Ruler

[antaressnipe]

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W0 || Friday

[antaressnipe]

[... He will not deny how glad he is to see her here, though for a while, Chiron decides it best that he keep his distance. There are too many people about, looking for answers and making the rounds through town on their quest for knowledge -- and the truth of it is that a lack of information has turned Chiron guarded, quiet.

So he waits until he's certain he can approach her in secrecy, and there is a nod of respect]

Ruler.

[discernments]

[ Oh, to be a Ruler without all her privileges. Oh, to see Chiron as he is naturally and not more human to hide his identity. Both take her aback for different reasons. ]

Archer. Is your appearance a conscious choice?

[ Jeanne, that's a little rude? But the answer would say more than it doesn't.

(She is glad to see him here, too, but she's worried.) ]

W0 || Friday....2! (post-inves)

[discernments]

[ Right after they get all those messages, Jeanne looks for Chiron, wherever he is.

There's no hiding how troubled she feels at what just occurred. ]

Archer, it looks like our worries were not completely unfounded. I found some cereal and hair while looking around, but I don't want to form conclusions too soon.

[ She is very much speaking as Ruler, not Jeanne. ]

[antaressnipe]

[Chiron, on occasion, does not care much for being right about his concerns.

And he feels as if this might be one of those moments. Just as she speaks as Ruler, he answers her as Archer of Black, already working on piecing together the riddle while he shoots off questions]

Where did you find them? And the hair -- did you see its coloring?

W0 || Post-Trial

[antaressnipe]

[Seeing as he intends to speak with Ruler, Chiron allows some of the irritation to line his expression more clearly. So many things went... poorly tonight.

And worse yet, there's what might likely happen in the future.

Blood has been spilt. Things don't usually calm down after that]

Ruler... do you have a moment?

[discernments]

[ They are all some kind of somber tonight. What weighs on her mind is what could or couldn't have been stopped tonight.

Has she been anything but troubled for the past two days? No, but she's her usual serious self. ]

Yes. What do you need?

[ They all need so many things. ]

W1 || Thursday

[discernments]

[ CHIRON WHY DID YOU RUN OFF

Jeanne's running after him but not right away. She thinks he'd prefer time to clean up after himself and to parse whatever he needs to alone, but she does hunt him down eventually. ]

Archer, is everything all right?

[ She had expected him to stay and see the other three that were with him taken care of first before running off. It makes her worry. ]

[antaressnipe]

[She is correct. Under normal circumstances, Chiron never would have left children to attend to themselves.

Which is why he gives her the blunt truth when she finds him (as he knows she will)]

I was in fear of succumbing to my wounds and concussion, and thus prioritized solitude. It wouldn't do for me to cause further worry.

[Him running was still a better option over passing out in front of everyone and leading to mass panic, he thinks]

W1 || Saturday

[antaressnipe]

[... That did not go well.

In fact, that went worse than imagined. It's not so much that anything outside the realm of possibility happened, but Chiron's worst fears are coming to pass: they are too disorganized, and skittish when it comes to accusations.

And worst still, he was unable to provide much guidance when HIS PLAYER WAS UNAVAILABLE he was hit with a terrible headache, probably a parting gift of his concussion.

But he still has a duty to maintain, so he will go looking for Ruler at some point during the night, greeting her with a somber nod]

[discernments]

[ She nods in return. She's done no better. Even if her role is more to intervene if things get too far, wasn't this just this the case? She could've guided them more on a focused task, but...

It was not out of bounds for them to question who they did. ]

We did not focus on what we should have.

W1 || Sunday YOU SAID YOU WANTED ONE RIGHT i think i didn't imagine that

[discernments]

[ Sometimes, you're forced to kill an innocent boy and you fail even that. Sometimes, you think about how much you are capable of even though you've never really thought yourself above some girl from the country.

Whenever she sees Chiron, she tries to manage some sort of smile, if only as a greeting and not an indication of whatever she's feeling. ]

I hope you understand if I think it's better that Ochako saved her gun for someone else.

[ Someone may have been too busy trying not to be stabbed more than once to realize Chiron picked up his bow. ]

YES I DID IT'S ALL GOOD

[antaressnipe]

[And Chiron

is not going to tell her.

Not for any reason of shame, no. He merely thinks that he did his duty as both a comrade and a Servant who knows of her importance -- no more or less than that.

It's why he's able to nod easily at her words, a sigh on his lips]

I cannot chastise you, as I did the same when she offered it to me.

[They are in some ways, cut from the same cloth]

Even still -- allow me to dress your wounds, if you need assistance. I have bandages and salves with me.

W2 || Tuesday

[discernments]

[ Hey, Archer. Hey.

On this fine Tuesday, if he happens to look out towards the port and into the water, he may see a dolphin?

And maybe a Ruler? On the docks near said dolphin?

It's fine. ]

[antaressnipe]

[Fellow comrade, what are you doing with that aquatic mammal?]

... Ruler?

W2 || Friday

[antaressnipe]

[You know what Chiron dislikes? Being soaked so thoroughly that it makes both his coat and hair a nightmare to tame, especially when he feels there is much more to explore and document.

But he can feel his temperament twitching beneath the seas of his usual calm, and it's why he will take the time to sit somewhere, slowly wringing the last of the sea water out of his "mane" with a sigh.]

[discernments]

[ It's another two dead. Jeanne is taking it steadily, but there is a flicker of surprise and concern when she sees Chiron.

He isn't usually someone who would be in such a state. ]

Archer? Did you find evidence somewhere?

[ She hopes he didn't almost drown in the swamp.

Also, she smells strongly of fish. ]

Are you all right?

w2 || saturday

[discernments]

[ Someday, they'll have more than one cute thread.

Anyway!! How about that trial? They did it, somehow. Jeanne goes looking for Chrion because well, she needs her wound restitched, so this can be anywhere he is. ]

Archer, I need your assistance.

[antaressnipe]

-- Your wounds?

[That would be his guess, naturally. As for where he's at, it's in his room for once! The empty room courtesy of Raven's unfortunate demise.

... At least there is plenty of space to stitch her up again]

W3 || Thursday morning

[antaressnipe]

[It's a little early to be making rounds in the village, especially when one is blind, but Chiron is on a mission and does not stop until he finds Jeanne.

Though she is going to notice he is... significantly more wounded than before. Bandages are wrapped over both of his forearms, and apparently whatever happened to his usual tunic was extreme enough to warrant a clothing change.

He's draped and wrapped in a long cloth instead, in a manner reminiscent of Ancient Greece. Never before has he looked like more a sage.]

-- Ruler? [Head tilted to the side, making a guess based off the cadence of her footsteps] That is you?

[discernments]

[ His guess is true, and she is a little alarmed, a little worried. Those extra wounds... his outfit change... those don't usually add up to something great. ]

Yes, Archer, it's me. What happened?

[ There isn't any avoiding that something happened. He may look like a sage, but she has nothing to go on.

Her concern is audible. ]

W3 || saturday

[discernments]

[ Jeanne is finding him, music or no. She will make herself noticeably heard, but she figures she doesn't have to try too hard since Chiron is Chiron. ]

Archer, I'd still like you to explain.

[ She wants to hear it in his words. ]

[antaressnipe]

There are those here with extra abilities I think are meant to help us and the Realm.

So I have dedicated my time and services to protecting all of them, even at the expense of my life.

[... He doesn't even hesitate, voice calm the entire time]

w3 || sunday

[discernments]

[ As emotionally exhausted as Chiron must be from what just happened, Jeanne still wants to talk to him, so she is looking for him. It shouldn't be too hard to spot him, hopefully, due to his height, but the world works in new and mysterious ways.

Just like the execution. ]

Archer? Are you relieved?

[ She doesn't think that's the right word. ]

[antaressnipe]

... I am not sure if that's what I'm feeling.

[He answers her honestly like always, but having long since composed himself, Chiron is back to his utter calm, even if traces of exhaustion can be found around his sightless eyes.

Oh yes, he still cannot see -- but perhaps that was a blessing in the end]

But certain weights have been lifted from my shoulders, even if only to make room for new ones.

w4 || sunday

[discernments]

[ Jeanne has made friends with a horse for the afternoon and is riding it around everywhere from the northern area to the normal Realm areas, so as long as Chiron is outside sometime, Jeanne will try to catch him. ]

Archer! I have a message for you. I think it's from one of the Removed. It's not signed.

[antaressnipe]

-- Ah. Yes. Of course.

[It has frankly been so long that someone has been able to catch up to him on a horse that it takes Chiron a moment to process what he's looking at, but he will slow himself and nod]

What does the message say?

W5 || Thursday

[antaressnipe]

[So where is Jeanne???

Chiron is hunting her down because he promised, first off, but also because he needs to hear what happened and decide how much stress he needs to flood his system with.]

[discernments]

[ Her room, probably! She's a good girl sometimes? Most of the time, maybe. It's his room, too, so she probably doesn't need to prop the door open for him, but it is for the visitors she may or may not get.

She smiles slightly in greeting. ]

What would you like me to start with first, Archer?

[ Her injuries or her adventure? ]

W5 || Friday

[antaressnipe]

[... Well.

He will be looking for Jeanne sometime on Friday. Perhaps their room? Admittedly, Chiron is lacking in enthusiasm today, but not in stubbornness. It will have to do.]

[discernments]

[ He can find her! She is in fancy dress, and it looks like she's walking back from the northern area and coming back into the Realm town.

Albeit a bit slowly since she's still conscious of her injuries. She's not the greatest patient, but she's also not the worst patient out there. ]

W5 || Saturday

[antaressnipe]

[... Well, when he has a chance to meet with her (don't ask how he's even able to move, it's a miracle), he will lay down in front of her, expression neutral.]

... Truthfully, I should thank you. I had planned to potentially take a life this week, but my hand was stayed by others, and I was informed that none of the dead will affect our chances of bringing the rest back.

[discernments]

[ How is anyone moving around tonight other than sheer willpower? Jeanne seems fine because she's willing it. She's kneeling on the floor, and her hands are folded on her lap, as if she had just been praying.

She holds up a hand as if he shouldn't be thanking her. ]

I thought you were going to consider it, after I told you, but what exactly do you mean by the dead not affect our chances to bring them back?

W5 || Sunday

[antaressnipe]

["Marie you fell asleep last night and didn't finish the other thread"

Yeah it's fine!

But anyway, Chiron is on the hunt for Jeanne. Again. And while the situation is hardly amusing (nothing about what she lived through was such) his manner is still quietly pleased in its own way.]

... I am glad to see you well.

[discernments]

[ we all deserve sleep after yesterday it's fine

He can find her easily. She isn't making it hard to be found. She's a known murderer who's been saved. It is what it is at this point even if she still doesn't know how to make sense of it.

She smiles up at him. ]

Mm. I'm glad I can see you in this way as well.

[ Even if they're still ill and she's still injured. ]