SIF Investigations

Paranormal Investigator OC Supernatural Vampire Ignorance is not bliss when ignorance leads to your death.   ((I have no affiliation with Kate Beckinsale, Supernatural, or Underworld))

[offthxshxlf]

the-underworlds-mercenary:

lovelythornsandsingingvultures sent: “It’s easy, there’s a trick to it, you do it or you die.” from this starter collection

Ariana watched Morticia move as she explained how to use the object she was holding. “Death is a gradient that I’m accustomed to wavering through,” she commented, not taking her eyes off of the other woman’s hands.

“How very poetic of you,” Morticia replied.  She twisted the orb slowly in her hands, fingertips pressing into the engraving at intervals in a dizzyingly complex pattern.  Finally, she gave three light taps with her ring finger, and a gentle push with her thumb, and the orb opened with a click and a sigh to reveal a satin-lined interior.

“There.  That is the combination.  It must be executed with the proper attitude, or it will not open.  If you are unsuccessful, the orb will use its own discretion in determining the consequences.  I suggest you be polite to it.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Ariana thought about her words. She hadn’t meant to be poetic. This is what happened when she was around humans as much as she had been. “The world is only poetic because we make it so,” she supposed. “

Ariana had watched her closely when opening the orb and nodded carefully. “Is anything inside of it now,” she wondered, leaning over to look inside of it. Several people had been chasing this and she still hadn’t received a clear answer as to why. 

[startlingmetamorphosis]

I chose to help people, because there’d been no-one there to help me when I needed it.

Simon R. Green “Something From the Nightside” (via startlingmetamorphosis)

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

@bloodyawfulpoetspike sent: “Goodbyes are overrated.” from this starter collection

Ariana turned and looked at the vampire behind her. It had been a long while since she had seen him and they hadn’t parted on good terms, what with her trying to behead him and all.

“Spike, wasn’t it? We normally don’t have time for goodbyes.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Mythology Asks

Anubis: How do you feel about death?

Atum: What are your greatest imperfections?

Bastet: Do you have any cats?

Hathor: What brings you joy?

Horus: What is one thing you've had to fight for in your life?

Osiris: Do you believe in the underworld?

Ra: Do you have any major responsibilities or importance?

Thoth: Do you like to read/write?

Arawn: What is the most terrifying thing you've ever done?

Bran: How is your health?

Brighid: Tell us about your relationship with your father.

Cernunnos: What is your favorite animal?

Danu: What is your relationship with your mother?

Morrigan: What do you think happens when we die?

Olwen: What is your favorite flower?

Rhiannon: Have you ever been betrayed?

Bragi: What kind of music do you listen to?

Freya: Have you ever been in love?

Freyr: Do you have any children?

Hœnir: Are you a silent or talkative person?

Iounn: How old are you?

Loki: What is the best trick you've ever pulled on someone?

Odin: What is your family like?

Thor: Would you consider yourself pretty powerful?

Tree: What have you done with your life? What are you going to do with it?

Aphrodite: What do you think of yourself?

Ares: Are you an easy person to anger?

Athena: Would you consider yourself an artist?

Apollo: Do you play any instruments?

Dionysus: Do you drink?

Hades: Do you have a bad reputation?

Hekate: Have you ever tried to communicate with the dead?

Hermes: Have you ever stolen anything?

Poseidon: Are you a moody person?

Zeus: Are you a confident person?

Jupiter: Would people say that you are intimidating or fairly approachable?

Pluto: Where do you think we go when we die?

Apollo & Dianna: Do you prefer to be up during the day or at night?

Mars: Have you ever gotten into a fight?

Minerva: Do you generally give good advice?

Proserpine: Have you ever felt trapped?

Plutus: Do you have a job?

Venus: Have you ever had your heart broken?

Vesta: Do you like being home or do you try to get out whenever you can?

Morpheus: Do you daydream often? Of what?

[underworldsource]

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

lovelythornsandsingingvultures sent: “It's easy, there's a trick to it, you do it or you die.” from this starter collection

Ariana watched Morticia move as she explained how to use the object she was holding. “Death is a gradient that I’m accustomed to wavering through,” she commented, not taking her eyes off of the other woman’s hands.

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

American Gods (Novel) Starters

“All your questions can be answered, if that is what you want. But once you learn your answers, you can never unlearn them.”

“Every hour wounds. The last one kills.”

“What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.”

“There's none so blind as those who will not listen.”

“Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end.”

“I believe that all men are just overgrown boys with deep problems communicating.”

“Too much talking these days. Talk talk talk. This country would get along much better if people learned how to suffer in silence.”

“I think I would rather be a man than a god. We don’t need anyone to believe in us. We just keep going anyhow. It’s what we do.”

“Don't start anything you're not prepared to finish.”

“You are an analog girl, living in a digital world.”

“Goodbyes are overrated.”

“It's easy, there's a trick to it, you do it or you die.”

“I believe in absolute honesty and sensible social lies.”

“I could be blindfolded and dropped into the deepest ocean and I would know where to find you. I could be buried a hundred miles underground and I would know where you are.”

“When you love something you just don't want to stop talking about it.”

“Information and knowledge: two currencies that have never gone out of style.”

“In this sorry world, the symbol is the thing.”

“Angry gets shit done.”

“If you can fake sincerity, you’ve got it made.”

“Family is who you survive with when you need to survive - even if you do not like them.”

“You are an immaterial girl living in a material world.”

“You shine like a beacon in a dark world.”

“We're going to San Francisco. The flowers in your hair are optional.”

“All is well, and all is well, and all shall be well.”

“And what’s a stranger but a friend you haven’t met yet?”

“I can dance like an angel, fight like a cornered bear, plan better than a fox, sing like a nightingale…”

[startlingmetamorphosis]

Answer There Came None || closed

@the-underworlds-mercenary

At the Inferno the guests didn’t choose their room, their room was chosen for them. Bruce’s room was in the Ninth Circle a place reserved for those who betrayed others and his spot was in the area for those who betrayed kindred. He wasn’t sure if it was for the death of his father or lying on the witness stand, but it didn’t really matter. The Inferno didn’t care much about extenuating circumstances.

At least his room was cool and underground. More secure that way. At least that’s what he told himself.

He kept his own schedule. In between cases and various clients he still invented things. It allowed him to keep their rooms paid for without having to charge the desperate people that came to them for help. It also meant that when clients appeared Virgil often had to wake him.

“Dr. Banner,” the AI said shaking his shoulder. “Wake up, sir, you have visitors.”

Bruce grumbled and opened one eye. “Does Ariana know?”

“Of course, she’s with them right now,” Virgil replied with a small smile.

Bruce’s eyes snapped open. “Give me five minutes and have some tea ready,” he said. It wasn’t that Ariana was bad with people, her manners and thinking just came from a very different time.

He was upstairs in record time and thankful that there was a steaming cup of tea waiting for him. “Hello,” he said with a smile to the potential clients as he took a seat. “I’m Bruce Banner.” He looked at Ariana. “Catch me up?”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Svanhild knew that Bruce would be arriving soon when Virgil set the tea down on the coffee table. The AI knew very well that she wasn’t going to touch it.

When Bruce arrived, she gestured to him, “One of my associates. He will be working with me on this,” she assured the parents. She let him introduce himself before she gave the parents a moment to themselves.

“Missing daughter. They think a Meth did it,” she told Bruce. She made sure she was turned far enough away from the parents when she flashed him a smile. She enjoyed taking on the largest enemy they could find and in this time, in this world, that meant Meths.

“Please, you have to believe us. Our daughter was a good girl. She wouldn’t just disappear without visiting and saying goodbye,” the girl’s mother pleaded.

“What did the police say?” Svanhild asked

The mother swallowed and looked at the floor. “That’s she’s an adult and she knows the streets. With no proof of foul play, they told us they can’t open a case for her. We tried, but they refused so that’s why we’re...”

“In Hell?” Svanhild prompted.

“Yes,” the mother started to cry again. She leaned into her husband who pulled her closer.

“Would you give us a moment to converse?” Svanhild asked. The parents both nodded. She grabbed the picture off of the table and stood before she walked a few steps away from the parents so that she could speak with Bruce without being overhead.

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Past Sins

[startlingmetamorphosis]

the-underworlds-mercenary:

She watched as smoke started to billow out of the truck and nodded in approval. She wasn’t sure why the current issue for wizards was technology, but it was very useful at times. “They won’t leave the humans, but they aren’t above using them as hostages if needed.”

She ignored his comment about ‘White Court types’. She’d stopped identifying herself as one of them a very long time ago. “They do and there are several human gunman, but most of them are vampires.” She looked at several of them and she was fairly certain she recognized a few. “If I am correct on whose men they are, try not to feel fear.” She knew the patriarch. If she had a second chance at being a thorn in his side, she would take it.

“I appreciate that,” she told him. Being shot wasn’t as fatal to her as it was to humans, but she didn’t enjoy it and being injured when her only food source was an ally was always a bad idea. “Keep their attention for me. I’ll see you on the other side,” she told him before she vanished into the shadows of the warehouse. She didn’t want the others to see her sneaking around the shield and getting any ideas. 

A few minutes later, all eyes were still on the wizard when she started at the back of the group. She used the trucks for cover and climbed through the window and into the cab of the one that was smoking. “I don’t know what the hell happened man! That wizard just pointed and-” she reached over and punched the human across the face, knocking him out cold. She slide him across the seat so that she had access to his window. The wizard would be able to see her, but less than a third of the traffickers would. She slide out of the truck’s window and landed silently on her feet. She walked up behind the first vampire, dagger in hand. She wrapped one hand over his mouth and plunged the dagger through his back until she saw it poke out of his chest. She said a quick word and the dagger gave off a faint red glow for a moment before it dulled again. She lowered the vampire softly to the ground before she moved to take care of the next one. She hoped the wizard would maintain their attention.

Emotions could be a wizard’s best friend or worst enemy.  Often they could be used to power spells or allow them to keep fighting against an enemy when they had become worn out.  At the same time the same energy could easily get out of control.  The people in the trucks were going to be used as food so it didn’t surprise him that they were considered expendable, it just made him angry hearing it voiced.

“Fear is not the emotion you should be concerned about,” he said flatly.  “I will keep it in mind.”  He smiled slowly when she asked him to keep their attention.

Maintaining the shield was taking a toll on his reserves as was keeping the kinetic energy inside it contained.  He decided that it would serve as a decent distraction.  His right hand came up and he made a cutting motion across the length of the shield.  Bright green goo splashed out of the center of the shield drenching a good portion of the gunmen.  The shield dropped and a less powerful shield formed around him.  The spells he favored were nonlethal, but they were still highly effective.

It appeared that his companion wasn’t the only one that thought of sneaking around his shield.  He sensed the vampire moments before it struck.  It wasn’t much time, but it was enough to dodge the attack and move into a position where he could land a good punch.  Bruce wasn’t exactly the strongest person, but a little magic and he landed a one punch knockout.

The gunman had recovered from the surprise of having their guns disintegrate in their hands as well as some of their body armor.  He roared at them to get their attention as he raised his foot then stomped down heavily.  A modified spell made the ground shake momentarily then small cracks began to form spreading out toward the gunmen.  As promised he had their attention.

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Ariana was far back enough that the spray from the shield didn’t hit her, but it hit her next target. While he was still confused and trying to wipe the goo off of him, she reached over his shoulder, grabbed the quickly disintegrating strap from his firearm and pulled it back, choking him. This one was human. It took him a long moment to finally stop struggling and fall limp. When he was unconscious, she lowered him to the ground and moved to her next target. 

She looked at the wizard in time to see the vampire lunge at him. From this distance, there wasn’t much she could do but watch. She was relieved when he not only dodged the first attack, but was able to knock his opponent out of the fight. Good, the wizard could hold his own. 

When he roared, she knew from experience that he was probably drawing on his emotions for a spell and it was probably something big. She was able to jump in time to avoid to shockwave from his spell, but she saw several vampires stumble and watched all of the humans fall. She caught another vampire off balance and struggled silently with him for a long moment before she put her dagger through his throat. With another word of power, he stopped struggling permanently.

While the wizard kept their attention, she made her way back behind the burnt out truck and walked behind the middle group and to the other side of the empty truck. It’s engine was still running, but only barely. With all of this magic flying about, she didn’t imagine it lasting for very long. 

[harrypotterhousequotes]

RAVENCLAW: “Paranoia is a survival trait when you run in my circles. It gives you something to do in your spare time, coming up with solutions to ridiculous problems that aren’t ever going to happen. Except when one of them does, at which point you feel way too vindicated.” –Jim Butcher (Changes)

[darkdaze76]

Underworld (2003)

[night-dawn-day]

UNDERWORLD (2003) dir. Len Wiseman

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Past Sins

[startlingmetamorphosis]

the-underworlds-mercenary:

When the bullets started flying, she stepped closer to Bruce and got ready to raise her own shield encase his was overwhelmed. Hers wouldn’t be as large as his, but it would be enough to cover both of them. Sif knew that she didn’t want to have a dead wizard at the scene. 

When the bullets were not only stopped but destroyed, she relaxed and lowered her guard. When he gave her a warning, she rolled her eyes. “That wasn’t my first impulse,” she told him dryly. She watched as he mimed throwing something at the shield and the glob of green splattered on one of the gunmen. It was an interesting effect, but she noticed the error quickly. 

“Mind aiming one of those at the engine blocks? Tires can be swapped” she noted. If he was going to make sure he didn’t hurt anyone, then she wanted to make sure their prey wasn’t leaving. “And if you are squeamish about killing non-humans, I’m not. They are going to get wise eventually,” she warned. As she spoke, a couple more of the gunmen opened fire again and she sighed. “Eventually…” she noted through clenched teeth.

It took a little more effort for Bruce to form his shield out of water the way he had, but it was the water that shattered the bullets and it was holding onto their remaining kinetic energy until he wanted it released. For the time being it wasn’t difficult to channel energy into the shield and release it as needed.

When she asked him to take out the engine blocks he almost smiled. “Honestly, it’s more difficult for me to leave them running,” he said. The machinery was far too new to be around a wizard tossing spells for long. “I have a better spell for that.” He pointed the first two fingers of his right hand at the truck engine. “Spanner,” he said immediately the engine began making a high pitched squealing noise and smoke billowed off it.

He poured more energy into the shield when the gunmen opened fire again. “I’m not always sure with White Court types. They are the kind to use humans to do their dirty work,” he said. The First Law of Magic prohibited killing humans with the use of magic. The law that he had sworn to not only abide by, but enforce. On top of that a violation of that law with the use of magic affected the wizard on a deep level. He’d witnessed what the wizards that had become warlocks through such violations had done. It turned his stomach just thinking about it. He’d rather err on the side of caution. “I have no problems taking out nonhumans, I’m just not close enough to be sure of them. Have at it though. I can at least manage the guns for you.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

She watched as smoke started to billow out of the truck and nodded in approval. She wasn’t sure why the current issue for wizards was technology, but it was very useful at times. “They won’t leave the humans, but they aren’t above using them as hostages if needed.”

She ignored his comment about ‘White Court types’. She’d stopped identifying herself as one of them a very long time ago. “They do and there are several human gunman, but most of them are vampires.” She looked at several of them and she was fairly certain she recognized a few. “If I am correct on whose men they are, try not to feel fear.” She knew the patriarch. If she had a second chance at being a thorn in his side, she would take it.

“I appreciate that,” she told him. Being shot wasn’t as fatal to her as it was to humans, but she didn’t enjoy it and being injured when her only food source was an ally was always a bad idea. “Keep their attention for me. I’ll see you on the other side,” she told him before she vanished into the shadows of the warehouse. She didn’t want the others to see her sneaking around the shield and getting any ideas. 

A few minutes later, all eyes were still on the wizard when she started at the back of the group. She used the trucks for cover and climbed through the window and into the cab of the one that was smoking. “I don’t know what the hell happened man! That wizard just pointed and-” she reached over and punched the human across the face, knocking him out cold. She slide him across the seat so that she had access to his window. The wizard would be able to see her, but less than a third of the traffickers would. She slide out of the truck’s window and landed silently on her feet. She walked up behind the first vampire, dagger in hand. She wrapped one hand over his mouth and plunged the dagger through his back until she saw it poke out of his chest. She said a quick word and the dagger gave off a faint red glow for a moment before it dulled again. She lowered the vampire softly to the ground before she moved to take care of the next one. She hoped the wizard would maintain their attention.

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Shifter Hunting

[startlingmetamorphosis]

the-underworlds-mercenary:

“Thor is a prince. He walks among Midgardians, but he is not of them and he has his duties to Asgard,” Ariana said knowingly. To her, it was no surprise that he was a real person. She grew up knowing that he existed and listening to him strike his anvil and sending sparks through the sky.

“I must admit that I find it amusing that you are the most open to understanding such creatures. Usually, scientists are the least open to such things because they don’t understand them.”

Bruce nodded. “Apparently those duties include lots of fighting then celebrating then more fighting. Sometimes the celebrating leads to fighting,” he observed. He wasn’t being critical of Thor. They just had very different ways of thinking and doing things. “At least that’s what he likes to talk about.”

He was quiet for a moment as he pet the dog. “Before being caught in the explosion I was far more close minded. Since then I have seen a number of things that defy understanding by science alone. Though I fit it into science as much as I can, mostly working backwards because that’s how my mind works,” he said. “The truth is it’s hard to entirely dismiss the supernatural after I began seeing ghosts. No the others don’t know I see them and I have no plans to tell them.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

“Those were our kind of gatherings. Drinking and brawling. Kings joined everyone in celebrating the good fortune of the village. It was more fun than walking about and pretending to like everyone and being interested in whatever nonsense they had to say,” Ariana pointed out to Bruce.

“I would not tell them, even if I spoke with them,” Ariana told Bruce. He wasn’t the first person with abilities and she wasn’t going to expose him. She’d seen good reactions to such news, but she’d seen fatal ones as well. “If you don’t mind, I may ask you for your assistance on some cases.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

startlingmetamorphosis:

Victorian AU

Bruce hated these kinds of parties. His polite smile was forced and felt stuck on his face. The conversation was so boring he worried he’d fall asleep or worse begin saying what was on his mind. Finally he excused himself and managed to find an empty room that he could relax in for a moment.

He was happy to discover that the room he’d hidden in contained shelves and shelves of books. After a short look over the books he found one that interested him. It wouldn’t hurt if he spent a few moments in here reading before braving the party again.

He found a comfortable chair and sat down to read. At last he was enjoying himself.

Edith had been forced to attend this party because Susan insisted. She hated parties, especially parties in this era. There were about ten thousand rules and only about three of them made any sense. Chief among her issues was her inability to find people who didn’t mind her having thoughts of her own.

Susan had been guiding her about and introducing her to people, but after the fifth pointless conversation about absolutely nothing, she’d had enough and slipped away from Susan. She knew there was a library somewhere. At least in the library she would be alone and find something of sustenance to fill her time.

She was very pleased to find a book about folk lore that she hoped might teach her something new when she heard someone else enter the library. She peeked between the shelves and saw that it was, of course, a man. She sighed and debated staying at her place near the shelves when she noticed that she’d left her purse on a chair. Since her purse contained several daggers and a protective broach, she couldn’t simply abandon it. 

She confidently crossed the room and scooped up her bag. She knew she was shattering several etiquette rules and she felt a bit better. “Pardon me, sir. I didn’t realize someone else would be here.” She shifted her book from hand to hand as she picked up her purse and put it on her wrist. “I’ll be out of your way.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Tale of Two Bettys

[startlingmetamorphosis]

the-underworlds-mercenary:

Ariana understood Bruce’s pain and she wasn’t going to add to it if she could avoid it. He was clearly haven’t a difficult enough time without having to worry about offending her when she wasn’t going to be offended.

“Oh, her comment was meant more for me than you. The apologize were for me, as was the request. It seems both of them enjoy speaking their minds and why wouldn’t they?” she wondered, looking back to the woman. 

“Science?” Betty questioned. “At least you have a friend,” she smiled to both Ariana and Bruce. She knew well enough to know that immortality wasn’t the painless, beautiful existence that it seemed. 

Ariana patted her hand. She was glad that Betty wasn’t one to ask to be ‘saved’.

Ariana nodded to Bruce in a promise. “It will be done,” she told him. At his question, she looked to Betty, who shook her head. She looked back to Bruce and shook her head as well. They didn’t really serve anything she drank and even if they did, she wouldn’t have asked him to retrieve it. “No, thank you.”

Bruce nodded.  His conversational skills weren’t the best on a good day, but it had been a long while since he’s had a good day.  “Betty said it was one of the few perks of getting older,” he said.  “She could say whatever was on her mind and get away with it.”

He gave a one armed shrug.  “An accident during a science experiment,” he clarified.  “The details are a little complicated and some of them are still classified.”  He glanced at Ariana.  “It has been an interesting friendship to say the least.”

He knew that it was possible to use some elements of what he was to extend life or do thousands of other things. He also knew that there was no guarantee what else would happen.  When Betty started getting sick it was the first time he seriously entertained working it all out.  It was Betty who put a stop to it.  He knew she was right.  As difficult as all this was, this was her choice and he respected it.

He gave them a short nod of thanks.  “I won’t be long,” he said.  Once he was in the hallway he decided to go to the bathroom first.  After splashing some water on his face he felt somewhat better.  Then he made his way to the small waiting room and made some tea.  He almost laughed at himself when he noticed he automatically made a cup for Betty.  It was habit.  Then the thought struck him that he would probably keep making Betty tea for a very long time.

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Betty gave a soft laugh when Bruce told them what his wife had said about getting old. “It’s true,” she told him brightly.

“Who am I going to tell?” she asked and shrugged. Ariana couldn’t hide a small smile at that. Betty was facing death, but she wasn’t going to be terrified of it. She was confident in where she was going. That was why Ariana was here, after all. 

She looked up to Bruce when he mentioned their friendship. They had had a lot of ups and downs. There were a lot of times where she expected Bruce to say that enough was enough and never want to hear from her and her world again. He’d never turned his back on the world, even when it was overwhelming. “It has been and I am sure that won’t change,” she told assured him. He was losing the love of his life. She’d been through that and she would help him however she could.

“Take your time,” Ariana told him. 

They sat in the quiet for a few minutes before they continued their whispered conversation.

“I don’t want to leave you,” Betty admitted. 

“I know it isn’t personal. I know you miss them. They will be happy to see you again.”

“But I’ll never see you again.”

“Perhaps I’ll be allowed to visit. We won’t know until we ask,” she smiled to Betty. “But don’t worry for me. Go. Be with them. Sing until you can’t anymore.”

“I’ll like that,” Betty smiled.

“I know you will. I remember how you loved to sing.”

[startlingmetamorphosis]

Unique Problems

[startlingmetamorphosis]

the-underworlds-mercenary:

“You’d be sorely disappointed if you did, at least outside of your dreams,” Ariana told Bruce. It still amused her how uncomfortable he got over such subjects. She was fairly certain that he had never purposefully flirted with anyone in his whole life so she found it entertaining when he felt the need to explain himself to her.

“I’m Scandinavian,” she told him, side-stepping her first language. She had no idea how old she was when she went different places. “I’ve been many different places between then and now. I was in Chicago for a long while, but then was called back here. 

“I don’t even think about it there,” Bruce assured her.  He wasn’t trying to be rude it was just the truth which he hoped she would appreciate.  Often when he got confused or flustered in a conversation he became hyperlogical and translated what peole said even more literally than usual.  He knew that sometimes telling someone a fact was considered rude, it was one of those social conventions he didn’t understand.

“I went to Chicago once when I was a kid, my aunt took me to the Museum of Science and Industry.  It was fascinating, I really wanted to spend a week there so I could see everything,” he said.  At ths point he knew he was babbling.  “I should probably get that shower before my stink sinks into your carpet.”

[the-underworlds-mercenary]

Ariana gave a small laugh when Bruce assured her that he didn’t think of her in any kind of romantic context. “So we are clear, I never thought you did and I do not think of you in such ways either,” she assured him.

“Ah, the museum. Yes, I was there when it was part of the White City before it was re-purposed a few years ago,” Ariana told him. She knew that had been several years ago, but she didn’t think it was so long ago that it would be incriminating. “Anyhow, yes, please do shower. I’m sure we have food here as well.”