[ Moenbryda's memory of how, exactly, she came to be on this train -- and how long it's been --- are somewhat fuzzy, but she can't say it's been boring. It isn't a normal place, that's for certain, with each car practically a different world unto itself as one passes through them: stepping into a forest one moment, then a blisteringly cold winter landscape the next. The control car is the only place she's never been to, impervious to attempts to access it. How the train links together seems to be dictated less by logic than by will, the layout changing from moment to moment.
Now and again, a droning voice over the speakers will call for the residents of the train to assemble and get rid of pests attempting to attack it. Standing on the train roof, trying to cut down many-limbed shadows clinging to the metal, all Moenbryda can see out there is an endless, howling black.
It's after one of those altercations that she finds her way to the dining car -- one of them, anyway. The servers are mute, vaguely humanoid shadows that flit from table to table, taking people's orders. Brushing some lingering snowmelt off her clothes, she plunks herself down solidly at the bar and unhooks her axe from her back so it buries itself with a solid thunk on the polished wooden floor. ]
Well, that was certainly exciting, wasn't it? [ She announces, to no one in particular. There are faces both new and familiar around, but first things first: she needs to get warmed up. ]
[ The interior of the train and its shifting cars is a marvel, to be sure, the likes of which Ardbert has certainly never seen before -- and that's after spending time on not just one world, but two. It had all been a nice distraction at first, with each day feeling different enough from the one that came before it that this trip to who-knows-where didn't feel quite so grim.
But it's been long enough now that he's been getting antsy, and with each turn they take around an unknown corner, his connection to the Warrior of Light and their home shards feels weaker and weaker. For someone who'd been alone with his own thoughts and left to drift for so long, though, this could all be much worse.
At least he can interact with people here.
The chance to do something, to swing his axe around and have it actually cleave through something (even if that something is... shadow creatures?) helps to lighten Ardbert's mood. It works up his appetite too, and so the dining car is the first place he heads once all is said and done.
A woman with an axe that rivals his seems to address him, and Ardbert shoots her a grin before moving to take the stool at her left. ]
Won't ever say no to a good fight. [ He nods to her axe, his eyes shining with admiration. ] It's nice to get the blood flowing, wouldn't you say?
[ Not that there's actually any blood left in his veins any more -- but it all feels close enough to the real thing that he can let himself forget, sometimes. ]
[ The stranger that addresses her isn't a familiar face, but that's no deterrent as far as Moenbryda's -- conversation's been something of a sparse thing, since she came here, and a friendly stranger is better company than none.
Besides, they've clearly got the same good taste in weapons. She chuckles, patting the shaft of her axe fondly. ]
That it is. Not to say I'm spending my days praying for the next bunch of demons or whatever else they are to come along, mind you, but it's nice to be doing something useful.
[ Ardbert murmurs the word under his breath, wondering what those creatures might be. It seems like there are any number of possibilities, and yet his awareness of what state they're in and where they might be headed has him unsure. If they're in some realm that follows death, then it doesn't have to play by any of the rules he knows.
He nods all the same, then waves over one of the strange waiters to take his order. With that taken care of, he settles his attention back on his new axe-wielding friend. ]
Not used to sitting idle, are you? [ He sighs and leans forward, resting both of his arms on the bar-top. ] I understand. I certainly appreciate it not getting too dull around here.
Oh, never. My mother always said she would have nailed me down, if she could. [ Moenbryda answers, idly reaching up to work a crick out of her neck, the markings tattooed high and just under her ear stark against pale skin. She flahes him a quick smile ]
'Voidsent,' though -- I haven't heard someone else call them that in a while. Doesn't seem like it's a term most people here have heard of.
[ This woman recognizing the term of 'voidsent' would have been alarming enough, but when her hand lifts up and draws attention to the prominent tattoo on her neck, Ardbert wonders how he could have missed it. Too distracted by her axe and the promise of a hard drink, it seems.
There's no mistaking it. While Ardbert and the others had never felt the need to tattoo themselves in order to mark them as experts in any field, he's spent enough time in the presence of the Warrior and the Scions to have some idea of what the symbol means. It's all a bit over-the-top, in his opinion, but...
Is she one of the lesser-known Scions? One who wasn't summoned to the First? What was the word Urianger had used... ]
You're an Archon. I can't imagine many people around here have made note of that, either.
[ He turns in his seat, his interest shifting from mild to something stronger. ]
[ To be completely fair, axes are distracting. In any case, whatever surprise Moenbryda might have had at the recognition quickly fades in the face of excitement as she leans forward (maybe a bit too much into Ardbert's space). ]
You recognize it? Then, you know of Sharlayan? Or-- [ She sits back, scrutinizing him more assessingly. No Sharlayan she knows would dress like that, not even Thancred. ] --are you from Eorzea?
[ The very concept of someone invading his personal space at all is rather new these days, after so long spent as a specter who could not interact with the world around him. It's for that reason alone that Ardbert flinches back in his seat for a moment, though he doesn't appear offended in any way.
They've found common ground. It's more than enough reason to be excited. Given that the Warrior of Light had not always been the best of conversationalists, this is like a breath of fresh air.
It's her final question that Ardbert chooses to address, with a brief shake of his head. ]
No, though I was able to make a brief trip there. [ Said as if it was a quick vacation rather than the desperate action of someone with no other options. ] I hail from a different star, though one with a connection to Hydaelyn. It's a long story, but... I have some familiarity with the Scions.
[ He raises an eyebrow at the Galdjent woman. Your turn. ]
[ The flinch isn't lost on Moenbryda, but she doesn't remark on it. Perhaps it's because she, too, is caught up in the excitement of the moment or because it seems to be tied to some private pain that this isn't the time or place to ask.
For now, she'll meet that raised eyebrow with one of her own, giving him a quick grin as well. ]
Is that so? I happen to know some of the Scions quite well, myself. Urianger is a childhood friend. [ She looks reflective, leaning back slightly in her seat. ] I don't suppose you've seen them recently, have you?
[ Urianger? It's hard to imagine the stern elezen man with his lofty speech and head full of scholarly pursuits had ever been a child. Would he have mentioned this woman, a childhood friend, during their temporary "alliance"? Ardbert doesn't remember, but those memories are also as good as ancient history for him now. ]
Not here. [ Said with a quick glance around the train car. ] Though I imagine that's a good thing.
[ He folds his hands on the tabletop in front of him, perking up when one of the strange servers drifts by to drop off their drinks. ]
Before I came to be here, though, yes. Quite recently, in fact.
[ That's enough to earn a quick, wry smile from the Roegadyn, who brushes her hair back out of her face. ]
I imagine so.
[ While her memory is fuzzy on the details of how she came to be here, they're certain on one point: she shouldn't be alive. Her last conscious thought was that there wasn't enough aether to fuel the blade that would bring the Ascian down, and there was only one ready supply. Her thoughts are easily distracted from those moments, though, by what the man says next. There's an unmistakable softening in her expression, a warmth in her voice when she answers. ]
[ It's a fair question, though one which Ardbert finds difficult to answer. He pauses, taking a moment to enjoy a sip of his drink first. It had been so long since he was able to eat and drink that he's been sampling the offerings from the dining car as often as he can, and he can't hold back on the content sigh he lets out after indulging. ]
As well as they can be.
[ Which is a statement that requires some explanation, he realizes. He shifts in his seat enough to look the woman over again. Casual as she may seem, he can only imagine she's eager to hear news of someone she called friend. Especially as Ardbert suspects it's been quite some time since last she saw him. ]
We were facing a dangerous enemy. [ "We," he says, but he had been part of the fight in the end, hadn't he? And how good it had felt to finally be able to do something. ] But we succeeded, and last I can recall, they were making their way back to a safe harbor of sorts, to celebrate.
[ It's as they'd been approaching the Crystarium that everything becomes fuzzy in his recollection. He thought he'd seen his old friends, Branden and Lamitt and the others, but then...
Well, once this journey is over, he hopes he can see them once more. ]
[ That gets a sidelong glance and a strangely piercing look; a reminder that for all her friendly manner, those marks on her neck aren't for show. Moenbryda is a scholar of Sharlayan, first and foremost, and if there's anything they're known for, it's being too curious for their own good, and the phrasing he's used doesn't escape her. ]
That's a terribly vague answer, you know. [ She leans back, flicking a bit of hair out of her face again, then gives him a wry smile. ] But I daresay the Scions' exploits tend to sound mad when you try to explain them in detail, so I can't fault you for that.
[ She finally reaches to pick up her drink, offering it at him to toast. ]
Still, before we go on exchanging stories, perhaps we ought to introduce ourselves to each other. My name is Moenbryda. Archon of Sharlayan and aetherology expert.
[ It's not as if Ardbert is purposefully being obtuse, but to give her a more specific answer would require a good deal of time. They have an abundance of it here, of course, with little else to do but while away the time with good company and conversation.
All the same, he would rather be sure she's interested in hearing the long version before he launches into it. She does seem to understand why he's kept it so truncated, at the least.
With a nod, he lifts up his own drink and knocks it against hers, taking a longer pull from it as he considers how to introduce himself. ]
Ardbert. [ And what should follow? Warrior of Darkness? Surely not. Hero of the First? Not a chance. He stares down at the table for a number of seconds, aware that he's left Moenbryda hanging, before he shrugs and lets out a thin laugh. ] Just Ardbert.
[ Now there's a laugh with a story behind it, if she's ever heard one. Another person might have chosen to do the tactful thing and let it go unremarked, but tact is a resource Moenbryda has never had terribly much use for, which means that once she's quaffed a good portion of her mug and set it back down on the bar. ]
No one's 'just' anything. [ Silver eyes sweep Ardbert up and down, assessingly. ]
If you'd rather not go into the details, or the memory's unpleasant, that's your business. But I took you for another adventurer. You certainly dress the part.
[ Having just met this woman, Ardbert hadn't known whether she would pick up on the meaning between his words, and if she did, whether she'd comment on it. Turns that out she's the direct type, which isn't all so surprising given her general demeanor.
As much as it won't do any good or change much of anything to rehash all this, Ardbert is still taken enough with the simple fact that he can converse with someone that he'll indulge her. Especially since she has a link to the Scions he knows.
Following her gesture, he glances down at his axe and nods. ] Aye, suppose you're right. Oftentimes I've thought it would have been best if I'd remained just that — an adventurer and nothing more.
[ It had started out so simple, so innocent, yet before he knew it, he'd become something larger than himself. Ardbert meets Moenbryda's gaze again and lets out a full-body sigh. ]
I'll say this. Being a 'hero of the realm' is a tad overrated.
[ That earns him a bright peal of laughter and a wry smile, Moenbryda tipping her head to one side so her hair spills against one shoulder. ]
Oh, I'm well aware. I've never been much of one for heroics, myself.
[ She toys with the mug in her hands, studying his expression. ]
But from what I gather, it's not always in your hands, is it? Perhaps you could have walked away someone who needed your aid, or turned a blind eye to some injustice, but what sort of person would that have made you? Not one that would have liked his own company much, I imagine. [ She raises a hand, beckoning to the bartender for a refill of her drink. ]
You may choose what you do, but not what others call you.
[ Not one for heroics? The look that Ardbert fixes Moenbryda with when she says as much is nothing less than skeptical. One doesn't get close with the Scions without having at least a few heroic tendencies, he would guess.
As she continues on, however, his expression smooths into something more thoughtful. He takes a slow sip of his drink. She makes a good point, and this is a conversation which Ardbert's had with himself more times than he would care to count. For all that he might be full of regret, is there anything he could go back and do differently?
Not bury his axe into Mitron's chest, mayhap. ]
You're not wrong. Before we knew it, the whole star was calling us heroes. Warriors of Light. Aye, just like the one I'm sure you had the pleasure of meeting.
[ Unless she'd lost her life before the Scions and the Warrior of Light had come together. ]
[ The corner of Moenbryda's mouth lifts again, her head cocking slightly. ]
Just the one that I've met. [ She affirms. ] From what I'm given to understand, it's not the most common of titles, so unless where you come from is that different, you must have done something to earn it.
[ While she hadn't zeroed in on that little detail about being from another star the first time, she does now, giving him an appraising look as drums her fingers on the tabletop. ]
Though unless things have very much changed from what I remember, we're a very long way from managing trips between stars, brief or otherwise. How is it that you came to meet the Scions, exactly?
[ Though with heroes, really, anything might be possible. ]
[ There's little chance of Moenbryda getting Ardbert to brag about any of his accomplishments from back when he'd carried that title, and he offers her little more than a shrug in response. She'll have to draw her own conclusions. Ardbert wouldn't even say that he could be lumped in with the Warrior she knows, who's on a whole other level compared to him. He's aware that he'd earn protest from the hero themselves, were he ever to voice that sentiment.
Not that it matters much now. He's already gone, on this train to make his way to a place from whence he'll likely never return. For good, this time.
Which brings him to Moenbryda's question. He smiles wryly, ducking his head for a moment before taking another long draw from his drink. Then, he stares at the glass rather than her, his fingers tracing over the condensation. ]
It's more common than you would expect, these days. Inter-dimensional travel, that is. I did it the hard way, by making a bad deal with an Ascian.
[ It's not a time or set of circumstances he's ever eager to recall, but he also isn't going to lie to her. All he can do these days is own up to his mistakes. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
some kinda train to the afterlife + snowpiercer + spirited away jamjar setting
Now and again, a droning voice over the speakers will call for the residents of the train to assemble and get rid of pests attempting to attack it. Standing on the train roof, trying to cut down many-limbed shadows clinging to the metal, all Moenbryda can see out there is an endless, howling black.
It's after one of those altercations that she finds her way to the dining car -- one of them, anyway. The servers are mute, vaguely humanoid shadows that flit from table to table, taking people's orders. Brushing some lingering snowmelt off her clothes, she plunks herself down solidly at the bar and unhooks her axe from her back so it buries itself with a solid thunk on the polished wooden floor. ]
Well, that was certainly exciting, wasn't it? [ She announces, to no one in particular. There are faces both new and familiar around, but first things first: she needs to get warmed up. ]
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But it's been long enough now that he's been getting antsy, and with each turn they take around an unknown corner, his connection to the Warrior of Light and their home shards feels weaker and weaker. For someone who'd been alone with his own thoughts and left to drift for so long, though, this could all be much worse.
At least he can interact with people here.
The chance to do something, to swing his axe around and have it actually cleave through something (even if that something is... shadow creatures?) helps to lighten Ardbert's mood. It works up his appetite too, and so the dining car is the first place he heads once all is said and done.
A woman with an axe that rivals his seems to address him, and Ardbert shoots her a grin before moving to take the stool at her left. ]
Won't ever say no to a good fight. [ He nods to her axe, his eyes shining with admiration. ] It's nice to get the blood flowing, wouldn't you say?
[ Not that there's actually any blood left in his veins any more -- but it all feels close enough to the real thing that he can let himself forget, sometimes. ]
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Besides, they've clearly got the same good taste in weapons. She chuckles, patting the shaft of her axe fondly. ]
That it is. Not to say I'm spending my days praying for the next bunch of demons or whatever else they are to come along, mind you, but it's nice to be doing something useful.
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[ Ardbert murmurs the word under his breath, wondering what those creatures might be. It seems like there are any number of possibilities, and yet his awareness of what state they're in and where they might be headed has him unsure. If they're in some realm that follows death, then it doesn't have to play by any of the rules he knows.
He nods all the same, then waves over one of the strange waiters to take his order. With that taken care of, he settles his attention back on his new axe-wielding friend. ]
Not used to sitting idle, are you? [ He sighs and leans forward, resting both of his arms on the bar-top. ] I understand. I certainly appreciate it not getting too dull around here.
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'Voidsent,' though -- I haven't heard someone else call them that in a while. Doesn't seem like it's a term most people here have heard of.
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There's no mistaking it. While Ardbert and the others had never felt the need to tattoo themselves in order to mark them as experts in any field, he's spent enough time in the presence of the Warrior and the Scions to have some idea of what the symbol means. It's all a bit over-the-top, in his opinion, but...
Is she one of the lesser-known Scions? One who wasn't summoned to the First? What was the word Urianger had used... ]
You're an Archon. I can't imagine many people around here have made note of that, either.
[ He turns in his seat, his interest shifting from mild to something stronger. ]
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You recognize it? Then, you know of Sharlayan? Or-- [ She sits back, scrutinizing him more assessingly. No Sharlayan she knows would dress like that, not even Thancred. ] --are you from Eorzea?
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They've found common ground. It's more than enough reason to be excited. Given that the Warrior of Light had not always been the best of conversationalists, this is like a breath of fresh air.
It's her final question that Ardbert chooses to address, with a brief shake of his head. ]
No, though I was able to make a brief trip there. [ Said as if it was a quick vacation rather than the desperate action of someone with no other options. ] I hail from a different star, though one with a connection to Hydaelyn. It's a long story, but... I have some familiarity with the Scions.
[ He raises an eyebrow at the Galdjent woman. Your turn. ]
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For now, she'll meet that raised eyebrow with one of her own, giving him a quick grin as well. ]
Is that so? I happen to know some of the Scions quite well, myself. Urianger is a childhood friend. [ She looks reflective, leaning back slightly in her seat. ] I don't suppose you've seen them recently, have you?
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Not here. [ Said with a quick glance around the train car. ] Though I imagine that's a good thing.
[ He folds his hands on the tabletop in front of him, perking up when one of the strange servers drifts by to drop off their drinks. ]
Before I came to be here, though, yes. Quite recently, in fact.
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I imagine so.
[ While her memory is fuzzy on the details of how she came to be here, they're certain on one point: she shouldn't be alive. Her last conscious thought was that there wasn't enough aether to fuel the blade that would bring the Ascian down, and there was only one ready supply. Her thoughts are easily distracted from those moments, though, by what the man says next. There's an unmistakable softening in her expression, a warmth in her voice when she answers. ]
And are they well?
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As well as they can be.
[ Which is a statement that requires some explanation, he realizes. He shifts in his seat enough to look the woman over again. Casual as she may seem, he can only imagine she's eager to hear news of someone she called friend. Especially as Ardbert suspects it's been quite some time since last she saw him. ]
We were facing a dangerous enemy. [ "We," he says, but he had been part of the fight in the end, hadn't he? And how good it had felt to finally be able to do something. ] But we succeeded, and last I can recall, they were making their way back to a safe harbor of sorts, to celebrate.
[ It's as they'd been approaching the Crystarium that everything becomes fuzzy in his recollection. He thought he'd seen his old friends, Branden and Lamitt and the others, but then...
Well, once this journey is over, he hopes he can see them once more. ]
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That's a terribly vague answer, you know. [ She leans back, flicking a bit of hair out of her face again, then gives him a wry smile. ] But I daresay the Scions' exploits tend to sound mad when you try to explain them in detail, so I can't fault you for that.
[ She finally reaches to pick up her drink, offering it at him to toast. ]
Still, before we go on exchanging stories, perhaps we ought to introduce ourselves to each other. My name is Moenbryda. Archon of Sharlayan and aetherology expert.
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All the same, he would rather be sure she's interested in hearing the long version before he launches into it. She does seem to understand why he's kept it so truncated, at the least.
With a nod, he lifts up his own drink and knocks it against hers, taking a longer pull from it as he considers how to introduce himself. ]
Ardbert. [ And what should follow? Warrior of Darkness? Surely not. Hero of the First? Not a chance. He stares down at the table for a number of seconds, aware that he's left Moenbryda hanging, before he shrugs and lets out a thin laugh. ] Just Ardbert.
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No one's 'just' anything. [ Silver eyes sweep Ardbert up and down, assessingly. ]
If you'd rather not go into the details, or the memory's unpleasant, that's your business. But I took you for another adventurer. You certainly dress the part.
[ She waves a hand at his axe. ]
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As much as it won't do any good or change much of anything to rehash all this, Ardbert is still taken enough with the simple fact that he can converse with someone that he'll indulge her. Especially since she has a link to the Scions he knows.
Following her gesture, he glances down at his axe and nods. ] Aye, suppose you're right. Oftentimes I've thought it would have been best if I'd remained just that — an adventurer and nothing more.
[ It had started out so simple, so innocent, yet before he knew it, he'd become something larger than himself. Ardbert meets Moenbryda's gaze again and lets out a full-body sigh. ]
I'll say this. Being a 'hero of the realm' is a tad overrated.
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Oh, I'm well aware. I've never been much of one for heroics, myself.
[ She toys with the mug in her hands, studying his expression. ]
But from what I gather, it's not always in your hands, is it? Perhaps you could have walked away someone who needed your aid, or turned a blind eye to some injustice, but what sort of person would that have made you? Not one that would have liked his own company much, I imagine. [ She raises a hand, beckoning to the bartender for a refill of her drink. ]
You may choose what you do, but not what others call you.
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As she continues on, however, his expression smooths into something more thoughtful. He takes a slow sip of his drink. She makes a good point, and this is a conversation which Ardbert's had with himself more times than he would care to count. For all that he might be full of regret, is there anything he could go back and do differently?
Not bury his axe into Mitron's chest, mayhap. ]
You're not wrong. Before we knew it, the whole star was calling us heroes. Warriors of Light. Aye, just like the one I'm sure you had the pleasure of meeting.
[ Unless she'd lost her life before the Scions and the Warrior of Light had come together. ]
no subject
Just the one that I've met. [ She affirms. ] From what I'm given to understand, it's not the most common of titles, so unless where you come from is that different, you must have done something to earn it.
[ While she hadn't zeroed in on that little detail about being from another star the first time, she does now, giving him an appraising look as drums her fingers on the tabletop. ]
Though unless things have very much changed from what I remember, we're a very long way from managing trips between stars, brief or otherwise. How is it that you came to meet the Scions, exactly?
[ Though with heroes, really, anything might be possible. ]
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Not that it matters much now. He's already gone, on this train to make his way to a place from whence he'll likely never return. For good, this time.
Which brings him to Moenbryda's question. He smiles wryly, ducking his head for a moment before taking another long draw from his drink. Then, he stares at the glass rather than her, his fingers tracing over the condensation. ]
It's more common than you would expect, these days. Inter-dimensional travel, that is. I did it the hard way, by making a bad deal with an Ascian.
[ It's not a time or set of circumstances he's ever eager to recall, but he also isn't going to lie to her. All he can do these days is own up to his mistakes. ]