(Broken Cycle) Debrief

[Rhodes]

Rhodes had quietly been musing, processing the detail.

That John possessed the Contract of Omens was interesting, though he seemed to want to convey more by is. Whatever that was, Rhodes could not say. "The origins of the Huntsman, like so many Fae, are shrouded in mysetery. It is likely you have seen something known only to the dead... but possible coloured by both whta they are and your own perception." The words are given evenly, without accusation. Certainly, he thought as his eyes drifted to Sera, could he say that he would not become such a creature if she were taken from him? He would see the world burn....

She was hurt, and would never say. Sera could be so proud, yet the Dread Lord could never accuse anyone of such a flaw. But that... that was for private. Their face to the world would be perfect. Alone, they would comfort one another.

Titania's healing hands were also most impressive. Though her grasp on the present seemed flakey at best, it was an important and useful skill.

Eventually, he shook his head. His voice sound srough as he speaks. "It needs removing, not empathising with. A love like that cannot be replaced." The words are like lead, and he avoids looking at the Spring Queen as he says them. "The Gentry are more Fable than living. Whatever lead to it's creation, the Huntsman is now a being of legend, and the legend shapes the creature as much as the person it once was origially did. It will kill us as we try to engage it's "feelings". And I say 'Removing', not 'killing', because I am honestly not sure we can. I have found no records thus far of changelings ever defeating one of the Gentry - at least, not in the numbers we possess. We are talking 'armies clashing' scales of combat, and even then, I consider thre tales embroidered in such a way as to conceal the truth. The only thing that comes close," and he looks from the group to Sera, "is Fairweather, and even that I don't completely know."

He pinches the bridge of his nose. The strain of the fight in the dream was catching up with him. "It's pain can be used, but it will enage it, make it lash out. Useful, but not now. The Hunter must become the hunted, and for that, we make it stand alone. Pursue it's hounds, remove it's hunters, remove it's sanctuarie sin the Hedge and the Dream - until it stands alone. And then... we have a hunt of our own."

The Dread Lord's face is dark with malevolence.

[Yamiyo Lillich]

Rushing over as Titania begins her examination and getting sure to view as much as possible as the contract is invoked, her eyes shifting focus everywhere to try and see it's effects and understand it better.

Making her way back to her seat as the deed is done.
"I doubt playing matchmaker would work, if the feelings were strong enough to cause such things so are they probably not ones that can reignite with ease. To use a lookalike to draw attention for a moment might be possible of course but it would be to draw it's anger more likely than anything else. So it might be possible to draw it in a direction or temporarily distract but even that might very well be a best case scenario."

Shuddering as the dread lord speaks, knowing full well that he was probably right and the thoughts his words birthed were more than frightening then again anyone that knew of the gentry and didn't fear them were nothing but a complete fool.

[Titania]

And so she was being outnumbered and outvoted again. What the residents of the Freehold didn't understand - perhaps because of their propensity for violence - was that you couldn't exactly force a square peg into a round hole.
And so despite failing three times already at seeking a direct and forward resolution, they were going for the fourth.
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting every time a different result.
She pats Circe's shoulder, winking at the Succubus, "See, you just need to pour the exact amount of glamour".
What frankly offended her was their lack of consideration. They mistook her for a healing bot, without much to add to the discussion, shooting down her every suggestion. The power couple was at the center of that.
Perhaps she could persuade them, after all oratory was her strong suit.
But she decides to be indirect.
"Tales are rewritten every day, especially in a world of narrative social media", she sighs, adjusting her dress, "Let me be blunt. Over the past week I've had to assist three of ours. Having to snatch one from the jaws of death", she shakes her head, "If we don't have enough strength to change a detail of the story. Then we don't have the power to fight this thing head on", she puts her coat on, "And you know what? It's alright. Those of us within the Spring Court or with knowledge of the occult know of the existence of alternative ways".
She shrugs, "But it's up to you"

[Circe]

"The only tall tales I've heard of small groups killing Keepers I'd believe date back ta the 50s," she comments. "And the Army is not testing nukes nearby anymore." Circe snorts then hums in thought.

The Fairest sighs in defeat, "Star Girl has a point, loath as I am to not fight, I prefer ta win." Circe scoffs, "I mean, ta get any firepower even close ta one shot this bastard would require some very twisted and elaborate pledges. Not like I can just give ya all machine guns."

She pats Titania on the shoulder in approval. Angry was a good mood for the Summer to see in others, "So lets do as sunshine suggests and fanculo cheat." Especially if it is social media narrative. "If it is digital stories, we just hafta meme it up. Like Slenderman turning inta the balloon guy. If the digital story affects him, we just hafta memetically beat him. Make a silver bullet, scare him off, kill him," Circe grimaces as her ears fold back, "Or a happily ever after."

She then pauses to look between the other two Monarchs. They are supposed to be better at the occult then Circe was. "Would that shit work?"

[Sonnie Wu]

Do not give the monkey a machine gun.

She listened to everyone speaking, squinting slightly as her Beast brain worked to keep up. Clever as she could be, information processing could be slow at times.

"Let's, um, let's not forget about the cult guys. We should deal with them, too. They're a threat on this side of the Thorns."

Sonnie looked back and forth between Titania and Circe, her expression a touch confused, "You wanna troll the Huntsman on Twitter?"

[James Turner]

He hadn’t been serious about playing matchmaker but as the conversation continued he didn’t see it as a bad option, until Rhodes points out the gaping hole in the thought process. He stood stock still as he listened, like a robot put on pause eyes staring out there deep, black, unblinking pits that swirled shadows.

“Oh, I hadn’t meant the wolves. I’d meant the Keeper, sorry for the confusion.” When she asked about playing matchmaker he wondered if that was heat in her voice? “No I hadn’t been serious. If it were possible and it would solve the problem...” Another shrug, he wasn’t sure what he’d do then. Anything to win, most likely.

As Rhodes said his perceptions likely altered what he’d seen a hand slowly rose to his temple as he gave a short nod, a small static burst of pain pulsing behind his eyes. Trying to rebury the memory once more as he moved on. He chewed over Titania’s and Rhodes’ words they were both right and they both had good points. All he could do was point of the flaws in the statements but not add anything constructive. His stomach turned into knots as he spoke.

“Direct confrontation is not our strong suit. We aren’t a freehold of warriors, the last two fights we picked ended up with someone almost dying and another person seriously injured. I don’t wish to see a repeat of either of those outcomes.

“We have its source of pain, perhaps we can narrow down its Legend and find a way to change it as Circe suggests or perhaps that pain is the key to its weakness? Though I will say I am the one that kept insisting prey flees and it seemed to grow more and more agitated as I kept refusing. I wish there was an easy answer here.”

His brow narrowed as an idea formed. “What’s its territory like? Is it embroiled in fear? Is it akin to a hunting ground? Can the mortal side be made to influence the hedge side?” He looked at Rhodes assuming if anyone knew it’d be the Dread Lord. He didn’t know if the idea would work or could be followed through but so far the shotgun path to solutions seemed to be working for him.

[Seraphina]

The Nix listens, this was not going to be an easy task. Dangers lurked around every corner, and it could very well end all of them.

When Rhodes mentioned Fairweather, she sighs, “Fairweather was eliminated with the Freehold and Courts working as one. His Dreams were stalked for any weakness, any property he held both in the Hedge and in Sacramento, were taken. But what ultimately ended him, was poison. Someone went into his, uh, lair? I guess lair, and laid in wait, then poisoned him, ending him then and there. But the problem is, not everyone wanted to help, some were content to try and ignore him, move on.” Thinking for a moment, “But he had cultist as well, and we were able to get some information from a hob town. It was divide and hit as many points as we could. I don’t know if those tactics would work on the Huntsman or not.” A shrug, she honestly didn’t know. “But we outsmarted him, found what was his weakness and were able to kill him. It could,” stressing the word, “if we played it right. It would be playing the long con and gathering information, then striking.” Did they have the time?

Looking to Titania with tired eyes, “A head on strike isn’t what I was suggesting. I know we can’t win that way. I simply meant I don’t want to send him on his way, I want to make sure he does not come back and other don’t follow in his steps to attack our Freehold. When dealing with one of them, like Fairweather, we need to play smart. And there are too many things we don’t know to be successful. So I say we stalk him in his Dreams, look into the Lore more, ask the questions that will lead us to the right answer. Everything has a weak point, an Achilles heel we can use.” They just needed to be smart.

Shrugging to Circe, “I honestly don’t know. Again, we don’t have enough of the story, enough of the facts, to know for sure.” Looking to John, “We already have some of the pieces, but not all of them. So we’re on the right the track. We just need to dive deeper.”

To Sonnie, “They might have some key information. It’s certainly worth looking into them, seeing if they are simply crazy, or even they actually have a connection to him.” Could be a good source of information.

“Its territory might hold some keys. We know where the graffiti was and the one spot in the Hedge. So maybe there are more. Something else worth looking into.”

[Rhodes]

Eyes narrowed at the Telluric. "Oh yes. Do explain how we have been ignorant of the options of the Occult, Titania," he scoffed. Her holier-than-though nature was really starting to grate on his nerves. Maybe it was the headache of the Dreams, but the barb at his own area of expertise was one dagger too many after today. "No one court will solve this alone. And what you consider failures because people were hurt, were successes because it has lost assets and control. Our cost has been calling upon you, forcing you to use your talents to save lives. How selfish of us. So if you have an actual suggestion, one of your esteemed 'alternative ways', put it forth and be done with your charade."

He sighs. He could see the approach, but was also equally sure such a thing was beyond their ken. "A dozen people of little-to-know world standing will shape the nature of a True Fae with a social media crusade. Even if it were true, time means little to them."

The Director looks around, listening. It was clear no-one wanted to face directly again, and he couldn't blame them. John and Sera's stories were both the most interesting. "I was thinking a line of traps and ambushes. We know we aren't fighters, mostly, so we control the grounds. Use their instincts to our advantages and have them drive themselves to ruin. Not him, but the hounds. The cultists," he nodded to Sonnie. "And, of course, there is still the Dreams. Strip of assets and influence until he realises he is smaller than us. Employ Fear." Eyes flick to James. "It was like being in a hunting ground. Enforcing Fear upon us all. And the Hedge is unpredictable. Sometimes it reflect the mortal side, others it is utterly different. The heart of Sacramento mat be tangled forest, for example."

He sits wearily and rubs his eyes. He was so tired, even his Fairest veneer was worn veil-thin. Running something was never what one expected. Being forced to spawn ideas from nothing while people expected him to vomit answers and solutions. All the while, some people always thought they could to better. He had stood toe to toe with a True Fae and being accused of not doing enough... it was itching under his very skin.

Ultimately? He was an Occultist, not a general. If there was an Occult solution, it still had not presented itself in all his research.

[Yamiyo Lillich]

Nodding towards Titania before going back.
"Thanks, seeing it does give me a better picture for the future." It was always easier to understand a power once you had seen it, still that was just the beginning and plenty of studies would be needed before she would be able to be of aid there.

"So how many cultists are there and do we know how to find them? Do we know what they do exactly and how they are affected?" That one seemed the safest bit to interject at for the rest the whole situation felt far deeper than things she felt secure getting to deep into. "From what I saw so were there echoes of echoes of dream poison far and wide around which if I am not mistaken means that it is spreading it's influence rather wide which means growing power and potential akin to expanding it's territory more and more if I am not mistaken?" Looking a bit insecure around the room, she really wasn't an expert in this field but those nightmares she had seen were still echoing in her memory.

The fighting around her feeling almost scary but in earnest her energies were quite spent and mostly she were to tired to fully take it in.

[Titania]

If there's something British people are good at, is being charmingly cutting with their wits.
Some egos needed a bit of pruning. Time to teach this pompous brat a lesson.
"Very well"

Social combat. Dominance 12. Declaration: Titania wants to convince Rhodes that he is wrong and give him a dressing down