Log:Some Crown Business

Some Crown Business
"OF COURSE I'M NOT FINE!"
Participants Elia, Calm, Lolly, Czcibor, Ashe, Kelsey	2017.12.09 Ashe holds Autumn Crown business hours at the Wayhouse.
Location The Wayhouse
The outside door opens, and there's a man laughing, and there's a definite element of fond exasperation in that laughter. Thump-thump-thumping of snowy boots, first, and and then the man's words can be made out through the inner door, a little muffled. Polish accent. Aaaand how many Poles are there in this area? Especially ones who'd go to the Wayhouse? Yeah. "No it's seriously fine. It's even a real house that's got a real deed that's registered in the real municipal building, and normal people come here and everything. I mean so do monsters, but everyone's under the same rules--" --and the inner door opens, and there's a smiling metal man with a visibly unnerving welding mark around his neck, but he's wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and his socks have little IDICs on them because I promise those exist. His Spring mantle is an overflowering thing, late June roses and wisteria and the scent of burning sage, underlaid with gunmetal. Edmond had left the Autumn's to their devices, which means that Ashe has went and put the muffins in the fridge and has a cup of hot chocolate that's halfway done. Kelsey was asked if he wanted anything as well. "So, you're debating if you want to join the Freehold?" Ashe asks as she crosses one knee over the other. Uvall is hanging from one of her blackened antlers on her crown. Not that she seems to mind. He's just sleepy. Her head tilts to the side, "More visitors." she grins widely with that stitched smile. Kelsey, the second person already in the vicinity, is a graceful little thread of a young Fairest probably outweighed by his winter clothes. He's almost normal-looking except for the shadows on his skin being a lilac color, and for his hair (currently worn tied firmly back in a ponytail that is nevertheless trying to be out-of-control) being the eye-catching pale color of a candleflame. There is a faint lambency to it, a trivial hint of glow. Currently he is occupied in the terribly, terribly occult and frightening activity of ... breaking off pieces of a muffin to nibble on. "Well," he says lightly to Ashe, "I'm reasonably sure I want to. Which means I need to do the usual due diligence of making sure what I'm promising before I actually take the step. Hopefully that won't take very long." He glances back toward the inner door at the sound of voices, and as Czcibor opens it and he gets a look at the Mantle involved, he takes an absent little step back as if to clear the way between incoming and Ashe. Lolly, on the other hand, may as well be human, save for the fact that her skin's a mite too creamy-smooth for the average twenty-one year old, that the green in her otherwise-dark eyes is technically tiny veins like one would find in leaves, and, of course, the green-rooted white hair, or the faint, sweet-sharp scent of lily of the valley in her vicinity. She's bundled up in a fluffy coat which conceals just about everything, with boots and mittens. There's no trace of a Mantle, and no trace of a smile, either. Wariness? Plenty of that. Still, despite the way she's eyeballing the rooms, the walls don't jump out and bite her, and she trails Czcibor on in, lagging behind. The Elemental's voice is warm and has a reassuring tone to it, at least, even if sometimes the things he says are the least reassuring things in the world. He's careful not to push Lolly around or try and guide her in front of him: he's extra careful to be willing to stand between her and anything that might scare the shit out of her which as far as he knows could be literally anything. "--those rules being Hospitality, which is also a folklore thing, so maybe you know about it. Lolly, this is Ashe-- she's in charge of the Freehold right now; Ashe, this is Lolly-- she's been flying under the radar, but she went into the Hedge looking for fruit and got lost, and Petra and Vorpal and I had to pull her out of a pack of briarwolves. Unfortunately, this means that her first introduction to the whole mess of us was, well, me and Petra and Vorpal. I'm trying to convince her that we're not all actually Gentry." Calm is definitely not very human any more. When the door clicks open to let her in, what enters is a empty darkness shrouded in a crimson silk, the cowl of which it stares out from with eyes that look like small, slowly spinning nebulae. All that's visible of her is her face and her legs from the knees down, as well as her hands as the slide out from under the cloak and clasp in front of her as she bows in the direction of the queen. "Your highness," she says, before straightening and looking around at the others, nodding her head to each as her unblinking gaze lands on them. Then she slides a few steps to the side and takes up a place where she's not blocking the door. Czcibor also adds, perfectly seriously, "She claims that if Vorpal and I did a glitter-covered strip routine for her, she'd be reassured, but I can't dance." When you're coming from literally across the road and you're a weirdo Autumn star-wolf, clearly the way to get there is to fly there. And so Czcibor and those what arrive with him are chased in by a gout of leaves blowing as quick as a man can run (pretty fucking quick). They curl upward, a movement that is a bit unnatural given that, you know, it's not that windy tonight, and then start to jigsaw together into the stellar form of a glass-bottle body with digitigrade feet, filled with its own spinning universe: moon in her stomach, galaxies and comets spinning through her in clockwork time. Greatcoat and pants, hedgespun footwraps, cropped tank top, that's the clothes people need. There's a top this time, she's trying to remember that without clothes, you don't get any hamburgers. When the last leaf flutters into place, Elia stretches, her voice a curling growl in her throat. Ashe gives a look Kelsey and she reaches out to pat Kelsey on the back, "You're fine. We'll get you in touch with the Waykeepers or I'll sit down and explain things." she tells him. "This is Czcibor." she introduces him to the Tinman. "Czcibor, this is Kelsey. An Autumn that's new to town and looking to join the Freehold." she introduces them. Then she stands when Czcibor introduces Lolly and there's a smile to the woman, "Welcome to the Wayhouse, Lolly." she states. "Like Czcibor said, I'm Ashe." she offers with a smile. "It's nice to meet you." she tells her. Then there's a smile as Calm enters and she gives her a nod of greeting, "Calm, it's good to see you." she tells her. Then Ashe's eyes look to Elia when she forms into that celestial self and there's a nod of head to her, "Good evening." she greets her with a warm smile. Lolly flushes at Ashe's welcome, then makes a face when Czcibor reminds her of The Incident, protesting, "If you--" before turning to glance behind her and immediately freezing in place at the sight of Calm entering in. Green-veined eyes go wide, before she emits a strangled squeak of, "Mall fairy!!" and bolts. Sure, it's an unfamiliar building, but buildings are buildings and doors are doors and, well. Suffice it to say that there is now a Lolly in the downstairs toilet. The floaty leaves are just icing on the cupcake. "Well, at least she didn't do what Haruki did." Ashe comments to Kelsey as she looks over to him. Kelsey starts to give another of his theatrical little bows to Lolly and Czcibor, possibly just to prove to Ashe that really it's not just her, but catches sight of leaves and cloak midstep and straightens again. "Hi," he says to the group in general, but centering in on Lolly. Why on Lolly? Because he is the only other person here who has non-maimed relatively normal skin, that's why. Annnd ... then there is an absence of Lolly. "Well." A momentary survey of the rest of the group, before the least impressive changeling still present looks over at Czcibor. "-- are you getting that, or shall I go try?" Czcibor's mouth opens, then closes. He regards Calm, glances to Ashe at the introduction and nods, glances at Kelsey, at Elia, and then just regards the place Lolly was standing. "Well," he says contemplatively, "you look more normal than I do. She's really nice, just-- really scared. Um-- seeing as your're Autumn-- no offense-- could you try not to scare her more? If that was part of your plan for getting her out of the bathroom, I mean. If you don't have any luck, call me over. ...Kowal, you can call me Kowal. Also, nice to meet you." Finally he gives Ashe an expansive shrug. "Sorry," he says. And then he looks back at Elia and Calm, and lifts his finger at Elia like 'one sec', and he offers Calm the faintest of bows. "You're in Lumi and Etsy's motley, right? I'm friends with Lumi from Vienna; it's nice to finally meet you, too." Then he looks at Elia, eyebrows up. "You live literally across the street," he says flatly, though the corner of his mouth twitches. "I have a talent for interrupting simply by showing my face around here," Calm says to Ashe with lament, as she makes her way forward. "My apologies, your majesty. Maybe I should just strengthen my mask before I come in going forward. And here I was," she says, her strange and otherworldly voice letting out a soft laugh, "about to offer to do the glitter-covered strip routine for her. Maybe later." She looks around at the others and introduces herself rather simple, "I'm Calm, a Vizier." The fact that she's Spring is pretty obvious by the sheer force of her mantle, and the tiny flowers that bloom in all the shadows near her. "And yes," she adds to Czcibor with a note of pleasure in her voice. "I am in... Adventure Time!" She says the name with enough gravitas to make the exclamation point audible, and raises a fist as if in triumph. "A pleasure to meet you, Kowal," she says as the hand comes back down. "No, you're fine." Ashe tells Calm. "I just wasn't expecting that. I don't think any of us were." she admits. "I was actually on my way out for the evening. Husband just got back from a hedge excursion. Does anyone have pressing business that I can handle before I go? Pledging?" she asks the gathered as she looks around the room to everyone. "I like to fly. This time of yearrr, it's so much fun," Elia answers Czcibor somewhat defensively, running her nailless fingers through her stringy hair. "So I'm gon-na fly a-crrrross the strreet," IF I WANT TO, DAD. YOU DON'T KNOW ME. Except, of course, he does. Except in the ways that he doesn't. Welcome to Czcibor's life. Her face turns toward Calm, then, and she tips her chin up at her, taking a deep breath. "I came to swearrr," she explains to Ashe. "The -- oth-errr thing I have to do is ... it can wait." It's impossible to tell where Elia is looking when she isn't looking directly at someone; her eyes appear solid black except when she's making eye contact, at which point the white irises of her eyes appear like the reflections of full moons in a dark pool. A bruise-colored nebula whorls up through her neck, across her cheek, as the anchor stars at her temple and throat pulse in slow, steady time. Kelsey says solemnly to Ashe, "Thank you again for your baking. I may be declaring it breakfast early for your vanishing visitor, though." He slips across to the fridge and retrieves another muffin, then holds it up to Czcibor. "One of the things Autumn is also about," he says, "is figuring out the right tool for the job. This one might help more, I'm thinking." And with that he takes himself off to lurk outside the closed door to the downstairs lavatory and listen for a moment. Not with ear to the door or anything. It is quite quiet in the lavatory. Not a peep to be heard. "Pledging I can do and if there's other business I can stay and hear that as well. My husband understands that my crown business takes precedence for the time being." Ashe states. "Can I have your name?" she asks her. "I'm Ashe." she offers in return. "I like knowing names before I swear people to the Freehold." she adds. Then there's a look to Kelsey, "If you need anything just give a yell." she tells him. It's clear from Czcibor's REALLY?? face that he's going REALLY?? in his head at Elia, but being the diplomatic type when he feels like it means that he doesn't say a damn thing out loud. Not to Elia anyway. To Kelsey, he gives a quick salute and a delighted grin. "Can I just say I love this Freehold's Autumn attitude? Because I do." Then he grins at Calm in turn. "Most excellent. Also-- Vorpal has much the same aura as you, in some ways, and he has been making an effort to dampen it to some degree when in the presence of the skittish. I have no idea what he's doing, but it seems uncomfortable; the two of you may want to compare notes and see if there's anything less awkward to try?" "Of courrrse," agrees Elia, her voice a rumbling growl spoken around her lupine teeth and long black tongue. "I am La-dy Sage El-i-a Qua-sey." Now there are silvery sigils floating on her glass-bottle surface, slowly skating across her skin. Whatever those odd things are look like symbols clawed into her skin with claws of some sort or another. Speaking of claws, hers don't so much pop out of the tips of her fingers as phase into and out of existence, which they do now a few times, perhaps a nervous stimming sort of gesture. "Vorrr-pal with him Mask up is like Ge-nie from Al-a-ddin. Phenom-en-al cos-mic po-werrrr... itty bitty human face." To accompany the 'itty bitty human face' declaraction, she makes a gesture with both hands like she's squishing something into a ball just in front of her chest. Squeeeesh. "Him Vorrr-pal likes to com-plain." But there's affection in the way Elia speaks that name, her ears cantilevering out to the sides of her head like awnings when Ashe says she can handle the other business, too. Her face turns toward Czcibor, and then back to Ashe. "Okay, Maj-es-ty." "It is uncomfortable," Calm agrees with a wince, not that this is really visible on the face of someone whose face is nothingness. "I've found that time and a congenial disposition tend to be the best relief, though some cases are more difficult than others. If she doesn't come back out, I do hope you'll pass on my remark about the glittery stripping. I wasn't joking, especially if it will make her feel better." She turns her regard on Elia for a moment, then she smiles -- also not visible on her face -- and says, "we've met before, haven't we? If I remember you correctly then I'm glad to see you here, and not there." Then she looks at the queen again, bows, and says, "pardon, highness. I don't mean to interrupt when there's official business." She lifts a hand and makes a zipping gesture in front of where her mouth probably is. Elia's got a hella hella Autumn mantle, mind, and it is playing fite fite with Czcibor's Spring: roses vs pumpkin vines, sunday sunday sunday Kelsey lifts the intact muffin solemnly to Ashe in thanks and acknowledgment, and then leans against the wall near the door, and taps gently against it. "Are you okay?" he asks the blank and quiet door, softly, so as not to interrupt Elia's and Ashe's actual business. Despite the answer being allllmost as obvious as the Mantle fight. Ashe gives a nod to that as she moves off to the side a bit, "Elia, good to know. And a Lady Sage, excellent. You should meet Waverly, she's another Autumn that just pledged to us that is a Lady Sage." she tells her. "I remember your name already speaking to the Waykeepers, so I apologize that it's taken this long for us to meet up. If you will repeat after me." she tells her. "I pledge my time, my talents and my fealty to Fate's Harvest." she states. "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." she continues. "May I perish in exile, should I be forsworn." she finishes. And yes, the fog from Ashe's mantle seems to start to creep across the floor of the Wayhouse... A miserable voice comes from behind the bathroom door, though it doesn't sound like its source has been crying or anything. "No, I'm not okay. Why do people always ask if you're okay, when they know you're not going to say 'Yay! I'm skippydippy wonderful!'?" This is followed by a muttered string of words in Japanese, just as cranky-despairing, before she switches languages again to demand, "Who -are- you people? I didn't see ANYONE weird before I came to fumbuck nowheresville Vermont, and now all I'm seeing are fairies and why are there so many FAIRIES and I really really don't want to be one just because I like healing the girls to make them feel better after dancing in high heels all night. Will you take my membership card back?" Silence. "...Please?" "It is my fault as much as yourrrs, Maj-esty," enunciates Elia, taking care to speak carefully around her teeth and tongue. "Good. I will find herrr. Do you know if there are other Dukes of Trrruth and Loss?" Nope, that's never going to get any better. But for the sake of the sanity of the player and everyone else in the room, let's just remember that she does in fact break up her words and growl her r's even when she's saying a pledge, so we don't have to wait forever for Elia's player to futz with the pledge language. "I pledge my time, my talents and my fealty to Fate's Harvest." she states. "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." she continues. "May I perish in exile, should I be forsworn." Czcibor stays quiet while the official business is going on, not making any comments even when Elia looks at him, but he does first wince sympathetically at Calm and then abruptly have to cover his mouth to hide the fact that he's trying desperately not to laugh. Too bad allll the roses are blooming. Calm remains quiet too, and though it's hard to see anything of her features there seems to be amusement in her body language as well. How is it that she's so easy to read, sometimes? Faerie magic, obviously. There must be some kind of private Spring joke, apparently. Roses aren't the only things blooming, though most of Calm's mantleflowers bloom in the shadows out of sight, under furniture and the like. Uvall drops something down into Ashe's hand and there's a smile up to her bat, "Thanks darling." she tells him. Then the pledge is settled over Elia's shoulders. "It's not much, just a pin for the Autumn season." she states as she hands it to the starwolf. "For appreciation." she adds. "I don't know of any Dukes currently. I can ask around. Winter should know." she admits. Then she gives a smile to everyone, "Be safe in your travels and stay warm. Winter is settling in and will be switching over before we know it." she states with a hint of sadness in her eyes. "Goodnight everyone." she tells them with a dip of her head. Then she's heading out. "Because 'are you okay?' is a lot fewer syllables than 'hey, it looks like something's really wrong, and we're worried about you, are you up for talking about it?'" Kelsey pauses, then, to avoid talking over Elia's pledge. Which also means pausing to give Lolly time to shift back from Japanese to English. Annnnd ... there's the question. "Sorry," he says. "I can't take your membership card back. Not any more than I can find somebody to take mine. Sometimes shit happens and we wind up stuck with it -- we're all people who got stuck with it. So we get to learn how to cope, and how to live with it, and how not to get other people in trouble by accident. It sucks. A lot. Sorry." "I will brrring my Jack, and therrre will be one, then," agrees Elia, taking the pin from Ashe, then. "Thank you, Maj-esty," and she pins it inside her coat's lapel. Maybe later she'll turn it out to show it off to people like someone trying to sell illicit watches in Times Square. Hey kid, wanna join a freehold? Anyway, it's only then that her attention turns back to Calm, like she'd been forcibly ignoring the other woman, as if she were, you know, a void in Elia's world. Err, which she is, but more literally than that. Anyway, the point is: now Elia looks at Calm. The entire drama in the bathroom is ignored in favor of the drama out here. "I know you," she answers the other Telluric quietly. "Yes."