A chat with the newest councillor

[Chambers]

That was indisputably true. "Maybe someone should remind San Fran about that." He responds almost flippant for a moment before recovering himself. As a mystagogue Chambers is aware he should take every chance to belittle the free council, the two orders after all having nearly opposite stances on oh so many matters. But what would that achieve? "There is not much in common no. But still we are working towards a common goal." Beating the seers was important. "As part of that we all have to accept we won't get everything we want, not even me." He couldn't just enforce Mysterium policy no matter how much he would like to.

And on the matter of compromise the Moros offers a gentle smile. "And what use would an ever changing board be?" A wheel of new faces lacking context, experience, or skill. "My position offers consistency, stability, a foundation. All of which we do need." And besides that. "There is the council of course to advise me." Gesturing to the libertine sat in his sanctum by his invitation. "Advise I actively seek." And of course. "I do not know how many noticed this either but I included ways to remove a hierarch from post in the charter." A document that came into effect after his appointment. "So I am not untouchable." Not easily toppled either but it was doable. The gentle smile becomes a searching stare. "How is that for compromise?" Gauging the libertines response, particularly with this talk of potentially ditching, a problem the hierarch would rather not have to contend with without good reason.

[Thirteen]

"Feel free to tell the Golden Arseholes that," she smirked, then something occurred to the Acanthus. She pondered the idea a moment before sharing, "Huh, I wonder what the Free Council situation is like in San Francisco. If they got their own separate Assembly, maybe we can use that?" Silently, she berated herself for not checking into that before.

"Look," the Libertine said, unamused, "I get it. Maintainin' a Consilium council is hard enough. Don't mean I like how much power you got, or that I don't want that to change. If I had my way, there'd be no Hierarch at all, and we'd be a full-on democracy. So I'm already compromisin' by not loudly protestin' against you every day." She smiled now, "Maybe you're lucky we got so many outside threats to deal with currently to keep me busy?"

[Chambers]

As much as he would in part dearly love to, derisive statements were unlikely to help there cause, and so he will have to contend himself with merely wishing he could. "You would be better placed to have insight there then me." But if what he had heard about the Mysterium and guardians held true, big if, things might not be so straightforward. "But use it how? To what stage a proxy war? Spy for us?" No offence but if the San Fran libertines were opposed to the golden Consilium you would think moves would have been made to curb the risk of expansion. "If they are separate to the Consilium wouldn't San Fran sending a number of its mages here make the free councils task in San Fran easier anyway?" Even if a common foe did exist, from what he has heard today Chambers would not put it past the libertines to let the Dimond orders chew each other up to further goals of their own.

As for his Olive branch. Pretty stoutly rejected he would say. But without being rude so that's Something. Not whining that things aren't done entirely your way is not compromise. The myriad of retorts, arguments and rebuttals he could make wheel through his head. Settling on two very important ones. "All I need to do is point to when we did have democracy, when everyone did have as much push as any other." And what a time that was. "It was so bad that multiple libertines helped worked towards a charter and one even helped me into my position." A taste of their precious democracy had proven to them well, that someone had to step up and lead. "Lucky?" Deaths imprisonment, Sclesti, secrecy breaches, and San Fran mages. Not what he would call lucky. "If Luck has anything to do with, it is that I am a mage who is trying to make this work to some degree for all involved." Not all hierarchs would, not all hierarchs did.

[Thirteen]

"I don't have a plan yet, it's just a random idea. One worth lookin' into, I think. We won't know what good it'll do until we investigate. And by we I mean me. I'll see if I can make contact and get the lay of the land there." How she would do that, Thirteen wasn't sure. She knew nobody in San Francisco. Maybe there was some contact information in the F.C. wing?

The Libertine gave a shrug, "A past attempt has nothin' to do with me, and just because it failed once doesn't mean it would fail in the future. Small sample size. What history does show is too much authority in one pair of hands never ends well, even for the good-intentioned."

"One persons doom is another's lucky day. Fate is impersonal like that," the Arcadian said. She knew firsthand how uncaring luck was, and how valuable it was when it was in your favor, "You're doin' well enough as Hierarch. So far. I have no major complaints." She studied Chambers face for a moment, "Would you not welcome someone watchin' you for signs of abuse of power? To question your motives when it matters? To keep you honest?"

[Chambers]

It was a move that the hierarch seemed a little trepidatious about. Would potentially introducing another moving part into an already convoluted situation be a good idea? "And if you have misjudged the golden Consilium could spin into an uprising, or an attempted coop." But sometimes trust was needed. "So I say take it slowly and with caution." Before a light bulb goes off. "And speak to Skye, she is the last one to have actually met the mages claiming to be from San Fran, see if she was aware of any Free councillors in that number." It would give at least a initial starting point to gauge the waters.

Those who do not learn and all that. And learn Chambers had, adapting to the needs of the city as best he could. "History is no kinder to democracies." No democracy in history had succeeded either.

While contemplating if he considered luck to impersonal, or something with its own inscrutable agenda the question came and he sighed. "You know before I even began that was the first thing I set up. I gave a guardian access to something highly personal." And Guardians treat tyrants worse then any free councillor if reputation is to be believed. "But that knife at my neck seems to have wandered off." As mages in the city are want to do. "Still there is no more vulnerable mage in our Consilium then me if you know where to look." The Consilium notes, written in tass from his own pattern and publicly available for any and all to use.

[Thirteen]

"Aye, as I said, I just want to feel things out. I'm not gonna make a bargain with them on my own. If I make contact and things look advantageous for us, I'll bring it to you and the council." The Enchantress nodded, "Skye? Alright, I'll see what she knows." A lead was a lead, and she wasn't going to snub her nose at possible contact information. If worse came to worse, maybe some Fate magic would point her in the right direction. It worked with finding that guy at the Inn.

"That may be," she said of democracies failing, "Nothing is permanent, but between a democracy and a dictatorship, I know which I'd rather live in."

She had to wonder who that Guardian was. Not Witch, she was still here. The only other one she knew of in Sacramento was Winter, and she hadn't seen him around all year. "And are you relieved or worried that the knife has vanished? Do you plan to replace it?"

[Chambers]

That was a relief to hear, not having to be to concerned about back end deals going on. No just the inherent danger of escalation and unknowns. "Alright, sounds good." A pause. "And do let someone know when your making contact so they know to follow up." He had withheld saying take someone with you, that might be to invasive but with all the volatile elements some safety measures did not hurt.

This was ultimately never going to go any different, neither would convince the other. And it was immaterial anyway, things have been moved into place and set as they had been. "I could continue quite readily but I fear we have deviated once again." Keeping the peace before things got heated was after all more important. This was not a meeting for such things.

He sits quite still, quite calm. "Neither it is what is." Having no power to keep any measure in place, bar one. "Oh I already have don't you worry I lost a knife but gained how shall I say a number of spears." Any mage who wished to see him come to harm could make it so. Actually he had democracy to thank for that substantial danger.

Thank you for the scene! It was an absolute blast. Due to close on the 26th I will endeavor to get that done as close to the date as I can.

[Thirteen]

"Oh, sure," she nodded, red halo of hair bobbing, "Goin' in totally on my own would be damn foolish." If there were to be a face-to-face meeting with San Francisco's Free Council, she couldn't really bring anyone along, as she was the only Libertine here. They wouldn't talk if she had a Mystagogue or Arrow in tow. Having some sort of back-up in case of emergency was a good idea, however.

She just smiled and nodded as Chambers shelved the debate. It was fine by her. She had mainly engaged in the topic for fun, and never expected to change his mind.

"It's interestin' that you've set up ways to tear you down. Provided those ways are legit. I'll be reviewin' the charter and makin' notes, never you fear." Thirteen smirked.

Thank you! Was fun! Feel free to close when convenient! And Happy holidays!