(Loyalty Is,) Spillin' Secrets

[Saber Sloth]

"Their prisoners will have gone down. Me and Allie hadn't given over anyone new since what's his face. Who got y'all sniffing around." Bobby says, "Any of 'em that don't take to the Change well.....well. They end up fertilizer. We'd taken 'em through the Door, and set 'em into the cells."

"Cell's? Ha! More like kennels. Can't have them in a large group, can't have 'em comfortable, or able to move." Shaking her head the burlap crinkles, "Should be fourteen guards. At least." "Nah, two of 'em are dead. Getting distracted on patrol," "No, they'd be smart enough to not tell anyone." "Are you sure about that?"

"Fourteen, or twelve, two on the barn, Iron Meg normally stays in there, doin'....stuff. Eight on teams of two, roving around the Orchard, but that might be six, but I doubt it. Whatever. Three by the fruit trees, one for the bees."

Fran looks at the Nix, "The three Changeling's, Phones and Fax, Iron Meg and Queen Anne use 'em as living phones. They connect to each other. You can use one to call the other." The Wizened thought she'd been clear, but maybe clarification was needed. Or maybe the Lost were looking to find lies. "Anyway. There's normally one guard for three...prisoners."

[Circe]

Circe scoffs at Rhodes explanation of Autumns falling to madness, "Oh please Rhodes. One. Anne was evil waaaay before this. Two. I am damn certain that the abyss will blink first in yer staring contest with it."

"Agreed. Iron Meg dead and any loyal thugs she brings will make the assault easier," she nods along with the Dread king's plan. John's objection had her sighing, "They know trouble is coming already James. I am in favor of taking down as many as we can. Meg might show up just ta torture Anatole fer info."

"Sure Sera, I have a variety of options. Pistols are pretty easy and shotguns guaranteed stopping power IF ya can handle the buck," was her response to Seraphina's request for instruction. "Former I have suppressors fer so we could go all Metal Gear on their asses instead of Rambo."

Circe had no inclination to heroics. She was a criminal but Anne and Meg were worse. "Ha! I like yer ideas Anny. The pro of option 1," she sips her coffee, "Is we KNOW we're gonna take some of their numbers down. Loyalist thugs or Meg, they lose numbers. If it fails, option 2."

Sips her coffee again, "Option 2 requires a degree of stealth and combat skill. We need ta take out patrols without alerting the others. I got some quiet guns but can anyone else here guarantee the ability to drop 'em without a sound?"

As for the Bay that got Circe to shrug, "Last I saw the Bay was in a full civil war. I know some phone numbers of folks down there that, uh," Circe scrunches up her face in thought, "Yeah probably don't hate me. Certain ta hate Anne more fer sure. Might get some intel if," she chuckles, "They ain't dead already."

The description of the layout does cause her some serious annoyance. She really wanted to just blow up the barn easy peasy now. "Guess we should'a tried just blowing up the barn with the dynamite," she sighs before looking at Rhodes and Seraphina, "Sorry about that."

[Rhodes]

Sera is given a tired smile as she muses. Sonnie's irritation was just, but another tiring point. "Only those most strongly aligned with the Court of Fear can access the ability. Individuals in any Court are few that reach those heights."

The eyeroll from the winter draws Rhodes' eyes into a dangerous leer. He felt the edges of his vision blur, and that same old voice creeped inot one ear. It's so easy, my little flower. Reach out into his mind and take his Fear. I know you can. See how mighty he is then.

A fist clenched, more to master his rising terror than anger. The Flowering's retort was one of weary disgust. "High horse? You hypocrite. You want us all to wallow in the severity of actions not yet made and pity people with limited choice acting out of Fear. These are murderers, torturors and emulators of our captors. Should we... what? let them go about their business? Reason with them? They are taking mortals. If we don't do something, no-one will. If they were mortal and this happened, they would be imprisoned or have a death sentence. If you don't want to be a part of this, go. But stop whining that we are no worse than them, because you are wrong. Just.... stop."

The Director takes a slow breath, and looks between the sullen winter and the dwarf. "I have faith in Anatole's judgement. Regardless of if Meg is expecting a student or a potential prosioner, she'll bring enough to hold him. They arrange a meet, we spring a trap. She can't bring so many people that the orchard is undermanned. Guns or no. The Lure sounds like the more expedient option." He looks to John. "And before you start thinking things, I would prefer erosion over time. But the people imprisoned in the hedge do not have that time." His tone just sounds tired, lacking any vemon. The Dwarf's idea is responded to with a shrug, and Circe fortunately answers his and Yamiyo's thoughts.

Numbers and thoughts from the guests are filed away, and the blueberry elf's comment manages to draw a smile. If only that were true. The Flowering shrugs a little, and shakes his head. "I don't think collectively stealth is on our side."

[Seraphina]

Sapphires narrow, warm Spring winds whip around the Nix, her hair dancing as the wind moved outward, “High horse? That’s rich coming from you.” A hard, cold edge in her voice. “You want to sit out and keep your hands clean? The door is right there, otherwise, I’d be careful.” She was getting tired of the Winter and his mightier than thou attitude.

The rest of what he said was ignored. But her Mantle was still fierce.

She settles on Anatole, her Mantle finally subsiding, “My vote is to move on this as quickly as possible. She is comfortable and entrenched with her orchid. So lets hit her and hit her fast. I don’t want to waste anymore time toying with her and giving her the chance to take anymore humans for her sick project.”

Upon hearing that those who didn’t make it ended up as fertilizer hurt. Eyes close as her gloved hands clench.

A deep breath, “If they use those to communicate, then I think we silence them. Now, I’m not saying kill them, but find a way, maybe with that stuff,” point at the bottle Anatole had brought, “and make sure they can’t be used. It might cause some panic, which could work in our favor. Panicked people usually make mistakes and act rash.” Which could give them a foot up.

Shaking her head to Circe, “Backing out was the best call. Without the full picture, we would have been going in blind, and possibly not walking out.” See, rash decisions can be bad.

Nothing was said as Rhodes spoke, and it seemed he was feeling the same way she was right now with John.

[Circe]

"Like I said earlier, sniping Meg would be easy enough ta set up. Just need ta scope out the the location, get a hidey spot well set, she arrives," Circe makes a popping noise with her mouth, "By by goes her head. I mean, give me some time and I might get some squibs fer Anny if he wants 'em." After a brief pause she explain squib to the ignorant, "Fake blood spurts fer gunshots in film."

Though she does decide to educate James a little, "Anne's corpse count was easily in the triple digits in the Bay. Including children she made fetches of ta see if she could. Don't doubt she'll do it again."

She then nods in agreement with Seraphina, "True. I'll show ya how ta shoot after this Sera, then work my Ironside contacts ta see what I can scrounge up fer more problem solvers. Or I could just buy the folks some hockey pads. Blade stopped is a blade stopped. And I need ta work on the bug bits. Could make some nasty shells with it fer a sawed off, nice big punch. Sniping would be a possible way ta lighten their guard at the start of the siege too. Or draw 'em away from the main attack."

[Sonnie Wu]

The bickering and the planning fell on deaf ears. Sonnie's mind was elsewhere.

Anne and Meg were abducting mortals. Enslaving them, experimenting on them. Here and, apparently, in San Francisco.

San Francisco, where the Beast had family. Mortal relatives from before her time in Arcadia.

Were they okay?

She needed to know, but she couldn't just call them up.

The Monkey sat silently in contemplation that grew increasingly worried.

[James Turner]

He listened to Circe and nodded, the Monarchs here had more intel than he did what he had was only a single piece of the pie and it seemed Circe was well versed with Meg and Anne. Seemed surprise and eroding the power base were off the table for now due to the time constraints they were under. A pity. Though from the sounds of it it sounded best to avoid the Bay.


He let Rhodes get all the venom out and shrugged his shoulders. "This is a much longer discussion than we have time for here and now, I acknowledge this. We can have out this debate at another time in the future, I'll bring the beer." Rhodes' had him on the knowledge department but James knew people, whether he liked it or not he could see their pain written in the lines of their face, the rage held in their joints, the fear in their hearts, and the hope they used to move forward.


He looked to Seraphina as she snapped at him. "I'm aware, I was aware from the moment we walked in. I know our hands won't be clean in it. I just don't think it makes us different or better." If anything it makes us worse. Another shrug of his shoulders. "A coat of gold or a coat of red..." He muttered to himself softly. "Sounds like ones already been put on permanent silence by all counts."


"Seeing as it was Anatole's idea and he'd the one volunteering to be bait and that seems to be the consensus then it sounds like we have the beginning of a plan, it just needs to be fleshed out."

[Anatole]

Anatole was raking a hand gently through his effusive curls. He remained quiet as the debate bounced around the table; a mirthless smile swept his face when the Emerald Queen demonstrated her anger - more the unusual spectacle than for the put-down.
James Turner received a nod of thanks when the Onyx recognised the dwarf's idea.

"Well. We have eyeballed the merchants if you want to go after them. Three elementals. But I got no idea if what they peddle is a side venture of their own or part of Queen Anne's wider plan."

A nonchalant shrug passed through him.

"Meg is expecting me and I know where to find her Gate. I presume if we do this I'm going to land myself in a private Hollow or somewhere in the Orchard. She is arrogant, I guess. Complacent. Thinks there is only me coming. My advice... Pile in after I go and just do what you're going to do. I don't know how long the Gate will remain open... So unless you can reactivate Gates or you've got an appropriate key, we just do that. And be prepared for a nasty fight."

He stared around the table.

"Thing is. If we do this... I think it will be all or nothing. We won't get a second shot. And there will be... casualties."

[Yamiyo Lillich]

The talk of murdering someone and possibly several people were deeply concerning, true they had reason for it and to stop people from carrying on abductions and making sure such tragedies did end were a task that they and they alone could do but the mere thought of it was still hard to swallow and would be even harder to do or more likely she wouldn't be able to do it at all most likely, to assist yes, disable someone maybe if she got lucky but actually killing no that would not be her domains.
Still the callous talk of the ones they had here were enraging her, how could anyone do such things willingly, kidnapping, murder, using humans as fertilizer what kind of twisted minds did they have to ever agree to do such things?

Hmm if the bay were in civil war and they were in a rush so was it perhaps not a good idea to head down there to gather any info, well that was the issue with being new around not having much base info to use ohh well at least no one seemed to have taken ill from her questions that was something at least.

The anger from Rhodes and Seraphina felt good to see, stepping away a bit as she felt her mantle flare up but it was still a bit of comfort in it. Going back to what Circe had said so she did have the ability to sneak around quite well but her combat ability were close to zero a bit surprised that not everyone had some skills of stealth though, thinking that was a normal thing for them all to pick up.

Softly speaking as Circe offers to teach Sera how to shoot.
"I would love to join in on that and learn my way around a gun as well if you don't mind."

Looking towards Sonnie and softly making her way there, seeing the monkey so silent and still was to unusual. Rummaging through her purse to find a small bag of nuts, softly placing them in her hand in hopes that would help her a bit before going back to her original position. Feeling a bit sad that she didn't have any real sweet candy, she would have to start carry that along with some doggy treats around it seems.

Tears softly running down her cheeks at the mentioning of her cruelties, kidnapping adults, using them as slaves or killing them were bad enough but to have experimented on children were to much for her to handle. Staying still and silent through it but unable to stop them from running.

She would join in, she would help as best she could to stop this but she had nothing to add, nothing to say on the plan just softly nodding towards Anatole whilst drying her tears hoping they all would accept her silence as agreement.

[Saber Sloth]

"What 'Gate did Iron Meg tell you to go to?" comes Fran's voice after a moment of watching and listening.

Last day for posts, I want a decision on what ya'll wanna do soon, even if it take another decision/discussion scene, though of course taking more time means more time will pass!

Tomorrow I will close this scene if no decision is reach then in 1 Week I'll open a new discussion scene, but if a plan's reached then I'll open the new scene going forward.

If it's the latter then you all will have 1 Week to prep. Hit me up in your Character Sheets or the OOC Loyalty Is thread.