Temple of Phoenix :: Golden Hall Rare for both it's shape and construction, this stone hall is rare among the village of the Golden Hall for being made primarily from something other then wood, and being circular. At fifty feet in diameter, with a large skylight letting in plenty of natural light, it is no small space, and most impressive in it's carvings and decore, ornate stonework showing the sun and Phoenix in their glory. It's well lit and very warm, and with good reason - every six feet upon the wall, there is a sconce holding a torch, and within the center of the room, there are four braziers, one to each point of the directions and a central cauldron, called the Cerridwen, which holds a great blazing flame. It among these fires that the Sowilo, holder of the Rune of the Sun, holds service here, though small doors mark the offices of both the Seer of Phoenix as well as the holder of the Dagaz rune. Contents: Rosette Obvious exits: Downstairs Dagaz's Office Sowilo's Office Exit the Temple The events of last night had left her reeling-- in truth, the girl doesn't even remember how she came to this temple, only that she finds herself here, now, this morning, standing and staring in confusion. Ironic as it might seem, Rosette isn't really the churchgoing type. Though sunday mornings would be spent in the sanctuary among the other children, and later, among her fellow novices, the girl never really felt any special meaning in the place. To her, you could speak to God wherever you were-- that for someone that powerful, he could surely hear your thoughts no matter where you thought them. But Rosette was never one to speak to God that often, either, though she'd never admit it. Why should she, after all, when she didn't feel she could depend on His intervention in her life? That it was nice to pray for help, but in the end, it was up to yourself to get the job done. But what about this time? Where is God now, anyway? WHO is He? The doubt in her heart and mind from the moment she appeared in this strange place had grown stronger as her confusion had grown deeper. Whereas, in Setsuri's case, she likes to come to the Temple on a regular basis, regardless of the events going on in her life. It's not quite the same as her monastery--the heat and warmth and light are so very different from the calm, crisp coolness of the monastery high in the mountains--but the feeling is very close, and the atmosphere soothing regardless. There has been no crisis of late--in fact, things seem to be going quite smoothly, at least in the area of Golden Hall--but the evening is slow and nothing awaits her at home save bed, and so Setsuri makes a side-trip into the Temple to pay her respects. She may be Swan's Priestess, but it never hurts to remember the primary guardian of the city. Hands tucked inside her sleeves, she enters, sandaled feet soundless upon the marble floors, and pauses as her way is blocked by someone simply standing there. She nearly steps around to continue on her way, but her attention is caught by two things: one, the emotions radiating from her--a her? the general body shape suggests so, at least--are powerful, the aura dark and muddied in confusion and doubt, and two... her soul is peculiar, thinner and weaker than most others she's sensed, and somehow connected to something external to her in a way that Setsuri can't quite determine just yet. Brows dipping slightly in bemusement, Setsuri steps slightly to the side and turns to face Rosette, tilting her head in inquiry. "Can I help you?" Rosette jerks slightly at the query, having missed Setsuri's approach entirely. "W- uh.. No, no, I'm fine..." Which is clearly a lie, despite the priestess' lack of visual sight. It can be heard in her voice, and apparently, seen in her very spirit, even if the hopelessness in her eyes can't be recognized. "I just... I'm new around here and thought I'd check out the sights, you know? And being an exorcist and all, church is the first stop, of course! Haha..." Usually, by this point, Chrono would have reminded her of her words to Asmaria not so long ago, right? Usually, someone would push her back on track, reminding her of the ideals she lives by so she could move on. Usually there was someone by her side to do this. But there's nothing usual about this place, and Rosette is alone. Her head remains tilted, expression easing into something a little gentler than her usual cool, slightly distant expression, the blindfolded face turned straight toward Rosette in an uncanny imitation of looking right at her. "Are you looking for something?" A question of multiple meanings--an innocent one on the surface, a casual question for a casual tourist, but the confusion in the girl's soul speaks of a terminal lost-ness. And while Setsuri is not always filled with the milk of human kindness, she is a priestess--and one of the job descriptions of a priestess is to guide the lost back onto their path. Don't think that the question's deeper meaning is lost on Rosette. As her eyes register the blindfold (and thus, Setsuri's lack of visual sight), the girl's posture sags a little, feeling less inclined to hide her state from this stranger. "N-no..." is her hesitant answer. But that's not true, is it? After what Aion told her.. shouldn't she be running around frantically looking for Chrono? Not that it would help-- it took years of trying and the aid of the Order to find Joshua when she lost him. Maybe that's why she's here? There's no telling this kind of place would have the resources to track down someone she's not even sure is really here, but... No, no. Best not to get her hopes up about that. "I guess I'm looking for the reason I'm here..." she finally says, looking away. "Not that I believe I was brought here for any purpose that God has in mind, no matter what anyone says, but... .. that I guess I should find one for myself. But half of me doesn't even care, you know? Because it's not like I can do anything, now. I can't even stand up to him..." Ah. As thought. "You are a newcomer to the Dream?" Setsuri queries, mostly just for confirmation's sake. By the way she speaks, it seems fairly certain. A pause, then, as she collects her thoughts. It's hard to say anything meaningful when one knows pretty much nothing about someone's situation, not even their name, and so she simply gives in and says the first thing on her mind, almost brutally straightforward. "Power and purpose is mostly a matter of perception," she says with a light, almost offhanded shrug. "The people who perceive that they can do something to change matters often go on to do so. The people who believe they cannot, do not. It is good that you do not seek to have someone else tell you what your purpose is, as it should be something you feel for yourself, but looking for it with such an attitude will yield little. Even if you have nothing but your own two hands, they are still hands that can care for others, or construct something, or defend others. Even if you have only a mouth, you can comfort, or speak out against what is wrong and shatter the false." But enough proselytizing. She does like to hear herself speak sometimes. "Do you know what is important to you?" she asks suddenly. "What you really want to do, more than anything else?" The priestess' words make sense, but the delivery could seem less patronizing. Rosette bites her tongue, however, and simply rolls her eyes. Thank you, fortune cookie express. She knows all of that-- she's spoken of it herself, though not in such a formal way. At Setsuri's question, however, the girl pauses to actually consider. What /is/ important to her? The name on the tip of her tongue... but that she doesn't speak. "The things that are important to me aren't here," she says finally. Her family. Her companions-- even the one friend she does know is here is far away, and better off where she is-- where she can be safe. "The strength I had to keep on running, even when I thought it might be impossible... it's not here. And I know I could be selfless... that I could stop worrying about my own problems and help other people-- I know that so many terrible things are going to happen to people, and I know why, and I know I should try to stop him, but... I don't know how. I can't stand it.. I can't stand knowing what's going to happen and feeling powerless to stop it!" Perhaps she shouldn't have raised her voice in a place of reflection such as this, but the embarassment is shortlived. More quietly, she says, "I know I have to try.. even if I don't know how, or even if I'm sure I'll die doing it. I can't sit back and watch... .... but I don't want to die, you know? Because someone made a promise to me... and even if it's impossible for him to find me here, in this 'dream' or whatever, I can't die before he can keep his promise. It wouldn't be fair." "Then perhaps you should take some time out," is Setsuri's only possible advice. "If what you hold important is not on this world, take the time to find something important on this world." Much more easily said than done, naturally, but the hows don't concern her--and she's certain it would come in time, anyway. "There is not always a need to be up and active and fighting every hour of every day. In a place like the Hall, there is time to consider oneself." Hah, like she's really one to talk of such. Rosette's phrasing, the certainty of her words, makes her pause for a moment, though. "... wait. You know of something terrible that is going to happen?" she asks, her tone sharpening slightly. Tell. Now. She doesn't say as much, but the sudden intentness in her posture says it nearly as loudly. It might just be a personal matter, but then again, it might be something that could affect innocents. The matter of death makes her... well, she would blink, but the blindfold. So instead she arches a brow. "... you do realize death is not so great of an issue here? Unless it is soul-death that you speak of... and the things that grant soul-death are not so terribly common. It is advisable to avoid dying, certainly, but there is a high chance of coming back." Oh, sometimes people do end up dying and never coming back, which is why it's better not to take the chance, but it's usually not a terrible risk. Of course, here one's ignoring all the unpleasant aspects of dying itself. Rosette scowls. "It's not like I have all the time in the world!" she shouts, forgetting herself. Or, at the very least, she's not sure she does. Is this really a dream? Does time matter here? Oh, blast, it isn't something she needs to be thinking about-- she's not good at thinking. As for death... "Soul-death.. dying... whatever you want to call it, it's the same for me." She doesn't know Setsuri can see what it is she speaks of-- her dwindling spirit that, though no longer being drained actively, seems drawn out-- connected to something, somehow, far away. ".... as for what's going to happen.. Don't think I'm someone who can see the future, but I know enough to know that even if he doesn't succeed, a lot of people are going to get hurt from him trying." Uh oh, storytime. Well, not quite, since it's not something Rosette really feels like talking indepth about anyway, but.. might as well tell someone. She'd never forgive herself if people weren't, at least, warned. "This guy I knew... well, not like I knew him like a friend-- of course he wasn't a friend! But... well, anyway, he's a bad guy, just keep that in mind. He's nuts, and he's got a grudge, and he's dangerous enough to hurt people to get what he wants-- doesn't matter who, even if he considers them a companion." The ruthless bastard. "But he's mad because he's 'a pawn in a game', as he said, and he's going to break everything into pieces.. tear it down because he doesn't /want/ to be. If there's one thing I know about him, it's that he'll do anything it takes-- and I mean anything-- to be 'free'. He nearly destroyed everything the last time he tried..." "... in fact, you likely do," Setsuri says blandly. "Time does not pass here. At least not in any significant sense, although the seasons still turn and years go by. One does not die save by unnatural causes. And I am not certain time passes outside of the Dream." And then the spiritual equivalent of a squint, as Setsuri peers at Rosette's soul. Or what she can see of it. "Granted, while your spirit does seem rather attenuated, the death of the body should not affect it much." The almost casual tone is dropped entirely at the rather... well, vague warning. As warnings go, it's not much to go on. "... by destroy everything, do you mean destroy /everything/?" she queries lightly. It's good to get an idea of what kind of power scale one is talking about--if there's one thing that living here for five years has taught her, it's that 'everything' to one person may be just 'the lives of x number of people' to another. Which, while bad, is not quite the same as 'the entire universe.' "I rather suspect, though, that he would find it difficult to accomplish." If only because the gods are pretty unimaginably powerful, and she finds it difficult to believe that they'd have brought someone who could potentially threaten them. But she also has a lot of faith in her own patron. "But it certainly wouldn't be a good idea to let him try. Does this mysterious not-friend have a name or a description or, for that matter, special abilities or powers?" It might be something she can tip the Backguard off to watch out for. Rosette sighs. Saying stuff like that just makes her head hurt! Choosing to ignore the big words and focus on her other questions, the girl rubs her head. "His name is Aion, and he's tall, darkskinned.. hair a lot like yours-- long, silver. Got purple eyes, pointy ears, and stupid glasses. Uh.. white coat, usually has an eagle hanging out somewhere around him." What the hell is with that bird, anyway?? "And I wouldn't be the one to tell you what his powers are. The guy who could.. well. He's not here. But he's dangerous-- I shot him in the face and he barely bled-- shot him with the Tetragrammaton and he still survived!" Irritation starts to color her words, followed quickly by outright anger. "It's not fair! I've gone through hell and back to stop him.. I've died and come back to stop him! I've given up my life, my family, and the one person I loved the most in my life to stop that son of a bitch and now he's back! How is that fair?? How does he come back and Chrono never did?!" The silence that follows her words is heavy, broken only by a choked sniffle. A stellar description, but one she'll pass on to the spies in the Backguard nonetheless. Nodding at the listing of appearance and powers, Setsuri says calmly, "Thank you. We will keep a watch for him, then--and if you have any further information, perhaps about plans or otherwise, it would be appreciated." Except that then Rosette starts ranting, and then crying, and Setsuri is left standing there kind of awkwardly. Uh. ... she's a beat-'em-up kind of priestess, not a comforting one, dammit. Still, she does her best, actually dropping her hands from her sleeves and reaching out with one hand to clasp Rosette's shoulder. "It isn't," she says quietly. "Unfortunately, I cannot truly say that it ever is. And I do not know what there is to be done save grieve, and accept it." "Bullshit!" Okay, so perhaps she should hold back in a place like this, but... this /is/ Rosette. "Didn't you just say that people who think they can't do something can't do it? Why the hell should I accept something like that?" The girl clenches both hands into fists, squeezing her eyes shut and letting the tears fall as they might. "I won't accept that-- not when I've done so much.. I've come too damned far to be told I should just accept it!" She looks up at Setsuri, knowing the woman can't see it, but does so anyway. "You said people are brought to this place, right? That's what that other priest guy said too! So why can't they bring Chrono here? Why haven't they?! I won't believe I'd get brought here to fight a fruitless battle against someone I've already defeated somewhere else-- I'd try, but I can't do it without him! I just.. I just can't!" The expelled expletive doesn't turn a hair on Setsuri's head, but she does acquire a slight frown, a wrinkle between her brows, and her hand falls from Rosette's shoulder. "There is a rather large difference between learning to care about things again and believing that one can find one's own purpose, and being omnipotent and bending everything to your will. You have been brought here, but it may not be to fight your old enemy again. In fact, you two may be here for entirely unrelated purposes--this is /not/ your world, and the situation is not the same, as banal as that sounds. If you feel that your purpose is still to fight him, then fine--but do not whine that you can't because someone isn't here. Find someone else you will assist you, then, if you feel that you cannot handle it alone. Weren't you the one who just threw back at me that people who think they can't do something can't do it?" Oh yeah. Setsuri's definitely much better at scolding people than comforting them. The faint wrinkle between her brows disappearing, she adds in a slightly less cool tone, "Besides, if that is how you feel, then there are others better than I to complain at. I am not the one responsible for bringing others into your world. If you truly desire to see someone again, I would recommend seeking out your priest or the priest of a patron suitable to this person, and asking if they would ask their god. But I would not expect an affirmative, were I you. You may have been brought here without that person precisely to rid you of that dependence." Unhealthy, in her eyes, but then she doesn't know the extent of it. And she's always been fiercely independent and a little distant, sometimes overly so. "Believe it or not, he was less helpful than you were! He was the one that told me to go and find my purpose for being here, and he recommended I come here! Are all you people this confused or what?" You see, this is why she's part of a monotheistic religion! It's only slightly less complicated than this is! Rosette steps away from Setsuri, if only to prevent herself from following through with her urge to hit something. "You people and your 'dream' and your 'gods' and your crazy moon-talk of having a purpose... what's the point? What are you even here for if you can't answer questions? If you can't guide your flock, if you can't tell people why they're here and why they should even bother to believe in a god that won't help them? That won't hear their prayers, and that watches as they wander around aimlessly, trying to find this 'purpose' for existing in a crazy world where you can't even die!" Oh, the irony. It even elicits a sickly little laugh from her. "See..? This is why people like Aion do what they do. Because when you think about it... who wants to live a life like that?" "You would prefer that we give people false answers and let them luxuriate in the comfort of lies and false purposes?" Setsuri inquires dryly. "Sometimes life is hard and does not provide ready-made answers. Sometimes we do not know because we do not know every person, and the answer can vary a great deal from individual to individual. Can we say what we would /like/ to see? Yes--and generally what we would like is for every citizen to be happy and productive and doing what they can to protect the ones they love, and to combat the evil and greed and selfishness in the world. Can we say in a general way what every god brings every soul here for? Yes. Simply, to advance the cause of their patron-- to fulfill the roles and ideals of their patron to their utmost. For the Swan- chosen, to lead the defense of the side of good against evil. For the Roc-chosen, to gain as much power as they can, at the expense of anyone else. For the Hen- chosen, to nurture and protect all that they meet. Can we dictate it any further? No. I gave you what answers I could; if you cannot accept that, then I do not know how much more I can help you, beyond aiding you, perhaps, in finding a place to live here." Her voice cools significantly as she adds, "Nor did I say that they would not help you--I only cannot promise that they will. But do you honestly know what can be a help and what is not? Would it truly be the best course of action if you received everything you wanted?" She only just barely resists the urge to slap the girl sharply to break her out of what feels like near-hysteria, folding her hands inside her sleeves to contain herself. It likely doesn't help that Rosette's anger is only feeding her own, originally-moderate irritation and fueling it to greater heights. Nor, for that matter, do her last words. Setsuri's face darkens slightly, and her fingers tighten on her arms, unseen. "Would it truly be any better to be erased from existence? To give up and stop fighting, stop carrying on and give into apathy and nothingness? At least while alive, you can change. You can make your decisions, and struggle, and cry, and laugh, and feel the glow of victory and the grief of loss, and make a /difference/ to others who may well not feel that their own lives are so worthless and empty of hope and purpose." Their raised voices are no doubt attracting attention--it's just a good thing that there are no services being held, but there are still acolytes moving around the temple who watch the arguing pair with surprise as they go about their duties. Setsuri doesn't seem to care at the moment, although she'll likely regret it later--gossip has a thousand tongues, and it doesn't do to be seen arguing in public. Mostly. Perhaps what frustrates Rosette the most is that Setsuri's words /do/ make sense-- and in any other situation, she feels, she might be saying the same thing to someone else. But it doesn't stop her from feeling the way she does. "........." The need to have the last word isn't quite so pressing as it may have been once-- the need, instead, to clear her head is far more important, and it's without another word that the girl turns and storms out of the temple, fighting back tears. Is this what he wanted, then? Was this the whole reason he would come by and cause her such grief? That nags at her as well-- he /would/, wouldn't he? To make her see or feel as he does-- that there would be no point to living an endless life in a world where everything you strove for was gone. But that doesn't make him right-- if anything, it fills Rosette with more anger to think she's even /thinking/ this way! How could she possibly agree with him? Not in a million years! But this is always what happens when her life is standing still. That's the annoying things about emotion--no matter what one says, there's very little one can do to change them, and so often they're more powerful than any logic or reason. Makes them pesky things. Not to mention difficult to understand. As Rosette turns and leaves without another word, Setsuri turns slightly, just enough to allow her to pass without running over her, but says nothing more after her. If she doesn't want to hear any more, she doesn't want to hear any more--and silence, at this point, may be more helpful than further argument and heated words and clouded emotions. Indeed, as Rosette leaves, the air seems to clear palpably, the confusion and lost feelings dissipating slowly with her, although the traces still remain. And Setsuri lets out a long breath, shoulders relaxing slightly, and shakes her head a little. That... could have gone better. She could have said something different, perhaps, or phrased it less harshly, or... and really, the girl had raised some good points, even if they had to be viewed from a position where the entire situation wasn't known. Shaking her head to herself, she ignores the wondering stares of the acolytes still around and turns on her heels. The Temple holds no appeal for her today. She will simply go and leave the description with the Backguard, and go home to her private shrine, and perhaps pray.