2021-09-17 - Have a Pussy, Will Deliver

(TXT to Ravn) Kailey : I have a pussy for you.

(TXT to Kailey) Ravn : I think I just verified that I am in fact male. Because my first thought reading that was definitely not PG13, and my next was, how much did I have to drink. You made me choke on my damn coffee. 😆

Kailey had decided not to crate Kitty Pryde. She knew better that to do that. And really, what is the point of being able to communicate and control animals if you don't get to use it now and again? So Kitty Pryde is sitting in Kailey's lap the drive over to Ravn's new digs. Being loved on and scratched in just the right spot. Really the cat wasn't being overly controlled. Just being kept from going into the foot well or in Kailey's face as she drives.

As she pulls up to the house she checks the address, then the one of the building, before swiping to text to Ravn. As she does a devious little grin stretches her lips. And she can't help but giggle when she hits send. It makes Kitty look up at her in languid curiosity. "You excited to see your person?" Kailey asks the cat as she looks from phone to sprawled black feline. The response is quick and has her laughing. Which is enough to make Kitty leave said lap for the passenger seat. Where she perches to clean her ears and face. Must look good after all.

(TXT to Ravn) Kailey : I guess that means I made you hot and bothered? 😆

(TXT to Kailey) Ravn : Alternatively, trying to figure out whether this is a deliberate pun or I should just ignore it, but then I remembered that you're not one of my students desperately trying to speak English. 😃

(TXT to Kailey) Ravn : Let me put some coffee on. Still learning my way around this place.

(TXT to Ravn) Kailey : Oh honey, I live with Everett. Every pun I throw is deliberate. 😉 I'll be right in. I brought Croissants!

(TXT to Kailey) Ravn : You make a very good point. 😆

Kailey spends a minute texting with the man in the house just a few yards away. Her smile having turned into that smirk as her thumbs fly across the screen ofher phone. Turning to Kitty, who is still grooming, she lets out a little sigh, "So, should I make a move this time or wait?" She asks the cat. Kitty pauses in licking her paw and looks up at Kailey with the top of her tongue sticking out.

In an instant Kailey has her phone up trying to snap a picture of the mlem to send right away for Ravn. Alas the cat goes back to her grooming and all she gets is a smudgy picture of Kitty. With a sigh she pockets her phone and slips out of the van, moving around to the passenger side. Opening it for the cat and gesturing towards the house. "Your new castle, madam!" Kitty pauses and does what you would expect. Stare at the sidewalk, then the person, and finally the house beyond. "Anytime now..."

Inside the house on Oak Street, its new owner is still trying to learn the layout. He's not geographically challenged enough that he can't remember from one minute to the other where the bathroom is -- but on a more personal level? Terrified. Yes, he's talked about settling somewhere more permanent. Talked about. What happened to renting a place? Some run-down spot over on Elm, no ties, no obligations?

Oak Street happened. And buying a house, rather than renting one. At some point during those twelve missing weeks, he apparently decided that he's a permanent fixture now.

He opens the door and -- doesn't look very surprised at all to see Kitty Pryde sit on the lawn, not crated and not on a leash. He'd have awarded Kailey the Cat Wrangler of the Year award if she'd managed either. He got Kitty into a crate once with plenty bait in the form of tuna -- and given that he then took her to the vet to be spayed, the Dane is pretty sure she's not falling for that one a second time. He launches a warm smile Kailey's way, though, and gestures in a slightly sheepish fashion. "Welcome to our humble abode. Aidan's here, somewhere. And I'm still learning my way around -- never did think I'd be a house owner in the US, not going to lie."

"Hey neighbor!" Kailey says with her own toothy grin and wave Ravn's way. Once Kitty Pryde has exited the van she closes the door and walks, with a bounce in her step, over to the door and Ravn. For a second she goes up on her toes and her arms lift as if to hug him, but then she falls back and clasps her hands being her. "I know the feeling. I was living out of my van for several years before I came to Gray Harbor. It was weird living in a house again," She says.

Then suddenly, "OH! I almost forgot," And she turns to hurry back to the van. Pulling it open and taking out three rectangular packages. One is simply wrapped in brown paper while the other two are actually properly wrapped, though lacking a bow. And while smaller than the brown paper package, they are a bit thicker and somewhat floppy. The brown paper under one arm, and the other under the other, she comes back grinning big. "House warming gifts!" And with a slight juggle she holds out the brown package and one of the other presents.

Ravn laughs (and quietly appreciates not being randomhugged, you'd be surprised how many people do forget and how hard it can be to keep a straight face) and holds out hands to help carry stuff inside. "Do we wait for Aidan, then? Place's his as much as it's mine. And knowing both of us, there'll probably be three more people living here in a matter of months, I mean -- I spent my first week in Gray Harbor on Aidan's couch. It's how he does these things, and I kind of think it's fantastic."

"Oh, that is a good point. We can wait on Aidan for that one," Kailey points at the brown paper wrapped one. "This one is just yours, and this one is just his," She says as she wiggles the present still in her hands. She glances back at Kitty from the front step at this point.

"You gonna come in and inspect your new abode?" She asks of the black cat sitting on the lawn. Turning back to Ravn she smirks and says, "I think she's upset that I took her away from her new friend. But you guys are only a few blocks away, so I'll bet they'll meet on the street at some point. Flerken absolutely loved grooming her for some reason." She goes back to bouncing on her toes and then rocking back onto her heels.

If one were paying attention they'd noticed the green of her eyes is much paler and brighter today. Like a peridot with the sun shinning on it. There's a manic energy about her that is hard to miss. And now those very bright and wide eyes go back to Ravn's present. "Go ahead and open it!" She doesn't quite yell, but there is excitement in her voice.

"I'm honestly just grateful that somebody looked after her -- the Uncat, Flerken, anyone. I mean, I'm sure that she would have had food and shelter where I put her up but, I'm also sure that the family expected to have her for a week, not three months. And that if they wanted to have a cat permanently, they'd have gotten one." Ravn glances at Kitty Pryde.

The black cat glances back.

"I'm sorry," he tells her. "Things happened. They were outside of my control."

The cat licks her paw. Royal feline indifference.

Ravn looks back at Kailey. "I think that means she's going to let me live. Which is only half an empty threat with this one, as you know. Which reminds me that we still don't know where two of those kittens went. Which reminds me, stop babbling, open present." He does so, laughing a little at himself and the way attention makes him awkward -- and attention it is. People don't get presents for people they don't remember, and remembering is attention.

"From what I put together, Uncat went and fetched her after whatever happened stopped enough it was safe. And brought her to our house. Honestly I'd have looked after her from the start, but that's something else," Kailey says as she continues to bounce and sway. Her eyes following the interchange between cat and man with a warm smile. "Either way, she was quite content when I returned. And so was Flerken. I may need to get Flerken her own kitten after this."

"Yeah, you're gonna live. For now, bwahahaha!" And Kailey gives out a true villainous laugh. Before she bites her lower lip and clears her throat. "Sorry...I...uh...don't think I've been on my meds for the last, you know, three months. So...ahead of time, I'm sorry. I may say or do something on impulse I wouldn't normally...or at least not normally without much thinking about it. And...uh...yeah. Open it!"

Clearing her throat she watches the colorful wrapping fall away to reveal a rather plain, but thick, garment box. Now Kailey is leaning forward on her toes as Ravn unwraps it. When the lid is lifted she makes a little squeaking noise of excitement. Putting a hand over her mouth with a mumbled apology. And inside, under a layer of tissue paper that is only meant to add to the reveal, is a very soft and tie-dyed robe. It is done in dark purple, blue, and black V-fold pattern, with the colors alternating in a V pattern down the back and front and then down the arms as well. There is a very thin line of brighter blue as well that melds well with the darker blue.

"Kailey, this is gorgeous," Ravn murmurs; and quite sincerely at that. Not a materialistic man as such, he appreciates the time and effort put into something hand made and personal. You can write a cheque for fancy materials and labour -- but not for the connection to someone who went to the effort for you. "Can it be winter soon? I want to sit around the library with a cup of tea like a British Sir Something Or Other the Third, Baronet Sleepsborough, in my robe and slippers. Need to go find one of those tall back arm chairs..."

Kailey's not the only person who distracts easily.

He looks back at her as the rest of what she said catches up. Then he shakes his head. "I mean, I'm not glad to hear the Veil took you off medication that you need but I'm also not all that worried about things being said. Worst case scenario, we just... back up a little, agree that that was medication or lack of it, and get on with life? You don't strike me as the kind of person who suddenly goes to pick a fight or light someone's bed on fire for shit and giggles."

The anticipatory look on Kailey's face explodes into a broad grin again as Ravn is genuinely pleased by the gift. With a happy giggle she claps her hands lightly together and quickly. "Yay! Oh I am so glad you like it. I suggest Ugg slippers if you want the most amazing tootsie softness experience in the world," She says once the giggle of glee has passed.

There is eager nodding and relief and it would seems the young woman is wearing all her emotions openly and a bit exaggerated today. The animated look of horror on Kailey's face when Ravn mentions setting someone's bed on fire could be comical. "Did someone DO that to you?" She asks aghast. "Cause I knew a girl who did that to someone at the clinic I was in down in Oregon. But...I think she was a pyromaniac, so..." Kailey's lips purse and her brow furrows as she seems to work hard on analyzing the memory. "Yeah...pretty sure that was why she was in the clinic involuntarily."

A pause. "I think you said something about coffee? And maybe we'll find an Aidan and I can give him his gift. And you guys can open the other one together!"

The first tiny warning is the way Kitty Pryde's ears prick up and turn slightly toward the stairway. The next, if one were paying attention, would be quick but quiet footsteps, but the one that most likely serves to catch the ear is a bright if slightly muffled, "Dude!" from somewhere upstairs, as the footsteps get both louder and closer as Aidan clatters barefoot down the steps. "Did you try that shower in the big bathroom yet? That thing is awesome!" he exclaims, leaning down to get a better view as he notes signs of not just Ravn, and breaking into a grin. "Oh, hey, Kailey. How's it going?"

It wouldn't be fair to call what he's wearing an outfit, right now, as it consists mainly of a weirdly '80s-looking beach towel wrapped around his waist, and a fair amount of Damp, particularly as concerns the curls. And the tattoos, of course, those don't go anywhere: flower-turtle on his chest, fire on his side, and one might note a tumble of tiny watercolour fish -- guppies, maybe? -- down the rear of one shoulder and along his back, should one look there.

Ravn looks at Aidan and grins. It's a state of dress -- it's more than Seth Monaghan was wearing in last night's dream adventure, though to be fair, a fig leaf would be more. He's still got a kind of psychic hangover from the whole time shift, everything is a little crazy, everything is very weird, and honestly, Aidan Kinney naked in a towel, excited about the master bathroom is delightfully normal. "She comes bearing cats and presents," he tells the other man with a grin, holding a bundle of cloth in dark and deep colours in one arm.

"DUDE!" Kailey exclaims with cheer as she spies Aidan through the doorway. And then those eyes go wide and for a second Aidan feels an invisible tug on the towel from somewhere around the bottom of the towel. Then Kailey blinks, turns bright red, and looks away to the brown paper package she brought. "I have a present for you and a present for the house!" She doesn't quite shout, but her voice is a little shrill and warbly.

The towel is probably there mainly for Ravn's sake in the first place, at least past the point where it's been doing its actual absorb-remnant-water job. Which it's done pretty decently, luckily for the floors. The house is old enough the wood's almost definitely real, after all. Aidan glances down with a blink as the terrycloth moves on its own, even if it's just a little bit, and he gives a sharp and suspicious look around as though expecting to see something or someone in particular before catching the change in Kailey's complexion and putting two and two together to get at least approximately four. It brings back the bit of the brightness that had briefly faded, at least, along with a tiny snort of a laugh. No direct comment, though -- at least, not about that.

"Hey, is that one?" he asks, traipsing down a couple more stairs to take a better look at the fabric in Ravn's arm, and also to lean and offer Kitty Pryde a hand in greeting. Probably to ignore, but it's polite, right? "It looks awesome. You didn't have to bring us presents, you know. But it's cool that you did. What'd you get the house?" A glance to Ravn, "Do you think it might want stuff? I never really thought about whether buildings might have opinions on stuff."

Ravn can't help scratch his chin at that one. "You know, I can't help think that if a building is old enough -- I remember my father used to swear that our house had Opinions. It does have a ghost story about a hellhound who has a bed in the wine cellar, and if the bed is not made, the wall will crumble. Which actually once did lead to a maid getting trashed once when the wall did in fact crumble, and she was accused of not doing her job. Not convinced this house is quite old enough to have -- uh, hellounds. But then again, it's Gray Harbor, for all we know it has an entire menagerie." If he caught the little near-accident of a sartorial nature he's pretending otherwise.

Kitty Pryde politely sniffs Aidan's hand and then walks past him. A house to inspect and claim rulership of? Don't mind if she does.

"I know, but it's nice to have a place to call your own and some room to put things. So yeah, I made something for all of you. When I woke up I realized I could create stuff again! Even if it feels a little weird...I dunno. Like I'm using someone else's brushes or something. Anyway! Since Ev somehow wound up in freaking Florida with Morganna, I have time and energy to burn," Kailey finally pauses to take a deep breath. The blush is slowly fading from her features as she chatters on. "Anyway, so here is your gift Aidan!"

The package thrust at Aidan is of the same size as Ravn's was. A thick rectangular shape almost exclusively given to garment box sizes. It is wrapped in colorful polka dot rainbow paper and AIDAN written in a corner in sharpie.

"Hey Ravn, you did say you had coffee brewing right? Cause I really need a cup. I've been up for...uhh.." Kailey pulls out her phone and checks the time or maybe the date with a frown. "37 hours!" And she looks up from it grinning toothily from ear to ear at the two of them.

Not snubbed! Aidan looks more pleased than he should be about that, honestly. Looks pleased about the return of Kailey's creative faculties, too, and probably would have something to say about that if she hadn't gone right on to, "Florida? What're they doing in Florida? ...did he take her to Disney World?"

He's somewhat distracted by having the gift thrust into his arms, though, and looks it over with interest. "I like the paper," he says, and turns it over, fingers moving for purchase to rip the paper off, neat as it is. They pause, however, at the declaration of how long Kailey's been up, and his focus moves back to her, more firmly, to search her expression, the way she's holding herself. "On purpose or can you not sleep?" he asks, "Like, are you hypomanic right now?" It's a matter-of-fact question, a little worried but not accusatory.

"Thirty-seven hours sounds like you need a nap more than you need coffee," Ravn murmurs, perhaps a little concerned. He's no stranger to getting caught up in something -- usually something of an academic nature -- and just blanking trivial things such as eating or sleeping for a few days. He's also no stranger to simply not being able to sleep because of anxieties and thoughts going in circles. He's also no stranger to helping people with severe PTSD, or indeed, people with attention deficit disorders; it's kind of how he pays his rent, tutoring them in their academic pursuits.

He studies Kailey with a not at all trained medical eye, and then decides to take Aidan's cue -- because the other man clearly knows more about what's actually going on there than he does.

Kailey shrugs her shoulders and shakes her head. "I've no idea why he is in Florida. He didn't really either, but I'm blaming the storm messing with us more. Sure made me fret for the first several hours till he had signal or his phone was on or whatever," She says with a helping of exasperation. "All I know is I'm damn glad I will not be the one changing those formula diapers." She makes the most dramatic 'peeyou' face she can and even waves a hand in front of her nose. "They should be home soon though. I...didn't ask about Disney World. I should have. I went when I drove through Florida. But only once cause FUCK that place is expensive!"

Pausing she looks down at her phone again, tapping to bring up something. Then brings it up to aim the lens at Aidan, clearly wishing to capture his nakedness? Or maybe catch the look on his face when he opens the gift. Only to have him pause in the opening to ask her a question. "Oh, definitely can't sleep and totally hypermanic. The Veil decided I didn't need to take my meds for 12 weeks!" And as if in emphasis she rocks up on her toes and back to her heels again as she looks back and forth quickly between her friends, pigtails bouncing with each head swing.

"Caffeine right now is gonna help me calm down. It doesn't wind me up when I'm like this," She explains more thoroughly as she goes back onto her heels. For the moment. "I don't understand the specifics, but my messed up brain chemistry does that to it."

Aidan makes a bit of a face at the no-meds bit, and looks-- well, dubious about the coffee would be overstating it, but he does note, "I'm supposed to avoid it when I start getting manic. I mean. Assuming I notice. Do you get full-on manic or stop at hypomanic?" He's not going to get in the way if it helps her, though, and presumably she knows that best.

Also, he has a present. He glances down at it again, and gives in to the desire to rip the thing open. "Okay, missing out on dirty diapers seems like an upside, yeah. She's probably kinda little to really have fun at an amusement park..." Paper off, and lightly folded, a weird not-creasing-it to follow ripping it without care for keeping it in one piece, before he pulls the lid off the box within.

"We can definitely put on a pot of coffee," Ravn agrees, quite aware that his knowledge of this particular situation is limited. To him, coffee is just brain fuel. He lives on it. Sometimes he remembers that supposedly, there are other things on the food pyramid. "As it turns out this place has a kitchen with all the things. I'm pretty certain that whoever actually furnished this house wasn't me. I have no idea what half of the objects in there are even for." Thus spaketh a man whose idea of cooking is 'nuke it for 3 minutes.'

Within and tucked under a layer of purple tissue paper is, funny enough given Aidan's current state of undress, a robe. It has been tie dyed with diffuse starburst pattern in rainbow hues on fluffy and soft rayon cotton. (https://i.etsystatic.com/5233754/r/il/dcd742/356834609/il_1140xN.356834609_cxnh.jpg)

Kailey watches with eager eyes as she says, "I get into straight up manic. It's kinda crazy and I forget how amazing the art work I do is while I'm in this groove. And yeah yeah, I know the thing about my meds. I'm taking them. But they take, like, weeks to fully kick in some of them." Again she wrinkles her nose in emphasis. "Generally speaking when I go manic I just do art. Art and art and art until I collapse finally. At least that was what I did about...uhh...five years ago? That sounds right."

Aidan's eyes light right up, and he drops the box and paper onto the very short bit of wall that separates the last few stairs from the built in bench that lines one side of the short hall, shaking the robe out to full length to look at it, and then to whirl it around over his shoulders and slide his arms into it. "This is seriously awesome," he says, and looks up from the fabric to Kailey with a grin to add, "Thank you!" And now she's getting a hug. Take that! It's a good hug.

"I guess if you mostly just do art that's not so bad, but. Do you have someone around? 'cause if not you should maybe crash here until Everett's back?" he suggests. "...when I go manic I steal shit and set things on fire and spend any money I've got my hands on and get in fights and sleep with everyone and do really dumb shit that seems like the best idea ever at the time, so, I mean. But even if you just art, kinda good to have someone there to remind you about eating and trying to nap a little and stuff."

And speaking of eating, he glances to Ravn. "I guess I must've done that? And I mean some of it looks like it came from Goodwill or a garage sale or something so I probably did. But I'm still kinda not sure about the stuff that doesn't..."

Ravn stares at Aidan a moment. "...when I go manic I steal shit and set things on fire and spend any money I've got my hands on and get in fights and sleep with everyone and do really dumb shit that seems like the best idea ever at the time, so, I mean." Maybe not the words you want to hear from your new house mate.

Unlike me. I just steal shit. I'm pretty boring, actually. He shakes his head and laughs softly. "Coffee it is. And yeah -- if you're worried, Kailey, you should crash here. Apparently we saw this coming because we have several more bedrooms than we need. We can put you up for a few days for sure, maybe do some kind of communal cooking and have a sleepover pyjamas party in the living room."

And my fingers steal shit without me looking too, the Dane adds mentally -- another little thing he tends to fail to mention. Kind of obvious this time, though, because they're peeling away the paper on the house's gift and they didn't even consult with him first.

Kailey beams and bounces once again as Aidan slides right into the robe. To say her return hug is enthusiastic would be putting it mildly. She leans back to lift him up a bit while giggling in his ear. "Yay! Ehee! I am so totes happy you love it," She says as she finally releases the slightly damp Aidan.

"I think Bean was with Everett. Though the animals were at the house with me," Kailey answers with another shrug of her shoulders. Her eyes drop and then pop right back up when Aidan suggests staying there. Her cheeks fire up red again as she looks quickly between the two men. "Uhhh...um...I mean I could. I could do that..." She says when Ravn concurs. "Yeah...pajama party fun. It'll be...it'll be great!" For the moment avoiding having to go into detail about her other manic tendencies, beyond not sleeping. "Thanks."

The sound of tearing paper takes her attention away from the current conversation to the brown package being opened. Paper easily tears away to reveal a painted canvas. And as more paper comes away, because once you start why stop, reveals the full image on the wide landscape painting. (https://www.jameshempel.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Spray-Painting-art.jpg) "I wanted to make you guys something bright and colorful and happy for the new place. This is what came out."

Mayyybe not the ideal words to hear from a new housemate, no. Aidan catches the stare, though, and blinks once, then looks faintly sheepish. "Kinda thought I mentioned that," he says, a hint of apology in it, and more in, "Sorry. Um. The time thingy didn't make me stop taking my meds, though?" That's good, right? "I've been doing okay for uh... I guess four years now, I think?"

Hugs, though, and another gift being unwrapped! He watches with interest as Ravn peels off the paper, adding, "Pyjama party sounds awesome. We can watch movies and eat stuff. And play games. That'll be fun." That's as far as he gets before what the gift is is revealed, and he darts the step or three necessary over to get a good look. "Oh, wow, that kicks ass. Thank you! We should put it..." He glances around at the place, most of which isn't exactly visible from where they stand, eyes narrowing slightly. "The fireplace room, maybe? Or the dining room, I bet it'd look cool in there."

A glance to Kailey, and sounding faintly impressed, "There's a dining room." He gestures off to one side, where a pair of pocket doors reveal a fair-sized room that currently contains a large wooden table, of simple design but quality construction and (slightly worn) finish, and not nearly enough chairs for it as yet. "I think we were still working on getting stuff."

"Not like I don't have baggage," Ravn murmurs back to Aidan with an equally sheepish expression. Oh, you know. Murderous ex-fiancee ghosts. Running from social obligations. Pretending to be someone he's not -- actually, pretending to be a number of someones he's not, depending on who he's talking to, and where. Having a whole list of personalities and masks to snap on and off as required. Nope, no baggage.

He too grins approvingly at the painting as it is unwrapped. "Definitely the dining room. It's the first wall art we get, and it's something personal -- something somebody made for us. It gets the most prominent place in the house."

A gentler blush touches Kailey's cheeks at the praise of her art. And she continues to grin like a fool her eyes bright. "Awww you guys. I'm so glad you like it that much.," She says before moving to peer towards the indicated doors.

"Dining rooms are great. I like having space, actually. It's amazing. I can work on so many different things at once in the garage or mudroom. Though the mudroom I mostly use for tie dye," And as she natters she enters the abode and strolls slowly towards said living room. "I'll need to check on the cat and maybe bring Cinderella over? She's over her puppy stage for the most part. And Kitty told her who was boss so she left her alone."

"It's weird how much space there is," Aidan declares, though this doesn't sound like a bad thing, really. More an impressive one, maybe. "I mean it's not actually as big as the theatre was, at all, but I still keep half-thinking there should be a stage attached somewhere." He and his new robe and the towel beneath head into the dining room to appraise the layout, and he points to a spot on one of the as-yet-undecorated walls. "I think there, that'd be good, yeah?" he says, looking to his housemate for agreement (or not).

"It looks like we made the garage be a music room," he adds to Kailey, "I think maybe so we don't wake anyone up if they're trying to sleep or something?" It's a detached garage, so there's a buffer there. "There's drums in there." And he's very pleased about this! He looks rather happy with the dog plan as well, which gets a nod -- if Cinderella is not welcome to visit as well, poor Ravn's going to have to be the one to declare this.

Ravn cheerfully nods his agreement with Aidan on the choice of wall for the painting; if he's amused at watching the other man flit about in his combination of towel and robe he chooses not to comment. Man's lived a fair bit of his life in college dorms and hostels; he's probably seen a lot worse. "I'm not a dog person per se," he answers the inquiry about the puppy. "But if Kitty already laid down the claw then I don't see why not? I'd worry about them not getting along but since that's not the case..."

He pauses. "So -- pyjama party? Pizza, whiskey, Never Have I Ever? Not that I own a pyjamas but I can do sweat pants and a tank top."

Kailey follows after Aidan into the dining room. Noting the spot she grins and nods. "It would look good there for sure," She agrees as she glances at Ravn and then Aidan. Once more she is bouncing on the balls of her feet as she prowls around the table. "Yeah! I have some board games now. I can bring over something fun. You ever play Smash Up?" But then she is distracted by wandering into the rest of the house.

"Music? Awesome! I keep meaning to ask Ravn to teach me how to play violin," And she shoots the man a sly smile. But her attention is going to the rest of the house. "Pizza sounds great though. And booze and never have I ever...though I actually find that hard cause boy have I done a lot of shit. Do you guys have a backyard?"

Aidan has flitted around in worse himself, though probably not in front of Ravn. Yet. As far as they recall. Robe and towel is positively presentable! He takes hold of one side of the painting, or the whole thing if Ravn seems inclined to let go rather than be wordlessly guided, and gets it settled on the ground approximately where he'd spoken of hanging it, though currently leaning against the wall much lower than he's indicated. This... is a thing to fix when they've definitely figured out where the hammers and stuff are.

'Laid down the claw' gets another grin out of him, and he gives his housemate a firm nod at the party parameters suggested. "Also cupcakes and maybe some pot," he suggests, glancing toward Kailey, "...depending what effect that has on you if you're, you know, up. I dunno Smash Up. There's Super Smash Bros Melee though!" He doesn't remember finding that GameCube, but it must've been a good day at the thrift store. And yeah I dunno how the game'd go but it might be fun. I don't have a full set of pyjamas but I have pants and t-shirts and," he makes an expansive gesture that makes the robe flow, "a robe. Also a backyard. Wanna come see our backyard?"

"Hey, maybe we already have pot in our backyard," Ravn laughs. "There's got to be a backyard, right? And I believe that growing cannabis is actually legal in this state?"

He heads in the direction where he's pretty certain they found a back door earlier; something about surprise house ownership is still leaving him dizzy. Which is ironic, he allows, given that he technically has home address in a castle -- but he never lived in more than a room or two there either when it became his, and he was happy enough to rent the damned place out and move on. He likes small spaces. Practical spaces. There's some strange kind of safety in them -- not being able to settle enough, gather enough moss and debris that you can't get up and move.

And now his name is on an Oak Street house, and he's probably not getting up and moving anywhere anytime soon, and it's really quite dizzying, indeed.

The backyard is an open affair with a terraced area clearly intended for barbecuing. Not a whole lot of work has been done; the lawn has been mowed recently, but the flower beds are low maintenance and largely empty. Virginal is a good word -- it's as if it's all waiting for someone with a green thumb to move in and lay claims. Ravn is not that man.

He's the man who'd notice a circle of mushrooms in the grass, though, and call out, "Oh, look at that. We have garden faeries."

"I will be smoking all indica when I'm like this. It does actually help. Though we should totally pick up pot brownies," Kailey says with some eagerness. "I need some more cbd edibles anyway if I'm not gonna be super crazy girl while my meds take their damned bloody time to work," She is talking fast and bouncing as she walks. But so far, that's the extent of what she terms 'crazy girl'.

Following Ravn and Aidan through the house out to the backyard she grins. "Oh nice! Plenty of space for a small party, and bbq, and you can plant stuff if you want!" She is already off into the grass when Ravn comments about the circle of mushrooms. That has her turning and moving over to peer at it. A look of confusion crossing her face. "Huh...weird," She says as she crouches down to get a better look.

Without any hesitation she reaches out and grabs one of the thinner one, picking it up and turning it upside down while fishing out her phone. "I don't recognize them right off the bat...but it's weird that two different mushrooms are growing together..."

"I used to do that a bunch," Aidan agrees about the indica, "...it worked pretty well until it didn't!" He seems to be pretty confident as far as how they get to the backyard, so either he's had time to get the layout fully set in his head already or he's just very aware of where exits live.

He spills out there still-barefoot and seeming unbothered by it, padding into the grass and taking a good look around. He is ALSO not historically That Man, but then... he's never really had a garden. A few potted plants at the trailer. They appear, in fact, to have moved to the terrace. He's used Spirit to grow and remove plants on the other side; maybe he should use it here?

Before he picks something to try it with, his attention's drawn to the ring of mushrooms, and he tilts his head, moving closer and crouching down by it as well. This is not necessarily ideal for the robe-and-towel outfit, but it manages to drape itself reasonably modestly. "...d'you think we really do have faeries? 'cause if so I think we have to put out dishes of milk for them or something, don't we?"

"It's Celtic tradition -- faerie rings. When mushrooms grow in circles like that, it's a ring for faeries to dance in. Our Scandinavian faeries prefer to dance around trees, so if we have faeries, they probably speak Gaelic." Ravn can't help a laugh before adding, "We're in Gray Harbor, we know we have faeries. Had faeries turn up at the hurricane shelter, for one. Not sure what kind but... Nah. Let's just put out a saucer of milk every now and then -- if nothing else, we make the neighbourhood cats happy."

And Kitty Pryde. Who may or may not qualify as faerie; her Veil counterpart at least might qualify as fey.

The Dane shakes his head. "Honestly, in this town -- whatever wants to turn up, I'm good as long as it's friendly. But that's easy for me to say. I did grow up in a house that had more than a handful of ghosts and a hell hound."

Kailey listens inte tly to Ravn talking about the mushroom ring. Between thumb and forefinger she twirls the spindly mushroom she picked. But she does glance back at Aidan and downwards at least once. Smirking faintly when she does.

"Toss up on whether they are friendly. But if milk helps it helps," Kailey says as she quickly takes a picture of the mushroom in hand. The app she has matching info as she types it in. "Huh..."

Holding her phone up to Aidan it displays the likeliest possibilities for the mushroom. "I need to spore test it to be sure. But your faeries like psilocybin," And this seems to vastly amuse Kailey. Who breaks out into giggles as she repeats the process with the other type of mushroom in the circle.

"The one thing I know about faeries for sure is things go better if you keep a good relationship with 'em," Aidan says, as though this weren't one of the few places one could expect many people to accept that faeries are a valid concern. "And I remember hearing they like milk. Milk and I think honey, too. Though, if they were faeries in the shelter, then maybe we should leave ice cream?" He considers, briefly. "Kinda a small circle for them to dance in, though. I mean, maybe one of them. Or two if they were, I dunno, twerking or something."

He leans in a little to look at Kailey's phone when she displays it, and the result she announces gets a quick laugh. "Well, I mean. A lot of people do. I guess if I was a mythical creature I'd prolly go with magic mushrooms over, like, shiitake or something too."

Ravn finds himself thinking back to the hurricane shelter and the tall, eerie women who turned up to ask for shelter just like everyone else -- except that the women were so obviously not human, and negotiating their safety as well as the shelter's was a complicated affair; one that was solved, indeed, with grape ice cream that a) was not vegan and b) no one else wanted to eat anyway (see above, not vegan). He cracks up in a quiet grin at the mental image of Flaxen or Russet lifting up their heavy homespun skirts to twerk around the lawn. The thought is as hilarious as it's ridiculous.

"Milk for faeries is certainly a rather big part of the Celtic tradition," the folklorist agrees. "Our Scandinavian faerie keep their own cattle. Putting out a saucer of milk can't hurt; though more likely it's the local teenagers or the previous owner having dropped a couple of funny shrooms and them somehow spreading? Hell if I know if mushrooms can be seeded like that. For all we know it could be intentional and decorative -- if you're going to grow psychedelics in the yard, might as well make it look good? Either way, I think I'll pass on eating them."

"Unless you've planted them in this town yourself?" Kailey replies in the rhetorical as she stands and keeps the mushrooms tucked in her hand. Then she seems to have a thought, forgetting about finishing her statement to Ravn, and turns to Aidan. "Hey, you're brilliant gold like August, are you good with recognizing Veil shenanigans in plants?" And she holds the mushrooms out to him.

"Wait, unless who's planted them?" Aidan asks, brow furrowing as he glances up to Kailey's face again. Thread lost, sorry. He stands as well, glancing to Ravn to ask, "So are they like human size faeries and cow size cows or tiny ones with tiny cows?" Because this is important information to have on file.

Still, he's easily enough distracted when Kailey declares him 'brilliant gold', blinking at her and taking a moment to work out just what it is she's asking. "Oh! Um... maybe? I mean, I've only kinda done a little bit with plants but I can do stuff with 'em. I've kinda always been working with stuff that's either definitely over there or definitely over here, though." A pause. "I do know if you try and graft here-trees to there-trees it doesn't go well though. They get pretty pissed off." He leans in to look more closely at the 'shrooms, though he may or may not have any idea what he's looking for right now.

"Scandinavian faerie come in all sizes," Ravn murmurs, realising that at least part of this conversation is going over his head -- not that that surprises him a lot, because Kailey and Aidan have talents and abilities in common that he doesn't begin to understand. "They tend to be able to change both size and form pretty much as they need to -- from tiny people who live under the floor or in the grass, to mountains that are actually trolls that's just taking a bit of an extended sit-down. Which then leads to interesting narrative complications when said mountains do decide to go somewhere on a social call and the story teller has to explain how they can be somewhere else but the mountain is still there."

It's what everyone needed right now, Ravn; a lecture on the social lives of Norwegian mountains.

He scratches his chin. "I could see myself plant a faerie ring because why not. As far as landscape gardening goes, it's a fun thing, and hey, I do folklore. But I'm pretty sure that if I had, I wouldn't have used psychoactive mushrooms. Probably just regular edible ones. I'd worry about cats or dogs or kids eating them."

"Oh, unless either of you planted them. I wouldn't eat them unless you can remember doing it...who knows what Glimmering psychoactive mushrooms will do," Kailey answers Aidan looking only a little sheepish when she does so. Opting to stay quiet and listen to Ravn's folklore lecture with actual interest. Her head bobbing as he explains mountains being fae and not fae when they need to head off for some reason.

"Ooohhh. Neat. I don't think any Celtic fae are as big as mountains...oh...wait...no, I think Balor is supposed to be," Kailey shrugs and shakes her head. "I'm not a folklorist. I just know tidbits of a lot of stuff," She plucks up one of the pyschoactive mushrooms and moves to head back inside. In search of a towel, printer paper, or napkin. "Spore print...let's see...oh, hey, Ravn, do you have a microscope?" Kailey casually calls over her shoulder as she heads inside. At least she is smart enough to not ask where anything is, since the other two have only a small chance of knowing themselves.

"Aha!" Lucky her household paper products can be found in the bathroom. And she comes back to the kitchen counter with a single piece of toilet paper which is laid down. The top of the mushroom is popped off, "It'll take a couple hours...up to 12 or maybe more. Anyway, it takes awhile but the spore print will show up. I'll need to leave it covered. Like this," She talks to whoever is listening or just the air itself as she does this. From the sink she wets her finger and then lets the drop hit the top of the small mushroom head. Placing it on the paper she then fishes out a small glass, turned upside down over the now-experiment. "Tada!" It's not that exciting Kailey.

"So do their cows change size and form too? They could make them be big to get a lot of milk out and then small for storage and drink it while they're small. They could swim in it. Or bathe, but that might just be an ass's milk thing..." Aidan apparently paid maybe a tiny bit of attention in History at some point. Or maybe English. His mouth is mostly going on without him just at the moment, regardless, because he's busy focusing on one of those 'shrooms as closely as though it might have managed to get psychoactive on him without even being ingested. One might, were one paying attention to such things, sense a quick flare of his Spirit as he talks. He falls silent afterward for a beat, brow furrowed.

"So... I'm pretty sure we didn't plant these?" he says, looking up from the fungus to first Ravn and then Kailey. "'cause those are definitely not local fauna." A tiny pause. "Flora?" Shrug. "Fungi." Might've missed that day in Biology. In fairness, there's kind of a lot of days he missed. "Pretty sure they're Veil 'shrooms." He considers them a moment. "Prolly if we ate 'em we'd go have real hallucinations. Um. I mean -- you know what I mean, right? Kinda like the Wonderland thing. Only the other kind of Dream." And since he doesn't sound immediately excited about this idea, he probably remembers the bits of the story involving off-with-her-head and the like.

Ravn squats down next to Aidan, studying the mushrooms too (and he will deny to the day of his death that as far as he's concerned, they all the look the same, and if he was to pick the edible ones to cook, life would definitely turn interesting and colourful). Then he follows Kailey inside, curious as to what exactly she is doing. "What are you thinking that that will reveal?" Man knows nothing about shrooms.

Back to the lawn and Aidan. "I can't imagine we would plant them," the folklorist agrees. "It sounds inherently dangerous, and more so to some random curious teenager. But we have them, and maybe picking and preserving them would be a good idea. I can think of a few times being able to induce a dream might actually be useful? Or at least that such a situation could actually occur -- not having to wait for the Veil to grab us or find someone who can open doors, but, well, this."

"I have no idea!" Kailey replies to Ravn when he asks if she knows what it will reveal. And she is particularly perky about it too. Leaving the spore print to do it's thing she returns to the mushroom ring. "Soooo...good for an easy door inside?" She nods to Ravn. "Could be, but the question is where it goes."

And with that train of thought in mind, Kailey marches forward and plucks one up. Twirls it between her fingers thoughtfully and then just pulls out some extra TP and tucks it in there and into a pocket. "Well, don't go having mushroom soup with these without me. I better get back to the house and finish checking things over. I apparently did a super creepy huge canvas piece that makes me think of a giant galactic maw or something. You should come check it out," She babbles cheerfully. "OH! I can draw again, Aidan! It's wonderful!" And she does a little spin even as she giggles with glee.

"Okay, I shall leave you guys to your mushrooms and finding where you stored the coffee," And she leans in to try and give Aidan a peck on the cheek when she hugs him. When she approaches Ravn for a hug it is so he can prepare and it is very gentle, unlike the kind of hugs she gives everyone else. But hey, he gets a peck too if he lets her. Then she is bouncing off, yes she is skipping in the house, back to her van. Manic as any cat high on catnip.

"...huh," Aidan says to the idea of intentionally inducing a Dream, and nods to Ravn. "I mean. I dunno that we'd have any control over what kind of Dream we were throwing ourselves into? And it kinda makes me wonder, if we went on purpose, would there be a 'through' for us to get to? I mean things get weird when you start thinking about that, like, what actually makes them happen and if it's not random then what happens if we start one?" This does not mean he disagrees on picking and preserving them, however, and he studies the circle again. "Also it's not the same, I think, where you go if you open a door and where a Dream takes you. I think these would do Dreams. D'you think the faeries'll be pissed if we pick them, though?"

These are heavy and important questions, and he brightens when Kailey brings up her un-blocked art. "I know! You made us an awesome painting!" he points out, still sounding pleased about both that and her return to creation. "And, okay." He returns the hug, and gives her a peck on the cheek in return. "You should go check things and pack and come back for pyjama party stuff," he notes as he lets her go, watching for a moment as she skips away.

"So... we prolly oughta try and keep an eye on her for a couple days," he remarks to Ravn once she's disappeared, "and I guess figure out what we're gonna do about mushrooms. But first I'm gonna make omelettes or something 'cause I'm starving. And Kitty Pryde's prolly finished her inspection by now, too." Another glance at the mushrooms, and then he heads toward the house as well. "Wanna go find out the verdict?"

For now, the circle can wait. But he's definitely leaving a saucer of milk out there tonight. And maybe half a scoop of ice cream, too.

Just in case.