Muttonhawk

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus gave an understanding smile and brought his hand off of Ri'vashi as soon as she responded. The proposition appeared to have more of an immediate impact amongst the council than he had originally predicted. However, given how long Ri'vashi had resisted such things, Gallus could see why it may have seemed sudden to have her being so uncharacteristic.

Nevertheless, Dro'cahi appeared to show his support. Gallus waited until it was certain that there were no other comments before continuing. "It is our hope that this will boost morale while the warband is errant from the clanhome, in spite of there not being as many defenders around." Gallus cleared his throat and glanced to the papers before him. "Anyway, does anyone have points that they would like to discuss about this plan? Dro'cahi, do you still hold reservations?"

---

Peiter's response had Sabine letting out a laugh. "Aw, I will not laugh, Peiter. You will look good!" Sabine tried to give an encouraging look. Despite her smiles, she didn't want Peiter to feel as if he was suffering.

On the other hand, La'khay's questions had Sabine wondering whether she or Peiter should be answering them first. Her last question put that little dilemma to rest in short order but it still put Sabine on the spot. She leaned her side against the back of her seat, tilted her head to one side, and then stared at Peiter for a long and silent while with a small, contemplative smile.

Sabine brought her thoughts back to why she had shown interest in Peiter in the first place. Doing that revealed the quality that Sabine admired the most as if it was no effort at all. Putting it to words took another moment on top of her original pause.

"Accepting," Sabine said finally. She took her time while she explained, "You are not afraid of things...but...not like just getting courage." Sabine's smile had faded but the weight behind her words did not. She spoke carefully and quietly, like she did in the past. "You do not judge too fast."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

I have to focus on some study again, I'm afraid. I'll be delayed for a while, not sure if I'll get a post up in time before you fall asleep.

By the way. 4,000. Yay...

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

That reminds me, funnily enough. I'm thinking about trying to make a demi, one that represents all of the 'elements'. I've had a few other ideas for other demi's, but for some reason can't bring them to mind right now.

@Kangutso

Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked...

<Snipped quote by Cyclone>

<Snipped quote by Muttonhawk>

Of course, there are auxiliary Elemelons as well. Those are the 4 Major Elemelons. Then there are the other millions of Minor ones

@Vec

I dunno, aether was pretty big in the Greek system, wasn't it?

Edit: I just looked it up. Apparently it was just Aristotle looking at the night sky and asking "wtf is dis shi'?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus took the last few minutes of time they had to observe those around him. Most had read the notes to their satisfaction and were simply discussing amongst themselves, while others were taking more time to read all the detail over again. It was only with a sideways glance that he got a hint of Ri'vashi's discomfort.

The meeting reconvened with the intermittent singing of chair legs against the floor and the diminishing murblings of the attendants. Their eyes all shined forward to Meesei's end of the table to listen to what was coming next. Gallus looked back with no fear in his mind. When Meesei called upon Ri'vashi to speak, Gallus at first brought his eyes to the table in front of him, but the nudging silence drew his attention to Ri'vashi again.

Up until now, Gallus trusted Ri'vashi's confidence in speaking. However, as her hesitation continued, her doubt spread to Gallus as well. After a glance to the now confused eyes of the meeting, Gallus leaned his head over slightly and laid a hand on Ri'vashi's upper arm. "You alright?" he asked quietly.

As important as this proposal was, Ri'vashi needed to be the one to announce it.

---

Involuntarily, Sabine's eyes momentarily widened at La'khay saying as much as she did in front of La'tahne. That was personal information. Sabine's neck felt warm with embarrassment for a moment before she conceded that it was too late to take the words back.

As for Peiter, his fearful reaction was something that made Sabine smile. It was not as if he would be harmed at all. Sabine looked over his body briefly to consider and caught his eyes. "You could try it," Sabine suggested without commitment. She was actually curious to see how he would look after La'khay's treatment but didn't want to force him. Sabine added after a giggle, "It will not be worse than the thorns."

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

A satisfied smile crept onto Gallus' face. "That's our in then," he remarked, "Other things can wait until the warband returns." Gallus sat back into his chair properly again, "And none too soon as well, I think our break is almost up. Did you want to mention this to Dro'cahi in private or announce something in this meeting?"

Only now did Gallus' heart rate begin to settle. The relief dropping from his neck was welcome. If he had tested Ri'vashi's patience too much, he knew that there would have been no chance of getting Dro'cahi's approval without authoritative action from Meesei. To keep the loyalty of those around them, Gallus wanted to avoid that as much as he could.

---

La'khay's further attempts at convincing Sabine did not get rid of her discomfort. The fact remained that there would be a painting of them in a private moment that Sabine wanted kept to themselves. That thought of her likeness being painted gave her enough nerves about having her face on display for all to see no matter how it turned out. It was enough effort to try and reduce that thought to the point where she wasn't going to run off.

"I think we should still only hold each other," Sabine said meekly. Her growing anxieties allowed for no further words for now.

Mid/High Casual - Divinus: The Deity Roleplay Mk.II

You need aethermelon as well. You cut it open and all these stars come out.

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

"At this stage, Ri'vashi, it would be not out of convenience but out of necessity," Gallus said without any comforting tone in his voice.

Gallus leaned an elbow on the table and turned his body more straight-on to Ri'vashi. She was at the point where she couldn't pretend that doing nothing was a good idea, at least. Gallus tried to think of a way to get his point across without frustrating her further and took on a more casual tone. "This is the part where you strike a balance between clan quality and defence. The point of balance will change depending on the threat that the clan is under but right now it's a little too far to one side. When Corinthe is done it will be even more unbalanced." Gallus nodded to Ri'vashi, "However, the truth is that some of these measures are providing a diminishing benefit altogether. Take the combat training. For a moment, try to imagine that you are not a soldier and you never want to fight. It doesn't matter whether you like the training or not because if you do not want to fight, you are going to run from battle, yes? This stronghold already has strong, capable, and passionate warriors. Training everyone else is a measure for desperation, when there is no one else to defend. As long as enough warriors still stand to fight, there is no benefit to it. Therefore, dropping some measures may sacrifice the current defences less than you might think." Gallus gestured forward again, keeping the onus on Ri'vashi, "Of course, it doesn't have to be that right away. If you see less sacrifice in another measure being changed, you might prefer that. This is still your clan."

---

It was a little daunting to hear La'khay describe those parts of her work practices, but Sabine would admit that she had a point.

"I...do trust you and my friends," Sabine answered slowly with anxious strain around her eyes. "I would still be too nervous, though."

Sabine wasn't sure whether it was because she wanted a reminder that she was still the sane one or if she wanted to escape giving La'khay a good reason for her answer. One or both of those things drove her to turn her head to Peiter. Her styled hair felt unfamiliar against her shoulders. "You would get nervous as well, right Peiter?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Not only was Gallus grateful for Meesei's input, but he was happy to see that he was challenging Ri'vashi's perceptions properly rather than have her put up a stubborn wall.

"Meesei is correct. Clans are not armies." Gallus tilted his head to one side, "You do not have to make this place a paradise by any means, but try to see it from the simpler perspective of someone living here. They do not know when this war is going to end. They don't know the danger either. The important part is whether they want to be here." Gallus pointed two fingers across to nowhere in particular. "There will still be those that are never contented, but again, nothing is perfect." Gallus leaned back a little and gestured to Ri'vashi, "Go ahead and try again. What is something that will improve morale? Remember, we only need one thing before the Corinthe stronghold is taken."

---

Sabine hummed unsurely as she felt a flush come up her face. It was a long while before she came up with any answer.

"Because it..." Sabine felt her stomach churn a bit. She tried to take a breath to keep calm. Her voice was still small while she spoke, "I am not afraid with just Peiter. I trust him." Sabine's concentration on her spell was broken and she had to hold onto her brush for a moment, "If I think of trying in front of others...with others...I just feel too nervous. I cannot do it if I am too nervous. I do not enjoy it." Sabine resisted the urge to turn and look at La'khay and disrupt the haircut. "Do you not get nervous?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

It was to be expected that Ri'vashi would react negatively to any suggestions of weakening the defences by helping internal happiness. Gallus wished he could have kept that in mind.

"There is more to this than defending from the outside. The clan stands to rebel if..." Gallus interrupted himself abruptly. "Wait." His eyes went to the table and his brow went down. "Hmm..." Gallus tongue clicked against the top of his mouth and he took a tiny breath in, looking at Ri'vashi curiously. "You've had this discussion many times before with Dro'cahi," a small smile crept onto his face, "in every form, in every way. Well...let's try something different then."

Gallus put his hands flat together in front of himself and pointed his fingertips in Ri'vashi's direction. "You are aware of the morale problem. What would you like to do about it?" Gallus gave Ri'vashi a nod, "Because something does have to be done. I know you know that."

It was his hope that Gallus would get Ri'vashi to admit that this was beyond her expertise. And if it was then she was in the best position to make a suggestion that wouldn't lower the clan's defences too much. He wanted her to try and assume Dro'cahi's mindset without knowing it.

---

As much as Sabine enjoyed the experience of being 'fixed up' by La'khay the last time, she thought it would be onerous to do something like that now. As well, it itched worse than anything short of insect bites for a week following. She tightened her expression for a while before conceding. "Alright." Sabine stepped up and allowed La'khay to do her work. She didn't know if Peiter was going to get the same treatment, as amusing as that would be.

While she was having her hair styled, Sabine curiously picked up one of the paint brushes and rolled the handle between her fingers. Without asking, she charged a telekinesis spell and begun to try and move it finely without touching it. She was going to get her magic practice in one way or another.

"I am sorry if I disappointed you before, La'khay," Sabine said eventually while focussing on the paintbrush. "I do not want to insult you. I just...do not feel comfortable with doing that in front of others." After a pause, Sabine's tone became more curious. "How long do you think the painting will take?"

Call of the Hunt [EliteCommander and Muttonhawk]

Gallus lifted a finger, breathed in, paused, and then let the breath go and his finger lower. His second attempt had him tilting his head forward. "It...may have been such a long time since you and Dro'cahi have seen eye to eye that it may have been forgotten but...he's worried about your safety." Gallus started by explaining slowly but realised he was being confrontational. He tried to salvage the situation by explaining further before Ri'vashi could respond. "Let me put it this way. Morale is low inside the clanhome. Incredibly low. The way things are run? We would only have it this way in Bruma if there was an emergency, and not for any lengthy time. Dro'cahi sees problems with internal stability right now. Discontent, possible mutiny if unchecked. Things that will come up time and again without change." Gallus glanced to the door and back, "People are acting like soldiers when they are not. They cannot keep doing it. So...once this enemy stronghold is taken it will be a window of safety. An opportunity to change a few ways that the clan is run. Being in the mindset of a war can be useful. However, clans aren't armies."

Gallus turned his hand to show a palm. "Starting off, you only have to bring forward one change to lift morale. Increasing rations or reducing drills for non-combatants or something. Once the warband returns? Other changes will be incrementally brought in, under your proposal." Gallus brought his hands together, "I have seen these things Dro'cahi has mentioned myself, so I know that there is truth to his words. At the same time, our warband will be at full strength to eliminate its biggest threat. Right now I personally see it as the best compromise between internal and external security we can have right now."

---

Sabine was visibly relieved when La'khay conceded to a less intimate scene. "Those would be better. Thank you," she said quietly. It might be awkward to hold a kiss still for long enough to be captured in a painting, but Sabine would much prefer that to the original idea.

As she took up a position with Peiter in front of the easel, Sabine's spirits were slightly lifted by the dialogue between La'khay and La'tahne. She stifled a laugh at just how forward they both were to each other. The ridiculousness of having two such people in the same room helped to relax Sabine's self-consciousness as she wrapped her arms around Peiter's sided and up his back. "Should we...just kiss or kiss and hold still for a while?" Sabine asked unsurely. She was hoping that being in a kiss for so long wouldn't cause too much of a dribble down their chins.

Before they began, Sabine looked into Peiter's eyes and asked quietly, "Are you alright with this Peiter?" He had not spoken at all since they entered their room again.