[OPEN] a catch all

[sermom]

Who: Kisara and anyone!
Which: Open Log
Where: Around town
What: A catch-all for Kisara, event prompts and extras
Warnings: E for Everyone, to be changed as needed but pretty mild tbh


( I. hot pot - serenading the piggies )

[Ever in search for new ingredients and recipes to make - carrying on Shionne's legacy while she's gone, at least - Kisara had jumped on the truffle challenge. She's not shy of any danger, and experience at the ranch back home has her well prepared for a bit of pig wrangling! ...So she thought. Unfortunately partway in her partner in swine decides he's happier napping in the muck, so now she's on the edge of the path trying to coax him back.]

Come on, don't you want to find those tasty truffles?

[...Her pleas are left unacknowledged, unfortunately, so after a painful silence she sighs and starts humming some old kid's song from her childhood. Maybe it'll wake him up to play the way it did for her years ago.]


( II. dragon-sitting )

[Taking care of little kids? Sign Kisara the heck up. Even if said kids are actually baby dragons, that's fine. It adds a second layer of challenge to the task. She's at the dragon nursery, coaxing bite-sized morsels into the mouth of an especially precocious little dragonling. She's even trying to experiment with a bit of wind-based dreamotion to try and make it fly into the baby's mouth, which is… admittedly messy, but both she and the baby seem to be enjoying it.]

What's this? It's a zeugle, flying away! Best catch it before it escapes…


( wildcard: wishing well )

[Kisara is hanging out at the wishing well one unremarkable day when the skies are clear, leaning against the edge, rolling one of the baubles idly back and forth between her hands. She looks deep in thought, indecisive, a little sad. Maybe check in on her?

Alternatively, should you cross her path afterwards, one can find Kisara walking home from the wishing well area, carrying a small black cat in her arms and, by all appearances, trying hard not to cry.]

Comments

[sermom]

[It can be a little strange to not hear him coming with the usual clanking of armor, but the appearance of Somnus still nets a soft smile from Kisara, welcoming his company. These days it's nice to see him in the 'flesh' so to speak.]

Hello, Somnus. [She gently dabs at the dragon's jaws, coaxing it to lick its chops and clean off some of the bits that had missed.] It's good to see them growing happy and healthy, isn't it?

[luciing]

[ He approaches. Despite his intangible form, the heavy cloak he wears seems to rustle with an untraceable breeze. Somnus makes a soft sound of agreement with her statement.

Dragons in this realm, apparently, can shapeshift and take on more humanoid appearances. That's not quite the case, yet, with this one, but it does bring up the question of when they might begin to utilize that power. ]

Did its parents charge you to care for their hatchling?

[sermom]

No, this one doesn't...

[She trails off, hoping to leave the implication unspoken so as not to make the poor creature unhappy, when it's only begun to cheer up through a good meal. She'd been paired with one of the orphans still waiting to either find parents or be adopted.]

I like to work wherever care is needed most. I suppose you could say this one called to me.

[luciing]

[ He watches her for a few seconds before his attention tips towards the dragon. ]

It appears content.

[sermom]

Most children are happy if you give them food and attention.

[It used to be much harder than it is now. Here, though, food and happiness are in abundance.]

Are you here to help too?

[luciing]

[ At her question, his head lifts, gaze moving from the dragon she holds towards the others yet unclaimed within the nursery…. ]

Perhaps. [ He answers, noncommittal. Somnus steps past her, looking over the nursery where the dragonlings chirp and squawk amongst themselves. It would be like him leave his response at that, but then he volunteers: ]

I may have been responsible for orphaning one of these…

[ His tone is slate. Months ago he had slain a dragon during the attack on Reverein. If it had any offspring, it may have been brought here. Responsibility compels him to find out if it is well. ]

[sermom]

Ah...

[His approach is less subtle, so she offers the baby dragon another piece of meat to distract it, lest it notices the implications. Children are smarter than most people give them credit for. His words are troublesome, but only in retrospect. Plenty had fought back against the dragons before understanding the situation. She hadn't slain any by her own hand, but she'd bashed heads with a few. It made for painful negotiations. Nonetheless, they'd worked it through.]

They'll appreciate the effort, then, to make things right. Maybe one of the parents would know if you described the one you fought? I can guide you there if you like. [A pause, and then more meaningfully,] And vouch for you.

[Can dragons eat ghosts? Better safe than sorry, surely.]

[luciing]

[ The dragons appear to trust Kisara, trusting her with their kin. Her word would be useful, but how useful would it be to introduce the man that killed their kin, much less their parent?

Somnus appears to consider this, contemplation smoothing over his stony expression. He speaks with caution. ]

You find the dragons to be… [ “Forgiving” is too generous of a word, so— ] understanding?

[ He’s only met one dragon (god) in his own world before this, so he has only one reference to go by. ]

[sermom]

They have been so far.

[Though admittedly she hasn't witnessed or tried to mediate between anyone who'd killed their kind yet, it feels as if they've been around long enough to have seen plenty of conflict before, and overcome it somehow.]

They've been more interested in lasting peace than justice or revenge. More sensible than humans, in some ways. But in this case it may depend on whether or not you're able to apologize sincerely.

[luciing]

[ "--you're able to apologize sincerely."

Somnus' cloak rustles with movement as he raises his arms, crossing them over his chest. His brow pinches as he appears to mull over her words further. ]

That may prove difficult.

[ If she guesses he has no regrets for his actions, she would be right. ]

[sermom]

[She's not surprised, but she is a little disappointed, anyway.]

Come on, now. Have you never apologized for a bad outcome even if you don't think your choice was the wrong one?

[luciing]

[ Whether or not he has he doesn't answer, and silence settles over him once more. His eyes flit to the dragonling she holds, then meets hers again.

He answers with this: ]

I did what was necessary. Nothing more, nothing less.

[sermom]

But you now know in retrospect that it wasn't necessary. Doesn't that make you want to reflect on your choices at all?

[The consequences are right in front of him. If he's not here to make amends and doesn't regret it, why did he bother?]

[luciing]

[ Somnus frowns, pivoting to face her. ]

What I know now will be used solely in the future. Foolish, to judge past actions for what one does not know at the time.

[ ^prime example of a fool in his natural habitat. ]

[sermom]

[She meets his gaze unflinching.]

In my opinion, it's a weak man that doesn't know how to apologize to someone he's wronged.

[Throws gauntlet directly at Somnus' face.]

[luciing]

[ He exhales a short, soft sound. ]

It is regretful that the dragonling is now orphaned. It is regretful that a misunderstanding caused their attack on this town.

[ But by his tone, he doesn't regret his actions at the time. He can't, not really. Had he stayed his blade, the young princess Zelda would have perished. ]

[sermom]

[She's not dumb, she can see the evasion. It's more irritating than just outright saying he won't.]

They've been very accommodating and apologetic, themselves. They were able to recognize their misplaced anger, so we might find a way to move forward together. It takes action on both sides, you know? Regret isn't the same as an apology, Somnus.

[luciing]

[ His expression remains unchanging. ]

How do you mean?

[sermom]

Consider this: "I'm sorry that my actions caused you pain", versus "given the same information, if the situation repeated itself, I wouldn't change what I did". The two can exist at the same time, but it's because you know more that an apology becomes important.

[She pauses, then her expression drops, lifting the baby dragon gently into her lap.]

Ignorance... can only excuse so much. When someone is in pain because of a thing you did, isn't it right to acknowledge that pain head-on?

[luciing]

[ Indeed, he would not change his actions-- but there is now a defensive hunch to his shoulders as he replies. ]

Without remorse, would the apology not become meaningless?

[sermom]

Depends on what you're apologizing for. If you're sorry for hurting someone, and would consider another path if the situation was different, then I don't see why it can't be genuine.

[Easy to think back with hindsight, certainly. To her, there's no such thing as a meaningless apology if it's offered sincerely.]

[luciing]

[ His brow lowers. Perhaps the concept of giving apologies when he classifies them as meaningless is that puzzling to him. ]

Hollow words may only add insult.

[ A pause, and his head turns as he appears to realize something. ] …The dragonling deserves better.

[sermom]

They do. [She won't argue, smiling faintly.] Whatever crimes their parents might have committed, the children are innocent.

[luciing]

[ "Sorry, kid, I killed your dad, just checking in to see if you're okay and by the way I'd do the same thing again" seems rather hollow, too. Who would want to meet the one who slew their parent? Perhaps wanting to ascertain the well-being of this hypothetical child is entirely uncalled for.

...The root of that want is a sense of responsibility, though, for being the one who ended the great dragon's life. Despite his stubbornness, there is remorse underlying his actions; not for the adult dragon, not for slaying it, but for the child.

The conflict of his thoughts manifests in his expression by way of a deep frown. Somnus doesn't have a response for Kisara, but it appears her words have affected him. ]

[sermom]

[She watches him for a long moment, letting him stew in his silent thoughts, before she opts to finally take pity on him, just a little.]

You don't have to decide right now. If you need to step back and think it over for a while, it's okay. These little ones will need help for a good while, I'm sure.

[In her mind there's no shame in retreating to consider one's options, rather than sit and ponder responsibilities and morality with an audience.]