10-18-2013, 12:11 PM
There are things about not being in exactly everyone's good graces. Some Houses might be known for leading charges, but leading charges before you have anyone willing to come charging into battle after you is just not helpful to anyone. Save, possibly, one's enemies.
This is not a gathering armies kind of day. There are any number of reasons for that, ranging from pacifists to Mages so new to their arts that they are baffled by speaking of Avatars to the fact that unless cavalry charges return to fashion Kalen's not leading any charges for some time.
His eyes shift from one speaker to the next, only drifting on occasion to possible entrances and exits. There are intermittent and muted flickers of response: surprise at Jim's suggestion, a brief smile for Grace (and a mental note that next time she comes by for coffee he knows what they're talking about), a reassuring look to Garrett.
"Make no mistake, what were are discussing is violent." Kalen addresses the room in a voice that says nothing of approval or disapproval by virtue of its sheer distance from any kind of emotion. "Regardless of whether we are responsible for an outcome that involves the disposition of an Avatar or we offer up that responsibility to the Technocracy, it will almost certainly be violent. And," here his gaze strays to Jim, "Whether we do it or simply facilitate it, we are choosing it or we are not."
"We did no more than survive war, and barely survive at that. That isn't the issue at hand here. The issue at hand here is that there is something monstrous out there, and we know of it. You're right, we probably could try to give this problem away. We could offer it up like some peace offering or we could bait what has been historically a very dangerous enemy into handling it for us. It is not impossible."
"Some of you are not given to fighting. Such things are not for me to judge, I leave you to your own choices there. But some of us are perfectly comfortable sailing forth to challenge whatever comes for us." Mara gets a flash of a smile. "I will not drag any of you into this kind of fight, but there is no reason to drag the Technocracy into it either. If you would stay here, because you feel is safer or because you feel there is some ethical obligation, then stay. Just don't think we all want to stay."
Jim gets another glance, and Kalen's attention rests on him. "Though, we could explore less violent options. There are good odds that Garrett could get more information on the creator of this film, that between all of us we could find or devise a way to handle this with mercy. I am as unopposed to mercy as to violence. I can see easily enough the merits of both."
This is not a gathering armies kind of day. There are any number of reasons for that, ranging from pacifists to Mages so new to their arts that they are baffled by speaking of Avatars to the fact that unless cavalry charges return to fashion Kalen's not leading any charges for some time.
His eyes shift from one speaker to the next, only drifting on occasion to possible entrances and exits. There are intermittent and muted flickers of response: surprise at Jim's suggestion, a brief smile for Grace (and a mental note that next time she comes by for coffee he knows what they're talking about), a reassuring look to Garrett.
"Make no mistake, what were are discussing is violent." Kalen addresses the room in a voice that says nothing of approval or disapproval by virtue of its sheer distance from any kind of emotion. "Regardless of whether we are responsible for an outcome that involves the disposition of an Avatar or we offer up that responsibility to the Technocracy, it will almost certainly be violent. And," here his gaze strays to Jim, "Whether we do it or simply facilitate it, we are choosing it or we are not."
"We did no more than survive war, and barely survive at that. That isn't the issue at hand here. The issue at hand here is that there is something monstrous out there, and we know of it. You're right, we probably could try to give this problem away. We could offer it up like some peace offering or we could bait what has been historically a very dangerous enemy into handling it for us. It is not impossible."
"Some of you are not given to fighting. Such things are not for me to judge, I leave you to your own choices there. But some of us are perfectly comfortable sailing forth to challenge whatever comes for us." Mara gets a flash of a smile. "I will not drag any of you into this kind of fight, but there is no reason to drag the Technocracy into it either. If you would stay here, because you feel is safer or because you feel there is some ethical obligation, then stay. Just don't think we all want to stay."
Jim gets another glance, and Kalen's attention rests on him. "Though, we could explore less violent options. There are good odds that Garrett could get more information on the creator of this film, that between all of us we could find or devise a way to handle this with mercy. I am as unopposed to mercy as to violence. I can see easily enough the merits of both."