Scene #9509: BINDING BLADE Ch44: For Us, the Living

Owner	Pose
Marigold	The Ilian Mid-lands En route to a familiar little village. The warpgate route's the same as the last time you came here, months ago. Disused warehouse warpgate hub; five-minute oily jungle hike; salt plains; Ilian pines. Only this time the hub is in better repair. Pallets sit empty on its metal floor, but they aren't cobwebbed anymore; the electric lights don't flicker. There are scrapes on the floor where stuff's been moved, with a forklift parked nearby. "... Sure you don't want to go ahead, dear?" Juno's voice echoes around the corner. "I'm- I'm sure," Talia says. "Aww, you're not nervous, are you?" Shanna chimes in. "Maybe a little. It's not like I'm coming home with honors..." "You're coming home with money. That's important," Thea says. "Just, what'll Magrita think?" "If I were your mother, Talia, I'd just be happy you're in one piece." "... Haha. I did lose a bit of my ear." "Two pieces is still a bargain- oh! It's them!" The quartet of pegasus knights, waiting to guide you, perk up at your arrival. The younger ones dart forward to shake hands and hug and the older ones hang back warmly. Juno has regained the ragged purple cloak that she'd lent to warm an old woman's back, and out of necessity or pride hasn't mended its torn edges. Her bruises are healing, and there's a bit more color in her cheeks. "Riku! Juno told me you were amazing...!" "Flamel. It really all worked out... more or less." "Thank you deeply, Odette, Roland, Dame Commander. If those other prisoners hadn't made it out, I don't know how I'd sleep at night." "Oh, wasn't the boat Neon's idea...?" "I, uh, really appreciate the backup, Lord Nobunaga." "All that wrestling with Fae really paid off, huh, Petra?" Talia's jitters can't give her an excuse to delay too much longer, though. Eventually Juno pokes her shoulder, and she nods a little guiltily, and they lead the way through. The oily jungle has a dirt path through it now, that it hasn't managed to quite overgrow. And in the salt plains, there's a wooden flagpole in the distance with a fluttering worn-out cloak as a 'flag', marking the spot of the next warpgate in the distance. "That's new..." "I guess lifestyles adapt to even something like this." "Yes. When I left the village, we'd just started to harvest this Otherworld for salt." "They've been trading a little already! Maybe with the money you're bringing back, they can do a little more." "Hm. If goods don't have to cross the mountains to reach Ilia anymore..."
Riku Asakura	Riku walks through the warp gate in his normal clothing. That is a jean jacket with an orange shirt with a rocket underneath it. A pair of jeans and sneakers with it. He's first to look around and notice it's almost like a warehouse here. However, he hears talking around the corner and walks there to greet... 'Riku! Juno told me you were amazing...!' "Oh, did she..." he looks embarrassed, scratching the back of his head and laughing a bit nervously. "Well, I'm glad that we were able to get the prisoners to safety, and I'm glad to help anyway that I can. You all were amazing, too!" Riku says between handshakes and hugs. He's glad to have helped in any way he can. In fact, once freed, he bows deeply to the group. "Thank you for your appreciation. I'm sure we won't forget it."
Angela	Roland arrives with uh... with the Magical Girl of Love. The Magical Girl of Love is spinning her staff around in the air happily. Roland is kind of miserably looking down at his feet. At some point during the walk over to the village, Love has captured some sort of rat-like creature which she has promptly put into her mouth. Her cheeks are still puffed out with the rat in her mouth and she hasn't swallowed yet. She's saving it for later. "Aren't you uh... Aren't you going to finish that?" "Nhphhp hmphhhh." TRANSLATION: Not yett! "It's... It's just still moving I think..." Roland manages. "Mhphh fhhhmph yymphh!" TRANSLATION: But I'm not hungry yet! And we don't know when we'll find another snack! Roland exhales slowly, approaching the knights and he manages a smile, "It was touch and go for a minute there, was a real good thing Odette took care of most of the guards ahead of time." He gives her a small nudge with the elbow. Love smiles silently, waving happily with both hands, one of which is holding her staff.
Flamel Parsons	Still recovering from the battle with Sigrun, Flamel looks a little disheveled. It takes him a while before he registers he was spoken to. "Huh? Oh! Ahah, yeah, it did, didn't it?" He sheepishly scratches the back of his neck and laughs. "I should hope so! I sure did have every reason to make sure it did, and it was the discipline I'm trained for." He regards the new developments fondly, if uneasily. 'Open for trade' was always something that he's supposed to feel more at-ease about, and yet some conflict rests in the pit of his gut, some acknowledgment that this will result in loss for many here. Well, he's north-american enough to quash that guilt. For now, "I heard we're going to have a leadership-meeting for what we're doing next? I should go brush up on what's going on with Etruria and what we'll be doing against Bern next. Been almost entirely focused on this front for so long..." Lugh's probably back at the Lycian League camp, and he's gonna let him stay there and rest. He'd made sure to give Lugh plenty of time and attention after the battle with Sigrun, but now that kid's gotta take a break. And Flamel should deal with the heavy topics of what's next in the war.
Lilian Rook	'Thank you deeply, Odette, Roland, Dame Commander. If those other prisoners hadn't made it out, I don't know how I'd sleep at night.' "Thank you, but it wasn't an easy decision. If I'd failed to rescue you or Lugh because of them, I wouldn't be able to sleep either." There's no need for Lilian to say that when she could just take the credit as a hero, but it's one of those days; and Juno's ragged cloak and fading bruises are a reminder of being in that dungeon more vivid than just the thought. '... Haha. I did lose a bit of my ear.' [ansi(198,"It looks distinguished. Come to think of it, I did set aside a small bonus for your help. I know Roy is already paying you, so just consider it something I'm sending back to your village. I wasn't able to do much to help when I was there last.")] It is, indeed, tastefully conservative for once. But it is a bag of coin all the same. 'I guess lifestyles adapt to even something like this.' "I can't remember the last time I saw something built up like this that I didn't do myself." Lilian winces slightly at the realization, but smiles all the same. "I'll be certain to come back once it breathes more life into Ilia too. There's something . . . soul-soothing about seeing it. That bit of order and activity tinged with optimism." 'Hm. If goods don't have to cross the mountains to reach Ilia anymore...' "I'd say it's a miracle that the Otherworld allowed this, but it's even more so for the case of the war we're fighting now. Nothing would be the same without it. So it gladdens me to see Ilia getting this second chance. Finally shedding the old ways." For the first time in a while, Lilian can wear her travelling clothes, sit down somewhere, and just talk. In Lycia or otherwise. Despite the harrowing rescue and brutal battle at Edessa, the shakes have had time to fade and the glow of satisfaction time to be kindled. "That boy, I swear . . ."
Odette Raskins	Even though things have finally settled down with Lugh and Juno safely rescued, Odette's still got work on the mind. Juno's bruises might need draining, Melady's bones and blood had her worried even after treating her last time, she still hasn't had a chance to look too closely at Talia's ear... Despite all that, Odette still looks pretty relieved to be coming back. Dressed in her Elibe-wear rather than the servant disguise of last time, she straightens up a bit as she sees the pegasus knights all in a row and waves excitedly as she hurries over to greet them all. She has a little scanner in her hand, too, holding it up to give Talia and Juno a quick check up in particular to make sure they aren't hiding some kind injury for appearances' sake. Her trusty carrying case is slung over the other shoulder, and she's carrying a training staff with the same hand. "Miss Talia, hi! How's your ear feeling? I've got some fresh bandages if you want to put a little something on it. And hello, Miss Juno! I'm glad they're okay, too..." She says with a reieved sigh, then inhales once and straightens up again to continue her check up. "I was really worried about the dragon turning the wrong way and just... W-well, the important thing is it didn't!" She laughs, she shivers, and she shakes her head quickly to try and cast that mental image out of her head. There's still a barely audible teeth chattering noise coming from her, but it's that elbow nudge from Roland that actually gets her mind off that. "Huh? Ahah... I-it wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly if you didn't prepare all that bread to slip the stuff in." She comments with a sheepish chuckle, then nods lightly at Lilian shortly afterwards. "It was a good call, getting them all out of there. Even with a bunch of guards out of the way, I don't know if it would've been so smooth getting Lugh and Juno out without the prisoners, too." She adds, then exhales softly before turning back to Juno. "So! What about you, Miss Juno? I haven't had a chance to really check you out properly since last time. Is everything moving the way it should? Or... Um. Making sounds it shouldn't?"
Petra Soroka	"Maybe a little. It's not like I'm coming home with honors..." "You're coming home with money. That's important," The uncomfortable truth is that everything Petra shouted at Sigrun on the rooftop of the castle didn't get left behind there. It still applies, as part of the same culture, to Shanna, Thea, and now Talia, not to mention the assorted other Ilians accumulated in the army. Is the honor code of an Ilian mercenary something that it's their responsibility to outgrow, or is there something valuable to it that Petra just doesn't understand? It's hard to say that it's not her business, when she made such a point to have an opinion on it before. Backing down into ambivalence now that the ideological subjects aren't her unilateral enemies is just cowardly. But she just doesn't know for sure. "I guess, if they're not going to literally drop dead because of you not bringing back money, and if you did the obvious right thing of not, you know, helping a doomsday army occupy Edessa to bring about an imminent apocalypse, then, why would anyone complain?" Petra tilts her head and gnaws on the inside of her lip. A moment later she remembers to add, "Oh, and you're alive." "But I mean, seriously. All of Sigrun's justifications were about, you know, how Ilia would starve to death whether or not the world ends, but you're bringing money back and you still have a salary if you stick with us afterwards. They're not gonna starve. So it basically turned out perfect in every way, wasn't it?" "All that wrestling with Fae really paid off, huh, Petra?" Grumbling jokingly, Petra responds to Shanna, "Really feels a certain way that my mech's in the same weight class as a nine year old, though. If we start having to fight dragon toddlers, I'll be able to wipe the floor with them."
Nobunaga	The illustrious Oda Nobunaga is of course here in her regular regalia; the Imperial-style black an red uniform with golden accents and charms and chains; and of course, her peaked cap with the Sakura seal of Oda surrounded by sunburst rays. > "I, uh, really appreciate the backup, Lord Nobunaga" "Of course, of course!" The pintsized warlord props her hands on her hips with a laugh, "I've been on my fair share of one-sided battles, a friend is always welcome when one is outnumbered." Nobunaga leans forward slightly, "And what of those Blackwings? With Sigrun gone-- How is a new Wingleader chosen, anyway?" Into the oily jungle with the path that is starting to hold itself against the undergrowth, Nobunaga hums thoughtfully, "It seems some enterprising fellow has already started to renovate, between the state of our meeting place an this pathway. Healthy trade is a good sign." > "If goods don't have to cross the mountains to reach Ilia anymore..." Upon observing the marking post, Nobunaga swishes her cape out. A single Nobbu drops out of it with a surprised Nobu!?. The warlord simply takes the creature's hat and, ignoring the familiar soldier's objection, lobs the hat onto the top of the post with a flick. "These kinds of crossroads can-- and should-- always bear the markers of those who take them. For this new path all of Ilia has opened, let it have my blessing." The blessing of a merciless warlord. Maybe it'll keep bandits away, if they recognize the emblem of the Oda.
Marigold	"Well, I didn't have much to do... if they'd raised an alarm by flyer, I would've cut 'em off!" Shanna brags to Riku, bouncing on her heels. "But that old lady had her storm and all..." "Don't look for opportunities--" "There's no shame in being ready and not needed, Shanna." Juno cuts Thea off, both in exactly the same gently-scolding tone, and then she looks at her in surprise. "Thea, you haven't been too hard on this girl, have you?" "Don't look at me like that! I learned it from you...!" "Oh, dear." With an older sister's impeccable instinct, Juno spots the rat-tail sticking out of Love's mouth, eyes it warily, and then thump-thumps Love's back as if trying to get her to cough it up. In the background, Talia is the first to pick up on Flamel and Roland's down-ness: "Something the matter with the two of you? Now's a good time to celebrate, you know." When her own wellbeing is questioned, she flinch-smiles and runs some fingers through her jaw-length dark hair, just over her top-clipped ear. "It's-- I'm fine, I promise. 'Distinguished' is... good, in moderation, right?" She giggles anxiously. "I mean, I don't want to look like Sigrun." "I'm fine, thank you." Juno seems charmed by Odette's concern, patting her shoulder. "A little sore, but nothing I wouldn't feel guilty drinking a vulnerary for." The salty-swirling air stings. A few dozen feet from the Warpgate and the flag's base is an open-air wooden rack, where the Ilian villagers have set up salt-rubbed venison to dry into jerky. Juno stops for a second just to admire it. "There's something . . . soul-soothing about seeing it." "So it gladdens me to see Ilia getting this second chance. Finally shedding the old ways." "I can hope. That was my greatest ambition, with Zelot's family fortune," Juno says as she inspects the jerky fondly. "Building roads, trying to establish local industries... I couldn't have asked for the Otherworld to come to us, but it does feel like fate, doesn't it? The first thaw of a winter we didn't know we were in." "then, why would anyone complain?" "You're right. They wouldn't," Talia admits to Petra, embarrassed. She stands just on this side of the Warpgate. "They- they wouldn't. They'll be happy just to see me. It's not as though I've been censured. It's just..." "You're raised to feel it's important. That, if you don't hold the line with your fellow knights, you're letting all if Ilia down," Juno says gently. "... Yeah. Something like that." "I think Talia's very brave. It's not easy to ignore that feeling of shame. No easier than it'd be to, I don't know, take off all your clothes right now and not feel embarrassed." "W-well, hey, don't put it like that." That gives her the nervous energy to step through. On the other side, it's snowing gently, which is oddly warmer than the freezing rain had been. The pine trees are dusted white, and in the distance are the hills of the village.
Marigold	"And what of those Blackwings? With Sigrun gone-- How is a new Wingleader chosen, anyway?" Talia's grateful smile turns to a little wince. "Sigrun is... the whole thing is..." "At last news," Juno gently explains for her, "Sigrun fell unconscious from her wounds later that night. I still haven't heard that she's recovered. Because of us ransacking the treasury just before payday, Bern missed paying half its pegasus knights this month..." "Without a High Wingleader to turn to, it's all kinds of messed up," Talia says, her tone conflicted. "Something like this hasn't happened in decades. Normally it would be Sigrun's role to hold a unified line and decide when a contract's been broken," Juno sighs, equally accomplished and depressed. "I heard many of the knights aren't fighting until they've been paid, and some of them are deciding to turn against Bern..." "It's going to get bloody around here real soon." "C'mon, you don't know that for sure!" Shanna chirps in. "There's no point feeling guilty about it, you know," Thea says, patting her shoulder. Talia just grumbles softly. ... The forested hill you walk down overlooks the village of rough-masonry wooden-roofed houses and snow-dusted fields where winter returns the husks of crops to the earth. Just over the tops of houses, in the little central dirt street, you can see people fussing and chatting warmly; Roy's shock of red hair and Merlinus's bald scalp near General Cecilia's stream of green and a couple of glinting helmets. Further down, that shepherd woman who was so worried for Talia is teaching Lugh and Cath a rock-throwing game while Raigh crosses his arms and pretends not to care, and Niime and Lucius strike up a conversation while sitting outside a house as the village's sick come to them, including the limping farmer and old weaver. If you squint, you might catch Guinivere too, flourishing in peasant guise while fussing over a bandaged Melady. "... Talia? Is that-- it's Talia! Everyone!!" It doesn't take long, of course, for you all to be spotted. In that instant, Talia forgets all her hesitation and rushes down the hill into open arms. "Aunt Astrid! Oh!! Is Magrita alright! And Hana's son, you never answered my letter--" "Oh, you're a Blackwing now! Ohh, I'm so proud, I didn't know--" "Ahaha...! Um, well..." The slight hesitation in the village's warmth bubbles over into an effusive cheer. Children hurry over, and adults open their doors to peek out.
Riku Asakura	Riku nods to Shanna, "I bet you would have cut them off! I'm just glad it wasn't needed. That and the plan went mostly to plan. Despite the one hiccup in it that didn't go to plan..." Referring to the scary lady, Sigrun, who wasn't supposed to be there but was. Still, things could have gone worse, and Flamel's plan to thank most of that besides the elites working together. Riku listens to the result of their actions, and he sighs. Things may turn bloody, and a civil war might start over it. There was something they could do, right? Riku looks at Talia and tries to give her a reassuring smile. "They're right, you know. It was important to stop Bern from amassing more strength. I can understand why this makes you uncomfortable..." And finally, they get to the village. Roy is out with Merlinus and Cecilia. Riku approaches them first, holding a hand out towards Roy. He gives a bow to the other two, trying to be polite. "Hey, how are things coming after that battle...?" Riku asks, a bit hurt, but not too bad. Flamel took it much worse than he did.
Angela	''If I'd failed to rescue you or Lugh because of them...'' "Well we should take the win." Roland says. "But ... yeah, same. I figured you could handle it though so... s'why I focused on looking out for the others." His mood still seems dire despite the smile but he gives Odette a nod, "Hey sometimes inspiration strikes. Pluis I got to bake bread." A flicker of that smile reaches his eyes. He does enjoy the art of meal-making. ''Now's a good time to celebrate, you know.'' Roland swallows, embarrassed and then lets out a little laugh. He's not the best at hiding his feelings from his face--in fact he's quite terrible at it--and he always has this sort of half-grimace going on even at the best of times. "Just thinking about something Roy said." He says. "What this war is about and all. Maybe I'm the wrong kind of guy to be fighting it?" He waves a hand, "Not that I can't fight wars, this isn't even my first war, but I mean... I don't know if Zephiel shows up here and said 'What about humanity is worth saying'--would I have a good answer? I'd have answers for sure, but ... I feel like I've been in places like his. And I didn't uh try to destroy the world or anything. But I've felt like it should be destroyed before. Maybe I'm a bad fit, even if I'm rooting for y'all because ... well I don't never thought ''this'' world deserves it, I guess." Love is smacked in the back and coughs up the rat into her hands. She yelps and gets a good grip before it runs off but it's a little wet from Love saliva and it slips out of her grasp before running off. "My lunch!" Love laments. "Did you think I was choking...?" Her eyes are tearing up.
Nobunaga	> "The first thaw of a winter we didn't know we were in." "A real breath of fresh air, isn't it?" Nobunaga cradles her chin, eyes tilted upward as she consider Juno's words, "To finally be through the pass and see a green valley behind that rise instead of more mountains. You've been in the grip of that harsh climate for so long that those peaceful meadows still seem frightening, somehow." Raising her arms, Nobunaga folds her hands behind her head and closes her eyes, "But that's kind of exciting, too!" Her question about Wingleadership is addressed in a way that gives her pause, though, head tilting and one eye opening halfway towards Juno, only shifting slightly towards Talia when she adds something extra here and there. Once Shanna and Thea chime in, the warlord lets her breath out in a sigh. "Sigrun's really still alive, huh..." Eyes opening again, she fixes them on the gently snowing sky, "Stubborn like a samurai. Last time I saw someone lose that much blood and keep breathing it was Nagayoshi after Takato Castle-- By the end of it, he marched right up to me to report the victory, more Arrow than Man, hah!" > "... Talia? Is that-- it's Talia! Everyone!!" "Hooh~? Look alive, now, your adoring fans await," Nobunaga steps out of Talia's way when she rushes further down the mountain. She's not about to get between a homecoming warrior and her closest friends and family, after all. These kinds of reunions are deeply important moments; to see that Home is still Home; and in turn for Home to see that Talia is still Talia. She does descend down to the village though, a fair clip behind the returning Pegasus Knight, keeping to herself. This isn't the time for the capricious and bombastic humor of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. Instead, bouyed by the good overall mood of the village with Talia's return, she murmurs, "I promised to do my greatest to do right by your and yours even if you could not join me. In that, I feel I have delivered." with a satisfied little smile.
Flamel Parsons	"Now's a good time to celebrate, you know." "It should be! I'm just still a little over-thought from how heavy it got." Flamel rambles to Talia, laughing a bit. "Less of a high of victory, more of a close shave with a terrible possibility. Can't get Lugh and Raigh off my mind, you know?" Quick pause. "Though I shouldn't." "That boy, I swear . . ." "The job of a camper is to force you to become good enough to counsel them." Flamel mutters when he winds up taking a seat somewhere near Lilian. "Everything that happened with Lugh really has me thinking a lot about how I need to be better. Approaching Ilia like this can't be a one-off for me. For just a moment I think I had the sweet spot, the," He does a little pinching gesture. "The precision. The clear moral vision of how to help someone who needed it combined with the scale of outcome. And that shouldn't be what someone does once, with a child at risk. It should be habit. It should be as normal as breathing, you know? Even talking about it feels wrong, like it should just be an assumption built into the world. You don't talk about gravity." He scratches the side of his head, shaking it as if he's jostling something solid around in there. "We're still assessing if that one's a psychohazard, but for some reason it felt like you might be the only one here I could say it to and have it mean something." He'll hear out a quick response, but he should head to Lugh. Cheerful waving, beaming smile, and an eagerness to participate. "Luuuuugh! Hey kid! Hey, Lugh, Cath, Raigh, teach me the rules of whatever you're playing! I want to see how it's played!" He's beaming eagerly, already trying to get Raigh to pseudo-begrudgingly show off the game. He needs to sink his brain into the less-agonized state those brains are putting out, like putting his mind into a salt bath after difficult work.
Petra Soroka	"I mean, I don't want to look like Sigrun." Petra, who definitely isn't still mad about Sigrun calling her a slouchy peasant girl, immediately jumps on this opportunity to unleash a very well-adjusted tirade. "Yeah, she looks like she's forty years old and all of her fashion still comes from a Hot Topic online catalogue. She looks like she's getting ready for her audition to become a jellyfish. Her favorite lipstick color is 'corpse-chic'. She's got the resting bitch face of an animatronic skeleton." She blinks. "Oh. Well, the scar's not pretty either, but I don't wanna be, like, crude." "They'll be happy just to see me." "Oh, okay. Well, that's good." Petra is vaguely put-out by having been correct so easily, like she wound up a punch at a piece of paper mache. She lingers uncomfortably for a few seconds, before filling the empty space with a patented Petra Opinion. "I think if people were braver about getting naked, they'd be better off in a lot of ways." "Sigrun fell unconscious from her wounds later that night." It only now occurs to Petra that it was fairly plausible for Sigrun to have died already, and Petra would have just called her lipstick 'corpse-chic'. Since she's alive, though, that wasn't in bad taste at all, so she's fine. "I'm kind of surprised there's not, like, a chain of command for that kind of thing. Given how important the contracts and all are." Actually thinking about the political ramifications of the topic for a moment, "But, like, Bern's definitely miles away from being broke. It's probably only a matter of time before they can shift the payment over there again, right?" "Which means...." Her eyes slide over to Juno. "I mean, they're mercenaries, but they're still, like, 'Ilia'. What happens when they're explicitly waging war against you, instead of just holding you captive?" "My lunch!" Petra blissfully intercedes to save Juno from having to figure out how to console the Magical Girl of Love, noted normal girl, over spitting up a rat. "You wouldn't have been able to talk, Love. Your mouth was so full you couldn't even say hi to me. Once we're done talking with the army and everyone, I'll come with you to that jungle we passed through, and I'll help you catch a... jungle... rodent, thing, or a monkey or whatever." "... Talia? Is that-- it's Talia! Everyone!!" That's Talia's business! Petra has other people to interact with. Namely, scampering downhill to join the cluster with Lugh and Raigh. "Hey Lugh! I didn't see you in Edessa, on account of the giant dragon and stuff. Are you doing alright now?" Then she turns to Raigh, folding her arms across her chest. "I mean, you're actually only just out of captivity too. It's not like hiding in Edessa was relaxing, or anything. Has it been tolerable enough, coming along with everyone?"
Odette Raskins	"'Distinguished' is... good, in moderation, right?" "Is it...? I mean, I guess a scar can look pretty cool and start a good story when it's not sore anymore." Odette mirrors Talia's own anxious giggling as she rubs her left wrist idly under the cover of her cape and ignores the slight itch on her eyebrow. "Good thing you've still got some time to figure out what story's going to be before people start asking." "A little sore, but nothing I wouldn't feel guilty drinking a vulnerary for." Grinning sheepishly at the pat, Odette nevertheless forces her budding ego down to not let Juno mislead her into NOT fretting over the bruises. "Even so. There's being frugal, but a little ice or a cold towel'll do wonders. And it'll help your juniors feel better to know you're recovering properly, too." "At last news," Hearing about Sigrun's condition and the state of the Blackwings has Odette feeling just aa slight pang of guilt. "If Bern's flying troops dwindle because of that, then that's a pretty good outcome for us...? Nn. But if they're still fighting each other, it's still-yeah, what Miss Talia said." She comments, going from a pleased and optimistic tone to a troubled one in short succession. Odette mirrors Talia's grumbling, too, although hers might also be halfway closer to a concerned whimper. "Plus I got to bake bread." "It's fun, right? The kneading, seeing people's faces when they smell it, smelling it yourself..." Odette nods lightly at Roland as she starts reminiscing about home again. At this rate, she's going to get homesick! Or she might already be. Heading into the town picks Odette's mood right back up in the normal way, too, especially when she sees so many more familiar faces. She stays safely far behind while Talia grabs the attention of the excited townspeople, chuckling softly at the sight before circling way around them to give the returning hero some space. Spotting Niime and Lucius speaking way over there, Odette waves excitedly in their direction for fairly obvious reasons, and she even starts approaching with her carrying case and training staff in tow. "Hi, Father Lucius! Hello, Miss Niime! Do you need a hand over there? I'll be-" She stops as she catches sight of the disguised Guinevere and the not-disguised Melady. Briefly conflicted, Odette holding two fingers up towards Lucius and Niime. "Ah.. I-I'll be there to help out in a few minutes!" She calls out to them, then scurries over to where Melady's being fussed upon by Guinevere. "Hi, Miss Melady! Hello, Miss..." She pauses briefly to look Guinivere over, getting the completely wrong idea while suppressing a grin. "... Person I don't know. Thanks for keeping an eye on Miss Melady here. Now!" Odette brings that health analyzer back out, but she's not looking at it yet even as she tilts it up and down at Melady slowly. She's going to try and eyeball what she can first, getting ready to replace any bandages if she needs to on the spot. "How're you feeling after.. Um. Everything? Anything out of place, moving that shouldn't, not moving that should? A-and not just physically, but... You know. In general."
Lilian Rook	'It's-- I'm fine, I promise. 'Distinguished' is... good, in moderation, right? I mean, I don't want to look like Sigrun.' Lilian puts on a faint smile, and glances away. Listening to the conversation between the sisters, her fingers wander to her scar once she stops intentionally thinking about it. "Someone who looks like that and is still a soldier instead of a corpse is 'terrifying', not 'distinguished'. Scars tell less of experience than people think, and more about our limits. A battle scar is something that happened to you before you kept fighting anyways." 'I couldn't have asked for the Otherworld to come to us, but it does feel like fate, doesn't it? The first thaw of a winter we didn't know we were in.' "More then than not, fate is just the moments we remember." Lilian says, shrugging lightly. "There were people with your ambitions before, and moments where this could have happened, but didn't. That it's you and now speaks to the longevity of Ilians dreaming of it and what massive impulse it'd take to realize; and how ready you were to seize it, of course." 'You're raised to feel it's important. That, if you don't hold the line with your fellow knights, you're letting all if Ilia down,' Hm. Lilian will try very hard not to think about that now. She's too tired for uncomfortable self-reflection. 'I heard many of the knights aren't fighting until they've been paid, and some of them are deciding to turn against Bern...' Lilian takes a deep breath of crisp, cool air on the other side of the gate, and relaxes a little more for the smell of winter. The next words get a noise from her that's halfway between a laugh and a scoff. "I'd hope so. I'd spit on all of that mercenary honour rhetoric if, after all this, they decided to fight for free." 'It's going to get bloody around here real soon.' "I salute those who've gone above and beyond to fight the occupation that isn't even paying them. I can only hope that those people who believe in a different Ilia won't be weeded out by it." '... Talia? Is that-- it's Talia! Everyone!!' This is everything Lilian wanted for this little village since she saw it. More, even. This outcome is almost a fairy tale, even if it had to be so uncommonly hard-fought. The feeling clogs her throat, and squeezes up tight inside her chest. She rubs her sword arm at the onset of a sudden chill. 'Well we should take the win. But ... yeah, same. I figured you could handle it though so... s'why I focused on looking out for the others.' "Of course I could handle it." Lilian says, sounding a little hoarse. "Spending two days in the kitchens was such a ridiculous idea that I couldn't say the same of you, though I suppose now I'm impressed. Somewhat." She stops to breathe deep through her nose. It doesn't clear up much. "And you're a surprisingly decent cook." 'Not that I can't fight wars, this isn't even my first war, but I mean... I don't know if Zephiel shows up here and said 'What about humanity is worth saying'--would I have a good answer?' "He doesn't care about your answer, so you don't need to have one. Fighting because you should is worth much more than fighting to try and change someone's mind." Lilian glances sidelong at Roland. "There's no such thing as a bad fit just because of what you believe in. Trust me."
Lilian Rook	'The job of a camper is to force you to become good enough to counsel them.' "That's a surprisingly enlightened view, Parsons." 'Everything that happened with Lugh really has me thinking a lot about how I need to be better.' Lilian sucks in an implicitly grimacing breath. Those words never mean anything good. 'And that shouldn't be what someone does once, with a child at risk. It should be habit. It should be as normal as breathing, you know?' When she looks at him again, Lilian isn't really sure whether to stare until he gets it or not. "Were it so easy." she says. "Still, if the likes of me can get somewhere in six years of trying, even you likely can." 'Her favorite lipstick color is 'corpse-chic'.' Lilian frowns reflexively in Petra's direction. Opinion defensively dismissed due to Petra. 'But, like, Bern's definitely miles away from being broke. It's probably only a matter of time before they can shift the payment over there again, right?' "In another three months it'll be too late to matter. We'll be in the heart of Bern."
Angela	''I suppose now I'm impressed. Somewhat. And you're a surprisingly decent cook.'' "Ah well..." Roland admits to Lilian. "I don't actually know much about poisons so Odette handled that." An assassin who doesn't know poisons! "But thanks. If I somewhat impress you then I must be doing something right. Gotta be at least in the top fifty percent right?" But he pauses. And he rubs at his neck, embarrassed. "Aw, well, the partner loves to eat. So I got lots of experience." Maybe, he thinks, some part of him just wants her to know his wife. To share the stories like she wanted them to be shared. Or as close to as he can manage. He gives a nod to Odette. "Yeah, making food for people is basically ... it's what it's all about, really. Get good at it and you've got a way to make anyone happy with some hours of work." ''You owuldn't have been able to talk, Love.'' "Oh yeah..." Love is, if nothing else, easy to steer like this even if she's a little disappointed she made it to the war after the fight ended and she's just here to talk instead of blast. But she's had enough blasting lately that she doesn't feel the urge to turn into a dragon and start biting people. Plus Lilian is there and Lilian said she'd cut off her head if she did more chomping like that and that's...scary!! Her head has some of her best features. ''I'll come with you to that jungle we passed through...'' Love brightens immediately. "Okay! I love you Petra!" And she immediately hugs Petra, kicking a leg up like in anime when she does so. ''There's no such thing as a bad fit--'' Roland opens his mouth to protest that he knows that Zephiel doesn't care but that isn't the point he's making--but the second half of Lilian's statement gets him to pause. If Lilian's saying that, then doesn't that suggest that Lilian's beliefs and what Lilian fights for doesn't strictly match? He supposes that's a knight's code for you. "Yeah," He manages. "I'll try. I mean. I do ''trust'' you but I'll try to see it that way."
Lilian Rook	'I'll try. I mean. I do ''trust'' you but I'll try to see it that way.' "Why'd you say it that way?" Lilian scowls a little on reflex, but this is Elibe; ever since meeting Roy at that campfire for the first time, she's never quite been able to put that feeling back in the box. Sincerity flows strangely easily. "If we only save the people we live, fight against the people we disagree with, and stand for the things that feel closest to home, then we manage nothing more than the same petty tribalism that everyone is already born with." Not wanting to hold eye contact anymore, Lilian looks off at Petra. She'd use her as an example, and it'd come easily, but . . . "If we can't fight for the people we hate, against those we even feel kinship with, just because it's the right thing to do, then we deserve to live knee-deep in the muddy hellhole we build out of 'personal justice'." 'I don't actually know much about poisons so Odette handled that.' Lilian blinks. "Huh." She decides to blank her brain for a little instead of think about pharmaceutical poisons. 'Yeah, making food for people is basically ... it's what it's all about, really. Get good at it and you've got a way to make anyone happy with some hours of work.' "God I need to pick up a cookbook." Lilian sighs, then laughs, folding her arms. "Suddenly I'm filled with the urge to not be outdone by you when it comes to the fiancée."
Marigold	"My lunch!" "U-ueh?" is the closest approximation to the noise that comes out of Juno's mouth. "You... dear, you don't eat those raw. You'll get diseases," she haplessly tries to explain to a teary magical girl, before Petra gracefully intercedes. "Maybe I'm a bad fit, even if I'm rooting for y'all because ..." In Talia's absence, Thea chips in. "I think we've all wished the world would blow up, once or twice," she says. "We have??" "Shh, Shanna. When you're low enough, everyone feels like your enemy, and it's hard to see any good in the world..." "But what you 'feel' is only part of who you are. What you say and do about it is more important. Even if it felt like the world was evil, you didn't act like it, did you?" "A real breath of fresh air, isn't it? To finally be through the pass..." Juno nods at Nobunaga, smiling longingly, but her eyes are still on Talia being piled-around and embraced by a half-dozen villagers. "I can only hope that other Ilians see it the same way." "Why wouldn't they?" Shanna asks, swaying innocently as she hovers by her big sister's elbow. "I don't know. When you've been freezing all day, and you're numb... thawing out by the warm fire can hurt, can't it?" "Sure, but what's that got to do with it?" "Letting go of the old ways hurts. That's all. Even if those 'old ways' are bad." "Mmmh..." Juno has to cover her lips with her fingers, in that distinguished-noblewoman way- sometimes it's hard to believe your other two pegasus knights are related to her at all- to keep from giggling at Petra's stream of insults for Sigrun. "'More arrow than man'," she repeats to Nobunaga, still staring down at the happy village throng. "That does sound like her. I suppose we don't know for certain that she'll recover... it would be a cleaner break with the 'old ways' if Sigrun never woke up." Juno's feelings on that are mixed, trending negative. She balls a hand over her chest and sighs. "But I hope no-one takes it as a challenge if I say, I've known her long enough that I think she's too mean to ever die." "It's probably only a matter of time before they can shift the payment over there again, right?" "Probably. Next week, or the week after, they'll have shoveled over more gold," Juno nods solemnly. "But by then people can say, 'Bern was unreliable'. I think a lot of people are looking for an excuse to break contract without losing our integrity. That'll be a good enough excuse for some of them." Thoughtlessly, she brushes her right cheekbone with the side of her finger. ". . . I hope it's good enough for Sigrun." Shanna and Thea look at each other behind her back. The younger sister doesn't seem to know why this means so much to her. The middle one smiles apologetically; too much to explain.
Marigold	"There were people with your ambitions before, and moments where this could have happened, but didn't." The not-unhappy tension in Juno's body tightens until she shivers like a plucked string, and then lets it out with a breath. It's, perhaps, been a very long time since anyone told her she's doing a good job. "... Thank you. You're right, Knight Commander. I shouldn't, ah... deprive ourselves of our role in this." 'Knight Commander'. So she's slipped into the same language Sigrun did. "... And you are quite distinguished, for whatever that's worth," she adds smilingly of Lilian's scar. "I can only hope that those people who believe in a different Ilia won't be weeded out by it." "What happens when they're explicitly waging war against you...?" "I don't think Ilians would be happy to kill their countrymen. It's not like Lycia or Sacae here," she says. "But Bern itself... they have plenty of troops here. It'll be bad. All I can hope for is that we'll pull together, and that Etruria will have our backs."
Marigold	An older, still-burly farmer is picking up Talia, and she's laughing and kicking her legs. "Ahaha! No, but really Erland, where's Magrita?! In the house? I've got to..." "So you did, Nobunaga," says the middle-aged shepherdess, Astrid. She parts her hand from Talia's shoulder to step over and bow. "I did not not doubt your promise would be kept. But it is a delight that you are here to celebrate the keeping with us." "You're only a week or two late for a celebration of fresh snowberries... ah, but we were still going to have turnip-and-venison stew. Won't you stay until nightfall?" "Ahhh... you know, Astrid, even the hills and fields look different. Am I misremembering?" "Oh, it's a long story. There was this strange mage with them..." "Hey, Lugh, Cath, Raigh, teach me the rules of whatever you're playing!" "Huh? Really? You?" "Of course he does! It's a great game." "I mean, not that I'm playing." "Sure, Flamel!" "A-hem. I won't be around to supervise your games anymore, so I'll make sure everybody's got it right..." "Huh? You're not staying in Ilia, are you, Cath...?" "What am I going to do in Sacae, ride a horse? Besides, Lady Juno wouldn't know what to do without me." "Awww, but we just met...!" "Hey, don't make those eyes at me. Anyway! You try to throw your little rock to get as close to the big stone as you can. But if you hit the big stone, you don't score. So you want to knock other people's stones away..." While the other two kids teach Flamel a game that works a little like marbles and a little like bocce, Lugh has his attention snagged by Petra first. "Petra! ... It's been... I was really scared for a little while," he finds the strength to admit. "But Father Lucius and everybody has been talking me through it, and..." Deep breath. "Well, I'm back, so everything's okay now. I hope I didn't worry you too much." Raigh looks back from his rock-tossing when addressed, arching an eyebrow at Petra. "Huh? I mean, yeah. I knew what I signed up for, spying on Bern. I was just... you know... worried for this little idiot. Still haven't decided if I'm staying. I think you've, you know, got enough green-haired kids around." Lugh frowns, more for Raigh's sake than his own. "Hey, how are things coming after that battle...?" "... Ah! Riku! I could see you all the way back in town. You're feeling alright now, aren't you?" "Oh, a pleasure to see you all again!" Cecilia waves first at Riku, then gets on her tiptoes to wave at everyone else over his head too. "I've been doing wonderfully. Really, I couldn't ask for more than what you've done," she effuses, while Roy stands a bit awkwardly beside her. "After Murdoch's forces fell apart at Remi, the Etrurian army's managed to push through most of the west of Ilia... I'm sure Bern will shore up their presence in Carrhae and Edessa to meet us in the middle, but that's still stunning progress. Aheh, not to sing my own praises!" "... We'll be able to move into Sacae pretty soon," Roy adds lamely. "Once everybody's rested, of course. There's a known Warpgate right in the middle of the capital Bulgar, since it used to be a big trade hub." "Ah, isn't that where Rutger said she's from as well, Lord Roy?" "I think so. From what she's said about Bern, I don't expect it to be pretty..."
Marigold	"Hi, Miss Melady! Hello, Miss..." "Guinivere~" says Guinivere~. "No relation to any disinherited minor nobles you might know of, of course! Ahahah." Poor aggrieved Melady rolls her eyes, leaning on her spear for support. "I was throwing up black-and-red for a while until Lucius got to me," she says. "... It hurts to breathe deep, or to do sit-ups. But it's getting a little better, day by day. I should be right as rain in a few weeks." The health analyzer shows she's still got a damaged-but-not-fully-broken rib, a bruised diaphragm, and a few torn abdominal muscles that are trying to heal. At least nothing's infected.
Nobunaga	> "I can only hope that other Ilians see it the same way." "If they don't, you just have to convince them," Nobunaga states plainly, "The proof is in the porridge, as they say. This tiny village is already starting to prosper just from trade with the other worlds, right?" She raises a hand, waving it over the bustle of the town, "All you need to do is make sure they can see it's a verdant valley before them, not another rocky mountain road, and they'll climb down all on their own, eager to feel the grass under their feet." > "I suppose we don't know for certain that she'll recover... it would be a cleaner break with the 'old ways' if Sigrun never woke up." The warlord pauses to consider this for a quiet few moments, tapping her chin in thought. Eventually, she speaks up, "In one sense you're quite right. The case that the 'old world' cannot be let go without sacrifices. In the other sense; it would be quite a welcome surprise, I think, if she were to wake up to find a happier and more independent Ilia waiting for her." "My homeland fought a century of bloody civil war to shed their Old Ways; I don't see that sort of catastrophe in Ilia's future. Not so long as the land remains united under a wise leader," With a subtle change in body language, her gaze shifts towards Juno. > "You're only a week or two late for a celebration of fresh snowberries..." "Hooh~?" Nobunaga straightens her posture when Astrid approaches, returning her bow in the stiff, formal Japanese fashion. When she rises from it, her eyes are closed and her grin is wide, "Good to see you again. I'll have to fight the next war a little faster so we can make it next season." "I'll happily accept your invitation. Talia's come home, it's definitely time for a party, yeah? I can probably rustle up some entertainment, even." What, does she plan to make the Nobbu do a dance number? Yes, actually. That's exactly what she's going to do, later. > "... We'll be able to move into Sacae pretty soon..." A familiar word catches her attention, though. Briefly, Nobunaga leans back a bit and glances over her shoulder towards Roy. Sacae; that was the name of the country that she was thought to be from, a few times. Returning her view to centerline, the warlord tilts her head forward and cradles her chin in thought, eyes closed, even as a cadre of brightly dressed Kabuki Nobbu starts tumbling out of her cape and spreading out to set up for their performance.
Angela	''If we only save the people we like, fight against the people we disagree with, and stand for the things that feel closest to home...'' Maybe that explains Angela a little, Roland thinks. He pushes his hair back, feeling like he shoudl say 'I never thought of it that way' but he can't quite utter those words. His gaze follows over to Petra. He's a little confused by it but he thinks he sort of gets what Lilian's getting at. It sort of feels like a knife twisting in his chest though. He doesn't know if he has a 'right thing' to fight for. It's easy in Elibe, in a way, even Murdoch was easy relative to back home. And Murdoch was awful and horrible. ''But what you feel is only part of who you are. What you say and do about it is more important. Even if it felt like the world was evil, you didn't act like it, did you?'' Roland... ...is a Grade One Fixer with a specialty in assassination that can lie. "I'd like to think so, at least." He says. "But I agree. Most people can't see in your head, what you do is all they can go off by." ''Dear, you don't eat those raw. You'll get diseases.'' "But I like the wiggling--"Love manages.
Lilian Rook	'I think we've all wished the world would blow up, once or twice,' "Or about a thousand times." Lilian mumbles. 'But I hope no-one takes it as a challenge if I say, I've known her long enough that I think she's too mean to ever die.' "If she hasn't died already then it's unlikely her health will decline further." Lilian says. "As unlikely it is that she survived at all with how badly I injured her. I can't help but think of . . ." 'But by then people can say, 'Bern was unreliable'. I think a lot of people are looking for an excuse to break contract without losing our integrity. That'll be a good enough excuse for some of them.' "And to think I was being optimistic." Lilian sighs. "Well, you're right. It's a real question for them to be asking. 'When's the next time someone who hates them throws their gold over a cliff? There's no shortage of them'." '... Thank you. You're right, Knight Commander. I shouldn't, ah... deprive ourselves of our role in this.' Lilian blinks, turning her attention Juno's way, but in the end, she doesn't comment on it. "It's a happier thing to tell people than the alternative; that luck and circumstance and a certain inexorable moment in history had a hand. Erring this way is a good sign, I think." '... And you are quite distinguished, for whatever that's worth,' Lilian aims a 'pft' away from Juno, starting to grin again. "It's nothing so grandiose as a war-wound. My master's final test was to try and kill me with all she had; that's all." Beat. "But thank you." 'I don't think Ilians would be happy to kill their countrymen. It's not like Lycia or Sacae here' Oof. Still, Lilian can wince, but it's hard to argue that. Even if the traitors were few and powerful, it's still not a good look. "I believe you can count on Etruria, at the very least." she says. 'Aheh, not to sing my own praises!' Moving down the trail and closer into the crowd, Lilian says "You may as well. I'm going to sing mine~" '... We'll be able to move into Sacae pretty soon,' "The second last step on the journey. Whelming, isn't it?" she says to Roy. "And I'm very much glad to have Rutger and Sue. I know next to nothing about the place." Hang on, was Fir actually Sacaean, or was she merely taught in the swordsmanship? "Frankly, I relish a direct route for once. Though it's a very strong marker of just how far this war has gone that people have adapted to the this much, the campaign trail has already gotten long enough."
Angela	''Suddenly I'm filled with the urge to not be outdone by you when it comes to the fiancee.'' Roland doesn't think Lilian has to worry too much about that but it feels mean to say that and, well, her fiancee is probaly worth the extra effort even if he thinks it'll be easier to outdo him than Lilian seems to think it'd be. For pretty obvious reasons to him, but that he's not going to share here. He knows that this relationship was important to her. He feels he understands why. In a world like theirs, a successful loving relationship feels like a miracle even if it isn't your own. So instead he says, "If that's your attitude, you'll be fine." He promises instead. "But yeah, that's a great idea. Try surprising her with some recipes. Never fails and ... it feels good." ''Or a thousand times.'' ROLAND'S UNDERSTANDING OF LILIAN HAS INCREASED. "Oogh. That bad huh." He says sympathetically, if a bit Zukosihly.
Flamel Parsons	Flamel spends his time with Lugh, Raigh, and Cath, eagerly learning. He promises to use no telekinesis, which means that it's pure throwing, and pure throwing is something he is certainly deeply uncoordinated with. So he's got about teenager level of beginner skill to work with. As he does, he chatters. "You had me about as worried as I ought to worry, for my part! I'd say something like, 'Lugh, don't do that again! It was dangerous!' But really, you did just sort of demonstrate that you do have the grit for some Psychonaut work after all, didn't you? So, however much you do that sort of thing again, just keep the trade in mind." He squints one eye closed, and hefts a rock with what looks like a cool, precise aim. It bounces wide off a chunk of terrain and he plants his hands on his waist exasperatedly. "The more childhood you get to live properly, the better you'll be at this sort of thing once you're an adult." The discussion of Raigh doing spywork is, "I hear you did pretty great too! Did Niime have a lot of manuals or something? I sure hope you'll stay with us if you're planning to do more operations with the Bernish war, honestly. Anyone who can decisively improvise the way you did with Lugh's plan would be great to have around, but," Another rock. This one, he tries to roll low so it'll not go too far forward. "It sounded like you had other dreams to chase from the start. That's what someone should be doing at your age to begin with, I'd never tell you to stop." Instead of rolling, his rock bounces up, arcs, and bonks the big rock on the top, spinning to a stop there and balancing perfectly. "I'd tell you to not stop, because you're a kid and we're going to go fight the war and all. But, I'm sort of past that argument at this stage, right?" He unfondly regards his direly low score. "I don't suppose any of you will be okay with it if I pinkie-promise to only use my telekinesis in arm's reach?" He asks, rubbing his face.
Odette Raskins	"No relation to any disinherited minor nobles you might know of, of course!" "Of course! Hehe... Well, thank you for keeping an eye on our friend here, Miss Guinivere." Odette replies to Guinivere~ with an airy little chuckle, clearly not used to that kind of laugh yet eager to give it a try anyway. She glances around briefly, then lowers her voice like she's trying not to draw too much attention their way. "... Are you holding up alright? Every time I see you, it looks like you're working extra hard. It's actually kind of inspiring." She comments with another, more genuine giggle, then fixes a slightly sterner look on Guinivere. "... But you're making sure to rest up enough, right?" She asks, having several energy drinks packed away in her bag for unrelated reasons. "I was throwing up black-and-red for a while until Lucius got to me," "Ouch... W-well, I'm glad that you're well on your way to recovering now, at least. Father Lucius really has a way with magic in case it gets any worse, but don't rush trying to get back into training again, okay?" Odette warns while simultaneously sounding relieved, peering at the analyzer again before pursing her lips in mild concern. "Long walks should be fine along with anything that's only using your hands, but no running or sit ups for at least three weeks. The last thing you want is to reopen something that really shouldn't be, you know? And then Miss Guinivere'll have to check up on you more..." "After Murdoch's forces fell apart at Remi, the Etrurian army's managed to push through most of the west of Ilia... " "Ah? Hello, General Cecilia!" Odette greets her with a high wave from besides Melady and Guinevere. "Whoa... That's going to make moving around much easier. I know I won't miss having to sneak around all the time like before. Nice work!" She compliments, all too willing to sing Cecilia's praises in that moment. Spotting and hearing Roy next to Cecilia, Odette greets him with a big wave and nod as well. "And then Sacae's the next place to go... Oh, Miss Rutger's homeland? I wonder if we'll need to dress differently to blend in over there. Maybe something lighter...?" She's going to have to do a little research, but later. First, she needs to join up with Lucius and Niime to help them with the older folks as promised. It definitely isn't an excuse to hang out with Lucius, even in a working context.