2019-09-02: What Mothers Do

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  • Log: What Mothers Do
  • Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline, Jacqueline Barber
  • Where: Djose
  • Date: 2nd September 2019
  • Summary: Janey and Mikaia prime themselves to chide their moms for reckless behaviour. Will it work?


<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

"Okay, we can get started."

Janey and Mikaia have taken the time and liberty to find some crates and stack them up and prop a stepladder up by them so they can climb up and be reasonably around adult height.

Riesenlied is twiddling her thumbs in her wheelchair as her children get set up in front of her. "Um..."

Janey clears her throat. Her voice faux-drops an octave or so.

"You know better than to rush headlong into danger! Really, what're you thinking, doing something that's giving me a heart attack!" she muses.

Mikaia pauses. "Isn't this incredibly hypocritical?"

Janey twitches a little.

"I'm still mad, okay, Micky?!" she whines.

Riesenlied peers haplessly at Noeline and Jacqueline...

"I'm kind of mad at both moms! And kinda Jay too!" Janey isn't sparing anyone, oh nooo.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline is still-- 'sparking' is not the right word to use, because it's not like she's discharging electricity or spasming or anything of the sort. But it feels like the right word to use, her senses still a little overloaded and the world a little too bright and her mind still kind of catching up to which feelings and sensations are hers and which are Riesenlied's. It's a minor confusion, but it's enough for her to wait patiently with a bemused smile as she watches their daughters set up a lecture stand.

"While I appreciate how worried you both were, and I'm terribly glad you think so much of us... I'd like to think we did the right thing in the end. And I know that your mother didn't make the decision to stand her ground lightly," she does her best to point out, grinning brightly when Mikaia chips in. "We promised we'd help the refugees, which means we do have something of a responsibility. And the Guard's actions are swiftly going beyond the pale."

She's settled on Riesenlied's shoulders in a loose but supportive hug, not quite trusting the occasional dizzy spell she can feel as her body reorients itself. "More to the point," she capitalizes on the winged girl's attack, showing her fangs as she grins. "If I had to count up exactly how many heart attacks you've nearly given us, I'd say we're more or less even."

Once a spy, always a spy, so maybe that's why Noeline is so ready to throw some bait to the wolves to try to get herself and Riesenlied out of danger: "Miss /Barber/, on the other hand..."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline waits very patiently for Janey and Mikaia to prepare themselves. She's briefly tempted to offer raising up some earth pillars for them...but, she can sense the Lecture coming on, and she doesn't really want to diminish their point by offering to help them deliver it.

And, there it is.

'You know better than to rush headlong into danger', Janey says...

...Did they, though?? Jacqueline tried to pretend she was above it all, but even she had her moments.

She looks toward Noeline, then, as she quickly, smoothly, and /deviously/ sells her out. Jacqueline sends her a look, then looks back toward Mikaia and Janey.

"...I'm sorry, I'm responsible for this. It was irresponsible of me to simply stand by. I'll be sure to give your mother a lesson on potion safety for the future." Jacqueline says, trying to divert the issue. "Thankfully, I prepare my potions to be as safe as possible, I don't think there will be any negative side-effects."

And then, she offers the both of them a smile.

"You both did very well while we were out there, however - thank you." She says with a smile. Oh no, it's a distraction! She's being sincere about it, but it's still a distraction!

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Oh no, Jacqueline's deviously selling her out in turn?! Riesenlied's heart is aflutter as her horns droop deeply to either side of her head.

She's not really certain how she feels either, with Noeline bringing to mind that she was literally sharing her entire conscience for Noeline to manipulate earlier. It's heady, it's like electricity... one could say it's almost intoxicating.

"We're allowed some of that 'cause we're kids," Janey rebutts Noeline with her own brand of logic. (The Tales of Janey is the JRPG of Using Your Own Brand of Logic.)

"... I am sorry too," Riesenlied admits. "I was overdosing to just try to stand up. I... I did promise I would look after myself better, so that you would have to worry less. All of you."

Janey sags her head as she puts her hands to her pockets. "Well... I think the refugees are about as relieved as peach is pie..."

Mikaia folds her arms, in turn. "And while I don't want to just say all's well that ends well..."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

Noeline lets out a quiet chuckle. As much as she's putting a playful face on it and as much as she's showing her pride, there's still a closeness in the way she clings to Riesenlied that speaks to a distinct worry and relief that she's alright.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant," she points out to Jacqueline with an amused smile. "I would never besmirch your remedies after everything you've done. But I doubt the Guard will be terribly happy with you." There's a pause, and she raises her eyebrows with a hum even as she sags her shoulders, admitting: "Though I doubt they were anyway, so maybe that's a bit of a moot point."

She doesn't respond to Riesenlied immediately - instead, her hand gently tightens around her beloved's as she lets out a softer sigh. "... I understand why you did it, and the importance of it in that moment. Even if it worried the hell out of me whenever I stopped to think about it," she grins lopsidedly, mollifying any reply with a kiss in Riese's hair. "But please, look after yourself while you recover. Try not to worry, and relax."

There's /definitely/ a wry smile on her face at that last bit, but she softens and lets it go as she looks up towards the children. "I'm sorry for worrying you as well," she promises, and lets out a soft huff. "I can't really offer any excuses, beyond being sick and tired of their behaviour."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline chuckles a little at Noeline's comment.

"They /already/ weren't, after our scuffle with the Red Priestess over Celesdue's Statue. But after this...well, I'm not happy with /them/, so I think it's mutual now."Jacqueline replies.

looks toward Riesenlied, then, as she apologises, and offers her a slight smile.

"...Honestly, if you weren't out there, I'm not entirely sure how things would've gone. I'm glad you were with us, Riese." Jacqueline says. She looks toward Noeline, then, and nods.

"I think someone needed to stand up to them. We couldn't just let them run right over us." She says, and looks toward Janey and Mikaia. "...But, I'll admit, we probably could've planned things out a bit more... at least everyone made it out okay this time."

This time.

A part of her is worried that they might end up coming back for the Temple, but will they be ready for that when they do...?

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied is withering a little, under the heat building in her head, from the errant tinge of being in live battle again after so long, and the conversation going on... but...

"... I am grateful to Kaguya for diverting Guard attention from our outreach activities this long," Riesenlied feels the need to make that clear.

"But it's as you both say. It doesn't mean we could just leave it alone forever either. I had a case to plead, for all the refugees under both our banners. I had grievances about their behaviour and their campaign..."

She draws in a long breath. "And... no matter what, I had to be honest with her. Both the positive and the negative. Because she is my daughter. And she deserves no less than that."

Janey and Mikaia glance at each other and say, "... well, 's not like Micky and I aren't grateful you've always been upfront too..."

She nods at Jacqueline, though. This time. "... so, well! Next time I'm going to join in too!"

Riesenlied is having another panic!!

"Just kidding."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"... I can honestly say that it is still incredibly hard to imagine you being upset with anyone, Jacqueline," Noeline admits with an amused sigh of breath. "Even after Elru, and the Photosphere, and Lunar, and everything else. I dare say I would love to see it with my own two eyes," she chuckles, but tilts her head.

"I think you are right, however. We were still relatively new here in Djose - at the very least, we've bought enough time to get some patrols and early warnings set up, together with a bit more in the way of escape points," she decides thoughtfully, glancing back at the Temple. "If they choose to come back in force, we will at least be more ready for them."

Her mind naturally skitters away from the thought of them coming back, of course. They had a Sealing Rod on them - one that had been modified to try to reverse its effects. She'd only seen one of those once before, and the implications of it popping up now--

She shakes the thought away. Not right now; it can keep, at least for a little while. She's not sure she can handle thinking about it right now.

Instead, she focuses on Riesenlied, spotting the way in which she sinks in her chair and taking her hand to squeeze it. "I'm grateful to her as well. ... even if I don't know quite what to say to her right now," she sighs uncertainly. It's the sort of topic where she has to let Riesenlied lead, well aware she isn't as good at that sort of empathy. "Still, I meant what I said - I'm not willing to give up on her."

She sighs with relief at the 'just kidding', but motions for the pair to descend upon Riesenlied. "Come here, you two. ... honestly, I really /should/ get back to teaching you two some things. For safety's sake, at least."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Once again, Jacqueline chuckles at Noeline's comment - but this time, there's a slight hint of embarrassment to it.

"I try not to be, but...there are some people who have just the right keys to irritate me." She replies, shaking her head. "I'm not always proud of it, but...usually they deserve it."

"Yes. And this should give some time for everyone to recuperate, too - if we /do/ end up having to move, at least we'll be in a better state to do so." She agrees.

She looks toward Riesenlied, then, as she brings up Kaguya. Jacqueline hesitates for a moment and nods quietly.

"...Yeah." She says. "I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but...it was thanks to her I was even able to work out a path to this place. I ran into her while I was scouting before we moved here, and she called off her people just enough that I could scout in peace."

She sighs a little.

"...I guess a part of me hoped that she would side with us, but...this plan of hers must be that important. I just wish she'd talk to us about it."

A part of her wanted to still think of her as a friend, but...well. It was Kaguya herself who had told her that she shouldn't trust her.

Jacqueline smiles as Janey and Mikaia seem to come to a decision. She looks toward Noeline as she speaks, and then toward Mikaia.

"If I recall, I do believe I owe you some more Crest Sorcery lessons?" She comments.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

Riesenlied has a quiet frown at Jacqueline as she expresses, "I did not know you had such difficulties. That makes me even more glad. With the Fereshte on-hand, we didn't have anywhere near the troubles you did on the road... we should've been more carefula bout that."

She feels Noeline's hand as she squeezes it, and gives it one in turn; she can sense the thoughts of the Sealing Rod, but...

Well, Occam's Razor would say that since the Guard was on Filgaia's side, it makes sense they had a few.

No need to worry themselves over any Baskar takeover they don't know of yet.

"You should not sell yourself so short," Riesenlied expresses of Noeline. "You spoke honestly to her... and is that not how any conversation should start...?"

A pause, as Jacqueline mentions the plan...

"... ... I noticed something, just for a moment," Riesenlied admits. "Something that struck my empathic senses. Something warbling... something deep."

A furrowed brow.

"... but I do not know what it is. Whether it is an expression of her pure emotion... or something inside..."

Janey grins to Noeline and wags her fingers, before she does a backflip off the box. "I've been keeping my acrobatic training up, you know?! Don't underestimate us two survivors of the Aveh Desert!"

Mikaia blushes as she wobbles on the box, but smiles to say, "... mm! And-- and alchemy lessons too!"

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

"No-one can be patient forever," Noeline counsels after a moment, her smile still rather wry as she glances Jacqueline over. "Sometimes these things have to come out. Sometimes, you simply have to let loose. Invading armies aren't quite the typical definition of that sort of situation, but somehow I think they count closely enough that we can split hairs for the time being."

She puffs out a breath. "Working off of that, the fact that she even /has/ a plan is what concerns me. She has always enjoyed a fight, certainly, but when it came to life on Lunar she seemed devoted to enjoying herself and her new lease on life away from the Guardians. Shielding us is certainly something she would do, and I'm glad for it - but everything else?"

She lets out a breath as she nods towards Riesenlied, her expression thoughtful. "I felt the same thing, but... I don't know what to make of it yet. It would be so easy to attribute it to something external - but I think it would be dismissive of me, as well." Still, she finds it in herself to smile softly. "Thank you. It means a lot, to hear that."

She waits for Janey to land - and lightly bonks the girl on the head, before steadying Mikaia's perch. "I'm certainly not going to underestimate the two of you. But I /am/ going to worry that any amount of preparation and training won't be enough. That's just what mothers do," she teases with a light grin, echoing Riesenlied's earlier proclamation.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline offers Riesenlied a smile and shakes her head.

"It's alright. It was a risk I was glad to take - it's something we would've had to face sooner or later, and I can take care of myself if I have to." She replies. Noeline gets a smile, too.

"...That's true. There are some things that are just worth getting mad over." She agrees, then looks between Riesenlied and Noeline as the conversation turns back to Kaguya.

"...She seemed convinced, when I spoke to her, that what she was doing was good for everyone. She didn't tell me what it /was/, but..." Jacqueline shakes her head.

She smiles a little at the banter between Noeline and Janey before nodding toward Mikaia.

"And alchemy lessons, too." She agrees.