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

[armd]

So there's no way out of this without a fight, is what you're saying. (Sounds like the odds are... stacked, to say the least.)

[delphian]

This, right now? We're not going to Cumberland to kick the tar out of the Loyalists. This isn't going to be that kind of fight.

But you need to be prepared not to take the freedoms we have right now for granted, yeah, because no one ever agreed to 'em and a lot of people want to take 'em back by force when they don't need us any more, and that'll be on you as well when the time comes. The rebellion wasn't ever resolved, you understand?

[armd]

(Muttered,) Yeah, well. Maybe we should go to Cumberland and kick the tar out of the Loyalists.

(But,) I understand. (All too well, really. How many versions of the truce did the WLF and the Seraphites go through before they gave up all pretense of peace and started murdering each other openly, meaningfully? Four, five?) But if they want to take our freedom back by force, I'm not about to take that lying down.

[delphian]

Good. That's what I want to know.

If we go in there blazing and stupid, a lot of people will die pointlessly and we might hand Corypheus the south. I spent several years in a Venatori dungeon, so I'm well aware of what that would mean. Believe me.

And in the meantime, we're working alongside Templars and the Chantry every day. Getting to know 'em. Useful, if and when. If we're smart now.

( tsenka is smiling. tsenka would be saddened, deeply, if she felt pushed to fight the loyalists outright; she'd do it, but she'd grieve it. tsenka would also slit the throat of every templar under the roof of riftwatch, the ones she's spoken with and fought alongside, with a song in her heart and undisturbed sleep after if it comes to that, too. )

[armd]

Right. (You can't do what you want to do, not when you have people. Abby looks at her hands. For a moment her brows pinch together.)

You're making it sound like there's no option for keeping everybody safe. That when it comes down to it, we'll have to do whatever hurts the least amount of us. (And she would like for you to say sike right now)

[delphian]

Probably, aye.

( it's not a nice thing to hear; it's not a nice thing to have to say. )

You're not new to war. We hope for the best and plan for the worst.

[armd]

Right. (Business as usual.

It's much harder to put your head down and do the work when you've come to care about the people around you. Who would have thought.)

[delphian]

If the little polite ones are right, then maybe more people than just us care. But if it's just us, at least we've got each other, eh?

( tsenka has only ever fought this particular battle alongside people she loves, would die for; it seems like the only way to do it, to her. )

[sparklequeen]

If it's just us against the world, then we'll have to fight even harder.

[ Glimmer adds herself back into the conversation with a grim, exhausted look. ]

Even though I'm really tired of being the little guy in every war I fight. But you're right. We have ach other and we'll be okay.

[ They have to be okay. Or else what's the point? ]