As Summer Waves Goodbye

[Nathan Griffin]

Everyone seemed fascinated as to his next line of work. He found the unusual level of attention directed at him entertaining and — though he'd never say it out loud — more than a little flattering. "Well, it's been a longstanding wish of mine to be a fortuneteller. Y'know, just grab some cards from Hasbro and let people know how fucked up their lives will turn up. It's like being a doctor, minus the college debt," his eyes gleamed with amusement and his mouth twitched in a half smile.

"In all seriousness, I am ready to step up, Rick. It's not like I have anything superinteresting going on with my life as it stands. But, like I told Ava, I'm willing to do pretty much anything I can do..." his smile grew rigid and humorless, disfiguring into a grimace, "... which is mostly what I did Over There. So if you insist on giving me a fancy new title, I'll happily be your Paladin of Shadows, or your Ranger (though I don't doubt you've got a lot to teach me on that front, and I welcome that), heck, I'll even be your Ghul or the resident Autumn Fool. And I'll help the gals out as much as I can, too. What can I say? My daddy taught me right," he ended with a chuckle.

He was still in a good mood when he nodded to Mhairi's suggestion of a 'Contract party.' What, like a sleepover? he was tempted to say, but decided to restrain from that joke less it was misinterpreted in an unflattering light. "Hmm?" it took him a moment to realize Morgan was adressing him. "Bad ideas, huh? Well, aren't we supposed to be the resident experts on all things fae? I'm guessing it'd be reassuring if we could show it off. And I ain't talking about setting up a game show."

[Mhairi Ankaa]

"Do you want armor? Or-ah-an-an-outfit? Or-ah-part of an outfit? Like a coat?" Mhairi asked, thought the talk was more teasing the thought of their newly picked king getting a new something-or-other for the occasion seemed like a good idea. "Might-ah-might not be Witch King regalia....but-ah-hedgespinning. That sounds fun." smile bright and fell-flames alight.

Mhairi squeaked. "Me?" a drippy finger flicks up to point at her face. "Run...Edna's...." the wisp trails off, a furrow to her brows. "I think I know enough to-ah-to do it...but really? Me?"

Mhairi shakes her head. "I-ah didn't get to last years Autumn coronation...so-I-ah didn't know what-to-ah expect, and...yeah....but if I'm gonna run Edna's!" there was a giddy sort of tone to her voice, "I might-ah-might want to a-a Halloween Horror House... a haunted house...bring a little-ah scary to-ah Edna's...even if-it's-ah campy or-ah....yeah...." she trails off.

'I've never heard it put like that before...' Mhairir thinks, and was going to offer her kith-cousin help in learning to read tarot, and tell him that buying your own deck was a no-no when she caught sight of the upward twist to his lips. Didn't that mean that it was a joke?

Mhairi frowns.

Probably.

Rick asks Nathan if he's ready to step up, and in return Nathan sounds firm that he was. Anything it seemed, that Rick and Autumn needed from the hunterheart.

Turning her attention to the raccoon, "Morgan! Yes!" the wisp's head nods, a bright smile on her face, "Terror and-ah-and Arcane Mysteries! Step-ah-step one. Contract party. For-ah-for sure, then we can-do like...other things. Pool our-ah knowledge...uh-hedge field trips?" Mhairi asks looking up at their resident expert and King, "Think-ah-think that would be possible?"

[Lesingnon]

Rick chuckles slightly, "Careful with a Cirque du Soleil entrance, might have L'aire critique you on it. She actually traveled and performed with them for a while before settling down here."

"I probably don't have much of a need for armor, to be honest. I tend to just go for a kevlar vest if I'm expecting trouble, it's fairly discrete and all. And Armor of Lightning's Fury, too. That keeps me pretty well protected. I've pondered raiment from time to time," Probably something involving feathers, or storms, or both, "Just never ended up pulling the trigger on anything I suppose. Fashion's not exactly my strong suit." Even living with Terri for as long as he had he'd picked up surprisingly little about it. "Maybe I should give it a bit more consideration."

And on the subject of Nathan. "It's definitely good to hear that you're willing to do whatever we need. I'd want to make sure I don't stick you with something you wouldn't be comfortable with, though. It sounds like you'd prefer either Paladin or Ranger. Which is where I could see you probably fitting best. Do you have a preference between the two?"

And he sat back a bit to let them discuss their plans for contract parties, and such. There'd been times when Freeholders had looked almost entirely on the Sovereigns to come up with, and implement, such ideas. So seeing his court seize the initiative for something like this? It was definitely a turn he was happy about. "Both of those are certainly possible. We'd have to take a few more precautions with the field trip, for obvious reasons, but they could certainly both be done. Whether in Autumn or some other time."

"And yes, Edna's, really you. You have a job you're trying to get out of, you're somewhat familiar with that sort of thing...and, to be honest, I'd probably go stir crazy if I had to handle it myself." He couldn't quite help but chuckle, and grin, at the mix of surprise and excitement she displayed either. It was always nice to elicit that kind of reaction, and help out a fellow Freeholder. "Sounds like you have a bunch of ideas in mind for the coronation then, too. Should we leave it to you to handle it? If you need any help, of course, just ask."

We should probably figure out details of a contract party and/or hedge field trip later. The fall equinox is coming up fairly soon and we want to make sure we have this thread wrapped up before that so it can be entered into continuity. Might also be a good idea to check to see if the other courts have anything they'd like to squeeze in first, since Autumn does have the Sage Symposium going on and all. Don't want to monopolize the special events.

[Saber Sloth]

For the Contract party and/or the field trip I meant as Autumn only socials scenes, where we come together as a Court to learn and trade knowledge

[Morgan Bellanar]

So wait, did Nathaniel intend to get psychic powers? Be a charlattan? Oh, he could learn the Omen Contract, "Uh, like the Omens contracts kinda, heh thing Nate..." came out before Nathaniel had let on he was joking. "Oh, heh heh," mouth before mind was not gone because she was understandable now. She sighed loudly, "Erm...heh, good jest ye foole dme, heh. Thank ye Nathaniel, I am ceratin thine aid shalt be earnest as any of ours, heh." No sarcasm, she meant it.

Armor or a coat? Morgan rubbed her own coat at the mention of protection. It was the quickest protection one could find, short of going out in hockey pads. Hedgespun though could look like a Greaser's coat to mundane eyes but be something made of solid nightmares as durable as a foot of steel. "Heh, Hedgespun if I recall hath a Mask and a Mein. Even if tis only formal event fashion, Rick, ye could practice with a norman coat. A'fore seeking hedgespun. If tis uncomfortable it shant matter, heh, how regal or spooky it tis with a fidgetting monarch wearing it, heh. And likely easier to return a norman jacket then a hedgespun one, heh. Tis a neat idea Mhairi. " Morgan's mind concluded that since Mhairi suggested it, the practice idea was thus Mhairi's too.

As for Mhairi's vehement approval of Morgan's suggestion, the Scrivener just smiled with a shrug of the shoulders. Though she did look nervous (eyes bugged large briefly) at the mention of field trips amongst the thorns. "Hath been my explanation for my Mantle for some time, heh. Nay a club member nor a norman in town shalt all me scary. So I go for arcane instead. Um, heh," she fidgetted with her claws as she listened to other.

"Oh, heh I nary ken that Rick. Thank ye for the correct term too, heh." she nodded her thanks to Rick. When Rick spoke about the field trip's need for precautions, Morgan's head started to nod "yes" like she'd suddenly turned into a bobblehead: "Verily! Security for a heh Hedge field trip tis vital, yes. Big group, mayhaps whole hold, just saying, heh." Like Mhairi earlier Morgan made no attempt to hide fear in her tone. She didn't like the Hedge.

"Agree with Rick, heh, I do Mhairi. Ye art a good choice for it. I'll, heh, help ye with Edna's whenever I am able Mhairi. I often brought aught to it for supply under Betony and Ava, heh. Shant change that now, heh." After a pause she cheerfully added in: "And I can confirm the roof tis in good order, heh."

[Nathan Griffin]

Paladin or Ranger? That was a good question, was it? This little piggy went to market; this little piggy... "I dunno. Are you still going to take care of the Ranger stuff? If not, I could take over that. Or if you need an assistant and think I'm cut out for it, that would work too. Otherwise, I've got practice looking imposing," he angled his face so the light would fall directly on the large scars that ran along his neck and chin, while the other half darkened with shadows. His smile was broad now, literally wolfish.

"I'm sure there's a lot we can learn from each other," he agreed with Mhari. "I've left that fall by the wayside lately, but I guess now's a good time to get caught up," he thought for a moment. "Before all of that, we'll have to make sure everything's up and running for the official coronation. Afterwards, I'll help out with Edna if I can. Might bring a few pizzas, at least," his brows furrowed and he continued in a much lower tone. "Might be a good place to crash, yeah."

[Mhairi Ankaa]

A bright smile and nodding head is what Mhairi offered when Rick considers hedgespun, pointing at Morgan, and nodding more when the Lady Scrivener elaborates on the idea. Then flashing her grinning face when her original idea is called 'neat'.

"Course! I'm-ah not planning on wandering out into the-ah hedge out-ah the-ah blue!" her grin settles into something less grinning and more of a happy gentle smile. "I-ah think for October, or maybe just Halloween....I wanna do a haunted house!" Mhairi was already imagining where she'd place props.

"We-ah wouldn't want you to-ah go stir crazy!" Mhairi thought that a sir crazy sovereign would be of the bad. And it might have what displaced the Iron Queen. "But-ah-but thanks guys...for thinking that I can...you know do it!" a light laugh escapes "Good-ah-good to know! And thanks Morgan."

Paladin or Ranger? Nathan lets Rick know his own preference, but still lets their new King have the final say.

"Yeah! Isn't that what Autumn is-ah for? Coming together and learning Their secrets and all that." Turning to Nathan, reaching a drippy finger hand towards her kith-cousin to pat his hand, "Edna's door's always open. If you need it. Or if you-ah just wanna help...but maybe not pizza. I think Edna's is finally free of pizza smell. Maybe Chinese? Or curry?"

Wrap and get this into continuity? We can get our Social Autumns on later

[Lesingnon]

"Oh god...now you're talking to me about fashion." Rick leaned forward, letting his voice drop into a conspiratorial whisper, "I don't even know what a Norman coat is." He shrugged, letting his voice return to normal. "I'm at least good at not fidgeting, though."

"And Mhairi, I don't think anyone here doubts that you'll do great handling Edna's."

Then there was just the last bit of official business that needed to get done here tonight. "Well, I can't exactly go wandering off into the Hedge at the drop of a hat if I'm a Sovereign now can I? I'm not quite so prideful to think I can do a good job handling both at once." There was a time when he might have tried, but he'd grown a bit wiser since then. "So Ranger of Thorns it is...be sure to make yourself worthy of it."

End Scene sounds good for me.

[Mhairi Ankaa]

It's been a few days, and as it looks like Morgan and Nathan have nothing else to add, I'm going to give this a firm End Scene. Thanks guys for the great scene, and all hail the Dread King!