the handmaid's disgrace.

“What do you mean ‘People like me’?” Jude demanded, his frown fierce. “If you’re comparing me to Exodus, you’re wrong! My father may have been a part of it at one point, but I’ve had nothing to do with them!” Except tear them down.

He ignored the wyvern—alone it wouldn’t be too hard to beat. But if Ivar joined in….Jude would probably have trouble….

But he had mentioned spyrix: Jude bit his lip at that. “My research does not involve spyrix! What part of ‘won’t harm spirits’ don’t you get? They’re made from a combination of boosters and spirit fossils—Right now, the only person they harm is the person using them!” He crossed his arms. His eyes flicked to the wyvern, taking in where it stood. Perhaps he should keep an eye on it after all. “The spyrites aren’t complete; but that’s why we need information on Kresnik! It may hold the secret—!”

Perhaps, but Jude also had other reasons to learn about Kresnik.

Ludger and the Fractured Dimensions.

It all flies right over his head. Ivar bares his teeth in a feral gesture before seemingly deciding this just wasn't worth his time. Let the monsters eat him. Let him be lost in the swamp forever. It wasn't as if he'd be sorely missed, if he was involved with that  lot. Worrisome as it was that anyone from Exodus survived, it was...

It was no longer his problem.

"Fine, go, whatever. Let the spirits kill you," he's walking backwards in easy, measured steps. 

While this was the typical reaction Ivar usually had towards him, it was clear that Ivar didn’t know him here—Or else he would have been yelling at him from the start. But Jude’s pride, which hardly showed itself, was irritated with Ivar’s claim.

Jude didn’t have a death wish; and even if he did, he was fairly sure he’d be able to get through it alright. He and the others did manage to fight Muzét and Gaius at the same time and not only survived, but won.

Ivar feels something akin to hysteria rising. A horrible, terrible laugh ready to bubble to the surface - on top of all of this, was this an Exodus survivor? He had been a child at the time, scarcely two when they had been defeated, but he had been told of it. These things were to be committed to memory and saved.

Now the wyvern is moving from their cave, growling low. Ivar rounds on the stranger, bristling.

"A research team?" Ivar wrinkles his nose, a doubtful expression clouding dirty features. It was common enough, and they all seemed to lack common sense. Ivar stares him down for a long moment, debating, and finally the excuse is accepted.

He has seen enough wandering scientists to know how useless they are outside their labs. Scratching underneath his nose, he hops up on one of the rock outcroppings, taking a look around to figure out just how far this poor sop had wandered. It was possible he was from Nia Khera, but it was far more likely he’d been sent down the river from Xian Du.

“Ah…” Jude frowned. Why did he feel like that was a bad idea? Sure, he could just call Rowen or one of the others to find out where they are but…The researcher shook his head lightly.

No, that was a bad idea. From the looks of things, the schism was still around—or else Ivar would probably be working for Spirius Corporation. If the schism was still up, then people would probably panic if they saw someone talking into a ‘box’ and hearing someone else’s voice come from it. Plus, if Exodus was around, Jude might just get abducted.

Yeah, no thanks.

Jude shook his head. “I need to get to Nia Khera.” For whatever reason, that seemed like where his friends might be. “We were researching—researching Kresnik the Genesis Sage. So, we were making our way to Nia Khera before I woke up here alone.”

"You're doing what and where?!"

Ivar nearly looses his footing on the rock. There's a sudden cold thrill through him, it hits shortly after he wonders if this intruder might have had some sort of terrible head injury. He gives a shake of his head, hopping down from the surface and giving the boy (whom he has already deemed to be scrawny, lacking direction, and definitely not worth his time) and folds his arms.

The medic shook away the thought, not wanting to linger on things of the past. Although his father was killed when he was only a child, Jude still knew that medicine was in his blood; no matter how much his mother protested. Those things were behind him now.

"Well, we don’t usually keep monsters as commonly as you folks in Auj Oule do. With us non-beastcraft users, some things can get lost in translation." He said with a small, resigned smile. The other boy was haughty, that was for sure. But still, Jude could sense a feeling of stagnancy surrounding him; something cold that brewed beneath his fiery and indignant surface.

Something lonely.

Which was perhaps an admission that he had no intention of ever setting foot inside Fennmont proper. Arkland Quag seemed an ideal place to live, and if not there, then certainly Fezebel Marsh would suffice. It wasn't as though he wasn't already used to living in swampy and inhospitable conditions, it would be just like home.

Pursing his lips, he pushed himself away from the tree, ready to keep going—when he heard that voice. Jude automatically turned toward the speaker, expecting him to start spewing ‘phony’ and ‘you’re no good’ as soon as he did—Instead, he got a simple question (Granted, it had ‘you idiot’ attached to it) .

What do you think you’re doing here?

Well, that was the question of the week, wasn’t it? Jude scratched the back of his neck, somewhat wary. “Er…Why am I here…?”

Jude paused.

Great, he had no choice but to take a page out of Alvin’s book.

“I’m part of a small research team.” Jude explained. “I…got separated somehow. All I remember is that I was with them one minute and the next I was waking up here.” He comforted himself with the thought that he wasn’t entirely lying. Jude had gotten separated and he was a part of a small team—just that team wasn’t a research team.

"A research team?" Ivar wrinkles his nose, a doubtful expression clouding dirty features. It was common enough, and they all seemed to lack common sense. Ivar stares him down for a long moment, debating, and finally the excuse is accepted.

He has seen enough wandering scientists to know how useless they are outside their labs. Scratching underneath his nose, he hops up on one of the rock outcroppings, taking a look around to figure out just how far this poor sop had wandered. It was possible he was from Nia Khera, but it was far more likely he'd been sent down the river from Xian Du.

Ivar digs his nails into his elbows, teeth biting hard into his cheek. Be cool, be cool. Don't let this guy get to you.