aionlogs | [Closed] June Catch-All

In the time since the Venera incident, Ryunosuke has been keeping himself even busier than usual. He's been taking up odd-jobs with a sort of fervor that might even border on 'troubling', if one possessed the knowledge of how untroubled his previous life used to be. Before Horos, before London, he never used to be much for hard work. He was never an exemplary student, never put much effort into anything that didn't totally grip his interest... His grades at University were simply average at best. He'd had no direction in life, and no ambitions. He was content just to coast along at a leisurely pace, untroubled by the world and its myriad of problems.

...Things had changed with the incident at La Carnevale. Then the Burya. McGilded. Graydon. Now, waking up in Horos, with his entire world apparently hanging in the balance, he's twice as driven... And twice as lost. He rarely remembers to relax anymore, or when he does, he's rarely able to maintain that state for very long before growing antsy...

Right now, he's at least taking a crack at it. Chilling on one of the public platforms, indulging in a favorite old hobby of his: tongue twisters. It's something that the transition to Horos has taken from him, actually... Fast talking through difficult sentences had once been an odd talent of his, so the realization that Japanese no longer felt like his native tongue had certainly come as a bit of a blow. Tricky phrases that he used to be able to spout off with ease no longer come so easily to him, and he finds he has to really think for a moment before once familiar words come back to him. It's more than a little frustrating... But, if he tries to put a positive spin on it... It's also sort of an exciting challenge, in its own way.

Sitting there cross legged, his eyes squeezed shut shut, arms folded over his chest, brow furrowed in concentration, he keeps quietly muttering the same syllables under his breath:

"N... Nyanko ko nyanko mago nyanko. Hmmmm... Nyanko ko nyanko mago nyanko." He pauses. Opens his eyes, frown deepening. Focusing hard before he tries again, but this time a little faster:

"Nyanko-ko-nyanko-mago-nya--AAA-AAAACK!!"

In the middle of his recitation, something tall and winged abruptly swoops up to land on the railing of the platform and startles the living daylights out of Ryunosuke. He remembers ALL too clearly about Syrlya's warning of dragons in this forest; been haunted by it, really, low-key wondering if one might show up at some point. So he's been a bit more wound up about the idea of attacks from large flying things than one might typically be! He flings himself backwards haphazardly, absolutely panicking before he manages to actually get a wide-eyed look at what the thing is.

"S...Ser Estinien!?"

He crouches on the railing, balancing effortlessly, his wings flapping once and then folding in more tightly. His body is still pale as snow, the only traces of colour being the silvery sheen to the scales of his wings and his draconic eyes. His hair has escaped the hood he's been wearing to conceal it, long, luminous strands hanging over his shoulders and striking a sharp contrast to his dark clothing.

His gaze levels on Ryunosuke, his head tilting slightly, as if in reaction to the man's surprise. He holds a furled piece of parchment in hand, ostensibly a map from its side and form.

He wasn't necessarily hoping to be caught by anyone he knows, but he does his best to appear unruffled. He knows more than one part of his appearance is probably worth gawking at.

"'Tis I," he says, hopping down off of the railing, his cloak flowing after him. Without pausing, he unrolls the parchment, and starts looking for a flat surface he lay it out on.

Well, his initial reaction hadn't been so much about Estinien's physical appearance and more about his sudden arrival, but now that Ryunosuke is getting a good look at him...

He hadn't considered that the dragoon's shard being in contact with the Entity might leave such obvious physical alterations on the man, but the connection to that incident and that being is a pretty obvious one. And it is pretty shocking to see... However, Estinien's decision to jump right into his work without missing a beat fortunately gives Ryunosuke time to get his shit together a bit before talking to him.

He sits up again, still blinking in surprise, gaze following Estinien as he looks for a place to lay down his parchment. Huffing quietly to himself and straightening his face out, he hobbles to his feet in order to follow. He clears his throat, just as a polite warning that he's still behind the man before he speaks up again.

"That was a hell of a fright you gave me just now. I hadn't heard you were back in the main settlement... It's good to see you out and about!" He's trying to peer around to get a glimpse at the parchment while he talks, curiosity taking the upper-hand over his manners. "What's that you've got there, anyhow?"

Having had the time to find a relatively flat surface to roll it out on, Ryunosuke will see a bunch of charcoal scrawlings that look like some kind of self-drawn map. Estinien isn't the best at drawing, so they do leave a lot to the imagination, but it appears as if he's been mapping distances and locations towards various points within Lohkimareen.

He adds a few more marks, numbers and letters that seem to imply him calculating a flight time between here and where he just came from. He glances up at Ryunosuke, having stored the information he was holding in his head. His gaze lingers contemplatively.

"Getting a lay of the land," he says. "I've been looking for landmarks outside of Greentruth's usual stomping grounds."

He's also been taking the opportunity to ease himself into passing through the main settlement without being nervous. It's easier when he has something on his mind and isn't concerning himself as much with the reactions of others. Hence why he gets straight to business instead of dwelling on how this is one of the first times he's shown himself in public since his death.

To Ryunosuke, it's a little bit frightening in some way that he's reaching a point where he can actually identify what counts as a 'normal' day in Greentruth. But that's what he'd categorize this one as: just another day where he tries to make himself feel useful among the hustle and bustle of the Resistance. Looking for a niche.

Today he's got a delivery to do: just a simple little errand, running a small box of freshly procured leather out to the iron works. It's not the first time Ryunosuke has had make his way over there, so he at least knows how to get there... But somehow it is the first time he's stopped by while a familiar face has actually been out and present.

"Oh! Hello there, Cid," Ryunosuke says... Pleasantly enough, but also a bit out of breath since he's rolling up to the iron works entrance with a fairly heavy crate braced in both arms. "I, ah, I was told to bring this over from the tannery... I don't suppose you know where I can set this down...?"

"Really?" Ryunosuke hums. He circles around to take a proper look at Estinien's handiwork, cocking his head and stroking his chin as he peers at it with interest. It certainly looks thorough...

He... Probably shouldn't be judging Estinien's drawing skills, should he? No, he shouldn't. Now... is he going to judge them anyway? Yes. Yes he is.

(He keeps that entirely to himself, at least.)

"You've certainly covered a lot of ground. Is there a particular goal you have in mind with all this? Or do you simply have a fondness for exploration...?"

It can't be that he's into cartography. That's for damn sure.

Edited 2022-06-16 01:09 (UTC)

He shakes his head. Well, he doesn't mind exploration really, but he isn't doing this for recreation. There's no time for that, at the moment.

"The Pleroma need a place to store their captives when it comes to it, and I would see that we are prepared in advance. Natural cave systems seemed the most promising, but they must be far enough from the core settlements to maintain their secrecy in the event of an escape."

He knows that some people will be inclined to question him on this, but he isn't going to keep it a secret, either.

"A place to store--?" Ryunosuke starts to repeat, then breaks off abruptly.

Ahah.

"...You're looking to construct a prison, in other words." He says it more quietly, his face taking on a troubled expression. A sense of unease starts to creep over him, casting the edges of its shadow over his heart.

"Aye," he says, and there is no shame or trepidation in him admitting as much. Rephasing the intent does little to shake his determination in this regard. It's nothing he hasn't already considered.

"Unless you would prefer they simply be killed?" The harshness there is intentional, and perhaps not surprising. He has long since felt that the Pleroma need to start making hard decisions rather than simply hoping they won't be necessary, and this is among the first coming to his mind - what should they do with defeated enemies?

Ryunosuke jolts in surprise, both at his tone and the suggested alternative.

"Huh!? N-n-no, of course not!" he replies, scrambling very quickly to shut down that idea. "No, I--"

He takes a deep breath in and out, trying to gather himself before continuing in a more level-headed manner.

"I agree with you, that it may be a necessity for us to have... It just... Fills me with a rather grim feeling to contemplate it." While he's talking, he moves to try and nervously push a hand back through his short black hair, but the familiar motion doesn't work so well now that he has little baby horns growing in at the edge of his hairline. He grimaces, shaking his jammed fingers out while he continues without acknowledging the blunder: "Then again I suppose there's no due process to consider really, when it comes to running a war prison..."

Even as he says those words aloud he can feel himself disagreeing with the notion. Shouldn’t there be? COULD there be?

Edited 2022-06-16 18:20 (UTC)

"Due process," Estinien scoffs. Is due process really a concern when the issue is them either being mind-controlled or signing on to serve a dictator bent on destroying all reality? "Tell me... in your homeland, what is the punishment for killing a man in cold blood?"

He's not angry, saying that, but it is definitely a bit pointed. How does one enact due process without naming themself the authority of what is just to begin with? If they do, would the answer be any different, for all the time spent deliberating?

He winces internally at Estinien's scoff. Due process is something that he takes pretty seriously, not just as a lawyer but as a man who has been wrongly accused of murder twice to date. He'd have been doomed without it.

"It... Depends," Ryunosuke says slowly, with the tinge of an uncomfortable groan. "On the circumstances of the crime, what the motivation was... Different countries all have their own ways of dealing with such things, of course. But. In my home country... The most common punishment is death. Typically by hanging, or..." He pauses to grimace, fidgeting at the collar of his shirt uncomfortably. "...Beheading."

That's one that had really kept him up during the nights he'd spent in jail, in the days leading up to his trial.

It's been a while since he's managed to settle back in to the routine in Greentruth. It's far from what he's used to; arriving in this world has resulted in... a lot of learning, on his part. But at the very least, the Resistance has really come round to him, even if they're still struggling with supplies.

But that doesn't matter right now; there's only so much he can do, after all. He's one man, and has long since learned just how much situations like this take a village, so to speak. "Ah, Hello, Ryunosuke." He motions to what looks like a drop-off location not too far from the entrance. "That'll do. Thank you, I'm sure someone will be by taking inventory shortly."

Ryunosuke nods and hurries over, eager to be rid of his burden. As he straightens up he turns to face Cid again and gives him an apologetic look, clearing his throat.

"I, ah, was also told to pass on a message, that there won't be any more of this for a while... Not until some of the longer range hunting parties return, I suppose..." He winces helplessly. "...Sorry to be the bearer of bad news and all..."

Nervous eyes flick around the workshop as he recites the message; it's simply his habit, awkward as he can be in these sort of situations. But he's also just curious about what kind of work Cid has been up to...

Ah, well. That's no shock.

Cid's merely the weapons guy, anyway. "It's much the same situation with ore in Greentruth. They're badly in need of supplies all around, it seems."

Cid, for his credit, doesn't seem to acknowledge the nervousness. He's almost certainly noticed, of course, there's just no much of a reason to call the guy out for not wanting to give an already struggling Resistance bad news.

As for what Cid's working on... the unfortunate answer is not much. There are a few worn-looking lances here and there that he appears to be trying to repair, but the sad fact is that what they really need is better materials to begin with. Even the Resistance members he's joined with look visibly frustrated at the state of their materials. "We must needs find a more efficient way to gain materials. There was a boy who was among those of us who arrived first who had the idea to venture out in search of ore. That still needs to happen, but the situation in Venera put a wrench in my plans."

With the message delivered, Ryunosuke settles down fairly quickly. He likes Cid, and has no reason to fear him really; he just hates having to pass on information like that.

"Yes... I'm afraid Venera 'put a wrench' in all of us, in a sense," he says, smiling wryly. "Unfortunately I know little about obtaining ore, or I might try to help... I do know some of the other Aions have been working to increase the flow of supplies between Greentruth and Godsblood, but what sorts of goods they're focusing on, I haven't the faintest idea..."

Godsblood... he hasn't been before, in large part because he knows he'd stand out. Even if he's spent a fair amount of time in cities, he's spent nearly all of his time in this world in Greentruth. That's bound to make him stand out in ways that aren't exactly good.

"With how much Greentruth is hurting for supplies, it seems wise to figure out what they might need. They're ostensibly allied with the Regent, correct? Mayhap there's some way to start encouraging an alliance with us."

How, he doesn't know. They can't exactly risk the Kenoma becoming aware of the Resistance's base of operations.

"I've heard they pay tithes to the Regent, but it seems it's mostly for appearances, to keep the peace. They're not particularly fond of the Regent or their ilk, from what I can tell..."

Ryunosuke tilts his head slightly, frowning curiously. "Have you not been at all, then? I'm surprised... It seems like a paradise for inventors and mechanists and the like. They even have a guild dedicated to that sort of crafting. I bet you'd fit right in."

"Aye, I've heard much the same."

Hence why he wonders if maybe there's a potential for more of a dialogue. Though openly defying the Regent would be foolish without another city coming to their aid.

He offers Ryunosuke a wry little smile. "I know they're more technologically advanced than Greentruth, but I haven't had a reason to leave." Which might be surprising, especially given Cid's talks about how much he values technology. "First and foremost, I want to help the Resistance."

In other words, anything he did in Godsblood he'd only do if it could directly benefit Greentruth.

"A-aaaahhh... I suppose that makes sense. We do have our duties here and all," Ryunosuke, concedes, shoulders slumping a little. "Although..."

He huffs and rubs his chin thoughtfully, pondering a moment before continuing. "...Then again... I can easily see how your going there could actually benefit the resistance. Surely we could use some new technology to make life out here in the forest a bit easier..."

He brings his hand to his chin thoughtfully. "I'm certain we could. Do you have reason to go there currently?" He could always tag along.

"In Eorzea, there's a nation similarly inside of an enormous forest, but I'll admit I know little about their customs. Gridania does have relations with the other city-states, though. So mayhap there are ways to convince the people of Godsblood to join with the Resistance more openly in support of Greentruth."

Cid isn't foolish enough to think that would be easy of course, given what's at stake. It's one thing to continue to pay the tithe while openly despising the Regent, it's quite another to refuse to pay.

Ryunosuke brightens significantly at the idea. "Actually? Yes... I was planning on meeting up with Mr. Ernesto there tomorrow. I've been doing some work for him out there-- W-well, not for him, but he did ask me to assist some friends of his with some legal matters..."

He's getting a bit carried away with himself, distracted mid-thought about the other part of what Cid just said.

"...Do you think that it's actually possible? That we might convince the people of Godsblood to support the Resistance more? I mean, if they truly dislike the Regent as much as their reputation suggests, an alliance between both settlements would be mutually beneficial, right?"

He says it so hopefully. Surely they can form some kind of alliance based around that...?

Estinien has little faith in the legal process, and even were 'due process' available to them, he most likely wouldn't be able to stomach relying on it. That's what happens when 'trial by ordeal' is considered valid in your homeland.

Even beyond that, though...

"And yet... I assume in the aftermath of a war, not every soldier is hauled to court to have their deeds judged, are they? A few, mayhap. Those with names that have meaning to the people. For the rest... they kill and die on the field. Justice is irrelevant."

His expression is somber as he says it. This isn't him taking war lightly. It's quite the opposite.

"For those that would fight - for ideals, for soil, for freedom - there is an understanding in that. It may sound cruel, but were every life to be weighed and due punishment applied... the cycle of loss would never end."

Edited 2022-06-20 02:30 (UTC)

The day after Ryu and Cid's discussion in the ironworks, both men make their way through the portal from Greentruth and head into the city to meet up with Ernesto. Ryunosuke has made certain to get in touch with Ernesto first, to let him know there'd be another person accompanying him in. Aions still have to keep a low profile in Godsblood, after all... So walking around in too large of a group is probably ill-advised. Better to make sure +1s were alright to bring on this tour, before showing up with one without any notice.

Having gotten the OK on that, they make their way to the agreed upon meeting place to rendezvous for a little crash course/tour of the city. The place in question is out front of a little tavern near where the portal is hidden, an establishment of apparently middling quality possessing a rather peculiar name: 'The Busty Barnacle'.

Ryunosuke is... Trying not to think about the meaning of that moniker too hard. He's more focused on finding their fellow Pleroma anyway. Luckily, he's not too hard to spot, at least when he's waiting to be found.

"Mr. Ernesto!" Ryunosuke waves cheerily in greeting as they approach. "How are you today, sir?"

It's true, walking around in a big group as outsiders is likely to draw in some suspicion, but the good news about this little trio is that Ernesto, the established member of Godsblood, is likely the one that stands out the most. While he's not the only man in Horos to have an additional set of ears and a tail, Ryu and Cid probably blend in better at a glance.

The other benefit is that Ernesto has already established himself as a trader in this city, and people that he's towing around with him are likely to be overlooked as fellow traders or even suppliers by the smattering of people around the city who are familiar with the man. It's a pretty decent cover, especially if Ernesto treats them as good friends visiting from out of town.

Hence the local hole in the wall bar with some mean drinks, some decent pub food, and most importantly a convenient location near the portal. The name leaves something to be desired, but the establishment is decent, and the people inside tend not to ask a lot of questions.

As Ryu and his companion approach, Ernesto pushes himself away from the wall he was standing again, tail swishing in a friendly wag as he lifts up one hand in greeting.

"Pretty uneventful day for me so far. How about you, Mr. Naruhodo?"

[Closed] June Catch-All

For Estinien

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For Cid

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INVESTIGATION/Closed to Cid and Ernesto

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