11128/A Night of Enchantment

A Night of Enchantment
Date of Scene:	11 May 2022
Location:	The Safehouse in the Hamptons
Synopsis:	Achievement Unlocked: Claw Enchantment! ...also family time and a visit from a Red Robin!
Cast of Characters:	Rien D'Arqueness, Logan Howlett, Gabby Kinney, Tim Drake

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Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
The time has come. Gabby is turning 18 and Rien has worked hard to make sure she has the perfect gift for her sister. Gabby was invited to the safehouse and told to bring a friend or two along if she wanted. Rien promised a surprise as well, beyond the present itself. And that present comes in the form of Logan himself!

A portal opens into the back yard of the safehouse that Clan D'Arqueness has... in the Hamptons. They're French, and magi, of course they have land in exclusive, high end places! The yard is actually two lots that were purchased side by side a long time ago, back when land was cheap. The house on the lot is a smaller one than most of it's neighbors, possibly because it's warded to all Hell and back.

The afternoon light is still in the sky as the pair exit onto the back lawn, the yard surrounded by trees and bushes to provide privacy.

"Alright. Gabby and her friend should be along shortly. And we can't do the ritual until the sun sets. I've got a few dishes prepared, but there's some steaks that haven't been cooked yet, if you'd like grill and beer duty?" Rien looks to Logan with a smile and points to the very nice grill near the house, "You can even smoke to your heart's content."

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan giving his usual aloof attitude walks in. He whistles "Well this place is... nice... if a bit much"

Logan finds a couch and takes a seat putting his boots up on a near by table. "So what all goes into this enchanting business? do I gotta like hold hands with y'all and chant something?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
The sound of engines can be heard approaching by those with very good hearing. The weather was beautiful out which is why Gabby was using the chance to get out on her motorcycle more. It was just a Honda Trail, which was a bit of an interesting mishmash of street and trail. It was cutesy rather than being racy or tough. Which was perfect for her: Because it still hauled ass and she could strap things to the cargo rack on the back if she needed or wanted. In this case she's got a small duffel bag strapped down with a few necessities inside, just in case. Change of clothes. Costume. Stuffed honey badger plush. The usual.

A quick tip of her head signals the drive to her fellow rider before she swings into it with a quick rev of the throttle. It's eased back when she approaches the front of the house and finally she kills it entirely. A leg swings down to kick the prop right before she hops off reaching up to take her Rebel Alliance helmet off.

"Woo! It's way more fun to ride that out here than in the city! ... Probably need a different bike for that," she considers thoughtfully only to grin. "Come on, let's get inside!"

Was she excited? Hell yes. She's already dashing for the door leaving poor Tim/Red to follow along.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Is there property here in the Hamptons with the name Wayne on the deed? Probably, because that's a thing rich people do, and there's something to be said about conforming to expectations. But Tim hasn't visited it himself; he was born in Jersey, grew up in Jersey, and there's probably a saying about taking the boy out of Jersey that would be appropriate here.

    He's not here as a Wayne tonight, though. It seems a little tactless to show up in the full kit, so he's not in cape and armor, just masked.

    Well, he's definitely wearing armor still, it's just hidden under the oversized red hoodie he's wearing. The real question is: do the Bats embroider their own casual clothing or did he buy branded Red Robin gear for this? And if so, who owns the brand?

    The beast of a motorcycle he's on is the usual Bat gear, though. Enough to keep up with Gabby, certainly, though the engine purrs like a kitten as they cruise along residential streets. No need to bring any extra attention to themselves, especially not when he's away from home. Outwardly the Bats are very territorial and not generally expected to leave Gotham; no need to announce his presence here.

    "We should ride out to Bristol together sometime. Plenty of open roads and a tendency for police to look the other way on account of all the rich people," he says as he follows Gabby inside, hands in his pockets.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"It's not mine, it belongs to the clan. But since I'm here and they aren't... I make use of it when needed. Otherwise, it sits empty." Rien lifts a shrug and moves into the kitchen to get a few more things out from the fridge. As she drifts back into the living room, there's a chuckle for Logan and she shakes her head, "No. You can just watch and drink beer. It won't take long, and then we can have something to eat, celebrate, that sort of thing. Be nice, your daughters want to include you int heir lives." She throws Logan a smile before going to answer the door.

Gabby gets a warm smile and hug, squeezing her tightly and ushering her in through the door, "Your surprise is on the couch. The present will come when the sun sets. If you want to stay the night, I have the guest room made up. Your friend can crash too if he wants." SHe smiles at Gabby, kisses her cheek, then hustles her inside.

Turning back to the tall young man in the mask and branded street clothes, she lifts a brow and looks amused, "Subtle. One moment.." Stepping past him, she waves a hand towards the driveway, then looks to him, "Probably best if the elite don't wonder why I'm hosting one of the Bat Brigade at the house. The driveway will appear empty from the street." Then she's ushering Tim inside as well, "My name is Rien, don't bother looking me up, I don't exist. I come from Clan D'Arqueness, yes that's a real name and yes they do exist so you can look them up all you like. This is mine and Gabby's father, Logan. Be nice, he bites."

Closing the door behind them, she smiles, "Alright! We have food and drink and as soon as the sun sets we can start the ritual for enchanting Gabby's claws. You're all welcome to spend the night, there's plenty of space for everyone, father if you need to get back after, I can make sure you get there."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins over her shoulder at 'Red' when he follows after. At least he was dressed casual, so far as the Bat clan was known for at least. She barely has time to say anything--In fact she doesn't. The door opens and Rien pulls her into a hug. It's returned with a tight squeeze of her own along with a quick, "Thanks for having us promise it won't be any issue..." She starts off only to pause, puzzled, at mention of a surprise on the couch.

She's ushered past only to see Logan there with a look of surprise, and then glee as she grins broadly. Without much ado, or explanation to poor Tim who is getting read the riot act, she launches herself at the couch with a squeal of, "DAD!"

Unless Logan moves he's about to be tackled by Gabby in a quick and enthusiastic hug. "I haven't seen you in ages how are you did Rien bring you here of course she did anyway I'm so glad you're here!"

Tim Drake has posed:
    The only reaction that Rien's magical proclamation gets is a quick "That's handy." With the domino mask on, his expression's pretty hard to read, but he sounded legitimately appreciative there. His head tilts to the side in a way that is (probably unfortunately, given his codename) birdlike as she introduces herself.

    "Homo Magi. Huh. Guess that explains it, then. I was curious where one of Gabby's sisters would have learned magic, though I know the expression of the X-gene can give access to mystical power."

    Once in the house, he stands out of the way that might either indicate he's aware he's an outsider here, or maybe that Red Robin is just socially awkward. Either way, the direction he's facing is undeniably towards Logan. Though, again, no telling if he's surprised or whatever. The mask covers his eyebrows.

    He does eventually lift his hand to wave. Maybe more evidence for the whole social awkward angle. Then he opens his mouth, but whatever Tim was going to say he apparently decides better of it.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan accepts the hug. "Its your birthday, runt. of course I came. Rien also buttered me up with japanese beer."

Logan sniffs the air smell Tim a moment before seeing him. "Who's the boy" Logan says with a sneer. "Hey bub, come here and explain yourself." Logan says motioning to come forward with his finger.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly over Gabby's reaction, Rien lingers back near Tim and glances up at him, "Mixed breed, actually. I'm both homo superior and homo magi. I was born with the x-gene, but I was also born of magic and with magic. And yes, it comes in handy quite often. I understand you're part of the JLD as well, so we'll likely get to work together in the future. Though hopefully we can get a little downtime after that whole angels mess."

With a pause, she glances at him and quirks a smile, "That mask won't do you terribly much good around us, though. The nose never lies. Bump into us once without it and your identity will be.. oops, you're being summoned." Chuckling as her attempt to warn Tim what to be careful of is cut short, she steps aside and moves towards Gabby, smiling at her, "I knew you'd appreciate having him here. I wasn't sure where Laura was or I'd have tried to wrangle her as well."

And now, to watch the fun! Logan is meeting someone new!

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney does a catch and release hug once Logan has been good and properly squeezed in as much as her smaller arms can do so. Of course she was probably already at her full-grown size, but she didn't exactly have the same guns equipped that Logan did. So, smaller.

"Still, thanks for coming," she assures Logan with a broad grin while bouncing back onto her heels and turning to grin over at Rien and Tim. "Thanks, Rien! And what smells so good in the kitchen?" She was growing into her senses, but was still not great at identifying some scents. Food? Food she was pretty decent at.

It's only when she'd begun taking a half-step in that direction that she pauses because Logan calls Tim over, causing her to look a bit puzzled. "What's to explain?" She asks looking between them trying to figure out what had him so concerned. It dawns on her, and her eyes widen with a quiet 'Ooh' of apparent insight. "The mask. Yeah he's got a secret identity, it's no biggie." Yep. That was that. There could not possibly be anything else that Logan wanted explained. Nope.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "I have a few Homo Magi associates. Do you also use logomancy for spell-casting? As an outside observer it's always seemed to me that it utilizes a form of reality manipulation, so that the user is basically imposing their will on the fabric of spacetime to--."

    It's probably a good thing that Logan interrupts Rien interrupts Red Robin, because by the sound of it he could go on for a while still. Instead he nods once and crosses the room to stand in front of Logan.

    He doesn't echo Gabby's "What's to explain?" but he does the bird-head-tilt-thing again. Behind the mask, his eyes narrow. Gabby explains his secret identity thing, and then a beat later Tim has his own lightbulb moment. "Sorry, I just wanted to ask something."

    His shoulders hunch up, and he takes in a deep breath. "Is Captain America's shield really made of vibranium? Have you ever tested it? Is it true that its molecular strength actually increases as it absorbs energy from impacts?"

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan stares Red Robin in the eyes.

"its not the wakandan stuff but yeah. though I think they mixed it with..." Logans claws slowly extended from his hands. "with adamantium"

"now I asked for an explanation." Logan says again. "Who is this masked boy riding with my lil girl? Who are you and what are you to her. Listen Bub I aint asking nice a third time."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Mmmmmmm, I made a few things... gigot d'agneau, ratatouille, confit de canard, quenelles... oh, and there's some steaks that can be grilled up if none of those sound good." Rien smiles towards Gabby before looking back towards Tim and Logan with a small smile playing around her lips. This is going to be so good. She was quite aware of what Logan meant when he asked Tim who he was, and the longer it draws out the more interesteing it gets!

She murmurs to Gabby, "Perhaps we should step into the kitchen and you can taste things, see if you like them? I also got some of that soda you like. I wasn't sure who you were bringing so I made sure to have a selection on hand." Her eyes flit back to poor Tim and the smile widens as Logan's claws make an appearance.

"No blood on the upholstery please, papa. The clan would be very displeased with me, and you know how I hate being indebted to them."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
For several moments Gabby's attention is torn between Red Robin's geeky science questions about Captain America, and Rien's explanation of what food there was. It was hard not to be curious since the unfamiliar names would also explain the unfamiliar smells she had a good whiff of.

It's Logan's actions that causes her to pause with jaw going slightly slack as her brain ticks over to what HE must be thinking. Rien's suggestion they go into the kitchen is met with a quick shake of her head as her hand lifts to clap her open palm to her forehead in a clear 'duh!' gesture.

"He's not a man, he's my *team leader* and friend," she lets out in a long sigh before she pauses again with her eyes narrowing to a little squint. "Wait. I mean. He IS a man. Just. Uh." Her hand drops and she makes a circle in the air with her finger. "Rewind that and pretend that part wasn't said."

Tim Drake has posed:
    Behind the lenses of his mask, Red Robin's eyes widen. "It's an alloy?!" The implications has him tucking his gloved hand against his chin, momentarily lost in thought. Lost enough that the snikting (is that how you use the term?) of Logan's claws escapes him.

    Or rather, the threat of it. Though what Logan says next kind of clears it up.

    At least Gabby jumps in to... defend him? Though Tim's lips purse in disapproval at that first part. "Uh huh," he says, nonplussed. "I don't--. Yeah, no. I'm here as a friend and because I find the concept of magic equal parts baffling and fascinating."

    And then he steps over to Rien. "Is there anything I can do to help in the kitchen? I'm useless at actually cooking anything but I have two hands and I am plenty capable of moving things from point A to point B." He's not running away, no.

    Wait, yes he is. Tim glances over his shoulder at Gabby, who knows him well enough to interpret the microexpressions visible beyond the surface area of his mask. And Tim would very much like a tactical retreat at the moment.

Logan Howlett has posed:
"So now the boy is a man?" Logan responds to Gabby

"Team leader?" Logan says looking Tim in the eyes. "Team leader ay?" Logan looks him over. Logan shakes his head. "Cykes would have he'll his nerve better, Cap' would have been direct about it from the start. But you're kid unless you're some really powerful mutant it's excusable. As long as there aint nothing untoward between you and the runt. We'll be fine."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Clearing her throat, Rien smiles towards Tim and gives a nod, "If you'd like to check out the food in the kitchen, you're more than welcome to. I wasn't sure who Gabby was going to bring, so I have a large variety of drinks as well, if you'd care to make sure that there's something that will appeal?" Then she's looking to Logan and smiling, "Its about time to get started anyways, and we'll need to head out back for this. The moon will be important in the enchantment. I want to catch it when it's in the yard."

Turning to Gabby, she smiles, "If there's anything you want to do to prepare, now would be a good time. I think we can manage out here."

To Logan, she clucks her tongue, "Father, please. Remember, we're here for Gabby tonight, hm? Red Robin is a valued member of a few different teams, and leads his own." She moves to offer him a hand, unafraid of the adamantium claws, smiling, "Time to head out back and we'll get this taken care of. Then we can eat!"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney holds her hands up apologetically toward Tim with a grimace at the whole situation. Her attention shifts back over to Logan though as she lets out a sigh. "By age, yeah, he is, and while he's not great socially he does great in the field. And he wants me to become a team leader, too," she points out as she tries to talk Tim up some to make up for her little slip there. "Besides it's his brother that likes me not him."

Dropping her hands again she ducks her head toward Tim apologetically, and glances at Rien with a nod. "Oh, could you grab me one of those rootbeers? I'm a bit dusty after that bike ride." A bit of a fib but hey, drinks were good! It'd also give him a moment to duck away into the kitchen so he could regain his composure.

"Outside? Sure! We can do that. I'm so ready for this!"

Tim Drake has posed:
    There's mostly just a lot of looking between Gabby and Logan from Red Robin's end of things. At least that's what the shifting of his head back and forth implies he's doing. The way Gabby holds up both of her hands ends up mirrored by Tim himself, along with a tiny shake of his head.

    "Yeah, so, I'm just going to goooooo... make some coffee?" The way his voice goes up at the end of the sentence implies it's a question, and his attention seems to visibly shift towards Rien for that, just a quick glance before he's making the previously mentioned tactical retreat right out of the room.

    Only for him to spin on his heel two steps past the doorway and return. "No, he doesn't. Wait. Which brother?"

    The puzzle pieces click together in his head and Tim lets out a wheezy breath. "You're kidding me! Baby's first crush! Oh my god," and then he really does leave to find the kitchen, laughing underneath his breath the whole way.

    Oh man he's going to give Damian so much crap for that.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan cocks an eyebrow. "Brother? who is this brother?"

A heavy and strong feeling hand would grasp on to tim's shoulder. "Tell me about this brother, bub"

"Look I'm just trying to talk to the guy I have a few quick questions and then I'll let him quiz me on what i think Cap's shield is or how they grafted adamantium to my skeleton or anything else. I just want to know how my girl is around and who this kid who likes her is." Logan says to try to calm Rien and Gabby down.

"you got parents you know the drill right. bub?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien just laughs at the whole situation and nods to Gabby, "I got your rootbeer, you go clean up. We'll be fine here." Then she's turning towards Tim, "The french press is next to the fridge, right side! There's a good dark roast in the freezer, grinder is next to the press."

Turning towards the kitchen, she slips inside to start preparing the items needed for the ritual. Nothing terribly arcane-looking, sadly.

Then she answers Tim's belated question, "No, I don't practive logomancy. I don't need words at all to cast. My magic is innate, it comes from within. I channel it towards the purpose I want. That could be anything from a shield to a floating platform to a portal or illusion. It's very versatile -and- not dependent on the ability to speak."

To Logan, she smiles, "As long as there's no blood being spilled, father, you'll get no arguments from me."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh, no," Gabby groans when she realizes just what it was she said. Scrubbing both hands over her face quickly she lets out a sigh. "He's younger than me and I'm not even sure I'm that interested yet since I just got over---" Pausing she steps quickly to turn away and walk off. "Shut up, Gabby, you talk to much," she mutters beneath her breath.

"I'll be out in a minute!" Maybe after cutting out her tongue. That might work for awhile.

Tim Drake has posed:
    While the conversation goes on around him, Red Robin only manages to interject with "They grafted adamantium to your skeleton?"

    His mouth gapes open for a moment because he's about to continue asking questions, but again, he reconsiders. Instead he purses his lips together, briefly thoughtful. Though his expression cracks at the parent question. "No, not any more. But if I had to give an evaluation, I'd say that he has her beat on swordfighting. Assassin skills are comparable, though his training was much more Eastern in style than Gabby's, so there are naturally some areas where he'll be better than her and vice versa."

    "I know Laura insists on micro-dosing with various poisons so Gabby's probably safe on that front, between that and my brother's general preference for violence over stealth kills. Head-to-head they're a good match but Gabby's tenacity and his brashness would give her the win at least, hmm..." And here Tim pauses. "A good sixty-five percent of the time, I'd say. Then you factor in her healing, and...."

    All he has to say about that is... well, nothing. Red Robin just shrugs, and then he dips into the kitchen to get at that french press.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien glances from Gabby to Tim, then over to Logan to lift a shrug, "First I'm hearing of it. But if he's related to Red Robin, then I would say that Gabby is in good company. That group is -highly- trained and extremely disciplined." She smiles at him, "We can try to ambush them with a dinner sometime if you're curious." Then she too is headed into the kitchen to finish preparations.

To Tim, she adds as she heads into the kitchen, "Mugs are in the cupboard over the french press. I don't remember if I mentioned." She gathers up a large but shallow polished stone bowl, a clay canteen, and a few fresh herbs and flowers. Moving past, out into the yard itself, she casts a glance up into the sky, then paces out into the yard until she's satisfied with the placement. Setting the bowl on the ground, and all the other items next to it, she leaves them there and heads back in to call out.

"Whenever you're ready, just head outside through the lanai!" The back porch.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney steels herself for the worst possible outcome to this news. At least it seems she got away with not having to give more info about who or what she was 'getting over' in this case. However, hearing Tim explain Damian was just as damning a situation. For a moment she takes a deep breath, then she shakes her head while striding quickly for the guest room.

"Just gonna change out of my riding gear," she assures. "And I don't think that's what he meant about tell him things, Red. ... Maybe." Then again, this WAS Logan, and their family was rather unique in many regards. "And it's really, really new, he expressed interest and... Anyway."

She's barely through the door to the guest room and already pulling off her jacket and kicking her boots off messily toward the bed. The duffel she'd had with her is unzipped to take out some comfy flip-flops because it was warm and she was going to enjoy it. Satisfied for now she gives herself a once over in the mirror, then heads out making a beeline toward the patio. Porch. Lanai. Whatever it was called.

"I'm totally ready. And hungry."

Tim Drake has posed:
    The process of making coffee with a french press isn't a quick one. It's one Red Robin's familiar with, of course, caffeine addict that he is, but that familiarity doesn't translate into fast. It's also the perfect opportunity to text Damian a warning about the risks brought on by his new crush.

    Tim doesn't, though. He considers it strongly, but decides against. And let's be real, even if he had, it would have been more teasing than any actual warning. But the Bats are good about reading between the lines like that.

    They're not exactly a family known for having healthy communication, after all.

    When he appears on the lanai, it's with a tray he's somehow managed to find in the kitchen, and coffee for everyone. He finds a suitable flat surface to set it down on and then takes up one of the four mugs to sip from, despite its no-doubt scalding contents. "I'd offer you an emergency protein bar from the emergency-protein-bar pouch but I'm sure you'd rather wait so you can enjoy your sister's cooking instead," he says to Gabby.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan is confused and annoyed at Tim's strange ramble comparing Gabby and Damian's fighting prowess. "so this guy thinks his brother could fight gabby. I'll have to fix that." Logan mumbles to himself.

Logan sneaks a piece of duck from the kitchen and makes his way to lanai, food and beer in hand.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Enchantment first, food after." Rien smile towards Gabby and motions her towards the setup. "Seat yourself opposite me. Kneeling or sitting, whichever is most comfortable. You'll have to lean forward for a little while, but I don't see that impeding you much." She offers a grin towards her sister.

Tim gets cast a horrified look at the mention of protein bars. "You, sir, are going to enjoy a good homecooked meal like the rest of us. Those... those -bars- of yours can wait for another time. Sometime not in my house. If you don't like lamb or beef, the ratatouille is vegetarian, as are the quenelles." She squints hard at him as if reassessing his character based solely on his food choices. She's French, food snobbery is REAL.

The leg of lamb was mostly for Logan and Gabby. Food on the bone that can be held in one hand and gnawed upon at will! Crispy skin, melty fat that helped cooked it a perfect medium-rare. "Technically, I believe Red Robin was just assessing their combat skills if pitted against one another. In this case, I don't know that he anticipates fighting Gabby if he has a crush on her." She flashes a smile at Logan, "But I welcome you to reach out and determine for yourself. I only ask to be present so that I can watch."

Then its back to Gabby and she's smiling once more. "Extend your claws please. We're going to create the mixture for your claws and you will need to soak both claws in them as long as the moon is reflected in the water. No chanting required, though if anyone feels inspired, please know that I'll be recording you for posterity." Then she's reaching for the canteen and pouring it out as she explains, "The purest spring water, retrieved from a small spring in the Alps." Then she reaches for the vials, "Essence of the seasons, a bloom tied to each that has been distilled down to an oil. This will ensure that your claws maintain their strength through the seasons." Then the herbs and flowers, handed to Gabby, "Crush them in your hands, then sprinkle them into the water."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney glances over toward Red Robin when he emerges carrying a tray of coffee. Though she had thought to get some soda, coffee works for her as well, and she flashes him a quick grin of thanks. And perhaps just a hint of apology at being dragged into this familial mess unexpectedly. "Yeah I can wait a bit to eat. It's not like it's gonna kill me," she points out with a quick pat to her stomach.

Another smile is offered toward Rien and Logan as everyone assembles. "Seriously though I'm really glad everyone is here. We don't spend enough time together. Also..." she begins holding up a finger to point slightly at Logan. "That's what Red does. He assesses situations and comes up with a probable outcome. That's why the fighting comparisons. I don't think Robin would actually fight me outside of sparring. ... He does think my claws are cool, though." With that she moves over toward where Rien pointed her to go.

Opting to kneel her feet are tucked beneath her and she rests her hands on her lap. It was a posture she was familiar with. Though she might have more of a 'Western based training' as Tim had pointed out she did have martial arts mixed into her training as well. Kneeling was familiar enough even if she usually just sat cross-legged. "He's vegetarian so that works," she adds with a nod toward Tim indicating him. "His sister got him into it. And yes, save the bars for the field." Grinning anew she holds her fists forward with her single thick bone claws popping out of each hand to be on easy display. She doesn't even flinch at them breaking through the thin skin on the back of her hands.

"At least let me warn him first," she utters quietly, thoroughly distracted. Which is why her face scrunches up as she works to focus on the ceremony right now.

Keeping her claws extended she opens her hands to accept the flowers which she crushes, and squeezes, rubbing the petals between her fingers to get all the liquid out a bit. Then she lets them tumble into the water after being thoroughly smooshed up.

Tim Drake has posed:
    It seems wise not to state any kind of food preference in the face of French food snobbery, so Red Robin only nods in acknowledgment. "There's a reason they're for emergencies only," he agrees with a faint wrinkle of his nose.

    He folds himself onto a chair to observe the ritual from a distance. Swap out the red jacket for a lab coat and he'd be a good fit in any laboratory across the country. No doubt the domino mask and its white-out lenses function just fine as safety goggles if the need arises (which is surprisingly often, in Gotham).

    When Gabby mentions Damian's... appreciation of her claws, Tim lets out a wheezy "Oh, he *would*. 'Obsessed' is too light a word for how much he likes bladed weaponry. I'd make the obvious joke, but," he gestures towards himself with his coffee cup, "It'd be kind of hypocritical."

    The magical ritual (or the preparation for it?) begins, and he grows quiet. Even his sips are silent. Too focused on taking mental notes as Rien explains and Gabby complies.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan doesn't know what to make of the attention Gabby's claws are getting. He's never thought much of them. His claws haven't really been a positive in his life.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien gives a smile, nodding as Gabby crushes the herbs and flowers and adds them to the mix. "Excellent. Now, hands out, palm up, you need to immerse the claws fully in the water. And keep them there until I tell you to stop." Her own claws extend, glowing that light blue color as she places a hand on either side of the outside of the bowl, touching but not grasping, as if she were offering the bowl out to her sister.

Once Gabby's claws are immersed, Rien's eyes close and she shuts out everything around her. Her breathing slows as she focuses, channeling the magic within herself and focusing it on the bowl. That light blue glow spreads from her claws across her entire form, until she's enveloped in it. And as the moon rises and the silvery light hits the water, that glow begins to spread to the bowl, and through the water, to Gabby.

It wraps around the claws first, then her hands, then slowly along until both of them kneel in the grass, glowing a light blue. The water in the bowl is shining, that silvery light beaming out as the magical energy that Rien channels is absorbed by Gabby's claws.

Were Tim to get closer, he would see the fresh herbs and flowers drying up, as if the life had been sucked right out of them, and the level of water slowly descreases as the moon continues along it's path in the sky.

The ritual isn't quick, but it is effective, and by the time the treeline hides the moon once more, Gabby's claws glow with the same silvery light of the moon. The bowl is damp, but devoid of water, and only the scattered, dried husks remain of the herbs and flowers added to it. The light blue glow leaves Gabby first, reversing its course until the only glow left is in Rien's own claws.

"You can sit back now Gabby, the ritual is complete. Your claws are now as infused as my own. Because it was only me and not the entire clan, however, you -will- have to bathe your claws in spring water on each solstice and equinox. Once each season. I suggest you set reminders on your phone for it. One hour, in the moonlight, bathed in spring water. That will keep the enchantment strong. If you miss one, we'll have to re-enchant them and you'll have to try again the next season." RIen smiles and leans back, then flips the bowl so the bottom of it faces Gabby, held between her hands, "Feel free to try them out. Or if father will agree, you can even test your claws against his." She glances over to Logan with a smile.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney nods obediently as Rien explains exactly what she was to do. Claws still out she rotates her wrists only to sink her hands and claws down into the bowl. Here she remains, leanig forward with her back arched the whole time. The burning feel of muscles complaining is completely lost on her--Even if her healing factor couldn't keep up with it immediately, the nanomachines blocking her pain receptors ensure she feels nothing more than a heat in the muscle from the blood swelling in them. No ache. No pain. Only the use of muscles over a length of time.

Time which goes far too slow for her. Yet she endures, even though her mouth has started to move wordlessly on it's own while the ritual works. It's not a repitition of what Rien says--Not completely. Most of it is just her repeating lyrics to songs she knew but wasn't singing aloud. It was a way to keep herself distracted. Even if Tim, or anyone else good at lip reading, might figure out she was saying 'Baby shark da da da da'.

Once the water has dried from the bowls she rocks back sitting on her heels again with a little groan that was more mental actual discomfort. Her hands flex, gazing at the claws, with an emerging grin. "Really?"

No sooner has the bowl been flipped and offered than she lashes out to slice through the material in a single swipe. It earns a WOOP of excitement from her and she bounces up to her feet with only a slight stumble from feet gone to sleep.

"Thank you! This is so awesome!"

Tim Drake has posed:
    With no mystical sense of his own, Red Robin is forced to wait for the visible signs of the ritual taking effect. He at least has the benefit of his mask's telescoping lenses, which allows him to view in crystal clear high definition the way the magic begins to draw from the ingredients set out for it.

    Even still, it's a lot to take in for a bog-standard human. Especially as Tim's mind spins with every added detail, wondering over the significance of it.

    Though there is a solid few minutes where all he's doing is trying to force that dumb baby shark song out of his head. Thanks, Gabby.

    He rises to his feet smoothly with his empty coffee cup, still watching from a distance as Rien encourages Gabby to try out her new(ly refurbished?) claws.

    "Have you ever tried to cut through a mystical barrier with your claws?" he asks. The mask hides the speculative look he favors Gabby with as his mind begins putting together test plans to figure out the extent of Gabby's new combat capabilities.

Logan Howlett has posed:
"take this seriously Gabby. you don't want to end up with crab claws for hands or something. Magic is always finicky like that." Logan says after observing Gabby's lips. Logan's keen senses allow him to lip read easier than normal. "There was this one time where someone messed with a memory erasing spell. I forgot what happened but it wasn't good."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Holding the halves of the bowl after Gabby's sliced it cleanly in half, Rien smiles widely at her and gives a nod, "You are welcome. Happy birthday. Early, but whatever. I'm 123 years old, days are inconsequential." Rising up smoothly to her feet with a fluid motion that speaks to many many many hours having to kneel then rise, she gathers up the canteen and loks to Tim, "Yes I have, and yes I can, depending on the strength of the caster and the amount of energy put into the shield or ward. However, it's generally easier to simply dispel the ward or shield than try to go through it with one's claws." She glances to Gabby and smiles, "Your claws now can, however, interact now with magical creatures, barriers, and items. That also means you need to be careful, certain items draw on magic, and that can now include your claws."

She lets out a breath and tucks the items under one arm, then turns to everyone with a smile, "And now, there is dinner in the kitchen." She flicks a hand towards the house, then smiles, "Reheated. As is the coffee, Red Robin so thoughtfully made." Because nobody wants cold food. She looks to Logan and her smile softens, "Her claws are now every bit as strong as yours without having to go through the adamantium coating process." She heads over and slips an arm around his waist and gives him sa squeeze as she presses a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you for coming tonight, father. I know it meant a lot for Gabby. And I enjoy having you over."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney lets her claws slide back in giving her fingers a testing wiggle. There was no difference in her ability to move around. It didn't hurt to check though. Still grinning she slips her feet back into her flipflops which she had removed before kneeling for so long. "I'm being as serious as I can! I just... had to keep my mind busy with something," she mumbles giving a shrug. It was an ear worm and definitely kept her mind going.

Following after Rien she pauses to give Logan a hug from the other side with a quick nod. "Yeah! Thank you for coming, it was a great surprise!" Pausing, she pulls away to sniff at the air again.

"What's that... chickeny thing that... doesn't smell entirely like chicken?" Duck. It was duck. She'd never had duck before and it was a new smell for her. Besides that she was still getting used to the extra strong senses to begin with.

Red Robin becomes her next target for a quick hug now that he had been deemed 'safe' by Logan. She hoped. "And thanks for coming, Red! I know you were curious about this stuff but I also appreciate having a friend along. Let's get you some more coffee and go eat!"

Tim Drake has posed:
    More information for Tim to tuck away for another time. As much as he wanted to continue with his line of questioning, he figured food was more important. Even if he does look tremendously envious of Rien's ability to reheat coffee with a wave of her hand.

    "Duck, probably," Red Robin says, hazarding a guess. And then Gabby's hugging him, which he returns with a gentle shoulder-pat. He shakes his head in response to her thank you, expression cracking as he smiles. "No problem. Always happy to support where I can, even if it was just hanging out on the sidelines in this instance."

    He's normally not the type to stay for dinner when in costume, but it's home-cooked food. Home-cooked *French* food. It'd be rude to say no, so he follows along.

Logan Howlett has posed:
"Canard means duck." Logans getting up. "it's good too."

Logan ponders for a moment a different world where he has magic instead of the adamantium that is slowly poisoning him to death. "Wow whats the draw back? to the magic claws?" Logan quietly wonders could she do a whole skeleton? then regret washes over him. Being put through what they did to him when magic could so easily replicate it.

Logan goes searching around for cognac Fancy french people probably have great wine and great cognac. "Where is the hard stuff Rien?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Duck?" Gabby again sniffs the air curiously though she nods accepting the explanation. "I think I need to sit down with a whole bunch of things some day to smell and just familiarize myself with them all." Her hands swing out gesturing as if indicating a REALLY BIG tray of things she might need to gather for such sniffage. The thought goes by as she moves inside to where the magically reheated food is.

"I don't think I've ever had French food before! This'll be great! I love trying new things," she gushes with obvious excitement. Really, she did try a lot of new things whenever she could, and her eagerness to continue shows readily./

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien makes sure to send Tim off with some of the ratatouille and quenelles when he gets 'A Call'. Then she's turning to Logan and smiling, "Bottom cabinet, right side. There's tequila, gin, and a bottle of Lock, Stock, and Barrel 16 year. Thought you might enjoy that." To Gabby, she smiles, "He's right, it's duck. VERY good. Fattier than chicken, but it melts in your mouth and the skin is SO crispy and flavorful."

She moves to get Gabby that root beer she'd asked for, handing it to her with a smile, "Nice and cold. There's glasses in the middle upper cabinet and the ice machine on the fridge door works, if you want."

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan looks at the available option and then goes sniffing around and fnds the entrance to the wine cellar. Logan then reappears with a bottle of very rare Red wine and his main prize, a bottle of Luis XIII cognac. "I found the good stuff Rien." Logan says with a wry smile. "Did I ever talk about the time I spent in europe during the war. I was with the howling commandos for a while before I got redeployed to the pacific front. Any way I got the taste for what France had to offer, spent a few good nights with someone. I respect too much to name right now"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney takes the offered root beer and glass quite willingly. "Nah I'm fine without ice, takes away from the flavor," she reasons as she sets herself up to crack open the drink and pour it out like a civilized person. By the time Logan has returned from the wine cellar she's already tipping back a quick sip of the fizzy concoction. "It's too bad this doesn't have caffiene but I guess it doesn't really matter since it doesn't do much for me anyway." Besides, Root Beer had SO many levels of, well, flavor. She enjoyed it.

A glance is cast to the bottles Logan has curiously. "Can I have a sip?" It might be the only time she gets to try something like that. More than a sip though? Probably not with her current palete. Maybe when she was older and could appreciate it more.

"Definitely want to try the duck then. And everything else."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Ah! Good, good. Just leave some of the wine for me for special occasions, hm?" Rien smiles towards Logan, then moves to get glasses, separate types of glasses, for the wine and cognac. Turning back to them, she smiles towards Gabby, "Yes, you can have soem wine, or cognac, or both. A glass of red wine is good to have with dinner."

Setting the glasses out, she moves to start plating up the food for all three of them, making sure each of them gets some of everything. Moving to set the plates at the table, she leaves pouring of wine or cognac to Logan, glancing his way, "A pecial lady in France, who wasn't my mother... now I'm curious... I'm almost tempted to really think back and see if I know!"

Logan Howlett has posed:
"you're 18 thats old enough to drink in my book why not" Logan says as he offers to pour her a cup of either liqour.

Logan says "she's british, and I worked with her on some special ops stuff canada wa more irectly under the crown back then. We were on and off mostly physical I thought more of her but she never stopped carrying a torch for another guy. We eventually parted ways for good. It's how it goes."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney reaches out to accept the cups with drinks in them. One of each to try. Settled in with three drinks she accepts the plate as well when Rien offers it over. The fork is plucked up, twirled between fingers like it were a throwing knife, and then deftly stabbed down into a bit of the duck while it was still hot.

Then her nose crinkles a bit listening to the conversation. "Oh please don't tell me I ended up with your luck in relationships," she utters beneath her breath. The thought passes though as she instead sticks her tongue out. "And can we not talk about your sex lives? I don't need that mental image. Ew." A little shudder runs through her, though she does offer a grin at the end. I mean. It was eeew but they were still people she cared about.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Don't look at me, I'm in my first relationship... ever. It's going well. I'm.. not sure how I'm going to fuck it up, but I expect it's inevitable. I only hope that by that point, the relationship will be strong enough to survive whatever I do to fuck it up," Rien seems rather sanguine about her inevitable crash and burn, perhaps overly so. Sitting in front of her own plate, she starts carving the leg of lamb from the bone to have with parts of the ratatouille.

Glancing to Logan, she lifts both brows, then squints at him, then finally just shakes her head, "I will never understand the American issues with discussing sex." She looks to their father and smiles, "If she made you happy in the time you had together, then I am glad."

Logan Howlett has posed:
"Don't worry. I'm short hairy and ugly, Luckily all my girls turned out much prettier than me." Logan says taking a swig of cognac. "I'm sure you girls will have better luck than me. If you can keep from getting in your own way. unlike me"

"Gabby is still young Rien we've seen it all and twice, this is still her first go around at life." Logan says knowing that Rien shares his long lived experience.

"I was happy yeah." Logan say with some meloncholy in his voice. Logan drinks some more. "So besides boys what have you girls been up to?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney actually looks a bit guilty as well as embarassed over all the discussion. She's a bit red-faced and stares down at her plate so it becomes a suitable distraction. "Not just that. I mean." Logan speaks up though with a very good point about how she was the youngest among them. She really was after all.

"I have reason to not want to hear too much about yours, Rien, though I'm glad things are going good for you both. And... yeah nothing wrong with being happy," she adds offering Logan a sheepish grin. The bite of duck is taken, chewed, and she hmms appreciatively at the new flavor. Enough so that she goes to cut another peice in a more polite manner. Using a knife even.

"Well, Red Robin and some other members of the team were kidnapped awhile ago and I kind of become defacto leader because I was the first to unlock the computer systems. They were all synced to my command only at the base so I took charge. But I did a good enough job that Red wants me to become a team leader, too. So a lot of reading and studying."

There's a pause before she continues. "Bellona went missing. She's my other clone sister, the non-mutant one," she explains. "And I was having issues with, er... dying." Another cut to the duck. "One of the experiments they did on us to make us stop feeling pain. It killed all our other sisters and I guess it was starting to be an issue for me. Two minutes at a time. I lost track of how many times. Red, the team, and Deadpool went after the labs to figure out why. Found Bellona there and shut down the issue. They were apparently using nanomachines to make zombie fighters and the computer mainframe was sending out a 'kill switch' signal to activate which was messing me up. We got them reprogrammed though, and Bellona's doing fine, too. She's off... Somewhere again. I think she was talking about going to kill the guys in charge of the project."

"She always had a temper."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Nodding to Logan, she smiles, "You make a good point, father." Then she's glancing to Gabby with a nods, "I wasn't going to mention mine. I stop with it going well for a reason," Rien glances towards Gabby before settling in to listen to her sister's recap of her recent activities. She sips some of her wine and glances towards Logan to gauge his reaction.

Clearing her throat, she murmurs, "Lets see... I helped to resolve the angel attack on New York, including duking it out with the RAchangel Michael at the gates of Heaven, which earned me a Thunderclap of Disapproval from beyond the pearly gates... and also resulted in my getting the entirety of the universe's existence downloaded direct into my head. At least, Michael's memories of it. That was... ah. Interesting. Still processing those."

She draws in a breath and lets it out, then lifts her wine glass and mutters quickly, "I may also have let myself die 58 times in a row in order to build a bridge of my own dead bodies for my team to cross so that we could claim a new headquarters in the Astral Plane. I've since been asked to step into a leadership position with that group, so that worked out pretty well." Taking a large swallow of her wine, she focuses quite intently on her food and purposely looks nobody in the eye.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan stares for a moment. "No i have nothing." He drinks more and grabs the leg of lamb to eat. "I've seen and been through some wild and messed up shit. But you girls have been through it huh. give me the info on that lab I want to look into them later."

"I'm glad you girls are stepping up to be leaders. I was never the leader type. Well I never played well with others not till I joined up with Chuck and the X-men" there is a pause. "I'm proud of you girls."