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Post by Wayland on Dec 1, 2021 22:44:22 GMT -8
No they are not good. They might never be good. She was stupid, she trusted people she sholudn’t have, and now Henley’s life is in the balance. Along with her own, and Eis’s, and Blaze’s. Because you there’s no trust in this Freehold. There’s a yearning at her core to tell Henley. To trust him. Lying about things like this is toxic. But she wouldn’t have to lie if conditions weren’t toxic already.
Hmm. That’s something to think on, later.
She doesn’t want to answer Henley’s question. So she evades. She summons her willpower and doesn’t jerk away from his touch. Her shoulders tense, but she stays where she is, and meets his eyes from behind her sunglasses.
“You have a proposition,” she repeats. There’s a lot that goes unsaid there that she still somehow manages to say; that they’re good, that she’s interested in what he summoned her here for, that if either of those things weren’t true she wouldn’t be here. She manages to say with a slightly more reassuring, and inviting, tone this time than she did before.
Wayland is in a rotten mood, that much is obvious. But she’s doing her best to signal to both Henley and Gavin; it’s not about you.
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Post by Henley on Dec 1, 2021 23:06:26 GMT -8
As his hand rested on her arm briefly in a moment of touch, he let Spring's wisdom pour through the contact. What came from it was a desire for acceptance, a community that Wayland craved at her core: the promise of mutual support, trust and respect that went two ways.
In short, exactly what he was potentially offering a start to. This should be her Thing, but the read he got had him wondering.
Henley smiled at Wayland as she sidestepped, dancing around the outside with her words while signaling that they were fine with her tone. Okay. That was weird after what he'd read off her, but maybe she was just nervous. He'd roll with it. Whatever it was was probably personal. He rephrased his proposal, his tone a bit hesitant now. He lowered his tone so that the mundies wouldn't hear them.
"I... hmm. I had thought our complimentary interests might make a decent start to discuss potentially forming a Motley around. We've got the skill sets to really make a difference in one another's lives. That was what I called you here to ask about. I'd like to be more than just me. I thought I would put that to you both and see if there was any potential interest in discussing that."
He scratched his head, glancing at Gavin. At least the Razorhand wasn't coming off strange. Were all crafters like this?
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 6, 2021 22:42:44 GMT -8
A Motley could mean working together frequently. People that work together frequently can bond a bit. It would mean more community than he'd been living on so far. The perpetual solitude had begun to subtly shift his perspective. Finding trails from hidden things even in urban environments. Scents on the air that called him to follow. He wasn't sure if they were real or not any more. He needed people.
The Beast didn't notice whatever Henley had become concerned about with Wayland, but he did know it went deeper than what he was outwardly letting on. He'd never seen her like this either. He was relieved to hear her summon a part of her that he recognized again, even if it was only to reassure them that she had whatever it was she didn't want to talk about seemingly under control. Maybe she was just embarrassed about something, he concluded. Perhaps a dressing down after a Summer exercise that had gone other than the best.
Shrugging it off, "Yeah, I'm interested talking this Motley idea through. Some regular company with like minded interests is just what I need about now." It wasn't all he needed, but it sounded like a move in the right direction for him. His mood perked up.
"Henley here helped me get through a delicate eye operation down at Aftermath. He closed up some vulnerabilities in the deal and made sure I didn't overpay. Stuck around for the tough part too." He blinked extra hard in the effort to fight off the horrific visualizations that came with the memory. "I was awake for it."
"Ooh, the 'Salty Peppery Chicken' looks tasty and shareable," placing the menu down between the group he tapped one claw on the image of battered and deep fried chicken bites. They looked appealing to those that enjoyed food of that variety.
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Post by Wayland on Dec 7, 2021 13:09:00 GMT -8
The moment Henley’s not paying attention, Wayland slowly takes her arm back from underneath the Nymph’s hand. She concentrates on her breathing for a moment, in and out, slow and deep. She can do this. She can- oh fuck, they’re actually going to get food? She’d halfway convinced herself to come to this meeting on the theory that it would be a quick sit down, in and out! The dying thing at her core whimpers and curls up a little bit more in that dark, depressing place it’s sunken into. She keeps her reaction hidden as best she can. After all, she deserves to feel a bit rotten. If she has to suffer through a meal, well… there’s nothing for it.
Listening to Gavin gives her some cause for concern. She’s going to have to be careful with this pledge, to avoid entanglements. If Henley is really as skilled a pledge-smith as she’s hearing, he might notice something. Best to head off some suspicion right away, with a dollop of truth; “I’m working on a project right now,” she says after a moment, having still not touched a menu. “It’s a commitment, until it resolves… And we all have our own Court commitments,” the different Mantles swirling about them. The agendas of Spring, Summer, and Autumn sometimes run counter to each other, after all.
“I’m interested. But we’ll have to be careful to avoid… conflicts of interest.” She's never been in a motley before, but she imagines (hopes) that such caution is not uncommon.
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Post by Henley on Dec 7, 2021 20:51:19 GMT -8
Henley raised a hand to gesture to the waiter, putting in for two orders of salty, peppery chicken and a sampling of other appetizers. He also ordered a Mai Thai for himself and whatever else the others wanted. Gavin's remark earned a smile, but the deep breathing and the weird feeling coming off Wayland was something he wasn't going to shake so quickly. Combine that with a project and conflicts of interest, and Henley knew he'd need more details.
"I'm afraid it's difficult to design pledges around unknown conflicts, Wayland. But let's roll back a little. Why not tell us a bit more about yourself? I've had the pleasure of working with Gavin before, but I'm a big fan of your work. The Trod is a huge achievement."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 10, 2021 23:06:12 GMT -8
"Thanks mate," the Beast added spring rolls to the appetizer order and a whisky sour to drink.
Gavin wasn't really a people person. It wasn't that he didn't care or that he didn't enjoy the interaction. It was more that some part of him felt like it was missing and he didn't know what it was. That part felt as though it had been replaced with a ill-matching puzzle piece and bestial instincts that ran contrary to polite discourse. It was a constant effort to put on the face required by civilization.
Still, he managed. He had to. Dominance displays and staking out the tattered remains of fallen prey like a shrike wasn't the way to win many friends. Not the kind he wanted anyway.
Wayland's concern about cross-court conflict was a reasonable one on the face of it. Gavin had put in substantial effort to stay in the good graces of both the others' chosen seasons. If he was honest with himself, both Summer and Spring had their appeal to the Cassowary. Summer could give him direction in controlling his urges toward rampaging destruction. His desires and ambition for more would fit in well with the Emerald Court too. Even as the opinion of the Leaden Mirror bore the burden of some malefactors on it, Gavin was seen as a good sort for his personal actions.
"There are plenty of examples of mixed court Motleys locally. The old Monarchs included. I'm pretty sure we can manage. We're not exactly despised among each other's courts." Scorpio didn't really seem the type to play many games. He was not concerned by that particular issue himself, but was interested to hear more in case he was wrong. He quite frequently didn't see the politics until they had already formed around him.
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Post by Wayland on Dec 10, 2021 23:11:53 GMT -8
Ah yes, talking about herself. One of life’s true agonies. At least it’s a familiar agony. “I can’t take much credit for that,” she says when Henley mentions the Trod. “All I ended up doing was carrying cargo. Gavin’s the one that got us there,” she tips her chin in the Beast’s direction, “And he and Archie and Riley did the negotiating.” She might have had a bigger role if they encountered different challenges. But the challenges they faced, her comrades were able to manage, which is absolutely superior to an alternative that would involve her skills as the token Summer became necessary. Gavin’s words make her face pinch slightly in thought and concern, “I’m not as informed about Freehold history as maybe I should be, but didn’t the old Monarchs’ motley have something to do with a civil war?” Maybe not the best example of a harmonious multi-court motley, is her point. It feels a little pedantic to bring up, but it also seems relevant.
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Post by Henley on Dec 11, 2021 18:56:39 GMT -8
Henley didn't appear at all concerned about a mixed-Court Motley, but his face fell a bit when Wayland made it clear she really didn't do much of anything to help create the Trod. It was a pity; the businessman usually expected some degree of humility from most Summer Courtiers in Vegas, but this wasn't just that. Either Wayland wasn't who she thought they were, or the Ogre simply didn't want to be part of the idea.
Whichever it was, better to know now than later.
"Mm. Thank you for your honesty. I was under the impression you had a greater role. Not to worry."
He glanced to Gavin, then shrugged.
"I get the sense most people would have had something to do with it in some sense or another, but I really can't say. The old divisions aren't much of a point of study for me. Best to ask someone with a little grey in their hair."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 11, 2021 23:08:58 GMT -8
Was this some kind of self-esteem issue? "I mean if you can call safely carrying all the collective monarchs' offerings to Machina while being the only other one there to successfully traverse the Hedge without falling off the path, the only other one to evade the Torchlight Rogue, nothing, sure. Archie half-assed it and got caught by both the Hedge and the Huntsman. Riley, who can in fact sing, couldn't hold a single note in the crystal caves to keep things together and later panicked and jumped out to join Archie. We all knew exactly where each other were and somehow the Springs both forgot that those things can't attack you in their season unless you do first. Perhaps you weren't all that chatty, but I think you sell yourself short." Gavin clearly felt she held her water.
He glanced around a bit to make sure his voice wasn't carrying secret whispers too far.
Wayland was intent on focusing on the negative again though. "The point wasn't how well their Motley arrangement worked out, merely that it was common and went all the way to the top."
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Post by Wayland on Dec 12, 2021 0:05:00 GMT -8
It’s easier to let Gavin’s recollection of events stand than to argue with him. But she wants to argue. They may have succeeded in delivering their cargo, but they came so close to the edge, came away so burdened by the experience. Except her. And she’s a Summer, and an Ogre, if anyone should be throwing themselves into danger to spare the rest of the group she should’ve been the one.
She reaches out to take a sip from a glass of water and then sets it down and wipes her lips with the back of her hand, grimacing slightly as she tugs on some injuries. “So,” she says after a beat, trying to move the conversation onward, “I’m studying under Mary. Learning our… procedures.” Rituals. “But my interest in the market is mostly related to my trade.
“I started as a blacksmith, before I became… allergic to iron. I still work with it, but I’ve picked up a lot of other skills. Making skills: Other forms of metalsmithing. Mechanics. Textile arts. Architecture. Glassblowing. Leatherworking.” This, at least, is something she’s proud of. Something she can talk about without feeling sour. “Just about everything. And I’ve been continuing to experiment with Tokens. That’s where the market can help me; ingredients, for my trade and for what I’ve been learning from Mary.”
He’d ask her to tell them about herself, after all.
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Post by Henley on Dec 12, 2021 17:42:50 GMT -8
Okay, maybe she was just overly modest. Competence was important, but it made him feel unsteady. Under-confidence was not something the Spring financier had a lot of use for in a business partner. The Nymph nodded along as the story was told, smirking a bit at the Oathbreaker's Motley's misfortune. Wayland's description of her skills was certain, a wide variety of crafting capabilities that suggested she was a specialist.
"Yes, I rather thought you'd find access to a broker and a guide helpful. Especially when you start selling your wares to those living the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I think you'll find a market in high-quality wares among the nobles and the athletes, where there is room for some flash."
Battlefield equipment was meant to be simple, utilitarian. Fancy shit was for Hedge duelists and Knights, and if Wayland was truly skilled, she'd be able to make a solid living in crafting for them.
A thought like a burr in his mind wiggled in his subconscious, and he stared off into the Vegas skyline a moment.
"How did Hartman escape the Huntsman?"
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 13, 2021 17:38:59 GMT -8
"Neither of us were there for that." That was a fact. "I had gone to update Wayland where I left her as to what was going on. When I got back the thing was far more compliant and didn't even acknowledge either of our presences. We were preparing for a possible fight even though that would have meant the mission had already failed." It had struck Gavin as quite odd even at the time. "I figured they'd used some Fairest nonsense or Spring wooj to get their way. They had the Broker there too to assist as well. Could always ask it and maybe get a straight answer for the right price or by using a contract."
The Beast turned to Wayland to check her reading of the incident and his recollection of it.
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Post by Wayland on Dec 15, 2021 12:30:30 GMT -8
Catching Gavin’s glance, her shoulders rise slightly in a shrug, and then her chin dips in a nod; affirmation. Most of the time she had no idea what was going on during that trip, except that there were metaphorical land mines all around them all the time and she was trying really hard not to step on any. It still irks her that she spent her time hiding while the others were under threat, however strategic it might have been. “That’s about how I remember it.”
She turns her attention to Henley, “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about me: I don’t do what I do to enrich myself or get famous. I’m not really interested in selling my wares. I’m-” she pauses, frowns in thought behind her dark-tinted lenses, struggling to put this into words. It’s a pause long enough that Henley or Gavin might be tempted to fill it, before she finally reaches; “If there’s a dragon in need of slaying I’ll forge the spear. If there’s a fellowship in need of armor I’ll fasten the mail. If there’s a ship in need for a voyage I’ll weave the sail.”
As she says this she manages to find some focus, and her eyes go slowly back and forth between Gavin and Henley as she continues; “There’s not a lot I’m good at, but this is something I can do. I can help our community protect itself, express itself, empower itself. If that means a noble or an athlete can do the most good with my wares, so be it, but I don’t care about providing treasures for the rich and famous, and hoping it rubs off on me. I care that my products go to the people who need them, and that they use those products to help themselves and our community.”
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Post by Henley on Dec 15, 2021 13:22:43 GMT -8
"Fair enough."
Henley seemed to accept the answer given by Gavin about Hartman, nodding a couple of times before turning his attention to Wayland's reply. Where was the joy in crafting merely for utilitarian purposes?
"I understand. All I'm saying is that Hedge dueling brings joy and morale to us all, Wayland. It is a sport uniquely Lost, and it is a spectacle bar none. Supporting our duelists supports and celebrates our community spirit, and at times like these, with an invasion..." He shrugged and gave a small smile to her, like 'we could use all the help we can get'. "If you don't care for money or status, that's kind of you. It's still worth doing, because that isn't all there is to it. Building for people we celebrate has inherent value to us all."
He shoved a bit of meat into his face, washing it down with a swish of cocktail.
"All right. Here's where I am on this thing, Wayland. If what I've suggested interests you, once you've completed your projects that might put you into conflict with potential Motley interests, come hit me up and let's speak some more on this. I think we could really do good things for each other, but I like having clean lines."
To Gavin, he said, "How about you? What's your thoughts?"
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Post by Gavin Graves on Dec 15, 2021 15:27:21 GMT -8
Coursing through his thoughts further on the adventure to the Market, his attention had drifted out and began quietly talking to himself.
"It did seem to know an awful lot about those two though, like with uncanny detail." That was something Wayland wasn't there for. "Like it had poured through their beings and squeezed out important personal connections. It knew where Archie's family was in LA. Then it intuited Riley's deep seated insecurities with detail. It also knew we were there to see Machina."
The Beast's mind seemed to be pouring over the events that had previously been clouded by adrenaline and the fraying presence of the Hedge.
"Then it accompanied us to where we needed to go and got us through a number of checkpoints that would have otherwise been a challenge." A sinking feeling slid under Gavin with the gravitas of what he might have missed in the moment.
The only thing that had made the encounter seem even slightly reasonable was that the creature paid zero attention to the Beast and the Ogre.
His reverie ended with a summary assessment, "Fuck."
Though it seemed like he might have been lost in another world, the continuing conversation happened to register.
"Yeah. I'm up for it. One stop shop sounds appealing to me. Cross-Department Synergy as the business types would say." Growing concern was mixing uncomfortably with his genuine enthusiasm at the current prospect.
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