(mini-event) THE COALITION OF REFUGEES

[natha]

THE COALITION     On the day of the council, there are markers tied with ribbons in the colors of both Olympia and Wyver that line the paths from the cities to the South Outpost, meant to guide anyone with an invitation to the first meeting of the Coalition of Refugees. While during the previous festivities of the gala the Great Hall was sharply divided between Olympians and Wyverns, the differences between the factions are not so apparent now. Inside, the hall is decorated with a more subdued mix of the white and gold of Olympia and the red and black of Wyver. Banners, pennants, and bunting drape from the ceiling and wind around wooden pillars. To one side of the hall, there are tables set up with drinks and finger foods — refreshments for the guests, for after the opening speech. A raised platform has been set up at one end of the room, flanked by contingents of both the Royal Guards and the Knightryders standing at attention side by side, differentiated only by the make of their armor and the colors they wear. Ashti, Shenya, and Heryn stand waiting for the arrival of their monarchs, pointedly ignoring each other; notably, Raysc, Shanrian's son and the leader of Mythi's Fangs, is conspicuously absent. Staff members cluster to the side of the stage, waiting for the speech to begin. A whisper drifts over from a woman in one of the Olympian groups: Do you really think the Empress will try to negotiate for Nithor's skull? The man she's speaking to shakes his head and scoffs, answering: Ha! Not a chance. She thinks it's too soon, who knows if this peace will last. Besides, there's no way she's willing to give up Ysevrai's heart. A horn sounds, and the staff members subside, glancing around to see if anyone's overheard. A moment later, and Simwe and Shanrian make their appearance, walking together to the stage for their speech. Aha… we have quite the gathering here, do we not? All of our heroes in one place… This may be an unprecedented meeting, but it seems as though it will be a productive one. Let us begin by thanking all of you for your contributions to our cities in recent times. Since your arrival, you have weathered the plague that swept through our cities and aided us in finding its cure; you have withstood the scorn of those who were meant to shelter you turning against you, and helped us quell riots in the very hearts of our homes; you have been taken right off the streets and endured hardships too terrible to tell, and have proven heroes in bringing our people safely home. You have done much for us, and shown yourselves loyal beyond many who were born within our walls. We will allow your voices to go unheard no longer! Today— Today, we will hear you. You have demonstrated both strength and valor in equal measures — it follows that you will be wise as well, and it is that wisdom that we wish to hear brought in council to our cities. You are gathered here to look beyond our history of violence and hostility, to see beyond the prejudices we hold. We hope that with your clearer sight, you'll keep in your hearts the betterment of both of our fair cities, rather than allow pettiness to hold sway and lift one over the other. Those gathered here are deemed worthy by action and by the trust of your brethren: a council. Amongst yourselves, decide what matters most to you about your lives within the cities. Discuss what changes you wish to see, and how those changes should come about. Reach an agreement, put your motions to us, and should they be feasible, we will see what sort of effect your ideas will have. The two proposals with the most support among your fellows will be those we implement, so argue your reasoning most convincingly! And remember, this is your chance to impress us. If your advice is sound, we will look to you again. At this, both rulers fall silent, and withdraw to a balcony to oversee the proceedings. This is not their meeting, after all — this is something that only the refugees can determine the outcome of. FINAL OOC NOTES     Welcome to your first chance to have a voice in the NPC governments, Players! Your task is, as a group, to decide the two most important IC issues you would like to see Olympia and Wyver address, and then put forward a plan of action for how to improve whatever those problems are, which will then be implemented in May. Since these are strictly Olympian and Wyvern issues, topics should still adhere to the Natha's policies of not revealing anything about the Storm or the Natha's existence, but beyond that, you're free to propose any topics you think should be addressed about your characters' way of life in the cities — after all, haven't the Orbiters sent you here to make a difference and improve life on El Nysa in their stead?

Comments

[fiendennor]

How did you-- [The fact that this is effectively coming out of nowhere takes a second, but she quickly shakes her surprise off. Perhaps he's just very observant; perhaps she wasn't hiding it. At any rate, she's not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She inclines her head in a polite bow.] Yes, that's correct. If you'd be so kind, I'd appreciate it tremendously.

[dorzalta]

[ [NSFW] to overflow! ]

[fiendennor]

[Diana can't help but smile; it's subtle, but it's there.] You've got a head for this, I see.

Your proposal is sound, and those seem to be sensible demarcation points. Provided we get agreement from both kingdoms, and both groups of guards are willing to work with the other, I don't see why this couldn't work. There might be some friction at first, but hopefully that would die down over time.

[She pauses.] I think there would be a small risk of infiltration from a hostile third party, like those that kidnapped people in both cities recently.

[dawnblushed]

Huh? Oh, I don't know...

[Honestly, Yona just tried to think of what Yoon might suggest if he was here.]

I guess there's always a risk of that with anything we suggest, isn't there? But we can take some precautions against it. If the first people who do patrols are people who are already in the Guard or the Knightryders, then they can invite people they trust to join up, too... the same way that we were able to bring along people to this meeting who weren't involved in the kidnappings. That should help lessen the risks...

Or, I suppose either of those organizations might be able to look into the backgrounds of people who express an interest in joining? They won't find much about those of us who only came here recently, but if people who have lived here their whole lives are interested in doing this, it would probably be easy for them to verify if they're safe to involve with their resources, don't you think?

[fiendennor]

That's true. I don't think we'll be able to have a completely foolproof plan; it's entirely a question of probabilities and likelihoods.

[Diana frowns for a moment. She is trying to think the best of the people here, but can't help but think about what she'd heard about the dragon's blood and its relation to the maddening mist. Are the Knightryders really trustworthy?

She'll have to hope.] Perhaps they could do an interview to find those in the ranks most likely to approve of cooperation with their counterparts? Assuming they do checks on the people who join, like you say, this should theoretically be an easy thing to determine.

[dawnblushed]

Something like that doesn't seem like it would be too complicated...

[It might take time, but any good plan takes time - all the better to make sure nothing's being rushed into without fully considering the pros and cons.]

We don't want to make it difficult for them or else it will be hard to get the groups to agree, won't it? But it's probably good to start this with people who have less extreme viewpoints, or who might have relatives in the other city. They might be more willing to cooperate on this.

Then, when each side sees that the other is on good behavior... [hopefully] It will be easier to convince people who might have been opposed to it at the beginning that it can really work.

[fiendennor]

[She nods.] Violence and hatred can breed a cycle of violence and hatred, but the reverse is also true-- learning to trust the other can be self-reinforcing. [Again, Diana taps her lips.] There are refugees in both organizations, correct? What about a mix of natives and offworlders alike, at least to start? The refugees might not bear the same ancestral animosity, which could make it easier.

[willrevile]

[ Jim takes the outstretched hand, though he's got enough leverage from his own momentum that he doesn't have to weigh Mika down too much. Once he's got his footing and has taken a look out at the view, then back in at the cockpit, he turns his attention to the young man and says, with extreme seriousness: ]

This is the coolest thing I've ever seen.

[willrevile]

[ Jim sits across from her (on whatever's out here, maybe there are logs around a campsite, it is a mystery), fine with resting his feet for a few minutes. ]

I hear it's going fine inside, too.

[ Which is always a crapshoot with anything political. ]

It'll be interesting to see the outcome.

[dawnblushed]

I think that's a great idea. I know personally, I know refugees who are living in both Olympia and Wyver... a lot of the people I knew in Olympia before the virus outbreak decided to stay in Wyver after a cure was found. And I can't be the only one who knows people like that.

[Yona smiles.]

Even leaving aside the lack of ancestral animosity, there are bound to be a lot of refugees who have a vested interest in seeing something like this succeed. That will make it easier for us to cooperate with the people who have lived here all their lives to see this through.

[assholic]

Pretty much in the camp of 'I don't want to keep paying for other people's shit'. If they want to have a war, I'm not part of it. I don't want to be peripheral damage. I'm sick of hearing 'sit and wait it out' as actual advice for how to handle any of this shit. It hasn't stopped since I got here. If anything, it's gotten worse. And-

[Again, she had to remember where she was. Remember who she had at stake if the Orbiters took offense.]

-and new people keep finding their way here, which is just like pouring gas on a forest fire.

[Sipping at her beer, she watched him, trying to decide which look she liked better. The other one. It was more him. This was like putting her in a dress.]

[beatupgrass]

First of all, I can't even reach the average person's elbows. Second of all, I am not politically correct enough for this kind of function. Third of all... Look at me.

[He gestures to himself.] I do not come snobby dickhead approved.

+1

[panzersoldat]

+1

[panzersoldat]

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[tailorable]

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[tailorable]

[almaredemptoris]

[Breaks the window, grabs Matt, and makes a run for it. The man's statement interests him, and so he must ask:] Which rights do you believe must be secured?

[almaredemptoris]

[He has no experience but his own life on which to draw. He knows how a man has little recourse but to harden with hatred when he is cast down, how his breast rankles with anger for such injustice; and he knows too how such a soul might be renewed by the power of mercy.] Let us say that they're given a voice - and they use this platform to further condemn the refugees. What compromise would you suggest? [This he asks not in challenge, but in sincerity.]

[willrevile]

[ A beat, then: ] That's fair enough.

[ He sounds wry. ]

Even most of the refugees here aren't used to non-humans or actual diversity. It's weird.

[almaredemptoris]

[He had not meant to imply that he implicates the poor in anything other than being so often overlooked.] Aid in the basic necessities of a dignified life: decent food, decent clothing, and decent shelter. I know that the Sanctuary is in the business of helping others, but it is a hospital first and foremost. I believe a broader target should be considered.

[krasnaya_vdova]

[Ava liked Rumlow. And to be honest, she didn't tend to take people telling her what to do for her own good particularly well, so odds are that any attempts on Steve's part to talk her out of associating with Rumlow would just have the opposite effect. He'd been kind to her at a time in her life when no one else was, and she didn't discount that easily, or without cause. He was easy to be around, a sort of companionship and allure she's missed.

He smiles, and it brightens her own as she hands over the glass. She'd been drinking a bit through the night; mostly just to take the edge off, because it made socializing easier, even just slipping through the crowds and having a few words here and there. Natasha would have known the right way to read someone, to press just so to work out their true feelings, or potentially even affiliations, but this wasn't Ava's game, but she did her best anyway.] I thought you could use one. Mm, nothing too surprising. If there are any of the extremists here, they're blending in well. The other refugees aren't too fond of being caught up in the hostilities between Olympia and Wyver, but the ways they want to deal with it are pretty varied.

[She shrugs her slim shoulders softly, watching him as she sipped at her glass, ice cubes clinking. She grins, a twinkle in her eyes as he calls her gorgeous. And that's- it touches her a bit more than she thinks he meant it to, since that's not something she thinks anyone's ever said to her, really. But she did try. She was going on his arm, so it had seemed like fun to look the part.]

Oh, I don't know, not too many people caught my eye. And I think I prefer them to be aware when I'm trying to be charming. [There's something to her tone there, the way her lips curl into a bit of a smirk, a little bit flirtatious as she watches him.] You do look rather sharp in that suit.

[ghettobatman]

[ it's time for russell crowe to burst in and not sing. ]

The right to be able to live without fear of being kidnapped, for one.

[ matt was in stasis throughout the whole kidnapping incident, yikes, but he's still mad. ]

Were you present for that? [ because he sure wasn't. ]

[almaredemptoris]

I was. It was a dreadful occasion, one I hope never to see repeated. [He makes no mention of the fact that he had played a role in the rescue effort, nor does he wear the gilt brooch that was awarded him for such heroics.] What have you in mind as a means of protecting these rights?

[ghettobatman]

..... I'm sorry, it sounds like it was quite an ordeal. [ awww what a dork valdork. matt would have done the same (while dressed up like a moron) if he hadn't been dodo. ]

Not much of value right now. [ at least he??? admits it??? ] But I am a lawyer. I've thought about opening my own firm near the borders of each --- to make sure refugees are treated fairly. Maybe they'll be amendable to creating laws to prevent any future mistreatment.

[ also: he dresses up in pajamas at night and beats the shit out of people. ]

[almaredemptoris]

[He gives a subtle nod in the direction of the balcony at which Simwe and Shanrian sit. Too bad Matt is blind.] The rulers of both Olympia and Wyver do seem to have an interest in protecting the refugee population. If truly they wish to change the current climate of fear and distrust, then I should hope they would consider passing laws toward this end. [The sentiments of the people cannot be rewritten so easily, but laws may provide the foundation for such a change.] It would be an admirable undertaking, to dedicate yourself to such a task.