Maea
And I hope that you don't suffer
But take the pain
But take the pain
In contrast to Remi's increasingly dour expression, Maea laughed at the image his reservations conjured in her mind. Not a happy laugh, mind, it was a rather dry and knowing sound. "No, likely not. Half of them can't be counted on to even consider the question if I pose it. But... perhaps it would be different if I'm not the only one who asks." A meeting could be arranged, but for it to have any impact, she might have to plant some seeds first. "The problem, as I see it, is that we aren't desperate enough yet."
Sliding down to sit on the ground, Maea plucked a strand of grass and twirled it around a finger. "Have you heard the theory of how to boil a frog? You can't just drop it into a roiling pot, it'll jump right out. Instead, if you put the frog in cold water, and then slowly raise the temperature, it'll get used to it. It'll think its fine, right up until the point where the heat kills it. It works on people, too. We've been shown the pot, and the fire. Now we're preparing our cold water with the barriers - and soon the temperature will start rising."
Flicking the grass away, she picked another stalk; green stained her nails as she slowly peeled it into one long ribbon. "Say that the Family has won this tug-of-war about the Wilds. We can no longer travel freely. Reaching areas like this is very dangerous or nigh impossible, and in many cases shrines are unavailable to the common person. We want to fight back, but are short on resources. What would you wish you had done while you still have time?"
Looking up at Remi, she made a gesture to keep him from answering right away. "Think about it, please? Ask Ronin, too. Ask anyone else you meet, as well - I'll do the same, and see about getting the call out for that meeting. It might be high time to start preparing for the worst case scenario, like it or not. You don't happen to know how much time we have left?" It felt like the height of irony that the paranoia that cost her two friends might be needed now to get people shift up a gear and get a move on. Most couldn't do anything about Starfall, but they could do other things; beseech the gods for aid, stockpile resources, ensure food and water supplies were safely within reach – in short, to prepare for a very long siege. Gods, but she hoped it wouldn't be necessary, that Hadama and Sah would return home safely with good news, that she'd keep finding Roses... but hoping for the best never kept a Grounder from gathering snowmoss and glowstones or from barring the doors and windows when LongNight approached. Sorry was too late when you were dead.
Sliding down to sit on the ground, Maea plucked a strand of grass and twirled it around a finger. "Have you heard the theory of how to boil a frog? You can't just drop it into a roiling pot, it'll jump right out. Instead, if you put the frog in cold water, and then slowly raise the temperature, it'll get used to it. It'll think its fine, right up until the point where the heat kills it. It works on people, too. We've been shown the pot, and the fire. Now we're preparing our cold water with the barriers - and soon the temperature will start rising."
Flicking the grass away, she picked another stalk; green stained her nails as she slowly peeled it into one long ribbon. "Say that the Family has won this tug-of-war about the Wilds. We can no longer travel freely. Reaching areas like this is very dangerous or nigh impossible, and in many cases shrines are unavailable to the common person. We want to fight back, but are short on resources. What would you wish you had done while you still have time?"
Looking up at Remi, she made a gesture to keep him from answering right away. "Think about it, please? Ask Ronin, too. Ask anyone else you meet, as well - I'll do the same, and see about getting the call out for that meeting. It might be high time to start preparing for the worst case scenario, like it or not. You don't happen to know how much time we have left?" It felt like the height of irony that the paranoia that cost her two friends might be needed now to get people shift up a gear and get a move on. Most couldn't do anything about Starfall, but they could do other things; beseech the gods for aid, stockpile resources, ensure food and water supplies were safely within reach – in short, to prepare for a very long siege. Gods, but she hoped it wouldn't be necessary, that Hadama and Sah would return home safely with good news, that she'd keep finding Roses... but hoping for the best never kept a Grounder from gathering snowmoss and glowstones or from barring the doors and windows when LongNight approached. Sorry was too late when you were dead.
Hope if everybody runs
You choose to stay
You choose to stay
