San Francisco with Ysalwen

[heatherandsteel]

The door opens onto a park in the fading light of early evening, they're stepping out from a gazebo type area. Across from the park, beautiful painted houses stand, one in particular looks more lovely in the fading light than the others.

A mix of people walk around them, programmers home from a long day at work, the coffee shops and restaurants are active and there's the sound of music and the taste of sea salt in the air, "Here we are."

Comments

[heatherandsteel]

Cagney and Lacey come over and sniff Ysalwen, she doesn't smell familiar but she's with Quentin.

After some consideration, they come closer so she can pet them while Quentin leans against the wall with a smile, "I told you, nothing to worry about."

[shes_so_fetch]

May, only half awake, is dumping ground coffee in the machine when she hears Quentin talking to someone—Raj? Oak and ash, what've those two gotten into now?

"Oh, I worry plenty," she mutters, emerging into the kitchen doorway. "Isn't it awfully early for you boys to be awa..."

She spots Ysalwen and Liranan communing with the cats.

"Well, you're not Raj."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Also not a boy."

Ysalwen covers any and all surprise with a too-bright smile. Liranan whuffs a hello. It's May! He remembers May!

Did they know May would be here? Is it a duplicate May, like Cullen?

"Um. Hello."

[heatherandsteel]

Quentin starts to answer but stops when Liranan greets May,

"No, this is Ysalwen. Who you know?"

Not talking about Milliways was meant to keep things simple, May finding it is good but complicated.

[shes_so_fetch]

It is not a duplicate May. Duplicate Mays are bad news.

"Hi! I didn't expect to see you two here."

She shoots Quentin an 'explain' look. Were they expecting early evening guests? She would've put on actual pants.

Well, no. Possibly not.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Spontaneous visit."

Ysalwen's smile is crooked.

"Unfortunately not for fried ice cream, but the fish and chips were an acceptable substitute."

The look she gives Quentin is -- not actually sheepish, just assessing.

Is anything about to explode as a result of this interaction?

[heatherandsteel]

"Milliways surprised me before I was properly awake and then I thought Ysalwen might want to see the city while there was still some light. I didn't know you knew about Milliways or how to explain it. It sounds really bad, the whole unexplained magical portals but there's good food and I've made friends. I didn't want to worry anyone, there's enough to deal with,"

This is actually more than he meant to say, but portals are complicated.

[shes_so_fetch]

No explosions necessary. May's just surprised, not mad.

"I guess this is what you meant when you said you'd met other Fae at Milliways," she says to Ysalwen.

And really, who but the teenager of the house to discover the unexplained magical portal first?

"Lucky you, I approve of your friends, Q."

[freedom_is_grey]

"This would be it, yes," Ysalwen says, smiling faintly.

Okay, more than faintly.

"Or rather, Q would be it."

Hopefully Quentin doesn't mind?

[heatherandsteel]

He relaxes and laughs with relief, "I have the best taste in friends."

[shes_so_fetch]

Yes, he does. May preens a little.

Was he not talking about her?

"So how'd you enjoy San Francisco by day?" Jazz seems to like it. Speaking of... "Did Quentin take you to the greatest junk shop in the Bay Area?"

Just a little girlfriendly pride.

[freedom_is_grey]

"There are a lot more people here than I'm used to. In the way that -- it makes even Denerim look strangely empty. Though it got better as the sun set."

Better is relative. (Ysalwen really does not like people looking at her.)

"I liked the Bay. And the food. I should tell you about Wonders of Thedas, some time -- both of you. It's not exactly a junk shop, but it's certainly full of random odds and ends, most of them magical. I found a lovely robe there, once. It made me much harder to kill."

Ah, those halcyon days of yore.

[heatherandsteel]

"We didn't end up in that part of town or else I would have. Yeah, today was busy, but nice. We went to Phil's place to eat. That sounds cool and useful,"

Unexpected magical treasures never hurt to have them around especially when they make you harder to kill. Toby could use clothing like that.

[shes_so_fetch]

"Yeah, human cities are pretty crowded, but this is a good Kingdom. I'm glad you two had fun!"

May can understand Ysalwne's feeling that the city is more fun by night. Her now partially diurnal schedule hasn't changed her feelings on the superiority of the nighttime hours.

"We should totally get one of those for Toby!" says May, voicing the same thought as Quentin. "My sister lives a dangerous life."

[heatherandsteel]

"She does, she bleeds a lot, but she'd have to like wearing it. She's kind of boring about clothes,"

It tends to be all really simple unless she has to get dressed up.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Boring?"

Huh. That's not what Ysalwen would have thought --

Never mind.

"What does that mean, exactly? For this world of yours. And Toby's clothes?"

[shes_so_fetch]

"Boring like jeans and bargain bin black and navy t-shirts and the same damn jacket every day."

May's never met a color she won't wear; Toby prefers to blend into the shadows.

"A lot means... a lot. Blood is Toby's thing... she can lose a whole lot and still be okay. Not that she doesn't like to push the boundaries."

She pushes the boundaries a little too much.

"At least black t-shirts don't stain? If they aren't ripped to shreds first."

[freedom_is_grey]

"Magical robes tend not to stain, either. Though I'm -- actually not capable of making any, so I wouldn't know if it were possible to enchant some -- jeans, was it? And t-shirts."

Hmm.

"If you've got some that I can take back home, however, I can -- see what I might be able to turn up?"

[heatherandsteel]

(OOC: Thank you for your patience. I was at a memorial.)

"I can raid the laundry, not the jacket, that's her jacket,"

He doesn't know how to start explaining Toby and Tybalt and the jacket and them.

[shes_so_fetch]

"I say go for it. All her clothes look the same anyway—she won't notice the if yet another heather gray t-shirt™ goes missing."

Has she mentioned she thinks Toby wears boring clothes? (Of course Toby thinks May dresses like a colorblind toddler, so they're even.)

"Even something nicer than Toby's usual could be useful, though. The Queen always makes her wear a dress to court, and she not so secretly wants Toby dead."

[freedom_is_grey]

"No jacket, check. Hmm."

Ysalwen's face settles into considering lines again, gaze gone distant.

"She's your size, May? For the purposes of obtaining something fancy, I mean."

[heatherandsteel]

"At the moment, Toby's a little thinner. She needs to eat more and she'll wear something fancy if she can hide a knife in it,"

She always needs places for her knives.

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen grins, sudden and quick.

"Oh, I know a little bit about that, and so does my best beloved, so between the two of us I think we can come up with something."

And there's always Wade and Herren.

[heatherandsteel]

"That would be wonderful,"

A few more plans are shared and the cats even deign to say hi before Quentin leads Ysalwen back through the door.