2020-11-18: Viewing the Setting Sun

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<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

The Calm Lands are wide open, though their broken, uneven ground make vehicles difficult to use in many places here. But that's what chocobos are for. One of the biggest landmarks is Rin's Travel Stop, but that's not where Eleanor is. ...She went by, though, so if anyone was looking for her in particular, she's not hard to find. But for someone who just happens to be going down the plains...

There's a woman standing near but not on the edge of the broken ground, looking out over the Scar and the lands on the other side. Dressed in oranges and yellows, Eleanor Klein is not particularly hard to spot. This area happens to be lighter on Fiends, for the moment, though that might be in part thanks to the gun at her back. It might instead be because of some handy repellent sold exclusively by Rin's stores--

Well, whatever the reason, it's probably more to do with the fact that not far off is a herd of wild Chocobos, within sight as they run down the plains.

Eleanor is not messing with the chocobos. 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei is sitting on a chocobo. So long as he doesn't GET OFF the chocobo he caan ride the chocobo for as long as he wants. So he's stuck on the chocobo.

"I want to ride my chocobo all day~" Fei hums faintly as his chocobo waddles around, sometimes turning around on a dime to head in a completely different direction and proceeding to remain distinctly on the floor. It's a pretty low level chocobo.

He offers the chocobo some GYSHAL GREENS and it MUNCHES ON THEM. Then he looks up and sees Eleanor gazing out over the scar.

"Yo...!" He says. "Eleanor, right? uhh--WITH ARMS, yeah? I've been meaning to ask, how's Ash doing?"

His chocobo watches Eleanor, chewing. Chewing. CONSUMING.

"...Did you not ride the chocobo over here?" 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius has been acting strange by Ethius standards lately. ('Strange' by Ethius standards, sadly, does not end up in things like 'him clearly stating what he wants, saying please, thank you, and otherwise not being kind of a middle-sized creep.' At that point that would not be Ethius. That would be... like... Suihte, who would be sweet if they existed. They do not.)
     He isn't that far off from where Eleanor is - entirely by chance - as he similarly seems to be staring out over the Scar. He's dressed the way he has been since he's returned to Spira. That simple shawl, the serviceable and nondescript trousers, the bandanna tied around the lower half of his face.
     Normally he would be standing upright and looking out as if he were some sort of sentry on high alert for enemy movement, or another. Currently he's sitting down, arms crossed over his knees. He has maximized the amount of area his shawl covers as if to hide as much of it as possible.
     With the confirmed presence of the chocobo and a tortured simultaneously-young-and-ancient fellow present, he brings his hand up to readjust the fit of the bandanna around his nose.
     Of all the things he gets up to, he has never acclimated to the smell of chocobos.
     He hasn't made any motion to engage, verbally or otherwise. 

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    Fei isn't alone. As he so often is, a particular person has accompanied him on this day, out among the peaceful plains of the Calm Lands.

    "Quite right. Eleanor Klein, if I am not mistaken?" says doctor Uzuki, similarly astride a chocobo, which he brings to a stop not far from Fei's. He's taken to riding them fairly well, for an Otherworlder

    "I must thank you for your earlier assistance with the rescue operation," he adds, though really, considering ARMS' nature and the fact that several of their own were in captivity, could it have really gone any differently?

    Turning his head, he regards for a moment the largely still figure of Ethius, perched in a seated position not far from where Eleanor stands. "..." 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

The good thing about having a chocobo of one's own is that you don't need to pay the rental fee every time you want to take a ride through the Calm Lands. But an important part of chocobo care is giving them plenty of opportunity to get out and run. As such, the daily ride has become a big part of Jacqueline's everyday routine ever since she befriended hers. It's a good form of exercise, anyway, for both herself and her chocobo, Remedy.

Usually these are pretty uneventful, but today, Jacqueline is surprised to come across others! She eases Remedy to a stop, then turns to approach the others.

"Hello, everyone! This is a pleasant surprise. How are you all doing?" Jacqueline greets the group with a wave and a polite smile from chocobo-back. She's not particularly difficult to spot, either, due to being on chocobo-back. Remedy is on the smaller side for her kind, but that still means being taller than the average human. She is also wearing a cute yellow and white hat, with a strap to keep it from falling off on the ride.

Remedy, too, lets out a polite 'kweh' of greeting.

Jacqueline's eyes are drawn to Ethius for a brief moment. She's noticed his unusual behavior of late, and has been a little concerned. 

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

Eleanor... is indeed not on a chocobo!! She's on foot. For all that she used to complain about walking. Weird huh.

Eleanor has spotted neither Suihte nor Ethius at the moment, though--there's no reason she shouldn't eventually notice him, but he's quiet and the light isn't ideal. Almost like he tries to be unobtrusive.

"Oh, hello," Eleanor answers Fei. She turns around to smle at him (and his Chocobo) in greeting. "That's right," she confirms. "Ah! ...Fei, and--Dr. Uzuki, yes?" Pause. "The last I saw him he was doing well, though I'm sure he'd rather be able to visit home. I can tell him you were asking after him?"

Then she nods to Citan. "You're very welcome; I'm glad to help where I can." Maybe it would've been the same either way, but Eleanor is still glad to have helped. As for the chocobo question... "Ah, no, I didn't. Maybe I should've, but I didn't think about it..."

"But I do still have a few Teleport Gems if it gets too rough out here before I make it back." Then Eleanor spots Jay and her absolutely adorable chocobo. This is what finally draws her attention to Ethius, as she traces where Citan and Jay both look. "Oh..."

"Ah! Hello," she says, remembering to reply. "I'm well enough! Spira never gets less striking, does it?" 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei hesitates at Eleanor's question and then stammers, "Ooh uh--yeah. Sure. Sure. I mean. Uh. The last time we interacted... I'm not sure it was really me anyway? So I just wanted to make sure he's okay. He can be kinda... a lot, you know?"

He laughs awkwardly.

"But it's fine..! It's fine. I mean. If you say he's okay it must not've been too badright?"

Oh yeah, he thinks, a lot of time passed since these two events. A whole planet later and even a rescue operation.

He looks at Ethius. Ethius doesn't seem like he's about to set him on fire so he relaxes a bit. 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    "..."
     This is an incorrect inscription. A more accurate one from Ethius might look a bit more like, "...hnnh."
     "This location appears to have drawn sudden interest," Ethius remarks flatly as if missing the idea that the sunset from here is breathtaking. As if he's here for some reason other than the view. He starts to stand up, drawing the quarterstaff for use as a makeshift walking stick for balance. He does not raise a hand or move his fingers in sorcerous patterns while muttering syllables, so he doesn't look like he's about to set anyone on fire, or lightning, or pocket sand today!
     "...It... it is a sight." He struggles to reaffirm Eleanor's observation, as if not being able to go with the idea that he is there for that reason. He doesn't turn to face the lot of them - not even Jay, who comes to them in most high spirits.
     "...Yes, I... suppose it is good the rescue operation went the way it did." Says a man who survived standing in such incredible pressure to the point the worst that happened was passing out in a place of incredible vulnerability. Even those words do not seem well-constructed. When Ethius speaks, usually, a sense that he's picking pre-rehearsed phrases to mix and match to whatever contexts.
     "...Does my presence interrupt?" As if uncertain to the order of events that have transpired, in who came where and when. 

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "Indeed," Citan affirms, nodding his head. "And 'Ash' would be..." He wrinkles his brow, as if in thought. "...The blue-haired young man with the bayonet? I believe our paths have crossed once or twice, though I do not believe we had a, ah, formal introduction?" He watches Fei, though, particularly when Fei remarks on that particular topic. At least, until the point of discussion moves on.

    Ethius isn't the only one to draw the doctor's attention -- as Jacqueline draws near, she also earns a greeting from the doctor. "Oh! Miss Barber, fancy meeting you here. I do not suppose you were headed in the same direction that we were?"

    There is a pause then as Ethius speaks. Citan's gaze is upon him again. "And... Mr. Hesiod, it seems? Whatever might bring you here?"

    Perhaps it takes one to know one (in a... sense) when it comes to the Symbologist... 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Teleport Gems... Jacqueline is only slightly jealous. Having some of those on hand would certainly be convenient, but then again her chocobo might prefer walking instead, so maybe it all works out.

"It really doesn't." Jacqueline agrees with a nod. She looks down to the plains below, to the herd of wild chocobos, and to the land around them and, finally, to the sunset. "...It'd be hard to find scenery like this back in Filgaia. I'm thankful to have the opportunity to see it."

She looks toward Fei for a moment, and then toward Citan, offering him a smile at the greeting.

"Doctor Uzuki, good to see you again." She says, offering him a polite nod. "Not intentionally - I was just taking Remedy here for an evening ride and happened to run into everyone. A stroke of good fortune!"

She looks back to Ethius, then, as he speaks. He seems... unsure, in a way that she's not used to. He seems to always have a statement prepared. But right now...

"No, of course not - you're not bothering anyone." Jacqueline says, shaking her head. "...Is everything alright, Ethius?"

Jacqueline dismounts her chocobo, then approaches him. She doesn't quite get into his space - just draws close enough for her presence to be known. 

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

"Yes!" Eleanor answers Ethius, as if he more wholeheartedly endorsed the locale. And she doesn't call Fei out on his stammering. Instead she smiles at him. "He's..." Eleanor considers how best to politely talk about the fact that her comrade has an ancient horror demon inside him.

"He's very resilient, don't worry."

Yes, that's about right. For Citan's benefit, "Ashley Winchester, another member of ARMS. At least I assume that's who you meant," she says to Fei.

"It really is difficult to find scenery quite like this elsewhere. Or the chocobos, for that matter. Your Remedy's hat is so adorable!"

"...A she says," sh says to Ethius, "You're quite welcome. It's good to see you." She then looks back to Jay, and hedges, considering mentioning something, but... 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Don't think so," Fei asides to Ethius even though he isn't sure he has a clue what's going on there. That won't stop him from acting like he does, BELIEVE IT.

"Oh Ashley. Sorry. I shortened his name." Fei tells Citan. He nods to Eleanor. "Yeah...! Ashley Winchester. Or ... Ash. Geeze, does nobody call him that?" He, and his chocobo, droop in despair.

Eleanor assures him that Ashley is very resilient and he adds, "Yeah... I imagine."

This somehow only makes him droop even more. The sad chocobo seems to be imitating Fei's mood. 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Whatever might bring this man here? There's very little in the Calm Lands that seems like it would attract a man of his methods and motives. (Unless it's to set random people on fire, there's no shortage of that, but... there's no sign he's been up to any sorcerous arson here.)
     Is everything alright? The lack of an answer or eye contact might answer for him.
     'It really is difficult to find scenery quite like this elsewhere,' Eleanor comments. When he turns his head, it is coincidentally towards Fei's direction, but only because there's one of two directions one can really turn their head when looking over a shoulder.
     "Scenery like this elsewhere... I would like to inquire." He turns around completely, eyes closed.
     "Is there... another place like Guadosalam, that any of you know of? I..."
     Even when everything wasn't going to hell with Seymour being up to negative good (in comparison to 'no good' prior), the people of Guadosalam were not the most open and welcoming of them. This man's concern for them, as observed by Eleanor some time ago, is beyond baffling.
     "...Must know." As consistent as his speech patterns are in terms of tone, tempo, and diction and the like, there is an emotional slip there.
     A tinge of genuine distress. 

<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.

    "Ashley Winchester... I shall keep it in mind when next we meet," he says to Eleanor. "He seemed a rather enterprising young man."

    A rather resilient young man too, it seems.

    "Ah, I see," Citan remarks to Jay. "Thank goodness for that... I had thought for a moment there that I might be getting old already, to not notice another so close behind us...!" He smiles, self-effacingly, as if to underline his own jab at himself, then shakes his head.

    This is the point at which Ethius speaks.

    Is there another place like Guadosalam?

    "In what sense do you mean?"

    Perhaps, it was the connection to the Farplane? Or... is there something else that has Ethius drawn to it? 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Thank you. I saw it the other day and I just couldn't resist. I think she likes it, too." Jacqueline chuckles. It's hard to tell if Remedy understands somehow, or if she's just responding to the attention, but she lets out a pleased 'kweh' in reply.

As for Fei's feelings...

"Ah... I'm sorry. I don't think I know him quite so well enough for nicknames, but he does seem like a nice young man." Jacqueline comments apologetically. Oh no, sad chocobo...

To Citan, though, Jacqueline offers a good-natured chuckle.

"Not yet!" She replies, then looks back toward Ethius as he speaks. His words... he seems distressed. Jacqueline frowns a little. She glances briefly toward Eleanor at that look, but her attention soon returns to Ethius.

...She remembers - there were a few times, when, during their trip to Guadosalam, that he would linger more than usual, that he actually seemed to be enjoying himself. She frowns sympathetically, at that thought.

"...I'm sorry. I don't know..." Jacqueline admits. "There... probably isn't anything exactly like it, but... maybe we'll find somewhere similar, in our travels." 

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

"He is that," Eleanor answers Citan pleasantly. Buuuut... "I'm--sure some people call him that!" Eleanor supplies for Fei, very expressive about the fact that she is now worried about Fei, with widened eyes and a hopeful tilt to her voice. "Ah, and in fact, if you want to see him, then perhaps you should drop by the bakery he works at in his off time!"

Eleanor is delighted by 'kweh' though. She beams.

"Oh..." Eleanor looks to Ethius, and the distress that doesn't show in him is mirrored by a sadness that does. Eleanor is sure she can feel something there. "I don't," she admits reluctantly, looking to Jay agin for a mment, and back to Ethius. "I know you were very concerned about Guadosalam, before. If you can explain what draws you to it, maybe there is such a place elsewhere." Jay of course can say more; they travel together. But even so... 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

A rather resilient young man.

"Kweh." The chocobo says, emulating social anxiety.

"Oh-oh... Maybe I shouldn't use Ash either, I don't really super know him well either. I just sort of--did it on my own. Am I being too friendly?" He starts sweating faintly. "I don't even know if he actually likes me...! I mean he's a nice guy, I'm sure, but if he's kind of grumpy at me I'd totally get it. Maybe he just wants me to stick to Ashley."

What if he doesn't like the nickname??? IN GENERAL??

Fei sees Eleanor looking worriedd about him and now he's worried about Eleanor being worried about him. "Ah---well... Yeah!! I c-could do that. If ... Wait, does he have a bakery on the moon too?"

His eyes widen... IN HORROR? 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    There is, in-between concern for the well-being of Ashley which Ethius struggles to find emotional bandwidth to comment on, confusion about what the hell he's even asking. A part of him seems as through struggling to consider if it's a 'should' or 'can' that he can elucidate upon, and historically that has often ended up on the side of 'does not clarify, continues doing what he's doing like a badly behaved cat.'
     "...It's... familiar," is his answer to Eleanor and Citan alike. Familiar, but the Guado Guardians who were standing sentry where they all approached said it plainly. He's not from there, he's not of them. Why does he care specifically about that place?
     Jay offers, optimistically, the idea that they'll find 'somewhere similar.' Does such a place exist anywhere else in the two worlds? "I... I would like that." He still hasn't opened his eyes. He hasn't faced any of them. He can be seen taking in a breath.
     He is remarkably good at hiding even the most minute movements of breathing like few else. Here, he's seen doing it. Emotionally, loosened.
     'Am I being too friendly?' Fei asks, as if he's being too forward as regards a man with his own inner demon (singular) to deal with.
     As if it were echoing with the firm, unflinching rebuke he received for having gone through what he did just for the sake of seeing to the health and well-being of a place on Spira that has given very little true warmth to anyone, at all.
     "...Should I be here?" It's not 'we.' 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Oh no! Fei's looking worried!

"It can be a little scary, but sometimes... the only thing you can do is ask." Jacqueline comments. "Get to know him better, you know?"

Remedy, meanwhile, paces over to Fei's chocobo, emitting 'kweh's of concern.

And then, Ethius... he says Guadosalam is 'familiar'. Jacqueline frowns consideringly. Did Guadosalam - or a place like it - have a connection to Ethius's lost memories...?

"Hm... is it the fact that it's one big network of roots? Or maybe it's the general...swampy, foresty feel... Or, maybe it's just the general closeness to nature..." Jacqueline says, trying to pick apart Guadosalam's qualities. As she's trying to consider that, though, Ethius asks a question that gets her attention.

Should he be here? She notes the specificity of it, and frowns.

"...Ethius..." Jacqueline murmurs. She massages the back of her neck. "...I... don't really know what happened to make you feel this way, but... I'm glad you're here with us. Don't forget that, okay?" 

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

Kweh...

"I just call him Ashley. But I doubt he'd be offended. As Jay says, you could ask him." If he likes Fei... "I'm sure he doesn't dislike you," which isn't exactly the same thing, "But--Ah--" Pause. "N-no," Eleanor answers, glancing away. "Sorry to have implied that. Only the one in Meria, the Irington bakery."

No moon bakeries for them!

"Familiar," Eleanor answers of Ethius, though, thoughtful. Ethius would like it, if they found somewhere similar. But Ethius... He asks that question, and Eleanor looks to him in--not so much worry as care. "Ah..."

Eleanor glances to Jay, and then approaches slightly closer to Ethius's position--still maintaining distance, but closing the gap partway. "Ethius," she says. "...I believe that right now... Yes. We're where we should be, you included. There are many things that are difficult, but... we're on track to a future I believe in."

"So yes, I believe you should be here, right now." 

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei looks to Ethius. "Huh?"

He looks at Ethius for a long moment. Should he be here? ... ... ... "Are you okay, man?" Fei asks instead of answering. "You can be where you want to be."

Wait WAS it Ethius feeling like they didn't want him around?? It's weird to think of Ethius having that kind of anxiety. He usually just kind of does everything he wants to do regardless of the circumstances isn't he?

It's really hard for him to get a read on a quiet guy like this. It's not like Rudy quiet either. He realizes in this moment Ethius even kind of stammered for a moment there.

"...You want to...talk about feelings, Ethius?"

His chocobo waddles up to Ethius.

It nuzzles an Ethius.

Remedy kwehs at the chocobo. It kwehs back. It's still kind of a mopey chocobo though.

"Oh," Fei says. "Might be a while before I can go to a bakery with him. But you know...eating his food... seems like a really good icebreaker."

FEI

WEAKNESSES: REALLY LIKES EATING STUFF.. 

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Jay runs down the ideas as to what qualities of Guadosalam must be 'familiar.' A lot of the suggestions come up about its traits. Traits of a place far removed from the decaying lands of Filgaia - of a place that not even the vibrant, lush continents of the more familiar parts of Lunar can boast a likeness to. Something far removed even from the overgrown forests of failed or abandoned bioengineering laboratories. Something about the place, distinctive unto itself that he calls as 'familiar.'
     He doesn't say anything to confirm or deny the thoughts on the matter.
     Eleanor and a chocob come up closer. The latter gets a reaction from the nuzzling. A startling, where he pulls his bandanna a bit higher up his face but doesn't jerk too far to one side because he's close to a cliff, after all. The smell of the concerned chocobo, alone, has his eyes jolt right open but it lacks that unceasing stare quality to it.
     'I'm glad you're here with us.'
     'We're where we should be, you included..'
     'You can be where you want to be.'
     ...It is never... want.
     "...I cannot answer that with confidence," he responds in something like Fei's direction, but there's a chocobo nuzzling him so making proper eye contact, if he actually wanted to, is kind of hard!!
     I am here to destroy. This concept is clear. It has been clear since we directly engaged Mother.
     "...The metric for belief, that's..." He's not looking in Eleanor's way, this one's not the chocobo's fault this time.
     I cannot shake the feeling. There is that feeling. I have taken something by proxy. By being. I am here to destroy. Yet, I cannot escape the thought I have brought harm. I do not know how. Was it Guadosalam? Yet everything suggests it cannot be there.
     He lingers silently on what Jay said about being glad he's here with them, and at that point he looks to the sunset.
     ...Am I taking away their sunset by being here? I do not like eyes upon me. It is a breathtaking sight. The color gradients I am seeing now... I would rather they look at that.
     "...My feelings are..." He can't finish the sentence. He can't put his hand to his forehead.
     I am here to destroy. The future, their happiness, as it pertains to that... that is...
     "...I... appreciate the cooperation in your concern as it pertains to--" now he's starting to blend stock sentence fragments. Maybe he is a robot.
     "..."
     The odd man steps away from the nuzzling chocobo. "...Please do not allow my presence to keep you from the view. I... would like to not describe it for you in retrospect."
     That sun's gonna disappear real quick! 

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline notes the way Ethius is startled by the chocobo. She listens, though, as he speaks. As he can't quite put together a sentence. And she considers that, as well as his comments on the sunset.

"You know... sunsets really are quite beautiful. But, do you know what makes them even better?" Jacqueline asks, looking directly at him. "...Enjoying them with other people. So... let's enjoy this one together, okay? All of us - you included."

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