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When Vorpal said Sigrun provided- and it's not just Sigrun, June is a huge contributor to their finances, too, and both are marvels in their own right- she wasn't kidding. The truck Sigrun drives delivers them unto a gorgeous home which- if the player's memory serves- is surrounded by trees and definitely On Some Land. There's real privacy, not just a tall fence and some imagination erasing the barbecue next door. V seems to drift off during the trip, waking up as they arrive and melting her way out of the truck in just an abominable liquidity that spits in the face of biological science and kinesiology. "Home, sweet home," she declares, holding the passenger door open whilst a helpful shadow pops Sigrun's door and offers her a hand down from the driver's seat.
Owning Land with Trees in one of the bubbles of green within the actual boundaries of Philly is one of those things that marks people as having Money, but you wouldn't know it from the way Teagan dresses or acts. They lean lazily in the passenger side of Sig's truck cab and spill out of the truck with an inhuman liquidity that's not quite as unbelievable as Vorpal's. "This is usually when Glitch is home," they comment, loping lazily ahead to hold the front door for everyone like they're some sort of gentlebutch or something.
Sigrun's truck is a spacious extended cab four seater, so while it's not exactly comfy for all parties, it's not as bad as 'riding in a truck' implies. She accepts the hand down from the truck, thanks the gesture with a quick kiss and a cheek pat, and then she's circling behind the truck to grab her bag and start hauling it for the front door. "Garm! Company! No jumping!" Warn the dog ahead of time.
The mage followed the changelings happily out of the vehicle when it was time. She was currently limited to the limits of her human body, and thus looked like a toddling child next to these folx. Still, she hopped out happily.
Her eyes flickered back and forth, taking everything into their observant eyes, which again, was myopic compared to the clarity of the changelings.
However, she made a three fingered claw like motion over her mouth. The Losts' kenning may tingle at the act.
Sig's kiss and cheek pat is a quick ticket to a beaming Vorpal, and shadows shut the doors to the truck in short order once everyone's clear, leaving her to bring up the rear.
Not that she minds being AT the rear.
BEING at the rear provides excellent VIEW of the rear...s.
You know, the ones ahead of oneself.
It's good scenery is what's getting at, here.
"We'll know soon enough." She quicksteps up to Tommy. "Glitch is- obviously- good people. Definitely your best bet for a queue partner in any online games you might have neglected to mention playing.
Also I hope you like dogs~"
One of the dogs who comes to the door has an absolutely uncanny look of intelligence on his mutt-tastic face. German Shepherd-pibble-retriever??? He sits back from the door a bit, his tail wagging rapidly against the floor. There's a big bellow from elsewhere in the house but a third dog doesn't appear presently.
"In through the house and out the back, there's the fire pit. If you let me know your preferred drink, Bones, I'll grab some on the way through. Oso, lead." One vague gesture, and the brown and black shaggy mutt pads off through the house as though he perfectly understands them.
"I LOVE dogs. I love all animals, really!" she bounced on her steps, nearly skipping.
"I actually just made it so I can speak to any animals while I am here. Technically for the next week, but I probably won't let it go that long..."
"Garm ... the Hel-Hound. To Dogs... what Yggdrasil is to trees..." she very obviously edited the middle of the quote.
Then to Teagan, "Um. Iced Tea, lemon and no sugar if you have it?"
Her eyes skipped over the dogs, "Hi guys. You're obviously working, and the bestest bois for leading so well."
"Oh, man- you're gonna talk to them? That's-" V pauses. "Either going to be amazing or really irritating. I wouldn't want to talk to a husky. They're mouthy enough when I CAN'T understand them!" V snickers a touch, keeping pace and grinning at that bounce. "You probably caught it, but that's Oso. He's kind of our little miracle, if you ask me."
Garm, a big old mutt, does the happiest of dances at all the praise he gets, but then goes off with Sigrún when she's pulled away to Do Stuff. The other dog - Oso, a fitting name for a dog that looks like a big shaggy black bear - wags his tail lazily when Bones speaks, but continues to lead the way through the house to a situation with a proper fire pit and lots of comfy seating around it, plus a firewood box off to one side.
The big black dog sits down by the unlit firepit, blinks slowly at Vorpal, and stretches. "Not a Husky," he manages in passable English, "and I speak better Spanish than you do."
Teagan disappears into the kitchen, there to gather drinks, one assumes.
Her jaw dropped at the dog talking in English not magically translated English, but English! So in Spanish they started rapid firing, "I am called Bones, it is a pleasure to meet you, Oso. Thank you for guiding me to the fire."
Their eyes kept flickering around the area, just taking it down mentally.
"FIRST OFF, Señor Contrario," V fired back. "-you are obviously excluded from that comment, seeing as how we can already converse, and I didn't say anyone here was a husky! I picked an edge case to prove a point! And SECOND, I picked up Spanish like. A YEAR ago! I think I do alright for myself, dear sir!" Bones introduces herself in Spanish, and Vorpal moves to start arranging and lighting the fire. She's not as fair a hand at it as Sigrun- or, likely, many other Motleymates- but she's a fair hand at survival tasks, and she gets it started well enough.
The dog chuckles in a most human kind of way, lazily wagging its tail and pacing over to sniff at Bones' hand. "You don't smell like bones," Oso intones thoughtfully, as though this is the most important thing to get out of the way. The giant shaggy dog circles the Obrimos, sniffing at her shoes and ankles next, before heading off to inspect Vorpal. "You smell like dead things," he informs the Elemental, right before Teagan comes out from the house, lazily carrying a giant cooler like it ain't no thing and ain't heavy at all. The Mirrorskin has left their heavy coat inside and wears just a tank top now despite the cold. This leaves both the machete in the holster at their left hip and the massive amount of tattoos on their lean-muscled arms on display. There are dozens upon dozens of groups of five hash marks scattered on their arms in between curling blackwork, and on their left forearm are: a scattering of autumn leaves, three different animal pawprints, the letters P2 in a retro gaming pixel font, a round wooden shield, and what looks for all the world like a tiny ice cube formed into a heart, all blues and whites. Across the back of their right wrist is TEAGAN in green calligraphy font, and on the back of their leg wrist, the text this machine kills rapists in a typewriter font.
They set the heavy cooler down and start taking out drinks. "None for you, missy," they deadpan at Vorpal.
The Magi would help Vorpal set up the fire and smile happily when it came time to light, "Here, let me!" Then she wiggled her fingers at the pile and it lit on fire without any spark being required. Then she looked for the least used chair, assuming that it would be the Guest's chair, while others would have their favored chair.
She couldn't help but look over Teagan for the body art, the outfit, the weapons, and the overall Teagan factor. Then she looked back over to the Dog, "I like to play with bones, so they call me Bones."
"Huh? How come I smell like dead things today!? I didn't do any stabbings!" V protested, though notably it was a wonder of "why" and not a lack of faith in Oso's nose. "Man, that just doesn't seem fair..."
Vorpal whistles in open appreciation of Teagan On Parade, all those lovely details and artistries on display, which Vorpal clearly appreciates being able to enjoy- right up until she's snarked at. "NONE?! That's just rude. At this rate, I'm going to have to suspect you and Oso of collaboration." She paused at Tommy's comment, though. "Play with bones? Like a coroner? Or an archaeologist?"
They click their tongue against the roof of their mouth, and Oso pads over obediently. "This is the best I could do, I hope it works," they offer to Bones, handing Oso a canned iced tea that meets her specifications. Oso delicately takes the can in his jaws and carries it over.
The Mirrorskin ruffles a hand through their own shaggy dark curls, taking a Yuengling bottle from the cooler and biting the cap off before spitting it into the firepit. A lazy grin aside at Johnnie before they take a seat in what's clearly Their Chair, an armless Adirondack that allows them to plant their feet on the ground and lean back comfortably. "And don't be sending your shadows to steal any, either. There are June's fancy premade cocktails in here, you know she'd be sore if you swiped any."
"Archaeologist by trade and training. Also an expert in semiotics, or symbology," and a tilt of the head, "You were seated by a Vampire for a few hours conversation. Likely why you smell like dead..."
And she took the can of tea happily, "This is brilliant, thank you, friend." She cracks it open and takes a sip before speaking, "Thank you all for welcoming me here."
"What? No, YOU were next to him! I was across the aisle! What is this madness, did Vinny's vampire molecules embark on an epic odyssey to frame me for Vampire Booth Fraternizing?!" A huff of disbelief, but no real malice.
"OH, as if I'd ever do anything that'd leave June s-" V pauses, considering the words, and clears her throat. "-unhappy." All this theater as a shadow sneaks out a glorious cocktail, pops the tab and hands it to V.
"So you were into ancient mystery before you even Awakened, huh? Oh, and you're super welcome. You've been good company and a good sport."
Oso wags his tail and bonks his head against Bones' knee, sniffing. "You smell like dead things too," he says lazily in Spanish before going to flop down by Teagan's feet and groom himself.
Teagan snickers when Vorpal stops mid word, and takes a drink of their beer instead. "You're welcome," they agree, as if they invited her and not Sigrún. It's kind of all one, it seems. .
"You're the one that had your shadows all over his body and wallet..." she replied happily, being a good sport and all, "IYeah, I ended up being at a research project at Chichen Itza, and had this moment of absolute clarity. During it, I was out of my body, and speaking to the gods of the Aztecs, of the Mayans, of the Greeks, of the Norse, and more... just cultures from around the world telling me that the supernal world was calling and that I needed to lend my skills to finding the Knowledge of the Time Before or perhaps the Time to Come..." a small smile, "So talking to Odin, Zeus, Tezcatlipoca and others... it was quite the wakeup call..."
A bob of the head to Teagan.
"To be fayuh, my shadows aren't in the habit of rubbing vampire cooties all over me after a successful prank," Vorpal insisted. "They're not like tentacles or something that attach to me, they're just doing their thing!"
At least she was pretty sure that's how it worked.
She ended up sputtering wildly again when Tommy mentioned she'd been talking to Odin. The Elemental coughed her throat clear and stated hoarsely, "Maybe don't mention that part about Odin to Sigrun. Or Sturm. Or Avery."
Hyena isn't terribly subtle. The outside door bangs open and she gets herself inside, carrying several bags holding various groceries. "I come bearing food and enough drink for a party!" She calls out from the entrance. "Who's here and who wants a.." She stops as she pokes her head into the room, canting it in a slightly canine like manner as she spots their guest.
Ears prick curiously, although that feature would only be visible to her polycule or other changelings. Still, it's obvious to the mage in the room she's curious about her. "Well, hello there."
"Oh!" she popped to her feet, wearing a black business suit with white undershirt and a green and red tie.
The Obrimos offered her hand, "I am called Bones!"
They sit leaned back in their Adirondack chair, drinking a Yuengling, and stretch an arm out towards Laura when she appears and turning their face up towards her. "Hey Laurabear," they greet. "And yeah, we don't talk about the One-Eyed Bastard in this house, or say his name out loud, because we don't want to draw the attention of the Old Fraud."
The group's collected out back by the fire pit, along with Oso. Jackie's trying to talk her way out of smelling like a vampire, essentially, and it's not going well. "Ah! Laura! Evening and welcome!" She nods, too, with Teagan's comment. "As much as my ego wants to go a few rounds, the rest of me knows that's a shit idea objectively, a selfish idea in context to degrees hitherto undreamt of by mortal minds, and even if it DID go well, I could hardly brag about beating up an old guy missing an eye. So really just an awful concept from start to finish."
She beams at Teagan, leaning down (though she doesn't have to go far), to give their upturned face a kiss, hand taken and fingers interwoven as she sets the shopping bags down. She briefly considers perching on the arm of their chair but thinks better of it and leans instead, a look of contentment on her face. "I wonder if any sort of warding would work. Maybe the Book could.." She shook her head. "But better with the not saying of the name, yes." Her hand not currently entwined with Teagan's is used to shake the one Bones offered. "Bones, well, welcome." A broad smile. "Call me Hyena, or Laura. Both fit." (edited)
She has to go plenty far, because Teagan is sitting down! The Mirrorskin steals a proper kiss, and Laura gets to lean in against their shoulder. One arm lazily snakes around her. They seem content to let the Witches and the Wizard theorize.
"Well met, Hyena," a bob of the head, "I started the night talking with a vampire, Vorpal joined us, then Teagan, and then Sigrun. I'm going to help Sigrun with the forge by making a magical themometer for it. Should allow the exact heat of the flames to be controlled when needed."
"I'd hold your coat." She comments to Vorpal. "But, for all the reasons you said, mm." A nod. "And said persona has it written in that he always comes back." She rubs her cheek against Teagen's shoulder, leaning in. "And that sounds a nifty thing to have in place. You mind if I eyeball? It's not my own brand of magic but I remain eternally curious about learning new things."
"Truly a fine and noble offer," Jackie comments in reply to the offer to hold her coat whilst she strikes down Ye Olde AsshOdin. "Things which are written are by definition erasable by virtue of their existence being reliant upon a medium. Perhaps paper, perhaps stone or the stars themselves- anything written can be erased one way or another." And then, on a more pleasant note- "I have it on good authority that reliable, controllable heat would improve the smith's experience considerably. You're doing her quite a service, I think, Miss Tommy."
The Mirrorskin remains contented in the company of their harem polycule and takes another swallow of their beer. "Sigrun always tells me I'm fucking things up when I disrupt how long things are in the fire," they offer lazily.
"Oh, I could definitely show you what I do. It's a little different than anything else, I'm sure, but I'm all about sharing what we can share." A broad smile, "I got to watch Sigrun do some sort of fairy godmother thing to help someoene tonight...." a wider smile, and then a bob of her head, "It's just a little thing for me. Bit of energy bit of time, and ... " she shrugged and nodded but then her phone chirped. Checking it, she swore, "I need to get back to home. Mi Papi needs some help. Don't worry about driving me, I should be fine to get there by myself," a bob of her head one more time. (Falling asleep at the board myself here. I hope you have a wonderful night all. Nice to meet you IC Hyena)
"I'd offer to portal you home, but, might be safer the usual way." Laura nodded to Bones. "Will be seeing you again, hoping. Have a good one."
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