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Mearcstapa: Mearc's quietly picking through everything to make sure he hasn't left signs of his presence, gathering trash into a trash bag and otherwise cleaning up the abandoned sanctuary while he waits for Asbolus to show up at the church. In a much better mood than he has been, he's quietly humming to himself as he works.
Asbolus: The invitation to meet had been swiftly answered by Asbolus, the Darkling's passage to the church masked by the cloak of Winter magic that had become like a second skin over the past few weeks. Upon his arrival he sent a brief On site message, waiting by the door until he was granted entry.
Mearcstapa: Mearc answers the door--he hasn't taken the time to shave yet, and has been growing a bit of a beard and mustache. And he's wearing that long leather duster he got from Drake. It's strappy and buckly and kinda looks like it belongs in a Final Fantasy game. But the color of his visible freckles warms, the red intensifying when he sees Asbolus. "Come on in."
Asbolus: Asbolus was sporting a rather sharp-looking leather duster himself, the motion it allowed fluid in an almost menacing manner. The man looked weary but otherwise well, following Mearc inside and dropping the contract once the door was closed behind him. "How are you holding up?"
Mearcstapa: "A little better now that I've had a night with Jack and Lux." He looks over Asbolus's duster with a crooked smile. "Is that Drake's work as well, or Sigrun's?"
Asbolus: "Glad to hear it." He nodded with a smile of his own, glancing down at the duster in kind. "Sigrun's."
Mearcstapa: "We're all going to end up looking like characters from a 90's vampire movie, with the long coats. Maybe early 2000's. Somewhere in that time I missed." He grins, walking in a slow, prowling circle around Asbolus to take in all the details, a smile lingering on his face. "I don't think I mind it."
Asbolus: "Not too far off, no." He chuckled, allowing Mearc his inspection without issue. He even opened the front to show where the small steel plates carefully stitched in just so to avoid impeding movement but providing ample protection. "She does excellent work, I must say."
Mearcstapa: "So she does. Drake made mine--I'm pretty happy with it. Sigrun passed along my request for 'all the pockets', apparently, and Drake took that as a challenge." A small pause. "Not actually why I wanted to talk, comparing coats. I mean, not that I mind, of course."
Asbolus: "That he did." He nodded, closing the duster once again as Mearc paused. "A bit of levity in trying times does wonders. What did you wish to speak on, though?"
Mearcstapa: "I sort of wanted an opportunity to check in with you in person. Maybe even...hang out. I know you're important to Lux, and I figured it would probably be useful to me to know you better. That and it's been really stressful lately and a little bit of social time is probably healthy for me. Though I am still on call right now, so if something explodes...well, hopefully nothing will explode. Right?"
Asbolus: "I'd be quite alright with that. You're just as important to them, if not more so, and I would like to get to know you better as well." He smirked as he continued, wry little thing that it was. "And agreed on the social front. Been avoiding most public interactions when I wasn't on duty and it's...started to grate, to put it lightly."
"One can hope." He nodded, reaching over to knock the nearest wooden surface, just in case.
Mearcstapa: "Yeah, at some point, avoiding everyone makes your head go a little dark. I...yeah." There's a bit of a laugh. "Feel free to sit wherever, by the way. I'd offer you refreshments, but I don't really have much of those left unless you want a pudding cup or something. I'm clearing out of here tonight."
Asbolus: "Indeed. Leaves a lot of time to think, and where the mind wanders isn't always pleasant." He moved to claim a seat nearby, shaking his head at the offer. "I'm good, but thank you."
"I will say, I have to applaud you for getting all of this set up when things went downhill. You did an excellent job with it."
Mearcstapa: "Well, it's not like I did it all alone." He lets out a bit of a laugh. "It took a lot of help from friends and volunteers--there's no way I could have stood all of those guard shifts alone, after all."
Asbolus: "True, but you put the framework in place in a hurry and it's held up quite well by all telling. That deserves some credit."
Mearcstapa: He nods. "I'll accept that. To be fair, though, I asked the local vampires to borrow one of their safehouses. Which is why the kitchen's underdeveloped and every window has blackout curtains."
Asbolus: "Ah...makes sense." He nodded quietly, sparing the room a brief once-over. "Haven't had many dealings with them yet, admittedly, at least to my knowledge."
Mearcstapa: "Let me know if you ever want introductions." Mearc laughs aloud, shaking his head. The church is not a safehouse and looks like an actual abandoned church, windows lets as they are. Quiet, peaceful, empty.
Asbolus: "I just might." He replied with a small smile. "Nothing wrong with broadening one's horizons and whatnot."
Mearcstapa: "True. There's a couple who I'm very close with, these days. One you'll almost certainly have to meet, eventually." His smile turns coy.
Asbolus: "Is that so..." His eyebrow arched a touch at the smile from the other Darkling, looking both amused and curious. "Not opposed to the idea."
Mearcstapa: "Something happens, when a Fae Touched later becomes a vampire. They maintain a relationship with the Wyrd, even after becoming nocturnal. There's at least a couple in town with firm relationships with the Freehold, see."
Asbolus: "Really..." He sat back in his seat at that, letting that thought percolate a moment. "That is interesting."
Mearcstapa: "Kinda horrifying, in a way, but. Yeah, interesting. The Wyrd's a nosy ass who won't back out of your life even when you've become inhuman you know?" He lets out a bit of a laugh, and then looks up thoughtfully at Asbolus.
Asbolus: "I'd say insidious, but nosy works too." He chuckled quietly, looking Mearc over in kind. "Something on your mind?"
Mearcstapa: "I mean, everything is on my mind, but I'd like to understand more about you, and what you want for yourself. What you see your future looking like. I know the ID thing's a fuck--I will fix that, as soon as I'm able to. But. What're you working toward, for yourself, Asbolus?"
Asbolus: "Appreciate it. Figures that I got it in hand a few days before everything went haywire." He shook his head, pausing a moment at the question that followed. "Still feeling that out, in some respects. There is one idea that I wanted to talk with you on, actually, what with the work you do online."
"Not sure if Lux has mentioned it but I was in theater before my time away and it's not something that I can get back into locally without getting the Mirror involved. They brought up the idea of doing some sort of podcast or 'radio' drama to get back into the field vocally, at least, and I think it could work rather well. I just don't know where to start."
Mearcstapa: "With a story, one would think. Or something in the public domain or that you have permission to dramatize. Once you get that in hand, good recording equipment, a solid social media presence and a dose of charisma will help. It's actually a pretty good idea--have you listened to any of the contemporary works in the medium? Welcome to Night Vale, Tanis, the Magnus Archives?"
Asbolus: "Night Vale, yes; they mentioned that as a good example. Will check out those other ones, though." He nodded, making a mental note of the titles. "Was thinking something in the true crime vein, perhaps, since that's rather popular these days. Haven't had much bandwidth to look into it lately, though, what with everything going on."
Mearcstapa: "I mean, fair. And there's always another catastrophe looming. But...if you get something started, I will totally work as your audio engineer--help clean the audio, add sound effects, give you microphone recommendations. And promote your work on my Youtube channel." Mearc grins.
Asbolus: "I'd appreciate that." He smiled in return. "I will need to get a place outside of the Hedge set up for myself first, though. Imagine that recording inside of a hollow could get rather sporting."
Mearcstapa: "Well. That could be one way to hedgespin." Mearc snickers. "But yeah, no, probably not the best idea. Are you thinking a studio set up, or more...a home with studio attached? Because if you're just worried about places to record, a lot of colleges have campus radio stations and studio space that you could work out something for."
Asbolus: "More the latter, in this case. I've had the hollow in question since I got back, but as of late I've been wanting to put down some proper roots outside of the Thorns, start rebuilding things there." A small nod. "Good to know about the campus studios, though. Hadn't thought of that."
Mearcstapa: "Mmm. Putting down roots is a good feeling. Finding a place that's home." He nods quietly.
Asbolus: "Indeed. It's something I've been lacking since I got back, and it's only become more glaring now with everything going on." He let out a slow breath, running a hand through his hair. "Those few that I do feel some connection to have been equally adrift as of late, which hasn't helped matters."
Mearcstapa: "Some part of me wants to apologize for that, even though I know it's not actually my fault in any way." He huffs, his freckles dimming, the red ones lingering a bit brighter than the green.
Asbolus: "Not in the slightest." He shook his head quietly. "Truth be told, on some level I feel like Lux getting attacked is my fault, since I advised waiting until we had foolproof evidence before calling Robin out for what she was up to and if we'd gotten that information sooner it may not have happened. Rationally I know that's not the case, but the thought lingers nonetheless."
Mearcstapa: "Are any of us thinking rationally about any part of this matter anymore?" He shakes his head. "I'm acting more paranoid than I did when I was a Winter, right now."
Asbolus: "Likely not, no. And agreed...I haven't had to crank that dial up this high up since I joined the court. Sometimes an abundance of caution is needed, though."
Mearcstapa: "True. It's actually been really reassuring in a way, seeing everyone else step up in response to the situation. All my guards, everyone involved with the oneiromancy and the hunt for Robin. We're all...actually rather competent, in practice. I've been sort of loving working 'emergency mom' duties with Sturm; she's a good person to have as a back-brain."
Asbolus: "Glad to hear it. She's been rather solid to work with so far on my end as well."
Mearcstapa: "And when this is all over...who knows. There's another crisis looming, maybe several. The hedge--the choking roots. But Lux and Jack and I are going to fuck off for a vacation before even thinking about dealing with that."
Asbolus: "Good...you definitely deserve it after all of this." He paused a moment, a question resting on the tip of his tongue before he decided to voice it. "Out of curiosity, and apologies in advance if I'm prying, but has the discussion of forming a motley come up between you three?"
Mearcstapa: "The discussion has arisen. But we've also talked about the possibility of not just having us. Not doing the 'motleycule' thing like Direct Action is. I mean, it works for them, and that's beautiful. But...I sort of cherish the idea of a safe harbor for family, not just my lovers." His smirk is crooked, and his freckles glimmer greener as he watches Asbolus, almost studying him.
Asbolus: He nodded quietly, watching Mearc in kind. "I broached the question with Lux some weeks back, but neither of us had a firm idea of who else to ask at the time. I understand if you and Jack would want to get to know me more beforehand, but if you'd be willing to have me I'd be honored."
Mearcstapa: There's a pause. And then Mearc gestures between himself and the Winter demonstratively. "Hi, Asbolus, I'm trying to get to know you right now."
Asbolus: He paused as well before shaking his head with a small smirk. "True enough. Shows how out of it I am at the moment, it seems..."
Mearcstapa: "Also, that may be the exact reason I brought up the Wyrd-touched vampires, because one of them is someone I consider family, and would want considered for this group. Sorry, secret vetting process all along."
Asbolus: "Understandable." He nodded quietly. "No issues on my end on that front."
Mearcstapa: "Well. Hopefully that'll remain the case after you meet my friend, Alex. She's a digital security expert, and I've known her for about four years now. Brilliant mind, a little hesitant."
Asbolus: "Hesitant? How so?"
Mearcstapa: "Socially. She's sort of between worlds. Sworn to the Freehold, disconnected from people, still considered very fresh among vampires. Trying to find her place in the world. But when she does, she's going to be amazing." He grins broadly.
Asbolus: "Ah...I see. Can relate on that front myself, won't lie." He nodded, smiling softly. "I look forward to meeting her."
Mearcstapa: "Good." Mearc nods quietly. "Anything else you think I should know about who you are, what you want, what you plan and where you're going?"
Asbolus: "Only thing I can think of off-hand involves my fetch, who's still active in town. Not long after my return we both quickly came to the agreement that attempting to antagonize each other would do neither of us any good, and he has given me a hand in certain matters here and there - getting the word out about the Collective Lux is spearheading among his students at UPenn, for example. He shouldn't cause any issues, but I figure you should know."
Mearcstapa: "A potential ally, then? Worth knowing about, yeah. Thank you." He nods. "I don't know if I ever had a fetch. I'm displaced in time enough that it doesn't matter."
Asbolus: "I was gone about five years as far as out here was concerned. Can't say how long it was in there, though." He smirked a touch. "As keen a memory as I have most of that is still wisps at best. Haven't quite decided whether that's a blessing or a curse yet."
Mearcstapa: "Both, always both." Mearc sighs. "I was, uh. Taken in 1981, returned in 2015. If I have a fetch, he's in his fifties now. I haven't gone back to Oregon to check into the matter. Or my family. I probably never will."
Asbolus: He nodded solemnly at that. "Two older brothers myself, along with our parents in London. Don't see making it back there any time soon, if at all."
Mearcstapa: "Well. As far as I'm concerned...now we get to build our own family. With people who we choose, who understand us." He holds out a hand to Asbolus with a crooked smile.
Asbolus: "Indeed." He returned the smile, taking the offered hand. "I look forward to it."
Mearcstapa: And Mearc lightly tugs at Asbolus's hand, pulling him in for a bit of a hug.
Asbolus: Asbolus looked surprised at first but returned the hug once the moment passed...and may have held on for a bit longer than he intended, having been deprived that sort of thing over the past few weeks.
Mearcstapa: Mearc's hand rubs Asbolus's back, firmly enough to be felt through the armor. "Sorry. Should have asked."
Asbolus: "No harm no foul. Thank you, though...needed that more than I realized."
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