Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from Rise of the Guardians series or movie rights and so on.
Happy First of April, folks!
As it turned out, Groundhog was alternatively relieved and anxious to host his allies' meetings.
"And this… Mokele-mbembe… is how large, exactly?" he asked Jack again, while Pitch was examining how long it took for Groundhog's spring sunlight to penetrate the layer of ice on his hand and pink his fingers. Eros was taking notes with an uncommonly serious expression.
"She's pretty big," Jack replied unhelpfully, "But I think she's got some kind of alternate form that lets her hide in smaller places, since she said she can fit through the average doorway with a little 'hocus pocus.'"
"The Iele is house-trained?"
Pitch snorted and Eros prodded him with an admonishment to focus on the experiment.
"She… Doesn't set things on fire when she walks," the winter sprite offered, and Groundhog groaned. A light frown settled over Jack's face, "We haven't been able to get ahold of her, though. 'A clearing in Romania' isn't really easy to locate, so she won't be with us for now."
Noting his partner's uncharacteristic pensive silence, Pitch withdrew his hand and carefully circumnavigated the nearest glowing globe. Ignoring Eros' irritable mutterings as he closed his notebook, Pitch asked bluntly, "What's wrong?"
"Just feels funny having the first meeting of our friendship bootcamp without all the players," Jack shrugged flippantly, but the crease in his brow belied his words.
"There's someone at the door," Groundhog interjected when no one had an easy reply to Jack's statement, "I'll get it." The large, furred spirit shuffled away from the awkward and moments later a shriek returned from the direction he'd vanished.
Exchanging glances, the other three ran for the door. Groundhog was getting up from the floor and grumbling as a seven foot long, mud brown crocodile chuffed to itself in the doorway.
"Is that you, Akela?" For a moment, Jack's toes brushed the floor in a cautious drift forward.
"Yes," she huffed as her laughter quietly continued.
"She snapped at me," Groundhog grunted with a wounded air, crossing burly forearms over his chest, "What kind of culture uses threatening gestures as a greeting?"
"Mine," Akela supplied without a break in the chuffing.
The furred one shot a glare at the scaled one, "Just backwards, that is."
"You really look like a crocodile," Jack murmured, moving a hand through the air above her like a skeptic looking for strings.
"Right now," she said in that voice like rocks grinding against each other, "I am."
"Huh," Jack's hand returned to his staff and questions fell from his mouth, expertly and concisely batted back by the long crocodile as she waddled in and Jack closed the door behind her.
"At least, he's been distracted from his mood," Pitch muttered, and Groundhog bit back a laugh without thinking about it, almost making a reply before remembering who had just made that comment. His skin paled under his fur and he just nodded in silence.
They watched Jack and Akela interacting for a while, Eros muttering something about mass conservation and scribbling madly in his notebook, and some of the renewed tension bled away from Groundhog at the continued lack of violence. He glanced at Pitch's face and his eyebrows rose at the almost fond expression directed at an oblivious Jack. He forgot to look away before Pitch caught his stare and scowled, tucking away the previous emotion as if he'd like to pretend it hadn't been there. Groundhog neutrally and calmly fled to Jack's side.
"So, if we're all here, shouldn't we get about business, then?" He interrupted, and Akela blinked as Jack gave a slow nod.
"Yeah, we got a little off track, there," Jack agreed, and Groundhog directed their party into his dining room, dragging the table away with Eros and Jack's help in order to accommodate Akela's current height- or lack there of.
"There are a few matters we need to discuss," Pitch began calmly when they were all settled in a strange partial circle of chairs and crocodile. The extra chairs served as a buffer between Pitch and Groundhog, but sitting directly beside Akela was a little nerve-wracking for the Spring spirit, as well. "We need to find out more about this coming darkness and its intentions to ascertain whether to fight it or join it, but we must also prepare ourselves for the worst case scenario, where both sides are pitted against us. In this vein, I suggest we focus on mainly on creating and maintaining our defensive capabilities, and formulate a way to contact one another in case of emergency." Beside him, Jack rolled his eyes at the overly formal tone.
"Won't it be more likely that we get swept up in it because one side or the other is damaging something important, than that we somehow piss off both sides? I mean, there's only, like," Jack paused for a mental tally, "six of us, and we can't even contact that Iele."
"It's important to be prepared for the worst," Groundhog put in, reluctant to side with Pitch on anything, "Even if it seems ridiculous. Better safe than sorry. I'm not really a combat specialist, though, so I'm not sure what I can contribute."
"Your skills in trapping and fortification are well refined," Pitch's fingers laced together and rested on one knee, "You've almost caught me in the past."
"That was from running on sheer desperation," Groundhog grumbled, conflicted due to the source of the compliment, "I couldn't turn around without you popping up and demanding to know what I'd heard last."
"Yes, well," Pitch's gaze slid momentarily to Jack before he re-focused, "Yes. Your information network will come in handy, as well."
He couldn't stop himself from getting in at least one jab. "For more than stalking nonexistent spirits, this time." When Pitch's fingers tightened around one another to the point of turning white, Jack 'surreptitiously' brushed his arm and Eros tactfully intervened.
"I can screw with attackers' heads!" He volunteered cheerily.
"I bite off heads," Akela replied dryly, and Eros pouted.
The subject was resisting change, so Jack jumped in with, "I freeze things."
"I drench things," Akela acknowledged.
"I can shoot things," Eros plucked at his bow string.
Recognizing some of the blame for this impromptu bragging session lay with him, Groundhog offered, "I suppose I can brighten things."
"I confuse things," Akela gave a reptilian smirk.
"I make things fun," Jack laughed, getting into the game of it.
"I make love bloom," Eros cooed, batting his eyelashes and taking Jack's hand.
"I object to that," Pitch pulled Jack's arm out of Eros' reach, and Jack laughed before he could stop himself, Eros beginning to giggle along.
"I second the motion," Jack agreed, still laughing.
"Motion carries," Akela near-purred.
For a moment, it was quiet as the laughter came to a natural end, and Groundhog scratched the fur on his jaw thoughtfully. "Can you really second an objection?"
"I don't think so," Pitch replied automatically, and Groundhog gave an acknowledging grunt. The rest of the group stared at the two when fire, brimstone, and tension were not forthcoming. Wearing on, the silence lasted until Pitch snapped, "We can be civil!"
"Never said otherwise," Eros replied quickly.
A groan was drawn from Jack at the renewed cold war, "This is going to take a lot of work, isn't it?"
Eventually, the discussion picked up again as the group finalized plans for fortifying Groundhog's home.
"Even if all this doesn't work out," Groundhog had mumbled to Akela when the debate over ice spikes or a moat got heated, "At least my den will be safer than Bunnymund's booby-trapped warren." The spirit disguised as a crocodile rumbled in amused agreement.
They talked about hidden weapons, strengthening doors and putting in careful flaws in the structural integrity of a few tunnels. They argued over the merits and lifespan of Jack's ice, or the presence of Pitch's smaller Fearlings being scattered throughout the base. Eros suggested imbuing certain objects with his own concoctions, but Groundhog worried he'd pick up a mug and fall in love with the window. Finally, they exhausted the topic, and, unable to find a method of communication everyone agreed on – Pitch's Fearlings were out for a few reasons - broached the subject of their missing member.
"I'm not sure how to contact the Iele," Jack admitted, "and I'm sure she'll be upset to have missed the first meeting."
"I have links to the fey in that area. They gave me a place where I can meet them and parlay." Eros' body rippled, shifting from a fit male to a curvy, almost plump female, who made his gaudy outfit look downright sinful. She pressed a finger to her lips, whispering, "But it's a s-e-c-r-e-t, and no men are allowed in!" Eros turned towards Akela and tapped her nose, "Just you and me."
Akela shuffled in what felt like a shrug, "I will go."
Jack had been a little worried about bringing the Iele's wrath down on himself for not 'inviting her to the next club meeting' or whatever her mind interpreted it to be. "Thanks, Eros, Akela."
"I didn't know you could do that," Pitch remarked disinterestedly, having half-tuned out the conversation as soon as the Iele came up.
"What, this old thing?" Eros smirked, arching her back for a sensual stretch, "I don't discriminate, you know?"
The Boogeyman rolled his eyes, "Alright, don't explain how it works, then."
"A lady's gotta have her secrets," Eros returned demurely.
"Then it's settled," Jack said, "We'll start setting up some of what we talked about."
April Fool's paragraph removed! See italic.