Written Wonderland

"As you say," Serio said with a nod. It was a phrase he uttered often, when he had no desire to contradict his interlocutor, but it didn't say much more than that, except to those who were eager to hear what they wanted.

Truthfully, he realized quickly he regretted saying it, as it had come as more of a reflex than a thoughtful reply. In this case, he'd meant it as agreement, but he knew full well Mizu wouldn't be able to tell.

"As for the other men," the captain easily offered the illusion that he'd intended to go here next all along, hoping that would lessen the distance he feared his previous comment implied.

"I'm unsure what to make of their silence. The men from Rutliff and Fujiwara's retinues who were attacked have pushed back on soldiers making light of the goddess, but the others haven't interacted much in camp at all since their return. Granted, I gather this isn't terribly out of character for any of them, but it's hard to say. I do fear Lieutenant Pemberley may be struggling."

((OOC: Took some liberties with Seth, figured that was reasonable...))

Whatever Mizu expected Serio to say, it wasn't that, even though she had become accustomed to the phrase. While she might have wondered about what the captain meant by it, he moved smoothly back to more thoroughly answer Mizu's earlier question, which settled any bristles that Serio's initial response might have stirred. However, the news about the attacked men was not good. She worried about them, and even more she worried about the men they would send back to the goddess. Would they make it through a second round of tribulations with her? Or were they the most suited to such an endeavor? It was impossible to know.

What worried the commander the most, though, was Lieutenant Pemberley. As the most senior of the affected soldiers, she would have hoped that he would have rallied to guide the other men who returned, but perhaps that was too much to ask. He had only just woken up, after all. Perhaps Blake would have more information.

Mizu nodded. While she found herself wanting to continue the conversation, there was little else to say, and the commander was eager for Serio to begin seeking out soldiers who might be suited for this task with the goddess. The sooner they could gather volunteers, the better. Mizu also desperately hoped that Evan would stop galivanting around and come report in. She needed to know how successful his efforts had been so far. And... she was worried about him.

"Thank you, Captain Kade. That's useful information. I'll see what I can do for Lieutenant Pemberley. I appreciate your willingness to keep an ear to the ground. Rest assured that I will inform all the captains of developments in the morning." She nodded again, attempting a subtle dismissal, but then she turned her head very slightly, but abruptly, and asked, "In my stead, is this the path you would choose?" It was a vague question, and Mizu knew Serio could take it one of several ways, but she left it at that anyway. She genuinely wanted to know his thoughts.

Serio gave yet another slight bow with his hand on his chest, and prepared to take his leave, when Mizu surprised him with another question. At first he let the surprise show in his expression, and then a wide grin curled as the question sank in.

"Impossible to say for certain, Commander," he replied with just the tiniest hint of mischief in his tilted eyebrows as he straightened up his posture and gently clasped his hands behind his back. "I haven't met the goddess, nor do I know why she visited the prince."

The corner of Mizu's mouth twitched as she wanted to return Serio's smile, but she repressed the urge. If she didn't know better, she might have thought that Serio was poking fun at her. And perhaps he was to a degree. He was right, though. She needed to have confidence in her decisions, and really she should have known better than to ask for Serio's advice. It was a show of weakness, and it wasn't what she valued him for. Intelligence, but not advice.

There was, when Mizu took a moment to think about it, a tinge of jealousy in what Serio said. Perhaps he wished he were the one to perform the summoning? Or that he had been here when the goddess visited in the soldier's body? More likely he was simply fishing for information about why the goddess did visit Ponderance yet again. She should have known he wouldn't let the issue drop. And, really, how did it help her to keep that information from him? Didn't she want him well informed? Yes, but she also wanted to hold more of the cards. Serio was still unpredictable, though he had never given her any concrete reasons to distrust him.

Allowing the exceedingly subtle twist of the corner of her mouth into her expression, she said, "And if I told you that Ponderance is also the goddess' son, what then?"

A genuine warmth overtook Serio's expression at the offering in Mizu's reply. He then turned thoughtful, bringing one hand up to gently touch its knuckle to his chin as his eyes focused distantly on a spot to the side. There was a large web of knowledge this touched, which he would enjoy reexamining through this new lens, but for now, he needed to figure out just the most important pieces to look at, to give his Commander something in return. Before he quite got there, an amusement struck him--hinted at by a small twitch in both his eyebrows and his smile--but he moved past it quickly, determining it of little value here. At last, he returned his hand to behind his back, and re-met Mizu's gaze.

"Then, I'd say that an alliance with the goddess is all the more prudent, unless I had plans to keep the boy off the throne after all. Once his lineage comes out--and, one day, it will--better to be on her good side, I think. As individuals, and as a nation." Serio's expression had been fairly light and warm through that, but the next thought required a bit more seriousness. "I'd also have to think long and hard about when and how I'd want Bronwen and Miller to find out. There's a lot to weigh there."

Mizu listened thoughtfully to Serio's remarks, noting the slight changes in facial expression but not knowing in the slightest what they referred to. He had clicked some puzzle pieces into place for certain, but which exactly, Mizu could not say, and she would probably never know. She had come to terms with that regarding Serio some time ago.

Captain Kade's reinvigorated statement about the alliance with the goddess soothed Mizu significantly. She was grateful Serio was drawing the same conclusions. Mizu had considered keeping Ponderance off the throne many times, even before they knew his mother was a goddess, and continuously had an undeniable sensation in her gut that that would be a terrible idea. Trying to implement an entirely new form of government without any ties at all to the previous one would end in anarchy. The people they would lead would need some sense of familiarity, and as much as Ponderance was stoic and of few words, he was familiar. And perhaps putting him on the throne would even soften the blow of the king's death when it happened. And that needed to happen. Of that much, Mizu was certain.

She was chilled, though, thinking about the ways in which both Joseph and Blake may abandon the cause if they knew Ponderance was the goddess' son and that Mizu still intended to put him on the throne. It was complicated, to be sure. On the one hand, Mizu believed whole-heartedly that a child can be radically different from their parents--they all hoped he would not be the tyrant that the king himself was, after all--but she wasn't certain that Blake or Joseph would share that belief. Ideas about what it would mean if Ponderance were a demigod would run amok, and yes, it very well could threaten loyalties.

In all honesty, she didn't want them to know at all. She didn't want Ponderance to know at all. She didn't want the citizens of Asphodel to know at all. And yet, Serio was probably right; the truth would spread at some point. There was little she could do to keep that from everyone for long. And if Blake or Joseph caught wind of it in the wrong way... Perhaps she needed to tell them sooner rather than later. But, at present, only Yukiko and Serio knew, and they weren't the types to freely blab. Oh, and Evan, of course. Gods damnit.

"Thank you for your consideration. I will need some time to develop a strategy for speaking with them. For now, you are one of three captains who are aware." The commander needed Serio to know that, of anything going on at the moment, this detail was the most precious, although she suspected he was already aware, which is why he had sought it out specifically. "I trust that you will have good news for me after speaking with some of your men," Mizu said in dismissal, although the moment Serio turned to take his leave, she added, "And, genuinely, thank you," and reached down to place her fingertips onto the strategy table to the right side of her as she said so.

Serio nodded solemnly to respect the gravity of knowing this information. There may have been a joyous dance deep in his core to be in on something--it was, after all, a sensation he ravenously sought--but he kept it well out of his countenance.

He smiled to affirm the playful promise of good news, and began to turn to at last take his leave. He was thrilled and amused when Mizu spoke again, but he waited a beat to ensure the authenticity of her thanks had settled into his body before he looked back towards her. When he did, he smiled warmly, and then, with one last spark of playfulness, Serio drew his thumb and forefinger across his lips as an offered promise before stepping out of the tent.

Having given Captain Kade information about what had transpired in the mess tent--and boy was he ever glad he had the wits to be there at that moment--Novelty didn't quite know what to do with himself. Trailing Evan was the obvious thing, but he had admittedly lost sight of the man after leaving to talk to Serio, and Evan hadn't yet reemerged from wherever he had gone. Still, Novelty was glowing from the satisfaction of giving his captain something to work with, something significant, as it had been a while since Novelty had been able to gather anything useful. Sitting around in camp and listening to the attacked men mumble wasn't much in the past few days, but now it finally felt like things were happening and quickly, which is exactly how Novelty liked it.

Circling casually around where Evan's retinue was camped, not too close and none too far from Captain Rutliff's tent, Novelty idly thought about how grateful he was to be under Serio's command. Gathering intel was a delight that encouraged Novelty to perpetually have an ear to the ground. He doubted that many of the other soldiers under the command of other captains could say as much. And, over the years, especially since the civil war began, Novelty had dedicated himself to being a fierce asset to his captain and their cause. If he was going to do something, Novelty was going to do it well and completely.

Hearing a gasp from the direction of Evan's tent, Novelty lifted an eyebrow and strained his ears to listen a little closer, though he continued walking as though nothing had changed. When he heard another sound--more of a muffled yelp this time--Novelty was certain it was coming from the direction of Evan's tent. And it didn't sound like Evan was making those noises.

Wandering off toward a copse of trees just barely within earshot of Captain's Rutliff's camp, Novelty sat against one of them to give himself some time to think. It had definitely been a male voice, not Evan's, in the tent. So not the goddess. Although Evan had said something about the goddess possessing others, right? Hadn't Evan's lieutenant been possessed? Yes, that was so. But Novelty had gotten the impression that wasn't going to happen again, which would mean...

Whoever was inside Evan's tent was in there of his own accord. Mm. Could it be Evan's lieutenant? There was definitely some blood in the cheeks on both of their parts today at the mess tent, though any lingering awkwardness from what happened with the goddess might explain that. So it wasn't definitive that Rutliff's lieutenant was in there with him. And, even if he were, was that information of use to Serio? Maybe, but not in a way that was useful to the cause, Novelty thought. Plus, it sounded like they were giving each other a good time, whoever it was, and how could Novelty fault them for that?

Standing up from his momentary meditation on the subject, Novelty placed a hand against the tree as he registered exactly how his body felt about overhearing what had been happening. Ah, yes, that ache. Given that Novelty's position demanded his constant attention, it was difficult to justify cultivating any kind of relationship that lasted long enough to suggest a dalliance, and Novelty lamented that it had, in fact, been a while. A somewhat uncomfortable while. Could he go sneak off to his own tent? Off into the woods? Something about that saddened Novelty. It was contact he wanted, not only simple pleasures.

But, it wasn't fair of anyone, including himself, to expect that Novelty would work all the time, and he had just delivered valuable information, so what was the harm in paling around with a few friends? Who knew where that could lead them or what those soldiers might tell Novelty in a moment of intimacy? The thought thrilled Novelty immensely, and he set off in the direction of Captain Bronwen's camp.

Serio walked with no particular direction in mind for a moment after exiting Mizu's tent, not wanting to linger as he contemplated his next move. Was there anything he needed to do before getting started on her request? No, he didn't think so. He'd gotten the answer to his most burning question at the moment, and surely he owed Mizu some promptness for that. Better to give whoever he would send ample time to digest their own mission, besides.

So then the next question was, who? It was easy enough to think of soldiers he and the cause wouldn't miss too much who would likely be sufficiently interested, were Serio to approach them. But those were the soldiers to sacrifice, if he had to put it that way. He didn't want to just play it pessimistically; he had to consider the soldiers who might bring something valuable back. This wasn't merely a sacrifice, it was an opportunity--for Serio, for the cause, and for the soldiers who went, provided they saw it that way.

In search of some spark of essence of what the opportunity would actually be, beneath all the carnal promises, Serio rolled over the reports he'd gotten about Evan's appearance in the mess tent. Novelty had actually been there first-hand, which had been invaluable in trusting the finer points of the event. Then of course, the thought crossed his mind that Novelty might in fact be a reasonable choice. Oh, Serio would miss Novelty's zest, but, wouldn't it be put to better use paying attention to a goddess than to listless soldiers around camp? True, they wouldn't be here forever, but if Evan's plan truly panned out, there wouldn't be much further intelligence needed before the end of the war. Then again, once they were back in the capital, he'd need to get to work quickly securing their position politically, and he wouldn't be able to rely on any volunteer he'd sent getting back by then. Mm, that was tricky.

But then, just like that, Serio happened to glance up and see Novelty, crossing his path a few tents down, vaguely in the direction of Bronwen's retinue. Normally Serio might've been idly curious, but just now, he was powerfully struck with a sense that Novelty might genuinely want to go, and, wasn't that ultimately the most important thing? Serio would still have other talented agents, and even if it would be harder without Novelty, it wouldn't be impossible, so could he really justify being stingy?

Serio deftly changed his path to intercept Novelty, and when he caught the soldier's attention, he offered a warm smile.

"Headed to anything urgent?" he inquired, "Or may I steal your attention for a moment?"

Novelty was happily contemplating spending some quality time with soldiers he was unfamiliar with when Serio stepped into his stride without so much as missing a beat. Good gracious, Novelty could learn a thing or two from Serio about appearing out of thin air. Novelty stopped and addressed his captain with deference, a very slight blush on his sun-ripened cheeks as he bowed. He didn't expect Serio to call back his attention so quickly after having exchanged information, and Novelty felt somewhat caught in the act of... well, whatever he had hoped would happen. Novelty tried very hard to focus on his captain's boots for a few seconds while he composed himself in his slight bow, actively not thinking about the sounds coming from Evan's tent...

Seeing Serio's warm smile allayed Novelty's sudden anxiety a little, though he became terribly curious about what his captain wanted him for again so soon. Was it...? A seed of an idea started to break open, but Novelty hadn't yet fully grasped what it was.

"You're always welcome to steal me, sir," Novelty said, biting his tongue from saying more as he knew he would only reveal more than he meant to about his previous intentions and motivations.

Prepared to follow Serio toward a more private location, Novelty considered what his captain might have to say. It had become an entertaining game, trying to plot out Serio's moves ahead of time. It was satisfying every time his captain did something unexpected. The soldier's mind raced looking for answers. When Novelty had told Serio about what Evan had said in the mess tent, where would Serio have gone? Wait, Novelty had heard runners seeking Serio out, so his captain likely had an audience with Mizu. Perhaps to formally inform Serio of the new situation with the volunteers? That would make sense. Wait...

The volunteers. They would come from their own army and be sent to the goddess. And if Mizu had only confirmed what Evan had said about everything... then it would really happen. People would need to be chosen from their own camp to go. And soon. Did Novelty want to go? He sincerely wished he had spent more time putting the pieces together to have had more time to think about it. On the one hand, it was pompous of him to think that, of all the many people who might want to volunteer for the goddess, Novelty would be chosen as one, but there was a small and potent glimmer of hope that such a thing might be possible. Maybe he was too confident about how much others would want to go?

Did Novelty know enough about the reality of the situation to feel comfortable going?

((OOC: I'm sort of imagining that these are Novelty's thoughts as they walk somewhere more private. If that's a wrong assumption, I can rework. <3))