Matinee

[Star]

Home is where the... projectors are.

The theater was only slightly less garish than it was two years ago, but only because the sun continued to bleach the vermillion siding. He sat on the steps, enjoying the heat wave battering the south-west, just in case Fisher wasn't sure this was the right place. Calculate risk, showing a newbie where the Sanctum was? Maybe.

But there's also a fountain of fire to see, too.

A text was sent out to the other Threats.

...

Then he went back inside and got an umbrella to take back outside for shade. Jeez.

[Fisher]

Fisher pulled up to the address in her pickup truck and the place was mostly deserted. An empty movie theater didn't seem right, but as she pulled into a parking spot she saw Star sitting out front and so decided it really was the right place.

Odd place, she thought to her self as she exited the vehicle. She wore her usual outfit of bluejeans, linen shirt, and buckskin jacket, which was odd in the summer heat, but it made her feel more relaxed. She made her way over toward Star, her hiking shoes striking the asphalt rhythmically. When she got close she raised a hand in relaxed and lethargic wave.

"Hey, thanks for meeting me out front. Might have taken me a few minutes to figure out this was the right place otherwise," she said with a small laugh.

[Star]

"Hey, you came."

There's just a hint of surprise. Just a hint. As if she might have gotten Way-laid on the way out of Consilium. Or Crow-ded in a corner. Or...

"Man, what year is that truck? It's old, right? Like, steel? Is it steel? Not aluminum?" It's not heckling. Genuine. Interest. Cars these days? Yikes. Actual aluminum sardine cans. "And body-on-frame. Not uni-body."

It needed a lift.

"Oh, but, hey. Come in. Hi. Welcome. Not sure if the others are coming? You know. Stuff and stuff. Anyway. I'm Star, just in case your forgot. It's okay if you forgot, I forget people's names all the time, especially when, you know, it's a big thing. With lots of people. Well. Technically it's The Last Starfighter but everyone calls me Star." Everyone but Omar. He held open the door, then fought to close the umbrella and entered behind her. "Watch... out... sorry."

She was an Arrow, right? A little jab with an umbrella wouldn't kill her.

"Okay. You go first. You probably have, like, a question list, right?"

[Fisher]

"Yep, it's me." She said with a grin. "Yeah it's steel, a '78, and way older than I am."

Fisher looked to be in a much better mood than she was at the meeting. There was some nervousness and excitement at possibly finding a place to fit in. The thyrsus didn't seem to mind Star holding the door open for her and murmured her thanks at the gesture. However, she noticed the umbrella, just as it poked her from behind and then moved out of the way to give him room to fold it up.

"Don't sweat it, but geez not even through the door yet and I'm already gettin' poked from behind," she said jokingly. "The Last Starfighter? Cool name and movie. I'm Fisher, you know the smallish carnivorous mammal in the mustelid family. Like a big mink or martin." Fisher looked around the room and was noticeably impressed with what she saw. "That's cool, I'm in no hurry if the others are runnin' late or whatever. Quite the place you guys have here though, really nice."

She nodded in agreement with Star when he mentioned her having a lot of questions.

"Thanks. I don't think I ever got the name of your cabal. Do you guys have a mission or focus? Have you been together long?" she looked a little apologetic for unloading with several questions at once.

[Arthur]

Lazy steps carry Arthur out of his room and into the main artery leading towards the front doors. A tan button down shirt designed to let the air flow and respectable shorts are the name of the game. At least the weather shifts here aren't dramatic like back home, sunny and 70, snow and freezing, then rain. All in 12 hours. A new voice pulls his attention from loving to hate the weather back home.

"Hey Star, uhh, I don't remember your name." The cheerful grin falters as Arthur can't remember her name. Only the phrase "angry".

"So we're staying inside? Awesome, it's hot outside." Not that temperature is a thing but it is and nevermind.

[Star]

"Huh."

What an interesting s'Name.

"I don't, like, know what a... mustelid? Is? But I know what a mink is. Cool name. I thought, honestly, it was short for Kingfisher." And slightly relieved it wasn't biblical. This, from the priest. "And. Uh. I'm sorry. About the umbrella. Really. I just don't want you to, you know. Think I'm a creeper that would, like, do that."

Slightly wide eyes paired with hands slowly twisting the umbrella. Legit apology. Awkward moment.

"Ummm. Anyway. Yeah, we liked it. Ummmm, come in." He walked them past a small sitting area outside the training room and waved a hand at it. "That's, like, technically the guest area but we always end up in the kitchen slash lunch room. I think we should probably put a fridge there. In the sitting area. Then maybe we would use it. Do you want a drink? Ummm, there's, hmmmm, Gatorade, red, tea, water, milk, and some other stuff."

A left dog-legged into the movie theater's concession and dining area that had been retro-fitted into a kitchen and... dining area.

"Okay, ummmm, just sit anywhere. Do you want, wait, I asked that. Okay, let's see." He got out a Red Gatorade for himself. "So, originally this cabal was two Arrows and two Guardians? So we named it 'Veiled Threats'. That was, hmmmm, almost two years ago. Two of the, uh, founders, I guess, I dunno what else to call them because you totally don't know who Zoey and Asp are, but they left, and Avis and I have kept it going." Long fingers twisted off the cap and spun it on the counter-top. "We have a mission statement. Uh. Written down somewhere. Something something inter-Order cooperation and some blah-blah. Really, we just kind of wrote it in case, like, the Herald or Hierarch asked when we announced. But no one ever did."

The rapid-fire of words finally trailed off, and a pause was taken for a drink.

"But, really, the unofficial mission statement is to go after Bad Guys. That's kind of how we originally got together? There was some weirdness about Hallows so we cabal'ed up to claim one so we could all do our thing. Arrow things and Guardian things. And it just, kinda, worked out."

A wave was offered to Arthur.

"And that's Arthur. He's a, uh, Ladder but chill. Oh, she's Fisher. Like the mink or martin, not the bird. Arthur: drink?"

[Fisher]

"Yeah, I guess they are more well known where I'm from up in Canada their range is primarily up there. But they can be vicious little things same family as the wolverine," the young woman said as she moved to sit down in a location that she could get a good view of both people and any exits. "Oh, don't worry about the umbrella thing. You don't seem like the creeper type."

It was always hard to tell what was proper behavior when offered something. Sometimes you're rude for asking, others you are rude for not. Fisher thought Star seemed a more relaxed person and wouldn't mind too much if she asked.

"I'll take a milk if you've got it handy. Don't wanna be a bother," she answered politely.

As he spoke about the cabal she couldn't help but grin at the name and thought it was pretty neat. She always fancied herself as a pretty strait shooter and a straightforward goal and concept like this did appeal to her. People of action, not of discussion and committee?

"Oh, hey Arthur, nice to meet ya. Like Star said, I'm Fisher," she said warmly then turned back to both males. "I like that. Kind of a natural go with the flow type of thing. Keeping it simple of helping folks and hurt the bad guys covers the important bits. I don't have a whole lot of experience outside of Arrow only stuff so I haven't worked with Guardians or Ladder much." After thinking a moment the thyrsus continued. "Is there any type of specific commitments or responsibilities?"

[Star]

"Sure, milk. One milk, coming up."

A tall glass of white milk appeared in front of the Shaman. And a spoon. And a bottle of vanilla extract.

"Dunno if you've ever tried that? Like, half a teaspoon. Pretty amazing. Don't, like, try it just to try it if you don't want. It's just an a option." He leaned against the fridge, half an ear to Arthur's drink order. "Yeah, honestly, some cabal accords seriously, like, I dunno. Like they were trying to win an award. Most of the stuff around here is probably, I guess, more about being good roomies? Scheduling laundry, chipping in on groceries. After a while, you know, if you feel like it's a good fit and want to stay, maybe help with the upkeep or security. But not right away. Just, if, you know. It's not a jack move."

Speaking of. The Lone Ranger needed to step up his Sanctum game.

"We all have super super informal traditional," finger quotes, "'Roles'? Like, I'm the Hearthmaster but it's not like I do everyone's laundry. But I do cook. Sometimes. For everyone."

Long fingers rippled in a wave, tattooing a staccato on the counter.

"Is that it? Is it my turn? Like, for questions. About you."

[Avis]

The bathroom door across from the dining area and Avis walked out, making the last adjustments to her tank top, yet before the fabric fell back down over her abdomen a glimpse of glistening plastic wrap could be seen. Apparently, it wasn't particularly comfortable, for the Warlock kept fiddling with the hem of her tanktop in dissatisfaction as she walked over to join her cabalmates and the newest prospect.

"I was wondering when we were going to have this sort of get together for you," she said as she walked past them to the fridge.

"What part of the interview are we on?" she called from within the depths of the refrigerator as she hunted for her drink. A smoothy concoction of some sort. Then so armed, Avis walked over and took a seat.

[Fisher]

Fisher took the man's advice and added a little bit of the vanilla to her milk and stirred before taking a drink. As she took a sip her eyes light up and the sip turned into drinking about half the glass. She rubbed the back of her hand against her lips in case any milk clung there and looked down at the glass.

"Vanilla milk, that's pretty tasty." She said impressed. She looked up apologetically.

"Sorry about that got distracted for a moment. But, that sounds pretty strait forward. I can do that, respecting others for group harmony thing, it just seems polite and reasonable I guess. The chipping in around for upkeep and maintaining sanctum sounds cool too."

Fisher wasn't sure what a jack move was, but it sounded bad used in that context. She didn't think it is something she would do and she resisted the strong and curious urge to pull out her cellphone to google the term.

"Damn, that means I have to do my own laundry?" she said with mock disappointment. "Well I guess that's for the best, would be kind of awkward with you handling my lingerie anyway. The food thing makes sense though, brings people together."

When Avis made her appearance she realized they really were pretty relaxed with a do your own thing attitude and that appealed to her. Also with people popping out everywhere she wondered where else they might be hiding.

"Oh hey," Fisher said in greeting. "Um...thanks?" she added in uncertain gratitude. She hoped it was a good thing, it sounded like she meant it as a good thing. She gave Avis a big smile.

"Oh we just finished the basics for the noobie and you're just in time to rake me over the coals and discover all my dirty little secrets." She thought for a moment before continuing. "Now that I mention it I'm not sure have any of those, I hope it won't be a problem, but ask away."