Return of the Emblem Chapter Fourteen: Nine

[-Cynthia-]

Dining Hall

"Are you referring to using mind magic to alter people's memories? Isn't that...unethical?" Veronika asked Dominik, furrowing her brow. What these Thanatos people do is their business I suppose, but I don't want them giving Raquel ideas. She's much less cautious since she's lost her memory.

Kitchen

"Yes I know, old people nattering about politics is dull. We do have better hearing than you young folk give us credit for though," Lysandra noted to the cooks before turning her attention back to Jethro.

"He does have a point in his own way though- you are either on board with his plan or you are not. There are shades of grey within the issue itself, but ultimately one must either support or fight against. Standing by and do nothing leaves your fate entirely in the hands of others," she noted.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"And we've got the perfect mundane task to practice with," he said.  Might as well do a bit of singing himself... 

[Phoenix]

Dining Hall

Dominik shrugged. "You'd rather we keep them in a cage? Or just kill them?" He chuckled lightly, adding to the already casual answer.

"I think we'd rather you just not get caught," Raquel teased, "you know ... do your job right the first time."

"Fair enough," Dominik feigned a wince, "but given your situation, I'm sure you know how tough perfection can be to pull off. I'm sure you all know."

Kitchen

Johnny began whistling something for a few seconds before smoothly transitioning into humming as he cooked. Erika continued her quiet giggling as Rebecca stepped into the kitchen. "Are we still on schedule for seven o'clock?"

"Yeah, I think so," Johnny nodded, "... as long as we don't have any special orders to worry about. That'll take longer."

"I suppose I'll go and check," Rebecca said. She headed back into the dining room.

Jethro sighed. "I tried the whole not getting involved thing for a while, myself. When the cards are out, it doesn't work. That said, I guess I'll just have to oppose him for now."

Training Field

"I guess it would be nice to practice," Suzume agreed. It wasn't just the singing, either. Since she'd started working for Weyland, she'd learned what the high life felt like for well off mages. Suzume actually had the resources to practice her magic frequently now if she wanted. Getting into the habit of doing so was proving to be a challenge, but she hadn't been here very long at all. Practicing some techniques while gathering up the fragments and singing something in her head would help with the tedium, but they still had a ways to go. At least they had some help, now. Vivian was already back at it, picking up any tiny scraps she could find. With the largest bits already in the pile, the cleanup was gradually shifting to a scavenger hunt.

[Nanami Touko]

"Perhaps not, I am just... Unaccustomed to asking people for favors. Thought that may be more annoying than the favor itself..." She hadn't thought of that, really ever, but now it dawned on her that constant askings if things were alright could be more troublesome than the request in the first place. Darn it. "Then, I shall do my best to quiet that, and believe you..."

 

[scorri]

Uri blinked in surprise at the many choices he was given before hesitantly answering, "Uhm... I'd just been feeding her beef? So I suppose that would be best. I don't know much about what meat is better for... wyverns given I don't know much about meat in general, so if you have a better suggestion, I would be willing to listen." How bad of a job had he been doing up until now? He had just been going with beef because it had typically been cheaper where he'd been shopping. She seemed to like it at least, so hopefully he hadn't been making too many mistakes.

Meanwhile, Serafine had gotten tired of all of this and flopped down next to Raquel. She curled up around a table leg near the woman and started to slowly drift off to sleep. Food was important, but so was sleep and her body was content to get whatever it could right now.

Erion was lost. There were no two ways about it. He'd taken a turn that he thought would get him to the room he'd been staying in, in hopes that Amalia was in one of the nearby rooms, but had instead ended up in what appeared to be a storage wing. He glanced around, looking back behind him, before giving a small shrug and continuing forward. If nothing else, he'd learn more about the building they were staying in. And hopefully, he'd manage to find his way back before dinner.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

'Cause the world might do me in~ "So, anything else exciting happening?" he asked as he began trawling through the blades of grass.  It's alright 'cause I'm with friends~  Funnily enough, ever time he actually bent over to sift he found fragments.  Guess I'm giving up again~

[Phoenix]

Kitchen

"Well I wouldn't know, either," Erika smiled, "but if there haven't been any problems so far, you should be fine. I hear wyverns are pretty sturdy animals. If you'd rather be certain, first, I'd ask Gabriella. She has a wyvern, too."

"She feeds Ringo whatever she feels like," Johnny noted irritably, "not the right person to ask," he shook his head.

"He does seem healthy," Erika gently countered, "so ... it's up to you."

"I guess wyverns are just that sturdy," Johnny murmured.

Training Field

"Aside from the fight we both missed?" Suzume asked, thinking back the last day and a half, "No, not really. Not exciting, anyway. I heard there was something flying near the city yesterday but that didn't have me jumping out of my seat." It probably wasn't a bird or a pegasus knight, granted ... "What happened to you and why did everyone come back so quickly? I thought the situation in the capital was really bad."

Vivian frowned at the reminder. It was why she'd been sent here from the capital in the first place.

Training Field

Leo chuckled at that. "Alright then. It's good to be taken at my word. Now wait here while I go grab a weapon to use," Leo said, "... or you can tag along. Either way, I'll be right back." It wasn't a bad place to practice, this training field, though it was primarily used for testing how the vehicles handled off road and how the tanks handled themselves in a fight. Leo had no idea, of course, and it didn't stop anyone else from using it for their own purposes when they were feeling too restricted indoors.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

It doesn't matter~ "Hmmm, well..."   (Ooh ooh ooh)~ Something flying~  Had me feeling like a ghost~  "Let's see, what were they called?  Inlictus?  Anyway, one of those anti-crown rebel groups that are a copper a dozen sprang up and made a play."  And that's what I hate the most~ Gar picked up two pieces of scrap and hurled one into the air.  Guess I'm giving up again~   "Damn effective one, for once.  Managed to cause some real carnage before they got put down like those types do."  This time~ Gar flicked the piece he held into the other sending them both towards the pile.  (This time)~  "We got involved in the initial attack and Raquel nearly died."  (This time)~  "Again."  This time I might just disappear~  "So then I spent the night hunting them down 'til they all fled, then in the day we went and wiped out their leadership.  Or recruited them.  I'm not sure which I slept most of the way here."   Ah yeah~

[-Cynthia-]

Dining Hall

"Our group is definitely far from perfect. I suppose there are some instances where altering memories would have been useful," Veronika conceded. Robin, Amalia, even these death disciples have found ways to solve problems other than killing. Perhaps I reach for my sword too quickly at times...

Kitchen

"I had similar intentions- I tried to ignore Hydra for as long as I could, distance myself from them as much as possible. Didn't do much to stop them obviously and trouble came knocking on my doorstep soon enough. I'm curious as to how you plan to oppose Cygnus- are you going to fight side by side with these young folk like I am?" Lysandra asked Jethro with a wry smile. 

Edited April 4, 2017 by -Cynthia-

[Nanami Touko]

"That is alright. I can wait. Take your time, I am not impatient for this." And in the mean time, she could practice swings, waiting. She took up her stance and began to swing, almost beginning to dance in her steps. She didn't commit fully, of course. Starting a dance here would be entirely counterproductive if she was to save her stamina for parrying and blocks.

[Phoenix]

Dining Hall

"Maybe I should try and figure out how to do that," Raquel offered. It'd be an odd skill to have under her belt considering her own amnesia ... Raquel slowly looked over at Cassandra. She has most of my memories but she seems perfectly fine. Maybe not that upbeat, but she's doing fine.

"Excuse me," Rebecca said upon her return. "Dinner should be on track to seven o'clock, but the cooks want to know if anyone has any special orders they would like. Otherwise they're currently preparing beef and rice casserole."

Raquel frowned. Dinner sounded like it would be good, be it the main course or any special order she could come up with ... but she wasn't even slightly hungry. She hadn't been hungry since yesterday, and she knew she might never be, again.

Kitchen

"Probably," Jethro admitted, "My main concern is keeping Raquel safe. I doubt I'd be opposing anyone if they'd just leave my family the hell alone," he shook his head bitterly.

Training Field

"Invictus," Vivian corrected, "and you dealt with them that fast?"

"That sounds like you people," Suzume said, thinking back to Chousokabe and the nightmarish and decisive battle that had turned into. From the looks of things, the scraps Suzume was finding now had likely broken off from the larger ones already in the pile. Given that the largest pieces didn't look like they fit together for the most part, they likely wouldn't be able to figure out what all of these pieces had once been a part of. Trying to fit them together like puzzle pieces wouldn't render any final product--even if said pieces weren't bent and deformed--just a large mess. At this point, Suzume could only assume they were testing dexterium as a layer of tank armor and found the result wanting.

Meanwhile Leo nodded and left Amalia to practice while he headed back toward the estate's main building in search of a weapon.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

(Uh)~ "Yeah, Invictus, that sounds defeatable," Gar replied.  (Woah Oooh oh oh)~  "I mean, we might have dealt with them faster if it was more than myself and two others walking around after that sneak attack on the Fort."  This time I might just dis-~  Gar started scooping up pieces between his fingers.  Mo mo mo mo moah, mo mo mo mo moah)~  "I  could have taken the rest of those assailants myself if I hadn't been stuck babysitting a prisoner I took in the middle of it all."   AH YEAH~  Gar flicked all eight pieces towards the pile.  (Mo mo mo mo moah, oooh)~  "But the military got itself sorted out and ruined my fun so I had to go into the city to pursue it."  This time I might just disappear~  

[Phoenix]

Training Field

"You probably could have kept your hair without the extra hassle, too," Suzume quietly noted. "Oh," a thought suddenly occurred, "What'd you do with the prisoner?" He likely hadn't brought the guy back with him, and Gar taking a prisoner in the first place seemed a little odd. Unless he needed information from them, it sounded like more trouble than it was worth.

"He probably turned him over to the authorities, right?" Vivian guessed.

Estate Interior

Leo knew he wouldn't find what he was looking for in the stables, but that was the route he'd taken to get to the training field in the first place. To change things up a little, as well as take in a bit more of the estate while he looked for whatever passed for an armory, Leo went through the large back entrance on the eastern end of the main building. The area was different from what he was expecting. He got the impression from the double doors at both the back entrance and the two nearby rooms that this was a route for bringing in supplies by the crate load. He checked the door just in front of him and sure enough, he found a lot of stored goods. Likely a storage area.

Leo checked the door to his right next. He smirked when he saw weapons--albeit generic looking--on full display in what just had to be the place's armory. To avoid overstepping his bounds, he decided not to step inside just yet. "Hello?" What Leo needed right now was an authority figure or something to that effect. He wanted to get permission before he went and touched something he wasn't supposed to. Being a known ex bandit, he wouldn't put it past anyone to suspect him of trying to steal something at the earliest opportunity. In fact, they might even--

"Can I help you?" came a young female voice from behind. Leo half turned in shock.

"Where ..." his eyes darted every which way around the young woman scanning for clues, "... did you come from?" he asked the maid cautiously.

She stared blankly at him, then at the armory door he'd left ajar. "I was just making the rounds when I noticed you here. Did you need something from the armory?"

The good news, this was indeed the armory. The bad news, Leo was probably long over the hill in terms of situational awareness. It certainly seemed that way now that a simple maid could sneak up on him. He hadn't heard a single footstep and these were wooden floors for gods' sake. Just embarrassing ...

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

(Uh)~ "Yeah.  I think, I sort of dumped him in the middle of the military's lines with instructions before heading off after Lamael," said Gar.  (Woah oooh oh oh)~  "I mean, the fort commander didn't try and kill me for coming in late so I figure that was worth a gift."  This time I might just dis-~  "Speaking of those..."  Gar stopped what he was doing (nothing) and pulled a small brown satchel out of one of his pouches.  (Mo mo mo mo moah, mo mo mo mo moah)~  "Catch~"  He lightly tossed the pouch to Suzzy Q when she was finished with her latest recovery.  AH YEAH~

[Phoenix]

Wood Works

A gift. That was one way to refer to a prisoner, Suzume supposed. Gar wasted no time in tossing a satchel her way. Fortunately she didn't have any fresh fragments in her hands, and could simply focus on catching the thing. "What's in here?" she asked, mostly on reflex; she was already looking inside for herself. Vivian stopped what she was doing and leaned in Suzume's direction.

"Oh!" Suzume found what she was looking for, pulling out a relatively small wood carving. It looked like two people together, and given their vague profiles, Suzume concluded that it was probably supposed to be a couple, or at the very least a close pair. "This is cute. Did you make it?" If it was really for her, she now had something to put in her room, which was uncomfortably impersonal at the moment. "When did you even have the time?" the question came after recalling Gar had apparently been asleep when he wasn't working.

Earning Trust

Leo sighed as the maid showed him around the armory. He should have been focusing on the weapons, but he was still dismayed about how skilled she was ... and apparently she had no idea what he'd been on about when he asked her about it. She was either being coy or the ex bandit was just that inept these days. Given how Leo's time with Invictus had ended, as well as the different types of people Weyland employed, he could see either one being true.

"So is there a specific type of weapon you'd like to borrow?" the maid asked through a sincere smile.

Leo frowned. "It's for a sparring match so I should probably go with a longsword. You're just letting me borrow weapons, though? I'm not saying I've got foul intentions but what if someone else did?"

"That would be unfortunate," the maid admitted, grimacing, but just briefly, "but you seem trustworthy enough." Her smile returned full force after that. "... and if I recall, you're the new hire. You should take every opportunity you can to earn the trust of the household."

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

(Mo mo mo mo moah)~ "Yeah, hand-crafted by yours truly," said Gar.  (Uh)~ Or knife crafted really.  Try and hear me, then I'm done~  "Thought after the flowers something more... personal, was a good idea.  And it looks like it was, glad you like it."  'Cause I might just say this once~  "Carved it when I was in the city.  Why I took a bit to come 'round this time."  Seen this play out in my dream~

Edited April 15, 2017 by Script

[Phoenix]

La Suzume

Suzume chuckled. "And here all I did was try and scare you with a thunder spell." Her amused chuckling suddenly became nervous laughter. This all looked a little weird without context ... and sure enough, Vivian was back to wondering what Suzume had been thinking with that spell. "I'll be sure to do better next time, too," Suzume assured herself and Gar both. "Thanks for this."

Heading Back

If he was being treated this well by the staff, Leo doubted earning their trust would be that difficult. He'd done pretty well in Invictus, too. After taking a longsword from the armory, the ex bandit headed back out to the training field, taking the same route as before. He had a good grasp of the exterior layout of the estate, now. Amalia hadn't gone anywhere, so he approached her again, waving his borrowed sword from a distance.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

It doesn't matter~ "I'll be looking forward to it," said Gar.  (Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm)~

[Nanami Touko]

Amalia had stayed there practicing her swings until Leo returned, making sure not to make herself tired should they get too far into practice. She wanted to last as long as she could, else there would be little learned. She stopped as she spotted him, managing a chuckle and waving back. "My, you seem excited. Was a sword that nice to grab?"

[Snike]

"Good afternoon," the shopkeeper, a friendly-looking middle-aged man, said to the two potential customers. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Hello, yes, we're looking to purchase some equipment for my companion here," Lane said, gesturing towards Tonya. "Preferably lances, to start."

"I see. Lances are over there," the shopkeeper said, as he pointed to the right-hand side of the shop. "Let me know if there's anything that catches your interest."

***

"Mind magic can certainly be useful, but it comes at a cost," Pavel admitted, grudgingly. "Do you really want to hold yourself responsible for controlling or changing someone else's thoughts, like a puppet of sorts? It's not for every dark magic user, in any case."

[Phoenix]

Shop

"Thanks," Tonya said, taking the initiative and wandering over to peruse the lances. She wasn't sure what she was looking for. Her old lance was pretty standard in terms of its design and effectiveness. The added battle poison was also a standard tactic employed by pegasus knights, even those that broke off from the military. Tonya wasn't going to ask about it here, though. On the other hand, it wouldn't necessarily make the shopkeeper suspicious of her intentions. Battle poison helped level the playing field against wyvern riders, particularly the mage variety. The most common incarnation was about as humane as a debilitating poison got without simply killing the victim outright.

"Question ..." Tonya slowly spoke up, glancing back at the shopkeeper, "are any of these specifically designed to be used with battle poisons?" Assuming she ever got her hands on some, the last thing Tonya needed was to nick herself applying the stuff to a spearhead.

Dining Hall

"You make it sound like an ethical issue," Raquel grimaced. Granted, it likely was. It even looked like Cassandra was going to chime in on Pavel's side. Raquel still didn't see a problem with it compared to simply killing someone, though. "Isn't it better to just erase someone's memories? It's not something I'd normally be interested in but it sounds like it'd be really helpful here."

"It is pretty tempting," Cassandra reluctantly admitted.

Training Field

Vivian looked around after picking up the latest and smallest piece she'd seen yet. It was even smaller than the nail on her little finger. "Do either of you see anymore? I think we're finished here."

With her free hand, Suzume tossed a couple more fragments into the pile, which was now about half the space of a man, so about a one third of a suit of armor, at least by Suzume's estimates. She didn't see anymore bright reflections close by, but didn't say anything right away, instead scanning for anything Vivian might have missed.

Not terribly far away, Leo came to a stop a few paces from Amalia. "The people working here are just really pleasant, that's all," he assured her. He gave the borrowed blade a few twirls in his hand, and suppressed a frown. It was a good blade, a bit too good for his full force fighting style. Being more accustomed to an axe, Leo had a feeling he would be the one getting pointers on fighting after a few passes with Amalia. He wasn't completely inept with a sword. Far from it. His swings would be very heavy and nearly impossible to block. However, they would likely be easier to parry for that same reason.

"You ready to go?"

Edited April 23, 2017 by Phoenix
Typos

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

Tired of giving up the ghost~ "Either whoever wore this wouldn't win a tall man competition or some of if didn't get exploded," said Gar.  Maybe there's no guarantee~  "Heh, maybe some landed on the roof or something."  He shrugged and took a drink from his waterskin.  It doesn't matter~ (Uuh)~

[Snike]

"Battle poison?" The shopkeeper repeated, as he thought about his lance inventory. After a moment, he shook his head. "Sorry, I only have one or two on hand at a time, and my last one was sold yesterday."

Lane glanced at Tonya for a moment upon mention of battle poison, but afterwards decided to focus on Sirius.*

***

"If the alternative is killing them, I guess you're right," Pavel admitted. "But if you're able to mind wipe them, you probably have them at your mercy already, so it's likely you have another way of dealing with the problem."

Edited April 23, 2017 by Snike

[Phoenix]

Shopping

"It's not really important, right now," Tonya shrugged. Time to adapt, then. The thought of using a normal lance was a bit boring, but she could live with boring as long as it got the job done. "What do you think?" she asked, turning toward Lane and the stubby winged infant.

Thinking

"Like just killing them?" Raquel said pointedly, "Just kidding. I guess you meant something like turning them over to the authorities? Or just tying them up and leaving? I'm not sure if that would work, either." Without a specific example in mind, it felt like she was overthinking this. "It'd still be a nice spell to have under my belt ..."

Cleaning

"Well either way," Vivian smiled, "it looks like our work here is done." It was a shame no one else had bothered to, but that didn't seem to matter, now. "Thank you for helping us ... erm, what was your name, again?"

[Nanami Touko]

"That's good to hear. I'm a bit awkward at meeting new people. That they're pleasant will bring some peace to my mind... And, yes, I suppose. Try to... Well, go easy, on me, if you would. I feel if you were to get a proper hit on in me I'd shatter... I'm sure you've been told, but you look incredibly strong." She smiled, but her eyebrows furrowed a bit, her apprehension clear. Still, she'd asked for the help, so she might as well take it. She took up her stance, taking into mind what he'd said. Loose enough to keep your balance, but tight enough to not have it be knocked away. Something to get used to...