A register is situated in the center of the counter, behind which some bored barista can stand and take orders. A fancy little screen is next to the register to allow for more advanced, modern methods of payments, and it never forgets to ask for tips; right next to that sits an old-fashioned plastic bucket with a large note that reads, ‘TIPS’. Situated around the main counter are various seating areas, with plush chairs and low tables for enjoying a book and a brew.

It is night, about 60F(15C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey stormclouds. It’s raining outside. The mist is heaviest At High and Washington
There is a waxing gibbous moon.

“I mean, you know my things,” Liri says, puffing up her cheeks before letting the breath out. “About done with handling the issues, probably. Obie got me in the records right so I’m not locked out and…. whatever,” she tells Preston, shutting up as Navessa speaks.

There’s a little grin as Navessa speaks, and Preston waves to Sofia when she enters. Up Preston goes, clapping his hands together – and rubbing them vigorously. “Right, so,” he begins towards the slightly, flustered non-emcee Navessa. “We can just.. pick whatever table and start?”

Sofia strolls in, ever so slightly late, and beams a smile towards Navessa in greetings, glancing around the art supplies as they are laid out and humming to herself for inspiration. She gives a wink over to Preston at his greeting, listening in for instructions as they arise.

Kaelyn looks up from the menu, resisting the temptation that was there, as Navessa starts to speak. She listens easily bobbing her head at the explanation. “It might be even more cozy with the rain,” She comments with a little chuckle. Her attention shifts with the new arrivals, raising a hand in greeting at them.

Liri brightens, immediately and obviously, as Horace walks in, nudging a seat next to her. “Come sit?” she asks him, her smile warm despite the chill outside.

“Yes! Yes,” Navessa says to Preston giving him a slightly relieved look — underneath the slight measure of panic — as she gestures to the tables. “Just pick a spot, do… whatever. There’s no rules, no specific… thing to follow. I thought about doing a guided painting, but figured…” She moves to the nearest table, nearby Kaelyn. “I’ve sourced a couple of things,” she explains as she pops open the jar, “to help inspire a bit. One that can be smoked another that’s a gummy. They should both be pretty mild but… think of them as your own personal muse.” The lid is slid off the box next, showing the individually wrapped gummies within.

Navessa lifts a hand in greeting to Horace, giving the man a bit of an upnod of familiarity. But it’s Sofia she moves toward, making to draw the pizza queen into a hug. “I’m glad you could make it.”

“Art time,” Preston grins wide, and hops up from one of the plush, comfy, reading chairs and wandering over to a table – he rolls up his sleeves and settles down. Looking through the art supplies.

Sofia squeezes Navessa back in a hug and says, “Well of course I’m coming down! I don’t have an artistic bone in my body, but at least I’m going to have fun painting.” She glances over at the supplies and asks for a little bit of advice then, staying close to Navessa for a beat. “OK, so, let’s say for the sake of argument I paint really messy and wanna have an easy cleanup. Are there any paints that won’t mess up my clothes too much? I shoulda brought an old apron or something!”

“Once again, you can blame for me that!” Preston calls out towards Sofia, and Navessa both – gesturing at himself. “I do not know my thought process behind wearing my clothes, except that I wanted to wear something I don’t normally wear…” A little laugh escapes him. “Sorry, Sofia!”

Liri strays to the tables, picking one at random, pulling off her jacket, and nodding at agreement with Preston. “I figured he shouldn’t be the last one to have worn my dress, so I had to re-Liri-ize it,” she says to him, like he knows who she means.

Matias looks to the left, looks to the right, brushes some pebbled rain from his sweater and then pushes damp hair back out of his face while assessing the area the few students like Liri and Kaelyn get a nod before he makes his way over to something to smoke, then collects some paper and instead of using any provided paints or colors, he instead gets a brush a big one from the supplies and settles down at the wooden tables so no fabric chairs get all messy. Out comes the lighter and flick flick, spark, puff… He’s smoking a spliff, preparing to draw on a blank sheet of paper with a bluish black jar of ink.

Kaelyn chews her bottom lip in thought. A whole world of freedom to paint whatever she wanted and nothing came to mind. Swiping at one of the paper canvases she stares at its emptiness a little wide eyed. Oh no. She at least idly pays attention to the conversations around her, giving a small wave to Professor Matias in belated greeting.

There is an amused glance over toward Preston, but Navessa’s gaze goes back to Sofia. “There’s watercolor. Those will wash out of most things, but some of them will stain, especially the reds.” She taps her chin as she looks over the various baskets. “I mean, the pencils, crayons, and of course the crayola markers are probably your best option,” she tells Sofia, “but I could probably convince one of the baristas to let you borrow an apron.” She does glance at her phone and the chat every so often, but also seems to be keeping an eye on people as they get settled in. There is an arch of brow for Matias as he just swans in and gets right to it, but she shrugs a little. “Shall I go see if they’re willing to lend out some aprons?”

Sofia thinks on Navessa’s response for a beat and then shakes her head with a smile. “I think I’ll do just fine with watercolors and colored pencils, that seems like a fun combo. You go help out the others! I’ll start… thinking… of a thing. To make.” She slows down her speech in thought, rubbing at her chin, and starting to wander towards the cafe tables, clearly thinking of a thing to put together, idly eying the refreshments on display.

Matias dips a thick but tapering brush end into the ink and draws a circle onto the sheet of paper, then with very delicate wrist work he begins to draw a little symbol in the middle like a stick figure king. Then along the outside of the circle a little knife, a little poison, a guillotine blade. He pauses from time to time to exhale pungent smoke from the spliff and grins all the while, in silence.

Liri tosses a gummy into her mouth, tucking the joint behind her ear, as an artist might a pencil. But, she’s found a comfortable spot to sit, and she may not be the MOST artistic of her friend group, but she’s not horrible, in her own mind.

Things are neatly arranged in rows, almost obsessively, by the tiny wolf, and she hums to herself as she does. It’s clear she’s waiting to see how she feels when the gummy kicks in, nearly knocking over a jar of water when her phone vibrates.

Liri says “Darrow, bring yourself here, or I’ll frown at you.“

“Absolutely. Just shout if you need me.” Navessa winks at Sofia before she starts wandering off through the tables. Every so often she shuffles a few things around. A few sheets of kraft paper swapped for watercolor paper between one table and another. Some of the markers moved around to expand color palettes. All with an eye that only an artist (or someone full of nervous energy) would have. Eventually, she grabs a gummy from one of the boxes and stops behind Preston, leaning over his shoulder. She unwraps it and holds it near his mouth. “Here. Try one. Tell me it’s worth selling after this?”

There is something in the air while Matias works on the circle based pictograph art. A kind of silent hum from the paper and as more and more little pictures are added with careful manuvering of the thick tapering brush tip, it just becomes electric in short order.

There’s a distinct lack of Preston getting high, at the moment. No gummy, no nothing else, just him and the art work that’s currently empty in front of him – a little frown that’s plastered to his lips. Head tilting to the side, a hand touches the table – the paper in front of him.

Well, Preston seemed like he was avoiding getting high, but, there’s now a hand from Navessa that’s near his face, and he hears the words ‘Try one’, and like a vacuum, he just scoops it up into his mouth – not even plucking it with his hand.

Horace is here honest! He walks in and smiles a half smile at Liri before looking around and giving Navessa a brief, curt, nod. “Miss Steel.”

“Hope you’re doing well, Jim. Wrestled any pigs recently?” Navessa winks Horace’s way before leaning forward, giving Preston a kiss on the cheek. Leaving him to find his muse, she moves past tables and the like until she’s standing behind Matias. He’s already smoking something, so there’s no encouragement to partake. She does grab a gummy, yes, but this one’s for herself. Instead, she observes what the latino is doing for a moment before leaning down and murmuring something to him, hands clasped behind her back all innocent-like.

Reaching for a pencil, Kaelyn ponders the meaning of the universe and all beyond it. The pencil lowered to the paper all but ready to make a swipe of graphite across the surface. She froze, wavering over the paper. Nope. Setting the pencil down, the woman turned to peek over at what everyone else was doing so far. Matias got a raised brow at the circle, something about it familiar in a way she couldn’t place. Letting it slide to the back burner of her mind she sat up craning for more images to steal, only to see that so far people seemed to be in a similar boat to herself.

“It’s good,” Preston assures Navessa with a little tilt of his head in her direction, leaning slightly to lay a kiss to her cheek. Not too much affection in a public setting. But now, he’s looking back at his artwork, still frowning a little bit at it. Seemingly trying to find the muse from the art.

Sofia sorts her head out with a gummy and plops down into one of the chairs by the table, staring at a blank piece of paper for a while and getting out a box of colored pencils. She just stares at the paper for a while, letting out thoughtful, humming noises and looking at the blank sheet of nothing as if something interesting might spring out of it at her own accord.

Preston leans over in his chair to whisper something to Sofia.

As Navessa wonders something at him Matias looks over his shoulder and the ink on the paper begins to glow with ember like hues and flake away and upward… As if it were burning away in the order her drew it the energy peaking and then whisking away into the rainy night sky with a low chuckle from the latino. “An exmaple of what, my paper seems to have self cleaned.” he says innocently and then dips his brush against and draws… another circle.

Liri leans her head against Horace, crayons, watercolors, a few brushes, and a pencil arranged in front of her, as though implements of war, tools of ritual work. Bit by bit, she blocks out an image, light lines in pencil, before the crayons come into play. She’s in her zone, apparently. Or, more likely, she’s quite high.

Matias begins to draw a little puppy with big teeth in the center of the circle! Then draws little stick figure friends, someone offering a food ball, someone offering belly rubs, what a sweet and thoughtful circular based dog family picture!

Horace nods to Navessa with a half smile. “Unfortunately, my pig wrestling feats are reserved for you and Helen.” He settles in next to Liri and watches her. He doesn’t grab anything yet, waiting and watching his friend and the other people to get the general gist of what is happening

Sofia makes a scrunched up face at Preston, a bit of a stink eye, pursed lips, furrowed brow, and stares right back at him with intent, softening her expression finally as she looks his features up and down with some consideration. “Alright alright, lemme see what I can put together…”

By the end of his dog circular family picture there were friends and treats and belly rubs and pub brawls and A+s and… dresses? Matias hums thoughtfully and shrugs as that kind of humming energy around his drug induced artwork once again hits a crescendo and the ink flakes up into the air, burning away and whisking off into the night to make someone happy, probably.

“Did you just call Navessa and Helen pigs?” Liri asks, lips pursed in thought as a white crayon, then a deep brown, a black, sketch out boundaries. A brush is lifted, water painted, clear, onto the paper, before it’s dipped into the blue, lines of color spreading almost hypnotically from the point where she places it within the wetness she just painted.

“Mmmhmm,” Navessa says, watching as Matias starts on another drawing on the paper. “You know, I read an awful lot.” She gives him a patronizing sort of pat on the shoulder as she straightens and considers the blank papers she’s still seeing. Maybe she should have come up with a guided art practice!

“Well,” the woman says, clearing her throat a bit as she speaks up, Irish accent strengthening a little for a moment. “Maybe next time I’ll have a specific project, but don’t think you have to do something specific. Or that it has to even be quote good.” She does not do physical air quotes, you’re welcome. “One thing that I find enjoyable when I’m really high-” she sounds like she has a lot of experience in this, “is to take a black marker or pen or whatever and just draw a meandering line all over, creating various segments. Then I fill them in. Solid colors. Patterns. It’s soothing. It looks good in the end. And it’s basically no pressure.”

There is a snort as she overhears Liri, voice dropping to reassure the girl: “Nah, we won a competition against some pirates. He had to wrestle a pig for his part.”

Horace looks like he is about to say something to Liri and then nods once, stoically, to Navessa. “Exactly.”

Kaelyn hums softly, picking up her pencil again. Ah ha! She had it. With a dramatic swosh she makes a horizontal sort of wavy line. After a little pause she adds a little swirl at the end and then a second branching from that. Nibbling her lip she considers the start of her masterpiece. Perfect. Wonderful. She had no idea what she was doing, but soon more swishes and swirls joined the first until it looked sort of like gusts of winds on her paper? That was probably too generous. Still, she was determined to go for it. Hopefully. With that decided she reached for all the blues.

Matias just keeps have a fresh new page of paper to use over and over, so easy! He dips the paintbrush into the ink once more draws another circle and begins to depict a belly dancer with bells on the outside, sensual lips pair of lips, two circles partially overlapping. The weed is clearly affecting him as the pictographs become a lot weirder! For Navessa he says, “If you like, we could always do a joint class on art stock and multiple uses for art supplies. How is your tattoo research going?”

There’s a little frown as Preston finishes his drawing, laughing at it. Then he looks to Sofia, scrutinizes her face and then adds something else to the mix, apparently.

Liri stifles a giggle, her words coming a bit more filled with her drawl than normal, slower, more conscious, as she tells Navessa, “Oh, good, I was about to complain at him for being rude in public.” She looks at Horace, as though considering his pig wrestling ability for only a moment, then nods. “I didn’t presume you’d…” she pauses, as though something occured to her, fluffing hrer hair, digging in her satchel, and then sighing once she tugs out something vibrant pink.

“I thought I felt weird, I must’ve forgotten after the shower,” she suggests, not that anyone cares, she’s mostly talking to herself, as the collar clicks softly when put back on. Then, she’s back to her mixed media masterpiece. A horse has taken shape, standing before a stream, a subtle waterfall in the distance.

Sofia is taking a long time on her drawing, looking back and forth between Preston and her paper, scribbling, scratching, erasing, re-drawing, doing her best. She wraps an arm around the top of the paper though, like a kid hiding their answers on their test, not yet willing to unveil the work in progress. She begins putting together a little watercolor pallet to fill in the penciled in spaces.

Preston creeps forward in his seat, sort of standing upwards to try to get a real good peek at Sofia’s paper!

Once again the picture of the belly dancer burns away the ink flaking and floating upwards only to dissipate in an exciting whirl of energy. Finally Matias hums to hismelf blows out another cloud of smoke and wonders aloud, “Would anyone like me to draw them?”

“Just because I am not a ritualist does not mean I don’t do research into the occult,” Navessa points out to Matias. Not in a patronizing way, but more of a gentle reminder. She isn’t quite hovering over him anymore. More just observing now. “I would not be opposed to a joint class, however.”

Leaving Matias to… whatever he is doing, Navessa goes back to meandering. There’s an arch of brow as Liri brings out the collar, but no comment is made. She does end up dropping into a chair herself, grabbing some of the light brown toned kraft paper and some pastels. Despite the smudges of color left on her hands immediately by the pastels, Navessa starts working hues of orange, pink, and yellow into the paper.

Kaelyn perks up at the color comes into play, the comment catching her attention more that the actual object. Opening her mouth she almost speaks before closing it again. A frown and she focuses on her markers. Sighing she peeks up to Liri, giving into curiosity. “I have to ask. What’s with the collar and tag?”

Sofia responds by dipping her (still clean) brush in the rinsing water and splashing Preston in the face with droplets, hissing, “Shoo! Shoo! No peeking!”

“C’mon!” Preston complains, rushing back when he’s splashing with paint droplets. “Just one little peek!”

“Sure, that’d be neat,” Liri calls over to Matias, not noticing any looks, clearly focused, the drug-assisted creativity giving the little wolf something of a hyper-focus in addition.

When she’s addressed by Kaelyn, she knits her brows, raising them, picking her words. “It’s a collar, you know, a neck accessory. The tag’s engraved for me,” she says, apparently where she’s settling her willingness to indulge questions on it.

Horace nods towards Liri and then says, “See? I am perfectly well behaved in public.” He flashes a small, thankful, smile to Navessa at the save and then just goes back to people watching

“Darrow!” Liri cheers when Darrow walks in. There’s half a bin of art supplies spread around her, but she looks happy. She has not noticed the watercolor smudge across her inner forearm.

“No peeking.” Sofia decides firmly, despite Preston’s pleas, keeping her arm-guard shield up as she begins pecking away at her drawing with a colored pencil.

Darrow wanders in to the cafe and lifts a hand to wave hello to those he recognizes. “Heard there was some art going on.” He grins at Liri and wanders over to peer at whatever she’s working on.

Kaelyn tilts her head to the side, opening her mouth to pry a little more at Liri. In the end she holds her tongue, “Ah, I see.” She offers to the other wolf with a nod.

Liri is easily distracted on the best of days, a crinkle of her nose in distaste at a text, but that eases as soon as Darrow is close enough for her to hug him. “Hi, cutie. I’m painting a horse,” she says, far too proudly. So far, paint forms a stream, crayon blocking out dark portions of a horse, pencil lines. It’s amateur, but not horrid.

Dorothy takes her time as she slides into the room, smiling warmly at everyone she passes, gathering her poise. It’s when her gaze hovers over the collection of novels that her eyes go a little wide, “…Intriguing selection.”

After Liri volunteers to have herself drawn Matias looks very intently at her while dipping the tapering paintbrush into the inkwell.

Navessa looks up from where she’d just plopped down and begun to work on something on a sheet of craft paper, tipping her head in a nod to the new arrivals. She’s distracted. What a terrible host. But she does look back down to whatever she got inspired to work on and keeps at it for another minute or three.

“I’m done!” Preston announces, though, it seems entirely directed at Sofia, “I win!”

Sofia takes a little while putting together the rest of her drawing, unbothered by Preston’s earlier finish, and finally finishes it all up, exhaling and dropping her arm-fortress. “OK, I’m done too,” she decides finally, letting whoever might want to take a peek at the drawing finally check it out.

Matias begins drawing Liri with a circle on the page and big hair on a stick figure. On the outside of the circle there appears to be a man in a jacket, a cellphone, a megaphone, an ear and lips whispering something into them… that same energy that has kind of hummed all around the latino during his inky drawing begins to build once more.

Once Sofia’s artwork is done, and she’s dropped her arm-fortress, Preston reaches for it, to look it over, where he just begins to laugh, really, really, hard. “Oh my god.”

Finishing up whatever she was working on, Navessa gets to her feet and moves from her table toward- she stops to take a look at Sofia’s drawing. There’s a look to Preston, a look to the paper, a look to Preston and Navessa nods. “The resemblance is uncanny,” she decides with a giggle before moving on. Ultimately, the portrait (though it is more of an abstract one) she did is set down before Kaelyn before she continues along to do a circuit of everyone. You know, getting a look at art. Present to answer questions. It does mean it’ll be a moment (at least!) until she sees what horror Preston has wrought.

Kai wanders into the shop and gives a general half-moon wave to the group at the table, he heads over to Kaelyn and leans against her, looping an arm around her waist, “Let’s see what you did?” he asks her with a little grin.

Matias blows out a cloud of weed smoke and then snubs out the blunt working on some circular based art depicting Liri perhaps and some pictographs on the outside of the circle. “Mister Asdford, it has been so long.”

With Darrow and Matias now distracting Liri, Horace looks around again and tries to sneak peaks at other art works going on before grabbing a piece of charcoal and starting sketch something himself, but it looks like some sort of building or another

Sofia picks up the drawing Preston made and blinks a few times at it, then laughs wildly and says, “Oh god, I didn’t know I was made completely out of tumors. Seriously, I’m lump city. A+.” She grins at Navessa’s response and takes a simple bow, saying, “Thank you, I try.”

Kai nods a couple of times at Matias, “Yep, yep,” he agrees and gives the man a two-fingered salute, “How’s it going, professor?”

“Okay, well,” Preston complains towards Sofia, “Not my fault, but..” there’s a sniffle from the large man, “I think you actually won. The.. non-existent bet.”

Kaelyn grins waving at Kai as he walks in. “Hey, you.” She calls momentarily distracted as something gets settled down near her. All but for a moment as she leans back against him. “Almost finished. It’s a masterpiece.” It was not. Though her attention turns back to the artwork with a little smile.

Liri steps away from her seat, between Horace and Darrow, to peek at what Preston and Sofia have managed, not noticing what Matias has been working on – clearly, she’s not paying that much of attention. She just starts giggling, stifling it with a paint-smeared hand. “I love lumpy pizza princess, it’s… it’s sometthing.”

Darrow takes some time to look over the bit of art that Liri abandons, turning it slightly so that he can see it clearly. He smiles a little, but after having taken a look for a moment or two, drifts back and away, wandering back out the way he’d wandered in.

Whatever Matias had drawn seems to be flaking away that pulse of ember red beneath the ink as it floats off the paper whirls into the air and then whisks above Liri before poofing into nothingness above the giggling paint handed young woman. “Well…” he begins to cap his inkwell which is half dry by now. “I think I had better make something hot to drink back home. You all have a good evening.”

Navessa looks down at her phone and is stalled in her circuit by angling back toward Preston and Sofia. She leans over to take a look at Preston’s work and then just pats him on the shoulder (getting the pastel dust out of his shirt is going to be a trial later). “It’s probably a good thing you didn’t make a bet. It would’ve been really embarrassing.” She smirks at him, but looks up to give Kai a brief nod, spotting his arrival, but mostly to give a smile in Kaelyn’s direction. There is a shrug from the Irishwoman. “Inspiration is in the most random of places.”

“Or,” she calls to Matias, overhearing him, “you could buy something and patronize the cafe.”

“Oooo that’s nice,” Kai tells Kaelyn and rests his chin on her shoulder, giving her a little hug, “Do you get a prize?” he wonders of her and nods back to Navessa politely, he reaches up to rub at one of his eyes lightly.

“Byeee, professor,” Liri says, waving to Matias. She drifts back to her seat, brows knitting as she mutters, pouty, “Aw, Darrow left, and instead leaning back into Horace. “What’s that?” she wonders of his art, quieter, calmer, and she taps her toes on the floor.

Sofia grins back to Preston and says, “I’m the best at winning bets when there’s absolutely nothing on the line.” She pushes up from her seat and begins mulling over the other works of fine art people have contributed. “Lessee what we’ve got here…”

Matias stops, turns around and gets an espresso before making for the door. “Yes, yes patronage achieved.” and with that he takes a slow slip and says in brazilian accented english “Good evening, do no get into any trouble.”

Kaelyn chuckles leaning against Kai’s head speaking quieter to him. “It really isn’t,” She teases before reaching up to poke his cheek, “And, I already have the best prize.”

“Later professor!” Kai calls after Matias, giving the man a wave, he looks back to Kaelyn and kisses her on the tip of the nose, “Aww, you’re adorable.”

“I mean, I’d make a retroactive bet,” Preston tells Sofia easily enough, folding his arms over his chest once Navessa only gives him a pat on the shoulder, and says he shouldn’t have made a bet. Now, he’s got a point to prove, it would seem.

“No, I’m a sap,” Kaelyn corrects, reaching for a second paper and pressing it into Kai’s hands. “Want to try something?” She asks him with a grin.

Sofia smiles drawing of the horse for a few moments, nodding her head approvingly and giving Liri a quick glance, before turning back to Preston and just laughing. “Oh my god, a bet you already know you’ve lost? Hold on, let me get you the number for the gambling addiction hotline.”

Kaelyn pauses asking the table, “Do we know who that is?”

“I don’t have a gambling addiction,” Preston complains towards Sofia, but his head tilts to a side – frowning at something. Glancing towards Liri, “That was your friend?”

“Sure, what do you want me to try?” Kai asks and looks to the paper, peering at it, “Oh no, I suck at art. I’d probably just cut my palm open and shake blood on it and call it modern art or something,” Kai smirks a little at Kaelyn, “And then I think Miss Navessa would ban me from the store, so…” he shakes his head a bit.

“Best is a stretch,” Liri says, absently, clearly unaware she’s spoken aloud, eyes straying from the art she was trying to interpret back to Preston and Sofia. “I sort of hate that I want to see the inspiration for Sofia’s picture,” she says, squinting at it, still blissfully unaware, entirely, that her inner thoughts seem to not stay inner.

“I can’t ban you,” Navessa says to Kai, overhearing him, “but the store itself might. They’re just letting me host the event here.” She does frown a little hearing the comms. “That was Darrow, yes,” she says, sitting up a bit straighter, blinking through the haze of her gummy.

Preston grunts at Navessa, and stands. “I’ll go get my shit,” and then he’s off, marching into the rain.

Kai nods to Navessa a couple of times, “Oh, right, right. Hey what got you the other night? I heard you got found in a cafe?” he wonders, peering over her way with a tilt of his head.

Sofia informs Liri matter-of-factly, “It was the time when Preston won a drag costume event I ran at Vincenzo’s, in one of Alice’s maid outfits.” She pauses and lets out a warm chuckle, supposing of the man who just departed, “I bet he still has the outfit somewhere.”

Sofia says “Don’t have his number, otherwise I would.“

Sofia says “Oh, duh.“

Liri crinkles her nose in thought, saying, “…huh. I wonder if he has the legs for it,” to Sofia, looking toward the door. “I hope whatever bit on Darrow didn’t hurt him too bad, and he doesn’t scar. But he’s a demi, he should be fine, and the cute kind of demi…” Even her inner monologue, turned outer, strays.

“I don’t know,” Kaelyn informs Kai as she watches the other man leave. Her attention refocuses to Kai, “I think you could draw something decently. A stick figure or two.” Then she goes a little quiet listening to the half of the conversation. “If you guys need bodies for a rescue…” The statement is left open ended.

Liri says “Sure, yeah.“

“In a cafe?” Navessa tilts her head as she continues to listen, but looks to Kai all the same. “I… don’t think I know what you’re talking about. I did have some problems with a couple leeches a couple days ago, but Ashely was there, so I wasn’t found necessarily-” She does look toward Liri and finds herself asking: “The initials on your collar… Are those for Darrow?”

“Let’s see how deep he is before we decide how many people we need. But we can definitely wrap up here so people can gear up.”

Sofia taps away at her phone, sending off orders and thinking back with amusement, admitting to Liri, “It was definitely a big hit at the time. Anywho, I’m getting the trace in right now, will keep you all posted on the where.”

Horace continues to scribble on the drawing before leaving the sketch on the table.

Kai nods a couple of times at Navessa, “Oh okay,” he nods a final time, leaving it go and squeezes Kaelyn a bit when she suggests she’ll help, “Are you going to keep yours? We could frame it and put it up in the apartment,” he suggests, a little grin on his lips.

Liri directs her words, instead of to the mote, to Sofia, once it winks back out of existence. “Want me to come with you and Preston and whoever? I’m not the strongest, but Darrow’s one of my best friends.”

She blinks, then blinks again, as Navessa addresses her, shaking her head. “He’s a Chandler-Wei,” she reminds the teacher.

“Could do,” Sofia replies to Liri. “Sometimes goes faster with a skeleton crew, but being the face that saves your friend is always nice.”

Kaelyn laughs at Kai’s words, despite herself. “If you want to frame it I won’t stop you, but it might be more suited to the fridge if anything.” She smiles at him, “I was going to keep it, yeah.” A hand raises in greeting to both Jakem and Mercy, the last one getting a warmer smile.

Liri bobbles her head in a nod to Sofia, saying, “He’s a dear, even if some people think he’s…” only to burst into laughter as Mercy and Jakem walk in in that moment.

Kai gives a two-fingered salute to Mercy and steps back from Kaelyn when he notices Jakem, he dips into a deep, east-Asianesque bow to the man.

Sofia says “Southwest of stop 118. Mayflower and Darkwater.“

Jakem gives a two fingered salute in return to Kai as he steps in with Mercy “Hey, whatcha making?” he asks him.

Horace looks over to Liri and goes to stand up, whispering something into her ear, before heading out.

Kai holds up a blank piece of paper to Jakem, “I drew the invisible man,” he informs him and nods, then sets it down on the table and looks back to Kaelyn, “Well, /I/ like it,” he says and takes up her art.

Mercy yawns and props a shoulder against the wall, attention mainly fixed on her phone.

Dorothy seems to have become engrossed in the line-up of art on display, raising an eyebrow as gaze passes by the maid caricature. She can’t help but snort a laugh before turning to flash a smile at Jakem, “Hello sir!”

Horace smiles at Navessa. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. It was nice to see you again.”

Liri gives a nod to Horace, words soft as she answers, “I will, don’t worry about me.”

Jakem nods to Kai “Huh, need to work on those eyebrows.” he comments as he regards the portrait “They need some extra pizazz, you know? Curl ’em.”

“Well, yes,” Navessa says to Liri, waving absently as she gets to her feet hearing Sofia’s report on location. “But I thought maybe it stood for Darrow’s Bitch or something like that.” There is a look toward Mercy and Jakem chin lifting in a nod. “We might be wrapping up here, as someone needs rescuing, but I’ll be leaving the art supplies and… consumables,” aka drugs, “behind for people to enjoy.” There is a wave after the man who departs and a call of “Thanks!”

“He’s into men,” Liri dismisses Navessa’s guess entirely.

Jakem nods over to someone “Oh, Dorothy, good to see yah. Suppose with all the students here I shoulda expected to see you again. How’s the dorm decoration coming?”

Jakem nods over to Dorothy “Oh, Dorothy, good to see yah. Suppose with all the students here I shoulda expected to see you again. How’s the dorm decoration coming?”

Kai squints down at the blank piece of paper and grins a little, “Oo…” he begins and gets distracted, looking over to someone, “Ooh, Dorothy? Where’s Toto?” he asks and waggles his brows at her a bit.

Kai squints down at the blank piece of paper and grins a little, “Oo…” he begins and gets distracted, looking over to Dorothy, “Ooh, Dorothy? Where’s Toto?” he asks and waggles his brows at her a bit.

Liri says “Joining us for the rescue? It’s deeper than is comfortable.“

Kai tells Sofia, “Hey Sofs, I’m available to help with the rescue too if you want.”

Kaelyn chuckles, “Fine. Fine.” She reaches for Kai’s hand giving it a squeeze. Standing from the table she reaches for one of the wrapped gummies in the jar. With a flick of her hand she tosses it to Mercy as she pads over, murmuring something to the other woman.

“Dumb Bitch, I think.” Mercy offhandedly theorizes to Navessa without looking up from her phone screen, in regards to a particular tag that seems to have been in discussion. From there she glances up to start inspecting all the artwork with a blank expression.

As Preston strolls back in, he hands something off to Navessa, two somethings in fact, actually. A backpack, and an axe.

Sofia nods once to Kai then gestures over to Preston. “I think Preston’s gonna lead the op, I’ll come with though.”

Kai nods a couple of times at Sofia, “Uhh well, I’m available, Blackwell,” he offers to Preston with a shrug and a little grin.

Mercy directs the same blank stare from the paintings to Kaelyn after she notices the gummy in her hand. “An’ what’s this?”

Preston says “Up to you. I think we have people.“

“Can you be slightly less obsesed with me?” Liri asks Mercy, tone just as dismissive, clearly still not aware she’s speaking aloud.

Liri clearly meant obsessed.

Dorothy tilts her head and sighs, “Slow! But I would be without maids to help me anymore. I’ve getting to know my neighbors though.” She then gives a little squint too Kai, “Mmmm you must be this Mister Ashford I keep hearing about.”

“Don’t flatter yerself, it’s just instinct to cull weak links.” Mercy snaps back to Liri without missing a beat, nor any change in inflection.

“Thanks, babe,” Navessa says to Preston as he hands over her backpack and axe. She slips into her coat before wearing the backpack over it. “Feel free to partake of whatever is left in the jars and boxes. Gummies, smokes. If you find you want more, feel free to contact me. SteelWorks on MyHaven. I’m happy to work out a deal to sell some. Same with the art supplies.” She’ll likely be back later to gather up whatever is left. But for now? A gesture to Preston. “Your op. Lead the way.”

“That’s why you’ve been stalking me,” Liri says, laughing outright, at Mercy.

“Only hearing awful things I hope?” Kai asks Dorothy and nods to her, “I’m Kai, aka Gadfly, and oh we matched, cool,” he gives a wave to Dorothy and looks back to Kaelyn and Mercy, though he doesn’t follow the former, instead he tucks his hands into his hoodie pocket, “Ladies, ladies… can’t we settle this with a jello wrestling match?” he asks Liri and Mercy chipperly.

Lifting his shoulders in a shrug, Preston gestures to the artwork that Sofia drew, taking it and offering his own towards her. “Alright,” he replies to Navessa with a smile, nodding. “I’m good, whenever.”

Jakem looks to Kai with a squint “Where’re we gonna get that much jello on short notice. The only place that even serves taht much jello is… The Waffle House.”

“Oh then we’ve got the venue too,” Kai nods to Jakem in agreement, “Good idea, sir.”

Kaelyn takes a step back adding in her own piece, “Or the jello cups at the hospital.”

Mercy sniffs audibly, back to looking at her phone with the usual gloomy-bored expression. “Stalkin’ is a strong word. ‘Sides, ain’ you like attention? That’s like yer whole thing.” Then, she remarks to Kai alongside a quick glance. “Like she’d ever tousle with a real wolf. Might break a nail or muss up the lace of her fancy negligee.”

Kaelyn says “Hospital. “

Mercy says “Hospital, but waffle house a close second.“

Jakem glances at his phone “Oh, monster duty.” He lifts a hand to wave “Gonna head out, I’ll see you lot about.”

Navessa checks her phone, swears under her breath. “Actually, babe,” she says to Preston. “I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go handle something else. Good luck. Be safe.” She leans up on her toes to kiss him on the cheek. “If you come home hurt, I’ll… something.”

Sofia looks over to Preston once she tucks her drawing away, pointedly not engaging with Mercy and Liri’s little argument, saying, “I can pretty much roll whenever. Might wanna grab a horse. We got a spot we’re meeting up at?”

Dorothy can’t help but snicker at Kai, “Nothing too awful yet but I’ll keep my ears open,” she then shudders, “Last time I walked into the Waffle House a woman pointed a crossbow at me.”

“I like having friends, unique concept to you,” Liri says, snidely, to Mercy. “Pick a stop, Preston?” she asks, more intentional, probably.

Preston nods at Navessa, “I’ll be good, go ahead,” turning to Sofia, “I have my horse, you want a lift?”

Kai nods a couple of times to Dorothy, “That sounds right,” he hmms and looks over to Kaelyn, sidling up to her, “Did you have fun?” he wonders.

“I hear the Waffle House is secretly a portal to hell,” Navessa says absently as she heads out the door. Leaving, yes, drugs and art supplies both behind. FOR NOW.