(OPEN) probably the least secret secret meeting, all things considered

[elswhisperer]

WHO: Setsuna F. Seiei (elswhisperer) & you!
WHAT: The code word log!
WHERE: City Hall Park
WHEN: July 12
WARNINGS: N/A


[ Over the course of the past few days, you may have noticed simple, nondescript flyers posted here and there across the city. All handwritten, they list a location (a particular statue in the City Park) along with a time and date (3:00 PM, July 12). Below that, an extremely brief message:

For establishing safe communications.

- moment.

On the day of, you'll find a young man in a red scarf waiting by the named statue. He has with him sheets of blank paper, pens, and pencils. ]

My name is Setsuna F. Seiei. 'Moment' from the network. The purpose of this meeting is creating a way to safely disseminate information to each other all at once. If one of us found an exit, or determined the identity of our captors, we'd be jeopardizing ourselves by revealing it openly over the network. At the same time, the network is our most efficient method of communication. We need to make the most of all the tools at our disposal.

We can accomplish that with the use of code language. One that's not complicated; that anyone could remember and pass along. What that code is and what we want to communicate with it is something one person can't determine for themselves. That's why I wanted us all to meet.

Without cooperation, we're not gonna get anywhere.

[ ooc: just a couple things! go ahead and mingle/threadhop as you like (especially bc i may not be the fastest tagger rn), and if setsuna has already mentioned to your character that he's been working on something, feel free to assume he left some kind of vague message about checking flyers over the inboxes or smth. ]

Comments

[quietlypersistent]

[ Clarice had been…wherever they were for somewhere around a day. She’d found food and shelter and a handful of other people, but no answers, really, to what was becoming a tome of questions.

It was hard not to notice the fliers, which was a great idea, and she was glad to see existing “residents” were thinking along such lines. If such a meeting didn’t exist she would have gotten around to starting one.

Clarice dared to hope there might be answers at this meeting, or at least others who had been here longer. She even came with a notepad and pen she snatched from a shop while looting a few groceries the previous night. It felt wrong taking things from stores, but there was no way to pay and no one working there, what else was she supposed to do? There weren’t even animals to hunt. And what was she supposed to hunt them with? Stolen cutlery?

Clarice can be found sitting at attention in the front row on the left, already jotting thoughts down in her notepad, listening attentively to their host, observing who might show interest in public safety. It seemed likely that anyone among the residents who might seek to harm others - never mind who or whatever brought people here - might have also seen the fliers and see it as an opportunity, but it felt worth the risk to her. ]

I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for arranging this.

[elswhisperer]

[ Setsuna also has safety on the mind, particularly in light of the alleged murder spoken about on the network. He's observing everyone here with watchful eyes.

People had managed to avoid any major acts of violence for a month. Just one month.

It's disheartening, but it's all the more reason to come together like this. If they can all remember they're in the same boat, striving for the same things, they have a chance.

He acknowledges Clarice with a nod. ]

Before determining any code phrases, we should decide what kinds of communication would merit them in the first place. I don't think we can afford to conceal everything we discover. If we stop openly exchanging our findings over the network, it'll raise suspicion.

[braidedwonder]

[ Is he here somewhat begrudgingly because he now, apparently, has some kind of vague connection here. Connecting with others with similar experiences is, of course, important, but he also has no idea about the first impression that Heero's given of him to Setsuna, either.

At any rate, as a group that has already learned a set of hand signals to communicate in silence, he feels as though they have enough to add to all of this that he may as well attend.

Code words may not be exactly the same, but it's close enough. ]

So what're we talking here... Regular meetings until we have it all set and then learned enough to pass along?

[elswhisperer]

[ Three foot braid... This must be one of Heero's companions. The rest of his description was, well. Not the most charitable, but Setsuna won't let it color his own judgment of Duo. ]

Something like that. Establishing the codes aren't the only benefit of an in-person meeting. We should continue even once we've hammered out the details.

You're Duo Maxwell?

[coolerjunpei]

[As the resident paranoid code names guy, Junpei absolutely keyed in immediately the moment he saw his first nondescript flyer. There are so few things in this place with writing on them, that alone is mostly enough to convince him it's a fellow kidnapped someone hanging them up, so... he'll show.

(He does not, actually, connect that "moment" is a username - and one he's spoken to before - until the meeting begins. In the background, he makes a face and hangs his head for a second, like, jesus... he's an idiot...)

Mostly, he wants to hang out and listen, but a bit after the initial introduction, he shuffles forward to Start Talking. Here goes.]

Uh, hey—I'm Junpei, and... [christ,] also "junpei," you know, online. For this code thing to work, don't we need to decide, I guess... the biggest deals? Getting the hell out of here for one, or uncovering something new about these jackasses.

[He shrugs; he doesn't actually know any useful, previously-made codes to contribute, so... he's got this.]

I just thought that maybe we could cover the basics first, and then move on to the details. [A beat, then he adds:] And plain old ciphers are already out, right? Nobody has to do math.

[gripper]

Not a fan of numbers, Junpei?

( they aren't So bad... come on. )

[lockingout]

[ This is already some pretty productive talk and Lockon's happy to just get a feeling for the group by listening in on it, but when the matter of 'biggest deals' comes up... ]

We also need a code for actual, physical danger. Preferably one we can also use non-verbally to mark areas with inconspicuously.

There's been no injuries that weren't... murder, I guess? [ Seriously, what was that network post?? ] But I don't think we should blindly count on things staying so calm forever.

[wrenchedup]

[ Wrench had been kind of sitting at the sidelines half because he was a little hungover and half because he wanted to hear what everyone else had to say. He was more than capable of taking the lead on things but even the database he's been compiling felt overwhelming at times. Honestly, he wasn't a leader. He didn't fucking want to be one. So this? This was good. Felt a little like community. A little homey.

That said, the word "Junpei" caught his ears and he straightened up with a warbly mechanical gasp and a point in the other guy's direction. ] HEY!!! You're the horks guy!! [ Because that is related to anything they're talking about right now. ]

[heeroics]

[ Heero Yuy is present, alternating between glowering into the middle distance and leaning against a wall with his head bowed, depending on how interested he is in the proceedings at any given moment, but not inclined towards volunteering any opinions himself.

He still isn't used to showing up to places like this and being seen. Certainly not by so many people. Even in Preventer, he's more free agent than natural team player.

However... he'd had a hunch that this was the 'something' Setsuna had been working on. So here he is. ]

[wresting]

( in an observant scan, their eyes meet. McGillis smiles.

unfortunately, in the matter of secret code words, the mortifying ordeal of being seen means being seen by a man so fucking weird. the boy in the subway, with his unbroken hand, is something McGillis remembers often. naturally, he approaches for a little chat, pleased said boy hasn't escaped the city yet. the proceedings haven't quite started. )

Has your injury healed?

[elswhisperer]

Heero Yuy.

[ Despite having organized the meeting, Setsuna's intention is not to be the one running it all way the through. Ultimately, he wants this to be a community effort. Meaning, he eventually he does get the opportunity to speak with Heero one-on-one. ]

I told you I'd let you know if I found any of my comrades here. Gundam Meister Lockon Stratos arrived earlier this month. Irish, and wears an eyepatch over his right eye. He's a man I trust implicitly.

[metafictions]

[Kamui isn't first in line to the meeting-- that honor belongs to Clarice, or perhaps one of the others who'd arrived here before him-- but he is on time. After weeks, he's been dying for some kind of structured effort around here. At the same time, he knows all too well that he's not in any kind of position to be in charge, with so little information and very few leads to go off of.

Codes, however, are good. Information's good. This is a start, far more productive and a whole lot safer than waiting for someone else to die or get handcuffed by unseen forces.

Somewhere in the front row, the soft-spoken, unassuming twenty-something in a green coat raises his hand.]

Thank you, Setsuna-san. This will be really helpful.

For anything that needs to be exchanged over the network securely, by the way, an anonymous user provided instructions for posting without your identity attached. I'm not a tech expert by any means, but it certainly looks like it works. [Wrench's weird file names aside.] If anyone else knows what they're doing and wants to verify it's working all right, please let me know and I provide you with the informational files.

[strongroots]

...I'll take them.

[ You know, if this guy is offering what...Robby isn't really sure is useful, but might be, then hell, he wouldn't mind having a couple of the files and checking it out. Code isn't his forte, but he knows how to follow instructions. Wants to see what else might be getting passed along the network.

So he speaks up, if a little hesitantly; looking over at the guy, a bit of a furrowed brow on his own face. Arms crossed tightly. Decides to add, just because it comes to mind: ]

Anything ever showed up on the network? [ He does look at him, then glances around--open question. ] Not from one of us. Far as we know.

[strongroots]

[ Robby doesn't arrive on the dot, but he does shows up. Unsure about the fliers, unsure about everything here, but he wants to know shit, so going to shit is kind of how you find things out, right? Even if there's a nervous energy like a tick he just can't get rid of, that he's working to keep buried.

He keeps it down with folded arms, keeping his head down too, though looking at the other faces around. Sucks on the inside of his cheek, his shoulders slightly hunched. If basics are going to be talked about, he wants to hear about that. But as for the topic brought to this meeting: ]

Are codewords really gonna matter? [ He speaks up, while somehow still keeping his voice down--not to any whisper, but it's clear he's uncomfortable. Sucking on the inside of his cheek again, but continuing: ] I don't know what everyone's found out so far, but I know we all somehow showed up and don't remember it. I can understand languages I never did, and everytime I try getting rid of the phone, swap where I sleep, it's there with me again.

[ It's fucking crazy. It's fucking crazy. Saying it out loud makes his voice rise a little more. ]

No one else is here 'cept us in this entire city, they're running everything. We don't think they're gonna know where we go or pick up on a few codewords?

[gripper]

You've got a good point. They already know, somehow, when we've committed a crime--or what they perceive as it.

( that guy on the network who got handcuffed and all. )

I did hear a real interesting theory from an acquaintance of mine--I'm sure he didn't think that much of it, but maybe you will.

( kromer rests against one of the statues, ignoring what it looks like in her peripheral. )

Perhaps the city itself ( she continues a little slower, for dramatics, ) is alive? It called us. Why? Who knows. But no one else is here, and those kiosks don't know all that much, either.

[coolerjunpei]

You got a better idea?

[Is the unspoken "wiseass" tacked onto the end there implied, or should he say it more witheringly a second time-- No, he came to this meeting to get something done, and he knows full well that a bunch of people arguing at cross purposes don't get things done, so fine: he holds his hands up immediately, acquiescing.]

Sorry. I just mean we have to do something, right? We can't sit around and wait for some fresh bullshit to react to.

[Like people getting handcuffed for no reason, or murdered--]

Even if they figure us out, it's a faster way to get the point across. I'm talking about an emergency escape, or something—that'd go a lot faster if everybody knew that "market crash" meant "get the hell out of the apartments now, we all need to be in the bowling alley." Something like that.

wild...card? ish

[zangetsu]

（ green jacket, short brown hair, american. it gives him enough to go on, but he still finds himself scanning the crowd at the fringes, reluctant to step into the throng until he's located the guy. ichigo isn't really a people-person at the best (or worst) of times, so he's got his hands jammed in his pockets, radiating a desire to be left alone that's less petulant and more massive personal space bubble.

once he spots rob, he heads that way, twisting to avoid an impact from a hurried passer-by. he doesn't bother with a dour look — they're all here, all stressed, and all have better things to do with their time than pick fights over nothing. but by the time he's within arm's length, he's rubbing at the back of his neck tiredly.

true to his word, ichigo clocks in at just under six feet tall, wearing a shirt that says: 𝑺𝑷𝑬𝑨𝑲𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑰𝑺 𝑵𝑶𝑻 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑴𝑼𝑵𝑰𝑪𝑨𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵. he moves like a martial artist — light and quick in a way that's deliberate and studied rather than some natural impulse. and that orange hair? we're talking almost radioactive.

he gives the guy a nod, but doesn't offer a handshake or anything like it. honestly, it doesn't even occur to him that's a thing westerners might expect. ）

Rob, right?

supremely unhelpful guy post...... ✌

[wresting]

( with so many holes in the information available to them, the benefit of code words remains to be seen. a gathering of like minds — fellow residents, victims, what have you — is always a worthwhile endeavor, however. for his part, McGillis congregates on the edges of the meeting, attentive but not quite participatory. a summer khaki suit, coupled with his absurd height, easily distinguishes him in the peripheral of anyone's vision. )

I. ( the park outside city hall is known for a few features and hazards: namely, the odd sense of familiarity any given statue induces in its observer.

McGillis ignores it — the statue declaring a path to its fellows, one beckoning hand outstretched — sparing the stony figure a glance or two and nothing more. ...only for his gaze to eventually, naturally wander.

he stares fixt, until a nudge or word urges him to return to reality. for a moment, McGillis's expression is open, off guard. then, he smiles, vaguely albeit sharply amused. out of respect, the volume of his voice is conspiratorial. ) I find myself growing more susceptible to the city as of late.

II. ( has this gone for hours? ...it's gone for hours.

with the afternoon turning late, perhaps even into evening, McGillis starts to feel peckish. so... having an entire assortment of candy on his person, McGillis pops a small, bite sized piece of chocolate into his mouth. it takes only one (1) envious glance for him to share with a neighbor, a sugary treasure trove in a cellophane bag: some, setting appropriate to 2000s America; others, more cheerfully and whimsically wrapped.

Halloween in July! )

( ooc | open to threadjacking/hopping & secret third options (AKA wildcards). for a little CR jumpstart, feel free to assume mcgillis introduced himself @ the welcome party event or while mingling before the open forum. )

II

[cinaedus]

[ Camille is, first, more than fashionably late. He arrives after sundown, though the sky is at least still faint with light. Further, he has little to offer in the way of coded messages and secret communications, but he is here nonetheless, ready with a pleasant smile and an agreeable word.

The whole thing is silly, though. Charming, in the way children so seriously play at a game.

The God-machine —if this truly is the God-machine— needs not eyes nor ears in the walls (or hedges). If it is not the God-machine, then, their captor(s)' power is comparable besides, even in what little has been displayed to them. It seems unwise, then, to believe anything they might say or do goes unnoticed, however covert they try to be.

He pauses by McGillis, a familiar face now that they have made acquaintance and neighbors. Voice quiet so as to be unobtrusive, leaning a little in something akin to intimacy, shoulder to arm, ] Have I missed much?

[ There's a warm humor in his tone, not unkind, but neither does he seem to take this too seriously. Camille wagers McGillis, shuffling in a bag of chocolates, does not put terribly much stock in this whole affair, either. ]

enter this guy

[benedicus]

001; baked goods fix everything.

( here's the thing. aziraphale supports the spirit behind the flyers and posters so immensely, but he doesn't know the first thing about how he might provide a proper show of it. after all, it's his first time in such a situation and the flyers don't actually provide that much information.

as clearly intended.

what he eventually comes up with is a large folding table and two picnic baskets full of food, snacks, and cannisters of hot black tea (unsweetened). he greets setsuna warmly, but incredibly briefly before getting to work setting up the table.

he sets out a small assortment of breads and other baked goods, black tea, and plastic tableware. )

Please. Help yourselves. Everything should be suitable to eat.

( said at a respectable volume, gesturing to the table. )

I didn't know if anyone else was going to bring anything, but I thought it would be a nice gesture.

( he makes a small almost fist-pump like gesture, trying to come off as encouraging. )

A good first impression is important.

002; the books, the books!

I believe I might have a suitable idea for the codes.

( or at least a contender for a suitable idea. it would depend on how plausible it actually turns out.

aziraphale pauses, briefly considering that. )

Although, I suppose it might need some testing? Provided they don't return to their blank state afterwards, we could use books and journals to hide information within. It would be quite easy to pass them around under a different pretence and return them to a set place.

003; dude's old.

( eventually, when the topic of the network starts becoming a bit too heavy— )

I must admit, I do not know how to use the network.

( mostly his fault for spending the last several decades refusing to "get with the times". )

004; something else

(( ooc: or just tag in w/ whatever you want. i'll roll with it. plurk available if needed. full permission to threadjack if desired. ))

001

[lockingout]

[ Oh no, that's so sweet... Lockon had imagined this would be a meeting not unlike a mission briefing, full of business-like faces. Even though he knows the importance of good vibes for group morale, it had not even occurred to him that the atmosphere could be lightened up with some snacks and seating.

Things are gonna be different here than they are on a terrorist spaceship, huh? Maybe it's not a bad change of pace. ]

Need any help setting this up? You really went all out here.

[fourmeansdeath]

[ Albert would be content to attend this gathering at the sidelines -- keep an eye on who's showing up, and who's showing up to cause trouble or to cooperate, all that sort of thing. He doesn't know these people, they don't know him. Still, at length he raises a hand and speaks up: ]

Stands to reason there's some kind of all-seeing surveillance on us beyond the mobile phones. Nobody's said anything about seeing any police force around, and somehow I doubt the people who've, hah, transgressed the law announced their intentions beforehand.

[ Though with some people, you never knew. It's disturbing that there's rumours of bloodshed already. Not surprising, but disturbing. A pessimistic man might have something to say about humans' violent nature even in a place with every need provided for free, but that kind of talk would be useless right now. ]

That doesn't mean this is pointless. I dunno how fast the powers-that-be can move, but it can't be instant, unless they're gods or something. If there's an emergency and a code buys us even a little time, I say it's worth doing.

[ Not that this level of subterfuge is really his forte. ]

What I want to know is if anyone has alternate ways of getting information around. Pen-and-paper letters seem kinda inefficient.

[braidedwonder]

It's uh.. fairly instant. [ Says the guy that woke up in handcuffs after trying to light City Hall on fire without anyone other than he and the other guy in attendance that he could see. Supremely unsettling for someone who never really slept more than a cat nap every couple of hours, anyway, much less to not feel it until he had woken up. ]

Let's just say I know by experience, and they don't even bother with your rights and all that.

We could possibly code up something to encrypt instant messages, but either way there's no telling that whatever powers that are can't access that either, even to the best of my encryption ability. Or other's, too.

We could do carrier pigeon, but, none of those around either.

✨kiosk info documenting✨

[coolerjunpei]

[A ways into the meeting, Junpei has... something to do. It's getting this handy spreadsheet (well, hand drawn) somewhere everyone can contribute to it, so it's not just him and Kromer talking about pancakes and murder off to the side somewhere.

Of course, this is a statue at the park they're meeting at, so he figures he can bring it to... the base of the statue? That'll do. He clears his throat, holding up the papers and a pen.]

Uh, hey, everyone... We started making a list of things we've asked the kiosk in the tourist center and what answers it spit out. Maybe if we all combine questions and answers, something like a clue will come up? It's good to have a list, anyway. We can make sure it doesn't give different people different answers to the same question...

So... yeah. That's that. I'll leave it here. And... if you want to talk about some info, I'll hang out here, too?

[womp........ He will indeed hang out here for a bit, but talking to him isn't required to add to the sheet...]


[ooc: hello...... gripper's player has made us a for real spreadsheet to collect stuff on incl a future questions tab!! but kromer is a bully so junpei is presenting it to everyone :pensive: don't give him credit,]

[icanfixer]

[ wow, what a great idea that junpei definitely came up with on his own! don quixote definitely did not see him and kromer hanging. yup, that woman has nothing to do with it.

anyway. ]

It is not a helpful device whatsoever. Rarely anything I asked could be answered "at that time", so I am surprised to learn that thou hath gained knowledge from them.

[ ... well when. she writes her questions maybe they'll understand why she got shit all, but still. ]

[codenametesla]

[As a new arrival, it was hard to tell what was the weird... city's doing, and what was the the doing of the other people who had been dragged in. The fliers that had been put up certainly seemed more the latter, and Althea didn't really have anything to lose while gathering information on just what was going on, so she followed the directions.

She liked the idea of using code language, and of everyone working together to pool information and try to figure out what was going on, even if she didn't like that they were in a situation that needed it.

But as someone new, who didn't know any of these people and who didn't know even the scraps of information they had, she mostly stuck to hovering around the outskirts of the group, listening and trying to catch up.]

[ooc: Felt like I needed to put up something if i was gonna have her talk to people here, so there you go. Feel free to see her just wandering around clueless :"D ]

[unrequite]

[ Welp. Midnight has been listening quietly and staying out of most of the conversation, but if someone else is here looking like they're just soaking in the atmosphere, he's not about to just ignore them. (That she happens to be very cute has nothing to do with his decision. Really) ]

Hello, Miss Wallflower. Would you care to dance?

[ He grins.

(... No, seriously, that she's a cute girl alone at a meeting has nothing to do with his decision. He just says hello like this. Like, actually. Really.) ]

[zerofive]

[For the most part, Wufei lingers, and loiters, and waits. He's a listening sort, not given to deliberate pubic speeches, except in his rare fits of passion. But if anyone approaches him, he'll nod to them, and be willing to speak.]

I am Chang Wufei. Who are you?

[indwelt]

[ What a polite young man. Welt's also loitering near the back, content to absorb information for the time being, but he does spend a little time mingling with the crowd, getting to know his fellow residents. ]

Welt Yang, I recently arrived here. Have you been here long?

[For Setsuna]

[zerofive]

Setsuna. This was a good idea.

[Wufei's praise is grudging, and rare, but it was a good idea. Coordinating between groups, or individuals, was more than wise; it was necessary. But even if he thought so, Wufei wasn't the best choice for it.]

Have you established any code-words yet? We should consider the use of dead-drops as well. It won't stop any persistent spying, but it's one way to communicate off-network.

[elswhisperer]

[ Praise isn't something Setsuna's good at accepting, so he merely gives an acknowledging nod. He does get the vibe that this isn't something this stranger offers lightly.

...Hmm. Could this be Chang Wufei? ]

No specific code-words yet. We've been discussing the idea of both a mailing system and unrelated, covert dead drops for conveying information related to codes, or anything especially sensitive. The idea is to hide that information within books and journals, with the dead drops disguised as small lending library kiosks. The mail system can both serve its apparent purpose and act as a smokescreen for the true nature of the "libraries".

[thelastb1]

[Briefly, R0-GR considers skipping the meeting, as it were. In that way it's similar to his first meeting with Setsuna, although this time his apprehension is not about Setsuna. Roger trusts Setsuna, at least as much as he's come to trust anyone in the City. This is more apprehension about everyone else. Not about Kromer, though they had seemed to be the impetus, but what they represent. That even here, in a world so far removed from his own, there are those who hate him for arbitrary reasons, whether he had judged that one particular example correctly or not.

He goes to the meeting anyway, because he eventually realizes that it's nothing new. Whatever he may encounter in the City, he had likely dealt with worse. It wouldn't be a sufficient reason to seldom leave his apartment forever.

So Roger shuffles around at the meeting, waiting. Hoping passively that he might run into Setsuna or someone else he might be able to give a meaningful report to.]

[elswhisperer]

[ As soon as Setsuna spots Roger, he makes his way over. ]

I was hoping to see you here.

[ Judging by his body language, Roger seems... uneasy? Apprehensive?

He was disguising his appearance when they first met. Maybe he has some concerns over that. It hasn't escaped Setsuna's notice that there are more humans here than anything else. ]

You faring alright?