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Lauren Mason
It was a decently busy day at Maddy's and Lauren was at the corner of the bar enjoying a Green Forest scramble and people watching. Somewhat unusually she didn't have Astrid with her, which might account for the fact that she seemed a little restless and guarded. But she was making an effort to at least smile or nod at people as they came in.
Bones
The young woman stepped through the portal with a smile on her face. She wore a black and white vertical striped sleeveless high-collar with black slacks. Her satchel was on her side as usual. Sweeping her gaze through the room, Bones nodded to a few she recognized, and then as Lauren nodded at her she started to approach, "Hello there! I don't recognize you, so I'd like to introduce myself," a bob of her head with the smile turning to a grin, "I'm known as Bones around here. Yes, like the TV show."
Lauren Mason
Lauren's return smile was tight at the edges as she set down her fork to give the newcomer fuller attention. "Chosen name or...?" she asked, head tilted slightly to the side. "I'm Lauren by the way."
Bones
"Mmmm. Kind of a mixture of a name given to me, and one I choose to use. My real name is out there for folx to find if they want, but I don't share it as much because of the various magics that use names."
Lauren Mason
"That makes sense" Lauren said, with a nod. "Wanna grab a seat? I promise I don't bite."
Bones
"Aw, too bad. Sometimes biting is fun..." she chortled a bit and slid into the seat across, looking over to order a Bewitched pancake platter with coffee, before focusing back to Lauren, "Thanks. How are you doing today?"
Lauren Mason
"Well, I would need to know you a bit better for that." Lauren's smile lost some of it's tightness. "I'm doing alright. I'm here, which is always a good thing. How about you? Is this day treating you all right?"
Bones
"So far? I'd have to say good. I had a good day reading at the Archives. Oh. I'm an archaeologist by trade, so I might talk about things that are old, archaic, or academic from time to time."
Lauren Mason
"I like academic stuff. I'm an artist by trade, but I love learning about new things."
Bones
Oh, really? What sort of art?"
Lauren Mason
"Mostly fantasy landscapes and action scenes. Some movie concept art when I'm lucky. A surprising amount of RPG art, thought that doesn't pay great."
Bones
"oh really? I'm a DnD player from early on. Honestly, I read a lot of fantasy too, though less these days since life became fantasy."
Lauren Mason
"I mostly just collect the books, even before I got in to the work. Never had a group to play with. And now..." She shrugged. "I'm not sure I could."
Bones
"Yeah. Hard to play with Vampires, Changelings and Wizards and Lycanthropes when you've met some."
Lauren Mason
"And high fantasy isn't as fun when you've been there and sort of lived it"
Bones
"Oh... One of the Awakened or a Lost, returned?"
Lauren Mason
Lauren's smile faded and her attention retuned to her food. She didn't say anything for a long time, before finally admitting, quietly, "Lost"
Bones
"I'm sorry to bring back those dark memories in conversation," her tone was true and saddened at hurting Lauren in some way, "I thought since you brought up the memories they wouldn't be so hurtful. I am one of the Awakened."
Lauren Mason
She shrugged again. "Don't worry about it. I just..." She paused and looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's not that I don't like thinking about it. But it still feels weird doing so somewhere like this"
Bones
"Oh, I understand, I think. I've had my own situations where such things were so odd. This city is something different altogether."
Lauren Mason
"Philly has that effect on people it seems"
Bones
"Very much so. I loved living here as a teen, but work pulled me away most of my twenties."
Lauren Mason
"I was from Jersey, but I moved here to make a fresh start after I got back"
Bones
"Well, I'm glad you made it back. The more that I learn from y'all makes me want to blast those that took y'all to pieces, truth be told."
Lauren Mason
"Yea, well, don't we all" Her smile returned, though there is a hint of a feral edge to it. "But seriously, enough about my issues. You said you were doing some reading. Anything interesting?"
Bones
"Recently, I was reading about the local leylines and the known confluences and things like that. Both normal material and other materials that we've come across in our studies."
Lauren Mason
"Huh. So leylines are actually a thing? Part of me assumed they were just new-agey nonsense."
Bones
"Yeah. They're real. They tend to form connected to various supernatural energies, or vice versa. I've found gates to the Underworld, to the Spirit Realm, and other powerful energies where they converge."
Lauren Mason
"Well. The more you know..." The last bit is in a bit of a singsong. "It's kinda neat sometimes, figuring out what stuff is just made up and what's real"
Bones
"I've taken kind of the opposite view these days. Someone has to prove a myth, legend, et cetera to be false, with no connection to our strange worlds, for me to disbelieve."
Lauren Mason
"Not a bad approach. I mean, I think most beliefs have at least a kernel of truth, otherwise how would people think of them?"
Bones
"Exactly. I mean, a vampire here the other week said that he and werewolves were likely the reason for Little Red Riding Hood. I also wouldn't doubt if a Lost, a Captor, or even a Mage with certain magics were also."
Lauren Mason
"And so-called normal people like trying to figure reasons for things they don't understand. Or shouldn't understand"
Bones
"Or the Lie makes them forget the truth and make-up something 'rational.'"
Her phone buzzed, and after checking it, she sighed, "I gotta go. I hope you have a good night. My contact information is on the board there, under a few other papers at this point..."
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