The Cold, Hard Facts

[Lesingnon]

"No problem Marcus. Not like I've ever shied away from trouble here, and Autumn's always willing to do its part." Which certainly included doing far more than just hiding behind summer's military strength.

Then he settles down to hear what Katrin had to say, a bit curious. It seemed unlikely that Marcus would just randomly ask her about it. Had Rust been investigating at her behest? And if so why had she gone with the disgraced former King of Summer instead of one of her own Courtiers? He was pretty certain he knew which she'd trust more than the other.

Oh well, wait and listen for now. The answers would, hopefully, present themselves.

[Katrin Byeli]

Katrin listens to the Elemental's words, her expression remaining neutral as he tells her about Rust. She nods once he is done speaking, remaining silent for a moment before speaking up. "Yes, I did hear about the attack on his gym, yes?" she says in a tone that does not reveal a speck of emotion. "Rust had been looking into some gang activity in West Sacramento. I take it that the attack on him was retaliation of some sort, no?" Her flawless eyes look into Marcus, as she shares a knowing look with the Summer Hunter.

"I had asked him to acquire some more information into the activities of two gangs in that area of the city. Things that I've heard, well they suggest that there may be some Fae involvement with the gangs, yes?" says the Fairest, pausing for a moment to let her words sink in. "I warned Rust that this could be a dangerous endeavor, and that he shouldn't engage these thugs directly."

There's a moment of silence; one of those moments when one can hear a pin drop from a mile away. "I take it that the people responsible for the attack are members of one of the gangs he was investigating, no?" says the Winter Queen, as she brings that moment of silence to a fold. "I believe you two were there with him, yes?" She pauses as she looks at Marcus and then at Smudge. "Its likely you know more about his attackers than I do."

[Smudge]

Smudge listens to his Queen and when she looked at him, the Ogre felt his insides go cold.

"Yeah, could say that," Smudge grumbled. "They like their guns, and ain't 'fraid to use them. It pretty much went to shi' as soon as we arrived, tried to sneak in but when tha' didn' happen, it was either us or them." The Ogre shrugged. "But wha' do I know? I had a gapin' hole in my chest, right Marcus?" he finished, looking around with one eye to the lone Summer amongst them.

[CyledyrWyllt]

Marcus nods in agreement with Smudge's account before turning his attention back towards Katrin.

"To be honest, I wasn't sure you were going to make it. You see, I had to take Smudge here to Betony Rue, so I don't know what happened after that. Did Rust report anything to you? He seemed fairly certain that the Ear's mixed up in this somehow."

[Lesingnon]

"The Ear of Truth." Which was certainlly a name he'd hoped never to hear again. "A True Fae that troubled the Freehold a few years back. He was attracted to the area after Alice White's predecessor, Crunk, broke an oath he'd sworn on his name." He'd been the first of the Sovereigns who'd ruled when Rick arrived to end up passing his reign to a successor. But hardly the last. Only Katrin remained of those four...and at times Rick couldn't help but wonder if the Freehold would lose her too, the last of the old guard.

"He acted mainly through his Ear Wigs, which must have been his swarm aspect. It was practically impossible to tell one apart from the other. And he was after a particular book, one of a set of four. The one he wanted is currently held by a preacher who belongs to the Autumn Court, though he's never involved himself with the Freehold. And Marcus recovered the second book of that set the first time he was at Milford's hollow."

"I'd been hoping the Ear had left. We haven't seen him in..." he turns to give Marcus a thoughtful look, "two years, I believe. I think that mess at the Bloom residence was the last time any of his agents gave us trouble?"

[Anubite25]

A True Fae? Stripes tried not to seem anxious, though his mantle's whispers flared a bit before he could stop them.

"What makes Rust think Ear involved?" Stripes asked. "If the Fae interested in books, why get mixed up with street gang?"

It seemed a logical question. To the best of the beast's knowledge local thugs and muggers weren't noted for carrying around forbidden books.

[Smudge]

Listening to the Autumn King's answer, Smudge felt his insides go cold but not through fear. Oh no, it was the cold of a building avalanche, of a blanket of snow wishing to wash away the Gentry and all their kind.

The one-eyed Ogre looked around to Stripes with a small smirk. "Tha's wha' we're gonna find out, kid."

[Katrin Byeli]

Katrin listens to the words spoken in front of her, quietly contemplating what is being said. Finally, she shakes her head slightly at Marcus' question. "Rust was to report anything he found out to me, yes?" she says, her tone remaining calmed and neutral. "Unfortunately he was attacked before he was able to do this." She takes a long pause, remaining silently still.

"I'm not sure why Rust thought the Ear is involved in all of this, no?" says the Fairest, interrupting the moment of silence. "If that were the case, wouldn't have the gangsters come after you Marcus, or perhaps Brother Lucas?" The Winter Queen shakes her head again before adding, "I'm not convinced that the Ear is involved, but I wouldn't rule it out completely either. Perhaps it was Rust's own paranoia that drove him to make such a connection, yes?"

[Marcus Evan]

Marcus grimaces at the Onyx Queen's words.

"I was afraid that might have been the case... on both counts. Right. Looks like we're back at square one. It seems a bit of reconnaissance is in order. They'll be watching for us now, so we'll need a fairly good plan to get a peek at what's going in that warehouse."

The metalflesh closes his eyes as he concentrates on the guns he had briefly taken control of at their previous encounter with the gang members. Remembering how Rust had confiscated their weapons, he hopes the owners retrieved them during their cowardly attack on the former Summer King. Calling upon their Distant Connection, Marcus attempts to persuade one of the firearms let him experience its surroundings.

  Communion •••

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2012-04-15 09:36:53		Marcus rolls 9 to Wyrd+Persuasion (10 Again, WillPower)		7, 1, 7, 5, 2, 10, 1, 4, 2, 7		1 success