That Jigano would think her capable of manipulating friends for personal gain, that he even considered the possibility that she might have tried to draw away Rory from the Spire to help Roana's idiotic quest would have hurt her beyond words. As it was, the implications that she was making things worse in her hasty attempt to help was bad enough, and the girl visibly shrank under the criticism.
"It's not forever" she said, gaze dropping to her own clenched hands; seeing the knuckles blush and pale under the tightness of the grip she tried to relax, but to little effect. "There will be an election... once there's a system in place to defend against any problems from the outside, the people decide who will lead. I doubt any of us will be chosen... and that's alright. I don't want to lead, and none of the people that stayed to help are ideal... But I don't know who would be better. Do you?"
It was basically a plea at this point; who would be have chosen? What alternatives did she have?
The criticism against Roana stung too, and though she felt an inclination to defend a person who vad shown her such staunch support, Maea couldn't. She didn't know enough about the woman's history or personality to judge, only had the events at the Spire and their conversation to base anything on. At the time it had seemed to weigh equally, but now that she looked back...
"I... don't know the others from that place" she said. "I just... Roana seemed sensible enough when I spoke to her, and she practically repeated your words from when we first met, about how this place is dying. I talked to her about how it felt to have people come in and start changing things, and she offered her own perspective, how they all come from a place where not acting is the same as death. It's... why I ended up going, when the Spire opened."
The girl swallowed, regret and shame cloying like the residue of poison on the tongue. She looked very much a child where the sat, in a chair that was too large and with slumped shoulders that were much too frail for the weights the tried to carry.
"It began to feel like breaking the barrier was the only option left. I know this place isn't great, but it's my home and if it really was dying, if the land would die and the people suffer when that could be prevented...
But I was wrong.
And now the Voice is free and the barrier down, and when I went to the shrine last she showed up and basically threatened me not to meddle or get in her way. I think anyone who tries to lock her up again is in for a world of pain..."
Recalling the disturbing vision made her shudder, a look of nausea and raw fear ghosting across her face, leaving shadows in her eyes. It was too big, too much to handle... how trivial her worries about a council seemed in comparison.
"It's not forever" she said, gaze dropping to her own clenched hands; seeing the knuckles blush and pale under the tightness of the grip she tried to relax, but to little effect. "There will be an election... once there's a system in place to defend against any problems from the outside, the people decide who will lead. I doubt any of us will be chosen... and that's alright. I don't want to lead, and none of the people that stayed to help are ideal... But I don't know who would be better. Do you?"
It was basically a plea at this point; who would be have chosen? What alternatives did she have?
The criticism against Roana stung too, and though she felt an inclination to defend a person who vad shown her such staunch support, Maea couldn't. She didn't know enough about the woman's history or personality to judge, only had the events at the Spire and their conversation to base anything on. At the time it had seemed to weigh equally, but now that she looked back...
"I... don't know the others from that place" she said. "I just... Roana seemed sensible enough when I spoke to her, and she practically repeated your words from when we first met, about how this place is dying. I talked to her about how it felt to have people come in and start changing things, and she offered her own perspective, how they all come from a place where not acting is the same as death. It's... why I ended up going, when the Spire opened."
The girl swallowed, regret and shame cloying like the residue of poison on the tongue. She looked very much a child where the sat, in a chair that was too large and with slumped shoulders that were much too frail for the weights the tried to carry.
"It began to feel like breaking the barrier was the only option left. I know this place isn't great, but it's my home and if it really was dying, if the land would die and the people suffer when that could be prevented...
But I was wrong.
And now the Voice is free and the barrier down, and when I went to the shrine last she showed up and basically threatened me not to meddle or get in her way. I think anyone who tries to lock her up again is in for a world of pain..."
Recalling the disturbing vision made her shudder, a look of nausea and raw fear ghosting across her face, leaving shadows in her eyes. It was too big, too much to handle... how trivial her worries about a council seemed in comparison.
