You are walking, in a good mood for once, beside ████, engaged in a conversation (or rather, you are engaged; he is confused but trying his best to understand what he's listening to). Two of your dragonblooded attendants, Kiri and Riki (although they joke that they're babysitters; it's been long enough living with you, and living with ████ to know that they won't get in trouble for behaving irreverently) are walking behind you - but only half a pace, much too close to be seen as Proper Behavior.
Both of them (they're twins, and almost identical), are contributing to the discussion, lively, enjoying confusing ████ and arguing with you. You're enjoying arguing back - they're both extremely clever and can often argue you to a standstill, although you're much more stubborn than either of them.
Your happy little group is making its way down the street when a man, regal and haughty, clad from head to toe in gold that shines like the evening sun on a calm lake, comes walking down the other direction. Your laughter dies down, as does the twins', and you all rearrange yourselves to be in the Proper Positions (you, a step and a half behind ████, the twins, a full two steps behind you in turn, silent and deferential), as he passes.
And as he passes, because he knows you, because you've earned a reputation, he walks into your path deliberately. You have time enough to react, to dodge around him and to avoid inconveniencing him.
You don't do that. You continue, undeterred, and collide directly with him. Some of his jewelry is sharp, but not sharp enough to pierce your own divine protection. And he's strong, walking quite fast, and would certainly have knocked a mortal down entirely. Not you, though, you stand your ground.
He stops, and stares at you.
You stare back. ████ and the twins tense up.
He clearly expects an apology, and you of course don't even try to offer one.
He's the one who blinks first.
"You ran into me."
You smile at him as sweetly as you can manage, which is not very sweet because you hate him based on the four words exchanged between you already. He seems to harbor similar feelings about you.
"Yes, you're welcome," you say, cheerfully. "I saw, my divine lord, that you had angled your path to meet mine; knowing how I do that you, a Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, would never mistakenly take an action such as this, I believed that you had therefore deliberately made the choice to run into me. Knowing this, how could I then deny you the right by moving out of your way?"
He scowls at you, openly. He's not above the pettiness required to walk into you on the street, but believes himself above admitting to it, somehow. That's just as well. You smile back at him. He looks away from you, towards ████, as though you are now beneath his notice.
"If you cannot control your Lunar, child, you'll find that someone else does it for you. And if that proves ineffective, I'd gladly provide you with guidance for training your next one."
Now you stiffen, your stomach clenching like you've just swallowed acid, a sour taste rising in the back of your mouth. Your face doesn't go red, but you feel your expression twist for just a minute before you school it again. Control your lunar. Training your next one. You hate him. You hate this man and everything he represents. You're fast enough to tear his throat out with your teeth, how dare he assume he can talk about you like you're a pet--
Gentle hands wrap around your arm.
"Ah- um- I don't know what you're talking about! I'm late for an appointment! I don't have time to talk to you and please don't talk to me or Shahi anymore please thank you. Uh, sir. My lord? You know what I don't care which it is. Bye!"
████ looks at you, apologetically, and bodily drags you away from the confrontation. You had your feet planted, your weight braced, but to take an impact from the other direction - in this situation, you skid easily along with his pull.
"You're way too smart to be acting that stupid," he mutters through grit teeth as you attempt with limited success to get your feet back under you (You're graceful, but he's so fast. He's so strong). You're not sure what part you should be arguing with, but you are consumed with the powerful need to argue.
"Don't argue," says Kiri, jogging along after to keep up with the two of you. Riki pipes up from your other side, "He's right for once. What good are all your revolutionary thoughts if they're in a head that's rolling across the ground?"
"But," you start, not really sure where this conversational path will lead, and the two of them punch both of your arms at the same time, which seems especially unfair when ████ has one of them in a soft but inescapable vicegrip anyway.
"No," all three of them chorus, and you grumble and relent. Fine.
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branchandroot
2. Diplomacy
Date: 2021-01-13 03:14 am (UTC)You are walking, in a good mood for once, beside ████, engaged in a conversation (or rather, you are engaged; he is confused but trying his best to understand what he's listening to). Two of your dragonblooded attendants, Kiri and Riki (although they joke that they're babysitters; it's been long enough living with you, and living with ████ to know that they won't get in trouble for behaving irreverently) are walking behind you - but only half a pace, much too close to be seen as Proper Behavior.
Both of them (they're twins, and almost identical), are contributing to the discussion, lively, enjoying confusing ████ and arguing with you. You're enjoying arguing back - they're both extremely clever and can often argue you to a standstill, although you're much more stubborn than either of them.
Your happy little group is making its way down the street when a man, regal and haughty, clad from head to toe in gold that shines like the evening sun on a calm lake, comes walking down the other direction. Your laughter dies down, as does the twins', and you all rearrange yourselves to be in the Proper Positions (you, a step and a half behind ████, the twins, a full two steps behind you in turn, silent and deferential), as he passes.
And as he passes, because he knows you, because you've earned a reputation, he walks into your path deliberately. You have time enough to react, to dodge around him and to avoid inconveniencing him.
You don't do that. You continue, undeterred, and collide directly with him. Some of his jewelry is sharp, but not sharp enough to pierce your own divine protection. And he's strong, walking quite fast, and would certainly have knocked a mortal down entirely. Not you, though, you stand your ground.
He stops, and stares at you.
You stare back. ████ and the twins tense up.
He clearly expects an apology, and you of course don't even try to offer one.
He's the one who blinks first.
"You ran into me."
You smile at him as sweetly as you can manage, which is not very sweet because you hate him based on the four words exchanged between you already. He seems to harbor similar feelings about you.
"Yes, you're welcome," you say, cheerfully. "I saw, my divine lord, that you had angled your path to meet mine; knowing how I do that you, a Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, would never mistakenly take an action such as this, I believed that you had therefore deliberately made the choice to run into me. Knowing this, how could I then deny you the right by moving out of your way?"
He scowls at you, openly. He's not above the pettiness required to walk into you on the street, but believes himself above admitting to it, somehow. That's just as well. You smile back at him. He looks away from you, towards ████, as though you are now beneath his notice.
"If you cannot control your Lunar, child, you'll find that someone else does it for you. And if that proves ineffective, I'd gladly provide you with guidance for training your next one."
Now you stiffen, your stomach clenching like you've just swallowed acid, a sour taste rising in the back of your mouth. Your face doesn't go red, but you feel your expression twist for just a minute before you school it again. Control your lunar. Training your next one. You hate him. You hate this man and everything he represents. You're fast enough to tear his throat out with your teeth, how dare he assume he can talk about you like you're a pet--
Gentle hands wrap around your arm.
"Ah- um- I don't know what you're talking about! I'm late for an appointment! I don't have time to talk to you and please don't talk to me or Shahi anymore please thank you. Uh, sir. My lord? You know what I don't care which it is. Bye!"
████ looks at you, apologetically, and bodily drags you away from the confrontation. You had your feet planted, your weight braced, but to take an impact from the other direction - in this situation, you skid easily along with his pull.
"You're way too smart to be acting that stupid," he mutters through grit teeth as you attempt with limited success to get your feet back under you (You're graceful, but he's so fast. He's so strong). You're not sure what part you should be arguing with, but you are consumed with the powerful need to argue.
"Don't argue," says Kiri, jogging along after to keep up with the two of you. Riki pipes up from your other side, "He's right for once. What good are all your revolutionary thoughts if they're in a head that's rolling across the ground?"
"But," you start, not really sure where this conversational path will lead, and the two of them punch both of your arms at the same time, which seems especially unfair when ████ has one of them in a soft but inescapable vicegrip anyway.
"No," all three of them chorus, and you grumble and relent. Fine.