Field Mission 4, Etude in Blue, Part One

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You're not leaving until you've got this shanty memorized NAVIGATION Click here for the RNG thread! 1. ETUDE IN BLUE: WELCOME TO THE SEA OF FALLEN STARS A. A WATERY LANDING You'll be going down from the Moon Base via glass spheres, shot by the flight technician staff member Avi. As usual, each capsule can hold up to 4 people, although it does get increasingly uncomfortable the more people are crammed together. You're shot down to the planet in the most horrifying way possible, seeing the landscape violently change quickly and without remorse or guilt towards your possible motion sickness or uneasy feeling. The landing this time, is a canonball. All along the middle of the Sea of Fallen Stars, blips of orbs will be falling straight down into the water. From the Moon Base, Lucretia watches on as the majority of you land. It's quite a spectacle to see the splashes from this high up. And once you're there, you're... kind of up a creek without a paddle. Without a propulsion or engine system to move your orb forward, you don't have a lot of choices here. If you're lucky, you might find a mercantile ship out in between voyages. If you're extremely unlucky, you're going to have to swim... or maybe you can pop the sphere hatch open and find something to paddle with. Be careful of the sharks? Definitely be careful of the sharks. Your destination? Lyrabar. 2. THE LAP OF LUXURY, THE DANGERS OF LYRABAR B. THE CITY OF MERCHANTS' DREAMS Let's get something out of the way first: Lyrabar is a gorgeous city — and when you step off the S.S. Codfather and onto the docks about a hundred yards from the edge of the city proper, you'll be treated to a clear view of the entire skyline: Ornate, twisting towers of marble, stone buildings and finely crafted wooden structures form the city into a neat semicircle, with the marketplace at its epicenter. At the far end of the city stands a castle, a nearly glittering, extravagant structure, a maze of hallways and towers that seems to be stretching high toward the other planes of existence themselves. Lyrabar is on an entirely new level compared to Vista Virs, New Aspen, or even the comforts of the Moon Base itself. This is by far the most luxurious corner of Faerun that you've encountered yet — even the standard-level rooms you might find in an inn around Lyrabar are well maintained, the sheets are clean, and the food is delicious. The food, though! Pretty much anything you can think of is on the menu somewhere, and, no offense to an enduring and malfunctioning robot back on the base, but his cuisine chops can't even compare to what's on offer in Lyrabar. If only the people of Lyrabar were nicer. Weren't so suspicious of anyone new who passes through those gates. There is a lot of gold passing through the city gates, after all. And the pirates who are slowly overrunning the city are well aware of that. C. THE HOBBY HORSE A lot of you strong archetype Reclaimers, and even the ones who aren't, will probably eventually find your way to The Hobby Horse, a tavern that is absolutely just a tavern, if a bit more crude compared to the other watering holes nearby and around Lyrabar, and absolutely not a place where pirates higher up on the pecking order go for a bit of Jabba-the-Hut-lair entertainment. Of course it isn't. That would be silly! In any case, maybe you've signed the waiver, paid your 20 GP, and had a go at The Death Cave — essentially a long hallway, leading from one ring to the next, with waves of aggressive monsters brought in from the ocean and beyond for you to fight through. And for some of you, those of you who have played a hand in reclaiming three Grand Relics at this point ... honestly, The Death Cave might seem a little too easy. The man taking your payments and signed waivers, a man who goes only by Old Numbers, a gruff, bearded old fart who seems to be more battle scar than human, seems to have a solution for that. He leans forward over the counter, eyeing you near suspiciously. "Oi ... if it's an actual challenge yer lookin' for, Old Numbers can whip you up somethin' more ... randomized. Y'seen those Sea Quartz around town, right? Those rainbow lookin' stars that the fancier folk keep grindin' up into shampoo. Bring me three of those, and I'll give you a fight worth yer chops." True to his word, you pay Old Numbers three SQ, he'll have you sign another waiver (essentially, you're going to have to name a next of kin — someone who's fit and willing to drag your corpse out of The Death Cave, because Old Numbers here sure as hell isn't going to do it), then he'll draw a random placard from a stack of three and affix it next to the entrance of The Death Cave. The excited energy in the crowd is palpable. Now the real battling betting begins. Your goal here isn't to defeat all the enemies: It's simply to make it to the final exit. Here's what the placards mean (As a further warning, these are highly dangerous encounters! You signed a second waiver for a very good reason.): ○ Sword: In the final room of The Death Cave, you will be pitted against a swordsman who seems to have been taken in by some sort of Faerun equivalent of malevolent corruption — and boy, is he having the time of his life. He is extremely fast, his blade is freshly sharpened, and he will not hesitate to strike down anyone who was unfortunate enough to roll him, while laughing about it. He does have what you might consider an ultimate attack: Gathering up energy into his blade, he swings it, channeling said energy into one devastating plume of magic shot directly toward you. You're going to want to find a way to avoid it. ○ Bow and arrow: As you make your way through The Death Cave, you'll be pursued by the, uh. Boss of this round, a ranger whose accuracy with her bow and arrow is unrivaled. Assuming you make it to the final room without being arrow'd, you'll have to face her head-on, too. She is nimble, and now that you've reached the end, she is much less keen on missing. To make it past her, you will want to disarm her — which means closing the gap between the two of you as much as possible, to force a melee. Wand: Woe to the Reclaimer who manages to roll the magic user course. When you step inside, you'll find that the entire cave is flooded at about knee height, meaning unless you can figure out a way across it, you'll be fighting while wading. The Caster — sorry, I mean Wizard — at the end of the line specializes in ice and electric elemental spells. Have fun with that! D. IN WHICH LITERALLY EVERYONE WANTS YOUR COIN For those of you who have gold burning a hole in your pocket, the shopping available in Lyrabar is near endless. The marketplace, located at the center of the city, seems to sprawl on forever, with stalls, storefronts and eateries that seemingly cater to every fancy, whether it's fashion or weaponry. If it's souvenirs you're looking to take home, the most popular items are necklaces made out of those ever popular Sea Quartz, that are being used at The Hobby Horse and ground up into shampoo, and very sarcastic postcards: Think, "I visited Lyrabar and all I got was this crappily printed postcard" sort of sarcastic. Generally, though, as long as the item is not magical, and as long as the tech is not more advanced than what you'd find on the Moon Base, you can probably find it at the Marketplace. If you're not sure about an idea, feel free to ask right here! Some other things of note about what you'll find while shopping: ○ There are a lot of pickpockets. Maybe you shouldn't actually have a hole in your pockets. Even with the people of Lyrabar as distrusting of each other, and of you, as they are, those looking to pilfer a little extra cash off an unsuspecting visitor will find no shortage of targets. Perhaps you're one of them. Perhaps you're the sort willing to start a brawl in the middle of the Marketplace to get your most valued possessions back. Maybe, if you look close enough, you'll see that many have the same insignia branded on their arm. It seems, if you'd like to join in with, or infiltrate a pirate crew, this band of kleptos might be a good place to start off. ○ The Auction House is located on one of the far corners of the Marketplace. It's large, marble and a bit chilly inside, and the biddings start at around 6 p.m. each night, but it seems there's something ... a bit strange about the auctions themselves. That is to say, you'll have a seat one evening, and about halfway through selling off half of the evening's inventory, you'll watch them bring out the next item: like a pearl, or a particularly large and beautiful clamshell — nice enough trinkets, but nothing at all compared to the other goods that have hit the auction block so far. And why are they starting the bidding at 1,000 GP? And why are the people around you actually enthusiastically going with it? Man, they can't be that blatant, can they? E. JUSTICE Maybe by this point you've had something valuable snatched from you, or you can't quite figure out how nobody's put a stop to some very clear money laundering happening at the Auction House, and you feel the need to serve up some serious justice to the pirates out there who have done you wrong. Who runs the justice joint around here, anyway? That inquiry will lead you straight to the royal guard — the captain of which is going to groan in exhaustion/annoyance at you questions, or even your bid to help out. You think he hasn't heard that story before? The second a silver-tongued charlatan charms their way into the ranks of the royal guard, they're looking the other way while their visiting pirate friends rob the rest of us blind. He's got no time for this. If you want to truly help, you are going to have to prove it first. And so, with that, you will find yourself immediately thrown into an undercover operation, one the captain doesn't mind doling out, because at the end of the day he loses nothing from it except for a few disguises. That's right: you'll be given a disguise, whether it's a smelly pile of peasant rags or, if he's feeling less charitable with his budget, a pair of these (look, it's not like he actually cares about your safety here), and a piece of paper with one or two names on it. Your mission? Bring these suspects back to the captain without causing a scene. Or, well, go ahead and cause a scene. He has little shits to give, remember? Pull this off, though, and consider a private audience with the one member of the royal family who still keeps an audience nowadays, Princess Irene, secured. Back to top 3. OUT ON THE OPEN SEA F. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU'RE THE NEW OWNER OF A YACHT Whether you've had your fill of luxury, bar fights, enforcing the long arm of the law in town, or just gorging out on incredibly tasty food, eventually you'll recall that Lucretia had actually sent you down here with a purpose. She asked everyone to find a way to obtain a ship- one that isn't the S.S. Codfather (thank you very much, Sans!)- as the investigation into the Grand Relic can only get so far within the streets of Lyrabar. To that end, there are a number of options and opportunities for you to obtain such a vessel. ○ Steal it. This is how pirating works in a place like this. You find something, you take it, and you put a nice new flag on it to make it yours. Of course, there are some complications with that. Get caught, and you're going straight to nautical prison- don't pass the Hobby Horse, don't collect $200. But the docks district of this port town is known to be rather quiet at night, when the merchant fleets are out swindling cash at the bar, drinking themselves blind, or maybe just settling home with their family after an honest day's work. There are hired guards keeping watch, but it shouldn't be that difficult to incapacitate them. When they wake up in the morning, they'll assume what it always is around here. Someone forgot to pay the red tithe. ○ Buy it. There's always the option of offering something in exchange for a rowboat. Maybe you've come across a bountifully magical item that you want to dispose of at the auction house, or maybe there's a collector out there who's willing to make a fair trade. Renting them doesn't seem to be that much an issue either; transport around the region is always done by boat. Just know that you're going to have to put a down payment and collateral down. You also... run the risk of running into some unscrupulous merchants who are working with the pirates on the down low. Be careful not to get swindled out of everything you own, only to walk up to a tiny rowboat. ○ Mutineer it. You could find some work on boats, but it's mainly hard labor. You'll be loading the ship up for transport, and taking a trip across the Sea of Fallen stars to destinations at other major port cities. You might not need to know that some of these ships are exchanging some rather questionable goods to get the hint that there's a fair share misconduct going on around the sea. Time to throw the captain overboard and take command of your own dreamliner. ○ Other. Well, depending on how crafty you are, there are a number of ways to get a hold of a boat. These were just some guiding ideas, but we think you'll find a way. You always do. G. 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA There's some adventuring to do out in the open sea, and treasures both vast and mighty. It's not entirely uncommon to find islands dotted along the landscape, and those are particularly good for docking and getting a sense of what's gone down around here since Captain Ferryn's taken command of the high seas. You might've gotten the sense that loose lips really do sink ships- that evidence is coming up pretty bill in your search for actual piracy going on around here. The good captain is incredibly skillful at both deception and infiltration, and with the Soul Blade helping him, there's almost nothing stopping him from completely dominating the entire sea and crowning himself the new royal in town. Mum's the word around these parts, so you're going to have to do some exploration. Pop some of those shrimp chips and head down to explore the underwater depths of the seabed. There are an unbelievable amount of ships that have been wrecked and forgotten under the violent chops of the aquatic basin. With a few hours' search, you're incredibly likely to find one, waiting for you to go down and pluck whatever's down there. Be careful, however, since The Drowned are fiercely protective of their death locales. Fight through them and live to the tell the tale, and you'll come back graciously rewarded. Many of the ships seem to have crates still on them- all with the official royal seal of Lyrabar stamped plainly on their lid. When popped open, you'll notice there's an abundance of sea quartz- the gems that are used to constantly provide a source of energy to the town. Hard to tell why pirates wouldn't be interested in that, when the trade is absurdly lucrative. You'll also find areas where ships aren't present. Instead, you might come across entire fields of sea quartz. But in their current state, they're pretty useless and look like the trinkets you might have found on the streets of Lyrabar. Devoid of any magical energies, they lay deep on the ocean floor, a nuisance and an eyesore to nature. You'll also notice that natural enemies like sharks and Sahuagin steer clear of these areas, for better or for worse. Good luck down there, and make sure you have a buddy system set up. Getting a glass sphere down into the water is near impossible, but Dr. Tank is on board the S.S. Codfather for emergencies. H. NOBODY KNOWS THE TROUBLES I'VE SEEN Know that the sea is not calm in temperament or safety. There are things to be weary of at every step of the way, and it's best to ensure that you have a good, seasoned crew to man your boat in order to keep you passing through safe waters. While you're out there, though, danger truly does lurk around every corner. Pirates, for one, are particularly good at various ways of warfare. Many of them don't even look or appear to be like the ones you might have heard of in stories or experienced elsewhere. Some even fly under the banner of Lyrabar, cruising safely without notice by anyone that would be wise to what they're up to. Sail out for too long without a purpose or linger in an area too long, and a ship will approach, lining up side by side with you. They'll tell you that they're part of the Royal Navy, and hell, they might even be wearing the garb of the official uniformed ranks, and when they announce they're here for usual inspection, they'll request to board your ship. Protocol, you see, because of the rampant acts of piracy out in the open waters. Refusing might make you look more suspicious, but letting them on board as inspectors and tax adjudicators can be equally dangerous. Some of them are legit, and some of them will look to take command of your ship and leave you out in the ocean to drown. You're going to have to be cunning to figure out which one is which. Storms rage all over the Sea of Fallen Stars. With the encroachment of the warmer months ahead, the weather itself battles for its rightful claim to the area. The signs of a storm coming are easy enough to spot, and they're frequent. Some will last 2-3 days and make travel nearly impossible. Getting out of the water is an important step in keeping your crew safe; and spending a night on an island or in a grotto is always better than running the risk of joining the armies of The Drowned below. Maelstroms are an equal threat of immense dread. If you happen to see a swirling vortex of water, start heading in the opposite direction immediately. There's a certain magnetic pull that they have, and once you've been caught in the outer rings, it's going to take a lot of teamwork to get yourselves out. Good thing you've had a month to build upon that, or else you might be toast. For those of you who are highly less fortunate, you'll notice yourselves getting sucked in, closer, and closer. You can look over the epicenter and- good god, is that a tentacle!? What is that thing!? The Prespuran Triangle also poses a major issue while traveling across the sea. Legend has it that if you sail too close to its navigable coordinates, your ship will vanish and you'll never be heard from again. It might seem like a wives' tale, but it's absolutely true. Come too close to it and you'll notice your compass begin to spin out like there's no tomorrow. Continue inward, and, well. You'll see something, alright. It's a tower that stretches into the sky, tall and unwavering. And also, completely impregnable and without doors. You're going to have to get yourself out of there somehow, and for your sake, let's hope you know the exact coordinates you came in through or else... you mind wind up on a completely different side of the world. Last but not least, the pirates aren't the only ones looking to hop aboard your newly crowned baby. Don't forget about the Sahuagins, either. They seem to attack only during the dead of night, when the moon is ripe and full in the sky. They bring with them charming magics and are particularly good at getting people to willfully walk over the edge themselves, without even drawing a blade. Back to top 4. OOC This is your story to write, and your setting to play with! Anything on the OOC post is fair game, and if there's something you'd like to try, please don't hesitate to let us know on the RNG thread. But most importantly, Reclaimers, be amazing. Back to top blurb code by photosynthesis

Comments

hey, for all you know they might hit his

[dialetheism]

Ah, right. I'll be more careful next time.

[ That's genuine, at least. They actually nod at the offered tip, trying their best to commit it to memory for future - what, they're still learning this whole "espionage" thing, even with all of the Successor stuff. That's usually more direct. This is... riskier then what they're used to, without any of the advantages that they relied on to smooth things over.

Aaaand that's going to a very bad place, so they finally sit down at the same table as Qrow to shake the thought, ominous glass and all. ]

In here? Not much. Everyone's- um, everyone's mostly been talking about how frequently people have been starting fights since we arrived. Did you know someone got thrown through a window earlier?

[ And here is where a pattern begins to emerge. For one, they're normally not quite that gossipy. And two? They're usually a hell of a lot subtler about dodging a topic change on purpose. ]

lbr lion said 'luck' we're already there

[blodsvorr]

[Wow, subtle as James Ironwood at a fancy ball. Qrow snorts, although maybe that's just at the window tossing. (No, it's about Lion's bad dodging skills. They're embarrassing.)]

I meant in general. Since you got here. Gotten around? Found anything interesting?

they've had a very unfortunate week ok give them a break

[dialetheism]

[ Their dodging skills are excellent. Just... not when they're tipsy, apparently. ]

Nnnnnot really? [ One more try, even if they're not so blatant as to completely ignore it. ] I've mostly been watching people by the docks.

[ And there's another blip of hesitation, their jaw clicking shut abruptly after the word 'dock'. ]

... I didn't really hear anything interesting, but I did manage to heal some people who needed it, so I suppose it was a net positive? [ Bzzt. Try again. ]

[blodsvorr]

[Hrrrrm.]

Sure thing. Always nice to do a few good deeds.

[A good deed would, Qrow thinks, be taking the alcohol away from Lion and dragging them out of the bar. But he's working on how to do that.]

[dialetheism]

It's important to leave every place better then we've found it, isn't it?

[ ....God, they honestly believe that, don't they. Even if they wince at the first thing that comes to mind as a result. ]

Though... perhaps not Vista Virs. That one didn't quite work out for anyone involved, especially not... well. All of us.

[ And jokes on him, he has to prove it first!! Which is, admittedly, not very hard? Especially when they sip their drink immediately after that. ]

[blodsvorr]

[Okay, that's it. Qrow knows drinking to cope when he sees it. He sets down his glass, gets to his feet, and looks at Lion.]

Alright, you've had enough. Let's get you back to where you're staying, or Will if that's better. Pick your poison.

[dialetheism]

[ They freeze, like a deer in the headlights. A really drunk deer. ]

-What, no. I pick neither.

[ That is absolutely not how this works and they know it, but they still have to try. Especially since, honestly Qrow, that's a trick question. Where does he think they're staying? ]

Don't you dare.

[ Wrong answer, Lion. ]

[blodsvorr]

[Very wrong answer. Qrow raises his eyebrows, and then he hoists Lion over his shoulder. Very unceremoniously. The Successor of the Ushiromiya Family should not be manhandled in such a way.]

Uh-huh. Thanks for the drinks, barkeep.

[He drops change on the counter and is now carrying Lion right out the door. Because lbr he could lift Lion up with one arm, they're not likely to be much heavier than Ruby.]

[dialetheism]

[ In the nanosecond before Qrow actually yeets them over his shoulder, Lion resolves to do something incredibly petty:

They down the rest of their drink in one go, even if they nearly choke on it in the process. Hey, they paid for it, viva la revolution. Unfortunately, they don't really get the chance to capitalise on their spite win- ]

Wh- Qrow, you- you-- put me down!

[ This isn't helping their case at all, is it.

The barkeep looks entirely unperturbed by this - honestly, he was expecting them to either get robbed blind before the end of the night, or otherwise thrown out, so this just saves him the hassle. Thanks, weird cape guy. You aight.

Lion, meanwhile, is fussing up a storm as best they can from their new perch on his shoulder. It's very un-Successor like, but nothing has been this week, so a further lapse will hurt nothing but their remaining scraps of pride. While they don't stoop to pinching him - yet, though it's debatable whether their hands would agree with the motion anyway, or whether they can reach - they're doing their very best to make this absolutely awful for him. ]

What- what gives you the right- [ C'mon, Lion, think. ] I am an adult who can make my own decisions, thank you very much!

[blodsvorr]

You're drunk after two glasses, which means you're drinking well over your weight. Whatever decision-making powers you had went out the window a fifth ago.

[As if this is the first time Qrow has had to drag off someone who has drunk too much and is fighting their own rescue. (Qrow has also been the party dragged off before. Tai is very buff.) Before dragging Lion off to wherever Will is (the royal guard?) he opts to find them somewhere to sit. The docks are obviously a mistake, so he will just borrow this alleyway barrel and set them down.]

Now, are you going to tell me what's going on, or is this one going to be a mystery?

[dialetheism]

Or maybe it was just strong-!

[ Or both. Both is good.

To their credit, they don't try to bolt the moment they're set down. This is in part to them not... actually being super sure if their legs will cooperate, and part because they know with absolute certainty that they cannot outrun Qrow. Being drunk is fun and terrifying new territory for everyone, especially a rich brat who, for various reasons, has never actually been drunk before.

Yeah, it's going to be a long night, isn't it. Especially when something dark crosses their face at the word 'mystery'. ]

I don't know, Qrow. What do you think. Since you seem to know so much about the situation already.

[ Oh boy, they're a spiteful drunk. ]

[blodsvorr]

[Sadly, knowing things is Qrow's job as a spy, so spiteful comments about it miss the mark.

Also, he's just worried about Lion and is focusing on them completely.]

You really want my guess? Something happened at the docks that was so bad you decided that hanging at a bar was a perfectly decent way to spend your time. I could go ask around, but right now, I'm more interested in seeing a drunk rich kid make it through the day without getting mugged, so I'll settle for whatever you decide to tell me.

[dialetheism]

I wouldn't get mugged. That would require me to have something worth stealing on me.

[ That is definitely how mugging works. Trust them, they're an expert.

It's not hard to tell that he's worried. Even with his vague but obvious complex about herding teenagers, if he really wasn't concerned, he would've happily just left them sitting there without trying to puzzle out what actually happened. They know that. They understand that.

Unfortunately, for once in their life, they're not feeling charitable about anything. And the fact that the guess is wrong in places just- hurts. Twists something in their chest that they wish they didn't have a name for. ]

... Is that the theory you're going with? What do you think it was, then...?

[ What an odd way to phrase that. And for a moment - just a moment - the look on Lion's face settles into something... strangely distant.

It passes as quickly as it came, practically snapping back into their usual cheerful smile- or, well, a decent approximation of it, at least. It doesn't quite reach their eyes. ]

Aaah, but what do I know. I'm just- just some silly rich kid, after all. I'll try to be more careful~

[ This is fine. This is completely fine. This is totally, definitely, absolutely not covered in pretty red warning flags or anything. ]

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow can handle bristly. He has spent his entire life throwing bristly at other people. And bitter, vicious, biting, defensive—they're all normal. They're worrying, in their way, but they're not outside the realm of what you might expect after something happened. People react to events strangely.

But it's that moment in the middle. When Lion is talking, but they don't seem quite right. It's a shift that's familiar, in some ways, because Qrow has seen something like it happening with Oscar. And then more recently, in Wash—a shift, Qrow later realized, that meant that he was slipping into the mindset of a fragment of an AI left with him.

"If anything is called by the Golden, destroy it immediately."

"It. Would probably be easier to put me down, then. It's hard to kill something that you're carrying, isn't it?"

It isn't a lot of information, but it's another piece that hasn't fit into place. He puts it aside and focuses on the here and now. The almost sing-song sassing he's getting.]

You don't want to tell me? Fine. But I don't want to hear any complaints about me treating you like a "just some silly rich kid" from the person who went out in the middle of a snowstorm to question my drinking habits back in New Aspen. It ain't about that, so try another angle for the passive aggressive snarking.

[dialetheism]

That's- That was different and you know it.

[ Well, he achieved one thing right off the bat - their voice drops back to a low hiss, any trace of that false cheer gone. All that's left behind is more of that awful strangeness that doesn't... look right on someone like Lion. Like a child playing dress-up with a nice hat that they found in a dumpster, or how some people think a hoodie and a pair of sunglasses makes for an adequate disguise. ]

The storm was only going to get worse when you left. And it could've k- [ They freeze. Backtrack. Rewrite the sentence in their head. ] -completely gotten someone hurt!

[ It's funny he should mention the snowstorm, actually.

See, magic is a fickle thing. Ignore it, and all it does is build until it finds it's own outlet to ruin your life, with or without your permission. They knew that going into this, made sure to ask the only other person who knew what their magic was the moment they realised they had it, specifically to stop any accidents from happening. So they've been practising. They've gotten some measure of control over their unintentional outbursts. Unfortunately, alcohol makes merry hell of anyone's best intentions, doesn't it.

There's no flickering gold butterflies yet. Because while it would be a very convenient way to drive away Qrow, to make him stop prying like he is so wont to do- they know all too well where that road leads. ]

You've got no right to talk. All it hurt- hurts is me, and I've already learned what a terrible idea it is. Isn't that what you wanted...?

[blodsvorr]

[Too many things are wrong. The shifting voice The way they slip on a word—an obvious word. The odd leading of the question.

Unfortunately, Qrow Branwen is a stubborn man. He has even argued with those he gives his deepest loyalties, even if he heels eventually. He is too opinionated, and he cares too deeply, to let this drop.

And frankly, Lion would have to get a lot nastier to make him flinch.]

I don't give a damn whether or not you know it's a problem if you're not going to be safe. Something's wrong, and fine, maybe you don't want to tell me. That's your choice. But you can't expect me to abandon you like this when I'm damn sure you never were going to abandon me.

[dialetheism]

[ Damnit, he just won't let it go, will he? They'd almost find it endearing if they weren't trying to get him to leave them alone. ]

It's not abandoning me if I'm fine. But again, how is this at all similar? This is a city. What could kill me here if I don't do anything stupid?

[ And there's the telltale glimmer of gold, the continued hammering of concern slipping past what they're willing to allow. Because well- that's it. That's the magic word. Accidentally or otherwise, it's out in the open now, and all that's left is the follow-through. ]

Which, fine, if you want to know the answer so badly? I died! Congratulations, Qrow, you did it!

[ There's a faint crack of glass, before golden confetti just... flutters through the air like the world's worst party favour. ]

That would mean we're even, right? I already knew about yours, after all - oh, or is this the part where I get mad anyway, because it doesn't matter whether or not you're concerned?

[ On the plus side: they conceded that he was right to be worried. Yay? ]

[blodsvorr]

[Qrow doesn't flinch, but he does move back. The confetti is so bizarre it almost takes him out of the emotional strike. Lion died. They died. At the docks? Fuck if Qrow knows. But the confetti might actually be the bigger threat.

Gods. What a dumbass world he's in.]

You're doing a lot of script-writing here, Lion. You sure you don't want to just write out the whole dialogue for us, hire a troupe, and let us watch the conversation you're real confident we're having?

[dialetheism]

Am I?

[ It's part follow-up stab, part genuine curiosity, all wrapped in the same sarcastic tone as everything else. Everything feels... weird, still, and has done since they woke up from That, no matter how they've tried to sort it. Being around people should've helped, but it didn't. Someone being concerned should've helped, but it didn't. Both only served to make the awful disconnect worse.

The confetti, thankfully, does not reoccur. But there's a strange tension in the air regardless as the magic continues to linger, as if waiting for another accidental outburst. ]

I'm not- I'm not the one who started prying without knowing what happened.

[blodsvorr]

Right. Minus that time in New Aspen when you did.

[His only real settled response at this point is settling into a level of sardonic carefulness. He's very worried about what's happening, and tapping Lion on the head to say, "Hey, you mind letting us have a word with the other person in there?" seems like it'd be a lot less effective than it is with Oscar and Oz.]

Look, Lion. You're not acting right. You just made confetti appear, and you're talking like you're possessed by a thousand-year-old spirit. So tell me what I'm supposed to do to help out, because I'm at a loss.