Match of the Millennium

Description: Hawksley and Tanwen travel to the Finley family farm in Oklahoma to recruit Buck for a new adventure on Atlantis Island. Between donkey diplomacy, discussions of dragons and druids, and a table groaning with Ma Finley's cooking, the beginnings of a proper adventuring party start to take shape.

[HAWKSLEY]
Somehow she'd managed to persuade him.

Last week, Queen Tanwen of the island of Atlantis, had landed in Hawksley Moore's family gym in Cork City for a surprise visit. The two former NFGers had moved on to the Irishman's local, where Tanwen had proceeded to get wasted on whiskey. She'd been put to bed in the pub's spare room, and when Hawksley went back to check on her the next day, the two had got to talking.

The Welsh woman had raised the subject of adventuring again. Something about dungeons, dragons and excitement. That last word had caught Hawksley's attention. For the best part of a year he'd been living a somewhat steady life, which was exactly what he'd needed after the chaos of two seasons with the NFG, but now? Now he is ready for some more action.

Hawksley left his boxing protégé, Darcy Devlin, in the capable hands of his older brother Shane, whilst he and Tanwen set off stateside, where Hawksley had arranged to liaise with a certain purple-haired pugilist.

Meeting Coco in a Metro City hotel, he'd very briefly made the mistake of taking Tanwen along to say hello. It wasn't until he saw the look on Coco's face that he recalled the last time she and Tanwen's paths had crossed. The image of a tiny dragon being kicked through the air had flooded his mind.

After Tanwen had made herself scarce to explore the city, Hawksley and Coco had some time to catch up and he'd told her about his plans. Given that she also had mysterious missions going on, the tumultuous twosome had no idea when they'd next see each other again.

It was probably for the best that Coco wasn't able to come with him on his adventure, because as well as the tension with Tanwen, the next planned stop on their tour was to surprise Buck at his farm in Oklahoma. The last time Coco and he had been together, during the third place match at the end of season two of the NFG, she'd been at her mean girl maximum.

Now, using a combination of Google Maps and helpful locals, Hawksley and Tanwen find themselves only a matter of minutes from Buck's home. The idea of seeing his buddy again fills Hawksley with delight. It's been far too long since they've spoken.

[TANWEN]
"This is sooo exciting!" Tanwen's Welsh accent cuts through the sound of the truck's system playing 'What's New Pussycat?' by Tom Jones as she leans out the window in faintly canine aspect, her amber hair blowing in the breeze and tail whipping excitedly on her side of the cab. She's at least contained herself to not letting it completely loose after probably causing a near-miss or two earlier. "America is lush. You can do so much driving and still not get where you're going!"

She pulls her head back into the cab, settling back against the seat and wrapping her tail around her midsection as she tries to get comfy in spite of the appendage. "They need tail holes for seats, though. Not just America, like. It's not very nice. Nobody things of the reptiles when they're making things."

After a few seconds, her mood flips back from excitement to childlike malaise - something Hawksley will have encountered many a time on the way. "Are we nearly there, Hawksley Moore?" she asks for probably the fiftieth time this trip.

[BUCK]
The Finley family farm was what one might have expected of the local area, though if the number of cows milling around in the field outside the sleekly modern barn was any indication it wasn't crops that was their main source of income, though a field lay off to the side, currently fallow from winter's chill, but no doubt a bounty of corn would be there in a handful of months. The farmhouse is a rambling and cozy affair, a patchwork put together and built up over generations, with an older barn off to the side.

There of course are sign of life around the farm, namely a pair of blue jean clad and booted legs that could belong to Buck. Except as soon as he hears strangers' car approaching he slides out from under the truck, covered in engine grease and looking wary. It is not Buck, though the man looks like him if Buck was closer to thirty and sported a beard, and was somehow even more sturdily built. Hawksley might even be able to place a name to the face. Bear, the oldest of the Finley brothers who definitely looks to live up to his name. He squints a little at the approaching car, shielding his eyes with a hand to his brow.

He doesn't look unwelcoming, but obviously this is not a place that gets a lot of unknown visitors, or visitors at all.

[HAWKSLEY]
This is the third time Tom Jones' Greatest Hits has played on this trip. The catchy tunes are starting to stick in the Cork fella's head. The track before this was It's Not Unusual. The next one will be Green Green Grass of Home.

As the screen tells him they've reached their destination, Hawksley turns to smile at Tanwen. "No, we're actually there. Come on, let's stretch our legs."

He opens the driver's door to the Ford and climbs out of the rental vehicle, running a hand over his hair and cracking his neck. "America's feckin' massive. I've never travelled so far in one day before. Hopefully Buck will have a beer or ten to spare, or maybe some of that moonshine his brother makes."

Hawksley takes in the view of the Finley land and property. He's seen it in photos before but it's different seeing it in person. It's smart looking and combines cosiness with the signs of a working farm. Hawksley has a flashback to the last time he was in such a place. Hopefully he won't burn this barn down.

The jean clad man has Hawksley squinting his dark eyes, trying to suss out if it's his shapeshifting friend he sees. Unless Buck has aged a fair bit in the past months, he decides it's much more likely to be his brother, Bear.

The Irishman lifts a hand in greeting, as he edges closer to the farm. "Hello there!" He calls out enthusiastically. It's Hawksley Moore and Tanwen Cadwallader come to call for Buck. Does he happen to be about the place?"

[TANWEN]
"Oh, wow. I forget how fast humans get older sometimes," Tanwen murmurs as she spots the stranger emerging from under the vehicle. She does as instructed, climbing out of the car in her sweater vest, blouse and skirt combination and immediately breaking into a series of leg lifts and leans. "Do you think that he'll be having any Jamesons? It's lush, that is - oh! Hawksley Moore! I thought we were stretching our legs first!"

She stops her exercises and straightens the sling of her satchel, hurrying to catch up. "Hello! Is that you, Mister Buck?" she questions, her certainty dwindling at the closer sight of the home mechanic. "If it's not, then I'm Tanwen! I mean, I'm still Tanwen even if it is."

She offers a smile that seems to be making up for its uncertainty with friendliness.

[BUCK]
"Ah, yeah, I recognize those faces." Bear states with the same easy drawl as Buck, only more intense, less dulled by years away from the farm. He glances the pair over, and nods at Hawksley, though he chuckles a deep chuckle at Tanwen thinking he might be Buck. "Nah, I'm Bear."

He takes a look over to the farm house and then to the less modern barn nearby, the more familiar red-painted wooden structure with a silo many would expect on a farm. There's a sound of steady hammering coming from the building and BEar jerks a thumb towards it.

"Yer in luck, Buck's in there instead of wandering around being useless like usual." He's gruff, but also sounds amused by his younger brother's 'uselessness.'

He grabs a rag from his pocket and begins to wipe off his hands. "Beau! Let Ma know there'll be two more for supper!" He turns to the house for a moment then looks back to the two. "You are staying for supper?" It's not really a question.

Another of the Finley brother's sticks his head out one of the windows, glaring in Bear's direction. Once again the family resemblance is obvious, but this one looks younger than Buck.

"Bro, I'm trying to get some studying done, can't you.." He stops his argument at one glare from the eldest and sighs. "Fine.."

[HAWKSLEY]
Sometimes Hawksley forgets how literally Tanwen can take things. He's going to have to be careful with that on these adventures they're going on. "Jameson is lush." He agrees readily. "We probably won't get any around here though."

At Bear's recognition, Hawksley strides towards him, offering the older man a shake of his hand. "Good to finally meet you, fella."

He then turns his attention to the sound of the hammering. "He's not smacking his head against the walls is he?" Hawksley wonders with a laugh. He makes no objection to being invited for supper. He's more than ready for a good meal. "That'll be grand." He beams at Bear before giving a glance up to Beau and then setting off towards the barn to find Buck. "You coming, Tan?" He invites her.

[TANWEN]
Tanwen's posture relaxes when Bear reveals his identity. "Oh, that's a good name! Especially for not being a real bear. Is everyone here named after an animal?" She cocks her head to one side as she asks the question. "Oh - I suppose a bow isn't an animal. That's a weapon." Her expression suggests that she still thinks that it's a cool name, regardless.

"I suppose that depends on when would supper be? I don't think I've had a supper before. Is it before or after tea?"

She steps up after Hawksley to engage in the human tradition of hand-shaking. Should Bear accept, he'll find that she's surprisingly strong for a girl her size.

"Oh, I suppose we'll be staying then." She looks concerned when Hawksley suggests that Buck might be headbutting the walls of the barn, falling into step behind him. "Why would he be smacking his head against the walls? Has he lost his keys, like?"

[BUCK]
"Might be." Bear answers with a sound of pure exasperation when Hawksley asks if Buck is ramming his head into things. "He did that before he could.. you know." Bear puts his hands up by his head, one finger out on each like a pair of horns.

But soon he's taking the offered hands with a shake, his own grip impressive. Buck did say this is the brother he could never beat in a fight. Who knows. But he doesn't seem to know how to respond to Tanwen's question. "Well, we can have tea with supper. Do you like iced sweet tea? Eh.. Ma can brew fresh, too." He adds with a shrug. "Tell my brother he needs to help bring in the cows in a bit." Bear calls out after the pair before getting back to work on the truck.

The barn door is actually left a bit ajar, allowing a glimpse into it before entering. Buck is indeed the source of the hammering sound, but he's using his fists on a dented upright log, sunk into the ground. "What do you think, Earl?" He asks of the one other resident in the barn.

Earl has no opinion on the matter, nor does he say anything, since he's just a donkey. Instead he stares at Buck as he idly chews on some straw.

"You're right, needs more upward momentum." Buck replies to the silent donkey, this time adding a bit of an upward swing to his punches.

[HAWKSLEY]
"Bear, Buck and Hawk." Hawksley murmurs.

He understands Tanwen's confusion about the use of the word supper. To him that's always been a bit of toast before bed if you're hungry. He's spent enough time in Coco's company though to know it can also be a main evening meal too. He presumes that must be the same in Oklahoma.

Once tea gets a mention, things get even more muddled. To him tea is two things - a main meal in the early evening or a hot drink brewed strong with a splash of milk. Again though, being around Buck and Chevy has taught him it can be served sweet and iced too.

"I was just meaning because of his horns, like." Hawksley explains to Tanwen, with a nod to Bear. "I thought he might have gone into bull mode."

Hawksley reaches the barn and sticks his head through the gap, watching his buddy in action. "It's good to see you've still got it." He comments, announcing his presence. "You can punch me instead if you like."

[TANWEN]
"Iced sweet tea?" Tanwen looks confused by the prospect. "Well, I do like sweet tea, but I'm not sure about ice. I don't get burned very easily, so I should be okay, even without the ice."

She gives Hawksley a bemused look. "I have horns, and I don't go smacking my head into walls, Hawksley Moore," she says with an almost accusatorily indignant tone, before her expression softens. "Do you suppose I should be? Is that a sort of training?"

She's on Hawksley's heels as he heads for the barn, calling over her shoulder, "See you later, Bear!"

Soon after Hawksley's head sticks through the gap, Tanwen's own pops through below his. "Hello, Mister Buck! Is that Earl?" She leans in and looks over toward the donkey with a curious expression. She stage-whispers to Hawksley: "Oklahoma is such a strange land! The animals have people names and the people have animal names!"

[BUCK]
"Hawks!" Buck shouts in excitement as the man comes wandering into the barn, then he rushes up and tries to envelope the man in a bro-bear hug. Buck hug? "Show up out of nowhere and the first thing you ask is for me to punch you?" Buck shakes his head, then notices Tanwen, "Ah! Tanwen, too." He does offer a hug, but its a much more sedate one for her.

All the excitement doesn't seem to phase Earl, who continues to munch away on whatever is in his feedbag, giving the trio a dour look. Maybe he wants the barn to himself.

"To what do I owe a visit?" Buck says, his thumbs hooking in his pocket as his gaze darts between the pair, almost looking worried, almost.

He does let out a small chuckle at Tanwen's observation about Oklahoma. "So do the towns, Beaver's a few miles that way." He says, jerking his thumb off to the west.

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley has enough time to give Tanwen a grin at her observation about Oklahoma naming systems before Buck is on him. Barely though!

He's happy to be hugged and gives Buck a hard squeeze, patting him on the back with enthusiasm. "It's been too long, fella. I suppose it's alright for you to hug me before you punch me, so it is."

Hawksley decides to show Earl some love too, heading over to rub the top of his head. "This visit is long overdue." He states. "There is a reason behind it though. We figured you might be feeling like we were and wanting to find some action. Tanwen here is putting together a party to go and do some adventuring. There's talk of treasures and possibly dungeons and dragons." He adds, looking a bit dubious. "I'm mostly just going for the craic."

[TANWEN]
Tanwen's side of the hug is not so sedate, particularly after watching the demonstration with Hawksley, despite being much less familiar outside of their mutual acquaintance in Chevelle Beaumont and terrifying island survival situations.

Apparently dragon hugs are extra squeezy.

"I love a cwtch, I do," the draconic damsel says after disengaging, before going to give one to Earl as well. She's still doing so when Hawksley starts to explain the purpose of their visit.

"We are staying for supper as well," she mentions. "We are going to go exploring on Atlantis Island to try and find treasure. Now that it's me and Chevy's island, if there's any treasure, it belongs to us, so we thought it would be nice to invite you to come, too. Especially because we haven't got any druids." She tilts her head a little to one side as a question crosses the tracks of her train of thought. "Are there beavers in Beaver? I mean the animal, not someone called Beaver."

[BUCK]
"Of course there are beavers, that'd be a weird name for a place with no beavers." Buck points out, as if that would really stop someone from naming something. "If you check out the river you might find a dam or two if you're curious, I think I know where one is." Buck and his animal obsession means he definitely knows where one is.

Earl responds to the attention with docile placidity, accepting the pats and hugs as he continues to munch away, flicking his ears.

"Of course you're staying for dinner. Ma would have my hide if friends stopped by without being fed. That's downright inhospitable." He walks over to near his sparring log and picks up a towel, tossing it around his shoulders. "Dungeons and dragons, eh? Real ones or.." He looks at Tanwen. "Or the game in addition to at least one real one?"

[HAWKSLEY]
"Oh yeah, supper too." Hawksley readily agrees. "What will be having, so? Has your mammy baked some of those cookies she sent to Metro City for you? Those were feckin' lush." He recalls, stealing one of Tanwen's words.

"Oh yeah, Buck can be the druid. Those are the ones that turn into animals? What will I be, Tan? How about yourself?"

Hawksley makes no comment about the beavers. He simply listens to the exchange with an expression of faint amusement. "Why don't you show him your book, Tan?" He suggests to the Welsh woman.

[TANWEN]
"Oh, really? I've never seen a beaver dam!" says Tanwen with interest. "I'd love to have some beavers on Atlantis Island."

She shifts the weight of her satchel on her shoulder as she's asked about Dungeons & Dragons & Dragon. "Well, we're going to see if we can find any dungeons on Atlantis Island. That's where the treasure should be. It will be a bit like Dungeons and Dragons, but for real. But I also brought my Dungeons and Dragon books in case we want to be playing," she says, unzipping her satchel to pull out a large book with a picture of a monstrous eye and the title Llawlyfr Anghenfilod on the cover. "Or, in case we find any monsters for real, and we need to know their statistics."

She raises an eyebrow at Hawksley. "You're sort of a monk, aren't you? Except monks can't be chaotic neutral, so I suppose you're a bit of a barbarian. And I am a dragon fighter, of course, but only because I don't know how to do magic for real, because I'd rather be an Eldritch Knight."

She lets out a small sigh of discontentment regarding the subject.

[BUCK]
"Eh, magic isn't all it's cracked up to be." Buck says with a murmur. Though if what he does is magic or not, well, he's not even certain, but people seem to think so, so why not run with it."

"Let's see it's.." He raises his head a little, sniffing at the air. "Mostly I smell donkey, but I think it's fried chicken tonight, with the usual sides." He rubs his nose and shrugs.

"Don't go transplanting animals to an island unless you know the ecosystem can handle it, you need to be a responsible island owner, eh?" He adds with a smile. "Beavers can make problems, even if they are cute."

He looks at Hawksley, squints, then shakes his head. "Monk is not a word I'd use with him. No offense, man." He adds with a deep laugh. "I don't think the hairstyle would suite you." He makes a circle around his head with a finger to demonstrate, definitely thinking of European monks.

[HAWKSLEY]
There's a hint of mischief in Hawksley's dark eyes as Tanwen pulls out the tome. He's been hearing a lot about Dungeons and Dragons and Lords and Rings lately, so let someone else take their turn.

"I don't think I'd be making much of a monk now." Hawksley agrees with Buck. "And you're right, their hair looks shite. I could go for the barbarian role. I'm sure I've been called one before."

He makes no mention of the fact that he's been labelled as chaotic neutral. There'd already been talk of this in the pub back in Ireland and after reading the definition, he can't deny that it fits.

"Fried chicken sounds grand. It'll be good to have some home cooking. We've been living off petrol station snacks for the last couple of days."

[TANWEN]
"But... it must be nicer than not having magic, though?" Tanwen says with a surprised look up at Buck. "I mean, I know magic's not very strong in the third edition until you gain a few levels, but you seem to be very good at wild shaping. I can only turn more dragon-y! Or less human-y, really. Which I suppose is sort of dragon magic - or at least a supernatural ability."

She deflates a little at the instruction not to go transplanting animals. "I suppose I know. I wasn't planning to be kidnapping any beavers. Besides, the giant rats - I mean, meerkats - are already quite a handful sometimes. They don't recognize my authority as the Queen, for some reason."

She looks between the two in confusion. "I think monks are allowed to have nice hair if they want to," she points out. "Or at least, I won't be telling anyone they have to change their hair to be one."

She beams at the prospect of fried chicken. "Oh, yes! I want to see if O-F-C is as good as K-F-C. And I like petrol station snacks! Especially the sodas. Even if I'm probably not allowed to be having any more. Oh, and have you heard of a burrito? They're lush, like."

[BUCK]
Buck laughs, "Gas station snacks are half the fun of a road-trip, you know. Living off soda and beef jerky, it's like part of the joy of travelling cross country." He adds with a pat to Earl's head. He unclips the oat bag and looks inside of it, giving a nod before hanging it back on a hook.

An apple comes off a nearby shelf and is tossed towards Tanwen, after which Buck points at Earl. "You can give him dessert."

The mention of the rats just gets a sour look, he didn't have too much interaction with them, but the stories..

"Ma's fried chicken is a hundred times better than that mass produced grease bomb." He mutters, and perhaps drooling a little thinking about it. "One thing I missed being on the road was home cooking." He nods towards the barn door. "Come on, I'll introduce you. Bear and Beau are around here somewhere too." Not knowing the others already greeted two of his brothers.

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley muses about the matter of magic, which reminds him that he's brought his magic mug on the trip. He pulls it out of his black leather jacket with pride. "I've got this with me, so if you come along Bucky Boy, we can each take a turn once a month." He hasn't really considered what will happen if they add any more people to their party.

The mention of meerkats has him recalling the day he, Tanwen, Henry and Chevy encountered them and a boa constrictor in some cottages on Zack Island. "Are the snakes still on Atlantis Island?" He wonders. "Or did Chevy order them to be banished?"

He turns to Buck and asks. "How is she by the way? Are you two still doing the whole college thing?" He hadn't really considered that when he decided to ask Buck to drop everything and go off in search of dungeons with a dragon.

"I'm sure your mammy's fried chicken is the best around." He agrees with the American. "Nothing tastes as good as food from a mammy. Although mine is more into roasting our chicken than frying it. As for your brothers, we met Bear on the way in. Beau we kinda saw in the window. Is Boone around here somewhere? Isn't he the one who makes the moonshine?"

[TANWEN]
"Whenever Winn and I go anywhere, we usually only get to stop at one service station before we've arrived to where we're going, and that's even if we go all the way across Wales," Tanwen remarks, before gasping as the apple is tossed her way. She fumbles it desperately in the air before securing and cradling it carefully; stewardship of apples has gone poorly for her before. When she realises that she's meant to let someone eat the apple instead of stopping them, the tension leaves her, and she offers the fruit to the donkey, holding it by the stem. "Do you like apples, Earl?" she asks the donkey.

"I've not seen any snakes, but I wouldn't think it was very nice if Chevy said that all snakes had to be banished. Atlantis isn't just for mammals, you know. Actually, do you think you could make a Diplomacy check with the meerkats, Buck? I don't speak meerkat," she's remarking as she keeps the apple held out for the donkey.

"I wonder what my mammy's cooking would be like," she muses softly as the conversation turns that direction, a distant look in her eye. Then - "Ow! That is not an apple, Earl!" she says, withdrawing her sore fingers. "Will we be having moonshine with our supper? It sounds lovely, it does. Like a properly magical drink."

[BUCK]
"Boone's at his new distillery, I helped get him a few investors and he's going and making a whole thing of it." Buck says with a wink. "I just asked for a free bottle once a month as payment for my help."

As for the meerkats, he rubs his chin. "I don't really talk with animals, it's not like that, it's more.. well let's just say it depends how intelligent and how driven they are, but maybe I could try something?" He shrugs as he escorts the two out of the barn and towards the farmhouse, where the smells of home cooking start to overwhelm the odor of farm.

Earl plucks the apple from Tanwen's hand and chews on it contentedly. Placid little donkey, that one. He certainly looks to be enjoying his treat though. Even if Tanwen did get a nip. Obviously a love nip of thanks. They do that, right?

"I have been meaning to talk to you Tanwen, well, really learn more about dragon anatomy. It's hard for me to copy something just out of my imagination, it helps to know the thing I'm trying to turn into. It might help if I had an actual dragon on hand to.. help." He was going to say study, but that just sounded creepy in his head.

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley watches the exchange between Tanwen and Earl with a smile playing on his lips. "She's terrified of snakes though, isn't she?" He reminds the Welsh woman about her mentor's phobia. "She even has to look away when this fella goes snakey." He grins, gesturing towards Buck.

Hawksley hasn't a clue what Tanwen means by a diplomacy check but he suspects it may be something to do with Dungeons and Dragons again. "Morgie might speak meerkat." He ponders. "He seemed to get on well with them that time they kidnapped him and made him their king."

He winces as Earl gets a bit eager with his munching and then chimes in on the subject of Tanwens's mammy. "I imagine she'd specialise in flame grilled."

The Irish lad lets out a loud whistle at the mention of a distillery. "Good for Boone. He's living the dream, so he is. What's he calling the brand?"

He follows Buck out of the barn, his nose twitching and his belly rumbling at the scent of the chicken. He says no more though, listening to the dragon talk and wondering how Tanwen will respond.

[TANWEN]
"Oh, well, I think they are pretty clever," Tanwen tells Buck as she follows him out of the barn, still shaking out her sore fingers. "Maybe you and Morgie can tell them that he has had to abdicate because of the changing of rulership. Or maybe Morgie can stay as a vassal if he doesn't mind swearing fealty to me. And Chevy, that is."

Hawksley's suggestion that her mother would specialise in flame grilling food seems logical enough to Tanwen to be acknowledge with a small, thoughtful nod.

"Are you wanting to study me, Mister Buck? In my true form?" she asks as they walk, giving a curious tip of her head to look at him. "That's probably alright, like. Do you think you could be turning into a proper dragon, if you do?" She smiles. "That would be very exciting!"

[BUCK]
"Boondoggle Moonshine, Bear said he's jinxing it with that name, he just said it'll be even funnier if its a success." Buck supplies with a laugh. "It's good stuff, we've got a couple bottles on hand if you want to try some. I'm sure he'd appreciate the feedback from a connoisseur."

Buck looks at Tanwen, looking a little uncomfortable at the word study. "I wouldn't say it that way, more.." He stops and shakes his head. "Yeah, okay, I want to study a dragon." He also adds in a quieter tone. "Not to mention imagine righting my thesis on dragons, that'd be so unique."

Reching the farm house, Buck swings open the door, by now the smells of cooking are flowing out, fried foods, as well as something baking. "Awww, yeah, she made creamed spinach too. Love that stuff." Buck says after a sniff of the air. "Biscuits and corn, also. You guys are in for a feast."

[HAWKSLEY]
"I can't imagine Morgie swearing fealty to anyone. Not even Coco. Although, maybe if you bought him a new hat." Hawksley considers.

He gives Tanwen a look of sympathy. She's so desperate to have a dragon buddy. If Buck was able to turn into a dragon for real it would probably make her life.

"Boondoggle Moonshine is a grand name." Hawksley praises. "I'm definitely up for sampling some of the stuff. I'll rate it on taste, consistency and how langered it manages to get me."

There's a broad smile on the Cork lad's face as they enter the farmhouse. He feels the warmth hit his cheeks and his mouth start to water at the prospect of such tasty food. "So where's your mammy then, Bucky Boy? I can't wait to meet her."

[TANWEN]
"I can help you with whatever you want to know! I can even lend you my monster manual in case you need it, as long as you don't mind it's in Welsh. I can translate it for you. Especially if we're going to be going to Atlantis Island."

Tanwen inhales deeply through her nostrils as she follows in through the door. "Ooh. I don't smell the biscuits, but it smells like someone's making some lovely scones. Can I have a bottle of the Boondoggle Moonshine, too?"

[BUCK]
It's a short walk to the dining room, where all the food promised by Buck is laid out. He's really gotten quite good at sniffing things out over the years. Ma Finley is setting down a platter of crispy fried chicken. Tall and slim with her salt and pepper hair in a neat bun she make look stern, but she greets the company with a bright smile. "Welcome! Sit and tuck in! I'm so glad to meet both of you, Buck goes on and on about the friends he made in the tournament."

Buck looks a little disgruntled that his mother would share that information, but she just gives him a light pat on the cheek. "You smell like Earl, go wash up real quick."

Buck excuses himself for a moment but is back in a few minutes, a new shirt on and a pair of bottles of something in one hand, that he holds out to Hawksley with a wink.

"Careful, it kicks like a fu..." His eyes dart to Ma, "Ornery mule."

Bear and Beau soon show up, finding their own places at the table. Handing the second bottle to Tanwen with a wink. "Don't breathe fire after drinking it, lit my tongue up doing that."

[HAWKSLEY]
Hawksley seems a bit hesitant when Tanwen asks for a bottle of moonshine. The last time she had a drink around him she had to be carried to bed. He decides to let her make her own decisions though. Besides, it's Buck's choice what he does or doesn't do with his booze.

Hawksley makes a point of approaching Ma Finley, offering her his hand to shake. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I got to sample some of your baking a while back, so it will be a real treat to taste your cooking too."

Whether or not the woman accepts his gesture, he will take a seat at the table afterwards, removing his black leather jacket and hanging it on the back of his chair. He's wearing a black t-shirt underneath with 'Girl From Mars' printed in white lettering on the front.

"I talk about my friends a lot too." He admits with a smile to both Buck and Tanwen. "We had ourselves a ball."

When Buck returns Hawksley is happy to see he's brought bottles. The Irishman accepts the one offered to him gladly, placing it down next to his chair. As the other men join them, he asks. "What do you think of Boondoggle?"

[TANWEN]
Tanwen beams brightly in greeting at Ma Finley. "Hello, Buck's mam!" she says, sounding much like a five-year-old in a sixteen-year-old's body despite actually being forty-nine in human years. She scoots into one of the chairs as instructed, aiming for the one next to Hawksley. "The food smells lush, it does! I've never had Oklahoma food before!"

Her eyes widen a little in reverence when the bottle is handed to her, holding it up to the light before setting it down carefully on the table. "I'll try not to be breathing any fire. May I have a scone?" she asks as she starts working the bottle she's been given open next to her plate.

[BUCK]
Hawksley doesn't get away with just a handshake, but rather gets a quick hug if he's receptive. "Buck says you looked after him plenty, you're always welcome at my table. Both of you." She adds with a smile to Tanwen as she takes her own seat.

As for Hawksley's question, Bear snorts. "As long as he's doing something useful." Buck grins and nudges Bear who gives him a bit of a gruff look in return.

Beau just looks annoyed. "He won't even let me into the distillery much less try it." He grumbles as he takes some chicken and passes the platter around.

"Good thing too. You're underage" Bear replies. "This one also wanted to participate in that second season of your thing." The eldest says with a jerk of his thumb to Beau.

Buck laughs, "I agreed to help him, once he's done with high school." Beau puffs out his cheeks in annoyance. "Besides, you're pbusy enough with the rodeo stuff." Buck helps himself to a surprising amount of the sides, one of the biscuits ending up on Tanwen's plate in his grab.

"So are you taking off again with your friends here, or just a visit?" Ma asks with a look to Buck, who in turn looks to Hawksley.

"Just a little trip to an island." He says casually, which had Beau perking up.

[HAWKSLEY]
"They do look like scones don't they?" Hawksley chimes in on the biscuits. "They're pretty good with eggs but that white gravy can feck off. Wait, we're not having that are we?" He checks with Buck.

Hawksley is more than happy to accept any hugs that come his way. He's a big hugger and mammys give the best hugs in the world as far as he's concerned. "We looked after each other." He responds to Ma Finley. "Kept each other out of trouble." He just about manages to keep a straight face, and for some reason a vision of he and Buck fighting a pissed off Juri on the roof of a building comes to mind.

He seems amused at the brotherly banter, and when the attention turns to Beau he comments. "So you're the rodeo rider. That must take some balls." Hawksley feels sorry for the lad stuck without booze till he's twenty one. He's very grateful to be European. Not that he waited till eighteen to get banjaxed.

He takes a piece of the chicken, opting for a medium size to be polite. He holds off on sampling it yet though, in case the Finley family would like to say grace before the food.

When Buck's mother asks her question about his plans, Hawksley listens with interest, curious how he'll respond. When his buddy announces he'll be going to the island, his face lights up. "Good fella."

[TANWEN]
Tanwen seems fairly methodical with piling her plate, though she ends up serving herself quite a helping by the time that she's through. "Hawksley Moore, I don't think you should be throwing your white gravy about," she warns the Irishman.

She perks up at the talk about Beau's rodeo riding. "Is that where you ride on bulls? Does Mister Buck help you practice?" she asks curiously.

Her own smile also brightens at Buck's response to his mother's question. "Oh, hooray! I'm glad that you'll be coming, Mister Buck. With at least three of us, it should be a proper party." She bites into her chicken immediately once it seems that everyone's been served, apparently unaware of the possible custom that would be expected.

[BUCK]
Grace doesn't seem to be coming as others start eating. Buck snorts softly and looks to Hawksley. "Biscuits and gravy is a breakfast thing, so.. no. But we do have some of the gravy in the fridge if you want it." He says with a mischievous smile. He's had the gravy talk with the Irish man, so he's obviously teasing. "It's actually pretty good on fried chicken too.." He says a little more honestly.

Beau perks up as he's complimented. "Oh yeah, horses, bulls, Buck's not the only one in the family good with animals." He says with a bit of pride. "No. He doesn't help with that..."

It's time for Bear to look sour. "I'm still not happy he's teaching you how to fight, but, you're your own man. Just.. keep it in the barn."

Buck looks to Hawksley. "I'm not the best at using chi, but Beau is picking it up surprisingly well. Maybe you can show him some of your flames before we head off." That makes Ma look a little worried and Bear even more piqued. "Don't worry." He says to his family. "I don't think Hawksley has burned down a building since the bar. We could do it down by the river."

[HAWKSLEY]
"I'm not gonna throw anything, Tan." Hawksley laughs, giving the forty nine year old girl an affectionate look. "Three of us is a grand start for our party. Do we need one of us to be a healer or will we have potions?" It seems like the Irishman may be picking up some of the Dungeons and Dragons basics.

Once he realises there's no prayers coming, Hawksley takes a generous bite of his fried chicken. The expression on his face shows that it's a definite hit with him. "I'll pass on that shite, ta." He rejects the white gravy. "I don't wanna ruin perfectly good meat. This is lovely, Mrs Finley." He praises.

Hawksley nods with enthusiasm at the idea of him helping Beau. "I've only burned one barn down before. I had nothing to do with The Dead Squirrel setting on fire though. That was Braun and Junko. I didn't even use my fire chi when I fought Tamaki there. Out of respect, like."

[TANWEN]
Tanwen is equally thorough but less methodical when it comes to devouring her food, it seems. The drumstick she's eating is quickly stripped of meat, and once she's finished with it, she sets the bone aside before reaching for a butter knife. Once the biscuit is buttered, she consumes it with gusto. "Oh, this is nice. It's not as dry as a usual scone. Are we going to be having biscuits for dessert?" She wipes her mouth with a napkin once she's finished the biscuit, then sets about tearing into a wing.

"I thought I might ask Max's mum, since she's a doctor, and that way Max could come, too," Tanwen proposes. "Junko and Mister Braun set a squirrel on fire? I knew she was naughty, like. I've never got to burn down a barn - although I might have set a sheep's wool on fire once when I was little. I suppose I was a bit naughty, too." She looks slightly bemused at the connection. "I'm Lawful Good now that I know better, though," she quickly clarifies between bites of chicken before taking a big swig of moonshine. "Oh, this is nice. It goes great with the chicken," she enthuses, seeming oddly unperturbed by the alcohol content of the beverage.

[BUCK]
Ma Finley looks properly pleased at her cooking being devoured. "Well, eat up, there's plenty." She regards Tanwen for a moment, thinking. "We could, but I made a carrot cake, too."

Buck grimaces a little at the mention of Junko. "Ah well, still, it'd be a good lesson for him. Even if no barns end up getting burned down." Bear obviously does not appreciate Buck's sense of humor on that particular topic, but lets it slide, he knows his brothers.

"You lit the chicken coop on fire when you were eight." The oldest reminds Buck between bites of chicken.

"I.." Buck starts, then pauses and thinks it over. "Oh.. yeah.." He manages to look a little ashamed in the moment. "That was an accident though."

"He was trying to cook the chickens dinner." Ma Finley interjects in defense of her third son. Ah, the problem with meeting the family, the embarrassing stories all come floating to the surface.

Log created on 14:19:30 02/11/2026 by Tanwen, and last modified on 13:59:26 03/04/2026.