OOS 27

Notunoth 8, the party takes a brief vacation in Oceanside before leaving for the Mirage Temple. It occurred between sessions 21 and 22. It occurs concurrently with OOS 26. 
== Transcript ==
Ondo: 
Ondo moves through the streets of the festival, stopping to look at anything that seems particularly unusual or interesting. He doesn't stray far from Kiono, but keeps looking back at her, just quick glances, periodically, when he thinks she isn't looking. 
Kiono: 
Kiono follows Ondo about, pausing at things she finds interesting. It's a lot of stuff, and she spends more time stopped than moving probably. She's retreated somewhat into her own head, and isn't initiating conversation, simply looking at the things people have made, marveling over craftmanship. 
Ondo: 
Ondo seems to repeat his patterns of exploring and subtly watching Kiono for a while. He's not totally silent, but makes the odd comment here and there about things he sees. 
Kiono: 
Kiono will respond in kind. Maybe occasionally pointing out something that she thinks maybe he might like to look at. 
Ondo: 
Eventually, while they are walking through a less crowded area, he pipes up, "You and Vale were gone for a time. Did... it go alright?" 
Kiono: 
There is the slightest hitch in her step. She it thoughtfully quiet for a moment. She is somewhat quiet when she speaks. "Apparently I scare her." 
She doesn't quite shrug as she continues. "I promised to try to avoid the things that frighten her. We had... ice cream." 
"She prefers chocolate." 
Ondo: 
"Ah, I see." pause. "What do you prefer?" 
Kiono: 
"Bunny tracks." 
Ondo: 
"That's a flavour? How odd." 
Kiono: 
"Yeah, it..." She smiles sadly. "It's not easy to make." 
"I expect I won't have a chance to eat it again." 
Ondo: 
"How do you capture the abstract quality of a rabbits footprints in ice cream? I didn't know things like that could have a taste." 
Ondo is seriously pondering this. He suddenly isn't sure he knows what taste even is. 
Kiono: 
"It's vanilla ice cream, but it has caramel and chocolate swirled through it. Chocolate covered peanuts. Peanut butter filled chocolate." 
"The chocolate was supposed to be shaped like bunnies." 
"They... usually... aren't actually shaped like bunnies." 
Ondo: 
"No? But they were supposed to be?" 
Kiono: 
"That was the idea. The caramel and chocolate were supposed to look like tracks through snow. Paths rather than footprints." 
"But it tasted good." 
Ondo: 
"They do not sell it around here?" 
"Because of its difficulty?" 
Kiono: 
Kiono chuckles. "Yes, most likely because of the difficulty of creating it." 
Kiono is quiet a moment. 
"Did the Sky Elves have ice cream?" 
Ondo: 
"It was not common, I believe it was considered something more of a delicacy as they did not make it themselves." 
Kiono: 
"It was.... something of a delicacy for me as well..." A pause. "But I have fond memories attached to it." 
Ondo: 
Ondo nods seriously, deep in thought for a moment, before perking up. "Ah!" 
Fist down on open palm gesture. 
Kiono: 
Eyebrow raised in curiosity, waiting for an explanation. 
Ondo: 
Ondo doesn't respond at first, then seems to realize what he did. "Oh, I - it's nothing, I just had an idea. I will tell you later." 
Kiono: 
"Oh, uh, alright." She gives him a final quizzical look, then turns her attention back to the stalls around them. 
There is a long pause. She doesn't actually look at Ondo when she speaks next. "It... hasn't been long since we discussed it, but... Have you... had any more thoughts about whether the pain of emotions is worth the good of them?" 
Ondo: 
Ondo looks up, and taken off guard, takes a moment to answer. "I... Hadn't. It's not something I've been considering so much a choice." 
"But I suppose that... it hasn't been far away from the topics that have been on my mind, either. I've been thinking a lot lately." 
"Why do you... ask?" he tilts his head. 
Kiono: 
Kiono picks up something from a stall to look at. It's completely random what she has, and irrelevant because she's not really paying it any attention. "I've been thinking about it some more. I was... simply curious if you'd had any significant thoughts on the matter." 
"Or insignificant perhaps. ......thoughts of any kind are rather significant, I suppose." 
Ondo: 
Ondo stares at Kiono a bit, then looks at the table. "If you'll pardon the question, is this about me or is it about you?" 
Kiono: 
"Can it not be about both?" She looks at him. He has no facial expression to read, so she turns back to the thing in her hand. 
Ondo: 
"It could be, I suppose, but then I would be rather confused, because a person has emotions, Kiono. I do not see what you would do with yours." He pauses, then asks more gently, "Are you alright?" 
Kiono: 
"I... just have a lot on my mind. We should perhaps be more concerned with Vale and Squire Veggrek. Particularly him, given what we've learned of his Lady Dyana." 
Ondo: 
"Perhaps. But I have an easier time getting Vale and Veggrek to talk about what's troubling them." 
"We all went through an ordeal." 
Kiono: 
Kiono freezes, then sets the thing in her hand down. "Yes, I suppose you would..." 
She looks at Ondo, her habit of looking too directly at a person returning. "The situation with Varren is concerning to say the least. For someone so concerned with reining in the people, using order to control everything, he certainly allowed pure chaos to descend upon that campsite. He's not in as much control as he thinks he is." 
Ondo: 
"Yes, I did think that was... strange. It feels like if he wanted us dead, there were better, more direct ways to do it." 
"Perhaps he overestimates our abilities?" 
Kiono: 
"I don't know. It's all strange... Perhaps he doesn't have as much control over his own organization as he thinks he does. The Birdcaller might have been acting out of orders." 
"......and he made no effort to retrieve his people from the field." 
Ondo: 
"Indeed... I... honestly cannot say I understand what sort of person he is." 
Kiono: 
Kiono frowns. "We're missing something." 
Ondo: 
"Aren't we usually?" he asks flatly. 
Kiono:: 
She tilts her head in a "there is that" manner. 
"To be fair, we haven't had a chance to start looking into the matter." 
Ondo: 
"Right. Although, where would we start?" 
Kiono: 
Kiono is thoughtful for a moment, then shakes her head. "We might just have to wait for Elaina to contact us. Perhaps beating him to the ritual sites is all it would take to defeat him. Other than perhaps researching this helmet - which we don't even have a name for - there doesn't seem to be anywhere to start?" 
Ondo: 
"I suppose so." 
Ondo looks around thoughtfully. 
"I don't know much about emotions," He says suddenly. "I don't even know for what purpose they exist. A person's emotions... can drive them to do things they may not otherwise have done, logically." 
"Sometimes that is to good effect, and sometimes perhaps for ill. I think... I have noticed that emotions come with the effect of creating their own purpose, however." 
"I came to the realization one night that I do not have to be here. Mutually beneficial allies are good, but, in a sensible world, I might have stayed in Mudwall and waited for news from Goon and Saresh." 
"I am here because I feel things, and that is... worth... something. I do not know that it is worth giving up my fundamental purpose, but, this new purpose matters too." 
Ondo pauses before looking at Kiono slightly. "Satisfactory monologue?" 
Kiono: 
Kiono seems a bit startled by the question, but gives a small smile and a chuckle. "Satisfactory monologue," she confirms. 
She grows quiet, processing, thinking. 
Veggrek: 
Veggrek arrives, ice-cream-less. “T— Vale and I are going to visit the library, would either of you care to come with?” 
Ondo: 
"Oh, Veggrek, um - sure. I don't see why not?" He looks up at Kiono for confirmation. 
Kiono: 
Kiono has just been smacked in the face with irony or something and she knows it. "Why not, indeed?" 
Veggrek: 
“Well, because you might have something else you wanted to do— never mind. Let’s away!” 
Kiono: 
Kiono gives Ondo a look that might be reminiscent of a mother looking at a father after their child has just suggested something ridiculous but by golly if we aren't gonna do it anyway, and then follows Veg. 
Ondo: 
Ondo goes too. 
Veggrek: 
Veggrek leads them off to the -insert name of library here.-
Category:OOS