random pointless swirls | Glowfic Constellation

imeanforever

Promise has no objection.

This place has a day cycle. Can you open the gate for a few minutes every day, at about the same time as I leave? Time zone won't match up, so I can't just say 'noon'. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, trying to find him, but I think I'll be safe enough out there now that I have a better idea what's going on.

imeanforever

I can do that.

I'll be back as soon as possible.

Presuming the gate is open on schedule, as soon as possible is twelve days from then. Steel and Morn come through the gate when she opens it.

I've caught him up on fairyland and our vague plans. And taught him a little bit of sorcery, mostly just fairylights. And warned him about food and names, which apparently you didn't, probably because you were trying to get rid of him?

"Hullo," Morn says, with a polite little wave. "I've got notes on important people in the Star, but let's see what Steel dug up on the Senate before we go making any plans."

imeanforever

I was trying to get rid of him, confirms Promise. If it had been harder I would have told him.

"Right, and I left smart quick. No sense blundering about in an unfamiliar environment that happens to belong to someone else if I can help it."

Steel and Morn start discussing lots of different people (referring to them by position or title and not name as much as possible) and their relationships and who trusts them and so on. The plan they seem to be favoring is to get both sides to 'decide' to halt their attacks, then a week later have them commit to a ceasefire and peace talks, then ensure the peace talks lead to the end of the war.

The problem is someone forced into peace talks is not likely to be interested in making them go well - so ideally they could bring the major leaders to the side of peace just by sneaking around invisibly and talking to them, and not by giving them orders.

Promise's input is welcome.

imeanforever

Promise is skeptical that sneaking around invisibly and talking to people will make them meaningfully interested in peace. Maybe if combined with bribery, or, failing that, threats?

Those are both options on the table. Morn is fairly sure that all but the most die-hard fanatics on both sides are sick of fighting. On each side there are about a dozen people in positions of power who, if a solid majority could be convinced, would conclusively result in that faction wanting peace. Step one would be invisible flying spying to see who already wants peace, and who they have the best chance of convincing.

imeanforever

Do these people tend to talk about wanting peace a lot and just not in front of the right people, or is there some other mechanism of learning the private inclinations of others of which Promise is unaware?

Morn shrugs. "Attitudes, agendas, trends, rumors, the steadily decreasing pace of troop movements. It's hard to put into words, but based on what they do I get more sure by the day that most of the Star Council would rather be back to normal than attacking the Senate. They just don't want to look weak in front of everyone else by suggesting it. I'm less sure about the Senate, but the news and rumors coming from their half of the country suggests they'd probably be willing to talk, if they can calm down long enough to actually seriously consider it."

imeanforever

"If that's the case we don't necessarily need to know who it is, exactly, just publicly and sufficiently convincingly assert that it's a majority."

"That would be one way to do it, but it's risky. They might decide we're infiltrators from the Senate trying to weaken their will to fight or lull them into complacency, or some other nonsense. Never underestimate the human capacity for self-denial. If we go the public route, it'll have to involve Steel's fame - most of the world still thinks the Senate murdered her."

Steel sighs as Morn copies his speech in fairylights. "Sorry," he tells her, "But that's the way it is. Just think of it like a tool."

imeanforever

Sorry, I keep forgetting you can't hear, Promise writes. The Senate presumably knows they didn't murder her. Perhaps she could go to them and offer to go tell the North Star that and publicly advocate standing down if the Senate makes certain concessions?

That's a good idea, Steel says, I like that idea. Righting the wrongs, as much as that's possible. What do you think, Morn?

Morn continues to both speak aloud and write with lights. "It could work. We'll want to approach the health committee chair with the idea, her or the public works chief. They're by far the least likely to try something foolish."

imeanforever

Personally or due to their roles?

"Personally. Or maybe because the roles attract a certain kind of person. At any rate, L- The health chair is the most outspoken critic of the war on either side, because the fact that there are injured, sick, and malnourished people she can't help infuriates her."

imeanforever

I'm willing to personally heal some injured people, although I'll need to watch them be injured for a while before I can do so easily if I don't know them. If that helps.

Bluestream can already heal injuries if you have the training for it, Steel interjects, The problem would be the fact that there are more injured people than usual. We'll need invisibility to approach her at all, though. Can you invisible someone else? I couldn't manage it on him.

imeanforever

I can try. You'd be easier than he would, who should I try it on?

Morn says, "Steel can already do it to herself. The point would be to make me invisible so I can help Steel talk to people who need talking to, so unless she'd make good practice you may as well just try it on me."

imeanforever

"She might make good practice," Promise points out. "The trouble is she might find it harder to undo my spell than her own and we don't know how long it'll take me to figure out doing it or undoing it."

I don't mind being invisible. It'll make it easier to hunt - we still need food, and the sea-hills aren't really a great place to find edible plants.

imeanforever

Okay.

Promise inspects Steel, smooths out the harmonics, flies around her target a few times, and - eventually - Steel is invisible.