(1905) Bit of Water, Bit of Shade

May 23rd, 2019 11:30 AM

Simone leaned forward, placing her elbows on her knees, the shade of the umbrella acting as the perfect barrier. This King, unlike the one she used to know, seemed to have a decent presence about him, and Simone found herself starting to smile. She held it back, for now at least.

“Fuck no. Kobe and Shaq are my boys, and always will be. Lakers for life, honey.”

A tiny, tiny smirk crept out. Today was a good day.

At mention of Fawkes, Simone looked around and nodded before listening for the answer to Orion’s question. Pledging was fine so long as the pledge worked.

**Fawkes** · May 23rd, 2019 05:02 PM

Fawkes rested his eyes once the thin green procession had drifted too far from him to continue without leaning. He jerks a bit as he hears Richard mention him and he re-positions to sit up properly with his legs crossed instead of hugging his knee. Apparently the Ogre was baiting him to socialize? Normally it wasn't an issue, probably just a prod after their discussion on officer positions. Blinking back the light he nods to Orion's acknowledgement,

"Thanks. By the way. I know that got more than a little silly. Glad you didn't starve, Simone. Got a bit ahead of myself, I didn't expect-" his gaze briefly flicks to John, the Sun Banisher, who still wasn't moving to take care of Sera's address being public to play adolescent boy at the dance with Circe. "It's good all three of you found us safely. Weird coincidence, but good."

**Richard Price** · May 24th, 2019 02:49 AM

Rich gave a large sigh and pressed a hand to his chest over his heart.

”I think everything is going to be okay. NBA finals are at my place, getting an 80” mounted up for it, all seven games if that is what it takes. Feel free to stop by. That goes for you too, Orion.”

As for the matters of pledges and Oaths, there was no Freehold Oath and that hurt them all. Good Neighbors worked to a degree but they were all sorts of flimsy.

”Sacramento has a new Oath being made right now. It should be be something viable at the start of the next month, Summers crowning. Otherwise take some time, get used to the city, see if it is a place you want to settle. It is a tight knit community with room to grow - impressively I might add. I don’t want to trap you up in a series of pledges that won’t be exercised and more or less get you stuck here.”

Pledge craft was exhausting work, and smaller pity pledges would never take the place of the Oath. Maybe it was his sense of charity, giving others the chance to join with no buy in before they chose to settle.

”If we make it the coronation of the Court of Wrath and you want to stick it out following that we will get something on the books that works for all parties at hand. Speaking of which, I’m sorry if I missed it but what made Sacramento an appealing stop for both of you, if you are okay talking about it that is. For me it was the thought of a quiet retirement, but I don’t think I have ever met a Spear who wasn’t working when they had one foot in the grave.”

May 24th, 2019 03:02 AM

Orion chuckled, hiking a thumb at Sangoma. "She's got a point," he muttered. When it came to basketball, he had a soft spot for college ball -- March Madness had been a blast this year -- but the Lakers were always a fun watch. That being said, when it came to any sport, he preferred playing it far more than he liked watching it. Even skiing, and he was a native of sunny, brutally hot Arizona. He glanced to Fawkes as the Elemental started when Richard mentioned his name, and a half-smile crossed his face. "I've seen worse. Never seen a Monarch play bouncer before, but hey. I wouldn't want to fuck with the King of Fear on a bad day." He didn't bother to mention the Spring that had shown up. Or the Winter...?

"I'll be there, sir," the gargoyle replied agreeably to Richard's invitation. The news about the Oath being made was good, and that it would come at the rise of Wrath was fitting and well-timed. He'd swear it formally on the King's Ascension, if that was what they were doing. In answer to the King's question, Orion replied, "I was looking to reconnect with the Spear after the Freehold at Mesa fell. I didn't find much on the way that was encouraging until here. Fresno was... bad."

Fucking crazies, really.

May 24th, 2019 03:58 PM

"Seven games? Four-two, I'm already calling it," Simone teased, dryly. Invite to watch the final on the biggest screen this side of the Bay? Damn straight.

The Darkling turned her attention to Fawkes and offered the man a nod of appreciation. Coincidences were always real in their world.

Then the King asked the vital question; What brought them to Sacramento?

Simone sighed and listened to what Orion had to say. What would she say without the usual bullshit sympathetic tones?

"Made a promise to someone before they died."

She clutched the cap in both hands, willing away her rage, swallowing down the tears that threatened to emerge. Hayfever times a hundred. The sunlight was a bitch even in the shade.

**Fawkes** · May 25th, 2019 03:28 PM

Fawkes was garbage at feelings.

With strangers, anyway. He had had no time to watch and register reactions, get a tune for what each person was looking for and what would illicit better feedback than other prompts. He wouldn't consider himself uncaring, it was more just a wall of fog that always made connection a feat of blind measured steps.

Orion was making an effort to show he was easy going, with every response begin followed by a friendly gesture. He assured people instead of cutting into stupid behaviour, like with Rhodes interjecting that they would need a mediator. Simone had been incredibly patient given the circumstances, and was participating in banter despite the environment being the least ideal to her mark of Arcadian taint.

Sangoma reminded him of Maxwell for a beat. Mourning. "Seems like you're keeping it. Sorry. For your loss," he said, a little haltingly.

The Ogre clearly connected the silliness of the party as nothing compared to Fresno. Maybe he wanted to vent. "What kind of shitshow did you walk in on?" Fawkes asked, blinking and wiping his eye as a spray from Sonnie's cannonball whipped across the meeting.

**Richard Price** · May 25th, 2019 06:25 PM

Water flew through the air, misting the Summer King who didn’t show any major reaction to it. A nice way to cool off at least, and these weren’t his sunday best so he wasn’t worried about the spray.

”We got a crawl, we got a playoff series, I’ll pencil in a date for Lord Stanley too once we get into elimination game territory.”

He then took the time to listen to what the others said, nodding his head as Simone talked not wanting to bring up such a thing at this time, with so many new people around. Orion was equally as interesting.

”We talking warzone bad, or Hills have Eyes bad.”

Wizard of Oz was also a scary option.

May 26th, 2019 12:12 AM

Orion gave a respectful nod and a moment of silence for Simone's fallen. Whoever it was she was mourning, he hoped keeping the promise helped her process the thing. Theirs was a life of violence, of death, and they had to do the best they could to put it in its place and let it go, lest they lose their grip on Reality and fall apart. That was always the danger for Summer Courtiers, becoming so far gone that they couldn't recognize what was Real anymore and what was Fae madness.

The question that followed his remark about Fresno came naturally from the Corporal and the King, and Orion sighed, shaking his head even as he wiggled his feet in the water and started little waves.

"Hotel California meets The Hills Have Eyes."

He shuddered.

"A couple were straight fuckin' gone from anything approaching Reality. A few more were close, and covering for it. And there weren't that many to begin with, so I saw some shit real fast and got the fuck out when the getting was good. They didn't want me to leave. I made it very clear I was going. You know."

May 26th, 2019 09:06 AM

As Orion spoke to the King, Simone semi-listened as her head swivelled towards the other end of the pool and the rest of the Freehold in attendance. Circulating around parties wasn't her thing so she was glad to be with her Court. No doubt, over time, the Darkling would have to meet other changelings that called Sacramento home. For now, she would gladly stick to this small circle, and slowly began to relax, paying attention once again to the conversation at hand.

**Fawkes** · May 26th, 2019 11:35 PM

The Elemental's focus glazes from Orion's story, hitting too close to home with his own experiences and the recent small hiccup with the party. It was starting to hit that he had probably come off as unreasonable to his peers.

Instead of giving into his instinct to huddle back under the umbrella, he slinks to the edge of the pool to mimic the others, dipping his feet and feeling the weight of the water as the sandstorm becomes packed with the lack of oxygen. It was grounding. "That must have been..." he trails off as he reflects on Orion's experience, "Did you manage to get out without- was anyone badly hurt?"

(1905) Bit of Water, Bit of Shade

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