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Glitch:
Glitch is not really a regular at Maddy's, having only visited the confusingly located diner a few times before. By now he's realized that he's hardly the weirdest or Wyrdest thing in the room, even on a slow day. He doesn't fullly understand the nature of his new spellcasting allies, but the location's proven safe so far. Tonight thus finds the rare visitor sitting at the counter by himself, stirring a cup of coffee idly with a spoon and glancing around the place. There's no game in his hands or on the table, and his headphones aren't in. It's almost like he might actually want to talk to someone.
Liezel:
The bell rings, and Liezel steps in, the tallish mocha-skinned woman holding the door for a moment and looking about with the habitual awareness of a warrior who's never really off duty. "Come on in, Auntie. Want to find us a seat?" Her satchel is at her side, and she notes Glitch, tipping him an upnod briefly. "Oh, hey." Her free hand comes up in a mechanical greeting. "Sparks, right?"
Dandelion:
An older woman walks in alongside Liezel--she's in her sixties, her hair greying. She walks slowly, but her smile comes easily as she walks into the room, giving the same sort of situational-awareness look that the taller, younger woman does. Some habits never leave you. "A friend of yours? Perhaps we should ask if he doesn't mind a little company, hm?"
Glitch:
The young man in black wearing his shades indoors turns to look at the two women as they enter. "Yeah," he says simply as he's identified as Sparks. Between his reply and the older woman's conjecture, he glances at the seats next to him on the counter as if it's a foregone conclusion. "Forgot your name myself. Bad memory."
River:
River ambles towards the wafflehouse with a book half open, propped up in one hand, while the other blindly pushed the door open and held it, slid forward, and she tucked her finger in between the pages and let the tome flop against her side while her stormcloud grey eyes scanned the interior, and she uptips her chin in Liezel and Dandelion's direction. "Yo," she chirps at them, closing the distance towards them.
Dandelion:
Dandelion moves to claim one of the seats near Glitch, but not immediately beside, waving River over as well. "Sparks? That's a nice name. I'm Dandelion, and it's very nice to meet you." Her smile comes easily to her. She doesn't pick up the menu, but does pull a small pillbox from her purse, counting out a number of medications to take with dinner.
Liezel:
"It's okay. Happens a lot. Liezel." Offers the lady as she follows Dandelion and turns to greet River with a smile, small but sincere. "Hi, River. This is Sparks. Sit with Auntie and I?" She moves to sit down and pulls her notebook from her satchel and a pencil besides. "Been good since we spoke, you and your girl, Sparks?" That's a Proper Conversation Topic, right?
Glitch:
'Sparks' turns to regard Dandelion, dipping his head in greeting. He reaches up to take his shades off a few seconds later, as if only just realizing it might be expected. "Same," he murmurs laconically, but without any sign of irritation. His stare is somewhat blunt, mouth set in a grim line, but his moody theme is undercut starkly by the big fluffy stack of hot pancakes set down on the counter near him. He turns to eye it before looking back up at Liezel. He betrays a bit of confusion at first mention of his "girl", but then raises his eyebrows and nods. "Ah. Yeah, she's fine. Personal shit's going good for once. So other problems broke out, of course."
He takes a moment to drizzle maple syrup across the pancakes, watching the pat of butter melt and mingle with it. "You know how it is."
River:
River slinks over to where she's been invited and slides into the booth seating, and flashes a languid peace sign at the young man introduced as 'Sparks'. "How's it goin'," she buzzes at them all alike, setting the book down on the tabletop and propping her elbow on it and pawing for a menu, covering her mouth to stifle a yawn.
Dandelion:
Dandelion asks a staff member for a glass of water, and takes her pills in two batches, before finally looking at the menu. "What sort of other problems? Do you need help with anything?"
Liezel:
Liezel takes the comfortable roll of silent support, starting to compose some new music in her notebook. Dandy is on the front lines of the conversation, something she is both familiar with and comfortable with, and she reaches over to tap the Big Breakfast, her own usual offering, on River's menu, a silent endorsement while she composes and listens to the others.
Glitch:
Sparks looks a bit surprised, perhaps expecting the person he actually spoke with yesterday to take point on interacting with him. But game recognizes game, and the secret Sprite knows the quiet one's role when he sees it. So it's him and Dandelion. "I need help with a lot of..." He frowns, scrunching his lips up a bit. "I could...use some help. With lots of things. Right now it's mostly tracking down invisible people and not getting stabbed in my sleep. And helping other people do the same."
He turns to the pancakes and cuts out some meticulous forkfuls at neat right angles, guiding the tiny stack of squares into his mouth.
Liezel:
An obnoxious little midi beeps on Liezel's phone, and she pauses to take a look and send a couple texts back and forth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjNnFlXR9D4
River:
River bobs her head gratefully at Liezel's reticent suggestion and starts making overtures in a server's general direction, beckoning them over with a somewhat gleeful expression, directing the server's attention to her cadremates and to Sparks, should they need anything, before supplying her own order. "What other kind of things?" she chirps. "Sounds like the beginning of a long list."
Dandelion:
Dandelion steeples her fingers. "When you say 'invisible people', is it a function of light not working as it would normally upon them, a mental effect that renders them impossible to perceive, or existing in Twilight or another out-of-phase plane? Each of those calls for different solutions and workarounds."
And then, she orders herself a sandwich, substituting the fries for extra coleslaw and asking for iced tea 'with yellow carcinogen packets', while miming adding sweetener to her glass.
Little Fox:
The door opens, and a tiny woman with long, dark hair, wearing a ratty t-shirt and jeans, as well as well-worn canvas sneakers, pushes her way through. She's got her phone out, which is in a leather case with a Tree of Life on the outside, and is tapping at it. Fox's backpack hangs from her shoulders, and she stops just inside the door, closing her phone and then angling off toward the table where Liezel is!
Glitch:
Sparks' attention is caught by Liezel's phone, his head pivoting around to stare the moment the tune hits the air. There's no indication how he feels about the particular little ditty, but his head whips back a few more times when the sound repeats. With his attention mostly turned back to Dandelion, he arches a brow. "See, that...I don't know. Could be any of them. All of them. Phasing out's most likely, but..."
Not even the pancakes in all their hot steaming glory can stop the frown of frustration that spreads on Sparks' face. "Given what I know...all three of those should've been impossible. At least if the person who pulled it off was solo."
River:
River arches a curious but amused eyebrow when Dandelion calls for 'yellow carcinogen packets' and scoots to make room for the most recent arrival, upnodding her head in a friendly little bob at Fox.
Dandelion:
She apparently meant Splenda, which she now sweetens her drink with. "Oh, none of those three is impossible. I think we could manage at least two--maybe all three of those methods among those here." A glance at River and Liezel, before she offers a grin to Fox. "I'm not sure we met properly, at Independence Mall. But I remember you did good work there. What do you go by?"
Liezel:
"All three," Liezel confirms, nodding towards River without looking up. Her eyes tick up as Fox enters, cracking an ear to ear smile in her direction. "Hello, Fox," she murmurs, rather than interrupt Dandelions conversation with the Master Thyrsus. "Why impossible?" That, of course, to Glitch.
Little Fox:
"What's impossible?" Fox asks, wandering over to the table and leaning over to kiss Liezel on her forehead before dropping her backpack next to the end of the booth and scooting in. "Naika, or Fox, either one is fine," she answers, tipping her chin up at Dandelion. "Little Fox if we're friends." When the server comes by, she orders two eggs over easy, coffee and waffles.
Glitch:
Sparks looks around at the responses and shakes his head again. "Good to know you've all got tech of your own." He frowns and stabs at his pancakes for a bit, spearing some into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully, but he hasn't yet swallowed when he decides to cut to the chase. "The person who did this. Let's call them..." He wheels a hand vaguely, mouth still full of pancake. "Let's call them Dead Meat. Dead Meat found their way into someone's bedroom, stabbed them in their sleep, and then disappeared with the weapon. Dead Meat could've disappeared any kind of way. But none of them would work on the weapon."
River:
"Who's impossible," River murmurs into her drink like the question is directed at the bottom of the glass.
Dandelion:
"I hope we'll become friends, then, Fox. I'm Dandelion--Dandy or Auntie, if one is so inclined. Bad habit of adopting the young ones." There's a gesture at River and Liezel, and a bit of a smirk, before she looks at Glitch again. "Oh, I'm not quite as impressive as these three. But I know their capacity pretty well for myself."
Liezel:
"Oh." Liezel frowns, thinking back, yanking a few things forward. "Is- this the same person you wanted to beat with an iron pipe?" She asks, cheeks catching fire as Fox tucks in to kiss her forehead and slip into the seat next to her. "If you could explain why the weapon is troublesome, perhaps-" She stops, tilting her head. "... is it troublesome for the same reason you wanted to beat her with that pipe?"
Little Fox:
"I would like that," agrees Fox, settling into her seat and tucking her foot up underneath herself while the other just hangs lazily. "Why wouldn't we have tech of our own? And, sorry, who are you?" There's a brief smile?? or flash of teeth?? at Glitch. Fox's teeth are not normal human teeth -- nope -- they're small, sharp fox teeth. "Oh. Is this about when my best friend got stabbed in their bed?" All good humor disappears from Fox's face. "Is that what we're talking around?"
Glitch:
Glitch looks around, to Liezel, and then Fox, and then Fox's teeth. His mouth drops open a bit. "Yeah," he says to Liezel, and turning back to the bitey one, he asks... "Do you know Lux..?"
River:
"This is," River flickers her eyes sideways, "Sparks, I believe," she says to Little Fox. "Lux," she repeats at 'Sparks'. "They rock floral shirts like a champion. Mearc's partner, yes? Art Collective, street artist, high energy."
Dandelion:
Dandelion looks at Glitch more thoughtfully now, stirring her tea idly with a straw. "I think, Mr. Sparks, we've left introductions only half-done. Did you want to go back and fill that in a little, or are you just hoping to pump us for information?"
Liezel:
Liezel looks up and straightens as the situation is taken from abstract to personal in a matter of seconds as Fox turns the hypothetical victim into someone who'd been hurt, and recently. "...I- don't... know. It sounds like maybe. And um. I don't know much, but I don't think iron causes anything else the same sort of problems, from what I know about legends and lore. So that suggests outside help- but there are a lot of things that can make a thing vanish or phase out. That probably isn't a lot of-" She cuts off as Dandy sets some terms, falling quiet and trusting the more social in their number to navigate this safely, turning her head back to her music and starting to compose again to take mental pressure off herself.
Little Fox:
The little fox gently rests her hand on Liezel's wrist, perhaps a sort of edifying or fortifying gesture. Eggs and coffee and waffles are brought for Fox, along with very crispy bacon, and the small Thyrsus sets about making himself a runny-egg and bacon sandwich with the waffles, and a little syrup. "I was thinking about this earlier," she explains to no one in particular. "Sparks. Hmm." Her sharp little teeth tear into the sandwich, and drip yolk all over the plate, but she doesn't seem to mind it. "Lux is one of my best friends, yes. Someone stabbed them in their bed." Intense green-gold eyes stare at Glitch as Dandelion asks her question.
Glitch:
The Sprite turns his gaze to Dandelion, his expression almost as cool. His shoulders come up in a half-shrug. "You've been asking all the questions. I'm just trying not to spill anything I shouldn't." There's a silence, punctuated by a glance at Fox gleefully devouring yolk, and declaring to be a friend of Lux. "But you're right," he says, turning back to Dandelion. "We don't know each other. I know nothing about...any of you," he beeps...or mutters, his vocal tone cracking slightly at the end of his sentence. "But I want help. And if you already know Lux I can trust you. I'm Glitch...Page of High Noon in the Summer Court of Shackamaxon."
Pax:
"Oh, I don't know Lux," River admits, stabbing her fork into her food when it arrives. "I only heard about them. But I know the other one's not human, so it figures that Lux probably isn't, and that you probably weren't, either," she hums. "I don't know if we want to do the whole title thing, we could be here a minute, but, Glitch, is it? I'm River. Still River. Nice to meet you."
Dandelion:
"Glitch. I'm Dandelion, Lorekeeper of the Realizers and Talon of the Adamantine Arrow, and of the Martyr's Tree. As I hinted before, I'm not actually a mage myself, but I'm an experienced exorcist who's worked alongside them for-fucking-ever." The fricatives are treated gently rather than over-emphatically; that is, she's not cursing out the fact that she's been among them for decades, just underlining it. "I may not have a good answer to your immediate problem--but if your community ends up noticing a rat problem? Call me."
Liezel:
Liezel does seem to relax with Fox's fingers on her wrist, the pace of her scribbles slowing notably and a touch of tension easing away.
Sadly, however, Glitch offered A Title, nobody informed Liezel they're not gonna do The Title Thing, and so she continues on autopilot and does The Title Thing. "Adept- no. Master Juno," she corrects after a false start, continuing on seamlessly afterwards, eyes still on her paper. "Arrow and Thaumaturge on the Path to the Aether, Supernal Realm of Prime and Forces and abode of Angels, Scion of the Watchtower of the Golden Key, Talon of the Quiver of the Martyr's Tree of the Lesser Convocation of the Northeast, Doorwarden of the Realizers, Master of Matter, Disciple of Death and Forces, and Initiate of Prime. Nice to meet you."
The impression is very much a rote recitation meant more as a call-and-response than an attempt to impress or anything else. She certainly doesn't seem to expect any particular recognition while she's scribbling more notes to paper.
Little Fox:
The Thyrsus just eats her sandwich for the moment, not offering up a title or a big introduction. Her green-gold eyes slide their gaze from Dandelion to Glitch and back again. They shove another bite into their face, and then wipe a hand across their mouth. No manners, none at all. "I'm Fox. Don't call me a wizard." Another bite.
River:
The Acanthus grins at Little Fox, and then slides her attention back to Glitch. "I'm not gonna put you through it, buddy," River says to him, shaking her head from side to side and grinning like an alley cat while her compatriots rattle off the length of their titles.
"But, I've been asked by one of our uppy-ups to get a message to one of yours, so if you can help me get that letter to the right person, then I'll help you with whatever you need." She pauses, and nods her head to the side in consideration. "Though, if I detect that it's better that I don't get involved, then I won't, and you'll be glad I didn't. And you can totally call me a wizard." She nods encouragingly, and winks.
"Because I can see the future," she adds, like it's afterthought.
Glitch:
Glitch relaxes just a bit, his hunched posture and furtive looks slipping away mostly as introductions are made. There's an arched brow at some of the comments. "I'll let you know, Lorekeeper. I'd rather be killing rats than dealing with some kind of unstoppable invisible stalker." His response is dry, but without disrespect, chin dipping sincerely when he invokes Dandelion's title. Scanning his head across the rest, he seems glad to meet both Liezel's impressive titles and Fox's...being a fox. It's River that picks up the thread again, and his attention shifts to her. There's a long, slow stare at her, head tilting slightly. "...Yes," he says, nodding his head at her. "Just as you said. I'll get the letter where it's going."
Dandelion:
Dandelion nods. "Well, they're not normal rats. They're shards of a primordial rat-spirit that...that's a long story." She doesn't react to the Sealing at all, sipping her iced tea causally, because she has no clue something just happened.. "But I can put you in touch with more information about the matter later, if you're sure."
River:
River's stormcloud grey eyes narrow as she detects the closing of a geas with her peripheral sight through the lens of Fate, and tilts her heat just slightly at a vaguely canted angle, reflexively digging an incisor into her lip. "Mm. I've got to get it there myself, wait for them to write a response, and bring the response back. Errand running, but, what're you gonna do?" she purrs, sticking another forkful of waffle into her mouth and eyeing Glitch with a renewed curiosity.
Glitch:
Glitch stares back, with a sort of uncertain look, as if almost as curious. "Like you said," he points out, raising a hand. "If you decide not to be involved, you aren't. I'm just looking for help because...I don't know what to do," he admits with a shrug. "I've boiled down the options for what's going on to a few ideas. None of them are good. All of them imply awful shit, and will be a pain in the ass to deal with. But the only thing that really matters is...can I find Dead Meat."
Dandelion:
"Finding isn't something I can generally help one with, I'm afraid." She shakes her head. "I usually damsel my way into problems, if someone doesn't point me straight at them."
River:
"On this particular matter, I only know what I've heard from you," River accedes with an apologetic grin. "I'm sorry. I wish I could be more help making Dead Meat... Deader... and... Meatier."
Glitch:
Glitch waves a hand. "I can handle tracking and tricks and disappearing. And I can handle killing. We can all handle that on our own. It's this fucking iron thing that doesn't fit, because it might mean she has help from Something that Isn't Us, and that's when shit gets really bad." A look of anger furrows down his brow. "Last time I had to deal with that was...pretty bad. Means we don't know what we're dealing with, or how it works. It could be Dead Meat has some kind of power, some trick or item that explains it...but again, that'd be fucking unheard of, so we still have nothing."
He turns back to his now-cold pancakes a moment. "Or it could be I don't understand Iron."
Dandelion:
Dandelion looks thoughtful. "So, your Dead Meat was within Shackamaxon? That must be a terrible thing to grapple with. Traditionally you lot have had good ties with Everything That Isn't You in town, at least our sort of not-you. I've worked alongside members of your 'hold in the past, and enjoyed doing so."
River:
"Sorry to zoom out for a second, but what exactly is Dead Meat's endgame?" River pipes up, raising a finger and wagging it.
Glitch:
Glitch nods. "Since we've already given names... She was Winter, and in charge of handling everyone's paperwork and records, so that's a fucking mess." Turning to River, he pauses. "I don't know her end game and I don't think anybody does yet. She attacked Lux and fled because they found her secret. She was a Bridge Burner. She violated the Right to Dream somehow. We're in the whole damn Hue and Cry, and if any of you or your friends want to impress my friends, bringing her to us with a fucking apple in her mouth would work. Because every single Lost in this city wants her dead or worse."
Dandelion:
Dandelion looks at River, and seems to be deferring the matter to her, going quiet now. Not wanting to make any promises on behalf of the mages, and knowing she won't be much good in the fight herself. There's a bit of a raised eyebrow.
River:
"Bridge Burner, Right to Dream, Hue and Cry," River repeats the words, testing them out. "I don't know these words, but I would like to."
Glitch:
Glitch fixes his gaze on River and her curiosity is met with a somewhat intense stare. "She fucked with a...'humans dreams. The Bridge Burners think they're gonna...save people from the Fae by making it so they can't dream. I don't know a lot about it. Sounds fucking ass-backwards to me. I understand trying to cut shit off from this world, but...that's like keeping someone safe from mental illness with a lobotomy."
Dandelion:
"That'd fuck with the Astral something awful, too. The local Oneiros and Temenos would be sure to suffer." Dandy crosses her arms over her chest.
River:
River tips her chin back and raises it towards the ceiling, eyeing through the roof and making a clicking noise as she sucks the back of her teeth, considering Glitch's response before she lowers her gaze back down. "Who would benefit from helping someone do that?" she wonders, as much a question to no one as a question to anyone at all.
Glitch:
The Sprite shakes his head. There's a curious glance at talk of astral realms and greek names, but his glance goes back to River. "I don't have any fuckin' idea, is the problem. Whoever gets off on control and power and conformity I guess." He gives a somewhat defeated sounding huff, and stands, fishing some cash out of his pocket. "I don't know shit about dreams, I don't know why iron is immune to everything or how to get around it. And it doesn't feel good to not know any of that shit." He turns to look back at them. "Sorry. But unless you're gonna tell me you just figured it out, I'm going to go home and stop pissing myself off with how little I know."
Dandelion:
"I'm sorry I can't be more help. I really should be getting home, too--need to prick my finger on a spindle before I go to bed." She stands as well.
River:
River wrinkles her forehead, and stabs her fork into another sawed-off pile of waffles before stuffing it in her mouth, chewing, and swallowing. "You'll know more than you want sooner than you'd like, but being pissed off won't speed it up. It won't slow it down, either, though," she supposes, before she slides her eyes over to Dandelion and gives a long, slow bob of her head in a nod. "I'll see you both soon. But not together," she observes.
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