A Small, Informal Meeting (Private)

[DaveJ]

Kite had arrived at the drab brown building that would host the Free Council meeting well over two hours before. Cog had volunteered his second floor apartment for the occasion, which Kite gladly accepted. The efficiency was spacious enough for one person – a small room with a TV and game console, a kitchen area, and a sufficiently large fold-out table – all arranged for easy maneuvering, despite the cozy nature of the apartment. Several bags of food and drink were still on the kitchen counter, and the refrigerator and freezer were well-stocked with various soft drinks and ice. Kite had taken the precaution of setting up an easel with a medium-sized whiteboard, in case it was needed, and various accouterments to assist planning and discussion were spread across the table he was now studying at.

The subject of Kite’s attention were a series of papers that detailed – or, at least, were supposed to detail – some of the history of the Free Council in Sacramento, as well as the resources they supposedly held. However, the puzzled look that Kite wore indicated that they were less than clear. “I don’t understand any of this…” he quietly whispered to himself. Kite took a look at the banker’s box he had grabbed from the hostel - it was labeled ‘FC’ with a sharpy... and it was also the only one with a glyph of High Speech written on it. He turned back to the papers that were now spread entirely across the table. “Maybe the files were moved? Maybe I grabbed the wrong box?...” Kite held the bridge of his nose and sighed. “We’ll, I hope Rosh can make some sense of things. It’s weird though, he hasn’t been answering his phone, or any text messages.”

His shoulders sagging in defeat, Kite began to collect the papers and place them in a folder, arranging them so that they made some semblance of order. “I guess there is nothing to do but wait for Rosh and the others to come, now…” he figured.

[October Davenport]

Toby pulls up in her Tahoe, and hops out, not really in any rush. She decided on a pair of white pants with a long sleeve grey shirt, and left her hair down. Grabbing her water and purse, she heads to the building, looking for and finding the stairs, she makes her way up. Looking at her phone, she locates the correct door and knocks.

[DaveJ]

“Coffee?” Kite says enthusiastically, seeming to perk up at the thought. “Yeah, I think I could use a fairly large ‘Cup of Joe’, so to speak…” he quips while looking down at the remaining papers that were partly scattered. With a sigh, he returned towards reorganizing the papers he brought and putting them away.

“Oh, and before you ask, there’s nothing here – just some really old invoices and some mundane documents.” Kite frowned at the banker’s box he brought, clearly disappointed at its contents. “I don’t know, maybe some old libertine recycled the box…?”

The knock on the door interrupted Kite’s train of thought, and he quickly put what papers that remained back into the box before replacing the lid. “I’ll get that” he said as he approached the door and opened it. “Ahh! Its… October, right?” he asked the attractive brunette. “Come in, please…” he smiled.

[October Davenport]

Smiling, “Right, but please call me Toby.” She says her tone lighthearted. She accepts the invitation and enters, “Thank you. I don’t believe we’ve met before.” She says as she looks around the apartment, noticing the other guy, but couldn’t place him. She wondered if there was anyone else coming, this seemed like a small group, even smaller than the last meeting.

[DaveJ]

“Toby.” Kite nodded as he courteously let the willworker in, and closed the door behind her. “I’m Kite,” he said while offering his handshake, before motioning to the apartment’s owner “and that’s Cog over there.” Walking over to the table he was just at a moment ago, Kite proceeded to begin explaining his plan.

“I hate to say this,” he started, “but I think it’s just going to be the four of us – us three, plus Rosh.” His face betrayed a hint of frustration as he pushed the Banker’s box aside to a corner before sitting down at the fold-out table. “I was thinking that we could discuss some ideas and concerns regarding our order while we wait for our fourth to show up…”

[October Davenport]

She accepts his hand, giving him a firm, but gentle shake, “Pleased to meet you Kite.” There is brief look of surprise when Cog speaks, her eyebrows raise as she listens to him, the surprise quickly turning to amusement. “Well, Cog, was it? I promise not to call you Toby.” She says with amusement in her voice, “Though if it makes you feel any better, you can call me October.” The smile was nothing but friendly, she had learned a long time ago to just go with the flow. “The first meeting I attended, there was maybe a handful of us, and it sounds like there will be less this time.” She says with a shrug.

[DaveJ]

“I arrived at the same conclusion” Kite sourly confirmed to Toby. “And I’ve looked through the records of our order in Sacramento… well, actually, that’s not an accurate statement.” Kite took a big gulp from his cup, finishing the coffee that remained inside. “It’s more accurate to say that I tried to go through the records of our order… only, I can’t seem to find anything.” Kite shook his head in mixed disdain and disbelief as he recounted his efforts. “There are almost no records – nothing I can find – regarding our order. I’m pretty sure that we own the Hostel, but I am having issues even confirming that. I have never seen such poor organization and record-keeping in my life.”

Kite got up and walked to the refrigerator, grabbing a coke before returning to his chair. “I think what’s important to do now,” he suggests, “is to think about the future, rather than the past. We have to assume that we are starting from scratch, and lay down a plan on how we build from here.” Kite opened the coke bottle and took a sip before continuing. “The way I see it, unfortunately, is that it will take a lot of time and effort from the four of us to build up our order’s presence and prestige. We’re going to need to commit a lot of time and effort in gathering power, contacts, and resources.” Kite took another long swallow of his coke. “As long as there are at least three of us willing to form the core of the new Free Council, I’m certain that it can be done. However, it’s going to require a long-term commitment from all of us to see the task through." His face bore a grim, but determined look on it, as if he was beginning to muster his will towards the task ahead. "I’m willing to do it. If you two are as well,” he says, looking at both Cog and Toby, “then I suggest we get started. We can fill in Rosh on some of our ideas when he arrives.”