[EVENT] You Have to Eat

[Arcane]

The Council insists these supplies can be trusted- but can we really be sure? What if these are poisoned too and this time, we don't survive the taste? Do you really want to eat that and take the risk?

[Tyto]

Amelie stared at the offerings of food, chewing her lip as she weighed the choices. She'd been one of the lucky few not to suffer any effects, but she'd been one of the majority who hadn't had a proper meal in... well, too long. "It's foolishness to merely starve out of fear," she murmured, though was unsure of whether she was trying to motivate herself or those around her. There was no guarantee that something was safe without someone being the first to try.

With a deep, steadying breath, the young woman stepped forward and carefully picked up a plate--treating it perhaps a bit too much as if it may burst like flamestone at the slightest contact--and, after taking a bit of the offered selection, found herself a place to sit.

Trying to put on a brave face despite her shaken faith in others, she began to eat. Luckily, everything seemed to taste fine, and she offered a tentative thumbs-up to anyone who might have been watching her.

[Dragon]

Amaata didn't have a clue how she wound up sitting at a table with a few candidates. The overcrowding, probably. Still, as she sat down next to the girl with some klah, a sausage roll, and some fruit. She had to admire the girl's courage in trying the food in what was apparently an attempt to show those around her it was safe.

"Kuroth and I helped inspect the incoming tithes," she told the girl quietly, a soft, kind smile on her face. "That was brave of you, though, to try to show everyone it's safe to eat again. I'm Amaata."

She and Kuroth had both been among those poisoned in the recent attack, although thankfully they'd both recovered without any lasting effects. Actually, Amaata had been far more worried about Raev in the end; the way the poison had hit her had been terrifying, fast, and then lingering. Still, things were safe now. Precautions were being taken.

[Tyto]

Amelie looked at the person next to her as she sat down--a bluerider from the shoulder knots--and nodded. Unfortunately, she'd just taken a bite of her meal, so she made a slight gesture to avoid talking with her mouth full, nodding. "Amelie, ma'am," she replied after a moment. She looked down at the plate in front of her--it wasn't heavily laden, but there was enough of a selection for her to show others that she was willing to try all that was offered and trusted it was safe. Admittedly, she was a little wary--but she wanted to believe it was fine.

"I know everyone is still afraid, but I want them to see that it's okay again." She let out a soft sigh. "It'll take time, I know." She looked at the bluerider with a warm smile. "I'm glad to hear you helped check everything. It's reassuring to know someone who was hands-on." After a moment, she added in a quieter voice, "I hope that they find whoever, or whatever, caused all of this..."

[Dragon]

"It will take time," Amaata agreed. She was still nervous herself, that perhaps something had been missed, or that there might be a second, more subtle attempt, but she had to do her best to appear confident. The more people who acted like nothing was wrong, the more other people would believe it.

"I'm sure that they will," she said fervently. This would not go unanswered, she was sure. Between the overcrowding and the poisoning, High Reaches seemed as though it was teetering on the edge of a cliff, ready to fall. They needed to find out who had tried to poison them. Nothing else would get them back to some sort of normalcy. "All the tithes are being checked over as they come in, and they scrubbed down all the storerooms and the kitchen and everything."

[Tyto]

Amelie nodded in understanding as Amaata continued. She hoped that the bluerider was right. No, she would believe she was right. Something would come of it, all the suffering that had been caused. High Reaches had gone through so much, it really needed it. "I'm glad." She paused. "It must have been a lot of effort, but definitely worth it." Moving everything out, checking or destroying things that even had the smallest chance of being contaminated. It was a lot of waste--but it was better to be safe than to be sorry. Lives were on the line.

"On a lighter note," she said, hoping to steer the conversation a bit away from such the unpleasant topic, "The food tastes excellent. Not that it was bad before, but it seems especially tasty today." Maybe because she hadn't been eating much? Not eating meant she hadn't tasted anything especially good in a while, so sitting for an actual proper meal.

A flash of green appeared in her peripheral, and then a weight settled on her head, followed by her shoulder as Squeaker appeared. The little green firelizard crawled down her arm, sticking her head in Amelie's face as she tried to steal the bite of food directly from her fork. Lifting her hand, she gently pushed her away, only for her to turn to Amaata and start making the most piteous squeaking noise as she stared at the other woman's plate. She was definitely hamming it up, too, drooping her whole body sadly as if to say I'm wasting away, I've never eaten a day in my life. Except--she was [i]quite[/b] round 'round the middle, in a way that only plentiful appetite could manage. Amelie gently bonked her nose with her fingertip, causing the little green to recoil and swat at her snout as if something had been stuck to it. She let out a squeaky warble, then buried her face in her bonded's shirt--pouting. "Sorry about her," Amelie told the bluerider, "She's much better fed than she acts."

[Dragon]

The food was especially good. Maybe because they didn't have to worry about it being poisoned? A full, safe meal was definitely something that it had been a while since she'd had.

She gave a small smile as the fat green flit appeared, begging for food, then covered her mouth at her further antics. Shards, she was so unlike Skratha! "I don't mind. I've got one of my own, in fact, although she's not nearly this nice." Skatha could be flat-out mean, and usually was to everyone except for Amaata and Kuroth.

After a moment, Amaata picked up a little bite of her breakfast. "Is she allowed to have a bite? I wouldn't want to give her a treat if you're trying, to, uh, slim her down a little."