(2309) Sanctuary

[Witch]

Philip did not break the mold others had created. She hadn't truly expected him too, but she had allowed room for the possibility.

Frowning slightly, Witch thought back, seeking the analogy she had supposedly laid forth. She vaguely recalled the conversation, but it barely even deserved to be called a conversation. A few sentences back and forth at best?

Nodding at wat Chambers' said, she made a small hand wave toward him, highlighting his words.

"That. Your tools of the modern age are built off of the Lie. The physics and mathematics that sleepers believe rule. But we know better," she said, her voice emphasizing the 'we' into a more global we than just the three gathered.

"Everything that makes the bullet powerful - we can alter. Or the effects." Stop the bullet, slow the bullet, change the bullet. Or heal the wound. Or go back in time. The possibilities were endless.

Or should be.

"By ... equating the tools of the Lie to what we know to be the truth, you aren't fighting fire with fire. You are feeding the Lie. Reinforcing it. You are making the Lie the Truth." Witch paused to take a breath.

To count to 5 quickly in her head.

She hadn't gotten wound up thankfully, but she could hear the arguments echoing in her ears, could see (this time) the anger that would follow if she kept talking. So she hit 5, exhaled and looked to Philip Crosen , seeing if he followed her so far.

[Philip Crosen]

He took a minute to think. He wasn`t equating. It was a matter of perspective for him. The tools now available have uses. What was the objective and what was achieveable on his personal scale had to be weighed. Could he fight the lie on his own? Could she? No, of course not. Of course magic powers could change everything, but not every Awakened had every power equally, or thought to use them at the right times. And despite being able to see past the Lie, they still had to accept un-awakened society to an extent. So, could they really rely on their magic powers to fix everything? While he didn`t want to be accused of feeding the lie he could see some merit in her position. Weighing his words carefully, he spoke, mostly to Witch:

"So, I`m not equating the tools of the lie to be the truth. They`re just as fake as they always were. That said, they still have uses in a limited sense. Even though every Arcanum can alter the characteristics of modern tools, if you forget to use magic or the right tool, you can still get hit by bullets, audits, smartphones, gps, money... the list goes on. Frightening thought that the modern world often has tools that allows properly equipped individuals to substitute arcana for tools, like a kevlar vest, to soften bullet impact, or a matter-reinforced vest causing the same general effect. The work of the blasted Exarchs no doubt. Consequently, all of this boils down to the question to how we can stop the Seers and Exarchs and reverse the damage to reality. While it`s true that we can alter all of the characteristics of all of the tools individually to our whim as you said; however, if we could fix the problem entirely we would have probably done so already. I`m just trying to set priorities, bend the small rules to break the Exarchs in the long run. As I`ve said many times. If you guys have even a short-term plan that brings us a tiny step closer to victory over the Seers, I`m all ears. But I say we take the fight to them, use their tools against them, and then destroy the tools when they`re defeated. Of course I can see the argument that this perpetuates the cycle... So what would you suggest?"

[Chambers]

He was on the fringe of this conversation, and was fine with that. The only significant movement is to cross his arms, the closed body language indicative of his desire to share. Listening to his colleges with a stoic, still, vigilance.

Witch lays out her points, succinctly and generally agreeable. He doesn’t see the need to add the full explanation of pancryptia, it’d only muddy things and distract from the points at hand.

Philip unloads, points, ideas, questions in an integrated mass …and …and can he hear himself?

Something needs to be said, guidance given. His words are slow and soft, trying to bridge a gap between the discordant ideas. ‘Wisdom. When, How and Why to use magic, that’s wisdom, something we should all be striving for.’

A momentary pause, there’s no edge, no cruelty in the tone of what follows, ‘I struggle to see the wisdom in what you say when you contradict yourself.’ Pause. ‘In one breath you claim to not equate tool and truth, then in another breath do that very thing stating the practice of shielding to be no different from a Kevlar vest. That is the lie. That is the death of magic.’ The feeling of an explorer crossing ice when he knows not the thickness has become palpable by the time he has finished.

And once your out on the ice, the only way is forward.

‘Fighting the Seers, … the Exarchs is not a short-term goal. If you know of a pylon we need to act against, say so, and I for one, will help you every step of the way. But, it has been an ongoing war between diamond and seer since the fall. It isn’t taken lightly, everybody, every order has plans and strategies, are constantly working to prevail. Everything the orders do, my order does, everything I have done since joining, is focused around that fight, against the lie, against the seers, against the abyss.’
At some point his arms uncrossed. He eyes hold to Philip, looking to meet his gaze, not reject it.

And for all of that holier than though about fighting, am I? is any mage? Really better. If each of tried how hard would be to name a dozen ways we contribute to the lie. A thumb finds the bowl of the pipe, snuffing what remains of the embers, painfully.

[Witch]

Witch felt herself tensing. Felt her teeth clenching with fighting the urge to not interrupt.

But then she is blinking. Her starting anger suddenly fighting with ... confusion.

Sure, everything eventually could be brought to the fulfillment of the Diamond Wheel, but that jump was ... impressive. And wait -

"As I`ve said many times"? Had she heard him say it once? Was he thinking of another Consilium maybe?

And was he seriously accusing them of not doing enough? Of just ... sitting on their asses? When he was the one who had been possibly bebopping around without joining their Consilium to actually you know ... do shit?
The confusion wilted under the flare of anger that rose again.

Chambers' voice came, carefully measured and delivered. She grabbed onto it, trying to not let her anger grow more. It worked. Mostly. She didn't lash out. But she also didn't trust herself to try and speak. There was still tension in her jaw that she didn't trust.

So, she stayed quiet. Letting Chambers' words stand for Philip Crosen to address if he so chose.

[Philip Crosen]

Philip was on a roll and he knew it, laying out his opinions uncensored. He just loved to hear himself talk sometimes, and couldn`t really stop until the measured words of Chambers caused him start second guessing himself. And as he did so, he noticed the shift in the mood in the room, and he let his head drop as he realized what he`d said, going over his own words and Chambers` input. While he had taken a while to think about what he`d wanted to say, earlier, once hed gotten going, he hadn`t been that measured after all.

" All I really meant was that the tools have uses in limited ways and we shouldn`t dismiss them completely. I guess that got drowned out by my long speech...I guess I got too carried away. And I guess we haven`t talked about this either yet, save that one time in consilium before you joined us, Chambers. My second point was just that I wanted to do something together with you guys to fight the lie, like taking on the nearest Pylon as you said, and I was trying to dare you into presenting a plan. My formulation was just bad, sorry guys. You put it much better, Chambers. I just thought we could use the time together in consilium to formulate the next plan of action. How much have you guys seen of the Seers or their activities in Sacramento?"

He left that last question open- ended, hoping to get some new insight from the others present. But as he said his last few words, he noticed that his excuse had also again turned into a speech, so he let his head drop again, exasperatedly.

[Chambers]

As Philip’s head drops, a slight flinch flickers across chamber’s features. I didn’t mean it as a tongue lashing.

And Witch, standing watching the exchange, taciturn for the moment. A stark reminder if he went further, didn’t watch his own mouth, he would be doing disservice to Philip and awakened lore both. Respect where its due, a lesson I should be taking to heart.

The tense silent moments, the moments after something falls weighting to see how much comes down with it, are broken by … Philip okay a little steel in the spine if he’s still willing to talk, good for you.

‘I’d be a hypocrite and a liar if I said I didn’t use tools.’ A gesture to the ever-present pack emphasises his point. ‘But I do not see them alone as the solution to greater problem, they as they are, inventions of those under the lie, are not truth.’ Carefully does it now, I'm allowed to omit and the gaps in what I said should be fairly clear, but still carefully.

I wasn’t aware this was a formal Consilium meeting, ‘Our existence is highly dangerous, a given I trust. Seeking needless petty conflicts only places us at risk. Defeat a seer one day, another advances unseen, defeat the lie, we win.’ Don’t lecture, don’t lecture. ‘Yes, needs must, that we foil their plans, prevent their victory where we can, but with care not recklessness. Quieter times are well spent putting our own homes in order, advancing our own agendas, then looking for a fight we might not otherwise be ready for.’ STOP lecturing. The words have a memorised inflection, a student aping the textbook or teacher.

A breath. ‘How is the free council fights if I might ask?’ I know the stereotypes but first-hand insight would be nice, and a little more about his philosophy would be useful to.

[October]

Back In Sacramento, who would have thought she would have ventured back here.

It had been years, more then she really wanted to count. As to why she came back? That was up in the air.

And yet, here she was, walking back into the Circle. Thankfully, it hadn’t changed, though she did wonder if she would recognize anyone within its walls. How had the community of Awakened changed?

The clicking of her heels announced her arrival as she walked in, sunglasses slid onto her head, cell placed on silent.

The, well, small number of figures before her was a bit off putting. This was a lot less then the last time she had been in Sacramento. And thus far, no one was familiar.

But, she was here now, and a hand was held up as an easy going smile appears, “Nope I’m not interrupting.”

[Winter]

He came to the Circle through the middle of his chores list and decided to pay a visit.
There was something in the old building that not only brought memories back, but made him feel content, as if he was a ship in a safe harbor. He steps inside, dressed casually, the weather still offering some clemency before the Autumn.
Once inside he notices the few friendly faces. One in particular from a few years back, was she passing through again?
"Hello", he mouths off, stepping toward the group.

[Witch]

Witch could still feel the tension in her jaw line.

"Yeah, not the greatest execution," she finally said, her voice mostly calm. Taking a breath, she rolled her shoulders back and let her arms fall to her side from where they had become crossed.

"Look, I wasn't kidding when I indicated that when shit popped up, I would be calling for help. I've learned over the past year that solo is hard if not impossible for one who isn't master at everything. And I am not a master at everything. Or even close. So, less dare and more patience. I am sure that the quiet you are seeing now is not going to last. It hasn't to date."

And taking a last breath to dispel the last of her flashed anger, she caught the sound of heels. And while there was a lot she did not know of Winter; she was 100% positive that a secret passion for wearing heels was not among what she didn't know. Turning toward the sound she was unsurprised to find a female walking toward them. And one who definitely could get her heels for free with an Instagram account.

"Likely no more than I had..." she offered cautiously, giving a chance for the newcomer to offer a name. Behind her, Witch spotted Winter and at his hello she simply lifted a hand in greeting, not wanting to prevent the chance for the woman to speak.

[Philip Crosen]

Philip listened intently to Witch and Chambers. Chambers wanted to know what Philip did to fight the lie. But right before he could register Witch`s comment about `less dare, more patience`, an unknown lady came and made her introductory comment.

He shot Chambers and Witch an apologetic look, before mouthing "Later..." before welcoming the unknown lady, and Winter with a cordial smile.

He was inwardly annoyed however at being unable to continue the discussion with Witch and Chambers, despite his rambling, which was apparently not that well received. Chambers had already caused him to reevaluate some of his positions, shorten his statement and change the focus of the discussion, which had effectively already ended the part of the discussion about the Lie itself anyway for him. Witch`s statement of not being a master of everything, he had taken as an interesting admission of weakness, which could have merited a further discussion too. Nevertheless, common curtesy caused him to abandon these thoughts as he turned towards the new arrivals.

"Nice to see you." He said, nodding to Winter, smiling, before fully turning his attention to the unknown lady.

"And who might you be? You can call me Philip, nice to meet you."
he said, stretching his hand out to the unknown lady in a cordial, and slightly-less-than-business-like manner.