2018-09-15: CaraKin Catchup

• Log: CaraKin Catchup
• Cast: Jacqueline Barber, Catenna, Ethius Hesiod, Prissa, Kourin, Tesni Inoue, Lydia Seren, Arleph Ardan, Cyre H. Lorentz, Matilda Whitehead, Lunata Croze
• Where: The CaraKin
• Date: September 15, 2018
• Summary: The Caravan Kinship catches up now that they've made it back to Filgaia.

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<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

A lot of things had happened. The Caravan Kinship had made an enemy of Althena's Guard, then fled to Azado to lie low right before the entire town was devastated by the Calamity known to the Guardians as 'Obsession', and 'Sin' to everyone else. And then they fled into some ruins, where they found a teleporter back to Filgaia...which lead them straight into a fight against the Metal Demons for both a Statue and the safety of Adlehyde.

They had fought the Demons off, but the Statue had been lost.

All in all, they've had a pretty eventful last few weeks! There's some time now to rest and relax...but maybe not too much time. Jacqueline thought it was a good idea to get every together to just...talk, and discuss things that were going on. There was a lot of them, and she knew certain individuals had things they wanted to share with everyone, as well.

She's asked everyone to meet her in the living area of the Carakin - it's a good thing the vehicle is pretty big, or there might not be enough room for everyone! Jacqueline herself sits in one of the comfy sofas lining the room, and there's a table in the middle that has been laid out with various refreshments.

"Thank you for gathering, everyone. I'd like to thank you all for coming, I know things have been...hectic, and that some of you had people you wanted to visit now that you're back." Jacqueline says. "I'm sorry I've been a little distant, myself...I decided it was time to get my Guild certification, so I've been doing a lot of studying."

She clears her throat.

"Anyway...I've been spending a lot of time letting people know we're around and in business again. It seems that a lot of people thought we, um...died. It's a bit of an advertising nightmare, to be honest, but I think we'll pull through!" She starts off. "With everything that's happened lately, there's a lot of people who could use our help."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Catenna has been busy in the kitchen preparing for this gathering, and it shows: The room is home to more than a few enticing scents.

The centrepieces of Catenna's food spread are two large pots with ladles in them. One contains a mild, aromatic curry apparently made with chicken simmering in a rich, delectably spiced orange sauce; the other contains sweet, fluffy cauliflower rice. A plate of samosas is stacked high near it; another contains naan breads and a few sugary pastries. Another plate contains a selection of vegetables, seemingly grown aboard the CaraKin itself, fresher and crisper than the ones growing outside. A smaller dish, for the spicily inclined, contains neat little lamb meatballs simmering in a spicy gravy rich with red chilis. And she's set out coffee and tall glasses of minted milk to drink.

Collecting some of the meatballs and vegetables for herself, Catenna settles into a seat near Jacqueline, her knees together as she listens to her speak. She smiles politely, dipping her head. "Fortunately there is always need of assistance, and we do travel often."

Catenna gestures towards the food plates. "Please, have something. That is why it is there. It is always better to discuss over a meal."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius has been kind of a whirlwind of Being Himself since they came back. Frequent head counts of Azado refugees and questioning who or what they might have seen - something that doesn't yield any satisfactory results. Mother's reported awakening... he broke off some days ago to travel off into the Badlands region for reasons he previously did not disclose (though there are material witnesses present who can say what he was doing there). The man never seems to be willing to ever be at rest, mentally or... emotionally? Ethiusally. This is a word now.
     No matter how good he is at maintaining some sort of stoic facade on average, he is very clearly Burdened By Something because he almost never stands in that corner of the living area unless he's monitoring unknown passengers or anything else of that ilk. They are here to meet, relax, touch base, and be level about where to go forward from here - and he is most certainly not relaxing!
     At least he isn't trying to keep talking them down about what not to be doing like back on the Blue Star...? That's a consolation prize.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
Prissa, the greatest swordsmith of the age, is currently loading up a wood plate with chicken and rice. She already got herself a cup of coffee earlier. The meatballs are added on top of the rice, even as she says to Catenna, "I am not taking too much meat?"

She calls to Jay, "What do you mean by certification? Do they have trials here for adventurers?"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin and Spirit are, of course, present. Quiet, contemplative, serious, and distant, for Kourin's part--she is absolutely behaving normally, as she always does. She's also savorign the lamb meatballs, her expression changing to one of bliss while she is eating...

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Not at all," Catenna assures Prissa with a gentle smile, bowing her head. "But you should be careful... the chicken is mild, but the meatballs are called matschgand and are quite spicy."

<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.

Tesni Inoue had neen still wearing her Lunar oufit she'd come to like it though a desert cloak had been aded to it, it also worked well for Tess for more causal things like meeting up here. Tess had also been cooking at times using up what fish they had before it spoiled she was fond of battering and frying it in oil with fried root veggies. She looks to Jacqueline for a moment.

 "No issue and I hope you do well on that? I have to agree we also need to catch up on what going on here, I also need to get back to hunting the ruins I'm looking for still too and one other personal thing."

 Tess took a look to PRisa for a moment.

 "Oh Prissa when you have a moment I need to talk to you."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia Seren, the greatest* engineer** of the age*** is currently chowing down on a pile of meat and veggies that looks a little horrifying frankly since it's all just piled on there. Perhaps this is part of her GASTRONOMY EXPERIMENTATION (it's not she's just really hungry).

Lydia chomps down rapidly through her food, though not at a Xantia rate, and waves a hand at Jay though she honestly hadn't noticed Jay being distant, or studying, or....... But that's better than having noticed it right?

"That just means," chomp. "We get a," chomp. "Comeback sale and make lots of," chomp. "Money."

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

      Arleph is there, leaning against a chair and holding a bottle of juice in his hand, looking over. A look is given in Ethius' direction. He's been quiet since the Blue Star.
 
      "So I've heard, Jacqueline. I hope that's doing well. You will do well, I'm sure."
 
      The symbologist straightens. "Do you have suggestions upon things to do to help people, then? Directions?"

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Cyre has been... Busy. Busy running around up and down, into various dungeons and out of them, always searching for something-- anything-- that might give them some kind of idea of how to deal with the resurgent Metal Demon Mother.

So he's... A little bit tired. Like, wow, he is worn out. The shaman is sitting at the communal table, his head resting on folded arms. There's a big fluffy thing curled up at his feet and a Schrodinger curled up on his head.

Cyre has had a long few weeks.

He stirs a bit when he smells a familiar scent wafting through the air. His ears twitch upright when Catenna passes, arms full of curry. Schrodinger mewls and pivots when Cyre straightens and yawns. The cat dangles limply over his brow and down the back of his head. Sleep, it seems, is contagious.

"Uhhh," Cyre rubs at an eye, "...Oh, ss'it time for the meeting already?" Beat. "If we still need folks to help. Uh. I've been thinking of heading home to check in on how things are doing, so maybe we can start there?"

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
"I have a moment now," Prissa tells Tesni as she picks up a meatball in her pita bread corner. (She seemed to get what they were for on sight.) "Is that so?" she says to Catenna before popping the spicy bit in her mouth.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Ah, no, this certification is specifically for the Crest Sorcery Guild." Jacqueline isn't sure how much Prissa knows about it, so she draws out a Crest and shows it off. "Crest Sorceresses like myself can invoke the spells drawn on Crest Graphs like this, but it takes a certified Guild practitioner to safely recombine them. Once I have my certification, I'll be able to offer that service to our customers!"

And adjust her own Crests, but that was just a bonus.

Everyone talks amongst themselves, discussing various matters...except for one person. Jacqueline sends Ethius a glance. She knows he went off to do...something, though she isn't sure what. She does know, however, that something's up. He's on guard for something - moreso than usual.

"...Is something bothering you?" She asks, not expecting an answer. She then returns her attention to the others, while helping herself to some of the food.

She sends Arleph a nod, and then one to Cyre as well.

"Yes, I've admittedly been worried about Wehaca...we were taken away to Lunar so suddenly... I'm sure they're more than capable of taking care of themselves, but I'd still like to lend a helping hand at the same time..."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Catenna isn't alone! Dozing on her shoulder, the Owlet attends in presence, but seems far too tired to really listen. The Moon Shaman gives the bird a worried look, giving it a little stroke with her fingertips.

She looks back to Prissa with a quiet smile. "Yes... Zortroan food can be spicy. I hope you enjoy it."

Nipping down a meatball in her own right, Catenna watches Prissa a moment more to ensure she doesn't torch her mouth; the meatballs are indeed spicy, but with a compexity to their flavour. But Jay's talking, too. Catenna moues her lips, her eyes lowering, then rising again.

"Ultimately what we sell is important... but make no mistake," she says quietly. "My number one priority is defeating Mother and preserving Filgaia."

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda has been busy since returning to Filgaia, but she can always make time for the CaraKin... and, for that matter, for food. She avails herself of the curry readily, being *quite* hungry at this point; she seems in good spirits on the whole, though.

"Congratulations on pursuing the Guild certification," Matilda says, before anything else. She stays fairly quiet for several moments, though, remaining deep in thought.

"People who need our help..." She pauses -- and then looks to Ethius, raising an eyebrow. She doesn't comment on him, though. "... There's a lot to do. I admit I don't have many great ideas..."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"Thank you!" Jacqueline says, with a bright smile. "Before, well...Lunar, I never really thought it...necessary. I thought there'd always be a Guild outpost around somewhere, but Lunar really put things into perspective for me."

Jacqueline chuckles nervously.

"This way, I won't have to worry about that...and I'll be able to help others stuck in the same situation."

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

      Arleph nods, pondering on that. "Mmmm yes, you initially bought me in for helping with Wehaca, to begin with. But we did get to Lunar a bit too fast for me to be able to do anything about it." He taps the side of his bottle, frowning, thinking about it. "I'm ready to go back there and what I can after them."
 
      He leans back against the chair, nodding. "Mother IS an issue of course. I have had... some insights about Mother, but nothing concrete or proof. Or anything that might help us at this point."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius is questioned. He turns his head imperceptibly but doesn't seem keen to respond to it. That's basically as good as a 'yes' as anything ever. Matilda will notice that he has been vaguely looking in her direction for a while, but it might be coincidence. The angle gives him the best view of virtually everyone in the room, but with someone like him...
     "What insights do you have, Mister Arleph?" Ethius asks out of the blue. That's the first thing he's said since the gathering's began.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia looks over to Cyre for a moment and then dips her head low. If she could come help Cyre out, that'd be pretty great. She always felt a bit guilty for not being able to help the Baskar village when it was in trouble. She does mention, though, "I am heading back to the Colony to check on Granny Halle and uh, other people, but it shouldn't take me too long. After that I can come lend you a hand, Cyre." She looks over to Arleph when Ethius asks him and nods at the guy.

"Hey Prissa," She says, turning back to Prissa. "Whatcha think of Filgaia so far? Know it's only been a couple weeks, but."

<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.

Tesni Inoue nods approvingly at Jacqueline and then shoots a look to Ethius for a moment, she does fear what he might be doing and she's always seem spooked about his family n ame when it's come uyp, funny that. "We should try and see if they need anything and I have to agree the mother needs to be taken down. It's very long over due. I don't want to kick the can down the road so our great grand kids have to deal witht his again."

 She shoots Arleph a curious look herself.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Mother is the issue," Catenna answers Arleph, shifting the Owlet from her shoulder and into her lap. "If the Metal Demons are permitted to fulfill their goals, there will be no market for you to sell your goods, no goods to be sold, and in all likelihood, no you."

At the mention of Elder Halle, Catenna blinks, then lowers her eyes to the Owlet in her lap. She runs slow fingers through its feathers, stroking a little. "Elder Halle will be most happy to see you, Lydia," she says quietly. "I took some time to visit her, actually. Mostly because the Owlet is is in very poor health," Catenna explains, cradling the bird.

"What happened on Lunar concerned the Elder as much as it did me," she explains. "Whatever the creature of Azado is - a Clysmian, is the word that was used - it is unclear. But it is deep lore. So deep that only the fear of it can be remembered. But she did affirm what Celesdue said. We must seek the Lost Sanctuary of the Guardian Lords."

Eyes flitting to Prissa, then to Kourin and finally to Ethius, she explains, "the Guardian Lords are the four greatest Guardians. Justine of Courage... Raftina of Love... Luceid of Desire... and Zephyr of Hope."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Mother...it was true. Ultimately, dealing with Mother would go a long way to helping a lot of people.

"That's an important broad-scale issue to consider, yes..." Jacqueline replies with a nod. "Mother poses a threat to everyone who lives on Filgaia. We'll have to deal with her at some point, but honestly I wouldn't even know where to begin..."

If they had the methods available, they would do something about her.

"Until we figure out what to do about her, I think we should keep doing what we've been doing...traveling around to distant settlements and delivering supplies to help keep them going. I'm sure we'll find something out on our travels that will help in that fight." Jacqueline says. She intentionally does not think about how much the map might've changed since they were gone.

It was better not to dwell on that.

Meanwhile, Catenna fills them in on another matter. Jacqueline goes quiet admittedly. This was information she knew, as Catenna had invited her along to this particular meeting.

"...Unfortunately, the Lost Sanctuary is, well...lost. We'll have to keep our eyes and ears out for any particular hint of its location as we travel..." Jacqueline says.

<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.

Tesni Inoue now takes a chance to reply to Prissa. "I was hoping to comission a sword and maybe a good boot knife friom you if you had the time." She notes with a bit of a grin on her face. "ARMs are good but when your out of ammo, it's best to ahve something to fall back on."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

"You have my support and my sword, no matter what happens," Kourin says quietly.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Well, I'd say they're almost as good as Rigdobrite," Lydia says, leaning back. SUPER HERETICAL it may be, but Lydia has her favorite for an obvious reason. "The 'Clysmian' you mentioned has a name too. They call it 'Sin'." She doesn't seem to be acting too afraid of Sin but, of course, with a more pressing armageddon upon her she feels like there's time. What are the odds that they'll be going back to Lunar?? Probably pretty small! How many Elw teleporters can there be anyway???

Of course maybe there's just no purpose in showing fear on something that isn't immediately trying to eat them. "Well," Lydia says. "Once we kill Mother, we can just ask the Guardians where they are. I think that's fair right?"

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"Can we really focus entirely on simply -- doing as we are, knowing Mother exists?" Matilda weighs that -- she seems... nervous about it to say the least. "I'm with Catenna on this one, truthfully... that should be our first and foremost priority, no matter what. Even fighting the Metal Demons... might be helpful."

She lets out a small sigh, glancing off to the side and absently stirring her curry with her utensils. She chews at her lip. "... It's difficult for me to feel like anything else we do matters, with that threat hanging over our heads. It's, mmm -- rearranging the furniture in an earthquake."

Lydia's suggestion gets a smile.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
"Oh, I love it," Prissa tells Lydia. "The air is a little weird, that is my only complaint. You know, you are actually richer than Lunar? I found this out in the toilet." She seems to be about to go on an anecdote when Tesni speaks up.

"The sword, of course. The knife I can sell you right now."

She then pauses, looking towards Matilda. What she says seems to have struck an abrupt chord in her. Frowning thoughtfully, Prissa considers, but does not throw her words forth right away.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Mother.

Yeah, that's kind of... Kind of the big flashing 'FIX ME ASAP' sign hanging high over the wasteland, isn't it?

Cyre sighs and slumps back into his chair, even as a big fluffy head slides its way onto his lap for beaucoup headpats. "There's a lot to be done, but one way or another we're going to have to be ready to fight her, and do everything we can to prepare for that."

But then the question of the Guardian Lords and the Clysmian Sin comes up, even as Lydia promises to try and be in Wehaca to help this time around. And...

Well!

Cyre just kind of gets a thoughtful look on his face.

"The elders might know something," he says, hesitantly. "Wehaca was always a town of warriors, so if these Clysmians are something that the Guardians fought against a long time ago, there might be something in the old records. Or... Something like that, maybe." He shrugs, "Regardless, I promised my brother I'd take care of things and we... kind of got sent to the moon right after I did that."

Which on reflection kind of looks really bad especially if everyone thinks he's dead right now.

Hrm.

They should really try to fix that.

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    While Ethius awaits Arleph's answer - if any, let's be honest, for all the times Ethius refuses to give anything resembling a satisfactory answer, he is so deep in Answer Debt that no one should ever have to tell him the time or where the restroom is for at least the next two years - he quietly allows speech to continue to fly between matters of prioritization and what must be done, or can be done, and how urgently.
     He speaks up again shortly after Matilda finishes her peace.
     "Are you in consensus on the matter?" Who's 'you'? Everyone? Is he asking everyone if they are truly ready, willing, and able to throw themselves into a gnashing horde of liquid metal alien monstrosities who will give them no quarter (or ask for change back for said quarter because what they're selling costs like eighteen cents and -- this metaphor is going strange places)?

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Yes. Unfortunately, nobody knows where the Lost Sanctuary is. But we must find it," Catenna says gravely, continuing to gently stroke the lethargic Owlet dozing in her lap.

When Matilda comes down in support of her, Catenna looks up towards her and sends a small, grateful smile her way, then another for Kourin. And then her expression goes more sober. She nods grimly to Lydia when the girl chimes in. "Celesdue called it Obsession... said that its existence is the product of some failure on the part of the Elw. This entire thing troubles me. But I think that finding the Lost Sanctuary may help with both our Sin problem and our Metal Demon problem."

Catenna lifts her hand from the Owlet just long enough to touch Cyre's hand across the gap between couches. "It cannot hurt to ask. When you return to Wehaca, I will gladly come with you. But ultimately we must find not only the Sanctuary, but the place where Mother lives."

She glances up at Ethius. "I am, and I think many of us are. But I would not force anybody to do this. I know that there are many here who wish to be merchants first... but I cannot do that while Mother is woken and the Guardians are cut off from us. I have a duty and it supercedes everything else."

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

      Arleph can feel the stares on him, smiling a bit in Ethius. It is a bit difficult to share the insights, as they are... things he is not supposed to know, partially thanks to some outside knowledge, some outside perceptive. He did think a while on how he'd breach this.
 
      "Well, I was thinking... Just how central is Mother to the Metal Demons?" Arleph strats, looking up, drumming fingers to his bottle of juice. "How important is she to them, as a species? Is she like an Ant's Queeen, or is she some sort of central power?"
 
      He takes a swig out of his bottle, frowning. "Or is she something else?"

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"I'm not sure. She's their goddess," Cyre says with a shrug. "That's about as much as I know. Just that they worship her-- and that she's interfering with our connection to the Guardians. Without them, we're at a pretty serious disadvantage against the rest of the Metal Demons, so she has to go, one way or another."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

...Jacqueline hesitates a little bit. It's true, Mother was...kind of a axe hovering just over everyone's necks, and they didn't know when it would fall. They needed to deal with her, and as soon as possible.

"...Yes, I agree Mother should be a priority, however...I just don't want anyone rushing off to fight her without a plan in position. It will not be a matter of just rushing in to fight her - the Metal Demons will not sit idly by and let us seal their Mother away once more." Jacqueline says. "...And besides, we don't even know where she even is right now..."

Someone might have something to say about that, though.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"What do you mean?" Lydia asks, looking back to Prissa, curious about what she was about to get into before Tesni spoke up. "Richer in toilets?"

She then glances over to Ethius for a moment as he asks a question that might be a little strange were it out from anybody else. She shrugs both shoulders and says, "I promised Kalve I'd hear 'er out first but honestly, she's already killing this planet. I feel like that's saying a great deal already. I suspect it'll be even more obvious when we actually get to Elru."

She shrugs both shoulders at Arleph as well. "Obviously not too central, I mean, they were causing problems here for a thousand years and she wasn't alive for most of those years. I imagine they're devoted but it's not like they'll stop being around just because Mother isn't. And honestly, I wouldn't want to wipe them out. They're people too, it's just their 'God' isn't playin' fair."

She does smile faintly again at Prissa. Even if she meant rich in toilets, she's glad that even now someone can appreciate her home.

"...It's not like I want to kill anybody either, and honestly? It probably wouldn't be me. I can throw meteors but taking out Mother seems a little unreal to me even now. But if it's kill or be killed, well, I don't feel like we've got much choice."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    A general consensus appears to be made. They have to, even if they might not have the means. The intent is there - an intent put out by themselves. For all that is known of Mother and the missives of the Guardians, those who are able have been given a mission.
     Lydia lets slip a little something, and Ethius calmly approaches the table in which they're gathered. There's a little place for him to sit if he would just, say, RELAX, TAKE IT EASY, PUT FOOD ON A PLATE and NOT TURN IT INTO A CHARRED HUSK OF CARBON BEFORE PUTTING IT IN HIS MOUTH.
     He sets down two parchments.
     The first has six sets of coordinates corresponding to popular cartography terminology for the region. Six listed directions, with margins of error for each (the first one has the greatest).
     Then, on top of that, a map in which these findings are already applied. All of which point towards northern Elru.
     Ethius doesn't say anything on top of this, for the moment.

<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.

Tesni Inoue says "Well then I'll get the knife and we can comission the blade later then." She grins seemingly in a good mood about that and looks forward to it from the look on her face. She looks to Ethius now. "We have a resposiblity as people who have enough power to help deal with the problem. Mother hass contiamted this world far too long."

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin frowns at Ethius.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"... I think there's -- at least -- something like consensus," Matilda agrees. She laughs a little nervously about it, though -- maybe it's just that Ethius's presence is, itself, nervewracking. But...

Catenna's explanation of that -- thing -- they encountered weighs on her. "Another failure of the Elw? It seems like that's all we inherit -- how were they so...?" She lets out a long sigh. "... It's not worth thinking about."

When Lydia speaks this time, Matilda goes quiet. "... yes, I believe that about sums it up," she eventually answers. It's not a particualrly excited answer.

She scoots in toward the map, to take a peek; she doesn't quite put it all together, though, just yet. "... What is this pointing at?"

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

      "Their goddess." Arleph echoes, frowning. If anything, that confirms everything he might've have been worried about. "I see. And she comes here with her people, she is able to... sap, interfer with the connection you have with the Guardians. In fact, the whole set of nature of our world." He almost said 'this' world. "I... cannot say for certain, but I think this might not be the first time she have done this."

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
Prissa eats another bite of food. "Hard to explain," she tells Lydia afterwards. "I will tell you later. It is proof of your wealth. I am not surprised none of you noticed too much, but I! I had to."

Maybe she should eat less curry. She looks at Tesni, nods once, and gestures at her hip - where there are four knives, even as we speak. "Pick one up and take a look. Just do not stab me or it's ten thousand gil. La."

Then come papers. "... Triangles?" Prissa says, as if struggling for the right word, but she seems to at least kind of get the geometry involved.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Unfortunately all we can do is cope with the pieces of generations which have crumbled into our hands," Catenna says with a lifting of her eyes towards Matilda, her expression sober and serious. "Disaster has fallen Filgaia many times - perhaps moreso than befell Lunar. I do not know if we can fix it all. But Celesdue has asked me to contribute and I will not deny her."

And in comes Ethius, and Catenna looks up to him with a surprised blink as he sets those parchments down. She leans deeply forward, biting down to her lower lip as she gradually comprehends the calculations he's made.

"...Ethius," she asks. "Are those the locations of Statues...." She eyeballs them a little, then blinks.

"...Are you saying that Mother is located in Elru?" she asks - and there's a bit of trepidation in her voice.

Of all those in the caravan, Catenna is the only person from Elru. Her shoulders tense up ever so slightly.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

Arleph looks over, blinking at the coordinates. "...Is this what you were working on, at each statues?"

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

    Lunata... is a latecomer to the meeting.

    Earlier, she said she had some things to do at the Yggdrasil, which to be fair about eighty percent of everything she does involving her armaments involve returning to the sandcruiser belonging to the sand pirate Bart and his crew.

    It rather shows, as she opens the door and comes in. Where she might normally be carrying soup and hors d'ouevres and other kinds of fantastically indulgent treats...

    ... well, this time, she's more decked out than she's ever been before -- she's got her manuevering gear mounted at the back of her waist, her katana slotted into its matte-black sheath, and layers of what looks like blast padding placed atop her dress and...

    ... and ARM? Covered in a tarp underneath one of her fingerless-gloved hands. Twin barrels pop out of it.

    Dressed for war, in other words.

    "Sorry I'm late."

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Cyre blinks at Ethius' strange map and the coordinates and Catenna's suddent interjection as to its significance and--

"That--" He starts, suddenly paying so much more attention. "That's what it is, isn't it? How long have you had this, Ethius? This is... Important stuff. The location of their home base is--"

Lunata has appeared!

Cyre stares at how maximally kitted out the best waitress is. The armor. The guns. The everything.

Cyre stares for a long moment. And then:

"Lunata, y-you know we're not rushing straight for Mother, right?"

Beat.

"D-did you carry all that with you all the way back here?"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline listens as the others discuss the situation...and then, as Ethius sets two parchments, both of them adding up to one bit of information - Northern Elru. Arleph states it plainly - this is what Ethius had been up to all this time. ...And Catenna states it plainly, that Mother was located in Elru.

And then, Arleph provides his own bit of information - that this may not be the first time Mother has done this to a planet.

And THEN, Lunata steps through the door, decked out for combat in battle gear and apparently carrying an ARM.

Jacqueline ends up staring, more than a little dumbfounded. She might need a second to reboot after all of this...

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Just like that, as they were angsting over what they could possibly do...
     Catenna's theory is sound, pending Ethius' confirmation. The coordinates are based on, indeed, locations where a number of statues were found and sealed. (Except for the one located at where Wayside once stood - but that was where Ethius famously barked to Shalune to hand him her compass and then not tell her why.)
     Before Ethius can answer - if he was going to, anyway - his gaze shifts back over to how Lunata is dressed and prepared. Knowing her connections and associations, then... good. The timing is just right.
     "Unless there are mistakes in the assumption of how the Guardian Statues themselves work... this is, indeed, where the sealing power travels." He says, in the most roundabout way of saying 'Mother is here' imaginable.

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

"Yeah, that's what we've been saying." Lydia says to Catenna, blissfully not thinking about that.

She looks over to Arleph, confused. "Huh? I'm not sure I understand what you're getting at. This isn't the first time Mother's been around, yeah, on Filgaia. Ages ago there was a big war."

She frowns thoughtfully, tilting her head in curiousity. "But...is that what you're talking about? I'm not sure I get what you're getting at, dude."

She nods to Prissa, leaving aside the matter for now.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Catenna gives Lydia a brief look and a slow blink.

Then she looks down at the paper again. She considers it for a moment, so distracted by her thoughts that she doesn't react to Lunata showing up loaded for bear like everyone else does.

In fact, Catenna doesn't say anything at all. Her eyes drop away from the parchments and settle on the Owlet, with the peculiar distant stare of someone who has her mind on other things and can't quite force it off.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

      "I mean before even that old war, Lydia." Arleph replies, looking over in her direction. "Talking with some of them, I have been told that something happened to their world. A cataclysm of some sort, that forced them to leave their home world. I remember them saying something similar that they cannot return, when we were taking care of that large cannon a year back when I interrogated them about it."
 
      He lifts a gloved hand. "So this got me thinking and keeping an eye open, looking how they behave. They barely remember anything of that time, no records of their time on their homeworld, as far I am aware -- and I am pretty sure they have better records of their history than we do, unless it is sealed up to the higher up. They're pretty blind on that front. They got promises of lost glories and a new world to conquer for themselves. For Mother, to reawaken Her."
 
      Arleph leans back, setting down his empty bottle of juice carefully next to his chair. "So it made me wonder... what if the Metal Demons themselves were the first victims of Mother, and she took control of their species in some manner, I don't know how, at the top, using them to keep doing... whatever the hell she is doing?"

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda just stares down at the map for a while, speechless. She tries to make some sense of it -- or more accurately, of the world in which it exists. "... It -- would make sense. If they were based there," Matilda reflects aloud. Her lips purse, before she turns to Arleph.

Her expression pales. "... That certainly would track as well. Take control of or destroy resources... then promise the starving a new, bountiful world for the taking." She does not seem particularly pleased to think of that, even if it *does* explain much.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin eats another meatball.

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
"My mother was a little like that," says Prissa, who may not fully comprehend the situation.

Prissa does point at the map, however. "Did they not put any of the Guardian statues on the other direction? The ropes seem a little imbalanced. Or is it something where that matters less?"

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Jacqueline finally manages to regain her composure a bit.

"A-anyway..." She says, breaking eye contact. "It's alright, Lunata. Thanks for coming. We've been discussing business, and we ended up at the topic of Mother..."

She then scoots aside, so there's room for Lunata to sit down on the sofa if she wants.

"But if what Arleph says is true...then we have even more reason to deal with her. I don't want to think about her moving on to Lunar..." Jacqueline says. Her attention strays to Catenna for a bit. She doesn't say anything just yet, just watches quietly as she stares at the Owlet.

"...It's okay. We'll figure something out..." Jacqueline murmurs.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"Um?" Catenna lost track of the conversation, apparently. When Jay murmurs at her, the Zortroan looks up with a quick blink and a little blush. Her fingers run slowly through the Owlet's soft white down. The baby bird's eyes have opened, but it can't seem to manage to do much more than lie there in a state of torpor.

Catenna presses her lips together and looks back down. "...It will be alright," she murmurs. I am sure it will...."

But her mind is still elsewhere. It's all she can do to keep it focused.

...Back to Elru....

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

    In many ways, Lunata reflects the state of her hometown of Adlehyde. Where the town was once peaceful, with ivory-white walls and beautiful green pastures, so much of it has been reshaped and destroyed... and where there was once peace, there are now cannons upon lines of cannons up on the parapets. Defensible... paranoid. Fearful.

    "This isn't for Mother," Lunata insists to Cyre. Her eyes narrow. "When we do go for Mother... I'll have the Rephaim's full payload of ammunition ready."

    Her eyes narrow for a moment longer, as she looks down towards her ARM and unwraps it. It's a slick, matte-black combat shotgun, with a carving along oneside. She doesn't exactly seem to care too much about what Mother's objectives are, other than...

    "... they're still harrassing us out here, so I've been occupied... but when we figure out where to go, you've got everything I have..." With the time she has left allotted to her.

<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.

Tesni Inoue looks to Ethius and then gets to eating a bit of food herself. She then look to Ethius when she's done her bite. "Well we'll have to get to this right?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    "Your historical theories and academic curiosities notwithstanding," Ethius speaks up again as if to interrupt, arms folded behind his back about as habitually as that other thing he does sometimes (or rather, all the time), "that is where the matter will find itself decisively addressed."
     He speaks these words that are bereft of reassurance or soothing effect. Many are disturbed by the possibilities, stretched thin by having so much to do, overwhelmed by what is being asked of them, and at a loss as to what it is any of them can individually do against the collected might of the Metal Demon hordes.
     "Whatever the reason for the orientation in which the seal's power travels," and it does seem logical to think that it might've been 'shorter' for maybe one or two of them to loop around Aquvy depending on how good the cartography of Filgaia is, "the data is accurate. That is where they point."
     Ethius steps forward to push the parchments towards Lunata's direction, the paper sliding noisily on the feasting table deliberately in which to draw her eyes as he stares at her (shiny new ARM).
     "That is your decision to make, Miss Tesni." So Ethius says as he retracts back from leaning that paper forward for Lunata's benefit... and there's his hand to his head. Always the same way. The same amount of leaning, and everything.
     "The timetable is as such that you will not have much time in which to make it." Because Filgaia will stand to be annihilated. That's the truth... but no, that's a truth. That should be a the, but it's an a. He struggles to comprehend what is the other detail that seems to bother him so.

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

"...Right," Cyre sighs just a little bit incredulously. Lunata's outfit is. Uh. A thing.

Ah, well. He can't complain too much about a sick zombie girl's choice in clothing. Maybe it's like how Crimson Nobles are supposedly always super-glamorous or whatever.

Beat.

Cyre frowns and shifts slightly, moving to gently clasp a hand around Catenna's shoulder. "You're worried about something. What's up? Worried about home...?"

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia looks over to Arleph, quirking her head. "Well, I mean, I guess it's possible." She says. "Though it seems a little convoluted. It is probably something I'd want evidence of before I started blabbing the hypothesis to the metal demons. Like sure, it makes sense for Mother to behave that way, but I haven't seen any evidence of that. So far what Mother is doing is cataclysmic for us, but hardly for the Metal Demons. They don't need the same resources that we do." She gestures forward with one hand. "Or perhaps they were once organic beings but they became metal people through a similar process as what's happening to me, and Mother was just the natural result of their efforts. Or maybe Mother only accidentally destroyed their world."

She leans back, "Or maybe they aren't even aliens to begin with. Maybe that's just a trick. Like with the sky people who did this to me! Maybe they're Solarian agents!" Her eyes widen. "Or maybe...ROGUE Solarian sky agents! They made all these robot people to take over the surface of Filgaia and Mother was their like control interface and it rebelled because they're jerks and over time everybody treated them as aliens so they thought of themselves as aliens and they just THINK they're from another world."

She points towards Arleph with wide eyes. "Or maybe, Mother is 'Tainted' like Riesenlied and is just acting weird now because of it 'cause of all the problems that can cause and normally she'd be behaving completely differently!"

She hops up to her feet. "Actually better idea, maybe we're all just part of some kind of four dimensional computer game."

She then blinks a few times and then adds, "Okay maybe that's a little too silly, but like I guess my point is, there's no real way of proving something like that is true so...yeah I guess it wouldn't help." She frowns. "Though man I almost convinced myself of them being the sky people."

She then looks up. "Say Arleph. Where are you from?"

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin glances over, confused.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

She doesn't say anything, just...raises an eyebrow.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

Lunata's outfit isn't lost on Catenna. But there are worries weighing on her. A tired, sick Owlet that doesn't seem to get better. The grim things Elder Halle told her.

And something else. When Cyre touches her shoulder, she closes her eye and lowers her head, her silence drawn out for a few heartbeats as she wrestles internally with how much she truly wants to say about what's eating her.

"...I did not leave Elru on good terms," she admits, her voice very low. "I am glad Ethius has circled Arctica and not Elesius."

Then Lydia says something and Catenna shakes her head.

     Catenna
                                                                              
That seems to be a little beyond belief. Let's just focus our attentions
on stopping Mother and finding the Lost Sanctuary
                                                                           >

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

    "... Shalune's been to Elru," Lunata does at least point out. "You know that girl probably jotted down everything in her notebook. She can help us navigate around that place, if Catenna can't..." a pause, as she glances to how she admits she didn't leave Elru on good terms.

    She tilts her head to Lydia, squinting. "... you're on good terms with the Wayside folks, right? They probably have more information to give as well..."

    Ethius gets a look at the ARM. Fortunately, it's not some kind of Federation space-ARM that doesn't belong on Filgaia: it's made out of home-grown parts!

    It also has the most ludicrous carving on the side in beautiful cursive: 'Zeldukes is in Heaven now'.

    Someone's feeling really, really salty about the loss of that statue.

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

Arlpeh listens in, still seating against his chair. He shakes his head a little. "Of course. I'd also like to have a little more proof beyond just observations and elaborations upon theses observations." He flick Ethius a look, before shrugging. "I don't know. Perhaps some of your theories are correct. I doubt that they are Sky people like you say. It's fine to make theories, but what sort of process you are making to reach that sort of conclusion? I am not 'randomly spouting' things, Lydia. I may be still be very wrong, without direct proof. Unfortunately, we do not have that sort of luxury. All we got is what we've got to observe... and whatever we'll find when we get to Mother. And whatever conclusions we may make from what we do have."
 
      The Symbologist straightens a little, taking off his hat to place it on his lap, sustaining her wide eyed stare. "You do bring a good point at the 'Tainted' part, however. Tainted in what way? Were the Metal Demons always in that shape, were they always 'Metal', or is this something 'new'? I don't know. It's things to keep in mind as we go on. I certainly don't have all the answer, just..." Arleph waves a hand. "Theories, at this point. Educated guesses."
 
      He blinks at the question. "I've said so. Ibn Kadr. Why you ask?"

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius lowers that hand away from his forehead as Lunata goes into detail about Shalune's experiences with the region. If she's been there, then--
     "...Yes, her input would prove most valuable." That had better not be speak for 'Ethius attempts to barricade her in her room by standing in her doorway and not leaving until she answers everything to his satisfaction' and just 'yes, her input would prove most valuable' itself with no further implications.
     "Miss Lydia, please behave." At least he didn't do the 'slam butt of staff on ground' thing like he usually does!! But he's also not her father so he can't tell her what to do, can he.
     "Miss Jay," Ethius asides to the quiet merchant captain who may yet still be parsing all these revelations and ideas, "are you prepared, then?"

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda goes *incredibly* quiet at Lydia's extremely complex set of assumptions and assertions. She is completely mystified the entire time. "... I don't know how you find the energy for these kinds of suppositions," she finally says, still baffled.

"But... yes. I suppose that, sooner than later,we'll be heading to Elru, then. ... Can the Carakin make the journey? Is it, ah -- equipped, for that sort of thing?"

The topic of the Tainted comes up, and Matilda asides. "My understanding is that the Tainted, such as they are, are Metal Demons that are -- incomplete, or damaged. Beyond that... well, it's -- not really my area of expertise."

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"I can, in fact, help you navigate Elru," Catenna says, her voice quiet. "Including the northern parts."

She looks up towards Ethius, then Matilda - and then, finally, to Jay. "...You should all be prepared when you arrive there," she says, still serious. "In Ignas, you have only seen a few of the Veruni. Kaguya, and Ambrosius. In Elru, you will see more of them. Most of the continent, at least in the central region, is part of their Control Zone. And while Kaguya may be lovable, most Veruni believe that humans are inferior to them. In some ways that is objectively true. They can be dangerous. You will have to be cautious."

She presses her lips together. "Something else was active there and leveled several of the kingdoms in the north. We may find few people to help us outside of Elluria."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia says, "I'm not randomly spouting anything either. All of those explanations are as or near as likely." Pause. "Well not the 4D game thing, that's just dumb." She leans back. She nods to Lunata but doesn't comment vocally on what Riese might have to say. Lydia is honestly a little nervous about asking too forcefully and hurting Riese's feelings. She doesn't want to do that. She's sure that Riesenlied will look out for everybody, everybody she can, without needing to be asked. But she does nod to Lunata in general agreement, though.

"Far as I understand, Tainted are a phenomena from around the 'Collapse', moving forward, but it's not like I can compare notes with Alhazred." She pauses. "But if we find a lab of his maybe we can rob him and compare notes that way. Maybe we should do that, rob the mad science guy. Or ask Kalve, I guess, to rob him for us."

She isn't sure Kalve would agree to rob Alhazred but would it hurt to ask?

She leans forward, looks towards Matilda, and then blinks a few times, and then she says, "I am energized...by the power of stars."

She then takes a look towards Ethius. She blinks twice when he asks her to behave.

Then this happens: http://cucumber.gigidigi.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/500.jpg

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

It's really a lot to take in! And Jacqueline herself is still unsure. Part of it may be due to her showing in the fight against the Quarter Knights in Adlehyde. Whatever the case, her hand is being forced a little, here. They need to act.

Ethius asks if she's prepared...and Jacqueline frowns, slightly. Matilda asks an important question, too.

"...Mentally, emotionally? ...I don't know, but I don't have much choice." Jacqueline replies, shaking her head. "...But I'll start making preparations. We'll want to make sure we're well-equipped. The environment of Northern Elru is...well, if you recall Mount Zulan, it's a lot like that, from what I've read. We're going to need to be ready. A while back I received some recipes from Riesenlied that should help us there...but we'll need other gear, too."

Catenna volunteers to help them navigate, and Jacqueline sends her a thankful nod.

"That'll be a great help, thank you." She says, before looking to Matilda. "And...no. Not yet. But...I've been looking into some things."

Jacqueline shifts a little bit.

"I can't give out any real details now...but I've uncovered something in my research that I'm going to need help investigating. I'll let you all know once I have more information, but I might need everyone's help..."

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
Prissa looks towards Lydia as she explains a theory. Prissa probably legitimately does not understand it in the sense that Lydia uses words Prissa does not know. She does give Ethius a momentary cross look, and turns her attention towards Matilda afterwards.

"Vegetables," she advises Matilda. "You eat the vegetables. You get regular. Then you've got energy for days. Do you have a vegetables shortage on Filgaia? I do not mean this as a rhetorical question, I know you say you have deserts. But!"

Prissa thumps her chest. "You can eat hubymedu instead. I think I saw it growing wild. I'll tell you later."

She then pauses, before saying, wonderingly, "Do you mean to caulk the wagon and sail it across the sea? Hooh! That's a great idea! But you may die."

<Pose Tracker> Arleph Ardan has posed.

      "Then I would love to hear your reasoning behind your own theories and how you came to make them, Lydia." Arleph replies, beaming. "Perhaps we can compare notes on that front and figure something out, then. But theses are the conclusions I've come upon." He leans back, nodding at the definitions of Tainted. "I see. Curious. That's definetively something to look into then. Perhaps I'll go ask Kalve a few things, then, if I can find him. That is a good idea." Pause. "Well, it is an idea."
 5r He turn his attention to Jay, tilting his head. "Well. If you need another head to research on that point, my door is open, Jacqueline."

<Pose Tracker> Cyre H. Lorentz has posed.

Cyre purses his lips at Catenna's... Distressingly familiar response. They've talked about this... briefly. Before. Just enough to brush the subject matter in general, at least. Cyre gently squeezes just a little more at her shoulder, "I hear you. I'll be with you every step of the way, so... I won't say don't worry, but I've got your back."

And. Moreover...!

There's an exchange between Arleph and Lydia and Lydia and Matilda and Lydia and Ethius. Cyre just kind of stares between all of them and says:

"Man, it doesn't matter if they're being manipulated, right? We need to kill their Mother one way or another, so we can deal with mending bridges after we're done putting her down. I mean, if there's proof one way or another, that'd be great. Maybe we can get some of the Demons still with Siegfried and the Quarter Knights to help us sneak in and kill her or something. But that's kind of a pipe dream."

Cyre sighs, and... pats at the little Owlet's head.

So sleepy. So lethargic. Mmn.

"...You know. While we figure out a way to get to Elru, maybe we should see about... Trying to restore our connections to the Guardians. It's going to be rough if I still can't properly transform and Catenna's worried for our owl buddy."

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

    Lunata is a little more silent as she narrows her attention towards Jacqueline, murmuring, "So long as that's the choice you've made, I'll support it. No matter to what end we have to go..."

    A pause. "Or whatever obstacle stands in your way."

    Lydia goes *peww!* after giving the 'beee--' face to Ethius, and she glances around the room a little more.

    "Just let me know if you need me for anything."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius heeds Catenna's words closely as she calls her name. He does take notice - belatedly - of Arleph's look in his direction. Ethius doesn't - well, didn't, that's more in the past now - give much back in turn, but he almost never does. That gaze of his takes everything in and gives virtually nothing back. Greedy, greedy, lazy freeloading eyes, those Ethius eyes.
     He recalls the discussion about Veruni nature, and how they subject the native populations there. He closes his eyes for a few long moments. (Look! Even his eyelids give away more than his eyes do!! His eyes should be ashamed.)
     "It is duly noted, Miss Catenna." He has historically been good about heeding her words - well, outside of that one time with the emergence of Malevolence near Port Timney, he just had to have gone inside there willy-nilly.
     Somewhere in all this, Lydia gives him an offering of silver-hued raspberries. He does not partake.
     "Miss Prissa. Miss Kourin." He addresses these two names out of nowhere as he regains his composure, or at least reasserts present amounts of it, either or. There is an awkward pause before he speaks again, so it may be more the former.
     "These issues were never yours to be concerned with... but it appears there is no choice at this juncture. Your cooperation in this matter is..." Appreciated. It should be 'appreciated.' Kourin is a talented swordswoman, and Prissa is one heck of a weaponsmith who seems to have a far greater lung capacity and working mechanical knowledge than almost everyone in the room.
     He never finishes the sentence.

<Pose Tracker> Kourin has posed.

Kourin shakes her head. "On Lunar, nothing remains for me but a life of hiding and fleeing, and a mother who I know now never wanted me at all. These issues concern all who call Filgaia home, no? That...includes me, I suppose."

Spirit barks, as if in agreement.

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

"... Yes," is all Matilda says to Catenna. She might have more to say but she decides not to volunteer it. Instead, she turns her attention to Jay, asking, "I actually -- I was thinking about in a practical sense. Can the vehicle cross water?" Matilda actually has no idea about the engineering of the Carakin; she's long wanted to have a peek under the hood, as it were, even if it isn't quite her area of expertise...

Prissa gets a brief squint. "... The short form is, 'yes, but not as much as you'd think.' If you want the long form I have several hundred years' worth of ledgers to show you." She does not sound like she's kidding.

She then looks to Ethius. She does in fact prompt, gently, "... Is what?"

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
Prissa's eyebrows raise and her lower lip sticks slightly out at Matilda's citation of ledgers. Her expression says: 'touche.'

"I believe you," she says, before lapsing into temporary silence.

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

"At the moment? No." Jacqueline replies to Matilda, shaking her head. "We'd need to find an alternate method of transportation for it, if we wanted to bring it with us."

Which they probably would, considering the kind of environment they'd be heading into. They'd need a warm place to go back to.

<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.

"I can probably get a coracle," Catenna says with a dip of her lashes, "but I did that to get to Uzda il-Jam and that is a much shorter trip than from Ignas to Elru."

<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.

Lydia says, "Sure," to Arleph, though she seems strangely suspicious of him all the same. "But I mean, it's pretty obvious why it's possible that the living people might have something to do with the people who put living metal inside of me." She pauses. "Well, they might not be exactly the same enough to call it the same, but they look the same."

Lydia hops up to her feet and then adds, "Well if there's nothin' else, I should get back to work. We're not the only people who t'cross the sea, though I'll help out whenever you've got need of me."

<Pose Tracker> Ethius Hesiod has posed.

    Ethius doesn't respond for clarification on what he's saying (or rather, not saying), as he brings that hand up to his forehead again as he finishes speaking about not finishing what he's speaking.
     ...
     He seems content for the most part to allow them to largely discuss what they will do from here, and how, by themselves, as he quietly tries to withdraw back to that corner that is generally popular for Ethius when he wants to really, really, really creep out guests.

<Pose Tracker> Tesni Inoue has posed.

Tesni Inoue looks to Prissa "We can, Filgaia is a lot dryer and more desert than Lunar is."

<Pose Tracker> Jacqueline Barber has posed.

Lunata states her determination to support her, no matter where they went or what stands in there way.

"...Thank you, Lunata. I couldn't do this without you." Jacqueline replies. "I'll let you know when something comes up, but for now...try to take it easy, okay?"

She stresses that last point a little. It seemed like Lunata might have been running herself a little ragged.

As for Cyre's statement...Jacqueline nods.

"That's a good point, though I don't know where we would even begin...Mother's presence appears to be suppressing the connections. It might not be possible to reinforce them with any methods available to us. But...maybe that's another thing to look into when we head to Wehaca." She considers.

It was a start, at least.

<Pose Tracker> Lunata Croze has posed.

    Lunata glances around to and fro... before sighing for a moment and putting her stuff down with a sigh. Blast plates thunk down to the ground as she pulls it across to her room, and she stashes her ARM in an attache-case that Josephine's probably delivered along with you.

    "Well. I'll be making dinner in the meantime," Lunata comments as she pulls her hair up and ties it into a ponytail with a hairband. "... sure," she nods aside to Jacqueline. "You know I'd do anything."

    She steps over towards the kitchen and flips a sign over, which reads:

    TONIGHT'S DINNER

    Steamed BBQ pork buns with a side of grilled fava beans
     served with glazed sweet chilli dipping sauce
     and a side of raw beetroot, carrot and parsnip salad
     tossed in a cinnamon honey vinaigrette

<Pose Tracker> Matilda Whitehead has posed.

Matilda realizes she may have come off a touch sharp with Prissa, and withdraws from the conversation proper to scoot closer to her. "Ah -- apologies, if that was a little... harsh. I'm -- passionate, about... the growing, situation, here." She looks to the side again, explaining, "My parents a -- were, farmers. My own craft is fairly reliant on greenery, too..."

She stops herself from running her mouth much further, instead turning her attention to tonight's dinner. She's still hungry...!

<Pose Tracker> Prissa has posed.

 
"Do not worry about it," Prissa tells Matilda, parenthetically. "You are a chemist, right? Something like that? I only wondered because where I am from is also a desert, so we eat a lot of - ugh, I cannot remember the word. I want to say cactrot but I know that's wrong."

Prissa regards the extra food provided courtesy of Lunie as well. Some food shortage, she may be thinking, but wryly.