2022-06-12: Quartly Adventure

• Log: 2022-06-12: Quartly Adventure
• Cast: Marivel Armitage, Eleanor Klein, Riesenlied, Seraph Clarine, Seraph Boudicca, Mariel, Venetia Vuong, Ruth Pauling, Ida Everstead-Rey, Seraph Nimue, Noeline, Ashley Winchester
• Where: The Cape of Breath
• Date: June 12, 2022
• Summary: Marivel Invites some of her adventuring pals to visit Quartly where some old friends of hers reside.

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============================<* The Cape of Breath *>============================

Stretching from the edge of the slowly-spreading northern desert, the Cape of Breath is the lush southern region of Meria Boule. Farmland and livestock take up much of the hilly region, dotted with the estates and castles of Merian nobles, often at the height of elevation, but across temperate land to the west great forests begin, still part of the great resources of the Merian nation. In places the badlands of the north find mirrors here, hotter regions with accordingly sparser populations... where people could move. 

To the farthest south and east are the wide coastlines, each marked with large cities. Only the fortress nature of many estates at the hearts of settlements recalls much of Meria's more warlike history, after the great efforts of the late Queen to ensure peace for all Meria Boule, and the spread of knowledge. Nevertheless, the increasing spread of monsters can make travel without caravan or guards a perilous undertaking indeed.

BGM: Wild Arms 2 - Field ~ Wandering

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

AFTER THE SEALING

At first there is a spark, like a piece of flint cracking against stone. Then, a surge of Darkness until a body pushes itself out of it and drops down, heavily, to the ground. The figure is garbed in thick leathers with a shawl wrapped around her face and covering her head. A pair of goggles protects her eyes and obscures them in turn. Not an inch of skin is visible, A rifle grade ARM is strapped to her back along with a heavy pack filled with supplies and goods. The rifle would be impossible to easily get to with such a setup but it's there for deterrence, not use.

She reaches into her coat and draws out a scanner. She waves it about and then the light at the end dings green.

"It's clear." The woman says. Her name is, of course, Marivel but there's nobody left alive who knows that name far as she knows. There is nobody left to chide her for talking to herself but it's just as well. A habit forged after long periods of semi-isolation tend tos tick. "Clear enough. Activate a Full Seal Containment around..." She gestures with the scanner. "Ehhnn... As much as I'd like to go for more, we don't have time for a full geometric projection. Let's say 100 square kilometers. Not going to be this close to home for a while. Considering circumstances.... Starting with preserving unharmed habitats. Guardians likely too busy sustaining surviving biosphere to account for much assistance so... Hob, bring the package."

The tiny robot ruffled in the bag on Marivel's back and lifted free a sealed glass vial free with its mouth, eventually depositing the container into Marivel's free hand.

"Thank the Guardians for bags of holding or I'd never make any progress," She muttered as she took one seed out and planted it securely under the soil.

She repeated the process a few more times before having Hob replace the container. She reached into another coat pocket, drawing out a radio.

"Revelry. Your turn." Marivel said.

Another portal ripped itself open, this one larger as a large multi-legged golem trotted out of it, head twisting and examining the surroundings.

"How can I help you Mommy??" Revelry asked.

Marivel grimaced. Programming AI was an element she struggled with compared to engineering so she had to steal from Sharon's work since she had no idea if Lumen was still alive or not and she'd probably fuss over making a cute.

Revelry was kind of wiggling from side to side with servile expectation.

...Maybe Sharon also had a degree of cuteness to her work, she thought.

"Keep monsters out of the area. Exterminate any remaining Blazer mutations. Allow the species and subspecies we've outlined in, especially humans but if they try to hurt each other subdue nonlethally. Understood?"

Revelry excitedly bobbed its head.

"Good now play back message 22XX-5."

Revelry considered for a moment then said, "Welcome travelers to INSERT NEW TOWN NAME HERE."

There was no actual town present yet but hopefully if people showed up they'd build one.

"I am Revelry! I'm here to be your friend! This is a radiation free zone,"

Technically inaccurate but it was safe-ish.

"I have supplies for you if you wish to settle here! Revelry will help take care of monsters too so you can focus on happier days ahead! I'm Revelry and I'm your friend! Let's Play!"

"Okay. That oughta do it."

"Okay see you in a few centuries probably." Marivel said and then made her way further inland. She didn't expect to return for a long time.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

NOW

Marivel Armitage has invited you, YES YOU, to come with her during her visit to Quartly, a village near Meria Boule. Marivel is wearing her usual getup of the cap with the ARMsmeister goggles and the blue and white dress with the heart patterned bag across her waist and a vampire cape across her back. Considering the close proximity to Meria Boule, she let everyone arrive as they saw fit and is presently waiting on the outskirts of town near the gate.

"Thank you," She says as people arrive. "I've three people to meet which should take about two stops."She leads the party in. "Just about forty or fifty years ago," Marivel says as if speaking of days. "A meteor struck this town destroying significant chunks of it. Thanks to some forewarning, the townspeople were able to evacuate in time and nobody got hurt. I'm used to the old design so I might get turned around a bit."The town is peaceful enough. Nobody seems to mind the group of travelers entering the village though there is a lot of looking over to the group. Well, looking over to Marivel in particular. Near to the center of the town, various villagers keep coming on over.

"Marivel so good to see you again! And you've brought friends!"
"Ms. Armitage I grew three inches!""You should have told us you were coming, we'd have prepared festivities!"
"It's just a social call," Marivel grimaced. "I wouldn't want to impose that much." But her eyes are already shifting towards the centerpiece of the town.

Where there is a large beautiful fountain with a statue of Revelry as its centerpiece. A plaque reads: 'Our Friend. Let's Play.'

Marivel's face somehow is paler than average. Then as the initial shock fades, a mix of fury, embarrassment, and frustration builds within her. "Jaaaccckkk...." She's blushing but clearly knows who to blame.

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

Eleanor Klein is ONE OF THOSE INVITED and she was happy to go with her friend Marivel for a visit. Besides, she enjoys seeing the villages of Meria, even the ones closer to Meria Boule than her part of the nation. It's still nice! So she is in a lovely orange dress (the fabric came from Besaid) with a darker vest over it, her satchel at her arm and her ARM within it, rather than a weapon openly at her side. Instead she has a rod hanging from her belt, another sign that she is a sorceress.

"I'm so glad that you were able to help them," Eleanor says to Marivel warmly, and then when the villagers all start to greet her...

"This is nice," she says, as she waves back to the villagers. "We adore Marivel. We're very happy to be here."

But then Marivel... looks pale. And embarrassed. And mad? And...

Eleanor looks between Marivel and the statue. "???"

"...Wait. Is that--"

She recognizes the statue after a moment. It just takes her a second because it's not CHASING her.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

    Riesenlied has been a rarer presence these days on account of her health complicating matters, as well as Wayside business taking up all of her time... but it doesn't mean she doesn't have time for an invitation.

    The Hyadean is dressed in her Baskar garments, though today her cute capelet (+1 Confidence) is Crimson Noble-themed because it just felt appropriate. It's black and red! She looks a little less healthy and a bit more wan than before, her breath a bit light, but this is a fun and exciting time for Marivel.

    "Hehehe... the children and villagers certainly adore you," is what Riesenlied focuses on with a delicate smile. She looks up to Noeline and says, "Perhaps we should spend some time here as well by ourselves."

    She looks to Revelry for a moment, but she never visited the Clock Tower on account of it wasn't very accessible for her. "Hmm... hmm..." she bobs her head. "It is very lovely," she concludes.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.

Clarine, of course, readily agreed when Marivel asked her to come along on this trip. She enjoys seeing new places and traveling with friends, and this is a good combination of both! Of course, since most people can't perceive her, it's really more about providing moral support than meeting anyone new. Still!

"I am relieved that the village was safe..." Clarine replies, as Marivel recounts the story. She, of course, doesn't even blink at the mention of 'years'.

They enter the village, and Clarine watches with interest as people flock to Marivel. Clarine giggles good-naturedly at the sight.

"These people seem to look up to you." Clarine observes. Soon enough they reach the center of town, where there is a large fountain, with a statue at its centerpiece. Clarine doesn't recognize the statue right away... but then Eleanor reacts to it.

"Oh!" Clarine gasps in surprise. "I believe you may be correct..."

She nods, then, at Riesenlied's statement.

"It is quite the remarkable rendition..." She agrees.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Boudicca has posed.

    Boudicca is a fey spirit, who goes where she pleases; it just so happens that she absolutely wants to follow along with Marivel's adventures, because she's imprinted on her now, there's no escape.

    Forty or fifty years isn't quite days, to Boudicca, but she can imagine how it would get there.

    "Thank you for having us!" Boudicca says, for anyone who can hear her. If they can see her, she might look a little strange, beside Marivel -- she's six feet tall before the heels and the horns on her helm, and all dressed up in plate armour and green silk trim besides. Even so, she's trailing behind the littlest vampire!

    Until she gets to -- "Oh! Kamui's guard dog..." Boudicca exclaims, recalling the chase through the clock tower. "Um, it was... Revelry, was it not?" She asks, tapping a finger to her lip.

<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.

Mariel has been INVITED. Yes her.

So of course she came, because why wouldn't she?

"I didn't know you had anything to do with Quartly," Mariel says, looking up at the statue. It makes sense to her, of course, but the fountain wasn't done the last time she was here.

Mariel is old enough to remember the meteorite, and well-travelled enough to have actually been to Quartly in the past. Before she became a Drifter, Mariel left her gardens occasionally to tour through towns too small to have their own doctor - but there's a lot of tiny settlements on Filgaia, and she hasn't been making regular stops here. It's been years.

But Mariel hadn't known Marivel then, so this part is new to her, at least.

Mariel is wearing her lighter travelling robe (nobody expects to fight in here) and is carrying a light bag, as well as a wooden staff, still crooked like natural wood rather than smoothed, with roots or branches wrapped around an irregular roundish crystal at the top. It's a little long for her to use as a walking staff but she's made do.

She agrees with Boudicca, "Yes, Revelry." She's only seen her once, but still.

Mariel's lips curl into a slight smile, and her ears perk up. "Didn't you want her recognized?" she asks Marivel. "I think she'd like being remembered." Is she... teasing? Her? MARIEL?

<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.

 
Venetia Vuong has been pleased to accompany her friend Marivel on a social call.

One might fairly ask about Venetia: Isn't she kind of a grouchy Gerta? A sour Sally? A surly Svetlana? Well, Venetia can think back to all the times when Marivel has looked droopy, sorrow-laden, burdened, careworn, lonely, tearful, wounded, and generally DOWN AT THE MOUTH --

-- and if meeting someone she used to know who is ALIVE will cheer her up, Venetia will be glad to facilitate that. For Venetia cares about Marivel Armitage, though she might be loth to admit it.

"A meteor? Interesting... now, when you say a meteor," Venetia says, before FRIENDLY TOWNSFOLK begin to appear. Venetia gives them a somewhat cool expression, arms folding, before they reach the statue and gaze upwards.

"... Huh," Venetia concludes.

She seems authentically surprised and -- perhaps, secretly -- charmed at the sight of this statue; no saucy remark is forthcoming.

<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.

    There's someone else here who isn't all that far off from the gathering group. The silhouette is familiar enough - the combination of a hooded shawl, comically large overcoat made (barely) wearable with judicious amounts of binding mostly hidden under the former, the exposed forearm with the Granasian rosary wrapped around it... and, of course, bearing that large, bayonet-bladed sniper rifle wrapped on her back.
 
     (There isn't the accompanying sensation of that spiritual poison, which is a good thing.)
 
     It's Ruth, whose presence here must be coincidence. She's in the middle of speaking with friendly townsfolk over something or another when everyone approaches. The head within the hood turns upward towards those gathering about the majestic statue erected of someone who is a friend that wants to play, but otherwise doesn't do anything to call attention to herself.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida was invited as well, and came with Boudicca. She's dressed for an early summer stroll--she wears a colorful silk shirt, cream-colored pants, and her trusty enchanted walking boots. She carries a parasol in her right hand, and appears entirely unarmed. (She's not. Devil's Due is melded with the bones of her right forearm, and she can easily compensate for its density.)

    Ida listens attentively as Marivel tells her story, and as folk come out to greet her, she smiles warmly. It feels distinctly strange to see normal people greeting Marivel like an old friend, knowing what she knows of her, but it's not unwelcome. Far from it.

    Several others point out the statue. "...What is that?" Ida says, arching a brow. It's a statue of a robot, obviously, but that in and of itself is remarkable. She glances at Eleanor, expecting an answer.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.

When it comes to going on trips, Nimue has been pretty agreeable historically; today, of course, is no different. Nimue is an easygoing, trip-loving kind of person! "Wow, this is... maybe a little *too* nice," is Nimue's initial assessment. "Uh -- not like too nice as in I'm gonna freak out or I'm afraid there's an evil ghost in someone's bones!" she quickly clarifies, with a slightly self-deprecating laugh. "Just... I expect... different things! From that."

Joking(?) aside, though, Nimue stretches out a bit and forms up at the exact midpoint between Clarine and Eleanor. For the moment, she's still kind of getting her bearings; this is a new village, after all, and Nimue has always been a little prone to paranoia in new places. It's getting better, but...

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

    Noeline pushes Riesenlied forwards at an unhurried, content pace. The wheelchair perhaps looks a little out of place with the rest of her aesthetic - in honour of Marivel's invitation she's pulled out a crimson and black dress she hasn't worn in quite some time, to look every part her own specific version of 'Crimson Noble' - but when part of that look is a bottomless wellspring of confidence she's entirely ready to hold her head high with pride as she helps her beloved along.

    Her gaze slowly scans the town with approval - but her eyes are focused on something just behind it as well, as memories of familiar stories and faded woodcuts resolve into something more real. Under her breath, she softly chuckles at the sight of the statue, and the way in which Marivel responds to it; it's something of a relief to know that the Solitary Crimson Noble hasn't necessarily been quite so solitary throughout all of her time.

    "Honestly, our travels on this side of the world have reminded me why I headed out in this direction in the first place," she grins in response to Riesenlied's comment. "Adlehyde aside, we do seem to have been a lot more lucky when it comes to 'pleasant little places to stay a while' on this side of the world." The light squeeze on her shoulder is clearly a mixture of assent and support.

    There's a pang of homesickness she doesn't expect underneath. Part of her thinks back to Wayside - how will it have changed by the time they make it back there? Will she recognize it - not the new location, of course, but the Wayside-ness? She shakes it away, letting out a faint breath. "I... may have passed through prior to the meteor, but unfortunately not for long enough to remember it."

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Marivel seems more DESTROYED the more and more people recognize the statue. It clearly wasn't here the last time Marivel visited.

"Yeah." She says to Boudicca--and others--"Yeah. That's her playmate. Originally built for radiation cleanup. Hasn't really needed that in a while and Revelry's service to the town ended like four thousand years ago. The only way anybody here'd know about it is if they learned about it at the Castle. And only one person would do this to me."

She glances to Mariel and adds, "After I returned after forging the Promise with Ashley I figured I should do what I could do heal Filgaia to make things easier on him. Of course that didn't stop future apocalypses from breaking everything all over again." She sighs. "Anyway, this area was safe so I had Revelry guard it while I traveled to find survivors and do cleanup. The radiation didn't affect me but I had to be careful of contaminating other areas. Every day was a huge hassle and I don't think Odessa quite knows what they're playing around with."

She shakes her head. "But work is not why I came. I just wanted to meet some old friends of mine I haven't seen for a while because I might not be able to visit for a while."

She does smile at Riesenlied. "I get along well with kids. They're a lot quicker on the uptake than adults. But I helped the townspeople escape the meteor impact a while back so the townspeople have a pretty positive opinion of me. And I know the mayor--"

Mariel teases Marivel and Marivel blushes harder. "Ghhnnn... I just don't want it to bring trouble to the town." That's her excuse and that's what she's sticking with. Her eyes linger on the staff for a moment.

Marivel says, "It didn't hit directly of course or there wouldn't have been anything left but the last mayor did a lot of work to fix up the town after. The current mayor did a lot of work to convince the people of the town to evacuate. They would've thought it was a hoax if not for her. Anyway, as you might expect--someone like her easily won the next mayoral...election."

She trails off because she sees Ruth. She takes in a sharp breath and steadies herself, rolling up her sleeves.

The average resonance of Quartly is not that different from any other town so many of these folks just don't even recognize Nimue is there. Someone outright walks through Clarine while mumbling about groceries.

"I look after this continent as best I can." Is her answer to Noeline speaking about how this side of the world seems more comfy.

One of the older women speaking to Ruth suddenly turns and her eyes widen. And this lady seems to be Resonant enough to notice the Seraphs judging from how she looks over them, giving them looks in turn (and marveling at how someone just walked through one of them). She is wearing a long gown and has blonde hair streaked with long grey streaks.

"Marivel?" The older woman asks.

"Violetta." Marivel says. "Let me guess, you invited her to stay?" She nods once to Ruth.

"Mmhmm, someone taught me a valuable lesson about giving strangers a chance."

Marivel is quiet a moment and then nods, "I understand. But I am going to leave you with a radio in case something happens."

Violetta turns to look to Noeline and smiles at her, noticing the red eyes. "Oh! I thought you were the last of your kind. Who is your friend?"

"Her name's Noeline. She's the other last Crimson Noble." Marivel says. "Violetta, these are my adventuring companions I've made." She gestures to Eleanor. "Eleanor is of House Klein and is a sweet girl, Venetia is an academic and also sweet but she pretends to be sardonic--"

"Ah well I have little experience with those types," Violetta lies. "But I will do my best."

"Nimue is Nimue." Marivel nods to her. "IF you can see her?"

"I can see her. Don't worry, the only 'ghost' that tends to haunt Quartly is Marivel."

"Maybe they'll change that. Boudicca is a dear friend and protector of Filgaia I'm looking after. Ida is her teammate and gives herself a hard time a lot so be gentle. Riesenlied is the savior of the Hyadeans and Clarine is a protector of wayward travelers. And Mariel..."

"We've met." Violetta smiles. "It's good to see you again. Thank you for coming by. Reese was in a lot of pain before you came by but thanks to your treatment he was smiling until the end."

Marivel looks stunned for a moment. "Reese is...How long?"

"Two, three years now. we tried to contact you for the funeral but..."

"...While I was trapped on Lunar," Marivel murmurs. "...Jack?"

"Still kicking." Violetta promises. "Probably in his barn working with his junk again."

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

DESTROYED. Forever???

Marivel might not be able to visit for a while--that stands out to Eleanor. But she listens to her, and the others. Ida's question for her is answered by Marivel, so she just smiles at her and goes 'there you go' with her hands. Eleanor spots Ruth--and she waves to her, because Ruth protected Xiumei and even if she's a monster she's a monster who Eleanor owes a bit, so there is that.

Violetta!

Eleanor smiles and does a brief curtsy when she's introduced. They are all intoduced...

Reese...?

And Jack. Jack, again.

Eleanor smiles at Noeline when she mentions this side of the world being more pleasant--after all, she has a lot of relatives who try to make that the case--but...

"We'd love to meet your friend, Marivel."

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

    There's a lot of people gathered here! Riesenlied waves to Clarine and Boudicca, who she hasn't met in quite some time; Eleanor and Mariel are by now fond friends to her, and she has to be grateful to the former for her help with the Keqili and to the latter for her gardening. They'll have to exchange tips again sometime. Ida gets a warm nod as well, though she senses Devil's Due somewhere... the presence of Fossils is always strong in her heart. She's less familiar with Ruth and Nimue, but they seem charming enough. (It's not like Riesenlied is ever put off by initial appearances.)

    Her answer to Noeline's musing is another hum of her own. "I do not have a penpal around here, so I missed the tale of a meteor crashing... it is fortunate Marivel was there to evacuate the townsfolk."

    "Automated machines to help guard areas to help them prosper..." Riesenlied remarks gently. Maybe that's something she can think about for the future, but she'll need help. She's pretty hopeless with machinery.

    Marivel's comment on children is familiar to her, though. "I know exactly what you mean. Ah, I wish I could bring Janey and Mikaia here today. I think they would enjoy this."

    She does blush a little when she is introduced very loftily, though, and says, "Far from it! It was only because of everybody that we were able to help our people, no less Noeline, Ida, and so many other people here."

    But Noeline is introduced as the other last Crimson Noble, and Riesenlied beams with a soft giggle as she says, "And I am her Crimson Bride." Wow, she's just taken that title onboard entirely, huh?

    ... she looks a bit embarrassed as she says it, though. But she clearly wants to share in the heritage.

<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.

The passage of time is a cruel thing that inexorably steals away the people and things that we love so much. At least until the day that time itself dies.
Ashley Winchester is not... yet properly acquainted with the cruelties of chronology. He is after all a rather young man. At least, he has not yet traveled into the distant past to accomplish whatever it is that first brings him in contact with Marivel. Or... Vice-versa? How will that work? How does that work?

Time.

It's Jeremy Bearimy.

"Boy, that's sure a familiar sight," Ashley says of the giant mechanical thing that has been reproduced in statue form. "If it was made to clean up radiation, can it clean up... other stuff too?" But! His brief reverie is interrupted.

'Reese' has passed. A while ago, it seems. His expression turns downcast. But... At least this 'Jack' guy is still alive, right?

Right.

"And I'm Ashley Winchester," the musketeer introduces himself, "It's a pleasure. Marivel's been a great help to us all, too."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Boudicca has posed.

    Boudicca waves to Riesenlied and Noeline! And to many of the other people who've gathered here, at that. She has many friends here! There's Venetia, and there's Eleanor, and there's Mariel, and of course there's Clarine and Nimue...

    Okay she's just happy to see everyone. Even Ashley!

    "How remarkably clever," Boudicca says, with a smile, on Revelry and her tricks. She may never know... that Revelry also plays fetch. Despite the obvious! "Your fellows can be a little dangerous, but you all work very hard, do you not..?"

    'A little dangerous' is one way to describe all of Marivel's minions Boudicca has met. It's probably one of the kinder ways.

    Speaking of things which are a little dangerous -- she does notice Ruth, and gives Ida a Significant Look, nodding towards her. But... she doesn't seem to be doing any harm, here, right now. Particularly given how Marivel's friend seems to have invited her!

    Boudicca smiles, bowing her head to Violetta, when they're introduced. "Wonderful to meet you," she says, pleasantly.

    Boudicca steps forward, for a moment, to squeeze Marivel's shoulder when Violetta speaks of Reese passing -- though she doesn't linger there too long. Touching ghosts is always a nebulous concept. She can tell that Nimue is feeling a little awkward here, so Boudicca just happens to end up standing between her and Violetta. She's dressed as a tank, it's second nature.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Intellectually, Ida is aware Marivel has been around, in some form, since the end of the Zeboim era. It lives in her brain with other academic facts like the taxonomical classification of pigeons and the difference between igneous and sedimentary rock. Now, though, it's out in the world, as well--and as the others explain the statue, Ida looks up at it with sparkling eyes and a gentle, appreciative smile.

    It helps that Revelry never chased her through a clocktower.

    One of the people talking to Ruth takes an interest in the group. Ida offers Violetta a charming smile; she glances at Ruth, doing a temperature-check on her Malevolence output, and senses... nothing. Palpable relief settles into her heart.

    'Ida is her teammate and gives herself a hard time a lot so be gentle.'

    Now, it is Ida's turn to be DESTROYED. A faint blush rises in her face, and it only gets worse as Riesenlied calls her out as a fellow 'savior of the Hyadeans'. Ida manages a self-depracating little laugh, and glances back at Boudicca. "She's keeping it bottled," Ida manages to say, under her breath. "For now."

<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.

"Statistically speaking, some places have to be positive, or we wouldn't identify their behavior as abnormal," Venetia observes to Nimue, possibly because the earnest sweetness of Revelry's memorial statue is making her antsy. Pfeh! Blegh! CUTENESS AND LIGHT!

Venetia's attention turns from the statue (which isn't moving) to Marivel (who is speaking). She contemplates what she is saying; then she weighs what she knows about radiation (not much) and contemplates what she is saying. "Ah, I see... yes, that would make sense, the weather here wouldn't blow much dust in..."

Venetia then looks at Violetta, to whom she dips in a curtsey. She has a visible black tangle of discontent appear over her head when she is described as 'sweet', but does not seem to object too violently.

"Oh? Congratulations," she says to Riesenlied and Noeline with a firm nod, and then looks up at the statue again... and to think, perhaps, of mortality itself. It is not a topic that Venetia has had much cause to consider, being as she is on the sunny side of thirty still, but there is the open question of her magical researches. Perhaps...

"Jack, eh? A wholesome name," Venetia says. Glancing over to Mariel - who both provided, Venetia estimates, palliative care, and -

Oh yeah.

Venetia side-sidles over towards Mariel. "If you have a moment," she murmurs to her, "something's up - not drastically urgent. Thank you, by the way, for your invitation, despite the....... you know, the..." Venetia hand-wobbles as if to encompass 'all the stuff you find in a dig.'

<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.

"That long ago?" Mariel asks, but her brow furrows. The name - she'll have to ask later, she only knows a much younger Ashley. "I'm glad you were working for Filgaia even then."

Even now it looks strange to Mariel to watch someone walk through a Seraph (in this case, Clarine), because they look so very solid to Mariel's eyes and always have. She tracks the woman for a few moments before her eyes move on.

There are a lot of people here, and Mariel isn't entirely at ease in large crowds - they always feel louder than they are - but at least she knows most of these people. Even if in at least one case she knows them by wanting to stay away from them.

But Mariel does find a smile for Violetta, if a slightly sad one. "I'm glad he didn't get worse again. I'm sorry I couldn't stay, but..." Sometimes what you do is the best you can do, even if you're not happy about it. And indeed she's not entirely happy about it, but even Mariel cannot cure everything and sometimes there is just no more to do.

"...It has been a while since I returned, hasn't it? I meant to come by through this part of the world earlier, but... I ended up travelling with Marivel for a while instead, and some of my other friends." She includes Riese in that, among others. "I'm glad Jack is well."

Addressed by Venetia, Mariel disengages for a moment to do so. "Certainly. And - it was appreciated. I don't spend as much time underground as you do."

<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.

    Ruth gauges the reactions in the way someone deeply wired to distress, pain, and other related emotions does. The sharp breath being taken in, the furtive glances... Eleanor's friendly wave stands out largely for the amount of motion put behind it, and her right hand raises slowly moments after the cutoff for when responding to such a greeting would be awkward.
 
     'You invited her to stay?' 'Mmhmm, someone taught me a valuable lessona bout giving strangers a chance.'
 
     "She was insistent. How could I turn away from such concern and kindness...?" Ruth has a little smile there from under the hood, only a little forced. She sounds like she had to talk herself into accepting the kindness, as she sometimes does. It may have been that morsel of concern that convinced her.
 
     As Ida says, she appears to have kept herself contained, but the pragmatic safeguard on Marivel's front is not missed. Beyond the necessity to acknowledge others' presences, Ruth doesn't make eye contact... but that's normal for her.
 
     "Hm." She clasps her hands together, raising them up to about heart-level. "It doesn't surprise me Violetta has made such good friends."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

    She doesn't doubt that Wayside have already put as many old machines as they can to work. Even if she worries about what it'll look like when she goes back, the sense of pride in the place shines through. "To be honest, it makes me wonder," she notes about the town to her partner, and breaks into a grin. "Maybe I didn't come here after all," she adds. "The one place where I would have been instantly exposed if I tried to boast."

    Noeline's laugh at Marivel's address is a bright, staccato thing - she'd been expecting something of the sort, knowing Marivel's feelings on the matter, but hearing it said out loud to someone else is another thing entirely. She briefly considers going completely over the top, but she's well aware at this point that there's no fooling village matriachs with experience in immortals. Instead, she gently bows her head in recognition.

    "It turns out Marivel will have some company on her path for a while yet," she confirms to Violetta, because she's allowed to be a bit dramatic even before she lets her arms slip around Riesenlied's shoulders in a bit of a show. "And, as Riese says, I have charmed her to my side forevermore." She can't help but let the wry smile slip into something much more genuine as she says that, giving away the game before she adds: "... it's a good town. And it is pleasant to see a part of her past."

    It eventually registers with her just how many Seraphs they have with them. Boudicca gets a tilt of her head in greeting and Clarine a smile. She's less aware of Nimue, but more because she's got practice in knowing when someone needs a moment to themselves. Instead, Noeline hums to herself with amusement at Eleanor's response to her praise, and the sight of Ida barely knowing what to do with herself. Somehow, Noeline reckons she came off as one of the people least thrown around in the wake of Marivel's introductions.

    Her tilt of the head to Venetia is a graceful one, though her smirk is somewhere between 'confident' and 'goofy sap'. "Thank you, though-- well, we've been this way for a while. We're a little infamous," she adds, bare-faced. The mention of a 'Jack' makes her blink away in surprise, but-- it doesn't take long to determine it must be a very different one to the one that rises to her mind first.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.

"... Yeah, see? You get me," Nimue replies to Venetia, with a nod. She's about to go find a place to hide when she notices Boudicca repositioning, and decides... well, even if their mutual stint in prison ages ago eventually turned into snapping at each other at top speed, she can appreciate being tanked for.

She scoots a little closer to Boudicca on reflex, and whispers to her, "I have no idea what's going on and just wanted a place I could steal some eggs to replace all the eggs I ate."

... she ate a lot of eggs. It was a whole metaphor! But also she really just wanted some eggs.

Nimue listens as best she can to the side conversations. ... It's a little much. When it's pointed out that Violetta *can* see Nimue, Nimue gives a slightly cringing wave. "Uh -- hey," she says, grinning awkwardly.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.

"It's alright. I'm certain Marivel wouldn't intentionally bring us to some place dangerous under the guise of a pleasant trip." Clarine says, offering Nimue an encouraging smile. ...She has to pause, though, and soon amends her statement, "...With intent to hurt us."

Marivel is, after all, a bit of a scamp - meant as affectionately as possible.

As they make their way through the village, someone ends up walking right through Clarine. She's... not as used to it as she used to be, but she shrugs it off pretty quickly when someone greets Marivel.

"Ah, a friend of Marivel's... it is a pleasure to meet you." Clarine greets with a polite smile and then a bow, as Marivel introduces her. Her expression becomes a bit sorrowful as conversation turns toward the topic of someone who passed.

"..Ah. I am sorry for your loss..." She murmurs, then looks toward Eleanor.

"Yes, we would be happy to." Clarine agrees.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Violetta smiles and waves at Nimue but seems to let her be, worried about overloading the poor woman.

"Well sure I'd need to replace some parts. Radiation is hard as hell to clean, most anything else is easier." Marivel points out to Ashley. "Anyway, yes. Ashley and I have a pact."

"Like you and Jack," Violette murmurs. She focuses on Ashley for a moment. "Marivel cares about her Promises very dearly, so make sure you stick to yours, okay hon?" She pokes Ashley in the chest.

"He actually completely forgot about the promise," Marivel says, because she needs to be off the hook a little here.

"Oh my gosh." Violetta says. "Well you better go and remember it then!!"

"Don't be confused Venetia. Jack is not a wholesome man. He becomes more of a rascal every year." Marivel quips.

Violetta feels the need to explain further. "Marivel and I met when I was still a young girl. Same with Reese and Jack. Jack broke into her castle."

"So did you I should point out." Marivel faux-grumbles. "Anyway, Noeline knows the story she probably read one of Jack's books. I honestly wish he'd stop making these weird stories about me and my people."

"Oh you love them," Violette shrugs off the complaint. "It's his gift to you."

Boudicca rests a hand on Marivel's shoulder and she brings up her own hand and rests it there for a moment. She mouths the words 'thank you' but doesn't say them out loud. The crowd is a little big and she's embarrassed enough by this but it's important. She doesn't explain why it's important.

For now she keeps it together. She will feel whatever she's going to feel about Reese later. She also holds off on explaining the Promise to Mariel for the time being. For now.

"The kids and I really appreciate it. Jack too." Violetta dips her head to Mariel. "There's something I'd like to give you--and something I'd like to give Marivel too when you have a chance so come by the house later, okay Marivel?" She nods once to Ruth as well, smiling. "Aw, I bet you say that to all the old ladies. Could you look after them for a moment, Ruth? I need to get these groceries back home. If you have a problem I'm sure Marivel will lend her hand even if she complains the whole time. That's just how she is."

She gives Ruth a pat on the arm and starts making her way to her home at the top of the hill.

Marivel considers Ruth. ".... Well," She says. "Yes, I am a little overprotective of this place. Let's see what a little more concern and kindness can do. You should meet Jack. He involved himself in the Celesti Conflict, dropping off supplies for refugees. He's a good guy who has to help people but he's too old for that work now."

She starts making her way thataway. She's relieved Clarine is reassuring Nimue but all the same, Marivel adds, "If it's a bit much, I understand." to Nimue. "Should be less people at the barn."

She's going to start heading thataway.

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

"We already replaced those eggs," Eleanor says to Nimue, and steps closer to her since she notices that hse's a little nervous. Eleanor will tank too...! But she's not as good at it as Boudicca. She will try at least.

But Jack broke into her castle? "Bold," Eleanor reflects. But the books... Aww. "I should see these books," Eleanor thinks.

She does smile at Mariel in particular as she passes by her, but mostly she moves up to the others for a moment.

"It's nice to see you, Ruth," she says, and then Marivel... hmmm. "I'd like to meet him," she says.

She will follow along.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Boudicca has posed.

    "Very well," Boudicca murmurs, to Ida, in turn. They'll have to watch and wait, regarding the Ruth situation.

    Boudicca absolutely took that moment to comfort Marivel, but she doesn't linger on it longer than a moment, because -- it's a big crowd, there's a lot of people, Marivel is already plenty embarrassed. Boudicca, too, would be embarrassed to be so personal in front of so many people.

    "I am not sure that is entirely true," Boudicca asides, to Clarine, "but I am sure any danger presented to us would be in the most jovial spirit." Remember the giant pumpkin, Marivel? REMEMBER THE GIANT PUMPKIN? Boudicca remembers!

    Boudicca whispers back to Nimue, "... eggs? Well, there was a birds' nest on the way, but those eggs are far too important to eat... perhaps there is a chicken coop?" Villages have chicken coops, right? Boudicca is still not entirely clear about how different human settlements work.

    She pauses, for a moment, and explains: "Chickens lay eggs in coops, but humans have designed it in such a way that they are good for eating." Did... did Boudicca REALLY just want to explain something to Nimue for once in her life?! "They are small houses for chickens, often near barns."

    Yeah Boudicca definitely just wanted to explain something to Nimue for once in her life. She's very proud of herself. (She has also given Nimue a reason to go to the barn, if she needs any further excuse. Was this her dastardly plan...?!)

    Boudicca clasps her hands in front of her, her braids flying up a bit in a breeze around her, as she trails behind Marivel. "I should very much like to meet this Jack, I think," she says.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

    Riesenlied's face is softer at the sound of Reese passing. She can only be glad that Mariel was there to ease the pain -- that someone can go out smiling. A part of her wonders, hopes -- that she can do the same, if the worst should come to pass sooner rather than later...

    It doesn't mean she doesn't want to be suppportive, but Boudicca has it -- and she doesn't want to crowd Marivel. Venetia congratulates them, and she chuckles to say, "Well, it is all but official now -- though I would still love a reception sometime."

    Noeline wonders if she did come here, and Riesenlied offers a different viewpoint: "Perhaps because of Marivel, they were simply more enamored with other Crimson Nobles. As far as I know, you were not one to boast emptily without performing deeds, after all."

    There's just a little bit of a flush as Noeline puts a bit of the theatrics on for her as well. As well, a bit of a snicker at Nimue admitting she just wants to steal some eggs.

    Violetta explains their history, and she raises an eyebrow as Marivel points out Jack is the author behind some of the tales of the Crimson Nobles. "Hmm. It is a bit of an honour, is it not, to have your tale be retold by another? Perhaps ours too, one day..."

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ruth's situation is complicated. Denying her positive social contact would only make things worse, as would intrusive monitoring--but as Ida damn well knows, being a Hellion tends to make one's emotions extremely volatile.

    "Promises," Ida murmurs, as the subject of Jack comes up. She glances back at Ashley, flashing a comforting smile as Violetta pokes him in the chest. Then, Marivel reveals just how she came to know this group. "You were Drifters?" she says, turning to Violetta. "Or did you just hear rumors, and decide to investigate? Though honestly, I'm not sure where the line lies--maybe it's just a matter of making the process habit."

    Now, though, she knows the origin story of at least one series of Crimson Noble gella novella. Do any of the "Metal Demon" series have a similar origin...? Maybe something to look into.

    Meanwhile, Boudicca explains farm work! It's quite the intricate process, and honestly underappreciated in some quarters. "Have you ever eaten chicken, Nimue?" she says.

<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.

WOW MARIVEL WAY TO PUT ASHLEY ON THE SPOT.

"Ahahahaha, don't worry ma'am," Ashley answers with a sheepish laugh. "I'll be sure to tell her all about it just as soon as I remember what it was." He does not mention the timeyness or the wimeyness of the situation because...

Honestly, it gives him enough of a headache just passively squatting in his brain most of the time. Actually talking about it and confronting the paracausal nature of his existence is always a harrowing experience on some level.

"Marivel made a pact with this Jack fella too, huh...?" What was that all about? Ashley gives Marivel a long, curious look. Is this one of the reasons they've come all this way? Quartly is... after all, rather near Slayheim. And there's a scant handful of people that want to be anywhere near Slayheim if they can help it, these days. "I can't believe anyone would just break into a vampire's castle like that, though. This Jack guy must have all kinds of stories to tell. I wonder what Marivel was like, back then...?"

If Jack has become more of a rascal as time goes on...

Then has Marivel become more or less of a gremlin with the passage of time?

Was Proto-Marivel, in the days of the Sword Magess, the world's most innocent sugarplum... Or its spiciest cinnamon roll!?

Perhaps... They will find out, one of these days...?

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.

"A rascal... Ah, then it is no wonder the two of you are friends." Clarine jokes. Case in point, Boudicca's aside!

"Yes, that is true." Clarine agrees with a nod. Clarine also remembers this.

"That is quite remarkable." Clarine agrees, as Ashley mentions Jack and breaking into a vampire's castle. "I certainly would not mind hearing more Marivel stories, either..."

This might be embarrassing for Marivel, but Clarine means it in the nicest way possible.

<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.

"Hah! Well, it wasn't exactly like Void 41, either," Venetia answers Mariel. She then huddles up to tell her quietly, "Eleanor has some old Elw documents she can't read, essentially; she would like your assistance at some point. Surprise her with it if you like. Let someone else be the startled one for once."

Heh heh! She nods at Noeline and Riesenlied both, with a benign consideration. The topic of eggs flies over her head, much like eggs might, if thrown, by Nimue. Perhaps this is the secret: *Seraph Crimes.*

<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.

Mariel can always ask Marivel later. It doesn't seem immediately urgent and Mariel is patient.

"Oh, I don't need anything," Mariel assures Violetta, which does not mean she won't *take* it, only that she is polite enough to try to refuse it once first. She still sort of mentally works on the Elw method, which...

Well, they have money. But they don't use it for necessities. Mariel does healing for free - she only takes money for things like decorative plants (unless she feels like giving them away) or similar things.

"Though, if you want to tell a story, I won't say no." That with a bit of amusement. Either way, she's going to come along with the others.

Venetia speaks to her, quietly, on the way. "Ah! Well, I can do that, unless they're technical documents," Mariel says. "In which case it might take a little longer; sometimes those use particular alphabets or they're hard to translate. I don't always know the usual words for some of the esoteric subjects."

Give her a break. She never studied them, officially, unless you're talking about botany. But other branches of science, not so much.

<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.

    Ruth's motionless as she's pat on the arm. For Ida, who has had half a year's worth of far more colorful experience in being a Hellion than most might in a decade, that single innocent point of contact can be an issue when someone's keeping themselves all bottled up.
 
     But there is a reason that even Yulie, someone who has been so terribly wronged by others, has been able to sometimes smile and say she enjoys being in the company of her friends.
 
     Ruth nods the once to Violetta, and Marivel mentions about how (over)protective she is of this place... and the 'Celesti Conflict.'
 
     "I see." With having to dwell a bit on THOSE DAYS(tm), Eleanor bringing her to the present about how nice it is to see her at least keeps her in the present. She lowers her hands down, keeping them clasped. Her fingers aren't even clenching, so as far as volatility goes... that bottle doesn't seem too shaken up in the moment.
 
     She's one of the last to move as they start going in the direction leading towards Jack.
 
     "I would like to meet Jack too."

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

    Noeline blinks slowly for a moment at the tale. "No, hold on. I'm pretty sure at this point there have been entire teams of Drifters regularly breaking into your Castle," Noeline notes with a glum look towards Marivel and then Ashley. "I distinctly remember a small army of toy soldiers terrified that they hadn't been able to clean up in time for visitors." A pause, and she breaks into a light smirk. "I suppose this must have been before your aunt-to-everyone phase?"

    "... it would be an honour to meet him," she adds to talk of Jack, not least because she hasn't actually gotten to meet many of the authors of the books that were such a formative experience for her. Mathematically, Jack can't have been one of the authors that first spawned her growth into the person she is now - but she certainly kept sustaining herself for a long time on as many stories as she could gather. "I will lend you the ones I have on the Fereshte," she adds as an aside to Eleanor.

    Noeline clears her throat gently at Riesenlied's comment, taking it in as much grace as she can manage. It's true that she never actually lied about her deeds, even back when she first travelled these lands, but... well, she wasn't exactly all that silent at times. Even if she was travelling mostly incognito, for a budding young 'Crimson Noble', the odd chance to show off was something she couldn't always resist.

    "I have no doubt it will be - but somehow I feel like an oral tradition would suit us more than a series of novels at this point?" she wonders to herself, genuinely trying to gauge her own reaction to that thought. She has a suspicion that the organic nature of storytelling and the group nature of it is something that appeals to her more, especially after all the adlibbing she's done for the children on board the Fereshte.

    "... for the record," she adds towards Ida thoughtfully. "I have never written a novella." Which is to say: it wasn't her.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.

"Yeah but I want to ... more... replace them!" Nimue pouts to Eleanor, huffing and crossing her arms before -- Boudicca introduces Chicken Knowledge.

On the one hand, Nimue -- who has always been excited by humans, loath as she is to admit it, and who loves to poke around their stuff -- absolutely knows what a chicken coop is.

On the other, she can tell what Boudicca is hoping for and remains at least somewhat impressed. "Heeey, that's a good find!" she says, before addressing the question of whether she's eaten chicken.

"... Yeah, chicken's pretty good. I actually like working animal meat best, though -- horse, chocobo, stuff like that. But nooooo, everyone has to get all *weird* about it." Nimue lets out an exasperated sigh as she keeps following along and making casual conversation. "'Nooooo, the horse is our friend! Noooooo, carrying a 200 pound bag of horse jerky around is WEIRD.' It's a housewarming gift! To myself!"

<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.

 
"At that point you're just toting around a dehydrated horse," Venetia points out, moved to statement by the jerky comment.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.

"I know what I said," Nimue affirms.

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Violetta would have given Noeline a friendly smile. "Crimson Nobles are always welcome here. AND their brides."

Marivel is never going to forget the giant pumpkin.

"Crimson Bride, huh..." Marivel says to Riesenlied wryly. "Charmed, huh." That to Noeline.

She glances to Noeline and adds, "Well, yeah," to Noeline. "But the difference is that Jack did it when he was 11." She pauses. "That's still young for humans right? And then he'd keep on visiting me constantly. Course the landbridge was still up then--"

She glances to Ashley. "Mm? No, his pact is a lot simpler. You'll understand when you see him. He's an ARMsmeister but he doesn't deal in weapons. He builds planes. So he promised me a ride once since I helped lend him some manuals. We already flew once so, you know, someone's good at keeping promises." She's never going to let this go even though it's not Ashley's fault at all is she.

She doesn't comment on eggs and chickens and horses because she honestly lost the thread there and isn't going to comment and prove it. Everybody seems down to meet Jack though so.

"I'm supposed to be 'behind the scenes'...!" She protests at Riese. "If there's BOOKS about me, that makes my secret master plan a lot harder!"

Marivel leads the group to a barn on the other side of hte town as the entrance, some distance away even from the rest of the village due to it being, well, a BARN. There's some lingering cuccos that immediately flock to Riesenlied and crowd her as well as a couple cows just sort of moooooing along.

"Huh, new chickens." Marivel says even though Cuccos and chicken are totally different.

Marivel has definitely become more of a gremlin with the passage of time. You can only endure so much of Filgaian history before you start taking days to just eat potato chips and play dating sims where you make hot guys kiss other guys and dramatic girls kiss other dramatic girls. Rarely, a girl and a guy might kiss too but that's pretty unusual.

CLARINE WOULD HEAR MORE MARIVEL STORIES?? Well she might be in luck because out on the field is a biplane and working on that biplane is an older man wearing glasses and dirty hair (imagine Hoheinman from the hit anime Full Metal Alchemist) looks up upon hearing the group approach.

"Mari...!" Jack Benson half runs and half hobbles, scoops Marivel up in her arms, spins her around and sets her down.

"It's so good to see you again! You're just in time, I've been retuning the Small Stallion over there." He nods to the plane. "Could have it good to go with a few hours work."

He whistles at the crew. "You've got a big group here."

"Yeah they are--" Marivel does the introductions again. It's the exact same way for Violetta except now Ruth gets to be referred to as 'Violetta's stray' and Ashley gets 'The Second Best Baker in Meria.' Sorry there's still Marina.

"Well nice to meet all of you." Jack says. "First we can pay Reese a visit."

"That's alright--"

"I insist." Jack says, smiling. "First though--am I old enough for you yet?"

"You're still a kid," Marivel counters.

"Yeah yeah, why

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

Violetta would have given Noeline a friendly smile. "Crimson Nobles are always welcome here. AND their brides."

Marivel is never going to forget the giant pumpkin.

"Crimson Bride, huh..." Marivel says to Riesenlied wryly. "Charmed, huh." That to Noeline.

She glances to Noeline and adds, "Well, yeah," to Noeline. "But the difference is that Jack did it when he was 11." She pauses. "That's still young for humans right? And then he'd keep on visiting me constantly. Course the landbridge was still up then--"

She glances to Ashley. "Mm? No, his pact is a lot simpler. You'll understand when you see him. He's an ARMsmeister but he doesn't deal in weapons. He builds planes. So he promised me a ride once since I helped lend him some manuals. We already flew once so, you know, someone's good at keeping promises." She's never going to let this go even though it's not Ashley's fault at all is she.

She doesn't comment on eggs and chickens and horses because she honestly lost the thread there and isn't going to comment and prove it. Everybody seems down to meet Jack though so.

"I'm supposed to be 'behind the scenes'...!" She protests at Riese. "If there's BOOKS about me, that makes my secret master plan a lot harder!"

Marivel leads the group to a barn on the other side of hte town as the entrance, some distance away even from the rest of the village due to it being, well, a BARN. There's some lingering cuccos that immediately flock to Riesenlied and crowd her as well as a couple cows just sort of moooooing along.

"Huh, new chickens." Marivel says even though Cuccos and chicken are totally different.

Marivel has definitely become more of a gremlin with the passage of time. You can only endure so much of Filgaian history before you start taking days to just eat potato chips and play dating sims where you make hot guys kiss other guys and dramatic girls kiss other dramatic girls. Rarely, a girl and a guy might kiss too but that's pretty unusual.

CLARINE WOULD HEAR MORE MARIVEL STORIES?? Well she might be in luck because out on the field is a biplane and working on that biplane is an older man wearing glasses and dirty hair (imagine Hoheinman from the hit anime Full Metal Alchemist) looks up upon hearing the group approach.

"Mari...!" Jack Benson half runs and half hobbles, scoops Marivel up in her arms, spins her around and sets her down.

"It's so good to see you again! You're just in time, I've been retuning the Small Stallion over there." He nods to the plane. "Could have it good to go with a few hours work."

He whistles at the crew. "You've got a big group here."

"Yeah they are--" Marivel does the introductions again. It's the exact same way for Violetta except now Ruth gets to be referred to as 'Violetta's stray' and Ashley gets 'The Second Best Baker in Meria.' Sorry there's still Marina.

"Well nice to meet all of you." Jack says. "First we can pay Reese a visit."

"That's alright--"

"I insist." Jack says, smiling. "First though--am I old enough for you yet?"

"You're still a kid," Marivel counters.

"Yeah yeah, why'd you bring all these folks over?" Jack asks.

Marivel doesn't answer immediately.

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Boudicca has posed.

    Boudicca's only experience of people like Nimue is Nimue. This is probably best for everyone, all things considered.

    She looks entirely pleased that Nimue is Impressed At Her Human Studies, though. Mission accomplished! (Whose mission, exactly...?) "Are the working animals not tougher?" Boudicca asks, without much horror about eating horse, because -- humans eating other creatures isn't weird, so by the transitive property, seraphim eating other creatures isn't weird. "All that aside -- you have come into possession of a home, Nimue? Might I see it?"

    That's a weird thing to zero in on, Boudicca!

    Boudicca offers to Marivel helpfully: "Humans are still growing until they are two decades old, are they not? One decade would certainly still be a child!"

    And off she goes, to... biplane!!

    Boudicca immediately hurries over to investigate, ABANDONING POOR NIMUE IN THE PROCESS. She floats up into the air to spin the little propellor, and her eyes gain three to six new sparkles with each passing animation frame. "You humans have created a device to fly which is this small?! It is marvellous! Nimue! Nimue, look! It is so clever!" Oh, she didn't abandon her, she just got distracted by the air machine. Boudicca lifts her hands up to either side of her cheeks, and promptly --

    Disappears into a mote of light, her ribbon settling loosely over one of the wings.

    Sorry! Boudicca lives here now.

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

    Noeline does not respond verbally to Marivel's light ribbing about a 'Crimson Bride' - instead, if anything, the aura of smug pride that surrounds her only grows further. Ugh, these normies need to go explode!! "... eleven is very impressive," she does note as her eyebrows raise at the tale - but something immediately tells her that that's exactly why Jack managed to succeed. Marivel can't help herself being softer on children.

    Her eyebrows only raise higher when the other Crimson Noble lets herself be swung around and more-or-less propositioned, taking both in complete stride. She can start to understand what Jack's pact might have been, and finds herself chuckling under her breath as she imagines that for a moment. "We thought we'd say hello and introduce ourselves, as another surviving Crimson Noble and her Bride," she adds, making sure to pronounce the capital B.

    She's no engineer, but her time on board the Fereshte has given her at least a working understanding of lift, and the sight of the biplane - she's not sure whether to be aghast at how light it looks, or impressed. She nearly says something about it, but realises it might not be that fair given the number of times she's flung herself bodily into altitude-related danger.

    Sheer 'make life hell for Marivel' inertia swings her attention back to Jack. "Well, she can be a tough nut to crack. But if you've lasted this long, I can't see you giving up any time soon, hm?"

<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.

    Ruth ruminates quietly at mention of books. There's a young woman out there with a love of beautiful, dreamy story worlds against a backdrop of rot, loss, and loneliness - a young woman who bid her to not be by her side for a time.
 
     "Planes, is it?" Ruth asks. Some were fielded during the Civil War, and she knows the idea of piloting them was very popular with young men for many years to come.
 
     ...Still, as they come to meet the one and only Jack Benson, Ruth is staying near the back as joy and surprise fill the air between Marivel and Jack having themselves a lovely reunion as she looks to the Small Stallion 'over there.' (Re)introductions are made, and Boudicca shows elation and happiness about devices to fly that are 'that small.'
 
     She decides she doesn't want to take Boudicca's joy from her... but a tension starts to run through her left shoulder, alongside the usual twinge of pain she has to live with as she brings her right hand up to that opposite shoulder.
 
     She steps forward.
 
     "Jack, is it?" Ruth asks, voice soft and inscrutable. "You gave such kindness during the last days of Celesti."
 
     There's that smile again, not meeting his eyes. (That smile doesn't meet her eyes either.)
 
     "If only there were more of that."

<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.

"You can be 'behind the scenes' even with books," Mariel points out. "Just don't act like the books."

Mariel has clearly not read them.

Mariel seems interested in this. "A plane? I didn't know anyone was still making those out in the country." Obviously she's seen them - and vehicles that fly even higher, like airships, and spacecraft - but it's rare to have any of them *created* now, by ARMs meisters.

And thus she is pleased to see this one, too. "Hello, Jack," she says. "I'm glad you actually built it. To get it flying..." It's all the more impressive for being what amounts to a barnyard plane, as opposed to with the might of a major nation behind it.

It also contains a Seraph. Well, Mariel figures, it probably won't hurt it any. Unless she tries to mess with the way the wind goes over it... hmm. She edges over toward the wing, and says quietly down to it, "The air will move across the wing in an interesting manner. It needs to move exactly like that to stay up." So don't change the wing shape!

<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.

 
"It's vocabulary of some kind... even Armitage only picked out a few words," Venetia tells Mariel. "I don't believe it's jargon exactly. I'll let you know more; we have photo copies." Yes, two distinct words. Science! And TECHNOLOGY!

This entire place is just... warm, Venetia thinks; and comfortable; though the smells and the sights and the sunlight are not what she is used to, she can sense a certain similarity in the shape and the form of what is happening. Of how this place is alive, like her school is when there aren't some sorts of disruptive events going on. Similar the way a fruit looks like a fruit even if one is a small red speck and the other a fat Cure Berry.

And then - An aged man sweeps Marivel up.

Venetia understands some things.

And -- RUTH knows him? Venetia doesn't understand other things. Venetia turns her head to look at...

... the thing.

Venetia's eyes narrow behind her lacy mask. "... What the hell is that?" Venetia says, pointing at the thing. "A plane? What?" She looks at Jack, brow knitting. "Forgive me, I don't mean to insult your technique, but --"

Venetia sort of gestures vaguely at the contraption. "It looks like two razors on top of a cigar tube!"

<Pose Tracker> Mariel has posed.

"The air flows under the wing and pushes it up," Mariel says to Venetia, incredibly inaccurately but also succinctly.

(She tried to give an actual explanation of how space satellites stayed up once, and was only frustrated. This is the only way she can not go crazy.)

<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.

Hey, some people deal with prolonged exposure to Filgaian history by becoming manipulative monsters who are puppeteering entire wars in order to attain ascension for themselveshumanitysomething something ends justify the means (no they don't). Marivel's solution is probably substantially healthier overall, to be quite honest.

"Oh! Well. I mean, someday you'll have to tell me what I should be doing," because Ashley sure as heck doesn't know! Because it hasn't happened yet!! "But... planes? I didn't think... I mean, airships, I know airships are a thing." Because Odessa has those. And also various diggers and pirates. "But... Wow, real airplanes? With contemporary technology...? That's kind of incredible...!"

And... There is in fact a Jack. And a bunch of chickens-- or rather, cuccos. Riesenlied is once more in danger of becoming the Cucco Cuween, but... perhaps today, with Noeline at her side, they will yet be safe.

"Nice t' meet you, sir," Ashley inclines his head, not even arguing about being Second Best Baker. Because it's true, Marina exists. "It's a pleasure to meet you! Marivel's told us all about you. And your planes! Uh, she hasn't actually told us why we're all here, other than to pay some old friends of hers a visit. So, hi!"

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.

"That is incredible." Clarine comments, as Marivel points out that Jack broke into her castle at eleven. Soon enough they're off to the barn, where outside there's a man working on a biplane!

"What a fascinating contraption..." Clarine remarks curiously as she looks upon the biplane before looking toward the man working on it as he... scoops Marivel up and spins! She's a little taken aback by that - she wouldn't have imagined anyone actually trying that. This Jack is already quite impressive...!

"Greetings. I understand you are an old friend of Marivel's." Clarine replies, offering Jack a polite bow. "I am Clarine. It is wonderful to meet you."

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    "Eleven," Ida says. Her eyes widen. "But then again, I can't say I wouldn't be at least a little tempted, if it wasn't too frightening Father has stories about having to lock the old service crawlways in the house, because I kept getting into them." A pause. "And the cat."

    Noeline looks at her. Ida looks back. Well, Ida thinks, inwardly, that settles one avenue of inquiry.

    "Animals' roles have a cultural element," Ida says, as Nimue defends her food choices. "It's... largely a matter of where you've grown up, what they considered appropriate food, and what sentiments you have. I've eaten chocobo--though I'm not sure I could now that I have Sterling."

    But then they get to Jack's barn, and Jack himself, and Ida grins widely as Marivel embraces her friend. (She takes Marivel's introduction better, this time, smiling a humble smile.) And then... the plane.

    Ida's eyes light up. She's familiar with aerofoil design, and the salvaged military aircraft that make their way into Guild Galad's scrapyards, but no one dares fly anything, much less build their own flying machine in a barn. Except Jack. For a moment, Ida almost forgets where she is--she follows Boudicca to the plane, and spends a while just looking at it, examining Jack's craft.

    "It's beautiful," Ida says, turning back at Jack. "You built all this yourself?"

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

    "That was rather charming, was it not," Riesenlied chuckles gently at Noeline. There's a pause as she leans in against Noeline and raises her eyebrows, smiling to say, "Are both not wonderful? Oral traditions are more personal, but a book reaches more people. It was, after all, a book that inspired you first, was it not?"

    A pause, as she can't help but snicker at the idea. "Perhaps we should write a novella together. That would be rather an interesting change of pace for once. Though I cannot say I am much of a writer, as much as I am a speaker, and I understand the differences between both."

    Marivel pouts and says she's supposed to be behind the scenes, but there's a delicate, if teasing smile to her. The cuccos suddenly gather around them and -- oops! There's chicken feed in her hands. Where'd she manifest them from? That's just the power of a 16th-level Mom/Cucco Meister cross-class.

    She tilts her head and says to Marivel, "You say that, but I think you do enjoy the attention." On the topic of Crimson Brides, though, she smiles and says, "Do you approve? It rather was an impromptu thing, but I had to declare my own position to someone challenging us."

    The barn is a bit harder on the wheelchair, but she makes do, with Noeline's help. A man working on a biplane greets himself, and Riesenlied raises her eyebrows gently.

    "I am Riesenlied, a good friend of Marivel. Your vehicle is rather impressive, I must say; we fly an airship ourselves, though it is currently... elseplace."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.

Nimue sees a plane and promptly becomes stupid, much like one would about a dog or cat. She runs forward at full speed, completely ignoring this heartfelt reunion, in favor of looking at a cool toy.

... she at least remembers to answer Boudicca, though, before she does it. "Oh, uh, the last time that happened was when I was sleeping on Amaranth's couch. Now I mostly sit in Eleanor's bag. I mean, I *could* housewarm that with 200 pounds of horse jerky but I have the feeling Eleanor wouldn't let me do that."

Anyway, screw all that, it's plane time. "I want to steal literally every part of this and put it back together," Nimue says, brightly. From Nimue, this is the highest form of praise imaginable.

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

"I would prefer not to have two hundred pounds of horse meat in my bag, no," Eleanor replies to Nimue, and them arvels at the plane. It is very cool!! And there's a lot to catch up on but she's being quiet today, just happily taking it all in.

"It is wonderful to meet you," she says to Jack in the meantime, "Your work is extraordinary. ...My nameis Eleanor."

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

"Good to see you again too, Mariel." Jack says. "Took me seven years to build this beauty--"

What the hell is that??

Jack gets a bit huffy. "I'll have you know it's a plane. Fully functional too. First one I made. Got another in the barn I'm working on. He pauses a moment as he is happy to explain how biplanes work. "The air moves over the airfoil and speeds up, lowering the pressure above the wing which allows the plane to lift."

This probably makes about as much sense as Mariel's explanation honestly but./

"Jack, the statue." Marivel says.

"Haha, I learned what ol' Revelry did for the town last time I visited the Castle so I worked that up for the town. Can do more than just planes now, ain't you proud of me?" Jack grins.

You should have found someone and settled down," Marivel insists.

Jack doesn't answer that, instead turning to Clarine and--

He squints a bit like he can't quite see but he does seem able to hear. "Well thank you kindly," He rolls with it. "You're a sweet whatsit."

Ashley brings everything back to why Marivel brought her friends here, Marivel shifts awkwardly.

"I want. Wanted people to know how important this town is to me." Marivel says. "...I guess Mariel already paid a visit. I hadn't known." She turns and walks to the biplane, resting a hand on the Tiny Boudicca (not so tiny). She presses her forehead against it. And she ffinally smiles. "You really haven't changed all that much."

"Nope." Jack says before nodding to Riesenlied. He studies the wheelchair like he's trying to figure out improvements to it. Maybe rockets? "Aw thanks," He says. "I had a good teacher." Marivel coughs but he continues. "But man--an AIRSHIP?" Riesenlied might be getting some Lydia vibes here. "You gotta show me sometime! I'd love to build a real bonafide airship sometime! That's any AIRMeister's dream you know!"

"Airmeisters aren't a thing--" Marivel steps back, eyes slanting to the ribbon for a moment.

"H-hold on, that's my plane you're talkin' 'bout. Seven years of hard work! And yeah, on my own for th'most part!" Jack protests.

"...Actually," Marivel says. "if you could give it to Boudicca and Nimue, I'd appreciate it."

Jack blinks once and says, "Well, if you're asking... but why?"

"I want the memory of your plane to be with them forever." Marivel says and Jack this time is the one who blushes and he kinda turns and rubs at his neck. "Well... alright. But I want one last ride first. Gotta say goodbye properly."

Jack has a thing for pointy eared blondes and will take Eleanor's hand and give it an enthusiastic shake. He notices the ring which prevents an embarrassing situation. "Eleanor! Lovely name. Who's the lucky beau?"

He laughs at Noeline's own willingness to give Marivel shit and says, "Yeah yeah. Gonna have to stick around for another forty 'till she gives in." Marivel is oblivious to Noeline reading her like a book.

But then Ruth gets the jovial man to sober up. He approaches Ruth quietly at first, nearing her and taking a long look in her eyes.

And then he gives Ruth a big hug. "...Yeah," He says. "There's never enough is there? You a refugee? You ever need a place, my place's got plenty of room since Gram Gram passed. You don't gotta worry about me being a gentleman." He manages a smile. "Usually end up passed out in the barn anywho."

<Pose Tracker> Venetia Vuong has posed.

Venetia frowns at what Mariel says. Mariel has no reason to lie but she might be mistaken. She's into plants. Venetia gestures at the thing. "But how does it go? I - can see how that would work if you had a Gear throw it or something, but Gears fly the same way rockets launch, projected gas or something like that."

Jack's wholehearted goodness of spirit is making its impressions, even so. Her skepticism may not dim but it does at least settle down into a long sigh, before she turns her head round to look at Ashley. "Explain it to me," she demands of Ashley Winchester, despite some of the commentary she heard about him JUST THE OTHER DAY.

Unless this is her way of being a friend, too...???

Other people are moving towards the 'Tiny Boudicca,' which Venetia eyes with increasingly robust skepticism. Inwardly, she wonders: Do ALL overdwellers dream of... 'flying planes'? Is this something I just missed??

<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.

    "It would have to be so light, in order to get into the sky with an engine that small," Noeline notes to Venetia. "At risk of tearing itself apart at the slightest little thing, but I imagine it would be quite able to dance around the slightest little thing as well. Not that I'm sure I would ride it," adds someone who has found prudence in the last few years. "I will take our airship, personally. I am used to the comfortable hum."

    "It's true that I'm a reader first and foremost - but I think a storyteller suits me quite well, too?" she hums back to Riesenlied, already navigating the other Hyadean into the midst of the flock where she knows it will be most comfortable. "Though I suspect that when it comes to writing, I might need a very good editor to cut out half of my nonsense... and Mikaia would probably be much too soft on anything we wrote."

    She remains absolutely stone-faced as Riesenlied solemnly discusses having to declare her position to a 'challenger', or at least she tries. In actuality, her shoulders are quivering with withheld mirth - but she doesn't stop that from placing a hand back on Riesenlied's shoulder and a kiss atop her hair. "I am honoured to have my Bride at my side, and so ready to fend off any who might challenge our love," she says, affectionate laughter bubbling through in the back of her voice.

    Front row tickets to Marivel getting repeatedly owned is not bad at all, she thinks with a genuine smile, and gives Jack a nod of approval. "We'd certainly be happy to show you it sometime, though it is currently--" she has to pause to wonder how to explain things. 'In another world' is out, and 'broken' will only invite a hand to help fix it. This is someone who has dealings with the supernatural, at least. "--stuck somewhere _extremely_ odd."

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Boudicca has posed.

    "I just want to exist in it! I shall not disturb it," the Bouplane promises Mariel. She hangs on both her and Jack's explanations of how biplanes work. She does this despite not currently having ears, because: she's a ghost.

    "Do you know how it works?" The plane asks Nimue, with excitement. "You must show me sometime! There are so many sections to this device! Levers! And flaps! And little straps!"

    The plane laughs, to Marivel, which is a warm sound even if she is currently a plane and cannot really express physical affection.

    The plane is shocked at Marivel's request! You can tell because she helpfully explains: "I am surprised!" Boudicca... spent 200 years existing without facial muscles. She still just tells people how she's feeling if she's in a situation where she can't communicate it. "Is it truly all right? It must have taken so much work!"

    Though, he DID say he had another one in the barn... so maybe it's okay for the wind seraphim to touch this one?!

    "Can I continue existing in this 'plane' while you are operating it?" The Bouplane asks Jack, politely. "I very much would like to know how it operates in the sky!"

    Well, if Marivel wanted them to get attached to this town immediately, she could choose much worse ways to do it. "I see why you like this place, Marivel..!"

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.

Clarine can't help but laugh a little at how enthusiastic Nimue and Boudicca are about Jack's plane. It makes sense - of course they would take immediately to something like that. It's nice to see them happy. She looks back to Jack, then.

"Ah - I am a Seraph. You can think of us as spirits, of a sort..." Clarine explains, in response to the confusion. "You will have to tell us some of your stories about Marivel sometime, I would love to hear them..."

There's a lot of people, though, so she's otherwise content to sit back and let them chat. She certainly doesn't want to crowd Jack.

<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.

    Jack is, unsurprisingly, not the first person to look at Riesenlied's wheelchair and think 'rockets', because Riesenlied is still trying to manage a certain pink-haired mechanic in a beanie and puffer coat from adding rockets to her chair. It's fine, though -- she's adjusted to a more active-style wheelchair with greater mobility, with a solid foldable frame, a lesser centre of gravity, better wheels, and yet just as much support as before for when she just wants to sit back and let Noeline wheel her around.

    Venetia's wonder at an airplane prompts her to lace her hands together to say to both her and Jack, "Oh, we could show you our airship sometime, perhaps fly together. Though compared to yours, ours resembles a sailing ship with a large blimp ontop, with some technology we could repurpose from our people..."

    She tilts her head at Marivel to add, "Oh, could Airmeisters not become a thing? I think a world of aviators may be quite the charming idea."

    Riesenlied looks charmed at Noeline, though. "It is true, you are quite the storyteller. But I do dare say we may both need an editor if we were to write. Perhaps Janey would have the inquisitive eye... or, hmm, Ambrosius was a fellow writer too." A subquest jingle plays, as the camera pans on a certain cucco. The box reads: NUGGET, EDITOR EXTRAORDINAIRE

<Pose Tracker> Seraph Nimue has posed.

"... I'll settle for like ten," Nimue replies to Eleanor, with a wink.

The idea of actually being *given* something actually makes Nimue come to a halt. "I, uh -- I mean -- that's a little -- I already have a Gear! It's a whole thing! I think -- uh." Nimue's expression turns down a little bit. "I, uh -- er. Excuse me! I have to chase down some eggs!!" She doesn't *actually* leave just yet, but.

... okay, no, she has to do better than that. "So, like, I'm flattered? And I love the whole plane thing? But... better Boudicca than me, and honestly kinda maybe better neither?" Nimue is much more comfortable stealing things than being given them, somehow.

... she does owe Boudicca an answer, too. "Oh, uh -- I know the basics. I'm more familiar with Gears than this kinda thing, on account of the I-like-stealing-stuff and the Sometimes-I-steal-things-from-active-warzones. But we could maybe find out together!"

<Pose Tracker> Eleanor Klein has posed.

"Then is much more reasonable," Eleanor says, "As long as I don't have to carry it. That's a lot for my delicate arms!" says the woman with the Power Bracelet.

Plane, a plane! "I think an AIRMeister sounds like a lovely title," Eleanor supplies for Marivel. But she wonders a little--at giving the plane to Nimue and Boudicca...

Yes. It could be with them for a long time. Eleanor looks between Marivel and Jack, and a tight feeling comes over her chest. "...I..."

The question to her gives her something else to focus on--she shakes Jack's hand back and her expression brightens after all as he notices and asks. "Thank you!" Eleanor says, "Her name is Xiumei. We've been friends for a long time, but now..." She gestures, almost shy, which is weird for Eleanor but she's prett happy about it.

She smiles at the plane talk, too.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Ida stays in her own little ARMs Meister world for a good minute, examining the moving parts of the propellor and wheels. She would love to crack the hood open and see what kind of motor is inside, but that seems like a big ask.

    And then Marivel one-ups her hypothetical many times over.

    Ida's eyes widen. "You--you really mean that," she says, looking between Jack and Marivel. "I think Boudicca would adore it, but are you certain? You spent seven years on this, you must be attached." Nimue talks about Gears; Ida looks at her quizzically for a moment before remembering that yes, she has one. "How does it feel?" she says, to her companion. "It's not very old, but it was created for a very pure purpose." Part of her wonders: she hasn't heard anything from the shop assigned to figure out that Gear they found in Kattelox together. Not to the tune of 'oh we figured out how it works', at any rate.

<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.

    Ruth doesn't like having her eyes meet others', but as Jack gets closer, there's a part of her who wants to see 'it.' An expression that should be on the eyes of those who come closer to her, those feelings gnaw.
 
     There is a hug, and she freezes. Even without the layers of clothing, she can't feel the physical warmth of a kind soul.
 
     'You a regufee?' This question, among other offers...
 
     Those who bore witness to the Malevolent Domain that once set over Siddim Canyon know exactly how off-base Jack's read of Ruth is. If Jack knows his gunsmoke ARMs well enough, and Ruth were to remove the wrapping around the rifle strapped to her back, a part of her thinks he'd see this very differently.
 
     And yet...
 
     "Th-thank you, I--" Ruth draws back without really returning the hug. Over yonder, two Hyadean lovers enjoy one another's company, and there's a glint of something on Eleanor's hand that she keeps herself from fixating on.
 
     Her right hand lifts up over her heart. "There will be others more deserving."
 
     Not untrue, at face, as she hears Nimue and Boudicca both deeply enjoy a plane's presence and existence in the background.

<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.

"Planes are... They're basically flying machines. Some of the kids in the neighborhood had little toy planes when I was growing up. I think this is the first time I've seen a full-sized one, though. I think there were more of them in the past, but..." Ashley shakes his head, helplessly, "I had no idea people were even able to build them anymore. These are incredible. The places you could go in one...!"

So much of the world map would open up! And then Marivel here is just... just...

Just... Taking a man's plane, Marivel!? What did you do to this poor soul? Ashley stares between the two of them, wondering silently what manner of sordid contract was truly signed here. Perhaps... perhaps in years past, Marivel claimed the heart and soul of this man in exchange for forbidden knowledge...? Has she kept his poor heart captive all this time!!

(Yes, apparently, but not like that.)

"Since you were eleven... And you've been working on these, all this time...?" Ashley says in quiet awe of the now-thoroughly-haunted plane. "That's..."

Insane? Absurd? How could someone who lives on Filgaia of all places spend their entire lifetime building planes? To grasp for a distant sky, far outside the reach of their own hands, at the expense of all else. This does not grant a man power, it does not give a man prestige! This is patently ridiculous...!

"...Incredible," Ashley sighs wistfully. "To have a dream for so long, to hold onto it and never give it up, to make it real. I didn't think there were people who could really do that kind of thing... But then, here it is."

"You did something amazing, sir," The Musketeer finishes, "It's... It's one thing to have a dream, but to make it come to life, I don't know if I could ever do anything like that." Not when he's spending every moment just hoping that he can see tomorrow come.

When was it that he lost sight of his dreams...? Was it when that demon took up a place inside him, or was it even before that...? 'Becoming a hero' is a very different dream compared to 'building a plane' though. It's so much more... vague. The goalposts are impossibly far off and incredibly indistinct. Perhaps he was misguided from the outset? To dream an impossible dream...

But... 'building planes' is impossible too, in a way. Still, Jack made it real. But is 'becoming a hero' worth it? Or is there something else he should do instead...?

<Pose Tracker> Marivel Armitage has posed.

"Well if you'd rather steal it, then don't mind me." Jack laughs. "I think I getcha deal. It's all good. You gotta be true to yourself,"

Marivel is a little embarrassed at messing with Nimue's joy but it's always a little tough to figure Nimue out for her.

Jack reassures Boudicca, "Don't sweat it, just return it if you're done using it. It's a good ship, been through a lot. And I'm afraid you're outvoted on AIRmeister Mari."

Marivel gives a hapless shrug there.

Ruth tells him that there's more deserving. "Well you're the one that's here." Jack says. "So that's all there is to it." He probably entirely misinterprets Ruth's hug withdrawal too and just steps back. "Sorry sorry, sometimes I act without thinking!" He rubs at his neck. "But still..."

Multiple people ask if Jack's really sure about this, some even ask about stories. Jack can answer both with one. "Well, if it hadn't been for Marivel I wouldn't have ever gotten this far." He looks to Ashley first, admitting, "It's not like I never thought about giving up. When my mom died--for example, since you asked for a story."

He returns to the plane and places a hand on it himself before turning back. He's answering everyone, but he's looking largely at Ruth. "And you're all adventurers right? Well, then I'll tell you the story."

"My mom left when I was real young but the last thing she gave me was a toy kit for making a toy plane. I worked real hard and got it to work but when I learned she not just moved in with another family, and then died... Well, I just about burned all my plans--literally."

"But Marivel here, she stopped me."

Marivel, looking chastized, looks away.

"I was shouting 'My hands are powerless', over and over. Crying about how my mom left me behind..."

"Marivel told me then, my hands weren't powerless. She spoke of all the little ways I helped my friends over the first year I knew her and if it was just that, well, I might have said it wasn't fair."

"...But then, she said this: 'I know it's hard to be left behind, but don't blame yourself for it...'"

Marivel looks away even harder.

"...It wasn't just to me she was sayin' it too, and if she brought you to see ol' me, you probably know that by now. Don't forget that, alright? Your hands aren't powerless, and don't blame yourselves when you're left behind."

He still is focused right on Ruth. "Fly the sky for your own dreams. That's all this old man's got for you."

He looks to Marivel. "Good enough walk down memory lane for you?"

Marivel forces herself to look back, and this time she's smiling. "Yes, thank you. I get what you're getting at. No Matter Where You Go..."

She walks over to Ruth, drawing out an empathite radio and offering it to Ruth.

"What's another monster on the team," Marivel quips with the ease of someone who claimed such a term for her own. "You want to be someone deserving of kindness, well, there's a lot of ways to go about it. Working with ARMS is just one choice I'm offering. Think about it."

And with that she makes her way into the barn to see the new aircraft Jack's been bragging about all day.

"Heh, well, ships are made to get stuck in strange places." Jack tells Noeline. "But you've got a while to figure it out for me so take your time. In the meantime, let's share our favorite stories."

<Pose Tracker> Ruth Pauling has posed.

    Jack apologizes, and Ruth stands to take her place among the gathered as a story is shared... about a time his mother left him. She takes in a breath that doesn't quite leave, and the talk about how powerless his hands are touches a nerve that sees her left hand clench. Her monstrous (also completely ordinary-looking) hands. Hers weren't powerless... but she notes how that painful feeling fades in Jack as it turns to something better.
 
     And an encouragement to follow her own dreams. What dreams does she have for herself? She lives day by day chasing what she does--
 
     Marivel offers an empathite radio. 'What's another monster on the team?' The Crimson Noble asks of her.
 

---

 
'Hellions. That is what man calls you--' The Trial Knight's voice returns to her, as it always has. Even effectively deaf in one ear, when they speak, they are heard. '--ascribed to a nature they know not but to fear--'
 
'--what spawned you was considered disease. Blight. Again, a label born from fear.'
 
'To them, you 'are' monsters. Hideous. Heartless. Ever you shall be.'
 
'These are the names that have been cast upon you. If you would accept it, embrace it with all your might. If you would deny it, prove it so with every ounce of conviction within you. Neither would damn you.'
 
'Yet either would take open eyes, and open heart. 'Twould take a heart that knows exactly what it deserves.'
 

---

 
     'You want to be someone deserving of kindness, well, there's a lot of ways to go about it--' Marivel offers, with the invitation to think about it. Somewhere in her heart, that sorrow churns. She has never come up with a satisfactory answer to K.K. - or perhaps, appropriate to their face, themselves. Always chasing the sorrow, the pain, the anguish of others like an irresistable taste. She's one of the very few of her kind that has managed to keep the majority of who she once was, even as she decries everything she once was. A contradiction.
 
     She takes a look to the rest who may have overheard or noticed the offer, knowing she's come to blows with several of them a handful of times already.
 
     In her right hand, she clutches the empathite radio gently, holds it up, and looks to the rosary she still wears around her forearm even after everything that's happened.
 
     She'll quietly excuse herself as Jack enjoys Noeline's company and stories, to head back out to the village and find some place - maybe even beyond the village - to ruminate.

<Pose Tracker> Ashley Winchester has posed.

'Your hands aren't powerless, and don't blame yourselves when you're left behind...'

Ashley offers a sad but grateful smile in exchange. Marivel, how painful have the countless years been, truly? And...

His hands aren't powerless, but if the power that they wield can only set the world ablaze, then... What does that mean? Does <he> really have power of his own that he can wield...?

And how long can he keep borrowing before the bill finally comes due...?

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

    Marivel Armitage is a being of endless determination and ironclad obsession. She has staked the fate of the world on Ashley Winchester--and there are many moving parts in that plan that Ida is barely aware of. But as she listens to Jack, her eyes grow a little misty, and her heart tightens. "Thank you, Jack," she murmurs--

    And out of the corner of her eye, she sees Marivel pass something to Ruth. Ida recognizes the faint blue gleam behind the speaker-grill.

    She smiles. What's left is up to Ruth.