2017-04-07: A Sudden Reunion
- Log: A Sudden Reunion
- Cast:Riesenlied, Jacqueline Barber
- Where: Jacqueline's apothecary
- Date: 499 PC
- Summary: Riesenlied returns to Adlehyde to apologise for her absence and for worrying Jay.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
It's been a bit of a rough time for Riesenlied, but there's one outstanding concern left in her mind: making sure Jacqueline knows that she's all right. For... certain measures of all right, at least. The winged woman is moving discreetly through Adlehyde, and visiting a certain apothecary's place, hoping that she'll have returned home by this point in time. The bandages are still rather visible, draped around her chest and stomach, whatever passing for blood dried and replaced.
Odjn bobbles behind her, saying, "She's gonna be mad, isn't she?"
"Even if that's the case, it's better than letting feelings fester," Riese murmurs. She slips in and peers around the shopfloor... "Hello?"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Linga had been an...adventure, to say the least. Full of mystery, tragedy, and far too many owlbears for Jacqueline's liking. She needed a break from all the intrigue, and time to recover. And so she had returned to Adlehyde, at least temporarily, to the storefront she'd been renting out for the duration of the festival. Business was fairly relaxing to her, it let her set things aside and focus only on the sale.
While the store was primarily filled with a rainbow of potions with a wide variety of effects, there were also a few knick-knacks here and there with placards nearby detailing their origins and how great of a buy they would be.
She sat behind the counter, currently cleaning off an empty bottle. Neatness was important to potionmaking, after all.
She heard the door open and looked up. She stared in shock as a familiar face walked in the door, one she hadn't really expected to see again.
She wasn't mad, really. Or at least, she wasn't just mad. It was a lot of emotions that mixed together, leaving her unsure how to react.
The bottle rolled out of her hands, and only when it clinked against the wooden counter did Jacqueline act.
She stood up, hands on the counter. The bottle was left to roll around on its own.
"It's...it's you." She said, looking between Riesenlied and Odjn. It sounded both relieved and accusatory in equal amounts.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
At the very least, Riesenlied's face is soft and contrite, nodding as she says, "It is me, Jacqueline. I am sorry that... I was not able to relay word to you sooner."
Even Odjn's looking kind of uncertain here, bobbling up and down to chime in, "I'm sorry!"
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline falls back into her chair quietly, massaging her forehead. She wanted to say it was alright, that she didn't hold it against either of them. But, well...
"...We went back, you know. We wanted to find...something. Something of you. But..." She says, shaking her head.
She'd seen the bodies, diced to pieces like hunks of meat. That strange substance she had yet to be able to identify. What was she to think?
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied nodded as she stepped a bit closer, but not too close, so as to give the apothecary space. "I know. I could not remain there. ... I was wounded, as you can see. ... but that is no excuse to not let you know. And for that, I apologise profusely."
She lowered her head in a solemn manner, for a moment. "But... at the same time, I am happy that you escaped. I believe Mister Ethius did so as well..."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline didn't respond immediately. She wanted to ask what had happened, how she was capable of such butchery, but...Riesenlied seemed legitimately grieved by what had happened. Jacqueline opened her mouth, but she couldn't bring herself to say it, not when she was apologizing so sincerely.
Instead, she merely nodded her head. "Yes. He...he helped me afterward. In his own way." She replies. Helped her get back on her feet, by giving something to focus on other than her guilt.
She forces a smile on her face, though it is a weak one comparated to what she is usually capable of. Her business experience was good for something, at least.
"I...thought I had as good as killed you. So, it is a load off my mind to see you here, at least. Both of you." She says. It was true, though other weights had been applied in the meantime.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied sucked in a breath and tried her best smile in turn, nodding. Odjn floats just a little bit closer, tentatively reaching out with her tiny hands, clearly indicating that she wants to give her a hug.
"I would not have blamed you," Riesenlied shakes her head. "You weren't to know. I was myself overestimating what I was capable of, injured as I was." She places a hand to her chest gently, before she says, "And I... did not wish for you to need to see any of that unslightly business, myself."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline seemed hesitant at first, but eventually she accepts Odjn's offer and pulls her close for a moment. She couldn't hold anything against Odjn, really. Jacqueline remembered that she had tried to discourage Riesenlied from doing what she did. She releases Odjn after a time, giving her a nod of thanks before returning her attention to Riesenlied.
"I knew you weren't at your best, though. And I still..." Jacqueline starts, her voice trailing off and her gaze dropping to the floor. She knew she hadn't forced Riesenlied to do anything, but she had given her the idea. Wasn't that just as bad? Perhaps. But...she had to stop beating herself up about that.
She looks up again when Riesenlied mentions that 'unsightly business'. It was something that had been stuck on her mind. She studies Riesenlied's face for a moment, trying to decide how best to proceed.
Was it a good idea to ask? She wanted to know, but...it might be a dangerous line of inquiry. Still, she has to know.
"If you don't mind my asking...what was that? What did you do?" She asks.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Odjn looked pleased to be able to give her a hug, bobbling up and down and looking visibly more refreshed.
Riesenlied's face was enigmatically flat as she glances out the window of the apothecary, then down towards one of the bottles. "How should I express it... it is a contingency, I might say?" A pause. "A weapon that does not need to belong in this world, if at all possible. But unfortunately, we don't live in necessarily pleasant times, and a show of force is at times required."
Odjn huffs just a little and says, "Riese shapes it out of -- herself. It injures her."
"It is as dear Odjn says," she sweeps a lock back very gently. "A crude form of... you could call it a manner of sorcery, I suppose."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline listens quietly as they explain. She and Ethius had theorized that it was something like that, though she had never imagined she would hear the explanation straight from Riesenlied herself.
"Can't imagine how painful that must be." She comments with a slight grimace, eventually breaking her silence. She remembered seeing something like blood when the sword had been drawn. She supposed that meant it must have been.
"Doing that to yourself, for my sake, I...I owe you a lot." She says, shaking her head. She looks down at the ground, running a hand through her hair. Eventually, she stands and looks back up at Riesenlied.
"I never got to say it before, since I kind of...blacked out...but, thank you. If you hadn't done that, we might not be talking here today." She says, her tone sincere. Sure, it was possible they might have figured something out, but the situation was dire. It could not have been an easy choice to make.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied tilts her head and says, "That's all right. Digs demand difficult decisions from us at all times, and oftentimes, with time pressure. I made a choice, and I followed through with it. That you are standing here today is all the proof I need that I made a good call. I won't entertain any 'what ifs'," with a lightening smile.
She lets out a faint sigh as she puts her hand to her cheek again. "It is unfortunate that I caused a bit of a scene in Linga... I doubt I should return there for a while, at least until the excitement has died down. A shame. I rather liked the amount of historical information that town had to offer..."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Jacqueline smiles as well, this time genuinely. Riesenlied was right. It might have looked bad for a while, but they had all made it out alive...eventually. That was the important thing.
"Honestly, I'm just glad no one connected me to it. Don't know how I would've explained /that/." She comments with a chuckle, taking her seat once more. She had been concerned, though fortunately that never happened. The bottle she had dropped was rolling precariously close to the edge, so she set it upright.
"We'll have to go back again sometime. Though...maybe we oughta give the Sacred Grounds a wide berth. Not without an army or something, at least." She suggests with a smirk at her own joke.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied let out a little laugh and says, "I... doubt anyone would cast a bounty on your head for monster slaying. And we have come from this experience a little wiser, and a little stronger both, wouldn't you say...?"
She does hum at that, nodding. "The ruins of Ignas pose many challenges. I will have to call on more acquaintances, of that I can be certain. An army would be a start, though... a very resourceful army, perhaps. I doubt fire-ARMs and explosives are the solution to everything."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
"Maybe not physically, but...I do think I've learned something from this, at least." Jacqueline replies, leaning back in her chair. To be more careful, to trust in her allies...and that owlbears are the root of all evil. Something like that.
That gets a chuckle and a nod of approval out of Jacqueline. "True, true. They may not be...but I can certainly come up with a 'solution' or two, myself!" She adds with a wink.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied winks as she holds her finger up, saying, "I know I can always count on your quick wit and marvellous potions, Jay," with a chuckle as she turns towards the entranceway. "I'd best find Mister Ethius as well, and I have a feeling a dungeon's entrance will still be the best place for such a discussion... unless there is anything else, Miss Jay? I don't want to take too much of your time while you are shop-tending."
<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.
Once she calms down, Jacqueline nods and gives Riesenlied a smile. "Yes, that might be a good idea. I'm sure he would want to know." She agrees. He would probably have a some questions for her, so she wasn't she envied her.
"No, but...thank you. For taking the time to come see me. I appreciate it." She says sincerely. It certainly brightened her day, and it wasn't as if business was being particularly quick today anyway.