(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

[braidedwonder]

How far’re you gonna be hammering anything out not knowing what the end goal is?

[ it’s not that Duo doesn’t think that they can’t hammer something out, at least, but getting to specifics for things to possibly pull a 180 seems like a good bit of time and effort down the drain.

His name comes out of Setsuna’s mouth as though they’ve met before and, for a moment, Duo’s brows draw together. Puzzling, considering, but then…

There’s still Heero, Quatre, or Wufei for him to have met as well. It isn’t as though he blends in well when he isn’t trying. ]

Which of the others have you met, then?

[elswhisperer]

We'll keep going until a consensus is reached.

[ So his guess was right; this is Duo. For all he knows, there could be someone else running around with similar taste in hairstyles. ]

Just Heero Yuy.

[braidedwonder]

And you got more than two words out of him? Congrats. [ He doubts he would have the honor of being the only two words, so a conversation must have happened there. He won't pry, though. Whatever Heero Yuy decides to tell other people in his business, and considering everything going on, if he's decided to make a possible ally, he'll trust the other man's judgment.

But only in this, of course. ]

Usually, that's just sussing out a thesaurus of different tones of grunts, so that's quite the accomplishment.

Though, if you were talking about this, that edges on a mission, and Heero loves a mission.

[elswhisperer]

[ Ahh. This must be the 'loudmouth' part Heero mentioned. These two have got to be either be close friends or unable to stand each other.

Or both? ]

I met him when he was taking apart the kiosk. He appears to be a driven person.

[ This meeting has a purpose and all, but he's finally gotten to meet one of the Gundam pilots from another world, and learning a little bit more about that whole situation is worth going off-topic. ]

I've been wanting to meet his companions. I want to understand what it means to pilot a Gundam in a world unlike my own. What Gundam means to you.

[ Yeaaaaah, sorry Duo, this one's another weirdo. ]

[braidedwonder]

Oh, so while his hands were busy. [ Makes a bit more sense. He'd been more able to speak with Heero, initially, when he'd been at work on Wing Zero. Busy hands, more talkative mouth, even if that didn't make any damn sense to him. Nothing about a lot of his fellow pilots make a lot of damn sense, though, so he'll let it slide. ]

Gundam means to me? [ Oh no, what is this? Duo judges in his expression loudly at this comment, nose wrinkling. Yes, he spoke to his Gundam as if it were a person who could respond to him but ...

That was Deathscythe. ]

It's a hunk of lunar titanium, what does that even mean?

[elswhisperer]

[ Setsuna's not the least bit bothered. It's not the first time someone's given him that kind of "what the hell are you talking about" look, and it won't be the last. ]

Gundam is, to me, the eradication of warfare. That's what I mean.

[

does that explain it though. does it really. ]

[braidedwonder]

Oh so you're one of those types. [ Look, it's a great idea and all, but Duo doesn't nearly have the faith in other human beings to think it's a reachable goal. People tend to learn for a short period of time and then revert right back, after all... ]

Look, it's a noble thought, I guess, but people live and forget in short cycles, y'know?

[elswhisperer]

[ Now Setsuna's wondering who Duo knows that's "one of those types". ]

Every generation passes something on to the next. People die, but their wishes and ideals live on.

What's the reason you pilot a Gundam?

[braidedwonder]

Why do you need to know?

[ Look, just because he's no longer in a place where he necessarily has to hide that he's a Gundam pilot doesn't mean that he's necessarily keen to get into the reasons why. Hell, he hasn't even really discussed those reasons with his fellow pilots, much less someone he knows through Heero Yuy. ]

[elswhisperer]

I don't need to. If your reasons are private, I won't push for answers.

[ He's curious, certainly, but he knows it's none of his business. ]

[braidedwonder]

You wouldn’t know the context of it, so it doesn’t make sense to share. [ it’s a stupid excuse, not even his fellow pilots know half of his life prior to Operation Meteor by his own choice. But Duo Maxwell would be a husk if not filled with excuses.

Eventually, though, he will provide a more surface level answer: ]

I wanted people in space to be able to smile again. Without having mobile suits lurking over them all the time as a threat to comply.

[elswhisperer]

[ Surface level though it may be, it's more than nothing, which is more than Setsuna anticipated. ]

That's a fight worthy of a Gundam.

[braidedwonder]

I'm glad I pass muster. [ Then why does it sound so sarcastic? Of course, the former Deathscythe pilot is suspicious as hell about what this is all about, if he's honest. This guy reminds him of Heero but somehow even more intense, and it's anything but a compliment. ]

What was your reason, then?

[elswhisperer]

[ Setsuna can tell he's apparently not leaving a very good impression here. That doesn't bother him on a personal level, but it's not conducive to making a new ally... ]

The eradication of warfare. And seeking answers as to why the world is the way it is.

[ All Setsuna can really do is reply honestly, regardless of how absurd the answer may sound. ]

[braidedwonder]

Oh. So you like to set unobtainable goals. [ Duo deadpans it with one of those glances that speaks his disappointment in volumes.

He’s sure this guy and Quatre might get along a little better, but… Quatre got along with everyone. At least on the surface, anyway. He’ll be curious to hear the blonde’s thoughts when they do eventually meet.

Around here it’s kind of an inevitable anyway. ]

All you gotta do is follow the money and it’ll tell you all you need to know about why the world is one way or another. Talks better than a snake oil salesman.