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Post by Krakenbox on Sept 21, 2021 21:50:44 GMT -8
The valley is beginning to fade to gold as the Summer Sun descends. The Lost of the Vegas Freehold enter from the Hedge, an invitation allowing the Door to guide them. The grass has become overgrown, towering high in the field and obscuring the steps of the throne. Figures watch beyond the rows, a feeling of hunger in their hollow eyes as the youthful flesh of the Sentry has grown ashen and cracked, just beyond and out of reach. The trail plunges into the overgrown roots of the Giant’s Skull, spiraling into a stone corridor into the catacombs. The feast hall is darkly lit, with candles fighting against the swirl of Autumn influence. The tables are lined with a mixture of mundane food and bounty of the Hedge, with brass cutlery and carved horn goblets. The cloying smell of blood is barely hidden with the incense, smoke and bounty. Most are in clusters of their Court and by smaller assortment, their motleys or chosen hunting parties. There’s a pulse to the atmosphere, with whispering chant reverberating from the stone itself.
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Post by Felicity Stone on Sept 21, 2021 22:42:50 GMT -8
There is a duty board written in chalk, with metallic clockwork pixies offering rapid updates to the roster. Felicity Stone was wearing a somber Hedgespun gown as a gift from the Spring Queen, with twilight monarchs picking at the roasting flesh and wine of the evening. Her pleasant, grinning features were hidden behind a cold mask as she aided attendants for registration in mechanical, boisterous movements that were more keenly highlighted in the dramatic lighting. She was flanked by Hush, a newer Autumn recently sworn to Scorpio and apparently skilled in the art of bouncing as several nervous arguments were trounced before they erupted across the gathering. There was some drama around the targets this year. So much for High Season rhetoric, human sacrifice was back on the menu.
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Post by Blaze on Sept 22, 2021 3:28:54 GMT -8
Blaze is coming down to the catacombs and further into the feast hall in a coat and a striped outfit meant to pay homage to the approaching Autumn. It was also designed to make her blend in a little, although with the prevalent darkness that task proved easier than she suspected. In theory, she could while away the whole event picking at the table - in theory, but the duty board focused her attention almost immediately. The vibrant Ms. Stone next to it looked almost like an auctioneer in her fanciful robes, with a team of pixies and Hush as her attendants. And so the Sprite made her way across the room to the board, intent on signing her name next to the hunt of the Joroguomo. Figuring fire might be of use in clearing the nest, and treating it as another step in getting closer to the Leaden Mirror.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Sept 22, 2021 7:36:18 GMT -8
The Twilight Dancer had found themself a spot at a table, food and drink in front of them. As they nibbled at the festive feast, their eyes were fixed on the board.
Riley was dressed for the occasion, always was. The impressive and prominent war-like leather armor, from the old Jacket of Linden, the bejeweled gauntlet on the right hand. Their hair was braided back and pinned with their Golden Hairnettle pinning the back, taking the form of a ruby set of raven wings. Beyond their extensive array of Tokens, the darkling was presenting themself in a powerful Goth punk vibe. With the expected black, fishnet accents, and accessories of chain.
The Oath breaker attention was fixated on the coming and goings of the board and the duties. The realization that humans were back on the menu sat wrong with Riley, they didn't say it out loud, but it brewed just beneath the surface. However, that matter had to wait, as the Moth tried to determine their situation as an oathbreaker in relation to the requirements of the Rites at hand.
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Post by Krakenbox on Sept 22, 2021 20:52:17 GMT -8
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Sept 23, 2021 12:15:20 GMT -8
He would never admit without the presence of a pledgesmith, but the Beast had spent an ungodly amount of time putting together a look for the Coronation. It wasn’t that he tried to keep his skill set a secret; he was worried that it would hurt his public image and make his job harder.
Still, Autumn was the Season of Fear, si Yuan decided to both embrace his and spread some around. He went for black pants and a white T, complete with a short sleeved shirt the colour of fallen leaves. So far, so normal. The startling difference was the black harness that peaked from under the unbuttoned shirt, complete with holster and handgun.
It would have been problematic to move around Vegas packing heat, so the Beast had moved between mirrors to reach the venue. Devoid of his usual smile, he looked forlorn, with the stark shadows cast across his features. Colder somehow, almost alien. He scanned for familiar faces but didn’t move to greet them. It wasn’t exactly a social event and a certain decorum had to be respected.
Also, he didn’t want to repeat last year’s debacle.
Eventually, Yuan approached the board and looked at the queries. His gaze, inevitably, was drawn to the first one - the smuggling ring.
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Post by Henley on Sept 24, 2021 22:01:39 GMT -8
It didn't take much for Henley to stand out. Six foot six and reed-thin, with little lines running down the side of his blue-tinged neck and some incredible tailoring, the Ogre peered over the heads of the shorter members of the Freehold looking at the board. He wasn't going to kill tonight. Of that, the well-manicured Spring Courtier was certain. Gunplay wasn't his forte anyway.
Ultimately, the one Hunt that suited him was the one which would allow him to minimize the team's time outside of the Wards. If he had to use any Contracts, it meant something was going very wrong.
On Loki's sign-up sheet, he wrote: HENLEY. PILOT.
If some Summer Courtier with a rifle needed a platform, he could provide any angle they could ever want. The Ogre flashed a friendly smile to Yuan as he sipped a coffee.
"I'm going to shove a helicopter up their asses. How about you?"
You know. Like it wasn't a big deal.
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Hua Yuan
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Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
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Post by Hua Yuan on Sept 25, 2021 10:01:14 GMT -8
It wasn't difficult to notice the tower of a man that put down his name next to Yuan's. There was something magnetic about him, about the streaks of blues that clashed under his skin. The Beast nodded, even as the corners of his mouth twitched into a reflexive smile.
"I haven't decided yet. Riddling them with holes sounds like good place to start, though."
His dislike for traffickers stemmed from experience - the fact that they were Loyalists only made it worse.
Loyalists. He should have been wondering what drove Changelings to such extremes, but the truth was that he kind of understood. On bad days, he still dreamt of falling from the clouds - the loss of paradise. Could he become like those people they were going to hunt? It was hard to say, but so far he hadn't. He liked some things here, like his best friend and his community. The Mundane one, at least. The silence stretched a little, before he turned and face the man. "I'm Yuan."
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Eis
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Posts: 189
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Post by Eis on Sept 25, 2021 13:22:54 GMT -8
The pale witch's features, permanently bearing the emotional scars of her durance, are locked in barely contained anxiety. She looks like she could jump out of her skin at the slightest provocation. Even with the slightest of the Fairest's movements, the white shock of hair on her head ripples and shifts in agitation. There's nothing for it; this is her Season. She's inescapably bound to this fear, and it to her. And as ridiculous as it may sound, she's dong her best to embrace it.
As close to the start of the event as she could, she'd secured herself a horn goblet and filled it with wine. Though this time around the drink in her hand isn't merely an accessory. Nor a coping mechanism for putting up with another Season's nonsense, for that matter. No; Eis needs this. She needs her mind to be... open. Even her chosen attire - a somber olive dress loosely bound about her waist with a leather strap - seems to suggest an openness. Intoxication 'doth not a path to spiritual enlightenment make', but one cannot deny that everything seems just a bit more significant when drink is in play. As long as there have been humans around, there have been rituals involving some substance or another. And, damnit, this is her ritual.
As time passes and guests arrive, she notices a familiar face busying herself at the duty board. A welcomed gesture, to be sure. Blaze was tolerable from the start, and she always seems to be in the right place at the right time to leave an impression on Eis. If Blaze takes a notice of Eis, she'll give her a nod. For the time being, though, Eis hasn't made her way to the duty board.
And then there's Sorsa...
They've been through enough. There was a time when Eis would have taken some pleasure in making the Dancer squirm, but it hardly seems appropriate now. Riley's attention seems likewise preoccupied with those surrounding the chalk scrawlings. Taking this as either hesitation or curiosity, Eis finds enough composure to dial back all that is Eis to something approaching neutral as she, herself, approaches Riley.
"Riley. It's been some time. You have thoughts?" she swivels her head in the direction of the boards and gives a little tilt of her head for emphasis. Her unruly hair responds in kind. When her focus returns to Sorsa, the darkness of her eyes makes her gaze all the more unsettling, despite having no ill intentions towards the Spring.
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Post by Henley on Sept 25, 2021 13:42:12 GMT -8
In smooth Mandarin, albeit with an imperfect accent, Henley replied, "Ni hao, wo de mingzi shi Henley," and offered a cool hand for a shake. Hello, my name is Henley. The beanpole Ogre had a half-smile on his face. "Bullets are a start, for sure. Bet the Summer crew will love you. See you in the field."
With that, he went to go find Loki.
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Post by Gavin Graves on Sept 25, 2021 16:12:04 GMT -8
This was the time of year where the truest to form violence was expected from Gavin. As much as Summer had been an expression of wrath, its rites were neatly contained in the arena with broad oversight to keep things on the rails. That was not going to be the case for the Ashen Hunt. This was not competition, it was life or death hunting. The perils inherent to the tasks at hand held the resonance of a tuning fork picking up the vibrations of distant ephemeral Arcadian dreams. He would need to take care to not ping the fork too hard lest the singular discordant note disrupt the orchestra. He needed to steer clear of Ivory at the very least. Something about her made the hair on Gavin's neck stand on end and set him on edge, every time. The nightmares that followed any closer interaction were bleak, violent, and haunting. The details escaped as he would wake, leaving their lingering burden of doubt and remorse with an ineffable explanation.
Having put himself out on stage in Lughnasadh and handily shredding a massive troll, he figured he would have more Freeholders interested in having him along for dark bloody rites like this.
Many of the targets held personal connection for him and he found himself conflicted as to which would work best both for keeping himself in check and for the completion of the rite. Working with Dame Scorpio was always a good time. The Loyalists and traffickers would give him an outlet for the sour feeling left after being hunted by their kind. Then there was the creature that somehow escaped the hunting expedition he'd previously worked--it bothered him to have been in peak form and doing everything correctly for it to have escaped anyway.
Despite his apprehensive feelings about the work, he'd heed Scorpio's direction on which target she wanted him to hunt.
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Post by Krakenbox on Sept 25, 2021 16:56:16 GMT -8
It didn't take any one paying any particular attention to watch a series of necks turn. Following the gesture, one would find themselves watching Eis with the rest of the curious Freehold as the stark Weiss Frau engaged Riley Sorsa. A rise to attention and Seasonal blessing, their motleymate accused of dark deeds, a fight with their oathbroken, and then a fight with their disgraced lover.
If the last four gatherings were any indication, the Twilight Dancer had become a rather famous guarantee for captivating drama.
A few spun their heads to squint at The With King Himself, seeing how a magic-drenched Ogre would measure the Fairest's engagement with an Oath Breaker on His high holiday.
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Riley Sorsa
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Presence (3) Captivating | SL(1) Stylish Mantle (2)Spring | Status(1) Entertainment
Posts: 913
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Post by Riley Sorsa on Sept 26, 2021 8:34:31 GMT -8
The Darkling eyes traced up Eis, in a slow, methodical fashion. Their eyebrow raised slightly as they took in the Ice Queen's presence.
Was this a test? Eis worked with Archie from time to time; perhaps the question was purely a social courtesy.
The Moth's mouth opened slightly and shut as their eyes scanned the room; at the leering courtiers. Their lip curled at the end in a bemused, perhaps cruel, smirk. The black of the Wisps eyes almost threatened the gawking Freeholders to say something.
"I was considerin' our enemies. The board's cold reminder of how many there are." They gestured slightly to the signup board. Their illumination seemed to pulse for a moment.
"That, and realizin' huntin', of this variety, ain't my forte. But I reckon, we all have to do thang's we find uncomfortable, don't we?"
Their voice clear enough that the audience could catch the conversation.
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Post by Lucas Chevalier on Sept 26, 2021 13:51:07 GMT -8
The Fairest knew going into Mabon that there were going to be a variety of different challenges thrown at him that would test both his body and his spirit.
With Luther and Mr . Bubbles having their own space, Lucas was able to turn his living room into a meditative space. The lights were turned off, he settled into his yoga cushion, and played the music in the background.
By the time Lucas was done with his meditation routine, he felt ready to take on the world. It helped stem off the lingering fear that had plagued him over the summer. Given it was the season of fear, he knew he was going to need every trick up his sleeve to keep his wits about him.
Fast forward an hour or so later and he was ready to head out. Given how much glamour he blew at the Blood Sport competition, he wanted to top himself off before he left. There were plenty of lost souls coming in and out of the motel he lived in who were desperate for a sympathetic ear to unload their woes too. Lucas found a young woman who fit the bill hanging out by the vending machine. She started crying and hitting the machine because it took her last dollar. He moved over to her to soothe her nerves, listen to how she recently lost her job, and after he had his fill of sorrow filled glamour, he gave her the $20 bill he had in his wallet as well as one of his single bills so she could get her snack. She thanked him profusely and promised she would pay it forward whenever she was back on her feet.
Upon arriving at Mabon, he was back on track with his glamour. Going along with the cooler season, Lucas has grown his hair out over the length of the summer. He has a light beard that was made out of well groomed scruff that ran all along his jawline and lower face. He opted for a long, navy peacoat jacket since getting overheated wasn't an issue for him. As well as brown dress shoes, and matching navy slacks.
His bright eyes reviewed the different assignments on the board. The spy oriented hunt jumped out at him the most. He had his time in the sun at every seasonal event. This time around he wanted to help build up someone else and make them shine.
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Post by Blaze on Sept 26, 2021 15:25:27 GMT -8
When Blaze saw Eis and receives the nod, she pays the Fairest in kind. It didn't bother her that the Snowskin didn't come over for a more effusive greeting - they had some pleasant interactions, to be sure, and a possibility to take things further, but it's not like they're ready or obligated to exchange relationship rings just yet. It was apparently just Eis' way to keep people at a distance, and as a former army sniper Blaze could understand the sentiment.
As for the entire room perking up like a pack of bloodthirsty meerkats at the promise of Sorsa-related drama, Blaze looked at the Twilight Dancer right along with everyone else, although she'd like to think she had a higher purpose than catching gossip material. Threat assessment, for one thing. For Blaze, it was a mixture of Winter's training and past life attitudes to be wary of those who draw attention to themselves as much as the Moth seemed to, even if Riley Sorsa was, in their heart of hearts, a decent person. Having established to her satisfaction that no immediate danger is present, Blaze looks away, focusing back on the duty board as the steady rock of simplicity among the stormy sea of changeling social games.
That's when she notices Lucas. It seemed something always stood in the way of her so much as introducing herself to him, so presented with this opportunity Blaze decided to act.
"Anything catching your eye?"
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