OPEN MINGLE: Time to Talk, Summoned!

[magicalarchaeologist]

Who: Istredd, Wanda, and all the Summoned
What: Istredd and Wanda called people to the meeting to give an info dump, let people ask questions or share their own information, and then a hang out after with refreshments so people can chat after and make new CR or check in with old CR.
Where: Istredd's Horizon
When: Saturday, September 9th, at midnight so less attention given to them.
Warnings: Discussion of the game plots including all content warnings up to now like psychological thriller, horror, the cult kidnapping, gods being trouble. Abraxas is a wild place, friends.

HORIZON AND SET UP

The Lighthouse was described by Istredd in detail so people would know where to go. During this mingle, it will continue to shine and circle around like a normal lighthouse so people know where to go. His domain is unique for being essentially a tower of books. Shelves upon shelves of books and multiple floors. The only other detail before the talk starts is that there are five ravens who will be curiously watching everyone from a perch nearby. Your character may end up with a lapful of one of the two leosylphs who live here, one baby blue colored and the other one black with red eyes.

The main floor has been turned into a large meeting hall of a sort, although mostly in terms of having a large space full of chairs and a few tables if people wish to sit there. Your character can perch anywhere they want including up a floor. A key note about Istredd's domain is that people can easily morph chairs or create them in whatever form they'd want, so if you want them to have their childhood chair, go ahead. If they want a gaming chair, it'll show up automatically for them. His space is very intuitive. People can choose to speak either from the back of the room, as Istredd will do, or from where they sit/stand.

If your character wants to attend but not be noticed, they can intuitively use his Horizon to mask themselves/go invisible. Istredd will not call you out, Henry Creel.

After the initial formal talk and information gathering, Istredd will ease up the more formal atmosphere of the large hall and create a food and drink section against the walls. Wanda assists him in making this look nicer and homier. There will be extensive offerings but people can add any type of food or drink to this, it's up to them to modify it.

If your character would like to explore the library or get a beat to themselves/talk privately with someone, they can do that by wandering the floors. People will find that if they open a book it will appear to be empty at first, but if they think about their favorite book, the pages will fill in. It is entirely based on their recollection of the book so may not be entirely complete, but if their subconscious mind has memorized much of it, they will see what they need to in there.

They may also find that as they move through the floors, a 'reading nook' may appear in the corner that will instinctively know what they would feel comfortable sitting to read with. They can also 'lock' this room if they want to discuss something with another person and need privacy.

ISTREDD'S SPEECH

[Istredd will wait until it appears everyone has arrived or most people have and he will clear his throat to get their attention if they are already chatting with other people. He appears as he often does in Thorne, with very plain clothes in a dark shade of blue, serious and calm. He stands straight-backed, hands clasped behind his back. Istredd speaks in a very clear and calm way.]

Please sit or stand as you feel comfortable. If you want, you can create any chair you wish to sit in. After the initial conversation, food and drinks will be provided and you are free to add your own favorite dishes. This is intended as an information-gathering conversation. Last year, Sam Wilson hosted something similar to keep the Summoned informed, and a great many things have happened since. Wanda and I thought to do the same this year.

We posted on the network a breakdown of what happened with the kidnapping earlier this year. If you missed it, the general idea was that a cult from Solvunn took half of the Summoned and held us in a pit, where they were experimented on. The cult's intention was to try and take the connection the Summoned have to the Singularity, and what they believed to also be a connection to their gods.

It should be noted that Thorne tried something similar early on in the Summonings. Their experimentation also did not work, as far as we know. We thought it prudent to keep every Summoned informed of what happened in case something like this happens again. We have put forward from the Solvunn and Thorne conclave a request to our factions to allow us to have access to the island. We'll let people know what we hear.

I also put together a history timeline of the Summoned.

[He pulls out a blackboard with this list written down over it in clear readable words. He points to the February 20,078 section where the details about the kidnapping are written out in particular.]

If anyone would like to add notes or months I missed, please either write it yourself or let me know and I will add it. I am hoping to keep this an active timeline for us. This will always be available in my library here to anyone who wants it. We have also been given a pantheon of the gods from our friends in Solvunn that is also available in here.

I have been taking notes since I got here about general information that may be of interest to people when they arrive, including details about magic, the Singularity, and the factions. They're very broad but you can read it on this.

[He creates another blackboard to the side, also able for other people to make notes upon.]

I don't want to be talking this entire time, so instead I would like to invite people to share any findings or information they have that they think the whole group should be aware of, and also ask questions that could be answered or talked about. Please be polite with one another and understand there are some things we simply do not have the answers for as of now.

There are less than a hundred of us, and I believe it is important that we stay on the same team. Thank you. Feel free to eat and talk, or wander in the library.

OOC NOTES

Hey everyone, it's Dee! I am so sorry for the tl;dr. I have the headers below: Speeches (information sharing/tl;dr like mine), Questions (you can specify what exactly they have questions about), adding to the info dumps I have, and whatever else you think of.

If you want your character to speak/offer information but don't want follow-up questions, you can put 'OTA' or 'no follow-up' to indicate what your preference is here. If you put OTA people can reply with a sort of Q&A option, but the no follow-up idea is so that people can share information but not need to commit to that unless they feel like it.

And from there, mingle to your heart's content! Your characters can talk afterward, before, go explore the library, whatever you want, I support it. You can plan closed or open starters, follow your heart.

If nothing else, I want people to take from this mingle that their character can hear any of this information or see it in the library and have it from now on for your RP purposes, and take this opportunity to maybe make new CR/discuss all of this. Do as much or as little as you want! If you have any comments/concerns, please message me on plurk.

Comments

wanda maximoff • solvunn • ota

[carmesi]

[wanda is here, for the most part, as moral support. she has heard this speech at least a couple of times already, and while it's not to the extent where she could recite it word for word, she knows that her being around is important to istredd—she's an anchor, telepathically and physically, should he find his nerves getting the better of him.

so, she's one of the lounge sofas, and, having made matt come to this meeting, too, she's leaning against his side, a hand holding the one over her shoulder—while his other hand holds the telling cane he uses to find his way around.]

( A ) HELLO, MY NAME IS—

Wanda. Yeah, that's me.

[just because istredd was in front of everyone talking, it doesn't mean that she ought to let him field every question and topic of conversation imaginable. she tried to lighten the mood a little and make for herself a sticker with her name written on it, stuck to her shirt, so people who only knew her by name could recognize her, now.

she pulls away from the sofa, as matt will be able to mind himself and find someone to talk to if he needs to cure his boredom. wanda is more than sure that he's aware of all the conversations taking place, though.

wanda tucks her hands into the pockets of her oversized jacket.]

What Istredd shared was pretty complete. Do you — have any questions?

[it isn't surprising if istredd disappeared for a minute, though. he had a lot of people hanging onto his words for a moment there.]

( B ) SOCIALIZING ATTEMPT—

[the ravens in istredd's horizon can be rather fastidious, but one thing of note is that they seem to preen and demand wanda's attention. her intention had been to go and talk to others, to meet some of the unfamiliar, new faces, but instead she had found herself halted halfway down a set of stairs by the five ravens who hop and squawk at her.

she makes a face.]

That's a little rude. [she mutters, drawing her hand forward, palm up, until one of the raven fesses up and puts down a shiny trinket on her hand.] You shouldn't be taking things from others, even if it isn't real here.

[a sad croak comes from the raven.

a person approaches, and wanda closes her fist around the shiny trinket. she waves the ravens away, who take flight towards the bookshelves.]

Off you go. Keep out of trouble.

B

[hatejakku]

[ Matt had mentioned a girlfriend living in Solvunn and plenty of others have mentioned Wanda by name. Finn even clued into her post on the network a few weeks ago, keeping quiet and just observing the situation for the time being. This seemed like a good as time as any to meet the Wanda face to face, though he was surprised to find she was the same woman he'd seen with Matt a little earlier in the night.

Really, the revelation just tells him two things. One is that Matt probably knows a whole lot more about this place than what he's already shared, and it might be a good idea to ask him more questions later on. The second thing is that this place feels just a little bit smaller than it had an hour ago. Their number already feels so small, a fact compounded by the gathering tonight, and Finn really doesn't like being small in numbers.

Been up against worse odds, though.

Either way, he still wants to speak to Wanda and walks up the staircase to meet her halfway. He hadn't really meant to interrupt whatever was happening with the birds, but he watches them take flight with little interest. ]

They steal things? Didn't think that was possible in a place like this.

[carmesi]

Don't let them catch you saying they stole anything.

[wanda turns towards the stranger, eyeing him for a moment and wondering if there are any points of familiarity here. matt tells her about all the people he meets in the cities, but he can't—understandably—describe any of their features. this man is certainly not from solvunn, anyway, and the way he carries himself...

well, he fits into wanda's idea of whom the cities would summon.]

But you're right, [she acquiesces, looking down at her hand and revealing that the trinket is a small key] it's not really possible. This key will not be missing in the domain it belongs to.

[hatejakku]

[ Finn smiles at first, wondering if the birds would be insulted if they were accused of stealing. It's a kind of cute picture, though probably one that turns intimidating quickly.

But anyway, he tilts his head. ]

Then why not let them keep it?

[ To teach them basic morals, he figures. ]

[carmesi]

[wanda smiles at the question, despite herself, because she is gathering — thoughts and ideas, here, without intending to. a kind-hearted man, with a familiarity that washes over him simply because of a point of connection, of someone else that wanda cares very much for.]

Exactly for the exact same reason you're thinking. To teach them basic morals.

[she will not have the ravens she named sully the name of their benefactor, as it were.

just as the key in her hand fits into a lock, the hints dropped by finn's mind make the pieces of understanding click for her.]

You're Finn, aren't you? Matt's told me about you.

[hatejakku]

[ At first, Finn's face drops, surprise and a touch of fear drawing him up to an instinctual defense. He's no stranger to such abilities, which is the reason that fear is there in the first place. It's certainly not fear of the unknown.

He's too unfamiliar with his own abilities to reach back by himself, though, and how the Force feels in the Horizon makes the small attempt even more difficult and wandering. But just as quick as his first reactions appeared, the defensiveness dissipates. He doesn't feel like he's in danger, and she is close to Matt, someone who Finn considers to be a pretty great guy.

So his shoulders relax, his defenses falling in a show of trust. ]

That's right. [ And he offers a tiny smile again because, hey, his friend mentioned him! ] He's told me about you, too. Actually, you're kind of popular around here, from what I can tell. Didn't know you could do that, though.

[ He gestures to his temple but appears far more at ease about than he had a second ago. ]

Don't suppose you call it the Force where you're from?

[carmesi]

I wouldn’t call myself popular.

[she remarks, a hint of embarrassment in her tone as she looks away. never would she have thought that people would speak her name and speak it in light of something positive. but having this conversation revolve, indirectly, around matt makes her feel a little more comfortable than if it weren’t.

matt’s got a good judge of character, and the excitement in finn’s thoughts at the mention of matt—a friend—mentioning him is definitely endearing.

wanda keeps herself occuppied by turning one of the rings on her fingers.]

No, [a shake of her head] I don’t know if it has a name like that, other than just — telepathy. Mindreading, some would say it is. Is that what it’s called for you?

[hatejakku]

[ He realizes that he's made her a bit embarrassed on accident. Honestly, the reaction itself is a bit endearing, but he doesn't draw attention to it. If anything, he steps forward to close more of the distance between them, attempting to move on with the conversation and put her (or them both) more at ease.

Finn didn't expect a simple conversation to turn into... whatever this is. But he's not complaining. ]

Sort of. The Force is its own thing. It connects people to each other, kind of guides everything along. We just have some people back home who can see it. And some of those can use it. If they're strong enough, they can do things like that. Mindreading, lifting rocks several feet away, that sort of stuff.

[carmesi]

[finn has nothing to worry about—wanda’s a big girl and she can look after herself, even with unpredictable, worrying emotions. still, he tries to ease the situation by closing the distance between them, and that much is appreciated.

as it were, finn doesn’t project anything that isn’t warmth and comfort, so she’s got nothing to be at odds about.]

Sounds familiar. We call it telekinesis—moving objects, that is—and telepathy, like I said, being anything relating to the mind. Reading thoughts, transmitting thoughts, manipulating it…

[hm.

she tilts her head.]

But it isn’t a connecting thing. It’s not very common, after all. [and she wonders—] Can you use The Force?

[hatejakku]

[ Oh, ah, hm. Wanda's not the first to assume as much but it's certainly different with her. He's pretty sure she already has a clear idea, after all. ]

I... can see it. Using it- That kind of thing takes practice if I was capable at all.

But even those who can't see it or feel it, the Force still exists in everything. It's just energy. Life and chaos. It's... weird to explain.

[carmesi]

[life and chaos.

it’s weird to explain, but— wanda gets it.]

Like everything is connected, right? The good and the bad, the beauty of nature and the horrors of it. [she offers him a light smile.] And, because of that, everyone is connected, even if they can’t use the Force.

[it’s a question that is not a question—but a statement.]

—how did you meet Matt, by the way? Did you find him drinking beer at the inn?

[she’s jesting! she doesn’t care that matt drinks beer or what he does with his time, but this point of connection with finn is a fine one to have, to ease any shakiness or awkwardness.]

[hatejakku]

[ Oh. Finn's eyes widen and his lips grow into a smile. Finally, someone gets it. ]

That's right.

[ The Force is just its own thing, it doesn't care, but Finn always thought it beautiful all the same. So to finally find someone who understands what he's trying to explain is pretty remarkable for him.

But uh- He laughs. ]

Oh, ah. Not exactly. My first night in Cadens, this goose came out of nowhere and practically ran me over. Matt scrapped me off the pavement. We got beers after.

[ That's only a little bit of an exaggeration, is the awful thing. ]

b

[ordinar]

[Similarly clumsy with large, serious social gatherings, Wilhelm extracts himself from the central blob of people to hide out at the edges of the room. He's contemplating the labyrinth of shelves on the next floor up when he spots Wanda on the staircase — surrounded by a familiar conspiracy of ravens. A grin tugs at the tired corners of his lips. Hands shoved in his pockets, he approaches.]

I thought they were yours the first time I came here.

[The ravens, he means. It was soon after she invited him to name one of her flock, and, anxious at the prospect of cracking open his magic again, he's been eager for a familiar sign.]

[carmesi]

[wilhelm is, by default, one of the very few that gets wanda to smile so widely upon seeing him. he approaches her, but wanda meets him halfway, so now they're a little closer to the top landing—with her at the bottom, him at the top. he doesn't need the help with his height, but he stands a lot taller to her now.]

Wilhelm.

[—and because she can feel the tug of tiredness on him, this general sense of anxiety he seems to carry with him, still, wanda takes another step up on the stairs and wraps her arms around him in a gentle embrace.

it lasts but a moment (because teenagers), but one of her hands remain at his arm, while the one that holds the shiny trinket the ravens had stolen is drawn up for him to see.]

Mine are better behaved than this, in my opinion. [it's all lucifer's influence] Oolong stole this from someone else's Horizon.

[and the trinket is, in fact, a key.]

Not like it matters much, here.

B

[thearchangel]

They understand you?

[Sorry for the sudden interruption, Wanda. At least, he sounds impressed. He couldn't help noticing the birds - the squawks are kind of hard to miss. But them listening to a human came out of the blue.]

That's - really impressive. I didn't know birds did that.

[carmesi]

[the sudden interruption is not unwelcome.]

—well, I'd hope they'd understand me.

[maybe her attempt at a joke, at the idea alone that talking and holding a conversation with birds that they understood is somewhat silly.]

I gave them their names.

[she shrugs, though, tilting her head as she gathers his looks. would be a shock if she didn't already expect non-human individuals here in abraxas.]

Ravens are very smart birds, though.

[thearchangel]

[He blinks. Looks after the birds. And then shakes his head with a huff of a laugh.]

Yeah, okay, that tracks, doesn't it? [He should have known. Especially in the Horizon.]

I'm not familiar with ravens. Pigeons, somehow. But not ravens. Are they from Earth?

[Pigeon memes have made their way onto the space internet - the extranet - but not ravens, apparently.]

[carmesi]

[figures that this individual would be, in fact, not from earth. she considers his question for a moment—mostly just wondering how pigeons is something he’s familiar with but not ravens.]

Yeah, from Earth. And whatever adjacent-enough world.

[it seems particularly common elsewhere.]

I’ve seen a few in Solvunn. How come you’re familiar with pigeons, though?

[thearchangel]

I think there's some out in the Free Cities area... Never knew what they were called. Or if they were that smart.

[Then again, Garrus isn't exactly Mr. Wildlife Expert. He hadn't looked it up much, outside of what Nadine was helping with.]

They're kind of a joke. Where I'm from - they're all over the extranet as jokes. The little fat grey birds who like statues.

[Right??]

[carmesi]

[that’s fair—most people aren’t thinking about birds, especially if it’s not exactly something that is familiar in your world or place of origin. she tilts her head at the mention of birds being something of a joke.

maybe, if she was someone else, she would have something to add about ‘meme’ or even hatoful boyfriend, but she’s quite disconnected from it all.]

They can be pretty fat.

[wanda wraps her hands onto each other, and, from the shiny ‘treasure’ she had acquired from the ravens and a thin veil of red smoke, a perhaps familiar sight for garrus.

It croons in her hands.]

They’re not all gray, though.

[thearchangel]

[He makes a sort of shrugging gesture back at her. Yeah, he doesn't really know. It's a human joke - or series of jokes.]

[Definitely memes.]

Do they really have a thing for statues? [The weird alien birds on the Citadel didn't seem to have a preference.]

[Despite knowing perfectly well where they are, and that magic works here, his head sort of pulls back from the smoke, slightly alarmed. Until...]

Damn, look at that. [A tilt of his head, studying it.] Kind of cute, actually.

[carmesi]

They like to shit on statues.

[there's that, a stroke of humor pulling wanda's expression into one of amusement.]

And people too, for that matter.

[even as she holds the pigeon, she draws it closer—hands raising—up towards him.]

Ever held one? I would try and keep some as pets, along with my brother and some of our friends, back when I was younger. [back when it was easy to have a pigeon for a pet because there was no way in hell one could keep a dog or cat while in the orphanage.] They're easy to domesticate.

[thearchangel]

There it is. [His head cants to the side, mandibles flaring up in a grin. Amusement in both his voice and the echoes under it.] That's what they say.

[Less the people part. Absolutely the statue part.]

[He blinks, and looks baffled at the question.] Uh, no, we don't have them on my homeworld. [He hesitates, and lifts a finger to try and pet the little bird. Carefully. It looks so fragile.] Did you ever manage to keep one?

[carmesi]

[the pigeon allows itself to be pet, cooing at the motion. wanda had hoped he'd feel brave enough to hold it in his hands, and yet—]

It's hard to make a creature that can fly to choose sticking it out with a bunch of loud kids.

[because that's what they were]

They'd come back now and then to eat, then fly off again. [she puts a hand down, so the pigeon is held in just her one hand.] If you don't have them where you're from, you should try and hold it. It's not going to freak out.

[thearchangel]

Ah, understood. [It really is cute, though. Do they all make that little sound?] I can see why you'd try, though. Cuter than the extranet makes them out to be.

[Oh. Shit. Hold it? Okay, it's a bird. If he drops or fumbles it, it'll just fly off.]

Never had a pet before. [But he flattens out a clawed hand, so the bird can waddle over to it, if it wants.] Closest I got was Shepard's hamster in her cabin.