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It's a few minutes past sundown at the property owned and inhabited by Direct Action. Glitch is out back by himself, with a pile of small logs. Setting one log on top of a plastic storage container, and well away from the house itself, he takes a step back and raises a hand to the thin scabbard strapped to his back. A moment later, he lunges forward, draws the sword, and slices the log clean in half. The pieces clatter off the plastic bin to land among the many others laying in the grass before them. The sprite pulls a rag out of his back pocket, runs it along the blade, and resheathes his sword, then turns back to get another log.
"Whatcha doin'?" Teagan asks, suddenly existing next to Glitch -- just out of the reach of the sword, because they've been cut in half by Glitch once, and they don't need it again, thanks. They have their hands tucked into the pockets of their long dark coat, warmed against the chill of the late October Philadelphia night.
Laura isn't subtle in making an approach and she doesn't try to be. Instead she pads along at a light jog, eyes fixing on Glitch as she beams. He might be tackle hugged if the situation was different, but that's not the best of ideas when someone's got a weapon in their hand. And then Teagan appears.
Well.
Teagan isn't holding Baby right now (or any weapon). That changes things. She drops to a crouch to try and pad sneakily towards them. Of course, this is the sort of effort that would fail if they happen to look her way. Or hear the rustle of grass under large paws.(edited)
The sword is already secured tightly in the scabbard on his back at least, when Teagan appears and Laura strolls out. Someone might get bonked with the bit of firewood he's holding, but that's slightly less deterrent against tacklehugs or buttslaps. He turns to regard Teagan with a little smile, looking relieved to have them suddenly appear. "Player Two. Just...practicing. I've felt slow on my feet lately. Unfocused, or just rusty. Or maybe I've just been passed up by the rest of the family. Everyone here hits like a train and moves like a..."
He wheels his hand in the air a moment. "Something that accelerates fast. Trains don't."
"Player One," Teagan greets, and once they're sure they won't get cut in half by a sword, they take a step forward and kiss him at the corner of his mouth. "You do seem to lag behind us a little bit in terms of your starting speed," they agree, straightening up and adjusting their jacket. They do spot Laura, and tip their head a little in her direction, just minutely, their eyes glittering, but pretend they don't see her.
Muzzle stretching in a grin, Laura proves the recent point about acceleration by doing just that. "Teagan Teagan Teagan!" She bounds for the Mirrorskin, attempting to introduce them to the same sort of greeting that Glitch got when she first landed in the city. "And Gliiitch!" Her eyes gleam brightly, her mood a downright vibrant one.
Glitch is, in fact, slower to react than both of them. Especially around Teagan, one of the only times he lets his guard down. So Laura gets a hilarious look at his big widened pixel eyes. He at least thinks to let go of the log before contact.
"Oh noooo! Who could have foreseen this turn of events!" Teagan isn't holding Baby, just wearing her, because they never go out without Baby, right? So when Laura comes barreling toward them, they open their arms toward her, laughing brightly.
Laura wraps arms tightly around Teagan to return the offered hug, sniffing lightly to take in their scent and holding a hand out towards Glitch to invite him in. "Me! Well, if I was looking forward! Hi! I'm a little buzzed on booze right now. Whatcha both up to out here?" A eye is cast at the scattering of chopped logs before her ear flicks curiously.
Glitch shucks his hoodie and the sword with it, wrapping the garment around the sheath carefully and setting it down on the bin. Then he returns to Teagan and Laura. "I was training," he says, stepping in under Laura's arm, and then raising both arms up over his head with a look up at both taller Lost.
"Heyyyyy, a drunky-drunk Laura," Teagan laughs, leaning to kiss her at the corner of her mouth, as is the rite and custom of one (1) Teagan. And then they laugh delightedly as Glitch holds his arms up to be picked up.
"You've got a good arm." Laura notes, setting hands on Glitch's hips to scoop him up and nuzzle at his face with a delighted expression. "A good drunky-drunk Laura I'm hoping." She winks at Teagan, leaning in slightly at the given kiss and bestowing a butt pinch in return. "I am so good to be seeing you both. Real good vibes." A soft, pleased rumble sounds as she briefly closes her eyes.
Glitch looks pleased, in the smug and cool way a cat does, when he's picked up. He closes his eyes to enjoy the nuzzle, leans in to kiss Laura on the nose, and then turns towards Player Two to kiss them, having forgotten to return their greeting a moment ago. "Same. Everyone's been busy or out of it lately. This is nice. Oh, how'd the wolf go?" he asks, turning to look at Teagan while cradled in one of Laura's arms. "You got any to share, Laura?"
The Mirrorskin seems utterly, delightedly pleased by the interaction between hyena and Sprite. "This is a far cry from almost throwing down on a beach in Miami," Teagan laughs. "You two are so damn cute." They pet Laura's back. "You seem happily drunk, yes." A small shrug. "I haven't seen the wolf yet, but I hope I'll get to, soon. Sturm wants to stay out of the Hedge entirely for a bit."
"I do, I.." Laura juggles Glitch in one arm, tucking him to her chest to help hold him steady as her free hand searches before producing a small flask of what would turn out to be mead if drunk. Offering it to the Sprite she beams at Teagan. "So very glad we worked things out back there." Her head cants curiously at the mention of the wolf. "Ooh. Details?" She leans back slightly into Teagan's patting, nudging at them lightly with her head. "
Glitch makes no complaints about being tucked against Laura's chest. He looks at Teagan with a proud little smirk, eyes lidded. "Far cry from hittin' each other with sticks," he offers to Teagan, kissing at the air as he clings to the hyena. "There was...tension," he admits, lifting a hand to take the mead and slugging a bit. "And I'm fine with staying the fuck out of the Hedge for a while. Especially in the middle of fucking autumn. Shit gets weird." He falls quiet, letting Teagan tell the tale of their Hedge adventure.
"Yeah, it is a real far cry from hittin' each other with sticks," Teagan laughs, and they tuck themself in against Laura's other side, resting their head against the tall woman's shoulder. "And a far, far cry from the tension of three years ago, yes." A pause. "I haven't gotten any details from anyone yet, but I heard there was one of Old One Eye's ... something? There?"
"Yeah." Laura tells Glitch, all deadpan. "Autumn is fucking weird." A quiet cackle. "And if you want to do sparring sometime we can hit each other with sticks, but in a good way." She hums. "I should make efforts for looking into things too.. I am Autumn after all, it's my season. And maybe the Witch is needed. Will make some efforts a little later on." A hand carefully strokes over Teagan's scalp, lightly petting.
Glitch blinks. "Oh, right. Sorry, been a little out of it," he beeps, looking at Teagan on the other side of their comfy hyena companion. "We were out on a normal run. Got caught in a snow-zone. There was this injured wolf with a spiked collar, one of that piece of shit's hunting hounds. Sturm caught it in a snare and calmed it down. There was this raven sitting in a tree while all this was going on, and when it noticed I had my sights on it, it made a break for it. Sigrun took her down, I think, unless it was Sturm's rock...it wasn't a raven, it was a spy. Loyalist...or, you know, captive. I didn't get a good look but they vanished before everyone's hits even landed, so it was probably another Helldiver."
They listen quietly, leaning their head against Laura's shoulder. "I mean, uh, didn't your Crown like, peace out? Prolly a couple jobs open now... " Teagan laughs, and then focus in on Glitch. "Well, fuck."
"I've.. been out of touch." Laura admits, a slightly ashamed note in her voice. "I need to try and fix that. And good Sparks, mm. Sounds like the wolf is gonna be far better off with Sturm." A quiet nod. "And, mm. I did dart around the idea of reaching for Ghul. I just need to get my head back in the game before I can get serious about that."
Glitch bumps his forehead against Laura's. "We can help each other get back in the Game. That's why we're all here now, and not skulking around alleys growling at anyone who tries to talk to us." Who could he be talking about?
"Yeah, I kinda, uh... put off going for Unseen Sun, not because I was out of the game, but because I was ... I dunno. Focusing on other stuff. Taking care of people. I should, though." Teagan frowns a little bit at that, and then rolls their shoulders as they lean in against Laura. "Yeah, who would ever skulk around in alleys and growl at anyone who tries to talk to them, like some sort of gloomy little edgelord?"
"Yes. I do wonder." Laura hums, nudging Glitch slightly with her head and resting her arm around Teagan to draw them closer. "Who do we know who's ever done that sort of thing? Or would hide their changeling side because they were so scared of it. That's part of why we're all here, like you said." A nod to Teagan. "You tend to be rather good at taking care of people."
Glitch looks away, as if he has no idea, but has to look back at Laura at the last part. "You were just afraid of how powerful you are. ...and how fuckin' hot you are. I mean come ON," he says, looking to Teagan to back him up.(edited)
"Yeah, well. Maybe in another life, I was a Spring," Teagan drawls lazily, and then reaches out to swat Laura's butt. "It's true. You were afraid of your own power, and your own hotness."
Laura cants her head, then nods. "I guess.. yeah. So worried about letting myself loose and what might happen. As it turns out, I'm a pretty good witch, and I like being that." Her teeth glint. "Because I choose it, not that thing that took me. Me. Though, it did take a few kicks to my butt before I realized." She glances at Teagan, then grins at the butt swat. "You two are pretty hot too, just for the record."
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