2020-07-30: The Guilt of the Gods

The Guilt of the Gods
Arumi makes an offering of apology to the mice of the Nexus
IC Date	July 30, 2020
IC Time	9 AM
Players	Arumi, Rick
Location	The Nexus
Prp/Tp	N/A
Spheres	Traditions
Theme Song	Come and Get Them https://youtu.be/CyHs2vYtujQ

Arumi naturally heard the news about what happened here at the Nexus. A forge full of fire gafflings. Mice put under great stress trying to keep order. She knows they can't be happy, but also that they'd never get too angry with a Mage.

So she pulls up in the tesla, gets out, and goes into her trunk. Pulling out a small plastic box, she gets out, and starts walking into the main courtyard.

Rick comes strolling out of the subway, dressed casual with his blue backpack slung over his shoulder. He spots Arumi and gives her a wave "Hey there. How are you doing today?" He jerks his thumb back towards the entrace of the subway "What the heck happened in there."

Arumi looks at Rick, and sighs. "Hi. Yeah, apparently..." She sighs again, turning to face him, tapping the top of the plastic tub. "You know Onibi? Well, apparently a couple hundred alien fire cats just like it decided to start sniffing around the train station looking for me."

Rick bites his lip and mmmms a bit. "Did...things go badly when they all showed up? I can't imagine the mice are all that pleased." He's a mixture of amused and concerned. "Did anyone get hurt?" He does seem sincere in the concern for the safety of the population.

Arumi takes a deep breath, and shakes her head. Covering her mouth to giggle softly. "I um... I heard they dressed up like Spartans, with spears and shields, and tried to hold them back. But a group of us got an idea to get them into the forge over there, to lure them out with fire. But IFeel bad for the mice."

Rick blinks upon hearing this and simply stares at her. Then a little snicker erupts before turning into a full on guffaw "Was their king named Leomicous?" This is really funny to him and he keeps laughing, saying in a high pitched tone "Spawwtans...what is your pwofession! *SQUEEK SQEEEK SQUEEK*"

Arumi laughs loud loud, still covering her mouth. "Oh no... yeah it was. I'm sure it was adorable." Taking a deep breath, gathering herself. "Well, so I brought them a present. Since the aliens may have damaged, scorched, whatever, their shields and spears. I made them new ones."

She squats down on the cool, high tech paving in the courtyard, putting down the box, to open it up. "New spears. Precision milled, with leather wrapped shafts. And shields. Polished to a shine, engraved with the emblems of the Nine, with leather harnesses."

Rick crouches down, still snickering and looks into the box "That is....TOO cute." He gently picks up a tiny little spear and sword "Wow, thats some really good work Arumi." He gently lays it down again and laughs "The mice probably are not terribly pleased right now, hopefully this will mollify them. What uhhh..happened to all the other spirits that went into the forge. Are they still there?"

Arumi giggles. "Thanks. I promised I'd take the week off from science, but that doesn't mean I can't spend 12 hours in the lab doing this." She grins. "The engraving was the hardest part. Trying to get a trace of the emblems and then G Code that. But it was worth it. Fortunately polishing is easy." She pulls out one of the shields, looking at it, tilting it to see things reflecting onto it.

Rick gives a little grunt of amusement at her version of 'relaxing'. "Well, its really well done. Do you want to give them to the mice now and see if they like it?"

Arumi takes the shields, one by one, and lays them out in a row. 10 of them. Then starts doing the spears. They all look like small toys even in her hands, so she's very careful with them. "Yeah, I'm going to figure out where to put it to them and how to find them to apologize to them."

Rick watches this, then hmmms a bit, offering as a suggestion "Place them on a metal tray, place the spear points facing to the left with the shield on top, to signify this is for use in defense. If it was for offense the shields would be under, with the spear tip pointing to the right. Below each set place an offering of food of some sort. Maybe a little bit of cheese." He glances up at her and gives a little shrug. "or if you don't want to be so formal, just put them on the ground and see if they take them."

Arumi tilts her head. "That's interesting? Is that historic? Thank you." She bites her lip, hunching forward a little over the box. "I don't actually have a metal tray. This lid will have to do." She then very slowly starts doing as Rick said, placing out the shields and spears, paired. "Food though I can get."

Rick gives a little nod "When Greeks were given their first set of armor from their parents, they went through a big ceremony with votive offerings to the Gods, a feast celebrating their passage to manhood and a ceremonial presentation of their arms." He gestures down to the lid "Obviously we don't need to go through all that, but its a way to show respect to the mice. I think they'd appreciate it."

Arumi snickers. "Well, here's the thing. We are... as the Greek gods to the mice. So the ceremony is literally up to us." Shaking her head. "That's a lot of power. I'd like them to understand. This is kind of akin to the Christian rainbow."

Rick gives a little laugh "Well then, I guess this is good enough. They should be happy with this little ceremony then."

Arumi nods. Inhaling deeply, she takes the lid, and carefully walks it over to the entrance to the train station. Putting it down, she then opens up the door and props it open with her sandal, waving for them. One staffer comes up.

Seeing the mouse, Arumi carefully bows down load, and says "I apologize for the mess I caused by feeding one of the animals. I have made you new shields and spears. Please use them in honorable defense of our home."

Rick walks up behind Arumi and crosses his hands behind his back, saying nothing but watching the mice, keeping a solemn look on his face.

The mouse looks, scurrying up to the lid, climbing over and into it. Seeing the offered equipment, the mouse bows, taking one shield and spear. WEaring the shield, holding she spear, then bows again.

Climbing back off of the lid, armed, the mouse goes to the door, and squeaks out instructions. Nine more mice are on the way. As each arrives, the same routine is followed on instructions from the first, emulating Arumi's own bow.

Arumi bites her lip, slowly standing. "I... wow. I hope you like them." she says softly, impressed.

Rick's eyes flicker over to Arumi, then back to the mice as they make the procession and recieve their gifts. He gives a little head nod to each of them, and when the little ceremony is complete he says softly to her "Well, I guess they have forgiven you."

Arumi takes a deep breath. She wathces as the mice size up their equipment. Adjusting the leather straps. Looking at the craftsmanship. They then line up in a row, locking shields, and make a squeak in unison. "Apparently they're accepting the mission..." she giggles, though blinking her eyes a bit, and rubbing one as they then march back into the train station.

Rick looks over at her with a little grin "Are you...getting teary eyed Arumi?"

Arumi bites her lip again, as she closes the door behind the last of the spartans. She sniffs. "Well of course I am, look at them! They really care!" Slipping her foot back into her sandal that was the doorstop, she gathers the lid and the tub.

Rick grins and helps to clean up "It was really sweet of you to do that." He fans himself a bit, then takes a seat "So what _else_ are you going to do during your week's vacation?"

Arumi giggles. "Well, it's Thursday, so I'm not sure." Stretching out. "Normally, I'd probably nap, then get into the lab. So I don't even know. Maybe go play the Etherphone. You?"

Rick gives a little shrug at that "Oh, I have some depositions to review, some contracts to draft and various other things. Went surfing earlier, came to do some research here before heading back home. That train really is nice." He pauses a moment "With all the notes being left here, maybe we should get a whiteboard installed or something?"

Arumi giggles. "Well. Um. Maybe. about the whiteboard. I Think... that might be too easy to erase." She then shrugs. "Well if you want to do the depositions, I can just go home. This is really what I came out to do."

Rick hmmms a bit "What about...asking Vertigo to write a secure instant messaging app for us?"

Arumi giggles. "I don't think that would work for all of us. I mean, I'd be fine with it."

Rick considers this for a moment but nods "Well, true, some people might not chose to use it, but I don't see it being a problem. A faster way to communicate might be good in case of an emergency. IE 'holy shit there is a nephandi at maple park, need help STAT' or something like that would be nice to have."

Arumi tilts her head. "Well cool. So um.. hmm. We have regular texting for that. Just speaking carefully. But yeah, if some people want to make some extra secure phones, that might be good. We could talk to Verigo."

Rick says, “Well, I'm thinking general broadcasts and chat, not limited to texting. Similar to that app Signal, but for us." He mmms "I'll reach out to Vertigo and get her take on it, she may light the idea, she may think its stupid. No harm in asking.”

Arumi nods. "Yeah, hit her up. And if she wants I can help with the manufacturing of cases and stuff."

Rick nods as he rises from the seat "Sure thing. Well, its getting hot out here, I'm going to head in and do a little research. I'll be seeing you around.