2018.03.19:WelcomeToTheWeird
| Welcome to the Weird | |
|---|---|
| Lucy finds out her world is even weirder than she thought | |
| IC Date | March 9th, 2018 |
| IC Time | Late Evening |
| Players | Lucy, Nascha, George, Journey |
| Location | The Curry Corner |
| Prp/Tp | None |
| Spheres | Gaian Garou |
| Theme Song | Guns n Roses - Welcome to the Jungle |
Nascha is sitting. She's been here a while, working on little bits and bobs of jewelry and chatting with Shashi, laughing here and there and sometimes silent, and other times just sort of staring off into space. That happens sometimes. Currently, she's finishing up a pretty little piece of bead work. It's a bracelet with a white background and yellow stars, outlined in black. She's been working on it for weeks. It isn't the kind of thing she normally does, really, but that's where she's at. She finishes it and smiles, looking it over, and heads up to the counter to show Shashi.
It's been a hell of a day. Lucy spent most of it turning in applications and resumes at several businesses -- everything from offices to food service, to janitorial. She'd been about to head home, when something struck her. She was -hungry-. She hadn't eaten since noon, easily, and she's been on her feet and active for most of the day, having opted to leave the car parked at her apartment to save on gas. So she set out to find a place to get some grub -- of course, when she was prepared to step into no less than three other establishments, something just...felt horribly off in the pit of her stomach, and she is so very loathe to deny her instincts -- even moreso nowadays!
It wasn't until she arrived here at the Curry Corner, and paused by the door, even going so far as to step inside and wait a few moments, before committing to stepping inside, that she found herself faced with the lack of that 'wrong' feeling. Her insides have been telling her all SORTS of things lately -- for reasons she feels woefully unequipped to explain, especially to herself. She steps inside and moves to sit down at the bar at first, settling in and sighing happily as she takes a load off of her poor feet, which have been performing duties even greater than she normally expects of them today! After a long moment, she has a look around the shop, and offers a friendly smile to...well, the few people who seem to be either eating, or hanging out here.
It's pretty much just Shashi and Nascha this time of night. Eating curry this late for most people is just a BAD idea. Nascha flicks her blue/black hair over her shoulder. It's the color of black that pretty much only Native Americans can achieve naturally and plenty of people pay good money to approximate. She slides the bracelet onto her hand and holds it out for Shashi. "What do you think? I was working a while back and I just set everything down and went for this one. It's yellow with a little orange around it, right? I'd be so mad if I put all this work into it and the... color... wasn't... right."
Nascha's been having dreams again. Little fitful things that wake her up and terrify her sometimes. Lately, they've been becoming more pleasant, but still quite pervasive and has resulted in a more tired than usual Nascha. Her eyes roam around the room and a slight frown creases her brow. There's SOMETHING here. It's a feeling she knows well - sometimes Gaia screams at her, sometimes she whispers. This is a whisper. Her eyes light on the new girl and she slides over just a little bit to make more room
Lucy hmmns. She was trying to decide what to order, when...she's not really sure -why-, but there's this intense wave of familiarity that comes crashing over her. The odd-eyed young woman tilts her head to one side, finding herself...momentarily peering at Nascha. When she realizes she'd been outright staring, she forces herself to tear her eyes away, to look at the menu once more...and yet, that feels wrong somehow. Her expression wrenches up and she finds herself wishing she could somehow talk to her insides so they could stop playing this wretched game of hot and cold, but she chides herself just seconds later. After all, if not for that, she'd still be suffering nightmares from now until the end of time, she figures.
Exhaling deeply, she lifts her mismatched gaze in hues of lavender and teal, and casts them about the room once more...just in time to spy the Native American woman...sliding over. Her legs twitch, a compulsion rising inside of her. She swallows audibly, and then freezes. That face. She has seen this girl before. Something...somehow...moves her, and she stirs within, slipping off of her stool, still holding the menu securely in her left hand, as she approaches the section of the bar where she is currently, stopping just a foot or two away, biting her lower lip. A quiet sigh escapes her and she shakes her head slowly -- deciding to risk seeming crazy. "I, ah. Would...it be alright...if I joined you here?"
Whisper whisper little sister...... Nascha frowns slightly and toys with the bracelet on her hand and turns her gaze to Lucy, just in time to see her looking away. Her expression smooths out and actually, when Lucy approaches, her dark gaze is locked firmly on the other woman's. "Please," she says, breaking her eyes from Lucy's face to skim over her head to toe. She slips the bracelet off her hand and slides it over to Lucy. "Have you eaten today?" She motions toward Shashi and her gaze lingers there for a long moment.
Lucy sort of...finds herself staring for a long moment, into those gentle brown eyes. Her mismatched gaze is full of confusion, but there's something else there -- as if she somehow recognizes Nascha but is trying to figure out -how-. She nods slowly, nervously, before moving to sit down next to her...only to glance down at the bracelet that is slid over to her. "Not for a good eight hours. I...recently moved to the area...I've been putting in applications just about everywhere I've gone for the past ten or so hours." She bites her lower lip once more, holding it between her front teeth for a long moment before leaning towards the countertop a touch further, examining the bracelet more closely. "Ah, um...did you make this? It's really lovely..."
Nascha is also staring and she isn't quite sure why. "You look very familiar," Nascha tells her in her gentle voice. It's pitched lower than your average woman, a little rough, but tender nonetheless. "Shashi, can you get her something to eat, please?" She reaches out, offering her hand to the girl. "My name is Nascha Smith. Originally from the reservations out in New Mexico. I've been here for the last couple of years, but I've travelled all over. You aren't a local though. I can tell by your accent and ... well, and you told me, I guess." She glances down at the bracelet and she nods. "I did. Do you like it? I've felt like I was making it FOR someone. Maybe it was you."
Lucy sits there, gazing at the bracelet, and then back up at Nascha's face -- why can she not place her? Is she the one she's been getting glimpses of in her dreams? She takes that hand, gently, in her own -- though despite her efforts at a gentle grip, her fingers and hands seem just a touch on the strong side. Her hands are calloused, not visibly, but one can -feel- them. Her knuckles feel scuffed, like a brawler's. "I...yeah. I get that sense about you, too. This might sound crazy, but...I feel kind of like...I've seen you in my dreams." She definitely sounds crazy now -- she can't help herself, though. Something about this young woman makes her want to spill her guts.
"I see. Um. It's nice to meet you, Nascha. My name's Lucy. Lucy Morgan. I moved here from Illinois." She nods a little. "I do, actually. It's lovely." She blinks. "...seriously? Okay this is weird..." She chews on her lower lip for a moment, considering carefully. "I came out here hoping to find answers," she starts, tentatively.
Nascha's hands are pretty similar. Nascha is not new to hard work. Her hands are rough and when rough meets rough in such a sensitive area, it can be almost soothing, can't it? To know that you aren't the only girl in the world who's had to work hard. Nascha's hand lingers just a little bit too long and with Lucy's words, she finally lets go. "Answers... when you aren't even sure of the question?" It seems like something one should laugh at, but Nascha seems almost sympathetic, like she KNOWS how that feels. "I'm ...." She glances up. "Shashi.. do you have that ...." Shashi nods. "Just a second."
Shashi nods and looks under the counter before noding over at the door to the back room "She checks out, you want me to text the boss?"
Lucy shakes her head slowly, not seeming to mind as that grip goes on just a touch too long. "Yeah, I know, it sounds crazy..." She looks up at Shashi when Nashca speaks to her, and tilts her head slightly to one side, quizzically. She doesn't ask, though -- not right away. "But...for all my life I've felt like something was -wrong-. Like I was somehow out of place. Everything just...was disjointed, stilted...like I was living a false life. An actor in a play. I don't know, but it kept me up at night, a lot. Then I started having nightmares. Awful nightmares. Saw doctors, shrinks, tried cutting midnight snacks, you name it." She trails off for a moment -- when Shashi speaks up, she glances back at her, seeming perplexed. "I...check out...?" She looks back to Nascha, now thoroughly baffled.
"Give it a second, Shashi, but yes." Nascha's voice takes on a slightly different tone. A little more sure, maybe not QUITE as friendly, but just as gentle, if not more so. "Doesn't sound so crazy. How about you and I go to the back room back here. I'm a member here. I think I know exactly what's going on." She slides off her stool and offers her hand, palm up. "Let's go back here and I'll explain, okay?"
Lucy lifts her head, as Nascha slips off of her stool, her mismatched eyes widening a touch as she reaches out and takes that hand and slides off of her stool as well. She leaves the menu behind on the countertop, though she does pick up the bracelet, though the gesture seems less-than-conscious. "It doesn't," she finally asks. Nodding slowly, she glances towards the door to the back room. "Well...alright. I'll follow you." Is this why everywhere else felt wrong? Is this why she wound up here? She isn't sure...but part of her is starting to feel like she just might find out what is going on with her, here.
Nascha leads the way to the back, releasing Lucy's hand from her own once they're back here. "This will be a lot of information," she warns her in that same kind, gentle tone. "It will sound both unbelievable and, if I'm right, absolutely correct all at the same time. You may cry. You may laugh. Who.. who really knows what's going to happen, but you, right here, in this room, are perfectly safe and you are absolutely in the right spot. Okay?"
Lucy follows Nascha back into the room beyond the public, glancing back at the door as they pass through it and it draws shut behind them. She returns her mismatched eyes to the Native American woman's face, nodding slowly. "If you can shed any light on...why I've been going through all this, with what's...I don't know...going on inside of me...I would be so grateful. I don't care if it's a serious information dump, I...I can take it. I just...I need to know. Please. Thank you...so much..." She clasps her hands before her body, atop her stomach. At this point, she's ready to hear almost anything -- the nightmares, while having softened a great deal since she made it to California, were wretched and a great deal of the imagery is etched into her memory.
Avani brings over a basket of fresh Naan and a pot of tea and asks "Milk? Honey? Got some paneer just about ready too."
Nascha nods and she takes a breath and lets it out slowly, leading them both to a place to sit, sort of out of the way. "There is a man coming whose name is George. He's a friend. Big scary guy to look at, but he's on our side." She nods to Avani. "Load us up, please. And be ready to keep the drinks coming, for sure." She turns her attention back to Lucy. "You and I are related, in a way. Sisters. Just not by blood. We are part of a very special type of person, warriors for the spirit named Gaia. I know this sounds ridiculous and .. cultish, even.. but you can walk out that door at any time, but you won't get the answers you're looking for. Do you understand this?"
Lucy follows Nascha over to sit down. "A man named George. Scary, but he's...on our side? Our side?" She repeats, confused by the concept, but she doesn't press any further yet -- she gives the other woman time to explain, settling in, though she does look up at Avani. "...thank you." Her mismatched gaze is returned to Nascha's face, and her expression wrenches a little, her right eyebrow knotting up as she hums slightly. "Warriors for the spirit...named Gaia? Mother Earth, basically?" She shakes her head a little. "...yeah, it does, but you know what, so does moving across the country because you feel out of place and have been having nightmares. I'm in no position to judge. I don't care how crazy it sounds, I want to hear you out, completely." She shakes her head once more, a touch more adamantly, "So I don't intend to go anywhere until you're done."
Nascha nods to Lucy and folds her hands into her lap. "Mother Earth is a good starting point, yes. You and I are both kin to the Garou - shapeshifters, wolves specifically." She continues before there can be any interruption. "And while there is SOME resemblance to what you see in pop culture, that's like saying that a tennis ball and a grape are both green - yes, indeed they are, but there is also a lot more."
Lucy pauses at that, but doesn't say anything at first. She simply nods, until Nascha finishes -- it's not until there's a moment of quiet, before she asks her next question. "Alright, so...kin to...Garou? Which are...shapeshifters...who take the form of wolves?" She considers this for a moment, worrying her lower lip between her teeth, soaking in that thought. "Well...huh. Um." She lifts her right hand, rubbing the bridge of her nose between her right thumb and index finger. "I, ah. Well. I'm not sure. But I can't just write that off, either, given what I've seen in...nightmares. And dreams. It's...just too much coincidence for it to be random."
Nascha nods, moving over to take a seat if she hasn't already and motioning for Lucy to do the same. "It's a lot. And it's completely unbelievable on one hand, but might make perfect sense on the other. It's hard to deal with. But I've been there for a lot of people, just like you, who have had much harsher introductions to this world." Her tone is still soft, but holds some authority as well. Clearly,s he knows what she's talking about.. or she's making a bunch of shit up and she's just really good at that. "George will be here in just a moment. Do you have any immediate questions so far?"
Lucy settles in with Nascha, leaning back in her seat once that's said and done. She shakes her head slowly. "Yeah. Honestly, if it wasn't for...everything that dragged me out here, the nightmares, the bloody hot and cold game my...I'm not even sure what to to call it, has been playing with me, and then the string of coincidences that led me here today...well, you know? Like I said, it...seems like coincidence, but feels more like, I dunno. Providence? Is that the word?" She sighs and rubs her face for a moment. "I just don't know how to process it, you know? Like, why here? I know there was a time, generations ago, my family lived in this region, but that doesn't make a lot of sense as to why I'd feel out of place in Illinois? Or..." She trails off and leans forward to rest her head in her hands. "I just don't know."
George comes in from the front, already sipping on a glass of bubble tea as he saunters along casually. He's got a messenger bag slung cross ways and a baseball cap on backwards, looking every inch the generic street courier till the door closes. Then he straightens subtly as elements of his public persona fall away. Nascha wasn't kidding, he's a big guy and pretty built looking. Plus there's something primal in how he carries himself once he's out of the public veiw. Not dangerous exactly but not...tame. He offers Nascha a smile as he comes over to join the table, just in time for Avani to come back with the basket of little fried cubes of spiced paneer "Evening Ladies."
"I would have chosen Serendipity, myself, rather than providence, but that works too." She gives the girl a smile and a nod. "Because there's something SPECIAL about Prospect. No one can quite put their finger on it, but it's true. It's absolutely true. I've left twice and I always come back, because even though this isn't where I'm born, this is my home." She reaches out to give the girl's hand a light pat and then glances over as George comes in and she rises, waving for Lucy to stay where she is. "Mocks-the-Dark-rhya, this is Lucy. Due to a bizarre set of circumstances, we have come to discover, and it has been verified that she is a kinfolk, but she knows nothing about it. I wanted you here, Elder, before I told her too much."
Lucy nods a little, at that. "Yeah, that works, too. Huh...special? About this area? I..." She pauses and nods slowly. "I kinda...get that? Is that weird? Hh, bloody hells, it -all- sounds weird." She hears the movement before she sees George -- in fact, his voice is the first thing she -really- notices. Her head lifts as he speaks and she turns her head slowly to look up at him. No kidding, he IS big. And...incredibly well built, too. She shrinks down into her seat just a touch, for a moment, nodding and offering him a somewhat shaky smile, while letting Nascha speak. She mouths the world 'Elder'? but doesn't say anything vocally, just...taking that thought in. She seems confused as Nascha rises, and then gestures for her to stay seated. She doesn't really say anything at first -- she doesn't even know -what- to say, all things told...so she glances back and forth between them, with those mismatched eyes in lavender and teal.
George nods at Nascha and grins at Lucy "Hell of a time yeah? I'm called George, George Andrews more often than any of my other names. Elder's a rank in garou society rather than saying I'm old. Only in my twenties so far." He reaches out and snags one of the paneer cubes and offers "You haven't broken down sobbing or run screaming into the night yet so you're doing well so far."
Nascha smiles and scoots over in her seat so that George can join her over on her side, so poor Lucy doesn't have to be smooshed in. "Yes, exactly. So far, George, I've told her little more than that she and I are kin to Gaia's Warriors, who are shapeshifters of the wolves. She's been having dreams.. and so have I. I think that this was destined to happen here, tonight."
Lucy nods slowly at that. "Yeah, no joke." She rubs her face and forces herself to lean back, taking a deep breath and relaxing slowly. "I, ah. Hmmn. It's nice to meet you, George. And....ah. Oh. Well. That's good to know, thank you. I promise, I wasn't trying to be disrespectful or nothing, I've just...well, when you, uh...well...when I hear the term 'Elder', I immediately think to like, wise old sages." She rubs her face, her cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment. "Hah. Yeah, no -- like I was telling Nascha here, I don't intend to go anywhere until I at least...well, understand what the hell is going on with me. And honestly, given the situation, I'm...not inclined to disbelieve what she's told me so far, no matter how crazy or outlandish it sounds. In fact, I'm starting to wonder if there's really such a thing as 'coincidence', at this rate."
George seems rather unsurprised at Nashca's mention of destiny "Sometimes the spirits are like that. Anything urgent about the dreams that we need to call in someone to get to the bottom of? Or can we take our time about figuring out their reasons for getting nudgy?" Chuckling he adds to Lucy "I mean, that's fair and I have been called Wise on occasion so there is that. As for what is and isn't coincidence? That's probably two or three hundred level material at least, we can get the basics out of the way first. Just don't as Furio that question."
Lucy hums and rubs her face slightly moreso, before settling her hands in her lap. And then her stomach 'kindly' reminds her that she has not eaten in nearly nine hours, at this rate! She looks around and then swallows audibly...before taking one of those flavorful bits of fried cheese and popping it in her mouth. She chews on it for a moment and then blinks confusedly, before swallowing. Eyebrows raise, and eyes widen a touch -- she wasn't expecting them to be -that- good, clearly! She swallows again and then exhales deeply before murmuring, "I don't really know. I've been having nightmares since I was little. Horrible nightmares. Wretched, angry creatures, thrashing and writhing in unnatural ways. Splotches of color -- crimson and purple, darkness spreading, flesh rotting...it's never the same, but it's always...similar." She looks down at the table.
"It got worse before it got better," she continues, her voice shaking just a little. "I spent a lot of my early teenage years sleeping very little. But...when I decided to move out this way, they got lighter, less vivid. And then even moreso, as I actually got here. My sleep's become less fitful. Well, except when I tried to go north, towards Oregon. That didn't turn out so well, either." She shakes her head for a moment.
Avani also brings over more Naan along with a pitcher of Iced tea and some cups for the ladies. George nods as he listens to Lucy's story "That's a little heavy handed but not that unusual, doesn't sound like there's anything particular going on up in Oregon but you've definatly been herded our direction. As a community of our people we do a lot of training and education here and we're equipped for whatever sort of special abilities you might need to acclimate to. Or we can easily become equipped, we've got a lot of talented folks about."
Lucy nods slowly, smiling a little, graciously, and pours herself a cup of tea. She sips her tea, and nibbles at some naan bread, before exhaling deeply. "I kinda get the feeling it was sort of...a game of hot and cold, my...I don't know. Spirit? Soul? Inner self? Fuck, I'm lost." She sighs. "But whatever it was...." She shakes her head slowly. "I don't even know. I'm sorry, it's just all really confusing. Training...education? It's all that in depth...?" She lifts her head to stare up at George for a long moment. "So I'm...kin...? To wolf...shifters..." She shakes her head slowly and finds herself leaning back in her seat.
George nods at Lucy as he takes off his bag and sets it down beside his chair "Yep, theres a lot of freaking out about stuff that gets blunted by learning about it. Wolf shifters, we call ourselves the Garou. Would a demo help or just make things worse?"
Lucy closes her eyes, nodding slowly. "That's....hnnh. See, I can't deny, especially as I say it out loud, it sounds crazy. Farfetched. Like something out of a fiction novel. But..." She shakes her head and looks down at herself after a moment, her mismatched gaze staring down into her lap for a long few seconds. "...I don't feel like I can just claim it's all make believe or a cult or something. No, everything I've heard so far, it...feels right. And I don't know, it just..." She pauses for a moment and lifts her head. "...a demo? You mean, like...turning into a wolf? Here and now? It's the kind of thing that can be controlled that finely...?" Her voice carries two distinct emotions -- she sounds particularly curious...and just a little scared.
George nods and grins as he sips at his drink and snacks on more cheese cubes like he does this every day, projecting a sense of confidence as he explains "Sure, and finer. There are actually five forms, of which human and wolf are only two. And while there are varying degrees of control depending on the individual pretty any garou who's gone through their rite of passage can shift to any of them on demand."
For a moment, those mismatched eyes drift shut again, her hands lifting the cup of iced tea to her lips, and she sips from it before shaking her head. "Mmn...well. I guess that makes sense." She puffs out a faint litlte breath. "Rite of passage...so it's kind of a ritual sort of thing?" She shakes her head slowly. "I guess...what's really bugging me, is...how can I be related to, um...the Garou? I mean, as far as I know, nobody in my family was one, unless..." Though as she says it, her voice grows quieter and she finds her mind racing. Aren't there members of her family that she couldn't have met? "How...related does one have to be...to, um. Be kin?"
George seems content to let the conversation wander as Lucy needs it to, and he continues to snack and graze as he explains. Even when Avani brings out a few dishes of different curries to eat with the Naan. "That's an interesting question, could be several generations back I suppose. Not sure exactly how far back is too far, sometimes it skips too. One of your great great grandparents was a full Garou maybe? Depends on the strength of the bloodline."
Nascha has just been listening this whole time, nodding here and there as questions are asked and answers given, quietly eating her food.
Lucy rubs her face slightly, rocking a little in her seat, as she continues to nibble on a piece of Naan. "Maybe...? I mean, I don't know. If they were, it's like, the best kept secret. My parents have always been pretty plain, and nobody's even hinted at any kind of...anything like this before. Even when I tried to explain my dreams, their first reaction was to send me to the doctor, then to a shrink, and finally started telling I must be going crazy or something." She rocks a little more intensely after a few moments of more consideration. "I just don't know. I can't imagine them keeping something like -that- a secret..."
George shrugs at Lucy "It sounds like they're not aware. Sometimes through accident or misfortune family lines get lost, especially when a whole generation doesn't inherit the legacy even enough to register as kinfolk. One of our strictest and most important laws is about the Veil, remaining secret. And if someone isn't kinfolk there's a lot they just aren't allowed to know."
Lucy tilts her head to the left a touch. "So...it's possible...that I'm the first in several generations...?" She stops rocking, and sets the Naan down, glancing at her hands for a moment. Her fingers curl, her hands balling into fists as she puffs out another slow, slightly shaky breath. "Seriously, if I wake up in a few minutes here, I'm gonna be angry as fuck." She rubs the bridge of her nose and then lifts her mismatched gaze to George's face. "The Veil? So it's a big secret, basically. But why me...?" She pauses for a moment and then shakes her head. "Don't worry, I don't get the impression that you, or anyone can answer that for me. I just...I don't know."
George chuckles and grins at Lucy "That's totally fair, it would have been more unusual if you'd gotten through this whole acclamation process without going 'why me' at least once. Better than going 'poor me' constantly. Good news is though that you aren't dreaming, and if you still need to see a doctor or something about your dreams we've got healers that might actually be useful for that. Ones that understand about oracles and spirits and all that sort of thing. You're not crazy."
Lucy watches George for a moment while he grins at her. "Yeah? You think so?" She hums a little. "Well, I'm glad for that. I mean, if I was, and I woke up tomorrow with no real answers, well, I'd prob'ly scream. And the walls of my apartment are bloody -thin-." She cringes slightly and shakes her head. "Good to know, though. Probably do me more good than the doctors back in Illinois ever did. For fuck's sake, they were always trying to get me to lose weight." She looks down at her tummy, prodding it with her left thumb.
George snorts in amusement as he looks Lucy over "That's sheer fuckin laziness on their part. Just defaulting to body fat as the problem, fuck that. As a generalization Garou tend to be fitness buffs, part and parcel for the whole 'warriors of gaia' package. We also eat fit to make you hate us because our assorted shapeshifting and fast healing abilities burn a shitload of calories. Some kinfolk not so much but it is still a big cultural thing. That being said as long as you're healthy no one's really going to give that much of a fuck and if someone gives you shit they're being an asshole probably."
At that, Lucy grins a little and nods. "I know, right?! There's so much more to it than body fat, I swear!" She sighs a little. "Warriors. You said it, and Nascha said it. But I mean, what do you -mean- by warriors? Is there...some kind of threat that you're all facing? Or is it more of a 'just in case' sort of preparation?" She laughs a little. "Fine by me. I keep myself fit, in part because I love to eat, so I've gotta burn at least most of it, but...hm. That sounds useful -and- frustrating at the same time."
George nods seriously "Combat the Wyrm wherever it dwells and whenever it breeds. One of our other laws. The Wyrm is part of what we call the Unbalanced Triat, part of how Gaia made the world but long, long ago things went wrong. Creation, Preservation, and Destruction are all required for a healthy system to exist. The Wyld, the Weaver, and The Wyrm were created to fufil those cosmic functions. Till one day, I don't know if anyone knows exactly why, the Weaver went mad from frustration that all its work got undone and unmade and it trapped the Wyrm in a web of stasis. This drove the Wyrm mad as well and now it attempts to corrupt, rot, and destroy everything. The Wyld? The Wyld was always crazy so if it went more mad I don't know if anyone would even notice a difference."
Lucy's expression becomes a little less grinny, and more...somber, as she listens to George. She frowns a little and shakes her head slowly. "That...sounds pretty grim, honestly. So there's...a real and present danger, then?" She takes another drink of her tea...and then decides to try one of the curries with some Naan, because she is seriously hungry. She's quiet for a few moments as she chews on the curry-soaked Naan, and considers this for a long moment. "...so what kind of...I mean, uh...what -is- the Wyrm?" She shakes her head slowly. "Because I get that the all of that is necessary to a functioning ecosystem. I mean, uh...you can't just remove apex predators willy nilly and expect everything to turn out okay. But what is -that- powerful that it'd require...lots of warriors to counter it?"
George nods as he digs in to some food and explains "One quick thing before I tackle that. I've been around and seen some shit but I'm not a teacher, either of laws, lore or history. So this is all like....an overview or executive summary type of deal. My Auspice, my specialty, runs along different lines. That being said....The Triat are cosmic principles and they manifest through different kinds of spirits, monsters, and other events. Which isn't to say someone couldn't travel deep enough into the spirit realms to find the Wyrm as a specific entity and kill it. Some people spend their whole lives trying but there's agents and spawn of the wyrm in this world that we have to do something about."
Nodding slowly, Lucy finds herself staring at George before long, as he explains that. She's quiet for several moments, her head lowering, and she stares at the table. "So like Gaia, the Wyrm has its own warriors of a sort, and that's what you really have to watch out for, but the Wyrm itself is...well, kinda a spirit entity sorta thing?" She shakes her head slowly, before lifting her mismatched gaze to look at George, thoughtfully, before glancing back to Nascha. "...not something most people can just...throw down with. So, I guess...my next question is...I mean, where do I fit into this? Sure, I'm not scared of anybody, and I've spent my entire life scrapping with folks tougher than me, but...we're talking entirely different leagues here. I mean, what's my role in all this? Or I guess, in the broader sense, uh...what's the role of kinfolk? Are we like, support or something like that?"
George nods at Lucy "Support. A lot of Garou aren't worth shit at dealing with the day to day human world. Either the Curse that makes our Rage unnerving for normal humans to be around or the fact that we have to spend so much time and training on the War and the nessecary skills...That's where kinfolk come in. Other than the obvious."
For a long moment, Lucy considers this, nibbling on her lower lip before nibbling instead on a piece of curry-dipped Naan. "Okay, so...we basically do the stuff that interacts with the more mundane side of the world, right? Is that more or less it? Kinda the go-between for Garou...and normal humans?" Her eyebrows knot up for a long moment, and she considers the last thing George said, trying to figure out what it is that's obvious, but that she isn't getting for some reason. After several moments of thought, she shakes her head and gives him an apologetic smile. "I don't know, what do you mean by, 'the obvious'?"
"Sorry, George. Not so obvious to someone who isn't used to this sort of thing." Nascha turns her full attention to Lucy. "The only way to make more Garou is with kinfolk. It isn't guaranteed, but it's a whole lot more likely that a kinfolk will help to bring another Warrior to Gaia." That's... that's just about as nice as you can put it.
George chuckles and scoops a piece of meat onto some naan and wolfs it down. Not stalling for time at all. Honest. Then when Nascha jumps in he is almost visibly relieved "And there's another point of law "Garou shall not mate with Garou". If a child results they're always a shifter but they're deformed or flawed in some way and sterile, the end of a bloodline."
When Nascha speaks up, Lucy's mismatched gaze shifts to settle on her once again. She blinks at what she says, and then she glances back to George. Her arms withdraw and cross over her chest, and she considers this, carefully. At first, she doesn't say anything, she looks stunned. Her lower jaw falls just a touch. Finally, after several moments, she finds herself chewing on her lower lip, at which point she shakes her head and swallows audibly. "Well. Um. I can't say I expected -that-. But, huh. So...basically...Garou have to mate with Kinfolk...to make more Garou. Because they can't mate with Garou because bad things happen." She looks like she doesn't know how to react to that.
Nascha nods, continuing on as if she WASN'T dictating what should happen with Lucy's uterus. "Not TODAY. Not even tomorrow. Eventually, though.. generally we kin settle in with either another kinfolk or a Garou. I have a feeling that that has not been the case in your family line. SOMEWHERE it was, and that can be looked into fairly easily, tracked down. But no one is telling you that you have to settle in and make babies with a Garou. You're young. There are YEARS before that sort of thing needs to come up." She glances at George and squints just a touch, but gives him a smile.
George points over at Nascha and comments "And I am greatful you were here to cover that, I mean it would have sounded much creepier coming from me. Its not all bad either, It helps to have a relationship where you don't have to keep a whole part of your life secret. That can be messy, stressful, and go badly very very easily."
Puffing out a shaky, trembly little breath, Lucy nods. She reaches up to actually press her balled up fists into her own cheeks for a moment. A slow, steady stream of air escapes her, as she allows her eyes to drift partway shut. She seems to ground herself, using this technique. Another slow breath is drawn, deliberately through her nose, her chest expanding slightly, before she nods. "I...think I get it. There's the secrecy, and then, there's the fact that you're constantly among Garou..." Her gaze shifts to Nascha as she speaks. "So it's not really something that flows seriously unnaturally or anything. But..." She considers something for a moment and then speaks a little more quietly, "Is it the sorta thing some Kin have problems with? I mean, it sounds like it would be..." Her voice is level, carefully measured, as if she's carefully thinking her words through at the moment.
Nascha smiles at George, understandingly. "I've had this talk a lot. Given my unique situation, I'm more qualified than most to have this conversation." She turns her attention back to Lucy, her brown eyes soft and gentle. "There is a very wide range, from sept to sept - that's... city to city to make it very simple - of what is acceptable and what isn't. There are some septs where you don't really get a choice in the matter and you'll breed whether you like it or not and if you're lucky, you don't get any broken bones in the process. That isn't the case here."
She smiles over at George and then goes back to Lucy once more. "Here, while it is an elephant looming in the room, it's a BIG room. There are Garou who haven't had children and they're elders and they either have no immediate plans to mate or just haven't found the one they're looking for. There are those who meet and fall in love and breed right away. While there are a few arranged matings - I believe Felicity and Dragomir were arranged, but I could be wrong - they seem to have feelings for one another. There are those who have mated outside of their tribe, even with their pure breeding - like Lucie and Andy. HERE, kin are treated like people. That isn't the case in a LOT of other places. That's something else that makes Prospect rather unique."
George holds up a hand "Hey now, I have kids. I grew up outside the Nation and ignorant of my heritage. I made it to my first change without a criminal record or being any chica's baby daddy. Gaia and Luna had other plans for me, now I'm a super criminal with four kids by three different women. A bloodline cultivation thing, at least we all get along though and I get to see them all at least a couple times a year when they're passing through the area. I'm a dude though, I can do that. One of my daughters is even going to change. Wanna see a picture of the tiniest Ahroun ever?"
Lucy's mismatched gaze dances between Nascha and George for a moment. "So..." She hums a little, worrying her lower lip with her teeth. "Huh. So in other places, it's a problem, but not so much here." She nods slowly, sighing slightly -- a sigh of relief? "As long as everyone's okay with it, I guess arranged marriages aren't so bad." She nods slightly and smiles a little at Nascha. "Thank you. I was...a little worried for a few moments there." She finishes her tea, and quickly scarfs down another piece of Naan, this time by itself. It's then, once she swallows, that she turns her attention back to George. "...the tiniest...what? What is an...Ahroun?" She doesn't even seem to bat an eyelash at the mention of him being a super criminal.
Nascha grins at George. "Did you finally get a new picture?" BUt then she zooms over to Lucy. "Yes. You're right on all points. Ahroun is one of the Auspices - aspects - of the Garou. You have the full moon - Ahroun, then the fat moon - Galliard, half moon - Philodox, Fingernail moon - Theurge, Sleeping moon - Ragabash. That's the moon you were born under and you tend to have a certain task based on that. When is your birthday?"
George shakes his head at Nascha but he takes his phone out and brings up the picture anyway for Lucy to see "The gifts a garou can learn more easily follow the task of the moon they were born under. The Ahroun are born warriors, from front line infantry to genius tacitcal warleaders. And one day Alianna Marie Henderson is going to do great things. The picture is over a year old but still one of my favorite moments. She was showing me her howl."
<OOC> George says, "http://tinyurl.com/mfvm8cc"
Lucy nods slowly and smiles a little. Her head tilts to the left and she hums a little, "Oooohh, I see. Interesting. So it's...determined b the phase of the moon?" She shrugs a little. "Me? August 27th, of 99." She shakes her head a little. "Dunno where that puts me, I'd have to look it up." The sound of metal clashing on metal sounds off and she winces slightly. "Oof, I'm sorry." She reaches down and pulls her phone from her foremost right pocket, and mutes it, before stuffing it back in her pocket. She then turns her attention to George. "Huh. I see. So it's a nature sorta thing -- like, it's in your nature." She nods a little, and then blinks as he shows her the picture, leaning in to get a better look. "Oh wow, she's a cutie! And...huh. So she's destined to grow up to be a great warrior, sorta?"
Nascha smiles at the picture, her head tilting just a little bit. "I love that picture. She's so beautiful George." To Lucy, she nods, her eyes ticking up to the side and using her fingers, make a few calculations, ticking the air with a finger and then.. "Ahroun. You would have been an Ahroun or maybe just right there on the edge between Ahroun and Galliard - Galliards are the storytellers." She nods to Lucy, giving her a smile. "You learn very quickly." She pulls out her phone and sends off a quick text. "I'm going to see if Journey wants to come and maybe bring Baconcaller and a welcome package."
George nods and grins before taking his phone back and tucking it away "Sounds like a good idea, Stephen's adorable." Then he nods at Lucy "Me though, I'm a Ragabash. More on the Sneaky end of things. But you're right, that's more about nature rather than training. Auspice comes with aptitudes and expectations, not hard limits."
A soft spat of laughter erupts from deep in Lucy's throat, and she shakes her head slowly. "Hah. Figure that. I guess maybe I do." She shrugs slightly. "I'm always listening. I figure, there's always something I don't know. Just, uh. This may take more time than I'm used to. This is a pretty big departure from, well. Everything I've ever known?" A nervous smile spreads across her lips, and she shakes her head slowly. "That's good to know. Though, huh. Really? Ahroun? Huh. Maybe that's some of where I get it from, then..." She trails off for a moment and then glances up at Nascha once more with those mismatched eyes. "Eh? More folks? Oh wow, is..." She glances back and forth between George and Nascha for a moment. "...is the community, uh...particularly large? I mean, not that I thought you two were the only ones, just...I dunno. For some reason I found myself wondering."
Nascha says, "It's pretty large, yes. There's a whole community here, which you'll be introduced to in time. No one expects you to just jump right into it head on EITHER. It will come slowly. The only thing we ask right now is that you not repeat any of what you know to anyone unless you're in a private place like this where EVERYONE is in the know." They're all sitting and chatting amiably, even if Lucy is a little wide-eyed
From the back somewhere comes a high giggling laugh, and the swing door to the kitchen swings open and Avani looks over, then down, then turns away, hand going to her face to not laugh as coming out from the back is a toddler of no more than a year and a half, wearing a black Kimono style outfit, looking around from under lots and lots of dark hair.
.. and theres some guy following him.
Lucy nods a little. "Well, I'm grateful for that. I mean, I'm pretty good with crowds and all, but after everything you two have told me tonight, uh. There's gonna be some processing. I....don't think you're all pulling my leg though. Too much just adds up, y'know?" She rubs her eyes with the backs of her hands for a moment, considering for a moment, before nodding to Nascha. "What? Oh, no, of course. I mean, I get the impression that, if I told a normal person this...definitely even my family, they'd think I was even more crazy than before. But that aside...I swear, I'm not gonna breathe a word of this to anyone." And then she hears giggling? She looks up and around, just in time for Avani to cover her mouth in her attempt to stifle her laughter. She cranes her head over her shoulder a little, and gets a glimpse of the little one in the kimono, and the man following behind them. When George speaks up, she nods slightly. "Whoa..." She offers a slight smile, still looking kind of dazed, but she nods in greeting all the same.
Nascha nods to Lucy. "Of course. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. And I think you know that this is where you belong." She is almost immediately on her feet. "Baconcaller! My most handsome of all young Theurges. Hello!" She squats down and holds out her arms, just barely glancing up at the guy following the little kid and she smiles. "Thank you." She reaches out to SCOOP up the boy in her arms, giving him ALL THE KISSES IN THE WORLD, making him giggle even more as she attacks him so fiercely. She's been very placid and calm, but the little one just brings something out in her. "How ARE you, my sweet, big boy?"
Journey smiles as George greets him and Stephen sees Nascha, "Nassa!" He calls out and runs, because of course he does, arms up and clomping at a good pace right into Naschas arms and squirms and giggles and laughs, Happy Baby! He squirms and cuddles in and laughs more. Clearly Nascha is one of those who have bonded with Stephen.
Meanwhile, Journey has slipped into a chair at the table, though the chair is more pulled out to the side so he can watch Stephen and Nascha with a smile, "Things are okay." He looks to Lucy, tilting his head a little, "You okay? got your sealegs yet? Weird shit is going down, no one would blame you if you wanted a shot of liquor, hit of weed or just a nice stress vomit." He says. "Don't feel embarassed, you okay?"
George grins at Journey "She's actually been holding it together pretty well, and I don't think she's even in shock. At least not that much, and she's been asking reasonable questions."
Lucy watches Nascha rise, nodding slowly. "Yeah, that's...the sense I get, pretty much. I've ended up...where I'm supposed to be." She laughs a little as she watches Nascha become so mirthful, doting on the little boy, before turning her attention back to Journey, curiously. She was prepared to meet George -- she pretty much only heard Journey's name before he arrived. The girl with the odd eyes rubs the back of her neck, half-lidding her lavender-and-teal gaze, as he settles into the chair. When he speaks to her, she nods a little. "I...think they are, yeah. I mean, I'll manage. I've learned to roll with the blows in life, but this...? It's, uh. Pretty intense." She pauses at that. "...seriously? Yeah, I can't lie, a nice, long drag on a joint would probably help. My nerves are frazzled as fuck. But I think I'm gonna be okay. Like I told George and Nascha -- even if this all sounds outlandish as hell, it...feels right, I can't deny it. And if there's one thing I've learned over the last year or so, it's to trust my instincts."
Nascha comes back to sit, with the baby on her lap, faced out, and hands him naan to eat and one of the more mild bits of sauce. She bounces him a little bit and she is definitely happier with the little one in her arms. For now, she says nothing, just listening and smiling and nodding to what Lucy says
Journey nods to George and Lucy, considering, "Yeah, I understand that the shock is intense. I was raised with this so for me it's Tuesday. I think what I mean is, don't take my reactions to situations as ANY indication of how weird it is." He gestures to himself and shrugs, "Otherwise, where are we in this?" He asks George.
George shrugs at Journey "We've reassured her that she's not crazy and if it winds up she's still having dreams we won't dose her with anti-psychotics and tell her to lose weight. We've got people that can actually help sort out that sort of thing. Went over some more of the basics, what Garou are and what we do. What kinfolk are and what they do. In the executive summary sort of sense."
Lucy nods a little, chewing on her lower lip, just smiling briefly over at Nascha and little Stephen, before returning her attention to Journey and George. "Yeah, pretty much. Better than the doctors back in Illinois, I swear." She mutters something under her breath, but it's downright unintelligible. She shakes her head and chuckles softly. "Yeah, I can understand that. For me? Everything was pretty plain save...well, the nightmares, and sleeping two or three hours a night for a while there to try and avoid them." She subconsciously digs her knuckles into her thighs, through the denim of her shorts, and just...twists them back and forth. "I think I have a decent idea, broad-picture wise. Probably gonna have a lot of questions in the..days? Weeks? Months? I dunno, years to come?"
Journey nods, listening to George, then looks at Lucy for a moment, "Well, good news, bad news. Bad news is that you've fallen face first into a mirror and fell into Wonderland. Good news is that.. this does kinda let you not worry about the old life stuff. For example." He flicks his hand out and thumping onto the table by Lucy is a simple fold of money, tightly clipped, but the outer bill is a 20. "Five hundred. Take it, put it away, use it when you need it, now, I ask, what IS your situation, because we've got ways to handle bullshit like debt, job, housing."
George nods back at Journey "And when we're dealing with a cosmic battle for the fate of the world we tend to have a 'ain't got no time for that' approach to bullshit."
For a moment, Lucy stares at Journey, chuckling for a moment. "Yeah, I kinda...got that sense. Stuff's gonna stop making sense at some point, and that's when I'll have questions. Until then, well..." She shrugs and closes her eyes...until that -thump- strikes the table before her. Mismatched eyes in lavender and teal flash open in surprise, and she looks down at the table. "W...wait what?" She glances back up Journey with a confused expression. "...are...you sure? that's..." She was about to say something, but...the way both he and George were talking, well...she nods a little and picks up the folded money, slipping it down into her left pocket. "Thank you...very much." She exhales deeply and nods a touch. "No debt. I...okay, like, I've been questioning stuff and trying to suss this out for at least two years. Last year, before the summer, I found out my family, generations ago, used to live in Cali, so I decided I'd come out here. Started scrimping and saving everything I could, summer job, working after school. Part of me...knew I had to get out here. That maybe I'd find answers. My parents were furious, but I felt like...I couldn't let them stop me, no matter what."
She considers this for a moment, before pouring herself another cup of iced tea, sipping it and allowing her eyes to fall shut. "Well...ultimately, I just got out here, like...what? A little over a week ago, in my old Ford Escort. Got a crappy apartment with my savings, over at the St. Macrina Arms. Been scrambling to find work since. Wound up stumbling in here after turning in loads of applications for a good ten or so hours. Happened upon Nascha here. Way too much to be a coincidence. So here I am."
Journey nods, "Okay.." He looks at George, "St. Macrina... No alarm bells." He looks back to Lucy, "Yeah, the most that money puts me out is I need to remember to get another clip when I'm home." He nods, "Okay you've got a car and bed, you've got cash in hand, and.." He gets into his satchel, "We'll be able to get you some paper job in time for the bills to come due." He pulls his post-it note pad and pen, scribbling, "Numbers numbers. Mine, Vesta, my mates. George?" He offers George the pad. "And we'll get you set up properly."
George nods at Journey and considers "Lucie and Andy's. Eloise's, some sort of lineage check to figure out which tribe she's tied to. I don't smell bloodline on her particularly strongly though so it might take some research. Also full spectrum physical and spiritual checkup, you and maybe Eloise?" Then he comments to Lucy "A lot of our logistical considerations involve the war effort so we tend to focus on that a lot. Also at some point there's probably going to be a skills assesment and other stuff. Plenty to do but we take care of our own."
Lucy seems confused by this. "Whuh? Yeah, no, I don't think there are any alarms. The place is as run down as I've seen. It's a mess, but it's a place to lay my head down. I figured, get what I could afford, and find something better once I could support it. Why do you ask?" She stares a little, briefly. "...huh. I see. Well, I appreciate it...that...takes a lot of the stress out of the next week or two." She rubs the back of her neck, and finds herself wondering just how well-connected these folks -are-, given what he says afterwards. She glances at George, before looking back up at Journey. "I...whoa. Okay I wasn't expecting any of this, but seriously...thank you. I've been trying to keep myself calm while thinking about finding work. I don't really care what it is, as long as it pays the bills. Food service, janitorial, ditch-digging, whatever."
She looks back to George for a moment and nods slowly. "Well, it's gonna take me some time to process this, figure out what it all means to me, but...yeah. I'm glad to hear it." She seems to consider this for a moment, lifting her head and looking around slowly. This...does kinda feel like home. Well, more than she's ever felt in her life, at least. And then there's a momentary sense of dread filling her. "...so. George, you were telling me about the Wyrm...? And how it's got an army? Real talk, don't sugarcoat this. How heavy-like do I need to watch my back now? Is there anything I should be on the lookout for? I mean, I don't know if I can throw down with something like you guys, but I'm not scared to break some fucker's nose if they come at me."
Nascha has just been happily playing with Stephen and she takes the pad and jots her number down as well. "I'm probably the hardest to reach because of where I live, but I do spend a whole lot of time in town, but I will be there if you need me. And if your place gets too rough, you can come stay with me or I can take you to the kinfolk house - which is a place perfect for people in just your situation. It's all US, everywhere, though it might be a bit much for you just yet." She lets George answer THAT question, though
Nascha adds, "Maybe hook her up with the Bonegnawers too."
Journey nods, "Mmm, yeah, all of that bullshit, gone." He peels off the post it, and hands it over, "These are the numbers to fix all that. Start with Vesta, set up a meeting, and she'll set you up with work and money, and see about maybe moving you somewhere you like." He looks at Nascha, and nods, looking back to Lucy, "I'll be honest, Lucy, you can go with Nascha, stay with her. My thinking was that after this you might like to sleep in your own bed, kinda try to center yourself, but that's really up to you. And your job in this cosmic war, right now and maybe forever, is to keep your head down, act like a normal human, not worth being noticed, and stay in the clear of trouble. Learn from there." Looking to Nascha, he shrugs, "Have to see what kind of Tribal leanings she has, George is right, I'm getting nothing in the way of noteworthy blood."
George shakes his head at Lucy "At the moment there's nothing about you that stands out to attract enemy attention and its not so organized as all that. Right now there's a lot of ways you could choose to handle this but no immediate danger of violence any more than any other human these days. Going to the kinfolk house would be super secure territory and learning by heavy immersion if you want to go that road. Might be good to spend some time with Nascha out at her place, still sort of immersion but not as people-y. Also like Journey said, you can go home to sleep in your own bed and have a think. Take some time figuring out your next step. And call someone tomorrow."
Lucy glances back to Nascha as she chimes in, smiling a little, seeming just a touch relieved. "I'll...keep that in mind, for sure. Thanks. Yeah, it might be a bit on the overloading side right now." She glances back to Journey, nodding a little. "Maybe, yeah. But I think tonight, you were on the right track. I...need to think all of this through...before I do anything." She puffs out a faint little breath. There's a fire in her eyes that wasn't there, before. "Yeah. I don't start fights. No worries there." She pauses for a moment. "I just have a problem with people picking on folks that can't protect themselves." She glances a down at her left hand -- her knuckles are -white-, given how firmly she's had that fist balled up for a while now. She exhales deeply, lifting both hands to her cheeks, pushing her fists against them, and just...exhales the rest of the way, pushing all the air out and then drawing a slow, steady breath in.
It doesn't take her terribly long to calm herself down a little further, and she nods slowly. "That's good to know. So I don't have to worry -too- much." She considers this for a moment, and then closes her eyes, leaning back in her seat. "I will. I promise. Thank you, all of you. I...can't tell you how much it means to me...to know all of this now. And someday, I hope to be able to sufficiently repay you all." Her arms fall, and she settles both hands on her lap, deliberately laying one hand atop the other. "I'll call Vesta tomorrow. And I'll stay in touch. Uh...." She looks down at the small sticky note, tucking it safely away in her left pocket. "I'll send each of you a text when I get home, so you have my number."
Nascha nods, giving both men a smile, then speaks again to Lucy. "If you'd like, I can drive you home." She glances over at George, then Journey. "I managed to save enough money for a car. It isn't much, but it gets me around town." News for them. She curls Stephen up in her arms a little bit since he's fallen asleep and she rocks him gently. "And then I can check out at least the outside of the place and make sure it actually is safe. I don't know the area well." She smiles at Lucy then, so happy to be holding the little one. "And then you can have some quiet time tonight and start things over fresh in the morning and Gaia willing, your nightmares will be done."
Journey nods, "Okay, that's a perfectly fine choice." He says, "Vesta's expecting your call, so go on and include her in the Texts." He considers, and nods, "Okay look." He lifts a hand and
FUCK! IF a goddamn package didn't just appear out of thin fucking air in his hand.
Stephen laughs at that, Daddys funny.
Journey gets into the package, and pulls out, a couple of plastic cyllanders, popping open the end of one then the other, sliding out a prerolled joint of descent quality, then sliding the two closed, and handing the tubes over to Lucy. "There." The rest of the .. kilo? package goes into his satchel.
George doesn't really have much more to add but its worth noting that he doesn't bat an eye at Journey's conjuring
Lucy's mismatched gaze shifts to Nascha for a moment, and she smiles, nodding slowly, her expression softening and easing up further. "That...would be really great, on all counts, thank you. I, ah...walked everywhere today, and was on my way back to my apartment when I came in here, so...yeah. It's..." She pauses and pulls her phone out to glance at it. And finds herself staring at its display. "...almost midnight. Good gravy no wonder I'm bloody tired." She stuffs her phone back in her right pocket, before nodding slowly. "Yeah. I'd...like that. A lot. I'd love to be done with the nightmares, and just get a solid night's sleep for a change."
She looks back up at Journey when he tells her to include Vesta in the texts. "Alright. I'll make sure to text her, too, then." It feels a little strange, to have these people she only met today concerned for her well-being, but she finds it even more comforting than strange. When he suddenly tells her to look, she glances to his hand and then...stares at the space where a package seems to have materialized out of thin air. "Wait, what? Are you shitting me?" When he exposes the contents, both of her brows raise, sharply, and..she takes the tubes, laughing a little. "Fuck, I was only half joking...but...seriously, thanks. That...will probably help me sleep, too." She slips the tubes into her left pocket, which is bulging just a touch, but they'll survive until she gets home. She glances at George, finding herself wondering just how much these folks have -seen- to have stuff like that not even elicit a reaction.
