[Changeling IC] Time's Wings: Dark Omens

[Raz_Fox]

Before the two leave, the Pilgrim proffers the contract. Perhaps it should have been given to Summer, but the loyalty of the Pilgrim is constant as the stars. (A metaphor that might put one at ease, if one has not seen the cold fires of a fallen star.)

A contract, a bit of fairy magic taken from the heart of the circus, pursued by the Knight of Flowers, to be passed from one hand to the next to the next, until somewhere along the line it vanishes into a sleeve.

‘tis done. And we might mourn the events of the circus later, but why now? Our Pilgrim has rendered safety to our humble town without catastrophe. So long as the catastrophe’s outside, mind you. We make no promises. The king beneath the sea is dreaming, and soon shall wake.

Once that matter’s attended to, he shall away to Edmund’s bar, what with its many fine varieties of incense to burn and special rooms for meditation.

Unless Autumn has a word for our hero?

[TheAmishPirate]

She made her way to Edmund's, not waiting for Isaac. She hoped he'd join her but if he had matters to attend to here first without her then she understood and wouldn't burden him with demands. She was late, she was well aware of that, but now that the most urgent business had been tended to she felt she could risk allowing herself a pause in her duties. Besides, she was genuinely looking forwards to seeing Edmund's enormous floor-to-ceiling tropical aquarium.

When she arrived she was not only very late, but she looked like she could really do with a shower. If Isaac arrived with her she'd quickly drop his arm the moment they stepped through the door under the pretence that she needed to straighten her clothes, brush off some dust or pick up a menu.

Once that matter’s attended to, he shall away to Edmund’s bar, what with its many fine varieties of incense to burn and special rooms for meditation.

You could be forgiven for thinking you have the wrong place. There's no aquarium, no meditation rooms, just a bunch of equally confused and somewhat disappointed patrons. But over there by the bar, you'll spot a good friend whose name you can't remember, a blushing pink mass of light that must be Aelas, and there's good old Edmund, giving a gargoyle the (chilly) third degree.

Aelas has the good sense to blush, and when she does so, her whole head of hair tints a little pink to match her cheeks. "Well, er, there was a bit of a car chase, and Static here was the only one who held when I unleashed a gigantic fire storm, and then we...um...went down to Newcastle and looked at some really neat alpacas and went to the souvenir shop and learned about, um, some war stories or something. I um, kinda had to run at that point because of some...uh...other stuff, so I sort of stranded Static down there, but then I felt really really bad, so I apologized when we met earlier today at the city dump and now we're friends! She's pretty cool too, but kinda hard to get to really open up. I think you'd have to promise to be friends too first."

"And did you, Static?" Edmund holds out her glass, staring her dead in the eye. "Did you promise to be good friends with Aelas?"

[Thanqol]

Unless Autumn has a word for our hero?

Only one: Prepare.

"And did you, Static?" Edmund holds out her glass, staring her dead in the eye. "Did you promise to be good friends with Aelas?"

Static seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.

"It's none of your business who your daughter is seeing," she said. "She can make her own decisions."

[Elanorin]

You could be forgiven for thinking you have the wrong place. There's no aquarium, no meditation rooms, just a bunch of equally confused and somewhat disappointed patrons. But over there by the bar, you'll spot a good friend whose name you can't remember, a blushing pink mass of light that must be Aelas, and there's good old Edmund, giving a gargoyle the (chilly) third degree.

Lily is very good at masking disappointment on her face. She really had been looking forwards to seeing the aquarium (and it had been such an impressively good idea from him too). In fact, despite being faced with the reality of the establishment pretty much as soon as she stepped through the door, she still held on to an irrational hope that maybe somewhere in the back, just not visible from the entrance...

She made her way over to the gathering of friends and nestled in among them. There's a distinct chill in the air around her, even the odd snowflake in her huge plume of feathers (still looking a little limp from all the sweat) because she was done with Summer and Autumn and all the heat.

"Congratulations on your... your... your new place, Edmund." Lily offered, looking straight at him with what was hopefully a polite and encouraging smile and not at all like the forced one of a divorced spouse trying to get along for the sake of the kids.

[TheAmishPirate]

Static seemed to come to some sort of conclusion.

"It's none of your business who your daughter is seeing," she said. "She can make her own decisions."

A good laugh would have banished the tension away, but if you thought Edmund was the place to find a good laugh, then perhaps you ought to go back to the beginning of this story and try again. His was a cold, bitter laugh. The kind that thrived among joyless jokes, where he often starred in the punchline.

(A vulgar, irreverent sound, ill-fitting for a prince, but did that not show his roots with his fellow man? High upon his throne, yet never forgetting where he came from. Praise be. All hail. May he ever reign.)

"Oh no. You've found me out." He said flatly, laughter abruptly cutting off. "My dark secret, uncovered. My hidden lovechild, found. You've won the conversation. I must now retire in shame."

Edmund didn't move.

"I'm retiring very slowly." He explained. "So while I'm still here, the question still stands. As a question.” One you’ve answered well enough already. "That's all. I’m not one for games; too much work, too much time.“

Lily is very good at masking disappointment on her face. She really had been looking forwards to seeing the aquarium (and it had been such an impressively good idea from him too). In fact, despite being faced with the reality of the establishment pretty much as soon as she stepped through the door, she still held on to an irrational hope that maybe somewhere in the back, just not visible from the entrance...

She made her way over to the gathering of friends and nestled in among them. There's a distinct chill in the air around her, even the odd snowflake in her huge plume of feathers (still looking a little limp from all the sweat) because she was done with Summer and Autumn and all the heat.

"Congratulations on your... your... your new place, Edmund." Lily offered, looking straight at him with what was hopefully a polite and encouraging smile and not at all like the forced one of a divorced spouse trying to get along for the sake of the kids.

And now she was here.

“Lily.” Edmund said, looking straight at her with what was hopefully a gracious and thankful nod, and not at all like the resigned one of the divorced spouse who’s still single. All too late, he remembered the almost-empty glass of liquor in front of him. "I didn't know if you'd be coming.”

[Anarion]

"It's none of your business who your daughter is seeing," she said. "She can make her own decisions."

"Wha- he's not, we're not, I mean, I'm not!"

"Oh no. You've found me out." He said flatly, laughter abruptly cutting off. "My dark secret, uncovered. My hidden lovechild, found. You've won the conversation. I must now retire in shame."

Edmund didn't move.

"I'm retiring very slowly." He explained. "So while I'm still here, the question still stands. As a question.” One you’ve answered well enough already. "That's all. I’m not one for games; too much work, too much time.“

That kinda cut Aelas off. I mean, she wasn't going to change anything or whatever, but it wasn't like you could keep spluttering and having fun and laughing when Edmund just left it dangling like that, y'know? Jeez, he was good at cutting off laughter. It was like, a special talent he had or something.

“Lily.” Edmund said, looking straight at her with what was hopefully a gracious and thankful nod, and not at all like the resigned one of the divorced spouse who’s still single. All too late, he remembered the almost-empty glass of liquor in front of him. "I didn't know if you'd be coming.”

"Lily!" A distraction, thank every relevant god. "Oh gosh, how did your negotiation thingy go? Do you have...um...what do you call it...time for an appointment later, I'd like to talk to just you along with Static here, she's my friend from Summer now, just like you wanted before, we made up at the trash dump today..." Aelas gives Static a slight look as if confirming that this is right and turns back to Lily.

[stveje]

not-Jack looks up from the glass he wasn't holding, but which he nevertheless had been staring into for the past while, and feels a little knot of worry untie itself into a sense of relief at seeing Isaac step through the door. And Lily. He had no reason to believe either had been caught, but it always felt good to get confirmation.

[Thanqol]

Edmund didn't move.

"I'm retiring very slowly." He explained. "So while I'm still here, the question still stands. As a question.” One you’ve answered well enough already. "That's all. I’m not one for games; too much work, too much time.“

Static meets your gaze with that same tense stillness. It has an edge of unnaturalness to it - she doesn't blink, she doesn't shift her position, and she doesn't show any fear.

Well, at least not at first. Roll Presence+Intimidate at minus six to see if you can alpha her into flinching first.

"Lily!" A distraction, thank every relevant god. "Oh gosh, how did your negotiation thingy go? Do you have...um...what do you call it...time for an appointment later, I'd like to talk to just you along with Static here, she's my friend from Summer now, just like you wanted before, we made up at the trash dump today..." Aelas gives Static a slight look as if confirming that this is right and turns back to Lily.

A faint nod, but she's pretty fixed on her staring contest with Edmund.

[Raz_Fox]

The Pilgrim takes himself a seat beside the Other one. The one who ran at the market. It don’t much worry him that he can’t remember the name. He hasn’t even noticed. Names aren’t his stock in trade.

He places one hand on the Other’s shoulder, vast enough to drown the joint in flesh. Squeezes once, which means: it worked, I got the Contract home.

Then he lurches up, sudden, and even the bright colors of his shirt don’t make it any less fearsome a thing. Like a mountain getting to its feet.

Behind the staring contest he lurches, straining at his corset to keep his shoulders hunched forward, head downwards, water rolling in rivulets from his brow. Static likely receives an eyeful, like a startling Vine, as the Pilgrim moves.

Behind the bar, he grabs himself a cup, fetches himself the ice, jams the sink to the coldest it can go. He means to have water cold enough to burn on the way down. It’s the sort of taste that’s acquired where the spite of the earth meets the cold vaults of heaven.

Unless even the drinks are as in short supply as the incense.

[Elanorin]

And now she was here.

“Lily.” Edmund said, looking straight at her with what was hopefully a gracious and thankful nod, and not at all like the resigned one of the divorced spouse who’s still single. All too late, he remembered the almost-empty glass of liquor in front of him. "I didn't know if you'd be coming.”

"Wouldn't miss it," Lily replied, her words unable to maintain the warmth that had gone in to them and it dissipated like sand through a sieve.

A single glance from his eyes to the glass in his hand and back to his eyes made it abundantly clear that she had not only noticed that he had arrived at the alcoholic part of the day but that she wanted him to know she'd noticed. It was inevitably paired with a silence that somehow amplified the sound of the glass being set back down.

"Lily!" A distraction, thank every relevant god. "Oh gosh, how did your negotiation thingy go? Do you have...um...what do you call it...time for an appointment later, I'd like to talk to just you along with Static here, she's my friend from Summer now, just like you wanted before, we made up at the trash dump today..." Aelas gives Static a slight look as if confirming that this is right and turns back to Lily.

Lily turned away from Edmund towards Aelas. "Not bad, thank you," Lily said with a small but grateful smile, looking at the shimmering colours of her friend's hair.

The request for private audience was unusual and caused Lily to frown a little, not disapproving, more concerned that something else had gone wrong in the handful of minutes she'd left Aelas alone. "Of course, Aelas," she nodded. She opened her mouth to say something only to pause at the racket behind her of Isaac conspicuously helping himself to a drink. Lily waited for the din to settle before she stepped back to address the whole group,

"Actually we could all do with catching up. Edmund, is there somewhere private we could all talk?"

[TheAmishPirate]

Static meets your gaze with that same tense stillness. It has an edge of unnaturalness to it - she doesn't blink, she doesn't shift her position, and she doesn't show any fear.

Well, at least not at first. Roll Presence+Intimidate at minus six to see if you can alpha her into flinching first.

[Rolling 4 Presence + 3 Intimidation + 1 for Specialty: Stare Down + 3 for spending a point of Willpower - 6 Penalty = 5 dice. Rolls: 3, 6, 9, 10, 7 10-again: (3) for a total of 2 successes

Will respond to Issac and Lily once I get the results.]

[Thanqol]

[Rolling 4 Presence + 3 Intimidation + 1 for Specialty: Stare Down + 3 for spending a point of Willpower - 6 Penalty = 5 dice. Rolls: 3, 6, 9, 10, 7 10-again: (3) for a total of 2 successes

Will respond to Issac and Lily once I get the results.]

Static blinked - a moment of fear quickly overwhelmed by surprise and confusion at the feeling. She's unable to keep a complex internal battle off her usually frozen face. [Empathy 3] Lily, in particular, you can probably guess that she's experiencing a flashback to her Keeper right now and is having to do some serious work to try and keep her grip on sanity.

The upshot is that she's currently too cowed to do anything but follow orders, and will passively and silently do what she's told.

[Anarion]

Aelas looks a little hesitant. "Well, I was hoping just Lily later, we can talk with Edmund now too though."

[Elanorin]

"We will," Lily assures Aelas with a smile and a light pat on the arm. "I just need some advise first, from everyone, while we're all together. So much is happening here. But I think it's probably best done in private considering the... crowd, that's gathering in this... here." Lily stood away, ready to be shown to whatever private rooms this place may or may not have. She'd take a cluttered and cramped office brimming with unwashed coffee mugs if it meant privacy and liberty to speak freely with the others. "So, if Edmund is quite finished with traumatising Aelas' new friend..."

[TheAmishPirate]

Static blinked - a moment of fear quickly overwhelmed by surprise and confusion at the feeling. She's unable to keep a complex internal battle off her usually frozen face.

The upshot is that she's currently too cowed to do anything but follow orders, and will passively and silently do what she's told.

And there was the answer. She would rather square off, tell off, clam up, go through this whole song and dance than say, “Yes, I will be a not-crappy friend.”

They weren’t done here. Not because he had more to say, but because he knew this wouldn’t be the end of it. That's how this story goes. As he turned away, he muttered something under his breath. Maybe you could hear it, maybe you couldn’t. But if you were terrified of the man, watching and listening intently for any sign of an impending blow, you would hear every word.

”Bloody Summer…”

And if you were such a person, then you couldn’t miss the unspoken addition:

They’re all the same.

Just like their King.

The Pilgrim takes himself a seat beside the Other one. The one who ran at the market. It don’t much worry him that he can’t remember the name. He hasn’t even noticed. Names aren’t his stock in trade.

He places one hand on the Other’s shoulder, vast enough to drown the joint in flesh. Squeezes once, which means: it worked, I got the Contract home.

Then he lurches up, sudden, and even the bright colors of his shirt don’t make it any less fearsome a thing. Like a mountain getting to its feet.

Behind the staring contest he lurches, straining at his corset to keep his shoulders hunched forward, head downwards, water rolling in rivulets from his brow. Static likely receives an eyeful, like a startling Vine, as the Pilgrim moves.

Behind the bar, he grabs himself a cup, fetches himself the ice, jams the sink to the coldest it can go. He means to have water cold enough to burn on the way down. It’s the sort of taste that’s acquired where the spite of the earth meets the cold vaults of heaven.

Unless even the drinks are as in short supply as the incense.

Oh, there's water. They can manage at least that.

Edmund watches the bestial mountain invade his space, and he spoke up just loud enough to be heard over his own racket. “Hey. When you want a drink, let me know.”

Not a reprimand. More like a quartermaster, telling a stalwart ally the systems by which he can acquire the goods and services necessary for survival.

"Wouldn't miss it," Lily replied, her words unable to maintain the warmth that had gone in to them and it dissipated like sand through a sieve.

A single glance from his eyes to the glass in his hand and back to his eyes made it abundantly clear that she had not only noticed that he had arrived at the alcoholic part of the day but that she wanted him to know she'd noticed. It was inevitably paired with a silence that somehow amplified the sound of the glass being set back down.

"Actually we could all do with catching up. Edmund, is there somewhere private we could all talk?"

He nodded to her. Stiff, shallow formality. Then he lifted his glass once more, and drained the remainder in one go.

In for a penny…

************************************************

The restaurant lacked a formal, walled-off private section; he didn’t know why, and he hadn’t given it much thought besides. So instead, Edmund took the group back, through the area normally reserved for employees, and into his own office. The conditions were...spartan, to be generous with the word, though whether it was from a lack of care or simply bigger things to worry about, not enough time had passed to make the distinction. You be the judge of such things.

There were chairs, at least. Enough for a few. A desk someone could perch on. Walls to lean against. A bundle of cloth that looked suspiciously like packed-up bedding.

They could make room for six.

[Elanorin]

He nodded to her. Stiff, shallow formality. Then he lifted his glass once more, and drained the remainder in one go.

In for a penny…

************************************************

The restaurant lacked a formal, walled-off private section; he didn’t know why, and he hadn’t given it much thought besides. So instead, Edmund took the group back, through the area normally reserved for employees, and into his own office. The conditions were...spartan, to be generous with the word, though whether it was from a lack of care or simply bigger things to worry about, not enough time had passed to make the distinction. You be the judge of such things.

There were chairs, at least. Enough for a few. A desk someone could perch on. Walls to lean against. A bundle of cloth that looked suspiciously like packed-up bedding.

They could make room for six.

Lily took a chair. While she'd be reluctant to take the last one when there were not enough for everyone to sit she felt the need to sit down now. This was not their first ever group powwow but it certainly was the first that she had called and even though each of them was a trusted friend who she owed so much the amount of eyes directed on her was still uncomfortable. So she took a seat immediately while the rest were still coming through the office.

She spoke the moment the door closed behind the last of them, "After what happened last night I went to see The Summer King and have managed to convince him to back off his crusade against Aelas," she began. Her voice was small and she was looking at her hands as she fiddled with her nails. "But the price is that I need to find who was behind the disappearance of his son. Obviously, since they've managed to stay hidden this long it's not going to be straightforward. I... am also not sure how long our deal will hold. I think the next three days will be safe enough but... I'm... After speaking to the Spring Queen it's clear enough she is protective of you, Aelas, so you do have Spring behind you. Though, after talking to Autumn just now..." her eyes glanced in Isaac's direction, "...I think that may prove more dangerous to you than the wrath of The Summer King. Autumn suggested a deeply troubling link between Spring and... that... other place." Lily struggled to name it and looked up to give Aelas a brief apologetic look of one who brings bad news.

"I'm sorry, Aelas, I know you're fond of Mrs Height."

"But," Lily sighs and her shoulders slumps, "I don't know how much of all this, if any, is true. And how much is just court gossip, petty bickering, name-calling and old feuds left too long to fester."

"But I think we need to find out, whether it appeases The Summer King or not, for our own safety."

"Last but not least, some of us," she glanced up to not-Jack and her face fell. She frowned, then blushed and had to mentally scramble to remember what she was saying, "The Winter King. He, uhm, needs to... uh... we need to reach through to him somehow." She stared intently at her hands.

[Anarion]

Aelas isn't listening to Lily as she starts talking. As they get into the room and separate from Static, she gives Edmund a shove. Not like, a super aggressive hostile shove, but she pushes him hard enough to be noticed given the significant difference between their strength and builds.

"Edmund, you...you...you ass!" Aelas looks exasperated, her hair matches the slight flush that's in her face. "You're sooo busy trying to protect me because I'm, what, cute and fun or something, that you didn't notice that I'm trying to be cute and fun to get Static to open up a little! Jesus, let me take care of myself."

She storms off (such as she's able in the tiny space) and lets Lily talk, though she starts frowning as she hears what's being said. "Wait, why did you, ugh, this is gonna be really messed up. Can I...ugh, can I like, man, I don't know." Aelas shifts into a contemplative sea blue and holds her arms crossed as she thinks and rocks back and forth. "Ugh, this is so hard because I don't get to choose for myself, and, like, we're all cool friends, but we haven't sworn like a formal Motley oath or anything, and I don't know if I can just ask everyone for a group promise, maybe or, like, maaaaan, Lily, I wanted to just talk to you first!"

Aelas could perhaps go on, but I'd be surprised if the whole room let her mull out loud much past that.

[stveje]

It sounded like Lily had completely side-stepped not-Jack's grand, elaborate plans and jumped right to the end by buttering up the Summer King. not-Jack should be happy that it seemed to have worked so well and actively joining the discussions to plan the next steps, but he just couldn't resolve to do anything about it right now. Although he was curious about what Aelas and Lily could have to talk about in private ... but snooping on your own motley?

"Why don't we swear a formal oath?" he muttered, instead, from the corner of the room where he was hunched, thumbing idly at the screen of a (probably stolen) phone for some news or distractions to satisfy his ennui.

[Raz_Fox]

"Why don't we swear a formal oath?" he muttered, instead, from the corner of the room where he was hunched, thumbing idly at the screen of a (probably stolen) phone for some news or distractions to satisfy his ennui.

"No man may serve two masters." Isaac's tone is distant, for all that is a rolling thing out of the deep places of the sea. (The sea, where we shall carve out the heart of a decaying tyrant. We shall be heroes. And none of us are Summer, after all, and yet the words are burnt into his flesh.) "For either he shall hate the one and love the other." This comes from the scorched and bloody bone of him, not the part that just today has worried about the web of trust that lies all the tighter about him. The part that needs no thought. It is wound into a spot as tight as a bruise beside his knee. "Or else. He shall hold to the one, and despise the other. ei de mē, eipon an hymin!"

His terrible nails drum a executioner's beat on his knee. He sits packed into a corner, looking outwards at the assembled Changelings. His friends. His freedom. The familiar yoke. "The price of staying. Crowns and secrets. Are we worth such?" Or, in other words, is everyone here aware of what it means to be an inter-court motley? He's already beginning to feel the strain, and it will pull at all of them in different directions (save perhaps Edmund, but his sails are down and his anchor is moored). If our protagonists are to swear an oath of eternal fraternity, they must- they must be willing to uphold that oath above all others, or else why even bother? The oaths of fealty to the Courts were, at the time, full of fear and tumbling out, something fallen into, but if these five swear loyalty unto each other, it must be deliberate and worth the speaking.

And though it might be hard to tell- except to your discerning eye, bonny Lily white-fingers- Isaac will swear that oath in a heartbeat. But only if everyone's thought the words through.

[TheAmishPirate]

Aelas isn't listening to Lily as she starts talking. As they get into the room and separate from Static, she gives Edmund a shove. Not like, a super aggressive hostile shove, but she pushes him hard enough to be noticed given the significant difference between their strength and builds.

"Edmund, you...you...you ass!"

Language!

Aelas looks exasperated, her hair matches the slight flush that's in her face. "You're sooo busy trying to protect me because I'm, what, cute and fun or something, that you didn't notice that I'm trying to be cute and fun to get Static to open up a little! Jesus, let me take care of myself."

Edmund wobbled, but did not fall down. He took both shove and dressing-down with stubborn, stoic frown, yet there was chastisement enough in the silence that reigned after.

Turns out? He didn't want to be the reason Aelas swore a cuss. He didn't want that. No matter how much trouble her new friend was going to be, hashing it out right there, in front of everybody, wasn't the way to handle it.

Next time, he'd wait.

"Why don't we swear a formal oath?" he muttered, instead, from the corner of the room where he was hunched, thumbing idly at the screen of a (probably stolen) phone for some news or distractions to satisfy his ennui.

"No man may serve two masters." Isaac's tone is distant, for all that is a rolling thing out of the deep places of the sea. (The sea, where we shall carve out the heart of a decaying tyrant. We shall be heroes. And none of us are Summer, after all, and yet the words are burnt into his flesh.) "For either he shall hate the one and love the other." This comes from the scorched and bloody bone of him, not the part that just today has worried about the web of trust that lies all the tighter about him. The part that needs no thought. It is wound into a spot as tight as a bruise beside his knee. "Or else. He shall hold to the one, and despise the other. ei de mē, eipon an hymin!"

His terrible nails drum a executioner's beat on his knee. He sits packed into a corner, looking outwards at the assembled Changelings. His friends. His freedom. The familiar yoke. "The price of staying. Crowns and secrets. Are we worth such?"

"Anybody bring the Official Standard Motley Oath? I left my copy at home." Edmund snarked, but looked intently at no one as he said it.

No, no, it's okay. It's different. You know this. Clear terms, enforced terms, they can't abuse it and get away with it. You have a say. Remember. Remember. They're as bound to you as you are to them. Two-way street.

That still left him with the problem of being bound, but. Well. It's a start.

And for all his grumbling, he raises a valid point; there is no Standard Motley Oath. These things are tailored, unique to each group and their needs. It might be unwise to throw one together, huddled in the back office of a restaurant of questionable quality.

[Elanorin]

"Why don't we swear a formal oath?" he muttered, instead, from the corner of the room where he was hunched, thumbing idly at the screen of a (probably stolen) phone for some news or distractions to satisfy his ennui.

It was not a bad suggestion. Complicated, yes, but would it simply not be a formalisation of the bond that already brought them to stand in this room together?

Lily had barely heard the suggestion before she'd decided she was willing to.

"Would an oath between us help, Aelas?"

"No man may serve two masters." Isaac's tone is distant, for all that is a rolling thing out of the deep places of the sea. (The sea, where we shall carve out the heart of a decaying tyrant. We shall be heroes. And none of us are Summer, after all, and yet the words are burnt into his flesh.) "For either he shall hate the one and love the other." This comes from the scorched and bloody bone of him, not the part that just today has worried about the web of trust that lies all the tighter about him. The part that needs no thought. It is wound into a spot as tight as a bruise beside his knee. "Or else. He shall hold to the one, and despise the other. ei de mē, eipon an hymin!"

His terrible nails drum a executioner's beat on his knee. He sits packed into a corner, looking outwards at the assembled Changelings. His friends. His freedom. The familiar yoke. "The price of staying. Crowns and secrets. Are we worth such?" Or, in other words, is everyone here aware of what it means to be an inter-court motley? He's already beginning to feel the strain, and it will pull at all of them in different directions (save perhaps Edmund, but his sails are down and his anchor is moored). If our protagonists are to swear an oath of eternal fraternity, they must- they must be willing to uphold that oath above all others, or else why even bother? The oaths of fealty to the Courts were, at the time, full of fear and tumbling out, something fallen into, but if these five swear loyalty unto each other, it must be deliberate and worth the speaking.

And though it might be hard to tell- except to your discerning eye, bonny Lily white-fingers- Isaac will swear that oath in a heartbeat. But only if everyone's thought the words through.

Her eyes passed towards Isaac and she nodded seriously. She'd already sworn an oath to the King, swearing two ran the risk of conflicting interests and impossible choices. And yet...

"That's true. I should disclose that I am already under formal oath to aid The Summer King in finding the ones behind the disappearance of his son. If that compromises me, I understand if you all consider it safer for me to refrain from swearing this oath with the rest of you. At least until that oath is resolved."

[Anarion]

It was not a bad suggestion. Complicated, yes, but would it simply not be a formalisation of the bond that already brought them to stand in this room together?

Lily had barely heard the suggestion before she'd decided she was willing to.

"Would an oath between us help, Aelas?"



Her eyes passed towards Isaac and she nodded seriously. She'd already sworn an oath to the King, swearing two ran the risk of conflicting interests and impossible choices. And yet...

"That's true. I should disclose that I am already under formal oath to aid The Summer King in finding the ones behind the disappearance of his son. If that compromises me, I understand if you all consider it safer for me to refrain from swearing this oath with the rest of you. At least until that oath is resolved."

Aelas makes a choked gasping sound when you say that last bit and turns it into a cough as her hair flashes through the rainbow and she tries to get control of herself. "Oh boy, we are noooooot doing a good job. I...yeah, we should do a formal oath so I don't break my other oath. One that's like, like we promise to watch out for each other but we understand that we have different obligations and like, we'll do our best to work it out when that comes up instead of...like, I dunno what it's called, that thing Isaac said about masters and conflicts and stuff. Like, let's not do the stupid thing and make two super hardcore rigid promises that guarantee we end up doing a stupid sitcom scene where somebody has to put a piano on a roof with a crane. Instead, we can promise to support each other and talk about our problems and keep each other's trust and...like, try to work stuff out, y'know?"

[stveje]

not-Jack was no longer really looking at the screen of the phone, his eyes instead lingering somewhere far off. Once upon a time, he'd had a partner, someone he could trust at his side. You needed someone you could trust to have your back, or everything became a mire of suspicion and doubt for you to get hopelessly lost in. And others too; how could they be sure of you, if they couldn't tell who you were loyal to?

What was a dog if not a loyal friend? Everyone should have one.

But Edmund and Isaac made a point ... it wasn't something to hack together without thought, just like adopting a dog wasn't something to take lightly. And maybe the guy who sold his name for a watch, with barely any thought, wasn't exactly the right person to work this out.

On the other hand, you had to trust your instinct, at least in some things.

"We shouldn't rush it," he says and looks up. "We should take the time to do it right. But I think we should do it."

[TheAmishPirate]

"I...yeah, we should do a formal oath so I don't break my other oath."

Edmund's ears perked up at that, though he stayed in the relative comfort of brooding silence.

"One that's like, like we promise to watch out for each other but we understand that we have different obligations and like, we'll do our best to work it out when that comes up instead of...like, I dunno what it's called, that thing Isaac said about masters and conflicts and stuff. Like, let's not do the stupid thing and make two super hardcore rigid promises that guarantee we end up doing a stupid sitcom scene where somebody has to put a piano on a roof with a crane. Instead, we can promise to support each other and talk about our problems and keep each other's trust and...like, try to work stuff out, y'know?"

"Make the oath too vague, and you won't know you've broken it until the magic police come calling," Edmund cautioned. "The Wyrd's not known for leniency on 'try's and 'do our best's."

Magical nature abhors a contractual vacuum.

[Thanqol]

"Make the oath too vague, and you won't know you've broken it until the magic police come calling," Edmund cautioned. "The Wyrd's not known for leniency on 'try's and 'do our best's."

Magical nature abhorred a contractual vacuum.

This is extremely true. You can't have an oath without an oath. The Wyrd will take you incredibly literally on 'do your best' if that is the actionable phrase. Much safer to give yourselves clear lines.

Not necessarily better. But safer.

[Anarion]

"We shouldn't rush it," he says and looks up. "We should take the time to do it right. But I think we should do it."

"Make the oath too vague, and you won't know you've broken it until the magic police come calling," Edmund cautioned. "The Wyrd's not known for leniency on 'try's and 'do our best's."

Magical nature abhors a contractual vacuum.

"Yeah that's...that's fair too. But if everyone is willing I'd like to be a motley. Oh...oh" Aelas perks up at this thought. "We could have, like, call signs, and a secret handshake! Oh and our own motley symbol! Can we be the alpacacorns?"

[Elanorin]

"Aelas…" Lily said, hoping her friend would settle down a little before she designed superhero capes for them all (Isaac was dressed up enough!).

"I confess I did not consider my oath to the King this carefully. Perhaps I should have. How about we swear to help each other whenever asked?" It was such an easy promise for her to make, in truth, in her own mind, she'd already made it.

[Anarion]

"Aelas…" Lily said, hoping her friend would settle down a little before she designed superhero capes for them all (Isaac was dressed up enough!).

"I confess I did not consider my oath to the King this carefully. Perhaps I should have. How about we swear to help each other whenever asked?" It was such an easy promise for her to make, in truth, in her own mind, she'd already made it.

"...unless it would contradict another promise, in which case we swear to talk about, like, specifically like Edmund said, we agree to talk about it one time, maybe."

[TheAmishPirate]

"Oh and our own motley symbol! Can we be the alpacacorns?"

"I would never agree to that ever."

Is what Edmund said, right around the same time a brilliant technicolor coat rose ascendant through his shifting raiment. "Hey, hey! Who asked you?" He furiously patted and folded until the rainbow invaders ceded the field to the rightful browns, blacks, and faded purples.

"I confess I did not consider my oath to the King this carefully. Perhaps I should have. How about we swear to help each other whenever asked?" It was such an easy promise for her to make, in truth, in her own mind, she'd already made it.

"...unless it would contradict another promise, in which case we swear to talk about, like, specifically like Edmund said, we agree to talk about it one time, maybe."

"...so any one of us - at any time - can demand the help of the others, and we'd be Wyrd-bound to give it." A hooded cloak stole up his shoulders, creeping ever-higher over his head and face. "And even if we've already got promises made, they can just go, 'Nah, my stuff's more important', and that's that?"

The cloak drew tight around him. Only - no, not the cloak. His skin. His sinew. Drawing tight 'round heart and bone. Coiling, tensing, closing in.

He took a slow, measured look around the room, past his friends to the walls behind - no windows - and lingering on the door.

"Yeah, because that's never going to get abused."

[stveje]

"I'm sure we would all agree, informally, to help each other unless there was a good reason we couldn't," not-Jack said, "But this isn't about pledging to drop everything if someone asks, or anything like that. Turn it around. It's about trust. It's about knowing that you can turn your back and won't find a dagger planted in it. And that you can rely on the others to tell you things that are important."

He took a moment to mull it in his head first. "How about, we agree to never knowingly betray, work against, or interfere with each other. And we agree to inform the others the first chance we get of any danger to them that we become aware of. Like today, when some of us ran into the Huntsmen, we would be bound to inform the others about that."

"Yeah that's...that's fair too. But if everyone is willing I'd like to be a motley. Oh...oh" Aelas perks up at this thought. "We could have, like, call signs, and a secret handshake! Oh and our own motley symbol! Can we be the alpacacorns?"

not-Jack nodded. It wasn't quite a smile - those didn't come easily nowadays - but not-Jack ... liked the idea? No, not exactly, but he didn't mind it. And if it gave Aelas joy. "Sounds good to me."