[OPEN] DEFENSE MEETING

[uncalled_for]

Date & Time: Five days after the completion of the bombing event. Starting early morning.
Location: Whatever area is decently clear of debris.
Characters: Anyone, whether it was previously arranged with Fiona, someone else did the convincing, or they just happen to be around the cleared area at the right time.
Summary: First “Defense” Group Meeting. Some chatting, some sparring, a little showing off, and everything in between.
Warnings: Violence and swearing, I guarantee it.


[When most have gathered Fiona will find some small piles of debris to climb on so she can at least be eye level with everyone else. It’s not the biggest of groups but it will hardly do if no one can see whoever is speaking. She’ll tap her staff to get some attention.]

Thank you all for coming and taking an interest. I’m Fiona, the one who spoke on the network before. Sorry there was a delay but I appreciate everyone coming nonetheless. [Detecting a little anger here…]

If what’s happened this past week has proved anything, it’s proved we need to work together and defend ourselves and each other. Those bastards aren’t going to help us no matter what lies they feed us. They can’t defend us, they have proven that again and again. They say they’re glad we survived, but how many of us didn’t make it through this last endeavor? We’re dealing with complete fools and we have only ourselves to rely on. So we need to find a way to help each other. You don’t have to agree with all of my opinions, but at least stay long enough to try and see if this will work.

[She’ll take a deep breath] This is only our first meeting, none of us really know each other or what each other is capable of. If we actually intend to defend each other then that is the first thing we need to fix. Use this meeting time to get to know the person next to you and what they’re capable of. And if you can fight then show everyone else what you’ve got. [She’ll hold up her hand and produce a tiny ball of fire, whirl it around a moment and wink it out as quickly as she made it.] Lets not be caught off-guard by those bastards again.

[And then she'll start hopping off the debris. Ah, wait. Almost forgot something.] Thank you.


[OOC: Behold the tiny organization abilities. All right so, here’s how I’m thinking this can roll. We’ve got a little fighting and a little chatting for threads. If conversation leads to battle you are welcome to keep it to the talking thread, just maybe tack it into the subject line “Chat -> Fighting” or hop to the Battle thread! Feel free to jump in as you please, opened, closed, whatever. This is a fantastic chance for CR, spoil it rotten! And thanks for being patient with me despite the OOC delays. :)

Edit: Okay so. People are on hiatus and stuff and that's okay. If your character would happen to be here, but you just can't toss them in, try putting down a placeholder reply or something. I am gonna be doing a headcount from the tags list when this wraps up so leader picking later on is easier to handle. :)]

Comments

[ofthegrey]

They're worthy of serious consideration. Nothing that you've said isn't a big issue we're facing. If you've been here that long, you have more perspective than those who are newer. We'd be foolish to take any large action without the best answers we can obtain.

[Whether from direct observation or more subversive means.]

As for those in that circumstance, we have no idea what could be done for them, if anything. Some may prefer death to being a pawn. Others might want to stay and take their chances. Before we could answer that question intelligently, we'd need to know more about how this machine works.

[onemoredeath]

My perspective is that everyone is too quick to label everyone as evil save for us. Yes, they took us from our worlds and yes, they are asking of us to fight for them. But they are not evil. Misguided, perhaps. Too use to a world where people are mindless and do exactly what they are told, yes. As I have told others, it would have been so easy for them to insert a control mechanism into us while we were still senseless on their machines.

They have the means, after all. It is too easy to attack when you are still reeling with new information after all.

[ He smiled, tapping the side of his head with bandaged fingers. He can understand the anger some people keep on displaying but it grew tiring. Anger did not get anyone anywhere but dead. ]

The so-called attacks later - the drugging, the VR situation, those are more clumsy attempts that do not hold the same smell as the machine that brought us here. Thus they are not of the same group. One group wishes for our help to save a world and a future. Another group wishes for control over us. There may be several groups inside of the Initiative that we do not know of.

[ofthegrey]

There is a certain danger in labels, and it may be short sighted. Are you suggesting attempting to reason with them?

[He voices the question in a non-confrontational way, genuinely curious.]

Is it possible, however, that this is merely what they wish for us to believe? In my own experiences, those in power will often attempt to manipulate those in their control by presenting them with "rogue" elements who are in actuality part of the agenda. By comparison, their compatriots look reasonable and contrite, apologize for the abuses, vow not to let it happen again. It fosters a connection they would be unable to forge otherwise.

[onemoredeath]

Yes. They have more to fear from us getting mad than they do of the United Earth. That government is far away. We are here. And we are not helpless.

[ He thought for a moment, thinking about what had happened, and the steps that they had gone through. ]

Perhaps, perhaps not. I think that they are a bit too transparent to do such a thing. It may be naive of me, but the ones I have spoken to have simple minds.

[ofthegrey]

[Again, he gives a thoughtful nod, considering that. They might have more to fear from them, but they'd have to get organized if they were going to be a credible threat.]

Yet, it is not a simple mind that could devise such a machine that could reach across worlds and time. My suspicions are that we are never allowed to deal with those truly in power. I know if I abducted anyone who could do some of the things I've witnessed in the past several days, I'd keep a buffer between myself and my captives. Likely several buffers.

[onemoredeath]

[ Obviously Duncan hadn't seen some of these people on a rampage yet. ]

The technology is stolen. I've seen the kind of technology that they usually have access to and what the machine is comes from another time altogether. They may have made it work, but they did not even start on it.

[ofthegrey]

Stolen? [His gaze sharpens.] Is this confirmed or a suspicion?

[It would definitely make a difference in how he seeks to approach this entire endeavor.]

[onemoredeath]

Confirmed. They themselves have told us that the United Earth also has this technology and were looking into ways to rob our realities of their goods to strengthen their dwindling supplies.

[ofthegrey]

Have you spoken to Fiona about this? If not I'm going to. That paints some of this in a very different light.

[onemoredeath]

It has been mentioned a few times, but usually people feel that I am only being ridiculous with it.

[ofthegrey]

It's relevant. We need as accurate a picture of this situation as we can have. [He wonders how this fits with what was revealed on the network a few days prior.]

I just realized I never asked your name.

[onemoredeath]

I know. [ He shrugs. It wasn't like Takegami hadn't been keeping any of his knowledge secret. unfortunately, most people just do not buy it. ] I had gotten bored of mentioning it and being told that it is irrelevant considering that we were kidnapped.

You did not. [ a thin smile and a slight bow. ] Teijirou Takegami as they say in the West. Call me Takegami.

[ofthegrey]

Always glad to alleviate boredom where I can. [A little wry.]

[He does much the same, the gesture a little stiff from the breastplate.]

In the West? Takegami it is, then.

[onemoredeath]

The Western nations. I was born in the Eastern nations where it is common to announce one's family first, given name second. It is rude to my culture to use one's first name unless you are an older relative or a close intimate friend.

[ofthegrey]

I see. When one joins the Grey Wardens, one casts off one's family name and goes only by the given. I haven't been anything but Duncan in a very long time.

You say you're no warrior, but you do seem to have knack for tactical thinking. What did you do in your world before coming here?

[onemoredeath]

Yes, I have heard there are groups like that in my world.

I enjoyed puzzles and historical readings. My country has a past filled with warfare and a warrior culture, and often I think myself being a ronin in my time.

I did several things, but mostly I was a host.

[ofthegrey]

I'll likely keep asking you for definitions or meanings until you get tired of it. So many things here are completely new or alien to me. What is a ronin, and what is a host?

The first word is completely new to me. I have a definition of the second, but I doubt it fits what you mean if you say that was an occupation.

[He rubs idly at his beard, a sweep of index finger down the side of his chin.]

[onemoredeath]

It is how to learn a new language, asking questions until you have it right. [ He smiles, a little more pleasantly than before. ]

A ronin is in ancient times, a masterless warrior, a sword-for-hire, a man who had either lost his patron or was left homeless after some dishonor. In the modern times, it means a person who has stepped away from his or her chosen path to follow their own heart.

As for a host, in my country we have these host clubs. Often bored and rich women come into the clubs looking for a little companionship, a little fun. We serve them drinks and talk to them, making them feel like they are special. Most of us are skilled with talking and with drinking and with some kind of entertainment - mine was playing music and singing songs about love and heartbreak.

[ofthegrey]

[He nods and listens, seemingly appreciative of the indulgence in his curiosity.]

An interesting shift of meaning over time.

It sounds a bit like a bard. Some believe them to be no more than musicians, a misconception they happily cultivate. There's much more to it than that. This was your calling?

[There's no tone of judgment in the question.]

[onemoredeath]

I suppose there are similarities. Yes it did. After all, I could never stand the press of every day work.

[ofthegrey]

I can think of far worse occupations than giving ladies attention. Why do you think the Initiative targeted you to bring here? Do you think they did at all?

[He's not entirely sure it isn't random, or if not random at least imprecise.]

[onemoredeath]

I know how to listen and pick up information from listening. I often thought that because of that, they may have thought to use it to gather information in other places. A spy, I suppose even though the closest to fighting I can do is barroom brawling and some sports. I would be useless standing shoulder-to-shoulder in an army but behind the lines...

[ He shrugs, not exactly sure on how to proceed with the thought. No doubt Duncan can fill in the blanks since he was military in so many ways. He was skilled in a lot more than what he was saying, but why tell all? His hobbies was his own. ]

[ofthegrey]

Such skills are invaluable. A battle is only as good as the intelligence off of which it's based.

[He doesn't mind that most think him a warrior and never guess at his original profession. There's no need to bring it out without good reason.]

If you're interested in this endeavor to the point of involvement, your observations will not go unheeded.

[onemoredeath]

I have told her that I could help but I am unsure if others would want to work with someone as useless in a fight as I am. There is only so much that a broken bottle can do to people in armor, yes?

[ofthegrey]

It would be foolish of us to place you in that sort of position deliberately. We have little control over what happens when we are dispatched, I imagine. But in part we're here to determine who has what strengths and allocate accordingly.