Oh, good, the goddess was reasonable. Yukiko's expression softened back to a more neutral smile as her body relaxed, relieved that she hadn't horribly miscalculated her reply to the goddess' demand.
She nodded calmly in response to do your job--of course she would do her job, but she couldn't begrudge the goddess the comment. It was tempting to try to convey some further sense of earnestness--she wanted to talk to the goddess as Ponderance's mother, and to assure her that Yukiko's interest in protecting the boy wasn't merely the interest of an army captain protecting an asset--but the soldier took his leave quickly, and besides, trying to get on the goddess' good side with at least two strikes against her may not be the best approach to take.
The captain let the soldier leave, and then looked to Ponderance. They of course hadn't told the boy about his possible lineage, but Yukiko was starting to wonder whether the time to do so might be close at hand. Just what all had he gleaned from that conversation, anyway? Yukiko would like to really chat with him, but it was hit-and-miss when the boy was in a talking mood, and besides, she should probably go inform Mizu of a couple things in light of that conversation. She would at least address the boy now, though.
"I need to go do some Captain business, but when I come back we can talk about that conversation if you like."
Part 1 (Start Reading Here)
Moderator: On Dreams And Desire
Re: Part 1
Ponderance looked up at Captain Fujiwara neutrally, his eyes trailing a little along the way. His somber expression had not changed, but there was a softness in his gaze.
Turning his head down toward his toy again, he said, "She wouldn't have been a bad mother." He paused then, leaning the carved horse back so its front two legs reared. "But I'm glad she didn't have to be." He set the horse back down and moved it forward a step, repeating this motion once more and then again.
When he stopped moving the horse, he lifted it in Captain Fujiwara's direction. "When the dust comes down, will you use this to catch it?" He looked at her seriously, his eyebrows hopeful.
(OOC: At this point, we've assumed that Yukiko had asked some of her soldiers to carve the toys in their spare time.))
Turning his head down toward his toy again, he said, "She wouldn't have been a bad mother." He paused then, leaning the carved horse back so its front two legs reared. "But I'm glad she didn't have to be." He set the horse back down and moved it forward a step, repeating this motion once more and then again.
When he stopped moving the horse, he lifted it in Captain Fujiwara's direction. "When the dust comes down, will you use this to catch it?" He looked at her seriously, his eyebrows hopeful.
(OOC: At this point, we've assumed that Yukiko had asked some of her soldiers to carve the toys in their spare time.))
Re: Part 1
Ha, figured the boy already knew. Although that did make Yukiko wonder whether they could have benefited from listening to him more seriously this whole time. That was a bit sobering to consider, though she couldn't immediately think of a time she specifically hadn't heeded one of his cryptic comments. Regardless, she'd certainly be sure to pay careful attention going forward.
The captain was just about to turn to leave, when Ponderance surprised her with a direct request. She had no idea what he meant by dust coming down, but it didn't seem worth clarifying. Either she would come to understand what he meant, or she'd figure something out. She nodded to the boy with her calm, warm smile before stepping forward to accept the toy horse from him.
"I'll make sure to."
She lingered just long enough to give Ponderance the opportunity to reply if he wanted before heading out.
--
She left instructions with the soldiers outside the tent to come get her anytime anyone with purple eyes wanted to see Ponderance, no matter the time of day, and then made her way hastily towards Mizu's tent.
She didn't quite make it, though, before a purple shimmer in the air caught her eye, and she stopped to observe the phenomenon. The thought crossed her mind to be concerned, but the feeling never really took hold. The sight was beautiful, and besides, as of yet the goddess remained their ally--or, if nothing else, her demand of Yukiko surely implied the goddess intended to continue meeting with Evan, and Yukiko doubted that Evan's loyalty had been swayed, even if all the stories were more than true. Maybe that was just her relentless optimism talking, but...
The shimmer spread and completely enveloped the camp, catching the sunlight in a way that brought exuberant light and warmth into the captain's expression. No, in her book, this was absolutely the goddess showing them all something beautiful, and she didn't see how that could be a bad thing at all. She heard some other soldiers chattering away nervously nearby, but easily dismissed their nervousness from her own experience. Some people, for reasons she may never understand, wanted to be afraid of things like this--of the unknown, of something out of their control--but Yukiko could only find excitement and awe here.
It took a moment after the shimmering dome dissipated for Yukiko to register the way in which the falling gleams resembled dust. Her heart beamed even brighter with warmth and excitement as she held up the toy horse to be sure that it captured some of the falling sunlight, and somehow even brighter still as she felt it fall on herself as well, the feelings of acceptance and victory palpably vibrating through her being and the air around her and, she assumed, all throughout the entire camp.
The captain breathed deeply for a moment as she tucked the toy horse away. She wanted to collect herself and approach Mizu with a level head, only as optimistic as she'd been without the goddess' effect, though truth told the feelings weren't terribly far away from each other; one was just a bit more palpable.
Once Yukiko was confident she'd steadied herself from that experience, she proceeded with confidence to the commander's tent.
"Permission to enter, commander?"
Despite her attempts to level herself out, Yukiko was nonetheless veritably beaming when she stepped inside after the commander called her in. Though, her voice had probably heralded that, anyway.
"The goddess paid a visit to Ponderance just now--well, just before that display." She wondered briefly whether Mizu had noticed it inside her tent, but decided to get out the rest of the info she wanted to be sure to report, and Mizu could ask clarifying questions after.
"The boy is definitely her son, and she made it clear that his wellbeing is important to her. She also implied that he has more power or insight or both than we've likely given him credit for. I'll continue keeping a close watch."
The captain was just about to turn to leave, when Ponderance surprised her with a direct request. She had no idea what he meant by dust coming down, but it didn't seem worth clarifying. Either she would come to understand what he meant, or she'd figure something out. She nodded to the boy with her calm, warm smile before stepping forward to accept the toy horse from him.
"I'll make sure to."
She lingered just long enough to give Ponderance the opportunity to reply if he wanted before heading out.
--
She left instructions with the soldiers outside the tent to come get her anytime anyone with purple eyes wanted to see Ponderance, no matter the time of day, and then made her way hastily towards Mizu's tent.
She didn't quite make it, though, before a purple shimmer in the air caught her eye, and she stopped to observe the phenomenon. The thought crossed her mind to be concerned, but the feeling never really took hold. The sight was beautiful, and besides, as of yet the goddess remained their ally--or, if nothing else, her demand of Yukiko surely implied the goddess intended to continue meeting with Evan, and Yukiko doubted that Evan's loyalty had been swayed, even if all the stories were more than true. Maybe that was just her relentless optimism talking, but...
The shimmer spread and completely enveloped the camp, catching the sunlight in a way that brought exuberant light and warmth into the captain's expression. No, in her book, this was absolutely the goddess showing them all something beautiful, and she didn't see how that could be a bad thing at all. She heard some other soldiers chattering away nervously nearby, but easily dismissed their nervousness from her own experience. Some people, for reasons she may never understand, wanted to be afraid of things like this--of the unknown, of something out of their control--but Yukiko could only find excitement and awe here.
It took a moment after the shimmering dome dissipated for Yukiko to register the way in which the falling gleams resembled dust. Her heart beamed even brighter with warmth and excitement as she held up the toy horse to be sure that it captured some of the falling sunlight, and somehow even brighter still as she felt it fall on herself as well, the feelings of acceptance and victory palpably vibrating through her being and the air around her and, she assumed, all throughout the entire camp.
The captain breathed deeply for a moment as she tucked the toy horse away. She wanted to collect herself and approach Mizu with a level head, only as optimistic as she'd been without the goddess' effect, though truth told the feelings weren't terribly far away from each other; one was just a bit more palpable.
Once Yukiko was confident she'd steadied herself from that experience, she proceeded with confidence to the commander's tent.
"Permission to enter, commander?"
Despite her attempts to level herself out, Yukiko was nonetheless veritably beaming when she stepped inside after the commander called her in. Though, her voice had probably heralded that, anyway.
"The goddess paid a visit to Ponderance just now--well, just before that display." She wondered briefly whether Mizu had noticed it inside her tent, but decided to get out the rest of the info she wanted to be sure to report, and Mizu could ask clarifying questions after.
"The boy is definitely her son, and she made it clear that his wellbeing is important to her. She also implied that he has more power or insight or both than we've likely given him credit for. I'll continue keeping a close watch."
Re: Part 1
After Evan left, Mizu stood and paced the length of her tent for some time, wondering who she should put in charge of gathering volunteers and how discreet she should be. She supposed the best course of action would be to wait until the goddess made her gesture and then determine if that would be enough to convince the troops that Dehaljadrun was truly working in their favor. Or, rather, if it would be enough to convince Captain Miller specifically. Somehow, regardless of what the gesture would be, she doubted Miller would be swayed.
But, perhaps in the meantime, she could talk to Elaine about possible strategies. Mizu thought about sending a runner around to find her but decided she needed to stretch her legs anyway, not to mention that she was still rather unnerved by the thought of the goddess wandering the camp unaccompanied. If there was any commotion, Mizu wanted to know about it.
Emerging from her tent, the commander began to walk toward the set of tents Elaine's soldiers had erected but did not make it far before a purple shimmer in the sky caught her attention. Shading her eyes from the sun with one hand, Mizu watched as a shimmering dome closed over them. It was obvious at once that this was the goddess' doing, and Mizu was, at first, frustrated at her. How was trapping them inside the camp supposed to help? But then it dissipated, and Mizu looked around as the dust fell, realizing there was no escape from it falling on her. As it did, a warmth and hope clouded her mind, bringing the commander almost to tears, the sensation of achieving victory for the cause that she had given up everything, willingly, to support, so close at hand. The commander coughed to cover up what would have been a choke and looked around at the soldiers near her to see similar sentiments in their expressions. All right, perhaps that had been valuable, at least in terms of morale. It didn't necessarily mean the goddess was directly connected to the gesture, but Mizu was sure that word would get around.
She now, however, doubted the usefulness of seeking Elaine out, especially with her emotions so close at the surface, and decided to return to her tent. Perhaps it was better to let Evan handle the volunteers. The commander collapsed back into the chair beside the map table and held her head in her hands for a moment, unable to keep herself from reliving the sensation of victory over and over and over, the hope desperate within her.
"Permission to enter, Commander?" Captain Fujiwara said. Mizu sat up at once and collected herself before admitting the captain. A spike of worry shot through Mizu's chest--she didn't like knowing that Yukiko was not personally guarding Ponderance. But that appeared to be a rather moot point as Yukiko began speaking.
Of course the goddess had gone to see Ponderance; it was folly to think that she wouldn't have. But, if she hadn't interfered with anything, maybe they really could trust her? The sensation of hope within Mizu's chest burst and shone within her, and she was unable to stop herself from gripping at the area.
Trying to get herself under control, Mizu processed everything else Yukiko said. Yes, they could be certain that Ponderance was the goddess' child now. But, if he knew or planned to use that information against them, wouldn't he have done it already? Was it so difficult to believe that everything would work out the way Mizu hoped it would?
But, as a leader, it was Mizu's responsibility to manage all the possible ways this could go wrong, and she knew that. Her skepticism briefly made her wonder if the goddess had been trying to get rid of Yukiko in an attempt to take Ponderance back, but Mizu trusted that Yukiko had taken reasonable precautions in coming here.
And then, also, Mizu was grateful that Yukiko had correctly intuited that the display was the goddess' doing. Perhaps that wasn't as much of a logical leap as Mizu feared.
"I appreciate your diligence, Captain Fujiwara. The goddess also paid me a visit. She must have gone to Ponderance directly afterward." After some hesitation--and some urging from the sensations of hope that refused to dwindle within her--Mizu decided to confide in Yukiko. "Captain Miller is very wary of working with the goddess and threatened to leave the cause if the goddess made more demands. And that was before the goddess said she wanted ten of our men in exchange for the Shel'ti men she's taken." Mizu paused, letting Yukiko take in the information before adding more. "Evan is convinced that some of the men who were attacked would want to return, but we will need more than that. I'll be honest--I don't know the best way to go about doing this and would appreciate your input."
The commander raised her eyebrows slightly in a plaintive way that may still have been the effects of the goddess' mist, but the commander trusted her captain to continue to take her seriously. Mizu found herself incredibly grateful for the conversation the two of them had had about the goddess the other day. It certainly made it easier to be vulnerable now.
But, perhaps in the meantime, she could talk to Elaine about possible strategies. Mizu thought about sending a runner around to find her but decided she needed to stretch her legs anyway, not to mention that she was still rather unnerved by the thought of the goddess wandering the camp unaccompanied. If there was any commotion, Mizu wanted to know about it.
Emerging from her tent, the commander began to walk toward the set of tents Elaine's soldiers had erected but did not make it far before a purple shimmer in the sky caught her attention. Shading her eyes from the sun with one hand, Mizu watched as a shimmering dome closed over them. It was obvious at once that this was the goddess' doing, and Mizu was, at first, frustrated at her. How was trapping them inside the camp supposed to help? But then it dissipated, and Mizu looked around as the dust fell, realizing there was no escape from it falling on her. As it did, a warmth and hope clouded her mind, bringing the commander almost to tears, the sensation of achieving victory for the cause that she had given up everything, willingly, to support, so close at hand. The commander coughed to cover up what would have been a choke and looked around at the soldiers near her to see similar sentiments in their expressions. All right, perhaps that had been valuable, at least in terms of morale. It didn't necessarily mean the goddess was directly connected to the gesture, but Mizu was sure that word would get around.
She now, however, doubted the usefulness of seeking Elaine out, especially with her emotions so close at the surface, and decided to return to her tent. Perhaps it was better to let Evan handle the volunteers. The commander collapsed back into the chair beside the map table and held her head in her hands for a moment, unable to keep herself from reliving the sensation of victory over and over and over, the hope desperate within her.
"Permission to enter, Commander?" Captain Fujiwara said. Mizu sat up at once and collected herself before admitting the captain. A spike of worry shot through Mizu's chest--she didn't like knowing that Yukiko was not personally guarding Ponderance. But that appeared to be a rather moot point as Yukiko began speaking.
Of course the goddess had gone to see Ponderance; it was folly to think that she wouldn't have. But, if she hadn't interfered with anything, maybe they really could trust her? The sensation of hope within Mizu's chest burst and shone within her, and she was unable to stop herself from gripping at the area.
Trying to get herself under control, Mizu processed everything else Yukiko said. Yes, they could be certain that Ponderance was the goddess' child now. But, if he knew or planned to use that information against them, wouldn't he have done it already? Was it so difficult to believe that everything would work out the way Mizu hoped it would?
But, as a leader, it was Mizu's responsibility to manage all the possible ways this could go wrong, and she knew that. Her skepticism briefly made her wonder if the goddess had been trying to get rid of Yukiko in an attempt to take Ponderance back, but Mizu trusted that Yukiko had taken reasonable precautions in coming here.
And then, also, Mizu was grateful that Yukiko had correctly intuited that the display was the goddess' doing. Perhaps that wasn't as much of a logical leap as Mizu feared.
"I appreciate your diligence, Captain Fujiwara. The goddess also paid me a visit. She must have gone to Ponderance directly afterward." After some hesitation--and some urging from the sensations of hope that refused to dwindle within her--Mizu decided to confide in Yukiko. "Captain Miller is very wary of working with the goddess and threatened to leave the cause if the goddess made more demands. And that was before the goddess said she wanted ten of our men in exchange for the Shel'ti men she's taken." Mizu paused, letting Yukiko take in the information before adding more. "Evan is convinced that some of the men who were attacked would want to return, but we will need more than that. I'll be honest--I don't know the best way to go about doing this and would appreciate your input."
The commander raised her eyebrows slightly in a plaintive way that may still have been the effects of the goddess' mist, but the commander trusted her captain to continue to take her seriously. Mizu found herself incredibly grateful for the conversation the two of them had had about the goddess the other day. It certainly made it easier to be vulnerable now.
Re: Part 1
Yukiko fully got her exuberance under control when Mizu mentioned Captain Miller. In part, her beaming petered out simply as a result of focusing on listening to her commander, but disappointment also certainly settled in her chest over the idea that Miller had threatened to leave. Not that the notion was terribly surprising, but disappointing nonetheless.
It was a bit more difficult to suss out what precise emotions settled into Yukiko's body when Mizu explained the goddess' new... ask? Proposal? By Mizu's telling, it sounded like Miller might consider it a demand, but wasn't it rather a trade? Yukiko pondered a moment after Mizu finished speaking to be sure that she replied thoughtfully.
"It sounds like this trade would meet the Shel'ti's conditions for an alliance, yes? In which case I suppose it's a calculation of two things: Whether we think we can free the Shel'ti from the goddess some other way; and if not, whether losing Miller is worth gaining the Shel'ti. And whether he'd follow through on the threat based on this, I suppose."
Yukiko paused briefly there to take in Mizu's reaction, mostly gauging whether she seemed to be going in a direction her commander found useful.
"Assuming we can choose the men we'd trade..." Yukiko raised her eyebrow slightly to Mizu, trailing off just enough to fish for nonverbal confirmation of that assumption. Once she got enough to feel confident, she continued.
"I can see an argument to only inform more amenable captains of the trade, and have them privately approach soldiers in their company whom they think might be willing tributes. It could come off as obfuscation to keep the search on the down-low, but it would also free captains like Miller from having to note their conscientious objections."
One more pause, before Yukiko finished with a final thought.
"For what it's worth, I can think of a couple soldiers in my company I'd feel comfortable approaching about this. No guarantee they'd sign on, but they might. I'm sure Evan likewise has some ideas. I've largely kept out of how other captains feel about the goddess, though, so I'm not sure who else would be good to approach, assuming you feel comfortable taking that tactic. Otherwise, I think the options are to talk to Miller privately first to try to win him over, or to hold a full captain's meeting to be transparent, but at which Miller might well defect."
((OOC: lmk if Mizu would have spoken up during any of those pauses. I decided to err on the side of getting more out at once rather than making this into chopper pieces))
It was a bit more difficult to suss out what precise emotions settled into Yukiko's body when Mizu explained the goddess' new... ask? Proposal? By Mizu's telling, it sounded like Miller might consider it a demand, but wasn't it rather a trade? Yukiko pondered a moment after Mizu finished speaking to be sure that she replied thoughtfully.
"It sounds like this trade would meet the Shel'ti's conditions for an alliance, yes? In which case I suppose it's a calculation of two things: Whether we think we can free the Shel'ti from the goddess some other way; and if not, whether losing Miller is worth gaining the Shel'ti. And whether he'd follow through on the threat based on this, I suppose."
Yukiko paused briefly there to take in Mizu's reaction, mostly gauging whether she seemed to be going in a direction her commander found useful.
"Assuming we can choose the men we'd trade..." Yukiko raised her eyebrow slightly to Mizu, trailing off just enough to fish for nonverbal confirmation of that assumption. Once she got enough to feel confident, she continued.
"I can see an argument to only inform more amenable captains of the trade, and have them privately approach soldiers in their company whom they think might be willing tributes. It could come off as obfuscation to keep the search on the down-low, but it would also free captains like Miller from having to note their conscientious objections."
One more pause, before Yukiko finished with a final thought.
"For what it's worth, I can think of a couple soldiers in my company I'd feel comfortable approaching about this. No guarantee they'd sign on, but they might. I'm sure Evan likewise has some ideas. I've largely kept out of how other captains feel about the goddess, though, so I'm not sure who else would be good to approach, assuming you feel comfortable taking that tactic. Otherwise, I think the options are to talk to Miller privately first to try to win him over, or to hold a full captain's meeting to be transparent, but at which Miller might well defect."
((OOC: lmk if Mizu would have spoken up during any of those pauses. I decided to err on the side of getting more out at once rather than making this into chopper pieces))
Re: Part 1
Mizu was thoughtful throughout Yukiko's verbal pondering. She was grateful that Yukiko's mind seemed to track the situation in a similar fashion as hers had. Nothing novel here, but then again, the validation that these were the paths they were choosing from was helpful. Mizu was tempted toward asking Yukiko to personally take on the task of recruiting volunteers, but now more than ever, Mizu wanted her attentive to the situation with Ponderance.
First, though, she owed Yukiko a response.
"I had hoped that the goddess' display would be more convincing, or at least more grandiose. I'm not sure that alone will be enough to sway Miller. Then again, I'm not sure he actually has the gall to leave, especially if we could guarantee both the Shel'ti and the goddess on our side. At best, if he did leave, he and his faction would be outsiders to both the king and to us, having defected from both." Mizu looked down momentarily and added in her thoughts, Miller doesn't strike me as one willing to strike out on his own. Returning her gaze to Yukiko, she said, "Perhaps reminding him of that will be enough." It's not a pretty strategy, but I'm willing to bet it will work.
"I'll approach Miller. I would like to keep him in the loop as much as possible, but we don't need to go out of our way to share the information with others for now. Do begin talking to soldiers you know who may be interested and have them report to Evan once he recovers. From my understanding, the goddess is being lenient about timing."
((OOC: Mizu is essentially done speaking unless you have other things you want her and Yukiko to talk about. Feel free to end the scene whenever. <3))
First, though, she owed Yukiko a response.
"I had hoped that the goddess' display would be more convincing, or at least more grandiose. I'm not sure that alone will be enough to sway Miller. Then again, I'm not sure he actually has the gall to leave, especially if we could guarantee both the Shel'ti and the goddess on our side. At best, if he did leave, he and his faction would be outsiders to both the king and to us, having defected from both." Mizu looked down momentarily and added in her thoughts, Miller doesn't strike me as one willing to strike out on his own. Returning her gaze to Yukiko, she said, "Perhaps reminding him of that will be enough." It's not a pretty strategy, but I'm willing to bet it will work.
"I'll approach Miller. I would like to keep him in the loop as much as possible, but we don't need to go out of our way to share the information with others for now. Do begin talking to soldiers you know who may be interested and have them report to Evan once he recovers. From my understanding, the goddess is being lenient about timing."
((OOC: Mizu is essentially done speaking unless you have other things you want her and Yukiko to talk about. Feel free to end the scene whenever. <3))
Re: Part 1
Yukiko nodded and bowed warmly to her commander.
"Best of luck with Miller; I hope he comes around. In the meantime, I'll get the ball rolling with my troops."
With that the captain offered Mizu a hopefully-reassuring smile, and then took her leave.
---
The captain walked a ways back towards Ponderance's tent before pausing and taking out the toy horse he'd given to her care. She felt it in her hand and looked over it with her eyes, weighing a couple risks. The 'dust' that had fallen clearly had some supernatural effect, and the goddess had just told Yukiko not to underestimate the boy, so to speak. But the effect had seemed to be primarily emotional, and besides, couldn't she trust Ponderance? She wouldn't delude herself that boy's capture and captivity had been pleasant, but she had done her best to treat him with respect since he entered her custody. That aside, what would he even do here, precisely? Escape to be with the goddess? Somehow, that didn't seem likely to Yukiko.
The captain sighed softly, exhaling the tension in her chest along with it. She'd decide to trust the boy, and bear the consequences if it proved misplaced. Better that, she felt, than acting so paranoid as to deny a child a toy touched by his long-lost mother.
---
Yukiko returned to Ponderance's tent, greeting the soldiers outside with respectful nods before slipping inside. She sent a warm smile to Ponderance as she approached him and held out the toy horse.
"I made sure to catch the dust, as promised."
"Best of luck with Miller; I hope he comes around. In the meantime, I'll get the ball rolling with my troops."
With that the captain offered Mizu a hopefully-reassuring smile, and then took her leave.
---
The captain walked a ways back towards Ponderance's tent before pausing and taking out the toy horse he'd given to her care. She felt it in her hand and looked over it with her eyes, weighing a couple risks. The 'dust' that had fallen clearly had some supernatural effect, and the goddess had just told Yukiko not to underestimate the boy, so to speak. But the effect had seemed to be primarily emotional, and besides, couldn't she trust Ponderance? She wouldn't delude herself that boy's capture and captivity had been pleasant, but she had done her best to treat him with respect since he entered her custody. That aside, what would he even do here, precisely? Escape to be with the goddess? Somehow, that didn't seem likely to Yukiko.
The captain sighed softly, exhaling the tension in her chest along with it. She'd decide to trust the boy, and bear the consequences if it proved misplaced. Better that, she felt, than acting so paranoid as to deny a child a toy touched by his long-lost mother.
---
Yukiko returned to Ponderance's tent, greeting the soldiers outside with respectful nods before slipping inside. She sent a warm smile to Ponderance as she approached him and held out the toy horse.
"I made sure to catch the dust, as promised."
Re: Part 1
Ponderance didn't look up when Captain Fujiwara entered the tent, but when she held out the toy to him, he did, and the moment he reached out his small hand and touched it, a rare smile curled shyly onto his lip. He looked, perhaps relieved, and a tear nearly escaped.
"Thank you," he said with only breath.
--
Once Yukiko had left, the commander determined that there was little reason to wait around before talking to Miller. Grateful, once again, for the excuse to leave her tent, she decided to go and seek Miller out herself. As she walked through the troops, she was heartened by how many of them appeared to be in a good mood. It certainly was an enormous improvement from the drawn faces of men sitting around, and for the second time that day, Mizu felt a rush of gratitude for the goddess. If her soldiers were happy and light and proud and prepared for what would come next, perhaps that was a greater gift than Mizu had first anticipated. She whispered what was nearly a prayer to the goddess Dehaljadrun, unsure how these things worked but hopeful that the appreciation would get to her all the same.
Captain Miller was not, unfortunately, in his tent. Mizu didn't like the idea of speaking to Miller out in the open, but perhaps she would find a way to make due. If it came to it, she could have him come back to the strategy tent.
After some searching, she found him running drills out on the field beside the camp, and Mizu supposed it made sense that he had wanted to get out from where the dome had been. She was prepared for that to mean that Miller had not, in fact, appreciated the goddess' gesture, and steeled herself as such.
"Captain," Mizu said when she was nearly to him, "can your lieutenant manage the drills for a moment?"
Captain Miller took some time to register that Mizu was talking to him but nodded and closed the distance to Mizu.
"What can I do for you, Commander?"
"Walk with me," Mizu said. Captain Miller obeyed, and they traveled further from the camp but still within comfortable range of the meadow where the soldiers continued their drills.
"What did you think of the goddess' blessing?" Mizu asked. She hoped that appealing with the language Miller himself might use would make him more amicable to the conversation.
Captain Miller made a scoffing sound. "Is that what you're calling it now?"
Mizu was not dissuaded. "What would you call it instead?"
"Persuasion," Captain Miller said simply. Mizu nodded. She could certainly understand that perspective.
"And were you? Persuaded?"
Captain Miller was silent as they continued forward for a few moments, and Mizu thought it was a good sign that he appeared to be weighing the question.
"No." Mizu nodded again. Perhaps it had been too much to hope for. She waited until they were further away from the other troops to say anything further.
"I wanted to personally inform you that the goddess has proposed a trade."
"I knew it," Captain Miller said under his breath. Mizu continued.
"She has requested an exchange. Ten of our soldiers to release twenty-eight of the Shel'ti so we may gain their alliance." She figured that would be enough for the captain to chew on and paused there for a few moments. She, however, did not want to give him the chance to reply before she said, "With the Shel'ti on our side, I am certain we will prevail against the king."
After a moment, Miller asked, "But at what cost?" and shook his head, stopping and forcing Mizu to turn and face him. Mizu did not immediately answer him, hoping that he would follow up his question. He did. "I very nearly regret my decision to leave the king."
The comment was a low blow, but Mizu did not react. She was, however, bolstered thinking about how Blake would have responded in her defense. Still, Blake may actually complicated matters were she actually here.
"He will not take you back." Mizu looked directly at Miller, waiting for his mind to register what that meant and what his choices were. The captain met his commander's gaze at first, but as he started to think everything over, his face grew concerned and, finally, he turned away, taking a moment to stare at the ground.
"So, what? You're going to send our soldiers to her against their will?" Captain Miller asked.
"No," Mizu said but then immediately wondered if that was true. If they couldn't find enough willing volunteers, would it be worth sending men to goddess without their permission? Mizu didn't like the thought, but it was possible that it would come to that. Regardless, Captain Miller didn't need to know that, and certainly not now. "Evan is convinced that at least some of the men who were attacked will want to return. And he seemed confident that others could be..." Mizu had to catch herself to stop from saying persuaded. "...informed of the possible benefits." That was... not ideal wording, and she knew it, but there was no changing it.
Captain Miller shook his head again. "Make sure you tell them that eternal damnation is part of the deal." Mizu did not respond. She had no intentions of saying that and simply looked expectantly at the captain. In response, he said, "You will not take any of my troops."
"I knew better than to ask," the commander said without hesitation. Captain Miller rolled his tongue around in his mouth, and Mizu could not stop herself from watching the way it bulged in his mouth. She had never particularly enjoyed this man.
"If this isn't enough to ensure the alliance with the Shel'ti, I'll take my men to their nation," Captain Miller finally said. Mizu had half a thought to laugh but kept it easily in check. Perhaps Miller would appreciate the culture there.
"I understand and would expect nothing less. I'll keep you informed," the commander said. Before Miller had the opportunity to fight her on any other points, she added, "I'll let you get back to your drills, then," and walked back toward the strategy tent.
((OOC: Ponderance would probably have one or two things to say if Yukiko asked any questions right now, but we are happy with whatever happens. At this point, we can skip to Yukiko trying to recruit people and/or Evan waking up whenever that would happen.))
"Thank you," he said with only breath.
--
Once Yukiko had left, the commander determined that there was little reason to wait around before talking to Miller. Grateful, once again, for the excuse to leave her tent, she decided to go and seek Miller out herself. As she walked through the troops, she was heartened by how many of them appeared to be in a good mood. It certainly was an enormous improvement from the drawn faces of men sitting around, and for the second time that day, Mizu felt a rush of gratitude for the goddess. If her soldiers were happy and light and proud and prepared for what would come next, perhaps that was a greater gift than Mizu had first anticipated. She whispered what was nearly a prayer to the goddess Dehaljadrun, unsure how these things worked but hopeful that the appreciation would get to her all the same.
Captain Miller was not, unfortunately, in his tent. Mizu didn't like the idea of speaking to Miller out in the open, but perhaps she would find a way to make due. If it came to it, she could have him come back to the strategy tent.
After some searching, she found him running drills out on the field beside the camp, and Mizu supposed it made sense that he had wanted to get out from where the dome had been. She was prepared for that to mean that Miller had not, in fact, appreciated the goddess' gesture, and steeled herself as such.
"Captain," Mizu said when she was nearly to him, "can your lieutenant manage the drills for a moment?"
Captain Miller took some time to register that Mizu was talking to him but nodded and closed the distance to Mizu.
"What can I do for you, Commander?"
"Walk with me," Mizu said. Captain Miller obeyed, and they traveled further from the camp but still within comfortable range of the meadow where the soldiers continued their drills.
"What did you think of the goddess' blessing?" Mizu asked. She hoped that appealing with the language Miller himself might use would make him more amicable to the conversation.
Captain Miller made a scoffing sound. "Is that what you're calling it now?"
Mizu was not dissuaded. "What would you call it instead?"
"Persuasion," Captain Miller said simply. Mizu nodded. She could certainly understand that perspective.
"And were you? Persuaded?"
Captain Miller was silent as they continued forward for a few moments, and Mizu thought it was a good sign that he appeared to be weighing the question.
"No." Mizu nodded again. Perhaps it had been too much to hope for. She waited until they were further away from the other troops to say anything further.
"I wanted to personally inform you that the goddess has proposed a trade."
"I knew it," Captain Miller said under his breath. Mizu continued.
"She has requested an exchange. Ten of our soldiers to release twenty-eight of the Shel'ti so we may gain their alliance." She figured that would be enough for the captain to chew on and paused there for a few moments. She, however, did not want to give him the chance to reply before she said, "With the Shel'ti on our side, I am certain we will prevail against the king."
After a moment, Miller asked, "But at what cost?" and shook his head, stopping and forcing Mizu to turn and face him. Mizu did not immediately answer him, hoping that he would follow up his question. He did. "I very nearly regret my decision to leave the king."
The comment was a low blow, but Mizu did not react. She was, however, bolstered thinking about how Blake would have responded in her defense. Still, Blake may actually complicated matters were she actually here.
"He will not take you back." Mizu looked directly at Miller, waiting for his mind to register what that meant and what his choices were. The captain met his commander's gaze at first, but as he started to think everything over, his face grew concerned and, finally, he turned away, taking a moment to stare at the ground.
"So, what? You're going to send our soldiers to her against their will?" Captain Miller asked.
"No," Mizu said but then immediately wondered if that was true. If they couldn't find enough willing volunteers, would it be worth sending men to goddess without their permission? Mizu didn't like the thought, but it was possible that it would come to that. Regardless, Captain Miller didn't need to know that, and certainly not now. "Evan is convinced that at least some of the men who were attacked will want to return. And he seemed confident that others could be..." Mizu had to catch herself to stop from saying persuaded. "...informed of the possible benefits." That was... not ideal wording, and she knew it, but there was no changing it.
Captain Miller shook his head again. "Make sure you tell them that eternal damnation is part of the deal." Mizu did not respond. She had no intentions of saying that and simply looked expectantly at the captain. In response, he said, "You will not take any of my troops."
"I knew better than to ask," the commander said without hesitation. Captain Miller rolled his tongue around in his mouth, and Mizu could not stop herself from watching the way it bulged in his mouth. She had never particularly enjoyed this man.
"If this isn't enough to ensure the alliance with the Shel'ti, I'll take my men to their nation," Captain Miller finally said. Mizu had half a thought to laugh but kept it easily in check. Perhaps Miller would appreciate the culture there.
"I understand and would expect nothing less. I'll keep you informed," the commander said. Before Miller had the opportunity to fight her on any other points, she added, "I'll let you get back to your drills, then," and walked back toward the strategy tent.
((OOC: Ponderance would probably have one or two things to say if Yukiko asked any questions right now, but we are happy with whatever happens. At this point, we can skip to Yukiko trying to recruit people and/or Evan waking up whenever that would happen.))
Re: Part 1
Yukiko's warm smile softened, her heart relieved; she was certainly glad she hadn't let paranoia steal her promise to him. It was admittedly a battle she had fought with herself before regarding Ponderance, but at least she consistently won it. This boy deserved dignity, and for that, she had to give him her trust, even and especially in those moments when caution wanted to override it.
After a moment, Yukiko settled down into sitting cross-legged across from the prince, some space between them but not too much; they'd easily grasp each other's hands if they both reached out, though for now her hands rested quite contentedly in her lap.
"Will you talk with me a moment? I've been a bit mysterious with you the past few days, and I believe it's time I fill you in on some things."
That the captain had sat down before asking likely signaled to the boy that she anticipated conversing, but she banked on having established trust with him that she would never force him to engage with her. She knew his freedom had been restricted in so many ways, she wanted to let him maintain control over what she could, which among other things absolutely meant respecting when he did and did not want to chat with her.
After a moment, Yukiko settled down into sitting cross-legged across from the prince, some space between them but not too much; they'd easily grasp each other's hands if they both reached out, though for now her hands rested quite contentedly in her lap.
"Will you talk with me a moment? I've been a bit mysterious with you the past few days, and I believe it's time I fill you in on some things."
That the captain had sat down before asking likely signaled to the boy that she anticipated conversing, but she banked on having established trust with him that she would never force him to engage with her. She knew his freedom had been restricted in so many ways, she wanted to let him maintain control over what she could, which among other things absolutely meant respecting when he did and did not want to chat with her.
Re: Part 1
After having grasped the toy horse gently, Ponderance held one pair of legs gingerly in each hand, looking over the wooden carving on all sides, his face turned half away from the captain. When she sat next to him, he looked at the ground near her feet for a moment, and when she had finished talking, he nodded solemnly but still did not look at her and instead continued inspecting the horse.