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Vorpal:
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I'm gonna be cooking lunch today- are you free to come visit, treasure? What do you like to eat?
Azuma Hiroko:
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I can visit! I like eggs. Do I need to bring anything?
Vorpal:
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Thank you but no, I'll do best if I can prepare all the food today â€ïž
Azuma Hiroko:
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Okay! I will be there in five minutes.
Vorpal:
It's a home worth complimenting if you like old colonial style fixer-uppers. It's got a big open concept kitchen that features a big functional center island adjacent to the big living room with its prominent hearth and fire. Sigrun does a good deal of her cooking over it, rather than in her kitchen proper.
It's all decorated a bit like a punk house meets a northwoods cabin.
Azuma Hiroko:
A loudly chirping Blue Jay flew through an open window and landed on the kitchen counter to look up at the shadowy Changeling.
Image
Vorpal:
V is in the kitchen with a few things on the stove, managing more than she ought to be able to. Shadowy hands manage frying pans with eggs and sausage links and another one with potato pancakes of some sort, other shadows making patties of battered strips of potato, others are juicing fresh oranges and lemons, and others still are setting the dining room table for two for now.
Vorpal:
She looks up as the bird flies in. "Oh! Ah... hello? A moment, I think Juney keeps bird seed somewhere around here..."
Azuma Hiroko:
The bird chirped and warbled colorfully, hopping around on the counter as though excited about bird seed.
Vorpal:
A few cabinets open and shut until she finds a bag of birdseed, and fetches a saucer, which she fills with a scattering of seeds, and another saucer with some water. "There you are. Sorry you didn't get one of the proper princesses around here, flutter."
Azuma Hiroko:
It completely ignored the seeds and water. Instead, it flew up to land on Vorpal's shoulder where it began rubbing its head against her neck.
Vorpal:
"Oh! Ah- well, hello, there." A hand lifts to pet at the bird ever so delicately, the softest, feather-light strokes, in deference to the hollow bones of the little thing.
Azuma Hiroko:
It chittered some more, directly into Vorpal's ear... Strangely... It sounded like... A tune... A familiar tune... One that Vorpal knew was in her record collection...
Vorpal:
V pauses and brightens on the spot. "Hiroko-chan??"
Azuma Hiroko:
Immediately, the bird started making every noise that a Blue Jay could make in fast excited calls that would surely wake the entire house if anyone was napping! She hopped on the spot, bobbing up and down with glee.
Vorpal:
"Oh! Look at you! That's delightfully wonderful! What a lovely trick! June turns into a red panda sometimes!" She snickers. "All I can manage is leaves~"
Azuma Hiroko:
She hopped up onto Vorpal's head, snuggled down as though settling into a nest and proceeded to stay there to watch Vorpal cook.
Vorpal:
It's not long before there's plates of eggs and sausage links and latkes, along with dishes of applesauce and sour cream set out between the seats at the table, along with pitchers of water, orange juice, and lemonade.
Vorpal:
V hums the song they share as she works.
Azuma Hiroko:
Every now and again, Bird!Hiroko would join in with a twitter here and a whistle there. Very much the cheerful pair this afternoon!
Vorpal:
As she finishes getting the meal set up, V grabs the dishes of seeds and water and brings them over as well to the table.
Azuma Hiroko:
Bird!Hiroko got up and flew off Vorpal's head to land on a chair. Within a couple of seconds, it was the familiar little Ram that sat in the chair, grinning up at Vorpal cheekily. She was wearing fitting clothes today. A button up blue checkered blouse and jeans that actually hugged her slim curves.
Vorpal:
V's eyes flash over Hiroko, widening a touch at the form-fitting clothing before sweeping over to gather the little thing into a hug. "Oh. Ah- you look fantastic! I love the usual look, but this is an entirely different flavor of lovely!"
Azuma Hiroko:
She squeaked in surprise at the hug, then giggled as she gave Vorpal a kiss on the cheek. "Hi, Jackie-san! Hehe, thank you."
Vorpal:
V returns the kiss to one of Hiroko's cheeks, beaming as she lets the little one down onto her feet again. "You're very welcome, Hiroko-chan. Come, join me! I've made latkes and sausages and eggs- I've made them a few different ways, I'm sure some of them will be to your liking!"
Azuma Hiroko:
"What are latkes?" she asked curiously as she sat back down to look at the impressive spread Vorpal had prepared.
Vorpal:
V dishes out a crispy potato pancake and nudges the applesauce and sour cream towards her. "This! It's made of battered shredded potato. You can do sour cream to keep it savory, or add applesauce for a sweeter flavor." V seems to like both, alternating between them with each bite.
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko watched Vorpal alternate between the two and decided to copy her. She tried the sour cream first, savored the flavor... And then eagerly tried the applesauce... Within the next minute, she had devoured a latke and was looking at the other dishes hungrily.
Vorpal:
V keeps her plate full of crispy potatoes, freshly fried eggs, sausage links! "Do you want orange juice? Lemonade? Just water?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"May I have some lemonade please?" she asked, polite as can be... After swallowing her giant bite of sausage, that is...
Vorpal:
V pours some for her and bends to kiss her forehead, rubbing between her horns when her mouth is empty. "Of course you can. Eat your fill, and tell me about the last few days! How have you been?"
Azuma Hiroko:
She knew better than to talk with her mouth full, so Hiroko shovelled some more food into her mouth, quickly chewed and swallowed and gulped down some lemonade before attempting to speak again. "I have been well! I met new friends. Vincent-kun bought me a new swimsuit, so I can go swimming with Asbolus-senpai after training! I have been working hard to get stronger!" she chirped.
She extended a hand to show Vorpal the bruising on her knuckles. There were a lot of old and new bruising on top of each other. Goodness, has she been pounding at brick or something?!
Vorpal:
V sits beside her and takes one hand into hers, studying the bruises. "Oh, my. You've really been putting in the work, haven't you..?" She lifts the knuckles to kiss at each of them.
Azuma Hiroko:
"Yes! I want to help with patrols!" she said proudly. Then she giggled as Vorpal kissed her knuckles.
Vorpal:
"I am sure they would be delighted to have you! Have you practiced with your horns as well?" V inquires, keeping the hand tucked into hers as they speak for the moment.
Azuma Hiroko:
"No... I think Dagenham-sensei wants me to grow stronger first."
Vorpal:
"Before you practice, even?" V asks. "Or do you mean strengthen your neck muscles and such before trying to weaponize your horns?" V asks, thumb tracing slowly over the back of her hand.
Azuma Hiroko:
"Yes." she nodded in answer. "He makes me do pushups and situps and squats as well."
Vorpal:
"Good. I thought you looked a little perkier~" V teases with a grin, leaning in to give Hiroko a more proper kiss now that she's sated her hunger a bit more.
Azuma Hiroko:
The submissive little Ram instantly melted into Vorpal's arms at the kiss. By the time they pulled away from each other, she was a blushing mess.
Azuma Hiroko:
Her blush deepened further and she protested softly by pulling away from Vorpal. "I would like to eat real food first!"
Vorpal:
V laughs and kisses her forehead before pulling her own plate next to Hiroko and gesturing at the food on the table. "What can I dish up for you, then?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"Everything!" she giggled as she surveyed all of the delicious foods.
Vorpal:
V serves up more of everything and some for herself, mostly eating the latkes, as much with the sour cream as applesauce!
Azuma Hiroko:
For a tiny little thing like Hiroko, her appetite was impressively ravenous! She ate with gusto, albeit politely! The little Beast polished off a little more than half of the spread Vorpal had cooked before she finally slowed down with a satisfied sigh.
Vorpal:
V has no problem helping her stuff her tummy, snickering on occasion at her absolutely delightful appetite.
"Not going to lie. I see why Sigrun loves cooking for people."
Azuma Hiroko:
She washed down with more lemonade before looking at Vorpal curiously. "Why does Sigrun-san love cooking for people?"
Azuma Hiroko:
The way she pronounced that name was absolutely wrong...
Vorpal:
"SigrĂșn," she gently corrects, "- adores caring for people. Getting to feed you was very satisfying, I'm discovering." V says gently.
Azuma Hiroko:
She repeated after Vorpal carefully, trying her hardest to twist her tongue in a way that would cause her to produce the sound correctly. It was difficult though, no thanks to her strong Japanese accent...
Vorpal:
"It's alright," Jackie reassures, squeezing her hand. "If you call her Sig, she'll take it as a sign of affection, I think."
Azuma Hiroko:
"Sig-san? I can do that... Though I have not met her yet..."
Vorpal:
"I'll be sure to introduce you soon as she's available, Treasure." V pats her hand gently as the dishes start to shuffle their way into the dishwasher.
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko watched with bright awe as the table cleaned up by itself, seemingly. What magic was this?! If only cleaning was SO easy!
Vorpal:
On closer look, she can catch sight of shadows doing the work, clutching the plates and such from beneath and shuttling them where they need to go.
Vorpal:
"Did you enjoy the meal? You seemed to!"
Azuma Hiroko:
"Yes." she nodded. "I am satisfied and happy. It was very tasty... Can I learn to do that?"
Vorpal:
"The cooking, or the shadows?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"Both?"
Vorpal:
"The cooking, yes. Absolutely. The shadows? Mm... with some help, you could, for a time. Uncomfortable, but quite handy."
Azuma Hiroko:
"Uncomfortable?" she asked, frowning up at Vorpal.
Vorpal:
"For others. Here- I've got the necklace downstairs. Do you want to see it?"
Azuma Hiroko:
"Necklace?" Now she just looked completely confused.
Vorpal:
"Indeed~ come down, I'll show you what I'm talking about." V rises as the last of the dishes and pans slips into the washer, a shadow starting the cycle as she offers Hiroko her hand.
Azuma Hiroko:
She blinked at the shadows at work and then at Vorpal and took her hand. Curious and confused, she followed after the older Changeling to her room...
June Desrochers:
The sound of the front door opening and closing again comes shortly before June comes wandering in, dressed in yoga pants and a sports bra and carring her gym bag with her. She enters the kitchen, pauses for half a second when she sees HIroko and Vorpal, and then breaks into a cheerful smile. "Hello, you two," she says. "Good to see you, Hiroko! I didn't know you were coming over!"
Vorpal:
V pauses as June ambles in, grinning at the sight of the Truebalm on the roam. "June! You've got excellent timing! I just finished treating Hiroko to lunch- we were hoping we might run into someone while she was hanging- ooh, wait, do you two know each other already?"
Azuma Hiroko:
The little Ram smiled back at June and bowed in greeting. "Good afternoon, June-san."
June Desrochers:
"We do! Hiroko talked to me about how she might be able to help with patrols." June puts her bag down out of the way and heads toward the Playmate, holding out her arms. "You're welcome to a hug if you'd like, but I was just at the gym, so hopefully I don't stink too bad," she says with a grin, not appearing like she'd be insulted to be turned down.
Azuma Hiroko:
Having worked with many who could not afford to shower every day and volunteered at less than pleasant areas, June smelled like roses comparatively. She giggled and pretty much jumped into the hug in an amusingly goat like fashion to snuggle the Red Panda with delight.
Vorpal:
V nods as June explains, smiling as the two crash in a celestial collision of cute, stepping in behind Hiroko to lift her hands after the hug and show June her bruised knuckles. "She's serious about it, too- she's already started practicing!"
Once they're entirely disentangled, she curls June into her own personal hug, pressing a kiss- in well-learned fashion- right on the corner of her lips. "Welcome home~"
June Desrochers:
"I didn't doubt she was serious!" June says in defense of the other fluffball, even while moving on from that first cheerful hug to the second. She puts her arms around Jackie, moves up onto her tiptoes for ease of kissing, and returns the brief affection.
"If you were hoping to run into people, I take it that means I'm not interrupting? I can make myself scarce if you two wanted some alone time."
Azuma Hiroko:
She was both shy and proud at the same time as Vorpal showed off Hiroko's bruised knuckles. But then she watched with interest as they exchanged sweet pleasantries. Was this what it's like being part of a polycule?
Vorpal:
"I didn't think you doubted her! I wanted to show off her battle scars! Imagine how scary she'll be when she hits someone with the REAL weapons up top!" V rubs between her horns affectionately. "Oh, absolutely not interrupting. Wanna pop onto the couch with us?"
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko's instinctive reaction was to gently headbutt Vorpal, her eyes closing in delight as she began purring softly.
June Desrochers:
"I want to see it. HIroko charging at a briar wolf, headbutting it 50 feet in the air." June says it like she's confident the ram can do it, not like she's making fun. "Hmmm. I'm going to run and freshen up and put on clothes I wasn't sweating in, and then I'll come join you?"
Vorpal:
"That sounds like a lovely plan," encourages Vorpal who definitely wasn't going to admit what her ridiculous senses could pick up. She tips Hiroko's chin up for her own quick kiss to help her out of her petting daze. "C'mon- to the couch with us!" She leads the way, of course.
Azuma Hiroko:
Little Ram blushed adorably at that kiss. But she followed after Vorpal to that couch, looking around curiously as she went. So far, she's only really properly toured V's room... The rest of the house was still kinda new...
June Desrochers:
"Be right back, then!" June grabs her bag from where she'd put it down and zips off, not quite running through the house, but definitely prone to being quick about things. More of a scamper than a run. She disappears off to her room to clean up a bit.
Vorpal:
The living room is big, prominently featuring a heart and fireplace. V leads Hiroko onto the big sectional couch, flopping into the corner curve of the furniture. "Whumf. June won't be long."
Azuma Hiroko:
"Okay." she nodded. Hiroko walked up to the fireplace to peek into the setup there, very curious about how Sigrun had everything laid out.
Vorpal:
There's a definite sense of Host to everything. The fireplace is set up for cooking, of all things, with little trivets to hold pans off the coals, a pivoting wrought-iron arm to hold pots in similar spots, and a rotatable spit as well. Plus usual pokers and ash shovels and such.
V reclines and watches Hiroko study the fireplace.
Azuma Hiroko:
It was several full and silent minutes of examination with just her eyes, no touching, before Hiroko straightened and explored the rest of the living room.
Vorpal:
There's a playpen for a toddler with some stuffed toys, a playmat, tucked into the corner with Erikr off in adventures with Mommy and/or Daddy atm. Otherwise, it's a very host-centric area meant for entertaining.
Azuma Hiroko:
"There is a child in this house?" she asked to confirm as she peered at the playpen.
Vorpal:
"Mhm! Erikr. Teagan and Sigrun's little man. He's about a year old. They're doing an amazing job with him."
Azuma Hiroko:
"Oh. I see. Will we need to be quiet?"
Teagan:
Let's be real: the toys are everywhere. You can try to clean up a toddler's toy stash, but you will inevitably find blocks, cloth and board books, plastic teething key rings... don't put your foot down wrong, there's a Duplo there. Or there, because there's a wooden sword sticking out from under the couch.
Teagan:
Of note: while there are a bunch of snapshots of the toddler stuck to the fridge, and some of them have SigrĂșn or other members of DA in the frame, there are zero pictures with Erikr's father in them.
He's never let people take pictures of him before and that hasn't changed.
Vorpal:
"No, if Erikr was home, I'd know. We're alright for now. I'll let you know if that changes. We can just be cozy and talk, throw on a movie. It's whatever for now!"
Azuma Hiroko:
Whatever, she said. Hmm. Well, Hiroko took that as permission. She had been ignoring all of the toys every-fucking-where so far, trying to stay respectful until the playpen made it obvious and she couldn't help but ask. Surprisingly, the little Ram didn't step on a single toy. Much like a mountain goat, she somehow had instincts of sure-footedness that helped her never ever trip and step on something unintended.
She knelt down where there were the most toys scattered everywhere and started tidying. She began stacking toys by category. Books were neatly stacked to one side of the playpen. Plushies went in another pile. Plastic toys next to the plushies. Blocks got stacked up neatly into a mini pyramid.
Things that obviously had a dedicated space or container for them, went back into their appropriate sections. Including the couch pillows! That wooden sword? She placed it in the arms of one of the plushies. And all this was done almost in the blink of an eye. Damn, the usually seemingly slow Beast could work fast. By the time Vorpal would've been aware that she was cleaning up someone else's mess, the space was already 80% cleared. As though Hiroko had done this before... Many times, infact. She worked without a sound, methodically straightening up like it was science.
Oh, and any cloths she found went into a pile in the middle of the living room. What? She didn't know where their laundry room was!
Vorpal:
V was, in fact, caught off guard by the industrious little sheep bustling about the room and tidying up. Sure, it was a dyke against the tides, it was sure to be washed out to sea eventually, but it was an impressive and appreciated feat in the moment!
V sat forwarda as she realized what she was doing, cooing in amazement at how fast she worked. "Whoa... have you done this before????"
Azuma Hiroko:
"Yes." she replied simply as she worked. She was infact, currently digging toys out of nooks and crevices that even the Shadow Changeling wouldn't have thought was capable of collecting hoards of toys... Or bits of dried old food...
Vorpal:
V watches and, to be blunt, takes notes, learning about where to hunt down Erikr's toys when she hasn't got Hiroko around to lead the way.
June Desrochers:
June comes strolling back in, changed into clean clothes. "Whoa." She looks around, blinking. "How long was I gone?"
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko lifted up a small Beanie Baby to wave its arm at June with a giggle.
Vorpal:
"Not long! Hiroko is- uh- VERY good at picking up after babies, as it seems!" V reassures, waving for June to join them in the living room.
June Desrochers:
June raises a furry hand to wiggle her fingers back at the Beanie Baby in her own wave, and she answers the giggle with a grin. "Very industrious!" she says as she returns to motion, going over to flop down on the couch. "You don't have to clean up our house for us as a guest, though. You can if you want, but you don't have to."
Azuma Hiroko:
She put the Beanie Baby in the plushie pile, then scooped up the bits of dried old food she had found with the toys and went into the kitchen to throw them out. She washed her hands in the sink before returning to the couch where the other two were. "I did not mind. It can also be risky if someone were to step on a hard toy and trip." she explained to June. She sat on the other side of Vorpal politely, her hands neatly folded in her lap.
The living room was likely the neatest it had been in a very long time now.
Vorpal:
And it likely would last as long as a plan after contact with the enemy.
That is to say, no time at all.
"That's fair. And kind of you, though I really shouldn't be surprised," Jackie says, grinning as the two plunk down on either side. "What's your day been like, June? Hiroko and I just had lunch. Latkes, sausages and eggs. Good stuff."
June Desrochers:
"I got off my shift this morning," June answers, shifting over to lean against Jackie. "Came home and went out back to check on the apiaries back there, then went off to the gym, and now here I am. I thought about taking a nap, but I'm also happy to hang out. But, like I said, I won't be upset if you two wanted some private time, either. And you're more than welcome to snuggle, smooch, or whatever else you two do in front of me, Hiroko. You don't have to, much like with the cleaning, but I do want you to know it's not going to upset me."
Vorpal:
"June's a firefighter," Jackie explains with a proud nod. "Dunno if you knew from your other times meeting!" She doesn't say what Hiroko would or wouldn't be comfortable with, preferring to let the ram's imagination go wild first.
Azuma Hiroko:
She blinked up at Vorpal with a knowing smile. "I know. June-san has told me. May I visit the apiaries before I leave?"
June Desrochers:
"Of course you can," June says, just happy to have someone be interested in her bees. "Whenever you want, really, as long as you don't mess with them without talking to me about it first. I'll be happy to show you where they are, though."
Azuma Hiroko:
The little Ram nodded eagerly.
Vorpal:
"That sounds like a lovely little field trip. Shall we?"
June Desrochers:
"Now?" June asks. Not an objection, only a clarification.
Azuma Hiroko:
She blinked up at Vorpal, and then at June, eyes shining with interest and curiosity.
Vorpal:
"Why not? We can always come back on once we have our fill of little buzzy friends." V says encouragingly, sliding to her feet and offering them both hands up.
June Desrochers:
"Now," June agrees, hopping up. June is rarely reluctant to show the apiaries to people.
Azuma Hiroko:
A huge grin split Hiroko's face apart and she pulled herself up to take Vorpal's hand in her small one eagerly. "Please. And thank you." she nodded.
Vorpal:
Given her druthers, Jackie is likely to keep both hands in hers en route to the beehives. "June's in the family business with these little guys. Right? Pretty sure I remember the family having lotsa these little guys back home?"
June Desrochers:
June shakes her head as she walks out with her hand in Vorpal's other one. "Nah, the bees thing is all me. The people in the family who have hives have them because I set them up," she says with a laugh. "The family business is really the bar."
Azuma Hiroko:
"What is the family business?" she asked curiously as they headed to the apiaries.
June Desrochers:
"My family has a bar back in Vermont," June explains. "It's like the local watering hole in the town I grew up in."
Vorpal:
"Ohhhhh. Look at you, you little entrepreneur! Bet they still make mead, tho." Jackie guesses, already tuning in to the droning buzz of tiny little wings.
Azuma Hiroko:
Hiroko was about to ask another question when the buzzing reached her own sensitive ears. She perked up, both ears lifting a little to hear better as she turned her attention to the bees they were walking up to.
June Desrochers:
There are four apiaries out in the back yard, near the edge of the property line, which are bustling with activity this time of year, at least at this time in the afternoon. The bees are coming and going, with all four of the hives apparently active and thriving, and entirely unconcerned about their neighbors. "These are the apiaries I have here," she explains for Hiroko's benefit. "I also manage some for a few other people around the Philly area, on their own properties. Farms and the like."
Azuma Hiroko:
"They will not attack us?" she asked, her voice hushed with awe while she watched the bees being busy.
Vorpal:
"Not if we're not mean to them. They're used to having June around so it's not like people are an immediately terrifying thing. They're not assholes like wasps."
June Desrochers:
"Not unless they think you're a danger to the hive, like V said," June says, letting go of Vorpal's hand and walking over to stand right next to one of the apiaries. The bees land on her, and crawl around, but don't seem to be worried about her and don't try to sting her. They just act like she's another part of the environment. "If you aren't crushing any of them, or poking the hive, or shaking it, they don't care," she continues to explain.
Azuma Hiroko:
"What if you accidentally step on one?" she asked with a tiny hint of hesitation.
Vorpal:
"They're not much for sitting on the ground, you'll notice. They're edible, so they avoid getting eaten, and that means not sitting around to get snacked on- or stepped on."
June Desrochers:
"And try not to, but if you do the hive will be fine," June answers, both not wanting the bees to be hurt but also understanding that they're not very individualistic. "In a lot of ways you can think of the hive as a single organism, and the bees more like its cells," she goes on. "So a lot like it's not really hurting you if someone brushes against you and some of your skin cells come off. There just aren't as many cells in the hive as there are in you."
Azuma Hiroko:
Suddenly understanding exactly what they meant, she bravely stepped forward to stand next to June and allowed all the little bees to land on her with a giggle as they tickled a little. "Lamp-chan is going to be very jealous." she murmured softly.
Vorpal:
"Does Lamp like bees?" Jackie asks gently. She doesn't get much closer- she doesn't need the crawling bees working with the buzz to overload her senses more than they already do.
June Desrochers:
"You'll have to bring them by some time," June says before pausing to ask, "What are Lamp's pronouns? I was defaulting to them because I don't know." A nice little conversation to have standing next to a buzzing hive full of bees, as they walk all over her.
"I'll be happy to show you inside, and how to harvest some honey, but not right now. I'd want us to suit up for that, just in case."
Azuma Hiroko:
"Lamp likes all animals! She's a veterinarian! She's my sister and we volunteer a lot together." she nodded, telling the two about the other young Changeling of their motley. "Maybe you can show us when I bring Lamp-chan next time?"
Vorpal:
V nods faintly as Lamp is confirmed as she/her, pondering briefly if she could dodge a swarm of bees if she needed to...
June Desrochers:
"Sure!" June agrees readily. It's just so hard to twist June's arm into teaching people about beekeeping, isn't it? "I'd be happy to meet your sister, and happy to show you both things here."
Azuma Hiroko:
"Okay! I will let her know!" she grinned. Hiroko then leaned over to curiously examine the apiary they stood next to, watching the bees seemingly run in random directions all over!
Vorpal:
"I haven't met Lamp yet, either. I'd love to meet another member of your family, Hiroko. If the timing's good, maybe you two can meet more of mine!"
June Desrochers:
"Did you know they dance to communicate with each other?" June asks. Talking about bees? Yes please. "You might, I'm not trying to imply anything, it's just a cool thing to know if you don't. And yeah, I think a lot of our family would be happy to meet another. You're all a found family too?"
Vorpal:
"... heh. Lost and found families."
Azuma Hiroko:
"They do? How?" she asked with delight, looking around to see if she could find the dancing bees.
June Desrochers:
"Like this," June says, doing a little spin and wiggling her butt, then waving her arms around and spinning some more. "They mostly do it inside, but you might be able to see at the right angle. Usually it's by the entrance."
Azuma Hiroko:
She nodded and started looking all around for the entrance eagerly.
Vorpal:
Jackie covers her mouth to hide the smile, eyespots sparkling at the adorable display the little panda put on.
June Desrochers:
Of course, June was partly doing it for the entertainment of others, not to try to actually look like a bee, so she grins at Jackie's attempt at not smiling about it to let her know that it's okay. "Over here," she says, indicating the opening where the bees go in and out.
Azuma Hiroko:
The little Ram crouched down to look into the entrance to see if she could notice the wiggling butts!
Vorpal:
Jackie sneaks behind June and bends to smooch between her ears, watching the fluffy Hiroko do her best to spot bee butt's. "Do you think we need to worry about a bee or two getting stuck in her hair?" V asks quietly. "Or are they smart enough not to get tangled?"
June Desrochers:
"We can check her over when we leave, but they're generally pretty good at getting unstuck," June says as she leans back against Jackie. "As long as they have time to get out on their own before you sit on them or something. Ask me how I know, and if it's from experience." She laughs. "I've got epi-pens in my kit back in the house, in case someone gets stung at some point who is allergic, and the stings aren't too bad, though."
Azuma Hiroko:
Eventually, she does indeed spot the wiggling butts and Hiroko giggled in delight. "I see them! Oh, Lamp-chan is going to LOVE this!"
Hiroko stood back up straight to bounce over to the other two Changelings. "I saw! They were dancing!"
Vorpal:
"Deal. I'd hate to tell Miss Tonya we found out her daughter is allergic to bee stings the hard way," Jackie murmurs, snickering at her comment about sitting on bees.
"Isn't it cute?" Jackie murmurs, grinning at Hiroko's absolutely beaming excitement.
June Desrochers:
"I think Hiroko's pronouns are she/her, not it, but yes, she is cute," June says to Vorpal, while leaning her head back to give the Elemental an impish grin.
She looks back at Hiroko after a moment and nods. "They can tell each other how to find things that are some distance away from the hive, all with dances. It's kind of fascinating, if you ask me. Most of the things bees do are fascinating to me, though."
Azuma Hiroko:
She looked up at Vorpal and then down at June, then back up at Vorpal, her large coin-slot eyes blinking curiously at them. "I do not mind if Jackie-san wishes to call me it."
That's not the point, Hiroko. Not the point at all. Silly Playmate.
Vorpal:
Jackie sputters faintly. "June!" She protests, huffing a bit. "... you aren't wrong."
"Honestly, I'm fascinated, too. I'm used to thinking of bugs as like. Not smart. But bees are super organized, caring, industrious- there's a lot to admire," she murmurs, glancing at Hiroko as she says so.
June Desrochers:
"Of course I'm not," June says, laughing cheerfully. "I'm never wrong."
She smiles at Hiroko. "You might not mind, but that doesn't make it right. If your ponouns are she/her, then people should call you by the right ones. But I was also just making a joke, Jackie didn't actually refer to you that way. Sorry."
Azuma Hiroko:
"I understood the joke. I simply do not mind." she smiled reassuringly.
Vorpal:
Jackie harrumphs. "Well. You, Hiroko, and bee dances are all cute, and only the bee dance need be called "it.""
June Desrochers:
"Okay. Just checking." June smiles back at Hiroko, because it's something she has no need to try to argue with the other Beast about. It doesn't really matter, the joke is passed, all is good. "Did we want to head back inside? We don't have to, I don't mind staying out here, but it's up to you both."
Azuma Hiroko:
"I believe that would be wise. Even the bees need their peace and quiet." she grinned.
Vorpal:
"That would be absolutely fine," Jackie confirms, taking a step back to clear the way for the smaller ladies to proceed back away from bee territory.
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