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One could see it as going back to his roots, but every now and again Jeremiah liked taking advantage of good weather and claiming a spot in one of the local parks to play some music and brighten up the day of those around him. The Warlock had laid claim to a bench with a guitar in his lap and the case open nearby, going for a bit of a rockabilly look with slim black pants, a white undershirt and a red long-sleeved shirt over it, a pair of chunky black glasses rounding out the ensemble. Even so he cut a striking figure nonetheless, a natural force of presence enhanced by Byronic features.
Nevermore enjoys people-watching. They also like good music, and they'll never turn down a good byronic aesthetic, so they absolutely pause to see what the guy with the guitar's going to play today. Their figure is just as striking, if perhaps less conventionally attractive - plump, black-coated, like a vampire-themed build-a-bear.
The first song chosen was a nod to the era echoed in his outfit choice, the chords of Weezer's Buddy Holly coming out loud and strong. Even to the untrained ear it was clear that the man had a solid set of pipes and knew how to use them, his tenor warm and voice carrying well through the afternoon air.
And then there's Quinn. He is the antithesis of striking; his features are unmemorable, his frame gawky and overly tall. He's found himself seated on a bench, content to watch the busker. His long fingers continually fidget and flutter while he does so, an absolute blissful expression on his unremarkable face. He's dressed very plain - slim black t-shirt, monochrome gray skinny cords. His Chuck Taylors are black today, and so are the frames of his oversized glasses. Style.
Kayla decided to take a walk out today, not coordinating with Jay this time. She's wearing a pale pink button up shirt, a black, sleek black pencil skirt, her hair in a braid, heels clicking on the ground. She's walking slowly, her mind wandering about with a warm smile on her face. (active magic)
Nevy smiles, the expression kindly, not mocking. "I'm sure you're fine. Especially since you're planning to tip him today." They glance between Quinn and the guitar man and chuckle. "He is pretty, isn't he?"
Quinn dips his chin, cupping his cheeks in both spidery hands; he seems to be trying to smother his grin. "He's very pretty," Quinn whispers to Nevy. "Please, please, please don't tell anyone I said that. I embarrass very easily and I am afraid what my gastrointestinal system would do in response to my humiliation."
Kay is drawn by the music, her smile changes, clearly recognizing who's playing by just the sound of it, she approaches the people already gathered to listen to Jay, she gives a nod of greeting to both Nevy and Quinn. "So good."
Nevy's nodding along to the song's rhythm, so their answering nod takes the form of a brief section of double time. "It's not what I usually listen to, but yeah, he's pretty good." They glance at their other little friend and pat him on the shoulder. "Your dark secret is safe with me."
And with that, Nevy has found a loyal friend for life. The look of plain adoration and gratitude Quinn gives her is one for the ages; he draws his spindly legs up in front of him, wrapping both arms around his legs. Scoots just a fraction closer to Nevy. He greets Kayla by gazing at her navel region, waving a fluttery hand in greeting. "Very good, yes, hi, hello, you may join us if you like."
Spotting at least one familiar face Jeremiah smiled in Kay's direction, flipping genres rather cleanly to an acoustic version of Halsey's New Americana. The comfort with the song was still present, however, carrying the music quite well.
"I know the singer pretty well." Kay return the smile. "Didn't expect to run into him here." she looks to Nevy and her gaze drops to the necklace. "Nice necklace." she comments off handedly
Nevy grins. "Thank you. I made it myself - designed and drawn. It's an artist thing."
"Did you make it for a purpose in particular?" She keeps the questions low, whispered, a curious gleam in her eyes. But still, splitting her attention between the music and Nevy's answer.
Quinn's attention is likewise drawn to the necklace; he cocks his head, studying it intensely. When his interest is caught, those nondescript figures suddenly flare to life; blue eyes sharpen with depths of intelligence. He nods along with Kay's question, anticipating the answer.
Nevy glances between the two, catching the interest. "Why," They say in the tone of a joke, "To protect my soul from the dread influences of evil spirits and the shades of the unquiet dead of course. What other reason is there?"
Quinn clearly wasn't expecting that response. He blinks owlishly at Nevy once, twice...and then bursts into energetic laughter, covering his mouth with both hands. The laughter seems to steel his nerves; he unfurls from his perch and swoops across the walkway, dropping a bill into the bard's case. He then hovers there, sort of swaying side-to-side with the music.
Kay shrugs at the answer, apparently amused by it, but mostly because her own enchantment today reflects the amulet's desired effect. "Good, It's important to protect something that important." her attention resume toward the musician and Quinn. "Oh my."
Nevy chuckles. "I like the look of it, it's pretty, and it's a conversation starter. Besides, when people ask, it gives me an ever-so-subtle way to bring up my art." They smile as Quinn runs up to tip. "Guess there's a dance party starting."
Jeremiah gave Quinn a nod and a smile - and what a charming smile it was - when he approached to add his offering to the bills already present in the case. As the song wrapped he shifted to something new to the ears of all present except his cadre-mate, a personal composition that served to bring the mood back up quite nicely.
Oh, he's a goner. Quinn beams in Jeremiah's direction, his gaze somewhere near Jeremiah's shoulder. Hands fluttering and twisting, he seems about to say something, perhaps a compliment, anything - and then he abruptly turns about-face and rushes back to the safety of his bench.
"You do art? What kind, is it all flowers like this?" she's about to specify her question but the tune change and Kay bounces into place, joy pouring out into a squeaky scream, what a necromancer she makes, she clearly is recognizing the song and hums it in turn. She laughs a little bit when Quinn rushes back, welcoming the other Magi with a little pat on the shoulder. "I can make introduction when he's done singing."
Nevy blinks as Quinn rushes back. "You all right, buddy?" They look at Kay, chuckling. "You know him? Nice." They chuckle. "Not all flowers, no. I tend to mix art and poetry, and I'm a fan of macabre subject matter. Here...." They pull out their phone and bring up their instagram account. There are a couple WIP pictures of various tarot cards. The latest finished piece is Predator Heart, (Description in Nevy's wiki).
"I'm fine," Quinn assures them quickly, gaze on his knees - until, of course, there's artwork brought out. Quinn wriggles his way closer to peer at it, his interest renewed flame. He studies for a moment, nodding. "I like that you follow the aesthetic of the Rider-Waite art while establishing your own style. I see you've used the same basic geometry as they did, that's a good choice. It makes your work reminiscent in a manner to evoke nostalgia while still remaining unique and authentic as your own voice."
"Oh you're heavy into art, I've heard that sort of speech pattern before." She mention toward Quinn, her attention shifts toward Nevermore again "I like the theme of it." and then looks around to Jay too. "I can appreciate the macabre."
Nevy blinks at Quinn for a second, then grins even wider. “Thanks! I did some looking into where the Rider-waite’s symbolism came from and figured I’d reuse the most essential bits. At the same time, though, a friend who does Tarot told me that the best decks have a distinctive aesthetic - and if there’s one thing I know, it’s distinctive Aesthetic.” They smirk in mildly self-deprecating self-knowledge.
"Oh yes, I am an art conservator. I am not an artist but I evaluate artwork and I restore old artwork to former glory, and I, um, oh, I also investigate forgery. I can show you." Flinging his bag open, he withdraws a large leather book. The book is handbound and by an amateur; the cover is soft and without hard backing, made more for utility and to stringent specifications. The large book - perhaps 12 inches long by 9 inches across, and perhaps two inches wide - is set between them on the bench, and Quinn flips it open.
Inside is page upon page of sketches, clippings, photocopies and x-rays (x-rays?) of well known works of art. The Mona Lisa is there, sketched in such a likeness that an observer can tell it's the Mona Lisa; this is annotated with small notes that almost cover the page, things like "note spherical nature of anatomic structure to Davinci eyes" and "Does not use post-impressionist slab-geometric style of eyelid". There are hundreds of works of art and artifacts in Quinn's book exactly like this.
"Yeah I think you should definitely meet with someone I know." Toward Quinn and smiles, she withdraw a bit from the conversation as they seem to be really getting into it and it's not like that's an area of expertise she has a lot to contribution to bring on that one. She looks toward Jay too for a moment.
Nevy blinks. "Dang," They say. "That's... impressive stuff. I don't try to analyze art like this, most of the time. I just draw it." They look at Kayla. "How long does your friend usually play?"
Nevy's question just so happened to be answered by the man himself as he finished up the song, setting his guitar down in his lap as he reached over to grab a water bottle sitting nearby and took a long pull. Once he was done he looked over to the trio on the other bench, lifting the bottle in a brief salute.
Quinn flips his book shut and slides it away, content to prioritize conversation over showing his obsessive tendencies. He turns toward the other two, gaze somewhere near their knees. "It looks like he might be done," Quinn notes. "Taking a break, I think?"
"You want me to introduce you to him? He's super nice, he won't bite." Kay offers again to Quinn with just a shrug She move toward Jay and make a come with me motion with her hand. "Plus he also knows the other person I know who does art conservation, you got a topic."
Nevy nods. They head over and drop a bill of their own in the case. "Not bad," They say with a grin. "Not bad at all." They glance over to the others. "Taking a break?"
"Thanks." Jeremiah replied with a smile, giving Nevy a nod as they made their own offering. "For a bit, yeah. Enjoyed so far, I hope?"
Quinn rises to follow Kay obediently, twisting his hands together. "Okay, sure. Sure, okay." He hurriedly rakes a hand through his disheveled thatch of dark hair. "Lead on."
"Jay, you got a new fan, they're into art conservation too, like Heather." She greets him with a quick hug. Then looks to Nevy and then to Quinn, pointing to the other man. She pat Jay on the back.
Nevy nods. "Yeah. You don't happen to know any goth-folk, do you?"
Jeremiah returned the hug and set his water bottle down, giving Quinn a nod. "Really...good stuff. Friends call me Jay, as Kay already mentioned. Good meeting you both."
"I might?" He mulled as he looked up towards Nevy. "Any artists in particular on that front?"
"Heather? I know a Heather," Quinn admits, clasping his hands against his breastbone idly. "She does art conservator work. We work together. She seems very nice. I don't talk to her very much because I usually work with headphones on. The music helps me get in the zone, so to speak." He nods to Jeremiah, gaze shyly averted. "You play music and sing very, very well."
"We experience her baking more than her art restoration honestly." A little laugh occurs there. "Which is why I need to be more active, all that sugar can't be good."
"Baking and art conservation? Okay, who is this and how much do I have to bribe her to be friends with me?" Nevy grins.
"Thanks. Been at it for a while." He replied to Quinn with a smile, then chuckled at both Kay and Nevy's comments. "Think we can probably arrange that; she's always looking for new recipe testers, if anything."
"I am not surprised she is a talented baker," Quinn murmurs, nodding. "She is very skilled at her restoration work, and baking is just three-dimensional math married to chemistry and physics. It may be the perfect science."
"You work at the same office for the restoration work I mean?" She ask of Quinn, then glance to Nevy and Jay. "I think maybe, at some point, we'll have to establish some sort of festivities or pastry eating contest where she makes the food."
Nevy grins. "When science is edible, I'm happy to be a guinea pig."
"Right there with you." He nodded to Nevy with a chuckle. "Already had a pretty solid sweet tooth before meeting Heather but it's only gotten worse since."
"A talented baker probably brings out that tendency," Quinn agrees; it's with an awkward pause before, as if he was scrambling for something to say. He clutches the strap of his satchel with both hands.
Kay smiles to Quinn and she studies him for a moment. "What kind of music do you like?"
Nevy smiles and leans back against a picnic table, doing a little people-watching while the conversation wanders away from them.
Jeremiah watched Quinn for their answer while also sparing Nevy a glance, smiling a touch. "You never did say what bands you meant by 'goth folk', by the way. I know one or two Voltaire songs, but I'm guessing that's not quite what you meant."
Quinn perks up, lit from within by enthusiasm. "It depends on my mood, but...my favorite band, very favorite, is a band called Sigur Ros; they invented their own language for their music and I'm fascinated by it. It is linguistically sound and follows grammar patterns. I can listen to the music and apply whatever meaning I want to the song, making whatever translation of lyrics that I wish." He sighs a little, beaming an affable, sweet smile. "They are the perfect band, I'm fairly sure. I also like Nordic folk like Wardruna, they were very popular where I grew up."
"I think maybe as far as goth things go, I'm like... the gothest we got in our group of friend? And ..." she looks at the pale pink shirt she's wearing "That's not a strong statement. I could totally see us getting a make-over for Halloween or a special party." She looks to Quinn as he describe the bands. "Well, I'm listening to some of this later on."
"Let's see... I tend to like when bands with other styles do really gothic music. I mean, Bottom of the River by Delta Rae? About half of Hozier's stuff?" They grin at Kay. "Perky-goth is absolutely a thing. And Sigur Ros is pretty awesome stuff; sometimes not exactly what I'm looking for, but the aesthetic is incredible."
"Sigur Ros, huh? Will have to check that out." Jeremiah took a moment to pull his phone out and make a note of the band name before pocketing it once again. "Hozier I do know. His album last year was top notch, and I love some of his older EPs, Arsonist's Lullaby in particular."
That furtive-but-brilliant smile lights Quinn's features at that; he fidgets from foot to foot, nodding. "Yes. Yes! You should, they are a remarkable group with a widely varied sound, everything from melancholy to euphoria. Music that sticks with you, glazes the emotions. I..I love it," he admits, biting his lip.
"Thanks for the musical discovery. What's your names, by the way? I'm Kay." She offers a handshake to both Nevy and Quinn. "I'm unaware of the variant of Goth style, but I will take a gander, never know what I might discover."
"Perky goth is when you dress sad but act happy. Pastel goth is when you dress like you're sad, but it's springtime and you like to get in the spirt. The two overlap sometimes." They grin. "Nevermore Usher, at your services." They sketch an elaborate bow.
"Good meeting you, Nevermore." There was not a flinch from the Mastigos at the name, but then again considering the circles that he traveled in - and the name he once had taken up as his own before his current one - who was he to judge? He offered a hand to both them and Quinn after Kay. "I cycled through a couple different scenes while I was in Los Angeles, so while I may not know the full lingo I've got the basics."
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself," Quinn realizes, fidgeting his hands. He uncurls one from around the strap to brush against his t-shirt and then fit into Kay's, shaking. It's the sort of handshake he must have read about, a how-to guide: stick hand to hand. Touch palms. Squeeze once to show genuine emotion. Release. Do not wipe hand on shirt after shaking. "I'm Quinn; my name is Quinn Tolliver." He turns slightly to address Jeremiah, gaze on his chest. "What kind of music do you like best...?"
The older woman walking down the path is absolutely not a goth in any way. No, she's dressed in a poppy red blouse and dark-wash mom jeans, her hair (once brown, gracefully going grey) loose and held out of her face by a pair of sunglasses on the top of her head. She seems to be pensive. At least until she notices the knot of people and detours in their direction with a smile.
Kay respond naturally to the handshake and return to hanging around Jay mostly, a warm smile upon her. Her attention shift for a moment toward the oncoming woman, then turn her attention back to the group surrounding her. "Pleasure to meet you Quinn."
Nevy nods. "It's great to meet you a- Auntie Dandy!" They wave to the older woman with an expression of delight.
"I'll honestly listen to anything, but I'm a sucker for the old crooners. Sinatra, Bobby Darin, all that." He looked towards Dandelion at her approach and gave a salute and a smile, looking much the part of your average busker with a guitar in his lap and the case open in front of him.
"Oh. Yes. That is a very popular genre that probably influences emotions in your listeners; so you get more tips that way, too. That's very smart." Quinn smiles as if he thinks this is a compliment. He catches note of Dandelion and nearly vibrates with enthusiasm, hurling an arm skyward to wave furiously at her. "Klein! Klein! Over here!"
She grins as she reaches the group, addressing Quinn first. "It occurs to me that last time we met, I didn't quite catch what to call you, young man."
And then Nevy. Who she doesn't actually address so much as open her arms to, to offer a big old hug. "Hello, my dears! How are you all today? Is everyone staying safe out there? Do I need to beat anyone or anything up for any of you?"
Kay looks absolutely delighted to see Dandelion here and she waves to her from right next to Jay. "Happy to see you again, I'm good on the beating up front. I don't know for anyone else though."
The resulting hug is almost more of a cling for a couple seconds. Eventually, Nevy unlatches and says “nothing new. How are you?”
"Doing very well." Jeremiah smiled widely, shaking his head at the question. "Not at the moment, but if it does come up you'll be the first person I call."
"Quinn; it's Quinn, Quinn Tolliver," he tells Dandelion, twisting his hands together; his smile is a bright, luminous thing. "How are you today, Klein?"
She grins, gracefully accepting the nickname, her hand remaining on Nevy's shoulders even after they detach from the hug. "And I'm very well now. Surrounded by bright young friends, taking a break from my research...life is good right now. But what's new with all the rest of you, hm?"
Dandelion's question seem to bring some kind of very positive energy to Kay in particular and she grows a shy smile and step right behind Jay as if to make sure he doesn't see her reaction to the question. "I'm doing great, got a few new projects I'm working on for people, gearing up to help with some legal cases, I'm keeping myself busy."
Nevy blinks and nods. "I... got a pretty big commission recently. I'm really excited about it." They glance around. "You all know Auntie Dandy, too?"
Dandelion said the magic word: research. Quinn nearly whimpers with the effort not to interrogate her about what she's studying. I'm very good, I woke up early this morning and showered, and then I made breakfast; I made waffles today because it just seemed like a waffle sort of morning, but it was not as good as Maddy's waffles, but I didn't want to go anywhere because I had plans. My plans were just one plan. I want to make a study of a Vermeer painting and I have to admit, it was very hard to pick just one Vermeer to start with, you know, because his work is so ethereal and ordinarily beautiful. So I made an algorithm to make my choice for me, and the program said to choose The Lacemaker." He pauses, maybe taking a breath. "So then I made copies of the piece so that I can begin dissecting the qualities and build my profile of Vermeer's techniques."
She looks thoughtful. "Have I caught you all in the middle of making introductions and sussing out what you can talk about around one another?"
"I've already caught vaguely that Quinn works with Heather in some capacity, I know Jay made the connection too and we spoke about her Baking." She points to Nevy "Only person I'm not certain about right now is Nevermore." (also just to reiterate, Kay has active magic on her)
Nevy glances around the group, then looks at Dandelion. "Jedi?" They say.
Quinn's mention of Maddy's caugh Jeremiah's attention, leading the Warlock to give him a curious look as he nodded to Dandelion. "Hadn't quite hit the second part yet, no..."
"I hadn't really thought about it," he tells Dandelion earnestly. "I'm just happy to talk about Vermeer."
"Jedi." She nods at Nevermore, then glances at the mages. "Nevermore's a psychic medium like I am. Quinn, you heard me mention them last night, as the one who's involved with the rat host problem. Also, didn't Vermeer do the Girl with the Pearl Earring? That's the only one of his I could name, I'm afraid."
Kay seems to absorb the knowledge about Nevermore and then turn to him, nodding with a gentle smile. "Alright, good to know." leans on the bench where Jay sits, then focus a little bit about the art talk, curious.
Nevy nods. “Okay. That’s... that’s cool.” They glance around again and look to Quinn. “It’s been too long since my art history courses in college. I’m kind of in the same boat as Auntie Dandy.”
Well that little tidbit made Jeremiah perk up right away, looking Nevy over in a brand new light. "Really...good to know."
"Oh, that is his most well-known work, yes, and it has some truly remarkable qualities; for me, it is my least favorite of his. The figure, for instance, was basically a stock image for painters of that era, and he used abstract methods for the face - but that was common for him. Really, the most remarkable thing in the whole painting is the pearl. He used illusory techniques to luminate it; it is entirely of fantasy, and yet in the stark reality of the actual figure, it works astonishingly well." He smiles in Nevermore's direction, then. "A medium! I suspected maybe from your necklace. I'm a shaman," he explains. "I talk to spirits, not ghosts, but I do honor my ancestors. They just don't talk back to me." He pauses thoughtfully. "...That I know of." He offers a lopsided, apologetic smile. "Forgive me. I care very much for my work."
"Nothing to apologize for. At some point I'd like to see some of the other 'stock images' of that sort of girl from the same era, just to compare. I hadn't realized artists did that sort of thing back then. Do you know Heather? She's another with an interest in this sort of work--you two could likely have long conversations on everything from the chemical compositions of paints to favored brush techniques, which none of the rest of us would be able to follow." And yet, she sounds fiercely proud of the art nerd anyway.
"Jay, be good to Nevermore, they're a personal friend of mine. Alright? I haven't had another medium to talk to in ages."
Nevy chuckles. “I’m an artist. I’m not gonna be mad at you because you love looking at art.” They catch Jay’s new interest with a touch of uncertainty. “I second the being good to me thing, if that makes a difference.”
She looks around between the rounds of art consevation conversation, seeming to be familiar enough with the terminologies due to her proximity to other worker in the area. "I'm wondering, do restauration work get impaired with copyright laws? Like if the likeness of a piece changes enough over time, does it stop counting as the artpiece? Not usually an area of the legal work that I focus on, so I'm not aware."
"I wouldn't dream of doing anything but." Jeremiah smiled warmly at Nevy, a little spark of curiosity clear in those dark eyes. "I simply enjoy getting to know those who have a different view of the world than most."
"On the artist front, though," he said as he reached into his pocket to pull out a slim wooden card case, removing a business card for a place dubbed The Green Room in Spring Gardens with a second number written on the back and offering it to the young medium. "I'm always looking for local work to display in the cafe area. Drop me a line and we can talk more. Number on the back is my cell."
"We restore," Quinn says with passion, glaring at the ground. "There is no copyright; the works are in the public domain, but if a conservator was to paint over a piece so much that it changed the work, they would be in gross violation of our entire ethical standards as conservators." His fingers tremble; he closes his hands into fists.
"Speaking of your legal work, Kay, I need to meet with you and the defense lawyer for our new younglings. I have Useful Information about some of the officers who were at Independence Mall that night. But at your convenience, I know you've had a very exciting few weeks." She offers an bright smile.
"Quinn, I apologize I didn't mean to say anything disparaging about the work you or Heather do, I didn't realize the public domain thing would come in to play." She explains simply with a soft voice. Her attention then shift to Dandy smiling brightly. "I got the backing from a few people on that too if it becomes needed."
Nevermore blinks at K. “I… I don’t know.“ They say. “That sort of thing doesn’t usually come up in my line.“
They take the card, then pass over one of theirs. “If you’d like to see my work,” they say. They still seem uncertain about the sudden spike of interest.
They glance between dandy and kayla “you have baby Jedi?”
Dandelion chuckles. "Inexperienced and untrained, not literal babies. I was trying to extend the metaphor."
She chuckles a little bit. "Yeah I don't think they make babies of those." She stretches her arms out there, a yawn follows.
A nod. "Right, okay. Sorry, I'm still feeling out the edges of all this."
Dandelion shoots Kay an amused little look. "The Force runs strong in some families. But, it's not the general case."
"Yeah, I can search my feelings and know it to be True." she says solemnly, putting a hand over her chest there, though it's clearly some form of act.
Nevermore chuckles. "Am I going to regret that metaphor?" They hesitate. "And... was how I used it in the shop all right?"
"You're fine. It's a useful metaphor--though approaching one of us at random and using it might not be the most effective, if they don't know what I mean by it." She squeezes Nevy lightly. "In time, you might learn other words. Just be careful and thoughtful. I know you'll do that for me."
"Yeah, Philly is a little looser than other places, as I recall. But it still pays to be careful." Kay smiles and even does a little few dance steps, spinning on herself.
Nevermore nods with a little smile. "Thanks." They shake their head. "It's like I'm back in high school all over again, sometimes. I'm... really glad I'm meeting everyone, but not knowing where I stand is a little... rough."
"Where you stand right now, Nevy, is under my metaphorical wing. I'm speaking well of you behind your back, so that if the opportunity comes later to introduce you to my bosses, I can go 'here's Nevermore Usher, who was helpful in dealing with the rat hosts, and who's knowledgeable about ghosts, and who's brilliant and artistic.' And they're sure to like that."
"Honestly, I think if Dandelion speaks well of you, a lot of people are going to consider that heavily before taking any action." Kay nod once, her eyebrow quirk at the mention of ghost. "Speaking of the Rat host, what kind of things are in the work there?"
Nevy looks to Dandelion at that. "You found something?"
"I found something." She lets out a warm laugh, stepping away from Nevermore slightly and drawing herself up so she can give a proper lecture.
"Unfortunately, there's not going to be an easy way to abjure the rat hosts. You see, the Rat Hosts are a merging of flesh and spirit. Once, Hosts were incredibly powerful, ancient spirits, and escaped being hunted down by shattering themselves into thousands of spirit shards, and those shards infected other living, physical creatures, sometimes even humans, as with the Rat Hosts. They start as rats, but eventually take control of a human being by gnawing through its ribcage and eating its heart. This process, of merging and joining warps and profanes the manifest flesh, making it vile and rotted. When the physical corpus--the embodied form--of the Rat Host is exhausted, and it's sustained enough damage to expire, it will discorporate into a teeming hive of rats that burst forth from the corpse. If even a single one escapes, the spirit of the Rat Host survives, and it will take a new body. This means that in dealing with them, we need to take Sun Tzu's advice about the best of the nine grounds to seek to draw an enemy upon for battle: Deadly Ground. We need to be certain none of the component rats escape."
Dandelion gestures as she talks, interlacing her fingers to show the idea of 'merging', spreading her hands with fingers outstretched suddenly to express the rats bursting forth.
"Hmm, it's probably we have a few people that can help with that, though this feels like out of my area of expertises." She run her hand over her own hair. "Does this whole thing have a next step organized?"
Nevermore blinks, fascinated and appalled. "That's... disgusting and horrible. They're... not spirits, though? Not... just spirits, I mean." They look thoughtful, then concerned. "I... don't know if I have any, uh, tricks up my sleeve that can help with that. Heck, I don't even think my necklace would protect me against the whole "chewing through the ribs" part."
"The next step for me--and Quinn--is more research. My big boss apparently wants me to work alongside that boy in order to pin down some of the points we're unclear on, the maybes. Beyond that, figuring out how to find or make Deadly Ground for the Host is a work in progress. Someone like Maddy may end up being tapped for that project. So, that's where we are."
Kay considers for a moment and tilt her head. "Yeah if you need something vast, she's probably the one to call." she seems to ponder further for a moment. "I may be able to provide some assistance on some steps there."
Nevy nods, thoughtfully. "Is there... anything I can do to help out? Some of the websites I used to help make my necklace are still running. I might find something?"
She reaches out to lightly boop Nevy on the tip of the nose. "Actually, Nevermore, if you have time and energy--common banes for spirits of disease, decay, infection, pestilence would be a very useful thing to research and collect. They tend to follow in the wake of a rat host, and being able to deal with those while other people are tending to the hosts themselves is going to help, I think."
Kay looks around for a moment. "Is there anything I should grab for the legal meeting by the way?" she seem to be getting ready to take her leave
Nevy nods. "I'll see what I can find out. I really need to try to get actual trustworthy books about this stuff."
She shakes her head at Kay. "Mostly, it's an information handoff, and I want to meet this big fancy lawyer lady that we've gotten. She sounds like trouble--I like her already."
And Nevermore gets an arm around the shoulders again. "They're out there--but the websites can also be useful, too."
"Alright, I'll see you both later." She raise her hand to wave to them both. "I got things I want to research now" tapping on her cheek thoughtfully. "Let me know what you find, I might be able to help."
Nevy smiles to her and nods. "It was nice to meet you."
"Take care, my dear. Give all my love to your family, please?" The emphasis on family makes it clear she doesn't mean Kay's actual blood relations.
"I'll give them all a big hug from you!" Kay offers a hug to Dandelion if the woman would want one. "Nice meeting you too Nevermore, be safe if you can." (thanks for the rp, going to take a break for a bit)
Dandelion totally hugs. (Take care, Pascake.)
Nevermore nods to the woman as she leaves, then looks at Dandelion and hugs again.
Dandelion holds onto Nevy nice and tightly. "There you go, my dear. It's alright, lots going on. How are you handling it all?"
"One moment, I feel like I'm utterly capable and a little frustrated at being left out, the next I feel like I'm so far in over my head that little tube-shaped things are smiling at me from the nearest volcanic vent." They give a lopsided smile. "You know. Like high school."
"The secret, of course, is that these social groups do end up a little like high school. You have your jocks and your nerds and your potheads--Quinn seems like a nerdy kid who needs more friends, if you need someone to hang out around. Kay and Jay mean well, they're part of a formal clique I've spent some time around. And you're always welcome to cut class and hang out in the library and I won't tell anyone or ask any questions. Alright?"
Nevermore chuckles. "Thanks." They look at Dandelion. "How did you get used to all this? Figure out your limits?"
"Well. I was in my twenties when I first found out about all this. I've had years to adjust. There's a gentleman I look up to who's a master at the Japanese board game Go. Are you familiar with it? As he's teaching new players, something he always says is 'may you lose your first thousand games quickly'. Because the only way to become a master is to suffer that much defeat, to make that many mistakes. And that's how I learned. I have so many scars on my body, from not knowing where my limits were when I was younger."
She laughs warmly. "But, you have good people to guide you, here."
Nevermore hesitates. "Yeah, but... this isn't a game. I mean... if it was a ghost? I could deal with that. I know that. But if I make the wrong move here, someone could get hurt." They look sidelong. "including me."
"That's true." She nods slowly. "But can you tolerate that state less than if someone gets hurt and you didn't do anything?"
Nevy thinks about that for a few moments, then sighs and shakes their head. "No."
She leans in, kissing Nevermore on the forehead. "Me, neither."
Nevy nods. "So... what do you do, if something comes up and you can't really... do anything with it?"
"I figure out who I know that could do something with it. Astral problems? My Jedi Master. Someone's hurt? Mary who you met at the diner the other day. Alchemy? I've got a girl for that, you'd probably love her. I don't need to know everything. I just need to know someone who knows each anything that might arise." There's a twinkle in her eyes. "The other day, I was mind-hacking radios with a group of women, and even if I couldn't help with the signal? I was useful in figuring out what we wanted to say. None of us is an island."
"Mind-hacking radios?" Nevy's eyebrows shoot up. "That sounds like a story."
"Rescuing our younglings from a situation they were tangled up in. I can't tell you the details, but it sure was a thing. But really, a key is knowing what your skills are. What do you think someone can come to you for, and get the support they need? I'll tell you right now, you're my go-to expert for ghosts already."
Nevy smiles. "And if anyone needs artwork, I'm your goth."
"Excellent--Jay's probably serious about wanting art for his cafe, by the way. It's a good place for a cuppa." She grins.
Nevy nods. "He seemed... enthusiastic... when you mentioned I'm like you."
"A lot of the Jedi get sort of caught up when they don't fully understand something. Which can get annoying if that something is you. But if he crosses a line, you text me, and I'll whap him on the nose with a newspaper, alright?"
Nevy chuckles "I really hope that's not a concern."
"Shouldn't be. Anyway, I need to get back to my research. You, my dear, have a lovely night."
"You too." They offer one more hug.
Which is accepted and returned with interest. Squish.
"Thanks."
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