Difference between revisions of "Log:Autumn Court Meeting: November 2017"

2017.11.30

The Autumn Court meets for November.

The Caretakers House

The November Autumn Court Meeting was at the Caretaker's House and people were gathering in the meeting room. There's hot drinks on the table. Coffee and Cocoa, as well as tea. There's also donuts. Because sugar might be needed. Ashe is seated in one of the chairs with a cup of coffee lethally doctored with sugar and cream and a donut. She has a toothbrush and she's brushing Uvall her vampire bat hedge beast companion while she talks to Garrett Bonneville. One of the local Custodians.

So a new guy walks in in the process of straightening his unfortunate tie, looking a little lost. Well, definitely looking Lost but also lost, like he's not sure he's in the right place, especially when he sees the doughnuts. He'd look almost like a cosplayer with really expensive fox ears over his ears except for the fact that around him trails the scent of burning autumn leaves, and now and then a brightly-colored one falls from nowhere to nowhere somewhere around him. He gives a nervous glance up and over at Ashe and Garrett as he takes a paper plate and puts a doughnut on it, then doubletakes at the toothbrush-grooming of the vampire bat as he starts fixing himself a coffee, annnnd... he does not say a single word.

That new guy is Marc Wright.

There's a click of heels against wood floors that announces the arrival of a certain siren: Poppy is currently dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a draped, black sweater with cutouts for the shoulders in addition to her usual stilettos, this time a pair of black leather boots that lace to the knee. She gives a sharp, cheerful grin as she spies Ashe and the bat beastie, but doesn't interrupt the Autumn Queen's current conversation with Garrett, instead opting to help herself to tea over at the refreshment table, giving another smile to the fox-man already there. "Hello," she offers, voice with a soft, somewhat eerie overtone to it.

And then there's the other new guy, the one who showed up ten minutes early. (Give or take fifteen second, for any tellurics in the audience.) Kelsey doesn't have the falling-leaf decor, and the hints here and there of flowers in his own Mantle might suggest his being there as a mistake that he would regret sincerely and deeply ... if the flowers weren't an Autumn-blooming crocus, with candlelight flickers to accent them. And to match his hair, because some Fairest pretty much have accessorizing as a superpower. He's a slight little thing, and he's tucked himself off to one side with a cup of more lightly sugared coffee. The 'watch what everyone else does' type of new guy, apparently. Autumn gets a fair number of those.

Ashe gives a look to Marc as he comes in, not having seen him before. Her black eyes cataloging for a moment before she smiles and then she nods, "Good evening." she states. Then there's a smile to Poppy, "Good evening, come on in and get something to eat and drink." she states. Then there's a smile to Kelsey, "Come on in, we've got donuts and hot drinks. Meeting probably won't be that long. Just some introductions and things." she tells them.

The fox-man-- who doesn't move especially like a fox, unless there are foxes that move like falling-apart wooden rollercoasters clacking up the unnervingly slow climb to the first peak-- turns his head slowly to glance over Poppy with an air of considering evaluation. He's still spooning sugar into his coffee. When he actually sees her, he... keeps spooning sugar into his coffee; he's probably going to regret that in a minute. "Hi," he says experimentally, his voice sounding dusty. Gaining a measure of confidence from his apparent success, he straightens up and drops a stirrer in his cup, then sets it down and offers his smudgy hand to Poppy. "Marc Wright. Just moved into town." He had been trying very hard not to look at the bright spot in the corner, but Poppy makes it considerably easier. Yet-- his eyes do a quick scan of the room, regardless. He leans in a little, concerned, clearly about to ask something--

--but then the Queen is speaking, and looking at him, and he straightens up, surprised at what she actually ends up saying. "Oh," he says, then pauses. "Cool," he decides. And then he remembers to say-- specifically to Ashe and with a slight bow-- "Good evening, Your Majesty."

Poppy grins at Marc, clasping the fox's smudgy hand firmly for a moment in greeting. "Poppy Devereux; nice to meet you." As Ashe speaks, she nods brightly to the Autumn Crown before finishing getting her tea together and grabbing a doughnut; she apparently has no compunctions about looking at new people and gives Kelsey a cheerful smiles as well, sidling a bit cloer to offer another friendly ," Hello."

Good evening, Autumn? Kelsey's eyes flicker aside to Marc for a moment, but if there's assessing going on, it's either lightning-fast or interrupted, because Kelsey's already gathering himself in with the others. Probably before Marc's done straightening from the bow.

Just in time for Poppy to greet him, and it to be Kelsey's turn. He bows over his left arm, one foot back in counterbalance, right hand and arm out in a graceful flourish that somehow does not spill coffee all over his fingers. And rises as if that were a perfectly ordinary thing to do and not a refugee gesture from sometime before the French Revolution. "Kelsey Williams," he answers. Introductions in process already: check.

"Hey, if you aren't a member of the Freehold then you don't have to call me your Majesty." Ashe chuckles to that. "Welcome to town Marc and Kelsey. This is the Autumn Safehouse for those of the Autumn Court. Whether you're pledged to the Freehold or not." she tells them. "I'm Ashe Whelan. Current Monarch of the Fate's Harvest Freehold and Magister of Nightmares of the Autumn Court. I'm also a Legate in the Legacy of the Black Apple should you have issues with the Gentry or need to speak with them for some ungodly reason." she states. "I had a few topics I wanted to discuss...but we've got a very low turn out this evening." she frowns.

When Poppy shakes that hand, it definitely feels papery and surprisingly frail. But when Ashe answers, Marc, surprise surprise, looks... surprised again; whether it's due to something she just said or her general manner is up for debate. He blinks a little rapidly, then nods, and picks up his coffee and doughnut because it's something to do, it's a safe social filter. Doughnuts have nothing to do with the gentry.

He's started taking a bite of that doughnut, unfortunately, when Ashe says the bit about the Black Apple and needing to speak with the Gentry, and he actually inhales some of it and starts coughing. At least it's not the powdered kind, or there'd be confectioner's sugar everywhere. He goes for his coffee to try and fix his problem, there, and... the coffee literally has half the sugar bowl in it. It's a very interesting face he's making while trying desperately not to interrupt Ashe.

"Poppy Devereux," the siren introduces herself again to Kelsey, then gives him a quick grin before turning her attention back to Ashe, remaining quiet as she finds a chair to settle herself into, sipping from her tea as she listens. A wry twist of her lips greets the mention of speaking with the Gentry, and she murmurs dryly, "Shit happens," before falling silent again. A small grimace is her acknowledgement of the low turnout, but it seems she's done contributing verbally for the moment.

Kelsey perches on another chair, head tilted a little to one side. Turned a little more to one side when Marc starts half-choking. Pale eyebrows twitch up, and he pauses for a moment, but no, it doesn't look like fox-ears is actually about to die. Which means that his attention migrates to Poppy for a moment (siren and siren, after all), then back to Ashe.

"And a remarkably new turnout," he observes with a little rue. "Something of a pity on both counts. It's good to have a little more in the way of known quantities mixed in to one's discussions."

Ashe gives a look to Marc and there's a smile, those stitches in her face pulling, "So where are you originally from, Marc?" she asks him. Just wanting to get to know people. Then there's a bit of a chuckle, "That is true, Poppy." she tells her. Then there's a look to Kelsey, "And where do you hail from? Or are you local?" she asks him.

That face. That coffee. It's sweeter than the doughnut. And also still too hot. Marc waves his hand in front of his face, still sort of looking at Ashe in disbelief, with some kind of incredulous horror at Poppy's casual words, and he just shakes his head fast for a second. "Someplace safe," he croaks out, and he puts both unfinished doughnut and too-sweet coffee back on the table. He clears his throat a few times and re-teaches it how to breathe properly, thumping his chest for a second. "Someplace... so safe that I can't tell you about it sorry, but it's really safe, I should go. Back there. Where people don't just talk to the Gentry what even-- I mean Stowe I'm from Stowe. I have to leave right now, thanks for being so welcoming, bye--" Yes of course he picks up the rest of the doughnut as he edges toward the door.

Ashe settles back into her chair and there's a sip of coffee taken as she watches Marc. This dude couldn't lie his way out of a wet paper sack. She gives a look to Poppy and Kelsey, "I'm sorry in advance." she whispers. Then she stands and points to Marc, "STAY WHERE YOU ARE." she shouts. "I don't know who you are. I don't know where you actually came from, but I don't appreciate liars. And I can smell a lie a mile away. So. Tell me where you are from." she growls at him as she crosses the space between them and corners him.

Kelsey glances toward Marc. Then Ashe, as Marc starts clearing his throat. Then Marc again. He sets his coffee down on the table about the time that Marc reaches the words 'tell you about it,' and his body language is reorienting Marcward as well. Someplace in there, his smile became nearly as bright as his hair.

Then Ashe rises to her feet.

And Kelsey apparently decides that she's not going to need any assistance from the other new guy on this one; he folds his hands in his lap and stays in place. And follows Ashe's movements with sparkling-eyed delight, as if a whisper of 'I'm sorry in advance' came with a box of chocolates and possibly also a pony. Apparently he'll be answering his share of the questions after Ashe is done with this one.

Poppy gives Marc a rather skeptical look at his babbling, then she glances to Ashe, giving her a sort of bemused glance at that apology. The shouting has her actually smothering a smile in her cup of tea - nothing to see here! Either the siren doesn't scare easily or she's simply used to yelling, working in a bar. Once she's managed to swallow the sip of tea, she takes a small bite of doughnut. Apparently it's that kind of eveing.

Marc freezes in his tracks, his skin going literally paperwhite and his ears laying flat back against his head, pupils dilating wide and wider; as Ashe stalks across the room, he looks rather like a pinned butterfly with three quarters of a doughnut in one hand and an absolutely terrible necktie; his breath comes in short quick terrified gasps.

And then she is in his face and she is literally the most terrifying thing he has ever seen and that is SAYING SOMETHING. There's a false start where he tries, tries so hard to kick something up with glamour, some kind of flight instinct like oh hell oh fuck oh no I'm out out out out OUT OUT NOPE NOPE NOPE, but whatever he just tried, there's only the choking cloying scent of his burning leafpile getting water dumped on it. Or maybe beer. Maybe it's a leaf bonfire at a frathouse kegger. Whatever it is it's unpleasant and the guy's so far past panic attack or being able to move at all that he literally passes out, dropping the doughnut.

Ashe's face is set in a wide smile that shows teeth and a very good sense that she might hurt Marc if he lies. Then the man faints on her and she moves quickly to make sure he doesn't hit the floor. "Oh christ. I just growled. Not like I bit you." she sounds exasperated. She looks back to the two at the table, "I'm so sorry, meeting is adjourned. We're going to need to get him to a bed. I didn't expect to have...this happen." she frowns as she tries to keep him up by most of his weight. "Where is my husband when I need someone carried?" she lauhgs.

Aaron comes into the Caretakers meeting room quiet enough. Slow and steady pace--like Jason Voorhees. His hands tucked into the pockets of his wool coat. A mangey cat follows right behind Aaron. The Darkling stands at the threshold, seeing familar and unfamilar faces alike. All remains still, save for the black pools of his eyes that go from Ashe to the vulpine eared accountant with faint leaves drifting around him. "I say," Aaron speaks in his hushed voice, "did I arrive at an inappropriate time?"

"Well. That's not some potentially telling shit right there," Poppy says dryly as Marc passes out cold, peering down at the other Lost's unconscious body on the floor from where she's streched out in a chair. "Either that, or he missed his fucking calling in movies." She glances towards Aaron, then says, "That depends; how much fucking weight can you carry?" A cheerful grin, then she pushes herself to her feet, setting down tea and doughnut and moving to help Ashe. "Seriously, what the fuck /are/ we going to do with his ass?"

Kelsey slips out of his seat and darts over to assist. Kelsey is ... very little assistance, given that he'd probably fold over like a blade of grass if he tried to take more than a fraction of Marc's weight. Fortunately, this is turning rapidly into a multiple-hands deal, which makes his turning physically into a speedbump considerably less likely. "Hello," Kelsey says to Aaron. It's an Autumn meeting. A tone that chipper around an unconscious guy is ... not really not to be expected. "You've come in the wake of someone's extraordinarily poor decision-making. Speaking of which, ah --" He tilts his head to shine a smile up to Ashe, prepared either to take a limb or get the hell out of the way of someone stronger. "Harrisburg and vicinity, for the last few years."

Because meeting adjourned or not, this is blatantly not a good time not to provide the Terrifying Queen with references.

Aaron walks slowly up to the fainted person on the floor. He gives a nod to Kelsey when greeted. "Evening," he says. When Ashe asks about needing muscle, Aaron kneels down, leaning a bit to look at Marc from head to toe to head. "Dead weight is always the heaviest," Aaron assesses. "I'm not exactly known to lift weights inn my spare time, but I suppose I could carry him wherever he needs to go--with some assistance, of course."

Marc is surprisingly light for all that his suit has shoulderpads and makes him look like he weighs at least 120 pounds. The guy is barely there. HOW-EV-ER, there's a flicker of white in his seriously boring hair, and then there is a ladybug standing on top of his head with her white wings flared out, looking re-mark-a-bly like a labcoat. "FIRST OFF," she yells in her tiny, ferociously furious little voice, lifting a finger to the gold circle markings around her eyes, "don't you DARE let your bat eat me! Secondly!! You just made him faint, from fright, but he is NOT going to give you any answers! How someone who casually says they'll talk to Gentry for anyone who wants got your crazy freehold's Autumn crown is BEYOND ME, but it most assuredly makes everything they say about you people seem like it's true! He'll kill himself before he lets you take him back, and he'll die before he sells out the people he's trying to SAVE! Now!! If you want to be useful-- you scary, scary woman my god-- take off his stupid jacket and throw it away. Then leave him on the floor, and elevate his feet above his heart! Exactly half of that is standard procedure for someone whose lungs forgot how to get oxygen to their brain! The other half is pure common sense!"

"The Legacy of the Black Apple talks to the Gentry so people like him don't have to. Like people like my Freeholder don't get hurt. So when people make bad decisions we can try to help them. So don't try to act like you can discuss something which you know little of. We put ourselves in the middle so that no one else does." Ashe tells the Ladybug calmly. "And my bat doesn't like bugs." she assures her. "Also, he was lying. He came to a Court meeting and was acting suspicious. What was that all about?" she asks her seriously.

"And from the sound of all of this I'm guessing you're from the Soundless. Which we harbor no ill will towards. He could have just announced it instead of being shady." Ashe states. "Aaron, could you help make him comfortable, I did give him quite the fright." she admits. "It's not like Samantha or Marty have came to visit during the Autumn reign." she points out.

Aaron huhs. "One of...them?" Aaron says when he hears 'Soundless'. When Ashe asks for his assistance, he nods. "I can assist." As the ladybug appears to speak her peace, he says to the tiny bug, "I know you do not know me from a whole in the wall--but you have my word that I will make sure he's back to a more alert and useful state."

Poppy gives the ladybug a rather bemused look, tilting her head slight during the tirade, then glances at Ashe. When the Autumn Queen makes her own response, she seems to feel it's representative enough to not add anything to for the moment, instead looking towards Aaron. When it becomes apparent that he's going to address the ladybug's complaints, she moves over to reclaim her tea and doughnut, remaining silent for the time being.

"There's something to be said for someone highly placed in the Court knowing who's likely to run off and try to do something stupid, too," Kelsey observes blithely. But quietly. Very. And not looking at the unconscious man at all; he glances Aaron's way instead, guessing at which person the name is associated with and taking his 'help? get out of the way? something else altogether?' cues from him.

The ladybug huffs, crossing her arms in front of her. She huffs HARDER at Aaron. "Good," she tells him first, "he's my idiot." Then she looks up at Ashe and seems to settle down a little, even though she's still yelling, but now it's obviously just yelling to be heard instead of yelling angry. "That sounds logical; there are always going to be heroes who try to save everyone from things they can't handle. Some of them are just better at it than others." She glares down at the unconscious man under her, then looks back up at Ashe. "He's still bound by oath to them, but as I mentioned, he's an idiot. They don't know he's here. Actually, I doubt he can go back. Do you think it'd be possible to arrange for a one-way ticket to Mexico? Canada's too close." Then she turns and stares at Kelsey, the gold markings on her face looking remarkably like owlish glasses. "Yes. Don't tell them, please. If you're going to kill him, just do it yourself."

"No one is going to be killing anyone." Ashe shakes her head. "And if they don't know he's here, then that is even more concerning." she frowns to that. "We'll move him to a room upstairs and I assure you he won't be hurt. But I would like some answers. There's been too much weirdness with things and I don't want my Freehold or others getting in the middle of a feud or whatever. But I don't want someone trying to flee them to be hurt either." she admits.

Then there's a look to Kelsey, "I've heard Harrisburg is a nice place. Welcome to Tamarack Falls." she smiles to him.