17:44 <Crion> Stewart gets back to his apartment whenever he gets back. Parking is fine as it usually is on the lot around the side, and he's probably expecting by now to see someone from the Freehold standing more-or-less conspicuous watch over the front of the building, though the shifts have been winding down a bit since Nels hasn't been bothered at all since in the incident with the homeless guy. And 17:44 <Crion> sure enough, there's the quiet Brit with four eyes and a gun obviously in the waistband of his jeans, under his hoodie -- but this time, he's not alone. 17:45 <VoxPVoxD> Oh. Hey. Stewart's not sure if he should make... eye... contact but he does anyway by reflex. 17:46 <Crion> Canterbury is leaning against a car having an animated chat -- well, animated for him, which means he appears to be saying something once every minute or so -- with two humans. They're together, but they don't give the impression of being a couple. One's a punk-rock hillbilly looking guy with a dockworker's local jacket covered in pins; the other is an attractive, severe blonde woman in 17:46 <Crion> slacks, a blouse and vest, and a smart gray jacket. 17:47 <Crion> Neither the changeling nor the punk seem to notice Stewart, but she does immediately. Her eyes narrow slightly, and if Stewart meets her gaze she won't look away. She seems to be studying him. 17:47 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart studies back. 17:48 <Crion> Without looking away, she seems to make a noise to herself, then says something to her...partner...? Without looking over, Canterbury says, "It's all good. They're friends." 17:48 <Crion> "From your time of year." 17:49 <Crion> Punk dockworker looks over and sizes up Stewart casually, then nods amiably. "Hey." 17:49 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart looks from her to Canterbury to the dockworker. "Sup." 17:50 <Crion> "I'm Union; this is Everafter." He grins. "I take it you're used to the names by now." 17:50 <Crion> Union: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-E81owDP4Ro We're the first ones to starve; we're the first ones to die. 17:51 <Crion> Everafter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RViFRTgC2y4 We all need a deeper purpose; one that's true and bold. 17:51 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "It's nice to meet you. I'm Stewart Reader." 17:52 <Crion> Canterbury: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_BrbhRrP6g ♫♪♫ 17:54 <Crion> Everafter: "So you're Santander's new prospect. Interesting." To herself, almost: "Yes, I think that'll do." Back to Stewart: "You may consider yourself on the guest list at the Belvedere. Provisionally. Requiring invitation. On business." 17:54 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "The hotel?" 17:56 <Crion> She chuckles; it's not immediately obvious what she finds funny. "Yes. The hotel. You will find us at the Owl Bar, when such a thing is necessary. And not before." 17:56 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I appreciate that. Thank you. It was nice to meet you." 17:57 <Crion> "Indeed. Come along, Union." 17:58 <Crion> "Yeah, okay," he says, then grins and winks at Stewart. "Don't sweat the formalities, kid. Drop by some time." 17:58 <Crion> "Union!!" 18:00 <Crion> "Yeah, yeah." He turns and slaps hands with Canterbury, and Stewart can just make out him passing a baggie of something -- weed? -- to the Winter Court changeling. 18:00 <Crion> Then they're off down the street. Probably vanish as soon as they turn the corner. 18:01 <Crion> When they're gone, Canterbury shakes his head, and in his soft, posh accent: "Wizards, mate." 18:01 <VoxPVoxD> "Damn." 18:02 <Crion> "Now here's the thing." He takes out a joint and lights it up. "Union, he could have come by any time. He didn't ask when to stop in; I didn't tell." 18:02 <Crion> "But he and the lady show up two minutes before you get back." 18:03 <Crion> "And if you got stuck on a red, or stopped off at the pub, or so on -- I'd put dollars down they'd still have shown up two minutes before you got back." 18:04 <Crion> He puffs and offers Stewart a drag. "Unless you're working tonight." 18:05 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart'll take the hit. "Should I be worried?" 18:06 <Crion> "Not unless 'Stewart Reader' is actually your real name. You seem like a smart lad. And even then, they're good people. Slow to trust; that they showed up here in person and let them see you seeing them is a sign of the shoulders you're standing on already." 18:06 <Crion> "All the same. Not all wizards like us. And even the ones who do, well...I saw comic once about wizards and shotguns. Last panel was: WIZARDS: NO SENSE OF RIGHT OR WRONG." 18:06 <Crion> He puffs again. "Not actually so. But too close to it." 18:07 <Crion> "And it's like that biddy said to Dorothy. There's good witches and there's bad witches, yeah?" 18:08 <VoxPVoxD> So those are the guys Santander called 'mages'. Part of Stewart wants to head down to the Belvedere right now and see what's up, but the weight of his bag binds him here. "Yeah. So those are some of the good witches/ 18:08 <VoxPVoxD> ." 18:09 <Crion> "Indeed." Canterbury gestures with his joint. "Union's a very good witch." 18:10 <Crion> "Everafter's a bit of a public school princess, but she's not bad people." 18:11 <Crion> "You'll meet the others in time, I suspect. The guy who runs their...whatever they call their freehold, guy named Jesuit -- he's a trip." 18:11 <VoxPVoxD> Eyebrows up. "Jesuit?" 18:11 <VoxPVoxD> "Like the priests?" 18:12 <Crion> Canterbury nods. "The same." 18:12 <Crion> He finishes the joint. "Enough idle talk out of me, though." 18:12 <Crion> "I'll be out here if you need anything. Yell. Or run." 18:13 <VoxPVoxD> Stewart: "I appreciate that. I know Nels does too, if she hasn't said. Take it easy." 18:13 <Crion> "Mmmm." 18:14 <VoxPVoxD> When Stewart gets inside, he puts his groceries away, makes two turkey sandwiches, and then opens the bottle of vodka he bought on the way home. He spends a couple of hours poking around the public social media profiles of people who don't know him anymore before he successfully drinks himself unconscious. 18:14 <Crion> --Fin.