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The air is still warm in the afternoon, but a gentle breeze provides just enough cool to make sitting outside still pleasant. The garden patio of the Front Street Cafe makes an excellent choice for that, as well as grabbing some food and socializing. There aren't many other people around, which makes Glitch stick out even more by himself at his table. He's got on his nice jacket, the black letterman with the white stripes and buttons, and he's staring at his phone, headphones on, menu open in front of him but possibly not yet read.
A motorcycle rolls up - the kind that purrs, not the kind that roars. As the rider parks, the faint scent of a fresh oncoming rainstorm rolls toward Glitch, undercut by a more metallic scent. The rider removes his helmet, revealing slightly flattened hair and a charcoal-sketch animated outline. It flickers and shifts as he walks toward the cafe, a hundred gesture sketches layered on top of each other. Helmet under his arm, he begins to go inside - and stops as he sees the other Lost. A small wave, to get Glitch's attention to say hello.
Glitch tracks the motorcycle and its rider with his head, chin lifted. His nose even twitches slightly at the mantle. The shades-wearing Lost stares back, mouth a flat little line, as his pixellated face flickers and scrambles slightly around the edges, not dissimilar to the shifting of Jack's own charcoal strokes. However awkward the flat stare might be, Glitch lifts a hand to give a clear greeting, waving over.
"Glitch." Jack grins and upnods, and eases into the seat across from him. His black leather jacket shimmers in the sun, and he shakes his head a little, ruffling his hair with his hand to get rid of the worst of the helmet hair.
"How're you now?"
Glitch dips his chin in greeting, then gives Jack the high honor of removing his earbuds and shades. He even manages the ghost of a smile, forcing its way onto his too-cool face as he sprawls backwards a bit. "Jack, yeah?" Leaning forward, he extends a pixellated hand. "Nice to properly meet you. I thought you were still on vacation."
Shaking his head a moment later, Glitch adds: "I'm doing ok. Stuff's calmed down."
Despite Jack's sketchy, slightly ephemeral looking Mien, his hand is strong and calloused, his handshake firm. "'S nice to meet you too, for real - we got back last night, late as fuck, barely slept at all...squeezed as much as we could out of vacation. So fuckin' worth it. And nothing here's really on fire, which is a hell of a bonus." He huffs in mild amusement.
Glitch's grip is similar, his hand smooth to the touch beneath the pixels, but there's a dry tingle of static that clings to Jack's hand, like the touch of a glass television screen. His grip isn't quite as firm, but there's telltale calluses on the undersides of his fingers and palm, the mark of a frequently used tool...or weapon. "Heh. Yeah. I'm glad. I only looked at Mearc when I was worried about something, right before the vacation, and the look he gave me." The sprite shakes his head. "He's so nice. But he looked like he could've killed me right there. I'm glad nothing interrupted."
"Think he needed the time off the most of all, honestly. He busted ass dealing with Robin's shit, more'n he really needed to." Jack shakes his head with a small smile. "Burnt him the fuck out."
Speak of the devil, and his ass shall show up, sunburned, back to wearing cargo pants and a T-shirt. His skin is blued by sunburn, and he's wearing purple glittery hair clips to keep his hair out of his face instead of the bobby pins he's been wearing. As he sees the pair of them, he pauses, and then smirks before speaking.
"They'd call the ship 'Pixel Art'."
Glitch concurs with Jack. Both of them are idly chatting about how hard working Mearc is when Mearc appears in full vacation mode, causing even more of a smile to force its way onto Glitch's face. The shipping talk causes him to raise a brow slightly. "Hey," he beeps, fixing him with a look. "You can't just come in here and make things awkward. That's my job, pal."
Jack huffs out a laugh, and reaches out a hand to grab Mearc's arm. "Is that why you wanted us to meet? Have'ta keep that in mind, next time." He flashes Glitch a grin and a wink, and tugs Mearc down for a kiss. "How's your sunburn?"
"Fight me for it." There's a bit of a grin on Mearc's face, before he's pulled into that kiss. "Sunburn is healing, I spent most of the day trying not to peel at it. I'll let one of you aloe me up again later. Also, there's dessert waiting in the fridge at my place. Lux's is the neon one."
Mearc's first words have one of Glitch's eyebrows raise, and the other follows with 'one of you'. Now he's outright grinning. "You DID have a good vacation," he beeps out. "Good. You needed it. You can have the awkward job, it'll let me focus full time on being a violent asshole."
"Only one of us?" Another kiss before Jack lets Mearc go, the slightest sketch of a scribbly blush on his cheeks. "You spoil me, babe, can't wait to see what it is." There's a beat, and he turns to Glitch, his eyebrows raised slightly. "You? Violent asshole?"
"Mmm. I can take asshole today. I'm not particularly actually in the mood for violent, though. You two mind if I pull a chair over?"
Glitch somehow manages to not outright sputter at Mearc's continued ultraconfident replies, but he's actually growing slightly pink in the cheek-pixels. "I guess if I was that bad I'd keep your boy here all to myself and not let you sit down, but. Yes, of course, go ahead." He turns to Jack to intone, "Social grace isn't really my thing. You haven't seen me in the Hedge."
"You keep me all to yourself and we'd really need a ship name, Glitch...." Jack stretches before half standing to pull a chair over for Mearc. "'S true, I tend to stay the fuck out of the Hedge. But I guess you'n violence makes sense, given your summeryness."
Mearc pulls a chair over, sitting himself down, and there's a shift toward the green in his freckles. Perhaps imagining something. Then he grins, shaking the thought off. "I think I have some social graces somewhere. It might take me a while to check all my pockets for them."
Glitch is much more relaxed now. The waiter breezes by with a glass of cola, and he takes a sip before regarding the two once more. "I only just joined Summer," he mentions, and indeed his mantle is subtle enough to possibly miss, the air just around him a bit drier and warmer, the faint scent of ozone lingering. "Took me a while to trust the Courts. Teagan knew for years but was patient with me. I haven't really talked to the other courts about philosophy much. Summer just...spoke to me."
Jack gives Mearc a once-over when his freckles shift green, but only lifts a hand to fondly brush across the Darkling's cheek. "I can fake social graces pretty well, 'til the two of you find 'em..." And then he nods to Glitch. "I took my time before choosing, too. Down to hours left, 'fore I'd have to get the fuck out of here. Wasn't about to leave, so I made the choice. 'S not easy, trusting like that."
"Huh, I don't think I knew that about either of you. I jumped into my court real quick in Chicago...once they found where I'd been hiding. Yeah, there was no option beyond Winter, when I first got out."
...as he says this, his Autumn mantle unfurls, with the susurration and intense feeling of someone watching, that prickle on the back of the next that tends to come with it.
"It might not have stuck, but it was what I needed then."
Glitch nods and takes another sip. "I came out in LA. Huge freehold. Everyone was so wrapped up in other business. Courts were more worried about their own egos than helping someone new. I mean. I was pretty fucked up. But they couldn't handle me disrespecting them when I still didn't know if I was even really out of the fucking Games. Bunch of self-absorbed pricks."
There's the slightest shiver from Jack, when Mearc's mantle flares, and he flags down their server to order...a lemonade. He gives Mearc a quick glance as he does. "I thought about Winter too," he says, after the server's left. "But I didn't want anything to do with the Freehold at all, at first. Sounds like a shitty place to be stuck in, 'specially Hedgefresh..." there's a grimace of sympathy at Glitch. "They're pretty decent with that shit here, but...I couldn't handle it. Part'a me thought it was just a bad trip, you know?"
Mearc's smile grows warmer, freckles shifting somewhat in the red direction, before he orders himself an iced tea. "I think we're all fucked up when we get out. I've told you both about me being more protocol than person. You really wanna hear about it sometime, ask Alex; I met her really early on."
Glitch nods at that to both. Mearc's flared mantle did get a somewhat cautious eye, but he keeps his cool for the most. "Yeah. Big cities are like that. Too many people to keep track of. People fall through the cracks. Or get thrown there when they're no longer useful to the powerful people." There's a flat grimace. "That's what got me. I claw my way back out here, and all I find is more power-tripping assholes."
"Glad you made it outta there. Hope you're finding Philly a little better. Though clearly it's got it's own shit to handle..." Jack shakes his head and leans back in his chair. "Maybe it'll be quiet for a while. Knock on fuckin' wood."
There's an odd scent on the air - just a cloyingly strong Spring mantle, probably - but you could almost swear it smells like... axe body spray. Eugh.
A young-ish Lost - with cat-like features, whiskers, androgynous build, and a poofy tail - enters the patio. He's wearing an extremely loud Hawaiian shirt featuring a wrap-around 8-bit print of the map from Zelda: Link To The Past, skinny jeans, and wearing a bright blue bandanna wrapped around his neck.
When the slender catlad catches sight of the small group changelings, he locks eyes with Jack - reaching up to twirl the corner of his mustache and then offering a wink, and a goofy grin.
... looks like someone's too polite to just walk over, but obviously wants an invite to the party.
There's a noticeable grimace at the word 'useful', and he looks off to one side. Which is when he notices Roswell. "Glitch, check out that shirt." Because clearly, the way to deal with that issue is to deflect, and the Claviger makes a brilliant good distraction.
Glitch's head turns to settle on the new Lost, and his eyebrows raise once again as he takes in the sight. There's a moment where he looks around, as if expecting some kind of setup. "Wow. That's some fucking timing," he mutters quietly. His shades still off, he looks over to the whiskered catboy, then back over to Jack. "You...know him?"
Jack upnods at Roswell, and jerks his head, gesturing for the catlad to join them. "Roz, yeah we've run into each other a few times. Claviger for...us." He decides to keep it vague, given the public setting. "Roz, how're you now?"
The Claviger wiggles a brow as he waits for the go-ahead to head over, and fist pumps when it's given. He slinks across the patio, flopping into a spare seat, and crossing one leg over the opposite knee. "I'm... exhausted." Beat. "Better now, though. Company always helps."
(I'll likely be fairly light this point in the morning as regards to posts anyhow. :slight_smile: )
"Why so exhausted?" Mearc raises his glass of iced tea in a sort of salute. "And how can we help?"
Glitch gives the familiarly-attired Lost a polite little nod of the chin. He sees him, he sees his shirt, and he approves. He's quiet for now as Mearc and Roz talk shop, taking a moment to sneak a glance at Jack. Studying his features, or perhaps his mien.
Dressed in shorts and t-shirt given the pleasant weather, Laura ambles her way down the street, simply taking n various shop fronts. Her head cants as she nears the cafe, spotting a few familiar faces, and one very dear to her. Turning, she ambles their way, all treated to the sight of a humanoid hyena with muzzle open to bare many teeth. "Glitch." She offers in a rough purr. "Join you all?"
Jack/Calamity/Cian (they/them)Today at 7:48 AM
Jack's got an easy smile, as Roz comes over, and he settles comfortably in his seat. In contrast, his mein is slightly flickery, erratic bits of charcoal leaping away to dissolve into nothingness around him. He takes a long drink of his lemonade, frowns just slightly, and takes another.
He gestures to Mearc as the Darkling asks his questions, like he also wants to know the answer. And then jumps a little at the unfamiliar voice, and turns to look from the hyena to Glitch.
Roz offers a mockingly scandalized look when Laura pads over to Glitch. "Don't tell anyone we're both here, or Pittsburgh will drag us back to their convention," there's a light, airy laugh. "... and I'm exhausted for the same reasons everyone is exhausted." He pauses for dramatic effect. "Capitalism."
"Laura." He upnods the approaching hyena quietly, before his attention returns to Roswell. "At least that's a familiar sort of exhaustion, one everyone will understand. Unless they're one of the causes of it."
Nodding back to Mearc she dips her head, considering Roz. "Promise." She offers him. "I like some of you where you are." She huffs lightly. "And cosy scenes like this are well worth the finding."
Glitch winds an arm around Laura as she walks up, snugging her briefly. "Always room for you, Fluffy. Good to see you." He turns his head just in time to catch Roz's comment about capitalism, and snorts into his cola so hard that a bubble of it nearly escapes.
Jack lets out a chuckle and a nod, and pulls out his phone to check the time. "Speaking of capitalism...I got a work call to get to. 'S nice to see you all, sorry I gotta head out so soon." He stands and retrieves his helmet, and pulls some cash from his wallet to pay for the lemonade.
"See you at home, babe." A quick kiss for Mearc, and a wave to everyone else, and he makes his way toward his bike.
"Hey, Jack? If you wait for me to be home before eating dessert, I'll feed it to you myself." That's offered with a sly grin.
"I keep challenging Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan to duels through Twitter, but whoever runs his social media refuses to pass along my challenge." He presses the back of his paw to his forehead - like a southern belle about to faint - and offers a mocking gasp. "Alas, they're both scoundrels and a cowards. Honestly. Just fight me, and die already."
Wait, he's a Spring? "Oh! Well. Goodbye, then, Jack. Have a lovely evening."
"Oh fuck yes - deal," He calls back, grinning, before he puts his helmet on, starts the bike, and peels away.
Glitch waves to Jack. "Nice meeting you finally." When Mearc gives that last comment, he just sort of immediately becomes interested in Roz's words. "Mitch would never fight in person. Too dirty. Paul Ryan would get fuckin' owned. Did you see his stupid workout photoshoot? With the weights? That's the kind of idiot who is fucking shocked when they get hit in the face."
He catches Glitch's reaction, and the grin dims immediately. "...sorry."
She rest against Glitch, hugging him tightly, then cackles, smacking his back lightly. "Careful there, coke snorter." Yes, she totally did. Jack gets a wave, and a toothy grin at his and Mearc's exchange. "Food is the best way to the heart." She offers as hyena wisdom. Glitch gets a slightly worried look though, and a light patting of his shoulder. "They're just not up to you, clearly." She tells Roz.
"We would be dueling with sabres," he waves a dismissive hand. "I'm not a brute, I won't be simply hitting anybody - and he won't survive the first strike for long enough to look shocked." Such flowery language. Roz has the heart of a performer.
... though his eye does dart to Mearcstapa. "Clearly I've missed something."
Glitch is fine, he just happens to be blushing a lot. Clearly it's Laura, right? Even though he hangs on the Hyena with clear familiarity. Coughing after the sputter, he shakes his head. "You're fine," he beeps to Mearc, staring at them for...a little longer than usual before turning back to Roz. "You're speaking my language," he admits. "Saber fights and Link to the Past." He gives Laura another squeeze and raises his glass to Roz in respect.
"Uh, nothing important. Just...tres leches cake, but none of you tell Jack that's what I got him. I know it's his favorite." Deflection, and a bit of an obvious one. As Glitch stares at Mearc, he just stirs his iced tea with his straw, not making eye contact with anyone.
The hyena blinks, looking between Mearc and Glitch as she catches up. "Ohhh." Taking mercy on them both she doesn't pursue that anymore. "Good choice." She tells Mearc though, giving him a thumbs up. "No sabers for me, I admit." Hugging Glitch she shakes her head ruefully. "My method is less refined. And, you gonna introduce me to Zelda games sometime Glitch?"
"It's a delightful game - I have strong opinions, but I steal most of them from Polygon writers, so they're nothing particularly new, or insightful." He sticks out a tongue at Glitch, lifting Jack's abandoned glass to return the toast, and setting it down in front of his place.
There's a moment after Mearcstapa speaks, and then Roz props his chin up on the table with both hands, turning his cat-like eyes on the hunterheart. "Very convincing," he mutters dryly. "... but I'm nyaaaaat buying that one, Ameowgo."
Mearc glances up at Roz, and when he speaks, it is the most deadest of deadpans. "Can we paws to acknowledge what just came out of your mouth before we discuss anything else?"
Glitch looks to Laura with surprise. "Of course. Didn't know you hadn't played. I'll set you up with anything you like." He leans in to bump his forehead against the edge of Laura's chin before turning to the others again. He's about to say something else, before Roz turns on his ameowgo. Then his gaze turns to Mearc to see just how he's going to handle this one, lips pursing. As if trying not to laugh.
"I know of it, but, never got around to it. Will be fun to." She smiles at the Sprite, resting her head on his. She eyes Roz and Mearc, ears twitching. "That'd be purrrfect." She adds in, her own tone just as deadpan.
"No," he offers plainly - those big eyes of his blinking slowly as he stares into Mearcstapa's soul. "Not until you talk about your felines." Beat. "I was angry with my friend; I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow."
He finishes the verse in a sing-song voice.
"I'm not angry with anyone here." He waves the matter away. "I'm actually...really great right now. Just got back from vacation with my partners, and I feel like my head is on straight again. Or as straight as my head ever is, given my intense queerness."
"We'll chat and pick a good one," he murmurs to Laura, promising a proper assessment when it comes to video games. But then he's staring at Roz, more confused than anything until Mearc explains. After the little poem, he quietly mutters "You've gotta be kitten me."
She nods keenly at Glitch, then blinks at the talk and cat references, starting to cackle quietly. "Is that from a poem anywhere?" She muses. "And, that sounds good Mearc, some time away to unwind and relax."
"So long as you say so, I am satisfied." Roz seems to unfold from the position in that odd way that only cats can, leaning back in his chair. That's that, then. "No sir," he points a claw at the sprite. "I am a cat, not a kitten - and I never kid when it comes to emotional health and proper communication." Then he sticks out his tongue again. "It is from a poem, my furry friend. It's called "A Poison Tree" by William Blake. I read it the other day in a Discord server that I moderate in my spare time." Beat. "It's really delightful, I think."
"What kind of Discord?" He tilts his head to one side, before nodding at Laura. "It was good, but as you can see, I'm still sunburned."
There's a distinct, though desaturated, bluer cast to his dark skin tonight.
Glitch nods along, and looks interested when talk of Discord comes up, but his phone buzzes, and he pulls it out with a predictable frown. "I gotta go," he murmurs, bumping his head against Laura before standing up and tossing some cash down on the table to cover his soda. "Glad I got to see everyone. I'll be home later, Laura. Mearc..." he says, eyeing the blue-tinged hunterheart. "...have fun," is what he manages, friendly but awkward, before turning to slip off.
"I will find you when you're back home." Laura assures Glitch, squeezing his hand as he moves away. She nods to the other pair, offering Mearc a rueful look. "Such is the way of things, sadly. But from the sounds of things it was worth it." She makes a thoughtful rumbling sound. "I'll have to look this poet up sometime, he sounds like he's got some insight."
"Goodbye, Link!" Roswell wiggles his paw at Glitch as the sprite leaves. "Shit, wait!" Beat. "It's dangerous to go alone-" He begins, pulling the straw from his cup to offer, but he's already gone. "Ahh well. Fuck it."
Roswell returns the straw to Jack's his up and takes a sip. "It was a roleplay server at one point, but mostly it's turned into a haven for LARPers to discuss DIY sewing and smithing for Ren Faire costumes."
Solstice (they/them)Today at 9:01 AM
"Eugh." He spits out the drink onto a nearby empty plate. "Lemonade???"
"Huh, that's pretty neat. I've never made the transition to LARP from D&D, but I admire those who..." A chuckle. "Yeah, I know, you were probably expecting Jack to be drinking something else, huh?"
"Not a soft drink fan I take it." She spreads her hands, but glances a little mournfully at Glitch's empty seat. "And I do appreciate those god with their hands and for making things."
Glitch stops dead in his fucking tracks when he's casually referred to as "Link", shoots a look over his shoulder at Roz...but then shakes his head and continues off.
"Honestly, I was expecting Vodka." Beat. "Though not that I'd expect one to drink it with a straw." He pauses, thinking about Jack. "Well. Maybe. More power to him if he does." There's a shrug, and he turns his attention back to the table. "I played a Vampire duelist in this gothic horror game for years, but honestly it's so hard to find people I trust to play it with. That's the real barrier. Finding the right group of people."
"It's Jack, rum's generally more likely than vodka. Or cheap beer that tastes like self-loathing." He sighs. "I should...get home. To bed."
"Maybe I should go after Glitch too." She admits. "Just to be on the safe side."
"Well, something pickled, to be sure." Roz waves a diamissive hand. "Ta ta, you two. I'm going to pick over your plates for leftovers."
... and with that, he flashes a smug grin - looking entirely like the cat that ate the canary.
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