Log:Swearing In Max
| Swearing In Max | |
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"Max?" | |
| Participants | 2017.10.07 Ashe finishes swearing in a few newcomers when she's hit with some bad news. |
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| Ashe has finished pledging Walker and Rowan to the Freehold and they are heading out. They might even pass people on the way in. Who knows?! The Autumn takes a seat next to Maxwell again and crosses two names off the list. "Who else do we have. Selina, yes, we need to get to her. Probably a few others. But we're catching up." she grins to that. Calm arrives while others are on the way out, a figure made of nothing but empty and seemingly bottomless darkness wrapped in a cloak of blood-red sclaret fabric. She watches them depart and then moves further inside, where she bows to Ashe. "Good afternoon, your highness," she says, speaking in a voice with an unearthly, ethereal resonance. It seems to come from everywhere within her, and no place in particular. She says nothing else, yet. Max had just missed Walker as he headed out! But, she had been told by him that the Wayhouse was a safe place. Someone had even recognized her there, perhaps such might happen again today. Wandering inside, the enchanted mortal takes a cautious look around. She's dressed casually, wearing a jacket, shirt, jeans, and sneakers, gloves covering her hands. Upon hearing some voices, she decides to follow them and eventually makes her way into the east wing. A hand reaches up to brush some hair from her face as she sees a few people. Brows furrow slightly as nothing sparks her memory. "I hope it's okay for me to be here? I heard this place was safe," she states, glancing curiously at those gathered. Ashe looks up to see Calm and there's a smile to the Spring, "Good afternoon, Calm." she tells her with a nod. Then there's a look past her and when she sees Max there's a smile that reaches her eyes, "Max!" she rises and heads to her. But then she realizes something isn't right. "Max?" she asks. "It is, isn't it?" Calm replies to the good-afternoon, and she does so with a note of pleasure in her voice. "I've always loved this time of year. I came to see if there was some way that I might be of any service in my capacity as a Vizier." She turns to look at Max then, staring with eyes that seem like nothing more than tiny nebulae floating in the void of her body. When she smiles it's only visible in silhouette, but it touches her voice as well. "Welcome," she says. "Max, is it? I'm Calm." And then no more, letting Autumn's queen take charge. The mortal's gaze had been lingering on Calm, her attention focused there. So much that she almost missed someone recognizing her. Looking back over to Ashe, her brows raise slightly in surprise and curiosity. "Yes, I'm Max?" she replies to them both, starting to glance between them again, her tone and expression showing her uncertainty. "Red brought me here yesterday so, I figured it was okay to come here. Right?" Her fingers twitch a bit nervously. Ashe seems to be confused for a moment. There's a look to Calm and then back to Max, "You don't remember me?" she asks her. "I'm Ashe Whelan. Do you remember Byron? Big guy? First talked to you months ago?" she asks her. She looks to Max, hoping to spark some sort of memory. "And yes, you're allowed to be here. You're safe here. Is there something we can do for you today?" she asks her. Calm returns Ashe's look and then her nebulous gaze comes back to Max. "This is indeed a safe place," she assures in a soothing voice, though by nature of what she is it comes out a little eerie. "That safety is one that many people are willing to enforce, and you've been welcomed by the Queen. It's unlikely anyone will be foolish enough to trouble you." She's never met this person before, though, so she doesn't have much to add in trying to feel out her memories ofo the past. She just watches with unblinking regard. "I don't really remember much beyond a couple of months ago," Max admits, which was about the time that she stopped showing up in the area. A hand reaches up, nervously scratching at the back of her neck. Then she perks up a little, glancing over at Calm. "Queen?" Returning her blue-eyed gaze to Ashe, she offers a polite smile. "Oh, sorry. If I had known I would have been more formal," she says with a bit of a chuckle. "I didn't come here with much of a purpose other than hopefully finding more people that might know me. Like that shiny Logan guy." "Like Calm said, you're definitely welcomed here." Ashe states. "Come and have a seat." she adds. Then she turns and goes back to her seat. Taking a deep breath to brace herself. "I was wondering what had happened. I just figured you'd gotten into something and didn't want to involve us." she explains as she settles down. "There's a lot of people that know you. Myself. My husband Byron, Logan, Kip and others in the Custodians." she admits. "Did something happen that you know of? Are you having odd dreams?" she asks. Calm moves to take a seat as well, her bare feet barely a whisper across the floor. All she seems to be wearing is a long blood-red cloth worn like a cape, pinned around her face and draped over her shoulders, but it covers all of her just above her knees, and when she sits she crosses her legs and slides her hands out from under the cloth, then folds them in her lap. "What's the last thing that you do remember?" she asks. "It might be a clue to helping determine why your memories are gone, if that's a mystery you want solved." There's a moment of hesitation before Max moves to find a seat. Settling herself into a nearby chair, she briefly smooths her hands over her pants. The mortal looks a bit unsure about answering Ashe, but when she hears Calm, she can't help but oblige. "Um. Well. I have bad dreams every night," she tells the monarch. Glancing to Calm, her brows furrow slightly, a frown tugging at the edges of her lips. "All I really remember are the people I escaped from and what they were doing to me there. I wasn't sure how long I had even been there until learning I had previously lived here," she explains, her hands occasionally fidgeting in her lap as she speaks. Nervous. Ashe sits in silence for problem longer than is comfortable. Distressed is a good look for the Monarch's eyes. "You are a member of the Freehold and the Custodians. Or you were until the Crown changed. I'm sorry that we didn't keep better track of you." she tells Max. "Do you know if you still...if you touch people do you cause them bad luck?" she asks her. Calm's name is an apt description of her at the moment, sitting as he is with her hands folded on her lap, still thoughtful. She seems to be content to let Ashe do most of the talking for now, while she takes in information and considers it. What she does ask, after Ashe has finished, is, "who are the people you escaped from?" The tone is one of simple curiosity, not like she's performing an interrogation. Just trying to better understand. "The Freehold..." Max thinks on that for a few moments. "That's like, a big organization of you guys, right?" she questions for clarification. It seems she can remember /things/, just not anything about herself or her life. "Remind me what the Custodians are?" she requests, shifting in her seat slightly. It's clear that she's a bit frustrated at people knowing more about her than herself. Who wouldn't be? "Yeah, I can't touch people. Seems that a few people know about that," she notes with a small nod. Returning her attention to Calm, she grows more uncomfortable. It's apparent that it's not at the Changeling. "I don't know. There wasn't like a sign or anything on the building I escaped from. But uh, they..." Fidget, fidget. "They did experiments on me because of the things I can do." "Yes, we're bound by pledge together. For a season." Ashe tells Max. "The Custodians are knowledge gatherers and keepers. We also have the library that we caretaker and keep track of. We put things into it as well. You were also a member of the Watchers. Which meant you had some sort of Dream magics about you." she offers gently. "Would you let us take a look into your dreams? Maybe that will help us find something that can help draw some pieces together." she asks her. "Experiments?" Calm's voice is cold around the word, chilled with anger. "Against your will, I imagine?" She shoots a look Ashe's way, then looks once again at Max. "Did this happen while you were a member of the Freehold? Maybe you don't remember that, though. If it did..." She doesn't finish the thought, but the cool in her voice suggests that it probably doesn't end well. "I have no idea if I was part of the Freehold while I was there," Max confirms, frowning again at her current situation. A hand reaches up to brush some hair from her face before she looks over to Ashe. "Um, my dreams? Well. They're more like nightmares. How exactly would that work? I remember you guys have like, dream magic or something but I don't know if I forgot or ever learned how or what you can do..." She leans forward in her seat slightly. "Who would be doing it?" Ashe eyes are pure black as she listens to Max speak. Experiments? She was betting that she was a member given Max hadn't lapsed in a while. "If you were a member of the Freehold at the time and we figure out who harmed you, they will be dealt with." she states. Then she gives a look to Max and a nod, "We have experts that can look into dreams or nightmares. And I would tap one of the Watchers or Lulu to deal with this particular thing for the moment. Probably need to see if any of the other Enchanted or others are unaccounted for as well." she frowns deeply at that. "Yes," Calm agrees with Ashe's assessment. "The only other I know is Haruki, though. I saw him just a few days ago." She falls into a brief, quiet consideration and then says, "it might help to also be prepared to track down anyone else who might go missing in the near future, if someone in this world is kidnapping people affiliated with the Freehold and performing experiments. Perhaps a systematic approach to checking in regularly, so we know if someone stops answering? Voluntary, since some might object to what could seem like a violation of their freedom or privacy." "I don't recall seeing anyone like you guys there," Max points out, shaking her head lightly. "But, okay the Watchers. I was part of them? And the Custodians?" A brow raises. "What did I do in those groups?" she wonders curiously. There's a pause of realization. "Do I need to swear back into the Freehold or something too?" "I'll make a posting to the wall here and Stoneheart when I go to see Apollyon tonight. I will need to make sure everyone checks in and keeps an eye on people for the time being." Ashe states. Then she looks to Max and there's a smile, "That is actually helpful. Means that it's not Changelings or they were hiding their masks. Or it's Hunters." she frowns. "And yes, the Watchers have people who have the gift of foresight as well as those who can explore dreams." she explains. "In the Custodians you were one of the regular members. Helped with overdue book retrieval and general things." she tells her. There's a moment of thought before she looks to her, "You will need to swear back to the Freehold when you are ready, you will need to reread the Laws and make sure you agree to them. If you'd like to do this now we can. I'm not in a rush this evening." she tells her. Uvall finally wakes up and pops his head out from under Ashe's hair. The bat peeking out to look at Max. Then to Ashe, "Is she sick?" he asks the Shadowsoul. Then he toddles down her arm and to her knee and he shakes his wing at Max, "Heya." he greets. "Do you remember when this was? When you got free of them" Calm asks, but that's all she puts forward in terms of questioning before falling quiet to allow Ashe to do most of the talking. Calm is but an advisor, not the one in charge. When Uvall appears she regards the bat for a few moments, smiling, though when you're made of nothing but empty darkness those kinds of expression can be difficult to read. "Recently," Max replies to Calm first. The strange woman is, well, very calming! And there was something about her that more easily pulled answers out of the enchanted mortal. "I didn't know why but Tamarack Falls was something I could remember. So, I pretty much made my way here immediately," she explains. Returning her attention to Ashe, her expression becomes more serious. There's a quick glimpse to the bat, Max blinking a few times in surprise. Who expects a bat to appear from someone's hair? "Um. Hi there," she greets in return, lifting a hand to wiggle her fingers. "Well. I don't think it'd be a good idea for me to /not/ pledge. Especially if I was part of the Freehold before... So, uh, what are the rules?"
Max pays close attention to Ashe as the rules are explained to her. A nod here and there to show that she's listening. When Calm stands, she glances over at the woman. She takes the offered piece of paper with a faint but genuine smile. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Returning her attention to Ashe once more, there's a moment of pause. "Those don't seem to be hard to follow... I can do that, yeah. I'll pledge back in." Ashe finishes going over things and there's a look to her. More of a concerned one. "We'll figure this out, Max. I'm sorry that this has been done." she tells her. When she says she'll repledge there's a bit of a smile though, "Alright, repeat after me." "I pledge my time, my talents and my fealty to Fate's Harvest. "I swear that I do not serve the Fae, nor will I of my own volition 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." Calm answers the thanks by saying, "I'm a Vizier, and the word means 'bearer of burdens'. I also enjoy helping people get what they desire, even if that comes in the form of help or safety. It's my pleasure." The tone of her unearthly voice is soothing, almost inhumanly so, and filled with understanding. After a moment she turns and bows to Ashe. "If you need anything your highness, I am also at your disposal. You only need to get in touch. For now I should go." She takes a few steps back and then turns to do just that. Max watches Calm as she heads out, though her gaze doesn't linger for too long. Easily her attention returns to Ashe, folding her hands in her lap. Once the words have been spoken, Max repeats them carefully. A light shiver runs down her spine when she feels that strangeness that comes with making a pledge. "Oh that was a bit weird," she says with a faint chuckle. "So, do I need to make a promise to rejoin these Custodians and Watchers?" she wonders with a small tilt of her head. Max can feel the weight of the pledge settle over her shoulders and then it's done. Ashe gives her a bit of a smile, "It is, but you'll be fine as long as you don't break your oath. Which I'm sure you won't." she tells her. Then the woman produces a pin which Uvall takes and gives over to Max. It's a pin of two autumn leaves with stones. "They're a token of my appreciation to those swearing fealty again. And no, you will still have your place in the groups. I am the head of the Custodians and I will speak with Rorschach to let him know that there's been something done to you and that you will need some time if that is alright with you?" she asks her. Taking the token, again careful not to make actual contact, Max eyes it over before pinning it to her chest. She smiles a bit more as she settles back into her seat. "That's definitely fine. I don't even know who that is... I'm guessing the head of the Watchers?" she wonders. There's a pause before she asks, "Do you know where I can find this Kip person? And your husband? I figure I should talk to more people I know to see if anything helps with my memory." "Yeah, he's the head of the Watcher's. He can't speak so he using sign language. We've got a ton of people that can translate though." Ashe tells her. "Kip has a bookstore called Homepage Books and he's another Custodian as well. Byron is currently on a Hedgetrip for the Court and he'll be back Monday. I will tell him that you're in need of him as soon as he is back real world side though." she tells her. "Is there anything we can do for you, Max?" she asks her. "Maybe I could talk to him telepathically," Max ponders with a tilt of her head. Then she shrugs lightly. "Pen and pad works too if there's no translator around. But, I'll keep that in mind, thanks. And yeah sure, I don't have a problem with you telling him," she confirms, nodding a few times. "Um, you are already doing a lot for me. Which I definitely appreciate. Thanks, by the way." The young woman moves to her feet, brushing her pants a bit. "If anything, I should be asking what I can do for you guys. Walker was talking about something killing things in the woods?" She shakes her head. "I should get going though. Thanks for chatting with me and bringing me back in the fold."
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