[META] Such beautiful eyes you have (America + ???)

[Ashdown Crier]

Once the door is opened, the stranger smiles. "Hi," she says. "I'm Lara Lupin. May I take a moment of your time?"  

[lizbot]

She was still new enough in the area for a knock on the door to be startling rarity. A nice one, though. Beaming at the lady on her door step, America began to greet her with a warm, "Pleased to meetcha, Miss Lupin! What can I-" And here she underwent the transformation from friendly and mature young woman to adoring pile of sugary goo, all from the display of tiny dogness before her.

"Oh my goodness, and who is this? Who are you? Dancin' all round like the cutest baby in the whole wide world oh my god!"

Ashdown Crier

 

[shibrogane]

"This is Cerberus the Deathslayer," says Lara, slouching a little further forward to look at Cerberus the Deathslayer, who could probably bring death to a dust bunny of medium size, but nothing bigger. "So called because he is very, very good at playfighting!" She smiles down at the little terrier, who toddles over to introduce himself to America.

He does this by flopping over onto his side on America's foot.

"Or he is usually," says Lara, a little nonplussed. "Cerby, you tool." She looks up from her terrier and smiles at America. "I brought muffins! Can I come in?"

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

For a moment America was just paralyzed, a silent screech of delight across her features at both the same and fluffy puppy contact. It was the face of someone whose day has not only been made but who would no doubt soon be bragging to others about her amazing morning. There had been a dog.

And then she was a small flurry of welcoming motions, "Oh my gosh, where are my manners? Come on in, let me get you something to drink. Got water, beer, soda, lemonade...muffins are so nice of you to bring, have folks been spreading takes of my bottomless bakery stomach? 'Cause they're all true!"

During this time, she both ushered the other to the little booth of a table and teased the Deathslayer with wiggling fingers and happy coos at his mighty self.

ashdown crier

 

[shibrogane]

"Lemonade would be lovely," says Lara, opening up her picnic basket and drawing out a six-tray of what appear to be sugar-encrusted chocolate-chip muffins. "And, um, not really, I just sort of assumed..."

Cerberus is loathe to move from his foot-perch, but he does, sitting expectantly next to the two women until Lara lifts him up to her lap. "This isn't just a social call, I'm afraid, it's... well..." She runs a nervous hand over her dog's hair. "Have you been seeing weird things lately? Like... changes in vision? When you're not really thinking about it?"

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

After pouring them both a glass and a little bowl of water for Cerberus, America began to settle across from Lara when the question had her pause with a startled look. Mouth forming a little "o" for a moment she soon laughed a bit, a bit happy but maybe a little nervous as well.

"You know I have! Is it a Thing, then? Like a local allergy?"

ashdown crier

 

[shibrogane]

Cerberus, apparently unconcerned with all these human goings-on, tucks into his bowl of water with gusto. Lara, for her part, shakes her head. "I... don't know. But I do the same thing, with... I think something a little extra. Cerby tells me when he sees other people who can do what I can."

She looks down at the dog, which is now paws-first in the water, looking around alertly.

"Like a witch's familiar," she says, slowly. "I suppose."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

"Oh cool, witch's familiar..." America, it should be said, was a little but distracted by the utter cuteness of a tiny dog with its paws in a water bowl, on the alert for shenanigans.

And then her hands were suddenly fluttering up to her mouth as her brain caught on. "Oh my gosh! Are you a witch? Am I a witch?!"

A pause and then...

"Does this mean I get a little dog, too?" America's gaze took on a particular sheen, like a little kid gazing at a huge present Christmas morning.

Magic was real and America Jones had priorities.

ashdown crier

 

[shibrogane]

"I'm not a witch like the girl on the beach is, if that's what you're asking," says Lara. "I don't know what I am." She peels a paper cup off a muffin and starts peeling the crusty parts of the muffin off to eat. "And I don't know, maybe? I think I've met someone who's got a bird..."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

Lara's action reminded America that there were Muffins To Be Had, and promptly took one for herself for long chipmunk-cheeked stretch of consideration. Washing down the last of the mouthful with a dip of lemonade, she finally asked, "So I'm a...magicky-ish whats-it like you and I've got a little critter runnin' about and tellin' me the hot gossip? Somethin' along those lines?"

She couldn't help but look around the little camper, as if a dog, or bird, or maybe even a fricken' unicorn was getting ready to bust in and be all, Hay girl, hay! Let's hang out be magical together!

"When Mister Deathslayer tells you stuff, does he talk out loud?"

shibrogane

Im sorry i edited to add the Most Important Question

 

[shibrogane]

Lara eyes America skeptically. "Not really," she says. "I see through his eyes, smell through his nose. Stuff like that." Kibble tastes disgusting. "I don't even really know how to control it."

She pulls a business card from her pocket. It's got a date on the back of it: May 24th, 7pm. "I'm trying to pull a group of us together at Blackfriar Hall. The library on the Rider-Waite main campus? If you want to come?"

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

America could help a bit disappointment at that. She'd been picturing the charmingly bad cat puppet on that one teenage witch show when she'd been little. It'd been so dang sassy. But the smell thing, well...that sounded neat as ********. Unless it meant lots of poop smelling, then maybe a bit less neat.

Any signs of let down at the lack of talking animals was washed away in the excitement that there was a group. And a party!

"Ohhhhhh...ohhh! Is there gonna be a potluck? Should I bring food? Does school library mean I should try to blend? Like dress all nerdy? I've got some glasses somewhere..."

To be honest only time she'd spent in a college environment had been various frat parties, two fake IDs in her purse and a good time in mind. This didn't exactly sound like your average kegger.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Lara blinks, surprised, and then smiles. "Um, probably not," she says. "School takes all types, you know?"

Cerberus takes this opportunity to abandon his water bowl and flop down in a sunny patch on the table.

"I'm so sorry," says Lara, looking at the little puddles that his paws have made. "He's just. Like that, sometimes."

lizbot

 

[lizbot]

America's a bit of a puddle herself, watching the little terrier's puppy antics. With an adoring look, she shakes her head, "Naw, I love a good, sunshiney nap too. Specially after running around and being sooooo cute and makin' people's day."

The girl was practically cooing and the tiny fluffster. "Is Deathslayer like a title or a breed?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"A job description, really," says Lara. "When I have a seizure, he's supposed to get my phone to someone who can call for help, or failing that--" She holds up a hand. There's a medical alert bracelet there. "--I've got basically Life Alert."

lizbot