An Evening Gathering

[photophobic]

WHO: Anyone welcome to wander around Castle Thorne!
WHAT: A little roundtable-townhall-mingle, a space to share information and discuss the Situation
WHEN: post-Horizon, after the new arrivals turn up so they can join in
WHERE: Castle Thorne's Dining Hall
NOTES: A little like a group therapy session but not, all characters will be invited to share anything they would like about their experiences and ask each other questions. Afterwards the group are free to mingle and discuss freely (just reply to the post itself). Let's bond, learn, complain about our new body parts and swap the hot goss!

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The invitation spreads easily enough among the Welcomed (and those of the formerly imprisoned who have since earned a pardon), thanks to the cheerful efforts of everyone's favourite bard and the ever-grinding rumour mill: tonight, anyone interested in participating is invited to remain in the dining hall after the evening meal to discuss recent events. Depending on how far along the game of telephone the invitation is by the time it reaches any one person, further details may be difficult to pin down. It is clear at least that this meeting isn't being organised by Ambrose or anyone else from Thorne, though there's no effort to keep it secret from the inhabitants of the castle either. A call to arms this is not. This is not the venue for plotting against the establishment— seditionist talk is best left to the privacy of the Horizon.

Anyone choosing to attend will find the evening meal proceeds as it usually does. As the plates are cleared, though, the table becomes the setting for something of an informal discovery session, a meeting of minds. Everyone here is welcome to take a turn to speak if they would like, and to ask any questions they hope someone else may be able to answer. As the imprisoned are unable to attend, a recording is being made. However, going on the record is optional. Anyone who would rather keep their thoughts transient and non-incriminating is welcome to speak up without fear of being caught on tape.

The meeting breaks up once everyone has had a chance to speak, leaving plenty of opportunity for less structured discussion. Hopefully everyone can go to bed tonight feeling a little more informed and a little less alone...

Comments

[neverlight]

[ As a newcomer to this world, Brad doesn't have anything to add to the discussion at hand. More that this meeting is as good a place as any to gain intel; a different kind of bias compared to the Thornean library, the chance to hear direct accounts from the people who are apparently his peers now. In short, it'd be stupid not to come.

That said, he'd stuck closer to the back of the hall, too. Better way to observe as many people as possible without drawing attention to himself. And Sam stood out by not standing out: respectful, attentive, an adult. None of the inane flashiness of the bard, none of the dramatics of the grumpy goth. Someone who might actually be worth talking to.

So he approaches, hand raised for a second in greeting before falling back to his side, small smile on his face, head tilted just slightly in curiosity. ]

Are these things always lively, or is this just a particularly special occasion?

[falcony]

[ there are a lot of new faces amongst the group that sam hasn't seen before. it makes him feel a little behind - he'd been working hard, before, to make sure he touched on as many people as he could. just to get names, just to meet who he's here with. it had been important to him, and now, in realizing how much he's fallen behind, he realizes how much has happened over the last couple of months. he feels bad, makes a mental note to shift back over again, especially with more faces around...

either way, when one of those newcomers approaches him now, sam turns to him easily. friendly. approachable. he gives a casual sort of chuckle in response, first. ]

Everyone's a bit on edge, lately, so that probably has something to do with it. But this is actually the first one of these things we've had, or at least that I've known about, so your guess is as good as mine. [ and then, after a beat, sam holds out his hand - he gets the vibe, almost right off, that this gut isn't someone he has to explain what a handshake is. (thank god) ]

Name's Sam. You new?

[neverlight]

[ There's a second of hesitation before Brad takes Sam's hand. He's definitely familiar with handshakes; they'd just fallen out of style in his world as of late. But he's not there anymore, and really, it's a good thing that it's a custom Sam is familiar with. They're not from the same place, but close enough. ]

Brad. Yeah, fresh out of the well. [ Or whatever. He takes his hand back, crosses his arms loosely over his chest as he glances around the hall, back at Sam. ] This is the first one of these shindigs, huh? Setting a good precedent.

[ Despite the playful sarcasm in his tone, he actually does mean that; cohesive meetings where everyone gets along are boring. The potential for chaos to take over here is outstanding; he's enjoying watching how this group might spin themselves out all on their own. It's like sport; the inferences of grandeur from the actual topic at hand are secondary. ]

How long have you been here? [ You know, a friendly returning of curiosity, with the added bonus of getting a sense of the timeline. It takes how long for people to get on edge? That'll be good to know. ]

[falcony]

[ there is a kind of relief to sam when brad takes it - because there's always a question, now. always a worry that something might be seen as specific. what could have been universal, turns out to be anything but.

he rolls his eyes a bit at the sarcasm, if only because they both know this is anything but. there's a part of sam that is genuinely worried something a bit more drastic is going to break out if the people in this room have any more time to argue, but that's why sam is here, isn't he? ]

It's definitely setting a precedent, but we'll have to see whether or not it's good. [ sam's eyes scan the crowd a little, as if doing another brief check on the temperature, before his full attention is back on brad. sam thinks for a second, looking a bit like he's counting back. ]

Little over two months? Everything is weird here, so there's a chance time is off too but I am just not equipped to try and think about that, so yeah. Let's go with two months. [ he lets out a breath, if only because damn. damn. has it already been that long? ] I was part of the first group that showed up.

[neverlight]

[ He raises his eyebrows, inclines his chin at the answer. Two months, huh? So not that long, really. At the same time — first group. So, comparatively, these are very early days. ]

Maybe this'll make them want to stop at just the two groups. [ It's definitely a joke, leaning into that sarcasm. That or they could keep bringing new people in but just toss them all into the dungeons, but the way some people here seem friendly with those locked up and don't mind how he might be one of them... ] Though that's the risk one takes when summoning people from other worlds without consent, huh? You never know what you're gonna get.

[ Clashing personalities, probably some questionable motives. He loves it. ]

[falcony]

[ not that long in the grand scheme of things, maybe, but much longer than anyone had wanted to be here. especially for those down in the dungeons, with guards who are only increasingly more stressed.

he snorts. ] Doubt it. Ambrose isn't exactly the type of dude to stop doing anything if he doesn't want to. He's got plans for all of us and until he gets what he wants from the Singularity, our numbers are going to keep climbing. [ sam hears the sarcasm, but he meets it with an honest answer. it's info the new guys need, if they don't have it already.

he shakes his head - the without consent part makes him. super not happy. but that's pretty obvious. ] Yeah, well, you also kind of shoot yourself in the foot when you drag people here without consent and then toss them into the dungeon without any real reason.

[ it's a recipe for discord, that's for sure. ]

[neverlight]

[ What, you mean not everybody here was looking for a fresh start and, upon getting used to the concept of being in a completely different world, was ready to embrace it as their new life immediately? Shocker. This is all just gravy, really.

Brad perks up a bit at Sam's description; Ambrose sounds like someone he'd get along rather well with, actually. You know, providing they're on the same side. ]

The more the merrier, then. [ Really — even with the whole no consent aspect of this whole thing — he's pretty apathetic about the idea of more people being brought in. If it stirs up this kind of discontent, what's the downside?

Although... ] Maybe they've got reasons we just aren't privy to. [ He glances around the room again, at everyone else gathered here, all caught up in their own arguments or discussions or whatever it is they're doing. ] Seems like there's a lot being kept from us, huh?

[ Not that he minds. He'll figure it out sooner or later. It's still a good question, though. ]

[falcony]

[ sam gives brad a look, though there is very little heat behind it. if anything, it's more of a seriously, dude? while also admitting he's not...far off. sam has complicated feelings towards more people showing up, because he doesn't like the idea of more and more people being brought in against their will, but also? the higher their numbers, the more power they would have.

to tell ambrose off. to get things done.

sam sighs, shaking his head a little. ] See, that's most of the problem. They definitly have reasons they're not telling us. And considering how they just up and ripped us from our own timelines and worlds, we kind of should know those reasons. There's too much they're keeping in the dark about that directly affects us, and I don't like that.

[ there is a brief moment of tension before sam exhales again. ]

The only reason you keep that much info hidden is if you're hiding how dangerous we could be to them, or how much danger we're in. See the problem?

[neverlight]

[ Thank you for that bit of validation, Sam. Seriously, dude? is a good start; he is a dick, after all. A dick with good points, clearly, but still a dick.

Brad watches intently as some of that frustration shines through; resets himself when Sam gets himself back under control. Yeah. No need to create an actual scene here, right? It wouldn't exactly be productive. ]

Agreed. The former would be nicer than the latter, but hey, that goes without saying. Still, [ and he offers a small shrug, eh, what're you gonna do, ] can't say I blame them and their withholding of information. If I was in their position, I'd probably be doing the exact same thing. It's hard to be too mad at them for that.

[ So the goal is to one day get into their position. He's already here and has some form of favour. It's a good start. ]