1740/Totally Mundane Meeting

Totally Mundane Meeting
Date of Scene:	06 March 2015
Location:	Boston-666
Synopsis:	The Union and the Confederates operating on Terra Majora begin a tentative alliance.
Cast of Characters:	12, 92, 202, 253, 331, 340, 347, 395, Lezard Valeth

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Psyber (253) has posed:
    Only an idiot would plot direct treason with five Confederates in the city where the General lives.

    So anyway, it's a pretty chilly day in Boston-666. The high was about 25 degrees and the low was about 14. The sky was partly cloudy and the winds were a weak five miles per hour. Thankfully, it is not actually this cold where Psyber has asked the Confederates to meet him and the two officers he trusted enough to bring along.

    The city has mostly rebuilt itself, which means the harbor is open again after the Confederate attack some weeks back. Psyber has asked for a meeting at a small, out of the way patio cafe. The outdoor area is kept decently warm by a series of outdoor heating units meant to stave off the cold weather.

    Psyber, himself, is sitting at one of four gathered-together tables in the pretty deserted place. It has a decent menu of mostly late-lunch foods like sandwiches and soup. The half-angel is having a roast beef-cheddar melt and a bowl of clam chowder.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    So about those plans for clandestine meetings with The enemy...
    Amalthea is here- lacking her armor in a rare display of some tenuous trust. This is supposed to be a meeting to discuss things, not a brawl. Though she isn't unarmed, in the event of something crazy happening like an extra Confederate showing up and things devolving into a Mexican Standoff. But she's not blatantly showing this fact.
    She's decked out in a casual tie-dye tank top, some girlishly over-decorated charm bracelets, and a set of jean cutoffs, the ultimate attire for treasonous plots, as she's settled beside Psyber, slowly sipping a beer and plinking at her own bowl of chowder.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei's worn a heavy coat with a lighter liner, allowing her to wear the liner as a jacket in the warmer cafe. She too has chosen to show some trust in coming unarmored, though it's less of a risk for her considering her situation and skills. She's sipping a coffee, relaxed and leaning back in her chair. As usual, she wears drab and dull clothing that doesn't stand out at all. You can't take that part of her out of her... even if she's shown a lot more color when she wants to, lately.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Boston-666 seems a pretty cool place, eh. They get visited or invaded by bizarre off-worlders on a monthly basis and aren't afraid of much. So it is that Adelyn Lysen expects no more attention in her mage robes and her occasionally-moving little headwings than anyone else going down this street. She doesn't actually have far to walk, intentionally, as walking is primarily for chumps.

    This particular group of Unionites, of course, are immediately recognized, and the Confederate lieutenant gives a smile in greeting that, it is entirely plausible, was not meant to look anything like a smug smirk. Maybe her face just got stuck that way.

    She's not visibly carrying any weapons, but she is carrying large books hooked to a set of belts that seem to be there only for that purpose, and in the context of her abilities that can be basically the same thing. Grimoires, like swords and other weapons, can also make it inconvenient to sit in small chairs. Bother.

    The first words out of her mouth are, "Yes, I'll have the chowder. That's warm, isn't it? Right, good."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Despite the temptation, Elliana neither rode Veryx nor took the Drasillum. Nope. Instead... she rented a car. A sports car. All they had was a Camero, but that should be fine, right? Naturally, since she can't drive, she let Mordred do the driving. Thus her actual entrance will depend on how Mordred wants to drive the car.

    It should be noticed that Elliana is wearing jeans, a coat, and a PAX East sweatshirt, along with a ball cap that has her hair tugged back into a ponytail out the back. "You like chowder, right Saber?"

Mir (340) has posed:
    Even though she wasn't at the original event in question, Mir knows Psyber, Elliana, Adelyn, and even Nathan. It's not a surprise that she'd show up if she took an interest... which she did. She hasn't decided if she's going to help out with this yet, but it's interesting enough for her to hear out what the Union has to say about this. She's going to be quiet for once, and listen to things.

    She is dressed in a catholic school girl outfit.

    "With extra paprika, yes, and ground beef," Mir is saying, before wandering over to the tables and just sprawling in a chair. "Hi."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Surprising NO ONE, Mordred drives in a way that borders the legal. Fortunately, she also does so with great skill, obviously unnatural for a KNIGHT, but nobody's going to question Servants anymore if they're smart. She is wearing the cool red and gold jacket she was given months earlier, along with torn jeans and a white tube-top underneath. Bloody Amhar may or may not be visible right now, either sheathed or in a new form that makes it easier to haul around.

    The car will come to a screechy and showy stop in front of the restaurant, perfectly inserting itself into a parking slot with no difficulty. Mordred is grinning, so if Elliana was trying to make her Servant a happy murderbeast she succeeded. Hopefully it'll last until the meeting is over.

    "The real question is do I like food, master?"

Lezard Valeth has posed:
There might be an idiot around here somewhere, but Lezard Valeth generally is not considered one of them. The Sorceror of Midgard is taking some token efforts to blend in with the modern environment, dressing up in a cardigan sweater and white button-up shirt with slacks and some black work shoes. He'd probably fit right in a university library or a Harry Potter convention.

He arrives on foot (having teleported in to a spot out of casual observation), and sits down at the combined tables. He nods to Psyber. "Greetings again." He says with a smile to Psyber. There is a glance to Amalthea, and he smiples pleasantly. He offers a hand to Amalthea, then Himei in turn, though he STINKS OF DARK MAGIC. Some things just don't come off in the mana shower. "Greetings." He says. "It is good to see you both. I am Lezard Valeth, Alchemist of Midgard." He chooses to not immediately comment on the sorcery, necromancy, and forbidden rituals.

He looks over the menu as he sits, and then simply sets it aside. "I will have what he is having." He replies, gesturing to Psyber. "You have good taste in food as well as drink, I see."

The arrival of the others elicits a smile and a gesture of greeting. He does not say anything else yet.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    The three cop cars keeping an eye on Mordred all pull up next to the car when it FINALLY comes to a stop. They don't ticket her, but they do seem baffled to see a driver so reckless while Psyber is sitting at a table eating a meal. A couple do a double-take, even. Then they drive off.

    "You know, Ell. I might not go next year," He notes, pointing at her shirt, "It was SO crowded this year and it stank of basement ogres. But if you drag me by the arm again, I just might."

    "Chowder is a hot soup, yes." Psyber responds to Adelyn, sipping his scotch and soda before sighting a bit. None of the Confederates ordering food actually have to PAY, so it seems Psyber has covered their tabs for the day so long as they're heading his way. We're sure Mordred won't viciously abuse free food.

    "Greetings and thank you for meeting us. After the fiasco of five days ago, I would not have been surprised if you elected not to," Psyber begins to the gathered Confederates. Notably, Nathan is definitely not here, which means Psyber seems to be taking point on talking, "Let me open this by stating one thing which I wish to establish: Nathan Hall acted alone and without the knowledge of any Union personnel. He kept his own operations team in the dark. As such I, and to a lesser extent these two, will be usurping him as the Confederate point of contact for joint-operations."

    Psyber takes a slow breath, stirring his soup, "You will find I operate very differently in terms of what I believe is equality. And that I am very willing to cement cross-factional collaberation on Shajem Sealing."

Abstractum.Net (347) has posed:
    Mordred appears to be wearing a bracer -- though maybe more of a fashion type? -- with teeth jabbed into her body. It's not actively sucking her blood, but it is a little shitty to wear, kinda chafes in this form. You can still see the eye, if you peer closely.

    The form is not unlike Amalthea's Abstractum, who seems a bit cautious, but not offensively so, merely in the dutiful manner of a bodyguard.

    Himei's set of wings is concealed under the heavy coat, shifting occasionally in an uncomfortable way, but otherwise politely packed up.

    Gishur doesn't even need to be disguised, its normal mode is a book, who's gonna give Adelyn grief for walking around with a book? It did insist on sitting on TOP of that stack of grimoires.

    Brilliant Dawn hangs around Elliana's neck contentedly. The pendant seems to be quite comfortable with the current course of action.

    And Adjudicator, in gauntlet or perhaps even sword form, is likely set off to one side. It keeps a presiding, mature sort of posture, silently approving of the insubordination but monitoring it closely regardless.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Immediately Amalthea is beset by an amazingly awkward quandry. Pausing in her consumption of delicious chowder as the Confederates arrive, Lezard presents her with a hand. Oh it's not the first time she's met the man but in the last time she did, she was not in such a delicate social situation requiring her to touch him.
    Slowly, the unicorn's lone eye glances down at the hand. She VERY MUCH triest ot not look at it in the same manner one would look at something unpalateable on their plate. But Amalthea is a good girl.
    Thankfully, Ironclad Oath is on her hand, which means the gauntlet will eat the brunt of terrible, horrible PHYSICAL CONTACT for her, an act she generally does not like overlymuch except with those she calls friends. Of course this means a very WEIRD left-handed shake.
    "I remember you. Lordran."
    She pauses however at Mir's request. She then awkwardly looks AWAY from Mir as fast as she can.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei hastens to add, "Not that we don't have requirements and restrictions." She is going to leave most of the talking to Psyber, but she doesn't want things to seem like the Union are too soft. "And in fact I think we have a proposal you'll be interested in. I think we can all agree that everyone would have been more effective if we'd coordinated what we were doing Sunday, right?"

    Himei shakes the hand, and though it gives her a small ache in the temples it's not enough to really put her on guard. She nods to Mir, "Mir, nice to see you again on less violent terms."

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn doesn't generally make a point of it, but she might also have a bit of that dark magic going on. But then, she has a lot of magic going on. Some of it just seems to run together. Perhaps more importantly, she's not trying to touch the unicorn.

    She gives a nod at Psyber's confirmation. She actually looked up Boston before coming here, but wiki articles tend to omit those things that everyone in /that/ world already knows. She's in no particular hurry to actually get her food once she's ordered, with enough else to occupy her attention.

    "Really? He didn't tell anyone about that spell he was working on? Apart from the Binders. They were working with him on it, after all." Finger-steeple. "Interesting. I see. I acknowledge this transfer of roles." She nods, then, to Himei. "There was some wasteful effort that could have easily been avoided."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana shrugs, "The odor was offensive. Maybe as a one day thing, next time." She settles in to enjoy some warm chowder, glancing at Mordred without comment. Then she folds her hands together, listening to apologies and the beginnings of plans. It is only then that she speaks on the matter of coordination.

    "Of course, if you had brought me onboard you would have also had my expertise, which you must admit is even greater than Sir Bloodstone's in this particular category." She tsks, and then continues, "But then, that would defeat the purpose of showing me that you could take your own initiative. I suppose I can't complain about the attempt itself, but the fact that Sir Hall interfered instead of helping... mn. And it was such a clever idea, too."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Mordred ignores the cops. Let's face it it'd be a bad idea for them to pick that fight without Psyber as backup. Granted, he probably would step in if she became aggrassive.

    If she minds the bracer with teeth sunk into her arm, it's not showing.

    "Sure, if you want to go staight to the point, we had a PLAN, which was to actually SEAL the damn thing, with the side-benefit of us getting a small chunk of it. And then Hall did his thing and we had to rush it because we didn't know what the fuck was going on. So let's put this shit on the table right now, there's a Shajem loose and none of us trusts it'll stay safe. We're going to finish the job."

    Not 'we want to'. Not 'will you let us'. 'We will'.

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard doesn't seem to take any particular pleasure in the mostly-hidden distress of Amalthea. Then again, they haven't really had much time to interact. "Indeed. Lordran, wonderful place..." He does smile at that, though more in a 'fond reminiscence' instead of 'ominous' style. Of course, it being Lordran, that probably says volumes on its own.

Lezard takes a bite of his sandwich when it arrives, apparently showing an appreciation for good red meat. He IS from Midgard, after all. "Master Hall does seem to have some... odd behaviors in this regard, but I can respect your efforts to work around the issue. After all, there is too much at stake for simply allowing one man to hold it back, no?"

He considers the three present. "You, Amalthea, and Himei, correct? Very well, this is workable."

Himei begins to add to it, and Lezard folds his hands. "I am sure whatever restrictions you have will be reasonable. We will have some of our own, of course. Such is the nature of a cooperative venture, is it not?"

Mordred offers their own side of the story. Lezard also supplies his own addition. "We believe that studying the tapped energies of the Shajem will be extremely useful in the future, as we are seeking knowledge of both how the energies function as well as how they can be both contained and negated. If this is possible, we can convert the Shajem from a dangerous terror to something more... useful for a world..."

He pauses again. "... As well as less dangerous for those who bear them, perhaps..."

Mir (340) has posed:
    "It has been some time," Mir admits, speaking to all three of the Unionites. She's putting forth a relaxed air, but those who know her can easily see the slight tense of arms and jaw when Psyber explains what happened. Demonstrating some supreme control, the Reyvateil does not comment on the situation yet, though.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber nods first to Adelyn, "His principle was sound and the theory has a valid base, but he kept it from us all and then severely damaged cooperative efforts by accusing the Confederates of deception." Psyber slowly eats a spoonful of his soup, "As such, we will not be using his Binding unless and until Elliana has reviewed and approved its usage. At such a time, we will see how things play forward." A concession on his part that functionally loses nothing: Wait until Elliana allows its usage. A moot point too, since Nathan was benched right now with other matters.

    Mordred comes in precisely in her style: Aggressive, strong, and straight to the matter. Psyber remains pretty calm despite this, looking over at her, "No part of your statement is incorrect," He says carefully, "You had an independant plan which you, likewise, did not inform the Union of. It was not to the magnitude of General Hall's, but we were uninformed. He made an accusation rather than an inquiry." A pause, "There is a Shajem loose with a degrading seal. The job must be finished."

    He lets Himei say her piece. He's not inclined to disagree with her, or to stop her from making a proposal. If he's talking and coming across as the 'ringleader', it is for a very specific point that will come up far down the line. Smarter people may already suspect why he is placing himself as a central figure.

    "Shoutan's proposal will be hers to make. Here is mine:" He begins, looking at the gathered individuals, "You made offer of our services. It is foolish not to believe you would want something in return. You deserve fair trade for your expertise and I am not going to deny you that right. I only know what Mordred wishes their share to be used for. Frankly, I do not care about the motives of the rest of you. This is not an insult, it is a careful level of deniability on my part. I would like no knowledge of your ultimate goals, so that I may remain ignorant as to whether you merely wish to study it, eat it, weaponize it, or elsepurpose."

    After this, he takes a deep breath and makes his offer, "One third of the energy of every Shajem dealt with will be yours with no intervention from Union forces. In return, the Union will receive an equal piece to do with as it pleases, whether that is to remain with the sealed Shajem or be used independantly will not be disclosed. And the core third which comprises the being itself will be sealed in some fashion so as to not rob Terra Majora of powerful cosmic entities until they can be mitigated."

    "In this, I feel, there is a fair balance for all involved parties."

    As he finishes speaking, Psyber gives Mir a slight smile. He knows she will be, at least, slightly unhappy to hear of Nathan's betrayal. All he can really offer her is a bit of an apologetic look, even if she was uninvolved.

Abstractum.Net (347) has posed:
    "We know there's a history about it." Brilliant Dawn speaks up. "And there's some mistakes and downsides about the approach. But Terra Majora's problems aren't just Shajem. We need a lot of power if we're going to improve the welfare of the entire world. We'll ask your help if there's anything the Union share could be used for, collaboratively. We can't do this without every ounce of power we could get." The pendant seems quite intent on this fact. It's also generally intent on a positive spin to Elliana's side of Psyber's statements here.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    "There are potential issues with the details of such an agreement, and it locks out certain avenues that have yet to be fully explored. However, I cannot speak to the likelihood that these issues will be significant until there has been time to analyze recent results. There is much to still be attempted."

    Adelyn, for her part, is just having the one bowl of hot broth. It will satisfy her immediate curiosity as to Bostonian cuisine. It will also make it difficult to keep talking, as it now arrives.

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei shifts a little, scooting back in her stool. Brilliant Dawn talking has her keenly aware of how many Abstractum users are here, but it seems to be neutral ground. "Most of what I have to say is about some long term planning, so won't be immediately relevant right now. This is something I want Mordred and Elliana to hear and consider, especially, but given the kinds of powers I saw you guys throwing around, I'd really like to have some Fed help on this, too."

    She doesn't speak on the matter that concerns her yet, though. She wants to let Psyber finish negotiating the immediate terms.

Amalthea (395) has posed:
    Lordran. Wonderful. Sure. Settling back in her seat as Psyber begins the meeting officially. Amalthea grimaces for a wholly new reason as the events just days prior are dredged up, and the unicorn takes a steeling sip from her beer. This is going to be a doozy, especially as Mordred already states some pretty clear intent.
    Truth be told, this is all so over her head; a slow breath filtering a gust of steam from her nostrils, holding her thoughts for now.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    "Brilliant Dawn is correct," Elliana states. She gives Himei a curious glance, but is otherwise listening to Psyber's explanation and offer. She purses her lips tightly, then sighs as she nods and closes her eyes. "I see. Yes, the part about the ritual and binding would be... agreeable. Sir Bloodstone does know his material, so it is likely that the theory is sound if he attempted it. There can be no doubt that it was rushed, however. I will look into it and see what can be done as soon as possible."

    Lezard and Adelyn's commentary about the refinement of power earns them a long look, but she doesn't support nor decry their statements. Instead, she simply nods slowly. "I believe we should, at least, leave open the possibility of /renegotiation/ before every Shajem is attacked. It is something of a relief that I do not need to personally attend to each, though I likely will if possible simply for the added expertise."

Abstractum.Net (347) has posed:
    Gishur is the one who speaks up. "It's folly to guess that you know everything about this from the start. When we manage to find more data, we'll likely need more renegotiation, Fairchild is right. We re-open the agreements each time." This book sure does manage to spin not knowing a lot in a know-it-all way.

Mir (340) has posed:
    Mir speaks up again, "Those of you who know my history know that I have some experience with sealing beings of great power." On the wrong side of the sealing, maybe. But she doesn't say that. "And Miss Fairchild is an ally of mine. Much as I would rather let these things exterminate the planet's human life, she would dislike that."

    Lest she be chided for her statement about genocide, Mir pauses and then adds, "It sounds to me as if the humans on this world deserve it more than most."

Abstractum.Net (347) has posed:
    Bloody Amhar pipes up with a few mucky growls at Mir, from Mordred's arm, but agreeable ones. "More than a few." It says. "I don't think anything's worth saving. But some parts are not worth it a hell of a lot more than others." Apparently the sword doesn't really have a concept of altruism but at least there's some dislike of the Greater Evil there.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Mordred considers. She crosses her arms.

    "Sounds fair. So, we split every Shajem in three. We get a third, you get a third, and we seal the rest. I disagree with the secrecy part. We can't seal those things on half-assed measures. If we want GOOD sealing spells we need to know from the start if we're sealing a third or two thirds of the Shajem. Pretty sure that's a factor. Besides, why would you want to just leave your third with it? It's free and you get to study it."

    She does not understand why the Union would arbitrarily choose to sometimes not take their share, but maybe there's a good reason. Oh well.

    "So. Somethin' else. Bloodstone whined the Order is being a pain in his ass. I don't like him, but master probably agrees it's a good idea for him to have free reign to get shit done. We gonna take this up with the Order? Violently, if need be?"

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard shrugs, shaking his head, and then leans back in his chair in an overly casual manner. "Very well." He lays a hand down ont he table and drums it idly. "I doubt it would be simple to measure such things easily, but I will leave /that/ difficulty to later events. He ponders for a moment, looking back at Elliana, his expression pleasantly neutral, and he smiles, nodding to her. Perhaps in deference? She certainly has the most experience at the table.

"At the current time, we see no need to very our method of extracting and weakning from the Shajem. It is not... an easy process, but it is known to be functional. Assistance from Miss Fairchild will allow us to refine our techniques, undoubtedly, now that we are all operating on similar pages."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "The reason the Union third is kept at our discretion allows for the addition of our share on a necessary basis," Psyber explains to Adelyn, Elliana, and Brilliant Dawn in tandem, showing he put some thought into the arrangement, "If you find avenues of research to better the whole of Terra Majora, we will be willing to collaberate with our share and energy as necessary. The thirds are separately owned, but have a potential for joint-collaberation. I wish to secure an agreement that simultaneously reaches the middle ground between optimal independant goals as well as collaberative potential. This is the best compromise of the moment."

    "I am also endeavoring to avoid ultimatums on my part which may strain relations. However," Psyber says, looking between the gathered Confederates, "Any renegotiation would have to provide the Union with some method of equality in their execution. The Confederacy is already in possession of two Shajem and a flying base of operations, while the Union is severely hampered in its foothold of operations on Terra Majora if we do not take into account General Hall's present diplmatic engagement. The Union acts out of altruism, and I understand the Union is momentarily operating from a place of diminished trust, but I am not Nathan Hall and I will not be deceiving the Confederacy for so long as we are in cooperation." For all the concessions he's offering Confederates, he's also trying to stick to his guns on a few key points. He's not Nathan, though. For good or bad in this case, he is definitely not the person he is modeling his negotiation style after. He's sure Nathan could argue this into perfect hypothetical symmetry, but all he can do is say, "I cannot, especially if I am circumventing the involvement of my own direct superior, come back with an agreement that looks potentially slanted."

    With a serious tone, Psyber states his summary, "Renegotiation is an option, but even someone who trusts Elliana as much as I do can see the inherent flaw of renegotiation at time of sealing. With a higher volume of powerful and planning-oriented Confederates involving themselves directly, it poses the ostensible risk of the Union gaining disadvantageous negotiations as a matter of course. If Elliana can promise me this will not happen, I will draw some measure of reassurance." Naively, Psyber banks on the inability of Elliana to lie.

    The half-angel slowly takes a cigarette out of his jacket and puts it in his mouth, slowly taking a drag from it and then exhales, "To Mir's comment, the most I can offer you is this: Sustained effort on the planet will allow you to systematically upheave a group of empowered humans that have used blood-based racial motivations to institute systematic oppression. It will not be wholescale extermination, but you will be granted a level of cathartic upheaval."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Finishing all that up, Psyber looks to Mordred and says, "How to deal with Ethan and the other Binders?" He thinks for a moment, "I will, in all honesty, defer to Miss Fairchild's judgment in that matter and act according to her wishes. If it requires moving against the Order as a whole to grant him autonomy, I am willing to follow along with that plan so long as innocent casualties are avoided where necessary."

    Psyber adds, seriously, "I will still pose resistance to the spilling of innocent blood, however, and would prefer we attempt to start with negotiation and leave violence as a secondary option." Seems, for all Psyber LIKES Mordred, he's not sure about the level of restraint that a Rage-God-Fueled-Bloodthirst-Sword-Wielding Saber Class can show.

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "Oh man, we have two giant monsters, a third of another, and a big tree! Seriously, that's your measuring unit? You have more manpower, more plans, and let's face it half the shit I've done I did because you asked me to come along, so take a step back on our advantage there and look at yours. You're not behind us in the slighest, you people keep stumbling on shit a step ahead of us. You want real equality, you're gonna have to start forking over everything you know and have planned, if you expect full cooperation. Otherwise y'still have a hell of a leg up on us," Mordred grunts, nitpicking the idea they'd somehow need to fut forward more effort right now.

    "How about you come clean and tell us ALL your little plots and ploys and we'll do the same, sealed agreement, and at no point do we get to change the terms of any of the clauses, but neither can you. And then we're all on the same bloody page and maybe we can fix this shit and Terra Majora can have as happy an ending as we can salvage now."

    Truth told she doesn't give a fuck about the world itself, just about Elliana, but it seems making the world a better place is what she wants, sooooo. On that note, she glances at her master to hear her stance on shanking the Order.

Abstractum.Net (347) has posed:
    Adjudicator is the one who speaks up more immediately. "Mordred. Your Master can decide what is equal. Equality in all fields is not the right way. Elliana has advantages in the fields she wishes to hold an advantage in. Psyber may keep an advantage in the field he wishes to hold an advantage in. Some secrets are best kept secret, though, and I believe Elliana would agree. Miss Fairchild?" The sword prompts her reply, and works to neutralize the most aggressive element on the Confederate side using another Confederate element. Outmanned at the negotiations table, this sort of tactic is pure necessity.

Himei (331) has posed:
    When Mordred goes off on that, Himei raises a hand. "Woah, hey now. One of the things I'm going to do here, today, is tell you some of our long term plans. I can't promise ALL of them because we haven't refined them all yet, but the ones that we're planning on performing? Sure." She lowers her hand and frowns.

    "But I'd also like to at least keep one bit of information to ourselves for now. Until it's time to move, we're going to be keeping the specific locations of the Shajem a secret. I don't have a problem with giving you the list of which ones we know, but I think we should keep at least the location to ourselves as a bargaining chip. That sound like a good deal? We plan the strike together, and once we're all agreed on each strike, we give out the location. In return, I'll tell you some of the plans that I think we have a good chance of performing, and as we develop new ones we'll share information and expertise. No point in not tapping into what you guys know, right?"

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    "Hmm." Adelyn elects to ignore a large chunk of what she sees as entirely irrelevant, though there's a fair chance that someone else will pick up on those points anyway. She just focuses elsewhere. And finishes enough of her chowder to feel warmed up.

    Though, Mordred speaks before her thoughts are composed. That makes things a bit simpler, actually, as she can just state a reassurance that ultimately means very little, unless one chooses to personally trust her word. It's not quite as if she's ever given reason to doubt it, but neither does she really expect much trust from any involved.

    "As an official declaration, I will neither take, nor authorize, any action upon the homeworld of my ally, Elliana Fairchild, that is against her interests." No smiles, now. "Given that the Union's interest align with hers in resolving the problems of Terra Majora, is there any further problem inherent to renegotiation in the event of new findings? That we avoid hindering such resolution is the main point, isn't it?"

    What's really bothering her, though, is that they can't even TRY some things if their goal is to drain-and-seal the Shajem every time. But she'll save that point for later. There's too much already on the plate.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana listens to all the arguing, then sighs heavily as she crosses her arms. "I see. I am willing to set aside renegotiation /during an operation/, as that is exactly the sort of hindrance we want to avoid. Renegotation of the next Sealing's terms after completion of one seems to be agreeable, or in the event of new findings when not in an operation. During an operation, of course, we need to be willing to share any information that may be immediately relevant to changing battlefield conditions." She drums her fingers. "As for the Order..."

    Elliana sighs, "Killing them would weaken the Binders, which is exactly what I do not want. I think, however, that we need to put pressure on Windson, the leader of the Binders. He was a thorn in Sir Bloodstone's side from the beginning, and he is the larger reason why Sir Bloodstone's faction is so weak."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
"I, too, will be guided by Lady Fairchild's desires." Lezard replies. "I see my involvement in the affairs of Terra Majora as a chance for practice and research. I see no reason to jeopardize the land for... ill-advised reasons. Mordred has given you our current objectives. Others will be pending based on our findings and research. Once we have viable plans, I am sure we can share them with you, just as you will be sharing viable plans with us."

He pauses. "If you choose to hide the locations of the Shajem, be aware that we will be under no obligation to share ours as well."

The mentioning of Windson causes Lezard to tap on the table again. "It would be a simple matter to begin setting our combined intelligence resources to looking for ways to... reduce his influence, would it not? He may be prepared for interference from his world, but he cannot be prepared for everything."

Mir (340) has posed:
    Mir rubs her chin while she listens to everything, then nods her head as she agrees with something. "I am less concerned with hiding the locations until operation time than some," she admits. "They need our help, or at least want it, so they have no reason to keep it hidden indefinitely. That would defeat the purpose of sharing information in the first place." She spoons some more chowder in, and smiles, "I think I could help with Windson. It would not be the first time I had manipulated a Church man."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Where normally Psyber would display overt frustration, he instead displays a bland monotone, "Despite 'stumbling on shit a step ahead of you' as you say, the Confederate forces have managed to meet or surpass Union operations in many critical avenues." Put simply, despite being outmanned, Elliana was kicking the Union's ass in raw planning. More Confederates in the field frightens Psyber to a degree. But it is Himei and Adjudicator that come to his rescue against the aggressive Saber-class. So instead of saying any more, he simply looks at her with a distant dullness in his red eyes before looking to Adelyn.

    "Yes," Psyber says to her, "This is acceptable so long as I gain the word of Elliana as well. If this is reached, the sealings can be left to pre-mission flexible negotiations where necessary, be they original methods or newer and experimental procedures. The only form of sealing which I would like to see off the table are harnessing them for or placing them within selected individuals." A reasonable demand, if objectively discriminatory towards Elliana and Mordred on a technical basis. If NOTHING ELSE, this is becoming a slowly stressful exercise in how Psyber infuriates Nathan with this, as Psyber has had to resist the urge to shout counterpoints at least twice now.

    He takes a calming breath and a drag from his cigarette before nodding to Lezard, "That is correct. If we keep the locations of the Shajem hidden until the time of the missions, that puts under no obligation to share yours immediately. HOWEVER," Psyber is careful to point this out, "The point Shoutan was making is that we would share each one after the terms of its mission had been worked out. Would the Confederacy agree to do the same?"

    "If the answer is yes, that while we would keep some individual elements of our plans a secret until they are relevant, but would ultimately share them at the proper times and not be in competition over the Shajem, I am willing to accept these terms."

    Inside, Psyber is using almost every instinct he has to resist rash or instinctual decisions, to operate off his gut, or to 'wing it' as he often wants to. Externally, Psyber remains detached and (slightly uncharacteristically) calm.

    "Is there anything further to negotiate?"

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Mordred huffs.

    "For once I agree with the justice sword, then. Fine, whatever, we have the raw power advantage. That doesn't change the fact you have a bunch of advantages on your side too. Don't forget it just for the sake of making it sound like we owe more stuff on the table than you do. If anything it's even. But you start keeping secrets and we will too. And that shit's just gonna escalate until another crash and burn like last time," the Servant explains, drawing on personal experience that the more shit you stack the more likely Camelot is to go up in flames.

    "So, you know. Keep that in mind. Master's a hell of a schemer, and I get skeevy asshole vibes from Lezard and Adelyn a lot too," she would glance at them, "No 'ffense," before turning her glance to the table, since it serves a metaphorical purpose here. "You turn out to have big secrets we're not okay with and that might just lead to another clash."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Elliana considers. "If we are working together to seal a Shajem, it would make sense to share the location once terms have been agreed upon." Yes, this leaves her some wiggle room, but it also gives her a reasonable outlet to demand terms. "For now, we can agree on this. No more surprises during the mission... and I am willing to take it on /good faith/ that Dame Shoutan is going to share any relevant information. This is a consideration I am not willing to extend to Sir Hall at this time."

    Elliana nods at what Mordred says, and adds softly, "Sir Hall's current situation is regrettable, even as I gain some amusement from it. It is entirely due to his breaking good faith. I am attempting to honor the spirit of our agreement here, but should matters turn sour, do not think that I have not made plans. I really do not wish to use them." She pauses, then allows, "Well, a tiny part of me does, just to show off, I admit. Saber is correct, however. It would be /unpleasant/ if we were to clash again due to a loophole on either side."

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei frowns at some of this, and then speaks up. "As a sign of good faith - one of several - I'm going to share some of our long term plans that we're still working on. I'm going to ask you all for help because I think you'll enjoy the challenge. I realize you may have a more utilitarian use for a god in a box or something, but I'm going to offer you something that I think at least some of you have an interest in." She sits back, looking at each Fed in turn.

    "Mordred can confirm this, but... the Shajem weren't always like this. They weren't always so... extreme." Himei takes a deep breath. "I have some... ideas. I need to check up on a few things first, but we can lay the ground work now. What I'm offering is something better than just sealing or making the Shajem harmless... I'm offering the chance to utterly usurp the natural order of the world. We're going to make the Shajem more benign. I think... I think it's possible to make them non-corrupting, non-evil entities. To literally change the makeup of the entire pantheon. That's the information I'm going to be sharing, as soon as I check on some suspicions."

Mir (340) has posed:
    "Mn," Mir frowns. "If you were to ask me which ten Unionites I would trust, you three plus Nathan Hall would be on the list. But since Nathan betrayed our trust, I'm not sure how much I can trust any of you." She glances toward the others, especially Elliana, and makes a face. "Since it is up to Miss Fairchild, and you seemed to be as betrayed as the rest of us, I will reluctantly continue to hold you three to your word. I am less interested in schemes as vengeance though."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
Lezard has been casually consuming the meat and chowder he ordered while they went back and forth on this. He doesn't look exceptionally interested, and simply smiles with a shrug at the accusation of 'skeevy asshole vibes'.

But when Himei offers her plan to alter the nature of the pantheon itself. Lezard's gaze suddenly focuses directly on Himei. His expression becomes alert, and he straightens in his chair. "Your proposal is... very interesting, Dame Shoutan." Lezard replies. "Such a thing would require an exceptional understanding of the metaphysical fabric of Terra Majora's universe as well as the nature of both Shajem and Amethyne."

He pauses, a familiar-looking glint entering his eyes, to some. It's his 'I hate gods' glint. "If you wish additional research ro verify if such might be possible, I would be willing to help on this project." His tone is even, pleasant, but his body language says everything else that needs to be said there.

Adelyn Lysen (202) has posed:
    Adelyn waits to speak, less because she needs more input than because she intends to agree with her fellows in the matter. "As stated. I've no amendments to make." Turning to Himei, then, "Potentially interesting. Of course, more data is necessary. I'm prepared to reciprocate with such knowledge as would be relevant to independent avenues of research." Meaning, she'll share what might make Himei's plan work better, but makes no promises otherwise--not that there's anything but congenial cooperation in her tone. Lezard's more eager offer gets a nod.

    The Realm mage doesn't even glance at Mordred in regard to the, truthfully unsurprising, choice of phrasing in referencing her ability to scheme. It's the sort of thing she'd say.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber takes a slow breath and nods his head, "Very well. I did not mean to imply the Union was at a disadvantage." He notes to Mordred, shutting his eyes and slowly opening them again, "Quite the opposite, it was a testament to Confederate ingenuity to have come out objectively ahead while being at a diminished level of involvement. You should take it as a compliment to your usefulness and devotion to Lady Fairchild."

    "I have am under orders from Nathan Hall that any information he gains moving forward will not be given to you or your subordinates by myself. This is why I will be placing Shoutan under orders to relay them for me," Psyber notes, looking to the Confederates, "It will ensure you remain informed as we go forward, regardless of consequences." His voice hollows out a BIT more at those last three words.

    "As another show of good faith on our part and to facilitate our cooperation into the future, I am willing to make an additional revelation," Psyber notes, looking down at his soup, "I have strong suspicion to believe there is an unhatched Shajem preparing to make entry into the world of Terra Majora. The first one in perhaps centuries or thousands of years and the counterpart to Neuvina. It will be a chance to observe an untained Shajem."

    "This, along with one other revelation: This new Shajem may be the child of Wrathborn and Chalaine." Psyber places his hands flat on the table, not out of a threatening gesture, more out of how out of his element he is and trying to keep from fidgeting. He takes a slow breath again.

    "I believe this gives us four valid areas of pursuit now to collaberate on. The first is Shoutan's plan. The second is locating and studying the egg. The third is attempting to locate Chalaine." He pauses, "And finally, I believe the first Shajem that we should collaberate on sealing is the Lord of Cowardice. It will be good for morale on both sides to see that work finished."

    He looks around the table for a few moments, "Have I missed anything? If not, I will set up a channel for you to collaberate with Union members we see fit to include into this arrangement so that we may all discuss matters."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    Hm. That is an infodump alright. Mordred looks satisfied, although now she has a question. "Actually, speaking of. Where are we going to seal it? We can't just sort of seal that thing wherever we find it. We need somewhere suitable, and I doubt we can drag its ass back to the catacombs easily. Or maybe we can, if it hasn't gone too far yet."

    She omits to say anything else-- it's Elliana's place to weight in on the plans and how they will be approached, after all. Mordred is a more straightforward person, and 'smacking the Lord of Cowardice' is the forefront matter in her mind.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Since she knows that some may not know, Elliana first answers the obvious question. "Chalaine, for those who do not know, is Wrathborn's counterpart in the Amethyne. The strongest of the Amethyne and the one that I had pledged service to as a Binder." She keeps her tone even, betraying no shock at the moment, though she's still processing some of the new information.

    "My only question," she continues, "Is what plans we have for locating Chalaine. It is also something in doubt that this 'egg' as you call it leads to a Shajem. Neuvinea, as you recall, was formed by the remnants of energies left in the earth, as far as I could tell. But for now let's presume this is correct, as you seem to have a source of information that hints at such."

    She looks at Mordred, and nods at the Saber's comment. "Indeed, we need both an item to seal them within - though that I can provide easily enough, or your own Binder... Reiji wasn't it? More importantly, they must be placed in an area that is difficult to access, and where leakage cannot do any undue harm. With any luck at all, Sir Hall's incomplete Binding will have placed the Shajem in a location suitable for this. As I do not want to rely on luck, we have the option of finding a remote and dangerous location that it is reasonable to fear... or placing it in a location that we want others to fear. I suspect the previous location was just such a political maneuver. With some, it does not matter as much, as with Lastfall."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I feel the need to footnote all of this negotiation with one simple fact," Psyber begins abruptly, looking at people around the table, "I am not an intelligent man. I am, in fact, an idiot and an idealist. I am playing a negotiation with people who are far more cunning than myself. As a personal request, please do not take advantage of my naievety and my belief in Elliana Fairchild," Psyber notes absently.

    "That said, I have a suitable location in mind for the placement of the Lord of Cowardice."

    "I believe underneath the Glittering Fields, either at the bottom of one of its swamps or in a cave underneath the location itself, would be the ideal location for the Lord of Cowardice. The location is already sufficiently tainted with negative magic that it is beyond recovery and people should keep away from it as a matter of course. Its hostile environment is also a natural discouragement."

    Elliana's OTHER question, though. Psyber says, "You are correct. It is not with certainty that the egg will be a Shajem. It could be a unique being entirely. All the more worth study." He explains a bit more, "I believed it to be a Shajem because it was the product of mating between a Shajem and an Amethyne. And an Amethyne had been born in recent months. If Neuvina hatched recently, it would be a cosmological balance for a new Shajem to come into existence in the immediate future, as they are paired entities."

Abstractum.Net (347) has posed:
    "Such a thing," Comes a confident voice, muffled from under Himei's jacket. "Would require a /lot/ of love-slash-justice beams too, the way I've seen it." With a sudden soft glow, the wings are in Himei's hands, as a small wand shaped like a pure white rose. The little eye marks it as an Abstractum, and it waggles a petal at Lezard. "So you figure out all the metaphysics, the weird reality stuff, and we can figure out everything else. Honestly, if you're on board with this, I'm pretty sure we can trust Elliana to vet your word here. That look you've got is suspicious as all heck but I'm starting to get the vague feeling you don't actually have a mode that's not suspicious as all heck."

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei sees that she has Lezard's attention, at least. Time to make her pitch. She takes a deep breath, "We've seen what Wrathborn originally looked like, and it wasn't the way we've seen him. We also have evidence that the Amethyne themselves were used to bind him. I... have a feeling that something was done that 'damaged' the Shajem. We could thus naturally find out what, and 'fix' them. Maybe it was something done to their partners." She then straightens up and gets a little more bold.

    "More importantly, if their nature was altered once, it can be done again," she states. "Here's the real meat of it. Originally they were pretty destructive to humanity. These things aren't naturally intelligent, Wrathborn excepted. Maybe we could do something that alters the nature of both of them to make them more uh... I don't want to say 'friendly' so much as something that doesn't get in the way of humanity by blundering about on pure instinct. I have a pretty strong suspicion that the Church might have the answers we need, since they're the ones who pulled off the original Binding. I'd bet there's some lost lore there, or original records before they were mucked with to make the Blooded look like heroes."

    She glances at her shoulder and Abstractum. "Yeah. You do look pretty shady, but I am trusting Elliana here to keep you from screwing with me too much, even if it's only so it doesn't mess with her world. I would like to think she doesn't want to screw me over, and I KNOW she doesn't want to mess her world up worse."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    To Himei, Mordred says: "Why don't we just find suitable hosts for all of them? Being inside Elliana transformed Wrathborn, why can't that happen to every Shajem and Amethyne? Seems like 'making them more human' is an option. If we can find out how to safely use their powers without all the shitty side-effects, we'd just have to find worthy hosts. People who won't shit everything up when given unimaginable cosmic power. Like Bloodstone, I guess."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
"Love and justice are resources to be used like anything else," is Lezard's response. Nevertheless, there is a twitch of an eyebrow as the Abstractum waggles at him. "As before, I have no interest in damaging the world." He glances up to Himei as she responds. "So they were changed once... And you believe it is possible to change them again. It is a logical assumption, provided we can find proof. But such proof will be exceptionally well guarded."

He taps on the table once more. "I have no doubt that we will run afoul of certain people who wish that information to remain hidden, and others who would exploit such information in ways that are not to our desire. I hope you are prepared to deal with them in any way necessary."

Himei (331) has posed:
    Himei shrugs in reply, "I'm pretty pragmatic, as Fairchild can confirm. I'm not really the type to kill, but I'm not afraid of knocking people around to get them to see straight." She smiles. "I'll let you know if I find anything more clear than the dream that Mordred and I saw with the others. It'll be interesting... I'm not a wizard or anything, just a girl who punches things."

Lezard Valeth has posed:
"Yes, and I am simply a man who makes potions." Lezard says with only gentle sarcasm, smiling. "Keep us abreast of events. We will ensure you are also informed of our progress, as per our agreement. This is far more efficient if we actually trust one another..." He arches an eyebrow. "And by that I wish you all good luck."

Himei (331) has posed:
    Turning to Mordred, Himei shakes her head at the idea. "I'm pretty sure Elliana's unique like that. And even if she isn't... I'm not sure we have any guarantee of what the Shajem would end up like. Wrathborn's kind of a jerk. An OKAY jerk, as jerks go, but he still doesn't have a lot of human understanding. It'd be easy for a different one to end up... well. You know. And remember, he only got that way AFTER taking over Elliana once."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    "Mn," Elliana says. She taps her chin. "For now, we have no reason to not presume the hatching will be a Shajem, it's true. But more investigation should be done. Plan around what we know, for now, but always find out more." She frowns then, staring hard at Psyber.

    "The Glittering Fields would be ideal," she finally says. "It couldn't make the area worse, and it is suitably accesible that a dedicated Binder team could make it in and renew the Seal, but keep out any riffraff. Though I wonder why you know of such a place, unless you have been reasearching for this particular idea."

    She doesn't agree for the others, since she can't, but she does shrug. "Helping my world is what I've wanted from the Union for years. Sabotaging it would be... counterproductive."

Mordred (12) has posed:
    "Just don't abuse our trust 'n we won't abuse yours," Mordred answers Psyber, pretty straightforwardly. It's as true as it'll get. Things will stay clean and nice as long as nobody steps out of line. At the suggestion of the location, she shrugs, turning to Elliana to see her judgment on it.

    Though idly, she tells Himei: "Hey, I'm just sayin'. It happened once. Why can't we make it happen twice? You gonna be satisfied with just making them harmless when y'had the option to integrate them into society instead? If they turn out to be assholes then that's where we come in. Y'know, again."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I know because..." Psyber begins, staring back at Elliana. His red eyes meet her red-and-teal gaze. He halts halfway into the sentence.

    He takes a deep breath again and says, "I know because I..." Psyber halts again, partway into the sentence. His eyes look away and he seems to contemplate for a long moment. How would she react if she knew the truth? How would she feel about it? He had told her he would set up a contingency for her, she said he should.

    And then Mordred says that key phrase 'Don't abuse our trust and we won't abuse yours'. That's right, if he kept this under any justification it would just damage everything going forward when it came out.

    "I know because that's where I found Sovereign." Psyber finally says to Elliana, staring her dead in the eye.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    One eye twitches when Psyber says that. "I see." She stares back at him, then shuffles and sets her empty cup down. "You really have been busy. I hope you know what you have gotten yourself into. Mastering one of THOSE is not easily done, and even then there can be a price. I never fully mastered Majestic. Be careful, Psyber."

    She then smiles, "We should go now, before someone shows up wondering why you are meeting us. Thank you for dinner."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber's eyes narrow at the eyetwitch. He tries to file it and figure out a meaning. Anger? Betrayal? But she lets it go away too quickly. He's left simply wondering. But he forces a smile, "I asked you if I should plan a counter to you, and you agreed." He says, perhaps in defense of himself.

    "I do not intend to keep it permanently. It is a legacy of the Fairchild family and I will return it to them once I feel their current inheritor is fit to wield it, that I promise," Psyber says to her in an awkward tone, sighing.

    "Yeah, though. I said I'd be home tonight, so I'm sure Nathan and the others will wonder where I am."