Waiting For Rain IC: Spring Slowly Comes

[Thanqol]

"Of course," Charlene said politely, not really sure how else to go about this. It wasn't like she had expected him to have an open consultation, although that would have been easier, of course. "Advice is what we need right now most of all."

"Certainly. May I have your name and place of employment, and if your concern is relating to a workplace incident?" said the young man.

[Deadly]

"Charlene Pierce, and I am currently between jobs. I fear that is part of the issue." She wondered how many desperate, confused and lost people came here and went through this process, trying to convey their need without saying something silly like 'I was kidnapped by creatures beyond the ken of mortals and went through years of torture before barely escaping with my soul intact. For some reason I thought Vickrum would be just the man to help me.' No that wouldn't work.

"There was an accident." It was true, she had been taken while on a training exercise. It was sort of a workplace incident, and she still had no idea what happened to her companions. It struck her that she had not really considered finding out about that until now. "I was still in training with the police," she added.

[BlasTech]

Isabelle resisted the urge to leap into the conversation, resisted the urge to launch into some elaborate cover story. It was ... strange, how much doing so seemed natural to her now.

It was an uncomfortable thought. Was her time living amongst stories and fables behind it all?

[Thanqol]

"Charlene Pierce, and I am currently between jobs. I fear that is part of the issue." She wondered how many desperate, confused and lost people came here and went through this process, trying to convey their need without saying something silly like 'I was kidnapped by creatures beyond the ken of mortals and went through years of torture before barely escaping with my soul intact. For some reason I thought Vickrum would be just the man to help me.' No that wouldn't work.

"There was an accident." It was true, she had been taken while on a training exercise. It was sort of a workplace incident, and she still had no idea what happened to her companions. It struck her that she had not really considered finding out about that until now. "I was still in training with the police," she added.

"I see," the young man made a note, then stood up and smiled. "Don't worry, ma'am. You've come to the right place. I'll be right back," he left through the door behind him.

[Deadly]

"Thank you," Charlene said and looked around the room while waiting. She wasn't sure what else to say or do, to the man or to her friends. So she just waited.

[the_druid_droid]

Jon shrugged, "I guess we wait? See anything good to read?"

Without waiting for an answer, he began to wander over to the pile of magazines on a nearby table, looking for something to pass the time, and to keep his mind off Jessica and her hedge wolf boyfriend.

[Thanqol]

Before long, the receptionist came back and waved them in.

Mr. Vickrum's office had the impressions of wealth and simplicity. All the book cases were short, the computer was modern, the chairs were comfortable. Degrees plastered one wall as a sign of competency, the desk was neat and clean, the computer was a mac. It had the impression of making the law unintimidating.

Vickrum himself looked uncannily like Aaron Eckhart, clean shaven, blonde hair, firm jaw. Kind of ruggedly, traditionally handsome with an undercurrent of simplicity. When they came in he was holding a book in one hand, and started with "Good afternoon, how can I -"

Then the book was on the floor and a pistol was in his hand and pointed at them in a dizzyingly fast movement. Vickrum's expression was calm but steely. "I don't believe we've met," he said.

[BlasTech]

Just as quickly, Isabelle was in front of her friends.

"And you're not making a very good first impression, prince." Isabelle replied, her voice hard.

[Thanqol]

"No," he said calmly, "but I would rather make a poor first impression than get a lampstand through my sternum again. A simple Pledge of peace, woe to the aggressor?"

[Pledge: 24 hour duration, Medial curse on anyone who attacks the other]

[Deadly]

[Is the receptionist in the office too? I assume not]

Charlene held up her hands very calmly, giving the very clear impression that she had no intention of making any sudden movements or engaging in any violence, such as sternum piercing with large objects. "If it will put us all at ease, so be it."

[the_druid_droid]

Jon raised his hands quickly, eyes focused on the pistol. "Woah, hey, I didn't come here to get shot, or to hurt anyone either. I swear I'm not trying to put anything through anyone's chest..."

The meeting with Vickrum was turning out to be a lot less boring than he'd been expecting. It somehow didn't seem like a good thing, though.

[BlasTech]

Isabelle frowned, and took a few moments before replying.

"Fine."

[Thanqol]

"Natch," said Vickrum, stashing his pistol, kicking the book up off the floor and catching it just as deftly as he'd switched to a fighting stance. He hadn't even lost his page.

"What can I do for you?" he said, smiling as charmingly as if nothing had happened.

[Deadly]

Charlene stared briefly. Somehow, this was not the man she had imagined. Maybe it was the knowledge that Felix had spoken of him in quite positive terms. Felix. Positive. From that you would expect some little man with sleek black hair, small glasses and a suit, with a plainly pleasant but very professional demeanor. Someone who would sit straight up behind his desk and carefully align the papers. And here was a man who didn't seem all that formal, or all that ... cold. His paranoia aside, he could almost give the impression of being quite cheerful and relaxed.

Charlene lowered her hands, feeling a tad ashamed at some of the images she had formed in her head, lots of little sleek faces, some best described as 'snake-like'. Damn you, Felix.

"Well," she said, regaining herself and deciding to get as straight to the point as she could, and not be bothered by the gun. "Talmage suggested I see you sometime, I imagine about the court. Also, we only just arrived, and I will let my friends speak for themselves, but I was hoping for help or advice on setting up a new life for myself in this place. I've got nothing now, and not many ideas where to start, so anything would be an improvement."

[Thanqol]

"Ah. You've met Talmage already," he gave a deeply weary sigh, as if a frustrating topic had just come up.

"Sit," he said, gesturing to the seats. He walked over to the window.

"This city follows a wearyingly predictable pattern these days. During the spring, Talmage forgets all the lessons of the past year and allows weakness and mercy to cloud his judgement and invite in the Dark. During summer, the monsters, drawn to Talmage's weakness, ride forth and stake their claims over minds and hearts, and Pope leads us into bloody conflict against them. During Autumn, the entire Freehold teeters on the brink of madness - all the weak, lesser monsters are dead, leaving the true nightmares to stalk the streets. And by winter, the collapse is complete, leaving those few, disciplined survivors - the ones who understand - to survive to the next year."

He turned back to face them. "I apologise for skipping the small talk and preamble, but you strike me as people to appreciate straight talking. And I'm telling you all now, for free, that the only way to survive this cycle is to be disciplined and to obey the law even when there is no law. If you doubt me, ask around and see how many of the Lost of this city have been here for more than a few years."

[Deadly]

Charlene sat down. She did appreciate straight talking. And what he described did sound unsustainable, but there were a lot of questions. "I take it the law you speak of is the one you keep during the winter?" That seemed to be the key, the main issue in what he had said. The law. "What is this law?"

[Thanqol]

"It's a law that's sworn, not a law that's enforced. It's a code of honour and code of survival. Anyone who wants my protection during the winter months has to swear by it. It's writ in full into the old Oathstone on Fort Goldrust and been here longer than there's been an Oregon," said Vickrum. "It goes like this:

"Never look the other way.
Never risk what is not yours.
Never ask what you would not give.
Never judge another."

[the_druid_droid]

Jon grimaced just a little at Vickrum's description of Talmage. For his own part, he had liked the Prnce, and had even joined his Court, but it sounded as though some people had an axe to grind with Talmage. The implication that other Changelings were dying or leaving town struck Jon as particularly nasty, and at the moment it didn't seem very likely, considering how many they seemed to keep meeting.

Trying not to worry about it, he shifted a little in his chair. There was more than enough to worry about right now, and if he wanted answers about Talmage, he would rather talk with someone who didn't go pointing guns at guests.

[BlasTech]

Isabelle caught herself nodding at the recitation of the prince's law and scowled. It annoyed her that she found herself agreeing with the very same person who had so blithly threatened her friends just moments earlier, but some of the words rang just that bit too true with her ... particularly that one should not turn a blind eye to those in need.

Never judge another.

"... Fine." She repeated, mentally, settling in to watch as Vikrum talked to Charlene. "You get a chance to prove yourself, prince, don't disappoint again."

[Deadly]

"I see," Charlene said and mulled over the words. "That last one strikes me as interesting, and you say this law is not enforced? I take it the spirit of this, then, is that anyone who breaks the law are on their own?" It sounded paradoxical. Abandoning someone and refusing them help for breaking this code was a form of judgment, was it not?

But ultimately there had to be judgment, and the ultimate judge had to be God, naturally. Thus, it was simply leaving the matter in the hands of nature, and God. If you break this law you refuse help, thus you leave your fate in the hands of God, and he alone will judge you.

It was ... simple, she had to admit that. And it resonated with her thoughts on survival. But at the same time, it was somewhat vague. Charlene found herself trying to apply this set of laws to their encounter with Cludge. Somehow there was a conflict, but she found it hard to express it.

[I personally can see how the first and the last clause might conflict in the case of Cludge, but I decided that Charlene probably isn't clever enough to see that. She notices the details (wisdom) but may not quite manage to put the pieces together (intelligence). Anyway, Cludge was killing people. Leaving him to keep doing that would be looking the other way. Trying to stop him would be judging him. Either way, you're breaking this set of laws. It really is open to a lot of philosophizing ]

[Thanqol]

Never judge another.

"... Fine." She repeated, mentally, settling in to watch as Vikrum talked to Charlene. "You get a chance to prove yourself, prince, don't disappoint again."

Vickrum gave her a look that said a lot about where she could put her disapproval.

"I see," Charlene said and mulled over the words. "That last one strikes me as interesting, and you say this law is not enforced? I take it the spirit of this, then, is that anyone who breaks the law are on their own?" It sounded paradoxical. Abandoning someone and refusing them help for breaking this code was a form of judgment, was it not?

"I meant that in terms of you swear it on the oathstone. You will know if you are going to break the Pledge." Vickrum said.

"If it seems contradictory in places, and open to philosophy and argument, then you misunderstand the idea behind it. The idea behind it is that you cannot know what anyone else in this town has been through. You cannot know how tenderly they hold onto their sanity, and what you might snatch away from them with recklessness," he said the word calmly but lingered on it, like it was a poison, "or blindness. Changeling minds are like glass. They shatter. Not in pieces, not a gradual descent, but instantly shatter, sending even the best and brightest to gibbering lunacy in the space of an hour."

He sat down behind his desk. And behind that mahogany wood, seated in that high backed chair, for a moment he looked truly regal.

"I am the Prince of Winter. I hold Sanity to be my domain. Three seasons of four you will have the pleasure of witnessing this Hold poison and destroy itself, but not during mine."

[Deadly]

"My mistake, I misunderstood. I think I see some of what you speak." She felt a little uncomfortable. It was like, looking back at the past days they really had been running around like blind elephants in a glass house. Or so it felt a little. "I feel we have already had a taste of how recklessness can lead us astray. I do not like that. I value caution, and sanity. I value reality, because I've had quite enough of dreams and delusion back there." She paused for another second and looked at Vickrum. "That's what drew me to winter. I see I have not chosen wrong, then."

[Thanqol]

"Very good!" Talmage said, seemingly not caring to see what the others thought. "On a more practical matter, to answer your earlier questions on setting up a new life, I can do some things to help. I can supply for you some identity documents. If you know anything about the law I can have you intern in my offices, if you'd like a career in law enforcement that's within my ability to arrange, or if the mundane world bores you I have plenty of use for information gathering and targeted action against threats. Never looking the other way means always looking in every direction."

[Deadly]

Charlene brightened up a little. This almost sounded like she ought to be able to find something that'd fit her talents and training. "I trained with the Marshals before my capture, although I never completed training as you can imagine. Before that I studied Law, with a mind towards enforcement. I never imagined myself in a lawyers office truth be told, but of course I understand beggars can't be choosers. I have an interest in people and some experience in the underground, so information gathering sounds attractive."

[Thanqol]

"I'll leave you to work out what is best for you," said the Prince. "Other than that, I can answer some questions if you have them."

[BlasTech]

Vickrum gave her a look that said a lot about where she could put her disapproval.

Isabelle returned it with one that contained a dissertation on Vikrum's mother.

[Deadly]

"Can you tell me more about the information gathering job? Where would I work, what would be my primary responsibilities, and so on? Also how much does a new identity cost?" She figured her friends would ask if they had any questions of their own.

[Dammit, why must it take me so long just to compose these few lines?]

[Thanqol]

"I will do one for you as a gift. If your friends want one, they shall have to owe me. As far as information gathering goes, that is payment by commission. You find interesting information - locations of Hallows and Trods, supernatural creatures and what they are doing, hauntings, possessions, charms, other Changelings, bring it all to me and I will pay you in recompense." Vickrum said.

[BlasTech]

"While I also wanted to ask about identity documents, I don't very much like the idea of having to be in debt for it." Isabelle said, omitting the unheard 'to you' at the end of her sentence.

"Can we not just pay for some new documentation?"

[Thanqol]

"Unless you have an awful lot of gold doubloons stuffed down the front of your dress - which I doubt - you don't have enough money to make it worth my while," said Vickrum. "I take payment in services. Virtually all of the Lost in this town do. If you want to take your chances with the black market, be my guest."