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Post by Blaze on Jan 5, 2022 15:45:48 GMT -8
She leads them to a more secluded corner of the venue - somewhere where they are able to speak privately without interfering or being interfered with. There's a second of pause as Gavin identifies her.
"I... try my best, yes." She admits humbly "As do we all."
It felt natural to downplay her accomplishments. Boasting was not in line with the teachings of the Icelaw, and the powers that be already did plenty to advertise Blaze's skills tonight. Besides, she wasn't here to talk about herself but to pick the brain of Gavin.
"I wanted to know more about Huntsmen." she begins, deciding to just give it to him straight rather than dance around the subject "Their herald arrived during Mabon, meaning they can't be far behind. And since they are one of the most dangerous weapons in any Gentry's arsenal, it's not wise to face them openly. I wanted to know how to best evade them until they can be disposed of without the need of head on confrontation, and how to achieve the latter. Surely there's some kind of catch or loophole to them."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jan 5, 2022 19:02:26 GMT -8
The Beast nodded along, also trying to downplay his accomplishments. He wouldn't know what to do with them to make himself seem larger than life anyhow, and didn't see the value.
"That seems to be the burning question these days. What with the Wards seeming permeable, now they are driven to try." Blaze was not the first Freeholder to approach him on the subject. It was actually Wayland's prompt that moved him to raise the priority of learning about them higher on the list.
He had two ideas for where to learn the intricacies of the ill begotten creatures when he'd started. His own liege, Dame Scorpio and his Summer mentor, Sir Bastille. Wayland had indicated she studied under Bloody Mary, so when she approached him about studying the subject as well he had mentally closed that avenue. A later suggestion from Bastille had indicated he didn't know it himself and Gavin would have to make a horse trading arrangement through his liege to a surprising source. More politics, even from his mentors.
"Yeah, you and me both actually. I've been working on lining up some detailed instruction on the subject through my liege." He took a sip of his mulled wine, savouring it for a moment. "Always a good idea to be prepared," ever the boy-scout.
"I mean I do know a few things about them already. They can rifle through your being and extract all kinds of blackmail material through the sympathetic connection of being in your presence and a hard stare. They harrow your mental health somehow. They can't start a physical fight with you during the Spring, and they have to Herald their approach during the Autumn. Oh, and obviously, they want to drag our asses back there. The one I encountered had a big fuck off cold iron sword and was similarly appointed with hands that cut like a Beast or possibly like my own. Thankfully it was Spring time so it couldn't touch me. It also didn't know I was there with Light Shy going." It wasn't a lot, but it was more than many people could offer on the subject. "Oh, and then there's the Bargain. If you make yourself apparent in your true form with an understanding human and strike the right Wyrd bound agreement, one of mutual service, it can give you some very real cover as you borrow the mundie's connection with this world to hide you from the other one, but you probably already knew that part." His tone suggested he was just being thorough.
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Post by Blaze on Jan 7, 2022 4:02:47 GMT -8
Oh, so they can sort through my innermost thoughts and feelings? And there's one confirmed sighting of a Huntsman with a big iron sword? Blaze didn't feel like she had her mind invaded, but honestly with all the environmental distractions she could have, and never even notice.
Thanks for the paranoia, Gavin.
As if you could expect anything else from a Courtier of Fear. Ignorance is bliss, but it's probably better to know.
"Thank you for the rundown." She says to the Beast with a grateful smile "What about Winter and Summer? Do they have to observe the same restrictions as their masters do?" The Torrent asks. It seems likely, but better to know in advance if they are going to time their interactions with Isla with the change of Seasons "The Bargain part I knew about, but it's always good to have the basics covered. If I may ask, who are you sworn to? I would be interested in participating in learning more, and pull my own weight if something is needed to make it happen. I don't want to be a freeloader."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jan 7, 2022 13:59:21 GMT -8
"Yeah, I expect there's a parallel there as you suggest. The hypothesis is sound. However, you asked for my expertise. Those were the things I've confirmed directly: The things I have witnessed and some things I've had explained to me based on the outcomes I reported." The distinction was an important one to him. "There are plenty more unconfirmed hearsay reports that go through the rumour mill, but that would just be me parroting things I've heard, not expertise. There is also reasonable supposition. A creature with the known bound task of forcing our return could safely be assumed to have some abilities that would help in both finding and subduing us. And somehow they aren't affected by the Iron they wield in the same way we would be from simply carrying it--or they don't show the agony anyway."
He paused to consider a moment, "They also seem to have a limited target list as they don't take every Lost they encounter. Likely this is due to their allegiance being to a particular one of them. Which would explain the blackmail power. Leverage what you know to get what you want, and all that."
"Oh, yeah, I'm sworn to Dame Scorpio, the Knight of Brambles and Hedge Duelist Extraordinaire." His enthusiasm for his liege poured out.
He nodded along with the professed interest and attitude, appreciative of a kindred spirit. "I've got a meeting set with her for later this evening, I can see about expanding the attendance to include other interested parties if you like."
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Post by Blaze on Jan 9, 2022 7:28:40 GMT -8
Oh, interesting. Blaze figured she isn't the only person in the freehold interested in the verderers, but she wasn't aware the stories make up a significant portion of the city's gossip column. Although perhaps it makes sense: they are second only to the True Fae in terms of threat level and tongues like to waggle about the mighty and dangerous.
"Hearsay reports? Are there a lot of Huntsmen sightings or people studying them? There might be a grain of truth to them after all, although obviously if they don't sound plausible to you then there's probably no reason to concern ourselves with them. Only so many hours in our days."
No vulnerability to iron - that one she might've heard before, and it was confirmed in their meeting of Isla: the little girl wielded the sword like it was nothing, and yet it burned the flesh off of Eis' hand. The contrast was staggering.
She notices the respect afforded Scorpio by Gavin and nods at his brief introduction. The Paladin was a known and respected member of the Autumn nobility, and inadvertently this made Blaze wonder if there will ever come a point when she will need or be allowed to swear vassalage to an officer of Winter. Something to look into with the recent shift in power, certainly.
"What is dame Scorpio like? I wouldn't want to to make any missteps that would reflect poorly on you as the one who introduced me."
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jan 9, 2022 14:30:10 GMT -8
"Well, it's more like chatter and ghost stories. Did a bit of courier work between here and LA before the Trod fell and my joining the Freehold. You get to hear a few things out there. But there are quite a few Privateers and Loyalists in the outskirts and along the road so you learn to take it all with a big grain of salt when you hear things from strangers. I mean 'a monster that must steal a skin to walk among mortals' just sounds like a particularly vicious Hob that broke through to play in the real. Oh, and a warehouse was once reported as feeling like they were 'shopping in Ikea' when moving through it after they got spooked into believing they were being followed. They were in an area I learned had a few Autumn courtiers that liked to play at creating creeping dread and did masked jump scares. Just a bunch of stuff from questionable sources or with other simpler explanations." The Beast also knew he had to cultivate credibility for those times when a true nightmare creature had to be reported. Witnesses who were known for repeating anything they heard tended to end up ignored, and certainly weren't treated like experts. "Don't hear many stories around here though, with the Wards and all, and especially since the LA Trod fell."
"Aw yeah, she's great. She's young and ambitious and carved her own presence into the court through winning Hedge Duels and championing for us lesser Mantles. We sometimes go monster hunting together in the Hedge, it's quite fun."
"She strikes quite the impression, but you don't need to worry about stepping into a minefield with her so much. She's our community morale officer and is quite understanding. Just be respectful of her and her time and you should be fine for a first go." Gavin had yet to see her angry. There was that one hint of her enjoying Icarus' getting served up as an object lesson to the Freehold though.
"Just don't be surprised if you feel like you've got bugs on you. It's just your mind mapping your clothes adjusting slightly to the sounds you're hearing."
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Post by Blaze on Jan 12, 2022 14:05:57 GMT -8
"Well, Ikeas certainly show some labyrinthine qualities with the Hedge. Of those two, the preferable setting to be stuck with would probably be a close call."
Furniture shopping is pain for someone that spent most of their adult years in some kind of barracks or in the field. Just toss a metal frame bed and some simple nightstand her way and that's enough.
"Dame Scorpio sounds great indeed. I've done some time in the military: basic respect shouldn't be a problem. Will keep the bugs in mind." She smiles at him, unbothered. Thankfully, Blaze's Mantle was pretty uninvasive, but she's had enough exposure to the strange to not flinch from most effects "Tell me more about yourself if you would, Mr. Graves. Courier work sounds like one of the most dangerous occupations out there, outside whatever protections the freehold Bargains offer. When did you know that this is something you want to be doing?"
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Post by Gavin Graves on Jan 12, 2022 15:34:20 GMT -8
She wasn't wrong about that. His laugh said that was an understatement. "Quite right. Task objectives are quite straightforward, but the in between bits get a bit wibbly. Kept busy with it for a while though. Just a bunch of contracts sealed up with the Wyrd. Needed a bunch of money to get resettled. Winter has those services, but they aren't exactly easy on the pocket book, yeah."
"More people were interested in me because of my claws though, assuming I'd be all too happy to use them to solve their problems for more substantial fees. Which I wasn't interested in at all. At least with the courier work there was a layer of abstraction from the violence." The abstraction was a slim distance from his distant expression.
"Obviously, that work helped me make a lot of quick connections that you wouldn't want to meet in an alley alone. It's not something I like to do any more though. I like my quieter life out in the bush as a paid guide, both inside or out of the Hedge. A bit of an expert in both areas really." He perked up with his own change in topic.
"I picked up other hobbies with my attunement to Autumn, which you are apparently already aware of. Otherwise, I have a lot of gaps in my memories that I'm looking to fill in." Many Lost could relate with that desire.
The Beast apologized, taking a moment to send a text to his Knight. 'couple more interested parties in the same topic for our meeting, if you're open to it: Blaze and Wayland. Sorry to spring it on you, but opportunity, yeah?'
A second message was fired off to Wayland. 'might have an angle on what you were looking for. You up for a meeting with Scorpio?'
Turning back to his conversation partner. "Just setting it up."
"Who are you, what are you about?" Gavin turned the topic toward Blaze.
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Post by Blaze on Jan 16, 2022 13:37:39 GMT -8
She listens to Gavin's story carefully, noting what he is focusing on and how he isn't shy about claiming to be good at something - which all evidence supports as being true, the Beast was appearing in the context of being mobile and observant.
"Good for you to have asserted yourself. If you're going to only do what others expect of you, all of this wouldn't really be worth it."
Even if Winter practiced a philosophy of evasion and abandonment that was almost nihilist in its approach to worldly ties, Blaze would still hate to surrender her agency completely - as an Onyx, an Elemental and a person. She sighs, pondering how much she can and should share.
"Me, I have a similar problem. Or maybe not so similar. It's hard to distance yourself and be someone new when you're constantly on fire and with a history of violence even before Arcadia. And it's even harder to figure out if you even want to." The tone is kept as casual as possible, despite the implied weight of the topic - a testament to how well-trained Blaze was in her formative time as a Silent Arrow "Let me put it this way, I have experience in both combat situations and therapy work. They're mutually exclusive, so the challenge is figuring out what serves the community best while also achieving something like personal fulfillment. So. Cheers to that I guess."
Someone has very thoughtfully left a goblet with mulled wine within reach, so Blaze raises it and tastes the warm drink. Without regrets or a lot of thought of who might've placed it here.
If you wanted it, you should've guarded it better, buddy
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