16024/Tea Wrecks

Tea Wrecks
Date of Scene:	06 October 2023
Location:	Candle, Booke and Belle
Synopsis:	#$&^ the Bad Vibes, Joshua
Cast of Characters:	Nettie Crowe, Belinda Gutierrez, Joshua Foley, Kelly Praetor

---

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    It is a gray, drizzly day in New York City. The Candle, Booke and Belle shop is indeed open, though, its round display window showing pumpkins and gourds along with bats and crows.

    Below, once you enter the shop and go down a set of stairs, Nettie Crow is sitting on the tea counter, a beat up but study six-string in her hands as she bare-hand strums, stained fingernails pricking against the strings.

    "SO. THERE I WAS. Wee little village in the foothills of the mountains, and one of the evangelical priests comes up to me and says 'Oh, but they say they've seen a witch, bathing naked in the river -- pale as the moon, and that she cured teething babies and made their goats fat with kids and milk again!'" she states, pricking out a few notes.

    "Had to explain to the poor bastard it was me, last year, and I was passing my way through again and felt *awfully* dirty. Poor chap almost lost his wig."

    The main room in the Candle's store is warm and bright. There was a fire crackling. Tea and cider carried in the air, and Nettie herself was wearing jeans and a camisole with a chunky sweater slung over it. There are scones marked "EAT ME BITCHES" in a basket on the counter.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
The giggle of merriment rises from the young lady, shaking her head as Belinda puts the last cleaning touch to a set of rather large carving knives! "Dios!" she exclaims, smiling as her eyes dance-- examining the blade in her hand carefully before she sets it aside. "I must apologize, Abuela. I was sure that nothing could top your story about running away with the Tank, but that one-- it must surely come close!" She grins with unabashed cheer as she nods to herself in satisfaction, folding up the collection of kitchen tools in a loose, clean towelette.

"Perhaps it is far too early to be considering," she says, sighing with pleasure. "But instead of barnuts, because we are a *tea* bar, I was thinking-- roasted pumpkin seeds. Butter, a bit of olive oil, some salt and garlic and seasonings..."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua is no BITCH, so he has not taken a scone, but he does have a cookie, as he sits and listens to Nettie's tale with wide-eyed wonderment. He's working on the counters while Belinda is handling the nuiances.

Then she mentions pumpkin seeds and he laughs and shakes his head. "Are we joining the pumpkin spice'd everything craze?" he asks teasingly, a glance up at Belinda as he whips his towel in a crack to clean it out to continue to wipe.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    You know, when you get a business card for a little business like this one, from a friend, who says 'yeah they do magic' it is kind of hard to imagine just what you're about to get into. Kelly had ran the address through the internet, found some directions, snuck out of her apartment (fking paparazzi) and managed to get to the CB&B without anyone really noticing. .. which was surprising considering what she had become only a bit over a month earlier.

Once upon a time, the scent of the place would have been novel. With an entirely new nose Kelly picked up on the place a block away. Teas and incenses? Books and all manner of other thing? "What in the world am I getting into now?" ... but down the stairs she doth go.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Joshua can be a Bitch if he wants to if he wants a scone. Nettie reaches over and grabs one.

    "Oi. Ask any kitchen witch. Pumpkin spice is a protective procedure, all associated with fire and cover the Four P?s: potency, protection, passion and prosperity. But in this case salt-and-pepper pumpkin seeds are a good idea, s'long as we don't make them too spicy for the general public. Not everyone shares our love of the hot stuff, pup." she states friendly in nature to both Joshua and Belinda, and then pauses -- the door opens. The bells ring their warning and in steps...

    Nettie has to adjust herself a moment, and gives a small smile.

    "Welcome, friend, to the Candle, Booke and Belle. What can we do to help?"

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda grumbles good-naturedly. Lack of spice in seeds! Tragedy. "No pepper juice," she promises, sighing wistfully. "...for the public to consume. But if the batch comes out well, I shall try a more private mix, to see if it goes well. And if we have seeds left over to cook especial!" Glancing back at Joshua, she explains. "It is an old family recipe. Or ancestral, by now! It is an old, old thing, from before Spaniards ever came to the Americas. And for the record, I am sure Starbucks stole Pumpkin Spice from *us* first. Putting it in coffees--"

Sharp ears quiver with the sound of incoming steps, the singing of the bells. She listens for a few seconds, head canting oddly, quizzically, curiously.

"...shoe taps?" she asks softly, caught off guard.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Nettie and Belinda are so much faster than Joshua when it comes to recognizing when people are entering the shop. Pushing himself up from where he was dusting, Joshus dusts himself off, the golden mutant letting Nettie handle the greetings as he walks by...

And a roll of his rag and a soft whip at Belinda to pop her with it. Totally innocent. Nope, they aren't kids.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    You know, with responses like that, Kelly figures maybe her change isn't quite as bad as she thought. That or she's ran across a nest of folk that don't really mind what walks past the front door. One or the other, but both would be nice. There are no footsteps but there is a sort of tap, then two, then nothing once Kelly's at a standstill to consider everyone inside the shop. Bar. Botique? She wasn't sure at this point.

    What everyone gets to see is the same thing that was all over Metropolis News TV for about a week before the cycle moved on, likely carrying all the news about the X-Men and the law that failed to pass because of them. Far bigger news than a QB getting transformed into a dinosaur in the middle of a game. Jeans, a blanked jersey, under a zip-up hoodie thanks to the cool weather outside. "An old friend of mine sent me out this way cause, ah, I'm out of ideas on what the hell happened to me."

    The towel whip will be addressed -later-. Maybe. ... Possibly!

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie, the shortest one of the bunch, sitting on the tea bar, lets her eyes go wide a moment.

    "Ms. Praetor." she states, and she leans back to slide her guitar under the counter.

    "Come in, come in. Please, you're among friends here. My name is Nettie. The golden Adonis is my son, Joshua, and this is my granddaughter Belinda -- they're of no relation to each other or me, but we're family just the same. Have a seat. Would you rather and ottoman to sit on? What would be the most comfortable for you?" Nettie asks, the witch pulling her hair back in a rush.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda stares raptly (ahem) at the newcomer, eyes wide in shocked wonderment, surprise. The towelsnap brings her back to reality quickly though; witha dirty look cast Joshua's way, she waves in welcome to the Ms. Praetor, moving back behind the tea bar.... and pausing with a grimace.

"Would you like a drink?" she asks, bending back up. "We have teas, of course, but also sodas, water, or any manner of other things. Also, would you like a teacup, or would something with a wider rim be more helpful?" She pauses, gesturing to her mouth. "Also, we have scones, biscuits, cookies--!"

Joshua Foley has posed:
While the two women are doing their thing, Joshua is /freaking/ out on the inside. "Ohmygoshohmygosh, you're Kelly Praetor! I got your Meteors rookie card! I saw you hit that fifty yard seam pass against Pittsburgh last year that got you into field goal range with like three seconds left!"

He doesn't mention the whole 'I also saw you become a dinosaur' on TV thing. "I'd totally love your autograph!" He's actually bouncing up and down on his heels. "Nettie can help you! If she can't, I don't know if anyone can! I mean... I can heal people, I just don't know..." Reversing forced mutations is not on his abilities... yet.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Ah yes, the TAIL. The thing that has taken the most getting used to, beyond sharper senses and a complete lack of footwear among the shops for people with different LEG STRUCTURES. "Ah, I've been able to figure out most seats so... either is fine.." The consideration was warming. Not many had really thought about it, not even her personal lawer and accountant had really even realized it to be an issue . . until it was.

    Belinda gets something that manages to be a smile. LEARNING THAT TOO. "Water's fine, honestly. The last month has been a lot of relearning, appreciate the thought," the last statement going to Nettie and Belinda both as Kelly wanders a little further into the ...curio? Bleh. The word will come to her eventually. Sure shope was right on the sign but that didn't seem right either. "I had a snack on the way here. Hard to resist a Slice from a lot of the corner folk in the area."

    Ah, there's the star-struck reacton she had actually started to MISS not all that long ago. Just the first 'ohmygosh' resulted in a pen click and a produced 3x5 before Joshua can even finish the sentence. Smirk. "Ah, that's just it. From everything I've had done and everything that 'normal' methods can determine... this wasn't genetic."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Some things don't change.

    "So, it's not a genetic mutation, no X-Gene. I reckon sciencing it hasn't found an answer either, has it?" Nettie states, looking at Kelly with curiosity, the clockwork behind her eyes ticking a little bit as she reaches up to crack her fingers, and then pull on a pair of pale lavender gloves.

    "Had you taken any new exotic or unusual trinkets into your home? tchotchkeys? Little spoons or thimbles?" she questions in curiosty.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Quiet save for the clink of porcelain, Belinda returns to her work preparing a drink for their guest. First: water. It might be simple, but no need for it to be plain! Instead of the regular, smaller cup, Beli takes out a larger glass without a handle; as wide as a hand, pristine and white, it bears a golden band at the rim, bordered with dark blue-- the colors of the Meteors, cleaned and polished to sparkling perfection.

"Warm water," Belinda announces, setting cup onto its serving platter, pouring simpole water from the heated tea kettle at the serving station. "Lemon juice to flavor, Senora?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua asks. "Could it be like... forced mutations? I've seen people turned into Rhinos and Boarhogs and stuff like that." He takes the autograph with glee and sets it on the counter for the ink to dry, allowing Nettie to see what Kelly looked like before she changed.

She was /hot/.

Anyway! Back on task, "That was one of the last things I came across before..." Belinda and Nettie know, he died. "...and now that I know what I can do with healing... I've been wondering if I could ... I don't know, heal someone that has been forced to change?"

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    "Nothing new, no, but a coincidence from my childhood is really the only thing I've come up with, and I realized it while I was talking with Audra.." Did Kelly give her name earlier? She didn't recall, but well, at least Nettie would know who sent her along, at that point. "But no, science has come up with bupkis at this point. I was taking -all of the tests- from highschool forward to make all the nay-sayers eat some crow, you know? Always saying I was harboring a mutation and that's why I could be good at A MAN'S SPORT." bleh. It hurt just to say that.

    To be fair, most places that offer water tend to suppy it with ice. Announcing that it's coming in heated means "Ah, lemon would be fine, then," Kelly says, interrupting her train of thought regarding Nettie's question. She'll notice the colors later depending on what comes of this little visit. And maybe the towel snap. That seems like it happened a while ago, now.

    Josh has an .. interesting idea but the former meteor waves it off, "I appreciate that, but for now? I've ... actually gotten somewhat comfortable with it. Just... you know... had to sort of come to grips with a previous life lost." Maybe a poor choice of words, but Kelly wasn't aware of Joshua's past either. She glances back to Nettie before rummaging around her neck for something Joshua MIGHT be aware of. She didn't make it a secret, but it wasn't obvious during games either. "Dad was an archeologist, he brought me back something from the first dig he went out to after I was born. It's not a replica.." the item on the necklace is a curved claw. Though one would have to be fairly keen on archeology to know just which dromaeosaur that it came from. They had a LOT of varieties now.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Men is too headache." Nettie states, and then gives a small wave of her arm, "Joshua not withstanding, he's a delight." she states, and with a gloved hand, she looks to Kelly, and offers a hand out to take the claw in question.

    "May I see it, Ms. Praetor?" she inquires, her lips pursing a moment.

    "I promise, I won't go off anywhere with it. Most of the materials I could need are right under this bar." Nettie explains."

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda nods cheerfully, a soft hum rising absently from her throat as she moves. A comically small pitcher-- plain metal, filled with its small portion of lemon juice --emerges from the shelves beneath the bar after a few seconds of rummaging. In no way arcane, it sits with slender handle, prepared and filled and clean; the faint scent of lemon rises from inside, the citrus flowing in absent melody to the stronger incense of the store. Rising, she sets it on the counter beside the cup, a few napkins added at the side as just-in-case.

"Enjoy," she offers quietly, bending her head.

Joshua Foley has posed:
With Nettie taking over the research of the item in question, Joshua seems to be settling back down as he realizes his advice may not be the best towards a solution. Instead, he finds a place to sit and folds his hands in front of him, casting a smile at Nettie. "Thanks." he offers teasingly.

"When you first came in, against Dallas?" he tries to recall. "How scared were you? I'd probably be terrified, facing the 'Wall of Meat' defense they had at the time!"

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    As one may expect, there is a little hesitance handing over something Kelly's had since she was ... VERY small, but with her coming into the shope (eh) for answers, it is carefully handed over after a short moment. "I wouldn't expect you to," she admits. "But it is reassuring you won't be out of sight.

    Feeling just a little naked without it, Kelly turns to the simple drink that Belinda has prepared with no small amount of attention to detail. Something that she finally realizes and acknowledges with just a small sigh. "I really miss that field sometimes," Juice. Mix. Sip. Delightful.

    Ah, -that- game. "Oh, right, the punishment squad. Losers didn't even get a sack in," she recalls turning to answer Joshua's question properly. "To be fair, I had been dealing with those 'squads' since high school, it was nothing new, just ratcheted up another level seeing as it was professionals. I don't know if you could see it on TV, but that rushing TD in the first?" Sip. It resembles a meme. With Tea. "None of my damn business how they felt."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie accepts the claw. She very gently looks over it, her gloved fingers wandering its countours before she sets it on the ancient wood of the bar, listening to JOsh excitedly talk to Kelly as if she wasn't afflicted with the impressive appearance of a dinosaur.

    "Belinda, would you be a dear. There is lambskin vellum in the FLedging space's closet. Along with a red bottle of ink and a glass pen. Would you grab those for me, please?" she asks, "Corvax, go with her."

    "Right, right, show me off at the first meeting why don't you." The bird grumps. From among the halloween decorations in the rafters, a black bird appears, hopping off to alight on Belinda's shoulder.

    "All right lass! We've got tasking to do."

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
"Right away!" Belinda replies with eager relish, stepping back to the end of the bar, pausing just long enough for the dark avian to settle comfortably upon her shoulder. The young lady laughs quietly, reaching up to brush a finger beneath Corvax' beak. "If it consoles you, I would like your help with the calabasa seeds," she says. "They shall need taste-testing, no?" And off-- up the stairway and deeper into the curious confines of the Shoppe! Up, to the Fledgling Space; on, to the carefully warded closet that contains.... Certain Needful Things.

Red ink, complete with waxy stopper. It bubbles occasionally, with solemn mystery.

Vellum, simply placed and tied with an even simpler ribbon. And...

"....it was here somewhere!" she murmurs, searching-- finding! Black velvet case, with its precious pen. For the last, she awaits Corvax to gesture to the pen's container, to alight and touch before she herself retrieves it.

Ingredients and utensils in arms, she moves with care back towards the gathering.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua is hanging on every word that Kelly is saying, listing with rapt attention as the young man is drawn in by stories of past glories. "So, what I was saying earlier... see, you can tell I'm a mutant, I mean, I'm not gold because I'm a Niners fan or anything." he explains.

"What I can do is heal people. Like... broken arms, cuts, bruises, oh! One time, I healed someone's lung that collapsed and knitted their ribs back together." There's a frown at that. "It felt /gross/." he mutters, but soldiers on. "Miss Nettie, mom, she thinks if I study enough medicine long and hard enough, I could be able to heal almost anything... I keep going back to those that were mutated against their will. I'm hoping I can find a way to heal them as well."

He can keep talking or being talked to long enough for Belinda and Nettie to collect the supplies.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Suddenly there is a whole lot going on and Kelly isn't really sure what to make of it. A bird just talked, Nettie is asking for a LOT of THINGS, and Belinda is in on it right away. "...Huh." There's not much else someone can react with once magic starts coming out to play with no real attempt to hide ANY of it. This is all very, VERY new. This is, in fact, more new than her current body, and that's very much saying something. "... Welp. I knew magic was a thing but to actually see it in person is ... something else." It's not an insult, it is a statement from a genuinely curious individual that really hasn't seen Dr Strange or similar individuals before. At all.

    The distraction provided by Joshua helps a bit. Pulls her out of the chaos that is likely to be some sort of something or other. Not like the raptor-gal could describe it any other way. "Oh, huh! Well, that's the other thing I found out. Just in messing around I've caught myself with these claws on more than one ocassion and I heal up quick, like...NOTHING stays overnight." For all you D&D nerds, a Full Rest essentially heals Kelly up entirely from damn near anything so long as she's breathing, though she hasn't tested it out a lot. "Ah, yeah, that's .. like.. the only situation I really approve of any kind of 'cure'. I wanted it at first but... I don't know. I kinda like it at this point." The fact she's interacting with some folks that aren't bothered at all is helping a lot.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Understandable. You were attractive before, but there's something to be said for having a striking appearance. Even part-time." Nettie replies somewhat distracted.

    The crow had flapped right back, into place, and then landed on the antique register at the end of the bar.

    "Aye. Magic's a trip. Try bein' in Hell for a hundred years until some eight year old pulls you out." The bird grumps momentarily, feathers ruffled.

    "Hush, Corvax, be polite to Miz Praetor." Nettie states quietly, and she begins to draw up a circle in that red ink with the glass pen -- really, a glass spike with some well in it -- and she scribes a circle. It's full of Old English and Middle French, and she gives a soft hum as she completes a geometric containment.

    "Do you happen to recall where your father was digging when he came upon the claw, poppet?" she questions, "Or if it was on an auspicious day? -- next eclipse, by the by, next week. Should put out an invitation. With the veil getting extra toasty might produce some Weird Things."

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda, freshly returned from her gopher duties, returns to the end of the counter with a quiet smile of pleasure. Humming to herself, she goes to setting out a small saucer for a certain Crow; bottles clink and a certain 'thump' of clay and ceramic heralds the Return of the Rum from its hidden alcove beneath the bar.

"Thank you for your help, Capitan," she remarks gently, pouring the required measure into the saucer for Corvax' benefit.

She casts an ear to the ongoings, listening anew with keen interest!

Joshua Foley has posed:
Uhoh. With Nettie starting to scribe circles and asking Kelly about where she last saw her father, Joshua is quickly up. He grabs his backpack from behind the counter, opens the fridge, takes out several bottles of water and shoves him within. And then takes all the scones. One goes into his mouth, the rest go into the bag as he hurries to grab a few more items which may or may not be needed.

Because when Nettie is driving the Magic Circle Bus, you could end up in in the heart of a volcano demigod, or on the lust circle of hell.

He really doesn't want to go to the Lust circle.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    "You know, funny you should say that," muses Kelly to Corvax after Nettie asks her question. "That claw was in hell for about ... mm.. 65 millionish years? Granted, the Hell Creek formation is over in Montana, but you know." Sip. The. Not-tea. "Other than that, nothing auspicious, it wasn't Friday the 13th or anything like that.." she muses, shrugging. "Just the first dig he was on and he found that pristine claw, cast it, and then gave me the original. I hardly ever take it off." So no, Joshua, you can't have it, she'd tease, but she's being more thoughtful than teasing right now.

    His antics, though, while quizzical, don't cause Kelly much concern. Mostly since this is magic and she has NO CLUE ABOUT ANY OF IT. She may find out very, very shortly.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "AWRK! HELL?!"

    "It's just a name, Corvax, like that town in Michigan." Nettie states. "You're taking the talking bird very well. A couple people have fainted when he first starts in. That's Corvax. He's my familiar. And he's going to enjoy the fact that Belinda poured him rum." she states. The bird opens its beak, looks at Kelly, looks at Josh and Belinda, and then just goes "Yes. Yes I am. AND the fact that she called me Capitan!"

    Nettie gives a soft hum of breath as she finishes her inscribing, and then takes off her gloves. "Do you recall if it was just the claw, or if--" Nettie asks, bringing some candles out and with a click of her bare fingers she lights them "... it was more intact? The legs, the bird hips?" Nettie asks.

    And then she TAKES OUT A KNIFE.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda stifles a quiet giggle behind a smile, pleased expression as she returns the jug to its secret place beneath the counter. Returning to her work, as if Magick were something she saw everyday (and to be fair, that just might very well be the case). Without coaxing, she draws a fresh, clean towel from behind the counter. No need for frills; it simply provides a cloth for any future needs. And quiet, because-- Mystic Work!

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Bird hips, that's never mentioned at BW3." Joshua deadpans, but doesn't want to interrupt the spell work, instead, he waits at the counter as he watches the work. Belinda is used to it, he's not, and he's keeping an eye out in case he's needed for anything.

But now he has a craving for fried chicken. Maybe he'll convince Belinda they need some Popeye's. Nettie might want some too! ... would Kelly want any, since well... she's kinda related to them now?

Focus!

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    That question gets a shrug, similar to her indifference to Corvax. "Once you turn into a dinosaur I think a lot of things don't phase you as much anymore.." True, it was a surprise at first but, she's in a magical place, it isn't Tahiti, and there's a witch a talking bird and the golden boy over there. She'll have a freakout later if she needs one. "I never got a lot of detail on the dig. Just that he thought I'd like to have a memento from something so early on."

    Deciding another sip is warranted while Nettie works, Kelly ends up finishing the drink so she gives it a gentle nudge back toward Belinda to do with as she chooses. The QB is pretty interested in what Nettie is doing. Knife doesn't bother her. She's got a curved pair on her feet at this point. Also she doesn't see chickens as related. She started out human, and she's kind of an APEX predator now? She'd eat one alive if ... the impluse struck. . . . . . . . . . She isn't bringing that up today.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Allr ight then. Let's see what type of magic you contain." Nettie whispers, and she pierces her finger with the tip of the knife, and lets a couple of drops fall in the circle -- NOTABLY NOT ON THE CLAW. That would be RUDE.

    And she tries to sus out just what the claw's made of, her eyes closing, her fingers of herleft hand curling over the claw and parchment paper as she breathes out.

    "Unto me your details give!"

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
A good host does not allow an empty vessel to stay such for long. Retrieving the cup, Belinda sets it in place before return, renew, refill with the faintly steamy drift of fresh water, poured within. Warmer now, the whispering tendrils of steam drift to the rooftop, billowing away in a dreamy state. Setting it back into its saucer, she presses it back to Ms. Praetor, pausing only to check the contents of the lemon juice container for fullness. All in all, not distracting from Kelly's attention to Mrs. Crowe's workings.

...stealing over a glance, scent, breath. Curiosity, marked by intense interest.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Kelly's expression goes a little wide at the blood droplet. Sure it wasn't falling onto the fossil, but seeing genuine magic here is, honestly, fascinating. IT's likely that Nettie would get some kind of result but.. that's for her to divuldge. Kelly can only look on, between the circle and Nettie, hoping she can finally find an answer, a clue, a LEAD. Something that wasn't 'well it isn't this' that she got from all the doctors and geneticists. She'll appreciate the refreshed drink from Belinda in a few moments.

Joshua Foley has posed:
While Belinda is interested, Joshua is taking out a bottle of water to drink on. He pulls on it, watching everything happening as he finishes off the scone. And really, he's really remaining prepared in case something happens and the portal pulls them through to a dimension when the Avengers are dinosaurs, and Doom is a T-Rex or something.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    There won't be that sort of adventure, not today.

    Nettie takes a breath, and then she gives a soft 'Oh... OH that *is* interesting --"

    And she digs into one of her pockets, pulling out her half-moon glasses, and examines the claw.

    "The claw isn't itself the cause of the transformation. It's... something of a gateway. A metaphysical transfer point. There's nothers who are deeper involved than simply a transformation, Ms. Praetor, I dare say you've been somewhat unintentionally cursed. But this is... so fascinating. I've never seen a *fossil* used like this."

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Between the first swift breath, the confirmation murmurings-- Belinda slips off to one side, off to a drawer beneath the register. Her mission is simple-- notebook, ballpoint pen. For notes!

For later transfer to Ye Proper Mystickal Annotations, of course, but first things first-- get said notes and musings and details written down. Research 101.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua frowns. This is another reminder that he's well out of reach here and he glances aside at Belinda taking notes, while he turns his attention to Nettie and Kelly. "Is there a way to set it so that she could at least control the transformations? Like with a code word or something?" Someone watched too much Sentai as a kid.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    AN ANSWER! ... Sort of? "... Huh. Others... that's wild. I haven't ran into any as far as I know..." Though the electronics shop she protected burnt down, but she isn't aware of it and no one else has really thought of it either! Still, odd bit, that. "Curse... then? With the way it heals me and some of the other things, it doesn't feel like a curse at all. Other than not being able to revert it."

    Joshua gets an understanding smile. She appreciates the thought but, like she said a bit ago, she's come to grips that this is how she is now. She just isn't sure its a CURSE that's all since it certainly has its benefits, one of them is simply not appearence.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    That he's out of his reach so *far*. Lad already went to gather materials in case they were going to hop on The Bus.

    "One could argue that it was a curse that ended your career and created a creature that others would gladly call Monster, preventing you from enjoying a normal life. Quote unquote. Normal life is rather boring." Nettie states, and then she takes a deep breath, and examines Kelly.

    She narrows her eyes through her half-moon classes, and then withdraws them off her face, considering Josh's question.

    "In. Theory. I know a few superheroes who have such transformations, though they are loud, and very notable." she pauses. "And so are the transformations."

    "The question is then, dear --" Nettie states as she re-gloves her hands, and goes to hand the claw back to Kelly.

    "How much information do you want, and what would you like to do with it?"

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Silent scribbles, gentle scratchings on paper-- Belinda's contribution.

...and work on her handwriting! Sigh.

Location of claw's discovery, pertinent facts (age, use, ever exposed to Unusual Things, particulars behind gifting/use/discovery, et al...)

Research!

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua goes quiet so that everything can concentrate on Nettie and Kelly, finishing off his water and tosses the bottle away as he waits to see what information is gleaned and he settles into a stool, rocking side to side lightly.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Put on the spot like that, Kelly probably looks a little bewildered. After so many non-answers, to finally have a lead at all is... different. "I mean, I came for information, it looks like I'm getting it. So.... given what you said, I think the bigger question here is, who -else- got hit with this spell? And on top of that, why haven't we heard from them? ... Granted i'm probably the only one that transformed in front of a nationwide audience.." The others had a chance to keep it a secret, didn't they?

        Why is there something flying at the CB&B window after a blur of white shoots past it? Car? no lights..

    The front window to the shop shatters as a brick comes -sailing- through it. Thumps against the jukebox in the corner, then settles just in front of it. ... In sheer defiance the machine starts to play Brick House by the Commodores. "What the hell?!"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Car, no lights, a white flash and a BRICK THROUGH HER WINDOW --

    "COME BACK HERE AND FIGHT ME LIKE YOU'RE NOT A COWARD!" Nettie calls out to the brick thrower. Because she is *definitely* old enough to remember more than a few brick throwings, and she approved of none of them. She's hopping over the bar and going to the door as she takes her wand out from her sleeve, and with a flash and a growled utterance, the window repairs itself, piece by piece, as if APOLOGETIC about its shattering

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
No lights. White flash. Shattering glass-- Belinda surges at the burst of sound, the spray of shards and the startled music rising from the Jukebox. Mrs. Crowe gets the window; Belinda is swift to the door, an uncharacteristic baring of teeth across her features as she lunges outside, a glance at either direction as she quivers, silently snarling. Swift seconds pass before visibly seething Belinda stalks back inside, securing the door behind her with a quiet thump.

"Too quick," she grumbles darkly, fuming as she brushes her hands together. Quick breath, swift-- exhaled just as swiftly. "Maybe car, but..." She frowns, brow wrinkling as she rumbles. "I am not sure. There is all of the usual car exhaust of the city, but no...?" She gestures helplessly. "...no *new* exhaust? I do not know. Something should be there, but is... *not* there?"

Joshua Foley has posed:
There's a moment where Joshua...

Two years ago: Duncan and Joshua are sitting outside of a suburban home. "Hey, look, we do this, the Reavers say we're /in/." Duncan punches Josh in the shoulder. "One brick, one house!"

Joshua nods. "Yeah man, this is our night!" They had arrived at the address in Duncan's car, and now Joshua was writing the note, 'Mutie go home!'

They drive by the house of one of their classmates that just had come out with her mutant powers during Homecoming and Duncan convinces Joshua to throw the brick through the front bay window of the house. The same house, just a few months prior, he had gone to a pool party for the same girl's sweet sixteenth.

There are several moments with Joshua sitting there in shock, before he's immediately up. "Anyone hurt?" he asks, trying not to let his emotions show, a grab of his hoodie to pull it over his head and try to mask his golden features. He's going for the brick, ninety-nine percent sure there will be a message on it. He offers up the brick to Belinda, if she wants to get a scent from it.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Too small to be a car, but going just as fast as one. "Who the hell throws a brick?!" It's better than a shoe, sure, but that's not the point! "Ugh! Rude as hell," she grumbles as she wanders toward the front door to just take a look back and forth. Whoever it was is long gone, so the next order of business is inspecting the brick while listening to a song about a brick. . . house. Bluh. "Oddly convenient," she mutters toward the jukebox before- Its gone? Oh, Joshua got it.

        -Don't Dig Deeper-

    "God damnit.." Kelly mutters upon seeing the hastily scrawled message. "So.. there have been some odd goings on sometimes near by but I didn't think I had anything to do with it... but this proves otherwise. Sorry about that." She looks over at Joshua, "I'm fine, seems everone is fine.." Belinda's reaction was fast. Impressively so.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "CORVAX! Get on the wing! Check with the local flock to see if they know, if they saw, follow and harass them!" Nettie gives the command, and Corvax hops to the wing and goes out the still-closing up window.

    Nettie, understandably, looks PISSED OFF. "BLOODY SCOUNDRELS! HANG IN CHAINS! KNAVES! THINGUB-BOBS YOU GUMMY SORRY EXCUSES FOR THE TESTICLES OF A YOKE OX!" Nettie howls out,

    She steams for a heartbeat more.

    "What. They've left a note did they?" she asks, and she comes over.

    "So they did. /So. They. Did./" Nettie reaches to pluck the note.

    "I can track them down within a week with the right materials. I can find them. HOW'S THAT FOR NOT DIGGING DEEPER YOU RIGHT BLOODY SHITE-KNOBS!"

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda positively vibrates with intensity, like a lineman before the instant of that first rush.... yet looking utterly nothing like those towering footballers! Nor practiced, experienced-- everything whispers to the trained eye of 'new', 'green'. The snarl of anger sounds from her throat, bared teeth clenched to quickly throttle off the sound-- she holds the door open for Corvax to rush through and away, taking several long seconds after to calm down, force the quivering urge to act, NOW!!-- back into its instinctive corner of the mind, to linger in hungry, burning lurking.

"Por un momiento," she says to Joshua, swift again as she leaps back over the tea bar. A quick rummaging later reveals a box of simple plastic bags, Gallon-sized; she snaps one from inside the carton box, opening the large plastic wrap with a flick and a gesture.

"Place la ladrillo-- the brick --in here," she explains. "We can preserve anything on it for now, and.... Later."

Joshua Foley has posed:
Joshua is more than happy to hand off the brick. He backs away from the others back to his stool and tucks his knees into his chest. The others can handle it. He's getting memories he didn't want to deal with, but there they are, and he's doing his best to handle it.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Wow. Nettie was ... colorful. Its a good thing! Hell of a way with words, she realizes, and then action happens. The bird is out, the not-wolf is over the bar, Nettie has the brick, and Joshua looks like he's having a bit of a flashback. Which causes Kelly to think about The Window.

...

That's why rather than ask about the brick's preservation, a switch is turned on in the former QB's mind and she wanders over. "Hey, you need anything? I .. I know that look."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie is stirred from her raging by her son's reaction.

    Her expression softens.

    "... JOshua has some trauma that we're working on. Together. To get him to a better place." she states softly, and she sets the brick int he bag that Belinda's holding, and she checks that her gloves are both on as she makes her way to Joshua, and slowly, places her hand on his shoulder.

    "Joshua. Can you tell me five things you can see?" she asks very gently with the familiarity of someone working with PTSD. Of course, in her day they called it 'Shell Shock'.

Joshua Foley has posed:
"Sorry... had something like this happen before." And then Nettie is snapping his attention to the subject at hand. "Corvax hasn't returned yet. You and Belinda are okay." his attention swivels around the shop. "The window's fixed. I'm not where I thought I was." He reaches up, brushing away a tear from his eye, mainly from guilt.

"And Kelly Praetor is asking me if I'm okay. Holy..." he slaps his hand over his mouth to not say more.

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
Belinda glances at Joshua, brow furrowing deeper as she takes in the moment. Breath. Scent. She btes backa shiver as she seals the bag and its heavy cargo, rumbling quietly before she coughs with an absent, soft breath.

"...pardon," she murmurs, moving back behind the bar to store the bag away. "You are only entitled to one autographia per night," she says to Joshua with a chipper smile.

That doesn't quite reach her eyes.

She casts Mrs. Crowe a glance, a bow of her head.

Waning gibbous moon. Still enough to hunt by.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Now, Kelly isn't privy to the abilities of ALL in the room, but she can tell when something is up, but she isn't about to ask either. Instead, she thinks of something and rummages for a moment, looks up something on her phone, then wanders over to the jukebox that has some surprisingly modern tunes in it. .... "Wow. Ok. I'm impressed," then over her shoulder to Joshua, "Listen, I can only do so much, but in some harder times music is a BIG HELP. so... I have this to say." Now, granted, it is a LIVE version of the song, but that isn't so bad, now is it.

        "Fuck the Bad Vibes, Joshua."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQD0xgn6LyY&t=585s

Joshua Foley has posed:
Before Belinda goes, Joshua gives her a quick one-armed hug if she allows it. "Be careful." he manages harshly, before letting her go. Because he knows he's no use on a hunt and he was about to withdraw on himself to try to center before Kelly is cheering him up with music.

No. No. This isn't about him. About helping her! Joshua pinches himself, forcing himself to sit up straight. Noone's hurt, he doesn't have to worry about using his powers. "I'm good, I'll be okay. Nettie was about to give you some answers!"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie looks to Belinda.

    "Go." she gives an upturn of her head towards the stairs, "Be safe. If you get into a tight place, call." she states quietly to Belinda. "Come check in with me at the end." she requests in concern, her hand still on Joshua's shoulder.

    "Corvax is talking to the crows. You know what happens when you mess with a Crowe, love."

    Nettie gives a smile. "Murder."

    Because that's whaat a flock of crows is, indeed, called. And then Kelly plays some good fucking music.

    "Right then lad. You, have a chocolate milk. Ms. Praetor, I trust you'll be safe seeing yourself home, if needed? Elsewise we have a spare bed upstairs. Josh -- if you need to, my couch is open tonight if you don't feel like being alone. I don't have a proper television downstairs, but a few record snad old songs might put you to sleep yeah?"

Belinda Gutierrez has posed:
She waits not an instant longer after giving Joshua a quick hug in return! Belinda springs down to the end of the bar, around and out before she runs for the stairway. Fury burns in her blood as she takes the stairs two at a time; up and across, out and away. To the covered area of the roof. To an area with few views and a conveniently placed fire ladder.

Down. Across. Out.

Change.

Hunger burns, silence promises, and no time to howl for the gleaming moon. Only to run. To seek.

To /hunt/.

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    "Answers can wait, honestly. I know where the place is now and I won't be a stranger. I think this turned into a bigger lead than expected because of someone's wreckless impulse." Home? "Ah, yeah, I can handle myself. Like I said earlier, benefits of the new look. Very speedy." Maybe not as speedy as the one who hurled, but still pretty speedy. "I appreciate your time. I'll be back pretty soon I figure." This is about the time she takes a look around, realizing, and fetches her necklace. If she left without it she would have come back for it the moment she realized it was gone.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Of course. Ms. Praetor. You've now secured the services of the Justice League Dark." Nettie gives a small smile. "I am Nettie Crowe, and you have been Heard."

    Thunder booms over head, an appropriate lightning crack illuminating the store, and the jukebox spins to life again with https://youtu.be/Vf3LqQluWag?si=7VZsIHa7YpQ5M0Jj

Joshua Foley has posed:
The golden mutant is at least used to this by now. But now Joshua blinks a few times and a smile splits his face. "I think the jukebox pranked you, mom." he offers up with dry wit. So much like her.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie peers over to Joshua, and she tilts her head back.

    "One day, I'll get Night on Bald Mountain outta that thing again." she murmurs quietly, and with Josh's hood up she ruffles his hair through the hood and with her glove, and exhales.

    "All right. Bed time boyo."

Kelly Praetor has posed:
    Wait wait wait. WHAT. "...Come again?" Did she hear that -right-? ... Well then. This night has turned into ... something. A good something! Just a very UNEXPECTED something. Does that mean the inkling she had toward ... no no no. Couldn't be. .. BUT YOU JUST SAW MAGIC AND YOUR A DINOSAUR. "................ This has been an evening." She's reconsidering that bed. No. No. She needs her NORMAL one right now. That might not be a mimic or something else that she would have thought to be utterly LUDICROUS a month ago.

Joshua Foley has posed:
Hopping down from the stool, Joshua pushes back his hoodie. "Good night, Miss Praetor!" He grabs his autographed picture and air hugs Nettie. "Night, mom." And with that, he moves to head up the stairs and to put the autograph with the other Kelly Praetor stuff. Just a rookie card and a poster.

He might have had a little crush before the whole mutant thing happened to him. Pausing at the stairs as he sees Kelly's reaction, there's a smile. "Must be a Friday." he comments and then up the stairs he goes!