2020-07-03: Refreshing, In a Way
- Log: Refreshing, In a Way
- Cast: Xantia, Fei Fong Wong, Seraph Clarine
- Where: Kattelox Island Outskirts
- Date: July 3, 2020
- Summary: Following an injury, Xantia spends some time 'recovering' in Kattelox. By pure coincidence, she receives two concerned visitors at the same time.
=======================<* Kattelox Island Outskirts *>======================== Locally governed and defended externally by the Digger's Guild of Aquvy, Kattelox Island stands amongst its peers within the Great Sea as a thriving hub for Drifters interested in lost technology from the ancient past. Home to the site of a massive Digsite, a multi-layered ruin keeps an endless trickle of Diggers keeps this city thriving. The northern part of Cardon Forest, otherwise coloquially known as the Outskirts, is the landing point for most Diggers, either through air or ocean. Nearby, the open marketplace known as Apple Market awaits, as do the ruins underground. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hW_K2fSVQc
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It's been a bit longer than usual without any word from Xantia. Going off on her own happens all the time, but she does leave Memory Cube messages to let people know where she is every so often. Fei especially, since she knows he worries no matter how many times she tells him he doesn't have to. It's not entirely unwarranted, given that it hasn't been too long since an incident where Xantia fainted after a fight defending a train's cargo. Lily checked up on her that time, it seemed to have been only a matter of overexertion.
What was it this time? All there really is to go on is Xantia's message, and it's... a bit vague on the details. Not super unusual, that - she can certainly go on forever about unimportant things while glossing over important details.
"Sorry I haven't sent a message in a while! I kinda got hurt, and I ended up at the hospital in Kattelox City, and they wouldn't let me leave. No need to worry, I'm fine now! But they said I should take it easy for a while, so I guess I'll stay around here for a bit longer. Not really sure what I should be doing right now. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find something to do while I'm here."
Which brings us to the most well-known of Kattelox's many dig sites, not far out from the city. Xantia is getting to be a pretty common sight in these parts, so it wouldn't take much asking around to discover that she's been helping out the Diggers in these parts. One can guess in what ways - certainly not ways that would constitute 'taking it easy' by most people's definition. But here she is, casually coming out of one of the main entrances to the ruin complex as she waves a couple of waiting Diggers over. "All clear," she says simply, prompting the pair to nod and head into where she just came out of.
It's a bit unusual these days for Xantia to not be wearing armor, but to be dressed in what used to the norm for her: a simple red shirt with a white X on it and a pair of denim shorts. Both of which are blackened a bit by dirt, presumably due to her recent activities. This ensemble usually keeps her midriff exposed, but it's covered this time - by bandages. Still, she doesn't appear to be bothered by that. She only looks a little tired, punctuated by the huge yawn she lets out before leaning casually against the side of the ruin.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
'I kinda got hurt, and I ended up at the hospital in Kattelox City.'
Fei frowns. The frown deepends when Xantia doesn't even give a proper explanation.
FEI WORRY 70
He makes his way over to Kattelox which is a bit of a trip for him, intent on checking out how Xantia's doing. Luckily, Xantia tends to leave an impression and after inquiring about her for a while, learns that Xantia made her way to a recent dig site. This is why it's very important to talk to everybody in a town and gather information before heading out to the next dungeon. Drifter trick #1 there along with Save Often With the Memory Card, Lamb! Whatever that means!
He sees Xantia leaning against a ruin. OH NO! Is he ... TOO LATE AND SHE ALREADY PASSED ON!? He rushes over, "Hey--! Xantia!"
She's probably okay Fei.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Things have been a bit quiet lately. Since the last big ARMs mission there hasn't been a whole lot going on(well, that Clarine had gotten involved in), giving Clarine plenty of time to relax and indulge in her hobbies - namely, finding new and exciting places to laze about and soak in the sun.
It was during one of these sessions that her mind wandered to the various friends she had met... and she realised that it had been a while since she had heard from Xantia last. It's quite easy for a Seraph to lose track of time, particularly when there are no pressing matters to keep them anchored in the flow.
Well, she's decided to change that! This brings her, eventually, to Kattelox City... and, after listening in on some conversations - since she can't really ask most people - to the Dig site not far from the city itself.
Xantia isn't that hard to spot, though Clarine isn't used to her normal outfit. Clarine, conversely, looks the same as ever. Eventually, Clarine locates her.
"Ah, Xantia...!" Clarine says, and starts in her direction... but, at the same time she does, someone else calls out to Xantia and rushes to her at the same time! Clarine blinks in surprise. She hadn't expected this!
"Ah, you are... Fei, correct...?" She observes. She's only run into him once or twice.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia is right in the middle of a second yawn when she hears her name being called, and responds "oh hi Fei" while still yawning. Oh no, Xantia is always so full of energy, she must truly be on death's door...! Nah, that's just Worry Vision(tm), she's fine, she's just been very active. As you do when you're supposed to be taking it easy.
She blinks twice before realizing that someone else was calling her name at the same time. Clarine's softer voice got mostly drowned out by Fei's outpouring of concern, but she got it eventually - and turns her head to see the Seraph approaching as well. "And Clarine...?" It's less of a surprise that Fei would come to check up on her than it is to see Clarine.
The tiredness in her expression makes way for confusion, Xantia pushing off the wall to look from one visitor to another. "That's a coincidence. ...Is it coincidence? Why are you both here?" She subconsciously rests a hand on her bandaged midsection. "If it's because of what happened, you really don't have to be worried, it's fine, I don't even feel it anymore."
It truly is a bad habit, just sort of assuming everybody knows everything you know.
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei hears Clarine before he sees her and he seriously considers, for a moment, just pretending he can't see the Seraph for once but then he tells himself that's a pretty terrible way to think of someone who has done him no ill and he doesn't dislike in the slightest--he just has started to notice a pattern in which they tend to get him embroiled in one trouble or another--or trouble involving Filgaia or Lunar itself.
But Clarine already knows him so he throws a wave over and says, "Uh--yeah! I'm Fei. Hey. Sorry, um, wanted to check on my friend here."
He looks to Xantia WHO IS ON DEATH'S DOOR and looks at the bandages.
"...Uh, well--I don't know what happened. You didn't say. You seem to be okay but..." He frowns a little. "What happened?"
Of course he's going to worry! It's what Fei is.
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
When Fei introduces himself, Clarine offers him a polite nod of greeting.
"I am Clarine... it would seem we both had the same intention..." She says. She looks toward Xantia herself, then, as she asks if it's a coincidence. "It is a coincidence, yes... I simply wished to see how you are doing..."
She looks between Fei and Xantia, briefly.
"Yes, I am curious, as well... are you alright...?" She asks.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia looks at the exchange between Fei and Clarine until it's confirmed that this was indeed a coincidence. It did kind of look it. She's not entirely sure what's going on, but she can tell that Fei is tense for some reason. Which means that the first order of business is defusing the tension. And so, she smiles brightly.
"Well, I'm glad that two of my friends came to visit me! But, you're both more than just friends, aren't you?"
She turns to Clarine first, to do her part to help the introductions along. "You'll have to excuse my brother. Fei's just worried about me, he's really nice when you get to know him." Then she turns to Fei. "Fei, this is Clarine. She's been my teacher, helping me to understand Light better. Did I mention a Seraph was helping me? Well, this is her!"
Now that she's pretty sure there can be no misunderstandings about everybody here being Good People, she finally gets to actually explaining what happened. "It's really nothing major. I just broke my ribs."
The way Xantia says it it's like she thinks it's no big deal, but then again, both Fei and Clarine have heard her speak just as casually about a massive stab wound. She has a different frame of reference where it comes to injuries than most people do.
At least she doesn't stop there, and actually adds how that happened, as well. "Did you hear about that whole thing with the Baskar village, and the whole area almost becoming a Malevolent Domain? I figured K.K. was involved, and I was right. But it was weird... it's like they didn't even care about the whole thing. But of course I fought them anyway, and I took a bad fall." She runs her hand across the bandages. "...I'm not sorry though. Just... had to happen, you know? I can't just let them keep doing these things."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
Fei grimaces when Xantia points out that he's been tense. He wonders if she is an esper at this point because of how easily she does it. He does relax when Xantia mentions Clarine is her friend though. Mostly.
"I don't--uh--remember." Fei admits. He rubs his neck awkwardly. "I thought Lily was helping you out." He looks to Clarine for a moment and adds, "Though uh. What do you meaan, um, 'Understanding Light'? It comes from the sun right?"
He lets his hand drop and then wrinkles his nose. "Well--yeah, but...what happened?" But Xantia goes on and he grimaces--
--he didn't even THINK the seraphs were responsible for this and yet--of course--somehow they ARE.
"Yeah...K.K again huh? I don't know why people seem to like 'em so much after they tried to destroy the world and all but I guess I'm the kinda guy who holds a grudge over that sorta thing."
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"Ah, I see..." Clarine replies with a nod, as Xantia explains that Fei is just worried about her, and that he's nice when you get to know him. She looks toward him, offering a smile. "It is good to meet you..."
Understanding light... Clarine nods in Fei's direction.
"It is... more that Xantia wished to understand how to harness and use light." Clarine explains. "Of course, when it comes to light, there is much to consider. It comes from the sun, certainly... but light can be both harsh and oppressive, and warm and rejuvenating... It can be blinding, or it can lead you to safety..."
She pauses, realising that she started to go a bit on a tangent. She looks toward Xantia then, surprise on her face when she says she broke her ribs.
"Ah... is that really nothing major...?" She says. She sounds less like she thinks Xantia is underselling it and more like she honestly isn't sure. That runs counter to what she expects to be normal for humans, but... then again, Xantia is hardly a normal human. Perhaps it really is nothing major.
"My friends and I went to look into the Malevolence issue, but... I did not realise that K.K. was connected..." Clarine replies. She frowns, concerned. She looks toward Fei. "...I... cannot be sure... I have not had much opportunity to speak with them..."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
That's just the perils of being around someone a lot, Fei. They get to know what you're like. And Xantia does seem to have a knack for figuring things out without necessarily fully understanding them.
"She helped me with Fire, but Lily couldn't help me do what I wanted with Light," she offers as the only explanation for switching teachers. She figures Clarine will be able to explain what it is she wanted better than she herself can, and leaves that part to the Seraph. Then with a smile, she raises a hand, palm opened, and a cascade of pure light flows out like a tiny waterfall, dispersing well before it reaches the ground. It cuts off abruptly as she closes her fist.
"She's a good teacher." Xantia leaves it at that, though it did take some very special circumstances before she could fully grasp this ability.
Is breaking one's ribs really nothing major? Xantia shrugs a bit. "I guess it's supposed to be? They said it wouldn't fully heal for six weeks. It didn't take nearly that long for me. But they told me to keep the bandages on and take it easy for the rest of the time, just in case. So, that's what I did." By Xantia's definition of such.
"I just wish I knew what happened after the fight. But, I guess it was probably fine? You have to tell me if there's still trouble, I'll go right now!" She would, too. But then she frowns, upon Fei's assertion regarding K.K. "Is that true, people like K.K.? That's weird. Somebody who openly threatens the whole planet isn't going to be your friend." She crosses her arms. "But, they said they're more interested in Spira now. I don't know how true that is. But I'll stop them no matter what they try next."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
"Oh," Fei says. "That's pretty cool!" Fei doesn't think he can do that (He can, but he sometimes forgets his more ridiculous techniques and can only usually manage his weirder ones when he is kind of freaking out). His martial art may indeed be summarized by 'Anxiety Attack'.
"I don't get it either." He admits on the matter of K.K but doesn't really want to dwell on it too much even if it's probably a bit hypocritical since he DOES consider Siegfried a friend and he's mostly thinking of people like Riesenlied here.
"Oof," He says, on K.K being more interested in Spira and leaves it at that.
"Well," He adds, looking to Clarine and bowing his head a bit. "Thank you for looking after my sister. She's a really sweet and wonderful person but she doesn't look after herself so much so--thank you."
RIGHT IN FRONT OF XANTIA. He looks back to Xantia and adds, "I know you heal fast, but remember this stuff can add up, okay?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
Xantia demonstrates how far she's come in her usage of light and Clarine smiles, clearly quite proud.
"I am glad you think that... Admittedly, I have never before attempted to teach someone the ways of light, so it was a learning experience for me, as well..." Clarine replies, as Xantia says she's a good teacher.
Xantia says she seems to be healed now, though, so Clarine nods.
"I am glad you are well." She says. ...But, it is concerning that K.K. seems to be interested in Spira.
"Do they... hope to bring Malevolence to Spira...? That place seems almost absent of it..." She considers with a frown. But, Fei thanks her, so Clarine sends a smile his way!
"In many ways, she was looking after me, as well... Teaching her has been an enlightening experience..." She replies. ...It sounds like it might be a light pun, but it isn't - not intentionally, anyway. "She has been a good friend to me..."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
To be fair, Xantia is kind of being kind of a hypocrite herself in regards to what she said about K.K.. You know that if it were Id, he could hover his finger over the Doomsday button all he wants and Xantia would still not hold it against him. But even if that were pointed out, she'd probably fail to see any parallels.
All that is far less important than showing off, Xantia evidently quite proud herself of her new Light creation and manipulation abilities. But not to the extent of drawing it out for too long. "Took me a bit, but it's like I always say: you can't fail if you never give up!" She may be impatient, but she's also relentless. If at first you don't succeed, complaining helps to make it go better next time. She's pretty sure that's how that works.
On the matter of K.K., she can only shake her head. "It's probably something weird and unexpected. That's how it always goes with K.K., there's always something wrong about what I thought was going on. It's really frustrating."
Xantia isn't generally one to feel embarrassed so quickly, but when Fei and Clarine are teaming up on the compliments, she doesn't know where to look for a second. "...well, you know, I just treat people the way they deserve to be treated, that only makes sense." She's not about to argue the point about not looking after herself enough, that's just facts and she knows it. "I'll try to remember, Fei, but you know I can't just... sit there and not do anything."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
It IS concerning that K.K is interested in Spira but!!! Hopefully they'll never go back there again!! And then it won't be an issue! At all!! YEAH.
Oh who is he kidding? They'll probably just be teleported back there or something and they'll probably have to punch Sin some more which he'd really rather not do because Sin is super scary and he'll probably lose all his friends in the fighting waggghh...!
"Heh. Enlightening huh? I get it." Fei says, because he's a Dad now so he knows Dad Jokes instinctively.
"She's been a light of my life too. What can I say? She has a way with people."
He nods to Xantia. "Well--I'm proud that you're getting stronger and...yeah. I know. You have to help folks. I know what it's like. Try as I might, I can't seem to stop myself either... Even if I really should."
It'd be smart if Fei stayed far the heck away from any trouble considering what's in his brain but he half suspects even if he tried--they'd just come for him. At least this way he's surrounded by people who can take care of themselves.
"I'd hug you but I'm gonna be safe cause you got hurt recently." He adds. "Have you hung out with Emeralda recently?"
<Pose Tracker> Seraph Clarine has posed.
"It is important to keep trying..." Clarine agrees with a nod, as Xantia asserts that you can't fail if you never give up. She frowns a little, though, at the mention of K.K.
"I see..." She murmurs. That does sound complex.
But Xantia actually looks slightly embarrassed at the compliments, and Clarine can't help but smile... especially when Fei furthers up on the compliments. His own light jokes seem to go over her head, but the meaning gets through.
"She certainly does..." Clarine agrees with a nod.
Xantia says she can't do nothing, and Fei says he can't stop himself either.
"There seem to be quite a number of people like that as well. It is refreshing, in a way..." Clarine comments.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
If Xantia's going to keep running straight at K.K. like that it sure would probably be better if they were kept worlds apart. Not that it would solve anything, she'd just find another danger to run straight at instead.
Xantia is mildly distressed when she faintly realizes she may have missed a joke of some kind, but she's over it quickly. She can't let that get to her given how often that happens. She even stops herself from asking what 'way' this is that she apparently has with people because that seems like one of those things that only gets more complicated when answered.
She does speak up on the matter of people unable to stop themselves from helping others. "A lot of people can make a difference but won't. And they may have reasons for it, but well... I don't think any reasons for not doing everything you can to help people are good reasons. And I'm always happy to help anybody to do the right thing."
Whether that means through supporting them in what they were going to do already, or giving them a little push in what she believes is the right direction. Fei and Clarine both have their experiences in that regard.
When Fei won't hug her out of concern, Xantia just wordlessly goes over to give him a hug instead. She's fiiiine, there's bandages but no pain anymore. She then blinks at the mention of Emeralda. "No... not recently. I'm not avoiding her or anything, it just kind of keeps not happening. It's a shame..."
<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.
It is refreshing in a way...
Fei looks down quietly rather than comment on that. His anxiety over realities like that has faded considerably from before but he's never going to entirely banish fears of his friends dying horribly or anything like that. It's etched into his soul.
Xantia hugs him and he raises a hand and places it on her back. He really does see Xantia as family. By blood? Probably not, but even so--he owes a great deal of his good fortune due to Xantia's brand of encouragement.
Really, just having a friendly face, just someone who believed in him...
It's strange though, that even now he doesn't entirely believe in himself--but maybe if he works real hard, he can avoid disappointing her. He hopes that will be enough.
"Ahh, that's too bad. Maybe next time we've got an outing, I'll be sure to throw you an invite. If you can come, great, if not--well, it'll happen."