|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 6, 2021 18:33:50 GMT -8
The scene before Rowan was familiar. A beautiful two-level home with a reasonably-sized front and back yard in the heart of one of Las Vegas's highest-priced districts, Icarus's home was certainly a statement in money and success. There was plenty of space for cars on the driveway, and when Rowan knocked on the double doors with a classy brass knocker, he was greeted most politely by an elderly fellow in black slacks, a matching vest and a crisp white dress shirt. He was invited to leave his shoes inside the front door and led through a spacious, well-appointed living room with large, comfortable-looking couches and a state of the art television. Even the trappings looked nice, with dark stain and wood throughout. A most modern kitchen followed in open concept. The scene before the Snowskin was a bit strange. Upon a plain blue floatie, a rough, human-looking fellow with vaguely canid features reclined, shirtless against the sun. His swim trunks were black today, and he wore reflective aviators against the sun's harsh light. Right in front of the door, a Bengal tiger sphinxed, chewing on a large, raw steak that was leaking blood onto the concrete. Icarus was nowhere to be seen. "Rowan. How the hell are you? You okay, man? I heard..."He sat up on the floatie, not saying anything else. The guy had nearly died. It was a real concern. Attachment Deleted
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 6, 2021 18:50:58 GMT -8
There was no way around it - the tiger made him uneasy. Especially with that bloody stake. Rowan carefully sidestepped the feline, giving it the appropriate amount of space and showing it (him? her?) that he wasn't here to challenge territory. He paused for a moment to consider how he even knew these things before turning his focus on Dormarch. The call had been unexpected, even in the wake of the Leviathan motley debacle. The Darkling had shared all his meagre findings, so he expected to be sidelined for a good while.
You okay, man? That was one loaded question. On the one hand, he wanted to tell the Squire everything he's been through. On the other, people who asked the question rarely wanted to hear the full answer.
"I was in a coma for two days. Third degree burns and extreme dehydration." He almost shrugged as he repeated what the doctor had told him. If he tried hard enough, it was as if it had happened to someone else. But no amount of make-believe could hide the new scars across his corpse-like skin: the healing process had started already by the time Finn got to him. "Icarus said to call him first and I feel like some of the fallout could have been avoided if I had been able to do that."
Realistically he knew it wasn't his fault, that it was three Summers against him, but it didn't make him feel any better. He shifted under his ironic oversized t-shirt.
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 6, 2021 19:00:52 GMT -8
Beans glanced up at Rowan, then returned to chewing her steak with a low chuff noise. His explanation drew up a sympathetic look. "Grab a floatie, Rowan." He gestured to the pool shed, where two more floaties were strapped down by a bungee cord.
"I wish I could've been out there with you. Honestly, I do, so that you could see how little you should beat yourself up about this. The same thing would have happened to me, and I'm the judge's Squire. The only sin is failing to learn from it, so... reflect and take something away from your experience. Chasing criminals is dangerous stuff."
He removed the sunglasses, squinting at the Darkling as a kind smile crossed his face.
"So. What brings you by today?"
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 6, 2021 19:12:22 GMT -8
There was a second of hesitation when the floatie was offered. Was this official business, or were they just hanging out? Rowan didn't hang out much with people anymore. But then he just scratched the back of his neck and complied. He dragged out a hot pink looking affair that vaguely resembled a flamingo and sat next to the pool to blow it into shape.
"It's just. I don't know how to describe it. There was this sense of purpose, you know. Everyone made it seem like they knew what they were doing." His head spun a little from inflating the plastic monstrosity and he took a moment to let it pass.
"I have some leads still, some things I didn't feel like saying it from of Uriel." He was choosing his words carefully. It wasn't concrete info, just bribes of gut feelings and snap judgments. "Grendel. He was an Autumn Courtier. That means he had to have had permission to act so close to the border, right?"
He paused, placing the half formed flamingo on his lap and metaphorically jumped into the deep end. "I think someone from Autumn knew Leviathan was in the desert and didn't say anything."
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 6, 2021 19:22:00 GMT -8
"I'm sure they thought they did," Dormarch replied gently, shrugging his shoulder. "If you want some feedback about the operation, you can walk me through how it went and I can give you my thoughts."
The lead suggested earned a slow nod from the Squire. "Maybe. It's not a bad theory. I can look into it, turn over some stones. Not something I'd recommend you do right now, though. If you're right, a Knight's political cover would be essential to dig into that, and you're not sworn to anyone as far as I know?
I'd recommend taking some time to just... be. Reacquaint. Let life be something normal, something other than harrowing marches through the desert and near-death experiences."
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 6, 2021 19:33:37 GMT -8
"Word. But I think the biggest mistake was how I approached the rancher. I got impatient. Honey, vinegar, all that stuff." He looked at his floatie, now fully inflated. It looked like Rowan felt. "But hindsight is 20/20, right?"
Self-consciously, Rowan removed his t-shirt and shoes before gingerly placing the flamingo on the water and testing its water displacement. His sat down in it and gently pushed himself of the side into the welcomed coolness of the pool. He talked Dormarch through the drive and the encounter with the ghost, how they learned of this other group and how the searched for the tree. He recounted the encounter with Blink and Grendel, how they left their car unattended and how it blew up. He shared what he remembered of the trek back. His story had a disconnected quality to it, like Rowan was reading the synopsis to someone else's life. Getting emotionally invested in the retelling was painful, especially with how useless he had felt in the desert.
He dipped one hand in the water and then passed it across his face to cool off some more. Vegas was definitely bad for his current kith. "If I'm being honest sir, normal terrifies me way more than anything the Wyrd could throw at me."
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 7, 2021 9:21:56 GMT -8
Dormarch had a few points. With the guy? Path of least resistance. Be cool to him, or buy his shitty truck with cash. Slow down a little and investigate the junkpile. Have the talky Spring be talky with the spooky motley rather than assuming it was instantly Summer Showdown. Part of their job was to keep the hitters informed enough about what they were potentially dealing with, and that meant giving some investigatory direction. Also... put a badass looking hitter on transport guard duty. Or get a superpower that summoned a guard.
"Fair enough, but we're Autumn. Weird shit is easy for us, Rowan. Living is harder." He flashed the Darkling a smile. Hamilton? "If managing your life is what scares you, then I think you know what you gotta do - for yourself and your season. Humanity is what keeps us in touch, like part of a guiding trinity. A mortal life, some regularity; a Knight, to protect and integrate you; a good, balanced motley to watch your back. Having all three is the way to stay stable enough to face greater mysteries. Just my two cents, anyway. Want a water? Diet coke? I don't drink, but I've got bottles."
Beans pawed open a cooler and grabbed a bottle of water in her jaws, bringing it to Dormarch before delicately depositing it in his waiting hand.
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 7, 2021 16:15:12 GMT -8
"Um. Water is fine. I don't really like alcohol." It was hard to believe the ease with which the Beast seemed to command the tiger. He had listened intently to what the Squire explained to him, grateful for the insight. He had assumed Summer Courtiers were field ready and had been content to simply coast. The Darkling wouldn't be making that mistake twice.
Dormarch had barely said the words mortal life, balanced motley and Rowan had shrivelled in his flamingo. No matter how hard he tried to conceal his emotions, it was plain that those topics made him uncomfortable. So instead, he focused on the one that he could manage.
"I haven't decided on a Knight yet. It always seemed so far away." He took a pause and played with the pool water some more. "Most people can't handle a normal conversation with me, never mind a whole ass motley. Sorry." He was swearing - another sign of his level of stress for those who knew him.
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 7, 2021 16:50:25 GMT -8
The Beast didn't even say anything to the cat. Beans went and grabbed another water and brought it over, leaning out over the pool to drop the bottle onto his flamingo. "I'm afraid these days, the time is pretty quick. I can tell you some stuff about them, if you want. As for the pieces I just described..." He raised his own bottle to Rowan. "It's a work in progress. No sweat."
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 7, 2021 16:59:49 GMT -8
He tensed a little when the tiger approached him, but remembered that the feline could probably sense that and tried to unwind. The water was a welcome blessing and he took several mouthfuls before continuing with the conversation.
"I've read the taglines, but I'd be down for your opinion. It's more that I have no idea what I want to do."
He started circling in the wrong direction as the current of the filters moved the float and he had to awkwardly use his feet to spin it back and keep Dormarch in his line of sight. He appreciated how the Beast wasn't overbearing, despite being a Squire. He made Rowan feel like a part of the conversation, not someone being lectured, and asked for his preference. It was a nice change of pace and it put the twitchy Darkling at ease.
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 8, 2021 16:33:34 GMT -8
"Honestly, they're not career choices, which is something more people could stand to learn. They're Knights. They mind a Fiefdom. They have some stuff they're responsible for that their vassals occasionally help them out with in exchange for protection and political support through their umbrella. You're not signing your life away or anything like that." Dormarch sipped the water. Beans reached down and bopped him gently on the head as he floated on by, and he flicked water at the big cat with a familiar smile. The tiger chuffed at him.
"Four Knights in Autumn. I'm going to tell you straight up front that Icarus is my best friend. He earned that by being a really good dude as a Knight. He runs the internal justice system. His fiefdom is pretty small. He's pretty laissez-faire about things, but if you push him toward something enough, he'll move. I look at him as a good choice for someone who likes to do the occasional investigation but doesn't want a Knight up in their business all the time. He's also really tight with Spring."
A second finger came up.
"Scorpio's newer, though she's been here longer than me. She's a real ambitious sort, a hedge duelist who guards our King as a Paladin of Shadows. People really like her. She's kind of like... if you took a jock and a Quidditch player from Harry Potter and a Witcher and rolled them into one. Her fiefdom is the smallest of the Knights, but she's very personable. People who work for her are occasionally asked to help with monster hunts. She's a Knight that an ambitious person might find a way to become a Squire for because she needs the help. Less established means more face time, sort of thing."
The third finger rose.
"The She-Wolf is our diplomat, and she's good at it in the sense that she is exactly what you'd expect of a highly magical fae creature from Autumn. Represents our Court well to the other Courts, but I find her..." He shuddered a little. "We're different kinds of hounds, let's just say that. She has the largest fiefdom, and her people tend to be involved in diplomacy and inter-Court politics. Sometimes, she'll have them do anti-Hunter work, redirecting the crazies who get to thinking they need to look into things they ought not to. Think like... writing, or media, or film, things that create cultural movements that drive humans away from the Lost."
The last finger came up.
"Dame Chunhua is old. Very old. Almost as old as our King, some say. She is the tree of knowledge, and her roots dig deep into this city. Her tendrils are everywhere." He glanced at a nearby tree before returning his gaze to Rowan. "Influence. Control. Knowledge. These are the realms of the Knight of Lores." He lowered his voice. "She-Wolf's crew is only bigger than hers because Chunhua has very high standards and expectations for her vassals. It isn't enough to be an occultist with her. You've got to be able to follow some complex orders without context, because she isn't going to tell you why she wants something. All you need to know is that what you do today for her might affect something five years from now. She's got a plan, but it plays out on a timeline that is far longer than most of us will ever live."
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 8, 2021 17:41:12 GMT -8
"Is there- is there someone for like, just straight up research? It's the one thing I'm good at." He checked his tone and realized what he said before correcting himself. "I mean. I can do a lot of things, but I'm just sorta okay at them."
He had listened intently to Dormarch's words, hoping for a Eureka moment, of things just falling into place and the way being shown. There was none. He was just as lost as he had been. He had more information sure, but it didn't help him make a decision.
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 8, 2021 17:55:47 GMT -8
"Uh, all four of them."
He grinned.
"They're Fall Knights. Sorry, man. I think the question to start with is, what kind of involvement do you want? Do you want a Knight in your business constantly? Do you want to do whatever most of the time?"
|
|
|
Post by Rowan on Apr 8, 2021 18:02:08 GMT -8
"That depends. I have... research projects I've been working on. They're giving me some problems. So I guess. Guidance, but not up in my grill?"
One did not simply tell a Squire that they're poking at the Wards or the collective haunting of a Winter Courtier. Not yet, anyway.
|
|
|
Post by The Wyrd on Apr 8, 2021 18:04:09 GMT -8
"Oh, cool." Dormarch sipped, even as Beans slid into the pool and began to cat-paddle around him. "What you working on? I might be able to point you in the right direction."
|
|