Harden Mask

[Titania]

_{5 a.m.,
The garbage truck beeps as it backs up
And I start my day thinking about what I've thrown away.}

The Taurus is the symbol of Spring. It represents the energy of change, stuck between the Moon, Venus, Mercury and Mars. The ebullient sign is unpredictable, just like the fleeting weather patterns that mar the Season. Nevertheless, their sidereal patron has to feel generous today, for the only sign of its unrestfulness is the chilly morning breeze blowing against her sports bra as she jogs through the lush trails of the Sacramento Capitol park. It does feel good against her skin, the runner's high.
As the only planet in our solar system without any tilt, Mercury can only by observed at dusk and before dawn, when she left home - parting with her wisps on the doorsteps - the planet was there, and she bid him safe dreams.
The Fairest stops her jog to take a well deserved pause. Soon she'll have to head back, she thinks panting to catch her breath. The city will spring back alive, bursting with the leering gazes of the masses she's been shyly avoiding. Yet, right now she is content to just savor the privacy afforded her by the quietness of the early morning, not mindful of exposing a bit of the flushed skin of her calves against the wind, and even reciprocating the greeting of the occasional and somewhat familiar face that happens to share her enthusiasm for healthy living.
It's time to increase the pace again.

Feel free to join, also glamour to harden her Mask

[Titania]

Somehow the title of the thread has been changed, I suppose it occurred when I filled the Glamour expenditure. It was meant to be titled Morning's Blue(s)

[Fawkes]

Fawkes had been up since 2:00, having run out of cigarettes at 3:00, having given up going back to sleep by 4:00. He had perched himself along a concrete barrier to watch the sunrise while he idly shredded what was left of his breakfast to the curious ducks.

Spring in California was mostly summer weather, and so the grey joggers were topped with a sleeveless hoodie. He tapped the top of his dangling foot along to Beethoven 5th Symphony that rapidly shifted into a mash-up of Led Zeppelin. The instrumentals echoed from his wireless headset under the hood where he shut out the rest of the world, enjoying the sun warming the glass of his skin.

He didn't expect to see the Telluric approaching from the bottom of the steep incline. The birds raced to clear from her path, grabbing what they could in a series of annoyed squawks and fluttering. He offers her a two-fingered salute, surprised he had not been too absorbed in his music. "Morning."

[Titania]

Double

[Titania]

She jumped back at the sudden greeting, giving out a cute yelp, like a small bunny surprised by an avian predator. She looks around, they are alone, she was the recipient of that greeting, wasn't she?
Had she not recognized the mannequin, her first reaction of surprise would have been followed by a hasty retreat, increase her pace and run away. Again, what was up with those strangers trying to strike a conversation at random? This is why she loved the early mornings, few familiar faces, all members of a respectful and elite club.
As much as she had toiled to bottle that fear and stash it somewhere hidden within her soul, strangers and parks were still a haunting and painful memory.

Not this time though. She recognized the glassy doll from the Spring coronation, a burly although well meaning rogue that had genuinely offered her his jacket, one item she still had to return, she reckoned.
She looked around, searching for her shadow, but amid the morning haze she couldn't find anything more than an inkling on a small darkened patch of grass. No, she shook her head, he couldn't have recognized her with her mask hardened, so this meeting was entirely a coincidence.
UNLESS... she cocked her head to the side, studying him. Unless the corporal was a debauched reprobate - even the Lost have their urges after all - who courted and approached random joggers. The Fairest blushes a little at the thought. Not mindful of the fact that the corporal could just be shy or polite, a Fairest's mind is really a self-contained universe contorted unto itself, after all.
Yes, it had to be it. The doll was probably waiting for her. More people had walked that trail before her, but she had been the only one he had dared to approach, it made perfect sense, a flawless logic.
A twinkle appears in her eyes, an impish grin tugs at the corners of her mouth. Well, she could play. "Good morning, Sir!", she chirps back, increasing her pace, "Marvelous day, isn't it?"

It's just then that Sir Abe's remarkable form peeps from the horizon, clad in a - not so remarkable, to be fair - tracksuit. His melodious voice, a symptom of his high spirit. "Oh my, time is precious. Isn't it? Good Morning to you, Sir Abe", she greets teasingly, "an acquaintance of yours?", she asks the other Fairest, as she innocently looks at the Elemental.

[Fawkes]

At the woman examines him curiously, Fawkes starts to question if he had overstepped some sort of social norm. The only thing he had left to sift through was military, and as far as he could tell he had not done anything that would constitute as unprofessional. Worth the gamble—she was more than just cute. As she smiles and greets him with the invitation to carry on, something tugs with her voice.

  3 successes

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2019-04-27 08:00:32		Fawkes rolls 5 to perception (Wits + Composure) (10 Again)		8, 9, 9, 4, 4		3 successes

He almost trips. Her face had not changed much, but she was definitely less intimidating when not dazzling people with starlight. As he begins to respond, Abe's familiar singsong voice announces a strange series of coincidences. Fawkes chuckles; looks like he still wouldn't be interacting with anyone mundane today. Wyrd stuff.

Sir Abe? He tilts his head at her, apparently playing a game but bad at it. Sure, whatever, challenge accepted. He was good at playing dumb,

"No rest for the wicked," he says evenly to Abraham, eyes bright as he blinks, "you should introduce me to your lovely friend." He was curious what the bard would come up with, especially while maintaining a run.

Tag.

[Titania]

"A decent man?", she asks intrigued, "and how would an indecent man behave, then?", she offers her hand first.
"What's the focus of your investigations Mr. Fawkes, if I may?", her eyes shift from one man to another, "do you share Abraham's familiarity with words? An investigative journalist perhaps? Muckraker, is that the right word?", she asks Abraham.
"Let's race", she challenges, almost running on the spot.

[Fawkes]

I assume she stopped to offer the hand if it wasn't a wave.

That was certainly flattering. The mannequin had no idea how he constituted as 'decent', but apparently good enough for an upstanding knight. "I didn't know you were my doctor," he said airily, tilting his head.

Fawkes blinks at the gesture before returning the shake, his joints still locking with instinct despite being more careful with the vice-grip pressure than normal. "Nice to meet you, Eleanor," he says, looking at Abraham with a very slight shrug of his shoulder. He had no idea what a muckraker was, "Investigative research with private security," he chuckles. "And no, I unfortunately do not have the heart of a poet. Way too serious," He gives the flowering a wink.

At Titania's sudden spring, Fawkes sighs. He was built for power, not speed. It totally wasn't the shitty lifestyle that had impacted his stamina over the years. He engages anyway—he couldn't let it get back to the other Spears that he let himself get beat by the Emeralds. He chuckles at Abraham before attempting to keep up.

Base Speed 12