(no subject)

[the_death_card]

Who: Jack and Miranda
What: First meetings that go a little awkwardly, setting themselves up for Dylan to kill one or both of them, and getting to know each other.


queen_ofwands: *peer, she says*

the_death_card: *uh. he's pretty sure the word he's looking for right now is hoshit?*

queen_ofwands: *probably. she doesn't notice him right away, though, as she immediately spots Dylan's sketchbook -- he left it under the assumption that he'd be back for it -- and makes a small, amused noise before creeping over to it to take a look inside. obviously, she doesn't expect anyone to be home or she wouldn't be doing this*

the_death_card: *and there's a reason he's the only one here, what with the 'being dead" and all. but he's on the balcony - went out to play some more - so he'll just sit there and.... crap, someone's in their room and he's the only one there and. crap. guess where his phone is. crap crap crap.*

queen_ofwands: *she thumbs through the sketchbook slowly, her expression torn between amusement and fondness, and then picks it up to carry it into the living room. she's going to sit down, look through this, and wait for Dylan or one of his new friends to come home. ... of course, this plan gets shot to shit when she looks up to make sure she doesn't trip over anything and spots Jack out on the balcony*

the_death_card: *and very carefully doesn't fall off the balcony when he realizes he's been spotted, but still...* Shit.

queen_ofwands: *she's trying very hard not to crack up. oh, my God. why didn't Dylan tell her they were adorable?* It's alright, honey. I'm a friend.

the_death_card: *rights the chair he was attempting to hide behind - and not fall over, thank you very much* I don't think anybody was expecting anyone. *he figures they'd have told him, since, you know, he's not supposed to be here either*

queen_ofwands: That was sort of the point. *she sets the sketchbook down and holds up her hands* I figured I'd surprise -- *don't call him Jake. don't call him Jake* -- I figured I'd surprise Dylan. *a winner is her*

the_death_card: *okay he has even less idea what to do with that, but okay, getting off the balcony now before it turns into an even worse place to be. is still watching her carefully as he moves back inside. she might not be setting off anything that says he's about to get jumped, but, well. he's paranoid for a reason. and there's still a lot of ways this could go bad* And who are you?

queen_ofwands: An old friend. *and even if Dylan didn't mention her ... * Maybe you've heard of me? *holds out a hand slowly* Miranda Vale.

queen_ofwands: *a beat* And really. Do you think I would have been able to make it up here if I was lying? This place is protected by the Eye.

the_death_card: Oh. *he does know that name, though not through Dylan* Yeah, I've heard of you. *and okay, reasons, plural. it's still kind of a big deal he trusts the other Horsemen, after all. but. okay, that solves some of the more immediate ones, since, even if he didn't know they had extra security, she knows a combination of things that she probably wouldn't if she was lying* Good point. *pauses another beat before he shakes himself a little and reaches out to take her hand* Jack Wilder.

queen_ofwands: *she smiles and shakes his hand* I guessed. *a beat* Nice to meet you, Mister Wilder.

the_death_card: You, too.

queen_ofwands: So ... is he out running errands or did I miss him by more than that? *did he go back to "work?"*

the_death_card: *makes a face* He had to go back to work.

queen_ofwands: Damn. *she makes a face, too* I was hoping to get around to seeing him before then, but ... *so much for that idea, apparently*

the_death_card: He just had the two weeks. *and as much as he's trying to stay closed off since he doesn't know her, guess who's bothered by that*

queen_ofwands: *she catches that and she offers him a smile that's both wry and sympathetic* And how pissed off was he that he didn't decide to take longer?

the_death_card: *lets out a humorless breath of a laugh* Pretty pissed.

queen_ofwands: *she hums, the sound equally without humor* I figured. *not that she knows how attached he's gotten to the Horsemen, but ... she can't imagine being stuck away from home on that permanant a basis. and she knows Dylan has had issues with it before*

queen_ofwands: *and after a moment, with a touch more amusement* Fair warning ahead of time? He's probably going to be a little bitch about it the first few days.

the_death_card: *and that gets a more real sounding chuckle* I kinda figured.

queen_ofwands: *flashes him a little, crooked smile* Just checking. *a beat* ... do you mind if I sit down?

the_death_card: *shakes his head a little* Go ahead. *is... pretty much on board with the fact that they don't have a serious problem to deal with, here, though he'll likely continue to be a little WTF at her himself*

queen_ofwands: Thanks. *and she wanders over to the couch to take a seat, pulling Dylan's sketchbook into her lap as she sits. she doesn't make to open it again, though -- instead, she takes to studying him, her expression and body language suddenly hard to read in a sort of ... conflicted sort of way. she's torn between saying something fairly trollish and something else, entirely sincere*

the_death_card: *and a moment after she takes to studying him, his guard goes right back up again. he might have heard of her. he might know she's good. she might know about the Eye. and yes, those are points in her favor, but he's vulnerable right now - he's supposed to be dead, and he doesn't know her and she's in their space, so she'll have to excuse him being a little jumpy*

queen_ofwands: You realize I'm not going to bite, right? *she pauses, fighting a smirk* Well, not unless you ask nicely ... *she gets why he's so guarded and doesn't blame him, but well, she's trying to break the ice, anyway*

the_death_card: *and that gets the faintest of smirks in return, though..* That's not really what I'm worried about.

queen_ofwands: *she rolls her eyes, though her amusement remains* I'm not going to go get myself an interview with ABC and let them know you're not as dead as everyone thinks, either. Beyond the fact that Dylan would probably kill me in my sleep, I have a little more respect for what you did than that. *she appreciates what they did for Dylan, even if it wasn't so much for him as it was entrance to the Eye, and even if she didn't, you don't give up another magician's tricks. that's just bad form*

the_death_card: *well. there's some splitting hairs as to motivation, but that's not the current discussion. and either way, yes, it is. and okay. and even if he doesn't say that, the fact that he relaxes again likely does*

queen_ofwands: *she smiles. and to no one in particular* Finally, he looks like he's less likely to sprain something just standing there.

the_death_card: *and snorts himself, now, an actual smile finally breaking through - and then rolls his eyes*

queen_ofwands: *just laughs*

the_death_card: *shakes his head, moving to sit down himself, grabbing his phone off the coffee table as he does to stick it in his pocket. nothing against her, this time, just. he shouldn't have not had it*

queen_ofwands: *she notices, but she doesn't comment, she just glances down at the sketchbook in her lap, her smile fading as she resumes looking torn. after a moment, though, she sucks in a sharp breath through her teeth and straightens a little as she seems to come to some sort of decision. she doesn't look up, though* Speaking of ... I don't know if he thanked you for helping him with his little crusade -- *she's not as dismissive about what Dylan accomplished or why as she sounds. she knows how much it meant to him and how badly it needed to be done, whether it was Dylan who did it or someone else. she's just trying to keep from looking too serious or too attached. she may be far more casual about this than Jack, but she doesn't really know him, either, beyond his name and what he was doing before Dylan recruited him. she hasn't really had a chance to talk to Dylan about his new family. he's kind of been on radio silence for the last year* -- but ... he appreciates it. And so do I.

the_death_card: *tilts his head a little to watch her during that, and then pauses a moment, too, before he lets out a breath* The shows were incredible - the blueprints and everything. And then... all of us hate Bradley, too, even if we didn't have as much reason. *seriously, the second thing he learned about magic was not to give away people's secrets* And everyone else involved was just... *there's a reason that, for all that he did have sleepless nights during the year they were planning, none of them were over the fact that they were going to be robbing the bank and Tressler. he pauses another moment before....* You're welcome.

queen_ofwands: *she looks up, something guardedly grateful in her eyes, and offers him a smile. it turns into a smirk after a moment and right before she changes the subject* I don't suppose you have a pen?

the_death_card: *blinks* Um... *leans forward to grab one off the coffee table to toss it to her*

queen_ofwands: *snatches it out of the air, cracks open Dylan's sketchbook and finds a blank page. guess what time it is? time to draw inappropriate things in pen in his holy place!*

the_death_card: *and sounding remarkably off-hand considering the nature of their previous interaction...* He'll probably kill you for that.

queen_ofwands: *she hums* Probably. *she pauses, doodling intently* That's more or less the reaction I'm going for, though.

the_death_card: *and just shrugs. your funeral, lady.*

queen_ofwands: *she doodles for a few minutes more and then reaches into her pocket for a wallet that looks suspiciously like it might have been a cigarette case at one point. cracks it open, shuffling everything around so she can pull out a business card and bookmarks her page in the sketchbook with it, both so Dylan will find it and so he won't blame one of his people for the vandalism. puts her wallet back and sets the sketchbook down on the coffee table* There.

the_death_card: *and has made cards happen - he might not have had his phone with him, but he did have a deck of cards. go figure -, fooling with them as she draws, squaring the deck and looking up at her again as she finishes - and he just shakes his head lightly, still amused*

queen_ofwands: *she shrugs a little, helplessly, and flashes him a grin. and when it fades ... * So, where's the rest of the team? *not that she's bored with Jack or whatever, but she would like to meet them all*

the_death_card: They went out to do.. something for the show. *or, well, Daniel and Henley did. Merritt wandered out a bit after them. he wasn't paying a whole lot of attention considering the whole "stuck inside because he's dead" thing*

queen_ofwands: *and he's not invited because he's supposedly dead. makes a face on his behalf* Sounds like fun. *it's hard to tell whether she's talking about the others working on the show or referencing how bored he must be*

the_death_card: *another shrug* The business stuff's boring anyway. *not that he's not dealing with major cabin fever anyway, but hey. at least he can avoid that part*

queen_ofwands: *she looks amused* Can't argue that. *really, she always hated the business part -- if she could have, if he'd actually gone through with giving up when they were younger, she would have gotten Dylan to do that shit. but at any rate* Did they at least give you something to do while you're stuck at home from school with a case of the deads?

the_death_card: I was out practicing a little. *lifts the cards to indicate them, even if they're not actually what he was practicing with when she came in.*

queen_ofwands: *slightly pointedly, if only because she's assuming he thinks she doesn't know actual magic is a thing for whatever reason* But not with the cards.

the_death_card: *he's still hedging his bets a little on that front, yes. and he looks amused again before he shakes his head* No.

queen_ofwands: Honey, I'm one of you. *look at your cards, now back to her, now back to your cards, your cards are now diamonds. or made of slabs of diamond, suddenly. same difference, really*

the_death_card: *immediately, and to his credit, he manages not to drop them* Holy shit. *and he's grinning again*

queen_ofwands: *she laughs a little* More or less impressive than Dy? *yes, she just shortened his fake name. shut up*

the_death_card: *snorts, anyway, and...* Can I refuse to answer that?

queen_ofwands: Only if you realize I'm going to take that as a vote for me and rub it in his face later.

the_death_card: But if I say him, you'll accuse me of being biased.

queen_ofwands: *trying very hard not to grin at this point* Probably, yeah.

the_death_card: So I'm figuring it's in my best interest to refuse to answer.

queen_ofwands: *she laughs* God, you sound like -- *it's probably a good thing she didn't meet Merritt first or he'd have Dylan's real name by now* -- like Dylan.

the_death_card: *grins, again* Thanks. *no, really*

queen_ofwands: * ... okay, that's kind of adorable and that in mind, her smile softens a bit* You're welcome.

the_death_card: *and then, abruptly, his expression closes off a little again as he realizes exactly how much that had to give away if she's anything like Dylan or Merritt*

queen_ofwands: *she's nowhere near on the same level as Dylan or Merritt, but she's been a magician for years. she knows enough about cold reading a crowd to have picked up on at least some of how much he looks up to Dylan -- which is why she thought it was adorable -- and she recognizes that he's wary of other people, or at least relative strangers, knowing that just by how he closes off, even if she doesn't understand why. her own smile falters a little -- it's probably good for both of them that Jack does care that much about him -- but she didn't mean to scare him off. briefly, she debates making some kind of comment to the effect that she's not going to tell anyone that, either, not even Dylan, if that's not something he wants or doesn't figure he already knows, and then thinks better of it. better to pretend it never happened -- or at least that she didn't pick up on any of that. never mind the fact that she seems at a loss for a moment afterwards and that's telling enough, even without being Merritt or Dylan* Well ... I should probably let you get back to your homework.

the_death_card: *he didn't mean to make things awkward - or, well, more than he already has during this whole encounter. and even if he didn't get any of that, since he's neither Dylan nor Merritt: he's just.... yes, he's still wary around strangers. and he's still worried that if he admits how much this all means to him, he might end up losing it. but anyway -- turns the deck in his hand, fiddling, since he's still holding it, and smirks. it's not as true as it was, still, but again: he didn't mean to make things awkward again* Just came to deface some property?

queen_ofwands: *and despite the fact that she's not trying to make him uncomfortable and all ... she can't help but give Jack another one of those little, pointed looks* Something like that.

the_death_card: *doesn't... really know what she means by that look. or what she wants him to say, or whatever. or, well, he might, actually, but again with all of them having issues opening up to people, and so, he just offers her another little wry smile*

queen_ofwands: *she breathes small, slow breath and offers her a wry smile in return*

the_death_card: *pauses another beat, and then, to change the subject...* So do you just know him from the Eye, or...? *because yeah, sorry, again with the fact that he hasn't mentioned her*

queen_ofwands: Lionel and my mother were close; Dylan and I sort of grew up together. *she pauses, pressing her lips into a thin line* After he -- *was killed. committed unwitting suicide. pick one. it seems to take her a minute to be able to* -- after he died, I didn't see Dylan again until after we both joined the Eye.

queen_ofwands: And I haven't spoken to him in ... a little more than a year. The last message he sent me was some cryptic bullshit along the lines of It begins. *not that she didn't know what he was talking about, but ... really, Dylan? really?*

the_death_card: *and can't help but smile a little at that* Considering the four of us met up a little over a year ago.... *yeah, he knows she probably knew what it was about, but just to confirm*

queen_ofwands: *she smiles a little, too* I figured.

queen_ofwands: And I figure he figured I'd be following the circuit and the news after that and that I'd know when it was over. If he managed to pull it off. *it was a risky plan. she knew that and she's pretty sure Dylan did, too*

the_death_card: It probably would've been kinda hard to miss. *considering they got mentioned by pretty much every major news outlet, up to and including the late night shows*

queen_ofwands: *she hums, amused* Just a little.

the_death_card: *and can't help but grin. he still can't quite believe they did it, but holy shit they did it*

queen_ofwands: *that gets a little laugh out of her -- again, she's not quite the mentalist Merritt or Dylan are, but this is easy enough to pick up on. and after a moment* I'm sad I couldn't make the show in Vegas. I would have paid to see that. *a beat* Which is ... kind of the point, but. *people pay for shows and all*

queen_ofwands: Or any of them, for that matter. *but since she's living in Vegas at the moment ... *

the_death_card: *chuckles a little at the correction before...* You have your own show going? *hasn't kept up with other people as much as he was before he got his card, since they were so focused on their own shows*

queen_ofwands: *she shakes her head* The reason I didn't catch your show was because I was finishing up mine, permanantly. *a beat and then as if it's not clear* I figured I was getting too old for this bullshit, so I retired.

queen_ofwands: *again, though, as flippant as she's being, she sounds like she misses it to a certain degree*

the_death_card: *he was going to ask if he couldn't tell, but he can, so* We cleared out some of the bullshit. *because he can't believe she'd mean the actual art. and yeah, there's still people in the industry he has no need to ever meet considering he can tell from a distance they're full of shit, but. at least Bradley's out of everyone's hair, now*

queen_ofwands: *she smirks just a tiny bit* So I noticed. *a beat* It's not like I gave it all up, though. *she gestures to the cards, which are no longer diamonds, but still* I'm keeping busy.

the_death_card: *follows her glance to the card, and, matter-of-factly, when he looks up again* Breaking into people's hotel suites and defacing property. *because he won't actually ask what she's doing*

queen_ofwands: *she appreciates that and laughs a little* More or less.

the_death_card: I'm guessing you got in here the same way he jumps around?

queen_ofwands: *still smiling in the wake of the laugh* Took the elevator. *that's a yes, by the way*

the_death_card: *just nods. he figured*

queen_ofwands: Most of the time I don't just ... jump in, but ... *she shrugs* ... I was hoping to catch him before he went back to work. *and the reason she didn't come right away was because she wanted to give Dylan some time to get the newbies settled and because she was kind of waiting to make sure it didn't all fall apart right away*

queen_ofwands: *plus she had to ask around to find out where the hell he was in the first place*

the_death_card: You didn't miss him by much. Couple days. *whether that makes it better or worse, he doesn't know, though he seems to realize it could go either way*

queen_ofwands: *she's not entirely sure, either, but she makes a face, all the same* Well ... at least I know he'll track me down when he has a chance, if only to yell. *glances at the sketchbook again, briefly*

the_death_card: Want me to tell him you were here? Considering he'll probably call at some point when he gets around to looking at his phone. *and even if she wouldn't know what he and Merritt did, there's something about the way he says that that says they did something* Or you wanna wait until he finds that? *with a nod of his own at the book*

queen_ofwands: *she arches her eyebrows at that, but she doesn't ask -- if he wants to tell her, fine, if not she can bug Dylan about it later. instead, she shrugs* It's up to you. *she figures it won't take Dylan long to grab his sketchbook for one reason or another, so she doesn't mind waiting, but if Jack wants to tell him and watch him dive over a couch or something to see if she played with his toys, she wouldn't blame him*

queen_ofwands: *and, actually, that in mind ... * It might be worth it to tell him I was here, though.

the_death_card: *looks like he was having his own debate about it - and then smirks some at that* Okay.

queen_ofwands: *she flashes him a devious little grin* Already wishing I could be a fly on the wall for that.

the_death_card: *and then the smirk's in full effect* I'll hook up a camera.

queen_ofwands: *she laughs, hard* Sounds like a plan.

the_death_card: *and grins at the laugh*

queen_ofwands: *she shakes her head a little -- God, he's like a mini Dylan -- and just smiles back*

the_death_card: *returns it for another moment before...* Uh... there's stuff to drink if you want anything. *gestures toward the kitchen with a nod as he turns his attention to his cards, drawing a few and palming them idly. there's also still kind of a ridiculous amount of food, considering.*

queen_ofwands: *she shakes her head* I'm fine. I appreciate the offer, though. *really, she should let him get back to his homework, like she said before. not that she doesn't want to get to know Dylan's people, but ... well, she did kind of break in. she doesn't want to overstay her welcome, if she ever had one in the first place. that in mind, in a teasing tone but somehow seriously all the same ... * Are you going to miss me too much if I cut out? *she'll stay if he wants the company, but ... *

the_death_card: *she's more welcome now than she was. and the question gets a shrug* I'll probably go back to what I was doing. *hanging out on the balcony and trying not to be too bored*

queen_ofwands: *she studies him for a moment, frowning faintly, and -- well, he didn't show her to the door* I'll take that as a yes. *which means she'll hang around*

the_death_card: *he also offered her something to drink, even if he was going to let her get it herself, so...* You'll get to meet the others if you hang around long enough anyway.

queen_ofwands: *true, but ... still. she didn't want to come off as completely rude* Mm, Dylan might kill me for more than just the sketchbook if I talk to your mentalist for too long. *a beat* Merritt McKinney, right?

the_death_card: *raises an eyebrow at her, curiously, even as he nods* Yeah.

queen_ofwands: *she shrugs* I don't do the whole ... Fortress of Solitude thing as well as he does -- *meaning she expects Merritt won't have as hard a time reading her as he probably does Dylan* -- and I'm guessing he hasn't told you his real name considering the fact that you didn't correct me when I called him Dylan. *a beat. a smirk* Plus, Dy might not apreciate me flirting with his people. *particularly not when Merritt's actually in their age range. she could probably get away with flirting with Jack and Daniel, if only because he'd assume she wasn't serious ... which would be the truth, but*

the_death_card: I'm pretty sure Merritt would flirt back whether Dylan would appreciate it or not. *or maybe especially because he wouldn't, once Merritt knew who she was to Dylan. a beat of his own, before* And yeah, no, he hasn't. It's making Merritt and Henley crazy. *and as always, not that he doesn't want to know, but it's not like he goes by his real name either, so*

queen_ofwands: *if Jack hasn't figured it out yet by the fact that she's called him honey a handful of times, she flirts with everyone, too, so ... she can't help but laugh* Man after my own heart. *a beat and more seriously* But he's planning on it? *she doesn't quite realize Dylan is turning his name into a game*

the_death_card: *yeah, he'd gotten that. and...* We're supposed to figure it out. Without using Google or newspapers from back then.

queen_ofwands: *amused* I'd make some comment about him being hilariously melodramatic, sometimes, but ... *she pops one shoulder in another shrug, and as if it explains everything* ... we're magicians. *a beat* So, has he left you any clues? Or does he expect you to learn to be telepaths?

the_death_card: *mirrors the shrug - because yeah, it really kind of does explain everything. and then...* I think Merritt might've already done that.

queen_ofwands: *she smiles, though not unkindly* Oh, honey ... I wasn't kidding about the telepath thing. *so, she really wouldn't be surprised if Merritt was a telepath, if Dylan's been teaching them*

the_death_card: Neither was I? *even if Merritt didn't demonstrate, he believes him*

queen_ofwands: Fair enough. *a beat* What's he taught you, if you don't mind me asking? *she figures it's not anything mental or illusions, the former based on his comments and the latter based on his surprise about what she did to his cards, but ... beyond that it could be a lot of things. Dylan has a lot of tricks*

the_death_card: *grins* I don't mind. *sets the deck aside, pulling his sleeve back a little, the gesture habitual even if it's likely practically a good idea, too - and there's a small burst of flame when he gestures. the electricity might have been a better idea inside, but it's still not as reliable, especially when he's already been practicing*

queen_ofwands: *she looks immediately surprised, though she tries her best to clamp down on it. not that she's never seen anything like that out of Dylan, it's more ... well, she's wondering if Jack realizes how telling that is. if Dylan realizes how telling that is* Very nice.

the_death_card: *he doesn't. not really. still with the grin* Thanks.

queen_ofwands: *she offers him a tiny smile in return, silent for a moment following, and then decides she needs to change the subject or at least move away from thinking about the fact that he taught Jack his favorite first before he picks up on the fact that she's not saying something. that's a conversation the two of them need to have, again assuming Dylan realizes, not something Jack should hear from her. anyway, that in mind ... * I'm assuming he's teaching your front man a little of what I do?

the_death_card: *notes the pause, but considering she does go on before it stretches too long, he can let it go - and nods* Yeah. He's been playing with some card tricks. *those, he has seen, even if he's pretty sure some of the times Daniel's been doing them, it's practically been fidgeting*

queen_ofwands: *she nods* I figured, maybe. *the illusion thing seems to fit people like her and Daniel*

the_death_card: Yeah. And Henley's got the escape stuff. *though he doesn't know any specifics for her*

queen_ofwands: *that's kind of telling, too, though for different reasons and not as strongly. consider, though, that Lionel was part of the Eye, probably knew some real escape artist magic and still couldn't get out of the safe he drown in. for Dylan to be willing to teach it on any level says something, if only in her mind. regardless, though, she nods* Sounds pretty well rounded.

the_death_card: He kinda made sure of that when he picked us, though.

queen_ofwands: *she smiles a little* Point.

the_death_card: I occasionally come up with those.

queen_ofwands: *she laughs* Only occasionally?

the_death_card: Sometimes they're better than others.

queen_ofwands: I'll keep that in mind. *she pauses, nibbling at her lower lip to fight back a grin, and then* Did he make sure you were all smart asses when he picked you, too, or are you special?

the_death_card: *laughs, before* Pretty sure we've all got that one covered. *admitting* I might lead the pack on it, though.

queen_ofwands: *she can't stop herself from grinning when he laughs or at his answer and so she doesn't try* I wouldn't have guessed.

the_death_card: It's a well kept secret, it's true. *not.*

queen_ofwands: * ... okay, she can't stop herself* Has anyone ever told you how much you sound like -- Dylan?

the_death_card: *immediately - in as close to Dylan's voice as he can get* Did it on purpose once. *and that was immediate if just to cover the fact that the question caught him a little off guard, considering what Dylan said in the warehouse*

queen_ofwands: *she stares at him for a minute and then just ... dissolves into laughter. she figures him doing that is to guard his reaction, but ... * Oh. Oh, that's perfect.

Cotume27 (3:28:49 AM): the_death_card: *grins, and back in his own voice* Thanks.

queen_ofwands: That's not a trick, is it? *she's heard Dylan imitate people before, but ... she's guessing that's not magic because as much as she's impressed, it's not exactly a perfect copy* Does he know you can do that? *a beat* Say something else.

the_death_card: Nah, he showed me copying mine one night, but we hadn't gotten much past the flash paper and sparks. And yeah. *pauses, too, to readjust, reaching up to rub a hand over his mouth and wet his lips before, in Dylan's voice again...* I got his radio off him and used it to keep the rest of the FBI's guys away.

queen_ofwands: *she outright giggles and claps a hand over her mouth. for a minute or two, it looks like she might be losing some internal war with herself not to start laughing again, and then finally, abruptly she seems to win. she's still grinning when she drops her hand, though, and as it occurs to her, ridiculously, belately, that Dylan's not the only one who can pull the Sea Witch act ... * I followed him around for a week making fun of his voice when I first learned.

the_death_card: *still in Dylan's voice* I'm kinda not surprised. *and then back in his* I taught myself that one. It made it easier to get out of things. *and cover his ass when he wasn't where he was supposed to be*

queen_ofwands: The look on his face was priceless. *stahp, Mira. Mira, stahp* That's amazing, though. *she doesn't think she could sound even remotely like ... well, anyone if it weren't a trick*

the_death_card: *and again* Thanks. *grins*

queen_ofwands: *smiles at him* You're welcome.

the_death_card: *but yeah - backing up to actually answer her question, a little despite himself.... reaches up to run a hand over his hair* But uh, yeah... I kinda kicked his ass, during everything, and he wanted a rematch, and apparently I kept doing stuff he would. *so no, no one's told him he sounds like Dylan, but....*

queen_ofwands: *her smile softens a bit, though still, teasingly ... * I should probably say something like great minds but that might be too generous to Dylan.

the_death_card: *snorts, amused*

queen_ofwands: *one corner of her mouth twitches, threatening a smirk, and she glances over at the door as if she expects him to choose that moment to come in. when he doesn't, she turns back to Jack, the smirk gone, her expression warm again* I meant it as a compliment, though. Dylan's ... *a deeply broken man but ... * ... a good man.

queen_ofwands: There are worse people to be compared to.

the_death_card: *looks away from her, pausing for a long moment before he nods, tilting his head to look at her sideways* Yeah, I know.

queen_ofwands: Just checking.

the_death_card: *and he doesn't really know what else to say to that. because yeah, there really are. and he still doesn't know what to do with how close he's gotten to the other Horsemen, sometimes, considering how long it's been since he's been all that close to anyone, and as much as he feels better about her being here, now, that's still something that took him a while to get into with any of the others, so...*

queen_ofwands: *after a long moment and lightly, teasingly, despite how ... serious she is about what she says next* If you were another woman, this would be the part where I gave you the shovel speech, but since you're not really his type ...

the_death_card: *and then looks lost, at that, because what?* 'Shovel speech'?

queen_ofwands: "If you hurt him, I'll kill you." *and then bury your ass so deep, no one will ever find you*

the_death_card: Oh. *okay, yeah, now that makes more sense, but...* None of us would. *and he sounds sure of that, considering, as has been said...* We've all had enough of other people doing it to us.

queen_ofwands: I was kidding, honey. *sort of. she means that, but she meant it as a means of breaking the mood, hence why she mentioned Jack not being his type* But ... good to know, anyway.

the_death_card: *shrugs. whether she was teasing or not, it's the truth, and he means it*

queen_ofwands: *she believes him and she just smiles warmly at him*

the_death_card: *returns the smile, though he doesn't really know what to say, again, though after a moment...* If you really want to use that speech, you're probably gonna have to go to Paris.

queen_ofwands: *and her smile turns, for lack of a better term, a little gossipy* Oh, really?

the_death_card: *looks amused at that, but nods* Yeah. We had an Interpol agent after us, too. *which he assumes she knows, but* Based on the fact that he's been to see her twice, now, I think the partnership worked out. *so to speak*

queen_ofwands: *she did, yeah, and she continues to look a little like she's strongly considering asking for this girl's name so she can add "Dylan <3 Alma 4---->" to her page of inappropriate drawings ... and then something seems to occur to her and her smile falters a bit* ... how much does she actually know about Dylan?

the_death_card: Uh... *pauses for a moment, thinking, since he's not actually sure himself. he only met her after Vegas, and they didn't talk long* I know she knows he's not really FBI. Or... not just FBI. *or whatever* And she knows about the Eye, but I think she did beforehand, somehow?

queen_ofwands: *she arches an eyebrow* Interesting. *she'll have to look her up, see if she's one of them or something -- or bug Dylan about it. either way, though, her smile returns* It's good that he has someone who knows the truth. *a beat* And yeah. I'll definitely have to drop by and give her the shovel speech at some point. *and tell her not to worry -- that Dylan's not fooling around on her and that she's not in the least interested in him like that anymore*

the_death_card: I think Merritt's planning to do it next time we see her, too. *a beat, and then...* Alma Dray. *he knows that, too, though he doesn't know if Miranda does - he didn't pay that much attention to the news until it was over, and most of the focus then was on the FBI's screw-ups. he's not sure how much mention Interpol got.*

queen_ofwands: *she might have heard her name on the news a couple of times, but she's never been too good with names, anyway. faces are a different story* I'll try to remember that.

the_death_card: *just nods - and then grins, abruptly and a little deviously* Dylan's probably gonna kill me for telling you that.

queen_ofwands: *laughs* Probably. But I wouldn't worry too much -- it'll probably be quick. He has to make sure I don't go harrass his new girlfriend, after all.

the_death_card: *laughs, too* And kill you for messing up his sketchbook.

queen_ofwands: And that. *she grins at him for a moment more and then slightly more seriously* If you want to tell him I twisted your arm, though ... *it's not going to make it much worse for her, at this point*

the_death_card: *shrugs* Nah. *he's not actually worried about Dylan getting mad about it*

queen_ofwands: *neither is she, really -- nor does she expect him to be mad at her more than just being all "Goddamn it, Mira" but still* Just figured I'd offer.

the_death_card: *smiles* Thanks.

queen_ofwands: *she smiles back* We meddlers have to stick together.

the_death_card: Damn straight. *grins and would probably go for a fist-bump if they were close enough for it. because he's ridiculous*

queen_ofwands: *she would totally fistbump back. now, though, she just shakes her head, amused as hell*

queen_ofwands: *based solely on meeting Jack, she approves of your new family, Dylan*

the_death_card: *and grins at her for a moment more before it fades a little - though not for any specific reason, he's just not sure what to say, again*

queen_ofwands: *she's not sure what to say, either, and so she laughs a little* I think we've hit that awkward pause part of the conversation.

the_death_card: *chuckles, too* Yeah.

queen_ofwands: I think we did very well, though.

the_death_card: Considering how it's gone a few times before when I've met people's other friends? Yeah.

queen_ofwands: Ditto. *a beat* I guess not everyone can handle how cool we are.

the_death_card: We are the coolest.

queen_ofwands: *smiles a him for a moment, then all out laughs* Also ridiculous, apparently.

the_death_card: *and a little "duh?"* Yeah?

queen_ofwands: My mistake assuming that wasn't a given.

the_death_card: I'm pretty sure it is around here. *what they do is awesome, but they're also magicians. he thinks most people would say what they do is a bit ridiculous*

queen_ofwands: *she seems to come to the same conclusion all on her own and hums, amused* Point.

queen_ofwands: *a moment of pause follows, her smile fading, and then she breathes out a sigh* And as much as I hate to say it, I should probably go ... though this time it's less about imposing and more about an appointment I have to keep.

the_death_card: Oh, okay. Sorry you didn't get to meet the others.

queen_ofwands: It's alright. I probably will sooner rather than later, anyway.

queen_ofwands: *she offers him an apologetic look at the same, though -- though it's more because she's leaving him to the boredom than not being able to meet the others, at this point -- and gets to her feet. holds out a hand* It was nice meeting you, though?

the_death_card: *nods* Probably. *it's not like any of them are going anywhere, after all. gets to his feet, too, when he does, to shake her hand* Good to meet you, too. *and once he takes his hand back...* Sorry for the whole... *gestures toward the balcony. all but freaking out when she showed up, he means*

queen_ofwands: Sorry I scared you. Dylan probably would have actually killed me if you did a swan dive.

the_death_card: Yeah, that might've kinda ruined things. *but grins*

queen_ofwands: Little bit. *a beat* If I drop by again, I'll knock.

the_death_card: I don't know, you freaking out the others might be funny to watch, too.

queen_ofwands: *laughs* Oh, honey, another point for you.

the_death_card: I'm tempted to not tell them you stopped by, actually. *because yeah. that'd be hilarious*

the_death_card: *he's stuck inside. he has to get his kicks somehow, you know*

queen_ofwands: As long as Dylan finds out eventually ... *she really wouldn't blame him*

the_death_card: Oh, yeah, the funny part works the other way, there.

queen_ofwands: Just checking. *she allows him a grin for a moment, then glances over her shoulder at the door and breathes out another sigh* Guess I'll see you around.

the_death_card: *flops back down onto the couch* See you.

queen_ofwands: *she hesitates for a moment then turns to head out*

the_death_card: *and he waits a moment after the door closes behind her before he turns sideways to stretch out on the couch*