New Management

[unlimited sink]

Helen is running late. She'd lost track of time at the library, where she'd been working on preservation protocols for the Sacramento Room's long-neglected local-writers collection. She'd taken special interest in the small-press poetry magazines of the 50s and 60s stored there. The city had been a hot bed of New American poetry during the period and her passion for that movement, along with her general love of working with textual materials, had caused her to work much longer than she'd planned.

She arrives looking charmingly disheveled, carrying with her a nice bottle of Lambrusco, the sparkling red that is her preferred drink of the warming months. Upon entering Edna's she is momentarily seized with the panic that comes whenever she confronts a crowded scene. It is a panic born of the conflict between the young woman she is at heart, the one she was before being taken, who wants nothing more than to live and to live among others, and the older, more withdrawn person she is now, the one that came back, the one who prefers the company of books.

Hast thou the power to live and to conquer death? The answer can only be 'yes.' So Helen makes her way into the party, clutching the bottle before her in ink-stained fingers, casting smiles and winks about her, to those she knows and to those she doesn't, making her way to Terri and Rick where they stand together. "Madame Proprietor, dear sir, I present you this bottle of moderately priced, yet delicious, wine," she says warmly. "Where would you like me to put it?"

[Lesingnon]

Empathy might not quite have been one of the Elemental's strong points, but he knew Terri better than anybody. He certainly didn't miss that touch of melancholy. So he leaned lightly into the beast, letting one arm wrap comfortingly around her. But Helen approached bfore he could ask about it. Probably best to let that question wait a bit, then.

Instead he offers the Wizened a wave with his free hand. "Well I'll take your word for it that it's a nice bottle, then." He shrugs disarmingly, "Afraid I'll have to admit that my knowledge of wine only extends about as far as red and white."

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Finishing off her bottle, she put it down and grabbed another. Cheering the others on as they performed.

Mhairi made sure she had at least one cupcake before they were all taken. Biting into the chocolate-y confection the elemental couldn't help but show off her trade mark crooked grin. "This is-ah really good!" taking another bite, "You're-ah gonna have to-ah do this again!"

At Morgan's comment the Mhairi couldn't help but laugh. "Ha! That-ah would be the-ah song for-for us! My-ah mom..." Mhairi wanted to allow grief to cloud her face, but this was going to be a happy night. And she'd remember the happy things! "She used to sing that one all the-ah-the time...when-ah we were-uh..." How can you tell someone your mom taught you everything you knew about thievery when she'd been singing 'bad to the bones'? "Doing uh-things." with a shake of her head, she was brought back tot he present when Morgan commented on her backpack. "Ah-I was wondering -why-ah you were-ah still wearing it." Mhairi smiles, "Oh! the-ah 'Hold? Good! It's been-ah great! Better then-ah great even! Everyone's nice, and...nice. Well no one's been-ah mean or-ah anything..." and that was the truth. She'd never been to a 'Hold that was this nice, or welcoming before ever.

Sadly Mhairi had finished was remained of her cupcake, though she didn't want to be a cupcake hog, she simply pouted at those that remained, waiting for everyone to have one of Evelynn's treats before snagging another one for herself. So instead the elemental sipped at her cooler and snagged another slice of pizza.

[Terri Nutkins]

A moment of weakness and Terri was glad of the interruption when Helen Powers arrived to the party, bringing with her a nice bottle of wine.

"Helen! So glad you could make it," she replied with a massive smile, beaming from ear to ear. For some reason she had yet to figure out, the was definitely something about the recently-arrived Wizened that brought a touch of comfort and reassurance to the Beast, perhaps as a figure of wisdom. Taking the bottle from Helen, Terri added, "Perhaps we could share a glass over the evening and you can tell me some more poetry? I have to confess, I'm not the brightest spark when it comes to, you know, reading."

[Swami M]

It appears Alex has dodged a bullet. He just hopes they don't decide to go another round...

He looks over at Ava. "I've been worrying too much about the uh, musical program and neglecting the real guest of honor. Congratulations on your new title."

He smiles at Helen when she arrives. "Is that champagne? Well, kind of almost champagne... We should have a toast for the new Autumn Queen."

[Daniel Leto]

“Are you kidding? I’m a Gravewight. Wailing banshees are like angle choirs to my ears,” he teased Evelynn back with a wink. Unlike with the other’s he didn’t push her too hard to join. She not only seemed naturally shy but she’d just joined the Winter court and was Wizened. All indicators that she probably really didn’t want the spot light. Still, the invitation was left open.

Morgan’s talk of how Mhairi was finding the Freehold’s Autumn court reminded him.

“Hey Evelynn, congratulations on the joining the Silent Arrow by the way. It suits you.” He knew the Onyx wasn’t for everyone. Even he (despite having a stronger mantle) sometimes had difficulty with its philosophy. However, the hush around the Inventor seemed to fit like a glove on a hand fixing clockwork gears.

“Everything I dreamed and more. And afraid it’s not laying anything to rest,” he replied with faux apologetic tone (yet there was a fervent kindness behind it) “You see, if I remember correctly, you said I’d be grateful not to take your hand. Yet here I am, happy to shake it.” Even if it did feel like a teenagers palm on prom night. “Now, if you don’t want to shake my hand, that’s another matter but I will always be happy to take hold of yours.” Everything had the tone of jest, yet in the Darkling’s black eyes there was a steady and understated seriousness to every word. He released his grip, letting Charles formulate his own response. Or not, as the Elemental chose. Daniel probably would let it rest, but he wanted to make sure Charles understood.

“Being home-taught?” he added helpfully when Mhairi seemed at a loss for words. Her hesitation and previous statements made Daniel pretty sure she meant stealing but if she didn’t want to bring that up, that was her choice.

With no one else getting back up to sing, Daniel decided he should take the stage again. And to show that you didn’t have to perfect, this time he didn’t give it that extra ‘umph’. Yeah, he still tried, but the effort fell flat. He ended up sounding more like a yowling cat than anything else. Which (all things considered) was oddly appropriate, since he was sing Memory.

Like this

  Only much much worse

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-05-11 20:10:00		Daniel Leto rolls 2 to Pres+Expression-1 (10 Again)		1, 6		failure

[unlimited sink]

She admires the two of them, Rick and Terri, for a moment. The ease of their affection speaks to the home desire can make, even for those as troubled as the Lost.

Helen chuckles at Rick's professed ignorance concerning wine, "Lucky for you, the only thing one needs to know is how to drink it." With that, she turns to Terri, "And it would be my pleasure," she says to the Truefriend's query about poetry. "People can be so intimidated by poetry, but in the end it's like wine," a wink to Rick, "one can know more or less, but it's really about learning how to enjoy it. And you may have a better idea of that than you think Terri, being someone who makes things after all." She takes a thoughtful beat: "A poem is just another kind of things, words just another kind of material." Alex's suggestion is greeted with an enthusiastic nod, her eyes moving from him to Ava, "A toast sounds wonderful."

But then Daniel starts to sing, and Helen turns her attention his way. True, he's off pitch, but she appreciates his nerve nonetheless. One does not always sing well, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't sing. When the Darkling finishes, she applauds with real feeling before turning back to Terri and Rick. "I believe that's my cue," she says, leaving the wine with them to take the mic from Daniel, who she favors with a warm smile.

She takes a moment to compose herself and choose her song, Neil Young's "Only Love Can Break Your Heart," a song she's loved since before she was taken. The tiny wizened takes a deep breath and begins to sing, letting the music take her.

  1 success

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-05-12 09:27:41		Helen Powers rolls 7 to 3pres + 4expression (10 Again)		7, 5, 8, 7, 7, 6, 4		1 success

It's not her most stunning performance, but the feeling is real.

[Evelynn East]

Evelynn offered Morgan a bright grin when she approached. "Hi Morgan! How are you doing?" She hadn't spoken to the Steepscrambler in so long, despite quite enjoying their pleasant (if awkward) first conversation.

Daniel drew her attention, then, with gentle teasing that drew a faint blush, but she didn't look uncomfortable - much, anyway. And she dipped her head in thanks at his welcome to the court. "Heh. Thank you!" She caught the exchange between him and Charles, too, and hid a smile behind her half-eaten cupcake. The quiet persistence of her fellow Winter's kindness just served to make her like him all the more. And then his song, in which in sang like the banshee he claimed to enjoy, made her applaud even more than last time. It took guts to climb up there and sing at the best of times, in her opinion. Even more to stick it out when it wasn't necessarily going as well as you'd hoped.

While he was on-stage, she turned to Mhairi, having caught the Elemental's little pout, and grinned. "I wouldn't worry, there should be plenty enough for everyone. And if you want even more, I could make some more another time. Or maybe you could come over and we could have a baking day!"

Ava's question made Evelynn grin and she nodded vigorously. "Oh! Oh yes. I'm still working with Keith on that Summer thing. I have too many ideas for that. It's bad. But! Oh! I've been working on a plan for some lockboxes that we could use a drop spots for 'Hold members to use. I have the basic blueprint worked out, but I was thinking I should ask around about where to put them? Maybe one in each seasonal spot, to start? What do you think?" With the last question, her gaze swept around the little crowd gathered nearby, indicating that she'd be happy for suggestions or requests from anyone present.