The center of the first floor, this room is large and spare, yet homey. Now that the weather is warm, the sliding glass door that lets onto the backyard is open to let the breeze in. A trio of rocking chairs represents the bulk of the living room's furniture. The stains applied on each varies, from blonde to deep dark brown. The darkest differs from its peers in structure by the presense of a pipe-holder, and all have simple but clean and delicate designs carved in their head rests. There's also a kitchen table and a makeshift bookcase which, sensibly enough, holds several books.
A large mosaic roughly six feet in diameter lies inset in the middle of the floor. The design displays a circumscribed series of triangles arranged as a five-pointed star, and the arrangement of the various pieces forms its own network of patterns and keeps the grain interruption from being too jarring. Great care has been taken to make sure the mosaic is perfectly level with the floor proper, and not a single gap, fastener, or drop of glue can be seen.
Did someone call for 'tall, dark, and handsome'? Well, dark's fairly well covered, at least. Jet-black hair's pulled into a long, loose tail at the nape of his neck, a few stray strands about the face occasionally drifting into his almost equally dark eyes, the irises of which are a brown deep enough that one needs to look closely to find the pupil. Nut-brown skin that sets off the white of his teeth and eyes -- it could just barely be mistaken for a very deep tan, if one really tried. Tall is a miss; he's still several inches off six feet, and he probably won't ever get there. Handsome... well, not a classic beauty, to be sure, but well-proportioned, with a stunning, frequent grin and deeply expressive features. Slim, but in perfectly good shape.
He's clad in... well, black leather pants. Somewhat faded, well broken in, but nicely cut and really =quite= nicely fitted. A simple cream shirt hangs untucked above them, long sleeved and fastened with a row of small, black stone buttons. Over that, he wears a decidedly well-worn old black trenchcoat, almost too big for him -- the cuffs hang down half-over his hands, when he lets them, and the hem hangs perilously close to his heels. Scuffed black leather boots with worn soles adorn his feet; there's a seemingly random collection of bracelets, all on one wrist, and several piercings along the upper section of each ear -- little silver hoops. His right ear also bears a rather delicate silver earcuff.
Danny stands just under six feet tall and moves with an odd grace that's difficult to categorize. It's not quite the artful manner of a dancer nor the economic movements of a trained warrior, still there's certainly something different in how he carries himself. Fit musculature on a lean frame gives him the look of a runner, and his clean and smooth features suggest a northern European heritage. He has well-defined cheekbones that lend a youthful cast which may bely his true age, while a faint five-o'clock shadow makes his otherwise friendly smile a little disreputable. His eyes are expressive and match colors with his full, wavey, chin-length hair: a deep dark brown that's only just this side of black. His skin in naturally pale, but days working outside have given it the faintest suggestion of a tan.
His clothing is casual but work-oriented, with a light-weight, long-sleeved tunic in off white linen belted at his waist with a black, woven leather belt. A loose pair of dark brown linen pants are tucked into calf-high, black leather boots that look a bit newer than the rest of his apparel, their sides finely tooled with Celtic knots. A stamped silver coin bearing the triune horse symbol of Epona hangs around his neck on a silver snake chain, and there's a sky blue ribbon tied just behind his ear, trailing in and out of his dark hair in a former bow that has apparently come untied.
The living room isn't empty; one of the rocking chairs is moving, the sound slight but rhythmic. Ren's seated in it, looking much like usual, except that his hair is down and veiling his face -- he's looking at his hands, which are employed in carving something, a knife flashing around a bit of wood held over his lap.
Danny has managed to put on a pair of linen pants before wandering downstairs to start some breakfast tea, and as he reaches the bottom of the steps he waves to Ren. "Morning Ren," he says, the words distorted by a yawn he attempts to hide. "You're here pretty early. Want some tea?"
Serendipity looks up, the blade stopping. "...hey. Mornin', Danny." He looks a little tired. "...Rae up yet? Oh, an' yeah, sure, thanks, tea's nice."
"No, she's sleeping in. I was just going to make a little breakfast for her, for when she gets up." Danny shuffles into the kitchen, and despite his claim of preparing breakfast he first makes use of the bathroom. It doesn't take long for him to get ready for the day, and shortly he emerges clean shaven with damp hair and freshly scrubbed skin. Unused to the idea that his hair is now long enough to warrant a queue, he occasionally has to brush it out of his face as he prepares a tray with a tea pot, mugs, and tea goodies. "She's been doing some late patrols, so she sleeps in a bit," he confides as he works.
Serendipity nods, quietly, from where he's followed to lean against the frame of the kitchen door and watch. He may be well-used to the idea his hair warrants a ponytail, but he seems to have forgotten today. "Oh." Silent again,, he just watches.
Danny prepares the tray with breakfast food that won't require actual cooking skills: a teapot ready to steep, a pair of mugs, sliced fruit, bowls of granola, cream and milk, the last of yesterday's bread, butter, and a jar of berry preserves. He then takes down separate mugs for himself and Ren. "What kind of tea do you want? We have, um," he starts to move things around in the pantry, "Orange spice, plum rosehip, black tea, red currant, mint and lemon balm."
"Orange spice'd be nice," Ren replies after a moment's thought. "...Danny, y'mind if I ask you somethin'?"
"No, not at all. Ask away." Danny pulls out a colorful, ceramic jar that has a wild series of designs on it which all hint at various fruits. He fills two tea steepers with the fragrant tea mix inside the jar and places it back in the pantry, then finally takes out the tea kettle and fills it with water. No sooner has he put it on the stove to boil than they are both rewarded with a cheerful whistle.
Serendipity eyes the kettle warily a moment, then looks back to Danny. "How d'you know a true dream from a normal one? How c'n y'tell?"
"Don't worry, it's just so used to Justin wanting it to boil right away, it does it on it's own now," Danny assures Ren. "No Good Neighbors or strange spirits here, just a very, um, enthusiastic tea kettle." He pats the kettle's handle like he might a dog's head, then picks it up and pours out hot water for their mugs of tea and also the tea pot on the breakfast tray. "How can I tell?" After thinking on that carefully, he shakes his head and gives Ren an apologetic look. "I don't think I have any other kind. I never had regular dreams when I was younger, and now all I have are the ones I always have."
Serendipity sighs, exhaling a puff of air that stirs his hair. "...I gotta talk t' Rae," he replies, shaking his head slightly. "Thanks anyhow."
Danny shuts off the stove's burner and puts the kettle back down. He stirs his tea steeper around in his mug and tips his head to one side. "What is it? Did you have a dream about something?" The Perunka looks Ren over shrewdly. "You look tired."
There is the sound of stirring upstairs, if by stirring one means a door creaking open followed by a thump and a muttered curse. Then soft footfalls pad down the hall and toward the stairs.
Serendipity tilts his head to let it thunk against the doorframe he's leaning against, then winces a little at the impact. "Khul," he mutters half under his breath as he reaches up to brush a hand across the bump. "Didn't sleep well," he replies a little brusquely, "....an' yeah, I had a dream 'bout somethin'. Thanks. For the tea."
"Do you want to talk about it?" Danny asks with raised eyebrows. "Or just with Aurelia?" He straightens a little at the sound from upstairs and leans out of the kitchen to listen into the living room. "Is that you geliebt?" he calls, pitching his voice to travel up the stairs without filling the entire house.
Aurelia calls back sleepily, "It sure ain't anyone else." She descends the stairs and pads toward the kitchen, her hair tangled from sleep and tied back in a clumsy knot, and her small form clothed in a long blue dressing robe. "Thought I heard voices," she comments.
Serendipity turns to look, and watches the girl approach for several moments. He looks tired, and though he's dressed as usual, he's neglected to pull his hair back today. It take a moment before he actually smiles a little. "Mornin', rinkeni. 'bout time you showed up." Danny's question will, it seems, need to wait.
Danny bites his lip for a moment as he watches Ren, then shrugs it off and smiles at Aurelia as she enters the kitchen. "Morning. I've got some tea made, and some breakfast things."
Aurelia yawns hugely, blinking a bit as she sees Ren. He gets a sleepy smile as she asks, "What in blazes are you doing up at this hour?" She sidles over to Danny and starts poking around curiously at counters and such, perhaps seeking nibbleables or double-checking to make sure everything is in order.
"Lookin' for you," Ren replies, touching Aurelia lightly on the small of her back as she passes him in the doorway to get into the kitchen. "Gotta talk t' you. How d'you tell a true dream?"
Since assembling Aurelia's breakfast involved cutting and scooping things, the kitchen is clean and largely undisturbed but for the recently-used kettle sitting on the stove. Danny slips an arm around Aurelia's waist for a brief hug and kisses the top of her head, then offers her a plate of sliced strawberries and melons (of course) to start. "I was telling Ren, I don't have the regular ones so I can't tell the difference."
Aurelia leans into the kiss drowsily, but she perks up a bit as she sees the fruit. Single-minded, this woman. She muffles a 'thank you sweetie' around a bite of melon she stuffs in her mouth voraciously. It isn't until the slice is gone that she answers, "As opposed to a what? I dunno what you mean by true dream."
Serendipity continues watching, apparently too tired to care about bothering with being polite about it. He sighs at the response, looking up at the ceiling, then back down. "As opposed to the one where I c'n fly an' make people do things with my mind. Without talkin' them into it first. True dreams. Sovbaxt. You know." He stops, looking frustrated. "...real ones."
"I think he means..." Danny rubs his chin and thinks on it for a moment. "Higami once told me that Seer's dreams are dreams from the worldsoul, so they're visions almost, but still dreams. You dream what Gaia dreams, and it might be the past, or the present, or the future, or it might just be a something-that-could. And then there's the dreams like regular people just have." He gestures vaguely and makes up a random example. "You know, you're late for school, or wandering around naked and people are laughing at you, those sorts of things."
Aurelia leans against the counter, nibbling fretfully at a strawberry as she listens. Her brow furrows at the unfamiliar word Ren uses, and she eyes him oddly. "You look like hell," she comments, all about the praise. Her tone isn't unkind, though. "I guess for good-walkers, they're all real, so I dunno much about the kind that ain't." She pauses, then asks cautiously, "What did you dream about?"
Serendipity gathers his hair back in one hand, distractedly selfconscious for once. "Thanks, rinkeni, always make a guy feel appreciated," he replies dryly, with a faint half-smile, and then gestures vaguely, wandering back into the living room to drop into a rocking chair. "I dreamt... it's kinda complicated. Ish. You might wanna grab your breakfast first. ...an' my tea, 'f y'don't mind."
Danny has occupied himself with toasting the bread slices on the stove, and now piles them back on their plate. Look out world, he knows how to make toast and fruit salad. The remnants of a bowl of berries from the icebox are used to garnish the bowls of granola, and he nods at the living room. "We can eat in there. I'll clean up afterwards, I *promise*," he tells Aurelia earnestly. His mug of tea is the final item to go onto the tray before he takes it up and heads into the living room.
Aurelia takes up Ren's tea and carries it into the living room, offering it over in a rare show of kindness with no sarcasm attached. She gives Danny a warm glance and tells him, "I know you will, sugar." Once Ren's tea is handed over, she claims her own and a piece of toast, getting comfy on the floor near Danny's chair. "So what was this about?"
Serendipity accepts it. "Thanks," he says quietly; he's seated himself crosslegged in the chair, which it surely wasn't designed for, but it works all right. He looks at the tea a moment, then shrugs and answers. "A'ight. I was on the outskirts of this carnival -- y'know, rides, games, that kinda thing? -- which was really run down... like it'd been abandoned for years, an' vandals'd been through t' smash an' deface things an' all. Yeah?"
Danny settles the tray across the arms of his rocking chair and gets Aurelia's bowl of granola properly prepared while he listens to Ren begin describing the dream. He hands it down to her on a plate, along with another slice of melon, then sets about covering his own bowl of granola with plenty of honey and cream. His tea is similarly doctored before he begins sipping from it. "Was it anywhere you recognized? In the dream or when you're awake?" he asks.
Aurelia arranges her food around her neatly, and she gets to work on the granola hungrily, showing no sign of a weak stomach for unpleasant details. Breakfast. Must have. She nods to Danny's question, looking to Ren as she munches down another bit of melon.
Serendipity shakes his head a little. "Nowhere I know. An' when I say old, I mean it could even be pre-Dark old. OLD. Anyway. So I wander in, right, seein' this gleam off a broken mirror on onea the booths, an' a coyote wanders out from behind it. He's lean like the place's slim pickings, but he looks all pleased t' see me, comes on over when I greet him."
Danny nods at Ren and sets his tea aside, opting to start in on his bowl of granola. Between bites he hands a few pieces of toast to Aurelia, along with the butter and preserves.
Aurelia helps herself to a plentitude of toast. The food seems to be doing a good job of waking her up, and it isn't long before her attention upon Ren is sharp-eyed and alert. "I take it from the way you're lookin' he didn't have good news for you."
"He didn't talk," Ren replies. "He was... he acted like a normal coyote, or 'least how they mostly act with me long's they're not totally human-shy. He was hungry, an' I gave him a piece of sausage. Saw a collar 'round his neck, brown leather, had this mark my people use on it. An' a message tube. Collar startled me, I asked him whose he was, an' he headed away before I could check the tube. Lead me around deeper into the carnival, slipped through a small passage."
"So he wasn't Kin? He was a wilder?" Danny glances down at Aurelia, then back at Ren. His granola is nearly gone by now, and his toast will soon share the same fate.
Aurelia listens intently, suppressing a faint frown -- this is made easier by digging into her granola. Despite her voracious appetite, she manages to balance eating with listening attentively. By way of reply, she merely nods, encouraging the kin to continue.
Serendipity glances at Danny. "He was a coyote," he replies, and drums his fingers on the arm of the rocking chair, then takes a sip of tea. "...so I squeeze through after him. Tore my coat a li'l. An' he's there, nudging the body of an old man with his muzzle an' whimpering. Dead, he's got a nasty belly wound. An' I look, an' the place is this huge grey plain, flat, nothin' there. Except corpses. People, coyotes, these stocky li'l horses. I'm talkin' thousands. All dead."
Danny stops eating and stares at Ren blankly. "Who were they?" he asks after a moment, sounding bewildered. "Was it--was it a battle? I meant, could you tell if he was Kin or if he was a wild coyote. But...goddess."
Aurelia shakes her head slowly, murmuring, "Huh." Just that. Gaia's chatterbox isn't saying much just now. She frowns over a sip of tea, her gaze going a bit distant as she thinks. "Tell me more about the coyote," she prompts.
"There's more," Ren says, soft and a bit flat. "This time, he let me scritch him, get the note. It said..." He reaches into his pocket, but doesn't pull anything else, just taking a breath. "It said, 'I don't know where he is. I know that he's born. I know that he's of age. I know he has my fetish. He does not come, and they close in on us. Our people will fai-' and then it stopped an' was... blood spatters. They spread, soaked the paper 'til it was drippinn' fresh blood. Then the coyote makes this weird whine, not normal, an' he rolls on the ground, on the bodies... he gets up, clawin' at his muzzle, which's foaming like hes gone rabid, lookin' at me, an' he lunges at me... an' I woke up." He stops, retrieving his hand and wrapping both of them around his tea mug, staring at the surface of the liquid. "...what else d'you wanna know about the coyote? He was friendly t' me... like a pet dog, almost. Had that collar with th' message an' the glyph. Lookin' hungry, like I said. Attached t' the old dead guy, seemed like. Didn't unnerstand he was dead, I think..." Another pause, and a very brief flick of his eyes to Danny, then back to the drink. "Th' horses... th' unicorn I talked to, he told me th' Nuwisha, they came an' got a buncha what he called 'perunka of the oldest blood' t' help 'em out on this great journey they were gonna take 'cause it was... far. Said they were perunka that looked like him. These horses..."
Aurelia exhales slowly and sets her tea aside, looking fretful and preoccupied. "There ain't nothin' I can do til I get some sleep," she tells Ren. "But I'll try. I'll try to at least keep you safe when yer sleepin'." She pauses, then eyeballs Ren appraisingly. "How you feelin'?"
It's an automatic response for Danny to finish eating, but he doesn't look like he's enjoying his food much at this point, merely seeing to the necessities. When he's done he runs a hand through his hair, looking nervous. "That was the unicorn that took Ruth and me into the Umbra. The old Perunka, they're from the east. The land was supposed to be very harsh so they had to be tough and strong. They were smaller horses, and could run for miles and miles and never get tired. The stories say they'd live for days without water and food." He bites at his lip and glances down at Aurelia. "Do you think it's a dream like a vision? Or something else?"
Serendipity quirks an eyebrow just a little at Aurelia. "Been better," he replies, deadpan, then slumps a tiny bit. "Restless. Worried. Tired. 'Fraid I'm not doin' enough, not doin' the right thing, y'know?" He nods a little at Danny, considering this new information, and looks back to the corax, awaiting her opinion.
Aurelia shakes her head slowly and replies quietly, toward Danny but with a nod to Ren as well, "I'm not a Seer, so I don't know much about real visions, but I do know dream-fightin'." She regards Ren again, chewing at her lower lip. "Okay," she says. "Whether it's a vision or not, there ain't nothin' to do about it today. Today, I want you to take it easy. Tonight, I'll keep a watch. It might just be a bad dream -- they do happen, and goddess knows yer the kinda guy to get restless after bein' in one place awhile. Maybe it's just yer, whatsit, subconscious tellin' you somethin. Or maybe it's a vision, or maybe it's somethin' else. Least I can do is whittle down your options, but I can't til tonight."
"Maybe you should get in a nap where you're not patroling, then," Danny suggests, giving Aurelia the last piece of toast. "So you're rested up tonight." He gives Ren a sympathetic look, and adds, "You look like you need a nap too. I can finish up the rookery and get to helping clean inside the house."
Serendipity smiles just a little. "House's comin' pretty good. Almost ready for a few things I found down in Millinockett..." He finishes his tea, and unfolds his legs, getting to his feet and giving first danny, then Arurelia a hug, the latter rather closer and with a gentle kiss on the hairline. "...thanks. I'm gonna go.... I dunno, lie down or somethin'."
Aurelia hugs Ren close, then gives his hair a fond ruffle as she draws back, looking him in the eye with an expression that tries not to appear too worried, but the concern is there. "You just take it easy," she reiterates. "Have that guy with the hair wait on ya."
Danny returns the hug and nods in the direction of the Treehouse. "Let me give you a ride back, at least, and then I can go on out to the house." He glances down at Aurelia and asks, "You want to stay here or come with?"
Serendipity stops a second, then nods, with a touch more of a smile. "Yeah, okay," he replies to Danny, "...an' thanks." He nods to Aurelia, too, witha mildly amused, "...his name's Martin, rinkeni."
Aurelia shrugs helplessly. "He's the guy with the hair," she replies, as though she can't be held responsible for these little realities of life. Danny gets a hug as she gets to her feet, then a kiss on the cheek. "I'm gonna head back upstairs," she tells him. "You both take care."
"Okay. I'll see you when I come home for lunch." Danny responds with a hug and a kiss as well, then gathers up all the dishes and ferries them into the kitchen as promised. Cleaning up the breakfast mess doesn't take long, and after a brief soujourn upstairs to finish dressing he leads Ren outside where he can shift into his horse form and thus take him back to the Treehouse.