Round 2 [open]

[pure_havoc]

characters: Cao Pi and everyone who wants to show up
location: town hall
date/time: Dec. 8, starting at moonrise
content: Community meeting, take 2! After the Dreamer/Defender incident, there's a lot to talk about and Cao Pi has encouraged everyone to come and publicly share what they learned while asleep or what ideas they have to make the next massacre less massacre-y. Feel free to handwave catching his post or hearing about it from a friend.
warnings: none likely but lmk if that changes. Threadjacking likely; if you don't want to be threadjacked, make some sort of indication.

As before, Cao Pi arrives ahead of time to ensure the town hall is ready for a session, righting any chairs that might have been thrown about in recent melees and checking the logbook for recent information. When a fair amount of people have arrived and he can see the waxing moon rising through the leafless trees outside, he rises to begin with a short intro.

"By now we know that those who succumbed to the food at the feast had a strange experience - they shared dreams with each other, in which they found themselves seeing Beacon as it was in the past. I encourage all those who dreamed, and remember it well, please tell us all what you saw. There may be considerable clues to our purpose and progress in even the smallest detail.

"The rest of us, well. We managed to make it through and I believe those who were killed are whole again, but for our part we can go over what worked and what didn't. Defending ourselves isn't merely a matter of being trained to use weapons. The spirits which attacked were formidable, powerful. We will need more than just our strength to outlast another attack. Ideas are welcome, as is any new information we have on everything from communications to threats."

That's all he'll ramble about this time, he'll take a seat and allow others to have the floor before he makes any more grandiose speeches.

Comments

[worthallthis]

"You wanted more than a third-hand account," the Soldier says, settling into a standard parade rest, for reporting. "Of the intel on the spirits. I can give that." There was the information they gave to Jason to share, and the information they gave to Misty to share. It's a lot of information, quite possibly hard to swallow, especially some of the implications. The Soldier just wants to make sure the superior officers all understand it to the best of their ability.

They promised their owl friend they would.

[pure_havoc]

"Ah, so you're the soldier he mentioned, earlier." Accustomed as he is to military life and command, Cao Pi finds it very easy to accept this stance, his whole demeanor. He gestures as he steps to one side to let others pass the two of them by, giving them a small bubble of space in which to have a little private chat here.

"Very well. You can say for certain, then, that the spirits are not all of one mind? That the reason they behave differently toward us is because there are different...factions, let's say."

[worthallthis]

It's only extensive conditioning that keeps the Solder from wincing at the reminder of Jason's goddamn "shy" comment. As if this whole thing wasn't bad enough, now they're going to be reliving that particular embarrassment on top of it. But this is a debrief, and a passing along of a message, and they have to keep it together, so their expression stays neutral. "Yes, sir. To some extent. There are the green eyes who control the others-- and all the rest who obey, or who hide. I saw it when fighting them, and my contact confirmed it."

They look up from where their gaze settled on Cao Pi's shoulder, to his face, but only briefly, almost furtively. "But there seems to be more to it than that. Even the ones who hid. Didn't necessarily disagree." Misty's contribution from the Soldier touched on that. (Even if it's not up OOCly yet.)

[pure_havoc]

Mm, yes, this is much better. Cao Pi's expression shifts subtly, but it does shift, to complete attentiveness. "I see. You have a contact. Who is it? Even in a general term, if it's someone who need not be outed accidentally."

There's a lot there, and it really changes how they need to approach...everything, really. "So it isn't that the spirits who didn't attack like us, necessarily, but they also have conflicting loyalties. Interesting. I thought them simple, and that was perhaps a mistake. Their inability to express themselves so we can understand doesn't make them stupid." His eyes turn somewhat sly. "We do have a number of obstacles between us and our goal, don't we?"

[worthallthis]

Sly looks generally do not bode well for the Soldier, but they are here to pass along intel, not make judgments. Or at least keep their judgments and worry to themselves. "The spirits themselves are not necessarily one of them," they say. Not exactly a warning, that would be above the Soldier's place, but maybe a gentle nudge away from the idea of considering their friend something that has to be overcome. "Not all of them. Communication with them may be the important obstacle, not they themselves. They don't think like humans do. But my contact is relatively clear when you get used to how they communicate."

You know what, maybe it would be easier to just... copy the intel from Misty's private message, to Cao Pi's, so he has it clearly. (Fuck, pal, maybe we should just dump the whole thing onto the network. I. I don't know if that's safe. At least it'd reach everybody the same and people could talk about it.)

The Soldier's arm plates run a recalibration loop, making a metallic buzzing noise under their multiple layers of sleeve, and they say, "They want us to lead them, sir."

[pure_havoc]

Well that's all nice and....whaaaaat?

For a moment there's a genuine flicker of shock on his face before he can stifle it. "Lead them? How so? They have no ruler of their own? Or do you mean, they would like us to lead the way so they can follow our example?"

[worthallthis]

"It's unclear. Their exact words. 'Lead. Follow we.' I asked where, they said, 'You choose. All you choose.' I said I would tell everyone else, and we'd find a good place to lead them to. They said... 'can't wrong'. Like wherever we lead, will be where they want to follow." They give a tiny shrug, a little helplessly. "This may be related only to the normal spirits, not the green eyes. But it might be related to all of them. But my contact was firm about this much when I spoke with them." The Soldier only admitted to them being relatively clear.

[pure_havoc]

"Hmm." It's excellent information, top-notch even, and Cao Pi is glad he lingered. "That is a tall order, a request like that. All together, we would do well to live up to it." He gives a brisk nod. "Whatever else you have, could you send it to my tablet? I would like to have a record I can mull over, and refer to."

A confirmation that the spirits - some of them, anyway - would work with them and even need to be led by them is the sort of motivation he needs right now. Like an independent tribe who can be bargained with to join his army in battle, they could be a great source of information and strength if they play their cards right.

[worthallthis]

That's not even all of the information. Just the tail end, most potentially explosive part. "Of course, sir. I can send it to your inbox." They pause. The Sergeant nudges silently, the Soldier hesitates, waffling and uncertain, but finally asks, "Should we put this on the network, sir? For everyone?"

[pure_havoc]

Zihuan considers it, literally stroking his chin while he thinks. "Yes," he finally says, "if...you can word it well. Or if you'll permit me to do so. It is important information and I usually share what we learn at these meetings, it hardly seems worth keeping secret. That said, it needs to be clear and concise. Something everyone can understand without asking a bunch of questions we can't yet answer."

He knows he can be wordy, it's the curse of the orator and poet in him. He's more than happy for someone else to write it up and post it.

[worthallthis]

That's a very tall order for someone who has a hard time holding actual conversations without chopping their sentences in pieces, and can count on one hand how many conversations they've had on the network. But they nod, say, "Yes, sir. I'll do it." They'd rather do it themselves, or maybe with Misty's help, than have Cao Pi or someone twist their meaning around with whatever his predetermined biases might be.

(You have your own biases, pal. Not ones that might hurt our friend. See, that's the bias. That's one I don't care about changing.)

[pure_havoc]

Such instincts are on the mark, especially with the emperor, but Cao Pi is also served well by having someone else do it. It deflects suspicion off him and allows him to continue working at his own pace. He nods back graciously. "I appreciate that you were able to share this, even in an unorthodox way. I should like to work with you further, since you seem so capable. You are...a friend of Commander Rosinante's, are you not?"

[worthallthis]

There's not much suspicious in sharing truth, as far as the Soldier's concerned. And this way, even if they agonize over how exactly to be "clear and concise" and also not implicate their spirit friend, at least they control what's being shared and how. They've never really had that ability over intel they've gathered, before.

The mention of Rosinante takes the Soldier a little by surprise, though it shows only in one slow blink. "Friend" is probably too a strong word. The Soldier's attempts at actually being friends, as they understand the term, have been rebuffed. "He's been kind to me," they settle for. Which is true. Rosinante just for some reason doesn't want the Soldier to be kind, back. "What would you like me to do?"

[pure_havoc]

Shame Zihuan has no idea what he has in front of him, an obedient soldier who craves orders. Don't ever tell him, he'll take advantage of it.

"Continue as you have been," he suggests, speaking casually so it doesn't come off as a demand. "There are many tasks that need to be accomplished in the short term, but the long term goal is to solve the problem of darkness and light. Any and all information we can gain that will lead us to that end, and success rather than failure, is valuable. If you are skilled at finding it, then do so."

[worthallthis]

The Soldier already has three handlers, sort of. They don't need a fourth, and for all Cao Pi has the bearing of a handler, somehow the title hasn't slid into place in their brain. (Progress, maybe? I just don't like this guy, that's all.)

"Skilled" is probably also too strong of a word when it comes to collecting intel, but it's not hard to keep visiting Owl Friend, help Daylight with his translations, and make their regular patrols. So they can accept those orders, handler or not. "Yes, sir. Anything I can help with, in the short-term tasks, as well? I already make patrols, coordinated with Inspector Javert."

Look, they're kind of bored, sometimes, and not great at filling up free time.

[pure_havoc]

"Oh?" With the crook of an eyebrow and a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Cao Pi approves. Highly. "That is more than enough, I should think, but if you need more to do, consider joining an expedition. We've now learned about several additional places worth finding, like the medical center. Those who go searching will need experienced bodyguards."

It's a shame he doesn't have the ability to say more at this point, but here, authority is earned by those who give it to him. He sighs, clearly tired of all this. "I may know more after I've gone over all of this information. There is a lot to assess."

[worthallthis]

"Like Daylight's trip to visit the spirits." The Soldier already has that scheduled, once Daylight is ready, now that they have this meeting out of the way. They can't make plans until that's finished. So they agree, "There is a lot. I'll put everything up on the network when I can." The arrival of the Night Market will put a crimp in that, not wanting everyone and their uncle to use Owl Friend's intel to sell to the merchants there, but it'll go up eventually.

[pure_havoc]

Wise idea, really. Cao Pi nods again, pleased how this is all turning out. "As you were, then, soldier."

He'll get a better title at another point in the future, right now he simply needs to make sure he's not in the way of anyone late in leaving the town hall.

[worthallthis]

"Thank you, sir." That's the title they're most used to, so go for it, Cao Pi. It's not like they have a proper name or anything. The Soldier inclines their head, steps back, lets Cao Pi continue on his way.

And then, when he's well gone, they head off another direction, into the dark, away from the actual people. It's time for some tree punching to get out the anger at themselves for this whole dumb-shit situation and their own stupid issues.