[log] IT'S A MONSTER PARTY [closed]

[devoutish]

Characters: Alfie Solomons, Ecks, Fiona, Francel de Haillenarte, Haurchefant Greystone, John Watson, Tifa Lockhart, Royce Melborn
Location around U4/V4, and then in various houses
Date: evening of 138 through morning of 139
Summary: various merry traveling bands are set upon and scattered by a RUDE AS FUCK anomaly
Warnings: n/a; will edit if anything comes up

Catch-all for EVERYTHING - running from the anomaly, settling in various houses, etc. Top-level and tag as you see fit.

Comments

[powersouls]

Since I arrived. I was friends with his brother, too.

[Poor Emmanellain.]

What about you? How long have you known each other?

[haillenarte]

His brother? Artoirel?

[most of the time, francel prefers to remember only one of haurchefant's brothers — but if he only stopped to think about it, he'd realize that artoirel can't possibly be the brother in question. for one thing, nobody is really friends with artoirel.]

I — I have known him some sixteen years. Ever since I was a boy of some six summers, in fact.

[powersouls]

No, no, Emmanellain.

[And oh! Tifa smiles at that.]

So you're childhood friends?

[haillenarte]

[he's... going to get back to asking about emmanellain, but tifa's question seems more pressing at the moment. particularly as he never passes up a chance to gush about haurchefant.]

Yes, we are. Haurchefant was twelve when I first met him, and he took me on grand adventures ever afterward. Though, there was one time I was captured by brigands — but he saved me, as is his fashion. It was...

...He is very dear to me.

[powersouls]

Well, I'm glad the two of you are together, then. He's very brave, isn't he? He's always helping people here, too.

[haillenarte]

...Yes, I'm sure.

[let's not talk about that.]

You — you said Emmanellain was here as well? I confess, he bullied me often in our youth, but I would be glad to see him again. Where is he?

tifa just tells all the elves that emm is dead THIS IS FINE

[powersouls]

[Look at her face fall!]

Oh, um, he...

[She's fidgeting again, toying with her gloves absently.]

He's... gone.

tifa breaking all these hearts!!!

[haillenarte]

[if tifa's face falls, francel’s kind of... plunges off the edge of a cliff into a pit of soulless monsters below.

(which is something that was actually going to happen to him at some point in his life, but never mind that.)

his voice trembles.]

He's... gone?

RIP........

[powersouls]

[Oh, no. Tifa steps forward instinctively, reaching out to touch his arm.]

I'm so sorry, I didn't mean... I thought you knew.

[haillenarte]

I... I didn't...

[he doesn't quite reach out to accept her touch, but then — he's kind of just standing there, abstractly staring at some point beyond her shoulder, trying to will the lump in his throat away.]

...I never hated him enough to want him dead.

[powersouls]

[She can't even use her usual go to of "he might come back". It's been too long, and it feels like a lie, so all she can do is squeeze his arm and repeat herself uselessly.]

I'm sorry, Francel.

[haillenarte]

That's... that's alright, Tifa. We were... not close.

[but he says this so slowly and so sadly that there must be some trace of a lie in it.

francel touches the hand on his arm, making a great effort to force a smile — one that is fleeting and not very convincing.]

...More than that, I simply don't understand. When I left Ishgard, Haurchefant was dead and Emmanellain was alive. And now... here, Haurchefant is alive, and Emmanellain is dead. I cannot... I can make no sense of it.

[powersouls]

Haurchefant was dead?

[Well... There's precedent for that. Like Angel.]

I've... I've lost people from home here, too. I'm not sure what that means for when we go back.

[haillenarte]

Yes, he... it was a complex situation.

[he shakes his head. haurchefant's death was a complex situation. norfinbury was a complex situation. but the truth is, francel would trade a thousand emmanellains to have haurchefant back, and if that is what he must choose between, then so be it.

he would rather be in norfinbury (a hostile foreign land, with haurchefant) than in ishgard (his home, without haurchefant).

still, the pain on his face is clear and the sympathy in his voice seems genuine when he says:]

I... I am sorry to hear that. Truly. In my — in our homeland, an honorable death is to be one of life's greatest glories, and yet... yet it was always so hard to be the one left behind.

[powersouls]

[Tifa hums quietly in response, forcing a smile as well. Hers is just a bit more believable—she has practice faking, but it still falls short of genuine.]

Thank you. It is hard being left behind, but... we just have to keep going, right?

[haillenarte]

...Yes. Yes, we do.

[this, too, is a lie.]

Thank you, Tifa.

[powersouls]

[She shakes her head, her hand dropping from his arm.]

You don't need to thank me. Are you settling in all right?

[haillenarte]

More or less. [he shrugs once his arm is freed.] The situation here is, ah — not too different from life in Ishgard. Bitter cold and deadly monsters have been part and parcel of my daily routine for the past five years.

I could do with a warm meal, but... I suppose I should count these prepackaged foodstuffs among my blessings.

[powersouls]

There is a grocery store downtown. Everything is fresh, not frozen, I haven't been there yet, but... I hear it's amazing.

[haillenarte]

A greengrocer's? That is quite the luxury. We never had one in the, ah, town where I live...

[because it wasn't a town, not really, but the truth is close enough that francel doesn't particularly see anything wrong with twisting it.]

But I think Haurchefant means to travel eastward, not southward. And I — I don't suppose you'll be joining us, will you?

[powersouls]

Oh, um... No, I'm sorry. We're traveling east, too, but I'd like to get back to Alfie and Duster. Are you going to Kesara's tunnel?

[haillenarte]

Ah, so you have other companions. No need to worry — I understand completely.

Haurchefant made mention of some tunnels, yes. I've no idea if they belong to Kesara. [he smiles, a hint of melancholy to the curve of his lips.] I simply mean to go wherever he will go.

[powersouls]

[Tifa nods. She understands that impulse.]

The tunnels to the east, right? Those are Kesara's. We might be traveling in the same direction.

[haillenarte]

I would welcome it! Halone willing, we shall see each other again after you have made your rendezvous.

Forgive me my curiosity, but what are your friends like?