Winning Vote
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
Arc 10 Post 17: To Glimpse Within
To Glimpse Within
10th of December 2006 A.D.
Fixing your gaze just above where his is resting just above the eye in the manner of one politely avoiding a soulgaze you ponder your answer... and how you are going to give it. "Truth be told I don't have a plan that long, Hopefully that is cause to take heart that none of this..." the mark upon your brow flashes setting eerie shadows contracting with a wry smile. "What I have are people I care for, causes I believe in, and responsibilities to meet."
"An admirable sentiment and one that brings us here today," Wu Min says, her words as grease to the wheels of diplomacy, necessary, but not something one would not want to put one's hand in unexpectedly. Your eyes eyes on the old warden, calloused hands laid flat on the table because part of him is worried that he would be gripping his sword otherwise.
The heart behind your heart beats to a tempo wholly its own, wholly your own, as an impossible certainty fills you. "And I will see them filled; I cannot yet fully articulate what the responsibilities of helping forge an entire world are, but I will not be found wanting."
Now you sweep across each in turn. "More immediately, I want to change this world for the better too; in particular I cannot stand how many people - mortal and otherwise - are kept like slaves and hunted like animals." A chill passes into your voice, deep enough to make oxygen rain from the air and iron wins to blow. "If the growth of new things must break something old then mine will be there; in ten years I'd like to have built something where being weaker doesn't make you lesser and free will isn't a toy for those who choose to be monsters"
As you come back around to him Donald Morgan flinches as though some unseen force had struck him across the face, though though no such thing could be found here in the heart of your earthly power. For the briefest instant you see though a crack in walls forged so long ago that the weight of them had grown into habit, you see the guilt behind the resolve, the question he dare not ask himself: 'Am I just a monster with a better excuse than most?'
"Lets get his over with," he rasps, getting up so abruptly the table creeks and shifts as Isabela's eyes snap to him with the instinct of a cat who just saw something wiggle on the ground. The resulting glare just gets him a faux innocent smile.
Gonna have to work on that self-preservation girl, you think, a little impressed and a lot more worried.
Still most of your attention as the five of you step out of the reception area, what had once been the main platform of the station remains fixed on the older warden and what you had learned. He hates his job, right down to the foundations of his soul and he is afraid that it is wearing on those very foundations and yet he can do no other, for for lack of alternative, but because it is his duty.
All in all it's a good thing you put your all into lying and all the better when Ramirez... ah you might as well think of him as Carlos he did invite you to use the name, asks slyly if you have any pointers dealing with vampires.
For a moment your mind goes spinning as you wonder how the Council, much less anyone as junior as him could have learned about Arianna, but then the word 'Cleveland' gets into the picture and you realize it is about your brief alliance with the Red Court pack to deal with the bottom feeding alchemists of lake Erie, which he had gotten from Harry.
"They can be intimidated," you shrug. "I would not really trust any member of the Red Court unless either I have a knife to their throat or they think I do."
"You say 'member of the Red Court', 'mortal and otherwise'. All around we see that these are not just words, but can one trully change the essence of a thing?" The words have more the air of a riddle than a direct question. "Many have tried, all to my knowledge have failed"
Lost 1 Essence (ATB) -> Now at 11/15
That word did not fall idly from her lips, you know with a flare of self-same essence, but that perhaps she had meant for you to realize, to stoke your curiosity, but there's more to it than poking the bear with a stick to see what it does. She has someone in mind with that last sentence, someone guilty of a lot more than failure.
"What do you wish to see first?" you ask as all these questions whirl though your mind.
"I'd like to meet with the officers of the 'City of Law', especially any you are thinking of bringing over," Morgan says, having recovered his composure enough that the only harshness in his tone is from the ruined voice.
"Get to grips with Hall 9000," Carlos says, trying and failing to hide his excitement.
"You say there are temples, spirit covenants, I would speak to one to officiates such," Wu Min answers smooth as silk.
Harry just shrugs as if to say: 'I trust you already' then he visibly remembers Morgan is around and says: "I could look over these weapons you are offering, see if they are safe."
What do you show the wizards?
[] Millitary matters with Morgan.
[] SUTRA investigations with Carlos.
[] Wu Min studying spirit bindings.
[] Weapons inspection with Harry.
[] Split up, delegate, what is what you have all these people working for you right?
-[] Write in how
OOC: Man, Morgan does not have much luck today.
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That's some ridiculous overconfidence.
We have a lot of informational advantages, but that doesn't actually stop them from taking action and our material ability to act at scale isn't the same.
They could do a lot of damage to a lot of people if we're careless.
Rolls
Molly explains... a little too intensely vs Willpower Ramirez, Wu Min and... Morgan (That is a botch)
*combined with the previous perception rolls, you get to see his conflicting intimacies relating to being a Warden*
Morgan to intimidate the baby despair vampire vs Nope, this is just what she does
Reading Wu Min's hint vs Facade has cracked
Molly explains... a little too intensely vs Willpower Ramirez, Wu Min and... Morgan (That is a botch)
*combined with the previous perception rolls, you get to see his conflicting intimacies relating to being a Warden*
Morgan to intimidate the baby despair vampire vs Nope, this is just what she does
Reading Wu Min's hint vs Facade has cracked
Morgan is the head of the diplomatic mission, so we should probably prioritize his requests. I would like to give them a better view of the place as a whole before we get sucked into business though.
Maybe we could take the scenic route to the city of law, let them get some work done, then offer to split the delegation after they've had time to get settled?
Maybe use this moment to talk to Morgan about traitors, after checking that he doesn't have any bugs?
Because even if his colleagues are not compromised they are too young to risk giving them that info right now. Not without some additional mental defenses.
Splitting the party would be to Molly's advantage in this case.
Because even if his colleagues are not compromised they are too young to risk giving them that info right now. Not without some additional mental defenses.
Splitting the party would be to Molly's advantage in this case.
Too soon. He just met us and doesn't trust easy; none of them do, which is part of why we haven't done this already.
If we want to slip them that data we should do it through McCoy, because we already know he'll take it seriously and not explode our diplomatic relations with the council over it unless we're proven wrong in our accusations.
[X] Split up, delegate, what is what you have all these people working for you right?
-[X] You go with Morgan as the head of delegation
-[X] Your best diplomat goes with Wu Min, they are colleagues after all
-[X] Some pretty young-looking tech expert with Carlos, as well as a machine spirit
-[X] Some veteran weapon expert to talk to Harry
-[X] Leadership excellency, renew ATB with willpower, and excellencies as needed without causing anima flare
-[X] You go with Morgan as the head of delegation
-[X] Your best diplomat goes with Wu Min, they are colleagues after all
-[X] Some pretty young-looking tech expert with Carlos, as well as a machine spirit
-[X] Some veteran weapon expert to talk to Harry
-[X] Leadership excellency, renew ATB with willpower, and excellencies as needed without causing anima flare
[X] Split up, delegate, what is what you have all these people working for you right?
-[X] You go with Morgan as the head of delegation
-[X] Your best diplomat goes with Wu Min, they are colleagues after all
-[X] Some pretty young-looking tech expert with Carlos, as well as a machine spirit
-[X] Some veteran weapon expert to talk to Harry
-[X] Leadership excellency, renew ATB with willpower, and excellencies as needed without causing anima flare
-[X] You go with Morgan as the head of delegation
-[X] Your best diplomat goes with Wu Min, they are colleagues after all
-[X] Some pretty young-looking tech expert with Carlos, as well as a machine spirit
-[X] Some veteran weapon expert to talk to Harry
-[X] Leadership excellency, renew ATB with willpower, and excellencies as needed without causing anima flare
Should we have a formal introduction to the council before doing anything else? Get their opinion and input at least?
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
I don't think we should split up. Not only to prevent misunderstandings and to extract the maximum value from our interactions with the WC delegation, but also because they're probably less likely to be overly cautious or guard their words too carefully if they're together. There is strength in numbers, so they should be inclined to feel safer together, and thus less wary or paranoid.
No welcoming committee or offical presentation of the wizards to Exarchate or their subordinates? Like it is the first offical delegation from the beyond to the Courts and it is kinda coming of like Molly just dragging the wizards along and grabbing the first best person she finds in the different cities rather then the big Thing it is for the Fivefold Court. Considering how onboard the Exarchate was when Molly spoke to them it seems a bit weird.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
They don't know when we're coming is part of the thing I guess.
That was assumed wherever you go you will have the people in charge form up and give some kind of introduction, but if you want the political leadership to do so that is Morgan's option.
[X] Millitary matters with Morgan.
Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
Wu Min is by far the most canny diplomat among the delegation, so why don't we take care of her interests first? The sooner we give her interesting stuff to occupy her mind, the more distracted she is likely to become.
[X] Wu Min studying spirit bindings.
[X] Wu Min studying spirit bindings.
Counterpoint:
I remember Iraq. And more recently Libya.
It is way easier to destroy a regime than it is to replace it and stabilize the nationstate in the aftermath, especially when there are factions with interests in expanding into the power vacuum in its aftermath.
Noone argues that the Red Court isnt evil.
But its a much harder thing to remove them without potentially doing more harm than good.
And given some of the alternatives, the Red Court is very much the lesser evil right now.
Thats not true.
The Red Court is in a war with the White Council, not everyone; they may have managed to piss off both the Fae Courts, but they arent at war. It has multiple silent allies providing quiet intelligence and logistic support on the sly; the chemical weapon used in central Africa was allegedly of Fomor make, for example.
The Red Court not currently throwing greater Outsiders or bioweapons at Edinburgh, any more than the White Council is currently throwing scry and die citykiller effects around.
There is a fuckton of room for strategic escalation on both sides, and they canonically didnt use it.
You are mistaken; that is precisely how the word of the Fae works in this AU.
I will quote:
Mab did not grant us a blank check to do whatever we want; there's explicit limits to what they will do.
Counter-counter point: and I remember and lived through (albeit when very young) the collapse of USSR. It's easier to think in terms of chaos and power vacuums when you aren't the one that has to live under brutal multi-generational dictatorships. Should North Korean regime be propped up?
They will, at some point.
- Location
- washington
Yeah gonna be honest just because destroying something has lots of consequences sometimes it's better to rip the bandaid off. Like power vacuums will be filled and we can retaliate the fomor are not utterly beyond us that we can't war with them too. Mind you I wouldn't want to do it all at once and I know innocent people will die based off the actions we take regardless whether it's propping up the current system or having to deal with the fallout of destroying a previous one. But quite honestly I think that's just how it works.
So not to get too political but if we had to curse mundane things would Chinese prison camps be something people are amenable to cursing in this quest or just ignore those? Also what about stuff like the kkk?
So not to get too political but if we had to curse mundane things would Chinese prison camps be something people are amenable to cursing in this quest or just ignore those? Also what about stuff like the kkk?
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No, but what you're suggesting is basically collapsing the USSR via nuclear bombardment instead of its economic situation imploding.
We should take the red court down a peg, and eventually remove it entirely, but we need to find ways to fight it that don't kill quite so many of the people we're trying to save.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Cursing the reds blood hunting operations is economic attack and just might make it implode. If even 10% of all blood hunts result in a dead vampire the red Court quickly disappears.
[X] Split up, delegate, what is what you have all these people working for you right?