(1708) Freehold Meeting

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Yes, I didn't answer. And I'm not going to, obviously we can't communicate like adult, and you might enjoy childish bickering but I don't. Especially when It's wasting everyone's time." Mhairi says to the Summer King not pointing out she'd answered his questions, and hadn't picked some of what he'd said to repeat, as he had the wisp's words. "Of course, I mean that we'd all gather more then four times a year - for transparency to work, that's what's gonna have to happen." Mhairi says slowly, thinking that for all his success, he might as well be the child both of them had been likened too. "And, I didn't say another against having a rep from each Court. I was going to suggest the same, and if there's ever a double up in the Hierarchy the number of chairs'll increase. So, King Brown. Name your Sun's Tongue."

Talk of the Commons continues,

"Well, the reason it would be tied to something is that so it could generate income, having a dual purpose. Serving as an event space, and as the place we'd enter the Commons from. But clearing out the tunnels and checking out the Hedge from underneath sounds interesting, Thomas?" she might be stereotyping, but he was a mole(-man), and she had seen his own Hollow.

"After Queen Sasha, I'm the next oldest resident, and I wasn't there, but..." Mhairi was bad with emotions, but she thought that it would be better if the Winter Queen didn't have to be the one to speak of the Four Seasons. "The Dragon...it came in with fire and razed everything to the ground. We're only now out from His shadow. He's dead."

Fell-flames flicker between the Winter Queen and the Summer woodwalker, "So, maybe a mesh of both. Something to fall back on because you never know....and. And something to make us forget - at least for a little while - that we don't need to have those precautions."

[Circe]

Circe nodded in agreement with Donovan as he spoke on the comons. About the duels however she felt she should clarify:
"Donovan, I've just seen too many blood feuds and backstabbing over duels in the past to like them too much," the elf sighed, "and I've never actually seen a single duel done in good faith. I guess you have Donovan. Guess that means I hate duels, uh, done wrong. Maybe?" The elven Fairest sounded confused. Her expression did too. "Fanculo I have no idea what I'm saying. Tell ya what my pal, convince me. If you have better stories of good duels Donovan, I'd love to hear 'em." After a pause she added, "Not necessarily now but later. Hell, I'll throw in a meal."

When Mhairi said to name the Sun's Tongue, the elf was amused but her eyes darted to Donovan. Alex had three options and the way to snub Mhairi best would be to not name himself. Which left Circe, a admitted criminal and gun bunny, or Donovan, a dirty looking farmer. Either of them could easily irk a few of the bosses.

As for the suggestions of what to do for a Commons, that gave Circe an amusing image. "So Mhairi? You're thinking of something in the rum runner tunnels, hidden, and a place of both safety and forgetfulness? Soooo," a giggle escaped her lips ""A speak easy?"[/COLOR] the elf couldn't hold in her amused giggling, "oh that's a good pun. Good idea too but a great pun too Mhairi," Circe fully thought it was intentional on the Autumn Queen's part.

ooc: Not sure about the rum runner part, but Circe could be misinformed if it is wrong.

[Thomas Land]

When Mhairi addresses him, the Mole-Man seems caught off guard. At this point in the night, he's just plain tired, exhausted by the effort of the argument. And feeling rather unfulfilled with the result. Accordingly, he'd let his mind wander for a moment, ignoring the conversation as it unfolded around him.

"Yes, yes, of course. Using the existing, um, tunnel system would be quite simple. For our purposes. And as for the, ah, other side, we could easily extend the network into burrows and warrens." After all, he'd done it himself. "If that's what we want to do, of course. I would, hm, be happy to help. As to their use," he shrugs, "perhaps it is, well, better to focus on exploring and modifying the space before, um, hashing out how, exactly, we'll employ it." Focus on the task at hand. More work, less invective. It seems like the right suggestion at the moment.

With that, he lapses back into silence. Wondering just how long this awkward gathering will go on. Ready to flee back to his own Hollow and read into the night, happily alone and at peace.

[Donovan Ackerman]

Donovan mostly ignored the continued politic talk. Putting another seat on the Freehold situation wouldn’t fix anything. There was still no orderly transfer of power. And if a position did change who wasn’t to say one Season wouldn’t come to dominate all three posts. What would they do then? Add more seats? Stupid politics.

Though the Commons talk seemed to be quickly veering into the politics of Seasonal expression. Winter palace to regret, Spring party center (being strangely advocated by Mhairi), and Donovan trying to bring everyone back to earth. And trying to hold back the building rage against the most established (and likely powerful) member of the Freehold.

“That wouldn’t leave a lot left for any of us to talk about, would it? Trust me, I know enough to know that sayin’ ‘please don’t judge’ don’t get you too far. People make up their minds with what they know. Ain’t sayin’ I know all but I know some.

“Makin’ a Door someplace big and fancy that’s also secure and secret is just plain harder to do in the mortal world. And ‘cross the Hedge keepin’ somethin’ big and fancy means puttin’ effort into keepin’ back the thorns instead of makin’ defenses. And don’t go tellin’ me a house of bricks is just as vulnerable as a house of straw. It just plain ain’t true. Sure, both can get got into with force or down a chimney but they ain’t on the same scale.”

“In the past you might’ve had enough people to man a big Commons and a hotel and all that. Enough people to make it nice and secure ‘gainst everthin’ but dragon attacks. But we,” he gestured at the small gathering “don’t make a full football team.”

There was one thing they agreed on. Not everyone would be satisfied. Sure, they all wanted a place to be safe. However, it seemed everyone seemed think an extravagantly themed Disney palace was the way to go. Donovan would be satisfied with a dark, cold, fortified castle. But then the Wizened generally considered a stone hearth and half a bowl of grey mush to be all the luxuries you needed. He didn’t feel the need to point out that they already had a way to earn money. Alex already had.

Right Alex and the promise Donovan had given. Give the Winter Queen a chance.

He gave a growling sigh. Then shrugged. His tone turned a less heated “I get that y’all want somethin’ nice. Somethin’ like what the Freehold once had. But this Freehold ain’t the one that had those things.” He managed to refrain from saying there was only person from that Freehold. “It's small. Not a lot of people been here a long time from my understandin'. Leadership structure's different. All I’m sayin’ is, least how I see things are now, security and practicals should come before the extras.”

[Ingrid]

Ingrid listened, first with an impassive face. Then one that became increasingly animated with a smile. By the time Donovan had finished she was even starting to nod along again.

"What are we waiting for? We should seize this opportunity! At the very least, we should look into it. Its been ages since these tunnels were used right? They might not be suited to our purpose - and even if they are, the cost might be too much. Alex is right - we don't have a lot of resources. Not yet anyway. We simply can't go building new eateries and stuff. Well... Not unless the speakeasy is actually part of the park. But something would take ages to prepare."

She placed her fingers to her lips as if she were in thought.

"But we can always use what we have. I'm sure we can work something out, Sasha... So we can use your Blue Note for parties. At least for a while... My Court has established a Hollow of its own and we can offer that for parties as well. Eventually. It still needs some work done. It won't be ballroom though. Maybe a faerie tavern. Maybe."

Hand moving to squeeze the back of her neck, she continued, gazing over the group.

"I say we explore the tunnels for now. See if we can use them or not. You know, come back to it later. Exploring the tunnels gives us something to do as a community. And... Uh... I think we really need to do some team bonding... And... Yeah? As much as I don't want to say it, Donovan has the right idea. Practicals and security have to come first. The big ticket things are luxuries... For later."

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Okay." A nod, wasn't being called a 'Sun's Tongue' a bad thing. Or at least a bad thing to Summers....being an ambassador, diplomat....Mhairi should have known that Brown wouldn't give up a sit a the table to one of the other Summers. Control freak....and that meant that when they all got together to talk, it would probably count as a 'meeting'.

"Yes we have the park, but I wasn't saying we should tear it down or build something else. I used 'event space' as a...catch all, I was thinking we could use a meeting room we're not using, and rent it out for birthday parties or something like that, and have a locked door with a big fat 'Staff Only' sign, that could be used as a Door. I figure, money's good. We all need it. And there's a lot of us, that don't have a lot, or any anymore, so another way to get some....would be good. Money gained from there would go to everyone who'd put into the Commons."

Mhairi shakes her head and snags one of the cookies, a laugh escaping as Circe brings up something, "Yeah, kinda like a Speakeasy." Fell-flames flickering as she remembered the Blue Note all decorated.

"Safety first," For Thomas and Sasha, points are valid, and Mhairi wouldn't want to lead her people to a place that could fall all around them. "Would you want to open the park for an after hours, adult only thing?" Mhairi asks the Dancer, the day crowd was very much kid friendly, but should they try to start something up that appealed to a different sort of audience?

"Oh? Like a functional faerie tavern? Like for hobs, and us?" Mhairi asks the pale wraith.

Ingrid's enthusiasm causes the wisp to grin, "So, are you all wanting to take a peak now?"

[Circe]

Everybody had ideas and arguments on what to do. At least Mhairi wasn't pissed that Circe had caught on to her idea. Bu sinkholes? That wasn't good. Circe looked at Sasha, "Sinkholes Sasha? Well fanculo that means do or don't we gonna check the tunnels," Circe drained her juice and dropped the bottle onto the popcorn bag. She let out a sigh as she stretched her arms above her head, "Restoration of Dawn's Beauty," the elf groaned out as she stretched. She lowered her arms back down and folded them across her chest as she leaned against the wall, "That contract could cut corners on repairs. So I'll Glamour up before heading down."

As Alex talked Circe schemed. What if the water access was still viable? She could make usage of that for her better paying gig. Certainly the Freehold wouldn't object too much to having an armory. And the moleman now made a good argument in the Fairest's eyes, "Good points ya made boys. Alex ya got me wondering if their are still viable access points elsewhere. Forts had bolt holes. Smuggling so river possible but, ugh," the elf winced, "flooding possible. Yuck. And Thomas," she looked over at the moleman, "Don't count chickens before they hatch? That's fair. Just everybody keep their fingers crossed that we don't need major repairs to keep Funderland from sinking into the ground."

And Circe actually did raise her right hand with index and middle fingers crossed after saying that. Then another thought crossed her mind, "Uh, do we have any like maps for these tunnels? Oh and since we are thinkin' of inviting hobs into the tunnels do we have anybody that is good at sniffing out Hedge Gates in case there is already one down there?"

She didn't bother commenting on getting hobs smashed near a Hedge Gate into their territory. She figured the Autumn Queen was making a joke or had plans to keep them contained already or something.