2022.06.25:Jackie Gets a New Outlook on the Spiritual Side

Jackie Gets a New Outlook on the Spiritual Side
Jackie starts seeing into the Penumbra and gets an education.
IC Date	June 25, 2022.
IC Time	Evening.
Players	Jackie, Journey, Erin, Leif
Location	Caern, Stonecreek
Spheres	Garou

6/25/2022 19:22:13 Erin makes her way into the caern looking around as she takes a deep breath.

6/25/2022 19:27:42 Jackie is sitting on a log with her legs stretched out before her, staring up and away off into space. After a few moments she rubs her eyes, taking a deep breath.

6/25/2022 19:30:17 Erin smiles upon seeing Jackie "Oh sup!" she makes her way over to Jackie.

6/25/2022 19:34:43 Jackie turns and looks at Erin, blinking for a moment. It takes her a couple of seconds to recollect herself and raise a hand to wave at her. "Oh, hey Erin. Sorry, I've been... A little out of it, I guess?"

6/25/2022 19:35:41 Erin just walked into the area and is heading over to Jackie who is sitting on a log with her legs STretched out "Lots in your mind?" she asks curiously.

6/25/2022 19:36:09 Journey comes into the Valley from the Ritual Clearing, brushing off his hands with a couple of people, who nod and move off as Journey heads for a cookfire and the coffee."

6/25/2022 19:42:46 Jackie glances back down the valley, then back at Erin, apparently not seeing Journey for the moment. "In? That's an odd way of putting it, but maybe? I mean, maybe I'm just worrying too much about the weird dream mage stuff, but... Does it ever look to you like the trees here are covered in spiderwebs?"

6/25/2022 19:44:51 Erin starts to look up but then she nops she doesn't even look up she just refuses to look up then tilts her head "Mage weird dream stuff?" she will stick with that one. She smiles and waves to Journey as she notices him. "Hello Journey" what she didn't say sup!

6/25/2022 19:46:04 Journey walks over with a cup of coffee, "Hiya, Whasis? He asks, looking at Jackie, "What's going on?"

6/25/2022 19:53:34 Jackie turns her head towards Journey, looking a bit sheepish. "Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. I, uh... well, I guess I started seeing some stuff earlier today, and I wasn't sure how real it was? I thought maybe it was like the dream stuff you were talking to Reno about, so I came here, but it's still happening, here and there. Like, it's flickering in and out, but not in a way I remember noticing when it happens. Does that make any real sense?"

6/25/2022 19:55:21 Erin looks curiously over to Journey to see if he knows what Jackie is talking about.

6/25/2022 20:00:21 Journey thinks, "No, not at the moment, BUT." He says, cheerily, taking a drink from his coffee, moving to Jackie, "I can take a smell, hold still a second."
6/25/2022 20:00:21 He leans over Jackie, doing nothing more intomate than sticking his nose to the top of her head and taking a large lungful of air through his nose, almost snorting in the breath, and straightening, looking up, thinking, "Uh huh. okay, I- Huh, no that explains it."

6/25/2022 20:08:14 Erin raises a brow as she looks at Journey cuz that explains nothing to her even when she feels the gift. She looks back and forth between the two in hope someone will explain something to her maybe.

6/25/2022 20:10:54 Jackie tilts her head back, looking up at Journey with no small amount of confusion. "Uhhhh, what? I don't feel very explained, at the moment."

6/25/2022 20:10:58 Journey nods, "Okay, Jackie." He suddenly kneels in front of her, setting down his coffee, looking up at her, "Clap your hands!" He claps, "HARD, make 'em sting!" He claps his hands over and over, "Close your fists, tight, Feel the pain, focus on the meat of your hands, your skin, stinging!" He says, "Concentrate on your body, turn your sense inward, focus on you!" He says, drawing her attention away from the metaphysical and dreamy feeling to focus through minor pain, turning her away from the Umbral and to the Physical. "Concentrate on the stinging in your palms. Ground yourself in your own living meat." He says, "Is it still happening?" He asks after a moment.

6/25/2022 20:14:22 Erin shoves her hands in her pockets and looks curiously as she raises that brow but stays really quiet.

6/25/2022 20:15:59 Jackie looks even more confused for a second, then just goes along with it. She slaps her hands together, hard, over and over. Then she closes her right hand into a fist and pounds it into her left until her eyes water. She blinks it away, then looks around the valley again, taking a deep breath as things seem to get clearer to her. "Uh... no, I don't think so? What the hell was that?"

6/25/2022 20:19:28 Journey looks up at Jackie, and tilts his head from side to side, "It can feel like falling asleep. Specially around here." He looks around chuckling and sees Erin, then seems to remember what's happening, looking back to Jackies, and reaches over picking up his coffee, and standing. Pause, "You better sit down. C'mere." He moves to a fire and settles down, pointing Jackie to where she'll sit, "You have a Gnostic spirit. You have a spirit capable of doing some of the things a Garou can do and some of those things can kill you, so we need to talk at leangth about it, and tell Leif."

6/25/2022 20:22:15 ERin ohs as she gets what's happening and moves closer so she can listen to the explination. She tilts her head but waits to ask any questions for now.

6/25/2022 20:24:27 Jackie stands up from her log, and moves over to the fire to sit where Journey had pointed. She puts her hands in her lap and looks up at him, back in the present but still catching up mentally. "What, really? Isn't that... kind of weird? And why now? I mean, shouldn't I have noticed this before, somehow?"

6/25/2022 20:28:59 Journey tilts his head, "It happens. Usually around here, I don't know, there's a lot of empowered Kinfolk around here, like per capita the normal scale is waaaay off. Could be Wyld energies, might have been always there, but the time spent in the Septlands recharged your spirit. Either way, you will need to learn to feel the Gauntlet, and master your seeing across into the Penumbra. Worst case senerio, you can fall into the Umbra and realize 'Shit, I'm naked in the Upside Down and can't get back.' I am not fucking kidding that show represented the Umbra and a lot of the tamer, kinds easy mode shit that's out there."

6/25/2022 20:30:55 Erin gives a little shutter "Yeah hmm no thanks I don't want to be naked there thanks.. I'll collect my dough and keep moving" she moves to sit down near them

6/25/2022 20:33:44 Jackie looks down at her hands, her palms still pink from the pounding they took. "Well, that doesn't sound good. I don't suppose there's an upside to that upside down thing? Fuck, and I thought thing had been complicated enough lately."

6/25/2022 20:39:34 Journey thinks, then smiles, "The umbra is, a horrifying place, full of monsters that cannot exist in reality. In town, it's bad, during the day they roam the town freely, twisting minds from behind a veil that just got a lot thinner for you. Even the spirits that are not of the Wyrm, of the spirits of Gaia that are a minor fraction that are Benevolent. We've had a Kinfolk, Sander, Shadow Lord Kin." He looks to Jackie, "Detective Sander Tenenbrau, PPD. Look Him Up. You'll find a leave of absence followed by a car accident, body claimed by family, no next of Kin. He had a Gnostic spirit, and started venturing into the Umbra, making deals with spirits unsupervised. He drove a police cruiser out to Sunhome and threatened the Fera, almost opened full hostilities with them, till I smoothed it over, he went MAD, Jackie, and he had to be put down. He couldn't be allowed to continue being a danger to everyone."

6/25/2022 20:46:32 ERin blinks and looks at Journey then over to Jackie as she looks thoughtful.

6/25/2022 20:46:36 Jackie looks back up at Journey her face draining of blood and looking even paler at his story, no mean feat for someone of her Nordic complexion. "Uhhhhh, shit, does that mean I'm gonna go crazy or something?"

6/25/2022 20:50:00 Journey shakes his head, "No, but remember, if a Spirit you don't know, comes up to you? Stranger Danger. Massive Stranger Danger." He lifts a finger and a Duck Appears next to him, "Okay This is Duck, Duck is a Spirit, I think you met in passing. Duck is one Spirit that you now know. Just don't go through the looking glass and smoke shit caterpillars on mushrooms give you. You know, just examples, but valid ones. don't wade too far into the Weird shit, Theurges are supposed to do that for you."

6/25/2022 20:52:54 Erin takes a breath "If something doesn't look normal or feel right you are slipping towards the other side" she looks towars Journey and smiles at Duck. She looks thoughtful as she lets Journey talk.

6/25/2022 20:54:02 Jackie looks down at duck, and raises a hand in an awkward wave. "Uh, yeah, I remember when you were talking to Torey." She looks back up at the others. "So, this is more the normal kind of weird, for us anyway?"

6/25/2022 20:57:59 Journey nods, "Yes. Now, here, this is the Septlands, the Gauntlet, the barrier between the Physical and Umbral is pretty thin here, likely one of the reasons you were looking across, but yes, there are things you do to make sure you're awake, enough pain to acknowledge, fingernails in the palm, that kind of thing, keeping yourself aware of the senses of your own body keeps you grounded. Looking across and moving across comes with a different method using a reflective surface, but for now, keeping you from slipping across is enough to make sure you don't hurt yourself."

6/25/2022 20:57:59 Duck hops off the log and waddles to Jackie, flapping once as she hops on the log and moves supportively next to her.

6/25/2022 21:02:28 Erin bites her lip "When I first started on this trippy shit.. I had a rubber band around my wrist and used it when I needed to snap myself back on this side.." she nodsnods and then looks to Duck then back to Journey as she quiets down.

6/25/2022 21:06:41 Jackie returns her gaze back down to duck, and can't help but smile at him. "Alright then. So I'm not crazy, I need to stay awake, and not make strange spirits mad. Got it. Kind of, at least. And I should get some rubber bands, apparently. At least it makes some more sense now."

6/25/2022 21:09:53 Journey nods to Erin, "That's valid." He looks back to Jackie, "You can sleep, but it should be sleeping, and not daydreaming. Either way you should get to Stonecreek and tell Leif and the Get. If they're okay with me getting into proper training in mastering your spirit, you can come out to Timberland and we'll talk about it." He considers her for a moment and gets into his jacket, searching.

6/25/2022 21:12:49 Erin puts her hands into her pockets and gives Journey a little smile. She looks over to Jackie and gives her a smile "It will be ok, lots of good folk here to help you though this so you won't go mad" she nodsnods.

6/25/2022 21:17:16 Jackie holds out her palm to Duck as if he were a dog or a horse, but turns to look up at Journey and Erin. "Alright, I'll do that next. I hope this doesn't make things more difficult for people in general, I know we've had enough problems lately."

6/25/2022 21:18:47 Journey shakes his head, "Nah shouldn't be. Okay here's the best way I know to let you feel your Gnostic Spirit." He pulls out a leather bottle about the size of an energy shot. He opens it and hands it to JAckie, "Here, smell it and drink." Smile.

6/25/2022 21:19:54 Erin gives Journey a smile as she looks curiously at the bottle and then after Jackie.

6/25/2022 21:26:03 Jackie looks down at the strange small bottle in her hand, thinking that smelling then drinking is usually a bad idea. Then she closes her eyes, trusting Journey, and takes a deep whiff from the bottle. Without hesitating afterward, she tips it to her lip and tilts it back, swallowing it quickly.

6/25/2022 21:28:15 As soon as the vapor hits her brain, it's like a new part of her lights up, the sudden sense of something greater within her, and drinking that incredible fluid, fills her in a way she's never understood before, power of a type that settles into her as if it were normal, but never explored. Journey nods, watching her. "How do you feel?"

6/25/2022 21:30:46 Erin puts her hands on her belly as she curiously watches Jackie to see what happends now that she has drank from the brew.

6/25/2022 21:33:45 Jackie lowers the leather bottle into her lap, clasped between her hands. She looks out over the valley, her eyes wide and her pupils dilated. "I feel... Like me, but different? Like, I didn't know I was sleeping, but I actually just woke up from a nap..."

6/25/2022 21:37:48 Journey nods, gesturing, "Yeah, there's more of you now. Let that settle in and let you feel what it's like to have a full spirit." He nods, "In time you could learn to put that energy to uses that are remarkable. But talk to the Get, those you trust, , I'm sure they've all got views on this."

6/25/2022 21:41:40 Erin looks thoughtful then smiles. She keeps her hands on her belly as she rubs a little bit watching with a great deal of curiosity.

6/25/2022 21:45:56 Jackie nods, glancing down at Duck again. Then she stands up and looks north towards the cavern exit. "Alright, I'll do that. Hopefully I can find Leif sooner rather than later."

6/25/2022 21:51:10 Journey nods to Jackie, "Well, speak with Mara, she'll find him straightaway. Go ahead and tell them.. tell them everything. If they want you to pursue training and learn Gifts, come out to Timberland. Anyone can help you get there."

6/25/2022 21:53:28 Erin looks over to Jackie and gives her a smile "Travel safe and becareful" she nodsnods with agreement with Journey.

6/25/2022 21:53:48 Jackie looks back to Journey. "Sure thing! Except... Who is Mara, and where are the Timberlands?"

6/25/2022 21:55:12 Journey blinks, "Mara is Leifs mom, the stern looking woman out at Stonecreek and Timberland is my home, in the woods, anyone can tell you how to get there here or at Stonecreek."

6/25/2022 21:57:18 Erin looks surprise "You haven't met Mara?" she looks at Journey then nodsnods "Yeah.. I can even show you the way if you need it" she smiles softly.

6/25/2022 21:58:46 Jackie shakes her head. "No, sorry. But ok, I'll figure it out, and find what I need to."

6/25/2022 21:59:26 Journey tilts his head, "Are you okay? You want to process this or need a lift?"

6/25/2022 22:01:22 Erin looks between Jackie and Journey "I can test Mara if you want and see if she can find Leif for you... " she nods to journey "Maybe you should take her out there.. I'd offer but you know" she shrugs.

6/25/2022 22:03:14 Jackie looks back and forth between Erin and Journey. "Know what?"

6/25/2022 22:03:34 Journeys brows shoot up, "What?"

6/25/2022 22:04:17 Erin looks towards Jackie "What is that?"

6/25/2022 22:06:41 Jackie looks back at Erin, getting more confused. "You're the one that said 'but you know'. I don't know, so I asked!"

6/25/2022 22:07:46 Journey snerks, "Ah, okay I thought you had some idea." He says to Jackie, then shakes his head.

6/25/2022 22:08:26 Erin smirks and shakes her head "Oh that, nevermind it's all good" she nodsnods to Journey "Me too" she grins.

6/25/2022 22:09:00 Jackie shakes her head, looking north. "But yeah, I guess a ride wouldn't hurt. I guess my car is safe here overnight, right?"

6/25/2022 22:10:16 Journey nods, "Yeah, no ones screwing with that lot." He nods, "Stonecreek is best at the moment, safe enough and slightly thicker Gauntlet." He finishes his coffee, and rises.

6/25/2022 22:11:48 Erin nods "yeah your car will be safe here" she waves "I will see you both later.. Good luck Jackie and hang in there" she nodsnods.

6/25/2022 22:14:25 Jackie waves to Erin and moves to follow Journey. "Ok, thanks. It's maybe the weirdest part of this that I don't feel like I should drive myself, actually."

6/25/2022 22:15:33 Journey nods, leading out into the caves off the Valley, past the Warder station, "I understand. If you're not up to driving, you shouldn't, luckily you'll just need to run along a hallway." He explains as they head for Bridge Cave.

6/25/2022 22:22:34 Journey leads to a cave, "Okay Bridge cave, this is where we can use Moon Bridges for personal use." He explains as the air splits open into a glowing hole with an upward angled path, "Run along here, I'm right behind you.

6/25/2022 22:24:43 Jackie heads down the cave, a bit unsettled but trusting that Journey knows what he's talking about.

6/25/2022 22:25:54 The hall arches up, levels out then angles down and out the other end... 6/25/2022 22:25:54 Woods.. You know this, it's close to Stonecreek. Journey jumps out of the hold which closes behind him and nods, looking around, "Alright, let's go." He starts walking to Stonecreek.

6/25/2022 22:29:53 Jackie shakes her head to clear it, feeling a bit lost even though she recognizes the terrain. She follows Journey, keeping her eyes scanning around the area as she goes.

6/25/2022 22:32:37 Journey walks up the path to Stonecreek, "Faster than a van, but far less cargo." He says as he leads into Stonecreek, moving to a spot to sit, "Gauntlet's thicker here, harder to lok and move across, more of a buffer for you, but you should once you have a sense of it, you'll be able to prevent any accidental crossings. It takes practice to get across safely when a Garou is being taught." He offers somewhere to sit, "Any questions?"

6/25/2022 22:34:54 Jackie moves and sits down herself. "Questions? Well, shit yeah, but I'm not sure what the words are. Like, I don't even know what to ask about at this point. Other than how not to go crazy and have to be put down."

6/25/2022 22:38:30 Journey smiles, "Well, just don't throw yourself off the deep end into the Umbra looking for friendly spirits and hoping that nothing eats you. That's a good start." He nods, "A lot of it is simple common sense. Ask the questions you have of people you trust and keep safe. There's a lot of dangers out there and one of the largest protections Kinfolk have is they don't see it, so looking across the Gauntlet, say at the garage, or in the cities, is kinda asking for trouble."

6/25/2022 22:40:58 Jackie wipes her hand over her eyes, then shakes it off. "Well, I'm not trying to ask for trouble. I've been trying to stay out of it, mostly."

6/25/2022 22:42:28 Journey nods, "And you've done well with it, you've seen some of the trouble that happens, from the sidelines, which is the right place to see it from." He shrugs, "So I suppose if there's anything to ask you've got a chance to."

6/25/2022 22:46:08 Jackie looks down at her hands, interlaces between her knees. "Well, we've already established I'm not going mad. So... What is it inside me that triggered this?"

6/25/2022 22:48:45 Journey tilts his head, "A Gnostic Soul?" He shrugs, "Lots of ways and stories exist, those who have been blessed by a spirit, sometimes as rewards, or by the blood of ancient heroes, expression of destiny moving in your life, it's hard to say really. Honestly, it'd be up to a Godi to look into it deeper. Often these things are Tribal like your bloodline."

6/25/2022 22:52:58 Jackie tilts her head to the side thoughtfully. "Well, it might be due to my family. There are... some to be considered heroes in my line."

6/25/2022 22:55:42 Journey nods, sitting near Jackie, Duck settled nearby, "Yeah, that would make sense."

6/25/2022 22:57:44 Jackie looks up from her seat, hands still clasped between her knees as she looks up at the arrival of Theron and Leif. "Oh, uh, hi guys."

6/25/2022 22:59:15 Leif comes out from the woods, making his way up, peeling out of a shirt that is VERY dirty, Freya trotting alongside, just as dirty as the shirt. But she stays away from the water, veering off a little bit. Leif eyeballs her, but then leans down to deposit the shirt in the water and give it a quick scrub on itself and then wring it out and use that to at least kind of wipe off the much. "Hi."

6/25/2022 23:01:25 Journey looks over at Leif and Freya, watching the muck falling off the Ahroun, "Hello." He calls, smiling, "Jackies turned Gnostic, she was having some issues half looking across the Gauntlet at the Sept, I've explained some about it and brought her back here, with a slightly thicker Gauntlet and her Tribe around her for safety." He announces.

6/25/2022 23:07:47 Jackie raises a hand in an awkward wave. "Uh, yeah, what he said. I guess I'm complicating things a bit."

6/25/2022 23:08:33 Leif rinses out the shirt again and eyeballs Freya. He takes a single step in that direction and pauses as what Journey says makes the very long trek upward to the cognitive part of his brain and he pauses, then turns and looks Jackie over. "You good? You need anything?" He looks to Journey. "Does she need anything?" Leif is ready to boil clearwaters and get clean.. um... spirit towels. "No! No, that's a good thing." He looks to Journey for confirmation. "It's a rare and wonderful gift."

6/25/2022 23:11:42 Journey waits for Leif to process the information and nods, at length, "It is a rare and wonderful gift. She has the ability to master more Gifts, peer and step across the Gauntlet, and all of the dangers therein, we've gone over that not happening accidentally, and she could use more time getting a handle on it. Training like any Garou on stepping mechanice, and if you approve, Gifts handled with the supervision of a Theurge.""

6/25/2022 23:17:47 Jackie squirms slightly in her seat, not really comfortable with that take on her current situation. "Well, at this point, I'd settle for not causing any new troubles for us."

6/25/2022 23:19:09 Leif nods slowly to Journey, trying to slow his brain down just a little bit. "Of course. Our Gobi-----Goldy --- Goedly --- Theurge... is out of town on a spirit quest." Then he walks fully over to Jackie and gets down closer to her eye level and very gently puts a hand on her shoulder. "You have caused no problems, no issues, no troubles. You are a welcome presence here and we are here to support you completely." It's said gently, but with certainty, and absolutely sincerity

6/25/2022 23:21:33 Journey nods to Jackie, "See?" He looks to Leif, "I can help train her in mastering her powers and set up some introductions to spirits, broker Gifts for her." He offers. "Vesta is Gnostic herself and has expertise that would help her understand in ways even more fitting."

6/25/2022 23:26:04 Jackie looks up at Leif, then nods. The tension drains out of her shoulders under his hand. She glances between the pair of them. "Ok, yes, that's... great. I guess... Well, all I can really do is try to learn to control it, right?"

6/25/2022 23:28:48 Leif smiles at Journey and nods his head respectfully. "You've always been amazingly helpful and selfless to the Get and just about everyone else. We will gratefully accept the help." He lets go of Jackie and gives her a little room and he nods. "You'll learn. You're smart. It'll take a little time. But it'll be okay."

6/25/2022 23:30:28 Journey nods, "I take it Jackie hasn't met your mother yet, I told her that most anyone here or at the Sept can show her where Timberland is." He looks to Jackie, "you can take some time to absorb what this means to you before you show up at Timberland, but feel free to do so."

6/25/2022 23:36:33 Jackie takes a deep breath, then nods up at Journey. "Ok, yes. I just want to do this right. Not like the story you told earlier."

6/25/2022 23:38:32 Leif nods. "It's a lot of responsibility, to be sure," Leif says, still staying down more on Jackie's level. "But you'll be fine. One step at a time. Don't experiment until you're actually ready to do so. You're doing great. You're a good kinfolk, Jackie. Just trust Shaderunner to guide you. I trust him with everything. Everything."

6/25/2022 23:41:14 Journey shrugs, and smiles, "Okay, get some sleep and try to relax, JAckie, you've got a lot better attitude than Sander did, he was determined to do everything himself and damn any advice he got." He nods, "It's okay. Tomorrow you can come by Timberland and we'll talk about things and perhaps Vesta will be able to help as well."

6/25/2022 23:46:11 Jackie nods, her eyes serious. "Ok, I'll be there tomorrow then for sure.

6/25/2022 23:46:51 Leif smiles at Jackie and he nods as well. "I'll take you there myself. If we're really lucky, Journey will have some sushi for us." TOTALLY not a hint. Nope. Not at ALL

6/25/2022 23:48:18 Journey looks to Leif and smirks, "OKay I'll send her back with Sushi." He smiles to Jackie and rises, "Okay I'll see you then, Jackie. Try not to let it bother you too much, you've got an excellent start on this."