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Post by Krakenbox on Feb 21, 2022 22:14:13 GMT -8
Lotus made her way quickly and efficiently along the periphery of the Strip, almost moving in tandem with whatever Fawkes was up to several blocks over. It was only a matter of time until she hit a line of transients and modest kiosks offering knockoffs, bits, and baubles. The Wizened walked the line before eventually hitting a variety of reliable sizes and colors that wouldn't attract immediate attention by a passerby. She also grabbed some bottles of water and Clorox Wipes to try an alleviate the blood and inevitable smell.
What she didn't expect as the alarm sound to keen higher and louder, swinging her head to note that the Sun Banisher was in no particular hurry and seemed to be chatting with a group of mortals outside a Korean friend chicken joint while having a smoke. The Mantle was already twisting the environment around him, making the fountain they were sitting around look like it was in a garden.
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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 23, 2022 7:30:19 GMT -8
Lotus quickly stuffed the supplies into a bag. Glancing down at her cellphone for a moment making sure no messages had come through from Blaze or Yuan.
She paused as her eyes fell on Fawkes; this was complicated. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the effects of the mantle; the winter courtier took a moment to read the situation. Watching the mortals, to see their awareness of their situation and the effects the mantle may be having upon them.
Glancing to her phone she quickly taps a message to Blaze.
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Post by Krakenbox on Feb 23, 2022 23:44:51 GMT -8
It hadn't even been an hour since the shootout. How Fawkes had managed to integrate with a group of mundies so quickly seemed above and beyond his normal social abilities. They seemed cordial, like the sicario was a welcome friend as he bummed a cigarette and received a food order. No one questioned the distinct split across his face like he had been on a date with a knife edge.
Either his 'alt' was the king of smooth talking, or magic had been deployed. It was startling to think he was just chasing down gangsters like a monster hunting prey, and clearly wasn't agitated for the experience.
Did Fawkes even care about Huntsman being able to sense the tearing of his Mask?
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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 Mar 2, 2022 8:03:49 GMT -8
Fast calculations were needed. She could deliver these clothes to Yuan and Blaze and have them back her up in their current state. But Fawkes could be gone by then or worse. Handling this Alt alone wasn't ideal either, but she reasonably sure left unattended, this problem would surely get worse.
Glancing before crossing the strip, she made her way towards Fawkes and company. Her face was cold, severe, and unimpressed.
"Having fun?" She said to alert Fawkes of her presence. Before she gave the mundies a cold eye, letting them know they weren't exactly welcome around her or him.
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Post by Fawkes on Mar 2, 2022 10:32:54 GMT -8
Fawkes blinked at the approaching woman, taking another few seconds of staring to register her quiet signature and mien. A friendly wave was offered as he gestured for her to join them.
"Are you hungry? I've come to the unfortunate conclusion that either he's starving himself, or eats like shit," the Elemental laughed.
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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 Mar 3, 2022 12:45:51 GMT -8
"No,thank you" she said an amused, glancing to the mortals who had been sucked into this 'alts' charismatic presence.
"I am sure his diet is trash; grab your food, it's time to go," She stated firmly in a guiding voice.
Lotus glanced down the strip. She wasnt to keen, with huntsmen about and who knows what else would be drawn in by this Alts use of power. Seeing Fawkes with a spring mantle was enough to give her shivers.
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Post by Fawkes on Mar 3, 2022 16:46:36 GMT -8
The Elemental fiddled with an indigo clematis as Lotus spoke, a stray streak of red blood welling from the split across his face mixing with the molten gold that threaded through the broken porcelain. He offered a slight smile that cracked along the edge, as one of the mundies seemed to be trying to keep his attention with a video on his phone; it might have been wider if the Mask wasn't so tight, or spread fire across their face.
The small amount of attention the Sun Banisher was affording Lotus Eater was jarring, given her intense presence. Many of the other mortals were sizing her up and greeted her in turn, offering a light for a cigarette or asking if she wanted to order something too. Fawkes was worriedly offered a napkin to manage the wound while another offered whether he needed to see a doctor, and he seemed to remember something as he blinked and proceeded to dig out an Amaranthine.
It was set aside and immediately forgotten as the group cheered the arrival of Korean fried chicken.
"Where's the other two?" Fawkes asked, finally remembering another detail among all the noise and stimulation.
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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 Mar 5, 2022 12:01:48 GMT -8
The situation was off putting to say the least. The charismatic nature of the entity within Faweks tore a whole deep into the uncanny valley. Lotus eyed the mortals in their vicinity, for a moment the temptation to tell them all to fuck off (mostly for their benefit) swelled in her throat, but causing a scene more than Fawkes already was was not ideal.
As the question drew her attention once more to the Sunbanisher, her eyes narrowed.
“Back where you left us, and tending their injuries. You left quite the mess" Her statement came as a list of facts, and less accusatory. Lotus didnt know enough about the deal struck between Blaze, Yuan. She wanted to threaten him that the oath would be hard to fuffill if they were dead, but she knew not if that was an empty threat.
“Your chicken has arrived. Grab it lets go”
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Post by Fawkes on Mar 6, 2022 21:46:17 GMT -8
The small smile held, eyes clicking in their sockets as his attention shifted to the Goblin Fruit as Lotus Eater spoke as a quiet pop was made with his lips.
Fawkes took the hint that the Winter wasn't in the mood for the game of coded language — as fun as that might have been, if she was passing up the opportunity she was likely pissed or distressed. Picking up the larger bag with likely more than one order, he started walking back towards the chaos, before pivoting and offering the group a two fingered salute, more cracks forming on his face as he grinned at the chorus of questions and laments. The gold started running and breaking off to sparkling droplets from the animated motions.
"Anya was just about to get into the topic of her divorce," he offered, wondering if the other was low on glamour and needed the draw. When the Wizened showed no indication of intent, he walked alongside rather than waiting for her to steer the direction. Ferns started breaching and curling through the pavement, making the path dizzying to look at as the spirals felt like they moved with their own coiled secrets, the Mantle contributing to the boost of positive emotion that she was finally getting what she wanted.
"The two mundies were taken care of...Memories are spun and plucked and I was gone before they would have come to. Not sure where the third went, but that's a quick fix," he thrummed, voice taking on a pleasant, symphonic quality that Lotus had never heard before. Usually the Elemental was flat and choppy, like he had to bite off his communication between breathes. "I have to ask, however—the lot was terrified and running, and the fourth was literally tied to a chair. How did we get hurt?"
He offered the Amarantine in a restorative gesture, oddly graceful with his articulated movements as everything flowed and snapped together.
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Post by mavspade on Mar 8, 2022 11:27:16 GMT -8
She glanced to Anya for a moment, uninterested, before looking back to Fawkes.
As Fawkes seemed to be willing, the Winter courtiers heckle relaxed. Civil was always better and if recent events were to suggest anything, tonight had a lot more in store. Best pick your battles.
"One didn't run, and fear can be a strong motivator. He chose to fight "
Lotus didn't pay the goblin fruit any mind, she wasn't in the mood to be bribed, and if anyone needed it, it was Blaze.
"Blaze could use that more than I," She said simply. She wasn't going to go into violent details of the fight given the mundies around.
"Help was on the way, they will be waiting for us" She nods back towards the meeting's directions. Moving to guide Fawkes along. She took a moments pause before asking an unsusual question.
"Do you know who I am?"
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Post by Fawkes on Mar 9, 2022 23:52:04 GMT -8
Fawkes kept his mouth shut on the matter of the mundie being blessed by every thread of the Wyrd to come out on top of that kind of scenario; bemusement lost on the Elemental's placid Mask. As the Winter rejected taking the fruit for her companions, the abomination of the Dream tossed the gift idly in the air so they could continue to catch it and keep themselves amused. "That was the idea," they chuckled patiently, seeing where the misunderstanding happened. Lamassu did suppose that Blaze had no real reason to turn it down from Fawkes' hand, but had felt it would be better coming from the Riddleseeker. Approaching the block where it had all started, Lotus asked the pertinent question and her phone buzzed with Blaze's update. Fawkes swayed and hummed an eerie symphony to himself as he considered the question and wormed for any potential snapshots in their host's psyche. "It's like he's got a built in auto-tune — It's very distracting once you get the hang of it," they laughed, pitching their voice higher and more feminine. The journey slowed as the Sun Banisher lit a cigarette and gestured to several haphazardly parked vehicles outside the warehouse, where a cluster of people were speaking to each other at a distance, drawing Lotus Eater's attention and waiting to see how she wanted to proceed. |
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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 Mar 10, 2022 14:39:46 GMT -8
Lotus glanced down at the phone. Taking in the message before glancing at the people Fawkes gestured to.
"We'll meet them down a couple blocks."
Blaze had said she would meet them, and with the area hot, avoiding returning to the site worked well enough for Lotus.
She begins to walk another way, pulling out her own cigarette and bumming a light from 'Fawkes'.
"you can give it to Blaze yourself," she said referring to the fruit. He was gonna need to make up for the stunt pulled, and that gesture was something to start with.
Fawkes not answering the question regarding her name didn't go unnoticed by the wizened. She observed the stranger that wore a familiar face.
"Depending on Blaze and Yuans state once they change clothes. We will need to find a mirror" Lotus wasn't looking for input from Fawkes, more signally the upcoming transitions once they rendezvoused with the others.
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Post by Fawkes on Mar 11, 2022 20:08:28 GMT -8
The Mantle washed through Lotus' as Fawkes lit the woman's cigarette and ticked his head to read over her shoulder. There was a quiet sigh and stream of smoke as they pivoted direction once again. He didn't seem to find the question important enough to even construct a lie or distraction, and was referring to himself in the third person.
"...Of course I don't." It felt like a game, with the full expectation that the Riddleseeker would be baited into trying to understand. They picked up the piece from another point in time, instead of following the ritual of the gifted fruit narrative.
"We should of all got one, you know, so we could spot one another in a crowd and not get lost," he pointed out, gesturing the Lotus' collection of tourist attire with the cigarette cherry leaving a winding trail. "What is the mirror for, pray tell?"
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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 Mar 13, 2022 12:22:49 GMT -8
She figured that was the answer. Which landed some of her suspicions of the nature of the Alt. Though how it was possible she didn't yet know. That wasn't important to the task at hand.
“Lindsey” She says simply as an introduction holding out her hand to Not Fawkes. “Do you prefer I use Fawkes, or another Moniker?”
She led them off the main strip finding an area near a shop plaza with benches not far from the street. Easy to see, public enough to not be suspicious, but clear sight lines for incoming problems. Now they just needed the others to arrive.
“Dont worry” she remarks about the clothes. “You won't be easy to lose in a crowd.” His mantle was impossible to miss.
“If you really like the style, I’ll grab you one after this is over” she teases in a dry tone.
“The Mirror? Our high profile meeting, or the next step towards it” she said honestly if not a bit vague.
Rude individuals were nothing new to Lotus, half her clientele were rude, often chauvinists, and mortal. Luckily the alt-Fawkes were just rude, and difficult.
She lets out breath of smoke, her keen eyes wandering the public. Waiting and Alert.
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Post by Krakenbox on Mar 13, 2022 15:52:15 GMT -8
Having the collective idea of what it meant to be a Changeling, the entity offered a shallow bow instead of taking the other's hand. There were far too many Contracts where physical contact allowed permission for change. "Names are a powerful thing, I'll leave that decision for yourself," they chuckled, taking humour from Lotus' quip and the lack of appreciation for squad status.
"I'll hold you to it."
The glass-tight smile stretched a centimeter at the mention of a meeting, with Lamassu wondering how the other Spring planned on handling the deal that they were supposed to teach the Beast of eldritch bargains and the key to eternal life in so many words. Yuan and Blaze eventually emerged from the shadows, gesturing for Lotus and Fawkes to join them as they hastily changed, pausing at the entity offered them some of the prized fried chicken like this was all some comedic misadventure. Lotus reminded him of the goblin fruit, and the Sun Banisher held out the Amarantine without much thought to the bleeding split across his own face.
Once, they were warned that they needed to ghost before the Huntsman closed in, the gravity defying gold thrummed and spiked into frenzied ferrofluid as the Elemental blinked, mouth open in a half-formed question that only came out as grinding static. Coughing silica into his fist, the Elemental picked a new rendezvous himself, belting out a piano bar at Harrah's before reality refracted and erased him from their minds.
Whatever was piloting the Sun Banisher kept their Mask up as the other three caught up, with the bar itself too loud to allow for conversation to follow and far, far away from the confrontation in the warehouse. They could have passed for Fawkes, if not for the animated gestures as they spoke and the occasional expression splitting the placid deadpan the Elemental would usually tout.
"So, Yuan, I ask again how you want me to fix Spring's issue? From my understanding, if I don't meet your demands, I'll be long gone before any meeting can even start." They mimed holding a phone to their ear. "I no longer have the Season's ear without the crown."
There was a slight tonal inflection as they spoke; perhaps a little frustrated and distracted at the state of their legacy now having Huntsman crossing the border. Lotus Eater mentioned the mirror once more, and the Sun Banisher said the change rooms where the performers congregate might have something appropriate.
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