[Changeling] A Gathering of Mists IC

[Thanqol]

"- legit. I don't think he's planning anything bad," said Stephanie cheerfully.

[Anarion]

Charlotte's opinion

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You think the Gazelle looks scared and nervous. You don't get any sense that he's lying to you though, at least not from your read of his face or mannerisms.

[SiuiS]

Charlotte pulls in and begins to nibble at her lower lip. The gazelle man doesn't seem dangerous, an Stephanie trusts him to boot. Stephanie knew about the man with the moon...

But. But but but.
Charlotte wiggles her toes on the brick sidewalk, chewing away at her lip hole ten enthusiastic piggies do the wave. She could be shopping right now... She could have shoes! But...

"okay, miss. We will wait here. But I don't want to disappoint Marchande. She seemed so eager to go to market. And miss Kalina, too."

[Anarion]

The gazelle (you never did get his name) gives a slight nod, seeming oddly appreciative. He then runs into the shopping center as fast as, well, as a gazelle. About 20 minutes pass, when a black car pulls up. It lets out the gazelle, and another person, then pulls around the corner.

The other person is tall, thin and wiry. Literally. His, or maybe her, mien is a human head, but a body made of dark black wire, draped with velveteen cloth. He/she looks far more human than the fake Stephanie that you met, and the almost perfectly round, asexual face vaguely reminds you of Charlotte.

The Gazelle gives an anemic smile. "surprising. Still here. Made lucky find, actually follow directions. Fascinating."

The other person clears his throat, which at lets you know it's a male.

"Ah, yes. Forgetting manners. I am Timothy Small. My name at court is Swifthoof. Either is acceptable. Been assigned to you as a guide for today. Very unexpected."

[Thanqol]

Stephanie had slumped down and covered her face with her hood as soon as she'd been given the chance. After a little while of thinking she started speaking aloud while they were waiting for the deer to come back.

"Did I ever tell you about James McClaw?" she mused. It was like she was thinking aloud, rehearsing for a story she'd tell later. "I only met him three times, even though I spent five years fighting him. He had an entire global criminal enterprise filled with the greatest criminals which had ever been. Genghis Hoenzollern was the first one I met and I've been trying to remember what happened to him..."

She lapsed into silence.

"It doesn't feel like it... fits. Like the rules changed. I think he changed them without knowing what he was changing them into."

She was quiet again until the deer arrived again. Then she looked up, orange eyes out of the pool of shadows and darkness inside the hood.

"I am Khoyshekh," she pronounced it Coy-Sheek. "And I kind of thought I was back in the real world for a minute there," she said with an edge of sadness.

[PhoeKun]

"Of course the rules changed. Once they pull away the curtain, you can't keep pretending you're still in the play..."

Kalina smolders in the silence, waiting on the streets instead of shopping or watching or working toward any kind of a living. Waiting for a gazelle in a suit. Little bits and pieces of glass from a shattered life twinkling brilliantly in the warm San Francisco light - beautiful and dangerous. Her grip on the two-by-four tightens.

The gazelle returns, bringing with it a wire frame and a smarmy comment about listening to directions. Stephanie makes a comment about 'the real world', and... CRACK! Kalina looks down at the splintered wood in her hands. She tosses it aside and shakes her head.

No. Enough of that. There's too much riding on this to get carried away by anger and shame over every little word or event. Take a deep breath. Behave. Compose yourself like a normal person, or you'll never get to be one.

"...You may call me Rose." She offers stiffly. For some reason, she can't stop thinking about her dream.

[Anarion]

Swifthoof's ears droop after the introductions. "Yes, real world. Less...real than expected. You...are back though. Best not to forget, yes, best to always remember...and Rose...beautiful name, beautiful soul. Exceptional, yes...
...Now, if you are all willing, Lady of Spring wishes to meet you. Very generous, very beautiful. Afterwards, will show you around court for the afternoon. Spacious, Spring frequently has best quarters." His eyes are noticeably brighter talking about Spring. "Car parked around the block, very busy street, can't stop for more than a few seconds."

He turns and gestures for you to follow him. The wire man, however, never takes his eyes off the party.

[Thanqol]

Stephanie jumped when the wood broke. She stood for a moment, struggling for context, and then received a rather unhelpful explanation from Hoofy. "Sure, whatever you say," she murmured. She felt like she was drifting without context and just wanted to follow a clear story, see where it lead.

[SiuiS]

Wood cracks. Charlotte sighs.

Is this real? This is real. Not this, the world of windows and mannequins and card and gazelles in suits. She was lucid enough, for the nonce, that she didn't quite trust her own judgement yet, worried she was still asleep.

But this, the group, the small dynamic group. This relationship, this was real. the wood could be anything, but that Kalina - Rose - was here and broke the wood because of something Swifthoof had said, that was important.

"You... You can tell us more, sir? About us, this? You can help? May we finish shopping first? My feet hurt, sir. We've been running for so long, ever since the fields of light and glass." Charlotte stops biting her lip and clasps her hands behind the loops of her stolen jeans, guileless.

[Anarion]

Swifthoof turns and looks back at the wire man, who gives a slight shake of his head, then turns back to Charlotte with a slightly desperate look in his eyes. "Please, would be better if you came with us first. Much better. Can find you clothes after. Lady of Spring sure to provide beautiful clothes." *Gestures around the corner "Hurry, car parked right over there."

[Raz_Fox]

Not even a window works. That's rather disappointing. She still looks like a dog, has a dog's face, dog's ears, dog's tail between her legs. At least the suit is a very good suit. She looks at herself in the shop window, smoothing down the suit, trying to be proud of herself.

She lost them, she realizes. Blast.

She turns, ducking through the crowd, still lost in thought. She looks the part, but she doesn't have the money, the poise, the- why is there a gazelle.

"What did I miss?" Marchande asks, one eyebrow raised.

[PhoeKun]

Kalina cracks her neck and looks at Marchande. She looks... tired. Like a great weight is pressing down on her and she desperately needs to set it aside for at least a moment and catch her breath.

"This gazelle and the wire frame are offering us a car ride to see somebody calling herself the Lady of Spring. They promise information and the possibility of new clothes. All I can really tell you is that Stephanie trusts them."

Rose glances over in Stephanie's general direction for a moment.

"That is enough for me. I think it will be... important that we follow them."

Kalina takes a deep breath and exhales slowly. She walks over to Charlotte, and wordlessly picks her up and cradles her in her arms.

"If your feet are weary, allow them to rest."

[SiuiS]

"Oh!"

There is a strange vertigo to this, that Charlotte may never get used to. She is not for the moment sure if that is good or bad, or frightening, or wonderful. She is sure, however, that despite her composure there is a heat to her face.

Wondering for a moment just how blushing would even work - she had no colors but silver and gold, after all - was distraction enough to keep it isolated. She relaxes, drifting as if Rose's arms were a hammock, and catches her breath.

"Thank you, miss Rose."

[Anarion]

With Charlotte in hand, Kalina marches around the corner and towards the car, with Marchande and Stephanie following in tow. Swifthoof opens the car doors and allows them to slip inside, then takes a seat in front. The wire man nods and steps to the side, staying outside the car. When you get in, you can see that the driver appears to be a regular human, a balding, middle-aged fellow with a bit of a pot-belly. He's dressed in business casual, dark slacks and a dark collared shirt with a driving cap.

When he sees the group, he gives a tip of the hat to everyone. "Quite the group you've brought in, darkling, ogre, beast, and fairest, is that right Tim?"

Swifthoof says "Appears to be correct. Observant as ever Bob. Ready to see the Lady now, may need you to drive again after."

Bob gives a brief nod, puts down the clutch, and starts down a side street. "You'll have to forgive the roundabout route, they went and closed down Market to most cars in the lower downtown, so I've got to loop around to get where we're going."


***

You drive for about 15 minutes, going down a couple streets, followed by a right turn, then another right turn, crossing back over Market higher up and then going down a different street that's at about a 45 degree angle to market. Bob and Swifthoof make smalltalk during that time, mostly discussing the weekend celebration, and whether Bob plans to take his family to the company barbecue before the bridge celebration.

The car eventually pulls up to an old downtown building a couple blocks from the bay and lets you all out. The facade is stone with some Roman columns in the ionic style and the interior is a spectacular black and white diamond art deco pattern. The door is gilded and carved with scenes that look like cupid and a couple of young lovers.

The guard at the door is an ogre in the most classic style. Although he's wearing a tan security uniform, he has a grey, hunched form that looks far too big for his clothing. When he sees Swifthoof, he nods and calls an elevator.

Swifthoof leads all of you into the elevator, and up to the 10th floor of the building, then out and into a corridor, also with carved stone walls showing scenes of lovers from mythology. There are a few closed doors that apparently lead to side rooms, but the main corridor goes straight, and then opens out in a wide dining hall.

***

The dining hall is decorated with several Chinese screens, showing cherry and plum blossoms, and other spring flowers. The carpet is red and gold with a dragon motif, and the wall hangings, in contrast to the greek mythology up to this point, show young Asian lovers, mating birds, and yet more spring flowers or flowering mountainsides. In the right corner of the room from the door, there is a string quartet playing a version of Gao Shan Liu Shui arranged for two violins, viola, and cello. The smell of frying pork fills the air. A glance at the windows shows they look out to a stunning view of the Bay and the cities in the East Bay region.

There are several tables, but for the moment, they are nearly all empty. Aside from the quartet, there is only a single occupied table in the center of the room. This table is occupied by a dragon woman. Her hair is the deepest milky black and falls into shadows around skin...no, not skin, scales, white as milk that cover every visible bit of skin. Every joint and bend in her body is sharply angled and you detect some subtle spines around her neck. Her eyes are green and glow with an inner fire. She's wearing a western style red dress, ruffled, about 3/4 length falling below the knees, and with a shoulder covering but no sleeves.

When you enter, the woman beckons you all to join her at her table. In a low, sibilant voice, she says "welcome, cast off souls, to my Court of Spring. Join me, and partake for one moment in the pleasures of beauty and rest. Tell me your stories and then, perhaps we shall see if we can bring some of your desires to fulfillment."



Stephanie only

Spoiler

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There is one other detail you notice as you enter the room. One of the screens is shifted, and you notice what looks to be a sliding wall panel that is cracked open just a quarter inch.

[Thanqol]

Stephanie did a bit of a double take as Rose picked up Charlotte. It served the purpose of distracting her from being miserable, but served the alternate purpose of not being sure what to do with that information and so spending a lot of the car ride feeling vaguely awkward.

She remained quiet and vaguely confused right up until the point when they came up into the Chinese restaurant. And then, as the sunlight faded away into the dark and smoky interior, everything came together at the same time for her.

This was the start of something. She saw that clearly. A whole new world had just opened up. She'd faltered in her run, doubted, and been punished accordingly. And now... now everything was back to normal.

She smiled. Grinned. Everything unpleasant was clearly thrust to the back of her mind and tossed aside. She was meeting a beautiful dragon in a Chinese opium den. She knew exactly what to do here.

She bowed; a genuinely respectful gesture, hands clasped, not too low and not too high, form showing that she'd done the research on this. "Stories I have a'plenty, Lady Dragon," she said, relaxed and calm, "but when I tell this one, who shall I say I was addressing?"

[Anarion]

A twitch at the corner of her mouth betrays the slightest hint of a smile. "It is usually polite for guests to introduce themselves, but since you ask so nicely; For the time that I rule, I am the Lady of Spring, Queen of the Court of San Francisco, Herald of cherry blossoms, and Steward of Desire. I am called in court Qian Long [pronounced Chi-en Loong], and I leave it to you to discover the meaning of that if it is your desire. Now, to whom do I have the pleasure of addressing myself?"

[Thanqol]

"My name is Khoyshekh," Stephanie said. "Bit short on titles, but to me the work is it's own reward."

She decided to take a bit of a gamble in hopes of impressing the Dragoness. She looked over at the sliding panel she'd noticed opening. "Isn't your friend cold back there?"

[Anarion]

Without even looking where Stephanie is gesturing, the Lady says "Oh no, that section of the building is well-insulated. Roderigo, why don't you come out and bring our guests some refreshments?"

A lithe dark thing comes out of the hole. It's more well-formed than Stephanie, more of a black-outlined man wearing loose clothing, also in black but with a spiraling green dragon imprinted on the sleeves. He walks with a certain smooth elegance to his step, bows to the Lady, and then moves past the motley and into one of the side doors, coming back in with a wooden basket containing various steamed buns.

"Now," the Lady says, "please finish your introductions, have a seat, and tell me of yourselves."

[Raz_Fox]

Beast.

That one word was capable of leaving Marchande seething for the entire trip, save for a curt dismissal of that claim, and polite introductions when required. Even those were curt and rather forced. Everything was moving rather quickly, and she felt it was better for her to come to a full decision about what was happening - before making a decisive action, of course.

Beast. Thricedamned sons of tawdry whoremongers, to use the servants' phrasing, how dare they call her a beast? Beasts were monstrous, animalistic, frightening and base; she was nothing of the sort. She wore clothes, she spoke, she looked after her family - let them go shove barge poles up their... blast, she was growling under her breath. No. Bad Marchande. No growling.

And so they came to a dragon. What more needs to be said? It moved like a dragon and wore formal clothing; its lair was filled with rather overdone pictures of naive lovers, trusting and stupid. And there was something about her - her overdone, opulent taste in fashion, her hissing voice, her melodramatic introduction - that made Marchande's hair bristle. She wanted to turn around and leave, right that moment. Trusting those ill-mannered louts to bring them somewhere decent had apparently been too much to ask.

And then Stephanie stepped forward, and Marchande wished she could pull the young woman off to the side and discuss the whole wrong situation with her. This... Marchande was going to have to navigate through this on her own, wasn't she? Rose probably wouldn't be subtle, and Charlotte was, well, probably happy to be here. They should have just stuck with the shopping.

"Marchande," she says, when the dragon woman asks for introductions. She does not sit down. Her back is stiff, her ears pulled back, and she is all on edge, her suit all sharp and sleek.

[Thanqol]

Score! Take that, Riggy!

As Stephanie waited for everyone else to finish, she found herself staring at the dragon lady. What was it like to have scales, she wondered? They looked smooth, shining - and sharp. She thought she could cut herself if she ran her hand along those scales the wrong way. But they also looked soft, and that was the most fascinating thing to her. The way the dragon lady sat, the way her arms folded, they seemed to bend like fabric. And they shined, too. Like opals. They were only white until you looked at them properly.

Maybe the scales were only sharp until you looked at them properly? Did they work like armour or were they too delicate for that? She'd once seen a snake at a petting zoo, and even touched it - it's skin felt dry and papery. She wondered if hers would be the same. She'd fought ceilingdiles and dinosaurs and gorriladactyls but had generally avoided touching them in favour of fleeing so that one snake was the only real reference point she had.

She flicked her head back, pulling down her hood and letting her hair spill out over her shoulders. It was an unconscious gesture of relaxation and trying to put her best foot forward, look good for the new people.

[SiuiS]

Curious. Stephanie, now aglow with with twisted braids of violet spilling through her blueblack form, smiling. Did she realize the change in mood came with a change in light?

Perhaps it was the sunlight and not the journey that had we out of sorts. Charlotte files that away, storing the mental image in a drop of few on a spider's thread.

Story, story... She didn't really have a story, wasn't sure of it. But their host so graciously had asked, and she wanted to do something, anything, to lighten Kalina's mood. Oh, but she had missed breakfast, and the sweet buns...

Baise.

Stephanie was here, and relaxed. Qian seemed like a rather hospitable, like able sort of fairy tale horror, and if anyone was going to set Marchande at ease - the poor girl's hackles were actually up - it wasn't going to be miss Muffet's Spider in her hoodie.

Charlotte waits for Roderigo to pass, and deftly acquires a bun. Just one, to satiate. The desire to consume the thing, to skip the revel and feed, was almost overpowering. But a lady does not gape like a fish, she reminds herself, and besides she can't even if she wants, the threads see to that. And so Charlotte eats the bun like a koi fish suckles algae, or a cricket drinks the dew.

Charlotte savors the bun, but it is a quick favoring. She ends the meal, sucking any remaining crumbs delicately from her fingers before composing herself for introductions. stand, step, curtsy. "They call me Charlotte, Madame. Thank you for your hospitality."

[Anarion]

The Lady gives a curt nod to Marchande, and smiles pleasantly while Charlotte eats her bun. After the introduction, she says, "You are quite welcome, Charlotte, it is always a pleasure to entertain such pleasant guests." *Slight glance towards Marchande.*

She then looks towards Kalina, "and who might you be, fairest of fair ladies?"

[PhoeKun]

Kalina is forced to stop and... stare at everything around her. A pageant of the bizarre, of the Other swims and dances around her, swirling around a dragon masquerading as a Queen. Or... no, that's not how things work on this side. A Dragon Queen, then.

Rose glances awkwardly upward at the seated Lady, holds one hand over her breast, and bows. Habits beaten into her from years and years of stage play assert themselves and make her actions automatic.

"I am... not half so fair as that, My Lady," her face burns as she continues, "But you may call me K-- may call me... Rose. My companions and I have been running from a lot of things. Maybe you understand. What we want is... what I want is... well, just tell me what is happening and where we are and what do we do to... live? I don't remember how. I think that maybe I never knew."

Verbosity is uncomfortable. In the heat of the day, so is this coat. She fidgets. "I apologize for any indiscretion in what I am about to do..."

And the coat comes off, that perfect act of kindness sent fluttering to the floor. Rose is resplendent in her armor, gleaming in the light. Perfect white wings flare and stretch stiffly, making her seem much larger than she is. She quickly takes a knee. Clears her throat. Sighs, and starts over.

"...Above all, I think what we require is more fitting clothing."

[Anarion]

Qian Long almost lets out a gasp when she sees Kalina's wings in their full resplendence. Her mouth forms into the proper shape, and there's a hint of breath taken in before she regains her composure.

Then she smiles broadly.

"Ah, I am so glad you asked. Roderigo!" *The lithe darkling returns to the Lady's side.* "Our guests have requested proper clothing. Please bring them each something fitting to wear for now. We shall have formal gowns made in the future, certainly in enough time for the Mistflame Ball to mark the rise of summer."

*Roderigo hustles off*

"Now, as to your other questions, angelic Rose, I invite you all to sit and listen. It will take some time."

*Waits for party to take seats at the table, will continue after a few minutes regardless*

"We are, one and all, refugees. We have escaped a land beyond comprehension, from cruel and capricious masters." She eyes the motley "Yes, most of you understand," *she looks oddly at Stephanie* "how they toy with us, manipulate us. We were never more than playthings to them. Yet, escaping, we find that we are changed. Our souls may remain intact, but our bodies and even our minds are permanently altered. You may, as well, have seen the things that took your place in this world. Mockeries of the lives we once held."

*she breathes a small gout of flame, then composes herself*

"But you, you are lucky. For your escape did not lead you just anywhere, but to the Court of San Francisco. I would humbly suggest, the greatest Changeling Court in the world. Oh, New York and London may claim more members, but they lack our focus, our cohesion...but, as I was saying, you were brought here, to one of the greatest Changeling freeholds in the world, a place where we can provide you safety, succor, and a new life and purpose. In exchange, the court asks for your loyalty, a limited amount of service, and that you provide aid to other Changelings who call for help in dire need.

I won't ask you to swear that oath just yet. I'm sure that you have many questions I can answer and that you'll need time to think and discuss amongst yourselves. However, before we continue further, I would ask you to swear an oath to me of your good intentions, as I shall swear mine to you.

To do each other no harm, one day of trust to form a bond between us, but poison to she who breaks her oath."

[offered oath: minor forbiddance (don't harm other changelings in court) -1, adroitness to persuasion (adds one die to persuasion rolls) +1, poison the boon -1, one day duration +1]

[Thanqol]

"Sounds fair. Deal!" Stephanie said without thinking about it. She actually had clothing that fit her, raided from the Fetch's wardrobe, but they were cheap and not particularly stylish. Also they were still wet and cold, that sucked. What she wanted in terms of clothes was something warm, innocuous, that didn't get in the way too much during acrobatics.

Also? Also the dragon lady could breathe fire. That was the coolest thing ever.

"But, uh, I never really had a master or anything, and Hatsy seems all right. And I came back because I wanted to, not because I escaped. Maybe I went to a different place from the rest of you?" Stephanie said. The place that the dragon lady was talking about sounded awful.

[Anarion]

The Lady looks at Stephanie oddly. "You have accepted the oath, so you are welcome here for the day. But your case was indeed a strange one, I can sense the honesty in your voice. I can only conclude that your keeper was playing a game, and you escaped its confines before he grew bored of it."

[Thanqol]

"My what?" Stephanie said. "I didn't have a 'keeper'. I was fighting crime."

[Anarion]

"Yes, of course you were fighting crime. How silly of me to think otherwise."

Qian Long has a very slightly pitying look as she says that.

[Thanqol]

Stephanie felt vaguely resentful at this, like she was being treated like a fool. "Just because your freaky magical adventure was horrible doesn't mean everyone's was, you know. The moment I wanted to leave I left and nothing stopped me."

[Anarion]

When Stephanie says "it doesn't mean everyone's was," Qian Long simply gives a look around to each of the other three members of the Motley, long enough that Stephanie might follow her gaze to each of them in turn.