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 Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:15 pm
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Shiloh's ears were burning. Actually, his entire face was burning, because the look Silk was giving him was reminiscent of the look his high school teachers gave him, the what a shame, he's not going anywhere in our life, not worth our time and tenure sort of look. Bean meanwhile made a plethora of happy squeaky sounds from Shiloh's lap. At least someone was having a good time.
Needless to say, it wasn't surprisingly when Shiloh went for the wine first. Why the hell would he eat beforehand? He needed to drink his shame away on an empty stomach.
Needless to say, the opalescent mixture was divine, as it reminded him of his own flowers flowing under his skin, the fresh fluidity of his petals and vines working through his blood. The sensation was not a foreign one. The darker wine was still pretty good, but Shiloh had long since stopped going for taste results.
He'll be fine, I think. I hope. Something warm spread along his mindlink with Jamie, the feeling tangible. Bean was placed on top of the table, and after a stern finger waggle it seemed to understand that yes, it was time to sit, a good sit for Shiloh, now isn't the time to be a squeaky bean; Shiloh's beanie was unceremoniously placed back on top of his head there after.
Bean however did return a vigorous wave back at the Mercer duo. Actually, why stop there? It waved at everyone seated.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:40 pm
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Oliver gave Jamie a slow... look. "Are you okay?" His head tilted in minor concern, his mind filling with thoughts that weren't his as he looked towards Horace again. Man, carrying two conversations in ordinary terms was difficult already, let alone this weird-a** thought hot potato thing they had going on. His eyes glanced over to Jamie again, to Shiloh, to the thing on the table, what the ******** was that? Wait, no, he'd seen it in snapchats. Bean? Something... whatever. It was kinda cute, he guessed.
I can tell, he shot back, are you panicking? Level with me. Then again, it wasn't like Oliver had been entirely open with Horace.
It isn't bad to want control over situations, I think.
Oliver took a careful bite of his food, his eyes widening when it tasted exactly like chicken strips. He wasn't sure whether to be offended or overjoyed. Do you want me to come over there? I can.
He gave Jamie another bump. "Sorry, I'll be back in a bit." To Lily, he smiled, "It was very nice to meet you. I just need a moment."
The first thing that shifted were his ears, and then his tail, and then the mask and the claws and everything all at once; there was now a raccoon sized dumpling sitting in the chair where Ollie had once been, and the moonwalker saw it fit to silently slump onto the floor. Unlike a certain mink he saw weaseling around, Oliver was exceedingly careful about avoiding legs and feet. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself. He would behave.
The look he gave Horace under the table was akin to you're lucky I consider you slightly higher than an acquaintance, or maybe you're hopeless, but I'm here anyway, if that means anything. Either way, neither thought would be transmitted that well, but his tiny blue eyes were saying all that needed to be said in the first place. His paws lifted up, weird fingers wiggling.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 8:43 pm
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From Jeremiah there was definitely a wiggle of fingers towards Bean, lips quirking slightly. It certainly was one way to ease some of the tension, the little sprout's appearance, but his focus went back to eating.
... and what they would soon be discussing.
Preacher running across his feet got a snort, the silver-haired man waving as she disappeared off. Without a word, Jeremiah was passing Shiloh the wine that he was not going to drink.
Melancholies bean ur presh, shiloh u get the wine thing jer won't drink
The Semblance of Unity preacher ur boss is amused
Nasir, meanwhile, was eating quietly and very much amazed. Mostly because for the strangeness of it, the food was perfect. He wanted to know how to do something like this. To be able to use magic to cook things like this? It would be awesome!
Lara and Aleksy's conversation drew his attention, if only because of death world and this world and-
"Ah, excuse me? Could you tell me about other worlds? Are there more?" A death world couldn't be like where they had come from, right? He looked sheepish, glancing down at Trouble who was nibbling on what looked like a walnut (who knew what it tasted like) and then looking back up. "Though I guess this isn't really the time ..."
shibrogane O: O: nasir is curious about this world business
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:38 pm
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Oddly enough, Nasir's offer his hand did help, it was enough to just have her startle at the sudden question in her mind. The pale, wide-eyed look she gave Horace was a clear enough answer of not okay at all that needed no psychic powers to get across. But dinner proved a welcome distraction.
America couldn't bring herself to eat, despite Bitterberry turning away from his own little dish to taste at hers and show it was safe to try. She did, however, drink. The taste was almost as startling as Horace's voice had been, it was good enough to have her laugh a little, softly and to herself, the first time she'd laughed in what felt like days. Weeks?
It lasted until the idea of stolen worlds entered both the conversation and her thoughts. Fixing her gaze downward, she didn't look up again during the meal.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 9:45 pm
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Dozens of conferences were not the Court of the Sorrowful One. Leila was a recipient of an angry stare from one of the fetches who allowed her to enter the hall (was that Felt?) and Silk pointedly did not acknowledge her. Instead, once the dinner conversation seemed to be winding down, she cleared her throat. It carried, as if there were speakers implanted in the tables themselves. The wood resonated with Silk's sweet alto. "Now that you have drunk of our vintage and eaten our salt, you know we mean you no harm," she said. "To hurt you now would be to invite destruction on all of us."
She swept the room again, and then nodded. "So we will begin with a discussion as to the creation of the original Charter," she said. "Pay attention. I shan't repeat myself and there will be no time for questions as to this topic."
Silk turned away from the group to tap her fingernails against the whiteboard. Somehow, it seemed even whiter and boardier than previously, as if it had fallen into some hyperrealistic otherworld. A jagged black shadow traced back from it. "The Charter was created four thousand, five hundred, and thirty-nine years ago, at the behest of the original principals of the first sigil. One of the undead, a theoretician, had created a specialized skill set that he could transfer to others. We called this the spirit-bond. It allowed human visitors such as yourselves to bond with one animal, their familiar, and take on a form like that animal, and speak to that animal. They could transform at any time, unlimited by the cycles of the moon. Because of their familiars, they were able to draw much more magical power than any of the creatures within the otherworld. They may have even been capable of the destruction of the original sigil. The two undead desired this end, and intended to use their bond to the spirit-bound to pull their magic to them. They were close, that much we know, but they didn't manage to finish the job before the Charter was sealed.
"It was decided by the principals that this couldn't be allowed to pass. They collected the permission to pool the magics of anyone sympathetic to their cause, and asked a friend of theirs to form an unbreakable Charter that would prevent creatures as powerful as the spirit-bound from rising again. To do this, they split the spirit-bound into two: the moonwalkers and the seers. One group kept the familiars, and the other-sight. The others kept the transformation. And above them all, they created a ruling class. The nobility."
Silk's brown eyes were impassive as she stared at the center of the nobles' table.
Ezra had quite finished all of his wine, and was flushed in the face. Was he drunk? Damn.
"Into this charter, they wove the geas, a phrase they chose to control the nobles in case they should fall out of their control. They bound the nobles to defend each other if they were attacked, ensuring their power, while allowing the rest of our world--this, the real world--the illusion of freedom and choice." Silk's knuckles were white on the podium. Her long brown hair was almost doing the Ghibli poof. "But they needed to seal the contract in blood. They needed the Charter able to defend itself, in case the worst should happen. And they picked a girl from your side, a helpless little girl, and tortured her until she became the Spinel Lady."
Silk took a deep breath. "That is the creation of the Charter," she said. "Now you know."
She snapped her fingers. The board behind her filled in:
MOONWALKERS
Honor, Protect, Enforce
Transformation once a month for the duration of the full moon
Transferable by bite
Strong, fast, instinctive
WARGS
Watch and Warn
Bonded to one animal for the duration of its lifespan
Can see through the eyes of the animal
Should the animal die, a warg may die or go insane
NOBLES
Rule, Serve, Control
Protect fetches and are served by fetches
Control the methods of entrance and exit to the otherworld
Ensure the safety of the otherworld
"These are your abilities and duties as spelled out in the Charter," said Silk. "What would you change?"
The next GM post will arrive on Saturday
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:37 pm
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From the way people had spoken about the people with a spirit bond, it'd sounded like at least half of them vicious killers and cannibals and all sorts of things. Or maybe that had been her own head, trying to come up with a danger that made what she knew of the Court worth its abuses. Something worse. But it had just been two people, using others to do something they were actively trying to do now: piece apart the sigil and open the cage.
It was a relief, but the feeling of hopeless misery welled up by the time Silk had finished. Pulling out a piece of folded up paper, America opened it up and looked down at the words, written and rewritten again and again since receiving the invitation. She didn't trust herself to not mess up speaking, so she'd written a little speech. A silly little speech that seemed ridiculous coming from someone like her.
The paper trembled in her hand as she scanned it, flushing with embarrassment.
Quote:
For Wargs and Moonwalkers, what we lack most of all is guidance. There's roles we've been told we're supposed to fill, but nobody is able or at least willing to explain the what and how of it. There's nobody to teach anything beyond learning to control and expand our bond or transformation. We don't need more power, we just need to know what we're supposed to be doing with what we have.
Whatever Nobles are supposed to have been doing actively, it doesn't seem like they really have been at all. Folks were getting magic and not knowing what the heck was going on. I don't think most folks even knew there was a Court until a good half year after things went strange. Blackfriar's last spring? Y'all didn't help, even though it was a moonwalker loose and killing and transforming regular people. Sunny in the woods, the world breaking at her feet? New minted Nobles were there, but not the Court, not really. Nobody outside the cycles, using wisdom and empathy and sincerity to help guide us. And those are the things I want in Nobles, the only things that could make them more than what I've seen and heard.
Change the trials. Let them a real test to prove they can be wise enough to guide people like a bunch of new moonwalkers and wargs who only remember the single life they've been born into. Let them prove they've got enough empathy to put themselves into someone else's shoes and say, 'Hey, maybe I shouldn't torture a person today.' And let them prove they've got enough sincerity to be trusted to guide and care the way they should.
Kidnapping is wrong. Torture is wrong. I've been told consent is important for magic to work the way it's supposed to, so the Court that results from these things is wrong, too.
But allowing yourself to be replaced by a stranger is wrong as well. If consent's important, then allowing for that stranger to take your place in the lives of everyone you share your life with is wrong. Cause maybe you agreed to it, but you've taken the ability to consent away from every person you share a bond with in this life. A person who would do that can't be trusted, not ever again.
Change the Noble Trials.
Feeling nauseous, America folded up the piece of paper again and set it down on the table. It wouldn't do anything. At best someone else would say the same things, but better. Smarter. At worst, she'd upset all her friends and they'd hate her and make fun of her and then everything would stay the same, maybe get worse because she opened her stupid mouth.
As she wallowed in pre-emptive humiliation over the thing, Mr. Bitterberry neatly picked up the sheet of paper and flew to perch on the white board, neatly dropping the folded up paper into the fetch's hand. He'd had to listen to the girl practice the Big Talk Talk Talk too many times over the past weeks. If they didn't get rid of it now, who knew how much longer she'd keep repeating it?
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 7:25 am
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"Most of the moonwalkers I know of came into their abilities spontaneously," Leila said, squinting thoughtfully. "I understand this can happen with wargs as well. And in general it seems like no one's safety or well-being matters at all in any of this."
She would look to Silk every moment or so, but stayed mostly transfixed by the board.
"A newly awakened warg or moonwalker is taking a huge risk they didn't even ask for, it's enough to kill them before they even understand what's happening to them. If everything stays structured the way it is, I don't see much justification in punishing us with madness or death just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. So that's something that needs to be fixed, if it can."
Steeling herself, she took a breath.
"I'm also not following why people who live outside the cycles are the obligate ruling class. If people want to help other Visitors in that way... that's fine, possibly even essential. But guiding people and making decisions for people are not the same thing, and overall it sounds like Nobles mostly do the latter. I want more transparency, between everyone, but especially from the Court. All the plotting in secret and deciding what's best for people without their input needs to stop."
Biscuit pecked noisily at her dinner. It tasted like all of her favorite cereal combined, and it was blowing the hen's mind.
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 2:42 pm
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Mr. B dropped the paper into Silk's hand, and she unfolded it. As Leila spoke, Silk's eyes tracked down the page, and then she lifted her head and Looked at America. That hearty poke-in-the-forehead feeling again, and if America turned to look, Silk was there to nod and hold the paper up slightly. Acknowledgement and agreement.
"I had no part in the creation of the classes," said Silk with some asperity. "I don't know the thought processes behind the organization of the powers. Notes based upon the continuation of the current Charter should be directed to those nobles who stand to persist as the 'obligate ruling class'.
"I do believe that moonwalkers do have the ability to eventually make the transformation on either side, once they've attuned to their inner self, however. And I believe the trauma attached to losing your warg familiar is simply a natural consequence of binding your mind to another creature's." Silk shrugged. "I could be wrong. Most people would be traumatized by losing half of their mind. I suppose most people don't waltz into official discussions late, so you might be of a minority."
Ezra (who had somehow gotten a refill on both his wines) finished wrestling with whatever he was trying not to say and said, "Yes, of course, I am so sorry for managing to control an exodus of hostile other creatures, protecting the other world from being attacked by monsters, for thousands upon thousands of years. In the future, I will poll everyone with even a scrap of magic to make sure that it's okay for me to attempt to keep monsters from attacking you all.
"And of course I was completely out of line to attempt to dissuade people from investigating things that offer no benefit and in fact could cause them great harm. Yes. I see now. Thank you for sharing with me this information I have never ******** considered before."
Quote: (This isn't a GM post but I am quoting everyone because information!
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Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 9:40 pm
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Look, I just... I don't like crowds. He felt really, really lame admitting that, even if it was only in his head and only to Ollie. You don't have to... But by the time he'd finished the thought there was a small raccoon by his leg. Horace reached down and picked up Oliver gently, settling him on his lap.
Lap raccoon. He breathed out a sigh, feeling a little less tense. Oliver was a good distraction. Thank you. "You can eat my food if you want, Ollie." He was so ******** CUTE. Horace pet him slowly.
Finally, he looked at the board Silk had filled out. "The propagation of weres by bite is concerning. I guess it's just more that you can say we're supposed to fill these rolls, but none of us were told how." I think you can bite me, though, Ollie. Since I can't be a were. If he could have inserted a winking emoji into that thought, he would have.
"When fulfilled properly, most of these basics sound nice, but..." he shrugged.
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 2:06 pm
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Shiloh accepted the wine without any sort of fanfare, the opalescent concoction still so incredible on his tongue. Really, he'd have to ask Beel about it, because it was both beautiful and inspiring in its consistency. Flowers.
But people were talking and Silk was chastising as Silk often did and Ezra was... drunk? Maybe? He swiveled around in his seat to try and garner a better look, but Shiloh knew how to assess someones sobriety pretty damn well. "I can't speak for the wargs or the moonwalkers, and I won't try to, but I can say first hand that... the moon cycles are..." He played with his hands as he thought. Shiloh had gotten better at speaking aloud since his first forays into magic, but this was a bigger crowed than just the Nobles present, "Messy, I guess. Dangerous. On two separate occasions I've been there to see how destructive it can be, and it seems counterproductive to keeping people safe." He shook his head, "Especially if it's meant as a check, or whatever."
"But anyway, Nobles." He looked at the table he was sitting at, then to Bean (who was still waving, hi hi hi), and then to Jamie with a silent this sucks. "But to piggyback a little off of what Leila said, the same stuff can sort of be said for us." He let it blow over, "I mean, not everyone sitting at this table made the choice to become a Noble, and I feel like we didn't really... make ourselves up to anything we were supposed to as a result." Such as Shiloh being too busy spitting on the Spinel Lady's shoes rather than absorbing anything he should have been.
"Those that did I guess had their own reasons, but that's also not the point I'm trying to make." He leaned forward, elbows on the table, "The problem with Court..." He was wrestling with some sort of internal anxiety, "I think lies a lot in how it was made, too. It was rushed. It was built on the back of abuse. I think if Court is gonna work, then we need to gut it from the inside out, build it from the ground up; but that's not really something that can just happen by changing a few things around on this." In his hand was the leather folio again—the charter—and he waved it to make his point.
"The torture and torment of tithes needs to stop. It doesn't, like, cultivate what you need in a leader. If you're making someone stronger, you shouldn't tear them down and remake them, you should build them off of what they already have. Living throughout multiple cycles can't be healthy on anyone," His gaze flicked over to Ezra, "So I think, maybe in addition to an overhaul on how tithing works, there can be a sort of... inheritance system." His eyes lit up, like he was speaking and thinking on the go, "Yeah, sort of like, you could give your role to someone else, step back into the cycle, let someone else take up the mantle... I mean, you know, consensual of course." He scratched at his nose, "Even if there was like an impeachment sort of system for Nobles we felt were abusing their power. I'm alright with the Court having more checks in it so people can't hurt others."
He took a deep breath.
"Beel and I had talked about the fetches too, a little." He looked towards Silk, "But, I'm not a fetch, and you guys are woven into the charter too, so I'd like to hear if there's anything you'd want on behalf of that." He looked into his lap, "Especially if Nobles are supposed to be protecting fetches, then I think it's important for your thoughts to be present at the very least." He smiled at Lilt too—the fetch Hux had brought.
"But here's the thing guys: the problem won't ever get fixed just by implementing new things." This sucks, this sucks, this sucks, I hate talking; He was projecting to Jamie. Still, his expression held resolve, "If I had it my way, I'd want the entire sigil to be reworked. At the end of the day, the Spinel Lady is still going to exist, and Melany doesn't deserve to have the sigil etched into her bones." He didn't even seem to be considering how difficult the possible could be, the effects, the how, "I want the sigil implemented on something else. Y'know, like, something that isn't a human, because that's ********. And it's going to stay ********."
He leaned back in his chair, "And I don't wanna consent to anything that'll hurt anyone. I'm not a fan of the one for all bullshit." His finger was tracing shapes on the table, "Anyway, if anyone else has any thoughts, it's kind of hard to get an entire group together like this, so..." He glanced around the rest of the room before taking another hearty swig of the wine. "I just wanted to get that out in the open."
shibrogane silk im sorry love me :eyes: @ ezra |
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Posted: Sat Apr 29, 2017 2:57 pm
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Jeremiah watched as the board was filled in, as America looked like she was going to faint instead of talk and Leila-
Leila was chastised by both Silk and Ezra, who - if he looked that direction - was definitely looking like the Court wine was the only thing he was eating today. Drinking.
Either way there was clearly something else going on.
His fingers pressed to the table as Shiloh spoke, lips pressed together and his thoughts gathered. The things he wanted were not that different, though his fingers stretched and closed as he let out a breath. It was only when Shiloh finished speaking, after Silk would give her approval (or disapproval), that he would speak himself.
“The Court needs to change,” it was what had started all of this, “and it cannot continue like it is. This does include seeing a young woman freed from bearing the weight of the Charter. It must be fixed and a human must not be used, if only because we will create the same problem all over again. It is unspeakable what was done, that a young girl was used, and it needs to never happen again.” Yet to do this, to remove the Sigil from Melany and to free her, they would have to-
This was not the time or the place. This was for discussing changes.
“In the same vein, we cannot continue the trials of Nobility the way they are. While not everyone was kidnapped, most were and it’s unacceptable. The abuse has to end. If we are to continue with the trials, then let it be people proving their worth. That they are capable of thinking beyond themselves. That they can serve as guides but also that they can help keep this world in check.
“Blackfriars should have never happened. If the duty of the Court is to ensure that this world does not overwhelm the other, it failed in this instance.” Yet he knew there was more to it, that there had been ulterior motives and machinations and other things that had gone on. People had wanted Michael removed from play. “Nobles must work to prevent this and for anyone who wishes to become one, they must be aware entirely of just what it means to be a Noble. The Charter is a contract, a magical contract, so let the trials of Nobility become a contract between the Noble and the perspective tithe. Let it be an agreement between the two parties that must be upheld and lead to someone who is aware of just what they’re about to become apart of. We, as Nobles, should make sure that those who join our ranks are strengthened by the trials, not broken and reshaped.”
Jeremiah reached for a drink, took a small sip, and set the glass down. He looked to Shiloh briefly, as he had mentioned Nobles stepping down, and he thought of Noeh. Of Conquest.
“There, of course, are other ways to become a Noble that I have learned of. One can become a Noble by Conquest.” His eyes were bright, his expression unreadable. It was not something that he wished to talk about so openly because not everyone would take the knowledge well. “This is something else that shows the abusive nature of the Court. That one can take the position of a Noble by ending their life. Let that change. Instead of Conquest, let a Noble abdicate their position to one they deem worthy. Let them step down and have their position pass to the person they choose. It must be consensual, of course, all of this should be. This would perhaps enable people to not suffer the consequences of being alive cycle after cycle and give Nobles a way to return to cycle of rebirth.”
Jeremiah let out a breath, looking to his notebook carefully and then looking to the others in the hall before focusing on Silk. “The Court is capable of more and I, quite frankly, agree with the idea of some sort of impeachment system,” a glance to Shiloh, “should a Noble step out of line. If our primary concern is no longer about being a guide or safekeeping, it is time to step down. If we care more about advancing ourselves and gaining more power, it’s time to step down. We have to think outside of ourselves and for the greater whole that we represent and, perhaps, help make sure that someday we will no longer be Nobles and bound by these cycles.”
Another sip of his glass was taken, his throat feeling dry. This was too much like a speech. Algie was the one who spoke at length and, though he was Chief of Police, he tried to keep his speeches to a minimum. He glanced to Algie before looking to everyone once again.
“We are all gathered here, so let us move forward with that goal in mind. For a day when none of this matters anymore and we’re not bound by the cycles. Until then, let the abuse and torture end and make something of the Court once more.”
shibrogane ezra r u drunk; silk ur the bomb
iloveyouDIE ur husband is saying a LOT of words
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