The Baroness' Visitor

    It's evening and a busy day is wrapping up. The village of Eas has grown quiet as its residents are turning in. The castle, however, remains illuminated. It is there Wake can be found.

    The Baroness is standing at the door to the Dome of Truth, the largest and most recently repaired building. She cannot help but look past that at what remains to be done.

    "I need to send the requisitions out," she says to no one in particular. "Olympus Headquarters is next, and I can't just sit here holding it up by being a sluggard."

Hopefully that isn't targeted at the scene's newest entrant. While he is a bit used to filling the role of 'no one in particular', this place is more than a bit away from his usual orbit. Thus it is that the figure who approaches, pausing under a nearby roof until such time as the Baroness becomes un-busy, remains the no-one-in-particular who does nothing-in-particular.

Robert, for the figure is he, has more or less managed to clean up. His clothes--drably grey though they are--are crisp and presentable. His boots have been cleaned and polished, though even the short trip from the teleporter to here was enough to work up a bit of muck around the soles. He waits, hands loosely clasped behind his back, his form shapeless against the backdrop of a fur-lined cloak. Sue him. It's cold.

    It doesn't take the Baroness long to realize someone is at hand. She's a sneaky person, so sneaking up on her is far from easy. Admittedly she's not nearly as skilled as the old legends of Wake used to tell. Level resets suck like that.

    The Right Clothes today are elborate, befitting the station of a noble woman and providing a nice balance of form and function. It's a long dress, either black or a dark blue. On it in silver stitching are dozens of roses and far more petals, the symbols of Eas. The cut, as one might guess, is modest.

    "Welcome to Eas," the Baroness calls out suddenly, her voice cutting through the silence. She slides gracefully into her trademark curtsey. "I hope you have not travelled far this day. There's a rather unpleasant chill in the air, isn't there?"

SpritesHero approaches, then, his pace brusquely purposeful. Stepping out into the light reveals the man in question, his features perhaps a touch the worse for wear. There's no hiding the faint bags under his eyes, and the lightest accompanying bruising. Somebody hasn't been sleeping well.

But his gaze is nonetheless clear and direct, and as he closes to within a distance of approximately ten feet, he pauses. His heels click, once, and he offers a well-practiced forty-five degree bow. "You're welcome to my cloak, Baroness," he greets her, eyes performing a quick down-up flick over her form. "But I'm afraid it's more than a few steps below what you are wearing. Pleased to meet you. My name is Robert Lutjens. I sent you a courier earlier."

    "Ah, yes, Master Lutjens," replies the Baroness. "I appreciate your offer, but I can hardly receive a guest out here. Perhaps you'd like to step inside?" she suggests.

    She reflexively turns her attention to the door and then back. "Though if you'd like a better place for comfortable conversation, my current residence might serve rather better. My Tae is likely readying a meal there, and she is delighted to receive visitors."

SpritesHero's head cocks to the side ever so slightly. "The second, I think," he concludes quickly enough. There's a moment's hesitation, then his form shifts as he unwinds his cloak from his shoulders, offering it to her at arm's length.

"For the walk," he explains, the faintest ghost of a smile flitting over his lips to play around the edges. "If you'd be so kind as to do me the honor. I promise I haven't poisoned it."

    Wake accepts the offer with a smile, "I am pleased that you hadn't. We have enough excitement without getting into the mess that is PK." She turns enough to Robert to allow him to settle the cloak about her shoulders. Once that is done, she takes hold of his elbow.

    "It is in the village, but it is not far from where we stand."

    The home, when it is reached, is nothing extraordinary. There are many like it, and though several are occupied, many others stand empty, waiting for landers to claim them. A cheery light glows inside, and a steady stream of smoke streams from the chimney.

    "It is a bit embarassing, but the Dome of Stars, though structurally sound, has yet to be properly furnished."

If this were a competition, Wake's won. He places the cloak around her shoulders in a gentlemanly enough manner, managing to depositing it in a light drape without getting his hands anywhere close to anything that might be inappropriate. But there's a jolt of a surprise as she takes him by the arm. Oh, he's adaptable enough, and falls into step beside her easily enough, but there's no mistaking that brief flicker of surprise and, perhaps, momentary discomfort--if one were attentive to such things.

By the time they reach the house, the air has chilled still further and Robert's breath mists in the air before him. "I am sure it will be lovely once it has been completed," he answers, surveying the house before him. "Though I can't quite see it having the same personality as your house."

    Wake shows no such discomfort, and if she detects it, she gives no notice. The Baroness is simply most accustomed to walking like this.

    "The house is home, and the Dome of Stars? It's a work of art beyond my ability to make. But I will find continue to gather those who can restore it. This place, too, I could say is beyond my ability to create. Tae made it home. I simply live here and love it." Wake draws open the door easily enough and as she does, a golden, welcoming light pours out of it.

    There's a warmth here and the scent of baking and cooking that mingle in a dance of savory and sweet. With a sigh of contentment, Wake draws it in deeply.

    "Welcome to my home," she says, punctuating it with an affectionate call, "Tae! Honey, I have brought you a surprise. We have a guest!"

    Tae does not bound out of the kitchen, but she clearly wants to. As Wake is tall, Tae is short, standing just a few inches over five feet. She wears a delighted smile, a very normal outfit with billowy sleeves and a plain skirt. Over all of this is an apron, spotless as can be.

    "Welcome to our home!" she calls. "We love guests!"

"I can see why," is Robert's only response to that as he unwinds his arm from Wake's. There is, again, the briefest of pauses. He lingers, hovering at the door, then steps inside with a barely perceptible effort.

And then there is warmth, and life. Scents and sounds and the feeling of laughter. Robert -does- smile, genuinely, but there's a quiet reserve there. His gaze quickly flickers over the room's interior lingering upon everything and nothing before coming to rest on Tae. It must be admitted that he doesn't fit in whatsoever. Not here, for all that the bow he offers to Tae is polite enough. "The pleasure is entirely mine," he responds. "Thank you." His expression--a well but not perfectly-hidden mix of wistfulness, distant happiness, topped with a dash of longing and regret--is best described as complicated.

    Whatever is noticed-or not-is unclear. Tae naturally picks up where Wake leaves off. "You are most polite to come so far for a visit. I suppose you are a friend of Wake, or perhaps this is a more professional business. Fear not, business is welcome at the table. Which.. I had better set for us. A moment, dear friends."

    Tae glides away with a spring in her step. Wake laughs softly, shaking her head slightly.

    "Never fails. She delights in company. But.. where are my manners. Would you like to refresh yourself before we sit down? I know a wash of the face and hands always helps me after a long journey. I hope it was not too difficult for you, truly." Wake wears a smile, but her eyes show her concern, as well.

The complications vanish in favor of pure amusement. "You are very kind," Robert murmurs, still a bit awkwardly standing in the middle of the room, "but Prophylaxis has..." Beat. "...exercised us well," he finishes, diplomatically. The smile quirks again. "Nonetheless, I would appreciate being allowed to wash my face and hands. But after you. Ladies first." A second pause. "Unless..." His expression contorts into a frown, gaze searching Wake's features with an intensity that, while not outright rude, is not exactly polite either. Yes, he's totally checking to see if she's wearing makeup. The minor awkwardness returns as gears begin to whir in his head. "I trust you were not chilled?" his mouth asks of its own volition, being substantially disconnected from his thoughts.

    Wake strides over to stand in front of Robert. "I have one thing to suggest, my dear. Relax. I am far from a delicate little flower and in my land, we treat guests well and they, I hope, will please indulge our peculiar brand of hospitality by going first and truly making themselves at home."

    Wake laughs gently, leading the way to the bathroom. Truly it seems Tae has prepared carefully, for a pot of water-still steaming-stands ready there. Several towels are set out, as if the home were kept in a perpetual state of readiness for people to simply drop in.

    "I hope this will do. And once we get to the table, we can talk about what you wish to discuss. I am rather curious what your interest in landers is about. Adventurers rarely seem that interested in them, though I seem to have a knack for drawing all those who do into my friendship."

"Sorry?" Aw hell. Robert's thoughts and his mouth have finally resynched, leaving him with the off-balance expression of someone who isn't entirely certain what, if anything, he's said. There's a momentary upward flick of his eyes, as though to search through memories he doesn't have. Tension plays over one side of his neck as it stretches by the barest amount, bleeding a bit of tightness out of his form. "Alright," he responds at length. It's the safe response. He hopes it covers the breadth of what he might have said.

Upon entering the bathroom he gives it a quick once-over--apparently his default whenever he enters a new space--and reaches for the water. He does not dip his hands inside. He neatly pours water over his hands, scrubs vigorously, soaps, scrubs again, then rinses. And scrubs again. It's...alarmingly thorough. Clinical, and distinctly non-standard. Hands now appropriately cleaned, he scoops hot water into his palms, presses them to his face, then takes a towel and steps aside. He tactfully turns his back on the baroness. Not that he expects any disrobing or the like, it just seems appropriate.

"I think examining Landers through different lenses is the only way, at present, we can hope to understand how this world works, -what- it is, and ultimately what we can or cannot trust," he states at length, his back still turned. "All of which I think are critical to reaching the real world again."

    Robert's response is met with an arched brow. Not what Wake expected, but for now, she can postpone a reckoning. After all, until she's sure such a thing would help her guest, she doesn't want to do it. Still, Wake files it all away for future reference. The watching, especially, is notable. Quite unusual, really.

    She doesn't pry at this point, but instead gets herself ready. As one might guess, she is neither fast nor slow when left to her own, but in this situation she does her best to take as long as her guest.

    When that is done, she turns her attention to Robert's comments about Landers. There's a pause as she carefully considers a response.

    "There is certainly much we can learn about our hosts in this world," she says at last. "And while I have learned a few things, much remains to be understood. I find it most wise to treat them as I would any adventurer, but with more care for their safety. They do not get to come back, after all, and no matter what we might imagine their source to be, they have value in and of themselves."

SpritesHero is still positioned with his back to her, arms folded languidly over his chest. He is silent for a few moments, registering her words, processing. "You are concerned," he hazards at length, "that I will treat them as test subjects. That I will disregard their well-being and safety, in my pursuit of understanding. I..." he trails off a touch, struggling with the appropriate formulation of words. "...have my doubts about what they are. I do know that they do not appear to be equivalent to adventurers. But I can promise that I have no intention of putting them in unnecessary danger, or of attempting to assign value--or lack thereof--to something I do not yet understand." There's another pause, tension playing over his shoulders as his arms tighten for a moment. "I don't know what they are. I know neither what benefit nor what threat they may pose. I can extend some measure of benefit of the doubt, but..."

    "They are my friends, my family, my people," replies Wake. There's a subtle shift in her tone and posture. She is very much the Baroness. "And I have and will risk my life to protect the Landers, so please understand, I view putting them in any danger at all a problem."

    A moment passes, and then she smiles. The chill, if it could even be called that, passes.

    She is leading the way to the table. It's large enough for six people -eight if people are willing to get cozy, and for Tae's cooking, they are- and loaded with food. How she has the time for it all is a mystery, but it's Tae's passion, clearly. A mix of asian and western treats, using the best of ingredients.

    "Your timing is perfect," Tae says. She gestures to a seat for the guest, and bows once Robert sits. "I hope you enjoy it. And please, continue as you were. You no doubt have important things to discuss."

"Our existence alone puts them at increased danger," Robert points out mildly, glancing over his shoulder at the Baroness as they make their way back towards the main room. "Please rest assured that when I say no unnecessary danger, I'm not playing games with words, or with you. I'm simply pointing out that elevated danger is always there, and that I refuse to make promises I cannot, or will not, keep." There's no answering chill from him. If anything he gives way before it a tad, accepting it.

A faint smile. A touch of warmth in his manner. "If it is any consolation, I expect the worst threat will come from other Adventurers. So it has always been." One eyebrow nudges upwards as his manner softens. The smile he offers to Tae is genuinely warm, and he greets her with yet another bow before taking his own seat. He hasn't even looked at the food, though, not yet. His gaze is fixed curiously on the Baroness. "I suppose the best place to start," he observes, monitoring her expression with exceeding care, "is that it appears that the complexity of memories depends on the Lander they belong to."

    While Tae settles in to listen, Wake turns to the topic at hand. She's had a fair amount of exposure to Landers, even if she's never put my weight into measuring them out in this way.

    "I have noted that some Landers are almost impossible to distinguish from adventurers while others are incredibly simple. It is a remarkable thing, and it has made me wonder if regular interaction with adventurers might cause their stories to grow more complicated."

    Wake finds that focusing on the factual aspects of the discussion is easier than considering if Robert is going to be someone she has to deal with in some horrible way. It's best not to be too hasty, after all.

"Yes," Robert allows, his gaze going mistily distant for a moment. It looks like he's about to say something, before catching himself. Maybe later. His lips twitch, his eyes roll back again. Accessing memory, most like, but it -does- look a tad weird.

"I was restricting my inquiry solely to memory there, though, in order to try to separate things out. But you anticipate my next question. I looked into Lander behavior, specifically Lander behavior under high-stress circumstances, and specifically Lander behavior that has an underlying biological cause. Usually fight or flight." He pauses, then, biting back a grin as he monitors her reaction.

"No, I didn't torture them," he reassures her. "I sat in on interviews of suspects with local law enforcement. Consistent with your observations, here there was also substantial variation, ranging from Adventurer-caliber to being laughably od."

    Now that Wake has herself by the reins, there's nothing to see. It's almost as if emotions no longer suit her purpose, so she's turned them off. At least, other than showing her pleasure at the food. She whispers to Tae, "Every time I think you've achieved a pinnacle you find a new way to surprise and delight me. Must I become a queen to match you, my love?" There's a soft laugh and a shared smile before Wake directs her attention back to Robert.

    "So you watched landers behave while under duress. That's a fascinating angle to take, and far better than the Nazi approach. Did the experience appear to add any complexity to them? Did they recall it after? If so, to what degree? I don't suppose you used psychometrics, did you? It would be illuminating."

Oh. Right. There's food there, isn't there. Robert takes a mouthful. Chews. Swallows. Smiles. It's awkward, but the creases at the edges of his eyes suggest the enjoyment is genuine. Regrettably, he's also one of those who appears to be highly obsessed, and isn't particularly good at focusing on multiple things at once. So when he talks, the delicious food is regrettably untouched. And when he, every so often realizes this, he takes a few bites an offers Tae an apologetic look.

"Didn't do longitudinal work," he answers Wake, ticking it off on his fingers. "Just didn't have the time or resources. So no temporal resolution, for now, though you're right that it is -the- follow-up. And is, in fact, why I came to ask for your advice. Stress was used to in principle stimulate biological processes. I then monitored standard behavioral responses--dry mouth, eyelid fluttering, posture associated with self-protection, sweating, et cetera. These markers were used as a surrogate for monitoring the underlying, more complex aspects biology, since it's rather hard to get at directly." Pause. "And ethically questionable. But here's the really interesting part. So there's all this variability, right? Can you guess what happened when I asked...let's call them higher-functioning Landers...about the simpler Landers?"

    "That's unfortunate, but understandable. It's hard to find people who would go-in for this. Harder yet to find experienced professionals that could contribute," says Wake. "It does make me wonder, though..." She is curious if the Ezzo refugees have changed, what the impacts of such movement have been, and a dozen things besides.

    "You make me wonder if we could use magic here to analyze brain activity, like an MRI in the other world. But that's neither here nor there, now is it?"

    She pauses to think, reflecting back on her interactions with Duke Corwen and how the sneaky man tried to corner her into marrying into the family.

    "I would wager they, like humans in the other world, view those of 'lower order' in a negative light. Perhaps even thinking of them as little more than cattle. I have never thought to ask, though. Perhaps I was uncomfortable over the answers I imagined I might get."

    Wake likely takes special note of Robert's unusual behavior, but her face tells nothing of it. Tae, however, frequently shoots looks of concerns at the guest. For now, though, she keeps her concerns quiet.

SpritesHero inclines his head first to one side, then to the other, as though hedging. "It's...not so bad as all that. Or worse?" he hazards at length. Not a particularly helpful answer, was that. "Well, the first point is that the response was completely and utterly consistent. Not verbatim, mind, but conceptually consistent. It's a...well, I suppose I would call it a sporting, good-natured sort of condescension." His eyes flicker shut, forehead creasing hard down the middle.

"They're just boring." "Their lives really just aren't very interesting." "Not much happens in their lives." Robert ticks them off on his fingers, one at a time. "Remarkable, no? And I'm not evaluating that from a moral standpoint. Not yet. But the dynamic is interesting. What do you make of the changes in variability?"

    Wake nods thoughtfully, "It sounds not so different from some of the people I worked with in the other world. Though I would point out that's better than powerful humans did for, well, almost all of history everywhere."

    It still gives Wake something to think about. She takes her time before explaining her response to the more critical question. There's a few bites, a few side comments to Tae about Lander experiences they have shared.

    "My feeling is that your findings indicate a commonality in the coding of the landers. Assuming that what we generally believe is true, they were coded and it's highly unlikely anyone would start from the ground up again and again. Reused code with slight modifications, in short. Is that what you have guessed?"

    June walks in without knocking, she might have more clarity than normal, but that's focused on her work and her work doesn't involve knocking. "Waaaaaaaaaaaaake?" she says looking around. The woman looks odd, she's wearing the closest thing she can find to a t-shirt and a maxi skirt. No scale mail bikini, no fur cape, no Red Sonja wannabe. Instead she has a little smudge of ink on the side of her nose and a backpack for expanded storage. "I have a question about scrolls? You have any? Seen any? Know any landers who make them?" she switches to Sindarin "Get copies of scrolls, find grimoirs, find magical papers like the one in the tomb... Wake is good for that kind of thing. Then you'll need to travel Junie, hit the dungeons people have pointed out and make it to the events... maybe raid the mage tower... bet the mages have scrolls and grimoirs."

SpritesHero blows out his cheeks in a sudden exhalation. "Feels like a band-aid to me," he allows at last. "Drastic differences in complexity that do not, at least at first glance, appear to be getting transferred from Lander to Lander even when the situation may warrant it, suggesting computational efficiency may not be the key factor. So a highly individualistic setup, with some poor sap's band-aid thrown on top to address any inconsistencies that." He stops. His expression could not possibly be more surprised if he were a cat and a cucumber had been tossed in front of him.

He rises to his feet, awkwardly, and bows to June before retaking his seat. He lapses into silence, taking advantage of this moment to -finally- make a concerted effort towards devouring--politely, mind--his dinner.

    There are some things Wake has just gotten used to. People wandering in is one of them. She's in a guild that is known for its own rather odd eccentric tendencies, after all.

    As accustomed to it as Wake is, Tae is the hostess and without missing a beat, she rises to welcome June with a bow. A moment later, Wake has risen and curtseys to June.

    Tae is drawing out a seat for June and gestures for her to sit. "There is plenty to be spared. Both food and attention, dear." There's a small smile tugging at Tae's lips. She likes June, for what it's worth.

    Wake settles in and tries to address the key points. "First, June, this is Robert, who has come a long ways to speak with me about Landers. Robert, this is June. She's a very driven young woman who clearly wants to know about.. scrolls."

    Wake is all pleasantries, but she has to admit, "I am sure we have many in the library, dear. And will be gathering ever more as time goes on. I do agree, though, with your thoughts.. you will have to travel." She doesn't speak Sindarin (right?), but the translator seems to do well enough on it.

    June smiles kisses Tae on the cheek "Thanks hon, you're a peach." the you're a peach comes out in English. She settles into the seat "Hello Robert." she says switching smoothly back to Japanese. "I hear that Landers who are major quest givers, hold important political positions or simply spend a lot of time with Adventurers seem to be getting more CPU time, that or they were limited and are learning from all us strange big city folks." she tucks into food without grace and without really asking what anything is. "I need magical scrolls, the kind you can learn Wave arts from, or can use to cast wave arts or spells. Sword art books or scrolls would also be helpful but it's important that they actually convey power or abilities by being read or spoken. I've got a theory that Alvarian is actualy the SUDO code for the system. No reason that you would translate SUDO right? Translating could actually ruin the ability to give commands directly to the system. Then the translation system doing languages allows you to speak with your slave races, and allows your slave races to speak with each other all while never needing to change to a unified language." she takes another big bite and keeps talking through it.

    "I think if we are still being simulated then much of the CPU is being clocked with linguistics and their impact this would leave less cycles available for well personality." she swallows. Not seeming to slow down eating or speaking, someone will probably have to stop her.

"I do believe we've met," Robert answers June, his smile soft, warm, welcoming. His manner and posture are free and open. "LOONS, wasn't it?"

He listens, he nods along with a pleasant little tilt to his head. But mostly he appears to be relaxed, peacefully sipping his beverage and savoring its taste. He offers no input, however. He leaves that to the Baroness, and his eyes skip over to her, eyebrows arching questioningly.

    "Assuming, of course, that was real was real, and what is real is not," Wake murmurs in reply to June's commentary on CPU utilization. The Baroness watches June and then nods as something clicks in her head.

    "Why June, you are in one of those moods! You are researching scrolls, clearly, and now it has landed on you as a condition." Wake turns back to Robert, "I'm uncertain if you've encountered this, but it has happened to me, as well. When certain projects capture the attention of a Goddess, an adventurer gains a very weird condition. When they have completed their great work, they gain access to a quest. But in the meantime, the condition can cause a myriad of odd behaviors, most of which appear to be, well, insane."

    With Sleeping Knights, however, it can sometimes to be hard to tell. Not that Wake would give voice to that. Her guild draws together very unique individuals.

    "I will of course do what I can to assist you, June, but as for this evening, I will soon be needing to seek my rest. You are of course welcome to stay, if you like." She turns to Robert, "Both of you. We have spare rooms. Regardless of how safe it is these days, I do not like to send my guests out into the night. It's always better to start a journey in the morning light."

    Tae does her best to help June, though she recognizes the signs. "You know, if you eat and speak separately, Miss June, it is much more comfortable."

    The Baroness turns her attention back to the earlier topic, which she's not giving up on just yet.

    "You mention a band-aid. Would that be the programmers, or.. whoever might be in charge now? I am curious on this point. Did your studies give you any hint that more than one hand may be on the wheel. Particularly a change of sorts that appears in many of the subjects at the time of the apocalypse?"

    June nods her head to Tae "Of course hon." she says after swallowing "Thank you for reminding me. Yes LOONS I do think I prefer boobies but I haven't figured out an acronym for it yet... the joke would be better but it's hard to out do Uta even when you try." she sips her drink "Ahh well, I'm certain I can get to the port before morning to catch the tide, I think Ninetails will be my destination to start with. The mages are certain to have SOMETHING for me, if not I'll just head on to some of the dungeons around Dun Lorieag." she shrugs shoves the rest of her food into her mouth to chew happily. It's likely this is the first time she's eaten since the mood hit so she is quite hungry.

"No, I can't say that my personality has ever been odd," Robert opines, a trifle blandly, as he neatly sidesteps any discussion of boobies in a situation such as this one. Having polished off his dinner--and yes, his plate is neurotically and meticulously clean--he rises to his feet and straightens his clothing.

"I appreciate your generous invitation, Baroness, but I could not possible intrude." He steps back, pushes his chair into place, and bows. "As for hands and wheels, I simply don't know. I could speculate, but it'd be without any degree of certainty. I'll keep my request brief. I'm setting up longitudinals now. I was hoping you might be willing to offer feedback, to tell me precisely where and how I am likely fu...err, overlooking key points. Especially regarding any candidate Lander's well-being. No need to answer now, of course. Baroness. Miss Tae. Miss June."

    Wake and her fiance share a look. A rueful smile is shared and Wake shrugs, "Well, if this meal doesn't make them ache for the matching breakfast, it is there loss," notes Wake. She leans in to whisper to Tae very quietly, and manages to get a laugh from the woman.

    "Since you both seem to be set on heading out, we will at least see you to the threshold. You will find the road steady and smooth for many miles. Goldenblade's mood struck when she was crafting it. Easily the finest in this land! After that, well.. you know the way."

    The two do not simply escort to the door, but all the way to the end of the village, where the road from castle and village meet on the way down the mountain side and to the first gate, at the foot of the hills far below. It is there that the final bow and curtsey are offered.

    "I will of course assist your study of Landers, Robert," Wake explains at the last. "I have some thoughts on studies worth carrying out. You mention emotional duress and its impacts. I wish to study the Ezzo refugees and compare those results to an ordinary population of Landers who have never had to settle in new lands. I can also cross-reference it to some of the things I read in the other world about refugee movements in similar situations, like the Hmong, for instance."

    To June, Wake says, "Be well, dear friend. Please keep in touch, and keep me posted. It will do me little good to gather news for you if I do not know where you are."

    As a last gift, Tae draws out packages of food for the road. "Never do friends leave us on long journeys without something to keep them on their feet. Travel swiftly and safely and return when you may."

    June smiles "Thanks again." she gives Tae another kiss on the cheek and takes the offered food vanishing it into her inventory. "Of course, I've got Chime I'll keep the knights up to date, you guys let me know of any scroll drops or grimoirs that might fall while I'm out. Sorry if I miss any major battles or anything... I... recall that Strange Moods can lead to behavior that one doesn't normally indulge in." she shrugs a little "So little I can do about it."

SpritesHero's smile in return is pleasant enough. Almost, almost teasing, but not quite. His laugh is a throaty baritone, and he shakes his head. "Dinner was fantastic, Miss Tae. Truly and utterly delicious."

He then turns towards Wake, finges rapidly keying in a contact request from his menu, and shooting it to her with a quick flick. "I'd love to hear more about what you find out, and how you're setting up your studies, if you're willing," he responds, squaring his shoulders as he faces her. "I'll update you once things get off the ground on my end. I'm still hashing things out with the Hunter's Guild; once things resolve, I'll contact you once more, if that's alright." It's almost eerie, how quickly his persona shifts between when he talks with Tae and June, versus Wake. "Again, thank you for your time."

The road-nibbles are gratefully accepted from Tae, once more with that warm, welcoming smile. "Goodnight."