GLoG 92: Generosity, Love, Opportunity, Growth

[billtodamax]

Oh, yeah there are! There's Tuskfang and sometimes Laela and Russell and Cern and all of them are around. Olon says, probably missing out on most of Sakura's kids but it's not my fault she makes 1.5 babies every 9 months. I think normally they're at the daycare? Endok says, frowning. He hasn't seen them today but they have mostly been with Khannie. They don't know what ice cream is which is a crime but also means that they aren't really going to argue with Khannie about it.

[Rebonack]

[Metal Gear Solid: Cake Eater]

"Okay, we should let the cake cool for a little while first," Khannie reasons, on account of it having JUST come out of the oven and eating it right now would be a one-way ticket to third degree burned mouth land. Khannie isn't a fire-type and she's not about to try eating molten lava cake. "So we can go find some of the other kids and bring them back here and we can all have cake and ice cream."

Then she puts down her fist full of spoons on top of a nearby plate.

Because she isn't just going to carry around a bunch of spoons while looking for the other kids at the campground.

That would be dumb.

She's pretty sold on her plan!

Sold enough to put her fists on her hips, stand up straight, and look pretty pleased with herself even though the book she bought probably had nothing to do with magic at all.

"I don't know where the daycare is," she admits. "You guys will have to go first and I'll follow you."

Because she doesn't spend all day at a campsite! She spends all day at the school at Inari's Temple.

[billtodamax]

Location Tag -> Daycare

Oh it's just over here! Olon says running to the door. There are a bunch of cabins they use now. She says, leading the way. Once they get there the kids will start searching each cabin trying to find any other kids around. Heyyyyy! We made cake!

[Reinholdt]

[Daycare]

In the furthest corner of the weeping willow cabin, down a hall with an inexplicably flickering light, is an old door that creeks open to reveal one of the many daycare rooms. At first glance, the room seems abandoned, unused. This initial impression might come from the fact that the room is very dark and has its curtains drawn.

Dwarven children, with their inherent ability to peer into lightless areas, might see more though. They may see a shadow, a darkness deeper and blacker than any other they've seen before. A void monstrosity lurking in the corner, the air pervaded with a deep, unsettling chill. It has taken the form of a child, but may be the most unnatural abomination contained within the camp. It has invaded our world from its own, a world of emptiness. Of nothing. The cretin of shadows stares maliciously back at the unusual visitor who has suffered the grave misfortune of stumbling upon this desecrated room it has made its home.

It has no idea what cake is.

[Rebonack]

[Daycare]

Pfft.

When Khannie evolves using that cool pendant she found she's Ghost/Normal type. Spooky really doesn't bother her at all.

Without so much as a second's hesitation she approaches the 'child' in the corner.

"Hi I'm Khannie Vallarm and these are my friends Olon and Endok," the totally normal looking human girl says. "We made a cake that's maybe magic and now we're looking for other kids to share it with, do you want some? OH! We're going to have ice cream, too!"

That part is important.

Cake and ice cream go great together.

Way better than cheese and ale, as far as Khannie is concerned.

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"Uh, illusions, mainly. Making things look like, uh, other things that they're not." Technically there's a much more complicated way of saying it, but Sekhmet would only say it that way if she was trying to look smarter than she really is.

[billtodamax]

Daycare

Endok is certainly scared of the strange shape. Spooky stuff is scary!

Olon takes a more direct approach through life.

Are you a ghost? Dad says we have to carve slabs for any dwarves that we can't find so their ghosts don't come back and muck everything up. Olon looks around the room. You don't look like you're mucking things up. She says, before waiting for the polite ghost to answer.

Lake, evening

Well that's quite a skill. Rath says. And you need to make the wand yourself? More important that way, aye? This seems to have worked! Plus she might be able to trick her children into doing woodwork later. Win/win.

[Purple Eagle]

Off to see the DORFS!

Well I'm not a subject of whoever except sometimes I have to learn maths. Olon says confidently. And words too! I'm getting pretty good at reading now. Endok says, perhaps exaggerating his abilities. All of his books still have pictures. I dunno if you can just become brothers though I think that's like... a since you were babies thing.

[Off to see the DORFS!]

Asher's explanation of what it means to be a mortal goes above Tuskfang's fuzzy head, sadly. Before he can dwell on it, though, his friend says something that absorbs him much more.

"Well, Brinika and Cheadadh weren't sisters before but they are now," he says, his face scrunching up in thought. "But Cheasadh didn't have a mom before and now Aunt Tralka is her mom. I dunno how it works."

[Off to see the DORFS!]

Asher doesn't lose any steam, fully engrossed in the idea of he and Tuskfang being brothers. "W-Well, Momma said we can be brothers, s-so maybe she's going to tell your Momma! It'd be e-easier for me t-to take care of your lizard, t-too!"

"M-Maybe I'll return Scout to his momma and g-get a doggy instead, t-to play with the lizard!" The boy muses. Then the swallow and bat will have no reason to be scared! He scritches the two giant baby animals as he says so.

[UncleWolf]

Anchor slides the coffee aside to cool for a moment and takes a seat on a countertop, from which to scribble down notes on Leap's spiderpeople.
"Okay, okay. I mean, I've run across racial curses before. So most chimeras are made by witches, but you guys in particular are alchemical? And what this really means is that all of this, the chitin, the timer, the fangs, is a flow trait and not a genetic one. There are systems for, hmm, 'solving genetics backwards', I guess I'd say? I mean, where you start with a creature and compile a genetic code that could produce it. I wonder if that could help you somehow. Or at least your children..."

She takes a slug of coffee and smiles.
"Seahorses, I think we call them. So, my first questions:
"If you do get pregnant, does the timer reset and put you through this again? After how long? Or is it just the once, when you're old enough and it's the right season? Do you know what part of the process the curse is connected to? If something happened to the mother, could you go feral?" Not that she's planning that or anything! That would be awful.

Infirmary

"For my species, the timer doesn't reset, but there are others that do. Instead it'll advance my growth to a new phase. It's triggered by season, growth, and environmental stress as far as I'm aware." Leap explains, giving a small shrug before taking a sip of her slightly-cooled coffee. She gives a sigh, staring into the mug as she thinks. "No, I don't think anything happens to me if something happens to the mother once the process starts, but you know how parents will say they feel the gears click in their head when they see their kid for the first time? I can already feel my head starting to rewire to get me that way. If I go through with this and something DID happen to the mother, then I fear I'd just go berserk anyway against those I saw as responsible."

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"Yes, it works better that way," Sekhmet responds. "Something about people being more in tune with their own creations "

[Reinholdt]

Spoiler

Show

[Daycare]

Pfft.

When Khannie evolves using that cool pendant she found she's Ghost/Normal type. Spooky really doesn't bother her at all.

Without so much as a second's hesitation she approaches the 'child' in the corner.

"Hi I'm Khannie Vallarm and these are my friends Olon and Endok," the totally normal looking human girl says. "We made a cake that's maybe magic and now we're looking for other kids to share it with, do you want some? OH! We're going to have ice cream, too!"

That part is important.

Cake and ice cream go great together.

Way better than cheese and ale, as far as Khannie is concerned.

Daycare

Endok is certainly scared of the strange shape. Spooky stuff is scary!

Olon takes a more direct approach through life.

Are you a ghost? Dad says we have to carve slabs for any dwarves that we can't find so their ghosts don't come back and muck everything up. Olon looks around the room. You don't look like you're mucking things up. She says, before waiting for the polite ghost to answer.

[Daycare]

A totally normal human girl wouldn't be able to see in this dark! Sasha doesn't buy it. Or... Maybe she does? It's really hard to get any level of read on her given how little she reacts. She certainly doesn't know how to react to the offer of cake AND ice cream. Since she's heard of neither and doesn't know if she wants either one. She probably shouldn't accept the offer, but they're offering it so enthusiastically, she ought to accept just to appease them. Yes, that seems reasonable. She will take this Cake and IceCream! The little girl stand-in communicates this extremely effectively by staring intensely at Khannie. Such intensity. Much communication.

There is a modicum of answer to Olon though. By gently shaking her head no in a slow and deliberate fashion. She is not a ghost. If she were, she would be translucent. At least, that's been true for all the ghosts she's met.

[Rebonack]

[Daycare Cake Quest]

"Umm..." Khannie glances back at the dwarfs after a few moments of awkward silence and really intense staring. Maybe the other kid can't talk? Sometimes people can't talk and that's okay. It just means you have to wave your arms around a lot and hope for the best.

So that's what Khannie does.

She waves her arms around and speaks really loudly!

"I GUESS IF YOU WANT SOME YOU CAN JUST FOLLOW US, OKAY!? WE'LL BE IN THE CAFETERIA!"

Surely that will work great.

No complications.

No confusion.

Just talking really loudly and kind of slowly since that helps people understand you.

Or at least that's how it always works on TV.

Khannie turns and starts heading back toward the cafeteria.

"If she follows us we'll know she wants some," Khannie reasons to the dwarfs.

[billtodamax]

Off to see the DORFS!

Taguz says you aren't allowed to return a pet. Olon says decisively. I uh... I think maybe if you don't have a mum you can get a new one but if you already have one then that's your mum. Endok has spent a while thinking about this. And maybe if that mum already has a kid then they're your sister?

The pets are happy to recieve scritches, although Bab does start flapping excitedly and trying to scramble up onto Asher's shoulder.

Lake, evening

My husband made all this for me. She says, waving her hand at her armour. A dab hand he is. I figure that means enough for me. Sure we can't treat you to dinner or something? She asks. Gonna have fish, if I'm lucky enough. She holds up her fishing rod and smiles.

Daycare

Olon seems to consider this. You should come if you don't want some too it's really dark in here. is what she eventually lands on, turning to follow Khannie back to the cake. Endok gives her a scared little wave before following his sister. Endok can take or leave spooky shadow girl.

[Morty]

[Off to see the DORFS!]

Tuskfang doesn't look like he understands it any better than he did before.

"We gotta ask mom and dad about it," he finally declares, with all the certainty of a little kid. Then he goes off on a tangent. "Brinika's cousin Iknika wants a beetle, because she says she wants to be a knight and a goblin knight should ride a beetle."

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"I, uh, I guess I could?" Sekhmet isn't sure. She still needs to finish the wand, although it's starting to take shape, and she only just met this dwarf.

[billtodamax]

Lake, evening

Well don't let me force you into it. Rath says, still smiling. She stands up and sizes up the lake. Don't know any fishing magic by chance? My husband swears black and blue he met an elf that got the fish jumping out of the water for him. She's joking but it might not be so obvious. Maybe Sekhmet really did know fishing magic? Either way she's casting her rod, careful to miss the bench by a ways with the backswing.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Memory Woods]

Delilah has a sour look on her face for a second or two, but after doesn't really look terribly put out by all of this here.
It's not her plans on the line. She's just the very unhappy facilitator.

As far as she knows, this is also accounted for. Or it isn't.
This entire divinity arrangement was a foolish gambit from the start, no matter who started it and how they progress it.
But it's going to see a resolution, regardless of who does what.
"I guess all I can say to that is 'good luck'. It's only the fate of everything that hinges in the balance."

She could say something snippy here, probably, or be otherwise discouraging.
But it's a waste of energy. There's still things to be done.

"My brother's parasite doesn't speak for me," Needs reminds Delilah, scowling at Affidavit and his inability to go five minutes without irritating someone, as more and more chrome components of his body turn to ash, their absence slowly being replaced by icy-blue reptilian scales that fill the air with an unearthly chill.

"I have been impudent. I have not engendered trust and respect in my actions. You lack faith, which is entirely understandable. I promise a coherent explanation when this is over," he swears to her, as a shuttle's cloaking device disengages, and a few dozen steel, faceless humanoids in purple robes leap out, hurrying over to fall to one knee and bow before the orange-robed sorcerer.

"Prepare a window, Affidavit. The Rule of Three dictates another threshold broken," Needs commands, still trying to adjust to this whole 'Needs is in charge now' thing. Regardless of their respective power levels, Magtok was supposed to be the central protagonist in all of this. There may be other 'clones' provided by the Hegemony, and the reinforcements his sleeping brother will bring in later, but Needs still has a greater connection to this narrative than any of them, and unless one of them is a much greater showstopper than expected, he won't be able to fade back into the secondary protagonist role so easily. This is going to be dicey, to say the least.

[Memory Woods]

"Of course." The MagPuppet snaps off an obedient response to Needs, mock-saluting. "I don't believe in such rubbish, but perhaps now of all times you deserve a "Good Luck!" hmm? Sounds a little better with his voice, at least. Almost sincere even?"

Well, enough of that for now.

"Worry not, Delilah. Whatever else may be at stake, it is not the fate of everything. Perhaps someday you'll understand. Perhaps if our little plan succeeds I'll show you just how wrong you are about everything. Wouldn't that be nice?" The MagPuppet turns and starts walking. "Enough prattle. The boy needs his rest." And then he's gone.

Perhaps you're rubbing off on him, Needs. Aside from it being rather more understated than your entrances and exits, it wasn't far off from how abruptly you come and go.

[Reinholdt]

[Daycare]

The louder one says to follow them if Sasha wants cake, while the quieter one says to follow them even if she doesn't want cake. The quietest one waves. Either way, she's supposed to follow them, right?

Well, that's what she'll do then. The abomination follows after them, gliding along without a sound. Not even a footstep. Though she is steadily shrinking? No, more like sinking. Like she's melding into the floor, forming a black inkwell. This blot follows the two dwarves and 'normal' girl to the cafeteria.

In particular, the spooky shadow girl 'follows' Endok, the blot merging with his shadow to make a slightly darker shadow. Gotta get through the bright outdoors somehow. In the dwarf's shadow is as good an answer as any. She is well accustomed to stalking innocents, so should be able to keep up if he takes on a more rapid pace back to the cake.

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"No, uh, I don't know anything like that." She thinks about it for a second. "I, uh, might be able to do something to, uh, help though." She doesn't know much about fishing at all, but she's read a few books on fish. "May I, uh, see your hook?"

[Recaiden]

"For my species, the timer doesn't reset, but there are others that do. Instead it'll advance my growth to a new phase. It's triggered by season, growth, and environmental stress as far as I'm aware." Leap explains, giving a small shrug before taking a sip of her slightly-cooled coffee. She gives a sigh, staring into the mug as she thinks. "No, I don't think anything happens to me if something happens to the mother once the process starts, but you know how parents will say they feel the gears click in their head when they see their kid for the first time? I can already feel my head starting to rewire to get me that way. If I go through with this and something DID happen to the mother, then I fear I'd just go berserk anyway against those I saw as responsible."

Anchor notes this all down, pausing just to drink some more coffee before looking back to the drider.
"That's a relief." Guess there are always others that have it worse. "I have heard that about parents. I can probably fix that in you, especially if it comes from the magic of your species." She offers. Many people wouldn't see a motherly instinct as something that needs fixing, but maybe here's still hope for Leap. She seems pretty self-aware.

"What is the new phase like for successful mothers? Which reminds me, have you had a medical check-up yourself recently, made sure you're in good health?"

[Purple Eagle]

Off to see the DORFS!

Taguz says you aren't allowed to return a pet. Olon says decisively. I uh... I think maybe if you don't have a mum you can get a new one but if you already have one then that's your mum. Endok has spent a while thinking about this. And maybe if that mum already has a kid then they're your sister?

The pets are happy to recieve scritches, although Bab does start flapping excitedly and trying to scramble up onto Asher's shoulder.

Tuskfang doesn't look like he understands it any better than he did before.

"We gotta ask mom and dad about it," he finally declares, with all the certainty of a little kid. Then he goes off on a tangent. "Brinika's cousin Iknika wants a beetle, because she says she wants to be a knight and a goblin knight should ride a beetle."

[Off to see the DORFS!]

"Umm.. b-but I didn't buy Scout. His momma is s-sick, and I'm p-playing with him until she's well. M-Momma said it's better to let her g-get better on her own so s-she'll be strong." Asher explains, but is as confused as Tuskfang at the whole mum thing, and Endok's explanation doesn't make things any easier. "Ummm…" He doesn't get to finish that thought, as Bab's started trying to scramble up to his shoulder, which he allows. "Heehee!" He giggles, scratching Bab even more now.

"Y-Yeah, what Tusky said!" Asher remarks. "H-Have I seen Iknika before?" Maybe he saw her but didn't recognize her as such, and couldn't fly over to introduce himself for some reason, so that question makes sense in his mind.

[billtodamax]

Off to see the DORFS!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh. So it's like when we go stay in the daycare upstairs so dad can go work in the forge without having to worry about Endok touching all the hot metal. Endok seems upset with this. Nuh-uh! He just doesn't want you messing with all the other smiths. This bear issue is now sorted. Olon looks happy enough to take the high ground on this argument, instead saying: Well I'm older so I know better. Wait hang on that's not what she did at all. How come she gets a beetle instead of a beak dog. She says to Tuskfang, as Bab leans into Asher's fingers, making happy chirpy noises. Goblins are supposed to ride beak dogs.

Lake, evening

Rath reels in her line, saying: Hey if it helps it helps. She says, holding the end of her line and showing the lure to Sekhmet. It's a colourful feathery thing.

Daycare

Olon assumes she's following and misses her shrinking but Endok certainly doesn't. He's watching back nervously as she shrinks and joins his shadow, hopping slightly alarmed as she does to catch up to his sister. Uh... hi. He says to his own shadow. Can you um... he is extremely nervous. Can you speak?

[bc56]

Lake, evening

Sekhmet points the half-finished wand at the lure and concentrates. After a moment, a faint light appears on the end of the hook, a soft white glow. "There. Will that, uh, help?"

[Reinholdt]

[Daycare]

The shadow nods ominously. Of course it can speak. It simply doesn't. For everyone's sake. Especially the shadow's.

Endok didn't run away screaming! That's good. The shadow hasn't devoured his soul yet either! That's also good. Everything is good.

[Rebonack]

[Daycake]

And before long our heroes have arrived at the cafeteria!

"Okay, you guys stay out here, okay? I'm the oldest so it's my job to get the cake for everyone," Khannie declares before hurrying off into the kitchen.

She'll be back.

Probably.

With cake! And ice cream!

Also probably.

That'll give the dwarves a few moments to get to know their new friend better, right?

[UncleWolf]

Anchor notes this all down, pausing just to drink some more coffee before looking back to the drider.
"That's a relief." Guess there are always others that have it worse. "I have heard that about parents. I can probably fix that in you, especially if it comes from the magic of your species." She offers. Many people wouldn't see a motherly instinct as something that needs fixing, but maybe here's still hope for Leap. She seems pretty self-aware.

"What is the new phase like for successful mothers? Which reminds me, have you had a medical check-up yourself recently, made sure you're in good health?"

Infirmary

It seems to take a moment for Leap to register the question, but she looked quite tired even after the sip of coffee. She'll take another sip when it finally clicks and sets the mug back aside. "There had been a check-up on ship, but I wouldn't trust it. If you want to give me one though, be my guest." She'll settle down wherever Anchor needs her to. "I don't mind having the mental change of maternal instinct if I'm going through on this. As for the mothers...well, it varies. Ecological pressures can change us a fair bit. Most simply stabilize, become a bit larger and stronger, and more motherly. Some become Matriarchs, becoming much larger, almost like an ogre in size. There's some other variants, but as for myself I dunno." She admits with a shrug. "It's not something we can really plan out."

[billtodamax]

Lake, evening

Well whatever the fish think that's impressive. Rath says, meaning it. She hasn't seen much magic. She casts again, watching the now glowing lure sail through the air.

After a short while her line starts tugging and she starts reeling in. Hey, there you go! She says back to Sekhmet. Something likes it!

Daycare

That makes perfect sense to Olon, who rounds on her brother. Hey where'd the not ghost girl go? Olon knows she is not a ghost but not much beyond that. She... um... Endok says, pointing to his shadow. WOAH, COOL! Olon says, crouching down to look closer at her brother's shadow. Hey how come you get to turn into a cool shadow thing if you aren't a ghost. She says, just managing to discern the girl from the shadow.

[Morty]

[Off to see the DORFS!]

Tuskfang ponders both questions seriously.

"I don't think you've met Iknika, Asher. She's way older than we are and older than Brinika too. We gotta invite our cousins here so you can meet them." Then he looks at Olon. "They must be some kind of other goblin because I've never seen a beak dog. Goblins ride beetles sometimes. Mom says they're used to carry stuff. And Iknika says they also break stuff really well. With pincers."

[Reinholdt]

[Daycare]

Is that the job of the oldest? Sasha would not have guessed this. It's a good thing someone told her.

The girl is shadow and the shadow is girl. It's like a double feature. The shadow just shakes its head though. Either she doesn't know herself or it's too traumatic to recount at this time. Probably the first one.

Now that they're in the kitchen though, she'll stop being a 2D shadow and go back to being a 3D one, rising out of the floor like a proper spectral entity. And just kinda standing there, chilling (the air around her).

[Rebonack]

[Daycare]

Four plates.

Four forks.

Four slices of (somewhat sad looking) cake.

Four scoops of ice cream!

There. All set!

Khannie comes back out, doing a pretty good job of carrying two plates at once! She sets them down on one of the big cafeteria tables.

"I'm going to go get the other ones, okay?" she says before hurrying off into the kitchen again. There's more cake to acquire.