Log:A Meeting in the Woods
| A Meeting in the Woods | |
|---|---|
"Um." | |
| Participants | 30 September, 2017 Two Winters meet in the Woods |
| Location
West Bank - River Road | |
| It might be a little confusing for Cornelius to find his way around, at least at first - but perhaps he's also one of those that's gifted with a great sense of direction. Whoever the Winter Court is that left him the message, they apparently have an interest in the woods rather than finding an actual, populated place. As it stands, he'd end up finding his way to a spot on the western side of the river, a bit past dark, where there's already someone waiting for him. A young woman, or... is that a woman? Well, it's probably a Beast, small of stature and with the ears and wings of a bat. She's settled and looking out at the water, though occasionally her ears do perk to the sounds of the forest around her.
The sound coming from the northwest is abrupt and strangely forced. There is something about that snapping of a fallen branch that gives it away as someone intentionally shoving a boot through the dead wood. The figure that walks towards the waiting lady is shrouded in gloom until he is only a handful of steps from her. Only then do the shadows leave him--reluctant as a lover's fingers as be steps out of their reach. He stops four feet from her and, reaches into his robe swiftly--as if for a concealed weapon--and pulls out a bottle. Sitting down facing the water, or perhaps falling over, he uncorks it to spill the smell of cheap wine into the air and takes a swig. Without a word, he offers the bottle to her.
But then, Cornelius takes out the -bottle- and has a swig of it. Lips fall back over fangs, and she blinks at him a few times, then reaches out a webbed wing-hand to accept the bottle. "Um... Cornelius, right?" she chirps, sounding rather uncertain, still. A drink from the bottle is taken on her part as well, and she grimaces.
The wine is cheap. Terribly so. Yet if one has an open mind and judges it by the taste rather than the price tag and the label, it proves to be quite tasty. Especially given that it is properly chilled despite the location. The king of the losers. "That's me, toots. And lemme say," his eyes shift from the water over to her face. "I like your instincts. Ready to run. Better safe than sorry. But." He reaches a hand out for the bottle and snaps his fingers a few times in a 'gimme' manner. "Did you tell anyone where you were going in case you disappear? Do you have someone watching here in case I'm a bad apple? Do you have an escape plan in case you need to run? I'm guessing that's a no, no, triple-no. But that's okay, toots. You figured out my crypto and came, and that's something." He gives a squinty nod as if judging and finding her to be acceptable.
It takes her some getting used to, but Ziv does seem to enjoy the wine since it's not -bad-. She even has another mouthful, once the initial hit of alcohol is gone, and seems kind of hesitant to pass it over... this is waylaid by her pulling a face when Cornelius starts chastising her for what is, in fact, most likely a poorly thought out approach to the situation. "...I had an escape plan," she says, in something of a surly tone after his words. She lets out a puff of breath, then goes to sit back down on the log she'd been perched on when he arrived.
"Was it 'run really fast and hope the bad guys are slower'?" He takes the bottle back after scooting closer to the log. "Look, toots. I'm not trying to bust your metaphorical balls here. Just trying to drop some old guy wisdom. Maybe it's a bad habit." He is about to take a drink, but stops to scratch his neck vigorously. "Maybe it'll plant a seed in your brain that grows into a spy tree. I dunno. Just don't take it hard. Look at all the people that didn't even get this far." He looks left and right to underscore his point, then rewards himself with a drink. The bottle is extended once more. "Tell me the most important thing you think I should know about this place, and I'll let you ask me a question."
Ziv looks up at Cornelius with a soured expression, her ears drooping though she does reach out in order to take the bottle from him. There's another swig given out, and she shrugs her shoulders before saying, "Okay, so I'm not the best prepared..." There's a sigh that follows that, and she holds onto the bottle for the time being. Her ear perks at his question, and then she extends a wing partially to point out a ways, across the river. "It's dangerous over there. I haven't got a clear answer why, yet, but I imagine it has to do with why we're here. I've never been over to that side."
Cornelius stares across the river for several seconds before he makes a rather simple statement in response. "Huh. How about that." He then looks at the woman a few feet to his right and purses his lips curiously. "You may ask me one question." The words are so casual, but the chill air seems to further cool and thicken as it is voiced. "And then we will speak about the court, if you are willing. There are no extra eyes here, I believe."
"Really, toots?" He looks over at her with either disbelief or surprise in those shining eyes. "Figured the kinda dame that can crack crypto and setup a meeting without giving actual coordinates is the kinda dame that'd be full of questions. Huh. Guess this is why I'm still single. Can't figure you birds out." He looks back at the water as he ponders. "The question will expire in a week and a night. So, I couldn't help but notice..." He reaches a hand up to scratch at his own ear which still looks quite human. "...that you seem eager to talk about our little court. What's the word, Tweety Bird?"
A singular nod of Ziv's head is given, at the timeframe put upon the question, ears twitching forward towards Cornelius. The softest of snorts is given, about his 'being single' commentary, before she offers up, "I want to think about it, more, before I actually put it forward... I've got all kinds of questions, but I don't know the best question to... um... ask you. And I don't want to waste it." Closing her mouth after that, she pokes her tongue into the inside of her cheek. "...and yeah... honestly, I haven't really um... heard much of -anything- about our Court here. I've heard the names of a few, but that's it. Nothing."
The explanation about saving the question is pondered, and earns a slow nod of consideration. When Cornelius hears her response about the Winter Court, his lips peel back from his teeth just far enough to reveal that they are very sharp. "I get that the Silent Arrow is supposed to be silent, but it seems to me that the court here might just need a swift kick in the ass. Ain't no point in being a secret society if there's no society." He pops up off the ground in a boneless motion that would make a mortal's stomach lurch and steps over to the log. Sitting down besides Ziv, he continues to watch the water.
Almost immediately, Ziv starts to shrink down as she'd done before when Cornelius first approached. Her own lips draw back, but just barely, before she takes in a breath and blows it out in a plume of mist. "...Yeah," she says after a bit, with a small shrug of her shoulders that sends ripples through her wings. "I um... know the names... Hazel and Count; but no others. I've not seen Hazel in a while; I've been more in the city than out here." One of her ears swivels to the sound of the nearby crickets. "Didn't even have anything from Winter to present at Court."
"Hey." Cornelius sways slightly to try and bump his arm against Ziv's shoulder so gentle as to barely be felt. He is, however, ice-cold to the touch. "Don't let the disappointment bring you down. Let it drain away the emotion and focus you. Sorrow's a tool." He sucks in a long breath through his nose and exhales a chill breath towards the water. "Let's call a meet. We'll put it out through the channels that be that it's time to get in gear. It's Autumn now. Winter is coming. Time to pow-wow some stuff out. Right, toots?"
"Yeah, that's what I figure," answers Ziv, not really responding to the nudge. She draws up her knees towards her chest, folding her wings around and over them before looking out towards the water again - following a sideways glance at Cornelius. The aura around her is cold as well - but probably not quite as much so as Cornelius's. "That's... a good idea. I've thought about it, but I don't really have... any say, you know?" One ear flicks down and to the side. "...Not sure where we could hold it, anyway; but I know Hazel owns the Crossroads and there's... Lost-only space there."
"We hold it in the Winter Court. We surround people with the reminder of why there are there, and why they wanted to join in the first place." His aura is subtle despite its strength. The temperature does drop, but only minutely. Smells dampen around him, and anything already chilly becomes all the more penetrating. "It's time to organize. Tell me, Batgirl, why do you think you have no say? Why do you think your word is any less than mine or anyone else's?"
As all good Winter mantles are, no doubt! Subtle, little tells. Ziv shakes her head at Cornelius's words, with a laugh, before admitting to him with a sidelong turn of her dark eyes, "Only been out of the Hedge for a few months. Don't really know what I'm doing... so... well um. I at least wouldn't really trust my word or give me much respect or anything."
"Bullshit." Cornelius does not raise his voice with the word, but it is stated in a way that is as cause for alarm as someone shouting with its ice-cold delivery. "Do you know how important a fresh perspective is? Who is here right now?" He turns his head to look at her, and it turns farther than one might expect. With his chin over his shoulder he speaks. "Me. The new guy in town. The guy who rolled up and wondered why he is reaching out to his people rather than the other way around. And you. The kid fresh off the boat and still smelling like saltwater. Fresh. Perspectives." He lifts a hand from his thigh and makes a fist before offering it to her for a bump. "Are you ready to accept that you have just as much say as anyone else willing to speak? Don't make me gather the posse all alone, little pilgrim."
Ziv looks at the curled hand with a bit of confusion, and for a moment she looks very, very much like she's about to argue with Cornelius's thoughts on things. But then she merely sighs, curling her wing tines backwards to bump his hand - her knuckles, at least, are hardier than the fragile wing vanes and the fingers connecting them. "Not really," she admits, lips pulling downwards and partially to the side in a frown. "But I'm... going to help you, at least. I -can- do that. I know how to find Count, at least."
"It's a work in progress, but I'll take it." He stands up and immediately sits back down. This time he twists his shoulders and hips a little bit so as to look at her more like a normal person would. "We'll spread the word. Tell everyone that it's coming, and once we've caused a stir, we set a date. Hopefully we get a good turnout. Good enough to make things happen, at least."
"What... kinds of things are you planning to make happen? But there is a lot of... spying that can be done here. Might um, want to start talking to hobs in the area maybe... and... learning about what's going on. Place is active to ghosts and stuff as well," Ziv's brows pinch a little together with this, while she watches Cornelius go through... contortions of sorts, perhaps. Her eyes trail down to his tail when she notices it. "...Could probably get up to four, maybe five, including the two of us."
Cornelius's tail is behaving. It is curled back behind him and only flicks about when a bug comes too close. "See? Only out a few months but you're thinking like a Winter. Gather intel. Be prudent. Four or five is better than two, though far from what it should be. As for what I'm planning on making happen... is that your question?" There is no smile on his lips, but those glinting eyes lock on hers with no small amount of mischief.
In answer, Ziv's eyes narrow thoughtfully while she meets Cornelius's gaze, as if she's weighing -just- how she really wants to answer that. Her ears flick a few times, twitching at night sounds, before she finally dips her chin in assent. "That's my question," she agrees. "What are you planning?"
Maybe it is the horns casting him in a stereotypical light, but Cornelius does look quite devilish in that moment. He turns his head back to the river and answers in a flat, matter of fact voice that is more like a recounting of the past than a predicting of the future. "Organize the Onyx Court before the morning due is hoarfrost on grass. Select someone I think should be the next Monarch. Do everything I can to ensure that person is selected. Spend Winter consolidating power and learning all I can about this land. By Spring, I will have ensured that I am completely essential, and that is when I shall begin the real work of rooting out whatever corruption is in and around Fate's Harvest. Violently, if necessary."
Ziv's head slowly tilts to the side while she regards Cornelius with dark eyes - for once her expression is probably relatively inscrutable. Maybe because she's not sure what to think, or maybe because it's not an emotional response. Who can tell? But then, she does eventually give a tiny dip of the chin followed with the words of, "I... well. I don't know much about corruption, here, but I've only just... arrived, and there's still a lot to deal with. I know they're having trouble with someone's Keeper, most likely, but that's mostly being handled by other Courts and those outside of the Freehold."
"All will be clear in time, toots." He looks at her, and that devilishness seems to have faded. "Or do you prefer Batgirl?" Standing up and remaining on his feet this time, he takes a couple steps away and stretches his arms up over his head. "You can finish the bottle. I've got a lot of ground to cover tonight. Shall we use the same dead drop to pass messages back and forth? My lifestyle isn't really... compatible with cell phone bills."
Ziv looks at the bottle of wine, thoughtfully, nodding and saying, "Yeah, that will work... I also, um, well I have a place. Though I'm moving soon to something more out of the way..." An ear flick, a pause, and she says, "I go by Ziv. But I guess it doesn't really matter what you call me."
He steps modestly out of sight behind a tree and some brush to relieve himself. As he is doing so, he calls out, "It does matter. Names have power. Tell me what you want to be called, and I'll consider it at least on occasion, toots." Steam rises from the brush as he continues to empty his bladder.
Realizing what Cornelius is doing, Ziv turns away and looks back off across the river, rubbing one of her wings over her cheek. She then idly starts to chew on the edge of it, rather than at the claws at the tips. "I guess Ziv is fine," she says, eventually, though it's with something of a rueful tone to it when she does so.
"E-Ziv-erate. El-Ziv-abeth. No, no. I got something for this. C'mon." The last word has a little motion to it as he shakes off. A moment later he comes back into sight as if nothing has happened. "Well, Batgirl is gonna see some serious usage. And, honestly, I think the occasional Buttercup might be thrown in there, as well. You're kinda doomed to-" His mouth falls wide open--revealing a forked, black tongue--and his eyes go wide. He lifts his hands up like he is holding a chainsaw and exclaims, "Ziv-Ziv-Ziv!"
It's possible that Ziv's seen some odd Changelings in her time, being somewhat of one herself, but she just kind of... stares at Cornelius with his motions. One of her responses - a grimace at a name - is actually probably lost on him while the Knight is doing his 'business'. Now she's just eyeing him in confusion, especially at the last part, "Um."
He sees that look and drops his arms limp and goes slouchy with clearly evident disappointment. "Like a chainsaw noise. C'mon!" He throws his arms up in the air, but given his bonelessness they just sort of bounce around before once more falling down to his sides. "Drop me a line when you get your new place. Or I'll just, you know, find it." He shrugs, pivots in place, and starts to stalk off in a completely different direction than the one he came from.
"Okay," offers up Ziv in a call as she watches Cornelius walk away. Then, several beats later it's followed up with a call of, "Bye! Nice to meet you!" | |
