[ OPEN ] no more wasting time.

[falcony]

Who: sam wilson and open. (see note below!)
What: sam is calling a Summoned Town Hall (and get-together.)
Where: sam's horizon
When: mid-may (one afternoon into evening)
Warnings: will update as necessary.

THE SETUP

This meeting has been planned for some time now - at least from Sam's point of view. Even before the Summit he knew this would be important, but between the Eclipse and the dream of the Eye and everything that followed, there were some other things that required his attention. But as soon as that all settled, and as soon as the Free Cities started reaching out for reports, proving that each of the Summoned have been watched and tracked down, well. Big Brother always has to start somewhere.

So he reaches out to Stephen and Wanda - tells them of his plan for a meeting, about getting everyone together to discuss the impending war, the factions, and everything that came before. He left it up to Wanda and Stephen to disseminate the information and invitation however they saw fit - anyone was invited, of course, but that didn't mean everyone needed to attend. This was intended to be a smaller group, more contained, so as not to attract any unwanted attention, but who knew what happened once the date and time got out there.

Once everyone arrives, they'll be directed into the main area of the house - where the living room and kitchen meet to form one of the corners. It will be a bit of a tight squeeze, depending on how many show up, but there will also be plenty of chairs, couch space, corners, and wherever else anyone will want to settle and listen.

When everyone has filed in and found their spot, Sam will come to stand at the front and center of the room. He plans to address everyone first with something of a speech (Captain America, anyone?) which he will then open up the floor to questions (see open top level below). There will be a point in the middle of the questions that Sam will seem to catch notice in the corner of the room and - distractedly - will direct all questions to Stephen as he nods and heads up the stairs - followed closely behind by Geralt, who seems to have just appeared - but he will be back in about fifteen or so minutes and will pick up directly where he left off.

Once Sam believes the questions have settled, or at the very least everyone is way too hungry to sit still for any longer, he will dismiss everyone for food, drinks, or just smaller circles of discussion. Meeting's over, go stuff your face with Horizon food! But be warned - Julie's manning the bar.

OOC INFO

- It is Sam's intention that this to be a closer cr/smaller group, but as it is with any invitation/meeting, the word can easily get out, so feel free to have your character have learned about it/heard about it/stumble in even if they don't know Sam.

- Any questions that you want your character to pose to Sam directly, please put under this top level and I will prioritize. Because these are questions in an open forum, go ahead and note on your tag if you are down for other characters to chime in, etc.

- For about 15 minutes or so, Stephen will be in charge of answering questions (much to his dismay and with no preparation or warning). So if you want your question to be directed to him, please make a note.

- please feel free to leave a top-level below for mingling after the speech/q&a session. Sam's entire domain is open, save for one locked bedroom upstairs. It'll be a bit like a barbeque, a bit like an after-party, a bit like some chill time at Sam's horizon to meet and greet whoever is around.

- if you have any other questions, feel free to hit me up at disarmingly or pm this account!

THE SPEECH

[ sam isn't nervous, exactly, as everyone starts filing in. most of the faces he recognizes, most of the faces know their way around, so it's not like there's a whole lot of this that feels all that serious. it's not until a few more people start showing up, faces that sam doesn't recognize right off the bat, that has him shifting into something a little more...well, professional. it's been years since he's led any sort of counseling session. longer, if you want to count the snap. and while this definitely isn't counseling, it's starting to feel similar enough.

so as more people start showing up, and as they get closer and closer to the time that sam had sent around with everyone, sam starts pulling himself away from conversations. starts telling people to take seats wherever they can find a spot. it's a squeeze - his living room isn't exactly made for a community meeting - so he ends up having some of them spill over into the kitchen area, some even back behind the island. where he stands in the hallway between, everyone can see him. and honestly, anyone in the house can hear him, so it doesn't matter all that much where everyone ends up.

it's a few minutes later before he's in front of everyone, with one of the kitchen bar stools pulled up so he can sit (lord knows he's not imagining some kind of podium today). then, once everyone has appeared to have settled and with a breath and straightening of his shoulders, he begins. ]

First off- I want to welcome everyone to my place. A bunch of y'all have been here before, sure, but some are new, so I just want to make one ground rule pretty clear: don't be assholes. This place will always be open for you, even if I'm not around, but treat it like what it is, which is my house. No fighting, no destroying my place, nothing. I don't care that all this is technically magic or we could all fix it up however we want, it's my home. Respect it.

[ and then he smiles, which shifts what was beginning to feel a bit like some kind of parent or babysitter figure into something that feels a bit more welcoming. a bit warmer. there's a hint here for those that don't know him of the fact that this isn't always the way he carries himself. isn't always how he acts. but there is a job to do, a point to get to, and so he doesn't fully relax. ]

And thank y'all for coming. The last time we had one of these was...well, it was some time ago, back when we were all in the castle. And considering some of the events since then, I figured it's about time we all had another of these get-togethers.

My name's Sam, [ hi sam. ] And I live in Cadens, the capital of the Free Cities. I've been in Abraxas just over a year, and was part of the first group that got pulled through the portal, back when Ambrose in Castle Thorne was the only one doing it. So if any of y'all have questions about what's happened since we first started showing up, I can talk you through some of it, or at least try and answer what I can; but I'm gonna ask you save those questions for after all this. I didn't call this sort of Town Hall for a history lesson, at least not entirely, and I planned on having time for questions.

[ as he keeps talking, it's less that the smile fades and more that his tone takes on a heavier weight to it. a subtle shift, from someone welcoming a group of people into their living room to someone with a little more authority to him. he's not trying to be intimidating, or scary, or even all that unapproachable. more so, he's here for a purpose, and that purpose is important. and that's the set to his shoulders as he starts up again. ]

Now, if you didn't know already, this world has a few centuries of history under its belt. And just like any other world, or continent, or whatever you want to call it - all the different kingdoms, or factions, haven't always gotten along. These big three we know most about - Thorne, Solvunn, and the Cities - have a lot of that tangled history between them, and us showing up has only complicated it even more. These beliefs are pretty much in direct opposition to each other, and that includes what they think we - the Summoned - are here to do and how to treat us.

[ as sam talks, his arms come to cross over his chest and his eyes slowly start to move around the room - from face to face, person to person. he takes time, in his way, to make eye contact with just about everyone in the room. to connect with everyone, if he can. ]

Where we come in is the fact these factions are on the brink of war, and I don't say this lightly. Events, since we've arrived, have already escalated, to a point that we can't ignore them anymore. Now- that could mean days, that could mean months, hell. It could be years before the first shot is taken- but Thorne, Solvunn, and the Cities have all made it clear they're headed in that direction, and they are going to try and bring us along for the ride. I've been told that the people showing up in the barracks outside of Cadens are literally being told they've been drafted.

[ he pauses, as if waiting to see if that even surprises anyone - that there's a war, that the cities are actively looking towards their military, that this is known. but before anyone can pipe in, he picks up again. ]

If being a part of this war is something you do want in on, then man, go for it. Consider yourself lucky. But I'm here, now, to let people know that we're not all here for that reason and that there are a lot of us who are actively against it. War is not new to me, as it probably isn't for a lot of you. I've done my fair share of fighting in them, and fighting against them breaking out at all, but I'm not naive, either. With centuries on centuries of bad blood behind these kingdoms, it's not a matter of someone showing up and saying the right thing at the right time. As much as I might want to, I'm not going to walk in and talk to the Prime Minister of the Cities and get her to stand down from this war. Believe me- I've already tried. But that's also okay, because at this point my goal isn't to try and fix their problems for them. [ which...okay, there might be some thinly veiled frustration there. because sam has, actually, tried. a couple of times now. and he's less than thrilled by how it was received. was he surprised? not at all. but that doesn't mean he's happy about it either. ]

What I'm here to do - and what I'm here to talk to all y'all about, today - is just to make sure you know that you don't need to fight their war. They brought us here without our say, called by the Singularity and whatever tether we're supposed to have with it. Some of these places have welcomed us, and some haven't been given the welcome they deserve. But this place, these factions, however it is they've treated you - you are not a weapon for them to manipulate and you are not a soldier drafted into their war. And I want everyone here to remember that, because they will try and convince you to their cause, and honestly, they probably won't be that wrong in their reasons why.

But their problems are not for you to solve - not unless you want to - and you're not alone in this.

It's easy to forget how many of us are here when we're all split up across this continent - and sure, we have the Horizon to keep us connected, we've got that weird sort of- [ he gestures out towards one of the walls, though it's hard to tell what he means until he continues- ] -sparkling text thing that means we can keep in contact, but that's not the same. And when you're isolated, it's real easy to get caught up in these reasons, or opinions, of the factions.

I'm here to tell you that are aren't alone. And while any decision you want to make, or any side you want to join, is up to you - you do have all these people in this room at your back. We are in this together, and we can be here for each other, and what that means for me is making sure we don't get caught up in this war.

And honestly - I'm not here to ask for help. If you want to, hell, I'll take all the help I can get. But it's not your job, and it's not your responsibility. This isn't some recruitment meeting, no, I'm just asking you to be aware of what’s happening around you, and not to get manipulated by propaganda. Think for yourself. Keep your eyes open.

[ there is a brief moment here where sam pauses, like he's taking a breath. like he's letting everything he just said settle. it feels a bit like he's wrapping up, when he lets out this next breath. bare with him - he won't talk forever. ]

There are a lot of us who have gotten settled in our time here, and some who are just looking for a place to call home. These factions - they're going to fight for their home, and if you want to fight for yours, I'm not going to stop you. But it is your choice, and we- [ a beat, and then sam gives a small, slightly tired smile and settles back into his chair. it looks a bit like he was going to gesture to some key people around him, but like he makes the decision to leave it to him, instead. ] -I am here to make sure you know that. And to help in whatever way I can.

Now. [ another pause, and then sam claps, drawing everyone's attention back together. ] Any questions?

Comments

[falcony]

[ the applause had absolutely been appreciated, whether or not anyone else joined in, and jayce had probably been able to see as much - sam's smile wasn't one he generally hid, after all. but it had also drawn attention to jayce, to the familiar way he and viktor were sitting together, and it didn't take much for sam to at least put together that they were friends. from home, most likely.

( and yes, some part of him was glad for it - that viktor had a friend, especially someone who seemed just as well versed in the ways of social interactions as this man was. )

it does mean that sam is somewhat prepared when he's approached afterwards - and when the introductions begin, sam's got his hand outstretched to shake. ]

Please- just call me Sam, really. [ mr wilson is just. too much like his dad, and even when sam had moved out and was on his own, it tended to just be wilson. but he knows it's polite, and he hopes jayce will take the hint. ] And I do know Viktor, yeah. He's actually working on something for me with another guy I know- [ sam glances around briefly, like he's trying to pinpoint the man in question, but gives up after another moment. ] You met Tony Stark yet?

[ when jayce brings up his concerns, though, a part of that easy lighthearted welcoming air about sam settles into something more professional, something a little more straight-backed. ] The way these factions are set up are so you do end up feeling that way. They each want us on their sides, to help with their own goals. Only way to combat it is to be aware of it. [ and then, as jayce continues to list off his resume, sam's seriousness eases away a bit into a small, impressed smile, both his brows lifting at the list. ]

And did you leave room to sleep somewhere in there, or are you and Viktor on that same "sleep is for the weak" mindset? [ it's obviously a joke, from the way sam asks, but part of him is equally curious as he is relieved. the politician part of it wasn't expected, necessarily, but sam can see the signs - the way he holds himself, the confidence in which he speaks, hell - he's handsome enough that anyone would want him in front of a crowd. and then there is the rest of that list which explains his partnership with viktor. ]

But I'll take the compliment. Speeches and all that weren't usually my thing- [ at least, they weren't before he took the shield. before cap got added to his titles. but it's something he's pretty seamlessly stepped into and he doesn't really mind all that much. ] -but someone's got to step up. And if it's not one of us, well.

[ sam...considers if he wants to bring up marlo specifically, or even goro at that point. if it's worth mentioning the way that the rest of this continent and these kingdoms will keep moving, and won't think twice about trying to sweep as many summoned up in it as they can.

but at the same time - goro is there, right on the other side of the house, and sam's not looking to start anything. plus, this was more of a first step meeting anyway, an acknowledgement of a choice that many summoned might not think they have. the deeper discussions of all this, the reality of what is going on, that can be saved for later. and sam gets the feeling that with jayce, there will be a later - something he's glad for, if only because there's someone else to share the burden.

for now, though, sam figures that unless jayce has specific questions, the least he can do is friendly conversation.

( extroverts need extrovert friends too, you know. ) ]

So- tell me. How exactly did you and Viktor end up partners? 'cause, no offense, but he seems a lot more like the type to take to everything alone.

[hextechhead]

Nice to meet you, Sam.

[ Jayce takes his hands and shakes it firmly, having gotten used to not everyone being into shaking hands around here, so it's a relief when something familiar like that happens. He's learned a skill for it being someone who had to schmooze and shake many a hand to get his work out there, so it's an instinct. He had a feeling Sam would shrug off the formal title quickly, but it's still polite to start there. ]

Oh, I know the project in question, I've been read in on it too. Most bigger projects we do together.

[ Viktor and Jayce work on some things separately, usually anything that they don't need a second pair of hands or eyes on. Sometimes even those they get to comment on because they're always around each other, but anything that may present a challenge ends up in front of them both. They've been in each other's pockets for so long that they don't even think of it. So this is the wings guy! Jayce isn't going to say that out loud in case it's private, he knows how to be discrete, but it's definitely interesting to talk about mechanical wings that work.

Jayce isn't listing his skills to be impressive, although in true form of someone who values other people's opinions more than he should, he's grateful when they are. He just likes to let people know what he is capable of so they know who to ask for help, if they ever need it. He laughs and shakes his head. ]

I'm afraid we're both like that, yeah. I wouldn't say sleep is for the weak, but it is hard to shut my brain down while things are still left to be done.

[ It's not a test of stamina for Jayce, who is healthy as can be so he could probably handle it better than most, but that he'll just sit up thinking about his work if there are still question marks. Sometimes he sleeps like the dead, when it feels like they've hit a wall or they've finished enough to relax. ]

Well you wouldn't know it when you hear it, you sound very comfortable in front of a crowd. I think it's important we stick together, I feel like the Cadens group can be tight knit but we're only one part of a whole.

[ Jayce knows most of the Summoned in Free Cities by now, if not by name by sight. They seem to stick together, but they're spread out all through the Horizon, no one should feel isolated from each other. The question about Viktor though has him grinning and he glances in the direction of said partner, before back to Sam. ]

The first time we met he arrested me. He was the assistant to the Dean of the Academy, our mutual mentor who was also the head of the political party in our city, the Council. I was doing illegal testing with arcane crystals to prove my theory that magic and technology could be combined to improve our world.

[ Even now years later whenever Jayce talks about Hextech or about Viktor and their work, his enthusiasm and passion shine through, glowing in him because it never stops being special or important in his eyes. Not having Hextech here has been difficult for him, but he's been focusing on magic instead to make up for it. ]

I was thrown out of the academy and hit rock bottom, before Viktor showed up again and helped me complete my experiment. Together we created Hextech which is the leading technology of our world now.

[ Which means that despite seeming like someone who prefers to do everything alone, it was Viktor who decided to take a chance on Jayce after seeing his passionate speech at his trial, and started their partnership in the first place. ]

He's actually a great collaborator, although most people can't keep up with him.

[falcony]

[ it is definitely polite, and it's enough of a kind of conversation that sam would have back home that it automatically has him in a good mood. not that he was in a particularly bad one to begin with, but there is a comfort to things he once thought familiar that he's almost had to train himself out of. polite conversation, understood interactions, easy connections.

jayce says oh i know the project and sam's attention hones in just a bit more directly. he hadn't been aware that viktor was sharing the concept, and part of sam almost feels a bit guilty (does that make...what? three sets of eyes? four? on just him? on something he's not even sure will work?), but if he and viktor really did work on bigger projects together...

but then jayce laughs, and as he recognizes the self-aware tone, sam's smile grows just a bit as he notices how it definitely works in terms of putting him at ease. sam nods, understanding. ] Alright, yeah, I can see that. [ sam's spent enough of his life with very little sleep - as a soldier, on the run, various bits of insomnia mixed in between - that he can relate to not being able to turn your brain off.

jayce's comment about cadens' tight knit community also makes sense, and while sam hadn't thought about it before now, he supposes it's not far from the truth. whether or not he can speak for everyone else, he, himself, at least has an idea of every summoned in the city. and while part of him had assumed the same for thorne and solvunn (it wouldn't be hard in solvunn, from what wanda had told him), but it's the whole fact that they're not really keeping overall contact between the factions. there's a person here and there, and sam at least feels somewhat aware thanks to having stephen in the castle, but still. they're working on it. that's what this is for, after all. so sam just nods. ] And the only way to combat all this is to come together. Turns out communication can solve a lot of problems, and keep a lot of people safe.

[ it's the story that draws him in, though, and sam finds himself laughing a bit at the he arrested me. his eyes also glance over to viktor and then back again. sam follows along well enough, if only because the concept of mixing magic and science isn't...too far from where his own world is headed, at least he assumes. but what really does it is jayce's own passion for it, his enthusiasm. sam listens through the course of the story and feels himself smiling a bit as it comes to a wrap. together, we created... so that's ow it is, is it? ]

You know- wouldn't have pegged him as the collaborating kind, but that does kind of make sense. I'm sure he was glad to see you showed up.

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce likes chatting and he'd rather chat in a situation like this than go to constant stuffy events, although he's great in those too. It's a skill he picked up later in life out of sheer necessity, despite how he behaves, Jayce didn't really get involved in so much schmoozing until after their success. He took to it faster than Viktor purely because he's naturally extroverted and genuinely likes other people. He's one of those guys who could probably have a nice conversation about the weather and not consider it pointless, if it's engaging.

But as someone surrounded much of the time by introverts, it's nice to tell someone else who seems to be mostly at ease in the situation. His project does have many sets of eyes on it, but none of them would consider it wasted energy. Good scientists like working together to make something unusual work, it's fun to have a challenge. If the wings do get pulled off, it'll be a win for everyone. ]

Lack of communication in my experience is why a lot of things go wrong. It is a good thing we have the Horizon or that ... thing that happens when you write to each other.

[ Jayce has used it only briefly and finds it very intriguing, but he doesn't have a lot of experience with it. It's helpful though, he sees that. He can see how it would even be the best way to talk during a crisis. Immediate eyes on it, immediate replies. It may save lives some day.

Jayce likes telling their story, it's inspirational but also pretty funny. Heimderinger never would have thought these two opposite people would become one perfect unit together. Maybe he would have tried to keep them apart more if so. Not that it would have worked. Jayce thinks if fate exists, they're an exact reason why. ]

We had all the same goals and interests, which helps. It's very rare to find someone who matches you.

[ Jayce would have said before that no one ever could. It is not out of arrogance, it's just that he has a very precise way of approaching the world and his work and no one had shared it before. Viktor was the same way on his end. What they have is special. It says it in his gaze when he looks over at Viktor again and smiles. He's the opposite of subtle, but returns his attention to Sam only a beat later. ]

He was, he said so, which is unusual for him, even after seven years of being inseparable.

[ It was a nice kind of surprise though! ]

I'd really love to see what the inspiration of the project is. What you had before in your world? They sound incredible. Hextech can do a lot but we've never really considered something like that.

[ Jayce doesn't know how private Sam is about his wings which is why he's being careful with wording. But still, he's super curious. ]

[falcony]

[ at the very least now jayce and sam have each other, if they ever end up in another stuffy event. they can play the game and be the polite politicians and also find solace in knowing exactly what they're going to get if they ran into each other, too. it's a difficult line to walk, holding your own in those situations without letting it get the best of you, but hey. easier with a friend, right?

which is the vibe that sam's getting here, too. that they're more alike than not, that they understand what this feels like, more than they don't. it's refreshing, more refreshing than sam really expected, and jayce could probably tell by how sam seems to be even more at ease the longer they chat. that's not to say he was tense, before, but it starts to seem like he doesn't have to hold onto that captain and is getting more and more sam as they talk.

he laughs, and nods, at the way jayce works through that thing that happens when they write to each other. ] If it works it works, right? I have no idea what to call that magic but at least we don't have to go into the Horizon every time we want to talk to each other. Though nothing will really work as well as being there, but we do what we can.

( it's very rare to find someone who matches you, jayce says, and sam can't help but think of steve. of bucky. it catches him a bit off-guard, how the feeling appears and then they're moving on, and sam just keeps going in the only way he knows how. )

sam's brow lift, impressed. ] Oh, he said it? He's talking about his emotions now? [ which is...a joke, and he's sure jayce will understand it as such. sam's not super super close with viktor, but he knows enough of similar types that he thinks he can make the assumption (in jest).

the mention of the project though, that has sam looking a bit excited. it hadn't occurred to him that showing off what the wings could do would be helpful, didn't really think it possible, either, but with the simple fact they were currently standing in a shared magical brain space projection of his childhood home...

come on, wilson. ]

Oh- yeah. Actually, I can definitely do that. Here, follow me. [ and sam sets down whatever drink he may or may not have had, turns to the back door and heads right outside, picking up a kind of backpack looking device that appears on the porch just as they make it outside. because of course that would make sense, that they'd want to see what the original could do, and of course in the horizon, sam could actually do that.

so sam slips the pack onto his back, stretches a little as he gets it attached and closed on. it's the new one, the one that bucky had brought him back in delacroix, had the same colors and imagery as his captain america suit carried, though jayce would have no real point of context for that. when they're far enough out into the yard, sam looks back to jayce, making sure he's followed and is settled before sam gives a single nod, an acknowledgement, and then the wings outfold on either side of him. ]

These- [ sam smiles, gesturing out to either side. and it's only a little proud. ] are my wings.

[hextechhead]

[ Jayce doesn't know many people who have this in common either. Caitlyn has no interest in politics, Mel is perfect at it, unflappable, and Viktor despises it, so a lot of it he's just had to learn on his own by doing. It's not as if he thought one day he would be in a position of authority, or even famous the way he was, in front of crowds, surrounded by people looking up to him. He knows what it's like to hold yourself tight in those situation, to have your shoulders straight, back tall, making it all seem easy.

He warms up the same way Sam does, although it's quicker for him since he isn't the leader of this particular shindig. He has talked about maybe getting a tech get-together, a technology salon of sorts, and in that case he would be a host. But he's glad to see something in Sam relax as they talk. ]

We don't have that type of thing, we write letters. [ Very old school. ] It's helpful magic, but I prefer face-to-face interactions.

[ Jayce laughs about his reference to Viktor talking about his emotions. He knows it's a joke, anyone who has met his partner for more than a few minutes can already sum up the way he is. Because despite being very reserved, Viktor is who he is, he's fairly easy to read. ]

No, he slipped up only the one time. I'll treasure it forever.

[ Viktor has said more than a few things lately that Jayce holds dear. Jayce looks surprised at the request but follows Sam eagerly, hoping to hear more about the wings. It's silly that he doesn't expect that he'll see them, considering they're in the Horizon and that's possible, but he didn't jump directly there. He gets it once Sam puts the pack on and his eyes brighten.

The mechanism that has Sam's wings pop up are actually familiar to him in terms of how he makes a much cruder version of it for smaller objects. Jayce comes close right away, assuming he's being invited to look at them. He drops his extroversion briefly in exchange for the scientist, very carefully noting the designs of the pack, the wings as they spread out. If there was any doubt as to whether he was a tech genius, it's clear in his instant observation, in how his eyes are calculating and familiar to anyone used to being around a nerd squad. ]

These double as armor, don't they? The flexibility must be able to circle around you. The metal is solid, can you independently use them as another arm, strike people with them? Can any of the mechanical feathers detach? Your back muscles must be incredible.