Day 053: Weeding
Summary: Elias and Kai weed through an argument when Khesu visits their camp. Kai storms off, Elias teaches Khesu about magnifying glasses and shares some weed.
Date: 21/07/2016
Related: Nothing Particular
Elias Kai Khesu Starling 


Lake Arkadia
Surrounded by breathtaking mountains and rolling foothills, the Lake Arkadia — or known as Lake Audo to the Trikru — is a sprawling, crystalline body of water that joins the Potomac watershed. It is encompassed in low grasses and young alder trees. The forests start to thicken to the west, where the rocky peaks of this small mountain range poke up out of the groves of hemlock and cedar. Following along a newly flattened path is the road to Camp Jaha. The Skaikru city is what remains of the crashed Alpha station. The enormous ring stands vertical some many hundred feet in the air, and it has already begun to be salvaged for materials.
Thu Jul 21, 2149.

Kai's becoming.. well, not an 'expert' but at least familiar with how to dry fish over flame.. the rabbit? That's a little more tricky. Especially with getting some rest overnight. So the ass crack of dawn see's her up checking on whether or not the meat is sufficiently dry to package and stick in her pack.. for all that she probably shouldn't be going with the way her head is still gnarly and the stitches in her neck and hand still ugly and black against her skin. But.. it's the Mountain. So of course she's going, even if right at this second she's perched in one of the camp chairs resting her weary teenage bones.

Elias is always up super early in the morning. There is a lot on the 'farm' that needs doing before the sun even peeks over the horizon and he's just returning from doing those things. There isn't any grogginess about the young man as he has been up for a little while so far. As Kai check on the meat, he wanders over and gives her a curious look. "How's it coming?" he asks, squatting down outside his tent so he can rinse some of the dirt from his hands in preparation for breakfast.

"The fish is good.. the rabbit I'm not so sure about." Kai murmurs, letting him do his thing before offering him a kiss,"The warband's moving out today for Mount Weather.. hopefully by this time next week.. Tink and the others will be free and we wont have to worry about the Mountain ever again." which merits a smile from her at least,"I've heard.. rumors.. nothing substantive yet, but rumors.. that the steheda is looking at rebuilding Coesbur somewhere new.. somewhere closer to here."

Elias glances over towards the rabbit, not particularly certain himself whether or not it's good. Once he's done washing his hands, he moves on over to where the fire is and leans down to press a tender kiss to Kai's lips. "Just get plenty of rest on the way down, have the medics look at you again…you know." He gestures with a roll of his hand and wrist to imply 'yada yada'. "As far as that goes, it sounds like I'll have to have a meeting with Oxfor myself. I can contribute at the very least."

Kai lingers in the kiss before reaching with her good hand to pull over a chair closer in a not-so-subtle hint for him to sit down,"Silver comes and checks on me, but I'll make sure to check in with Galle or one of the others along the way, too. And so far it's still.. unofficial, just that it sounds like maybe that's the way it's going to be. You know the others wont object to your help." she smiles,"They like you. You don't treat them like they're stupid or that you're better than them.. I've never had a single one of them have an unkind word to say about you."

He doesn't mind that kiss lingering in the slightest, and even presses further into it for a moment to add a little tongue before finally breaking away. As she pulls the chair up, he smiles to her and inclines his head in a gentle nod. "Good," he says. "Take care of yourself. I'd obviously be more comfortable if you sat this one out, but we both know that isn't going to happen." He smiles at her and squints his eyes. With a raise of his brows then, he settles into the chair and reaches out to help with the meat if she needs it. "I don't know that they like me, necessarily," he replies to her with a laugh. "Tolerate, yes. I've built up a pretty good rapport with Benning, but to say they /like/ me might be getting a little ahead of ourselves. Of course I'd like to fix that, but there's more work to do in that direction."

"Yeh that's not going to happen." Kai agrees, letting him fuss with the meat for a second before electing to lean over so she can rest the uninjured side of her head against his shoulder,"They're.. not very demonstrative, usually, Eli. They're different from the Ark in that. I'd say it's more than tolerate. You've made a better impression on them than the majority of the Ark.. can we at least agree on that?" she asks of him,"It feels like there's always going to be more work to be done in that direction.. but even though it feels like forever, today's only day fifty-three. It was the twenty-ninth day after we landed that the Ark came down.. I've only been Trikru myself for twenty-four days."

Laughing, Elias leans over again to press a kiss to her cheek in response to her words about going to Mount Weather. While Elias is certainly no coward, he isn't about to put himself in danger when Agro-Techs are in short supply as it is. Agro-Techs with his level of expertise? Even less so. He shifts so she can more comfortably lay her head on his shoulder. "I know. I was just saying that…yeah, they might be more comfortable around me than others, but I shouldn't presume either. Just wish more people understood that there are values that transcend tribal structure."

Kai smiles for the kiss,"Maybe after this I'll be able to sleep properly again." she sighs softly. She doesn't hold not going against him, to her it's preferable that he stay safe faaarrr away from the Mountain, even if right now she draws comfort from simply leaning her head against him,"Well, no, but in doing things like sharing meals and knowledge and so on, you are doing things Eli. Important things. Both Wren and Britt have said their proud of me and what I have achieved. But the respect you have among them is based upon your own actions, not mine."

Elias blushes a bit, but still takes the high esteem with a bit of a grain of salt. "I do appreciate that, babe," he tells her with a smile, rocking his head so his cheek nuzzles against the top of her head. Turning then, he plants a kiss there before resting his head back. Sliding his left hand into her right one then, he gives her fingers a squeeze. "Still, I'm just doing the best I can. If there's war, I'd still be in immense danger. I know we aren't in any danger of that right at the moment, but it's still a reality. Oxfor won't impede war again…not after what happened."

"The kru comes first, among the Trikru, Eli. Each member is expected to do their part, to help keep the kru alive. When I go out and fight.. that is what is expected of me. The healers will allow someone too injured to stay behind, but it is expected that if you are able, you will do what is necessary to protect the kru, which is why the kru in turn make sure that the warriors are well cared for. But it is for the farmers, the healers, the makers and the teachers and all those who are at home, who are houmon.. that they do it. They share out of respect for the fact that the warriors are putting their very lives on the line to protect them, and the warriors fight to insure that the others are safe. That they do not have to. By offering them a place by your fire and food that you've made you are showing them the respect of one of the kru. When you speak in Trigedasleng you show respect for their language. Some might not be certain how to take that, because you are Skaikru, but in some ways that makes it an even bigger sign of respect. Right now we have warriors from many different places, but I will be of Coesbur, because Wren is. And while, yes, I do not believe they will refuse again if war is called for, I do believe that should that happen, that there is none that would say you are not my houmon, and Trikru. If it comes to it."

Elias pushes his tongue out between his lips to wet them, considering her words for a long moment. Nodding then, he smooths his free hand across his cheek and around to the back of his neck to rub there. "I wouldn't be comfortable with anyone from Coesbur being punished as a traitor for helping me, though." He furrows his brows then before heaving a sigh. "I know there would be no arguing it either were many of them to have a thing to say about it. The fact that I've endeared myself to some, I fear, does not enrich their lives but makes them harder. I worry about that, but I know they understand consequences so…" He gives a squeeze of her hand again and lifts his shoulders in a shrug. "Objectively I'm still the problem."

Kai makes a soft noise,"What is there to be considered a traitor about? Houmon's are the same kru. You come to Coesbur and I declare you my houmon, you are Trikru." Kai insists as she squeezes his hand,"But I do not think it will come to that. Skaikru and Trikru march together on the Mountain. That is not something that will be easily forgotten or discarded. But you are correct, they would not refuse the kruheda's order a second time. They were only spared this time because the Heda chose to spare them.. and it was very difficult to stand and watch them be cut for helping us. Very hard."

Elias dips his head in a nod to Kai in response and takes a deep breath inward. "Right," he says with a hard exhale. "There's still a lot I don't understand, I suppose. I don't worry too much over war right now. This second. There is still the matter of the blood debt to Thripoda that we shouldn't just brush under the rug as if it will no longer be a thing if we're successful with the Mountain. It's a loose end. Personally, I would have thought it needed addressing /before/ the assault on the Mountain." Lifting his head a bit, he raises a brow and looks down at her. "I'm not saying that the Trikru would be shady about that. Just saying that it should have been dealt with as part of any diplomatic action. Whatever the outcome, being able to move forward from it would have been ideal." He pauses a moment and clears his throat then. "Sorry. Maybe I'm thinking too much about it. In certain ways, I don't see us making wiser decisions than before."

"There's still a lot we both don't understand." Kai grunts quietly, though her tone is somewhat more somber,"The kruheda has not called upon me to keep the promise I made to her in the camp, but they do not discuss the inner workings of politics around me. In fact I've been advised that I need to.. keep my temper to myself." which can't help but make her grimace,"And Wren says I think too much, too. You know if you reach a point where you feel you don't want to be part of the Ark anymore, I will declare you my houmon. Regardless of discomfort.. they respect their laws. I am Trikru, and as my houmon, you would be Trikru too."

Smiling again, Elias squeezes her hand once more and leans in to kiss her for her sweet words. His lips seek out hers for a brief, but lingering touch before he draws back once again. "We're making progress," he says with a rock forward of his head. "I think a lot more people are seeing a different side of the Trikru. I think this delegation has been a big success." Taking in another breath then, he pauses a moment, considering. "Unfortunately, thinking is what I do best. I just find it odd that such a glaring loose end was not tied up as part of the diplomatic process to take down the Mountain. Or maybe it was discussed and we just weren't informed." Another shrug is given then before he looks to her once more. "There's no telling what is to come, I suppose. I think I should probably get a bit more involved in being aware of the current politics. Kane's done a surprisingly good job so far, for all of my criticisms."

Kai returns the kiss gently before she gives a small nod of her head,"I think so, too. Although there has been.. difficulties, they have gotten to see the Makers, to speak with others and see more of what the kru is truly like. I was.. not certain at the beginning, but it seems to be working alright." she eases her chair just that little bit closer, even if it makes the arms of them lock and puts hers at an odd angle, choosing to clutch to him in her own way,"We don't know that it wasn't." she points out,"Exactly. And well.. it's Kane. I don't trust him. But then again.. I am happy where I am. I feel like the Trikru are home to me, if that makes sense. I am not Kyler Adams, Captain Tyler Adams the fourth's daughter.. I am simply.. Kai. And what I do isn't a reflection of five generations of family.. it's a reflection of me, and Wren as my first. The more and better I do, his honor in return is restored."

"Trust him or not," Elias says with a vague gesture of his free hand. As she moves in close, he moves his other hand from hers so that he can wrap it about her shoulders now. "He's stepped up in a pretty big way. Bigger than anyone else could have, at any rate." He gives a nonchalant shrug, not really defending the guy but giving credit where it's due. "I don't fully agree with either side, if I'm to be honest. Both sides are full of assholes with smatterings of good people. I just simply don't 'belong'. Probably a thing with authority, really." Again, he shrugs and then lets out a laugh. He raises a brow at her then and smirks. "You can change your name, but you can't change where you're from. Every one of us is an amalgamation of experiences."

"I'll take your word on it, still not coming back to the Ark." Kai chuckles quietly,"You're missing my point, Eli. I'm not having to live up to some stupid ideal of who I'm supposed to be because of who my great-grandfather and all the generations after him was. What matters is who I am and what I am willing to do for my people. No matter what, there is always a structure to work in with, for me, the Trikru system is more comfortable. Right now, I am Wren's responsibility. Once I am released, I answer to my steheda, who answers to the kruheda, who answers to the Heda. That's better than answering to a Corporal who answers to a Sergeant who answers to a Lieutenant who answers to a Captain and so on. What I do at that point is on my own head. I like it. It's greater autonomy than the Ark has. Too much paperwork. Too much bureaucracy."

"I think you're defending fronts that don't need defending," Elias says with a soft laugh and a shake of his head in response to her first statement. "I get what you were saying, but I think you need to realize that it's /you/ that needed to break that mold. I'm totally fine with your decision so long as we're on the same page that it was a decision you made for the sake of happiness." Raising his brows then, he cants his head to one side for a moment. "I completely agree with you, though. It's a much simpler system than what we see as more 'sophisticated'. The thing I don't like about the Trikru /and/ the Ark is their system of punishment without taking any rehabillatory measures whatsoever. It's just seems like 'bad you, I'mma' cut off your hands' or whatever. Unfortunately justice is more complicated than that."

"Oh I'm much happier now, yes." Kai doesn't deny at all,"I.. like fighting. Which I know is an awful thing to say.. but it's true. I like it." she admits,"Things that should be awful.. like the blood fever.. to me it was.. sublimely efficient in it's own way. The Ark would, rightfully so, consider it appalling.. me I wish I could infect the fucking Mountain to soften it up before we get there." she clears her throat quietly,"I.. don't see the Trikru system as non-rehabilitory, either. They are all family, after a fashion. Britt was among those who had to do the cuts.. watching it was hard for me, but for her it was worse. It was her duty, but not something she desired to do, and thus, not something she wants others to ever have to do to her. Que's been beside himself for days that the Heda knows his name, and spoke it to order his punishment. To them it is lost honor, a loss of place in the kru, and most of them feel that it means that they have to strive harder on behalf of the kru.. to redeem themselves in the eyes of their family. If you know that it's not just you who is going to suffer, but your family, your friends, that the people who are going to be called to mete out that justice are the same people that you respect and who respected you.. it makes you think a lot harder about what you do."

It's just on dawn the day the warband is due to leave, and right now Kai and Eli are seated in chairs in front of his tent by the hothouse (and the garden), with the smell of slowly drying fish and rabbit meat over the fire, the Second taking the opportunity to prepare some more dried rations for their trip, well, and getting in some last minute time with her niron.

Khesu has been hanging around the Trikru camp resting, hurting, but stoic without complaint. He has also been listening to the various thoughts of some of his clan mates while Galle has been overseeing the care of his wounds. For all he's been in some pain, it must be nothing compared to what Kai feels like. It is perhaps thoughts of her and how she fares that lures Khesu to walk along the lake and towards Elias's small camp. When he sees them both out in sight, Benning's and Gideon's uncle makes his way a little stiffly in their direction. "<In Trigedasleng> Heya." An uplifted nod to them ere he stops to wait for permission to enter their camp. "How fare you, Kai?" A flicker of his dark eyes over Elias, "I thought … perhaps you would show me these things you grow." The garden as well as the hot house.

Elias holds up a hand to Kai and shakes his head. "Now, don't go getting all apologist about the blood plague. The kruheda herself called that a mistake on her part directly to me." Smiling then, he leans over and gently nudges at her. "At the moment, I don't get to think about happiness as much. I try for as much as I can, but responsibility often overrides desire." With a sigh then, his smile becomes thinner. "I don't disagree with the philosophy or the way it's enforced. In fact, I think it's a very reasonable secular method. Morality is derived from the law of reciprocity and they seem to understand that more than anyone. What I take issue with is the potential for innocent parties to be harmed as punishment for the crimes of another. That is where the basic moral foundation of their system of justice collapses." As Khesu approaches however, Elias looks up from where he's nuzzled in against Kai and smiles up at him. "<In Trigedasleng> Hey, Khesu. It pleases me to show you." He nods his head, still getting the proper phrases down with the language. "Were you interested in how the solar panel I showed you yesterday works?"

"<In Trigedasleng> Hei Khesu!" Kai calls, raising her head from Eli's shoulder for all that she doesn't untangle her uninjured hand from his for the moment,"<In Trigedasleng> I am ready to march." and then switches over to Gonasleng to add,"Just preparing some more rations for the trek." there's a glance towards Elias and a squeeze of his hand before she finally let's it slide free,"The knowledge that the guilty could cause that to happen to the innocent is part of why it works, Eli. Doing something stupid I know I'll get punished for is one thing.. doing something stupid that Wren would suffer the consequences for..? It's a whole 'nother ballgame." she utters with a look towards Khesu,"That's why it works like that. To teach one to be mindful of how their actions can hurt others."

Khesu comes the last short distance to join them in their camp. 'Solar panel' is a strange concept to him that he does not understand, but electricity he's had some introduction to from Jumar with the wire wall. So he gives a nod, "Aye." Not inclined to speak a great deal, he listens to their previous conversation ere he rumbles low, "The actions of one, may effect the lives of all one's clan, whether we care for it or not."

Elias nods his head to Kai in response to her words. "And I entirely disagree. Conviction without the preclusion of evidence is justice for no one. You take a man's brother, for example, that has no idea and no part of what his brother does. Both brothers are convicted and punished due to association. A life has been snuffed out needlessly. An entire lifetime of ideas and contributions to their people ended deliberately as part of the institution. I disagree in that I think it's far more egregious to punish an innocent than it is to have the occasional guilty person go free. It's not perfect, just like what's in place, but it works just as well." With a shrug of his shoulder then he looks between Kai and Khesu both. "I'm a free-thinking human. I'm allowed to disagree." To Khesu then, he clears his throat and gives him an apologetic look. "Sorry. Yeah. I still simply disagree. I'm not denying the reality of it, but I feel it necessary to oppose a thing, with words, that I don't agree with. Anyways…yes. We harness lightning power to provide energy to our things. Lights…" He points off towards the Ark where there are still quite a few lights on this early in the morning. "That sort of thing. I am taking energy from the sun and turning it into this lightning power. Or electricity as we call it."

Kai nods in agreement with Khesu, though she smiles at Elias,"That's not the way it works, Eli. But if the brother knew what was happening, and did nothing to stop it? Or helped his brother cover it up? He is complicit. People aren't killed simply for being related, and is entirely not what I said. The people of Coesbur who were silent, or who spoke to follow the kruheda's orders were not punished, but those who actively chose to refuse the order, or who actively chose to help skaigeda at the time we were enemies, they were punished." she leans forward to check on the meat, but apparently isn't going to interrupt the lesson further from the fact she stays put where she is.

Khesu tilts his head slightly, "There is more to your discussion than I am aware. I should not have offered a comment." Since he walked into it in progress. But he rumbles low to add, "I would not punish the innocent, either." So he would agree with at least parts of what each of them say, but does not know precisely the context to whatever it is they are discussing. By the way he's looking at Elias, Khesu may be curious and waits to see if either of them will explain. Or let it drop and move on.

The Trikru warrior looks to the Ark when Elias points to it. He gives a slow nod and directs his attention then to the panels, "To power also the wire wall. I do not understand how it takes it from the sun."

Ah! Kai makes it clear what they were discussing and Khesu nods to her, "I was not punished. I was elsewhere and did not heed our Kruheda's call for I was in the north and heard of it not."

"That's also not the incident that I'm talking about," Elias says to Kai, holding up a finger to her with a smile. He also casts a look to Khesu. Not at all, specifically, what they were talking about. "What I'm speaking more about is the dropship and Thripoda which has so far gone unresolved. That makes me extremely uncomfortable…even as someone who personally executed a traitor and saboteur." The haunted look on his face is brief and he lets it sink in as a matter of fact. "I'm aware that's not how it works, but what you describe is an idea that, as far as I know, is still being levied on people who had nothing to do with it. At best that's seven people we can't spare already…gone." He's calm in explaining his position on the matter, gesturing gently with his hands while he speaks. "At best, it's flawed logic without any scrap of evidence that shows what actually happened."

Rising from his chair then, he makes his way over to where he's got a solar panel he's been tinkering with. "What I don't like is the apparent lack of justice that's provided for myself and others who may still wind up having to die for Thripoda. If we're beholden to the laws of the Kongeda, does that mean that we are going to be represented as such?" Both brows raise as he looks from Kai to Khesu. "I ask because otherwise, at this point, it would seem more like punching down in order for someone to save face. I'm presuming a lot here, but to my knowledge that has /not/ been resolved."

With that, he holds up the solar panel and shows it off to Khesu, extending it forth so that he can handle it if he so chooses. He then points to the top of the hothouse where several of them are attached to the frame of the roof. "<In Trigedasleng> Mostly I will grow medicine and food. There will be enough for Coesbur." This is explained as he gestures back to the hothouse. "Root vegetables, greens…that sort of things."

Khesu must have gotten called away to go deal with something, who knows? Kai gives a brief nod for Eli's words,"But again, that's as far as we know Eli. Unless you're having discussions with Kane, neither of us know jack about what's been worked out at the higher level. You're making assumptions." she grunts,"Our agreement with the kruheda said nothing about simply rounding up seven people, it was specific about those who were guilty. We don't know what evidence has been found, or presented, and perhaps the reason we don't know is because it has been resolved to the satisfaction of the Heda in a way that does not invoke more blood and thus attention is not desirable to be drawn to it."

"You're missing the point," Elias says with a nod of his head. "It's fine to have ideals. It's better to recognize where those ideals are horribly, horribly flawed. My own ideas are not without their flaws, but I freely admit to that. I'm not assuming anything. It's merely a fact that the issue is not currently in a resolved state. I seem to remember the deal being 'get the guilty ones, or else'. Not 'let's go investigate and find evidence'. Whether a problem exists or not currently is irrelevant to what -just about- happened at the dropship." Pausing, Elias holds up both of his hands and splays his fingers. "You can't accuse me of not understanding the anger and the absolute tragedy that it was because I /do/. That doesn't stop me from speaking my mind in saying that the way it was handled as an emotional reaction to a /very/ serious accusation that almost ended in genocide was /absolutely disgraceful/ from an objective, logical standpoint. I welcome statements to the contrary, but I'm a scientist. Skepticism is healthy."

"That you know." Kai reiterates,"You don't know. I don't know. So stop acting like you know." and clearly her patience is wearing thin on it from the tone in her voice,"Or have you forgotten that I'm the one that promised the kruheda to step in if the Skaikru response wasn't sufficient? Because I sure as fuck haven't, and I'm certain she hasn't either. So can you just fucking drop it already? Or at least go and fucking ask Fiona or Kane or someone who actually knows the damned answer. And you've seen the Mountain.. tell me, if you were in the position of the Trikru, having to deal with them murdering your people for generations, and suddenly our fucking asses drop out of the sky and soon after manage to drop a damned ship like the Mountain's missile's on one of their villages? I'm not saying that killing kids is right, but I am saying I entirely understand why they decided it was an act of war and decided to come after us for it. I sure as hell wouldn't sit around on my hands while a second Mountain cropped up."

Elias heaves a heavy sigh at Kai and levels his gaze at her. "What I'm getting to is the point that blindly following an ideal without questioning it objectively does not help humanity. This has been historically proven. It's not just something I'm making up on the fly." He gestures to Kai then and raises his brows. "As I said: We can skip over the part about it being unresolved and where it's going because I will certainly talk to Kane about it. You're asking me to understand and sympathize with the Trikru, their anger, and their plight. I do. Ignorance is only a defense if mistakes have been learned from. I understand the why, but I fundamentally disagree with a declaration of war that was not even made before the Trikru attacked us with a biological weapon. This is why we question these things. So that we don't become the monsters that we hate." With that, he points to the Mountain. "I know someone else that uses biological attacks to subjugate a culture. Are you picking up what I'm putting down here?"

Kai grunts,"And in that statement you're deciding that nothing has been learned. And it was made. They were alive and awake and informed us that war had been declared. They were also the delivery of the biological agent. So your analogy is fundamentally flawed in that regard. The Mountain has been killing their people for forty years. We are going in functionally blind, and the blood fever is not generally a lethal agent. Would I use it? Absolutely I would. To protect both the Trikru and the Skaikru, without a second's hesitation. Because our people, both our people, have already been exposed to it, so it wont incapacitate our people, but it would incapacitate theirs so that rather than simply having to fight our way through to rescue the imprisoned an opportunity to take them peacefully and spare the noncombatants would be more easily obtained.. so bluntly, tactically, using the blood fever would actually be the more humane option."

Elias lifts a hand to rub his forehead slowly and draws a breath inwards. "You're taking my words out of context, but…okay. I'm going to deconstruct that. First, you're using my words out of context. The statement I made was not presumptuous. I said that ignorance can only be used as a defense if a lesson is learned. I presumed nothing as to whether or not one had been. I was just pointing it out as a weak defense because if the lesson has been learned, the 'why' is no long relevant and we can move forward from it. Second, I did not make an analogy. That is literally what happened. Now look at it objectively where one force that outnumbers another /at least/ ten to one declares war on another by introducing an unknown, untested biological agent. People /could have/ died. Even that they didn't, where does one draw the line with biological warfare? It's non-lethal /now/. It makes sense /now/. But change is made by inches. How long will it be before it's decided that a quick-killing plague would be the more 'humane' thing?" Rolling his tongue across his lips to wet them then, he gestures once more to her. "As far as it being 'humane', you can't make an argument for that once you've agreed that capital punishment without the preponderance of evidence is /right/. I'm sorry, but you just can't. I'm not the person to just agree with things because they work at the moment because I think that's just…incredibly short-sighted."

"Right, because you weren't just talking about how.. you know what? No. I'm not having this discussion with you." Kai grunts, settling forward in her seat again to take the meat off of the flame,"You're using strawman arguments and slippery slopes to try and support your premise. You're not the one actually out there having to fight the battle. I am. I would use it. End of story. If that makes me a monster in your eyes, so be it, I'll move my shit back into the Trikru camp before I leave."

"No, what you're doing is internalizing some of my concerns as attacks on your decision," Elias says and gives a shrug of his shoulders. "I don't have agency over how you feel or how you take things. I can just tell you that that's not my intention. The argument you're having is a completely different one. It's evident in the way that you've internalized everything that I've said. I'm making a statement that there are things to think about when adopting any ideology. Whether or not the blood plague was used wrong is not in question. Your kruheda herself admitted to my face that it was wrong. The fact is that it was allowed to happen because there was a lack of accountability and apparently unrestricted access to a biological agent. I hope that this incident brings that to light and it never happens again." Flicking his tongue out to wet his lips again then, he furrows his brows at her. "I don't think you're a monster. I don't necessarily disagree with a non-lethal biological agent. What I take issue with is that I am certain that they don't know the forces they are fucking with using it. As a soldier, you're confronted with what's in front of you. The reality as you know it. What if our biology over the past hundred years weakened our immunity to that sort of sickness, though? That was a very real possibility that I am certain they hadn't considered, Kai. You may not think that I have any right or reason to be worried and that's /fine/. That doesn't change the reality of that being more worrying to me than guns."

"Yeh, well, maybe next time don't make it personal. And you know what's going to change that? Being on the fucking council.. and what's not going to change that? Talking to me about it. You decided to take issue with what I said, and attacked me for it, you can dress that up however you want now, but that doesn't change that it's what you did. And funny, because I don't remember her saying that at all. I was there, and the guy was in a suit just to come outside, so, yeh, I'd say they probably don't have an immunity to it. But hey, you know, what do I know? Right? It's far better to just entirely neglect that option because it's way better that we just run in there and kill everything that moves.. because to me? That's what you're fucking saying." she reaches behind the chair to grab her sword and lurches to her feet in annoyance with the clear intention of stomping off.

Khesu returns after a while, Galle having sent a child to find the warrior and draw him back to change his bandages and have a look at his wounds one more time before they head out for the mountain. He eventually returns, and when he does, he eyes the two of them still having their discussion that, for the most part, has gone over his head. So instead, he stays somewhat apart and examines one of the solar panels. This is done with some care for it's seeming fragility, with no desire to damage the other man's property.

Afterwards Khesu wanders quietly among the garden to look at the food plants and to peer into the hot house. A hand cautiously feels of the construction, be it actual glass or more likely layers of clear plastic. The latter of which would fascinate Khesu more.

Squinting, Elias looks confused at Kai's words. "I never once attacked you personally. I don't have any agency over what I say offending you, but I'm definitely not saying 'you do this'. You completely misunderstood what I was saying and took my words out of context like you're doing right now. Attacking /me/ personally. Basically telling me that if I don't agree with your recently-learned rhetoric that you're going to walk. I haven't made this personal /at all/. I'm just expressing where I have concerns and I really don't believe that they're…pretty reasonable ones. So yeah…when you took what I said and twisted it to marginalize and brush aside my /opinion/ and concerns on the matter, I got a little defensive over my message.

Elias makes his way back over to Kai and tries to gently lay a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry I upset you with my thoughts. This was a shit time to bring it up. Can you acknowledge you might have overreacted just a /bit/? I mean - you were ready to walk right out on me because I disagreed with some stuff. That's kind of…" He sighs and shakes his head then before taking a step back and looking back over to where Khesu is wandering about the hothouse and the gardens. In the gardens, mostly what is being grown are leafy greens, root vegetables, and tomatoes. The hothouse has several planters inside that currently only hold the beginnings of marijuana plants.

<FS3> Khesu rolls Survival: Good Success. (3 8 6 7 3 7 3 1)

"You said, so we don't become the monsters we hate." Kai grunts at him savagely,"Ignorant. Inhumane. Beginning to sound familiar? Ask me again why I'm pissed off at you Elias Lapointe." she reaches up to brush off his hand,"And then you want to call it recently learned rhetoric.. can you get any more condescending? Or are you going to keep trying to claim like you're not attacking me? Go and talk to Khesu. I'm going for a walk." and with that the injured girl turns and limps off.

Oh boy, he sure picked a bad time to show back up, didn't he? This is the sort of reason Khesu is wary of entering into Elias's camp. Couples should have privacy for intimacies, be they friendly or agressive, and none of his business. He hear's the tones of their voices and drifts around to the far side of the hot house where he may not so easily over hear them, trying to be respectful. His dark eyes look towards the lake and that may be where he needs to go. Soon they the assaulting party will depart for the mountain so he need not wait much longer to pick up his things and go.

Starling arrives from the Trikru Camp.

"And still she's doing it," Elias says, throwing his hands up as Kai walks off. He gives a flippant wave in her direction before he starts stalking back towards the 'farm'. "Swear to fucking everything can't have an intelligent conversation with any motherfucker on this stupid rock," he says, kicking at the dirt a bit. "No wonder I'm turning into a hermit. I'm surrounded by emotionally reactionary…" Another kick to the dirt as he walks on over, shaking his head. Making his way to the hothouse near his camp, he pokes his head in and nods to Khesu. "Finding everything alright?"

Khesu turns when Elias comes around the hot house and addresses himself. He puts a hand out to touch one of the marijuana leaves and says quietly "You said you grow some of these things for the Trikru? Why would you do this?"

As Elias goes about kicking at the dirt, a stone flies out of no where and sails a good ways to hit a Starling as she is walking towards the lake via the path near Elias's "farm" a loud "OUCH!" comes from the woman more in surprise than anything else and oddly enough she is looking towards the nearby trees in such of what animal is throwing nuts again. Yes, the Trikru are odd birds. But then she turns as she hears a voice, or voices as if her mind had been lost in her own thoughts and glances towards the paths the scouts might be taking back.

<FS3> Khesu rolls Alertness: Good Success. (5 7 8 8 3 1 5 1)

Elias blinks owlishly when he sees Starling there yelping at a rock that hit her. "Shit! Starling! I am /so/ sorry," he speaks in genuine concern. The poke of his head into the hothouse is quick as he's then moving quickly towards Star. "Are you alright?" He checks on her quickly before returning his attention once more to Khesu. "Because it's the right thing to do," Elias tells him, speaking loud enough for him to hear. He gives him a curious look as if such an act should even be in question.

The look Elias gets from him is still a little surprised. Khesu ducks his head to keep from smacking it on the frame as he steps back out at the sound of Elias apologizing to Starling. Her cry too had alerted his attention. Once he sees she appears to be all right, his attention goes back to Elias, "From what I have heard of your people, such generosity seems … very strange. Not unwelcome, but strange. Did your people not have enough food and other resources ere you descended that you had to kill your own so fewer might yet survive?"

Starling rubs at the back of her neck, muttering to herself, but then very much blinks as Elias comes over and apologies. He gets the oddest look "I'm fine, what are you sorry? Did you tell the animal to throw nuts again?" She questions with with a tiny smirk but almost curious look, it's clear that she still doesn't know the stone came from Elias's kick, nor that it was a stone. When Khesu pops out of where-ever he as, she offers him a little wave, but then looks between the pair, confused but willing to see what is going on as she rubs at her head again. Damn squirrels.

Elias regards Khesu with a shake of his head and a light smirk. "What was done was done out of necessity. There is no necessity now to have to do things like that, so we don't." Shrugging then, he gestures to Khesu with one hand. "Who wants to live in a world where you can't count on your neighbors to help you through a tragedy?" Pausing a moment, he reconsiders the word and tries to find them in Trigedasleng. "<In Trigedasleng> …through a great sad." Switching back to English then, he gives a gentle wave of one hand and laughs before turning to Starling. "Oh…wait. What? Animals? I accidentally kicked a rock at you." Wrinkling his nose and looking sheepish then, he once again apologizes. "Sorry."

"That is what clan is for." Khesu rumbles low. How on earth would Elias even have such a concept outside of his own people after having been so isolated? Books, maybe. The Trikru warrior thinks about it and faintly nods to himself, sorting that out. He may not be the sharpest tool in the Trikru camp but he tries to think things through. "Aye, perhaps it makes you a better man than many. But risky, should your people and mine have further bloodshed. I hope a peace may be reached and formalized. I have no desire to war with you." Khesu gestures back to the plants, "I would trade with you, should I be able to find things that interest you." An up nod to Starling, "Are they ready to depart the camp?"

Starling blinks slowly and narrows her eyes at Elias, she walks up to him then reaches up and flickers his ear hard, but not /that/ bad. Once that is done she smiles brightly and pats his shoulder, "Your forgiven. Now, what are you sharing that has that look on Khesu's face?" She questions, an eyebrow arching and blue on blue eyes look slowly between the pair. At Khesu's question she shakes her head gently, "Another few hours, they are waiting on the last of the scouts to return.." Her voice speaks her worry but she tries hard to hide it as much as she can.

"I don't wish to insult your clan," Elias says quietly, gesturing towards the hothouse. "Every little bit helps, though. I hate to be the messenger of doom, but /if/ The Mountain makes another attack, there may be more people that need help. Food may become precious. The best possible outcome is that there will be warriors coming back wounded that will need the medicine. This may not be ready by then, but some will be ready to help replenish what gets lost to the assault." He gestures with his hand as he speaks, indicating the hothouse. To Starling, he smiles and inclines his head in a nod. "Mochof. Just talking about the surplus I'm growing. How are you, Starling?" With a look back to Khesu then, he laughs and shakes his head. "Doesn't make me better than anyone. Anyone can make this decision. That I decided to make it first just makes me…first." Shrugging one shoulder then, he clears his throat and continues with just a little more amusement. "I snuck through the front lines of the Trikru to speak with Indra directly with a couple of others. Growing some plants is probably the lease risky thing I've done in the past two months."

Khesu huffs a breath softly and despite himself, probably likes this Elias - Skaikru or not. He says nothing further himself and takes a seat right there in the garden to rest, still healing from his recent wounds. There will be little time left for resting the next few days. It is pleasant enough in Elias's garden by the lake, listening to him and Starling. Khesu looks content.

Starling glances to Khesu, clearly checking that the man is doing ok with the recent wounds, she nods to herself and then turns her attention back to Elias, "I am… well enough, simply watching the paths like I am sure so many are at the moment. I did bring a few things to trade when you have time.." She has been told about Elias and what he is doing, she might not need anything, but maybe she has something he can use. She then glances around and tilts her head, "Kai?" It's a question to see if she has left, stayed put or something in between.

Elias takes a moment to root around in his cargo pocket for something. A small metal cylinder is taken from it, hollow on the inside, as well as a palm-sized square magnifying glass. The contents are dumped which includes a joint that's been wrapped with a soy-based paper product. "Let's step out into the sun?" he suggests, waving the wrapped object with one hand. Turning to Starling again, he smiles at the woman and gives a nod of his head. "I'll trade what I can, but I don't have a lot. What did you have in mind? Good to see you're alright." At the mention of Kai, he huffs a breath and gestures towards the Trikru camp. "Off being impossible."

Aye, he's sore but doing all right. Khesu closes his eyes and does one of his favorite things - listening. As long as the others are not arguing or yelling, but speaking in normal voices, let them speak if they will. A man can learn many things by being silent and listening. There are sounds of birds, insects, the soft breeze that comes up from the lake. After a little he shifts to remove his drinking flask and open it. Within is not water but a strong Trikru liquor that he takes a good drink of to ease his aches.

With a quick look to Khesu then, he takes the joint and places it between his lips. With that done, he slides the container away and holds and aims the magnifying glass past the height of his head. A small, bright point of light does finally flash on the paper and as he patiently draws inwards the paper and contents start to smoke. When he's got it going, he takes a deep draw from the joint and holds it in while then passing it to Khesu with a 'this ought to help' look on his expression.

For the moment he takes a drink and then recaps his flask, Khesu's eye is caught by the flash of light from Elias's hand. What the hell is that? A much warier eye is cast upon the actions of the other man. After a moment, Khesu bothers himself to get back to his feet with curiosity for whatever Elias is doing. Making … heat, causing fire, with a piece of -glass-?! That should not be possible, and yet that seems to be what the Skaikru is doing. The Trikru is far more interested in the glass than in what Elias hands to him. Khesu glances down and accepts the smoke, but his dark eyes come right back to the glass, "What is it that it can take the sun's light and do this thing? Is this what is in this … 'solar panel' you showed unto me?"

This is the strangest thing he's seen since the wire wall. Belatedly the injured Trikru draws on the joint a couple of times before he offers it back to Elias - not knowing if it's intended to be shared or given. Hmmm, it'll certainly make the trek to the mountain easier.

Finally, Elias exhales the hit and looks a little more calm for it. "Here. Breathe in slow, but don't take too much. You're injured and coughing might hurt you." With a quiet laugh, he continues to hold it out to the man. "It'll help with the pain and make you nice and relaxed."

Finally, Elias exhales the hit he'd taken, the billow of smoke curling about him lazily. Just in time, perhaps, to reach out for the joint again. "<In Trigedasleng> We share by turns," he tries out, thinking he got the gist of the phrase down, anyways. As he eyes the magnifying glass, the young man just smiles. "It's just glass," he tells him. "The glass is bent so that it will bend light. Make things bigger or smaller depending on what end you look in." He demonstrates by holding the glass out to him. "Go ahead. Look through it and I'll explain how it makes fire."

At times, Khesu is like a child in awe and wonder when the Skaikru show him such things. He carefully takes the magnifying glass and looks at it, then through it. He turns and looks at a plant with it and it startles him, first to move back suddenly and look at the plant without the glass, then cautiously to look at the leaf again with the glass. The warrior moves closer and squats down, fascinated. Elias and his distractions. Khesu has completely forgotten his aching head wound and his ribs. His heart rate has jumped up a little as well as his breathing though only briefly with excitement and wonder of the strange glass. The weed is also kicking in, so after a minute or two, Khesu settles himself to sit once more on the ground and uses the glass to look at various things all around him. Even a small stone. Ooh, there's a weed. Let's see if he can focus the light and burn it. Not a word is spoken.

Starling was sometime within the space of the joint coming out and Khesu watching in amazement about to say something, but she is as taken by the glass as Khesu and her eyes widen slowly and she steps over to eye the blunt curiously while Khesu plays with the glass. "How does that work on armor supports" Ie.. plastic, but she pulls out a flatten sheet that was a one time a bottle to show what she is talking about.

Elias takes another long drag from the joint and holds it in a moment while he passes it back over to the man. "Think of the sun like…a sort of food. A fuel. We'll call it energy. The sun is big and very, very far away. Larger than you can imagine and /full/ of energy." He points to the magnifying glass then, smoke still billowing about him as his eyes start to get red and lazy. "Heat, yes? Heat has energy in it. It helps to feed the plants. Now imagine that we can take a little bit of this energy, so small compared to the sun that the sun doesn't even notice, and feed other things. Imagine that the heat from the sun beams down. The glass is curved so it bends out this way." He reaches out to touch the magnifying glass. "The energy from the sun is gathered on the larger surface of the glass and then focused through to the smaller surface. Like if you pour water into a hollow cone. You pour it into the large end and it comes out in a stronger, but smaller stream. It's the same with the energy from the sun. It comes out stronger at the other end and makes the heat powerful enough to start fires." His attention then shifts to Starling and his face lights up anew with a smile. "Well, for it to work on armor supports, you'd need a much larger magnifying glass. Even then, it would be impractical. I don't know war science, though."

Mindful that such a glass might not be be easily replaceable, Khesu hands it back to Elias after Starling has a chance to look through it as well. He trades it for the joint and draws on it to take another long, slow hit. His baritone rumbles softly, "You are very good with your explanation. You I think, should be a teacher of the young. Or at least, to take a Second." Somehow Elias has impressed this Trikru warrior as much as Elias's glass has done. It probably doesn't hurt at all that the marijuana is making him very relaxed and perhaps, more receptive than usual.

The young woman may not be considered as smart of those of the Ski, but she is very creative and does what she can to listen to what Elias is explaining. Starlings nod is thoughtful and if Elias allows she does take the glass and settles down on the ground. A rock is found and she places it in front of her before she lays the plastic out and tilts her head before looking to the glass again. She goes on to explain what she is considering. "Fire from steel or wood is very useful, you can heat much and when the steel is added you can when careful make holes in fabric, armor supports and even other metal. But it is not easy to do so without harming what your using or even yourself if your not careful, and supports hate it more than skins. If you used this tiny glass, then maybe the holes I make can be melted along the edges so it wasn't to large or two sharp for when I connect things.." She eyes the glass once more and looks up at Elias, clearly asking permission to try what she is talking about. Not knowing if the effects with his glass are limited or not.

Elias' face lights up at the compliment, but he also gives a bow of his head. "Mochof. Perhaps I will someday. I think I'd like being a teacher, though. That would be a good way to spend my days and a much better use of my time than politics or whatever." He snorts a quick laugh at that before giving a shrug of his shoulders. Looking to Starling then, he accepts the joint back after a fashion, but passes it to Starling instead of taking a drag for himself. "Mmm. Again. Things like metal and other hard…ummm…composites. Made up of different things. Well, they are resistant to heat. Not as flammable." Pressing his tongue out between his lips then, he looks around a moment, squinting. "/If/ I were trying to use fire in my strategy. If I cared for fighting. Big, big if there. This time of year is perfect for collecting the tar from the dictamnus. If you were to harvest enough birch bark to make great nets coated in the tar as traps, you could get several enemies at once and use my little magnifying glass to light it ablaze. It sticks, so they would not be able to escape the fire." There's a raised brow then and then he laughs, shaking his head. "That's just kind of…fucked up, though. Wrong."

Elias's idea to Starling gets a furrowed brow out of Khesu. "I do not think she was asking how to make it into a weapon. But whether it could be used to melt holes in plastic, to aid her in the making of armor?" He looks to the armorsmith to see if /he/ understood her correctly. The warrior frowns, "There is no honor in so anointing and burning one's enemies. It seems more a tactic for the Azgeda, than for us." Surely he is thinking of his friend Pontus who was so badly burned by the Azgeda in the Second Ice War. Aye, Khesu cares not for fighting like that. He thins his mouth and watches the other two.

Starling takes the joint as it is offered to her and looks at it for a long moment before she slowly takes a pull, she tilts her head at the taste and allows it to stay in her lungs for a long moment as she passes it back. No smoke for abit as she thinks over his words and looks down at the plastic that she uses fire to melt and mold it into her armor. Finally the smoke is released and she licks her lips as she is trying to get the taste, "What does this look like, the plant?" She is distracted once again, clearly not really getting the whole burning someone alive, for.. well there is Pontus and her reaction would be bad. But, look Weed!

"Oh!" Elias says, blinking a few times. "You mean for welding, making. I'm sorry. I misunderstood." He acknowledges Khesu with a nod of his head and clears his throat. "Agreed. It's a nasty, wrong tactic. I prefer to use fire for cooking food, personally. I think it would be highly impractical to gather that much of a resource for what amounts to a trick anyways. We're talking hours and hours of work for something faster handled with swords. What that same idea /can/ do is help to make fire when the wood you are using is wet." He taps a finger to the side of his nose then before looking back to Starling once more. "The dictamnus? I don't think they're native. Spade-shaped leaves and either pink flowers or dark pink almost red fruit. Catches on fire for like…no reason? It's the right climate for them, but I can't be sure that they would have flourished over the years. It wouldn't be good for welding anyways. What you might want is a cutting torch. Jumar could show you."

Starling is abit confused, but she slides to her feet, making sure Elias has all his things and looks over her shoulder, she moves and touches Khesu's shoulder gently before she waves to both. "I need to do last moment checks on armor, I will come back and ask more questions soon Elias! Khesu, I'll see you before you leave.." With that, the woman slips back towards camp.

Well, if that joint hasn't died yet and has any life left in it, Khesu wants it back for one last drag. But these things don't last long and he may be out of luck. He gets to his feet once more, "Mochef, Elias. See to Kai. She must be in pain and if she comes with us, it is not good for you and she to part on an ill note." Not when it's very possible that Kai may not live to return from the Mountain. He gives the Skaikru the patient look of a man who knows what it is to have, and to loose, a beloved Houmon. Then he turns to head back to the Trikru camp and see when they depart.

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