2020-05-04: Your Light
- Log: Your Light
- Cast: Xantia, Seraph Clarine
- Where: Meria City - Outer Regions
- Date: May 4, 2020
- Summary: After the events in 2020-05-02: Scavengers, Xantia and Clarine discuss the event that saw them inexplicably fusing together for a short time.
=======================<* Meria City - Outer Regions *>======================= Outside the inner wall that contains the oldest parts of Meria City and the main castle itself is a newer city, the result of growth over the centuries well beyond the original parameters of the settlement. With Meria's good fortune in terms of natural resources, the city proper does not need to be terribly crowded, and so it doesn't compare in terms of sheer scale to the more compact metropolis of Guild Galad. Nevertheless there are a lot of people here, and that means inns, shops, businesses, and beyond the outer walls, farmland for miles. The port is active, carrying goods from the northen regions as well as the ore from its mines, and bringing in goods from the south. Meria City has relatively wide streets, but there are few gas-powered vehicles on them, considered to be largely reserved for the military. The buildings themselves tend to cluster together, sprawling slowly over time. The atmosphere here is often reserved, and quite proud. It is known among other things for a fine collection of teas brought in from around the world. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj2d8U-CO9E
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
And here Xantia was afraid the train ride from the Damzena region was going to be boring. She sure got her wish for some action happening along the way. A bit more than she bargained for, even. A fight is all well and good, but what ended up happening at the end isn't something that anyone could have prepared for.
Passed out by the end of it, it took quite some time for Xantia to regain consciousness. Even then, she didn't appear to be in very good shape, her skin had turned pale and she had trouble staying awake. In regards to how she was feeling, she only said two things: 'cold' and 'hungry'.
Thankfully, the train wasn't so heavily damaged that it couldn't continue its journey. With assistance, Xantia was taken to the nearest inn in Meria, where the biggest problem was quickly taken care of. The amount of food she's capable of packing away can be quite a sight, but this time it was nothing short of excessive. She conked out almost immediately after, and has spent most of the time since then (that she hasn't spent eating) resting in one of the inn's rooms.
This seems to have cured what ailed her just fine. By today, she is feeling much better, no longer needing to keep herself blanketed at all times to keep warm. At the moment, she is doing some stretches in her room, get rid of the stiffness from all that laying about she's been doing. Not her style at all - she's already considering where she might go from here, looking forward to the next bit of action she can get in on.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Clarine was, of course, rather concerned about Xantia after the events on the train. It didn't seem normal for her to stay down so long, even after a fight like that. Had whatever happened been so draining on her...? How long would this last? She hasn't strayed too far from her, though she has at least given her her space.
When she drops by this day, she can hear Xantia up and moving around. That's a good sign - she feels a little relieved by that. And so she drifts up to the door and knocks gently on it.
"Good morning, Xantia... How are you feeling? May I come in?" Clarine asks, polite as ever.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Politeness tends to be a bit wasted on Xantia, since she doesn't even recognize it half the time. And she barges in on people half the time too, she wouldn't begrudge anyone else doing that. But that's neither here nor there.
"Clarine! Of course, door's open!"
She seems to be as chipper as usual, from the tone of her voice, as well as her appearance. Color has returned to her skin, and she's all decked out in her armor and ready for travel once again, so it seems. She also verbally confirms, "I'm feeling great!", in case it wasn't obvious.
Seeing no reason to interrupt her routine, she continues doing stretches to loosen up her leg muscles while she speaks to Clarine. "Thanks for, you know, looking out for me. I know I haven't been very good company these past couple days. But you don't need to worry, I just... overdid it a little."
Overdid what exactly, though? Xantia frowns, flexing her neck briefly, then ceasing her workout, and crossing her arms. "You wouldn't happen to know what exactly happened back there, would you? I mean, I remember, but..."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Once Xantia says it's fine Clarine glides through the door, shutting it carefully behind her. She looks toward Xantia, then, taking a moment to assess her condition. She looks better, certainly - and from the way she's all geared up, she must be feeling better, too.
"I am glad. I was worried." Clarine replies, bowing her head politely. She moves to take a seat as Xantia continues her exercises, getting out of the way so she'll have plenty of room to do whatever it is she needs to do.
"It is no trouble, really." Clarine says, shaking her head with a smile. Xantia says she overdid it and Clarine nods in acknowledgment. "As long as you are certain. Your recovery seems to have progressed smoothly, at least."
And then, Xantia asks the question that's no doubt been on both of their minds.
What exactly happened?
Clarine frowns pensively, her head tilted to the side as she thinks. Eventually...
"I... am not entirely sure." She admits. She goes quiet for a moment longer, deep in thought. "It could not possibly have been Armatization... you do not possess a Divine Artifact, as far as I am aware, and the sensation... It was... wholly different."
She thinks for a moment longer, and then, shakes her head.
"...That is the only point of reference I have. If it is not that, then... I am unsure." Clarine says.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It might have been expected that Xantia would question what Armatization is, but she knows it as 'the thing Sorey does', so there's no need for that. Instead, what she questions is, "I don't know what a Divine Artifact is, I couldn't tell you if I have one of those." She presumes not, it doesn't sound like the kind of thing she could have had all this time without anyone noticing.
She scratches her head when Clarine doesn't know anything more than she does, then she sighs. "Sounds like it's another one of those things. I can do a bunch of things that nobody can explain. Maybe I could if I had all my memories."
There's a brief flash of sadness in her eyes, before she shakes her head, instantly recomposing. "Anyway. What I can probably explain is what happened to me afterwards. That's happened before, whenever I used my Ether to do something very..." She struggles to find the right word. She settles on "...difficult", but she doesn't seem satisfied with that description. Even so, she continues, "I think it's... overexertion, I think they called it?"
She looks away a moment, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Repairing your whole body at once probably took a bit more Ether than I thought." She waves her hands to ward off the apology she knows is coming. "My fault, my fault, I told you to do it, you couldn't have known."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
It definitely helps that Xantia is already familiar with Armatization. Not that Clarine minds explaining things, but it does save her some trouble.
"It is... difficult to explain, so perhaps it is best left at that." She says, on the subject of Divine Artifacts.
Xantia says it's another one of those things - things no one can explain. Clarine catches that brief flash of sadness. It must hurt, she thinks - to know there's something one should know, but doesn't.
"Overexertion..." Clarine repeats with a frown. She starts to apologize - but, Xantia catches it before it can finish. She looks uncertain for a moment.
"...Still, if I had known... It would have been far better to retreat to my vessel and recover there, rather than put you through that... I am sorry." She apologizes.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia isn't going to press for more information on Divine Artifacts, that doesn't seem like the right track to look. Not that she can be sure, of course. She can never be completely sure about anything. That, in her experience, is the worst part of amnesia.
Regardless, it doesn't do anyone any good to dwell on it constantly, and right now there are other matters on her mind. To which she starts off with a dismayed, "Ah! You still apologized! Why can't I keep you from feeling you have to do that, I don't want you to feel bad..."
She blinks, then, only now fully processing what was said. "Wait. Retreat to your vessel, what does that mean?" Even when asking the question, she's starting to put things together, that it would've been fine, somehow. But that doesn't mean it's easy to rationalize.
"You mean... I didn't have to... but, I thought..." She spreads her arms wide, astonishment on full display. "But you exploded!"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"A-ah, sorry..." Clarine apologizes. She sure does that a lot! She pauses, though, when Xantia repeats what she said. Clarine stares for a moment. She... did not realise that Xantia didn't know about that.
"Ah, well... we Seraphim are beings composed primarily of mana. This body... it is not a physical thing, in the traditional sense..." Clarine explains. "So... we can disperse our forms and retreat to our vessel for safety, if necessary. It is not foolproof, of course... there are, um, ways... to bar a Seraph from being able to retreat. And if Polynya had pressed the attack before I could retreat, then she very well could have ended me..."
She clasps her hands together with a hint of nervousness, noting Xantia's astonishment.
"I-I am sorry... I thought you knew, a-and... with the situation as it was, there was no time to explain..." She apologizes(again!). She had tried to before, on the train, but had been unable to finish her sentence. "A grievous wound such as that... it would have taken me at least a week within my vessel to recover enough to emerge..."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia makes a face when Clarine apologizes again. Trying to stave off these apologies may be a bigger challenge than she realized.
Xantia was aware of the whole ethereal body thing - not that she really understands how that works, but what she remembers of her life is full of things most people wouldn't consider normal. In her frame of reference, this isn't particularly weird.
The rest of the information though, there's a lot there that simply never came up before. Xantia idly fiddles with her hair as she listens. "...I know you could have a vessel, but I thought it meant more something like, I don't know. Like this room. Something that's not really yours, but you can stay in for a while."
She crosses her arms and frowns pensively. "I didn't know you could just... explode, and still be fine." Weathering another apology without a reaction, she at least perks up on the last note. "Oh! Well, that's good then, right? I only needed a few days to recover, that's better than you having to do that for a whole week!" Can't argue with math!
She brings a hand to her chin. "Still, I think that's probably the reason why that whole thing happened. I just... didn't want you to go. So... I didn't let you." Her hand slowly lowers as she furrows her brow once more. "But, what I don't understand is... why did you get in front of me like that?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"Mine is a necklace." Clarine explains. "It can be an object or a place... or even a living being, but there are certain obvious risks to that."
She can explode but still be fine...
"It depends on the type of explosion, I suppose... I am a Seraph of Light, and dispersion is a natural thing for light to do... so I can perhaps weather it better than most." Clarine explains, and then smiles a little. "...Yes, I suppose that is one way to think of it..."
And then, Xantia explains that she didn't want to let her go - so she didn't. Clarine goes silent for a moment...and then, that smile widens.
"...I appreciate the sentiment. It is...nice to hear that." She replies, and then considers. Why did she get in front of Xantia like that?
"...I was... afraid for you." Clarine admits. "I noticed that you had been wounded during the fight... After the roof collapsed, I was afraid that you would be unable to defend yourself in time. I did not wish you to get hurt... so, I intervened."
She hesitates for a moment.
"...But, I underestimated Polynya's capabilities. I did not think she would be capable of harnessing such a frightful power..." She replies, shaking her head. "...But, even if I had known, I suppose it would not have changed my actions any..."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
A living being as a vessel... even to Xantia the risks are obvious. "Malevolence, right?" Spoken with obvious distaste in her voice, that stuff has been nothing but trouble. Thankfully, Xantia doesn't seem to hold even a tiny bit of it within her, despite her many experiences with it.
There's a bit of a pained expression on Xantia's face, which she doesn't explain, but given when it occurs... she must have been picturing what dispersing one's body might be like. Trying to figure that out only hurts her brain, and she can't see it as anything not painful to begin with.
What follows... the fear for her sake, trying to protect her despite the risk, that smile... it's enough to make even Xantia feel a little bit shy. She scratches her cheek, glancing aside. "Oh... well, I guess... that would have hit me, if you hadn't done that. So... thanks."
Abruptly, she regains previous momentum, shaking her fists in sudden excitement. "Hey, hey, do you think that's it? You really wanted to keep me safe, I really wanted to keep you safe, so we when got together, we got together closer than before?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"That is correct." Clarine confirms with a nod. Of course, if there's any other downsides, she wouldn't really know.
Xantia thanks her for what she did, and Clarine continues smiling just as brightly as before as she nods. And then, Xantia regains her enthusiasm, and points something out. Clarine blinks, tilts her head to the side curiously, thinks it over, and...
"...I think... you may be correct. In that moment... we both had the same wish - to protect each other, and to stop Polynya from hurting anyone else." Clarine comments. "And, when that happened..."
Well, they both remember what happened.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia nods eagerly, all smiles. "Yes, yes! That's why it felt like you were so close, I get it, I get it!" She pauses. Then her face falls. "Wait, no I don't, I still don't know how it made that happen."
She walks over to the bed, and sits herself down on the disorganized mess of sheets and blankets, hanging her head for a moment. Then she raises it, continuing to think aloud. "It's probably something I did. Before, when I got scared about what was happening, I pushed you out. I guess maybe I just... did that in reverse. Kind of like how if I want to give you magic, I do the reverse of what I'd do if I wanted to drain magic. ...Does that make sense? I mean, I still don't know how that did what it did, exactly, but... it's a start, maybe?"
Figuring things out, in general, is important to her, so she keeps trying the best she can. But then she remembers that there is at least one thing that this helped her to definitely figure out. She smiles at Clarine when she does, and says, "Hey, Clarine. Watch this."
She raises her hands, cupped together, and briefly closes her eyes. When she opens them again, it only takes a brief moment of concentration before pure light expands out of her palms, quickly coalescing into a spherical shape. A shape solid enough to be gripped in Xantia's right hand, as she proudly displays the ball of light to Clarine.
"I've figured it out," she adds, bright smile returning. Though the truth of the matter may be a bit more complex, she condenses her personal conclusion down to a simple few statements.
"I understand Light now. Because you understand Light. And I understand you."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
That's definitely a question - how it actually made it happen. Clarine thinks on it, but she can't come up with anything herself. In the end, Xantia comes up with something, and Clarine nods.
"Hm... I believe I understand what you mean." She replies. "Yes... it is a start. Perhaps, if you continue down that path, you may begin to learn more of it..."
She pauses, though, as Xantia apparently has something to show her. She watches... and then, gasps in surprise as Xantia generates a ball of light. Clarine beams, clasping her hands together.
"You did...!" She say. Xantia reaches her own conclusion, and Clarine listens. Xantia understand because she understands, and Xantia understands her. Once more, Clarine beams.
"I am happy, to hear you say that..." She says. "...I am proud of you, Xantia. This is...your Light. And it is magnificent."