|
Post by Krakenbox on Mar 27, 2022 18:48:29 GMT -8
Gavin Graves stood next to the armoured form of Dame Scorpio, who folded her arms in a quiet attempt to look dismissive at the unsettling display. Strewn candlelight was the only source of illumination in the deep cavern of the Echo Chamber, leaving the edges of reality to the imagination of the Hedge. Dame Chunhua's thin form lowered an unconscious Tanner into the black lake, explaining the steps for the umpteenth time to the Witch of the Bitter Wind in gritted whispering that was barely perceptible from the scraping boughs of her Mantle. The younger Lost nodded her head along—easily mistaken for her human Mask until the tracers of her motion revealed a roiling skeletal storm beneath. As Gavin was quizzed on Tanner's profile, the Beast launched into his regular attention to detail, if only to feel better about what little he truly knew. Cheshire seemed satisfied, hand extending to step into the Bastion as Chunhua proceeded to hold Tanner underwater. Scorpio glanced at Gavin as the Twilit Page started to trash violently in response to his Knight silently drowning him, unperturbed by the Beast's strength as the willowy Elemental revealed details about her own abilities. As Chunhua's audible sigh sent Gavin's teeth on edge for an uncharacteristic display of emotion, she began to pronounce the Page's execution, the shadowy silhouette of the Witch emerged in a screeching howl, prompting the Knight of Webs to release her death grip for Tanner to sit up from the void in a violent gasp.--Henley and Victor didn't expect to be sitting across from the Monarchs, but here he was in what felt like the catacombs of an ancient tomb, at a stone table fit for an eldritch vampire lord. Henley gave a wave to the haggard forms of Hua Yuan, Blaze, and Lotus Eater all trying their very best to pretend that they had not slept in twenty-four hours, followed by a very cheerful and potently Emerald Fawkes. In fact, the Sun Banisher's jarring Mantle overtook even Queen Philicia's, choking out her ivy with spiraling ferns and indigo flowers that were hypnotic to stare at. Aster Blau appeared with the Sun's Tongue, Cinderella of Summer, who was clearly looking for Gavin when she asked as much, only to receive a helpless shrug. Frankly, the Ogre was a little annoyed to be immediately pulled from his protective Bargain with his Huntsman fresh on his heels, but the behemoth of the Dead Lord spilling over the table quieted any notion that he wasn't surrounded by arcane masters of terror and bloodshed. Papa Saturday was currently whispering to the Magistrate of Nightmares, with the Incubus' attention partially glazed as he focused on one of the exits. The colour had slowly drained from Icarus' face the longer the Fall King remained stationed in his personal bubble, the occasional talon tapping one of the man's horns to assure He had his ear. When Yuan tentatively asked Cinder of Riley's status, she blinked and paused, clearly trying to orchestrate a placating speech before the Iron Queen's voice blistered across the table that the Oath Breaker was brain dead. She had already spoken to Lucas Chevalier, who had refused to attend with Riley Sorsa's state and political heat. He had handed off a report only when Golden Boy ordered it, who was staring blankly at the state of his Sun Banisher as Sedna read it quietly to him. Fawkes stared right back—his painted razored smile reminding one of a malicious cat.
Blaze and Yuan noted that Oren (and Solomon) were absent. Likely pertaining to Fawkes apparently being under house arrest the entire time and his motleymates inexplicably passed out after Summer's professional liar had insisted the Elemental was fine and dandy. A final Spring courtier was escorted by Squire Rose, who passed on an apology to the Iron Queen for Sir Solomon's absence, and confirmed Croupier had been cleared of Loyalism for his involvement with the child Huntsman. Apparently the creature could charm.Tanner emerged soaking wet from one of the tunnel entrances, leaning on Gavin as they were shadowed by two more Fall Knights.
The chamber was chaotic with the mix of Mantles.
|
|
|
Post by Croupier on Mar 27, 2022 19:44:08 GMT -8
He was cleared.
It was the most beautiful thing Dan Miller thought he could have ever heard. Relief washed over him like a shower, and his illuminated cracks flashed like stars going supernova. When his inner light dimmed, Dan took a moment to glance around the room. He had never seen so many important Changelings in the same room before. Though he was in the Spring Court, he had little reason before now to be within the presence of the Spring Queen, and even less so with the other monarchs.
Some of the faces, if not most of them, were familiar to him. Henley of course, and his partners-in-plotting-crime Hua Yuan and Lotus were also present. Gavin and Aster he recognized from their adventure, but part of him had the feeling that neither of them wanted to recognize him. The courts may have cleared his involvement, but that probably didn't mean much to the one the Huntsman went after.
Instead of making himself known, Dan leaned back in his seat and focused his attention on the proceedings. It looked like things were about to get good.
|
|
|
Post by Golden Boy on Mar 27, 2022 20:45:11 GMT -8
There was an awkward beat as Golden Boy glanced from picking his nails to realize the other three sovereigns were looking at him. The Fairest had stared some of the toughest Summers in the face and lied through broken and burnt teeth, stole blackmail from the Hollows of royalty, and repeatedly dragged to hell for a solid year...
But this was the first time he had felt small since explaining to the middle school principal that he couldn't spell.
He stopped sinking into Nohoilpi's old throne to straighten, feeling the horns of his Crown put weight on his shoulders as he frowned to a war table of Lost at least twice his age.
"Okay, so..." his eyes contracted to slits, "From my understanding we've had a cult spring up around one Fae aspect, which is currently fighting another Fae aspect that's actually the same Fae," he started. The strength of the Wyrd causing the Hunterheart's gaze to temporarily pin each involved Lost, draining from the room as his eyes flared, "And then Tann- the Twilit Page discovered a secret to destroying a full Title, and also my Sun Banisher is claiming to be the former founder of the Spring Court."
Golden cleared his throat, "Lets get everyone on the same page. Take a minute to talk, and have one of you explain what's developed in the last forty eight hours... and we'll go from there."
|
|
|
Post by Henley on Mar 27, 2022 22:22:25 GMT -8
Henley bowed to the assembled Monarchs, his blue-scale face tense with exhaustion from the sheer weight of all that had happened in the conflict to date. A cult? A flight to safety pursued by his Huntsman? Materiel lost, money spent, but with none of theirs dead... frankly, they had been lucky so far, and he had never been happier to have the kind of cash he was blessed enough to make to pull the strings that survival required.
How did everyone else last?
"If I may, Your Majesty, I can offer initial context. Mr. Graves and I were first alerted to the issues surrounding the Lantern's efforts to undermine the Freehold's defenses by a mortal man named Anthony Cartwright who serves as my Bargain. As an associate of Spring and Ivory's relative, Mr. Cartwright has been granted the Sight to help him ensure my safety with prior warning of any danger he might see.
The short version: he came to us about a Snapchat he received that was cloaked in occult symbolism. Those symbols tricked mortals into a deal wherein they would be taken in a week if they did not suffer endless agony. Their time left on earth could be extended if they passed the curse along by passing on the Snapchat, but the time extension they got halved for each spread. You can imagine that this spread quite quickly as people began to die or disappear. Mr. Graves can give you the occult sigil, but suffice it to say that Sir Icarus helped us with the particulars and we were able to devise a means of cutting the chains of sympathy between the different branches of the curse."
He gestured to his palm.
"By sticking a cold iron ring under the skin like an implant and engaging in a particular ceremony, the deal was able to be circumvented and the curse was able to be abated. Temporarily. The ring implants will make them sick in time. It's not a forever solution."
He gave Victor a nod.
"Time was short. We were at a loss as to how to find the hundreds of people who were connected to this... but Victor here has the Crown. So we used it to pull together the influence needed to counter the Fae's influence. That ended up being a student cult focused against demonology. Their leadership has decided to take it upon themselves to attack the people they think are cursed..." A shrug. "The mortals who are infected with dream plague. It looks like we were able to strongly blunt the Fae's efforts this way, and the students aren't looking for faeries. They're looking for demon-related stuff because we used the Key of Solomon as a prop. I think it might be their holy text now. Aaaaanyway. Their lives have been saved, at least for a bit while we figure out how to insert a Bane into the Fae's dream world."
You know. Like creating a religion was no big deal.
|
|
|
Post by Victor on Mar 28, 2022 3:08:00 GMT -8
As a contractor often brought in late and lauded for taking pay without question, Victor knew that he was involved in many things that went deeper than he saw. Usually he would have to be content piecing together what was going on behind the curtain from whispers and shadows. More than once he wished that he could pull back the curtain, though now that he was thrust onto the other side he wasn't too sure he enjoyed being here. He didn't like the plurality of Monarchs involved. At least Victor could be sure that his part in all of this was mostly to stop anything from spilling out as far as it would have had he not been called.
And then there was Henley, calling his name out earlier in this conversation than he had expected. It was all good things though, and to that end, and to the end of backing up the Spring's telling of events, Victor nodded to the rest of the table.
|
|
|
Post by Blaze on Mar 28, 2022 10:16:32 GMT -8
Blaze couldn't be bothered to make heads or tails of the political game of Twister that unfolded before her eyes as a dozen or so Lost or known rank and of none all moved about. Not that she didn't care - there were just too many pieces missing, which might sooner be found if she kept her mouth shut and her mind open. The latter being particularly hard as she fought overwhelming fatigue - the mounting threats to her body and soul left a toll, and there's only so far adrenaline can carry you. Overall, the scene reminded her of debriefing after a major, multi-pronged military operation, and she welcomed that memory.
"Your Majesty, I was one of those called to attend to the Sun Banisher, who at the time seemed to be in a catatonic state. The usual reasons for it were ruled out, but there was a distinct fear that it might be the effect of oneiromancy performed by a True Fae or a Huntsman. Of those present here today, Lady Cinderella and Mr. Yuan were also there. Mr. Chevalier was the one who contacted me."
Her report is crisp and impersonal, delivered in the voice of someone used to brief superiors on the happenings on the ground. Details were carefully chosen to provide a full picture without muddying the waters and it seemed to reinvigorate the Torrent - while still respectful, she straightened out and looked directly at the assembled royalty with resolve in her eyes.
"Mr. Oren and I travelled through the Skein to the Sun Banisher's Bastion. There, we reunited with Lady Cinderella, Mr. Yuan, Mr. Chevalier and Mx. Sorsa and encountered a sphinx-like entity who claimed to be Lamassu, the former Spring Queen. I do not know the veracity of this claim for a fact, but they exhibited knowledge of the freehold's past and present that I find unlikely to be wholly mined from the Sun Banisher's mind, and the potency of Mantle is for everyone to see. While in the Bastion, Lamassu requested that we convince the Sun Banisher to let them use his body in order to be able to traverse to the physical world. The goal was to reach out to the Former King of Winter and His Majesty The Witch King Baron Samedi, who were presented as Lamassu's former motleymates, in order to devise a solution to the Fae attacks. With the help of Mr. Yuan and Mx. Sorsa I was able to convince the Sun Banisher of the necessity of this arrangement. A pledge was woven to ensure limitations on how Lamassu is able to use the body, and for how long."
One thing was missing from her recount of the events in the dream, and deliberately so: it was much more messy than the clinical timeline presented, largely because of Lamassu's own personality and influence, but reporting on that would paint the entity as completely unreliable, as opposed to merely volatile. Blaze doubted anyone here cared much for her opinion, but she thought that if indeed the royalty panics and orders Fawkes' execution, they might lose a powerful ally and a brave man whose only crime is that he took a great sacrifice to serve his home.
"Shortly after the visit to the Bastion I, Mr. Yuan, and Ms. Lotus Eater were called to aid the Sun Banisher in replenishing the Glamour needed to perform the meeting efficiently. At the time it seemed that the Sun Banisher is in control of his body, including retaining his Mantle, but from the start subtle signs of there being a... ghost rider showed themselves. Nevertheless, Lamassu appeared to be a passenger, rather than the driver. We proceeded to attend an arranged meeting orf some criminal elements that were Sun Banisher's associates, with the setup serving to provide nourishing Fear. It is at that point that Lamassu took full control, unleashing magic and pursuing some of the terrified gangsters, creating a breach of secrecy. We proceeded to contain the damage as best we could given the circumstances. As the person in charge of security during the mission, I will let Ms. Lotus Eater continue from there."
|
|
|
Post by Gavin Graves on Mar 28, 2022 18:59:06 GMT -8
Gavin nudged Aster and with a nod in the direction of a space away from the others he moved with the expectation she would follow.
He glanced down at her still untreated injuries, a bit in awe of her fortitude to persist.
"I need to ask for a bit of sensitivity around our reporting with respect to Tanner. He's sacrificed so much for everyone's benefit already. Soon we get to destroy a Fae Title for it. If we go wide with what he's able to do to dredge up arcane secrets about the Fae or that it is challenging for him to the degree we've discovered, I don't think he'll survive. Either the hunts will continue until they succeed in killing him, or he might do it himself. Surely he deserves better than that."
"In my own research I've discovered a means to help him more easily weather his trances without so much cost to him. No more drugs required. We'll get him well now that we know he needs the help."
"If you'll promise to keep those details to yourself, I'll pass along your understanding to those in the Leaden Mirror that could help you in turn." He flashed a smile with a raise brow.
|
|
Lotus Eater
.
Presence (4) Capable |Rigid Mask | Winter Mantle | Status (Licensed Security) | Autumn Goodwill (1)
Posts: 74
|
Post by Lotus Eater on Mar 29, 2022 15:47:26 GMT -8
Lotus listened along to Blaze's explanation of events before their engagement in the events of the evening. It was curious series of events, and she wasn't entirely sure what to make of them. But they were here now.
"Thank you, Blaze. I had been brought on to the mission by request of Fawkes. He wanted me around to assist in keeping the evening on rails. While also being a fallback plan should Lamassu endanger Fawkes or others."
She glanced at Yuan, Blaze, and Lamassu for a moment before continuing.
"As noted by Blaze, the harvesting took a turn when Lamassu seized control. After a violent exchange with one of the humans, handled by Blaze and Yuan, I left to pursue Lamassu. He had followed two humans out of the warehouse. Both had been fed upon by them, and by their report, the human memories were wiped. By the time I emerged, Fawkes was gone, and the humans appeared incapacitated. After a quick stop to grab clothes for Blaze and Yuan not to draw attention to them, I located Lamassu mingling with humans at a food cart. Once relocated we set up to meet Blaze and Yuan, who had received aid from Spring Officer Mitch Carr, who tended their wounds. I cannot speak fully about Mr. Carr's involvement, I will allow Yuan or Blaze to explain if needed.
We rendezvoused at a local bar, where we convinced the owners of a potential gas leak to set up a reason to clear the area. Once the bar was cleared I called on Victor to aid in selling the guise. Meanwhile, we contacted Lord Samedi through a mirror, to begin the meeting Lamassu had agreed upon to help with the dream plague.
That brings us to now. I would like to add, that I recommend a follow-up with the human element to ensure any memory or breach has been handled to its fullest extent."
|
|
|
Post by Aster Blau on Mar 29, 2022 16:25:18 GMT -8
The wounded Viper shuffled behind Cinder. She was clean and hastily bandaged, but otherwise looked worse for wear. Old habits would tell Aster to push through it and put on a mask, but the serpent was exhausted and heavily wounded. Aster winced now and then as she moved, tell-tale crimson peeking from deep beneath the bandages as wounds bled through the deeper layers.
The Viper was stable, but the discomfort from her pain was clear for all to see.
Following the Sun's Tongue in, Aster would move to seat herself near Cinder, presuming it was expected, before she was intercepted by Gavin. Understanding his unspoken desire to speak alone, Aster would follow him to a secluded space, leaning against a wall and absently fishing out a half-finished pack of cigarettes before ultimately deciding against it and putting them back in her pocket.
She listened to his words, taking in his request. Gavin wanted her to keep some details between them in the hopes of helping Tanner succeed over his demons and continue serving the Freehold. It made sense to Aster, but she hadn't planned on discussing material she didn't feel she had a good grasp on in any case.
"Relax, Gav," Aster said, leaning against a wall, "I ain't planning on sharing anything I don't rightly understand. That whole... thing with Tanner is really more your expertise than mine, so I'd have deferred to you on that anyway."
A pause reigns for a moment as Gavin's intent slowly materializes in Aster's mind. The Viper inched closer, her tone dropping to a low whisper as she spoke into her fellow Beast's ear
"Ah... guessing you're wanting a promise, right?" she offers, "Can't really say no ears will perk up to listen, but fine."
Aster cleared her throat quietly, penning the promise in her mind.
"I promise not to discuss Tanner's struggles with his trances or self-medication for three months," the Viper whispered, "Ain't giving you longer than that. I gotta watch out for my ass too if this goes south."
Aster would wait for a beat to allow Gavin to seal her promise before pushing off the wall to take her seat near Cinder and listen to the afforded accounts.
When the time came and it felt right, Aster finally shared her own story.
"I got tapped to join with Gavin to track Tanner down on the behalf of Dame Chunhua after his disappearance," she began, explaining her presence bluntly to anyone not in-the-know, "Gavin and I started out with a visit to his motley to get a sense of what they knew and to gain access to Tanner's room and effects. Both cooperated with our questions, detailing their intervention on Tanner's rituals for his Entitlement as being caused out of concern for his well-being."
"During the course of our investigation, Aello was being harassed with phone calls from and about a gentleman by the name of Sage. I later found a note with this name in Tanner's bedroom among other clues that really didn't go anywhere. When I asked Aello about him, she told me he was a dealer who mostly peddles what you would expect on a college campus, your usual small-time pusher. Known for being pretty chill, but he wasn't chill then."
"He was fired up and blaming Tanner for the state of a girl who came to his house often by the name of Paisley and was currently looking for Tanner as a means of exacting a little vengeance. So, after I tapped some contacts to learn a little more, we decided to pay Sage a visit - but only after we convinced Aello and Gol- uh... the Winter King to keep their distance from the investigation."
"With Gavin's help and my contacts I was able to help find Sage's joint. Sage himself is a known quantity in the neighborhoods around the university and does a lot of his business through a few one percenter MCs and some white supremacists groups. He's something of a peacekeepers for that neighborhood which made his sudden aggression a bit puzzling. We also dug up some intel on behalf of the Cartel that Sage had attempted to hire their Sicario following some rumors one of his girls had OD'd. Gavin came up with the idea to promote ourselves as independent guns for hire and we rolled up after a party had gone down, mostly with bikers.
"We got in and headed up to Sage... who greeted us with a shotgun barrel for our efforts, but didn't pull the trigger. He agreed to chat. Told us Tanner had rolled through and wanted to party. Which was odd, considering his usual behavior. He also showed us Paisley, the girl folks were saying had overdosed. Looking at her was... it was like looking at cold iron. She had a weird burn pattern. Gavin got a closer look, so he can probably say more maybe. Sage suggested it wasn't an overdose and that she was okay one minute and not the next. He believed her interaction with Tanner, whatever it was, caused her state. Hence why he was pissed."
"As the conversation kept going, it became pretty clear Sage was going to keep looking for Tanner and he intended to kill him. He was getting more aggressive with his movements and speech, so I tried to bring him back down. It didn't work. He put a gun to my chest, threatened me, and I decided I had enough. Stopped thinking with my head, I can admit that... I decided he needed to die. His buddies downstairs disagreed and barged in before I could finish the job. Landed a few good hits and forced us out."
"On a side note, Gavin saved my life. He gave me a fruit and got me the fuck out of there. And... I'm owning up to screwing up there. Should have kept a lid on it. That said, considering the fact Sage fervently believes Tanner is the cause of Paisley's condition and the threat he presents to several members of the Freehold, I still maintain he needs to be neutralized, but I'll admit I got a bias. About a buckshot worth of it. Maybe two."
"Either way, we knew that Tanner was gone from Sage's place and likely avoiding the roving bands of bikers and other people looking for him on Sage's behalf, so we roped in Croupier to help out due to his own skillsets. He helped us track Tanner down, just in time to see Tanner running from some bikers."
"That's when shi- er, things got really wild. Tanner tried to coax his pursuers up what I can only surmise was a predetermined route. I didn't follow and series of explosions followed. Around that same time a group of college kids rolled up and started wailing on the bikers. It was... something else. Unexpected to say the least? I lost track of Tanner and Gavin after that so, to avoid detection, I went to an alleyway to escape the search parties that had arrived to look for Gavin, Tanner, and me. The situation was beyond anything I was able to control so I decided to call Lucky Jack, given his own connections with the police. Gave him some details about what was going on and that's when she came. The Huntsman."
"Little girl strolled right up to Croupier, introduced herself, and said she was looking for Tanner too and she tried to enlist Croupier's help. Course, we all heard how that turned out. This Huntsman can charm. Stayed hidden and let Lucky Jack know what I was hearing. Then we decided I did all I could have done and Lucky Jack encouraged me to ghost out of there. I did. And here we are."
Her piece said, Aster leaned back, but she must have aggravated her injuries in doing so, letting out a sharp gasp of discomfort.
"Fuck," she groaned.
|
|
|
Post by Gavin Graves on Mar 29, 2022 21:27:48 GMT -8
The Grimm had sealed his fellow's promise. Three months would have to do. "Maybe keep some distance from Cinder. She can't get what we have." He nodded to the serpent gratefully before returning to the wider group when they were finished.
Listening intently to the details of her account, he watched for the areas he would need to fill in with things he had learned but was unable to pass along through circumstance.
"A bit of a preface for the things I have to add to Aster's account, which were hypothesized early, but confirmed much later: The necessary disruption of the Entitlement Ritual by Dawncatcher seemed to have ripped wide open Tanner's Bastion and the incomplete ritual followed him into the waking world. I'd estimate five or more records were clinging to him and maybe were still simultaneously in process. I'm not sure."
Gavin made a point of looking to Golden Boy. He had already voiced a similar hypothesis to him earlier.
"I think Tanner in the throws of having an overloaded mind needed some assistance in getting his head straightened out and sought some Adderall to focus his thoughts through all the added 'noise'."
"At Sage's place, I'd add that many of the people in that house were thoroughly infected with the dream plague. Notably Sage, Paisley, and the hippie meth-head 'Sheila' downstairs. The bikers, I didn't get a read on. From the conversation it was clear the infected didn't start clamoring for Tanner's blood immediately upon his entry, that came later and was like the flip of a switch."
"Tanner got whatever he was looking for there, but I think the added focus allowed him to continue processing what he was previously working on and somehow his open Bastion upon gaining knowledge of the Bane interacted with the vulnerabilities created by the weeping infection in Paisley. A Dream Plague and an open Bastion with the Title's Bane seated near each other." The math checked out to him anyway. "I tried to get a more definitive read on her with a use of Goblin's Eye, but it came up empty."
"Then things progressed as Aster said, mostly. I had also called Henley as soon as we were in the car and moving to ask for a helo rescue--long before the Huntsman appeared. I expected we might get chased into a corner somehow because that would be how we'd need to catch Tanner too." It was only logical.
"The college kids that came after the infected were the cultists Henley, Victor, and I raised earlier. The explosions were from the use of Nevertread, so there aren't any lingering booms waiting to cause additional problems to worry about."
"When Aster broke away to act as overwatch, I was flying up the side of the building expecting Tanner to leap to the nearby building after the frenzied horde had committed itself to running up the stairs after him. He did jump right off a gangway near the top of the high rise. Not quite where I was expecting though." His gaze returned to Golden Boy with a pained expression at the grim comedy inherited from an earlier talk. "It seemed like he might have a plan so I didn't interfere ... yet."
"He opened a Hedgegate in a tiny window on the other building and managed to thread the needle after spanning the gap, I followed him through and returned to a winged version of myself to catch him and try to glide us down. It was confirmed from the now stripped away mask that the excess records were still lodged in his open Bastion. He spoke in a stuttered voice to 'catch him later' and gave me an Amaranthine to use on him before he kicked me in the chest to break away and maybe to give me more loft time. We were very high up and headed for the canopy of bramble and ground quickly."
"It seemed like he wanted to fall or hit the brambles. Or maybe he wanted me away from him because I was infected too and might become affected by the Bane like Paisley?"
"In any case, I couldn't let him crater into the ground at terminal velocity, so I, uh, tried to do the impossible..." Gavin became nervous at the prospect of being disbelieved.
"I sundered some of the monolithic bramble stalks that were locked together to try a 'Hail Mary' Paradigm Shift solution we'd both be happy with. I maneuvered a massive stalk, mostly clear of thorns, that started off vertical and gradually sloped into something he could work with to run, jump, and slide on and forced the rest of the warp into giving him a big boost in luck for whatever he was trying to do with this fall."
"He still hit the ground and some thorns on the way, but the thorns he hit just happened to dislodge the jam of records and allow his Bastion to close. Unfortunately he was still in a coma as a result of the extended mental trauma and not from physical injuries."
"I squared him away on my back and transformed into a horse, and used all my tricks to shortcut us to the gate closest to Dame Chunhua. On the last few steps in the Hedge the brambles betrayed the Huntsman's presence on my trail. Though I didn't know it was a Huntsman at the time. We stepped out into the world near Treasure Island on The Strip, out of view. I got my bearings, took my human form again, got Croupier's warning of the child Huntsman, called Henley and redirected the helo to the top of the hotel. I then took Tanner through the casino entrance, got him into a wheelchair, covered his blood with my coat, and rolled him through the bar area to put as many 'must be over 21' social problems as I could in front of the child to buy time to get to the roof."
"I got to the roof, clawed my way through the locking mechanism to get out--sorry--and just as I'm about to reach Henley in the chopper the Huntsman whipped a Cold Iron great sword at me and Tanner. I narrowly avoided eating that in the skull," shaking his head incredulously at the remembrance of that harrowing moment.
"Henley had brought a heavy Spring rain to cover what might be witnessed by bystanders and tried to get us out of there in the air."
"That thing just kept teleporting and throwing that huge sword over and over. It hit like a truck too. It is immensely stronger than it looks."
"Henley's impressive piloting managed to dodge enough of its attacks to keep us in the air to get most of the way to his Bargain. Then the damned thing just appeared on the side of the helicopter and was hanging onto and smashing on the door. So I clawed the door off and kicked her and it away. Thankfully, I didn't see her again after that."
"We landed, went to ground, and I called Dame Scorpio to arrange for additional escort before moving Tanner to the help he needed. En route, we were accosted by a Loyalist ambush, but Scorpio drove them off before I needed to do anything further."
He counted out the events on his fingers to make sure they had all been covered, but came up short.
"Oh, and Victor was tapped to help cover some of the messes made on the tail end." He turned to the Chimera, almost embarrassed, "Thank you."
|
|
|
Post by Tanner on Mar 30, 2022 22:40:38 GMT -8
Aster's condition caused Uriel's mantle to roil, blowing bruised petals across the table and floor in a flared heat. Cinderella blanched as she mouthed something along the lines of 'we already offered fruit'. The Viper had taken the bare minimum, keenly aware of the lack of supplies while a war was raging. Tanner frowned too, but not staring so blatantly as to make Aster annoyed with his pity or guilt.
Golden watched Henley, wide-eyed as he explained the mortal's initial role. He internally winced that Aello had effectively been barred from her motley's reunion with Tanner due to lack of rank and occult acumen. He had had no idea that her Bargain and boyfriend had effectively been through yet another magical bullshit adventure that could have killed him. The Winter King wouldn't thank Outback publicly—an active public disconnect from Dawncatcher was essential to ensure their continued peace with the Freehold's political vultures—but he did his best to make a mental note. Icarus nodded to Gavin at the mention of the ritual, confirming the story and clearly reddening a bit as both the Autumn King's mask angled to hover over the Fairest. Fawkes actually snorted as the Magistrate sank into his chair a bit.
The Spring Queen grinned despite the harrowing details of the Huntsman pursuit, and Uriel cocked an elegant eyebrow as she gawked at the Spring and Autumn. Scorpio actually offered a firm pat on her vassal's shoulder with a grin fired at Henley. Tanner glanced between the two older Lost, offering a silent but thankful nod to not interrupt, but slowly losing colour in the process. At the mention of the cult, Golden messaged a temple as Sedna tilted her head to squint at Victor.
At Blaze's mention of traversing the Skein, Icarus looked up from his radiating embarrassment as Uriel whistled. Scorpio actually swore under her breath, chuckling and shaking her head as she muttered. Cinderella's smile was tight as the Summer Queen's gaze pinned her, while Sedna actually blinked and cleared her throat when the Elemental asserted they had somehow convinced Fawkes of their plan. Golden's face pinched as he nodded at the small gift that at least they had apparently set limitations. Eyes slowly landed on the Sun Banisher as the gathered tried to digest what was being suggested, though those of the Autumn Mantle were clearly skeptical and assumed trickery and obfuscation from such an entity.
Surely they would have heard of dream possessions from the dead? Baron Samedi rumbled that the Playmate was quite exceptional in his talents, where one would assume he hosted the Royal Court.
Uriel swallowed whatever rage was causing her eyes to water as she breathed and glanced skyward, mouthing something silently, while the current Spring Monarch's eyes dazzled with a crackling galaxy as she used a Contract or other gift of the Wyrd. The Spring doll's hands clicked as they gripped the edge of the stone table, visibly starting to shake. Icarus actually had the most dramatic reaction, turning as white as a sheet as he openly gawked before slowly putting his head into his hand and breathed to stop himself from swooning. Uriel's frown deepened as she watched him, sharing in some silent secret of shared disdain before Philicia dropped airs and loudly whispered if the Magistrate needed to excuse himself before he got sick (and strategically moving between the Summer Queen). The generational gap was clear as Tanner looked to Cinderella, and vice versa to cue any sort of context of the older Losts' distress. Scorpio expected her nails and decided to ignore Icarus' embarrassing display of anxiety, while nudging the Witch of the Bitter Wind for any sort of commentary that would be helpful. Cheshire seemed more determined to maintain as polite and stoic demeanor as possible in the potential presence of her Monarch's late motleymate.
The only one who watched Saturday was Golden Boy.
His attention shifted to Lotus' completion of the report, with Sedna nodding to the prompt to follow up on Fawkes' assertion that he had pulled the mortals' memories. The onyx Fairest soverign sighed silently at the news of the chaos, flicking to Blaze with some instinctual of guilt that this was somehow his fault for not prepping the more seasoned Changeling. Cinderella did a poor job remaining neutral at the mention of one of her friends almost dying, fidgeting and offering a sad frown at the Playmate. At the mention of tagging in Nimbus' Squire, Golden's jaw clenched as his attention instinctively locked onto Yuan. It was hard to tell whether he was offended at the political notion of involving the High Seasons, or if it was something personal to his own inner thoughts. He mouthed a 'thanks' to Victor as it sounded like at least one thing had gone smoothly in his vassals' hellish evening.
Tanner's ear angled as Aster and Gavin whispered to each other, still as his uneven focus flicked from Cinderella to Golden Boy, resisting the urge to sink into his chair as he held the full context to the weight of his actions now that he was free of a tangled personality. Aster launched into her experience, with him shrinking in the shadow of his liege lord without looking at the dryad (who had not so much as twitched for the entire meeting). His breathing became shallow, blinking as as Aster reviewed the events with Sage before his eyes pinned from side-eyeing the draconic Hunterheat. At the revelation that he had likely caused irreversible damage to several mundies, he finally looked away as both Fairests in his motley looked genuinely pained, though Golden reset as Gavin continued on and locked his attention. Aster's hiss got a firm nod from Uriel, offering some semblance of public thanks to her efforts, though she anticipated that dismissing the Beast to get some rest would only serve to make Aster feel cut out of relevant events, and so left her to stew without too much fussing.
Gavin going into the clinical description of Paisley's fate brought on a grey pallor to the Runnerswift, but he remained passive.
With the details of the Hedge trip and subsequent layering of Henley's escapades with his helicopter, the overall impression from the table was that the court was impressed. Scorpio flicked her wrist as if to dust off the mention of her actions, wanting to keep the attention on Gavin's more impressive exploits and clearly invested in the narrative. There wasn't as much emoting as before, with the stacking of serious instances that nearly cost people their lives.
"Is she dead?"
The question emerged, sharp and direct from the Summer Queen as she watched Tanner.
The Beast rolled his shoulders when the tension had nowhere else to go from his seated position,
"Maybe. I glassed her Bastion."
He paused to weather the wave of negative attention and silent questions, ear flicking as he asked for permission to speak of his discovery. Uriel opened her mouth to call him out on his redirection, but Baron Samedi's order to continue shook the halls of the catacombs. Tanner stood, leaning forward to heave himself from his chair and keep his balance. He finally did glance back at his Knight, asking the Dame for a bowl of water, which was promptly delivered by a scuttling Hob. The Runnerswift hovered his hand over the small basin, hesitating for a moment before his fingertips skimmed the surface and turned the liquid jet black and his muscles tensed as the charcoal roots blistered across his vision.
He inhaled, voice splicing over a corrupt receiver. The voice was distant and aged, echoing across the room like a bat had flown through and whispering from the corners—a Witness watching a meeting, with another speaker of utmost offense.
"Childe of Fairy, we challenge your honour. In your blind, fumbling marches, you bend our Bargain. We summon thee to answer for the insult of your transgression. She-of-the-Sanctuary, the Elysian Field, Cernunnos, The Friar’s Lantern — We name you —"
Tanner's voice discorporates, Mask and mien stuttering into a split mirror as a song of wind and silver bells clamors through the halls, drenching the gathered in the ultraviolet ley lines that guide insects to nectar, the flood of air in the lungs, and the pulse of blood through roots and bodies.
His throat is raw as the recording cracks, bubbling ichor from his splitting lips as he uttered impossible things.
"We salt your paradise with iron — your bonds are cut by the hands that welcome you — the hatred you breed drenches you in the negligence of the accord —"
Tanner hiccupped, sounding like he had just inhaled water. His muscles starting to contract as the roots dig and drain to the point of his skin starting to bruise, and the Knight of Webs reluctantly slapped the bowl away with one hand while catching the Twilit Page with the other.
|
|
|
Post by Croupier on Mar 31, 2022 19:40:49 GMT -8
Hearing his name and the events tied to it brought up more than once made Croupier slink back in his seat in a vain effort to disappear. Even if he was cleared and it was proven without a shadow of a doubt that he had been charmed, it did little to make him feel better. Especially knowing that he could have been charmed so easily. By a child. Huntsman or not. The man had a reputation to uphold!
Even in his slump, Dan's brow furrowed. Come to think of it, he remembered the events just as they described... but he couldn't remember being up on the stand. Or being asked any questions or anything. Did they even ever address him this whole time?
As he waited to see if he would be called up to recount, a splitting pain cracked Dan's skull in two. It felt like a migraine delivered by the blade of an axe. Touching his forehead, Dan closed his eyes and tried to ignore the pain. He doubted they would break for recess over someone having a headache.
Then, just as soon as it was there, the headache subsided. It did not vanish, but merely faded to a dull ache. He sighed with relief as a smile crossed his face. Then the smile dropped and a feeling like being splashed with cold water hit him hard. An audible gasp escaped and he caught it just in time. What he hadn't expected was the fear which gripped him. The sudden, sharp sensation of primal fear one experienced when alone and at the mercy of someone else. His teeth snapped together and tears welled in his eyes, threatening to break.
Then, all of a sudden, the feeling was gone. The headache. The fear. It all left as though they had gone to the lobby for snacks. Dan looked to his left and right, to see if anyone had noticed.
|
|
Hua Yuan
.
Presence 2 - Nostalgic; SL 1 - Flawless
Posts: 304
|
Post by Hua Yuan on Apr 1, 2022 1:34:22 GMT -8
Yuan had spent most of the meeting thinking about the bucket of fried chicken he had to leave outside for propriety's sake. His restless leg kicked the dirt for boredom while the Nobles conferred and reports were exchanged. From time to time, he pulled a face at Lamassu for no other reason that to entertain himself with the dead Monarch's response. At Golden Boy's reaction, his focus was pulled however, with pupils rapidly dilating with zoomies and an anticipated game before he reminded himself he was dealing with a King, however young he was.
To Cinderella, he offered a nod of recognition. He mouthed that they would talk about it later, more to her benefit that any leftover trauma he perceived. After all, his humanity was safely shelved away, whether he was aware of that fact or not.
Still, the Courser couldn't help but whistle as Aster made her way to the middle of the gathering. A professional eye went over the warrior and ran a mental tally of wounds. It didn't look good. "You look like shit. I could ask the Bishops to help, if you’d want?"
His eyes widened with a flash of remembrance. "Oh. Your Majesty," he said as he turned to Golden Boy. "Bishop Carr mentioned something about a complaint? About payment for his help. I offered to settle the debt, but apparently it can’t be another Spring. I wanted to give you a heads up."
His leg had stopped kicking dirt. Was it the best move to get Blaze to make smarter choices? No, not at all. But this wasn't about politics. It wasn't even about helping someone. Yuan wasn't thinking as a politician, or even a counsellor. He was just a well-meaning Spring trying to help out.
|
|
|
Post by Aster Blau on Apr 1, 2022 15:19:28 GMT -8
A tired, serpentine gaze eventually lands on Yuan as the Viper shifts in her seat, adjusting herself in order to make breathing slightly less uncomfortable as she mulled over a response.
"No," she offered bluntly, "This is penance. I'm in this position because of something I chose to do, not as the result of seeing to the needs of Court and Freehold. This is a lesson, Yuan. One I intend to learn from. Can't do that if I run to the Bishop's for help."
That was that. Aster had no intention of receiving healing for pain she felt she earned via a lapse in judgement. THe Viper had been told her condition was stable, she just needed rest and help with changing the dressings now and then. On the whole, she would survive without Spring's assistance.
THen came a revelation, as Aster began to understand she had not offered gratitude for the Playmate's concern.
"Uh... thanks though," she said, the cadence awkward, but earnest in its delivery.
|
|
|
Post by Gavin Graves on Apr 2, 2022 18:33:14 GMT -8
The Knight of Dying Light seemed to be squirming between the attentions of powerful beings and a hidden history. Gavin sought insight into the nature of it through the overt expressions and shuffling by the Incubus. The intensity of it and whom was reacting spoke to its importance.
His proud liege heartened him through the pressure building in the room. She had brushed off her own contribution to the outcome as well. If he hadn't wisely called on her or she was unavailable, the pair of Beasts might not have made it through the final leg of the journey. He smiled and nodded his gratitude toward her anyway in the telling, making sure it had landed.
When Uriel clamped down on the most vulnerable point in the Beasts' telling, it gave Gavin pause. He really didn't know what had actually happened with Paisley and Tanner and hoped his reasoned conjecture would have carried in the absence of facts. It hadn't slipped by the tip of the Iron Spear though. There were scant few members of court there that needed to be deflected in that room, and she was one of them. Golden Boy would have a more direct conversation with his friend and the truth here was not necessary. Saturday would get the truth in time, if he didn't have it already. The Knighthood of the Leaden Mirror and Officers would show solidarity enough to keep silent publicly. Philicia seemed to be rolling with the excitement in the telling of the story, or chose to not make an issue of it. Saturday pressing forward over the raised question allowed the Razorhand to breathe again. Gavin lingered on Uriel's expression and demeanor for a beat before following the flow of action.
Within the space bought by menacing Ogre, the Knight Dryad and her vassal had begun formally calling on the magic of Names. Gavin had heard tales of Names drawn in the right manner having powerful compelling affect on creatures of Faerie. These shaping effects on powerful beings had a kind of similarity to the vulnerabilities stemming from Banes or the unignorably loud command of Taboos. He had never before witnessed it in operation, let alone it be called on one of the Keepers. Once it had begun, nothing else in the room mattered. The Beast was rapt in attention on the ceremony and the whispered hints in the crinkles of unseen Autumn leaves that spoke directly with his soul.
Aster's expression of contrition was agreeable to the Beast. He didn't have any need for her suffering though, but it sounded like she wanted it. Perhaps she even needed it to make the wisdom sink deeper than the wounds themselves. In any case, she was adhering to Autumn's lesson without further prompting. Gavin was satisfied she likely wouldn't make the same mistake again in the future.
|
|