22 [Voice]

[integrity]

The citizens of this city, registered and unregistered, are somewhat pathetic.

[Hello, Siren's Port. Have your neighborhood friendly demon, sounding oddly serious and composed.]

We are brought here, against our will, by a mystical force that none of us can control or see. While we are trapped here, we are treated as second-class citizens, the proverbial Rosa Parks on the bus line that is the multiverse, and not weeks after a neighborhood friendly hunt on the newcomer population, individuals seem to have... shrugged it off. Moved along with their lives and their husbands and wives and paper routes and white picket fences.

[There is a slight creak as Crowley shifts in the chair he is sitting in. He pauses slightly, to collect his thoughts, before he continues. A good orator always knows when to draw the line and when to keep talking. He seems to be deciding where it is now.]

Whether or not this is just another display of humanity ignoring when terrible things occur in favor of the new bright and shiny politician on their doorstep is irrelevant. What is relevant is your amazing ability to ignore what is directly in front of you -- we are held in the hands of a group of individuals no more or less powerful than we are and yet we are the second-class. Even those registered as citizens, those with powers in government -- you can't tell me you are truly invited to the weekly bridge game of our Canadian cousins.

[And suddenly, his voice grows slightly harder.]

What will it take for all of you to realize that we are nothing more than cattle in a small pen being poked at with sticks? Would it be the brutal murder of someone you love or the relinquishment of supposed unalienable rights that you hold onto so tightly? What will it take for you to finally open your eyes and understand that you aren't free. Your tiny little slice of life is nothing more than an illusion fed to you by a series of corporations and egotistical human overlords who think themselves better than everyone else because they have a pretty picture stamped on an ID card. So come on -- be honest. What would you rather have -- eternal peace at the price of freedom or the knowledge that you did something potentially great regardless of the consequences?

[There is the clink of a glass -- and Crowley ceases talking. But the feed stays open.

It's a serious question. And a testing of the waters.

He wants to know how many dangerous people are truly in the Port.]

Comments

[Voice.]

[makethemguilty]

Bah. Some of us are hardly unaware of all that. Your speculations are remarkably blind-sided to external variables, but I suppose we cannot expect any less.

What is your point?

[He doesn't answer, because it's a waste of time.]

We must all conform to some extent to survive. Do you think that is any different from any other place with any suitable form of a governing party?

[Voice.]

[integrity]

[The sound of insufferable mortality. He ignores most of it in favor of asking another question.]

Have you ever read a document known as the American Declaration of Independence?

[ video ]

[hostage]

I sure as hell ain't ignoring what they're doing.

[ video ]

[integrity]

Then what are you doing about it?

[It isn't argumentative. It's a genuine question, as he sits in his office chair.]

voice;

[astralling]

[Well, so much for a cozy little island vacation. It looks like there's a need for a Charmed One after all.]

That's an easy one. Peace doesn't necessarily mean good, sometimes it just means complacent.

voice;

[integrity]

Then what would you do to secure freedom?

voice | private;

[safeguarded]

Are you advocating for rebellion?

[But there's nothing in his tone that indicates he disagrees, yet.]

voice | private;

[integrity]

Muffin man.

[Somewhat pleased.]

What makes you think that?

voice;

[momchester]

If your brave act of rebellion has a high enough body count then it just isn't worth it.

[Mary's normally a good liar, a good actress, able to say something she doesn't believe and make you think she does.

Today isn't a normal day.]

voice;

[integrity]

Define high body count.

[Video]

[ofthursday]

[He's out, having been stuck in the house for some time, so Crowley gets a video feed instead of a talk in person. He leaves it unlocked purposefully.]

You know my stance on this.

[Video]

[integrity]

I don't kiss and tell.

[As he leans back in his chair, amused.]

Are you having fun with your hooker friends?

Action

[that_is_asecret]

[He appears in the room calmly]

Why Mr. Crowley, stirring up the masses are we?

Action

[integrity]

[He looks nonplussed, at the sudden appearance, still leaning back comfortably in his chair.]

It's a talent of mine.

[voice; private]

[got_it_memorized]

Well I, for one, am not content to just sit around waiting for more of this nonsense to happen. Trick is it's hard to tell who's for us and who's against us, and even harder to tell who's orchestrating.

[voice; private]

[integrity]

You can always tell who a man is by who is friends are.

I suggest you begin with examining who attends the bridge games and who asks for invitations.

[whitefeathered]

So what are you suggesting, exactly?

[integrity]

I'm not suggesting anything except for you to open your minds and think.

Video

[returnsmagic]

I have lived through five thousand years. I have seen civilizations rise and fall and I've seen my kin dragons die, and I have endured two wars than spans for decades. Seasons, centuries, they do not matter to me.

[ He says this placidly. But then, a cold expression over comes the dragon. ]

And yet, within less of a half of a year, I have been systematically been targeted for greed and enjoyment not once but thrice.

If it wasn't for the fact I am a dragon of Paladine, I might have burned both companies to the ground.

But I am one, fortunately. I've killed many dragons who have went down that path. Their endings were less than dignified.

Video

[integrity]

Cheers. I've lived for forty-two thousand.

[Though Crowley looks relatively interested, in the dragon.]

What have they done to you?

[Voice]

[fightswithpurpose]

I sincerely tried to learn and coooperate with the human laws. Learning with them was worthwhile. Cooperating with them...less so.

[Voice]

[integrity]

What laws do you find yourself struggling to cooperate with?

[Video]

[southernreaper]

[He's making bread. Why? He doesn't know, except he found a new recipe and that means trying it out. Mimsy can be heard in the background, gnawing on something.]

Ya know, there's a difference 'tween assimilatin', an' simply bidin' ya time. Some folks know they ain't got the smarts t'get everyone, or even themselves, out, so they do what they c'n t'help those that are smart enough. May not seem like a lot, but not everyone c'n be in charge.

[And yes, he considers himself one of the most dangerous people in the port. Because of powers if nothing else.]

[Video]

[integrity]

I understand biding your time.

[Mildly. That isn't the issue at hand here.]

I am simply asking what it takes for people to shift from biding your time to taking action.

[Voice]

[soul_scatter]

[Because he's relaxing outside and you don't need to see that.]

You assume a great deal. This makes your conclusion invalid.

[Voice]

[integrity]

I'm sorry, if I wanted my brain cells to atrophy, I would have asked to speak to idiots who obviously didn't bother to listen to a word I said.

Should you have an opinion worth noting, I'll be certain to get back to you as soon as possible.

Leave your complaints after the beep.

[ Video ]

[deathknellgrell]

What've you got in mind?

[ Video ]

[integrity]

A slight re-examination of the town's opinion, that's all. I want people to truly look at what's been doing to them and consider the consequences of complacency.

You would be surprised how much your opinion changes when you examine how the dice are rigged.

[voice]

[proxysproxy]

There are some who would rather have eternal peace at the price of their freedom. And some don't even have the opportunity to make their choice.

[voice]

[integrity]

Of course there are. That's how governments are initially formed.

But would you have eternal peace at the price of freedom? Are you really so willing to sacrifice your freedom of choice at the hands of another person?

voice

[hejhej]

I won't forget.

voice

[integrity]

Nor should you.

video

[inamartiniglass]

[Oh she really doesn't like what the question is implying.]

Endangering the lives of the entire community to release one's own rebellious nature sounds a bit selfish to me.

video

[integrity]

I'm not talking about me, sweetheart -- I could give half a damn about the people who were attacked in the hunts. None of their fate's are intertwined with mine -- and who's to say that I have a rebellious nature?

I'm simply pointing out that people are growing fairly fine with being herded like sheep.

video;

[showbizpanache]

[Tightly, as if holding back anger. This is the opposite of what he's been striving for, and he is not happy.]

So what exactly are you suggesting we do.

video;

[integrity]

I am suggesting that you all open your minds and think.

[Calmly, as he sorts through some paperwork on his desk.]

And I want to know the answer to my question. Freedom or peace?

[worldhaditsway]

Crowley. [It's hard to tell if that's indignation or FUCK YOU, I JUST GOT MY SHIT TOGETHER, STOP ENABLING MY ANTICHRIST INSTINCTS.]

[Private // Unhackable]

[integrity]

[Oh, for the love of -- ]

This is important.

[Without a shred of hesitation or a lack of self-confidence.]

I need something from this city and the people are the only ones who can give it to me. Do you understand?

[Don't mistake his questioning for a lead-in to a revolution.]

[voice]

[rapturescreed]

You'd have to want to go to them game in the first place. Not all of us play bridge. [Subtle enough metaphor? Oh well.]

Another call to arms. I think this must be a record for this past week, I haven't heard so many in a long time. It's almost funny, how after something terrible happens, that you all come out of the woodwork.

What exactly are you suggesting? And why are you suggesting it now, and not sooner? Did it take something like the hunt for you to realize that there is a problem with this city and the way it treats it's citizens? Because the NPP has been working against that for many months now, and still we do not get enough Newcomer support as we should.

If you have something to say, take it to the open forum meeting. It'll be sometime in the middle of the month, and we want everyone to come.

[voice // private // unhackable]

[integrity]

[Oddly, it is only the subtle metaphor that leads Crowley to bother speaking past a short quip.]

I'm not rallying for a call to arms.

[Almost boredly and there is the sound of a shuffle of paperwork.]

Don't mistake me for a haphazard revolutionary -- I'm simply asking questions people should have asked a long time ago. And as for the timing, there is nothing like a recent tragedy to make people listen. It provides an easy soundboard for individuals to stop what they're doing and actually look at the truth shoved into their faces. People don't care about rigged elections or shady politics -- they do care about people being violently hunted and killed for sport.

[A creak of a chair as Crowley stands.]

Throughout history, people will only take so much abuse before they inevitably rise up and change the tide. It's a cycle of revolution -- it's inevitable. I am simply curious as to what it would take for the people of this city to finally decide enough is enough and to do something about it without waiting for months of legislation and biased voting and a hiding of the truth.

So which is it? Freedom or peace?

[uberboned]

[So calm.] If you start the apocalypse before my wedding, then Chuck's officiating and you're off the guest list.

/important

[paterelohim]

Hey Crowley, I agree with this revolution thing.

[reaction | not here]

[bigandbad]

[gonna hang back and just... circle this one.]

text;

[capax_infiniti]

It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
There are far too few people willing to take the fall and change the world for the better.

text;

[integrity]

Are you one of those individuals?

[longaevus]

There are those that have never been under such illusions.

[integrity]

I would love to know their names, then, Miss Magnus.

[Video//Private]

[possessing]

[Meg looks mildly irritated, either because of Crowley or because she might think somewhere in the back of the head she thinks he might be on something of a right track, even if she thinks he's just being a sensationalist ass and trying for a power grab. Voice of a revolution that might have a chance? Surprising how much help you can get. Unless you get squashed. ...So. Fuck him....No real reason. Just because it is Crowley and she's not a fan.]

Not content with hell, are you?

[Video//Private]

[integrity]

[Crowley doesn't look remotely surprised, to see Meg's face on the other end of the feed -- but while most people get either a delicate poke in the right direction or a witty quip, Crowley looks and sounds deadly serious when he watches his adversary.]

You didn't answer my question.