situation is..." Talia trails off. Does she really?
She smiles, though. "Lydia did speak highly of you both. Maybe she got being a busybody from you two! It is not a bad thing, no?" She winks again.