open audience; the alderwood emperor

[alderwood]

Characters: The Alderwood Emperor and anyone who seek to speak with him
Date: January 8th
Location: The Palace of Landed Sky
Situation: The expected holding of an audience for any that care to speak with the newly appointed Alderwood Emperor.
Warnings/Rating: N/A; to be updated if necessary

The hall is stark and black, lit with softly glowing lanterns that are strung up high beyond reach. Outside, the sun is at its zenith, and it filters down through the cloudy glass roof to warm the dark room.

The floor is marble, inlaid with mother-of-pearl and ruby quartz. It catches the light, and casts strange patterns on the walls.

There is beauty to it, but the room has been repurposed to function moreso than form. Weapons racks line the walls and there are officers stationed at regular intervals to ensure the safety of their assets and, of course, the Emperor himself. It is but one sign of heightened security, another being that all attendees must be escorted in with the attendance of a pair of armed guards. The rein of Alderwood begins in caution and will not be made victim of as Ironwood's did in its end.

The Emperor himself is seated at a broad table and working his way through cleaning a variety of firearms that range from elegant handguns to heavy muskets. He works with swift precision, dismantling each in turn before proceeding with cleaning and reassembling, then he moves to the next. Like the weapons upon the racks, these vary in age from rudimentary to advanced technology reminiscent of the spectre weapons. He knows each of them as spoils of war gathered over the centuries and now he seeks to repurpose them. To use them against the enemy that had him fight in the first place.

He is dressed in his familiar military cut, having no mind or pleasure in anything of ornamentation or to further denote his rank, and greets each attendee with the curt statement: "Speak to your purpose."

[Actionspam or prose are both acceptable!

Characters will only be admitted into the hall one by one, so there won't be anyone present for anyone else's conversations, and there won't be any 'mingling' in the chamber itself.

By popular demand, we will continue to allow mingling for those waiting for an audience in an antechamber. There is a thread header below to allow for that!]

Audience | Canon Updates | Antechamber

Comments

[definingfuture]

[Tony knows the mindset of a man used to being on the front. There's a discontent with taking the desk job, being shielded from the action. It's a helpless feeling, and he knows that in a way it denies a man used to action the opportunity to be himself.]

Understood. I'll answer if you ever want to call. I have experience with some of those, too.

[He nods to the spread of firearms. It's a bit reluctant--he'd told himself he wasn't going to go down that path again--but with the potential threat looming over them, he can't avoid it.]

I realize we're setting a precedent, but if there are any records of previous births or Asti's kind, it could help us a great deal. They're young and spread out, and I'm not sure all of us realize just what we're dealing with.

[He trails off, glancing slightly toward the guards at his sides before he continues.] And I'm concerned about what might happen if they become corrupted.

[alderwood]

[That knowledge is good to posses and Evandau's nod to acknowledge it is a hint of the appreciation he has for those familiar with combat. War. Too many of these Foreigners are soft and naive, much as with the kedan. He feels out of place, doubly so now that Eshai is dead and he left alone in his experience.]

You and few others.

[That is his sole admission to that before he focuses on the hatchling and the question.]

What records there may have been would be long destroyed, Foreigner. [It's a simple, frank admission.] Billions of years are not kind to the storage of information. All we have are legends of creation.

[Though that latter question makes him wish for some form of information too. Malicant has been summoned into Life and that gives him access, in turn, to Dreaming; what can be safe when it permeates all things?]

Few of those legends speak of corruption, but it is not impossible. It enjoys having a finger in each pot.

[definingfuture]

[Tony inclines his head in a gesture that is part shrug, part accepting nod. There are a lot of generally innocent people riding Tu Vishan, and sometimes he wonders where the candidate process went wrong.]

Well, if you need any input on improvements.

[And that is all he says about that.

The news is disappointing, but not unexpected. He had hoped there would be some ancient records, something that they could use to make sense of the baby turtles, but Tony was aware of the likelihood that they were facing the situation more or less blindly.]

What do you think, Commander? We've had threats, but so far the hatchlings seem to be well and happy. If the enemy was planning on attacking directly, this would be a good time. How vulnerable do you think they are?

[Tony lifts his head, catching Evandau's eyes. The real question is, with a brand new scenario, how much do they trust anything?]

Would we recognize the enemy if it appeared in front of us?

[alderwood]

[Difficult questions, all. Evandau knows the legends and what he has seen with his own eyes, but the two are difficult to reconcile. The easier start, then, is at the end of what Tony asked.]

Can you recognise foe in a friend? [A valid question.] This thing does not appear. I have seen it seep into the crevices and the cracks, taking hold of those that it wished. That is the danger of it, for you can never tell where its threat shall come next from.

[It is frustrating, to say the least.]

That is why I proceed with caution, for all that I seek to eliminate it. That is where the difficulty resides and that is where your improvements should be focused. Find how to discern the enemy within the friend and then we may have a chance.

[As to the turtles? Evandau frowns.]

The turtles are great, even these tiny ones. Their minds are young and shall seek guidance. Give them that and they will not have reason to stray to the attentions of others. Fail to engage them and they may drift and end up in its sights. That is where I see their vulnerability.

[definingfuture]

[The question strikes a chord. Can they tell who the enemy is, especially if Malicant could be using them in some way? But what Evandau gives him is a good answer. It means that Malicant, however dangerous, also has his limits. Whether by choice or by nature they still exist.]

I understand, Commander. And we are keeping vigilant. You have my word on that. The more we do know, the more we can build up our defenses... You have experience with these attacks. Do you know why it has such a grudge against Tu Vishan?

[Also important information. He has to ask. There's a lot more going on than gets said, and Tony just wants to make sure he's operating on as much information as possible.]

Because if it were to succeed, then the turtles have few weaknesses? Is that right?

[alderwood]

[That is the information he is willing to share, for there is much danger in saying too much. Evandau sighs and readies himself to explain that yet again.]

My experiences count for nothing. To hear what I have seen is to give you expectation, and that is what it wants. It wants you to predict it, so that it can surprise you in a different way. Your ignorance grants you a protection that my kind never had.

[A protection that may have allowed more than he alone to survive.]

What it bears is not grudge, but greed. [A slow, even pacing of the disdainful words.] It seeks the power of Tu Vishan because it desires to possess it. Consider it being like at the whim of a child's fancies, only it bears the intelligence of time immemorial.

[definingfuture]

Ignorance is never a good defense, Commander.

[Tony's response is gentle, but he's not yielding. It's a firm belief of his that not knowing what is coming could put them all in danger, even though he understands the point that Evandau is making. Maybe he's right. The more they know, the more chances there are for people to ruin them all by abusing that knowledge. And expecting too much has hurt him in the past.]

Expectation, unfortunately, is something we can't get rid of. All we can do is try to adapt as best as we can.

[He pauses thoughtfully, taking in the explanation.]

You think it will try to take possession of the young ones too? Can it?

[alderwood]

Ignorance is your only defense, for it will keep you alert to all possibilities.

[This is a view he has held for many centuries and no Foreigner has yet shifted it. Evandau does not waste further words on it, thinking instead to the little ones and of possession.]

There is a risk, but I cannot measure how great.

[A plain truth.]

Never in the recorded memory of my race have there been such young turtles in numbers so plentiful. We are parents now to children that have no guidelines or manual. We must monitor them, see if their goals or glee changes in the slightest.

[definingfuture]

[By his expression, Tony clearly isn't convinced that not knowing is helping them anticipate trouble. But he isn't stupid. He's worked with enough military to know that sometimes there really is only one answer. And he gives it, with a small nod.]

Sir.

[The turtles are more important right now. They all pretty much agree that the hatchlings are the most likely targets, and that is where he needs to put his effort. Not playing ego wars with the acting Emperor.]

So... you don't think it brought them to us? I have to ask. For a friend.

[alderwood]

[Evandau shakes his head.]

Tu Vishan brought us to his fallen sister so that we could rescue them. [A brief pause.] They are the only hope for their future.

[definingfuture]

I understand. He'll be glad to hear that, Commander, thank you.

[Tony's lips pull back into a reserved smile. It's still respectful and serious, but he has just a bit more of an edge behind it.]

In the meantime, we'll do as you wish and plan for anything. I agree that we shouldn't put too much of our expectations into our plans, but it doesn't hurt to prepare for what we know too. If we wait around for signs, it may catch us off guard simply because we're too focused on what it wants us to focus on. Knowing, they say, is half the battle. I hope you'll let us know when you think of things that might help. Even minor details may give us new perspectives.

[He bows. It's not reverent, but still respectful. He's speaking to a commanding officer in the end, not a politician. Tony thinks that might be for the best, even if it did come out of tragedy.]

Thank you for your time, Emperor. I promise to protect the babies with all the power I've got.

[alderwood]

You will be advised as you have always been advised. Do not accuse me of withholding information of relevance as it is needed.

[There is a sharpness to his tone, this conversation easing from an initial one of comforting familiarity to, what? It is no powerplay, but does seem like yet another strike against his tactics by those who are new to this battle.]

Good day, Foreigner. Your oversight is... [A pause.] Noted.

[definingfuture]

[The edge in Evandau's voice doesn't go unnoticed, but Tony doesn't flinch. It's a bit like talking to Fury. Or Steve, although with Steve there was always the friendship to fall back on. But the no-nonsense attitude is definitely familiar to him. Tony is toeing a sensitive line.]

I just wanted to remind you that our perspectives are different. I'd like that to be a benefit to you, sir. It wasn't meant as disrespect.

[He smiles slightly, as if the cold way the Emperor addresses him is somehow just fitting for the whole scene.]

Tony is fine. We're on the same side. [And that may not mean much to Evandau, but it does deserve a note, he thinks.]

Be well, Emperor Evandau.

[alderwood]

Be wary, Foreigner.

[Tony. That is not a name he intends to use at the moment.]

You know the exit.

[There is a nod towards the audience chamber's entry, a cue for dismissal if there ever was one.]

[definingfuture]

Always.

[He smiles slightly. Tony didn't expect Evandau to take what he said with anything less than derision. That really just suits him.]

Be careful.

[He nods more than bows, and even waves a little at the guards as he leaves. Nothing too fast or threatening--just a little more casual than he should be.]