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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 4, 2021 15:12:45 GMT -8
Eis had been in contact with Blaze and Wayland, inevitably floating that they swear some sort of motley pledge, given the circumstances. Ultimately, they were three well-meaning women who had made a decision to preserve their lives and pursue the moral act of saving a child. They would be subject to Faerie Justice in the midst of rising Freehold McCarthyism, and all they had at the moment was hoping the other didn't narc first as a matter of mutually assured destruction. The Fall Courtier wasn't a fan of leaving that up to chance. She had been renting a motel room outside the Wards, maintaining acceptable accommodations with her various Contracts to make sure little Isla wasn't living in squalor. Apparently Eis' standards were toys, a new wardrobe, a full fridge with a water dispenser, and a fully painted bedroom with age-appropriate furniture. The hedgehogs had their own playpen in the corner with a wire top, to prevent them from floating around the room and causing general mischief with the wiring and cereal boxes. Workbooks had been stacked as she devoted her time to getting the Huntsman up to speed on missing two years of foundations, with an iPad for rewarding compliance with Screen Time. Eis took the books with her and made a show of doing school work in the local park and courtyard, so the residences could see a healthy child clearly being homeschooled. Other rewards included both Blaze and Wayland being tapped to give Isla a piece of trivia, which she was clearly keeping track of with her own detective cork board. They had found an acceptable way to comply without breaking their Freehold Oath: what an eight year old found helpful was on a different scale than an adult perspective. The Lost's name started with an 'N'; the Lost was tall; the Lost worked past the north of the Strip; the Lost liked to fly. Was the Fairest perhaps processing some unaddressed trauma? Absolutely not. Clearly it was to make sure Isla stayed happy and controlled, lest the dangerous monster cause trouble for their Freehold. And Eis hissed as much as she passed the other two their cups of tea, even though neither had questioned her motives in the first place. The Huntsman had large pink headphones on as she calmly watched something on the iPad, sinking into a beanbag with a hedgehog in her lap and the ends of her hair temporarily dyed lilac and green. The deadly panoply was a necklace today, almost looking like a cross draped around her throat. "We should researched how Huntsmen work, and how to fix it," Eis said after she swallowed from of the tea. She didn't focus on the idea that the child might never be normal, or offer how to destroy it. "I have my hands full, clearly. Wayland, you're sworn to that army witch, correct?" Her smile stretched, black eyes glinting, "'Tis a shame they can cross the Wards. Obviously a scholar such as yourself would want to educate the masses on how to defend themselves."She fixed a lock of stray hair from her top bun, looking very much like a busy mother in joggers and a grey pullover. A splash of colour had been added to the Snowskin's wrist with blue beads that corresponded with Princess Elsa's colour scheme crafted from a jewelry making set. "I'm also running out of little hints. Blaze, is there something you can provide on him that won't cause trouble, but meaty enough to satisfy her...obsession?" Eis stared unblinking at the Winter courtier, assuming she might have training in such things. Everything was going to be fine. |
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Post by Blaze on Dec 7, 2021 14:11:37 GMT -8
If Eis looked like a busy mother, Blaze rocked the look of her slightly younger friend from the book club - middle class clothes with middle class taste and middle class prices. Something so forgettable that it'll make her invisible in the gaudy crowds of Las Vegas. The lengths the Autumn went to to keep Isla concealed were impressive, but frankly nothing less would've done - Blaze doubted most freeholders would find sympathy for them, should they learn what they're doing.
"I could meet with him." She answered Eis, not daring to even say the Ogre's name out of an overabundance of wariness that the girl will somehow hear them despite having headphones on "He looked like the fun-loving kind of person that might be inclined to share something meaningful in exchange for quality time and some reciprocity. Used to making deals, though, so might be a bit more guarded."
It was good not to begin the op being too optimistic. The Elemental will have to carefully think about what she's saying while not appearing like the conversation is researched, or the Spring Courtier might get suspicious.
"Otherwise, I don't see what choice we have. We'll have to tap resources in a way that doesn't ring any alarm bells and hope we'll figure out how to rid ourselves of the problem on the way."
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Post by Wayland on Dec 7, 2021 20:45:26 GMT -8
Wayland looks like Wayland. Which might have been a problem, if she needed more than sixty seconds in darkness to be able to move about without attracting attention. Because she might very well attract attention if she was seen in the Eis and Blaze’s company, with her punkish manner of dress, and how she is sometimes adorned with a visible cut or bruise as if she’s been fighting. (She has.) All of this to say, Wayland has gotten very familiar with this apartment’s closet lately.
The irony has not escaped her.
Eis’s condescenion doesn’t escape her either. The Ogre lets it go with a soft exhalation through her nose. They’re all under a lot of pressure. None of them are at their best. Nothing would be helped by picking a fight with Eis over something petty. “I can talk to Mary. I’m not sure where else to go for research on that subject. If I start poking around the goblin market, I might catch the kind of heat that would hurt more than it would help. Are there any resources you have that I could look through?”
When the talk turns to Henley, she lowers her voice and leans closer to Blaze and Eis conspiratorially. “It doesn’t have to be real, it just has to be true. Couldn’t we… manufacture some stuff? Arrange to meet him somewhere inconspicuous, then later tell her we sighted him there?”
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 11, 2021 19:03:06 GMT -8
Eis laced her hands together after setting down the cup, "Well, to be perfectly honest I have not sworn vassalage to any of the Knights to extend their largess. I lack the power to bless those on their quests, but you may wish to ask one of your...friends...The Fairest call it Spinning the Wheel."
The Snowskin wasn't looking to draw attention to the fact that she wasn't baked into the social fabric of the Freehold; she wasn't a socialite and was only recently starting to branch out.
"It still has to be helpful, so feeding her purposefully useless information would likely put us at risk," Eis reminded, matching Wayland's tone. "The Wyrd will know. Casting a wide enough net is how we've been getting by. Does...does he have a Bargain in place?"
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Post by Blaze on Dec 13, 2021 12:21:27 GMT -8
It occurred to her that with how old this freehold was, Winter could probably have archives of some kind detailing the more obscure details about Huntsmen and pledges, but even if that's the case Blaze certainly lacks the clout to even be in the same postcode as them, let alone read them freely. The Torrent sighed.
"Some of the other Autumns might help. Gavin was recommended to me. So I might reach out - with times as they are, interest in the subject won't be all that suspicious."
She nods to Eis' assesment about what might be permissible with the pledge. It was tempting to cheat fate, but these stories never turn out how the cheater would like them to. They have to swallow that frog.
"Yeah, it's probably not a good idea to get too close to the edge of what the Wyrd considers fair. I hate that we have to do this, but we might get something out of this yet. Any luck, it's over without anyone being the wiser. But no, I don't think he has a deal like that in place. If he did, he'd be pretty protective of it, I'm sure. I know I would."
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 14, 2021 12:25:11 GMT -8
"Good."
Eis shook her head, "Well. Not good, but you know what I mean..." her fingers drummed the glass again, "I would ask both of you for a Pledge. It will help al of us know if something goes wrong, and we can come up with a benefit, like sharing in the power to keep a secret, or...wait until the research is done and look from there. I'm nervous that none of us are beholden to one another with such a dangerous secret."
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Post by Wayland on Dec 15, 2021 12:41:43 GMT -8
Spinning the Wheel? The fuck is that supposed to mean? Wayland’s brows come together slightly in a frustrated expression, wishing Eis would speak more plainly. Thankfully, Blaze makes it clear. Though it’s sort of amusing (and sort of depressing) to think that she and Eis are somehow under the impression that Wayland has a lot of friends.
Discussion of potentially endangering themselves by breaching their pledge with Isla withers any small sense of mirth she’d been able to foster. She nods at Eis’s cautioning words, better not to take that kind of risk. When she mentions possibly piling another pledge on top of it, the Ogre makes a mild, sour face. “I hate secrets.” The statement is firm, even if it’s not entirely true. Wayland hates secrets that could hurt her. “Seems unwise to add another tangle to our web of oathed obligation.”
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Post by Blaze on Dec 17, 2021 11:42:41 GMT -8
Blaze notice's Wayland's sour mood and pitches in, hoping to disentangle it a bit and save them the threat of infighting. It'd be ironic if the pledge, designed as a solution to lack of trust, was itself the cause to deepening the problem.
"What Eis is saying..."
She begins and holds for a moment, buying herself some time with a sip of tea.
"...is that she doesn't trust us with the secret. Which is harsh, but fair. We're not exactly long-time friends and the fact that we're here together shows that we all do what we need to do to survive, and sometimes things fall without us ever wanting them to." The Elemental explains "So the reasoning goes that if one spills, the other two will have the time to skip town, or at least prepare to face judgement. The benefit from sealing the intent with Wyrd is just a cherry on top."
She shifts her gaze to Eis.
"What do you have in mind?"
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 18, 2021 21:56:18 GMT -8
Eis coloured, clearly surprised as Wayland shuts it down and silent for a long beat. She opens her mouth at Blaze's blunt assessment, blinking as the Ifrit turned her attention back on her,
"Erm- well, I am a little stuck on what the benefit should be, as I don't know what you two need help with. I know you can do things like write each other into the same Contract so you can assist in evoking it; or evenly distribute collected glamour; channel one another's social talents, and even one another's kith blessing once in a while. That isn't the end of it, however. We can come up with something more useful. Outside of taking care of Isla and keeping her pre-occupied, I can do something like conjure a mortal organization that runs your business, or generates a scholarship that you can claim."
She looks to the other two, needing suggestions. "As for what I would ask for in the Oath, I would say that we vow that we do our best to keep the Promise we've made, so Isla doesn't become unmanageable. We would also vow to help one another when called on, and do not take actions that would hurt one another...Am I missing anything?"
She was sweating a bit, despite being a Snowskin, and looking a little grey. She didn't know what she would do if the Ogre refused to agree upon Oath to continue what they had intended to in the first place, and thus assume the Summer's guilt had won out and was on a timer to revealing their connection to the Huntsman.
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Post by Blaze on Dec 27, 2021 12:10:32 GMT -8
She nods, listening to the options laid out by the Fairest.
"I think lending one another our social prowess and powers would be the most appropriate. There will probably come a time when we will need to obscure the truth or convince someone to help us, and the bit of magic doesn't hurt either."
The bullet points of the future pledge demand a bit more scrutiny, so Blaze falls silent for a long moment but eventually nods again. All in all, it was a pretty standard motley pledge, even if made in circumstances that were anything but standard.
"I agree to the guidelines, but I'll leave the precise wording to you as the Autumn expert."
It was true that Blaze recognized the Leaden Mirror's superior knowledge, but she also recognized that Eis probably liked to have her station confirmed. A little harmless ego boost can go a long way when the goal is to establish long-term trust and get themselves out of a potentially deadly situation.
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Post by Wayland on Dec 29, 2021 15:51:47 GMT -8
The Ogre’s eyes move from one speaker to the next and back again, following what they’re saying without her expression really changing much. Kate told her once that when she doesn’t speak her mind, others will assume what’s in it. Maybe Eis and Blaze have assumed there’s not much in Wayland’s mind at all. Or at least that she hasn’t already thought through the implications of their shared secret and a pledge that might bind it. The pros and cons. That she might need that explained to her. Which is ridiculous, really. Kate would also remind her that people think about her way less than she might think they do. They’re usually too busy thinking about themselves. In any case, her feelings about the risks of this oath clearly don’t matter much to the two people to whom it definitely matters most. Wayland lets that possibility go with a soft exhalation. That’s not a world she gets to live in, where her concerns are taken seriously because they’re legitimate concerns, instead of because she’s an Ogre and the inherent risks that that implies, or because she might snitch on her partners in misdeed. It’s not malicious, it’s not something she should take personally. But it’s something she’ll remember. “I have no ‘social talents’ to contribute.” She says with a flat tone after a moment. Probably being a little too hard on herself there, but Eis probably meant social talents that are useful, not just peculiar. “But I… have the ability to bless a venture. Or curse one. If it is not overused.” Sometimes it’s hard not to sound like a witch. Hexing people with misfortune. Of course, she is a witch in a way. So it’s hard not to sound like herself. As Eis asks if she’s missing anything, Wayland archs a brow. “We’ve been ordered to make arrangements to protect each others’ dreams. I haven’t been able to yet. If either of you still need help there, we could fold that into this pledge. Along with a suitable privacy clause.”She does think these things through, you know. |
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Post by Krakenbox on Dec 31, 2021 0:21:32 GMT -8
Eis blinked as Wayland pivoted. The influence of her Kith mentally nodded in firm approval that the Ogre had finally come to her senses, but the Fairest fidgeted with a slight purse to her lips, "It is wrong to coerce someone into something they do not want to do," she said out loud, as if to remind herself but primly announcing it. "Thank you, Wayland this means everything. However, I need to know your concerns... What about this Oath makes you think we will be worse off? We can talk about it, yes? I have been open about my fears, but it was not meant to browbeat anyone. I would rather this be a positive alliance."
They had ended up this way because they had went along with the child without enforcing their own hesitations, and demanding her to follow their wishes and boundaries. So much could have been avoided, if they took the time. It was the Sovereign's job to make it right; she had failed these women after all.
Blaze was nodded to as well, thankful for the Torrent's patience. "I would rather one of you lead the Oath. I have spent a lot of time with Isla, and I do not want anyone to walk away with the concern that I have spun such things to her best interest."
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Post by Wayland on Jan 6, 2022 20:50:37 GMT -8
The Ogre’s eyes narrow as Eis finally displays some interest in what she has to say, fidgeting with obvious discomfort. “Don’t-” she cuts herself off. The single word is snappish. As the whole sentence would have been. ‘Don’t patronize me while holding a gun to my head.’ Because they are holding guns to each others’ heads, all three of them, in a metaphorical sense. They all have the power to destroy each other. They’re here today because each of them hopes no one uses that power, but the power exists.
She doesn’t want Eis to be afraid of her. She earns herself nothing by antagonizing her coconspirators. So after biting off that first word, she relaxes her jaw, and takes a slow, deep breath. Calming. Shoulders lowering, with their halo of cascading heat-shimmer. Anger is Wrath undirected, or misdirected. And there is no productive target for her Wrath in this moment. She must let it go.
She’s mostly successful.
She begins again, at a slower, more measured pace. Choosing her words carefully, but speaking them without aggression. “I am concerned... that we could be drawn into conflicting obligations.” Her gaze, which had until recently been focused on the table, returns to Eis. “I recently received a very flattering invitation to a motley. Which I had to turn down. Because of who is in it. Understand?” She doesn’t want to say Henley’s name here, just tips her head slightly towards Isla. “And there’s our oath of fealty to consider.
“I don’t want to be an oathbreaker.” Riley is a vivid object-lesson in why. “I don’t want to be drawn into a situation where I’m damned if I do, and damned if I don’t. You follow?”
God she hates this. She hates this, she hates this, she hates this! Loathing curls in her gut, making more of a home for itself there with each hour it’s allowed to remain. Loathing for the situation, yes, but also loathing for herself. Her stupid mistake.
Someone else needs to take over the conversation. Helpfully, Blaze supplies, by crafting a draft of their oath and going over it to see if anyone can spot ways it can be improved.
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Post by Blaze on Jan 7, 2022 3:26:51 GMT -8
Blaze would hate for this meeting to devolve into an argument or, even worse, a fight, so there's a look of relief on her face when the Ogre stops herself from verbally chewing on Eis' throat. There's an obvious effort on the Summer Bruiser's part to keep it cool and on topic, so she can only hope Eis will reciprocate and mind the teacher tone a bit.
"Yes, Wayland. I think I get what you're saying."
It's a valid point. Which makes it doubly hard for Blaze to say what she's going to say next.
"And I feel you, I really do. But it's probably a risk we're going to have to take - unless you know how to dodge it? I am no pledgesmith, but I know that even in a worst case scenario the stink of oathbreaking can be washed off. We can live long lives but have short memories."
It went against the instinct of being made of living fire to let things happen and pass naturally, but it was the way of Winter as she understood it. What looks like a critical problem now may in time solve itself, and pulling at the ropes to free themselves of a trap may end up with them being worse off than they were.
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Post by Wayland on Jan 13, 2022 21:55:49 GMT -8
She keeps her breathing even. In and out. Even as her frustration grows. Don’t take it out on your coconspirators! Don’t do it! When she speaks, she doesn’t raise her voice or growl. But her words are a bit stilted; “Yes. I know that. And you know that. Which is why I moved on. Until I was asked to elaborate.” She doesn’t look at Eis. This was never going to be a ‘positive’ alliance.
Her eyes close for a moment and when they open she’s no longer looking at Blaze. Just gazing without focus at a spot somewhere at the far end of the table. Her breath leaves her in a gusty sigh. “Let’s just do this.”
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