expiationlogs | The reddening October trees, that hardly sway before a breeze

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The reddening October trees, that hardly sway before a breeze

Who: Ethlyn and open
Where: Around Aldrip
What: September was a hell of a month, and it's time to recover
Warnings: None, probably thinking about her death and stuff

A. Taking it slow

[Her son, fifteen years going on fifty. Her daughter... who looks all the world like Travant's handpicked successor.

Ethlyn hasn't slept all that well since seeing those things, since having to relive her fate around so many other people. Earlier in the summer she would have thrown herself into her work, ignoring her mounting internal distress until it hit a breaking point. But she's already tried that, and it didn't work.

She's not one for taverns, but she is one for walking about town and the fields--sometimes practicing her sword drill by herself, sometimes simply sitting and watching the clouds on a bench. And often, now, watching the children of Aldrip as they run about at their daily chores or play.]

B. An unexpected chill

[Something has changed in the weeks since the labyrinth. As the temperature of the air begins to drop with the coming of autumn, Ethlyn notices that the temperature of the townsfolk seems to be going down as well.

She's been hearing the rumors about angry garden vegetables, which before this summer she would have taken as stories from those who came through home through their gardens the worse for drink, but after the enormous plant-beast of May... well.

And yet, here she is knocking on a resident's door, having an argument with the muffled voice from within.]

Please, I'm not here to do anything but help you, your son said you got badly bitten--no I'm not here to take your whiskey, what a notion!

C. Those Who Were Sus

[Ethlyn pushes open the door to her favorite little bookshop, but instead of the friendly greeting that typically accompanies the sound of the bell, she finds a dark room and silence.]

...Hello?

[With no answer, she'll start looking around. What if the owner is ill today and couldn't make it downstairs? What if he suffered some fit and is lying on the ground in the back rooms? Leaving the door open in case she needs to carry anyone through it, Ethlyn starts methodically searching through the place. Only when she returns to the till does she find the note lying there: a time, a place, a signature from "Those Who Were There." That's how anyone else walking in will find her. But if no one else does, she will walk outside to flag down the nearest Chosen and investigate.]

D. Wildcard!
[Got another idea? Toss it in, or hmu via PM/game discord/

compassinks to plot!]

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[Yu isn't a daily visitor to the bookstore, but he has made note of the darkened windows and locked door over the past several days. It's unusual. So when he sees the door ajar today, he feels compelled to take a look. The bell rings as he pushes it all the way open. He doesn't see anyone in the immediate area, so he quietly ventures,]

Anyone here?

[But...it's impossible to miss the faint coating of dust on the counters. That doesn't bode well.]

[Ethlyn looks up quickly when the bell rings. The last thing they need is for one of the townsfolk to catch her rifling through an abandoned store and give them more fuel for their overnight notion that the Chosen are actually a bunch of hardened criminals, but the young man who walks in clearly isn't from around here, and she relaxes a little.]

It's only me. [She steps out from behind the counter.] My name is Ethlyn--I manage the Willow Clinic and the Arztenritter.

You don't happen to know where the shopkeeper's been, do you?

[Another Chosen, he guesses, from the faint look of surprise that crosses her face. Their reputation in town is at an all-time low, from his understanding, and he can't blame her for being a little jumpy.]

Yu Narukami. Nice to meet you.

[The brief friendly smile he sports is quickly replaced by a thoughtful frown, and he shakes his head, skimming the dust on the counter with his finger.]

Sorry, I don't. But I get the feeling they've been gone for a little while.

Likewise. [Inasmuch as the circumstances could be better, of course.] It does look like that, doesn't it... I was hoping that they just had a stomach 'bug' that had them close up for a few days.

[She looks down at the note that's been left by the cash register.]

I'm not sure they're going to come back, by the looks of it.

[His sentiment had been similar, to be honest. There were days when the shops of Inaba had to close for one reason or another. A sickness, an event, a pressing obligation...it wasn't that unusual. He hadn't even thought much about it, here. But seeing the place like this, dusty and unlocked...]

You might be right about that.

[Too bad. Yu liked this bookstore.

He frowns, following her eyes to the note. That's-- strange. He moves around to the side of the counter to get a better look at it.]

... Do you think they followed this request?

[Ethlyn nods. It's hard to reach another conclusion with this in front of them. If one thing has remained true of the locals' behavior, it is their reverence for their gods. Ethlyn would have hoped they would need a little more evidence than this to go off to the woods to meet someone unknown, but it seems not.]

It has a time and a place on here for them to go to. [...] What do you say we go take a look?

[Ethlyn nods, and Yu feels something sink in his stomach. He doesn't have a good feeling about this. Someone --or something-- luring locals into the woods...there's probably nothing good about any of this. He frowns, taking another look at the paper.]

Good idea. That's our best chance of figuring out what happened.

[Oh, good. Ethlyn is relieved that he's up for a little investigation. She would have gone to look anyway, but that would have been reckless without accompaniment. Maybe there's nothing there, but she's had enough bad experiences in those woods that going there on her own feels like a poor idea.

But before she sets off, she should get to know this man a little better. She knows she can defend herself, but could he?]

Do you know how to fight? These woods can be dangerous if you aren't careful.

[If she's planning to go either way, Yu imagines she must be able to take care of herself in a fight...especially if she's asking him the same question. She doesn't exactly project the look of a fighter, or anything like that, but looks can be deceiving. He should know. Anyway, he nods.]

I can take care of myself, yeah. You too, I'm guessing?

[Doesn't hurt to make sure. With his Personas, he feels like there's a lot he can handle. But it's always better when you don't have to handle it on your own.]

In multiple ways. [She gives him a small but confident smile.] I'm a swordswoman and a healer both--although I hope we don't need either skill.

[She pats her sword hilt--ever since waking up in the labyrinth, she wears it everywhere, no matter, the errand. ~~Which might not help the Chosens' image around town.~~]

I have a first aid kit in my horse's saddlebag. [She studies the note again.] It's only about a fifteen minute walk to this spot... do you have anything you want to grab before we go?

[His eyes go to the sword first. The way she says swordswoman makes him think she's probably a lot more seasoned with it than he is...but at least both of them have weapons at hand.]

I'm glad to hear it. I can heal a bit, too, so we're both covered.

[A small smile. As to the question -- he examines the paper again, goes through a mental list of what he should have. Unfortunately, he didn't come into this world with any medicine or anything like that, so...eventually he shakes his head.]

Think I'm good. If you know how to get to this place, can I leave the directions in your hands?

[Ah...a polite nerd...]

Of course. [Ethlyn's been in Aldrip long enough (and moreover, been through enough of its various crises) that she's quite confident navigating around.] I'll bring Venture along too, in case we end up needing a horse.

[It's entirely possible that they'll need to transport an unconscious person, hopefully just unconscious. And it's also possible that they'll need to make a quick getaway themselves.

She sets out, gathering Venture's reins in one hand and checking the note again with the other.]

...How have you been settling in so far?

[It's an odd time to ask that, she's sure.]

[The horse is probably a good call, for exactly her thoughtful reasons. Yu hasn't exactly spent a lot of time around horses, but he likes animals well enough, so he tries not to let his inexperience turn into nervousness around the large animal.]

Venture? That seems like a good name for a horse.

[I mean, that's what people in stories and games do with horses, right? Go out on adventures and the like.

It might not be the least odd time to ask about something like that, but while you're traveling with someone, it's not unusual to make small talk over any number of things. He thinks about it for a moment before putting his answer into words.]

Not bad. It helps that I have a friend here. [A little smile.] Have you been here a while?

[Ethlyn smiles, stroking Venture's neck affectionately.]

He's earned it. We've been through a lot of things together. [There are things Ethlyn can't ask of him, of course, like riding down the hellish spawn of a plant colossus. But he's ridden through Pessira Forest with her, and to and from other various emergencies.] As for me, I've been here for as long as we 'Chosen' have been. I arrived with the very first wave back in January.

So, if you have any questions about what it's like here or what we've all been through, I'll be happy to answer.

Edited 2023-11-17 04:38 (UTC)

[Watching her with Venture, it's hard not to think of those types of fantasy stories and games. To think that there are some places where things really do work that way... It's interesting, to say the least.

His eyebrows lift at her assertion.]

January? [He does the math. No wonder she says they've been through a lot.] That's a long time.

[That said, he's grateful for the opportunity. It's a good way to pass the time while they travel, too. There's a lot he wants to know, too. Where to even start?

... It takes him a second to think.]

What was it like here when you first arrived?

[It is a long time... getting close now to an entire year. That's a sobering thought. It was time she never thought she would have.]

It was different. We were so confused about how we had been brought here and why. There were different people--many of them have been removed from this continent now, but a few, like me, have hung on.

The people treated us very differently. Very welcoming... surprisingly so, given that there were a good few dozen of us. They accepted our presence as the will of Those Who Were There and built statues to us after we helped them with some problems.

[Yu absorbs all of this information with a thoughtful expression. Different people, all confused about why they're there...that much doesn't seem to have changed, not entirely. But it's true that the locals used to feel differently about them, isn't it? That was how things were when he arrived, too.

That said--]

Statues? [Wait.] I think I've seen those, in the garden in town. They're all Chosen?

Yes, all of them. It was... quite awkward to learn that they had decided to honor us in such a way. [Ethlyn's more used to statues being for--well, for people who have died long ago, like Baldr or Heim. People who did truly great deeds... and who don't need to worry about being embarrassed or living up to expectations anymore.] So it feels even stranger to be worried that they aren't doing much to keep them up anymore.

[She never wanted one in the first place, but it's still concerning that the people who made them now seem to agree.]

Still, just because their mood has changed is no reason not to be good neighbors. If they're in trouble, I want to help.

I can imagine.

[He offers a small, sympathetic smile. Statues...that sort of goes too far, from appreciation over into adoration. Almost like being worshipped... Yu can understand why that would be a concern. To go from worshipping to wary almost overnight is pretty strange.]

But-- I agree. Not that I'm interested in statues or anything, but...we should help however we can. We still share their home.

[Besides...whomever took the locals might start looking to them sometime, too.]

[Yosuke happens to be walking by as Ethlyn's trying to get into the house.

he'll raise his eyebrow as he stops, putting his hands in his pockets as he watches for just another minute more.]

I don't think they're gonna let you in.

[Ethlyn starts a little, not having realized that someone was observing her futile efforts to convince the home's residents that she is, in fact, trustworthy and not a thief.]

I don't understand it. I've met these people. There's no reason to mistrust me so suddenly.

[Yosuke frowns as he looks at the door again. he hasn't been here long enough to really know why, and he shakes his head.]

Well... maybe they're pissed off they lost their home when the maze was here? When me and Yu came out of it... there was nothing but that out here. Who knows where they had to sleep for a week.

Perhaps... [Ethlyn hadn't considered that. What had happened to the townspeople? If they were displaced the way Yosuke suggests... forced to rough it for days, knowing that the Chosen were inside to confront their own sordid criminal histories...] And if they knew why we were in there, they might have been forced to reconsider the kind of people we are. Our crimes were rather... thrust under our noses, while we were in there.

[She feels a bit sick as she speaks that last sentence, recalling the things she saw, and how it felt to see them.]

[he nods a little bit.]

Maybe they saw some stuff. I dunno, it's kinda weird... but maybe they'll get over whatever crawled up their asses eventually. Maybe you shouldn't worry too much yet.

[It's an unpleasant prospect. Ethlyn hopes that if they're right, that nobody from Aldrip saw as much of her past--and her children's future--as she saw herself. She doesn't need anyone throwing that in her face on top of everything else.

As for trying not to worry too much, well, Yosuke is talking to the wrong person.]

Perhaps they will. I'm just concerned that if something bad happens again this month, they're going to go out of their way to avoid us when we're trying to help.

[he looks a little troubled as well, and runs a hand through his hair.]

I mean at that point, they'll probably come begging for us for help. But we'll have to see, I guess.

They're going to come begging us for help... or they're going to blame us for bringing the misfortune about and start giving us worse than dirty looks.

[That was how the people of Agustria came to view Sigurd and the rest after the occupation had dragged on. By the time they had been forced to fight as far north as Orgahil, the local villagers had no thanks for the bandits being driven out... they blamed Grannvale for dragging the war up to them in the first place.]

[ Ange has noticed the change in the townspeople as well. It's not even like she interacts with them a whole bunch - she's more than fine just staying out of their way aside from necessary interactions in shops and the like - but it's hard to not notice the way people stare at you as you just walk the streets.

The girl is way too used to that sort of thing to not immediately recognize it.

From there it was easy to see how the locals started treating other Chosen around town. It's a pain, sure, but Ange figures that no one is probably going to go out of their way to interact with the locals more as a result of it..

.. other than Ethlyn, apparently, since Ange very much finds the other at that door. Maybe she shouldn't be surprised. That is what Ethlyn seems like in general, right? Way too helpful. ]

They're not going to believe you.

[ Usually Ange would stay out of this sort of thing, but she feels like Ethlyn is going to waste all her time on trying to convince the person inside if she doesn't step closer to tell the other this.. ]

[Ethlyn looks up from her continued knocking on the door to see Ange. She sighs. This has certainly dragged on long enough that she can believe that, but still...]

It makes no sense that they don't believe me. I'm sure they would have let me in at the start of last month. And they must know that I'm a healer--I've been here since the beginning!

Their attitudes suddenly completely changed.

[ It sounds like a ridiculous thing to say. Like something that doesn't happen in reality. Sure, sometimes people's opinions change, but usually not so out of nowhere, usually not so extremely.

But Ange knows it's what happened here, somehow. She isn't sure of the exact cause, or its machinations, but there's no other way she can describe what's suddenly happening in town. ]

It seems like they stopped trusting absolutely any of us.

Yes, as though someone pulled a lever. [Usagi thought it might actually be mind control, but that's seeming more doubtful. Ethlyn's experiences this week have been of people who are clear-eyed and lucid. They're speaking their own words from thoughts they're having themselves. The only thing that doesn't seem sensible is why, especially when they're so often people that she's known for months now.] It changed after we went through that labyrinth. I wonder if they've heard what happened to us in there.

[ Ethlyn is right, isn't she? It's like things changed the moment they came out of that maze. Though it feels strange for the locals to judge them over that of all things at the same time.

Ange frowns, clearly still thinking, even as she slowly speaks up. ]

Maybe it's because of some of us.

[ Does she have to name names, Ethlyn. She's trying to be good and not name names! ]

I mean, have you seen how some of the other people trapped here with us act?

[...ehhhhh. Yes. That is a good point. She remembers how much hostility Usagi got for suggesting that people not go out and commit crimes.]

...That is true. [She shakes her head. Mostly at herself, though. A few weeks ago she would have keep all the following to her own thoughts... but now she may as well say it aloud. Ange doesn't just know, she saw.] I do have a tendency sometimes to forget hat most other people here didn't arrive by--well--thinking this was an afterlife, the way I did. That they see it as a prison rather than a strange but mostly benign little town.

Still, that isn't an excuse to take out their frustration on people who have treated us with nothing but kindness up until the present.

[ She shrugs. ]

I agree.

[ It's not something Ange would admit so easily - at least, not in the same words that Ethlyn is using here - to just anyone. It might make her look too kind, too weak.

But considering what Ethlyn has been like so far, it feels relatively safe enough to admit to it right now. ]

Even if they don't really care for the locals the way I do, the least they could do is just ignore them instead of stirring up trouble. But trying to tell them that their behaviour is just bringing us trouble never seems to stop them. [ She huffs. ] Trust me, I've tried.

[ And it felt like the absolute most pointless endeavour of all time. ]

If only unreasonable people would respond to a well-worded scolding. [Ethlyn shakes her head.] How is it that I could tell my three-year-old to eat her carrots and it would be impossible to tell a fully-grown adult that they shouldn't antagonize the people whose town they live in.

[It feels like probing a sore tooth to speak of Altena. But one thing the labyrinth has given her is the assurance that her daughter did survive. Survived in the hands of her enemy... perhaps even grew up to think like him... but she is alive.]

It's going to be an uphill climb to regain their trust.

.. are you going to try?

[ Considering it's Ethlyn.. Ange figures the other will probably try. It's just what she's like.

And it's not like Ange really disagrees with the cause, since she would like for the locals to treat them a little more naturally if they're all going to be stuck here together-- but she also definitely isn't social enough to work on it as directly as Ethlyn is suggesting here. ]

To me it kind of seemed like trying to clean up a water spill while the water is still flowing, you know? You won't convince them of anything while there's still people acting like-- [ Well, Ethlyn's comparison is apt enough, so.. ] -- like toddlers, you're right.

Of course. [There isn't much choice as far as Ethlyn is concerned. Whether it's for a few weeks or many, they live here, in this town that doesn't belong to them. The townsfolk could have treated them as invaders from the beginning and been right to do so. It simply isn't just.] ...but it is going to be challenging, you're right.

Still, we might be able to show them that not all of us are rogues and troublemakers. We're individual people with our own good points and bad points, just like them--if we didn't deserve reverence, then we don't deserve to be totally reviled either.

[ The girl slowly exhales, seeming to consider Ethlyn's point.

It's not all wrong, but it's not all right either, Ange thinks. More than anything, the point the other is making mostly just seems like Ethlyn, through and through. ]

I'm not sure if things really work like that with the locals.

[ Had this place been any different, she might have agreed. Ange doesn't necessarily believe in the good nature of humankind - far from it, really - but she can at least see the point when it comes to ordinary people.

The problem here being that the townspeople never felt ordinary to her.

It makes her shake her head. ]

Going from the way they worshipped us to the way they're acting right now.. It seems like it's all just black and white to them. In their eyes, either we're gods, or we're monsters.

[Caitlyn hasn't slept well either, the images of her loved ones broken and bloody plaguing her mind. It's hard to get images like that out of your head so easily, so she's trying to distract herself.

Today's attempt is lugging her rifle and a bag full of garbage out to the empty fields to practice shooting. Only...she wasn't the only one out there practicing.

She spots Ethlyn doing drills with her sword, watching from a distance, before she approaches, a quandary on her mind. She waves to get Ethlyn's attention, then sets the bag of targets on the ground.]

Would you be willing to teach those movements? I'm beginning to wonder if it might be beneficial to know other ways to defend myself. I could teach you how to use my rifle, in exchange?

[Ethlyn HAD been interested in her guns before, so maybe it would be a beneficial trade?]

[Ethlyn straightens up when she sees the wave, and waves back. She hasn't crossed paths with Caitlyn very often, but it's good to see her nonetheless. Hopefully not too much the worse for wear after the labyrinth, but that's not likely.

And her eyes light up at the exchange proposed. Ethlyn can think of several past situations in which having a compact and portable ranged weapon could have been a big help.]

I would be very happy to do that! [She lowers her sword with a smile and strides over.] Have you ever fought with a melee weapon before?

[Caitlyn is glad for the warm welcome. It was always refreshing to be around others here that wanted to help and improve their situations.]

Only a little, I'm afraid. [y'know. rich kids and boarding schools.]

I learned the basics of fencing in school. I was always partial to guns and rifles, though. [obviously, given her skills. She was just lucky her father let her continue to develop the skills she loved.]

Ah, but you do have a start. [That's more than what Ethlyn has with Caitlyn's favored weapon.] It's so important to learn the basics at a young age. That will make more advanced technique easier to learn.

[She offers Caitlyn her sword, hilt-first.]

Here. Show me what you remember.

A very small start. [Not that she had been bad at fencing. But that still didn't compare to real sword fighting. Or maybe it did, given the sword stances Caitlyn had seen Ethlyn practicing.

She takes the sword after Ethlyn offers it towards her, handling it gingerly as she tried to remember all the forms. This sword felt different in her hands. In fencing, the blades are thin and flexible, but this was heavy and balanced differently. It would take a minute to get used to, but she was determined.

She's not weak by any means, but she can see how the weight would get to her arms quickly. It was much harder to hold with one hand, and it's habit to put her second out behind her. All the same, she pulls from the depths of her memory for the motions and basic moves she went through time and time again. It's easier to remember than she expected, but it's definitely more challenging now with such a different type of blade. She finally pauses, taking the blade with her other hand to give her arm a break.]

I must look ridiculous. This sword isn't like what I used before.

[Ethlyn watches Caitlyn take her stance. It's very different than what she's familiar with, and if Ethlyn hadn't had the opportunity to try some lighter blades a few months ago, it might have puzzled her to see the other woman holding herself in such a way.

She doesn't step over to correct her, though, curiously watching the routine Caitlyn moves through--a little rusty, and awkward when she's not using the right blade for it, but clearly something that she's been taught and practiced at some point.]

I can tell that you're used to something lighter--a saber, perhaps?

[She steps forward now, reaching out to adjust Caitlyn's arms a little so she's holding the sword in a more proper stance.]

The knight's sword is heavier, but it allows you to deal solid blows. I'm sure we could get a blade that you're more familiar with. There are smiths in town who deal in blades.

Edited 2023-11-28 05:00 (UTC)

A saber, yes. Fencing is more stylized. Not about injuring, but knowing proper form and technique to get past your competitors defenses to score points.

[So, really, it was all just show. A game. It was never really about actual fighting. All the same, Caitlyn lets Ethlyn guide her hands to a better stance, and she can tell immediately the sword does feel better this way.]

I'd rather learn to handle a blade like this. A proper blade. One I can actually do something with.

[Ah, so she's only ever been in something that was more like sparring. Ethlyn has to take a moment to decide how she feels about that--about the art of the blade being only art, sport, no different than a game of bowls.

But then, maybe, it isn't such a sad thought. Caitlyn is from a world where gunpowder weapons can be carried on one's person. If they still preserve the older ways of fighting, even if it's only recreation, then it must mean her people have a true appreciation of it.]

So for your people, swordfighting is about the elegance and the skill. I can appreciate that.

You should keep in mind, though, that fighting with a sword is very different than with a ranged weapon. When you land a hit, you feel everything that's happening to your foe's body. It can be unsettling if you aren't used to it.

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The reddening October trees, that hardly sway before a breeze

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