Sal sits bemused, blinking at the kukri in her hand.
"Oh, aye," she answers in the same tone, smiling up at Kenneth. "I don't think we'll need this. Unless it was to defend my honor."
She regards the blade a second more, then lays it gently on the nearest table. "And what fun would that be? Where were we?"
"Oh. Yes. That's where we were..."
Kenneth chuckles,"Wonder if he'll ever remember what he saw in the morning?", then stops thinking about Danny -- or anyone other than the lovely lady in his arms -- completely.
Sal wakes to the feel of a slight headache behind her eyes, the sight of sunlight through her eyelids, the sounds of the bustle of a manor house in the morning, and the unaccustomed feel of a warm body twined with hers.
She slips one hand to lie flat on Kenneth's chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart, and lies quietly, trying to capture this one perfect moment in her memory forever.
Then she stirs and smiles, sighing. "Good morning. I suppose we should get up... so much to do today. Don't want everyone waiting on us. Or waiting on us longer. I wonder what time it is."
Raising her head, she lays it back down with a groan. "Good thing we packed last night. I need paracetamol and a shower and food. I'm starving, for some reason." She smiles at Kenneth again and nuzzles a quick kiss on the bard's neck.
Kenneth smiles at the touch waking him, then opens his eyes, and kisses the top of the head leaning against him.
He says, "Good morning .... it cannae be tae late or Fothergill would be politely knocking and suggesting we start moving, and that I get tae my 'own' room... though mayhap nae that last bit after Danny's visit last night and the man's near-supernatural awareness ay what happens in this place... though I'm nae surprised you'd be hungry, we did get more than a wee bit ay exercise last night."
He chuckles at that, then retaliates for the playful kiss on the neck with a series of quick kisses, then repeats himself, "Aye, a good morning, indeed, only slightly tarnished by a need tae get up immediately and go save the world, rather than helping work up more ay an appetite.... or even having the time tae have a much more fun sort ay shower."
He slowly pushes himself up to a sitting position, then smiles, "I suppose that just gives a body something tae look forward tae," and kisses Sal somewhat less playfully than before, then pulls back with the same force of will that allows him to wield his goddess' power. "Ach, that way lies danger. Go, you, take your shower afore we end up being so late that someone comes looking for us."
"Fine," Sal grumbles good-naturedly, rolling out of bed and stretching to her full height with a wicked grin at Kenneth, before tossing on a t-shirt and shorts and heading for the shower.
Not knowing when they'll be facing trouble (or if), she chooses dark brown outer clothing with a silky black long-sleeved tee next to her skin. She packs a haversack with toiletries and changes of clothes for couple of days, just in case. Once she's decent, she heads to the basement to put her vest on over the tee, then a dark plaid shirt, her shoulder harness, with a loose windbreaker-style jacket over all.
She double-checks the gear bags in the basement to be certain weapons and utility gear (binoculars and the like) are all packed (retrieving her new kukri from the table with a smile). She attaches a tripod to the outside of one bag, hoping it will look like photography gear. Then she hauls the bags to the back of the Rover and pulls the privacy screen over the cargo area - just in case. Even though they're in friendly territory, she locks the vehicle since it's now full of arms and munitions.
Only after the gear is prepared does she allow herself to head for the kitchen for food and blessed coffee.
Kenneth watches Sal leave, then gives himself a shake before heading for a quick shower, and then to his assigned room, where he'd dropped his saddlebag before. Fun's over, time tae be ready for battle, he thinks, grabbing his leather jacket, and kilt, and then grabbing the plain black shirt, rather than the Sex Pistols one, I wouldnae want tae scare off the monks.. He looks at himself in the mirror, adjusting his woven cross and nods approvingly, I dinnae think Brigid'll be offended by her Herald... and the cross might help given the audience. He chuckles at the thought as he slides his swordbelt over his shoulder, That's nae ideal, but I'd rather reach behind my back than have a blade at my side on the bike... Everything else secure, he slides his hand into the archer's gauntlet, closing his hand and causing a bow of Flame to appear, before releasing it. Aye, guess I'm ready. Let's go see about breakfast..
He arrives down in the kitchen and smiles when he sees that there's already a tray of pastries and a pot of proper breakfast tea made, pouring himself a heathen's coffee-mug full of the liquid and grabbing a pair of cinnamon buns as he waits for the others.
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Sal pops into the kitchen and zombie-walks to the coffeepot, where she fills the biggest mug she can find and tops it off by stealing cream from the tea set. Settling into a chair next to Kenneth, she clutches the liquid heaven with both hands and takes a sip with a tiny moan of pleasure and a deep sigh as the oh-so-magical potion hits her empty stomach.
Feeling the gears of her brain beginning to un-rust and turn, she can't help but think about the coming day's work. Might as well talk shop while they wait for the team to assemble.
"So, the guys in the park were pretty easy to kill - with the baddest handgun in the world - but if they'd gotten hold of me, I think they could have wrecked me bad, to be honest. And they were just brute forces. I'm betting some of them have magic, with the way they changed appearance. What do we do about them?" She takes another deep swig of coffee while it's hot. "My training says to take out the dangerous guys first - so, focus-fire on any magical types?"
Kenneth sips his tea and slides his plate over to Sal, offering her one of the pair of cinnamon buns he grabbed while liberating a scone, then nods, "Aye, it's the usual tactical problem. Some are more dangerous than others, but we cannae let the lesser ones swarm us, because even they are strong enow tae kill a body. Plus, if I'm after being sword-deep in the thick ay things, I'm as like tae miss something big and nasty more unless it's only a few meters away, which isnae the best. I wonder if Danny's kens whether Axe came back tae the north... having an actual heavy ay our own out there wouldnae be the worst idea."
He smiles, then shrugs and breaks apart the scone, and says, "Likely wishful thinking, sadly.... But, as I turn things 'round in my head, I'm thinking some ay our semi-drunken planning was probably wise... Like having the cover ay chaos, and maybe using a touch ay glamour tae make the locals take the threat seriously so they can add tae our numbers as something other than targets... and that we'd dae well tae have a sniper."
He pops a piece of scone into his mouth, taking a most uncooth gulp of tea from his tea-mug to wash it down, "And nae, I amnae saying that tae keep you out ay harm's way. One, I dinnae want you tae shoot me, and tae, I'm thinking that unless you're under one ay Danny's veils with a silenced weapon, you'd only have, mayhap three shots afore they figure out where you are and make you a target.... Though if our Danny-boy can keep you hidden whilst still messing with the rest ay the fish fingers close up, that'd be right pretty. And dinnae forget what Father Christ-bard brought you yesterday... the normal Formor seem vulnerable tae regular weapons, so we dinnae need tae worry about finding ironshod bullets or the like but I dinnae ken about the bigger ones... but there's nae a lot that Righteous Fire cannae harm... and, the Tuatha Dé Danann have a wee bit ay experience at killing Formor... even the greatest ay them."
He smiles, "Apparently even their Heralds can hold their own.. Still, this one, at least would rather have as much support as possible tae ensure he can keep on Heralding...." He starts to raise his tea again, then stops and adds, "Oh, and, when in doubt dealing with magic, a shotgun full ay salt can be pretty useful, tae."
Sal whistles softly. "Yeah, Axe was really something. The boy could lay the smack down. I mean, you're good, but he was just a beast with an edged weapon."
"We could always tell..." and her brain, running much faster than her mouth, has already finished the sentence 'Letitia so the Wardens know and can maybe back us up' when the name Letitia jogs the tumblers in her brain that were rusty last night and they slip into place, unlocking the realization I am dating a woman he's in love with and she can't finish that sentence.
She swears softly and fervently at the remaining coffee in her mug, then tries to pick up the thread of the planning, continuing to look into her coffee mug.
Don't need this right now. Focus.
"Sniper rifles aren't really silent, not when the bullet goes supersonic, and I don't have the subsonic kind - even those make noise. So you're right - a couple of shots and they'll find me. If I can take down a big bad first, that's totally worth it. In the park, it was close quarters right away. The Eagle did well for me there, and I'll have that with me. Smaller pistol won't stop them."
You're babbling. Just tell him.
He'll hate me. He'll be angry. Men always get angry.
Mission first. Focus.
"I've got the berries and the wire, and ever since the Poppy Queen, I feel... like maybe I could make that holy weirdness happen again. I haven't tried it since. Pretty afraid to even touch it. But maybe that would help."
If you don't tell him, he'll think you've been lying to him. The longer it goes, the worse it'll be.
I'll lose him if he knows. We've barely had any time at all. It's not fair.
Both of us need to focus on the issue at hand right now. Don't distract him.
"I haven't made any custom shell loads for the shotgun - didn't even think of it. That would be a good weekend project, making different shells, but there's no time today. I think it's lead ammo, for the most part. I don't use shotguns as a rule, so it's just whatever was lying around for hunting, birdshot mostly. But a faceful of that will make anyone hesitate."
He knows something is wrong by now. You're no actress, and he's not stupid.
She pulls a corner off the cinnamon roll but it has no taste, and she has to wash it down with a swallow of coffee. Oddly, it all feels like ice in her stomach, even the hot coffee.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know how you felt about Letty," she abruptly informs her mug, which seems to be trembling slightly for some reason.
Kenneth nods, "Aye, Aximeus is better with a blade than I am, though he's got an order ay magnitude more experience... But he's also just tougher, especially in his armour. Like small caliber bullets don't break the skin tougher. And he heals at least as well as I dae.... All in all, just the sort ay body tae drop intae a knot ay Fishfingers. Apparently being a god has some perks a body doesnae get from following one."
Kenneth reflexively answers Sal's aborted question, "I've nae issue with telling folk, though I'm thinking there's likely nae need after Danny's little visit...." ... but that's nae what you were asking. ... and now you're stiffening up.... ach, she was going tae suggest the police again and thought ay Laura... . The bard forces himself to listen to the rest, then nods, pleased to find a bit of protective anger he can latch on to in Sal's words, "Aye, well if you're going tae be the fist ay an archangel, then they'd best bloody protect you, out at least give you the weapons tae harm the wicked. I'm nae saying you should trip over a Sword ay the Cross, but you were picked for a reason and shouldnae be treated like you're disposable." He sighs, then adds, "A'course, tae be fair, if you're still worried about that, your angel's likely giving you space... rather like some other bard ye ken... biblically.". He smiles at his joke, but the smile falls away when he sees it didn't penetrate Sal's dark clouds, ..ach, that cannae be a bonnie sign...
He then blinks at Sal's statement, the wheels in his head turning, Letty? Who? What's this.. before the caffeine in the tea shakes his brain enough that it all clicks, and he inhales... a mouthful of scone and immediately starts to cough, holding up a finger while pounding his chest with the other hand. Finally, the crumbs mostly out of his lungs, tears on his cheeks from the coughing, he looks up and says, " She's your 'light and easy' fling? "
He wipes his face and says, "Well, that's... Nae, I dinnae ken what that is, other than clearly a surprise. Ach, by the Flame, Brigid's probably watching me with a few ay her best girlfriends, the output of small winery and a giant bowl ay popcorn. It certainly doesnae change the way I feel about you... though now I'm doubly jealous... and from each direction, so I reckon four times as much as before? I suppose, too, that suggests that had I acted on what I felt rather than holding back tae be 'good', I'd probably have been disappointed."
He takes another pull of his tea, then says, "Ach, one more complication from the mantle, since I'm all in romantic love, I cannae even just enjoy the mental picture."
He shakes his head and gives Sal what he hopes is a reassuring squeeze, "Ach, aye, I'll certainly be keeping with the 'dinnae be acting on those feelings' strategy... And honestly, it'd probably be easier if I ken the two ay you were in love, as ridiculous as that is. And I'm nae saying that tae push you intae anything.. Dinnae fret, love. They're my emotions tae deal with, and I'm sure there's a fair number at women who'd laugh and call it karma. "
Sal sits up in alarm at Kenneth's near-asphyxiation. "Are you OK? My God, I thought I'd killed you with a scone."
Rather than be reassured, she seems a little alarmed at his response. "No, no... you don't get it. It can't ever be love. I mean, it got started the night we met - she was the driver in London, you know? And I was high as a kite, to be honest. And she seemed so... I dunno, lonely. Once I was sober, I called her to see if she wanted to go clubbing, because she was so wistful about it. So we go dancing when we can, and maybe dinner sometimes. She kept me from falling back into bad habits, and I understand about her sudden absences - and she mine. We keep it fun. Because..." She shakes her head. "OK, look: people get lonely, they get a dog. And they get home from work and are glad to see each other, and they play silly games, and the human gets to feel young again. There's affection, sure, but no equality. There's no basis for the kind of love you're talking about. And Letty has more miles of walls than China."
She grimaces. "And dogs are useful, too. They can, say, watch certain redheaded sorceresses at the University where they work, where you get them a job."
"So yeah, it's light and easy, because I'm basically Letty's pet human."
Kenneth takes a deep breath at the description, then releases it, Patience, lad, you're in nae position tae be lecturing anyone...., but then says, "I'm nae one tae be talking about what's healthy, I suppose, but that doesnae sound... right, tae me. And aye, I ken, I'm auld fashioned with a head full ay romance, so grain ay salt, all that... And, as you said, 'tis meant tae be a spot ay fun and nothing more, so that's already intae a world that I dinnae - cannae - wrap my head around... but, there isnae a world in which a body, especially nae a clever, bonnie lass like you, should be a pet tae someone. Le.. er, Letty isnae an angel, and if she's feeling an age that she isnae showing, well, she's bloody well old enow tae ken that she shouldnae be using anyone like that... Hells, she's acting like a vampire... one ay the unpleasant White Courters... or even the Reds, when we start talking ay 'pets'... Poxy wizards...," he grumbles.
He stops, "Sorry. We seem tae have pressed the buttons triggering my chivalry, need tae protect those I love and my well-earned distrust ay poxy wizards and their attitudes all at once. Enow that I'm almost surprised I'm nae holding a sliver ay the Flame at the moment."
He takes a breath, and lets out a sigh, "Again, my problem, and nae yours... I'll deal... though, I will just say, love, that you're worth so much more than tha'." ...and that's done a number on my impression of Letitia, tae... I'm usually far better at reading folk that that...
He then quietly adds with a smile, "...and there hasnae yet been a scone baked that can take down a Herald ay the Tuatha Dé Danann, though I'm sure many a wicked baker has tried."
Sal sighs and sets a hand on Kenneth's arm. "Relax. Sorry if I upset you. I probably made it sound worse than it is in trying to show you it can't be more. And it's OK how it is. She has helped me. I hope I help her. It's just.. full disclosure. I don't want to hide from you. OK?"
And honestly, she'd probably be better off with someone like you who could understand her better, Sal doesn't say.
"So... battle plans. I wonder where Danny and Edwyn are. It's tough to plan with half the crew."
Kenneth shakes his head, "As I said, 'tis my problem, I'll need tae get o'er it, if only tae avoid the stereotype of the enraged Scot. But, seriously, I willnae judge a body for daeing what they feel they need tae, or want tae, sae long as it's nae hurting anyone else. If it's truly been good for you, then that'll make accepting it that much easier... but I'll ne'er accept anyone treating you, Sal, woman that I love, as something lesser... even, apparently, in a poorly-absorbed analogy," he adds with a wink and a quick kiss.
"But, aye moving back tae the conversation we cannae have tomorrow, short ay snipers, police and desperate calls for the cavalry, I've nae much else tae add... Generally works better when we're bouncing ideas off ay each other - heck, though I willnae ever admit it tae his face, just toning some ay Danny's grander ideas down intae something potentially feasible is often a good mental exercise, so having the lad here would be helpful.... though he was looking right knackered last night...."
Kenneth starts to lift another piece of scone to his mouth, then pauses to lance it with a tiny sliver of Flame from his index finger before popping it in his mouth and washing it down with more tea... then gets a puzzled look, "Wait... Ye dinnae think that Fothergill's trying tae keep them away tae give us space, dae you?"
After being shown to a cozy guest room, Edwyn had promptly kicked off his shoes, doffed his jacket and flopped onto the bed. Despite all the excitement, he didn't even feel even a little tired. Like many things in his life, sleep was now more of a suggestion than a necessity. A blessing at first glance, but he had found that he missed the sense of gratification that came with crashing after pulling an all-nighter. Left with little choice, he mulled over every little detail behind the day's events repeatedly, eventually boring himself into half-slumber.
Man, you look like hell, he tells himself the next morning, as he inspects his reflection. He briefly contemplates taking a shower, only to remember that he doesn’t have a change of clothes on him. It is not as though he has much in the way of body odor, though that only seems to accentuate the lingering fishy smell on his jacket. Maybe I can swing by the apartment before we head to Lindisfarne.
Edwyn spends a few moments straightening out his hair and clothes as best as he can, principally restoring the knot on his necktie to a proper Windsor. By the time he arrives in the kitchen, he looks like a man ready to have a really bad day at the office.
”Morning Sal. Morning Kenneth,” he says with tired resignation, as though he’s clocking into work for the day. Spotting the coffee pot, he saunters over to it and helps himself to a mugful. He breathes in the aroma deeply - one of the few things he still could still enjoy - before taking a long draught of the bitter drink. It doesn’t exactly return the color to his face, but he does seem to become a bit more lively.
"Hmmm. We're all still here, which means that yesterday wasn't just a fever dream," he observes aloud, leaning against one of the countertops.
Kenneth chuckles, "Nae, sadly... Though I suppose we should be happy that you didnae call the lot ay us a nightmare."
Sal opens her mouth to answer the question about Fothergill when Edwyn stumbles in. His greeting puts her right into an old cartoon about a sheepdog and a wolf, so she replies "Mornin, Sam" in a flat, bored tone.
She is glad to see another heathen American making a beeline for the coffeepot.
Sal smiles at Kenneth in reply to Edwyn's comment. "Yesterday kind of seems like a dream. But then, so does today."
"But I'm afraid it might be a nightmare today for Danny. Last we saw him, he was awfully happy, so he's probably super unhappy today."
"We've been sitting here trying to plan for what we don't know," she laments, "Feel free to chime in. So far, we have stabbing, shooting, and magic on the list."
The door opens again, and Danny appears. He seems 'normal' at first glance, Fresh-showered and clean-shaven, but stands in the doorway. And stands. Until an actual snore-snort makes him jerk violently and you realize he was asleep on his feet.
Danny zombie walks slowly to the coffeepot, shuffling and moaning occasionally like an audition for 'Walking Dead'. He pours a large cup of coffee, splashing only a drop, and raises it to his lips, where he slurps noisily.
He makes a FACE, one of those that can only be made by someone who regularly treats their coffee with lots of something that isn't there.
"OW! WOW! HOT! And black coffee!? Ugh! WHY?!?" Danny wails like a spectre as he hastily reaches for large spoonfuls of sugar and a huge dollop of the first milky stuff he can find. There is more mess this time, but Danny successfully gets the treated coffee to his lips and gulps greedily.
"Ow. Still hot." Danny says in a much lower volume. Plunging his face into the mug once more.
The singer turns, face still in the mug, and blinks owlishly as he focuses blearily on the other people in the kitchen. He lowers the mug, sporting a coffee-cream mustache, smiles wanly, and raises a hand.
"How." Danny says, old-cowboy-movie indian style.
Kenneth shakes his head at Danny, "I wonder if Daffy will remember he can fly..."
As he pours more coffee down his throat, Edwyn glances back and forth between Sal and Kenneth over the rim of his mug. Rather than making any keen observations
"A nightmare to others, maybe. Like those of the piscine persuasion," he replies with a lopsided grin. "As for Danny, well, I think I heard him in the hallway last night. Sounded like he was having a good time." He looks back the way he came, half-expecting him to show up. When he doesn't, Edwyn continues, "A-"
Interrupted by Danny's off-cue entrance, the detective watches as he violates a perfectly good cup of coffee. "A very good time, apparently."
"As far as our itinerary goes, well, I guess it’s just a question of what we want to do before heading to Lindisfarne. It’ll take us a while to get there, and we’ll want to get there early.”
Sal watches Danny's entrance in fascinated horror. "'There are thousands of good reasons why magic doesn't rule the world. They're called Witches and Wizards,'" she quotes faintly.
Sal nods at Edwyn's observation. "We get there early... and without speeding. The Rover won't stand any scrutiny if it's pulled over."
"I'm good to head to Lindisfarne, but everyone else probably needs a stop in town to pick up an overnight bag, I'm guessing. I can put a pillow and blankets in the back seat so Danny can catch up on his sleep." She winces. "Maybe a bucket, too. "
"Should be a nice quiet ride, for once, so there's that."
"We can meet somewhere in town when we're ready and caravan up to the Holy Isle." She pulls out her phone and does a bunch of thumb tapping on the screen. "Let's see... parking is tight in town proper. Google recommends A59 out of York... aha! There's a BP and a McDonalds just off the A59/A1237 circle. We can meet there, gas up, get Danny something greasy and quasi-nutritious to soak up the alcohol, and head out."
She looks up from her phone and scans between Kenneth and Edwyn. "That's assuming you guys want to drive your own vehicles. At least two would be useful in case we have to split up. Anyone besides Danny riding in the Rover? I'm not married to being the driver, if you'd rather drive, but Danny is not driving. That's for sure."
"UGH." Danny responds to all of the chatter, before burying his face back into his mug of life-requirement.
After a long, slurping moment, he resurfaces for air.
"Need to pick up 'Frankentaur'. Gig bag. McDonald's good." he mutters in a deeper-than usual voice.
He goes to take another drink, and looks at his now-empty mug like it has betrayed him.
"Can't drive here anyway. They all drive on wrong side of the road." He mutters darkly as he stumbles back over to refill his supply of magical elixir.
"Don' know what yer talkin' 'bout. I'm fine." he murmurs.
He stops in middle of adding sweet and creamy stuff to the cup, turns, and looks at Ken and Sal through pain-narrowed eyes. After a moment he goes back to treating his cup. "Nahhh." he mumbles to himself.
"A couple more gallons, er, cups of coffee, some Tylenol, and I'm right as rain." he says with a valiant attempt at cheerful energy.
Kenneth watches Danny suffer for a moment then shakes his head, "I guess not," he says, hitting the consonants strangely.
He takes a deep pull of his tea and offers, "There's some pastries if a body needs some sugar tae get the wheels turning... though after seeing what Danny's already put in his coffee, I'm thinking it'd be diminishing returns in his case."
Kenneth says, "Aye, I'll take my bike. Should make for a bonnie ride, and squeezing out ay the back seat at a sedan in a kilt doesnae always make the best first impression, ye ken. I dinnae need tae head back into town, though.". He motions toward the leather saddlebag in the corner with a jerk of his head, "I've still got another couple ay T-shirts and a spare kilt in there."
He says, "As for Danny needing a MacBreakfast tae become useful, aye, it might be worth a stop. A spot ay grease and protein could be useful for the rest ay us, since we dinnae ken how the rest ay the day will go. Not convinced it'll make Danny's brain start working, though, that's likely a lost cause, ye ken."
He casually refills his tea-mug, takes another pull while watching his friend suffer, before saying, "Especially since it seems he's gone and drank so much as that he's right forgetten who he is.... and, worse, missed a perfectly good Bugs Bunny reference."
At Danny's narrow scrutiny, Sal keeps an innocent face. Once the Hungover One turns away, she smiles quickly and conspiratorially at Kenneth.
"Maybe Edwyn could take Danny by his apartment, since they are the ones who need to go back to town, and we could meet them at Mac's," she suggests, eyes twinkling. "No point wasting all that gas for the Rover."
She has no selfish agenda here. At all.
Kenneth nods, "Aye, a bonnie idea. I can help you move your arsenal to the boot while they're fetching their gear..."
"...make sure I didn't leave anything vital in the basement..." Sal suggests helpfully.
Not exactly what I would call subtle, Edwyn thinks, using his investigative skills to the opposite of their fullest potential.
"Wait, you mean we're going to an establishment that doesn't serve alcohol?" he asks with mock incredulity, swirling what little coffee remains in his mug as though it were wine. "I'm pretty sure you lot had at least one drink at every stop we made yesterday."
And you wasted a lot of perfectly good beer, he chides himself. But at least you drank the stuff the literal god gave you.
"But yeah, I can take him. Once he's had his fill of coffee, anyway. And if he doesn't mind riding in the clown car with me."
Kenneth chuckles, "Aye, you're right. This is a stop afore the mead. We'd best bring a flask." He picks up another scone and narrows his eyes, as if evaluating it, then mutters, "This one seems less prone tae attacking..", before winking at Sal and tearing a piece off, popping it in his mouth as he looks at Danny.
"Dinnae fret about babysitting the lad, Edwyn. He's mostly whining and being pathetic at the moment out ay habit and, presumably, at some point he'll remember tha' and be fine."
"Aww, it's cuuuute," Sal says about the clown car, giving Edwyn a pleased smile.
She waits until Kenneth has the chunk of new scone in his mouth before leaning over and saying "By the way, there's something I need to tell you," then smothering a laugh.
"When we meet at the Golden Arches, we can move him to the Rover, give him a pillow, blankie, and teddy bear, and he'll be aaaall better when we get to the Barn, I'm sure," Sal continues in the tone of voice used to soothe an infant.
That seems to remind her... "Cash! I'll get some cash from the stash before I leave. Less traceable, though with these damned CCTV cameras all over England, that's not such a big deal. At least cash doesn't have mag stripes for you magic people to scramble."
She tears into the rest of the cinnamon roll with a much improved appetite.
"Hah. Freakin'. Hah." Danny says in a dry monotone. He stumbles to the table, reaches over, plucks a pastry from the plate, and shoves the entire thing in his mouth.
Danny chews for a minute, (struggling to breath around the danish for only a moment) then his eyes roll up into his head, and he makes a moan of pure bliss.
"Mmm, Moh Gowd, Cawrbs. Yesh! THASH whut ai needehd!"
Danny chews until the pastry vanishes and he no longer looks like a Disney chipmunk. He follows it with half of his new mug of coffee.
"Oh, Yeah! 'Diminishing returns' my Aunt Susie's keister! That is JUST what the doctor ordered!" Danny smirks at Ken. (His eyes are still narrowed in a painful squint, but the smirk is genuine.)
"And yes, I had a good time last night. Don't even remember going up to the room to be honest. I mean, I realized it would have been RUDE to not finish the bottle and just let it go to waste, right?" He grins with indications that his usual self is, indeed, still kicking in there. Somewhere.
Danny looks at Ken, then Sal, then Ken, then Sal,....
"I thought I remembered,... Say, how late WERE you guys up last night working on the,... armory?"
"We were up fairly late kissing in the armory. Then we went to bed. Together." Sal rises from her chair and prowls in Danny's general direction. "And we'll probably do that same thing at the next opportunity."
She holds up a single finger in front of Danny's face. "And I do not want to hear one. word. from the guy who's been dating hot twins from the day I met him."
She picks up a scone and takes a vicious chomp from it, staring at Danny.
Kenneth coughs again, She really is trying tae kill me with scones.., then nods, "..and ideally at several other opportunities, tae.". He takes another pull from his tea, and smiles.
"Good for you two," Edwyn inserts awkwardly, flashing a thumbs up as he gulps down the rest of his coffee. He glances at Danny, once again hiding his incredulousness behind the mug. Twins? Christ. He really is living the rock star life.
"Ah. Refreshing. Now then, unless we have any more planning or prepwork, I should probably get ready to head out," he says, already rinsing out his mug. Normally he would be happy to help himself to another cup, but the situation was now painfully awkward. "Before you ask, you should have my number in your call history, Sal. It might have been labeled as 'Scam Likely.'"
Sal has the grace to look abashed. "Fowwy, Edwyn," she attempts to articulate, holding one finger over her lips to keep in crumbs, "Dis fing is wewwy dwy." She glares at the hapless scone.
After a slug of coffee to wash down the pastry, she coughs lightly and turns her attention to Edwyn. "Before you go, did you pick a vest? If you're going to wear that suit, the only thing that will fit under it is a stab vest. If you have more, um, casual clothes?" She scans his rather seedy-looking outfit with mild dismay. "I mean, looser shirts? You can get a ballistic vest under larger sizes. And do you want to wear it or have me bring it in the armaments truck?"
"Stab vest is better than nothing against these guys." She frowns. "Assuming it's the fish guys and not militia."
Kenneth chuckles at Sal's attempt to talk with her mouthful, whispering, "Dìdean", causing a small shield of flame to appear to catch the crumbs. "Careful, now. Some ay us have already showered."
He chuckles to himself, looking to Danny for support, then sighs, I'm the only body awake enow tae appreciate my sense ay humour... I dae hope the lad remembers he's nae fully mortal at some point. Starting tae wonder if I'll need tae ask Sal tae sprain his wrist or something and make him heal instinctively..
He shakes himself out of his thoughts and says, "In tight quarters, militia's likely tae be using knives as tae avoid hitting each other... In fact, they're more likely tae be careful than the Formor, who didnae seem tae concerned about their fellows.... All that tae say, every wee bit helps."
Danny nods, Slowly.
"Say anything? Who? ME? Why would I even?" Danny replies with wide-eyed innocence and takes another sip of his coffee.
Oh yeah. He's awake now.
"I'll take a vest. Whatever's available. I can always wear it under my jacket."
"You know, just in case I open my mouth before I get enough coffee, and actually get on Sal's bad side!" He winks at Kenneth.
Danny finishes his coffee, and joins Edwyn at the sink to rinse out his mug. He gives the detective a lopsided grin.
"Welcome to the Scooby Gang!"
Kenneth laughs at that, "Aye, ye'd best be stuffing a scone in your mouth afore triggering that temper... 'Specially since she's sneaky enow that I probably couldnae save you, even if I tried."
"Casual clothes? While I'm on the job? Never," Edwyn retorts, leaving out the fact that he has been 'on the job' for the past several months. "I'll take a stab vest, too. I mean, it's not like we're dealing with trained marksmen, right?"
Smiling back at Danny, he replies, "Thanks. But you should probably think of a better name for your crew."
"Naah," Sal laughs. "You're one of mine, Danny. I might bark, but I don't bite."
She arches an eyebrow at Kenneth as if daring him to contradict that assertion, then disappears into the 'armory', reappearing a few minutes later with the requested vests.
"You can take them with you or I'll put 'em in the Rover. We will." She smiles at Kenneth. "And I second Edwyn on the name. We're way too cool for that."
She hands them each a chunk of bills from the stash for expenses (roughly £500.)
"Time's a-wasting! Go forth and run errands. We'll meet you at Mac's at, say, 11? We'll be to Lindisfarne - at least the Barn - by 2 or so. Good enough?" She makes flapping motions as if shooing chickens.
Kenneth simply raises an eyebrow at the biting comment, then looks back into his tea to cover a smile, before nodding about the name comment, "Aye, I agree... especially cause I dinnae think that Danny'd make a terribly good Buffy... though I suppose I'd nae be the worst Spike."
He eyes the vest for a moment, "Better stick tae a stab vest for me. The ballistic vest would make a body have tae close his leather jacket tae hide it, and that's just nae cool...." He shrugs, then says, "Well, nae just that... there's also that I spent weeks learning tae shape the Fire ay the Forge intae armour when I need it, so it'd be a right shame if I didnae use it."
"Mmm, Spike. Way better than Angel, and it'd suit you," Sal agrees.
She picks a stab vest from the pile of stuff she's brought up from the armory. "Now, I need to get you upstairs and out of that shirt," she crooks a finger at Kenneth. "Then I need you to use this on me." She digs a roll of duct tape out of the pile and offers it to him with a wink.
"See you two at McDonald's at 11," she tells Danny and Edwyn, and heads out of the kitchen to the stairs going up to the bedrooms.
"I don't know, Sal. That's a lot of Happy Meals," Edwyn remarks dryly when he is offered the small stack of cash. He considers objecting, but ends up stuffing the bills into a pants pocket.
Shaking his head, he helps himself to one of the stab vests. There was some conventional wisdom about knives and gunfights, but he figured that it would be easier to get stabbed than shot.
"Alright, Danny, where am I taking you?" he asks, already working on a mental travel itinerary. Might as well be as economical as possible. "I have one or two stops to make before the rendezvous at Mickey D's."
"hey,.. HEY! The Scooby gang was COOL! BOTH of them. The original, AND the Buffy gang." Danny insists.
"Well of COURSE I 'nae' make a good BUFFY. I'M clearly more the XANDER type." Danny explains.
"Or,... Oz. Yeah, OZ was cool. THAT boy was WAY too chill." He grins.
Danny makes an 'ouchie' face at the biting comment, and winks at Ken, trying to see if he'll squirm.
He raises an eyebrow at the duct tape. He looks at Edwyn.
"When I hear THAT, all i can think of is the original Star Wars, and Carrie Fisher." He smirks.
"That';s fine Sal, you two STICK around, we'll see you at 11." he waves over his shoulder.
"I don't know what she means. I mean sure, I'm 'dating' twins. Sort of. But we're not DATING. You know?" Danny says in a low voice, presumably to Edwyn, as he finishes cleaning his mug.
"I mean, yeah, I'm not gonna pretend we haven't played 'Which Twin Am I Kissing?', once or twice. But we haven't done, much, more than that. For a couple of reasons. First, they were friends long before they were girlfriends, you know? It just, sometimes it's weird, and I, we, dont want it to get weird, ya know? " Danny Continues as he dries the mug and places it on the drying mat.
"But mostly because of their Dad. He doesn't really Approve of me all that much. But he tolerates me because he knows that I actually care for the girls, ya know? But he's the kind of guy who, if he DIS-approves of something, it tends to DIS-appear. KnowwhutImean?"
"Heck, I won't lie. HE scares me. A little bit. And I'VE met the Queen of the Winter Fae! Heck, I WORK for her. Kinda." Danny gives an entirely non-acting shudder. Then seems to realize that Edwyn has asked him a question.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. Still waking up, And I'm an over-sharer. Sorry bout that. I just need to run by my apartment to pick up a couple of things." Danny gives Edwyn his address, and basic directions if he needs them. (Not that DAnny is an expert navigator in the area yet.)
Kenneth chuckles, at Danny's comment about Oz, "Just another reminder that 'tis always the bass player that's the cool one."
At the Mecca of American Cuisine, it becomes apparent that Sal is as good as her word. The back seat of the Rover is loaded with pillows, blankets, bottled water, and (an obvious gas station purchase) a tiny stuffed bear on a keychain.
She assigns Danny shotgun or back seat, his choice. "If we get pulled over, you're in charge of Jedi mind tricks." She waves a ring and pinkie finger. "You don't need to see her identification. These aren't the guns you're looking for. She can go about her business. Move along."
Judging by her singing along with the radio the entire way up, Sal seems in unusually good spirits.
♪♫Happiness hit her like a bullet in the back
Struck from a great height
By someone who should know better than that
The dog days are over
The dog days are done
Can you hear the horses
'Cause here they come
Run fast for your mother and fast for your father
Run for your children for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
Can't carry it with you if you want to survive ♪♫
She drives perfectly properly, as long as one overlooks her tendency to let go of the wheel to join in on the clapping parts, laughing at Danny as she does.
Edwyn and Danny join the rest at the fast food temple. (Small 'T')
Upon seeing Sal's gifts in the back seat, Danny tosses his duct-taped guitar case into the 'boot', and dives into the blanket and pillow. he gets comfortable, and opens his bag of holy snacks, thoroughly enjoying devouring the various carb & greasy-supposed-meat offerings inside.
At Sal's comments about Jedi Mind tricks, he waves his own hand, first two fingers held up.
"Ooo don' need to fee her eyeden'ifficafun" He solemnly mutters through a mouthful of greasy goodness.
Danny enjoys the ride stretched out in the back, obviously feeling much better. And approves of Sal's choices in music. Even if he DOES close his eyes when she insists on clapping along.
Kenneth shakes his head and barely suppresses a shudder when he notes the shiny dark grease stain on the bag that Danny's grasping so tightly. Trust him tae find the one thing that makes Scottish cuisine look good... He throws his leg over the Commando and kicks down, starting the motor and he smiles at the lovely sound. I dae love the sound and feel ay that.... Nice thing about a MacD lot is that at least I dinnae have tae worry about a collector pestering me about buying it...
He falls into a position a good half-click behind the Rover, Dinnae want tae make it tae obvious we're together, just in case... then sighs for a moment, ...a'course, I get tae be the 'outrider' as the guy on the bike, but makes the trip a might lonelier... Oi, maybe I can teach Danny tae ride a bike... but, really, kenning him, it'll probably end up being some sort ay white, sporty thing, and then I'd still be alone as tae nae be seen with him... He smiles, Sal, on the other hand, is more likely tae have good taste.... I mean, obviously..... He chuckles, and then, a little bored, starts weaving left and right, passing the Rover. I can just as easily be inconspicuously ahead ay them, after all.
After visiting a corner store and two separate apartments, Edwyn shows up in a new jacket and tie, fresh and ready to be riddled with bullet holes.
Not having much in the way of an appetite, but figuring that he should order something, he pays for a kids' meal, ostensibly for some next of kin that he left in the car. He clarifies that he wants the tiny box of fries and the tiny little soft drink to go with them. Healthy or not, milk and fruit with a burger was just plain wrong.
With Danny safely transferred over to Sal's mobile pillow fort, Edwyn returns to the Mini alone. He waits in the parking lot, putting fries into his mouth one by one as he watches the others drive off.
"It's just you and me, pal," he remarks to no one as he places a small hunk of plastic on the dusty dashboard, some cartoon abomination from the latest in computer-generated children's entertainment. "Whatever the hell you're supposed to be."
After five minutes or so he takes off in the same direction, already knowing the way. He doubts that anyone would actually follow them, but it wouldn't hurt to play it safe.