You heard him. Now go on and leave this poor man alone. He didn't come all this way to steal a trinket or two. I'm sure he could have done that well enough wherever it is he's from.
[ It's done under duress, but the crowd does eventually disperse (though not before Claude cheerfully promises to give away a secret or two, which he does with apparent glee), leaving Claude and the stranger standing alone in the middle of the road. ]
On behalf of Aldrip, I apologize for their behaviour. People here can be terribly small-minded sometimes. [ He presses one hand against his chest and bends in a shallow bow, his other hand making a dainty flourish. ] Claude von Riegan, at your service. And what is your name, stranger?
[ He doesn't quite let his guard down until most everyone's gone and moseyed off, and even then there's still a tight, protective grip around the sword he'd just taken back. This man--Claude, as he says--did step in to help and all, but it's unclear whether it was out of the kindness of his heart or some other agenda.
The stranger shakes his head, as if to dislodge the thought. When did he get so paranoid? ]
I am Abe no Seimei. [ His own bow back is much more spartan, but the intent is there. ] ...Thank you. For coming to my aid.
It would seem I've come at a bad time for you all. Tensions have been running unusually high as of late.
This place has never taken kindly to those who don't fit the mold that's been laid out for them, I'm afraid, [ Claude says with a lofty shrug. A scant five years ago, he would have hotly defended the people here to his last breath. But these days, it's become clearer and clearer to him that the people of Aldrip would rather live their small, happy lives without ever bothering to look out. ]
And no thanks necessary. I'd say that I'd hope others would do the same for me, but I think that's rather unlikely. [ He winks at Abe no Seimei, a quick flutter of a thing. ] But it's true that things have been going especially poorly lately. Things have been going missing, lately. Big and small. People too. Everyone's on edge.
[ He crosses his arms, rocking back on his heels as he surveys his new companion. ]
But I am curious... what brings you here? If I were you, I'd be packing up my bags and leaving first thing tomorrow morning.
Most people don't. Especially not in a group, no matter the size.
[ Such is the nature of humanity, but Claude here doesn't need a misanthropic dissertation thrown at him so soon after doing someone a favor.
Maybe Claude wants something in return, maybe not. Doubtful he'd be telling Seimei to get out of town if there was something he had in mind to cash in, so, sharing the basics probably wouldn't hurt. ]
Rumor spread quickly that the recent haul from the local quarry was hiding some unusual qualities. I came to investigate those rumors. [ A considering pause. ] There's nothing to them, by the by. Simple quartz from uneven formations however many thousands of years ago they crawled up this high into the earth, resulting in all the different colors.
...With that out of the way, I may very well take your suggestion.
Good for you. I really ought to do the same. Things here have all gotten a bit weird these days.
[ Still, he feels reluctant to leave. He's not sure why. There are plenty of sensible reasons for him to stay; this is where his friends and community are, this is where he has a job, a home, stability of a sort. But it feels deeper than that. Like the idea of leaving even temporarily is... wrong. Something is gluing him here.
Seimei here isn't in the same boat. At least he can leave. ]
Rumours about our quarry, huh...? That would be the most excitement this place has seen for a long time. [ He plants his hand on his hip. ] Pity there was nothing to them. But in exchange for the favour I paid you -- maybe you'd be willing to regale me with stories of the world outside of this poky little town, and precisely what rumours drew you here.
[ There's a quiet snort at things getting 'weird' these days. He hasn't even been here that long and he can attest to that. If a local says it he really should get out as soon as he can. ]
Mm...a story or two seems like a fair trade. Perhaps it will give you that final push.
[ Or maybe it won't. Something's certainly been keeping him here longer than he initially planned, and it bothers him that he can't put a finger on what it is. Or, it does in the brief moments of clarity he gets to realize that, hey, yeah, he's just a visitor here isn't he? Why hasn't he packed up and reported back home?
Maybe it will! I don't know why I've hung around for this long, honestly, not when there's a great big world out there to explore. One that you can tell me a little more about, my friend!
Over some food and drink, I think. I'm absolutely famished, and I prefer not to dine alone when I can help it. On my dollar, of course.
[ He leads the stranger down the winding path, until they reach a small restaurant, another one where he seems to know the young woman behind the counter; he greets her with a friendly, flirtatious air, and some bread is set down between them for free. The food here is a rustic, homey affair, but there's a little something for everyone. ]
Perhaps you can start off by telling me where you're from -- and how you got into the business of inspecting rocks for a living. I assume it's for a living. Most of the idle rich have other ways to spend their time.
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expiationlogs2024-03-09 08:37 am
no subject
[ It's done under duress, but the crowd does eventually disperse (though not before Claude cheerfully promises to give away a secret or two, which he does with apparent glee), leaving Claude and the stranger standing alone in the middle of the road. ]
On behalf of Aldrip, I apologize for their behaviour. People here can be terribly small-minded sometimes. [ He presses one hand against his chest and bends in a shallow bow, his other hand making a dainty flourish. ] Claude von Riegan, at your service. And what is your name, stranger?
no subject
The stranger shakes his head, as if to dislodge the thought. When did he get so paranoid? ]
I am Abe no Seimei. [ His own bow back is much more spartan, but the intent is there. ] ...Thank you. For coming to my aid.
It would seem I've come at a bad time for you all. Tensions have been running unusually high as of late.
no subject
And no thanks necessary. I'd say that I'd hope others would do the same for me, but I think that's rather unlikely. [ He winks at Abe no Seimei, a quick flutter of a thing. ] But it's true that things have been going especially poorly lately. Things have been going missing, lately. Big and small. People too. Everyone's on edge.
[ He crosses his arms, rocking back on his heels as he surveys his new companion. ]
But I am curious... what brings you here? If I were you, I'd be packing up my bags and leaving first thing tomorrow morning.
no subject
[ Such is the nature of humanity, but Claude here doesn't need a misanthropic dissertation thrown at him so soon after doing someone a favor.
Maybe Claude wants something in return, maybe not. Doubtful he'd be telling Seimei to get out of town if there was something he had in mind to cash in, so, sharing the basics probably wouldn't hurt. ]
Rumor spread quickly that the recent haul from the local quarry was hiding some unusual qualities. I came to investigate those rumors. [ A considering pause. ] There's nothing to them, by the by. Simple quartz from uneven formations however many thousands of years ago they crawled up this high into the earth, resulting in all the different colors.
...With that out of the way, I may very well take your suggestion.
no subject
[ Still, he feels reluctant to leave. He's not sure why. There are plenty of sensible reasons for him to stay; this is where his friends and community are, this is where he has a job, a home, stability of a sort. But it feels deeper than that. Like the idea of leaving even temporarily is... wrong. Something is gluing him here.
Seimei here isn't in the same boat. At least he can leave. ]
Rumours about our quarry, huh...? That would be the most excitement this place has seen for a long time. [ He plants his hand on his hip. ] Pity there was nothing to them. But in exchange for the favour I paid you -- maybe you'd be willing to regale me with stories of the world outside of this poky little town, and precisely what rumours drew you here.
no subject
Mm...a story or two seems like a fair trade. Perhaps it will give you that final push.
[ Or maybe it won't. Something's certainly been keeping him here longer than he initially planned, and it bothers him that he can't put a finger on what it is. Or, it does in the brief moments of clarity he gets to realize that, hey, yeah, he's just a visitor here isn't he? Why hasn't he packed up and reported back home?
...Where is home, come to think of it? ]
no subject
Over some food and drink, I think. I'm absolutely famished, and I prefer not to dine alone when I can help it. On my dollar, of course.
[ He leads the stranger down the winding path, until they reach a small restaurant, another one where he seems to know the young woman behind the counter; he greets her with a friendly, flirtatious air, and some bread is set down between them for free. The food here is a rustic, homey affair, but there's a little something for everyone. ]
Perhaps you can start off by telling me where you're from -- and how you got into the business of inspecting rocks for a living. I assume it's for a living. Most of the idle rich have other ways to spend their time.