Xaviers!

Inside, Brand and Tereza are still in the other room, but she gets the sense that Brand's close to done and Tereza's brain is mostly just trying not to be bored from sitting. "Are you sure you don't want more detail than this?"

"No, this is good."

"I'm back," she says, pulling the wine cooler from the paper bag as she heads over.

"I remembered your favorite drink," she deadpans.

Tereza glances in her direction and her face mock-sours, "I believe you have me confused with our partner." She chuckles and Brand chides her, "Stay still." "Sorry."

Tereza's new tattoo appears to be almost done. It's all in black and stylized, but the idea is very clear to Sam. A raven, or the idea of a raven spreads its wings along and just under collar bone. It either clutches or morphs into a sword along her breastbone, but even that's stylized enough that it could be either. The design is simple and significant all at once.

"I wouldn't do that to you," she chuckles and sets down the wine cooler, then sets the miniature bottle of vodka beside it.

"Guess we had similar ideas..."

"Well, someone put me back together. She needed to be remembered," Tereza says with a soft smile.

"This is more than just remembering me," she says, gently tracing Tereza's shoulder.

"I think I felt this from across the bloody street."

"Oh," Tereza said, "Just a moment of inspiration when the opportunity came up. Glad to know you like it. I was a little worried."

"You two need a moment?" Brand smirks.

"If I'm putting wolves on my shoulders, you're more than welcome to my wings, love."

"Figured it would be nice to have something of you and Viv on me."

"I think we're both settling in to the idea that we're going to be in each other's lives a long time."

"It's good to have someone you can count on," Brand says, moving in to put on a few finishing touches. As the last few finishing touches are put in place, Sam feels that tug again.

"Aye, that's... that's definitely what I was feeling."

"Not unpleasant, mind you. Feels... right, if anything."

"Yeah, it does," Tereza comments, her irises washing to gold briefly before they fade back.

"Well, I don't know about all that, but it's done. More work on Sam's now or what?"

"I think I've got it in me to sit awhile longer for mine. Tereza can drink and make fun of me," she laughs.

"Well, after bringing a wine cooler, I think you sort of deserve it," Tereza says, getting up and out of the way.

Once Sam is back in position, Brand gets back to work. It's getting late into the night when Brand shakes out her hand, "I could probably do some more shading and refining, but might be better to let your back rest and finish it tomorrow."

"Don't push yourself, I don't want to be greedy when you're doing this as a favor."

"No concern there," Brand says, heading towards the main room and grabbing a beer and dropping onto the couch. "It's your first. It should be good. And I want to make sure you're happy with it."

"Brand's good people that way," Tereza says, arranging a chair so Sam can join them without resting on her tattoo.

"And I really do like it so far," she says, grabbing a beer for herself as she goes over to sit down again.

"These two keep me balanced," she says, canting her head to each shoulder.

"See, if we'd brought the car, we could just say 'screw it' and drive to Wales tomorrow evening."

"That sure you've got it fixed up, are you?"

"Of course not. I'm not Brand." Tereza chuckles.

"Well, no one is but me. Thank fuck for that."

"Won't be too long before the great road trip. I suppose we're going to tease her until she gets some ink of her own?"

"Maybe," Tereza chuckles, "Her ideas might be kind of out there."

"I can work with 'out there'. Same offer goes for her. Friends of Glacier are friends of mine."

"She's... kind of at a right-angle to the rest of the world, but in a pleasant way."

The evening moves on, though at some point the beer runs out and Brand volunteers to go get more. As per typical, Tereza isn't even showing the slightest signs of anything she's been drinking. "It looks good," Tereza says, running her hand along Sam's back, but being careful not to touch the actual tattoo.

"One more way to pin down who I want to be, aye?"

"Something we're all working on and redefining," she says, leaning down to kiss the back of Sam's neck.

"And I know it's hard to get you to believe this, but you're helping. A lot."

"Just not used to being helpful," Tereza says, "But I know what you mean. Just always second-guessing what I want to be too." Her fingers continue wandering, "And what I want us to be."

"And what do you want us to be? You get a say in that."

"As hard as it is for me to say or believe is possible... I kind of want forever or at the very least a long time. For all three of us and whoever else is a part of our weird potential family."

"It's... frightening sometimes, how close we grew, and how fast we did it."

"I don't know how to give you forever. But I know how to give you another day, and another and another."

"That's good enough," Tereza says, moving around so she can kiss Sam properly.

"Sure we're not going to scandalize Brand when she inevitably walks in?" She smirks once their lips part.

"At worst, she'd tell us to get a room," Tereza laughs. "Why? Fancying the older woman?" She teases back.

"Trying to be a good guest," she laughs.

"Especially when I've got half a tattoo left to do."

"Well, I'm not necessarily suggesting we do it right here. This place is a two-bedroom flat," she grins, still in full on teasing mode, "Of course, if the alcohol's messed with your head and you don't want to move..."

"It'll take more than a couple of beers to get me that drunk," she laughs.

"So we should wait until Brand gets back and you get good and properly, 'dreadfully pagan'?"

"It's like you want me to misbehave," she smirks as she straightens up.