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

break time.

[tender]

[ In the course of the overlapping talk, Derrica breaks from the pockets of conversation.

She has no intention of going far. Just to the very edges of the room, to stand by the door to the hallway without exiting. It's a break, yes, but from a position where she can keep an eye on the proceedings, intercede if something gets out of hand.

Or be approached, if someone is so inclined. ]

[ophidia]

[Of the two Geckos, it's Seth that's been doing any talking. Richard's kept to a spot at the wall the whole time, listening and watching. It was Derrica who'd keyed him in on this particular bed of issues, given him enough understanding to know how important it was, but also that it was old, old blood. Sure, he could say definitively that there was no way he was letting himself or his brother get thrown in a circle, but to argue out the ideologicals or logisticals with the others? Better to listen and learn.

But he watches as Derrica moves away to the doorway. Moves over to her, after a moment, approach blunt but his voice low.]

You okay?

[There's that echo of Kisa in her again, the set of her shoulders. The weight of a whole people she's holding there.]

[tender]

[ A rare question. Derrica isn't often on the receiving end of such queries.

But she gives it due consideration, adjusting the flowing fall of her shawl, hitching it a little more securely over her shoulder. Wisps of hair are working free of her braids. Even as they speak, she is watching the room at large and the people moving within it. ]

I'm worried, [ is the thing that comes first to her. Worried for Ellie and Kostos, flying off to the war front. Worried for what waits for them in Cumberland. Worried even for what waits for them just outside the door of this room. ] If this goes to the Divine as it is, and she agrees with it, then there will be war for certain. Maybe not right away but...

[ Someday, says the tip of her hand. ]

[ophidia]

[Getting into a discussion about the meat of the matter hadn't really been what he'd intended. But he recognises that they can't be removed. The threat's present for her, is she okay rooted to is this okay, are these people going to be okay.

He's quiet for a moment, watching the room like she is, then,]

Do you think there's a way to avoid it?

[Beyond this immediate issue. The way she'd talked on the battlements maybe hadn't been as certain, but there had been some seed of certainty in it. Preventing this, talking the Divine around, was it just postponing the inevitable?]

[tender]

[ A complicated question. ]

We can divert it this time, I think. Or influence it.

[ Resignation creeps into her voice. This is what Kostos had been talking about, all those months ago. ]

But they'll try again. And if they don't, the Divine will try something herself. It's not something that can be put off forever, I don't think.

[ An inevitable argument, that may yet become a war if not handled delicately. ]

[ophidia]

[He hadn't wanted to inspire that in her, that resignation. But it was the picture he was seeing painted out here, between what she'd told him, between the different arguments getting tossed around the room.]

You need to plan for that. Get pieces in place.

[As much as that was possible. He doesn't know how predictable things can be in a land with magic and mages. Politicians, though, were just like mob bosses. Easy to read.]

You got some slack to work with, this time.

[Unspoken: that she might not next time. This basement party was a luxury not to be relied on.]

[tender]

That is a different fight.

[ Whatever the Chantry does, maybe it will look the same but it will be near impossible to debate. The Divine doesn't hear anyone that it doesn't please her to. ]

These are...they're mages, the same as us. And I think they're trying to avoid some of the fight that's coming, or embrace defeat on their own terms.

[ And Derrica doesn't want to fight them. If it comes to that, she will. Whatever shape that conflict takes, she can't back away from it. ]

They're afraid, [ she tells him. ] We'd be stronger together, but they'd have to let go of their fear, just a little.

[ophidia]

Look like pieces of the same fight to me.

[And he knows, he's standing at a different distance to it than her. But perspective can be a necessity. She knows the details - displays as much, talking about what she thinks the mages in question want - all she has to do is hook them together into a bigger map. See where the roads line up. See the routes through it.]

[tender]

There's no fight if we can't convince them.

[ It's not exactly true, it's just—

Everything becomes difficult. Again. She has seen Kostos' face when he talks about the rebellion. Understands the concept of being on the losing end of it, and carrying that knowledge forward.

Everything would be different, if they could approach the Chantry united. ]

Even if we send a proposal of our own between ourselves and Fiona's people, it would become a contest between the two.

[ Guess who favored to win it. ]

Madame de Cedoux is right, about needing support outside the Chantry and the College of Magi. But I'm worried about how much time it could take to raise it.

[ophidia]

So start now.

[He says it like it's simple. It is, to him. But this is what he and Seth do - make plans. Pulls off jobs. Not wars. Not politics. But the nuts and bolts of it are the same, as far as he can see.]

No one knows how much time they have until they don't have enough.

[tender]

[ Derrica chooses to allow this to be endearing, how simple he seems to believe this to be.

It was never a simple thing. But they will have to do something, yes. Petrana's plans are a good start. ]

We'll know better how to approach it once the proposal is dealt with.

[ophidia]

[They're on different wavelengths. He'd known it already from their first talk, but it's only more evident here. It's not a dissonance he's unfamiliar with, happens with most people most of the time. Only the cracks tend to turn sharper, most aggressive, fracture completely.

He feels like he'd rather not have that happen with her. So he nods, turns to head back to his spot at the wall.]

Good luck.

[Genuine. With the mill in the room, she's going to need it.]

[charmoffensive]

[ Loxley is inclined. Now that she's alone, anyway, not tangled up in it all.

It strikes him how little he knows of these people, in the room, and their struggles and histories and perspectives, and that how well he knows Derrica competes with how well so many others know Derrica in ways he can only dimly grasp. It is perhaps an answer in and of itself that this occupies his thoughts on par with this Circle business.

But he approaches. Sidles, nudges her shoulder with his, like a friendly cat catching itself someone's ankles. ]

I suppose this would be a terribly inappropriate time to inform you how deeply attractive you are when you're being assertive.

[ This may in fact be the case, but perhaps worth getting her to smile, even in spite of herself. ]

[tender]

[ The tangle awaits. She'll return to it soon, because it is necessary. It would be even if she weren't leading Project Haven. So much hangs in the balance, weighs on drawing the people in this room together before directing them to Cumberland.

She still has a smile for Loxley, leans her weight into him on the heels of that shoulder nudge. The laugh is faint, but it comes. ]

Maybe, [ she answers. ] But I don't think anyone's listening to us.

[ Fair assumption. There's a lot to hold people's attention besides the pair of them. ]

I'm glad you're here.

[charmoffensive]

Me as well.

[ Happy to be a solid object to lean on, if nothing else, hands hooked into his pockets. ]

I couldn't stand the thought of forcing you to painfully explain it all to me later, [ he adds, in good humour. ] Not that you wouldn't do a wonderful job of it, only that you've enough cats to herd.

[tender]

[ A soft hum of acknowledgement. Riftwatch, at it's best, is essentially a bunch of cats to be haphazardly corralled. It's nice to hear Loxley's vote of confidence, though she worries still.

Is it enough? Is she doing enough here? ]

Will you come to Cumberland?

[charmoffensive]

[ There's a pause over that. How do they all mean to travel? If urgently, is he taking up space? Despite Rifter, despite Diplomacy, despite being not half bad at stringing together a sentence or three.

He defers, asks, ] Is that an invitation?

[tender]

You don't need an invitation.

[ This affects him as much as it affects her.

And Loxley would be good in that room. He is so likeable. That could help them, sway people to listen.

This is not why she asked. ]

[charmoffensive]

But they're very flattering to receive.

[ But no, he can detect the weight of her question, can sense it in her expression, and he allows his own to sober a little. ]

Of course I will.

[tender]

[ One hand slips behind Loxley's back, cinches at his hip. ]

Thank you.

[ Because she isn't unaware that this is, in some part, for her. Because she asked him.

And she lets that sit, watching the conversations playing out in front of them before she asks— ]

What do you think?

[charmoffensive]

[ She touches him, and Loxley takes this as implicit permission to touch back, resting a hand on her back in turn. He hadn't been fully conscious of awaiting that invitation until he takes it. ]

I think, [ starting slow ] that we all need to know much more than we do, and it sounds like these Loyalists have us at a disadvantage. But that'll make crashing their party all the more satisfying.

[tender]

[ There's some humor there. Yes, it will be funny to barge in on the College in the midst of their plots. It will be even better when Kostos and Ellie arrive with Fiona and the rest of the rebels in tow. ]

We're going to have to make them listen to us, [ is light, though the sentiment behind it is so—

Oppressive, in what it brings out in her. Worry, for all the ways they might not. ] You'll have to help us charm them.

[ Her fingers grip at the fabric of his tunic, hanging on. ]

[charmoffensive]

Well,

[ playing at flattered ]

I'll do what I can. From what I can gather [ and he has been listening, not simply to admire Derrica at a distance (or close range), but to try to get some sense of the room as a whole ], it seems we'll likely be taking a chaotically diverse approach to our diplomatic strategy.

[ —which is, in turn, a diplomatic way to put it. ]

[tender]

[ Does Riftwatch take any other approach? ]

That might serve us. We need to take up enough time for Kostos and Ellie to bring Fiona, so making seventeen different arguments all at once will be helpful.

[ Or at least, confusing for those assembled. The issue of Rifters alone may take up a day or two of debate. ]

Assuming no one tries to punch any of the other Enchanters.

[ Potentially Kostos, but there are others to worry about. They are not all diplomats by nature in this room. ]

[charmoffensive]

We can certainly make things messy, [ encouragingly. It's not a half bad plan, as far as plans go, and what else would anyone expect of Riftwatch anyway?

His arm relaxes around her, hand conforming to the curve of her waist, resting there. Tempting, to pick up the banter thread, but he chooses to let it lie for the moment. ]

How worried are you? Like actually, this proposal seeing light, being acted on. Scale of one to ten.