[Dial tone]

[Pickup]

ROSLYN: You've reached the Love and Luck Podcast.

[Music]

[Beep]

[Hangup]

[Beep]

KANE: Hey honey, just letting you know that Helen's here. I've set her up in the lounge for now since the spare rooms are still a day or two away from being ready. She only has, like, a backpack worth of stuff, so I've told her I'll buy her a few things at some point. Which reminds me, I'm probably heading out to look at beds today for the new rooms, so if I'm not here when you get up, that's probably where I am. Victor's going to be here this arvo though, so it's all good.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

KANE: [Quietly] Holy shit, Jason. Beds are fucking expensive!! I'm at the store now and I've been looking at these things, and like, fuck! I think I might just come home and scour gumtree for freebies or something. Yikes.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

KANE: So, uh, I think I just did magic by accident. I was looking over the doonas and pillows and stuff before I headed out, thinking about how expensive it all was and how I could really use a break, right? Well... I think I threw that feeling a little harder than intended, because the sales lady came over and chatted with me for a bit, and told me I could pretty much take anything in the section I was looking at for like, 80% off. Then on top of that, she gave me a bunch of freebies that were just slightly off or whatever so they couldn't be sold full price and were probably going to be turfed for like a buck or two anyway.

So, uh... yeah. Now I've got a huge trolley full of manchester that I paid barely any money for. So... I guess I'll get home... somehow. I mean, I won't be able to fit all this on a tram. So I guess I'll get an uber or something.

Well, anyway! We're set for blankets and pillows now, at least!

[Hangup]

[Beep]

[Drill sounds in background]

KANE: Okay, so you're still not up yet, which, good job on that since Bruce isn't exactly using a silent drill on our walls right now.

Anyway... I did another magic, again, kind of accidentally. I was chatting with my uber driver on the way home about the new rooms and why I was bringing home mountains of manchester, and told her about how beds are fucking expensive, right? While I was telling her that, I was feeling kind of frustrated - like all I want are some decent beds for crashers, you know, why is that so difficult? I was idly dreaming about stumbling across some beds on the side of the road or something while I chatted to her about it.

And I guess I threw it a bit, or maybe it was just genuine luck, because it turns out she actually has two spare beds that she's been planning to get rid of for a while, but hasn't gotten around to yet. She gave me her number and said that I can have them for free if I come pick them up in the next couple of days.

So... mountain of manchester for basically no money, and beds where the only expense is getting them from there to here. Pretty good, although I wish I'd been a little more deliberate with the magic. Because I am pretty sure it was magic.

Maybe this is a side effect from our practise? We're becoming more accustomed to using it, and our magic muscles are more exercised, so it becomes sort of... automatic? That's... mildly concerning, I don't like the idea of not being fully in control of it. But it's not like this stuff has been harmful, or changing anything, it's just been... well, lucky.

Anyway. I love you, and I'll see you when you get up.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

JASON: Hey babe, I hope you're sleeping well. Bruce only just headed home - I think he's happy to be nearly done with our renovations and enjoyed getting to hang out for a while, heh.

I was chatting with him about the beds and he said he'd be happy to help us pick them up, no charge. He'll be back tomorrow anyway, so he'll chat with you about it then. I said we could throw a few bucks his way for it, but he refused - said we're doing good stuff and he's happy to help out. He's glad to know that if something happened to him or his ex wife, there's at least once place his kid can go where they'd be be welcome and not forced back into the closet. I suspect we will be meeting said kid at some point in future, hah.

It probably doesn't hurt that he has a soft spot for Helen, too. Although, I say that as if we don't all have a soft spot for Helen already.

Love you, see you tomorrow.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

KANE: Hey honey, we called the uber lady and Bruce is here, so we're actually going to go pick up the beds, like, now. Not sure how long it will take us, but if you're up before we get back, that's why we haven't moved Helen into her room yet - we're about to bring back some stuff that we're going to shove into it first.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

JASON: Hey, so I made an offhand comment to Helen about the incoming beds and how nice it will be that she'll have her own bed and room by tonight, and she had a little freakout about it. Not like, something we need to change anything for or anything, she's just... [Sighs] She's got some awful self esteem.

She kept saying that she'd be bringing bad luck on the bar or something by being here. I tell you, I really wanted to tell her that luck wasn't exactly something we ever had to worry about but... I don't think we're in any position to tell anyone else about our magic stuff yet. We'd just sound like nutcases.

I think she's been through a much rougher time in the last couple of years than she's let on to us. I told her that we'd look after her and it was okay that she's here, and I mean, she seemed to accept it, but she kept apologising and I just... fuck, you know? I hate that she feels so insecure about this. I wish I could do more to make her feel more comfortable here.

I soothed her a bit... magically, because, fuck, I am not nearly as good at comforting people naturally like you are. She's calmed down now, but I think maybe you should talk to her when you get home. You're a lot better at this than I am.

[Hangup]

[Beep]

JASON: Hey gorgeous. It's 2am and it's dead quiet downstairs, especially since Helen's all moved into her new room.

I keep going to say you're magical in the way that you comfort people but, well... [chuckles]. I mean, you're good at it even outside of magic. She really seemed a lot more upbeat about stuff when she went to bed tonight. I hope we can make her feel safer as time goes by, too. I think some stability will go a long way for her.

And... I think stability is something we can and will be offering her, actually. I feel like she might be with us for the long haul, you know? I don't have anything real to base that on other than a feeling but... I don't know. Having her here feels different from when we had Victor, or Sarah or Mira.

Anyway. I love you, you're perfect and beautiful, and I'll see you tomorrow.

[Hangup]

[Music]

ROSLYN: Love and Luck is written by Erin Kyan, and produced by Passer Vulpes Productions. Kane is voiced by Lee Davis-Thalbourne. Jason is voiced by Erin Kyan. Credits spoken by Roslyn Quin. Recorded by Kermie Breydon.

For more information about Love and Luck, check out our website, loveandluckpodcast.com. You can also find us on facebook as Love and Luck Podcast, and follow us on twitter, at @LoveLuckPodcast.