FCII -- After Meeting (Councilors)

[Star]

Who was he asking?

Pretty sure not him. Pretty. Sure. Unless the Hierarch thought he should have gone with a Mojito.

Vague questions? They're totally A Thing.

Hands folded. Eyes on hands. Nobody's accusing anyone.

Because OODA.

[Avis]

"It's pretty simple," Avis said, stepping in while she still had a chance to make her stance known. "Three members of the Council worked to make sure this Charter was made. We agreed to give up our personal agendas and instead stuck to discussing the Golden Laws and outlining trial procedure, as that's what we were asked to do, knowing that we could just amend what was needed later. Problem is, the person who asked us to put aside our agendas did it so that they could take advantage of us, and push their own bullshit through. I have no fucking idea what the fifth councilor was doing." The warlock's eyes darted over to Mace, sat there for a moment, then moved back to Aquinas.

"So, basically, I guess you could say that three of us failed. I think, though, that it's more accurate to say that the asshole who refused to play by her own standards was the one that truly failed, failed this Consilium, and now she's going to reap what she's sown. The charter is going to be changed, Nous," the warlock continued, turning to the Acanthus. "The people have made their will known, and they'll continue to. My only question is, what the fuck is your real agenda? 'Cause it sure as hell isn't what's best for this city."

[Avis]

"I've learned where the border of trust and stupidity lie," Avis replied, left hand dipping down to frantically dig out her toothpick case. An angry snap of her thumb flipped the lid open, a pick was snatched, and the case disappeared again while the slender length of wood was set between her teeth. Her teeth needed something to bite.

"In the future, I won't cross it again."

Enamel sank into wood.

Really, the Hierarch was right. Today was her failing. The child of her own blindness, her own laziness, her own incompetence. What Nous had said in the Consilium, about having done her job and nothing more, well, that was also true. She'd done no more than that. If Avis had done hers as well then the effect of Nous' agenda wouldn't have been so dearly felt.

[Star]

"Ummmm."

The hands were the safest place to rest his eyes. Eyes told stories. Sometimes, not the story you wanted to tell.

"You, ummm, you ever, like, play kickball? Sandlot baseball? I mean, that's what happened. The Council told everyone who was going to be team captains, who was going to be picked first, and who was going to be picked last. So, yeah. Like, who was happy to hear that? But the big problem is, like, you never told them why. Why the team captains. Why they wanted to play the game."

Politics are fine. Really. It's not personal. Don't make it personal. It didn't bother him. Want to pull a fast one? Fine. Just don't get mad if some else's hands are faster.

"Because, what happens, is the not-cool kids go play their own game. Or go smoke dope behind the bleachers."

Think about that. Let it sink in.

[Jhet]

"You act like I've not been anything but forthcoming about my intents or desires for the document. That document was put together by all of us at our meeting, and the question was raised numerous times if anyone had any problems or things they'd like to see changed. My agenda is clear. I did what was asked of me by my path. They had requests, and I made sure they were taken care of. And we all know that Idun phoned it in. Let's be direct about it."

She sighs. So many allegations. All so very misdirected. All could have been spoken about at the meeting had anyone had problems.

"So let's start at the big one. Am I trying to take over the council? No. I was trying to keep Councilor Ermac in his seat because he actually is participating and I expected that the Mighty put him there because he was willing to put in the work. What good would taking over the council be? The hole point of it is to bring people from different cabals together to work through our problems without resorting to backstabbing and violence. I don't want Ermac in my cabal forever, but I also don't want him out on the street alone while we're taking on Banisher U from a handful of different directions. It's dangerous, and what kind of example would I be setting as a mage and as a member of a cabal if I stood by while letting an asset to the city be vulnerable. Everyone is looking for hidden meaning here. If I wanted to take over, I would have just challenged Aquinas. And let me be clear, I have zero desire to do that."

That's one allegation. One that doesn't make a bit of sense if anyone had taken the time to read the charter and compare it to anything historical at all. It's why she didn't want to have a big conversation about it in the same hour that they were passing it out. Taking over a council only makes sense if people are actually paying attention to what it's doing. For the first time in six months, people seem to actually be paying attention, but only on the surface.

"Okay, what else was lobbed at me. I don't care about solitaires. That's the amazing one. Here the Charter is protecting them from nemesis being declared against them, and from having to give hospitality to a cabal full of mages alone. And while we should consider how the Right of Duel Arcana can apply to them, it's not going to break anything if we don't want to allow it without an extra step of protection provided by the Precept of War. They shouldn't be held to the same standards as cabals in those situations. But somehow I'm the bad guy because an association that's built for dealing with disputes and managing inter-cabal relations. And that part? That's not anything new. It's been the purpose of consili for hundreds of years.

Don't take it from me though. Do your homework and figure that one out for yourselves. Solitaires are an important part of a city, but it's not safe out there to go it alone. The charter needs to make it more safe for those who adamantly refuse to join a cabal, but they're two different statuses and we need to recognize that they require different protections and responsibilities. That doesn't make them less important, but really it says we think they are important and should receive the protections deserved of an upstanding citizen of our society. That doesn't mean we stop balancing the needs of the cabals and promote the solitaires over them, but it requires a balancing act."

What else is she missing. What else.

"I do care about not allowing banishers or spies of the throne on our council. It's a very real concern for me in this city. Organized banishers? That right there is something to make strong hearts terrified. Not to mention the fact that there are Seers in the city and we know precious little about what they're doing. I don't think it's that much to ask for a council of wise to be invested in all our societies in a way that gives us some backups for our own safety. That includes my own safety and the others on the council."

It's interesting how things all come together as fate decides. Because that's really the question they need to worry about constantly. Safety.

"So here's the thing. What I really think everyone is worried about is safety. Their own, and for those around them. Avis, you have good cause to be concerned for your safety, and the safety of your cabal when it comes to Striker. He's a loose cannon, and needs to be dealt with. But there are two ways to do it. The first is going overboard and giving into anger and rage at his audacity. I don't think that's the example we should set though, because the second message is just so much stronger. The second message being that there is a limit to how many times you can be a threat to our society before it turns on you.

To do that, we can use the work we put in to bring him to real justice. And that means we don't just kick him out of the city. It means we put him through the paces. It means we have to be the bigger people and do it right. Not only for ourselves, but for the city and the future of this city. It's our job to set the right precedents. So let's do it together and actually stick to our guns. Because this Lex? It'll allow us to drag him up in front of everyone and get the Truth. And from the report? The truth is going to be pretty easy to find.

So did I miss anything?"