Summer Buffet - Dwarf and Co.

[Anatole]

Anatole was wavering on his feet when the second set of Glamour filled waves crashed through him - and nearly swept him away completely.

At first his eyes widened, unseeing, and his mouth gaped like a man starving for breath. Then his eyes rolled back into his head - from pleasure, release, pain, all three.

There might have been popping sounds as ribs cracked back into place. The dwarf was too out of it, too lost in the Glamour imbued warmth rushing through him, to make anything beyond a gargling whine.

By the time the warmth had subsided sufficiently for the burned dwarf to reacquaint himself with his surroundings, James Turner had returning with food and drink.

"What kind of healer are you?" Anatole managed to say. He was fumbling for a handkerchief - which he nearly dropped - to dab at his mouth and beard. "I was expecting a sawbones or a minor apothecary, not some mistress of the arcane arts!"

[Titania]

In the middle ages the medical profession was often vilified. It was considered an unworthy pursuit, the purview of barbers and charlatains.
She regains her breath, silently tanking James for the succor and his kind gesture.
Politeness and manners that had probably been beaten out of the dwarf. She couldn't blame him, those were nasty wounds.
"I'm an occult specialist of sort", which was a brave statement to make, especially to a member of the Autumn Court

[James Turner]

"Honestly, that was...miraculous." He didn't have a better word for it, Anatole had been at the edge of death's door during that exchange. He'd helped carry the body out. He hadn't been much more than tattered meat held together by tendon and bone. He blinked that image away and shook his head to clear it.


He tried his best to heal people's minds, to ease the weight of the burden they carried so seeing Anatole's suffering lifted to rapidly. It was inspiring and pushed just a little joy into his otherwise stoic demeanor. Though he couldn't be of much use hear otherwise besides as a gopher. "Uh, do either of you need anything else? More food, something other than water?"


Then the thoughts trickled in and his eyes darted around the room, the watchful eye having to keep watch to make sure there was no witnesses. Even if it was only Freehold members in the room one could never be too careful. At least to the paranoid Winter.

[Anatole]

"Occult specialist? Well, I'll vouch for that!"

A new found respect warmed his gravelly voice. The burned dwarf coughed and knuckled his moustaches.

Turning easily to James, he added:

"A chair. I feel like my knees are water... Son of a!"

Anatole exclaimed. He found that he had... movement. For a moment, he tried (and succeeded) at an experimental jig. And then there was another moment while he figured out what to do with his walking stick (which had suddenly become an ornament and not a necessity).

"Glad you've been bearing up, then, James. That fight was something. No denying it. And you, Titania. How have you been? I don't think we have seen much of one another since the Spring Coronation."

The bruising was working its way out on his face: it made him appear simultaneously better and worse.

[Titania]

"Just water, thank you", she says. Her eyes are half closed but she nods in acknowledgement of the dwarf's words.
"I'm not too active outside the Spring Court I'm afraid. But I'm well. As for you, where did these wounds come from?", she asks expectantly.

[James Turner]

He nodded his agreement, mouth opening to say something and then closing as he decided against it. Moving to slide Anatole a chair so he could sit down if he wanted. There was the faintest bit of a smile as he saw the man jig, it was nice to see him able to do so so quickly. His hands reaching out to grab one of the bottles he’d sat on the table, crack the top and hand it to Titania. He didn’t make any presumptions, he didn’t know how much energy this took out of her or what the cost of the contract might be so he’d do what he could to ease their collective burdens. That was partially Winters role was it not?

When she asked how he got those wounds he just looked to Anatole, this was his story to tell, not James.’

[Anatole]

The movement had been bliss but Anatole rapidly came to the conclusion that his body was still taxed and exhausted. He was very happy to take the chair James Turner offered, his legs shaking as he flopped unceremoniously into the seat. At least he found a way to pose, with dignity, with his walking stick.

"Hmm. Different circles, I see."

Anatole rumbled but the wheeze in his voice could not be masked. He cocked his head to one side so he could give the Onyx a sidelong glance. Then he focussed his attention back on Titania

"Iron Meg. Queen Anne's club. The ruse worked. She came for me. The rest of the troupe pounced and tore up her guards. And... Well... Ended her."

His face went slack. His vision filled with the Ogre's terrible, bloody face and teeth.

[Titania]

"Ooh", her lips morph into a cute expression of stupor.
"That Iron Meg", with sparks in her eyes, she was now filled with admiration for Santa, even more than the one she felt when he left a cute bunny PJs under the tree.
"Bad, bad grandpa", she says, softly slapping him in the shoulder, "you could have died"

[James Turner]

This was something James could do to help. He offered the older dwarf a nod and placed that reassuring hand back on his shoulder even as Titania slapped the other one. Small chuckle escaping his lips though his face was still somber.

“You survived though. We all did and a threat to us all was eliminated because of your courage.” A shake of his head and sighed as that hand slipped away, starting to ring his hands together trying to get them clean. It was a very near thing though, not just for Anatole. He remembered all the blood Rhodes’ had, even he hadn’t escaped entirely unscathed. Compared to so many others he’d gotten off lightly.

[Anatole]

"Eh. That Iron Meg offered a lesson."

He sighed.

"I doubted her sincerity at the time, though. It was just an excuse to kill and maim without consequence - which is no lesson at all. So I'm glad we turned her confidence against her."

He cracked a smile.

"I think I did learn something of Fear during the whole episode, so it wasn't without its... benefits."

He let his gaze move freely between the Fairest and the Darkling; his eyes even broke away from the pair and swept the room.

"Good thing we dealt with that Ogre. Maybe now that mad Queen will leave us be. In any case, we got ourselves some breathing room. Which we badly need."

Changing the subject he returned his attention to Titania

"So you stick to the Emerald, hmm? What does that entail?"