Offering terms

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles. His intuition seems to him to be proven correct as far as him choosing her. Now, it's going to be up to her choosing what she wants, and that might take some time. His job is to be 'innocent as doves', and patiently let her be 'wise as a serpent'.

"Right. Okay. Perfect. I am putting my idea out there for your expert opinion, and if we can work it out, to form a Cabal with you in this place as a Sanctum with a Hallow with a Calm Resonance that I don't want to mess up. So I'm talking to you because, you seem like a calm person, first of all, and honestly there don't seem to be too many of those around. Then there's the fact that you are a Ladder, but don't seem to be bent on domination or proving your superiority by pushing your superior knowledge or practices into everyones face." Kaze explains. "I have a good feeling about you, Naga. I think that the more active your influence in this city is, the better off we'll all be for it."

Kaze pauses.

"So, I am up for doing whatever can be done. Honestly, I've been here for a while, and I don't think I've made much of a positive difference. I have seen a lot of people just show up and make a big splash, like they're going to change everything and make a big difference, and then the're not around anymore, and it ends up not really mattering. You seem to me like the kind of person who will be around a while, and quietly check everything out and be sure a change is a good thing before committing to making it." He says, excitedly. "I want to help. So yeah, I want to form a Cabal because I think that's going to be the only way to be represented, for me at least, but I want to make a positive difference, and not be a flash in the pan thinking I know better than everyone else and just stirring things up without actually making things better."

"The Hallow is a really small one, by the way, so if we do form a Cabal, I want to only have two people in it for now, as long as this is the Sanctum anyway. And I really do want to upgrade the Sanctum with decent warding. I can lock the Hallow, so it's only available to the two of us." Kaze explains.

"Um, so...what do you think would be possible, for a small Cabal of two people, committed to sticking it out and not being transitory, to build some level of stability in our Consilium?"

[Naga]

The Mastigos watched Kaze quietly for a moment. Studying him, perhaps. Or maybe she just enjoyed the occasional silence.

"You're ambitious, I'll give you that. The Consilium needs people that take initiative, people looking to accomplish... something. Whatever that might be." She shrugged her shoulders elegantly. "I'm making no decisions today. I'm not sure calm is the right word. I try to be patient."

Snakes do bide their time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

"I came to this city to establish and maintain a presence for my Order. Sacramento was lacking the leadership of the Silver Ladder. Still is, really. I'm not leading much of anything. I intend to do as my Order desires and protect our claim here. Beyond that is up to me." Her hands were folded neatly in her lap. "With Pixel gone, it will fall to myself or Avis to lead the Warlocks... if the current command structure is maintained. I have no idea if we're switching to a cabal-led consilium. Nobody seems willing to take the first step and make it happen." She tilted her head slightly, eyeing the Apostate. "Until now. You Obrimoi do enjoy bold action."

"Though you're not to the first to start building a cabal. Star seems to be doing so with Campanella and a few others. I don't know if he has your intentions, however. What do you make of him and his circle?"

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles. "I don't think of myself as ambitious, but I guess trying for any kind of continuity in this city is kind of ambitious." He laughs. "Really though, I just think you have the best chance to do it right, not some kind of might makes right takeover just dueling everyone who disagrees, and not just endlessly arguing and arguing until everyone is so tired of it they just give in." Kaze says, with a shrug. "I've seen both of those seem to work for a little while, and then fall apart."

"Thanks for not saying, 'no'. That lets me hope. That's probably my best thing." Kaze says with a smile again.

Kaze looks serious when Naga asks about Star. "I don't have him figured out at all." Kaze says up front. "I do notice that he was the one who brought up in the Council the things that I got incarcerated for and Winter too. And he brought up the thing that Pixel was trying to get Anima punished for. So...I guess all I know is that Star pays attention, plays it cool at the time, and then brings up stuff in Council to sort of see if anyone cares...I guess." Kaze shrugs again.

"I don't think Star has any kind of secret master plan or anything. I mean, Pixel...seemed like someone who would hold a grudge and look for a chance to get even with someone or put them in their place if he felt like they weren't on his side. That's my feeling anyway. But Star seemed kind like it just bugged him when people weren't being careful or following the rules, and didn't want to be the enforcer himself."

"As for the Cabal...I don't know. Campanella and Star are heavy hitters. And both of them don't really want to tell anyone what to do. So...the purpose of their Cabal...seems to be something that has nothing to do with providing leadership."

Kaze grins. "That seems to me like it leaves a vacuum at the top. The thing about my Path, we like to know who's in charge. If it's not clear, some of us will try to be the one in charge. That's not my style, but I am definitely ready to support someone, and I guess--sorry if I'm wrong--I assumed that was going to be a goal of yours, just maybe a long term goal. I guess I feel like Star wanted someone to be in charge, and has high standards for the job, but doesn't want to be the guy himself. I don't really have anything to base it on but my intuition, but I think he would rather support someone than do it himself, if it was someone that he felt would do it right."

"What exactly would be entailed by. 'maintaining a presence and protecting a claim' for the Ladders?" Kaze asks.

[Naga]

"Pixel is a Libertine. He'd likely enjoy any opportunity to take potshots at the Diamond and change this Consilium into something the Free Council would prefer." Naga shrugged, "Irrelevant now, though. He seems to have gone elsewhere."

"As for Star, who knows? I think it's safer to assume everyone has an agenda. That way you don't get blindsided by them."

She nodded as Kaze spoke of his own Path. "And Phoenyx has taken the mantle. How do you feel about that?"

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles, "Okay. 'Assume everyone has an agenda.' Got it. So, I noticed you didn't answer when I asked what 'to establish and maintain a presence for the Ladders' means; what's your agenda, Naga?" He asks.

Kaze laughs, "I'm fine with Phoenyx stepping up. I think she's only doing it because she feels it's her duty and no one else can or will, but she was my choice all along." He says. "I don't know how it will work out with Winter back in circulation though."

[Naga]

Naga smiled, "The agenda of the Silver Ladder isn't much of a secret. Do you know much about my Order?"

"Phoenyx is a very duty-minded individual. I respect that," the Warlock nodded, then looked at Kaze with an expression of mild curiosity. "You think Winter will try to get the seat back?"

[Kaze]

Kaze smiles when Naga asks how much he knows about her order. "Not much, honestly." He says. "There haven't been a lot of Ladders around since I got here, and they didn't stay very long. Can you tell me? I guess I was wrong when I got the feeling they are all about taking over and running things; at least, you don't seem like that's your style."

When she asks about Winter, Kaze shrugs. "I don't know. He tends to do whatever he thinks is right, and doesn't really care what anyone else thinks. That's my take anyway. I admire him, actually...but I don't know how much I trust him."

[Naga]

She smiled benignly, "Our goal is to uplift humanity, and that requires strong leadership. If that leadership doesn't already exist, we'll provide it." There might have been more to it, but Naga seemed content to leave the description of her Order simple.

"Winter enjoys playing games, that much I've surmised so far," the Warlock shrugged slightly. "Particularly when he can martyr himself in the process. Typical Guardian mindset, honestly."

[Kaze]

Kaze listens and nods to Naga's words, just nodding and saying, "Uh huh." until she has talked about Winter too.

"So...you said before that there isn't strong leadership here, I think, right?" Kaze asks. "So, that would mean you are supposed to represent you Order by providing strong leadership? So...do you have a plan for that?"

[Naga]

"There's practically no leadership at all. We have no Hierarch. The Councilors come and go monthly." Her voice was matter-of-fact. "The Consilium is what it is. The population is transitory. That's not going to change."

The Warlock casually gazed about the room. "What we need is leadership that can deal with the nature of this Consilium. A structure that can take these details into account."