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Autumn Leaves and Autumn Returns

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  1. #1
    Rhodes's Avatar
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Distinctive Voice
    ((Gravitas))
    Rigid Mask
    Mantle - Chilling breeze, summoning tiny leaves
    Rhodes
    Mein

    Mein: Rhodes has pale whitish skin, elfin ears and deep, overly large emerald eyes. Thin black veins broach the surface of his skin like the roots of a tree emerging from the ground. Dark, broad leaves sprout from his wrists, ankles and temples, spreading around the back of his head. Deep red flowers bloom at the temples and wrists.
    Mantle

    Mantle: A breath of icy wind, the kind that penetrates and sends a chill down the spine. Ash leaves in red, yellow and gold spin into existance around him, caught on the breeze. As the wind blows, unnerving whispers can be heard, always coming from a direction just out of one's field of vision.

    +1
    DV
    3
    PRE

    Flowering

    The Dread Lord of Autumn lounges lazily in the throne at the head of the heavy wooden table.

    Moon was gone. He still wasn't sure about how he felt about that. The body was nice, but the recent talk had shown they didn't see eye to eye on several things - fortunately his Mantle was the more powerful and he had establishment. But now, at the Summer Coronation, he Paladin of Shadows had returned.

    Penance had disappeared without word or trace. Where had she been? WHat had she done? It was rude, if nothing else. And on the other hand, was he worried for her, or for himself? Having the Ogre around, after bringing her into the Fall Court, had always been a reasuring if distant presence.

    It was time for a talk.

    Flowering Fairest, Mantle: An ever-changing, spine-chilling icy wind, creating spinning autumn leaves and haunting whispers.

  2. #2
    Rhodes's Avatar
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Distinctive Voice
    ((Gravitas))
    Rigid Mask
    Mantle - Chilling breeze, summoning tiny leaves
    Rhodes
    Mein

    Mein: Rhodes has pale whitish skin, elfin ears and deep, overly large emerald eyes. Thin black veins broach the surface of his skin like the roots of a tree emerging from the ground. Dark, broad leaves sprout from his wrists, ankles and temples, spreading around the back of his head. Deep red flowers bloom at the temples and wrists.
    Mantle

    Mantle: A breath of icy wind, the kind that penetrates and sends a chill down the spine. Ash leaves in red, yellow and gold spin into existance around him, caught on the breeze. As the wind blows, unnerving whispers can be heard, always coming from a direction just out of one's field of vision.

    +1
    DV
    3
    PRE

    Flowering

    One quick thing I forgot to do:

      2 successes
    Date Action Roll Result
    2019-07-06 14:54:05 Rhodes rolls 5 to Wisdom of Dreams: Wits:Composure (10 Again) 8, 2, 6, 6, 8 2 successes

    Through Wisdom of Dreams, Rhodes learns language: Madarin for this day.
    Flowering Fairest, Mantle: An ever-changing, spine-chilling icy wind, creating spinning autumn leaves and haunting whispers.

  3. #3
    P
    Penance

    The Corpsegrinder walked into the spacious dining room that seemed to serve as the grand hall of the Autumn Court. It had been, at the very least, an entire season since she'd been here. Far too long. Everything still looked the way she remembered it, no grand scale shake ups at the very least, but then again there had to be a certain status quo. Edna's had to moonlight as your standard haunted house during working hours, so who was to say just how much it could change in the first place.

    Penance wore a yellow half-sleeve shirt with enough buttons undone to cool herself off while still preserving her modesty and beige cargo pants. After sweating simply by being outside, walking into the breeze of Rhodes' mantle sent a shiver through her and up rose a wave of goose bumps. She bowed respectfully to him, but neglected to take a seat. That might be too improper right now.

    "Hěn gāoxìng zàicì jiàn dào ni, Rhodes. You seem to be doing well."

  4. #4
    Rhodes's Avatar
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Distinctive Voice
    ((Gravitas))
    Rigid Mask
    Mantle - Chilling breeze, summoning tiny leaves
    Rhodes
    Mein

    Mein: Rhodes has pale whitish skin, elfin ears and deep, overly large emerald eyes. Thin black veins broach the surface of his skin like the roots of a tree emerging from the ground. Dark, broad leaves sprout from his wrists, ankles and temples, spreading around the back of his head. Deep red flowers bloom at the temples and wrists.
    Mantle

    Mantle: A breath of icy wind, the kind that penetrates and sends a chill down the spine. Ash leaves in red, yellow and gold spin into existance around him, caught on the breeze. As the wind blows, unnerving whispers can be heard, always coming from a direction just out of one's field of vision.

    +1
    DV
    3
    PRE

    Flowering

    The Dread Lord is sat in his customary black suit, this time with a silken Scarlet shirt. His face spreads into a broad smile as the Ogre enters, and inclines his head at the bow. "Very well, thank you. Hěn gāoxìng jiàn dào nǐ, wǒ de yǐngzi shèng qíshì. Sit, Penance. We have things to discuss."

    Spending a moment to savour her reaction to being addressed in her tongue, the Flowering smiles and spreads his hands, welcoming. There is a pot of tea brewing on the table, and Rhodes collects his cup. "Help yourself to tea. I like to keep things civilised."

    He settles into the chair - a few golden leave spin into existance on the breeze and flutter down to the table. "Now. I don't make a habit of prying where my courtiers live. We all have our practical needs for security. But when someone disappears? Though not unusual among our number, when it is one of my courtiers? I would like to know why. At least then I can provide a satisfactory answer should I be asked." The Leaden Sovereigh reclines, and continues. "You vanished without a word, and I need to be sure you were not taken in the mean time. To that end, a simple vow. One of truth - we shall not speak a falsehood to one another this day. We gain the wisdom of our Court, the secrets of the occult, or if we break the word, a simple curse. Do you agree?"

    The thrum of power of the Wyrde tingles in the air as Rhodes commands the magical bindings of the Oath into place.

    The Dread Lord sips his tea, and smiles serenely.

    A simple Vow of honesty:
    Task: No lies to be spoken to each other.
    Boon: Adoitness (Occult)
    Sanction: Minor Curse (Only 9 & 10 count as successes)
    Duraion: 24 hours
    Flowering Fairest, Mantle: An ever-changing, spine-chilling icy wind, creating spinning autumn leaves and haunting whispers.

  5. #5
    P
    Penance

    Penance stops in place when she hears Rhodes speaking her language, having to take a moment to comprehend what she just heard. Not all the inflections were quite right, and there was definite accent... but that had certainly been Mandarin. She lets a smile slip past her toothy maw and wryly shakes her head. Now how long had he been practicing that?

    "You need to use the roof of your mouth more, but that probably sounds better than my first try at English."

    She sits down and pours herself a glass of tea (he really knew how to make a good impression), sipping at it a moment to test whether she needs to add anything to it. It's unclear if the steam rising from her mouth is the tea or just or Mantle. Still, the fact that he wanted this to be... civil. That meant he expected this could go worse as well. ...This may no bode well for her.

    "I can agree to those terms." She felt a subtle shock run through her as her Wyrd bound her word to the agreement. She didn't feel like she had anything to hide... so why did having to make a Pledge over it unsettle her so much? Maybe those goose bumps weren't just because Rhodes had an aura of cold.

    "I guess I should start with where I was. It is very far away from here, though not quite as far as The Hedge. I was in Lanzhou. In the Gansu province... err, state? of China."

  6. #6
    Rhodes's Avatar
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Distinctive Voice
    ((Gravitas))
    Rigid Mask
    Mantle - Chilling breeze, summoning tiny leaves
    Rhodes
    Mein

    Mein: Rhodes has pale whitish skin, elfin ears and deep, overly large emerald eyes. Thin black veins broach the surface of his skin like the roots of a tree emerging from the ground. Dark, broad leaves sprout from his wrists, ankles and temples, spreading around the back of his head. Deep red flowers bloom at the temples and wrists.
    Mantle

    Mantle: A breath of icy wind, the kind that penetrates and sends a chill down the spine. Ash leaves in red, yellow and gold spin into existance around him, caught on the breeze. As the wind blows, unnerving whispers can be heard, always coming from a direction just out of one's field of vision.

    +1
    DV
    3
    PRE

    Flowering

    The Autumn King smiles with a hint of smugness. "Wǒ de mèngxiǎng yánjiū xiànzài yǔnxǔ wǒ cóng chénshuì de shìjiè jièyòng jìnéng hé yǔyán yīduàn shíjiān. Tā huì zài míngtiān xiāoshī. Still. Good to know my accent remains. A little more practice should help with these things."

    He closes his eyes as the ripple runs through the Wyrd, binding them, sighing softly.

    Ahhh.... I love that feeling.

    He sets the cup and saucer down and looks her straight in the eyes, is expression inscruitible. "I suppose I should be direct. Understand that this isn't personal - I am very fond of you, Penance - but I must be certain, for our protection. In your time away from the Freehold of Sacramento, did you knowingly engage with the Gentry or Loyalists?"

    Rhodes sips his tea. "The Gansu province. Your.... home, I assume? Do you mind if I ask what drew you back there?"
    Flowering Fairest, Mantle: An ever-changing, spine-chilling icy wind, creating spinning autumn leaves and haunting whispers.

  7. #7
    P
    Penance

    "Ah. Magic. Wo dasuàn ba tā suàn zuò zuòbì. I am happy that you thought to do that, though. That is sweet of you." Technically that meant she could have this whole conversation in her native tongue if she wanted, make everything easier for herself. But as much as she liked the sound of that, she recognized that working on her English would be the better option. Else her time back in her homelands degrade her comprehension skills. Although, she did feel let down to find out this was only a temporary fix. She liked it better when she thought he'd tried to learn the language just for her. And technically he did... he just only memorized it for one day.

    "I do not think I met with any Loyalist. I am fairly certain I would know if I saw one of the Gentry, I think that would be a no as well."

    She made a face at the idea of being from Gansu... or perhaps it was the tea, though that was unlikely. "Gansu? No. I grew up in Jiangsu province. Gansu has nothing but farms of dirt and cold weather."

    However... she seemed reluctant to speak on why she had left, shifting in her seat and stirring at her tea despite having not put anything in it.

    "How much do you know about Fetches?"

  8. #8
    Rhodes's Avatar
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Distinctive Voice
    ((Gravitas))
    Rigid Mask
    Mantle - Chilling breeze, summoning tiny leaves
    Rhodes
    Mein

    Mein: Rhodes has pale whitish skin, elfin ears and deep, overly large emerald eyes. Thin black veins broach the surface of his skin like the roots of a tree emerging from the ground. Dark, broad leaves sprout from his wrists, ankles and temples, spreading around the back of his head. Deep red flowers bloom at the temples and wrists.
    Mantle

    Mantle: A breath of icy wind, the kind that penetrates and sends a chill down the spine. Ash leaves in red, yellow and gold spin into existance around him, caught on the breeze. As the wind blows, unnerving whispers can be heard, always coming from a direction just out of one's field of vision.

    +1
    DV
    3
    PRE

    Flowering

    Eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Cheating? My dear Penance, ours is the very Court of Magic. To not use our gifts is to deny the very things that make us. Cǐwài, cèshì yǔyán de jīhuì tài hǎole, bùróng cuòguò. I'll try it on Circe next. I always wanted to speak Italian." There's a wry smile. "Regardless, I understand if you would rather speak practice English. You are learning 'for real', after all..." The tone is amused as the Dread Lord retakes his cup.

    Rhodes relaxes slightly in the chair, and takes more tea. "Excellent. Then, I am glad your journey did not involve them, and that it has allowed you to return safely to us."

    The Fairest is impassive at the comment on Chinese provincial displeasure - not one of his areas of expertise. However, the question on Fetches draws a very unpleasent and wholley mirthless smile from the Ashern Monarch. "Fetches? I am reasonably familiar. It seems many here have left their imitators behind, or are so displaced from time their lives could not be their own regardless. I myself have devoted much time to tracing down my own doppleganger."

    Large green eyes rake over the Ogre's scarlet form. "The choice is yours, Penance. Interaction with one's fetch is a pesonal one. You do not have to discuss details if you do not wish."
    Flowering Fairest, Mantle: An ever-changing, spine-chilling icy wind, creating spinning autumn leaves and haunting whispers.

  9. #9
    P
    Penance

    Yeah, unless you were a talentless hack whose magic was about as advanced as you'd expect for a lumbering brute. She still found it odd how she had ended up a Court so heavily inundated in the Wyrd when lacked much proficiency in it herself.

    "Oh? I guess I did not have to act in secret then. I thought I should not tell anyone in case having a live Fetch was a...," she pauses to think of the word but can't think of anything. "You know, when people are not happy when you do or don't do something in public. Like that." She waves her hand to dismiss her lapse of thought. "I was going to keep it secret, but I thought I should still tell you."

    "I never had met my Fetch before. I did not wish to return to my old life and even if I did, I had been gone for a long time. 50 years gone in months. I did not pay my life any thought. But then I was reading about Fetches and the trouble they could cause. Had caused. I became afraid that leaving my Fetch behind may have let it... sìnüè.

  10. #10
    Rhodes's Avatar
    Presence
    (Charming)
    Distinctive Voice
    ((Gravitas))
    Rigid Mask
    Mantle - Chilling breeze, summoning tiny leaves
    Rhodes
    Mein

    Mein: Rhodes has pale whitish skin, elfin ears and deep, overly large emerald eyes. Thin black veins broach the surface of his skin like the roots of a tree emerging from the ground. Dark, broad leaves sprout from his wrists, ankles and temples, spreading around the back of his head. Deep red flowers bloom at the temples and wrists.
    Mantle

    Mantle: A breath of icy wind, the kind that penetrates and sends a chill down the spine. Ash leaves in red, yellow and gold spin into existance around him, caught on the breeze. As the wind blows, unnerving whispers can be heard, always coming from a direction just out of one's field of vision.

    +1
    DV
    3
    PRE

    Flowering

    The Flowering nods slowly. "Do you mean... taboo?" He asks. "Whether we have a Fetch is beyond our control. What we chose to do about them is. My own Fetch is very much alive, that much I know. We are... very different, him and I." There is a pause and he sips his tea. "I am honoured you would trust me with this. Fall Sovereign or not, you dd not have to tell me." His tone is soft, and the icy breeze ripples forth again.

    I do so love Secrets.

    Rhodes nods slowly. "Some Fetches do. Some live peaceful lives and die." He looks at the ogre, his abnormally large green eyes watching her carefully. "But some of us cannot stand by and trust to hope. Some kill them. Some We must act on our Fears. The Leaden Mirror is not just about harvesting fear, or making it. The stongest of the Autumn Court recognise Fear in all it's forms, that of a teacher, a protector... but ultimately, a motivator." A slow, understanding smile blossoms. "You learned of Fetches, and acted on that knowledge. Out of fear for what might be. It was a very... Autumn... course of action, Penance."

    He raises his cup to her in salute.

    "Well, you certainly look well, after your trip. Did you find what what you were looking for?"
    Flowering Fairest, Mantle: An ever-changing, spine-chilling icy wind, creating spinning autumn leaves and haunting whispers.

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