video; un: stargazer

[leicesters]

[Once things have calmed down with the doppelgangers and the vorest forest, there's something else left to be addressed. So, Claude addresses the network.]

Hi friends! Claude here. I haven't met most of you yet, so I suppose this would be a good time to say "nice to meet you", too. Hope your mirror images were nice to you and not... you know.

[Claude's sitting indoors by a sunny window in his treehouse apartment, his small white wyvern familiar snoozing beside him.]

As eager as I am to get to know everyone, what I actually wanted to talk about was the situation with Elphame. Since Arthur dumped the decision on what to do on our shoulders, we'd better figure out how to cast our votes.

For my part, based on past relations between Elphame and Camelot, invading Celliwig is out of the question. Humans and fae have waged wars here in the past, and it's taken a lot of effort to earn the peace they have now. Camelot has even been making strides to learn about fae and coexist peacefully with them. Given Celliwig is our best chance for communication, attacking would be completely counterproductive. Even if we did, there's no guarantee we'd succeed, so why risk it?

That said, direct negotiation hasn't worked either, so our two remaining options are to focus on slowly building up trust via trade links, or deal with matters on Celliwig's terms and accept their trials. Honestly, I'm not clear on the details on that, so if someone who knows more could get the rest of us up to speed, by all means...?

[He trails off with a shrug, then gives a sheepish smile.]

Anyway, I've waffled on for a while now! Long story short, I think our peaceful options are really the best shot we have at this, it's just a matter of deciding which is best. I'm really not interested in letting a violent old history repeat itself. Feel free to pitch in with your own thoughts... Maybe we can even come up with something better than what's already being proposed.

[He gives a lazy wave, before ending the feed.]


[ooc: threadjacking is welcome and encouraged! go wild]

Comments

[silvergarden]

Camelot, Avalon
April

To Claude,

Thank you for your kind reply. What observant points you make! Indeed, when you put it that way, we are starting off on poor footing already, having mentioned war... I suppose there is naught we can now do but resoundingly condemn such an action, if we hope to restore any of the goodwill we just erased.

Goodness... writing it out like that feels quite dire! I can only hope that others will feel the same and we can reach a more hopeful circumstance.

But putting that aside: I am amenable to speaking in person, as well. I am currently in the library for my alchemy studies, and will be for some time... so should we happen to cross paths, I would be happy to see you.

Yours,
Rinea of Rigel

[Hopefully that's what Claude meant by face to face... because clearly the video function is still beyond her.]

text -> action

[leicesters]

To Rinea,

Great! I'll keep this brief and head right over.

Yours,
Claude

[And after sending that message, Claude (thankfully) spares both their fingers the trials of typing any more letters and heads to the library. Once he spots where Rinea is seated, he approaches and gives a little wave.]

Ah, there you are! Hey.

[silvergarden]

[Claude told her he was coming, but Rinea is still a little surprised to see him. Sh-she didn't have anything to say that was worth hurrying for....]

Claude! It's lovely to see you. [She puts aside her notes and pen to give him her full attention.] I hope you didn't go too far out of your way just to speak with me here... I'm sure you received many illuminating responses on your post.

[leicesters]

Ah, don't worry, I was still chatting to people on the way here, and any messages left over will still be there to respond to later. But to be honest, I still prefer talking to people face-to-face, as useful as our little devices are.

[He moves to join her, pulling out a chair and taking a seat.]

You said you were studying alchemy, right? Do you feel like you're making progress?

[silvergarden]

Oh, yes. [Rinea gestures humbly to her study pile; the library books are mostly medicine-making in nature. Next to them sits a little vial: it's the spider venom she siphoned from this month's quest.] It's a bit difficult, as it requires so much knowledge of what you intend to create... why, you should have seen my first attempt at a sword! But it's nice to have something to do.

How about yourself? Have your hexes improved? [if the celliwig folk are master dark magicians like he said, that might be extra important...]

[leicesters]

[It's very tempting to swipe the spider venom so he can take a good look at it, but he'll restrain his curiosity. For now.]

I'm getting better! I can still only do really basic stuff, but at least I'm more consistent about it. Spells usually land how I want them to now instead of random things happening.

[silvergarden]

Hehe. How nice for your opponents. [She still remembers that surprise sneeze attack. Ok it wasn't that bad but still]

If... if the fae put forth a trial based around dark magic... would you take part, Claude?

[leicesters]

[He laughs.] It would be hypocritical of me to talk a big game about proving ourselves to the fae and then not participating myself, wouldn't it? I'll impress them so much, it'll knock their little fairy socks off.

[Or he'll fail horribly, but... you know.]

[silvergarden]

Fairy socks! Now that is a thought. [She giggles faintly.]

I was thinking about it myself... If the trials were relevant to my magic, I mean. I do not have such faith in my skills, but.. I think I would like to try, too, provided failing would not be dire.

[Her eyebrows crease upwards a bit, though she remains smiling.] Perhaps it is foolish, but I am trying not to put my head in the sand.

[That went very badly for her, back home. So. Hence the studying.]

[leicesters]

I don't think it's foolish at all. But you should have more faith in yourself! You won't convince the fae you're anyone worthwhile if you don't believe in your own abilities.

[Or maybe he's the one who's being overconfident with little to show for it? Oh well.]