Chapter I - Sword and Shield

[TennyoCeres84]

A look of frustration flitted across Aislinn's face, but she had pushed the matter aside along with the others. She had pried Meris' letters from her father's possession after explaining their importance. She had little time to sort through all of them yet, and she was stunned by how much information she hadn't be able to comprehend what most of it meant as a child. Now, it was absolutely vital information. There was also the issue of the card McLoch had given her. Who was this friend? How did he know Zeb Buck owned a volume belonging to Meris? When would she have time to get past the lich and find it without being killed by Evangeline? In fact, when would she tell them what she knew about a certain ancestor...

She smirked at the dragon. "Speaking of which, what are some of the strange sights you've seen in your life?" she asked the dragon.

***

"I am well. Since the attack, the Fae horticulturists were able to heal the bark on the Tree. It was a lucky thing that the heart of it hadn't been harmed. I've been spending as much time soaking in the sun and rain as possible, given the days are getting shorter already," Sophia answered.

[IamLEAM1983]

Cordatus shrugged lightly. "Take your pick, honestly. Anything that is commonplace nowadays once was wondrous and new to most immortals in my age range."

Still, he gave it some effort. "When you think on it, there is not anything more bizarre in this world than the way mortal ingenuity used the invisible corpses of vanquished afflictions to teach mortal flesh how to defend itself against them. Vaccines - they make so much sense when considered in a flatly mundane spectrum, but I remember how baffled I was by the concept, initially. When something is dead, when it has been conquered utterly and completely, why would you even think of putting it in yourself?!"

The dragon scoffed happily. "A few generations later, the daftest of all prognostics had come true! Diseases were being decimated on a continent-wide basis and those poor bunko artists who valiantly attempted to sell their bottles of bat piss and vinegar as miracle tonics saw their desperate bids fall apart! In the same blow, the mortals' life expectancy crept up on us, and I could tell you exactly where I was and which case I was handling when I first shook the hands of someone who had lived for an entire century without arcane means. Granted, I am no man of Science, but I was so proud of us all on that day..."

After going for a rather jolly take on a wistful mood for a few moments, Tanner shook his head again. "The truth of the matter is that you're all frightfully, even delightfully strange," he said, smirking at Aislinn, "and I would not have it any other way."

Three opted to cut in, an amused look on his face. "Well, this delightfully strange human would like to know how the selkie and dragon like their steaks, if that's not too much trouble. I've got two that are verging on Well Done and one that's Medium Rare. There's a couple others in the fridge inside."

* * *

"They are," agreed Caliban, "but I'm sad to say that Congress recognizing global warming didn't really amount to much, back in 2015... We're still in for roller-coaster temperature shifts over the winter. It's going to play havoc with your overall condition and I'm not even sure Lady Eirean is going to symbolically pass her mantle on to Winter's representative. Pair that with the difficulties they've had with finding someone that has Machae's political clout, and odds are Hope is in for a pretty warm winter. Literally and figuratively.
- Hasn't the Court asked for a more temperate replacement? Someone from Oberon's side, ideally?" asked Eiko.

That allowed Archie to butt in and turn the conversation into a three-way. "Pardon me for intruding, but Fae politics are a bit of a conversational delicacy of mine... As I've learned from my own sources, a certain Nigel Crane has earned Machae's post. Some research presents him as a rather sere fellow, every bit the stickler Gawain evidently never was. It shan't do much for the local nightlife, but political stability is a godsend in these troubled times."

Catching up, Archibald dispensed a few nods. "Hello, Governor, Sophia, Eiko-san..."

[TennyoCeres84]

"Medium rare for me," Aislinn answered. She smiled and commented to the dragon, "The same would go for anyone else. I wonder if the local Board of Tourism would put in the brochure about how you'll meet delightfully strange people where equally strange events take place regularly. Sounds downright whimsical. "

***

Sophia made a non-committal shrug and looked to Archibald. "It's difficult to say. I've yet to meet Mr. Crane. With his firmer disposition, Winter may balance out somewhat in the coming months. Only time will tell. "

[IamLEAM1983]

Three smirked at this. "It's weird. Hope's got Sophia, Amazo, two dragons, a pretty high concentration of mages, the best arcane postgrad program on the Eastern seaboard; and what do the travel brochures mention? Bagels. Hope is supposedly renowned throughout the country for its smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels. Go figure.
- Oh, but they're to die for!" happily protested Tanner. "Have you tried Marley's, at the corner of Crenshaw and King? It's this little bitty Jamaican restaurant that sells Jerk-flavored marinated chicken pita sandwiches, but also bagels the likes of which the old masters would kill to obtain the recipe! I've never bought my own bagels at the supermarket - I always make it a point to stop there to keep a batch of six at the ready."

Three smiled. "Yeah, I think Mom brings a few bags in, every now and then. We're not huge bagel fans, honestly. Still, I'd rather we were known for cream cheese bagels than for crazy Fae lords, ancient curses, gloomy werewolves and general doom..."

He looked at Aislinn while giving her steak one last flip. "How about you, Ais? Got any favorite eateries?"

* * *

Archie rolled his shoulders. "I certainly hope he will; it wouldn't be fair of the Winter Fae to keep bearing the brunt of the city's problems! I say it's high time someone else stepped forward, gave the lads another taste of the action! To be honest, I find myself hoping that we'll be forced to contend with one of the Commission's captains in a more official manner; I would like to ensure that any lasting prejudices they might entertain towards this city's organized crime rings are dispelled.
- Such as?" asked Caliban.

Archie shrugged. "Consider the Biggs cartel, hm? I've had time enough to see plenty of hasty assertions being made both by the constabulary and common citizens alike. They believe that thieves have no honor and no ulterior motives beyond base personal profit, or that their activities stem from some undefinable weakness of character. Weasel Biggs is no Scarface, nevermind how much Lieutenant Callahan would love sticking several consecutive life sentences on the man.
- You're not asking them to sympathize with him, are you?" asked Eiko, who seemed slightly worried. Archie, in response, settled with a shrug.

"Why not? He is a man, same as I, and with needs that are not altogether dissimilar to mine. Need I remind you all of the axioms regarding friends and enemies and the distance at which they must be kept? A friendly scoundrel is a scoundrel that shall respect your handiwork, nevermind how lawful you may be. We can stop any suffering he might indirectly cause, yes, but am I to put him in irons on sight for the simple crime of tainting a public space with his horrible criminal cooties?"

Caliban couldn't repress a snort of amusement. "I - I agree, and I also see that you've picked up some modern jargon...
- What can I say, the concept of criminals carrying their statute as some sort of communicable disease was a preconception I had to battle even in my days as a man of flesh and blood. My trade allowed me to understand that some of the more honorable men alive had very little respect for the law. As I can understand and respect this fact, I have no need to become sanctimonious at the sight of someone with a garnished criminal record."

[TennyoCeres84]

"I do not condone Mr. Biggs' actions, but I also cannot label him or the rest of the Commission as evil incarnate. He's flawed, but he does have some honor. As much as I respect Mr. Callahan for his past achievements, he definitely has too much of a monochromatic sense of morals. During the attack, I saw him, Winters, and Sarvin defending many of Hope's citizens and allowing them to seek refuge in their establishments," Sophia added.

Crystal joined the conversation and stated, "This city has a history of being populated by people who are well-intentioned but are capable of horrible crimes. That includes the Bucks' founding patriarch and a certain Wampanoag archmage who has since faded into history. I'd rather deal with Biggs than either of those two individuals."

***

"Well, the local Goth club has some good drinks and standard American snacks, but I'd have to say my favorite eatery is Galileo's Fusion Bar over on 23rd and West. I absolutely love their Mexican and Italian influenced grilled chicken!" Aislinn exclaimed.

[IamLEAM1983]

Archie could only agree. "We common folk tend to do what we do out of definable reasons. We are not naturally wanton in our actions, and-
- I'm sorry," interjected the saurian, "did you call yourself common? I don't mean to insult you, it's just a little hard to believe."

A good-natured smirk passed on the automaton's face and he gestured to suggest a pause or an ellipsis. "Perhaps my choice of words was a tad too generous, but I was referring to our common moral fiber. Nobody sane gets up in the morning and assumes that kicking puppies makes for a wondrous way to pass the time, for instance. We all have reasons for doing what we do, and they are all quite tangible. Even, might I add, in the case of pathological killers or liars. In their case, the challenge and thrill of it all serve as reasons enough.

Now - Samoset, I believe was his name? Whatever reasons he had have long since been abandoned. If justice was in need of being meted in the name of his tribe, he has gone above and beyond the call of duty, to the point of gross zeal and outright abuse of power. Had I been in his place, I would have made my displeasure quite obvious, only to then focus my energies on treating the survivors of the epidemic. Our man evidently chose poorly. As for Nikolaas the Elder, all I've been able to ascertain in my time here is that he was already addled by the time tragedy struck. Unfortunately, some forms of insanity snuff out all moral character as surely as they do base judgment."

He pouted lightly. "I pity the man, if I may be honest. I do not excuse his actions, far from it - but no man should have endured what he has been forced to endure."

* * *

"Oh man, yes!" said Three in obvious agreement. "I've always wanted to try out the Succulus, but it's way out of my price range," he then confessed. "You know - small servings over six or seven services, really crazy creations... I've never had to dress up to go out to dinner before."

That made him scoff. "Archie's got the reverse problem; he probably hyperventilates as soon as an invitation comes with the Casual mention."

[TennyoCeres84]

"While that's true, I somehow doubt Nikolass was completely suffering from something that the medical community could now diagnose. The Narragansett heard from the few Wampanoag survivors that Nikolaas Buck had ventured to a place on his island that was frequented by evil entities. Given the murky details, it's difficult to see what initially caused Hope's curse. Samoset shouldn't have done such a thing, but there's more to it that we don't see," the werewolf acknowledged.

Sophia then added, "She's right. There is the disconcerting fact that there is a festering pool where the Buck Mansion is located. A banshee named Riona guards it, and no one is allowed near it. If there's a similar pool on the grounds that's hidden, it could very well explain a lot of what has transpired in the recent and distant past."

***
Aislinn chuckled conspiratorially. "We really should try to get him to wear some casual clothes at some point," she joked.

[IamLEAM1983]

"That would be very likely," agreed Archie. "I sometimes wonder if half of this city's problems couldn't simply be fixed by relocating the Bucks further inland, but this would be a rather preposterous suggestion to make at this time. I doubt that Madeline and Eliphas would even consent to abandoning their clan's handiwork - even if Madeline has been raised outside of town. She has aspirations regarding the family mansion, and I doubt that any tales concerning festering pools of brine or guardian Banshees would convince her to rethink her plans."

He then shrugged lightly. "As for Zebediah, the worst has already been endured. The family's gloomy outlook on life has permeated him to such a degree I doubt he would be any different even if we were to guarantee him a safe retreat thousands of miles away."

* * *

"I figure he'd do it," added Drake, "but really grudgingly. He'd wear them once, then we'd find their ashes in his room's fireplace."

He smirked. "I mean, he never verbalized anything and he knows better than to judge us openly for something as trivial as what we wear, but the first time he saw me wearing sneakers without socks on? I know he's not as facially expressive as a living person, but you could just feel the disgust rising off of him, even if he stayed really pleasant the whole day through."

[TennyoCeres84]

"While Samoset may have placed limits on how far the curse would reach, it affects the Bucks on a deeper level, obviously. Physical tragedies happen, but Samoset probably hoped the sheer melancholy would drive them to ruin. Obviously, it hasn't prevented Eliphas from persevering, but Zeb is merely existing in between bottles. The books are merely dust collectors when Evangeline isn't attempting to possess him and cause trouble," Sophia mused.

***

Aislinn chuckled. "That reminds me of Gubbin. When he first moved in, he looked through my closet and seemed annoyed that I don't really have any dresses. I've always been a tomboy; I'm not Cinderella. That's Neasa's thing," she joked.

[IamLEAM1983]

Archie sighed. "Zebediah... God knows I've tried giving the chap a hand or two over the years, but - upon my word, it's almost as if the curse knows when someone is being kind towards one of the Bucks! September 1924 was a standout example of this for me; they were in a bad way and I still had a decent share from my half of the estate. I elected to offer them ten thousand dollars for the City Hall's renovation, take the operation's hit largely away from their precarious finances.

For the period, this was a king's ransom, believe you me. Well, what should happen on the very week of my donation? An electrical fire in the old City Hall's Records room, of course! One third of the renovated building reduced to smouldering rubble and a reconstruction bill I was now reluctant to shoulder. I've seen a few other examples of this before my last deactivation, prior to Elysium's arrival. The curse is only mildly unkind towards helping hands but never fails to land calamities of the worst order upon that wretched clan. I'd already seen Evangeline's first manifestation in the nineteenth century and had already been made witness to Zebediah being forced to cover official reparations towards Sophia," he said, nodding towards the dryad.

He shook his head, his gaze momentarily taking on the bewildered glaze of someone left powerless in front of some sort of tragedy. "At this point, all I've left to offer is platitudes and liberal quantities of sherry. Would that I could personally wrest things in another direction, but this is one foe that my skills cannot conquer. It's all rather sickening, if I may be so bold."

* * *

The dragon gave a good-natured smile. "Oh, come now - I'm sure some bit of cloth would compliment that waist of yours without needing to resort to anything too masculine. Besides, all you should consider is giving the old bean the occasional reprieve; the vague sense that his efforts are bearing fruit."

He gestured as he explained himself. "Try and see it like this, hm? Week one? Jeans. Week two? Cargo pants. Week three? Chinos. Then," he said, stopping to add a theatrical gasp of sheer awe, "oh, then - a suitably dark miniskirt!"

Having momentarily looked up to the heavens with a look of sheer gratitude on his face - as if he were projecting the looks Gubbin would never outwardly display for fear of destroying his countenance - he looked back to Aislinn. "Little by little and every now and then, make him believe that there is hope for you, yet. Eventually, he will come to realize that there is plenty of femininity to go around in your profession."

He shrugged lightly. "Malks. The one secret towards earning their unconditional trust is to win it in spurts. Give him what he wants, but not too much and certainly not too fast. If you do, then he will surely know you are attempting to please him and will doubt of your earnestness."

Three flipped another steak. "So they're really like cats, hm?
- Slightly paranoid and almost frustratingly perceptive cats, I would say," replied the dragon in jest. "Never play Fibbage with a Malk, he will take the game's prescribed lies far too seriously. In Gubbin's case, I would not be surprised if he purposefully ruined a few items of clothing of yours during laundry, as payback for you beating him in a board game."