Step By Step, One by One
STEP BY STEP, ONE BY ONE
ELIAS
In my long life, I have seen many courts, armies, and groups form and dissolve. There’s a natural flow to that process, particularly if the members are disparate in backgrounds and have been forced into banding together. Any beings that are harmonious normally will have a small period in which they require trust building, and then it will gel as one. However, if those conscripted into action are not that lucky, then it takes longer and the progress is incremental. It’s also filled with bumps and bruises as the individuals struggle to overcome what their minds and hearts want them to believe, despite the logic of their union.
Royals are schooled in this type of thing in societies where they lead their troops on the battlefield, such as the sea dragons.
I know that is not the case for many species in this modern age, and it is hard not to take charge to force them to do what we need to. Since the Sweeps and allowing my capture to facilitate my people’s escape, I have had to let go of many things to survive the treatment of the humans. One of them was my pride and my inclination to lead—those sentiments only got me in trouble when I first arrived in the lockdown section of my first camp. I also learned to distance myself from my title and my destiny so that I could exist in the ignominy of my circumstances without my dragon causing me to be thrown in solitary so severe I would try to kill myself. The other powerful supernaturals who could not do such a thing are long dead, and I took their lessons to heart as I watched them wither away.
As I scrub the remnants of our hard work off of my skin, I listen carefully to the others. We followed Sydney to the locker room, and she seemed to handle being there despite her unnecessary shame from the other day. However, my new brothers are being very subdued as we get clean, and I believe it’s because they hope to avoid triggering that emotion in her again. The only one who is determined not to treat her with kid gloves is the vampire and while I am currently staying in the middle on purpose, I believe he’s right to do so. Sydney is quite strong and will be even more formidable once she has fully acclimated to reality.
Unfortunately, that adjustment is required on the heels of a lot of other jarring changes in her world and it’s very stressful. Centuries of evaluating warriors and comrades tells me she will rise above it all and that Sydney is going to be extremely powerful. So I am doing my best to balance the scales as our team becomes a unit—genuine leaders know when to step back and let their soldiers make decisions they can learn from. That’s my goal in placating both sides until we’re copacetic, and I will continue until it no longer works.
“This class is going to be a snooze fest again,” the mage says loudly. “I don’t see the point of it. They can lecture us on this stuff, but with so many people in one room, the message gets lost.”
My lips curve as I wait for someone to correct him. I know why they are holding this class in the fashion they chose, but I want to see if any of the others have figured it out.
Sydney coughs, then replies, “Uh, I think… Someone tell me if I’m off-base, but I think they’re only pretending to teach this stuff in the lecture. I think it’s actually a lab.”
The bear makes a confused sound and I grin quietly. “A lab? Like in high school when we had the lecture part and then we had labs to do the actual experiments live to test things?”
“Yep,” the little rebel says, her voice getting firmer as she goes on. “I think this is like a… psychological lab? And they’re lecturing about similar stuff to what we learn in stupid Chantelle’s class, but they want us to use it when we’re all in forced proximity with the other teams. You know, to prepare for what we’ll have to do in social situations when this bullshit starts.”
Bingo, little rebel.
“Sweet pea, that’s downright devious,” the demon says. His voice breaks the silence that followed her statement, and I’m pleased that he’s the one who gave credence to her theory. Sydney will listen to him more easily than she will the vampire or mage, and if she is to be our center, we need her to be confident in leading.
“I agree,” Sebastian says, and I hear one of the showers shut off. “It is a practical application of many of our sessions, and they cloak that intent by lecturing. What they really want is for us to gather as much information about how the various teams and their members behave as we can.”
Thad sighs and I know the big shifter is probably frustrated. He doesn’t have a disingenuous bone in his body, but our current circumstances are forcing him to learn that as much as they are making Sydney find her way. “I will not be useful for that. I just don’t see that shit the way some of you guys do. But if you’re all right, then we need someone to help build profiles of the teams and players as we find things out.”
Ah, very true. More strategic than I would have expected from him.
“We should have some of us watching and taking notes and others in charge of building that into a database outside of the session.” My statement is firm, but with just enough flexibility that it doesn’t sound like an order. That will make it easier for the more aggressive members to get behind.
I hear softer steps leave the tiled area, and I know Sydney has completed her routine. “I think Elias’s idea is good. Who wants to do what? We all need to learn the ‘watch and dissect thing’, but I’m not sure this is the best place for someone who isn’t good at being in charge.”
“Does that mean we should have people who read others well watching others and the others collating data?” Rory asks, as his spray shuts off next to me.
He’s the second one to finish, and I believe Huckleberry was the first. They’re good choices to face the little rebel first as we head to the class; it won’t bring up the memory of her blood being scented last time. The rest of us cannot pretend we didn’t know simply by virtue of our biology and she knows it. It’s a delicate balance, helping her move past the minor issues that she runs into because her neglectful father and the humans taught her absolutely nothing about life.
Turning off my spray, I make certain to be loud enough when I move that Sydney knows what’s coming. Then I say, “We should have Rory and Sebastian watch people. Perhaps Huck as well. Then the bear, the little rebel, and I can put it all together for us.”
When no one argues, I smile to myself, pleased that I am successfully using my skills as a Prince once more.
“The best way to infiltrate a group is to make yourself indispensable to them.”
I arch a brow at the coach for the all magic user team skeptically. Perhaps that works if you have things the targets will need—influence, materials, wealth—but it will not work with those you cannot service. There are always people you need that do not need you, and often, they are the ones who will benefit you the most if you can turn them. It’s simple asset evaluation, and the handler for the spell jockeys is ignoring a very important subset in his statement.
Sighing, I look over at the vampire and he, too, looks irritated with the claim. His kind definitely know how to influence others, even without using their given powers. I have never met a bloodsucker who wasn’t extremely skilled at manipulation, both verbally and non-verbally. Obviously, having the ability to use compulsion helps, but I believe they often grow bored with the lack of challenges that skill provides.
His voice is low as he murmurs, “That is one way, but there are many others. Infiltration is an art, and it has as many techniques as there are beings on the planet. This joker is explaining it from a very human perspective and we should remember that we are not human.”
“Gee, I hadn’t noticed,” Sydney cracks and I grin.
The demon pats her hand, leaning back in his chair as he scans the room surreptitiously. “You can tell the supes in here that are closer to that line than others. They all nodded eagerly at that little gem o’ knowledge while the less human-adjacent folks looked a bit huffy.”
“They should,” Thad says as he carefully prints notes with his stylus pen. “Even I’m aware that was, at best, misleading. Getting into a group has to do with emotions and using them to evoke reactions. Once they’ve labeled you as one of them, keep pushing that button.”
That came out of nowhere, but it is very astute.
“How do you know that, Calvin?” the vampire asks curiously as he continues eying a group of demons and shifters at the front of the room.
Thad shrugs as he continues writing things down. “There are not enough bears in Tempest Seven for individual sleuths by actual type. The alpha that runs ours has to use some of this stuff to help integrate different bear species into one group. We’re all very different, especially the lesser known kinds, so….”
Sydney looks surprised, frowning at him briefly. “You never told me that.”
“Well, you didn’t have a group except for Huck and me. It always seemed to make you sad, but you didn’t want to talk about it. So I tried not to discuss political stuff, you know?”
Her expression is shocked, then sad as she sighs. “Okay, yeah. I get that. You guys were doing the whole ‘protective’ thing, and I was too caught up in my shit. I’m going to feel like a real idiot as this stuff keeps getting revealed to me, but… don’t stop telling me, okay?”
That I am quite proud of her for saying—it is a big step in the right direction.
“Good girl, little rebel.”
I don’t know why I said it like that, and my brain freezes when I think she’s going to be angry as hell. But surprisingly, she gives him a half-grin that makes my dragon lift his head and bellow happily inside of me. “I can behave sometimes, big guy. I’m getting better.”
She’s definitely telling the truth with that statement, so I nod at her. The mage leans forward, pausing his assessment of the teams to hold his fist out for Sydney. Our girl bumps it with hers, and the sensation of positive emotions flows from end to end in our group. That is a very powerful weapon in getting a group to become a unit, though negative energy can work as well if aimed properly. I want the former to be our guide, so I let a small trickle of sweet ocean air escape me to help continue the calm, good energy of my roommates.
Sydney inhales for a moment, then turns to look at me with a shocked expression. “I’ve never been to the beach before, but I know that’s how it smells. How do I know that?”
I find that egregious, but I let it go to reply, “My dragon’s magic is tied to the seas and when he is pleased, I can share it with you. He finds our current energy pleasing, thus… the ocean comes to you.”
I don’t know how to describe the way she looks at those words, but I am definitely committed to making it happen repeatedly—that is a promise.