Power of One

    The Land of Eas is not quiet these days. Nor peaceful. With a 'friendly' force encamped here, there is, as Elly defines it, "Too much armor and too little poetry." Despite this, there are still places where one might get away. The great tower is one of those. Where once the Orc Shaman cast spells of weather to drive off Wake and her friends, there is now a bath. It is broad, taking up much of the room, and the water is heated. Eventually. Wake is far from weak with fire magic. The steam curls off the surface, waiting for her to enter.

    At the moment, though, she is rather out of sight and silent, looking out over her castle and contemplating just what her next moves will be. She's got much to think of, and much to do. At least, once she's settled on what it is that she means to do.

Invited though Robert may have been, he is brooding. Has been brooding. Likely will continue to brood. His features crinkle hard, whether in thought or out of resentment.

He is not, to put it mildly, dressed for any sort of appropriate interaction. Aside from a merciful towel wrapped about his waist with a vengeful firmness, his dampened locks and wet footsteps suggest that he is fresh from the cleaning stations. It would not, after all, do to hop into the bath dirty. And yet, in spite of his attentions being clearly elsewhere, his progress is utterly smooth, silent, and the only sound to herald his approach is the final rustle of a towel being removed, and the rippling of bathwaters parting.

And beautiful though the scenery may be, he sees it not, his gaze fixated--if blankly--on the curling mists before him.

    And so it is, that for a time, these two ships, sailing in the night, are utterly unaware of each other. Oddly enough, though not truly rarely, they are brooding, as well.

    Eventually, though, the night air reminds Wake that she didn't come here to stand about and mull over the view, fine though it may be. It's not that warm away from the water, and she's longing to enjoy it.

    She doesn't move any more silently than she normally does. That means little, however, as a trained assassin always moves in a nearly silent fashion.

    She notices Robert, but says nothing just yet. Instead, she makes for a spot in the water to his right. Not so close that it might be scandalous, but rather a couple arm lengths away. A thin robe falls and then the soft sound of her feet entering the water (first the left, then the right) can be heard. The Baroness doesn't immediately glide under the water, but instead removes the chopsticks that had held up her hair and with a graceful shake, sends her dark ginger locks tumbling dramatically down her back.

    Now properly ready, she slowly sinks down to sit in the delicious heat of the bath. As she does, a most unusual thing happens. A bright orange leaf settles in the water before her, blown somehow from the forest outside and far below.

    She makes a bowl of her hands, lifts the leaf in a pool of cupped water, and whispers,

    Steaming waters hiss
    My mind grows thick in the heat
    Autumn sends a gift

If Robert was expecting privacy he gives no hint of that. There is no visible start. Certainly no girlish shriek. There is, however, a sideways glance the moment Wake's movements register in his peripheral vision.

Followed, naturally, by turning his glance away until she's properly in the pool.

And since -he-, for one, is not a noble, he does not attempt a haiku. Instead he simply allows himself a pair of uplifted eyebrows coupled with pensive contemplation. "Well, -that- doesn't bode well," he comments, sliding lower in the water until the back of his head hits the pool ledge. His head then turns to glance at her silhouette in the steam. "That which -should- purify instead obfuscating, leading to a gift from a season that traditionally takes away? Hello, Baroness."

    "The world has often reached out to draw focus to that which is most important. Whether it is a gift from an unlikely place, or a rather dramatic slap on the side of the head, it is all the same."

    Wake turns her attention to Robert, carefully setting the leaf back on it's peaceful ride across the bath. She leans back then, smiling as the heat immediately drives her to relax.

    "Welcome to an evening of clarity and focus, Robert," she says dramatically. "I do think we both have much to gain of it. Or at least we will enjoy hot water and time away from the usual matters. I think we might even talk about non-work issues for as long as five or six minutes."

It must be admitted that Robert looks, briefly, exceedingly skeptical. With respect to what is anyone's guess. But there's that single frail, flicker-flash of a moment--like a crack of lightning that disappears within a breath--during which his features twist, eyebrows sliding upwards, nose crinkling. It is the quintessential soul of 'really?!!'. And then it is gone.

"I'm not actually sure what we'd talk about, if not work," he opines at last, turning his gaze from her towards safer pursuits. Like waving little puffs of air towards the abandoned leaf, setting it skittering this way and that over the bath's surface. So much for peace.

    "Well, I guess it depends on your definition of work, in that case. Having spent so much time learning to sing in this place, I have decided that music may be the key to the greatest of pursuits: having a good time."

    She delivers this so casually it might almost be taken seriously. "However, not a damned decent jazz or blues club is in sight. This made me come to realize that even when I am trying to relax I find yet more things I have to do. Goddess knows who or what I will have to kill to get myself a proper piano. Not to mention a good bass or drum set. And what is the point of open mic night when there is not even a damn mic? At least we will have electricity soon enough. Then we can start to dispense with all these damn feeble candles."

    As if to drive home her point, she reaches out to her powers with light. Brilliant globes light up in a wave of patterns and shifting colors beneath the water.

SpritesHero's gaze mysteriously goes elsewhere. Impressive as the light-show is, somehow Robert finds the ceiling to be exceedingly interesting. He also, notably, draws his legs to his chest, arms wrapping around his shins.

"I think this would qualify as work," Robert decides at last with a pursing of his lips. "I mean, you've been aiming to turn Eas into a centre for the arts for ages, yes? So surely this qualifies?" His gaze drops, and a chuckle rumbles deep in his throat. "Face it, Baroness. You have no work-life separation. At all." Beat. "Well, almost no work-life separation."

    Wake tilts her head, looking focused. It's clear that she is coming up with and then discarding comments. At last, a look of victory is on her face.

    "Tae came back to Eas yesterday. We spent almost every moment since burning up the sheets." She smiles, looking at Robert, who surely must at least acknowledge that was not work-related.

    "But music is a passion of mine, and there is something I wish to recreate from the world before. The idea was inspired by my fiance' sneakily not telling me she returned, but sending me the exact foods we shared on our first date. Well, first meeting. I want to bring that kind of club, that experience back. I want it again."

"I -did- say almost," Robert reminds her with a faint smile. He exhales in a sigh, leaning back and closing his eyes. Occasionally the eyelids crack open, but for the most part they remain firmly shut. "Tae has always been the exception, hasn't she, and deserves a...category of her own."

And then there's silence once more, broken only by the lapping of bathwater. "I do miss music," he reflects at last. "I try to remember it when I can, but music does not come easily to me here." The eyes snap open once more, shifting sharply towards Wake. "Electric lights?"

    "She is exceptional," agrees Wake, laughing softly.

    "I want to do more than just remember it. I want true, proper music. The Lander songs make me wonder how a game could be made with so little range. The question is what instrument to create first. I know my love would lead me to..."

    Robert's sudden interest in electricity gives her pause. "Well, certainly, Robert. That is the intention. But first, Goldenblade has to complete her work on the hydroelectric generator. She intends to make it under Eas."

SpritesHero's brow crinkles in confusion and he sits up with a slosh. "But if you haven't got lights," he wants to know, "what do you intend to use electricity for? Are you getting your grid in place in anticipation of future developments? Do you have anything else that requires massive amounts of electricity? I certainly wouldn't object if you have some sort of top-secret weapons development going on in secret." Beat.

On second thought, -don't- tell me. Just surprise me. I do like surprises, especially when they come in the form of an enemy suddenly not existing. I must say I'm a bit surprised to see your attentions turning back towards more artistic pursuits. Have the Palace Landers turned their attentions elsewhere?"

    "One cannot make light without a source of power. Goldenblade will get us the power, and at that point we will start to develop all manner of things. Light bulbs, for one. Possibly new weapons that can boast a fire rate that will put the fear of the Goddess in the enemy. But only briefly. Before it kills them."

    Wake sighs. "Damn it all, back to work it is!" She is not truly upset.

    "And you need not fear. I have a small fleet right now that is charting the path our enemy uses to move goods. Upon confirmation of this, at the soonest welcome weather I shall sail with a friend and start to build an armada in the most efficient way. By stealing it. A ship or three at a time to begin, but give me some time, Robert, and I will have great need of a port." She sighs again.

    "And yes, music is not just a means of pleasing myself. Landers place great value in it. I mean to put Uta's recording tools to use and put my voice and a new kind of music out to the four corners of Yamato. Additionally, I have briefly conferred with Yeowang on a plan to address my greatest issue. Eas has a small population. However, Yeowang has a bank. A bank that can fun the construction of homes, streets, and grant me reasonable terms to pay after the fact with tax revenues. My very own homestead act, Robert. Eas has been attacked, certainly, but it did not fall. It is not directly on a dangerous coast, either. Perhaps I might convince a few good people that they are safer here than where they dwell now. And what of those who have lost their homes entirely?"

    She reaches out over the water, and lights that are like fine lines start to form, showing, roughly, a map of Yamato and where all the Unconquered are. "Work, work, I know. My friends.. my people are now moving, listening, and in every corner of Yamato. Numbers are not mine. Not yet. But I have been moving, Robert, spinning a web that grows ever more complex and beautiful in time. The day draws near, though. Every second I can feel it just a little closer. I wait for a chance, for a moment that stands above the rest, and then I will be able to ascend from my current place."

SpritesHero stares. Not for long. And there's a distinct crinkling of the skin around his eyes, though his expression never goes entirely over to being a glare. There is a prolonged silence yet again, gaze shifting from her, to her outstretched arms, to the lights playing over the surface of the water.

"Good," he states at last, fingers interlacing in front of him as he continues his scrutiny of their scale-model of Yamato. "I'd been hoping you were aiming there. Just remember that anything you do abroad will eventually come back home, one way or the other. But you, I think, know that far better than I do."

    "I have caused a discomfort the world over, yes," notes Wake. "And yet the nobles remain silent on it. Meanwhile, Gilgamesh is making his land into a kingdom. We need to find out how that is done. I hope that Uta will be able to dig into it. I am most curious, indeed. I might even go, myself, but we shall see. I respect Gilgamesh, but I do not enjoy being around him. I feel uneasy in his presence. Almost unsafe, somehow."

    The Baroness allows the lights to fade away, then. "You now know my whole intention. From its beginnings, of which you are familiar, to its current state, which you know as well as anyone at this, and of course, to the future. Which is where I suspect you are in very lonely company, indeed. I do not share this with anyone. They might cause issues. Or they might fret a great deal about it. Or I simply wish to leave them in suspense and wonder, as I demonstrate my full ambitions in this world of ours."

SpritesHero's shoulders lift, then fall. "I do appreciate the vote of confidence," Robert opines, turning fully towards Wake at this point, the bath's wavelets bobbing against his chin. When he speaks his tones are light, teasing. "If this were the other world, I might be wondering if I'm likely to make it out of this room. But in this world? I will take your confidence at face value and treat it as the honor that it is." His hand lifts, folding over his chest. His chin dips in something like a bow.

"And you shouldn't feel safe around Gilgamesh," Robert opines, lips quirking into a faint smile. "He's old. And a king. And well respected. I don't imagine one gets to that point without there being a good number of bodies tucked away somewhere. But I do have to wonder whether your discomfort is that of a m...hunter around another hunter? Or do you think his agenda is something worse?"

    "I have no reason to suspect Gilgamesh as anything but.. well, probably the most powerful being I have ever met. That kind of power and his apparent sense of right and wrong may prove dangerous to me." Wake smiles at Robert, bowing her head.

    "I mean to be a good ruler, but I am uncertain just how I shall balance on his scales of judgment. I feel he does not disappropve of me. He has warned me against the Dukes, for instance. I sense I differ from him. He is the reluctant king, I think, and no doubt a talented one. Perhaps I view him as a dangerous rival. Perhaps I am simply overreacting."

    She lets it trail off into silence for a time. But that silence does not linger long. "Whichever way it turns out, I have dangerous 'friends' close enough as it is. To have soldiers of the Dukedom guarding my walls. I remember the old adage, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer', but in this situation, I am unable to discern if they are more friend or more enemy."

"Not friends. Never friends," Robert decides with a tilt of his head. "Allies? Sometimes. When interests overlap. But friends? No. Expect them to always be looking for a weakness, and to capitalize on it when they see it. So I would suggest keeping them very close indeed."

And with that he turns away, retreating to his part of the pool. "I do not envy you, Baroness, in your ambitions. They will take you to a place where you find yourself surrounded by the absolute worst. But so long as you are useful, I think Gilgamesh will support your claim. I have no idea how he views Eas, though. Politically."

    "He is a most strange Lander. He has empathy for us. Even the Scale Emblem. He believes you have every right to try and get home, though our invading friends do not share his views."

    The description of the Dukes seems rather accurate. "Gilgamesh calls them sharks. And yet.. would they be stupid enough to try to take Eas? I imagined planting the Olympus Headquarters right here would keep them from trying to kill each other. And ideally from wasting my time with their intrigues. However, I am rather vulnerable at the moment, with Mac Anu taken and my church being there. I watch my back, as you might expect. It's a relief to have Tae back. Another set of eyes. And safe hands on my food."

    

"Or, alternatively, he understands the impact of holding us prisoner in a land that is not our own," Robert points out. "Regardless of whether he has sympathy for us or not, I don't think any of the lands would have survived that sort of restriction. True, we very well might lose. But not before turning Yamato into...well." A wry smile, and a clearing of his throat.

"But that did not happen. So the point is moot. But what is that you were saying about him founding a kingdom? Do you know why he is taking this step?"

    "In light of the Palace Lands threat and due to Ezzo being removed from a place of power. He will make his land into an established kingdom," explains Wake. "I am unclear how such a thing is done, but it reminds me of a topic Uta and I have had much conversation about. There are books that the various powers that be hold onto and we suspect they contain secrets of great importance."

    This reminds her of something else, as well. "I had an interesting thought after I first met the Silver Tongues. Apologies, they are my naval powers. Merchants and privateers, essentially. But after discussions with them my mind was wandering and I began to muse on how the root towns become aligned in the way they are now. After all, these current Landers did not build them. What is the origin of these strange landers under each root and how did they come to support the current kingdoms?"

SpritesHero slides closer, attentive. "Explain," he requests of her, gaze piercing. "And while you're at it, do also please explain why Ezzo had to be removed first. And if so, why it has taken so long to start establishing a new kingdom."

    Wake focuses her mind to pluck out a very careful quote. "This is what the Bandit King said to Gilgamesh:

    With the Ezzo Empire fallen, Yamato needs a new source of Power. And while my people have been welcomed by the Adventurers of the Tower, that is no true Kingdom. I know you have your concerns, King Gilgamesh, in regards to following any writings of Sarla. But I believe this must be done.

    I have no knowledge of Sarla's writings, but I think we may well want to learn everything we can about them."

    Wake brushes an errant hair from her eyes, her attention shifting back to Robert's face. "We know little of the mechanics of these kind of things. However, with the right leverage, we might end up knowing a great deal. So much hinges on my hope to redeem Queen Lorelai. To win over the better part of her and free her from this terrible path she walks."

SpritesHero's gaze is searching, rapidly flitting this way and that over Wake's features as she speaks. Occasionally it flickers, rolling backwards as though to file away some tidbit of information. "And why Gilgamesh is so reluctant to follow any of this Sarla's writings," Robert adds, pensive. "But you are right, of course. I confess that I have been...grossly mistaken. I thought I could ignore this world to focus on other matters. It would appear that was overly optimistic indeed. Nonetheless, my skillsets are in neither lore nor redemption. I do hope you don't mind if I leave those in your capable hands."

    "The Palace Landers have taught us many things," Wake replies quietly. "They can bring us something every bit as bad as death. They can enslave us. Drive us mad. Torture us forever. What they have done challenges the very notions of redemption. We shall see if I can mete out a more just penalty than death to them."

    Her attention moves away from this topic. The horse, as they say, is dead and beaten to a fine jelly. There are other things to discuss.

    "What is your next move, Robert? You know where I am heading. I know you mean to escape and clear the tower. But what else might be in your future? You will have my aid, as often as I am able to give it, and to whatever degree of openness proves possible." They both know that some things must be done anonmyously, even if it is patently obvious who has done it.

"I ask you for little," Robert replies quietly, leaning in. "At least, I think I do. But I would ask you for a favor in this. Wash your hands of it. Do not sit in judgement over them. Impartial judge, impartial jury, before the eyes of the people. Let them face their accusations, let them make the best defense they can, and let the people see who and what they really are." He draws back a touch, then, addressing the next subject.

"I honestly do not rightly know," he admits, with mild amusement. "I suppose it's back to basics. Fundamentals. Figure out how this world works. The short-cut failed, now it's time to be diligent."

    Wake bows her head in thought. She finally smiles.

    "You have not asked for much. And now you put it forth in the most interesting of ways. However, I accept your terms. Though I do mean to protect Lorelai if I may, and buy her time to earn clemency from her judges. Unless off course she proves me wrong, and turns out to be a wailing hag. Then.. they shall have as speedy a trial as they might like."

    "As for short-cuts, they often fail. Not always, but often enough to make one doubt them. I'm curious, though, how you mean to start this fundamental."

SpritesHero inclines his head in acknowledgement. Her last question, however, has him grimacing. It really is a bit of a grotesque expression. "In any other world I would say I have no idea. But in this world? Law. Law, I suppose." He laughs, the sound strained, bordering on but not quite tilting over entirely into mania. "I don't think I'll ever get used to being able to get used to being able to do that. To think that knowing how the world functions is a skill."

    "I think it's rather wonderful, though, to start there. Perhaps you might even unwrap some of these weird comments Landers make. Laws, writings, whatever these are. I dislike these strange things even as I start to delve into the tenuous religion of this unusual world."

    Wake.. no, Elly.. rises slightly, enough to rest both her elbows on the pool's edge, her back arched comfortably. "I will of course help in any way I might, Robert."

SpritesHero stares. Incredulous. There is an exceedingly long moment during which he continues to stare. "You....you think I got into this to look through -paperwork-?!" he answers at last, properly aghast.

Another extended period of silence, followed by a sigh, during which he brings his hands to his face, rubbing at it wearily. "No. I know. You're probably correct. There'll be no avoiding it, will there. Crates and crates and crates of....of -documents-."

    "The one truth in life. Paperwork. Everyone has to do it. Except Yuuki. She just gives it all to me, somehow." Wake laughs softly, shakes her head. Her damp hair clings to her shoulders and back, while other long tresses spills forward, preserving some shred of her virtue. Such as it is.

    "Thank goodness I have most of it tamed at this point, with a secretary in my employ. Though I do need to find myself some financial expertise. I've a need for someone with a head for these matters."

SpritesHero slowly closes his eyes, tension playing up and down the line of his jaw. Finally, he speaks once more. "You do have a point," he admits, grudgingly. "At least it's not filling out form 4E. Followed by 1023-EZ, because some intern thought it'd be cute. At least there's -content-. But." There's a faint narrowing of his eyes, and a pursing of his lips. Indecision wars across his features.

    Elly lids her eyes and lets out a sigh. The air outside is blowing strong. It's not a cold wind, but it sets a chill air moving through this high floor of the tower. "There's something about the night air on the skin," she murmurs, distracted by the strange feeling.

    "And no, it won't be nearly so dull. In this world, the paperwork can be powerful, indeed. But...?" She is paying attention, but she's very relaxed.

'But I don't waaaannaaaaaa' Robert almost answers. Instead he opts for something more professional. "But I imagine the most important parts are hidden away, if not outright unexplored." Amusement sparks, his gaze hooding as he approaches. "It is odd to think, is it not? That to pursue law properly it will need to be bent." So saying he leans in, murmuring something under his breath into Elly's ear.

    Elly, to her credit, takes what is whispered in stride. Certainly the proximity makes her quite aware of the situation in ways that she was not. This is likely the first time Robert has seen her blush, and it's a most satisfactory crimson. She deserves every ounce of it.

    Her grace manages to make the abrupt descent into the modesty of the warm water seem less of a panic than it truly is. She cannot look at Robert for a moment. As if that helps!

    When she does, her blush is still present. "That.. yes. Apologies, that was most rude of me, wasn't it?" Nervous laughter follows. She truly had no idea just what she was doing there.

    "Perhaps we had... best dry up and carry on in my quart.. that is, in another space," she suggests. She adds something else, but it is rather under her breath and not fit for a lady to express.

SpritesHero's smile retains its amusement as he turns away from her, presenting her with his back. And presumably some measure of privacy. "Ladies first," he quips, keeping his tones carefully neutral. "And no apologies needed. A pleasure as always, Baroness."

    Elly departure from the water is rather less stealthy and graceful than her entry. It's most unusual for her to dress and mutter. She dries herself off swiftly and gets dressed. Sure, she could menu dress, but she almost never does that.

    Ready as she is, she will call out, "I'm all set. I will.. wait for you just down the stairs." Yes. Down there, where the heat of her blush cannot be /felt/ by everyone around her.

A Baroness? Waiting? What a novel concept. And yes, Robert does execute a roll of his eyes, however good-natured it might be. Unlike her own exodus, his is rapid, deliberate. He has no trouble menu dressing, and in a matter of minutes is properly suited up and descending the steps back to the main complex.