2018-11-13: Gathering and Learning
- Log: Gathering and Learning
- Cast: Riesenlied, Catenna, Lydia Seren, Seraph Lanval, Noeline
- Where: Northern Steppes
- Date: 13th November 2018
- Summary: Riesenlied, Noeline and Lydia encounter Catenna and Lanval at their campsite. They speak of the Guardians and the Mediums, and Riese requests tutelage in their use...
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied had caught wind from Jacqueline that Catenna was around, along with the rest of the Caravan Kinship; while she'd mostly been working the caravans to supply New Arctica with vital supplies and goods, the fact that... a number of the survivors in that town recognise her from the invasion have made the process-- difficult.
But it hasn't deterred her. She visited the Lost Village of the Fereshte and discovered it in a... highly unusual state, one that had left her nearly slain by a manifestation of her own guilt. But she came out of it with an object she left in the past--
The Original Medium of Life.
Riesenlied's pacing next to a small caravan as they pull up towards one of the campsites on the steppes; she looks withered and gaunt, her arms shrouded in bandages that suggest damage above the norm. Pufts of frosted cloud escape her lips as she struggles to keep upright.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
The cold of Arctica does not agree with Catenna - but at least Zulan reminded her of how much she hates winter. She came bundled up in a huge fur cloak, bunched around the collar so that she can nestle her cheeks in it, and she added extra layers to the tent she usually carries from campsite to campsite. In her arms, a small blanket-wrapped bundle dozes - the Owlet, tired to near-catatonia and dozing away.
As the caravan approaches, the Moon Shaman looks up, curious eyes tracing towards the haggard, weakened figure lurching along beside it. So bitter is Riesenlied's condition that it takes Catenna a few seconds to process her and realize she's not a Veruni.
"Riesenlied," she gasps. Coming to her feet, she bustles over to the wounded woman and holds out a hand to try and catch her should she fall. "What happened to you...?"
Catenna hasn't heard yet what happened at the Village. She's been too consumed by her two duties: Finding Mother, and caring for the Owlet.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline has remained at Riesenlied's side as much as she can throughout their stay on Elru; her partner's continually worsening condition is a serious worry, but there's really nothing the spy can see to do that will help beyond doing her best to be a source of support, taking what work she can upon herself.
Already in something of a constant low-key panic, their location doesn't help her mood any. For her, Elru is a place of nostalgic memories... but also a place of deep regret, and a place she hadn't really ever expected to come back to. Maybe in a few generations - but not a couple of years after watching her 'hometown' burn without lifting a finger for fear of being found out.
She's taking as much of Riesenlied's weight as she can as they walk forwards, her gaze set on the caravan ahead of them but her senses on the alert. A cloak has been thrown around the blonde's shoulders to try to stave off the cold, but she still sighs with quiet relief at the sight of a campfire.
"... it is... a very long story," she mutters as she accepts the shaman's assistance. "Suffice it to say, Elru is not a hospitable place for any of us."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval's lounging around New Arctica in-between scouting missions being done by FoxCo in order to narrow down the location of the Photosphere. There have been a few humorous mishaps, some of it from a well-intentioned enthusiasm in identifying lots of things as being maybe the Photosphere. (Naturally, none of them were.)
He just happens to be currently lounging at the camspite where Catenna's present, where he is less annoying than he usually is for the seriousness in the air. He's a Seraph and can get away with not bundling up any more, even if it sure seems like he could freeze over at any moment. He is a Water Seraph, after all.
"Mmm... that one looksh--" It turns out Catenna comes to the conclusion before Lanval does. That is Riesenlied, and she looks seriously hurt. He rocks back and forth until he can get up to a seated position, and then on his feet as he stumbles over with a seeming equal sense of urgency.
"That'shhhh my cue, ishn't it," Lanval says as he comes to a standnearlystill (he continues to sway), starting to get to work on a Seraphic Arte to apply a refreshing, healing wave of water, about as warm as he can manage to make it.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied has it in her to wave with a mitten covering her hand, ontop of the extensive bandaging; she shivers further at the updraft of wind threatening to whip her hair back, and then bundle on down next to the campfire as she looks to Owlet with a look of concern for just a moment longer. Noeline's right by her side, helping her as they lower down to something approaching warm blankets and a comfortable place to stay for the time being.
She knows her condition does not inspire... comfort in Noeline. It hurts her.
"There... there have been difficult moments," Riesenlied admits. She shivers further, tightening her capelet around her. The caravan pulls to a stop, thanks to their hard-working horses that she takes a moment to reach for and pacify. She passes them a snack.
She pauses and cups her mouth for a moment, lookin towards Lanval with a quiet smile. "These injuries... um--" she hesitates, as she starts to speak...
... but pauses with relief as she feels Lanval's wash of healing water move around her. "Thank you..." A longer pause, as she looks to Catenna. "Catenna... I returned to my village -- the village of the Fereshte. There... there is a mysterious, dangerous phenomenon that has come over it, but--"
She unwraps a familiar object from her pack.
It is the Original Artificial Medium of Life.
"... I was able to procure this, at great cost..."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"...No. It is not," Catenna concedes with a dip of her head as Noeline speaks. She moves to help Riese nevertheless, lowering her shoulder to support the woman from the other side. The Owlet remains cradled in her free arm; the tiny bird opens its eyes just a crack to look up at Riesenlied steadily.
Even in the Owlet's weakened state, there's something penetrating in those big yellow eyes, before they close again and it goes back to sleep.
With care, Catenna guides Riese towards the crackling fire, moving with Noeline to help her into a seat. She settles in beside the errant Metal Demon, sinking into a crouch and looking up at her with quiet worry even as she reaches over to gather a cup of something. It's hot but sweet - hot cocoa - and she offers it up to Riese quietly.
"You returned to the Fereshte's home?" she echoes with a blink, before Riesenlied shows her something she wasn't expecting to see.
Catenna can tell the difference, of course, between traditional Mediums and artificial ones. Nevertheless, she folds her hands and bows her head shallowly, closing her eyes with a soft rush of breath. "...You have come into something of great importance," she says gravely. "It is said that Mediums of this kind tend to find their way towards those whom the Medium wills wield them."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia Seren has been sticking around Riesenlied and Noeline a lot since they made landing, though she has been helping out the Caravan Kinship too. It's a wonder she can get all her work done.
Of course, getting a cool medium now has happened a few times lately. Noeline has Hyades, Cyre has Fengalon, Lydia Rigdobrite, and now Riesenlied Odoryuk! Of course, it's an original medium...but all mediums are cool!
Lydia doesn't really know the difference ok.
What Lydia does know, is that it seems like and feels like the Guardians are sliding their chips onto the table in the great gamble of trying not to die because of Metal Demons and Veruni. Well, Lydia is willing to fight even if fighting is terrifying.
She brightens upon Catenna and squirms for a while in place as if resisting some deep intrinsic urge.
Catenna guides Riese to the fire and whatnot, even as Lydia is just standing there but ultimately, when Catenna is done speaking, Lydia rushes over and gives her a
-->BIG HUG <--
"Catenna!" She says happily. Maybe she's in a good mood.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
Lanval takes the thanks in quiet enough stride. He doesn't need to go about asking 'hay what's goin onnnnnn' for items and information of interest come forth expediently. Talks about Elru being inhospitable to 'any of us,' and objects of interest being shown and explained while he runs a hand against his bearded chin. That saves him the obvious questions!
He comically falls over as Lydia rushes by, falling down onto his back. That's normal for him, though, he's water. Water likes to be at rest.
"Woooowwww," and the vastness of what Catenna says just hits him. "They can do that...? Jusht shee themshelvesh over..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's attention is perhaps a little too sharpened at present, a little too wary - she bolts her head up at the first touch of the Seraph's healing arte, her eyes wide for a moment before she can steady herself and accept the restorative magic. She has to actually take a couple of moments to properly focus on Lanval; for someone whose second sight comes from the Medium within her, the cloying presence of Mother is obfuscating her resonance just a little at times.
Carefully, she manages to untense her shoulders, slowly helping Riesenlied down into a seat in front of the fire; she takes a moment to fuss immediately afterwards, tucking the cloak a little closer around Riesenlied to ensure the warmth of the flames is kept close. When the other Hyadean draws forth the Medium, she pauses ever so slightly, then draws in a slow and uncertain breath as she picks at the collar of her own thick coat.
"... I had understood the same, yes. After all, I have carried Duras Drum's myself for a long while now. But if I am being frank about it, if Odoryuk has accepted Riesenlied and chosen her to bear the Medium, it could /at least/ perhaps lay off the gouts of fire and burning, perhaps?" She tries to make the joke sound light, but there's a note of genuine protective anger behind her voice; she glances at Riesenlied's bandages at the same time, biting at her lip as her brow furrows.
Fortunately, Lydia is there to back them up. Noeline looks quietly thankful for it, even if she has spent a little time trying to ensure that the shaman's able to do everything she wants to do. It might be a little hypocritical of her, given her own current behaviour in sticking with Riese, and she knows it.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Supported by both Noeline and Catenna, Riese is able to lower herself to comfort as she slowly reaches for Owlet, glancing to Catenna for permission first. Something within her hurts for the woe condition this poor bird is in, but she isn't quite certain what.
She gazes into those eyes in turn, then gives it a smile. "Stay strong, okay...?"
Catenna speaks of the Medium, and the Fereshte's home. She lowers her head with a look of sorrow within her, glancing to Lanval. She wondered how the Water Seraph would take her homelands... snow is, in a way, a dominion of water, is it not?
"I did. I was expecting ruins, remnants buried under the snow. Not... not-- whatever had happened to it," Riesenlied admits, her voice in pain-- Lydia pounces her way towards Catenna and owlet with a big hug!
"Ah, Lydia! Goodness..." she can't help but be cheered for a moment longer, yelping as Lanval falls onto his back.
"They find their way to those they deem worthy...? I--" Riesenlied hesitates. "I ... do not know if I am such a person. Perhaps it is why it has-- burned me, when I have tried it just before, in Arctica. Maybe it detects... inferiority, or... my Metal Demon nature, or..." Burned her...? Is that why the bandages?
She trembles. But she stops herself from sinking deeper into that gloom. her resolution wavering softly, strong in the gleam of her affected eyes. "But I would like to try. I would like to-- to learn. From my fellow shaman. From Noeline, from Lydia, from you, Catenna."
She bows her head down.
"This new Heritor of the Fereshte... wishes for guidance."
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
The Owlet just looks up at Riesenlied a moment longer in answer. Then, as if acceding to the request, the tiny bird closes its eyes and settles into a restless sleep once more.
Gently, Catenna lowers the Owlet to a spot beside her, the bundled bird laid in a comfortable heap of gathered furs and cloth to sleep peacefully and warmly.
"Mediums are conduits to the Guardians, Lanval. Their will is guided by them," she explains to the curious Seraph.
Nodding gravely when Noeline speaks, Catenna weaves her hands together in her lap. A small smile tugs briefly at her lips, sympathetic. "The Mediums can behave in curious ways... certainly this type is unique. It is said that only this type of Medium can be used by one who is not of Filgaia...."
And then Lydia jumps on her and hugs her. Caught totally by surprise, Catenna lets out a yelp and topples backwards upon hug impact, nearly falling out of her seat given how far back she tilts. When she wobbles forwards again, she blinks and manages to put an arm loosely around the Star Shaman.
"Hello, Lydia," she says, ever the serious one. "You seem in, ah, good cheer."
Clearing her throat, Catenna does her best to straighten herself while she has Lydia in the process of The Huggening. What Riesenlied says, though, brings a simple smile to her lips. "You two are the only Hyadeans I know of to draw upon the power of the Guardians. Whatever the reason, it has found its way to you. And it may simply ask you to /show/ the worth it sees you capable of...."
When Riesenlied makes that request, the Moon Shaman blushes softly, a brief, bitter thought occurring to her: /I am the last one in this group worthy of helping her. I may be the only Shaman I know who doesn't have a Silver Medium or one of these special ones./
/But it doesn't matter,/ she decides inwardly as she smiles gently back at Riesenlied. "I will help you as best I can. It may be a difficult road... learning to use the Medium is more than just learning to cast. It is opening yourself to the Guardians, in body, mind and spirit."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia beams at Catenna. "What's not to be in good cheer about?" She grins widely, showing off her many fangs. "We're going to save the world. Our friends, ourselves--we're closer than ever...And I just so happened to want to see a Catenna today. How 'bout that!"
She gives one more quick squeeze before finally letting poor Catenna go. She has every expectation that Catenna will have her own shiny medium very shortly. Or maybe not. Lydia honestly just stumbled upon hers, so maybe Catenna needs to trip in the right direction first. Either way, it's hardly a remark on her capability. To Lydia it is a responsibility rather than a judgement call or reward. Of course, Lydia has this attitude in part thanks to Catenna and Cyre. She peers over into Catenna's smile and is satisfied.
"Hmm...well, Odoryuk is normally associated with healing and I wouldn't call myself a Priestess of Odoryuk but it is also associated with a kind of balance with Ge Ramtos. That's why they both had statues in pretty close proximity before we went to Lunar."
She tilts her head and adds, "I know one song for Odoryuk in our tongue, Granny insisted I learn all the basics even if I was always tight with Rigdobrite." She crosses her fingers. "Like this. Ha ha ha!"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
From where Lanval presently rests, he opens one eye half-lidded as a part of him catches on to something that would be obvious to the naked eye if he didn't seem to constantly keep them shut with that flushed face of his. Her dimensions, her form, it's... gradually been transforming, hasn't it? The draconic appearance should be alarming, but, she's not a Seraph, and also she's not a Hellion. He doesn't know what that's all about. Is that a... Hyadean thing? No, the other one - Noeline - doesn't seem to be going through that. Maybe she's much younger? There's plenty to say about Lydia's own changed appearance too but there's something a little different about the air as it pertains to her. He doesn't have words for it.
He doesn't have words for many things here, he recognizes.
While the mind (...do Seraphim even have minds?) churns at all the strange things he doesn't quite have answers for, he listens along as Catenna helps frame what it is and what's going on.
"...They're open ta othersh pitchin' in, huh..." Lanval muses aloud, as Lydia brings the conversation to further texture about what Odoryuk is and their relationship with Ge Ramtos (opposing, so, healing and... harming?).
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
With a quiet sigh, Noeline's hand makes it to Riesenlied's back as she seats herself down, rubbing there gently as she listens along. Taking a moment for herself is welcome right at the moment, and she pauses to catch her own breath before she comes back to the present and turns towards the discussion. "... the village was-- it would not be appropriate to say it was trapped in time. But it was trapped in life, and not terribly aware of anything else around it."
She says no more than that, dropping the topic before it can start to encroach on Riesenlied's mood any further. Instead, she draws in a breath, looking towards Catenna with a lightly furrowed brow. "It would not be appropriate to say that they are /only/ usable by non-natives. As far as I am aware, they are the same as any other Medium - but it is apparently correct that they /may/ be used by Hyadeans or Veruni or whoever else may choose to. I have had one embedded inside me for a couple of centuries now - acclimatizing to it has been, for me, a very long process." A pause, and she adds with just a little sourness: "It did not involve flame, however."
She pauses, and rests her hand atop Riesenlied's as the Hyadean starts to doubt herself. "... Odoryuk has already accepted your resolve in the past, and even allowed you to summon them without an apparent Medium," she reminds with a light shake of her head, her voice softer than some here might have heard it before. "If it is detecting anything, I do not imagine it is inferiority. The very fact you were granted the Medium proves that, as far as I can tell."
She looks over towards Lydia for a moment, and lightly scratches at her cheek in thought. "I suppose I've never really worshipped Duras Drum in any particular way. Rather, I get the impression he would not really have much time for hymns or psalms. Utilitarian, perhaps you'd say. Or perhaps lazy. Either way, our initial meeting ended up with my being hospitalized for a few weeks for the sake of a nebulous and impossibly long-term plan, so I felt I had a bit of a right to be bitter.
It's another burst of joking to try to lighten the air; she huffs softly in the wake of it, letting herself lean towards Riesenlied a little to draw closer to her. "The rules around Guardians are... less than strict, even before you start accounting for unusual Mediums," she admits with a quietly amused sigh, then dimly realizes a Seraph would not necessarily know the terms, counting off on her fingers. "Odoryuk, Life. Ge Ramtos, Death. Duras Drum, Illusion. Or 'Hades', if you like. Some books get rather flowery with it."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied spends a bit more time as she casts her gaze to Owlet's, but lets her sleep. as Catenna explains that only originals are able to be used by those not of Filgaia, she says:
"... it is true. I was... I was able to materialise Odoryuk. For a scant few seconds, under a lot of duress and pain, but he did appear," sounding a bit timid like she's relating a story that can't easily be believed. She shivers a little through Noeline's explanation of the story -- it deeply touches Riesenlied in a way that rattles her that few things do...
Lydia's endless cheer does warm her up, really, and she's right. What harm is there in just simply meeting friends, if nothing else? "The Fereshte were healers, back during their day. The espousal of life was central to their beliefs and tenets."
"... yes," Riesenlied nods attentively, as she listens to Catenna's lecture. "To that end, I have oft prayed, sung and felt myself, to the ends of the world..." She places that medium of hers on her lap, gently. "I will try my hardest to not disappoint Odoryuk. It was by his words at that tower, in the Pleasing Gardens, that I could hang on."
Lanval makes his observation. Certainly, Draconic features have consumed Riesenlied, perhaps even moreso than when they last met in Lunar. That kind of -- 'degeneration', as she put it last time; but she exudes no sense of Malevolence. Unlike those who consume more and more of it and grow in power, hers seems to just... continue to wither in her wake.
A pause, as she looks towards the medium. "... I wish I could say I was not afraid, though... but-- I know there is trepidation in these journeys forward." Even with Noeline's words of encouragement...
Self-doubt still plagues her. The medium does seem slightly misaligned, in some subtle way... and her fear, her trauma, is significant and has not gone away.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna had no expectations of receiving anything shiny and/or silver, truthfully. She doesn't even want to think of herself as 'accepting that Celesdue doesn't trust her that much' because that would imply she's arrogant enough to feel she deserves special trust. Besides - she has the Owlet.
"I think we are close, yes," she answers Lydia with a gentle smile and a nod. "And at least we have all made it this far together."
When Noeline comments, Catenna dips her lashes ever so slightly, but it passes. "Yes, you're correct, only this type of Medium can be used by Hyadeans or Veruni - and this does not preclude Filgaians using them," she clarifies. "They can be used by anyone, but tend to find their way to those they wish to be used by." Her eyebrows arched slightly, she smooths her hands over her thighs. "They are unusual, as Mediums go... as I think you may have come to understand."
The talk of Duras Drum leaves her looking briefly down to her lap. "...I am sorry it has gone so. The Guardians can be... quixotic," she murmurs.
When the Moon Shaman lifts her eyes again, she brings them to Riesenlied. Catenna purses her lips as the Hyadean - more reptilian than she used to be - tells her story. "...You have a devotion that is unique, Riesenlied. Any Baskar would recognize the authenticity within your spirit. It is alright to be afraid... the Guardians never make it easy. If it were so, the Baskar would never die, nor ever be cast out."
Reaching into her fur cloak, Catenna comes out with her own Medium. A little smile touches her lips as she lays it in her palm, then rests her other hand atop it. "...Doubt is normal. So is fear. Do not be afraid to be afraid. When I was learning about Celesdue, what brought me wisdom was learning to feel the signs of the Guardian's presence in her aspect... in her case, the night. In his way, Odoryuk is present in all living things." She smiles serenely. "In that way, his nature is always with you."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
Lydia looks towards Lanval. "Ahhh." She reaches over and ruffles his hair much like one might splish splash their hand in a pool of water, though her smile is wide with a certain kind of fondness that just doesn't quite fit such a mundane activity. "Seems that way to me," He tells him. "The Guardians can be harsh, even unfair, but they are unfair in the way nature is unfair, the planet is unfair. I suppose it's very fair about it." She doesn't seem to consider this a contradiction.
"It's okay if you dissapoint Odoryuk." Lydia tells Riesenlied. "They're not going to think less of you because you dissapoint them every now and then. You're almost supposed to, y'know! But so long as you do your best, I think the Guardians will continue to shine on you. And you always do your bes.t"
She looks down, wondering if the pain Riesenlied feels is part of that balance. She hopes the pain is not for forever but it's a pact between Riesenlied and Odoryuk. Who is she to complain?
"But if you've lived in Fereshte, surely you've learned some of their traditions. More than Catenna or I, I must imagine. Did you learn any of their songs? If you had, I'd love to har one."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
"Ohhhhhh." Lanval voices acknowledgement of the attached names and concepts. It's very possible he may have had to ask Tethelle a few times over among the Fox Company folks about names and what they represent. Life used to be much simpler when there were only eight elements to think about! The Guardians really cover a lot of concepts, even with a few that seem to be superfluous (Earth and Mountain, Water and Sea, Sky and Wind)...
"The Fereshte... huh." Lanval murmurs aloud as Lydia playfully musses his hair. His hair is always in a state of, shall we say, mussiness. It's not really a flattering look for someone who is an angel-equivalent of their native home's predominant culture. "Did they... live closhe ta here?"
He asks because Elru's frozen wastes - at least in this part of it - seem so very inhospitable!
Catenna mentions something about how it's okay to disappoint every so often. He chortles to himself... it's actually a bit more bitter than it sounds, as Lydia starts talking about songs.
"'d love ta hear one..."
He remembers the days of presiding over a region of Meribus, those days of worship. Maybe he's just nostalgic for the idea of being part of something like that again, even if not as the recipient of it.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Glancing across, Noeline's expression is a briefly apologetic one at having recounted a little of the story of Fereshte Village once more; she lets out a quiet breath of air as she squeezes Riesenlied's hand in hers. "... do not discount that achievement. It is not one that I'm aware of any humans ever managing, let alone a Hyadean. I-- would like to believe that it counts for a very great deal, and speaks to how far you've come."
At least Catenna's comment draws a smirk from the spy, as she touches at her forehead with a huff of air. "That is fine. Believe me, I can be quixotic right back, and even if dealing with him can be frustrating, we are slowly learning to live with each other. My main concern is that... to be blunt, I am not entirely sure how much help I will be in teaching Riesenlied to use the Medium. I have never really summoned Duras Drum myself - rather, I have borrowed little bits of his sorcery to weave into myself at times. Perhaps I'm more of a very odd kind of Crest Sorceror?" she wonders thoughtfully.
"... still, I will do what I can to help. For me, I can only suppose it was a matter of acceptance. For a very long while I preferred not to think about the Medium at all - and rather tended to focus on what Mother would have done to me should she ever find out about it, which did rather convince me to keep it as locked away as possible."
The thought of a song-- after a moment's thought, Noeline nods a little in agreement to their daughter and the Seraph. "Perhaps it might be best. It feels to me as if that is when you are closest to Odoryuk, somehow - and certainly a lot closer than anywhere else on Elru, I would wager."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's cheeks shy a little further, as she glances towards the faint, dulled gleam of the Medium of Life. There was so much blood tarnished upon it, when she found it. For an hour, and more, it felt as if she may never have washed it all out... and what lingers within it still.
Catenna says she has a unique devotion. "... thank you. I can only hope my service..." Riesenlied pauses, as her cheeks redden further. "I owe it to the Guardians, for offering a possibility of co-existence. A hope that has seen the birth of Wayside and New Petra, and a way for the Azadians to continue life..."
Life. For her, life is a symbol of hope.
She furrows her brow at Noeline and expresses, "Don't discount your own ability. I do not believe there is only one way to have a relationship with the Guardians... would Lydia not agree?" she looks to her daughter, then to Catenna. "You've-- protected me, blending Duras Drum's flames to your own blade before."
She watches Catenna procure that medium, then slowly places hers next to it. Catenna can feel something... a little unusual shifting in the air within it. Something's a bit off...
Her cheeks are a bit red as Lydia says that it's okay to misstep, to disappoint them; as long as she does her best...
Lydia asks if she knows of any of their songs.
"I do. The Song of the Giants is based on Fereshte hymnody, which I was able to learn in my time there. S-should I sing...?"
Lanval says he's like to hear one. Encouraged onward, she clears her throat, cushioning herself to sit up right while still supported by Noeline behind her. She places both of her hands to her chest, close to her diaphragm.
I've a dream that I can't yield
With lights long held since our births
A land so torn we must protect...
Bright effulgent is its essence
She sings as she does in the thick of combat; motes of light start to escape from within her. The surrounding area becomes that little bit lighter, their spirits buoyed. The cold feels less biting, and the campsite, that little bit more comfortable...
Softly I murmur -- a heartfelt wish
To a future I'll never give away
My soul, won from a silvered void
Plucked from the Sea of Stars escaped...
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
Catenna nods slowly and emphatically to the point Lydia makes. "Yes... it is alright to be imperfect. The Guardians do not police the minutia of people's behaviour. They are far too elemental for that."
When Noeline answers her, she smiles lopsidedly at her. "You are playful, yes... but I think you also understand people better than the Guardians do. But then, the Guardians are not really people. They view things... broadly and elementally. As I am sure you have learned."
Arching her brows, she shakes her head at Noeline slowly. "No, actually, that is fairly standard for a Shaman. I draw upon Celesdue's energies even for my most simple spells. That is what Guardian Arcana is - it is channeling the essence of the Guardians into spells and enchantments. Most Medium wielders cannot do it... Zoa Priests and Shamans, however, can do it. As, I assume, can those who carry Original Mediums...."
Drawing long fingers over her Medium in a slow caress, Catenna leads a fingertip over the marking of the moon on its face. As Riese sets the Medium down, though, the Moon Shaman moues her lips curiously. "...It feels a little different," she murmurs, uncertain how to place it.
But Riesenlied is singing. Little motes of light twinkle through the area. The Owlet opens its eyes, quietly watching those lights, listening to the sound of the Hyadean's voice.
"...I feel like I have heard that song before. But I may be out of my mind," Catenna murmurs. "Truthfully, the Fereshte came from the opposite side of the island from my people... but there must have been Baskar in the south of Elru once, given that I got a Medium at all."
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
The term 'elemental' comes up a lot, but it's a good one, so Lydia just lets that be that. Her mood remains good. It's good. It's a good life. It's nice being happy and she's enjoying it. Still, when Lanval says he'd love to hear one--she has to bite her lip to avoid shouting out encouragement. Sometimes a good mood can be too much.
"Yeah, there's lots of ways to have a relationship with a Guardian! That's what I like best about them!" Lydia beams. "They just are what they are and--we're just who we are. They've got their hands full, so its up to us."
Riese asks the fated question. "Yes!"
And then she quiets down to listen.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Lanval has posed.
To hear the discussions about the natures of Guardians and their attitudes, the idea of having to take a broader view of things... maybe even more vastly broad than just a matter of 'we have seen things for far longer than the vast majority of you ever will,' if going by as far back as Cyre's description of Fengalon truly being /the/ wind of Filgaia.
...Maybe even so far as the entire body of the world he comes from being that of Celesdue herself, which is kind of a hard thought to fully grasp after over half a millennium of considering Althena the sole deity of everything he could see or hear - udnerstandably also, as a servant of hers by her make.
Riesenlied sings, with urging, and the Seraph sits up attentively. He can tell it's a strain on her, given her present degree of injury and seeming failing health in some ways, but there's a faithfulness that seems to transcend all of that. Something heartfelt about it that he feels from so very, very few people he's heard sing.
He smiles a little more broadly.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline raises her eyebrows - with Riesenlied sounding a little restored by the recollection of her faith in the Guardians, and in life and hope, the spy can find it within herself to lightly poke her partner on the arm and offer her a fanged grin. "'Don't discount your own ability' is precisely what I should be saying to you, and indeed am," she puffs up with a fond smile, shaking her head in quiet humour.
It's with an obvious curiosity that she looks back towards Catenna, her free hand at her chin. "Hmm... really? I suppose my point is that I'm not really using spells or enchantments, as it were. The times when I've used Duras Drum's power, it has more been a matter of my simply pulling up /power/, then shaping that as I need to." There's a pause, and she has the grace to look at least a little embarrassed. "I suppose I would describe it as being more of an instinctive style... but I will freely admit I am still learning," she admits with a chuckle.
This time, her pause is more theatrical - and she leans across towards Lydia and Lanval. "When I found his statue, I gave it a good kick," she confides to Lydia. "And swore at him a lot. He seemed to enjoy that."
All of that cheer briefly fades away as Riesenlied sits up and prepares to sing; Noeline is practically holding her breath, hoping dearly that she can still summon the melody and that the ability to sing is not another thing to be taken away from Riesenlied. At the first gentle note, she lets out an audible sigh of relief - and then gets briefly lost in the song, nostalgia and affection mixing in her eyes as she listens.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
The song fills the air for another few minutes; as Riesenlied reaches the decrescendo at the end of the refrain, she-- coughs very softly, as her voice starts to sound hoarser and hoarser. Lanval well notes that her failing health does affect that, though not the heart and emotion that carries within the song... even if the technical detail may suffer a bit.
She slumps her head against Noeline's shoulder afterwards, to take rest for that. "... it is a well-known song amidst the tribe, but I am uncertain how far it traversed," she admits to Catenna. Her voice is getting a bit lighter, as she gets more tired.
She doesn't make more comment to Noeline parsing her own powers and whether or not it's different; Noeline likes making light of her connection with Duras Drum, and in a way, that's her prerogative.
<Pose Tracker> Catenna has posed.
"That's more or less how it works," Catenna affirms for Noeline with a little smile. "The specific ritual is less important than the fact that you are tapping into the Guardian's energies. It may be a little different because of how different your type of Medium is from a traditional one, but the principle is the same: The energy you draw is tied to the Guardian."
The sight of Riesenlied slouching like that is enough to fill Catenna with a little upsurge of worry. Biting gently down to her lip, she begins to reach out sympathetically.
She thinks better of it. Lowering her hand back to her side, she moves the Owlet's little sleeping-bundle into her lap. The bird stirs, looking down at both Mediums with quiet intent.
"Perhaps it would be best for you to rest here until you have regained some of your strength," she invites with a quiet bow of her head. "I will do all that I can to teach you. And perhaps to feed you... have you eaten?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's stomach emits a noise that might be distressingly like 'cucco--!' instead of the growl most normal people's emits.
H-how... how is that possible...
<Pose Tracker> Lydia Seren has posed.
"Sleepymom." Lydia says, pulling her hand back. "I know Cetiri is pretty dog-shaped, but I think you might be part cat." That's her attempt to sidestep crippling anxiety over Riesenlied's condition. How much longer, Lydia wonders, will the Guardians test her? Hasn't she done enough? Perhaps beating Mother is the last test, she thinks, and then... Then what?
She hugs herself to keep warm as she looks down in deep thought, planning out the rest of her life with all the happy endings she can presume will come to pass.
Yes, after that, they can settle down, stop fighting so much, and be a real family. Of course, they are already a real family, but then they'll be able to do so much more real family things. Like...maybe even swimming. Rebecca has been teaching her and she just needs to stop sinking.
"It's a pretty song." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline is there to catch Riesenlied as she slumps, letting out a quiet breath of something like wonder mixed with something like worry. It is not so much a catch as an embrace from behind; she puffs a little, then settles Riese back against her in what she can only hope is a comfortable position.
She opens her mouth, perhaps intending to offer something light in return to Catenna - but after a moment she tilts her head in recognition instead. "I shall bear that in mind. Perhaps it's something of a Hyadean's martial nature, or something to that effect. Perhaps it's the Original Artificial Medium. Really, who can say at this point?" she sighs, putting a hand to her forehead. "The only one who knows about them at all has forgotten most of it."
don't be rude to avril noeline
For a moment she glances in Lydia's direction, as if picking up on and sharing in her worries - then she lowers her head to Riesenlied's shoulder, preferring instead to just stay like that for the time being.