This Jaunt is getting wildly out of wing

[breakaleginhalf]

WHO: ALL the Forest Folk
WHAT: An emergency assembly
WHERE: Brock Hall
WHEN: Week 2, Day 1, the same morning the houses appear
WARNINGS: Potentially bursting into song

The meeting officially spans from sunrise until close to midday, the same morning after the houses all pop up, but Gilligan, at least, is there from far earlier, and leaves well after midday; everyone else, Infiltrators and Investigators and between alike, is more than free to come and go as they please, or simply not show up at all.

Comments

[I - General Assembly] OTA

[breakaleginhalf]

Brock Hall's great hall wasn't known as such for nothing. Six feet tall and always, somehow, large enough to fit whatever numbers of Forest Folk had crowded its space, today was really pushing it to its limit as the locals, curious and panicked and any other number of things besides, fill the underground hall. And at the head of the room, Gilligan Reed stands, making sure he's visible to all and available to anyone that needs him. There's little he can actually do just yet, besides simply be there for his people, but at the very least he can do that much, making sure he's as present as possible and a beacon of familiarity in these strange goings-on. Even if he looks a bit more stern and tired than usual; it's hardly unexpected. This was a stressful time for the old badger.

[tookashirototheknee]

Of course Reynard's there. He lives there, after all. The lanky fox is leaning against a door frame in the hall, quietly eating an apple and keeping his own counsel. He's never been much for meetings, or for gatherings of people he somehow feels compelled not to take things from, but he owes it to Spruce to keep an eye on things.

Definitely approachable.

[shiroganeheir]

Quietly walking in as if they belong is a smallish blue mouse wearing a waistcoat, blue coat and a blue deerstalker cap. They look around, then takes up a position where they can see anything and everything going on, watching intently.

[senpaidol]

Accompanying the aforementioned mouse is the typical perky form of a pink rabbit, although for once she's got a serious expression. She's still nosing around mentally trying to figure out who's an infiltrator and who isn't, but mostly she's trying to get a sense for what the non-investigating Forest Folk want to do, and what they plan to do.

[capital_asset]

A human in a room full of Forest Folk is going to stick out no matter what they do, and while Leone keeps to the perimeter - in part because he doesn't want to obstruct anyone else's view - his presence is still hard to miss. But he wants to be here, both to support his father and because, well, he lives here too. This affects him just as much as anyone else.

[professorwolf]

The tiny, mousy lorekeeper comes to offer Leone a pat on the arm. It requires some reaching, Ladan only being about two feet tall and a little change. "Are you all right, in all this, Leone?"

[capital_asset]

Leone nods. "Yes, sir." He has to be, doesn't he?

Re: [I - General Assembly] OTA

[dino_zarf]

Hoppan has managed to come while Rose is napping. He's quite sure she would have contributions to make. She's made it pretty clear that she wants to play with the houses. And with the people she keeps spotting. "All I really know is... I won't be able to keep the little one away forever. There's more and more out there all the time."

Re: [I - General Assembly] OTA

[vrepit_no]

Spruce, lord of the hall himself, stands silently near the enormous hearth, several paces behind and to the side of Gilligan. He rests his left forearm on the hearth, gazing into the flames and lost in thought. The claws of his right paw tick softly against each other in a pattern.

Post-meeting Wildcard

[breakaleginhalf]

Gilligan noticed how his fellow badger was acting in the meeting just now. And he hasn't wanted to confront him at the time - putting pressure on Spruce in a place like that would help no one - so it's after the meeting has ended and everyone goes to leave that he steps quietly forward and puts a paw on the lord's shoulder.

"Spruce. Might I borrow you for a few moments?" And he nods back at the now-empty meeting room.

[leftbehindagain]

Of course Nashi's there. It'd be odd if he weren't. They don't know what this surge in houses means, but he damn well wants to find out.

He's sticking to the edges of the assembly, more out of habit than anything.

[II - Private Meeting] CLOSED, please contact before joining!

[breakaleginhalf]

And when the other discussions have been cleared out as much as they can, Gilligan takes a few of his more trusted - councillors, older members of the community, skilled newcomers he's keeping his eyes on, and of course his son - to a more private area where they can discuss what to actually implement. This room is much cosier; a lower ceiling at only four feet, but plenty of space still for the select crowd to gather.

"Now then," Gilligan rumbles, taking a seat and leaning heavily on his walking stick, like the world is weighing on his shoulders. "I can't say I like any of this myself. But I would very much like to hear all of your opinions on this, before I make my decision." Because whatever it ends up being, his people must come first.

[professorwolf]

"You won't like my opinion," Ladan says baldly. "My opinion is that the time for hiding may actually be over. If the magic of the world is going this wild, preparing for a larger number of us than we have now, it is doing so for a reason. That reason is probably the amulet." He huffs out a sigh, little round ears drooping just a bit. "I'm going to go see it this afternoon, just to be sure. I have enough of the human money to get into the place they're showing it. But if we reveal ourselves, there's a chance we can make all of this right. Surely the humans want to prosper, as well." Because the amulet joining helps all their races. The humans will understand, won't they?

[breakaleginhalf]

Ladan's right - Gilligan doesn't like it. But mostly because he's seriously suspecting the same thing himself, and loathes having his hand forced by powers beyond his control.

"The humans have seemed to prosper quite well without the amulet thus far," he feels compelled to point out. "But, I think revealing ourselves may prove difficult. If there's enough living magic to cause spontaneous creation - something that hasn't been reported of since before the Golden Age - then I don't doubt there's enough ambient magic around to make it difficult for humans to recognise us still."

[capital_asset]

Leone doesn't answer immediately, letting others take the lead as he gathers his thoughts. "I think the magic may end up forcing our hand either way," he finally says.

[breakaleginhalf]

"An astute observation." He raised a clever boy. "Either we act now and precede whatever calamity not doing so sets up, or we wait it out and risk whatever chaos is to come."

The stories he's heard about the days before the Golden Age are few, but very explicit on how trigger-happy magic was back then in changing anything and everything.

[wholeheaded]

Bramble listens a bit, ears flicking, sitting up and crouching down again before finally speaking.

"I'll agree with Ladan, the humans do want to prosper. But will they want us to prosper along with them? I'm not that sure." He's traveled a bit, he thinks he knows a few things about humans. "Before we do anything like unmasking ourselves, I think it's best we...reclaim the portion of the amulet which belongs to us. Put at least that much of our fate in our own grasp."

[breakaleginhalf]

He's looked unhappy throughout this entire meeting, but that's the first suggestion to make his muzzle actually wrinkle, even if just a little. "As tempting as it may be," he says, and his tone is stern. He's watching you, Bramble. "I don't want our first option, nor attempt, to be thievery. Need I remind you all that the Forest Folk were the first to be stolen from, at the end of the Golden Age? The start of a new age should not be founded on what killed the previous one."

[chalicejoker]

"They're going to keep coming," Yagi grumbles. "The festival's always seen more of them willing to venture into the forest, but Button and Saffron have found so many other children roaming around here. They don't care about species, they just want to play."

I'd be willing to butt the adults out of here. But the kids..."

[breakaleginhalf]

"Yes, there's been quite a distinct upsurge in the number of human children running through here in recent years. And with the Festival not leaving any time soon, we're only going to keep seeing them."

And he sighs heavily. As much as he loved his small army of grandkids, they made his life very difficult.

[vrepit_no]

"The humans are here to stay," Spruce says bluntly but with slow deliberation, "whether we want them or not. We are becoming more obvious to them. The children do not see the danger. On either side. And the humans make inroads every year. Unless we choose to leave, and take the entire community with us, we cannot stay hidden without restricting the movements of everyone here. It will not stand that way for long. There are too many who will find ways to avoid that decree." He's looking at you, Reynard.

"But revealing ourselves can be done with strategy and caution. Charisma and diplomacy." He huffs and shakes his muzzle. "Someone other than me."

[breakaleginhalf]

"Unless extending our paws to the humans turns out to spark their aggression, uprooting the lore and lives we have spent a century establishing is not an option." There's too much history to let it be lost to neglect, too many stories and spells woven into their small sanctuary to replicate in a new one. "But until we do, we cannot know whether it shall be necessary."

At least Spruce gets to claim the first smile out of this entire meeting, grim as it is. "If there is to be a formal revelation, Spruce, I will be the one to head the matter, have no doubts." This was something the honey badger knew he couldn't set aside, no matter his faith in his potential successors.

[leftbehindagain]

"We don't have the luxury of hiding, at this point." That would be Nashi's opinion regardless of the Traveler situation, but it doesn't hurt that Naoki's in complete agreement. As far as he can tell, all three races would benefit from a major shake-up of this kind, even without getting into everything that's at stake.

"Besides, it's a chance to get the amulet back on our own terms and try to set the balance right, when the time comes. If the humans won't listen, we might have to consider more drastic measures, but it's better to open with diplomacy."

And the eavesdropper coalition appears

[wolvering]

Hazel was, perhaps conspicuously, absent from the open meeting. She's a clever girl, and she knows the important things won't be talked about with just anybody present. No, there's going to be a private meeting, and that's where she'll find out what's really going on!

So she spends the morning tucked away, possibly pretending to be sulking, and getting ready. Several potions are packed away in her drabbest, brownest clothes, so she can hide her scent and color her very white fur something easier to hide with. Then she scouts, ever so carefully, to try to find likely rooms.

Once she's found a spot, she digs in, doing everything in her power to hide her presence, and sets up her potions for when she might need them. Then she settles to wait, and to listen.

[runs]

Not long before the meeting starts, the door opens just a fraction and... well, some wind comes in.

And then the door closes again.

...And a short while later, someone invisible walks straight into Hazel, stumbling and slamming head first into her.