[EVENT] Courtyard of Public Opinion

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: January 10th
Location: Central Keeliai - Courtyard of Public Opinion
Situation: A meeting has been called to determine the status of the Foreigners in the city, including the upcoming and highly anticipated Shangpar race. The major NPC players can be approached, and Foreigners have a chance to make a case for their treatment within the city.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The Courtyard of Public Opinion has been around since before Emperor Eshai's death, a relic of a time when all kedan would have preferred talking about their problems instead of fighting. Even now that the spell suppressing their true nature has been removed, none of the kedan want more trouble than Keeliai already has, especially where the Foreigners are concerned. Violence is frowned upon - though by no means forbidden - and while discussions can get heated, a disagreement will usually be taken outside the Courtyard before it comes to blows.

The Courtyard isn't any bigger than some of the open fountain areas in the Water Sector, and it isn't set up the way some of the Foreigners might imagine a political debate area to be set up. There’s no podium, no chairs apart from the stone benches too heavy to be moved, and no grand banners or archways. This is done deliberately; everyone is meant to have an equal voice in the Courtyard, so everyone is on level ground. Apart from the greenery, the stone paths, and the low stone walls surrounding the Courtyard, one could almost imagine it’s just another Market Day in an open square.

The kedan arrive early in large groups of eight or ten at a time, and they'll exhibit a wide variety of reactions to the Foreigners' arrival - everything from open disapproval and fear to a new and very cautious optimism.

---

LINKS
Shangpar Races | Foreigner Status | Tu Yunxu - The Snakes | Zanru - The Metalworkers | Heojin - The Woodsmen | Milyn - Cherrywood Healer | Questions

OOC
There are six starters for various parts of the discussion, one specifically on the races, one on the Foreigners' overall status in Keeliai, and then one for each of the major NPCs. Characters are present for the entirety of the conversations listed below, and those who wish to input or engage on the first two topics should reply to them in the relevant comment, and the NPC comments are for directly speaking with that NPC or those in that group. The rest of the post is for Foreigners talking and organizing amongst themselves.

Comments

OOC Questions

[ironwood]

Questions relating to this log go here.

OOC Questions

[raavashing]

If we want to bring up a new topic to the forum, should we just start our own header for that and request NPC responses?

OOC Questions

[ironwood]

We'd prefer all new/general NPC-related questions be kept to either the Foreigner Status thread or the personal NPC threads, if they're being approached individually. Thanks!

Shangpar Races

[ironwood]

OUTSIDE THE FORUM

[ironwood]

"The Shangpar races have been our tradition for generations!" the kedan spokesperson said dramatically, and was rewarded with a vigorous cheer of agreement from the gathered kedan outside the Courtyard, where smaller "rallies" were being held. Encouraged by the positive response, the speaker continued to press the advantage. "This isn't something new we've invented in the last year! This has been important to us for a long time, and it should be kept as important for us! Why should the Foreigners be allowed to enter the race when it doesn't mean anything to them? Why would they take available spots away from kedan who've worked hard to gain those places?"

More raucous cheering affirmed the speaker's inflammatory rhetoric, beginning to cause quite a commotion outside the Courtyard's entrance. There were a number of smaller gatherings spread out in the area, but this was among the loudest, attracting the attention of both kedan and Foreigner alike... and had the highest probability of getting rowdy.

[raavashing]

"It could mean something to us," Wan said loudly enough to be heard and draw attention to him as he approached the group. He kept is voice calm, but firm. Peaceful. "The truth is that we're stuck here with you as much as you're stuck with us. Some of us choose to stay. Some didn't. But all of us are willing to make Keeliai as much our home as it is yours. To love it and protect it as anyone born to the city and Tu Vishan's back. The only way we can truly do that is if we're taught your ways. And the only that can teach us those, are you. All of you."

INSIDE

[ironwood]

Inside the Courtyard, the discussion is more civil.

"There is no rational reason for disallowing the Foreigners to participate if they choose in the Shangpar race, provided they follow the rules and meet the admission rules, the same as everyone else," Milyn said, lacing her fingers together to look at the others. "And this nonsense about taking spots away from kedan is just that, nonsense! We've had races run without the full amount of placements before, though it is rather rare."

“You have a point,” Yunxu agreed, his head bowed. “But they would be taking spots away from kedan, and without any of the respect for the tradition. Let them participate, by all means - we can hardly stop them. But I’m afraid I’ll have to insist kedan racers are given priority.”

“The tradition of paying absurd amounts of money, you mean?” Zanru said with a snort. “If any Foreigner can raise that amount of juulan in time, they’d almost deserve to participate. But leaving aside our honoured tradition--” There wasn’t a sneer there, but there was a hollow edge in her tone. “--the Foreigners have skills and talents no kedan does. We can shapeshift. Some of them can fly. If they did participate, how could we police that? It isn’t exactly a level playing-field.”

"What about allocating a set number of Foreigner participants?" Milyn inquired. "I agree that it's unlikely more than a few might be able to raise the necessary funds in the interim, but should it occur, a juulan is a juulan. The proceeds raised have always far outstripped the rewards given to the winners, and that surplus is given back to the city. As for their abilities…" Her lips purse briefly in thought. "Perhaps something can be done, temporarily, in that regard. I'd need to look into it, but I don't plan to waste my time if there's no consensus on their behalf. Alternately, is there no type of device that can be put on the carts to alert us if such a thing occurs? I confess that's not my forte."

“Perhaps restrictions against specific skills.” The new voice came at a distance away from the benches, soft and even, a measured sort of tone belonging to someone who considered every word before they were spoken. Without the need for invitation, Heojin and his three-person retinue came and sat at the bench. “After all, the shangpar cannot bear riders beyond a certain size or weight, and it would be foolish to pretend otherwise. Why can we not impose similar restraints upon Foreigners whose natural talents would give them an unfair advantage?”

“Unless you’re proposing we place the entire course underground,” said Yunxu, “I doubt that would solve the flying issue.” His gaze had snapped to Heojin when the Woodsman first spoke, but aside from that brief tell, it was impossible to see whether the pair had even met before.

Heojin’s only response was to look at him calmly. “Then disallow their participation,” he said. “Allow only the Foreigners whose abilities will not interfere with the race. If we can place restrictions on size for the kedan, we can do the same with abilities for such diversely magical peoples as the Foreigners.”

Yunxu sat back, three fingers tapping out a lazy rhythm on his knee. “If the Foreigners will agree to that, I see no reason to object to such restrictions.”

“It can’t be that difficult,” Zanru said. “None of them are wallflowers about showing off what they can do, so if anyone tries to sneak through we should be able to catch them.” It was the same for kedan who tried to shapeshift their weight away. Sometimes, it just didn’t work, and if it hurt the shangpar past good eating then everybody lost. She rubbed her knuckles and nodded. “I move for that.”

[highprofilerichkid]

Tony had been listening to the exchange in thoughtful silence. He didn't particularly care about the event or have any desire to participate in it, but it was obviously important to the kedan, and getting permission for the foreigners - any of the foreigners - to enter the race as well would be a big win.

"What if the race was televised?"

He paused, to make sure that he'd been heard, and then continued. "It could be streamed live to the consoles. It would make cheating practically impossible, and everyone could watch the race directly - at least some of it. I can't promise that we'd be able to make enough camera drones to follow every racer, but there could be a few, and then random camera checkpoints along the route. I think there are enough foreigners with the right expertise to make that happen. And there's enough industry in Keeliai now that we should be able to get the materials." Another pause. "With Stark Industries' cooperation, obviously." He nodded respectfully at Zanru.

Foreigner Status

[ironwood]

"I believe the term in question is hypocritical," Milyn remarked, "to expect the Foreigners to pay for lodging in the city, to buy kedanese services and goods, when no one seems willing to hire them in jobs that will pay them. At least they've stopped being gouged when it comes to buying food for themselves, for the most part," she added, her gaze going to where Heojin sat before turning it back to the others.

“I’ve already hired Foreigners,” said Zanru with a shrug. “Contracts and all.” True, one of them wasn’t being paid in juulan, but she didn’t need food, so it wasn’t the same; but Aya was entitled to repairs, and Akito’s freelancing contract was both currency-based and benefit-based. “If no one’s coming to me to ask, it’s because of actions and gossip on their own parts, not mine. I’m not going to advertise out for workers I don’t explicitly need.”

“This seems more a matter for the Workers’ Union,” Heojin pointed out evenly. “The Woodsmen have no need for workers currently either. It is the little stores unaffiliated with the larger families who are declining the Foreigners. An example may yet change their minds, but if so, that would fall under the purview of those who live within the city, would it not?”

"My concern is that the individual shops are being put off hiring the Foreigners through either direct or indirect pressure from the three Families," Milyn clarified. "Whether they say it aloud or not."

“I wonder which of us could possibly be responsible for that,” Zanru muttered, throwing a glance at Yunxu.

As if she hadn't been interrupted, the Healer finished, "I believe a public reassurance of that not being the case would go a long way. It would be beneficial for all involved, having the Foreigners integrated into the city once again."

Yunxu smiled innocently at Zanru. “I can’t be held responsible for my brothers’ liberal interpretations of my orders. Many of them are upset with the Foreigners, and not without undue cause.” He looked from her to Milyn, and sighed. “Of course, if you truly believe a public reassurance would be helpful, I’ll oblige. I can only warn you it would far more likely make the outcry worse.”

“Cannot be held responsible,” Heojin murmured, lifting an eyebrow. “You confuse me, Yunxu. You seek to declaim responsibility in the same breath that you claim it. You are a leader, are you not? If so, then your brothers’ interpretations are, indeed, your responsibility.”

“I cannot be everywhere at once.” Yunxu fixed Heojin with a look that was a far cry from his earlier smile. “Nor will I accept insult from a coward such as yourself.”

Heojin looked at Yunxu and didn’t answer, but there was no evidence that he was at all moved by the accusation. Instead Zanru let out a short laugh. “Leading by example, you said?” she said to Milyn, and motioned at Yunxu. “Here we have our enforcer of the peace making excuses. And you wonder why none of the smaller families are reaching out to hire the Foreigners? Someone keeps changing the rules to suit themselves.”

Yunxu raised a single eyebrow. “And the guns you’ve been commissioning are, of course, entirely legal.”

“I don’t think you’ve noticed this, Tu Yunxu,” Zanru shot back, “but the only laws are the ones in your dreams. The Snakes don’t hold authority over the whole of the turtle’s back. Don’t make me laugh by pretending you’ve ground to stand on with regard to anyone’s legalities.”

[akito]

Akito isn't entirely sure how this process is supposed to work, but he has a good idea at this point. He waits for everyone to finish what they're saying before raising his hand and then, when he realizes that his raised hand only reaches the average adult's ear or so, he stands up on the stone bench he's been seated at. With the added height he actually has a chance of being seen and addressed, he hopes. If he pretends it's like being in a normal school maybe that will make him less nervous.

"Um... Excuse me? Is it okay if I say something?"

[forgediron]

"Don't ask, just speak," said Zanru bluntly but not unkindly, and waved an idle hand toward the others. If the motion leaned more toward Yunxu than the others, Zanru wasn't going to mention it. "Some of us are chatterboxes and won't shut up otherwise. What is it?"

Re: Foreigner Status

[solo_patria]

Enjolras has been hanging back himself, listening to the debate, a rather dilapidated pad of paper and pen in hand, recording the debate and taking notes on what is being argued and where. When there is a moment of silence, he is raising his hand as well, treating this like a meeting of the ABC, perhaps, although one he is mostly watching.

"What of foreigner run businesses as we have had before?" he asks the group at large. "We cannot all work around the hotel, and did well once when the option was there. I would prefer we all work together, but should that not be possible, we might at least produce a product of some sort to stimulate the economy if any of the natural born citizens here would stoop to purchase it. Is there any great need? Perhaps we could find a way to fill that."

[cherrywood]

"I think it'd be unrealistic to expect the kedan to purchase a property that was abandoned, even one done so unwillingly," Milyn replied dubiously. While she wanted to give the Foreigners their best chance at getting reacquainted to the city, she could also see where certain concessions would have to be made.

Tu Yunxu - The Snakes

[ironwood]

Yunxu didn’t make himself scarce once the initial discussions were over, but he didn’t draw attention to himself either - not in the manner of the announcements other prominent figures were making. The Snakes rarely had to announce their stance. Anyone who didn’t make themselves aware of it found out pretty quickly what the Snakes deemed worthy of enforcement.

But for all their distrust of the Foreigners, Yunxu would be sure to enforce any decision fairly reached within the Courtyard, whether he personally agreed with it or not. If that meant his Family would be protecting the honour of Foreigners, so be it. That was an open fact any one of the dozen individual Snakes in the Courtyard would gladly tell anyone who asked, though more specific questions would usually be directed back to Yunxu.

Meisheng, meanwhile - the female kedan some of the Foreigners might have recognised as Yunxu’s ‘receptionist’ - wasn’t acting as a receptionist today. She stood behind Yunxu, eyeing those he spoke to, her face wholly lacking of any of her usual shape-shifted features. Unless she was directly approached, she would keep her opinions to herself.

[redlightgreenlight]

As a hound, Valdis had remained silent throughout the discussions, not ready to play the hand she had prepared. She had stayed in the shadows near the back of the courtyard, listening, watching and evaluating. When the main issues seemed resolved, she pushed forward, showing her teeth once or twice until the kedan began to clear a path for her. She walked casually toward Tu Yunxu, her head held high out of pride, her tail held low to be non-threatening.

When she reached him, her tail raised briefly and she stood at her full height, her head above his, in what would be considered a dominant posture among her kind, but then she shifted her weight back, lowering her head and shoulders in a bow. She held it for a brief moment and then stood upright again, raising her tail slightly and when she spoke, her words were for Tu Yunxu only.

Well met, Kongen av Slanger.

[ironrule]

Every Snake around the Courtyard had their hand on a weapon, perhaps for a bit longer than was safe - but it wasn't as though any of them knew what to do when a large wolf who may or may not have been a Foreigner was approaching their leader, towering over him in such a neutral space without attacking. Was it bad form to attack it, or to draw those weapons and threaten it? Would Yunxu reprimand them for it?

As it turned out, Yunxu only smiled at the wolf, unfettered surprise on his face. "Madam Valdis? I confess, I'm not familiar with that title."

Re: Tu Yunxu - The Snakes

[stubbornlittleshit]

After all that Arno had heard, he had made getting to know the Snakes his main priority, which meant he had drawn near to them. There were no places to hide himself in any decent way, so he'd settled on attempting to become part of the crowd, hood pulled down to hide his face.

So far, he waited and he watched and listened, not sure yet of just what he hoped to find.

Zanru - The Metalworkers

[ironwood]

Zanru might have been the leader of the Metalworkers, but it was a five-foot-tall woman with close-cropped hair who first got up on the bench to address the crowd on their behalf. “Listen up, you lot,” she said, and her voice rose enough to be heard by anyone who had been jostling for the Metalworkers’ attention. “A lot of you might recognise me as the person in charge of fixing and upgrading the consoles. A lot of you might also remember asking me questions. Questions like, ‘When’s the tram-line going to be finished? Can you sponsor me for Stark Industries? Can you entertain me while you’re trying to work? Can my four-year-old child play with that highly expensive and sensitive pot of goo?’”

She held up a hand to tap her fingers as she answered. “I’m here to answer those questions in order. ‘When politics is tossed in the rubbish and stops getting in the way of people doing things. No, go and apply for a job there like everyone else. Hell no, because I’m working. Bloody hell no, unless you don’t want a child anymore, then yes, go ahead, I’ll visit you in jail.’” She dropped her hands and lifted up one pants-leg from the knee, revealing the artificial leg with a shoe-shaped appendage on the end. “That’s it. Anyone else who interrupts my teams on the job will get a boot up the ass with this leg, and any other questions can be answered by my blithering idiot of a cousin, here.”

The woman clapped a hand to Zanru’s shoulder. “All yours, cousin.” And she levered herself down using Zanru as a support.

“You’re the light of my heart, Xuiyu,” Zanru said with a snort, and got to her feet, declining to actually stand on the bench. Not that she needed it, anyway. “The tram-line’s still pending,” she confirmed, “and yes, we’re hiring Foreigners--yes, I heard those rumblings back there, don’t think I didn’t. No, they’re not getting special treatment; they’re going through the exact same process of application as everyone else. Anyone who has that big a problem with that doesn’t need to work at any of our factories or offices.” She spread her arms. “Anything else? Questions go here.”

Re: Zanru - The Metalworkers

[sonjaofyellowcomet]

Sonja scoffed. Whatever. There's such a thing as manners, you know.

She did note that the metalworker with a bad attitude was related to one of the Kedan who seemed to have some authority.

[pushtheboundaries]

Nice to know that the head of the local - did it even pass for a technological corporation? a collective, perhaps, but whatever such group was nothing like the one he knew from San Fransokyo.

"The tram-line," he called, leaning forwards slightly. "Will the 'Metalworkers' be taking care of all maintenance and upgrades, and will it be a public service or otherwise limited?"

Part of him wanted to ask if it was even going to require some sort of fee, but- if it wasn't, he didn't want to give them the idea.

[highprofilerichkid]

"The video broadcasts," Tony pipes up. Now that the radio broadcast for the race has been settled Zanru can't heckle him for trying to change the subject, he wants to get this squared away.

"For future races, or whatever you want to use them for. We've got enough foreigners with advanced tech expertise to take on that contract, if that's still on the table."

Heojin - The Woodsmen

[ironwood]

When Heojin’s party arrived it had been noticeably late, late enough that the other family heads had begun without him. Now, his party was notable because of the wide berth they drew, and the stares, and the mutters. Some of them weren’t so discreet.

“Look, it’s the Coward!,” some kedan sneered without bothering to lower their voices, pointing. Their disdain was enough that the especially outspoken kedan would quite willingly talk to even Foreigners to tell them the story: how, during the invasion, Heojin the Coward had taken all the kedan outside the city and fled with them into the hills, and left the kedan within the city to fight alone. Most of them left out the part where Heojin’s people waged guerilla warfare against the invaders attempting to take over their farmlands, and cut off the supply-lines for the invaders inside the city.

Heojin only sat quietly in spite of the accusations, his back straight and expression calm and open, examining the Courtyard and those inside it with an even gaze. The two guards at his back took more offence, stepping toward anyone who got too close or too loud with scowls. They were armed with hoes and sickles -- farming instruments, not weapons. One was tall and gangly, with freckles and purple hair that stuck up everywhere, and he was the one who kept shifting from foot to foot, gazing around with a nervous sort of restlessness. The other was shorter and calmer, blonde and heavyset, leaning on his hoe and gazing into the distance in a manner that belied his attention to his surroundings.

Every now and then Heojin spoke to the third man beside him, smaller and older and with a wooden board and a scroll, and brush; a scribe, taking notes. Heojin spoke quietly, but just as he addressed the other family leaders, his tone was even and measured and didn’t seem capable of diverting from that.

Though none of them approached anyone themselves, or even seemed interested in speaking publicly, the guards didn’t stop anyone from approaching. At least, they didn’t stop anyone who proved they had no rotting fruit or weapons.

Re: Heojin - The Woodsmen

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis had listened to the tales. He also knew enough about people to know that everyone had reasons and justifications to what they did. So, now he was approaching the guards. He'd left his sword with the rest of his stuff, so he was unarmed: Zel had enough confidence in his other skills to be comfortable without a visible weapon.

"So, what happened outside the city during the invasion?" he asked.

Milyn - Cherrywood Healer

[ironwood]

"I have no other concerns to bring to the assembly today," Milyn said lightly. "Just one little announcement, that's all, a matter of formality really. In my capacity as Cherrywood Healer, and in absence of any objection by a Senior Healer, I've deeded the Healer's Guild, its property and its contents, to the Foreigner Raine Sage, effective immediately. She's assured me that she'll take good care of it, and have it back up and running in no time."

Without any other preamble, Milyn adjusts herself comfortably on the bench to continue listening to the others, or to field any responses on her abrupt proclamation.

Re: Milyn - Cherrywood Healer

[gathersnomoss]

Zelgadis had come to the assembly to listen in mostly, but he approached Milyn afterward. "I suppose that means I should address any questions to Raine now."