That One With the Meeting [OPEN]

[pure_havoc]

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...

Comments

[itselbitch]

[ heart, be still. yes, he just looked at you. yes, he is real. yes, he just looked at you angrily it, and it was kind of hot in a way you should never let him know about, so chill the fuck out.

but, god, what a real live badass. ]

Are there swords around here? I could definitely do better in that avenue, at the least. Guns would probably do more harm than good in this darkness, and. Well. I try to avoid hand-to-hand combat whenever possible.

[ it's said like a preference, even though it's more a reality. ]

[policier]

There are not. You will have to procure one for yourself from Monsieur Rastus.

( Or Javert will. He's already planning on asking for as many weapons as he can. We'll see how that goes. He makes small, considering noise at the other man's preference, arms still folded across his chest. )

You may not have much of a choice, when you're put in a fight. What will you do if your opponent disarms you?

[itselbitch]

[ ah, so much for that. maybe it'd be easier to just try and make a wooden one from the resources they have? hm... ]

Oh, they don't usually get that close. [ he presses his palm rather gleefully to his chest. ] I'm a magician, you see. I'd just set them on fire or something. Or force them back.

[policier]

( Javert almost wants to laugh. Surely this man must be jesting? In all of the months that Javert has been here, he's never once run into anyone who could use magic. He frowns a bit, and folds his arms a little more petulantly against his chest. )

Now is not the time for jokes, monsieur. Speak truthfully.

[itselbitch]

[ he lets out a short laugh at how seriously the response comes. really, can he fault the guy's confusion? also there's some illogical part of eliot's mind that's utterly amused at the actual image of a very real javert frowning at him in judgement. it's hard to keep from smiling as he clears his throat and gestures gracefully with his hand, a ball of lightless but still otherwise real flame burning from the center of his palm. he let's it sit for a moment, knowing the lack of light makes it less obvious to the bare eye, before wisping it away with the curl of his fingers back against his palm. ]

I assure you, I'm hardly joking, inspecteur.

[policier]

( He startles, not so much out of fear — for there is very little that Javert fears, and it is certainly not magic fire — but out of surprise. His eyes widen, and he looks as if he's about to shout, to order the man to extinguish the flame, but then it's gone. And Javert is left standing there gaping like a ninny. )

Are you mad?

( He huffs, tugging down on the front of his uniform, righting himself. His scowl returns. )

Setting a fire in this place. And for what? It is not as if you impressed anyone.

[itselbitch]

[ wow. that was. hm. really, it's not too surprising since eliot can't imagine someone from the 1800s would be familiar even with stage magic, but the way javert bites back is. actually really amusing. smiling lazily, he tilts his head in inquiry. ]

Oh, there's nothing to fear. Fire like this doesn't catch like anything normally would.

[ he snaps his fingers this time, sparking a small flame from his fingers that slips away just as quickly. ]

It's mostly just fun now rather than deadly, though the heat is still useful.

[policier]

( It probably doesn't help that magic is something stereotypically tied to the Romani people. To people like Javert's mother, who herself was a fortune teller. Javert has never liked that part of himself, and by extension, doesn't like anything that reminds him of it, including magic. The frown does not leave his face as he responds, calmly, )

Then that is all more reason why you should learn. You may not always be able to count on such foolish parlor tricks, but you can always count on yourself, if you possess the physical ability.