RP:To Lead When No One Else Wants To

Part of the Dissonance Theory Arc

This is a Warrior's Guild RP.

Summary: Kasyr and Rilla discuss Lionel's disappearance and what Kas should do about the Warrior's Guild.

Hanging Corpse Tavern, Vailkrin

Kasyr direly wishes he could drink at this moment. Recent events have certainly stoked a rampant desire to completely relinquish his hold upon sobriety- with the foremost being the peculiar semi-death state that Odhranos had entered. It was a stupid, senseless occurrence= a fresh injustice in a long line. And yet, as much as he could logically reason out why it might be a good idea to allow his senses a leave of absence, the swordsman is denied the luxury- courtesy of the influence of the Hawk-like familiar camped at the other end of the table from him. It's not so much that it's physically stopping Kasyr from lifting up the drink. No, it's workings are far more insidious, as it's affinity with the virtue of Temperence serves to make the very act of indulging repulsive. "You are legitimately the worst sometimes."

Rilla was never far. Her loyalty was ultimately to a man who’d been kind to her for no reason, not the institution he’d built up around him. That had been a fortunate coincidence. When the time came the pair dropped off the map together, she hadn’t been asked and she didn’t ask permission. Still, today the stray found herself back in a familiar tavern in a familiar place. Some things did not change. The wolf wandering with her was no longer small. He turned tail, back where they came from as the door to the tavern opened and shut behind her. Pausing a moment, the redhead watches the swordsman she’d come after with a tilted head and more than a touch of hesitation. Chewing her tongue and taking a deep breath before she spoke. “I thought I might find you here.” She says softly, eyeing the familiar with a mixture of curiosity and concern. She hesitates a moment before approaching, arms crossed over her chest. “Who’s your friend?” Rilla questions, tilting her head towards the hawk-adjacent creature.

Kasyr takes a moment to really see Rilla- not for any intrinsic failing of his faculties- but rather, due to the time it had been seen he'd last seen the stray fledgeling. "You look- swell?" There's a pause, the swordsman alternating between second guessing his greeting, and whether or not she'd been expecting him to have a small castle of empty shot glasses. "...Well, the city never sleeps- which leaves me with an endless amount of work to do, enfin." Her question about the bird isn't quite as readily received, the hawk earning itself a glower- even as it begins to preen at gently gleaming feathers. "Known this buzzard for a bit- it woke up when we ventured to the island." That's right- he's not even going to deign it with its name. "So, what have you been up to?"

Rilla shakes her head as she watches him, auburn curls into her face and hiding her amusement. She always came back, but Kasyr didn’t know her well enough to know that yet. “Last I checked I’m still standing. Eternal youth, creature of darkness and all that.” She jokes, shrugging easily and laughing to herself, the motion no longer hidden by an oversized leather jacket. Instead, her thin frame is wrapped in an asymmetrical cloak, open in the front and weighted by far fewer weapons. “I assume that in Lionel’s absence it’s fallen on you? Unless, say, Rorin’s stepped up.” Rilla takes a chair, turning it backwards to sit at Kasyr’s table with her arms resting on the back of it. “I’ve been keeping your friend alive.” She says simply, tapping the heels of her boots against the ground nervously. “I figure if he’s going to run off, it ought not to be alone. It’s honestly a miracle he hasn’t died by now.” Rilla laughs, her companion was competent, but a free spirit in a way would get him in trouble one day. “What’s the news around here?” She eyes the glass in front of Kasyr and then bright blue eyes flash back to his face and she flashes a smile. “Hopefully everyone’s still standing?”

Kasyr looks oddly uncomfortable at the jest, something causing his expression to cloud for a few sparse moments, before he returns to scrutinizing the glass in front of himself. "I had not, en fait. I think we were all expecting him to arrive- given the operations hinged on the two of you. Had I known it was not a short term disappearance- "...Would he have stepped up? Everything with the mages had been so all-consuming, so draining. "It's appreciated, honetement. As for the news- well, there's one less would be deity. There's complications, too- but." But, for all intents and purposes, they'd falsified Odhranos- fooled the remaining ossians into believing he was still alive and well. There wasn't anything he could say on it. "Just, business as usual." The shot glass is flicked, sending droplets of whiskey spilling over the side - "Am I supposed to lead? I don't even have the big...plan of things to come."

Rilla’s eyes narrow at Kasyr’s expression, studying his face as if to do so might provide an answer to what caused it. She wouldn’t ask. “I don’t think that he has a plan anymore.” Rilla admits, looking down at her hands as she fidgets with one of the rings on her index finger. “But at least he’s safe. I watched him die once, I’d rather not do so again.” She was always loyal to a fault, the young vampire worried over him even knowing he was safe. What Rilla’d seen had changed her. “Complications does sound about usual for here, and - no offence - for you.” Shooting him an apologetic look, she laughs and shrugs once more. “You’re the logical choice to lead if you ask me.” Rilla stretches her arms out in front of her, pushing back her sleeves over her elbows as she looks between Kasyr and his oddest friend. “We buried the enemy we did find. No promises there’s not a way out, no promises that there won’t still be extremists, that there isn’t a monster lying in wait. But hopefully, it bought us time. Bought *you* time to come up with that big plan.” A crooked grin flashing across her face, she speaks more softly. “I’ll help you if you want it.”

Kasyr does not look reassured by the admittance that they had officially slipped beyond the realm of 'Plans' - "Do we still have some sort of itinerary for any of the next attacks? Somewhere we can counter-attack at?" It takes the kensai a moment to catch himself, to avoid barraging the vampire with more questions. Perhaps Lionel would sweep in and help mop things up- but perhaps keeping safe was all he could do right now. The most essential truth, however, was the simple one Rilla offered- complications were old hat. it just meant there was a bit more groundwork to be done. "It helps build up my resilience. My tolerance to the ridiculous, ou quoi-ce-soit." There's a pause, as the swordsman mulls on Rilla's Logical conclusion before he finds himself nodding- "I guess we'll need to start sending letters to gather everyone up and let them know we've still got a road ahead of us. Which es to say, I would appreciate the aid- After all, if everything goes horribly awry, you're apparently the most likely to survive until the end,

Rilla simply shrugs, after how long she’d been out of touch following Lionel on his journey whatever plans she might have had in the back of her mind when she left were far from relevant. “Do I look like I have an itinerary for you?” She asks somewhat rhetorically, brows raised with amusement. “Normal and going to plan may well be overrated anyway.” Rilla jokes, looking over her shoulder to the door and then back to Kasyr, all but ignoring his familiar and the mild tension between them. “Define everyone? I didn’t exactly stop to check the barracks before showing up here.” She considers his proposition, amusement tugging at the corners of her lips. “You mean to tell me there’s been no one working on this the whole time?” She sighs, biting her tongue. “Listen, Kas,” she starts, reaching for his glass with a question on her face - are you going to drink that? - “Lionel’s all but told me he was hoping you’d step in.” Shrugging, the vampire tries to give a reassuring look, though the tension in her throat gave away her uncertainty. “I believe you can do this. And I don’t think you *need* my help. But I’ll happily give it. Once someone catches me up on what I missed.”

Kasyr gives a sort of shrug at Rilla's question. It was possible she could have had notes stored in a pocket, or somewhere. Maybe those hypothetical keys to a golden future were imagined to be safely ensconced within her brain. Or something. "...I could have hoped. That said- in their absence, I guess that means it's time for the more hands on approach." Which is to say- organizing an army. This'll go swell. "And- there's perhaps been people working at it, but I wouldn't have been privvy. I was preventing the apotheosis of a genocidal ancient archmage trying to become god." ...Why can he just say this so casually. He actually squints for a second after saying it- before he becomes aware of the more pressing matter. Both Rilla and his familiar Empera are staring at the drink, one hungrily & one judgily. "Help yourself. Et, uh- I guess, thanks for the vote of confidence. I would have appreciated a letter, ou something. Last I recall, thered been the big announcement he had plans- so I figured he'd reach out when he needed something." Yup. Yup- It's entirely plausible this issue could have caught on fire -completely- as they waited for orders. "But yes- I figured a letter to the members of the warriors guild es due, in order to consolidate whose still on board with plant-y deicide." It also meant he -really- needed to expedite a number of his plans.

Rilla can’t help but laugh, if only she’d been privy to some secret information. But Lionel had led her so firmly away from it all so suddenly. It was entirely possible that he was having an early mid-life crisis. She didn’t push the issue. “Ah, so you’ve been busy then.” She says as she takes the drink, tipping it back easily and ignoring the familiar outright. Setting the glass down, her nose wrinkles at the familiar, but somehow still surprising burn. “In case you didn’t know, there isn’t a reliable postal service when you’re running through forests.” Rilla quips. “In the absence of someone following the situation reliably, we may have quite a reconnaissance job ahead of us as well. But I’m sure there will be some who can spread light on the situation. Or, we’ll start making educated guesses.” She shrugs, distracted by the prospect of what was to come. “Is Odhranos okay?” Rilla asks, somewhat abruptly, her face would have flushed and she gave a look of apology. “When I heard last was when we were on our way out. Or maybe from Inks. So you’ll have to excuse my ignorance.”

Kasyr watches Rilla swig the drink, some part of his brain living vicariously through her indulgence. Which, thankfully, isn't quite enough to elicit more than a faint chirrup from the hawk before it waddles across the table and plants itself adjacent to his arm. No temptation present meant no problem. Currently. "All the usual things- so I suppose with it wrapping up, this was essentially overdue." Bleak. It's probably not that weird at all that Lionel's having some sort of existential crisis. With the way Lithrydel is, he'd be overdue. "Well, that makes my plans of retiring to a cabin in the woods sound all the more appealing. It'd certainly be more private than a beachside resort." The kensai pauses for a moment, nodding to Rilla's affirmation about dredging the warrior guilds members for current information, before he raises up a hand to Steadmen, "Could I get a steak? - er, Et do you want anything, madamois-" He pauses, blinks a moment, pauses some more, and then rather carefully adds, "Odhranos is recovering- he was at the epicenter of the ordeal with the mages." This is true. They -were- in the process of trying to recover his semi-corpse from Ernest. So, recovering. "Archmage things are rather taxing- as es marriage, J'imagine- since Inks & Him finally stopped being ...themselves." He's trying his best to force himself to be pleasant, but his attention is squarely focused on Steadmen now.

Rilla notes the hawk and its strange behaviour but doesn’t press, at least not yet. “That’s the dream, one day.” Her expression is bittersweet, she chews the inside of her cheek and shrugs it off once more. “I’m not sure I know how to stop wandering, but if I ever figure it out you’ll know where to find me.” Her words are faster, suddenly nervous with an air of humour as she follows his gaze towards Steadman. “Send well wishes on my behalf then, please.” She considers the information and the offer. “No, thank you.” Rilla says, pushing her chair back and turning it around as she stood once more. “Lost my taste for that stuff lately, I’m sure you know how it is.” It had been a while since someone did, but her mind was already running through a mental list of who might know what and where to find them. At least, if things were as she remembered them. “Will you need me before you gather the troops?”

Kasyr actually finds the almost skittish acceleration of Rilla's words to be reassuring- she had her own problems, and it meant she wasn't apt to press further. "When I see her again, I will. And- I've lost my taste for things more than a few times. That said, the cravings do tend to crop up new and then." His hawkish companion pecks at him disapprovingly, but the kensai presses on. "If you find out anything pertinent, just let me know- it might be good to have more information so i can at least seem professional when I round people up. An early arrival when the meeting time is set might work." Beyond that, however- the Kensai supposes the next step is to hit the ground running and call said meeting. And maybe reach out to a few individuals who might help make running things a bit more...straight forward.