House On The Hill [IC]

[alderwitch]

Since early November, Erin had been called much less to watch little JJ and with a good deal more forewarning for normal things like 'date nights' or an afternoon of extra work, rather than several days a week. The Faretti's themselves had seemed happier and getting handed over JJ's care by Taylor had grown a lot more common.

The house that Erin provided directions too led them first through the palatial estates of North Bay, each more grand than the last. It was one of the oldest and wealthiest parts of Freedom City and the drive took them down a street that began winding its way up the hill. The estate that they came too was... a little different from the rest of the environs. It was old, certainly, and expensive but the entire thing was surrounded by a large stone wall with a large wrought iron gate that opened without Erin having to buzz in.

She'd called ahead, thankfully, so they were expected.

Once the gate shut, the lawns looked a little overgrown and the manor itself was old and with gothic stylings. Behind the house there was even a graveyard to complete the spooky environment with cracked tombstones and even a mausoleum. The drive, however, was well kept gravel.

The front door was thick and heavy, with an overly elaborate knocker attached to it.

[Electra]

"Keep an eye out for Avenger," Erin murmured as they walked up to the door. "He likes to, um, test people, I guess, to see what they're made of. I got the job here because I dislocated his jaw during the interview. You probably won't have to do that, but don't let him intimidate you. Phantom is mostly nice though, and she'll keep him from doing anything really weird, probably." She hefted her knapsack up on her arms, looking a little bit nervous.

[Gizmo]

"Reputation for going too far," Trevor agreed as he unbuckled his motorcycle jacket and adjusted his sunglasses, the eyewear made somewhat conspicuous by the time of evening. Freedom's criminal element was terrified of the supposedly violent vigilante, and on more than one occasion Midnight had been mistaken for being in league with him, to the younger hero's mild annoyance. The dark haired young man tipped his beaten fedora back enough to give him a clearer view of the foreboding mansion. "Had no idea this was here..." Having grown up in the North Bay, he knew the area well, but this was unfamiliar territory.

[Electra]

"Yeah, the whole place has some kind of magic on it," Erin told him, knocking on the door. "You can't really find it unless they tell you it's here. Oh, and the yard is full of ghosts, but they're harmless, so don't worry about them." She kept an eye out in case Avenger was planning to jump out from the bushes to test Trevor's mettle, but things seemed to be quiet, at least for now. She just hoped everyone was going to get along.

[alderwitch]

The door opened quickly by a rather short woman, made more so since she was barefoot. Out of costume, Phantom looked like she wasn't much older than the teenagers arriving to baby sit her son. She was obviously of Asian descent, her raven wing dark hair loose down her back. It had grown out quite a bit and fell well below her shoulder blades. Deep dimples flashed in her cheeks when she smiled a greeting. It was clear why she wore such a concealing mask. This woman would have had trouble intimidating the grocery bagger at the supermarket.

"Hi, come on in. I'm Taylor. You must be Trevor." She said as she opened the door, her voice taking on an odd resonance, "Please, won't you come in and be welcome to our home."

The wards rippled slightly before resettling and she nodded, "And if you would take off your shoes, I'd appreciate it."

[Gizmo]

"Pleasure, ma'am," Trevor responded in a soft baritone with a perfunctory bow dampened by his conservative body language. The odd phrasing of their hostess' welcome immediately brought to mind that of a voiceprint passcode; given the stated supernatural quality of the estate, it didn't take much to realize what she was doing. Hnn. Magic. The youth wondered what would happen to anything that tried to enter the home without being properly invited. Stepping inside, he smoothly removed his shoes, revealing black socks as he set them neatly aside.

[Electra]

Erin had started sliding off her shoes before being asked, obviously familiar with the routine here. "Is JJ in bed yet?" she asked Taylor, taking off her jacket as well and hanging it up near the door. She kept her knapsack with her, it had her homework and snacks for both of them for later. The Farettis never kept much of anything in their kitchen, so if she got hungry, she was pretty much on her own.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Good evening, children!" exclaimed a voice from the upper stairs. Just coming down into the hallway as Trevor and Erin entered was Jack Faretti himself, looking dashing in a rather romance-novel cover sort of way in his poet shirt and tight leather pants. Somewhat ruining the image, or maybe helping it if you were into that sort of thing, was the round-faced baby in his arms. "Jack Jr. and I have been having some father-son bonding time up in the library. He's a sweet boy! Aren't you sweet?" The little baby gave a half-smile to Trevor and Erin, but Erin knew the face that said the baby wanted his bottle and then his blankie before bed. "You must be Trevor," he said, shaking the boy, no, young man's hand as he got closer. For his part, Jack didn't look to be more than a few years older than Trevor himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you. Erin says nothing but good things about you. Are they true?"

[alderwitch]

Taylor smiled up at her husband, reaching out for their son although she was careful to keep the baby held slightly out as he had a tendency to bite when hungry. He did open his mouth in a wider grin when going to his mother but that was mostly in anticipation of getting a meal. JJ was getting his teeth young, with two bottom ones in and the top two breaking skin. He of course already had the fangs that he'd been born with, all of which showed in his drooly smile.

"He's tired so he should go down easy. He hasn't eaten yet either as I was going to give him a bottle to help him settle while we leave." Taylor explained to Erin in an aside, "Can I get you two anything to drink while I grab that bottle?"

[Gizmo]

Trevor resisted the urge to quirk an eyebrow at Faretti's unusual outfit choice as he shook the older man's hand, keeping his grip firm but not pointedly so. He certainly wasn't a stranger to the eccentricities of the wealthy and if mystical forces were at work, the flowing shirt might have even been of practical design. His grandfather had warned him that where magic was concerned, it was dangerous to make assumptions.

"Hopefully so," he answered calmly, his expression impassive though amiable enough. "I'm fine, Mrs. Faretti, thank you."

[Electra]

"No thanks," Erin said as well. "I can take him for you so you can put the bottle together," she offered, reaching for the baby. "You need to be careful," she reminded Trevor conscientiously. "Don't put your hands too near JJ's mouth, especially when he hasn't had his bottle yet. He bites, and he's really fast. He's still too little to teach not to, though, so it's more a matter of trying not to let him get in the habit."

[Avenger Assembled]

"So, Trevor," said Jack, giving the young man a searching look while Erin took the baby from Taylor. "Erin tells me you're very responsible. Do you have any experience watching children, or other dangerous animals?" He grinned at that, perhaps off just a beat, as the baby gave Erin a hopeful look before bursting into loud fusses when he realized she had no bottle. Or did she? He was too little to snap, but not too little to show teeth as he threw his head toward her, closing and unclosing his jaws with a sucking noise.

[alderwitch]

Taylor was back in short order before the baby's eyes could more than gleam a little with his wrath. "Jack," she said warningly as she popped the bottle into JJ's eagerly grasping hands. There was a loud popping noise as those fangs sank into yet another ruined nipple. Taylor smiled like the little wrathful dhampyr was the most adorable sight ever, reaching out without a trace of fear to ruffle his fuzzy head. "Don't try to scare Erin's boyfriend now."

She looked up at Trevor, withdrawing her hand to adjust the amulet shining at the hollow of her throat in a nervous gesture, her stance turning slightly protective out of habit. "JJ isn't dangerous, he's just hungry. All babies are fussy when they're hungry."

[Gizmo]

"Horses. Large dogs," Trevor provided in a composed tone, dry enough to make it unclear whether he'd missed the intended joke or was playing along in his own way. "Less experience with children; adapt quickly, though." His expression remained mild as he stood in a relaxed stance, his hands in the pockets of his unbuckled jacket. If the baby's behaviour and pronounced canines were giving him any ideas or concerns, the young man didn't display it outwardly. "Not to worry," he assured Taylor. "Don't scare easily."

[Electra]

Erin juggled baby and bottle with the ease that came from practice, not to mention a helpful amount of superhuman agility. "Trevor and I work together on Young Freedom," she told her employers. "He's always good in a crisis, and adaptable and stuff. You and he have sort of the same kind of style," she added, looking between Jack Sr. and Trevor. "Not exactly, you know, but with the shadows and the sneaking and scary voice."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Hm." Jack's whole body language seemed to change as he studied Trevor, back slumping, shoulders going up, and a feral look in his eye. He cleared his throat, then said, "Yes, you have quite a look about you. It's hard to tell without seeing the eyes, but I think I can take the measure of a man from the way he stands. It's good to see someone young willing to work in the rough side of the business. It's all poorly-socialized types like Arrowhawk and myself doing it these days, outside of Raven herself. How do you feel about magic, Mr. Hunter?"

[Gizmo]

One eyebrow arched subtly above Trevor's sunglasses as he glanced briefly to Erin before returning his attention to their host. "Can combat it, need be," he responded carefully, the hands in his jacket pockets running over the silver knuckle dusters he'd made a point of secreting there, inscribed with holy scriptures from a dozen cultures. Even as he kept his stance relaxed in the face of Faretti's animalistic crouch, his voice reflexively lowered a semitone, a rough quality creeping in about the edges. "No different than anything; comes down to the wielder."

[Avenger Assembled]

"And if you're confronted with a monster, Mr. Hunter?" said the sharply staring father. "If a fiend from the very pits of Hell came bubbling forth at this moment to lay waste to the populace, would you have the fortitude to do whatever it took to protect the innocent? That very thing has happened in this house, young man, and if I'm going to trust you with the very life of my son, I want to know that you have what it takes. If an unholy monster attacked at this very moment, how would you respond?" Jack had learned from his encounter with Erin, and wasn't going to have yet another teenage hero beat him up in his own house. Hopefully.

[alderwitch]

"Oh for Merlin's sake," Taylor muttered, folding her arms up as she fixed Jack with a vaguely exasperated expression on her face. Her head cocked to one side as she watched the exchange, deciding that it was better to keep an eye on it rather than stop it. Otherwise, Taylor had a feeling Jack would sneak back to test the mettle of the young man in a far more irritating to her plans for the evening sort of way. She tapped one bare foot, however, her displeasure with the turn for dramatics making itself known as she commented to Erin in an aside, "I knew it was going end poorly when he came down smiling. Sometimes, that really is just him baring his teeth in a socially acceptable way."

[Electra]

"It's okay," Erin murmured back, rocking from foot to foot to keep JJ happy while he drank his bottle. "Trevor can handle it." She was perfectly confident of that, having seen Trevor in far more awkward social situations, many of them ones that she herself had caused. And the last thing she wanted was to have Avenger hiding in the corner all night to watch what they were doing... again. That had been creepy enough the first time, feeling eyes on the back of her neck all night but never being able to find anyone there.

[Gizmo]

Trevor responded to Faretti's emphatically described scenario with an unchanged stoicism. "Unholy? Would use to advantage; stun with symbols of piety, non-denominational or omni-denominational for best coverage." His stance still relaxed, he tilted his head slightly to once side contemplatively. "If humanoid, beheading proven effective. Bladed weapon or overwhelming concussive force. Accelerated healing common; go for kill shot." The athletic teenager removed one hand from his pocket to idly scratch his jawline. "Intelligent example requires paralyzing throat blow, disable mantra-based spellwork. If physically outmatched, control the mental arena, withdraw and regroup as necessary." Finally Trevor shrugged nonchalantly. "As I said, no different. Predict pattern, exploit weakness, press advantage."

[Avenger Assembled]

Jack stared at Trevor for a long moment, then broke into a grin and clapped him on the shoulder. "Good man! I like your style, kid. You're welcome here any time." Looking much more relaxed, and far less scary, he walked past Erin, ducking his head to kiss the baby. "Nice one," he added sotto voce with a wink at Erin before getting his coat. "We'll be back around 3 or 4 in the morning. Do either of you like Indian food?" he asked, not something he usually did before leaving. "Because we can probably pick something up after, you know, the meeting," he said to Taylor.

[alderwitch]

Taylor gave Trevor a quick apologetic smile and also leaned into kiss her son's fuzzy head. "You be good for Erin this time. No hiding in the Void and scaring everyone half to death."

That was entirely serious although she tickled the baby under his chin and was rewarded with another drooly smile as she made the request. JJ's survival skills were really quite good but he was just starting to get conscious control of sliding between the dimensions. It was only nerve-wracking in the sense that Taylor had to go get him or someone had to risk a trip through the 'back door' of the manor - a constantly open portal to the Void deep inside the mansion.

She stepped into her shoes and fastened them, turning slightly so that Jack could help her into her coat as well, "Jack and I both have our cells and if that doesn't work, just have one of the ghosts fire up the mirror in the living room. I've locked the door to the library just to be on the safe side as I have some work out on the desk in there."

[Electra]

"Okay," Erin nodded to Taylor. She didn't go into the library anyway unless it was urgently necessary, especially after what had happened a few months earlier. There was plenty of house without going in there! "Um, yeah, I like Indian food," she told Jack a little diffidently. It wasn't like the vampire to think of food unless something was making him hungry, and she decided she really didn't want to know. She rarely asked her employers what they were doing when they went out like this, they could be going out to dinner or going to fight crime or eat people or any number of things. Sometimes it was just better not to know.

[Gizmo]

Moving to stand just behind Erin, Trevor made a slight inclination of his head which, given the context, was presumably a gesture of agreement with her reply. Throughout the introductions the youth's calm demeanor had remained unchanged; a little to alert to be considered relaxed but with a loose conservation of movement that stopped well short of being on guard. "Enjoy your evening," he said in an amiable if muted tone accompanied by a polite, deferential nod.