Tethia smirks before Tageru leaves. "No, I've no problem with your eyes on me. I just never thought you'd even let me loose enough to bathe!"

"...Cynis monk, figures..." The Wood Aspect hears her mutter from the other side of the door. Then there's nothing but the sound of splashing water, the occasional hiss of pain or a "Gah, that stings..." at the salt water on her wounds.

She's dressed when Tageru comes in again, though her clothes stick to her damp skin. Without a towel she's just used one of the bedsheets to squeeze dry her short, dark hair, though it's not terribly effective.

"So, I'm not running. Look, what are you, a pervert or an opportunist? All I really want is to be let free. I don't want to serve you or your Alliance. I owe Kossuth that much -- not to sign up to join the men that killed him." Tethia sits on the bed with the wet sheet around her shoulders, gazing plainly at Tageru with her eyes like the sea. "I'll even agree that someone needed to put him down. It just wasn't going to be me. Now you've done it, you've ended his madness."

"I said I'd stay put till I'm healed, if you'd make me. But no longer."

"I'm not a pervert, thank you very much. And all I'm actually trying to do is make you see there could be more to life than being just a pirate. The man you loved went insane and died because of what he did. Many more have died because of him. Do you want the same end for yourself? Because, if you go back to being a simple corsair, that's what's going to happen. What I'm trying to do here is to make you see there is a greater destiny for you! You're chosen by the Dragons! You approach them in your enlightenment, and yet you squander it with your actions! What can this world hope for if it's defenders let themselves become monsters?"

Tageru sits in front of her and looks deeply into her eyes, green looking into blue, and takes her hand "The man you loved was gone the moment Siakal took control of him. It was she who killed him, not us. We just killed his body. Don't let her take you too, like she took your lover! I'm not asking you to join us, I'm just asking you not to throw your life away as a murderer, and not to serve the cause of the bitch that took your loved one away. How you do that is your own decision, the Alliance is certainly not the only option, but it's an option. Some of your men have decided to stay with us. Those that have decided otherwise we let go. They choose how they lead their lives. But you have a duty, Tethia. You're one of Creation's defenders. Your choices are much more meaningful and important. Please, don't make the wrong one here."

For a moment there, his demeanor is almost gentle, and he speaks like he believes every word he says.

"It's still your choice. I just wanted to try to help you decide the right way."


[Private to Storyteller: OOC: I engage her in social combat, and I want to persuade her to become a better person, and maybe even to join us. I use WP to channel Compassion on that social attack, so I add 4 dice, plus any from the stunt etc...
Oh, and she's still hurt, so that's a wound penalty to her MDV ^^ :D]

"I see." Tethia brushes her hair back from her face. "First of all, I sailed with Kossuth because I swore to myself I would stay with him until the end. I would have died with him and regretted nothing."

"I never truly venerated Siakal. Nor does she care, I will tell you that. She is pleased enough with violence in her waters, however it comes to pass. If she came for me one day, to devour me so I may join my beloved, I would not fight it."

She shakes her head wearily. "But I do not feel I owe her anything else. I never relished to kill... not like some of those lost souls that shared Kossuth's madness. I wished to protect him from himself, and in the end I could not." Again bitterness fills her eyes and stiffens her body, as she looks away from Tageru and into a distant corner of the room.

"So forgive me if I am not so willing to devote myself to another cause. I simply wish to be left alone, to survive or fall as I see fit. I can stomach neither duty nor glory now. Only a quiet end."

[Private to Cynis Tageru: All righty. I rolled for you. Since she is currently at -4, she has only 2 MDV. But just to warn you, she *will* use Willpower to resist if she is pushed to do something she doesn't agree with (or goes against her intimacies/motivation), so unless you've got supernatural ways to convince her you'll have to keep stunting to keep her from getting jaded. Right now she has 3 WP remaining.]

"You would let yourself be killed by the bitch that took your loved one?!", Tageru says and grabs her hand. "Look at me! I don't believe that! There is more pride in you than that! I saw it when I fought you, and I saw it when you woke up imprisoned! I see it now, too, but it's hidden by grief. It's okay to be sad. You should grieve for your loved ones. But it's not okay to give up on your life like that! What are you going to do, wallow in misery for the next two centuries? Or throw yourself off some cliff into Siakal's waiting jaws? Don't be a fool! There's so much to live for! So much to do! The only way you could properly respect the man Kossuth once was is to mourn him for a time, and then go on with your life and remember him! Be all you can be, that's the way Kossuth would have wanted it too. If you died first, would you want him to waste his whole life because of that? No, of course you wouldn't! You would want him to go on. Do that for him. Do that for yourself! Do that to spite the monster that took your man!

And you won't be alone. I am not an Immaculate monk any more, but I still live my life as one. A monk's duties are to help and to heal. I will help you get on with your life, if you want. If you accept my help...sister." Tageru stands up and reaches out to her with his right hand. "I've seen my whole crew and all of my friends disappear in a battle with the Fair Folk, those who didn't die, left me to die with the others. My whole world and everything I believed in crashed down in one day. But a woman, a friend, came and told me there was still more to live for. Even when it's hard, even when it's too horrible to think about it, you must go on. For the alternative is even worse."


[Private to Storyteller: So, that's a flurry of two attacks, and then a third attack on the next action. I use wp for 1 success on each attack. (Tageru really cares about helping people, and making them become better persons)]

"But... I..." Tethia is starting to look flustered, almost indecisive. She recoils from Tageru's hand, though she doesn't push it away, either. "Look, what do you think I can do? You say there's so much left to do, but what is it?! Help others? Do good deeds?"

"Why?" she asks furiously. "People aren't even worth saving. They want their simple, selfish pleasures. Money, sex, fame, blood, whatever they want, they want it. There's plenty who wouldn't even give you the time of day if you were dying in front of them!"

"What are you saying, that someone like me is going to change all that? I'm a criminal now! I return to any major port, I'll be hanged! Don't tell me I can change a world that's been rotten before I was born!" Though Tethia is almost shouting now, she's crying, too, hot tears of frustration released after who knows how long she's been holding it in.

[Private to Cynis Tageru: OK, I decided to give you a +3 stunt for your actions for this post, great speech. You still only got 1 sux on the first social attack though, so it failed. But the other two forced wp spending. Tethia has 1 wp, and is at 3 MDV (she's attempting to parry this time and put Conviction into it). Move in for the social kill ;)]

Tageru hugs Tethia, and she cries on his shoulder, and even his cold and expressionless face seems sad now. "No. You won't change all of that. But you will change some of it. Let me tell you a story:
I was once a young boy, and I lived in an estate near Arjuf. And one time, there was a great tide, and the sea washed up on the shore a lot of starfish. They were all washed up on the shore and dying. And as I walked down the shore, I saw a young patrician girl walking, no, running and throwing the starfish back into the sea. And I asked her: 'Why are you doing this? It can't possibly make a difference. There must be ten thousand of these starfish here, dying.'
And then she took one and threw it into the sea, and said 'to that one starfish, it meant everything.'

You can't save everyone, and you can't change all that's bad in the world. But that doesn't mean you should stop trying! If you save just one life, that means everything to the man that life belonged to! And imagine how many lives you can save! It will be everything to those people you save. And to their loved ones. And to many, many more. One good deed affects more people than we're aware of, more than even they're aware of.

And, yes, people are vain, selfish, sometimes downright evil! But that doesn't mean they aren't worth trying. Everyone makes mistakes. It's up to us to correct those mistakes when we can, and lead the souls of those we can to the right path. It's not always easy, but it's always right. Every man saved is one more soul closer to joining the Dragons, one more good person willing to make this world a better place.

I know you can be that good person. I know you can make a difference, however small. To those it affects, it will be everything. To me, it will be everything.

And you won't be hanged, I won't allow it! I would fight to the death for every good person I know, I believe that's why the Dragons chose me, and I'd die fighting before I'd let them take a good person like you."
Tageru puts his hand under Tethia's chin gently, and raises her head slowly, his green eyes meeting her watery blue eyes filled with tears.
"I see so much more in the future for you. So much good, so much great deeds. Don't let sadness take it all from you. Don't waste your Exalted life in vain. I will be there for you, as your friend and brother, when you need me, to help you. But you have to make the decision to go on yourself. I can only offer you the hand. It is you that must take it."

Tageru hugs Tethia again, and she cries on his shoulder.
"It's okay, little sister. Even the Exalted have to cry sometimes. Let it all out, so you can go on with your life. It's time for a new beginning."

[Private to Storyteller: OOC: So, it's two more social attacks against Tethia, and I use WP on the first. (it's not a flurry, just two attacks over two actions.) As for the stunt, I have two things to say:
1) I take 1 XP as a reward. ;) :D
2) I was really drunk while I was writing this, so I apologize for any and all nonsense I wrote (I really hope there was none that was too horrible) :)
Btw, I'm still drunk at the moment... :)]

[Private to Cynis Tageru: Just like I figured, you did more than enough to 'break' her... Haha. Another +3 stunt, in any case, so you can get back some WP.]

As soon as Tageru speaks, Tethia is transfixed by his words. It's as if he has been possessed by some force of inspiration, and it holds her there, unable to speak, unable to protest, as he pours his heart into convincing her not to give up on life, on people, on the world.

She weeps for herself, for her angry, misguided heart.
She weeps for Kossuth, for his potential was wasted on madness.
She weeps for what she has lost and all the sins she has committed.
She weeps because hope is harder than dying.

By the end of it, Tethia is completely overwhelmed and exhausted. For a long while she can't even find any words to reply, weakened both by her wounds and her tears and the quiet struggle building in herself.

Then she sits back, wiping her face. "I... I'll try. I don't know how much I can do. But I may stay with your Alliance a while, at least until I can find another place to go. I need time to rethink my path in life." The Water Aspect takes a deep breath, noticeably calmer. "But I would ask one thing. Just one."

"I would meet with your captain. The one that killed Kossuth."

[Private to Cynis Tageru: BTW, I think Tethia will be a non-combatant / observer for now. I see her as being in a time of transition. She'll come along to see for herself what Cobalt Alliance does, but not lift a weapon until she can figure out what it is she's fighting for. She may not stay permanently, but she'll still stick around at least for a while.]

Tageru sits with Tethia, and looks her into the eye.

"Alright, if it will give you closure to talk to my captain, I will take you to him. But, for now, I think it's best that you rest. I'll introduce you two, but right now, you need some sleep! I won't hear a word about it! I am your doctor, and I know what is best for your quick recovery!"

He takes the chains with him, and leaves the room. As he goes out he turns around to Tethia "Don't worry, everything will be alright. You just go to sleep now, and I'll wake you in time for the next meal. I'll ask the captain to see you then.". He smiles as sympathetically as his grim face allows him, and closes the door behind him...

Tethia finds that her body is all but worn out from the exertion of talking and crying. She just nods, warily, and lies back with a clean bedsheet, falling swiftly into a deep sleep.

---

OOC: End of scene.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:34, Mon 01 Dec 2008.

While repairs are conducted on the Cobalt ships, and their crew prepares for the next leg of their sea voyage, Tethia is allowed the time she needs to rest and heal. Though no longer bound to her bed, she does not wander much from 'her' room at first (though if Tageru allows it she would definitely prefer a private room). She sleeps a great deal, and has meals brought to her, and she remains silent and uncomplaining.

After a couple days, though, it's clear that she is restless remaining alone. Though she cannot venture long from her bed rest, she does move at least a little bit during the day, to make sure her muscles get what exercise she can safely allow them. Now and then the Water Aspect watches the crew work, or observes the training regiment of the other Chosen aboard the Dryad. Not once does she ask after her own weapons though, or even bother to enter the armory. It seems she is quite serious about remaining a non-combatant, at least for a time.

It is around then, when Tethia is alert enough to be moving about a bit, that Lasuri approaches her for a one-on-one talk. Tethia had already expressed interest in the same, and so it is with that mutual agreement that the two Water Aspects step into the navigation room together for some privacy.

---

OOC: New scene. It's just Lasuri and Tethia for now. I had forgotten it was supposed to be private, at least initially.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:35, Mon 01 Dec 2008.

The first thing the captain does, once the doors to the Navigation room are closed, is to pour some fresh water for his guest as well as himself. Realizing the silence might be rather uncomfortable, he immediately tries to fill it with some speech, so as to render it more approachable.

"I hope you've rested well." He asks, first and foremost. His tone is neither patronizing nor ironic, rather containing a strong sense of honesty and concern. "That's the most important thing for anyone traveling on my ship - no matter what caused them to have to travel on it in the first place. No one will be mistreated in our care, I'll be seeing personally to that."

He smiles, then sits across her, like a host receiving a guest - certainly not like a captive talking to a prisoner. "I'm Lasuri Leomaris. It's a pleasure to finally be speaking to you... Miss Tethia, right?"

"Tethia," the Water Aspect with short black hair confirms. She is dressed in a loose linen tunic and pants, her bandages freshly dressed underneath. Her movements are somewhat stiff, but she masks her pain well, accepting the offered water.

Her aquamarine eyes regard the Dryad's captain frankly. "I am not sure it is a pleasure on my part, if I may, sir. I have been welcomed upon this vessel, but the circumstances are... uncertain, for me. So far I have seen that your men are decent, hard working people, but no more special than most I have seen, dragonchosen or not."

"I would ask you two things, Captain Leomaris," Tethia declares, cutting right to the heart of her intentions. There is not hostility in her tone, but her words are still pointed, demanding response. "And I will start with the one most dear to me. How would you judge Kossuth, whom you fought and felled in battle?"

"I would imagine, yes." He responds immediately, apparently not taking offense in the slightest at her words. "The first thing I want to let you know bout is that I'm truly and sincerely sorry for the circumstances. I would have intervened earlier, had I known." He lets the meaning of this statement hang in the air for now, instead focusing on answering her question. He leans in his chair, visibly pondering intently at her words.

"I think that the best way to get to judge someone - at least for us who live our lives by wits, sweat and blood on the cruel seas - is to confront them. I challenged Captain Kossuth directly, both because I thought it was the best way to end that bloody battle as soon as possible, and to test the man's mettle. I challenged him in body and in spirit, too. I purposefully tried to fight his ideals, even though I'm not a judgmental man. I did it to see what kind of man he was, to see his responses and assess how he lived his life. Not even once did he falter, even when I attacked his very motives. Usually, those caught in Siakal's jaws will respond with indignant anger and bloodthirsty violence at those who doubt them. But my barbs didn't even budge him. Maybe because he sized me up too, and realized there was no truths behind my words. Or maybe because he was a man of such will that my opinions didn't even faze him. And either way, that's impressive, and worthy of respect."

"He and I might have shared a moment of truth while fighting for our lives, but I think I'd be presumptuous to say I learned or knew everything about him. That'd be selling him short. But I'll tell you this, Miss Tethia. I think that what Siakal did to him was a great and irreparable loss."

"Even in the grip of madness, Captain Kossuth kept to his word and honor impeccably. He died with no regrets, and he lived his life in full commitment to his beliefs. His will and courage were admirable, and even though I didn't know him before he was swallowed by the bloodlust, I can safely say he would have been a man I'd have admired and respected in full. It might be more difficult for others to accept, but for me, who fought him directly, he'll be remembered as a good man who suffered an unfortunate fate. He'll be remembered."

He smiles, a bit sadly, as he looks at the woman across him. His dark eyes are filled with an intensity that is rather difficult to ignore. "I hope this doesn't come across as conceited, being that I'm the one who caused his death. It's probably difficult to understand, how people can respect yet kill one another. But let me make this clear: I hold no love for Siakal. She wastes good lives, and hurts many others who remain among the living with such sacrifices. But even though I feel that way, I don't judge those who've been caught in her merciless jaws. So I'll remember Kossuth as the honorable man I fought that day, not as the bloodthirsty killer that Siakal made him."

Tethia listens quietly as Lasuri speaks, not quite sure how to interject or even react. It's a lot to take in and consider, and the captain is a well-spoken, if verbose man. Finally, she says mildly, "You have been waiting days to say these words to me, I imagine. How to explain the death of my lover to me, and at the same time capture my loyalty and understanding with your honest words."

"It plagues you, I suppose. You might have wished you could spare him. You speak as if you are familiar with Siakal's curse. Well..." she shrugs helplessly, masking a wince as her bandages shift. "There are some who have chosen to venerate her willingly. Including much, if not all of Coral. Siakal gives the Coral Archipelago strength, just as Hamoji of Wavecrest does for their people."

"In the end, though, people fight to protect what they believe is theirs. Their homes, their pride, their livelihood. And when the going is tough they will choose whatever means it takes to achieve that... even one that could drive them to madness." A futile sorrow still darkens Tethia's lovely eyes, though she is done with weeping, now. "I will say I prefer the end you gave him, over the end the Tya would give. Nonetheless, you took from me something dear to me, as well, and I cannot easily forgive that. Even if it was necessary." Her hand tightens around the glass offered her, but she continues in a measured tone.

"Your colleague, Cynis Tageru, insisted that I strive to live. Not only for myself, but to help those that need it and make a difference in changing what is bad in the world. That is what he spared me for, what he believes we dragonchosen are Exalted for. Now I would hear it from your mouth, Captain. What do you fight for? What does your 'Alliance' represent?"

He ponders for a moment, weighing in everything that Tethia mentions, and carefully listening to every word. When she is done, he shakes his head softly, a somewhat sad smile on his lips. "First things first... You're right. It's been eating at me for a bit. I've actually been nervous about talking with you, to be completely frank. I've repeated to myself for a couple days, because I was uncertain of how to say this to you. In the end, I threw all that overboard, and just... spoke." He purses his lips for a moment, visibly pondering something. "Where you're wrong in in my intent. I'm not trying to capture your loyalty, Miss Tethia. I'm not saying any of this to win you over. I'm saying this because I owe it to you, plain and simple. You're owed the truth. Just like if it was me who died... Some people on this side would also have been owed the truth."

"In any case... You'll find no more locked doors here. Were it to me, you wouldn't have found any in the first place. But the important bit is, the choice is yours, and you shouldn't think that any of this is some covert intent to sway you to our side. Using the death of a loved one for that would be despicable, and no matter what you end up thinking of me, I'll state that this is not something I'd condone."

"As for me..." He smiles then, a soft, wistful smile as he leans back in his seat, caught in reminiscence. "If you'd asked me this question some years ago, the answer'd have been much different. But like the ships I've been wanting to sail all my life, fate just pushed and pulled me along like winds and currents, and I've had to make do. Lots of the people sailing under our banner have the same sort of story - misplaced fates, you could say. Unplanned futures. Drifting destinies. Truth of the matter is, everyone's got their reasons to be here, and everyone approaches it differently."

"In the end though... It's all about freedom. I fight for those who have nowhere else to go, or those who can't find their way around life. There's people around who don't really fit in or belong in Coral. Or Wavecrest. Or An-Teng. They just end up wandering around, and their choices are pretty meager. They turn to piracy or thievery because they have nothing else, and that's the closer they can get to freedom. I fight to change that, and give people who have nowhere to go a place to belong. That's what the Alliance is trying to do, anyways. I'm not too sure how I ended up attracting other people... But here I am." He smiles, and tilts his head slightly.

"Don't know how far we'll make it... But the people you see here are good-hearted and hard working. They'll keep working at it, day to day. That's our fight."

"Heh..." Tethia actually looks amused this time, chuckling wryly before taking a sip of water. "So I'm making the mighty Cobalt captain nervous. And you faced Kossuth's wrath and lived, while his body became fodder for sharks."

She watches Lasuri with intense curiosity, wondering where to categorize him in her impressions -- foolish idealist? Courageous visionary? A part of her wanted to be terribly annoyed with him, yet another part found his goals almost noble, if all but impossible to uphold.

"So you're telling me that Cynis Tageru acted on his own? I admit that alarms me. You are a proponent of 'freedom'. You would even have ensured my own, even if I would have escaped and either died trying, or come back stronger to defeat you in revenge." Tethia's smile is razor sharp, as if to give the impression that she might have considered it. "And you let your colleague in the Alliance go about and say and do what he wishes... is that not a failing of 'freedom'? Don't you believe there is a time when discipline and deterrence are needed?"

The Water Aspect raises a hand, to delay Lasuri's answer. "I will say, to be fair, he is quite the motivational speaker, and I don't think he meant to force anything so much as that he is very eager, and truly believing in his cause. That I might actually refuse the idea that Dragon-bloods should use their powers to aid the downtrodden, or throw my life away with my beloved in the sea... I don't think he could have accepted that."

"He was direct, but convincing." Her smile twists into a smirk, then fades as she simply sighs. "I do not know if I will stay, but I am probably safer here. At least until I can figure out what I am fighting for, too."

"There's no real excuse for that, of course. I was wounded and a lot was happening at once, so I happened to miss the exact moment when it happened. I already warned Mister Tageru about taking prisoners on my boat, but I wanted to have a talk with you before I passed any judgment on what happened. I wanted to hear your version of the story before I decided anything."

"I'll say this though - I won't try to escape blame. I'm not infallible, and I came to address your situation too late. I know that Mister Tageru is not a bad man at heart at all, and that at the core, his intentions are good and true. He lived his life as an immaculate monk, and of course the teachings and way of life continue to leave traces in his present life. But were it me, I'd not have allowed you to have to stay against your will, nor to have a serious talk before you were rested, if you'd decided to stay. It's probably too little too late, I'm sure you'll say, but I'll deal with all the loose ends of this, believe me. I do believe in 'discipline and deterrence, as you say - mostly because I believe that the more freedom you preach, the more responsibility you have to expect from those around you."

"As for you, like I said, you'll find no more locked doors here. I've arranged to make some space for you so you can have your separate quarters, if you decide to remain a little longer."

"Which brings to my next point - your staying here. If you so choose, we'll let you off at a port of your choosing, and let you go. Like all of us, you're free, miss Tethia. I'm aware that your association with Captain Kossuth and the Hammerhead might make this hard, so don't worry; we won't just let you off somewhere where you'll just be captured or threatened again. You deserve your chance at a new start. We'll either camouflage your appearance, make up a cover story and a new identity for you, or just drop you somewhere where Captain Kossuth's reputation has not reached out so strongly. You can decide what you want when the time comes, you're not in a hurry."

"If you do decide to stay, even for an indeterminate length of time until you can make up your mind, there's other options open up to you. I've arranged for your private quarters here on the Dryad, of course, and my people've been warned about your presence. They're not judgmental, but in the case your presence here makes you uncomfortable, I can also arrange to transfer you to the Hammerhead to stay with your fellow crewmen. Again, the choices are up to you. Long as you stay with us, I won't dictate your living arrangements."

"You are apologizing to me?" Tethia laughs wryly, then immediately regrets the effort, one hand touching her side before she drops it (perhaps disliking the display of weakness?) "I was your enemy, I'd actually expected worse treatment than I got. You are a generous man, perhaps too much so for this world... even Tageru had a pragmatic side, in keeping me bound and using my wounded state to his advantage."

"I do not think he is a bad man either. Overbearing, but that is how he is, I think. He can be threatening without meaning it. He can also be quite encouraging, though, and that makes him more kind... or perhaps more dangerous. Those who can lead and stir the hearts of men can also lead them to ruin," she pronounces almost prophetically, giving Lasuri a significant glance. Perhaps warning that he, too, would have to seek to maintain that balance between authority and nurture.

"In any case, Captain. I do not think I will leave right away. Much as I dislike it, I am in no condition to refuse kindness right now, and I am unsure yet where I will go. But do not think that by staying I've already agreed to join your Alliance. I would prefer to remain a guest, and I am most thankful you will allow me my freedom and privacy during my stay."

"Most thankful," the Water Aspect emphasizes, her lips pursing thinly in unveiled indication that she was not happy to be bound and watched -- as 'deserved' as it may have been.

He shrugs a bit, then leans back in his chair. "By any standard, no one is forced to take prisoners. No matter how we stood on those ships, you and your people surrendered at the end of the battle, and so there's some courtesy you've earned. Otherwise, what's the point of surrender?" He smiles, then shakes his head a bit.

"People've heard of the 'Sea Drake'. Not many people actually know me though. I've gotten used to being a ship's captain. Some people aboard this ship have been in my crew ever since I got my very first ship to comandeer. That much, I know pretty well. But being leader of a faction like ours is something I'm still learning, believe it or not. I certainly don't think I'm perfect, and I don't think I'm done learning either. Don't think I ever will be. Mostly 'cause it deals with people, and people are all different. There's no formula or hard rules for dealing with them. You just gotta get to know them, and adjust along the way."

He nods to her thanks, rubbing his temple a bit as he does so. "No need for thanks. We have no reason to hold you against your will, Miss Tethia. If you stay here, you stay because you wish to. And as such, you're to be granted the same regard any prospective member of the Alliance would. It's your path, your choice. I only provide the share that choice grants while you stay under our banner."

"I see... And I understand. You, at least, I can trust to be frank and honest with me. If only because you are naive, and life has yet to prove it to you." Tethia smiles, draining the rest of her water, as if satisfied with her words. But as always there is something of a sadness to the smile: that of a cynic who wants to be proven wrong, perhaps. Or someone just used to sadness.

"Do not let me disrespect you any further, though. As far as I can tell you deserve the loyalty your crew gives you. How your principles have carried you this far, I cannot even imagine. But they have. And for that I'm... impressed."

Setting down her empty glass, she leans toward the map table in front of her, scrutinizing Cobalt's map of the West with obvious interest. Her fingers trail across several different markers color coded for potential allies and potential enemies.

"Cobalt has certainly been around," she remarks offhandedly. "Is there anyone you aren't neutral to?"

He smiles, and leans back in his chair. For all the words that scattered around about the 'Sea Drake', and all the legends built around him - most of them false and grossly exaggerated - only speculations could be ventured as to where he came from. For all the myriad tales of his scouring the west, nothing certain is recounted of his actual origin. And that suits the real Sea Drake just fine.

"Maybe you're right. Though one thing to keep in mind is that I've not always been the man I am now, as funny as it might seem to you. Life's taught me to be this way, through hardships and loss. Maybe it's a fool's errands... But I somehow feel that if I can prevent someone from feeling what I've felt when I lost things that meant a lot to me, and I had no limb left to stand on, then that's something I should do. Maybe history will paint me and the Alliance for a foolish venture, but that doesn't really matter. History's foggy a lot of times. What matters is what you end up doing here and now, in the present."

He takes a sip of his drink as she watches the map, and smiles as she asks her question. He lets it linger for a moment, then takes another sip of his drink.

"Skullstone. And the Lintha." He says, the smile still on his lips.

"Well, you and Tageru do have some similarities," Tethia observes offhandedly, her eyes lingering on the marker labeled 'Sorrow's Veil'. "You are both driven by higher ideals. I am unsure yet whether I am capable of such desire. Perhaps with time, I will be surer."

She nods slowly at the two names Lasuri gives. "How interesting, though, that the isle of the dead and the demon-spawn would war with one another, but you would take them both on."

The Water Aspect almost looks ready to say more, but instead she lets out a weary sigh, straightening stiffly from her scrutiny of the map. "I have enjoyed our verbal sparring, Captain Leomaris. But I think I should return to my convalescence, unless you've something else to speak with me about."

"Take it slow, miss Tethia. Your world's been tossed around a lot, and even though everyone always tries to do their best to maintain their footing when that happens, it's not really easy. You say I have high ideals now, but I've also known a time where I just didn't know what to do with my life anymore, 'cause everything I had planned for and thought I'd be doing got swept from under my feet. I guess in the end, what matters is not where your road takes you, but that you make the trip in the first place." He smiles amiably, then tilts his head at the mention of the two enemies he had previously mentioned.

"That's one way to look at it. But if you look at it another way, it's not really that surprising. Both nations are highly selfish and individualistic, at the core. That's pretty much at odds with everything we believe in. See, all that philosophing doesn't have to be so complicated after all, right?" He grins, then nods.

"You do that, miss Tethia. I just wanted to confirm the story from you, and tell you what's what for as long as you remain with us. I'd just want to ask you to come to me if there's anything you need, and I'll try to have that arranged, within our limitations."

"Thank you," Tethia says, meeting Lasuri's gaze as she speaks. Her aquamarine eyes show earnest gratitude... and weariness. "You're a good man, and that both relieves and disturbs me. My mind understands why you killed Kossuth. But my heart despises it was necessary, no matter what rational thought may say."

Another sigh. It seems to be quite the habit. "But now, I will rest. I've no more desire except for privacy and quiet. If you could arrange my new quarters right away that would be kind." Her words show no apparent kindness or warmth in return, but Lasuri has observed her enough by now to know that her aloofness hides sorrow, perhaps confusion, rather than hostility.

"You're not expected to be rational right now. Just... Be yourself. You might not want to show it, but mourning's an unavoidable part of any partings." He nods, and something in his expression seems to truly understand her desire for privacy. Once she finishes speaking, he stands back up, to show her out of the Navigation Room.

"I've taken the liberty to have a room prepared for you ahead of time. I think I've thought of most everything you might need, but if anything's missing, just let me know." He opens the door, then nods towards her.

"Take all the time you need. I'll be sure to notify you when we reach the next port. I'll make sure to let everyone know they're not to disturb your resting until then."

Gesturing towards her, he helps her out of the room and towards her new quarters.

Hopefully she can at least start to find some peace of mind.