McCoy Apple Orchard Threes Company

[Billy Broder]

Billy

Billy still hadn't gotten a car. It was on his list. But the Uber to the orchard wasn't too bad and Rowling kept pace from the sky, hidden. Being his veiling band. The orchards were nice and Billy has been there once or twice but never long enough to be familiar with the place.

He'd grabbed a few components but not much else. He got out of the Uber and threw his coat on over his clean grey shirt and tactical book holsters. They looked a bit odd, two straps with small holsters for two notebooks, one old with an eye symbol and the other a spiderman notebook purchased from Walmart.

The driver had the good grace not to comment. Billy glanced at himself in the reflection of the window as the door closed and the Uber drove off. He thought he'd cleaned up nice. Recently Max had made comments on how run down he'd been looking, so Billy had made an effort to shave, look awake and healthy, plus dress up a touch to cover for the lost weight of the last few months.

All in all not bad, he thought.

Waiting for Jynx, he had Rowling fly a circle overhead to warn him when she or anyone came near, and popped a peppermint candy in his mouth while he admired the winter orchard.

[Jynx Marwood]

Fit with a winter coat

Jynx got dressed, humming a little as she made herself all dolled up a bit with very light make up. She smelt faintly of flowers thanks to her affinity for plants right now as she fixed her skirt and thick winter leggings she wore under them.

Humming she got two hot chocolates for her and Billy; just wanting to be nice to him as she arrived about five minutes early. Deya was curious, she felt the spirit inside her shifting a little to pay attention.

Can you not third wheel? Nothing is going to happy De.
I am just curious, don't mind me

Rolling her eyes at the back and forth from them as she would start to look for the familiar magical man who'd kept her from being swept away.

[Billy Broder]

Message Cantrip used by Rowling

Rowling circled the sky, just the faintest shimmer in the air behind the veiling band, when he spied a head of gold walking the orchard. The sharp eyes of the owl focused on her, picking out familiar tells that he recalled. A moment later he soared higher up until he spied the dark spot that was his Wizard. William, she is approaching from the east. came the calm and somehow judgmental tones of his familiar. Billy for his part glanced at the sky, the position of the sun, then adjusted himself to be facing where Jynx would come from. It wasn't a long wait as he eventually spied her, looking rather pretty in her white and black, and holding two drinks. He briefly wondered if her and D had separate tastes and thus she always had to get two drinks. That would probably be pretty tiring.

He held up a hand toward her and waved with a half smile on his face. He watched her as she walked, keeping an eye for any sway or dizziness in her step. He didn't expect it, she had described the song as just a lingering thing in her mind. No reason to assume that it would cause her any issues day to day. Then again how could he be sure, he couldn't go into her mind to find out- actually? A swirl of ideas began to flood the more magic part of his mind and he glanced toward a branch where he knew Rowling had perched. “Consider the possibility of searching someone's mind or anomalies, like a physical search done in spirit.” All he got back from the owl was an unamused Hmm, but he knew Rowling was now thinking about it too.

Later they would compare notes on what they had managed to think up. Often they had the same idea, which made sense as they were literally of the same mind- but the means of achieving the idea had a surprising tendency to differ so it was always a useful exorcise. When Jynx was close, he stepped forward to greet her with a smile. “And here I thought nothing bloomed in winter.” He said, trying to be nice and gauge who he was talking to first. Jynx or D.

Message Cantrip used.

[Jynx Marwood]

Jynx saw the hand and wave, a smile rising on her red stained lips as she gave a light jog over to him while keeping from spilling the drinks that she'd gotten for them. It took just a few moments to get up next to him, “Hey Billy! How are you doing? Hows Rowling? ” she asked sweetly before offering a drink to him, “Since it was a bit chilly today thought you might like a hot cocoa, ” she offered to him, nothing but sweetness from her what Deya made faces.

Why not just ask him if he likes you; would be easier than dancing around it with these sad flirts
Shut up

He'd see her flinch slightly from talking to the spirit living inside her. His compliment wasn't lost on her though as her pale cheeks blushed some at him, “You're sweet, ” she told him, her eyes scanning him a bit to take in his features for a moment to see if maybe she was reading the signals right? Right??

[Billy Broder]

Rowling used the Cantrip Message

Jynx came up to Billy and gave him a sunshine and roses smile, jogging up a bit which impressed him since she had heels on those boots. He happily took the offered drink and sniffed at the lid before grinning, “Just the thing for a cold day. Thank you, and Rowl is good. He is in the trees somewhere.” a second later, a tendril of thought reached the blonde woman and a posh, rather disapproving, English voice would sound into her mind. A voice oddly resembling the actor Alan Rickman in his famed role as Professor Snape. Good Afternoon ladies. How... pleasant, to see you again. the owl said, tensing the word pleasant to make it clear the bird would rather be asleep or working on something else. Billy made no reaction to the voice, even with his connection to the familiar the message cantrip they developed was one way, and that time he wasn't included in it. Of note as well was that the bird had greeted Jynx and the spirit it knew as De.

Billy watched her blush a bit at his compliment, and noted that it must be Jynx in control since his brief interactions with De gave the impression she was more an iron lady type that was harder to flatter... or at least harder to impress. Billy smiled at her as he pried off the lid to the hot coco, and then reached into his pocket to pull out a few wrapped peppermint candies, which he unwrapped one-handed with practice. He tossed three into the coffee and then offered one to Jynx. “Would you like one?” He always kept peppermints on him, and hot coco was the perfect use for them.

Cantrip Message used

[Jynx Marwood]

That was incredibly jarring have yet ANOTHER voice in her head. She blinked and looked at Rowling as he spoke and she got the serious vibe he did not want to be here at all, “Its a pleasure to see you again as well, hope you're well...and De say's her hellos, ” she was visibly not thrilled that there was another voice in her head.

Not a fan at all.

When he opened the lid to his cocoa to then suddenly drop peppermints into it? That was unique. Smiling she took a candy from him, “Oh, thank you, I love these I haven't had them in forever ” she said as she took a sip from her cup, “So how are you doing? ”

[Billy Broder]

Billy saw that she looked a bit shaken by something and then she spoke out loud. He got the gist of it then and started to try and then about it from her side of things- something new he was trying out from time to time. He glanced off toward the trees where he knew Rowling was perched and sent a quick back and forth asking the familiar to only contact her through him from now on. The owl didn't reply but didn't say no either so he took that as a win. Billy looked back at Jynx and nodded to her, putting his smile back on. “Hello to you too De. I hope you've been good.” he said. It wasn't a hope for her wellbeing so much as a statement on her behavior. He could be cordial but they had an agreement at the end of the day.

He happily shared the delicious soft peppermints with her and took another sip of his own drink. His smile faltered just a bit when she asked how he was but he shrugged and that seemed to bring it back for the most part. “I'm doing ok. Been a few bad months but things are getting better.” He said. “I'm actually looking to start a business soon.” He switched gears right after saying this though as he looked back at her- making sure to make good eye contact to show he was engaged in the conversation like his therapist had advised him. “What about you, I want to hear how you've been doing.”

[Jynx Marwood]

“uhm she says define good but for making things hard on me, no she hasn't so...she's been kind, ” she told him as Deya had a proud little smirk on her face.

Oh how she loved the long game very much, it was very satisfying.

Jynx took another drink from her cup, holding onto the mint and playing with the wrapper for a moment, “I'm glad they're getting better- really now? What sort of business? ” she asked him curiously, brow lifted as she smiled up at him. It was different now, he was actually looking her in the eye while talking and well, he felt like he changed some.

She waved her hand, “I've been alright, working on new plants mainly and the like...I don't get so many black outs now so I enjoy that, ” she told him with a little laugh as her head tilted to the side while thinking some, “Still sometimes hear that singing but I am pretty sure that's because I liked the tune and it stuck, ” not that it still had a hold on her and Deya had been the one to stop him from seducing her out the door.

[Billy Broder]

Billy fought back the urge to literally define the word good, since apparently De was going to be a smart ass. But that wasn't productive or helpful. Instead he ignored it and focused on Jynx, as she was the one of the two he could actively see. Billy sipped at his minty hot chocolate and when she asked him about the business he half waved it off and half answered. “I'm looking to start a private library.” he said. Then he shifted the focus back to her, she was doing good and working on new plants. He wondered if that meant new to her or literally new... hmm... new. Billy wondered if he could literally make a new kind of plant, he didn't know a lot about it but he had heard of people- botanists he assumed- crossbreeding new types of plants or whatever to make new ones. He wondered if he could do something similar with his magic, change a plant to- he was getting distracted. Forcing the interaction behind his interest to make himself more comfortable.

“Fewer black outs are good... no black outs would be better.” Billy said, acknowledging room for improvement.

Billy's brow creased when Jynx mentioned the song again, he was watching the tilt of her head and searching her face for any signs of confusion or possible... he wasn't sure... hypnosis? He had only just started looking into the chapters of the Watcher's Book covering thought- focus Broder. He was looking at her a touch too intensely perhaps. Didn't want to seem weird. He looked away, maybe a touch too fast, and sipped his hot chocolate before smiling again. “That'll probably keep fading until its completely gone, but let me know if it starts to worry you.” he said. “So, you said you've been here before right?”