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Evan:
At first, it was a day like any other. Summers around, coming and going, training or socializing or coming on or off patrol shift. How many? Who can say, maybe just a few, maybe several. It's a big hollow, with lots of places for people to be that aren't in open sight.
What sets it apart isn't a SINGULARLY unusual event. There's people with flying mounts, after all, so someone coming in for a landing isn't all that terribly unusual.
What IS a bit odd about THIS landing is that there's nobody riding the beast that swoops down from the skies, massive leathery wings beating madly to kill forward moment as rear, then forward, legs settled onto the ground.
Well. That and that it's a thirty-foot long dragon. That's a little out of the ordinary, too. But it feels summery- like roasty tarmac underfoot, and distant barbecues roasting some tasty smelling pork... it's probably pork- and it isn't starting shit as it shakes out its wings and folds them behind its rippling spine, so. Courtier, not invader.
So that's good!
Lauren:
Lauren had spent her durance as a sentry, so she was very rarely caught by surprise.
A dragon though? Now that was surprising. And even thought the dragon’s mantle rolls out around it to indicate that this is friend, not foe, she can’t help shifting into a more fight-ready stance.
Though one human-ish sized Changeling against a dragon doesn’t really look like a fair match
Teagan:
Tuesday is armory care day, in Sigrun's world, so Teagan is there, helping Sigrun. All of the various metal pieces have been pulled out of storage and there's a big blanket laid out on the ground with all kinds of armor on it. Teagan's sitting on a rock, wearing their usual heavy greatcoat, jeans, tank top and boots, holding a green scrubby in their left hand, industriously attacking a spot of rust when the dragon swoops in.
They roll up to their feet very casually, as if this is all totally normal, and then there's a machete in their left land instead. Like you do.
Avery:
Avery has spotted the dragon off in the distance, an interested stare as they got food for the day. The term eat like a bird did apply to Avery, of course in the metaphorical sense and not the actual science sense. Aka they seemed like they were worried about taking too much.
As the Dragon approaches, Avery sneaks along the outskirts of whatever crowd had formed, trying to get a good view without getting overwhemed from the group of people around them.
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 5:14 PM
Sigrun's wearing britches with her house dress girded for choring. She's got the forge hot, banging out some bodkin points to refill the quivers that need them. With Teagan on the polish and spit regimen, it gives her more time for this particular task, and she's setting a pretty commendable pace.
When the dragon swoops in, she covers her face and swings the furnace door partially closed to keep the dust out. It squeaks back open after the dust all settles with Sigrun there holding a glowing bodkin in her tongs and a hammer in hand. She looks like she just saw a
"Dragon."
Evan:
Scales and bones pop and ripple and twist as the dragon collapses inwards on itself, shrinking and imploding down to-
Well, they're tall, but it's anticlimactic now.
Lanky, athletic, six and a half feet tall, stone grey skin, steel tusks, and red hair absolutely SOAKED with blood. It's not real- it evaporates off their clothing and skin before it hits the ground- but it's very much a part of their mien.
Oh.
And GREAT tits.
As the assembled pop out with machetes and combat stances and glowing metal and hammer, they lift a hand and speak in very inner-city AAVE.
"Suuuup. Don't think I've met y'all. M'Evan, he/him. Nice t'meetcha."
Awkward pause.
"Sorry for the interruption. Kinda hard t'land quiet."
Teagan:
"No," Teagan deadpans, having rather unconsciously put themself bodily between Sigrun and the dragon with two swift yet somehow lazy steps. The machete swings, one slow spin and another, their wrist flexing as if testing the weight of a weapon that moves like a part of them, not a separate tool. "You have not."
Their Mantle is a crackle of radios calling for help that never comes, a snap and flash of heat and the smell of a July-cooked tarmac cooling down after sundown, flared around them and melting the frost on the grass. "Maybe, new kid, next time walk in."
Avery:
Avery gets a bit closer to the dragon, enough to overhear Teagan over all the chatter of anyone else. Then perhaps a bit closer to get around the other people moving. Their mein itself was androgynous, but Avery cared little about what people refered to them as anyway. Their feathers did noticibly settle as everyone else seemed to calm.
Lauren:
Lauren shifts her weight, into less of an obvious battle stance. Then again, it’s also a great stance if one wanted to lash out with a quick snap kick, and her hooves are sharp…
“Not a great first impression there,”
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 5:34 PM
Sigrun visibly deflates just a little when it turns out they're not going to be fighting a dragon. But just a little. "Oh."
Then she checks the color of the point she'd been working on and dips it in the oil with a squelching hiss.
She turns back to the forge and tosses the point into the cooling tray before reaching for another blank and shoving it into the fire. She may be counting to ten in her head right now as she works the bellows to get the fire to spec again. A pretense for not offering her opinion at first. Finally she goes with, "Hi, Evan. Until everyone's gotten a chance to meet you and learn your chimera forms, I need to ask you not to fly in like this. Okay? Otherwise I have to decide between making the angry people happy and making you unhappy. Which isn't a great place to be in for me. Okay? Can we do that?"
Everest (He/Her) - Vorpal — Yesterday at 5:40 PM
Evan's eyes flash from one to another, gauging the responses drawn, and twists his lips up around his tusks a bit. "Yeah, 'm thinkin' that's a good call from th'reception. Wasn't aimin' to freak everyone out, but, uh. I ain't really used t'havin' anyone around t'care how I show up, so that's on me."
Lauren's comment? Evan's head bobs faintly side to side and he holds up his fingers, pinched close together. 'Li'l bit.' He agrees with that assessment, apparently.
Sigrun does a lovely job approaching the situation diplomatically, and Evan lifts his hands in "surrender." "Y'ain't askin' me anythin' I didn't already figure was gonna be good manners, after that reception. We're on th'same page- now, at least. Ain't about t'make anyone start pickin' who t'piss off. I'll, uh. Clear a space t'land someplace else an' hoof it, it's cool.
An' seriously, apologies. Didn't mean t'."
Teagan:
For the time being, even while Sigrun (who does technically outrank them for the purposes of Summer, and all) is giving Evan a Talking To, in the politest of ways, Teagan stays in between the blonde and the former-dragon, and the machete stays in their hand. It's very clearly some sort of Token, whether Hedgespun or a proper activatable Token, and clearly has seen years of use. They're a silent wall between Evan and their woman. Everything else is secondary.
Avery:
Avery's head flicks at the hiss of cooling metal looking around for the source and their eyes settling on the forge. A look at the fire with some interest. The discussion between the dragon and everyone else seemed to be calming down, so their curiosity overtook them.
They didnt approach while everyone was still on edge, but got close enough to the forge to look at what was going on.
Lauren:
This Lauren doesn’t miss. Her gaze snaps over to the raven, and while her expression remains neutral, there’s an edge to her tone. “And what about you little bird?”
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 5:55 PM
"Thanks, Evan. I appreciate it when you all listen to my concerns, it means a lot." Sigrun is very clearly putting some deliberate effort into modeling healthy behavior and conflict resolution here. Summer is known for its hotheads and dressing downs, and that is very much not her thing. "Apology accepted. Does anyone else want anything from Evan?" She means by way of apology, looking about the small crowd to see if she's managed to put the matter to bed.
Evan:
Evan keeps his mouth shut as folx get acclimated. He doesn't seem the SLIGHTEST bit insulted by Teagan's response, nor Lauren's. He nods at Sigrun's statement. "You're welcome. I'm the one pissed y'all off by landin' a three story lizard on your lawn, far as I'm concerned, some suspicious stares and vague threatening postures are about par for the course. I thought "hey we got a dragon in town" mighta been a bit more publicized, but that's on me for not checkin', not y'all." Another nod as Sigrun checks if anyone wants an apology, glancing over at Avery as Lauren draws attention to them.
Avery:
Avery freezes at Lauren catching them. Not that they were doing anything but the Beast instincts are strong.
They shake their head to settle themselves before answering. "I'm... just looking? Do I need to not look?"
Teagan:
Now, and only now, when Sigrun seems chill about it, does Teagan's machete disappear back under their heavy leather coat, and their body posture come to be slightly more relaxed. They step one step to the left, allowing there to be, you know, a clear lane between Evan and their wife. He steps back, shaking his head slightly. "Nah, I'm good if you're good, Significant." They tip their chin up at Evan. "Teagan," they introduce, but their tone seems to indicate that they assume Evan already knows who they are. Cocky bastard.
Lauren:
As everyone else relaxes, so does Lauren and her tone is much warmer as she addresses Avery. "Just a bit on edge. Apparently."
She shakes her head. "old habits die hard"
Evan:
"I mean, a dragon just sat down in y'all's yard. I think "on edge" is understandable," Evan adds on Lauren's behalf.
At Teagan's introduction, Evan's eyes pop, shoot up and down the androgyne. "YOU'RE- fuck, okay." Lips turn down as he nods in a perfect "yup, that tracks" expression. "I can see what Bailey meant. Nice t'meetcha, friend." Deliberately avoiding gendered honorifics.
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 6:12 PM
"Nobody did anything wrong," Sigrun immediately points out to the people around her. As though something in their responses prompted her to give the reassurance. "We drill preparedness. We drill readiness. We drill that reaction specifically. And I'm proud of all of you." With that, she pulls the blank from the fire, sets it to the anvil, cleans her hammer with a bounce and then brings it over the metal to begin working it to a point. Clang. Clang. Clang. If you like biceps, this is good stuff.
"While I have you all here," she says between blows, "does anyone need gear? New weapons or armor? If you ougrow your old stuff, if you can swing heavier now? Let's capitalize on that. I've got time in my work rotation right now." By the end of all that, she's finished the point off, holds it up to examine her work, and then drops it into the quench with a hiss.
Avery:
Avery looks to Lauren, then to Sigrun going back to the forge, and back to Lauren. "I am...not in trouble, yes? I'm not often here."
Teagan:
They have work to do, so they go back to it, sitting down on the rock with a flourish of their coat. They pause, though, and their head tips slightly towards Evan. "You can see what Bailey meant?" Teagan prompts, eyebrows rising, one corner of their mouth tweaking just so. "I'm good, Wife," they answer Sigrun, apparently meaning for that to cover all of the things she said and asked, while they scrub away every speck of rust on a set of pauldrons. "You're not in trouble, kid," they tell Avery.
Everest (He/Her) - Vorpal — Yesterday at 6:20 PM
"Oh. It was like. The second thing Bailey said to me. Asked me if I was, uh. Y'know. Involved. I can see as how that'd be a concern," Evan states plainly, relaxing a bit only after Sig confirms nobody's done anything wrong. He's very unarmed, though considering he showed up as a dragon, that may not be all that surprising. He moves a little further into the Hollow, peering at the forge, and glancing around, wondering who might chirp up for gear. He's not putting much effort into showing he's biting his tongue for the moment. "Hey, if folx're doin' drills and stuff. Can someone show me where th'schedule's posted? Feel like I've been cuttin' class. Doesn't have to be now, just. Sometime."
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 6:32 PM
With new arrivals about, Sigrun's probably best giving up making points for now. Once the latest has been tossed into the cooling tray, she counts the points, updates the count on her little chalk board, and then wipes down her hands to come waddling out of the forge due to the girding of her skirts. She strides up to stand behind Teagan, resting a hand that smells of coal fire, slag, and leather their shoulder as they work.
"Avery is it? Why don't you come closer, please. I am your sentinel of flame, we should know each other better." She indicates nearby seating with a dip of the head. Invitation. "Oh, in the command cottage. Doll has the lists, I believe. Sign ups for patrols, training, and so on. The only drill I still handle personally any longer is specifically training non-combatants. The dedicated fighters don't need my teaching around here, they just need my support."
Lauren:
"There's always need for more patrols, I'm pretty sure" Lauren adds, as she wanders over towards Sigrun's forge. "Never know what's going to come out of the Hedge. Or where."
She looks over the displayed armor. "I'm mostly a fists and hooves fighter, so I'm not sure there's anything I need"
Everest (He/Her) - Vorpal — Yesterday at 6:53 PM
"Command cottage, eh?" Evan looks as directed, nodding. "Doll. Gotcha. Alright. There's not like. A limit t'patrols you can take or anythin', right? Always some mothafucka out there trynna ice skate up hill." He glanced to Lauren, that seemed to answer the question. "Amen, sister. Right there with ya, just. Slightly different hardware. Though, what about protection? Can't go out again if y'don't come back alive, right? You got armor?"
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 6:55 PM
"A limit? Reason," Sigrun answers with a shrug. "If I think there's value in it, I'm for it. If I don't, convince me. Or ask Peter or someone with more authority than me. But generally I expect adults to act like it, you know? Don't get showboaty, take it seriously, act like lives are on the line out there and back here based on what you're doing out there, and get back safely. Those are my rules."
Avery:
Avery looks to Sigrun, a deer (or raven) caught in headlights as a superior actually...knowing them by name. It's a sign of good leadership but also nerve wracking. They step over to the forge, watching with interest.
"Yes...I am Avery. A page of high noon. It is nice to meet you."
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 7:08 PM
"I am Sigrun the Light Daughter. I am trying to make the Shadow Wife stick, but it's a work in progress. This is my husband, Teagan. That's ... Evan, he said. And that's Lauren." Sigrun introduces around, just in case it's necessary. "You thirsty? Hungry? June makes the mead, and I have stew on in my cottage." She ticks her head over towards one of the nearby huts with smoke coming out of the chimney.
"If you need any gear, Avery, you let me know. Or if you want to meet privately sometime. To talk over anything. About the court, personally. Anything you need, you ask me. Okay?" Sigrun steps away from Teagan's side and settles down on a stump to take a drink from a bucket with a ladle.
Evan:
Evan listened in to Sigrun's manner of handling those she was responsible for, nodding faintly to himself. There was a lot to say for her leadership, that was for sure. "Sigrun the- Shadow Wife, mm?" A glance to Teagan. Clearly considering them for a moment as the aforementioned Shadow. "Neat. Nice to meet you, too, Avery. She got it right, it's Evan." The mention of stew has his eyes flicking towards the cottage- but briefly, eyes front and center a moment later, steel behind them.
No, sir. No stew for this fella.
"Reason. Mmm. Gotcha. I just like to stay busy. Wasting time isn't my style, and I don't have a lot else to do with it lately. Just didn't want to, like. End up sat down for a talk over violating Patrol Scheduling Doctrine 24.1, Regarding Depriving Others Of Patrol Duties Through Excessive Vigilance or some shit," he quips, no actual disdain in his tone. It's just an example of his concern, not what he thinks of the Freehold.
Lauren:
Lauren lets out a short laugh, "Personally I don't think there's such a thing as excessive vigilance. Unless you're being too vigilant in one area and miss something somewhere else. But then again that's why it's a team effort." She sits down, still looking thoughtfully at the armor. "I tend towards being mobile when I fight, so I'm not sure heavy armor would work."
Teagan:
The shadow husband in question leans forward, forearms on his knees, and tips his chin up slightly. "Doll is the Quartermaster," they append to Sigrun's explanations to Evan. "And she's married to one of the two right hands of the Regent, so, you know. It works out." When Sigrun introduces herself as the Shadow Wife, though, their face splits into a grin, however brief, like a cloud scudding across the moon. They lift one of their hands, waving it slightly towards Avery, and they continue their work.
And then there's a moment where you can see things kind of click together, and they pause, their head turning towards Evan slowly as they sit up. "Are you fucking Bailey?"
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 7:32 PM
Situated out of view of Teagan, of only just, Sigrun's expression splits into a grin which she fails utterly to conceal. Yyyyyeah, Baaailey. Get it, kiddo! Maybe if she keeps her head down and focuses on the water and the ladel, nobody will notice she's trying not to laugh.
Avery:
Avery nods slowly to Sigrun, eyes wide, and all the light around seems reflected in them. Its hard to tell if they are in awe, terrified, both, or have just discovered new emotions and have no idea what they are.
"Um...hello...I'm Avery." They repeat before shaking their head, feathers ruffling. "I...nice to meet you all. I guess I am a bit hungry?"
Avery pauses at the mention of gear, reaching down to their thigh, grabbing a knive, and twirling it to offer Sigrun the handle. "I am prepared, I don't need more gear at the moment. I...am proficient enough with those and like...Lauren? Like Lauren I am mobile when I fight. But...private meeting...maybe. Groups are loud and...distracting." Avery's eyes flick whenever theres a slightly too loud sound around the area.
Evan:
Evan stays tuned into Teagan's explanation, nodding. Doll. Quartermaster. Married to right hand. Awesome. Cool. "Ohhhh, I getcha, Lauren. Hey, that's cool. When I'm not. Y'know. A fucking dragon, I'm the same way. Still, might be worth askin if you can get somethin' tough and light?"
And then there's the serial killer head turn, and Evan blinks, immediately off balance. "What? I'm not Bailey. I turn into dragons, not p-OH." Right. That was a verb, not an adjective. "Noooooooo. I haven't spent a single second horny since I got back. And that was eight months ago. I'm not fuckin' nobody."
Teagan:
A little gesture with their hand, as if to say, this question is all-encompassing of any sort of involvement, and Teagan's broken-mirror eyes just stay locked on Evan for the moment. Maybe it's menacing, maybe it isn't. Tough to say at the moment. They say, "Hey, Avery," out of the corner of their mouth. "Met your dead boyfriend." But they're still staring at Evan, as best as anybody can tell. Given that they don't have real eyes, it can be hard to see what they're looking at.
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 7:58 PM
You know how couples have that thing they do where they can somehow communicate without words solely by imperceptable shifts in body language? Sigrun and Teagan never really developed that, because Sigrun does a very bad job of hiding her feelings on matters. And right now she's got Teagan fixed with a slightly surprised expression. And possibly a little disappointed, even. But she tries her best to hide it.
Avery:
Avery watched the interaction between Teagan and Evan with a bit of worry, suddenly glad Teagan wasn't paying attention to them...and then they were. And then there was THAT comment and Avery looks worried.
"Is...is that a bad thing? Vincent is...nice and...he is trying his best."
Lauren:
Lauren shifts slightly, feeling somewhat out of the loop. She's plucks at some of the grass on the one hand glad that she's not the focus of anyone's intense attention, but also like she doesn't have much to contribute.
Teagan:
They finally swivel their attention away from Evan -- who will get interrogated later about Intentions towards Bailey, worry not -- towards Avery. And there's something that makes their black-opal skin shimmer and their mirror-smooth expression resolve itself into something somehow subtly softer. "I don't like vampires," they answer Avery, rolling up to their feed with a literally inhuman fluidity. "Any vampires. But that's not your problem."
"He is trying." Yes, those might in fact be the most grudging three words that Teagan has ever said, but he says them, and they are probably not for Avery's benefit. Or, okay, at least mostly not for Avery's benefit. They scoop up the armor they've been working on, wrapped up in the blanket it's all been laying on, and sling it over their back like some sort of sexy Dominican Santa who only brings arms and armor, all the better to carry it into the command cottage and put it away.
Dad Hoc — Yesterday at 8:19 PM
Sigrun recomposes herself and steals a bit of focus by slurpily wiping the back of her wrist over her mouth as she finishes refreshing herself from the water bucket. She flicks her wet hand at the ground, wipes it off on her apron, and then pushes back to her feet to once more take her position behind her husband, a hand resting again on his shoulder.
"Leave the vampire matter to me, then, husband." She looks down at Teagan, her expression softening just a little. When he heads off carrying armor, Sigrun turns back to the group and gives a small curtsy before turning to follow along after Teagan, plucking up some stray pieces of gear. She's helping, see. Not following him to make sure he's okay. Helping.
Evan:
Evan starts to frown the longer he's fixed with that stare. He doesn't offer more information- he answered the question asked, and if Teagan can be bothered to pester Avery but not vocalize a question, he isn't gonna volunteer more of Bailey's personal life unasked. The gaze breaking relaxes Evan just a touch, glancing at everyone else with a very clear "what the fuck was that" check, unsure if that was NORMAL or WHAT.
"Vincent? You're datin'- huh. Fuckin' small world. I peeled a thug off him before I knew he was, uh. Heartbeat impaired. He needs a safer line'a work." That's all to Avery, of course. There's a glance to Lauren. She looks like Evan wished he felt. This spotlight wasn't it.
Avery:
Avery somehow seems get smaller and smaller as Teagan approaches. Avery is also similarly fluid, but that doesn't help when someone else is just as dextrous, or in this case even more.
Avery shakes with a slight bit of fear and anxiety, breathing intensifying before they close their eyes and...are in a small bird shape. A raven to be precise. Their instincts pulling them to get away from the scary situation and into the branches of the nearest tree to hide.
Teagan:
"Yeah, yeah," they mutter vaguely, "Gotta call my kid." And then Teagan disappears into the cottage carrying their adhoc sack full of shiny metal, with Sigrun following after. Definitely just to help, definitely not to check on him.
Evan:
"... welp." Evan mutters as Avery subbird-drops on the spot, shoving his own thumbs into his pockets. "Battin' a thousand today, huh."
Lauren:
"They're... a bit much" Lauren admits. She's not intimidated per se, but she's always felt weird around people with such strong personalities.
Evan:
"I mean. We tend to be." Vorpal offers, shrugging. "I'm gonna try not to take it personal. They were givin' Avery th'eye, too."
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