2017-10-04: Getting Results: Difference between revisions

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*'''Log: Getting Results'''
*'''Log: Getting Results'''
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Loren Voss]], [[Character :: Lily Keil]],
*'''Cast:''' [[Character :: Loren Voss]], [[Character :: Lily Keil]]
*'''Where:''' November City - Hotel Renais
*'''Where:''' November City - Hotel Renais
*'''Date:''' October 4th 2017
*'''Date:''' October 4th 2017

Latest revision as of 01:22, 16 October 2017

  • Log: Getting Results
  • Cast: Loren Voss, Lily Keil
  • Where: November City - Hotel Renais
  • Date: October 4th 2017
  • Summary: Loren (as 'Thomas') has a (largely) surprisingly pleasant chat with Lily, noted person of interest.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

There are perks to being military, somewhere amidst the everpresent twin threats of certain and uncertain death -- or even just the 'might as well be death' presence of failing. And one of those perks is without a doubt--

...being able to bill costs to HQ.

For example, hotel rooms. Loren can easily say that of the places he's had to use since arriving on the surface, this is probably one of the ones that comes closest to being civilized. There's even basic electricity, which he'd never thought he'd consider a perk, but has ended up being one compared to the high technology some towns boast of 'candles' and 'oil lamps'.

But we digress.

Seated at a table in the small restaurant within the hotel, 'Thomas Blackwell', former medical student with a big secret, gazes over at the woman seated across from him.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?" he sighs, before gesturing for the waitstaff.

The return visit -- just to drop in and keep tabs -- had ended up perhaps granting him a little more than what he'd anticipated when he ran into Keil.

She looked...

'Is this a habit' had been more or less the exact comment he'd made.

And now here they are, or here he is, anyway, making the most of the situation.
Technically, he's paying, for a given value of paying.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily considered turning down the offer entirely, of course. She doesn't especially get along with Loren, and he is a man paying for her meal. Instead she concluded that if somehow, against all reason and Godliness, he makes it weird, she'll just handle it as it comes.

Thus she's found here with her 'ally', someone 'like her', and a man whose relationship she just can't entirely pin down. It's fine, for the moment. The table they're at marks Lily sitting by the wall, because she insisted. She did not appreciate his comment, lifting her eyebrow at him and very much considering making an unladylike gesture.

She made an unladylike gesture.

"You think I chose this one?" Lily asks, shaking her head. She's wearing her eyepatch, with the sutures up her face from a nasty cut that's still healing. She is no longer wearing the sling, but her left wrist is immobilized to the point of unusuability. She's stiff, and dressed in pants and lon sleeves, blacks and greys. The outline of bandages is clear in places, and she's wearing a brace at her back.

So, terrible.

"I'm working on healing. It's taking me a while, that's all." A beat, "You almost sound concerned." Lily picks up her drink. "...No, this one's only that I wasn't careful enough. I've gotten complacent."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

If only he knew what she was thinking. He'd probably be a little offended.
Really, a date with a Lamb?

On the plus side for her though -- it's still a free meal. Though, technically it's also a free meal for him, too. He's only eighteen, a combat medic, and an ether-user -- in essence he's effectively almost always low-key hungry.

So here they are, her with her back to the wall, him (uncomfortably, though he wouldn't admit it) with his back to the rest of the room. Lily makes a certain gesture.

He stares her dead in the eye as if to in silence state: 'really?'.

"Knowing you, it's possible," he replies, rolling his eyes as if silently pleading to the heavens. He exhales a short sigh when she explains that she's resting this time. "...Thank goodness for small favors. Hmph." Even he can't hide the faint grimace that crosses his face when she accuses him of caring.

When the staff comes on by, he places his own order quickly. It's not that this place has an expansive selection, but...
That definitely still seems like it was a good third of the menu.

"Like I said, it was just chance that I ran into you again. I've been busy lately." He readjusts his glasses. "And so have you. So who or what did you pick a fight with this time?"

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

It's the sort of thing Lily grew up thinking about, little matters of propriety of being a part of Nortune's society. ...But it seems not to be the case.

Lily tends to have a lot to eat herself as a rule though. She claims the paranoid spot as the open soldier and as the one injured... And Loren stares straight back at her. She returns the stare. Even after she lowers the gesture. Really, it would seem.

Lily rolls her eyes right back. "Sure, sure, you challenge a couple of Quarter Knights and nobody lets you be." It's... Almost humor. Almost. His response to her resting, his grimace, gets a grin. "Heh. I don't rest I probably lose the eye, so there it is."

Lily makes an order too, but not as much as Loren; with her wounds she's going easy. Stitches on her midsection, well...

"All right, all right, chance," Lily says. "I have been busy. I've had a lot to do. But this..." She sighs, and for once looks visibly uncomfortable. "...Unidentified male, blue eyes. Appeared to have some sort of... Ether illusion abilities. I couldn't tell, because it all seemed real to me. He jumped me while I was walking around downtown. I hurt him, but not enough."

She shrugs. "He got tired of cutting me open eventually."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

He doesn't like having his back exposed like this. Theoretically, he shouldn't even have to worry about the likes of Lambs, being, well, theoretically, one of the elite of Solaris. ...As far as the blood goes, that is.
Ugh.
He sits up just that much more stiffly, as if briefly uncomfortable, and leans hard against the urge to glance back over his shoulder. Remember your heritage if nothing else, he reminds himself.

The tension is slow to leave again.

He makes a slightly disgruntled noise when she grins. "Mmm. And even with your power you can't restore an eye, can you..."
A little less snarky commentary, a little more fishing around for the limits of her abilities, but B can probably be mistaken for A under the circumstances.

'This'?

He lifts a blond eyebrow, as if intrigued. ...Sounds like she got caught off-guard.

Definitely got caught off-guard.

And for a split-second, 'Thomas' expression will read as thus, in rapid succession: both eyebrows lift (surprise), he blinks (confusion), and then screws up his brow (skepticism).

That's not possible.

"Is that even possible?" he asks, forehead still deeply lined as he stares at her, leaning forward in his seat, as if reading her expression for any answer one way or another.

He leans back in his seat again. Blue eyes flick over her, as if taking in the extent of her wounds again. "...Lucky you. Bad part of town, was it?"

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily wouldn't like it either. On the bright side for Loren's safety, she by default is looking out for her dining companion as well as herself... But that doubtfully makes him feel any better if even he thinks about it.

Tension. It's easy.

"I've never tried," Lily admits, in this case taking it conversationally. "It's not something I especially want to gamble on. I have some significant healing abilities, but even they're taking time to repair all this."

She points out, "I have wounds over most of my body at the moment. Lacerations, punctures... My wrist had a blade clean through it. My midsection had a full stab through... Well, a lot."

She shakes her head. She spots his surprise. She did get caught off-guard, that's the truth. But what they talk about here, with this man's abilities...

Lily's expression is fairly blank, save for a deep discomfort that remains as she picks up a glass and starts drinking. ...While presumably on painkillers, naturally.

"No. Downtown. Lucky me. He didn't want me dead. He wanted to teach me about pain." She shakes her head again, irritated. "...Whatever."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

Significant healing...
Great, she can do that too.
He files that information away for later regardless -- it's possible it might become yet another layer of problems for them eventually. Assuming they don't do something about it first, that is.

Which is slowly seeming like it might be the best option to avoid future pain, the more he looks at the situation. Of course, it's all down to orders, in the end.

Subdual/retrieval orders have their own risks.

Slowly, as she runs down -- part, he assumes, looking at her -- her injuries, he takes a breath. Oh good. Well, there had been warnings about this section of Ignas from the veteran soldiers. ...Which now just makes him feel more uneasy about his exposed back... and thus more anxious about the fact that he feels uneasy.
It's a self-sustaining cycle.

"Pain, huh..." His left forefinger taps on the tabletop rhythmlessly for a moment or two. "...Are you certain it was ether?" There's a possibility she could be mistaken.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily looks thoughtful as she discusses possibilities with her magic, but is willing to move on fairly quickly. At the moment, it would be almost convenient to strike, given her injuries... But that brins its own problems as well.

She is paranoid, but right now she is focused here on this conversation. Loren is correct that she only indicates some of her injuries. The black-haired woman glances down to her drink though, and suddenly it ices over again, the glass frigid in her gloved hand. She drinks again.

"Apparently. It was all very..." A look of revulsion appears on her face. "Regardless. I'm certain. I've detected enough of it now to have a sense for it beyond my own, and he was not... subtle."

"And that experience is etched into my memory, I assure you." She sighs. "...Ugh." It... bothers her, still.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

It's almost reflexive, the way she does it. Almost, almost like the unconscious ease of taking a breath. Or maybe 'as easy as walking' would be more appropriate, considering there's at least some element of will and control. It's as it was in the Stone Forest and in Old Petra: deeply troubling.

They had speculated whether Norturne had managed to train an ether-user -- possibly more, since why would someone stop at one if they could have several -- in secret, but no, barring outside involvement of some ilk (and this is unlikely, as van Houten had noted, for various reasons) it seemed improbable. Still, someone had to have trained her. Her father, perhaps, he considers in silence, lifting his own glass.
It's just water.

His expression runs carefully blank as she says -- claims -- it was ether. There's still the chance she's horibly mistaken, being a wild ether-user, a Lamb. Ether use shouldn't even be like that.
...But she'd read his own use for what it was. Her ether use also shouldn't be possible.
Still holding his glass in his hand, his gaze flicks down at the surface, at the distorting ripples born from the little involuntary movements his arm makes.

Well, that's almost an apt metaphor for things right now, he thinks darkly. All at once, all these distortions popping up. Guardians, Metal Demons, wild ether-users, and who knows what else besides.

"...Wonderful," he mutters, as if at the subject of the man with the mysterious ether were the only thing bothering him.

He sets down the glass.

Silence rules the table for a time, at least on his end.

"You said you crossed over the battlefield when coming out this way, didn't you?" He pauses, as if considering his words. Briefly, his brow lines. "Did you go into that temple too?"

Key phrasing: too.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily doesn't comment on what she does, regardless. She simply drinks from a frozen glass, a minor expression of power that she can show even as injured as she is.

She used to be more subtle.

Offering no insight as to what training she had, if any, Lily simply watches Loren for the moment. Maybe there is the chance that she's mistaken, but she seems certain. Uncomfortable, certainly, but that brings its own layer of truth. ...She spots the blankness though, from the little movements...

"Mm." Lily replies to the mutter barely at all. She does not set down her glass, swirling it idly, letting the scent waft up to her nose. The scent is part of the drink, after all.

She doesn't pause at the question, simply staring with her single good eye. "Too," she says first. Simple, to the point. She caught that key. But she then takes another sip of her drink and finally sets it down.

"Yes. I went in to rescue someone. Once inside, our group would eventually meet the Guardian named Dan Dairam. ...Why do you ask? What was your experience like?"

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

It's not as if he can just ask. Well, probably not. Not without some careful lead-in, anyway.
This might be one of the things Elly would have an easier time with, Loren considers.

Just as he watches her carefully, he notes her returning the favor. Just his luck, he keeps getting the clever Lambs. Resisting the urge to close his eyes in frustration, he instead opts for that silence, gaze remaining on her for a moment before carefully and deliberately averting.

Until he speaks to another topic broached at his little meeting with van Houten.

Good, she caught on.

"How noble. I didn't think you had a heart, Keil," he comments, shaking his head. "So you met Dan Dairam, huh..."
He has no idea which Guardian that is. Religions were covered, yes, but not in ~fine detail~.
"Just curious. I spoke to other people who had been forced to take shelter like group I threw in with, and they said they'd also had some strange experiences."

He pauses, then shrugs slightly as if it's all nothing.
It's not 'nothing'.
"To answer your question, yes, I spoke with some of the Guardians. They asked for our help, if you can believe it."

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Observation is one of the things that has kept Lily alive over the years. Maybe suspicion is a better word. Which makes this entire encounter very unfortunate in a way, as she stares with her golden eye straight at Loren thoughtfully.

They're both watching each other, and that's fine. Silence she can work with. Averting, she can work with. She takes the opportunity to have a drink. Now and then, she glances behind Loren, around, making good on her intention to keep up with their environment.

Noble, though? Lily lifts her visible eyebrow. "I don't leave comrades behind. Not without going back for them." The idea of suggesting otherwise, it seems, is inappropriate. She nods a moment later. "Yes. The Guardian of Time."

Curious. Strange experiences... Lily considers, and shrugs. "I imagine they did. I've heard stories. I wouldn't call my experience strange, exactly... But it was a fairly personal experience."

"He asked for our help as well. I've decided to give it. My mission doesn't do much good if the world is destroyed."

A beat, "I hadn't even really believed in the Guardians until recently. In that way it is strange."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

In a way, he'd be able to understand. In a similar manner, suspicion and paranoia have been bred into him over time.
Even if he could understand her reason for it though, her keen eye still makes his job that much more difficult.

...Something about her has changed since their first meeting, he notes, in the midst of the silence, sky-blue eyes meeting her gold. What it is, the full nature of it, its implications, that, he can't say. Can't explain, not enough to insert into a report or say outright to a superior officer.

"...Fine, then." It's not as if he can argue the point, honestly speaking, all considering. Even with van Houten, hypothetically speaking, assuming it wouldn't shift the calculus towards a mission failure. The only thing worse than death is failure. His brow creases. "The Guardian of Time. Hmm. In the realist or the subjective sense?" he asks, only to follow it up with a sigh and the comment, "No, forget about it."

This, in its way, matches up with van Houten's account, Cecilia's... and his own experience. Personal, was it.

Loren readjusts his glasses, glancing down at the table momentarily. So she had been right. Like a dog, after all.

"Neither did I," he answers, at some length. Though it's not so much a question of 'believe', in his case.
...He thinks.
His shoulders rise and fall in a slight shrug. "As for me, I'm still thinking about it. Do you really think the world will end if you don't do as they asked?"

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Lily doesn't comment on any differences. Lily doen't comment on Loren's look, the way that note registers. Maybe it isn't something she's noticed herself, or maybe it is. ...It's true, though. It could be dangerousitelf.

If nothing else, she's hiding less than she used to.

He accepts her point and she leaves it there, sipping at her drink conversationally, though somehow even that takes on a certain severity when she does it. That question...? He says forget it, and she shrugs. That would've been her answer regardless. "I grew up with Nisan, not the Guardians."

Not the usual faith of Kislev, if Loren's done his homework on that front... Though not unheard of.

Some thoughts are better kept to oneself, though.

"The evidence indicates they exist," she 'agrees'. But his shrug, his question... This at least Lily is willing to take seriously. "...The Metal Demons have directly stated their desire to wipe out humanity. The idea that their Mother awakening would directly lead to this event is plausible. The world as we know it certainly could end."

"In a world where the monsters of storybook have stepped back into the world, is it unlikely? Filgaia is already dying."

Lily takes another drink.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

He raises an eyebrow.

It's not the usual faith of Kislev at all -- not that he knows much of the faith beyond the basics, but Nisan Orthodoxy is typically confined to, well, Nisan.

"That's unusual," he comments, on that front. "I would have expected Granas."

His own faith, he remains mute on.

The evidence, if you can call it that. But all he knows is what he saw, felt, heard. It wasn't a hallucination. It's some existence he cannot quite fathom -- something on a different plane than biological, that much is clear.
Loren settles back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest.

"I agree with you there, at least. That the Metal Demons are a threat." But is it beyond the numerous threats already arrayed before them, that they've been tasked to assess and handle? If the Guardians can be trusted, then what they said would constitute a 'yes'.

"What I don't understand is what these statues have to do with it. If that's all that's holding their Mother back, then what's to stop the Metal Demons from shattering them?"

The world's dying. Maybe.
Only if those who dwell on the surface continue to manage it as badly as they have... and only if other threats continue to exist.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Unusual maybe, but there's a following in Kislev. Maybe it's the sense of responsibility..." She shrugs lightly, "I don't really know. I remember my mother was faithful even before her injury."

Why does she mention it? Who knows. It seems almost offhanded... but only almost.

When Loren agrees, Lily takes another sip from her glass and watches him. "It's hard to imagine that they aren't, having seen them in action." Adlehyde suggests something more than idle truth, after all. However... The statues.

Lily inclines her head, as if unsuprised by that line of inquiry. "Very little," she answers simply. "First, they have to find these statues, which is something of an undertaking on its own. Then they have to batter through whatever defenders are able to assemble to get to them."

"There is a sorcerous ritual that can safeguard the statues, done in their presence, against such efforts. But the statues have to be found, first. Apparently if this isn't done, Mother will return at full strength... and the Guardians lack the power to fight her off as such a second time."

"I know the ritual, though I haven't had a chance to test it."

Lily may be more cynical about the world's end than Loren, in a way.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

"Your mother. Hmm..." Come to think of it, he considers, watching her as she takes another drink, he doesn't know anything about her mother. One eyebrow lifts, if only just. "An injury?" Mere curiosity there, naturally. Obviously.

As for the Guardians, well... It's still hard to believe. But he knows what he witnessed -- and what others witnessed. It's hard to imagine such a coherent mass hallucination.
In other words, if any piece of the experience had been removed, he would have been forced to -- at least on paper -- doubt his own eyes. But he can't deny what happened... particularly not the very tangible bit of evidence left behind.

It figures. Breaking statues isn't that easy. Loren inclines his head in a slow nod. "Unless they're particularly lucky and find one unguarded, I suppose..." He exhales a breath, shifts slightly in his seat. "Even with their level of technology, Filgaia is a large place." His shoulders rise and fall. "Too bad for them."

He takes a drink.

"Mm. So it's a race against time, is it... how wonderful. I suppose all the statues need to have this applied? Otherwise it would be simpler to locate and protect just a few..." His brow furrows deeply, as if faced with a particularly difficult puzzle. "Except, no, if that were the case, the Metal Demons wouldn't have to do anything except wait for the failure of a handful of statues. Or ensure everyone who met the Guardians fails to find any given statue... or just kill everyone caught up in this," he suggests, rather casually considering he'd be another chip in that pile. "That would probably be simplest. You saw what they did in Adlehyde. It shouldn't be impossible to do it again."

But they haven't made a direct move yet. He knows that much through reporting -- though it's always possible command knows something they're not telling. Or that the Metal Demons are concealing themselves from view, once again. Damn, he'd recommended not to chase them to the Captain due to the likelihood of attracting attention, unfamiliarity with their full threat level, and the possibility of setting off additional disturbances in Ignas, but...

Somewhat agitatedly, he fidgets with the edge of his napkin, his attention briefly on the wall behind Keil. Or maybe he's just being paranoid again.

"So what ritual is this?"

Superstitious nonsense no doubt, but he may as well ask.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

Obviously curiousity. "Partial paralysis," Lily explains. "She can't walk." She doesn't go into particular detail any further than that besides saying, "It was a set of combat injuries. Maybe if someone had gotten to her sooner..." She shakes her head. "But they didn't."

Lily happens to have one of those Mediums herself, not that she tends to flash it around. Though as for luck, "They may have already. There's reason to believe that one of the statues was in Adlehyde. There are others we're unlikely to be able to reach."

Lily takes another drink too, and shakes her head. "More statues protected is better," she says, "But we'll take what we can get. The more they destroy, the weaker the seal will become. ...But if they just kill all of us before we can do anything about it, that would be a simpler way to accomplish their goals."

Lily shrugs lightly. "The deployment of Golems, for better or worse, will make that more difficult."

The black-haired sorceress watches Loren's agitation, tilting her head to consider his fidgeting, where his attention goes. It does make sense, of course. At length, she decides to answer him.

"It involves the use of a special object and the gathering of some form of energy. It comes from the Baskar. I'm surprised enough that it's compatible with my abilities, but it appears to be."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

Partial paralysis. Well, that explains a thing or two, among them Lily's life choices. "I see," is what he says simply enough, the comment paired with a slow nod.
'If someone had gotten to her sooner'. If someone were the woman sitting in front of him, that is, given apparent breadth of her talents.

"Or other places besides."

That, on the topic of destroyed statues. Granted, there haven't been any reports about attacks elsewhere lately, but the last few years in Filgaia have not been entirely peaceful.
There had been a brief report on the annihilation of Arctica.
...Maybe even something like 'the Demon of Elru' might have really been...

And Loren sighs, wearily. "That isn't what I meant, Keil. I meant that it's likely necessary to for them to break all of, or at least most of, the existing statues. Otherwise we'd only need to protect one, or they'd only need to protect one." He refolds his arms over his chest. "And we'd already have lost if those were the conditions. If I were in their position and knew I'd won, I wouldn't waste resources on my enemy. I'd let them know they lost."
Since the Metal Demons haven't done that, ergo...

Golems, huh. "There are four ancient Golems I've heard of. The one in Kislev's hands," which is broken or at least badly damaged, "and the three taken from the festival grounds. I think the Metal Demons only have come into possession of one."
He knows perfectly well where the other two are -- one of which quite well indeed -- but he knows better than to go around casually mentioning that piece of information.

"A special object, is it? And that will reactivate the seal on the statue?" He lifts a hand, readjusting his glasses as if to get a better look at her. "...Interesting. Then it would probably work with mine as well." But his forehead still creases as if he's trying to puzzle this one out.
...Does that imply something about the nature of the Guardians? The abilities of the Baskar? It can accomodate even for ether usage...

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed. 

Little pieces of a story now and then, parceled out slowly, slip into the room. Lily does not explain further at the moment, instead lifting her glass to take another drink as she considers. Remembers, more like. Whatever the truth, that almost-casual statement is not casual.

Lily knows full well that she can do far more than many.

"Many." She has kept an eye out for Metal Demon attacks, of course, as she's gathered information. His correction as to what he meant gets a nod. "...Yes. It's not over, or we'd know by now. They aren't exactly known for their subtlety."

Four. "I can account for the whereabouts of all four," Lily says, though she doesn't indicate how or why, "But I'm not particularly reassured regardless. There may for that matter be others still in play that I'm unaware of."

"Reactivate, strengthen..." Lily shrugs. "The results are most important to me in this case. It likely would work with yours if you knew how to do it. But then, sorcery is sorcery. Results are the key, rather than the means."

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

"Indeed..." 'Thomas' murmurs, gaze hooded for a moment as he considers this -- their next steps, their current orders, what has already transpired. "It isn't over yet."

The worst is yet to come.

He's sure of that.

To say nothing of the issue of the Golems, particularly if Kislev manages to get Sado functional again. As low-odds as he'd rank that possibility, it still remains a possibility as a long-range threat. "You can, can you? I don't suppose you'd feel like sharing?"
Technically he already knows. But he's curious how much she knows.
"Assuming they haven't been crushed into so much dust by the ages... it stands to reason there are more than four around. If I've learned anything, it's that ancient civilizations never did things by halves," he comments, before taking a drink.

Alter state, transform...

"Hmm," he murmurs. "Now that's an interesting philosophy. Wouldn't you be interested in why your power works?"
Ether is a blessing. Handed down as a sign to the chosen people, an indication of their superiority and wisdom that they can both manifest and control this power appropriately.
Control is the important factor.
Those born outside the nation of Solaris may manifest the power, but their control...
They shouldn't have what they can't control. Can't use for the sake of the world. It's a cheat, a lie, a subversion of divine will. Thus, 'strays' are... anathema.

And as if to interrupt this little discussion neatly, waitstaff finally returns, with what is apparently their lunches.
There's a lot of it.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed. 

Lily doubts things will improve much left to their own devices.

"The knowledge wouldn't do you much good," Lily points out to 'Thomas.' "People inclined to do something about it are aware. That's all that really matters." Condescending, maybe, in that way that shows some amount of concern. "Unless you give me a reason otherwise."

"I'm inclined to agree," she admits about there being more out there. "And many, many things the ancients left are still buried out there waiting to be repaired--or already in working order. Exciting times we live in."

Transform...

"I'd be lying if I said it didn't interest me," Lily allows, "In the same way that understanding the mechanisms of muscle or the lungs interests me. ...Why, I don't know. How, well... It's breathing, the same as for you I imagine. There's little exotic in something like that. It's..." She stats to say it's complicated, but she's interrupted by the waitstaff, too.

She doesn't even remember what she ordered, frankly.

It doesn't that much matter.

<Pose Tracker> Loren Voss has posed.

"Somehow," 'Thomas' says dryly, one eyebrow arched, "I get the feeling you still don't trust me, Kiel." But he shugs, shakes his head. "Well, I suppose it doesn't matter to me if you know or not, or even if you think I should know whatever you think you know about the Golems. It isn't my problem, as you've noted."

Except for the part where it is, but that's the details, and also mostly up to command to decide the when and how of it.

"Or possibly cursed times, depending how you look at it. Once, Filgaia was more or less at peace. But lately..." He shakes his head again, closes his eyes as if he's gained a slight headache. Something's on the move. But it was probably unavoidable -- things build and gain momentum chip by chip, until the last piece put into position is all there is to create an inescapable play.

And obliterate whatever stands in its way.

"Hmm. I suppose it's the same as me, in that case. It isn't as if we can ask anyone else about this power. All we have is what we can uncover by ourselves."
Loren does something unusual. The corner of his mouth tilts upwards, as if in vague echo of a smile.
"Just like ruins, it seems."

He doesn't waste time when it comes to eating, either, it seems.