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Mei's studio apartment is meticulously neat, but part of that comes from the fact that Mei doesn't have much stuff. It's a studio apartment, but a reasonably sized one, and it looks like pretty much all of the furniture came from IKEA. What there is of it, anyway. There's a futon bed with a nightstand next to it, which has a clock and a couple of books. There's a small media center with a matchingly small TV and a soundbar. All the art on the walls seems to be photos of either her family, or dogs. Not the same dog, just various dogs.
Aside from that the notable things are that she has a little reading nook with significant bookshelves for such a small place, a comfortable chair, and a lamp. The little alcove that was probably meant to be a 'bedroom' for the studio is set up with a large tatami mat instead, with a kneeling-height shelf nearby, a yoga mat in the corner, and other things that make it look like it's a meditation area. There's also a jian in a scabbard sitting on top of the shelf.
Spread in an arc from the center point of the tatami mat, flowing off its edges and going up the walls, are photographs, hand written notes on post-its, and various other things, like they're set out so that as she's sitting there meditating, all of them are in view. It looks a little bit like something that might show up in the home of an obsessed detective in a movie.
Mei is sitting on the futon at the moment, sipping tea and waiting for people to show up. People who aren't there already, anyway. There's a good chance Fox is.
As tempting as the idea of turning up as something with feathers and tapping on the window was, Mary hadn't taken that approach for two reasons. Firstly, she lacked Fox's ability to take clothes along for the ride, and secondly, as noted by Nicholas Fury one time, buildings didn't tend to have floor and room numbers on the outside.
So her approach is much more pedestrian, the Thyrsus Arrow dressed in jeans and her Baby Yoda t-shirt and approaching the door to knock lightly for entry, also wearing a sunny smile.
Curled up in the comfy chair is an Fox. She's gone wandering through the books and picked up a copy of The Red Tent, which she's flipping through. "I haven't read this in... oh, probably half a dozen years," the Thyrsus comments, before there's a knock on the door, and she glances up toward the sound. But it's not her house, and today apparently she cares about that.
Mei seemed to be lost in her thoughts when Fox speaks up, and she rises from them with a slight jerk and glances over to see what it is Fox is flipping through. "Oh, that one. That was a more recent one for me, but I only started considering Judaism a couple of years ago."
She hops up at the sound of a knock at the door, puts her tea down on the end table, and swings the door open to find Mary there. "Hey," she says, before she takes in the shirt, smiles, and steps back. She beckons Mary inside with a gesture and says, "this is the way."
"Hi." She smiles in turn, offering a hand as Mei ushers her in. "You mus be Mei. Or, I'm hoping you are and I have the right place." A wry grin. "I'm Mary, nice to be meeting you." Padding after, she beams and waves at Fox as she spots them. "Heys."
"This is the right place," Fox agrees, setting aside the book she was flipping through, though she adds to Mei, "I'd like to borrow that, if you don't mind. It's a familiar old friend." With a contented smile, she rolls up to her feet and pads over toward the door -- pap pap pap -- to offer Harmony a tight hug in greeting. "Mary was an apprentice of mine, a while ago now," she explains, once the door's closed.
"Nice to meet you, Mary. That's me," Mei says as Fox and Mary confirm Mary's in the right place. Mei closes the door again and offers, "do you want anything to drink? I've got some tea, both cold in the fridge and a pot of hot tea I just made." She's moving toward the kitchen already. "Of course you can borrow it," she tells Fox. "Books are there to be read when someone wants to read them, not just to sit on a shelf."
Mary squeezes Fox back, eyes closing briefly. "So are you. Not that you're old, I mean, a familiar old friend." She offers a lopsided smile to the other Thyrsus. "But, I was." She confirms to Mei with a nod. "And still sometimes feel like a child in comparison, you'll do well with his guidance." A warm smile. "As Fox can tell you, I adore tea. I'd love some from the hot pot, thank you."
Zoya got to town a couple of days ago, but things have been so full of chaos and important business that she hasn't actually had a chance to meet up with Little Fox yet. That's probably how she ended up getting an invite to the apartment of her cadre-mate's apprentice, who she should meet too! There's a knock-knock, knock, knock on the door in a pattern that at least one person inside probably finds familiar. She's wearing black jeans and a denim jacket over a faded Worriers t-shirt.
Whatever Fox was about to say to both Mei and Harmony just falls away when she hears the familiar knock. The sound that comes from Fox's throat is not entirely human, but should be entirely familiar to everyone here. Gekkering is a strange sort of vocalization, something like laughter, but from a fox. She dashes toward the door, flings it open, and -- confirming at least at first glance that it's Zoya, it could be an imposter ready to stab her in the ribs but Fox is so happy that she's incautious! -- bodily flings herself at the blonde Russian. "Zoyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
Mei heads into the kitchen, gets out a second mug, and pours some tea from the pot for Mary. "Sorry I don't have more chairs. I've had more company in the last few weeks than I've had in the last year. Usually I meet up with people elsewhere, instead of having them over for company."
She drifted over to offer Mary the mug, and then she trails off into silence as the next knock comes and Fox's head explodes. All she can really do is give Mary a look, laugh softly, and shake her head. "Sit wherever you like," she says.
Mary blinks at Fox's reaction to the knock, looking towards the door at the vocal explosion and the body flinging and grins with a quiet laugh. "Zoya.." She muses the name, then her eyes widen in recognition. "Oh!" She turns to smile back at Mei and take the mug gratefully. "Thank you. And that's fine. I've honestly got a bad habit of just sprawling on floors I admit. And, you're doing good with all the new company?"
Zoya was braced for impact when the door started opening, which probably means she could hear the gekkering through the walls. When Little Fox comes flying through the door at her she catches the Thyrsus missile in a hug and stumbles back a few steps. "It's me!" She laughs in delight and gives Little Fox a kiss, right on the lips. It's affectionate, but platonic. "You do know that when you go Farseeking you're actually supposed to come back at some point, right? That's usually how it works, anyway. Let's go inside and you can introduce me to people."
Smooch! Fox kisses Zoya back, on the lips and then on the nose and between her eyebrows. Kiss kiss kiss. She hangs around the taller Firebird's neck. "Usually! But this time you came to me, and now we are a family all together again." She seems reluctant to let go of Zoya, even for a moment, but she does, loosening her hug long enough to grab Zoya's hand and pull her inside. Naika's fox-toothed smile is big and brilliant, in that 'so happy she might cry' sort of way. "This is Mei, my apprentice, and Mary, who was my apprentice, and isn't anymore because she's all grown up!"
Mei shrugs at the floor thing and says, "be my guest, my floor is pretty clean." She nods over at the meditation area. "I spend a lot of time sitting on the floor myself. I'm getting used to the company." She smiles in the direction of Fox and Zoya. "Especially when it's warm reunions. It's kind of hard to complain about people who haven't seen each other in a while crossing paths again, at your apartment. Hi Zoya! Come on in, make yourself comfortable." She approaches to offer her hand. "I'm Mei. Can I get you something to drink?"
"I'm not so sure about the whole being all grown up thing." Mary smiles ruefully, sipping her tea before stepping over to give Fox an one armed hug at their happiness, making sure to keep the tea away to avoid spillage. "Good to have more old friends back?" She asks quietly, before offering Zoya a hand after Mei. "Wonderful to be meeting you. And I am liking the look of that meditation room Mei, plus, having a jian makes you a really awesome person in my book. That and offering me tea." She laughs quietly.
Yanked inside by her hand, Zoya laughs the whole while and dives right into the introductions. "Mary, Mei. Got it. Sometimes you might both here me referred to as Pheme. I guess I know why Fox stayed gone for so long. They keep finding new apprentices!" She shakes Mei's offered hand and says, "it's a bit early in the day for me to start busting out the vodka, so I'll just have some water." She shakes hands with Mary too. "A pleasure!" Taking in the tea Mary's holding. "Or tea! That sounds good too, if there's already some brewed." She turns and plants her hands on her hips as she says to Fox, "you should leave some apprentices for everyone else, you know. And you changed Orders, too! You should tell me all about that some time."
"Water is good for you anyway. It keeps you from getting sick when you drink vodka," Fox opines; she pauses once everyone's inside to hug Zoya again once all the hand-shaking is done, mashing her face against the other woman's shoulder. "I'll drink some water, too." She's a little wobbly-voiced when she (reluctantly) lets Pheme go again, her eyes rimed with tears. "Well, I had another apprentice, but he wants to be an Adamantine Arrow, so I thought it would be better if he learnt from an Obrimos who is an Adamantine Arrow, on account of he's an Obrimos, too." Also, it would be very CoI since Vasha showed up. "Well, we were going to talk about Orders, so I can kind of tell you, but Mei has already heard the story, so maybe I'll tell you later. It's important for her to hear all about the different orders so that she can decide the Children of the Tree is right for her in the most informed way possible." A winning smile.
"To be honest, I'm not good with the jian," Mei admits with a laugh. "I'm more of a hand to hand fighter, as evidenced by my pile of felony charges. Unfortunately. I just use the sword for taiji quan," unsurprisingly she says it like someone who actually speaks Chinese, because she does. "But that's more meditative than practical, for me." She heads into the kitchen to pour another cup of tea, and to get a glass of water for Fox, because hospitality seems to be important to her. "I would very much like to hear from you about your perspective on the Adamantine Arrows, Mary. I've heard from a Guardian already, and been told I'm not Guardian material in the best way, which is fine, I suppose." Drinks are handed out, and then she gestures. "I guess we can sit on the floor, if nobody has a problem with that? It's the only place with enough seats. Or some people can sit on the futon, and some of us on the floor. Whatever's comfortable for people."
"Tea is wonderful." She agrees keenly with Zoya, then grins. "Fox is just greedy." She stage whispers, winking. "Oh, but, old friends wise, did you get things sorted Fox, Space wise?" Her own mouth curves in a smile. "The Children of the Tree are deeply wonderful and it was a close contest for me before I ended up an Arrow."
She blinks and frowns lightly, glancing at Mei. "I.. well, I'm not a Guardian, and I wouldn't do well at being one. But I'm not a very good Arrow either. I'm not as good as I should be when it comes to following the Adamant Way. But I'm learning it, everyone's learning in what they do. I don't agree with the altitude that anyone's a bad fit for an Order. Teasing aside, no one but you can decide where you should be.
Anyway, yes, I'm more then happy to talk about how I see the Arrows. For me, in the basics, it's less about war and more about conflicts. Predators hunt prey, prey hide from predators and eat vegetables and fruits, it's a balance and cycle with various forces acting against one another. Another analogy is a star. Basically, the universe is made up of competing forces keeping one another in balance. That's, sort of how I see the Existence in War tenet." That's a lot of talking and she caps it off with a drink of tea.
Zoya puts an arm around Little Fox and holds him close to her while the conversation continues. Fortunately this leaves one of her hands free for tea, when it arrives in her proximity! "Later," she agrees with Fox. "You're right, it's good for an Apprentice to learn about their options, and I want to be sure Mary has plenty of time to talk. There are a lot of stories I need to catch up on, but there's also plenty of time! I need to tell you about the place I'm buying, which we might be able to use as our Sanctum, too." She pulls Fox over so that they can sit on the floor together without having to break off the hugging. "Fox is too full of love to let someone wander around without help for even half a second if they don't have to. It can look greedy, but it isn't." Quiet and snuggles then, to let Mary have time to speak.
She scoots up next to Zoya and leans her head on the blonde's shoulder, cuddling in close and comfortable. She's got one hand curled around her water, the other arm looped around her waist, and settles in on the floor. "Yes, I want to hear all of those things, but at a time when we're not talking about Orders with Mei." She goes quiet, but she beams a little, flushing when Zoya explains how Fox can look greedy without being greedy. "Hmmm? Oh, I think... we are sorted? You would have to ask Vasha to be certain, Mary. Which you should. He's not so scary."
Mei sits down cross-legged too, since everyone here seems to have no problem with just putting themselves on the floor for the time being. It makes things convenient when you live in a little studio without enough space for more than two people in any one area, otherwise. "What is the Adamant Way?" Mei asks with a soft laugh. "You're going to have to start from the beginning and assume I don't know anything, probably. Existence is War is part of it?"
"I will." She promises Fox. "And I don't. Really. I think he's funny. It's just, I don't really know him." She smiles a little bashfully, nodding. "But I'll ask. I'm glad things are looking good."
She turns to Mei, nodding. "That's fair. Alright, ah, let me see. That's the best way to start, mm." She chews her lip, sitting down cross legged herself to complete the circle of four.
"The Arrows are all about fighting. Not just physical fighting, that's often a last resort, it's more, the struggle itself. Awakening is one itself, the Lie trying to keep humanity Asleep, humans trying to resist that and see the Truth, even if the vast majority don't even realize they're in that conflict. We fight on the side of it, opposing the Lie and any who serve it. We very rarely try to lead, instead, most focus on supporting others, and in putting them over ourselves.
The Adamant Way is five core beliefs to expand on that philosophy. Existence is War. Adaptability is Strength, Service is Mastery, The Supernal is the Self, and Enlightenment is Honour. I've already touched on how I see the first of the five. The second is about, well, I'm Thyrsus, it shades my perception." She smiles at Fox here. "Adapting is evolution. There's no single perfect state. What works one day won't the next. You have to be able to change your approach depending on what you encounter and face.
Service is Mastery. This is the worst one for me." She laughs ruefully. "Because it's about putting others before yourself, and raising above your personal desires. It's about avoiding being selfish and controlling yourself through supporting others." She takes a swallow of water. "There's two more, but, how are your thoughts so far?"
Zoya leans her head on Fox's, and as if there wasn't more than a few hours lost instead of years, they just fall into comfortable routine. "Adaptability is Strength sounds like a Little Fox philosophy, too," she comments to show she's listening, but for the most part this is is Mary's show, and she's listening respectfully. Even nodding! She has no problems with the Arrows and their philosophy! One of her best friends is an Arrow, or something! "The Guardians of the Veil, too, believe strongly in service. Ours is just a different kind, which isn't to say that the Arrow kind isn't just as valuable."
"That's very true! I like to adaptability everything, If you try lots of things, you'll figure out what's best." A pause, and she adds, "I think that it shows that like... " A pause. "There's something relatable in every Order for almost every Awakened, so it is very important to consider very carefully your choices." Fox lets out a content little sigh, listening to the other Mages talk with Mei. She's already given her opinion, after all!
"I imagine that with the philosophy the Adamantine Arrow has," Mei starts wondering aloud, "there aren't very many of you who aren't capable warriors, even if the philosophy isn't all about physical combat?" She considers the rest. "I can see how both of those two tenets of the Adamant Way could apply, certainly. To many facets of life, for that matter. With the idea of Service is Mastery, though, how does the quality of the people you're serving factor into that? I could see there being danger of the 'I was just following orders' problem, in that."
She listens to what's being said by Fox and Zoya too, but mostly nods acknowledgement and understanding rather than engaging on the side topics, for the time being.
She nods quietly to the other three. "I love to try the whole adapting thing myself." She admits. "One of my best experiences is just being something with wings and flying. There's nothing quite like that." A wide smile. "And mm, service is part of what drew me to joining the Arrows. I didn't feel the Guardians fitted me though. But, that's an Order we need too." She adds to Zoya quickly, as if worried about offending. "And, mm. I'm best with a sword, it's why yours caught my eye Mei. I prefer that being a last resort though, as noted. Most of the time, there are far less bloody ways to deal with a problem." She settles back on the question about Service is Mastery, nodding slowly. "That's always a good thing to ask. Service is Mastery isn't necessarily about service to people though, well, it is, but." She pauses, collecting her thoughts. "It's about serving humanity by fighting for them and their right to the Supernal. It's about setting your own desires aside for that purpose to help focus on something greater. That's not to say that I won't do as I'm asked or ordered by a superior, but, if they do ask me to do something dishonourable, I would dig my heels in. Enlightenment is Honour, that's another tenet. Please also bear in mind, this is my own perception. A different Arrow may offer a totally different view to me."
Zoya, who is very much one of those people who isn't great at just sitting still and not at least keeping their hands busy, shifts about so that she can get behind Fox, stretches her legs out to either side of the Thyrsus, and starts coming fingers through their hair. "As history has shown, but inside and outside of the Awakened communities, that particular problem is one any group seems able to fall prey to. That doesn't excuse it, of course." She starts separating out strands of hair to start making French braids of it, just to have something to occupy more of her attention. That isn't to say she's bored, just not busy enough. Some people just always have to be multitasking. "I've heard these explanations many times, Mary, and you're doing great," she encourages.
The little Thyrsus looks about as happy as the proverbial pig in mud when Zoya sits behind her and starts playing with her hair. Her eyes go a little unfocused, and she just listens to people talking, not really paying much attention to ... well, anything except being petted, really. "You can only ever give your own perspective," Naika murmurs. "That's why it's important to have the most best biggest perspective."
Mei laughs at Fox's very Fox perspective. It's a laugh of appreciation, definitely with and not at. "What happens if one of your superiors gives an order that seems dishonorable, or that you don't find acceptable?" she asks, because this topic seems to be an important one to her. "That always seems like a big question when you're dealing with hierarchical structures. What happens when someone at the top of the hierarch ends up being the problem?"
She smiles keenly at Zoya and Fox as the latter receives pets, grinning. "Thanks to you both. I do try to have a pretty best and biggest perspective. Fair warning Fox, I may show them both a picture of the Creampuff Incident, even though you were only accidentally caught in that." A cheery laugh.
Mei's next question causes her to pause and she rubs at her mouth. "Well, mm. That's a really good question. It's not happened yet, and I hope it doesn't. But, well, I'd certainly talk to someone else in the hierarchy. If someone's ordering me to do something I consider morally or ethnically wrong, me saying no won't be an end to it, so I'd talk to others. It's entirely possible I'd be the one making the mistake, perhaps through lacking information."
Zoya knows that Fox likes petting. That's probably why Zoya's efforts to braid Fox's hair take a good deal more touching and fussing than is strictly necessary. Even reasonably necessary. "Part of the Guardian philosophy is that merit must guide the Fallen World," she says without looking up from what she's doing. "I can't speak to how the Arrows pick their leaders in the way I could for us, or how they remove them, but I can't imagine they don't have processes for removing people who aren't fit for leadership."
"Oh, whatever. Like that's the first, last, or most interesting time I got gooped in the face in public." Perhaps it's not the time to ask what the other times are. Fox doesn't seem inclined to answer, in any case. Fox leaaaaans in to the touches and her eyes sort of half-lid as she lets out a long, contented sigh. "You can show the pictures."
"I was there," Mei says with a laugh. "It was kind of sort of my party, after all. I did have to cut out early, though. I don't do so well around crowds for long periods of time. Better than I did when I had the risk of bumping into someone and picking up flashbacks of things that happened to them, but it's still really emotionally exhausting." She gives her head a shake. "Sorry, though. I sidetracked your explanation. You still had a couple of points to talk about with the Adamant Way?"
She nods. "If you prove yourself, you end more standing and move higher up. Though, I admit I hope to stay near the bottom. I'm comfortable there." A pause as she runs a hand through her hair, producing her phone with a nod and showing said picture of a cream covered Ecgberht and nearby, at the side of the shot, a lying down also cream covered fox. "Good times." She remarks with a broad grin. "But, mm, I should finish Mei, yes."
She holds up five fingers, lowering three, but making sure the two remaining aren't in rude fashion. "The Supernal is the Self. We're part of our magic, and it's part of us, not something external we draw on. I am fighting to not make Jedi references here." A small grin. "But everything we learn puts us more in harmony with our spiritual self, our soul. Sometimes we swear oaths to try and put ourselves to purposes above ourselves.
Finally, Enlightenment is Honour. Journey before destination. The end goal is no more important then how you get to it. You should always stick to methods you feel are right, no matter how desperate."
Zoya stops and leans forward to peer at the picture and lets out a laugh. "The worst thing about it to Fox-mind was that it probably wasn't that novel an experience." She finishes one of the braids and gives ties it off with a hair time from her pocket, then gives it a sharp little tug before she starts on the other one. "Public gooping? Feh! Happens all the time." There's a stop of the movement of her hands as she looks up from the work to ask Laura, "did you just tell us all that you're a bottom?"
"When I first started hearing about the Arrows it kind of sounded like you were the Awakened military," Mei admits. "A lot of what you're saying sounds more philosophical than martial, though. It reminds me less of modern military service and more like warrior monks, of whatever tradition you prefer." She finishes her cup of tea and leans over to put it on the end table by the futon.
"What?" She blinks at Zoya, stops to think back over what she said and then ducks her head, going bright red. "I, ah. Meant.. mm.." A cough as she shuffles in place. A small nod to Mei, cheeks still heated. "Some see themselves as warriors, I'm more, an, eh, not a bottom." An embarrassed grin at Zoya. "A provider, a supporter. Though I will fight if needed"
Zoya lets forth a delighted laugh at the response her comments get from Mary. "Sorry!" she says, making herself stop laughing. "You're a Thyrsus and you were Fox's apprentice. I made assumptions about what you would be comfortable about that I shouldn't have. Your blush is adorable, though." She keeps braiding, making somewhat quicker progress on the second one. "Every army does need its support staff, too."
Soft chuckling laughter from Fox, and she just curls up into a smaller and smaller ball until, with something like a full-body yawn, suddenly Fox is, well, a fox. "I am so glad to be home with my Firebirds." No one was talking about cadres, Fox. Her fur slides out of the beautiful braids that Zoya just did on account of, you know, no longer being long enough. But, and perhaps most importantly, she curls up into a tiny little ball of fluff on Zoya's lap and tucks her nose underneath her tail, and goes to sleep in the Guardian's lap, as if it had only been a handful of hours since the last time she did that instead of years. The Very Very Farseeker is home again, if only because home came to her, and that? That is good.
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