Just normal Saturday night things
Molly returned to Jon and Claire after Daisy entered a domain. She knew that Daisy didn’t enter hers, but she wasn’t all that sure where Daisy went.
“Di’t work?” She looked to Jon.
“Yes. Now we wait for her to come back.” Jon had a smile on his face. That was one worry he wouldn’t have to be concerned with now. “Till then, Martin and I made a list of places you could both go while you are in town.”
“We already picked some places, but thanks.” Claire laughed as Jon’s expression shifted to something less happy, but not angry. Made her think of the look a puppy might give when a toy they brought was ignored. “We can keep it in mind for the next trip when your place is all finished.”
Molly practically floated in place. “You will have to have us again for that! I gotta see how you both decorate! Which thinking of, we should have you over some time. I’m crazy proud of how we set up our place! Like in person, not just Seeing in your weird creepy way.”
Molly then proceeded to spend the next hour telling Jon about interior decorating, and mistakes to avoid as first-time homeowners.
“You should be taking notes on all these wonderful pointers.”
“What do you think an Archive does? I don’t forget anything. Ever.”
“Hmm I guess, but what if you forget which parts you need to remember? Doesn’t your head ever get scrambled with so much in there?”
“I mean, sometimes, but normally no.”
“Yikes. I would hate to be you.”
“Thanks Molly. You know how to make a guy feel good about themselves.”
“No problem. As I was saying about bathrooms…” Molly continued until Daisy came out of the deeper parts of the forest around the time the sun was starting to set.
“Finally! Thought I would have to listen to Jon and Molly talk about house interior all night. How you feeling?”
“I feel different. It-its a good kind of different, but maybe a little on the lost side? But it feels like how the Hunt made me feel. It feels right?” Daisy looked to them, her eyes were green now and seemed to glimmer with shifting patches of gold, not unlike how sunlight passes through leaves.
“Sounds about right.” Claire smiled as she went to the driver’s side of the car. “We can talk more in the car. I dunno about you, but I could go for some food, Jon’s treat of course.”
“Of Course. I wouldn’t dream of not treating. Not like it’s not Fairchild money even if I’m the one using it.”
Molly laughed. “Simon really does enjoy the institute quite a bit. I wonder why.”
Jon shrugs. “Even I couldn’t tell you his motives. There is Literally no end plan other than he does what he wants.”
Daisy was a bit in a daze while they made their way out of the forest and back into London. Her mind lingered on the Vast, almost getting to know it while the others started ranting about the dumb old men in their lives. It was mostly Molly and Jon complaining about Simon and Elias. Daisy wasn’t even the slightest bit interested.
---
They had dropped Daisy off at home before grabbing food. She was hungry, but she wanted to be with Basira and her cats, maybe get a nap in cause she felt weak. Part of Daisy wasn’t sure if it was hunger for food, or Hunger. Since she’d never actually feed the Vast before, Claire warned her that could be what was making her weak. But neither Claire nor Molly had any idea how to feed a forest. Jon suggested showing Basira, inviting her into the forest since she was least likely to get lost. The Eye favored her too much to enable any other entity to have her apparently.
Daisy was surprised when she didn’t feel that rush in her blood at the thought of Basira being taken from her. She still didn’t want to share Basira, but it wasn’t the same urge to form a pack she used to have.
Daisy wasn’t confident in the thought of inviting Basira in just yet, even with Jon insisting it would be fine. He might Know everything, but Knowing and knowing weren’t the same. Coffin was case and point to that.
Daisy was on the couch covered in cats when Basira came back from her shift.
“Welcome home. Big case hold you up?”
“Hey, no. I was just distracted most the day so paperwork took extra time.” Basira glanced to Daisy and was instantly focused on Daisy’s eyes. “Went well for you?”
“Yeah. It’s a forest.”
“Oh?”
“Mmhmm. Nice calm forest. I’ll show you sometime. You might like it. Bring a book?”
“Sounds like a date.” Basira pushed Daisy’s legs aside to make room for herself on the couch. Daisy readjusted to cuddle up to her as she did so.
“I was so scared it wouldn’t work. That you would have to make good on that promise.”
“Me too. I really didn’t want to have to help you. I should’ve been there...”
“Nah, work’s work. You didn’t miss much. Apparently Molly and Jon just talked about interior design the whole time.”
“Oh yeah. That sounds like a bad time. One of them would probably scorn our books for walls rather than wallpaper.” There were no visible walls to paper with each room filled with bookshelves. She knew Jon loved it.
“Or comment on our lack of matching pillows.”
“That bothers me, but not enough to do anything about it. They function so it's good enough.”
“Mm.” Daisy began to get sleepy now that she was at max comfort between Basira and their cats.
“Daisy, if you nap on me I can’t get dinner.”
“Don’t need food. Lemmie stay like this for a bit.”
“Sure. just a bit. Then I’m pushing you off.” Basira grabbed a book to occupy herself while Daisy napped. Once Daisy was fully asleep, she sent a quick text to Jon that was just ‘thank you’ then returned to her book.
---
Things weren’t as calm at the Blackwood-Sims home. Claire and Martin had gotten into something of a competition for preparing Tea while they were waiting for take out to be ready. Jon and Molly had offered to go get it, since the place Jon wanted to try was close enough to their new place, getting it delivered felt wrong. It was only a few blocks.
Neither could have foretold the chaos 10 minutes could bring.
“Martin, Martin.” Claire’s voice dripped with spite. “Relying on temperature to brew the tea is key. You can’t just trust that the water will be to the proper warmth by just timing it. Rooms will change the rate of the starting water.”
“I’m not going to use a thermometer in my kettle. Using the bubbling pattern and steam is more than enough to know when the water is just right.”
“That’s how you end up with Burnt Tea Martin.”
“Are you... Are you implying I burn my tea?”
“Maybe. How would you know? You don’t check the temp of it.”
“Wooh there. Both of you.” Jon could feel the static in air and interrupted.
“Jon, you heard her.”
“And I mean it.” Claire huffed.
“I did. And I’m not saying she is right,” Jon held up his hand as Claire looked like she was going to send them both to the stars. “But we can talk about this rationally. I know you don’t burn the tea Martin. It’s delicious every time. You both simply prepare things differently.“
“Well, I would like a thermometer to be able to make my tea the way I would like it.” Claire went over to Molly and hugged her to help calm down.
“Er, we don’t have one, but I could Know the temperature if you would like. Martin might be able to as well.”
“Hmm fine. I’ll have you know though, and it doesn’t get to count as my one free Knowing.”
Jon laughed. “I wouldn’t Dare use a loophole like that. We are the ones that don’t have a temperature gauge for our kitchen.”