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They're not quite done working on the basement yet, but you know what's important? Taking breaks occasionally. Also important? Taking showers so you're not covered in gunk and sweat and excess basement chunks from you've sanded down drywall compound, and painted over it.
On account of doing not one, but both of those things, Sturm actually looks like a functional motherfucker for the first time in her life a while. And so, she and Sigrun pile into her old truck and head out to Maddie's Wafflehouse because who the fuck doesn't love a nice afternoon breakfast?
"... but yeah, so this ugly fucking project that's going up in my neighborhood has legit iron bars on the windows, so I'm worried someone - like Lux, doing parkour or some shit - could maybe get hurt." She slams the door closed, crossing around to the bed of the truck and fetching something from the toolbox she keeps there. She wiggles an eyebrow at Sigrun as she continues on towards the hidden door to Maddie's. "So, wanna mask up and smash some shit?"
Sigrun has a hat on, which she almost never does. But she also typically only does a full wash and conditioner cycle on her hair on Sundays, and the repeated washings because of the reno work are something she's trying to avoid. So. Headware now. It's black and reads in white text 'SMASH THE STATE'. So, accordingly, Sigrun's eyebrows lift a bit at the question about smashing 'some shit'.
"Depends on the shit. I can maybe get us some help in that, too, if it's the right shit." She's wearing her leather jacket and jeans, a Clash t-shirt. Looks every part the punk she claims to be, at least today.
Today she's wearing an Iron Maiden tour tee that's been hacked into a cropped tank top (ooooh, dem abs and arms tho) a pair of equally stressed skinny jeans, and boots. Punk? Meet Metalhead.
"Well," Sturm hooks her thumbs into the pockets of her leather jacket - which she's wearing in spite of the fact that the weather has warmed up to the eighties. "Can't say exactly why, because it's Winter business - but if someone's building fancy apartments in my neck of the woods. Well, y'know..." She trails off, letting Sigrun fill in the blank herself.
She grabs the door with a free hand, stepping into Maddie's proper and laying claim to a table in the corner of the renovated train car. It's a big table. She's not expecting anyone, but sitting down to a public breakfast has a habit of attracting people en masse...
"Yeah. But what do you need me to break. I have standards as an anarchist, you know? Putting up tags in subway stations? Sure. Stabbing cop cars with leather awls? Down to clown. Busting up some single mom's Honda Civic cos she parked it in the charge spot at Safeway? Not so much." Sigrun steps in to the car and follows along after Sturm, slipping into the corner booth along with Sturm. She grabs a menu and begins to peruse. "I trust you not to get me into trouble for a silly reason, but I still need to know my praxis makes sense."
"Oh, well I don't give a shit about anybody's Honda civic, for sure - but when rich assholes start trying to build expensive, soul-sucking, eyesore-lookin'-ass apartment buildings in my already-shitty neighborhood I get pissed off about it." She picks up her own menu. Sturm knows exactly what she's ordering already, but it's a perfunctory gesture. You always look at the menu. Y'know just in case it changed while you weren't looking.
"But that's beside the point. I just wanna strip the bars off the windows. Like, don't get me wrong, Kenzo sucks, but that much iron is... it's just bad fuckin' news." She sets her menu down, because of course the menu hasn't changed - and she's just going to get the same thing she always gets.
"Iron bars? Yeah. Okay. I'm in. Give me the iron, and I'll turn it into steel for the Freehold. Get it out of the world, you know?" Sigrun flips through the menu, trying to see what she's in the mood for. Waffles, obviously. But which sort is the important question. "You'll want gloves. No exposed skin, or as little as possible. That stuff'll burn you. Do you need any of my tools, or anything? Or are you guys set?"
"Well, I spent like ten years as a burglar so I've got a stash of tools for dismantling shit already. At least enough for me and a couple of others." Sturm says all this with nearly no inflection in her tone. As if the conversation they're having was the most normal thing on the planet. "I figure you oughta bring some shit for yourself, though. Y'know on account of this being me inviting you to come out and smash up some shit with me. For fun, maybe, but also for the sake of the Freehold."
Their server waves from the bar - where they're currently helping another patron - and Sturm offers a nod in return. "Teagan and I already knocked a few of them off as an experiment, and it seemed like it was disrupting things enough that I'm fully in favor of a repeat mission. Though, that might be a little bit harder now, on account of having done it before."
The door opens, and Teagan holds it open. "... well, because you've said you get jealous when I have a new partner, JuneyJune, and I listen. With my ears. And not my butt." Speak of the gremlin, and they appear. Also, June! They're dressed in their usual, wearing the long leather coat and their skinny jeans and a Downtrodder shirt.
"You mean you don't also listen to me with your butt?" June pretends to complain in response to that, as she comes in aside Teagan. "All those things I said specifically to your butt, did you just not hear them?" She's wearing a sundress and flip flops today, because that's the kind of mood she's in, and she takes Teagan's hand once they're both inside.
"Well, I can always offer's Freyja's blessings to a few of us before we head out. That worked well when we went for my shield. Scouting the place out to see if they put in Nest cameras or the like wouldn't hurt. Probably by day so it can seem more casual, and have pedestrians and such to distract from the coming and going. The other option would be breaking in from a single safe approach and removing them from the inside. But if the place is alarmed, or the like--" Sigrun stops yammering about one of her favorite passtimes to look up at Teagan and June as they wander in. "Hey, you two! We're ordering waffles with stuff. You can be the stuff!"
Sturm is more than happy to let Sigrun yammer on about her favorite pastimes. This is one of several reasons she was invited, after all.
"Well, I'm not getting waffles but I'll always take some extra Stuff." She flashes a grin when Teagan and June enter - she reaches up and un-tucks her necklace from the front of her shirt before shifting to make room in the booth for two more... not that she has to do too much. It's one of those wraparound booths. So. It's almost like this was an expected outcome.
The Mirrorskin laughs, squeezing June's hand. "I was especially listening with my butt. I had a butt-trumpet in for listening, like one of those weird old paintings. It's true." June and Teagan yes-anding each other can end up in some very, very strange places. They lead her over to the table, leaning over to kiss first Sigrun, and then Sturm, and sliding in to the booth. "I need some coffee, stat. And waffles. Waffles sound amazing."
"That explains so much," June replies with a laugh. "I thought that was just some sort of really strange enema, maybe?" Then they get to the table. "Sigrun! Sturm! Some of my favorite people whose names start with 'S'!" She slides into the booth too, wherever there's enough room for her, and peers around for a menu. "I want to take a look at the options, but I'll probably end up with cinnamon roll French toast or something. Also, coffee."
June may wind up in Sigrun's lap if Sigrun has a say about it. But seated beside her works, too, as far as that goes. She leans over to give the panda a smooch on the lips, either way. Because Junes are best. (Also the most scary.) "I just want some waffles with whipped cream and strawberries and, like. An entire night in Valhalla's worth of bacon. I feel like protein and me have been on the outs and now I just want to make up sex. Remodeling the basement while doing all the other stuff has my muscles aching." A beat. "Oh! Which tangentially sort of jogged my memory. I'm ready to go talk to Peter about the Thing. My little check list is all ticked."
Teagan's kiss is returned - along with a follow-up blep from Sturm's dark blue tongue - and then the Jotunn passes her menu over to June so that the lil panda can figure out her own order. "I would do just about anything for coffee, right now. Being awake during daylight hours while helping with the basement has really wrecked my deliberately curated nocturnal rhythm." Her shoulders rise and fall as a well-timed yawn interrupts her statement about coffee. "I keep putting a request for migas in the little Special Request jar, but they never have migas. Fuckin' Philly never has the tex-mex shit I want," she grumbles. Mostly to herself. "But I could definitely settle for a Bacon-Valhalla. That might come close to making up for it."
"Excellent!" Whether June ends up in Sigrun's lap or not, she gets an extra smooch once she settles in, because Teagan has been doting on her. "We put in the new lavender around the house." You know, the lavender that Teagan hauled home in their shitty beater of a car. "I want bacon so crisp it shatters when I pick it up, and uhhh. Waffles actually sound really good. As do eggs."
A pause. "Bacon Valhalla? Please. Please let's do that. Whatever that is will ruin my arteries and my credit and I'm here for it." Teagan has no credit.
June gives smoochies to Sigrun, then to Teagan, before she snuggles up to the valkyrie's side and takes Sturm's offered menu. "Thanks!" she chirps. She waves to the server when any attention is paid her way, but only in a cheerful hello sort of way, not a come over here and help us sort of way. She hasn't even looked at the menu! She's just being friendly. "What's a miga?" she asks Sturm. "And if your muscles are aching I can give you a massage later, Sigrun. But I do agree that bacon is a must, even if they need to use a whole Sæhrímnir to feed our table."
"Oh, wow. A massage actually sounds awesome. I might ask you to save it for Sunday, June, honestly. I'm planning to pamper myself. I got some new hair product to try, and this exfoliating scrub, and some really awesome pumpkiny bath bombs and stuff. I plan to retreat into Downtime, bathe for like three hours, come out smelling like halloween, and then lounge around in nothing and watch cat videos or something. I am so done with running myself ragged for a while." Sigrun slides her menu back into its little holder and gives her order to the server.
"Migas - with an 's.'" She nudges June softly with her elbow, and her eyes take on a glazed-over quality as she looks off towards the kitchen. "It's an egg dish. Well. One variation in a series of egg dishes, anyway. You fry tortilla strips until they're super crispy, and then scramble in eggs, onions, peppers, cheese, and pico. Sometimes you can throw chorizo in if you're feeling fancy. It was one of the first Real Food things I had to eat when I got back, and it's fuckin' delicious." She shakes her head, returning her focus to the conversation. "God, that sounds amazing though, Sig. Feels like there must be sawdust or drywall compound in nearly every fuckin' pore. A single shower is not enough."
"Oh. Hey. We... get to introduce Sturm to the glory that is Downtime," Teagan realizes when Sigrun brings up the motley hollow. "Fucking excellent." The Mirrorskin explains aside to Sturm, "We've been maintaining this hollow and a trod of our own for like... going on three years. It follows us wherever we go because of how we have it set up. It's pretty fucking rad." And then they stare at Sturm for a moment. "Shit, that sounds amazing. And yeah, we can manage massages. You've been doing hard work." This to the Remodeling Norse Duo.
"Sounds wonderful," June tells Sigrun to the explanation. When the server comes by June orders the cinnamon roll french toast and bacon without actually having even looked at the menu, plus a coffee and an orange juice. "That sounds really good, Sturm," she says when she's done ordering. "If it does show up on the specials, text me so I can come try it too? Also, the massage offer stand for you, too."
"Oh, shit. Does Sturm know that the house is pretty much a clothing optional place? I don't know that we ever covered that, and that seems like an important part of the briefing." Sigrun looks to Sturm in explanation, "Most of the time, if I'm walking around where there's windows, I just wear my chemise, which is a bit like draping linen on a lamp. If I'm not working, I'm probably relaxing somewhere in my altogether. Sundays especially. Those are Hair Day." One can hear the proper noun, there. "So if you ever walk into the hollow and I'm lying resplendent on a bed of furs, munching pomegranates and eating sweet meats, don't make it weird." A beat. "Er. Weirder."
"Yeah, I... don't think there's anything I could possibly do that would make that weirder," Sturm offers in deadpan - brow furrowing, but it's exaggerated for comedic effect. She holds the grumpy expression for a moment, but cracks a smirk in the end. "... but I'm good so long as that's clothing optional, and not mandatory nudity." Beat. "I'll take you up on that massage offer, June. I feel like I've been hit like a truck, just. I'll have to make sure my Hair Day doesn't take place on a Sunday, then. Can't have both of us taking a day off at the same time." Sturm's eyebrow goes up at the mention of Downtime, and she turns her focus back to Teagan. "That's... dope as hell, actually. I wondered where y'all were always disappearing to."
"Nah, clothing optional. Especially Downtime tends to be... well." A vague gesture with Teagan's hand as they lean back against the back of the booth, looping an arm around Sturm's ... well, around her back, actually, because she's too tall for it to be around her shoulders. "Downtime. So a lot of the time when he's there, Glitch is stoned, and a bunch of us are just... naked there. And there's a giant ... like. Snuggle pit. It's pretty great." They frown thoughtfully. "We should show you how to get there once we're done with lunch, actually." They don't chime in on the topic of Hair Day. On account of their hair being cut short on purpose.
"You can keep your clothes on," June confirms with conviction. "I won't complain if you decide not to, but it's definitely optional. For sure, though, massages for both of you, when you want them. I have some work to get done this weekend, but I can work around schedules." When there's coffee brought out she starts sipping that, enjoying the rush of caffeine.
"Hair Day is a big deal," Sigrun explains to Sturm who, having been blooded into the club as it were, now gets to hear all of Sigrun's secrets. And she is a gossip. Most especially about herself. Fairest. "Before all of this? I was a chubby plain jane girl. But I had real pretty hair. It's a little better now on account of basically being fibreoptic, but my hair was always pretty. That's the one vanity I allow myself. And since the norse pagans tended to bathe at least once a week on Sunday, I've kept up the practice. Just for my hair, though. I still, you know. Shower and stuff. And clean my hair as necessary after battles, and such. But. It's my little tradition."
Sturm offers one of those little snort-laughs at June's comment. Y'know, the kind that she usually makes when she's about to call bullshit. She's about to make a snarky, self-deprecating comment when she catches herself - deliberately closing her mouth with a little click as her teeth touch. She's working on it. "It'll probably be hard on account of you and I keep pretty opposite schedules, but I'll wake up early one day for a massage. That's definitely a trade I can make." She nods along with Sigrun's gossip. "Huh," she grumbles. "I didn't realize Sunday had that sort of significance to Norse Pagans - though all of that tracks with with I know about you." Beat. "... and I can't wait to see it, Teagan - but how is that much different? Isn't Glitch being stoned just a kind of universal constant?"
Her eyebrow goes up, and there's a brief, very sly look that crosses her face she thinks she's got jokes.
When that moment of Sturm about to make fun of herself happens, Teagan slooowly leans forward and looks up at her. Eyebrows go up. And then Sturm's teeth snap shut with a click and Teagan leans back with a contented little grunt. Good. That is good. The Mirrorskin snorts at that last bit. "Well. I mean, yes. But also, no. He gets extra stoned in Downtime, because we've spent a lot of time making it as Safe as we can." Sigrun gets a contented little smile aside when she talks about her hair and its history. It's an endearing habit of hers, apparently.
June also gives Sturm a Look™️ when she seems like she's about to deprecate herself, and then smiles when she doesn't. "Every day's showers are like hair day for me," she grumbles. "It takes so fucking long to dry fur out. It makes me want to learn how to control water or something, just so that I can make it leave my fur. Or maybe we need to build a body-sized blow dryer, but then I'd be so poofy."
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