2019-10-14: The Venerable Mama Shibe
- Log: The Venerable Mama Shibe
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline, Lily Keil
- Where: The Thames
- Date: 14th October 2019
- Summary: Riesenlied, Noeline and Lily arrive in the Thames -- and quickly find an old, curious acquaintance.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
- FLASH*
The sound of seagulls. The scent of salt in the air. The faint noise of waves... and the much louder noise of a power generator -- the screech of a rusted crane's jib pulling upwards as a derelict husk of a metallic Gear gets lifted out of the ocean in the nearby distance. Sirens. Someone hollering, "We have salvage in Deck 3!"
Riesenlied's knees hit the deck as she wigs out for a moment, overwhelmed at the sudden sensation of noise, emotion, excitement, smells...
No wheelchair was teleported with them -- they had none. They were scattered, too; Noeline and Riesenlied went with the other Black Wolves, and yet... the teleporter-- it isn't quite unified in who it sends where.
Time will not wait...
"T-this is... Filgaia..." she hoarsely whispers, her palms landing next as she kind of falls over. There's a loud sniffle still, given she's not particularly feeling great still from everything that's happened.
The Fereshte.
The Fereshte is... nowhere in sight.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
The disorientation of their teleport is familiar and jarring, and in the midst of the nausea and visual confusion a little part of Noeline can't help but wonder if she should really be getting quite so used to something like this. But at least it means that the Hyadean is halfway-ready for the sudden rush of air and sound and life around her, and maybe she can hit the ground running.
That last part wasn't supposed to be literal, though. She doesn't know where or how she built up the forwards momentum, but she finds her boot catching on a metallic rung and sending her pitching forwards. It's all she can do to push forwards to meet Riesenlied with her arms, drag her beloved towards her in midair, and then twist to try her best to make sure that it's her back that meets the deck beneath them.
It isn't exactly a success, and she looks kind of foolish for the way both she and Riesenlied crumple to the ground, but at least she's got a hold of her partner. She'll take that much.
"This is--" she goes to confirm that they're on Filgaia - she can feel the Guardians in a way she couldn't on Spira - but the familiar sights and sounds finally filter into her head, leaving her gaping in surprise. She'd been expecting Elru, given when they were taken, or perhaps Wayside if the teleporter decided to home in on wherever they considered 'Home'. But not: "--the Thames," she breathes quietly, her eyes wide.
The perfect place for the Fereshte to get fixed up, she thinks a moment later, and is about to raise her head with a grin when Riesenlied's concern filters through, stopping her dead and staring thin-lipped at the open sea around them.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
No matter how hard you hang on...
...You're still going to fall if you appear mid-air. Lily Keil, in fact, appears slightly /above/ the deck, instead of where she ought to have, perhaps because of the odd magic she's been using. However, because this world is corrupt...
Lily Keil lands on her feet, rolling forward until she's stable and turning to look around. Recognizing the land, the air--
Well, no. She doesn't recognize them. But the fact that she doesn't recognize them, the fact that she /does/ recognize the sky--
"Filgaia," Lily knows, all of a sudden. "The Thames?" she asks after a moment. She feels, suddenly--
"...This area has a lot of people," she finds, for the same reasons as Riesenlied.
"Noeline? Riesenlied?" Lily looks them over--and starts to walk towards them. [OOC] Marivel Armitage says, "so look forward to me sending in digs soon"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied feels Noeline's presence a moment later, which is the only reason she hasn't just literally fallen apart; the immediate sensation of having your possible fears be realised, after all, isn't a welcome one.
"Our daughters..." is the first thing she whispers, though she-- she can't help but latch onto Noeline's excitement as well, regarding this legendary place she's only... read about from her letters, fixing a lot on the Hyadean's own sensation as she's held in her arms.
She hears someone else land and her eyes widen. "Lily!" she expresses. Yes, this place has a lot of people...
...
Though the last thing she expects is a very woofly dog beastgirl in a cute polka-red dress and her ears ribboned to airplane-arm her way up to them. Then look up.
The woofly beastgirl announces:
"I'm the Crimson Noble, Noelyn!"
Riesenlied takes about three seconds of stunned silence, before her 'omg cuteeee' senses take over.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
It takes Noeline a few more seconds to register and work through her own spike of fear. They've discussed before what they would do if this happened, how they might feel in the wake of it - but that can never compare to the feeling of actually experiencing it, and the way something deep inside of her lurches at the news.
She tamps it down as best she can, summoning up her confidence instead for Riesenlied's sake. "They'll be alright," she whispers fiercely and urgently for both their sakes. It's the hope she and Riesenlied have to cling to, mixed with her trust in the rest of the Outreach. "This isn't the first time we've been separated. We found them before - we'll find them again. I promise."
It's not a promise she can guarantee, of course, but it's meant more as a reminder than anything.
Carefully she encourages Riesenlied upwards, at least to a sitting position. It gives her a chance to spot Lily, and raise her eyebrows as she tilts her head in greeting with a soft chuckle. "You're safe," she notes with some relief, glancing for any sign of Leon. In a slightly rude way, that's almost a comfort - maybe his being elsewhere right now means the same for the Fereste as well.
She's about to open her mouth to say something more, to check on Riese's condition, when one of the locals nearly trips over them. "... hello there," she greets warmly in the bare moments she has left before she gets owned. "I'm sorry, we just tripped--"
Oh no, she can /feel/ the presence of the 'y'. She didn't start that spelling, did she? Did she?? She can't remember. Her cheeks blaze as she dips her head, unable to avoid a soft and very embarrassed chuckle. At least she can feel the way Riesenlied's spirits lift. "A-Are you now," she tries to recover into a grin. "And here I thought she was tall enough to shake the skies."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily wonders, in the moment, where ARMS ended up--and Yue, for that matter. But since Noeline and Riesenlied are here, and weren't with her, the conclusion is easy to draw. The transportation effect doesn't map currently to physical location.
"Your..." Lily pauses, considering. She looks between the two. "There's no proof that anything has happened to them," she begins to caution, agreeing with Noeline, "And all of them are clever. Even if they're back on Spira, they're resourceful, and you've made friends there they can... turn..."
She pauses. She turns, to look towards the child. A child, for sure. Lily shakes her head as Noeline looks around, but--
"Is that so?" Lily asks the beastgirl, thoughtfully, as if dealing with a terrible monster. She is scary, skeptical--
"Then, Crimson Noble," Lily says, and delivers a crisp bow. "We apologize for dropping into your territory unannounced, and trust you will not hold the vagaries of ARM travel against us." She glances sidelong at Noeline--and it's clear that she /could/ be grinning if she weren't keeping a straight face.
"Would you show us to your territory? We need to catch our bearings, to get on with a very important mission."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The downside of having a closed-circuit empathy link is that you feel your partner's own fears, and that in turn feeds her own fears--
But Riesenlied swallows them as she listens to Noeline's words over feelings, right now. They'll be all right. This isn't the first time...
"... that's right. Taben Peak," Riesenlied tries to remind herself. "We-- we were tripping ourselves over in worry and then they were having so much fun with the other children and Nall. I--"
But the girl comes and she's incredibly adorable!!
"N-Noelyn?" Riesenlied stammers, her own face terribly red as Noeline says hello and has a moment of reeling over herself. She-- can't help but giggle in turn, sniffling; "She's very tall. She lifts me to the heavens."
Noelyn looks really confused as she looks towards the Hyadean, and asks, "Why is she crying, miss?"
But Lily is playing along, and she puts on airs again in the way a small child does. "Uh huh! Well, of course I won't-- hold-- those... vagaries against you," as she fibs and pretends to know what a vagary even is.
Lily also asks her to show them around, and she nods. "Let me show you to Mama!"
A fast transition later (with Noeline picking up Riesenlied) and they've moved across the deck towards the first signs of living space on the Thames -- an operations tower around which a large open-air market has formed. It's heavily bustling with camaraderie and excitement, beastmen of all shapes and sizes clapping and laughing and calling for their wares. Come one! Come all!
In a mercifully quieter side of this, there's a small shack composed of corrugated metal where... where...
The obvious mama of the beastgirl is seated on her rocking chair -- a large, pointedly round mame shiba beastwoman dressed in comfortable and cozy layers like a grandma would, along with a mob cap and little round glasses.
"Mama! Look, I brought visitors!" speaks Noelyn.
The Mama pauses for a moment and takes a look at the three for a couple of seconds. Before chuckling and saying, "Oh, /did/ you, now, darling? Thank you."
Noelyn zooms away after her mama gives her a pat on the head, and she's spending her time looking up again.
"And here I thought I would never see you again, Noeline. How young was I back then? Or do you go by a different name now?"
The dog beastwoman looks towards the other two. "Charmed -- I'm Mama Shibe, marketplace matron -- but most people just call me Mama."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Lily is basically the one person who's really not supposed to get sick burns on Noeline, if you ask her. The mercenary's humour is meant to be too dry to really get to the point of having to hold back a grin, more suited for wry observations. Though there's deadpan humour, she never has to /hold back laughter/. Which is to say that Noeline is left deeply off-balance, throwing a rather sulky and embarrassed look in the other woman's direction for good measure.
Never mind the way in which she glows in the wake of Riesenlied's comment. "She's-- she tripped and fell, I'm afraid. And she's had a really long, hard day," she explains to the girl, choosing to leave out most of the details and trying her best to let her voice soften. It's harder than she expects, because there's a distinct impulse to meet pomp with pomp. At least she can grin: "We'd be honoured, Lady Noelyn."
She lifts Riesenlied carefully and securely up into her arms, mumbling something indistinct at the same time; apology and amusement and bashful pride all mix together in her thoughts, leaving her chuckling softly to herself as she turns towards the market.
Noeline doesn't even need the girl to lead her, not really - some traditions have always held strong on the Thames, and she's got the sound to guide her towards it anyways. Gantries that she's walked countless times before, a turn down a slightly narrow path between two cranes-- and the first sight of the market draws her up short as she sucks in a little tiny breath, feeling a swell of nostalgia in her chest.
She clamps her mouth shut at the sight of the matron. Maybe it's out of respect for her position, but it's more likely that she's not sure how much she can or can't get away with saying - which means she ends up letting out a quiet laugh when her rather light bluff is immediately called. "... young enough that I remember you learning the ropes and nailing your first thief with an orange."
She watches the girl zoom off with a tiny, conflicted smile. Another lifetime ago, she might have joked first and foremost about being honoured, but now she knows there's more important things to make right first. "'Noeline' was the one thing I was always genuine about. ... this is Riesenlied, leader of the Wayside Outreach... and a Hyadean. I am her partner. If we could request a place to rest, I'd be very grateful."
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily Keil is full of surprises. ...Or maybe she's having a little of an identity crisis. Either way, right? The point is: she, too, hears the 'y.'
At least Noeline has Riesenlied's tears covered. It's a sweet moment--and Lily inclines her head to support Noeline's answer. As for the girl, naturally--
"I thought not," Lily answers, and doesn't define the word. A girl has pride. "We'll follow." Lily does need the guide--but she'd pretend to regardless, at the moment, still thinking a bit of the Minder as she goes. 'Mama', though. ...That... Makes her think of other things, too. She sets them aside, to look around at what is definitely the largest collection of Beastfolk she's seen, bustling, excited. Until finally....
It reminds her a little, of Nortune. But also very much not. And this woman in front of her is a clear authority. ...One that, apparently, Noeline knows well...
"Thanks for meeting us," Lily says, remembering her manners, as she glances between the woman, Noeline, and Riesenlied. She focuses on Mama before she speaks to her, naturally.
"I'm..." Identity, again. Lily hesitates, strangely, on the introduction, before she shakes her head. "Lily Keil. I used to be from Kislev. I'm here with Noeline and Riesenlied, for now."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Even through her tears, Lily's own assurance isn't unheard -- she nods softly towards the Black Wolf and whispers, "You're right... thank you." They're resourceful, they have made friends -- there are Spirans amongst them, even.
And there's something that Riesenlied has always been attracted to -- about the way Noeline interact with a part of the world that she's familiar with; it hasn't happened in a while, the way they've been teleported to lands unknown, but... she's definitely still very much smitten to the woman who's leading her through these paths, to a market that's too loud for her...
It's helping her keep buoyed right now.
The Mama takes a moment to usher her dear daughter -- grand-daughter? -- out, before turning back towards Noeline, Riesenlied and Lily. She reaches for a large kiseru that on closer inspection is actually shaped from the casing of a wrench, of all things. She takes a long drag, before puffing a shibe-shaped vape cloud out.
"That was perhaps seventy years ago," Mama puts a timeframe to things. "And you have not aged a year since... though you look--" A pause, as she gestures her wrench-kiseru, "--comfortable. Mature. And apparently, Hyadean," though that doesn't seem to be the most important adjective since cracks a grin and says:
"/And/ married. And if I'm a betting shibe, and I /am/..."
She observes Riesenlied a little bit longer, before holding up an old letter.
"You must be 'Olivia'. Nice to finally put a face to the pen."
... and if it was entirely a bluff, Riesenlied is the kind of person who immediately-- jolts her horns up in surprise as she stammers, "H-how did you know?"
She sweeps a bit of her ... her now-white hair aside. Lily might note it's different from how it was even... before Macalania, measurably hours ago. "But yes... to think I've been writing you letters for so long now."
"You sound exactly like the hopelessly in love girl I imagined your letters made you sound like," she teases.
Mama also turns towards Lily with a grin. "Lily! Charmed -- Kislev, is it? You need to sail all the way to Sielje for snow here. Hope the climate's not a bother."
Riesenlied notes the way Lily seems to pause a little at introducing herself, tilting her head... but thinks it might be a matter of Black Wolves sec-ops? That hasn't been a problem in the past, though...
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline pauses a little before Lily introduces herself. It's not that she feels like she's on thin ice, or trying to be too cautious. Rather, it's just the opposite - the kind of bearing that Lily and Riesenlied have both seen her adopt in the past. Noeline would never say she regrets calling herself a Crimson Noble, but there's a part of her that feels it important to clear the air - the better to move on and forward together with the Outreach.
When she meets Lily's expression, though, it's with a confidence in her eyes and a solemn nod. Whatever else she might have to say about the Thames, the trust she places in it and its inhabitants is plain to see. Perhaps a little too great, but then she has the Matron to back her up.
"Maybe not older, but I've gotten wiser. I think," Noeline shoots back as she carefully sets Riesenlied down. It's a few crates lashed together into a makeshift seat and covered with a couple of blankets, but it works well enough for her to fuss over her partner for a moment, then glance back over her shoulder with a rueful grin. "And a lot has happened, I have to admit. Surely even news of Elru must have filtered all the way west--"
She clamps her mouth shut again at the word 'married', glowering past a blush for a long moment before she gives in - showing both her hand, and the ring set on one finger. "If you were a betting shibe then I'd at least expect a cut," she snorts - but she can't hide the way her smile turns warmer at the interaction between the matron and Riesenlied. "Be nice to her," she grumbles protectively.
"I'm glad to see this place looking well," she adds afterwards, carefully seating herself next to Riese to steady her. "We're sorry for our state. We-- didn't exactly expect to drop in. You're probably going to see a lot of Drifters turning up soonm in fact. Blame some ruins," she adds with an amused sigh, as if that were enough.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline pauses a little before Lily introduces herself. It's not that she feels like she's on thin ice, or trying to be too cautious. Rather, it's just the opposite - the kind of bearing that Lily and Riesenlied have both seen her adopt in the past. Noeline would never say she regrets calling herself a Crimson Noble, but there's a part of her that feels it important to clear the air - the better to move on and forward together with the Outreach.
When she meets Lily's expression, though, it's with a confidence in her eyes and a solemn nod. Whatever else she might have to say about the Thames, the trust she places in it and its inhabitants is plain to see. Perhaps a little too great, but then she has the Matron to back her up.
"Maybe not older, but I've gotten wiser. I think," Noeline shoots back as she carefully sets Riesenlied down. It's a few crates lashed together into a makeshift seat and covered with a couple of blankets, but it works well enough for her to fuss over her partner for a moment, then glance back over her shoulder with a rueful grin. "And a lot has happened, I have to admit. Surely even news of Elru must have filtered all the way west--"
She clamps her mouth shut again at the word 'married', glowering past a blush for a long moment before she gives in - showing both her hand, and the ring set on one finger. "If you were a betting shibe then I'd at least expect a cut," she snorts - but she can't hide the way her smile turns warmer at the interaction between the matron and Riesenlied. "Be nice to her," she grumbles protectively.
"I'm glad to see this place looking well," she adds afterwards, carefully seating herself next to Riese to steady her. "We're sorry for our state. We-- didn't exactly expect to drop in. You're probably going to see a lot of Drifters turning up soonm in fact. Blame some ruins," she adds with an amused sigh, as if that were enough.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Riesenlied's guess isn't bad, really. But that's for a little later on--first... when Mama pulls the kiseru, Lily relaxes a little--almost imperceptibly--and pulls a small metal case from her jacket, though she doesn't /light/ any cigarettes this close to Riesenlied. Instead, she can't help but feel amusement at the way the Mama Shibe so deftly plays Riesenlied immediately.
...And curiousity, maybe worry, at Riesenlied's white hair. Similarly, she notices the change in Noeline's demeanor...
"They're definitely both that," Lily chimes in helpfully about the love of the two women with her. "...Can't account for wiser, of course..."
That's the dry tone again, at least. Still--
Charmed? "That's a switch," LIly answers good-naturedly. "I don't mind, though I do want to visit Sielje, now that you mention it. But I spent most of my time before leaving in the Aveh desert, so by comparison this is paradise."
So Noeline's been here. That was clear--but it's clearer. "Yeah, you can expect more than that. ...You should be wary, though--for that reason you might /also/ find visitors from Odessa. If that happens while we're here, I'll help out."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
That comfort brings a lot to Riesenlied in turn -- to see Noeline be confident about herself, in her identity, that she can say with pride that she's part of the Outreach, a Hyadean. ... not enough to stop her from melting down like a little bucket of bashfulness, though--
"H-hopelessly in love??"
"Wiser," Mama chimes in turn, seemingly proud. Perhaps the 'Mama' part of the name isn't just for show. She gestures towards several cushions around and helps pass some over, because she notes that Riesenlied is immobile on her own.
"And yes, definitely smitten! It was incredibly charming," Mama cackles. "I was pondering often how to break it to you, but it seemed like it wasn't necessary in the end."
Noeline comments about the news in Elru, but the mame shiba doesn't comment on it directly. "I /was/ worried when the letters stopped, some year ago or so," she admits. A pause, then the Hyadean mentions Drifters and Lily mentions Odessa in turn... and the Aveh desert. She winces.
"Ooh. Sand's no good. Well, if our carrier's cushy, you're all the more welcome to it!" she cackles again. "Mm. Well, it isn't as if we aren't used to trouble. Pirates, giant monsters, and now that revolutionary nonsense? All in a day's work, I'd wager the Captain would say."
Riesenlied draws herself up along the blankets and looks to Lily again, a bit more bashful and apologetic. She can sense Lily's concern. A bit of it.
"Still. You must be weary! There's room and board here--" she gestures, "And several inns. There'll be time enough to share more stories later."
Riesenlied nods very quietly and laces her hands together. "Thank you," she expresses. She's a bit dimmer than the warmth she might exude, clearly with concern still in her mind...
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"If any member of Odessa or Yevon even tries to make trouble," Noeline notes rather bluntly to Lily, folding her arms in what might be the most dangerous fashion she's managed in some time. She knows the Thames hardly needs the support, given how tough its merchants can be, but she still feels the need to pipe up. "I will throw them off the side myself."
... but she does at least pause, realizing that Riesenlied is right next to her, and puffs as she moderates herself. "Carefully. And into a lifeboat, probably.""--don't tease her too much. She's still catching up from a few things," Noeline warns. She's not immune to teasing, not these days, and Riesenlied's flustered bashfulness is mirrored and complemented by her rare bout of bashful grumping. "It took us both long enough to work through it and figure out what we were doing."
Still, the Hyadean hesitates, a frown flickering across her face. She knows it's overblown of her to fuss over this, and surely it isn't necessary for someone like the matron sat with them, but-- but she still finds herself bowing her head in respect. "And... thank you for exchanging letters with her. I only got to read them recently, but... it's pleasant to know that she had that much support."
She expels the rest of a breath she wasn't sure she was holding, and sits up straighter. "We'll take you up on that, especially if the Rusted Hull is still around and open. Believe me, I have more than enough stories to go around. And so do you, apparently. 'Noelyn'?" she finally can't resist bringing it up, her eyebrows high. "I didn't know you cared so much."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Mama Shibe just barks an almost endless laugh at that. "/Would/ you believe me if I said she came up with that name herself after looking through my old journals?"