To gather no moss

[Gerrit]

The date he had agreed on with Rohdes arrived and the daily business of Rosie's has been taken care of. Gerrit was tired. He realized over the last few days (or has it been weeks?) that it's way more taxing to deal with other people when he had to fake sympathy and interest in their wishes.


Having Rhodes over was a blessing in that regard: it's been almost a year since the last time they've talked and Gerrit had a feeling that he didn't have to act as if everything was all right in the Dread Lord's presence.
The reason he contacted the Flowering was simple: Gerrit needed a way to keep busy, to make himself useful. Didn't Rhodes talk about something that needed to be done for the Freehold at the last Coronation? This could be a possibility to get involved and informed about that, to take his mind off of the things he usually thought of.


There was something else: talking with Anatole had proven very informative and thought provoking, so chances were that the King of the Ashen Court had at least a similar effect. Part of Gerrit still hoped that there was a way to better understand what had happened to him, to better grasp his nature.


The shop was cleaned and closed and the Ogre had prepared a bottle of water and two glasses at the little seating arrangement where he talked to his customers. It wasn't much, but hopefully the Fairest wouldn't see that as an insult or a lack of hospitality.
And even if he does: wouldn't be the worst thing that happened to me recently.


Funny how things get put into perspective somehow.

Rhodes

[Rhodes]

Rhodes made his way down the street, spotting the closed shop and moving over to it. Foir a moment, he looked in the window, a cold chill creeping up the base of his spine.

It was one of his private fears that the Dread Lord hated gardens. Anywhere that were abundant with plants, really. Very few people knew, and he wanted to keep it that way. It was something to do with his Durance, he was sure. Something that made him the Fairest he was today.

Still, the Court of Fear was as much about walking through one's own fear as much as helping anyone else to understand their own.

Taking a deep breath, he rapped smartly on the door.

[Gerrit]

Gerrit opened the door and greeted the Dread Lord with a polite smile. "Hello. Thank you for making time, come in." He closed and locked the door behind Rhodes and led his guest to the seats, away from the windows. He was used to being around the lush fragrance of flowers all day, but the Fairest almost topped this, brought a new intensity with him. Much like Seraphina's otherworldly beauty at the Spring Coronation, it was almost a little too much. Gerrit pushed away those thoughts. He had asked for this.

"I'm afraid I can only offer you water." He wanted to apologize for it, but closed his mouth instead. Don't let everybody walk over you. If not being served anything more fancy was what it took to sour this meeting, so be it. "I wanted to talk about- uh, how are you?" He was the Autumn Monarch and they hadn't talked for almost a year - as much as Gerrit wanted to get straight to the point, maybe a bit of polite small talk was in order.

[Rhodes]

"Not at all," The Dread Lord replies politely. "Few actively seek me out. When one does, I take notice."

He steps over the threshold, eyes darting around the room. The bind of the Wyrdstone reassured him of his safety from his host, but the verdant greenery was no less unpleasant. Once the door is closed he continues. "Autumn courtiers have a reputation not unduly earned. Emotions can be easier to accept of understand, but flirting with Fear creates a certain... barrier to others to seek us out." He opens his hands, spreading them. "As such, I find it means that anyone who does is willing to look past the personal concerns for sake of their purpose." The smile was casual, the tone almost respectful.

"Water would be perfect, thank you." Eyes slowly wander around the store, before resting back on the Ogre as he changes direction mid-stream. A smile tugs a little wider, almost predatory. A Fairest was master of the subtle and forced casual discourse. "Very well. Busy. There are several things still to prepare before my summer ends. My plans for the Autumn Coronation are afoot, for which I hope there to be Community-wide involvement." He sips the water, almost frustratingly at ease. "And yourself? I realise we have spoken little over your time here, but like begets like and I suspect we simply had little that intersected us. You clearly have made several friends and ties, not to mention establishing yourself," he waves the hand at the surrounds, "most firmly."

Gerrit seemed focused on a point, but the Flowering had all the time in the world. Drawing the introductions out was nothing.

Some people were almost too easy to puppet.

[Gerrit]

Gerrit hoped the smile he returned to Rhodes was just as casual, although he couldn't help but feel a mean thought bubbling to the surface as the Fairest talked about Fear as if it was the most mystical and important emotion in the world. I would like to hear your opinion on Sorrow if something would happen to your Seraphina. If she just left you. He didn't want to linger on that, but it simply wasn't fair.
"Talking to Anatole has always been-" a pleasure? That would sugarcoat it. It always has been informative and interesting, but Rhodes had a point about the scary nature of the Ashen Courtiers. "Very enlightening. Maybe it is in the nature of our Courts to see beyond the negative connotations of our favoured emotions." The Ogre shrugged. Much like Fear, Sorrow seemed to be always there. He would know.

He poured two glasses of water, feeling like something studied under a microscope by the Dread Lord. He could see no warmth in that smile. Which meant that he didn't have to try as hard. "I am well. The year has gone too quickly."

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-08-12 10:21:03	Gerrit rolls 6 to hide his feelings (Man 2 + Subter 2 + Spec. 1 + Mantle 1) (10 Again)	5, 5, 6, 6, 1, 4	failure

Maybe it was this unnerving smile, that studying glance but Gerrit hardly believed what he said himself. Which was stupid - John had told him that the key to a good lie was believing it yourself. To believe that everything was all right. That didn't matter now. They weren't here to discuss his personal affairs. This wasn't Sera, after all. "I've been meaning to talk to you specifically about those projects in need of help. The thing about Queen Ann you've mentioned at the Coronation - I want to help."

[Rhodes]

failure

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-08-12 10:51:59	Rhodes rolls 7 to Read Emotions: Wits+Empathy (10 Again)	3, 5, 3, 7, 2, 3, 6	failure

"I quite agree. Fear, like Sorrow, are not things people seek out, but it does not undermine their worth or the lessons available." He shrugs.

Rhodes seems to relax his edge, but keeps watching Gerrit carefully. If he noticed Gerrit's nerves, he said nothing about them. "Direct. I like that." He folds his hands in front of him, and looks off to one side, eyes gazing over the plants, then back to the Winter.

"What do you know of the former Queen and Dread Lady, Ann? Or our past interactions with her?" he asks slowly.

[Gerrit]

Gerrit considered the question for a moment. He'd heard bits and pieces, but nothing really comprehensive. "It's mostly what you talked about at the Coronation: that Queen Ann operated a way to drug and take away people. That she owns an orchard where she grows those drugs." He grew silent for a few beats, then continued. "You've attacked her once before and through Anatole's bravery you were able to take out her second in command, uh, Iron Meg."

What else did he know? Frankly, that was about it. Maybe he hadn't engaged enough with others to talk about this, maybe it was them assuming that everybody knew about the Freehold's history. Memories of the day they were investigating the Grey Hoodies came to mind - how he was bumbling around with no real information provided by either of the ladies. "That's about all I know. She is one of the bigger threats to our safety. That's why I wanted to get more detailed information, to help effectively when it comes to it." Of course, directly seeking out the King of Fear was a somewhat bold move in that regard - he basically admitted how little he knew. If he likes directness as much as he claims it should be no problem. Yeah. Hopefully.

[Rhodes]

The Flowering nodded slowly, and his tone became more serious. "Very well. If you want to take a more serious role in assisting, forewarned is indeed forearmed. Ann was an Autumn Queen. She ruled the Leaden Mirror of the San Fransisco Freehold.... until she tried to assume control over the freehold as a whole and was ousted." He looks down, thinking. "I never met her, but things move through the Court grape vines. She... was rumoured to practice more Fae-like magics, including Fetchcrafting. She was also Dread Lady for many years, indicating extensive knowledge of fear or magic... or both. Ceretainly some of her followers went with her out of fear rather than devotion when she fled the city. Others, like Meg, simply revelled in the fear they got to imbue in others."

He sighed. "The incidents of kidnapping were not the first incident Ann - or her subservients - have performed. A few years ago, Meg was seen spreading dream-poison from some comatose patients in one of the hosptials. An abandoned laboratory was found in the sewers. Last year we began hearing of disappearences. They were tracked to a motel that was being used as safe-houses for their kidnapping victims. Circe, Anatole, Sera and I went into the Hedge to find the cause, and discovered the Hedge orchard. The motel was a beachhead into the Mortal world. Fortunately, it largely burned. Less fortunately, we lost one of our members in the fire." Which was his own damned fault, but let's not complicate matters.

He sips more water. "Anatole got separated from us. We identified the orchard, and he found a market and made contact with Iron Meg. He bluffed and made out like he was interesting in joining her, allowing us to set up an ambush.... Well, you know how that turned out. Several people were seriously injured alongside Anatole, myself included. Admittedly, his wounds were the worst. But no-one died. It was a win. Some consider the wounds taken by our people to show the plan was a failure or could be better carried out, but... there is no reasoning with some creatures."

Rhodes watched Gerrit steadily. "I have never intended to keep these sorts of things hidden from our people. If these things have not reached all ears, perhaps I should discuss it with people more often. Some simply prefer to live with a sense of safety. I prefer to stay in touch wth reality. And the simple truth? The Huntsman was a bigger threat, one more nearby and more pressing. Only now it seems he has moved on do I feel the the time is right to look further into our next most prominent threat. I look to the monarchs for their cooperation, and the Freehold for their support. I will not make anyone do anything in this regard - voluntary only. BUt people need to realise that our enemies will fight and kill us, and we need to be ready to do the same going in. I make no lies of this." Rhodes looks, older, more tired, talking about it. "Hopefully that gives at least a brief overview to the present. Do you have any... specific questions?"

[Gerrit]

Gerrit listened to Rhodes explanations attentively. Hearing about this problem and the threats to the Freehold Queen Ann posed did what he had hoped to get out of this meeting: it led his thoughts to focus more on problem-solving than his own misery. "That's terrible. What would she need Fetches for? To replace everyone she's abducted would probably be a huge undertaking.. so either she had other reasons for creating them or she is absurdly powerful." With her being a former Dread Lord, the latter was definitely a possibility.

Trying to deny the dangers that lurked in the Hedge was understandable - more so with the strong Spring representation in the Freehold - but the Ogre knew what wishful thinking got you. To hear that Anatole wasn't the only one wounded, that they had lost someone was concerning. "I respect and share your opinion on the matter. It's good to know that the Huntsman hasn't been active lately - I hope this also means that those mortals, the cultists, aren't putting themselves in danger of getting caught by him."

He considered for a moment. He didn't want to waste Rhodes' time by asking stupid questions, after all. "So, do you have an idea how to deal with her? Any plans to gather more information or get her when she doesn't expect it?" How well had they prepared the last time they'd attacked her? If she was so versed in Magic, how could they know if she wasn't somehow spying on them? Gerrit didn't ask those questions - it was one thing to seek information, it was a different thing to question the capabilities of the King of Fear. "Also, do you know who would be willing to help out? I mean, who knows which of the Lost who came around the time I arrived here are just as in the dark as I was - not to mention those who came after me." His tone was a bit hesitant, but maybe this gave Rhodes a nudge to bring the topic up some day.

[Rhodes]

Rhodes drew a slow breath. "I.... suspect it was such - to replace her abductees. The lab was from many, many months ago, before the disappearances. Magic can accomplish great works in a very short time, remember. At this point, I believe, and this is only conjecture, that her sanity has slipped away so far as to consider only her goals to be of any consequence. The poison-crafting, the fetches... the kidnapping. It is like... well, them. It happens. I would like to have proof, but..." he trails off, shrugging.

"Thank you." He frowns. "King James, Queen Sera and I have been watching the dreams for signs. He has made no fresh attempts to poison the Skein. These cultists were mentioned to me in passing. I suggested warning them off as best as was able. If they are foolish enough to keep chasing him... I cannot suggest we risk ourselves to try and save people from themselves. What were we to do? Stop them by force?" He shakes his head sadly. "We are the last wall between not only them and us, but them and mortals as well. We cannot save everyone, especially those bent on self-destruction. Heroes get themselves killed. I don't pretend to be one, and those that absorb that notion into their own minds are, in my experience, killed by it. If it is my role to be seen as the foil of this world, so be it. I prefer the term pragmatist."

Rhodes looks Gerrit in the eye again, licking his lips slowly. He took some more water. The Ogre was asking the good questions. The Hard questions.

"No-one has seen Ann herself in years. Either in person or in dreams. Everything of recent time has been carried out by Meg. So Ann herself could be close, or half-way around the world." Emerald eyes watch the Winter carefully. He was asking all the right things. It was reassuring to be sure there were more steady minds. He drew a slow, deep breath. "Autumns learn to act indirectly. Fear is so easy to male in a web; Fear of the unknown clouds all. I can only tell you my suspicions. Fae are territorial, jealous and protect their claims fiercely. It is on these reasons I suspect her to still be in the state. Either she wants a throne of her own again - Queen in exile is barely a queen - or she is given completely over to Fearmongering." He shrugs. "With little more to go on, no connections back to her... she has been very careful to avoid leaving any sympathetic tokens that might lead back to her."

He blinks slowly. "As I said, I will not make anyone fight. When we attacked Meg, the Monarchs all took to the field. The Summer Court is at a strength and stability it has not had for several years - Circe has historical issues with Ann, so I am sure she keeps her members informed. Cassandra and I have discussed research and possible magical investigation. Anatole was there, as was Sonnie. Titania oversaw Anatole's recovery." He counts the people on his fingers. "I do not overstep the monarchs. It risks the magic that keeps us safe - never again. I trust them all to fulfil their duties for the protection of their charges, including making them aware of the changes. The monarch adopts the role in their season for the courtless, though I suppose we might also check in on them as well. I.... hope that the Freehold will come together to fight those who would see it's members harm. But not all are fighters. And as long as those who are not are willing to offer support in what ways they can, What more can we ask?"

They were delicately placed baits. What kind of rule did Garret wish to see? The Iron Fist in the velvet glove? The pacifist? Perhaps he would be forthcoming.