[SE] If it isn't the consequences of my own actions

I am not a product of my circumstances.

Hearing the invitation, Elizabeth pushed open the office door to find a very pleasant surprise. She grinned, waving at the pudgy fingers that greeted her. "Why hello! It's a good thing I brought two pies." Her hands raised to present the basket as evidence of her words, the smell of fresh pastry and sweet fillings permeating through the cloth that had kept them protected from the snowy weather. Despite addressing his father, she kept her eyes on the child as she asked, "Would it be okay if Erebos had some pie while we discuss things?" She raised a charming eyebrow, wishing that their meeting would allow for her to linger on more lighthearted matters; but alas, the letter in her possession demanded a response.  

Elizabeth glanced to Sah as she made her way to one of the available seats, wondering if he wanted to start or if she should. Sensing that it may be best for Deimos to read the issue himself, she pulled the carefully folded letter from her pocket, eyes more serious as she offered it to the Warden. It was clearly addressed to Sah Lovi & Elizabeth Fraiser, but she added for clarification, "We received this when we returned from Stormbreak."

Elizabeth

I am a product of my decisions.

Sah

True.. As they walked in, Sah smiled warmly when he spotted Erebos. He couldn't resist giving the little one a friendly wave, "Hey there, Erebos. You're helping your dad out today?" The kid was adorable, and it made the Wild Thunder miss when Soleil and Luka were younger.

Unfortunately, there was little time for pleasantries, not with the Reaper's metaphorical scythe drawing closer by the day. As Elizabeth slid the letter over, Sah placed his response down beside it, as well as the list options that the two mages had brainstormed together. He ran a hand through his hair, jaw tightening. "I apologize in advance for the migraine, but we wanted to get your input before we did anything else." Deimos had enough to deal with already, but his wisdom an input were invaluable.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

DEIMOS

the ocean does not apologize for its depth
and the mountains do not seek forgiveness

“He would not refuse,” he snorted, knowing it was about to take a more unfortunate turn – the focus on pie already the furthest thing from his mind. But Erebos was keen and happy to wave his arms about to Sah and Elizabeth alike, beginning to shout out in strains of ”Pie! Pie!” like a greedy little gremlin, having long since dropped the pencil. “Thank you,” Deimos offered, and the child seemed to recall some manner of politeness, because he echoed the same.

For now – it was letters and papers and documents, and the beginning of a headache inducing litany of warnings, threats, omens, and plotting, scheming, that he hadn’t been involved in. Any noticeable alteration in his disposition, as he persisted in reading, was a noteworthy furrowing to his brow, a clenched jaw, and a long, long sigh filtering in and out of his chest. Nor did he enjoy the rapidly unfurling timeline. “Wonderful,” he uttered in deep, rumbling sarcasm, leaning back in his chair and rubbing at his eyes. Erebos bounced with glee as he granted and gave over the smallest portions to the little beast, then leaned against the palm of his hand, going back and forth over the notions.

No other region, as far as he’d gathered, had dealt with this level of difficulty for similar quests. Whether or not this was going to become the new norm rankled at him too; mind going back and forth over the possibilities. “I will admit I do not like the thought of going to Starfall on my own,” for a crystal, if all of this couldn’t be worked out. He'd do it, but the damage could be costly. “Nor the immediate response,” he pinned his gaze upon Sah. “But I also have no intentions of putting anyone in Halo at risk of repercussions.” Why everything had become presently more and more trifling was already grating at his nerves; but he bit back hordes of oaths. “The negotiation can be dangerous as well.” His gaze flickered over their points of discussion, unfortunately uncertain on what the Family would want – and not yearning to grant them anything in return. Not after the bout of nonsense they’d recently endured. “As far as ceasefires go, we have done nothing to them – the Family have been the ones driving at us.” And the Sword wouldn’t consider healing people from their antagonistic approach as shots fired. Nor defending their home. “Giving the bird back would give us time to consider other options.” But he arched his brow, glancing between Thunder and therapist, waiting to hear their approaches, rather than simply read them on paper.

for the space they take
and so, neither shall I

I am not a product of my circumstances.

Pulling out the apple and pumpkin pies, she let Deimos choose and arrange for Erebos to enjoy the treat while she listened to his thoughts on the matter. She could understand his reasoning on almost everything, nodding along at the different points, however, she waited for him to finish before speaking. "I agree that Starfall in an unnecessary and dangerous risk. That's not right to you, and that's not smart when we have other options." So it seemed simple enough to strike that from their minds. 

Elizabeth leaned back, her hair shifting with the shake of her head. "But I disagree with returning the bird." Her eyes were still warm, but there was a level of experience and calculation in them, confident with her knowledge of people. "It may give us more time, but it will make us appear weak. If we show that they can easily push us around with a simple letter, then I think they'll do more than just threaten." They'd already seen what kinds of beasts the Family was willing to send after Halo. If they thought they could take them out (or over), she didn't think they would pull any punches. 

She crossed her legs and titled her head, trying to find a different angle. "Even if we did return it, what other choices do we have? I don't think time will help when there are explicitly two options to completing the quest." Sighing, she shrugged her shoulders. "I understand that negotiations would be dangerous, but I think it's more important to change this from a hostile interaction to one of mutual beneficence."

Elizabeth

I am a product of my decisions.

Sah

Sah glanced at Erebos before looking back up to Deimos with a sharp nod, "Nor would we want you to go." It was too risky and there was far too much to lose. The Wild Thunder, unaware of Deimos' immortality, would never have forgiven himself if the Sword had gone and never returned. Erebos and Evie needed him.

The younger hybrid didn't react to Deimos' pointed look. His response may have been hasty, but Sah didn't regret the contents, only that he'd left little room for negotiation. And negotiation was the route that he agreed with. "I'm with Elizabeth on this. Giving the bird back has long term repercussions and if there wasn't possible room to negotiate, why would Dahlia send a letter instead of just coming herself?" From what he'd heard, the Reaper was certainly strong enough to overpower the two mages.

Sah gestured to their list, "I think that we should finalize our list of options and send it to her in a response letter. She can let us know if she prefers one, and then we can fulfil our end of the trade."

 He paused before adding, "And my 'we', I mean Elizabeth and me. If someone else shows up with us, I fear it'll make things go south." Dahlia could claim 'foul play' or some other mechanism to sway things in her favor.

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

DEIMOS

the ocean does not apologize for its depth
and the mountains do not seek forgiveness

One brow arched while he listened, gaze occasionally drifting to the sheer amount of pie stuck to Erebos’s face, but otherwise absorbing the debate. “And these negotiations have potential repercussions as well.” There was no easy way around the doldrums now, and as a figure who represented protection, he’d do exactly that – laying out the foundations and multitudes they may have forgotten, or simply not known. “Ultimately, we do not have the power to challenge them – and they know it. They took Ronin’s rapier. They can infect entire regions and people.” For the moment, Caido had flowers, willpower, and determination – and while it had afforded them well to a certain point, the balances could shift at any time. “They already killed Flora and Jack simply because they could.” Which led to another point. “Sunjata informed me that Remi and Ronin are no longer involved in anything with the Family,” case in part, due to the constant league of threats. “This letter may very well be an omen – and I do not want it to come down on either of you.”

And the blind faith in arbitration made him shake his head and rub at the back of his neck. “From what I understand and gather, the Family values control. Taking over. Why snag an animal of ours, when they can infest them on their own?” His eyes roamed along the list, sighing once more. A cease-fire when they hadn’t been the ones preying upon Stormbreak didn’t strike him along the right chords, and offering Halovians to never set foot in the region blurred into the inconsequential too, considering they’d still be trying to hang onto the void flier. Then, he opted to get to the bare bones of it, piercing gaze settled on both of them. “It is far more likely they will infect or kill one of you, and then take the bird back anyway. From what Sunjata claimed, once you are turned, they can command you entirely.”

for the space they take
and so, neither shall I

I am not a product of my circumstances.

Although she'd been unaware of some of the facts laid before them, none of them changed her opinion on the matter. Bullies would only get worse when given fuel. And she knew bullies well. Shaking her head, Elizabeth tried not to come off too strong, her voice soft but confident in her knowledge. "Just because they are more powerful doesn't mean we need to further confirm their suspicions by backing off."

His other points were logical, things that should absolutely be considered when they went to negotiate, but if he wanted to have the discussion now, they could. Elizabeth met his stare with one of her own, completely unbothered by the bluntness of his statement. "Then we don't bring the bird to negotiations, and you don't tell us where it is." She didn't touch on the 'kill' or 'infect' portion of his argument, certain he wouldn't like her opinion on the matter. 

Feeling that she may be getting too confrontational with the leader of Halo, she leaned back in her chair to create some distance and allow some fresh air between them. She let out a sigh, raising a hand to calm any rising tensions. "Look. I understand the hesitation, but I think we'd be making a huge mistake and possibly missing out on a big opportunity by returning the bird." Her and Sah had easily settled on what they thought was the best course of action, so why was Deimos so against it? The Family may be dangerous, but nothing was safe right now; and things could be much worse right now, all things considered. She thought the practical and strategic Warden, of all people, would understand their choices. 

However, it wouldn't do them any good to argue. They had to come to a decision before LongNight and so far they were getting nowhere. So, Elizabeth switched tactics again, trying to comprehend if there was something else she was missing. "If we did return the bird, what do you suggest we do? We've all agreed that Starfall is out of the question, and if the Family isn't letting us take a creature from Stormbreak, how else are we supposed to complete the quest?" In other words, she was hearing a lot of dismissal without any suggestions. He either needed to get on board or come up with a better solution.

Elizabeth

I am a product of my decisions.

Sah

It was concerning that Ronin and Remi were stepping back, and it further emphasized the impossibility of Starfall. Sah opened his mouth to further argue when the word 'control' echoed in his mind, and rapidly things clicked into place. This wasn't about the insult of a theft happening right beneath their noses. The two mages may have been spotted but they'd been too fast for the Family to react. It was a loss of control that was the issue here. And unless some part of the dynamic shifted, negotiations would be incredibly difficult and the price steep. Although that had been understood from the start.

Still, they had to give the Family back control to some degree, without them forgetting how easily they'd been stolen from. Sah glanced between Deimos and Elizabeth, a compromise forming in his mind that might prove even more fruitful. "What if, we did both? We've proven that we can wrestle control from them and even steal right from under their noses. And we are capable of doing that again, which I'm sure Dahlia is aware of. If not, we can remind her."

The Wild Thunder hoped that the duo would agree with his idea. "As much as I hate the idea and don't want Halo to look weak, how about we return the bird in "good faith" and ask for negotiations to be opened? It'll give Dahlia back some of the control that she's lost but buy us time to thoroughly talk this out with her. I'm still firmly for negotiating, and if we do it this way, we might be able to settle on a better deal for both us and the Family. One that they might actually agree to. And if we do it this way, it might soothe some of the tension between Halo and the Family. Even temporarily."

Sah tilted his head with a furrowed brow, "What do you think?"

I think therefore I am,
But what if all I do is bleed?

DEIMOS

the ocean does not apologize for its depth
and the mountains do not seek forgiveness

There was a mutual understanding of some of the argument and debate – but the timeline pressed against any and all nerves, leaving them with less opportunities and more scavenging than thoughtful credentials. His stare went right back to Elizabeth, eyes narrowed, equally stoic, if not a little disappointed in her conduct. He’d certainly never been disrespectful or rude to her; so the calculations persisted. “They are already aware.” Elizabeth’s own lack of caring about either her life, Sah’s, or his family’s grated on the Sword’s nerves – a completely different outlook he’d had on the therapist. Weren’t they supposed to be empathetic? “Time is not on our side with this. If we give it back now, the risk of someone being mauled is alleviated – and we will have more opportunities.”

Starfall wasn’t entirely out of the question – just not something he’d wanted on his plate for the moment. He opened his mouth to insinuate more, but Sah continued, and Deimos took a long, deep breath, striving to bottle down the stress, apprehension, trepidations, and irritations running rampant through his skull, for weeks on end now. His head tilted, listening, pondering on the opposing suggestion. “It may be too late for negotiations, given how everything has turned out. But I am willing to go that route. It will give us more time to think on potential offerings, if that is a feasible thing, as well.” He nodded, solidifying the sentiments. “So it is not giving in – but a tactical retreat.” Because even in the midst of war, win or lose, there were instances that weren’t going to go according to plan, and decisions needed to be made on less bravado, more thought.

Jotting down some notes again, he continued on these merits. “Return the bird, with the caveat of discussions about reasonable transfers in the future. I will also warn all the other leaders about Stormbreak’s threats.” His brow arched, glancing between both. If they didn't adhere to the junctures, Deimos wasn't sure how much more he could do for them.

From there, they could all disperse, with clear endeavors to pursue.

[FIN]

for the space they take
and so, neither shall I