A Cabal Question

Apr 25th, 2019 01:37 AM

One night, Alastor was reading the Sacramento Bee in the fire hall's kitchen. His ubiquitous aviators had been replaced by reading glasses that were perched on his nose, one of the few signs that the First Talon showed of his slow, but steady aging. He wasn't the spring chicken he'd been once upon a time, that was for sure, and his optometrist --

--whatever. The point was, Alastor was on the wrong side of forty!

Reading something about the river brought something to mind, something that he needed to ask Kaze and Phoenyx about.

"Talons. I've got a question for you."

He had his serious voice on.
Xadun Ruach

**Phoenyx** · Apr 25th, 2019 08:13 AM

Subtlety dump stat

Phoenyx is pouring boiling water into a china teapot decorated with birds in an Asian style. Looking up, eyes wide, she glares at Kaze before answering.

"What about?" She replies, setting the pot down.

To her credit, the young Arrow's voice remains in her usual steady tone.

**Kaze** · Apr 25th, 2019 08:44 PM

"Yes, First Talon?" Kaze responds at attention to Alastor.

Apr 26th, 2019 01:02 AM

What was that all about...? A simple question... why was she glaring at Kaze?

"I was going to ask how you two felt about bringing Talon Galatea into Aegis, but..."

The paper came up in one hand, bunched up a little, and the First Talon waved it back and forth between them, indicating whatever that was.

"Does someone want to explain to me what the issue here is?"

If they were having a spat or something, he'd mediate it and they'd move forward in stellar harmony. He put the paper down and gave Kaze a wave and a look. "No need to be so damn stiff, Kaze, it's your house..."

**Phoenyx** · Apr 26th, 2019 02:25 AM

"No issue," Phoenyx replies quickly. "Everything is fine." It's not a convincing response.

Focusing on the teapot, she tries to steer the conversation away. "I think Galatia does want to help the Concillium. We have spent some time together, and I can understand her philosophy, even if it is not one I agree with." She pauses, lifting the lid and checking the pot. "Galatia is not subtle," she says without irony. "It us clear Winter has issues with her behaiviour. If she were to agree, this might allay some of those fears. It would also grant her some more protection, and it would show a continued focus of strength for the order to reassure the less numerous groups. Although, I do not know how comfortable she would be residing permanently in the city. She lives on the outskirts," the firebird explains.

It's a clinical assessment as ever, but then she adds, "I would like us to ask her."

**Kaze** · Apr 26th, 2019 11:56 PM

Kaze looks startled, apparently having missed the glare from Phoenyx. "I...have no issues...well, I mean, except for general self improvement...Sir." he says in a slightly confused tone.

"Oh. Galatea. She's...a little wild, but I haven't seen anything of her in the field, so maybe that's just in a relaxed environment. She does seem to like her privacy, keeping her own place. I agree, we should bring her in, if she is willing to commit to a Cabal." he agrees.

Apr 27th, 2019 12:45 PM

"Then we'll ask her," Alastor said conclusively with a nod after hearing them both out. The shark-woman would need to contribute, but he was confident she could do so. There was certainly enough space for her if she did. If she didn't wish to join them, that was her call, but it did make sense to him to invite her. Theirs was a sacred mission, driven by those possessed of strength and will. "We monitor our sister, and she adds to our strength. We'll have the conversation."

The paper found the table gently, and the First Talon took off his reading glasses, squinting from each to each.

"Enlightenment is Honor. Tell me the truth."

The words were soft, but direct, a call to her to remember her guiding principles. His squinty eyes had found Phoenyx, and weren't letting go. He could pry. He was a Mastigos, a bender of Space and a scion of the Mind. Auras were his to unveil at will, sympathies his to read. And yet, here, he would not do that. He'd simply ask. He'd simply trust them to follow the Phalanxes.

**Phoenyx** · Apr 27th, 2019 02:05 PM

"Um."

For a few seconds, Phoenyx stands there awkwardly, looking at the teapot. Then she closes her eyes and takes a breath and slowly raises her chin meets Alastor's gaze defiantly.

"Kaze and I are seeing each other." Her voice is firm, if a little stiff. "We have been for several weeks. I...." her eyes flick to Kaze for a second, "... we did not tell you because... because I did not want you to think that it would affect my duty, and Kaze respected my request to not say anything." Her gaze drifts towards the other Talon, and softens slightly.

Now that she says the words, Alastor can recall it fitting with subtle but noted change in Pheonyx's demeanor. A point where she was publicly more relaxed, hiding in her room less and being more emotionally expressive. Being... not chatty, exactly (it was clear the young Arrow might never be that) but actually initiating conversation and engaging. To say she had just needed to get laid was possibly a gross simplification? That she had grown close to the Talon she shared her arrival with and they were helping each other develop also held a ring on truth. Like she was getting more conversational practice from the chatty Kaze.

She looks back to Alastor. "So now you know. And we're not going to stop." The addition was confident, defiant... and didn't seem like Kaze was getting much of a choice. Though Phoenyx did look at him again, and smile.

**Kaze** · Apr 28th, 2019 08:11 PM

Kaze allows himself a slight smile at Phoenyx's confession and following declaration.

He nods to Alastor, in a gesture resembling a bow. "With respect, yes, First Talon. Phoenyx is right." he says. "It kind of came out of things getting more intense when I was thinking about leaving. When we spoke, I said something about having had an intense talk with Phoenyx before talking with you about it." he explains.

"After I decided to stay, you had suggested I make it a priority to tell her, and apologize. I did, and our relationship developed from there, I think."

Apr 29th, 2019 04:41 PM

The squinty eyes squinted back and forth for a minute as the First Talon chewed what they were saying over. Finally, he replied with a shrug.

"Okay."

Alastor said it like it was just another Tuesday. No big deal. Nothing to be concerned about. He picked up his paper once more, sliding his reading glasses back on with an amused chuckle.

"Good for you. That's fine. Not sure why you felt that you needed to hide that from me, or thought that it wouldn't come up the next time I checked sympathies in your general vicinity."

He looked amused, not upset. As he scanned the sports section, the Mastigos raised a hand.

"But. Understand a skilled practitioner of Space could kill Kaze with the sympathetic information I can find on you, and vice versa, by duplicating the sympathetic connection between you two and casting through it. It'll be strong as hell. The kind of thing you can do nasty shit to someone through, regardless of if you know that someone's True Name."

A finger traced back and forth between them, like he was demonstrating the line that bound them.

"So, report in regularly, and I'll scrub it for you. It will regularly return, but that is the best way I can think of to minimize that risk so you two aren't walking beacons toward each other. Capiche?"

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-04-25 08:05:11		Phoenyx rolls 2 to Uh-oh.... manip+sub (10 Again)		1, 2		failure

A Cabal Question

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