Blue Note Blues

**Malcolm Green** · Dec 6th, 2014 11:06 PM

Tonight, live entertainment played at the Blue Note. It was appropriate: moody, soulful, classic jazz and blues that fitted the ambience of the establishment seamlessly. The bar was a place of quiet rhythm.

Green found it pleasing. The band; the ambience; the mix of mundane folk - just enough to screen him and L'Aire from general view. He had arranged the coffee and his customary booth with its dark, lacquered wood and supple leather. Now all he had to do was sit and wait.

A fellow Onyx courtier had reached out to him. He was bound to oblige. Their's was an insular, self absorbed society. When one of them chose to share time, it was an honour and a joy, not an obligation in the usual sense.

Selena L'aire

Dec 7th, 2014 10:37 PM

The Blue Note was starting to grow on her, more than she thought. L’aire adapted to most changes easily. The sites, sounds, venues and everything she was use to it being different week after week in the past. The nomadic life of touring still in her being, a way to avoid Keepers, Gentry and others.

She stepped into the jazz club wearing normal attire. The Fairest left the studio early enough to properly change at home. L’aire slowly made her way in, looking for the mountainous man. He was slightly harder to find when he was sitting, so it seemed. Eventually she spotted him in a booth. One hand was in her coat pocket, purposeful, like she was holding something.

L’aire smiled as she approached the booth and slipped into the opposite side of the Elemental. “Hey Malcolm, thanks for meeting me and getting us a table.”

Pulling her hand out of her pocket, she set down a small bottle beside her toward the wall of the booth.

**Malcolm Green** · Dec 8th, 2014 02:45 AM

"Not a problem," the mountain replied. His face remained set; only his voice held a welcoming note - for those willing to look for it. "If you've got yourself sorted," he rumbled quietly with a few fingers on one hand gesturing to the bottle, "Would you mind if I got myself a jug of beer?"

As he spoke, his eyes lazily drifted over the bar in case he had to cover for his fellow Courtier.

If assent is given, he nods and pays for a jug for himself and a glass of something for L'Aire. She doesn't need it, of course, but appearances have to be maintained. Upon his return he settles with his drink.

"So how you been?" This time, he doesn't hide behind his beer. An Onyx Courtier has earned that right; besides, those of Winter value silence and when they speak, they mean it.

Dec 9th, 2014 06:19 PM

“Oh yeah, go ahead.” L’aire didn’t care if the Elemental drank or not. Maybe he had to loosen up a bit, which was perfectly fine. Some that came back from the Hedge needed to unwind in such a way.

Upon his return, she smiled until he set the glass for her on the table. She wasn’t sure what it was, and had been really jonesing for coffee. Not wanting to make a fuss, she just pushed the glass aside. She pulled the little bottle of creamer over and poured the coffee from the pitcher on the table. At least if that was tainted, she’d taste it or feel it immediately.

“Oh, just trying to get the hang of things again. A lot has changed since I got back to town.” The Dancer didn’t need to spell it out to her fellow Winter. “Has a couple of interesting encounters with some uncouth people. Sometimes hard to deal with, ya know?” It was hard to know when to break the Ice Law.

Tapping the table softly toward Malcolm, she smiled. “How about you? Anything you can catch me up on generally speaking?” They’d have to get to the other stuff later.

**Malcolm Green** · Dec 10th, 2014 02:27 AM

Green placed a calloused hand over his jug and he pondered.

"Yeah. Some big shifts alright. The 'hold looks like its coasting - at least some of us are looking into the Dragon thing. I dunno... Summer seems all hot air right now though. Talk talk talk. Spring and Autumn, can't rightly tell what they're doing. The scary ogre woman holds court for the Autumn's but its not like I've seen them do much. Last I heard the Spring gathering was little more thanWe have been busy... but its mostly rebuilding work. Don't help that we had a lotta folks flow through the 'hold but not many stay. At least you and Degnar have popped up."

He sounded grumpy.

"Whose been bothering you? I can't say I know that many in the 'hold now. I've been keeping to the fringes and watching for trouble. Can't say I seen much, but. Then I been spending time with Degnar. We got each other's backs now."

Dec 10th, 2014 09:24 PM

Slowly sipping her coffee, L’aire felt a chill not that of Winter, but of the ominous Dragon. Far different than the other pearly Draconic she befriended last time. He could have been slightly scary, but he had a heart of gold; despite his possession hang ups.

She remembered when Summer was full of fire, the want to go out and bust up whoever was a threat. It was a shame to hear that they were just steam now. “Well, Rick and Terri are back too. I don’t know Rick well, but maybe his efforts will help?” L’aire shrugged a singular shoulder. “I really want to help myself. There’s not much I can do yet. I wasn’t trained for offensive situations.” The Dancer would probably do well as a distraction, but that was all she could offer right now.

“Degnar. Yeah I need to talk to him a little more. He and I always end up in awkward conversations.” The Fairest chuckled slightly. It was the truth, but her words were endearing of the Tunnelgrub.

L’aire’s long fingers wiggled in a wave off to the side. “Oh, it’s nothing I can’t handle. It’s just one of those Wintery situations. The Law is a tough one sometimes.”

**Malcolm Green** · Dec 11th, 2014 04:02 AM

Green grunted, satisfied.

"Yeah. But Law is law, I s'pose. The others just don't get it, sometimes." Removing his hand he took a sip from his beer. "But if you fell they giving you trouble. Tell me, okay? I'm an Archer..." he added quietly as he could, "So I guess I'm up for offering support. If you want it."

Want. Not need. An Onyx Courtier would never need.

"Rick? Rick Pereg? Aye I know him. We're working together at the moment. Something is happening... out there... He seems good to have around."

He paused, enjoying the silence between them and the jazz in the background.

Dec 11th, 2014 08:29 PM

L’aire let the silence carry on for a moment or so after Malcolm’s clear pause. Slowly sipping her coffee again, but not anywhere near as annoying as the receptionist at the Studio.

“No, they don’t get it really. Sometimes I feel intentionally pushed. Especially since I got back.”

“Her presence has been missed. Maybe that’s why those wish to dare. I remember that she was feared, and maybe I use to seek shelter knowing that was the case. I guess its time I learned to do so on my own.” The Dancer realized what she was admitting, but it was true. Things were far different without her presence at Seasonal gatherings. Bettony was no where near as scary as their Queen. Bettony seemed just bitchy. Could be that even without knowing Katrin’s past, there was the unspoken knowing of one Onyx female to another. “But thank you for the offer, if it comes to that some day, I’ll let you know.”

“Together? With Rick?” L’aire breathed in slowly. “What is happening… out there or where?”

Maybe I should attempt to get to know that guy. Really, Terri does seem to care for him despite the odd situation.

**Malcolm Green** · Dec 12th, 2014 06:29 PM

Green placed down his beer.

"We're not sure. The Dragon is moving again. Maybe. Or maybe someone else likes lighting fires. We don't know yet so a little group of us are checking it out. Out there. Thorns." He added carefully.

"You are right though. She has been missed. No doubt she got stuff to do, but I haven't seen her since... last Winter." The Elemental tugged on his beard thoughtfully. "Dunno. Maybe its Leadership thing. I didn't see much of the Spring lady either. The Summer preacher held a memorial; you know, made words and stuff... then nothing. Autumn had a fair - guess I should have paid more attention to that one... I... uh... hogged the table... Yeah."

Dec 12th, 2014 11:10 PM

It was strange that something like a Dragon was hard to track. But, he’d fooled a lot of them before. “It probably is him. I’m guessing it’s not just grass that’s on fire.”

L’aire blinked… and again.

“Wow, really?” The Fairest was truly shocked. “That is really doesn't seem like her, at least how I knew her before.”

“There may not be time before the Season happens, but afterwards, maybe we should talk to her? She has always been honest in answers to any questions. If she doesn’t want to tell us, she will at least be polite about it.” L’aire was confident in that much.

“Maybe its because of what happened to Castor?” Knowing he was one of the Monarchs who died in the cause. “But, I dunno, I’d think they’d be around more to help protect the city, not less.” Her hands flipped up slightly, unsure of how the hierarchs worked. She found the coffee again and slowly sipped it.

Blue Note Blues

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