Log:The Mien Study - Catherine

The Mien Study - Catherine
An Ice Queen Cometh
Participants Lux Catherine November	May 10th, 2018 Another interview in Library/The Mien Study
Location MT07 The Wayhouse
Lux is noticeable long before she is visible. Her Wyrd makes the very air pulse with power. Light pools around her feet in an expression of the Wyrd on her personal reality. It moves in waves and gentle currents, then drifts up like mist around her forming patterns in the air about her. Today, fractals upon fractals into infinity are displayed in ever increasing detail within the wispy strands of light that float about her. She is sitting in a high back chair with a clipboard and several pieces of paper. Notes have already been taken on many of them, under the others. A row of tiny clay faces - trifles - sits neatly on a table beside her. A sign sits next to those that says: Mien Study - in neat meticulous handwriting. Catherine's walking about barefoot in the Wayhouse, moving with a strange degree of quietness. Though of course, being an expert huntress might just mean that she's a little on the sneaky side even when she doesn't mean to be. Sniffing the air, she looks over at Lux before entering the room and peers at her... Though walks into the room to sit down. It seems she was a little bit wary at first, but is slowly warming up. "Hey!" she says, "You wanted to interview me about stuff?" she asks, sitting down on the chair and crossing her legs. "I'll answer what I can, but bear in mind my lack of strong memories regarding... Things." she says, apparnetly referring to her durance by the hesistancy displayed. Lux looks up from the notes she is taking in a clear, flowing hand. Her green eyes are hard, but not angry, as she studies the changeling in front of them. "Any and all are welcome - and encouraged - to participate in my study. I am Lux Shadowcaster, Vizier of the Freehold of Fate's Harvest. Might I inquire as to your name before we begin?" She asks as she moves fresh piece of paper on her clipboard to the front, begining to take notes. "Oh! Yeah, sorry." Catherine says, "Catherine Adams, formerly Heather Braden but when you're trying to convince the world you are NOT your fetch you tend to want a different name." she observes. "Working with the Summer Court for now, lending rifle and occasionally claw to the cause. I'd peg you for an autumn what with all the research you're doing, but I'm open to be proven wrong." she says. November comes in through the front door. Lux continues writing across her clipboard, saying the notes outloud as she does. "Beast Seeming. Fur, spotted. Leapord? Cheetah? Flat nose. Wryd, Mild. Possibly Hunterheart." She finishes the rather simple notes this time, then looks up at Catherine. There is a smile in her ruby lips, though it never reaches her eyes. As she finishes her notes, she looks back up to her. "Please feel free to ignore any questions you do not wish to answer. What would you classify your Kiths as, if you know? Do you know or understand how you came to be this way from your time in Arcadia? Do you know the name of your Keeper or any of their Titles, and do you know or believe they had any hand in your current form? Are you a memeber of any Entitlement that would affect your mien, and can you describe the changes it has made to me?" The questions are said in a measured tone, though little time is left for answers until she puts her pen to paper and waits. "Considering that I can book it when I need to, I'd go with cheetah." Catherine says, "It... Probably engaging in kill-or-be-killed behavior. I remember... Blood. Tearing flesh. Disgust at realizing what I did." she says, frowning, "Being compelled to kill, to hunt and eat something that would scream and plead. I still hunt today, that much is unchanged. But I'm never eating something that can talk. Not again." The pen scratches across her paper, the flowing handwriting moving with grace as she does. She looks up. "Do you know your Kith Designations? If you do not, I would hazard by what you say that you would be classified as a Beast, Hunterheart Runnerswift - Hunterheart for your desire to hunt and kill. Runnerswift by your admission of Cheetah influences. Is this something that you concur with?" She makes a few more notes on her clipboard then looks back up. "Do you recall the name or any Titles of your Keeper, or the Realm in which you were interred? Understandable for one of your weaker connection to the Wyrd that you may not. Hopefully, should you deepen your connection you will return to me or one of the Custodians and include that knowledge in our files." "Designations, no." Catherine says, "I don't recall my keep... Er... Green... Something. Has to do with, 'Green' that's the most I can recall for a proper name. Titles like... Science. Zookeepers, that sort of thing. It's all fuzzy, no pun intended." she explains, "Anyway, I never really joined up with any particular entitlement. I've heard things about some groups. Tolltakers, Hedge Wardens. Word of mouth, seeing examples while traveling the country from California. Dunno if I'd really want to join one, but that remains to be seen." See, the problem with being exceptionally deeply attuned to the Wyrd is that even when Masked, enough leaks through to make you questionably human. To those who don't know her, November is simply a particularly lovely, androgynous and tall young woman with peaches-and-alabaster skin, brilliantly rainbow-streaked hair which behaves far better than it should, and no visible navel. Subtly slanted eyes are a vibrant, flame-bright gold. Maybe she's a low-Wyrd Changeling? She is -definitely- a baker, whatever else she is, because a tray of cupcakes is held lightly in upraised arms as she steps in from the dining room to interrupt, "Would either of you like a treat? Interviews can be such drying work." Her accent is a blend of Irish lilt and generic New England. More notes are taken, and Lux nods her head. "Simple then. Your Wyrd is Mild in power, but have you noticed any changes as you have come into your power? Or have you had this constant level of power since you first left the Hedge upon your escape?" She pauses, pen stopping on the paper for a moment. "You are not the primary subject of these interviews, Catherine, but you are nonetheless an important datapoint. If you continue to grow in connection to the wyrd, join an entitlement, the fact that I have first hand experience of your Mien from before will allow for a better understanding of how such things change it." And then, there is November. Lux's eyes harden even more than they did a moment before, but she hide that away after a second, giving a negative gesture toward the Waylady. "No, thank you," she says in a flat voice. Then she pauses, looking over at November. "I still have not had time to do a proper study of your Mien, November. You hide it often." The exact opposite of Lux there, with her glowing light-smoke and the twisting patterns. Patterns which change now, moving from the ever deepening fractals to jagged lightning bolts within the dark red clouds of light. "Well... My ears weren't always like this." Catheirne says, scratching one of them absently, "Used to be bog-standard human ears. Not fluffy cheetah ears." she says, "But entitlements, huh? I mean, how DO you generally join them? Are they secretive, 'You don't contact us, we'll contact you' sorts? Or are they job fair sorts of things where you can seek out your local chapter and apply to join?" Looking up at November, Catherine nods, "I'll take a cupcake, sure." she says, taking one off the tray and chomping it. One might notice slightly overly pronounced canines and what LOOKS like a rougher tongue than usual but it could be the way the light is falling on her face. November, on the contrary, positively twinkles with solicitous mirth, the very opposite of eye-hardening flatness. "I've been experimenting with methods of infusing food items with glamour," she explains, hefting one of the cupcakes with one hand to show the top. A graceful curly ? is piped there in violet frosting. When Catherine takes one and chomps it -- well, it talks. It also tastes like vanilla and strawberry with a cheesecake swirl inside. In a squeaky voice, rather like a child's toy, it giggles up at her and squeals, "Oooh! That tickled!" November ignores this, though she leaves the tray down on an end table nearby, temptingly close, and tells the cheetah, "Some Entitlements hold open interviews. Others are secretive. Others are invite-only. They are noble orders, lovely. Not everyone has the dedication to swear their life to such a thing; leaving them is seldom easy." Does she mention her own? Nnnope. There's a slight moment of recognition, but then Catherine drops the cupcake like it's on FIRE and says, "FUCK!" before curling up a bit in her chair. "Y-You just... You... What the hell?.." she asks, seeming more and more disturbed as the realization sinks in and she seems to be on the verge of tears. "Oh god oh god oh god..." she mutters to herself. "I wasn't trying, it's not my fault..." she says, trying to reassure herself a bit more than reassure others of her innocence. Lux watches dispastionately, making a few more notes on Catherine, then turning toward November. "Experiementing? Are you becoming a Knight of the Tongue now?" she asks, then... then the cupcake talks. That takes even Lux a moment to register, turning her head slowly back to the now half eaten thing that ... apparrently likes it. "November. I do believe... that is the most intriguing thing I have ever encountered you doing." For a moment, Lux is truely surprised, taken back. The jagged lightning in her mien changes again, becoming vague cat shapes that hop through the air in a never ending pattern that repeats over and over. Moving to the cupcakes, having risen out of her seat, she takes one, poking it with a finger. Bits of frosting is pressed about. She moves to divide it in half, curiously studying its every movement and action. "Hedge Ingredients? Or a Triffle of some kind?" She asks, glancing at November. Catherines outburst is noted, with a tilted head. Then her attention flits back to the cupcake. "Catherine, you may take a Clayface if you wish. It is payment for your participation." S-Sure..." Catherine says, standing up. "I... It liked it I know, but-" she says, as she uncurls a bit and wipes the beginnings of tears from her eyes. "Kind of got me. Too close to home, y'know?" she asks. "Do you want anything else, or is now not... Really the best time?" she asks. November tilts her head when Catherine reacts so strongly to the talking cupcake. "The red ones get angry, Lux, darling. The yellow ones like it. The purple ones are undecided on the matter." Dropping down to crouch by Catherine's seat, she picks up the half-eaten cupcake, sets it on the tray, and assures the cheetah, "They are only cupcakes. Gewgaws. I saw a bit of cheese once, that never got moldy, and I have been playing with other qualities in foods since then. You've my apologies for disturbing your interview." She certainly -looks- sincere, and sounds it, too. Glancing back at Lux, the rainbow assures, "No. Count is still the knight. I am content to be a god." Lux turns back to Catherine. Her eyes take in additional notes, leaving a few things noted in her brain. "Catherine, if you have anything else you wish to share about your Mien or your time in Arcadia, please do so. If you wish to wait, and recover your senses first, then you may simply seek me out at another time and I will update your file. There is no hurry to this study. It is a thing of leisure." She picksup the Red one, tearing a chunk out of it with long, glowing fingers. It spits curses at her and she tilts her head to the side. "Interesting," she says. "But, certainly Catherine," Lux says without turning her eyes that way. "You may take a Clayface Triffle. It will protect you from a small amount of harm, taking the damage that would have hurt you until it breaks. It is a small payment for your time." "Alright... Thank you." Catherine says, walking over to the mask and turning it over, examining it. "I know of two other people I can refer to you, but they're pretty busy recently. So I'll see about sending them to you when they're available." November leaves the cupcakes as they are, drifting back through the dining room doorway and heading across toward the kitchen doorway on the far side. "Lovely to meet you," she bids the cheetah as she does so, and twinkle-fingers a wave Catherine's way, Lux receiving a light, "Excellent work, as always. Keep the cupcakes, if you want them." Lux places the cupcake back, then nods to November. She steadiers her self, mentally checking over a few things before she turns back to Catherine. There is a smile there, it almost touches her eyes though it doesn't seem to be for the hunterheart. Small claw like structures appear in the light that drifts about her like smoke. "Well. Thank you. THe more who wish to participate, the better. I will be glad to speak with them whenever they come available. I can often be found right here, or November or another Waykeeper can probably get in touch with me if needed." She tips her head slightly. "Do you have any questions for me, Catherine? As I stated, I am a Vizier, it is my duty to advise the Crowns and members of a freehold." "...Well, yeah. Actually I do have a question." Catherine says, "I'm curious as to what you think a good fit for me would be. Sorry about freaking out about the cupcake." she observes, "I mean, in the way of entitlements. I dunno who does what around here." That causes a blink from Lux, who moves to settle in at her seat. She studies Catherine for a long moment before answer. "That... is a rather difficult question, Catherine," she says finally, folding her gloved white hands over each other in her lap. "Entitlements are, as November said, Noble Orders. They embody a broad number of traits and aspects of personality. Choosing to join one is a life changing endevour; you are making a pledge to the Entitlement, to a minor Title of sorts. You are becoming closer to Fae and to an aspect of reality that that Entitlement embodies." She pauses, gathering her thoughts. "Summer, yes? The Tolltaker Knighthood are bounty hunters, of a sort. But so much more than that. They are Knights as well. They have a code. They have a direction. The Tribunal, an Entitlement that is secretive that I have only heard of it by name. I do not know what it does. And it is different than the Tolltakers but still summer. And those two are just the ones you have to be a Summer Courtier to join. You could become a Bridgemason, wyrdbuilding hollows and bastions for the Changelings. You could be a Baroness of the Lesser Ones, dealing with the local hobs. You could even join the Court of the Solstice, attempting to gather enough power and support for the Wyrd to recognize them as an actual Court, like one of the Transitional ones." She shakes her head. "There is so much to think about with that, that you need to decide on your own." "So mixing bounty hunting with a sense of justice?" Catherine asks, "Sounds neat. I might have to talk to them, see how that goes. Maybe there's a place there after all for me." she says, "Thanks for the advice... Glad to have met you... Hardships and all." she says, before nodding and giving a light smile and leaving the room.