#debukefarmhold

"Uh, do you think we should tell anyone?" Briar seems doubtful.

"THAT would go well."

"Also, for the record, I don't like stools. Never."

For now, the two, well, three if you count Glass aka Snuffles, have a spot to themselves. No mortal hunters, no child of lilith, and, perhaps more important, no frustrated wilders calling for them on behalf of grumps. SOmewhere Les might be looking for his little sister. SOMEWHERE, Gwen might be stomping around with Ivan and looking for Briar now that it's safe to return to Silverwolf. But it ain't here. Not yet.

“Yeah, you ain't no rat.” Briar gives her a friendly cuff on a shoulder

“ I think we have a long walk back, though, I don’t think it’s safe to grab that bike.”

She grimaces and nods.

"How's your flying?"

"Uh. I can walk." Her chin juts out firmly, stubborn as a troll.

It might take her 2-3 hours, but damned if she can't

She straightens up and, "You can walk, or ride, or fly point."

Then, brightening a bit, "Maybe there's a pizza joint on the way. I know one delivers out here."

Amity amicably walks alongside Briar. "We were promised pizza, weren't we?"

"Lousy vampires."

A sudden evil grin. "Actually, if we order pizza to be delivered to near the farm? I bet we can stow into the car."

There IS a pizza joint on the way, the DeBukes spoke of it but Briar has only ordered before for delivery.

And if they find her? Briar bets she can bully the driver into dropping them off anyways.

And so it is that Mars Needs Pizza answers the call! The hats they make the workers wear look silly but that's not always a bad thing. Instructions were a bit unclear and he IS five minutes late.

"Smart!"

"Okay, is one of you 'Xena Ripley Croft?" The driver asks, "I've got a Planet Carnivore Pizza and a ..." he digs through the orders "THe other one is a ..."

After sneaking out the back seat, Briar pounds on the farmhouse door.

A wet (mostly dried by now) and still blood spattered (she cleaned up, but not very well) and thoroughly bedraggled 13 year old beats on the door. "OPEN UP SESAME!"

Pidge got away with significantly LESS blood on her. Thank goodness.

Well.. sure, it was a fast trip! So when they get to the farmhouse, they find Murphy DeBuke, bad things are always happening to Murphy. For example, one time he paid for two pizzas when a bloody redcap banged on the door and told him what was owed!

Oh wait, that time is now. After being brow beat to pay up, Murphy looks at the Redcap and Pooka and dog "What happened to you three? You're a mess."

"....Playing?"

"There's BLOOD on you?" He says "Well, one of you?"

He seems a bit alarmed.

"Ketchup?"

"I'm trying to," Murphy says "But you haven't told me much." How can he be so tall and have things over his head.

"And mustard. Hot dogs."

"Oh, can we have some pizza please?"

"Playing."

Briar grunts.

"You can have some pizza if you want." Briar says begrudgingly. "The one with the plants on it." To Murphy.

"We played vampire hunters. Like, cowboys but cooler."

"Okay, the Hearth will rip me a new one if you two are this messy when she gets back. How about you each take a quick shower and change of clothes then you come back here and enjoy your pizza? I'll keep it warm."

"Okie-dokie!"

Briar grumbles. She's HUNGRY. But... it HAS been a long day. "Okay, but youre just getting a PTA shower."

And at that she disappears into the bathroom.

Big farm, more than one bathroom. Not bad! And... honestly, the shower helps. If she has a good cry, nobody will notice.

The shower is roomy too, and big spray hits her from the shower head, enough to wipe away tears even if they occur.

And Briar must reluctantly wipe away the blood she spilled. Still, it was an adventure

Briar is back in her clothes... she did not bother with clean clothes, but did make a half-hearted effort to rinse them again at least. Bloodstains build character. And waiting for Amity at the shower door.

Amity emerges - in fresh second-hand clothes, the jeans cuffed deeply so she doesn't trip.

And Murphy pulls out the pizzas he had left in the oven on warm.

"You good?" Briar grunts to the pooka

A tiny nod, but she also reaches out for Briar's hand. "Pizza?"

She squeezes the hand before quickly dropping it lest she look SOFT. "I get the best pieces." She says, puffing up in an intimidating manner. "Wth the most sausage.

Amity may well recognize that Redcap bluster as patently false, from a lot of familial practice

She also knows not to push or comment. "Oh, well, shame. I hate veggie pizza."