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Sigrun Ljosdottir: A short distance from the exit to the freehold hollow, smack dab in the middle of the trod, a pyre has been erected out of some of the brittle, dried, and dead vines and chutes that comprise the hedge walls. The blight leaching life and vitality from the thorns have made this part of the task of disposing of the dead at least a little easier.
The pyre stands five feet tall and is topped with a bed of white linen upon which the body of the former Steward has been laid in repose. Despite the grisly end she came to, her body has been cleaned and prepared, her hair washed and brushed, her makeup done, and a red scarf tied around her neck to both conceal her fatal wound and to keep the head in place. Her hands are crossed over her stomach, and a sword has been placed upon her chest. She has been dressed in a crimson dress, not overly ornate, but certainly not rags either. Her eyes are closed. For her, at least, the strife and suffering are over. For all the trouble and harm she caused, she at least looks at peace.
Braziers are set out in a ring about the pyre, with unlit torches resting next to water buckets for when the time comes to ignite the pyre and let chemistry and physics do their work.
Sigrun is present, unarmored, and wearing a plain linen dress that has been bleached nearly bone white. A tight white bodice and girdle keep the glowing skin beneath from becoming immodest, though her arms and legs are otherwise easy to make out beneath the fabric. Her hair is elaborately braided, with a pair of elk antlers worn by way of a crown. Charcoal and ash have been smeared around her eyes and on her chin beneath her lips and down her throat. Her sword hangs from her waist in its usual function scabbard, though her feet are bare. She has her guitar with her, too, for what it's worth.
Teagan:
There was A Conversation about this last night, and now Teagan has arrived, with Sturm in tow. Others from Direct Action are probably coming, too, but Sturm is officially In Tow. Teagan is dressed in their charcoal duster, a clean black t-shirt with no pithy slogan, clean black jeans, and they've cleaned and polished their combat boots. These are the concessions of Teagan to a funereal air. Scrubbed clean and wearing their best black jeans.
No matter the ash on Sigrun's face, the rite and custom of Teagan is to kiss their motleymates at the corner of their mouth upon greeting, and so, unless she dodges? That's what they do. "Hey, Significant."
June Desrochers:
June is there, dressed in a black short-sleeved dress that comes to just below her knees. No weapons, no armor, just a red panda beast who has decided that coming to see someone off from this world is worth doing even when they're your enemy. She comes in with Teagan, expression solemn, and makes her way to Sigrun just a step behind Teagan themself. "Hi Sigrun," she says somberly.
Alain deVahl:
At a respectful distance, Alain stands apart, wearing, as she always does, almost as much skin-covering clothing as possible; the less of it for her to look at. Choosing the color had been an ordeal: black was a color for mourning. And she did not so much mourn the death of a Robin as she did mourn the loss of a Winter courtier, a fellow Lost, and the humans that had met an untimely, unfair end, but even that, she had supposed, was a sufficient mourning. And so, she wore black; all black everything, as it were.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun returns Teagan's kiss, by no means having altered who she is even if she's altered her usual aesthetic considerably. There's a squeeze to Teagan's arm, then she's leaning down to carefully kiss June, one hand balancing the rack atop her head. Sturm is offered a pat on the arm and a squeeze of the hand, too. "Thank you all for coming. It does mean quite a lot to me." Tending to the dead, she means. And therefore, them being here to watch her perform that societal function. "It was the only part of my time over There that felt like it mattered. I just hope it ... lands well." There's a brief and hesitant smile offered, then a lift of the hand toward Alain in greeting. Hey. Hi.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia has on a leather duster of her own, apparently the armor of choice for many Changelings. Rather than the the absurd combinations of other clothing with it that are often her way, like bright yoga pants or overalls and crocs she's dressed in slacks and a silk blouse, both in black. Aside from the neon green glow of her eyes and her hands she looks like she intended to come to a funeral and pay respects. She comes in silently, finds a place to stand without engaging anyone, and then drops into a squat as her gaze searches the crowd.
Strum:
Sturm comes in following Teagan. Her hands are shoved into the pockets of her leather jacket. She owns exactly one nice outfit, but she's not wearing it today -- Robin doesn't get that from her. It's the only outward indication that the Jotunn might not be thrilled to be at the Oathbreaker's funeral. Her expression is neutral -- or rather, the scowl that so often takes the place of neutral -- as she closes in on the pyre. There's a nod to Sigrun - and a quick hug, if the Valkyrie accepts it - but otherwise she remains quiet.
Asbolus:
Asbolus had gone for a similar sartorial choice as Alain, sporting an all black ensemble of dress slacks, shirt and jacket that was likely the most dressed up that the majority of the freehold had seen him in. Those who had seen the Darkling over the weeks of this ordeal would likely notice that he stood a little taller these days, a notable weight apparently lifted from his shoulders. He remained quiet as others gathered, giving Alain a nod as he claimed a space beside his fellow Arrow and waited for the ceremony to begin.
Rhapsody:
Rhapsody approaches from the direction of the freehold. In black like most of the rest, a black sweater dress and a black pair of leggings for her. Her hair is tied back in a pony tail and out of her face. She hovers near the back of the assembled, studying faces as well as the layout of the pyre and torches.
Arthur Phoenix:
Arthur comes traipsing along behind many of the others, dressed simply in all black, slacks and a button up. His sleeves rolled up to his elbows, he slips his hands into his pockets and stands over to the side quietly.
Teagan:
"This isn't even about her anymore," Teagan answers Sigrun, rather philosophically. "It's about who we are. She's gone. None of this matters to her. What matters is whether or not we're the kind of people who treat dead bodies with respect, no matter who they once were." Their scarred hand rests on the handle of Baby, the charcoal leather of their duster pushed aside.
Alain deVahl:
Alain inclined her head at a slight angle to Sigrun's wave, and then gave a similarly polite nod to Asbolus as he filtered in alongside her. Her expression was placid, stoic, as a Snowskin's often is, jaw ungritted but expression unflinching at the sight of the soon-to-be pyres and the braziers.
June Desrochers:
"Exactly," June says after Teagan's words. "We're the kind of people who will pay respect to our adversaries after they're gone, no matter what we might have thought about their actions. Everyone deserves to have their last rites."
Mearcstapa:
Mearcstapa shows up wearing his black leather duster, the hood pulled up over his head, giving him a predatory appearance. He approaches Sturm and quietly touches her arm, but doesn't say anything yet.
Anneliese Kiel:
Annie too enters from the direction of the freehold hollow. In deference to this being a funeral, the Nymph's gone for a plain long-sleeved black dress, which falls to mid-calf on her, and covered her hair with a simple white headscarf. Spotting Mearcstapa, she moves to stand near him, similarly quiet.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun returns Sturm's hug with a smile and a brief kiss to the Jotunn's cheek. She's careful not to poke out anyone's eye with the antlers, at least. When she turns back to the gathering crowd, she lifts both of her glowing hands and her voice to match, "My friends, thank you for gathering with us tonight! I wish to begin by saying a few words. They are this: We are a people." She regards the crowd for a moment, looking from face to face before repeating, "We are a people. We worship different Gods. One God. Or no Gods whatsoever. We believe passionately in conflicting ideologies, we argue over what is best for this or that problem. We fight. We complain. We hate and love, we are bitter and blessed, and we are all of these things together. As a People. The woman on the pyre before us strayed from us. To her shame, her fear got the better of her courage, and she turned away from the community and sought instead lawlessness and ruin. Betraying the right to dream and each and every one of us. She put knives in our bodies. She put our faces in the news. She put workmen in the hospital and firefighters in their graves. She was an Outlaw, and she met an Outlaw's end. Not because of a single sword stroke or the tearing of a single pair of hands, but because we are a people! And as a people, we worked our leads, we fought her device, uncovered her lair, and as a people we struck a single decisive blow."
"I have not come to eulogize the life of our beloved enemy, but to show her that her death has brought us together. If she is anywhere and can see us, she will see us united in purpose and community, lit by the fat as it fuels our fire. She died for her beliefs, though they were cowardly. She died knowing her death was coming, and she faced it down with open eyes and a weapon in her hands. That is all I will say of her. You may speak your own words now or in your own time."
"Tell her she has failed. With your part of our one voice."
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia remains where she is, silent and watching. She does her best not to show on her face whatever she might be thinking, but she does take the time to study everyone for a moment or two, like she's searching for reactions or just trying to commit every face to her memory. As a newcomer in town, nobody there is someone she knows. That's not the point of her coming, though, is it? Her gaze does come back to Asbolus after it spends time on everyone else, and the narrowing of her eyes dims the viridian glow of her gaze slightly. When Sigrun starts addressing everyone she stops squinting and listens to the valkyrie, silent.
Teagan:
The Mirrorskin turns toward June and leans down to kiss between her ears, gently ruffling her hair. The affectionate gesture is as much reassuring as it is anything else. Their gaze turns toward Mearcstapa as he approaches Sturm, and they tip their chin up at him in silence before turning their attention back to Sigrun's words. The Summer raises their right fist and beats it against their chest twice, a wordless gesture of agreement.
Rhapsody:
Rhapsody glances down at all the talk of being a single people, expression contemplative as she reflects on what's being said. She wraps her arms loosely around her middle, eventually glancing up to see if anyone else will speak.
Strum:
Sturm's hands disappear back into her pockets when the hug ends - and she nods to Mearcstapa as he approaches. She gently bumps the hunterheart with her elbow once he's in range, and then offers a hug to June in greeting. She is (perhaps not-so) mysteriously quiet when her motley voices their sentiments about Robin, and her jaw may as well be wired shut for how forcefully she's holding it closed while Sigrun delivers her eulogy.
Alain deVahl:
Alain steps forward, but she doesn't speak. She doesn't say anything to anyone at all, just walks in calm, equidistant strides towards the pyre where Robin's body has been laid in a belying peaceful repose, and she walks until she's close enough to the body to view it at a respectful, mourner's range. This is where people say goodbye. Expression like a sphinx, she tilts her head minutely to the side and exhales an inaudible, but visible breath, and leans closer, resting a hand on Robin's shoulder and murmuring something into her ear. She steps back, pauses for another moment in calm reflection, and then returns to where she had been standing.
Mearcstapa:
Teagan gets an upnod in return, and Annie gets a wry comment. "Not enough of us to say Kaddish, mm?"
But. It's Sturm who he posts himself beside, one hand remaining on her arm the whole time, unless she shows a sign she doesn't want the touch.
Asbolus:
That familiar viridian glow did catch Asbolus' eye as he looked over the crowd, the Darkling watching Lucia for a long moment before he gave a respectful nod. The time to talk would come later; they had other business to tend to first.
June Desrochers:
June returns Sturm's hug and smiles briefly at Teagan, but she doesn't seem like she intends on saying anything right now. She doesn't look like she intends to, and then suddenly she does. "She hasn't just failed now," she says with a tone of both regret and conviction. "She's going to continue to fail. We'll work tirelessly to unravel all the plans she laid, every scheme she still has in motion. Her failures will outlast her, as they'll outlive my malice toward her. Let my wrath for her burn with her body, so I can turn it toward more productive ends. I hope she finds a peace in death she didn't find in life."
Anneliese Kiel:
"Not so much, no," Annie quietly responds to Mearcstapa. "Do you know if she was one of us, in life?"
Teagan:
"Personally, I'm going to hang on to my Wrath, and let it keep me warm. I don't want to bank this fire, or let it burn out when she does," Teagan answers June. "My wrath over this will fuel me for a long, long time if I tend it carefully." The smile that crosses their otherwise mirror-still face briefly is as cold and sharp as the blade of their machete.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia nods back at Asbolus and rises from her crouch but doesn't have anything to say, at least not at present. She arrived too late to be part of Robin's machinations, but is here to see the former Steward off none the less.
Mearcstapa:
"No, I don't know," Mearcstapa replies to Annie quietly. "Fucked up interpretation of tikkun olam if she was."
Strum:
"Robin... fuckin' sucked." Sturm finally grumbles after a tremendous quiet. Mearcstapa's hand on her arm doesn't go unnoticed - and she doesn't shrug it away. "In life, she tried to do tremendous, irreversible harm to us -- to our loved ones -- to our homes, and she spent years plotting and planning to do it. Longer than she even knew some of us. Cowardly as her methods and ideology may have been, she was a cunning foe - and at least she helped hone the skills we'll use to catch her conspirators." She takes a deep breath, setting her jaw again. "It's not over yet, but she's dead now -- and she'll soon be gone, too." Beat. "... and that's the extent of the respectful shit I have to say."
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun has no apparent interest in judging anyone for their words or their lack. She just watches it all with the impassive expression of an officiant of a thousand thousand pyres such as this one. When a lull appears in the words and attentions paid to the deceased, Sigrun once more lifts her hands to the gathering, "If no one has more words to say or attentions to pay, our duty is before us." Sigrun turns to fetch one of the torches from the ground near one of the water buckets and thrusts it into one of the braziers, setting the torch aflame. She looks to the others, waiting for them to either say what they are holding back or take up a torch of their own.
Anneliese Kiel:
Annie nods at Mearcstapa's words. "Indeed. I should say Kaddish for her in synagogue, anyway." She moves to take one of the torches, then, lighting it herself.
Marjorie:
There is the quietest of throat-clearings from down the path, and a small, hooded figure pads up the trod, and steps up next to Sigrun. Marjorie's tiny, pale hand closes around the Valkyrie's, and unless she pulls back, that torch will be taken from her. Apparently Marjorie is claiming right of setting the first flame. "I knew her before she broke," the Winter Regent offers quietly. "If you take nothing else from this, take from it that any of us might become something we do not wish to be."
"And choose your Oaths carefully."
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun gives ground-- and the torch --to Marjorie. Making space for the regent, as one does. Sigrun just collects another torch for herself. There's plenty to go around, formed from dried vines and wrapped cloth and pitch.
Strum:
Sturm's hands remain in her pockets until Marjorie speaks. Her jaw twitches when the Winter Queen finishes speaking, and then she steps forward to take up a torch -- taking a place beside Sigrun -- to put this mess to bed. Finally.
Mearcstapa:
Mearc sighs. "What a way to learn how good your loyal friends are, how ready your leaders are, how prepared you are. Security and safety are always, always an illusion, but I know now that we are capable as a Freehold. May that be enough. May we be enough." He moves to grab a torch and light it. "And if not, may those who follow us be enough."
Asbolus:
Asbolus had been about to move forward to claim a torch when Marjorie made herself known, giving his Queen a polite nod and staying in place until she had said her piece. Once she had done so he went to take one of his own and set it alight, nodding to Mearcstapa at his words. "Here here."
June Desrochers:
June moves to take a torch after others in her motley have, and then moves into position to make good on using it when the time comes. No shortage of torches, no shortage of words that people have to share, but she's already spoken, and now she waits.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia glances Marjorie's way when she arrives, starts to turn back, then does a double take before her posture shifts in a way that makes her seem to shrink and her gaze lowers to the ground. The wizened doesn't move to get a torch, or move at all, but stands there watching everyone move about without raising her eyes to see more than their feet.
Marjorie:
"She was my friend, once. She looked after my loss and held me when I cried." And apparently, that's all the Regent has to say about the deceased. Pulling the heavy sleeve on her robe back so that it doesn't accidentally catch, Marjorie thrusts her torch into the pyre. It isn't the first time that she's done this. You could say 'sadly,' but such is the lot of Winter.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
"Fórna ég sjálfri mér sjálfs mín vegna, öðlast með því, alsherjar styrk," Sigrun sings as she thrusts her own torch into the meat of the pyre, setting brittle and dry tinder alight in that section of the pile. She steps back, torch in hand, eyes widening as the pyre begins to burn, even if slowly.
Mearcstapa:
It's not Mearcstapa's first time watching an enemy's body burn either, but he didn't have to be quite as up-close with it last time. After he adds his torch to the pyre near Robin's right hand, he steps back and glances around. His eyes linger on Lucia, and it's her he walks over toward after his part in burning is down.
"Hey. Are you alright?" It's quiet, and he reaches into his messenger bag to pull out a bottle of water and offer it to her.
Rhapsody:
Like Lucia, Rhapsody stays back, watching in silence. Setting a body aflame was not on her agenda, though she watches the fires spread as the torches are thrust, eyes darting from flame to flame as they spread and grow and merge.
Strum:
Sturm follows Sigrun in thrusting her torch into the pyre, and then stepping back slowly. Once she's a respectful distance away, her hands disappear back into her pockets, and then she waits by herself at the edge of the crowd.
June Desrochers:
June puts her torch to the pyre, steps back, and gives a slight little wave. "Bye," is all she says.
Anneliese Kiel:
Annie adds her torch to the pyre after June, saying nothing.
Teagan:
Teagan follows the pattern of the rest of their motley: they take a torch, they light the pyre. They flip off the pyre. "See ya, bitch." Well. They did say it was their chance to show what kind of person they were, right?
Marjorie:
The tiny Notary, on the other hand, steps away from the pyre once it's lit, and turns her attention toward the shrinking member of her Court. Marjorie's robed figure steps away from the growing flames, and she comes to stand next to Lucia, saying nothing.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Once the fire is in the tinder from all sides, the fire begins to climb the pyre's interior. The heat and flame sucks air in from below and feeds it up through the center of the pyre, causing it to flare with bright yellow heat. With how dry and brittle the fuel is, the pyre is a conflagration in very short order. The linen lain atop the pyre withers away, and the body is soon blocked from view by a curtain of blazing fire. Sigrun knows how to stack a pyre, it seems, because the column of smoke rising into the air is mercifully free from sparks for the most part.
There are no marshmallows to be found.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia's head comes up enough for the neon glow of mechanical eyes to shine through human lashes as she looks at Mearcstapa, then her head lowers again and she nods as one hand comes up in a loose fist to make a small forward motion, almost like a knock, twice. The motion of her hand and the nod of her head match each other. She takes the offered water bottle, opens it to take a sip, and then offers it back. When Marjorie comes to stand behind her she gives the regent a similar surreptitious look but generally doesn't seem like she knows what to do with the situation.
Mearcstapa:
Mearc watches Lucia's hand movement, and switches from speaking aloud to signing, once the water bottle is put away. I will stay with you for now. Until you tell me to go away. His signs are slow and careful--he's still learning, and it shows.
Asbolus:
Asbolus added his torch along with the rest, giving Sigrun and her motley a respectful nod before moving back away from the pyre as the flames climbed higher. After a brief scan of the crowd he looked towards Mearcstapa, Lucia and Marjorie, giving his fellow Hunterheart a "everything good?" sort of look.
Arthur Phoenix:
Artie for his part, remains quiet and stationary throughout the service. He doesn't grab a torch or share words, abnormally stoic as things go on.
Glitch:
Arriving late, Glitch quietly slips in, attired in more black than usual. He falls in quickly behind the other members of Direct Action, taking up a torch to wordlessly add it to the pile. He gives the flames one last look before he passes.
June Desrochers:
June just moves back and finds a place on the ground to sit and watch the fire burn the pyre and its occupant. She seems content to hang around for a while, and to allow for some silence for a while. At least from her. Other people can do what they like!
Marjorie:
The Winter Regent reaches out, her hand hovering just above Lucia's arm. There's no touch there, just a gesture, and quickly removed. There's a subtle shift in her hood, and though her face can't be seen, her pale hands flicker and move. There is no need for the look on your face, but your feelings are your own. I am just a woman who has a job she never wanted. A slight shrug of her shoulders, and Marjorie steps back from the pair, moving over to stand by herself.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
"I will remain with the pyre until it has burned down, bury the sword, and scatter the ashes. No one else needs to remain unless they wish to do so. I do thank everyone for coming out, however. For what that's worth." Sigrun lowers her torch and drops it into the water bucket, snuffing it with a hiss. She swings her guitar around front and moves over to have a seat next to June, strumming at it lazily and adjusting the tuning just a hair. It's not a tremendously quality guitar, and she is not a tremendously gifted player. So the tuning is a good idea, indeed.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia signs back to Mearcstapa, I'll be fine, thank you. Who is that? Her signing is easy and fluent, like she has been using it for a long time, and with the last question she looks at Asbolus. When Marjorie reaches toward her she stiffens like someone trying to fight an urge to recoil from an impending touch that doesn't come. Sorry, she signs back as she forces her head up. I didn't mean to offend. It's good you came to say goodbye to her. I hope I can help with her former official duties.
Mearcstapa:
A-S-B-O-L-U-S. Winter predator. He is my friend. Asbolus might realize he's being referred to--Mearc's signs include a pretty blatant point in his direction. He comes from the green city.
Somehow, he's certain even if his words are imprecise, they'll translate for Lucia.
Rhapsody:
Rhapsody smiles a bit as the guitar comes out and takes a step or two closer to it, eyes shifting between it and the Pyre and the others gathered. She stops again, considering who's about. If she can catch his eye she'll give Asbolus a little wave.
Teagan:
When Sigrun sits and starts tuning her guitar, Teagan douses their torch and comes to sit next to her, reaching out to pet June's hair. One hand reaches out toward Glitch, gesturing him over to the rest of Direct Action.
Marjorie:
Marjorie, over by herself now, raises her hand to make a knocking gesture, and then some more complex signs. For that, you will talk to I-Z-Z-Y. Z-i-e will help you toward that path.
Strum:
Sturm takes a seat beside her Motley. She watches the fire intently, saying nothing. She breaks her gaze for a moment to nod at Glitch but she continues to scowl, because what else is there for her to do?
Glitch:
Glitch douses his torch and joins Teagan and the rest of his motley, reaching out to squeeze the Mirrorskin's hand firm. He turns his head to catch sight of Mearcstapa and those gathered with him. The Sprite scans his gaze over Lucia and Asbolus in turn. He turns his head to Teagan with a serious expression. "I gotta talk to them," he indicates quietly, and makes his way over to their group. When he gets there, his attention settles on Marjorie.
Asbolus:
Seeing the motion in his direction Asbolus nodded, moving to approach where Mearcstapa and Lucia were standing. Rhapsody got a small nod in return for the wave, as did Glitch when he moved to join the pair in kind.
June Desrochers:
June smiles at Teagan when her hair gets ruffled. "I'm going to stay here until you're done, love," she tells Sigrun. "If you want someone to sing along while you play, I might as well fill my time somehow."
Mearcstapa:
As Glitch and Asbolus approach his small group of people, Mearc upnods them quietly. "Folx. This is Lucia. She's currently nonverbal, best to give a little space. Asbolus, she was asking who you were, earlier. I gave her your name and court, and told her you're from the City."
Rhapsody:
She ponders a beat, and then decides to take the nod as an invitation she takes a breath and wanders over to the growing group around Asbolus. "Hi" She greets him quietly, with a small smile and a dip of her head.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia answers Marjorie's words with a nod, like that's already what she expected. She has even already reached out to set up a meeting with Izzy. Since that matter has been addressed she looks up at Mearcstapa, nods her head, and says aloud, "I thought so." She looks over at the pyre, briefly seems like she might say something, and then doesn't. Glitch's arrival gets a stare of glowing green eyes from the little cybergremlin and, after a moment, a "hi?" She nods at Asbolus and regards him curiously for a moment before another, "hi."
Marjorie:
Having already stepped away from Lucia to give her space, Marjorie continues on her own, her hood up, her face shadowed. Another small knocking gesture from the Winter Regent. Glitch staring at her from some small distance away earns the a subtle adjustment of her grey robe.
Asbolus:
Asbolus stopped a few pace away, giving Lucia a bit of space as she collected herself. "Good to...remeet you, I suppose. Congratulations on getting out." He looked to Rhapsody at her greeting, giving her a polite nod. "Salutations."
Mearcstapa:
Mearc's head tilts slightly to one side as he considers Lucia. He sticks to sign for the moment. What triggered it? I want to be sure we don't brush up against your triggers on accident.
Rhapsody:
"I'd ask how it's going, but that doesn't seem terribly appropriate, do you mind if I hang out with you and meet some people?" She asks Asbolus, eyes flicking from him to the others.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
"Hello again, Lucia," Sigrun greets with a wave of her hand before returning to her playing. She nods aside to June at the suggestion and adopts a bit of a smile, which probably clashes with her 'angel of death' look that he's got going at the moment. "Sure. Do you have a preference? Remembering that I only played in a punk band and that was over thirty years ago? Wonderwall? Freebird?" She's teasing at this point.
Glitch:
Glitch nods with familiarity to Mearcstapa, and turns his digitized face to greet Lucia. His pixellated features slowly shift into a worried frown as he looks into the green beacon of her eyes. When he tries to hide it as a polite smile, he doesn't do a very good job. "Hi," he mutters out, his voice deep but youthful, crunched and distorted into an electronic sample laced with static. He frowns again and looks to Mearc with a raised eyebrow, and between him and Lucia, but...it's Marjorie he speaks to first. "We need to talk. I have business for the Crowns. And..." Glitch looks back over his shoulder at Mearc with a practically Winter look of regret. "Bad news."
Mearcstapa:
Mearc looks up at the sky, then back at Glitch. "I've got less than five hours until I go on vacation. If the bad news is something I can resolve in that period of time, I'm glad to help. Otherwise, it goes to someone else, or waits until I get back. I have earned a little bit of time not being Emergency Mom. Thank you."
There is something cold and hard to his tone of voice.
Alain deVahl:
Alain watches the fire and smoke rise up in a pillar of black heat, pale eyes like ice chips, and starts to fade back away from where she had been standing to observe, having made no motion to lift a torch herself.
June Desrochers:
"What are some good punk classics?" June asks Sigrun with a laugh. "I'm not even really sure. Is Stairway to Heaven punk?" She's also teasing.
Marjorie:
"Another night," Majorie answers Glitch. "Tonight is not the night for official business, nor am I this Season's bearer of the Crown. I came to mourn someone who used to be my friend." That said, the Winter Regent withdraws from the conversation, and moves back up the Trod.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia seems to think about how she wants to answer Mearc's question. "You won't," she finally says with confidence. She signs the words at the same time that she speaks them. "Hi Sigrun. Nice words." It doesn't seem to be intended as sarcasm. She looks around at all the people paying attention to her, frowns a little, and then nods to Asbolus. She heard him. She's just getting bombarded from a lot of directions and having trouble focusing, right up until there's word of bad news, when she focuses on Glitch.
Asbolus:
"As you wish." Asbolus nodded to Rhapsody, looking between Glitch and Marjorie as their exchange occurred. He gave the departing regent a respectful nod before looking back to the gathered Lost.
Glitch:
Glitch opens his mouth, first at Mearcstapa's reaction, and then at Marjorie's words. His head falls silently, gaze towards the ground. "Yeah. Sorry." There's one last look for Asbolus and Lucia before he turns and walks back over to his motley to stand near Teagan.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
"I can play the entire catalog of the Violent Femmes. And the Clash, probably. So if you want to Add It Up, I've got you." Sigrun leans over to bump June with her shoulder, grinning aside at her as she begins strumming her guitar a bit more roughly in imitation of the band in question. Sigrun looks back to Lucia when she praises her words, her smile returning and a nod being offered back to Lucia, "Thank you. And thank you for being here."
Mearcstapa:
Mearcstapa takes a deep breath, his freckles pretty bright red, visible even under the panther-head hood of his duster.
June Desrochers:
"Those aren't actual songs, are they? You're just making that up," June continues to tease as she bumps back. "Play whatever you like, boo. I'm not sure what I'm really in the mood for, except for hearing you play."
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia nods. At first that seems like all the answer Sigrun's going to get from her, then something comes to the little mechanical woman, who speaks more words all of a sudden than she has the entire rest of the night. "There's comfort in realizing that no matter how badly I might screw up there might still be people who might allow me my humanity after I'm gone." As if she never said all those words at all she simply moves on. "Have a good vacation," she tells Mearcstapa at the same time as she signs, safe travels.
Mearcstapa:
He brings a hand in to touch his chin, and then pulls it back. Thank you.
And then he heads off in a direction that will bring him Ironside again.
Asbolus:
"Before you go..." Asbolus said to Mearcstapa, a small but warm smile on his face. "It went well last night. Enjoy your trip."
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun shakes her head at June with a smitten smile. "You goof." But rather than tease June further, Sigrun begins plucking out a familiar melody on her guitar. Familiar to some, anyway. Toad the Wet Sprocket's 'Pray Your Gods'. The main line of the song is actually fairly simple to play, and Sigrun gets to work on it with her tongue poking from the corner of her mouth with concentration. She pauses when Lucia speaks to her with more verbosity than she's employed with Sigrun up to this point. The fairest is left blinking owlishly for a moment as she nods her head in mute agreement. "The dead have received whatever reward or punishment this life can tender them. There is no greater apology. I would do this for my greatest enemy. Or else, what am I?"
She resumes playing and gives June a gentle nudge with her shoulder to prompt her to sing along, "I will give the secrets you request, and you will be the one to sacrifice..."
Glitch:
Glitch is quiet, leaning against the taller Teagan as Sigrun and June sing and the pyre crackles. He ducks his head, pulls out his phone, and stares at it, finger swiping instinctively across the screen. This continues for nearly a minute until he blinks, furrows his brows, and puts the phone away with a somewhat embarassed look.
Mearcstapa:
He pauses to hear Asbolus out, and Mearc's freckles flicker green and then go even brighter red, and he makes no immediate verbal reply to Asbolus. But there's a very quiet chuckle, before he actually-factually does the leaving thing.
Teagan:
Teagan does everyone the great favor of not singing along. They just sit quietly next to the rest of their motley, and after a little bit, take out their whetstone and unhook Baby from their waist. This is the sort of thing that Teagan does to soothe themself, after all.
June Desrochers:
June doesn't know the song, but she does hang out and listen. Her version of soothing herself is just hanging out with the people she loves, which she's accomplishing pretty easily right this moment. Anyone who looks her way gets a smile, but she's pretty much content just sit and be around people.
Rhapsody:
"Who was that?" She asks Asbolus, once Mearc has left the area.
Lucia Diaz:
Lucia is not someone prone to being idle. She parses Sigrun's words, nods an agreement or at least an acceptance of them, and looks around. Having decided she did everything she was supposed to do while she was here, decided that there's not a new thing she's decided must be done, she just turns and leaves without another word.
Asbolus:
Asbolus gave Lucia a quiet nod as she headed off, then looked to Rhapsody. "Mearcstapa, Scrivener of the Autumn Court and a friend of mine."
Rhapsody:
She nods a bit, looking back the way he'd gone. "I've heard good things. Maybe I'll meet him when he gets back from Vacation." She looks at Asbolus again and then flicks her gaze at DA. "What about the one that was just asking for help, who's he?"
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun's performance is actually pretty good. She has a lovely voice, once she's singing and her Minnesotan accent is no longer making her sound more than a little absurd. Fairest are crafted for beauty, and the Valkyrjar were often called to sing the deeds of the Einherjar in Valhalla. So it shouldn't be too surprising. Her reason for choosing the song may become apparent in the second verse.
"I feel my body weakened by the years,
As people turn to gods of cruel design.
Is it that they fear the pain of death?
Or could it be they fear the joy of life?
"Pray your gods who hold you by your fear
For they are quick and ruthless punishers..."
Teagan:
The Mirrorskin doesn't say anything; everything they had to say ended when they flipped off the pyre. They sit next to Sigrun, sharpening the machete that they wear everywhere. Somehow, Teagan is ... more when they're holding Baby. More noticeable, somehow sharper-edged. When Rhapsody looks over at their little motleycule knot of people, Teagan's broken-mirror eyes reflect back fractions and fragments of her, the only indication that they're looking at her at all. Otherwise it's hard to tell where their attention is focused.
Glitch:
Glitch's head moves after Teagan's does, following the mirrorskin's gaze to Rhapsody. He stares back with a blank and somewhat grim expression on his young rasterized face, broken up into perfect tiny square fragments. Then he breaks off his gaze just as quickly, turning back towards his motley and the pyre, leaning his head against the tall darkling's shoulder.
June Desrochers:
June is busy listening to Sigrun, but when Rhapsody looks her way she does smile cheerfully and wave to the stranger. Then, after, looks a little curious about who the people she doesn't know actually are. She turns back to listen to her motley-mate play for a few moments longer, but then gets up to head over and say hello to people, because it's June. "Hi!" she says to Asbolus and Rhapsody, rather cheerfully.
Alain deVahl:
Alain tips her chin up at Teagan, perhaps for the difficulty of telling where the Mirrorskin is looking at all, whether at Rhapsody or Asbolus or herself or an imagined velociraptor. If the Winter has a disposition about the pyre or the music or the mingling, or any of the attendant conversation, it's not legible.
Asbolus:
"That would be Glitch, with the Summer Court and Direct Action." Asbolus nodded to both him and Teagan when they looked their way, giving June a polite smile as she approached. "Salutations. Don't believe we've met properly; Asbolus."
Rhapsody:
She nods and follows along with Asbolus, offering DA a slightly muted smile and a wave.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
The song comes to an end, with a whole lot of Dona Nobis Pacem being sung. Give us peace, give us peace, give us peace. Sigrun quiets the strings with the flat of her hand and leans over to press a smooch onto Teagan's cheek. There. The guitar is slung back over her shoulder and Sigrun rises from the ground, likewise, dusting off her white linen dress. It's getting dirty from the sitting and the smoke, but that's sort of the point. She heads closer to the pyre, walking around it slowly to make sure it is burning properly, then returns to her prior position and offers Rhapsody a wave. "Hey. I'm Sigrun Ljosdottir. Nice to meetcha."
June Desrochers:
"I'm June," says the tiny little red panda woman cheerfully. Rhapsody has almost a foot on her, and Asbolus even more. She offers a fuzzy, pawlike hand tipped with some rather frightening looking claws for someone who is otherwise absurdly cute, like a particularly adorable ambulatory teddy bear. "Nice to meet you both."
Asbolus:
Asbolus took the offered hand and shook it firmly, minding the claws along the way. "You as well."
Teagan:
Shink. Shink. Shink. Teagan finishes sharpening the machete and hooks it back to the ring holster on their left hip. "Hey." Once the machete is put back away again, they're ... somehow less. Less noticeable. Which, honestly, seems to be how they like it, to a certain extent. Both of Teagan's hands have deep, old scars horizontal across the palm, as if at some point in the past they grabbed hold of something very sharp with both hands, and it cut their palms down to the bone. This is notable because they wave, and thus the scars are visible. "I'm Teagan."
Rhapsody:
"I'm Rhapsody. I'm... pretty new in town so didn't really help with.." She gestures at the burning down pyre... "All this, but it sounds like you guys and everyone else did a really good job, so.. congratulations." She glances at Sigrun then. "Your speech was really good." She makes sure to shake June's hand after Asbolus.
June Desrochers:
After shaking hands, carefully, mindful of her claws, June responds. "I didn't do much," she admits with a shrug. "But the problem is solved, at least. Are you new in town as in you moved here from somewhere else, or that you just got back from visiting our not so friendly Neighbors?" She asks with a note of worry.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun is not one for false modesty, as a general rule. She nods at Rhapsody's praise and responds by stating, "As the patron saint of Minneapolis said: I don't need an agenda, I just tell the truth." Sigrun's massive rack of antlers worn atop her head with its crown of flowers wobbles a bit, and so she straightens it and tugs it down her brow a bit more snuggly. "To tell you the truth, my part in all of this was sitting in a room with Marjorie in shifts. And then making good on everyone else's groundwork. And even then there are things that if I could do over, I would do very differently." She glances over at the Pyre and watches it burn down for a moment before looking back to Rhapsody, "There probably would not have been enough left of me to burn, however."
Teagan:
"I'm not sure if getting you to listen to Dessa was the smartest or least smart thing I have ever done," Teagan comments aside to Sigrun. "I took over a lot of other people's Hedge patrols." And then the Mirrorskin looks aside at Sigrun, and their face goes very, very still. Calm as glass.
Alain deVahl:
Alain doesn't brag about what she did. Bragging is gauche. Even at a funeral.
Rhapsody:
"I guess, a little of each?" She answers June. "I got back from.. over there a few weeks ago, stayed in New York long enough to realize how much everything actually had started to suck in my absence and came here instead to.. start over. I guess." She smiles at June then nods to Sigrun. "My pal Gallowglass did some of that guarding stuff too, did you guard with him? I wanted to bring you guys some snacks but he said I couldn't know where it was, so I just brought him snacks when he wasn't guarding."
Asbolus:
Asbolus nodded, looking towards Sigrun as Teagan went still. "We all did our part, and those efforts combined are what brought us to this point, much as our continued vigilance will dig out the roots that she planted."
June Desrochers:
"Oh, well, welcome back!" June says cheerfully. "How are you doing? Is there anything that you need help with, trying to get life situated? It sounds like you're making new friends, at least, which will help a lot." Screw Robin, she's dead. June's got a living person to make sure is okay. She does laugh and admit, "snacks on guard duty are pretty key, but no less so when off duty, either."
Glitch:
Glitch is silent as the others talk. He offers the new face a slow nod after staring and eventually just stares off at the flames again while more social people do the talking.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun's expression sinks a bit at the mention of New York. "Yeah. New York sucked for me when I got back, too. They booted me out." Sigrun chuffs out a note of annoyance at that, though her expression returns to cheer in a moment. "Yeah, I know Gal. He's handy in the thorns, I found. Means well. Bit too much brass and powder for me to stand him for too awful long, but I imagine he grows on you over time." Sigrun dips her head then and ticks her antlers towards Alain, "S'cuse me, though. Going to check in on the others." With that, Sigrun sets off towards Alain, who she greets with a deadpan, "You looked lonely, so I thought I'd bring you my massive rack." She adjusts her antlers just so.
She doesn't speak Winter well, but she tries.
Teagan:
"Congratulations on getting out." Teagan leans back on one hand, but their face remains perfectly motionless now. Their other arm loops around Glitch's shoulders, pulling him into their side. "That's more of an achievement than most people give credit for."
Rhapsody:
"Oh, thanks." She smiles and nods to Teagan. "I appreciate it, it doesn't feel like much so to know it is is." She nods and lets out sigh, visibly relaxing just a little bit, she glances at June then. "Well, I have a place to stay and don't really need anything, umm, like, phyiscal right now? My needs are met, me and my clothes are clean and stuff, which I wasn't sure I'd be able to pull off right off the bat, but that's done. I guess I am sort of... looking for my place? I've been told I should get more involved and umm. well part of the reason I came over here besides June's super friendly greeting was i heard Glitch maybe needed help with something? " she looks curiously at the quiet one. "And if now isn't the best time to talk about it maybe I can like, give you my number or something?"
Alain deVahl:
"Oh, do you know Gal? He's a good friend of mine, he's very lovely," Alain offers to Rhapsody with an unassuming familiarity. It is perhaps a bit of a bizarre juxtaposition, to imagine the barbarically-shaped, coarsely manner galoot and the sophisticatedly put-together, refined Snowskin palling around like a made-for-cable buddy comedy.
When Sigrun addresses her, Alain turns her attention, hearing the words before she could attach their associated meanings, with an arched eyebrow and vaguely rounded expression in her pale eyes. Truly the Snowskin equivalent of very surprised. "I..." The word hangs there for a second. "Am very grateful," she finishes with all the grace anyone could have pulled out of the situation.
"This was good," she recovers, gesturing at the pyre. "It was necessary. People need closure."
Asbolus:
Asbolus allowed himself a small smirk at Alain's reaction, in particular at the fact that there was one. He then looked back to the others still gathered around him, staying quiet for the moment.
June Desrochers:
"There's also some problem with the hedge, and some stuff going on with that, but I don't know the details," June fills in, since that seems to be what Rhapsody is interested in. "The gardens in the Hollows for the Courts and stuff are definitely an example." June looks at Glitch to see if he has things to say on his matter that needed help, and then looks at Alain and smiles her direction, then gives a wave. Another person she doesn't know. "Hi!" she says.
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
Sigrun's smile perks just a bit at the corner to denote she is pleased with the results of her mischief. Her duties here are nearly done. She's already moving on with her life, clearly. "Don't mention it," Sigrun suggests with a small shrug of her shoulders. Sigrun turns carefully about, mindful not to clock Alain with her antlers, and watches the collapsing embers with a small nod of the head. "It's good to be familiar with death. It comes for all of us at some point or another. I find the rituals comforting, and the sharing of emotion with the community to be healing. Closure," Sigrun gestures to Alain, "as you said. And if I don't see that it is done for others, who will do it for me when it is my time to rest on a bed of flame?"
Glitch:
Glitch looks up as Rhapsody says that and frowns, shaking his head. "You don't want to help with this," he says flatly. "Nobody here does. Some of us are gonna have to anyway. I hope..." He pauses, frowning after that, as if the word itself felt odd in his mouth. "It can wait."
Rhapsody:
"Okay, well, I'm usually in the bars at night, so if you want help." She shrugs to Glitch, then nods to June. "Yeah, I heard about that. I don't know a lot about, well, much of anything really, but maybe I can learn as I go. I guess that's what we all have to do, or had to do once, right?" She smiles and then glances at Alain, giving her a little wave.
Teagan:
"Glitch. The new girl wants to be involved and help. Just because the Queen said it's not the time doesn't mean you shut the new girl out." Teagan gently pats Glitch's shoulder, as perhaps one might a colicky infant. It's a gentle 'don't be a butt to the new girl' jostle. "If you say not now, then say when."
Alain deVahl:
Alain bends her arm at the elbow, popping her hand straight up and offering a quick back-and-forth wave at June, and a kind smile that goes to her eyes bends her features, features that are hard to read because her visible skin has the texture, shade, and translucence of frosted glass, bouncing back the pale, warm glow of the pyre across its planes. "Hi," she chirps back at the fucking adorable panda-Lost, mirroring some of that enthusiasm back as a reflective surface might.
The Winter Fairest is leery of the antlers, too, having made a successful-if-trained effort to not instinctively clock the, ehem, other logical intuition of 'rack'. Well played, ol' girl. Well played. She glances over at Sigrun. "I think you will have not given so many in the Freehold a reason to look forward to lighting your pyre." And she looks back over it. "But a Courtier is dead. We are one less strong. Even if we lost her a long time ago, this is a tragedy. It is mournful," she muses, crossing her arms under her chest, fingertips idly playing at some of the fine, black fabric of her blouse.
She gave Rhapsody a likewise enthused smile and wave, and then rubbed her fingers together, against themselves, then, ambiently reminded of the strange corpse touch under her hand when she told Robin the last words anyone said to her, directly to her, before she was burned and released.
Asbolus:
"Willing to help out as well if I can." He nodded quietly to Glitch. "Can give you my number before we leave, if I haven't already."
Glitch:
Glitch blinks as he's nudged by Teagan, and looks sheepish before turning back to Rhapsody and Asbolus. "I...wasn't trying to be gloomy. It's bad. I don't want it. But...there's lots to help with. Just don't have anything for you that isn't awful. Unless you want to sit with us until the fire's out. That's all we're doing tonight."
Rhapsody:
Rhapsody blinks at tilts her head slightly, studying Glitch, grin fades just a bit. "Haven't we all done and seen terrible things?" Then she glances at Absolus. "Can you jot my number on your card so he has both our numbers?"
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
"I imagined this might be hitting your court harder than it has any of the others. She was important to you all, and held an important place among you. For what it's worth, I just wanted to make it clear nobody I've spoken with blames your court over this. Well. Again, truthfully, it might be better not to try and handle such things in-house from now on. But nobody is speaking ill of you all. I think this just helps to demonstrate why we must be a closer knit community. Reach out. Risk to know one another. It's much more difficult to hide your treachery when your community is surrounding you." Sigrun is still staring at the fire. Robin's last big show before eternity. "I am always fascinated by the stories people write with their lives. And how they squander them. Would have reaching our to her have helped, I wonder? When did she turn away from us? What was the catalyst? She had friends here. A Regent, even. That's what's eating at me. Could I have done more for her?" There's a glance aside to the other Fairest. Because she probably gets that in her bones, too.
Asbolus:
"That would require me to have a card, admittedly." Asbolus replied with a small smirk, although he did pull a small notepad and pen from his pocket and wrote down his number before handing the pad to Rhapsody to add her own information. "Awful's also relative. Still willing to help regardless."
Alain deVahl:
"That's what I've been wondering. When did we lose her?" Alain returns back to Sigrun. "How did we not see it? I know she was very connected, very talented, very... capable. But the why of it eludes me," she exhales a long breath like a gentle mist over a fresh snowfall. "I don't think anyone blames our Court. But I would not speak with the same certainty that there is not some work to be done to recover lost confidence in certain individuals." How diplomatic. "People are mad at Marjorie." There it is, in English, thank you. She raises her shoulders. "I forgive her. That's what I told her. Robin. That's the only power I have over her anymore. And that's how I'll use it."
Sigrun Ljosdottir:
"Heavy is the head that wears the crown," Sigrun mutters, probably in reference to her present head dress. "I think being knocked into a clarity coma and then losing her friend to treachery and authorizing her brutal murder is probably penance enough, but I'm not one of you guys. And my compass of right and wrong, my sense of justice, they're a little... non traditional. The Wyrd will either anoint her head or it won't come December. I figure that's really the only opinion that matters on that score."
The fire finally collapses down into itself. Embers and bits of charred wood and possibly bone mingling on the hard trod ground. The broadsword that Sigrun laid upon the body is now glowing brightly in the heart of the fire, its hilt burned away. Just a blade, and a crossguard stuck loosely on its tang.
"And that's my cue," Sigrun says matter of factly.
Sigrun heads for the embers, grabs a bucket of water, and splashes it over what remains, aiming for the sword most of all. The blade crackles and pings as the water hisses off of it, and she splashes it again until the sounds cease. Only then does she walk over the smoking ground in her bare feet and slam her foot down onto the blade, snapping it into several pieces. A symbolic sacrifice, to be sure. That done, she heads to some of the other buckets to splash them over the ground as well. A hedge fire under the present burn conditions would be the opposite of good.
With help or without, Sigrun eventually gathers up the pile of ashes, digs a hole in the trod, and buries them along with the shards of the blade. There'll be a small mound on the trod come morning, marked with a pile of stones. Eventually those will fall over, or be kicked away by passing traffic, and even that marker will be lost to the thorns and to time.
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