st_oriedqueen: (the light I chase)
Regina Mills ([personal profile] st_oriedqueen) wrote in [community profile] strangetrip2019-03-15 04:39 pm

Check-In Day: Around the Inn

Finished with self-imposed paperwork and emergency planning for the week, Regina permitted herself a leisurely ride on this absolutely gorgeous spring day. After a good gallop, Grace was content to walk, cropping at dried scrub and new shoots when Regina gave her rein. Regina steered the mare gently toward the west; she could teleport, of course, but she appreciated the quiet of riding toward the beach. She found, in the wake of Henry's Christmas visit, she more often craved the scent of the salt air and ocean breezes. Of course, the Pacific never quite smelled like the Atlantic, always warmer and less bracing somehow, but it soothed the wildness in her just the same.

Back at the Inn, Kitty busied herself with stocking the pool bar and generally setting up for the warmer seasons. The pool had been skimmed of winter detritus and chlorinated by the staff-spectre she rarely if ever saw, and there were fresh towels set out like a proper resort. Since the choice of music was hers, the air around the bar filled with dance beats, Afro-Caribbean today, and Kitty moved right into it. She didn't usually dance at work, but she felt bright today and maybe Lara would come down and work with her and they could goof around Cocktail style.

Sam passed through the Copper Cafe in search of a cup of coffee and a salad, or one of the two gorgeous women he'd somehow wound up involved with. His brow scrunched like a caterpillar hurrying away from a predator while he semi-consciously outpaced thoughts about babies and brothers, and possibly babies and girlfriends. His mild scowl wasn't helped by the pack of spirits trailing him and chatting at him about the lives of his family members. He'd asked them not to gossip about people he wasn't close with, but as a consequence, they talked rapidly and often about River's most recent oddness or his mother and Hathaway acting like...well, like him and Molly and Bo, and no thanks. Ditto on Dean and Jane. For all that he looked a little bothered, there wasn't anything menacing or aggressive about it. If anything, the slight tilt of his head as he strolled through the Inn looked thoughtful, as though he listened to something somewhat distant.

Lillith had come to a bit of a routine for arrival days, and around noon, she sat for tea with River Song. They spoke little, and it was difficult to tell whether the women even liked each other. But for all that, Lillith was content with the ritual. If Curnen sang, she would go out to the lawn next and listen. In fact, on such a sunny day, she would undoubtedly flop on the lawn with a sketchbook and a practice notebook, letting her mind float between image and spellcraft as it would. Out here, she would quickly veil herself at the approach of anyone new, but she often was distracted enough that they might catch her in her true form with her all unaware.

Around them, the Inn hummed and buzzed with the happy energy of winter giving way to spring. The most patient and subtle would undoubtedly note the undercurrents of tension, fear, frustration, and boredom that built up over time. But for day, at least so far as this four were aware, the worst of it had been suspended, in favor of enjoying warm sun and the company of friends.

[OOC: GP. It's a gorgeous day. Come and play! All four of mine can be available. Ping me if you're inspired to tag. <3 Welcome, Carol, Toby, and Number Five!]
st_onecoldfox: (watchful)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-04-12 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ain't that always the way." Kethe in particular'd make you regret saying things like that.

"How's that work anyway? Shields to keep you from getting shot." Felix woulda been all over learning about Molly's magic. And while Mildmay swore he wasn't interested in hocus shit, he'd spent enough time shadowing Felix and half-listening to his lectures to know more than he let on. Mostly the question was to encourage Molly to talk so's he didn't have to. But if it was the kinda thing Corbie could get good at...
st_eampunk: (Default)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-04-14 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Molly tried to think of a way to explain how the shield worked. She knew that Mildmay, like Corbie, wasn't from a world that would understand bullet proof vests.

"It's sort of like the magical bubble that the inn is in. Not that big of course, it is just around a person. But if a weapon was directed at me, like a bullet, it would bounce off harmlessly. The same with an arrow or a spear. The down side is that if you're doing other magic at the same time, your concentration might not be focused on that all the time."
st_onecoldfox: (watchful)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-04-17 07:57 pm (UTC)(link)
That kinda made sense, Mildmay thought as he continued to work deeper and deeper into the knots of tension. At least the part about focusing. Except most the hocuses he knew were more likely to focus so hard on their spell they didn't notice anything else going on, even right in front of their face.

"Could Corbie learn it?" he asked, quiet like.
st_eampunk: (Default)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-04-19 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Molly winced slightly as Mildmay hit an area that had been particularly tight, but it was a good pain.

"Oh sure." She nodded her head in answer. "It's a spell that any of the wizards in my world can do. Harry, my mentor, his magic is fire and mine is mind magic but both of us can do a shield."
st_onecoldfox: (the fox)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-04-24 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Mildmay felt the flinch, but she relaxed into it right after, so that was okay. More of the good kinda hurt.

"And it can stop bullets?" They didn't have guns in Mélusine, but Mildmay'd learned about 'em here. And he knew enough about ways to kill a body to know what kinda damage they could do. Anything that could stop one... that was something.

Felix'd say whether Corbie could learn it hung on what kinda metaphors she used. But Mildmay woulda bet she could learn it, if somebody taught her.
st_eampunk: (Default)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-04-26 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Yep, it can." Molly nodded, "I'm not sure how it would do with machine gun fire, some bullets might get through but regular guns, the shield will definitely stop those."
st_onecoldfox: (the fox)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-04-27 06:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"Huh."

He couldn't help it. Mildmay was who Keeper'd made him. The questions were coming quick as he knew how to move, but he stuck to just one.

"C'n people see it? Or is it one of those magic things that's there but invisible?" 'Til it came around and bit somebody on the ass.
st_eampunk: (Default)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-04-28 02:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nope, it's invisible like when I veil. Wizards that are doing it can see it, also like the veil." When you were inside Molly's veil, it was like a pink shimmering light that surrounded you.

"But another wizard can't see the shield unless their looking for it with their 'third eye', and since wizards are more likely to use spells against you than bullets, they rarely look for it."
st_onecoldfox: (stoic)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-05-01 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
So annemer like Mildmay wouldn't see shit. Good to know. Molly was okay, least until something happened to make her batshit, but she said any hocus from her world could do it, and wizards were wizards.

"What about something slower'n a bullet?" Course, the real trick with hocuses was not letting 'em get so much as a word out, and if there was the less chance they was blood-wizard, nothing that'd spill so much as a drop.
st_eampunk: (cheeky)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-05-05 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, I learned to put up a shield against snowballs." She smiled slightly at the memory. "It will work against weapons, or well anything projectile. To be honest, I haven't tried it against a knife attack, so I don't really know about that. I would assume it does, but I wouldn't bet my life on it."

Molly suddenly smiled, "but a knee to the balls works against that, so does veiling. You can't stab what you can't see."
st_onecoldfox: (the fox)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-05-06 07:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"Don't I know it," Mildmay muttered, as much to himself as answering Molly.

Then more clearly, "Don't mind me. Too much time listening to Felix go on and on about magic."
st_eampunk: (cheeky)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-05-10 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Molly turned her head to see Mildmay and grinned, "I hear what you're saying. I used to listen to Harry talk on and on about magic all the time. I sometimes turned it into a drinking game."
st_onecoldfox: (stoic)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-05-13 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
The sharp exhale wasn't quite a snort. Or a laugh. But it was something.

"I ain't that much a drinker." Mildmay'd spent too much of his life having to keep his wits. It was habit now. A drinking game of listening to Felix talk magic would be a quick trip to blacking out.
st_eampunk: (cheeky)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-05-15 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
Molly laughed "sounds like he talks as much as Harry does about magical theory. I'd hate to see what it would be like if they ever got together and discussed theories."
st_onecoldfox: (friendly)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_onecoldfox 2019-05-15 08:14 pm (UTC)(link)
He wasn't gonna say it, 'cause he figured Molly'd be loyal to her teacher, but based on years of experience watching Felix talk theory with other hocuses, he was gonna bet it'd go something like Felix tearing Harry to ribbons with just his words, or leaving Harry blinking in confusion and denial. Maybe with 'em both running off to do some kinda experiments. But mostly those first two.

"That'd be somethin'."
st_eampunk: (cheeky)

Re: Mildmay & Molly

[personal profile] st_eampunk 2019-05-16 11:09 pm (UTC)(link)
In Molly's mind's eye, she saw Harry debating with another version of him. From what she'd learned from Corbie and now Mildmay, the arguments would have been epic --- and very entertaining for her.

"Well if they both show up, I'll buy the popcorn when they have their 'discussions'."