Log:Autumn Court Meeting: May 2017

Autumn Court Meeting: May 2017
"Welcome!"
Participants Haydn, Nana, Oliver, Tristan, Ashe	2017.05.25 The Autumn Court meets for May.
Location The Caretakers' House
Another month has passed and it's time for the Autumn Court to meet again. There's the smell of food coming from the kitchen that's just off to the side of the meeting room. There's tea and coffee on the long table waiting for people to partake of it. Ashe is settled into a seat off to the side of the head of the table, the seat is set aside for their Councilor, August Bordeaux. It's in case he shows up. She's dressed in black per the usual and is quietly thumbing through some notes. Uvall, her bat, is snoozing on a book not too far from her hand. Oliver arrives in a fluster. His hair is windblown and his makeup needs to be retouched up. It looks like he hurried to be here on time. Slung onto his back is a long documents tube hanging from a strap. He doesn't appear to have brought anything else. He removes his tophat and looks around, milky blue irises glow with an unearthly luminescence and his glassy black ridged horns gleam in the room light. Oliver arrives in a fluster. His hair is windblown and his makeup needs to be retouched up. It looks like he hurried to be here on time. Slung onto his back is a long documents tube hanging from a strap. He doesn't appear to have brought anything else. He removes his tophat and looks around, milky blue irises glow with an unearthly luminescence and his glassy black ridged horns gleam in the room light. <repose for Nana> Tristan arrives, dressed in one of his finely tailored charcoal grey suits, the large raven, Harrow, seated upon his shoulder, fixing those gathered with a piercing stare -- the bird, not the man. The man, for his part, makes his way directly to the tea and pours himself a cup before giving a dip of his head in greeting to those gathered and finding himself a seat. "Evening," he says to the others already present. Harrow shifts off of his shoulder and onto the back of a nearby chair of his own, perching there. Nana comes shuffling in, using her walker at every other step. Shuffle shuffle scoot. Shuffle shuffle scoot. Her little yorkshire terrier trots along and around her, looking up as though wanting to make certain that the woman won't topple over in a strong breeze. She keeps shuffling in until she nears a chair, and then veeeeeeery carefully eases her rather large butt down into said chair with a gusty sigh. That's about all she is good for at the momet. Ashe gives a look up when others start to filter in and there's a nod of greeting to Oliver, "Mister DeSoto." the Shadowsoul states. Then there's a look to Tristan when he enters, "Mister Darrow." she dips her head in greeting. Then when Nana enters there's a wave to the Wizened, "Good evening." she states as she straightens in her chair. "Aaron said that you three recovered the pages from Echoes Lament from our journal we are piecing together. I wanted to thank you for that." she tells them. She then looks to the clock and then the empty chair for August, "We might not have a proper meeting tonight, but if anyone has business, please feel free to share." she smiles. Oliver goes to pour some tea as well, following Tristan's lead. He sits down and peers left and right, waiting for others to speak. He's brand new and wants to avoid a faux pas. He does ask, "What's the value of this journal that's being put together? Any clue yet? Isn't it Winters who're keen on lore for lore's sake?" "It would seem that you've already covered the only business that I have to discuss at the moment," Tristan says to Ashe with a small dip of his head. "The pages were acquired. But it is my understanding that there are more that are needed in order to locate that which it is that they lead to. Do we have any leads to follow toward acquiring more?" He glances over toward Oliver and arches an eyebrow. "As an Antiquarian, I can assure you that I have a keen interest in Lore for its own sake and am, most assuredly, of the Autumn Court. I suspect that there are those in Winter who also enjoy knowing things for the knowing's sake." Ashe gives a look to Oliver, "Winter are secretive, but as Tristan said, there's probably some that enjoy lore collecting. Autumn collects lore, especially if it has to do with the Occult and things." she states. "This journal is from a courtier that passed away. Pages were removed for some reason. It is an account of his search for a Hedge Beast that hasn't been seen in years. Which might explain why it's been taken apart." she chuckles. Then there's a look to Tristan, "I'm trying to piece the journal pages together to see where we need to go next. It'll probably take me a few more days and then we'll be able to go to the next location." she tells them. Ashe then gives a look around the room and then back to everyone with a smile, "I also wanted to bring up that there are Freehold positions that need to be filled by other Autumns that are pledged to the Freehold. Should any of you be interested in filling a spot, please let us know." Oliver tells Tristan. "Sorry, Darrow. Didn't mean to offend. I'ts just that I'm somewhat more of a practical bent. And I like to make myself useful so that's why I'm helping." He looks to Ashe. "I'd be interested in serving the freehold but being a Harvestman is my prior committment. Just let me know how I can be of service." He sips his tea. Tristan's black-eyed gaze settles on Oliver and he says, "None taken. I'm a professor of poetry and literature. One might argue that practicality is the farthest from my qualities." He then turns his attention back to Ashe and says, "I'd be interested in continuing to assist with the hunt and any research that might be needed, of course. I am very curious to find out what this Hedge Beast will turn out to be." Ashe gives a smile to Oliver, "The Academics of Autumn aren't easily offended, so that's a good thing." she tells him. "And yes, the Harvestmen are a big part of the Freehold groups. Byron is running late this evening due to business I believe." she mentions. Then there's a nod to Tristan, "I'll work on getting the pages worked in and translated. I think the deeper we get, the worse it will be. Not that we can't handle it. But we'll be careful going forward." she nods to this. "And I appreciate you guys helping. Also for showing up." she smiles. Oliver returns the smile, brilliant white teetch appearing behind dark lips. "Can I ask a question, ma'am? Do we want this beast to catch it and make it ours, or will we be hunting it down to kill it?" He sets the mugs down and picks up his top hat, pulling a business card out from inside it and handing it over to Ashe. Tristan nods his head to Ashe and says, "I would imagine if it was worth it to scatter the pages enough, then it will likely grow more dangerous as time goes on, as far as finding them. The first was child's play, almost. But I suspect that it won't be so easy next time." It seems, by the tone of his voice, that he finds this a challenge rather than a detractor. Then he looks over to Oliver and says, "I would hope, depending on what it might be -- that we might study it a bit first before making either determination." Spoken like a scholar. The Autumn Court meeting is a little smaller than it usually is this evening, but the conversation is lively and there's people gathered in the meeting room with various teas and coffees being drank. Most are sitting on either side of the table, leaving the head of it open for someone else. Ashe gives a look to Oliver and she frowns for a moment, "Sadly we don't have much on the beast. Which is why we're collecting the notes. If it's a huge threat we'd need to take care of it for safety reasons. Otherwise, if it's been something that's been built up via elaborate story, we can keep an eye on it and catalogue it." she chuckles. The card that's offered is taken and she gives a look to it, "Thank you, Oliver." she tells him. Then she nods her head in agreement with Tristan, "I'd much rather we do research and study before deciding if we need to dispose of it, yes." she tells them. Uvall realizes that there's a meeting going on finally and the chubby vampire bat cracks open an eye before waddling up his owners arm and then disappearing into her hair. Oliver nods to the others, "Well heaven grant us the time to have that luxury then." He sets the hat back down and reaches for the tea cup. "Let's hope we find it before our enemies do." He cracks his knuckle eagerly. "Considering how long it's been missing, I would think that we have some time in its finding and some in its study, provided that no one is providing our enemies with the details that we've obtained so far," Tristan says, not seeming too concerned about the possibility, at least not yet anyway. The large raven that sits on the back of the chair next to him turns his large head and stares at Oliver but is otherwise silent, and then it is apparently watching Uvall as the bat climbs into Ashe's hair. Tristan takes a sip from his cup of tea and says, "As for Court positions -- I haven't yet sworn to the 'Hold, so I'm afraid I can be of little help there." Trust the snail to be late. The leisurely pace at which Haydn makes his way through the house to the meeting room confirms that he very likely doesn't know how to hurry or that he might have any cause to do so, that there might be an apology or four to make. Not that the man's made a habit of being present much of late, the school year putting a high demand on teachers. The tall, slick-skinned gentleman wears his grey suit jacket open, the white shirt beneath immaculate in color, but creased from a day's wear. He enters as unobtrusively as he can, a careful scan of the room allowing him to identify what he wants and where he intends to go, which leaves him collecting a cup of tea, unadulterated with any additives, and settling into the nearest empty seat without so much as a hello. "Thankfully we have the only copy of the journal. So I'm hoping no one else knows of it." Ashe states to everyone. There's a look to Tristan and a nod given to him, "Do you plan on joining the Freehold or is that still something you're considering?" she asks him. When Haydn enters there's a smile to the snail and she gives a nod of her head in greeting, "Good evening. You've just missed us speaking on our beast hunt and freehold positions needing filled." she catches him up a bit. Oliver makes a few polite goodbyes and withdraws to head on out to his next committment. He's a busy boy these days. Tristan looks over toward Haydn and dips his head in greeting to the man as he takes his tea and joins them. He says his goodbyes to Oliver before he trundles off, and then his attention returns to the topic at hand. "I haven't decided, at this time. Though it's not outside the realm of possibility. I'm still getting to know both the area and those in it before deciding." Haydn's eyestalks don't move properly with the rest of his head as he nods to Ashe as she kindly catches him up. The, "Thank you," he offers, even quiet as it is, carries enough local hallmarks to make plain to those who might not know him that he's from around here. One of the optical receptors atop his head pivots to track Oliver's departure, but his gaze turns to Tristan to watch the man curiously as he's asked about his intentions toward the freehold. Whatever he makes of the answer provided, he offers no comment, no shift in his studious expression. He simply looks to Ashe and poses, "I serve the freehold in another capacity." Not that he flashes that Cross of his, but some might know he has it. "If the court needs my aid." The sentiment goes unfinished, his tea lifted, sipped. Ashe gives a wave when Oliver departs. Then her attention goes back to Tristan and Haydn. Nana has dozed off. We aren't waking Nana! Tristan's explanation makes her nod, "Understandable on that. Either way, we are glad to have you here." she tells him. Then there's a look to Haydn, "I think the court will need your help with a few things going forward." she nods to that. Then she starts to explain the situation of the Beast that Haunts to Haydn, given he wasn't here for the earlier information.