Video - Imagination 15

[adregem]

(Gen - in Purple. | Roland - in Dark Blue.)

[ The ICP flickers to life and in video, two individuals stand side by side. One is stern and still, with heavy eyes and crossed arms. The other with duo-colored hair is smiling, but their gaze is sharp and attentive. The announcement seems to be coming from the Dining car. ]

Good morning, everyone! After a rather … difficult … last mission, it seems that everyone’s scrambling for ideas, and answers. It’s … certainly been in my mind. Some have even called for a change in leadership, which is understandable, but I think might’ve ruffled a few feathers.

I really think that after everything we’ve been through, a fight about who’s running what is the last thing we need.

[ Roland transitions smoothly, with a nod in agreement. ]



Leadership’s always been about action, and in that sense, no one necessarily needs a title to be a leader in their own right. We’re all here to make train life a better place in our own way...so let’s do it. Let’s talk. No more barriers, no more walls. Just everyone who’s ever been interested to say anything about the train, coming together.

How’s the 18th of Imagination, sound? We can do it in the Music Room’s upper floor, so we maximize space.

[ Gen nodded, and added sheepishly: ]

Yes, so - Roland put things a lot better than I could, but he’s been here for a lot longer. But, pretty much, what he said!

Please - everyone, no matter what team, how involved you were in the mission - whether you saw things fall apart for yourself - please come. We’d want to speak to the Team Leads and the Council members, of course, but.

Now isn’t the time for us to bicker over power. We need to work together to find a better way to work - or more people are going to end up getting hurt.

[ Roland’s gaze grows more stern. Like he’s remembering something as he talks. Could just be the catch of the light. ]

There’s a lot we need to discuss either way. As one. Every voice heard, every talent taken into consideration so they’re exactly where they need to be.

[ Shrugging, Gen flourished a little with his hands, and said - ]

Ah! And there’ll be snacks! So even if you’re worried you might not have a great idea … if you’re feeling shy … you can at least come for the food, my friends.

Come for the candy! Stay for the attempts to keep us all from exploding. It’s a win-win!

[ And with that said, the two make their individual salutations - Roland nodding again and Gen waving nicely - before the announcement ends. ]



(OOC: Expect threeways/fourways/whatever-have-you-ways wherever appropriate! The said Open Log will be posted on the 5th of December. This is not a council meeting, but a player-driven initiative :) Come one, come all! Please feel free to throw in stuff OOCly here. )

Comments

[blitzcheer]

Ohhh, candy? Guess I'll have to come.

[ Eheheh! ]

Thanks, guys.

[fun_thementalist]

I had to give people a reason to come, of course!

If not-exploding didn't interest them.

[ Cheerful grin. ]

No need to thank us. You'll be there, I assume?

[blitzcheer]

'Course! I can't back out now can I? [ Not after he dragged them into this! ]

I wanna see how it goes. And give my support! If you need anything from me, just lemme know.

[adregem]

You definitely can't. [ Roland pipes up afterwards, following the dips of this conversation well. It makes it easy to mask certain feelings he's not finished processing, yet. ] Who'll steal the snacks and shove them in his Arms Band?

[ Very integral! ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Huff! ] You take a couple of pastries one meeting.

[ And the fussy guy never lets you forget about it! ]

But, I do wanna say... we gotta get it into people's heads that if they can't do anything in a fight, they need to get out of there. Or figure out some way of throwing up safety spots or something.

[adregem]

What?

[ Whatever forced humor Roland attempts to throw out there falls at hearing such a thing from Tidus's own mouth. He hops teams so often, Roland relies on him heavily for support, and to be his eyes and ears across the battlefield when he can. Gen will notice his more stern stance now, a shift in what was otherwise calm and relaxed...or tired. ]

Are you talking out of experience? What happened? Did a civilian get needlessly hurt because they were being stubborn?

[fun_thementalist]

... I really hope not. I thought certain people just got caught up in dangerous situations because, wrong place, wrong time, that kind of thing.

[ Or at least, he's pretty sure Senku didn't go out of his way to get walloped by a robot or exploded. That just didn't seem like him, his really crappy luck was a much more likely culprit. ]

video to action

[blitzcheer]

How about I come hang with you two? See what you're plotting where we can't see on this side. Catch you in a second, okay?

[ There's a added cheeriness to his words, casual, not to bring attention: a subtle attempt that a guy Tidus doesn't usually bother with, but he will now. It's not a discussion of naming names he wants to have over the speakers, so-

With any confirmation they give, Tidus will disconnect from the chat and come on over to where they are, by the info on the ICP.

And he'll say, once he enters the car: ]

Tell me I'm not the only guy who saw people stickin' around and trying to punch robots without super strength.

action;

[adregem]

[ Ah, no wonder. Roland is forthcoming about this too, nodding in agreement as Tidus enters, stage left. ]

You're not. I saw a couple myself. And that was when we were already fighting the world miners, so my hands weren't exactly tied.

[ He sighs. ]

There's some well-meaning thought behind it, and we'll always appreciate the help, but...[ How does one say common sense might not be so common, after all? ] In any case, it'll be addressed. Hopefully.

[blitzcheer]

[ He sighs, coming to rest his back(or -side) against the nearest available service. He's cool with standing. ]

We gotta think of more jobs people can do on missions. That's always been a thing... people feeling useless, like they can't do anything.

I don't want people going out in a fight when none of them even asked to be here in the first place. [ Not out some sense of guilt, a worried frown on his face. He'd been frustrated, still was, but he got the feeling behind it too. ]

[fun_thementalist]

No wait, back up, hang on.

[ Gen was wincing. ]

Someone was punching robots. Without super-strength? Are you serious?

[ So he's quick to agree with Tidus. ]

There's just, so many people who really have no business in battle. Not even a little. Can't there be a way to ... somehow ... get them out of a fight fast? So they don't get thrown around by a robot first?

[ Okay he might be thinking of someone in particular. ]

[adregem]

[ Roland makes a Face; the perfect mix of minor frustration with overall concern. ]

Unfortunately, there's always going to be outliers who think it's a good idea to start picking fights they can't finish as a way to help. At least their hearts are in the right place.

[ He is definitely not thinking of anyone in particular okay, he just knows it happens from experience. ]

Hm...but you're both right. If we can think of different, non-combat roles, maybe they'll take the option without feeling like they're not helping out in a battle. [ Roland tilts his chin up, looking at no particular thing up by the lights of the car. ] Like making sure people are always well-fed, or have tents and base of operations set up. Small things like that are often overlooked because of how mundane they might seem, but trust me. They go a long, long way in making people feel comfortable.

[ Especially in an alien environment. ]

[blitzcheer]

Getting people out of a fight though... [ since, that's still something that'll be a problem regardless- Tidus starts and then pauses, frowning. ]

I mean... the only way is we find them and drag them out ourself. [ Ugh. There was one case that really made him speak up at all, wasn't there. And he was having second doubts about saying too much, but- ] When the robots showed up, I went to the front to try and stop like that, and a non-fighter came up and just...hung around 'til I got him to pull back. I tried defending him, but the only quick option I know is evac.

I can throw up some defence magic, but my stuff's not the best half the time, not in a fight. It's a - skill that takes more work for me, you know? In my head. Concentrating. [ He makes a gesture to it. ] It's hard to explain. Anyway- [ since it doesn't really matter, and he's getting distracted, ] we'd need some way of quickly keeping them safe. The person helping them too.

[fun_thementalist]

[ Okay, so apparently, that was a thing. Gen ran a hand over his hair and ... yeah. Time to roll with it. He nods to Roland - ] Making sure people are taken care of and stay in a good mood, is really important, no matter what kind of mission you're running. And really, no matter what kind of people you're talking about - healers, fighters, whatever.

[ Gen tapped his chin thoughtfully. ]

That's why having a way to rescue people would be helpful. But at least, especially if something happens to their SCA ... something that they can use, a backup, to call for help or ... or even indicate they're in danger if they're unconscious ... that'd help them out a lot.

[adregem]

Well, the SCA does make noise when you're putting yourself in a lot of danger. Even refusing to board it on platform days will trigger that sound.

[ Though as Gen speaks of it, Roland wonders if he's not actually talking about something more specific. ]

I guess you're saying we need to educate more people about what that means? Apart from that, there's always the function of calling for actual help on the comms line. Black Squad members in particular will be able to mobilize the fastest.

[ Reeeeally sounds like there's something way more specific being referred to here, but he's going to keep that to himself for now. ]