[ closed ] time to go to work.

[falcony]

WHO: sam wilson and close cr
WHAT: after his "talk" with goro, sam's reaching out to his people to talk politics and next moves. AS WELL AS various threads in february
WHERE: horizon + cadens
WHEN: mid-late january through february
WARNINGS: talks/mentions of violence, ptsd, war, etc.

starters will be below!
if you'd like to plan something,
catch me on plurk/disco/pm
disarmingly || dai#3757

Comments

[sorser]

[Stephen idly spoons some of the gumbo into his mouth as Sam explains. It's good; a shame that overtly serious talk always overshadows flavor. His brows raise at the question, making a face that says oh, that guy without having to actually say it. Silverware clinks against the lip of the bowl.]

Yeah. The four-armed guy living in a cave somewhere in the Horizon. I had the pleasure of stumbling across him while exploring, and I have to say- [Sarcasm.] -he's quite the host.

[The decor of strung-up corpses, the massive bowl of wiggling, chitinous things, the low opinion of sorcerers, and of course, discussion of the brewing political climate.]

He told me war's brewing. That it's inevitable. [Mm, not the best choice of words to use in the presence of anyone from their Earth. Go figure that he's the one stirring the pot, if Stephen's already stringing his assumptions together correctly.] Guess it makes sense why he was so invested in the idea.

What's his angle?

[falcony]

[ there is something innately calming about the sounds of food. not of eating, necessarily, but the clinking of silverware. of bowls and plates and cups being picked up and set down again. it's a sound he's always been drawn to, but he knows that has little to do with the sounds themselves and everything to do with the shape it makes. the place it holds. hell, he's sitting in his sister's house at this exact moment. he doesn't need to be focusing on silverware. and yet here he is.

sam snorts, once, at the sarcasm in stephen's words. quite the host, indeed. sam's brow arches, arms crossed over the front of his chest. ] He try and tear you apart too? [ which is...skipping through a lot of the build up. of how it was sam who came looking for him, sam who wouldn't budge. sam, who probably could have been a bit more diplomatic, who probably could have avoided provoking him.

it's inevitable. well, at last goro's consistent. ]

He's using the Cities and their distrust of magic to force Marlo's hand take action against Solvunn. Held a rally a few days ago just to provoke a march on the government buildings. [ and that's...really the long and short of it. he doesn't know where stephen stands in terms of background info, and truthfully, sam doesn't remember what all thorne felt towards the other countries. he's officially been in the cities for longer than he was in thorne, and even then, it feels like everything is escalating.

sam frowns. it's pretty obvious how he feels about all of this. ] He said that because the war's inevitable, he might as well give it a push.

[sorser]

[He looks a little surprised. Should he be mildly concerned here, Sam?]

Nope. Managed to walk away without stirring up too much trouble. Limbs still intact.

[Though it had been tense, and Stephen’s sure if he had pushed the right buttons, been even a little more snide, it might’ve turned from a barely-hospitable situation to a violent one at the drop of a hat. The fact that Sam’s confrontation turned out differently says something for the clash of ideologies. A stringent desire for war, versus the determination to avoid it. To do everything possible to rally together and find a way to minimize losses before they happen.

No doubt this meeting is just the first step towards that goal. And no matter how it shakes out, Stephen’s on Sam’s side. He trusts him, knows he’s got a good head on his shoulders to make the right decisions, even if those decisions aren’t ever easy.]

War’s not official until someone throws the first punch. Until then, everyone’s going to be walking on eggshells or giving in to the mob mentality. Not promising, but it’s better than nothing. It still means we have time.

[falcony]

[ don't give him that look, stephen. they exchanged some words and then goro took a swipe at him. sam wasn't in any real danger, and the way he kind of...well, he doesn't laugh, but he does huff something of an amused noise. shakes his head a little if stephen tries to look any closer. he'd taken the steps to make sure he wasn't in any real danger, and honestly, sam hadn't gone looking for a fight at all. but some words were exchanged and they weren't exactly friendly.

but that's also why sam is here - having this talk with stephen, going out and collecting the people he knows he can trust. which is. something of an interesting place to be in, with the few things he knows about dr. stephen strange. but his gut has brought him here and he has a feeling it's not going to let him down. ]

There's time, but how much is the question. And we have evidence that people are moving where they didn't before. You heard about the delegates Thorne sent out after the Dimming, right?

[ there are pieces to this that sam is just starting to see the shape of. decisions being made that he can only just barely see the direction. thorne, sending out delegates where they hadn't before. solvunn, and its mages casting magic that affects the world at large. the summoned, who all happen to be sticking around to watch it happen. who each faction is now conscripting.

it's going to lead somewhere, he knows. it's just a matter of how quickly, and who will be in its path. ]

[sorser]

[And it’s probably the biggest proof of change on the horizon, the very real political movement of Thorne sending delegates to the other territories. News that was next to impossible to not reach Stephen’s ears, given his residence in the castle itself, the apotheosis of all the politicking.]

Delegates crossing borders into Cadens and the Primary Settlement both. [He shakes his head.] You think it was a last-ditch attempt at negotiations after the Dimming?

[Maybe they’re both being foolish. Maybe the Dimming was the first punch thrown, and the consequences are burgeoning rather than explosive. Either way, they need to prepare, but it’s difficult without knowing what to prepare for.]

We need a game plan. What did you have in mind?

[He assumes Sam at least has a launching-off point with regards to moving forward. Maybe a shape of a plan that Stephen himself can compound off of.]

[falcony]

[ sam sighs, running a hand back over his head. ]

Something like that, yeah. If they didn't at least attempt to talk it out, we all know where this is heading. But it's more than the Dimming. It's Eifside, it's the people who chucked us halfway across the country and got both Solvunn and the Cadens in on this whole business. This has been gaining speed before we showed up, but we're definitely being used as pedal weights.

[ and that's where sam is having the biggest issues, here. because these factions, these countries, these people have been at each other's throats for centuries. he's not so naive to think that he can fix any of this, that these tensions could be something so simple as to be fixed. but that's not what sam's worried about - he has no place to tell these people where to compromise. where to find peace.

what he is here to do is keep the summoned out of it, and that is looking less and less likely as time goes on. between the jailbreak, then the eifstide, and more specifically the dimming... there's no future where war is involved that won't involve them. which means they have to figure something out beforehand.

stephen's immediate connection - to needing a plan, a next step - actually does wonders for him. he hasn't quite realized it, yet, but the difference in not needing to do this alone is really...well it helps. even helps with his overall demeanor, with how he seems to straighten a little. appear a little more together. ]

The first of it is getting the Summoned on the same page. When the first of us showed up, we were all in the castle. It was complicated, sure, but when we were all in one place, it was easier to remember that we're alike, and that Thorne had brought us here. Right now, we're all so spread out, it's easy for isolated people to want to attach themselves to something, but if the Summoned don't feel isolated, or as isolated, we can keep others from aligning too heavily with the politics of the faction they ended up in.

[ you asked for a launching point, and this is where sam is. ]

[sorser]

[It makes sense that solidarity was easier to come by when all the Summoned were in one place, especially if some of them had to share the misery of confinement against their will. But it's funny how quickly that can fade once distance is put into the equation — suddenly lines are drawn, and loyalties are created, even if some of them are only assumed.

That in itself feels like it encapsulates the nature of war; getting people on the same page is hard enough when they are supposed to be on the same team (looking at you, Avengers), but those who've already spread out across the world, harboring an understandable bias against the Thornean kingdom?

Stephen says what they're both assuredly thinking.]

That's a lot easier said than done.

[That'll take trust among all of them, and he just isn't sure there won't be a few people either unwilling to participate or apt to blow the whistle on them.

But it’s not an excuse to avoid trying. He sighs.]

There's one place where all of the Summoned can meet without the authority of their territories bearing down on them. [Where they're having this conversation now. The Horizon.] You want all of us on the same page? Call a meeting for everyone, open the floor up to discussion. It'll be messy, but it's more than what we have now.

And you'd have to make it count, too. Don't think it's anything we could get away with more than once.

[Most of the Summoned poofing away to the Horizon, even for a short while? Would definitely raise a few eyebrows.]

[falcony]

[ sam nods, because while they both had been thinking it, saying the words aloud give it a different kind of weight. because he knew it wasn't going to be easy, going in. and sam knows, despite how much work he's going to put into this, there will be some who don't agree. he knows one in particular who already doesn't. but they still have to try.

at stephens suggestion, sam gives a small smile. finding it...not funny, necessarily, but good to know that they're all at least thinking alike. ]

We did something like that a while ago, actually. Kylo Ren- he's at the castle, has been here since the beginning, if you've run into him- he called a kind of Town Hall back when we were all over there. I had a kind of barbeque in the Horizon a couple months after that, which was a little less agenda-focused.

[ sam pauses, thinking about all of those where attended the two - about those who have since disappeared, and those who have showed up since, stephen included. he nods. ]

But with everything, it's about time we had another. [ sam shifts a bit where he's standing, thinking through this idea. ] The question is - even if I call everyone, you think they're gonna show? I know there's a bunch of new faces around the factions I haven't been, and not everyone takes kindly to people just showing up in their domain. [ sam curses, pushing off the counter from where he'd been leaning and grabbing for his bottle of beer. ]

If I could get to these factions and talk to everyone, I could probably get them to show. But not everyone's gonna show up to a cold call.

[sorser]

Sam, if you could materialize in front of every single Summoned right now and talk to them one-on-one, you'd not get them all to show up for a meeting. Even if it's open to everyone, as I said, we're probably going to have to start smaller and work our way up from there.

[He's sure some have entrenched themselves deep into their own faction, swinging their loyalties in the same direction. Perhaps a few do not even care about what happens between the territories, even if it is a continent-engulfing war. Even Stephen cannot balance those variables in his mind without it giving him a headache; it doesn't surprise him that Sam's goals are grand, but he wonders if they are, a little, overreaching.]

The best we can do is hope for an opportunity where we all converge, even if temporarily, in a place where we can meet face-to-face. That'll take a force bigger than any of us. [Politcally. If the higher-ups were to, say, perhaps hold a PEACE SUMMIT...HMM...] And if we can get half of our number on-board for a Horizon meet-up later, I'd consider that a win.

[Stephen is trying to remain grounded in reality here. Casting their net wide is always a good idea, except when that net could drag in more complications than necessary. An assessment of who's invested in preventing war is more useful than yelling into the void.]

If we do get something promising rolling, I can try to spread the word on my end.

[falcony]

You highly underestimate how much of a charming son-of-a-bitch I am. [ which is only...kind of a joke? no it's definitely a joke, and sam ends up shaking his head a bit. because right now it's not just a matter of meeting everyone. he needs to meet them, needs to connect with them, needs to convince them it's worth the talk. loyalties can be easily swayed, when they're all this far apart. he's seen it enough with ronan lynch. ] No, but honestly, I don't think we're going to want everyone there. Too many people are going to draw too many eyes.

[ also, goro sucks. he's not invited. ]

I don't know how much hope I'm going to put into the bigger forces around here, but... who knows. They might surprise us. [ who knows. sam would get a few more hours of sleep between now and this HYPOTHETICAL PEACE SUMMIT if he did have any faith.

but then sam's going to shoot stephen a curious look, one brow arched. ]

Who all you planning on talking to on your end?

[sorser]

[He nearly laughs. Sure, Sam could be a charming son-of-a-bitch. A lot more so than Stephen, even when he tries. But at least they're both on the same page here, that overreaching will be a detriment more than an advantage to anyone.

He leans forward with an elbow on the table, considering the question.]

A few faces, maybe, that I think have a good head on their shoulders. I've been tutoring this one kid in healing magic back over in the castle. He wants to help people, and I think he'd be a good candidate.

[Otherwise-] But overall? Thorne's not going to stop bringing in new Summoneds any time soon, and at least you'll have someone in that arena to talk sense into those willing to listen.

[falcony]

[ he should laugh at one of sam's jokes one of these days. it will do wonders for his ego. for now, though, he's okay with letting it slide, because there is a bigger issue here and sam's certainly leaning a bit more serious than not.

nodding at the mention of the kid, sam looks mildly worried, the barest flash of concern. of a tension in his jaw. he thinks of relena, of alina, of mal. of that castle and what happened there. ]

No offense, but that castle is no place for a kid. [ and then, because they are talking about good people over there, or at least people they think would agree with them.

for now, though, he is going to leave it to stephen. and he's willing to admit how much of a relief that is. ] And the Free Cities won't stop as long as Thorne's doing it, and I suspect Solvunn will be much of the same. No- I'm actually pretty glad you're there. The way the politics work in that place, having someone there will be huge.