2024-09-30 - What Weird Stuff Can You Do?

When Hayley comes through the door, she's entering in the way that Dodge has come to know is normal for her -- annoyed, a frown on her face, tense. Whatever is eating at her always seems to fade as soon as she is in company, though, either a product of a mind that doesn't hold grievances long -- or very, very good masking.

She's wearing sweatpants and a comfortable, too-big sweater, comfortable shoes. Not dressed like she's going out anywhere, but ready for a night watching an interesting movie and maybe snacking on popcorn.

On seeing Dodge, she brightens and waves quickly. "Hey!" she says happily. "So this is a scary movie, right?"

She might also be a little sheltered, let's be real.

Dodge takes note of Hayley's expression, storing the information alongside other bits and pieces that she's picked up from Hayley in the six or seven months since she moved in. Always tense.

But as if on command, Hayley seems to make that tension on her face melt away, and Dodge laughs at the blonde's question, flagging her over to plop into one of the other big comfy chairs.

"No, not exactly. It's an adventurous romp, and there's an undead mummy, that's true, but there aren't any parts that are actually very scary," she explains.

"Have you really never seen The Mummy?" Incredulous. "It's so good. It's one of those movies made in the nineties that holds up, you know? There were sequels, too, progressively less good, but the original is a classic."

Hayley takes the chair next to Dodge, settling in, and offering a, "Paul couldn't make it tonight," by way of unneeded explanation. He never could make it, it seems. Just a fact of life when dealing with Hayley.

She then turns her head, listening to Dodge, and nods in understanding. "Okay," she says. "That sounds like it could be a lot of fun. But yeah, I've never actually seen this!" she admits. "Mom was really strict about what we could watch, and this was -- this definitely would not have been on the list. So I'm excited!"

Dodge doesn't have any comment for Paul's not being able to make it, only offering a conciliatory smile in exchange.

There's still at least twenty minutes until the film is scheduled to start. She obviously arrived early to lay claim to the premium comfy-chair seating in the back, and she eyes the rest of the room as it slowly begins to fill up with other like-minded residents.

There's a little arch of her brow at the information about what Hayley was or wasn't allowed to watch, and she just files that little tidbit away. Dodge is a curious person but she's not nosy -- or at least, she tries not to be. In any event, paying close attention could often turn up as much tea as outright asking, and Dodge is a master of attention to detail; she has to be. So she's well-noticed that is hardly the first time that Hayley has mentioned growing up in a strict, somewhat traditional household.

"This is only the second time I've come out to movie night in over seven months," she admits to Hayley. "Last time it was Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. They're always showing different films, though. I bet it's fun around Halloween season, which," she glances at her watch. "Officially begins in a few hours."

"Oh, yeah, Halloween! I really need to come up with a good costume this year," Hayley realizes belatedly, maybe taking note that Dodge is taking note and being polite enough to not comment, as she settles in more fully. "Bill and Ted..." she says, thinking quietly. "Did I... I think I saw that one when I was a kid," she says with a small nod. "Something about a phone booth and time travel?"

Then she looks over at Dodge. "I bet you come up with some really great costume ideas."

"Phone booth and time travel, that's the one," Dodge confirms with a short nod. "It's goofy fun. And you're correct: I give great Halloween. Last year, I did Scar from Lion King, with the face paint and everything. This year I'm thinking something more themed to the park," she muses.

In the absence of anything playing on the screen, the low hooting of a great horned owl can be heard in the distance, and Dodge leans over to peer out through a window. The culprit is sitting on a branch and staring right in through the window, blinking back at the brunette. "Have you met Poe?" she asks of Hayley. "My other familiar. She doesn't care for most people and she follows me around at a little distance," she explains, gesturing in the owl's direction. "She's a bit of a grump, but very loyal."

"Bet you made the fiercest little Scar," Hayley quips, though Dodge isn't particularly little, as she looks out the window when her attention is drawn to it. At first she's confused, but as Dodge starts to explain, delight grows on her face and she lifts her hand to wiggle her fingers in the direction of the owl.

"Hey there, grumpy Poe!" she calls, quietly so as not to disturb the others coming in too much, and also because the bird can't actually hear them. "You taking good care of my friend? You seem to be!" Another quick wave, and then she's adjusting back into her seat.

"I'm not sure what I want to be. I've kind of gone with silly animal costumes most of the time. Two years ago, I was a llama," she says with a very serious nod.

"Ferocious," Dodge agrees with Hayley's quip, giving her own serious nod.

She leans back in her cushioned and comfy chair to let Hayley greet the grumpy owl through the glass; it's unclear if Poe even acknowledges Hayley or not, hooting softly and then sticking her head underneath her wing as if to tell the whole world to go away.

"A llama is a noble choice," Dodge remarks to Hayley. "Did you know llamas can communicate by humming? I learned that at trivia night." She drums her fingertips on the armrest of her comfy chair. "I bet there will be a huge Halloween party. Something tells me this place goes all out for the holiday, you know? And I wonder what kind of weird stuff will happen."

Hayley keeps her fingers wiggling until Poe has turned her head away, and then announces, confidently, "I think she likes me," without any evidence about whether or not that is true. But then Dodge is dropping Llama Truths, and her eyes open wide in sudden interest.

"I had no idea!" she exclaims, and then. And then her brain starts to make rapid assumptions and calculations, and she lands on, "Llamas live in a permanent musical. That's incredible!" A look to Dodge, then, conspiracy in her eyes. "We go as a musical llama duet. It'll be great!"

She doesn't even give Dodge time to respond right away before she's rambling on, "I do think it will be an amazing Halloween party. So we should get started on the costumes now, and be ready for whatever weird will come. Maybe we can, I don't know, there has to be something we can do, with your animals and my thing."

Dodge has probably never actually seen Hayley's thing. Hayley's the kind of person who just assumes everyone knows what she's on about.

Dodge opens her mouth and raises a finger to interject when Hayley proposes musical llama duet, but she doesn't get the opportunity to get a word in edgewise until Hayley's finished talking.

"If I can think up any costumes that call for a big dog and a cranky owl, you'll be the first to know," she finally agrees, smirking. And while Dodge has never actually seen Hayley's thing, she's picked up enough to piece together that it has something to do with plants. Now's as good a time as any to get clarity. "What is your thing?"

"Oh, you know what it i-" Hayley starts to say, before she pauses, blinks, and the last few months of friendship review pick up not a single bit of her actually using her magic in front of Dodge. Oops.

So, she considers the woman, then sits up and places her hands together. "Here," she says, "Let me show you." As she focuses, green energy starts to wind down her arms in ethereal tendrils, which are met past her sleeves with small vines of wood which grow from what is almost certainly her skin underneath them. She is quiet, focused, as she keeps the energy driven toward her hands.

In between her palms, the wood forms into a ball, which her fingers start to shape, lengthening it out, and then forming it into a four-legged creature, about six inches long and three high. A canine head forms, and a ruff of fur around the neck, with large, floppy ears.

The details aren't there -- it's relatively quick work, and she's not refining it down, but as the magic fades and the last of the wood funnels into her work, she's left with a figurine that gives at least a passable resemblance to one Koda, which she then offers over to Dodge.

"I kinda -- have a thing going with plants," is how she explains it, smiling sheepishly, looking a touched embarrassed.

Dodge quietly observes Hayley's brief display of magic, and accepts the figurine that she offers over, admiring it in both hands. "That's really impressive," she smiles, holding the figurine up towards the window as if to show it to Poe on her tree branch outside.

There is a woefully unimpressed hoot that follows.

"Well, I think it's really impressive," Dodge laughs, leaning back in her chair and setting the figurine in her lap; she will surely show it to Koda later, and he will love it.

"I kind of figured, but I wasn't exactly sure, and I don't know how rude it is to ask people, 'Hey, what weird shit can you do?' as tempting as that is," she explains.

"Poe loves it," Hayley claims, despite all evidence otherwise, and then cocks her head curiously as she listens to Dodge, her hair falling down her shoulder as she does.

"I think I figured out the animals are kind of part of your thing, but," she pauses. "Is there more?" she wonders. "What kind of weird stuff can you do?"

She rarely swears. It's a thing. She also asked that question right as the movie started up.

Dodge starts to answer but the movie begins to roll, and she smiles instead. "I'll tell you later," she promises, settling back in her seat as the theatre's lights dim.