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It's chill time for Teagan. They were actually on their way home earlier and then spotted Sturm's truck outside the house. Since they weren't at the house, they presumed that this meant Sturm had actually made time for going to talk to Sigrun. You know what would make Sturm talking to Sigrun even more awkward?
That's right. Teagan being there.
So. They turned around, stuck their hands in their pockets, and walked until they could snag a bus, then landed outside Rainbow Road. Now they're chilling in a booth with a Yuengling, doing some fantastic people-watching and attempting to chill.
Mearcstapa walks into the bar, looking a little bit tired, but at least he's being a good boy and getting out to do something non-work related. While he looks mostly the same as usual, recently his Mantle has intensified--in addition to the rustling sound of someone running through a cornfield in October, his entrance brings a distinct feeling of being watched, that back-of-the-neck shiver that comes when someone is staring at you.
He walks up to the bar and orders a drink before doing a proper look-around the room and noticing Teagan. There's a vague sort of 'are you waiting for company, may I join you, is it alright?' gesture in their direction.
The Mirrorskin shifts subtly in their chair, perhaps a response to the 'is someone watching me' feeling. Teagan is always pretty paranoid, but having that feeling induced by one's Mantle is an entirely other thing. It's near-impossible to tell where Teagan's looking, on account of the whole 'no irises or pupils and in fact no eyes' thing.
On spotting Mearc? Their chin goes up toward him, tipped up in greeting. They make a vague 'nah, it's just me' outward gesture with one hand, followed by a 'come on over' gesture, then reach for their beer for another swallow.
He grabs his drink--a brightly-colored cocktail of some stripe, and walks over to their booth, taking a seat. "Teagan, how're you now?" His messenger bag gets set down beside himself on the seat.
"Okay, and you?" The meter and pacing with which Teagan responds would seem to imply that they've watched at least some Letterkenny, if not 'the entire thing in one sitting one afternoon when it was far too fucking bright out for Darklings to be outside'. They raise their bottle in his direction, take another swallow.
"Not so bad." He smiles, echoing the same meter, pausing before actually answering. "Except, kinda. It's been a rough week. How are you and yours?"
The reflexive response makes them smile lopsidedly, if minutely; their facial expressions are small at the best of times, and require focus to see a lot of the time. But it's there! They think about that for a moment, and then answer, "I'm hoping it'll be better after this weekend, but it's not bad. I've -- kind of sorted out that things might be a little stressful in your world." The pause there is significant, perhaps. "Y'wanna talk about it?"
"I'm not sure if it's something that you'd want to hear about?" It's...personal business, not entirely a matter of public concern." That isn't a no. That is definitely not a no. That's an 'I don't want to be a bother', dressed up really politely.
The Mirrorskin makes a slow, circular gesture with their bottle, leaning their elbow on the table before doing so, a sort of 'look at me' gesture accompanied by a tip to the side of their head. "Everybody talks to the mirror, Mearcstapa. It's good. I've heard at least some of it." Teagan takes another swallow of their beer, finishing the bottle, and sets the empty down. A gesture to the server orders another. "So you might as well."
"I made a mistake, and then Lux made a mistake, and they're paying for it, more than I am, right now. And I've had to examine my attitude toward certain types of risk very hard in response." His freckles redden, as he sips his cocktail. "I'm doing better than I have been. Jack pointed out that...I've basically been punishing myself, because no one else has gotten upset at me in this matter, and I felt...still feel...that I deserve it."
They suck in a breath through their teeth. "Yeah, it really sucks when shit like that happens. I'm assuming that you're talking about the busted promise that everyone smells on Lux like they left their underpants in the washer too long and got mildew on 'em." Thank you for that metaphor, Teagan, thank you very much. "But rather than assuming anything else: you wanna tell me the relevant details, and we can untangle it? I promise to be appropriately upset as required."
"I asked a Winter to promise not to lie to me. And they did so. And then lied to me, over some hellaciously snowy bullshit. While the situation could have been avoided, telling the truth wasn't an option." He rakes a hand back through his hair. "I asked for that promise, because they had lied to me, about memories of our time in The City, and that...was a real blow. I wanted to try to prevent that in the future. I thought I was minimizing my risk, at the time."
The Mirrorskin tips their head to the side, and they listen. Mearcstapa's freckles and the dark blue skin between them reflect back to the Hunterheart in fractions and fragments, and Teagan lets out a long, slow breath. "Yeah, that was ... not the smartest choice, I'll agree. I see how you came to it, but it's a little like asking a Summer not to get in a fight on your behalf. If it comes to it, we'll do it, because it's our sworn purpose." Their mirror-black lips press together into a line.
"I kinda wanna ask about why you thought it was important that Lux not lie to you about their memories of the time they spent in The City. Did you not want them to lie to you about areas where the two of you crossed over? Like, was the request essentially 'don't lie to me about me?'" They quiet for a moment when their beer's brought over, and nod thankfully toward the server before turning their attention back to Mearcstapa. "The reason I ask is because... I've always kind of felt like... uhh. And maybe this is just my experience. That even if you were There at the same time, no one's ever There together with someone else. What we endure, in the end, we endure in our own heads as much as anything else, and ... we all endure essentially alone. It's just... so personal, that I'm kind of trying to wrap my head around -- I mean, I dunno. There's a difference between 'don't gaslight me' and 'tell me everything you remember' and I want to know how that shakes down for you. Because that seems to me like it might be as much of a problem going forward as the actual broken promise."
"It was...something that they did tripped memories for me, but they denied knowing about it, until it came back up again later. It was definitely a function of what our interaction Over There had been, as well as what they had been Purposed for. I'm not generally given to prying, Teagan, but it was very much something relevant to my experiences." He rests his chin on his hand. "There's a lot of weird feelings tied up on the ideas of 'same time' and 'together', for me and Lux, I think."
They let out a soft breath at that. "So, essentially, don't lie to me about me. That's pretty reasonable." The Summer's Mantle pops and crackles, a distant sound of radios coming online and going offline. Teagan leans their chin on their hand, thoughtfully, and nods through the explanation. "No offense meant, but." A vague 'around Mearc' gesture, perhaps indicating the Mantle. Autumns pry seems to be the implication, as value-neutral a gesture as can be. "So, I've heard some about that, I think. But ... your side of it, I have not."
"I do hunt for answers and reasons behind actions and what people are thinking, I'll cop to that. But I make an active effort to keep the focus on current feelings and actions rather than centering things on Over There. And a large part of it is about...I don't always understand people. I need to ask them to spell things out sometimes, in order to have a grasp on what's going on, or where we stand. Example of that sort of thing: I would never have expected you to care about this, honestly. The fact that you're actively listening is pretty surprising to me, and I think that's a function of the existing understanding I had of you, rather than anything intrinsic to yourself."
He sips his drink, and lets out a bit of a sigh. "Over There, neither Lux nor I were the sort of people who would be portrayed as the hero in a movie. Our escape was 'by accident', in some ways, and though we left together, we didn't arrive together. Five years, roughly as many states apart. Sometimes I think they hold the extra time I had, to settle into being a person, against me. No, that's not quite right, but they envy the fact that I had it, and resent that we weren't in the same place, on the same timeline. They can't imagine me, as I was back then. I'm sort of glad for that; I came out more protocol than person, at first. It took a long time to reach this point."
"People make assumptions about other people," Teagan offers by way of summing up the entire first bit; their shoulders roll lazily. "But -- generally speaking -- it really does not work to be part of a polycule, especially one with like ... more than half a dozen people in it... if you're not interested in people and how they work. Even that aside... " Another one of those self-referential gestures. "Mirror." Their tone holds no reprimand for Mearcstapa, only explanation.
They listen, intently, as Mearcstapa explains. "I don't think that's exactly right." A pause, as they collect their thoughts. "While it's true that there's ... been regret expressed to me, or sadness, by Lux over that time, I think it's really -- more like ... sadness over lost time. And a worry that there are people who have known you during that time who know you better, and will therefore be able to love you better, or be more to you, than Lux ever could." Those mirror-black lips press together thoughtfully, and they take another small swallow of their beer as a means of pausing to gather their thoughts. "What I said to them was that, you know, they could look at it that way, as time that they can't get back, or time that's somehow... in deficit, or that they've 'lost' the time that you have had relating to other people -- I'm guessing there might be someone who's here who you knew in that interim time? Someone that's bringing that feeling to the fore? But that's just me spitballing -- but if they tip the reflection slightly, and look at it another way, they could instead see it as... what the two of you went through during your time apart was formative for both of you. That the two of you are different people now than you were five years ago, and maybe the people you were five years ago wouldn't have worked together."
"It's the only way that I can look at the time I lost with Johnnie and stay sane."
He seems to take all of that in thoughtfully, his freckles going green as he chews it over. One can almost imagine an old-style hourglass icon popping up to indicate he's processing. Once he's done, though, his color returns to normal.
"There are a few people I know, who Lux has reacted to with the strangest sort of jealousy I've ever seen. It's like they decide 'this is a person who my person likes, so I'm going to go to any end to make them like me, too.' It'd be almost amusing to watch, from an outside perspective. I haven't really addressed that aspect with them. As for the formative time...yes, I'm certain the Mearcstapa protocol of five years ago wouldn't have been capable of dating Lux. They're a little bit chaotic, dunno if you've noticed, and I...wasn't very good with chaos, then. I'm glad this has all been a now thing."
The Mirrorskin watches those freckles with open curiosity, their head canting to the side as that 'processing' thing happens. Those green freckles reflect vividly in their eyes, distant twinkles like the on-again-off-again of so many fireflies dancing across a field in June twilight.
"Is that a confirmed jealousy? I mean, is that something that Lux has named as a symptom of their own jealousy, that sort of 'I'll make you like me?' I ask because you've said that you sometimes have to puzzle past your own assumptions." The questions come out with a purposeful neutrality, the sort of teasing-out that Teagan's polycule knows very well from them but which might surprise people who don't know the Mirrorskin that well. The Mirror has no particular agenda. "Yes, I've noticed," they huff with amusement, and then tick their tongue against the roof of their mouth. "Well, I'm glad to be right about something good. That wasn't time lost, that was time ... processing. Upgrading. To get to a stable version of your software and one that was compatible with Lux 2.0."
"It hasn't been named, but given how and when it happens, I'm relatively certain that's what's going on. But next time I see it, I might ask about it--in private, not in part of the third party, of course." He notices the way their mien shifts, though doesn't linger on their eyes much. "You've got the right metaphor. Stable software, though it may still have some bugs. It always will; I'm only human."
That last comment comes with an amused quirk of his lips.
"It could be. It could also be an active attempt to involve themself in the fact that this is someone you care about, and ... they're just trying to make things good. I found that happened, like, a lot when we were a relatively new polycule, and that being -- comfortable? -- with not having to be best friends with all of my polycule's friends, was a comfort thing. A stability thing. And that all comes with time, and... uh. Well, mostly just with time, and talking." Teagan turns their bottle in their hand. "Yeah, computer and game metaphors are a thing I've gotten much better at making." They don't bother explaining why, perhaps assuming that it's, you know, obvious.
"So... you feel like you're not carrying your fair share of the guilt, but you can't exactly go around telling people 'hey, you should distrust me and slash or dislike me equally' because doing so would blow up even bigger the fact that this issue stems from the fact that you didn't trust Lux in the first place and would draw attention to the fact that you caught someone in a badly-thought-out Sealing and hinges on some very... icy... issues. Is that about the full scope of it? Is there another complication I'm missing?"
He looks at them thoughtfully. "I have a hard time imagining your family as a new polycule, honestly. I've only ever seen the best of all of you, and you all." And that thought hangs in the air for a moment, as he works out the rest of it. "And...yeah, that's...the scope of the situation from my end, as it stands. For what it's worth, I am resolved to work this out, with them. Because I can't actually picture my life without them in it, now. I don't want to give up on the thing we're building. So, now it's about how to work it out. How to...fit things back together, and accept the natural risks of being partners with a snow-souled hummingbird, as well as my Jack of Hearts."
Teagan's laughter is a bright thing, even quiet, the sort of verbal equivalent of light hitting broken glass. It's a soft burst of sound, and possibly surprising for its contrast with their 'Rigid Mask Is A State Of Mind' expression. "Oh, we were," the Mirrorskin answers, shaking their head in amusement. "And we still have our issues, our problems, and our difficulties. But shield walls aren't just a thing that Sigrun teaches actors to do so they can film Last Kingdom. Speaking of, if you ever want to hear her rant, bring up the shitty white people dreads in that show." Their broken-mirror eyes glitter in amusement.
The rest of it, they listen to with their continued thoughtfulness. "Good." And their smile grows lazily for a moment. "That's a sweet nickname," says the Mirrorskin whose nickname-giving is sort of a Known Quantity. "So you're a triangle, now, and not a V?" And then they stop, and offer, "I might ... consider. If you feel that you're not carrying an appropriate level of the weight in this situation, that the best way you could do that is come up with a defined task for Lux to undertake in order to make recompense. And say it to them. Let them Seal from you that you'll... forgive them, formally and officially, when that task is done. It's a necessary part of lifting that stink from their proverbial underpants sooner rather than later."
"Presuming, of course, that you haven't already done that."
"I was planning on catching them alone and in person, to do something of the sort. I actually have a task in mind. Something tricky enough to feel meaningful, but not something that's going to be a monumental effort for them." He smiles slightly. "It'll...work out to holding meaning in the end, I think. And yes, this is now a triangle. Which is weird, because of how it happened. Lux and I took an interest in another guy, it failed...not catastrophically, but in such a way that the collapse led to me and Jack sort of...well. We're not fucking, but we're certainly dating now. Which, given the choice, is the one I'd prefer."
They absently scratch their cheek; long fingers with blunted nails rasp across their mirror-dark skin, leaving brief lighter trails of silver. "Good," Teagan agrees. "You wanted how to make yourself carry more of the burden, and that's the way, I think. Possibly even make it something that isn't a thing they can do alone, but an exercise you undertake together. I think that would probably go a long way toward setting things right on both sides." A vague gesture with one hand. "Sort of like going to New York and stomping around through thorns together looking for a shield."
A puff of breath, there. "Yeah, I know how that goes. Johnnie and I are -- sort of -- the outcome of the fantastical collapse of another relationship. Sort of. I think it would have happened anyway, but C.B. being a twerp certainly sped things up." Their phone beeps -- a thud sort of sound, a bit like a punch landing on a heavy bag -- and Teagan digs said phone out. "Sec," they offer by way of excuse, and stick a headphone in their left ear.
A pause as they're presumably listening to something, and then they direct to their phone: "Who are you talking to?" A pause, another heavy bag sound, and then Teagan laughs out loud -- really out loud, that same bright sound, but now it carries, and their head's thrown back a little. "I bet you're regretting not letting me teach you that earlier, aren't you? I have no advice for you, doll, you're going to have to handle that one on your own. Good luck, let me know how that goes!" And then send. They pluck the earbud from their ear and put their phone away. "Apologies, Mearcstapa." Their smile is bright, now, and they briefly hide snickering behind one hand. "Anyway. That seems like a happy thing, on the overall, so, good on you."
Mearc watches them quietly through the phone call, smiling as they overhear that side conversation. "Which one of your partners was that?"
Interestingly, it looked more like a series of text messages, with Teagan using voice to text for whatever reason. "That ... was not -- I'm not dating Sturm," and for just a split second, they look -- awkward? Chagrined? Something. Their face briefly scrambles, and they clear their throat. "But that was Sturm. She's talking to Sigrun, which is why I'm here in the first place. I went home and saw her car outside the house, and -- if I wasn't there, I figured she might be talking to Significant, and finding out would have required me to go inside, so, I came here."
"Ah." There's a small, slow nod there. "Sturm's dealing with a lot right now, from what I've heard. She's, uh. Simultaneously growing up and facing some shit from Before for her, all at once. Even if you're not dating, I'm sure she appreciates having a someone like you to talk to her, call her 'doll'. I bet it helps."
There's a vague gesture with one hand. "Yeah, well, if you know your mythology, you know the other side of the conflict she played out. And so." Teagan's nose wrinkles up a little bit, and they let out a hefty sigh. "Sometimes we can't do things we might like to do, for the comfort of our partners, neh?" The smile that slides across their face is narrow, and small. "Though if I'm truly honest with myself, it's only the barest justification, because emotional involvement is what it is, and that bit you can't really help."
"No, you really can't." He chuckles, his freckles growing warmer, the green dimming just slightly. "Inconvenient, those emotions. Painful, sometimes, and intense, and awkward. But...better than not having them, I think."
The gesture that follows is one sort of like: look, I am Summer. Similar to the gesture they made to Mearcstapa's person indicative of his Mantle, now they gesture around their person, as if to say: "Uncontrollable emotions is something that kind of comes with the territory. Emotions are just ... a thing. Like weather. We can't really control them. Only what we do with them." And they tap their bottle against the table, another one of their idle gestures. "But I was able to help her, and no matter what else happens, the particular trick I was able to pull on her behalf -- and a couple of other people -- is one I wouldn't trade for anything."
It takes him a moment to work out what trick they're referring to, and then he realizes they're a mirrorskin. And remembers that slight shift in Sturm's appearance, and it all clicks into place. "I imagine there's a sort of pride and...hm, would compersion be the right word there? Secondhand joy, I mean."
They smile as everything just kind of clicks into place, and nod once, a confirmation of all of the above. "Gender compersion is totally a thing. And the joy is secondhand but also... " They roll their shoulders. "This is a thing that I've been through, just ... non-binarily, so." More beer. They can nurse a Yuengling, boy howdy. "It's sort of a -- I mean other people probably don't feel this way, but for me, because I can do it, I need to do it. It's not fair if I keep it all to myself."
"Mm. I think I'm one of the lucky ones. I've just never really thought about gender, as a thing, at all. At least, not for myself." He shrugs. "Dating Lux has led to some...thoughts about how I express it, and which standards of manhood I want to discard. Like, I like having my hair long and pinning it out of my face with bobby pins. No, that's not about gender, in itself. But the reactions some people have to it, in public, are about assumptions about masculinity. I think, at least."
Another one of Teagan's vague shrugs. "I don't like to think of it so much in terms of fortunate or unfortunate--" And then an electronic bwoop from Teagan's phone, which prompts a sigh and a "Glitch, one sec." Headphone, and then: "No, it's Sigrun and Sturm." Pause. Bwoop. "I'm out at the gay bar talking to Mearcstapa." Bwoop. "Mearcstapa." Bwoop. "Yeah, that one. I will."
And apparently this is when everyone texts Teagan, because there's that heavy bag sound again. "Yeah, I'm out at Rainbow Road with Mearc." And then they put their phone away.
"Seriously, I'm sorry, no one's texted me for hours before this." A sigh. "Anyway, what was I saying? Right. I try not to think about it as fortunate or not. Just in terms of... then I'd obsess over that. But I agree with you about people's assumptions. You're enjoying fucking with gender presentation?"
"I...am open to the idea, but haven't really engaged in full-blown 'fuckery' with it, yet." He looks thoughtful. "Also, if any if the rest of your crew wants to show up here, it's fine. I met Glitch recently, finally. In context, it was one of the weirdest first meetings I've had with one of us, probably."
"I mean that's gender fuckery, by a lot of standards. But if you wanna engage in gender fuckery, for realsies, I bet Lux would love that shit." And then their eyebrows rise and they answer, "You need to tell me about that because he hasn't."
"Cool, sec." And then an exchange of text messages, like so:
"Come over."
"Okay well bring Laura then."
"Come here, stoner."
"A long-ass walk, call yourself a Lyft."
The phone gets tucked away, then. "It is, ironically, a bit like herding cats." They pause, then explain, "... the joke there being that I've been told I'm basically a cat."
"Lux was calling me 'kitten' before everything happened. Possibly for different reasons, though."
Mearc's phone, meanwhile, makes a tinkling sound, like a cartoon snow fairy might. He looks at it, then grins. "Sturm says for me to tell you hi. As for Glitch, we were both breaking into the same building for very different purposes, and sort of ended up finishing our jobs together."
"Kitten is a cute nickname," Teagan's answer comes easily, along with a lopsided smile. "Sooner rather than later, I'm hoping they'll be calling you that again, or some other ridiculously cute nickname." A snort of amusement, then. "She's on her way here, she can tell me hi herself. What a giant dork." A puff of breath out of their nose.
"No shit? Why were you breaking in?" They're not the least but surprised that Glitch was breaking in somewhere, or bothered, apparently.
A large truck eventually pulls up outside, driven by Glitch, with passengers in tow! He unbuckles his seatbelt, hops out, and opens the front passenger door to help Laura step down. The Lost inside the bar will have a while before they make it inside.
"I work in security testing. Companies pay me to break into buildings so I can tell them how someone would go about breaking into them." He grins broadly, clearly proud of what he does. "Then they can fix it, or ignore me and then it's not my problem anymore."
There's a quiet thump as she jumps down, grinning at Glitch and ruffling the Sprite's hair. "I'm a little stoned now. That's good, right?" The Hyena grins, fur somewhat mussed. "Can't see them minding."
... and rather than sit in the cab of the truck - which is probably hella crowded with Laura in the passenger seat - Sturm is actually sitting in the bed of the truck. She flicks her cigarette to the ground, and grinds it out with the heel of her boot when she jumps down to the pavement. "I'll be a bit, y'all. I gotta pick up some cash from the shift manager - from my last night workin' the door here." Y'know. A bit. Even after the bit before they're actually posed in.
"... wait." Teagan stares at Mearcstapa like he just told them that they could get a paycheck for drinking beer and getting blowjobs. "... that's a job?" Their brain has been completely derailed, and their jaw literally drops.
"Yeah, well. That's... wild. Fuck. That's a job?"
Their shock and awe only make his grin grow. "That is totally a job. I'm a 'physical penetration tester', professionally. I work with a social engineer--someone who basically bullshits her way past security guards for a living, and together we can really make a mess, given half the chance. Why, is that something you'd be interested in?"
Glitch ruffles Laura back and smirks. "That's fine. Just means I might have to catch up with you. Big girl back there's stoned as fuck, so..." He gestures to indicate Sturm once she jumps down to the pavement. He winds his arm through Laura's and leads her inside, weaving through the crowd to try and find Teagan and Mearc. He takes his time, not throwing out whistles or anything.
They just stare at him. If they could blink, they would be rapidly blinking right now. "... I mean, I do that right now just to count coup or for shits and giggles," Teagan answers. "I'm interested in getting money for that. I can sneak in anywhere and bullshit my way past almost anyone. Damn." They slump back in their chair and pick up their beer.
"See you when you've got dosh." Laura grins at Sturm, waving a clawed hand before settling against Glitch and letting him lead her onwards, eyes half closed as she takes in the bar and adjusts to the change in lightning. "You can catch me up all you like, mm.."
Sturm steps inside behind Glitch and Laura, ducking under the door - as is her custom - before heading off in the direction of the bar with a grunt. The Jotun disappears into the back for a bit...
Mearc laughs. "Can you do it without any of our tricks, and write up a report explaining how you did it, and how it can be prevented in the future, if the client's willing to invest in improving their security? A lot of us can do that, but then breaking it down afterwards becomes the hard part."
Glitch leads Laura through the crowd until he finds Teagan and Mearc's table. Teagan likely sees them first from the angle of approach, with Mearc's back somewhat to them, so he hangs back a bit and lifts a hand, knowing Player Two will see them.
Laura is less subtle. For one, she's taller then Glitch and for another, she is kinda stoned. So Teagan gets a huuuuge fanged grin and a hand waving in their direction as the Hyena vies for their attention from behind Mearc.
Their face is a smooth mirror, and Teagan's flinch about writing reports is only internal, but they seem to be seriously considering that. "I don't write reports," they offer casually, "but I can do it without tricks." Their head turns slightly, and they raise their beer toward the incoming folx in greeting before turning their face up for the ritual smooch at the corner of their mouth. "Player One. Shenzi."
"Well, if you want to come along on one of my jobs sometime, see what it's like, I can ask Wren if she minds an extra pair of hands. It might be nice, having extra people we could tack onto a team. Even if one of us gets stuck with the write-up." Mearc glances over his shoulder, favoring the newcomers with a smile. "Glitch, Laura. Good to see you both. Joining us?"
Sturm returns from the back, shoving a nice fistful of cash into her red right hand the righthand pocket of her leather jacket. It ain't hard to spot the gaggle of changelings on account of her view point bein' about two heads higher up than anybody else in this crowd - and she slowly makes her way over. "Mearcstapa."
... and then she flashes a dopey grin at Teagan before she can stop herself. Well. She the frown slides into place, but nowhere close to in time to avoid being seen, though. Someone's still a bit floaty for sure. "T... cat? Fuck. This was a bad time to make another nickname attempt."
She slides into a seat without another word.
Glitch lets go of Laura just so he can step over to Teagan and lay a kiss on the corner of their mouth. "Player Two." He turns his attention to Mearc, studying the other Lost subtly. "Are you convincing Teagan to be a pentester? I should show you some of this shit, it's wild. I told Mearc I'm jealous."
"Cat." She states happily, nodding at Sturm. "That's a good fit." Smooch to Teagan's mouth as she settles at their opposite side to Glitch. "Shenzi, mmm.." That meets with approval as she giggles quietly. "Heeeey Mearc. Looking good." She nods. "And nicknames are a big thing, you should embrace them Sturm. So. How is everyone? And what's all this with testing?"
"I'm down," Teagan agrees with Mearc, though their face is turned up for kisses. "He didn't have to so much convince me as I didn't realize you could get money for one of my hobbies." Kisses for Laura and Glitch, and they scoot in. Their nose wrinkles up a little bit at T-cat, but not actually in true displeasure. "Pffffggrmnghh," they noise, and then answer, "Hello, stoned doll."
Solstice (they/them)Today at 4:35 AM
"I'm trying." This comment to Glitch with a crooked grin, before he offers the explanation to Laura. "I work in a field known as penetration testing. Get the giggles out of the way. But in short, I break into places, so I can tell people how those places can be broken into. It's an interesting line of work, and one Teagan would probably be very well suited to, apparently. To be honest, the idea of trading techniques and methods is something I'd like a lot, Teagan."
"In other words, it's just a fancy way to say they B&E... but y'know, Nicely." Sturm leans back in her chair - tipping it onto it's back legs as she does. "... and yeah, Teagan's reeeeeeal fuckin' sneaky and they'd be good at that, probably. It's h-" She coughs. "Dope as fuck."
"It's more like friendly B&E sparring. Training. Shows people where their weak points are and where they need improvement. Only more like...where a whole fucking company has those." He slips into a seat next to Teagan and smirks a bit proudly at Mearc. "You gotta tell Player Two here about social engineering. Door-holding shit, bluffing your way straight in for physical access...that's the stuff I think is fuckin' amazing. Striding right in and just counting on people to not question you."
"You're paid to break in?" She grins. "That's fucking cool. I mean, can see you loving that kinda thing Teagan." Sturm gets a nod. "They really are." She agrees. And it's not to the dope save either!
"That works? Walking right in like you belong there?"
"Yeah, that's... how I do stuff," Teagan agrees. "It's a little like Doctor Who and the psychic paper, but it's basically that people will see what they want to see, and what they want to see is usually whatever will make their lives easier." They lean back, apparently missing the 'hot comment, and flash Sturm a smile regardless. "Yeah, tell me how youse do it, Mearcstapa. Trading techniques sounds fucking rad."
"It works more than you'd expect. Wren's the expert with the social stuff, but I've picked up a lot as well. Pretend to be an IT expert or delivery person, and you're welcomed into all sorts of office spaces--I actually have a deal with a local thrift shop owner to text me if he gets anything from companies like that. Though plain coveralls work as well. Right, Glitch?" There's a wink in the direction of the Elemental. "I'm mostly on the physical end of things. Picking locks, slipping latches, disabling sensors, climbing in windows."
Sturm conceals, not feels - her purview as a Winter courtier. Unfortunately sometimes it backfires, and your recovery is too good and nobody notices, so you'll just have to do it for real later.
"This shit's all a little above my pay grade, but I'm glad you're good enough at this kinda thing that you can do it on the proper side of the law and wring money out of all the corporate folx." She flashes Mearcstapa a half-grin, setting her chair back down onto the ground. Better to not accidentally bust her ass.
Glitch smirks a bit at Mearc's words. "I mean, I'm more into just breaking locks, and doors, and walls. But that gets a lot of attention. So even I can, say...throw on some work coveralls for the electric company. So if I do run into someone else, I can just say I'm there doing electric shit. And they'll probably just leave me alone, unless they can see through my fuckin' mask and immediately tell something's up."
"I love Doctor Who." Laura notes. "You're like a really hot version of the same. Only you don't have a time machine." A pout there. Time travel would be fun. "Trouble for me is, I tend to stand out with a crowd, and I'm less sneaky sneaky. I'm likely to just stick to making tasty foods for you all, and having the excuse to eat it myself." A grin. "But if you got me some overalls.. I could try?" A laugh. She's not planning on that.
"Yup. Pretend you're someone they want to see, or expect to see. The best lying is barely lying at all." Teagan considers Mearc thoughtfully, and then laughs at what Sturm said - that sharp, bright sound. "Oh, but i have to be gay, do crimes, doll." They nod along with Glitch and then smile lopsidedly at Laura. "I have been known to travel in time, but it's true, I don't have a time machine."
"On the other end of my skills, I do have a rapport built up with the local police; if they hear someone's breaking into a place, and they arrive to find me there, the assumption will generally be 'oh, he's just doing what he's hired to do'. Which means...well, I'm sure you can work out the implications yourselves. It's a service I offer, when the need arises." He offers a little playful salute.
"Oh, I'm well aware of your tendencies," she snorts at Teagan's very candid admission - but quirks a brow at Mearcstapa. "Well, my Alphabet days are behind me, but I wouldn't have minded a service like that way back when." Beat. "... but, honestly, the best lying is just not fuckin' saying anything at all. Keep it secret, keep it safe." Pssh. Nerd.
Glitch nods along and looks over to Laura. "I've heard of incidents where people dress up like the tech guy, walk straight into a bank, unplug a computer, and just walk out with it. Or better yet, the employees actually log onto the network for them. My favorite one's the parking lot payload." He stifles a brief yawn and squints one eye. "Nnnf. It is late as fuck. N'we got a big day tomorrow. I'll tell you about it next time..."
"I'd drive us home, but, I'm loopy. Bad plan." Laura admits. "Someone with more spoons better do that, yeah?" She pats at Teagan's arm, then Glitch's hair. "You're both really hot people by the way. Oh." A finger points at Sturm and Mearc. "You're hot too, with the whole B&E thing, and, just being you Sturm and yeah, I'm doing the whole rambling thing too now."
He blinks at that compliment from Laura. "Right, that's my cue to leave, I think. Good night all."
As he stands, he fishes out a business card with his phone number and Wren's, offering it to Teagan. "Text me, we'll figure out how to collaborate." Sturm gets a pat on the shoulder, and Glitch a crooked grin, and Laura a sort of nod, before he makes his way out.
"Stoner girl." There's affection in Teagan's voice, though. "You're not wrong, but you're very stoned. I'll drive. I haven't had a beer in a while." They tip their chin up at Mearcstapa. "Definitely. I'm glad I ran into you. Or you ran into me. Whatever. Come on, stoners." It really is like herding cats. "Sturm, just crash in the spare room. We're leaving in the morning anyway."
The card is taken and tucked away. Someone else can read it for them later.
Sturm takes a mighty breath, exhaling with a pbbbbt when she reaches the end of her breath. "A'ite." Beat. "Will have to swing by my place and grab my shit in the morning, though. Didn't exactly lug a suit of armor over to y'all's place this evening..."
She tosses the keys to her truck over to the designated driver, and follows the others out.
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