2020-07-16: The Lightning Round
- Log: The Lightning Round
- Cast: Seraph Ragnell, Xantia
- Where: Kattelox Island Outskirts
- Date: July 16, 2020
- Summary: Ragnell seeks out Xantia to question her regarding the fusion incident with Clarine. Xantia is just happy to see a friend.
=======================<* Kattelox Island Outskirts *>======================== Locally governed and defended externally by the Digger's Guild of Aquvy, Kattelox Island stands amongst its peers within the Great Sea as a thriving hub for Drifters interested in lost technology from the ancient past. Home to the site of a massive Digsite, a multi-layered ruin keeps an endless trickle of Diggers keeps this city thriving. The northern part of Cardon Forest, otherwise coloquially known as the Outskirts, is the landing point for most Diggers, either through air or ocean. Nearby, the open marketplace known as Apple Market awaits, as do the ruins underground. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hW_K2fSVQc
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Though Ragnell hadn't had the time to follow up on it in a while, now things have settled enough that she can go have a talk with a certain someone about a certain incident. Supposedly Clarine's form had been dispersed while she'd been trying to protect Xantia, and the two of them merged and fought together... Based solely on the description, it sure sounds similar to armatization. But Ragnell is pretty certain these two haven't pledged an oath or anything together, so it's better to get the low-down straight from someone who was actually there.
And since it's easier to find a human by asking around (or at least someone who isn't selectively visible, a problem Ragnell has to deal with as well during her search), she arrives at Kattlelox with a twirled rope of beef jerky sticking out of her mouth and a map of Kattlelox spread between her hands.
"So here's the market, an' here's the park, an' all the way over *here* is the forest... Damn! Where's a girl supposed to find a Xantia when she neads one?" Ragnell complaints in between chewing on that meaty goodness.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
That certainly was some interesting hearsay, wasn't it. 'The white-haired girl exploded, then the bits went into the red-haired girl and then she became a white-and-red-haired girl with swords made of light'. Sounds like an old man's drunken ramblings in a bid for free booze. It may have actually been exactly that, since most people wouldn't have seen that there was a white-haired girl on the train to begin with.
It tends to be pretty easy to identify Xantia from hearsay, at least, in as far as that's even necessary. There's also the fact that when K.K. showed up at the Baskar Village bordering the Corrupted Grounds, Xantia came at them wielding a big ol' sword of light. Pretty much cinches any doubt that something happened which led to her suddenly mastering that power that she'd been having so much trouble with, even with Clarine's assistance.
She also got her ribs broken in that fight, which is the main reason why she's been in Kattelox for so long. Which wasn't strictly necessary to recover, but she followed the instructions given anyway, within her definition of reason. The other reason...
"Hey, Xantia! Xantiaaaa!"
What a stroke of luck, a young man's voice sounds out from a direction that a map would confirm leads in the direction of an entrance to Kattelox's primary Digsite. Indeed that is where a Xantia can currently be found, raising a hand at the Digger who came running, greeting him cheerfully. "That's me! What's the matter, Al?"
"Guild sent me," Al says in between catching his breath. "Expedition ran into Reaverbots. Going back tomorrow? Can you come?"
"Sure!" Xantia smiles brightly, not even taking a second to consider. "You can count on me!"
"Okay cool." Aaand Al rushes right back towards the city, not even taking a second to rest or make further smalltalk. Even Xantia is a little surprised by so much impatience, blinking a few times before offering a wave to the man's back. "Must be a lot of errands today."
Xantia stretches herself out, then lets out a soft sigh. "...Guess I'm not heading back just yet." Maybe one day she'll learn how to say 'no' better.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Naturally, what with Xantia being so popular, Ragnell hears the call of her name before she sees the young woman herself. She looks up over at the source of the sound, over near where Kattlelox's local ruins are, and watches a Drifter run up to Xantia and ask her about Reaverbots and presumably coming to beat them up. Ragnell watches 'Al' leave; then she moseys on over to Xantia herself.
"Yo!" she drawls, flipping a hand up in greeting as she uses the other hand to tuck the map into her poncho. "Gettin' yourself into trouble all over again, eh, Xan? But you wouldn't be you if you didn't."
She comes to a stop near her and looks her over. "You look like you're doin' all right, all considered," she observes. "So, I hear you an' Clarine did somethin' interestin' recently?"
Jumping straight to the point. But then, one of the most recent times she and Xantia spoke, Ragnell *did* recommend she try talking to Clarine about Xantia's new(?) weird light powers, so really, is there any need for preamble?
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Not only that, Ragnell was the one who suggested attempting the method of possession. Which last she heard wasn't working very well, but did lead to the interesting discovery that Xantia managed to force Clarine out, if by accident. So there was some precedent, but... what happened that time went quite a bit beyond.
It doesn't look like Xantia visibly changed for it though, she's much the same as always. Still going around in that armor wherever she goes, still helping anyone who asks, and still genuinely happy to see Ragnell, every single time.
"Ragnell! Hi!" The initial surprise to see the Seraph turning up here is quickly replaced by good cheer. This does tend to be how it goes, after all. Used to be that it had to be how it goes, what with Xantia not being able to see Ragnell reliably. That's certainly not the case anymore.
She does look a bit confused at the first question, however. "Trouble? I'm not in any trouble. Am I?" Her perspective is a little different - kind of proving the point that she wouldn't be her if things were otherwise. This is her normal.
"Perfectly fine!" she confirms, before looking confused at the second question as well. "Well... probably? We do stuff, I don't know what you mean by interesting."
Also wouldn't be Xantia if you didn't have to spell everything out.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
That's always weird to Ragnell, the 'genuinely happy to see her' bit. She's come to accept it, but it's always weird. Xantia, Hiro, Gwen... They're all weird.
"That guy just now asked you to take care o' some Reaverbots, didn't he?" Ragnell points out. "Isn't that trouble?" How you define trouble of course might differ, but they're not exactly easy targets, either. Either way, she twists a wry half-smile at her, then shakes her head when Xantia fails to get the point.
"I mean supposedly you two combined and did some interestin' moves," she explains. "How'd the two of you do that? I remember you sayin' before that her enterin' your body didn't really work out."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
From Xantia's point of view, the angry people are weird! ...actually that's not true, she does understand why most of her friends are mad at Ragnell. She just... isn't. Okay maybe it is a little weird, moving on!
Xantia actually lets out a chuckle at Ragnell's assessment of what trouble is. "Oh, that. That's just what I've been doing lately, I help the Guild with Digs. It's pretty fun, no trouble at all!" That's just Xantia's perspective: fights are fun, as long as they're uncomplicated. Being able to go all out against Bad Things without any reservations is pretty great. The level of danger doesn't factor into it at all.
When Ragnell clarifies what interesting thing she was talking about, Xantia "ohhh"s, nodding several times. "I know what you're talking about. That time on the train, right? That was all just a big misunderstanding." She is way too matter-of-fact about this. But knowing Xantia, this is only a brief pause - there's a reason for that, and she's far from done talking about it.
"You need to understand though, I just saw her explode." She does an exploding gesture with her hands to illustrate. "It was... well, I was scared. There was nothing left of her. Just... bits. I guess I just thought that... I would never see her again." She briefly looks distressed when she thinks back to that moment, but it fades quickly. In fact, it's turned fully on its head.
"Imagine my surprise when she told me that's a thing Seraphs can do, and they'll be fine! I had no idea, it'd never come up! So anyway, I don't know, I guess I just... really wanted to keep her with me, and then that happened."
Talk about a lot of buildup for very little payoff.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Ragnell chuckles. "That so? Well, it *is* fun to fight, sure 'nough. Guess beatin' up some Reaverbots is nice an' uncomplicated too, huh?" They're not people, they're not animals, they're not even monsters. They're just death machines gone wild and need to be put down. They might be dangerous, but there's nothing morally gray about them. For someone straightforward like Xantia, it must be nice to be able to fight without having to think.
"A misunderstanding, huh?" Ragnell raises an eyebrow at Xantia. "So what exactly happened, then?"
Clarine exploded into motes of light, and Xantia flipped out. It really doesn't explain a thing. It kind of figures that Xantia wouldn't really know, though. "So--let me see if I got this right," she says slowly. "You willed Clarine into ya, and your powers... merged? Jus' 'cuz you wanted it to happen?"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
"Exactly! I knew you'd understand!" It's nice when people get you. Ragnell totally gets Xantia. Fighting is best when you don't have to be careful at all. And everyone is happy when you explode the deathbots in a spectacular fashion, what's not to enjoy?
Understanding or not, some things do need a bit more of an explanation than Xantia gives at first. Leaving out important details is an unfortunate habit. Of course, asking further questions fixes that issue right quick. She takes a moment to think about it herself, rubbing her chin.
"Well, maybe... I don't know what that was, exactly. It felt a lot like the possession we tried earlier, except she was... closer. Much closer."
Now Xantia herself no longer feels like she's explaining things very well, frowning and shaking her head. "I can't really make sense of it. I don't know if I could do it again. But, my guess is... I did what I did before to push Clarine away, but I did it in reverse. So... I pulled her in closer."
Without so much as a missed beat, she suddenly turns to face Ragnell, asking way too cheerfully, "Hey, remember that time I erased part of your body?" Smooth segue, Xantia. But at least she doesn't leave it at that.
"I can do that in reverse too, I could heal Clarine that way. So, it wouldn't be that strange if that's what I did with the other thing too, don't you think so?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
"You know I love me a good fight," Ragnell says sagely, nodding once at Xantia. Everybody *does* love it when you explode deathbots in spectacular fashion! It's like a glorious fireworks show.
"Closer," Ragnell repeats. Xantia explains further--that what she did to push Clarine out, she did in reverse to pull her in. She folds her arms and holds her chin in thought. She doesn't let it show on her face, but what Xantia says is...
Disturbing.
"Yeah. I remember that," she replies neutrally, unfolding her arms to hook her thumbs on her belts. She nods slowly. So she could heal Clarine using that same technique... "Yeah, could be. Reminds me o' this one bunny from Solaris. Seraphita, her name was," she reminisces. "She took a bite outta me once not unlike what you did." She tilts her head at Xantia. "On that note, did you ever regain any o' your memories?"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia clearly doesn't feel like she said anything particularly disturbing. She shows everything plainly on her face. Though more than likely she just wasn't thinking about what she was saying, she is a champion at that also.
She adds one more thing once Ragnell confirms that she might be onto something. "So yeah, I think that's probably it. And also, when we talked about it later, we figured that since we both wanted the other to be safe so badly, maybe that had something to do with it. That seems right, I can do the healing thing whenever I want, but I have no idea how I'd do this whole... combining thing again." There were Circumstances. Circumstances that somehow led to something unique. And not without lasting effects, if Xantia's suddenly stronger Light abilities are any indication.
And then Ragnell mentions Seraphita, and Xantia's face just lights up. "Really?? She could do that? That's amazing! I used to try and be more like her, but now I'm being like her without even trying!"
Of course Xantia and Seraphita get along. Of course they do.
Then the word 'memories' is spoken, and her expression suddenly becomes difficult to read. The fact that everything shows plainly on her face hasn't changed - she's just not sure how to feel, and thus her face reflects that. "...I did remember a few things," she finally admits after a long pause, giving that matter all due seriousness.
"More than anything else, I used to want to stop Solaris. Just, in general. I'm sure of that now. I don't know why, but... well, with everything they've done to Filgaia, and to my friends, I kind of feel that way now, too." She sighs, as the realization hits, "I guess that means that if I see Seraphita, we're going to have to fight again." That would be a fight with plenty of complications, and thus no fun.
There's one other thing that immediately comes to mind. "...I've also remembered a name. Xenia. I feel sure that was my mother's name. And, right here in Kattelox... I heard about someone called Xenia. And my voice sounds a lot like hers. She was here when I was in Spira."
She crosses her arms, looking frustrated. One could probably guess the reason without needing her clarification. "I've tried everything I could think of to find her, but nothing. Nobody has any idea where she went. It's like she just... vanished."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
Xantia generally doesn't. The fact that she is so straightforward and easy to read is the main reason Ragnell hasn't come to the conclusion that she's too dangerous to live.
Yet.
"Yeah, I was hasslin' a friend o' hers and she gave me a little slap on th' wrist in the form of an energy munch. Surprised the hell outta me, I'll tell ya that," Ragnell replies. "Given that she *works* for Solaris, I'm surprised you wanted to be like her, though."
Which might be something that's occurred to Xantia herself, given what she says about wanting to stop them and acknowledging that she'll have to fight Seraphita eventually. Ragnell nods her on without interrupting. Her expression turns thoughtful at the mention of Xenia, though. Could it be she--?
"Never heard o' her," she says. Figures. "But... Vanished, huh. Could just be this Xenia lady got whisked off to another continent, or even another world, like you an' I an' most Drifters have been." Ragnell shrugs. If that's the case, Xantia might not meet her for a long, long while. "If I happen to run into her, though, I'll let her know you're lookin' for 'er."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia continues to be as straightforward as they come when pressed on Seraphita, just plain whining in her response, "But I didn't know that at the time! She told me she was a hero! And she made it sound so amazing, I wanted to be a hero too!"
Yep, that's how that whole thing got started. Sometimes Solaris greatly influences people without even trying. Or maybe that's just the Seraphita Effect.
"...But, I get it now. She probably really is a hero. It's just that... a hero to some can be a villain to others." It took a while before she could understand and accept the notion that heroes and villains weren't the absolutes that she believed they were.
When the subject turns to Xenia, Xantia naturally looks hopeful at any signs that Ragnell might know something, but is soon disappointed. "Oh." Crushed. But she quickly perks up again when Ragnell offers a theory. "You're right, that could be!" And then, crushed again when she realizes that if Ragnell's theory is correct, Xenia could be literally anywhere and that isn't actually a good thing. "Gah, why does this have to be so complicated?! If she's really my mother, wouldn't she want to meet me? It's been years, I don't even know how many! And the only person I've heard about who may actually know me from before I lost my memory isn't even looking for me?"
At least she's getting to vent her frustrations a little. She needed that. A faint smile returns when Ragnell offers aid. "Thank you. Even if you just hear anything, anything at all, I really want to know about it. This... may be my big chance, you know? Someone who can actually tell me about my past..."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Ragnell has posed.
"Really? Is *that* what got you so fired up about bein' a hero?" Ragnell asks, eyebrows rising. "Huh. I never knew." Xantia really should be pickier about the company she keeps. But then, who is Ragnell to tell her that? It's not like Xantia would listen, anyway. She'll just have to make her own decisions herself, no matter how bad they are.
A hero to some is a villain to others. Ragnell's eyebrows rise as she gives Xantia a thoughtful look. "That's exactly right. You've matured."
Xantia vents a bit about Xenia. Ragnell listens with at least some sympathy, nodding along and then finally offering Xantia a shoulder-pat. "Well, you don't know she doesn't. She might not know about you, or she might think you wouldn't want to see her, or she might think you're dead. Or who knows? Maybe she *is* lookin' for you, but bad luck's kept you in the wrong parts o' th' world. Or maybe--"
Ragnell cuts herself off. All considered, 'maybe she's also lost her memory' would really not cheer Xantia up. "--there's somethin' she has to take care of before she can see you," she says instead. "Goddess knows the world's in constant need o' savin'."
She returns her hands to her belt loops and offers her another crooked half-smile. "No problem. If I find anything out, I'll be sure t' let ya know."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Seeing as how one of Xantia's favorite companies to keep is the freaking Demon of Elru, it's a pretty safe bet that her decisions will continue to be the very best ones possible, no matter what anyone says.
But her perception has not gone entirely unchanged. It's her turn to look perplexed when Ragnell terms this as 'having matured'. "Really, you think so?" It's not like nobody ever said anything like that to her. It's specifically surprising to hear it from Ragnell, and so sincerely. A little embarrassing, even.
Thankfully Ragnell also manages to smoothe over the moment of distress, by offering the only thing that Xantia's ever needed to keep a positive attitude: hope. Being presented with possible alternatives to a bad supposition are most welcome when she's momentarily stopped seeing them. "Of course, of course! Why didn't I think of that? There must be a good reason... and I'll find out what it was as soon as I find her!" That did it, all motivated again. Good call on leaving possible memory loss out of it.
She raises a fist in determination. "And if I find her, I'll be sure to let you know how it went too!"
Because Ragnell is good friend, who only came out here today out of worry, right?