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 Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 12:36 pm
  When: Inside the Phoenix Initiative H.Q near one of the tunnels outside the meeting room. Where: Before the bases invasion, in which the conversation between them took place.
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Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 1:04 pm
Stryke looked into the orangeblood's eyes, as if he was trying to understand her motivation and reasoning behind the choice. While he wouldn't try and talk her out of it, he was in fact glad to see her. The last time they'd seen one another was around Bloodfest not long after she'd saved him from the ruins. Still, he waited patiently to hear her thoughts from his inquiry, and perhaps answer any questions he could trusting she had some. Was she truly joining? While he wasn't anyone that significant in the movement, he did know what he believed in, and stood for. That counted for something by his logic and reasoning anyway.
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Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 4:39 pm
Keionx looked at him for a long moment. All right, so he wasn't as tall as she had thought he had been, but he was bigger, stronger, more sure of himself. Had this place done this to him? Grown him? ”I've been well.” she said, relaxing, rolling her shoulders as she smiled, ”Fairly well, actually.” And that was true – things were getting better, bit by bit. She hoped they would continue to be so. ”I...” she hesitated before giving him her answer, ”Yes.” she said, a little cryptically, ”I'm... thinking about joining. Yes.” She bit her lip. There was more she wanted to say, burning at her tongue like the last remains of a warm, spiced drink, pressing against the inside of her mouth like an urgent thought. But she didn't know how to say it. "What canst thou tell me about this place?" was a good start, at least.
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Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 5:41 pm
Stryke regarded her thoughtfully as he listened to her, his head tiled slightly as he crossed his arms over his chest all the while. Stryke had done a fair amount of growing; he was less afraid and willing to take responsibility for his actions good, and bad alike. Although if anyone asked he'd tell them he still had much to learn. "i'm glad to hear it, you look well." He commented his expression brightening a little to hear his friend was doing good for herself. Looking at her with consideration, the yellowblood gave a small nod. As she continued to speak, she looked to be wrestling with some great turmoil. His brow arched ever so slightly wondering what exactly was pressing on her think pan. Only she knew, he would listen if she needed him too but he didn't press her for now. "what can i tell you?" he echoed her in response looking thoughtful as he raised a finger to his chin and gave it a curious tap. "that they are good trolls, who believe in a different way of life than the one we live currently. they are fighting for a better way of life. being a rebel is no easy life when times are bad, and isn't always glamorous but..." He closed his eyes thinking. "when things are good, you are reminded what you stand for. thossse who are still with the Initiative as far as i know have good intentions even if the government thinks otherwise." Stryke hoped he was right anyway, everyone had different methods and ways of going about things certainly.. "it's noble, fighting oppresssion but it's also dangerous. as i'm sure you know." He answered her truthfully, to the best of his abilities. "only you will know if it’s right for you. you might do well to ask others what they think, and see how you feel by the end of it because; that's what matters most at the end of the night." He replied with a small incline of his head before shrugging softly.
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Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:10 pm
Keionx listened, her breath catching as she tried to find the meanings behind the meanings of his words, something she could hold onto for a while, at least while she settled in with the Rebels. It all sounded good – stars, it sounded wonderfully idealistic. Keionx wondered how things would have gone if she had heard all of this when she had been young enough to believe it wholeheartedly... it sounded like just the sort of thing that the delusional child of several sweeps ago would have eaten right up. Instead, she had fought for the queen, and had had to learn through the worst ways possible that her life was a lie. ”I know thou art a good troll.” she reassured Stryke. She'd never really believed the crap about the rebels... had honestly never paid attention to it. What had she thought they were? What had she thought she was doing, in Old Hemisect? Her duty. The Right Thing. ”My twin... is also a good troll. And Vremea, and Odette, and the rest. And my lusus... he wouldn't be here if he didn't feel it was Right.” Not that Beastdad was particularly perceptive, but she trusted him to do what was right. He had, after all, trained her, and trained her well. ”Dost thou... Do you...” Her question took a while to turn from thoughts to words. Yes, she had asked about this before – to Milieu in particular. Beastdad didn't understand the cause, only action and heroics, and he was supportive of anything his children did (and thus no help). But their motives hadn't resonated with Keionx in the way she'd hoped they would. There was something she was looking for, and wasn't finding. ”Is that what thou wantest? A better way of life?”
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2015 8:14 pm
Stryke's head tilted slightly as he contemplated Keionx's question. Was that what he truly wanted? He couldn't tell her about the Mothergrub, or the mewling baby trolls he'd seen that night that seemed now like a dim echo of memories past. The better tomorrow he often thought about while lying wide awake in his recupracoon for a long while had been an abstract childish dream of his. Logically speaking, it was impossible to completely turn around the balance of the cast system. The mindset of the common folk troll was not an easy one to persuade. Their culture due to events not that long ago was now run by mostly, if not all teenagers. All of the adults had been wiped out, leaving them with no role models nearly to speak of. While some trolls had grown since that wipe they were still following a tradition that dated countless generations back. Keionx's compliment earned a faint dusting of yellow on the other teens face. He hadn't been expecting it, but the sentiment was nice. "oh. t-thanksss..? as are you." He replied in a quick stammer, knowing this first handed. It was meant to be reassuring but her praise had caught him by surprise. So she had a twin? Stryke hadn't known that until now. While rare twins weren't unheard of. As she kept talking he realized she knew several trolls here already besides himself. That was a positive start. That little exchange aside, Stryke cleared his throat to listen to her so he could answer her properly. He could agree with her despite his being thrown off. The more he thought about it, the more Stryke wondered what it would take to find some kind of even ground between the two forces. Neither would give an inch, while the other tried to take a mile. Was it for a less violent Alternia? Not exactly, that was a pipe-shot dream. Equal rights? No it was more than that. It wasn't like he expected those of a higher cast to do what the masses did on a day to day basis. Their society was far to industrial, and would collapse. His patient smile turned into a tightly knit furrowed brow line. What was the word he was looking for that would make sense without giving away his poker hand? It wasn't like he thought badly of Keionx..but she wasn't an official remember yet. That being said, Stryke kept the secret hidden under lock and key. "yesss. it is something i want, but it is not such a straight forward path..nor will it happen any time soon. change does not happen over the course of a handful of sweeps, and requires carving a path into the unknown." He finally replied. "there are many obstacles in the way, and trials to overcome but no journey is without its hurdles i sssuppose." Stryke concluded, remaining intentionally cryptic as he knew she herself needed time to find that fire that would not die within herself.
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 4:11 pm
She was a good troll? She smiled, a little wanly, at the comment. That was nice to hear. She certainly tried to be, even if she wasn't sure what that entirely meant anymore. ”That is true... No journey beith hurdle free...” she agreed, sighing heavily and looking around her, at the cavern with it's rebels and candles and rocks. Clearly, their journey hadn't... gog, she'd been one of the hurdles. Why did they do it? What were they doing this for, when it would be so much easier to try to do something else, some other way? Stryke's answer was not very helpful, unfortunately. In fact, it wasn't much of an answer at all. The more she thought about Stryke's words, the less substance she realized it had. He wanted change... of what sort? He wanted to carve a path into the unknown, but how? In which direction. Her gaze returned to him, intense and searching. The only thing she could gather was that yes, indeed, he wanted a better world, but she didn't know what sort of 'better' he wanted. ”You don't want to tell me what you want. Why not?” Her question was blunt – very blunt, perhaps, but she wanted some kind of answer. Otherwise, this conversation with a friend – or, perhaps, only an acquaintance, she supposed – would leave her with an all-too-familiar empty feeling inside. She wanted to fill that emptiness. That was why she had wandered here, after failing everywhere else. ”Couldst thou tell me that? At least?”
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Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 10:54 pm
Stryke should have known the vague cryptic answer wasn't going to sustain her. Maybe it was because he'd rather here more about what she had to say and it meant trusting her with information about him. That went against everything he stood for...the yellowblood made a habit out of being reserved and cryptic. But...Keionx deserved more than that. It was clear; her look was one that looked hungry. Hungry for what was the question? Was she searching for something? Glancing over his shoulder back into the tunnel he'd been working in, then around them as if searching to see if they were truly alone. When he was certain, he looked back at the orangeblood suddenly very serious as he focused on her, thinking for a long moment. "partly because one of the things i am referring to isn't something i can jussst tell anyone about. until its certain you're in this for the long haul i would imagine? but let me tell you this. what if you could make a difference in the world? lowbloods have for generations been the ones whom highbloods use as scapegoats. " He gave her an honest answer. "however, i can tell you this establishing roots for hope to grow, that is something i truly do want. for far too long lowbloods like you and i both have been cast down and thrown out like we were meaningless. but one is also not defined by their ideals does that make sense? i've seen this organization go through great trials and rise up from the ash of ruin despite the odds being against them. i find that admirable, and i believe in seeing something through to the end no matter how hard it gets."Stryke paused for a moment. "and i want to fight to protect what's right to answer your question.” For the future of an entire brood on Alternia in fact. “give it time…and i'll hopefully show you what i mean." He finally said with a small rub of his arm. "in the meantime, why don't we head towards the meeting room and see who else has arrived?" The other teen offered stepping forward to gently clasp her shoulder. "i wisssh i could give you a little more to go off, but maybe after tonight's meeting we can talk further? i'm sure byakko will be able to say a few things and i won't feel like i'm accidentally letting the purrbeast out of the bag." He smiled sheepishly rubbing his neck as he glanced down. "i don't want to leave you empty handed, so i promissse we will have this discusssion again keionx. i owe you that much." He offered her, looking up into the orangebloods gaze with his own.
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2015 9:41 pm
Keionx listened. She fed from his words. Scraps though they might have been, though they still were, they at least had substance now. There was something in them, something she could think about and understand. A difference in the world. A change in the way things were. Cultivating hope despite all odds. Protecting what was right... These were all fragments, things gleaned from mere glimpses into his words. But they were things that Keionx could understand, and things that Keionx longed to believe in. Rising from the ashes of ruin sounded precisely like what she wanted to do, too. She was, after all, in ruins, or that was what it felt like. Nobody seemed to understand – not her father, not her brother, not the scouts... but she didn't exactly let them either. It was complicated, so complicated... So how? How did she rise? How did she change the world when she barely knew it? How did she change the way things were when she didn't know what was Right? How did she cultivate hope when despair was a constant companion? She nodded, smiling appreciatively. ”Thank you.” she said, wanly. She knew that this was a lot for him to give to her, after the crypticness of before. It was still riddles and fragments, but maybe she could see the answer, silvery and tantalizing, to her agonizing questions amidst the fragments. ”That sounds... like a plan.” Yes. If Byakko was the leader – the tealblood with the furs, or the greenblood with the labcoat? Or one of the others? Either way... if they were the leader, perhaps they could give her more hints. ”And I will holdst thou to it.” she said quietly, meeting his eyes. Her gaze was open and trusting, understanding but still hungry and... sad? Keionx wasn't sure how she felt, but sad was a part of it. His gaze was closed, but resolute. He believed in what he was saying, and he had already revealed so much. She sighed, and closed her eyes. ”Thank you.” she said again, ”I suppose” it was only with effort that she did not accidentally slur her S's – his hissing was contagious, and her tongue felt naturally drawn to its sounds. ”I shall join those in the tunnels...?” and help out? That seemed the thing to do, since she was here. It would giveth... give she corrected herself, her time to think on Strykes words, and prepare her to receive... whatever wisdom the leader offered.
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