2019-06-12: Investment in Involvement
- Log: 2019-06-12: Investment in Involvement
- Cast: Cyre H. Lorentz, Catenna, Ethius Hesiod, Jacqueline Barber
- Where: Mi'ihen Highroad
- Date: June 12, 2019
- Summary: A recovering Cyre calls a few of his dear friends together on the CaraKin for snacking times as they figure out what they'll do about the brewing war. Ethius clarifies a point that long seemed innocuous... and proceeds to clarify little on points that are decidedly not when pressed further. There are a net loss of answers.
=================================================<* Mi'ihen Highroad *>================================================= Many years ago, a man named Lord Mi'ihen, commander of a mercenary group known as the Crimson Blades, was summoned by the Grand Measter to Bevelle to answer the challenge that his group was a threat to Yevon. Though his followers suspected he would be executed and begged to follow, Mi'ihen ordered them to stay behind and walked along an old path to Bevelle, without stopping to rest. Moved by the display of piety, the Grand Maester formally adopted Mi'ihen and his soldiers into Yevon as a defensive force, known now as the Crusaders. In recognition of the momentous moment, the path Mi'ihen walked now bears his name. ...except not really, because the original one was wrecked by Sin a few hundred years ago. You can still see bits of it as you pass along the Highroad, on which the Djose Temple can also be found. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8tfe_H7bzw
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
It's been a few weeks since Cyre was returned to the Carakin. Well, 'returned' is something of a misnomer considering what exactly happened there. 'Ripped away from the chittering arms of a bizarre and overly excitable space squirrel' is a little more on the nose, but perhaps too much so. Regardless, Cyre- still inhabiting his battered, starved body- was reclaimed by the Carakin in an unfortunate state a few weeks ago.
He's feeling somewhat better now.
Medical attention and a few dozen meals of rich, hearty curry later and he's feeling quite a bit better!
Though not necessarily 'better enough' to get out and Do Things again. Not just yet anyway.
No, he must have a few more weeks of curry.
But more important than that is the fact that apparently Cyre has set up a small note on the community bulletin board promising delicious tortilla chips and salsa and queso. And also a (preliminary!!??) discussion on what the heck is going on between the Order of Yevon and the Althenians right now, and what the devil to do about it.
Cyre is, as the posting on the board promised, munching on delicious home-made cornchips and spicy salsa at the designated meeting chamber/ultra comfy living room, still nursing what might be a couple of half-broken ribs.
There may be much to discuss!!
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna made sure to take good care of Cyre and stuff him full of delicious curry, among other delightful treats. Kitty is, after all, an A-plus treat cat.
The corn chips and salsa have been laid out on the table - she did, indeed, make them herself. For the moment, she's seated in one of the chairs, one leg crossed over the opposite as she daintily nibbles the tip of a chip. She smiles patiently at the sight of her lover stuffing his face.
She doesn't really mind it. Cyre went through quite an ordeal, and she herself had to uppercut Ratatoskr into low orbit to get the catman back to the CaraKin safe and sound. he's entitled to eat.
"Are things beginning to feel better?" she asks after swallowing her bite.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
For all the ways Ethius continues to be an inscrutable force of nature, one thing about him is consistent - he will attend meetings. He will attend them at the appointed time, at the appointed place, and be there for their full duration. (As most of these meetings are about marketing and the like, and he contributes exactly nil on that front, what he accomplishes by doing so is nebulous... at best.)
Ethius comes dressed as he always does around Spira - in culturally appropriated Al Bhed clothing despite being not among their number. Something that can be easily spotted by anyone with more than a surface understanding of who or what an Al Bhed is - but he persists in that anyway, as he stands at a corner with his arms behind his back while others enjoy the tortilla chips and salsa.
He has nothing to add at the moment.
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
While Jacqueline's been doing a lot of business elsewhere, she still always returns to the Carakin. It was home, after all, and she's elected to take today to rest and relax - especially after spotting Cyre's note on their bulletin board.
What should they do about Yevon and Althena's Guard? It was a good question. It wasn't one she had thought much about, but it had been lingering at the back of her mind for a while. She knew she'd have to speak to everyone about it eventually.
That there were delicious chips and salsa to go along with it does, at least, make things that much easier.
And so she joins everyone in the Carakin's living room, helping herself to some food.
She looks toward Cyre as Catenna asks her question - it's easy to tell that Jacqueline's been worried about him, too.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
Hey, when you haven't eaten for several days, you're obligated to increase your average daily caloric intake for several weeks to compensate. That's normal, right?
Right???
(Cyre may regret his culinary decisions a few years down the line)
"Thanks for coming everyone! I just wanted to gather a few opinions on what to do now that apparently we're caught up in the middle of yet another war," Cyre says between salsa-covered chips. "I'm really not sure if there's much we can do about the whole Althenian situation, considering Leo still thinks we're a bunch of sister-punching heretics, but I think the overall topic is still worth discussing."
There's a beat as Ethius materializes out of the shadows as he always does. Weird guy that. But it's just another part of what makes the Carakin home.
(Another is Catenna's home-cooked meals.)
Speaking of which, the topic turns suddenly toward Cyre's own present well-being. He smiles at Catenna from over a chiplet and leans over to peck a kiss against her cheek. "Ah, you know. It still stings and aches here and there. I think it'll be a bit yet before my ribs finish setting. But I'm feeling better-- though I think not better enough to not keep enjoying all this food. Never better enough, I hope."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna's been wearing her dancing outfit more often these days, ever since she realized she could make the CaraKin money through performances here on Spira without the Guard getting in their hair. The version she has on now is white with delicate black and gold designs reminiscent of butterflies.
When Cyre leans over to kiss her, she blushes a little, giving him a soft one in return. "I spoil you," she chides gently, dipping her eyes, then looking up. "But I suppose there are worse fates for you."
The more serious topic evokes a little huff from her. "I did not want to crush Leo's sister! She did rather give us no choice. We tried to negotiate...." She trails off, then shakes her head, reaching for another chip.
"I am not sure there is anything we can do about this conflict except continue to look for a way to return home."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius watches over his shoulder for any possibility of Prissa or Lydia showing up as Cyre discusses the whole Althenian suggestion. He has an educated guess as to what they might say, or how, knowing what he does of Lydia's background and what he does of Prissa's people.
"I believe Miss Catenna has the right of the matter. A way back to Filgaia must be located and secured," Ethius remarks, "lest passage back to what remains of Azado stands as the only option. Given the logistics involved with the arrival of Althena's Guard, however, surviving the passage back to that continent - let alone the prospect of that teleportation device still functioning - does not have favorable odds of accomplishment."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Cyre, thankfully, appears to be recovering! Jacqueline nods and smiles, looking a little relieved at that. But, then there's the matter at hand. She frowns pensively, and goes silent for a moment - though she fills the silence by munching on some chips.
She listens to Catenna given her opinion, and Ethius to respond to it.
"...I think...it's too late for anyone to stop it. After what happened to Kilika, I don't think Yevon will just sit down...and it's only going to give the Guard more momentum." She comments with a frown. "I'd really prefer not to get caught up in a religious war...especially when, as you said, one of them has it out for us."
Jacqueline shakes her head.
"My main concern is the civilians. If they get caught up in this dispute, innocent people will get hurt...we should do what we can to help them, but I think that should be the extent of our involvement." Jacqueline says...and then sighs.
"...I'm just worried about Lunata. If she's still working for that Maester, she might get caught up in all of this..." She murmurs. She was worried about Lunata for a boundless amount of other reasons, but figures it's better not to get into that. Instead, she tries to quash those feelings with more chips.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"I kind of did," Cyre says with a sniff. "She set us on fire. I don't care who it is, that kind of behavior is just plain rude." Rude enough to get gravity-crushed and punched in by the terrible claws of the incarnate wind-god? Yes, maybe just rude enough. Cyre's ability to be vindictive A.F. is a well known- if, perhaps not exactly helpful- quality about the man. His grudges are long and terrible indeed.
"I think we should probably be willing to accept that conflict with one of the groups will be inevitable eventually," Cyre admits with a shrug- followed shortly thereafter by a wince. He shares a glance with Jay, then-- it's an unspoken acknowledgment about Lunata's overall... situation. They're friends, after all. It may be that they'll need to pull her out of a jam one of these days.
"I agree that we should probably avoid aggressing on either one as much as possible," he says, then. "I just think if we're going to-- are we still overall supporting Yuna's whole thing?-- If we're going to keep doing that, we're probably going to get caught up in this even if we'd rather not. Though I guess we could just provide goods and services to all sides involved, that'd be the right mercantile way to do this."
After all, everyone appreciates the Pre-Bossfight Inn and Item Shop, even the boss-fights themselves!!!
"...At least until we can figure out a way back home, I mean. That's obviously still priority number one, no matter how much I enjoy Catenna's summer wardrobe."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna crinkles her nose slightly, then lets the expression pass, sighing and lowering her head. "...In a way I pity the Red Priestess. I do not think anyone should be that zealous. I wonder if she was always that way, or if it is some peculiarity of Althena - it seems she was not always as harsh as she seems to be to us."
She looks between Ethius and Jay, momentarily all too cognizant of the fact that once again Ethius is taking her side. It's never a good feeling because of just how inscrutable he is.
"Stopping it would likely be impossible anyway," she says with a small dip of her head. "When two intractable entities are determined to fight, they will find a way. But I agree that we should try to help the innocent."
When Lunata comes up, Catenna frowns slightly, then shakes her head. "...Lunata has made her own choice and you cannot change it. She will have to find her way in her own right. As for Yuna... I think we can support her quietly, though supporting her too much may undermine the intent that she grow stronger."
At Cyre's comment, she blushes, touching one hand to her cheek.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"The people of the Althenian faith and those of Spira can do as they wish with one another." Ethius states flatly from where he stands. "What happens between them is largely not our concern."
A hand goes to hisforehead as he internalizes the discussion about Lunata. With that mask on his face - the most face-obscuring item he has been able to attain for any number of his ill-conceived 'look like a cultural outcast' fashion statements. Not even his eyes can be seen tracking in the directions they do. He's been with the Caravan Kinship for the entirety of their existence, and elements of him continue to be distant.
"...It is true that Summoner Yuna stands to be seen as a political target in a full-blown conflict. That said, she is not the only Summoner who is performing a pilgrimage. At present, I would not put undue favor upon her journey." At present...?
"If one's primary concern is that of Sin - or Obsession - and it is indeed in Althena's Guard's interest to see them laid low, they would do well to leave the Summoners alone if their method is the only way to halt their attacks." Not kill... halt. And only for so long.
"The situation is delicate. I would exercise caution in regards to interactions among both major powers."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"...I suppose you're right." Jacqueline agrees with a nod toward Cyre. They wouldn't seek trouble with either group, but doubtlessly it'd happen eventually. Even so, it couldn't hurt to make plans, just in case. "We'll need to consider how to approach it for when it does happen."
Cyre glances her way when she mentions Lunata, and Catenna offers her own view. Jacqueline's eyes find the floor for a moment, a sad frown on her face.
"...I know..." She admits. "I just... I can't help it..."
She shakes her head, though, trying to clear her thoughts and get back to the matter at hand.
"I think we can help best Yuna and her Guardians by doing what our usual thing - just offering supplies and a bite to eat at reasonable prices, along with a place to sit and relax." She says.
Ethius, however, mentions something.
"...I don't think they believe that's the case anymore, if White Knight Leo's response to Grand Maester Mika is any indication - he seemed convinced there was another way." Jacqueline says, glancing in his direction. "Whether or not they do, taking over the Temple does not seem conducive to leaving the Summoners alone."
After that, though, she nods as he comments on exercising caution.
"That I agree with, however."
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"I'm not sure she's entirely right in the head," Cyre huffs. The subject of the Red Priestess makes him huffy. It's only appropriate. She did set him on fire. "Either that or she's super bratty. And likes being babied by her big brother. Or she's manipulating him. I'm not sure which is better."
(None of them. They're all awful options.)
But, as the others say, the war is indeed inevitable. There have already been consequences. If not for this cycle, then for the next-- what if Kilika's temple is lost to Yevon forever? Where would the pilgrimage take summoners then? Are there alternatives? There must be, somewhere-- but what if those are removed as options as well...?
"Obsession is still something we need to figure out how to deal with," Cyre murmurs, then, his hand moving toward the silvery talisman dangling from around his neck. "One way or another. It needs to be resolved, and the link between Yevon's monster and the Guardian Lords is something I think we should try to uncover. But... Later. We have other problems now. If we come across hints in the course of our work now, that's good enough."
"Ethius says something, then, that perks Cyre's ears. He glances towards that weird, enigmatic man and cants his head to one side. "For now? What would need to change for you to favor her in particular, exactly?"
He thinks for a moment, and then-- "I think what we might want to do is work with the Al Bhed more directly. At the very least, we should try to take advantage of their information network to figure out our next moves. And it's good business sense, regardless. They need folks who can move without Yevon watching their every move, and we need to know as much as we can for a whole host of reasons."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
The smile Catenna shares with Jacqueline is small, but resigned. "You want to help her. I appreciate that. I do too. But if she will not accept it, then you can only let her find her own way. Be there for her when she does."
Catenna glances at Cyre with a little nod before reaching out to lay a hand briefly on the back of his. "We will figure it out," she says quietly as she begins to ease from her seat. She smooths her skirt over her thighs and clears her throat.
"I should check on Saarda-Shanta," she suggests. "Please do not overeat, Cyre." She begins to make her way back to her room, lingering just long enough to eavesdrop a bit more.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
What would need to change for him to favor her in particular? It is an excellent question - he let those tantalizing words dangle there, unlike how he usually phrases things in that roundabout, rehearsed manner. A fatal slip?
"..."
...
"..."
...
"I believe speaking of it in the open would do more harm than good, at present." Even to his closest friends?! Closest equivalent to this?! He quietly allows Catenna passage back out the room. He is normally mindful of everyone's movements and acts accordingly... but they've had a few years to adjust to his particular brand of Being Ethius.
Catenna can eavesdrop with near-imputiny.
"It is entirely possible that those of Yevon may already look unfavorably upon its visitors - the 'Otherworlders,' as they call them." Ethius remarks. "It is true that we already have a number of cultivated ties to the Al Bhed people through Prissa, and her most understanding employer..."
Is that what he's going to call that relationship?
"...But I would rather we not involve ourselves too much more in their affairs," says someone who has been going around Spira as though pretending he were one of them despite being of the wrong pigmentation in terms of skin (too dark, they're paler) and hair (white, instead of blonde).
Or the eyes (his is the wrong color and also lacks the distinctive spiral).
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Obsession - or Sin, as they called it in these lands. That was another pressing issue, though not necessarily theirs to deal with. If they could find something out while they were here that would be great, but until then...
"Yeah, I agree." Jacqueline says, with a nod toward Cyre.
Catenna offers her a smile, and Jacqueline smiles in return, though with a tinge of sadness.
"...You're right, of course..." She admits with a nod. Catenna needs to go check on the Owlet then, so Jacqueline offers her a brief wave before looking toward Cyre as he puts forth a suggestion.
"...That's a good idea." She agrees with a nod. "We should talk with Rin sometime. Even if he can't help us directly, he might be able to point us in the right direction. And Prissa too, of course."
Soon, though, her attention draws toward Ethius. She frowns a little at his mention of not involving themselves too much, but sets that aside for a moment.
"And, um, while we're on the subject, there's...something I've kind of been meaning to ask you." She says. "Is there...a reason you've been borrowing their fashion? I don't mind it myself, but...people have been staring at you."
She thought he preferred attention not being drawn to him, but dressing up like one of the Al Bhed seemed to run opposite to that.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"There's no such thing as overeating," Cyre laughs and swiftly lifts Catenna's hand to his lips for a quick, parting kiss. "Don't worry, I can't have myself getting too pudgy."
Nobody wants a tubby tiger.
(No matter how adorable that might be)
Ethius' uncharacteristic bout of silence does not go unnoticed as Catenna slips away. Cyre's brow slowly creeps up towards his hairline with each passing second. Seriously dude? It's not like they haven't caused massive social upheaval by complete accident before...!
"I've actually been wondering the same," Cyre adds when Jay raises the question of Ethius' fashion sense. "For a guy who hates being the center of attention, you're sure wearing something that draws a lot of eyes. Not the good kind, either. Did you get a few wires crossed or something?"
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Ethius regards the question with a pensive quiet. This man has never dressed in any way other than... this. Does he have an answer to that? Were his wires crossed?
"I assure you my choice of wardrobe is intentional," and also kind of rude to Prissa and her people!! In this instance! "If you are to require I disclose further..."
He closes the door behind him. It's creepy. They can see him close the door, but the way he can do so without making a sound - any sound - is unreal.
Not even Cyre's hyper-sensitive ears can pick up the mechanical noises involved, like this man has spend time practicing how to open and close these doors with nary a sound. (Except for that one in the quarters he has any passengers take, whose hinge he has insisted they never fix.)
Foreboding.
He steps further from this door he just closed, to stand closer to the center, as if to ease the possibility of someone eavesdropping from that end.
"You would think it best I dress as a common citizen of a given area. There is merit to this line of thought. Indeed, one could blend in almost seamlessly... but it affords less freedom to act than one would believe." Freedom to act to do what, though.
Ethius brings a hand to his forehead. "If you see a common villager, you might assume any number of things. Open to approach or discussion. Sociable. A viable source of information on local affairs and events. Others among their number may presume the same, assuming they are not tightly knit enough to know inside and out who dwells within. It invites being approached by anyone, at any time, for any reason - within the bounds of their social customs as they would apply to such. Especially if one acts outside if their norms."
...He never brings up anything like this when discussing marketing and advertisement of their services. It sounds like he might have actually been a good consultant fo--
"If one is to better escape casual notice, it is better to dress as someone the locals are not inclined to interact with." Okay never mind that's terrible marketing advice. "From my first waking days about the mountain ranges of Lacour, I felt it prudent to dress as an outlaw from the Badlands - ideally appearing as a cattle rustler." He sure as hell looked like a ruffian. "On Meribus and Glenwood, I had to take an educated guess from our escape from Meribia, but I had assumed highwaymen would prefer tunics with hoods."
...Which brings us to...
"The Al Bhed are cultural outcasts under where Yevon's influence is strongest." If Prissa were here to hear that... or Lydia, who herself has suffered so much for discrimination...! "Most commoners leave people like that well enough alone. They already have their existing biases and preconceptions, and are less inclined to associate themselves with them."
...
"They are less likely to bat an eye at someone dressed that way stepping out of line, or doing something they would consider strange - for in their eyes, that is just what 'their sort' would do." Ethius continues speaking about this straightforwardly... has he ever discussed this with anyone prior? This seems like a very specific strategy for... something.
"It is true, I catch more notice at a casual glance. Within that glance, they are more likely to make specific conclusions that are ideal for keeping them at bay. It tells me more about those that do approach and engage for any reason beyond surface inquiries." Like... what?
"That is all."
There is no way that is all.
Members of channel <O-Caravan Kinship> are:
Arleph Ardan, Cyre H. Lorentz, Ethius Hesiod, Heal Berry, Jacqueline Barber, Tesni Inoue
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
It's...intentional? Jacqueline blinks, and stares at him like she doesn't really get where he's going with this.
He probably gets this look a lot.
And then, he explains, in a lot more detail than he expected. It seems like he'd given this quite a bit of thought...and, indeed, provides context for some of his previous looks, as well.
For the longest time, she thought he just had a certain style. But if he were dressing to conceal the truth behind his actions, rather than concealing himself...
Well, it made sense, in an Ethius sort of way.
"O-oh, I see... I'm not sure what I think about some of that, but..." She murmurs with a frown, folding her arms in front of her. "...It tells you more about them? Like what?"
She doesn't expect to get an answer, though, with the way he seemed to close the conversation.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"My man, I already figured you dressed like a weirdo to make the locals pay less attention to you," Cyre says at the terminal end of Ethius' long explanation. "I mean, it doesn't take too much to connect the dots there. But what I don't get is that you chose an outfit for Spira that would not only make the locals keep a closer watch for anything you might get up to, but also attracts the very attention you want to avoid from an entirely different group of locals who may or may not be in the same area."
"Let me put it this way," Cyre digs, as Cyre always does, because Cyre is a dangerous person who could probably be a pretty damn good investigative reporter in another life. "If you really wanted to remain an <<outcast>> to both groups, you could very easily have dressed as a particularly villainous-looking desperado from Filgaia. That way you could avoid either side paying much attention to you, and still take advantage of the position of the perceived pariah. Instead, you've gone out of your way to appropriate the costume of one of the locals, even when it's already a known factor to many of the locals that Filgaians have appeared in Spira because of Operation Mi'ihen, among other factors."
"So," he huffs again, ears flicking curiously. "Are those the only reasons you have for taking an objectively suboptimal route for subterfuge? I've known you long enough to realize that you always prefer to take the most efficient and effective route, regardless of most consequences-- but you're always careful to avoid disrupting the 'local' ambiance as much as possible. Even when you have the perfect excuse to do so and gain advantage for it-- not to mention saving money on an outfit."
"So like," he asks, again. "What's really up, my man?"
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
Like what, exactly? Ethius is quiet on that... but Cyre steps up to that plate as he starts putting together a number of important dots. Whoever this man is, or whatever he does, he's always seemed very sure about his actions within the given moment - but this appears to be, by Cyre's reasoning, an uncharacteristic error of a man whose designs seem inscrutible and precise. If the intent is to indeed, be passed over and ignored by everyone, what Ethius is doing is moronic.
...
"There is nothing really 'up,' Mister Cyre," Ethius remarks coolly as Cyre ramps up the aggressive questioning. "These concerns are duly noted." Boilerplate response! "...And have been previously accounted for."
...Really? That might be a lie, but if it is, there's nothing about him that suggests it is - it's one hundred percent true, this puts him at scrutiny of a not small number of people of Spira. Those who would know, definitively, he's not theirs. If his goal is to avoid all notice, completely, Cyre might have the right idea as to the man's wardrobe choices.
"I have adequately described my decisions. Whether you agree with them or not, or believe there a superior alternative... is not my concern. Ideally, the matter will be moot before much longer."
"I believe it best we remain as low key in the coming events as possible - as I have believed prior as concerned the continents of Meribus and Glenwood."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Cyre provides some pretty good points, too. Jacqueline frowns a little, looking between him and Ethius as the latter shuts down any further discussion on the topic of his choice of outfit.
Something he says, though, doesn't really sit right with her considering some of the things they've learned about him.
"You say that, but...I don't consider assassinating a major public figure 'low key', Ethius." She remarks with a frown. "We saw your memory, and you told us yourself, in the Guardian Sanctuary. What happened? Why did you go after Cardinal Forton?"
This was something she really should've asked sooner, but now seemed a good a time as any.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
There's nothing really 'up?' Cyre's eyebrow twitches at that. There's something clearly up! There's been something clearly up for months now! What is up, though? That is the question! And it's not one that Ethius Hesiod seems particularly compelled to answer right now. But! Still!! "I swear, it's like you want to avoid attention but still stand out just enough for the people who know to look for you to find you. Or something."
He sighs and scratches his head. Who would that even be, though? There are too many mysteries and too little time to solve them all...
But, Cyre has had his turn.
Now it's Jay's time to pursue a line of questioning. Best to get all of this nonsense aired out now before it festers, isn't it?
"I'm curious about that, too. You're usually pretty hands-off."
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
"I would ask that you keep your speculat--"
The Guardian Sacntuary - the Malevolence-polluted locale that accosted everyone with twisted visions of so many of their adventures up to this point. The place where he mysteriously chose to hold off from partaking in the final battle in favor of standing guard against the twisted memory distortions turned corporeal.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: More on that in an upcoming belated cutscene! Stay tuned.)
Ethius pointedly looks to Jay as she brings that up, and then away as he is accosted on the one thing he's done that seems to have flown most brazenly in the face of his assertions as to what they should, or shouldn't do.
He's not looking any of them directly. That doubt festers.
Is he looking in the direction of the other door to here? Or can he just not look them in the eyes?
Cardinal Forton was the most influential figure of nation of Rolance - the side that was not being bolstered by Kaguya and other parties. This action doesn't fit any pattern of this man's observed logic, what of it could be gleaned.
What the hell is even going on with this man?
"The Cardinal had designs on Filgaia." A partial truth - in her madness, she indeed made threats for 'his world' - Filgaia. Was that the actual motivation? "It was a necessary measure to prevent further escalation."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline watches Ethius carefully. There's no accusation in her eyes - but then, one could say that it isn't really an accusation if it's something all involved parties already know about.
She waits, and then listens as he explains that the Cardinal had designs on Filgaia.
"Hmm... Well, I can understand how you could come to that conclusion, then, but you know I don't approve of murder as the first choice for dealing with the problem." Jacqueline says, in a scolding tone.
She was sure she wasn't getting the full story, of course, but she decides to let it go in favor of her next point.
"But that still leaves the question on how you knew about this, and why you went after her in the first place." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.
"Not going to lie, I wasn't really involved much in that operation, so there's not particularly a whole lot I can say. But--" Cyre scoops another mouthful of leftover salsa and takes a nice, crunchy bite out of a chip. "I seem to recall that you had disappeared way earlier than you took out the Cardinal."
Though Ethius disappearing isn't entirely, on its own merit, damning. After all, he does tend to pop in and out as he pleases. It wasn't the first time that it'd happened.
"Besides, it seems really weird to me that you wouldn't have tried to 'balance' things out, what with everything Kaguya's gotten up to. Especially with how antsy you got at the time about us interacting with the locals at all." He's not meeting their gaze. Is he trying to avoid being caught out in a panic? Or is he just looking towards a potential escape route? Or just... being weird?
Hm.
<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.
How did he know about this, and why did he go after her? He disappeared earlier before all of that - and why he seemed to prioritize the Cardinal rather than Kaguya or anyone in Hyland, when Hyland were the aggressors in the war.
Nothing about this makes sense.
"...The Cardinal is no longer your - or anyone's - concern." He tries to verbally slide by the queries best he's able. "My sentiments as regard the present situation remain." Sentiments that he seems keen to disregard at a moment's notice!!!
Because why?
Ethius turns away from the both of them, towards that door he previously closed off.
"I would ask that you recall for what I have requested as compensation, Miss Jay."
Discretion. A request that seemed convenient but quaint.
In light of all this, that's not so innocuous a thing to ask for as repayment, is it?
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"...That's not really good enough, but I know a brick wall with you when I see one." Jacqueline replies with a sigh, shaking her head. It wasn't satisfactory, but...she'd take what she could get for now. Besides, this hadn't been intended to be an interrogation of one of their own.
"Right, right, I know - don't worry, I don't think either of us plan to tell anyone, do we?" She asks, looking toward Cyre. She didn't know what he'd actually do, of course, but just saying it couldn't hurt.
With that said, she rises to her feet.
"I think I'm going to step out here - I've got a bird of my own to check on." She says, referring to her chocobo.
"The food was great, by the way, Cyre - thank you!" She adds, before heading toward the front door.