[OPEN] super secret meeting time!

[thatdamnknight]

Who: Sorey, Flynn and everyone!
Where: A (Secret!!) Palai Meeting House
When: Day 71
Open/Closed: COVEN MEMBERS ONLY!!1 No Qri Allowed (Open to All)

[Qri's call to collect as many Elto magic structures as possible did not go unnoticed--mostly because it was really, really hard to miss, with the aftereffects of the call leaving some quite shaken. A whisper of concern and suspicion has slowly been spreading since, with some coven members indifferent and others wary of complying with the request. The chatter has been quiet, but a decision should be made by the group as a whole. They're all in this together, after all.

So sometime after all the celebrations and good times, you were pulled aside and told about a meeting to figure out exactly what the coven wants to do, and given a super secret location. Or maybe you weren't told at all, but just so happened to follow the curious group of people trickling into a Palai meeting hall that the Palai had kindly allowed them the use to hold this little gathering.

The hall itself is pretty plain, and no particular person has the stage, so to speak. But Sorey and Flynn are standing in the center of the room gathering people in, and once there are enough people present then Flynn clears his throat and speaks.]

Thank you, everyone, for being able to come here today. My name is Flynn Scifo.

And I'm Sorey! Thanks for coming on such short notice.

Now, as you are all likely aware, this meeting lacked any formal announcement on the network and all of you present here today have heard of it through word of mouth. The reason for this is due to the nature of the topic we wish to discuss today: Qri. Sorey, myself and some other individuals all have our own concerns regarding her and the duty which she has given us. Today, we wish to hear your own opinions on the matter.

Maybe giving Qri the Elto bones isn't the wrong thing to do, but she hasn't given us enough information or even much of a reason to comply with her request. In my opinion it's up to the Palai people to decide what should be done with the magic structures, not us. But if we need them for a purpose and want to ask, I think they'd listen to us. So...the question is whether or not we want them for a reason, or if we should just give them back to the Palai. Or, if there's another option, we're open to hearing it.

Also, we'd like to hear your opinions on Qri herself. Do you find her trustworthy? Do you have reservations over swearing loyalty to her? The floor is open for discussion so please feel free to share any and all thoughts you have. Let us use this opportunity to ensure our next course of action ends up the correct one.

[that's all that they have to say. the floor is anyone's who wants it so come and speak your mind.]

(ooc: please feel free to tag around as you please for the discussion!)

Comments

[rebells]

[Jay is looking serious as usual (well, depending on when you met him, but this is becoming the more common look for him). As soon as Sorey and Flynn have finished talking, he gets up from where he's leaning against the wall and raises his voice to carry.]

I'll get right to the point: I don't think we should give Qri what she's asking for, at least not until we're given some definite answers from her. We've essentially been kidnapped and held at her whims; we deserve to at least know why, in more concrete terms than we were already given.

I'm not opposed to returning the bones to the Palai, but if we decide against it, or if the Palai don't want them, they offer us leverage in a situation where we ordinarily don't have much. And there are other things for which we might use them. You may have heard about a barrier surrounding the island above Aimintas. We believe that we may be able to use these bones to take it down, and some of us have already begun collecting them for that purpose.

[He shrugs expansively.]

Provided we don't destroy the bones in the process, we should be able to give them to whoever we like after we see what's behind the barrier, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir listens quietly for most of Jay's speech, though he does add a thought to that last bit; getting up to the island is always its own logistical challenge.]

Oh, yeah! You need more people to take those up there, right? I can fly and swim again.

[he's deliberately not addressing the first part of what Jay said -- at least not yet.]

[bulletbiter]

[ Julius is... no, he's not bitter. Not really. But some people might be, so: ]

It has to be a fair exchange. She's taken too much from us, we have the right to make our own demands.

[thatdamnknight]

If nothing else, it feels like a fair trade: information in exchange for items. It's hardly unreasonable and would benefit her in the long run.

[placating their concerns would make a good deal of them more willing to do as she asks.]

[imsorey]

[thumbs up]

It's a good plan; nothing else has had much luck against the barrier, right? Qri aside, it's worth it to see if we can get past that obstacle and go from there. There's only so much left that we can try.

[heartkey]

[ Sora is not much of a thinker or one to strategize but the idea of using the bones before handing them over seems like a clear-cut winner to him, at least. ]

We should definitely try taking down that barrier before we do anything with 'em! Then at least we get something out of it, right?

[ If they're not able to get anything from Qri for the bones, at least. And honestly he really wants to know what's up with the barrier and what it's hiding. ]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir is coiled up and draped over the building they're in so he can get his head in the front door comfortably. it's not the most reassuring thing for any of the coven members who might want to use it (fortunately, there are other doors), and it's not the most anonymous thing either, but Geir doesn't really care. he wasn't missing this meeting.

after listening to everyone speak with keen attention, he clears his throat to say something himself, keeping his words short and to the point.]

I'm fine with holding back the bones.

[he tilts his head, thinking about how to qualify that point -- it's not exactly that he wants war with Qri, or cares enough about this to insist on something that would lead to a fight. he just wants slightly more information for his own curiosity, honestly.]

She has power, but she wants something from us. We can refuse to give it till she says why she wants it. If she forces us, it'll tell us something. If she refuses, it'll tell us something else. What her priorities are and what she's willing to do about them... defying her will force her to show us how the land lies. She might ignore that we did anything at all.

[he grins more sharply than most of the coven members who know him are used to seeing, showing teeth.]

I like to learn more about people.

[rootbound]

[Vern peers over Geir's crest of spines and ridges, heavy-eyed and looking perhaps a touch more annoyed than usual]

Mm, what he said.

[lunala]

I don't really like the idea of using the bones as leverage. [Moon is rolling a Pokeball back and forth in her hands, staring at it as she tries to bind her thoughts together on her tongue.] Force and defiance... It's treating her like she's our enemy. Maybe all of you guys are right and we shouldn't trust her, but we shouldn't start out treating her like that.

No matter what everyone decides about the bones, I think we should try being nice first. We can ask if the bones are what she needs to use as energy without saying we're thinking about not giving them to her, can't we?

[imsorey]

[well the reasoning is harsh but he's basically proposing information-gathering based on their plan of action and that's not wrong, probably]

You want to learn more about Qri? You're not alone there. But she hasn't given us much of a reaction so far, so I'll admit I'm not expecting one for this either.

[oneandmikleonly]

The bones are quite powerful; I'm loathe to hand them over to an entity we still know very little about after several weeks. We don't know how she'll use or misuse them; neither do any of us particularly owe her, since none of us asked to be brought here or made subject to changes in our powers.

Surely at least explaining herself so we could properly decide wouldn't be too much to ask. She clearly has some awareness of what's going on with us, at least enough to send that signal, that pulse -- she has a capacity to communicate, even if unpleasantly.

I'd prefer to use them on the barrier before going one way or the other, but could a group of us not -- I don't know, use the telepathic connection we've got to try and convey that we have reservations to her? Perhaps that opinion will carry more weight if it comes from several of us at once.

[rebells]

Dirk and I have tried to contact her by telepathy in the past. She hasn't responded. Whether that's because she can't or won't is up in the air.

I'm not saying we shouldn't try again, mind you.

[imsorey]

Using them on the barrier would be my preference if the Palai don't want them, especially since I think it would help to give the Palai answers just as much as us. As they are now it isn't exactly possible to identify a loved ones remains, but...if they'd like that option, I want to give it to them.

[since Jay and Dirk have the telepathic communication covered he doesn't comment on that, but he does listen in a bit]

[lunala]

[Here's Moon, ready to be The Trusting One! Someone's gotta do it.]

Calling it swearing loyalty makes it sound really dramatic, but I don't think it would be bad to trust her on this. I know it's not great to get dragged away from our homes, but from what we have been told, if she dies, a bunch of universes would go with her. Maybe even the ones we're from! And even if we were only saving her, I think I'd want to help.

So--I guess what I mean is that I want to give her the benefit of the doubt to start with. I'll treat her like she's telling the truth for now, 'cause--that's what I'd want people to do with me, too.

[thatdamnknight]

Maybe it was an overly dramatic choice of wording.

[pardon him for that, he's too used to dramatic speeches to rally his knights back home. what a kind girl, though. flynn himself can't be this trusting, not after how disastrous things ended up when he'd done so before.]

Can I ask what you'd do if the opposite of that ended up true? What if helping her harms people instead of helping them?

[imsorey]

Giving her the benefit of the doubt isn't a bad thing. Do you think we're being too suspicious of her intentions? She hasn't told us what she wants to use them for, even though she could have. That's why I'm wary.

[he waits for her response though, wanting to give it as much weight as anyone else in the room. wanting to trust others is an admirable trait, more so when she's been taken from her home like the rest of them]

[alphonse]

[Standing in the back with his arms crossed, Al spends the first part of the meeting quietly listening to the others talk. He argued for this very thing the last time they all got together to discuss matters, so there's no need to repeat himself. What's different now is that if even sensible types like Flynn are willing to take a stand against Qri, then maybe he's not as guided by his own desperation to get back home as he thought. Suddenly it's a real, viable plan.]

The most generous thing I can possibly say about Qri is that we don't know what her intentions are. Meanwhile, the Palai have been nothing but welcoming to us. I know some of the others have been working on integrating the structures into their technology [he'll give those people a look if they're in attendance], and that's a good start. What we know about the bones is also pretty limited, so we shouldn't assume their energy is infinite just because of how powerful they are. If we're really going to help the Palai with their defenses, we need to leave them with the resources to power everything long-term.

After that... I do think the barrier is worth looking into. And we can't forget how the last battle went. We don't have a lot of healers, so having energy reserves on hand could go a long way towards saving lives.

[All of which is a very long-winded way of saying that even if people aren't as ready to fight Qri as he is, there are certainly more deserving causes. More selfish ones too, if he's being honest, but he is pointedly Not Thinking About That.]

[imsorey]

[nodding in agreement; while he doesn't have the intention of outright fighting Qri, he's unwilling to blindly hand over the Elto bones without fully understanding what they'll be used for]

In the end we don't have enough information from Qri on why she needs these, and without that knowledge it seems like there are plenty of ways to put them to better use. I suppose we don't all have to agree on exactly what that better use is if there's enough to go around, but it would be in our best interests to pool together our efforts if we have a common goal. Sound about right?

[thatdamnknight]

[after a little while, flynn himself speaks up once more.]

Allow me to share my own thoughts, as well. For all intents and purposes, Qri's goal is a noble one and as is the mission we've been given. My issue rests with how little information we've been provided and how we're supposed to blindly follow her whims while knowing so little. To be told what you're doing is for the good of everyone is one thing; for it to be the truth is another.

[anyone can say what they're doing is good or just. someone back home did the same and that ended up hurting a lot of countless people. flynn won't allow himself to fall prey to someone like that again.]

The methods with which we've been brought here, the lack of answers to numerous questions and her silence breaking --and fully breaking to her aides alone-- only when it came to collecting items for her own needs is what leads me to question her intentions. Call it overly cautious if you will, but I cannot place my trust in her until we're provided with more details.

[he's more than willing to change his stance if they do get those details. until then, however, overly cautious is the best way to be.]

When it comes to the issue of the bones, I'm in favor of leaving most of them in the hands of the Palai but bringing some back with us, as well. Just as I can't say Qri's been honest with us, I also can't say she's been dishonest.

[bringing some with them saves them from possibly getting bitten in the ass by not doing so. again, overly cautious but it covers all their bases.]

[rootandbranch]

[the giant dragon fidgeting in the doorway listens to Flynn politely, but once Flynn is done, he can't contain his curiosity any more.]

You and Moon keep talking about trust. I don't mind what you think we should do, but what does trust have to do with anything?

[rootbound]

If we can actually coax her out for a direct talk some way or another, I'll try to make sure I'm near her. Or if you deliver the message to her caravan, I'll stand by it while you do. If she's not protected against the power she gave me -- I wouldn't know, of course -- I'll be able to tell what she's feeling as she talks to us, or as you talk to her, whichever happens. That may be of some value.

I suppose if she chooses to remain passive then there's nothing stopping us from hanging onto what bones we take ourselves rather than stuffing them into the wagon direct.

IC ELTO BONES POLL

[rebells]

All right. Who's in favor of keeping the bones away from Qri for now?

IN FAVOR

[rebells]

[Comment here! Just a /hand is enough.]

OPPOSED

[rebells]

[Comment here! Just a /hand is enough.]

NOT SURE / NOT ANSWERING / OTHER

[rebells]

[Comment here! Just a /hand is enough.]