Fire Emblem On Forums: Mortal Transgressions (IC)

[Blasbo]

She simply nods in response to his proposition. Simeon is...a good man. One of the few good men she's seen since she was dragged out of the mountains all those months ago. If he needed time then she'd be happy to give it to him.

"Fair enough. Take all the time you need; Father used to say that a rushed job was little better than one that hadn't been done at all. But what do you suggest I do in the meantime?"

[RedMageCole]

A quiet sigh from Kane in response to Lenore's words.

 

"I'm hanging in there, Mink... I'm hanging in there. I'm not gonna let Virtuous fall due to disputes like this."

 

-----

 

"Hm... what do I suggest ye do in the meantime?... I'll be honest, I ain't sure. We are wanted prisoners, and there may be wanted posters with our faces on 'em as soon as the mornin' hits... I think I got a little plan in mind for what I wanna do, but I don't think ye'll like that one."

[Aurorix]

While it pained him to admit it, they were right. He was being quite hypocritical. He looks at his hands ashamed. But he couldn't help it, he was furious. What was he suppose to do? Stand back and let everything happened to not only himself but Kane? Stand back like everyone else who let the world get to this point? But it was his actions that caused this whole mess. So is action not the correct choice either? He clenches his fists not with anger alone but a whirl pool of emotions. He wasn't about to let his shame show, however. He has an image to maintain. He looked back at the group.  "Tch, I'm sorry for getting physical. Just let me say a couple more things. First, Justine I don't think you're a whore because of where you're from. I think you're a whore because of the way to act. Constantly alluding to the act seems like you're just begging for it to but thrust upon you. Second, Liz you asked why I joined Virtuous. Well, I joined to free the world of it’s fear. The fear of war and the death that comes along with it. The gods are so disappointed, I have to fix the world so they can be proud of it. THAT is the only reason I'm here in Virtuous and it's not to be making friends. I'll fight along side everyone and keep everyone alive as long as our goals remain the same. I won't let you die, but that's as far as I'm required to do on my part. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to be left alone. I have a lot to think about." With that he walks around Kane and back to the cart, if anyone has anything left to say to him nows your chance.

[Flannelmagician]

Tabitha unable to process the situation continues to silently watch the current situation unfold. She briefly considers just turning around and attempting to leave the prison herself but discards that idea almost immediately. 

 

She quickly mutters to herself. 

"Gods... How tiring..." 

[RedMageCole]

Kane quietly paused and let Baldur speak. He did not respond as Baldur left, and quietly turned to Justine.

 

"...I know you most definitely are unhappy with him, Minstrel, but it's best we don't give chase... hopefully a little alone time like he wants so desperately will help him realize he's being out of line and make him more willing to understand he can't be acting like this. I'll be having a talk with him later, rest assured, I am not going to allow him to treat the rest of you like this... but please, allow me to handle it. I know you'll want to be angry at him, and I don't blame you... but as your leader, please let me handle him."

 

Kane clearly sounded somewhat exhausted, but spurred by Lenore's previous words.

[Blasbo]

"Expected that much. They didn't go to this much trouble to keep me locked up just to let me walk away after a break-out. ...You might as well lay that plan you've got on me, though. At the moment I don't have much better other than keep my eyes and ears open and try to hunt some particularly good bears for dinner."

[Chevaleresse]

Justine's eyes widened in anger, but evidently the provocation wasn't quite enough for her to make a liar of herself just yet. She wasn't quite ready to let the man walk away without a retort, despite Kane's words.

"Of course that's what you'd think of me. A woman can't make a joke without proclaiming to the world that she's free to use, that's always how it is with your sort. Fine, then, sequester yourself in your thoughts, hide from the knowledge that you have real people and not paintings on a wall surrounding you."

 

Still, she let the man walk away, even if her hand kept trying to grip a nonexistent blade.

 

"I'm sorry. . . Phoenix." Again, it was difficult to remember to use the code name. "I've tried so hard to leave that word behind, but it seems to have followed me."

 

[Shauntaro]

Feeling unable to do anything apart from causing more trouble than he already has, Shin offers Lizaveta with some tissues. His face painted with guilt upon hearing her muffled sniffling.

"Here ..in case you- ..here."

He then mutters one last line before heading off to an unoccupied section of the area, being consumed by his own thoughts soon after.
"I'm.. sorry, for all this."

[RedMageCole]

"Heh... I warned ye. My plan... as strange as the lot is... think I might go with 'em. Not every day you can say ye're a part of the infamous band terrorizing the world. Not to mention, I'm quite curious about what they've got in store... and maybe they might need an extra hand or two to keep from more physical violence happenin'... someday, ye'll have te tell me how good bear meat is."

 

---

 

Kane's hardened, exhausted expression turned to one of warmth, as he turned to Justine with a more gentle expression.

 

"...You don't have to apologize, Justine..." He whispered only to her, letting her name be heard to the both of them alone. "That word will never define you, no matter how many times it is thrown at you. You alone define who you are... and there are many positive qualities you can say about yourself. A few examples I can think of... you have a contagious smile, you have an aura of positivity around you, and you always have something to say to make someone happy. There are so many great things to describe you with... no amount of insult like that can penetrate those qualities about you. And if you ever need someone to reassure you of that... I'm always here for you. As your leader... and as a friend, too."

 

---

 

...For a brief moment, Crimson broke out of his trance to see how Justine was doing. He watched... and overheard her words. He couldn't stick around to listen to what Kane said afterward, for all he could feel was guilt. His eyes closed.

Learn, damn it... they'd both think you were pathetic for stooping so low... and stop feeling sorry for yourself, just...

 

...Crimson listened, opened his eyes, and watched as Shin passed by.

 

"Oi."

 

He speaks still looking as if he were lost in thought, his eyes closing afterwards, indicating that he too, was done with conversation.

"You're not responsible for someone losing their marbles over what someone said to defend you. They are. You didn't do anything... trust me, I'd know."

[rokubiraijuu]

Once more, Ferdiad finds himself on the fringes of a confrontation without any way to stop it. This seemed to happen all the time — in the barracks back home, within the populace of his own people, even with his lord and lady. All that had been then, and he had left that behind when Kane had spoken to him in that inn. And still, all he can do is watch as conflict unfolds again in front of him, once more between those who should hold each other in good faith, those who, regardless of their own opinions, should be banding together to form a united front for the rest of the world to see.

 

He feels helpless. It's not your place to do something about everything, his mother had once said sternly to him. But if not him, then who?

 

As Baldur leaves the hall, a stunned Lizaveta and an angered Justine in his wake, Ferdiad simply watches with a crestfallen look on his face. How long could they work together like this if everyone seemed more interested in upholding their own beliefs over the good of the group? He is certainly not perfect himself either, but he has always endeavored to lift morale when possible and encourage a sense of fellowship. With the scene just now, however, it felt unlikely that any of the former prisoners would be keen on joining their cause.

 

Slowly, he walks over to Kane, leading Bradwr by the reins after having dismounted.

 

"Phoenix... I feel I must apologize. In light of all this, I have not done adequately in maintaining the harmony of Virtuous. I swore that I would serve you as your right hand, and in this I've failed. I will do better if you'll allow me."

[RedMageCole]

Kane gave a tiny little sigh afterwards and shook his head as Ferdiad approached, looking up at him.

 

"No worries, Knight... it's my duty as leader to be able to solve these disputes, and in that you have not failed, but it was I who have failed you as my right hand, not being able to take care of this on my own. You can only do the best you can do... right now, we'll just let Orchid have his space, and I'll make sure to give him a hefty talking to. You've done nothing wrong."

[Chevaleresse]

Justine sighed. 

"Thank you, Kane," she said quietly. If she didn't know better, she would have thought the man had feelings for her. The thought wasn't a welcome one; there was nothing wrong with Kane, but her heart was set on another, and it wouldn't be fair to the man. Though she supposed that thinking of it that way immediately only proved Baldur's point, in a way. She stayed quiet as Kane spoke to Ferdiad, chiming in after he was finished.

"Knight, it's not as if you could have seen this coming without being able to see the future. And, while the story of a clairvoyant knight burdened with solving the conflicts in the world would be an interesting one, you don't have that ability to my knowledge. Unless you've been hiding something from us." She attempted a smile. It was a bit weak, but it was there. "You've been the rock that our enemies wash over, you can't be expected to protect us from ourselves, too."

[rokubiraijuu]

Kane's forgiveness helps to assuage some of the blame he feels leaden on his shoulders, but it's Justine's kind words that dissolves much of the anxiety from his face and brings the beginnings of relief back into a smile as small as her own. 

 

"You don't know how it heartens me to hear that I've done that much of my duty."

 

"But a fortress to hold off the enemy is no good if the soldiers manning it are in disarray. I can only hope this can be resolved..."

 

He trails off into an uneasy quiet, lost in his head again.

[Blasbo]

"...You're right. I don't like it. ..Tch. But as long as you're going to be tagging along with them anyways, I suppose I might as well."

"Grape-hair the Macho Man better stay the hell away from me, though."

[RedMageCole]

Justine's warm words and Ferdiad's calm served to help Kane look a bit less exhausted as he perked up ever so slightly.

 

"No worries, Knight. This will get resolved with time. I'll be rallying the Virtuous members inside the prison together so we can all march outside, and I'll make sure to keep everyone held together when we meet Orchid outside. And Orchid will have some talking to do with me, I promise... for now, we'll tend to the others, alleviate pressure. I want to particularly check on Scarlet, but I want to know first and foremost that you two will be okay and if there's anything I can do right now for either of you to help just a little bit."

 

---

 

Simeon looks a bit surprised at Reiko's agreement.

 

"Not the reaction I expected... but ye know what? Ye're a smart lass... If ye're comin' with, then I should teach ye how to be a smith, I might be in the market for a new apprentice since I'll be havin' Jules man the shop back at home... but first, we'll see how this all blows over. If we're not accepted, we can always find another route... Bear does sound good right about now."

[Blasbo]

"Unless a reason presents itself I'm not planning on tagging along with them for all that long. Maybe I'll stick around long enough to learn how to make myself a sword...in case I need that information. But when I'm ready to go and if no surprises happen along the way then I'm going."

She glances off to the side, going quiet for a few moments before talking again. "Maybe...I could ask them if they want to leave too. The dirty guy, the mousy girl, the dancer...they don't have to come with me. It's probably better that they don't, actually. Just...I don't know. They shouldn't have to deal with him." She trusts that he knows what she means by 'him'.

"...A-Anyways. Bear is good, if you cook it right. ...I don't really know how, though. Father always did the cooking."

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta spoke one thing, darkly, as Baldur turned to leave:

"People have more to be afraid of than war -- they also have people like you to be afraid of, and that's why I'm here."

 

Then Shin showed up and offered Lizaveta tissues, and: 

"I... I don't need..."

Lizaveta fell silent, and then took the tissues, looking down.

 

When Lenore approached Lizaveta, she just shrugged, looking down.

"I didn't come here to just let people like him do stuff like that."

[ElfCollaborator]

 

"And I didn't come here to work with a bunch of grown adults resorting to screaming at each other and hitting each other like children, but we make do with what we got. Let Phoenix handle him, it's his responsibility. Sometimes you have to take a few hits before you win big. Don't waste your time on small fry. If you do that, you'll waste your energy going after the little minnows instead of the big fishes out there."

 

[RedMageCole]

"Understandable, really... no one can force ye to do anything. But I do appreciate ye givin' em a chance... maybe ye'll even find the lead ye're lookin' for, Virtuous does have a tendency to get around the place... and we can hopefully keep an eye on that Orchid fella."

 

Simeon gives a short nod in response to the bear meat. "Never been much of a cook meself, I'm damn good at smithing but it don't always translate to cooking, I'm afraid. I usually just have Jules do the cookin', he's never minded... good lad, he is, I'll be a bit sad to see him off.

 

---

 

Kane pauses for a little bit, looking back at Lizaveta before turning back to Justine and Ferdiad.

 

"...I'm sorry, but I'll need just a moment... I'd like to attend to Scarlet and see how she is. Just let me know if you need anything, please. I'm always looking out for you both."

 

Kane walks rather quickly back over to Lizaveta, trying not to flat out run but still walk as fast as he could before stopping a couple feet away from her, giving a small nod of thanks to Lenore.

 

"Scarlet... I wish I could apologize for this, but I don't believe I can properly accept one until I've made sure Orchid never treats you like this again. I promise to you that I will take care of him and make sure you don't have to worry about him anymore. I'll make sure to do my best so you feel safe here... I never wanted anyone to be hurt like this by our own teammates, and it's my responsibility to make sure you all feel safe. Is there anything you need right now that I can do for you? I'm going to give a short assessment of everything, we'll head back home... and I'll see to it Orchid learns from what has transpired here."

[Powder Miner]

Lizaveta sighed as Kane spoke to her. 

"It... it isn't just that he hit me," even if that had been really bad and she'd very nearly cried from the whole ordeal, "But... that he would act like all of that in the first place... it's, it's awful. It's really awful. I didn't think that anyone here would be like this when I came. But... yeah. People are." Baldur, and the angry red man, and that other healer, all seemed like cruel people to one extent or another. It was depressing, really.

[RedMageCole]

Kane gave a slow nod.

 

"...I understand... I promise that I'll make this group a better place for you. You are our newest member and you should be allowed to feel safe here... Just know that you can always come to me if you need anything. I'll always be there to listen."

 

...

 

After making sure Lizaveta was okay, Kane gathered up the rest of Virtuous and met in the hall of the prison, asking the prisoners to also meet him if they would. Simeon and Crimson both moved from their original spots to join them, Crimson standing off a little bit to the side. Standing in front of everyone, he quietly paced as he waited for everyone minus Baldur to gather... then spoke.

 

"Everyone... while this mission was a success, we overthrew Warden Ganymede's tyranny, freed you all to go on with your lives, and even got a little bit for ourselves..." Kane fiddles a little bit with the Blade Ring he got, before putting it back in his pocket. "...I can not say in full confidence this was entirely a success. However, it has paved the road for one thing in my mind; that Virtuous is more than this. While I'm sure you who were once prisoners may see us as dysfunctional... I won't say you are incorrect, but know that I plan to correct this. That goes for Virtuous as well... Orchid's behavior was inexcusable, and I will be making sure to tend to him when we arrive at home. Know that I am going to improve from seeing this incident, and know that I will be making damn sure this will be the last bit of dysfunction within the group. We are a team and we deserve each other's respect. I only ask that as I work harder to keep us all together... that you all work just as hard to further our goal to keep this continent in check, even if it involves doing some dirty work. As for the ex-prisoners... this is where we part ways. I do wish I had made a better impression for you all, but-"

 

Simeon clears his throat.

 

"Whatdya think of Anvil?"

 

Kane looks over at Simeon, raising an eyebrow.

 

"...Anvil?"

 

Simeon nodded.

 

"Ye. Anvil. Me new codename. I ain't gonna be doin' much on the field, but I think yer in the market for a new blacksmith, aye? My back ain't what it used to be, but I assure ye I only do quality work. I will admit, I got a bit of a desire for some coin, so I'd like some payment for me services, but I assure you they'll be pretty decent prices. Oh, and I ain't takin' no for an answer; even if ye don't pay me for nothin', I'm still gonna be keepin' an eye on things for yer sakes before I head back to my place if ye really don't want me, get it?"

 

Kane narrowed his eyebrows, looking Simeon in the eye for a bit. Simeon just nods, and after a pause, Kane nods back.

 

"...Very well... I can't say I expected that, but welcome to Virtuous, Anvil. Your services will be appreciated and welcomed among our team as long as you're certain for our cause. We aren't simply petty criminals, after all. We work for the good of humanity. Vigilantes, so to say, doing what's right to stop injustice from happening in this world. No small job is ever unimportant... and I'll make sure that after this rough first impression, I'll make sure to live up to your expectations. And I hope the rest of us will as well."

[Swordstar]

Mim frowned listening to the man's speech. He was just about ready to ditch them all, huh? Well, she could just return home probably. Not like the prison was going to look too hard for her. But on the other hand... Well, being part of this group did sound exciting. And she could use the battles to try and get better at making potions. Which was the whole point of this journey after all... And what about Shin? He clearly needed more people looking out for him, if the way that rude healer had been talking about him was any indication. An idea slowly started to form in her head and she looked up at Fey with a grin.

 

"Hee. Watch this."

 

Sticking her hand up in the air, she called out,

 

"Oooh, I want to be called Snowbird, is that alright? I'm good with a bow and I can make potions that have lots of different effects. _{Plus this way I can watch out for Shin.} And besides, you guys need more people if you're wanting to do all that you were talking about! Why not pull some of us in, hmm? After all, we're all fugitives now anyways."

[Zetaark]

"Hah, so in the end it turns out like this huh? Not that I'm terribly surprised after all of this and knowing how Mim is. Whatever, doesn't change why I'm around," Fey sighs before shrugging and walking next to Mim.

 

"Guess I'll go by Golden Eye. Someone has to look out for this one after all. As for skills, I can handle a boat pretty well I suppose, not that that's all too important right at this moment," Fey remarks, ending with a laugh.

[rokubiraijuu]

At the forefront of the gathered group, Ferdiad stands straight, arms behind his back, and listens to their leader with full attention. Having something to focus on like this helps keep the uncertainty that threatens to creep into the crevices of his thoughts at bay — at least until Kane mentions something about dirty work, and Ferdiad can't help but furrow his brow just a little bit. He quickly forces himself to brush it aside, though. Now isn't the time.

 

Thankfully, first the older man interjects with an offer to join the group. As Kane pauses and then accepts, Ferdiad can only stare in stunned surprise. He would have thought that, after the earlier display, none of them have any interest in such a disorderly-seeming band. But perhaps Kane's reassurances had done more to alleviate their fears than he had thought.

 

And then the young girl with the bow and arrow who had displayed such bravery in the fight chimes in similarly, and Ferdiad cannot help but break into a delighted smile, thrilled at the thought that perhaps his worries had been misplaced after all.

 

"What say you, Phoenix?" he asks brightly, turning to look at their leader again. "We know too well how society is often hesitant to accept those who have seen prison, regardless of the justice of their charges. For those who would start their lives anew with us, this chance may be as good as any."

 

And, to Mim: "And I think Snowbird is a fine name."

[Blasbo]

Hrm...he's willing to just let her go. And normally she'd be happy to do that. She'd been planning to take off anyways and she didn't feel like spending much more time around that thug in a fancy suit they had for a healer than she needed to. But...circumstances were different, it seemed. Though, she still planned on leaving as soon as she was able. She simply crosses her arms and leans against the nearest wall.

"For the time being, I'm going where Simeon goes. Don't expect me to stick around you all forever, though. When I'm ready, I'm gone."

"...I don't...have to pick a code name, do I? I personally don't see the point.