Scene #9843: BB EPILOGUE: Mercenaries' Homecoming

Owner	Pose
Marigold	NORTHEASTERN ILIA, CITY OF EDESSA You don't need a map anymore. By missive of Lady Juno, the pegasus knights Shanna and Thea are cordially invited to her Edessan estate for a celebratory lunch and a discussion of future prospects; to be accompanied by any such acquaintances as they choose, to a party size not exceeding eight as to be mindful of accomodations. . . . "How come she writes like that now?" Shanna says, wrinkling her nose at the letter. It's as if it were her first time reading it. "It's because she has an estate," Thea says. "You have to do that, when you have an estate." "I don't think that's true. I think she was saying the words to someone-" "Dictating." "-and they decided to fancy it up." "Juno wouldn't be stuffy enough to hire a scribe." "Juno wouldn't be stuffy enough to write like this!" "You're always so confident." "Why shouldn't I be?" "Because you hang your stirrups backwards." "That was two years ago!!" "And I'm still surprised you didn't double down..." They're walking down one of Edessa's main avenues, where it opens onto a market that looks up at the small seaside castle on the hill. It's the same market where many of you set up fake stalls to watch for the coming and going of one of Juno's agents. So much has changed about it, though. The market has tripled in size; Multiversal goods are being hawked in greater quantity and variety (they have three kinds of solar-powered Playbrick now); and outsiders are even here to shop, distinguished by the fact that they wear heavier clothing than the locals and still shiver. Two people in modern parkas are haggling over a pegasus while others peruse local steels. The route from there up to their eldest sister Juno's abode is a pretty steep trek; the sharp chill of the air and the path's incline are likely to wear out anyone not in good shape. "... I wish Dieck could've come," Shanna says. "Klein, too. But the temperature's not good for him." "Yeah... I know Dieck hates to wear a jacket..." "Like a delicate flower outside of its climate."
Odette Raskins	"Someone from back home did that once he got an estate, yeah." Odette murmurs in agreement with Thea as she shuffles along behind her and Shanna. "He used to talk even more like... Ehm. Like people from home than I do, so it was a huge change. Nobody bought it, though, because he'd still talk the same once he came back after settling all his affairs and things." She adds with a chuckle, then lets out a thoughtful noise while reshouldering the strap on her messenger bag. "It was pretty good practice for learning how to sound more like a station native, though..." Seeing those familiar sights with fresh eyes and without the need to worry about hiding her presence really makes Edessa look different for the medic. She slows down every now and then to peek at the stands, scurrying along to keep up every now and then when she realizes she's been looking at stuff too long. Today, Odette's wearing a white jacket over a yellow top and greenish-blue skirt. Her usual stuff is in a matching white and blue messenger bag with a walking cane hanging off the strap. Her arms and legs are still bandaged up in several, but the jacket helps to hide most of that. The right side of her head where her ear would be is still covered by the white earpiece doohickey. Luckily, her legs don't hurt so much that she can't make the trek, and heading upwards even seems to be invigorating her despite needing to bust out that walking stick to help keep herself steady. "Doesn't Dieck hate to wear anything above the waist? I mean, not that that was a bad... Er. Anyway." She clears her throat, trying not to linger too much on that thought. "How're those two holding up, anyway? Have you heard anything from them since?" She asks, stabbing the ground a little to make sure her stick is steady before moving again. "And how about you both? Any... Ah. Do you have any plans besides whatever comes from what we'll be meeting Lady Juno for today?"
Desire Stars	Neon Kurama arrives, and for the first time in a long time, it isn't in her armor or in her DGP activewear. Rather, she's arrived in a fall-color ensemble meant to fit in with Elibe's fashion. A dark red surcoat over a wheat-gold gown and cinched with a burgundy sash, from which hang her personal items as well. A brown fur cloak hangs on her shoulders to fight off the cold. She figured something a little formal might be appropriate, given the invitation! "Hey, you two. It's really good to see you again," she says, smiling radiantly at them. For each, she comes in for a firm hug. "I didn't know when I'd get another chance to be here, so I leapt at it... how did I do?" she asks, stepping back from the hug to gesture at her attire. "It looks like Edessa's really taken off. When did that happen?" she asks, nodding towards an outsider perusing a playbrick as they pass. The incline, two years ago, would have intimidated Neon. It still does now, because she doesn't think of herself as 'in shape.' But, she's fought a war, and in a fucked up battle royale on and off, and has trained in an apocalyptic cityscape before that, and so--with no small surprise on her part, she seems to be managing. "I'm glad I decided on this cloak... it's chilly."
Lilian Rook	'Why shouldn't I be?' 'Because you hang your stirrups backwards.' 'That was two years ago!!' 'And I'm still surprised you didn't double down...' Something about the cadence of this interaction makes Lilian feel fond of it in a way she can't quite define. She decides that it must be 'sisters' (uttered in breathy-nostalgic tones when mentally verbalized), but then thinking about that makes her really sad, and also question something she doesn't want to, so Lilian opens her mouth to say 'blowjob brothers' and thankfully stops before she does. "I don't think I ever fully internalized that you two came from the same place when we were on the trail, but look at you now. You're sharing half each other's brains." Lilian has a special fondness for Edessa, really. She can scarcely remember a thing about the castle and even less about the city surrounding it, but the market was where she got to disguise herself as an ordinary merchant girl selling beautiful little plants she grew with her own two hands and a special sort of love, and everyone praised her for it and families adopted her little succulent-babies like they were kitens; which is all very manipulative and evil of her, naturally, after she so thoroughly misrepresented herself to engage in espionage, but it simply can't be helped that it hogged all of the memory neurons for no particular reason. 'Like a delicate flower outside of its climate.' . . . Which is probably while she came here dressed for autumn and not winter, with her peacoat thrown overtop and her hat held underarm for her earmuffs to do their work, because the tastefully dress ensemble she put on underneath looks a lot like if that market girl was secretly a noble's daughter all along, but Shanna and Thea are funny so it's Fine. Lilian snickers, says "It's because shirtless Dieck is his mild-mannered civilian identity and Dieck-wearing-a-shirt is a secret vigilante hero." and soldiers on.
Marigold	After the biiiig hug, Neon's clothes make both Thea and Shanna look down at themselves, still wearing their trail outfits sans armor; look at each other simultaneously; slightly flush in embarrassment that they didn't dress up at all; and then look back at her and nod-nod emphatically. "My goodness, you look great." "Yeah! What kind of cloth is that gown, anyway? Is it silk?" "And the fur..." "It looks sort of out-of-town, but like you like it here a lot." "We don't- or didn't- have easy access to those dyes, but you understood the cuts really well." "Yeah, you look super rich! Look out for pickpockets." "Don't say that." Lilian's praise of their dynamic makes them both smile, but it's two very different smiles, for two very different kinds of fondness. "Half our brains doesn't sound very fair to me." "That's okay, you'll be as smart as me one day." "You have siblings, don't you? It's not like that with them?" "I told you. It just comes with the estating," Thea says to Shanna after Odette speaks, with the teeniest deniable sniff of superiority. Shanna pretends to be the adult, here, and changes topics: "Hey, Odette, when does your ear come back? I mean, the little fin is cute, but isn't metal on skin cold...?" "Oh, right. Are you going to be okay going up the hill? Hang on..." Unless dissuaded, Thea breaks off towards the pegasus-seller and negotiates a small amount of coin to rent one for an hour, then pats its back for Odette to get on. Two people is fine, so long as it doesn't have to fly! On the way up: "The two of them are doing fine. Klein never got reinstated as a general, but I don't think he wanted to be, anyway. And he still had the money to pay me." "Yeah! I think Dieck's going up to meet him again. I tried to get Dieck to talk more about their 'brotherly bond', but he didn't want to tell me much." "Well, calling it a 'brotherly bond' makes it sound a little..." "A little what?" "Um, never-mind." "I dunno when Edessa started being this busy! It's not like we've been around." "Just the last few months, I think. Juno's been doing her best to encourage it, knights are coming home with their salaries-" "Like us!" "-and people are less scared to invest, now that there aren't dragons rampaging around." "I haven't really thought about the future much, I guess..." "Rest for a few months, at the very least. I don't want to think about working again until spring." "Yeah. I wonder if Juno has a spare bedroom."
Marigold	The stone of the small keep is still scratched or cracked in various places, from your battle with Sigrun and a dragon, but all the major damage has been repaired, more or less. The new stone is darker in color and lichen-free. There can't really be any gardens here, not at this time of year, so the space between the outer wall and inner building is oddly empty. "I still can't imagine living in a place like this..." "That's how you know Juno really loves Zelot," Thea jokes. "It's a pretty big ask to accept the burden of ladyship." "Pffffh. Yeah, next thing you know you'll be writing letters all weird." They knock on the door, but to both of their surprise and delayed recognition, the one who answers it is Cath the marketplace thief. "Oh, it's you all. Come on in." "Huh? You work here?" "Pfffh. Like a maid or something? Obviously not." "If you were stealing Lady Juno's things..." "I'm her trusted associate! We were talking about my future business ventures. Respectable ones." "Oh. Which ones?" "Uh, cartography and astronomy. I have interests, you know. And the practicalities of tariff enforcement." "So you were smuggling." "Excuse me, I have reaaaally important business to attend to, and I'm sure you do too," Cath says, oozing out the doorway.
Odette Raskins	"Miss Neon! Hi!" Odette greets with an excited little wave and a gawk at her outfit, going briefly starry-eyed before clearing her throat again and nodding rapidly in approval. "It's really stylish, mhm. Formal stylish, even! Good picks all around..." She comments, nodding with just a bit more solemnness in her tone thinking about how this really might be one of the last times she'll ever see the two pegasus knights. Thinking about pegasi at all also puts a slight damper on Odette's mood, but she's gotten considerably better at holding it in since the last time she's been in Edessa. Instead of focusing on that, she instead thinks more about shirtless Dieck when Lilian brings him up again. "If that's supposed to be mild-mannered Dieck, I'd be extra curious to see what secret vigilante would be like." She comments with an amused giggle, oohing and aahing at Lilian's peacoat briefly before circling back around to scurry along. Seeing those earmuffs does make Odette glance down at her own light jacket while suddenly wondering if she's underdressed, though. Should she be feeling colder than everyone else? It's not her fault she's used to cold climates! "Yeah, you look super rich! Look out for pickpockets."" Odette is totally going to look out for pickpockets after that. "Hey, Odette, when does your ear come back?" After a little snicker at Thea's sniff, Odette reflexively touches a hand to her ear fin before humming softly in thought. "I think the CMO said it'd take a few more... Weeks? To get through the waiting list for a replacement. It's not that cold, though!" She reassures with an appreciative grin, leaning in towards Shanna like she's offering to let her touch the thing. It's plasticky! It's also still pretty cold, but no colder than the rest of her face is. "If anything, it's a little warmer on my face than my ears would be. I was thinking about getting a fake cover for the other side, actually, but... Do you think it'd be too much?" "Are you going to be okay going up the hill?" "Up the..? Oh! Y-yeah, I can make it. Ah. How much further do we have, anyway?" Odette asks, realizing the folly of trying to make such a hike without packing a single energy drink. She needed to pack light so her stuff wouldn't bulge out so much, after all! She can't put up much resistance against renting one, though, and she clambers on before long. " "Thanks, Thea... I'll pay you back once my next check comes in, and.. Heck, maybe we can meet up for a snack somewhere out in the city when you're both free, too!" "Klein never got reinstated as a general" "I don't want to think about working again until spring." "He didn't? Huh... Well, I can see wanting to put all this stuff behind him after being through.. Everything." Odette admits with a slow nod, her mind briefly flashing back to the more unpleasant parts about the war. "Having something else to think about would help for sure. Even little walks like this are... Really, really refreshing after all that." "I tried to get Dieck to talk more about their 'brotherly bond', but he didn't want to tell me much." "Right! Like their bond! That... Hmm." Odette strokes her chin lightly, tilting her head at Thea curiously and giving Shanna a shrug-look of confusion.
Odette Raskins	"Oh, it's you all. Come on in." A familiar face! But what was Cath's name again? It's been too long even if she recognizes the face, and Odette muddles over that unsuccessfully while Shanna and Thea speak with her. She eventually raises her hand in a quick and pleasant wave that will hopefully distract from her forgetting a name (again). "Hello! So maps and star maps... Neat! You wouldn't happen to be interested in..." A pause. Would introducing someone here to space travel be a problem? Odette considers that for a moment, then just barrels on anyway after reminding herself that pretty much everyone here already knows warpgates are a thing, anyway. "... Seeing those stars up close, would you? Whether it's legitimate with the Company or... Other?" She briefly holds up two fingers, like she's totally trying to get Cath thinking about 'other' before sliding over so she's not blocking the door.
Desire Stars	Neon laughs at the mention of pickpockets. "You mean like the last time we were here?" she jokes. Sighing happily, "I'm happy to be worrying about something like a thief again. Is that weird?" "Anyway... I'm glad I hit something close to appropriate. I didn't just want to drop by in jeans and a t-shirt. Even when we visited places where people were really worn thin, I could see what those places were like once, when they'd smile. Something about coming here like this, now that people can smile more easily, just felt right." ... I haven't really thought about the future much, I guess... "Mr. Ace and I are going to have to go back to, um, our employers, soon..." She frowns thoughtfully, but then brightens into a warm smile. "...I've decided that I want to keep in touch with everyone. Maybe I could make some investments here, and pass it off as business trips whenever I visit..." "You know... I bet that right now would be a really good time to be a performer. Just something to think about," she concludes with a playful little wrinkle of her nose. Oh, it's you all. Come on in. "Oh my gosh, hi!!" Neon laughs. "We were just talking about you." Excuse me, I have reaaaally important business to attend to, and I'm sure you do too. "Let's catch up sometime," Neon says mysteriously with a little wave, before stepping into the door.
Lilian Rook	'Yeah, you look super rich! Look out for pickpockets.' 'Don't say that.' "No no no, it'll be fine. Nothing bad can happen on Juno's special day." Lilian says, at least half-humourously. 'That's okay, you'll be as smart as me one day.' 'You have siblings, don't you? It's not like that with them?' Lilian can laugh, because it's funny, and smile, because it's cute, and feel the same little pang for the hundredth time this year when she says "I didn't really grow up around them. They're much older than I am." 'Hey, Odette, when does your ear come back?' Still buouyed oddly between two perpendicular emotions, Lilian stage-whispers "Like a starfish." 'A little what?' She glances over Shanna's head to waggle her eyebrows at Thea. "Oh you know Shanna. A little bit like they can't turn it off." 'Just the last few months, I think. Juno's been doing her best to encourage it' "Well god bless her then. I had my hopes, but that's not the same thing as hearing about it." Lilian says, nodding approvingly and sighing with relief. "It's one thing to promise the end of an era and a dramatic change to everyone's lifestyle as well. If she has the wits to capitalize on it, then I'll be certain to feel unwarrantedly proud of my part in it." . . . . . . . . 'Oh, it's you all. Come on in.' Nowhere is there proof more significant that all Lilian remembers is 1: the marketplace act, and 2: Sigrun, than her abruptly shouting "You?!" in instantaneous recognition of Cath. She even puts her hand on her shoulder when she tries to squeeze away. "Do you now! I may be curious about investing, you know. Would you care to elaborate?"
Marigold	While carefully poke-poking Odette's ear, Shanna purses her lips thoughtfully. "Whoa... no, I think there's some charm in being lopsided!" "Don't call her lopsided..." "I was calling it a good thing!" "Is there something wrong with the pegasus, Odette? You seem a little sad." - - - - Thea squints suspiciously at Lilian, but she still doesn't quite get it, even as Shanna giggles. She did not inherit the Fujo Gene. "Yeah, I think I kind of understand the sisters thing. Me and Shanna were close together, but... Juno's a decade older, so sometimes she feels more like a mom. You know?" Thea ties the pegasus's reins to a post not far from the front door while Cath squeezes out. "Oh, yeah? Only good things, I'm sure," she says to Neon, followed by a noise like "hwup!!" when Lilian catches her. "W-well, ah, um..." she mumbles, and for a second it seems like Lilian really might have caught her in a lie. Then she gradually spins up. "... I've always thought maps and stuff were really neat, right? And a lot of naval navigation is by stars. But now there's a lot more stars! And nobody's made new maps. You know, if you have to move a lot of stuff, boat is better than wagon, and we've got a whole port right here, so... I've heard of warpgates in the ocean, and... eh? Y-y'know? Sail a little boat right through?" "... Oh. That's actually kind of smart." "Only kind of?! I helped you win a war, you know..." "Sorry, I mean..." "That's really smart! I think I get why Juno trusts you." "... Aww. Okay. Thanks. Um, sure, see you around," Cath says, with a slightly smug toss of her ponytail. She elbows Neon gently: "If you'd like to go into business with me, just leave a letter here at Juno's house and I'll get it, m'kay?" "Oh! Same for us, if you'd like to keep in touch. Wherever we go, Juno can find us! Alright?" Cath takes her turn to squint suspiciously at someone- particularly, Odette- and then glances to Thea to see if she can decipher the 'Other'. Thea shrugs. "Yeah, um, uh, sure? Visiting the stars sounds... really great, actually. But, uh, is that a date? Um, I don't think I'm into women. Just so you know." "Oh, Odette just does that. She kind of flirts with everybody." "Oh, huh."
Marigold	When Cath does eventually escape, it's with a little perky flounce in her ponytail and cheerful wave backwards. There's no other doormen or staff, and Ilia isn't in the custom of taking off your shoes. Shanna scrapes the frost off her boots on a rough mat before padding down the open stone hallway, handsome but sparse-furnished, and calls out: "Juuuunoooo! It's us! Where are you??" "Down here!" a distant voice answers, and Shanna excitedly scampers to the end of the hallway, grabbing a doorframe to swoop herself around it, and then... "Oh, you've got the baby! And-- huh?! Hey!! Hey, you can't be in here!!" "Ahaha, and why not?" "Now, Shanna, don't raise your voice..." In a little furnished library-lounge with its low table and padded chairs, lit by a fireplace on one side and windows overlooking the cold-sunny bay on the other, there sits the Lady Juno with a two-year-old child in her lap, and just a few feet away, High Wingleader Sigrun of the Blackwings. Though Sigrun has been on your side for some time, you haven't seen her since that terrible clash. She looks little worse for wear from it. Her hair is brushed aside, however, so you can see the horribly scarred empty socket where one eye used to be. The resemblance to a skull is still uncanny, and she doesn't seem to mind the icicles that trail from it to slowly drip down the mess of her cheekbone.
Lilian Rook	'I was calling it a good thing!' "Try 'asymmetrical'. It's in-fashion." says Lilian, the wise sage. 'Yeah, I think I kind of understand the sisters thing. Me and Shanna were close together, but... Juno's a decade older, so sometimes she feels more like a mom. You know?' "Mh. My elder brother got married when I was quite young. My sister went travelling early on and seldom returned. They'd visit from time to time, but I'd only ever see them both on my birthdays." Well now reminiscing on it just sounds sad! So Lilian has to clarify! "Ah-- I grew up in an estate that was rather out of the way, to be clear. And we're much better connected these days. We've been getting together much more often since our father died two . . . three years back, goodness. It just felt like a sign." 'W-well, ah, um...' Lilian smiles the sneet snile of knowing that this was the last thing her target wanted. She can stand out in the cold a tiny bit longer, just for this. 'But now there's a lot more stars!' "Oh this is the cutest thing ever." The expression that replaces Lilian's theatrically performed Got You (she really can't think all that negatively of Cath when she didn't steal from her and was also helping the resistance) is two thirds of the way to misty-eyed with off-guard romantic approval. "Why are you acting so cagey about it? That's so sweet! Do you think we're going to steal it?"
Desire Stars	If you'd like to go into business with me, just leave a letter here at Juno's house and I'll get it, m'kay? Oh! Same for us, if you'd like to keep in touch. Wherever we go, Juno can find us! Alright? "Count on it," Neon affirms with a happy nod. " Now, Shanna, don't raise your voice... Neon gasps, then holding her hands up to her mouth in mute delight, eyes flicking between Shanna and Thea. "Cute," she mouths as she crosses the threshold and seeing the child. It's only after this delight that she notices Sigrun, and casts an embarrassed smile her way. "Hey, Sigrun," she says awkwardly. Then, a little more confidently, "It's good to see you."
Odette Raskins	"Mr. Ace and I are going to have to go back to, um, our employers, soon..." "Back to the... Mm. Well, I'm always here if you two ever need someone to fill a spot." Odette offers with a small smile at Neon, eventually settling into a teasing giggle. "As a contender or a fan. Mr. Ace did do a lot for me, too, so it's the least I could do." "Like a starfish." "Eh? I don't think it quite works like that..." Does it? No, she's sure it totally doesn't. Odette's seen ears grown for reattachment before, and they don't work like that! Kind of! She's thinking too hard about this, and she starts to worry it might affect her appetite at this rate. "Whoa... no, I think there's some charm in being lopsided!" "L-lopsided?! Oh gosh, maybe it's not too late to get fitted for the other side." She pouts slightly even though she's totally enjoying the attention from the poke-poking, then feels around her left ear before remembering she doesn't have anything over it. "It does beat wearing a headset sometimes, though. No mouthpiece to worry about eating, for one." She's totally pouting and coping hard. "Is there something wrong with the pegasus, Odette?" Odette still remembers the last pegasus she had laid her eyes on. Even if it wasn't hers, she can only imagine how much heartache Shanna must have gone through over its death, and that's enough to give her a little stab in the chest. Thea asking about that makes her realize it's showing on her face, though, and she inhales sharply before feigning dumbfounded surprise. "Huh? O-oh, no, it's fine! It's... Er. I was just wondering if I remembered to water my plants before leaving my dorm this morning." She lies, patting Thea's shoulder lightly while looking around all over so she doesn't accidentally look at Shanna and give away anything. - - - "I've always thought maps and stuff were really neat, right?" Hearing Cath's passion about the stars and maps has Odette's eyes lighting up. Is this what it feels like to see greatness in the making? "That's fantastic! Yeah, sailors are definitely going to need updated maps to get around with all the new landmarks to-er. Star marks... Constellations! To look out for. You won't be lacking in customers for your maps, that's for sure. And with investors like Miss Neon and Missus Rook, it's just a matter of time before you start raking it in." "But, uh, is that a date?" "'She kind of flirts with everybody." "Ddate? Flirts with-HUH?! N-n-no, I don't!" She protests immediately in a panic. "I've only got eyes for Father Lucius! A-and maybe Lord Hector! And Gener..." Odette stammers out, red-faced and hoping that'll exonerate her before realizing she's just digging herself deeper into a hole. Odette already looks like she's ready to hide her face in a fountain permanently while following everyone down to where Juno and Sigrun are waiting for them. She barely manages to get a hand up weakly in a wave to the two at first, but starts to regain her senses once she realizes there's 1. A child. Aww! That'll get her heart melting a little and her mood restored. 2. Sigrun's alive! Seeing the scars gets a sympathetic look out of her, too. "Lady Juno, hello. And Miss Sigrun, hi. It's been a while! Ehm. How're you both feeling these days?"
Lilian Rook	'Down here!' 'Oh, you've got the baby!' Locked on! Lilian has to let Cath go so she can hurry on after this! She can't scamper, because that would be unsuitably unladylike of her, and she's just now taking off her coat and placing her cute hat where it's supposed to be, but fast enough for her heel clicks to be fifteen percent too rapid to be 'menacing', because-- "Oh my goodness! Just look at you and-- Sigrun?!" Admittedly, Lilian did know that Sigrun survived, and she had commented on it, but she'd written her off as 'essentially dead in every way except stubborn disagreement with the concept'. Now she's all dressed up with her lapis jewellery and a little touch of glossy green lipstick and she's standinf fifteen feet away from the woman she'd had to fight in the middle of an airport.r 'Now, Shanna, don't raise your voice...' Lilian succeeds at not taking a step back, but she puffs out her cheeks, which is different and funnier and more annoyed-looking. "Couldn't you put that thing away." she says, quieter, to Sigrun. Then, "How have you been, Lady Juno? I've been hearing all about your success along the way here, but I'm eager to update my mental image with your smiling face." After the dungeons and all.
Desire Stars	Back to the... "Mercenary company," she gently interjects, gently squeezing and making eye contact. Her eyes, her expression, in that instant, say, 'not here.' "They've had a lull, but I have a feeling work is going to pick up again soon." "We'll talk." That one sounds less happy than the one she'd given Cath, and she looks away for a moment of brow-twitching. Ace and I still have our belts. What if they expect her back? No, that's easy... I'll have to have her back like she had mine. Neon shoots Odette a weary smile. "We made it," she says.
Odette Raskins	"Mercenary company," "Y-yes! Competing for the.. Bids again. Yeah, later." Odette catches on! Eventually. She nods lightly at Neon, taking that cue to drop the subject easily. She can see the look on Neon's face telling her to drop it, but even though she slides off that topic easily enough, she still can't help but feel another twinge of concern. Is it going to be that soon? Are Neon and Ace going to be in that dangerous game again? The concern is evident, but Odette's gotten better at masking it compared to last time, and with her renewed confidence and conditioning, maybe... Maybe she can really help them out this time! She just needs to make sure not to come anywhere close to bringing it up accidentally again.
Marigold	"Easy, now," Sigrun says indulgently, leaning back in her chair to accentuate the mangled hollow socket and crossing her legs. "It's good to see me, is it? We haven't had many friendly interactions, but I... do appreciate you, too. It was a deep relief to be able to break with Bern." "You still could have broken away a little sooner, you know," Juno reproaches. "Oh, let's have this fight again some other time." "Haha, alright, alright..." She arches an eyebrow approvingly at Neon, a moment later. "You're a mercenary as well, hm?" Teasing Lilian gently: "You can't look War in the eye? I'd offer to let you extend my contract, but it never said anything about my mode of dress." "It's just... it's really ugly! You don't care??" "If a new recruit can't stare me in the face, they're too soft for the battlefield." "Er, I mean... it's not that ugly..." "Hah." Juno, beaming, wiggles the baby's arms to roughly imitate a wave at all of you. "Awaoughaa," they say placidly. Thea covers her mouth with both hands in adoration. "Oh, my goodness, Feodor... he looks so... healthy?" "Fat," Shanna helpfully supplies. "That too." "Oh, I'm sorry it's taken so long to introduce you to your nephew," Juno giggles. For the benefit of the others in the room, she looks up, slightly apologetic: "Before Bern moved in, I had little Feodor sent off with family in the countryside. It's good to finally have everyone back together." How has she been? "Yeah, Juno! Tell us about Edessa lately!" "Ah, well, you know... I don't want to be immodest about how quickly things are moving, or the size of my role in all of it, but..." "Be immodest," Sigrun orders, and Juno laughs. "Alright, alright. I've been trying to establish Edessa as a center for fine metalcrafts and pegasus breeding, mainly. Ilia can't really export food, and it's better to be a center for industry than a center for raw resources," she goes on. "Apparently, some of Elibe's metals are fairly unique for their properties, and Ilia has exceptional deposits. Ideally we can ensure that all the smithing happens here. If miners from the Multiverse just buy up our land and ship the metal out for forging elsewhere, we're done for; I've been trying to fund some system of collective ownership, but the fact that the country isn't very centralized is... well, you can imagine it's a headache." She nods, with humor, to a heap of letters on her desk.
Marigold	In the meantime, Shanna and Thea are easing themselves into chairs around the low table, with enough left over between them for you three. "So, um... if this is going to be a family gathering, why is Sigrun here? I mean, I know you two used to be close, but..." "Ah, well... it's because I want you two to consider your futures. There's no telling if there's still going to be much work for mercenaries in Elibe." "So this is the talk about settling down, like you did," Thea jokes. "Oh, don't say it like that! I'm not scolding...!" Juno fusses, holding little Feodor to her chest as if the baby could shield her from the accusation. "Besides, I'm here to offer you an alternative," Sigrun says, shrugging confidently. "Obviously, anyone who broke contract against Bern has been forgiven and returned to good standing in the Mercenary Knights. Your little friend Talia is back by my side. We may have to take our business to the Multiverse, but I'd be delighted to have you, too." "Or you could stay here. Work with me in silversmithing and mounts, or with Cath in her cartography. Anything you want. I know you're more familiar with war, but... it does make me nervous, now, thinking about Feodor's aunts being in danger." There's no need for an urgent answer, but Thea and Shanna both look at each other, unsure.
Desire Stars	You're a mercenary as well, hm? "Ace and I both are," Neon nods, relieved that Odette seems to have gotten the picture. "He's been at it a lot longer than I have. This is the first time I've been... deployed, for so long." "Ordinarily I wouldn't have signed on, but... there's something I want very much, that I can only get this way." She pauses. "Is it the same for you?" I've been trying to fund some system of collective ownership, but the fact that the country isn't very centralized is... well, you can imagine it's a headache. "If there's anything Mr. Ace or I can do to help make up for that," Neon says, "Just let us know, okay? Even if it's just an introduction." She takes a seat beside Shanna. We may have to take our business to the Multiverse, but I'd be delighted to have you, too. Or you could stay here. "I could... see you two doing pretty well at either of those," Neon admits. She'd rather they took the latter of the two as an option. "There are people out there who could really use your help, and I don't just mean your skills in a fight. You're the kind of people I want next to me when things look scary." "But... I think if either of you wanted something away from the front lines for once, nobody could say you haven't earned it."
Odette Raskins	"Er, I mean... it's not that ugly..." "Hah." "You know, if you ever do want something to put there-" Odette turns her head to the left a little so she can show off her ear fin to Sigrun. "-I might know someone that could help. Although it might feel a little weird at first..." "Awaoughaa" Odette inhales deeply, her eyes sparkling a little at the baby while peering at him all wide-eyed. "Ohmygosh... He IS super healthy, yeah. And what a time to be a baby, too, with a strong mom and two big aunts to look after him...!" "I don't want to be immodest" "Be immodest" "Be immodest." Odette jokes, blinking briefly at Sigrun saying it just a second earlier, then snickers before listening to Juno closely. She nods slowly in thoughtful approval, stroking her chin after a while. "That makes sense. That's how a lot of stuff works at home because of how making stuff and getting raw materials both take up so much space and power that it just.. Yeah, makes sense to focus like that. And I doubt anyone living around here wants their home to get all... Like. Dried up?" Sigrun's mercenary work or Juno's industry building Listening to Sigrun and Juno, Odette stays quiet as she looks over at Thea and Shanna. Seeing the uncertainty in their faces, she feels her first instinct to nudge them towards safety, but something about that feels wrong. At the same time, she can't just tell them to throw themselves into danger after everything, could she? It takes her a while to figure out what to say, but Neon speaking up first helps Odette condense her thoughts better. "You two have a lot going for you no matter what you pick, mhm... Well, do either of you feel super strongly either way? About fighting, about building, or anything else that might be on your minds? It might help to get all those feelings out in open, so you can sort them out better and figure out what's right for you."
Lilian Rook	'Easy, now, It's good to see me, is it? We haven't had many friendly interactions, but I... do appreciate you, too.' Lilian wasn't really in 'draw steel' mode of rustled feathers, but she still makes herself drop her shoulders and casually narrow her stance again anyways. "I'll second Thea, but only barely." Lilian sighs, and the memory immediately exchanges one tension for a resolved alternative. "Though I felt like I'd lose my mind explaining to the Otherworlders again and again what a mercenary contract means." 'You can't look War in the eye?' "I've looked at it plenty. Its nagging insistence is starting to annoy me." Lilian rolls her eyes. "You sound like Durban. Admittedly a little sexier and less intimidating. 'I am War' implicit. But we're habing a cozy chat with an adorable child in the room, so be pleasant." 'Fat' "Young children are supposed to be. That's why it's called baby fat." Lilian says warmly, letting her stare wander, then linger. "I'm looking forward to my own. Perhaps in a year or two." 'Ilia can't really export food, and it's better to be a center for industry than a center for raw resources' 'If miners from the Multiverse just buy up our land and ship the metal out for forging elsewhere, we're done for; I've been trying to fund some system of collective ownership' Lilian, finding a place to settle in nearer the fire, blinks in surprise, then smiles in sparkle eyed optimistic satisfaction. "You're a treasure. Well-read, hard-working, intelligent, forward-thinking, with a strong educational basis in material reality. I think Edessa will do phenomenally under your management." she says. "If you're ever in need of capital, I wouldn't mind investing at all. The Pegasus Knights turned out to be such a great return in the end already." Wink. "And I am interested in Ilian metals."
Marigold	Juno tilts her head back and flushes slightly, sponging in the praise about her motherliness. "Oh, you're really too kind, my goodness... Feodor, can you say 'thank you' to our new friends?" "Nnnh..." "I know you're sleepy! 'Thank you'?" "... Nnyo." Juno stifles a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Congratulations and good luck, Lilian. Did you have names picked out?" "Oh, Shanna, he'll grow up to be just like you..." "Shut up!" "Mmmn, shagaa..." "See?!" Shanna and Thea glance at each other, in the way they've lately come to do, when Odette prompts. "I... I don't know. I know I'd like a break. What I want to do after that break..." "... I'm gonna miss Dieck. If he's doing that kind of work, I want to be there with him. But with everything with Klein, I don't know if he'll still be on the road at all..." "I guess Cath is gonna need someone to scout out the ocean. Or making jewelry out of silver could be really nice. I'll... I'll think about it." Juno smiles tenderly. "You wouldn't mind staying here for a while as you figure yourselves out, would you? I've... missed you even more than I thought I would, over the last few years." "Can we?!" "I'd... oh, if it's not too much trouble... Juno..." Shanna hurries over to give her big sister a careful hug around the shoulders, and Thea matches it from the other side, and the oldest and the youngest both tear up just slightly in the squeeze. Juno rubs her cheek, still a little flushed from the praise, as she reorients herself to Neon and Lilian post-hug. "Ah... I'd appreciate both of your help very much. If you'd happen to know of any buyers for fine metalcrafts in bulk, Neon... and, I'm sure we could work out some appropriate share of the mining profits for your support in nationalizing, Lilian."
Marigold	"Oh, no," Sigrun says to Neon, "but you sound quite a bit nobler than me, aha. I did it for money, first. And when I had enough money, I did it for Ilia. Organizing and administering the Mercenary Knights doesn't line my pockets much, but Ilia's life- the gold that flows from the southern nations into every village we have- is in my hands. How could I trust that to anyone else?" "Well. Someday soon, I hope, that won't be its only life." "I'm cheering for you, Juno." "Durban, hm? Ahaha... we've never met. But maybe. If I'd made a Divine Weapon, perhaps I'd curse it too~." 5 Sigrun lifts both eyebrows at Odette. She doesn't seem to take offense, but she's clearly been asked if she wants a glass eye before. "No. Absolutely not. This is what my face looks like, young lady. Should I want a different face?" Juno winces just slightly for her old friend- maybe she's heard these words before too- but Sigrun plods on, in her oddly gentle tone. "Nobody ever dies in the same shape they were born. I don't mean 'I am War'; I mean I am at peace with everything a sword could ever do to me." "So if you don't want to look at it... you can sit to my left," she winds down, with a small gesture. "But for what it's worth, little Feodor doesn't seem to mind." "I really am sorry he stuck his finger in the hole," Juno says. "... I've had worse."