westwhere | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

WHO: OPEN: Everyone!!
WHEN: The Evening after the Merchant's post
WHERE: In the dining room of the farmhouse
WHAT: It's the threatened meeting
WARNINGS: likely arguing

[ OOC: because of the logistics involved for having a huge group post, here's how we're going to try to run this. First comment in the post will be labeled "OPEN DISCUSSION". This will work like a network post, but ICly the idea is that everyone is in a room and talking to each other. Since 20+ people can't reasonably have a round of tags, you can just branch off like you would on the network, and we'll timey-whimey it so that people checking in later can still address previously brought up points.
Lee Chang will have been going around the farmhouse and basically dragging people to the meeting, and I'm happy to play that out for whoever wants to. Of course if you don't want your character to attend you can refuse (he will not be pleased, but that's on him), or you can simply say that he wasn't able to find your character at the allotted time. Hopefully this will make it easy enough to have an IC discussion with the whole group!

Note: I've also added a subthread for people to put information that their characters have gathered in one place for easy access. This is just for info that your character would share ICly - if you have tidbits your character would keep close to their chest, you don't need to post them!

Below that, feel free to put up thread starters if you want to have one-on-one or break-away conversations/rp with other people in the meeting, or want to have tea afterwards or some shit. If you don't like the set up / have suggestions / questions, hit me up with a PM! ]

Basic Prompt:

Somehow, through necessity or interest, pettiness or curiosity, a large contingent of the lost souls living here at the farmhouse have been gathered to discuss the Merchant's latest information. Lee Chang, fully outfitted in well-tailored furs and leather thanks to his last few weeks worth of work, stands next to the fireplace with his arms crossed across his chest and his expression solemn. He doesn't touch the enchanted sword hanging from his hip, but it's visible that he's wearing it.

It had been a long time since he had considered anywhere to be safe, and the farmhouse was far from.

Especially when you had yet to take the measure of all its occupants.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

~ * ~

[ ooc: This is for people to drop in information that their characters have gathered that they would disseminate for the rest of the group during this meeting. Please put things in point form to help people catch up on everything their character should know ICly. ]

Some things Five knows that he will share:
- He has reports from all the newcomers that made Karsa and Haltham look shady. Originally he was raging about it, but after talking to the Merchant, he's cooled gotten distracted slightly. But he's still going to bring up that they're both friendly with the forest people, and only Karsa seems to be faking it to negotiate the release of their captives.
- Five kept the forest man Alina and he interrogated from back when the miners were taken and got some questionably helpful answers from him that may or may not be relevant to conversations. (Vague warnings about 'the wind' still sound really mocking, but maybe it means something to someone.) Regulus is involved in a second mind reading ongoing, so TBD on this one. He'll probably keep it quiet that he's held the man this long...or at all...he's fine. Everything is fine. No follow up questions.

Some information that Moran shared on the network but would still share again :

- The people of Sa-Hareth believe that Anurr is 'of the Immortals', and that he ruled for decades, or maybe even centuries? This is unclear.

- Unhalad's undead are not necessarily trying to turn their foreign 'guests' into undeads, they want to 'steal their souls' so they can use their talents and abilities and make themselves stronger.

- He has had a vision of battle between the two forces, Unhalad's and Anurr's.

Lily's happy to share what the carp had to tell her about reversing the process of becoming undead:

"Out of dread or despair or vengeance, they took upon and within themselves that which should not have been invited. These men cannot be put to rest. Only culled."

Okay so ICly sharing:

- Tamaiu is who sent him the scrawled message in case people had not guessed that already, hidden within a ribbon around a bottle of alcohol.
- Haltham has every indication of being part of the Anurr, lmf, point to that being: his biases will be ones that support that agenda, that's his hot take
- Asgeirr is the oldmaster in the executioner's cloak that Wei Wuxian's been mending, and comes from a more ancient time, but is good conversation
-- Related, he'd share what Asgeirr said concerning their current locale.
- Some general feelings about the different undead, though at this point he's probably had a chance to look up close and more personally with the Unhalad to get that feeling they don't fit quite right
- Also general patterns in undead nourishment such as they are

Unrelated but also:
- He and Eleven have been putting together survival packs and distributing to new arrivals; they have more, please talk with them if you're lacking particular supplies
- He also has more pale crystals for communications (so, network crystals) and Mingyu does as well (lmf just to get people to talk to Mingyu because why not)

After Five's conversation with the Merchant, his mind is on things that they weren't when he initially considered a meeting. Under the circumstances, it's convenient that someone else took the initiative. He's also... well, his authority is occasionally questioned, and it can get exhausting having to put forth the energy to get people to listen when his patience is already suffering. It was hard enough to corral his own family.

He walks in with intention, scanning the room and eying everyone individually as if he isn't already familiar with them. What was originally a manageable group has shifted, and no one seems to have an accurate count of who is left.

Before they get into a discussion about the merits of joining one side of the conflict over the other, he has a more pressing matter. Several, actually, but not all of them need to be involved. He doesn't think much of their observation skills, and they're far too trusting in general. That doesn't mean they shouldn't listen to him of course. Whatever they come up with or waste their time on, he's the one focused on what's important.

As soon as he's able to cut in, he will. He didn't inform anyone of his agenda, so it'll be up to them to keep up as he changes the subject.

"Now that that's out of the way." No, he doesn't care if they were actually done. "We have matters at home to settle."

"By all means, young master, do tell."

Moran has seated himself in one of the few seats that look like they are not going to crumble down the moment you breathe on them. He's been mostly listening and observing and making mental notes. He has made his stance clear on things several times, so he doesn't think he needs to hammer the point again. If someone else wants to do it, however...

He's also one of the few who has never taken Five any less seriously because he looks like a a teenager. And he has enough charisma to at least call for quiet before Five speaks.

He looks over to Moran, watching him for a few lingering seconds after he quiets the group. It isn't the first time he's backed him up, and he gives a tight smile at that 'young master' title he seems fond of saddling him with. It could be worse.

"First of all, I know you've seen the new faces popping up around here. I've spoken to most of them, and they've all given various accounts of the same thing." He doesn't doubt that he's not alone in interrogating them, but they don't always ask the right questions.

"Both Haltham and Karsa have been seen with Anurr's supports in the woods. The newcomers were being forcibly held captive, but were released after Karsa approached them, apparently without incident." If they don't know why that's significant, he continues without interruption. "I considered that Karsa may have been negotiating their release. According to the Merchant, she acted on her own. Whereas Haltham was only seen sharing a cordial meal with Anurr's people and made no such move to free anyone."

He lets that last part hang for a moment. Call him paranoid all they want, it's obvious to him what that means when looking over the facts. It might not matter who they ultimately decide to follow if they're delivered to the fanatics that have already held sway over some of them.

"The point is that before you think about choosing a side or remaining neutral, you need to take a closer look at who is charting our path." He gestures to the room as if making it an example. "There are no coincidences. The fact that we've been set up in this house is proof enough."

Eleven doesn't speak up, but this new shred of insight finds his eyes turning swiftly and meaningfully to Wei Wuxian. They've adjourned their own understanding of Haltham's position and Eleven could say he has well-founded suspicions, but they're based on another's- someone who had been able to piece together information from his own incomplete knowledge with impressive swiftness and with far more clarity than himself. Therefore, the man is considerably more qualified to speak on them than he is.

There are no coincidences.

Even days later, the thought remains a bitter pill to swallow.

Edited (Dont editing i swear) 2021-06-14 08:04 (UTC)

"The house was Haltham's idea, without consulting Karsa, I believe."

a soft reminder, nothing accusatory in it, just stating a few more facts.

"The truth is, we know little about our benefactors, and they all have their own reasons and motives . I think I have made my own position clear several times. At least if someone is doing this for money, you know where they stand and your only concern is to make sure they don't find a higher bidder. We may have been dragged into this, but this is not our war."

Wei Wuxian is largely quiet at the moment, more out of thinking than anything else. He speaks with his arms crossed over his chest, leaning against the doorframe, flashing Eleven a half-smile first.

"However you want to look at it, Haltham himself has Anurr biases, and has moved us into a position to make us more readily available to those ends. I don't find it particularly surprising, or alarming, unless the paths being tread by us are ones that keep leading us to Anurr's door to be used by them as much as Unhalad would gladly take off with our souls for his own purposes."

He uncrosses his arms, showing both palms turned up, empty. "I agree with Moran. This isn't our war. If we're targeted, we'll fight back, but allying ourselves to either side doesn't strengthen us, not when both are trying to use us as their knife for as long as it's advantageous. Who knows, maybe they'll melt us down after!" He smiles without any mirth in it.

"The merchant has his own concerns, as does each person we deal with here. What we make of that influence is what we need to decide on, not being surprised at anyone playing us to their own advantage." To him, nothing in that is unusual. That's politics, and better, more charismatic people have done worse to him, far more personally, with far more menace.

Not their war. They don't consider it alarming. Five scoffs and shakes his head, trying to find the patience within himself to have a necessary conversation.

"Of course they're playing us to their advantage. And for the record, we know that Karsa isn't being paid with money." Just because one of them seems more suspect than the other, doesn't mean he trusts either one. His opinion on the Merchant is another matter, but a more personal one, so he leaves him out of his side of the conversation.

"Their goals may be the same, but you've seen how Anurr's people are. They're a special kind of brainwashed, and ridiculously devoted to their batshit cause. That makes them even more of a threat, because half of them don't look like one." Like Haltham. He knows how well liked the guy is, how many people sought his friendship without thinking he could have more sinister intentions.

"What we need is an exit strategy for when we inevitably get screwed while we're sitting here playing house. And the next time we find out we're being set up, we deal with it ourselves." What they need to do is get ahead of it. Take out the ones they know are trying to take advantage of their ignorance.

If they don't want to have the confrontation that he's thinking of? That's just fine. He can do it himself.

"Packs are ready to go. On that end of things, I recommend people have them on hand at all times, even if heading into the citadel—you won't have time in any sudden situation to turn around and grab things."

Practicalities said people needed basics to have a chance of surviving, particularly here. And it was advice he lived by, though he didn't think many noted it in particular, given his sprawl or tendency to do daily walks to the citadel and back.

"What that means is also having a means to trek overland. We're less equipped to go by sea, unless some of us are far better sailors and have the means to move whole ships on their own—" he smiles, brief, not making it to his eyes, but not pointed either. He and Archeval had managed to get that ship out into the harbour, but this would be longer term, and he's not a sailor of massive ocean crossing vessels. Moreover, they have no functional map of the coast, or the viable ports along it. "The Merchant might be entertaining possibilities over seas, but I don't think that's reasonable for us, moving on our own right now."

Happening sooner than he'd been prepared for, Eleven willingly, though apprehensively joins the meeting- fully armed of course, just in case. He settles on the floor mostly to watch, feeling he's already made his opinion rather publicly clear, but exists now nervous and tense, eyes jumping around between those taking their turn to speak.

If asked through vote, he will of course, advocate for remaining neutral against Unhalad's forces for reasons already stated, and Anurr for, well, being guilty of undeath as well as his rather deplorable request to have them aid in closing the salt mines and thusly depriving the citadel inhabitants of their most natural resource. Quietly counting his allies, and not terribly likely to interject unless someone missed the memo and thinks that undeath is a cool and fine thing to risk.

If it comes up, Eleven also has some interest in becoming less dependent on the Merchant where possible. He seems sure of their ability to rely on themselves if they can make headway on gaining their own information and working together.

He's certainly here for quieter, more private conversations if desired, as well as before and after the meeting.

Edited (im done now i swear) 2021-06-09 23:59 (UTC)

His opinion has been made pretty clear, and Fox for one feels a lot of sympathy and empathy for him - which is why he goes out of his way to slip in beside eleven before the meeting starts up. It's strange, as if he simply appeared out of nothing at Eleven's side, pulling down the hood that kept him safe from prying eyes or minds. It wasn't an invisibility spell, not really - simply making himself as uninteresting as possible, making it hard to keep one's gaze on him as he slipped from room to room. Hard to remember he was there at all. For a man that leaves his mark all over the house in various ways, he's surprisingly stealthy.

But he lowers his hood and the enchantment fades, making him a noticeable presence again, and he bumps his shoulder against Eleven's in sympathy.

"Hey. You okay?"

Eleven starts with a sharp inhale, but seeing Fox, relaxes once more with a nod. He scrubs a self-conscious hand over the side of his face, suspecting the reason behind the concern.

He glances around to the few others slowly trickling in and lowers his voice. "Yeah. Just.. uh, starting to think I overreacted a bit."

Winnie had made decent points, for all he didn't agree with them. She'd been so calm in comparison, and for some reason, that hadn't helped him retain his. What he wouldn't give for Fox's ability to go unnoticed; sitting out of the way on the floor is the best he can manage.

His hands curl tightly into his baldric. "I'm nervous, I guess. And a little worried."

"You reacted. It's okay. Don't let them think it's a bad thing to know where you draw a line in the sand. Yeah?" He bumped Eleven's shoulder again.

"I didn't chime into that trashfire at all, but I know where you're coming from. I'm worried and nervous too, and only half of that is about people that don't live in this house."

He leaned back against the wall, arms still crossed, fingers fiddling with the fabric of his hoodie.

"I don't want to be anyone's pawn, especially when all they want to play me for is death and destruction. Fuck that noise. There's gotta be a better way."

Eleven smiled, easing with Fox's familiarity and camaraderie. He forgets sometimes how much he's missed having that, that rare ease of companionship he'd found in Erik, eased into with Archeval and settled into now with Fox. And it's good advice. There's nothing he'd take back; he only wished he'd managed to express his stance with more poise. That perhaps if he had, his opinion would be met with more gravity than he suspects it will be now.

But Fox was a good person; he had an ally in him- and potentially, a good friend as well.

Eleven breathed a soft hum, considering. "If we work together, I'm sure.. But that seems less likely now than it did when I awoke this morning."

After being one of the more vocal people in the meeting, it might seem odd that Five would turn his attention to one of its quietest members when it's all over. The fact that Five is here at all to exchange information is strange enough, so it's clearly a rare night, and he doesn't let the opportunity pass him by.

Five waits until most of them have cleared the room and nobody else is watching to approach the boy. He listened to the conversations with the Merchant, so he knows Eleven's opinion without him voicing it, and honestly he's never been that difficult to figure out. Interacting with him has always come off awkward, but that's expected. This probably won't be any different.

It might seem like he's going to clarify some of his stances where they are undoubtedly at odds, but that's really not the reason he stops him before he can leave. If Eleven had kept listening after his outburst with the Merchant, he'd already know what this is about.

"Eleven. A word?"

Most of their number listen when Five speaks, and it's as heartening as it isn't. He looks like a child, but doesn't speak as one, and it's a curious thing that Eleven wonders about. He'd seen the same thing in Veronica, but he imagines hers is a unique case.

While a part of him half-expects to be called on, that it's Five does surprise him. Eleven turns, brows drawing together as anticipation twists in his gut. If he's forced to suffer a lecture from Five of all people, it might be necessary to clear the grounds of a few undead wolves before he finds rest for the evening.

He waves off his persistent shadow of a protector; they're safe inside and Five isn't likely to attack him.

"I don't mind."

In truth, he'd stopped listening past his argument with Winnie, caught up in second-guessing himself and writhing in a pit of anxiety about what he might do if he's forced to split off from the group after all.

"..What is it?"

Edited 2021-06-11 23:31 (UTC)

Five casts an eye over to the bodyguard that Eleven collected along the way, and when he sees him signal, gives him a nod of acknowledgment. He's perfectly safe here. Even if he didn't need something from him, Five makes a point to not be as hostile to someone so young. In normal circumstances, he wouldn't have turned to him for help, but he doesn't have another clear option.

His demeanor is different from what it was with the group, less intense, though the smile comes off brief and forced. It's possible this might take some convincing. Less so if he doesn't know who inspired this particular request.

"I'm in need of a favor." Another one. On the up side, it will likely distract him from whatever he's currently sulking over. "Do you still have access to the forge?"

Edited 2021-06-11 23:59 (UTC)

Eleven blinks. A favor- and one requiring the forges- that's unexpected. He turns a quick glance over his shoulder where Hendrik departed, anticipating the need to convince the man's pride to disguise himself again.

"Possibly. With Unhalad's power seeming to weaken, there may be less risk than before, but that isn't certain. ..Why?"

The third time around this request is going to start to seem tedious. Or like a joke, if Five seemed like the sort. He isn't completely sure about the importance that he follow the instructions to the letter, but he agreed, so he'll assume there's a reason for it.

"Good. Good," he hesitates a moment, looking off towards that old conspicuous guard before he comes out with it. Considering their history, maybe he can guess what he's about to say. "I... need a new sword."

Eleven stares, eyes disbelieving and incredulous.

"What- what did you do this time?" He doesn't mean to sound accusing, but there's certainly a flavor of indignant horror, because not again. His workmanship surely isn't so shoddy that destroying a whole steel broadsword should be any easily manageable feat- particularly by a child. Hendrik has a perfectly balanced axe he's yet to damage significantly.

Worries temporarily forgotten as a crafter's pride can't help but lament, "That was steel..."

Well, Five was right about it being distracting, though he does raise a hand as if to tell him to calm down and not attract attention. There's a reason he didn't bring this up during the meeting. Considering how invested most of them were in the history of the lake, it probably would bring the crowd right back in.

"I still have the last one." It's perfectly fine. Absolutely not melted and only used in ways that Eleven would approve of. Not that that would stop him if needed, but nobody really knows how much he's restrained himself since coming here. "It's a long story, but I made an agreement, and it requires a fresh sword. Now you're the only one I know who can forge them, so if you don't mind."

Sure, leaving the details out isn't fair, but they're irrelevant. The less he can say about this, the better.

He does settle somewhat, mollified that the blade he'd forged isn't currently beyond repair as he'd feared. But the rest doesn't sit terribly well.

Eleven looks him over with a frown. Five can only just use the sword he has, lightened as it is from being reworked. To require two..?

"..You're asking a good deal," he informs him after a moment, because he's not sure that's clear given Five's flippant tone of request. "Forging a new sword would take two good full days of work. The Citadel is very tense, even if the forges are less guarded. Hendrik would of course ensure my safety, but he isn't a subtle man, and it's a difficult thing to convince him of the necessity of disguise.."

He knows he's asking for a lot, and as such, he's willing to make some allowances. If he's forceful, it's because he needs to be.

"This is a priority." Forget everything else they were talking about earlier, this comes first. It would have been more convenient if he'd been able to come to a deal sooner, but there's really nothing to be done about that. After a moment he takes a breath and relents slightly. "Considering the circumstances, I'll facilitate the travel and compensate you for your time."

Is he thrilled about the prospect of teleporting them through town? Not even slightly, but he can manage hopscotching their way past any hostility they encounter if it hurries them along.

"A priority," he repeats, skeptical. It's difficult to imagine why when Five has one perfectly serviceable blade already, but it certainly sounds pressing. "You said you made an agreement.."

He sincerely hopes the need for a new blade had arisen after whatever negotiations had taken place. Either way, Eleven finds himself a touch annoyed by what's either presumption or a short-sighted desperation. Given his age, the latter is more likely and thus, more understandable, but it's also fairly worrying.

"..What is it for?"

His eyes narrow the more skeptical Eleven gets, although he knew that question was coming from the start. Answering it will probably bring more of them than he has patience for, but there seems to be something else. If he's still unconvinced that Five can handle a weapon, he risks losing his temper and spoiling his chances of taking care of this quickly.

"There's nothing you need to be concerned about, I've got it under control." If he sounds irritated, that's nothing he can help, but he knows what would appeal to him most. Apparently there's no getting around it. "You were the one who wanted to help the dead. This would help one of them."

Never mind that he chastised Eleven for escorting one of the undead. Never mind anything that he thinks he knows. It's a simple task that he's far more than capable of completing.

That gets his attention for a moment- but only a moment. Eleven rubs at his forehead.

"I'm willing to help," he sighs, "But I don't understand why you require a new blade when the one you have should be well sufficient."

But it feels like he's hitting a wall insofar as answers go. There's something Five doesn't want to tell him, and he can't help but worry about it. ..Still, the prospect of satisfying work and having coin again is appealing. He may need it.

Eleven shifts his weight, tooth pulling at his lower lip, then finally settles. "All right. I won't pry further if you're able to cover the cost of materials."

In that way, he reasons he can treat it as a clear-cut commission.

There's no good reason he knows for why it needs to be a new blade, aside from being told as much. Five isn't as well-versed in the dead as most of them seem to be. Someone in their group might be able to explain it to him, if he ever bothers to bring it up.

Fortunately, Eleven agrees before he has to insist any more.

"No problem." He still has plenty of coin at his disposal, since everyone seems to want payment in other forms. Such as killing a dead man at the bottom of the lake. There's a part of him that wonders if this is all a test, given the Merchant's sudden interest. He can worry about that later.

"Thank you." There are times he remembers to say that. Ordering someone to two days of labor seems like an appropriate one.

Eleven nods. With that settled, he turns his attention toward everything he needs to do in short order.

"I imagine you'll need this as soon as possible?" Feeling rather as though he shouldn't have bothered asking, he continues. "I can talk to Hendrik tonight. If you could let Vanya know I'm not likely to be able to tend the garden much over the next two days, assuming you'll see her before I do. I can likely ask Wei Wuxian to price the materials for you.. though perhaps not. Last time, he insisted on a trip through the mines for salvage rather than spend the coin."

Eleven runs a hand through his hair, then shrugs. With any luck, he'll manage to catch Fox to ask about helping to disguise Hendrik.

"..You mentioned something about 'transportation'?"

The look he gives is enough for Eleven to assume the answer to his first question. He appreciates that he's taking the request seriously. While Five might be taking advantage of his generosity, he can tell by how easily he convinced him that he prefers to have a task to complete. They're helping each other.

As he goes into his plans he nods, and the edge of his mouth twitches when he asks to pass on that message. It's another reason why Five treats him the way he does, and generally prefers that he survives whatever he gets into. He wouldn't go so far as to say that he trusts Eleven, who still knows nothing about him, but for now he's the safe option. He owes him a bit of debt for what he's done for his family.

Which is why he's going out of his way to see that they get there without incident.

"My ability." At that, he isn't positive that Eleven has been paying attention enough to see it. He won't be surprised if he's been oblivious to him blinking around the farm. "It's too far to teleport you all the way there, but I can get you through the worst of it in a few jumps. Taking you inside to the forges won't be an issue."

"Oh," Eleven says with a curious note. He wonders if that might be one explanation for the flickers he's seen around the farm on occasion.

A short-range zoom. He hasn't been able to manage anything like it himself, but it is a foreign world that he knows little of. Perfectly capable of making the walk, it hasn't bothered him unduly, but those two hours are hours that won't be spent working if he does walk. And given the wisdom of not staying out far past sundown, he supposes there is good reason to cut down on the time in favor of spending more time at the forges themselves.

It feels like an odd sort of flattery that might otherwise have been overbearing if he didn't enjoy the work itself.

"That won't draw too much attention?"

Five shakes his head and gives him another smile for being open to what he's proposing. He's really being very reasonable about his demands. It's more trouble for Five this way, after all, so the spent energy seems like as fair of a trade as anything. He never offered before, but that's the difference when his priorities are involved.

"It doesn't matter, we'll already be gone." Of course, his teleporting does come with a fair amount of nausea for people who aren't used to it, but he's sure they'll manage.

With that, he straightens up and adjusts his blazer.

"You can give me a rough estimate and I'll provide more than you need for materials. Anything left over you can keep for compensation. How does that sound?"

Eleven gives him a considering look. In truth, he doesn't know what he should be charging for his labor, but neither does the idea of arguing over numbers hold much appeal. Their group is not yet at such odds, and he dearly hopes that worst-case outcome never manifests. Whatever coin he earns will simply be carefully tucked away until need for it arises.

He holds out a hand. "That sounds reasonable. I'll meet you tomorrow morning?"

There's a reason why Five retained control over the majority share of the coin from the heist. He's never had much need to consider the value of money, but he understood that having it available to him would help him focus on more important matters. That so happens to work in Eleven's favor, as he can afford to be generous in light of his many favors.

"In the morning." He looks down at his hand for a moment or two before he takes it in a brief shake.

That settled, he casts one more glance in the distance towards any potential eavesdroppers, then steps past him. If Eleven is wondering what he's signed up for, it's only a second later that he blinks out of the room in a bright ripple in space.

Eleven stares after him, curious. It's unlike any Zoom or Evac he's ever seen or performed. But, well, he has time to worry about that tomorrow. Now his next few days are suddenly rearranged and there's a few people he hopes to speak to before morning.

Edited 2021-06-12 18:49 (UTC)

Lee Chang is not a prince. Let alone a Crown Prince. Let alone a King. This, at least, is what he continuously tells himself as he learns to get by in a foreign land with foreign people who don't automatically defer to him out of bloodright. It was a deeper adjustment than he'd anticipated. Even when he'd been on the run, even when he'd been pretending to be a mere noble and not a Crown Prince during his investigations, the automatic deference had been so expected that he did not even realise he was expecting it. He had spent his entire life studying to take a role that now he knew he would never take. But this? This sudden thrust into the life of someone who was nobody, who meant nothing? This was almost unbearable.

So it was with great entitlement that Lee Chang swept through the farmhouse looking for the members of their accidental contingent - allies made purely by a united situation rather than a unified vision or purpose. But the former was more important than the latter, in the end, and they were quickly drawing their period of indecision to a close. Pretending they could dig their heads in the sand and wait for the world to sort itself out around them was no longer an option.

So those he knew would find Lee Chang suddenly by their side, clearing his throat before asking them to join him in the dining room that evening. Or dragging them along, if they needed it.

Those he didn't would find themselves with a stern looking man telling them: "We are meeting in the dining room. It would be the best for all of us if we were each in attendance.

Five wasn't a difficult person to convince, even as allergic as he's seemed until recently to anything resembling teamwork. He noticed what was happening the moment more than one person started to make their way into the dining room. All this time he's allowed them to do whatever they like while he worked on what's really important, but occasionally, he needs to involve the rest of them. The alternative might have them turning against him, or otherwise making a mess of things, and he's been too tolerant of that as it is.

He isn't going to kid himself that they arranged this at his suggestion. After watching some of them get worked up, it probably seemed like the time for an emergency meeting. As they gather, he's kind enough to address him before he bulldozes along with things that mostly matter to him.

"Should we count on you to be the voice of reason?" Lee Chang is one of the few who has treated him with some amount of respect, so he gives him more consideration than he might otherwise. You're welcome.

Moran is, of course, in his element watching people bicker and argue and give sharply opposing viewpoints. It's almost like a meeting of the Star Master Council, back in the says when he was doing his best to antagonize his nephew into doing something with his power.

For now, he has opted to sit to the side and keep his ears and eyes open. He doesn't look very concerned at all about the object or the reason for the meeting.=, and even in their rather ratty surroundings, he looking quite regal, sitting in an not too shabby armchair with his silk robes. Maybe Lee Chang isn't interested in being known as a prince. Moran knows his title holds no sway here, and he's not going to use to order anyone around - except Xunxian- but he is still a prince nonetheless and this shines through.

But some of these circular conversations are a bit tedious, rehashing the same points they've talked about before, and he stifles a yawn behind his fan. he stayed up late studying the local language again yesterday.

Once they were dry enough to be written in again, Lily had gone to her notebooks often, jotting down notes after run-ins with fellow abductees, transcribing conversations (the magic carp’s was one she had given special attention), and putting down observations as they struck her. With her bag on her lap and her notebook and pencil on top of that, she looked very much as though she were about to attend some sort of lecture, rather than meet with the rest of the individuals who had been brought to this place.

She had been diligent in her pursuit of information, believing that the more she knew about what was happening, the more she could figure out ways to be useful to the group and keep herself alive in this mad world. By and large those she had crossed paths with had been fairly generous and helpful when it came to answering her questions, which the pages of her notebook could attest to.

Though she had been quietly piecing it all together Lily didn’t think she knew enough about the powerful forces behind the offers issued to the group to have a reliable opinion.

To her, they both sounded awful.

Eager to hear more of the strong opinions and rather clever ideas that had been sounded off through the quartz earlier, Lily intended to be more of an observer but is happy to speak with anyone about what they believe is a good course of action for the group.

Ever the practical one, she has also begun to consider how to pack and ferry everything the group will need and would be happy to start piecing that together with anyone who also happens to be logistically minded.

[ Also open for conversations that take place before or after the meeting, she will still be ready to take notes. ]

Regulus was here for information and to hear the other ideas presented, more than for anything else. It seemed like this group had no clear leader and a thousand different opinions on what they should do. A part of him is a bit amused by all the dissonance, but then a part of him is not at all reassured by their directionlessness.

He stuck to the back of the group, along the wall. He hasn't been here long enough to think he's the one with the best idea, so there was no need to throw himself into the middle of everyone's attention.

But he'll hear anyone out. Or, if no one wants to approach him, he'll just try his best to pick up all the information that anyone tells the group as a whole.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(no subject)

OPEN DISCUSSION

OOC: INFORMATION THAT YOUR CHARACTER WOULD IMPART TO THE GROUP

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Eleven | Open

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Open - Lee Chang (Kingdom spoilers in first paragraph, skip to second if you don't want spoilers!)

no subject

no subject

lily evans, open

Regulus Black - Open