logsinthenight | That One With the Meeting [OPEN]

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That One With the Meeting [OPEN]

characters: Cao Pi and OPEN!!!
location: the town hall
date/time: appx moonrise Sept. 2, for a couple of hours
content: Cao Pi proposed a meeting for everyone to talk about what ideas they have for organizing, protecting the town, and safely exploring their confines. This is that meeting. Newcomers are welcome as well! Assume characters have heard about it through the grapevine, but especially on Sept. 1 as Cao Pi makes the rounds and tells people this is happening. He will have a moment to orate but after that the floor is open, threadjacking is encouraged, and whatever comes of this is a complete free-for-all!
warnings: probably some discussion of character death. lmk if I need to edit this.

Despite the fact that Will Ingram's messages providing further information were yet to come, Cao Pi had made a public promise and he would hold himself to it, carrying out his meeting as described. At moonrise on the 2nd, he is already present in the town hall, hoping to see not just those who told him they would be there, but also some of the unfortunate newcomers freshly thrown into this situation. He had done his best to prowl around the Invincible and the bonfire, mentioning that the meeting would happen, but he still had to rely on word of mouth to do its work.

When he decides there are enough people present to begin, the Lord of Wei steps up before the assembly, clearing his throat importantly. "For better or worse," he begins, "we are a community. A town, if we are not a country. The hints and cryptic comments from the Lighthouse Keeper have suggested that we have a job to do, but we're still waiting on information as to what it is and why - why us, why the dead stolen from their worlds or their respective afterlives. But the recent mission to connect the Keeper to the network our tablets can access has shown a number of weaknesses that may hamper our ability to do any job, let alone the one which will keep us all from being permanently obliterated." Is that harsh? Too bad. He doesn't care. "We know a few things for certain. One, that we must carry out the purpose which the Keeper understands and encourages. Two, if we fail in any way, she will kill us all by ordering the spirits to destroy us. Three, the spirits deep in the forest are not just her weapon against us, but they have their own will and may attack or destroy anyone who simply wanders out too far. Our explorations have uncovered a number of things but not everything, by far. If you are new or simply haven't kept up on the recent developments, the record is here." He holds out a hand to the logbooks kept there in the town hall.

"I've asked you here to discuss the issues facing us in Beacon, and to offer up any ideas for how to solve those issues. There are quite a few of them, some that even I, perhaps, haven't considered yet. Please be orderly and take your turns, but I should like to hear from everyone. Whether you have questions, or have an idea you wish to share, please. Speak up. We will all be better for the sharing of ideas and discussion of pros and cons, rather than just waiting and hoping that someone will take charge and give us orders."

With that, he steps aside, inviting anyone and everyone to come up and speak. Or simply rise from their seat and speak. The floor is open, Beacon, use it to say things that you might not want anyone connected to the network to overhear. Sass the Keeper, gush about the Postmaster, whatever you want. Hopefully by the end of it all, someone might have some plans that can be brought about. For his part, Cao Pi is not putting himself up as any sort of authority or the one actually in charge, he literally is only there as organizer and moderator and nothing else. At least, so his cool half-smirk and perfect manners would suggest...

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"Hi, I'm Mary!"

As most people know. She makes herself as tall as she can, and it helps that she's holding a sketchpad up over her head. It seems she's drawn a chart with three columns messily labeled in her childish scrawl (all with crayon, of course): name, project, want.

"I think we should have an idea board for making Beacon better for everybody! If you have an idea for something, you should write it down here, and if you agree with somebody else's, put a mark in this space saying that you want it, too! You can use your favorite color!"

She has provided her particularly large crayon supply for proper documentation.

"I put welcoming committee at the top, because I think we all think it's a good idea to have one already."

"Good idea, Mary," Riku chimes in. He had arrived on time to the meeting, dragging someone else along with him, potentially. But for the most part, he kept to the wall and to himself, observing until he saw an opportunity to contribute, not being a guy who's super comfortable in the spotlight.

"I was thinking... what if it was possible to put a message on these tablets for when we first use them? Something basic to get people started," he continues, "Then more information at a meeting, where the newcomers can ask questions."

As he speaks, Riku selects a darker crayon for visibility, printing under "welcoming committee": welcome message on tablets, then meeting?

"Yeah! I think that's perfect!" Maybe she's just enthusiastic because he told her she had a good idea? Also, it's Riku. Nonetheless, she agrees, and she's happy! "That way everybody gets a chance to speak, and won't feel left out."

As cute and a little ridiculous as she is, Mary's idea is absolutely perfect. Keeping records. Without mentioning it, Cao Pi takes a moment while others are talking and slips over to...well, not write himself, no one would be able to read it, but rather to whisper to Mary so she can write it down.

"Emergency gathering places. Training. A defense force." And then, with a smile, idea #4. "Building and restoration."

Her handwriting is not the best, and her spelling could use some work, but she does her best, regardless. It, uh, it'll probably get the point across well enough to anyone who reads it. She puts a +1 tally for each of the ideas! She especially likes the idea of restoration. "These are really good! Everyone will feel much safer, and the town will be so much prettier, too! And pretty towns make everyone happy."

Well, most people, at least. So she would assume.

Never let it be said that Cao Pi didn't understand the point of morale, so all things considered, Mary is going to be his unofficial morale officer starting right now. He reaches for a crayon, deliberately selecting the most indigo of blues. "May I?" he adds because of his intruding reach, and then tallies his mark beside everything. Because he does support everything. None of these ideas are bad.

Mary will absolutely embrace this role wholeheartedly. Not that she knows she has one. She doesn't need to. She'll cheer-lead this cause until the end of her days, which are hopefully numerous! Watching as Cao Pi places his approval on the sheet, Mary claps her hands in excitement. "Oh, good! I wonder how many tallies everything will get, I can't wait!"

For even as tall as she makes herself, Eliot can't quite help the height he carries naturally at six feet and two inches. He kneels to better see the chart, smiling fondly to himself at her staunch excitement.

"A welcoming committee is a lovely idea. I don't think I would have been as confused if someone helped me when I got here."

He looks over the crayons. "Wow, you certainly have quite a collection! I have so many favorites to choose from here!" After some thought he plucks up a royal blue. "I'll use this one first." And he adds a mark: one more 'want' for the welcoming committee.

Could Mary possibly get any happier and prouder of herself than in this moment? Probably, but she'd be pretty hard-pressed. To be honest, she wasn't sure if anyone would listen to her if she decided to come to the meeting--at least not in any real, concrete way. But people are putting down ideas, and telling her they like what she's suggested! And they mean it! This is incredible!

Naturally, she's beaming from ear to ear as he picks a crayon and gives the welcoming committe a tally. "Hooray! Thank you!" She clasps her hands together. "Blue is a pretty color. I have a lot that I like, too, but my favorite is red. I'm going to bring this with me at every meeting, so if you think of anything new later, you can always come back to add your idea!"

"Don't worry. I'll definitely be sure to add anything I think of to your list. And to add another vote for brilliant ideas like yours."

He sets the crayon back, poking through the broad array of color choices again.

"Which kind of red? Like this?" Eliot picks up a firey red, like a brick. "Or more like this?" He finds another, this one a cool rose with an echo of pink.

"That one!" She points at the first crayon. "I like bright, bright red! It makes me think of things that make me happy."

"Bright red, huh? It's a pretty color. Full of power. What kinds of happy things does it make you think of?"

"It makes me think of..."

All sorts of things, really. Maybe some that she shouldn't say.

"Roses, and apples, and things that are alive!"

"Thinks that are alive? But wouldn't you have to cut roses and apples to enjoy them up close?"

Sort of on the nose there, with things that are alive. But Eliot chalks it up to childlike wonder.

"It is such a beautiful color though. My favorite kind of fireworks are the red ones."

"I don't mind cutting them."

Rough. But she says it...cutely? Innocently? Surely she doesn't know of what she says. In any case:

"Fireworks...they don't burn you, do they?"

'Cutting them'? For even as cutely and innocently as she says it, the exact phrasing does sound strange to Eliot. She's young though. There's a high probability of simply being inept with the usage of the word.

"Not when they're high up. They'd be too far away for that. Have you not seen fireworks before? I can make smalls ones that don't really burn either, but I'm not sure they'd show well in this place."

Mary shakes her head. "I haven't! They're for parties, aren't they? How do you make them?"

Could it be...magic? From his magical powers? Her eyes practically sparkle.

[ At some point during the meeting, Coraline will slip over to peer at the chart, studying it for a moment before picking up a (purple) crayon to mark "want" under “Welcoming Committee”, “Emergency Gathering Places”, and Building and Restoration. ]

Thank you Mary. [ She says, giving her a small smile. ]

[Mary preens, clapping her hands together.]

And thank you, too! Soon there will be so many pretty colors!

[Not that...it's about the colors. But it's still important. She just loves colors so much.]

[ It's okay Mary. We all know what's truly important here... colors. ]

Yeah. Hopefully some good will come out of this... especially the whole welcoming committee thing.

It will! I know it will, because we all want it to.

[So why wouldn't it happen? If they want it, they'll make it work. That's the only thing that makes sense to her.]

[ She smiles at Mary, glad for the source of optimism. Oh to be young again. ]

Yeah... yeah you're right. We'll figure it out won't we?

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That One With the Meeting [OPEN]

Mary | ota

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love that horribly placed grant access button

there now they're mutual access biffles

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