2021-02-02: Salty and Sweet, Good to Eat

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  • Log: Salty and Sweet, Good to Eat
  • Cast: Gwen Whitlock, Dean Stark
  • Where: The Thames
  • Date: February 02, 2021
  • Summary: Dean checks in on Gwen, having heard of recent events. He also brings chocolate-covered bacon, which cures all woe as far as he and Gwen are concerned.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    It seemed like Gwen had come out in one piece on the other end of it all. She was, as Hiro (and likely Ruby) had wondered and hoped, still there, after the fires had left her. Whole, even, with raw new skin showing an angry pink as the charcoal 'skin' began to flake off as she was being moved.

    It was like she was reborn, a seed that sprouted, after the fires had ravaged the forest.

    Things could never be as simple as that. The fires, now with no master to claim them, still smoldered in the warehouse, The true thief that stole Gwen's flame still roamed, leaving his regards with the friends he had spirited away, and the Guard was minutes away from discovering them all, wounded and likely unable to put up much resistance if they were found. Ida was still out there somewhere, her condition unknown.

    Which led them all to here, as Citan suggested, either using their Gears, or Gwen's own, or other means of travel to move quickly enough. The Thames was not on the level of some cities in Aquvy, but it made up for it in there being goods, supplies, and rumors in ample supply. A weary group of Drifters bringing in a young woman in need of a place to heal and rest would be welcomed, with no questions. And Gwen, having fallen unconscious, was hardly in any state to suggest anything otherwise, if she even wanted to.

    A few days later, and the stakes of Gwen's condition are better known. While her body was there, in the same state as before, her body's hair and nails were not. Her temperature was back to normal, but her strength wasn't. Her mood, subdued.

     It didn't stop her from leaving and wandering the Thames, usually with the notion that she wasn't able to move all that far, if at all, before exhaustion claimed her.

    But each day, she seemed to find a way to get a little further, as if restless. Anxious.

    Donations of clean but ill-fitting clothing have made her look like a wayward crewmember of the Thames's staff, from the striped bandanna protecting the fine new growth of hair on her head, to the linen shirt and trousers that was not exactly made with her body in mind, but adjustable enough that it works.

    Today, she's--

    "... I don't get how this game works..."

    --Panting by the large set of cards, as her opponent, a red-faced Beastfolk type, laughs heartily. "Y.... yeah.... Y'win... Gonna... sit over there... Thanks for tryin'... t'teach me..."

     "ANYTIME!"

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    Dean only heard of what had happened after the fact. He doesn't feel bad about that; you can't be at all places at all times, and sometimes bad things happen in places where you aren't. That's why there's so many Drifters around! So that people can be all over the place and run to people's aids wherever they happen to be at that time. Dean's sure there's been lots of emergencies that he helped out at that others weren't able to make, either. So he feels relieved, guilt-free, that Gwen was rescued. The important thing is that she *was* rescued, not who did the rescuing, after all!
    
    But that doesn't change the fact that Gwen went through a harrowing experience and he only kind of noticed, and sure as heck didn't realize the full extent of what was going on. Dean *does* feel a bit bad about that. So, after visiting Ida and finding out where Gwen even is in the first place, Dean's gotten her a nice present and made his way to the medbay on the Thames. Before he gets there, a friendly beastfolk who recognizes Dean from his many previous visits stops him and tells him where she's *actually* at right now. And so:
    
    *knock knock knock*
    
    "Hi! Gwen, you in there?" Dean's voice calls from the other side of the door. "I'm coming in! And I brought you a present!" The door creaks open, and-- "Oh!" he utters, seeing the other beastfolk. "Sorry, didn't know she had company already! Should I come back later?"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    "Oh, Dean? Come in."

    The door opens to a slouching Gwen on the cot, a grandfatherly-looking salty beastfolk straightening up to look towards Dean, giving the Drifter a hearty wave.

    "AYE, YEAH, I WAS MAKIN' SURE SHE GOT BACK TO HER ROOM AFTER PLAYIN' SPEED WID ME, HARHAR! TIS' GOOD T'SEE HER COME OUT N' PLAY SOME CARDS IN THE FRESH OCEAN AIR!" His muzzle's nostrils expand, and he pats his belly with two meaty hands. "WHY, TIS TH'REASON FOR MY LONG, LOUD LIFE, HARHARHAR!"

    There is no context as to what Speed is, or why Gwen is so tired from it from a simple card game or two.

    But if Dean didn't know already, he'd definitely know soon enough, as the Beastfolk adds, "YOU LOOK LIKE YOU HAVE THE STUFF TO BE A TRUE SPEED CHAMP, YOU SHOULD GO UP TO THE DECK SOMETIME N' LEARN IT! HARHARHAR!"

    He scoots aside to let Dean in, before tipping his hat (which seems a bit too tiny for his frame) and squishing his brick wall of a frame outside into the hallway.

    ".... Thanks for comin' by, Dean." Gwen's face seems the same as always, betraying no damage of any of the events that happened before, regardless of what Dean heard. But the light in her eyes and the enthusiastic tone she usually bears like a colorful scarf is not here, leaving the young woman a more subdued version of her usual self. "... Ain't sure if what you heard, but do you know anything about Ida? Or anything about Luca? I dunno if you've been by that area, n'..." She rubs her face. "Sorry, got ahead of myself. How are you n' your friends doing? Rebecca and Avril doin' okay?"

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    Some people might be put off by a big salty beastfolk screaming in their faces and slapping their own bellies! Dean, who is a weirdo by human standards, just grins and gives the beastfolk a thumb's-up. "Cool! I'm glad you could keep her entertained! I know it's always really tough for me to just sit around recovering! You'll have to teach me how to play Speed too sometime, mister!"
    
    Which is good, because then he gets offered to get taught Speed. Dean lights up. "Really?! That's so cool! I'll definitely do that, thanks!"
    
    The two swap spots in the small room, which involves a lot of scooting and sucking in tummies and flattening oneself on the wall. Fortunately, Dean is tiny and also *janked*, so before long he's in with Gwen. He grabs a seat for each of them and, once Gwen's sat down, sits across from her. It's a good thing he visited Ida first, because this way he has news for her.
    
    "Yeah, I actually came here from Luca," he replies. "The town looks like... well, it's seen better days, but that's been true for a while, ever since the Guard took over." He scratches his head. "Ida's okay. She got taken over by that Hyadean her arm used to belong to? It's a little confusing, but he doesn't seem like a bad guy. He was just scared and confused, and once he started getting a grasp of what was going on, he wasn't so hostile, just curious. Ida herself's back now." He smiles and gives Gwen a nod. "She was happy to know you're in one piece."
    
    As for him and Rebecca and Avril, he nods at that too. "Yeah! We're all hanging in there. I'm sure Rebecca and Avril will come by sometime to see you too, or send you some flowers or something." You know, whatever people send sick people while they're recovering. "Oh! Which reminds me, lemme give you this!" He reaches into his jacket and pulls out a long stick of... something. There's a little parchment tied over the head, so it's hard to tell what it is immediately, but it looks like some kind of snacky thing. There's a fistful of them, actually--most for Gwen, but one for Dean. He unties the parchment paper and pulls it off to reveal that on this stick is skewered a MASSIVE slab of chocolate-covered bacon. "It's really good!" he enthuses before taking a big old bite of his. Around that chewy, crispy mouthful, he adds, "Giff it a try!"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    The salty old Beastman seeme dto bring with him is own sort of cheer, and the moment he leaves, the courier's slumps further, as if she was holding a breath that entire time. "... The people on this boat... larger than life, y'know?" she offers Dean, with a wan grin.

    The room is tiny, but Gwen's situation could hardly call for more space than this before it got unneccesary. An IV pole sits toi the side, having been used when she first arrived, most likely, and a dogmarked secondhand book sits on a table next to her cot, titled 'Guild Galad: City of Industry!', with the exclamation point being a part of the title. A few corn husks that looked to be used for food wrappers stick out of the corners of a closed trashcan, and a small wash basin sits in the corner, with some worn but clean towels, as well as a scratched mirror. A brown blanket, scratchy but warm, sits at the corner of her cot, as well as a small pillow.

    Dean's presence, once he begins to speak, seems to bring Gwen back, irregardless of the news he brings of Luca's status. "... I'm glad people got there in time to minimize the damage. I wanna help with the efforts t'take it back but, like, I'm afraid something bad'd happen if I do. But, like..." She trails off her thoiughts still unfinished on the matter, far more interested in what Dean has to say about Ida. "She's okay?!" She immediately sits up. "She got taken over..." She slumps again. "But she's back. Thank goodness. I guess it makes sense, with how her eyes changed. I've seen it happen halfway before, n' with the Stranger's influence bein' there, it was chaos."

    Flowers. Gwen smiles uneasily, but recovers quickly, moving pass the memories of blooming flames and ice. "I'd like that. T'see them, I mean. But I'm glad you're here too, Dean. It was just... Guardians, this whole deal was a mess..." Dean's offer distracts her, the freckled courier's marked brows raising. "Yeah? Oh man, Dean, y'didn't have to--"

    Oh HE DID HAVE TO. Blue-grey eyes widen and twinkle with delight. "Omigosh, Dean, where'd you get these?!" She's already unwrapping hers, taking a bite and settling back, so carelessly happy you'd swear flowers popped up behind her in that moment. "Man, these are _so good_, you're so right!"

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    "Yeah, for sure!" Dean enthuses of the beastfolk, not realizing that maybe Gwen's *lack* of enthusiasm has a cause other than overall exhaustion from her recent experience. As for the room, it might be small, but it's clean, and it's... private? Probably? Yeah Dean would get stir-crazy in here too for sure.
    
    His cheer does fade some when the topic turns to Luca. He nods, a second time more sharply when Gwen reacts to Ida. "So what exactly happened with you?" he wonders. "I'd noticed that you were acting kind of weird lately--Ida said so, too. But I didn't realize anything was *wrong*. You were just kind of... a little *more* than usual? It didn't seem like it was a bad thing, so I didn't think too much of it..." He sobers at that. Then he shakes his head. "But anyway, yeah. Ida's doing fine and recovering over in Luca. She might've already left by now, even. A lot of folks were taking care of her still when I left to come see you."
    
    Well, left to check in on Fei, and *then* left to see Gwen. Either way! A stop-off for treats definitely happened. He's just glad that his pick was such a hit. He grins broadly as she digs in. "A traveling vendor was selling them on the docks! They smelled so good, I just had to get a bunch! I was sure you'd like 'em, and I'm glad I was right!"
    
    He takes another bite and chews happily, a garden of flowers blooming over his own heat. The bittersweetness of the chocolate mixed with the salty savoriness of the bacon...! It truly is a delight.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    'So what exactly happened with you?'

    "Well, it was..." Gwen closes her eyes, thinking back. "Yeah, that's right, you n' Avril were there when it began, actually. Did I really seem that weird?" She lets out a hoarse chuckle. "Hopefully I didn't alarm you or anythin'. But yeah, I absorbed a piece of Setanta's power, n' everything seemed okay for a while, but it turned out, the only reason it was due to the Stranger." She scratches the bandanna, frowning as her fingers don't touch the familiar weight of her short curls. "He's this guy, who... he wants something that few people could give him. And I was one of those people. He needed me to hold onto that ember of the Primarch, so he could steal it. But not before I used it once or twice for his purposes."

    Her lips thin. "In the end, I thought... I could maybe make it happen. When I saw what happened to you, n' everybody, when we fought last fought Volsung? I realized that even at by best, I wasn't enough to fight someone like him. N' the worst part was, that wasn't even my best. I couldn't even control what I had. N' I fooled myself into thinkin' I could control this. But I didn't, n' all the Stranger needed to do was pull the pin. I was a walkin' grenade."

    She could've been the one who slammed Dean into the ground the next time they met, not Volsung.

    "But seriously, don't think badly on yourself over it, Dean. You came, right? That meant you felt enough at the time to know somethin' was bad when you got the news. N' Ida's case... I ain't sure I'd want someone like Avril there. If Ida was affected, I know that Avril has her moments too, like I do. With her powers n' all. I'd hate for the Stranger to see her and get interested in her as well."

    But the Stranger is her ally, a part of her says.

    But the Stranger is her enemy, a part of her says.

    She drifts, looking at her half-eaten candy bacon.

    "Honestly, I would've taken anything you would've given me," she admits. "The people who've been comin' out of their way to see me, or see other people affected by all this. I feel... happy, y'know? But a little sad, too. Setanta... they weren't a bad person. They just were what they were. They probably don't even realize anything happened, except..." Her painted eyebrows lower, furrowing. "... Guardians, Setanta probably thinks I abandoned them. I gotta go see them, but..."

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    "Not *that* weird. It was only recently that I noticed," Dean admitted. "Was it really as far back as that, that it started? Geez... I practically didn't notice at all, then. I never even knew you absorbed some of Setanta's power. I never would've guessed someone could even do that." He frowns at the thought. Rebecca would definitely be giving him heck for being dense if she were here right now.
    
    But then the Stranger comes up. "Lily talked about him! She said she tried to kill him a bunch of times but he keeps coming back." Dean's frown deepens, but he only nods as Gwen explained what he did--how she tried to use that power for herself after seeing Volsung. He definitely gets how she feels; that's part of why he accepted Boudicca's offer to become one of her Seers. Protecting the people you care about requires power. It's just that power's not *all* that's required. "That sounds horrible. I'm glad you're free now, but up until then... I can't even imagine it. I'm sorry I didn't notice sooner, Gwen."
    
    The Stranger getting interested in Avril sounds like a *terrible* time! Dean's super glad she definitely hasn't run into him at any point or whatever. That would be awful. At least there's still chocolate-covered bacon. (Bacon is already candy. Meat candy. Candy bacon is redundant.)
    
    Gwen sounds sorry for Setanta, though. Dean takes another bite of his stick, slower and more thoughtful this time. He remembers his trek through the place too... those echoes of how upset they were about losing their human friend. Eventually, he swallows and nods. "Yeah," he says subdued. Then he perks. "Hey! If you're worried about them, why don't I come with you? That way, if anything happens, you won't be all by yourself!"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    Dean comments that he didn't notice, and Gwen shakes her head. "Honestly, I wouldn't blame you. It was right in the middle of it all. Setanta was bearin' down on us all, n' we had to fight just to survive. It was why I made my d-- my peace with the Stranger, n' he took away the parts of me that held back." Her head hands, flushing pink with embarrassment. "It wasn't that I didn't have faith we wouldn't make it through, but with Ida there, and us, all tired by the fight moments before, I didn't want to imagine the cost of me being unable to do anything in my state. I was still recoverin' from using the powers of my ARM, so to use them again was just plain bad news. But I did. And I got hungry. N' my ARM... well, it converts the energy of things to things I need. A medium, a machine, a Primarch. It was... like punchin' into a geyser. A geyser of fire."

    Her eyes go glassy as she looks at her stick of delicious food. "... It was... I wanted so much more of it, right then, like a good, stiff drink that knocked you off your stool, but you wanted to taste it again..." She blushes, suddenly jerking upright. "That's just a story of course, eheh, you're waaaayyy not the right age for thinkin' stuff like that!!"

    this is not something for dean to hear, he does not need to drink

    Dean apologizes, and Gwen looks up, confused.

    She raises her right hand to pat on Dean's head and, if he doesn't seem to object, ruffle his hair gently, a fond grin on her face. "Sounds like you already tried to, Dean. You always think with your heart first, your head later, but that's what makes you a different sorta Drifter. The sort the world needs." Her hand has dropped away by now. "Hope that didn't sound all too grand n' such, but... I really feel it, y'know? I wonder... if that's why Volsung acted the way that he did, to you, back then."

    Dean's enthusiasm is a powerful force indeed, for when he makes that offer, Gwen seems to seriously consider it, before other concerns filter through. "But you remember how they were when they got unsealed, right? It could be a repeat of that. When I met Setanta, it was in my dreams, and under the Stranger's influence, I didn't feel fear. Right now... I'd be scared out of my wits. Just..." Her eyes squeeze shut, banishing away the memory of burning petals and shimmering fumes floating in the air. Of the way she felt, painful and glorious, a thorned branch of infernal blooms.

    Kind of like chocolate-covered bacon, except less delicious.
    

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    "It *was* a pretty hectic battle," Dean admits. "If you'd asked me about most things that went on that fight, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell you. Setanta was real strong... I couldn't really pay attention to much more than them." So it does make him feel a little better that he didn't notice. He wasn't being dense or neglectful, there was just a lot going on! ...He does still feel bad that Gwen had to bear up under that stress for so long, though.
    
    He does furrow his brows in confusion, though. A sharper person--like, say, Ragnell--would definitely have caught that word Gwen changes to 'peace' at the last second, but Dean is a blessedly straightforward person. As such, confused, he asks, "Wait--but was that Stranger guy at that fight too? I'm *sure* he wasn't. I'm *sure* I'd have noticed a creep like *that*." A beat. "I'm pretty sure," he adds, a little uncertain. He shakes his head. "Was that after the fight with Setanta that that jerk did whatever he did to you? Or--before? Or..." He scratches his head. "I don't get it."
    
    How she got Setanta's power in the first place makes sense now, at least. If they're a Primarch, then of course Gwen could just convert their energy into power. (Dean does not stop to consider that he doesn't actually know what a Primarch *is*.)
    
    As for drinks, EXCUSE YOU GWEN BUT DEAN WILL BE TWENTY AND LEGALLY ABLE TO DRINK IN HALF A YEAR. ...all the same, Dean, who doesn't drink, just gives her a confused look at that analogy, which probably absolutely doesn't help her perception of an innocent youngster. He's still pretty short, too...
    
    Not to mention how he grins when she tousles his hair. He certainly doesn't mind it and actually quite enjoys the physical affeection. "Hehe, thanks! Rebecca's always giving me grief over that, but... actually, lately she hasn't been, but still..." His expression turns thoughtful when Volsung comes up. "I don't know," he admits. "But I'd like to learn."
    
    It could be a repeat of when they got unsealed. "It's possible. But he's spent some time with you, right? In your body?" He's guessing, really, but if Gwen consumed part of it, it'd make sense. Heck, if it could happen with Ida and Fafnir, it could totally happen with Gwen and Setanta. "So it won't be the same! And it's okay if you're scared. I'll be brave enough for both of us!" He nods firmly as he smiles brightly. A moment later, he sobers. "But it wouldn't be a bad idea to have an escape plan in case you're right. Maybe we can get Avril and Rebecca to help out with that."
    
    Would you look at that? He *does* learn.

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    "Well, I mean, I had t'think about it before I remembered you were there, n' I bet I'd still be sayin' that even if I wasn't zippin' around on the power of my ARM." Gwen waves a metal finger as she speaks, before letting it drop to her side. "I say y'did the right thing. It wasn't like you could've stopped me. When my ARM needs energy, it's like stoppin' me from eating these right in front of me." As if just now remembering the delicious snack in her hand, she finishes it, plucking another from her share of the skewered chocolate-y bacon. "Well, more like, it's... it's like being thirsty in a desert, and seeing an oasis, n' if you don't go there *right now*, you'd faint, and that'd be the end of you. That's where I was."

    "It happened in the space of a second, right here." She touches a finger to her head, tapping it there twice. "That's why Lily couldn't end 'im. He doesn't work on the same level we do. He's just nice enough to bring you to 'im. But when he does, you're in his world, his rules, his logic. And the longer you stay there, the longer you reason with 'im, the more you understand him, n' that's where things get... dodgy. I don't think my place in his plans is over. He's still there." And a part of her is glad. And a part of her, is scared.

    "So it was right when Setanta entered. The Stranger was never there t'begin with. I used t'call him the Blue-Eyed Assassin, so... yeah." The cognitive dissonance grips at her as she assembles these parts in front of Dean, who takes it in so earnestly, with a straight-forward manner that puts her own usual enthusiasm to shame, in her opinion. "That's how he works. N' that's why I never want you to meet him."

    As Dean looks confused at her analogy with alcohol, Gwen grits her teeth with the sudden, urgent need to just squeeze his cheeks. _She.... must.... protect.... him....._

    Do Rebecca or Avril ever feel like this? Likely not Rebecca, but _definitely_ not Avril, as much as the mental image amuses Gwen.

    He'd like to learn.

    Her gaze softens. If he feels this way about Volsung, does that mean that same level of heart exists within her?

    "Then I guess, you understand. Because that's what I felt, about Setanta. They're a different type of person than Volsung. Oddly, I'd argue they're a lot more human in their emotions than Volsung, but their anger is strong, too. But their loneliness is even moreso."

    Of course, Dean would say that. "No, Setanta didn't. I think... it's like taking an ember from a fire. We had a connection, and I was able to talk to him in my dreams, but they didn't say anything about seeing what I saw. But in my dreams, even if they attacked me when I got angry, it didn't hurt me. I ain't sure if they'd... understand that. Or if they'd see me for me."

    That bright smile, and the offer of Rebecca and Avril being there. ".... Dean...." It's hard, being so happy, and yet so scared, right in front of a young man that you had the strongest complusion to _protect_ just moments before. "Damn it..." She's tearing up, her cheeks flushing. "... You know I can't refuse that. But make sure your friends are okay with that. I got no guarantee how Setanta will react. They're older than any of us, and I can't remember if they reacted in any hard way to Avril, so you might wanna just... uh, see." She sniffs, rubbing her eyes and biting off another section of the chocolate-covered bacon. "... It's the salt," she says, with the wavering voice. "It really does make the sweet part sweeter."

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    "Oh, I see," Dean says, nodding at Gwen's oasis analogy. He can definitely get that. As much as he gets not eating these delicious treats when they're right there in front of them! It's going to be hard when he finishes his and there's a bunch left but they're all for Gwen... ... ...m-maybe she'll be understanding and want to share.
    
    Gwen *attempts* to explain the Stranger. It frankly all goes over Dean's head. "So he was, like... there, but not there?" he says utterly confused. "Uh... if you say so, Gwen." He's sure she understands better than he does, having actually experienced it. As it stands, when she says that the Stranger's still here, and a breath later says he was never there to begin with, his eyes start swirling for a moment. All he can really do is trust her judgment. "O-okay... I'll try to avoid him, if I can."
    
    Fortunately, Setanta is also a topic, and for a primordial being of fire, they seem like someone much more comprehensible to Dean. At the very least, he gets anger and loneliness. Ida felt so much of it when she was a Hellion, and Id still feels a lot of it... as does Volsung. Yeah, this is definitely much more solid ground for Dean. He's not the type to tend towards anger or loneliness himself, but he can recognize it in others. It sounds like Setanta's time in Gwen's consciousness is more abstract than he initially figured, though.
    
    "Oh... Hmm. But even so, your hearts were connected, right?" Dean nods firmly. "Even if they don't recognize you at first, I'm sure if you get the chance to talk, they will. You've just got to give them a chance." He gives her a lopsided smile. "With an escape plan built in. Just in case."
    
    Ignorant of Gwen's brief but intense desire to squeeze his cheeks like he's a little boy and not half a year from legal adulthood, Dean nonetheless panics at the shimmer of tears in Gwen's eyes. "W-we don't have to do that if you'd be too scared! Please don't cry, Gwen!" he yelps, holding his hands up as his blue eyes widen. But then she says she can't refuse and rubs her eyes. Dean calms, seeing Gwen calm down too, and nods. "Yeah, of course. We can see what Rebecca and Avril think first, and then do what we can from there."
    
    She returns to her snack. He grins. "It really is delicious, huh?" he enthuses, her implications also going over her head. "They're all for you, so eat as many as you want!" ... "...b-but if you wouldn't mind sharing one more, I wouldn't say no!!"

<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.

    Gwen tries to explain. And Dean tries to understand. Neither succeeds.

    And Gwen does not know when to give up. "Well, okay, so... think of it like a dream crossed with a day-dream. Like, when you have a dream and you think only a certain amount of time's passed, but it turns out only a little bit of time's passed, or maybe a lot of time. But in a dream, you weren't able to tell. Like... uh... Wanting to sleep for five more minutes, and it falling by in a blink of an eye. Only, I wasn't asleep, so it was like a day-dream, instead."

    It's explaining Setanta that Dean seems to understand, to Gwen's surprise. "I wonder.... where our hearts connected...? They did pass on to me different dreams. Bad ones, at first, but when we met, and I offered to be their friend, they were good ones. I think." Listening, nestled into the beating heart of the ley lines, hearing its stuttering beat like that of her own, as a sick child, gasping for breath in those terrible days before her surgery. To hear it and feel it, and *understand* what the stakes may feel like, for someone who is connected so closely to it.

    And how one friendship could never be enough to convince something like a Primarch to not raze all intelligent life to the ground if it meant a chance at governing Filgaia to a better age.

    She passes a hand over her heart, still its mechanical self, still beating its own rhythm. "... You think so? I wish I knew, Dean. I saw things, and I wondered, if all the friendships in the world would be enough to make them consider a world with us in it, if that meant losing the slightest chance at a healthy Filgaia." She frowns. "I guess, when you think 'bout it, it ain't too dissimilar to what Volsung is like, except I don't think the Veruni have any notions of just wipin' us all out."

    "But I guess it'd be bad to leave Setanta in the dark. Maybe, I'll offer to be their courier. Even if they never seen any letters, I'll find a place, and I'll have that be their way of reachin' the outside world." With an escape plan, just in case, of course. She nods, grinning. "Of course."

    Gwen cries, and Dean, being Dean, panics. "Nonono, it's okay, Dean, I'm just... I'm happy, y'know? But I'm a little scared, too." Gwen sniffs. "Damn it, you're makin' me all hopeful again. But I wanna see Setanta again, and have a proper friendship this time. No embers, no powers. I ain't there to be a part of them, I'm there t'be their friend. N' maybe, we can find a way for them to fit in our world. To coexist. I think, I'd really like that, even if I feel like... maybe, I might be makin' more mistakes. But I wanna hope I'm not, y'know?"

    Seeing Dean hopefully eye her stash of delicious snacks, Gwen offers half of them, holding them out for Dean. "You should have some more!"

<Pose Tracker> Dean Stark has posed.

    That's right, Gwen! You can do anything if you just don't give up!
    
    "Oh, okay...?"
    
    ...some things might require more not-giving-up than others. By the time Dean grasps what Gwen's talking about, he may well have forgotten what they were talking about, though...
    
    At least Setanta is, somehow, more straightforward to his understanding. He sobers when Gwen explains that Setanta might trade the human race for a healthy Filgaia. "They won't have to. Because we're going to make sure Filgaia becomes healthy again," he says firmly. Of course, that's easy to say when you don't have all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle.
    
    Still, it *would* be sad to just leave them all alone and never explain what's going on. "If they don't want to be friends, we can leave! But you're right--it would be awful to let them think you left them all alone on purpose. We have to at least try," he says firmly.
    
    Now that Gwen's gotten her tears under control, it's easier to be that confident. And when she affirms her own feelings on the matter--he offers her a hug. "I know exactly how you feel," he says, and this time he really does.
    
    For the time being, though, there are *delicious meat candies*. He lights up when Gwen graciously offers to share. "Thanks, Gwen! You're the best!!" he gushes as if he hadn't brought them in the first place. And now, it's time for friends to bond over meat!