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Post by Krakenbox on Jan 30, 2022 22:00:40 GMT -8
Yuan only had a grand total of four hours to himself before his phone buzzed. Rather than a mounting crusade of Summer picking apart Oren's report, it was a straightforward series of texts from the Sun Banisher. The Elemental wanted this done and over with ASAP, and didn't seem all too concerned about accommodating anyone's sleep schedules. He had obtained just enough glamour to reseal his Mask and take care of his motleymates, but he declared a time and a place for harvesting the Strip. Blaze received similar updates, with the Onyx looking to stack the deck with those in the know and allied with his court's interests—she was looking to dig into the Freehold's history with the Autumns, wasn't she? Might as well use that as a bridge to harass the Witch King.
Lotus Eater received something a little different, with Fawkes pulling rank and asking for a promise of secrecy to maintain the Freehold's security. It was just a seal, and the Sun Banisher had a good record where indulging his paranoia often proved worth it in the short term when they had worked a few investigations together. Between the shadows of the neon lights and casino traffic, Fawkes gave the general rundown that he needed Lotus for general oversight of a political operation, and bluntly described it as "babysitting". Frankly, he needed her harder experience with the underworld to back up Hua Yuan, and her own perspective on oneiromantic conditions to contribute to Blaze's insight. Ideally, they would gain some occult knowledge from the whole ordeal to put towards understanding this new threat and insight into repairing Seasonal favour. He had a healthy sense of reducing variables, and anticipated his human identity might pose some dangerous interactions if things went off the rails. The question then was if the other two were capable of carrying themselves, who exactly was Lotus Eater sitting on? That's when he asked for promises on the Wyrd, and the other Onyx was given a very simple request: make sure that his alt made it to Saturday and Nohoilpi, and make sure he was himself at the end of the day.
If not, she was given full sanction under an officer's purview to circumnavigate the Freehold Oath and put a sword through the problem.
It was an odd arrangement, but Fawkes was explicit that the alt could be extremely persuasive and manipulative. Even if Lotus Eater had all the confidence in the world, the Sun Banisher was insistent. At that point, the Wizened started to clock how utterly resigned and hollow the normally intense Torrent was acting despite how put together he appeared on the surface. The excited pacing was stilled, and he didn't break into one of his normal rants when she held open the door in hopes for further explanation. Even his bright, unblinking stare had a dullness like he was sick, and he had long forgotten the cigarette between his fingers when he normally smoked like a chimney.
It was around then that the other two arrived.
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Post by Blaze on Jan 30, 2022 23:33:52 GMT -8
Blaze arrived, dressed in something just nice enough to not stand out in the parade of vanity that is the Strip, but not so nice that she'd be mistaken for one of the casino beaters. Elementals could be manic and intense - she'd know, she was one after all - but this was worrying. But it quickly proved nothing in comparison with how the Banisher looked: like the father of all shellshocks, that is.
Shit. In that case, it makes sense to pump him up with Glamour - assuming of course it won't go to Lamassu, the brain leech that was Queen. It's probably safer to go for something other than desire, just like it's safer not to wear porkchop earrings in a lion enclosure.
"Good evening, everyone. What's the plan?" Short and to the point, but kept polite - this is for a comrade after all, and from the looks of it a chance to get to know another fellow Winter. The Torrent didn't seem too tired - they had light sleep and the remaining slowness was nothing a few shots of strong black coffee (no milk, no sugar) couldn't fix.
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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 Jan 31, 2022 11:24:15 GMT -8
He had quickly thrown an outfit together, trusting his Nature to do the rest of the work for him. His head was still ringing even after the unethical amount of ibuprofen the Beast had ingested. His whole body felt like rust had settled in his joints, sending protest at every movement. It felt like the worst hangover of his life. Of course, no one would believe him, not that he'd ever allow himself to actually complain. No matter how shitty Yuan felt, he still looked good. Flawless.
In a cruel twist of Fate, his connection to his Season had grown over the four hours he'd been alone. Maybe it was from meeting the Dead Monarch. Maybe it had been from the neck-break run through the Hedge with Gavin, Nate and Mitch. Riley's departure had also shaken him in a way that he hadn't expected. The pursuit of Desire to its bitter end was something to be commended. Right? Regardless, Yuan had reached an understanding of his Emotion on his own, without vassalage and Knight. He arrived in a flurry of tiny, white dandelion parachutes, each seed a promise of growth in the harshest soil. This much was the usual, but now it came with a subtle reminder that each moment was precious and an invitation to share this moment with others. A desire to connect.
The Strip seemed like a weird choice, given that it was neutral turf. He wondered if there was a particular reason for that, but his worries were quickly replaced with new, more pressing ones: Yuan was alone with three members of the Silent Arrow. Should he disappear, very few people would dare ask questions. He mumbled greetings to those present, waiting to hear what was needed of him this time. Without his usual warm smile, they were reminded that despite his Mantle, he was made of metal and glass - detached, distant.
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Lotus Eater
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Presence (4) Capable |Rigid Mask | Winter Mantle | Status (Licensed Security) | Autumn Goodwill (1)
Posts: 74
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Post by Lotus Eater on Jan 31, 2022 12:39:20 GMT -8
Lotus was wearing fitted black slacks and white button-ups, which had left a few buttons to keep cool in the warm Vegas night. In one arm, she held her black suit jacket; her hair was tied back and altogether had a professional demeanor about her. She felt at home on the strip, and it showed, not a tourist but an insider.
Her mask was far more potent than usual Losts, giving only the faintest hint to the Mien beneath. The strange emerald oxidization and tarnishing over fingers only caught in just the right light.
"My name is Lindsey" Human monikers felt more appropriate given the rendezvous location. The Wizened offered a hand to each in turn if they would take it.
"Fawkes has called me in. I will be running security" The wizened couldn't help but smile, though the joke really was only entertaining to herself.
"I understand we have an important rendezvous with some VIP's correct?"
She spares a sideways glance towards Fawkes.
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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 Jan 31, 2022 15:05:37 GMT -8
Yuan accepted the outstretched hand, thankful that the social etiquette was working in his favour without him having to force it.
"I'm Yuan," he responded flatly, his eyes looking to meet Lindsey's gaze, his cat-like pupils shrinking slightly as he took her in. His grip wasn't strong, but it was steady.
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Lotus Eater
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Presence (4) Capable |Rigid Mask | Winter Mantle | Status (Licensed Security) | Autumn Goodwill (1)
Posts: 74
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Post by Lotus Eater on Jan 31, 2022 15:57:23 GMT -8
The Contract strained for a moment against the Ridgid mask of the Wizened before finally giving Yuan insight into Lotus. She was of sound mind, showing no strain on her grasp of reality.
Lotus Eater, as she was known in the Freehold, was a private individual. She had kept to herself, doing her work and out of the spotlight, so details were sparse. Rumors suggest she had a talent for dream work and was a capable Oniormancer. She worked for the Casinos, tasked with security and loss prevention. Some say she has underworld connections, taking the odd job here or there in 'retrievals'.
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Post by Fawkes on Feb 2, 2022 21:30:25 GMT -8
"Just a quick Harvest. I set up a drop where someone thinks they're about to die. Then we summon King Samedi and have a conversation. Um. It's Saturday. So..." Fawkes exhaled, the sound whistling through unseen cracks as the patterns strung through his mien began to fade, "Not a great day."
He showed the innocuous piece of charcoal and mimed a sigil in the air to show what pattern he intended to trace. "Over a mirror. A big one. And a lit candle l̸̲̃a̴͖̓i̴̙͋d̴͇͒ ̸̹́à̷̟t̶̠͒ the base." His voice cracked in an odd audio distortion as he spoke, stopping mid explanation. The feeling of tension the trio had forgotten was there was starting to dissipate, like a passing storm. He blinked a few times, grimacing as his head ticked and his Mask seemed to be fighting his expressions again.
"King Same̴͔͒d̶͇͛i̶̤͑ ̴̖̓s̴͔͝h̵̹͝o̶̻͆u̵̧̬̬̟͊̈ļ̴̳͚̹̂̕d̸͓̻̟̾͝ ̴̱̥͚̥̀͠b̴̯̝͆e̷̟̦͔̿͛ ̶̦̝͕̏̀͜a̶̞̩̮͐̉͘͝b̶̡̧̿̎͘͝ľ̸͙̏̈́ē̴̥̼ ̵̫̎͜͠t̶̪͒̎́̋ǒ̷͇̳. Call Nohoilpi. From there. Shouldn't overcomplicate things."
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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 Feb 3, 2022 10:36:59 GMT -8
The Playmate frowned. Last time he had checked, the Elemental's sanity was pretty far from okay and there had been very little time to do anything about it.
That was a lot of information all at once. Sigil, mirror, drop off. Someone who thinks they're about to die? "But we're not going to like. Actually kill them, right?"
He looked around at the other two, remembering who he was with. Grumbling something under his breath, he simply put his hands in his pockets, flipping the bird to proper etiquette and social niceties. Resignation that whatever Fawkes had planned was going to happen regardless, thought Yuan didn't feel like pretending he was fine with it. He stifled a yawn and asked no one in particular. "Any pointers on how to approach the Winter K- Nohoilpi?"
"And what should we do while you 'Harvest'?" You could feel him making air quotes in his pockets. The sooner this was over with, the sooner he could go back to bed.
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Post by Fawkes on Feb 3, 2022 12:11:28 GMT -8
"No. I said 'think.'" Fawkes barked quietly. He relit his cigarette, Winter signature continuing to fade as he watched the Playmate.
"And you don't. Let Samedi handle̷̛̼̝͂̌̉̾͂̀̇͗̆͑̌͝͠ ̴̤̬̺̤̭͖͔͖̿̓̋͒͌͜͜͝ͅị̸̢̨̥̝͚̲̟͉̮͖͂̎̐̍̂̌̇̕͜͝-̴̞͚̣̖̪̩̇́̈̆͌̄̄̇̕͝͝" he coughed into his arm, the noise like glass in a blender.
"I don't fucking know. Yuan. Maybe. If I'm suddenly someone else. Make sure things don't gḙ̸̘̥̠͔̠̖͇̑͊̐t̸̢̙͔̗͓͋̑̚ ̸͎̿̃̀ċ̸͕̱̬̻̳̔r̴̨̮͈͎͗̌̈́̆̈́͐̂a̵̱̖͐̅̕z̷̙̰̩̞̀̀y̷̛͙͌̉̐͘͠.̸͔͈̞̗͇̦̈̔̎̆ ̶̺̫̣̞͖̀̋͂̾͌̍̐̄You're the one who wanted occult secrets." He head tilted, agitated in his rapid-fire monotone as he bit off the words between the grating distortions. "The fuck else do you want. Me to do. Find a widow and talk about her dead husband?"
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Post by Blaze on Feb 3, 2022 13:33:57 GMT -8
Blaze didn't have a lot of pieces in this puzzle and what she did have she didn't fully understand which probably applied to everyone here, including Fawkes and whatever is ghostriding him. The coal and sigil matched what Fawkes did during the Ashen Hunt but she didn't fully get how that magic worked. She didn't get if Saturday is a bad day for Samedi merely because of some ill-timed linguistic joke or if it's some kind of obscure frailty. She didn't know what kind of effect the Fear and Sorrow filled glamour is going to have on the gestalt entity before them and if the Torrent - already under a lot of strain - isn't going to be prone to sudden bursts of destructive emotion.
"We should keep watch. Make sure nobody interferes with operational objectives, but otherwise the VIPs should have their time." She says. Of course, the probability of FUBAR existed, as it always did, but at least no one is shelling them with mortars "Nice, simple and quiet. I'm reading this as strictly peacekeeping, hope it stays that way."
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Lotus Eater
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Presence (4) Capable |Rigid Mask | Winter Mantle | Status (Licensed Security) | Autumn Goodwill (1)
Posts: 74
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Post by Lotus Eater on Feb 3, 2022 15:19:35 GMT -8
She takes in Fawkes quick hand occultic hand motions. Her index finger dancing slightly in a delayed mirroring of Fawkes.
The wizened eyes darted between Fawkes and Yuan as a moment of tensions flared. She had just stepped into whatever miss this was, and it was clear from Fawkes brief and the pressure here. A lot had already happened.
When Blaze spoke up, Lotus cracked a smile. The Elemental mode of operating was something she could admire. A little military, sure, but the Ifrit was objective-focused. Lotus appreciated that.
"I think I am gonna like you," she said with a half-smile to Blaze, nodding in agreement to her statement.
"Unless you had someone in mind, Fawkes, I can provide some individuals" She had a long list of individuals she kept an eye on, a few debts, a few warnings. You might as well kill two birds with one stone.
"Or I know a few spots where it will be easy to find someone suitable. We keep it simple and clean so that we can move on. "
She shifts her attention To Yuan. "To your question regarding Nohoilpi. Traditional signs of respect. Bow or kneel. You may speak freely, but interrupting, I wouldn't recommend."
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Post by Fawkes on Feb 3, 2022 16:28:17 GMT -8
Fawkes was not okay.
The effects of Clarity numbness was showing its teeth. The mannequin almost seemed drunk in the way he fumbled his phone and struggled to light the cigarette. Blaze didn't need to be an expert read to recognize the gruff affect that bled through, though Yuan contextualized it as a mix of a higher ranking officer digesting that this group may be in over their heads without his immediate steering and a younger man scared about his fate and the consequences of the unknown. The stark impact of his Mantle was rapidly tapering off, leaving the fragile shell of the glass Elemental without the weight of his Seasonal service. He mostly seemed to just be reacting at this point to simply get to the next checkpoint, and not capable of much else. Maybe if he was in a better state he would have taken the time to explain his thinking and relay a detailed plan.
Blaze couldn't get a specific fix on whether the Sun Banisher was finally shattering under the weight of poor work-life balance, but the volatility of the situation was obvious where she couldn't anticipate how Lamassu would effect or manipulate things. Yuan and Blaze recognized that Baron Samedi usually held open court on Wednesdays, which Blaze knew had occult connections to Mercury, research and open communication, while the Saturday itself was closed off and more focused towards tidying up loose ends and more suited for self reflection and meditation. Associated with Saturn who ate his own children, though his reign was one that was associated with peace. The strange Ogre may want to be left alone on his own day.
He blinked at Lotus Eater's offer, seriously weighing it as he took a drag and slowed down his own shredding thoughts between the entity clawing its way through his psyche. "Um. I set up a drop. But if you think it's a better. Strategy."
As his phone buzzed, his attention swung towards the network of crumbling businesses that dotted the border of the Strip; not standing a chance to stay afloat with the pull of more enticing businesses.
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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 Feb 3, 2022 17:11:27 GMT -8
Once upon a time, the Playmate would have backed off with profuse apologies for speaking out of turn. Now, the glowing embers of his newfound Icon fuel self-worth. Why should is opinion matter any less than someone else's?
"We're on the Strip," he started, keeping a level gaze on Fawkes. He was trying to pace his speech to not come off as condescending. "You could probably get Desire by the bucketful. Or I could, if you want to swear a motley Pledge." He shrugged. "Or I could ask Cinder for some Goblin Fruits. Gavin brokered a good deal for Summer, so."
He didn't apologize for his short temper, it wouldn't serve anyone. Still, his body language shifted, from defensive to something more open and ready to engage.
"Let's just take it one step at a time, yeah? If this is the plan you're comfortable with, let's do that. We'll take care of the rest." He needed Fawkes stable for now, for just a little longer.
Yuan stepped to the side, letting the Winters take care of one of their own.
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Lotus Eater
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Presence (4) Capable |Rigid Mask | Winter Mantle | Status (Licensed Security) | Autumn Goodwill (1)
Posts: 74
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Post by Lotus Eater on Feb 4, 2022 8:48:49 GMT -8
Lotus crossed her arms, with her ink-black fingertips cradling her chin as she considered the options provided by Yuan.
"Valid points, and perhaps less risky. Though do we have the time?" The question was asked in earnest.
" I will be first to admit, desire takes time and skill to harvest." Not that fear or sorrow didn't, but their blunt options were more accessible, At least in Lotus's experience.
" Fawkes, can you tell us more about this drop?" Of course, the more they-she knew about this plan, the better. The wizened was not keen on surprises. A plan she knew would make this run smother, however if pushing Fawkes for details was going to destabilize the situation, the path of least resistance might be the optimal choice.
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Post by Blaze on Feb 5, 2022 5:43:46 GMT -8
There's no answer to Lotus' expression of approval. No verbal answer, that is - Blaze allows herself a brief smile and a nod. The other woman's attitude was something she also tried to keep up, even if they moved in different circles. perhaps it's no coincidence that their official introduction happened here and not on some party or other.
"I don't think defaulting to Desire is a good idea. There are too many unknowns at play and yes, there are time limits to consider." A pledge like Yaun suggested could be a solution, but Blaze doubted Fawkes would go for this additional connection. Otherwise, she can't imagine a man like him would be good at Harvesting Desire on a good day, much less when he's hanging by a thread like now, with a creature of Desire probably drooling for the meal. And with the meeting of Monarchs to consider? Too. Damn. Dangerous.
And yet.
"But I will do what needs to be done, and what Fawkes thinks is best."
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