Owner Pose
Cael Becker     Hanging up the phone after talking to Terry, and giving the man the address for her and Jon's new place together, Cael heads into the kitchen and starts a pot of coffee. The apartment is still very much in disarray, with boxes scattered about the apartment, some half-unpacked, some still taped shut, and others broken down and laid down in a pile. A large, white dog has decided that the pile of broken down boxes is now his bed, and he's curled up atop them, watching Cael with his head on his paws, and a battered looking rabbit stuffed animal held in his jaws. A second, slightly smaller and fluffy grey pooch is nearby, asleep on a dog bed.
    The kitchen was one of the first things Jon had insisted on unpacking, and the coffee maker is already in place on the counter. Coffee is life, as far as Cael is concerned - so she starts a fresh pot while getting out the scones Jon always keeps in ample supply about the place, as well as some clotted cream and lemon curd.
Terry O'Neil It was only a matter of looking up the address on Google Earth, and the image of the high-rise appears. Terry raises his eyebrows, impressed, and then he tries to suss out which private balcony would belong to the apartment number he was given. Once he is certain, he Rabbit Holes there-

"What a lovely view!" the Cheshire cat says, dropping in to look over the balcony, and then turning around-

To find a woman sunbathing with her top off, staring at him with eyes wide as saucers. "... oh shit! I'm sorry, wrong apartment!" he says, immediately covering his eyes and leaping over the edge of the balcony.

The Rabbit Hole opens up immediately to take him away and to another balcony. He gets two more wrong, being rewarded with a smack on the head from an elderly woman sweeping dust out of the balcony, and then a sticky bun pressed against his fur from a child who was not afraid but very curious about doing that would do.

He finally finds the one he thinks is right... but instead of walking in, he knocks on the glass door of the balcony, respectfully.
Cael Becker     With a little tray - yes, a literal tray - of food prepared, Cael turns at the sound of the knock - which was punctuated by a single, deep bark from Bear. "I think that's just Terry, Bear," she remarks in an amused voice. She couldn't imagine who else would be knocking at their balcony window. She makes her way over to open the door - dressed in sweat pants, and a loose shirt. A new tattoo is in evidence - a broken wrench on one side of her neck - in addition to the fire tattoos rising up from the knuckles of both hands, and the bottom layers have her blonde hair have been redyed with bright, fiery colors.
    Rather than a polite greeting and welcome she asks with confusion, "Why is there a sticky bun in your fur? Did you somehow collide with a bakery shelf?" She accompanies this question with a gesture that invites him in. "Don't mind the mess - we're still unpacking," she admits a bit wryly.
Terry O'Neil "I... er... got the address wrong. A couple of times," Terry explains, stepping in, "Do you know one of your neighbors has a birthmark in the shape of a crescent moon? It's super cool!" He pauses and glances around the apartment. "Oooh... it's a nice place! Do you know if there are any empty apartments in the building? Gar and I have been looking-"

Before the horror can set in, he says "Just kidding. A place like this is /way/ above my pay grade. Not Gar's, but I insist on going fifty-fifty on rent while we're dating, so it has to be a place I can afford." He gives a smirk, "Unless, I said, he plans to marry me. He was totally fine with the fifty-fifty. Heey, issat Bear? Issat the goodest boy ever I smell?"
Cael Becker     "Bear's off duty - you can visit if you like," Cael says with amusement. "Lady was napping - but I bet if Bear starts romping around it'll wake her." She smirks with amusement before adding, "I don't really know the neighbors - I'm not really the social type. I put a pot of coffee on, though - should be ready in a few minutes if you wanted to get the dogs all riled up in the meantime..." She smirks at this idea.
    While lots of things are waiting to be unpacked - a baskt of dog toys is placed conspicuously near the dogs' beds, and Bear's head is up now, his rabbit still dangling from his jaws as his tail thumps on the stack of boxes in response to hearing his name spoken.
    "You know - you could have teleported down to the //lobby// and taken the elevator up," she remarks in a dry voice.
Terry O'Neil "What's the fun in THAT?" Terry says, making a line for Bear while tearing the sticky bun from his fur. Taking some fur with it. "Ow... stupid things." He tosses it down a rabbit hole because no, he's not going to give sugar to the dog. "I won't get 'em riled up much, next thing you know they'll be knocking me down and trying to lick the sugar off my fur, bad idea. But Heeeeey Bear!" Terry says quietly, offering his hand for Bear to sniff, "Remember me? You're the best!"

He grins at Cael, "Coffee is a wonderful idea, I approve. So tell me, what have you been up to? I've been a bit AWOL because we had some literal reality fuckery hitting the tower and then - well, I'm sure Jon's told you about the Wonderland excursion already..." he pauses and looks around to see if he can find any hint of his glitter.
Cael Becker     Bear sniffs obligingly at the offered hand - but Terry is spared from being slobbered on, as he continues to hold onto his bunny. Stuffing is starting to show poking out out seams on the poor thing - Cael's going to have to buy the dog a new one, or get Jon to magically mend this one.
    "I've been up to... stuff. Trying to get used to the fact that... when I was tortured, Michael was wearing the face of my boyfriend's best friend. And that Chas is now a bloody angel in his //own// right, now..." She makes a frustrated face. "It's tough, you know? But I mean... good stuff, too. I took Agnes to a baseball game - Avengers versus the Yankees. And I've been putting a lot of time into this new project of mine. Trying to write up a grant proposal which is not... well. I don't have any experience in this sort of thing."
    While she's talking, Bear scoots closer to Terry, nudging him with his head and clearly begging for pets and scratches.
Terry O'Neil Terry gladly obliges, giving the pupper the patting he deserves, "Gosh it's been ages since I've been to a ball game. Maybe I should drag Gar out to one this summer. And Kian, who will complain that it's not exciting because people can't fly," he chuckles. "We've been having our own... issues too. Jon must have told you that Donna is currently not Donna at the tower. BUT- we went into outer space and we've figured out some things about what might actually be happening. There are some things that we need to hammer out first before we try it but... I think we might be able to get our Donna back soon." He grins, and sits up when she mentions grant-writing.

"Oh dear. Grant writing. That's its own wall of Winnebago. Tell me about it? I may not have much experience with it, but I might be able to help or find someone who knows about that sort of stuff. I'm pretty sure Cait--" he pauses, still not quite sure how things stand with Caitlin and the rest, "That I know someone!"
Cael Becker     "They did," Cael admits. "They've been pretty upset about it - Donna's impotant to them. But- you think there's a solution?" A smile plays across her lips. "Jon'll be thrilled to hear it."
    Bear's tail thumps fiercely in response to all the attention - and the 'aww, really?' when Terry lets up is almost palpable - certainly it's reflected in his eyes. "Caitlin and I are good," Cael remarks with an amused smile. "I mean - she went into the afterlife with me to go get Jon back. That sorta thing helps... heal a lot of damage. I don't hold anything against. Michael's a manipulative fuck, and he screwed her over good." She smiles wryly, then glances back towards the kitchen at the sound of a quiet click.
    "Coffee's ready. Why don't I pour us two cups - and I can tell you about my plan?" she suggests - as she starts back towards the kitchen.
Terry O'Neil "Sounds like a plan! While you fetch us the coffee, I'll give Bear some surplus pats so he can last the afternoon." He grins and pets Bear, whispering 'so cute' and 'who's the best boy?' Good thing Gar isn't here, since he's usually the best boy. Wouldn't want to start a turf war.

"It turns out Donna isn't gone, she's just... dreaming. And Wonderland isn't causing it- it's only facilitating it because she touched the Regalia." He beams, "So it isn't actually my fault at all for once. Now we just need to untangle the knot and set her free."

"And yeah. Michael was a dick. Beautiful hair, though. Totally not worthy of it."
Cael Becker     "Yes, because that poor abused dog never gets any attention otherwise," Cael remarks with amusement. It doesn't take her long to pour two mugs of coffee - one of them declaring 'World's Okayest Archivist' and the other a commemorative mug from the recent Yankees vs. Avengers game. Cream, sugar, and a small flask of whiskey are all set out on the tray - in addition to the scones, clotted cream, and lemon curd - and a pair of small plates for the scones. She sets this all down on a coffee table in the living room, as she takes a seat - and fixes up her coffee by simply pouring in some of the whiskey.
    Yes. Whiskey is a necessary accompanyment to coffee. Shut up.
    "...Terry, I haven't known it to be your fault //even once//." Her expression grows stern for a moment as she adds, "Other than all the glitter, for fuck's //sake,// man."
Terry O'Neil "Yes- but you are intentionally leaving me in suspense, this is not nice to do to a cat. I beg of you to tell me!"

Terry reaches for his coffee and grabs a scone after he is done filling up Bear's petpetpet tank, and sits back, gesturing to Cael with his mug, "I need to know about this project, and any way I can help. I shall not be distracted from it, under threat of glitter."
Cael Becker     "I will ask Jon to ward the apartment against cats if you shed so much as a single speck of glitter," Cael threatens in a dry voice.
    It's an empty threat. Jon fucking //loves// cats.
    She takes a deep breath in, and lets it out slowly with her eyes fixed down on her cup. "I can't remember if you ever saw my sister - Alis. She was following me around as a ghost, ever since she died when we were seventeen. I was only aware of it for the last few months, only able to... see her, and talk to her during that time. Well... she's gone now. Moved on to the afterlife." There's a quiet sort of sadness around Cael as she speaks of her sister - but her eyes remain dry. She's shed more than enough tears, of late.
    "It's given me a lot to think about, but one of the things that bothers me is that... she never really got a chance to live, or change the world - and there's so few people who knew her, and will remember her. And that's when I thought- well. She was a great mechanic, really talented and she had a lot of potential we never really got a chance to realize, because we let ourselves be dragged into organized crime. So I thought... A memorial project that finds teens who are getting in trouble with the law. And instead of jail time - they get supervised parole, a paid apprenticeship in an automotive shop, mandatory counseling... We make sure they, and their family have appropriate housing, and they're food secure, that their //family// has access to counseling... We give these kids another option, so they don't end up like Alis. You know?" She lifts her gaze to meet Terry's.
    "But I've never tried organizing something like this. And it's... a lot."
Terry O'Neil "Hey... that is a wonderful idea, Cael!" Terry raises his eyebrows, and takes a sip of his coffee, "Look, with us getting close to getting Donna back, Caitlin will be under a lot less stress. She is a grant-writing wizard, so we should talk to her about that part, she can help. As for where to apply..." he pauses and leans back. He begins to stroke his chin.

Now, whom did he know that had a soft heart for endangered youth? And someone with lots of money?

It was a conundrum.

"I might ... know some people." He strokes his chin some more, staring into the distance, "I can't promise they'll say yes, but I can reach out to them and put some feelers out and see if they'd be receptive to the idea." He taps his chin. "If they don't pan out, there's always Gar's adoptive dad. He's a bit of a hard-ass, so it might be a hard sell. But the person I have in mind has their heart in the right place. It just depends on what they're focused on right now..."
Cael Becker     "You think she'd help?" Cael asks - relief on her features. "Jon's trying to help with finding the research back it up - that it's a wise investment, that it works. That is //saves// society money in the long run. And also... I want them to finish school - or at least get their GED. I think continuing to work towards that should be part of their deal. I mean, it's not a free ride by a long shot. It's going to be hard work for them. But it'll be worth it for them - and for their families. And if they see us helping their family as well... They'll work for it. You know? And if we can raise up families, we can raise up neighborhoods."
    That's her goal anyways. The more she talks about it - the more confident and impassioned she gets. This is //important// to her - and it shows.
    "And if you have some ideas on where to apply for grants - even better. I mean - I have some contact with Tony Stark, so I thought I could go to him. Jon has some friends with cash he suggested I approach..." Her coffee, in the World's Okayest Archivist mug sits cupped in her hands, forgotten amongst her animated speech.
Terry O'Neil "I do have some ideas. I'd hold out on Stark before I check with them, though-- this may be my personal bias, but I fear Stark would turn it into a publicity stunt like he does /everything/- like the time he decided to announce he was running for president. I was there- it was the first story I covered when I was just taking pictures for the Planet. Lois was the one handling it."

He shrugs, "Then again, I haven't actually talked to him, so all of that may be a public front. The only Avengers I've actually interacted with are Captain America /once/, Thor and T'Challa. And I glitter-bombed two of them as collateral damage."
Jonathan Sims     "Steven Grant is the one mostly likely to agree, because Alis went to Duat," Jon says as he comes into the living room through a portal in the wall of the hallway. The sleeping dog wakes on hearing his voice and gets up to bound over, tail wagging, for pets. It's only after this that she notes the new person and goes over to sniff at him curiously, and warily. What is /this/?

    "Oh! Terry! Hello. I didn't know you were dropping by or I would've already been here. I was... working on that research, actually. Tracking down something I remembered being in the Columbia library. Which was really an excuse to drop by Columbia again, I hadn't been in months." He smiles and walks over to peer at the table, and his mug on said table.

    He shakes his head and turns to go and grab a different mug--this one saying "No" and "Given" with a picture of a red fox between the words. Entirely calmly, he takes the "World's Okayest Archivist" mug and dumps the contents into the other mug, then goes to rinse out his own.
Cael Becker     "Honestly, I'm not opposed to a little publicity. I mean - not sure I love the idea of Tony taking //all// of the credit - but whoever's funding it - why not take a victory lap? If that's the cost of saving these kids, and helping these families and neighborhoods..." Then Cael is not going to argue.
    She lets out a snort as Jon reclaims their mug, rolling her eyes in amusement. "They're very protective of their mug," she says in amusement, before picking up her fox mug for a sip. "Honestly though - when we have this all put together, funding lined up and all that... If you thought there was a news story in all this..." There's a small smile, tinged with sadness as she adds, "Maybe this is selfish of me, but like I said - I want her to be remembered. I want people to see her photo, and know that she lived, and she mattered, and she's //still// making a difference."
    Towards Jon she adds, "Did you find what you're looking for?"
Terry O'Neil "I am very overprotective of mine, too. I don't blame them for it!" A brief Rabbit Hole, and Terry's pride and joy lands in his hands. It's a coffee mug made to look like an overlarge tea cup. Emblazoned across it are the following words:

Live Like Rose
Love Like Blanche
Think Like Dorothy
Speak Like Sophia

"I'm very protective of it-- Say, Jon! What would you say if I told you I just came back from outer space. From somewhere far, far away? And not only that- I think we've found out what's going on with Donna!"
Jonathan Sims     Jon freezes over where he's pouring some coffee for himself. He turns to look to Terry with wide eyes. "You... you did?" Nobody his age should look that /vulnerable/.

    He shakes himself and blinks the expression away. "I did, indeed, find some of what I'm looking for. Longitudinal studies of recidivism between those who are offered restorative justice or community outreach versus incarceration. I'm still digging up the numbers on costs of incarceration compared to programs like this."

    He goes to sit down next to Cael, and adds, "This mug was Martin's first gift to me after he came back from supposedly being dead, okay? Hmph."
Cael Becker     "Love - //you// told me that it was my job to continue giving you a hard time," Cael remarks teasingly.
    No, that's not exactly what Jon said - but that's what she's going with.
    She leans in against them so their shoulders are touching, though she turns to give them a surprised, pleased look at their words. "You were researching for me?" She gives Jon a brief, but grateful kiss, pulling back to add, "Oh, go on now. Ask him more about Donna - I know you're dying to hear what's happening with your friend." She smiles with relief and happiness on their behalf, before looking back to Terry to add, "Your cup is nice as well, Terry.
Terry O'Neil Terry sends his mug back and grins, "I won't keep you in suspense too much... but suffice to say that we've verified that Troia... is /not/ in New Kronos. We found that out from Hekate. Oh, yeah... the team met Hekate. Not /my/ team, of course. I couldn't be /that/ lucky to meet her now that I have /questions/ to ask her, oh no." The Cheshire smirks and leans back against his chair.

"The best way I can put it is... that Donna is dreaming."
Jonathan Sims     Jon smiles at Cael and leans in to give her a kiss on the cheek in return. "I'm researching for Alis," he says. "She deserves to be remembered."

    Then they focus on Terry, smiling at the mug briefly and then focusing on the words. "Wait... dreaming? That..." They frown. "That... makes a great deal of sense, actually. I wonder if the Tower is intersecting with the Astral somehow? That would certainly explain the... /weirdness/ of the place. It just... it feels /odd/, magically, you know? Right now, not before. Before it felt entirely normal." Besides Raven, presumably, but let's not talk about Raven lest we accidentally summon her wrath.
Cael Becker     Jon can no doubt feel Cael's reaction to their words - a pulse of love, gratitude, and grief as she looks at them with eyes abruptly welling with tears. She rests her head on their shoulder, simply murmuring a quiet, "Thank you," as she listens to Jon and Terry's conversation.
    "So she's... sort of dreamed herself out of existance? And you have to figure out the right way to 'wake her up'?" she asks uncertainly.
Terry O'Neil "Something like that. See, before all of this happened, she handled the Regalia. And I remember her voice going /weird/ as she did so. I put it out of my mind..." he shrugs, "Until a whole bunch of things clicked together in my mind. The regalia is dream power that alters reality. Wonderland is being currently threatened by a nightmare creature. Donna had a recurring nightmare where she wandered the Tower and we were all dead and he was the last titan..."

"So the Regalia, and whatever malady is afflicting Wonderland, helped make it real. Now we just need to figure out how to reverse it..." he glancs at Jon.

"And I also figured out Hekate has been behind... a lot. At least as far back as the formation of the Titans... who knows, even further back. I wish I could meet her again... I have questions."
Jonathan Sims     "Ohhhhhh." Jon blinks rapidly, gears clearly shifting. "Oh that makes a /lot/ of sense, yes. And... you think Hekate's..."

    He frowns slowly, sipping his coffee. Then he says, "Hekate. Goddess of boundaries, crossroads, witchcraft, the moon, necromancy, and ghosts. Compared in the interpretatio graeca to Heqet, but I feel that there are ties to Heka as well despite the gender difference. That's nothing archaelogical or anything it's just... a feeling. Not the sort offhand to have long term plots and plans and yet... most magicians are tricksters or con artists in /some/ fashion. Magic is, in some ways, just a way of tricking the world into doing what you want."
Cael Becker     Cael remains resting against Jon's shoulder for several moments longer, breathing slowly and listening to their conversation. After wiping her eyes, she straightens again, and helps herself to one of the scones - smearing it with the clotted cream she'd put on the tray. She nibbles, and sets it down on a plate before asking Terry directly, "Is there anything Jon and I can do to help you resolve this weird... dream, nightmare, nonsense? I mean, probably more Jon than me, but..."
Terry O'Neil "That's what I'm not clear on just yet," the Cheshire says, rubbing his chin. "I know about dreams, but not quite how you ... end them. Donna's built herself a whole world with a backstory and she is completely against considering the existence of the other Donna and her story. Caitlin said that Troia believes that our memories are false memories of Donna."

He rubs his chin, "So... what causes people to wake up from a dream?"
Cael Becker     "Dog licks to the face," Cael says in a dry voice, "I can say without any personal experience at all - BEAR."
Jonathan Sims     Jon laughs at Cael's statement, breaking him out of a half-trance where he was obviously thinking about what to do about this whole mess. They lean down to grab a scone and eye the lemon curd. Sigh, and mutter under their breath, "It's not /tea/ anyway, Jon, you're drinking /coffee/, who cares if it's not strawberry jam?" So the scone gets clotted cream and a bit of lemon curd then they sit back.

    "...That's fair," he says in a normal tone of voice, "but I doubt bringing Bear to the Tower would do much. But... when you're learning to lucid dream, one of the key ideas is reality-testing. You start, when awake, looking around and going 'am I dreaming right now?' You learn to look for inconsistencies, things that are off, don't make logical sense. So perhaps... help her reality test? Point out the inconsistencies? You say you went to space... did you go to 'New Kronos?' If you have pictures of it not being what she thinks..."
Cael Becker     "Well. My other idea was that my mother used to play 'Wake Up (It's 1984)' at me very loudly when she wanted me up, but Jon's idea sounds much more sensible." Cael smiles towards him, then adds far too much lemon curd onto her scone as well, before taking another bite. Man - she loves the sour bite with the scone and the cream, before following this up with her coffee.
Terry O'Neil "That's the problem... She is warping reality around the tower, so she could potentially alter any image we bring in subconsciously and not know it..." the Cheshire cat laughs at Cael's ideas...

And then he stops, a little lightbulb going over his head.

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Vorpal looks at Jon, and then at Cael. "So... remember that trap we set for Michael?"
Jonathan Sims     Jon grins at Terry. "I do indeed, and I think I see where you're going with this, but /please/ enlighten me."

    He reaches an arm around Cael, pulling her closer as he listens. His whole mood is brighter, like a weight's gone off his shoulders. Donna Troy has touched a lot of people.
Cael Becker     "Oh - fuck. Is he planning another musical episode?" Cael laments, letting out a heavy sigh. "Can I sit this one out? I think dancing with baked goods the //once// was enough for a lifetime.
    Despite her trepidation - she has no complaints about being pulled closer to Jon - in fact, her smile broadens for a moment.
Terry O'Neil "I don't know if a musical episode would cut it... although it might? But what I was thinking..." Terry gestures with his free hand, "Is that maybe instead of just talking to her, we do something a little more active. Talk to her and try to dismantle the dream from within. We can't possibly match her in power, but if we alter things enough in the dream while offering enough evidence that it's just a dream... evidence she can't readily refute... maybe... just maybe?"
Jonathan Sims     "It might work," Jon says, nodding eagerly. "And I'm more than willing to come and help if I can. Ma'at is the goddess of Truth, after all... and the /Truth/ is that Donna is /not/ the last remaining Titan. It should be easier, in some ways, than me coming out of Michael's fake world... I /wanted/ to stay there. Donna can't /want/ to be alone. She must miss you all."

    He bites his lip, thoughtful. "If you have anyone that she's particularly tied to... they should be involved as well. I could hear Cael trying to talk to me, and it helped me remember she was out there waiting."
Cael Becker     "Waiting and terrified," Cael murmurs quietly. Her own arm around Jon, squeezes him tightly. "Ay, Mariposa..." she murmurs quietly. It was all behind them and couldn't hurt them anymore.
    Except in her nightmares.
    "I'm not sure how much I'd be able to help with that. I don't have a connection to her, I don't understand how you dismantle a dream from the inside. All I can do is be blunt, and truthful. But really - anyone can do that."
Terry O'Neil "No se aguanten mas." Terry immediately finishes. Because there is some part of his DNA now that will engage in absolute pavlovian responses anytime songs from that movie are quoted and not finished now. This is his kryptonite.

"Well, there is someone who is tied to her... but that's one of the things we need to fix before we try this. She has lost her powers, so..."

He can't tap-dance around this anymore, so he has to say it.

"It's... well. Raven."
Jonathan Sims     Jon leans over to kiss the side of Cael's head. "You can help by keeping an eye on Agnes while we do this," they murmur. "It's alright, love."

    He takes a long breath in and then back out, and nods. "I remember how... close they seemed when I visited. I don't know... I remember the traveling to the Tower being painful but is there something... you look /foreboding/, Terry. You don't usually look foreboding."
Cael Becker     "I absolutely won't cause any mischief or be a bad influence on her in any way while you're out," Cael replies with mischief in her eyes. Oh... God, what is she planning now?
    "Raven - I think I've heard of her." She's heard of one of the founding members of the Titans - that's hardly a high bar to meet. "How did she lose her power?"
Terry O'Neil "... That's because Raven is kind of the figurative daughter of Satan. But she got better." The cat purses his muzzle, "But now we need her to get her powers back and be her old creepy terrifying self. And she kinda hates my guts?"

He exhales, "But I guess we have to do what we have to do to bring back Donna. Even if it is giving Raven back the History Erase Button."
Jonathan Sims     Jon eyes Cael for a moment and then sighs. It's good for children to have influences outside their parents. He's reminding himself of this. A lot. Despite Cael doing things like taking Agnes /shooting/.

    Americans.

    "...The figurative daughter of Satan? Not literal, so I'm guessing she's not 'Luci's' daughter." A glance to Cael, and a smirk. "Giving anyone a History Erase Button sounds bad, though. Do we /want/ to know?"
Cael Becker     "Especially the 'daughter of Satan' - figurative or not. Why does she possess such a thing? But she's... a Titan." So she's a good guy. Right? Cael seems a bit baffled on this front.
    "Why does she hate you? Just because you're a bit- uh... much sometimes?" See? Cael //can// be polite when she wants to be! Ish.
Terry O'Neil "No, she's not Lucifer's daughter, no. She's... kind of worse. Her father's name is Trigon..." his voice goes quiet, "And he is possibly one of the greatest threats in the universe. And Rae rebelled against him- he wants to use her as a doorway to invade our reality. So... she's got a lot to deal with.

Terry shrugs, "She hates me because she's just a very... angry person, I guess."

He chuckles, "I don't mean the History Erase Button literally. I mean that if she ever lost control and Trigon came through..."
Jonathan Sims     Jon blinks very very slowly. His eyes widen. "I wonder if that's--" And then he clamps his mouth shut. But he can put two and two together. Donna's 'last resort' button against Michael. What else could it have been?

    He sighs. "Well, if you need help with /that/, if it will help Donna... then I'm willing. And even though I don't know her, Raven's lot sounds... difficult. I know how difficult a family legacy can be." He hesitates, then shakes his head, not expanding on the thought.
Cael Becker     "Well... I suppose at least it's not personal?" Cael replies in a wry voice, smiling at Terry. "I mean. She's the one with the issues." The very... major issues. Under her breath she adds, "And I thought I had issues with my mother..." Raven seems to have her beat.
    "Well. I'd offer to help, but I imagine Jon's better suited. I'd probably say the wrong thing, and then we'd have to talk her down from a murder attempt."
Terry O'Neil "Well, right now she can't do much. She doesn't have... er, that part of her with her anymore." Vorpal sighs, "Which I need to help her get, so she can be part of the persuasion of Donna. She needs to be back at her full power." The Cheshire sips his coffee, "Which is playing with fire... I know."
Jonathan Sims     Jon snorts at Cael. "That or you'd manage to talk her through her issues. Terry, remind me to tell you sometime about how Cael convinced Ma'at to change millenia-long tradition about how to deal with evildoers, hmm?" He shakes his head.

    "As for Raven... I'd be curious to know why she put the power aside, apart from simply trying not to be a gateway to evil powers coming into the world. But I understand if it's hers to tell, personally. Still, there are plenty of /very/ powerful people in the world, and dangerous ones too."
Cael Becker     "Mostly, I just yell at Gods until they stop being stupid," Cael remarks in a dry tone. "Really, if more people tried it..." She picks up her scone, taking another bite, and savors it for a moment before taking a sip of her coffee. "Did she put her power aside - or was it //taken//?" she asks.
Terry O'Neil "I... don't exactly know. That's the mystery I need to unveil with her, and I hope she'll tell me. Hekate was involved. That's all I know." He shrugs, "It's always Hekate. I am starting to see a pattern here. I hope I don't start becoming paranoid and believe /everything/ is caused by Hekate..."

He glances in the direction of the kitchen, "... do you have any tinfoil, by the way?"
Jonathan Sims     "Tinfoil does no good," Jon says with an absolutely straight face. "Wire mesh embedded in the walls is better for actual electronic surveillance, but if you're worried about being spied on magically I can teach you to make a ward against scrying."

    He doesn't talk about it much but Jon /can/ be a /very/ paranoid person in the right situation.

    A sigh. "Well, I wish you luck with that. And if you need to call on me--or Cael for anything she can help with--just let us know, alright? You're part of the team. And a friend."
Cael Becker     "And really, I'd rather depend on some sort of signal scrambling device. It's far more reliable," Cael agrees with a straight face.
    She offers Terry a smile before she adds, "I'm always willing to help - if any of my talents can be of service. And, uhh... let me know if Caitlin's willing to help with that grant proposal - and I'll let you know when we're ready to go public with the program. I'd really appreciate some good press about it. If you think that's appropriate."
Terry O'Neil Terry nods, "I definitely appreciate it, and rest assured- I will call on you as soon as I know how we're going to do this."

Another sip of his coffee and he nods, "I will reach out to my contacts and see what they can do. I may have some prospective moneybags soon... hopefully. If not, at least I'll have some leads, I'm pretty sure."
Jonathan Sims     "Oh that reminds me, we need to get a signal scrambler. I expect Elias might try to hire someone to engage in mundane surveillance now that I've put up the wards." Again, Jon says this with an /entirely/ straight face. But what do you expect from an apartment in the name of /three/ SHIELD agents?

    He nods to Terry, but he'll let Cael do the thanks for the help. It's her project, after all.
Cael Becker     "I'm sure we can get something, Jon, to tide him over until we shoot him in his fucking face," Cael agrees easily. Yup - casually talking about murder over coffee and scones. Just another day in the neighborhood.
    Her attention turns back to Terry as she adds sincerely, "I really appreciate it. This project means so much to me - I can't- there aren't really words to express how much.
    The trio continue to talk, conversation veering into discussion of Terry's plans to out-ridiculous a musical number he'd recently witnessed - leaving Cael bemused, and uncertain just how serious Terry was being.
    Oh, Cael. You sweet summer child.