[???] stop requested (fetchpatrick/fetcherance/others)

[shibrogane]

The halls were wide open and empty. Unusually, the Court seemed completely deserted; usually for a fetch, the other fetches didn't mind showing up and socializing. Today, it was a straight shot down the hall to the Spinel Lady's suite.

The Semblance of Unity

cibarium

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Come along," she said. "You know the way." Temperance stalked through the hall, then leaned back and grabbed Julian's wrist. She was suddenly afraid he'd wander off. That no fetches came out to greet her was kind of odd, but then again Julian was kind of odd, so maybe the whole world had gone off.

She would try to avoid bringing this trivial of an issue to the Lady, but with the Lady was Silk. And she trusted Silk.

cibarium

 

[cibarium]

Julian followed Temperance through the silent hallway, growing concerned himself.

"Looks like no one's here..."

shibrogane

the semblance of unity

 

[shibrogane]

At the end of the hall, Silk was just stepping out of the Lady's suite. "Temperance," said Silk, and then, spotting Julian, corrected herself. "Hart. What brings you here?"

She cast a concerned gaze at Julian. Something there wasn't right.

cibarium

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Julian was treated to no more words as they walked. And, soon enough, they had arrived. "Silk," she said, dipping her head in acknowledgement. "I don't know which fetch this is, but I was hoping you could assist me. I.. did not want to bother the Lady, even if she is available." Hart's huge, hulking admiration for the Spinel Lady was likely well known to Silk... she hadn't exactly hid it.

"He is acting entirely out of character - I think the memory transfer must be faulty." Hart turned to Julian. "Which are you?"

shibrogane

 

[cibarium]

"Which what?" asked Julian, glancing between the two fetches. "Memory transfer?" He squinted with confusion.

shibroooogane

the seeeemblance of unity

 

[shibrogane]

"It oughtn't be," said Silk, "Usually there would be a noticeable difference in appearance as well..." She stepped forward, cupped a hand around the base of Julian's skull and--flinched.

"We need the Lady," she said, "We need this man's tithe and we need his patron, and we need them now. Hart--you came with the Lady before--do you know where she is?"

The Semblance of Unity

yall can just say yes and go get her surprised

cibarium

assume julian and lady have been fetched by another fetch yo

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Yes, Silk," she said, kind of alarmed by how the fetch had flinched. "I will bring her." Hart ducked her head and turned back down the hallway. One doorway, two doorways, and a third and she was back in regular Ashdown. Specifically, she was back in some kind of closet that was far too crowded, even for her slight form. It was interesting - usually she appeared in more... open places. Hart felt her face and grimaced. The glamour was off.

Regardless, she pushed carefully out of the closet, knocking over a small sign that read 'Nugget'. "Oh, please." Hart was upstairs, and she began to make her way downstairs, trying to figure out where the hell this was and if it was a good enough place to wait out the glamour's return.

cibarium

edito

 

[cibarium]

Three sets of footsteps were heard some minutes later: behind the fetch and Lady, the real Julian shuffled down the hall, perplexed and a little annoyed by the summons. But he was aware enough of where he was that he'd answered it without any outward question or complaint, if only because he didn't want to put his patron in more hot water than it felt like they were in.

Meanwhile, the fetch Julian was growing more outwardly nervous. "Can someone tell me what's really going on here?" he asked.

the semblance of unity

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

At the bottom of the stairs was Melany. She looked up at Hart and said, "I... Who are you? What are you doing here?" She groped at her pocket like she was looking for a phone, but found... uh, nothing.

*

"You're very sick and we're getting a doctor," said Silk grimly. Lady looked, alarmed, at Julian, and then to Fetchlian, and then back to Silk.

"Then why are we here," asked Lady, and Silk gave her a scathing look. She shut up.

cibarium

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Well, damn, if this wasn't good luck. It felt kind of yucky to have Melany see her all withered, thought. "I, uh, Horace said I could visit for a bit..." Hart had snooped the s**t out of the mailboxes and could only hope 'Horace' actually still lived there. "He said I should try to talk to you about the court, and if you would consider visiting it again. To test to see if you'd wake up, lady." Right, right. This was good lies, surely. She patted her poofy hair.

shibrogane

cibarium

 

[shibrogane]

"You're lying," said Melany through gritted teeth. "Horace wouldn't tell you to wake her up." Her hand inched upwards towards her left shoulder, where the mark was, and her shoulders were stiff, rigid with pain. "What do you want from her?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Well, she had Hart there. "He would. Because he knows there's something only she can do. There's.... something is wrong, horribly wrong and only she, only you can fix it." Dammit, usually this would have worked by now. "I came here for help."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"If only I can fix it, then just take me," said Melany. "I don't want her to come out. I don't like her. I don't want to risk hurting someone else. So you can pick or I can--I can make you go. You're not wanted here."

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"You are her and she is you. But I don't know if you have enough knowledge - she's got so many years of experience." And you look like a baby, Hart thought. "You... you're going to choose not to help someone because you're afraid?" Help, more like make sure the fetch being Julian had his head screwed on straight. But help sounded more noble. Hart frowned soulfully.

shibrogane