strangetrip | [EP] open your hands if you want to be held

Out beyond the greenhouse and the gardens, in the orchards she'd nurtured with love, and magic, and friends, Regina had stripped her usual business casual battle armor in favor of a softer mien. She rested beneath the shade of a tree, inhabited by an elemental named Manzanita, who understood nothing of fashion, everything of fornication and fertility, and laughed like a babbling brook or syrup sap at the words she didn't understand from the fashion magazines Regina read to her beneath her boughs.

At her feet or more occasionally her head, a puppy-now-nearly-a-dog sprawled, his tail thumping when his mistress laughed unusually loudly. From time to time, inexplicably, a black kitten-cat herded by a spirit Russian Blue appeared to torment the dog. Behind them in a magically constructed paddock, a mare grazed, keeping quiet watch over the antics, and less quiet watch over the picnic basket of fresh fruit (apples, and plums, and pears, and berries and cherries, oh my) on a picnic blanket at Regina's side.

The conversation that was more of a communion took a turn for the sly when Manzanita detected thoughts of a certain wolf in her not-a-druid's mind. It wasn't words, but a suggestion, perhaps Regina might leave this issue of outer-bark wholly behind. Head back, laughing, Regina (briefly, magically) shed her clothes for a light dusting of leaves. (~~Please, let me down, Mama. I'll be good.~~)

On second thought, with a flip of her wrists to replace her clothes, she murmured, "Smelling like forest is freedom enough."

[ooc: Slow because shit is real, but hit me til I scream. Find Regina in the orchards she planted at any time during this post. Avoid seeing her naked if your fireball tolerance is low. Otherwise, fireball forecast: low. Title quote: Rumi.]

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"Which is why you're dating a nineteen year-old vampire-hunter Barbie?" Regina's tone had more arch than her lifted eyebrow, but it didn't stop her from pouring him a glass of wine.

She had nothing against Miss Summers, other than thinking her name was ridiculous, but 'class' wasn't the first word that came to mind when she thought of the girl. Or even the fifteenth. Carlos had opened that door and walked right into her snark. It was too easy to pass up.

Carlos' expression hardened for a moment, but he deliberately forced himself to relax, and become casual again.

So what if her name was very Californian? He'd known a lot worse. "I didn't know that who I was dating was of such esteemed interest," he said, taking the glass of wine with a nod of thanks. "What can I say, I like strong, independent women." Which was what Buffy definitely was to survive as she had so far.

Regina laughed at the riposte. "Touche," she allowed and drank a sip of her wine. "I've known two versions of her now and there's no denying she's that."

Among other things. But Regina declined to enumerate. She'd learned something she'd wanted to know, which was that it wasn't merely sex between them, and Carlos' heart was involved. She might have asked, she supposed, but it wasn't her way. At least not with him.

He looked at her curiously. "What is it like, finding the people you knew in another dimension, but not knowing them here?" He shook his head a little. "It must be disconcerting, at least." If not downright painful, if you were close to someone and they didn't recognize you, and you had to start all over again. He was glad that he didn't have to do that, at least. This place was weird enough.

"Strange," she replied, because it was the most honest answer she could give. "And different with each person. Some you know you should never tell. Some you know you have to. Sometimes you wish they knew everything you've been through, and..." She thought of Molly, smiling to herself. "Sometimes it doesn't matter at all."

Which didn't say much, but it wasn't the sort of question that lent itself to precise answers. "Buffy isn't one I knew well before, and there's been no reason to mention it to her."

If he were being honest, he didn't actually expect an answer that made total sense, given that virtually nothing here did make sense. But it was a fuller answer than he ever really thought he would get.

He nodded. "I suppose that makes sense." At least, it did, and it didn't. He would never be able to understand it, never having been in that position, but he could appreciate what those who had were experiencing. "At least, to someone who hasn't been in that position."

"I wasn't taking a referendum on my understanding," she replied somewhat archly. "You asked me what it was like." And since he'd never had the experience he was in no position to judge.

He had no intention of coming across as judging, and he simply smiled in response. It didn't bother him how prickly people got, he would always do his best to diffuse any situation with the least effort possible. "And you told me, yes," he agreed mildly. "Thank you."

Regina rolled her eyes and buried the rest of her commentary in her glass of wine. After awhile, she observed, "Caroline will want to do something for the Fourth of July. It would be nice to have the restaurant gearing up for it. Red, white and blue specialties, or some similarly saccharine patriotism."

Carlos rolled his eyes. "Of that I have no doubt. It'll be good to do something specific anyway. I can let the staff be imaginative." It would be good to have a focus, to get some dishes that could be kept in the menu for everyone to enjoy.

Regina suppressed a maternal prick of irritation. It was fine for her to roll her eyes at Caroline, but she disliked seeing anyone else do it. Still, she wasn't in the mood for another near-quarrel today and merely nodded. "I don't doubt they would anyway, but having a direction will help."

[ooc: fade]

[EP] open your hands if you want to be held

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