21:06 <Crion> It's almost New Year's Eve, now. Tomorrow, actually. 2020 is right around the corner. Does anyone in the Wherehouse have plans? 21:06 <Crion> There's a party at the Sidereal, but it's a normie NYE celebration for mortals. Even in, ah, better seasons Winter wouldn't be holding two social events within ten days. One's bad enough. 21:09 <VoxPVoxD> Not on his own initiative. New Years isn't really Stewart's kind of holiday. Unless something comes up or Lauren wants to go out je 21:09 <Crion> Now, though...Winter's been a bit hard to find. The King hasn't been in Court -- at the Sidereal, Camden Yards, or anywhere else -- since your meeting with him. Canterbury's the only other Winter guy who is occasionally hanging around, doing security at the bar, and unless Tony decides to try to get in touch with someone, everyone else in the court has kind of gone ghost. 21:09 <VoxPVoxD> he'll probably be working. 21:09 <Crion> Of course, this is Winter's trademark, right? Right? 21:10 <dammitwho> Maggie is responding to Nels' question about Aunt Mag's Sleepytime Juice, specifically whether Maggie has used it before: "Oh, for sure! I wouldn't give something like that to people otherwise. Knocks you right the heck out, lemme tell ya." 21:10 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart doesn't know, he only showed up last summer. 21:10 <banana> Oh yeah, the passage of time matters again. Melanie wonders whether to suggest to a couple of people that they go to one of the big public midnight things, stay anonymous on the edge of a crowd.. it might be nice to see people celebrating. Free glamour for Maggie and Nels. 21:11 <Crion> Are they still at the NACC, or have they reconvened at the Wherehouse? 21:12 <trenchfoot> They'd gone back to the Wherehouse, after wrapping up business there. For New Year's Eve, Nels has no specific plans - but trying Maggie's medicine early that evening is maybe a little too anti-social. 21:12 <dammitwho> Maggie's at the Wherehouse. 21:13 <trenchfoot> To Maggie: "I'll have to try it sometime, then. Next time I spend the night at my apartment, maybe." 21:16 <CBN> Tony's at the Wherehouse, on account of the passage of time being a big bummer, and NYE being a great way of being reminded of said bummer. He stress-baked a hot apple pie that he's already tucking into, regardless of time of day. 21:19 <banana> Melanie's probably nearby rather than inside. Recently she's taken up people-watching from some of the gantries and back passages you can get to in Lexington Market, and this is a good occasion for it with the complex open all night. (She always lets people know how far out she's going and for how long, though. Habits alleviate fears.) 21:20 <Crion> So: what's the closest reflective surface to each of you who is not in the Wherehouse, an hour and a minute after midnight? 21:20 <banana> There's something pleasantly liminal about the two sides of the elevator being so different. Not the interiors so much - the Warehouse's actual architecture comports with the packed brick and iron ribs on the other side of the elevator - but the crowds and sales compared to the sort of urban-rural Hedge exterior with its gardens and stupid fake animals. 21:21 <banana> The closest reflective surface? Probably a shop window. Some brand outlet. 21:21 <VoxPVoxD> For Stewart it's likely the screen of his inactive phone. 21:27 <Crion> For each of them that surfaces flashes, like light has caught it -- even if that's impossible -- and a featureless face appears on the other side, where there's should be. The Winter King's voice says: "Capra is dead. Summer is coming. Get out. Get safe. If you are caught, invoke me." 21:27 <Crion> "You have less than...thirty minutes." 21:27 <Crion> The mirrors go dead. 21:27 <Crion> Does Melanie carry a cellphone? 21:28 <Crion> Well, is she currently carrying her cellphone. 21:29 <banana> Yes - and she's got one hand in a jacket pocket fumbling for it, caught between paralytic terror and the need to call in, to volunteer. 21:29 <Crion> Before she can get the address book up, Langford List is already calling. 21:30 <VoxPVoxD> People watching Stewart's stream will see him glance down and to the side on his facecam, play normally for another 20 seconds, and then the stream blacks out. Did Lauren hear that or does he need to get her along with his coat and gun? 21:30 <banana> Walk and talk.. she should be getting back inside, but would the call drop? And it's hard to manage too many things at once. She's only a couple of minutes away from the elevator, so Melanie focuses on the call- "Mr. List. I've just seen the message. What do we need to do?" 21:30 <Crion> She did not hear it. She's playing with Chup in the living room. 21:30 <Crion> Langford: "Melanie. It's Langford List. I--" 21:30 <Crion> "...What?" 21:31 <Crion> His voice went from distant to suddenly quite guarded. 21:32 <Crion> The three of you inside the Wherehouse get...no message at all. 21:32 <banana> Melanie: "Um." Maybe he hasn't seen it. "From the nameless guy. An emergency, 'get out, get safe'.. I don't know what's okay to say on here." 21:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's arrival is abrupt, then. "Get dressed. Just got a message from the King-in-Court. He said, 'Capra's dead, Summer is coming, get to safety'." 21:32 <Crion> List: "Nameless..." His voice goes flat. "Yeah, Melanie, I'm gonna need you to come in." 21:33 <Crion> "There's something we need to sort out." 21:33 <VoxPVoxD> Before waiting for a reply he pops out into the hall to bang on Nels's door, calling her simultaneously. 21:33 <Crion> Lauren: "Wha--" 21:33 <Crion> She automatically springs into action, though. 21:33 <Crion> Survivor's reflexes. 21:33 <CBN> Tony's just eating some of that pie. It's pretty good. Could've gone heavier on the cinnamon though. 21:34 <trenchfoot> No answer. She's back at the Wherehouse. 21:34 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart calls Melanie next. 21:35 <banana> Melanie: "Yeah. My car's just a minute away, at where do you need me?" 21:35 <Crion> List: "Come on down to the Oberon, and we'll get this sorted out." 21:36 <dammitwho> Maggie should try cooking with beef marrow. That's supposed to be good for you. 21:37 <Crion> For reference, does Maggie have a phone with her? 21:37 <trenchfoot> She's got her guitar out, actually. Plucking away at nothing, really, just some scales. She's never taught music but once before, so... 21:37 <Crion> Or Nels? 21:37 <Crion> Tony's landline only, I suspect. 21:37 <trenchfoot> Nels has hers on her. She got a lecture about not doing so, once. 21:37 <dammitwho> Yeah, she's got a cell phone. 21:38 <banana> Melanie: "I will." She's walking now, trying to keep mostly to these back passages behind the shops until she can get out to the carpark.. not a good time to navigate crowds. "Is it ok if I go off the line to check on my friends?" 21:38 <Crion> List: "...Yeah. Yeah. But we need you down here immediately." 21:38 <CBN> Tony's got a personal cellular mobile device with prepaid minutes, but it's in his room. 21:40 <banana> "I'm heading there directly." Laws about using a mobile in your car? Probably unamerican anyway. 21:40 <VoxPVoxD> "I'm not getting through to Melanie," says Stewart, as he checks to make sure the gun is still loaded before attaching the holster. "Nels either. Hopefully they're already at the Wherehouse." 21:40 <Crion> List: "...See you soon." 21:41 <banana> It's conceivable that Stewart calling Melanie and Melanie calling Stewart both get crossed lines, or that she reaches him shortly after he tries and fails. 21:41 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart answers immediately if so. "Melanie, did you get the thing?" 21:41 <Crion> It sounds like there's other people in the room with him as he hangs up, but it's impossible to make out words or legible sounds. 21:42 <banana> Melanie: "Yes I did. I just got through to you after talking to the Summer Court, I'm going in to help." 21:42 <banana> "You're okay, Lauren is okay? I think you should go to the Hollow." 21:42 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah we're on our way. Keep in touch, okay? Something seems weird." 21:43 <Crion> Lauren's quick enough that they can get out of the apartment in five minutes. She's got Chup in a carrier. 21:44 <VoxPVoxD> On the ride downtown: "Has this ever happened before?" 21:44 <Crion> Lauren laughs nervously. "Which part?" 21:44 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Surprise lockdown." 21:45 <Crion> "Winter King showing up in a mirror unexpectedly? Yeah. A Summer Court...I don't want to say it." 21:45 <Crion> "I'm sure they're just...coming to talk." 21:45 <Crion> Lauren: "But King's orders." 21:45 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Okay. They called Melanie in, apparently. Summer did, I mean." 21:46 <banana> Not being able to text rapidly is really inconvenient for Melanie right now. A group message to the others would be great, but she can't do that and drive.. you know what would be great? One of those hands-free devices. Anyway she's going to call Tony- no, Nels. Nels might be back at her apartment." 21:46 <trenchfoot> Can calls get through to the Wherehouse? Otherwise, no dice. 21:47 <Crion> Lauren shifts uncomfortably in her seat. 21:47 <Crion> They can go through, though they always sound weird. They're routed through a Google Voice clone in the server. 21:47 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart doesn't know what to say, so he just reaches for her hand and squeezes it. 21:48 <trenchfoot> Then Nels will pick up on the second ring. "Hey, Melanie!" She sounds chipper through the line. 21:49 <banana> "Hi! Nels! Are you okay? Have you seen a warning in a magic mirror?" 21:49 <dammitwho> Maggie, in the background: "HI MELANIE!" 21:49 <banana> "Oh thank God." She's in the Wherehouse. 21:49 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Um? Yes, I'm okay, so are Maggie and Tony, and no, we didn't see any warnings in a magic mirror. Do you need help?" 21:50 <CBN> Tony, around pie, and from across the room, "Flel thlem gI skk g'hi!" 21:51 <trenchfoot> Absently: "Also, Tony says hi." 21:51 <Crion> Stewart and Lauren reach Lexington Market without incident... 21:52 <banana> Melanie: "No, ehh, I hope to be part of the help. I'm just on my way to the Oberon.. there was a message from the King, Stewart will tell you more if you're all there and safe?" 21:52 <banana> Melanie: "No, ehh, I hope to be part of the help. I'm just on my way to the Oberon.. there was a message from the King, Stewart will tell you more if you're all there and safe?" 21:53 <trenchfoot> Nels: "If you're sure. Call if anything changes, okay?" 21:53 <Crion> ...but as you walk in, a car you might recognize from the Sidereal's lot shows up. One of those black Escalades that Summer loves. 21:53 <VoxPVoxD> Capra's not driving, presumably. 21:53 <Crion> You should be able to duck inside before anyone gets out, but that means not seeing who it is. Might just be someone who owns an Escalade. 21:53 <Crion> Windows are tinted. 21:53 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart sends Lauren in and waits at the elevator. 21:54 <banana> Melanie: "Sure. I have a couple of minutes but.. I don't know what we can say on the phone. It's frustrating!" 21:54 <Crion> It parks illegally. Out get Nissa of Fives, David Smote, and Detective Serrato Colt. Last guy's got his badge on a chain around his neck. 21:54 <banana> "Surely it's okay to- someone's been killed, there's danger in the Freehold. Just don't go outside, I'm sure that much is fine." 21:55 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart sticks around to greet them at the door. 21:55 <trenchfoot> Nels exhales. "Okay. I'll tell the others. Stay safe, please?" 21:56 <Crion> A private security guard walks up and Colt just waves the badge in his face. Guy backs down. Smote and Nissa have carefully neutral features as they walk over. Smote: "Stewart Reader." 21:56 <banana> There's the noise of Melanie parking, which involves a few unnecessary thumps. "'Stay'? Haha. Yeah no bad joke, you too." 21:57 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Hey." 21:58 <trenchfoot> Nels: "See you soon." She hangs up and turns to Maggie and Tony. "Okay. Something's going down up there, and we're supposed to stay here and stay safe. Someone's dead - she didn't say who - but Stewart, Lauren, and Melanie are all okay." 21:58 <dammitwho> Maggie immediately turns to get her kevlar vest. 21:59 <Crion> Smote: "Young Street requests your presence at the Oberon." 21:59 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart blinks. 21:59 <trenchfoot> Nels: "She said she didn't want help, and I told her to call us if she needs any..." 21:59 <VoxPVoxD> "Winter King told us to bunker down." 21:59 <Crion> Smote: "Thing is...he wants to see Nels and Maggie too. And that guy Tony." 22:00 <Crion> Nissa visibly reacts to that; Smote doesn't. 22:00 <CBN> Tony puts some foil over the rest of the pie, then goes and tosses on his 'getting stabbed at' clothes. "Good they're okay, but, what should we do?" 22:00 <Crion> Smote: "Well, that's interesting. We can talk about that." 22:01 <Crion> Meanwhile, at the Oberon, List is waiting outside with a couple of bouncers. These are fae-touched guys that Summer uses as muscle. Mostly former gang members. Perhaps current gang members, depending on your perspective. 22:01 <banana> It occurs to Melanie that she didn't tell Nels which king, but Stewart will sort that out. He's the communicator. She's.. taking a few seconds too long to get out of a car. This is it, right? The moment we're called to defend against something, probably an attack the Winter mole has brought on? She doesn't know whether this is a rose-coloured hero complex view of things. 22:01 <banana> Capra's dead already, she never spoke more than a few words to him, and presumably what can defeat one Lost of the Summer Court can defeat more. Melanie walks up to Langford with no idea what's showing on her face. 22:01 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Get our stuff all ready just in case? She was heading to the Oberon..." Is that very far from where the Wherehouse is? 22:02 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "...I'll go get them." 22:03 <CBN> Tony: "Hoping we don't have to do anything too rough, I'm a little unarmed for the near future. Other than my, well, arms." 22:03 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's got a *very* bad feeling about this, but he's not sure what options they have besides going along with it. It's like when the cops show up. Come to think of it, they literally did just do that. 22:03 <Crion> There's a brief pause. Then Smote smiles. "Yeah. Yeah, you do that." 22:05 <Crion> As Stewart gets in the elevator, Nissa turns and nods to Serrano. And as the doors close, he can just catch a glimpse of Serrano reaching into the front seat and pulling out...a car boot. A wheel clamp. 22:05 <Crion> Doors shut. 22:05 <VoxPVoxD> Inside the Wherehouse: "Three Summer courtiers outside. They want us down at their place, the Oberon. Me and Nels and Maggie and Tony. Melanie already got called in." 22:06 <Crion> Now it's Maggie's turn to have her phone light up. 22:06 <Crion> It's Amelia Bantham. 22:06 <dammitwho> "Whoop! Gotta call." She picks up. "Ma'am?" 22:06 <Crion> Brusque: "Where are you?" 22:06 <Crion> "Are you somewhere safe?" 22:07 <trenchfoot> Nels has her gun with her and is about to follow Stewart out before... phone call. 22:07 <CBN> Tony stretches his arms and rolls his neck. "Stewart, how...not-okay are things looking so far? Totally in the dark over here." 22:08 <Crion> List: "Melanie. Are you armed? Other than your natural weapons." 22:08 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I don't know, Tony. Report we got from the Winter King was that Capra's dead, Summer's coming." 22:08 <VoxPVoxD> "But, given the thing... I don't know. I got a bad feeling." 22:08 <Crion> Amelia: "Actually--fuck. Don't tell me where you are." 22:08 <CBN> Tony: "But it's...it's December, January? Winter out?" 22:09 <banana> Melanie: "That's all I've got. Contracts and what they did to me." She likes it that way, focuses on training to work with that, because it means she can't be disarmed or helpless. 22:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "No idea if this is an official thing or not. They could just be coming." 22:09 <VoxPVoxD> "Well, tney *did* come. They're outside." 22:09 <VoxPVoxD> "Not like we can lawyer up, though." 22:09 <Crion> The Gardener: "Summer is saying you and Tony killed Capra." 22:09 <banana> "Are we going somewhere? Winter's message said only that Capra is dead, not who or what killed him." 22:10 <Crion> List: "Yes. We're going inside." The bouncers have discreetly encircled the two of them, and are now between Melanie and her car. 22:10 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Yeah, I'm-- in a place. What's going on? The others are all het up about-- what?!" 22:11 <Crion> Amelia: "It sounds fucking ridiculous. ...It's fucking ridiculous, right?" 22:12 <banana> Melanie pauses, visibly. Every part of her stops moving for a few seconds. "..Okay let's go inside. However, you're escorting me like I'm a captive or a VIP. I'm not a VIP." 22:12 <Crion> Langford: "That's not true. The Young Street thinks you're very important." 22:12 <Crion> "And you came in on your own. He'll remember that. It counts for something." 22:13 <Crion> He steps aside and gestures to the door. "After you." 22:13 <banana> Melanie walks. She tries to stay calm.. it's surprisingly easy. Whatever's happening there's been worse. 22:13 <banana> "Thank you," she tells List, "but you're burying the lede." 22:14 <dammitwho> Maggie: "I don't think I've even seen that guy in ages." 22:14 <dammitwho> "This is the first I think any of us have heard he's dead... if he really is." 22:16 <Crion> The Young Street, from inside the empty bar: "No. We're burying Capra." 22:21 <Crion> Well, not quite empty. Splayed out on the bar is the dead boy, limp, badly burned and broken -- someone, or someones, took their time with him. There's enough of his face left to make a positive identification in the mask, though you'd still know his mien anywhere. He's naked, but they've covered the lower half of the body, either out of decorum or because it gets worse. 22:21 <Crion> Street is sitting on a table, staring. He turns his baleful gaze to Melanie. "I am quite angry." 22:21 <Crion> "I'm real fuckin quite angry." 22:22 <banana> That gives Melanie pause again, but less literally. She's been interpreting things wrong, right? "I'm sorry, Street. I assumed this was a call-to-action, some mission of protection or vengeance.. I forgot a man is dead." 22:22 <Crion> Street: "Oh, it's a call to action. But not for you. You're compromised." 22:23 <Crion> List, a bit forcefully, with the force directed towards Street but the words to Melanie: "We don't think you had anything to do with this." 22:23 <Crion> Street: "At least we fuckin hope you didn't." 22:23 <banana> What happened to him? Something monstrous and magical, as expected, but expectation doesn't help. She tries to think about the meaning of- ????? 22:23 <banana> "I didn't! What the fuck?" 22:24 <Crion> Amelia: "Honey, I'm not hearing you tell me it's fucking ridiculous. Because they say they have you on camera." 22:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Maggie? Everything okay?" 22:25 <dammitwho> Maggie: "It is ridiculous. We haven't see him, we don't know who did it, we are not involved." 22:25 <banana> Melanie: "I'm sorry I'm sure you have reasons but- what? I don't, I didn't know him. I don't have any reason to- I joined up to fight the monsters, not as some kind of game- what is this? I'm not going to beg for answers!" 22:25 <dammitwho> *seen 22:25 <trenchfoot> This sounds like it's going well, from what Nels can hear. She looks to Stewart -- does he seem to know any more than she does? 22:26 <Crion> Street picks up a remote and aims it at one of the blank TVs that usually shows music videos or sports. "Let's watch one of my stories. I like to call it Alley Camera 2, 4:34 PM." He hits a button, and the blue screen turns into a grainy, black and white security feed of just that from out behind the Oberon. 22:26 <banana> Melanie's rooted in place. 22:28 <Crion> There's nothing for about thirty seconds, then a slight flash, and the door to the alley from the Oberon opens...and out steps Tony, Maggie, and a weird smudged character that the camera never seems to catch right. It's Tony and Maggie their masks, of course; no miens. It's just a normal camera. They heave Capra's body onto the pavement, and then Tony looks up into the camera and smiles...then 22:28 <Crion> all three step back 'inside.' 22:28 <Crion> Street: "Of course they weren't actually coming from here. At least not this side of here." 22:29 <banana> Melanie: "......" 22:30 <Crion> Amelia: "Okay. Okay. Look -- we don't do arrests, honey. We don't do jail. So it's either, you and the motley come in and answer for it...or you stay in hiding. For now, I want to try to get a handle on this. And find the fucking Winter King." 22:31 <Crion> Street: "So you understand my concern." 22:31 <banana> What a time to rediscover how to think fast. 22:31 <Crion> "Because I still don't know who that third one is, yeah? And 4:30 PM, even on New Year's, is a bit too early for a fuckin' vampire." 22:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart doesn't seem visibly confused at all. 22:32 <banana> Melanie: "Yes, I'm compromised. You're right. Because I, I don't believe what I'm seeing." 22:32 <VoxPVoxD> Face is kind of hard to read, actually... 22:33 <banana> "The plain evidence of our eyes for whatever that freaking counts, it's.. something I'm setting against other pieces of evidence to which I have access and you do not. Um. Listen:" 22:33 <banana> Melanie: "You don't know me very well yet and so it'd be fine to not put a lot of faith in this. But you should listen, please:" 22:33 <banana> "You and the others set me to get to know these four people.. to become friends with them, to work together and learn who they are. And I've learned. And they did not do that." 22:35 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Okay. While you're getting a handle on this, do we go in and defend ourselves? Uh, verbally? Or do we stay put?" 22:39 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Tell whoever you're talking to that they're literally outside." 22:39 <banana> Melanie: "Tony can't kill someone with a smile on his face. He can't.. fail to hide a fucking body. They beat it out of him, both of those things." 22:40 <banana> "Maggie spent most of the last few months learning who she used to be and sure, in theory she could've learned she was a killer but not that she's a loyalist. That's not how it works. She wants nothing more in life than to make drugs and comic books." 22:41 <banana> "The incredibly suspicious squiggle in the air, the one concealing itself? With magic? It's faking the whole thing. I don't know who those people really are or if there even were three of them. I don't trust this video and that means you can't trust me to, to take action on the basis of it. I won't." 22:43 <Crion> Street pauses, considering Melanie closely for a moment. Then he nods. "Alright. Okay." 22:43 <Crion> "We'll do this by the book. Or whatever the fuck there is around here that passes for that." 22:44 <Crion> To List: "Call Smote, Niss, and Colt back. I'm gonna get on the line with Am and Kingsley. They need to be here for this." 22:44 <banana> Melanie mumbles: "I guess the book of the Lost says Winter's in charge and the book of Winter says hide and wait it out." 22:45 <Crion> To Melanie: "Still need to talk to the rest of your motley. There are ways -- invasive ways, but not painful ways; fortune-teller shit ways -- to make it clear your people weren't involved. If you're willing to vouch they haven't gone feral, then I'm willing to let them in the front door to prove it." 22:45 <banana> She's not relieved; she hates that the Summer Court can't trust her on this. She knows they believe she believes but what does that count for? She turns to look at what remains of Capra again. Monstrous. 22:47 <Crion> Street: "Yeah...about the smooth King. You said you heard from him." 22:47 <Crion> "That's weird." 22:47 <Crion> "We haven't heard from him in almost a week now." 22:47 <banana> Melanie: "My motley will not be a threat. They will be scared, some self-righteous and others shut down.. you know how we all work. They.. will stick together more than they trust the Freehold, in some ways that's not great, but there's absolutely no chance they try to harm anyone here." 22:48 <banana> "What, really? They held the Christmas party at the Sidereal more recently than that.. um, tonight's message:" 22:49 <banana> "It showed up in mirrors, only outside of the Hedge.. Stewart got the same thing. The King said, Capra is dead and Summer is coming. He told everyone to hide." 22:49 <banana> Melanie: "I thought it was everyone in the Freehold." 22:50 <dammitwho> Maggie, to the others in the Wherehouse: "I guess they like us enough not to start immediately beating down our door, but really! The very idea!" 22:51 <Crion> Street: "Apparently he was a no-show at Christmas." 22:51 <Crion> List: "We didn't get anything." 22:51 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart, to Maggie: "What was that about?" 22:51 <VoxPVoxD> They only got half the conversation. 22:52 <CBN> Tony scratches his head. "So...what's up?" 22:52 <dammitwho> "Summer thinks Tony and I killed Capra!" 22:52 <banana> Melanie's thinking again. She talks slowly. "I don't understand. Two days later.. Winter was convened at the Sidereal again. The whole Court. I know because we, the motley, got invited.. we spoke to a few people including the King." 22:52 <Crion> Amelia will hurry off the phone, since now she's got to call some other people. 22:52 <dammitwho> Maggie: "The Gardener's working on it." 22:52 <banana> "He gave us a mission and, this is going to sound really suspicious, oathbound us to secrecy about it!" 22:52 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Oh. Okay. Well, there's three Summer courtiers outside who want to take us in for questioning." 22:53 <VoxPVoxD> "So..." 22:53 <CBN> Tony: "I what who?! No!" Tony is more confused than angry than sad than hurt at the moment. 22:53 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart seems unfazed by this revelation. 22:53 <Crion> List's eyes narrow. "Huh." 22:53 <Crion> Street: "FUCKING Winter Court." 22:54 <dammitwho> Maggie: "I know!" 22:54 <banana> Melanie: "Um, I swear on my name and the true world that I've sworn NOT to talk about events following from the meeting on 27th. There's a metapromise, if you will, a categorical derivative." 22:54 <Crion> He stands up from the table. "I'm going to get Capra somewhere respectful. Sorry for the way we...I...had you treated. But you see a video like this and a body like this..." 22:54 <banana> "It's awful." 22:54 <Crion> "...And it's one of your boys..." 22:54 <Crion> List purses his lips. 22:55 <CBN> Tony: "So we what, go clear my name, our names, whatever now? Or do we hang out here because we're going to die if we leave?" 22:55 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I do not think it's a good idea to bunker up. They want to question us, it's not a hit squad." 22:55 <Crion> List: "If you are willing to make such a promise, we will respect you by holding you to it." 22:56 <banana> Melanie: "Yes, thanks. Um.. there's something I can do to help I think. I could send a message to the others, saying it's safe and correct to come here and answer questions." 22:56 <banana> "Because it is, I trust that!" 22:56 <Crion> Street: "Anyway. I'm sorry. You're free to make whatever calls you need to make." 22:56 <CBN> Tony: "Well, okay then. I guess stay behind me if it gets shitty anyway." He moves to head out. 22:57 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart opens the elevator door to find... 22:57 <Crion> List nods. "Yes. The other regents will be present to represent Spring and Autumn." 22:57 <VoxPVoxD> He steps outside too in case being back in actual cell coverage lights up his phone. 22:58 <Crion> Lexington Market is bustling as usual; the Escalade is nowhere to be seen. That security guard from earlier is looking around, annoyed. He sees you and nods in recognition. You walk past that guy a lot, after all. He assumes you work here. 22:58 <banana> With that permission, Melanie will go stand behind the bar and take her phone back out. What a disaster. She's pretty sure they'll get through this - they being the motley, and the Summer Court - but a guy is still dead, and there's still the actual person or people behind the frame-up. Someone who can create realistic illusions for a camera... 22:58 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart holds Tony at bay. "Looks like they... left...?" 22:58 <banana> Tony's getting a call from Melanie this time. 22:59 <trenchfoot> Nels is still trying to process Tony and Maggie being accused of murder. Credibly enough that they sent goons. 23:01 <Crion> Smote and Nissa would be a bit put out to be described as "goons." 23:01 <Crion> Even if it is accurate. 23:01 <VoxPVoxD> Could be worse, coulda been 'thugs'. 23:01 <trenchfoot> Yeah, well, they can get nicer descriptions when they don't show up to beat up my friends. 23:01 <CBN> Tony left his phone in his room. He's not used to bringing it places! And he's walking with Stewart anyway. 23:02 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's going to call Melanie again. 23:02 <banana> No answer?! What happened- ah, it's Stewart. 23:02 <VoxPVoxD> "I'm calling Melanie, she went in to the Oberon already." 23:02 <banana> Melanie: "Stewart! I can't get through to Tony, is he with you? Is Maggie?" 23:02 <trenchfoot> That'll get you a lecture someday, Tony. Apparently it's upsetting when you go out to buy things and no one can contact you for hours, now. Weird, I know. 23:03 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Melanie! Colt Fives and Smote were just here to take us in but they're gone now. Yeah, everybody's here. The Gardener just told Maggie about the charges." 23:03 <VoxPVoxD> "What should we be doing?" 23:04 <banana> Okayyyyyy. "Okay. Yeah, I was wrong, it's not a monster, it's a stitch-up. They've got a fake video.. Street and the Summer Court are going to insist on questioning everyone but they can tell we didn't do it once they do some, what was the word, 'fortune-telling'." 23:04 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Okay. Are we headed for the Oberon?" 23:05 <VoxPVoxD> The Oberon's on GPS maps, right? Stewart's never actually been. 23:05 <banana> "Um, yes please. It's safe but it won't be comfortable. We have to accept momentary suspicion because whoever fucking did this did it in a really ugly way." 23:05 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "So Capra is for-real dead, then?" 23:05 <banana> "Ah, also.. I was going to tell Tony, the whole Winter Court has vanished. All of them! Nobody but us has seen the King for a week!" 23:06 <Crion> Yeah, it's actually on the same street as the NACC, just a couple blocks west. 23:06 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "That makes sense." 23:08 <banana> "Could I talk to the others? You've got everything under control I'm sure, I'd just.. like to hear more voices." 23:08 <VoxPVoxD> Melanie may or may not pick up on or be put off by Stewart's apparent total calm. She can hear him say: "We're going in voluntarily. Sounds like Melanie's been making your case already." 23:09 <trenchfoot> Nels: "That's good, right?" She's still worried, but like hell she's going to let them go into this without her. 23:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "It's still really bad. Just not for us as much." 23:10 <CBN> Tony: "It's gotta be good, she's good at arguing, I think?" 23:10 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Also, she's right, which always helps." 23:11 <banana> "Stewarrrrtttt. I can hear Nels and Tony there. Guys!!" 23:11 <VoxPVoxD> Back on the phone. "Yeah, hi, we're coming in." 23:12 <VoxPVoxD> "Anything we should know?" 23:12 <banana> She doesn't want to yell into the phone, there are people here conducting a kind of funeral! 23:13 <VoxPVoxD> Putting the phone on speaker and holding it out: "Melanie wants to know everyone's okay." 23:13 <banana> Melanie: "Just that when you get here, everyone needs to be.. mindful. Whoever's behind this is trying to set us against each other, our motley and the Court. And I think everyone's aware of that but we need to make every effort not to be on 'sides'." 23:13 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Alarmed but unharmed." 23:13 <CBN> Tony: "Hi Melanie! Yes thank you! I'm confused but I appreciate you making our case for us, Stewart said!" 23:14 <banana> Melanie: "Ahhh." 23:14 <banana> "Okay, I'm glad everyone is okay. Maggie too?" 23:14 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Maggie's getting ready. We're all fine." 23:14 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Hey! Hello! What?!" Which is a hell of a way to answer the phone, which shows you what kind of state she's in. 23:15 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "We'll be there in a few minutes, okay?" 23:15 <banana> "There's a fake video.. it was from like, just a couple of hours ago. So try to make sure you remember where you were. I don't know how all of this blew up so fast, the mirror message makes no sense." This would be prejudicing a trial, if there was to be a trial. But that's not what this is, and Melanie's standing right there at the bar near whoever else from the Court is moving around, 23:15 <banana> she's not trying to hide anything. 23:16 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah. Make sure to drink some water or something, okay?" 23:17 <banana> "Thank you. There's, like, everything but water here.. maybe some ice.." 23:18 <VoxPVoxD> "See you soon." Stewart hangs up and brings the car around. 23:18 <banana> Melanie: "..anyway, I'll let you get moving. Please be careful. Someone is trying to attack us and maybe it's just to sow suspicion but maybe they'll actually attack next." 23:18 <banana> With the call ended, she's definitely going to drink something. 23:20 <Crion> Street covers Capra's body and takes him to the back. Soon after Amelia and Kingsley arrive, with David Smitten, Gerald, and Santander with them. 23:20 <CBN> Tony follows Stewart's lead from here. 23:21 <banana> Melanie nods at each arrival from behind the bar, looking glum as fuck. 23:21 <VoxPVoxD> Once they're in the car: "Apparently no one's heard from the King besides us since before Christmas, and besides you all of Winter seems to have gone to ground." 23:22 <Crion> Amelia to List as they enter: "Langford. We checked the Sidereal. Canterbury slipped out before dinner service started." 23:22 <Crion> List: "Mmmmm. So besides Tony...they're all gone." 23:22 <CBN> Tony: "So since we went to look into the mole thing some. Huh." 23:22 <trenchfoot> Nels: "...Are we sure it was the King we spoke to?" 23:22 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "How could we be?" 23:22 <CBN> Tony: "And Jackie?" 23:22 <trenchfoot> You* Because Nels wasn't there. 23:23 <CBN> Tony: "The bird at least liked them, so maybe that's a safe place to start from." 23:24 <Crion> Kingsley: "Left him holding the bag." He nods at Melanie in greeting. "Hardly sporting." 23:25 <banana> Melanie: "It wouldn't be a very good frame-up if you didn't." 23:26 <banana> "I mean- I'm not saying Winter knows more than 'bad shit, run', but- is this what they'd usually do? If the bad shit was one of them being accused of something, to totally abandon that person?" 23:26 <dammitwho> Maggie enters the Oberon scowling and frightened. 23:26 <Crion> Gerald: "It's not unheard of for them to go ground, not even all at once..." 23:27 <Crion> Santander, in his wizard voice: "IT IS, IN FUCKING WINTER!" 23:27 <banana> Melanie comes out from behind the bar. She has for Maggie a whiskey and a hug. 23:28 <trenchfoot> Nels is close behind Maggie. They can all figure this out, surely. 23:28 <dammitwho> She will accept both gratefully. 23:28 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's brisk and undeferent. "Where's Jackie Ordinary? Have any of you seen them recently?" 23:28 <CBN> Tony enters the Oberon on guard, mostly ready to dive in front of his friends as needed. Trying to stay optimistic though. Alive so far. 23:29 <Crion> Smote, Nissa, and Colt beat the rest of the motley there by a couple minutes, exchange friendly nods with Melanie -- Smote will even smile and make small talk unless he's rebuffed, and pour himself a whiskey -- but they'll retire upstairs before Maggie and Tony arrive. If Melanie presses why, Smote will shrug and say, We were just doing our jobs. Don't want any bad blood. 23:29 <Crion> Amelia: "...I saw Jackie this morning. They're where they want to be." 23:29 <Crion> "They seem to think it's safest if I don't know where that is." 23:29 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah, that's fair." 23:30 <banana> Wouldn't it be nice if we hadn't sworn an oath keeping us from disclosing, though, why Jackie might have some things to say? 23:30 <Crion> Street looks like he is making a monumental effort not to glare at Maggie and Tony. Not actively ostentatiously; he just seems really awkward and isn't making eye contact. 23:31 <Crion> Langford elbows him. 23:31 <Crion> Street: "I want to...thank you all for coming. I know things got a little hot. I reacted emotionally." 23:31 <Crion> "I got a dead kid on the couch upstairs." 23:31 <Crion> "He took a long time to die." 23:31 <Crion> "So that's what that is." 23:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "We understand." 23:32 <CBN> Tony's matching the awkwardness with trying to affect whatever his best 'I'm not guilty, I'm here to respect the process' which is as difficult to actually enact as it is to articulate. Rounds out to 'awkward.' 23:32 <CBN> He nods. 23:32 <VoxPVoxD> "Thank you for trusting Melanie." 23:32 <banana> Melanie's actually going to step in here and help move things along. She has no authority to do this except that: she really really wants to. "We should do two things. We should demonstrate that these guys had nothing to do with it and we should figure out who can create this kind of tape to frame them." 23:32 <Crion> Street: "Yeah. She's good for it. It's good you have her. Good we have her." 23:33 <banana> She looks at the Street with something almost like horror, but it'll moderate to neutral-happy. 23:33 <banana> Who is this guy? What has he done with the boss? 23:33 <VoxPVoxD> Dead bodies can make you sentimental. 23:33 <VoxPVoxD> Can. 23:34 <Crion> List gives her a look for interrupting her regent -- especially in the middle of him complimenting her -- but Street just nods. "Yeah, that makes sense. I have ideas on both. First, I just want to note for the record, if we have one of those, that Tony is the only one from Winter who bothered to show up. On December fucking 30th. And he's the accused." 23:34 <Crion> "Rest of you have representatives here." 23:34 <Crion> "From your Courts. Not him. Just want to note my disgust about that in front of witnesses." He glances over at the other regents. 23:35 <Crion> He looks at the non-Melanie motley. "Hear you've sworn an oath?" 23:35 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yeah." 23:35 <trenchfoot> Nels nods. That's about the limit of what she can say about it, anyway. 23:36 <CBN> Tony nods as well. 23:36 <CBN> Tony clears his throat. "Ahuh. Um. I'm sorry about what happened to your friend. I'll help you find who did it if I'm able, but to start, it wasn't me." He recedes into the background to the extent he can. 23:36 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart gives Autumn's triad a tight :| kind of smile. 23:36 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Yeah..." 23:36 <Crion> He only gets back a magisterially smug smile from Santander; Gerald looks worried, Kingsley impassive. 23:37 <Crion> Street: "Thanks. Okay. Uh...Kingsley, you want to...?" 23:40 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Should I go too or are we doing this separately?" 23:41 <Crion> Kingsley steps forward. "Yes. Absent the King-in-Court and with the quorum of the other seasons, we have the joint authority to invoke an official Inquest. This is not an interrogation or a jailing; you submit to it voluntarily and may leave at any time. You must, however, swear to tell the truth -- this will be enforced by a powerful oath with severe consequences, and by the divination of 23:41 <Crion> our Iudex, W. Marcus Santander. Do you understand this, Maggie Bakehead and Tony Fewhands?" 23:42 <Crion> Kingsley: "No, this is an open session." 23:43 <CBN> Tony: "I understand, and swear to tell the truth here." 23:44 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Yes, I understand and agree." 23:47 <Crion> Kingsley nods, then nods to the Young Street. Both Maggie and Tony feel the glamour seal the oath. Kingsley: "With the invocation of the ancient dictum I bring this Inquest into session: 'Let your words not come back to bite you.'" 23:47 <Crion> Santander sits down and clears his throat. "Hrrm. Rrrrrrm. Water, please." 23:48 <banana> Melanie remembers some suggestion, back when, that she might have wanted to look into the Autumn Court instead of Summer. For the most part, she's sure she made the right choice. But the way they literally cannot stop making puns? She gets it. 23:48 <VoxPVoxD> This is the first time Stewart's seen the Autumn bosses do anything that even slightly resembles lawyering. Man Stewart hates the law. 23:49 <Crion> Gerald brings him a glass from the bar. 23:50 <Crion> Santander: "Ah. Yes. Rrrm." 23:51 <Crion> "FIRRRRRST QUESTIONNN! Where were you between 4:30 and 4:40 post meridiem today, December 30th, 2019? Tony Fewhands, answer first. Maggie Bakehead, after him." 23:51 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart sits well away from the hot seat, next to Melanie and presumably Nels. 23:52 <trenchfoot> Yes, she's not eager to be up close and personal. Instead, she will nervously twist her skirt from a distance. 23:52 <dammitwho> Was that when she was talking to Amelia? 23:54 <CBN> Tony thinks for a second: "I was at The Wherehouse. I think I was awake at that time, but I might have been still napping." 23:54 <Crion> Amelia called around 5:25 or so. Based on previous narration, she would have been chatting with Nels, it looks like. 23:54 <Crion> Or puttering about. 23:55 <dammitwho> Maggie: "I was also at the Wherehouse, talking with Nels." 23:56 <Crion> Santander pauses then nods at both. No death rains down from on high. 23:57 <Crion> "SECOND QUESTIONNNNNN!!! Did you kill Terrell Capra?" 23:58 <banana> Thinking about it.. they were both there when Melanie left in the early evening. There isn't even time for them to have got across town and done telemurder. She wonders: was this ruse designed to succeed? Was it relying on the assumption that Summer is stupid? 23:58 <Crion> Street glances at Santander with a bit of annoyance when he does the shouting thing a second time. 23:58 <trenchfoot> I mean, they seemed pretty gung-ho to do some vigilantism before cooler heads prevailed... 23:59 <CBN> Tony: "No." 00:00 <dammitwho> Maggie: "No." 00:01 <Crion> He pauses and nods again. "THIIIIIRDDDDD--" 00:01 <Crion> Street: "Man, just ask the fucking questions." 00:01 <Crion> Kingsley, mildly. "Street. He's the Iudex." 00:01 <Crion> Street sighs. 00:01 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart texts Lauren. <everyones calm and no ones in danger and we're figuring this out> 00:02 <VoxPVoxD> Added all up, that's one and a half truths. 00:02 <Crion> "Ahem. THIIIRRRRDDDD QUESTIONNN!" He pauses. "Is there anyone in the Winter Court, present company excluded, whom you trust? 'Yes' or 'no' will suffice." 00:03 <Crion> Santander's voice gets an edge to it there. 00:04 <CBN> Tony has to think for a minute. "Yes." 00:04 <banana> Okay, what? Melanie wants to say something. She doesn't know what she wants to say except that she shouldn't say it. 00:04 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Yes." 00:07 <Crion> Santander, without looking up from the papers in front of him, which appear to be procedural notations -- he's not writing anything down. "Iudex motions the Inquest to receive witness testimony -- Stewart Reader, Melanie Lucas, and Nels Foulke are summoned. Since this is not a subpoena, they may decline, but answers will be subject to the powers of the Inquest. The oath is not required." 00:07 <Crion> "They are posed the Third Question, each in turn." 00:08 <banana> :-( 00:08 <trenchfoot> Nels blinks in surprise, but after a moment: "Yes." 00:08 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart opens his mouth and then closes it. His brow furrows. Finally: "...Yes." 00:09 <banana> Melanie: "I wish I could agree. I really wish- no." 00:09 <Crion> Santander nods after each response. 00:09 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart gives Melanie a supportive nudge. 00:10 <Crion> Santander: "FOURRRTHHH QUESTION!!! Do you know the location of the Winter King? Witnesses may choose to participate." 00:10 <banana> Melanie: "Nope." 00:11 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "No." 00:11 <CBN> Tony thinks again for a second. "No sir." 00:11 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Also no." 00:12 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Nope." 00:13 <Crion> Santander does his pausing and nodding as the Sight trusts, but verifies. 00:13 <Crion> Amelia stirs. "Well that seals it, doesn't it? Sorry. Bad wording. But they're innocent, they--" 00:13 <Crion> Santander: "FINAL QUESTION!!!!!" 00:14 <Crion> The Gardener wheels on the Lord Sage. She is not used to being interrupted. 00:14 <Crion> Kingsley, again, mildly: "The Iudex presides, Amelia." 00:14 <banana> You can't help but like Santander. That's probably part of his job. 00:14 <VoxPVoxD> Santander is so great. 00:15 <Crion> For his part, Santander ignores her glare. He's more interested in all of you. "The witnesses are called again. This time, they are compelled." 00:15 <Crion> Looking at each in turn: "Do you believe the Freehold of Baltimore has been compromised?" 00:15 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Yes." 00:15 <CBN> Tony doesn't even have to think about that one: "Yes." 00:16 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Yeah." 00:16 <banana> Melanie: "I'm not certain. There's some evidence for it." 00:18 <dammitwho> Maggie pauses for a long time, her mouth pursed as she considers her wording. "I'm not certain either way. Of the two theories I have to explain this that I think are most likely, one of them is that the Freehold is compromised from inside. I don't know enough right now to favor either one over the other." 00:20 <Crion> Santander pauses and nods again. "Then this Inquest has found its Truth and served its Purpose. Its findings are binding and self-evident. I record them here--" He pulls up a sheet of parchment with fresh, wet ink on it, despite not having done any writing himself. "--and remand both the accused and the witnesses to the judgment of their own consciences. The Inquest finds cause for no other." 00:21 <Crion> He nods to the Street, who closes his eyes...Tony and Maggie feel the sealing fade, fulfilled. 00:21 <Crion> Then everyone's phones start going nuts. 00:21 <banana> As a process, it's pretty reasonable- what's this? 00:21 <VoxPVoxD> How everyone is everyone? 00:21 <Crion> Gerald: "We've got...alarms at the office have been tripped. Someone's inside--" 00:22 <Crion> David Smitten answers his phone. "What?" Outside, you can hear fire trucks passing. He blanches. 00:22 <Crion> Kingsley to Santander: "Go!" 00:22 <banana> Melanie: "It was a distraction. They knew we wouldn't believe it, only for long enough-" 00:22 <VoxPVoxD> Ah. 00:22 <trenchfoot> Shit. 00:22 <dammitwho> Maggie: "Huuuuurrrm." 00:22 <Crion> The wizard leaps up, shooting towards the mirror behind the bar--and disappears through it. 00:23 <VoxPVoxD> ...Did Lauren get Stewart's text? 00:23 <Crion> She did; she's still in the Wherehouse. 00:23 <VoxPVoxD> Okay. 00:23 <Crion> Smitten: "They're burning the Sidereal." 00:23 <banana> :C 00:23 <CBN> Tony: "Man what the FUCK" 00:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Where do you need us?" 00:24 <dammitwho> Wait, does that mean our phones are going nuts too? Are we getting texts about the Sidereal? 00:24 <Crion> Everyone is moving at once. Summer is splitting between Spring and Autumn to go back to their respective seats of power. Gerald, to the motley: "Santander's already headed to the offices! Go to the Sidereal!" 00:24 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart's on his way out the door. 00:24 <Crion> Samaritan will have texted you, yeah. 00:25 <trenchfoot> Nels was about to ask the same thing, so with that she'll hurry outside before finally checking her phone. 00:25 <banana> We're going, we're going, but what can we do? 00:26 <Crion> Summer's got SUVs and, better, SUVs driven by a police detective with a suction cup siren. 00:26 <CBN> Tony's a step behind Stewart. 00:26 <dammitwho> "Oh, jiminy..." Maggie mutters as she'll follow whoever looks like they have a car. She'll start texting noted weed wizard Union: <Hello, it's Maggie. Are phones safe to talk about secret things?> 00:26 <Crion> Amelia, to Maggie and Nels: "Get to the Sidereal! David, come with me, we need to check on the NACC!" 00:28 <Crion> Detective Colt can get you all up to the Sidereal in under six minutes with his sirens going. When you arrive, the place is on fire, alright -- but there's something weird about it. Probably want to analyze that after you put it out? 00:28 <banana> To whichever of List or Street is closest, Melanie will say this on the way out: "Thanks for keeping this to the minimum it deserved." 00:28 <Crion> Union hits back: <mine is, idk about yours. theyll just see sPoOkY sYmBoLs from me> 00:29 <dammitwho> Maggie: <I just got framed for murder as a distraction from somebody trying to burn down the Sidereal. Can you guys fake security camera footage easily?> 00:30 <Crion> Union ...s for a minute, then pauses, then again. <yeeees> 00:31 <VoxPVoxD> As they drive towards the Sidereal, Stewart turns his windshield wipers on. They scrape awkwardly against the glass three times before the first drop of rain hits them. 00:32 <banana> The building has lots of wooden fixtures, right? If Melanie was in the middle of that she could call another blizzard.. but getting into the middle of it would fry her in under a minute. She hesitates a moment before telling the others: "I can't get close. Smoke burns me.. fire doesn't, smoke does." 00:32 <dammitwho> Maggie: <Okay if an evil one of you guys set the fire would you be able to tell. Come and see if so> 00:32 <Crion> It does, sadly. 00:32 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "Stay in the car." 00:32 <VoxPVoxD> Outside the wind howls. 00:32 <banana> Oh, nice. 00:32 <trenchfoot> Nels was about to hop out, but she listens when someone says things like that. 00:33 <Crion> Union: <idk. illusion stuff isn't really me. but i can ask. prob will need the original tape so keep that around? if its a tape?> 00:33 <Crion> <computers can get weird for signifiers> 00:33 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart parks and stands outside. Hard comes the rain, but not a drop touches him. 00:33 <CBN> Tony will stay in the car, Stewart seems like he'd only tell you that if it was important. 00:33 <VoxPVoxD> How big's the fire? 00:35 <VoxPVoxD> Doesn't matter. Stewart takes the bottle opener attached to his car keys and rakes it across his palm, offering fresh blood to the storm. 00:35 <banana> Unnecessarily: "I think he's doing magic." 00:36 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Sure looks like it. Wish I could help..." 00:36 <dammitwho> Maggie: <No I mean it's on fire right now and I want to know if you can tell what caused it. The tape thing was separate> 00:36 <Crion> Union: <oh uh. yeah where> 00:36 <VoxPVoxD> Something vast shifts in the darkness, rain splattering off of thin air as if something lurked invisibly behind him. But the rain just hangs there, more and more of it, until an eight-legged protozoan thing the size of a horse has coalesced from the downpour, charging into the flames. 00:38 <VoxPVoxD> He walks directly into the burning building, following the creature close behind. 00:39 <Crion> Whole building is on fire...but it seems like they started it outside working in, using accelerants. The accelerants are all over the inside, true -- but the fire was started on the outside, intended to spread in along vectors-- 00:39 <Crion> Except in the kitchen, where there's The Kitchen, holding the fire at bay with two staffers huddling behind him. 00:39 <Crion> Might want to get the water there first. 00:40 <dammitwho> Maggie: <The Sidereal, the club we were at on halloween> 00:40 <VoxPVoxD> Then that's where Stewart and his monster go. 00:40 <Crion> Stewart can tell immediately that it wasn't the Kitchen who started this; the vector's all wrong. It did almost immediately trap him, though. 00:40 <trenchfoot> That guy. 00:41 <Crion> Union: <omw> 00:41 <banana> Melanie: "Now, see, if I was setting the fire it wouldn't be a problem. Most of these faerie tricks let you exclude yourself from any harm, it's a semantic rule rather than a laws-of-physics thing." 00:41 <VoxPVoxD> Shouting over the storm and the flames: "What did you see?!" 00:41 <Crion> Kitchen: "Is that you, Stewart?!" 00:41 <VoxPVoxD> "Yes." 00:41 <Crion> As the flames die, he breathes easier. "Nothing. Just the fire coming in the front and back doors at the same time." 00:42 <Crion> "If I wasn't Elemental..." 00:43 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart heads for whichever of the entrances he didn't come in through. "Make sure the Gardener knows you're okay." 00:43 <Crion> He waves weakly, looking around his workspace. "Ruined. Bah." 00:43 <VoxPVoxD> He's not hurt, is he? 00:44 <Crion> Nope. He's seeing to his assistants as well; they might have breathed in some smoke. 00:44 <VoxPVoxD> Alright. Anything new or unusual at the backdoor? 00:45 <Crion> It's closed and locked, and yet the fire seems to have come in through it -- under it. 00:45 <trenchfoot> Nels: "Who's capable of something like this?" A coordinated strike on multiple Changeling locales, plus a framing of two of the Wherehouse Motley, all at once. 00:45 <Crion> The firefighters start to arrive outside and find the place sodden. 00:45 <VoxPVoxD> It might think it's locked, but Stewart has a deal with every doorknob in the world. 00:45 <VoxPVoxD> What's out back? 00:45 <Crion> They're probably gonna start clomping around in here soon. 00:46 <VoxPVoxD> They won't see Stewart. 00:46 <banana> Melanie: "It couldn't be like.. an individual mole in the Winter Court. But if there's a mole working for someone, it could be the someone." 00:47 <trenchfoot> She furrows her brow. "But why?" 00:47 <dammitwho> Does anyone need Maggie to like, physically move things? 00:47 <Crion> The back of the Sidereal leads out into the parking space. He's got accelerant scorch tracks leading from the back door to a point in the back of the parking lot -- eyeballing it, it's almost certainly a camera deadzone -- and at that point of ignition, there are three separate trails leading in the back door, front door, and improbably, the second floor fire escape where the offices are. It 00:47 <Crion> climbed metal? 00:48 <VoxPVoxD> ... 00:49 <banana> Is the smoke no longer billowing, quenched by the rain and moved by the wind? Melanie gets out of the car, even if there's no specific call for it. 00:49 <Crion> Stewart's hard rain has been quite effective. 00:49 <Crion> The firefighters, soaked, are baffled. 00:50 <VoxPVoxD> You pray for the storm of your life~ it's over and nothing survived~ 00:53 <Crion> As the Sidereal smolders and the Freehold scrambles, it's very clear you're all at war. Now you just have to find out...with whom?