(Heart of the Dragon) War Council

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Drippy fingered hands threaded together twisting and tugging.

Mhairi was already indulging in a certain nervous habit. After making another pass through the hallway at Edna's she sighed. Realizing that she was indulging in two.

She's wanted this meeting to take place at the Blue Note. The symbolism would have been perfict, but with how adamant L'aire's words had been during the Luncheon. Mhairi hadn't even asked the Dancer.

So Mhairi paced through the halls of Edna's...and since she'd invited Sera, their Wyrd given poisoned arrow, they couldn't have this meeting in the Autumn Commons. At least, not without the Sprites shouting until their ears bled.

The table was set, Betony Rue's table. The one that Mhairi didn't like. The one that was for eating and also for surgery was now going to be where the Freehold would gather and she'd tell them all that she and Morgan had discovered about the Dragon.

The alcohol Morgan promised, placed in easy reach but away from the table. Mhairi even spent a few slowly moving, anxious hours making snacks and other foodstuff, that she didn't know if anyone would touch.

Making yet another pass, Mhairi trying to think of just how she was going to order her scattered thoughts into words as the other Lost began to arrive for this War Council...

[Morgan Bellanar]

The door to the the back opened, a pair of wary, glowing eyes visible in the gloom. Morgan came inside adorned in her usual street attire, even the duct tape was present. The only abnormality was the small fire extinguisher she'd brought in. Paranoia had insisted she check the doors, windows, fence, and Commons to ensure all were secure. The Beast would ehave deigned to use Trespasser's Spoor but she lacked the reputation yet to mark the Edna's as her "turf." So she'd had to improvise with "alarming" the fence.

Aluminum cans, rocks, and dental floss were not beyond her (non-existent) handyman skills. She was more worried about going back into the Commons after the...permission she'd given the sprites for securing it.

Paranoia was also why she hadn't lost her jacket or either of her knife holsters. She was very tempted to take a shot to steady herself. "Mhairi? Theh, heh, entrances in back art secured, heh. At least against norman means. Heh-heh, if we hear cans rattling, a fool heh hops our fence." She put the fire extinguisher under the table. Paranoid.

Standing back up she looked at her Queen, "And, uh...trash can lids, metal ones heh, we have those? They probably art a good idea to hold a'fore us when we enter the Commons, heh...I may have encouraged the sprites to, heh, secure it a bit, uh...much."

[Swami M]

Alex enters the room quietly. He can't help but feel the gravity of what will be discussed here.

"Hello, Mhairi, Morgan. So the news is that we might have a breakthrough with our, uh, reptilian problem. I've been out of the loop, so I'll have a lot of catching up to do on your research and how all of this is supposed to work..."

[Seraphina]

Sera was a little more than surprised when she got the invite to the war council. She was downright shocked. Having yet to be sworn, she wasn’t expecting them to want her there. So her being a little suspicious was to be expected, but her curiosity made it easier to go.

Arriving at the address, she approaches the door and knocked. When she hears the voice inviting her in, she gently opens the door, stepping inside.

“Hi, it’s Sera.” She greets as she follows the sound of the voices, finding a small gathering of familiar faces. Today she was casual, jeans and a fitted sweater. The weather was getting a little colder, and it was one of the few shirts that was still clean. Man, she had to visit the laundry mat soon. Her long mane of spun gold and silver was down and wavy around her shoulders.

A hand was raised in greeting to those gathered.

[Malcolm Green]

The mountain appears. Quite literally in this case. Green is of Winter; Iceclad Armiger of the Onyx Court; and should he chose, he can make his steps as light as mist and the frost on a fresh, wintry morning. He appears, swiftly ducking under the lintel and slipping quietly into the room.

  

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2016-12-16 21:28:46		Green to be sneaky rolls 6 to Dexterity + Stealth + Boon (10 Again)		1, 2, 7, 9, 8, 9		3 successes

By the time everyone has torn their gaze from Seraphina's magnetic presence, the mountain has already reached the drinks table and is laying claim to a beer. There is the slam and clink as he pops the cap. There is the pause as he stands, quaffing mightily.

And then Green collects a chair.

"Hey. So. Yeah. I'm here because I'm still the Constable. No one's said that old post is dead. So, yeah..." He didn't mention his other position. Of the remaining Freeholders, only L'aire even knew it existed. The Winter's way was ever a secret path.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

Her steps stop once she hears Morgan's voice. "Good." she breathes, "Good." she nods. At least they would have some sort of warning in place if anything were too..."I think we have some, somewhere." Mhairi says, and for the first time in hours her lips twitch upward. "And between you and me...I'm glad you thought of asking the Sprites for help." the thought of what those tricksy little devils could do when they put their devious little minds to it causing mischief, now that her Paladin had encouraged them to protect the Commons...they would most definitely need shields when they ventured inside once more.

Mhairi's fell-flames flicker as she takes one long blink at Alex's words. Research...? Oh. That's right. No one but she and Morgan knew just what they've been through to have made their discoveries...in fact after the Luncheon she and Morgan hadn't had the chance to talk to anyone about what they've been through. "We'll get everyone caught up soon." she promises, and moves her drippy fingered hand in the direction of Betony Rue's table. "Take a seat, grab a drink..."

The arrival of another takes Mhairi's attention away from the Summer. "Sera, hi. Come in. Take a seat." Mhairi tries to smile, but bringing in an Unsworn 'ling and asking them to battle the Dragon. If she stayed to listen, if she stayed and fought...well that would tell her, and the rest of the 'hold a hell of a lot about the Fairest. Especially in the light of how she'd reacted when Coco first told her about the Dragon and that was just a mostly friendly warning, instead this.

As the others draw around Betony Rue's table, Mhairi follows after them. To nervous to nibble on one of the snacks she'd made, and wanting to keep a clear head - at least until she'd told them about FRick - she just sits at the table and waits for the others to get their drinks, snacks and take a seat.

Two Autumns, a Summer, and a Spring. All they needed was...Green's appearance makes her jump a little, and wonder just how long the Winter was lurking.

"Green, hi." she says, watching him get his beer. "Right...that was a thing. And I guess it still is...huh." she hadn't thought about the old way the 'hold had been ordered since...before Ramona left.

Should she just let everyone talk and mingle for a while before she told them all the bittersweet news Morgan and her had to her. And it would be her that told them. She was the Leaden Queen, and she'd told Morgan she would be the one to tell them.

"A lot of this will be really confusing for you Sera. I'm sorry about that. If you have any questions. Ask."

Mhairi takes a breath and releases it. Deciding to just tell them what she knew. They couldn't get anything done if she didn't. "So you're all here because of the Dragon. He's in town. He's been very active. And he's been playing all of us as fools." Mhairi prefaces, before setting the timeline up for Alex and Green's benefit. "Just before Ava..." was hit and fell into that coma that she's never, ever ever going to wake up from, "The accident. We - Ava, Daniel, Morgan and I were at the Blue Note and ran into a women; Monique." ever since seeing her Dreams, Mhairi wouldn't call the poor women the RL Pepper Potts ever again. "Who's Fairweather's assistant. She's just a pawn to him. We thought that we could watch her, find something out about the Dragon." Mhairi pauses to look at Morgan. "We managed to enter Monique's Dreams, with Ava's aid. We learned that she knew of a weapon...the Dragon's bane...and yes. We know just what it is." she smiled.

Maybe, eventually she'll tell them how she'd bloodied the Dragon with a powerful Oneiromancy strike...made him flee with Morgan's aid...about the Dream-fire that seared her mind for days afterward...but that wasn't important now.

What was important right now, was that the news she needed to share wasn't just sweet. "And. For the past...I don't know how long. The Dragon's been masquerading as Rick Pereg. And he almost got Autumn's Crown."

[Morgan Bellanar]

Despite the trouble, Morgan's heart lightened to see Mhairi take amusement. This was going to be a shit storm, might as well have some levity before hand. And folks were arriving.

"Greetings Alex and heh Sera," and then there was noise at the drinks table. Morgan spun to it, right hand dropping to her thigh holster...but it was Green. Morgan sagged in relief, "heh-heh, always grand to see our Constable, heh, especially with what tis to come," she forced a smile onto her face to try to hide her reaction.

When Mhairi took in her calming breath, Morgan felt that was her cue. She acted by: standing beside Mhairi as she talked. Morgan was silent aside from the occasional nod of confirmation until the big reveal.

After Mhairi finished was when Morgan finally spoke: "This fake Rick, FRick, had spake upon recent Freehold business. So tis confirmed, heh, as the one that sought the crown. Nay ken when, heh, impersonation began...Also," she pointed at the makeshift bar, "Explains the plethora of options. Shot glasses, heh, behind them if ye need a steadier."

[Swami M]

Alex had been ignoring the bar, but that bombshell makes him reconsider. Rick had seemed like a standup guy. The operative word, apparently, being seemed...

"Well that would explain him suddenly running off when we needed him in the Hedge... but do we know what happened to the real Rick?"

[Seraphina]

So Green was the Constable, info was good to know.

A smile was offered to Mhairi as she walks into the room and finds a seat. Her eyes wander over to the food and drinks, but she was more concerned with whatever was going on.

She nods her understanding, knowing she would more than likely have questions. Like, why was she invited? She hadn’t sworn yet, so it felt weird to be in on whatever as about to go down.

Oh….the dragon! Sera leans forward in her seat, clearly interested in what was being said. Not that she was eager to play with a Dragon, cause that sounded like suicide to her. But having knowledge of what could take down said Dragon?! Well, that just upped the interesting factor. Just what was this things weak spot? Cause knowing what it was meant they were really serious about fighting this thing. And, yeah, wow. Arrive in Sacrameto, find out the Freehold is planning an attack on a Dragon. No pressure there or anything.

Who was Rick? If he almost got Autumns Crown, he must have been another Lost, a friend of theirs perhaps? FRick? Well, guess that’s one way to tell the difference.

An unsure hand was raised slightly, “So this Rick, eh, FRick, I take it he was a fellow of the Freehold? Well, at one point? And, is he still around?” all seemed like good questions to her.

Cause if he was working for the Dragon and still around, it seemed like he could make taking down the Dragon a lot harder than it was already going to be.


The drinks on the other table were tempting, but she resists.

[Malcolm Green]

"I think Rick is gone," Green rumbled from where he sat. "How? When? Why? Who knows. For all we know the wyrm could have been waring his face for a while now. No telling if any other harm has been done. I figure, if what you say is true, the wyrm could have wrecked our reputation on the other side or pulled some stunt like it. Guess someone will have to look into that, huh?"

He glanced over at Morgan and Mhairi. "So. Is this Monique... erm... safe? You know. From him. At least, as best as we can make it. And is she legit? You know, speaking of shape changing dragon's who can infiltrate our little group?" Would Fairweather draw them out with false leads so he could crush them once and for all? The mountain suspected he could - maybe even would if he felt their little Freehold was become too irksome.

He let the pause grow.

And then: "So. What is it? And how do we get it?"