Miki sits next to the woodstove. His boots are on, and his cloak is draped on the chair next to him, but he has an indefinable air of waiting, as a cat does at a mousehole. This is a comfortable cat, though, for his feet are propped up on another chair, he has a library book in one hand, and a plate of crumbs and a mug of tea are on the table at his elbow. His backpack is stuffed underneath his chair; clearly, he intends to wait here for as long as it takes for... whatever, to happen.

On the other side of the woodstove is Robin, bundled in a blanket and propped up in two chairs with a library book, a cup of mint tea, and a plateful of cake which is quickly being reduced to crumbs. The two of them look like a set of caryatids at rest.

The door opens swiftly, letting in a blast of freezing, icy air -- and a quick-moving, frosty Coyote-kin. Serendipity closes the door behind him, throwing his hat and gloves off onto the table and shrugging out of his coat as he heads for the woodstove. The lovely, lovely, warm woodstove. "Mother Nature is such a damn =tease=!" he complains, and pulls a chair from the table to sit between the pair already there. "...Evening, beauties."

A clattering and thudding of hooves outside ends in a skittering scramble, a shout of, "Yow!" and a thump on the porch. A moment later, the door opens and Kismet enters, ice dripping from her long hair. She is rubbing her rear end ruefully and looks somewhat embarrassed when she realizes that there are People In The Diner. In an almost shy gesture, she ducks her head, covering half her face almost instantly with hair, and looks around the Diner through the curtain.

Miki's head turns alertly to the door as it opens, but as Ren enters, the quick gesture is blunted. It is nothing so rude as disappointment, but clearly Ren is not the anticipated Event. As Kismet enters, his actions are repeated again, with the same results. He nods politely at Ren, "Hello," then looks over at Kismet. "There is room by the stove."

Robin looks over the top of her book with a glower of Doom, then sinks back into the peace and quiet of her blanket.

"Oh, thanks," Kismet says, running her fingers through her would-be-luxurious-if-it-weren't-dripping hair and tossing her head, flashing a smile at the people who *aren't* glowering. "Ice, snow, ice... I guess we'll be due for another blizzard in a couple days."

Serendipity turns to see Kismet's entrance, and flashes her a bright grin, giving her a quick look-over. "Heya. Pull up a patch of warm air," he invites her cheerfully. Robin's glower seems to startle him a little, but it's Miki he addresses: "You mad at me, beautiful?"

Miki smiles back at Kismet, one corner of his mouth turning up. "I hope that is not true," he says cheerfully. "I will be very... cranky, if I am trapped inside again." Appearances are against him; he seems quite contented now. Ren's question catches him entirely off-guard and he stops and stares at him, wide-eyed. "Why do you ask that?"

Ren's startlement seems to satisfy Robin; she looks almost pleased as she turns another page of her book. "Unless Katahdin can think of some other kind of precipitation," she says into the book. "Possibly something involving frogs. Frozen frogs."

Kismet shakes out her damp t-shirt and brushes off her jeans; a few pieces of ice dribble to the floor. Then she moves closer to the stove gratefully. "I never have a problem staying inside if there's someone to keep me occupied," she says, amber eyes turning mischievously from Miki to Ren. Then she raises her eyebrows at Robin. "Frozen frogs is better than sleeting blood, for instance. Though probably more painful, at least for the frogs."

"Frozen fish'd be better. Frogs, you c'n only eat the legs, right?" Serendipity suggests, getting comfortable in his chair, and gives Kismet another grin, with a spark of mischief of its own. "Any situation's better with someone t' keep you occupied," he agrees, before looking to Miki again. "...Just wondered. I mean, apparently I pissed off Justin 'n' Bryce, I was kinda wondering if I got the whole set," he explains wryly, and then bats his lashes at the youth, "...but you still love me, don'tcha?"

"And Bryce?" asks Miki, sounding impressed. "What did you do to upset him so? No, I am not angry, but you must not make Justin mad like that again, it was mean of you." He takes a drink of tea from his mug and smiles back at Kismet. "It is always good to have friends," he agrees, "in any weather. But I do not want to see a rain of blood, or frogs, or fish."

"Blood could be interesting," Robin says, looking up from her book. "Tristan would get fat. What did you do to upset Justin, Ren?"

"That is... gross," mutters Miki.

Kismet rubs her arms briskly, eyes Robin, frowns in perplexity at Miki, then looks over at the counter. "Hmmmm. Food. Drinks." She waxes thoughtful and tosses her head in an unsuccessful attempt to shift her heavy hair off her face. She moves the hair with her hand. "Does anyone around here make booze?" she wonders aloud.

Serendipity laughs, looking over to Robin. "Man, that'd be fun to watch. We'd hafta set out buckets an' keep it in the fridge for him. ...hell on our clothes though, stain like a bitch." He goes very slightly more serious, and shakes his head as he stands and picks up his coat, slipping it on -- but not leaving, rather heading back to his chair as he rummages in the coat, apparently in a breast pocket. "...anyway, I didn't do anything, oh Governess of Unicorns. Well, nothing =much=. Just teased him a little. And I do mean a =little=." His hand emerges with a silvery flask, which he opens and sniffs warily, then takes a sip of, and offers over toward Kismet without comment. "C'mon, beautiful," he directs to Miki, "you gotta admit he was overreacting. And Bryce just thinks I'm a self-centered asshole. Apparently." He shrugs. Some people have the most ridiculous opinions!

"Justin was strictly brought up," Miki tells Ren, with a nearly ridiculous air of sophistication. "He does not know how to answer back when you are being... coarse. It is not nice to tease him, because of it." He looks over at Kismet. "Would you like some tea, as well? It is warming."

"And when that runs out, you can get more from Justin," Robin says to Kismet. "Also, by rumor, someone on the Farm, and at least one of the local independent farmers. Ren, what did you say to Justin?" she adds, smiling. "I'm a connoisseur of such things."

Kismet takes the flask with a curious glance at Ren -- possibly regarding his wariness of it -- and sniffs. She nods once, then takes a good-sized slug. Her whole body shudders very slightly, and then she heaves a sigh. "'Sgood, thanks," she says, handing the flask back to the owner. "Nice t'know there's folks who might be persuaded, perhaps, for a suitable price or work-exchange, to give up their hard-made booze," she grins. "And tea would be nice, I think, thanks for the thought. I can get it, if you tell me where to find it in the kitchen."

"I can get it," says Miki, with a touch of amusement. He swings his feet off the extra chair serving as a footstool and sets his book aside. He lingers for a moment, watching Ren expectantly, then heads for the kitchen. He leaves the kitchen door propped open so that he can hear Ren's explanation.

Serendipity accepts the flask back, fingers brushing Kismet's as he does so. "Hey, any time, love," he replies easily, and takes a good swallow himself before offering it toward Robin, since Miki's fled. "...well, lemme see. I said... mm... oh, 'Hey, no problem, you get really relaxed, it happens.' Oh, and then I told him to chill out and offered to yank whatever was up his ass out, but that was =after= he got pissy."

Robin waves no to the flask. "You're going to have to step back a conversational round or two," she says.

The sounds of water running and the kettle clattering on the stove cease for a moment in the kitchen. Miki stands in the kitchen doorway for a moment. "Ren tried to make us think that he and Justin were having sex," he explains bluntly. "It made Justin angry because he does not like Ren at all, and he thought it was very rude indeed." Then he vanishes into the kitchen again.

The door opens, emitting a brief whirl of very cold wind laced with frost before Justin makes it in and slams the door shut once again. "Are -all- the winters like this?" he asks the room at large in bewilderment, throwing back the hood of his cloak.

Kismet drags a chair closer to the stove, watching the interpersonal relations, and the addition of Justin to the mix seems to induce her to cover her mouth with her hand for a long moment. Then, "Well, what is there to do, after all, in weather like this but to bitch about the winter, read, drink, and screw?" She waves airily to Justin, and her hair falls into her face again. "It's pretty, at least. And at least this ice just seems to slide right off your house's latest decoration, instead of adding to it."

Serendipity rolls his eyes. "Oh, come ON. I happened to be under the table when you came in, the timing was perfect-" he breaks off, glancing over as Justin shows up, and glances upward, shaking his head slightly. "...eh, why bother. Look," this to Robin, "...if you wanna ask me anything? Be happy to go have a little interview with you later." He leans back, looking to Kismet half-upside down, "..and if you wanna do any of your suggestions... hey, same offer." He gives her a wicked grin and sits back up.

Justin glances at the ceiling; the topic of conversation is not hard to determine, even for nerdy alchemists. Still, he looks quite weary, rather than eager to reopen the issue. He grins a little, dryly, at Ren, and a warmer smile for Robin and Kismet, as he hangs up his cloak and leans his staff against the wall. "Yes, the ice unicorn remains perfect, it's rather impressive. I have no idea how it's doing that."

Miki reemerges from the kitchen, carrying a mug of tea. He flashes a bright smile in Justin's direction, then sets the tea down on the table near Kismet. "It is as dark and strong as the Diner will provide," he says, with a touch of mischief in his eyes.

Robin lights up and beams Justin a little grin as he comes in, then turns to Miki. "Maybe we could use him," she says in an undertone. "Send him into Argent's camp with a bottle of wine and order to take just as long as he likes..."

Kismet grins and waggles her eyebrows at Ren. "I'd sure like someone to hang around with and bitch about the weather at. It's so... STIMulating, you know." She does a little hip wriggle that's far more than suggestive or wicked. Then, to Justin, she says, "Horsey maaaaaagic," waving her hands in the air. "We can all do it, y'see, once we get old and wise enough to grow a horn in the middle of our skulls."

"So, all horses turn into unicorns if they become mages?" asks Miki, sounding interested. To Robin, he says, "What do you suppose the book of prophecy would say about it?" He doesn't sit down again, but leans against the table, hipshot and restless.

"Horses can't become mages," Justin protests on general principles. Then reconsiders. "Well, I suppose horses might, but Perunka can't. Anyway, whyever would you want to be a mage when you can be a shifter?" He goes to sit down, and yawns.

Serendipity returns Justin's grin a bit crookedly -- not exactly apologetic, but a bit wry. And... amused. "...hey, handsome," he greets him casually, and has one more sip from the flask before closing it and slipping it back into the coat. Kismet gets the rest of the grin; he twists in his seat to address her. "Oh, yeah, I love that," he replies with mock-gravity, a touch of slyness entering as he goes on, "...I mean, hey, last time I was bitching about the weather with someone, we had an =incredible= time."

Robin nods to Miki. She rummages in her blankets, then draws forth a battered, waterstained book. She holds the book right-side-up between both hands and closes her eyes, breathing slowly and regularly, then ruffles the pages against her thumbs. Suddenly, she stops and opens the book, finger on a paragraph toward the bottom. "That one," she says to Miki, and hands the book to him.

Kismet turns to pick up her tea and is arrested by Miki's pose. She frankly admires his body and hair. The hair is important. "Dark and strong is all well and good," she murmurs mostly to herself, idly running her finger around the rim of the cup, "but who's to pass up *any* delectable in this happy potpourri that is Haven?" Then she shakes herself. "We don't become wizards. We just get horny." She sits back, grinning, and sips her tea, apparently taking this opportunity to review the entirety of this evening's banquet, gaze lingering on Miklos for a while, shifting to Ren, considering Justin carefully, and eventually settling on Robin. With occasional glances back to Miki, just to check out however he's posed at random intervals.

Miki looks at Robin in great startlement; clearly, he had not expected to be taken seriously. Still, here is the book. He looks down at the page and reads silently for a moment, chewing on his lower lip, then says haltingly, "Protect your family line, prince noble. There is one who looks for all blood but not body? flesh?, one who desires to... fix the choice of the mother, perhaps to become the mother, and does not care how it comes to be." He frowns at the page and says, "Another one that makes no sense."

Serendipity winks at Kismet, but the 'prophecy' -- or whatever it is -- distracts him. "Sounds like Tristan. Or some other leech. I mean, the seeking blood but not flesh part?" He gestures vaguely. "Rest's greek to me. Actually, not. I can understand greek."

Justin listens intently to the passage from the prophecy, frowning. He doesn't have anything useful to say about it, though, and so he does not, leaning forward on the table and looking thoughtful. And worried. But these are both standard Justin expressions.

Miki sighs and pushes the book away, shaking his head discontentedly. "I wish this book had not ever been written." A lock of hair falls into his face, between his eyes.

Kismet mostly ignores the prophecy, it seems, in favor of admiring her companions, although Ren's take on it does catch her attention.

"Tristan cannot become a mother," Miki points out with asperity. "He is a boy. And dead."

Justin doubletakes at Ren, now. "You speak Greek?"

Kismet pays attention to Miki's last comment carefully. Possibly, she's slightly distracted by the eye candy, but finally says, "We've a leech in the area?"

"Well, it didn't =necessarily= say they had t'be the =same= one all the way through," Serendipity points out. "But yeah, I guess that's a fair assumption. So I dunno, then. What is it, anyway? ...and yeah, usually, If I wanna," he adds, to Justin, with a momentarily faint half-smile, "I've gotta gift for tongues. I'm just full of surprises, ain't I?" The grin comes back to the normal level, and he shrugs. He doesn't at all mind turning his eyes to Kismet again. "...yeah, we do. He's," there's a tiny pause, "not a bad guy, though."

Miki nods tersely at Kismet, his mouth thinning into a grim line. "Rowan says he is not Corrupted." He pauses for a moment, assessing Ren's comment, and decides not to add anything more. His gaze rests on the door of the Diner, briefly.

Justin eyes Ren very closely for a moment, perhaps wondering how deep this gift of his goes, but does not pursue it at the moment. He really does look tired. "Miki, is there any more tea?" he asks plainitively, avoiding the subject of the vampire altogether.

"I am sure I can find some," replies Miki, giving Justin a smile which is more in the eyes than anywhere else, and he pushes himself off the table and goes into the kitchen.

"Huh," Kismet says in response to the news of the vampire. Then she shrugs. "Well, y'know, there have always been decent enough vampires. Hope he's one of 'em."

The warmth of the room changes in quality. Some indefinable... something... shifts. Perhaps it is that it is now uniformly warm throughout the room. Perhaps it is the slight rise in humidity. Or perhaps it is merely the feeling of electricity in the air, as if a thunderstorm were approaching.

Justin sits up, suddenly on alert. "Did you feel that," he says, probably unnecessarily. "Barometer and pressure shift." He whistles, and his staff slides on its heel to him, navigating the room neatly; he takes it and stands, looking nervous.

"He seems pretty cool," Ren confirms, with a tiny shrug, and studies Kismet for a second or two. "Hey, Miki. You didn't answer me what that book is," he points out, and sits up, slipping his coat off his shoulders and arms, letting it pool around him on the chair. "...is it getting hot in here, or is it just... well, I know it's y'all, but temperaturewise..."

Miki pokes his head out of the kitchen. "Justin, did you just do something in here? The air went all funny."

Kismet looks around at the change and people's reactions. She picks up a handful of her hair, which has mostly dried in the heat from the stove, and studies it intently. "Hm. It *is* more humid," she notes, plucking at a particularly curly lock.

The top of Justin's staff bursts forth suddenly with several slender branches and green leaves.

Justin drops his staff. It doesn't fall, remaining upright, displaying its new foliage to best advantage. Justin takes it again, touches a leaf delicately, in new wonder and anticipation, his weariness banished. "...Oh," he says, softly, to himself. "I see."

Miki's eyes widen as he sees the leaves and flowers appear. Then he smiles, a deeply amused and yet also affectionate smile. He leaves the kitchen door for a moment, then emerges from the kitchen, approaching Justin. "I said your unicorn would not forget you," he says with deep satisfaction. "Who could?"

Serendipity slides the coat so recently removed right back onto his arms, watching with alert, startled interest. "...whoa," he remarks, when Miki finishes, "...you have a unicorn?"

Kismet blinks at the staff, then at Miki. "... Unicorn? Here?"

Miki laughs, low and sensuous. "Wait and see. And it is more as if the unicorn has claimed him, I think." He gives Justin a quick look after that, hoping that the little joke is acceptable, but a smile still hovers about his mouth.

The door of the Diner swings open slowly, silently. Instead of a blast of icy wind, a hot honeysuckle breeze wafts gently across the room. A moment later, a pearlescent unicorn appears just inside, delicate crystalline hooves shifting with soft chimes against the flooring. The emerald gaze sweeps the room, encompassing it and all within, lingering fondly upon Miklos, but settling at last upon Justin. *I was kept long in debate. My apologies, Mage.*

Justin gazes upon the unicorn with what can only be called adoration. Well, adoration with something more; his eyes are warm and delighted, his voice lower as he replies. "No apologies needed, my lady. Your presence is reward enough." He drifts a few steps closer to the unicorn, as if drawn by a polar star.

Miki smiles, a sweet delighted smile, and watches Justin and the unicorn.

Serendipity's lips part in a moment of near mesmerism -- not at the unicorn, but at Miki's laugh there. The unicorn's what snaps him out of it -- he sits up straighter, twisting to where he can watch the scene with apparent fascination.

Kismet clears her hair away from her eyes with a hand. She stares at the unicorn so hard and unblinkingly that her eyes begin to water.

As Justin draws closer, the unicorn is replaced -- instantaneously -- with a pale, androgynous, inhumanly beautiful human shape, shrouded in a waterfall of white silk and a tangle of flowering vines. The unicorn -- for such it surely is, with the brilliant star upon its forehead -- steps forward and trails soft fingertips over Justin's cheek. "Is it indeed? You are no less polite than you were last we met." A smile, this one for Miklos. "Hello, my beautiful one. I have not forgotten you either." To -- or perhaps of -- the others in the room: "This land holds such rare blossoms. Tricksters' children and children of the hoof teem from the very earth." Some of the tables and chairs near the unicorn seem to be struggling, seeming to writhe without moving, against their age. A few, the closest, give up the fight quickly enough and put forth a few new branches and leaves. One even manages to burst into bloom, a few cherry blossoms shedding pinkly on the floor.

If Justin could see the completely besotted expression he's wearing, he'd be embarrassed. Very embarrassed. However, he can't, and so close to, and touched by, the unicorn, he doesn't care, and so he wears it without shame. He does glance back at Kismet and Ren, though, with a smile, which turns brilliant when he looks at Miki. He laughs quietly, though, at the chairs. "My lady, the poor furniture in here cannot resist you, any more than I can."

Miki has to press the back of his hand to his mouth; he laughs silently but completely without malice, merely in delight. "I am honored that you remember me," he says to the unicorn, then adds, consideringly, "my lord." He reaches up with both hands and rakes his hair back in an unconsciously graceful gesture, utterly delighted with the scene.

Serendipity rises from his seat, grinning -- apparently the description is perfectly fine with him -- and sweeps a flamboyant bow to the newest arrival. "Pleased to meet you," he greets the unicorn, sincerely, "...Serendipity Jones, at your service." Look, he can behave!

Surely, the tears that are trickling down Kismet's face are simply because she was staring so much and the stove is so close and makes the air so dry. She lacks all pretense of self-possession in the face of this creature and watches.

The unicorn lets its hand slide into Justin's hair, caressing the back of his neck, eyes warm and affectionate at Miki's response, and nods in acknowledgement of Ren's introduction. The emerald gaze returns to Justin. "It is a cold, cold night outside my influence, and the furniture will soon remember its own state, sadly. But there is a warm grove overhung with jasmine and hedged all round with plants twined in bittersweet, thick grasses grown for a bed. Will you lay in it with me tonight?"

Justin leans into the touch, eyes half-closed and as warm as the unicorn's promised summer. "Oh, gladly," he murmurs, very softly, almost a whisper. "Gladly I will." The rest of the universe has vanished for him, it seems.

Miki sighs reminiscently, but seems utterly pleased that Justin is going to have his time with the beautiful summer unicorn. He leans against the nearest table and watches, his eyes approving.

Serendipity half-smiles, and sits again, watching with quiet fascination and... a little incredulity.

Kismet closes her eyes, finally, and scrubs the heel of her hand violently across her face.

"Ah, good." With a final glance at Kismet and Ren, then a short nod and smile to Miki, the unicorn pulls Justin close, enfolding him in the scent of summer heat, and the pair vanishes. The Diner's door swings shut and latches with a click. The room remains filled with the aroma of flowers and greenery and sunshine.