[log] The Council of Norfinbury [day 67, semi-closed]

[gtfoourgalaxy]

Characters: Everyone who attends the town hall meeting on Day 67 at Building 28, as well as people who phone in. This is a lot of people.
Location Building 28
Date: Day 67, all day for mingle, around midday for meeting
Summary: Snowbos meet up to talk snowplans.
Warnings: Snowplans may result in swearing. House and Jack are present, with all that implies.



[This is your general mingle log for the day! Start toplevels at your pleasure. Below there will be a toplevel for the actual Council of Snowhell.]

Comments

[spoileralert]

[ Well Steph feels a little like she was just punched in the gut, but she was kind of expecting that. ]

Being an abuse victim doesn't mean you're pathetic or helpless.

[phaseshifter]

I never said it did.

[ And, in a hiss: ]

Stop projecting.

[spoileralert]

[ Steph just gapes for a moment, totally speechless.

Then she turns around and shoves her way through the crowd and out the front door. ]

[rubikscomplex]

Well, good job there, Angelcakes.

[ House doesn't look anything but tired. Everything Angel's doing and saying is only cementing the Stockholm Syndrom diagnosis in his mind. ]

Epps is a bleeding heart who's got one of the worst guardian complexes I've ever seen. He'll defend anyone. I don't know what the hell Dickcheese's deal is, but pretty sure he'd go along with anything you say. So.

[ A shrug. ]

[phaseshifter]

Jack's right, doctor. I'm way, way smarter than you are. But I'm pretty sure it doesn't take a genius to work out that three accounts from the victims, who actually know the accused are likely to be more accurate than claims made by a douchelord who likes causing trouble.

[ She folds her arms and resists the urge to run after Steph. Or cry. Or both. ]

You all know what I think. Let Jack go, everybody should get a second chance.

[rubikscomplex]

Yeah, pretty sure most people can tell by now he's had a second chance here. The coming back from the dead thing and all. Not making much use of it.

[ Another shrug. ]

And you and your pal still have Stockholm Syndrome. Like textbook Stockholm Syndrome. Epps is just a moron.

[gtfoourgalaxy]

All right, that's enough.

[Shepard is going to just. Stand up here. Hands on hips. Commander Voice full on. She does not want to do this, why are you making her. House gets the first glare.]

I don't know what you think you're doing, but it isn't helping. You've let us all know what you think. Now back off.

[She can damn well tell he's doing this for kicks, at least in parts. Then she turns a look on Angel. A slightly different look. Spacemom isn't mad. But she may be slightly disappointed.]

Angel, do me a favour and go talk to Steph. We won't make any decision without you, I promise. But go fix it now. Give yourself a moment, too.

[She really just wants all the Very Emotionally Invested people to take a breather.]

[phaseshifter]

Yes, ma'am. I've said what I have to say anyway, I guess.

[ And she pootles off. After quietly convincing Dumpy to stay put, of course. ]

[headjacked]

[ Rhys is probably one if those emotionally involved parties, given how blindingly angry he is. At House, and at himself for not being able to get a word in edgewise. ]

I don't have -

[ It is too little too late, and not a particularly good argument, so he shuts up. Dumpy spins around to face the tablet away from the meeting. Wall staring is a go. ]

[youarethebandits]

[Jack's remained quiet through this whole thing - mostly because expressing the anger he's currently feeling would not be helpful. He's just resorted to coming up with elaborate fantasies of murdering everyone involved.]

Soooooooooo. You've made it clear you don't give a crap about what the people this whole thing actually affects think.

[He'd be doing a sarcastic golfclap if he could.]

What's next.

[gtfoourgalaxy]

[Clearly, it is time to turn the Commander Voice on Jack. Shepard is unimpressed, but she is also unfazed.]

I'm not making any decisions here, Jack. I'm just making sure you're not causing any more damage to people by making them attack each other over you.

[And she actually turns and calls out after Dumpy:]

Rhys? You were going to say something.

[headjacked]

[ He actually looks surprised when Dumpy whirls back around (three times, because he is a dunce). And momentarily at a loss for words, because Dr. Fucknutterbutter had a point. It's weird to take the floor with Angel gone.

But he clears his throat and starts the ramble. ]

Well... stockholm syndrome, doesn't that imply bonding? Not what was happening down there, I can guarantee that.

I just -- I know he's an asshole. Everyone knows he's an asshole. But seriously, what other sustainable options do we have? Drag him around with his hands tied? Monsters are, like, weirdly attracted to him. He'll die. Not a whole lot different from just killing him outright.

[ This is all peppered with coughs and wheezes, and by the end he's broken down into a wheezing fit. Boy, that was a lot of words. ]

[giant_killer]

With respect- [ Raoul stands, all 6"4' of him, his voice carrying with the ease of practice. ] -we seem to have lost track of the actual goal here. Despite Angel's... outburst, no one has denied that he committed kidnapping, assault, wrongful imprisonment and criminal negligence. The question is not "how bad a person is Jack," it's "how are we going to punish these crimes?"

In Tortall he'd have ten years in the quarries, or fifteen years sworn service to the army. Since we have no army or quarries, perhaps the ice tunnels?

[youarethebandits]

[And now Jack's just going to burst out laughing. Just when he thought this farce couldn't get any more ridiculous...]

Seriously? We're gonna listen to a guy from the frickin' dark ages here?

[giant_killer]

In my experience, prisoners aren't permitted to weigh in on their sentencing. Unless you intend to deny your crimes?

[youarethebandits]

No, no, don't minde me. Keep on talking about swords and quarries and crap. Makes this whole thing so much more legitimate.

Video | @Summoner

[ninjainviolet]

[ Sheena had been watching this for a while, waiting for a chance to say something. And she does so without introducing herself. ]

First, let me just back up the claim that the longer someone stays in one place, the worse things get. I also experienced those feelings that were described a few moments ago, and it's a good thing I was alone, or I really think I would have attacked someone.

And let's not forget when those monsters first appeared. Did anyone have someone they were with attack them then? I did. And this is someone I've known for a while--from home. But I didn't hold it against him because how could I?

He was being influenced by something else. And that something else seems to want us to go against each other, attacking each other.

Possibly doing the same things that happened in this town before.

[ And she'll end there for now. Her idea of punishment just might not sit well with others at the moment. ]

[whiteknightnecromancer]

Slave labor is the typical sentence for violent criminals in my homeland, as well. However, we don't need mining or roadworks or any of the usual assignments.

I'm not sure we have the resources to provide for the welfare of a prisoner. It isn't simply care and feeding. There's also the monitoring necessary to insure that the prisoner isn't abused. To my knowledge, we don't have any qualified personnel for guarding a prisoner long term. It is slightly more complex than, "Off you go, try not to hit the prisoner too often."

[giant_killer]

It needn't be long term. Circumstances being what they are, hard labor is a harsh sentence.

[ninjainviolet]

But why punish someone who was being influenced by whatever it is here and hallucinating?

There's a house with the words: "We don't need a babysitter" written on the wall. What if that wasn't written by children--but by people who had gone through what he had and were being watched or jailed?

[giant_killer]

According to his daughter, that only applies to the assault on Dr. Clayton Epps.

[gtfoourgalaxy]

I'm not saying this isn't an option. But the fact is, people have been here longer. People have been affected. But no one else has done anything like this. [she pauses, looking around for people she knows as Norfinbury veterans.] At least, not that anyone here has told us.

[ninjainviolet]

It's possible they were like me when they felt that way...alone. Who are you going to attack when you're by yourself? And like I said, I was suddenly attacked by someone I consider a friend and who would never do that normally.

I fought back, but I didn't see where he had to be punished.

[giant_killer]

It seems to me, miss, you're making excuses for a man who has none to make for himself. Jack refuses to testify, Dr. Epps wasn't present for the entire incident, Angel has left - and Rhys doesn't seem to think the behavior was out of character.

[rubikscomplex]

[House has been scrolling through the network as the others speak. He gets to what he wants, and stops the tablet on the relevant portion of the conversation.]

Read what the daughter thinks of the dad when she doesn't think he's watching.

[He sends a link to Sheena's tablet and offers his own up to anyone else who'd like to read. Even if there's some exaggeration there, it's clear that Angel is terrified of Jack and what he might do to people.]