(17AE) Coronation Autumnal Equinox

[Circe]

Circe fails to notice Quick's reluctance, completely missing his internal quandries. It was good to know that sprites were well paid and at least hobs that could be trusted when paid. Sadly it looks like nobody knew how the pizza bribery thing happened. "So then, Thomas? Guessing since ya didn't speak on it ya don't know why they take pizza as a bribe?" Circe got a thoughtful look on her face. "Well, I suppose we could always say fanculo esso and just ask them."


Circe figured they'd want a pizza to tell her why they want pizza.


Circe strated to breath in to shout at the sprites, but then Donovan beat her to the question asking and it was a good one. The elf's mouth clicked shut, curious eyes onto Quick, wondering what or if the reclusive Lost would answer. Quick's explanation got an initial chuckle out of Circe.


Circe joined in with Ingrid in cooing "Aww, that is so sweet!" and practically jinxing Ingrid in the process. "Probably the sweetest why I picked a court story I've heard. Unless somebody else has a sweeter one?"

[Donovan Ackerman]

Donovan sniffed like he had just smelled something unpleasant. Aside from the musk of farmland that constantly arose around him.

He didn’t seem particularly impressed with Quick’s answer. “Ain’t nothing but Winter?” he questioned. A bit harshly. The Wizened was well acquainted with the double negative and no grammarian would persuade him that it was something to be avoided. People were smart enough to figure out what you meant no matter what the educated folk might say. Yet, putting it into such terms for Quick’s explanation… it did seem wrong to the Wizened. “Ya don’t join a court ‘cause it don’t not fit no other. Ya join cause ya do.” He took a breath through his nose and his lips twitched slightly.

He scratched behind his neck, freeing some encrusted dirt and a twig from his hair. They fell to the ground but didn’t immediately dissolve. Sustained by the magic of the Hedge. Sure wanting someone to not be alone was something of a better reason. However, the Levinquick obviously didn’t understand that Winters preferred it that way. Embraced isolation. Pushed people away if they couldn’t keep their relationship safetly hidden.

But Donovan wasn’t about to spill that particular speech here amongst everyone cooing how sweet it was that Quick was trying to freeze his heart.

The farm boy’s plate clanged on the table as he placed it down and grabbed two drinks (one he downed immediately before grabbing another). He looked pretty sullen.

[Thomas Land]

"Oh, pizza? Well, I imagine it's just, uh, a matter of taste...?" He replies to Circe. "It's not the, hm, objects consumed, but the well, question of consumption that interests me, though. They are...ravenous little beings." Where do they put it all?

Thomas looks from Donovan to Quick and back again, blinking his beady eyes. "Well, hm, Donovan..." he adds timidly. "You're right, quite right to say that...That 'you join because you do.' But, hm, sometimes you don't know...why you do. Not at the time, anyway. Sometimes...it simply feels correct."

He looks suddenly nervous, afraid he's trespassed on what might be a private affair. "I'm just, uh, saying...well, you can't know everything. Not even when it comes to, hm, your own choices..."

[Ingrid]

"Good for you, Quick." Ingrid purred.

Then, to Donovan. "Why so serious? If its his desire to go with the Onyx, thats it. But now you got me curious. How should you go about looking for a Court to join? I picked mine because fear just didn't gel, you know? I mean, I know i probably should have gone the Ash given my interests - but tie myself to fear for it? Don't get it. Sorry. Nope. I went for desire because I was sure I had mine figured out... And quite a few of them were willing to help with my desire. Along the way, I learned that part of desire is helping out others with theirs."

She didn't need to glance across at the Onyx Levinquick. She knew, and he knew, of their conversation in that hotel room.

[Quick]

"Props to them for being able to handle all those carbs... Guess when you fly, every day is cardio." he offers, shrugging at the mole-man.

A little color rushes to his cheeks as Ingrid and Circe swoon and coo, but he smiles. It's just the kind of attention he likes. Just, maybe, not the kind of attention he expected. Serves him right for not trusting them all sooner. Half expecting another of them to open up about their own choices, he's met with a hard edge from Donovan. Quick blinks. His smile falters.

"Well, then, I guess it's that. I joined because I did." he says, his mouth drawing to a thin line. Why is Donovan so concerned with his choice, anyway? He seemed fine with Quick when he was Courtless. And now that he's gone out on a limb and made himself a part of something bigger? Suddenly its the third degree.

Thomas sounds nervous on the best of days, but he seems even more uncomfortable now. It is an awkward situation. Quick looks away at nothing, not wanting to provoke a fight with Donovan over who-knows-what.

The Elemental tries to smile as Ingrid comes to his rescue. Not that he... needs rescuing. Being rescued from a friend? Crazy, right? Maybe Quick is missing something. Maybe it's the drinks he's had. He tries not to read into it. Speaking of drinks, Donovan's double-fisting now?

"Something bothering you?" he asks, trying his best to put aside his own confusion and err on the side of compassion.

[Donovan Ackerman]

“One’s I’ve seen’ll eat just ‘bout anythin’,” Donovan noted bitterly, his anger momentarily distracted by the sprites. But not for long when Thomas brought back the topic of choosing courts.

“Not feelin’ wrong ain’t the same as feelin’ right.”

"Ya might not know everthin’ but you gen’rally got an idea. That’s what choosin’ a court is,” he said switching to Ingrid’s comment. “It’s what you work toward. The ideal ta aspire to. The direction yer tryin’ to head. Any season is more than just feelin’ a feelin’. Autumn’s more than bein’ constantly scared. It’s masterin’ that fear. Usin’ what we fear ‘gainst what we fear most. Summer ain’t about bein’ angry all the time. It’s about fightin’ back. Usin’ yer anger to motivate yerself. Bein’ part of a brotherhood. A family.”

“And Winter,” he said looking at Quick “is more than feelin’ sorry all the time. It’s ‘bout tryin’ to never be sad again… by hidin’.”

He downed his second drink.

“Yeah, somethin’s botherin’ me,” the Wizened replied. However, he didn’t elaborate. Between the sprites, the revelation that Quick had chosen the worst court possible, Donovan having probably too much to drink and “Excuse me. It’s gettin' late. I should be headin’ out.” he growled.

Unless stopped, Donovan will exit the scene.

[Circe]

Circe rolled her eyes at some of the antics going on around her, but she was grinning too. Especially when Quick started to blush, "Ooh that is a nice color change Quick," the elf gave him a thumbs up.


As for Thomas's answer, the elf was a little disappointed. She let out a huff as she looked at Thomas, "So they like mugged a delivery boy, stole the pizza, and just liked it? Okay, I know its Autumn's Hollow and all but Thomas I strongly suggest this to you. Do not get a telephone installed here. The little hobs'd bankrupt Funderland ordering pizza."


She nodded along as Donovan mentioned his own experience with hobgoblin feasting, "Yeah what Donovan said. I've seen hobs eat stuff a lot worse then pizza. Both quantity or content." Circe folder her arms as she nodded along to her own speech, "I'm pretty damn sure some hobs have stomachs that're bigger on the inside," Circe snorted in disgust. For all that hobs seemed to like her, Circe had little trust for those fae. It really didn't do to trust something that thought numerically in base Pink.


She looked over to Ingrid with a smile quirking at the side of her lips as she tried to keep a serious face. Circe pointed at Ingrid, "You," she was holding in the laughter, "Are being too serious too. You should be more laid back. Like this Summer," she points to herself with a chuckle.


She watched the drama unfolding between Quick and Donovan over court picking. When Donovan gave his thoughts on Summer that got an enthusiastic, "diavolo sì!" and a thumbs up from Circe. She spun on her foot to look at the others, "I mean, I certainly am not a constantly frothing at the mouth angry, vengeful maniac. That is only for fun!" After taking a drink of water she held up a hand in the stop motion, "except for the frothing part. And the, well ya know what? Just go with what Donovan said as gospel for Summer," Circe laughed it off.


Donovan's departure was unexpected. She wasn't one to stop him though. If he didn't feel like talking about feelings had didn't. She rubbed a hand through her hair and paused. Plucking out a twig and then, " Che cazzo?" she twirled the flower between her fingers before briefly holding it up to the skin on her other hand. "Huh." She looked at the others with a quirked eyebrow (along with the matching ear going up) as she held up the flower that matched her skin color, "So? When did this get there and why didn't anybody tell me?"

[Thomas Land]

Thomas looks closely at Ingrid. Perhaps a little dismayed at her comments concerning his Court's emotional affiliations. "Hm-hmmmmm," he hums. "It might be said that fear and desire are, um, two sides of the same coin, yes? After all, what you desire most is, well, that which you most fear losing, yes?" He leaves it at that, though.

He does nod his assent when Donovan offers his own assessment of Autumn's connection to fear. But doesn't anything else. Because something is transpiring here that he does not quite understand. The Summer is clearly upset. And it has to do with Quick's choice of a court.

And then Donovan simply leaves and Thomas is left look baffled. Beady eyes darting from Quick to Circe to Ingrid and back again.

"Hm. Well." The Mole-Man comments softly. Clearly surprised.

[Ingrid]

Ingrid nibbled on her food, watching the conversation flow. And abruptly end.

"Well." She said at last.

Then, while the gap in the conversation still hung in the air, she grabbed another drink.

"Well. Donovan is Summer," she began. Then quickly realised that Circe was also of that Court. She gulped her drink and changed tack. "So. I guess that some of the Crimson can be abrupt. Besides you guys. I think he noticed the time. It is getting late."

[Quick]

Quick stares at Donovan, listening to him rationalize the choices to join a Court. He might be right about that stuff. Still doesn't explain why he's so heated about it.

"Right..." he says, following Circe's lively addition to the topic. "Just like I'm not, what, clinically depressed?" He looks like he wants to say more, but holds back. Literally biting his tongue to hold his silence.

He gives Donovan a nod by way of goodbye, since clearly anything else would probably only rile him up more. Once the Summer is gone, Quick mutters under his breath "Also didn't fit having no Court. Winter is what was left. And it suits me. The life I've lived." He tries to make eye contact with the other three, to gauge their reactions. But, at this point, he's about ready to leave too.

"Oh. That's not, um, part of your costume?" he asks, sounding as confused as Circe looks. He shakes his head. "Look guys, I'm gonna go. Thanks for your hospitality." He levels the last bit at Thomas. He'd thank Mhairi herself, but she's occupied elsewhere.

The hush of Quick's Mantle ceases as his features melt back into that of an ordinary person. He gives them a half smile before departing.

Unless stopped, Quick will also exit.