melodiesoflife | The Fete at the Observatory

Characters: All (hopefully) uncaptured Heroes of Light
Where/When: At the Heroes' Observatory, the evening of February 10th
Summary: Ashelia has called a meeting - under the guise of a party - to discuss the next steps forward for the Heroes following the revelations revealed in the shared dream.
Warnings: N/A
Note: Each part of Ashelia's speech is centred around a different topic. Feel free to indicate what in particular your character is responding to in the headline for your top level! Alternately, if your character is bringing up something on their own, or not in direct reply to something Ashelia has mentioned, feel free to out the subject in the Subject line! There's a lot going on and a lot of ground to cover, so let's keep it organized so things are easy to find later!

"I would like your attention, please." With her experience as an accomplished politician, Ashelia's voice cut through the din of the gathered Heroes. The high ceiling of the meeting room lent itself well to the sorts of echoes that could easily cause headaches, unfortunately. The Queen planned to bring in some fabrics to soften the effects, but there had been little time for decorating, and it seemed there wouldn't be anytime soon.

The Lady Ashelia stood at the head of the incredibly large wooden table that dominated a good chunk of the room. Wooden chairs lined the edges of the tables, straight-backed and unfortunately not cushioned. It was clear that the Queen of Dalmasca didn't want anyone getting too comfortable in this particular room. There were papers in front of her, books and file folders and ledgers, all organized into neat piles. She picked up one of the papers, clearing her throat quietly before continuing. "If as many of you as possible could take a seat, I can call this meeting to order - and yes, I would like to apologize.

"As you may have guessed, this is not a fete. It is important for everyone to know..." Ashelia paused, waiting for the last straggling voices to quiet down before continuing, "that Mognet has been compromised. There is no longer such a thing as private correspondence, if ever there was. Keep this in mind in the coming months. The war has begun."

Ashelia paused for questions and comments before continuing.

"As many of us have realized, and Markus observed earlier over Mognet, the usual appearance of new Heroes of Light at the Crystal of Fire around the fifth of each month did not occur. This disturbance of the established cycle may seem abrupt, but upon further examination, 'tis not so." The Queen took a sip of water. "The cycle has been disturbed previously, though not in such a drastic manner. Last month, crystal statues appeared and disappeared within the hour. Heroes awakened from the crystal stasis were unceremoniously dropped from the sky. So you see, this disturbance has simply progressed. I welcome your thoughts on this."

Ashelia paused for questions and comments before continuing.

"Next on my agenda is the true motivation behind my calling this gathering. The night of February 5th, I had a dream." She stopped, shaking her head. "No, a vision. It did not take me long to realize I was not the only one to experience this. I've written the contents here." Ashelia held up a file folder. "However, if I am correct, many of you need only read it to refresh your memory." She stopped for a moment, putting the folder back on the table. "The ramifications of this new information are clear. The Empire holds four of our number captive, as well as countless other displaced Heroes in crystal stasis. It is my belief we must act on this information. We must save them."

Ashelia paused for questions and comments before continuing.

"The last subject I would like to cover is this." She held up a small, worn notebook. "This is the diary of the Lady Kalki, one of the Empire's Triumvirate. This woman, more than any other, has made clear her intentions are in opposition to us as a group. I encourage everyone to read through this document." Ashelia put the notebook down on the table and held up another file folder. "I have written a transcription myself, as the original is quite delicate." She put the file folder down. "This document provides invaluable insight into whom we can only assume is our enemy. It , unfortunately, poses more questions than it answers, but it does make clear that it is she who holds the answers that we need."

Ashelia took another sip of water, looking around at the gathered Heroes. "I once again open the floor to questions and comments. I believe it will take all of us to rescue our comrades; however, I also believe that if we do work together as one, we shall not fail."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Hm?" Ashelia looked to the side, seeing first Kidd and then the bottle of wine in her hand. "Ah, James. Yes, please. You've my thanks." Her first sip of wine is a little more like a gulp. Can you blame her?

She sighed lightly, producing a dainty kerchief from her sleeve to dab at her lips. "How are you faring in there?"

Kidd is a pirate, so she's not precisely one to hang by manners. She's no Balthier but she still manages to be classier than Vaan. After pouring some into the glass for her host she takes a swig from the bottle herself.

"Well enough. It seems like everyone is busting at the seams to do something, but we all know we're at a disadvantage. I guess we'll all just have to be sure to do our parts."

Ashelia brought the glass to her lips, but paused when she saw Kidd put the bottle to her own lips. After a moment of indecision, the Queen shrugged slightly and took a sip from her glass. Wine is wine is wine, especially with all the planning going on.

The Queen nodded slowly. "True enough. There are so many threads to pull at, it can be overwhelming for some. I'd hoped a gathering like this would make our situation clear, at the least. As it stands, it seems as though we will have a full infiltration of the Empire." She rolled a shoulder to loosen it up, wincing slightly. "All that is left is to contact the Republic and Wedge and the others to see what help they may offer."

After another moment (and another sip of wine) Ashelia looked at the pirate beside her. "You are sure of your place in this? A failed infiltration could result in your capture. We all had the same dream. The machine with the black crystal..." Need she say more?

"I think a few of our number are getting frustrated, but calling this gathering was likely a good idea. It at least lets them know that we're not going to simply take this as it stands. Are you sure we can trust the Republic though? I know they call us Heroes but I'm a bit wary of being placed on a pedestal with so little to explain it."

Kidd let the words sink in before quickly following up, "In any case, I've volunteered to help with the infiltration and rescue. You were at that table as well. I know what to do, even if my body has needed some retraining. And believe me when I say that being sent to a dungeon is the last thing I want to do. That's where I was before I wound up here in this new world." From the New World to a new world. It was still mind boggling.

"As I was saying, unless the Empire's been tailing us day and night or if they have some other way to learn about us, I have a disguise they may not know about." One could only hope.

"We can trust no one but ourselves," Ashelia replied bluntly. "The Republic, along with Biggs, Wedge and Jessie, will know only what they need to. We cannot know how far the Empire have infiltrated either here or in the Republic. We know now the power of the Illusionist. We cannot be too careful."

"A disguise?" The Queen looked over at the pirate, giving her a once-over. "I'll not pry if you wish to keep it to yourself, but it would seem I am to become the leader of this organization. If I do not know, I cannot arrange aid, should the need arise."

Kidd nodded in solemn agreement with the Queen on how far their trust should extend. She didn't have any particular reason to mistrust their local allies, but for all they knew they could have been behind their arrival in the first place. The fact that their names and those of the Imperial agents were so similar troubled her some as well. A healthy level of paranoia would keep you on your toes. Not everyone was out to get you, but there usually was at least one person who was.

"You've given me no reason to mistrust you, and I have a feeling you'll not speak of it to anyone else. I expect you'll understand my intent." She leaned in to refill Ashelia's glass and took the opportunity to speak in low tones, "Name's not really James. It's Mary."

Ashelia froze for a moment, but just a moment. She nodded in thanks for the wine, taking a quick sip. "I...I see. I do understand." Ashelia herself would have taken on a male alter ego if her being the princess that her men rallied behind wasn't such an important part of her operation.

"The names on the list..." Ashelia gasped slightly, looking right at Mary. "If your true name is on the list..."

The smug look on Mary's face vanished, replaced with a far more serious one. "That's a thing that's been troubling me as well. We're fighting against people who likely know far more than we do. It's something I'm used to, but we can't keep such a disadvantage forever. I believe Mr.Kaji and some others were discussing ways to tip the scales?"

(ooc: this conversation will of course take into account the stuff we're discussing on plurk)

(ooc: yep yep)

"Kaji plans to defect and play the double agent," Ashelia answered, gulping down some more wine. "From what I understand, two young women are to go with him, that Tifa and one Terra." She shook her head. "Kaji claims he was such an agent in his homeland. The others..." The Queen sighed and shrugged. "I cannot stop them, and we do need more information. The more I learn, the more I realize how outmatched we are. I cannot protect them if I know not how."

Kidd frowned as she listened to the plan. "Playing a double agent is tricky and dangerous business. I hope they realize what they're getting into. What troubles me is how easily Mister Kaji suggested the idea and volunteered himself. I worry that his defection may be more real than play. I guess all we can do is be wary." Maybe she was being too paranoid, but paranoia was important when it came to spy games.

"I'll try to gather as much information as I can as well during our visit."

The Fete at the Observatory

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