Then I'll be fine. If you don't hear from me in an hour after I leave, you can search.
[ he's getting closer to their room, now, ducking between alcoves to avoid being as poured-upon as possible. ]
I believe people are genuinely good and want to fix what's wrong in the world. I also believe that power corrupts. We are dealing with someone who suffers from both afflictions. Who knows what I believe or what I don't believe; what matters is that she's still bringing people here, which means whatever she's planning is still going on.
[ it's not that she's actively on guard, here. against her own, personal, better judgement - she's finding a familiarity with the temple and the locations around here that it's. okay. she trusts roy knows his way around and she trusts roy to reach out to her if there are issues, but she also - once again, against that better judgement - doesn't necessarily believe that astoria would allow something to happen to them here.
which means she is in a weird limbo. ]
Do you believe we completed whatever her task was for the last city? That stopping the revolution was all she needed?
What proof do we have that we stopped the revolution?
[ which pretty much sums up how he feels about that. but soon, riza hears footsteps nearing the door, and it opens to reveal a not . . . quite drenched as he could be roy, who tugs his long dark coat off of his head -- it seems he used an impromptu umbrella in the interim. ]
-- what a disaster . . . why is it always rain? [ with a huff, as he closes the door, annoyed. ] It's never a beautiful sunny day, it always has to be disgusting outside.
[ he makes a good point, and riza feels a bit like her stomach has dropped out from under her. he's right. of course he's right. and she hadn't even bothered to think that much about it going forward.
she doesn't respond, doesn't really know what words she would say, but it doesn't end up mattering because roy comes stumbling through the door just a few moments later.
does she have a towel in hand that she took from the baths not that long ago? yes. and she actually hands it out to him when he steps inside. black hayate barks happily when he steps inside, jumping up from where the Official Dog Bed has been set up at the end of riza's and running over to check on roy. ]
It was perfectly sunny when we first arrived here. [ which is only...partially a jab at him, with a small smile to accompany it. ] Here- dry off.
[ roy does take the towel, but pauses to stoop and rub black hayate's ears in mandatory greeting, allowing the squirming and barking because roy doesn't discipline the dog at all. ]
Ah, it changed for me, I'm sure. [ dryly, as he lets black hayate lick his face. ] Just to spite me, not that the rain makes much of a difference anymore.
[ and, after he's done paying attention to the dog, he looks up at riza with half a grin. ]
I'm sure. [ she agrees, watching roy dip down to play with black hayate - her brow furrowing just enough for black hayate to notice when he starts to bark. he quiets a bit after noticing, but doesn't lessen his excitement to see roy. ]
It could be a passive aggressive reminder that she knows what she took from you. [ there's just enough sarcasm to the statement to let him know she's joking, before he asks his question, and she points over to her bed - where there is a long, scaled tail peeking out from under the blanket. ]
[ roy has long since accepted that the universe enjoys having a joke at his expense every once in awhile, and he rubs black hayate's ears before standing up to hang up his sopping wet coat properly, draping the towel around his shoulders after he does so to peer at the offending lizard. ]
You didn't eat it? Some guard dog you are. [ as an aside to black hayate, who exhibits a low whine and winds his way back through roy's legs to sit next to riza, properly shunned for the time being. and roy leans over to tug up the blanket to reveal a rather beautiful spiny lizard that roy definitely only got because he rescued it from certain death. it was a losing lizard. ] The spirit-things didn't drop off a cage yet?
[ GOOD HELP IS SO HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS. he drops the blanket back over the (still not moving and lazy) lizard with a frown. ]
[ while she doesn't necessarily believe that astoria changed the weather of this entire place just for the sake of making fun of roy, she also doesn't mind poking fun at it every now and then. especially considering the present circumstances at hand. ]
You brought it in, Black Hayate wouldn't disobey you like that. [ riza says easily, leaning down to scratch black hayate behind his ears for a moment before moving to sit on a chair they'd had brought into the room. ]
Not yet- you didn't give them much time, either. [ a beat, and then she lets out a breath. ]
[ he takes his own seat on the edge of riza's bed, casting a glance toward the lizard which is still remaining underneath the blanket, in silent protest. he'll move the lizard in a minute, but he seems comfortable, for now. ]
I'm not sure Black Hayate would get along with a cat.
[ wryly, and the dog perks his ears at the sound of his name. but . . . ]
[ she turns back to black hayate for a moment, trying to imagine him not getting along with anyone ]
You're probably right.
[ and then riza shakes her head, motioning to where her watch is set on the top of the small desk in the corner. ]
Going through some of the postings, mostly. I was trying to see if the garden or arena were usable in the storm, but neither are working. [ a pause, and then- ] Julius is gone, by the way. Gone home I imagine, but at the very least from the network.
[ there's a pause, at riza's words, and roy genuinely looks surprised -- he's normally much more on top of who comes and goes, in these situations, but he had been so preoccupied with searching for people he knows that are new that he hadn't had time to track down people already here. ]
Gone?
[ there's a pause. ]
Since we've arrived? He hasn't been in the Temple since we returned from El Minha?
she's familiar enough with roy's levels of surprise - the kind of situations that catch him off-guard versus the kind of situations he truly hadn't been expecting. roy had, at least in part, expected this. known it could be around the corner.
riza feels strangely detached, but in the same moment, upset by the knowledge. ]
Not that I've noticed. His things are gone from his room as well.
[ explained in the most professional, detached voice she's grown accustomed to using. ]
[ so the same as last time. he's quiet for half a moment, considering it, before sighing. ]
I'm not sure if that's for the best or not. [ thoughtful, with a slight frown to himself. ] Or if we even have a guarantee that he went home, at all. We didn't.
[ what a mess. ]
We have no real answers on what's actually going on here, or a place to start. New people being brought here doesn't exactly indicate that this is going to end anytime soon.
[ she nods, because he has a point. there's no proof they go home, no proof they go anywhere, when they disappear. that takes a second or two to really...settle.
what does happen, then? ]
If Astoria is continuing to bring people here, would that mean her plans required more than just those few of us?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
text.
Date: 2018-06-26 06:07 pm (UTC)[ the answer is likely no, but he honestly feels fine. level-headed and prepared. there's no storm cloud hanging over his head, so to speak. ]
It means this adventure of Astoria's is just beginning, apparently. But whether or not they stay is another story.
text.
Date: 2018-06-26 06:19 pm (UTC)[ until a point where he has not checked in and she finds it necessary to take a trek of her own out into the forest.
that next bit has her a little more concerned. ]
Do you believe her? [ a bit of a non-sequitur, but follow just a bit longer. ]
That we're really here to spread peace?
text.
Date: 2018-06-26 06:23 pm (UTC)[ he's getting closer to their room, now, ducking between alcoves to avoid being as poured-upon as possible. ]
I believe people are genuinely good and want to fix what's wrong in the world. I also believe that power corrupts. We are dealing with someone who suffers from both afflictions. Who knows what I believe or what I don't believe; what matters is that she's still bringing people here, which means whatever she's planning is still going on.
text.
Date: 2018-06-26 08:22 pm (UTC)[ it's not that she's actively on guard, here. against her own, personal, better judgement - she's finding a familiarity with the temple and the locations around here that it's. okay. she trusts roy knows his way around and she trusts roy to reach out to her if there are issues, but she also - once again, against that better judgement - doesn't necessarily believe that astoria would allow something to happen to them here.
which means she is in a weird limbo. ]
Do you believe we completed whatever her task was for the last city? That stopping the revolution was all she needed?
action.
Date: 2018-06-26 09:41 pm (UTC)[ which pretty much sums up how he feels about that. but soon, riza hears footsteps nearing the door, and it opens to reveal a not . . . quite drenched as he could be roy, who tugs his long dark coat off of his head -- it seems he used an impromptu umbrella in the interim. ]
-- what a disaster . . . why is it always rain? [ with a huff, as he closes the door, annoyed. ] It's never a beautiful sunny day, it always has to be disgusting outside.
action.
Date: 2018-06-26 10:27 pm (UTC)she doesn't respond, doesn't really know what words she would say, but it doesn't end up mattering because roy comes stumbling through the door just a few moments later.
does she have a towel in hand that she took from the baths not that long ago? yes. and she actually hands it out to him when he steps inside. black hayate barks happily when he steps inside, jumping up from where the Official Dog Bed has been set up at the end of riza's and running over to check on roy. ]
It was perfectly sunny when we first arrived here. [ which is only...partially a jab at him, with a small smile to accompany it. ] Here- dry off.
action.
Date: 2018-06-27 12:38 am (UTC)Ah, it changed for me, I'm sure. [ dryly, as he lets black hayate lick his face. ] Just to spite me, not that the rain makes much of a difference anymore.
[ and, after he's done paying attention to the dog, he looks up at riza with half a grin. ]
Where's the lizard?
action.
Date: 2018-06-27 02:17 pm (UTC)It could be a passive aggressive reminder that she knows what she took from you. [ there's just enough sarcasm to the statement to let him know she's joking, before he asks his question, and she points over to her bed - where there is a long, scaled tail peeking out from under the blanket. ]
He's all yours.
action.
Date: 2018-06-27 05:37 pm (UTC)[ roy has long since accepted that the universe enjoys having a joke at his expense every once in awhile, and he rubs black hayate's ears before standing up to hang up his sopping wet coat properly, draping the towel around his shoulders after he does so to peer at the offending lizard. ]
You didn't eat it? Some guard dog you are. [ as an aside to black hayate, who exhibits a low whine and winds his way back through roy's legs to sit next to riza, properly shunned for the time being. and roy leans over to tug up the blanket to reveal a rather beautiful spiny lizard that roy definitely only got because he rescued it from certain death. it was a losing lizard. ] The spirit-things didn't drop off a cage yet?
[ GOOD HELP IS SO HARD TO FIND THESE DAYS. he drops the blanket back over the (still not moving and lazy) lizard with a frown. ]
This entire world is useless.
action.
Date: 2018-06-27 06:35 pm (UTC)You brought it in, Black Hayate wouldn't disobey you like that. [ riza says easily, leaning down to scratch black hayate behind his ears for a moment before moving to sit on a chair they'd had brought into the room. ]
Not yet- you didn't give them much time, either. [ a beat, and then she lets out a breath. ]
We're going to end up with a zoo in here...
action.
Date: 2018-06-28 07:29 pm (UTC)I'm not sure Black Hayate would get along with a cat.
[ wryly, and the dog perks his ears at the sound of his name. but . . . ]
Have you looked outside, yet? Met the new people?
action.
Date: 2018-06-28 09:08 pm (UTC)You're probably right.
[ and then riza shakes her head, motioning to where her watch is set on the top of the small desk in the corner. ]
Going through some of the postings, mostly. I was trying to see if the garden or arena were usable in the storm, but neither are working. [ a pause, and then- ] Julius is gone, by the way. Gone home I imagine, but at the very least from the network.
action.
Date: 2018-07-08 01:12 am (UTC)Gone?
[ there's a pause. ]
Since we've arrived? He hasn't been in the Temple since we returned from El Minha?
action.
Date: 2018-07-09 05:42 am (UTC)she's familiar enough with roy's levels of surprise - the kind of situations that catch him off-guard versus the kind of situations he truly hadn't been expecting. roy had, at least in part, expected this. known it could be around the corner.
riza feels strangely detached, but in the same moment, upset by the knowledge. ]
Not that I've noticed. His things are gone from his room as well.
[ explained in the most professional, detached voice she's grown accustomed to using. ]
action.
Date: 2018-07-09 04:28 pm (UTC)I'm not sure if that's for the best or not. [ thoughtful, with a slight frown to himself. ] Or if we even have a guarantee that he went home, at all. We didn't.
[ what a mess. ]
We have no real answers on what's actually going on here, or a place to start. New people being brought here doesn't exactly indicate that this is going to end anytime soon.
action.
Date: 2018-07-09 06:43 pm (UTC)what does happen, then? ]
If Astoria is continuing to bring people here, would that mean her plans required more than just those few of us?