paradisa | 057 Spells Cast

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phoebe halliwell

057 Spells Cast

[Phoebe's handwriting is, thankfully, very legible as she takes pen to paper today. She knows Kate had already mentioned something about an evacuation plan but she's the one who's meant to be in charge of Code Blair and she's been slacking in her responsibilities with it too much lately. It's time to take action.]

This is Phoebe Halliwell.

I know things are very confusing right now but now is not the time to be passive. All of us who have been here for some time are probably thinking the same thing: "What's next?" Losing our voices is probably only the first step in something bigger... maybe even something worse. I'm not trying to scare anyone, I just think we need to be ready ~~in case~~ for when something does happen.

Mark asked how evacuation plans were going and Kate asked if there was one and I think I should apologize. It's ~~partly~~ my fault that there isn't a plan that everyone knows about or at least something so that people have a solid idea what to do if something happens. Code Blair had fallen to me after Alan and Steve left and I haven't been doing a very good job running it so far. This is going to change starting now. I know that a lot of volunteers have left and that there are a lot of new people here who probably have no idea what I'm talking about but here's the plan:

Anyone who doesn't feel safe in the castle right now is welcome to move to one of two safezones set up. The closest is Caritas in town. It has a protection spell on it that will keep you safe. The other is the Outpost on the edge of the Dead Zone. Personally I'd recommend going to Caritas because we don't know what's going on yet and being further away from the castle might not be the best idea right now.

I know there are plenty of people out there who want to keep this castle and the people in it safe. Whether you want to actively volunteer to help with Code Blair or if you're just working on your own I don't care. Just be aware that generally things the castle throws at us are defeated by residents working together. We're stronger together than anything this place can throw our way - it just needs to be reminded of that once in a while.

If there are any children in the castle who don't have family or someone to keep them safe let me know and I will either find someone to look after you or I'll take care of you myself until this is all over. No one should be alone right now. I don't know how many of us had that dream but "can't even shout, can't even cry" sounds ominous as hell and I know I don't plan on going anywhere alone til this is all over.

We're going to need some way to relay messages quickly between volunteers. If there are any telepaths or someone with abilities that might be able to help it would be greatly appreciated. I don't know Morse Code but that might come in handy if there are enough people who do.

Above all the most important thing is to stay calm and remember that we'll get through this, no matter what it is. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it. We're in this together.

[Added in not too much later:]

I've been told that some people are talking about barricading themselves in the library so they can stay safe while they research what's going on. I think that's a fantastic idea and definitely something to keep in mind - especially if you want to help figure out what's going on here.

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Hey Phoebe, don't be too hard on yourself. It sounds like you're doing a great job. If I've learned anything in my short time here it's that this place is unpredictable, so I'm sure you're doing your best.

On that note, I completely agree that this is a serious situation. By no means am I psychic, but I definitely sense darkness here, and I don't think it's possible for us to be too careful. You know what I am but I'd like to think you also know my motivations for wanting to help people while I'm here, and I can definitely offer physical protection, especially if I have help.

I didn't know about the safe zones, but for those who want to stay in the castle, I've spoken to a few people about gathering in the library and possibly even making barricades with the shelves to keep it secure. It might allow some of us that want to help to start researching what might be going on, while keeping an eye out for those who might not be able to protect themselves. I'm not exactly the "maternal" type but I think enough people are on board with the library idea that we could handle watching out for some kids.

Stay safe and keep in touch. I'm with you on this.

[she smiles, recognizing that handwriting]

Thanks, Meg. And thank you for the offer. The library is a good idea as long as all the entrances can be protected. I'll make a note of it in case anyone else is interested in heading that way. Depending on how things look I might go down there, myself.

No problem. Everything is good to go down here, I made a perimeter with some of the bigger shelves. There's one accessible entrance at the front that I'll keep open for now, but we can close it off easily if we need to. Thanks for getting the word out.

That's fantastic! Keep up the good work, Meg. Let me know if you need any help. I can't cast spells but I'm trying to see if there's anything else I can do.

[Meg smiles and blushes a bit. She's hardly used to actually being acknowledged, let alone praised by the do-gooder crowd.]

I do what I can. I'll keep you posted if we figure anything out.

Why do you think it is better to stay near the castle? Is that not where the god of this place resides? It seems safer to move as far away from it as quickly as possible.

I don't believe that there are any gods doing this to anyone. It's just the nature of the place, itself. [She sighs softly, thinking]

We don't know what the nature of any of this is, yet. For all we know something could come towards the castle from the Dead Zone in which case anyone at the Outpost would just be sitting ducks. We're also safer keeping people who can fight back closer to the castle so we can keep as many people safe as possible.

[Not about to argue with complete strangers via writing regarding his beliefs, so he's going to ignore that first bit.....]

I do not agree. Everything stems from the castle; any danger will come from there. If this is magical in nature, which it surely is, we will be safe from it in the Dead Zone. Perhaps our voices will also return there.

I'm going to hazard a guess and say you haven't been here very long. Danger can come from anywhere including from things not of the castle's making. Since I've been here we've been attacked by things out of the Dead Zone and by demons that came crawling through town and broke their way into the castle. If you feel safer getting further from the castle that's fine but I've seen that Outpost destroyed enough times to know that unless we have a fullblown defensive force out there it's safer in the castle or in Caritas.

And how many times has something from within the castle attacked us?

From my experience most of the things that have attacked us have not come from inside the castle itself. They may have been created by the castle but that doesn't mean they have to show up within its walls. If the castle wants us to be attacked by the boogie man it'll make him appear wherever he'll be able to do the most damage whether it's in the castle, in town or whatever. I think it's been made abundantly clear that there is no way to predict who, when, where and what the castle is going to do next. Until we know what it is it's best to keep people together. If we split into two groups and a hoard of something attacks the castle we might not have enough fighters to fend it off if half of them are out in the damn Dead Zone. This is especially true since it's cut one of our abilities to communicate with each other.

Like I said. If you want to go off to the Outpost or the Dead Zone or whatever that's your choice. But I refuse to openly suggest that a whole group of people run off to the Dead Zone and risk not being able to protect everyone else here.

It is risk for everyone to stay in one place! We do not even know if we are going to be attacked, but if we are, it is best to split up so there is a chance that some will survive if there is violence. To keep everyone in one easily accessible place is spelling doom for all; the castle has no defenses apart from its residents, who are not reliant on the castle in order to defend others. You may write as many words as you like, but it does not make your strategy sound.

I also do not need your permission to do what I like. Nobody does; there is no leader here. Whether you "openly suggest" anything or not does not matter. To regain our voices, our best chance is the Dead Zone; to remain waiting for an attack that may not even come is to waste time.

Okay maybe you could clear something up for me: Why are you still arguing with me?

I never said I was the leader of the castle. I'm not telling you what to do nor do I think I should. I'm the head of the evacuation plan but that's it. If you don't want to listen to me that's your prerogative. If you want to get a band of merry men to go flouncing off to the Dead Zone when it probably won't do squat that's your choice. I'm not going to stop you. I'm just saying that I think it's a bad idea. You just repeating that you think I'm wrong isn't going to change my mind because I disagree with your reasoning You're not going to change my mind and I'm not expecting to change yours so I'm not even going to try because I have more important things to do right now. If you think going out to the Dead Zone is what you should do then you're wasting time arguing with me about it.

Because your plan is wrong. People die if they are all in one place when they are attacked. Your pride is not at stake; it is the lives of innocents who will suffer because you are too stubborn to question yourself. I am arguing with your ideas, not with you.

[Oh you did NOT just question her ability to protect innocents]

Don't treat me like I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. This has NOTHING to do with pride and EVERYTHING to do with protecting the people of this castle. If we stay here we can barricade ourselves in defensible rooms or stay in a building that has enough spells to keep a hoard of DEMONS from breaking through. The Outpost has been destroyed more times than the castle has, has far fewer protections and can't fit everyone in the castle not to mention the fact that there is absolutely no guarantee that anyone's voices will return once they go into the Dead Zone. That's on top of the glaring fact that everyone will be nothing but moving targets as they're on their way out their in the first place. Even going by transportalizer will take forever and it can only take one or two people at a time. Going into the Dead Zone doesn't stop anyone's losses. what makes you think that it will nullify anything the castle's done to us? If it was done by some other being's magic it's possible that it might work but we don't know that yet so I'm not willing to take that chance. If we divide up the castle we run more of a risk of being outnumbered by something. Even if we divide it completely equally with enough fighters going to each place all it would take would be a larger force to overrun either place. If we knew what we were fighting then I might agree with you that splitting up could be a better idea but the bottom line is we. don't. know. there are too many unknowns to do anything but get ready to defend ourselves as best as we can and research that damn nursery rhyme to try to figure out what the hell it is before people start dying.

My stubbornness has kept me alive while I've been fighting evil in every shape and form imaginable and I'm not about to stop now. If you have a problem with it- you know the way to the Dead Zone. I have a castle to protect.

Just because you write many words does not mean they are right.

I do not doubt your good intentions, but for every point you have made, I can claim the opposite. Stubbornness is not a good quality to have when you are in charge of lives; you claim this has naught to do with pride, but stubbornness and unwillingness to question are borne from pride. Rethink this.

I don't know you and I don't have to defend myself to you. You're assuming a great deal about me when you don't know a damn thing about who I am or what I do. Your entire idea about me rests on the thought that I hadn't weighed all the options. I don't just flip a coin and stick bullheadedly to whatever it tells me. I make educated decisions based on the information at hand. I also [A few more words are written but are quickly and violently scribbled out]

You know what? No. I'm done. I have better things to be doing with my time than having a circular argument with someone just as stubborn as I am. You're completely unwilling to see my point of view at all and your only argument so far has been "no, because you're wrong." If you had any valid points that would make me rethink my ideas then things would be different but I'm not going to change my mind just because one person I've never spoken to before tells me I'm wrong.

Again, you are assuming I am arguing with you. I am not; I am arguing with your ideas.

It is fine that dissent makes you defensive and think throwing words at me means you are in the right, but I will not trust you to make decisions regarding the safety of others in the future. I wish you luck with those who will listen to you and I hope I am wrong for their sake.

Isn't there a safe room in the Castle? The ballroom or something

It has been used as one in the past, yes. I don't know if any of the protection spells are still active, though. I can do a little to protect it but unfortunately I'm limited to things that don't involve potions or spells.

Great.

I know some people are going to be going to the library. A friend of mine was able to move the bigger shelves to make a sort of barrier.

Hope it works. Better yet, hope we don't need it.

[Not that Church places any value on hope, he's far to cynical for that.]

Barricade in the library might be a double edged sword.

I know... Unfortunately nothing we could do would be perfect until we know what we're protecting ourselves against.

[after a bit of consideration]

First we need a way to alert each other of danger before anything else.

We do. I know there are some telepaths in the castle but that doesn't help everyone. The journals can only do so much.

That will strain them, no? And if they are attacked that method falls apart.

Hey Phoebe. York here. I know Morse code and a couple others. Delta has a synth voice if we need to talk for anything.

[And then Delta speaks, using a clearly synthesized voice. Yes, his voice is always synthesized, but this one doesn't have any inflection at all - even the annouance he's definitely feeling.]

HELLO, PHOEBE. IF YOU REQUIRE MY SERVICES, I WILL BE HAPPY TO ASSIST YOU.

[That makes her smile]

Hello boys. It's good to know that you can still talk, Delta. Both will be really helpful. I really only know SOS in Morse Code but if I got a book or one of those alphabet cheat sheets I could figure it out.

I'll get one to you ~~asap~~ ASAP.

Do you have an iPod or something? To turn up the volume on if you need help. Or something? Sometimes a shout can help more than a word.

I can speak into others minds, so long as they have something of the ability already. That much I can do to help, I think.

You could probably speak to me, then. I'm not a telepath, per se but I get premonitions and can sometimes get glimpses into people's minds. I know Galadriel can do that, too. I'm sure there are others. That is very helpful, thank you.

I have spoken to Galadriel before in this way. I do not often do it, for I may not speak to humans with no ability for it in this way.

I know Morse Code! Is there any count of how many people know it?

York replied saying that he knows it. I'm sure there are bound to be others, though.

We can hope! It is a well known code.

It is and I'm wishing I knew more of it, now. I can do SOS but no much more. If I had an alphabet key I could probably manage, though.

[He quickly writes down the key from memory.]

I don't understand what's going on

[It's the first time she's felt really afraid since getting run down by a dinosaur right after she got here. But there's something creepy and, worse of all, violating, about this]

Sonata's no kid! Want to help.

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057 Spells Cast

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