Written Wonderland

Rutliff's eyes narrowed, and Ramanujan knew the captain could tell he was holding something back. Rutliff's fist clenched tightly at one side, and Ramanujan swallowed, trying to stay calm.

"What should I be watching out for?" the captain asked through gritted teeth. He was clearly angry but trying to rein it in. Ramanujan figured that was, to some degree, understandable. Here, Evan had devoted himself to Dehaljadrun in a number of ways, and he didn't want the validity of that choice questioned. In that way, Ramanujan represented a threat.

Adjusting his glasses, Ramanujan said matter-of-factly, "I have been deep in meditation, and I needed to evaluate how my service to Dehaljadrun would impact my relationship to the other gods." He took a breath, "My impression is that the other volunteers may be less conflicted on that front."

After another pause, he added, "I mean no disrespect to her. She has given me a great deal, and I am forever changed by my brief time with her."

He hoped that would be enough to placate Rutliff's anger.

The soldier calmly adjusted his glasses, before replying matter of factly, "I have been deep in meditation, and I needed to evaluate how my service to Dehaljadrun would impact my relationship to the other gods."

Evan blinked away at that, only barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes. Perhaps he would need to reevaluate this, but at present, he still held the same distaste for adherents to the pantheon as he always had, and it rooted defensiveness deep in his gut.

"My impression is that the other volunteers may be less conflicted on that front," the soldier said after a breath, inviting Evan's gaze to return to him.

He wasn't so sure about Pemberley, or the female cadet who served under him, but it was at least true that personal meditation on one's relationship to the gods wasn't really anything that Evan had any control over. He searched the soldier's expression for any hint as to whether there was still something he was holding back. He couldn't find anything readable, but the soldier did surprise him by adding,

"I mean no disrespect to her. She has given me a great deal, and I am forever changed by my brief time with her."

Evan relaxed, slowly releasing his fist as he exhaled, and he offered the soldier a respectful nod, though some awkwardness likely showed in his expression. He felt... silly, that he'd inadvertently solicited that reassurance from the soldier, but he couldn't deny that he appreciated it, even if some kind of embarassment swirled alongside his gratitude in his stomach.

"All right," he said, his own tone returned to mostly matter-of-fact. The soldier had his reasons, and it wasn't Evan's business to question them. "Thank you, again, for telling me. Was there anything else?"

Some anxiety nagged at the back of his mind that he ought to offer the soldier something more -- well-wishes, maybe, or at least a 'good luck' on his spiritual journey, or something like. But Evan just couldn't find the words, and he hoped the soldier would forgive him for leaning back into his captain mode, eager to bring the interaction to a close.

Rutliff seemed to relax, and Ramanujan was deeply grateful for that. He let out the breath he had been holding.

"All right," the captain said, "Thank you, again, for telling me. Was there anything else?"

Ramanujan thought about it for a moment but decided that, no, there wasn't really any more to ask from Rutliff. If Rutliff needed help finding a replacement volunteer, Ramanujan trusted the captain to ask.

"Not at this time," Ramanujan said, ready to end their conversation. But, after a moment of thought, he added, "I do wish you all the best. Perhaps you most of all, Captain Rutliff. You're surely changing the course of this world's events, and maybe more than that."

((OOC: Maybe we want to brainstorm what Evan does next?))

"Not at this time," the soldier said, but before Evan could turn to leave, he added, "I do wish you all the best. Perhaps you most of all, Captain Rutliff. You're surely changing the course of this world's events, and maybe more than that."

The addition made Evan uneasy, yet also warmed his chest. It made him feel raw, and he remembered sobbing before the goddess, prattling on about what he feared he didn't deserve. He remembered his dream, too, if dimly--how he'd inadvertently summoned a demon from the fire he was meant to rest before. He sighed, eyes looking down at the hand that had clenched and released its fist throughout the conversation, and then pressed it against his chest--against the goddess' scale, his skin, and her armor--her gift; her blessing--adorning him. Then, he raised his eyes back to the soldier before him.

"Thank you. At this juncture, I'm hopeful." At least, in a big picture sense. He felt dread in the wake of his words, first in his stomach, not fully understanding what it was, but then an echo of succulent on his leg; the fear that he might be swallowed.

"Just have to traverse the Underworld next, no big deal." He gave the soldier a wry smile--a practiced reflex, intent on covering over his awkwardness and dread. "But first, a ceremony. Perhaps you could offer something to the other volunteers..." Why was he saying that? Well, the soldier had offered to help. Evan shook his head, forcing a breathy chuckle at himself and his own babbling. "If you feel so inspired. Otherwise... " As he trailed off that time, Evan gave a shrug, his awkwardness surely flashing plain in his eyes and his verbal hesitation. He genuinely didn't know what to give this soldier, and it roiled embarassment in his stomach. His eyes practically begged some... grace? Understanding? from the soldier, hopeful that some kind of well-wish somehow made it through his stumbling expression.

((OOC: I think, given a moment of awkwardness there, Evan may eventually find some generic common blessing among pantheon adherents to try - "walk in light", "go in peace", something like that. Not sure what a common blessing along those lines would be; feel free to make something up that Evan says, if Ramanujan gives him the chance to get there. We also figured it was just as well to leave things here, in case Ramanujan acts/responds before Evan finds the words.))

Rutliff pressed his hand to his chest, which seemed to give him some resolve. Ramanujan's comments seem to have landed, but perhaps a little too well. He could tell that the gravity of the situation was weighing on the captain.

"At this juncture, I'm hopeful," Rutliff said, and Ramanujan wanted to believe him, but he was grateful that whatever his own next step was, it felt somehow less uncertain than a future with Dehaljadrun.

"Just have to traverse the Underworld next, no big deal," Evan said with a characteristic smile, covering up his discomfort as per usual. Ramanujan's eyes widened, surprised by this information. But, as he reviewed what the goddess had told him in his dream, it made sense. They intended to unbind her, after all. Ramanujan only hoped that the trip to the Underworld wasn't just another shot in the dark for the goddess.

"But first, a ceremony. Perhaps you could offer something to the other volunteers... if you feel so inspired." Evan shook his head, and Ramanujan contemplated the suggestion. He supposed he could give the goddess the offering he had planned anyway, although he feared her finding out that he had planned to come and then changed his mind. As for the volunteers... he wasn't altogether sure.

But, beyond that, Rutliff's awkward discomfort did sufficiently make it possible for Ramanujan to trust that the captain was no longer angry.

"I'll think on it," Ramanujan said, aware that he was interrupting Rutliff's line of thought to some degree. "Thank you for your understanding. May you find all you're searching for."

"I'll think on it," the soldier said, relieving Evan of his search for words to offer. "Thank you for your understanding. May you find all you're searching for."

Evan nodded with gratitude.

"You as well," he said. It still felt... hollow maybe, but neither of them would be served by him continuing to flail for something more substantive.

So, he simply nodded again, and turned to go check in with the commander.

((OOC: I guess, inclined to leave it to you to set up where exactly Mizu's at at this juncture.))

Once Yukiko had left, Mizu took a deep breath and shook out all her limbs, trying to shake the remnants of whatever magic Horu had left in her. She felt exposed and vulnerable. She paced the tent a few times, deciding she needed to stretch and maybe train.

After running a few laps and stretching with her troops, she returned to her tent, settling outside nearby in case anyone needed her attention since it was pleasantly sunny outside. She trusted that Captain Kade had ceremony preparations well underway and that he would approach her if he needed anything further.

Evan shook off some nervousness through his wrists once he'd turned a corner away from the soldier, and tried to hold his head high as he made his way for the commander's tent. He definitely felt eyes landing on him as he went, in ways that would normally excite him--in ways that did excite him, he supposed, but... also made him feel very exposed. He supposed he was. Not just in terms of how form-fitting his attire was--though that was certainly a part of it. But in terms of everything that it meant. His dedication to the goddess. The gentle, relentless grasp of her influence around his throat. The simple fact that he liked it there, even as it made something inside of him squirm.

No one took anything past a heavy gaze, though. Perhaps he walked with enough purpose that no one else felt like interrupting, or perhaps they still hadn't decided enough what to make of him to feel comfortable to approach. That was just as well for now, though. He was sure to run into the likes of Lance at some point today, and he was just as glad to get some more bearings under him with Mizu before fielding that kind of energy.

He found Mizu outside her tent--resting, if he wasn't mistaken. That warmed him, and he gave her a genuinely friendly smile to show it as he approached.

Mizu was enjoying the sun and the simple pleasure of making herself more available to her soldiers. A few of them came up to greet her or ask for her guidance about something, and it pleased her to be of help. Slowly, she gained her confidence back.

She saw Evan coming from what felt like a mile away in the otherworldly clothing the goddess had given him, which made her good spirits dip slightly. Here was another undeniable supernatural conversation coming her way. But, she was going to need to get used to it. This was part of her day-to-day experience now.

Evan seemed to be in a good mood, having slept, and smiled at her as he approached. She stood, meeting him.

"Captain Rutliff. You look well," she said genuinely.

The old priestess spent much of the previous evening and all the remaining day preparing for the ceremony. It would be the largest she had ever performed, given that they were sending 10 volunteers to the goddess. And she wouldn't be surprised if they had a number of spectators as well, as many as the entire army.

Tehnulae thought, not for the first time, about the wisdom of sending more people to the goddess, but she trusted that the negotiation that had been struck between the goddess and the army was sufficient. Otherwise, they wouldn't be going through with it now.

But, in the morning, before she busied herself with too many preparations, she knew she needed to prepare herself. She went to the section of the river she thought of as hers, bending just so toward her cottage, which was exactly the reason she had chosen this place to settle. She brought her priestess garb as well and washed it lovingly, hanging it up to dry on nearby branches. And as she was scrubbing her body, the vining memories of the past wound their way up into her awareness. She felt all the decisions recently that had been made that would affect the future. She watched one of the volunteers jump hastily through the portal--without any ritualistic preparation. She felt the moment the king's son was taken from the tent.

And then, in the midst of it all, she felt an unseasonably warm breeze brush past her, warming her from head to toe. The old woman opened her eyes, seeing the breeze affect, for a moment, everything it touched as everything reached subtly toward the sun. The breeze felt like a ring expanding out in all directions. And immediately, Tehlunae knew, There's another god nearby.

The priestess finished washing herself and moved slowly out of the water.

--

By the time the army soldiers arrived with the supplies she had requested--ten cauldrons filled with fresh water, wood, scrubbing cloths, two buckets of wet clay, oil for torches, and even the new pair of boots--Tehlunae had readied new powders for the ceremony. Given that they had summoned the goddess only a few days prior, some of the powders the priestess had spread then were still there, albeit the wind and animal life had long since broken the circles. Brushing that powder aside was the first task she gave her helpers. The circles would need to be widened to account of how many more people would be present. But she poured the new powders herself. She didn't have much left, but the only the circle around the portal would need to be strictly protected in the event that something none of them wanted came through.

And then out in the woods proper, the priestess strung up little bundles of sticks and herb on the trees in the rough shape of a circle as additional protection for all who would be out tonight.

As the sun reached toward the horizons, Tehlunae ordered the fires to be lit to begin heating water. She also instructed the soldiers to build a small wall of clay around the inner circle of powder, to symbolize the crossing over the volunteers would do tonight. She kept half a bucket of clay for later, however, knowing she would need to mark the volunteers.

Then, the soldiers dipped and lit torches, placing them carefully in a larger circle around the powder. Finally, she thought they were ready. It was time for the volunteers to arrive.