Where is Your Heart

    The Dome of Stars is rarely lit brightly, but today it is. All about her, lights swirl. They burst here and there in brighter bursts, and from them scatter dozens of petals of light. Up higher and higher they float, until they illuminate the great dome, leaving no shadow.

    In the midst of this, Wake strums a harp. She is alone, but untroubled. She watches the strings vibrate as she plucks them, her mind wandering amidst the lights she creates. The tempo is allegro and the tune almost begs to be danced to, somehow.

    While nobody has needed her for a few hours today, all the guards know where she is. They do not bother her, but will happily direct anyone looking for the Baroness her way.

Toshiro was less than familiar with this castle, still. With his more direct involvement with the alliance being a more recent thing, there were still plenty of things to get used to. Yet when guards offer him assistance, he politely declines with his usual smile. 'Better to get a lay of the land myself', he tells them as he offers a pat on the shoulder and goes about his business. But eventually, he would have something guiding him. The fins on his head twitch slightly as the sound of a soft melody reaches him. One that he finds himself slowly wandering ever closer to.

The music leads him to a room he somehow had missed in his wanderings of the castle, a beautiful space that seemed to capture a starlit sky within its interior. Lips purse slightly as if too whistle, but he remains silent as he takes in the sight. Best not to disturb the musician, after all. His golden gaze eventually falls onto the woman at the center of it all, lips curling into a tender smile as he quietly watches her. He makes no effort to hide his presence as he steps closer, though his steps are at least quiet enough not to disturb her rhythm. Instead, we waits for an adequate pause to finally speak up. "Quite the musician, aren't you?"

    Elly isn't troubled by an audience. It is, after all, the point of performance. To move someone. The more the merrier. When the song is finished, she allows silence to come to the Dome of Stars.

    Stepping away from her instrument, she curtseys. The strange ribbon-like bits of dress are held out in a gesture that is beautiful and welcoming. With head bowed, she almost seems to float.

    "Welcome to Eas," she says warmly. "I am Elly, known to others as Baroness Wake. I am pleased that you are here." And she even sounds like she means it.

    Her expression is relaxed. Her smile calm. Serene. That is the word. "I hope that you find the castle to your liking. I imagine it is a blessing to be in a place where you need not duck through every doorway."

Toshiro removes the brimmed hat from his head, holding it to his chest as he offers a polite bow to the woman in return. Her comment receives an amused chuckle from the sizable creature, smile growing slightly as he rights his posture. "Elly? How interesting." The is gently placed back on top of his head, hand now moving to rest on his waist as he watches the graceful woman. "Toshiro. Known only as Toshiro, so far. Maybe someday I'll earn myself such a fancy title, but for now I think this is good enough."

A moment is taken to scan the room, a soft thoughtful hum slipping past his lips before his gaze settles on her once more. "I'm sorry, but I can't quite shake the name. Elly. Wake. You're not from Japan, are you?"

    Elly tilts her head for just a moment, then laughs softly. "Ah, you speak of the dream before. Yes, I was an American. I came to Japan via..." She thinks a moment. "First it was Korea, then Shanghai, and then I came to Tokyo, where heartbreak ended and my love and life was restored. After that dream ended I came here."

    Her smile flicks into something almost playful as she says, "And you, only known as Toshiro, were from what part of Japan before you came to this world?" When she stands, her posture is notable. Something about the way she holds herself is almost art. The light still moves around them, keeping the darkness at bay. If it takes much effort from her, she doesn't show it.

Toshiro raises his brows at her, a gloved finger reaching up to tap at his chin as she speaks. "Goodness. Sounds like you went on quite the journey to end up here. Your life must be so much more exciting than mine." His smile remains constant, as does the soft warmth it seems to radiate despite the jagged teeth that occasionally reveal themselves. "I too am from Tokyo, believe it or not. Though not any part of it that a fine woman such as yourself had any business running around." A hand casually gestures toward the refined woman before him, the glint in his eye reflecting her own hints of impishness right back toward her.

"Though, I really do have to ask...You mentioned this before, I think, on the Chimlink. Calling our lives on Earth a 'dream'. I understand that you're not saying it wasn't real, but I trust you understand why using that sort of language is a bit...concerning?" A hint of worry enters into his gaze, smile fading a bit into something more lopsided. "It makes it sound like you're one of those New World folks."

    "Ahh, well, I did usually frequent the nicer places, I suppose. I rather loved Ginza. I spent some fun nights in Roppongi. Mostly I met people much wealthier and far more important than me, but I suppose if I had called, I might have spoken to your Prime Minister. Well, eventually."

    The conversation amuses Elly, judging by the smirk she wears. "I am not certain how fine a woman I am. My Taeyeon, though, she brings the class. The greatest healer I ever met, though she doesn't practice medicine." There is a way she uses her lovers name that is almost erotic. She doesn't apologize about it.

    "And yes, the dream before. It is not so difficult a concept, is it? Old memories from another world, all the skills you knew then do not work at all in the very real world you are in. Is that not exactly how dreams work? But what was, happened. At least, happened enough for me. But it does not do to dwell in dreams, Toshiro. This world is now for us, and while a path may exist to go back, that does not serve as a reason to doubt how valid every memory we make here together is."

Toshiro purses his lips once more, this time allowing a low whistle to escape him as she regales him with tales of her past life. "You clearly sell yourself short, my friend. As fine as your Taeyeon may be, it's clear that you bring quite a bit to the party yourself." His eyes give her a shameless once over, gaze easily gliding across her form. Though his attention doesn't seem to follow the shape of her body. It instead traces the line of her fanciful attire and the way the fabric drapes across her. Until eventually, their eyes meet once more.

"I think I can understand what you mean. After all, what happened in our lives on Earth doesn't really matter much here. If it did, there's no way a man like me would ever even be standing in the same room as a woman such as yourself. The things that happen to us here are real, and are going to impact people long after we eventually find our way out of this place. My only caution is that, at least in passing, referring to life on Earth as a 'dream' feels a bit dismissive. Like it was just a thing that we woke up from and now we have to move on. Something that was temporary rather than something tangible." His smile regains its previous strength, his previous worries seemingly brushed aside as he flashes his pearly fangs once more. "But you're clearly far more of a philosopher than myself. Just call it a layman's perspective."

    "On the contrary, to call it a dream is to put it in my highest regard. Dreams guide, dreams hope, and I.. took the greatest part of my dream with me. And dreams do not end in the way many seem to believe."

    Her laughter is a burst of joy and comes out softly, but warmly. "For my Tae is with me here. Proof that my dream was hers and goes on. Dream to dream." She lifts her hands skyward and light erupts to brighten the Dome of Stars even more, so that all the stars flash like diamonds.

    "But in any case, tangible is a word that we should regard with great care, Toshiro. Can you not touch me, if you reach out? Is what is real not a matter of measuring through whatever means we have at our disposal? By which of these does this place not exist and which of them can reach back to measure and touch what was? We believe it was there. But to be mortal and finite is to live with considerable limitations in what we can irrefutably know."

    This all gets her laughing, but at herself. "I sound very strange. Care to walk outside with me? If you are new here, I'd love to give you the tour. If we're lucky, my fiancee' has left a tray for us in the garden. She's a very good cook."

Toshiro feels his smile grow as the philosopher's energy spikes, his eyes following the sudden display of light as its rays spread across the room. Attention lingers on the starry ceiling for a moment, its wonder refusing to fade even as it is bathed in light. His head bobs slowly in understanding as his eyes fall back toward her yet again. "I see. You must hold your dreams in higher regard than myself. I only see them as your mind escaping on flights of fancy when it has nothing better to do. But I'll leave the philosophizing to you. I prefer to focus on the more practical things."

Her suggestion was met with a soft chuckle as he moves toward her, bowing his head slightly in agreement. "You know, normally I hate tours. I've always preferred to get the lay of the land myself. But you are a very hard person to say no to." As he speaks, he holds an arm out toward her in invitation. "A woman like you could easily be the death of me."

    "Rebirth, perhaps, but I pray not the death!" She takes his arm and laughs once more. "And don't worry, I promise to make it as winding and unusual a tour as I can manage. But not so much that we delay too long in getting to the meal. I am going to imagine you like your proteins more than your greens?"

    The large doors of the Dome of Stars open out into the castle grounds. Even though it dwarves them all, their is beauty in the architecture and anywhere else, each would stand out. To the east, the gate opens on the great road that Goldenblade built. She does not go there yet, though. Instead, she leads Toshiro westward, towards a great bridge that goes out over the falls.

    Elly has to raise her voice to be heard over the roaring. "This is the way to the Great Tower. I won't force you to climb it just now, but at the top is the best place to take a bath on a clear night. You can see the through the windows. Even if the mountain air grows chill, the water is hot. Well, with the right mix of fire artes, that is. But even from here, the view is a wonder."

    Across the lake, the village can be seen, as can the great Concert Hall. That hall appears to have been sculpted, rather than built, in the likeness of a plumeria. The arcade is visible, though its finer points cannot be made out, and the great statue of The Beautiful One can be made out.

Toshiro laughs along with her, a large hand reaching to give the baroness's arm a gentle pat. "Well, aren't you the romantic? Your Tae must have their hands quite full with you." He tosses her a playful wink as they start off, his hand lingering casually upon her arm as they walk. And for once, there isn't so much of a height difference that it was a strain to walk arm in arm. The gap is still there, but it at least felt like something that felt manageable. "Don't stress yourself too much. Between the beauty of this castle and the charm of your voice, I'm sure this will make for the perfect tour."

His eyes wanders the space as they walk, easily following the other's guidance as they make their way to the first attraction. One that immediately brings the warmest of smiles to the monster of a man's face. Shark like teeth are on full display as he watches the waterfall, his attention following her direction as it leads him toward the tower. "Careful, Carrot Cake. You've just about talked me into cutting the tour short and dragging you up there instead. Because that sounds amazing." His voice easily booms over the falls as he speaks, his previously soft voice now matching his stature as he shouts over the crashing waters.

Attention then turns to the village across the way, a breath pushing itself from his nostrils. "You must have big plans for this place once the war's over."

    "She does," replies Elly. "Though ideally, both of us have our hands full in those moments." Notably, the Baroness does not blush. That calm smile doesn't come back so easily, though. She lets her happiness show.

    For now, there is to be no bath. Not that she would mind diving into the water herself. But there are more things to see. Walking back from the tower towards the gates takes some time, even with strides as long as theirs. She points out the library, conservatory, and indicates a wing of the dome of truth as the home of the Sleeping Knights. "Those rooms are almost always empty. As a guild, we are pretty restless. I imagine I am the only one who makes a habit of sleeping under the same roof day after day. Regardless, I keep them clean and ready. Though we do have to be cautious. Some of our members tend to leave dangerous projects lying about."

    Going through the main gate, she gestures vaguely to the Olympus Headquarters, "You obviously know all about that place." Onward towards the village, which takes them past the Arcade of Eas, where the concert hall is, plus halls full of art from all over Yamato. "This is my favorite place, I suppose. It was all built in dedication to The Beautiful One, my patron goddess. In her name, I am a Legend in service to the people of Yamato."

    In the arcade, the statue of The Beautiful One stands amidst fountains in a circular pool. "When the war is over, children will play there," Elly explains. "And there will be music, and plays, and laughter."

Toshiro continues to nod along with her as the tour goes on, his eyes drifting and wandering across the space until she directs it in a specific direction. He pays little care to watch where they are going, fully trusting in the woman's grace to not lead them straight into any brick walls. "This alliance is full of people who don't know how to sit still. It certainly has been a change of pace for me. A refreshing one, if not a touch on the exhausting side. But I suppose that's how things get done." He speaks in idle commentary as they make their way through and out of the castle, eyes lingering on the headquarters before he shakes his head. "Not too familiar, actually. I've spent the past two years acting as more of an...independent. Only recently have I had the pleasure of exploring the wonders Olympus has to offer."

As they make their way into the arcade, Toshiro takes in what feels like a breath of fresh air. He examines the architecture, the finely crafted art that he had never taken the time to properly appreciate. He allows himself to envision what the baroness describes as he looks over the fountain and the area that surrounds it. Until eventually, his eyes fall onto the statue.

"This is truly a beautiful sight. I'm already eager to see people free to enjoy this space you've created. Hopefully that won't be too far off." The hand resting on her arm gives her a gentle squeeze curious golden eyes turning to focus back onto her for the first time since the tour began."This statue... You called her your patron? Is this some sort of mechanical term I'm not familiar with? Or are you saying that you actively worship this goddess?"

    "Olympus is a busybody group. Hungry to learn and change and build and.. well, in my case, lead, I suppose. You have three very unusual guilds cooperating in a very open basis." She shakes her head and adds, "I spent the first few months just playing house with Tae. It was wonderful. Just relaxing, talking, making a garden, cooking together. Well. Her cooking, me cutting things."

    She lingers some time in the arcade. It's her favorite place, after all. Something about it fits her, and she, hopefully, fits it. To the question, though, she nods her head. "I do worship The Beautiful One. I suppose that is hard to accept for an Adventurer. In the dream before, we had all manner of Gods and such. They never showed us anything. Here, my goddess gave me purpose, gave me the power to help others, and gives me guidance as I consider how best to use what I have been given. I serve Olympus in a.. an administrative role, I suppose. But to the Landers, I am a symbol of hope and safety. You and I are both the answer to their prayers. Their defense against the terrors that wander in the dark places outside their walls. They are not my people by blood, but they are my people by choice. When I say I serve them as Baroness, that is the truth I see. I now also serve them as a priestess, a servant of the one that brought me here."

Toshiro is quiet as she goes on, slowly and respectfully nodding his head as she expresses her beliefs. There's a moment of silence after she finishes, his eyes drifting back toward the statue. There's a moment of quiet contemplation, smile growing slightly as he seems to reach a conclusion. "That is fascinating. Thank you for sharing that with me." His attention turns back toward her, head tilting slightly to one side. "Just remember that this goddess is the creation of mortal men, just like everything here outside of ourselves. She's a mass of code given a face, even if she speaks directly to you." His grip on her arm tightens ever so slightly, that hint of concern flashing in his golden eyes once more. "Don't put too much of your trust into these things, Elly. Remember that we're prisoners here."

    Elly nods to Toshiro, "Humans have made many things. This world, certainly, but who made the one before? What if it was the same as this? Have we not just seen that it could have been so? And whichever way it is, it was. For my part, I will follow the goddess, but not forsake my own agency and virtue."

    She lingers just a little longer, then leads the way back out of the arcade, towards the village itself. It is not a long walk, but the ending is rather less dramatic than the first stops.

    "This is a wonderful, beautiful place," Elly declares. "For my people live here and when they return their voices will fill the paths, and their little ones will run through the streets. And ask me to play with them when they see me."

    There's a subtle change to her eyes as she speaks of this. A mixture of stirred memory and sadness. She draws something from her inventory, then. A small, worn out doll that looks rather like a plush version of herself.

    "Without my people, there is something.. empty in me. Perhaps I feel like a vessel waiting to be filled once more. Oh!" She laughs, shaking herself lightly. "A child left this doll behind when they fled. I cannot wait to return it to her. They made this back when we had the tournament. Everyone who competed, the announcers, Tae, and myself all were represented in plush doll form. It was a very fun time. Before all this.. war. Before we learned to be afraid."

Toshiro relaxes his grip on her arm once again, brows relaxing as he regains his previous tender smile. "Ah. There's that philosophy again. I suppose I'm just not equipped to handle a conversation like that with you." Her arm receives another pat as the subject is dropped, his attention instead turning to the scenery that surrounds them. The more natural beauty as opposed to the curated and carefully crafted wonders that occupy this space. He looks out across the simple village, much smaller and more quaint than the grand castle that overlooks it.

His attention is stolen by the doll that wears a familiar face, a soft laugh of amusement escaping him as he examines it. "That all sounds very charming. I wish I had the opportunity to see it all myself." His gaze slowly drifts back toward Wake's, taking a moment to silently examine her features before speaking once more. This one in a much softer tone of voice. "You're a true servant of the people, aren't you? Even with these simple Landers, you can't help but feel a duty toward them. It's very respectable."

    For a moment, her face nearly crumples into tears. Having Toshiro point it out, here with the ache of the silent streets around, tears the mask the Baroness wears. Then there is the sound of Dukedom soldiers and it returns. She will not let her 'friends' see her emotions. Only when they pass does she speak, and the glance she directs at their back is clearly suspicious.

    "I love my people, Toshiro. I sent them away because I knew the Tower was safer than this place. But it is not easy. No disrespect at all to my friends in the Scale Emblem Alliance, of course. They were so kind to take us in and keep us safe. The enemy fears the Tower, you see. At least, they seem to wish to stay clear of it. Yet doing that has been painful. I onlly hope it has been easier for them than it has for me."

    She sighs and blinks her eyes a few times, clearing them of any mist. "So then I went and found yet more people to serve. The Unconquered, my friends and family dwelling in all the scattered corners of Yamato. But I want everyone to be safe now. I want everyone to come home again."

Toshiro furrows his brows for a moment as he watches the mask come and go, only to relax as he sees the soldiers enter into their space. He gives the men a friendly nod and a smile, while also gently guiding the two of them away from their path to ensure she would be able to speak freely. Should she not oppose, this guidance transitions into a slow walk through the village's empty streets. The Were Fang's gaze remains just as focused on Elly as it is on the path ahead. His smile remains constant as a gloved hand reaches toward her face, carefully moving to dab up any tears that may slip out as she blinks the moisture away. "You're doing a good work here, Elly. Both for the Landers and the people like us. I've only just been made aware of all the depth of these matters, and I can see it. And now? I can see how much you truly care for this place. No matter what a person's origins are, I can see that you want nothing more than to make a truly beautiful place where anyone is welcome to live a peaceful life." The hand on her arm moves to carefully caress it, gentle enough to be comforting without also being suggestive.

"I could see it in your eyes the moment we set foot in this village. I've seen so many sharks in my years, people who will sell you the world with the sweetest of smiles. All while waiting for you to stumble and fall so they could eat you alive." He pushes out a soft breath at that, his tone shifting in a difficult to place way. His voice remains soft and tender, but it also sounds...different. "...We've only just met, yet I can see that the world needs people like you. And not just this one. I would be so happy to offer my services to you here with whatever you might need. I've got skills and knowledge that may be useful to you, even if I'm not quite as familiar with this game's systems. All I ask from you is that, when the time comes, you don't limit this mindset to this world here."

    "You are very kind, Toshiro. It is a dream worth fighting for, though. A place to live a peaceful life, and more, as well, but that is another story. I really must show you-"

    She is cut off for a moment. Judging by the expression on her face, it's a chimlink. She mouths, 'sorry' to Toshiro. After listening for some time, she replies, "No. Yes. Three days past the new moon." Another long pause. More meaningless answers, "There are no camels in Ninetails. Yes and no. Very well."

    With that, she looks up and sighs. "I fear I must take a raincheck on our meal together. The inn has wonderful food as well, though, Toshiro. I apologize for this. Sincerely. I greatly enjoy your company and you flatter me."

    Elly takes a few more seconds to consider. "When there are things that I feel you can help with, I will certainly let you know. And I will, of course, remain myself, wherever that self may be or whatever abilities she might have."

    A curtsey then, and a warmer smile. "Mind your back around the soldiers of the Dukedom. They are friends, but with very attentive ears. I have been warned by the King Gilgamesh to be wary, indeed."