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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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

Re: Carlos & Regina

Re: Carlos & Regina

Re: Carlos & Regina

Re: Carlos & Regina

Re: Carlos & Regina

Re: Carlos & Regina