dev 6 - frustrations

Oh right, he was going to ask about that.. and while there's conversation going on nearby, his gaze turns towards Valero.

"Radiant Montclaire, when exactly are we going to do something about Moonfall?" A pause. "I hope people realize that just because Cornelia is dead, this isn't over."

"The lot of them cheered on Solon's death and participated in summoning that demonic entity known as Baron; even some druids had to flee to Osrona, lest they would end up devoured with some other people."
(Nerin)

Her sights roam south towards the offered hand. At first she wondered if he was simply gesturing to something, but the realization settles in quickly enough. Outstretching a hand to meet his own for a naturally firm - and quick - handshake, she'd relinquish her hold.

"...I see. Thank you." She uttered.

Her attention partially splits towards Nerin as he spoke. Finally, someone who she heard voice her own concerns. "He's right..." She spoke up. "This may have only triggered... the beginning of things."
(Holly Hargrave)

The Radiant glances over to Nerin and his smile for the man is not a thing simply worn, but bears a genuine warmth for the man. "Ah, yes Nerin. The officers met regarding it today." A bit of an overstatement considering the turnout.

Still they had managed to get some good discussions in, "Plans to form methods of defense against their tricks of the mind until The Order's reorganization efforts are completed."

A note of frustration crept into his tone briefly at that. It dug at him, but left little recourse despite the illusions of it. "Until then we have a few specially selected teams to gather intelligence and keep the peace as we can."

His shoulders rise beneath his cloak and fall, "I know that is not exactly the sort of action this calls for, but until we know what her majesty wishes of us it is difficult to push forward."
(Valero lux Montclaire)

Clancy meets with a firm shake, then draws his hand away. "Keep up the good work," he encourages before he too shifts over to Nerin and the Radiant's conversation. Hearing the talk rose a brow from the knight but as of right now, he doesn't say much more.
(Clancy Osshor)

"..?"

Still reactive actions. It's rare that Nerin may frown at something strongly, but.. this is one of such cases; for when Valero announces such plan of action, all he can do is shake his head. How futile this would be..

"So, what you're saying is - we'll basically do what we already did?" His gaze turns entirely to Valero. "Just wait till one of us gets their head screwed in and see what can be done about it - while we 'gather intelligence'?"

This is futile. In his eyes, this was practically doing nothing; so far, every single patrol, every single time that they managed to catch some Occultists off guard.. it was practically a lucky shot.

It may have happened.
It may have not.

"This isn't going to do anything."

"It's just a fancier way of saying to stand still and follow old orders, without any real resolution - and I'm sure that deep inside you think the same, Radiant Montclaire."

How else could he not? Anyone else would think so.
(Nerin)

His dark brown eyes meet Nerin's without wavering despite the clear disappointment painted upon his features. He was more reserved in his discontent and did not mirror the sentiment externally.

"As it stands things are much the same, yes. Barring measures to tackle the issue more effectively." It was a cautious approach, but affair to dismiss it as no approach whatsoever.

"After seventeen years in the military I find that anytime we stand still I watch the clock, Sir Nerin." His voice lowers briefly to add something else to that, more personal.
(Valero lux Montclaire)

Ah... The words she'd heard from Nerin back in that clinic. She'd slowly interlock her arms together, folding them with an indifferent gaze watch the conversation from but a few meters away. She does not currently have any input, due to wanting to see what it was that Valero would come up with.

However, steps would gradually be made towards the Knight and Radiant.

She's certainly curious to listen in further. Her patrols were very rarely fruitful... She quite literally patrolled around Osrona and Moonfall a few hours before they'd all shown up at her literal doorstep.

Well, there are two sides to every argument. They had no idea what they may be running into, whilst, on the other hand, they also made no progress - asides from losing Knights in every direction as the Witches picked them off.

"Nothing would have happened today if they hadn't arrived on my doorstep. What actually is anyone planning to do, asides from laying dormant to gather information?" She inquires, wondering what was whispered.

She had suspicions that things may be taking a turn for the worse in her case soon.

"At this rate, they were picking us off rather rapidly..."
(Holly Hargrave)

Words aren't enough to express Nerin's disappointment. If it hadn't been for the ways he's been disciplined and trained to keep his emotions to himself.. perhaps, it could be rather evident that he could even lash out at something like this, for this lax behaviour led to practically nothing. He lost his brother to Syndicate, and he lost his close friend to the witches.

These agents remained inside Moonfall.
And witches did so as well.

If anything.. it felt as if he's denied any justice- as if he's denied to make any peace with the fact that two people he genuinely cared about have been lost; as much as certain people sympathized with the notion that something had to be done, clearly, such were the minority.

"..It's difficult to believe that anything at all would be done."

"How long does it have to go on? How many more Knights have to be slain? How many people have to be publicly executed inside Moonfall - and subsequently sacrificed to some other entity? How many demonic entities must be summoned until we actually lift a finger?"

"People are frustrated, and rightfully so." His gaze drifts to Valero; here, where the ushered words seem to bring some degree of solace..

He only speaks further.

"This isn't only about my vengeance." But he knew that Jasper was like son to him.. "Or yours."

"This is about restoring order to Osrona- to all of Esshar. This is about bringing to justice those that would keep assaulting citizens left and right, and would cripple them for life - or even take said life altogether."

"This is.." No. He shouldn't say it.

"--I'd rather end saying anything before I say something I would most definitely regret."

He huffs quietly, though, he falls silent.
(Nerin)

The barren meeting room felt all the more lonely in retrospect. Despite attempts to form a plan of action and discuss with the officers what their next move was had been more than a bit discouraging.

He knew that The Vigilant were not particularly favorites among certain circles of The Order, but never had he felt the division more. As if Nerin's own doubts were not enough to exacerbate the wounds Holly too saw fit to pick apart at it.

Yet he could not blame them for their frustration no matter how his own welled within. He raises a hand signaling a halt, he was not going to be drilled with these questions yet.

Not when he did not even know where his own authority stood until the reformation. "Many are frustrated, but I wish to actually consider my options here."

His dark brown hues shifts between Holly and Nerin, "I've just recently come to this command, one voice of fifty among the Radiants. There is much to consider and many rumors to sift from truths."

Valero's focus centers upon Holly to address her point, "Those we have lost to them were lost because we went there unprepared. As far as I know none of ours have been plucked from the city. We know the main source of our losses."

It would have been difficult to maintain his tone has his tenure as Exarch not be under a hot-headed man like Atrosus. Those who sought answers from him would not be treated that way.

Once more he speak generally to the two, but his words eventually become more directed towards Nerin than Holly.

"We will restore order to Esshar, but by minimizing our losses. Cornelia's death has bought us precious time that we were not afforded previously."

"And do not ever hesitate to speak your mind to me in appropriate place, Nerin. This is not the place, but my door is open to you if you ever wish to speak, know that. All of you."

(Valero lux Montclaire)

In the end, what other words are there to be said? About his losses, and about the fact that Syndicate peacefully hides away inside the Moonfall? About how many inside that place still remain loyal unto Cornelia's teachings and refuse to ever see the light of anything else in this world?

It's futile to say that.
For they already know.

Yet.. the majority chooses to keep things the way they are. As frustrating as it is.. perhaps, it would only mean that Nerin would have to do something of his own about this- so long as it would keep going this way, there's no real resolution to be had. None at all..

"None of us have been plucked from the city.." To that, he shakes his head. It seems almost humorous the way Valero brings it up..

"So what? Does it mean that someone would have to be plucked from the city for us to actually do something?" It's clearly laced with irony. So much so that it's almost painfully obvious..

"Why, allow me to stroll to Moonfall and ask my Occultists buddies to actually attack people within city walls. Maybe then it would dawn on those that make decisions that just because they're safe within city walls - it doesn't mean everyone else is."

It's only more frustrating to assume such. But.. even if it's interpreted wrong, the fact remains a fact - there's little being done otherwise.

"I'd rather not voice my concerns, Radiant Montclaire."

"Lest I'm afraid I'll end up insulting the intelligence, dignity and diligence of many, many people."

To that end, he merely crosses his arms. But.. even as his gaze turns elsewhere? It's rather easy to read the disappointment upon his features.

Perhaps it's for the best he does not say more. Not yet.
(Nerin)

"None of ours have been plucked from the city...? I literally would have been. I am not exaggerating when I say I was resting against my house when all of them appeared before me. My house is in the most secure sector of Messaris, yet all of them casually waltzed through no opposition until they found someone - found me." She states.

"She admitted she'd come to destroy Osrona."

"I wasn't prepared - how could anyone be for an invasion like that? It is hardly an excuse to use as to why we've done nothing thus far. But, I do understand your point in which there are fifty other Radiants and such to come to any form of decision on an action..."

She just wondered why they delayed it this far.

She was not visibly upset, she was merely stating the facts any may be able to discern.

"But, it as you say. Perhaps this is not the right place to get into how things are not quite... operating effectively."
(Holly Hargrave)

It seemed yet another chose to ignore his words no matter how transparently, among civilians, he laid it out. His eyes narrow to a disappointed cast as he looks at Nerin, his head shaking side to side, "I have no words that will sate presently."

That statement had not been spoken out of anger, but just simply stated. Surely Nerin knew at least to some degree how this was for him. He refused to believe that he was ignorant to the situation.

"I know that you were not prepared Dame Hargrave, but my the point still stands firm. I'm called to give my voice in a way that will cost lives. I will apologize for the frustration of enduring the wait, but not for my reason that it persist."

Theoretically he could give the order to attack right here and now, but saying damned be the consequences on a bid to appease, even those he admired, was not within him.

He could not live with himself if he made the wrong call in haste. Eventually he would take the wrong step, he knew beyond doubt, yet when that moment came it would be a mistake he could own.

"For what value the words I have remaining still possess.. A general address to The Order will be called in the next couple of months. I urge you to voice your concerns.."

Once more his voice lowers and he shifts his stance, a hand moving to readjust his cloak. He would hear them out, but he did intend to leave. No sense standing about when he could at least seek some people out to potentially expedite the process.
(Valero lux Montclaire)

At some point, Nerin was far too swallowed with the agenda that included vengeance. At some point, he imagined that he could still remain entirely 'himself' while operating on this sense of justice, one in which he would seek out those that took something so precious from him, time and time again. And here, where he thought that he could finally have such a thing..

It eluded him.
Again and again.

How could he not be frustrated? For in his eyes, the spirit of Zus, of Jasper- they cannot rest easy so long as the perpetrators are allowed to act, allowed to breathe; even with Cornelia and Caritas dying, as well as Syndicate falling from its grace.. it was very far from being over.

He wouldn't rest.
Not until they're all gone.

That much he promised himself, and he intended to uphold that promise- it's difficult to hold balance between remaining entirely reasonable and someone who desired to have vengeance for what has happened to him - to have justice for all the tears shed, for all the heartache within those days.

"..We'll see."

In truth, he doubted anything else would be meaningful at this point. But.. he also imagines that there would be a lot more which could be yet changed.

All of it meant that he'll have to act - rather than speak.
For words seemingly remained futile. Always been.
(Nerin)