GLoG 93: Something something something babies

[Shadowcaller]

Ironoak Cabin

"Sounds like they say a lot more than actual animals though, damn jerks. They're just so unreliable and I should know 'cause I'm a druid and all." She looks to the side where she assumes the 'little birdy' is. "Uh, no offense."

She turns back to Pathfinder. "But to answer your question, moonwells are like magic batteries in pool form. My people protect them but we're not actually told much about what they actually do. They like, collect energies from nature I think? The point is that bad people usually want to use them to do bad things so we make sure to keep them away. But now all these moon wells have ended up in your world without anyone to protect them but me so I need some help as demons are now trying to get to them."

[Deathkeeper]

Ironoak Cabin

Don shrugs.
”I drank some of the water and I feel pretty great. But I don’t think I suddenly got the power to take over the world. So still not entirely sure what it does, really.” Mystic artifacts are as mystic as ever.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Sophie, it should be noted, can see the spirits with minimal effort. However, doing so is rather distracting in GLoG, so she usually doesn't.

"Raw magic energy often doesn't have very strong effect until it's properly refined and harnessed. Its manifestation will then depend on how it's done. Which is why we need to keep it out of the wrong hands."

The three kids squirm and giggle when Pathfinder ruffles them. The twins seem to particularly enjoy it. Tuskfang can understand some of what is being said. This is Important Shaman Stuff his dad does, so he keeps quiet and listens. Balthuk, however, has no such qualms.

"You got big ears," he says, looking straight at Anika with large eyes. "Like mommy."

"Bigger than mommy!" Maltrika declares with a giggle.

[Sophie's Office - Hysmine]

"You're welcome." Sophie smiles. "You have a long and difficult road ahead of you, Hysmine, but you've taken the first steps willingly, and that's more than many can say."

[Sapling Cabin]

Tuskfang nods eagerly. That makes sense! And he shows the kind of credulity kids do when someone tells them something with enough conviction.

"Sure! If I ever meet Bastion, I'll call him sir. And now we're going to go treasure hunting," he says, switching back to the reason he invited the two girls. He holds up a piece of paper, where a map of a part of the campsite has been drawn. It's labelled as "Captain Brinika and Captain Cheasadh's treasure map" and it has a rather... simple drawing of Brinika and Cheasadh in pirate hats. Of course, Lucy and Jillian might not know the two older kids.

[Beans]

[Sophie's Office - Hysmine > Cherry Cabin]
Hysmine nods, rising and collecting her things. "And you've made the next few steps a little easier at the very least. I'm going to get my things settled and prepare for the work to be done." With a smile far more genuine than when she came in, she makes her exit.

She ends up picking Cherry, out of the available cabins by the lake. Opening up an unoccupied room, she clicks on the light. The room's hardly a palace; its most notable features are the small sink and mirror tucked into one alcove, the little pot-bellied stove, and the sturdy old rocking-chair facing the window.

She couldn't be happier.

After a bit of getting stuff settled and some writing at the desk, she tucks a few papers into a softworn project bag at her hip and heads back out of her new room to get familiar with her new surroundings and neighbors.

[Recaiden]

At about this time, Anchor is returning to her room in Cherry cabin. Looks like she was coming from the medical lab.
She's a human, with medium-short black hair, wearing casual clothes, a cape, and sunglasses. Her shadow doesn't look quite like her - it's got wings, and a floofy tail, and a big hairstyle.
Currently, she's carrying a large sack of bones. Just ordinary bones on an ordinary day.
"Oh, a new cabinmate!? I mean, that is why you're here, looking this way, right?"

[Beans]

[Cherry Cabin]
The brown tabby cat lady's sensible dress, shawl, and cheap-looking horn-rimmed glasses are somewhat at at odds with her visible extensive scarring and battered old army boots. Then again, who here is normal anyway?

"Yes, I just arrived---my name is Hysmine." She smiles at her evident cabinmate, though her eyes do linger on the shadow and the bones. "I---forgive me, but I can't help but be curious about the bones you have there. Are those more a decorative or a..." She notes where Anchor seems to have been walking from and remembers that's where the Infirmary was on the map. "... medical thing?"

[Recaiden]

"Hysmine! Pretty name. I'm Anchor." Her shadow gives an elaborate bow, although she herself can do no such thing without first setting down the sack of bones.

"Oh no, these are just hobby materials. I mean, the medical lab doesn't go through nearly so many." Also you couldn't just carry medical bones around so casually. They would have to be properly disposed of!
Maybe she can just slide along to her room and set them down and shut the door? That would be best.
"It'll be good to have someone around again. The last guy only stayed till his memories came back, and I mean good for him, but it meant another empty room here."

[Beans]

[Cherry Cabin]

"Nice to meet you, Anchor---and I don't think I'll be leaving for a while. I've a lot to make up for, though I've already got a way forward in sight." She smiles, following slightly as the other woman puts away the bones, though she wonders what sort of hobbies entail... bones.

[Recaiden]

If you were to glimpse into Anchor's room in the cabin, you might see that it was full of books, very heavy curtains over the window, and the center of the floor being taken up by a magic circle.
"Oh good. Having a way forward, I mean. So you know what you're going to be doing here at GLoG? I mostly help at the infirmary." she explains, trying to downplay that. After all, Hysmine is the new one; she should be the focus. Unless she's too shy for that.

[Beans]

[Cherry Cabin]

"Well, I'm going to be helping provide clothing for those in need. I'm rather good at knitting and crocheting and such, and I may also teach it to some of the young ones---as well as anyone else interested." She smiles, glancing in at Anchor's room. "With the cold coming on and the amount of people who have little to nothing, I'm told my skills will be in demand."

[Gullara]

The "witch" seems a little surprised. She laughs nervously a little. Where she's from, witches are burned. "I'm, uh, not a witch." That probably raises other questions. If she's not a witch, why does she have magic books? A familiar? "Uh, I'm Sekhmet. Nice to, uh, meet you?"

[Hawthorn Cabin]

Lucy looks at Sekhmet uncertainly. Seems questionable. "I'm Lucy and he's Russell." She relents after a moment. Russell, though, points in the direction of the bookcase. "Oh yeah, if you're a not witch why do you got magic book?"

[bc56]

"Because, uh," Sekhmet has to think. Why does she collect books about magic and fiendish lore? How can she explain that to a small child? "I'm, uh, an inherently magical person. I, uh, need to understand what I, uh, am."

[Recaiden]

"Oh, that'll really be appreciated. I mean, there's always people without enough." Appearing in the Nexus with just summer clothes on their backs, if nothing else.
"I admit, I never learned either of those. Just a bit of weaving." Anchor needs the help of her shadow for anything complicated, fabricwise.

[Beans]

"Oh, that'll really be appreciated. I mean, there's always people without enough." Appearing in the Nexus with just summer clothes on their backs, if nothing else.
"I admit, I never learned either of those. Just a bit of weaving." Anchor needs the help of her shadow for anything complicated, fabricwise.

[Cherry Cabin]

I didn't arrive with too much to my name either, so I know the feeling. And not everyone will have had my access or luck with thrift stores and such," Hysmine nods. "And weaving's no less fine a discipline---you're welcome to try learning from me as well if you like."

[UncleWolf]

Ironoak Cabin

"A convalescence of natural energy. A crossing of leylines. A Demense of Water and Earthen Elementals. That sort of thing?" Pathfinder asks after a few moments, a smile apparent upon his muzzle as he ruffles the ears on the twins. "And be good, you two. Otherwise your ears will be made fun of!" He warns before his voice turns more serious. "But if the moonwell serves as a pool or spring, a demonic corruption could twist its ebb and flow, spreading it through the very roots of the earth." He supposes, gesturing at the food so the guests can go ahead and dig in. "And so you seek my help in protecting it."

[Gullara]

"Because, uh," Sekhmet has to think. Why does she collect books about magic and fiendish lore? How can she explain that to a small child? "I'm, uh, an inherently magical person. I, uh, need to understand what I, uh, am."

[Hawthorn Cabin]

Lucy thinks about that for a moment. "Oh." She says. That makes sense. "I'm magical too! Can you talk to spirits too?"

[bc56]

Sekhmet shakes her head. "Uh, no. But I can, uh, control fire, and, uh, talk to people with my mind." That doesn't sound that cool to her. But she also has absolutely no self-confidence. She scratches Ellie's back. "You didn't, uh, do any rituals in the books, did you?"

[Murkus]

[Sapling Cabin]

Tuskfang's fuzzy brow furrows in thought. What's a "lord" mean? Was it...

"I don't think I am. To be a lord you gotta be important, right? Have a castle and stuff. And knights, maybe. Brinika's cousin Iknika talks about being a knight and serving a lord or lady."

[Sapling Cabin]

"Oh." Jillian looks at Lucy momentarily. "Lucy called you 'sir'. That's what you call lords." Jillian explains to Tuskfang. "My brother Bastion is a lord because mommy is a lady of Hestopia, so you could call him sir."

[Sapling Cabin]

"I just thought that's what you call knights! Like in a storybook! Are they kinda the same?" She considers it. "I think Tuskfang seems a lot more knightly than Bastion." Mostly because Bastion just isn't very knightly at all. But also... "Gwyd always says he's very brave. It's kinda funny. He's like your biggest fan." Lucy giggles. She's exaggerating just a little, but Gwyd probably described Tuskfang jumping over some streams or climbing some trees or something. Very brave.

[Shadowcaller]

Ironoak Cabin

Anika scratches her head. "You're kinda sounding like my sister now since I have no idea what you just said." She tells pathfinder with a laugh.

Then her attention finally turns to the kids. There sure was a lot of them around here, which so far proved her perception of GloG correct.

"My ears aren't that big!" She insists as she has to crank her neck a bit to look down at that... goblin? "My cousins ears are way bigger." The druid gestures at her own ears, once again bringing up her mysterious cousin.

[Deathkeeper]

[Ironoak Cabin]

Domhnall plops down his lower body onto the grass and helps himself to a lunch portion.
"Yeah that's more or less the long and short of it." It's not like he really understands the details.

[Morty]

[Ironoak Cabin]

"Our ears are like yours, daddy!" Maltrika declares with grave seriousness. This is clearly an important topic for the twins.

"Our cousins have big ears too, 'cause they're goblins." It seems ears will remain a topic of the conversation for a while.

"I haven't been there, but that seems to be the case," Sophie says. "We need some way of knowing if some demons come to try and twist it, at least."

[Gullara]

[Sapling Cabin]

Tuskfang nods eagerly. That makes sense! And he shows the kind of credulity kids do when someone tells them something with enough conviction.

"Sure! If I ever meet Bastion, I'll call him sir. And now we're going to go treasure hunting," he says, switching back to the reason he invited the two girls. He holds up a piece of paper, where a map of a part of the campsite has been drawn. It's labelled as "Captain Brinika and Captain Cheasadh's treasure map" and it has a rather... simple drawing of Brinika and Cheasadh in pirate hats. Of course, Lucy and Jillian might not know the two older kids.

[Sapling Cabin]

"I just thought that's what you call knights! Like in a storybook! Are they kinda the same?" She considers it. "I think Tuskfang seems a lot more knightly than Bastion." Mostly because Bastion just isn't very knightly at all. But also... "Gwyd always says he's very brave. It's kinda funny. He's like your biggest fan." Lucy giggles. She's exaggerating just a little, but Gwyd probably described Tuskfang jumping over some streams or climbing some trees or something. Very brave.

[Sapling Cabin]

"Knights are lords, but they're lords with swords." Jillian clarifies. She finds all this stuff really interesting, so she can educate her friends.

But anyway, it's treasure time. Jillian folders her arms behind her back and leans in to take a close look. "Pirate treasure?" Exciting!

Sekhmet shakes her head. "Uh, no. But I can, uh, control fire, and, uh, talk to people with my mind." That doesn't sound that cool to her. But she also has absolutely no self-confidence. She scratches Ellie's back. "You didn't, uh, do any rituals in the books, did you?"

[Hawthorn Cabin]

"That's cool!" Lucy seems to disagree with Sekhmet's inner thoughts. Magic is pretty cool by default.

At the question, Russell shakes his head. Lucy adds, "Nuh uh. We tried to read one, but it's really hard." So many big words.

[Beans]

[Here and There]
Messages have been posted about on notice boards and such at map stations, major GLoG buildings, and so forth. They announce both the availability of instruction in knitting and crocheting, as well as the availability of said instructor to make items of clothing. The latter states priority goes to those in need, and recommends people consider colors or patterns.

Those interested in either offering are asked to contact Hysmine, Room 2B, Cherry Cabin.

[bc56]

Hawthorn Cabin

Sekhmet looks relieved. "Some magic is dangerous. Uh, it's not good to fool about with things you, uh, don't understand." She's not great at delivering moral lessons. "Do you, uh, want anything? Tea, biscuits?"

Here and There -> Cherry Cabin

A knock at the door of Cherry Cabin. There's a nervous looking young woman there. She's got red skin, solid black eyes, a long, barbed tail, and large, batlike wings. Six horns, two large ones in the center of her forehead and two pairs of smaller ones adorn her forehead. Latticed lines of metal run just beneath her skin across her whole body, and a ball of fire floats between her largest horns. Her hair is black, in a ponytail, and waist length, and she's wearing a pair of glasses, a GLoG t-shirt, and an ankle length grey skirt. Her clawed hands are tapping nervously. "Hi, uh, I'm here for the, uh, knitting lessons?"

[Beans]

[Cherry Cabin - Lessons]

Hysmine is perhaps less striking; a cat lady appearing to be vaguely in her 30s with brown-tabby hair matching her ragged ears and tail, she opens the door. Leaning on a cane with an arm brace, she wears a plain woolen dress, a red shawl, and cheap-looking tortoiseshell horn-rims that contrast oddly with her scars. Her eyebrows raise slightly at the sight of the fiendish-looking woman and her keen green eyes flick up and down; she's getting used to the diversity of the Nexus, but it's intrigue and gentle surprise as opposed to fear, disgust, or anything like that.
"Oh, wonderful!" Her face lights up a bit. "Do come in---I'm Hysmine, of course, and you?" She lets Sekhmet into the cabin's common area. "I'll get the materials---would you like a cup of tea?"

[bc56]

Cherry Cabin - Lessons

Striking might be the wrong word. For all her inhuman features, the fiendling carries herself like a frightened girl, not like a powerful monster. She seems more scared of Hysmine than the catgirl could ever be of her. "I'm Sekhmet. Uh, tea would be lovely. She comes in, nervously adjusting her skirt. While she has nothing to be afraid of here, she's clearly terrified of something. What must her life be like, that even in a place like GLoG, she's constantly scared?

[Beans]

[Cherry Cabin - Lessons]

Hysmine notes the young lady's nervousness and gives her a smile. She nips into her room for a bit and returns with a rolling trolley bearing a tray with a steaming teapot and two mugs. On the bottom shelf of the little trolley she's set a bag; she puts it onto the table, then puts down the tray. Opening the bag, she brings out two sets of knitting needles. "So, Sekhmet, do you have any history with knitting, or are you coming as a complete novice?" She guides her to sit across from her, still giving a gentle smile. Just asking why she's nervous is a great way to make her more nervous. "And as an aside, do you like it here? I've heard your name a bit, I think, so I imagine you've been here at least a bit longer."

[bc56]

Cherry Cabin - Lessons

"No, I, uh, haven't knitted before." Sekhmet takes a teacup and then a sip. Tea helps calm her nerves sometimes. "I've been here, uh, a year and a half? I like it here. It's, uh, safe and peaceful." If this is how she acts when she's in a safe place, what is she like in somewhere unsafe? When she's told that her name's been heard around, she suddenly looks very afraid. "Uh, around where? From who? What are they, uh, saying, uh, about me?"

[Beans]

[Cherry Cabin - Lessons]

"Well, I didn't hear much in particular---your name was on the roster, someone mentioned you a few times. It certainly wasn't anything to raise concern, I'm sure. And I've just arrived myself, really. I'm very hopeful about this place." She spoons a good deal of sugar into her own tea before sipping. "Anyway, let's get you started. Take those needles there---yes, and... perhaps this nice blue yarn." She begins to show the nervous young lady how to knit.

"I hope I'm not prying, but do you do anything particularly interesting here? This whole thing, and making items for those in need, is likely to be what I end up doing for at least a good while."

[bc56]

Cherry Cabin - Lessons

Sekhmet takes the needles. She can do this. Focus on the work, not on how nervous she feels. Hold the needles the way Hysmine shows, take up the yarn, and begin. Then another question is asked. Sekhmet fumbles and drops one of the needles, her concentration broken. "Oh, uh, nothing interesting. I'm, uh, here because I, uh, had nowhere else to, uh, go."