2022.07.04:Live Times at the Dead Mall

Live Times at the Dead Mall
Some hanging out and story time at the Dead Mall.
IC Date	July 4, 2022.
IC Time	Evening.
Players	Jackie, Erin, Lorna, Irsa, Iris, Branton
Location	Dead Mall
Spheres	Garou

7/4/2022 16:53:34 Irsa drops her splintery pallet burden and scrubs her grubby hands over her jacket. She flashes a grotesque grin at Lorna's words. "Yeah? Now that's awesome. Sounds like we are. Your dad's a crescent moon? Small world, so am I." They must grow theurges on the large side where she comes from. "Hammer-Tooth is what I'm called 'round the moot fires. But screw that. Irsa works just fine. My Ma gave it to me, so that makes it the best name ever." Her eyes light up as she looks at Erin. "Thanks again for the stuff you left. I got your art piece finished, upstairs." And then more people arrive! This is turning into a welcome party. "Oh, hey Iris. And Jackie," she amends.

7/4/2022 16:57:01 Jackie walks in from the main entryway waving politely as she approaches those inside. "Hey, how's it going?"

7/4/2022 16:57:09 Erin smiles and waves to Iris as she comes over towards them then grins at Irsa "Your welcome.. Anytime you guys or the little ones need something please let me know and I will be glad to help" she waves to Jackie when Irsa points her out.

7/4/2022 16:58:25 Iris smiles and waves when she's noticed, and says, "Hello!" to the collected group, "I don't actually know why I'm here, but I'm happy to be, none the less!." She waves to Erin, Lorna, and Jackie as well, "Hi, I'm Iris, Black Fury Theurge." she adds simply for the one person she hasn't met yet.

7/4/2022 17:00:56 Lorna grins at Irsa. "Irsa it is, then. If you see an enormous dog in glasses, dont give him any onions. He's a mate of mine, and has awful flatulence. He's got a sour disposition, but he's all right for the most part. And I think my folks would like you. You are definitely their kind of person, on first meeting. Hammer-Tooth is an excellent name, too. Proper strength in it."

7/4/2022 17:06:02 Jackie takes a look around, just getting a read on the area. "It seems a little quieter than it had been last time I was here. I guess things are kind of getting back to normal, after the recent unpleasantness?"

7/4/2022 17:07:08 Irsa shoots a grin at Iris. "Ain't that always the way? Get turned around in the Umbra, and baam! Right into Bonegnawer country." She nudges the pallet against the wall with her foot, and props it up against the wall to get it out of the way. She look curiously at Lorna. "Dog in glasses? Like, a Garou or some kinda spirit?" She rolls her shoulders and adds, "We'll have to share rite-name stories over drinks. Just ignore it if I shift, though. Alcohol and the cave woman don't mix." She coughs and glances upstairs. "Want me to bring that piece down, Erin, or do you wanna head up and see it? I'm kinda bumming around up there in a few spots. The directory is pretty full, but it's pretty clear most of the Gnawers there cleared out a while ago. There's not even scent left in most stores." She shrugs at Jackie's remarks. "I don't know, honestly. I've been here for the most part, getting my cousin and her son settled in. What's the news on the unpleasant stuff?"

7/4/2022 17:13:22 Erin looks around at all the people arriving and looks to Irsa "Well I'd hate to leave everyone, if it would be better to bring ti down that way we aren't rude to anyone that would be best" she smiles softly and nods "WAit there was a smell? was it a bad smell?" she looks over to Iris "How are you doing besides finding us here?" she smiles then looks to Irsa "The kinfolk house and Smoke are open once more. I think it all got handled" she nodsnods.

7/4/2022 17:15:23 "What unpleasant thing has happened?" Iris asks with a curious look to Jackie, and then turns a smile to Irsa. "Happens all the time. I should probably start paying attention to where I'm going, but I feel like that would just sap all the fun out of things. I might live longer, though." She shrugs to Erin and says, "Same as always, I suppose. Feeling better, but that's just leading to itchy feet and the need to flee this world again. So, yeah, the usual, thank you for asking! How's your family?"

7/4/2022 17:17:03 "Cain... he's a spirit of knowledge, though why he wants to look like a dog beats me. Probably some reason we could never understand. like half of what the bugger says." Lorna grins at that. "I should really have come to say hello before now, but here I am. And the gang's all starting to show up. Popular spot." She looks around, and shivers a little. "Always gives me the willies, maybe that is why I am not a very regular visitor."

7/4/2022 17:19:05 Jackie nods at Erin. "Yeah, like she said, things are open again. There was something nasty hunting one of the kinfolk and steps were taken to play it safe. But I think it's taken care of now? I mean, you should probably check with the elders rather than take my word for it, of course."

7/4/2022 17:22:55 Irsa shrugs at Erin. "I was gonna invite everyone up, but I can bring that piece down. That'll probably be easier. You won't be attacked by my nephew and his foam sword." She snorts back a laugh at Iris' words. "Yeah, but running only takes you so far, right? Wild adventures, that's where it's at. Besides, I still need to paint stuff on your boat. Did you want part ofyour actual boat painted? Or want me to paint something else while I'm there?" She grunts at Lorna's words. "Spirits are wild like that. Well, I'll keep an eye out for him. If you see your friend before I do, you're welcome to tell him he can look me up. I don't mind company." She listens closely to Jackie's explanation. "Thanks, that's good to know. I'll ask them. Oh! That reminds me. There's a new Fianna kinfolk in town. I met him last night at the caern."

7/4/2022 17:26:34 Erin smiles at Iris "I can understand how the feet get itchy and you want to adventure, but yes you go away for so long and we miss you.. Family is doing well. The girls come home tonight so I'm very excited about that." she smiles and then looks over to Irsa "Well up to you then if we can all come up or if it be easier" she giggles "Oh I have my share of foam sword fights trust me" she giggles softly. She looks thoughtful "Sometime I'll have to let you and Kringer meet" she nodsnods "Just not when Cain is here, they don't get along well"

7/4/2022 17:29:10 "Oooh, right, the traitor kin." Iris says with an understanding nod, "I did hear a little about that. Oh! But if it's handled, then I may have to revisit Journey about joining me for a uh, well, a journey. But with a little j rather than a capital j. Poor guy, he needs a vacation badly." She shrugs easily at Irsa and says, "Entirely up to you, I place no boundaries on creative impulses."

7/4/2022 17:32:23 Irsa shrugs again. "All right, show of hands. Left hand if you wanna stay here and I bring the art piece down. Right hand if you wanna brave Gnawer living quarters." She waits for that show of hands before she pipes up again.

7/4/2022 17:33:33 Erin smiles because she is curious and holds up both hands the smart ass too. She nodsnods to Iris "That he does, I feel for him all the shit he has to put up with... Wait what new kin?"

7/4/2022 17:34:26 Lorna snorts. "Cain is a soft bag of fuzz and he needs to get over himself. I know spirits tend to be primal and manifestations of base principles, but he's acting like he was in some 70s Hanna Barbera cartoon. My life is not an episode of Tom and Jerry or something like that." She then raises her right hand. What need she fear of the inner sanctum of Bone Gnawer territory? Is that not also her tribe? She fears not foam swords! "Girls getting back? hey, that's great! I get to be unsuitable auntie Lorna who gives them sweeties when you aren't looking and tells them all the rude jokes they are not supposed to know!"

7/4/2022 17:38:14 Jackie raises her right hand. "It can't be that bad, can it? I mean, I don't usually clean up my areas very well, myself. Wait, who's a traitor? What's that about? The new... Fianna, was it?"

7/4/2022 17:40:11 It's also Iris's first impulse to be an ass, although less in a jokey way and more in a never plan ahead sort of way, both her hands going up at the same time as Erin. Left, right, up, down, who cares as long as there's something interesting to see, right? "Some kinfolk that'd been leading Wyrm spawn to abmush Gaian folk." She shrugs her shoulders at Erin, having no better information than that.

7/4/2022 17:44:48 Irsa throws her hands up in the air in exasperation. "Fine, fuck alla ya. Upstairs it is. You can give me your honest, brutal opinion of the space I'm crashing in right now." She turns to nab that splintery pallet, which of course pricks her fingers again. She utters a string of colorful curses in several languages and starts dragging it up to the second floor. "Yeah, his name is Angus something-something-McFianna-something. He seemed real nice. I haven't met any Fianna Garou, so I had no idea where to steer him." She looks at the group over her shoulder. "Did you know that Scot dude from Star Trek was Canadian? Ain't that bout a bitch."

7/4/2022 17:47:39 Erin blows Irsa a kiss as she moves to follow her "Well thank you, but i can be bluntly honest, just so you know" she nodsnods and smiles at Lorna leading her as they head for the second floor.

7/4/2022 17:48:41 Lorna comes forwards "Look, at least let me help with that thing? I'm gnawer kin, that;s supposed to be my job, isn't it?" And she could move it with considerably less effort, she suspects. But she has a lot of very unfair advantages.

7/4/2022 17:51:32 Jackie shakes her head at Iris's description. "Oh, you mean Six! I'm pretty sure she wasn't doing it on purpose like that though. But at least that makes sense, I thought you meant the new guy was a traitor or something." She follows along behind Irsa as she talks, heading up.

7/4/2022 17:52:08 "Oh, no, I think the traitorous one was not Fianna." Iris says, but cant offer much more than that. She follows Irsa and Erin up the stalled out escalator stairs!

(Moved to upstairs mall)

7/4/2022 17:56:02 Irsa nods over her shoulder once the group's upstairs. "Betcha can't guess which one I wanna claim," she says.

7/4/2022 17:56:06 Lorna assists with the hefting of the heavy pallet... actually, it becomes very significantly LESS heavy when she takes hold of it. Either she is a great deal stronger than she looks, or there is more to this than meets the eye. Either way, it is a much easier job to carry it back up the stairs than it was to bring it down... splinters notwithstanding.

7/4/2022 17:56:29 Lorna laughs. "I'd live in Hot Topic, personally."

7/4/2022 17:59:36 Iris doesn't help with anything! Nope, just trails along like an unhelpful git. "You folk and your need for roofs and walls." she teases with a smile.

7/4/2022 18:04:02 Erin was far too curious that got up here as she seems to be looking around she's smiling at something as she looks to Irsa and hmms "Oh wow hmm Spencers?", she says curiously.

7/4/2022 18:08:05 Irsa grins at Lorna. "That way lies madness. I honestly considered it, but it's a bit small for my art work. Plus the stairs are partially flooded. Leads all the way down to the basement. I'd rather not have folks swimming up into my crash space." She shoots the Bonegnawer kin an admiring look as she takes in her prowess. Buff women unite! Irsa grunts at Iris. "Hey, before roofs and walls it was caves and shit." She's just waiting, WAITING, to see what Jackie guesses.

7/4/2022 18:09:47 Jackie glances at the storefronts, unable to tell which ones were occupied and which were just full of stuff. "Uhhh.... LL Bean?"

7/4/2022 18:11:23 Irsa busts into a laugh. "Hah! Jackie wins the prize!" She just leading the group that way. "I mean, the name's totally hilarious. But yeah, take a looksee. See if you can figure out why I wanted it."

7/4/2022 18:12:35 "Bleh." Iris says about walls and roofs and caves, clearly not a fan! Or pretending not to be. One of the two. "Careful, watch your feet!" She's still not helpful. She also has no guess, and doesn't really seem to recognize any of the stores or their cultural significance.

(Move into old LL Bean)

7/4/2022 18:15:48 Irsa shoves the doors open with her shoulder and heads inside. Behold, LL Bean. She directs the pallet leading to the storefront window, and coordinates with Lorna to lean it up against it. "What's wrong with this picture?" she asks the group. "And what's right?"

7/4/2022 18:16:41 Lorna comes along and then grins at the decor. "Oh, I LIKE this! The whole enchanted forest thing is reet gradely!" Which, to those not versed in Yorkshire speak, is presumably a good thing. As she helps move the pallet, she continues "You know, I am pretty good with a tool kit and the like, my wicked Victorian slave driver of a boss might consent to let me have a bit of time to help out with refurbishments here, if you fancy the help."

7/4/2022 18:20:53 Iris shrugs her shoulders cluelessly. She has no idea what might be right or wrong to Irsa's understanding, and is still quietly trying to figure out what sort of beans this log cabin of a store might once have sold. While trying to work out that important puzzle, she stays out of the pallet wielders' way and sticks her face in one of the berry bushes to sniff that fresh green scent all up into her nose.

7/4/2022 18:21:31 Jackie looks around and shrugs. "I couldn't tell you, really. Not enough flannel for an LL Bean?"

7/4/2022 18:25:28 Erin looks around and ooos softly "I really like it it's really nice" she looks around "your missing some drawins on the walls I would say" she nodsnods. "But very homey I love it"

7/4/2022 18:28:14 Irsa cracks her knuckles and turns her head from side to side to work out a knot in her neck. "I'll never say no to help," she answers Lorna. "Lemme trade ya, though. You can never have enough Stuff." 'Stuff' with a capital 'S', a Bonegnawer's most prized collection. She grunts and gestures around. "Two things here I like. The space, and that." She jabs a finger at the fireplace. "That thing is fucking awesome. The wood thing is good, but it's not practical EVERYWHERE in here. I'd just trash it when I'm working, or the rats will do it." She nods at the fireplace. "I'd like to focus the woodsy thing around the fireplace, and move the living area around that."

7/4/2022 18:32:03 "Perhaps you could take the logging down, it's fake, yes?" Iris offers, "And use it to construct those little half walls? Section out your home's spaces a little? I don't know how you like your home to feel, but I bet you could move things into the right shape." She sounds like she's grasping at straws, interior design is not among her short list of skills.

7/4/2022 18:33:21 Lorna walks over to the fireplace and looks it over, as much as possible both inside and out, including up the chimney. "I think we can do a lot with this. It wouldn't be too hard to give it a proper going over, check the flue, clean it up, put in new grilles to stop anything coming down the chimney - sorry Santa - and patch up any damage. Much better than causing a chimney fire. This could be turned into an amazing central piece. I've not done much in the way of building renovations, but I had a bash at a few things back home. Small village, so the people good with the hands did pretty much all the renovations. A lot cheaper than a building firm. And my uncle - he was tribe, of course, one hell of a philodox for all his grouchy face - could persuade people to hire us before they even knew they needed us." She rises, and dusts her hands off. "I can bring me tools back down here next time I am free. Give it a proper check and estimate, if you like?"

7/4/2022 18:39:19 Erin starts to walk around and smiles "I can help with any renovation you might need.." she smiles "I'm a littl ehandly with the hands so if you need them you can definitely use them.." she looks to Lorna "I'll talk to your mean old boss and tell that bitch to give you time" she nodsnods.

7/4/2022 18:43:53 Jackie laughs at Erin and Lorna, shaking her head before looking around the place. "Is the electricity cut off to the whole building or something? All I've seen are solar lamps and candles."

7/4/2022 18:45:04 Irsa nods at Iris. "Yeah, it's definitely fake. I tested a section of the floor, and you can see it's not real wood. This stuff is some kinda composite shit. She muses over the suggestions, looking pleased. "Those are really good ideas. I'll sketch out some things tonight and see which'll work best." She shrugs at Lorna, holding up her hands. "Structural's always good, but I ain't got no green. You know how the money curse works with Rat Wolves. Trade I can do, all day long." She snaps her fingers and points at a small table shoved up against the wall. "That reminds me: Erin, the thing I made you is right there. Something flat is laid atop the table, covered with a beach towel. Where did that even come from? She shrugs at Jackie. "Electricity means attention. I know we got some in a couple areas here, but not in the living areas."

7/4/2022 18:48:30 "Electricity spirits are all inherently insane as well," Iris says with a distasteful wince, "The less of those running around through the walls the better, probably. I like the solar stuff, gives a nice ambiance."

7/4/2022 18:51:22 Lorna wrinkles her nose at Erin. "That boss, she's a piece of work. paying me, givin' me a flat to live in, buyin' me all me grub. Dunno how she sleeps at night, frankly." She grins merrily. "Well, I wouldn't expect money, and this is tribe stuff. I do it happily on that basis. Getting materials might be the harder part, but I am pretty sure the sept would rally round to help if needs be. I'll come over tomorrow and go over it with a fine toothed comb. We can talk what plans you want if you had it exactly as you wanted, no cost or work issues. Then we'll work out how to do it. A project like this really gets my creative juices going."

7/4/2022 18:53:35 Erin ooos and moves over towards the table to see what's under the towel. She nodsnods "yeah you don't want that kind of electricity being pulled. Most of the heavy power shit at my shop runs on other ways of power" she nodsnods "And looking here it could fit in easy actually" she smiles softly. She looks over to Lorna "I can get the materials easily enough" she nodsnods "And i'm for trade too. and yeah if you ask they will come" she grins at the joke."

7/4/2022 18:56:54 Jackie turns her head to look at the solar bits and bobs again, not having known that about electricity spirits, or really much of anything about spirits.

7/4/2022 18:58:08 Irsa offers Lorna a high-five. "Sold! This'll be fun. I ain't had my own real space in a while. We were living right on top of each other in L.A." She grimaces at Iris' words. "Those damn things are so hyper. You ever visited one of the big dam generators? It's like watching a buncha hyper kids hopped up on sugar and strapped into rockets." What an image that is! She watches as Erin uncovers her gift, holding her breath as she waits to see her reaction. The art piece is made from a small, Art Deco window, probably scavenged from an old church dating back to the Roaring Twenties. The copper frame has been polished in sections until it gleams. Most of the original glass is gone, but what remains has been skillfully patched with sections of rusted metal siding that have spray-painted an ombre rainbow of color. The work depicts a woman in a white gown running through a moonlit-meadow, her pale, unbound hair streaming behind her as she darts across the land. Stars twirl overhead, with cut-out musical notes depicting their song. A single comet streaks across the starry sky, a symbol of hope and dreams.

7/4/2022 19:02:30 Lorna high-fives Irsa. "Deal! This is going to be fun! Not had a really interesting project since Jackie and her bike showed up! Hey Jackie, you in on this?" She is really enthused about this. Nothing she likes more tha getting down and dirty with her tools. "And I can probably sort you out solar power if we get the panels and stuff. I've rigged them up before, it's actually pretty easy these days. Tech by numbers, really."

7/4/2022 19:04:05 Iris tells Jackie when she spots the didn't-know-that expression, saying. "There's spirits for literally everything, and you can get an idea about how they behave by looking at their material world counter parts. Electricity being erratic, barely controlled and lethal while also being exceptionally fast, plus it tends to get bored and surge through wires, breaking stuff along the way or just starts messing around for fun. Those annoying flickery lights that seem to respond when you tell them to knock it off, that sort of thing."

7/4/2022 19:06:33 Erin ooos softly as she looks at it just staring at it in silence for a little bit "This is awesome. Thank you" she picks it up so that others can see it as well though for now she will leave it there not wanting to disturb it much. She turns back "Thank you.. I love it" she actually hugs Irsa but then backs up "Sorry"

7/4/2022 19:09:33 Jackie nods at Lorna, brightening back up a bit. "Yeah, sure, of course. We should be able to rig up something, at least. Maybe even be able to use whatever wiring is left in the walls here?"

7/4/2022 19:13:15 Irsa eyes the bushes as Erin and Jackie speak. "I should awaken one of those," she says to Iris. "I wonder what it'll say first?" She smiles at Erin's response, and 'oofs' as she's hugged. Poor Erin, she's hugged an entirely filthy Gnawer. Those stains might come out sometime next year. "Glad you like it. You know, you can hang that up or set it in an actual window at your place. It looks real nice when sunlight or moonlight shines through it." She points up at a small skylight above.

7/4/2022 19:13:39 Lorna looks at the walls and purses her lips in thought. She walks up and taps the wall. "I see no real reason why not. Have to test everything over. I'd like to PAT test the whole building, really, but not sure we have time. And the real trick is doing all this while we do not look like we are actually doing anything at all. Bring things in piecemeal, after dark. Maybe teleport it in." What? Is she serious?

7/4/2022 19:16:42 Erin doesn't seem to at all mind the dirt or stains that might have rubbed off on her after the hug. She smiles at her "I think I have the right window then to put it on" she nodsnos and looks thoughtfully back at her gift then looks back and nodsnods "Yeah bet we all can get this place going" she nodsnods.

7/4/2022 19:16:58 "If we were in a video game it would probably say 'Raspberry!' in an adorably cute voice before spending a few days leading you inexorably down the path towards cannibalism." Iris says with a smile and a shrug, "Or it'll want to complain about stingy bees. Either or."

7/4/2022 19:20:22 Irsa grunts and pads over to the nearest beanbag, claiming it by flopping herself into it. "Sounds like this is gonna be a working camp-out. I'll have to nab some snacks and beer." She grimaces at Iris. "Man, can you imagine how much worse it'd be if these things were over at EB Games? It'd be a total infestation."

7/4/2022 19:34:49 "I believe you would be correct." Iris says, and gives the bush she'd sniffed a suspicious glance. What if it IS into cannibalism?? Poor Irsa. She takes a cue from the Gnawer and moves to sit, but on the floor rather than in a proper sort of seating thing, and crosses her bare feets under her. "Wait, do I have to work too?"

7/4/2022 19:35:38 Lorna continues to pad about, poking things, scratching her head, and generally looking like a woman now very distracted by her favourite obsession - tinkering and stuff! "I really should have come here earlier and offered help. Sorry about that. Just..." She looks about and shivers. "You really do not want to know how this place looks in the shadowlands. It urgently needs the renovation to stop being some Japanese horror movie set."

7/4/2022 19:41:03 Irsa shakes her head at Iris. "No, you can sit on your ass and pretend to super-wise and shit. If you show -actual- wisdom, that'd totally be work. You can drink bad beer and tell us a pack of cool lies. " Logic of the best kind! She shoots a sympathetic look at Lorna. "How would you even know a new Gnawer was here? The ones I see on the directory for the shops tells me they moved on. You've got your own life, yeah? Besides, that helping thing goes both ways. I'm a shitty person if I'm not helping family." She grins at Erin's enthusiasm.

7/4/2022 19:44:04 "It's many layers are strange and wonderful," Iris says to Lorna by some way of agreement, "The dark umbra here reminds me of the edges of the Abyss, terribly quiet and empty, with a strange, sad sort of quiet." She doesn't sound like she doesn't like it, but then, she's not the sort of person that dislikes too many things. Hippies, man. "I might be a little biased though, I rather like the dark umbra, though that's most likely my totem's influence." She thinks about the proposition and says, "I suppose if I drink enough beer I could probably say something that sounds a little bit wise. I don't know anything about building things in a normal way though, best I'd probably be able to offer is some insight on what the spirits would enjoy. But if THAT helps, then I wont be entirely useless!"

7/4/2022 19:47:12 Lorna grins at Iris "I bet you can wield a paintbrush though. Hang about while there's stuff going on, I can find you a job. Just be warned!" And she considers Irsa. "Well, word got around that we did have a new tribemate in the city. But you are right. Anyway, we're together now, so why worry about the past? I reckon we can do some good things in the future. It's good to be back around the tribe again though. I missed that, on my travels."

7/4/2022 19:48:12 Jackie shrugs at that. "I don't know how much that sort of thing matters. I learned how things work based on the tools and materials involved. So when I fix things, I have to go off what I can see and feel."

7/4/2022 19:51:47 Irsa flexes her hands and starts picking out a few splinters. She knits her brows at Lorna's words about the Shadowlands. "Shadowlands? I don't think I've ever heard of that place. Is that another name for the Dark Umbra?" She's a cliath, she's still learning all the mystic secrets. She adds, "I'm down for leaving the past as past. Ain't no thing at all." She sounds completely genuine about that sentiment, probably because she's taken no offense. Irsa smirks at the Elder theurge. "I'll throw in some wine and you can tell us some wild stories." She asks Jackie, "Do you do a lot of this kinda stuff?" She waves her hands around the space.

7/4/2022 19:55:15 Something seems to catch Erin's attention and she steps away going to stand by one of the windows and looks out as she seems to be watching something with great curiosity.

7/4/2022 19:55:58 "Which sort of thing?" Iris asks Jackie when she pipes up. She puffs out her cheeks and blows out a breath of air, "I do have a lot of stories. Some wild, some stupid, some pretty amazing, I suppose. Depends on the listener, I guess."

7/4/2022 19:57:44 "Shadowlands... the realm of the dead. Ghosts, wraiths, spectres and that sort of thing." Lorna clarifies. She taps the side of her head. "I know where the bailiffs are." She pauses for effect, and then whispers in a sepulchral manner. "I seeeee debt people...." She grins brightly then. "That is never going to be not funny to me. I just have to say it. Every single time!" She looks curiously over at Erin. In the manner of Bugs Bunny, she asks.... "Nyahhhhh what's up, Boss?"

7/4/2022 20:00:39 Jackie looks around smiling. "Well, not malls or LL Beans specifically, but I've done a fair amount of fixing things up. Sometimes houses, and a whole lot of cars and trucks and stuff. Oh, I meant stuff like what spirits like. I didn't know that really affected actual repair jobs."

7/4/2022 20:03:35 Irsa stares at Lorna for a few moments. "No shit? Wow. I've heard of that kinda thing, but never actually met anyone who could do that. It was usually some bullshit story someone's abuela was telling 'round the fire." She nods at Jackie's remark. "Yeah, it definitely can. If they've made a place their home, they can get fussy about how it's changed on this side of the Gauntlet." She follows everyone's gazes over to Erin. "You all right over there? Whoever lives up on the roof isn't looking in, are they?"

7/4/2022 20:07:05 Erin smiles as she watches "This place is pretty alive, there is a fashion show going on" she grins

7/4/2022 20:08:50 Lorna raises her eyebrows. "Do we want to know what type of show?" She cannot help but be curious but wanders in that direction. "Honestly, ghosts are mostly a nuisance, and dull. Always wanting you to give someone a message, or beg to be allowed back to life, or just nuts and looking for primal urges. They can be useful sometimes, but honestly, It

7/4/2022 20:09:31 Lorna raises her eyebrows. "Do we want to know what type of show?" She cannot help but be curious but wanders in that direction. "Honestly, ghosts are mostly a nuisance, and dull. Always wanting you to give someone a message, or beg to be allowed back to life, or just nuts and looking for primal urges. They can be useful sometimes, but honestly, It's a pain in the arse ninety percent of the time, unless I am doing a possession type of thing."

7/4/2022 20:14:40 "You'll be growing into some expanded sight yourself in the none too distant future." Iris tells Irsa with a smile, "You probably wont have a whole lot of choice in the matter." She nods to Jackie and says, "You've probably experienced it without knowing it. Working on something that just falls into place with some sort of inspired alacrity, or the opposite, something that simply will not work no matter what tricks you employ."

7/4/2022 20:16:59 Irsa stretches herself out nearly full-length on that beanbag. She's too tall to fit onto it completely, but she clearly gives no fucks. She watches everyone from an upside-down view as the others speak. "As long as it's not roof person putting on a show, I'm cool," she quips. "I really should check 'em out. Bring some burgers or something, and say hello." She closes her eyes and cracks one open at Iris. "Sounds wild. And right. I mean, if spirits aren't showing themselves to theurges, we're doing something wrong."

7/4/2022 20:20:11 Erin smiles and returns to the group "It's in the dreaming actually. it's really nice to see it alive here. " she smiles "kringer is off getting pets, the brats"

7/4/2022 20:25:04 Lorna stops, then laughs wryly. "Yes, it would be a bit of a problem seeing that. Great. You get to see faerie fashion shows, while I see nasty shadows flickering, cobwebs, and the visual equivalent of a decomposing stench. Do you think if I complain to the manufacturer of my brain, I could get a rebate?"

7/4/2022 20:29:25 "Probably not," Iris says with the wry tone of someone that's tried to speak to the manager about this once or twice. "You're how you are for a reason though. Maybe that's not a reason that's been apparent yet, but eventually it probably will be."

7/4/2022 20:29:48 Irsa holds up her hand at Lorna's quip. "I'll get right on that." Any thing for family! She opens her eyes and watches Erin curiously. "I don't know what the Dreaming is. I'm guessing it's pretty?" She really -is- a cliath. She does a double-take as faeries are mentioned. "You've seen 'em too?"

7/4/2022 20:29:50 Jackie glances around at the others in the group. She counts 3 whole realms of conversation she can't see into, a new personal record!

7/4/2022 20:35:19 Erin looks around " See what?" she looks at Lorna and hmms " I am sorry " she looks thoughtful " complaining doesn't work I tried"

7/4/2022 20:39:44 Lorna snorts. "I've not seen one as far as I know, but I have it on the very best authority that they are real, and none of them are happy skipping things in the garden singing merry songs. I've read Eastern European fairie stories. Those things are gruesome as hell. There's this one about a Russian woman who eats people by spreading her legs and... No, actually, let's not talk about that, it is so fucked up it makes my head hurt."

7/4/2022 20:42:06 Irsa stares at Lorna. And stares some more. "Holy shit." That's the understatement of the year. "Remind me to stay outta that section of the book store."

7/4/2022 20:47:43 Erin shrugs " It was probably a sprite, those are so mean and bitches" she hmms "at least the ones I have met. there could be nice ones as they say, there is always two sides to a coin. right? "

7/4/2022 20:50:35 Lorna grunts. "You said it, all right. Weird. I spent a couple of nights with a pack down in Joplin County, in Missouri, when I was driving the Mother Road. Their galliard was a Shadow Lord, who was surprisingly laid back and non-judgmental about the likes of me crashing in their bunkhouse for a weekend. Anyway, we got talking around the fire the first night, and we all brought out weird stories from home. I told 'em all about the Lambton Worm, and sang the song for them. Then the galliard? He regaled us with a bunch of fun tales from his homeland. Man. Russians. Scariest bunch of buggers on the planet, if you ask me."

7/4/2022 20:54:12 "Probably because it's so damned cold. Cold and hot places make real weird shit." Iris opines with a shoulder shrug and a smile. "Belief and legend also birth really weird things too, regardless of how unreal it might have been in the beginning. That's exactly why the moon is made of cheese."

7/4/2022 20:56:16 Irsa scrubs a hand over the side of her scarred jaw. This has officially gotten extremely weird. "I.. wait, what?" Now her stare locks onto Iris. "You ain't serious. Are you? How the fuck is the moon made outta cheese? I haven't seen that in the Umbra." Poor, poor little Cliath. So ignorant.

7/4/2022 20:57:21 Erin hmmms " I like cheese!" she giggles "one day I might visit the moon. or get a ride on your spaceship"

7/4/2022 20:58:51 "Darn right it is!" Lorna agrees. "Moon is made of cheese - YORKSHIRE cheese! It's one fucking huge truckle of Swaledale, and I'll fight anybody who says otherwise!" Well, her Yorkshire patriotism gene is still working properly... But she then stops. "Cain did say one day I could go to the moon if I really practiced. Apparently the most powerful astral projectors have done it. I wonder if Wallace and Gromit are up there..."

7/4/2022 21:03:36 "Uh..." Iris begins, taking a moment to figure out how to word things, "Well the earth has layers of spiritual planes, right. Physical plane, dark umbra, dream lands, spiritual plane, and so on. Celestial bodies all have the same sorts of layering going on. The moon has the barren physical side, and there's the lunar umbra with all its familiar-to-us spirit life and cities are, there's a blood realm that may presumably be what one could consider a death realm of sorts, and there's a lot of others, but one of them is the cheese realm. It came into being a few hundred years ago when someone managed to convince other people that the moon was made of green cheese. They told that to their kids, who told it to their kids, and so on, and eventually when movies became a thing, the idea was further spread that the moon is made of green cheese. So it is. One of its umbral layers is a gigantic ball of hole-y green cheese, and the only residents are silver-white spirit mice that mine the cheese for themselves, and one semi stressed out green cheese man who tries to keep the nibbling to a minimum to protect the structural integrety of the moon on that layer. I'm... I'm fully serious, it's a thing. He's a fair conversationalist, pretty lonely and a bit socially awkward, but very nice all the same.

7/4/2022 21:07:58 Irsa's mouth waters. Cheese discussions always makes her hungry. She somehow manages to focus on Iris' explaination, her eyes narrowing in surprise. "It's official. Everything's super weird in the Realms. So here's a question for ya. How did humans even get the power to do all this with their belief? I mean, why not wolves? Or rats? Or hell, dinosaurs?" She's stretched out nearly full-length in a beanbag chair that's too small to contain her. She's draped partially on the floor.

7/4/2022 21:09:22 Lorna ponders Iris and her words. "Scary thing is, I believe you. And philosophy is not really my long suit. I'm going to head back to the shop, we've got a pick up to finish working on. But this was very interesting. I'll be back tomorrow with tools and things. Looking forwards to it all!

7/4/2022 21:10:30 Jackie keeps her mouth shut, sitting in one of the chairs over by the table as she listens.

7/4/2022 21:10:44 Branton is knocking on the entrance with a grocery bag in one hand and a handmade wooden doll of a winged woman in the other "Evening all. Did someone order a care package of cheese and crackers? Sometimes precog impulses give the strangest packing suggestions."

7/4/2022 21:11:56 Erin nods to Lorna and smile " Yes get back to work you slacker" she winks at her and smiles before she nods to Iris " never heard that or said that way thank you for explaining " she jumps when there is a knock and waves to Branton.

7/4/2022 21:16:39 Iris wiggles her fingers at Lorna by way of a farewell, and says to Irsa, "Well, they do. I mean, it's a symptom of higher thought, but the paradox is that AS a being of higher thought, you cant know what true effects those of lesser thought have. It's like being a 3D person being unable to fathom 2D perception, or the curiosity of if a tree falls in the woods and no one's around to hear it, does it make a sound, since perception directly alters reality around a person. Ordering the chaos, as it were. Dogs and cats still look at things that even we aren't able to see, so who knows what layers of creation or belief animals may have made or have access to. And dinosaurs did, they were the higher thought before mammal life, ask any Mokole, they'll tell you of distant memories of reptilian supremicy and advanced life. There are realms shifters can not comprehend because they were birthed by minds too unlike ours, and there's realms we walk easily that other creatures cant wrap their heads around. We've made spirits with our belief, made them rise or fall with our thoughts and deeds. It's a whole infinite connection web sort of thing, really. Hello, my love!" she says that last to Branton, of course.

7/4/2022 21:22:50 Irsa grunts farewell to Lorna, just in time to catch Branton's arrival. "Oh, heya. Come on in. We've been freaking each other out with weird stuff." She mulls over Iris' response before her attention shifts to Jackie. She's not missed that the woman has fallen silent. "This is worse than summer camp. Did ya ever go?"

7/4/2022 21:25:37 Jackie smiles over at Irsa. "That depends on what counts as a summer camp. I was in a camp for most summers, but that was just home. I didn't like, camp as recreation."

7/4/2022 21:29:54 Branton goes over to Iris and leans in to give her a smooch on the cheek "You are best at the weird stuff game. Though I might be biased. Journey can compete though for sure."

7/4/2022 21:34:49 Irsa sits up and wraps her arms around her knees. "I've never been," she admits. "I was always super jealous when the other kids would talk about what they did there." She scrubs her broken nails through her short-cropped hair. "What was summer at your home like, Jackie?"

7/4/2022 21:38:07 Erin nods " dreams people become a thing in the dreaming it's rather fascinating to see some of the creations that are made by some people.

7/4/2022 21:41:01 "What's summer camp?" Iris asks curiously, making some room on the floor next to her for Branton, if he'd like a seat.

7/4/2022 21:44:19 Erin looks curious "who went to summer camp? never went, between crappy foster homes or running off " she shrugs.

7/4/2022 21:45:00 Jackie shrugs at Iris, smiling with a bit of humor. "I think we're talking about two different things. The summer camp she's talking about it for kids from the city and suburbs to get them out of their parents hair for a couple of weeks. I just lived at camps a lot in the Summer. Also the other seasons."

7/4/2022 21:50:06 Irsa perks up. "What Jackie said. It's a place they send the other kids for summer. They always made it sound like a lot of fun." She scratches her ear and says, "I didn't really get to see anything camping-like until I popped. That ain't even the same."

7/4/2022 21:52:13 Branton takes the offered seat at his mate's side and chuckles "Sounds about right. Not really my thing, I didn't have much wilderness survival training till I almost got eaten by black spiral on accident and got found and sniffed by Alecto. Thus discovering my kinfolkness."

7/4/2022 21:54:36 Iris looks like the whole concept just completely baffles her, brows furrowed in thought about the whole thing. "Sounds very... odd. Is it like passing off your kids to the Den Parent?"

7/4/2022 21:55:12 Erin looks thoughtful and let's out a deep breath and finds a spot to sit down at as she stretches her back a little bit.

7/4/2022 21:58:49 Jackie furrows her brow, thinking about that. "Kind of, I guess? Except instead of a den parent it's a stranger and you have to pay them. Don't ask me to explain that part, I didn't make it up."

7/4/2022 22:02:08 Irsa eyes that bag Branton dragged in with him. He's not sharing yet. "I really woulda liked to have been to camp at least once. Seeing real trees, and lots of grass, and more kids to play with? Hell yeah." It's a wistful dream of a slice of childhood. She helpfully nudges more nearby beanbag chairs in Jackie and Erin's directions. They're super comfy. "Well, the other kids told us they got to play games, they got to go swimming and horse back riding, and sleep in tents, and they got to cook smores over a campfire." She pauses and thinks. "Okay, we did the last two at home sometimes, but it wasn't really fun."

7/4/2022 22:06:01 Erin looks up and ooos "now that the kinfolk is open we can totally have smores over the fire!! we can totally have more fun then those spoil rich snobby kids" she nodsnods " When shall we have a smore feast" she nodsnods getting a little excited at the thought.

7/4/2022 22:07:52 Branton rummages in the bag and takes out a box of club crackers, a small wood cutting board, and a wedge of cheese wrapped in butcher paper "Sharp provolone from a farm some coggie kin run." A knife also comes out of the bag and is set on the board next to the cheese "The crackers are store bought, the knife and the board I made." Jackie's answer about the den parent thing gets a nod of agreement "That tracks."

7/4/2022 22:11:08 Iris is still trying to get the concept of this, but she's probably not much different than a lupus trying to figure out why people have to work so hard to go hiking. Like, it's just life, what's the deal here? "Well... I mean, you can still go camping, swiming, and play games, but without a den parent now, so... I mean that's something, yes?"

7/4/2022 22:16:07 Jackie gives a small shrug. "Hell if I know. It wasn't something we did in my family, we just lived in kind of run down outdoorsy places most of the time. But we did have good cheese back there too."

7/4/2022 22:18:10 Irsa shrugs. "It's a urrah thing. We don't have a bunch of private schools and homeschooling like the other tribes. Our Kinfolk go to regular schools, 'cause otherwise you have to deal with the cops. Humans always squeal about poor people." She inches towards the cheese board by scooting her beanbag closer. "It's just a stupid dream some of us had. But you're right, I can see all the green I want now. And do a lot more here than I could before." Her hands snakes out and snags a bit of provolone.

7/4/2022 22:24:47 "I wouldn't call it a stupid dream," Iris muses, "I had dreams when I was young about worlds I wasn't allowed to go and see, grass and sky and things like that. I'm mostly confused by the way humans do it. Passing off your kids to a stranger and all that. Though as a counter point, if your people are all located within a city, if you have precious kinfolk, sending them to strangers outside of their element may be viewed as more risk than benefit. The wilderness harbors a lot of evils, and if it's a human set to look over the kin, they aren't well equipped to guard those kin from those dangers. Which screws some nice city kids out of some fun activities, but also protects them from being eaten by an animated bear corpse. Six of one, half dozen of the other, I suppose. Then again, I'm saying that without having ever experienced such a thing, for all I know many of the people that do these summer camp things are themselves kinfolk and are plenty equipped."

7/4/2022 22:25:54 Erin hmms "you know we can talk to Nascha and give the kids those kind of experience so they don't feel left out... I send the kids to school at the kinfolk house and tell the district that we are home schooling and we do our in time when we have too... if you want me to show you or walk you though it so the cops aren't call I totally can" she nods nods

7/4/2022 22:34:05 Irsa gnaws on her cheese, much like the War Totem her tribe reveres. "Well, we've got kinfolk in some of those places," she admits. "It's just we don't have enough of 'em. I mean, my tribe's dirt poor. It's not like a lot of kinfolk can afford college and stuff. Here? It's a bit different. I mean, look at this place. It's paradise compared to most other septs. People actually -donate- stuff." She brushes her hands on her jacket. "Hrm. My nephew is definitely gonna need homeschooling. No way can Mariah cover watching him and working and everything else."

7/4/2022 22:36:03 Branton nods at the mention of Nascha "That's what the kinfolk house is set up for. We crowd source that sort of thing here. The more I hear I about other septs the more I'm grateful it was here that I discovered my heritage. It probably would not have gone well for me."

7/4/2022 22:37:00 Jackie fidgets with her hair at the mention and talk of schooling and college, pulling it free from her hair tie and redoing it.

7/4/2022 22:40:39 Erin looks to Jackie and then scoots towars her and whisper something to her after she agrees with Branton "I am glad that they open the kinfolk school before Meara started 1st grade, there was lots of stuff but all good now"

7/4/2022 22:41:00 Erin whispers to Jackie, “did you finish school?”

7/4/2022 22:43:36 "I think the colony here offers some home schooling as well, so you've got locational options at least!" Iris says with a grin. "Yeah it's weird, isn't it? Personally speaking, I think it's because this city exists over something sleeping that's drawing all of us here, and normally I'd think Wyrmspawn or something like that, but I genuinely believe the unorthodox stability that exists here amongst all these different creatures - far more than just us shifting types and humans - is a product of that call in order to maintain the pull. Given my own prophecies, I worry it's for a very terrible end, but... It's certainly nice at the moment! So many interesting people to meet!"

7/4/2022 22:44:00 Jackie gives a wry smile as she whispers something back to Erin, “Finish? I never really started.”

7/4/2022 22:47:03 Irsa isn't deaf. She's quick to pick up on the initial silence. "What was your favorite toy, growing up?" she asks the group. Surely this is a subject that can't get weird or uncomfortable.

7/4/2022 22:51:53 Branton grins and shrugs at Iris as he cuts some bits of cheese and sets them out on crackers for people to take snacks "Could be. Also with how many people come round, stay and learn for a bit and move on again its got the Interest of my spirit patron in her aspect as the lady of the crossroads. We have drawn in some weird shit though. There was a thunder hyrda, the spirit in that winter storm a couple years back...It might be worth someone getting a thing together to make contact with the City Spirit of Prospect. I haven't heard that anyone's managed it." Irsa's question gets a hmmmm "That's a hard one to answer. it changed depending on when in my life I'm thinking about. Before my dad wrapped himself and our car around a tree driving drunk or after that when I got sent to live with his parents."

7/4/2022 22:53:30 Erin hmms a little " I think it was my screw driver.. it was always with me as far as I can remember. " she shrugs

7/4/2022 22:54:02 Iris opens her mouth, then closes it, and has to think about that for a minute. "Uhhh... I'm pretty sure I had a little wooden horse. Er, no, several of them, I think? I'm pretty sure my sister and I shared a collection. And what about yourself?" She looks to Branton and asks with a grin, "It was pokemon, wasn't it? Be honest, you had a charmander toy, I'm sure of it."

7/4/2022 22:56:36 Irsa reaches for another piece of cheese, and shoves it between two crackers. "It was one of those pocket things. What d'ya call them? The ones that looked like a little room, and had people and furniture and stuff inside." She snaps her fingers suddenly. "Polly Pocket! That's the one. It was missing a lot of pieces, but I still loved it."

7/4/2022 23:01:13 Branton grins at Iris and nods "And it was a kite. That's why one of my first magic items I crafted myself was these boots, so I could be the flying fire maker I always wanted to be."

7/4/2022 23:01:20 Erin hmmms a little "My favorite toy hmm I would say my screwdriver thingy.. it's been with me as far as I can remember " she nods nods.

7/4/2022 23:01:28 Jackie has to think for a minute before answering. "Well most of the toys I was given as a kid were dolls... So I'm going to say the dirt bike I got when I was 13. And by got, I mean pieced together from three broken ones someone left in a junk pile."

7/4/2022 23:03:54 Irsa gnaws on her cheese. "Mariah got a Barbie once from somebody. Dunno who. She used to pretend it was Buffy." She makes a staking motion with her hands. "Take that, Spike! And then she'd pretend to throw him in a pretnd trunk and zoomed off."

7/4/2022 23:05:20 "I'm sure that counts." Iris says to Jackie with a grin, then tells Irsa, "I've heard that show referenced so many times, but I've never seen it. I really should one of these days, I think." People are sitting around snacking off a cheese and cracker board, being slackers and talking about toys.

7/4/2022 23:07:56 Branton nods at Jackie "Totally counts." Then to Iris "I can bring a laptop and projector out to the kinfolk house and set a viewing up. Just say when."

7/4/2022 23:21:03 Jackie slides over to the table to grab a piece of cheese too. "Buffy, that's that old show from the 90's right? With the unrealistic vampires?"

7/4/2022 23:22:58 Irsa nods and nudges the cheeseboard closer to Jackie. "Yeah, that's the one. Mariah loved that show. That character who was a vengeance demon was her favorite. Takes after her Ma."

7/4/2022 23:23:37 "Oh, pfft, like I could be trusted to sit still and pay attention to something long enough." Iris says to Branton with a laugh, "But who knows, maybe some day I'll be able to." She nods at Jackie but looks at the others for confirmation there, "I think so, yes? High school girl hunting vampires and stuff?" She snickers at Irsa's expansion on the topic and the kid.

7/4/2022 23:24:38 Irsa says, “My cousin and I were weird kids, what can I say. I mean, she's older than me, so. Always getting into trouble.”

7/4/2022 23:25:29 Branton snickers and nods "To say nothing of how they portrayed Werewolves or were-hyenas. Its super wrong but still kind of funny."

7/4/2022 23:26:54 Jackie laughs and moves over to one of the bean bag chairs with her slice. "So was that show made by someone who didn't know any better, or did and was trying to throw people off?"

7/4/2022 23:27:41 ERin returns from the bathroom and takes a breath "Sorry about that. Sometimes you know" she sits down again and hmms "What are we talking about now?"

7/4/2022 23:29:52 Iris finger waggles at Erin when she returns, but shrugs at the question from Jackie without offering an opinion there, since she's admitted to having never seen it. "Buffy the vampire slayer." she tells Erin to fill her in.

7/4/2022 23:30:00 Irsa shrugs and nudges the cheeseboard back in Iris' direction. Sharing is cool. "We're talking about that old Buffy TV show," she tells Erin. "I don't know, honestly, " she tells Jackie. " I just... holy shit!" She shoots up to her feet. "I totally forgot to tell you this part! The Fianna kinfolk I met last night. Angus? He's a romance author. Writes about werewolves and historical stuff."

7/4/2022 23:31:32 Erin hmms a little bit "Never seen it.. heard about it but never seen it honestly" she gets comfortable again and guestures to the cheese "Can I please have a piece?"

7/4/2022 23:36:23 Iris eyes the board of cheese and crackers like it was an alien artifact, then slices a sliver off the wedge and eats it politely. "Oh that's pretty cool. He's still alive so I imagine he's not breaking the veil or anything. I don't read all that well so I'm certain I've never read anything he's done, and... If I'm being honest, doing so is probably about as likely as sitting still and watching Buffy. Not a nope but a low chance none the less."

7/4/2022 23:38:04 Jackie can't help but let out a short snorting laugh. "Seriously? A kinfolk that writes werewolf supernatural romance books? Isn't a bit... like, on the nose?"

7/4/2022 23:38:14 Branton frowns slightly "Getting famous is dangerous for kinfolk. I know there was a problem a while back with paparazi getting close to a veil breech because of stalking a famous kinfolk. Though if he's an author he's probably not that kind of famous."

7/4/2022 23:39:49 Erin looks thoughtful "I can't say that I have read those much.. I'm not a big reader of those kinds of books.. I read children's books usually since I make sure to read to the girls " she blushes as she admits that.

7/4/2022 23:41:45 Irsa flops back down onto her bean bag, draping herself over the thing. "He's famous enough that my Ma's read a few of his books," she says. "He even offered to autograph a copy for her. But yeah, I don't think photo hounds would be looking for him. No one crushes on authors like they do on actors. " Now it's Erin's turn to have the cheeseboard nudged in her direction.

7/4/2022 23:45:09 Iris nods with a gesture at Irsa. "And the thing there was the kinfolk's inability to properly manage their fame. It's not the paparazzi's fault if they get too close to a veil breech, in her case, it's the kinfolk not keeping their paparazzi far enough away from it by not setting up safeguards for privacy."

7/4/2022 23:46:46 Erin ohs softly "Well that's going to be interesting maybe I'll get to meet him" she thanks Irsa as she gets the cheeseboard and takes a couple of slices of cheese and some crackers before she slides it to whoever wants it next. "Thanks"

7/4/2022 23:49:52 Jackie leans back in the bean bag, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Well, I've never heard of him. But that doesn't sound much like my thing anyway."

7/4/2022 23:51:42 Branton nods at Iris "Exactly." He considers "I'm not a huge romance fan but I don't hate it. Just most of what I run into is trope stuffed heteronormative nonsense that relies on people being idiots and not actually using their goddamn words and talking to each other like actual fucking grown ups."

7/4/2022 23:54:49 Irsa filches another cracker. "Not mine either," she says. "My Ma reads that kinda stuff but she doesn't take them seriously. I asked her one time why she reads them. She said romance novels are like watching a train wreck in progress: you just can't look away."

7/4/2022 23:56:07 Erin just listens as she looks thoughtful at the conversation. She eats some cheese and gives a little shrug. Seems she doesn't have expirance with those kind of things.

7/4/2022 23:56:09 Iris points at Branton with a thumb and tells the ladies, "Tell me about it. Mr. Clueless over here when I tried to ask him out the first time. 'Not a huge fan of romance', so true!" she teases Branton with a grin. "I've never seen a train wreck before, but I think I understand what she means. I'm pretty sure I've got some of those types of interests myself."

7/5/2022 0:00:12 Jackie chuckles and shakes her head at Iris's comments. "You mean you're interested in disasters, or people using their words?"

7/5/2022 0:01:20 Irsa stuffs more cheese into her mouth. A Gnawer's gotta eat.

7/5/2022 0:01:54 Branton grins and quips in response to Jackie's question "Ask her about the time she met a goat. Speaking of disasters."

7/5/2022 0:02:40 ERin looks over to Iris "Oh you poor thing" she giggles softly then looks curiously over "Oh now we have to hear this story" she nodsnods.

7/5/2022 0:03:32 "Both, really." Iris admits with a shrug and a nod at Jackie, but then tells Branton, "Goats are devils, I will not be convinced otherwise!"

7/5/2022 0:07:22 Irsa is totally invested in the goat story now. She even stops stuffing her face so she doesn't miss anything.

7/5/2022 0:09:30 Branton snickers and nods at Iris "That's fair, and I bet your story will convince them."

7/5/2022 0:17:28 "Shit, okay, okaaaaay, goat story it is." Iris says with an exaggeratedly put upon siiiiiigh, but she surely doesn't really mind. "Okay, so I'd told you before I'm basically from Maine," she tells Irsa, Erin's probably already heard the story before, "After I finished my healing there I was called upon to move from there to here, and I chose to go on foot, because who doesn't like a nice couple thousand mile walk, right? I'm like two thirds of the way here, moving through the mid west, and according to my map the next little town is just down the way. If I push on past nightfall I'll be able to reach it and have a more comfortable stay than if I stop moving and pitch camp in the woods, so obviously I'm like fuck it, let's get those last couple miles in. I'm going cross country mind you, so I'm in a bit of a forest, not like a big deep thick one, but still, lots of trees, it's real dark, gettin a bit cold and the wind's picking up, I'm not uncomfortable yet but I'm gettin there. Just a couple miles to go. Then I hear this sound. This... terrible sound, like a great wyrm was choking on a subway sandwich while drunkenly yelling kind of sound. I'm no chicken, but you this sound, you don't even understand. Plus I'm alone, I don't have any idea where the nearest sept or even tribe family might be, so I'm basically all on my onesy."

7/5/2022 0:19:53 Irsa leans forward in her beanbag seat. Every Garou is a sucker for stories, and she's no exception. She wraps her jacket more closely around herself as she listens.

7/5/2022 0:21:01 Branton makes sure everyone has snacks and such, he's heard this tale before but he's clearly not tired of it. Though its as much about the reactions to the story as the story.

7/5/2022 0:22:32 IF Erin has heard this story before she looks still captivated as she listens and ohs softly "No fuck that i'd be scared" she covers her mouth "Sorry" she eats a piece of cheese and thanks Branton for the snacks.

7/5/2022 0:29:00 Iris leans forward as well, looking Irsa right in the eye as she lays down her tale, like it's just for her. She's paid attention to Galliards when they get going, and while she may not be a bardic master, she does care about properly setting things up, making her stories visible in the mind's eye as best she can. "I'm telling myself to stay calm, you're a fuckin werewolf, girl, you're fine. But then I'm also telling myself to get out of there fast, you're a damned Cliath that can barely breathe without assistance, this might be nothing but you should definitely start panicking! I really do hate to admit it, but that side of me did win out and I panicked when I heard the sound again." She imitates that terrible sound she heard, the demonic lowing echoing and rebounding from the walls of the LL Bean like some kind of possessed samsquanch. "I swear to Gaia it sounded like it was closer, and you know how the world can get so ominously quiet when there's danger or predators nearby. The woods were silent as the grave but for that sound, and the crunching of leaves under a heavy foot. I ran, I hoisted my purse and my O2 to my chest and I ran like I was in a slasher flick. It was probably the worst mistake I could have made because now I could *really* hear it! It was crashing through the underbrush behind me, a bit distant at first but growing louder, steadily louder as it closed the distance behind me. I burst out of the tree line and there up ahead of me were the lights of a very small town, the edges of it buzzing with incandescent bulbs, and I thought I was safe."

7/5/2022 0:31:25 Irsa snickers at Erin's remark. She leans even further in her seat as Iris looks her right in the eye. The Elder theurge has this fish right where she wants her.

7/5/2022 0:33:44 Erin bites her lip as she hears the story looking at Iris as she eats another piece of cheese.

7/5/2022 0:37:58 Branton smirks at Erin and nods as the story picks up. As the story escalates Branton gets a mischievous grin like 'here it comes' but not spoken.

7/5/2022 0:43:40 "I wanted to be a wolf and out run it, but this was not the sort of place where one just goes as a wolf," Iris says with a shake of her head, "No no, too much livestock farming in those parts, and a canine predator would just bring rifles and stress. Couldn't go crinos because I was all out of cover. I should have stood up to it in the forest where I was a little safe, but I'm not ashamed to admit it but I was scared." She gives Irsa and then Erin a very serious look to convey just how scared she must have been to deny her Garou benefits and back herself into a proverbial corner like this, how fear and panic can lead to a whole string of bad decisions that could get a lone wolf killed. "The forest let out on a low hill that ran down to a nearby building, part of me hoped that just the presence of it being so close would save me, but when I felt that blow to my lower back I knew I was done for. My whole body was launched forward, I was off my feet and flying without wings down that hill as that monster bellowed victory behind me. I felt like my spine had been cracked and my limbs were like rubber from that sudden impact. I hit the ground hard and rolled and skidded down towards the back of the building, into a pool of yellow light, and I could hear that THING charging behind me. I threw myself at the door there, I think I even lost a shoe. Fuck I was a stupid, stupid cliath back then, so unprepared. I screamed for help like an absolute idiot as I ran into what turned out to be a diner, shouting and disheveled, tear streaked even and devoid of dignity as much as I was covered in dirt and grass. I put those people in grave danger, but even the Wyrm cares about the veil at times, yes? Human back up can be better than nothing at all, right? Men did as men do and lept to the call of a damsel in distress, rushing out to see what all the fuss was about while a kind waitress set me down with a wet rag and a hot coffee, telling me everything would be alright. I felt helpless, it was awful, and here I am twice the monster anyone else there was. Can you just imagine how terrible it was when ten minutes later these heroes had returned, laughing and guffawing and telling me all was well? They pointed me out the window, and there I saw the terrible monster that had so nearly killed me. A goat, a surly old ram with curled horns and a vile temper that was being hoisted kicking and bleeting into the back of a truck with a halter about its nose and neck. It seems someone had lost their ram none too long ago and had been looking for it, but hadn't found it. Damned thing wasn't too happy after a few days lost out of its pasture and had decided to take out its own anger and fear of the dark night on me." She looks to Branton and asks with a laugh, "This is one of those things I'm never going to get to live down, am I?"

7/5/2022 0:47:43 Irsa's eyes widen as the story unfolds, perhaps picturing herself in that scenario. Until the other shoe drops. Her mouth curls into a groteque grin and she practically bawls with laughter. She's soon clutching her sides as she gasps for breath, letting out a stuttering stream of snickers.

7/5/2022 0:47:51 Branton is cackling in amusement and shaking his head by the end of the story "Nope! Look at it this way, you were the instrument of the spirits trying to bless that farmer with the return of his demon goat."

7/5/2022 0:49:23 Erin gasps and covers her mouth when Iris fell and she winces then bites her lip as the story comes and they find out it was the ram she starts laughing "I'd kick it and call it names.. But that's me.. oh man well at least yeah the goat was back and you where safe.. you found our shoe right?"

7/5/2022 0:52:23 Iris siiiiighs dramatically and says, "I WAS really happy that I didn't get a bunch of hapless humans torn in half, but oh, there was lost honor, wisdom, and glory that day, let me tell you. You know Branton, to be perfectly honest I didn't go to the velvet shadow even once while there? I think I was self conscious about that, I already had a diner of late nighters laughing at me, I'm not sure I could have handled some overly spirited naturae at the time. That was one of the few nights I decided to stay in a motel room instead of just using it for its shower, and I was genuinely really weirded out about goats for a long time afterwards. They still kind of unnerve me."

7/5/2022 0:53:44 Irsa falls back into her seat, weakly waving her arms as she struggles for breath. "I surrender, Pancake-rhya. Please tell my cousin I died bravely 'round a storytelling circle," she gasps out.

7/5/2022 1:02:45 Branton nods and gives his mate a hug "That's totally fair. Especially with what I learned about goats growing up. If they can get their teeth on it they will eat it. They do not give a fuck, they mostly only eat plants because plants can't run away. They are four legged eating machines that will fight you at the drop of a hat. Technically a prey species but I don't think anyone told them that."

7/5/2022 1:05:23 Erin giggles and shakes her head "You handled it way better than I would have.. I'd probably call the goats names and make a bigger fool of myself just out of the anger.. I mean it's funny now but then i'd probably not find it funny.." she smiles

7/5/2022 1:09:03 "ONLY technically, though." Iris agrees with Branton, "Hooved beasts still have one foot planted firmly in the realm of predators still. Even horses, their teeth grow as a herbavore's teeth grow, meant to grind and wear down from plants, but they also still possess the meat tearing teeth they had when their hooves were still claws, and pregnant mares often hunt down and eat small mammals for the vitamins that plants cant give them enough of for their foals." She grins over at Irsa, "Poor thing. I've murdered her. ... Dibs on her stuff!" She nods her agreement to Erin, "Yeah, it was not funny at the time."

7/5/2022 1:10:33 Irsa somehow manages to get herself under control. She still lets out a series of snickers from time to time. She wipes tears of laughter from her eyes as she sits up. "Did you know deer will eat meat sometimes?" she says, scrubbing her face on the back of her sleeve. "No lie, I've seen them do that on YouTube."

7/5/2022 1:11:09 Irsa holds her pockets with faked horror. No taking her stuff!

7/5/2022 1:11:26 Branton nods at Iris and adds "And when a mare is pregnant don't walk close behind her. Your shins won't appreciate the experience. Guess how I know?"

7/5/2022 1:12:46 Erin looks suddenly horrified "No.. they will eat meat? But I thought they were all sweet and plant loving animals" she hmms as she looks to Branton "you experience it first hand? Well I heard don't ever walk behind a horse period.." she hmms "Ok I have my doubt about farm animals"

7/5/2022 1:15:35 "...We're not talking about M'Lady, right? I mean I haven't seen her in a bit but I swear she wasn't pregnant when I parked her last, so you know because... of... Summer camp?" You guys said it was an outdoorsy thing, and horses are outdoors, SURELY this tracks! She nods at Erin, "Yep. Evolution takes a longass time, a lot of critters still have some of what they used to be involved with what they are now. But you know, 95 percent peaceful plant loving deer is still pretty good. I think they used to be more like us. But a whole lot smaller, obviously. Little paws and meat eater mouths and stuff. But, had to learn how to eat grass for whatever reason. I dunno, I've never met a prehistoric deer or horse."

7/5/2022 1:18:04 Irsa finishes scrubbing her face. It's actually improved her looks a bit, her face is cleaner now. "Yeah, they will," she replies to Erin. "It's wild, but they do. If you ever have the chance to visit my old sept in Los Angeles, swing by the Museum of Natural History. It won't be a problem getting in, one of our Elders lives in the museum." Wait, what? "They have a big exhibit about the evolution of horses. You can see what they looked like, when they were no bigger than a fox."

7/5/2022 1:19:10 Branton shakes his head at Iris "No this was a horse my grandfather owned when I was growing up. I managed not get a broken leg but you can be damn sure I never made that mistake again." Then he gets thoughtful and adds "Pangea added to the list of feild trip locations for those who can travel the umbra?"

7/5/2022 1:24:26 ERin looks to Irsa "I've been there, granted I was sneaking in and didn't really pay attention to the exhibits.. I was like 12 maybe I don't remember how old I was when we did that" she looks thoughtful "Wild.... Well glad we don't have too many pre historic stuff like that roaming"

7/5/2022 1:25:00 "I was just thinking that." Iris says to Branton with a sagely nod before looking to Irsa, "We'll have to go to Pangea, and then you can compare what you see there to the stuff in the museum and share your notes with your museum kinsman."

7/5/2022 1:28:20 Irsa nods at Erin. "It was one my favorite places when I was a kid," she admits. "There's nothing like being able to go into a place like that after hours, when all the humans are gone and it's just you and the past." She looks at iris, her interest immediately caught. "Pangea? Really? You know the moonpaths there? I've never been."

7/5/2022 1:29:42 Branton grins broadly at Irsa "That and we've got a Spirit boat. You'll have to come by and see it some time."

7/5/2022 1:41:29 "I know paths to everywhere." Iris says with a smile at Irsa, "World walking is my thing, and the wandering god gives my goals a thumbs up." She mentions to Branton, "I asked her to come paint a thing somewhere on the boat, gave her a cross bow and she offered art for trade." She thinks for a second and then tells Erin, "It's a realm, a memory of a crucial time in Earth's past when creation was at its height, the super continent Pangea, before it broke apart and drifted out into what we have today. Kind of an eternal dinosaur place, shifters like to go there for glory hunts."

7/5/2022 1:44:06 Erin ohs softly "I know not a place for little old me" she winks and nods "Wow that's interesting.. Though I shouldn't be surprise honestly.. But wow.. So much that i still don't know" she looks to Irsa "Yeah I was in LA for sometime, not sure how long or if I was born there.. I bounced a lot so " she shrugs "But I do remember the museum, it was pretty cool but also kinda spooky at night when there was no one there" she smiles.

7/5/2022 1:47:02 Irsa grunts. "Screw glory hunts. You can get glory anywhere. Call me crazy, but I'd rather be honored for killing the Wyrm than for slaying a primordial Wyld spirit. I wanna -see- everything. I wanna know what things were like, way before mammals were even a thing. I want to understand." Spoken like a true theurge. She stops speaking, surprised at Erin's words. "You got in at night? Wow. I didn't know you knew people up at the Sept of Shattered Stone."

7/5/2022 1:50:25 "The ironic part is that no one ever actually kills them." Iris says, "Really it's more of a glory dual than anything. Unless someone drains the spirit, it just rematerializes elsewhere after a little while. A temporary slumber, sort of, before their charms of reformation eventually kick in. But that's a good thing, keeps there from being any real ill will, you know?"

7/5/2022 1:51:25 Erin hmms at Irsa and shrugs "Neither did I actually.. There was this guy who knew I was good with locks and well he got me to break in.." she blushes a bit and looks down at her belly as she stretches her legs out "I went cuz it was cool.. not sure why he wanted to go in though" she looks thoughtful then looks to Iris "Well that's good that they don't actually kill it, that would be sad" she nodsnods.

7/5/2022 1:54:59 Irsa says, “Oh. Well that makes sense, I guess." Irsa scratches her jaw and grins at Erin's words. "Hah! That figures. It's not like it's real hard to get in. The Frankenweilers usually try to scare people out that they catch snooping. All bets are off when it's a leech, though. Those bastards come in trying to steal stuff sometimes.”

7/5/2022 1:58:08 "Make sure you keep that in mind," Iris tells Irsa with a pointing finger at her, "It's one of those Theurge things you've got to remind your pack about. You guys just killed a bane and you're ready to do your victory dance, make everyone wait on that till you've stolen all the gnosis from it while it's laying there being all gross and dead. Otherwise it's just gonna get back up somewhere else and start its shenanigans over from scratch."

7/5/2022 2:01:03 Erin looks at Iris wide eye "No! they do that?!" she looks thoughtful then looks to Irsa "Those jerks. Well I just looked around was just looking at stuff.. REally I just wanted a safe warm place to hide to all honesty.. I know that I found some corner and someone woke my ass up and made leave in the morning" she shrugs.

7/5/2022 2:06:10 Irsa says, “What do you do with the Gnosis when you drain a bane like that?" Irsa asks the Elder theurge. "I know that shit's corrupting, and I've heard of a couple ways to do that. I'm glad you told me, 'cus most of my Wyrm experience has been on this side of the Gauntlet." She stomps a foot lightly on the ground. "Yeah, leeches are the worst," she confirms for Erin. "I'm not surprised you were able to sleep there. If their Philodox caught that you were Kinfolk, they won't drive you away if you're not tainted and need to crash.”

7/5/2022 2:12:54 "Mmm..." Iris begins thoughtfully, waggling her head side to side, "Gnosis in and of itself is uncorrupted, whether it's a bane or a wyldling or a drone, they're all using the same stuff, if just cloked in their own flavor. That said, I will agree that it tastes a little bit rancid, but all the more reason to ensure a rite of cleansing is done after every battle to purify yourself and what you've taken from the battle. To avoid squeamishness about it though, if the whole pack dog piles on it at once, everyone can get a little bit rather than one person getting all of it. Then nothing's wasted, people can feel a little bit replenished, and the spoils can go towards healing and other good things. I really hate to use this analogy though it's actually very fitting, but it's a lot like vampirism, doing this, and if it wasn't a bane or something like that then it'd be an unspeakably rude thing to do."

7/5/2022 2:14:50 Erin looks to Irsa and nods and looks like she is going to say something but then she turns her attention to Iris and just quietly listens as there is a lesson to be held and this is better than whatever she was going to say.

7/5/2022 2:16:02 Irsa nods. "That makes sense. I can do Cleaning for sure. It's one of the three Rites I know. So, kill it, drain its Gnosis and spread it around if needed, and Cleanse everything after. I can do that."

7/5/2022 2:31:33 "Yep. No different than taking a fang or a head or something as a trophy, except that you can use it for magic instead of decor." Iris says with a nod, and pushes herself up to her feet while Branton collects up his knife and empty cheese board. "We're gonna skip out, I think, it's gettin late."

7/5/2022 2:33:01 Erin nods and gives a smile "Thanks for sharing your stories and lessons" she smiles and nods "Yes guess it sure has. I better get home before someone comes looking for me" she giggles.

7/5/2022 2:33:57 Irsa grunts as she heads towards the door. "Yeah, it's late. I think I'm gonna turn in. Thanks for the cheese, and the conversation."

7/5/2022 2:36:33 Erin totally takes her present too before she heads out.