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[So, uh. Given how So Much their host's introduction was, Raven opts to sort through his thoughts and visit Alexei early in the following morning. He gently knocks against Alexei's door, as if this were any other day and he's requesting permission to enter his chambers.
It's definitely not that, but it's a sense of normalcy to cling to for the time being.]
It's definitely not that, but it's a sense of normalcy to cling to for the time being.]
[If he's going to be honest, he needed the space - both to sort through exactly how So Much their host is, to say nothing of how So Much this entire situation is, but also to work out his feelings on what he's been told by Raven so far regarding the timeline.
He still isn't pleased with it; he certainly doesn't like it any. But it can be salvaged; almost everything can be salvaged.
He'll let Raven in without any sort of hesitation or needless delay, unlocking the door and
permitting entry simply enough; he seems to have settled well enough between this meeting and their last.]
I trust the morning finds you well, at least as compared to last night.
He still isn't pleased with it; he certainly doesn't like it any. But it can be salvaged; almost everything can be salvaged.
He'll let Raven in without any sort of hesitation or needless delay, unlocking the door and
permitting entry simply enough; he seems to have settled well enough between this meeting and their last.]
I trust the morning finds you well, at least as compared to last night.
[Despite his appearance being what it is, the moment he walks through Alexei's door he's in Schwann mode. Raven isn't Alexei's, after all.]
It certainly found me, but "well" could be considered a stretch. I spent much of the night processing what we learned yesterday.
[He'll stand at attention until Alexei directs him where to go, for now simply taking in the atmosphere. It's less tense, which is nice.]
What of yourself, sir?
It certainly found me, but "well" could be considered a stretch. I spent much of the night processing what we learned yesterday.
[He'll stand at attention until Alexei directs him where to go, for now simply taking in the atmosphere. It's less tense, which is nice.]
What of yourself, sir?
[He can sense the shift immediately, despite current appearances; it confirms what had been discussed earlier. Perhaps more importantly it's good enough; say what one will about Raven, but Schwann has always been his - someone he can speak freely in front of if nothing else.
The gesture he offers is vague but not without purpose; remain nearer to the door, but relax if you will.]
...Well enough. Better once I've confirmed for myself that no one has turned up dead this morning; the situation is far from ideal.
[It's brisk and straightforward, but less aggressively strange.]
Our host has offered us a fair amount to take in, but I find the fact that he holds to such a nonsensical premise to be interesting; I would be more concerned about him if he tried to pretend that this is all for some higher purpose - pure hedonism is almost refreshingly selfish. I can't respect it, but I can appreciate the candor.
The gesture he offers is vague but not without purpose; remain nearer to the door, but relax if you will.]
...Well enough. Better once I've confirmed for myself that no one has turned up dead this morning; the situation is far from ideal.
[It's brisk and straightforward, but less aggressively strange.]
Our host has offered us a fair amount to take in, but I find the fact that he holds to such a nonsensical premise to be interesting; I would be more concerned about him if he tried to pretend that this is all for some higher purpose - pure hedonism is almost refreshingly selfish. I can't respect it, but I can appreciate the candor.
[Schwann does as he's told and assumes his usual stance that he holds in Alexei's presence. At the ready, but also at ease...as much as one can hope to be in this situation.]
I suppose we can't put it past someone to try this quickly.
[Thankfully, they won't turn up any bodies. A miracle.
As for Hamelin...]
Which part: turning killing into a game, or that we're apparently staking lives on having wishes granted? We really agreed to this...
[Though it's not exactly productive, he can't help but mutter it. That's what's tripping him up the most.]
I suppose we can't put it past someone to try this quickly.
[Thankfully, they won't turn up any bodies. A miracle.
As for Hamelin...]
Which part: turning killing into a game, or that we're apparently staking lives on having wishes granted? We really agreed to this...
[Though it's not exactly productive, he can't help but mutter it. That's what's tripping him up the most.]
They're equally nonsensical, albeit for different reasons.
[Or the same broad reason, if we accept "who the fuck does this, though" as a valid response.
As for that latter part... That's been bothering him, to at least some extent? He understands why he's here, but- ]
I admit that I'm curious about what you would request of him, personally.
[Or the same broad reason, if we accept "who the fuck does this, though" as a valid response.
As for that latter part... That's been bothering him, to at least some extent? He understands why he's here, but- ]
I admit that I'm curious about what you would request of him, personally.
[Schwann's quiet for a moment, but if he's conflicted, he's not showing it on his face. It's just as blank and dead behind the eyes as it always is.]
For your success, if I had to make a guess. There isn't anything else that I could see myself wishing for.
For your success, if I had to make a guess. There isn't anything else that I could see myself wishing for.
[For a moment he's tempted to say something both unbecoming and unfair (And what would Raven wish for? Since you've asserted to me that there's a difference) but in the end Alexei dismisses it; that isn't something Schwann would remember, that isn't something he's done yet if everything is going as it's allegedly going for him.
It's less that he believes the answer to be untrue, in the end, and more that he believes it's more complicated than what he's being told. But for now it will suffice.]
...I'm glad to hear that, then. You know more than anyone what that would mean to me.
It's less that he believes the answer to be untrue, in the end, and more that he believes it's more complicated than what he's being told. But for now it will suffice.]
...I'm glad to hear that, then. You know more than anyone what that would mean to me.
[Schwann's gaze drifts when Alexei says that. Though it's not visible, he feels that familiar pang of guilt that's becoming increasingly present the more he spends time away from Alexei as Raven.
He swallows it down, and forcibly softens his expression before meeting Alexei's gaze again.]
Of course I do, and I'm sure that's what it is.
[After all, someone like him doesn't have any right to make wishes for themself, let alone kill for them. That goes for Raven, too.]
He swallows it down, and forcibly softens his expression before meeting Alexei's gaze again.]
Of course I do, and I'm sure that's what it is.
[After all, someone like him doesn't have any right to make wishes for themself, let alone kill for them. That goes for Raven, too.]
Edited 2021-06-04 00:12 (UTC)
[He doesn't answer that immediately, though when he nods the gesture is tight; this whole situation is... It's getting to him more than he's willing to admit, perhaps.]
My own dreams haven't changed; I'm fairly sure I know what I've been offered. I also know well enough that it isn't something so easily solved.
He can offer me all the miracles he likes. I have no intention of acting on anything, as things stand.
My own dreams haven't changed; I'm fairly sure I know what I've been offered. I also know well enough that it isn't something so easily solved.
He can offer me all the miracles he likes. I have no intention of acting on anything, as things stand.
[He nods at that. Part of him wants to be reassured to hear that Alexei's dreams are the same despite how off he's been lately, but at the same time...have his methods changed?
At least he has confirmation that Alexei won't be using these methods.]
I didn't think you would. After the amount of work that you've put into your dreams, I would imagine that Hamelin's offer would come off as more of an insult than anything.
At least he has confirmation that Alexei won't be using these methods.]
I didn't think you would. After the amount of work that you've put into your dreams, I would imagine that Hamelin's offer would come off as more of an insult than anything.
It does.
[There are also other concerns - the scale of what he wants is, in the end, world-changing; it isn't enough to just handwave some sort of miracle with no way to control or predict the fallout. The potential for things to go society-shatteringly wrong is incredibly present, and not something he can just dismiss or ignore in favor of chasing his own goals. This has always been for everyone else: for those still living under the Empire, for those who don't know they require it, for those who have gone before and left him behind to continue on for them.
It's an insult, yes, but it's also just a logistically terrible decision, and he has difficulty seeing himself carry through with it. But that is neither here nor there.]
And yet something must have made this sound like an acceptable idea, assuming we can believe that we're willing participants in all of this. It troubles me, to put it gently, as do many of the other things that seem to be occurring in this place.
[...]
Near Nordopolica, I believe you said...? Regarding where you were last.
[There are also other concerns - the scale of what he wants is, in the end, world-changing; it isn't enough to just handwave some sort of miracle with no way to control or predict the fallout. The potential for things to go society-shatteringly wrong is incredibly present, and not something he can just dismiss or ignore in favor of chasing his own goals. This has always been for everyone else: for those still living under the Empire, for those who don't know they require it, for those who have gone before and left him behind to continue on for them.
It's an insult, yes, but it's also just a logistically terrible decision, and he has difficulty seeing himself carry through with it. But that is neither here nor there.]
And yet something must have made this sound like an acceptable idea, assuming we can believe that we're willing participants in all of this. It troubles me, to put it gently, as do many of the other things that seem to be occurring in this place.
[...]
Near Nordopolica, I believe you said...? Regarding where you were last.
You know I wouldn't mind if you didn't word it gently. The fact that so many kids have been brought into this is just...
[It's so fucked up and he doesn't even know how to describe it better than that right now. Rather than being crass in front of the Commandant, he instead latches onto the return of their previous conversation. About what was going on back in Terca Lumireis.]
Yes. We had just passed back through the Weasand of Cados from Mantaic. It was almost time for me to deliver that letter from Whitehorse to Palestralle's leader, Belius.
[...]
We passed through a barricade on the way. Was that your idea?
[It's so fucked up and he doesn't even know how to describe it better than that right now. Rather than being crass in front of the Commandant, he instead latches onto the return of their previous conversation. About what was going on back in Terca Lumireis.]
Yes. We had just passed back through the Weasand of Cados from Mantaic. It was almost time for me to deliver that letter from Whitehorse to Palestralle's leader, Belius.
[...]
We passed through a barricade on the way. Was that your idea?
[So it was Alexei's order...]
Well, it certainly didn't make getting to Nordopolica easy. You had the entire city on lockdown. Do you really think Belius had something to do with the Great War?
Well, it certainly didn't make getting to Nordopolica easy. You had the entire city on lockdown. Do you really think Belius had something to do with the Great War?
[Thanks for not explaining anything as usual, Alexei. Schwann's expression hardens slightly, but he's quick to let it go and simply nod instead.]
As long as he doesn't interfere with me and the others meeting Belius any more than his brigade already has. I'm doing my best to keep them focused on that rather than question what's going on.
As long as he doesn't interfere with me and the others meeting Belius any more than his brigade already has. I'm doing my best to keep them focused on that rather than question what's going on.
Good. He's been easy enough to work around so far.
[...]
I'm not surprised he made Captain. He's a good kid, and good for the Knights.
[Which makes the whole Weasand of Cados thing very strange. He's guessing Alexei didn't really explain his orders to Flynn either.]
[...]
I'm not surprised he made Captain. He's a good kid, and good for the Knights.
[Which makes the whole Weasand of Cados thing very strange. He's guessing Alexei didn't really explain his orders to Flynn either.]
Yeah. I met him when he was a fresh recruit, and he held those beliefs from the beginning. Honestly, it was refreshing.
[Enough to make him feel half of something, which surprised even him.]
[Enough to make him feel half of something, which surprised even him.]
[Schwann blinks and his expression shifts like he's been caught off guard.]
Do I? [That gives him some genuine pause. Alexei noticed?] It's...just not every day that we get such idealistic young recruits like him.
Do I? [That gives him some genuine pause. Alexei noticed?] It's...just not every day that we get such idealistic young recruits like him.
And here I was fearing a comment about how I'm going soft...
[He's trying not to sound flustered, but when he's usually so stoic it's kind of hard to hide.]
[He's trying not to sound flustered, but when he's usually so stoic it's kind of hard to hide.]
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