[ It's been a long time since Gray spent so much time working in isolation. She isn't completely alone; her ever-present companion Add is still tucked under her cloak, a ready sounding board and pest whenever things feel too quiet. But for the most part she falls into a semi-meditative state as she focuses on her task of surveying Alenroux, exercising her feeble brain to its utmost. It feels almost like doing homework at the Clock Tower, her attempting valiantly to apply knowledge beyond her depth for the sake of the assignment.
The more attention she pays to the job, the less time she has to dwell on the intense bouts of loneliness that strike her when she stops to rest, the kind of loneliness she used to feel when she still lived in her hometown. It's an unpleasant reminder, both of what it was like back then and of how much she's lost between then and now. Sometimes she can feel the sea of tombstones around her, then real and now imagined, filling the vast, stretching landscapes of the island.
Gray sits quietly by herself with those thoughts settled like a mist on her as she cooks lunch by the fire she's started for herself. She's become familiar enough to the farmers around the Cornerstones of Alenroux that they'll share or sell an ear of corn or a freshly fallen apple with her as she passes through, little tokens of luck for the little girl always hiking out on her own. The fresh produce suits her well, and often she'll make a simple meal of fruit and roasted vegetables to tide her over 'til evening.
She's munching on a roasted corn cob when she detects movement. There aren't many people in this neck of the woods, away from the farmlands and daytime villages, so she immediately puts a pause on lunch so that she can sharpen her senses for clues as to what's coming. Passing animal or nefarious highway bandit(s), which will it be?? ]
[When the Tribune had come to the stall in the eastern stables that Hayame called a residence (not a "home", nowhere in this world was her home), asking her to assist a certain General Zaman in training their troops in archery... Hayame had seized the chance she saw to do something concrete. Something that made sense, that she could understand, after days spent wallowing in defeat after the Scorching Isles unable to place what mistakes had been made and what could be done to ensure they wouldn't be made again.
Training she knew how to do. Had her groom not put a bow in her hand when she'd been but a yearling the second she grew strong enough to hold one? Had her food, shelter, and price not been determined by her results at it? She knows how to succeed at making a warrior, both as the one being molded and the one doing the shouting. (Matsukaze had told her to teach as she'd wish she'd been taught, not how he had... but that lesson is far from her, worlds away, and Hayame is so... angry.)
Which might explain why a a man with six arms and a simian woman come wandering into Gray's territory, neither particularly silent or hidden as they discuss (half-whine about) why "that woman" has brought them out to Alenroux. And when they find a different woman having lunch in the forest... they pause at the edge of the clearing, confused. Both are dressed as hunters and carry bows, with no identifying marks of allegiance anywhere... but Gray might possibly recognize them from the Springstar military headquarters.
They don't seem to recognize her, though. One of the six-armed man's hands moves to scratch at the back of his head awkwardly, looking at the woman he's with, who's hand-like feet shuffle, her mouth opens to ask What're ye doin' out all the ways here- ? before,]
The both of you are dead now.
[Hayame's voice rings out from behind them, where the larger and heavier woman had actually managed to conceal her presence somewhat well, the sound of her hooves muffled by soil and not stone, her passage through trees disguised as passing animal.]
If that woman were a monster, you would be its food. Does that please you to know?
[Both of the Springstar recruits look... real awkward. What are they even supposed to say to that? Is this gray-haired woman just going to sit there while they get a dressing down?! Is Hayame even going to greet Gray at all? IN A MINUTE, SHE IS BUSY.]
[ Gray doesn't arm herself as the two newcomers enter the clearing, though she keeps her right hand tucked close, ready to draw her weapon if needed. Alenroux is typically peaceful territory in the daytime (between factions, anyhow), but given her own reason for being here, she can't rule out the possibility of running into hostile Kenites.
Once she gets a good look at the two people, she cautiously begins to relax. She's seen them before in passing; even if she's never spoken to them, they're a striking pair, and she remembers especially being fascinated by how the man's six arms moved as he scrambled around in the training grounds. Still, listening to them complain is a bit awkward. Even if she's literally been sitting here and minding her own business, she feels like she's the one walking in on their conversation. Especially because "that woman" probably refers to a certain someone...
In contrast to the two recruits, Gray brightens a little when Hayame's blunt voice cuts through the clearing. Mostly because it saves Gray the social pain of having to explain herself to near-strangers. She often misses the days when she could simply hide behind her mentor whenever people tried to talk to her.
As the recruits receive their dressing down, Gray quietly turns back to her fire so that she can dig through her pack and stick a couple more ears of corn on sticks and mount them by the fire for roasting. Maybe they'll all be hungry after Hayame is done being disappointed in her recruits. ]
[The two were confused to find Gray... but they are definitely not pleased to find Hayame. Or rather, for Hayame to find them. The simian woman makes an insolent face, the six-armed man doesn't really seem the respectful type, and as if they do not have an audience at all...
Hayame starts to dress them down further.
Do you think I teach you how to hold your bow close and ready for my own amusement, and not to prevent you from alerting every bit of prey in the area? Her finger points aggressively. I brought you out here for your own good, and you repay your instructor by not taking this seriously? Will you take it seriously if I leave you here when night falls and the beasts scent you on the wind? A tail slaps against a tree. Being able to hit targets on a shooting range has made you cocky!
... It's not pleasant, or very short. The woman tries talking back, once, and it goes very badly. But eventually... the two have been cowed into temporary? submission, apologies for their failure are solicited...
And the smell of corn roasting fills the air.
Hayame finally turns to the other woman in the clearing, her expression... well, not calming, but. Comparatively calming.]
Gray. I am forced to apologize for my subordinates. It seems these miscreants have disturbed your meal.
[ Gray listens to the lecture shamelessly, curious about what Hayame is like as an instructor. The answer is that she's pretty much what Gray would expect. She thinks the simian woman is gutsy to try to talk back, but Gray wouldn't be surprised if Hayame started stomping the woman into bloody submission.
But luckily the simian woman has enough self-preservation to submit, and the clearing returns to (relative) peace. Gray blinks when Hayame addresses her and straightens a little as if she were a recruit too. ]
I-It's alright. I was thinking I wouldn't mind having someone to eat with.
[ She carefully avoids saying "people," unsure if Hayame would want to allow her subordinates to eat as well. She feels a little sorry for the two of them, but she doesn't dare step on Hayame's toes. Or hooves. ]
Um, would you like to have some corn? It's fresh from the fields.
[... It is admittedly not what she expected, but the last thing one should do in front of one's subordinates is show unpreparedness, and so-]
I will accept your generous offer.
[Rounding on the two (one of whom looks about to accept themselves), Hayame points again to the forest around them, banishing them with a quick I expect you both back here with a creature to skin and cook on this fire within an hour! And seeing as that wasn't a complete refusal or shut down of the possibility that they would get fresh food too, and not just the rations they'd brought along with them... both end up scrambling back into the brush with more of a mission-oriented mindset.
Ugh. Gluttons.
But once they are gone... Hayame's pinched, put upon expression does ease just a little bit. Circling a spot by the fire near the other woman, she begins kicking little sticks and rocks out of the way with a hoof, waiting for silence to linger in the air before she looks back to Gray.]
[ Good luck, underlings... Gray watches them zoom off with well wishes. She doesn't particularly care about the meat, but it will be nice if they can all get through lunch without anyone getting jinba-trampled.
With a tentative peace returned to the clearing, Gray turns the sticks with their corn to get a nice even roast while Hayame makes a space for herself. When Hayame's question breaks the silence, Gray looks askance at her with a studied calm. If anyone else had asked her that, she might awkwardly try to make up an excuse, but it should be safe to share even sensitive information with Hayame; for all intents and purposes, they're currently working as two arms of the same operation. ]
Mr. Cyrus asked me to survey the island for strategic positions. He wants to occupy Alenroux... but you probably knew that already.
[A woman who was ignorant of dangers or too cocky for her own good might lie down... but Hayame is not that, and though she clears the space for herself she only plops her rear down instead of taking the more comfortable position on her belly. From there, a jinba took much longer to respond or rise, and those seconds were precious. Instead, she sits almost like a dog would, still towering over Gray. It is more cautious a position while not remaining fully standing.]
So you are scouting.
[Hayame hums, nodding in approval. A necessary task.]
[ Hayame is really so big... Gray dares not take a seat, or else it might become a chore just craning her neck back to look at Hayame as they speak. ]
I haven't had any difficulty traveling, but I'm a little worried that I'm not evaluating the land as well as I could be. The General taught me a little about what I should be looking for, but I've never seen how a proper army moves... or what they might find important in reality.
[ Her misgivings flow from her easily. For most of her life, she's been a child readily guided by adults — almost never a peer with worries about saving face. ]
[Hayame, for her part, doesn't seem to be fussed about whether Gray sits or stands, leaving the business up to her. She was used to towering over the humans around her, whether they stood or sat.]
What do you mean?
[She raises an eyebrow over her eyepatch, trying to guess which of many things she might be referring to.]
You do not know how a larger group moves, or how much food they'll need... ?
[ Hayame tends to ask very honest and valid questions, so why is it that Gray feels like she's being cornered every time? ]
Y-Yes. Like which sites are actually large enough to comfortably fit an army, or how far away they can be from certain resources. I'm not sure what's realistic.
[ It feels like a huge responsibility choosing these sites and it's weighing on her!! If she chooses badly, the troops may end up being miserable, or slightly worse, dead. She's never had to make decisions impacting anyone more than herself and the handful of people around her. ]
[Tempering her intensity is... not a skill that comes easily to Hayame. Neither, usually, is realizing how she's coming off to others who do not respond well to it. In Gray's defense, even the most casual of conversations can come off overbearing when they are accompanied by the jinba mare's unwavering stare and cold manner of speaking...]
Do you have a map?
[Hayame holds out a hand in what is actually intended to be an offer to assist, but...]
I primarily dealt with hunting parties, but the experience may be better than nothing.
[ Gray perks up and hurries to dig her map out of her pack. Hayame has only been patient with Gray (in a Hayame kind of way) so there isn't real reason to think that she'd suddenly snap at Gray now, but Gray also doesn't want to test that patience. The fresh memory of Hayame verbally flogging those recruits might have a little to do with it.
Gray hands over the map in swift order. It's well-loved, with sections of it neatly marked with notes and interrogatives. It's clear that Gray is a methodical note-taker, which in turn makes it clear where she has or hasn't been; the unexplored areas are free and clear on the map, ready to be filled with future notes. ]
Anything you can share will be helpful.
[ After a second of thought, she offers a pencil in case Hayame needs it. Gray hasn't forgotten that Hayame doesn't get along with the written word, but maybe she'll want to mark a few places. ]
[For a moment, Hayame is silent as she examines the map. The notes are... nothing to her, really. She only knew a few of the most basic characters (the cardinal directions, a few numbers, her name) that were useful in case a master had to send a message in battle, but there are a lot of them. That much is clear. Still, she doesn't say much at first, slowly orienting herself on the paper and turning it over until it was northwards up.
The pencil she takes. Not to write, but to lightly trace lines on either side of the rivers and along the borders of the lakes, marking distance.]
You will not want a base to be farther than this from a source of fresh water- preferably not a river or stream that can be dammed. Also, you will want to be close but not so close that you risk unsteady footing or damp bedrolls.
[She uses the pencil to point at an area of the map with a higher elevation than the rest.]
Having the high ground is useful, even if it is not a mountain.
[ Gray comes up on her tip-toes so that she can peek at the map as Hayame explains. ]
Oh... that makes sense. It sounds simple when you put it that way.
[ She hadn't thought about the possibility of people (or animals) trying to dam the rivers. Once Gray has the map back, she'll jot down those points on the back of the parchment. But first, the smell of heartily roasted corn wafts over, and she startles like a poked rabbit when she remembers that she left food cooking by the fire. Leaving Hayame with the map for a moment, she hops to retrieving the sticks of corn. After ensuring that they haven't crossed the line from toasty to burnt, she trots back with a couple in hand. Whenever Hayame feels satisfied with the map, Gray will offer to trade it for some corn. ]
Is it better to have a few big, strong bases? Or a lot of smaller ones to cover territory?
[ Gray probably won't have any say in that decision in the end, but she can still be curious. And it can't hurt to have a little more perspective while she works. ]
[Corn for the map is a decent enough trade... Hayame will accept. Handling it carefully so as not to burn her fingers, she takes the corn and sets quickly to blowing on it slightly, while also considering the question.]
That depends.
[Sharp canines make quick work of the corn, tearing in to rip them off the cob.]
In Alenroux's case I would go with less bases but more scout outposts, but it will be best for General Zaman to make that call. Which she will be able to do better with proper survey details.
[ Who knew corn could look so victimized... Gray lets her own cool a bit longer while she glances over the map again. Hayame is right that everything will be up to the General, so there's no point in overthinking things. Leaving the hard stuff to the experts suits Gray just fine.
With that happy conclusion, Gray sets the map aside and begins to nibble at her corn. She feels a little bad about the trainees working while she and Hayame relax, but she knows better than to mention that aloud. ]
[Hayame is a slaughterer of vegetables as well as meats... As much as she preferred the latter for the protein. Or rice for familiarity. You could feed an army as long as you had rice.
But.]
... I do not think of things that way. Whether I "like" them or not.
[- She sure was doing it, though? Ever since the loss of the first Oracle to Zenith...]
At least this way my skills are put to use in a practical way. Meridian needs to come out victorious if there is any hope of returning to our worlds.
[ And here she thought it was a simple yes or no question. She really never knows what she might get out of Hayame. ]
So... there isn't anything you'd say you particularly enjoy?
[ If so, that seems like a depressing existence. Even in the pit of her depression, Gray still managed to find enjoyment in little things like detective stories. She isn't sure how she would've managed without them. ]
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action — alenroux
The more attention she pays to the job, the less time she has to dwell on the intense bouts of loneliness that strike her when she stops to rest, the kind of loneliness she used to feel when she still lived in her hometown. It's an unpleasant reminder, both of what it was like back then and of how much she's lost between then and now. Sometimes she can feel the sea of tombstones around her, then real and now imagined, filling the vast, stretching landscapes of the island.
Gray sits quietly by herself with those thoughts settled like a mist on her as she cooks lunch by the fire she's started for herself. She's become familiar enough to the farmers around the Cornerstones of Alenroux that they'll share or sell an ear of corn or a freshly fallen apple with her as she passes through, little tokens of luck for the little girl always hiking out on her own. The fresh produce suits her well, and often she'll make a simple meal of fruit and roasted vegetables to tide her over 'til evening.
She's munching on a roasted corn cob when she detects movement. There aren't many people in this neck of the woods, away from the farmlands and daytime villages, so she immediately puts a pause on lunch so that she can sharpen her senses for clues as to what's coming. Passing animal or nefarious highway bandit(s), which will it be?? ]
no subject
Training she knew how to do. Had her groom not put a bow in her hand when she'd been but a yearling the second she grew strong enough to hold one? Had her food, shelter, and price not been determined by her results at it? She knows how to succeed at making a warrior, both as the one being molded and the one doing the shouting. (Matsukaze had told her to teach as she'd wish she'd been taught, not how he had... but that lesson is far from her, worlds away, and Hayame is so... angry.)
Which might explain why a a man with six arms and a simian woman come wandering into Gray's territory, neither particularly silent or hidden as they discuss (half-whine about) why "that woman" has brought them out to Alenroux. And when they find a different woman having lunch in the forest... they pause at the edge of the clearing, confused. Both are dressed as hunters and carry bows, with no identifying marks of allegiance anywhere... but Gray might possibly recognize them from the Springstar military headquarters.
They don't seem to recognize her, though. One of the six-armed man's hands moves to scratch at the back of his head awkwardly, looking at the woman he's with, who's hand-like feet shuffle, her mouth opens to ask What're ye doin' out all the ways here- ? before,]
The both of you are dead now.
[Hayame's voice rings out from behind them, where the larger and heavier woman had actually managed to conceal her presence somewhat well, the sound of her hooves muffled by soil and not stone, her passage through trees disguised as passing animal.]
If that woman were a monster, you would be its food. Does that please you to know?
[Both of the Springstar recruits look... real awkward. What are they even supposed to say to that? Is this gray-haired woman just going to sit there while they get a dressing down?! Is Hayame even going to greet Gray at all? IN A MINUTE, SHE IS BUSY.]
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Once she gets a good look at the two people, she cautiously begins to relax. She's seen them before in passing; even if she's never spoken to them, they're a striking pair, and she remembers especially being fascinated by how the man's six arms moved as he scrambled around in the training grounds. Still, listening to them complain is a bit awkward. Even if she's literally been sitting here and minding her own business, she feels like she's the one walking in on their conversation. Especially because "that woman" probably refers to a certain someone...
In contrast to the two recruits, Gray brightens a little when Hayame's blunt voice cuts through the clearing. Mostly because it saves Gray the social pain of having to explain herself to near-strangers. She often misses the days when she could simply hide behind her mentor whenever people tried to talk to her.
As the recruits receive their dressing down, Gray quietly turns back to her fire so that she can dig through her pack and stick a couple more ears of corn on sticks and mount them by the fire for roasting. Maybe they'll all be hungry after Hayame is done being disappointed in her recruits. ]
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Hayame starts to dress them down further.
Do you think I teach you how to hold your bow close and ready for my own amusement, and not to prevent you from alerting every bit of prey in the area? Her finger points aggressively. I brought you out here for your own good, and you repay your instructor by not taking this seriously? Will you take it seriously if I leave you here when night falls and the beasts scent you on the wind? A tail slaps against a tree. Being able to hit targets on a shooting range has made you cocky!
... It's not pleasant, or very short. The woman tries talking back, once, and it goes very badly. But eventually... the two have been cowed into temporary? submission, apologies for their failure are solicited...
And the smell of corn roasting fills the air.
Hayame finally turns to the other woman in the clearing, her expression... well, not calming, but. Comparatively calming.]
Gray. I am forced to apologize for my subordinates. It seems these miscreants have disturbed your meal.
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But luckily the simian woman has enough self-preservation to submit, and the clearing returns to (relative) peace. Gray blinks when Hayame addresses her and straightens a little as if she were a recruit too. ]
I-It's alright. I was thinking I wouldn't mind having someone to eat with.
[ She carefully avoids saying "people," unsure if Hayame would want to allow her subordinates to eat as well. She feels a little sorry for the two of them, but she doesn't dare step on Hayame's toes. Or hooves. ]
Um, would you like to have some corn? It's fresh from the fields.
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I will accept your generous offer.
[Rounding on the two (one of whom looks about to accept themselves), Hayame points again to the forest around them, banishing them with a quick I expect you both back here with a creature to skin and cook on this fire within an hour! And seeing as that wasn't a complete refusal or shut down of the possibility that they would get fresh food too, and not just the rations they'd brought along with them... both end up scrambling back into the brush with more of a mission-oriented mindset.
Ugh. Gluttons.
But once they are gone... Hayame's pinched, put upon expression does ease just a little bit. Circling a spot by the fire near the other woman, she begins kicking little sticks and rocks out of the way with a hoof, waiting for silence to linger in the air before she looks back to Gray.]
What brings you to Alenroux?
[Even if she thinks she knows...]
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With a tentative peace returned to the clearing, Gray turns the sticks with their corn to get a nice even roast while Hayame makes a space for herself. When Hayame's question breaks the silence, Gray looks askance at her with a studied calm. If anyone else had asked her that, she might awkwardly try to make up an excuse, but it should be safe to share even sensitive information with Hayame; for all intents and purposes, they're currently working as two arms of the same operation. ]
Mr. Cyrus asked me to survey the island for strategic positions. He wants to occupy Alenroux... but you probably knew that already.
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So you are scouting.
[Hayame hums, nodding in approval. A necessary task.]
Has it been going smoothly, then?
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I haven't had any difficulty traveling, but I'm a little worried that I'm not evaluating the land as well as I could be. The General taught me a little about what I should be looking for, but I've never seen how a proper army moves... or what they might find important in reality.
[ Her misgivings flow from her easily. For most of her life, she's been a child readily guided by adults — almost never a peer with worries about saving face. ]
omg sorry i missed this
What do you mean?
[She raises an eyebrow over her eyepatch, trying to guess which of many things she might be referring to.]
You do not know how a larger group moves, or how much food they'll need... ?
no worries!
Y-Yes. Like which sites are actually large enough to comfortably fit an army, or how far away they can be from certain resources. I'm not sure what's realistic.
[ It feels like a huge responsibility choosing these sites and it's weighing on her!! If she chooses badly, the troops may end up being miserable, or slightly worse, dead. She's never had to make decisions impacting anyone more than herself and the handful of people around her. ]
<3
Do you have a map?
[Hayame holds out a hand in what is actually intended to be an offer to assist, but...]
I primarily dealt with hunting parties, but the experience may be better than nothing.
[For helping...]
now i'm the sinner
Gray hands over the map in swift order. It's well-loved, with sections of it neatly marked with notes and interrogatives. It's clear that Gray is a methodical note-taker, which in turn makes it clear where she has or hasn't been; the unexplored areas are free and clear on the map, ready to be filled with future notes. ]
Anything you can share will be helpful.
[ After a second of thought, she offers a pencil in case Hayame needs it. Gray hasn't forgotten that Hayame doesn't get along with the written word, but maybe she'll want to mark a few places. ]
shame shame shame
The pencil she takes. Not to write, but to lightly trace lines on either side of the rivers and along the borders of the lakes, marking distance.]
You will not want a base to be farther than this from a source of fresh water- preferably not a river or stream that can be dammed. Also, you will want to be close but not so close that you risk unsteady footing or damp bedrolls.
[She uses the pencil to point at an area of the map with a higher elevation than the rest.]
Having the high ground is useful, even if it is not a mountain.
no subject
Oh... that makes sense. It sounds simple when you put it that way.
[ She hadn't thought about the possibility of people (or animals) trying to dam the rivers. Once Gray has the map back, she'll jot down those points on the back of the parchment. But first, the smell of heartily roasted corn wafts over, and she startles like a poked rabbit when she remembers that she left food cooking by the fire. Leaving Hayame with the map for a moment, she hops to retrieving the sticks of corn. After ensuring that they haven't crossed the line from toasty to burnt, she trots back with a couple in hand. Whenever Hayame feels satisfied with the map, Gray will offer to trade it for some corn. ]
Is it better to have a few big, strong bases? Or a lot of smaller ones to cover territory?
[ Gray probably won't have any say in that decision in the end, but she can still be curious. And it can't hurt to have a little more perspective while she works. ]
no subject
That depends.
[Sharp canines make quick work of the corn, tearing in to rip them off the cob.]
In Alenroux's case I would go with less bases but more scout outposts, but it will be best for General Zaman to make that call. Which she will be able to do better with proper survey details.
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With that happy conclusion, Gray sets the map aside and begins to nibble at her corn. She feels a little bad about the trainees working while she and Hayame relax, but she knows better than to mention that aloud. ]
Have you liked training the soldiers?
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But.]
... I do not think of things that way. Whether I "like" them or not.
[- She sure was doing it, though? Ever since the loss of the first Oracle to Zenith...]
At least this way my skills are put to use in a practical way. Meridian needs to come out victorious if there is any hope of returning to our worlds.
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So... there isn't anything you'd say you particularly enjoy?
[ If so, that seems like a depressing existence. Even in the pit of her depression, Gray still managed to find enjoyment in little things like detective stories. She isn't sure how she would've managed without them. ]
!!!
PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND GIVE ME MORE GRAY SOON SO I CAN MAKE IT UP TO YOU]
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