[?] The Conference (Main Thread)

[Smerdle]

He debated writing a short letter of his own after watching America hand hers over. Doing so would keep eyes off of him, eyes like Ezra's in particular because what in the ******** was he doing? Rabbit had been willing to give up his untouched drink five minutes ago, but now he subtly pulled it closer, brought it to his lips, and unsubtly licked the rim, like a kid claiming cookies before his siblings could reach them. He took a sip too, smiling softly at the memory of his first and only trip to the Poconos, tromping out into the middle of a field at sunset to look up at the sky, his mother carrying Olivia in her arms, almost too big to be held. When he swallowed again, his throat was already dry, but he launched into his short speech anyway, hoping that everyone was still too busy processing what Shiloh and Jeremiah had said to pay him much attention. If he'd tried to write a letter now, it would have come out horribly anyway.

"Okay, so, I thought getting the sigil off of the Spinel Lady, off of... Melany... was the first thing we were doing, so, yes. I'm for that. If we're still alive after all that's done, then that..." He pointed at the attributes of nobility, leaning forward and resting his opposite elbow on the table. "That big Control at the top needs to come right off. I want to guide. I've been trying to." He paused, glancing down at his dinner rather than at Temperance. "We can keep the otherworld secure by being smart about it, not having some stranglehold on the whole thing."

"As for the rest, I agree with what's been said. Except also instead of abduction, maybe there can be some sort of recruitment system? I'm not sure I would have chosen this life on my own, but now that I am what I am, I don't see how I could have been anything else. So if nobility was something that people only went after when they wanted it, it would miss people like me." He sat up straight again, folding his hands at the edge of the table, then unfolding them and resting them on either side of his plate instead.

"And last but not least, fetches. I want you to have more freedom if you want it. You should be able to walk on the other side again. With... glamouring, I don't know. Either way, you don't deserve to be cooped up here until you're allowed out to fight for someone else's life when you can have one of your own."

Rabbit looked back and forth between his glasses. Red. White. Red. He picked up his white wine and had another demure sip. "That's it."

shibrogane

everyone else is quoting you so i do too <3
dad pls don't get us kicked out of the sizzler

 

[saedusk]

"Oh, um, I'm okay," Jamie assured, smiling awkwardly at Oliver. Just caught off guard by the Bean Incident, that was all. If only he didn't wear his expressions so easily. "Don't worry, it'll be fine." He hoped everything was alright. "See you later." After that Jamie lapsed into silence, eyes drifting to the front, to Silk, to the other tables, and back to his own. It was just him and Lily. Where were the other moonwalkers?

With a small sigh, he finally took a drink. At least the wine was good. Actually, it barely tasted the way he imagined wine would, but he had no frame of reference to base it on.

What was he even supposed to say? Jamie had ideas to answer Silk's questions, he thought he knew what he wanted to see done, but speaking was hard. He felt out of place, increasingly awkward. Ezra spoke and Jamie felt sick remembering the way he'd been blamed, the way he'd felt bullied. Yeah, protecting people sure was great when you turned right back around and treated them like garbage.

He shook his head. Don't think about it. Besides, with the way his mind was ringing, he realized he wasn't the only one who felt unsure.

You're doing really good... he told Shiloh through their link. I mean it, I'm proud of you. And he was, because Shiloh had grown up so much in the time he'd known him and he was trying to stand up and take charge. All the things he said, Jamie agreed with. He tried to channel that into speaking for himself, as well.

Once Shiloh and Jeremiah and Rabbit had finished speaking, he said, "I like the idea of an inheritance system for the court. I may not be a noble, b-but I... I think a responsibility this big should never be forced on anyone. It should be consensual. A-And needless to say torture should never be part of it. It shouldn't have been a part of what happened to any of the nobles... or what happened to Melany."

He swallowed and his throat was dry and thick. I don't know what I'm doing, he admitted to Shiloh, but kept speaking. "I... don't think this should be about one class reigning over everyone. I-I think everyone should work together as equals. There needs to be a better... a better balance.

"As a moonwalker, I... I honestly don't even know what I'm doing. I want to see a system where everyone works together and communicates... I want to feel like our roles are-" he recalled what Pride had said, "-blessings and not curses...

"And I want to see the charter rebuilt on a solid foundation... not the back of someone who was forced into it. How can we expect something built on pain to escape future pain..."

Jamie flushed as he finished and took a generous swig of the wine.

Melancholiessss

shibroganeeee

 

[shibrogane]

"There is a reason that you haven't been told of your duties," said Silk. "There was a... purge, of sorts. I don't know who or how, but much of our persisting corps of moonwalkers, wargs, and nobles were murdered at the end of the cycle before yours. As far as we fetches knew, there had never been a problem of this sort, and... making such decisions is out of our hands, really."

Silk listened to Horace and Shiloh, her intense gaze flitting between the two of them, and then to Jeremiah, from Jeremiah to Rabbit to Jamie. Each of them had the feeling that she was paying the whole of her attention to them at that moment, rather than coming up with responses or excuses. "I agree," she said. "I think that a considered approach is best. Perhaps not a slow one, as we lack time. There are only seven months remaining before the date of the cycle reset, and that is if the creation of a new sigil has not changed it. It well may have."

She folded her hands before her. "What I am hearing is that you all desire to change the Court entirely," she said. "Not simply implement further controls, but change the functioning of the base machine. Not to take it apart and let things return to the way they were before its creation?"

There was a long moment where Silk hesitated, looking down at her hands for a moment. "We fetches... many of us enjoy the way we live. It is kind of you to think of us, but I fear you misunderstand," she said. "Among our cohort, we are able to pursue our passions from our human lives. But many of us were not created in moments of trauma and fear; for many of us, the way we appear and our powers are a natural consequence of our interests. I have no desire to return to the other world, but there are those among us who do. Many of those who would return to human life were made fetches by through their tithing process... It is a traumatic occurrence. But changing the Court as you have suggested... this would make their creation no longer necessary."

Ezra made a groaning noise and rolled his eyes. "Yeah," said Ezra. "Except there's people who could get around nobles. And ******** Visitors, my <********>. The eyeball monster's ******** gone, where did it go? Off with a visitor. Cat monster's gone, where did it go? Visitor. Destroyer almost got out... because of ******** visitors. Adoelle and Heliodora and Pax and Pride and Chenoeh. Bet you didn't know Chenoeh was the one who told Tatiana to strangle Michael." (Lady made a choked noise from her seat.) "Bet you didn't know that."

"Lord Ezra, perhaps you'd like to excuse yourself," said Silk, who looked ******** that," said Ezra.

Silk didn't drag a hand down her face but she looked like she wanted to. "Every suggestion I am hearing would have to be done through a complete deconstruction of the Charter," she said. "It would require that each of you who, in another life, chose to create it, revoke your permission, and then grant it to whatever shape you create for this new structure... If you wish for a recruitment system, for votes of impeachment, then we require a new framework, a more--" She looked at Jamie "--balanced framework."

She looked down at her hands again. "There are those among the fetches who are familiar with the creation of magical contracts," she said. "If you wish to use another, then that is up to all of you. But we can, now that there is a goal in mind, begin to move forward."

The next GM post will arrive on Monday

show spoilerhide spoiler

AMItotic

Lily

cibarium

Leila

Daekie

Ashton

lizbot

America

Melancholies

Shiloh and Ollie

saedusk

Jamie

Smerdle

Rabbit

The Semblance of Unity

Preacher&Horace

happy bonsai

Hux

iloveyouDIE

Algernon

azuredreams

Nasir and Jeremiah

 

[azuredreams]

"There are those who pursue the magic, who go far, and find themselves changed by it." Not in the ways those present were, not the Nobles or the moonwalkers or the seers, but the fetches. "You existed before the Charter and it's creation has given rise to more because of the trials. As you said, it is traumatic and perhaps there should be something for those who were created in this fashion. Give them another path. Another thing to consider as we move forward." Jeremiah spoke again and then looked sharply as Ezra spoke.

Under the table, his hand went to Algie's thigh and squeezed tightly. Especially when Chenoeh was said- more so when it was revealed she was the one who told Lady to strangle Michael. His bright eyes went to Shiloh then, a look given. One that was not good, if only due to their conversations about Noeh of late. Hearing of the purge- it was another cause for concern.

He glanced towards Lady then, the unease in his gut settling as he remembered her at the ball. The tears on her face. She had wanted to be free and- Another trick, another lie at Noeh's hands? Where was the truth?

shibroswol

iloveyouDI3

Me1ancholies

 

[azuredreams]

Nasir was listening, not quite sure that he really had a place here at all other than he was a warg and- Well. They should make changes if they could? Make it better? He rubbed at his arm, the one that was still scarred from Blackfriars.

Oliver and Horace got a smile, especially when the young man returned as a round and cute raccoon.

"I agree that more guidance for, ah, seers?" Trying the word out on his tongue. "And the moonwalkers." Nasir was quiet again for a moment. "I know I'm not a moonwalker but ... I do remember Blackfriars and how horrible it was for some. Is says infectious bite on that board. Is that something to change? People can learn to attune to a familiar to become a warg, would it be possible for someone to ... do something similar for moonwalkers?"

shibrogane

Melancholies

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"These instances only happened, Lord Ezra, because visitors were unguided and exactly. Because they did not know because no one ever told them." Her voice was deliberately light and sweet, but her expression was carefully blanked. The burn on her wrist still hurt. "New visitors should be guided and given knowledge instead of having to muddle through things on their own. To keep knowledge... to... to be a harsh gatekeeper instead of a guide is preposterous." She twisted her hands in her lap, but gently.

"For the fetches... Silk, this arrangement, would something more symbiotic work better? Right now, it reads very much as master/serf and I'm not sure that's really fair to you all. As a current tithe, the idea of a fetch given a chance at a regular life again only through my yield is distasteful. It's... um... there should be another way than the slim chance to steal another's life. In short, yes... a change in framework, if we can all agree as to what changes." She sighed.

--------------------------------------------

Horace listened, a deep furrow creasing between his brows. He didn't understand Ezra over there (seriously, he must have been way more charming before, right, Melany?)....

"What are our options for disentangling Melany?" His fingers combed through Ollie's fur, the action methodical and calming. "She can no longer function as the charter and never should have been."

------------------------------------------------

Preacher listened to it all from underneath the noble's table. A ********' guide to life woulda been damn great. "Whoall is left from afore tha purge? Who's got tha old knowledge n' stuff?" She huffed. Preacher didn't get the whole Melany and if the girl had to die to be normal again, so be it.

"Also," she pointed out. "Pack touch is some kinda rank bullshit."

shibrogane

 

[Melancholies]

Shiloh listened as everyone else spoke up, You're doing great was passed along to Jamie, I'm proud of you. He knew the difficulties Jamie had when it came to speaking up—Shiloh shared many of them for that matter—but he'd support him no matter what.

Shiloh also gave Lady a glance, and then he exchanged a look with Jeremiah. He wouldn't comment on it. It wasn't his place, no matter how uneasy his distrust with Noeh was growing, Why he asked no one in particular, though Jamie could hear it. "I would definitely be interested in that as well. Just because we're changing the process of the trials—potentially, I mean—doesn't mean that the fetches made by the very same should be punished for it. If there was a way to let them return to the cycle..." He tapped his chin, "Beel expressed great interest in regaining his humanity and I don't blame him. I promised I'd speak up for him at the meeting since he couldn't make it."

"It's something we can focus on moving forward though, yeah." Shiloh nodded, "I'd also like to see a way for the... moonwalker...ness to spread." He shifted uneasily in his seat, "Not that I'm a were, but I was at Blackfrairs too, and it was a disaster. Then again, that could've been nixed by removing the ties to the full moon..."

Shiloh shrugged.

Horace got a sympathetic smile, Thanks. "I have the original charter with me right now too, if it'll be necessary for the deconstruction." He assumed it would.

---

Oliver meanwhile was very content to be a loaf, though he did give Nasir a teeny wave with his weird a** raccoon paws. For the most part, though, he was very deliberately giving off an aura of I'm not causing any trouble, just ignore me.


shibrogane
lady ): silk :) ezra :?


azuredreams
nasir x2


saedusk
luv u


The Semblance of Unity
horace is a good egg

 

[cibarium]

Knowing her son would be at the conference already made going there sort of awkward, but witnessing him there, drunk and angry, was a completely different experience than Leila was expecting. It shut her up fast, and left her reluctant to say more. Everyone else who had something to say seemed to have a better handle on things... even so, she gave Temperance a sincere (if oddly apologetic) smile when she said her piece.

"For what it's worth, I apologize for being late," she said. No sense replying to Ezra at all. He was being a huge d**k. "And I'm grateful to be here. Most of us here, maybe all of us... we were a community once, before the cycles." She swallowed nervously. "I'd like to see us go back to that. We've already started acting like one, and I know I'm not the only one who's here just for my own sake..."

The person she was referring to was obvious. Eve hadn't even gotten an invitation. Leila shook her head, recognizing her tangent.

"I just want more trust and less paranoia. Even with any magic-related grievances I could have, the worst thing I see about this duty list is there's nothing about... looking out for each other's safety and wellbeing." God, she was just waiting for someone to roll their eyes. "That's important when most of us are going to have little control over how magic affects our lives. It's where a fetch's perspective could be invaluable, as well, given your knowledge and interests line up with a visitor's situation."

Looking between Shiloh and Horace, she continued, "No one ever takes me up on my ability to see into the future, but I can probably help fish out some specifics on the execution aspect of all this if you come to me with the outcome you want in mind."

the semlance of unity

shibroane

melancolies

 

[shibrogane]

"Yes," said Silk testily. "I know how I was changed. You would have to speak to those who were created through the trials to discern what it is they want to achieve. In the future, perhaps you should remember that not all of the fetches view the propagation of our kind as a negative to be avoided?" She turned to her whiteboard and with another snap of her fingers, the contents changed. They were still organized by visitor class, but the contents of each column were different.

Meanwhile, Ezra sneered at Temperance: "Oh, my apologies, were you not taught to be credulous towards complete strangers? When I was a child, I was taught that I should think before trusting something with my living body. I didn't realize visitors these days were mentally deficient, or that finding each new visitor and giving them a crash course in how to be a sensible ******** adult was my duty."

Silk ignored him. "I do not mind the way things are," she said to Temperance. "As I said, you would have to speak to those who do mind, and discover their wants in that way. I find that I am permitted to pursue my interests and I need not fear a frightened visitor's power, or that I will cause terror for someone who cannot use magic. It is my preference that I remain as I am; but I know the others will feel differently. In addition, should I be returned to your world, there is no record of me. I remember the documentation required for a person in your world. How would you support those fetches returned to the otherworld, when they lack the ability to support themselves?"

At Horace's question, her brow furrowed. "She can no longer function as the Charter," she repeated. "I... How do you mean? Is there something wrong with the Lady?"

But her attention was torn away by Preacher. She scowled; it was apparently the height of rudeness to remain beneath a table when speaking to someone, and even ruder to remain in one's animal form. "Perhaps you might ask again and treat me as you might an equal, rather than someone not even worth the courtesy of seeing your face and form?"

"Fetches do return to the cycle, Lord Shiloh," said Silk. "We are permitted to release ourselves through death, for a rebirth as a human as you are. As a noble returns, so too may we. Many of us choose to work towards a return to human life instead." Her expression shifted to a less angry frown at the mention of the charter. "I did not give that to you that it should be carted around the worlds this way," she said. "Take care of it. Should it be destroyed, all of this is for nothing."

She looked at Leila. "Why must such a thing be written into a charter? Do you lack the capability to create a community and look out for others for yourself? No, it is clear that you do not; you say yourself you've begun to act as one again. Why do you require codification through a magically binding contract?" Without waiting for an answer, she elaborated: "The duty of the nobles was always to protect those who had no ability to protect themselves; the duty of the moonwalkers and wargs was to work together and prevent the nobility from going too far. As uncouth as Lord Ezra is behaving, he is correct: after the purge, he and the Lady were largely working alone to contain threats to your human world, to prevent war between factions within the otherworld. This was a time period of over six hundred years; what they had known, they may have forgotten. As for education... Such a thing would have been the responsibility of the Peaceful One and the Prideful One; to me, it seems that it is with them that your anger at a lack of education should lie. And the lack of community may be put up to your own failures." After a long pause, it became clear that she was out of things to say.

At the end of Silk's answers, the whiteboard read:

Quote:

MOONWALKERS
Change how they are created:

No more infectious bite; an attunement, a choice?

No more pack touch?
Remove the ties to the full moon?

WARGS


NOBLES
A possible recruitment system? Inheritance? Abdication?

FETCHES
A way to return to human life and the cycles if desired

At the warg table, Aleksy raised his hand. "It seems to me," he said, once he had Silk's attention, "that there is no way to enforce communication. The terrifying corpse-woman is correct. I too have felt alone in this world, and have been without guidance in moments of terror; but what you are asking for, that someone step in and enforce our education, our exploration, and our community, it is not cohesive with the desire for an equal footing where we all choose to work together as equals." He paused, and looked down at his empty plate. (It had always been empty. Aleksy didn't eat food anymore.) "It also seems that we all develop our powers so differently. There is no single sack which would have fit all of us, even at the beginning of our awakenings; and would we have welcomed to be sat in class like schoolchildren, to learn who to trust and who is avoid? I would not have.

"I think we must also ask ourselves what guidance it is we think we require." He looked at Silk. "May we also write upon the whiteboard?"

Silk didn't snap her fingers, but a small crew of fetches brought large pads of paper and markers to each table, enough that everyone could reach the paper if they wanted. "Write your questions," she said. "We will collect them, and provide answers if we can. It's possible we will not know, and we will not know who would know. You must be willing to accept that much knowledge has been lost, and that you mayn't like the answers."

The next GM post will arrive on Wednesday

show spoilerhide spoiler

AMItotic

Lily

cibarium

Leila

lizbot

America

Melancholies

Shiloh and Ollie

saedusk

Jamie

Smerdle

Rabbit

The Semblance of Unity

Preacher&Horace&Temperance

happy bonsai

Hux

iloveyouDIE

Algernon

azuredreams

Nasir and Jeremiah

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Preacher moved out from under the noble's table, but did not change form. "You would deny me the comfort n' naturality of this form at a meeting designated around our uh-bilities to have these extra forms n' powers?" Her voice was frosty. "It ain't about me viewin' you as less, Silk."

------------------------------

"Silk, would it be possible to hear from one of the fetches who is dissatisfied with the current status? I think it would benefit to hear everyone's opinion." Barring visitors, apparently, since they weren't even invited. "It's true - we would require someone higher up in government to be amenable to the forging of new documentation for all fetches returned to the human world. Temperance chewed her lip in thought then she sighed, shooting Ezra a glance.

"For visitors who this is their first exposure to magic, all of the rules known in their previous lives seem moot. And yes, it is your job to be a guide. If you do not like it, then we should definitely look further into an option for abdication for you or anyone who did not choose to become a noble. Though I understand you've been... short-staffed." She made quick notes with her left hand, the writing messy and uncertain, although thankfully still readable.

"Equality cannot be achieved if everyone doesn't have equal knowledge," she said towards Aleksy, lips twisting thoughtfully.

------------------------------------------------

"She can no longer function as the Charter," he repeated. "It is not something she had agreed to, nor something she wants. Melany is only a girl and she was robbed. If possible at all, we've gotta free her." Horace frowned, thankful for the weight and warmth of Oliver in his lap. It was helping.

He sighed. "She doesn't want to be like this."

shlbrogane

 

[happy bonsai]

For the most part, Hux sat in silent contemplation. His dark eyes moved from one face to the next as each differentiated took this chance to voice their opinions on how the current system should change. He finished off his second glass of wine then folded his thick arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair as Temperance spoke in response to the mention of fetches and what they might want.

He spared a glance in Lilt's direction, mildly curious to see how she responded to such questioning.

The tiny fetch was fidgeting nervously in her chair, empty eyes wide as she stared curiously at the events that unfolded before her. She grasped at her voluminous skirts, shrinking back when she came to the realization that he was watching her. She spoke in Hux's mind only, in her usually hushed and mousy tone.

'i don't want them to take me away from you, lord' she mind-whispered.

Hux shifted in his chair. His eyes left his fetch and refocused on the people at the tables around them.

"Tell them what you think they should hear then." He said in a low tone.

Lilt shrunk further into her stool and hid her face with a single sheer layer of her dress. She was much too shy to speak up, and besides, Silk seemed to be representing her side of things quite efficiently.

Hux handed her the sketch pad and marker. "Draw, then, if it'll make you feel less nervous." When he turned his attention back to the crowd, his gaze rested upon the woman that claimed she had an ability to see the future.

cibarium

#mentioned

feel free to quote n drag hux/lilt into things otherwise just here for the info

 

[iloveyouDIE]

Jeremiah's hand on his leg was met with his own, curled around and squeezed.

The talk of fetch rights wasn't ignored by the man, but Adze (who was not present on account of what happened at the last meeting) had always expressed his devotion and admiration for the noble classes. He wasn't sure the fetch would be fighting for his freedom any time soon. For Adze it was noble or nothing.

Talk of guidance was frustrating to the Professor. It was a matter of fact that he and Jeremiah, his husband more than anyone, had always offered a helping hand and extended themselves for those new to magic who needed help. Of course they weren't themselves well educated in much at the beginning, but it didn't stop them from trying and safeguarding those they could. Subsequently ending up nobles seemed like a natural progression, to help and guide, even if they didn't know what they were getting into initially. It had been happening all along.. But they certainly couldn't handle things they'd never been told about. He wasn't prideful and wanted no thanks or recognition but it was a bitter pill to swallow that so many felt aimless when others he knew as well had always offered help, Eve and Leila coming to mind first. His frustration wasn't at the others though, no. Instead it perhaps echoed the communal frustration with those who knew more and never shared.

"And what about the geas? The current method of noble self-policing.." Alg finally spoke up. He wasn't knowledgeable on it but it had been brought up very pointedly online, "Something like that is dangerous, another form of control. Another removal of consent. And if we are to trust one another it seems a detriment to that."

The provided paper wasn't necessary for him, instead he had his leather bound notebook as always open and full of his rather confusing shorthand and doodles.

Algernon tapped his notebook with his pen, flipped a few pages, and reread his notes from the listserv, "Nobles using the geas on one another to make them kill themselves?"

He glanced up at the room again, "I'm not comfortable with that possibility just being out there."

azuredreams

shibrogane

nobles specifically ?

 

[azuredreams]

"It is possible to have documentation created," Jeremiah had done so before; he glanced towards Lady and back to Temperance before he focused on Silk, "but to do so on any regular basis could be more problematic. Regardless, it could be done but it would require planning. Likely more time than we currently have to implement."

He listened as Algie mentioned the geas, the one that could be used on any of them, and his expression thinned. It was pushed away as Algie had, of course, said it better than he could.

Aleksy was also right. Were they to enforce something, there would be those that not welcome the assistance.

"Not everyone who comes into their magic, into discovering this world, does so in a way that makes them receptive to it. To learning about the world and the magic that is now at their disposal. In fact, were we to make something of it - to make it required instead of a choice - we would see more backlash. Yet to say that there is no guidance, there is no community, is incorrect. Lord Beaumont," a glance was given to Shiloh who looked tired and worn, "myself, along with others," a glance to Algie and then to Ezra (because he did help, in his way), "have reached out to those we discover have found themselves caught up in this. What knowledge we can give them, we give, what guidance we can offer, we offer ... We take from our lives in Ashdown to help others, often at the cost of ourselves, but we continue to do so.

"This is not limited to just something Nobles do but the moonwalkers and seers as well. Some of you have likely already done so; helped another understand what they are part of. We create safe havens within the community for people to have jobs and not worry about their magic costing them anything or it having to be done." Jeremiah let out a breath. "It's not so hard to do but not everyone is suited to it." His lips twitched. "Though I agree that we are not meant to teach visitors how to be adults."

shibrogane

Melancholies

iloveyouDIE

The Semblance of Unity

 

[Smerdle]

The more belligerent Ezra grew, the closer Rabbit came to resembling a statue. He was the picture of poise on the outside for a change, the slow cessation of his anxious movement the only indication that he was wary of anything at all. He finally shifted just after the whiteboard changed, one arm arcing forward to open his notebook and scribble out his thoughts.

show spoilerhide spoiler

When he was done, he rested his pencil on top of the book and folded his hands. During a silent moment, he quietly added,

"While I wouldn't want anyone forcing me to kill myself, there are a bunch of people who don't trust us and wouldn't want to see nobles without some sort of... way to pull out our batteries if we got out of control. If we redid how everything was done, made it more like presidential terms or whatever, then I could see going without the geas. But otherwise, how do they trust us?" He didn't even know how to invoke the damn thing, which hardly seemed fair. "I don't have much of an opinion on a structured learning situation though, just one for people who want to differentiate. Setting up a bunch of mini Hogwartses seems... conspicuous." Said the man with the secret magical bird children. "We could definitely up our efforts to seek people out, I guess. I'm one of the ones who hasn't been very good at it."  

[saedusk]

Jamie didn't have a lot to add after Silk spoke again. He had thoughts, sure, and many of them, but saying as much as he'd said before was difficult. Repeating the process would be even worse. Instead, he clung to Shiloh's comforting praise and emphasized what he thought had been the most overlooked.

"There... There has to be some other way to anchor the charter," he said, following Horace's thoughts. "Melany never should've been forced to. I have no idea how or- or why it happened the way it did, but she deserves to have her own life."

Now Jamie breathed like he'd been holding his breath and clutched one of the markers between his fingers as he debated whether or not to leave this next question solely to the paper. It was embarrassing to say out loud, especially when he looked at Preacher and felt himself shrinking at his memories of her. Still, for all the negatives being a moonwalker had brought him, the pack touch had been a definite positive. Sure it wouldn't be for everyone, but the thought of losing it wasn't something he felt good about.

Childish, yes. Selfish, definitely. Jamie wrote the question on the paper along side how can we free Melany? but he also spoke it aloud.

"Um... D-Do you think it would be possible to, uh... make pack touch a thing that can be turned off? Not gotten rid of completely, I mean..."

shibrogane