That was enough for Cheshie to be able to turn her attention back to Henan.
“But why-” She shook her head, frustrated.
I swear, I’m gonna lose it. Don’t lose it Chesh. Do what a leader would do. Make this constructive, if you can.
“Ok, well, let’s try to group up with him now.” She paused, trying to say the next bit in the least condescending way she could. “And from now on, when we work on a plan, let’s really try to stick to it. If you did want to do something different, then next time bring it up when we’re still coming up with a plan, as apposed to after. Getting input from the whole group is an important part of, well, working as a group.” Cheshie said with as much earnestness as she could muster.
By now, Ilya could probably make out the trio. @Winger
Ilya had approached the trio from the side, and spoke loud enough to attract their attention. The Hunter was forgotten in the face of the petulant Okotan who had, moments before, been bellowing his name. He didn’t feel rage or anger: just an acute sense of burning frustration at the stupidity and disregard, the lack of self-awareness.
He was taken aback at the sight of the clearly intoxicated Jawuu. The imperative that was in his stride as he approached the group faltered for a moment, and he stopped in his tracks two meters in front of the group.
The hesitancy that had flashed across his features was rapidly replaced by visible disapproval, his mouth turning down and his brow furrowing. Somehow, in the wake of the encounter with the Hunter - there’s a Hunter in the village there’s a Hunter in the village there’s a Hunter in the village - the social dynamic of his position seemed all the more trivial.
His eyes were still scanning the group, finally landing on Cheshie’s. He didn’t know what to say, whether to scold or yell or cry or kill.
“What … Cheshie. What has happened?” His voice was not as commanding as it could have been, should have been. It instead betrayed true frustration, bewilderment at the situation.
“That’s a really great question.” Cheshie said, meeting Ilya’s gaze with one of equal exasperation, though it wouldn’t be obvious from her tone alone.
"Why don’t you ask Henan why he deliberately ignored your plan, and decided to start screaming again, blowing any semblance of inconspicuousness. Is what Cheshie wanted to say. But…chewing them out now, just after an attempt to be diplomatic with the fellow stone okotan, would likely just cause more of a seen, driving another wedge into an already unstable group dynamic. No, she would explain Henan and Jawuu’s behavior later, hopefully when the two weren’t around.
Plus, Ilya put them in your group, Chesh. He expected you to be able to handle them, and you didn’t. Do better.
“Henan and us had just gotten a little split up, sorry about that, but I can explain more later. I was able to gather some information. Last I saw, Palios and Katau were hanging around with a local hero, name’s Kovis, and-”
Cheshie paused, cocking her head.
“Where’s Tussul? And what were you doing near the edge of town?”
She didn’t mean for the question to come across as accusatory, but it probably did anyway.
Palios went to respond to the accusations of him being “a meddler.” But decided it would most likely be a detriment to what he was about to attempt. Fortunately for Palios another elder had spoken before he could say anything he would regret.
“My apologies for our sudden appearance, if we could’ve provided more warning ahead of time it would have been done. Unfortunately we bear bad news in this time of celebration.” Palios straightened up, taking a shaky breath to regain his composure. Kovis’ little stunt had caught him off guard; jumbled his thoughts up a bit. “We were sent here by the great mask maker himself to warn you of what could potentially be a very dangerous and very deadly raid upon this very city by a group of hunters.” Palios paused again to gauge the reactions of the group he found himself standing in front of. “Even as we made our way into the city we encountered a hunter, we are fortunate we were able to fend it off.” Palios brought out the staff the child had dropped. “It dropped this when we chased it off. We figured it may prove some interest to you.”
ooc: I can’t wait for this to go spectacularly wrong
Some of the visibly younger members of the group shared glances ranging from concern to annoyance, although the main elder kept his eyes focused softly on Palios’ performance.
“Hunter.” The main elder mused, tapping the cheek of his well-worn mask. It was the Jungle mask style Ekimu had crafted which was quickly becoming the standard across Okoto. “I do not understand. Makuta should have sent capable soldiers, not couriers. Our village being under a hunter attack… It would require a complete evacuation, if the hunter attack size is justifiable to avoid the messenger bird.”
“Tell me, how big is this impending attack?” The elder slowly stood from his seat, his arms wobbling as he ascended. “And why did Makuta not send a bird, which would have taken hours, rather than this party, which must have traveled all night?”
“Sir,” Kovis interjected, with a small bow. “Their party is larger than this. There’s a girl, well-armed, probably the leader, and an honest lad with less tolerance than Morrus.” He gave a snort in reply to his own humor.
“Tolerance?” One of the elders inquired, clearly not understanding.
Cheshie had tried being civil, but she was not about to let this petulant kane-ra of a man waste more of their precious time while the group’s fate already hung from a knife’s edge.
Cheshie’s hand shot out in a flash, aiming to grab Henan’s shoulder in a vice grip before the okotan could storm away, a look of dull loathing in her eye.
Henan felt Cheshie’s hand clench his shoulder. He looked at her loathsome face, her eyes staring at him. “You and the others in the village left me. You should do it once more.” He said, rust falling from his body. “After all, why should you care? Or, are you just feeling too much like a leader?” He said, not even bothering to struggle.
“I don’t care. But Makuta did.” Cheshie said in a voice like stone.
“He saw something in you. Something we’d need. I don’t understand half the decisions the Mask Maker made in regard to this whole, thing. But I trust them.”
“Now, we don’t need to be friends. That’s fine if you want to keep on hating me for whatever reason, I can handle that.” She paused, a coldness washing over her expression. “What I can’t handle is you repeatedly endangering the rest of the group because of it.”
There seemed like there was more she wanted to say, but she cut herself short, shooting Ilya a glance. Her silence was obviously to give him the floor to speak.
(@Winger )
“Yeah, buddy, I think you oughtta cool it… like, just look at how well things have been going! Like, have you had any of these drinks, man?”
As he rudely interrupted, Jaawu was leaning on his stick and swaying just a bit. “Wait, when did we leave you? What village are you talking about? Where can I get some food?”
Jaawu then began looking around, evidently looking for some food. This was a hungry fellow!
Henan burst into laughter. The laughing sounds like iron nails, screeching against steel, an alien and unpleasant cacophony. When he had finished, he stared her down. “Makuta? Do you not get it? This is suicide. He sends, not qualified people, but, a half blind soldier,a carver with little to no sense of socialness, a drunk, a leaf-lover,and a firespitter. I see not a single reason, why we, people who are less prepared than anyone else on the island, should ever even bother with this. This is not about some morals, its about life and death, and certainly, throwing ourselves to the hunters, like we have done, will amount to anything!” He said, narrowing his eyes. “And you, Cheshie, should know that our situation, is nothing but hopelessness. And besides, why should you care?! It would be better if I was gone… Makuta is wrong, there’s nothing of value from me. Let. Me. Go.” (@TheMOCingbird )
She turned back to him, his words igniting something in the guardswoman.
Cheshie stared into Henan’s eyes.
She recognized something there.
And she hated that.
“You coward. What gives you the right. What gives you the right to run from your duty while the others, your betters, stand and die doing their’s.” Emotion began to rise in Cheshie’s voice, some how her grip growing even tighter than before.
“And maybe it won’t make a difference, maybe they’d all die any way, weather you were there or not, maybe it is hopeless,” Her voice began to crack, dripping with vitriol.
“But it’s not about surviving, or even succeeding. It’s about doing your duty. Doing what’s right. Standing. Your. Ground.” Cheshie stopped, her breathing heavy, a wild fire in her eye. She glanced at her hand digging in to Henan’s shoulder. Clarity seemed to wash over her face, like something festering had been released.
Her hand slowly drew back from Henan, and Cheshie swallowed hard. Her voice seemed smaller now.
“I-I’m sorry. I just-“
She shook her head, glancing back at Ilya, obviously a little ashamed at the outburst.
Should have kept your mouth shut. Let Ilya deal with it.
(@Winger )
Jaawu went over and attempted to give Cheshie a hug. Up to you how she reacts. As he approached, he said, “It’s alright, he’s being highly unreasonable.”
Henan looked at her. Despite the arcing pain in his shoulder, there was no sound, no movement provoked from it. “If I’m a coward, and these are my betters, than it makes sense, that a coward is not wanted here…” Henan looked deeply at Cheshie, before turning and walking away. “Then its no wonder why i was banished. No wonder why nothing changed. No wonder, why the Nowhere Carver…exists. No wonder, why I have been sent to my demise.” He finished, the ending sentence ringing loud and clear.
“Leave me to die if you wish.” (@TheMOCingbird)
Cheshie simply looked on, frozen for a moment, until…
Cheshie raised both hands awkwardly, a little unsure of how to respond and obviously taken a little off guard, before deciding a light pat on the shorter okotan’s head would suffice, before gently pushing him off with the same hand.
Say what you will about this one, but he’s got a good heart,
Cheshie sniffed, catching a whiff of all the alcohol on the jungle okotan, her expression souring.
At least when he’s had enough to drink.
Despite it all, the gesture was still appreciated for what it was, even if Cheshie didn’t make it obvious.
Good. At least no one will chase after me.
Henan thought, trudging through the forest randomly. He once again began to chisel out a small figure from the large stone. The sound rang out as he carved.
He looked onwards. I wonder what that small hunter is doing right now…
He continued carving. @Ghid
None of the noise from the festival could penetrate the trees.
“Kovis, I want you to be frank with us.” The main elder waved away the discussion about alcoholic substance with a flick of his bony wrist. “You’ve studied the Hunters for a few years, written about their movements and intellectual capabilities to the other villages. Is there any possibility that this staff is a fabrication cooked up to replicate a Hunter’s equipment?”
“No, sir.” Kovis folded his hands behind his back. “I’ve seen some of the local Okotans present artificial trophies of varying quality, nd the amount of time it would take to understand Hunter culture to produce something like this would take twice the experience I have. No, sir,” He gestured towards the staff. “In spite of the height and the strange placement of the patriarchal symbol, this stick belongs to a Hunter.”
“Any working theories?” The elder had shuffled to a heavily concealed window and was looking through the vines which covered it.
“No idea, sir. I’ve not known them to denote any special position to the elderly, and yet perhaps this was made for a grandfather, or possibly as a ruling scepter.” Kovis scratched his chin. “I’d recommend you ask this fellow about it, sir; he did find the staff, after all.”
“He has already falsified some of his information; why would he not falsify it all?” The elder who had inquired on tolerance leaned forward, pointing at Kovis in an aged fashion.
“Sir,” Kovis shrugged, “I can hardly be lead to blame a bad actor-”
“I can blame a liar.” The main elder retorted, leaving the window and striding up to Palios. His eyes shot to Katau, but after a moment returned to the staff’s wielder, eyeing him vehemently. “Perhaps you’d like to tell us the rest of the story.”
The figure slowly began to appear. The pronged mask came first, then the arms, and then he began on the body. Who should this be? Henan thought. Turning away from the statue, he stared into the forest, lost in thought for a moment. @Ghid
Ilya flinched, and for a moment his thoughts travelled out, far away from anything in the moment. Away from Henan, Cheshie, the village, out of time and mind. The Hunter. The Hunter. The Hunter. THE HUNTER.
He opened his mouth to speak, then-
A red veil descended over Ilya’s eyes.
He took a step forward at Henan’s first attempt to move away, but the momentary decisiveness was outmatched by the speed at which Cheshie grabbed Henan, causing him to stop again in his tracks. His mouth opened against his own will, watching the furious interaction between the two unfold. He did not know what to do. He had no experience. His head hurt. His head hurt. This was awful, you’re a failure, this is awful, failure, idiot, what are you doing- He squeezed his eyes together as the situation escalated further. His heart beat was the only thing moving quickly, his thoughts were sluggish, his movement was sluggish, his eyelids would barely open.
Control your mind. Control. Control. Something there, something-
What would Makuta do?
Ilya opened his eyes and crossed his arms.
Ilya was taken aback by the passion in Cheshie’s voice, but he forced every muscle in his face, martialed every ounce of self control to only raise his eyebrows. Makuta. Opportunity. Analyze. What does it mean? There was something more there. Something deeper. Something …
Experience.
Guilt.
He blinked, and moved on.
Ilya almost lost control again. He wanted to chase Henan, tackle him, grab him, punch him. He almost did.
Not what Makuta would do.
Henan stared after Henan until he was out of earshot, intentionally looking past Cheshie and her entanglement with Jaawu. He waited until he could no longer see Henan, and then slowly turned his head towards Cheshie.
His face was not abjectly disapproving or disdainful. But there was clear frustration and a hint of disappointment tinging his eyes.
Or at least that’s what he was trying.
He took a deep breath, and exhale a long, rattling hiss.
The Hunter.
The world came crashing back down again, but this time there was something to hold on to. Control. Control yourself and maybe later you can control others. Influence.
“Cheshie. We have a really big problem.” He blinked, and for a moment Cheshie would see genuine surprise on his face, followed by an emotion so inappropriate for the moment as to seem like she mis-saw, yet nevertheless it was: amusement. Ilya tried to let some warmth or camaraderie seep into his eyes.
Cheshie met his eyes for a moment before dropping her gaze.
Should. Have kept. Your mouth shut. She wanted to keep berating herself, but there’d be time for that later.
“Oh, so it gets worse than one seventh of our party just walking off?” Cheshie asked, trying to match Ilya’s sudden sense of levity, though her frustration at the entire situation was thinly veiled.