Storage and Transport

[Thomas Land]

Thomas has heard no reply to his letter, which he assumes means that Mhairi's decided to join him tonight.

Or not. And she simply didn't feel the need to decline, he can't help but chide himself. It's still hard for him to imagine that an individual of such importance (and such beauty) might deign to waste her time on a creature like him.

The Mole-Man wrings his clawed hands nervously as he waits in front of the gates to the open-air storage center. It's one of those complexes made up of row upon row of identical storage units, each with its own roll-down door. No one physically works on the property, making it the perfect place for Thomas's own, very peculiar, archival needs. And for clandestine meetings such as this one.

Night has just fallen and the Beast lingers in the circle of light cast by a street lamp, wearing his typically professorial garb. Though tonight there's no jacket, just a tweed vest and shirt sleeves. This is about as relaxed as Thomas gets.

He's nervous the Autumn Queen won't show. And he's nervous that she will. After all, he's made the decision to let her into his hollow. To permit her interaction with his materials. It's a gesture of intimacy. And trust.

Thing is: trust isn't this Mole-Man's forte. Even when he's decided to try, it's hard to actually convince himself he's made the right choice.

Still, it's a necessary next step. He's determined to prove his worth to the Freehold. And that starts by convincing the Director that he has something to offer. And then there's the matter of the Motley. Would Mhairi be open to joining himself and Ingrid in their study group? No way of knowing except to ask. Though the prospect of doing so makes Thomas feel sick to his stomach.

But there's no turning back now. So, the Mole-Man waits. Humming nervously (and tunelessly) to himself, beady eyes darting to and fro behind wire-rimmed spectacles, furtively looking for his Queen.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

To most the furtive man would be beneath their notice, but not Mhairi's. Especially after the letter she'd got handed this morning from one of her staff. Having read it, she wondered why the mole-man didn't want her to RSVP.

Or why he hadn't just called her. Then she could have told him that she'd love to come over and finally see his collection right then, instead of him probably working himself into a panic over the lack of confirmation. Or, at least that's what Mhairi would have been going through if their positions were reversed.

It wasn't quite a jacket, nor was it a shrug, but it was comfortable and warm, while also being cool. It fell at the line between her corset and the tops of her breasts. Finishing her look were a pair of leather pants, and a pair of her favorite boots. Even knowing that she was to venture into the Hedge to get to Thomas' hollow, to finally catch a glimpse of his collection.

"Oh Thomas!" Mhairi greets when she finally lays eyes on the beast, "Good evening, how've been?" she asks with a smile, fell-flames flickering in anticipation of a night happily lost in tomes, and far, far away from thoughts of Alexander Brown.

[Thomas Land]

Why not a more direct manner of invitation? Perhaps the Mole-Man is a touch formal, given to arcane observances when it comes to such things? Or maybe it was a strategy, conscious or no, for producing more anxiety, more fear in himself? Occam's razor says its probably just his social awkwardness manifesting itself once again. The way he can't help making every social interaction or instance a hell for himself, if not for those around him.

In any case, he certainly seems happy to see Mhairi, if slightly shocked: "Hm-hmmm, Mhairi! It is so nice to-uh-see you agin. I am, well, I'm well enough--yes. And you?" Even as he speaks, Thomas is turning, setting off toward the gate. "Please, please, uh, follow me..." Clawed fingers punch his code into the keypad and the gate swings open into the storage complex.

As the gate creaks closed behind them, the Mole-Man sets off up one of the rows of units, each identical to the last. Every now and again, he gives a furtive glance back toward Mhairi. "It's, hm, it's right this way. We'll uh be able to speak more comfortably, yes certainly, there..." The place is dark, save for a few, largely ornamental flood lights, set at the edge of each row. And the Mole and the Monarch are traveling deeper and deeper into shadows as Thomas searches for his unit.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"I am....uh." she frowns, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to get into here. "Yeah. You seen the note I posted?"

A nod and a skip as she follows her Twilit Page into the complex and through he rows upon rows of storage units.

"True," comes Mhairi's voice as she's lead, if she was anyone else, with anyone else this setting with it's perfectly symmetrical copies of the same unit over and over again, with the sun laid to bed, Mhairi could easily see this as a place filled with horror. A slasher villain in a cheesy franchise running rampant, but in reality. If it wasn't for scuff marks on the floor and the completely mundane nature of the floodlights, Mhairi could see something horribly perfict like this as a one of Their Domains.

Her steps quicken with her thoughts, she tries to swallow past the lump in her throat. "Uh-are we-ah there yet?" heading deeper and deeper into this place, the only escape the Hedge.

....there was a message in that.

[Thomas Land]

"I did, yes--indeed." The Mole-Man answers in the affirmative concerning the note, something to discuss further once they're inside. "And hm, yes, we are." Indeed, he's stopped in front of one of the units. A set of keys is extracted from his pants pocket. Clawed fingers working quickly to disengage the padlock. The rolling door is pushed upward with a clatter.

The interior is dark until Thomas bends over to pick up a high-powered flashlight set just inside the entrance. Straightening, he aims its beam into the unit, the light picks up various boxes, pieces of furniture, a couple of clothes racks with neatly arranged suits hung with care.

"This way, hm, please," he says, motioning Mhairi into the unit itself. Once she's entered, he brings down the door again, fastening the padlock to a latch on the inside, tugging at it to make sure it's engaged. "Very good, yes, well. Shall we?"

With that, the Mole Man leads her between stacks of boxes, following a narrow path to the back of the unit. There, on the far wall, is a large, empty book case backed against a blue tarp. Somehow, the tarp seems to stir, as if a gust or current of air is playing with it. "It's, uh, it's just here," Thomas says, pushing the shelf over a foot or two with a grunt, then pulling back the tarp to reveal a hole in the wall. The corrugated steel of the unit seems to be stripped away leaving, impossibly, a dirt hole large enough for Thomas to pass through while standing, though Mhairi may need to stoop.

Again, Thomas takes the lead, seemingly unfazed by the earthen tunnel he's entering. In fact, he appears far more comfortable here than he does in the outside world. One clawed hand clutches the flashlight. The other traces a line on the wall of the tunnel as he walks.

Finally, the two of them emerge into a large chamber, seemingly dug from the earth. Lining it's walls are makeshift book shelves, assembled from cinder blocks and planks of wood. Nothing fancy, simply a means of keeping the Mole-Man's collection of priceless tomes from being soiled. Many books are kept in plastic sleeves to further insulate them against contamination.

In the middle of the space, a fire burns in a pit scooped out of the earth. Above the flames, in the center of the domed ceiling, is a smoke hole. Through it, Mhairi can glimpse the tangled brambles of the Hedge. Crisscrossing the hollow are strings of drying goblin fruits hung from the ceiling, being cured for proper consumption. As for furnishings, there are very few: a couple of folding chairs, a card table set nearby. In the corner is a pile of bed clothes and leaves. Could the Mole-Man actually sleep here?

Clicking off the flashlight, Thomas turns back to face the way they've come, mumbling to himself for a moment. Calling on the Wyrd to keep them safe.

  Trapdoor Spider's Trick, failure

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-07-24 12:59:26		Thomas Land rolls 4 to Trapdoor Spider's Trick Wits2 + Wyrd1 + 1 Owns Territory (10 Again)		7, 7, 5, 5		failure

  Second Attempt, 3 suxx

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2017-07-24 13:00:04		Thomas Land rolls 3 to Trapdoor Spider's Trick Wits2 + Wyrd1 + 1 Owns Territory -1 Second Attempt (10 Again)		10, 7, 8, 8		3 successes

It takes a little time to make things right, but finally he looks to his Monarch with a watery smile. "Welcome, Mhairi, to my, um, hollow. We should be, yes, quite safe and secure for the duration of your, hm, visit. Please make yourself, well, comfortable."

A couple of quick notes: Thomas has Hollow 2, both dots of which are allocated to space to accommodate the size of his Archive. The space itself has no rooms, is simply a large, domed cave dug from the earth. The Archives are allocated to two different topics: Changeling Lore and Hedge Lore.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

You didn't need to be a beast to have instincts, and the know how to follow them.

Mhairi had keep her silence, and Thomas followed suit. Both knowing that even in the seemingly deserted storage place probably wasn't.

Finally they make it to the right unit. Mhairi's quick to follow, eager to get her eyes on his collection. Though stoop Mhairi will have to do. These boots might be her favorite, but they didn't help when she had to make her way into an earthen cavern.

All of the changes that happen to Thomas as they continue onward, are lost on the Elemental, not thinking to look and so missing them entirely.

"How long did it take you to make this!?" asks Mhairi, awed by the size of this place. Far bigger then any Hollow she'd seen before. Fell-flames flicker as she takes in the sad but serviceable shelves, and the perfectly placed books.

"Thanks for uh-inviting me here." she tears her eyes away from the books and turns them to the mole-man, "I didn't think your collection was so large."

[Thomas Land]

"Oh, hm-hmmmm, not too long," Thomas replies, wiggling clawed fingers at his Monarch. "I am, well, naturally equipped for, uh, excavation." It's not clear whether he's being humble or not.

The Mole-Man smiles his weak smile: "The trick is, yes, to start at the top and work down. To, um, widen as you go." Beady eyes travel from the "ceiling" to the floor as he speaks.

"It's my pleasure to have you, yes, truly." He puffs out his chest as he speaks, but the gesture only looks foolish. "The contents of the space are yours to consult, should you ever have the, well, need. And, hm, even if you don't."

As he speaks, Thomas drags the folding chairs closer to the fire. "Please, feel free to, um, sit. Or to look, yes, certainly, if you feel the desire. It's not so big as it appears, the volumes are simply spread out." Indeed, the low, makeshift shelving ringing the room contain enough books to fill maybe three large book cases, it's simply their positioning that makes the collection seem so large. "But there's a lot here of interest to you, I'm sure. I, uh, have focused my efforts on, hm, sources concerning the Changeling condition and, well, Hedge Lore."

For the moment, the Mole-Man stays standing, awkwardly, waiting to see how the Director would like to proceed. "Hm-hmmmm," he hums, "And, um, how have you been, Mhairi? Would you, uh, care to tell me more about your, uh, recent decision concerning the Groundskeeper?" She'd seemed anxious to discuss the matter earlier, Thomas sees no need to make it wait now.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Ahh." fell-flames flicker, spying his clawed fingers "Right."

As he speaks, she nods understanding what he was explaining, even if her own Hollow, different then Autumn's, was a thing entirely different.

A smile, "I'll definitely take you up on that. I only have a few tips and trick on Oneiromancy shelved in the Autumn Archives." she looks down, so much for the fabled libraries of Autumn. "As I've said everything else that was tied to another's wyrd have vanished." destroyed by theme appropriate means. Ava's collection flooded, and Morgan's shredded and burned. "Two topics that I haven't had a change to explore in depth. So, yes. I do want to give them a gander."

She sits herself in one of the offered chairs, trying to make herself look less eager to paw at the books, and to enjoy her Courtier's company.

"...that. He, Sasha and myself met to talk about things. He wanted to introduce a constitution....but one that wasn't wyrd bound. I wanted everything sealed with Pledges so that we'd know we can trust each other." she shakes her head, "When he first appeared he knew things that he shouldn't' know. He'd been spying on us and was casual about mentioning it. Not realizing what that sounded liked. Then the one Pledge he offered to Swear....was never sealed. I accused him of being a traitor. I told him he needed to Swear an Oath, or I was calling an Ashen Hunt. He didn't Swear then....only looking towards Sasha to get him out of the whole he'd dug himself. He eventually Swore a lesser Pledge....that's the only reason he can still call Sacramento's Freehold his home. But because of his insistence to not obey me, and Swear the Oath, and that his very being seems to just make me crazy - irrational, and rage filled. I removed him from his position.

"I told him, that his replacement could still look to him for help, that he could be Deputized....he left without asking questions about that. He can work from the bottom and regain his former position again, I've said that our numbers are fluid, his replacement could very well not be here in a month or two." her head shakes once more. "But, I think he wont want to work hard, he was named because of public opinion and he might think that's all he needs to regain his 'glory'. That, or he'll want me to grovel, kiss his boots and beg for him to come back."

Mhairi sits, gnawing on her lip. fell-flames darting between the books and their shelves.

"Who....who do you think should be Groundskeeper?"

[Thomas Land]

“Hm-hmmmm,” Thomas hums. “Well, you are quite welcome to use them whenever you like. And I would, yes, love to examine your materials on Onerimancy in turn, certainly.” The art of dream-work is something the Mole-Man has yet to look into. And, as always, he is ravenous for new knowledge.

Settling into the chair beside Mhairi’s, Thomas takes off his glasses to polish them with his handkerchief while he listens to the Director’s tale. In the end, it is a sordid affair. To his ears, it's almost a comedy of misunderstandings; the kind of situation that both baffles and disgusts the Mole-Man, who has so little love for social wrangling.

Still, his loyalties are with his Queen and it is with her that he sides:

“Well, I believe you, hm, have made the right decision.” Though the threats she’d issued, especially of banishment or an ashen hunt, seem very extreme. “You are the Director, after all. And you must be able to work with your head of security.”

He stops speaking for a moment, seeming to consider the situation further. “I fear, hm, that this issue is not yet resolved, however. Alex is a proud man,” Thomas can recall his reaction to being vomited on at Funderland, the way he'd berated that employee, “and you have threatened him both socially…and physically. I beg you to tread carefully, my Queen.” Who knows what the Darkling might be planning.

What a mess…

“As to who you should, um, put forward as his replacement…I’m not sure. I, well, would say Circe, but I am not apprised of her…capabilities? And I have yet to meet any other Summer courtiers, no…” The Mole-Man frowns, disappointed in his own lack of ideas. “But does the choice even need to be a member of the Summer court?” He asks, curious as to her own thoughts on the matter, of the qualifications the Director is looking for.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Everything I have on Onerimacy is in the Autumn Commons. You're free to take a look anytime." the wisp smiles.

Thomas takes his time answering her, which in turn causing her to fidget with her fingers. Twisting and untwisting them.

"Thanks," she says, relieved that there was someone on her side - even if he had to be. But Mhairi hoped that it wasn't a had to be, and more of a wanted to be. "I need to be able to not only work with my Groundskeeper, but to trust them.....and I-I don't trust Alexander Brown. He's made a Pledge, like I said. Lesser then what I asked for initially...and I might be able to grown to trust him....but I...I just don't know." As it was right now, Mhairi didn't know if she'd ever overcome this unease that twisted and turned into a roving fire of rage.

"I know it's not resolved....it can't be. Not with him. Not with the sort of person he is. All Pride...the inability to accept that someone is is better." it was then, in a stunning shock of clarity, that Mhairi realized just why Brown caused her to react to him as she had. He reminded her of one of Them.

"....I might have started a war with Summer." she says in a small voice. "He's King you know? Or he's been elected as King."

The thrumming thread of Fear that made up her being tighten and twisted. Knotting her insides, pushing themselves up and up and up - until - "If it would be better for you and Autumn. I'll give you the Crown, and I'll leave. I don't want a war in my home. Maybe I've stayed in one place too long," tears gathered, but seared, steaming before they could fall. "Maybe I should return to my roots, and move." This had been the longest she'd stayed in anyone place. Ever.

"No," she says over the lump in her throat, "A Summer doesn't have to be my Groundskeeper. They can be of any Court, or none...." but would she be here to name a replacement?