Julan nodded. "Yeah, the Bosmer only ever eat meat. At least the ones in Valenwood. I have seen Bosmer where we're from eat other things, so I guess they don't follow the Pact. Whenever we were there, they didn't actually [i]stop[/i] us from eating plants. Since we're not Bosmer, and we aren't part of that Pact, it wasn't against the rules for them to let us eat plants. But I did once, and I got some really mean looks from some of the people there, so I just stuck to meat after that. I like meat better anyways, though, so it wasn't bad at all, really." Julan could not help but to smile. He had a feeling that he would be giving many similar explanations for the rest of the night. --- Though she tried to think of a good answer for Janius' question, she quickly ended up looking defeated. "I don't know either. It's been so long since it happened. It seems like it would have been long enough by now for them to get past their grief on their own. I don't know what could make them start feeling any differently at this point. At least nothing that doesn't include learning about you still being alive." After a moment, there was one idea that came to Kaleeth's mind after the thought back to her own departure from her village. Prior to meeting Janius, she usually listened to her parents without any resistance, but he had helped inspire her to argue against him. "I wonder if Aurana ever really tries to argue with her father? Do you think she ever openly tries to change things? If not, maybe we can find a way to empower her to give her own opinions on it?" --- "I have felt that pain before." Meesei said, her tone calm, but filled with emotion all the same. "I am supposed to be the shining model of a lycan, of one of Hircine's followers. I am meant to be both a leader, and a symbol for them to rally behind, but there have been times where I have felt powerlessly cursed by failure. A few years ago, I received word that, all at once, several clans all across Tamriel had been wiped out. Simultaneous, coordinated attacks with the soul-tearing gas that destroyed any hope of resistance. And there was nothing I could do. Altogether, thousands of my people were...harvested, because I could not protect them. No matter how powerful I have become, no matter how many battles I win, I worry that nothing I do will ever be good enough." There was a brief silence in the air as Meesei paused to take in a breath. It was slow and shuddering, as Meesei was beginning to tread into rather painful territory for herself. "We are supposed to be strong for our people, you and I. We are supposed to be examples of proud and capable warriors, always uncompromising in the face of adversity. We are not allowed to show weakness because we are supposed to be strong. But it is all just a facade. There have been times where I have gone weeks, or longer, with little sleep and no rest. Times where I spend every waking moment solving problems on the other side of the continent, making decisions that decide the fates of my people's lives, and through it all, having to act completely and wholly confident in it all. Even when I made mistakes that killed the people I was supposed to be leading. I remember, sometimes...finding a secluded chamber to lock myself in and...I honestly do not even know what I intended. Most of the time, I just ended up weeping to myself." The next step that Meesei took may have been somewhat bold, but the influence of her own emotions was showing strongly in her expression. Stepping up just behind Lunise, she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, even as Meesei's own eyes were reddened from the stories she had recounted. "The point of all of this is...I know I have not experienced what you are going through right now, but I [i]have[/i] felt that pain. I have lived that pain. And I know you should not have to face it alone. I do not know where you are falling either, but I want to help you climb back up once you hit the ground. The past, all of the failures going through your mind right now...I know it may be difficult to agree with me, but they do not matter anymore. The past is immutable, unchanging. All that matters now is what we do going forward. The future is something we can still affect."