"But—" She tugged incessantly at the Captain's arm. "But my rooms always been next to Abe's."
She watched them as they slowly cleared the things from her room, to the one down the hall, that had been made into her new home, continuously tugging on the Captain's arm. Nisroc sighs deeply, she's been tugging on his sleeve for the better part of twenty minutes and catches her hand before she can tug on it again.
"I know it has, baby girl." They watched as the things for the new election were brought in. "But your room is for a Power, and technically speaking, as much as it pains me to say, you did turn down the position. Leaving the room open for the taking." He looked down the hall as Tus took the last of her things to her new room. "Now your room will be next to mine."
"I don't want to be next to yours!" He looks down at her at her cry. "I want to be across from Abe!"
"I'm hurt that you don't want to be next to me."
"I love you, Nis, I do. I really do. But I've always been across the hall from Abe."
"I know you do, sweetheart." He gestures to the new one in their midst. "But, Sablo asked for this room, and being a new elect Power, it's in his right to take it."
"But that's not fair! That's always been my room!"
Nisroc sighs deeply. "I hate to be so blunt, Abraxas, but life isn't always fair."
"You're the Captain! Tell him to pick a different room!"
"He's taking the room." He holds up a finger when she makes to protest again. "And, that's final. Not another word on it."
Their girl glares at him, turning a heated glare to their new elect over her shoulder, and yanks her hand free from his grasp. The others gather around to watch her temper grow, her fingers curl into fists, her bright eyes alight with a blaze of anger.
Nisroc's eyes widen in surprise when she jabs a finger into his chest, his crossed arms coming undone at the shock of the action. "It wouldn't be the first time you chose someone else over me." They watch her turn away from him, march down the hall, and slam the door of her new room closed behind her.
"Well, that went well."
He turns a glare on Haniel. "Oh, shut up."
…
Sablo was a good soul. He truly tried to live up to the expectation that was placed upon him. They helped him as much as they could, better then the previous elects they'd had, he truly respected them all and their charges. He was quiet, spent most of his time reading when he wasn't training, and tried to get along well with them all.
It had been quite the shock to him to see how the legendary and fearsome Powers really acted when they were in the privacy of their Pavilion.
Nisroc was the big brother of the group, everyone went to him with their problems, when they needed cheering up, when they needed to vent. He was an ear to listen to you when you spilled your problems to him. A comforting presence when things got too rough. Always there to offer a bit of advice or a word of praise when it was needed. He treated them all like an older brother would a younger brother. His love and respect for his men was astounding and rarely seen.
Titus was the quiet one, the confidant, the one that you could trust with any secret you might have. Always there if you needed someone to talk to, a quiet ear to listen to your troubles, and then to offer his own input. He had a collection of books himself, and he left anyone of them borrow from his collection, so long as they returned the book upon completion.
Puriel was the medic, he cared for everyone's wellbeing; emotional and physical. He was always there to care for you, offer a word of comfort, and a piece of chocolate. He made sure they remembered to laugh, like Nisroc did, always with a smile and something nice to say whenever you saw him.
Abraxos was the quiet force, the one that wouldn't say much, but whom you could always count on being at your shoulder when you found yourself in a tight spot of a bother. The one who would go to the ends of the earth for you, and then back again, because of how much he cared.
He was the one who had elected Sablo as a Power.
That's why he had asked for the room across from his.
Haniel and Hasmal were the playful ones, always playing pranks on the others, if only to ensure the fire starter would stay in good spirits. They were also the comforting ones, they'd sit with you after a hard day of training and help you relax, they'd talk to you about anything and everything there was to talk about.
Sablo had been shocked by their actual personalities. The fearsome Captain was as soft as they came. The soldiers pushovers when it came to those they loved. They were playful, so very playful, with each other and to those close to them. Nisroc was always making them laugh, a swift poke here and a light jab there, and he knew it was because the oldest Power could and there were very few who could turn the tables on him in return.
The first time he had found out about his rather sensitive area, Sablo had been horrified, unsure as to how he would react. It had been a slight poke to his side, nothing more than a mere poke, and he'd nearly jumped out of his skin. The smile that had overcome his Captain would forever be seared into his memory, along with what followed, he hadn't laughed that hard since he had been a small fledgling still toddling about. And, by Father, the amusement in the elder Power when he'd managed to make him squeal like a child was nearly palpable around them.
The only one he hadn't gotten to meet was the one thing that brought all five elder Powers together, the one they had raised among them all, the one they always talked about. Abraxas avoided him, and Nisroc, as though they were a plague. They'd enter a room, and she'd leave, they'd try to include her in a conversation, and they'd go pointedly ignored.
He understood her anger, it was her room he had taken, he hadn't thought about how she might feel at the time and was too afraid to ask the Captain if he could move once everything had been sorted out.
The baby of the Powers spent most of her time in her new room, doing only Father knows what, shutting the rest of them out.
The others were allowed in her room, Puriel and Titus would take her dinner there. Haniel and Hasmal spent much of their free time with her in there. Abraxos would disappear into her room for hours. From what he's heard, the two of them had always been rather close, closer then she was with anyone else.
But she locked Nisroc out. He ask to come in and his inquiry would be left hanging in the air, until he'd sigh deeply, and turn away.
She pretended that he didn't even exist, he knew it was in her right for him taking her room, but Sablo had wanted to get to know her as well.
…
When his fingers curled around the door handle, he had expected it to be caught by the lock, so when it turned completely, his eyes widened in surprise. It had been nearly a month since she had started ignoring his very presence, and the first week he allowed to go by with understanding, but now it was becoming troublesome.
He opened the door, and caught the book thrown at his face with quick reflex, glaring at the owner of the book sternly.
"How dare you come into my room!"
"How dare you throw a book at my face."
He steps into the room, and she huffs, crossing her arms as she turns away from him on her bed. He sighs deeply, taking this baby step for what it's worth, and closes the door behind him. Setting the book on the desk as he passes by it, he sits on the edge of the bed, and reaches out to curl a hand over her shoulder.
She shrugs his hand off.
"You can't possibly still be that upset about moving rooms."
"I hate you."
Nisroc heaves another sigh, pulling his hand back, he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry, he didn't know that your room was that important to you."
"You did."
"I did." He nods in affirmation. "And I'm sorry that it was taken from you. But his request overrides yours, I'm afraid, despite the fact that you stay here with us, you are no longer a Power. He gets first pick on the room he takes, even if you're already there, I'm afraid."
"You still could have told him to pick another."
Nisroc closes his eyes, asking for patients. "You know, this isn't as bad as your making it, you're just being a brat about it." Perhaps trying to be nice about it was too good of a choice.
"You're a brat."
Heaving a sigh, he pats his thighs once, and stands from the bed. "Okay, that's enough pouting from you, get up."
"No."
Leaning over, he snags her by the ankle and pulls. "Up you get." She leans over and curls her fingers around the other end of her mattress, holding on as tight as she can. "No!"
"Oh, I'll get you up."
He tugs on her leg again and she strains against edge of the mattress, he hums thoughtfully, stroking a few fingers over her bare sole.
Abraxas shrieks, as he knows she would, and when she turns to yank at her foot he yanks just as hard and she yelps as she slides across her bed towards him. He lets go of her foot at a moments chance, leaning forward, and grabs her around the waist to hoist her up into his arms.
Her legs curl around his middle instinctively.
"I told you I'd get you up."
She giggles lightly as he leans forward to kiss her belly. "Do you know what I'm going to do now?"
"Noho!"
The Captain nudges her tunic up with his nose to get to her bare belly and presses his lips to the bare sensitive skin. "No?" He kisses her belly gently. "Let me show you."
