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Sunshine is setting up at Grumblethorpe, an old, haunted house in Philadelphia. She's got cameras set up, and in the room near the entrance she has a space heater and her main setup, everything feeding into the computer there. She's sitting at the computer, checking feeds.
"You know, you are really going to have to stop trespassing like this. Coming into people's houses in the middle of the night and setting up cameras is fine when you are a teenager or... European or something, but at a certain point it starts getting a little awkward." Why Marcus was here was mystery all together, either way though he had found the ghosthunter and the haunted house this evening and for one reason or another had chosen to make his presence known.
It's been a while since Fox and Lux got to romp around together, and with everything that's been going on in Fox's life? They really needed like... a break. So about half an hour ago, they showed up at Lux's house and said "Let's go be foxes, we've never been foxes together." And this is true! Fox has never gotten Lux to be a fox with them.
After the requisite discussion about how best to communicate, then came six seconds of chanting and a sudden, new form for the neon Darkling. Then it's time for running around through the city, playing the best game known to foxes, namely: 'chase me chase me,' with occasional stops to sniff things, knock over trash cans, and scream at cats.
So the sounds that come in through the windows as Sunshine sets up at Grumblethorpe? Gekkering, the loud, raucuous sound that can be foxes actually fighting, or play-fighting. It's something like a cross between a mammalian sound and a very large angry bird.
Lux was a little... overwhelmed, at first. Getting used to a new body is hard! But after a bit they had gone nuts with excitement, and were running around the city alongside Fox with gleeful energy. And some experimentation on whether or not a fox can do parkour.
Fox-Lux lets out a chirping growl, playful in nature but sounding chaotic and angry, jumping on top of Fox to bite at her ear and roll around and play, before darting off to hide behind some piles of rubbish and crates--unknowingly passing through a camera feed.
Sunshine glances up to see Marcus and smiles. "Believe it or not, I got permission this time. You, however..." She raises an eyebrow. "You're tres..." Her head darts to the side as she hears the strange sound, grabbing her Polaroid camera. "Did you hear that?"
He shrugged at her question, the city and old buildings buildings especial were full of all types of vermin "Probably rats, or racoons or something. Spend enough time in places like this and you are bound to have a bout of rabies.... or hantavirus."
And of course Fox was very patient with Lux figuring out this new form -- this is not their first rodeo with playing with someone who is trying on a new form. It's sort of a calling for Orphans of Proteus to bring new experiences to their tribe, after all! They cackle loudly, the sound echoing off of the walls and scattering out into the night sky, as Fox-Lux tackles them, and she squirms to try to get away from them before turning to chase after her bestie as Lux makes for a pile of rubbish. Gonna get you! slips through their telepathic link as Fox chases!
Lux cackles in return, darting around and through the building merrily--and quite quick, too. Even as a Fox, they know how to move around abandoned buildings like a pro, and are soon scurrying up a wall and... straight into that window, into the room Sunshine and Marcus are in. Startled, they skid to a stop, letting out a startled bark.
In their telepathic link, Fox hears an Oh shit, people!
As the foxes run into the room, Sunshine pulls up the polaroid and snaps a picture of them. The camera slowly ejects the photo and she takes it, fanning it a bit to let it develop. "Oh look! How cute." There's a bit of hesitation. "Uh...do foxes bite?"
"It is a wild animal. I am no zookeeper but, I am pretty sure it's the ones that don't run away you need to be careful of." He briefly looked over the pair of foxs before turning his attention away and back to the various equipment that had been set up. "So what's on the checklist for tonight? Suicide pack? Child serial killers? Revolutionary war era widow still waiting for her betrothed to come back from the war?"
Naturally, when Lux and Fox enter the room, so does the unmistakable shimmer of something catching Sabnock's Peripheral Mage Sight.
Of course, by the time that Fox hears that, they've run around to find another way into the house, and come skidding into the room by way of the door. Not everyone has Lux's powers of parkour, after all. She comes to a stop, and then slinks over slowly toward Lux. This... is ... an experience! Are you okay? It'll be okay. We can freak out and run back out. They expect that. We'll be okay.
Lux is none the wiser about any magical weirdness going on, so just.... tries to act like a fox would. How the hell does a fox act? Fuck if they know. Freak out and run out sounds good, is the reply given to Fox, as Lux...... pretends to freak out, letting out a squalling gikkering and jumping around for a moment before making for the door.
Sunshine looks down at the polaroid in her hand and blinks a few times. "Huh. Those foxes have that same weird sparkly aura that you do. I don't think they're normal foxes." She glances at the foxes as they run away, then looks over to Marcus. "Magic foxes."
"Or maybe your camera is broken...." He replied with a another small shrug of his shoulders, perhaps still committed to keeping up the charade that there was nothing interesting about him. There was a pause while he fiddled with some of the camera equipment, and revealed he probably had no idea what he was doing in that regard. "Unless that's some kind of nerd come on line, like you are saying I am a fox.."
The second fox starts to run for the door after Lux, but then literally trips over her own feet when she hears the weird sparkly aura thing. The timing is pretty clear, and Lux can hear Fox's thoughts start to absolutely race. this is either very good or very bad and -- oof! She tumbles over herself and sits very still for a moment, as if she's a possum playing dead and not a fox... who just tripped on her own feet. What would Vasha do, if Vasha was a fox? This is not a very helpful question right now I guess. Vasha would not be a fox in the first place.
Lux is quick--but pauses when Fox trips up, looking back, ears twitching as they hear Sunshine's remark. How does she know we're not normal foxes? Can someone do that with just a picture? The fox lets out a gikker at Fox, as if fussing at her for having tripped up, then looks past her towards Sunshine and Marcus. Can't you do your magic sight thing?
Sunshine gives Marcus an amused grin. "Oh yeah, totally foxy guy who likes to meet women in abandoned places and talk about serial killers." She glances over at the unsubtly weird foxes. "But no, my camera works, and those are not regular foxes. Here, I'll show you." She turns the camera onto herself and snaps a picture. "My aura is different, no sparkles."
"You say that like you are not the one I keep finding in weird abandoned places. Not exactly coming at it from the highground." He looked at the picture and then back at the foxs dismissively. Apparently he was either not interested in the prospect of magical foxs or was just committed to the argument against magical anything. "What is it that you suppose a magical fox does? Maybe they are werefoxes.... or those asian ones..." a pause before he shook his head. "No, not enough tails...."
I could have nine tails if I wanted to, grumbles Fox inside her head and Lux's. Because yes, Fox, that's the most important thing here, is that you could have nine tails and you're just choosing not to. That's what you should be focusing on right now. If she used something, I missed it. I don't know what she's talking about, a camera. That her camera captures auras. Vasha might know. The Fox-Fox pushes herself up to her feet again and shakes herself off, sidling over toward Lux but not fleeing. That's not suspicious either, Fox. You dork.
Lux's tail swishes anxiously as they eye Sunshine and the camera, then steps closer towards Fox, brushing against her and chittering softly. I can't tell if they're the magic things here, or if its just us. Maybe we should just go.
Sunshine activates her telepathy, aimed at Marcus. She studies the man for a few moments. She chuckles and looks back towards the foxes. "It's literally my job to be in these places. What's your excuse? And don't throw rocks at the foxes that aren't foxes, that's rude. Mage, huh? That's what it's called?" She tilts her head to one side. "Fancy."
He frowned and turned his attention back to her then. "You really shouldn't poke around in places you don't understand. No telling what you might accidently see." He reached into the pocket of his jacket, favoring something heavy within it for several seconds before he raised a mental shield around his mind. Insuring any further intrusions were at the very least signifigently more difficult.
It must be an interesting experience for Lux: the Winter gets to experience what it's like to be in Fox's head in so may ways. Each party gets to determine what they share, and Fox -- trusting Lux implicitly -- shares a lot. There's the shimmering way in which the activation of Sunshine's telepathy lances across the Thyrsus' field of vision, the knowledge of what it is, and then the follow-on thought from Fox: oh, she's a Sleepwalker. Apparently, that changes things in Fox's world. And then there's the curling red flash around Sabnock, which Fox recognizes (and Lux, too, by proxy) as Mind Arcanum.
The collision of the utilization of her telepathic merits and Sabnock's use of Mind seems to cement a course of action in Fox's head. She sits down on the ground, rather than trying to run away again, and curls her tail around herself, blinking slowly at Sabnock, and then at Sunshine.
And then she slowly sticks her tongue out at Sunshine. Blep.
Lux is... overwhelmed by the sudden stream of thought and knowledge, things that Lux at once doesn't understand yet... does, thanks to Fox. Bewildered, fox-Lux stares at Fox for a moment, then when she bleps, there's a barking cackling laugh from them. Well, if Fox isn't worried, than Lux... well, will try not to be worried. They put on a good act, at least. Instead of sitting they start hopping around Fox merrily, content to show off and be fucking adorable. Might as well, you're not a cute fluffy fox every day.
Sunshine snorts out a laugh. "What, going to use your phenomenal cosmic power on me cause I figured out your little secret?" She grins at Marcus. "You're just sore you got read by me." She turns and catches Fox blepping and raises an eyebrow. "Hey, sticking your tongue out is rude."
"What makes you think I did anything to you?" He asked turning back to her. "I'm not sore about anything." He reiterated perhaps a bit too much to be believed.
Maybe it's because Lux is cavorting around her and making her giggle (it's an awfully amusing sight, and Lux can feel her delight curling through their link), but Fox's first attempt at opening a telepathic channel to Sunshine... fails. Lux can feel the imago, too, the shaping of the magic, and the way it ... fizzles.
But the second time? The Winter can see the shape the magic takes in the Thyrsus' mind, the way it moves within her ... brain? soul? Yes. And then Sunshine's thoughts get brought in. It's noisier in here, now, but begins with Fox's thoughts. So, hello. What a great opener, Fox. I always meet the most interesting people, being a fox. There's some humor laced around those thoughts, a referential sort of thing. Apparently that thought has some sort of inside joke to it.
Lux pauses when Fox opens her mind into Sunshine's. Their head tilts, looking towards Sunshine to gauge her reaction.
"No, I did something to you." She laughs. "And you're protesting a little much, I think." She blinks a few times, and turns to fully face the fox. "So uh. You have telepathy too?" She smiles. "Hello, Fox." She glances back at Marcus. "Can you hear it too or just me?"
"No, and I think I will keep it that way if it's all the same." he looked between her and the foxs. "Actually, I think I will leave you too this." He told her before offering a nod towards the trio. "I am sure we will cross paths again."
Another slow blink of Fox's eyes toward Sabnock, and her tail, casually wrapped around her body, twitches slightly. There's a slow roll of her slender vulpine shoulders, as if to say suit yourself, which comes through as a thought to both Sunshine and Lux. The Orphan rises and pads over to the other fox, curling around Lux, familiarly and protectively. There's no attempt to filter the protective-possessive-affectionate that comes with that gesture from Fox's thoughts. More a feeling than an actual thought, that.
Sabnock gets a brief stare, then a quick dismissal as Fox curls around them. They paw at her and nom lightly at an ear, content to just watch this interaction play out between Fox and Sunshine.
Sunshine turns to Marcus. "Ah, well. Come visit me at another creepy abandoned place sometime soon? Or maybe call me and I'll meet you somewhere normal." She smiles at him. "Since you're so 'foxy' and all."
"Your words, not mine." He commented before heading for the exit. (Thanks for the RP everyone, afraid I have to go get some actual work done though)
The Thyrsus leans into the pawing of Lux, warbling in the back of her throat and bumping her head into Lux's, affirming and encouraging the attention. She watches Sabnock leave -- some absent consideration in her head, like she's trying to remember if she can place him, which doesn't really go anywhere -- and then turns her head back to look at Sunshine. I have lots of things, of which telepathy is one. What should I call you?
"I'm Sunshine." She smiles and walks over to a duffel bag where she pulls out a few granola bars, then she walks over to sit on the floor near the space heater. She opens one and breaks it in two, offering it to Fox and Lux. "Funny, I know, given that I'm a ghost hunter and all."
You can call me Fox, or Little Fox, everyone does. You may use any pronouns for me, I do not mind. What are yours? There's a clear indication in their thoughts that they're letting their partner in frolicking introduce themself-- or not, as they prefer. Fox slowly stretches out her narrow muzzle and snatches half of the granola bar from Sunshine's hand. Oh, ghosts are there in the sunshine, too. But the sun distracts Sleepers.
Lux's ears perk, and they snatch the bit of granola bar to chomp chomp on happily. Too bad she doesn't have candy. Wait, can foxes eat chocolate? they ask Fox telepathically. Whats a Sleepwalker, anyway?
"Sleepers? What's that? I'm she/her. Nice to meet you, Fox." She smiles as the shyer fox takes the other granola bar. "I only know the term is Mage just now, so I'm a little behind on the jargon."
You can eat chocolate, I won't let anything you eat poison you, Fox assures Lux. There's a sort of self-assured quality in those words, as if they're iron-clad. She leans in against Lux again, licking crumbs out of her fur like she does this every day (she does). Sleepers are non-magical people. The ones you try to protect from your dangers, that last bit sort of clearly aside to Lux from the way Fox bonks her head against theirs familiarly. A Sleepwalker is -- you, Sunshine. Someone who isn't a Mage but has what a lot of Mages call 'low magic.' You're not asleep to the magic in the world, you know ... things exist, because you can do them. But you're not... a Mage.
Oh. Well, thanks. A beat pause. That makes sense. Though it's a little pretentious, don't you think? Not in a super bad way, but kind of... Oh, hey! I'm Lux, they add, followed by a chirping bark.
She chuckles. "Low magic. Makes it sound like I'm a street performer in England like that Netflix show." She smiles at Lux. "Nice to meet you, Lux."
An awful lot of Awakened society is very pretentious. Like I want to throw them off of something tall pretentious. Fox stretches, and absently gnaws on Lux's ear affectionately. Lux is my best friend, Fox affirms. So... I guess like... I do need to say that like... now that you do know things, I kind of... have to start introducing you to the Right People. Or I'll be in trouble.
I'm not one of the Right People, but I am one of the Best People, Lux says smugly, with a preening sort of pose.
"I think my friend Jeremiah is already in the process of figuring out the right people." She smiles. "He was the first Mage I met. Do you know each other?" She brings up a mental image of Jeremiah.
It depends on who you want to hang out with, really, but there's a really short list of who you should talk to, agrees Fox. There's a trill of worry, there, which fades immediately with the image of Jeremiah. Oh, he's responsible for you, then? Okay. Yes, I know him. He's friends with one of my former apprentices. There's sort of a heavier emphasis on 'friends with,' as if to say, more like found family, perhaps.
Lux lets out a yawn, then nuzzles Fox a bit before padding towards the door. I'll let you worry about the noob. I should get home. A beat pause. This will wear off soon, right?
Sunshine snickers. "Sleepwalker is pretentious but calling me a noob isn't?" She smiles. "Just teasing you a bit. I actually need to get back to work, I wanted to get this episode out by Sunday night."
I can drop it whenever you want, Fox offers. But I think it'll be more fun to race you home. She thinks her phone number at Sunshine, and rises to her feet. You can call me. Or you'll find me. I'm around, like, a lot. And on the news, but Fox does not think that out loud.
Ah! A race! Lux says with delight, then... doesn't wait for any sign that the race has started--doesn't even wait for Fox to finish those thoughts to Sunshine. They take off immediately, sprinting out the door and into the night.
She chuckles and waves. "Bye, you two!"
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