A Fort Aegis Thanksmas

[Shadowcaller]

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

"Let me point out that she has known Wenomir for a long time so be cautious in your approach and consider your arguments carefully. I myself have not seen any issues with Wenomir so far but I believe you've seen him in action more than I do. Nevertheless, Lady Mithar is as you said a scholar which that you're going to need evidence to support your claims, yes?" Ambrosia raises her eyebrows, letting Calm Reed consider that for a moment.

[A Very Beary Thanksmas]

Anika raises her finger towards Michalson as to tell him to hold up a moment. "Uh, one sec." It's almost like trying to hold two conversations at once is a bad idea.

She then turns to Aran again. "Yeah, I mean, its winter's veil after all. It's the time for giving." Anika nods. "So let's see, grab something out of the sock alright?"

Then she turns back into a bear with the reindeer horns, sock worn around her neck and everything. The bear looks expectingly at Aran.

[Morty]

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

Calm Reed looks almost awkward. Which isn't easy for the monk.

"I do not know what I could say that would convince Commander Mithar. Perhaps I need to learn her perspective first, before I voice any direct concerns."

[A Very Beary Thanksmas]

Michalson shrugs and waits for Aran to speak.

[Deathkeeper]

A Very Beary Thanksmas

”You didn’t have to change just for that.” Aran says sheepishly, though he reaches into the Thanksmas stocking anyway.

[Gullara]

[Kids These Days]

Arriving on the scene is part of the Rizzo family. Eliseo leads the way, hands in his hoodie pockets. He looks left and right, his curiosity hidden by teenage disinterest. He seems to be making a point of being a bit out front of the woman following behind him. His mom, Nadia, holding a bundled up infant. She's the one that suggested this little outing, and somehow convinced Eliseo to go along with it.

What's more, they're even there with his girlfriend, who's walking alongside him. He remarks to her. "You ever been to one of these? Someone different puts them on every year." It's been quite a while since he's been to one personally, but it's a well known topic in the area.

[Arkhosia]

Kids These Days

"Really? I, uh- no, I don't think I have. Maybe when I was really little?" Anastasia keeps pace with Eliseo, bundled up in a cute-looking jacket and scarf and clearly a bit more visibly interested in the festive surroundings than her boyfriend. There hadn't been much of an opportunity for her to go to a celebration like this since the invasion happened, and even beforehand her parents were often too busy making ends meet to take many days off.

Still, the kitsune's enthusiasm is tempered by something Eliseo's definitely noticed about her by now, ever since she was adopted by the Bellamys - a faint sense of newfound nervousness around people, like she's regained a little bit of the shell she had from before the two had started dating. It's lucky Nadia thought to suggest she comes with them, as being with him seems to help soothe it.

[Ironsmith]

[Short and Sweet]

A pair of young women arrive to the Thanksmas party fashionably late. They left the MERC office at around the same time and have been in deep conversation ever since; no doubt they've stopped more than once when one felt the need to make a point to the other, and both are rather deliberately opening themselves up to distractions.

Siana's never been to a Thanksmas party before. She's celebrated a festival near the winter solstice, that sort of functioned as a cross between Day of the Dead and a New Year's celebration, but that's a far cry from the gift-giving traditions she's about to encounter.

Rose, likewise, has never celebrated Thanksmas, exactly, but its analogous holidays are still alive and well in her era. Enough so that she knows to wear a little santa hat, and she's brought along a tote full of gingerbread cookies; homemade, at her insistence. Sure, they weren't as tasty as her Hotbox could make them, but she's found the resulting imperfections gave her cooking a bit of a personal touch that people tended to appreciate, even if the cookies themselves were objectively a little worse for it.

"So what I'm saying is, you should try setting a few alarms during the day." Rose elaborates, walking slowly next to Siana so they can maintain the same pace. "If you want, I should be around the office for the next few weeks. I can check in on you every now and again."

"That's... that's very kind of you, miss Verdoyant." Siana smiles. "But I've had that problem for years. Comes with spending ten years half-conscious in a dying world, you know?"

"...I thought you said you were fifteen?"

"Still am."

"...Yeah, I can see how that would [curtain] you up."

[Felandria]

[Avalanche -> Slide]

Weasels aren't mich better from Mr.C's knowledge. Sure He didn't had any experience with them, but on the other hand books mention they hunt rodent and alike. Kinda not good for a small creature like Mr.C. But he does know that Felindria got such a creature as her pet, which makes him wonder if it has also the ability to rise in size. Or maybe he can fly the sleigh?

"Hey..eh.. can you just get me to the hearth, please?" Mr.C tries in Weasel speak language. Jep he can speak nearly any language.

Reginald will nod and chitter happily, and will scamper towards the hearth, not too fast, don’t want to jostle Mr C too much,

Eventually they will arrive at the

Hearth

And Reginald will pull up near it so Mr C can get warm.

[Meowmai]

Spoiler

Show

Spraypaint and Blackfire

"Eh? Kind? I dunno, the usual stuff I guess. Liches, abominations, dragon kings, and raiding armies, I guess. A little bit of most things, especially stuff other folks can't, or won't deal with appropriately. Ain't worth leaving a sprout behind in some places, so sommat' like an evil god's coven comes springing back up." The dragoness gives a soft shrug, the scales of the armor sliding, but remaining oddly silent, as if Raine were wearing a silence spell. There is also a somewhat dark tone to the statement, as if missing the empathy most hero types were known for. "Changeling, huh? There's a lot worse things to be part of than angel. I mean, imagine being half strong dragon, another quarter a second kinda strong dragon, then the last bit bein' an elven race really only known for tutti frutti magic and being good in the sack." Raine laughs, the comment given more as humorous self-degradation so that Atsede didn't feel so awkward about being half of something.

After shaking the hand, careful to squeeze but not overly hard, Raine takes a moment to sniff the air. "Well good news, hungry bird, I smell a good bit of food. You like ham? I love me some good smoked ham." The laugh and soft puff of dragonfire made it clear that Raine probably had smoked a few hams in a completely different way in her time. The halfblood leads the halfsoul, ambling gentle through the crowd, almost ignoring who is in front of her. Not that it mattered, a single stare and most folks parted ways for them anyways. " So if your parents are keeping you bottled up like a genie, what do you get up to for fun? I was well into my career by your age, but I bet you've got something that keeps you busy, right? I seem to remember doing a lot of hunting when I was your age, then again I was less of a people person back then." It didn't take hardly any time at all for the pair to arrive at a door, Raine opening it for Atsede, the smell of a feast wafting from inside.

[Spraypaint and Blackfire]

Raine's definition of 'the usual stuff' only put Atsede all the more in awe of her. That's... that's your usual stuff!? Dragon kings!? Whole armies!!?" The changeling exclaimed in shock and amazement. Then, she noticed Raine's demeanor, and the full meaning of what she had said started to dawn on Atsede. She became rather quiet at the dark implications, and shifted a little uncomfortably.

Fortunately, new conversation topics quickly came up, and Atsede leapt on this to escape the conversation's darker turn. "Yeah! I love ham. Do yah think the food's free here, or do we gotta nick it? Then again," she chuckled, as she noticed the way people moved aside for the half-dragon, "if you just waltzed in and starting eating stuff you're supposed to pay for I dunno anyone would have the guts to try and stop you." At Raine's next line of questioning, she tapped her bag and gave a cheeky grin. "Well as you noticed I do like to get up to a bit of art- or vandalism, depending on who you ask. And I've started skateboarding! Pretty darn good at it if you ask me. But ugh, all of that stuff is stuff I can only really do when I'm allowed out or sneak out." She sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically. "Aint got [shoot] to do when I'm stuck inside." And she was stuck inside a lot. Most of what she wanted to do wouldn't be allowed and it was rather hard to hide things from parents who didn't understand the concept of giving their child some space. "You got any hobbies?"

As they pushed their way indoors, Atsede immediately made a beeline for the tables of food and drink. The allure of a Thanksmas feast was just too strong to avoid now that the food was in sight.

[5a Violista]

[Two Mothers]

"They seem to be getting along," Harley comments, as.she glances down at the toddler and the baby. No crying or scratching or anything, which seems like a good sign.

So.
Back to the conversation.
Harley shakes her head. "No I haven..."
She pauses, and remembers something.
"Wait. I have. Some time ago I met someone who said was a follower of The King in Rags. Amalungak? Or something like that. That's it, though. Seemed like a nice guy."

Since Ilpholin doesn't really know libraries, there's no point in pressing on that topic. She'll just have to remember to look around Inside. "Something big always seems to happen whenever I go to Inside."


[Table]

The slimegirl is incapable of seeing magic; the big things she can see are just heat and vibrations and such. She's much more likely to hear his blood flowing around than see the oddities of magic he causes.

The slimegirl is, at the moment, about half the height of a normal person, since her legs are all puddled to keep it from freezing. He might not immediately notice her but it should be easy enough to spot her once he starts looking.

She looks humanlike, but also made of a translucent blue jelly material.

Unable to speak, she doesn't answer.
Instead, she just gets closer – trying to touch him – so that she can have some of his heat.

[Reinholdt]

[Two Mothers]

"Yeah..." Ilpholin sounds less certain. She's usually really good at reading people, but she honestly has no idea what her son is thinking most of the time. Mothering him has been exceptionally hard. Especially with all the nightmares lately.

The nymph focuses back in on Harley and raises an eyebrow. "Can't say I'm familiar." Ilpholin shrugs a bit. She knows the King in Rags, not everyone who blindly worships him. But that also means the name is getting around more than she thought. His legacy is growing, perhaps out of control.

"That's probably because something big's always happening in Inside." Or Harley's bad luck, but Ilpholin wasn't going to say that part out loud. "Well best of luck to you in finding a good book. We should be going. Got a lot of lights to look at right?" Ilpholin directs this question down at Nahlrae who merely looks up at her without response. Well Ilpholin enjoys looking at the Thanksmas lights anyways, so she refuses to let his apathy curb her enthusiasm. "It was nice meeting you. Both of you." She affixes Manja with a farewell smile.

[Gnrlshrimp]

Royalty and also Braon, I guess she's there too

"Um, pleased to meet you too, Braon." Well, that's... that's a concerning look. Does she want to eat him, curtain him, or both? He looks to Sekhmet as he offers a hand to shake, wondering if she's seen it too and what she makes of it. "So, uh, spymaster. I guess you're helping keep my wife safe, from other spies and stuff, so thank you." He genuinely means it, too. His lips quirk into a smile when he looks at his wife- except when he's worried about something, like for random example the look Braon gave him- and he stands as close to her as he can.

Swarm

Cheasadh has Pookie with her, just currently resting in a pokeball where it's theoretically warmer than outside. "I should be, I mean they're only little. Most of them, anyway." Reindeer-Sylvess might be an exception, though Earl's not sure how big he is. She eyes him a little nervously, but smiles as the gambolling dragonlings crash into scuttling goblins. "I don't think I've got anything on me to steal yet. Maybe my gloves, they're in my pocket for when we build snowmen or something."

[The Swarm]

Brinika looks up at the huge... reindeer dragon.

"That's a lot of baby dragons. I didn't know dragons had this many kids. It'd be a lot even if they were goblins. They're cute, though."

[The Swarm]

"I-it, um, we were sort of blessed. Sort of literally. Uh, although dragons caaan have this many normally, i-it would be an unusually large clutch." There. A perfectly coherent stutter-y conversation.

For context, Sylvess is a little past horse-sized. Somewhat big than a large horse still makes for a pretty big-looking dragon, once you factor in the longer neck, and tail, and big wings, and-

Anyway, about that large.

"B-but out kids are still quite young, so I-I'm on childminding duty, a-as well as offering flying sleigh rides to anyone who wants one."

[Morty]

[The Swarm]

Brinika grins toothily. A ride? Now that's what we're talking about.

"We can't say no to a sleigh ride, can we? And it looks like a bunch of our cousins can fit there too. It's a big sled."

[Earl of Purple]

The Swarm

"For sure we can go flying! Can we drop snowballs over the side?" She's asking because if he says no, they've lost nothing. If he says yes, that's fun, and if they didn't ask and did it anyway they might not be able to have another go.

Cheasadh's a little nervous, since she's only little and Sylvess is comparatively large.

[Shadowcaller]

A Very Beary Thanksmas

What Aran pulls from the sock is a strange necklace made of small chains of silver which all have been linked together. The embellishment in the center is quite something else however. It appears to be a small statuette of a bear wearing a robe of all things. It appears to be seated in a large chair and is staring intently at a orb in its lap.

If Aran would put on the amulet he would be granted the knowledge that it endows its wearer with two gifts.
First, it lets them turn into any kind of bear they want at will. Everything but the amulet being assumed into the form.
Second, while a bear the wearer cannot be transformed against their will and can resist all compulsions that aren't bear-based.

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

"I would suggest actually visiting her then. Best way to get to known someone as long you have a reason for your visit." Would be strange to simply turn up wouldn't it?

[Morty]

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

Calm Reed nods.

"You are correct. I will need to think about how to approach this. Thank you for your insights."

[Deathkeeper]

A Very Beary Thanksmas

Aran is surprised to find jewelry, but would never be so ungrateful to not try it on! Upon doing so the powers of the amulet are known to him. He can do things at will? No command phrase or trigger? So he just thinks about it and-
Poof!
The thought of activating the amulet activates the amulet, and Aran is now a sun bear, albeit one clearly prepared for winter. Still not as large as the one Ukry made. He sits down in his rear, embarrassed.
Hopefully the amulet also lets him change back at will.

[5a Violista]

[Two Mothers]

Oh!
Harley thought Ilpholin was going to say something like "Oh, the father is one of the followers of the King in Rags". But she didn't say anything.
So that means...well, either she forgot to finish the thought, which feels unlikely, or it is the King in Rags.

"Yeah, thanks," Harley says. She readjusts Manja so she can make her baby wave at Nahlrae and Ilpholin. "Was nice. Have fun looking at the lights," she tells both of them.

After that, Harley (and her baby) go to look at something else here at the party.

[Zefir]

Spoiler

Show

[Two Mothers]

"They seem to be getting along," Harley comments, as.she glances down at the toddler and the baby. No crying or scratching or anything, which seems like a good sign.

So.
Back to the conversation.
Harley shakes her head. "No I haven..."
She pauses, and remembers something.
"Wait. I have. Some time ago I met someone who said was a follower of The King in Rags. Amalungak? Or something like that. That's it, though. Seemed like a nice guy."

Since Ilpholin doesn't really know libraries, there's no point in pressing on that topic. She'll just have to remember to look around Inside. "Something big always seems to happen whenever I go to Inside."


[Table]

The slimegirl is incapable of seeing magic; the big things she can see are just heat and vibrations and such. She's much more likely to hear his blood flowing around than see the oddities of magic he causes.

The slimegirl is, at the moment, about half the height of a normal person, since her legs are all puddled to keep it from freezing. He might not immediately notice her but it should be easy enough to spot her once he starts looking.

She looks humanlike, but also made of a translucent blue jelly material.

Unable to speak, she doesn't answer.
Instead, she just gets closer – trying to touch him – so that she can have some of his heat.

Reginald will nod and chitter happily, and will scamper towards the hearth, not too fast, don’t want to jostle Mr C too much,

Eventually they will arrive at the

Hearth

And Reginald will pull up near it so Mr C can get warm.

[Table]

"A slime?" he says. It seems he knows about those kind of creatures but didn't expect any of them to be here or maybe just not in that season? Even thought the thanksmas aura prevents people from harming others, the man backs up as the slime reaches out for him. His attemp to get away is immediatly blocked as he bumps into the table behind him. A few of the warm cookies fall down from his plate. Since his hands are occupied keeping the rest on it the slime can succed in touching him. He does feel warm and he seems to increase in heat as the slight panic causes his blood to be pumped quicker.

"You do know this is kinda awkward?"

Hearth

Mr. C will sit there, suddendly having a glas sof warm choclate and his color turns back from blue to green.

"Puh, kinda close." he says in normal speech. "I do have a talent for getting stuck. I should really complain to the host. The paths are not small creature friendly. But well, thanks anyway. Are you with Felandria by any chance?"

[Aurora Alchemi]

Reindeer Games
Tuuli's eyes flicked to track the fox, and though they ran into the building, they quickly step to the side. Leaning into one wall, they mull a little and pick a direction, heading into a separate room. Rather than running and fighting through crowds, the polite moose has decided to exploit some knowledge of architecture and the ability of their horns to sense through walls, and is carefully picking a way around to head the fox off at the pass.... Or well, they would be, if they didn't get distracted several times giving little toys and knickknacks from their pockets to small children passing by.

Reuma on the other hand, followed the fox like a shadow, dodging, darting, and weaving with a definite practiced ease. Of course, that all made sense, the pronghorn had been on active battlefields, and mobility was always a benefit there. Of course, the fox had a few advantages because of size, but it wasn't widening the gap at all... Perhaps it would come down to endurance? Or who slipped up first. Either way, the pronghorn's exhilarated laughs and uncompromising shouted apologies to those she buzzed past echoed through the halls, from the feasting room, all the way to the hot springs.

Spraypaint and Blackfire

"Nah, I expect that the food is free here, though it's probably expected that some of the folks chip in to bring dishes or clean up. Fancy public parties like this don't usually come with a meal ticket in my experience. But, if it's worrying you that much..." The dragoness digs in a pouch pocket, removing a large gold coin that could have doubled for a mug coaster, before flipping it over to the angel. " 'ere, it's my treat. Now come on, before it's all gone, hehehe." The halfblood makes her way toward the piles of food, swaying gently like a great cat stalking prey, long tail flicking eagerly. Of course, there was no doubt what kind of an appetite the dragon would have, and before they had even got past the first third of the expansive buffet, there was the crunch of some roast bird's leg in Raine's mouth, leg bone and all.

The strong beast smiles over to Atsede, giving a soft wink. "You know some folks'd pay you to tag stuff, if you got good enough. And the boarding's alright, but you should really try some windsurfing. I learned some for one job where it was the only way to get between locations. I went to a couple places where the wind would catch just right, and I could catch ten or fifteen lengths of that table in air. I'd probably do some more of that some time, but I need a new swimsuit, my last one was a victim of lava bathing habits, heh." The dragon carefully balances a third heaping plate on her arm, before grabbing another, and continuing to scoop mashed root vegetables and stuffing onto the plate, almost like she was feeding a furnace rather than a person. "But as far as continuous hobbies, I ain't got much to go on. If you want I could stop by and drag you out of your parent's place and you could teach me soomat' sometime. Get you a break, and me some more people skills, like the docs say I should get. What kinda hobbies do you think would work? I'd try kickboxing, but I hear you aren't supposed to put someone through a wall." Raine gives a wink, along with a few playful air punches, which would be endearing if it weren't accompanied by the last crunches of the bird leg in her mouth.

[Gullara]

Kids These Days

"Really? I, uh- no, I don't think I have. Maybe when I was really little?" Anastasia keeps pace with Eliseo, bundled up in a cute-looking jacket and scarf and clearly a bit more visibly interested in the festive surroundings than her boyfriend. There hadn't been much of an opportunity for her to go to a celebration like this since the invasion happened, and even beforehand her parents were often too busy making ends meet to take many days off.

Still, the kitsune's enthusiasm is tempered by something Eliseo's definitely noticed about her by now, ever since she was adopted by the Bellamys - a faint sense of newfound nervousness around people, like she's regained a little bit of the shell she had from before the two had started dating. It's lucky Nadia thought to suggest she comes with them, as being with him seems to help soothe it.

[Kids These Days]

Nadia speaks up before Eliseo replies. "Eliseo used to love coming to these when he was younger. He'd bolt as soon as we arrived to play with the other kids. By the time he visited Santa he was frosted over." She smiles at her son, who returns an eye roll. What is it with moms and going on about when he was a kid? She laughs a little. "You're not going to run off too quickly this time, are you?" She glances at Ana to include her.

[Arkhosia]

Kids These Days

"Wow, really?" Anastasia giggles, but not for the reason Eliseo might expect. "Well, I guess you've just always been so energetic, huh?" She elbows Eliseo and gives him a teasing little grin. "It's okay, I can keep him out of trouble for you - unless you'd rather he run wild instead?"

[Shadowcaller]

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

Ambrosia makes a curt bow. "It was my pleasure. I've enjoyed learning about you, Calm Reed. Perhaps we can meet again whenever I come to visit VIGIL."

A Very Beary Thanksmas

The amulet does let him to transform back. But how? That can be up to his player. Perhaps he simply needs to take it off or will it. But it could also be something bit more complicated like having to wait for a certain amount of time or needing someone else to take off the amulet.

The other bear certainly seems surprised by this. So surprised that she ironically turns back into her humanoid form. "Oh, crap! Uh, unless this is what you wanted?" She couldn't exactly blame anyone for wanting to be a bear.

[Morty]

[Thank Amassing Aegis]

Calm Reed bows back to Ambrosia and departs. It's not long before she notices someone familiar - Braon. Is that... seems unlikely. But she might as well ask. She approaches the woman with the certain stride of someone who is used to other people being unwilling to openly rebuke her.

"Forgive me, but you seem familiar. Have we met?"

The monk looks much like she did in Inside, but instead of armor she's wearing a thick woollen coat.

[A Very Beary Thanksmas]

"Does this thing come with an off switch?" Michalson has a sneaking suspicion it does not. "I could try to suppress it long enough for him to take it off, otherwise."

[Ironsmith]

[Thank Amassing Aegis => Awkward Reunions]

"Look, lady." Braon begins, turning to face the monk. "I don't know what you're used to, but I-"

...Uh-oh.

She did look familiar.

Last time Braon crossed paths with this monk, they were trying to kill each other. Braon gets the distinct impression that, if Harley hadn't gotten to her first, Calm Reed probably would have succeeded.

Braon would hope this woman doesn't carry a grudge, but experience has taught her to not count on such things.

The fiendling gives an awkward little chuckle, before dropping her eggnog and running like the ground's opening up behind her.

[Morty]

[Awkward Reunions]

Calm Reed might be able to catch Braon fairly easily, but she'd rather not. It wouldn't be in the spirit of the holiday, even if its magic allowed her to (violence seems discouraged or even disallowed). And she shouldn't do something like that, even if St. Lazarus and Fidelia assure her that the celebration doesn't honor any actual gods or spirits. Instead, she follows the fleeing woman at a brisk pace, but without actually running.

"Your rapid flight suggests that we did see each other in Inside. Briefly."

[Ironsmith]

[Awkward Reunions]

Fortunately, Braon's still pretty intoxicated, and while she's well-versed in the art of making up for the impediment, she's panicked here and her "running" is more "drunken stumbling". It's not hard at all for Calm Reed to catch up with her.

Braon stops and leans against a nearby wall. She thought she was going pretty fast, still. She should have lost her a while a-

Oh, dear sweet Adea the scary dragon lady isn't even winded.

"Oh, come the f- can't you people leave me alone?" Braon begins, sitting against the wall, panting. "I get it. I went after your kids, it ticked you off. It was supposed to. That was stupid, fine." She sighs and looks up at Calm Reed, who would probably tower over her under normal circumstances but looks absolutely massive from all the way down here. "...Fine. If you're going to break my neck, be quick about it."

[Morty]

[Awkward Reunions]

"I have no intention of killing you." The monk regards Braon with a cool, scrutinizing gaze. "This is a place of festivity, not violence. But I am surprised to see you walk around openly."

[Ironsmith]

[Awkward Reunions]

"As opposed to hiding until I've aged enough nobody will recognize me?" Braon counters, pulling herself unsteadily to her feet. "Yeah, screw that. I've got a life to lead, and I'm not about to let an angry mob stop me. Fortunately, there also doesn't seem to be ome forthcoming, so that works out." She dusts the snow off her knees and looks up at Calm Reed. "So if you aren't here to punch me, you want to, what, catch up or something?"

[Morty]

[Awkward Reunions]

"I am mostly curious." Calm Reed seems... faintly amused? Her expression is like a placid pond, so it's really hard to tell. "In Inside, you displayed considerable power. I believed you were some kind of rogue god or demigod. Now you are clearly humbled, drinking like everyone else here. What happened?"

[Ironsmith]

[Awkward Reunions]

"...Really? You got a sort of goddess vibe from that? Huh. I thought I was just high off my head at the time." Braon waves away the digression, but can't help showing a little flattered smile.

"But to answer your question..." She pokes at puckered scar where Ananias had shot her, just below her left breast. She would show it in more detail, but there are kids here and her dress isn't exactly that stretchy in the first place. "I ran into someone who was stupid enough to think shooting a goddess would work. Unfortunately for me, he was right."

She drops her hand and rubs at her back, feeling along the ridges where she'd had vines growing out of her as a Mare. "Fortunately, I got some healing, but as a side effect, there was some metaphysical shuffling going on. Make no mistake; I'm actually more powerful since we last met. I've just lost a lot of... finesse, I guess you could say."