the incense of my soul is burned by the fire in my blood

[cricketycricket]

[it's a good day for contemplation, Five decides, as he makes his way out into the lobby. finding a space not yet occupied by rangoli so that he can make his own. choosing a few of the more brightly colored pots of powder, he kneels down and begins to work, starting to make a wide circle. as he works, he speaks to the open journal he's left

Comments

[cloakand_danger]

[Hearing this, Yuan has decided to take a wander up to the lobby.

Yes, up. He's spending more time in the Patrol headquarters than in his room, lately. The cats miss him. He is, however, dressed for the occasion.

He studies the design that's forming on the ground, careful not to disturb it.]

Getting into the spirit of things, I see.

[cricketycricket]

[Five looks up at the sound of his old friend's voice and smiles] As are you. Very sharp. I found one hanging on the back of my door the other morning, but my usual's a bit more suited for crawling about on the floor.

[Tardy, for his part, will waddle across the floor and nibble at the toe of one of Yuan's shoes by way of greeting] Vwooorp.

How're you faring, mm?

[cloakand_danger]

[Yuan looks down at the parrot, raising an eyebrow, but deliberately does not nudge it aside carelessly with his boot, as a sign of respect for the Doctor. See how much he cares?]

...Well enough. The Patrol's gotten...more complicated than I'd ever hoped. It's not like back home - I suppose I always knew running a peacekeeping force wouldn't be the same as running a rebellion, but somehow I'm still not used to it.

[He's still studying the design on the ground as he adds:] I appreciate your help.

[cricketycricket]

They may be more alike than you'd think, you know - Tardy, stop that, you're being rude. [ahem. he rummages in his pockets until he finds a hunk of dried pineapple and tosses it onto the ground between them. the parrot instantly abandons the shiny shoe for the deliciousness.]

As I was saying. Rebellion and peacekeeping are both wont to a sort of chaos, it's just that they're different at the edges. Whether you're taming an unruly lot or overturning something that's too rigid ... either way, you're exacting a change for the better that you want to see in a place. The motives are quite the same, as is the heart behind it. It's just a matter of differing means.

[cloakand_danger]

[dryly:] Believe me, that's the only possible explanation for my being involved in creating rules instead of overturning them. [He sighs.] But the means is different, and that's where I keep losing my way. I can't simply command and be obeyed, not here. There's no need for secrecy - rather the opposite, and it's something I haven't quite mastered yet. Not to mention needing the consent of the governed...

[He laughs quietly at himself.] ...Five millennia, and I'm still able to find myself out of my depth. I suppose that's an achievement in and of itself.

[cricketycricket]

It truly is. I think that's all the more reason to be pleased with it - learning opportunities are always welcome, here. [he starts making a hexagon in the bottom corner of the circle, switching to a bright orange]

As for the secrecy - I have meant to get your thoughts on the subject. It's been said in a few circles, particularly by one of the Windrunners before the battle we had, that we need to keep people more well-informed of what's going on, rather than specifically filtering to the Patrol. ... What do you think of that?

[cloakand_danger]

[Another sigh] She's right. We need a consistent line of communication. We also need a more effective hierarchy, and one that can stand up to the castle's whims of sending people home at random. I need to determine once and for all who would be in charge if I were to vanish tomorrow...

But an effective system of communication would be a good start. And not just to let the civilians - no, the residents - know what's going on, but to let them know what they can do to help. Finding work for volunteers should be a high priority in any crisis.

[cricketycricket]

[he thinks about that for a moment, taking a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe the sand from his hands, before choosing another color to work with]

We'd do well to have that be the focal point of our next meeting, then, wouldn't you say?