Nothing Important

[Cassandra Reeding]

She chuckles a bit at his comment, "I had a cat before. Her name was Noodle. Beautiful little floofy thing, but she was also very talkative. The kind of cat who would scream at you when it was dinner time. When she jumped off of things, she'd make a chirp sound like it was her own sound effects." There is a moment of fondness in her smile, but something else as well. Perhaps a hint of sadness. One might assume it is from loss of the cat, but no, it wasn't quite that. Though, there was that too. Eliza...

At Gerrit's news she brightens up again, "Oh! That is great. If you need any help up front with the buy, I'd be happy to help," To her, money really wasn't an object. She had well more than what she needed. So much so that she found herself constantly donating. This could be another to help.

[Gerrit]

"That sounds cute." She must have really loved that cat. Whether she owned the cat before moving to Sacramento or before.. you know - Gerrit didn't dare to ask. "I bet Aria will give you just as many great memories."

Maybe it was his upbringing, maybe he's just old-fashioned: the thought of owing money to buy something as extravagant as his own flower shop didn't sit right with the Ogre. He softly shook his head. "Thank you, but I'll manage. I live a simple life, even the rent for my small apartment is shared with Ram. It's also just a vague plan for the moment.. but I'll certainly invite you for the re-opening." The thought made him smile, but then his mind wandered off to the Ice Law again. Was it uncouth to talk about one's dreams too? Could a public position like the ownership compromise his security too much?

He cleared his throat to leave this train of thought behind. "So, did you have an opportunity to talk to Rhodes about any knowledge of the past Court?" It was the first topic that came to mind where emotions didn't play a big role and was therefore deemed unproblematic enough for the moment. Lest I show any feelings. A bitter thought, masked by a friendly-neutral look. John would be proud.

[Cassandra Reeding]

Cassandra nods, "All right, but if you ever do need help, I'm happy to help. No strings attached. Instruments are... expensive. I found myself a nice little niche." And when a master level violin costs around $30k, well, one doesn't really have too much need to worry about funds. "I look forward to seeing the re-open when it happens then. I know you'll do great." He really will. So personable for a Winter. Baltimore would have eaten him alive... She pushes those thoughts away.

She's a little surprised by his question about Rhodes, although, really, she shouldn't be given it is something she has been trying to work on. "The Autumn King is more like the Autumn Recluse. He's hard to get ahold of. I did see him recently in a social setting, but I thought it best not to bring it up then. I need to though. Whatever we can get will help us in the long run. I've been distracted, I suppose. Life as it is." Very distracted. Kisses are very distracting. Among other things. She does other things too. Like practice and craft... Now she's beginning to wonder if she needs another hobby so she can't say that thinking about a man takes up most of her free time. Sewing? Well, she'll have a cat. Cats take up lots of time. Yes. That works.

[Gerrit]

The answer didn't surprise Gerrit - he could count the times he saw the Dread Lord on one hand. Yet with his question fully answered he wasn't sure what to talk about next. "Yeah, Life usually finds a way to distract you from things." He thought about the other times he was with Cassandra - the last times they had a clear goal to work on, be it their complicated emotions, Court politics or something as simple as crafting decorations. Most of the time John was there to fill awkward pauses, but John wasn't here now. He couldn't help himself: there was nothing in his life interesting enough to take up any more of Cassandra's time.

Maybe she didn't think it was as awkward as he did, maybe they could just sit silently and enjoy each other's company. He scraped some melted trails of ice cream off the plate and ate it up. This was probably the reason why he hadn't met most of the Freehold yet, he was not that exciting to be around. Was it like this with Vivian? He couldn't say, but maybe it was Oscar's frantic talking that filled the blanks at the picnic.

Darn, how long has he just been sitting here now? It couldn't have been that long, right? "Uh, so you mentioned you and some others were planning on doing something on social media? How did that turn out?"

[Cassandra Reeding]

How you doin' there, Gerrit Failure

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-04-01 00:30:20	Cassandra Reeding rolls 3 to How you doing there, Gerrit? Wits + Empathy (10 Again)	2, 4, 1	failure

Cassandra listens to Gerrit, trying to get a sense of where he is at in the conversation. He's normally not too hard to read, but the way he is speaking makes her nervous. Is he suspicious of me? No. Oh god, am I boring him? I'm not doing enough? Or did my advice hit him wrong. She looks a little unsettled, but the colors swirling upon her skin make it difficult to really tell.

She takes another bite of her banana bread along with a little bit of the ice cream. "Oh, yeah. Well, I know my playing turned out well and Yamiyo edited it fine, I think. Ellie got it to go viral, so like... it's just a waiting game at this point. Makes me anxious, but, we'll see. I have my fingers crossed. The piece is great, but it drives me nuts when I think about it actually. It's a horrible ear worm. Have you heard it?"

"Oh, I don't think I'll subject you to it if you haven't." She grimaces a little bit.

[Gerrit]

If Gerrit noticed Cassandra's concerned looks he didn't show it. Leave it to two Winters to miss the forest for the trees and get lost in their own head.

As far as Gerrit could tell, their social media stunt was a success? Cassandra definitely sounded content, which is pretty much all Gerrit had to gauge the situation - sure, he could imagine what 'going viral' meant, but imagination could only take him so far. He shook his head with a confused smile. "I'm afraid I haven't heard it yet - Uh, that social media thing is not something I'm.. doing." An original composition though? "If it's anything like the things I've heard you perform on your Cello I think I could use an ear worm." That should be nice to hear, even when you've already got the admiration of some strangers around the internet.

The Fairest's mention of Yamiyo made Gerrit perk up though. "Now that you mention her - I don't think I've seen Yamiyo at the Spring Coronation.. Do you think everything's all right with her?" He kind of worried for her, but then again: her absence wasn't really something he thought strongly about. Was that making him a bad person? Did he grow numb to the potential danger of losing fellow Lost at any moment? As much as he hated to admit it: he felt a certain relief in not being subjected to her memory every time he looked at the Succubus.

[Cassandra Reeding]

Cassandra chuckles a little then, "Alright, in a bit I'll play it for you, but watch out," her hands do a 'don't blame me' kind of expression.

And then she considers his question about Yamiyo. It was true that she hadn't seen her in a hot minute. And given just how in your face she tended to be, you'd think someone would have heard from her by now. But then, maybe she isn't in the right circle? No, Gerrit was right, she hadn't even been at the Spring Coronation. God, she had been so distracted by John, she hadn't even noticed that. Then again, if she had been there, she'd have probably made things... Well, there weren't any new femmes at least. Unlike when Vivian joined them.

"I haven't seen her either. I don't know. Perhaps she decided to move on. If something happened, Sera isn't the type of Monarch to hide that kind of thing." Nope. Because she is so pretty and nice and perfect and probably has a dark or sad past that would make people feel bad. Cassandra takes no notice of the fact that she possesses some of those traits herself. Though, she is anything but perfectly sweet.

"I don't mean to come off rude, but I feel like things have been a lot less tense, but maybe that is just my own perception. He had a way of pushing moral boundaries I didn't care for." Is that wrong to say? Is this gossip or just honesty? Could it be both?

[Gerrit]

Gerrit mirrored Cassandra's chuckle and nodded. So far he hadn't been disappointed to be shown something new by the Artist, he couldn't imagine this time being different.


"I guess you're right.. but would Seraphina be the kind of Monarch to not address it in any way?" Maybe they were overthinking it. Maybe she asked for secrecy and safe passage - Winter didn't own the monopole on those, after all.

Hearing Cassandra give her evaluation on Yamiyo made Gerrit exhale in relief. "I get that.. I mean lately I've begun to understand her better and.. you know, I didn't mind her looks too much, but.." A shrug. She hadn't actually hit on Gerrit, so he couldn't really speak for that but there had been a certain lack of tact in the Fairest. Maybe it had to do with her rapidly growing and strengthened Mantle. Gerrit couldn't supress a shudder. Why do people put Sorrow and Fear on the darker end of the Seasons' emotion when Desire is more terrible than those two combined?

"Uh, Cassandra? You'll tell me if you ever see me crossing any boundaries, right?"

[Cassandra Reeding]

Gerrit does have a point, but then... yeah, she doesn't know. Perhaps that should bother her. What if the Huntsman got to her? But then, if it did, we would be up in arms. She could have simply asked Sera not to mention it, but, yeah, no that doesn't sit right. And yet, Cassandra can't actually find it in herself to be truly bothered. That should scare her. Not being bothered by this isn't good for her.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps we could simply ask," It was all she could really offer at that. But then Gerrit mentions the 'getting to know her' and she nods slowly, "I found a weird thing as I got to know her. I just, and perhaps it is rude to say, I could not find a way to really like her. I could see that she had a kind side, a sweet side to her, but then there was that constant, sexual side to her that just overpowered everything."

She pauses to figure out how to phrase the next part. It is awkward for her. It leans into her ex and his story, why it all bothers her so much. "We had a discussion on seduction and I'm of the firm believe that any form of manipulating people's desires is akin to rape. There is a way to go about helping people with what they desire, but at the same time, us being fae creatures as we are, we are supernaturally inclined to finding the truth under it all. I don't believe anyone has a right to your truth unless you are giving it freely or you are verbally helping them to voice it. And at that point, it is just mundane ways of guiding people to their dreams." She looks down a little then, shaking her head.

"I have known of one of Them who is a Seductress from stories of her escapees. One who takes men and women and bends them to her will with illusion of fulfillment of their desires, most of which is sexual. It strikes a chord with me, a very ugly one. And Yamiyo kept hitting that chord for me with the way she spoke, the way she pursued people," Her voice is very quiet, but she attempts to keep her expression as neutral as possible, her Polychromatic colors shifting to disguise, or to someone who truly sees her, reveal, her emotions.

She lets out a slow, calm breath moving to address his question, "Of course I will tell you. Likely at appropriate moments unless it is particularly... you know. Boundaries are necessary to be aware of and sometimes we have a hard time seeing when we are stepping over one. Do you feel you have been stepping over one recently with someone?"

[Gerrit]

Gerrit listened to Cassandra, silently agreeing to everything she said. "I think she had difficulties expressing herself, even if she tried really hard to be helpful and polite." He remembered the discussion they had at the flower shop - it was really awkward and they didn't really click. He didn't warm up to her himself, but he wasn't the kind of guy to beat a dead horse. Yamiyo has moved on, he didn't hold any grudges.

Cassandra bringing up a personal story with Yamiyo was a different topic, though. "Oh Cassandra, I'm sorry to hear that. I agree - desire is something personal and intimate, and to mess around with it should not be taken lightly.. I hope you have found a peace of mind since then." He didn't know what else to say - the Artist was kind of preaching to the choir in a way, especially about how Yamiyo came off too strong.

The Ogre watched Cassandra's colors with concern. He couldn't make heads or tails out of the patterns and shifts, but it didn't take a mind reader to know that she had her own baggage to carry in that regard. "Emotions can be used to capture and hold others - we need to stay vigilant lest we become perpetrators ourselves. I won't stand idly by if anyone was to try to hit those chords of yours."

As soon as he said it he experienced a full-circle moment of understanding. Maybe the Ice Law was there to prevent them from acting out of line? Maybe it was also there to prevent fickle Lost from hurting each other? He'd have to think about that some more.
"Uh, no I don't think I've overstepped any boundaries, but I guess it's sometimes too easy too miss when you do. And as much as I want to protect you from being pressured by others I just want to have someone tell me as soon as I pressure anyone. Like Vivian, for example." An apologetic shrug as Gerrit returned to the initial topic of the day.