2020-04-03: Alighting in Port
- Log: Alighting in Port
- Cast: Xantia, Seraph Clarine
- Where: Klein Port Ward
- Date: April 03, 2020
- Summary: After spending weeks scouring Kattelox for more information on Xenia, Xantia ends up at Klein Port, where she is discovered by Clarine. At Xantia's prompting, the Seraph reveals what she remembers about her origins.
============================<* Klein Port Ward *>============================= Gateway to the rest of Filgaia, bursting with goods from ports around the world, the Port Ward of Klein City has all the sights and scents one might expect of a region on the sea and populated by sailors. Occupying the least rocky terrain and the most favorable access to the coast in the area, it has capacity for many ships all at once, and is always abuzz with officials checking goods and manifests and trying to ensure that taxes, duties, and laws are properly observed in trade... though they are not always successful. Given the quantity of travel here, there are many inns and common houses and other businesses catering to those who come and go, and the sight of the Central Ward up at the top of the cliffs nearby can provide the sense that the whole ward is under a watchful eye. To the paranoid, anyway--for the most part, matters are smooth, though there's a significant local police force that seems to some to exist mostly to break up the fights between bored men and women of the sea on leave. It's said that the markets here have at least a little something from all over the world, though perhaps most popular are textiles: with the ocean so close to the cliffs, the ports grow quite chilly at night. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj2d8U-CO9E
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
The Klein City docks are packed as usual, both in terms of people and in terms of actual packed goods stacked about all over the place. Ships are coming and going pretty much all day long, so one merchant ship doesn't stand out too much from the other, generally speaking. There is one that is a bit of an eyesore however, a large but very rusty trading vessel bringing in all sorts of metal doodads collected from Kattelox's thriving digger industry. It's pretty heavy on the volume, both of their cargo, and of their captain's voice.
"Come on, ya lazy bums! We gots us a schedule to keep! Move it, move it!"
Much like the ship, its captain has seen better days, sporting an eyepatch, a wooden leg, and a full white beard, thus looking like someone you'd sooner expect to see commanding a pirate ship. Still, this business seems honest enough, even though its crewmen are being run ragged trying to keep up with the constant demands to rush unloading the cargo.
One particularly tall and muscular fellow approaches the captain, snapping off a quick salute before inquiring, "What about the girl, cap'n?"
The captain's face scrunches up in irritation. "We can't be hangin' 'round here forever. Jus' toss 'er."
The sailor is taken aback. "Overboard?!"
"No, ya dimwit! We're in port, toss her with the cargo! She paid for a one-way ride, I reckon that's fair enough."
Not about to argue further with the captain's short fuse, the sailor goes below-decks, soon re-emerging carrying a certain red-haired young woman who may be familiar to some. "Sorry about this, little miss," the man excuses himself as he lays her still form down on top of a collection of sealed crates.
Not to worry - Xantia is certainly breathing, she appears to be only asleep. A pretty heavy sleep apparently, given that being transported like that didn't wake her up, and it doesn't seem like anything going on around her is about to wake her up either. It's not exactly uncommon that she manages to sleep under impossible conditions, but this is a bit extreme even by her standards. And those crates can't exactly be comfortable. How long is she going to keep snoozing there?
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Klein City isn't one of Clarine's most common haunts - not that she haunts anything, she's not a ghost! - but it is a place to a connection with a friend and colleague of hers, so she likes to visit every so often.
She's rather fond of the port - there's some good places to look over everything, and the paths of the mortals that frequent it are predictable enough that she can settle herself in without worrying about anyone passing through her. Not that it hurts, but its always going to be unpleasant to have a foot passing through your torso or what have you - and for that reason, she's commandeered a set of stacked crates to act as a perch.
Today, she's treated to an unusual sight - one of the trading vessels is unloading cargo... and one of their crates has a person on top of it! She can't get a good look from here, and so, she drifts down from her perch and floats over to said box... where she spots a familiar face.
One can draw a lot of conclusions from this situation, but Clarine isn't entirely sure which one is accurate. But, she can see that she's breathing, at least, so she tries the simple route first.
"...Ah, Xantia... are you alright...?" Clarine asks.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Obviously there's no way this is going to work. If none of the ruckus surrounding Xantia managed to wake her up, what chance does the soft-spoken Clarine have of doing so with her voice?
And yet... when Clarine speaks, Xantia reacts. Not much, at first. Initially, she only presses her eyes closed more tightly. Then there's a bit of a soft mutter.
And then she just sits up abruptly, rubbing her eyes. "Ahhh, stop shining that light in my face, I'm trying to sleep!"
Slowly, her eyes open, remaining squinted and staring ahead blearily. It takes her a moment to recognize that she's not staring at any old light source. This is a person. Someone she knows very well, in fact. That realization makes her eyes open a bit more widely. "...Clarine...? When'd you get so much brighter?"
Odd questions aside, Xantia takes a moment to rub the sleep out of her eyes, before she starts looking around. Huh, that's funny, that rusty ship leaving port looks just like the one she boarded. ...wait, what happened after she boarded?
Xantia turns to Clarine, now looking entirely confused. "Where am I?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Xantia begins to stir, and so Clarine steps back to give her some space - and even moreso when she sits up abruptly. At Xantia's complaint Clarine stares for a moment and blinks, her head tilted to the side.
"Ah... my apologies..." Clarine says apologetically. She can't help it sometimes - being bright is part of who she is! The apology is a little reflexive - she's unsure if she's any brighter than usual.
"Where...?" Clarine starts, blinking. "Ah - you are in the port ward of Klein, in Meria Boule. Is this um... where you meant to be...? You... were not abducted, were you...?"
She seems concerned. There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding, due to the unusual nature in which she arrived.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia doesn't seem distressed at this revelation, but still seems a little confused about it. "Huh. So I'm already there. That was fast."
While attempting to get the massive mess of her hair into a bit more manageable state, she clarifies further: "No, that makes sense, I boarded a ship that was going there. I just... don't remember the trip, at all. Did I sleep the entire time?" Obviously that wasn't a question meant for Clarine, and Xantia just kind of shrugs a bit. "Guess I must've needed it, it's true that I haven't slept much lately."
Swinging her legs around, Xantia then hops down from the crates, and stretches herself out. She grimaces a bit, all this stiffness seems to support the assumption that she's been lying down for a very long time. Some stretching exercises seem to be in order, which she proceeds to engage in while continuing to speak to Clarine.
"So it's not just Ragnell who looks brighter now, huh? I'm not sure why, but I think it's because of the training we did. You know, the whole possession and everything? I had a bit of trouble seeing Seraphs before, but now you stand out more than anybody else."
This might not fully explain the reason for the change, but it could certainly explain one thing - if Clarine thinks back, she may recall that there were several instances where Xantia didn't seem to notice her, no matter how hard she was to miss. That was the case even during their very first meeting, when Xantia barreled straight into Clarine despite looking directly at her.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"Ah... I see. So this is where you meant to be. That is good..." Clarine replies with a nod of understanding. She's a little relieved that she just got things wrong. She pauses, though, blinking.
"...You have not been sleeping much lately? Is everything alright...?" Clarine asks. She steps back a bit more to give Xantia her space as she hops off the crates and begins to exercise, though listens as she speaks.
"Ah, you met with Ragnell?" Clarine asks curiously. "How is she doing?"
She pauses for a moment, though - that doesn't seem to be the most pertinent topic at hand. The matter of the Seraphim looking brighter... Clarine thinks it over for a moment. Indeed, she remembers those times... and, it helps slide a few pieces into place.
"Ah... I believe I may understand." Clarine says consideringly. "Our training... you may be correct. I believe it may be possible that such close contact with one of the Seraphim, even for a short time, may have helped strengthen your Resonance."
She pauses for a moment.
"Ah... if you are unsure what that is... it is a spiritual sense, of sorts, that allows one to perceive and interact with spiritual beings - such as myself and Ragnell - that are usually imperceptible to mortals..." She explains. She doesn't know how much she actually knew about Resonance, so she felt the explanation might be helpful.
"But... if it is not a matter of Resonance, then I might not quite know why..." She admits.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
How is Ragnell doing...? It only hits Xantia now, confronted by this question, how difficult that actually is to answer. It's not like she hasn't noticed that Ragnell keeps things to herself a lot. That could include how well she's actually doing. Her attempts to draw a conclusion with certainty end in failure, so in the end she only manages, "Well, you know... Ragnell is Ragnell." She says that pleasantly enough - it isn't a bad thing, in her book.
Moving on from standing stretches to sitting ones, she works on loosening up her leg joints while Clarine explains the matter of Resonance. "Yeah... I know what it is, but I'm not sure I understand it too well. I think I've just kind of... adapted to it? That's usually how I learn things, something just suddenly makes sense to me, and then I can do something I couldn't do before. Like how I just kind of knew how to heal you because of that time when I, uh... dissolved part of Ragnell. ...Does that make sense? It's only barely starting to make sense to me, really."
After some basic stretches, Xantia feels well enough to get back to her feet, hopping up and down a few times before settling down. Which is when she finally answers the first question. "...I've been a little busy lately. I've been all over Kattelox, just... looking around for more clues about my past. I really thought I had a solid lead, but... nothing."
She looks pensive for a moment, then asks what she considers a perfectly normal question. "Hey, Clarine... what's the very first thing you remember?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
'Ragnell is Ragnell', Xantia says. That gets a small laugh out of Clarine. That's probably the best way to put it.
She listens, then, how Xantia explains how she usually learns things - by adapting to them. Clarine thinks on this for a moment.
"...I... understand the concept, but... 'make sense'..." She replies hesitantly. "...It is not uncommon for one to learn to adapt to such things, but to the extent that you do... I cannot say it is something I have heard of. As long as you can understand it... that is what's important."
When Xantia settles down, that is when Clarine does as well, finding a place to sit.
"I see... I am sorry you have not been able to find anything thus far..." She replies... and then pauses, as Xantia asks her a question.
What is the very first thing she remembers? Clarine blinks, her head tilted to the side.
"Goodness, that is quite the question... Do you mean on Filgaia, or... in general?" She asks. "That will...take some time."
As a Seraph, she had a fairly long life - as such, it takes some time for her to think back, as she tries to recall her first memory. But eventually...
"...I... remember. The place I was born. A clear, still pond, on a mountain close to the sun... I do not recall how long ago this was, exactly - for us, the years begin to run together." She replies.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia doesn't comment on Clarine's hesitant reaction to the way that she tends to learn things, other than an awkward chuckle. She's well aware that she isn't exactly... normal, in that respect. It's not a very pleasant realization. If things work differently for you than they should work for humans... does that still make you human? Not a question she likes to think about, yet it's on her mind very frequently.
It's partially for that reason that she shifts the topic to Clarine. But she's genuinely interested too, urging, "Take your time!" Xantia isn't exactly a paragon of patience, but she can handle a few minutes. She doesn't sit again - she's been off her feet long enough - instead just craning her head to look around the port a bit. Without realizing it, she causes a few onlookers to move on by doing so. People do tend to stop and stare at the weird redhead who seems to be talking to nobody whenever she's speaking to a Seraph in a crowded place, but that's never been something she's shown a lot of concern about.
When Clarine's ready to answer, Xantia turns back with interest, and blinks in surprise. "You... remember your birthplace? Wow. You must have a lot more memories than humans, and yet I don't think that's something that even humans usually remember. So, does that mean you remember your parents, too?"
Xantia... might not be putting this in the correct frame of reference.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine does indeed take her time - it's a while before she answers, but she eventually does.
When Xantia responds to her memory, Clarine hesitates for a moment.
"Ah... is that not normal...?" She says consideringly. "I did not realise humans often did not..."
As for the question of parents, Clarine has to think on that for a moment as she figures out how exactly she wants to approach the topic.
"Ah, well... for a Seraph, the concept of 'parenthood' is different. We do not possess the concept of blood relations..." Clarine explains. "We are born, fully-formed, from the Earthpulse - instilled with knowledge and a sense of duty toward the Goddess. Sometimes, an older Seraph will take a newly-born Seraph under their wing to help them acclimate to the world, and sometimes several can be born at once at the same Earthpulse, and that can lead to a familial bond as well... but, largely, we are born alone."
Clarine rests a hand over her heart - or at least where hers would be normally.
"That was the case for me as well - I remained there at that pond for some time by myself, before I left to see the world." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia is briefly confused by Clarine not realizing what the limits of human memories tend to be. But then, she wouldn't have known that herself if she hadn't looked into every bit of information she could get her hands on regarding memory. Where it comes to that, every detail matters.
The confusion only grows when her entire understanding on childhood and parenthood appears to be irrelevant when trying to understand what Clarine's early life was like. It's a bit embarrassing even, did she ever pick the wrong person to try and compare her own situation to, she can't even begin to compare the gaps in her memory to an account like this.
There is, however, one thing she can conclude about that account. "That sounds... really lonely." She can empathize with that much.
Having not expected that turn, she has to take a moment to think about where to take her line of questioning next. Until she slams her fist down into an open palm, saying out of the blue, "...Actually, this is perfect." She then blinks, and coughs, realizing she actually has to speak her thoughts out loud for them to make sense.
"So, what you're saying is... you understand the whole 'parents' thing about as well as I do, by which I mean, not at all. Then, imagine if you one day found out that actually, you did have parents, at some time before you can remember. How would that make you feel? Would you not want to do everything you can to find out more, and meet them if you can?"
This is getting a tiny bit specific. Knowing Xantia, that isn't a coincidence.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"It...was, yes." Clarine agrees with a nod, after a time. It was something she had not realised herself until years after the fact, how lonely her early life had been.
She's surprised, though, when Xantia smacks a fist in a palm and says that...'something' is perfect? Clarine's head tilts to the side in confusion, and remains that way until she explains herself.
"...Ah. I see..." Clarine replies with a murmur, mulling it over. ...It's something she has to think about. Indeed, this is a pretty specific scenario. She has to imagine this is something that has been bothering Xantia...
"I think..." Clarine begins hesitantly. "...I would be afraid to. And... it would be alright, to be. But...at the same time... yes, I agree. I do not think it would be something I could ignore..."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia nods eagerly, and seems about to respond immediately, but she hesitates a moment. It's not... exactly the reply that she was expecting. "...Afraid, huh. I guess that would make sense. I mean... you don't know these people, at all. And yet, they're responsible for you being here. But for some reason, they haven't looked for you at all, during all this time? You had to just sort of find out they were around by chance? That's weird, isn't it?"
It's at this point that Xantia catches herself speaking her own thoughts out loud, realizing that she's making it kind of obvious at this point. She coughs, and rubs the back of her head awkwardly. "So, um, yeah. That's kind of where I am right now. I heard someone who looks like me was on Kattelox about six months ago." Pause. "I guess probably seven by now? Anyway, when I heard her name was Xenia, I suddenly remembered that's my mother's name. So... that's what made me look all over Kattelox for anything, anything at all that could point me to where she went after that. And... nothing."
She sighs, and shakes her head. "I guess that was kind of the long way around, but... I hope it helped to understand why I had to do that." With a slight smile, she adds, "But, at least I ended up seeing you again because of that." Always doing her best to look on the bright side.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine sits there quietly. She doesn't interrupt - instead, she lets Xantia get her thoughts out at her own pace. And, eventually, Xantia explains - how she heard someone who looked like her, with her mother's name, was seen on Kattelox. Clarine considers this for a moment, frowning quietly.
"...I see. I am... sorry that you were not able to find anything." Clarine says apologetically. "I... hope you will be able to, sometime. And... that it leads to good things, whatever the outcome. Please do not be disheartened."
She nods, then.
"Yes...I believe I understand a bit more, now." She agrees, and then responds to Xantia's smile with one of her own. "Yes, it was a fortuitous encounter. It is good to see you again, truly."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Not wanting to linger on the topic of what she can only view as an incredible failure, Xantia instead focuses on more pleasant things, suggesting, "We should pick up our training again! I mean, I'd still like to learn how Light works, I know I can do it!"
She pauses, realizing, "Oh, I didn't get to tell you yet. That fight with the Demon of Elru... since I couldn't learn Light that time, I decided to do it differently. But it's okay, it worked out alright! ...I think. It's complicated. But! I just wanted to thank you for all your help. If I can ever help you with anything, you know all you have to do is ask, right?"
Though her smile never wavers, she tones back the enthusiasm a bit, leaning forward and speaking more calmly. "Or, you know. If you just want to talk, that's fine too. It's helping you not be lonely. I think that's a very important way of helping."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Xantia veers the conversation toward brighter topics.
"Certainly! I would still like to try to help you." Clarine replies with a bit more cheer. "You have much potential - we need only find a method that works for you, I feel."
She listens, though, as Xantia explains her fight with the Demon of Elru.
"I am glad to hear it went well! You are quite welcome - I am glad I was able to assist you." She replies - but then, goes silent, as Xantia says that if she needs help with anything, she only has to ask - even if it's just to talk.
She's quiet for a moment... and then, she smiles genuinely, clasping her hands in front of her.
"...Thank you. I appreciate that." She replies with a nod. "It is... very important. Loneliness... is not something I would wish on anyone. I am truly blessed, to have kind people around me."