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

[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.]