Log:Emergency Autumn Meeting
| Emergency Autumn Meeting | |
|---|---|
"Wait. What?" | |
| Participants | 2017.12.17 Ashe calls an emergency Autumn Court meeting. |
| Location
The Caretaker's House | |
| she had called an emergency meeting and that was rare for the Court. Which meant there was something to hear. The Shadowsoul is seated off to the side of the room with Byron this evening. At the head of the table there is a space reserved for Marc. In the center of the table and at the ends there are fresh pastries and warm drinks as well as waters for those who want them. Byron has taken up a habit lately of following the Queen around a little more often, so when she calls a meeting of the Court, he's already found a spot to lurk beside her, with a mug of something that still steams, gripped in both hands. He's not offering any conversation, just quietly sitting and watching the faces of new arrivals as they come in. Esther enters the meeting room with a box of donuts and a faintly anxious air about her. Perhaps her recent title has her a little shook up. She waves to all who have gathered and puts the donuts next to all the other pastries on the table. Then she proceeds to grab a donut and a pastry and make her way to a seat. Kelsey has perched themself on a somewhat out-of-the-way chair, at a polite distance, as befitting someone (a) new in the area (b) not yet sworn to the freehold and (c) who glows just a little (well, their hair does, sometimes) in a Court run by a Shadowsoul. One does not challenge the Queen's aesthetic. One does, however, have a pastry, because around here things appear to run on baked goods. It's Sam's second visit to the Caretakers' House. But it's his first time seeing it so populated. And his first time seeing many of the present faces since swearing to the Freehold. Yet, he doesn't seem shy. He wears a smile that puts his small, pointy teeth on display. The setting of the sun having turned the feral slits of his pupils rounded like a cat drunk on belly-pets. He waves and takes a seat, bundled up in both an oversized sweater and a too-large army surplus jacket. He sheds the latter to upholster his chair and pulls his feet up onto the chair with him - already eyeing pastries (both those already on the table and those brought by Esther). And you will eat them and like it, Kelsey! The click of heels on the flooring announces a certain siren before she appears: Poppy makes her way into the room, dressed in black jeans, a loosely draped, cowlneck sweater in dark red, and dark red stiletto boot; she has a dark grey messenger bag over one shoulder. She glances around, smiling cheerfully at familiar faces before moving to the table to help herself to something hot to drink. Marc -- the guy who fainted at the last Autumn court meeting -- comes in with, instead of eating the pastries on the table, a cup of chocolate chips from the kitchen. He looks smaller-- how the hell does he look smaller? OH. YEAH. He's not wearing the late-90s/early-90s business suit jacket with the shoulder pads befitting a linebacker. Just an oxford shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the top buttons unbuttoned, his too-wide tie loose and his hair mussed. His ladybug friend is gripping his collar and telling him as they enter, "This is the only caffeine you're allowed. If you want a hot drink, you're getting chamomile tea." Ashe gives a look when everyone starts to come in and the Queen gives a nod of greeting to everyone. "Good evening everyone and thank you for coming out." she states. Then there's a look to Marc and then to Scully and a bit of a smile, "Good evening to you two as well. If you'll be seated." she motions to the seat at the head of the table for them. "You can begin whenever you are ready." she states. Esther devours the pastry in one bite, chewing slowly as she observes the businessman and his ladybug companion entering the room. The donut follows the pastry in quick succession. The temptation to grab another is obvious, but the ogress decides to concentrate on the serious business at hand. Sam does manage to tear his gaze from the pastries and get a good look at the others around the table. But it's only after he caves to lean forward, scooting forward in his chair until his feet are nearly back off of it, and takes a pastry for himself. He bites and chews the edge of it as he settles back in his seat and takes a good look at those gathered; including the newly arrived Marc and his ladybug friend. "G'd evenin'," mumbles Sam back through a mouthful at Ashe's greeting. The fox-eared Antiquarian, fingers smudged and skin pale, looks remarkably put on the spot when Ashe encourages him to start. If she hadn't literally scared him into fainting and had to spend a jillionty lengths of time calming him down and making sure he knew he wouldn't be eaten or Taken, he'd look really put-upon. Instead, he just looks lost, glancing around the table. "Hi. I'm Marc Wright. I'm from the Soundless. The Envoys don't know I'm here. They think I'm dead. Please don't tell them, or I probably will be. I'll-- I'll answer any questions I can, I just-- I can't betray any of my friends, I won't. I won't sell them out. So if your freehold has-- has any gentry in it-- or anything-- then don't... don't send them to the Soundless. It's not-- it's safe there. People are safe there. And it should stay that way." Poppy moves over to an available seat, unshouldering her bag and crossing her legs as she makes herself comfortable. As Ashe calls attention, she glances from the Queen to Marc and his ladybug companion, sipping from the contents of her mug. As Marc speaks, she gives him an increasingly skeptical look, particularly towards the end of his statement where he starts to comment about Gentry; at that point, her expression is down right incredulous. Finally, he stops and she asks, "Why the hell did you leave?" Ashe just gives a look to Marc, "Why in the hell would anyone's Freehold have a Gentry /in/ it." she asks him. "That's madness. They aren't puppies or friends." she shakes her head. "Why are you running from them? Why do they think you are dead?" she asks. Has any Gentry in it? Kelsey's eyebrows go up, and the flicker of candleflames reflects in their hair as their Mantle manifests a little more clearly for a moment. Their attention flickers, too: to Poppy and Esther first, then settling more steadily on Ashe, lingering there till Poppy speaks up. At which point they look back, not to Poppy, but to Marc. Watching his reactions to the questions being asked. Esther looks like she could eat Marc. But her expression is kindly as she looks at the man. "We have no...what is the word the children use? We have no meat with your freehold. We only wish co-existance with you. Why do you think we would hurt you?" Sam has a fair bit to catch up on. He studies the faces of the others around the table as Marc of the Soundless speaks and begs upon them for secrecy from his own. In turn, he looks to Marc's face when questions are posed in his direction. He doesn't pose any of his own, while studying - he keeps his usually busy mouth occupied, for now, with pastry. "Beef," he manages through another mouthful, after Esther. Sam's contribution as crumbs fall to his sweater. "If you're not going to get any chamomile, then at least eat your stupid chocolate chips and calm down," mutters Scully from Marc's lapel, before quickbzz taking off, her wings like a labcoat flapping, and landing on the table in front of him. Marc opens his mouth to say something to Poppy, and then gets Ashe's question and shrinks back a little, all kindnesses aside-- and the ladybug heaves a mighty sigh. "He's still having trouble with the concept of Entitlements. You explained it to me very well, and I've tried, and you've tried, but you have to understand-- he--" "I can handle myself, Scully," Marc says edgily, leaning over the table and glaring down at her. She gets this look on her tiny face like 'mission accomplished' and shuts up. "I left because it's next to impossible to get any information outside of what the Winter and the Autumn tell us. And they told us you guys are dangerous, that you're all mad for building here, that you've got baby gentry in your midst. But I had to know the truth," he says earnestly, laying his smudgy hand flat on the table. "I just-- didn't expect to see what looked like confirmation literally my first day in town. No offense, Aut-- I mean Ashe. I do get that you negotiate. And I know they're not friends or puppies or anything, it's just-- I came here to poke around and find out, and since the Envoys are still in town and you know I'm here it's safer for me if I just lay low." Which brings him to 'why do they think you're dead', and 'why are you running', and... looking really puzzled at Esther, and... Sam helps, and his face clears, and he eats a couple of chocolate chips as fortification. "I left without permission. I can't go back anyway, so it's better if they're not looking for me." Ashe gives a look to Marc, "Sam and Marty came sniffing around one day and used the excuse that a few of ours couldn't keep their mouths shut. Our Queen at the time had them silenced via oath after they had a second transgression and then they left the Freehold. The other that had issues wasn't a member of our freehold. So, I'm not really sure what the issue is. They never said anything to use about 'baby gentry'. So what you're being told and what we're being told are completely not matching up." she admits. Because she'd never figured that out entirely. "Is it because of the Silver Tree that used to be here?" she asks as she looks to Marc. Esther's odd word-choice and Sam's subsequent correction are met with a grin from the siren, then Poppy sips her drink again, giving Marc an encouraging look as he replies; her expression turns thoughtful as she processes the answers offerd, then she glances to Ashe before looking back to Marc. "Silver Tree?" "-- without permission?" Kelsey repeats. But their voice, while pleasant and startled, is also very low indeed. So very coming nowhere near talking over Ashe, or even Poppy. Esther's beady eyes narrow at the mention of "baby gentry". Her face screws up with confusion, then she blinks as if she understands. "Are you sure they didn't mistake some powerful Lost for low powered Other?" And more confusion with that permission problem. She nods in agreement with Kelsey and grabs another donut. Sam finishes his first pastry as Marc bickers with Scully and fields answers. He leans to replace it with a doughnut from the box Esther brought along - after she grabs another. He shows no sign of slowing down his mooching of the free food on display. Matters of baby gentry and silver trees are met by attentive ears and eyes as he snacks. Poppy, Kelsey, and Esther chime in with questions, while he chews, that serve his own curiosity, and he follows them diligently with his regard. Marc has a blank look for Ashe's explanation of Samantha and Marty, and he shrugs and shakes his head. "I'm just surprised that they were allowed to come here." Then he nods, frowning a little. "Well, we used to be the Silver Tree, but not many people know that. That's safer too-- I mean, the Silver Tree let Dawns in. That, in addition to the location-- that just makes the whole place gentry bait. Plus-- it's not already Winter here, which is dangerous too. You're not supposed to keep to the equinoxes and solstices, because that's predictable, and being unpredictable about when power's handed over is what keeps the gentry away." Scully hop-flies up to his shoulder again, trailing back over to his shirt collar, but is otherwise silent. Marc eats a few more chocolate chips and talks with his mouth full. "Without permission, yeah. I mean, our court's lost the most people that way. They never come back. I have my suspicions why, which is why I faked my death." He glances to Esther and shifts uncomfortably in his seat. "People start turning into gentry after a certain point of getting power. It's only a matter of time before a high-Wyrd Lost goes for broke, you know? Which is why this whole freehold is kind of nightmarish. Yet another way to be a huge beacon." "The Soundless used to be the Silver Tree..." Ashe states with a blink. Apparently she didn't see that one coming. "Your members were slaughtered." she nods to that. "But...was it by Gentry? It was in the real world." she asks almost aimlessly. Then she looks back to Marc, "Something...isn't adding up here. You guys just left this place to be happened upon by some other people and then when someone does settle here, you come and start being suspicious instead of going 'hey some crazy shit happened here you might not want to settle here!'?" she points out. A blink from Poppy's end as well at the comment about Silver Tree, then the siren mutters something that sounds suspiciously like 'always winter, never Christmas' under her breath for a moment, the choral nature of her voice obscuring some of the details, but then she falls silent and listens a bit more. "Lost most people which fucking way?" she asks, apparently trying to clarify. "What do you think happened to them?" A rather musical snort greets the comment about nightmarish freeholds, but she doesn't comment on that. The part that catches Kelsey's attention, at least the part at which they visibly sit up straighter and lean in a little, is when Marc says 'being unpredictable about when power's handed over is what keeps the gentry away.' Their eyes narrow just a little; then they settle into a more thoughtful expression. No questions this time. Not when the others are asking about more practical and likely more immediate details. Esther inhales her donut, but holds off on taking another when she sees Sam partaking. She scratches her chin thoughtfully. "There are so many theories about how to keep the Others away. Some believe that being unpredictable messes with them. Some believe that being predictable messes with them." She shrugs. "And what is wrong with Dawns? I don't keep with their hopefulness, but that shouldn't cause trouble for a freehold." Sam is new enough that most of what he hears serves as a briefing of sorts. It gives him a certain distance from the things being discussed. But the mention of seasonal predictability and high-Wyrd sorts turning gentry does get him looking to the Autumn Queen, wondering after a response. He finds more talk of the Silver Tree - and more context to understand. His interest there is drawn back in, and he devours the second half of his doughnut with pointy teeth as he listens. Here, it's Marc's turn to look wry. "And now you see why I left," he says really quietly. "I'm not gonna lie. Fate's Harvest makes me nervous, but I'm about ninety percent sure that Winter's not just curtailing what we can find out, but is actively feeding us misinformation. I came here because things weren't adding up and I wanted to see for myself. If I was right... well, I have a few ways I left open to get information to other people so they could maybe hope to get out, or get it to enough other people without the Winter noticing..." He digs in his cup of chocolate chips for a double that got them stuck to each other. "But I literally don't know what's true and what's not. Then he glances at Poppy. "People looking for the truth, when they think they're being lied to? If they're really being lied to, then Winter's not going to let them come back with proof. I think they got killed." With the double chocolate chip in his mouth, Marc rubs at his chin and squints at Esther. "The're the most dangerous of the weird new courts, because all they do is change things, and just because they can. Just because something's old doesn't mean it's bad." "So to sum this up...you're being ruled by fucking liars that don't want you to seek new things and to learn the truth." Ashe growls as she stands up. "Or am I getting any of that wrong?" she asks. "Dawn's just don't change things willy nilly. Just because they can. If you want to meet a Dawn that knows Dawn then we will introduce you to the Waylady." she nods to this. "You realize that we /cannot/ protect you to the fullest here should they come for you. But we will do our best." she nods. "That's a shitshow," the siren agrees with Marc's assessment of those members of his Freehold that had gone missing. "I'm pretty sure someone around here can help you stay the fuck out of trouble, though if you're still pledged...only so much that can touch. Still. That's not forever." A sideways glance at Ashe for some reason, but Poppy doesn't comment further. Esther listens to Marc, her head tilted slightly like Oprah doing an interview. Then she sighs. "My Queen speaks the truth," she says. "And Autumn is not about just tradition. We are capable of adaptation and change. We learn from the old and the new." She leans in a little. "You know. Unpredictability." Second snack devoured, Sam leans forward to take another doughnut as the state of things among the Soundless is made clear. He doesn't bother to stand in defense of Dawn - and nor does he agree with the statements made against the Court. In defense of Autumn's relation to change, he does add, before his first bite of the fresh doughnut, "There are pro skaters old enough to, like, be grandparents." He takes the bite, and with a new mouthful adds, "They can still probably learn new tricks. They're just careful not to break their bones the same way the young ones do." It ends up a partial agreement with either side - in that caution dispatches change for change sake. Only applied through old dogs and new tricks. Kelsey half-lifts a hand, not enough to actually look like a student wanting to ask a question in class. Then almost-smiles, between Ashe's growl and Esther's lean in in turn, not to mention Poppy's blunt opinion. "If this place makes you nervous," they say to Marc, "but you're still looking for truth -- I'm not from here. I've only been here a couple of weeks. And I'm not part of this freehold yet. I was intending to see if there was an opportunity to take care of that tonight ... but if you'd prefer a source not yet connected by oath to this freehold, as a way to check on what you hear from it, then if the Queen permits, we could take a day or so to compare what you learned there against what I learned elsewhere. Would that help you be a little less uncomfortable talking with the people here?" Scully pokes at Mark's neck, which he doesn't feel, so she buzzes her labcoat-wings at him irritably instead. "Are you still pledged?" she asks testily. "Is Mexico an option?" Marc asks her dourly. He looks up at the group around the table again, slouching into his seat and stirring chocolate chips around in the plastic cup until the warmth of his hand starts melting them against the side. "Scully raises a good point. I might not still be pledged. I'd definitely wait until the actual solstice to be sure, though, since I don't know how long the Winter would let the Autumn keep the crown. I would appreciate not getting shot. If I can't just run the hell to Mexico and not look back, I would also appreciate the opportunity to actually--" He snap-points at Kelsey. "That... sounds really helpful, but also unnecessarily dangerous for you. Much better protected by oath than staying without." A beat, and he looks thoughtful. "If you wouldn't mind, actually, may I see you take the oath?" Then he glances to Esther and Sam, head tilted a little to one side, and an eyebrows-up half-lidded crooked smile -- which looks extremely comfortable on his face so is probably ordinarily there a LOT -- takes up residence. "Well said. It's just hard to see anything for what it is, if you're kept in the figurative dark." Ashe looks to Kelsey for a moment and then there's a quirk of her eyebrow, "Are you sure you are ready, Kelsey?" she asks him. Then there's a look back to Marc, "I just want you to be /safe/. You aren't safe with them and I know that you are unsettled here. Part of that's because of our high Wyrd people, but none of us have designs on becoming Gentry. I don't see why anyone would." she shudders. Poppy grins at Esther and Sam's comments, then tilts her head, listening to Kelsey. At Marc's words, she shrugs. "If you're not pledged, anywhere's a fucking option, at least as long as they don't realize you're still alive - at least from what you've said. If you are...well." The siren makes a face, then falls silent, looking towards Kelsey again. Esther leans back, and goes silent for a while. So much has been said, and it is clear that Marc has heard her words and understood them. She only mutters one thing. "Unpredictable Winter..." Sam returns to eating that second doughnut as Kelsey asks their question - to answers from the others. Marc's answer to he and Esther gets him to perk up a bit in his chair, with his knees up near his chest and doughnut in his mouth. He gives a belated nod and great toothy smile to the compliment, and then chews some more as he follows the discussion of oath around the table. A curious twitch of his nose at Esther's muttered statement. "I've spoken with one of the Waykeepers," Kelsey says to Ashe, "and studied the laws. People from this Freehold," they glance to Esther, then back to Ashe, "have already fought on my behalf, without asking or requiring recompense. I owe this Freehold." He pauses, and gives a little tilt of his head. "I should also note first that I have a mutual-protection pledge with someone who does not intend to swear to the Freehold in the near future; he supports it but he has an issue with giving fealty for any reason. If this is a problem, then tell me and I'll find a way to resolve it first. I see it as being an indirect way to be certain whether or not he's causing trouble for the Freehold, since it would break his pledge with me ... but I'm well aware not everyone would read the matter that way." Elia arrives in the meeting room. "Talking with all of you-- here, tonight-- has already made me less unsettled. I don't know if I'll ever get used to high Wyrd stuff, but..." There's an EMPHATIC nod at Esther, and Marc splats his hand flat on the table. "Unpredictable until it comes to costing the Winter himself any power," he grouses. And then he slumps back in the chair and Scully flutters off his collar and up into his hair, hiding there to take notes or something. "They won't know unless someone tells them. I should really buckle down and learn some of those hidey and shapeshifty contracts..." he starts to tangent, but then focuses abruptly on Ashe. "And you want to see me safe, and that-- well. "I want to believe." Then he's silent, listening only to what he actually even just /asked Kelsey and Ashe for/; no more interruptions from him. Ashe gives a nod to Kelsey's words, "I know of Edmond's reasons for not swearing to the Freehold and I understand them." she states. "As for the mutual protection oath you hold, I don't think that it will effect a Freehold oath." she tells him. "Byron and I have the Heart's Oath and we also are under the Freehold Oath. So it's not conflicting." she admits. Then Ashe lets Kelsey process all of that, "If you are sure on that, we'll do this. Just repeat after me." she states. "I pledge my time, my talents and my fealty to Fate's Harvest." "I swear that I no longer serve the Fae, nor will I while this promise stands; that while I am under its protection I will obey the principles and bylaws of the Fate's Harvest Freehold as ratified by Monarch and Council, in return for the support and safety they provide." "May I perish in exile, should I be forsworn." Once that is done, Ashe steps forward and hands Kelsey one of the Autumn pins with a smile, "Welcome to Fate's Harvest, Kelsey." she tells him with that stitched smile of hers. Then she looks to Marc, "We'll have to figure out where we're going to have you stay for now." she nods. "Does anyone else have any questions?" she asks. Kelsey rises, and repeats the words after Ashe, syllable for syllable, matching her pacing. There's no surprise or unfamiliarity; perhaps the Flamesiren's had a chance to listen to this happen before, and knew in advance what each clause as going to be. For all that they watched Marc's reactions closely earlier, their attention is on Ashe now. Right up until they're handed the pin, and offer Ashe a quick little flare of a smile in return for it. Then they glance at Marc. And go back to their seat. Sam is seated in a chair at the table, with his jacket upholstering the back of it and his knees up near his sweater-clad chest as he devours a third sugary treat. Having spilled crumbs both in the process of eating and in the process of speaking with a full mouth. 'Less unsettled' is a tangled concept for the beast, and it gets a momentary blank look before he finds clarity, and nods with a smile. He's quiet while Kelsey is given the oath to repeat and repeats it. At whether there are any questions, he raises a hand, half caught in the sleeve of his too-large sweater. "Can we take as many treats as we like, when we're done?" he asks, spilling a few more crumbs. Poppy watches the entire exchange quietly, then shakes her head at Ashe's question before sipping from her mug. Apparently someone's either run out of questions or run out of thoughts for the moment. And he was just now getting SO CALM. Marc sees the pin that Ashe hands to Kelsey, then looks-- quick and jerkily and wide-eyed-- at the other people wearing them, and he goes still. Yes. Yes, he is internally screaming. He waits until Kelsey sits before asking his question, face resolved (or resigned), and he asks with a tone that's got all the flavor of lightness and all the aftertaste of an absinthe and moxie cocktail. He waits until Sam asks his silly question so that maybe it hides the fact that his hands are shaking and his smile is forced. "Ah. That's how you track the members of the freehold? We have rings. I put mine on the corpse that looked like me." She forgot what day it was? Telluric. She forgot what time it was? Telluric. She forgot -- uhhhh. Maybe someone was on fire. Or she was asleep. Telluric doesn't come with an 'internal alarm' setting. Whatever her excuse for showing up super-ass late for a meeting, she doesn't give it aloud: the door to the outside opens, closes, and the walking galaxy in the shape of a wolf-girl pads in on near-silent digitigrade feet, her anchor stars flashing quickly in pace with her racing heart. Probably running.
Esther straight up double takes when Marc talks about the tracking ring. And the corpse. "You. Have. Rings? To track...oh my goodness, you poor dear man. And ladybug." | |
