08-05-2016, 10:37 AM
As she accepted the shot, Victoria wondered if Henderson had bothered with the tradition. She'd sent the Captain as he was likely her best investigator; in the year they'd been operating he'd developed a finesse for following rumour, paper trails, small things that even she sometimes missed. However, he was not a tactful man, by any long shot. She could see him snapping that he had no time for drinks, and brusquely pushing to the point. No wonder progress was slow.
Nodding, Victoria threw back the coffee, steeling herself against the sudden rush of bitterness. She made it her mission to be aware of the customs, the traditions, know how to great them. How to fit in. As much as the Ascendancy had tried to tear down cultural barriers, only language had truly been successful. It was... unfortunate that the culture of Dominance V meant that her gender sometimes got in the way. It wasn't too bad, however. Sometimes the surprise men had at her steel was a bonus, in fact.
"A shame, Elder."
It took a moment for Victoria to reply, and when she did, the words were paced and measured. There was a slight pause before the shot glass shook in her hand, the indication for another. Best to seem bold. The pauses, and her slow speech, served another purpose. Her hand still rested casually on the handle of her gun, the power resting within her. Unfortunately, it stopped at telling her people's emotions. She need to use her own intuition for that one. From there, she could twist.
Uncertainty. That was what she decided upon. With no indication, she felt the power flow forward, those odd little lines drawing from herself, to flow into Maan. She started to work to water the small seeds of doubt that would hopefully be there. The fear that the cells were doing more harm than good. That a peaceful Custody was better for their small village, than a war-torn region. "All I want to do is help. I know this seems silly, coming from an agent, a solider of the Ascendancy. It must be hard, having to face a crisis such as this, when your village has largely been left alone."
Victoria gave a small shrug, putting on an expression of sadness. "I like it as little as you do, having to intrude upon people's homes, their lives. But certain people leave me no choice. Leave us all no choice. The question is, is it something that we actually face?"
No need to be more direct yet. The bedrock to any working relationship needed to be built up first. Making snap demands, trying to force, would merely ensure that their fight or flight reflex came out. Neither she really wanted to deal with.
Nodding, Victoria threw back the coffee, steeling herself against the sudden rush of bitterness. She made it her mission to be aware of the customs, the traditions, know how to great them. How to fit in. As much as the Ascendancy had tried to tear down cultural barriers, only language had truly been successful. It was... unfortunate that the culture of Dominance V meant that her gender sometimes got in the way. It wasn't too bad, however. Sometimes the surprise men had at her steel was a bonus, in fact.
"A shame, Elder."
It took a moment for Victoria to reply, and when she did, the words were paced and measured. There was a slight pause before the shot glass shook in her hand, the indication for another. Best to seem bold. The pauses, and her slow speech, served another purpose. Her hand still rested casually on the handle of her gun, the power resting within her. Unfortunately, it stopped at telling her people's emotions. She need to use her own intuition for that one. From there, she could twist.
Uncertainty. That was what she decided upon. With no indication, she felt the power flow forward, those odd little lines drawing from herself, to flow into Maan. She started to work to water the small seeds of doubt that would hopefully be there. The fear that the cells were doing more harm than good. That a peaceful Custody was better for their small village, than a war-torn region. "All I want to do is help. I know this seems silly, coming from an agent, a solider of the Ascendancy. It must be hard, having to face a crisis such as this, when your village has largely been left alone."
Victoria gave a small shrug, putting on an expression of sadness. "I like it as little as you do, having to intrude upon people's homes, their lives. But certain people leave me no choice. Leave us all no choice. The question is, is it something that we actually face?"
No need to be more direct yet. The bedrock to any working relationship needed to be built up first. Making snap demands, trying to force, would merely ensure that their fight or flight reflex came out. Neither she really wanted to deal with.