Return of the Emblem Chapter Twelve: Divergent Paths

[Ether]

Well, that was different. Someone Arietta hadn't seen before, one of Raquel's steady stream of new people no doubt, began battering away at one of the training dummies with a decently sized claymore... it was good to see she wasn't the only one around who had a preference for heavy weapons, at the least. The woman had stopped, for now, talking to another of the fairly recent additions... though Arietta recognized Erion vaguely, he had likely been with them a tad longer.

Either way, the pair appeared to be conversing in Skotian, and while she didn't know much of the language she did manage to catch a quip about the fate of that poor mannequin. Slinging her maul over her shoulder, the warrior made her way over to the pair.

"Aye, don't worry 'bout the dummies, Boss's got plenty'a the things lyin' around... what good are they if y'don't beat em' down anyway?"

***

And there Gar went with the demolition suggestion... how typical. Still, Angelica would have to sit this one out regardless... besides, she was looking forward to lunch, eating some food would help her recover faster, and just a few fruits wouldn't cut it for very long.

***

It seemed she would likely be waiting a bit for her purchase... oh well, Faatina wasn't overly miffed about it, she had expected a wait... what she was somewhat miffed about was the prospect of this demolition thing.

"But if you bring the whole thing down what happens to people like Colin? Not everyone there needs to be taken down with Sardis, Raquel..."

[scorri]

Erion shrugged. <"No reason to be jealous. You and I flirted some, that's all. You're allowed to flirt with others."> He grinned at her and then continued, <"Hmm, don't think I know who Gwyn is but... It's ok. You're a friend. I'm here to listen to your problems if you want. But things will be ok, don't worry.">

Edited April 27, 2014 by scorri

[Nanami Touko]

Eva took notice of this other woman, having only really noticed Erion in the rain. It certainly wasn't that bad, the weather, but it was enough for her to not immediately snap to things. "Er, yeah. That's good. Wouldn't want to have to pay for replacing it." She had a rather large maul, and at almost any other time, Eva would be fine to ask for a challenge. But now, she was in no mood. "<I can, huh? And, well... I just feel like a bit of a hypocrite, really.>" She moved over to Erion as she didn't exactly want the other woman to listen in, not knowing if she understood 'Skotian or not. "<I get all up and at 'em about fighting, but as soon as Raquel wanted to rush off on her own, I jumped up to stop her, like you and Angelica have been trying to stop me. Oh, yeah, that's right,>" she clued in. "<Raquel's getting people ready to try and fight Sardis. Figured you'd want to know. You don't have to worry about me, by the way. Feeling a bit better already after beating up that dummy. I'll be fine within the hour.>" She gave him a smile, this time completely sincere. "<Thanks for listening, even if it was only a little bit, Erion.>"

[Ether]

And immediately they were back to their conversation... Arietta couldn't understand any of what they were saying at this point, so walked off with a shrug. She supposed it would probably for the best to have a bit of downtime after her match with Axel, anyway.

[Toogee]

Jam watched as Amon and Malik passed by. The latter seemed to be none too thrilled to see her. She felt they had gotten on the wrong foot ever since they first met on the road. This didn’t seem to be the time to repair those relations however.

<“Happy hunting,”> Jam replied, though she wasn’t sure if that was the appropriate response. Neither seemed to react to her presence in the first place, so it was probably OK.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Eli still wasn’t convinced about the whole first strike strategy. Nor was he convinced that the mansion was the safest place, especially after last night. Not to mention the guy that can shoot wagon-destroying magic. Then again, he was just the mailboy, while the group seemed to have done this kind of thing before.

He noticed that Tia had no qualms volunteering. That wasn’t surprising considering the girl’s nature. Raquel didn’t seem to object bringing her along, which was the opposite Eli was feeling. This still felt like a suicide mission; bringing children along wasn’t a great idea no matter how good she was. If this was anything like last time, someone would have to fly her there. That someone would likely be…

“Can someone pass the liquor.” Eli asked anyone. “Any liquor will do.” He needed to be good and drunk to accept this mission.

[Script]

A Man Called Gar

"Probably shouldn't sabotage my own idea like this, but there should be some sort of back-up if things don't boom as plan," Gar admitted. "These guys have all sorts of stupid freaky powers so it wouldn't surprise me if this doesn't get them all. Maybe the grunts they clearly don't give a damn about but the toughest bastards might have a trick or two up their sleeves to survive." But until he had the building layout Gar couldn't do much more planning on a big boom so he focused on the other thing he couldn't do. "Doing some rearrangement huh?" He rubbed his chin with his free hand. "On one hand I'd have helped, on the other I can't do heavy lifting so eh."

[Snowy_One]

"Of course I can. In fact, if anything, rain would only make me stronger. Lot more free material so I'll have to focus less. The only hard part is keeping it stable, but with less energy having to be focused on my offensive spells I can easily focus on the mist more. Heck, if the enemies weren't willing to kill a poor, cute, innocent girl I could keep the mist going with one hand easily."

[Mercakete]

"Or, you all could get a bunch of Wrathites and other military jerks using the attack as a convenient excuse to detain and do whatever else to the lot of you," Norbert returned. Though it wasn't directly aimed at Greta, it was in response to what she said. He didn't really have much positive experience with Ursian law enforcers. "As per my experience, it's better to just avoid them altogether."

That said, he began thinking about Suzume's answer. Well, on the one hand, that could possibly mean that Anna and Ernesta were busy with other things so he and Suzume still had some free time. On the other hand, it could mean that they were supposed to stay relatively put. He'd been striking something of a balance today, though not really out of concern for what either of the two zeroes would prefer. He shook his head. "This is a bad idea. I think the best plan was to warp in, grab your dad, and warp out, if it's not going to endanger Hypnos, but then we're basically asking to be attacked. I'm all for fighting them, but not like this. They're all gathered in one spot, and though that makes them easy to squash if you catch them unaware, it also makes them dangerous. We could be seeing a lot more deaths on our side if we attack them now. That guy who tore a hole through the Dauntless? That was a warning shot if I ever saw one. And that is why I can't go, if nothing else. I'm not putting Rizen at risk like that. Wait until Sardis is further from that guy to kill him, I say."

Just then, a thought occurred to Norbert. "Huh. Actually... If they're all over here..." A grin spread across his face. "Guess where they're not."

Gar's response to Suzume didn't go unnoticed, but first things were first. To be honest, when she said she was rearranging things, he thought she meant more like...smaller things. Not entire pieces of furniture. It was something he could potentially help out with, but now just plain wasn't the time. Besides, he was hungry.

[roymbrog]

Valter attempted to restrain Charles, spinning him around with an arm latched round his neck. The ramifications of his rash actions were not lost on him, as he tried to think of ways to get them out of this mess. The other soldier inside the building had pulled weapons, and Valter had counted at least 6, probably more, outside. With wards and healing from Joanna he could probably take 3 of them, maybe 4? He wasn’t sure. If there were more guns, chances were lessened dramatically… and there probably were.

Plan B was use Charles as a hostage, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t get them very far. Joanna was pleading with them to stop as well… He was convinced there was no way to salvage the situation by this point, however. Even if we backed off now, I doubt they’d leave us alone afterwards. We’ve said and done - I’ve done - too much… Wrathdammit, they’ve already stolen the emblem fragment, why must they take Joanna too?

The cleric began to apologize for something, thought he didn’t find out what as she cut herself off in favor of pleading with them again. “I believe we have provoked them already,” he stated bitterly. I don’t think she understands how much we value her…

---

Kat had originally come to the dining hall for a snack before changing out of her wet clothes, but if they were going to head out again soon in that rainstorm she didn’t see the point of putting on something dry right now. Instead she went and sat down at the table Zach was at to wait for lunch to be served. She was vaguely pay attention to the discussion, but only because she wanted to know what the final decision would be on how to proceed. If it turned out she shouldn’t come along she could go change, after all.

[-Cynthia-]

Hallway

"I don't see why it matters to stay informed when ya are too tired to do much of anythin', but I'll let ya know important stuff as soon as I do," Nadya reassured Shadrak, supporting him with her arm and ushering him to her bedroom so he wouldn't be laying in the hall.

Dining Hall

"Colin has chosen his side and he knows the consequences for doing so," Veronika addressed Faatina's concern. "We will have enough trouble trying to keep ourselves alive, trying to spare the enemy just makes things more dangerous." She chose not to remark on the other tactical discussion for now- without the report from the scout planning seemed premature.

Workshop

Connor smiled a little at the fact that Anna seemed more concerned about the rain than the danger of the situation. "A cloak protects against the rain pretty well," he suggested before turning to the workers. "All right, I think we all know what we need to do, let's keep working everyone!" Keep your mind on the project- there's nothing you can do for this scouting mission, he tried to remind himself.

Edited April 27, 2014 by -Cynthia-

[Balcerzak]

When Helena heard the sound of a body falling into the mud, she couldn't help but smile a little at the result of her teasing. Cyrus still had an innocent streak a mile wide, it seemed, and that was just fine by her. At least he was picking up on things enough to be embarrassed now, though. That had certainly not been the case in the beginning, and sometimes the blind woman wondered if he'd actually believed the excuse she'd given that first night.

"You better be alright, Gwyn would kill me if I broke you," Helena joked back, still smiling, in response to her friend's reassurances. He proceeded to explain a little bit more of the surrounding circumstances, and she nodded in understanding. She couldn't deny that at the first mention of an old friend her mind had leapt to Valor, but the qualifying elaboration had quashed that completely. Still, it would be interesting to meet this person from the two's pasts and maybe get to hear some stories from before they'd met. Caught up in thought, Helena had almost missed Cyrus's cue to her, but his question about front or back brought her back to the present.

That... was actually a very surprising offer, truthfully. The front was always Gwyn's position, and Helena doubted the virtuoso would ever give it away willingly. If she wanted to, now would probably be the best chance to ever take up the opportunity. It might even be a way to tweak her off a little bit, if she was waiting for them to return and saw them land... maybe. Should she? While still giving the matter some consideration, she reached out and got a hand on Cyrus, before lifting her foot and waiting for him to move his cupped hands under it, so she could get boosted up atop Glen.

"Weeeell, I am familiar with that saying, 'Only the lead dog gets to see the scenery', but well you know... that sort of thing isn't really important to me," Helena voiced her conclusion. It would be better to tease Gwyn some other way. Stealing her spot on top of stealing her minion might just be too much, after all. "Besides, how would I be able to hug you the whole trip long unless I was behind you?"

Edited April 27, 2014 by Balcerzak

[Phoenix]

Hallway

Growing a bit desperate, Shadrak tried to convince Nadya to help him. "Listen ... I can get my strength back if I just find a good source of energy. I don't need to lie down." He hoped the image of what happened to Amon didn't come to mind for her, otherwise she might abandon him in a room somewhere. "Some plants, anything like that," he pleaded, "I won't use it on a person, don't worry ... I just need to get my strength back, that's all."

Dining Hall

"Huh?" Raquel wasn't into guessing games, so she waited expectantly after Norbert seemed to realize something.

"A bit early for liquor isn't it?" Reign asked Eli, somewhat rhetorically, as he stood up and made his way over to Raquel. She'd mentioned a demonstration earlier which she hoped would put their minds at ease and he planned on bringing it up again once the time was right, and even offering to pretend to be a bewildered Jethro if she needed one.

Veronika seemed pretty resolute about the Colin situation, but Raquel wasn't quite yet. It was times like this when she was reminded that her single minded focus on Sardis was going to get a lot of other people killed too, people who probably didn't deserve to simply die. It was true, Colin worked for Sardis, but he hadn't abducted her father or killed anyone she cared for. Maybe he was simply on the wrong side. As irritating a person as he was, she wasn't so quick to write him and others off. For now, though, Gar's plan combined with her own seemed like the surest way to avoid casualties on their end.

Johnny and Erica soon appeared, apparently in a big rush. They quickly rolled out a small mountain's worth of fruits and vegetables and then ran back into the kitchen to fetch some more. "Hurry, we don't want the food to overcook," Erica reminded Johnny, as if he needed reminding.

"I know, I know," he shot back as they vanished into the kitchen entryway.

"Oi," Gabbie called over from the entryway. "Anna's gonna check the place out and she's taking me with her ... for obvious reasons," Gabbie explained, looking a little miserable. "It shouldn't take more than half an hour, so worry about lunch for now. We'll be back soon."

"I'm guessing Anna didn't get charged for your help," Raquel scowled at the lancer and received one in return.

"Of course not. Who wants to doie twoice?" Gabbie muttered. Amon and Malik passed by her and entered the dining hall as she turned to leave.

Glen's Place

"You can't win, you know that," Charles hissed through his teeth as he tried to break free. "The winged cleric isn't exactly difficult to track down, especially not in these parts. We'll find her again, after you two are put down like the dogs you are!"

"Joanna, you need to get away from here," Glen said, looking as if he was about to do something. "Go upstairs to my bedroom and climb out the window. From there you can get away. The wrathites won't be able to stop you from here. Just fly as far away as you can and hide somewhere. Anywhere." The barrel of the gun shook uneasily as Glen struggled with the situation. He'd been angry up until now, but with his own execution full warranted, he was beginning to sober up quickly and mightily.

"I can't," Joanna refused. If she left now, it'd be the last time she'd see either of them alive and she knew it. "Sir Charles, please, if there's anything I can do to have them pardoned for this, tell me."

"Pardoned? It's your duty as an Ursian citizen to cooperate; that much is expected of you, girl," Charles struggled to remind her. He felt there was little else she could do to appease him ... except maybe heal his wrist. Even though it was only bordering on a minor fracture, the soft skin and innards were in so much pain he could hardly keep from wincing.

"This is my fault. If I had surrendered more quickly, they wouldn't have had a chance to do this. Please, I don't want them to suffer for my mistake," she pleaded. She didn't want them to suffer at all, but this was the best she could hope for right now.

Pardoned? Is she serious? Even now she's more focused on saving us than herself? Dammit, it's like we're the ones in the wrong now, even though the wrathites are about to lock her away for some made up crime. It's not right, Glen thought to himself, the gun still shaking in his hand.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Phoenix

[Eail]

Zach gave a sigh as everything was practically exploding around him, with the way Eva stormed off and tension already in the air from the whole Raquel debate. "I'll be here if you need me." He gave as a reply to Gwyn as she left, though he wasn't alone at the table for long before Katrina came to sit with him. "Never dull moment around here, is there Kat?"

_______

After a rather quick bathing session, and a change of clothes later, Alphonse was walking around in a plain white shirt. His normally somewhat spiky hair was still damp and laying down for once. Heading towards the dining hall where he figured it would almost be lunch time. Upon arrive and seeing how tense everything seemed to be he quickly sought out his go-to dancer girl "What did I miss Jam?"

[Toogee]

"With what's being planned, I'm surprised no one else is drinking," Eli replied to Reign. "Everyone here might be used to these raids of people who shoot pulverizing magic. This all sounds like suicide to me- oh you're gone. Well then..."

Appetizers were coming in, which Eli kindly partook some carrots. They would surely go great with some booze.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jam took note of the staff bringing in food to the dining hall. She followed along, with Alphonse not far behind. Once they were in, she summarized the situation.

"Hey Alphy," Jam greeted. "Now let's see...Raquel's father was kidnapped by some guy named Sardis and she wants to go get him. Not everyone was on board, so she strated glowing and yelling. Then one-armed girl started yelling...and by the looks of things, everyone's making plans to blow up Sardis' house...or something. I kinda left after the yelling. Ooh, grapes!"

The dancer grabbed a handful of grapes and leaned against the wall, tossing grapes in the air and into her mouth.

[Ether]

"I'll fight him if I have to... I'm not going to aim to kill him but I'm not just going to let him waltz by me in the thick of things... but that's different than blowing the whole place and everyone in it sky high just because Sardis is there." Faatina replied to Veronika, a tad unsettled by how dismissive the woman was of all this... Raquel seemed to be taking a bit of pause, at the very least.

"And what if the guards get involved, like was mentioned already... they could get caught in the blast too... and it's one thing to pick a fight with a group like the Organization, but if we go through with this won't we be hunted down by the military before we can get out of the city?"

[-Cynthia-]

Hallway

"Ya know I ain't inclined to lecture on and on about what's natural and whatnot, but maybe ya should consider gettin' energy by eatin' and sleepin' like a normal person instead of suckin' the life outta things?" Nadya asked Shadrak pointedly.

Dining Hall

"I agree that we should avoid any actions that could be considered as aggressive towards the Ursian military- if they were to see us as criminals that would make our lives in Ursium very difficult," Veronika considered aloud.

[roymbrog]

As Charles struggled to break free, Valter struggled to keep hold of him, eventually unsheathing a knife and holding it at his throat to make things easier. “Keep in mind that as things stand, there’s no way you’re getting out of this alive either. You may want to reconsider your position,” he told the man.

Glen suggested an escape route for Joanna, which gave Valter something to work with to at least get one of them out… He was fairly certain that no matter what Charles told the girl, if she was arrested he and Glen would be killed anyway. He owed some serious apologizes to Joanna’s friend for how the situation had escalated, but this probably wasn’t the time. “Joanna, please, read my mind for a moment.” It was easier than a lengthy explanation outloud, and part of what he wanted to explain he didn’t want to Wrathites to hear anyway.

Whether or not you go with Charles, it’s doubtful he is going to leave us unharmed. At least, read his mind to confirm before making a decision. If that is the case, ward us and follow Glen’s advice. Fly to Weyland’s estate and explain the situation to him. I have my reservations about the man, but he should be able to keep you safe there for now. It is of utmost importance that news of the Wrathites’ obtaining a Fire Emblem fragment reaches there. As for us, I promise to do what I can for your friend. I don’t plan on dying here. “Did you get that?”

---

Synthia sat periodically sipping her tea, observing those around her, and inwardly fuming about her voice situation. Fruit was brought from the kitchen, which helped a bit, and she scooted down the table to grab one of the pears.

---

“Nope!” Katrina replied, smiling cheerily despite the tense atmosphere and her being rather damp. It wasn’t that she was oblivious, she was just making a conscious effort to be positive about the whole thing. “Were you planning to go with Raquel too? I came in late so I missed a lot of what went down,” she explained.

[Mercakete]

Norbert shrugged lightly as he addressed Raquel's lack of guessing. "Neviskotia. You were planning on going there, right? Maybe heading over to their place while they're in Ursium is the safest way for you to make some progress: you can attack their base while they're not home and then they won't have any help coming from home. Who knows? Maybe you'll get stronger along the way, too. Pass the guard, punch them in the face when their reflexes kick in. That's what I think. Sure, it means waiting to get your father back, but when the enemy's bigger and stronger than you..." his casual expression shifted to one more serious "you have to fight hard and smart, not just hard."

[Phoenix]

Hallway

"My way is faster," Shadrak quickly explained, "and besides ... I don't have a reason to be normal anymore, not after what I've been through." Shadrak tried to force himself to stand up straight, and for the most part was doing alright. "I can't just lie down for who knows how long while something important's going on. There are people a lot worse off than I am, right now." Physically, at least. Though ... even mentally I feel much better just being awake again.

Dining Hall

"But we don't know where their base is or if it's actually in Neviskotia ... we're still just chasing leads like always," Raquel noted grimly. "Besides, I'm not sure I could give up on rescuing my father when he's this close in favor of hitting whatever their main base is when hardly anyone's around." Norbert's suggestion did remind her that Sardis wasn't the actual leader of the Org, just a division--or ten--of henchmen. She also began to wonder just how devoted she would be to taking down Sardis once she had her father back. She wasn't sure her resolve would last beyond that all of a sudden, especially if more people were going to die as a result.

"Speaking of the rescue and 'fighting smart'," Reign interjected, feeling like it was the right time, "you said you'd show us how you were going to handle that. Since that's the crucial part of this and we're waiting on more intel, maybe you should get in a practice run or two ... assuming you have the energy for that."

Hypnos was no longer taking a regular toll on her energies, so in the short term, she had plenty. A practice warping or two wouldn't put a dent in her reserves, and she also had her warp staff for backup if something went wrong. "Umm, sure," she agreed, though she was still distracted by other thoughts.

Glen's Place

Joanna complied with the initial request, listening for Valter's thoughts and hoping there was no sacrificial plan in the works. It seemed as though there was, or at least the risk of it becoming such. "I heard you, but I ..." but so many things she couldn't quite put into words or convey to Valter without them. She didn't want him, Glen, or the wrathites harmed or killed, and she also didn't understand why telling Weyland about the emblem situation was important. Protection for herself, she understood full well, but not this fire emblem issue. She would have asked about that aloud if only she could.

With a knife now at Charles' throat, a gun seemed slightly redundant, and so Glen put it to better use by aiming it at the wrathite who brought the warrant and those behind him. "Don't come any closer," he warned them. His hand wasn't shaking as much anymore.

"You don't have the trousers, kid," the wrathite goaded him as he inched forward once.

"Shut up ... and stay back, I said!"

"Never shot a soul in your life before, have you? Don't worry, that won't change today."

"Reconsider my position? If I live, I continue a decorated career in service to the Order of our Lord Wrath. If I die, I die an exemplar of my Lord and go off to meet him in Zion. You on the other hand can die like a dog by my hand or by my men," Charles shot back at Valter. "LIsten to me, girl," he turned his attention toward Joanna briefly, "these two will not leave this building alive if you defy me. My men will see to that."

"I want to believe you but after what you just told Valter, how can I trust you'll keep your word? Especially if you won't let them come with me?" She doubted the questioning would do much more than upset him, but at this rate, she would have to fall back to Valter's plan, and she didn't see everyone walking away from that.

"Urgh, are you questioning my sincerity? My honor as a servant of Lord Wrath?!"

"Yes," Joanna nodded, half afraid and half dead serious. He had at least threatened to spin the story in his favor if things came to violence, so she felt justified here.

Edited April 28, 2014 by Phoenix

[-Cynthia-]

Hallway

"I don't think relyin' on other livin' things to keep yourself healthy is gonna turn out well for anybody. I saw what ya did to Amon last night," Nadya said to Shadrak crossly. "Healer's orders are get some food and rest, I ain't sacrificin' plants and animals."

Dining Hall

"Do you know how often you can use this power until it...runs out? I am unfamiliar with how this emblem energy works, but from what I understand most mages cannot do magic infinitely," Veronika asked Raquel. It seemed an important matter to discuss if their plans were to hinge upon it in any way.

[Snowy_One]

"Ummm... Excuse me, Raquel, but if we are heading to Neviskotia and we need intel, maybe I can be of assistance. My father was once a general in the army and, even though he is retired now, maybe his name can still hold enough weight among his friends for us to gain access to army intelligence. I am sorry if that is stupid or interrupting, but I would like to help if possible."

[Phoenix]

Hallway

"It's all the same; my way is just faster," Shadrak stressed. "You want to stay alive, you eat living things. I only did that to Amon because it was the only way I would survive. I was losing too much blood and we had no cover." Despite how many weeks in the past that event felt, Shadrak remembered it well enough to stress the point that it was an extreme and unlikely circumstance, not a habit of friendly fire he'd be using again. He was going to be strong enough to pull through some other way in the future, he decided then and there.

Dining Hall

"I won't run out of energy doing this if that's what you're wondering," Raquel assured Veronika. She couldn't give anything more specific because it was just a feeling she had that Hypnos confirmed earlier that morning. Speaking of Hypnos ... "See, before today, Hypnos was slowly eating away all of that energy. Now that he's back with Nyx, the energy is just sitting there until I use it. I can just tell there's plenty of it left, more than enough for this and a few dozen repeats."

"Whatever name Neviskotian Intelligence goes by these days, they might not come up with much more than what Weyland found," Reign remarked when Robin mentioned using her father to get classified information to civilians. Why would a retired officer help us, anyway? Around half the group's foreign or Ursian. " That's not to say it isn't worth a try but I won't hold my breath, and either way, that's gotta be several different kinds of illegal."

Raquel didn't know much about foreign matters like these, so she shrugged at Robin at first. "If you think it'll work?" Given what Reign just pointed out, she was less sure about the idea than she let on.

As the maid who had been tending to Shadrak stepped into the dining hall, Greta spotted her bandaged hands and winced, wondering if those were more injuries from the previous night's battle. She doubted it, since she'd seen this woman in the basement or at least thought she recognized her face. The maid was quickly making for the kitchen and so she didn't try to investigate her injuries nor her identity for the time being. People who were in a rush typically had a reason, so ....

[Mercakete]

"The lead's worth following, I think. If nothing else, it's at least less suicidal than this," Norbert replied, "If you get their attention now, you might not just be risking yourself. The military could blame you for an attack on a group of 'innocent people in a building,' if you did manage to get your father back over here, I don't see a reason why they wouldn't just unload all their power -- which will be stronger than last time -- on Weyland and his people to get him back and make a statement, or they could just plan an ambush for you when you decide to leave Europa. You're outmanned and outgunned. Provoking them now, whether or not they already know your location, could not only get someone killed, but could hurt any long-term plans you or your allies might have. And then what do you think they're going to do when they're done? They'll go back to protecting whatever places are important to them and your opportunity to make this easier on yourself will have passed."

All that said, he was a little surprised to hear that Hypnos no longer lived in Raquel's head. She still had her emblem energy, too. So long as Hypnos was safe, things seemed to have worked out for the best of everyone involved. Raquel could now user her power without worrying about Hypnos' safety, and the spirit didn't have to worry about suddenly not existing. The pegasus rider wouldn't help but wonder what would happen now, though, at least where his training was concerned. If Hypnos couldn't train him anymore, that was fine, though a shame. Being able to train while you're sleeping isn't an opportunity you usually get. If it meant that Raquel and Hypnos were safer this way, though, he couldn't complain. The news about Robin's father was strange. He never really pinned her for a retired general's daughter, and he had to admit, that made him a little suspicious of the woman.

That aside, he'd given Raquel his reasons for why he thought it was better to bypass this attack for the time being and didn't plan on trying to convince her either way. The food (at least in part) had been made available, too. He decided he'd rather wait, though, until more than just fruit was available. In the meantime, he returned his attention to Suzume. "You know, when you said you were rearranging things, I didn't think you meant furniture. Did Ernesta let you have a room on the third floor like you wanted?" That brought to mind a couple other questions. "And how was the fight last night? You look okay, but it can't have been easy."

[-Cynthia-]

Hallway

"I understand why ya did it, but I'm sayin' just wait to recover energy the natural way if ya can," Nadya said decisively, not agreeing with Shadrak's arguments.

Dining Hall

Robin being a general's daughter was surprising, but not the most relevant information at the moment so Veronika decided to file it away for later.

"Couldn't they attack Weyland or ambush us before leaving Europa regardless of what we do? They obviously know Weyland is here and could easily guess where we were headed after the battle at the fort. If we attack them, we at least have the element of surprise rather than waiting until they have an advantage," she responded to Bert.

[roymbrog]

Valter had no expectation of Joanna being pleased with his advice, but she hadn't immediately struck the idea down which meant it at least was under consideration. That was good. What wasn't good was the other Wrathite in the room trying to call. Glen's bluff. Valter wasn't sure if the man did have the resolve to shoot someone, but he certainly sounded like it at the moment.

At Charles's declaration, the horseman scoffed. "I find it hard to believe you have no fear of death," he said. Though he couldn't pinpoint what exactly gave him that impression, he was pretty sure it was accurate. Maybe... hmm. Glaring pointedly at the soldier testing Glen, he pressed the blade a bit harder against Charles's neck. It had the dual purpose of reminding the soldier that the pistol was not the only weapon threatening someone, and as a means to determine Charles's conviction. How would he react?

Joanna was still trying to trade for their freedom, but this time she brought the Wrathites' trustworthiness into question. Charles acted surprised at the lack of trust. How cute. "You've given us plenty of reason to distrust you," he pointed out