Autumn Schemes

[James Turner]

"Cash we can definitely pool. Convincing the original owner is another hurdle that'll secure things mortal side though." He nodded in agreement with Anatole's words, if the place was used as a squat house or some sort of den of ill repute the attention of the fire would send those forces scattering to the wind for awhile. Add in new management who might be a little stricter, a little more paranoid even, and it's possible they'll never return.


He listened to Titania. "I'm not a fan of direct confrontation as a rule, comes with the season. I prefer longer strategies with less risk when available. All that's left in there are a hodge podge of guards with divided loyalties. Problem is the hostages. I'm sneaky but I'm not THAT sneaky. Sedition is easily sowed but anything we do we have to consider innocent people might get caught in the crossfire."

He took another bite of cake as he finished speaking, seeing what other points might arise.

[Titania]

They're being shy with their opinion. It's to be expected, nobody wants to be seen as THAT person. However, there's a lot in the realm of positivity that a good, honest feedback could provide to their collective ordeal.
"I'm gonna voice my concerns publicly. If that's what you're hinting at", she says, and perhaps it comes off a lot more inflamed that she would have wanted, "but I'm tired of being led by an incompetent leader who doesn't seem to care for our well-being or our own Courtly alliances. Neither he's willing to accept different opinions. Besides, I swore an oath to my season, and I meant it", she pours her companions another cup, ""The process was a lot more efficient when Freehold and Seasonal leadership were kept separate", she's not one to keep her opinion to herself. Little does matter that Anatole happens to be a subject of the target of her criticism.
A short pause,"Anyway, if we intend to claim the ruins of the motel. Perhaps I could try to arrange a meeting with the owner of the real estate himself. As for financing, I might pool some resources myself. Besides, if we intend to bind ourselves together in a motley, maybe we could ask for the Wyrd's blessing? A pledge, perhaps?"
She sips from her cup, "Should we recruit a representative of Summer?"

[Anatole]

Anatole was nodding along as the others spoke.

"Sure. The Farm still outnumbers us. Why use sedition? They're isolated out there and right now they've lost their big main asset. Why not put slow pressure on them... play psychological games from the Hedge... Slowly disrupt their supply or access. The perception of being besieged should be enough to stoke their fears till they start turning on each other."

He raised a finger and nodded vigorously when Titania continued.

"See. Now that is what I'm talking about. A bit of the old Pledge-craft. Within limits. Just to get us what we want."

The talk about the leadership earned the Fairest a wickedly sly smile, but the dwarf remained silent till Titania bought up expanding their nascent motley.

"If we do, we don't have many choices. Did you have someone in mind?"

[James Turner]

He sat still and listened, looking like he’d shut off there for a second until his hand moved to grab the refilled cup for a sip then returning to his default position like a clockwork toy that had wound down. He looked between the two, those eyes stationary as he took in a wide angle of the room taking a single deep breath before addressing Anatole first.

“We know their loyalties are already divided. Sedition is easy to sow when it’s already present, there’s nothing to say we can’t do both after all. Surround them, or give them the appearance of being surrounded…like I said though, they have hostages. We turn it into a pressure cooker and some are likely to die. I like to protect life where I can, worthy or not.

“I wouldn’t count on a pledge to give us material goods, tried it and found it has problems taking hold. I, might have also been pushing the limits of its capabilities.” A soft shrug of his shoulders, one or the other he wasn’t a pledgesmith so he couldn’t say for certain

Then there was the elephant in the room but he had a reputation to uphold as a buzzkill after all. He took in another breath and teeth bit into his bottom lip as he mulled over his words.

“Airing of grievances is a tradition in Festivus and healthy for any group of people. Resentment is a wound that, if left unattended, will fester and rot. It’s no secret that I’ve butted heads with the other Monarchs, that is part of Winter’s place, the checks and balances of the seasons.

“Have you spoken with them privately about your concerns? Usually it’s best to praise in public and admonish in private, if that doesn’t work than you take it public as you’ve exhausted all other avenues. Criticism is generally handled better when it’s bundled with a solution or suggestion for a resolution. That’s just my personal thoughts on the matter though. “

He brought the cup up to his lips, sipped then sighed. “I don’t like the conflict of interest within the Courts either as it exposes all of us, but I don’t have a good solution either.” Another shrug as he sipped at the tea, he didn’t say anything else. He had more to say but he wanted to see where this trail lead and what the real problem might be.

“As far as bringing in Summer, do you mean for the project or to the group?”

[Titania]

"Have you tried?", perhaps replying to a question with another is unfair, but there she is.
"It's impossible. There is no private business anymore. Which is the main issue at play", she says with a bit of annoyance.
"It's the constant overstepping the boundaries...", that was an understatement. The balance between seasons was a precarious thing, the Wyrd may strike down anytime soon.
Changing topic, "I think Circe would be the best candidate. There's the newcomer, Ram. But I'm not too familiar with him, while I consider Circe a friend"

[Anatole]

Anatole found himself staring across the table to the gorgeous Bright One. He didn't immediately respond; however, given the frown that creased his bushy eyebrows, he had begun to reflect upon Titania's words.

"Boundaries? How so?"

He asked - or was it mused - quietly. Shifting his posture, he followed the Fairest's change of topic. The frown quickly returned.

"There is Circe, yes. She has the contacts and the wherewithal to help us. However... As you've bought up the position of the Sovereign's... Do you think it would be wise involving the other one in our little project. We don't have to start this project immediately and neither are we being forced to throw in our lot together. We have ... eh... time: time to sound Ram out."

[James Turner]

James quirked a brow at Titania wondering how deep this issue went and where the resentment truly lay. Feeling the itch at the base of his skull, that instinct to dig deeper to find that connecting thread in the relationship to file away or use. It was a hard pull as he took a sip of his tea.

“Tried what? Admonishing them, yes. I believe there was a scene made of it and they were none-to-pleased with me.” A soft shrug of his shoulder. “I’m a little over protective of our secrets but that’s my duty. I agree with Anatole’s question though, afraid I’ve not been around that long so I don’t know what overstepping you’re referring to. I’d like to know what to keep an eye out for.

“All I’m suggesting is that it’s troubled waters and to tread carefully.” Another sip as Circe was suggested and discussed. “I know that when patrolling the hedge, the Winter scout that went with her told her she was being lied to and she ignored him. Which tells me she has a hard time listening to good council, not a good foot to start on.” Peering over his glass as he took a sip to see how that news hit.

“We do have time though, we can’t really claim the motel until we deal with the things on hedge side of course and that’ll take more than the three of us.”

[Titania]

"Each Court has its prerogatives and methods. Some Monarchs - most notably yours - constantly overstep the boundaries, leveraging their personal ties to push forward their Seasonal agenda. It all goes back to the unhappy decision of linking Freehold positions to Seasonal Ones", she argues heartily, "I won't go into the details of why I reached the conclusion that King Rhodes might be negligent at best and incompetent at worst but he constantly ignores suggestions. Indeed to my latest proposal of pursuing an alternative solution to the current issue - a non lethal one that's it - he responded violently. And when I pressed the issue further, he shyed away from the challenge. James was present and so was a good half of the Freehold, they all can attest to his cowardice. So, is this person really qualified to run Funderland?", there she is with her flaming rhetoric, a scathing invective. Perhaps it's the way she delivers her lines, spelling each word with perfect cadence. The gentle tilt she gives to her head as her chest goes up and down with each sentence, or the light of her wisps falling like a crown on her head, down to the creamy smooth skin of her neck. But her oratory is captivating, almost mesmerizing "But I'm a Spring, I'm sworn to my mantle. I cannot let another Sovereign dictate my identity, simply because he happens to share my current Monarch's bed chamber"
It's in the air, the torrent of glamour that invigorates her mantle, the diamond petals of a midnight rose bloom, filling the air with its scent. And for a second you could tell the colors in the room are more vivid, over-saturated.
Such is the power of the Spring Lady, how in her own (lovely) way she's furious about having been publicly slandered.
"I'm sorry", she says when the tide subsides, "Perhaps I took things too personally"
"Very well then, I'll try to reach for Mr. Ram, hopefully he'll be enthusiast at the prospect. Then we might proceed with step 2: to define and collect the necessary resources"

7 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2020-11-05 07:41:48	Titania rolls 20 to Oratory (Pre + Pers + Spec + SL 4 + DV2 + Mantle + 3 Fairest) (10 Again, WillPower)	6, 9, 8, 8, 1, 1, 5, 6, 5, 5, 10, 9, 4, 2, 8, 9, 1, 1, 7, 1, 2	7 successes

Posted the full pool so that Saber can subtract whatever doesn't apply

The roll was probably unneeded, but I felt it was necessary to justify the narration. If you really care about mechanics, it's a contested action rolling resolve + comp to resist, otherwise you can just ignore it entirely if you wish. Titania she was just flexing to drive a point

[Saber Sloth]

To effect the number of successes I would have to at least levey a -6 to the roll, which seems wildly unfair. So other negatives imposed wouldn't affect the number of successes for Titania's Oratory Argument. Girl's flexing hard.

James and Anatole do not have to roll against if you do not want too, but if you do it will be the Resolve+Composure needing to beat out Titania's 7 suxx to completely ignore her persuasive words

[Anatole]

Anatole can only sit and stare.

Stare at the Fairest who moments before was so placed and - well, sweet. Sit and stare as the tide of vitriol washed over him - and delivered so perfectly, so well argued and so insistent that he could not ignore it. The flashed mantle has him gasping. His hands find themselves laying flat on the table, tendons and ligaments tense, as his fingers dug into the wooden surface.

The pause is a long one. Anatole has no reply, really. Rhodes had seemed like a good leader from their few interactions. Had Anatole some lingering unease at how close the Emerald and Ashen Sovereign's appeared to be? Yes. Up to this point, he had believed that was simply an opinion of his own. Had he sensed a tension in the Spring Court during their coronation - yes! But he had put it down to petty Spring Things.

Now Anatole can only sit and stare as the last petals flutter away.

"Perhaps not... Eh! Ah! I've always had the impression that Circe is more of an impulsive and simple creature. Um. Maybe that explains what your associate saw..."

He did not sound convinced of his own words.

He shifted in his, now uncomfortable, seat.

"Well I can't see the current arrangement going anywhere soon. So let's reach out to Ram. And consider our options..."

He floundered, one hand raking through his effusive curls.

"If it comes down to it, we don't need the motel, either. Um. Ah. Eh - any sort of business establishment we could collectively own would work. Even a little bar somewhere would suffice. We can always make up a spare room as crash space for those of us in need. And... Motel or bar, it would be an alternative to here."

The words tumbled from him in half-hazard fashion. He ended his statement by stabbing an accusatory finger around the room and what lay beyond.