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Nevy waits in Book's, browsing the home improvement section while watching the entryway for their requested contact. They're still looking a touch strained.
Floretta ventures into Book's. She's wearing a pair of fashionably torn jeans, worn running shoes and a purple shirt than hangs off of one of her shoulders. Her hair are still a flashy neon green too, she holds a tote bags in her hands as she wanders the store, trying to find Nevermore.
Nevy, when they notice Floretta, goes to meet her. "Hey!" They call out with a little smile. "How are you!"
Floretta gives a little thumbs up and a light hearted smile. "I'm doing good, i'm doing good." She offers a handshake.
Nevy shakes. "You wanna head back to talk?" They indicate the rearward of the building.
"How safe is it to talk there?" Floretta moves toward it as directed. She asks with a soft whisper as she follows.
Nevy looks back with a grim smile. "As safe as I could make it, based on the time, money, and knowledge I had on hand." They shrug one shoulder. "Meaning I can't guarantee, but I haven't seen any indication that it's been tested." They lead Floretta to a small storage room with bare walls lined in chicken wire, with a folding table and a couple chairs. A single shelf hangs from one wall, with a radio that Nevy turns on and turns to the wall, filling the room with the muffled sound of voices to obscure their own conversation. "There we go."
She takes a seat on one of the chair and looks to the door for a moment, then back at Nevermore. "Alright. Are you doing okay?" Floretta asks, narrowing her eyes a little bit, trying to pick on their heartbeat and general mood on her own.
Nevy is Stressed and Worried, but doing their best to cope and to channel that worry and stress in productive directions. They're far from happy, but they're not in crisis - currently, at least.
"What have you been up to?" Floretta adds after a moment.
They shrug one shoulder. "I've been... trying to help organize some of the work fighting the rats - that's actually what I called you about. I wanted to make sure you know that there's a Mage who's working on the problem too, who's probably going to be reaching out."
"Yes, they've contacted me about leaving some notices around my own kind's places." A smile rise there and nod. "What do you know about the wizards in general? That you can share?"
Nevy chuckles. "How much would you feel comfortable sharing about your kind to them?"
"I'm not asking for state secrets, just the basics." A shrug of her shoulder there and grin. "But it's okay, I'm not going to grill you over all that stuff, secrets are important to people."
Nevy nods. "I can tell you that they're really flexible, they can do some pretty impressive things..." They glance from side to side, lean in, and speak from the side of their mouth. "And most of them know it."
Floretta chuckles a little bit. "I can imagine, not going to pretend like we don't have our assholes too." she leans against the table and look to Nevermore.
Nevy nods. "Not necessarily assholes, just... I have yet to meet one who was below a 5 on the self-confidence scale."
"I guess that depends on how high the scale goes?" Floretta chuckles lightly.
Nevy laughs. "One to ten. But yeah. I... should have asked you, before I passed on your number. I'm just... time is being a Thing on this one."
"Totally understood, plus I assume they passed it along." Floretta shrugs "That phone's probably going to end up being a little bit of a work one I feel."
Nevy nods. "Have you had any new dreams, since the last time?"
"No, unfortunately, I feel like I ought to study what happened there in details, but I've not had the occasion to do so, given the situation." Floretta says
Nevy nods. "Do you think there's anything I can do to help?"
"Meaning? WIth the rats or with the dreaming part?" Floretta asks curiously, uncertain, given the context of the conversation.
"With the dreaming - I'm trying to put together some protective amulets to help guard against any spirit allies the rats might have. Although if you have other ideas on that end, I'm all ears, too."
Nevy's tapping unconsciously at the table. The need to be Doing Something is palpable.
"The dreaming thing I might need some help there from living people. If my hunch is correct." Floretta run her fingers through her green hair, idling is difficult for her too. "But I have a shit ton of work on my plate right now, so it'd have to wait for a bit."
Nevy nods. "Okay. That's fair. That's fair." They tug idly at one frizzy lock of hair. "I... haven't asked how you're doing, have I? How are you? Is there anything I can help out with?"
"I am doing very good, I had a date recently." Floretta blushes even. "And I could point to some things that might occupy your time and energy, but they wouldn't be regarding the rats." A beat "And to be honest, those things would be sort of self-serving."
Nevy smiles at the date. "That's awesome! And... what sorts of things would you be talking about? I won't make any promises, yet, but...."
"So, recently in some efforts with some of my colleagues, we've uncovered some places where we can interact with ephemeral entities." Floretta smiles "There's a restaurant surrounding it, but I've managed to turn it into a sort of club or cult. Accidentally." a scratch to the back of her neck. "It's recently started to coalesce into something yielding some real advantages for the members though."
Nevy's eyebrows lift. "What kinds of ephemeral entities?"
"Spirits and Ghost, specifically." Floretta smiles a little bit there. "I think I could like, interact with one that's in the twilight state, but it's not something I can do all the time or without exhausting myself somewhat."
Nevermore nods. "And... what kind of interaction do you mean? Talking? trying to punch them?"
"Talking, touching, punching if I'm in really in trouble." A little bit of a smirk. "And now I can also feed from ghosts, myself."
Nevy looks sickened at that. “Feed from.... feed from ghosts?!” They push back from the table - from Floretta - with an expression of horror.
"Some of us, when we grow older and powerful, we can't feed from humans anymore." Floretta explains. "And for a lot of us that means having to feed from our own kind." she leans back into the seat. "But drinking vampire blood? That's... a big problem. It creates a bond with the other vampire, it forces you to like them, create a dependency on it too." a beat. "So yeah, never drink Vampire blood, ever."
Floretta looksk to the door and then back to Nevy. "Some of us find ways around it, some of us find ways to feed on other beings. Fae, Spirits and such. That solves the problem." then she explains "And when I say feed, I don't mean like, kill and then eat, I mean like it's a similar process than feeding on a human, take a little and then go."
Nevy still looks fairly repulsed. “Does... does it hurt them?”
Floretta considers the answer for just a moment. "If I was to feed upon you in a peaceful manner, you would very likely appreciate the sensation it causes." a beat. "It would likely be the same with a ghost or a spirit."
Nevy looks a little mollified. "And... does it do them harm? I know that being fed on, for us... it doesn't hurt, but it's... not great for us."
Floretta considers for a moment. "I think a ghost or a spirit would be affected in a similar way?" which seems to suggest she hasn't tried yet. "
Nevy lets out a long breath. "I... I'm sorry. I think I just sort of snapped at you, there." They run a hand over their face. "Yeah. I absolutely just snapped at you there."
Floretta offers a little smile. "I understand, I said something that you disliked and now I know to navigate prudently with those topics around you." a beat "not every topic is going to be easy."
Nevy nods slowly. "I... yeah." They sigh. "Sorry."
Floretta smiles at Nevermore. "Do you want me to leave? I can do that if you'd prefer not having me around."
Nevy takes a deep breath. "No. No, that's okay." They give a lopsided smile. "Although, if you do ever get around to testing out the process on a ghost... I'd prefer not to know about it?"
"Of course, I won't mention it to you if that happens." She taps her finger on her cheek "I wonder if I could manage to do it on a Beshilu tho." she ponders aloud.
Nevy's jaw firms. "If that works, you're welcome to tell me. Hell, you're welcome to eat the whole f- the whole darn nest." They pause. "Although... I mean. They're also partially living... but they also-also have toxic blood, so..."
"That might be a deterrent but that might also not be entirely a problem." she poke her chin, still contemplating. "Maybe that could work."
Nevy nods. "Be careful, if you try it." They smile, more naturally. "I know Guy bit one, so he could probably tell you something about the experience."
"Hmm, if we could have a bit of the blood... now that I think about it, if we have any of the blood, I know who has it." She comments, running her fingers through her hair.
Nevy nods. "There's also someone who took a whole rat - a small one - from that first fight. I can see if they still have it - want me to put them in contact with you?"
"Were they one of my people?" She asks, curiously
Nevy shakes their head. "No. I... want to let them say any more?"
"No, I just wanted to know if they were specifically my kind." A shrug of her shoulder. "If you want to put them into contact with me, give them my phone number."
Nevy nods. "Sure! I'll pass it on."
They hesitate. "So, how was the date?"
"It was very nice, we went to see the Wretched at the theater and we took a long walk afterward and spoke about just... normal stuff for once." Floretta run her hand over her hair. "My hair colored was appreciated too, which I was kind of worried about."
Nevy grins. "Your hair is awesome! Are you going to keep it after Pride?"
"I might pick somehting a little less flashy? Or I might go something with different shade, maybe like the Bi flag kind of color scheme." a shrug of her shoulders. "I might match with my date when she make up her mind about what she want to do with hers." she make a gesture about her own hair "She got those long amazing hair too, so there would be a lot of work to dye it all any color she want, but I think that would be a great time and activity, go to a hair salon together." she wonders and ramble aloud.
Nevy grins. "It sounds like fun - it'll give you plenty of time to talk together."
"That's an if so far, no confirmation of hair style choice so far." Floretta chuckle. "I ramble sometimes, sorry."
Nevy chuckles. "I have absolutely no experience with that and I've never rambled at all."
"Is that a lie? Are you lying to me?" Floretta teases.
Nevy gasps. Their hand flies to their chest. "You accuse me - me - of dishonesty? I never! I have always and only ever been entirely truthful!" They grin. "Also, the moon is made of cheese and I've always wanted to buy a bunch of pink crop tops and move to California."
"I wouldn't move to california, I mean, that would be insanely complicated." a little chuckles. "But I would probably wear a pink croptop." Floretta smiles at the little theatrics. "Where does that come from? The moon cheese I mean."
"Space cows," Nevermore says with a straight face. "Cosmic space cows."
"Of course." Floretta nods, though she doesn't actually manage a straight face. "Are you vegetarian or something by the way?"
Nevermore shakes their head. "No, I enjoy hamburgers - why?"
"I wanted to know if it was okay to make a joke about wanting to know if I could eat space cows." Floretta pulls her phone, with her trans-flag case and checks something on it.
Nevy smiles. "Joke away. Cosmic burgers are delicious."
"Good to know." She nods
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