open | full circle pt 1

[exequy]

WHO: Concerned mages/rifters/others
WHAT: An emergency meeting!
WHEN: Solace 20
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: Explanation in the OOC post. Please tag this like a network post. There are top-level comments to provide a little chronology/structure, but threadjack to your heart's content.

Before and during dinner on an otherwise unremarkable Wednesday, there's a chain of whispers (or notes, or perfectly audible comments from the particularly unsubtle) about an emergency meeting, at an evening hour, in a basement room, regarding a matter of concern to rifters and mages.

The basement part is probably unnecessary. It's certainly ineffective; the organization is too small, the Gallows too contained, and the halls too echoey for something arranged with this much finesse-wrecking haste to truly remain a secret. They could have done it in an empty office or the recreational dining hall, probably, and sat on chairs instead of storage crates. But Kostos picked the location, and he's dramatic. If nothing else it signals a clear intention to do this as unofficially as necessary.

Anyone who accepts the invitation (or just decides to come see what the fuss is about) will first encounter Marcus Rowntree, posted up outside the door like a bouncer, letting mages and rifters move through undisturbed but stepping in to question and likely bar the arrival of anyone else. Inside, Kostos is nothing but a dark scowl in the room's far corner, picking at a splinter of wood on a crate and not mustering a word of greeting for anyone who comes in. Derrica has parked herself within arm's reach of Kostos, a long gold-edged shawl spilling over one shoulder. Her diplomacy pin gleams from the front of her tunic. The worried pinch to her brow is the only outward sign of anxiety; otherwise, she is tightly contained, watching people enter. Julius–notably not in robes–is serious but calm as people come in, standing next to the ever-composed Madame de Cedoux.

Once as many people have arrived as seem likely to, Marcus closes the door, remaining beside it, and they explain what the problem is.

Comments

[tender]

[ This is a great plan, however— ]

Will we be permitted to try this?

[ Because they both know, there is an obstacle to a campaign like this. ]

[ipseite]

( petrana tilts her hand— )

What I am proposing is extremely difficult to deny, short of taking the Chantry line and confining us outside of our explicit responsibilities and forbidding us to speak unless spoken to. It is mutually beneficial to Riftwatch if we build trust with those outside of it, and the only truly effective way to stop us from speaking to people is to strip us of any who hold diplomatic positions and behave in ways that Riftwatch's leadership has consistently, indeed, wisely been reluctant to do.

I am not even proposing anything that many of us, certainly myself, are not already doing. Merely that more of us do it, and more purposefully, and more in concert with one another.

More than that— so long as mage children are born to those without magic, freedom will never be something that mages take and depart with, independent of all those who live in the world. Freedom means living in the world, a part of it alongside the rest of it. If we do not believe it possible then we have already failed, and I do not allow that.

[evilstick]

[ taking mental notes respectfully ]

[tender]

When we return, we should meet again to discuss this with everyone else. Make sure they are aware and find ways for them to help.

[ Ways to play to their strengths, because. It's Riftwatch, diplomacy is not everyone's strong suit. ]

Or maybe we try it over the crystals.