[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

[ladyspitfire]

I suppose they'll bring in whomever they feel is necessary. If we are changing the past, perhaps the world will change around us when we return. I have to admit, it leaves me curious.

[Not curious enough to help their captors, however.]

Yes, next time. Perhaps you could show us.

[She's not certain how ready she is to trust everyone there.]

[strategic_guile]

[You get a short bark of a laugh for that one, Duncan.] Maybe. Negotiators, builders, scientists, I get all of that, but some of us don't fall so neatly into a useable category.

[Smile for Elissa] I'd like to see these changes, too, but I'm betting most of them are small or just happen somewhere else.

I'll have to find something that'll wash off after a few hours. More important is the places we'd put the markings.

[ofthegrey]

My question is how would they know there are changes? If you go to the past and do something that makes the present different, aren't you part of that present? Wouldn't it seem like it had always been that way for you?

[He's having a hard time wrapping his mind around that paradox.]

Good plan. I'm sure it will be easy enough to find something like that. As for the places, somewhere people won't have to go out of their way to see but that won't attract too much undue attention.

[ladyspitfire]

I wish I understood it nearly half so well as others seem to. Perhaps we'll be the ones to know the difference as this is not our home.

[But that would be silly, wouldn't it? And she doesn't really understand how time paradoxes can even work.]

Maybe somewhere in the apartments, in one of the back stairwells?

[strategic_guile]

A good question. I'm not sure how the people who were left behind would know. I'm sure they have a goal in mind, so maybe the people sent with us come back and compare notes on how things were when they left and how they are now after they changed it?

[Just shrugs and shakes his head. He has no idea.] One day they'll make a change and come back and it bit them in the ass.

The back stairwell. A corner of a building close to the shopping district. Somewhere it wouldn't be odd to stop for a second and adjust your shoe or something. The sign could be a circle with a hash on it to say what time. [Draws a circle in the air with his finger and then draws a line from the center to the right.] Three o'clock. Six o'clock. Nine o'clock. Make the assumption that it's night time unless it's an emergency.

[ofthegrey]

All of that just makes my head hurt.

[Time travel. It's not something he would have ever given any thought to barring a strange discovery in their world.]

Those are good places. Never the same place twice in a row. We can put that on a rotation, too, and shift the pattern by one every two months so that it doesn't get predictable.

[ladyspitfire]

[She turns to Duncan and reaches over to pat his back once, as if comforting a recruit. Her smile is coy.]

Hopefully we won't be able to think on it too long.

But these are good ideas. How many people are you looking to share them with first, though, Blaine? Those gathered here, perhaps?

[strategic_guile]

It would probably help us to know. [crosses his arms over his chest; there's a hint of a devious smile on his face] Especially if we plan on doing a little changing ourselves.

[He casts a look around the room, at all the different personalities and people.] Since she was the one to call the meeting and seems serious about it, Fiona should know, at the least. I wouldn't tell everyone here, because you have no idea of their intentions, even if they came.

[Blaine himself did not have the strong conviction of many of the people there. He liked to be informed and just so happened to be nearby to see the gathering and investigate.] I haven't talked to as many people here, but I'll leave it to your discretion. The less that's known about communication before it's ready, the better, I'd say. It's much easier to pin point leaks.

[ofthegrey]

[The look he shoots Elissa is wry.]

I trust Fiona with my life. She won't spill secrets, and she's aware of the code systems already. There's a chance she might know who else to speak with about this.

I agree that it's best we keep it under wraps until it's developed and ready for use. Perhaps we should do a few tests among ourselves.

[ladyspitfire]

There are others here whom I would trust with my life as well...but I would much rather bring them in slowly and give them time to make their own decisions on where they stand. I might speak to one of them about it.

[Zevran would understand codes better than others, she suspects.]

I like the idea of a test, just to see how well we can all remember and use it to our advantage.

[strategic_guile]

[Arms uncross and his hands slip into his pockets casually.] A test would be good, to know the limits of people's memories. Whoever has the best recall should be one of the code keepers.

Just let me know who you decide to tell. [Lip twitches upward] If you want.

[ofthegrey]

[He nods. He can understand the sentiment. In this place they have that luxury, unlike at home.]

As far as I'm concerned, this part of it is as much yours as ours, Blaine. We won't accomplish much by keeping the planning phase from one another.

[Does he trust him? Not precisely. He trusts that he has more reason to want to cooperate with them than the Initiative, and for now, that's enough.]

[ladyspitfire]

[She can only nod in agreement to what Duncan's said.]

Where can the three of us meet to discuss this further? Without the use of these devices, hopefully.

[strategic_guile]

[Aww, how magnanimous of you; Blaine gives a slight shrug.]

I don't have any plans, so you can make it whenever you want.

[ofthegrey]

Is there a park? I'd prefer somewhere in the open. Fiona indicated they might be able to listen in when we're in enclosed spaces. I'm not sure how.

[ladyspitfire]

There's an open space just outside of the main city we can go to. But a park might be better so we're closer.

[strategic_guile]

Electronic listening devices that can fit on your fingertip. You can put them anywhere. Under a table, in a clock, and it records your conversations. There are also cameras that can record video, but they're a bit bigger and need more setting up.

Either place I'll find, just tell me the date and time. I'll have to find something marginally water resistant to practice with.

[ofthegrey]

Barring any more surprises, let's make it a week hence around third bell.

[ladyspitfire]

Agreed. If anything comes up, let's try to meet here to reschedule a better time.

[strategic_guile]

I'm assuming 3rd bell means 3 o'clock. [Vague smile because wtf third bell] That'll be fine for me.

[ofthegrey]

I assume? [Three o'clock is a new one on him.]

Afternoon, not morning. If you're out there at three in the morning, I'll laugh at you when I hear about it later. So we're agreed. I'll be working on some of the codes. We can compare notes and decide what will be easiest for everyone to use.

[ladyspitfire]

I wouldn't know if the morning hours would be safe enough for a meeting, regardless. Three in the afternoon it is, then.

[strategic_guile]

Alright, that works for me. I'll see you then.

[ofthegrey]

Likewise. Now, if you two will excuse me, I'm going to go see if I can talk a few more people into fighting me today.

[ladyspitfire]

Don't beat the new recruits too badly, please.

[She gives both of them a brief wave before she heads off to find Fiona and Cailan at the very least.]