That can be difficult, especially since people in ES definitely use expressions that don't make sense for them.
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For the start of their duel, Ri'vashi had been cautious. Without a weapon, she was at a disadvantage, so Gallus could easily put her on the defensive. However, with this attack, she completely inverted her behavior. Instead of dodging his attack, she actually moved into it. For an unarmed combatant, rushing in against a blade was seemingly suicide, and yet it was exactly what she was doing. She did not push away his shield; she grabbed it. With all of the might a Cathay werebear could muster, she yanked at the shield in an attempt to pull it from his hands. However, the other part of her attack was where she was more likely to fail. With her other hand, she attempted to strike at the flat of his blade to protect herself from it. If her hand did not touch its edge, then she would be safe, but failing in that would mean injury. In an actual fight, such an injury would not likely be lethal, and would not end the fight, but it could disable her use of that hand. If her strike landed wrongly in this duel, she would have to continue with only her other arm.
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Ma'tanza gave another, brief sigh, then hummed lightly to bide time as she thought of a response. She was not necessarily angry with Tzirret, but evidently, she still was not exactly pleased with him either. Regardless, once she made up her mind, she gave a smile that was only moderately forced before she responded.
"Yes...yes, we can talk, this one thinks. Maybe do something else as well. We could go for a swim, or find some of the others? Bheja and Qa'habi are training, Ma'tanza thinks. Do you know if Sabine and Peiter are doing anything?" She asked.
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Ma'tanza gave another, brief sigh, then hummed lightly to bide time as she thought of a response. She was not necessarily angry with Tzirret, but evidently, she still was not exactly pleased with him either. Regardless, once she made up her mind, she gave a smile that was only moderately forced before she responded.
"Yes...yes, we can talk, this one thinks. Maybe do something else as well. We could go for a swim, or find some of the others? Bheja and Qa'habi are training, Ma'tanza thinks. Do you know if Sabine and Peiter are doing anything?" She asked.
By her appearance, Ri'vashi seemed to be even more attentive than during their last bout, if that were physically possible. Her eyes were watching him closely enough that she may has well have been looking into his soul. For this bout, she was not looking for an even fight; she was looking to challenge herself. She wanted to place herself into a worst-case scenario position, unarmed and unarmored against an armed foe, and see if she could overcome. In this situation, the victor would not be nearly as clear as in their last fight.
Just as Ri'vashi had demonstrated in their last fight, she was exceptionally aware of anything Gallus was doing. His feint produced only a quick twitch from her as she prepared to move, in the event that the attack was genuine. When he actually did attack, she jumped back to get out of range of the swing with plenty of time to spare. However, without a weapon of her own, she could not counterattack safely. Her fists were at the ready, and she was strafing around him, but without the ability to parry his strikes, she could not safely attack. What she was seeking was an opportunity, even if it was just a momentary slip up or misstep, that she could capitalize on to turn the fight in her favor.
---
Ma'tanza did not appear to be outwardly angry towards Tzirret, though neither did she give a heartfelt acceptance of his apology. Overall, her expression was conflicted, and uncertain. A full ten seconds passed before Ma'tanza reached out and grabbed Tzirret's hands in her own. "Tzirret...we have already spoken about all of this, yes? Earlier, when Sabine and Peiter brought this one to you. You already apologized then, so you don't have to keep apologizing now. You know you were wrong. It did hurt Ma'tanza that you lied to her, but we don't have to keep dwelling on it. You apologized, so we can move on, as long as you don't do it again. Alright?"
Just as Ri'vashi had demonstrated in their last fight, she was exceptionally aware of anything Gallus was doing. His feint produced only a quick twitch from her as she prepared to move, in the event that the attack was genuine. When he actually did attack, she jumped back to get out of range of the swing with plenty of time to spare. However, without a weapon of her own, she could not counterattack safely. Her fists were at the ready, and she was strafing around him, but without the ability to parry his strikes, she could not safely attack. What she was seeking was an opportunity, even if it was just a momentary slip up or misstep, that she could capitalize on to turn the fight in her favor.
---
Ma'tanza did not appear to be outwardly angry towards Tzirret, though neither did she give a heartfelt acceptance of his apology. Overall, her expression was conflicted, and uncertain. A full ten seconds passed before Ma'tanza reached out and grabbed Tzirret's hands in her own. "Tzirret...we have already spoken about all of this, yes? Earlier, when Sabine and Peiter brought this one to you. You already apologized then, so you don't have to keep apologizing now. You know you were wrong. It did hurt Ma'tanza that you lied to her, but we don't have to keep dwelling on it. You apologized, so we can move on, as long as you don't do it again. Alright?"
Ri'vashi lost focus on much of what was happening around her as she continued to land blows on the dummy. Her gaze was intense, and her strikes became even more forceful. She bared her teeth, and with each punch, let out a satisfied huff. The entire dummy shook with each hit, and the occasional crack could be heard from within on the particularly hard hits. Gallus' observations were correct in that she was using it as a method of venting her frustration. Her strikes were growing steadily stronger, until finally, she landed a blow to the dummy's head that caused the wooden post inside to snap. The cloth kept the head attached, but it did start to hang down from the torso, clearly separated from the rest of the dummy.
For a few moments, Ri'vashi simply stood, her hands clenched into fists, and her breaths frequent and heavy. Only Gallus' apology brought her back into reality. "Let us...just move past it, alright? This one is sure you mean well." She answered. Though Gallus might have expected her to grab a weapon, Ri'vashi instead took her position opposite of him and raised up her fists. Evidently, she intended to enter this fight unarmed.
---
By Tzirret's second shout, Ma'tanza noticed her name being called and turned her head towards the source. In the crowd, it took a few moments for her to pick out where the voice was coming from, but with Tzirret chasing after her, it did not take long for her to spot him. "Oh, hello Tzirret." She responded.
Since they were in the middle of the crowd, with people attempting to move past them, Ma'tanza motioned for Tzirret to follow her closer to the edge of the hall. "You...seem like you want to speak with Ma'tanza about something." She continued.
For a few moments, Ri'vashi simply stood, her hands clenched into fists, and her breaths frequent and heavy. Only Gallus' apology brought her back into reality. "Let us...just move past it, alright? This one is sure you mean well." She answered. Though Gallus might have expected her to grab a weapon, Ri'vashi instead took her position opposite of him and raised up her fists. Evidently, she intended to enter this fight unarmed.
---
By Tzirret's second shout, Ma'tanza noticed her name being called and turned her head towards the source. In the crowd, it took a few moments for her to pick out where the voice was coming from, but with Tzirret chasing after her, it did not take long for her to spot him. "Oh, hello Tzirret." She responded.
Since they were in the middle of the crowd, with people attempting to move past them, Ma'tanza motioned for Tzirret to follow her closer to the edge of the hall. "You...seem like you want to speak with Ma'tanza about something." She continued.
The nature of Ri'vashi's current mood was difficult to pinpoint at the moment. She was not exactly angry, but the tension from their previous conversation had not left her. As they walked through the halls, her footsteps were heavy, and each breath held a hint of irritation. However, she was not directing her frustration specifically at Gallus, as her tone when responding to him was quite normal.
"Ri'vashi does not know what she will do with Dro'cahi; she thinks it is best not to worry about such things right now. The most present concern is Vile's fortress, and how we are going to attack it. Once that is over, and that threat is gone, Ri'vashi can worry about those other concerns. Trying to deal with too much at once will just distract Ri'vashi, and make her less effective. You agree that Ri'vashi should be focused on the task at hand, yes?" She asked just as they reached the training room.
Once inside, Ri'vashi found a place to discard her cloak and other belongings, apart from a loincloth, then approached some of the training dummies at the back of the room. "Select any weapon you like. Ri'vashi needs a moment to warm up." She explained. At first, she simply performed a few stretches, but then moved on to throwing a few punches at one of the dummies. Even without paying close attention to her, it was easy to see, and hear, that she was not holding back. The dummy consisted of thickly wrapped cloth around a wooden post, in the shape of a person's torso and head. The cloth naturally muffled the sound of blows against it, but her strikes could still easily be heard from where Gallus was standing. They each held an almost frightening amount of weight, like a mace bashing at full force against a shield, or piece of armor.
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Ma'tanza had indeed gone to the dining hall for her dinner, though just as he was arriving, he would see that Ma'tanza was leaving. It was crowded, so she did not notice him immediately. If he wished to speak to her, he would need to follow her.
"Ri'vashi does not know what she will do with Dro'cahi; she thinks it is best not to worry about such things right now. The most present concern is Vile's fortress, and how we are going to attack it. Once that is over, and that threat is gone, Ri'vashi can worry about those other concerns. Trying to deal with too much at once will just distract Ri'vashi, and make her less effective. You agree that Ri'vashi should be focused on the task at hand, yes?" She asked just as they reached the training room.
Once inside, Ri'vashi found a place to discard her cloak and other belongings, apart from a loincloth, then approached some of the training dummies at the back of the room. "Select any weapon you like. Ri'vashi needs a moment to warm up." She explained. At first, she simply performed a few stretches, but then moved on to throwing a few punches at one of the dummies. Even without paying close attention to her, it was easy to see, and hear, that she was not holding back. The dummy consisted of thickly wrapped cloth around a wooden post, in the shape of a person's torso and head. The cloth naturally muffled the sound of blows against it, but her strikes could still easily be heard from where Gallus was standing. They each held an almost frightening amount of weight, like a mace bashing at full force against a shield, or piece of armor.
---
Ma'tanza had indeed gone to the dining hall for her dinner, though just as he was arriving, he would see that Ma'tanza was leaving. It was crowded, so she did not notice him immediately. If he wished to speak to her, he would need to follow her.
Ri'vashi was not quite at the point where she would be willing to outright attack Gallus, but she did stand to her feet, her towering form looking down on Gallus. "This one...finds it hard to believe that the entire council would say such things about her. At the very least, you did not have time to question them all. Still, war is what Ri'vashi has trained for. Ri'vashi may have been too hasty in judging herself so harshly in that regard. Even if she is not qualified to lead this clan, she will at least ply her expertise in this attack. Just...do not treat Ri'vashi like a child, Gallus. You have been a friend to Ri'vashi ever since your arrival, and she can forgive the offense, but this one will not be demeaned."
Closing her eyes once more, Ri'vashi gave a long, frustrated sigh. "Ri'vashi needs to spar. Just...something simple. Do you intend to join her for that?" She asked.
Closing her eyes once more, Ri'vashi gave a long, frustrated sigh. "Ri'vashi needs to spar. Just...something simple. Do you intend to join her for that?" She asked.
Ri'vashi's reaction to Gallus' sudden, and surprising demand was not what one would call positive. After her initial shock passed, she looked up at him with something of a glare. Most certainly, she did not follow his instructions. Instead, she remained seated, but straightened up her posture.
"Excuse this one? What is it you are trying to do, Gallus? You may be a companion of the Champion...but only the Champion herself can make demands of a clan leader." Ri'vashi responded, taking up an assertive tone.
---
Peiter was not sure exactly what it was, perhaps it was La'khay's description of what they were trying to re-create, or how Sabine's heart start was racing, but he picked up on the intensity of the moment as well. When Sabine tightened her grip and leaned in towards him, he at first returned a genuine, enthusiastic kiss, though he stopped after a few seconds to take on a more static pose. He stared into her eyes, and slid his hands down her back. Without actually realizing it, his hands moved down below her hips, much farther than he normally would have in front of strangers.
La'khay, meanwhile, grinned. "Ah, now that is passion. This one can certainly do something with this." She said, mixing together a few colors of the paint before making her first brushstroke on the canvas.
"Excuse this one? What is it you are trying to do, Gallus? You may be a companion of the Champion...but only the Champion herself can make demands of a clan leader." Ri'vashi responded, taking up an assertive tone.
---
Peiter was not sure exactly what it was, perhaps it was La'khay's description of what they were trying to re-create, or how Sabine's heart start was racing, but he picked up on the intensity of the moment as well. When Sabine tightened her grip and leaned in towards him, he at first returned a genuine, enthusiastic kiss, though he stopped after a few seconds to take on a more static pose. He stared into her eyes, and slid his hands down her back. Without actually realizing it, his hands moved down below her hips, much farther than he normally would have in front of strangers.
La'khay, meanwhile, grinned. "Ah, now that is passion. This one can certainly do something with this." She said, mixing together a few colors of the paint before making her first brushstroke on the canvas.
Visibly, Ri'vashi's mood did not improve, despite Gallus' attempt at giving reassurances, and nothing in her tone suggested improvement either. "Dro'cahi has offered to take over Ri'vashi's role, not to help her with it. He probably finds it too important to try, and he thinks he would be better at it than her. Now...Ri'vashi thinks he is probably correct. Maybe this one could learn how to lead the clan, but is it really worth that risk? Mistakes from a clan leader can cost people their lives, so if this one tries to take the time to learn instead of resigning to someone more capable, she could end up getting people killed."
Ri'vashi was quickly falling even deeper into despair. Her tears were diminishing somewhat, but her expression was starting to hold more hopelessness. "It may not be wise for Ri'vashi to join in the attack. If her judgment cannot be trusted, then she may be a liability." She said. Now, it appeared as if she was doubting her abilities as a leader in general, instead of just as the leader of a clan.
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Peiter chuckled. "I'm glad you think so...I am not looking forward to having to explain this to Gallus. I know it's going to be the first thing he mentions."
La'khay stood back from her easel, looking over the pair from head to toe. "You look cute together...but La'khay was thinking of something with more passion. Perhaps you can hold a kiss, or lean in as if you were about to kiss. This one can paint you from the side to get you both. Maybe...ah, try to think about it like this. This one knows you don't want her to paint you mating, and she isn't asking you to, but try to think back to that day by the river. Remember what it was like when you looked him in the eyes, and made the decision that you were going to cement your love physically. Embrace him like you certainly did in that moment. That should give the passion La'khay is looking for." She recommended.
Ri'vashi was quickly falling even deeper into despair. Her tears were diminishing somewhat, but her expression was starting to hold more hopelessness. "It may not be wise for Ri'vashi to join in the attack. If her judgment cannot be trusted, then she may be a liability." She said. Now, it appeared as if she was doubting her abilities as a leader in general, instead of just as the leader of a clan.
---
Peiter chuckled. "I'm glad you think so...I am not looking forward to having to explain this to Gallus. I know it's going to be the first thing he mentions."
La'khay stood back from her easel, looking over the pair from head to toe. "You look cute together...but La'khay was thinking of something with more passion. Perhaps you can hold a kiss, or lean in as if you were about to kiss. This one can paint you from the side to get you both. Maybe...ah, try to think about it like this. This one knows you don't want her to paint you mating, and she isn't asking you to, but try to think back to that day by the river. Remember what it was like when you looked him in the eyes, and made the decision that you were going to cement your love physically. Embrace him like you certainly did in that moment. That should give the passion La'khay is looking for." She recommended.
Ri'vashi leaned forward onto the table, lowering her head. She gave a sigh, closing her eyes in silent contemplation. Now, there was more than only doubt in her expression, there was sadness. After a few seconds she clenched her hands into a fist and barred her teeth. "You say that...like it is something obvious. Something Ri'vashi should have seen all along. Certainly, Dro'cahi has been telling her this all along. She always just thought he was being contrary. At first, he might have just been jealous that he was not appointed as leader, and that he just wanted to get into the people's good graces, but..."
Looking up once more, Ri'vashi made eye contact with Gallus, revealing that they were filled with tears. "You have been telling Ri'vashi the same thing as Dro'cahi, the Champion told her the same thing as Dro'cahi. She thought she was protecting the people, but...she must have been blind. Blind to Dro'cahi's motivations, blind to the people's suffering. If Ri'vashi can fail to see something so obvious, then how can she expect herself to do what is best for her clan? What kind of other mistakes is she making? Ri'vashi has been thinking for a while about resigning her position...maybe she should?"
---
La'khay finished trimming the last of the hair on Peiter's leg as Sabine was giving her answer. Sabine was obviously and openly embarrassed, but regardless, La'khay kept her same, friendly smile, then put her arm around Sabine's shoulders after she stood to her feet. "Do not worry, Sabine. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. To have a good first time, and to even continue on after that, on the same day...La'khay would kill to have such passion in a partner. Now, why don't you take a seat in Peiter's lap and find a pose you like."
Letting go of Sabine, La'khay walked over and re-positioned her easel. She took the paintbrush Sabine had been levitating, then looked the pair over as she waited for them to settle on a pose. "Your story sounds much better than what La'khay experienced all those years ago. This one will tell you about her first time mating; now that was embarrassing."
Looking up once more, Ri'vashi made eye contact with Gallus, revealing that they were filled with tears. "You have been telling Ri'vashi the same thing as Dro'cahi, the Champion told her the same thing as Dro'cahi. She thought she was protecting the people, but...she must have been blind. Blind to Dro'cahi's motivations, blind to the people's suffering. If Ri'vashi can fail to see something so obvious, then how can she expect herself to do what is best for her clan? What kind of other mistakes is she making? Ri'vashi has been thinking for a while about resigning her position...maybe she should?"
---
La'khay finished trimming the last of the hair on Peiter's leg as Sabine was giving her answer. Sabine was obviously and openly embarrassed, but regardless, La'khay kept her same, friendly smile, then put her arm around Sabine's shoulders after she stood to her feet. "Do not worry, Sabine. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. To have a good first time, and to even continue on after that, on the same day...La'khay would kill to have such passion in a partner. Now, why don't you take a seat in Peiter's lap and find a pose you like."
Letting go of Sabine, La'khay walked over and re-positioned her easel. She took the paintbrush Sabine had been levitating, then looked the pair over as she waited for them to settle on a pose. "Your story sounds much better than what La'khay experienced all those years ago. This one will tell you about her first time mating; now that was embarrassing."
Ri'vashi let out a deep breath. "You seem so...certain about this. That this will actually be worth it. Not the attack; that is of course necessary. But this sacrifice we are making for the sake of morale, does the Bruma clan really not focus on its defense? From the stories Ri'vashi heard, your clan was actually attacked. They broke through your front gate and fought you within your stronghold until they were repelled. That means the enemy knows where to find you, but...you still do not take similar precautions as Ri'vashi?"
While Meesei was concerned about Ri'vashi, for multiple reasons, she saw that Gallus was speaking to her already. As such, she decided to put her focus on Lorag. He had been almost entirely unresponsive since learning about Do'rhajul, and she needed to try to coax out his thoughts on the matter. He started to head out of the room fairly quickly, so she followed closely after him. Once a few remaining stragglers left, Ri'vashi and Gallus would be left alone.
---
"Oh, of course, of course. It must have been exciting indeed." La'khay answered, nodding in apparent understanding. For a moment, she stopped her questioning to focus entirely on what she was doing. It was a simple matter to trim his hair down as short as the knife would allow, so she proceeded quickly. She did make an effort to show that she was being cautious, given the area on which she was working, but she still finished in under a minute and started to move on to his legs.
Once she was beyond Peiter's most sensitive areas, La'khay returned to her former, relaxed demeanor. She stayed mostly focused on her work, but quickly glanced over to Sabine expectantly. "Okay, now that's done, so you can tell La'khay all about it. What was it like? Has he gotten any better? Do you want any advice? La'khay has plenty to give."
If nothing else, Peiter could admire La'khay's persistence. He could see what Sabine had been trying to do, but she had only delayed La'khay's questioning for about thirty seconds.
While Meesei was concerned about Ri'vashi, for multiple reasons, she saw that Gallus was speaking to her already. As such, she decided to put her focus on Lorag. He had been almost entirely unresponsive since learning about Do'rhajul, and she needed to try to coax out his thoughts on the matter. He started to head out of the room fairly quickly, so she followed closely after him. Once a few remaining stragglers left, Ri'vashi and Gallus would be left alone.
---
"Oh, of course, of course. It must have been exciting indeed." La'khay answered, nodding in apparent understanding. For a moment, she stopped her questioning to focus entirely on what she was doing. It was a simple matter to trim his hair down as short as the knife would allow, so she proceeded quickly. She did make an effort to show that she was being cautious, given the area on which she was working, but she still finished in under a minute and started to move on to his legs.
Once she was beyond Peiter's most sensitive areas, La'khay returned to her former, relaxed demeanor. She stayed mostly focused on her work, but quickly glanced over to Sabine expectantly. "Okay, now that's done, so you can tell La'khay all about it. What was it like? Has he gotten any better? Do you want any advice? La'khay has plenty to give."
If nothing else, Peiter could admire La'khay's persistence. He could see what Sabine had been trying to do, but she had only delayed La'khay's questioning for about thirty seconds.
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