”For training and instructors, I'd like to speak to thee later about that...” Keionx replied. And then, wordlessly, she took the offered seat. She ignored Forera for the moment – she wasn't sure what to make of the tealblood. Oh, she knew of her – the 'other' set of twins was not unknown to her. She just hadn't properly met her, or knew what to think of her. Keionx was learning, quickly, to reserve her judgment. Things were complicated, trolls were complicated, and she knew nothing. She thought of her brother beside her, and felt a slight coolness in her gut. She knew nothing. The sensation went away again – the unease came and went. She was getting used to it. Perhaps it was best that she knew so little...
Ah. Odette was here... Keionx had slumped slightly in fatigue – she was still healing. Relocation, huh...? It was noble and kind, very like Odette to do. I'll need to speak to her too... she thought. Maybe she should just speak to the leaders, in a blanket way... She knew how to build and train, after all.
And... There was Vremea! Chief health director... Blade and stone, were all of the scouts high ranking members of the rebels all along? She glanced, again, at Zariah... No, not him. she thought, feeling both guild and relief. She needed to get over her twisted feelings and get on with it – this was her cause too, now. And as Miache... that smug too-damn-smart b*****d... had so aptly pointed out to her, the trolls she cared about were here. She had betrayed nothing by coming here. She had to just deal with that. She pointedly ignored Etsali – the feelings she felt for her were twisted into all kinds of knots and Keionx was really only built to handle one complicated thing at a time...
Wait, what was downstairs...? A... a party? Oh yes right festivities. Keionx managed a smile as she watched the beautiful trolls she had respected since wigglerhood lead the rest downstairs...
Suddenly Miache. Keionx stared at him and at his gesture, stunned. Zariah had left her side, so she had no one to escort, and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do in this situation. ”Okay...?” she said, taking his hand awkwardly and accepting his help, all the while staring at him as if he had three heads. It felt... strange... not to be the one offering. So strange. So damn weird... That b*****d. That handsome, well dressed, b*****d... the warm flush on her cheeks as she accepted his hand meant nothing... Nothing at all.
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 8:23 am
Oh, Poe didn't realize that the adults had been close enough to overhear him. But he was glad they did, and offered their help! He would probably need it, plus weren't there dangerous drones everywhere now, too? He didn't want to get caught. Lanata was lonely without the rest of her flock... Poe could imagine hiding them in the treetops, using some hidden irrigation system to grow grass inside that they could graze on... maybe he'd ask for some help with that idea from someone he knew, who was good at helping him with things like that!
"Thanks... I will come talk to you about it later! I can give you all the details and information, and maybe we can wing something together, and that will be helpful, right?" he said to Odette. He knew some of the tunnels from Busthind led pretty close to his hive, and they could probably use that.
He was distracted by the tealblood child, who was his absolute best friend of course, interrogating him. "Haha, sorry, Neki, but, I was thinking maybe it wasn't important, and also that it was dangerous to return and get them, because of my compromised identity. I only brought Lanata because she's my lusus who was already with me, but I had a huge flock of woolbeasts at my hive! I took care of them and kept them safe with my weapons and smarts," he added proudly. Getting caught up in his friend's momentum, grinned and nodded. He was smart, wasn't he! "Yeah! And we can use their wool for stuff that would be useful and... maybe other things! That we haven't even thought of yet but is super clever and smart of me to think of!"
He grabbed his jar of fireflies, and tilted his head. It looked like Neki went off to talk to Aprife already. But Vremea was saying they needed to go downstairs for the next part of the meeting, and Poe felt himself feeling proud during her speech too. He had helped move the big Mother Grub! She was talking about him! "I'm gonna go save us some spots downstairs, Neki!" he called to him, waving. Whatever was waiting downstairs had to be good, right? He made his way down
Magician Arcana
the woolbeast mission can be Planned B)
Kitty Kimbley
thank you pretty bird lady
purplerosesbeauty
Springtime Spirit
Offline
Yamashii
Offline
Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2015 2:40 pm
She wasn't happy and it wasn't hard to see why. Cerpin watched as Forera stood moodily in a room with seemingly no warmth for her. Luxara and Aerona sent disapprovingly glances her way and the greenblood made a show of raising her hand and pledging her services to the Initiative. The purpleblood put a small hand on top of Forera's for a moment and squeezed it, muttering something under his breath to her.
"Don't let them get to you. It's not worth your time." His eyes coolly glanced towards the other clique. Didn't they have better things to do with their time than start s**t during a celebration? His cheeks flushed a little at the sight of Aerona. Something about her drew him in but her personality and general attitude repulsed him. It was an uncomfortable feeling for sure. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not.
In all honesty, he couldn't see anything wrong with Forera's request for a private break. The important speech had been given and all that was left was the after party. Aprife had done well to introduce the main officers of the Initiative for new recruits to learn and talk to later but questions that had been swimming in his mind for weeks now had not been answered. What was their true goal? How did they aim to achieve it? Building up a village and training a small elite army seemed like it had little chance of winning against the entire Alternian military. What they needed was leverage or a way to boost their numbers massively. His mind raced with ideas but he was too young and too inexperienced to come up with anything to suggest just yet. Later he would try to talk to Zeffer. After their meeting in the swamp, he found that he liked the brash craziness of the blueblood. Maybe he and Tevini could do some patrols as they brought supplies to and from the swamp.
Etsali approached and began to talk to Forera and he let go of her hand to allow the tealblood to do as she pleased. Another orangeblood had approached and Cerpin gave him a look up and down. He kind of looked like that other girl that had mentioned an armory earlier. Were they connected somehow? Well whatever. He seemed friendly to approach him out of nowhere like this.
"I'm Cerpin Sugall. Nice to meet you, Zariah." He extended a hand that almost looked like a handshake but clapped the other boy on the shoulder in greeting instead. The highblood gave a crooked smile as he let the festive mood wash over him. He would party hard tonight and brainstorm a plan tomorrow with his redblood partner. Where the hell was she anyways? Spotting her, he gave a quick (almost impatient) wave to get over here already.
"What do you think 's down there? I hope it's flashy." He asked Zariah with a curious but pleased expression. He fell into a comfortable step with the orangeblood and seemed okay escorting each other downstairs. It was nice to meet new trolls and see what kinds of skills they had to make use of.
quite uneventful
LordPocky
Doutei
Posted: Wed Nov 25, 2015 1:33 am
Zeffer couldn't help but snicker as he watched Akko's motherly display, amused over Maneki's resulting indignance. He reached out to ruffle the kid's hair, shrugging from his slouched position. Did Maneki really think he had any power over what Akko did? He could only hope that Akko wouldn't get too annoyed as Maneki turned right around to complain to him. As hard as she tried, the kid still wouldn't stop using the derd nickname, too, and Zeffer prayed it didn't stir up too much resentment.
"I dunno, it looked kinda dirty to me. She's just doing you a favor." Zeffer snorted as he laughed, before Maneki pressed something into his hand. A colorful little gift! "Aw s**t, this is awesome. Thanks, Little Man." Zeffer grinned widely as he slipped it onto his wrist, holding it out to show it off. Just like that, though, Maneki scurried off to talk to one of the other kids, leaving him more or less alone once again. Like Akko, Zeffer was content enough to hang back, and watched quietly as more and more trolls filtered in, some more familiar than others. He was still vaguely agitated with himself; despite Akko's reassurance, he still felt responsible, gripped by the urge to get into better touch with their new community and its inhabitants. Now that he was finally on the mend, he could go forward with those plans. As Aprife called the meeting to order, however, he shifted to get comfortable, and focused his attention forward.
Zeffer was deeply relieved that Aprife was running the show, as far as the important stuff went. It was what the yellowblood did best, and Zeffer couldn't help but smile as he moved forward into his speech. It wasn't that Zeffer didn't feel comfortable speaking, but his recovery, paired with all the work they had been doing, hadn't leant itself to rehearsing much to say. If anyone had questions, he would be glad to answer, but ultimately it wouldn't be necessary for him to climb up to the front to address anyone. Making himself comfy, he listened to the speech, and the discussion afterwards, eyes shading as he settled in to observe.
It looked like there were still plenty of problems that still needed to be solved, but it didn't surprise Zeffer in the slightest. He lifted a brow as a rather sassy-sounding tealblood raised her voice about taking a break, before other voices chimed in as well. He certainly couldn't blame the people who were more interested in making their way on the outside of the swamp, even if it was far riskier than remaining hidden. It would do well, maybe, to have eyes outside the swamp...but they would have to be very cautious about it. As Aprife mentioned him, he sat up and looked around to make eye contact here and there, giving a lazy wave. "Yep, I'll be around, if you want to know anything about patrols. I'm looking for tech-savvy people as well, in case any of you have any experience in that."
Soon enough, the meeting was changing gears. Vremea stepped up to add a few things, and before long, everyone was starting to get up and head back out. Zeffer lingered, watching as others wandered out of the room, chatting amongst themselves, before stretching luxuriously and rocking to his feet. He glanced down at Akko and nodded to her, grinning sedately. "Shall we?" He held out his arm, as if he planned on escorting her out gentleman style.
melona-pan
magician arcana
kamileunaire
Floppy Member
Offline
Green Minuet
Greedy Trickster
Offline
Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 4:46 am
∞ Ephias Sagine
“Ah. There she goes.”
Lurking the shadows behind Etsali, Ephias watched as orangeblood hurried away and over to Forera. Something had her riled. As to what though, he could be sure. Either way, it was her business. If she wanted to broach the subject later he would be more than willing to listen, but until then it was not his place to interfere. He turned his gaze to her former conversation partners. Neither he knew by name—at least not formally.
“Do you mind if I join you?” Ephias asked the two as though he had not just materialised out of the darkness like a ghost. “Er... Ephias,” he added, remembering to introducing himself. He had spoken with the redblood briefly in the caverns before everything went to hell. The greenblood he had encountered after, but there had been no times for introductions. Even if there were, a long time had passed since then.
“Mask, right...? Ah, or is it Ace? You seem to have a-a-a few nicknames. And you're Luxara...?” He nodded to the greenblood. He had overheard Etsali use the name just before she dashed away.
KitsuneAura
/waves goodbye
Gl!tch~
/rises up through the floor
Sypon
/and sidles over
Posted: Fri Dec 11, 2015 11:19 pm
After Maneki had scurried away in disgust to retreat with Poe (and after throwing Zeffer a side of cut eye, she hated that 'Derd' nickname), Byakko took the opportunity to allow herself a few good minutes of stare-time for each and every attendee. Some were Initiative veterans laden with scars and others fresh faced recruits, but all present here on their own accord nonetheless. She was content with the turn out, but... a few faces the mutantblood had expected to see grace the room were absent. While she was aptly focused on Aprife's pertinent speech and the few questions from the crowd- ahh, there was Muerte, peering in the window for some reason- that didn't detract from her scrutinizing studying the mostly attentive crowd for any and all information their interactions, facial expressions and ticks could give her. It seemed the fresh recruits brought fresh tension along with them. Well- it was only in their nature, wasn't it? Byakko felt a warm sense of pride spread through her chest as Aprife eloquently handled the meeting and responses, competent as ever. A smile playing at the corners of her lips. She forced it down. The Head of Intelligence had hit all the marks, as Akko had expected of him, and more than she'd be willing to admit... it felt nice to sit back and be able to simply observe for once. Keionx's questioning of training and armouries especially piqued her interest, jotting a mental note to speak with the orangeblood more directly on the matter when the festivities were wrapped up. Volunteers to keep their food supply steady, too. A medical team, surveillance, patrols, a self-sustaining base... the phoenix was beginning to reform in the ashes, burning as vibrant as ever. Even after Vremea rose and directed the others downstairs, the mutantblood remained seated while the others stirred, absorbed in thought.
She only startled from her silent musings when Zeffer spoke up to her and offered out his arm. "Mmm." Was her only response, but she peered back up at him coyly through her eyelashes with a look that only he would be able to pin as flirtatious. Standing up without reaching for his arm, Akko stretched a little bit herself. "Just give me a minute."
Byakko understood all too well what it felt like to require solitude. While she had taken the move to the swamp with relative ease, she recognized the transition for some of the newer rebels was... rough. As she passed Forera and Etsali on her way towards the exit, her pace slowed, and she stopped to give them both a long look. "We are in need of sentries surrounding the Outpost," she began suddenly and without introduction, making eye contact with the tealblood. 'Taking a break' wasn't really on the rebel repertoire, but she was willing to compromise and work with each individual. Surely, there was a job for everyone.
"Aprife was correct in stating that you're free to do as you like, taking into account that you're now officially a wanted criminal in the eyes of the crown. But if space is all you require, then come talk to me later about being posted closer to the mountains." Byakko paused, throwing a glance out the window in the direction of Busthind. "It would be far enough out no one could make the trip there and back to the swamp in a lone night." Able to get away from everyone, and still contribute. "Think about it," without waiting for an answer, Byakko resumed her exit, trusting that Zeffer would follow at her heels.
Kamileunaire
brb bae
quite uneventful
job offer
KitsuneAura
er, hi
Kamileunaire
ok back
melona-pan Crew
Cute Cultist
Offline
Melancholies
Springtime Teenager
Offline
Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:46 pm
Muerte was fairly accustomed to praise. Hell, his pretentious demeanor expected it of all things, and yet when it came from Aprife like this, it just... well, he wanted to use the word awkward, but saying the yellowblood made him feel awkward just seemed like the wrong way to put it. Making a sharp tch sound between his teeth, he looked away, thoroughly flustered.
"It's nothing really, hardly anything." he was insisting, probably the closet thing to a you're welcome anyone's ever gotten from the greenblood. Muerte might have been a boy genius, but he was hardly a tea scientist, and the finished product was only possible through trial and effort. To hear that it was at least edible let alone flavorful was nice.
Unfortunately, as preoccupied as Muerte was with his thoughts, he ceased paying any mind to the trolls around them.
And really, why should he? If anyone was going to approach them, it most certainly would be for Aprife with questions. Muerte had stayed good and clear out of the way for most trolls. He definitely wasn't on speaking terms with any but a select few, so there was no reason for anyone to seek his attention. Usually.
He should have seen it coming, but he was honestly near-sighted in more ways than one. The blur came from seemingly nowhere, slamming him off the balance of his precious box, though thankfully not careening over the side of the balcony. His footing had held by some miracle, but the shriek that tore from his throat was anything but quiet. It took the greenblood a few seconds to register what had happened, but of course, who else had the audacity to hug him?
"I-I— y-you—!" at a loss for words, Muerte could only balk as Maneki took his hand, slipping the bracelet onto his wrist. This— this wriggler really knew how to test someone's patience, especially since he couldn't do a damn thing to the lucky moron. What the hell was he even going on about? Friends? Woolbeasts? Hugs and happiness? He wordlessly threw Aprife a silence glance for help.
"T-T-That's quite a-alright!" his voice strained as he looked back at Maneki, trying to keep from devolving into aggression, expression disdainful. "I am fairly positive that despite your astute observations I am perfectly fine Maneki."
He sighed. At least woolbeasts could be a useful asset for them, wherever the small tealblood had heard (ha, herd) the tip. Oh, there he went answering his own question. Well regardless... He gave a sidelong glance at the makeshift bracelet now adorning his wrist— right next to the other impromptu ring firmly clasped there. Friends huh? He chewed his lip. What a stupid notion.
saedusk
winks desperately
Magician Arcana
child
Posted: Sun Dec 13, 2015 5:49 pm
"If that's what you wanna do." Luxara blinked as Etsali left. s**t. Did she do something wrong? There would be A Talk. That was....not gonna be fun. Well, crap. Hopefully Forera wouldn't s**t on Luxara's name up until she got to talk to Etsali again. Rad times.
She got up, ready to follow the rest down to whatever waited below. Anguis hadn't shown up so far. Bummer. She had been hoping he would...
The greenblood jolted a little, surprised at a new face popping up. She had been so lost in thought she hadn't caught Ephias appearing. "Oh! Uh, hi there. Ephias? Right. Okay. I'm Luxara, yeah. Ace over here is Aerrrrona. Ha ha." She exhaled, trying to save face. "Feel free to join us. You and Ets are some kind of thing, right?" That's the 'she' he had been referring to, right? "Close or something? That's what I mean. Anyway. We should go. Ace, you ready? Or do you wanna try to find Ras first?"
Sypon
*Pulls Aerona along like a ragdoll to ADVENTURE*
Green Minuet
I'm not used to quoting you for non-Kursha things IT'S WEIRD
The puppy was here to sit and listen, both to Vos and the meeting in and of itself. He had heard names of the somewhat-familiar, like Etsali and Ephias, and he caught a glance of Miache. Wait. Miache was here! Reemus wanted to wave, but the trolls in charge were talking. He couldn't be rude. Instead, he looked at Aprife with his good eye while the troll went on. They sure took this whole thing seriously. A dedicated organization. Reemus could respect that much.
He listened to the discussion, and blinked at Forera's addition. Why hadn't he thought of that? The yellowblood was inclined to agree with her sentiment. He didn't want to be here forever. There had to be the option to breathe, right? He didn't want to leave Vos, but was there some amount of a break?
The answer wasn't what he wanted, though. Again, he couldn't leave, but..... Ugh. Whatever. He zoned out while everyone else chatted, and only snapped to attention at Vremea's familiar face. The lady who saved Athene. Right. Then, after she finished up....
"Oh, it's over now? Crikey." Reemus rubbed his face and stood up. "Y'think they'll have food at the other part a' this shindig?" He idly asked Vos as he started walking. Looking around, he was looking for a certain face despite his hunger.
"Ey! Miache! N' Miss Kei! Oi! You mind waitin' up fer the invalid n' his seein' eye buddy?" he asked with a grin. "Good to see yer both doin' well."
LordPocky
BLASTS IN TO RUIN THE MOMENT
draconicfeline
:u
leon_a_darkangel
*Drags Vos along, barking*
Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2015 2:39 pm
The smile that spread across Forera's face when she saw Aprife's response to her question merely made her chuckle good-naturedly. She didn't know why, but his irritation reminded her of Serpentmom, whom was currently curled in their hive and relaxing. She just crossed her arms more, seeming satisfied with the response. "Never said that, dude. Many thanks for the tip, though. 'll be sure to tell someone." Not that anyone would really care. They were probably too busy talking s**t behind her back.
Speaking of which.
The light click of a tongue was all she needed to hear to immediately tick her off. With a slight glance in the other direction, Forera's eyes simply remained hard and annoyed, a metal barrier rising the minute she saw Aerona's anger and Luxara's shake of the head. By now it was obvious how divided they'd become, and seriously, if they were gonna play it like that and be passive aggressive-- Or full on aggressive, ******** it, she wouldn't have even bothered trying to make friends in the first place. With either of them. If Etsali wanted to hang with them, so be it. ******** the Tunnel Snakes. ******** having tried to make the other feel better-- ******** their obvious, blatant dislike toward her. She was done trying to repair relationships, seeking approval from others... Especially one that had become like this. She didn't need their support or help if all she was receiving was a silver knife to the back. Forera tuned out the annoying squeak of Luxara's voice, thankful her skills of selective hearing finally worked outside of normal conversation. She came back when she heard an unfamiliar yet steady voice offer help. While she only dimly remembered the voice, she felt like maybe she'd seen her before... Maybe.
The yellow flouncy gal spoke up and then started talking, yammering about some hope bullshit that she was sure even the woman herself didn't believe in. Safe? Please. Only the jaded allowed themselves to think like that. Forera continued to drown out the voice, tapping her actual finger against her arm with a soft, spaced out beat in means of distraction. Hey, she'd managed to not curl into herself throughout the entire time! A definite accomplishment. She simply waited for the officer to stop yapping before glancing over to Cerpin and giving him a slight hint of a half smile. It was small, but small was just enough to make her lips melt from anger and frustration to a simple dull stare. Her eyes fell to the floor when the others began to move, feeling a little frustration pool in her again... When familiar shoes stepped in front of her. Her sharp eyes darted up before she straightened her posture out of surprise, mouth open and slightly gaping. Her eyes slid back to the other group before bouncing back to the troll infront of her, slightly suspicious. "E-Etsali?" She had just seen her with Luxara and Aerona, but-- Her mouth fell into a smile before widening into a grin, jumping up and grabbing her arm eagerly, a happy glint in her eyes popping up. "Y-Yeah-- Of course, like, totally!" She exclaimed, practically bouncing on the heels of her feet. "I would like totally, super duper love that!!"
Her attention was suddenly captured when the leader passed by them, eyes staring at her in dull recognition. Her words made the tealblood's blood pump in her veins strongly, a building pressure in her body making her hands curl into a fist. "I..." Before she could give a proper, thoughtful response, Byakko left, her own eyes following their leader until she was gone. Her shoulders fell, big sigh released from her body before glancing up toward the taller Etsali. "Well, that sure was... somethin'!" Something important, she was sure. She'd have to think about it more, later. "How've you, like, been?" Small but firm, she managed to clear her voice out once more before giving her a large smile again. "It's been soooo loonngg since we've like, talked properly!" She began to move down the steps, following the crowd of people in pure curiousity before stopping and waiting for Etsali to follow, completely focused on the brownblood now. Maybe they could talk more later, when they weren't moving.
After walking down the dimly lit steps, Vremea decided that enough trolls had arrived for her to begin the festivities. Holding an unlit circle lantern next to a table with many more upon it, the yellowblood smiled at everyone, a finger tracing the edges of the thin paper before settling on the top. "Welcome." Vremea said to them all, voice soft and warm in the soft swamp glow. She waited for a little before continuing, letting the others take in their view and make their own ideas of what was to happen. "This is a small exercise we created those who would like to follow through with it. We would like to make this a permanent event, every sweep, in celebration of our discovery of the Outpost." It was an indirect way of saying please do this because we set this up for all of you and it is a special time. She hoped they got the hint.
Striding over to the side, Vremea placed the lantern on the table before motioning to the stack of small papers to the side. "Let us begin. The steps are simple. Take a paper and a writing utensil and write a wish." Vremea couldn't help but crack a smile. "A wish for the future, or a hope of what can happen. Materialistic things are fine too, of course. Or, alternatively, for those who can't think of any, write something you want to let go. Something to forget, a loss, perhaps, or maybe a grudge. Release any worries or stress, down onto your paper." Vremea tapped her index finger to her chin before blinking. "Or if you want, both. That is perfectly fine as well."
Shuffling to the side, she quickly scribbled something on one side, stared at the paper for a second before her head snapped up and she folded it in half. Then she stood up straight and took the same lantern, dropping the paper inside. "You place the paper inside your lantern and then--" Her hand began to glow, similar to a fire glowing inside. "You light it. Of course, we have fire for the candles, this is just an example!" The light disappeared soon after, before Vremea took out a pack of matches and struck one, carefully turning on the lantern. She threw away the match after blowing it off, then lifted the softly glowing beacon and looked to the others. "Afterwards, you bring it over to the river and simply... Place it in!" She carefully put the lantern on the slowly flowing water before letting it go, the soft light floating down the lightly flowing river. "Not to worry, we will be making sure that no one finds these. They are private, so only you will know what goes in them."
(please do not post yet!! another post will be coming after this ; w; )
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 9:25 am
Byakko had been lingering behind Vremea the entirety of the yellowblood's explanation, a round lantern cupped in her own two hands. She stared down at it through her lashes, deeply pensive. The sleeve of her robe had pooled into her elbow, Maneki's homemade hemospectrum-and-pink bracelet still fastened securely around her wrist. The mutantblood stared at that, too.
Vremea's words melted against the gentle trickle of the stream her lantern was carried down, becoming a smaller and smaller glowing dot in the distance. On cue, Byakko looked up and took a lone step forward beside the officer. She didn't introduce herself, nor expected to have needed to. Her symbol, glaring bright pink, was exposed for all to see.
"Whatever turn of fate led you to us, we all stand here united tonight, brought together by something far stronger." Her voice cut through the muggy air with resounding clarity. "By your own will. Because we all value that over something as accidental as blood, and believe in true freedom and equality. We all refuse to be slaves to tradition and obligation, sharing the desire to be fighters not for someone else's justice- but for justice itself."
She paused to draw breath, eyes flickering down to the unlit lantern she still clutched and then back up again. "Life and death are so often mixed together, much like how some beginnings are endings, and some endings hatch beginnings. We've been living proof of that time and time again," Akko gestured openly with her arms here, shifting the lantern into one hand. Try to blow out the phoenix's flames, and only stoke the fire. "We've been granted another chance from the ashes of what once was- a chance at a new start, with a new safe haven. But at the end of the night, everything is built upon the backs of the fallen.
"It's important we never forget them, never forget their countless sacrifices and what those have done that ultimately allowed us to gather here tonight. At the same time, we can't lose sight that we aren't just fighting to survive and protect. We're fighting for our ideals, for the same ones that moved those to fight before us. Like them, we fight for trolls not yet hatched, and for the ones who would join us, if they could. Fighting for the past versions of ourselves who couldn't.
"We need to keep moving forward. Because it's the only way we can make a difference, and because it's the only way to honour those who have come before who did what they did for us. The weight on our shoulders may be hefty, but I believe it is also one that serves to strengthen us.
"For now, tonight is a night of symbolism and celebration. To remember, let go, and look forward. A night of grief and release. Of hope. Regardless of how you choose to spend the remainder of the festival, keep one thought in mind: someday, the pain you have been through will be useful to you."
Byakko's eyes had met each troll standing before her at some point during her speech, eyes burning with the same formidable passion that bled into her words. As they faded against the stream, she stepped back behind Vremea again, looking back to the yellowblood expectantly. The tiger had spoken.
---
Turning back toward the group, Vremea breathed and placed both hands on her hips, a slight tilt of her head indicating they were finished. "Alright! Is this not simple?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, but the yellowblood looked around as if she seriously considered a response. She let her hands fall before she realized she'd forgotten something. "Oh!"" She exclaimed, hand rising to cover her mouth slightly-- "I almost forgot. There are snacks and drinks upstairs, should anyone want. You are free to do as you like, and take as long as you need to write! We will not rush you. Tonight is for relaxing, after all!"
(the orp is now open for all to proceed how they wish: grab a lantern, strike up a convo with someone, or go clear that snack table.)
melona-pan Crew
Cute Cultist
Offline
kamileunaire
Floppy Member
Offline
Posted: Sat Dec 19, 2015 3:46 pm
Zeffer waited patiently as Byakko addressed the few who had voiced their worries. The compromise she offered them caused the corners of his lips to curl upward; it probably wasn't exactly what they'd been after, but they'd find their solitude, one way or another. Part of him felt their pain, being city-minded himself. He was going to miss his regular trips out to the bustling streets of New Hemisect, trips that would now be made infrequently and in disguise. After her terse explanation, the blueblood followed after her in silence.
Lingering close to Akko, Zeffer followed her out to listen to more talk, eyes glazing over a little as Vremea explained the lanterns, of which he already knew plenty about. He let his mind wander, stealing a glance or two around the gathering of trolls, before returning his gaze back to the pinkblood at his side. There was something important he needed to do and say that night, and it hinged on his ability to draw her away from the crowd. Would she be too busy, talking to all the new people? He rather hoped not...it seemed a good time to bring a certain issue to light, if they managed to grab a few moments of privacy.
Vremea's speech ended, and before Zeffer knew it, Byakko was stepping up to speak again. He shuffled back to give her room, and grinned as he listened, granting her his quiet attention. Her message was as inspiring as it had always been, and then some. Though the other officers were fine at public speaking, Akko had been at it for longer than all of them, and had her experiences to bolster her words. As her speech came to a close, he let out a little breath as she stepped back, and put a gloved hand on her shoulder in a show of subtle praise.
"I wonder what I should wish for." Zeffer snickered, murmuring mostly to himself, though he was close enough that Akko would hear as well. He let his hand slide from her shoulder again, and bit back a little yawn as he looked down at the lantern-filled table. After a moment, he shifted to take a piece of paper and one of the nubby pencils that had been set out, nibbling on the end of it as he began to think.
"Hey, Akko." He glanced down after a moment, taking a pause from picking a wish. "I was wondering if I could have a word with you, tonight. Down river, maybe." His eyes shaded, and he kept his voice low, though there was still the hint of a grin on his face.
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 3:30 pm
Miache took Kei's hand and linked it around his crooked arm, smirking a little at the dazed look she offered him. Somehow he felt he'd won this round. "Let's have a looksee what's offered then, shall we?" he asked, guiding her out. He stopped in his tracks though at Reemus. A better look at him wiped the smirk clean off his face. He hadn't gotten a good look at the scar...but it really did look bad. And his eye....he swallowed hard at the thought of it being permanent. The towering troll already seemed to have enough reasons to have his confidence shaken, being half blind certainly wouldn't help that any. He shook off the concerned look to instead smile gently at the taller troll. "Of course....though I don't think I would ever call a giant like you invalid," he added, changing to smirk at the yellowblood. "Shall we indulge in the festivities?" he asked, once again walking towards the stairs without waiting an answer.
The only thing that made Miache freeze in place was when the rebel leader spoke. Freedom....equality......he wasn't sure how he felt about that. He wasn't even sure how he felt about ANY of the rebels beliefs. Until recently he had followed the Empress' ideals without question. That was just the way things were. Though....as he glanced at Reemus and Keionx he frowned. Equality. He certainly knew how he would react to someone insulting or hurting either troll. He was.....fond of both....in their own ways.
When the mutantblooded leader stopped talking he glanced at his companions, steeling himself. Well....there was still ONE thing he had to do before he could relax with them. He gently removed Keionx's hand from his arm and made another bow to both. "If you'll excuse me a moment, there's someone I'd like to speak to. I'll find you both before this night is over though," he added, grinning before he hurried off. He'd rather not have an audience for it. He knew neither Reemus nor Keionx would think any less of him.....but even he wasn't entirely sure what he needed to say or hear. He just knew he couldn't continue down the same road. He couldn't just blindly follow a new banner, not without knowing what he was following. "Excuse me," he started, making the same half-bow to the leader he'd made for his companions, "my name is Miache, a former royalist. Would I be able to.....have a moment of your time?" he asked, suddenly more nervous than before. The leader had seemed to have accepted other royalists...but to what degree? And was it simply she wanted to have her enemies within sight and range of her primary weapon? And even if he WAS accepted, what would he be able to do within the group? He somehow doubted he would be very trusted by others.
DraconicFeline
Gl!tch~
melona-pan
LordPocky
Cunning Codger
Offline
melona-pan Crew
Cute Cultist
Offline
Posted: Sun Dec 20, 2015 5:43 pm
Byakko didn't react when Zeffer's hand slipped to her shoulder, but she didn't shrug it away, either. She didn't need praise, nor had she ever particularly received it; however, a short elated pang rose in her chest with Zeff's squeeze. She only stared ahead. Watching the crowd begin to stir and split up, she hummed lowly in response to Zeffer's idle comment about his wish. It was ironic: despite all the nights she had spent huddled over a table with the other officers, planning and preparing for this very moment, Akko had never really stopped to think what she would put in her lantern. Was she even going to bother with it? Plentiful were the things she could jot down, but... Byakko stared down again at the unlit lantern in her hands. Tonight was much more so for the other rebel's morale- if anything was to build her own, it would be seeing theirs rekindled. Not some paper lantern- she lived what she preached. Perhaps watching her participate would do the rebels good, though? A sort of morale-cycle. Byakko chewed on her lower lip, looking back up to Zeffer.
"What." She asked bluntly, returning her attention to the younger rebels. It seemed odd that he wanted to drag her that far away from the night's events. Zeffer lived for this sort of feelgood partycrap, didn't he? "I mean- sure. Will it take long?"
Before he had a chance to respond, another blueblood had approached them with a slight bow. Byakko's eyebrow faintly twitched at the gesture. Ahh, the one who was wiping down his chair before the meeting. Even though she knew Miache's name, the mutantblood politely nodded. All of the officers were well versed on the defectors- albeit the majority were confused children. He wasn't one of them. Side eyeing what was essentially her body guard upon the words 'former royalist', Byakko cleared her throat.
"Certainly." She made no other movements, clearly intent on staying where she was standing. Her voice was flat and devoid of emotion, much how it always sounded when she wasn't giving one of her impassioned speeches. "What is it you wish to speak of?"
