To Stand Against the Crimson Tide

[Psychie]

Garret gives Conrad a long look. "I must confess that I am new to the world of being an Exalt, and I can only speak for the events of the past day. I have been granted what was to me undreamed of power, and can now do things easily that were once impossible. I would hazard a guess that in any encounter between even a very skillful mortal and the Lady Droplets, she will have little to no difficulty in following through in her threats. Just keep that in mind when conversing with her in the future."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets' gaze hardens on the young man. She knew how persuasive she can be, and somehow this man seems to have thwarted her influence, so there might be more to him than meets the eye. She'll have to keep an eye out to him.

She gives Garret a nod of her head at his words. "I have single-handedly decimated an entire temple of heretics last night, do not think that my looks mean that I am weak and can't follow through on my promise." At her side, the restless Incheumon Hunter Thousandfold Wings is stirring, but is kept at bay from the young man by her mistress' force of will.

There's now suspicion in Droplets about this young man. And she will get to the bottom of who and what he is, she promises silently, her face breaking into a hideous smile.

 

[Equusheart]

Sayuri looked back and forth between Droplets and Conrad, becoming nervous at the tense shift in the air.

"Conrad did offer to help us and to join us in turning the tide," she said, stepping in to defuse the situation. Or at least to ease Droplet's thoughts. "I didn't think it would bring harm." Sayuri turned her gaze to Conrad, curious.

"Are you not an Exalted then?" she asked him.

 

[MasterDAF]

Conrad listened to the large armored man's testimony concerning the raw power provided through the process of exaltation. He responded to Garret's verbal cautioning with a shallow smile. "Thank you, sir, I shall keep your advisement in mind."

So he is an exalt as well? And fairly new to it, as seemingly indicated by his explanation. I wonder, by whom was he blessed?

The young Solar nodded along silently as Lady Droplets made mention of her previous night's accomplishments and reiterated her willingness to make good on her threat. He held his tongue in response, worried further pressing might lead to the large wasp-like creature stirring at her side to be allowed a chance to vent her frustration upon him. If that were to happen, Sabah would undoubtedly have something to say about it. There would be no hiding their true natures at that point.

"Unfortunately," Conrad directed his remarks to Sayuri, "I was never graced by the dragons." Considering the storied exigent exalts he had heard tales of from across the world in Great Forks, he added, "nor any other enterprising gods for that matter."

He continued to stroke Sabah nestled in his arm, and a reassuring smile spread across his face. "Yet I was gifted grace by my mother. Martial aptitude by my father. And a host of other natural talents and abilities honed under the watchful eyes of the best tutelage one could provide." He nodded to Sayuri. "Given time, I shall prove myself a worthy asset to you, Lady Akechi. Simply point me in the direction of your enemies, and you shall see what I am capable of."

 

[Sherwood]

Sjet thinks back to a time in her youth when she made her mother mad, and is now quite glad that she didn't get as angry then as she is now. She first looks over at Conrad and says, "You would do well to remember your place here, a mortal in the presence of multiple Exalts of various types. While you may have many useful skills, there is only so much you can do in comparison to the Chosen here." She then looks over at Droplets and says, "Mother, you could be a bit more . . . diplomatic in your dealings with Conrad. He may be only a mortal, but his skills as a leader of men can be of value against the Bronze Tide. Let us all try to remember that they are our true enemy, not one another."

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets looks Sjet in the eyes. Can she not see that no mortal could have stayed stoic in the wake of her words? And then shakes her head. Perhaps it is the folly of youth, or maybe just her eagerness to find Artifacts of her own and to uncover the secrets of the Manse. Her features tone down, slightly and she turns to Conrad "Perhaps, as Sjet says, I should be more diplomatic with you. But I've lived for years in the wilds beyond the city's walls, so diplomacy isn't my strong suite." And she lets this half-assed sentence stand as a sort-of-but-not-quite-an-apology.

 

[MasterDAF]

Conrad waited quietly for a moment after Droplets finished speaking, expecting her to continue where she left off, then realized she had concluded her half-baked apology. "Oh. Well, perhaps we both started with the wrong foot forward." He forced himself to smile at the elderly woman. "I look forward to us finding better footing as we learn to work together," he motioned to Sjet, "just as the young lady mentioned."

Sabah released a content yawn and arched her back. The feline Lunar stretched in her mates's arms and flexed her claws so that they lightly skimmed across his skin without leaving a scratch in their wake. His eyes turned back onto Sjet, pondering her words. 'A mortal in the presence of multiple Exalts of various types.'

Lady Akechi's physical display of elemental characteristics seemed to mark her as a likely child of Sextes Jylis. Yet the others present did not seem to display similar elemental characteristics. He doubted an entire group of exigents would be active this far west from the Scavenger Lands. So where does that leave the rest of them? His gaze shifted across the group. First the undead woman's odd castemark, and now this admission that they include a variety of blessing-bearers within their ranks.

Perhaps my mystery Solar circle-mate is hidden among them? The possibility brought him a pleasant sense of warmth, but this was immediately extinguished by a subsequent dreadful thought. What if it's that horrific undead exalt? What if she cast some kind of wicked spell against the Bronze Tide's invasion, and now in the aftermath this unpleasant bloody wretch is all that remains of the former golden woman I am searching for? The thought was enough to tie his stomach in knots, but he willed himself to ignore the unsettling assumption. For now, his focus needed to be squared on pushing out the invaders. The truth of the matter can be revisited, and if necessary dealt with, later.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Droplets turns to Sjet "I understand you wish to explore more of the Manse, now that you've taken possession of it. We should learn more about it, and how it operates, so that we might make better use of it next time the Bronze Tide tries to attack. Granted, they will also be more prepared for the Exalts they know about."
She then turns her attention to Sayuri "And I understand your house's lands beyond the walls are dealing with some of the remnants of the fleet. We should deal with them also soon. While I am sure Conrad here is more than capable, it might be best if we can show them what Exalts do when faced with a ragtag army. And it would let me hone my very own newly awakened knowledge of warfare, and my knowledge of the wild lands around the city."
At last, she turns to Garret, and pauses a bit before she speaks, as their bond is new and both exciting and terrifying "And what do you wanna do? What is it you wish to accomplish?" And feeling sheepish she adds "You said we're bonded, but would you follow me to the Underworld if need be?" And while that remark was said to Garret, it was intended to gauge Conrad's reaction to this. Trying to see what he might feel about Lunars, if he could figure or suspect it.

OOC

If need be, Droplets will make a read intentions on Conrad, with full excellency, for 10 dice.{/OOC]

 

[Sherwood]

Sjet nods, saying, "I suspect that there is something in the Manse trying to communicate with me, and I am unsure as to what that is. I have also discovered much to my own chagrin that I cannot rely upon my own powers to defend myself against the swords and spears of the enemy, and I hope to find some armor that will be useable by me in there."

When the question came up of going into the Underworld, Sjet perks up. "I would love to go to the Underworld to see for myself as to what I have learned in both books and lessons at your feet. Mother, you can count me in." She looks over at Garret, wondering what his response to this question would be.