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Klaire
Klaire's house wasn't all that special. A single story suburban building in the middle of a fairly standard neighborhood. All the normal bits were there. Kids playing after school, parents chatting, someone was walking a dog, someone else was going on a walk. Hiding in plain sight was a thing for everyone of the...not quite normal populations.
When Rook saw Ylva, he bounded up to the window, barked twice, and bounded away before returning a moment later to stare at her with his tail wagging fast enough it might have made it to the moon if it suddenly detached. He wasn't wearing his vest today and so was a bit more playful. The smell of something baking was clear even outside the building.
Ylva:
Ylva was nervous and still adjusting to her new Wyrd aswell.
She was wearing her usual mini skirt outfit with freshly braided hair as she walked up to Klaires door.
A tail unseen by Klaire was wrapped around Vorpals arm squeezing gently as they approached.
Vorpal
Vorpal was... struggling. People everywhere. Not Her people, just- people. She avoided people. Not because they were bad. Because she was awful at pretending to not be the absolutely magnificent Witch she was.
But she made do.
Delayed and incorporated tiny mistakes into her movements to disguise their natural, obscene fluidity.
Pretended to be faintly surprised by things she noticed or guessed well before they occurred.
Forced expressions onto her face to avoid that placid mask of implacable comportment.
"Next time," Vorpal murmurs quietly. "We'll just share addresses and I'll show up my own way, I think."
Ylva:
Ylva looks to her and nods. "Thats fair. Sorry. Just didnt want you ya know. Turning up in her living room the first time you meet."
A gentle, reserved knock to the door. Maybe? She tried to make it reserved.
Klaire
Klaire takes a second to open the door, a quiet "sit" on the other side as she does. As Klaire opens the door she has a bright smile. She's dressed in a nicer shirt and cardigan, as well as jeans. Her hair is put up for once. The smell of cleaning chemicals is subtly laced in the house as well, as if she had deep cleaned before they got there.
Her eyes flick to Vorpal for a second before mostly back to Ylva. Rook is behind her, tail swishing back and forth but he is a GOOD BOY and is sitting there like he was told to do.
"Hey there, sorry you got here a bit faster than I expected. I have a couple cookies almost done baking. Come on in!"
She backs off to let them inside, eyes trained on Vorpal for a solid few seconds, eyes flicking back and forth like she's searching for something in Vorpal's face. She nods and speaks quietly, trying to be friendly but is definitely on edge.
"And lets definitely get you inside, ok?"
Vorpal
"I mean, you could have just told her I would and when," V points out idly as the door opens. She does her best to smile properly, but it's- sort of like a doll's smile. Her own features are unreadable in her Mien, and her composure overwhelms her Mask's ability to emote clearly.
But hey, There Was An Attempt.
"That's probably my fault," Vorpal owns. "I may have hurried our pace a touch. I do enjoy a brisk pace."
Then there's that stare, and Vorpal's eyes narrow faintly in her scarred, pale face. Not with malice. Something closer to curiosity than suspicion as she nails what she wants most in the moment. "Yes... let's do." She murmurs as she heads inside!
Ylva:
Ylva steps inside petting Rook on the way and watching the two of them with a tilt of her head, a firmer squeeze of a tail.
"Vorpal this is Klaire, Klaire this is Vorpal and this is Rook." There is a nervous smile on her face as she reaches out to hug Klaire after closing the door.
"Thanks for having us hun."
Klaire
Klaire closes the door behind them, giving Ylva a hug back.
"No problem, Vorpal right? I'm Klaire." She extends a hand for a shake. Regardless or not if it was reciprocated, she gets ready to move back to the kitchen, giving a "come with me" motion and Rook takes off with her, brushing against her leg playfully and getting a headpat.
"I have tea if you want some, or hot chocolate. That goes for you too, Ylva. And the chocolate chip cookies should be up in a minute or two. My mom had a wonderful recipe that I still use even if...well I don't exactly talk with her much."
Vorpal
V does indeed reach out and take her hand in what is likely the single most elegant physical exchange she has ever experienced. "Charmed, I'm sure," she states calmly. following along with Ylva. For an instant, with Klaire's back turned, V bristles at the direct offer of food. She settles almost immediately, taking a deep breath before offering through a smile- "None for me, thanks, though I appreciate that you thought to prepare something."
Ylva:
Ylvas head remains tilted, not sure what to make of the exchange before sitting.
"Sorry you had to walk down the street hun, ill show you a spot when we leave."
Before stumbling over her words in regards to the offered food.
"Oh, no no. These Cookies arent for Vorpals. I would love a hot chocolate and we will see if I can not break a mug today."
Klaire
"I am not charmed by many people, but Ylva likes you so that counts for something." She puts on a set of baking gloves and pulls the cookies out of the oven, letting them sit on the counter to cool.
She nods slowly to the girls present. "I hope I wasn't offensive offering food. I'll be honest I don't know a lot about..." she looks at Ylva with a nervous expression, "the Lost? If there is anything else I can offer instead feel free to let me know."
She then does something odd to Vorpal's eyes. She grabs a kettle, clearly empty, and places it on the stovetop, flicking on the burner. Then she puts a bowl in the sink, and starts filling it with water. While that's filling, she gives Ylva a mug, a plastic one that was clearly bought since the last time Ylva was present. Then she walks back to the sink to turn off the water. A second later the kettle starts whistling, and she puts the now empty bowl back on the counter, without having touched the kettle again.
Vorpal
"Shush, it's fine, dear. It's nobody's fault but mine that I cultivated things to this point." Jackie offers to Ylva. She can't help but chuckle lightly at the clumsy attempt to open the door to snacks, but she pats Ylva's hand after. "It's fine. I'm not hungry, I'm fine."
To Klaire, she turns and offers, "That's not a problem most of us share. It's peculiar to me. A dear friend poisoned me to teach me to be wary of the offerings of others, and- well. I took the lesson very, very much to heart."
The display with the kettle and bowl leaves Vorpal murmuring. "So- telepathic and transportational tricks. You've quite the repertoire, young lady."
Ylva:
Ylva sighs. "I tried okay, apparently I need better training on how to feed ones Vorpals."
She turns her head to Klaire at that. "Hun, we need a signal for when your in my friends head so I dont make the dumb choice of introducing you. Also you should probably learn to not do that. Did your interaction with Fox not teach you that?"
Klaire
Klaire looks at the cookies and ponders. "So I can't offer it. If you help make them can you still take some?"
She grabs some hot chocolate mix and the boiling kettle to make some for Ylva, grabbing a tea packet for herself. Rook lays down in the middle of the room, hoping to steal something if its dropped.
"I am sorry that someone poisoned you. I try my best to not do that to my guests, especially if that guest is important to Ylva. But as for that, its still telepathy. Sort of. Its an extension of it at the very least. Something that I could get into later, not now."
She hugs Ylva and heads back to put the cookies on the cooling rack. " I did not ask their name. I asked what they wanted from me, which was to not hurt you. I think I'm fine with that one. Then I asked what she wanted from the situation. It was to get inside from the public. Typically if someone has intent to harm me I learn from that, and so I saw no further reason to pry into her intentions."
She turns to look at them, the cookies put up. "I find asking consent for prying into someone's head isn't a great start to a conversation, but I am confident I am safe here. I apologize for using the abilities on you Vorpal, but I do have my own precautions."
Vorpal
"Oh, it's fine, really. I don't like keeping secrets as is. If she digs in, the only thing she can do is get herself into hot water, and that's hardly my responsibility. Besides, I'm all for a little adventure, and anyone that snatches someone I know is going to need a fresh set of the Encyclopedia Agonica.
You know, like agony!" V seemed quite proud of that.
"And you did fine, Ylva, I'm just not comfortable taking things from others. Just because there's a loophole doesn't mean I always want to take it."
She shrugged and added, "Oh, it's fine. I thought I was the God of the Hunt, then, and my friend was the Trickster, and- welp. Got prank'd. Though, for the record, I actually wouldn't have minded if you asked to hop into my thoughts. I did get a little suspicious when you didn't, though!"
Ylva:
Ylva just shakes her head though there is a smile on her face.
"Okay, glad to know I remember some things."
She is a little stunted in her words. Its almost like being the middle Fox of getting your partners to meet each other might be a touch awkward.
"Thanks for the plastic cup, less mess if I break this one."
Klaire
Klaire takes a cookie for herself, and "accidentally" knocks a treat off the counter, which Rook happily chases to eat. She then sits at the table, watching the Changelings.
"Unless you become hostile, I don't need to do anything else. I am also...cautious to dig too deep into those of supernatural persuasions. I find it causes me more trouble than its worth. Motivations are often all I need. Most people, supernatural or not, want something. Finding that want can avoid...many confrontations."
She smiles towards Ylva. "I got a few. I figured it would be easier to relearn for now. Plus they are easier for me to take on walks with Rook and this was just an excuse to spend money."
Her eyes flick back to Vorpal, before looking away. A small voice reaches into the shadow's mind, very clearly Klaire's voice.
Thank you for watching out for her. She could use all the help she can get and...isn't the best at admitting that sometimes. And I know she is important to us both.
Vorpal
"You totally do. No worries, dear," V agreed gently.
"Oh. I don't typically just "become" hostile. I don't so much create conflict as become the appropriate response to conflicts already in play. So you'll know if you've done something to cross that line. You wouldn't need telepathy to tell if I was hostile, I promise. My enemies get one of two things- an outright challenge, or something more discrete if they're not worthy of the respect of a last stand. So either I'd tell you I was hostile- or I wouldn't really put you in a situation to try." She paused to think and considered. "Wow. That sounds- way worse than it is. I haven't actually had to assassinate anyone before, but I have picked more than my share of fights."
"... I probably could have just said "I'm not the sort to smile around my grievances", huh."
Ylva:
Ylva raises an eyebrow before putting her head in one of her hands with a smile on her face and a prod into Vorpals side with a tail.
"Probably, probably wouldve been smart."
She looks to Klaire. "See. Look. Vorp is lovely. Vorp trusts Fox. I trust Vorp. You should trust Fox."
She says it so matter of factly like that is the end of a long conversation.
"Being able to get back to one part of my life has been really good."
Klaire
Klaire gives an uneasy look. "I still don't trust Fox. I am glad Vorpal is a lovely person, you really are, but I am still uncertain."
She takes a sip from her drink. "For the record, I hope to not be on your bad side, or anyone's. And I am unsure if Ylva has told you, but that is a lot of my problem here. Joining a side means making enemies, and that's something I do not like the prospect of."
Vorpal
"Wait, you know Little Fox?" That was a pleasant surprise- and very confusing to hear she didn't trust them. "... really? Her, you don't trust? She's the most honest person I know, I think. She might not be able to support you in everything, but any time she can't, she'll SAY so. She won't pretend to be your friend and backstab you later. So I could totally understand not LIKING her, but not TRUSTING her sounds... I dunno. Foreign to me. They're your feelings, and as such are legit, I just have trouble imagining coming to the point where I would not trust her."
She considered the comment about enemies. "To be honest, Klaire... once you step past the veil, once you're no longer ignorant of the supernatural- which you weren't, naturally, and which is furthered by your understanding and exposure to Faerie things- you stand out. You look towards things everyone else looks away from, you go into places that scare everyone else off, it's impossible to pretend you're not on the other side of that veil. And that already made you a target. Of the Kindly Ones looking for the most interesting pets or toys; of Lost slavers looking to sell you at market or to the Fair Folk; to monsters looking to enslave or make you one of them; and to the enemies of the wizards, who are like. Super wizards, scarier than you or I can really comprehend. Like- I made a magic knife out of pieces of one of their swords, Klaire? And it cuts everything.
Everything.
Everything, Klaire. Physical and metaphysical. If I could externalize someone's trauma enough to stab it, I could literally carve it out of them.
So- honestly, the Mages are the best allies you could ask for. I trust every one of the Mages I've met, and as powerful as I am- which is very- they're more so. And you're going to want someone's society watching out for you, or any search parties might be sent out too late to help."
Ylva:
Ylva makes an exasperated see gestures with both hands and all 6 tails towards Klaire. Before the tails kinda drop behind her when she remembers Klaire cant see them.
"See!" Before a sigh. "Its my fault to be fair Vorp. I dragged her further in because I thought she was a Mage, just without the training, turns out she is a. Sleepwalker? FaeTouched but to Mages."
She sinks back into the couch on her blanket of tails. "So now we are speed running the getting her safe so that she doesnt get nabbed by something bigger than us. Which someone isnt very happy about."
Klaire
Klaire takes a few breaths, thinking through her thoughts before responding. Rook drops the playful manner and goes over to put his head in her lap, to which she immediately starts petting him.
"I have looked into these things for a while. I'm a private investigator and I intentially look for missing person's cases with weird circumstances, so I know the risks."
She gives a defeated sigh. "But no, I'm not happy about it. I see the appeal and I see why I NEED to do it, but that doesn't help me WANT to do it. I can tell you are experienced Vorpal, and that's good to have...and so if you believe the Mages are what are best for me, then I will go to them."
Vorpal
(Meep! I got le distracted!)
"Ohhh. Yeah, that's- I can understand that. Alright." It's not really Vorpal's job to police her- that's a Winter deal- so she just empathizes and moves on. "Well. She doesn't HAVE to be happy about it. It's not just making it safer for her, it's making it safer for all of us, too. Knowing her but not having someone watching over her makes her a liability to everyone she knows and cares about on this side of the veil, and more. For instance, as a hostage; as a puppet; as bait; things which could have safeguards put in place against with the whole society, but which a handful of random individuals likely couldn't put together. That's why we usually ask anyone that's refusing to stand with one society or another to leave the city. It distances them from anyone they could be used against, to the benefit of both parties. It's- brutal, but."
Vorpal sighs. "Look, as an example. There is an unstoppable terminator of a creature chasing me down at the moment. The only way to beat it is to find its heart in some random person's dream. If he thought we were close, he could capture you, leave me with the decision to either surrender, or let you die, and he would know for a fact that either result would wreck me- either by leaving your death on my hands, or by dragging me back to the awful undercity where I was held before.
Do you- sort of understand why it's important to sign on or make some distance?"
Ylva:
Ylva winces, still feeling guilty for forcing Klaires hand.
But she reaches out a hand for Klaire to hold, there is an attached tail to said hand for Ylvas benefit.
"Im sorry for pulling you in love. It wasnt my intent."
Klaire
Klaire keeps scratching Rook, reaching over with the other hand for Ylva.
"I guess thats a good point. I...hm...I'm doing this for Ylva's sake, not their's, ok? We talked about that already, and I know it keeps her safe."
She takes a shuttering breath. "But now I know why and that makes it a bit easier honestly. Thank you Vorpal."
She lets go of Ylva's hand to sip her tea. "Lets say you two have convinced me...what now? How would I let Fox and Vasya know?"
Vorpal
"Wait five minutes and see if they show up. Then, if necessary-" Vorpal states, lifting a hand and causing swirling darkness to appear above it. "I can utilize a special arcane method of communication. I have the specific combination of Arabic sigils-" A series of truly odd symbols appear and fade. "-that will allow me to use a bit of stored power to contact her from essentially anyplace within Philadelphia, as well as a control device built around that power storage container."
V lets that hang for a few moments, and then- her shadow plucks her cell phone from her pocket and places it in her hand. "Which is to say I have her cell number."
Ylva:
Ylva cackles at that leaning her shoulder into Vorp, maybe a little too hard.
"You are a little shit V. Though that seems much more effective than loitering in her park until she notices me."
Klaire
Klaire smirks, seeing where this is going about the time Arabic sigils are mentioned. She looks at Ylva, a faint bit of jealousy that she wipes away quickly.
"I see why you like this one."
She looks back at Vorpal.
"Before you text her, what do you know about the Mages? Anything I should be worried about for my own safety?"
Vorpal
"Excuse you?!" Vorpal retorts indignantly. "I am NOT a little shit!
I am, at worst, the biggest shit on the block, my jokes are a triumph of wit and comedy," she concludes snootily.
"Oh. They can do anything. That's- that's not really an exaggeration. They can't individually do EVERYTHING, but there's a spell for everything. It might not be easy for them, and it might cost them dearly, but they can do. Anything." She holds off, glancing between them for any more pauses before dialing.
Ylva:
Ylva chuckles again touching her cheek with a tail.
"Oh apologies. V you are the Biggest shit on the block."
Klaire
Klaire looks a bit uneasy at that comment, but nods to go ahead and call.
"That...well is a bit terrifying. I will keep it in mind then."
She looks to Ylva, then puts a hand on the table to be able to squeeze hers.
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