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Philomela felt a bit put on the spot with Ash, and a great deal less comfortable with him than she had been the night before. "I ah..." Her eyes drift to the ground, "Was wondering if your offer to care for Namine should something happen to me still stood." She didn't want to go off and leave her poor goat to fend for itself, though...Namine would probably do just fine on her own! She seemed like a very capable goat.

She still doesn't look at Ash, in fact she's pretty much keeping her eyes glued to the floor. "I ask because...I have...reason to believe my course of action might anger my Lord." She didn't want to have to worry about someone eating her goat on top of everything else.

Namine was happy with the pettings she was getting from Ash, though she'd give an angry bleat in Philomela's direction. She didn't like the way this talk was going, and she wanted her mistress to know it. She'd shift, and she'd lean against Ash so she could keep her eyes on Philomela.

Watched Fer and suddenly thought of Chiara's recounting of pebbles being tossed at her. And then that just made his mind wander to the cabin, he took a breath and nodded. "Mmm you'd think it'd follow your heart more." He mumbled lightly, not every subconscious thought he had in his head came from his heart. Many came from the darker part of him, but he knew what Fer was saying.

Ferous remained which was curious to him, but he didn't say anything about it. He'd let the silence lapse before breaking it, "You seem...thoughtful." Which wasn't too unusual, but asking Fer if there was something on his mind well that didn't always lead to the answer he was looking for. So he was trying to delicately ease into it.

"I'm sure you had much to ponder on with the details I gave the three of you." Well it was a statement and then silence once more, he'd learned silence very well!

Ash stared at her through her short monologue. "...Do not do so if you do not feel it in your core. In fact, if what I showed you the night before has swayed you so much that you feel yourself in jeopardy, then... allow me to handle the affair. I did not bring you to visit me to endanger you, or sway you. Still, I can take it as my fault before yours. Our war far outdates you. It is no fault of yours, nor is your curiosity. If I have one demand from my reported position above you, it is to let me handle it before you. Regardless, yes. I still extend that offer; and barring any end of mine, she would continue to Via's hands, and so on."

Ferous stopped, appearing confused. "Heart?" They lingered in the center of the street, which continued to pass them by.

Draeval's later sentiments drew a few moments of silence. "...Much, as did Akasha all the more. Even so, it's no worry of yours. ...I am always thoughtful, think nothing of it." 'Athena' dismissed his reservations, or attempted to. Not with any information he didn't already know, of course.

Philomela shook her head, "It's not..." She didn't really know how to explain it, but she would try. "I can't keep following Lord Hermes around. He's done nothing wrong." This time at least. "If I do that, my Lord could possibly use me to spy on you, or I might hear or say the wrong thing at the wrong time. And that could put you all in danger. I don't want that to happen." She'd sigh and pause;

"This...would be openly defying my Lord's wishes. He's not going to be happy. I don't know what he'll do with me, but I'll accept my punishment as he finds fit." She'd finally look up at Ash, though she still seemed nervous. He seemed more gruff with her, or maybe it was just her imagination.

"My only concern is for Namine. I don't want her to meet a terrible fate because of my choices." She'd reach out and affectionately pat the goat on her head. "So you see...I'm not really going to...do anything. There isn't anything for you to handle Lord. I just...disagree with my orders."

Namine would lean into the touch from Philomela and shift from Ash's side to lean against her mistress. She'd bleat at Ash, seeming to be adding in her own two cents to the matter, not that Philomela could understand her. Namine didn't understand why Philomela had to defy her orders, but maybe that was because she really enjoyed traveling with the trio.

Watched Fer as he seemed confused, "Yes, heart. It is not without it's...influences." But he had a feeling that Fer's thoughts had gone somewhere else when he'd seemed so confused.

Fer made Draeval smile, "I know. But I always think something of it. I'm...somewhat annoying." He looked off, "Plus, I care for you in my time. So I worry, even if you are not my Popul. You are still Popul." Perhaps he'd understand that, but sometimes Draeval was just insane. Still, he knew that thoughtful look well enough.

Ferous stared at the ground momentarily. "...Mm. Influences I've largely chosen to ignore." It came with pointed tone.

Regardless, the idea of care, or annoyances--perhaps both--camne with a shake of the head. "Populus." That much, at least, came with a hint of a smirk. "Popul is but a common nickname, as if I were to call you Drae, rather than Draebal." Of course, Ferous would be the one to nitpick at that in the idea of humor. "I will see you by night's fall. You will need to sleep during an early hour before the moon begins the wax, and I will see you home."

"Hah!" The laugh was contrite. "To say Hermes has done nothing wrong is to ignore the nature which he is so proud of. He has not seemed annoyed by your presence beyond a few sparse moments, but how did he take your apology?" The pause was momentary at best. It was only long enough that, without a shift of his face he turned and, in rare moment, he closed the shutters over their window and looked... more vaguely upon her. "I have known of your lord's presence, and his eye, but has it thus far stopped me from communing with you? Would you take that opportunity from me? Would you endanger yourself to do so? To avoid us? Do you think I would ask you to leave?" It was nearly a challenge, even if his unwavering voice (short of its respective gravel) did not tell it. "Do you not trust me to handle my own affairs?"

Philomela didn't understand his reaction at all. "He didn't do what my Lord said he did." That was enough for her. "He accepted my apology."

His questions kept coming, leaving her little time to respond which only served to frustrate her. "I said nothing of leaving you Lord. Only that I was not going to be following Lord Hermes about any longer. It was Lord Hermes he set me after, and Lord Hermes that he wanted information from." It was obvious that he'd struck her temper, "No, I won't unintentionally betray the two of you, unless you think you can follow me around all the days of my life and keep me from revealing the wrong thing to my patron should he ask. You may know what is important and what isn't, but I certainly don't. It has nothing to do with your affairs or my trust in you, but rather, the trust I had in my patron."

"Whether I'm with you or not makes no difference, when he finds out I'm openly defying him, he's going to be angry. Why should you serve in your punishment without complaint and then turn and save me from my own punishment that was earned?" She knew she was doing wrong in going against Apollo's wishes, she was just trying to do what she felt was right, and to make her own decisions.

By the end of that she was breathing a bit heavier, and her hands were clenched at her sides. She half expected Ash to smite her where she stood, for speaking her mind to him.

Namine keeps looking back and forth between the two of them, unsure what was going on, but she was able to feel the tension. She'd bleat quietly, before settling down on the floor. Seems like they might be here awhile.

Looked at him and then looked off, "I...have not quite learned that yet."

He looked up and smiled softly, "Most of the time you do call me Drae." He did give a smirk in return, "I guess you'd be opposed to Poppy then as well." There was humor he wasn't being too bad. But he'd give him a nod, "Alright, I think I can manage that. Populus." He smiled and looked off, when he got home, really home. First he'd attend to Chiara. Then he would probably find the urge to go to the temple and seek out Fer, that thought made him smile.

"Come here." He coaxed, wrapping his arm over the back of the old-style booth. "Sit with me." He coaxed. If she sat, she'd find his heated arm around her. Sorry, Namine. For the moment, it was about Philomela.

"What punishment have you earned?" He riddled, but gave no pause for her to respond, immediately following with another question, "And what have you done to earn it, aside from denying a request from someone you feel unrightfully placed it? Via does not seem all so bothered by your presence, nor am I. Your lord will find one mean or another to track us, if not you, another oracle, or a servant, or the sun itself." The small bowl in front of him had been... minor at best, if even noticed until he collected it for a drink. The commonplace tavern had no reason to attempt to afford true cups. The tea had mostly gone cold, until hitting his superheated pallate. "If I want you near, will you stay near? And saying that, what rise must you make against your lord? My punishment is due. It is others, in fact, that chose to either avoid or begrudge their respective punishments. That should not fall upon you. Continue your travels. He need not know. And if he awakens to it, I ask that you call me to your front first. It is my fault that you fell upon whatever knowledge you did in that well. Tonight, I will ask the same question to see it as you saw. Clearly, it has impacted you. I should have asked last night, but I had other questions of my own."

He took a breath, raising a hand to bide whatever response she might have until he finished. Hold on. "If you do not continue on your quest, then at least appear to. When whatever punishment you foresee as so dark and foreboding as to inquire as to Namine's keep reaches you, let it reach all of us. I punished myself, my punishment is still with-held, regardless of whomever brings it to me. If you wish, tonight, to find out the reason of all of this punishment then I will enlighten you--or at least, my cell will. Do you wish to find me again tonight? If so, you should now be able to search it out. Akasha is a domain mostly imperceivable to some, but once reached it is a simple door within the mind to be opened again. And in your ability as a seer, and your lucid dreams, I imagine that the right effort from you might find me again."

With that, he took his break.

"Poppy?" Ferous looked confused. It's not like the common name for the flower had been so-conceived yet. It drew a tilt of the head. A bump from a commoner, and Ferous motioned for Draeval to follow towards the nearest would-be alleyway. It smelled of various filths of the time, but Populus seemed to ignore it for the sake of talking without being nudged. "...Call me as you will. Such casualities are... unusual in this time, for those who have found another name for us among the people. I care not. I will see you home tonight. You have until nightfall to indulge yourself in this time. Use it well."

Totally just got permission to call Fer Poppy! Well that's his story and he's sticking to it. Worst. Mistake. Ever. He gets motioned and he'll follow, "Yes Poppy, it's easier for me to say. Though my language has seemed to go native since I've been here." He just kinda mumbled that out.

He nodded gently, "Oh I will. Thank you, I uh...will make sure to sleep."

Ferous took minor pause at the nickname, but nothing more. "As the moon will wane, so will our ability to see you home. Make sure to be well asleep by then." Ferous encouraged again. "Is there anything else for you to ask?"

Drae smiled and gave a bit of a nod, "I'm sure I will." He asked if there was anything else that Drae had to ask and once again the wolf!man was unsure. "I...don't know."

He looked off then back to Fer, "Do you have anything you wish to ask?"

"Tell me why I feel value in that human-thing. The women in our time have retired from their matriarchal position and I only see it perpetuating. What difference has she?"

Frowned at the term thing but he was being a good wolf, "Well...for one she's got an incredible brain. She doesn't mind silence. For the most part whenever you two are together...there can be a comfortable silence that stretches for hours or days on end. She doesn't pressure you for explanations on why you vanish for days or months or years on end."

He looked at Fer and contemplated what he would say next. "I was not privy to you two starting this...attachment you have. But I know that you do care about her, enough that you wished to protect her from much that has happened in my time. And enough that you try to be more indifferent than you normally are."

He took a breath, "Chiara is remarkable, there isn't any other woman like her Populus. But what drew you to her...you'll have to find on your own."