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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 5, 2021 15:29:07 GMT -8
"Who the hell names a horse 'Hoof Hearted', anyway?"It was a valid question. Some dipshit rich kid's horse had gone up on auction for a season's underperformance and for no reason other than that. It was a fucking waste of a stellar racehorse, the creature a specimen that should have had a couple of good years left in it. The name showed exactly how seriously the owner had taken the creature, which now had a much more sensible name. Jack. Poor bastard. At least Solomon knew how to ride him and train him. The Knight of Scales had been working with the steed, honoring her request for help at night after hours. He was just getting back into the stable, where Kai was lifting hay bales and making space. "How was he? Calming down at all yet?"Krakenbox
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Post by Solomon on Jun 7, 2021 22:37:45 GMT -8
"No."
The thoroughbred's neck was high, eyes rolling as he watched the other stalls as the Fairest kept a firm grip on the reigns, snapping them and making him wait with a locked arm.
"Registry only allows names to be used once. You get ridiculous name combinations in pedigree that just serve as code while the owner just calls it what it wants," Solomon said plainly. Another horse peered out to bite at the nervous racer, Jack dancing away as he swung his body in a shy, bucking at empty air lest another stressor sneak up on him. Solomon dug in his heels as the horse tried to surge forward, continuing to force a walk as the horse was brought to his speed.
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 8, 2021 10:35:02 GMT -8
"Huh," Kai intoned, suggesting that perhaps she had learned something new that day. "I think I like Jack better." Half a smile formed on her face as she hauled a bale past the horse, making a little cooing noise at it. The horse didn't like her very much, shying back and away as she shrugged, staying out of range of hoofs. "You know, I can ride them for days, but they're never going to want to be my friend." She chuckled.
Glancing about, the Polychromatic said, "So. We're alone. Good news and bad news. Oren's unstable, which we knew, but I've now learned he is stalking Mitchell Carr. And while Mitch and I have confronted him and given him a reality check which may have helped to some extent, I think he needs care from a Bishop that isn't Carr. He can't do it, for obvious reasons."
She paused. "In other news, though, I've been pulling for you. Finn wants to swear to you, because he's a cop type who wants to do good. And also... Aello of the Dawncatcher Motley has turned Summer, and likes our objective of keeping this Freehold honest and upright." She blinked at him and flashed a smile. "You need some nice vassals, Sir. It makes the tough pills to swallow a little easier for the whimsical."
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Post by Solomon on Jun 8, 2021 13:19:39 GMT -8
"You need to put a hand on the haunch and run it while you move around their blind spot. That's a start," Solomon sighed. Sure, Rose could backflip her way past a nervous kick, but it was a habit she needed to get into if she was going to work here.
A beat.
"They don't like surprises."
The horse circled into his stable, bumping the door as Solomon whispered and started to pull the halter off. At the mention of Carr and 'stalking', his face pinched, shaking his head, "I can ask Snow, but Oren has to actually opt into it, and not feed the psychologist a bunch of bullshit to please the rest of us." His jaw knotted, considering, "It would have to be framed as a something positive over being benched. I think you would do a better job with that than myself." She was a shit liar, but she could probably come up with a better script than anything he could cook up.
When Kai explained the vassal situation, the look he gave her was equal parts incredulous and confused. "The one that goaded the Arrayer's motley? I suppose he's committed. Oh- you don't know about that; Sweeney's been quiet on the whole thing so this is between the three of us." He hung up the halter and started washing his hands. "At some point a few well meaning Changelings pinged your activity with the Rose Water case, and tried to intimidate the Sun Banisher on a hunch. They had nothing, but he showed up on scene after Finn implied that he was going to harass him over the mundie deaths, and I assume to cover for us since they were so focused on Fawkes already. He brought the Arrayer."
He nodded his head for Rose to follow so he could have his smoke break outside, the vicious crags of his Kith twisting under the punishing sunlight. The red pinpoints in void sockets narrowed as he squinted, "They kept dropping vague implications to try and entice him to come to their spot, like saying his motely was in danger with unseen enemies and that Hunters were going to get involved if he didn't comply. Fawkes, as you can probably picture, was really uncomfortable with them acting like the world's most desperate Privateers, so he made Sweeney wear a wire. That's when the Arrayer was clearly mind controlled to comply with their needs after he stonewalled. Fawkes didn't react with restraint."
He exhaled, watching the smoke. "And suddenly Afterparty's names are on the top of Bastille's docket for a dangerous Market excursion. I never took Sweeney for the manipulative type. Long story short, I'm concerned about Finn's choice of connections."
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 8, 2021 13:34:21 GMT -8
Hand on the haunch as you circle the blind spot? That made sense. She gave a nod to that as she set down one hay bale.
The information about Ricochet's encounter with Finn and Afterparty got a shocked look. Not because it was impossible that the situation wouldn't ever ping - that would have been unlikely - but that people would actually choose to intimidate Fawkes. "Kind of the Sun Banisher to keep things under wraps," she said with a half-smile. The other Zephyr Baby was at the very least on point about his secrets, and they'd forged something of a working relationship in Marquel and Ambrosia's blood. She could count on him to keep himself out of trouble, and that meant on this one, he'd keep her out of it, too. She followed her out of the building into the hot, pre-Solstice sun.
"All right. Well. That's... remarkable. Whoever the hell tried to mind control the Arrayer is lucky they're not dead. What'd Fawkes do to them?"
The bit about Afterparty getting thrown onto the front line was worth a shake of the head and a laugh.
"My question when it comes to Finn is, did he go into that because he's a believer in some dumb group's cause, or because he is a fucking paladin who would help anyone who asked?" She shrugged. "I wouldn't give him security clearances until he got over it, either way. I figured he'd be an asset because he could take some pressure off Lucky Jack."
Blink.
"I think I may have accidentally named the horse after him. Do you think he'd mind?"
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Post by Krakenbox on Jun 8, 2021 14:15:47 GMT -8
"From what I know and have seen, he doesn't have a lot of grey area in his actions," Solomon mused, "When Eurydice and Fawkes picked him up under mysterious circumstances, we were all a little nervous, but he's never caused a problem for the Freehold even with his shady business practices."
With the question of Fawkes, he shrugged a single shoulder, "Sweeney's quiet on details. My guess is some psychological torture and Cartel styled pressure to one's healthy limbs. If the Arrayer popped, we would have been dealing with an environmental disaster, so at least there's that. If you're vouching for Finn I'll take it, I can agree that Lucky Jack doesn't take enough vacation." The hypocrisy of the statement was almost comical in the silence. "Doubt. That wasn't an accident, Rose, be honest. A little skittish and fast for the Sergeant, though."
He wiped some of the sweat beading, giving up and removing his jacket. "What have you learned about Aello? That motley's existence makes me contemplate eating a gun once in a while."
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 8, 2021 14:44:45 GMT -8
A finger came up gently at the idea of her vouching for him. "I mean, the guy did hold up well in the face of artillery fire. Vouching is a strong word for what I'm doing here, but I would say that he needs a Knight per the Queen's decree, and you could use someone else with police assets and a decent sense of justice. I'd put him through testing. If you're steering him, he'll be less likely to get himself into trouble with the less savory elements of the Freehold. He'll never be the kind of guy who does the... sensitive stuff, but that's okay. It takes all sorts."
The question about Aello warranted some thought.
"She's young. Barely an adult. Some impulsiveness, as you'd expect with a Beast, but she also has a good head on her shoulders. She feels kind of dwarfed in the occult by her Motleymates, who are definitely into the whimsy. Her motley is diving headlong into Freehold rituals and history, and she seems along for the ride. She mentioned they've learned some crazy shit. Cheshire sent them into the Hedge to work on some old research project that required them to open an old altar... by jumping off a bridge and rewinding time so they died in the other timeline. She's protective of Tanner, like he's their group's Dad-friend. Their motley isn't stable. I don't think Tanner is doing well from a mental health standpoint -- he tried to commit suicide a few months back -- and Golden and Cinder are in over their head. No matter what they think."
She paused.
"She said she has seen systemic problems when Lost are left to their own devices with a lot of time on their hands, and how people get hurt by old things that they don't understand. She thinks Fall learns too much and are scared to remove problematic elements, and she thinks that Spring can't handle how nasty ripping out old infrastructure is. She said she liked that we're about will to act, but not as crazy about things like Reaping like Winter? I'm not sure what she meant by that. Long story short, I think she knows a lot more than she lets on, and that her motley has mighty need for some oversight. Golden's involved in some crazy shit involving the Underworld. I know that for sure. It affects all of that group."
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Post by Solomon on Jun 8, 2021 15:10:19 GMT -8
The Fairest made a sound that might have been a growl at the mention of the Witch. "Cinderella's quite learned but it's been fast. She doesn't have the experience that would temper any of it, and everyone's been happy to feed it, frankly. You don't get prodigies often, and Fall can be greedy..."
He's surprisingly cold with the suicide comment. "That's interesting. Tanner's always been low ebb, like Icarus, but that would be new behaviour. I'd be super curious what's triggering it and why he suddenly thinks the world's better off without his sorry mug helping the newbies under Saturday's reign. Golden Boy brought him in, probably looking for a friend closer to his age when they were still kids. Everyone was fine with it because they were hoping it would help that fucking blackmailing thief when the other seemed balanced. We eat our own children."
Cigarette popping as he thinks, he shook his head, "Yeah. I'd rather not see another one get used by this Freehold's ambition. Tanner's been pissing me off though; he knows something and his motley's been flying cover. I knew he was hospitalized but I didn't know it was the psyche ward. They're bubble wrapping Freehold involvement to his detriment to keep people from pumping the breaks on their investigation. They're just repeating what's been done to them, to each other, like everyone's been trained that their only worth in this place is what they can learn so they feel special and secure. Then I got Golden Boy traipsing with the dead because I suppose he's graduated kiddy gangbanging after the Chevaliers and political espionage." The demonic gaze sweeps back to Kai, boots sizzling in smoking hoofprints as he paces in his rant.
"I want to know what Tanner's Entitlement does, why he was so fucking desperate to get in, right around the time his motleymate is dragging himself back from hell. Cinder's blocked my questions at every opportunity. If we got Aello, she might be ignorant, but that can be used to Summer's advantage. I want to know what the fucking jackelope knows."
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 8, 2021 18:19:27 GMT -8
"Well, let's put two and two together. Tanner doesn't have a Spring Courtier in his Motley. So, either he is supremely well informed on his own somehow, or he is connected to some people who are. When we investigated that murder with Loki, he was able to come up with very specific information about what the Bodhisattvas were and their exact membership after going away for a little bit. But he sounded weird after, like he was different people with different intonations and moods, swinging all at once? It was fucking strange. And then when we weren't sure about something, he was down to disappear and go back to get more, but he spoke of a cost and that he had to narrow the questions we had down to finer points, that he couldn't cast too wide a net..." She snapped her fingers. "Aello said he learned about a ritual to access the Underworld. Maybe that's what his Entitlement is. A group of people who study... weird esoterica, beyond the usual Fall stuff? A group he'd have on speed dial to be able to get the information superfast for a price? That would explain why he wanted to join it, to help Golden. Doesn't explain why he was acting all weird after though.
I can't tell you everything that I know because of the Imbolc Oath. However, putting together the clues based on my observations, I believe that Golden Boy's life is threatened and I believe it relates to the ghost issues. I know from my talks with Lucas Chevalier that a very powerful Gravewright is involved, and he knows that because of his assessment of what I saw at Buck's place with the Gate. I also know Luke is being super cautious and trying to approach Golden and Fawkes's involvement indirectly, by trying to get information about silly Court gossip like who Philicia's secret lover is to sell to the Magpie for information about what they're doing.
Aello may help confirm this if we work it right, but I think it's a fair assumption that Tanner is getting involved in something at the same time Golden Boy's dragging his ass out of hell because he's trying to find a way to help his friend. And I think it's a fair assumption that Cinder is blocking you because she thinks if you knew what they were doing, you'd stop them, but that's a question of relationships.
It's a lot of inferences and not a lot of hard evidence... can I have one of those smokes? This nonsense requires a smoke."
She frowned and paced as well, extending a hand for a smoke. The mystery kept turning and turning, and the Polychromatic was missing a lot of pieces.
"I think Aello's a good start, but inroads with Cinder wouldn't hurt, either. Which brings me to my next question... can I ask how your meeting about the two Fae Titles with the Knighthood and the Queen went?"
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Post by Solomon on Jun 9, 2021 22:50:36 GMT -8
Solomon listened impassively to the theory about Tanner's source of occult theory, mouth twitching, as he hands her one of the cigarettes. "Or a Token. For you own education, Kai, I realize I'm talking about Entitlements without explaining fuck all. They're not just clubs of like-minded Lost forming a guild to push for power; you swear an Oath that alters you physical relationship with the Wyrd. Most go through their Seasonal alliance as a medium. You're voluntarily twisting yourself to an idea that furthers your identity, and this sacrifice grants its own unique magic. We get something out of these Oaths, which is why I'm more curious about the alterations in his behavior and what he gives up to get this information, over who's in his after school Bible Study."
He rolls his eyes at the mention of Lucas. Something something Winter Fairest. "The Magpie might know. He's a resource to tap when you need a quick connector and willing to pay. But if they're both in his Court I don't know why he's risking setting those two off. Both have a history of being reactive about their privacy. We're on the same thread with Dawn Catcher."
There was a long pause as he didn't immediately bring up the nature of the meeting, scratching the bridge of his nose as he sighed.
"No one's excited. They're mostly uncomfortable with how effective my office has been, because of what it means. But it's been like that for years, and I'm hoping Her Grace takes this as a point of initiative with our alliance with Spring's Monarch." There was a hard look to his expression, the danger he radiated more apparent as he stared across the desert of the ranch.
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 10, 2021 9:25:26 GMT -8
Entitlements. Okay. They were more than just a grip of dudes. The Wyrd was physically involved. "Jeez. Call me curious to know what the Chevaliers get out of their Oath." She folded her hands in her pockets. "Are you a part of one? Is this a thing most people do?"
The piece about Luke got a nod and a yikes face. The guy did what the guy did in his own way and his own time, and while she'd made her suggestions, he was his own operator. Winter worked in mysterious ways. But the last bit about the effectiveness of the office...
"We should all hope for a world where you and I are out of work, but the fact that we're operating a lot should tell people that there's something rotten in Denmark. The ghost situation is drawing a ton of attention, and I don't think for a second there's a coincidence between the ghost situation and the fact that the Hobs call us the Valley of the Dead. But whatever the reason for that is, the Fae can't come in and that is saving lives right now, here, today. Could you imagine if those two Titles had been free to rampage?" She shuddered. "Spring's not even close to prepared to react. But with those Banes, there may be something we can do. Do they want to take action?"
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Post by Solomon on Jun 10, 2021 17:59:45 GMT -8
"They're patroned by a hunting Spirit, likely the same one that's evoked with the Ashen Hunt," Solomon said, hinting if he knew more he would explain it. "And yes. The Order of Saint George is an older Entitlement that focuses on rooting out corruption. I woulndn't say that swearing to an Entitlement is 'common', as it's more intense than just getting a job that you find interesting. Some Changelings found their own, if they're seeking something that the Freehold doesn't meet."
He finishes the cigarette, shrugging, "They aren't going to find anything," he said definitively. "Unless they're doggedly obsessed and competent. You get groups that scratch the surface, get curious with the Rites or frustrated at the lack of answers in the Twilight. It's something you don't let go or turn back halfway, and I haven't seen anyone come out of that rabbit hole intact. Golden Boy's created a dangerous trend, which is ironic because your description makes me think he's serving as an example."
The Fairest leans against the new wood of the barn, clearly vexed. "Spring's a crapshoot. They inherently garner power from living in the moment and being the arbiters of their own destiny. Which in laymen's terms means they're selfish. The way to make use is to shift the desires of the masses to your own intense ambition. Which is what the Monarch does, supposedly."
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 10, 2021 20:04:21 GMT -8
Kai lit her cigarette, extending the conversation by the Rules of Politeness. Solomon could extend into a second cancer-stick if he wanted. Following everything from micro-expressions to posture to word choice, Kai assessed her Knight as he spoke on the situations at hand.
"Frankly, I think Golden Boy's fucked. He's messing with powers far beyond his ken and now is haunted to hell and back. The kids are going to just get themselves hurt if they keep diving into a bunch of ghost nonsense. The Underworld? How the fuck is that a good idea?" She sighed, shaking her head. There was a worried look on her face. "Luke, Rowan and Agrippa are in for a bad time if they keep digging into this. Both politically, and with whatever nonsense they might find on the other side of a supernatural gate to the land of the dead."
She took a drag to punctuate the pause. Supposedly? Yeah.
"I know for sure that's what Chugunkin does. Philicia, though? She seems so... behind the scenes? What do you make of it?"
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Post by Solomon on Jun 17, 2021 19:03:51 GMT -8
"I doubt the kid's enacting katabasis in the literal sense," he said. "And the fact that he's found some sort of limbo for his condition speaks to what the motley can do unchecked."
With the list of the names, he shrugged, taking her assessment as answering the obvious question of are they that competent? Topic hard shifted to Spring nobility and he did indeed start a new cigarette to match the time with the Wizened. It might have been for politeness, but the Polychromatic caught the flinch as he tried to shelve the expression in the act of lighting up.
"She is. I think the Freehold would be alarmed if they knew how active she actually is, but that's the way she wants it. After several assassinations that approach might be for the best, but it doesn't exactly win hearts and minds."
Talking about the Spring queen bubbled up a vulnerability where he was equal parts frustrated and worried. Their politics were in two opposite directions despite Uriel being in an open alliance with Philicia.
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Post by Kai Rose on Jun 17, 2021 19:42:29 GMT -8
"I have no idea what you mean by kielbasa or whatever that was you said, but I can show you what I saw if you want to go by Buck's place. It looked like he got sucked into a doomhole hard enough to dislocate Fawkes's shoulder when he tried to grab him and pull him out." Kai shrugged too, taking a drag on the cigarette. "But I mean, usually, when I run into ghosts, I do it by the book. I call a nerd, and I call a Gravewight. Neither have been able to answer the question, and given that everyone's pretty close-lipped about it, I'm pretty confident that what's really going on is classified."
The flinch was noted, but she didn't linger on it, not wanting to dig.
"Between you and me, what's her angle? Like, you and I are clearly backing her up. It might help me be more effective if I knew the strategy I was supporting."
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