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 Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:19 pm
 Taking a deep breath for calm, because she needed it as much as her companion, Vanya attempted to keep her thoughts level and organized. This would be fine. Everything would be fine. Sure. Absolutely.
To the white Fauny beside her, she murmured, "Just be honest and explain what happened, and everything will be fine." She offered her a brief, reassuring smile, then knocked on the door."Come in."The Seer straightened her shoulders, taking a firm hold of her staff, then pushed the door open to enter the Chief's workspace. She entered, then stepped to the side to give way for Celestia. Rais glanced up from a scout report to note the faunesses' entrance. "Ah yes, our meeting. Forgive me for losing track of time. Let me just put these away, please, ladies, make yourselves comfortable. I understand you have something important to discuss? Close the door if you would, for privacy." He stacked the parchments on his desk, then moved the reports to a drawer out of the way. Once everyone seemed to have settled, he glanced up again, looking between the two women. "Alright, now what is this all about?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:50 pm
 To say Celestia was a bit nervous about this meeting would be putting her feelings into the lightest of terms. There was a deep turmoil within her between her conflicted thoughts, her memories, her neglected responsibilities. She could feel the seer of the past staring into her soul again, aware of her presence and her failures as a leader. Part of her simply wanted to run away and return to the peace and solitude of her alcove.
That, however, would have been the actions of a coward. Not of a leader.
And, while she may have lost her title in this land, while she had been allowed to make more mistakes than when she was the ultimate standard, she was still a leader: strong and proud. She needed to atone for and face the consequences of her actions. Looking to her friend, she smiled softly and nodded. "I will trust in your word." How much had Vanya already done for her, asking nothing in return? It took a true friend to display such kindness, and the princess would be forever indebted to it. One day, she would be there when the seer needed a shoulder to cry on and another to explain her feelings to, and at that time her arms would be extended to take her close and comfort her.
Closing her eyes as the door was knocked, she breathed in and out deeply to calm her nerves. Show no emotion. Feel nothing. You are a princess in the presence of another authority, and as such you must speak calmly, concisely, and respectfully.
As she opened her eyes, her posture straightened and she was, in appearance, once again the princess whom had lead manypony for seemingly endless moons across foreign waters and foreign lands. Looking to Vanya for her cue, she followed in entrance before pausing beside her, bowing her head respectfully to the chief. "Yes sir, many thanks for making the time to speak with myself..." a glance to Vanya with just a momentary pause, "...with us on such a short notice."
Being closest to the door, she moved to close it quietly and waited for a cue from her friend before moving to sit in one of the chairs. Calmly, she moved to place her hands in her lap and looked to the Cheiftain. Her eyes and voice were devoid of any hesitation as she continued, "Yes, sir. The matter which I wish to discuss with you is related to my personal involvement of Venus's Valentine... festivities... If one might call them that, from two seasons past."
Best to be direct rather than beat around the bush.
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Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:03 pm
"Of course," the Chief nodded in answer, such gestures appreciated nonetheless. For a while, it seemed that everyone and their brother had been clamoring for his personal attention. It had been a relief when his Circle had stepped in to intervene with most of the everyday business that didn't require his specific attention. There were still issues that he had to handle personally, but it wasn't nearly so overwhelming as it had once been before, trying to juggle so much.Vanya took her seat silently, setting her staff on the floor alongside. For now, she would let Celestia take the lead; she was here mostly for support...though she felt at some point she too would have to step in to answer for her actions.With only a brief side glance at the Seer, Rais focused his attention on the lighter of the former fauny leaders as she began to speak. At the mention of the 'festivities', his own professionalism faltered for a moment as he rolled his eyes. "Yes...that. I will admit, more trouble came from that supposed celebration than I thought possible. However, at least in the case of your sister and my adviser, I'd like to hope that things did not turn out too badly," he said with a hint of a smile. Then, his expression relaxed. "For all the stories I heard from returning Faun, I heard nothing of you though. I assumed it was just your sister who had been involved. If not her...then what personal involvement did you have?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 2:19 pm
Celestia nodded in agreement with his displeasure over the events that had occurred. "We, too, were very much taken by surprise that such a thing might constitute as a celebration. Even if my attendance was primarily to show support, it is not an action I would, or approve of others to, consider doing again. To have allowed so many to be in harm's way, well..." She sighed lightly, shaking her head, "I hope to not have that happen to such an extent again..."
Here was the moment. She wasn't going to back down. She was going to be blunt. She was going to say it. "Yes, I..." Her voice faltered, showing her a bit of her nervousness at the explanation to follow. Eyes flickering to Vanya for support, her hands griped together a bit tighter and she calmly took a breath before continuing.
"During this event, I was forcefully bonded by the one known as Hymmnaios to an angel with whom I had recently become acquainted."
She grew quiet at this, her expression calm and focused, her eyes gauging his reaction. Only once did she look to Vanya, a momentary glance, if only to remind herself that she was not alone in this room. Just her presence helped to keep her whits about her.
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Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 3:41 pm
Internally, Vanya tensed, though she kept any reaction from her expression or posture. Here it goes...There was a full beat of silence before Rais even moved. Maybe it was disbelief...maybe attempted understanding... What finally resulted was the Chief leaning forwards over his desk, slowly knitting his hands and with deceptive calm: "...excuse me?"
Taking a deep breath, Rais tried to force himself to appear calm, though his mood had shifted abruptly and noticeably. He narrowed his eyes, looking between the two women, then focusing on Celestia first. "Before I hear one more word proceeding with what this is about, I want you to elaborate and expand on what you just said. Details. And then, I want to know why I'm just now hearing about this?" he said in a clipped tone, his glare shooting towards the Seer seated silently nearby.
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Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:06 pm
Perhaps Vanya could see the princess flinch internally at the change of tone, but her outward appearance remained calm and dignified. It was as much a reaction as she might have excepted, but at least he had not outwardly snapped yet.
Yet.
Taking another breath to relax her hands, she nodded. "Yes, sir." There were a few moments as she looked to her hands, carefully choosing the words to use in retelling the story. There was not a timidness in this gesture, however, but rather a mindfulness and, perhaps, a hesitation. "I must make it clear, first, that I was escorted by an angel whom I had just been acquainted with to the dance. Escorted, nothing more, nor less. At the time, I knew nothing but trust for their kind and others, though I now know that was simply naivete."
There was a pause before she continued. "I am sure you are aware that those of us involved in the incident were forced into a labyrinth by somepae by the name Eris. This included my sister dearest and I. My sister and I separated from each other, each to watch over a differing group in hopes of keeping eachpae safe. My escort and I lost contact from the group we were watching, perhaps due to an irrationality and anxiousness on my part." She shook her head, sighing as she remembered her own 'mad' actions, before continuing.
"After a time we happened upon a ground strewn with wedding decorations. From there, a golden angel shot us each with an arrow..." she closed her eyes to better remember how it all looked. "...He had a maddened look in his eyes as he did so, speaking wedding vows and bringing forth from my chest a thread of the most brilliant of gold, if only momentarily," Her eyes opened. "I now know him to be Hymmnaios, one of the son's of Venus, a god of weddings."
Another pause as her fingers continued to interlace between each other, the only sign of her stress. "I reacted in an embarrassingly emotional and volatile way, much unlike myself... When the golden one had fallen to unconsciousness, we were returned to the dance. But, by that point..." A soft sigh, her eyes glancing away. "...it was done."
Looking back to him, her appearance returning to that of royalty, she finished the current point. "I was but a princess, relieved of her position in a strange land, among strange rituals, shamed by such actions. I was uncertain of what to do, how to react."
"So... I chose, or rather tried, to hide it. The spirits had other intentions." She shot a momentary glance to Vanya as she grew quiet.
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Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 10:02 pm
Rais was silent, giving no sign of his train of thought as the princess told her story, no sign other than the slight drumming of his fingers on the tabletop. To be honest, her description of the 'wedding ceremony' was alarming to say the least. While the description was far from what he'd normally expect of such a ceremony, the result sounded much the same as a soul-binding ritual. To imagine that such a thing could possibly be done without the full consent of the participants...
...he'd had no idea such a thing was possible. Hell, that the soul of a Faun could even BE bound to a Blood Pae'il's, as corrupt as they were, he would have thought impossible. Assuming they had souls at all.
For now though, his irritation was overshadowing his discomfort with this new information.
As Celestia's gaze shifted to Vanya, so did Rais'. His eyes narrowed, trying to read the Seer for a change. "So...you knew about this.""I found out, yes, sir." Vanya's voice was even, without hesitation. She'd prepared for this. Keep calm."And you didn't tell me..." A dangerous note had crept into the Chieftain's tone.A note the Seer recognized and attempted to stave off. "Not immediately, sir, no, I didn't." Before he could interrupt her again, she continued, "I felt I needed more information on the situation before causing you undue alarm. You have enough to deal with; I thought I might be able to take care of this on my own.""Take care of it? We've got one of our own, living here among our kind, bound to one of those Blood Pae and you didn't think that I might not need to know this?" By the spirits, were all of his Circle turning against him? Deserters, traitors, was the cycle continuing to worsen? Were the spirits this angry? Why did it seem that he was watching everything slowly fall apart around him?
"How do you know she's not just going to be used against us? This could have been planned for all we know! She's a liability, able to be turned against us at any point!" Wasn't this what he'd just explained to Amadorine? That this was why she'd lost her position of confidence; so that she couldn't be used against them? He'd been willing to let the foreign princesses keep their titles while they tried to find their own niche here in Laisidhiel. He understood that the adjustment period could be trying, but afterwards, he'd been willing, perhaps even open to work with the former leaders in some capacity again when they had built up some trust."She is not, nor will she be," Vanya answered flatly, praying to the spirits to keep the Chief calm long enough to see the reason behind her actions and allow them to tell the whole story before he made judgment. Her blunt reply seemed to catch his attention long enough that she hurried up before he could speak again. "Please, sir, let us explain everything first. There's still more to the story. I had my reasons for not coming to you immediately. I am a counselor to many within the Tree. And I do not come to you every time some Faun shares their secrets with me. Not only would none trust me as their confidant, but you simply do not have the time to waste on such matters. Because, as I support them, I also support you as one of your Inner Circle. As great a Chieftain as you are, sir, you shouldn't have to do everything. That's what we're here for. To support you." She did not let up or pause, but kept her tone calm, rational, and gentle. "That being said, sir, in this matter, I prayed to the spirits to guide my actions. I did not see a threat to our people, nor a traitor. I saw a newcomer, unfamiliar with our ways and our history, upset and trapped in a situation in which she had no understanding nor any known way to escape. Should she have been punished for that?" Vanya held her breath, tense and trying to keep any signs of doubt from her expression.Rais was silent, glaring at the Seer and wondering if she could tell. Perhaps there was some logic to her argument. She had still kept things from him, however. Finally, he spoke in an even tone, though there was still frustration lurking behind it. "She would not have been punished for it, no...but this still should not have been kept from me. I should have been informed so that this could be taken care of in a responsible manner."Vanya dipped her head respectfully, also hiding the relief she felt, hoping the worst of it was over. "My apologies, sir. I attempted to handle the situation in the most responsible way I could." Her ear flicked towards the princess with a tilt of her head. "Celestia, if you would, please, explain what I learned from the spirits in reference to your problem." Her heart was hammering; she could only hope the other hadn't been shaken by the Chief's display earlier...though it had mostly been aimed at the Seer.
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Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 10:38 pm
It took all of the princess's self control to keep her composure together as she sat in that room, but with each word he seemed to speak, she could feel herself retreating to the furthest parts of her mind. He thought her a threat to her own kind... Was the chieftain aware of the idea of tact, or, perhaps, this was all true. She had acted irresponsibly, and those actions might of endangered all of her loved ones. If anything had happened to them because of this...
...she wouldn't have been able to live with herself...
All of this because of one selfish wish that she had had, one silly desire and sillier fantasy.
Her eyes had become downcast despite the rest of her appearance remaining properly in place when Vanya addressed her directly. It took a few moments for the words to process in her mind, but as they did, her eyes slowly looked up to her, then to the chief. This time, however, she had difficulty in maintaining her eye contact with him, a deep guilt permeating through her mask of confidence.
The princess nodded, a cracked, "Y-yes..." coming out before she breathed in, wetting her throat, and corrected herself in a proper tone. "Yes, m'am."
A few moments went by as she suppressed her worries once more, forcing herself to focus on the exact moment. "Lady Vanya, aware of my hesitations and my confusions, asked the spirits to guide the both of us to find the answer. She gave me a... vision... of the past and the ways of the Blood Pae'il," (so that was their proper term?) this was the first time a hint of true emotion sneaked into her tone, reflecting how intense the experience had been. "It revitalized the resolve that had faded as I lost hope for a solution to again seek one out, and they provided her with the answer I had long sought after." A pause before the clarification, "Venus has another son of the name Anteros with the ability to sever the bond created by his brother. I..." she hesitated, her mouth having gone dry as she remembered the immense emptiness it had left. It was only momentary though. "I had it broken near immediately after learning. It was done not but a week past..."
Bowing her head humbly, she continued in a tone similar, if softer, to what she had been using. "I am shamed by and accept total responsibility for all actions taken by myself. I understand that withholding information from you is deserving of harsh reprimands and will humbly and without resistance receive whichever consequences you see fit."
Her facade was slowly breaking down; perhaps she had not been as mentally prepared for the meeting as she had thought.
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Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 7:38 am
Having managed to set aside his irritation until afterwards, Rais quietly absorbed what he took to be the rest of the story. So, upon being educated and shown the truth, she had understood what an error had been made and that it needed to be rectified. She had sense then. More new information revealed that not only could these deity creatures create unwilling bonds, but also break them. Such power...it was concerning to learn of such power belonging to those who would use it so recklessly and destructively. As if he had not already had reason enough to warn his people to give these creatures a wide berth.
Perhaps if they had not delayed in telling him that the bond had been broken already, he would not have lost his temper earlier. Then again, the truth had still been held from him, if temporarily, and that was what had angered him most. If this bond had been anything like a true soul-bond, then it was no small matter for it to be severed. While not impossible, it was rare that such a thing was done among the Faun. Only in extreme cases. It was not unheard of though. Sometimes, rash decisions or other circumstances lead to such things being necessary.
He took in the princess' cowed posture, her tone of voice, her expression and sighed quietly to himself. "So, you understand then the Circle's wariness in dealing with the Blood Pae'il? While it is no secret, it is our burden to carry the knowledge of what happened so long ago. And to try to protect the greater good of our kin by not forgetting what they have done to us in the past, lest they attempt to do so again. Some would call that paranoia. I call it caution." And the determination not to be fooled again.
"While you are not technically a member of my Circle," he continued, "You are still a role model for your people. I am no fool. I am well aware that some of our kin have fallen in with these Blood Pae, forming relationships, even having children. I do not condemn them for it. I would like to hope that we can trust this modern generation to hold our own best interests to heart. But, do I believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt? I do not. There are too many troubling signs from the spirits for me to let my guard down so easily. Until they have proven to me that they will not return to their old ways when the winds favor them, then I will not trust them nor let down my guard. For this reason, I also do not encourage the formation of such relationships, nor would I want it mistaken that I do."
"Everything I do, I do for the best interests of our kin. I am their leader and their protector, even if I am viewed unfavorably at times for doing so. What child has not gotten angry with a parent for doing what was best for them, rather than what they wanted at the time?" He sighed, leaning back in his seat. "I have recently had to dismiss my own Pathfinder for similar reasons. Is it a punishment? Perhaps, but a mild one. Truthfully, if in the future it came down to making a choice between one's own people and the one to whom your soul is bound, can you say for sure which you will choose? It is not an easy decision, and not one I can leave to chance or to any single Faun's whims. She was dismissed from my confidence because that bond could have been used to manipulate her, to get to the Circle beyond. Do you understand now?"
He paused, closing his eyes for a moment, then turning his gaze back to the pair. "There is no punishment for you, Celestia. Your situation is quite different. You did not enter into such a relationship willingly, nor even knowing our history. Nor are you a member of my Circle. That being said, when a solution was presented to you, you took action to remedy it as soon as possible. Not an easy step, I can only imagine. I find that response commendable."
"There are other circumstances here that I cannot so easily dismiss. I do not know how things were done where you come from. Here, of course Faun are allowed to have their personal secrets," he said with a pointed glance towards the Seer, "but not when circumstances could affect others beyond themselves. I am not angry at what had happened beyond your control; what angers me is that I was not told of information that could have affected others under my care. This new information about these deity creatures is most disturbing; the more I find out about these beings, the more wary I become. They do not all seem so reckless, but those that are wield such power and seem to show little concern for meddling in the lives of others. We must take measures to prevent anything like this happening to any other Faun in the future."
That was nothing to speak of the danger while she'd been soulbound to the angel. What if he'd been foolish enough to trust her too quickly? What if she'd been privy to secrets of the Council while still unaware of the danger it could present in being too open with the Blood Pae'il? Rais was relieved that this seemed to be the worst of it...they'd better not be holding anything else back.
"What angers me most is that I was not informed. I will not tolerate those I am to trust keeping secrets from me. Not important secrets. In the future, if there is anything that could possibly affect those who live within this Tree, I need to know it. Is that understood?"Wisely, Vanya had decided to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the exchange. To be honest, the Chieftain seemed to be taking this better than she'd imagined. Sure, it had gotten tense earlier, but for the most part, his voice seemed to have calmed and his logic was sound.
She couldn't help but notice the little flickers of red that flared up from time to time in his aura though...
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Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2014 8:43 pm
To his question, she answered simply. "Yes, sir, I understand quite well." They were a terrible, deceiving sort of pae'il, capable of such horrors without any explanation or understandable reason for it. What trust she had had for them disappeared with that vision; who knew if they would attack again; how it might go about this time; if they would be able to fend them off?
The princess raised her head as he continued, her eyes meeting his. A season ago she was just like the others he was describing, naive to the wrongs of the past and trusting for the future. That was a state of mind she could never hope to recover. Even if she could, to return to such ignorance was a fool's wish, and she was no fool.
Rather than comment on anything the chieftain was saying, she just let him continue on, speaking only when addressed directly. Again, she spoke the same words, "Yes, sir. I understand."
No... punishment...? But why? She had gone behind his back, could have endangered their kind. Again, she remained quiet, allowing him to speak. While she did not personally believe herself worthy of his lenience, to argue against it was idiotic. Bowing her head again, the princess again replied, the confidence all but returned to her voice. "Yes, sir. Should I learn of anything that might be considered a threat, you will be informed immediately. I will not allow myself to make the mistake of endangering anypae again."
Lifting her head up, she raised a hand to rest on her chest. "You have my word, sworn on my honor as Celestia, a former Princesses of Equestria."
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Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:03 am
A brief pause, then Rais nodded solemnly. "As I am pleased to hear. If that is all to be covered today, you may go." He believed his message had been understood, if she had not come to the truth already as he suspected by her action of coming before him. He had no need to drill the point home.Feeling relief wash over her, Vanya tried to keep her expression distant, at least until they had safely retreated from the Chieftain's office. She stood, offering a deep bow to the Chieftain before turning to follow Celestia towards the door."Not you." Rais' voice had gone cold. "Vanya, you may keep your seat. I'd like to discuss something with you in private. Goodbye, Celestia." His words may have remained polite, but there was steel beneath. He waved the former princess towards the door, but his gaze remained fixed icily on the Seer, frozen mid-step.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:03 am
As the chieftain dismissed her, Celestia was quick, yet not eager, to bow to him and stand up to leave. She paused only to look back as her friend was told to stay, her mouth remaining closed and her face neutral as he again addressed her directly.
If she was being told to leave, she best go.
Nodding once, she glanced to Vanya, hoping that something might get through to her to let her know that she was going to support her. The princess would not be physically in the room, but she did not intend to abandon the faun who had become her closest friend. As she exited, perhaps more slowly than at first, she closed the door quietly behind her and moved a small distance away from it. While she would offer support and be close when the talk was finished, she was going to avoid listening to a conversation she was not meant to hear as best as she could.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 3:31 pm
Vanya's hoof lowered slowly to the floor, her weight settling over both ankles again as she shifted back towards her seat. She tried to offer Celestia a reassuring smile as she left, but as soon as the door shut, leaving the two Circle members alone, her expression fell flat and she settled meekly into her seat.
Rais dropped all false pretenses as well once the door closed, focusing solely on the Seer. The Faun Chieftain was used to using physical intimidation tactics and gestures when he was angry to get his point across without taking more drastic measures, but that wasn't exactly effective on the blind Seer. However, he didn't need visual signals or embellishments to convey his anger in the current situation. He was pretty sure that with her talents, Vanya could already sense how angry he truly was, given her cowed, meek posture. He could have reassured her, calmed her fears. But, he didn't want to. She should be remorseful, afraid of what he was going to do.
He was still wrestling with that anger, honestly, and couldn't be sure what he would do.
"Outsiders can be forgiven, especially those who do not yet know our ways and are still learning what it means to be a servant of Laisidhiel. But, a Circle member," he bit sharply, arms unfolding from his chest to slam his palms down on the desk. "A Circle member should know better than than to keep secrets from me!"
He took some small satisfaction from the dark-furred female's startled jump at the sound.
Vanya had never seen such rage radiating from the Chieftain's aura before, especially not directed at her. The result was terrifying, and it was a few moments after the noise before she could find her voice. "S-sir, I understand, I can expl-"
"SILENCE!" The roar drowned out further excuses as Rais took a couple of deep breaths before continuing, no less anger in his voice, but some of the control returned...if barely. He rose, moving purposefully around his desk towards the Seer. "Now is the time for you to listen, not speak. I've heard your defense. While it is not without merit, the fact remains that you withheld information from me. This is unacceptable."
Rais neared, leaning in and placing a hand firmly on the back of her seat, slowly but steadily pushing the seat back until the front-most legs lifted off the floor. The seat remained balanced precariously as long as he held it there, with seemingly no effort on his part. Vanya remained silent, though she had swiftly clutched her fingers around the edges of the seat at the start of the disorienting sensation, now clinging as gravity slid her down towards the seat's back. Rais was mere inches from her, hovering, as he resumed speaking in a deceptively quiet tone, "Let me make something very clear. Do not misunderstand me, Sister. I greatly appreciate what it is that you do, for myself and our people. There are duties that you fulfill that I would not wish to take on myself, that is for certain. However, that does not make you invincible nor irreplaceable."
"This Circle is a unit built on trust and honesty," he continued, letting the chair wobble just slightly before stabilizing it again. "Trust is how we support each other. I cannot allow those into my confidence whom I cannot trust. I cannot allow those who would withhold important information from me to remain in that privileged position. If we cannot trust one another now, in peace, then what hope do we have when real issues arise if we have to distract ourselves by worrying if our Brothers and Sisters are going to let us fall? Trust is imperative! I don't care who you are or what you do, no one is above that! NO ONE! This is your ONE warning! There will not be another. If I hear again that anyone I have trusted has been keeping secrets from me, they will be dismissed immediately! Is that understood?"
The wood of the chair had begun to creak under the strain of Rais' grip.
"Absolutely. Crystal clear, sir."
"Good." Achingly slow (or so it seemed to the Seer), Rais lowered the chair again until all four legs were firmly on the ground again. "That will be all." He turned his back, still taking deep breaths to regain the calm he had possessed before this accursed meeting had begun.
Swallowing the anxiety that seemed to have risen into a knot in her throat, Vanya stood and moved for the door as swiftly and silently as she was able the instant she was dismissed. In the hallway, she didn't say a word, only moving to retreat from the Chieftain's office and surrounding area as quickly as possible to put this entire mess behind her. As far as she was concerned, the matter was closed and she had nothing more to do with it.
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Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 8:07 pm
Celestia had waited for what seemed an eternity before she heard the door open and her friend retreat from the room. Her eyes looked to her, her mouth opening to see if anything had happened, but closing without saying a word. the seer's expression said more than enough to know that this was not something she should push into, even with good intentions.
So instead, she waited for her to pass before quietly following after her. If she wanted to say anything, she could, and the princess would try to be there for her. It was the princess's fault if anything had happened, after all.
But if she did not wish to say anything, well, there was nothing more to be said then, was there? Truthfully, while the experience had certainly been a jarring one, it took a massive pressure off of her chest and guilt from her conscience to finally have told the chieftain. Secrecy was not usually in her nature, so it had been particularly troubling to hide it from others. There was still the matter of telling her sister, but that seemed light in comparison.
After some point, they neared her own alcove, her footsteps slowing as they did and her eyes averting downward. Stopping, she quietly spoke to catch her friend's attention. "Vanya..." A pause, her emotions coming to her voice fulling for the first time that day, a rush of relief and the sound of warm gratitude in her tone.
"Thank you, my friend. For everything."
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Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 7:52 am
Vanya had not said a word, simply putting distance between them and the Chieftain's office before she dared slow or speak. She seemed seized by a momentary sort of 'fight-or-flight' response, in fact, and 'flight' seemed to be winning the struggle. It wasn't until Celestia slowed and spoke her name that she seemed startled into doing the same. It still took her a moment to pause and get her bearings before she seemed to consciously push down the panic, tension slowly easing from her stance.
Calm down, child, it could have been much worse.
She took a deep breath and sighed, one ear flicking towards Celestia's voice. After a second, she replied with a smile, "Of course." How could she have done anything but?
The Seer wasn't going to burden her friend with her troubles. Besides, though she knew it would take time and effort to smooth over this rough patch in her relationship with the Chieftain, it was not something irreparable. That didn't help slow her hammering heart beat at the moment, but the anxiety would ebb. With a weary smile, she reached out for her friend, laying a hand on her shoulder. "It has been a rather...eventful day. If you'll excuse me, I think I'll retreat to my quarters for the time being. However, if you need anything else, please...don't hesitate."
o0_Daisuke_0o ((I think this one is basically wrapped up? ^__^ ))
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