closed.

[tender]

WHO: Derrica, Marcus, Petra.
WHAT: Post meeting debrief.
WHEN: Backdated, Harvestmere
WHERE: Location
NOTES: Eventual guest stars to come, watch this space.

They have been riding for some time now. Passing through the eluvian and setting out on the roadway, with Petrana bracketed between Marcus and Derrica, they've cut through the countryside to wind their way south again.

The heavy footfalls of Petrana's nuggalope and the speed at which they've traveled has cut off the possibility of conversation. It's not until Marcus directs them off the roadway, into a copse of trees where a river flows that they are afforded any chance for conversation. Derrica remains in the saddle for a few moments, stroking her palm along Dulcinea's neck and observing Petrana and the Black Divine, Marcus dismounting his newly acquired horse.

All the weight of the conversation they've had, the news they are carrying back with them, is still settling in her mind. Derrica looks between them, fingers playing loosely in Dulcinea's mane. Weighs up the utility of breaking the quiet before asking—

"Who shall we speak to first?"

She can guess at a few potentials. But she would like to hear what they are thinking of, and order her own thoughts accordingly.

Comments

[tender]

"Whether he has reason to or not has no effect on whether or not he will."

Shifting in the saddle, Derrica affords one last drag of fingers along Dulcinea's mane before swinging out and down to the ground.

"We'll need Bastien convinced," she posits, as Dulcinea whickers after her. "He can help us mitigate any difficulty Byerly Rutyer is inclined to create."

And they had talked, hadn't they, of the project leaders being included in such grand shifts. It would help if Bastien knew too, if he were told alongside the others.

[ipseite]

“The ambassador is no great advocate of mages, and we're none of us endeared to him,” Petrana agrees, “it is a delicate matter to handle. If Mssr Bastien might be persuaded, I think that all to the good.”

Leading the Black Divine to the water's edge, too, she holds back from risking her skirts in the mud, gazing at her mount with some fondness as she says, “We must have a consensus to safely approach Vael, but so long as we are wise in this the benefits are clear, and too good to overlook.”

[luaithre]

"Aye. There are as many military and diplomatic benefits to Fiona's assistance as there are to the causes of mages. More, really."

And so on that level, it's true that Julius is likely the best candidate for finessing something Rutyer wishes to agree to. Marcus lays a hand on his horse's flank, an absent minded patting over dust-red coat. There'd been a nod to mention of Bastien, but he does not himself volunteer.

"Yseult and Flint both have resources we'll need to be able to guarantee to Fiona, and Vael. We've already promised some of them."

[tender]

"The Commander will support us," is said as a foregone conclusion. Derrica has no doubts about Flint, but Yseult—

"I hope the Scoutmaster will too."

Her absolute silence on the topic has never inspired any hope in Derrica. That she was often absent from the discussion could mean any number of things, lack of investment at best, agreement with Rutyer at worst. Derrica doesn't know her well enough to guess at which.

[ipseite]

“She is a pragmatist, I think. I won't pretend to know her intimately held views,” and, frankly, as a woman who keeps many of her own cards close to her chest she's long been inclined to respect Yseult for that, “but nor could I imagine her passing up an opportunity to do tangible good for only the sake of ideological point-scoring.”

Whether she'd like it being Fiona's mages or not— as much as the public relations win will be significant, only if it works. Only in the event of measurable success, of lives saved, of the willingness to stand and do aid to that end.

And that end, those lives, they matter.

[luaithre]

Marcus has shifted towards the saddlebags borne by Margaret as Derrica and Petrana speak, taking out some form of biscuity ration wrapped in paper. He breaks off a corner of it, offering it to Petrana where she stands closer by her nuggalope. There'd been a quiet sound out of him in the midst of her assessment, agreeable.

"My instinct is they should be addressed together," he says, quietly, thoughtful. "We'll need them operating in tandem if we expect to involve Riftwatch more directly than making an introduction, and best we begin it immediately."

A conversation that starts in logistics and planning, rather than negotiation.

[tender]

"The Commander and the Scoutmaster together, Julius speaks to Rutyer, then one of us will need to discuss with the Provost."

Immediately goes without saying. They should likely proceed from the stables to the Division Head tower, with the stop to collect Julius, of course. Who steps into which office has yet to be decided, but—

Petrana's faith in Yseult is allowed to stand unchecked. She has been in residence longer, would have a better sense than Derrica of what Yseult will or won't do. She leads Dulcinea by the reins to the shore of the river, strokes fingers under the edge of the saddle while Dulcinea drinks.

"I'd like to speak with Kostos of it," she says, almost to herself. "After we talk to the Division Heads and inform them of what needs to be done."

[ipseite]

“I think that wise,” is agreement to all of the above— but particularly Kostos, who she has long held in warmer regard than might be credited by their infrequent conversation. (If it were more frequent, he would grow too accustomed to it for her to fluster him as effectively.) “I would know his thoughts on the matter, if he'd share them.”