[ 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!
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disarmingly || dai#3757

Comments

tony.

[falcony]

[ it doesn't take long before sam's all but made his decision. a few days, one or two conversations, and suddenly he just. knows. part of him wonders if this is what this is all about - the deciding and then the acting. the realization he doesn't, actually, need to consult with anyone about it. he shouldn't have to, if this is really what he's doing. if this is suddenly less about sam wilson making this all work, and instead about captain america doing something about it.

except that sam knows it's not that simple. or, perhaps, it's not that it's not simple. but rather he knows that - whether or not tony stark wants to involve himself in it - he's not going to be able to remove himself either. sam has contacts in solvunn, people he knows he can depend on, and he counts tony as one of them. the only different is that sam's not sure tony wants this. or if he just...wants to live out his afterlife in his farm-to-table dream. sam wrestles with this for a little bit, but not all that long, before he decides that iron man, no matter where that might have ended him up, gets to make that decision for himself.

so - sometime in the middle of one afternoon - tony's going to get a smattering of easy script across his eyes. sam's script, if he even knows what that looks like. ]

HEY STARK
YOU TOO BUSY FARMING OR CAN I RUN SOMETHING BY YOU?
MEET ME IN MY HORIZON - TOMORROW - LUNCHTIME
- S. WILSON

stephen.

[falcony]

[ sam's relationship with one stephen strange is...complicated, to say the least. and somehow those complications have little to do with the fact they are both tied up in the same general social group back home and only the tiniest to do with how stephen was, somehow, a time wizard with an understand of the multiverse and who probably isn't nearly as lost in this place as sam has been. no, their complications somehow have so much more to do with the fact that sam has already met this dude twice now, and now stephen seemed incredibly nonplussed at the concept of it.

( but let's be honest - sam is quite thankful for it. he doesn't know if he has the vocab to be able to explain that they do know each other but don't really know each other and he's pretty sure they're from the same place but he guesses it's possible they're not but also- yeah. no thanks. he might have gotten a masterclass on the multiverse by a very different peter parker, but he's not. there yet. )

the thing is - they've got a great coworker situation going on. and sam didn't even have to tread water to get there. they've been passing information back and forth - about the dimming, about the free cities, about what they're hearing with their ear to the ground. stephen strange has been a help, and whether or not sam feels like he knows the guy, he can't help but what...trust him? need to depend on him?

either way, he's one of the first people sam reaches out to, when everything is said and done. it's early, but sam's got a feeling stephen isn't necessarily a late sleeper (god he hopes not), when the script will appear across stephen's vision. ]

YOU FREE TOMORROW?
MY PLACE. HORIZON.
- S. WILSON.

geralt + amos.

[falcony]

[ when sam realized what was happening, and then beyond that what it was he'd need to do about it, it was the first time he felt truly struck by the wish that - somehow - it would have made sense for amos to have made it to the cities. not necessarily because he's worried for amos' safety out in solvunn - he had a feeling that if push came to shove, amos could take care of himself - but rather than sam just. would have rathered he'd been here. rathered to have had more peopl here, instead of relying on the horizon to communicate. it's another reminder of the limitations of where they are, of what this place is doing, and it makes sam feel a bit caged in...

but it's fine. it has to be fine. he doesn't really have the time to start getting annoyed at what this place does and doesn't have - not after eight months. nine months? who knows.

all the same - he talks to geralt. and upon realizing they're pretty much on the same page (pretty much only in the sense that they agree on everything that matters. the details they didn't get into, and sam doesn't feel like he needs to), they talk next steps. one of the first being amos - to get him on the same page, to update him on what might be headed to solvunn, and anything and everything that could come up. he shoots amos the message later that night - ]

YOU BUSY TOMORROW?
IF NOT- MY PLACE, HORIZON.
LUNCHTIME.

[ and that's about it.

the next day amos will find geralt and sam in the kitchen - because of course sam is there, of course sam is cooking, going through the motions of something that matters more for there to be something to do with his hands than any actual food.

amos should probably know by now to let himself in. at least - that's what sam's assuming when he hears footsteps on the porch. ]

Back here!

[sorser]

[A co-worker situation is exactly what they have going on, because Stephen needs to keep in touch with those who’ve made their residence in other territories altogether. Setting themselves up for misinformed decisions when it could easily be avoided? Not something he’s willing to risk.

And while he doesn’t really know Sam, he’s won a substantial level of trust just by default. Someone from his world earns interest and investment, of course; but a hero from his world, one who aided in the fight to bring back half of the life in the known universe, earns his respect. It’s always there, if distant — courtesy of a literal separation between them and Stephen’s own arms-length personality.

Regardless, when the message shines in his vision, the response is without delay. Sam’s guessed right; if one looked up the phrase “burning the candle at both ends”, Stephen’s picture would be plastered right next to it.]

I’ll make time.
See you then.

[And he does, arriving tomorrow at the previously discussed time. Stephen takes in the view of Sam’s fashioned home on the Horizon, attention briefly distracted by the sun glinting off the water just beyond the docks at a distance. It’s calm here, quiet — homey, in a way that Stephen isn’t used to after years of living in NYC. The Sanctum could be tranquil, cozy in its own eccentricities, but it could also be imposing, surreal, curious.

This house is safe and grounded. The porch is open, its wood creaking beneath his steps, happily worn with time. His purposeful gait slows to something less hurried, if even for a second.

He knocks on the door and waits.]

[gynvael]

[ Geralt's a few days out of Cadens—in between there and Aquila, following a lead—when Sam tells him he wants to talk. Sam rarely bothers him when he's out of town working; he knows, though, that Sam's been worried as of late about what tensions in Cadens could mean. He pays for a small room to slip into, seals the doors.

Amos will indeed find Geralt with Sam in the kitchen. Where Sam's keeping busy, Geralt's simply leaning against the counter with a drink in hand. He's made it clear to Sam from the outset that he isn't getting involved in anything for the sake of playing peacekeeper or moving on any of the territories. Truthfully, he doesn't disagree with Goro on that end: a war is inevitable. If Goro were not instigating, it'd be someone else. Something else. People are always searching for a reason, for an excuse, and if there are none provided, they will make one themselves.

So that's not why he's here, with Sam. He's here because desperate kingdoms and desperate people take desperate action. The Free Cities already derides magic as it is, and he knows too well some of that derision stems from fear. Regardless of how skilled they are at making use of it, nearly all of the Summoned can access chaos at their fingertips. Ciri is practically made of it. He has not made the decision to remain in this world only for her to be forced into running and hiding again from those who want to use her or destroy her.

He hears the footsteps before Sam does, though he makes no comment. Not until Amos is well into the kitchen does Geralt even look up. When he catches Amos' eye, he tosses a can of beer his way—and that's all the greeting he offers. ]

[baltimores]

[ Solvunn's claim of staying neutral had been a lie, apparently. Sure, Amos has found a way to do that for himself out in the Tertiary Settlement, but clearly, things are going to happen regardless of what he does. It's that thought that had pushed him to try to find answers in the Primary Settlement. What would Cap do kinda shit. Except that's as far as he's gotten.

Sam's message is kind of like a godsend. He didn't bother answering; when Wings tells you to meet up with him, you do. So he does.

Amos makes no qualms about slipping into the Horizon in the middle of the day in Solvunn's busiest settlement. Shit like comped rooms, he isn't really sure how he feels about. But nobody here's gonna start shit if they catch him sneaking off to some metaphysical place. Or if they do, he'll handle that. No skin off his nose.

He catches the beer, cracks it open, takes a long drink from it before doing anything else. Feeling sated, Amos leans back against a wall, looking at them: Sam bustling, Geralt standing. Hadn't necessarily been expecting that, so he can only assume something's up. ]

Hey. [ He nods at Geralt; Sam's still busy putting whatever it is together to really see him, though the greeting is directed at both of them. He's not sure what he's supposed to be smelling from this. He'll wait. ] Lunch date?

[falcony]

[ there's also the fact that the numbers of those who had been here from the beginning are still dwindling. stephen is in a thorne that - to a lot of them - is very different from the one they were brought in to find. stephen, from the few times sam has actually sat down and talked to him (previous version or no) has always struck sam as the type to want to know. who'd want to have that perspective.

plus - there is something comforting in having someone who, whether or not they knew each other back home, are coming from a similar enough place. who know where they both are coming from. tony stark is a situation all his own, but sam's thankful for both of them. for a feeling of normalcy from home, if nothing else. the response is reassuring, and sam focuses on it with a sense of authority. with a feeling of being back to work. in a lot of ways, it's nice. in a lot of others, it feels a little like he's sliding back into a coat that's too big for him.

he reminds himself stephen didn't know steve all that well, if at all, either. that there aren't shoes he's trying to fill. that he's just. he's just doing what he needs to. here. in abraxas.

and sam is back in the kitchen, when stephen knocks. putting on the finishing touches of whatever he's making - maybe a casserole, maybe something else. but he leans over and yells down the hall - enough to be heard through the door ]

It's open!

[falcony]

[ there is a kind of feeling that settles when amos steps back into the kitchen. sam's not even sure they notice - but it hits him a bit suddenly. three people who all know each other, who've all connected separately, who he's called here. together. who he feels a kind of support, a kind of confirmation that this had been the right move. that if nothing else, he's glad they're both here, no matter what comes of it.

he finishes up with whatever he's been fiddling with - some sort of pasta, with chicken and shrimp and veggies and honestly, he hadn't been paying much attention, looking up from it right as amos had been making his nod. right as he was getting settled. sam flashes a smile, a regular greeting, and shrugs at the question. ]

Only if you're hungry. [ which sam had...very obvious assumed they both would be. he starts plating all the same for all three of them - handing over the meal when the plate is piled high enough. is it because he knows they both eat a ton, or just because he's sort of over-indulging in the service of it? they may never know. ]

How're things out by you? [ he asks amos - and while there is little about the actual question that is serious, there's a kind of weighted-ness to how he asks it. like it might have something to do with why he'd brought them all here. ]

[gynvael]

[ There was a time Geralt'd have raised an eyebrow at the small mountain of food sent his way. He takes it now without blinking, setting it next to him on the counter. His gaze lands on Amos. Their meetings have largely been on weapons, on training. Perhaps some casual talk of the territories, of how things are going. Nothing serious. He knows Amos is not keen on being involved. Geralt isn't, either. This is the first time they've met for something...more.

He does trust Amos. They've always been on good terms. But he has not forgotten, either, what Amos told him the first time he came to Kaer Morhen. It isn't a detail he's shared with Sam, but it is the reason he thinks it's good Sam is here, too. Someone Amos seems to like, whose call he will answer.

Sam might be inching towards the point of this gathering with a semblance of preamble; Geralt has no such notions—and the way he follows after Sam without pause suggests he was expecting it, like he'd anticipated he'd be the one to bring the topic forth before Amos can ask, What's this about?

He takes a piece of shrimp with his fingers and pops it into his mouth. ] We've reason to believe Solvunn might be the focus of some conflict in the coming future.

[baltimores]

[ Amos pushes himself off from the wall at the sight of the plates, joins Geralt by the counter for his own, immediately twirling a hefty amount of pasta onto a fork. Seems like a good idea for a real-world dinner tonight. He's plenty happy with it; is already eating by the time Sam asks his question, beer set down next to his plate on the counter.

His gaze clicks from Sam to Geralt when the latter speaks up. If he didn't already know the both of them, this would feel something like an ambush. Like something's going to be demanded of him, and maybe it's something he wants nothing to do with, and maybe it's a meeting where not everybody leaves alive. Wouldn't be the first time it's happened to him.

Except he likes Wings and Hunter as much as he likes anyone in this world, and Wings' introduction feels a lot like Holden before he'd finally get to the point, so Hunter's auto-translate feature is welcomed. He takes his time chewing and swallowing before speaking up, directing his gaze at the both of them. ]

No shit, huh? [ He isn't surprised in the slightest; mildly curious, maybe. ] Yeah, I don't think they're really what they seem. I've been out in the Primary Settlement past couple of days now, only fuck if I know what I'm looking for. Just that something seems up. What do you guys know?

[sorser]

[The smell of something cooking catches in his nose the moment he steps in and closes the door behind him, warm and enticing. If nothing else, it draws him to Sam’s location just down the hall and into the kitchen, and Stephen wanders in to find the man moments later.

He shoves his hands in his pockets—sorcerer’s garb traded out for something utterly casual, something few people see Stephen wearing these days: a t-shirt and jeans (subconsciously, he’s matched the casual atmosphere of the house)—and hikes up a brow.]

Smells good. What’s on the menu?

[Surely Sam didn’t call him here for a Horizon luncheon, but not drawing attention to it seems like some kind of sin.]

[falcony]

[ it's silly, in a way, that somehow watching both geralt and amos settle and start in on the food makes this feel a little more real. he doesn't focus too much on the horizon and what it means, what it can do that they spend so much time here, but as if in spite of the rest of the world outside and the strange, insane differences in where they're all from, this? this works.

does he also end up sighing a little bit as gerlt cuts through all that sam had planned on easing and goes straight to the point? yes. though he supposes he can't get too hung up on it. both geralt and amos are the type of people who probably prefer that. sam reaches for his own bottle of beer, food for himself ignored in favor of taking a drink and nodding.

if they want to get right to the point, sam guesses he can get right to the point. ]

One of the other Summoneds - his name's Goro. Big dude, lots of arms. Anyway- he held a rally where he's basically provoking the people in Cadens - that's where Geralt and I are - to demand action be taken against Solvunn's part in Eifstide. He's telling everyone that the mages over there are 'unrestrained, unsupervised, and unregulated'- [ there's an obvious shift in sam's tone at those three words which make it more obvious he's quoting. he even goes as far as to shake his head before he continues. ] -and that if they don't demand the leaders take action, something worse will come of it. Truth is, I had a talk with him the night before to try and get him to call it off. It went about as well as you'd think it would, but it did prove to me that he's not doing this for some kind of misguided idealology, or whatever you want to call it. He thinks war between the factions is inevitable, and he wants us to all get there faster.

[ sam takes a second there to glance over to geralt - as if making sure he covered what needed to be covered, before his attention turns back to amos. ]

I'm not here to convince you to get involved if you don't want to be. We aren't here to do that. [ he gestures between him and geralt, and doesn't even have to look over to him to know where the other man stands on it. ] But you're over in Solvunn, and you and everyone else there should know if something, or someone, is headed in your direction with war in mind.

[gynvael]

[ Sam's sigh receives a unperturbed look in return before Geralt goes back to eating, seemingly ignoring the noodles to pick at the meat on the plate. His gaze is fixed on Amos while Sam lays out the situation, watching to see how the other man might react.

It's all things he's heard before—all things Sam came to him with a week or so ago. The best scenario, Geralt thinks, is that the leaders come to a sort of strained agreement because they're not yet ready for war. But who the fuck knows. The Singularity makes this world a tinderbox. Regardless, as much as he doesn't trust Solvunn or any of the territories, Solvunn holds people he cares about. Between Kay, Relena, Himeka, Amos—he isn't interested in anyone being blindsided by tensions coming their way. Especially not now that Solvunn's council has demonstrated they won't hesitate to call on the summoned to do their dirty work for them.

And that some of those summoned will answer.

He only gives a nod when Sam glances his direction. No. Nothing else to add. Not yet, anyway. He has a few thoughts: exactly what he thinks should or should not be done with this knowledge, that he's hoping informing those in Solvunn won't cause things to spiral further out of control. Once it's out there, he suspects it'll spread, and there need only be one to take it to the council. To demand retaliation of their own. Still. It isn't in Geralt's nature to withhold a matter of this level to try and force the hand of an entire state. That's not what he does, not really the games he cares to play. It'd been different when it was simply Goro giving some speeches in a city. This has grown to be...more. Much more. He's with Sam on that: these people simply deserve to know. What happens afterwards—he can accept that isn't something either of them can truly predict or control. ]

[falcony]

[ sam glances up when stephen enters, taking note of the casual attire. not what he expected, given what he's seen of stephen before, but sam just sort of nods in welcome and gestures to the bar seats at the counter for stephen to take one, if he so wishes. ]

Seafood gumbo. Though knowing this place, you can make it out to be whatever you want.

[ he serves up a bowl of it all the same, setting it on the counter and pushing it over to where stephen has either sat or stood, before serving himself a bowl too. there was something about talking over food that made this easier, something about it that both sets a mood and softens the tone of it.

but sam doesn't waste too much time, just long enough to take a bite, to make sure stephen says what he wants to say, before he sighs. with that sigh, something almost shifts in the room. like, subconsciously, the horizon feels a bit more professional. a bit colder. ]

I know we don't actually know each other. [ strong start, way to go sam. ] And I know you haven't been here all that long, either, but I needed to ask if you if you're willing to work with me on building a kind of inner-faction group while we're all here. [ sam settles into his own barstool, situating before he turns back to stephen. it's another subtle shift, probably, but sam looks suddenly much older. much more tired. ]

I've got reason to believe things are about to start escalating much faster than they have been. Dangerously so. And we - the Summoneds - aren't going to be able to avoid getting involved if we don't start working together.

[baltimores]

[ Sam's sigh did earn a glance from Amos; it's something he's kinda familiar with, but has no response to. Wings is just that kinda person. Amos likes him a lot.

So he gets his undivided, sincere attention when he speaks, fork left on his plate, beer bottle untouched to the side. His face remains impassive throughout all of it. He's just absorbing the information, is all.

When Sam's done, Amos doesn't move. Hardly blinks. He's come to his own conclusion pretty quick. ]

Sounds like you should kill this Goro guy.

[ I had a talk with him — Amos sighs, reaches for his drink. If he's understanding this correctly, then types like that never respond to talk. He loves Holden, for as much as it's probably been over a year by now since he last saw him. Sam reminds him of him a lot. They almost certainly know better than him, and he'll always defer to them.

But people who want war can't be reasoned with. They want war. And in war, the whole fuckin' point is to kill the other guy. Why anyone dances around the inevitable conclusion is beyond Amos. You take out the instigator, you probably save yourself a whole lot of problems.

Talk. Jesus. Amos takes a long drink. When he's done, he sets the bottle back down. Glances at Hunter. If he's here with Sam, then Amos figures he might not be on board the just kill the guy plan. Which, again, completely beyond Amos.

As it stands, there's only one part of this he really cares about. He looks back at Sam, but he's addressing Geralt, too. ]

Solvunn keeps all the kids in the Primary Settlement. Only place with a school. It's also the only part that makes any sense to attack. If shit's going to go down, they need to know so all the kids can get the fuck out of there.

[ His gaze goes flat. ]

Is shit going to go down.

[ It's barely even a question. There's one underneath it, though: are you gonna take care of this, or do I gotta take care of things on my end. ]

[sorser]

[Well, Stephen wouldn't be so rude to will Sam's gumbo into another dish altogether, and it looks and smells appealing enough, even if it's not a meal that very often meets his palette. Settled into a seat with the bowl sliding his way, he remarks-]

Wouldn't dare.

[He wonders if the choice is courtesy of the docks out back; wonders if this is the kind of thing Sam's had a lot back home. But ultimately, they're not here for small talk, and the man's start makes that clear. They don't know each other -- likely, this is strictly business, as he expected.

He listens, the line of his shoulders becoming a little straighter as each word passes Sam's lips. Nothing adds flavor to a meal like the promise of war hanging over their heads, a sharpened sword about to drop.]

How very Avengers of you. [Mr. Captain America. Wry as Stephen's tone is, he doesn't mean it as a bad thing. He agrees on principle.] But yeah, of course. We're sorely lacking a group like that, and anything that perpetuates an exchange of clear information from all territories would be helpful. Especially if a war is bound to spark.

[Which Sam is making it sound like it is, sooner rather than later. There's rhetoric there that Stephen wants to pick at (aren't going to be able to avoid getting involved) but the primary question gets priority first:]

So what's the reason for escalation? Is someone out there stirring the pot?

[falcony]

[ and that is...actually, just about what sam expected in response from amos. call it gut feeling, call it a guess, but amos listens to him talk and doesn't say much and when sam finishes the first words out of the other's mouth are sounds like you should kill this goro guy. sam doesn't sigh, though the almost urge is there, but he does end up shaking his head. he's already had this whole come to jesus with geralt, and while the urge in him does rise to have it here, too, with amos. about how they don't kill people and how he should probably get that out of the way to begin with, right now sam just lets it sit with the shake of his head. ]

We're not killing him. [ and there is a pause here where both amos and geralt can probably feel sam temper down his speech. instead, he goes with reason, because yes - even if it wasn't on the table for him, it doesn't mean he hasn't thought about it. ] He's already got support from people in the city. Already had a meeting with Marlo, too, so if anything happened to him the city and its officials would know. I'm not here to make him a martyr.

[ goro knows how to work the anger of the people, and sam's seen that happen. seen all the dangerous, complicated ways it can be weaponized. he knows nothing has happened yet, but if something did happen and he hadn't taken the initiative to at least warn them.

amos turns back to him, and sam feels the flat look. knows what he's asking, even without the question mark. sam lets out a breath, because he wishes he could take care of it. he does, but knowing goro and knowing where things were heading, he knows he can't. not like this, at least. so sam returns the look with a serious one of his own. a tight jaw. ]

Is there somewhere safe for the kids to be moved to?

[ aka, yes. shit is going to go down. and it's not such an easy question, whether or not sam's going to take care of it on his end. he's already got a couple of things in motion. but he'd rather prepare for the worst. ]

There's always a chance he wants to go through the political motions by just sending diplomats over to the settlement; but from what I saw, he's going to make the trip himself. He wouldn't give anyone else that much control, and if he's bringing any of his followers with him...it'll take a gust of wind to blow this whole thing up.

[gynvael]

[ There is the faintest curl to his lips—partly because he also saw it coming from Amos; partly because he equally saw the near-sigh come from Sam in reply. Geralt is, in fact, on the same page as Sam. It isn't anything to do with they don't kill people. Geralt has made it clear where he stands on this topic. But he doesn't disagree doing so now will only add kindling to whatever fire is growing in the city. Goro is the face of it, the drive behind it, but he is not the end all of what the people are feeling. They'll only find a new leader, with renewed anger. It will protect no one and solve nothing.

Besides, he's little desire to interfere in what are effectively matters between two warring nations. He isn't here to invite Amos to do so, either. He's already skirting the line by having this conversation in the first place. If Goro ends up dead at the hands of the council, or the citizens of Solvunn, he won't blink. One of the summoned doing so adds a complication. It's a level of involvement that goes beyond a simple warning, out of concern for those who also want nothing to do with any of this. ]

Leave Solvunn to decide. Should they cut him down, so be it. [ He's not really looking at Sam here. Instead, his attention is on Amos. Because he understands. He's spent enough time with Amos to know how the man is. Amos will never see eye to eye with Sam on the simple blanket statement that they shouldn't take a life. He does, however, think he knows what Amos will be able to stand behind. ] If you spill blood on Solvunn's behalf, it will only tell them we're willing to be their weapon.

[ Which is something too many during the Dimming have already signaled. It sets a dangerous precedent. ]

[falcony]

[ that gets a small flash of a smile and a nod, appreciative. good for strange, knowing where social graces are when it comes to food and how, very obviously, important it is. and the thing is, if stephen really wanted to come and small talk over food and sam's family home, sam would absolutely let him in. he could throw the whole wilson family welcome alongside it too.

unfortunately, stephen's caught him in the middle of a "captain america" mood, which is only accented by his comment. sam shrugs, giving stephen something of a knowing smile, though even that fades. ] I have a couple of people I'm reaching out to; some over in Solvunn, Stark being one of them, and a few in the Free Cities alongside me. Thorne is...more complicated, as you can imagine, but I don't want it to go ignored. This only works if we can get people from all sides sharing, and I think we can do that. More of us than not don't want this war, and if we all work together, I think we can help hold it off.

[ and then there's that, and sam gives a sigh. it sounds...well, not complicated, necessarily, but tired. ]

Yes, actually. And I say this not knowing what's being done or said over by you, or in the Settlements, but I do know for a fact that we have people in the Free Cities antagonizing things. [ a beat, and then he reminds himself of the avengers. of the whole reason stephen is here. he has to trust these people he brings in, or it won't work. ] Have you met Goro yet?

[baltimores]

[ There's a reason he likes Wings so much, has found himself drifting to regular meetups with him where all they really do is hang out. It isn't just because of a mutual missing of technology, the standard comforts of daily life they'll probably never have again. It's because of that steadfast conviction to be a fundamentally good person. Amos can practically feel Sam put his speech on hold. It's the kind of talk Holden has tried having with him before; has long since given up and only applied in the immediate moment, when it was most relevant.

Amos would feel what could probably be described as affection for Sam if not for the fact that this is war. Blood's going to be spilled either way. Martyr or not means nothing to him; someone who wants war that badly is going to have to be removed eventually, one way or another.

He's prepared to answer Sam when Geralt cuts in, and his words stop him in his tracks.

Amos pushes his plate to the side; he's not feeling the sensation of hunger anymore, not bothering to consider how good it would smell if it was real. It's a non-entity to him now. The beer stays closer in reach out of habit, but... it isn't really anything, either. Not anymore.

He runs a hand through his hair, sighs in frustration. The shit at the Dimming had already given him an uncertain feeling. This is officially now more of that. And he's been people's weapons before. Not always on the right side of things. And while those things have a way of fixing themselves, it's never pretty.

He meets Geralt's eyes. ]

Not sure I trust them to do the right thing.

[ Though his own voice is uncertain, because it's not like he knows what the right thing is. Only ones he trusts are... fuck, probably the people in this room, which is pretty useless in the long run, when they all go their separate ways and he wakes back up alone in Solvunn without a guide.

Goddamnit, this is why you kill problems early, before they have a chance to become bigger problems. Except sounds like the time has long since passed. His frustration is probably palpable at this point.

He looks back at Sam. ]

So the guy who's just itching for a fight is travelling somewhere where he can start one. You ever been around that type before? You can't reason with them. You want to stop them, you have to put them down.

[ Fuck, he could try to kill him himself, but then Geralt's warning that Solvunn might see him in a way they probably shouldn't. This is— there's no solution here. He should just go back to the Tertiary Settlement and stay out of it.

Except for the one problem, the only part of this he cares about. Goddamnit. ]

Kids could probably be moved to the place with all the farmland, unless this guy's the type to get off on razing crops, too. Otherwise there's where I'm usually at. Kind of a shithole, but better than being dead or watching your parents get killed in front of you.

covers the date on this tag.

[privatizes]

[ tony is, incidentally, in the middle of making himself lunch with he receives the text message. and he sighs to himself before deciding not to bother responding, making his sandwich in peace.

however, the next day, at lunchtime, tony indeed shows up at sam's horizon, hands buried in the pockets of his jacket, looking mildly curious. better, than he had been the last time they chatted. more well-rested, at the very least. ]

They have other people who do the farming in Solvunn, you know.

[ with a roll of his eyes as he takes a step proper into the house. a casual glance around, to memorize the layout. ]

I just reap the rewards -- anyway, what do you want, wings?

[falcony]

[ sam's in the back, in the kitchen, which is pretty much the place for him whenever he's feeling restless these days. if he hears tony approaching, he'll call him back all the same, looking up and pretty instantly noticing just how much better he does look. which is. good. it takes off a worry that sam hadn't quite realized he had.

instead, he kind of snorts. gestures for one of the bar seats, if tony wants to sit down. ]

You? Giving up control like that? Wasn't sure it was possible.

[ he lets tony look around, let's tony take as much time as he wants to be nosy. he'll find photos of people and places that look almost like home, and then some distinctly made-up ones of people sam's met here. either way, sam's gonna talk loud enough that where ever tony is snooping he'll hear. ]

I want to talk. About how things are in Solvunn. About some shit going on in the Free Cities. [ whatever it is sam's cooking, it's involved chopping or. ] Whether or not you want to get involved, you should know what's happening, and some shit is going to start happening.

[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]

[ sam and geralt do not agree on the whole of what is happening, no. they'd already had their discussion and come to that conclusion. and honestly, part of sam had dipped into this whole thing - connecting the people he trusted, updating them on what was happening - knowing that not everyone would agree. but that wasn't the point, at the end of it. sam didn't need everyone to agree on what was, wasn't, or might happen. he just needed them to see that whatever it was would be dangerous, for them and for the people here, and that they couldn't just wait for it to fall down around them.

but as far as killing anyone, that...that was something that could come later. and even as geralt spoke, even as the should they cut him down is shared, sam doesn't argue. his jaw might clench just a little bit, but he doesn't argue, just ends up shaking his head. ]

Right thing or not, if the people over in Solvunn aren't going to listen to you, you need to make sure the kids are safe. [ and honestly, sam kind of hates that it feels like they're already too late. but after his conversations with marlo, after knowing how the free cities handled the whole situation with geralt, he doesn't have a lot of trust in any of these governments.

and he can tell amos is getting frustrated, sam is frustrated too. feels a little bit like the walls are all finally starting to crumble and this whole thing they've been waiting for months, worried about for months, is already on its way. ] And we're not putting him down. Chances are he's not even going to start the fight, and he's not the type to go after farmland, either. Not this early. But he is going to be trying to get everyone else to say, or do, something. Anything to turn them into villains.

[ which is. a whole other issue. goro is going to want to start a fight, and while his anger was unrestrained and easily goaded, he'd be more likely to want to trap the people of solvunn, or at the very least the mages over in solvunn, into an impossible situation. something they'd have to fight back again, something they'll use magic to do...

right?

okay, no, sam was getting too far ahead of himself. the basics of this were clear: make preparations for keeping people safe, warn solvunn of goro's anti-magic and anti-solvunn tendencies, make sure they know it's not summoned against summoned, and. hopefully set the groundwork to keep a fight from breaking out. sam ran a hand across his face, suddenly feeling exhausted by all of this. ]

Do you know of anyone over there who'd throw the first punch, if Goro said enough shit? Summoned, local, whoever? [ sam is thinking about estinien, of course. but he doesn't want to name names. ]

[privatizes]

Contrary to popular belief, I know what I'm bad at.

[ blithely, though he does settle into a seat, when offered one. he does take a cursory look around, but doesn't linger too heavily, on the details. he loathes people wandering into his own horizon and looking at same details, so he resists the urge to be nosy. for now, anyway.

he does, however, take notice of a photo that looks from home. sam, and a woman around his age. a sister, maybe? faintly, tony realizes he knows next to nothing about sam and his personal life. and he's about to ask when sam says what he does. ]

It's a town full of farmers and sheep; not much happens. They leave me alone, and I leave them alone. I have permission to do what I want, and I haven't seen the need to break whatever rule they have in place yet. Not that there are much.

[ with a shrug, resting his chin in a hand, though he does seem at least casually interested in what sam has to say. ]

But I'm guessing you know something I don't, hence this whole secret meeting about things that are happening, or whatever.