2023.04.13 On the Way Back

04.13.23 On the Way Back
Iris and Trey chat on the trip back from the Dark Side of the Moon about spirits, the Fae, and future plans.
IC Date	04.13.23
Players	Iris, Trey
Location	The dark side of the moon
Spheres	Garou, Bastet, Sorcerer

Space Boat - Low Earth Orbit

Space. The final frontier. Hanging in low earth orbit within the Aetherial realm is this patchwork ship. It looks like a gigantic child smashed several kinds of earthly ships together and forced them to be a single object. Many floored and wrapped in balconies like a paddle boat, spiked with massive masts like a galley, it could hold a small village worth of folk aboard it comfortably.
The ship is outfitted for long voyages away from home and crewed almost entirely by spirits. There's a glass enclosed garden to produce food that's overseen by Sun and Water and tended by plant Naturae. A Lounge is available for drinks and food, with tables, beanbag chairs, and of course a karaoke machine that is jealously guarded and powered by an Electricity elemental. A section of the lounge has been built entirely of glass, so that one can sing and dance amongst the stars without getting lost in them.
The bridge is dominated by bizarre devices of umbral exploration, from a bejeweled armillary sphere for steering to consoles of mounted maps and strange navigational devices. There aren't intercoms on the ship, but there are large-mouthed lizards that yell the captain's orders across the ship when needed. A pennon waves at the highest point of the ship, and its sails are huge, marvelous things of red and gold, black and silver. A small row boat kept at the stern provides a quick and automated way to get to a planet's surface and back again.

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So we're on a boat (on a boat), and the other two are doing whatever they feel like doing after a weird encounter between rival mad scientists. Iris is driving, cause that's what she do. "Well, that was really interesting. Obviously, we're gonna have to come back for another try with the Moonshadows, but still. What a day!" she says to Trey since he has no choice but to hang out with her as far as his thread will stretch.

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Treads-on-Thin-Ice is noshing on nuts, jerky, and dried fruit cheerfully, seated on a railing and cheerful as usual. "Well, yes. I did feel one very briefly, but to learn more, another trip'll have to happen at some point." He grins. "Not that I mind. It's nice to be in a non-homid shape for a while. I like Sokto better than Homid, I do better craftwork with these hands." He pauses, pensive, and says, "I really wonder about Mages. I only know two to any degree, and they're the same Tradition, and they hate one another. It's kind of fucked up. I mean, one of them taught me a lot. Probably a lot more than he should have. I don't think I envy them their power, though -- especially when they come into it young. I don't think I'd handle that kind of power well." He's confident, but this is something he's never had to face, really. "I think you would, because you already handle your power with grace. How do you do it? I Know you're conscious of rank between Garou."

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"Oh, um..." Iris begins, not at all sure how to answer that question at first. "Well, I mean I guess I just sort of embrace the mentor vibe, maybe? I really like seeing how you all process and react to things, it's really fascinating seeing the creativity of an idea burst out and really change the tide. Or letting an event really give you a work out. As long as you're not about to get flattened I don't feel bad about sitting back and just watching. And if I do have to, then maybe I can do it in a way that doesn't make younger ranks feel low or over shadowed. I hope any of that made sense, cause all I can think about is the amount of times I face plant."

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Treads-on-Thin-Ice bursts out laughing. "I haven't seen it yet. It's not a bad thing to let people learn. Kuashas are more like that, at least mine was. He saw me make a lot of mistakes, some stupid, some not. I've learned to not let mistakes impact my confidence too much." He smiles, a little less toothy than his usual sokto grin. "I love learning how people think. But I just like to learn about people. Interesting ones, to be precise. You've never made me feel low. Maybe I get a little frustrated when I can't keep up entirely, but I also know nobody starts knowing everything, and I'm still a pretty young cat. I mean, I'm younger than Pink, weird as that may seem."

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"Yeah I do have a tendency to go on a babbling rampage and I DO definitely forget that people aren't quite as deep into obscure spiritual BS." Iris apologizes with a wince and a grin, "You just stop me whenever I'm getting confusing and ask questions, I'll go on a whole different rampage that you can keep up with. And I take requests, pop up a subject. Assuming I know anything about it, I'll yammer with you all day long! And possibly figure out a way to work field experience into the mix. Hee, I feel like some kind of professor or something."

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Treads-on-Thin-Ice pfffts. "I do the same thing, it's probably why we get along so well. And it's only babbling if it's not interesting, and I've yet to hear you talk about anything boring." His smile quirks up naturally more on one side, and it's more noticeable in this form, somehow. "You are, really. I mean, think about how much practical knowledge you've given back to the community -- and now also to the Bastet. My students when I'm a Kuasha someday will benefit from it all, and theirs in turn. It's not just *me* you've giving this all to -- it's my *people*."

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"Aw, thanks!" Iris beams a sunny smile, a hand on one of the wheels to guide the ship. "Hey, wanna see something? Brief pit stop on the way home." She's pulling over either way, so hopefully the answer is yes. "I just don't think it should matter what a student is. Not in this day and age, any how. It's just like those unicorn anamae, there's one for everyone, and that has to include you, and Branton, just like Moonshadows do. There's an underlying connection between all of us, a unity, a bonding force, you know what I mean? There's some pretty big rifts out there, but I think I'd teach just whoever, as long as they're a good guy and as long as I know they wont get anyone hurt with what I teach them."

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Treads-on-Thin-Ice nods agreement -- when has he ever said 'No, I don't want to see something cool'? He considers this and says, "A lot of my folk are cautious, to say the least. I try to judge individuals on their merits, all that. I can't imagine why it *wouldn't* include him," he says with a shrug. "But then, I don't see the Mother excluding any of her children. The rest of us, that's another story. Knowing they'll use it well, and hopefully wisely, yeah.. that's as good a reason to teach as I can think of. And not just because I benefit from it. I've been trying to offer my time to teach people rituals a day or two a week at the sept. Simple ones, mostly, but it might seem easier to ask the lunatic kittycat than the elder who's all covered in renown and respect, you know?"

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"Spirits don't generally care about kinfolk any more than they care about humans, but the ones with a spark of spirit in them one way or another do tend to get more interaction. And also witches." She slows and stops the boat, and then goes to point over the railing, where a wide, winding trail of gold dust sparkles in the black. "Sun road. It's like a moon path but fatter, goes way way farther, and it's made of sunlight, not moonlight. I mean obviously. Really good for when weightlessness is freaking you out, it gives you something to walk on, keeps you from getting lost, that sort of thing. They're way more spread out though, so you gotta look a lot more for one of those than for a moon path. And, bonus, the sun doesn't wane, so you never have to worry about the path getting weak, except for waaay out there at the edges of the reach."

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Trey says, “Unless the human or Kin can see them, or contact them, or something, no? And by witches, do you mean sorcerers too or mages, or?" Just clarifying. He turns and gazes over the side, clawed hands on the railing, and ohhhs with a smile. "Do you have a map of those? I am going to want to figure out where they appear. They're beautiful too..." He chuckles softly and says, "Out by Pluto, or further still?"”

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"Well, sorcerers. You know, witches." Iris says, "Moon magic and spirit summoning and stuff like that." She shrugs though and says, "No idea! I mean, I don't think anyone's been farther than Pluto before. I might be wrong, but I haven't heard of anyone returning with such tales, anyway. ...I really wanna. But, later. When I did all the other stuff. You know there's Wyld reaches out there where chaos reigns? Imagine a planet so cold that it's on fire! Or there's Weaver reaches, with harmonious orbits, crystalline mountains and rains of glass. And Wyrmish reaches where things are being destroyed and recycled, and there's a planet *so* dark that almost no light can reach its surface?" She's all excited about that far away stuff as she gets the ol boat scooting along again.

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Treads-on-Thin-Ice ahhs and nods. "What Branton and I do, then. Though him, way more than me." He grins as he watches her get excited again, talking about all the reaches of Aetherial space, and the wonders. "It never feels less than wondrous to see all these things -- I think you remember wonder and never let yourself forget it. You, especially." He pops a bit of dried apple into his mouth, the sharper teeth a little challenged by the fruit, but he's game still. "All of this is part of why I want to try and show you the Dreaming, if I can get permission and some help from a fae friend. I'd want the family to know what to expect and all, but for you... you'd probably sleep half a day afterward. Maybe a day, tops. Most people sleep a lot longer after contact with it, but you're... you *feel* a lot like it does there, if that makes sense." He leans, watching her as she navigates, both learning and talking.

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