Well. Another meeting. Already. God, but this belonging somewhere thing is demanding, huh? Fine, yeah, alright. I leave little Rora with Zinnia and her little pumpkin baby, because infants don’t need the drama of dealing with politics. A quick kiss, a nibble of her scruffy little mane, and a soft little, “be good for Auntie Zin, little moonbeam, I’ll be back soon,” and I’m off to join the crowd.
Except it’s not Marlyn calling the meeting this time. It’s someone I’ve never seen before, who okay looks a bit like Marlyn and has some of Ygritte’s salmon to her, but doesn’t do us the courtesy of so much as dropping her name. I wait, listening through the explanation of why our leader has vanished without so much as a goodbye. Again. I can’t help but notice a trend, and irritation sends prickles along the back of my neck, my shoulders. Still. I wait through the talking, ‘til our apparently new leader invites us to step forward and say whatever we might have to say.
Oh, can do.
I hold my peace through the other new girl’s introduction, then I take a couple of steps forward, distancing myself from anyone who might have come to stand next to me. No need for ire to fall on them too if this goes well. “Yeah, so we don’t have diplomats or an army. We were idly discussing the possibility of forming some sort of guard at the last meeting, but nothing much has come of it just yet. Which I’d think you’d be aware of, if you’re supposed to be in charge now. Which, hey, a heads up from Marlyn would have been nice. By the way, I’m Arrya. And yes, the new girl - Neon, was it? - poses an excellent question. Who the f*ck are you? Got a name there? Expecting us to fall in and follow you when we’ve never seen you before - at least I haven’t - and we don’t even know your name, well that’s kind of asking a lot, isn’t it, princess?”
Then I turn my attention to the stranger lurking behind her. “And you there. Got a f*cking name, precious? Introductions are common courtesy when you come into someone’s home. Which is what this is. Our home. The safe place we’ve made to raise our kids and live our lives in peace. What exactly are your intentions here? You planning on sticking around and making sure that actually happens? That it actually f*cking stays that way? I’m willing to throw in with the security force, though I’m not exactly a warrior. Obviously more of one than a diplomat, though. But keeping our home safe matters, so I’d like to hear your plans on that front. And since we don’t have castes or heads of those castes, now seems like as good a time as any.”
Except it’s not Marlyn calling the meeting this time. It’s someone I’ve never seen before, who okay looks a bit like Marlyn and has some of Ygritte’s salmon to her, but doesn’t do us the courtesy of so much as dropping her name. I wait, listening through the explanation of why our leader has vanished without so much as a goodbye. Again. I can’t help but notice a trend, and irritation sends prickles along the back of my neck, my shoulders. Still. I wait through the talking, ‘til our apparently new leader invites us to step forward and say whatever we might have to say.
Oh, can do.
I hold my peace through the other new girl’s introduction, then I take a couple of steps forward, distancing myself from anyone who might have come to stand next to me. No need for ire to fall on them too if this goes well. “Yeah, so we don’t have diplomats or an army. We were idly discussing the possibility of forming some sort of guard at the last meeting, but nothing much has come of it just yet. Which I’d think you’d be aware of, if you’re supposed to be in charge now. Which, hey, a heads up from Marlyn would have been nice. By the way, I’m Arrya. And yes, the new girl - Neon, was it? - poses an excellent question. Who the f*ck are you? Got a name there? Expecting us to fall in and follow you when we’ve never seen you before - at least I haven’t - and we don’t even know your name, well that’s kind of asking a lot, isn’t it, princess?”
Then I turn my attention to the stranger lurking behind her. “And you there. Got a f*cking name, precious? Introductions are common courtesy when you come into someone’s home. Which is what this is. Our home. The safe place we’ve made to raise our kids and live our lives in peace. What exactly are your intentions here? You planning on sticking around and making sure that actually happens? That it actually f*cking stays that way? I’m willing to throw in with the security force, though I’m not exactly a warrior. Obviously more of one than a diplomat, though. But keeping our home safe matters, so I’d like to hear your plans on that front. And since we don’t have castes or heads of those castes, now seems like as good a time as any.”
((Ummmm sorry, this is just Arrya. -_-))