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AdHoc: The lodge's main floor has been cleared of most of its usual furniture to make room for rows of folding tables and chairs. There's no head table, per se, just a long set of three folding tables upon which the buffet spread has been put out. It's pot luck style, people bringing a dish or a side or a beverage, with certain baseline stuff provided in bulk by the lodge itself. There's iced tea, water, juice, and lemonade aplenty on that score, as well as veggie trays, a meat tray, and a cheese tray. Everything else appears fully homemade and probably brought in some granny's corningware dish.
The usual suspects are all present, which is to say Balm and her familiar, Peacekeeper, and the Weaver themself. Charleville and Ethos are both present, too, hobnobbing with Peacekeeper. Charleville is mostly playing his Nintendo Switch, though. Some young children are chasing each other around, shrieking as children do, while a few others walk the buffet line filling their plates.
Dandelion: It is a known thing that Dandelion isn't the best cook, but you don't show up to a potluck empty-handed. So Dandelion arrives with two punch bowls. One for a rum punch, and one for a soft punch. Because she's getting too old to always throw hard punches all the time. She asks someone for where to set up, and gets to work concocting her concoctions in proper proportions.
Rīpeka: As might be expected of one of the Children, Kotahitanga helped ready the lodge's main floor for the feast. And supplied plenty of comestibles for it, too. Including helping Peacekeeper with a jaunt back to their native country for some of their own traditional foodstuffs. Right now, though, with the feast proper starting in earnest, she's leaning against a wall, watching the children play while sipping from a glass of lemonade.
Parhelion: Mei isn't well experience with cooking for groups, but she can make good fried rice, and after last night as a practice run, she brought a giant container of straight forward chicken fried rice, which she put among all of the other things with a label on it saying what it was. Then it's time to start mingling and meeting new people!
Maddy: Maddy, ever desiring to cook for others (hence the diner), was a bit of an overachiever when it came to bringing dishes. She brought a whole buffet chafer filled with vegetarian shepherd's pie, including having put a label that includes all of the ingredients and a note at the bottom that says: 'vegan, gluten free, nightshade free, nut free, egg free, soy free'. The second thing she brought was a large bowl full of mixed greens, and other smaller ones with various possible salad toppings, again all well labeled.
Fortunately, being a Master of Space means it's not very hard to ferry things in and out from your kitchen at home.
She's just finishing up now with fussing over things to make sure she didn't mislabel anything or miss labels on anything.
Hearth: Hearth had gone all out for the festivities. She'd had to recruit help carrying it all from her van but there were fruit based desserts of all varieties from classic apple pie to gluten free zebra cookies- and everything clearly marked for allergens and accompanied by a little stack of recipe cards.
Harmony: Mary shows up in a sky blue dress, bare foot as always when she can get away with it. The dish she's bought along isn't terribly interesting, all said, but it's made with very much fresh ingredients. Tomato soup with from the garden herbs. She beams as she enters, looking around keenly. For some reason, she also has strings of beads around her wrists and ankles, that make a light musical sound as she moves.
Dandelion: Once her punches are finished, she makes sure the labels are clear as to which is which, and for good measure looks around. "Does anyone want to turn the alcoholic one blue or green or something, so there's no chance anyone mixes these up?"
AdHoc: Aaron shuffled in carrying a covered casserole dish. It's Operation: Smuggle Kugel II. (This time, the eggs noodle you!) He carries it along, setting it down on the buffet table and turning it just so. There. He's watching the whole affair with wide eyes. All of this over little old him? He then shuffles on down to the end of the line to get a plate, because that's what the social contract dictates.
Diamond: Kay appears, wearing a light pink shirt, a blue flared skirt and set out to makes a tour of the older siblings to greet them, stopping in particular with Peacekeeper "Hey, do you know if they'll show up at all?" It's likely obvious who she's talking about between the two of them. She is then momentarily distracted by the sheer amount of movement the children provide, before turning her attention back to Peacekeeper.
AdHoc: "Baldur is in conference with the Council of the Wise, discussing the rat host issue. They'll be by once it concludes, I'm sure. Get yourself something to eat and drink, and relax until then." Peacekeeper's answer is polite and warm, as ever.
Moira: Moira's not a super great cook, which is why she chose to go for snack/dessert food. A lot easier to make something that looks cool and tastes good without having to have tons of skill. She's brought a large bucket filled with chocolate covered pretzel rods, all rolled in a cacophony of colors of sprinkles and sugar. There's a big label on the front of the bucket that says "Eatable Magic Wands" in the Harry Potter font. Cheesy? Yes, but still fun she hopes.
Rashida: Rashida's Ohio is showing - she brought five dozen ears of corn on the cob, with a tray of assorted additives and toppings for them. She already has one of them on her plate with a little butter and salt, along with a sampling of at least six other dishes. She is wearing a black t-shirt with 'I Void Warranties' written on it above a variety of screwdriver head types and another pair of nice dark jeans, and scoots over towards where Mei is circulating.
Harmony: Setting her bowl of soup down on the table, Mary waves brightly to both Maddy and Hearth, practically glowing from her good mood. the fruit was studied, answers were found, and questions were raised. And she loved a good puzzle to follow. Where was Rashida's fruit? "Hello! How are you both getting on?" She approaches, offering warm hugs when they're not holding anything.
Sirius: With Hearth in his cadre Jeremiah didn't even bother with bringing a dessert of his own, instead offering a couple of dips - homemade salsa, sausage and cheese, and buffalo chicken - along with chips to eat said dips with. After helping Hearth set up her bounty the Warlock got to mingling, looking for the new faces to make proper introductions.
Parhelion: Honestly, Mei's with Aaron when it comes to being a little overwhelmed by the fact that all of this is going on, in large part, because of her. It has been one hell of a couple weeks. At the same time, she's used to just striking up unpleasant conversations with strangers because of her job, so pleasant ones shouldn't be so bad. Might as well start with some of the more bold choices! She heads straight over to Peacekeeper herself, where she extends a hand and says, both to her, "we haven't had a chance to meet. I'm Parhelion." She smiles at Kay, too. "We have, right? I think I was on a lot of drugs at the time, unfortunately."
Dandelion: Regardless of if anyone helps with her suggestion, Dandelion gets herself a small cup of the soft punch, before walking over to Aaron. "There you are! I hear word you're to study with Liezel now, in the hope of joining the Arrow? I hope that means you'll let me get into moral philosophy debates with you, hm?"
Rīpeka: Pushing off from the wall, Rīpeka works her way through the children, also approaching Aaron. "Pleasure to meet you in happier circumstances. You're going by Y'israel, right?" She glances at Dandelion, then. "How've you been, Whaea?"
AdHoc: "I am War Maker Peacekeeper," Maia responds, extending her hand and shaking Mei's with a renewed smile. "Welcome to the community. We're so honored to have you here among us, Parhelion. I hope you enjoy your special day, and take some leftovers home with you. Have you met Tale Keeper Weaver?" She gestures aside to the person seated next to her. Their gender is hard to discern, largely because a lot of the things one might use to guess are covered in hairy chitin. Then there's the extra eyeballs to contend with. Weaver lifts a hand whose fingers all look rather like spider legs. Or maybe clawed hooks. And they wave. "A pleasure, Parhelion."
Diamond: What Kay brought to the potluck was likely a few cases of drinks for various people, all likely non-alcoholic. She smiles at Peacekeeper's response and seems to beam with Joy at the mention Baldur maybe showing up, she turn her attention to Mei and smiles. "I am so glad to see you out of that hospital bed." Kay offers the brightest smile to Parhelion. "I'm Kay, also known as Diamond." (If I miss anyone talking to me, pls poke me about it)
Hearth: Hearth piled her plate with a little bit of everything and a little bit extra of Jeremiah's dip and sausages. She meandered over towards Dandelion.
Dandelion: "I'm good, I have been good." This reply is to Ripeka, as Dandelion grins. "I've managed to end up with a new cadre of bright young minds, just the thing to make me feel useful again." It's a thing that Dandelion's been with several cadres over the past many years, each rising and falling in their day.
As Hearth approaches her, she grins, raising her cup in a casual salute. "Heather. Good to see you, dear."
Parhelion: Mei shakes Peacekeeper's hand politely but raises her brows slightly at the title and shadow name combination. "I'm still learning about the Children of the Tree, but I do love that combination when it comes to what I've learned about your position," she admits. "The best way to win a fight is to not have to stop it from happening in the first place, right?"
She has been spending enough time around Little Fox not to find Weaver's appearance as alarming as she would have a few weeks ago. Now it's more fascinating. Orphan body horror is just a thing she understand now. "Weaver! You're a member of the same Legacy as Little Fox, aren't you? It's a pleasure to meet you."
AdHoc: Aaron blinks owlishly at Ripeka when he's addressed. Correctly. By his shiny new shadow name. By a stranger. "I. Yeah. Wow. You've heard of me? I mean. I suppose, what with the ... feast. I have to admit, my Bar Mitzvah party was less impressive than all of this. So forgive me, I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. But. Yeah. Yisra'el. He/him. How should I address you?"
Rīpeka: "Kotahitanga, in formal situations. Informal ones like this? Rīpeka." The Very Tall brown woman smiles slightly. "I was part of your welcoming committee, though I suppose I can excuse your not remembering, given the circumstances that took place under."
Harmony: Mary looks up at the mention of Aaron joining the Arrows, pausing and then heading towards where he's meeting Dandelion and Ripeka, following after Hearth. "Good to meet you!" She offers with a warm smile. "You're joining the same order I'm in then? The Arrows I mean." A keen nod.
Moira: It's not that Moira doesn't enjoy social occasions - she wouldn't have come if she didn't. But they can be a bit overwhelming, so once she's loaded up a plate of everything that looks tasty, she finds the quietest corner she can to eat and just enjoy the flow of the occasion.
Rashida: Alexis gives Kay a little wave as she scoots into the conversation with Peacekeeper, Weaver, and Mei. "I'm glad things went well today. Also that you're looking like you're healing well Parhelion? I was worried a little, especially since you're sorta stuck with it."
Hearth: "You too," she told Dandelion . "I made a batch of your favorites for you, if you haven't seen them yet." She beamed to Ripeka and Mary as well. "Don't be too hasty in choosing your order, the Guardians are always looking for those with the right attitude to join our numbers too."
Diamond: Kay smiles at Parhelion "Enjoy this celebration, I'll be grabbing food and drinks if you need anything." she gives a little look to Peacekeeper waving at her "I'll talk to you later, and you too Rashida" she moves around the festivities for a moment, grabbing herself some food. She stops to speak with the children as they run around, introducing herself to those she doesn't know, shaking their hand or whichever way they would prefer to be greeted, shamelessly kneeling to the ground to speak/play with them. (brb)
Dandelion: Mary is offered a one-armed hug by Dandelion--the arm not holding her drink, obviously, before Heather's comment makes her grin. "You always take such good care of me. Thank you!"
AdHoc: Weaver nods their head a few times at Mei, "Yes, yes! Little Fox is a sibling of mine, of a sort. We're very different creatures, she and I, but similar in many ways also." The eyes. They blink independently. Augh. "You'll do well as her apprentice, I'm sure."
Peacekeeper likewise ansers Mei, "This is perhaps not the best time for an in depth discussion of our Order and its philsophies, but you may still learn much from exposure. We are a family, one big extended family. We live communally more often than not, collaborate and share our resources, and make decisions by consensus when practical to do so. Our present Elder is Balm." She gestures over to the elderly woman hunched over her plate, trying to hide the fact that she's feeding her familiar under the table.
Aaron clears his throat at Mary's quesiton. "Well. I'm looking into joining the Arrows, yes. I think it's a bit presumptuous to assume they'll have me at this point. I'm learning, and I'm training. I have a lot of development left to achieve before I think I'll be deserving of being a Talon. But. Yeah, I think that's where I'm heading. Yes. My God took my pacifism and left me with holy fire." He lifts his now scarred right fist meaningfully. "ACAB, I guess."
Rīpeka: "Thanks, but I think I'll stick with the Scions," Rīpeka drily replies to Mary, before nodding at Aaron's words. "ACAB, indeed." Beat. "Except for the Guardians. The mage cops are on our side." She smirks at Mary then.
Parhelion: "It was good to see you again, Kay," Mei says as the Moros steps away. "I'll catch up with you later. I'd love to get a chance to talk with you more." She gives Alexis a wry smile. "Hi Rashida. What a weird few weeks, huh? Fortunately, mostly of my injuries seem to have healed up except some lingering bruises, and I've gotten used to having those sometimes after decades of martial arts."
"I've been learning as fast as I can cram new things into my head," she tells Weaver with a laugh. "It has definitely been interesting." She pauses, briefly, at the independent blinking, but after a moment chuckles it off and addresses Peacekeeper. "You're right. I'm eager to pick everyone's brain about their philosophies, but I suppose this is a celebration. Would you be willing to meet with me another time, for that more in-depth discussion?"
Dandelion: Aaron's comments make Dandelion laugh. "Oh, sweetheart. You're going to end up a Talon before you think you deserve it, that's simply how it works. Then the hard part comes: proving that you are worthy of it. But don't worry, you're not going to be hung out to dry. We'll train you right, I promise. 'No Talon is alone'; that's sort of the point."
AdHoc: Two of the kids run up to Charleville and ask him what he's playing, which prompts him to get down on the floor so he can let them watch over his shoulder. It's Animal Crossing, of course. After a couple of minutes, the kids are running off with his Switch, and he's left chuckling.
Harmony: "And so it begins." She grins at Hearth, warmly returning Dandelion's hug and briefly closing her eyes in the reassurance the gesture offers. Aaron gets a thoughtful nod. "Everyone starts off a Talon, as Dandelion said. You'll know the Arrow tenets by now, the Adamant Way. But each of us still views them in different ways. Conflict to me is only rarely physical, a spirited debate can count as two sides in opposition, but both hopefully benefit. And, sorry." A rueful smile. "I should avoid delving into business just like that."
AdHoc: Aaron nods over to Ripeka, "Anyway. I wanted to thank you for helping me out. You're right, I don't really remember much about the riot or what happened after, or even my hospital stay. It's all a muddle. I keep running into people who helped me without even knowing me. It's humbling. Thank you so much." He then glances between Dandelion and Mary, "Oh, I know. But if God wanted me to remain a bookish pacifist, he would have left me as I was. He didn't. I'm going to be a bookish paladin. And I am going to learn to, uh. 'Fuck things up'. As the kids say."
Rashida: "I'm just glad Harmony was able to reassemble my brain after whoever-it-was tried to see if it would blend and mostly succeeded. I don't think things would be going nearly as well if I were spending the month healing from near death." Alexis replies to Mei, "Still considering what part of the family you want to join, Parhelion?"
"I'm just glad that we do so well at getting along as a larger community, Peacekeeper. I saw a dramatized version of the creation of the Tree during my Awakening, and the community we have now is much more appealing."
Diamond: Kay seems all too content to spend several minutes with the kids, or as long as she can hold their attention, it's not like she is carrying any sort of particular entertainment for them to latch onto. When she sees two of them running away with the switch, she laughs alongside Charleville and make her way toward food, focusing her attention to the rest of the party for a moment, clearly content observing the ongoing conversations and people watching as she takes a bit of a few things. (good luck AdHoc!)
Hearth: Hearth smiled faintly and settled back to nibble on some of the food the others had brought.
Liezel: With precisely as little fanfare as one would expect from her, Liezel arrives with a huge container of plain white rice, and promptly leaves, returning with a big stock pot full of gumbo. Upon spotting Maddy's helpful notes, Liezel pulls a page from a notebook in her satchel to fold and mark up with the ingredients: wheat flour, chicken, pork sausage, celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, vegetable oil, salt, black pepper. As an afterthought, she adds carrot, remembering the stock. She sets them down and steps back, taking a deep breath. Its way easier to focus on the food than the crowd, but... that's hardly how it's meant to go.
So she turns around.
It takes a moment to overcome her urge to seclude and write or read or do anything but engage with the crowd. But overcome, she does, working her way towards Aaron and Dandelion.
Parhelion: "Still considering," Mei agrees, in answer to Alexis. "It's the kind of decision I want to make with consideration, so that I'm hopefully making the right decision the first time. Most of the chances I've had so far to start talking to someone about their own Order's perspectives have ended up sidetracked into more pressing business, too. Like these rat hosts."
Dandelion: Liezel gets a bit of a waves from Dandelion, and a broad grin. "There you are! Come on over, we're hyping the new kid up about the Arrows. But first, a hug?"
Rīpeka: "Not a problem," Rīpeka assures Aaron. "Always a pleasure to help new members of our community." She pats him on the shoulder gently, before moving off, working her way around to Mei and Alexis. "Hey. Thought I should introduce myself in more pleasant circumstances. It's Parhelion and Rashida, right?"
River: River finds her way in and deposits down a tray of assortments that everyone who knows her should be leery of before she's set upon by hounds children who want to show her Animal Crossing, and she unceremoniously plops down on the floor and sits cross-legged, behaving dutifully engrossed in the soft pixels and the eight minutes of knowledge the kids have collected about the game.
Harmony: A smile to Aaron and a nod. "Let us know if we can help with anything, mm." A glance to Dandelion then, before waving at Liezel. "How goes it?" She checks her phone as it beeps twice, and her cheeks go a little pink before she sends a few texts back.
Liezel: A hug seems to be doable- Liezel delivers one to Dandy on request. "Hello, Auntie. Hello, Harmony. I'm doing well, thank you. Business is picking up, which is exciting. What about you?" She catches the blush and tilts her head, pondering. 'Is that from who I think it is?"
Diamond: Kay smiles brightly toward River a genuine and soft expression of endearment there. She finishes the snacks she picked up, set her drink down and quickly fires a few text before resuming her people watching.
Harmony: "I don't know." She answers Liezel a little impishly. "That depends on who you think it is."
Dandelion: "Rats, rats, rats. That's been my life lately." Dandy gives Liezel a warm laugh. "But my research has gone well--I'm getting somewhere! Still, I'm taking the day off for this."
Liezel: Liezel casts a glance towards Kay. "I think it's 'someone else sending texts at a potluck.'" She looks back to Dandy and nods. "Talked about that more last night. I know the feeling." She seems to want to say more, but holds her tongue as Dandy says its a day off, nodding faintly.
Rashida: "That's unfortunate. I can understand why you'd want to make sure you found the right fit, especially if one doesn't immediatly resonate with you." Alexis scowls as Mei mentions the rat hosts, "I think that the people working on the rat host problem have gotten past the point where my contribution would be helpful, otherwise I'd want to do something. At least from what I've heard around."
Alexis nods in greeting to Rīpeka as she joins them, "That's right, although I'm not sure that I've met you yet...?" she trails off in a question.
River: "You don't, you don't want these," River winks conspiratorially at one of the kids when they paw for the tray of goods she brought. "These are for the adults. I made them special," she assures. They seem to understand her meaning; this is likely a repeat event.
Harmony: "Hm." Her cheeks flare a little more and she steps aside briefly to grab and sip a glass of lemonade. "My texts aside Liezel, how have you been? Enjoying your studies still?"
Parhelion: "Hi," Mei offers with a smile to Rīpeka. "Another person I definitely think I remember from when I was on a lot of drugs in the hospital." To Rashida, "I'm possibly on tap to help with disease and poison problems, but on the whole I'm pretty well out of my depth and just trying to learn from exposure to the discussions."
AdHoc: Eventually the doors open again and the entirety of the Council of the Wise shuffle in, with Penance at the head of the procession. Not that it's an official marching order, really, just a general collection of double masters and eccentric personalities all arriving in unison. Penance heads on over to Balm to greet her while Baldur begins making the rounds and greeting the family. The rest of the council head to the buffet line to get while the getting is good. Ecgbehrt taps Constantine on xis shoulder and points up at the ceiling. Constantine looks, and Ecgbehrt sneaks around xim for the potato salad, cackling to himself.
Rīpeka: "Kotahitanga. And you haven't, the bit about more pleasant circumstances was aimed at Parhelion here," Rīpeka reassures Alexis. "Outside gatherings like this it's Rīpeka, though." She nods at Mei's words. "I was mostly there to translate for Fox, but like I said to your friend Yisra'el, I can't blame you for not remembering me, given the circumstances."
AdHoc: Belatedly, Peacekeeper finally does answer Mei's question, "I'd be happy to speak with you. I'm sure any of the children would as regards our Order, but if you wish to speak with me in specific, by all means that can be arranged."
Hearth: Hearth lit up when Ecgbehrt arrived and headed off towards the snack table and snuck over to refresh the snacks that she'd brought, refilling the plates of dessert, and pushing the one lone chocolate creampuff that was left to the front of the table.
Diamond: Kay walks directly toward Baldur bright smile, her attention diverted from anything else momentarily, she plucks some food from the table, something she knows the councilor will like, and brings it to her on a plate. "Hey! So glad you made it, how're you? Want me to catch you up?"
Sirius: Sirius paused briefly in his mingling to check his phone, smirking a touch as he saw the message there before he subtly trained it towards Echberht...
Parhelion: "Thank you, Peacekeeper," Mei says with a slight bow at her waist. "I've talked about the Children of the Tree with my Master, Little Fox, pretty extensively, but I'm intrigued by the War Maker position specifically, as it relates to the overall whole, and by relation your perspective. I'd love the chance to talk later."
Coming back around to the other conversation she says to Rīpeka, "it turns out I can translate for myself in that regard, but I had no idea at the time. Thank you for filling in, until I learned to do it for myself."
Harmony: There was a quiet cough from Mary at about the same time as Jay's smirk, she also checking her phone. Something seemed to be afoot.
AdHoc: Baldur dipped their head to Kay when approached, plate still in hand. "I would love to be caught up, yes. Have you eaten?" Baldur begins filling their plate with vegetarian dishes, primarily.
Ecgbehrt is still chuckling to himself for having beat Constantine to the potato salad a fact which has Constantine glowering as only an Obrimos may glower. Ecgbehrt keeps on filling his plate and selects, fatefully, a very certain puff pastry. Maybe Constantine and Walsingham are on in on it? Or maybe they saw her prep the pastry just so. Either way, they're both starting to smile serenely at the old bastard as he goes traipsing away to find his seat. "Think I should tell him?" Constantine asks Walsingham. "No, no. No. I'm going to enjoy this," Walsingham answers, giving Hearth a thumbs up and a wink.
Hearth: Hearth shot a beam to Walsingham and Constantine, and then selected a couple of treats for the pair and headed over to offer them to the two Councillors while getting a good view as well.
Fox: The thing about foxes is that they're nocturnal. A little red fluffball wakes up from underneath the table where Fox took it to herself to sleep specifically going to bed early so she wouldn't miss the feast, and pushes her way out from underneath the tablecloth. She stumbles over to near where Ecgbehrt is sitting, and sits down next to him on the floor, yawning a giant fox yawn and gekkering softly to herself, something about coffee and no thumbs and in a minute.
This will be fine, of course. No one's planned anything.
Rashida: "This should be good." Alexis murmurs after she checks her phone, "Its nice to meet you Kotahitanga. I love how diverse the community here is, although I regret the reasons behind it. It feels like a very good place to learn and grow."
Rīpeka: Peacekeeper's words get another nod from Rīpeka. "If you have specific questions relating to our Path, I can help with those as well, Parhelion." She smiles at Mei then. "And you're welcome, but it was no hardship. Fox needed to be there, and nobody else had the ability to translate for her." Alexis's murmurs get a raised eyebrow. "Oh?"
Diamond: "Snacks mostly." Starts filling up her own plate alongside Baldur "We examined the fruit and discovered that they were associated with Parhelion and Yisra'el's awakening ... which led us to believe that Rashida might have a fruit associated on another version of the tree..." she goes into details of her vision of the fruits and the magic surrounding it, sharing how it felt to share so many views together.
Quinn Tolliver: What has two thumbs and sucks at parties? This guy. Quinn slinks into the Lodge and immediately wallflowers to one side; he has dressed in one of his three-piece suits, this time the twill one. His clothing is impeccably tailored, complete with a pocket square; the casserole dish that he is carrying does not match his suit, which is likely a considerable source of distress.
Dandelion: Of course, the moment Dandelion catches sight of Quinn, she meanders her way over to him. "Dear, you ought to go put the food you brought over on that table, then come hang out with me and Liezel."
Which will resolve the clash in style, as well as the wallflowering, no?
Liezel: "I have been, yes." Liezel says to Harmony, smiling faintly to know she guessed right. "I've started taking proper commissions, which has been exciting. After spending so long studying theory, getting to proceed to production is very satisfying."
Catching some chattering Foxlaughs, Liezel glances that way, smiling a little broader before she turns back towards the others.
Parhelion: "Thank you, Kotahitanga," Mei says with a smile. "I'm sure I do, there are just fifty thousand questions all floating around my head at the same time, right now. Sometimes sorting them out is a challenge." She looks over at her Master when Little Fox emerges, but stays over where she is for the moment, while Fox is gekkering at important people.
Moira: Properly fortified with food, Moira scans the room, trying to decide what sort of social interaction she's up for at the moment. This is a party in the honor of new people, so she supposes she should at least greet them first. Besides, everyone else she knows seems involved in conversations already. So she takes a deep breath and heads over to Alexa, and gives the other woman a smile. "Hey there," she says, with a smile. "Enjoying your party?"
Harmony: She catches sight of Fox too, looking their way and waving when those fox eyes are looking in her direction with a broad smile, glancing back to Liezel. "I'd love to try dancing some time." She admits. "If you ever have a song you want to show people that helps with someone keeping a beat to?"
AdHoc: "That's fascinating," Baldur replies to Kayla with lifted eyebrows. "She awakened through the Iron Gauntlet, I believe? We might check the Astral Tree, on a lark. Or asking Maddy about the Mist tree, as well. I imagine it will have quite the story to tell, also." Baldur glances around for the wafflemaven, then looks back to Kayla. "You're making us proud."
Over at his table, Ecgbehrt does the most Ecgbehrt thing possible. He starts with dessert. Which involves him taking a very large bite of puff pastry. His initial impression is 'ooh delicious' followed almost at once by wide eyes and 'too much delicious!'. Too much delicious transitions into having a mouth full of cream filling causing him to move the pastry away from his face, which ends up just spraying cream filling all over himself. His face, his beard, his robes. Probably Little Fox, too. And then it slows down a bit, the stream of filling. He wipes off his eyes in relief, only for it to restart again only more forcefully for several seconds, ending with a final 'spitoo' squirt for good measure.
It drips from his face slowly, slorping into his lap.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn gives Dandelion a naked look of gratitude, bobbing his head. "Okay, yes, I can do that. I...I was not sure if it was appropriate to bring food." Beat. "It's brownies. Everyone likes brownies; they are social lubricant." He obediently hurries his potluck offering over to the food table. He then hurries back to Dandelion, fidgeting. "Okay. Ready. I am ready to be social." It's said with the determined solemnity of a mantra.
River: River degenerates into a laughing fit on the floor with the children.
Dandelion: Dandelion was planning to bring Quinn back to the group, but after seeing what just happened to Ecgbehrt, she shoots Hearth a look of mingled respect and horror. "Heather Middle-name Williams, what have you done?"
Sirius: To his credit, Sirius managed to keep his expression even as the creampuff went off in the most magnificant fashion. The spark of mischief in his eyes was telling, however, as he kept the phone in place to properly record the old Acanthus' reaction.
Rashida: "That." Alexis comments, probably redundantly, to Rīpeka along with a faint smile. "I think Hearth might be in trouble though."
River: "Something awesome," River tells Dandelion from where she's cackling.
Fox: Ever heard a Fox wail like it's been shot? That's what happens when Fox gets sprayed by the goopy cream. It only lasts for a second because she's startled, but then she looks up at Ecgbehrt in absolute horror as the spraying white stuff gloops all over her red fur, and then falls over dramatically on to her side. I'm too young to die of my fur being clotted with cream, she sighs. I'm going to die. You watch. I'll be damp forever. She's a Matter Adept. She will not be.
Harmony: So, it must be said, does Mary. She covers her mouth, kneeling down with her shoulders shaking as she fights peals of laughter at the chocolate covered Ecgbehrt and same Little Fox.
Liezel: "It looks like she packed an absolutely excessive amount of creme into a puff pastry designed to roughly reenact Vesuvius, just less lethal and more edible, Auntie."
...
She did ask.
Maddy: Maddy, too, is laughing her ass off over where she was chatting with a bunch of random Scions. She might need help breathing at this rate. Hopefully she doesn't pass out.
Diamond: Kay beams with joy and makes a heart gesture toward Baldur and then is drawn to the Event toward the Ecgbehrt and several things happened at the same time for her, mild terror followed by a look of dawning understand of what happened, a weak attempt at hiding her laugh and smile but fails, turning away and almost choking on herself. (sadly, afk for a while due to RL, assume Kay is watching and trying to stop laughing)
AdHoc: Charleville lifts his iPhone. Cuh-click. After some thumb tapping, phone notifications start beeping all around the room.
Rīpeka: Rīpeka bites her lip for a moment, before starting to openly chuckle at poor Ecgbehrt's being covered in cream. "Oh, well. I'm sure Whaea Dandy will scold her appropriately." She answers Alexis, before rolling her eyes at Fox. "You'll be fine, stop being Extra!" is called over to the other Scion.
Parhelion: Mei doesn't know the reputation of this particular gentleman, or the fact that this probably a taste of his own medicine, so she's left staring in confusion and disbelief, and then she's looking around at other people's reactions. Also, trying not to laugh a little bit at Fox's, especially since she can't understand what her Master is saying right now.
Hearth: Hearth laughed hard enough that she couldn't help crying just a little. She wiped the tears away, trying to catch her breath. "Why would you point fingers at me, Grandma Dandy?" she asked all innocently. "I couldn't have done that."
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn has to look away from Ecgbehrt's situation, twisting and knotting his hands together. He subtly positions so his back is to the entire scene, content to find a pattern in the room - something, anything - to focus on.
Liezel: "As for dancing, my songs are not usually the sort one dances to," Liezel admits. "Mostly I write dirges and requiems. Mourning songs. Sometimes I do a cheerful piece for a particular band or group to play but." She shrugs at Harmony.
Dandelion: Dandelion looks like she's going to say something more to Hearth, but Quinn's reaction catches her attention, and she leans in to him. "Are you alright? I know, it's a lot of a mess, but with so many Matter experts in the room, it'll be cleaned up nice and quick, I'm sure." Coaxing, reassuring.
AdHoc: Walsingham pipes up from the buffet line, "Typically the Council doesn't rule on inter-magus affairs of this sort, but it would seem this is a matter of custardy. So we should probably weigh in. What do you think, Constantine?" The gruff looking norseman nods xis head in agreement, "Indeed. In custardy cases, we must make sure each party receives an equal portion." Baldur joins in on the punning, "You seem to have a bit of egg on your face, there, Bertie."
Ecgbehrt wipes the worst of it from his face and sputters it out of his mouth, looking more confused and delighted than angry. Then he stands up and begins walking towards Hearth with open arms, "You got me! Congratulations!" Run, Hearth. RUN.
Rashida: "Hearth and Councilor Ecgbehrt have a prank war that apparently has been going on for ages, Parhelion." Alexis elucidates for Mei upon noticing her visual confusion.
Quinn Tolliver: "Oh, uh!" He slaps on a furtive smile, gaze dropping to Dandelion's shoulder. "Oh, it's..not the mess, you know, Matter will handle that, certainly. It's...the..." He struggles a moment, blinking owlishly. "The embarrassment. I just..." He flutters his hands, shrugging, apparently at a loss to further explain. He does, however, muster a relieved sort of smile that she took the time to reassure, and his tension seems to ebb. He seems to realize Hearth is nearby, brightening. "Oh, there is Heather. I work with her."
Hearth: Hearth didn't bother to run, and the excessive amount of chocolate cream didn't bother her either. She came in to give him a hug and kiss on the cheek. "I've been plotting that one forever."
Dandelion: She nods at Quinn, remaining close to him. "Does it help to know that Ecgbehrt is a prankster in his own right? He's not getting anything that was beyond what he's dished out. This is how he and Heather show they're friends, because they both like jokes like that."
Sirius: Oh, this was just getting better and better...the phone remained trained on Ecgbehrt and Hearth as she accepted her punishment (and 'pun'ishment) from the council, snapping a picture of the hug for good measure before pocketing the phone once again and meandering towards Rashida et al, finally allowing a grin to form. "That went far better than I was expecting..."
AdHoc: Ecgbehrt gives Hearth a big big hug, making sure to smear as much of the mess on her as he possibly can in the process. Petting her hair with his cream covered hands and so on. It's all good natured, but when they part, she's about as filthy with the mess as the councilor himself. "Now. As much as I love a good joke, I'd hate to be a poor guest. Would one of you mind terribly cleaning all of this up so our hosts's aren't stuck having to?" At this point, he just holds still so as not to further spread the chocolate catastrophe.
Harmony: "Ah, that's fair enough." Mary nods to Liezel with a smile.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn cocks his head in a truly avian manner, bright eyes assessing the intricate social patterns that Dandelion has described. "...Yes, that helps very much," he admits, with no small amount of relief. "Thank you for explaining." He gives her a shy smile, complete with grateful dimples. His gaze roams further; Sirius is noticed, complete with a lovely pink tinge to Quinn's ears.
Rīpeka: "Indeed," Rīpeka nods, smiling at Jeremiah. "Sirius, this is Parhelion. Parhelion, Sirius." She glances at Alexis, then. "You don't need the introductions, of course."
Dandelion: "You're very welcome. I've been around for a long time, so if the interactions between people get confusing, I'm happy to explain." Dandelion favors Quinn with a bright smile. "Noticing that sort of thing is what I'm really best at."
Liezel: "Of course, Master Ecgbert," Liezel volunteers, stepping forward and raising her voice in a soft vocalization, singing to help direct her Imago as she takes control of the mess and simply starts to collect it all into a growing sphere of creme-y goodness floating midair overhead, starting with the innocent bystander (Fox) and moving to the victim, and then the general mess, cleaning off the culprit last. Once she's got it all collected, she looks about to find a trash can distant from the buffet line to deposit the Creme Star into.
Harmony: Mary pads over to Little Fox once the chocolate mess is removed, settling down next to them and reaching out to offer pats, checking she's happy for the same first before commencing. "Sorry you got caught in it, but that was funny." A huge grin.
Parhelion: "Nice to meet you, Sirius," Mei says as she offers a handshake. "This has ended up being a more exciting party than I expected it to be, but I suppose that when you're talking about people who sling magic around, that shouldn't surprise me, should it?"
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn laughs! It's a delightful little giggle, as if he and Dandelion are sharing a hilarious secret. "You caught me," he confesses; his hands stop ringing with tension, instead peppering his speech with expression. "I...I actually really enjoy people watching," he admits. "They're just...so fascinating. Oliver Sacks and Temple Grandin described it once as being an anthropologist on Mars. That's how I feel sometimes." He sounds, if anything, pleased by this. "I can just observe with objectivity. People are...people are more interesting than paintings, sometimes." His tone turns affectionate, a smile lighting up his young features.
Hearth: "Of course I'm not to just leave this a mess," Hearth said with a little smile. She took a moment of concentration and murmuring in High Speech, and the chocolate cream transformed into paper- easy to pull off the large sheets that had sploshed everywhere- which Hearth picked up and took over to a bin before letting it turn back into cream.
Fox: The chocolate-coated fox just sort of sits still, waiting for Liezel to remove the creme from her. Once that happens, there's a huge stretch and something like a full-body yawn, and a tiny Thyrsus in a tank top and grubby cut-off shorts whines, "I need coffee."
Harmony: Ah, human again. Mary breaks off from her patting attempt and simply offers Fox a wide smile. "Hey."
AdHoc: Where once had sat the misshapen horror that is Weaver when Weaver is just being themself is now a fairly large jumping spider, about the size of a nickel. It climbs down the chair and across the floor, racing towards Little Fox. Because Fox Rides are heckin' good fun. Whether or not she notices the little critter climbing into her coat and up on top of her head like she's the vulpine Shai Hulud is unknown. But they're here for the Spice, that much is clear.
The rest of the council find their seats while Penance settles in next to Balm to play catch up, the two women chatting like two old gossips.
Ecgbehrt offers a smile of gratitude to Liezel, then returns to his prior seat to eat his meal. Eschewing the desserts now, wisely. He's grinning, however, quite despite himself.
Dandelion: "Well, there's plenty of people to observe here." Dandelion grins. "And plenty of fun dynamics at play. For example, all the master-apprentice connections in the room. Speaking of..."
Dandelion glances around briefly to see what Balm and her familiar are up to, before her attention returns to Quinn "At some point, I should check in with my own master, like a good student. Have you met Elder Balm? She's over there sitting with the Hierarch."
Sirius: "Pleasure to meet you as well, Parhelion." Sirius returned the handshake with a smile, his own firm but not overly so. "This is actually pretty tame all told, but then again the folks out in LA can get rowdy when they want to even without magic involved." He chuckled, then nodded to Ripeka. "Good seeing you again. Things going well, I hope?"
Quinn Tolliver: "Ah, no," Quinn shakes his head. "I haven't...really...met that many people. I've been busy getting set up with work and, you know, the other thing." He smooths a hand over his vest. "I would be happy to tag along, or if you would prefer I do not, I am happy to stay here and look at pretty people." His cheeks balloon, and he puffs out a sigh. "There are a lot of pretty people," he informs Dandelion, eyes wide.
Rashida: "Well, maybe for you Life-Matter-Forces types. Sirius and I tend towards the more subtle end of the scale." Rashida notes to Parhelion. "So far so good. Lots of people here."
Liezel: Liezel smiles one of her little smiles to Ecgbert at his grateful response, and then offers another to Heather for her help in managing the mess. "Thank you. We should probably have someone keep an eye on the children- I would not be overly surprised if someone is dared to jump into that trash can." The one that is basically a chocolate creme swimming pool at this point, she means.
She heads back over to Aaron to check in on him. "Hey. Having a good time, I hope?" Odd question from a lady so clearly under low-grade stress from the crowd. "Is there anyone you want to meet? Or would you be more comfortable talking without an audience? Or just people watching?"
Rīpeka: "They are, yes," Rīpeka smiles at Jeremiah. "Fox and I have arranged to trade lessons on each other's specialities, which'll be interesting." She glances at Rashida then. "There are plenty of less subtle effects in your wheelhouse too, to be fair."
Dandelion: Dandelion laughs aloud at Quinn's comment. "There are, indeed, a lot of pretty people. But please, let me take you over so I can introduce you and have evidence for my master that I've roped another group of youngsters into joining up with me again."
She leads Quinn across the room to where Balm and Penance are sitting.
Fox: Oh yes, Fox notices Weaver. "Hello, Master Weaver," Fox sighs happily, letting the other Orphan climb up on their head and ride them around. "Hey, Harmony," she greets, and one of her hands rises to gently pat the air near the tiny spider. As if it's very normal for a person to just walk around with spiders in his hair. "I need coffee. Someone should get me coffee." Huff. "Because I have a spider in my hair." There's Fox-Logic in that somewhere. "Mei! Have you learned anything?" she calls across the room.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn bobs his head, obediently following Dandelion to meet Balm and Penance. Somewhere along the way, the anxiety is shed; his chin lifts, shoulders straighten, and he becomes some sort of confident young man.
AdHoc: Aaron is seated and muching his plate which features some of his own dessert kugel. He looks up to Liezel and admits, "Mostly, I'm just people watching. I just found out that fruit has something like my signature nimbus on it. Which is... a little disconcerting, if I'm being honest. Everyone here seems to think it's neat, though."
Balm and Penance are continuing to dish back and forth as Quinn and Dandelion approach. It's the Elder that speaks first, by rights. "Hello, my children. What may we do for you?" Penance settles back into her seat and lifts her glass of wine for a quick sip, toasting the pair with it.
Parhelion: Mei answers Fox's question with a laugh. "Be careful what you eat?" she answers. "I already knew that, but I hadn't anticipated this particular reason why, so I guess that's something I learned. I met Peacekeeper and Weaver, too. Hi again, Weaver." She gives the spider a wave.
Dandelion: Dandelion straightens slightly, smiling. "Elder Balm, Hierarch Penance, I'd like to introduce you to my cadremate, Adept Muninn of the Guardians of the Veil. Called Quinn in public. Quinn, my master and the Hierarch."
Quinn Tolliver: Muninn offers a respectful bow, the angle neither too deep nor shallow; perfect for the current environment, according to social norms. He offers both the Elder and the Hierarch an affable, dimpled smile; his gaze meets theirs. "It is an honor and a pleasure, Hierarch Penance, Elder Balm."
Liezel: Liezel settles next to Aaron, finally able to get to her own food, which is- predictably- a sampler of everyone else's, to be polite. "People watching is relaxing. I like it more than talking, most times. It's significantly worse at conveying information intentionally, though, so. Talking is still pretty important." She smiles a little, and tries the kugel, making a pleased sound at the apple-noodle dish. "This is good. Thank you for bringing it." She watches people, too, eyes on Fox, and on River, and on Dandelion with Quinn and the Hierarch+Elder combo.
Diamond: Kay returns after spending some times off laughing and fanning herself, she is still smiling brightly, and she is now wearing a necklace, though it's beneath her pink shirt, her glowstick braid is around her wrist and when she can't seem to find Baldur right away she walks through the crowd, trying to find Little Fox, apparently that also means approaching Weaver and Mary "Sorry, I had to disappear for a while, the cream puff stuff knocked me out for a bit."
Sirius: "True indeed. Especially once you get into the higher levels of Space mastery, for sure." Sirius nodded to Rīpeka in agreement, giving Fox and her spidery companion a brief salute when the Thyrsus called out to her apprentice. "I try to keep it subtle for the most part, thought; makes those flashy moments mean something."
Rīpeka: "Fair enough," Rīpeka nods at Jeremiah's words. "I should circulate some more, though." She glances at Mei. "If you need to get in touch with me for anything, Fox has my number." She navigates through the crowd towards Dandelion and Quinn. And Balm and Penance, of course. "Adopted a new nibling, then, Whaea Dandy?"
Quinn Tolliver: Muninn flicks his gaze towards Ripeka, a furrow wrinkling his brow. "I'm sorry - what is a 'nibling'?" His tone is curious, flawlessly polite.
Dandelion: "A gender-neutral term for a niece or nephew, derived from a play on 'sibling'," Dandelion asides to Quinn.
AdHoc: "Hello, Muninn," Balm offers in her quavering voice. She's not just old, she's old. Of obviously failing health old, at that. "It's very nice to meet you. Thank you for coming to the feast. I hope you're enjoying the food and company?"
Penance gestures to the empty seats at their table, "Why don't you join us, Dandy? Muninn? I'm sure we could dispense with the gossip for a while. Or share in yours, if you have anything juicy."
"I don't do bad with crowds," Aaron admits to Liezel, "it's just they're usually looking up at me from the cheap seats while I quote Torah at them. This is a little different for me. I'm very much a fish out of water. But in a good way, I suppose. Learning and growing and all that."
Baldur has since relocated themself over with the balance of the council, munching their meals with Ecgbehrt, Constantine, Walsingham, and Yaroslav.
Fox: "Well, that's a good lesson," Fox agrees, and since her repeated whining hasn't gotten anyone to bring her coffee, she wanders over to get herself some, with a spider on her head. That's how Orphans roll. With spiders on their heads. Once she's obtained coffee, she wanders over to Liezel and Aaron. "Elizabeth. Rabbi. You're doing well, both?"
Quinn Tolliver: "Oh! Nibling!" He seems delighted by Dandelion's explanation; he gives Ripeka an appreciative smile. "I really like that. I'm Quinn," he offers. He ducks his head to Penance, stealing into one of the offered seats. "I would love to join you. I'm not sure I have much in the way of gossip, mostly because I am very bad at understanding what is gossip and what is not." He thinks a moment, and then points at Hearth. "Hearth is very good at her work. We work together. She is masterful and she is the only other person I can stand at work." Well, at least he's bluntly honest in his reports!
Dandelion: Dandelion gestures for Ripeka to come and sit as well, as she claims a seat beside Balm. Beside the elder, she looks young and spry, comparatively. "I don't think I have anything juicy, right now. Rats, another psychic medium in town, my new cadre--all relatively standard and more business than gossip, so to speak. Though the medium in question is absolutely adorable, and I can't wait to introduce them around more properly."
Diamond: Kay shrugs and returns to play with the children if they're still around.
Rīpeka: "Rīpeka. Or Kotahitanga, if we're being formal." Rīpeka answers Quinn, before sitting next to Dandelion. "A new psychic medium? Sounds interesting. What method do they use, do you know?"
River: River has been relentlessly firing off luck spells in the corner to rig Animal Crossing for the children who are playing it.
Quinn Tolliver: "She is very delightful," Quinn agrees, nodding. "She tells good jokes. I like how clever she is, and she sat with me in the park to listen to music and it was like we were already old friends. I like people that are easy to talk to and don't make it weird." Right, Quinn. They're the ones that make it weird. He pauses a moment, and then nods. "Oh, I have gossip. I know one." He glances at the others, his expression solemn. "Maddy doesn't think math can be beautiful." He says this with the gravity of sharing that Maddy farts on the plates at her restaurant. "It has been hard to accept this. I eat at her restaurant every day. She obviously is very good at cooking, but I am not as sure about her judgment."
Parhelion: Mei, who has never dealt well with crowds and who has has about hit her limit to how much time she can take in a room full of strangers, with new social hierarchies and a lot of other unknowns, slips off to step outside and get some fresh air.
Liezel: Liezel tilts her head, then nods, understanding as Aaron goes into more detail. "I get it. That's a different relationship. In that, you're apart and directing. It's very different to be immersed and without that control. Crowds like this, we're sort of adrift. It's not necessarily bad, but it's certainly not going to feel familiar the way the other does." She glances up and straightens in her seat as Fox and Weaver arrive. "Good afternoon, Master Fox... and... Master... Weaver? I think?" She waves hesitantly at the spider in Fox's hair. "I am doing well, yes. We are discussing the difference between crowds you are teaching and crowds around you."
Dandelion: Dandelion tilts her head at Ripeka. "Mostly, for media, it's innate, but they're considering trying automatic writing to learn more about the Rat Hosts. They also create lovely little amulets that protect against being Claimed by spirits or ghosts. Such a smart young one! You'd probably love them, if you met--Charlie already had an opportunity to, and declared them 'cool', so..."
AdHoc: Weaver is, at present, riding in Fox's hair. But when Kayla happens by, they spring from atop the fox and onto her shoulder instead, riding along with her to go and play with the children, too. Who are not, it must be said, afraid of spiders. They're on an island full of tarantulas, in fact, and arguing over the best way to store them all and get them all back to Charleville's island.
Penance offers the advice, "Beauty is subjective. The elegance and utility of mathematics is beauty. To some. But so one who works with her hands and creates art through food, math is just a system of communicating measures, temperatures, and time. It's the frame not the painting. You can learn a lot about someone by learning what they find beautiful. Take Weaver for example." Penance gestures over to, well. Kayla. But meaning the small spider on her shoulder. "Their notion of beauty is entirely alien to me. But they're proud of who they are."
Balm likewise nods her head, "And beauty fades. Trust me on this. I used to turn heads, now I can't even turn door knobs." Her dog wuffles at this, putting his head into her lap.
Rīpeka: "Really? I take it they're going to be affiliated to the Assembly, then?" Rīpeka answers Dandelion, before nodding at Penance's words. "For others yet, beauty can be found in dance, or song, or a carefully curated garden."
Fox: "There's definitely a difference," Fox agrees, reaching the hand which isn't bearing coffee to ruffle Aaron's hair. He used to be her apprentice, it's a privilege she retains. Liezel, on the other hand, gets a kiss from Fox, and a proper one at that. When Weaver hops off of her head, she adds, "Now that I'm not ferrying a fellow Orphan about, I'm going to go check on my apprentice. It's easy to get overloaded. But I have coffee, and that's a very important fact." A flash of her small, sharp teeth, and she pads off barefoot after Mei. Pap pap pap.
Sirius: Sirius gave Parhelion a nod as she started to head off, following up with a "would love to talk more when you're up for it" and a small warm smile. With that he went back to observing the gathered magi for the moment, seeing how the dynamics were playing out across the gathered magi.
Dandelion: She laughs, joining in on Quinn and Penance and Ripeka's conversation briefly. "And mathematics can be found, in the garden and the music and the dance. Is not the dance an exercise in applied physics? Is not the Fibonacci spiral found in many plants? It's all connected. What was that Feynman quote about wine, again?"
Then she nods at Ripeka. "It seems very likely that's where they'll end up. I'm not certain they've got the sort of attitude to end up an Arrow. Though there's a core of steel there, I'm certain."
Diamond: Kayla lets the children happily teach her about the game and how to play it in between snippets of conversation with Weaver This seems to be a pretty common happening for her apparently. "Master Weaver, Greetings." Polite and gentle "Have you played this game?" she also flashes a smile toward River if she's nearby at all.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn takes in what Penance imparts as if he's drinking wisdom straight from the tap; he exhales slowly, nodding. "You're right. And...that's sort of what Maddy said anyway. And..she is beautiful in every way," he admits, averting his gaze with a furtive smile. "I got to meet her. She came and sat with me for monday night dinner. That's meatloaf. It was a very pleasant dinner. The best Monday night I have ever had."
River: "If a thing is subjective, its 'thingness' can only fade if its subjective definition is affected by the physical manifestation of temporal clauses," River chirps at Balm over the Switch screen that she and the children are and have been buried in for the entirety of this feast. She is still on the floor, still in a swamp of small kids climbing on her like a jungle gym, the littlest of them with the Switch clutched in his paws. "But everything has a temporal clause," she says, her attention now back on the handheld screen. "Faces. Spiderwebs. Statues. Stars. Video games. That's why Time is king." Ah, the penny drops. She's being smug.
AdHoc: "Creampuffs," Ecgbehrt volunteers to add to River's list helpfully.
Rīpeka: "And yet video games would be unplayable without Forces, creampuffs uncleanable without Matter." Rīpeka counters River's smugness.
Simon Dubois: Simon isn't the sort of person you'd expect at a pot luck--and it shows. He's dressed more for an upscale garden party, his suit tailored and more expensive than most people's whole wardrobes. A fact he clearly doesn't mind flaunting. He steps along the buffet tables, staring down at them with an unimpressed air. Still, he reaches for a plate and delicately places a few items here and there--no more than a bite each, and very much clearly just for show. He plucks up a glass of lemonade as well, taking a testing sip as his piecing gaze sweeps over the crowd that's lingering.
Quinn Tolliver: Then, he seems to realize what Dandelion has said; something in him comes alive. He straightens in his seat and makes full eye contact with Dandelion, his young features lighting up with passion. "The universe is in a glass of wine!" He proclaims, beaming. "Yes! That is one of my favorite quotes, it has so much meaning. There is layers of meaning, even - and it is faceted, it can hold different meanings to different people. A catalyst to every unique brain in a different equation - it is FASCINATING. And yes! The Fibonacci Sequence, I - I wouldn't even know where to start," he admits, cupping his hands to frame his face. "It is found in nature, yes, but it can be found in appealing works of art. Art using the sequence and the Golden Ratio is found to be more appealing to the human consumer." His smile turns faintly proud; he catches his lower lip briefly between his teeth. "It was the subject of my first thesis," he explains.
AdHoc: "If a Force happens in a place, it happens at a Time," Ecgbehrt volunteers.
"But of course," Yaroslav adds in, "if it's happening at a Time, it's happening in a Space, too."
"I... Punch good?" Constantine suggests a bit glumly. Xe was never one for headology discussions.
Sirius: Hearing the exclamation from Quinn Sirius looked over in the young mystegogue's direction, smirking as he recognized him from the other day. He meandered towards where he, Dandelion and the other were gathered. "Hello all. Enjoying yourselves, I hope?"
Dandelion: She seems mildly surprised, but pleased, by a moment of actual eye contact from Quinn, and grins when he goes off on the babble. "I've always wondered whether Feynman was a mage, since hearing that quote--it sounds to me like an explanation of the interaction between Forces, Life and Matter, how the Matter can influence Life and Mind, and so on. The basis for how Arcana interact. But I know I'm an outside observer on that front, and bring the biases of someone who's been with the Consilium for over half my life to the table here."
Diamond: She's around Children, her point in the discussion is not going to be made aloud, but she does take a quick note on her phone, which is probably the most boring phone people have seen, the wallpaper being the stock one, she tries to get Weaver to get on one of the switches around to see if he could play the game a bit. "Wonder if you can use touchscreens in this form."
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn has gotten to talk about one of his favorite things; not even his crush rolling up can stop him, now. He gives Sirius a dimpled, truly radiant smile that lights his features completely. "Yes, very much! Join us; we are just talking of the beauty inherent in nature and how it can be, and often is, represented in art," Quinn explains, hands gesturing as he speaks in excited, rapid tones.
AdHoc: Weaver hops onto the screen and begins waggling their forelimbs and flapping them on the screen with little effect. But they seem to be having fun with it, at least!
River: "And you're just one unlucky, Fateful day away from losing it all," River muses back, unbothered by the counters or dissents and possessed of a cat-like contentment about exchange. "Oh, get the ladder," she buzzes to the small, Switch-wielding child that's perched on her knee.
Simon Dubois: Simon looks down into the glass, lips pursing faintly. A shiny ornate flask is slipped out from inside his jacket, unscrewed, and some amber liquid poured into the glass. Another sip. Appeased. The flask is tucked away and he starts striding through the crowd, heading towards Dandelion. Simon--who here is known as Jinx, doesn't have any issues butting his way forcefully into the conversation, it seems--eyes locking on the older woman. "It's good to see you again, Dandelion," he says in a tone that doesn't sound completely insincere, but clearly he's just going through the motions. Following a script, while his gaze is unnervingly sharp and assertive, threatening to stab like daggers at the drop of a hat.
Dandelion: "And you, Jinx." She offers a polite nod, some of her shiny dimming as she puts on a more professional mien. "Have you met Quinn yet? You both share an interest in the arts, and might find common ground to discuss on the matter. He's a cadremate of mine."
Rīpeka: "But what can Fate affect, that Matter does not create?" Rīpeka offers in response to River, smiling slightly at the children.
Diamond: Kay giggle at the look of Weaver dealing with the Switch screen. She looks at the surrounding area for people and she use her phone to send a text.
River: "Time," River answers candidly, simply.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn glances once and then again at Jinx; a shy edge curls his smile, and he nods. "Sure, I know Jinx," he reports, hands folding together in his lap. "Hello, Jinx. We were just talking about art, in fact."
Simon Dubois: "I am woefully out of touch, it seems. I hadn't realized you formed a cadre," Simon replies with apathetic-but-polite half-interest, turning his gaze upon Quinn. There's a brief sweep up and down before he tips his glass towards the younger man. "We are acquainted. Quite skilled. A pleasure, as always, Muninn." He takes a sip from the spiked lemonade. "Well then, don't let me stop you." With a sweeping gesture of his free hand, as if to give permission for them to continue. Like they needed that.
Sirius: "Ah...I'll admit I lean more toward the musical than more physical mediums, but I do appreciate a good piece of art when I see it." Sirius nodded, the beaming smile from Quinn almost infectious in a way. He gave Jinx a brief nod as he approached, offering the Sleepwalker a hand. "Sirius...don't recall if I've had the pleasure."
Rīpeka: "And yet Time does not exist save in a Space," Rīpeka observes.
Dandelion: "The cadre is a very recent thing. In fact...all of us are currently here." She gestures at the other members as she mentions them. "River's with us, as is Liezel over there. Decima and Juno, formally."
Quinn Tolliver: "It is only natural that brilliant minds would converge," he tells Jinx, almost cheerfully. "The pleasure is mine, of course." He turns to Sirius again eagerly, leaning forward in his seat. "Oh, but music is both art and math, as so many things are! What I admired about your music that day in the park - I believe you played some original compositions? At the end. I could tell, because the structure of your piece was different from the others. Melodic, but you write your music with a passion and verve that the earlier songs simply did not have." Quinn bites his lip, one dimple in his cheek. "I like listening to you play music very much."
Hearth: Hearth returned, setting out a tray of un-doctored chocolate cream puffs and popped one in her mouth to prove they were safe before moving over to the crowd and slipping an arm around Dandelion.
Diamond: Kay stand up from the ground with the children, spends a short moment adjusting her skirt, then moves toward the food, specifically grabbing a bit of Hearth's food, but only after scrutinizing the food properly, she's not taking any chances, then picks a few other options before wandering back to people, hanging near Sirius now, waving to him and whoever else is in conversation with him. "Hey"
Simon Dubois: Jinx looks to those introduced by Dandelion first, noting each face--and if they're close enough, offers a hand for a proper handshake. His eye contact is a little too intense as he shakes their hands. "You must be respectable, for Dandelion to tether herself to you. Simon, or Jinx." He adds the Shadowname on as a second thought, clearly not having a super high opinion of this whole mystical alias thing.
Then he looks to Siruis, giving him a longer up and down while taking his hand to grip. "No, you have not. Something I am pleased to amend." He falls quiet then, looking to Quinn as he chatters on about art, at least half listening.
River: "Swing and a miss," River laughs, but it seems to be at something on the screen. "Time is often, technically erroneously, considered the fourth dimension, but by definition it operates outside the constraints of three-dimensional space. You're probably thinking of a vector, or movement through Space, which can be measured by our good friend Time, but is in fact a matter of Force," she tells Rīpeka. "A chronon is not chained to a point in Space. But it does exist on a timeline. Oh, bells." Back to the game, apparently.
Dandelion: She leans into the hug from Hearth, grinning. "My dear, that trick you pulled off earlier was horrible and lovely. How have you and yours been?"
Liezel: Liezel catches Dandelion saying her name, and- having finished her food- drifts her way to see what's being discussed that her name came up. As she approaches, her hand comes up in a mechanical greeting. "Hello, Auntie. Am I being discussed?"
Hearth: "I think you mean brilliant." Hearth smirked. "I worked really hard on coming up with that one! It was a collaborative effort. We're all doing very well though, very pleased with the fruit we were able to study, and I've another project to work on now too."
Rīpeka: "Ah, well. Deep physics was never my speciality." Rīpeka accepts the correction with a shrug, glancing at Liezel. "Mentioned, more than discussed, I believe. How've you been?"
Sirius: Sirius couldn't help but smile at the compliment from Quinn, feathers metaphorically puffing up in pride. "Why thank you. Music has always been a large part of my life, and I've been lucky enough to be able to express myself through it in ways I might not have been able to otherwise. Other enjoying my work and feeling something of their own through it makes it all the better."
The handshake he gave Jinx was firm but not overly so, a well-practiced motion. "As am I." He replied with a small smirk, then looked to Hearth's approach with a proper smile. "That was exquisite. Remind me to send you the video later."
Diamond: "Collaborative with who, Hearth ?" She asks to the other Moros
Quinn Tolliver: "I can tell," he enthuses warmly, still smiling at Sirius. "Is that your profession, too? Or is busking a hobby? I only ask because you could easily make it your profession, if it isn't already."
Hearth: "Thank you," she beamed to Sirius and then mimed zipping her lips. "A Guardian has to have some secrets! I'm really looking forward to the retaliation though, it's going to have to be pretty good to top my creampuff!"
Dandelion: She watches Quinn and Sirius thoughtfully for a moment, before her attention returns to Hearth "Oh? Anything you can talk about, for the project?"
Simon Dubois: Liezel is given a long moment of appraisal, then a hand offered to shake. "Dandelion was introducing the other members of her cadre. It's a pleasure to meet those she has put such trust in. I'm Simon. ...Or Jinx." Sirius and Quinn's conversation is idly kept up with, but most of his attention remains on introductions.
Hearth: "Well it's not a prank but I'm going to make the most divine pie."
Liezel: Liezel offers Ripeka a small smile. "I have been well. Learning new things, building new tools, writing new songs. Ever forward, as they say. Have you been well, too?" She takes Jinx's hand and shakes it mechanically. "Good to meet you, Jinx. Are you one of Auntie's, then? Or just a friend?"
Dandelion: Dandelion's eyebrows both lift at Hearth's declaration, but at hearing Liezel's question, she answers immediately. "I have not adopted Simon, but I did bring him to the attention of the Consilium."
And then back to the pie. "It sounds wonderful, dear. You'll have to let me know how the flavors work out--or save me a slice, if you have enough."
Sirius: "Somewhat. I tried going professional with it in Los Angeles for a few years to little success, and then...well, things happened." He motioned around them briefly with a small smirk as he watched Quinn. "I still compose my own pieces, but do more work training and showcasing local talent these days. A bit of legacy-building and being able to watch that garden grow, as it were, along with helping others to reach their true potential."
Diamond: "Warn me which pie it's going to be." She says to the intention of Heather and then looks over to Jinx she waves to him "Hey, I'm informally Kay or formally Diamond, pleasure to meet you."
Simon Dubois: Liezel gets a flat stare when she asks if he is Auntie's. But thankfully Dandelion replies for him. "She was indeed quite helpful to me. She's a very generous, helpful woman. What is it you do for the community?" he asks Liezel.
Hearth: "I still need to work out a few kinks in my ingredient list. I don't think anyone's ever actually perfected butter and flour and such, or at least it's not on record that I'm aware of." She shrugged a bit. "It'll be the small one. It's not like I've got half a dozen apples to put into it so it's going to need to be scaled down in order to keep the flavors proportional.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn bites his lip, ducking a quick nod at Sirius. "If you are the gardener, I...I can imagine the garden is breathtaking," he says; he averts his gaze, delighted smile still curled on his lips, in his eyes. "It can't be easy, dealing with artists' temperaments. How do you manage? You must have to find some way to unwind."
River: River picks her head back up from the game and peers over at Quinn with an amused look on her face, but then a small child demands she 'look!' and she looks at the Switch.
Simon Dubois: When Kay waves Simon turns his unnervingly piercing gaze upon her, offering a polite but curt nod in greeting. "You as well."
Dandelion: She nods at Hearth. "If there's anyone who can make that happen, it's you. I know you're smart enough to work your way through any problem that arises." The pride in her voice is sincere and deep, and she looks at the Moros with this gentleness and warmth. "I can't wait to hear about it."
Liezel: Liezel's head pulls back notably at the flat stare she receives, her eyes ducking sidelong at Dandelion's assertion. "Oh. Ah- I, um." She clears her throat, asserting a professional demeanor she slides into like a glove, the uncertainty dissolving into thin air. "I'm a maker. Specifically, I specialize in Perfected materials, as I have both the knowledge and the skills to permanently Perfect objects without relying on temporary spells to do so. I also assist with the creation of permanent Grimoires, as that is a talent not everyone possesses." She pauses, then finishes, "I'm also a Talon, which has its own duties and responsibilities. And you, Jinx? What would you say you do for our community?"
Diamond: Kay gives a look over to Sirius and Quinn with a fond smile at their conversation, then she turns her attention toward Dandelion "Have you spoken with Nevy again recently?"
Hearth: "I should talk with you about Perfecting Materials some time," she commented to Liezel. It's a particular interest of mine.'
Sirius: Oh, by the Oracles this was far too precious. Sirius smiled warmly, giving Quinn a small nod. "I do my best, offering guidance where I can and letting them blossom in their own way."
"It can be, but then again I've been in their shoes and know how to throw it back at them." He chuckled, more to himself than the other mage. "I have a few ways."
Dandelion: She gives Kay a nod. "Of course I have. I've even managed to introduce them to Charleville; I think they're going to end up very good friends in time."
Simon Dubois: Simon listens to Liezel attentively, with an air of assessment that makes the moment feel like a job interview--or even an interrogation. "I see. That sounds very useful." More so to people who actually use magic, alas, not Sleepwalkers. "I can appreciate someone with a craft. Especially one who has perfected it. Myself? A maker, of sorts. I make connections. Help people find those who can get them what they want. But I specialize in the assessment and acquisition of antiquities and rare artifacts--especially those that may be considered magical or dangerous. As such, you'll likely not be surprised that I am employed by the Mysterium. But I offer my services to anyone in need."
Quinn Tolliver: "You have empathy for your students, then; that's a gift." Quinn ducks his head in another nod, gaze averted to study his hands. He sighs. "Yes, of course you do," he tells Sirius, with a trace of sly amusement. "But you are supposed to be very charmed at my fumbling attempts at flirting with you, and share your methods of relaxation. You tell me that you unwind by...oh, I don't know. Soapmaking. And I shyly proclaim that I have always wanted to learn how to make soap, and I look up at you," Quinn looks up, eyes wide and eager, lip caught between his teeth for a moment, "Like this."
River: River hides her face behind the Switch, because she is dying in another fit of glee, crumpling under the shakes of her laughter and the weight of the children that have been climbing and hanging on her.
Sirius: The talk about Nevermore did catch his ear, but Quinn's 'lesson' on flirting kept Sirius' focus for the moment. "Or, you ask me what they are, and I offer to talk about them in a more private setting. Maybe over coffee or something." He finished with a little wink, watching the young Guardian for his reaction. "In theory, anyway."
Liezel: "No, certainly not surprised," Liezel confirms for Jinx. For the moment, her bearing is identifiably that of a soldier, resolute and staunch. "A useful talent, indeed, for there is many and more a thing which is dangerous, or magical, or often both. Logistics of all kinds is one of the backbones of any organization. I'm sure you often find yourself very busy."
River: River is unhelpfully giving Quinn an encouraging thumbs-up.
Rīpeka: Rīpeka blinks at Quinn's words, returning from having ducked out while her player regained steam. Then chuckles at Sirius's reaction, moving over to Kay. "How've you been, Sister? We haven't had a chance to talk in a while."
Dandelion: Dandelion glances over at Quinn, and she seems to be considering saying something, but holds herself back.
Simon Dubois: "Very busy," Simon agrees to Liezel. He reaches inside his jacket and pulls out a business card from a shiny gold case, offering it over to her. "Perhaps we can speak more, some other time, of how we might be useful to each other." His gaze slides slowly over to Quinn, staring with a look of... pity.
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn gives Jeremiah a very serious nod. "I would like to have coffee with you very much," he informs Sirius, sincerely earnest. "I prefer tea, but honestly I will not be paying very much attention to whatever it is I order." He withdraws his phone from his inside breast pocket, holding it out. "May I please have your phone number now?"
Diamond: Kay smiles and gives a thumbs up to Dandelion "I'm glad Nevy got to meet Charleville, them being friend is going to be a sight to behold." she welcomes Rīpeka with a quick hug. "I've been doing okay, keeping busy. How are you ?"
River: River is alternating between laughing and guffawing in surprise. 'He's a savant' she mouths to no one in particular.
Rīpeka: "Keeping busy," Rīpeka admits, returning the hug. 'We noticed' gets mouthed back to River, before the Obrimos returns her attention to Kay. "How did scrutinising the fruits go? My day job meant I wasn't able to be there, sadly."
Sirius: "Certainly." Sirius took the offered phone and put his number in, giving it back to Quinn with a flourish. "There's a pretty solid tea house down in Rittenhouse Square. Let me know when you're good for it."
With that bit of business-slash-pleasure handled he looked towards Dandelion with a small smile. "I got another chance to talk with Nevy myself, and they have quite the keen mind. Asked some good questions about things that I had to applaud."
Dandelion: An alarm on Dandy's phone goes off, and she pauses to pull a small pillbox from her purse as she responds to Sirius. "They're very bright, and very excited to not be alone in the world. It's hard, you know, being a psychic without a greater community. Now, excuse me a moment, I need to grab something to take these with."
After all, it seems she's just counted out at least six total pills of differing sizes and colors.
Quinn Tolliver: "Quinn nods once to Sirius, tucking his phone inside his jacket. "I like to text," he informs the Mastigos. Warns him? "I would like to go any time, except for during my work hours - except perhaps on my lunch hour, and my dinner I eat at Maddy's. Any time around those times," he assures Jeremiah, just in case he was unclear on Quinn's enthusiasm.
Diamond: "It went fantastically well, I think I saw the underlying math of existence for a moment there too." A soft chuckle toward Ripeka as she misses the interaction with River that she has. "We discovered that the fruit have resonance linked to the two Obrimos that awakened at the Riots, Yisra'el and Parhelion, but not one for Rashida... which I or we believe means the fruit might have spawn in one of the other facet of the tree. Like the one in the Hisil or in the Astral or the Underworld." She ramble a bit "I originally thought that since Parhelion and Yisra'el had a linked awakening that it might have been one fruit for them two."
Simon Dubois: Simon watches Dandelion count out the pills quietly, though with no notable outwards change of emotion. He takes a long sip of his spiked lemonade.
Hearth: Hearth watched Dandelion carefully as well, noting the pills she was taking.
Sirius: "I can imagine so. Happy to help where I can, of course." Sirius nodded to Dandelion, then looked back to Quinn with a smile. "Sounds good, on both counts. When do you work, normally? 9-5?"
Rīpeka: "A reasonable supposition. Both of them, actually." Rīpeka considers Kay for a moment. "Have you been to any of those, recently?" Dandelion's sheer number of pills gets a worried glance, but she doesn't say anything about it.
Liezel: Liezel pulls an extraordinarily plain business card from an extraordinarily plain steel business card holder in her satchel. It simply has a number written on it. She, of course, accepts Jinx's in return. "That could be arranged, Jinx.Do enjoy the potluck." She tucks away his business card, and glances to Kay greeting Ripeka with a faint smile. There's a glance- a brief one- towards **Dandelion as she sorts out her pills, moving to fetch a glass of punch. The kind without Rum, to prevent interactions.
"Here, Auntie. For you."
Quinn Tolliver: "Nine to five, yes," he confirms, his smile still dusting his features. His gaze hovers somewhere around Sirius' collarbone. "I work with your friend Heather. Hearth. Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I am on a consultation. I'm a conservator of art and artifacts," he explains, his expression warming with enthusiasm.
Dandelion: She accepts the offered glass from Liezel, raising it in a bit of a toast. She does the pills in two batches--first the smaller ones as a bunch, then the three largest pills.
Hearth: Heather nodded. "We share conservation work. It's really quite rewarding to see a painting go from damaged to restored to show the artist's intentions."
Simon Dubois: Simon accepts Liezel's card with a nod, tucking it away into the other side of the case, then that back into his coat pocket. He glances off for a moment, eyes narrowing a hint. Then he finally plucks up a bit of previously untouched cheese and--instead of eating it, slips it into the swept back hair in the back of his head. It disappears. He doesn't seem bothered by whatever in the world is happening, just setting the plate aside on some random surface for someone else to tidy up later.
Diamond: "No, I haven't visited any of the other Trees in my life, though I've heard about them a lot." Kay answers to Rīpeka and shrugs there. "I would love to visit the Underworld one, that would be absolutely fantastic."
Hearth: "Not my ideal vacation spot, Kay," said the Moros. "But we could plan a visit with the cadre?"
Dandelion: Pills taken, she moves back over toward Kay. "I've helped Balm a little in investigating the Astral version of the Tree before. While I'm not an expert, it's a field of interest to me."
Sirius: "I'll double-check when they're open and send you a message. Work for you?" Sirius said to Quinn, sparing Diamond a glance at the mention of going down Below. "That...could be interesting. I'd be game for it."
Quinn Tolliver: Quinn gives Heather an affectionate smile, nodding. "Yes, hi, hello, Heather. I had meant to tell you before we left on Friday, but your work on the Vermeer is peerless. I eagerly anticipate seeing the final piece." He nods to Sirius, smile remaining bright. "Yes, of course. That is acceptable and appreciated."
Rīpeka: "You've restored a Vermeer? Which one?" Rīpeka asks, sounding more like she's making conversation than actually interested.
Diamond: "I was thinking about you and Balm for the Astral one actually, Dandelion" She smiles "Seems like an area of expertise, plus SIrius and maybe Rashida herself, since that would make sense. "The Underworld one, I need to do a bit more research into something before I visit it, I'm slowly making sense of something in my head, I just need to put it out there."
Hearth: Heather blushed. "You're too kind. I'm hardly peerless though since you're just as skilled as I am if not moreso." She looked to Viveka and smiled. "It's the Philadelphia Museum's 'Lady with a Guitar', about 45 by 50 centimeters and a rather lively portrait. It's not in bad condition, just regular maintenance and cleaning."
Liezel: Liezel perks up a little bit while she listens to the Soulwardens talk to Dandelion about the Tree. "If people would like to visit the Tree in the Underworld, I actually have a very safe way to get people there and back that could be performed well away from the tree. It takes a little while to prepare, but it'd last more than long enough to get quality time to research the Tree as you like." She gestures towards Diamond, though. "Obviously Kay would be more than capable of doing the same, but not everyone is available at the same times."
Simon Dubois: While the talk of restoring Vermeer's grabs his attention, his phone going off alas is more demanding. He looks at the screen, then looks over towards Dandelion. "We should get together for dinner, sometime soon. Catch up." But with that Simon turns and makes his way out of the pot luck, putting the phone to his ear to speak into quietly.
Quinn Tolliver: "Oh," Quinn notes, head cocking to one side; he's thoughtful a moment, then nods. "You're right; I am," he agrees with Hearth. Quinn checks his watch, features pulling into a frown; he rises from his seat. "Please excuse me," he murmurs. "I have..a thing...there's some things to do." In order, he works his way through those around him, telling every single one the same thing: "It was a pleasure to meet you; I enjoyed your company." Same exact tone, same exact little bow. With that, he gives Jeremiah one last look; he gets another affable smile, and then Quinn flees. Once he is outside and out of hearing, he throws up.
Simon Dubois: ...Simon was leaving. Simon totally saw that.
Quinn Tolliver: Fucking Simon.
Dandelion: She gives Simon a surprised look at that comment, watching him as he leaves, her expression uncertain. "Dinner? Catch up?" The words are whispered more to herself than at anyone, and she looks like she's trying to figure out where the catch is in a used car salesman's pitch.
River: River whispers something to the children that have been hanging on her and like a swarm, they lurch over towards Dandelion, besieging her with hugs and coos in the high-pitched squeaky voices of little ones. "I told them to squeeze the punch out of Aunt Dandy," she stage whispers, plunking herself down alongside Liezel. "If we're going to the Underworld, hang an effect on me so I can whack things. My whacks are pretty solid whacks, but they tend to whoosh right through the ephemeral and ghostly." A beat. "I've tried." Believable.
Sirius: "Have a good night." Sirius gave Quinn a brief salute as he headed out, watching until he made it to the door and returning the smile. Once he was gone he let out a quiet sigh, a rather amused look on his face. "That...was probably the most adorable thing I've seen in a while."
River: "Wait till the date," River advises Sirius sagely.
Diamond: "Yeah but I don't think it's as simple as just opening up a gate and ending up at the Tree though, there's a whole lot of things I heard about down there." She comments to Liezel "Oh, I think you mean Twilight, I mean opening up a gate to the Underworld, it's different and more dangerous." she summarize.
Liezel: "If we go, we'd want Dandelion's help. That's the exact sort of thing she can do, bless equipment to interact with the ephemeral and ghostly," she explains to River as she hypes up Dandy's skills.
Dandelion: Dandelion was not at all braced to be piled on, and she wobbles a little as some of the kids grab at her legs, barely managing to set her glass down on a table and avoid being literally toppled by the youngsters. But her expression is kind, and she kneels down to offer hugs and ask how everyone's doing in school and what they're looking forward to this summer.
Rīpeka: Rīpeka is highly amused by the kids piling on Dandelion. Sirius gets a glance and nod. "Interesting method, but if it works for him..." she shrugs.
River: "Think she'll still bless my knives and bow after I sicc'd the kids on her?" River wonders at Liezel. "Naw, she loves 'em," she narrates, answering her own question, plopping an elbow on the table and resting her chin in her hand.
Liezel: "Fifty, Fifty," murmurs Liezel to River.
Sirius: Sirius moved to claim a seat of his own after making sure Dandelion was alright after the kid-swarm, eyeing his phone briefly as it buzzed with a message and sending a reply back before setting it down again. "It worked well enough, I'll say that."
River: "Mm, odds are just the starting point of negotiations," the Acanthus chatters back meaninglessly at Liezel.
Hearth: Hearth narrowed her eyes at the kids piling on Dandelion and shook her head.
Dandelion: Dandelion seems oblivious to the reactions of the other mages, her attention on the little ones completely--coaxing the shy ones into being part of the group, encouraging one of the more outspoken ones to let others have a turn talking, praising one girl who recently won an award at school. She's clearly used to children. No surprise to anyone who's heard of her 'Sprout'.
AdHoc: Aaron wanders back in after Havadalah to find the feast still going. Which surprises him as much as the fact that there was one to begin with. He heads back to the buffet line for a dinner meal portion. His Kugel is gone, so he has to go searching for other dishes to fill the hole in his belly. Once he's piled himself up as kosher a plate as the spread allows, he begins wandering through the tables to find himself a seat again.
Diamond: "Oh my heart." Kay rest her hands over hers, watching Dandelion deals with the various sprogs and sprouts swarming the child and she looks over to Liezel "Yes, possible that a medium might be essential down there, but I do want to make sure it's the case, I am a careful person." Then her attention wanders toward Aaron for a moment, waving him over if he'd like.
Rīpeka: "Join us, Yisra'el?" Rīpeka asks, gesturing to the free seat next to her. She glances at Kay, then. "Adorable, isn't it?"
Liezel: Liezel isn't too far from where she left Aaron. She's sitting with River debating the chances of the youngster tactical assault ruining her chances of Dandelion blessing her equipment in the field. She looks up when Y'israel returns with a plate of actual proper supper, and lifts a hand to greet him and let him know he's still welcome to rejoin her, if he's inclined.
Hearth: "The Arrows need to take better care of her," Heather grumbled unhappily.
AdHoc: Aaron hesitates briefly, but eventually wanders over and settles down on the ground along with River, Liezel and Ripeka. "Better care of whom?" Aaron inquires as he settles his plate onto his lap and begins picking at his meal with his fork. "Thanks for the invite."
Sirius: Sirius looked up towards Aaron at his return, giving the man a polite smile and a nod as the others beckoned for him to join them. "Sirius, by the way. Don't think we've met properly yet."
Hearth: She gestured to Dandelion. "She's always giving so much of herself and her health has been declining."
Liezel: She gives Aaron one of her tiny little smiles when he returns, and Hearth explains who they were speaking of, but then Liezel looks to Hearth for a moment. "Do you think she would allow herself to be taken care of, if it meant she got to care for or invest in even one person less?" She turns back to watch her Auntie work, shaking her head slowly. "I don't. I think she'd scold you for trying, and then again for making her waste her time to scold you, and then drag you to whomever she was meeting next so you could apologize for making her late."
"You're welcome here, Aaron. But you're also welcome for the invite. I know I like them, even if I think it's okay to be someplace."
Rīpeka: "Let her enjoy this time while she still can, then." Rīpeka says gently. "Children are a treasure, after all." She glances at Liezel, then. "Indeed."
Liezel: And then her phone plays a little midi segment of a fad pop song. She plucks it out to poke at it and send a text message before setting it in her lap, smiling to Ripeka when she agrees, nodding softly.
River: "Aaron," River chirps. "Yisra'el? You there," she pipes at him. "How's it taking?" No context provided, no context required. She either doesn't hear or pointedly ignores the conversation about Dandelion's health.
Diamond: Kay nods toward Rīpeka and smiles, she gives a little look toward Hearth she takes a deep breath and she closes her eyes, clearly trying to clear her mind. "Complicated, difficult topics." she grabs the food from her plate and eats it. "Yisra'el ! I've began reading a few of the books you lent or gave me, not sure. Thank you again."
Dandelion: While her back won't let her do piggyback rides anymore, she scoops up two of the smallest children, one in each arm, and carries them over toward the snack table, the rest of the band of wild youngsters following along as she points out some of the things the kids might not have tried because they look too healthy. Like the fruit tarts someone had brought, for example, and the cauliflower which tastes a lot better dipped in ranch dressing or even ketchup.
AdHoc: "Isn't it her decision whether or not to seek magical interventions into her health?" Aaron asks the question of more or less everyone. This isn't something they covered in Mage 101. "Master Yoshitsune is a Life Adept. Councilor Constantine, too, if I recall correctly. I can't imagine Esther just sitting on her hands and not helping her out." Aaron glances back at Dandelion, then back to the group. "I can ask about it-- I just don't know if that's done, you know?" Aaron sets his fork down and wipes his hand with his napkin before offering a handshake to Sirius, "A pleasure. Yisra'el." Aaron squints at River, "I'm. I'm here. Am I not supposed to be here?" He forks some more of his food into his mouth, as that seems to be safe, shooting a big smile and a thumbs up to Kayla.
Hearth: "Luckly, taking better care of her doesn't mean she gets to care for fewer people. It's not a zero sum game," Heather retorted, shooting a glower at Kay and then turning away to go grab a drink.
River: River makes an exaggerated gesture at Aaron with her hand, sweeping around the room, indicating the 'all-of-this-ness' of it. "No, I mean, how's it taking?" she repeats.
Rīpeka: "It can be a sore subject, Yisra'el." Rīpeka's tone is sombre. "Especially for someone who has spent so much of her life around us, and yet never fully Awakened as we have."
Diamond: Diamond immediately chases after Hearth, trying to catch her before she return from grabbing a drink. "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"
Hearth: "Yeah, of course." Hearth said, sitting down and gesturing Diamond to the other.
AdHoc: "I'm not sure why anyone's autonomy to live their life on their terms is a controversial statement. I mean, if treatment is being withheld, yeah. That's a problem and I'll go have a conversation with whoever made that call. If she's not seeking treatment she knows is readily available, who are we to judge?" Aaron is just confused, having missed any and all prior discourse on the topic. He answers River a bit uncertainly, "I like it. I think it's growing on me. It waxes and wanes between presumptuous and arrogant and entirely fitting and very affirming. Which is probably a sweet spot for one's superhero identity."
Sirius: Sirius took Aaron's hand and shook it firmly, sparing his cadremates a brief "you good?" glance before looking back to the Obrimos. "It's a question worth asking, though. The 'can I versus should I?' aspect of all this also often comes into play, and is something worth keeping in mind."
Diamond: "I know you're upset." She whispers sitting down next to Heather "I think I have a pretty good idea of why." she looks around quickly "I didn't mean to add to it, the whole situation just made me consider a few things, I wasn't judging or criticizing anything about why you feel this way."
Hearth: She slumped. "I didn't mean to take it out on you either. I'm sorry," she said softly.
Rīpeka: "Nobody's withholding it, Yisra'el, don't worry." Rīpeka reassures the other Obrimos. "But yes, as Sirius said, the ethics of when to use magic are often a bigger question than what magic to use."
Dandelion: While the kids are ravaging the buffet, Dandelion glances over to the mages, in their separate circles, before her attention returns to the littles that are her charges right now. She finds where the Switch has been discarded and tries to wipe it off with a napkin as well as possible.
AdHoc: "I'm afraid I don't understand," Aaron finally admits to Ripeka with a sigh, "and I have no wish to upset anyone. So. I'll just listen and learn." He forks up some more food into his face, waggling his fork at Dandelion when she looks their way, squinting up his eyes in a smile for her.
River: "From what I understand, that sensation lasts about twenty to forty years, so, embrace it," River chirps back at Aaron. "Can versus should is a boring question," she supposes slyly at Sirius and Rīpeka . "Better to ask 'when?' mm?"
Liezel: Liezel smiles at River, and nods at Aaron. "She's right. I still spend a lot of my time recognizing how little I understand and seeking out what will make that stop for a few minutes." She pauses and thinks over the last comment. "And I would say that "should" is never a boring question. In fact, it's almost always an unfortunately exciting one."
Diamond: Kay offers a gentle squeeze of Hearth's Shoulder and nods. "I understand" she offer even a hug to her cadremate "Are you going to be okay? Need me to do anything?"
Hearth: She shook her head. "Wait, yeah. Give Dandy my love. I'm going to get out of here. I need to go... think. Or something."
River: "No, it's the most boring question," River insists. "It produces nothing, it changes nothing, because whatever you believe, whatever you settle on, and you will get a different answer with different locuters, every time -- but it doesn't matter, someone's out there can-ing against your shouldn't-ve," she rattles back at Liezel. "So don't ask should. Or if. Ask when. And if you're brave, ask 'then what', and have yourself some fun." She blows bubbles into her drink.
Rīpeka: "Listen and learn is always a good idea," Rīpeka agrees. "Admitting ignorance is the first step in becoming truly wise, after all."
Sirius: Sirius watched as River went on a bit of a tear, visibly mulling over whether to jump in on that minefield or not. Eventually he made his call, sitting back in his seat as he looked over the Acanthus. "And what about when your 'being brave' does more harm than good because of the lack of forethought that went into the decision?"
AdHoc: "So. I realize I've only spent my entire adult life asking and answering the shoulds and cans, but I don't think those questions are dull at all. They inform the when and the then what. Halachic law is full of could, can, should, shouldn't, when, when not, why, why not. If you're only looking through a gemstone from one direction, you're missing the rest of the show. Examine things from every angle, especially if that angle takes you into another person's shoes." To his credit, Aaron shut up for a whole six seconds. Obrimoi, yo.
Beowulf: Beowulf pushes open the doors carrying a hogshead barrel on one shoulder. He sets it down by the buffet table with a dull thump. Dusting off his hands, he starts making a giant plate of food for himself, pours a pint from the hogshead, and finds himself a place to sit and eat.
Diamond: "Goodbye Hearth, See you later, okay?" She gives a quick hug to her and then moves to grabs some food, dodging the philosophical debate for the moment.
River: "If you're worried about questions doing harm, you're in the wrong business," River quips back at Sirius.
Hearth: "Yeah." She gave Kay a kiss on the cheek before heading for the door. "See you at home when you get there."
Rīpeka: "Questions might not harm, but failing to think through those questions certainly," Rīpeka counters, before pulling out her phone as it chimes at her. "I should be going, though, errands to run. Pleasure meeting all of you." She stands and follows Hearth out.
Liezel: "I- hm. Don't think I can agree with that, River." Liezel states. "The questions start with "what happens if." Then you ask "what then" and continue until you've answered that question enough, or no longer can. Then comes "should I?" Because, for instance, I am capable of doing a great many things that at first glance sound like fantastic ideas. There are world leaders oppressing or killing their citizens. There are places in desperate need of resources. And these are problems I could go fix in the short terms. But then we ask "then what?" What happens to the people affected by my action? How does my action affect me and my grasp on sanity and humility? To decline "should I' as anything but essential is a fast track to Madness."
Liezel's phone chirps miditones again, and she frowns at it, replying in quick order.
River: River slips her attention over to Aaron and gives him a once-over, elevator eyes, and curls her lips into a smile. "If you like. But knowing it was wrong never protected anyone from wrongdoing."
"You don't have to agree with it," River chirps back at Liezel. "You don't have to agree with anything. Still a boring question. If you look at it through the myopic lens of 'I can kill someone, should I?' then I will not argue its importance; there's no point. But how much time we waste wondering what we're allowed to do, rather than what we ought to be doing when someone goes on and does it anyway. Slow. It's slow. And boring." More bubbles.
Sirius: "See you at home, Hearth." Sirius gave the Moros a quick salute before turning his attention back to the conversation at hand. "It's less 'allowed to do' and more being conscious of how what we do affects everything around us. We literally have the power to change reality at our fingertips, but grand gestures without forethought can cause more trouble than the original problem. The ladder has to be climbed one rung at a time."
AdHoc: "Sure it has. If you don't know right from wrong, you can't recognize wrongdoing being done to you. And when you do, you're able to organize against it accordingly. Know it, isolate it, and remove it from your society. Societies are built upon shared moral character. Most of our great social divisions are centered on these moral questions. Justice requires such consideration and such knowledge, and justice can protect a people when it is applied correctly. If anything, moral relativism and capitalist notions of might makes right led us to this pass." Aaron scratches his nose and tacks on, "You stand on the shoulders of moral philosophy filled with its certitude and discarding its framework. Which is strange to me."
River: "See, you even approach the notion boringly," River admonishes. "As soon as I raise the issue, how you rush to the base foundation of 'how important it is to know what's right' -- you miss the point," she exhales like she's disappointed in both of them. "But I don't blame you. I'm working on a paper on the quantum states of legality in the Lex Magica. I hope it will be illuminating on these kinds of issues; at least the first seven pages or so of definitions, anyway."
It goes without saying, but: more bubbles.
AdHoc: "Well, I won't bore you any further, in that case." Aaron resumes his meal, forking up another bite to his mouth and chewing in a manner most nonplussed.
Sirius: Sirius looked equally unamused, shaking his head quietly as he settled back into his seat. "What point do you think we're missing, then?"
Diamond: Kay looks at the ongoing conversation and blinks a few times at some of the concepts being presented and discussed as she listen from afar. Afar probably means a few seats of distance at this point, as she looks at the conversation for no reason.
Liezel: Liezel frowns quietly and pokes at her phone a little bit more. "I don't feel like it takes much time at all to consider "should I". And often times it takes a lot more time to clean up when we don't. That's just my thought, though," she murmurs to River. "And Aaron, you are not boring me. You have a deep understanding of how society impacts its individuals for better or for worse, and that's the basis of the "should I" questions. I appreciated your insight and would welcome further."
River: "Now, don't pout," River simpers. "I didn't say it's not important. Just that it's boring, and you can take it from me, I boring with the Lex all day long, I've bored holes in it; I'm fascinated by it. And in my fascination lies my dissent. Because those rules? They're written. They're done. They were here way before us, and they'll be here a very long time after, I can promise you that much. When things get interesting is when they slap up against them, like waves breaking on rocks. That's the when. That's what's interesting to me. Settle down, boys. I'm not going Paradox the city."
"The Lex is aliiiive" she dramatizes two wedges of fruit, shaping them like a rudimentary shadow puppet.
Diamond: Diamond finishes the last piece of her food and drink the last drop of her drinks, she gathers her things and seems ready to leave. "Have a great day, I'm heading back home, I got a few things to work on. Got a few ideas from talking to people." She stands up and waves to the remaining people. "Have a good evening."
River: "Should I enslave a small town with Mind powers? No, I shouldn't. Okay. Lesson over. But what happens when someone does? How do you predict when it will happen? How do you respond? See? Now we're getting somewhere." River keeps prodding, upnodding her head to Diamond and flashing her a wave on the way out.
Sirius: "As would I." Sirius nodded to Aaron in agreement with Liezel, giving Diamond a quick wave as she headed out. "See you later."
"Now that's the trick, really. The question of should still comes up in the response to such actions, what steps you take to correct that original act of hubris. If you work just as rashly as they did, then what better are you?"
River: "Sure, if you like," she chirps back brightly to Sirius. "In a new context, it's a new question. The OG, if you will, is still Capital B, Boring. Because it doesn't matter. Someone's gonna do it. It's inevitable. Ready your move, and so on."
Sirius: "Perhaps, but that's where giving the proper guidance to keep them from doing that thing in the first place comes into play. Everything is a teachable moment, even if you simply end up as the lesson for others."
AdHoc: "History doesn't repeat itself. But it rhymes." Aaron offers that comment, whatever it's supposed to infer, into the mix as he pushes himself back up to his feet with popping joints and cracking knees. AGE. It will happen to yooooou. He carries his empty plate back to the table, wipes off his plate, and sets his dirty plate into the bin. Then he heads into the kitchen to start helping clean up. Because of course he does.
River: "You think the Seers will welcome your guidance, do you?" River chatters back with another bright laugh. "Because nine times out of ten, when it matters, it's them. And they won't be here for your 'teachable moment', I promise. Though on the notion of making an example of them, we can agree."
Sirius: Sirius smirked at that, shaking his head quietly. "I'm not prideful enough to say that. The Light guides us all, and I offer aid to those that wish to follow it. What others do with that guidance is for them to decide."
River: "Yeah, well, they decide a lot of bullshit," River summarizes, blowing weak bubbles in her now-drained drink. Following Aaron's example, she starts picking some things up and fussing them over to where they belong. "I've got to go stare at something further away than a Nintendo screen. Do my eyes look crossed?" she asks Sirius.
Sirius: Sirius looked River over a moment before shaking his head, giving her a quick thumbs up. "Think you're good."
River: "Solid. Stay classy," she advises, escorting another pile of dishes in the kitchenbound direction, and then making out of there before one of the kids could wrap around her leg like a python.
Liezel: Liezel's phone beeps again, and she checks it, face coloring slowly. "Excuse me. I need to- take a moment."
Sirius: Liezel got a quick nod from Sirius on her way out before the Warlock stood and headed over towards the kitchen himself, looking to see if they needed a hand as well as to check on Aaron.
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