Re: Daggers in the Dark, Two Suns and New Friends IC Thread 58

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House, Lunch.]

Colin pondered, "Hum... Perhaps he has some other attachment? Or perhaps he's just fond of the place, and has nowhere better to be?"

"Perhaps though I suspect he is simply still waiting for my mother to come home, time have no meaning for Umbroods, he might not know she have been gone for a long time."
Jeffry said sadly.

He smiled thinly, "You know, Bee, last time around, you were rather weaker... I'm glad you're eating better this time, I do believe you're quite strong enough to walk to the Verbena clinic, rather than getting a piggyback ride."

"I am getting stronger every day. I can still not handle eating allot of meat though it is to rough on the stomac and I have to be careful using magic a while longer but yes I can walk to the clinic."
Beatrice said with a smile as she measured up some black eat with juniper berries, apple slices and just a pinch of black pepper in a thermos.

[Meridia Porter]

[Concordia]

'You're having a chat with Albert Einstein and he's struck by lighting, making him twice as smart. Would you even be able to notice?' the larger woman quipped.

"That's an incredibly mighty violent mind-backlash, but... I see your point. Awakened is Awakened." Meridia offers a shrug in return, along with a slight wry smile.

'Why? Did you think of these things at the time?' Nicole replied, eyeing up the exterior of the small grocery they'd arrived at.

"No, just every night since." And her smile fades again, replaced with a fresh mix of pain and regret.

[Paul's Grocery]

The cake baking woman gave you a warm smile when you finished your working, you now had a basket of beautiful, fresh strawberries.
"That is a impressive working Miss, I myself have never been skilled with manipulating life, or Herbam which the Art is called...a forgive me I am a Linear Hermetic maga, though I have had the skill to learn the old Arts and Techniques over the more limited Path magic, Herbam though I have never been good at."

Meridia is as impressed with the woman's rare skill as she is horrified at her own lack of self-control for a moment. She hadn't realised how much she'd been stirred by the conversation on the way here, clearly driving her to this. It wasn't Nicole's fault at all, it was just that bringing these memories back was painful, and the wounds were still far too fresh to be salted.

"Thank you, I think I needed to just get it out there, I've been feeling pretty powerless lately, as silly as that sounds."

She pauses.

"You must be dedicated, to pursue something that most people would overlook for more straightforward ways to power. Particularly down the Hermetic pathways."

"If you're ever back down on solid, mundane earth... You're always welcome to watch some demonstrations of how my Awakened workings function. I don't know if it would help at all considering our different methods, but I'd like you to know the offer is on the table. Meridia Porter, I'll be in Boston for the foreseeable."

A tiny chuckle to this. 'You better hope not. Hmm... wonder what the macros are on that. Or how long it keeps.' looking around to see what deli meats they had. 'Shit... I like, so need to have the Psion's apps on my cell. Though... that ton of Primium we brought in means green ain't an issue, even after all that tax...'

Meridia can only guess Primium is some sort of Tass from her own dabbling in the Odyl. The Choristers haven't really educated her in Awakened economics, or Primal Application, so she's not really sure what Nicole is talking about in that regard, but she nods in her own half-understanding.

"I can imagine it being quite meaty or..." Meridia doesn't finish, not really sure where she was going with the sentence anyway.

"Probably very meaty." She says with a little more certainty and a slight grimace.

[Morgan's House]

"Awww man! A flying carpet. That's so cool. I didn't see anything like that. I only saw one dragon. A couple color spirits. A star trek-esque teleporter and medical equipment. And also an unusual amount of friendly people as well come to think of it." Serge said thinking back on all of the sights he had seen. Remembering his initial visit to the house he eagerly added, "Oh yeah and an angel on the roof. Did Bea tell you about that? He was very cool looking. Sounds like something you'd be interested in."

"I saw the Bear, very pleasant. And I glimpsed the Angel too on my way out. They both seemed like very worthy guardians." Meridia is definitely interested in these color spirits Serge is talking about.

"I work with Spirits myself sometimes, so I always love to see new things. I'm holding back the urge to open my spirit senses up here, I imagine it would be a little overwhelming."

She's going to have to show Serge some Spirit Magick at some point, really impress him with it.

He smiled wryly, recognizing the look, "Ah, no, I'm afraid those can't be healed. Perhaps I'll tell you how I got those later, but... suffice to say, they are not merely skin deep."

He chuckled, "Don't forget the bear in the garden. And the tentacled unicorns we ran into on the way here... though I suppose you didn't get a good look at those."

"Ah, sorry, I hope I didn't stare." The healer casts her eyes away momentarily, feeling awkward.

"I understand." She has some idea that those scars are a part of him at this point, and even with her talent, she doubts she could reshape his pattern so authoritatively. If he even wanted it.

"Tentacled Unicorns?" She looks bewildered.

"Even if protocol was not followed I wish things would have turned out differently, but that is not important now what is important is your recovery Miss Porter I do hope we can help you there." Jeffry said politely.

"Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help." He added.

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it, I don't ever mean to take advantage of your kindness, but I'll let you know if there is anything..."

Beatrice saw your uncertainty about Helena and she whispered to you as she put a large cup of tea in front of you.
"Miss Mar or Adept Mar would be appropriate."

"Thank you, Beatrice." Meridia accepts the tea and offers Beatrice a quick, small smile in thanks.

Helena looked at the Chorister and nodded.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Porter." She said politely but a bit reserved. You could not help but get the feeling that the woman by nature was rather cold.

"I hope to leave you with a good impression, Miss Mar." She returns warmly.

There seamed to be banana bread, salad and sandwiches as well as coffee and tea and some fresh fruit on the table. The banana bread was still warm.
"I hope you will enjoy." Beatrice said before she filled her own plate with salad and a peach.

Meridia selects a few fruits and a good slice of the banana bread, shuffling it all onto a plate and taking a place.

She settles in and follows the ongoing conversations.

Colin pondered, "Hum... Perhaps he has some other attachment? Or perhaps he's just fond of the place, and has nowhere better to be?"

Meridia finds the story heartening, if obviously bittersweet.

"Spirits can be very sentimental at times, and they're normally beings of habit and dedicated, singular purpose... If it is satisfied doing what it does, there's no reason for it to leave. I imagine anyone who tried would be in for some trouble at this point." She finishes with mirth.

"Spirits become what they do, and that one up there is here to watch over you now." She directs this to Jeffry.

He smiled thinly, "You know, Bee, last time around, you were rather weaker... I'm glad you're eating better this time, I do believe you're quite strong enough to walk to the Verbena clinic, rather than getting a piggyback ride."

Meridia shows some concern over this again. She doesn't want to probe, but she's obviously intrigued and has an instinctive desire in her to help however she can, particularly when it comes to easing pain.

[My understanding of Life is that it isn't necessarily strictly "Living" but more so "Organic" patterns. Hence why you can do horrible stuff with bones and dead flesh. Wood is a particular edge case where it eventually becomes Matter (maybe as it dies or during manufactory), but some particular Life workings involving awakening plants/herbs/food work on stuff that has been picked, cooked or otherwise baked. That's just some guesswork and assumptions, might be wrong on that!]

[Warpmind]

[Morgan's House]

"Perhaps though I suspect he is simply still waiting for my mother to come home, time have no meaning for Umbroods, he might not know she have been gone for a long time."
Jeffry said sadly.

Meridia finds the story heartening, if obviously bittersweet.

"Spirits can be very sentimental at times, and they're normally beings of habit and dedicated, singular purpose... If it is satisfied doing what it does, there's no reason for it to leave. I imagine anyone who tried would be in for some trouble at this point." She finishes with mirth.

"Spirits become what they do, and that one up there is here to watch over you now." She directs this to Jeffry.

Colin nodded thoughtfully, "I suppose we could simply ask him if he is content to linger in this part of the Here and Now..."

"Ah, sorry, I hope I didn't stare." The healer casts her eyes away momentarily, feeling awkward.

"I understand." She has some idea that those scars are a part of him at this point, and even with her talent, she doubts she could reshape his pattern so authoritatively. If he even wanted it.

"Tentacled Unicorns?" She looks bewildered.

He shook his head, "Not to worry, I prefer a child's honest stare to a skittish parents' admonition to not stare, if that makes sense to you. The surgeon was the best available, but there's only so much a Sleeper can do, even with the latest medical advances. More so a quarter century ago..."
He cleared his throat and grinned, "As for the tentacled unicorns, they were a rather unexpected encounter on the way here, residents of a half-formed dream realm of some sort. They might still be there on the way back."

"I am getting stronger every day. I can still not handle eating allot of meat though it is to rough on the stomac and I have to be careful using magic a while longer but yes I can walk to the clinic."
Beatrice said with a smile as she measured up some black eat with juniper berries, apple slices and just a pinch of black pepper in a thermos.

Meridia shows some concern over this again. She doesn't want to probe, but she's obviously intrigued and has an instinctive desire in her to help however she can, particularly when it comes to easing pain.

He nodded, "A lot went... better, this time around. Seems being temporally detached has some advantages, which reminds me, we should swing by Mr. Bachmeier, if we find the time. We owe him a great deal, after all."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

He chuckled, "Don't forget the bear in the garden. And the tentacled unicorns we ran into on the way here... though I suppose you didn't get a good look at those."

"I saw the Bear, very pleasant. And I glimpsed the Angel too on my way out. They both seemed like very worthy guardians." Meridia is definitely interested in these color spirits Serge is talking about.

"I work with Spirits myself sometimes, so I always love to see new things. I'm holding back the urge to open my spirit senses up here, I imagine it would be a little overwhelming."

She's going to have to show Serge some Spirit Magick at some point, really impress him with it.

"You work with spirits? That's so cool! Yeah there's probably a ton of cool ones here. I've wanted to work with spirits for a while now. I'm literally surrounded by them at all times back at the chantry yet I'm still blind to them." Serge said with a light sigh, though still smiling and eager to learn more about a new friend. "Any particular spirit you enjoy working with? I know Hermetic like elementals. Verbana love animal spirits. How about you?"

He chuckled, "Don't forget the bear in the garden. And the tentacled unicorns we ran into on the way here... though I suppose you didn't get a good look at those."

"Tentacled Unicorns?" She looks bewildered.

"As for the tentacled unicorns, they were a rather unexpected encounter on the way here, residents of a half-formed dream realm of some sort. They might still be there on the way back."

"Yes yes. It's very easy for me to miss a lot spirits stuff when I don't have spirit sight on 24/7. Here's what those Unicorns looked like." Serge said as he took his sketchpad and began leafing through it really quickly. Stopping on one page he pulled it out and showed it to Meridia.

The picture depicted exactly what was described. A pencil drawn depiction of a strange realm filled rocky cliffs, unnatural flora, and tentacled unicorns grazing as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Despite the picture being hastily drawn it was incredibly detailed hinting at the Ecstatics true artistic prowess.

(OOC: I have the same interpretation of the Life Sphere as well. It can work on both thing that are living and used to be living. Dictated by your paradigm allowing mystical paradigms a lot more flexibility in what they can affect.)

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Paul's Grocery]

Meridia is as impressed with the woman's rare skill as she is horrified at her own lack of self-control for a moment. She hadn't realised how much she'd been stirred by the conversation on the way here, clearly driving her to this. It wasn't Nicole's fault at all, it was just that bringing these memories back was painful, and the wounds were still far too fresh to be salted.

"Thank you, I think I needed to just get it out there, I've been feeling pretty powerless lately, as silly as that sounds."

She pauses.

"It is not silly Miss I think we all feel that way at times."
The woman said softly.

"You must be dedicated, to pursue something that most people would overlook for more straightforward ways to power. Particularly down the Hermetic pathways."

"If you're ever back down on solid, mundane earth... You're always welcome to watch some demonstrations of how my Awakened workings function. I don't know if it would help at all considering our different methods, but I'd like you to know the offer is on the table. Meridia Porter, I'll be in Boston for the foreseeable."

"Ah forgive my rudeness I am Pearl Wyatt Hermes bani Jerbiton Linear Member of the Order of Hermes. And Yes you can say I am dedicated, learning the old Art is my life, but I fear that it have also taken me further from Awakening. My Order first teach apprentices hedge magic of increasing difficulty, hoping the student will throw aside their power and Awaken, some do, most like me are never able to and become Linear mages, even so magic is magic so I can not really complain. I would love to go to your demonstration, I might not Awaken but learning more is always a boon, and perhaps it might help my student, a little boy I am making the cake for...tomorrow is his eight birthday."
Pearl said warmly with a fond smile when she mentioned her student.
"Unless you mind me bringing him along that is Miss Porter."

[Morgan's House]

"I saw the Bear, very pleasant. And I glimpsed the Angel too on my way out. They both seemed like very worthy guardians." Meridia is definitely interested in these color spirits Serge is talking about.

"I work with Spirits myself sometimes, so I always love to see new things. I'm holding back the urge to open my spirit senses up here, I imagine it would be a little overwhelming."

She's going to have to show Serge some Spirit Magick at some point, really impress him with it.

"Here in this house doing so should be safe Miss Porter, there are spirits here but not an overwhelming amount but in Horizon's streets yes there can be allot going on."
Jeffry said as he emptied his second cup of coffee.

"Tentacled Unicorns?" She looks bewildered.

"Yes a whole herd of them on a unformed realm we ended up hiding our ship behind."
Beatrice chimed in.

"Thank you, I really do appreciate it, I don't ever mean to take advantage of your kindness, but I'll let you know if there is anything..."

"Please do, we are all members of the Traditions and need to look out for one another."
The old war mage said with a nod.

Thank you, Beatrice." Meridia accepts the tea and offers Beatrice a quick, small smile in thanks.

Beatrice gave a warm smile back. She was a vary small woman, with short, dark brown slightly curly hair, big brown eyes and pale skin, a little button nose made her look younger than she was. Beatrice was wearing a simple, old fashioned dress and tiny pearls in her ears, the dagger and sickle at her him marked her as a Verbena though.

I hope to leave you with a good impression, Miss Mar." She returns warmly.

The ice maga just gave a nod at that and sipped her coffee.

Meridia finds the story heartening, if obviously bittersweet.

"Spirits can be very sentimental at times, and they're normally beings of habit and dedicated, singular purpose... If it is satisfied doing what it does, there's no reason for it to leave. I imagine anyone who tried would be in for some trouble at this point." She finishes with mirth.

"Spirits become what they do, and that one up there is here to watch over you now." She directs this to Jeffry.

"I have come to appreciate him, when I am here I leave a offering of his favorite things for him to enjoy though he demand no payment. I remember the angle from when I was a little boy, he would look in through the window at me when I went to bed and he always made me feel safe."
Jeffry said with a warm smile.
"But there is also a sadness there now in that he might wait forever for my mother to return, that being said guarding this house have become his purpose and somehow he fill me with hope, if her summoned spirit friend is still here, perhaps that means my mother is still alive out there."

Colin nodded thoughtfully, "I suppose we could simply ask him if he is content to linger in this part of the Here and Now..."

"I have, he only reply that to guard this house is his purpose."
Jeffry replied.
"I am not sure he know what contentment is but he seam to want to remain."

He nodded, "A lot went... better, this time around. Seems being temporally detached has some advantages, which reminds me, we should swing by Mr. Bachmeier, if we find the time. We owe him a great deal, after all."

"We should indeed do that and yes your visions have saved many lives Colin."
Beatrice said as she added warm water to the thermos.

You work with spirits? That's so cool! Yeah there's probably a ton of cool ones here. I've wanted to work with spirits for a while now. I'm literally surrounded by them at all times back at the chantry yet I'm still blind to them." Serge said with a light sigh, though still smiling and eager to learn more about a new friend. "Any particular spirit you enjoy working with? I know Hermetic like elementals. Verbana love animal spirits. How about you?"

"And elemental spirits, and spirits of place, old gods, plant spirits, the list go on kid."
Amadeus said.
"The same go for most who work with spirits I think."
Jeffry said.

(OOC: Sorry for the late reply I am still tired from the train and I went out to a aspergers support group meeting yesterday and I was to tired to write a post when I got home.)
(OOC 2: The problem is that with that logic almost anything would be Life. I mean plastic is made of oil with was once living matter after all.)

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Anja's Post:

'Well, as they're all long dead, I think you'll be waiting a very long time for that. Think this comes under the heading "give it up".' Nicole replied.

[Paul's Grocery]

Meridia's Post:

'Meant more that you can only tell if a person knows more about a subject than you, but not how much more.' she replied, ditching the cigarette and entering the store. 'So if you know nothing about... like, auto repair you won't tell the difference between the hobby tinkerer, a proper mechanic like me or a true genius.'

Meridia's Post:

'And what you gonna do to make sure it don't happen again?'

Meridia's Post:

'Hmm...' she replied nonchalantly, looking to see if the counter was self-service or if it had a person working it.

[I shuffled the end of that conversation into the store.]

[Concordia]

Anja's Post:

'Nah, I did that while you did.' she replied, taking the bag with a little smile and slipping it into her coat pocket. 'One thing I can't help wonder, like is how often stores here get shipments from Earth. What you said earlier suggests it ain't that often.'

[What 'currency' did the shopkeeper pay in, exactly?]

[After reading an article on that, I accept fruit/veg is still alive after picking. Though I would then argue that they've reached the stage where Matter could also effect them. There's a lot of overlaps, esp for some paradigms; for example, a lot of technomancers have weak divisions between Matter/Forces/Prime (esp the Union). But MtA is notorious in being the 'many ways to skin cat' game while others of the system while others are the 'do X, get Y' types.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

Well, as they're all long dead, I think you'll be waiting a very long time for that. Think this comes under the heading "give it up".' Nicole replied.

"Actually Miss Bouchard quite a few mages are alive today who can remember the start of the Ascension War. I myself is nearly old enough I was born in 1532."
Amadeus said.
"Also since the Union have continued their attacks on the Traditions this is hardly a let bygones be bygones kind of situation."

[Concordia]

Nah, I did that while you did.' she replied, taking the bag with a little smile and slipping it into her coat pocket. 'One thing I can't help wonder, like is how often stores here get shipments from Earth. What you said earlier suggests it ain't that often.'

"No it is not often, some like yourself bring with them some things to sell, that is about it there are no organized system of shipment of goods from Earth, which is why I can sell these babies at such a mark up."
The storekeeper said patting the box of magazines.

(OOC: Basically is it biologically alive then it is Life, is it dead then Matter, if something is in a sort of between state such as Vampires they are Life and Matter.)

[Warpmind]

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

"I have, he only reply that to guard this house is his purpose."
Jeffry replied.
"I am not sure he know what contentment is but he seam to want to remain."

Colin nodded, "Perhaps he's decided that the house is his home, for as long as it stands. Genius Loci, and all that... well, perhaps not quite that."

"You work with spirits? That's so cool! Yeah there's probably a ton of cool ones here. I've wanted to work with spirits for a while now. I'm literally surrounded by them at all times back at the chantry yet I'm still blind to them." Serge said with a light sigh, though still smiling and eager to learn more about a new friend. "Any particular spirit you enjoy working with? I know Hermetic like elementals. Verbana love animal spirits. How about you?"

"And elemental spirits, and spirits of place, old gods, plant spirits, the list go on kid."
Amadeus said.
"The same go for most who work with spirits I think."
Jeffry said.

He chuckled, "So many spirits are just... people, with a bit of a different idea about existence. And some are more animal-like, of course. I suppose of all the different varieties, Paradox Spirits are the ones no-one enjoys being around too much, for quite obvious reasons. As for working with them, the two I gave Names anew are quite pleasant to work with, even if the scribe looks a little unsettling."

"Yes yes. It's very easy for me to miss a lot spirits stuff when I don't have spirit sight on 24/7. Here's what those Unicorns looked like." Serge said as he took his sketchpad and began leafing through it really quickly. Stopping on one page he pulled it out and showed it to Meridia.

The picture depicted exactly what was described. A pencil drawn depiction of a strange realm filled rocky cliffs, unnatural flora, and tentacled unicorns grazing as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Despite the picture being hastily drawn it was incredibly detailed hinting at the Ecstatics true artistic prowess.

He arched an eyebrow at Serge, "Not being able to 'not see' isn't exactly an ideal state, either, you know. Plenty of spirits that really don't want to be looked at... some get quite aggressive, even."

((OOC: Yeah, saying plastic is Life, because oil used to be organic matter is a hell of a stretch... Mystics might have a bit more wiggle room when it comes to determining when something passes from Life to Matter, though. Hm, do resurrection spells use both Life and Matter, or just a buttload of Life?))

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Anja's Post:

'Well, someone has to be the first. Otherwise, the cycle goes on forever. Imagine what the world would be like if nobody ever ended a war.' she commented, on her way out of the kitchen.

[Think we can end that scene there.]

[Concordia]

Anja's Post:

A moment as she considered this information. 'Wait... don't you lot - as in, Horizon - get regular ships from Earth coming in?' ending with a frown.

[Didn't say how Nick was paid in, Great One.]

[Anyone could argue that, Warp (well, at least I think you could). A technomancer could argue that an apple is almost entirely made up of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen and so is a pear, so it is not outside the remit of a molecular assembler (Matter 2) device which reduces the former into it's elemental form and then re-assemble into the latter (though I'll accept that said machine would also need some extra source for the trace elements, as well as a model to work from). Which is partly why I see Mage as much more a fluid game than the others in the series.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

Well, someone has to be the first. Otherwise, the cycle goes on forever. Imagine what the world would be like if nobody ever ended a war.' she commented, on her way out of the kitchen.

"Yes you are not wrong, but to much blood have been spilled, if you have seen loved ones slaughtered before your eyes, simply for the crime of being mages then offering up a olive branch to their murderers is not likely to happen. I suspect this war will rage until one side have obliterated the other."
Amadeus said softly.

[Concordia]

A moment as she considered this information. 'Wait... don't you lot - as in, Horizon - get regular ships from Earth coming in?' ending with a frown.

"We do, but few think to bring mundane supplies from Earth."
The shopkeeper replied.

(OOC: She got paid in Nerids so coins.)

(OOC 2: I think it is like this the meta of the rules and how a mage see things might not be the same. For example a mage who is a mentalist might see all magick as being just mental abilities but that do not mean they can use Mind for everything, their Paradigm and the meta might not be exactly the same.)

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Morgan's House]

"And elemental spirits, and spirits of place, old gods, plant spirits, the list go on kid."
Amadeus said.
"The same go for most who work with spirits I think."
Jeffry said.

He chuckled, "So many spirits are just... people, with a bit of a different idea about existence. And some are more animal-like, of course. I suppose of all the different varieties, Paradox Spirits are the ones no-one enjoys being around too much, for quite obvious reasons. As for working with them, the two I gave Names anew are quite pleasant to work with, even if the scribe looks a little unsettling."

"It's the variety that always gets to me. Anything that can be conceptualized has a spirits. The sheer quantity is infinite. You could never know or meet every single spirit." Serge said sounding awe struck at the possibilities.

He arched an eyebrow at Serge, "Not being able to 'not see' isn't exactly an ideal state, either, you know. Plenty of spirits that really don't want to be looked at... some get quite aggressive, even."

"It may not be ideal but it certainly beats complete blindness." Serge said with a shrug, "Feels like an entire world is cut off to me."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House]

"It's the variety that always gets to me. Anything that can be conceptualized has a spirits. The sheer quantity is infinite. You could never know or meet every single spirit." Serge said sounding awe struck at the possibilities.

"That is true, Umbrood can be anything and just about any event, place or item or person can manifest one, there is a limitless number of them."
Jeffry agreed.

"It may not be ideal but it certainly beats complete blindness." Serge said with a shrug, "Feels like an entire world is cut off to me."

"More studying and less complaining kid."
Amadeus said glancing over at Serge.
"I do certainly recommend learning how to see and interact with spirits young man."
Jeffry agreed.

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Morgan's House]

Anja's Post:

Nicole shook her head to this as she left. As a soldier and long-term "citizen of the street" she accepted struggle and conflict often happened, and it could be lethal. But if she was to kill people, she'd prefer to do it for better fucking reasons than "almost forgotten ancient grudges which we can't let go due to the sunk cost fallacy".

[Concordia]

Anja's Post:

'Erm... I like, assume you tried asking them?' even more confused than before.

[That's gonna be some chunk of change, esp if it's lower denominations.]

[Yet there are instances of Rotes which offer differing Spheres; for example 'Talons' (M20 core) are 'Life', Matter and/or Prime. I'm not trying to use a magickal 'golden hammer' here, more saying I think picked fruit-changing may be one of those edge-cases where depending how you approach it, more than one Sphere could do it. And edge cases are generally fairly rare.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Concordia]

'Erm... I like, assume you tried asking them?' even more confused than before.

"Sure I ask, and that is how I get stock, asking private citizens to get me one thing or another, that is still not organized import."
The shopkeeper replied.

(OOC: I have really not spent time thinking about what specific coins Nicole got just assume she was paid in as big coins as possible to make it efficient.)

(OOC 2: I double checked picked fruit is alive, unless it is boiled, rotten and so on the same is picked flowers they are alive. I would rule them as life. As for hair and nails that I would see as a in between case since they are part of a body but are not strictly speaking alive.)

[Warpmind]

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

"It's the variety that always gets to me. Anything that can be conceptualized has a spirits. The sheer quantity is infinite. You could never know or meet every single spirit." Serge said sounding awe struck at the possibilities.

"That is true, Umbrood can be anything and just about any event, place or item or person can manifest one, there is a limitless number of them."
Jeffry agreed.

Colin smiled wryly, "And meeting every single human would be any more viable, hmm?"

"It may not be ideal but it certainly beats complete blindness." Serge said with a shrug, "Feels like an entire world is cut off to me."

"More studying and less complaining kid."
Amadeus said glancing over at Serge.
"I do certainly recommend learning how to see and interact with spirits young man."
Jeffry agreed.

He nodded, "You know, I would not be entirely too surprised if we could find a few spirits willing to teach you - our friendly cooking-fume spirit, for example, could be a good instructor, and she's quite the conversationalist."

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

Colin smiled wryly, "And meeting every single human would be any more viable, hmm?"

Jeffry gave a bit of a chuckle at that.
"Mr Wainwright do have a point Mr Yager."

He nodded, "You know, I would not be entirely too surprised if we could find a few spirits willing to teach you - our friendly cooking-fume spirit, for example, could be a good instructor, and she's quite the conversationalist."

"Well he would first need to be able to interact with them before he can learn from spirits."
Amadeus commented.

[Meridia Porter]

[Paul's Grocery]

Meant more that you can only tell if a person knows more about a subject than you, but not how much more.' she replied, ditching the cigarette and entering the store. 'So if you know nothing about... like, auto repair you won't tell the difference between the hobby tinkerer, a proper mechanic like me or a true genius.'

"Oh, I see..." In her head, Meridia translates the mechanic comparison into something that she recognises more instinctively.

'And what you gonna do to make sure it don't happen again?'

"I don't have a plan yet, but I'll do anything short of just throwing my life away, I'm not going to let it go to waste, not after surviving this."

"Ah forgive my rudeness I am Pearl Wyatt Hermes bani Jerbiton Linear Member of the Order of Hermes. And Yes you can say I am dedicated, learning the old Art is my life, but I fear that it have also taken me further from Awakening. My Order first teach apprentices hedge magic of increasing difficulty, hoping the student will throw aside their power and Awaken, some do, most like me are never able to and become Linear mages, even so magic is magic so I can not really complain. I would love to go to your demonstration, I might not Awaken but learning more is always a boon, and perhaps it might help my student, a little boy I am making the cake for...tomorrow is his eight birthday." Pearl said warmly with a fond smile when she mentioned her student.

"Unless you mind me bringing him along that is Miss Porter."

Meridia shakes her head. "No apologies needed, I forget myself all the time."

She listens as the woman speaks, fascinated with her journey through the world and her own unique path to magic.

"Don't worry too much about Awakening, when you're ready for it, it will come. Besides, it just matters that you're making a difference, and I would say the same to any Sleeper who used their mundane talents to better the world." She assures.

"And of course, I'd love to meet your student! I'm not sure if I would be the best teacher, but I hope I can at least demonstrate some basics if he has a knack for learning." She's a little worried about him being so young, but she wouldn't complain if someone as warm as this lady had taken her under their wing while she was growing up.

"Well, I'll be sending warm birthday wishes and a prayer in the morning for his future."

Meridia feels a warmth in her heart. There are kindhearted people in the world, all around.

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

He shook his head, "Not to worry, I prefer a child's honest stare to a skittish parents' admonition to not stare, if that makes sense to you. The surgeon was the best available, but there's only so much a Sleeper can do, even with the latest medical advances. More so a quarter century ago..."

He cleared his throat and grinned, "As for the tentacled unicorns, they were a rather unexpected encounter on the way here, residents of a half-formed dream realm of some sort. They might still be there on the way back."

Meridia looks a little embarassed still, but she accepts his grace with a nod of acceptance.

"I wonder what they represent... Such a strange image! I'm sure they have their place in existence though." Meridia isn't exactly in love with the image in her head regardless of her curiosity.

"You work with spirits? That's so cool! Yeah there's probably a ton of cool ones here. I've wanted to work with spirits for a while now. I'm literally surrounded by them at all times back at the chantry yet I'm still blind to them." Serge said with a light sigh, though still smiling and eager to learn more about a new friend. "Any particular spirit you enjoy working with? I know Hermetic like elementals. Verbana love animal spirits. How about you?"

"Thank you! It is cool, it can be. Spirit is an important part of everything, most people don't tend to think about it too much though. Everything starts falling apart when we neglect to care for the spiritual though."

"My practice is relatively holistic in nature, but I mostly tend to deal with spirits that reflect values and beliefs, beings of devotion and faith. That sort of spirit. Sometimes I work with lost and forgotten things, fading things. Other than spirits though, there's Ephemera, which is what everything is made of over there." She doesn't outright mention her affinity with the dead, it can seem a bit creepy without context.

"I know that's vague, but it's hard to really describe it in words. I'll show you sometime!"

"Yes yes. It's very easy for me to miss a lot spirits stuff when I don't have spirit sight on 24/7. Here's what those Unicorns looked like." Serge said as he took his sketchpad and began leafing through it really quickly. Stopping on one page he pulled it out and showed it to Meridia.

The picture depicted exactly what was described. A pencil drawn depiction of a strange realm filled rocky cliffs, unnatural flora, and tentacled unicorns grazing as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Despite the picture being hastily drawn it was incredibly detailed hinting at the Ecstatics true artistic prowess.

"I wouldn't want spirit sight constantly, they can be a little clingy at times, and I'd get far too distracted. Take it as a blessing you don't have to see it all, all the time."

The Unicorns are less horrible than she imagined, but perhaps more eerie too. She looks over the picture with some admiration, appreciating the talent there.

"You're an impressive artist, although we should find some non-tentacled unicorns out there for you to draw next time, maybe."

"Here in this house doing so should be safe Miss Porter, there are spirits here but not an overwhelming amount but in Horizon's streets yes there can be allot going on." Jeffry said as he emptied his second cup of coffee.

Meridia nods. "I'll bear that mind, thanks."

"Please do, we are all members of the Traditions and need to look out for one another." The old war mage said with a nod.

The Chorister appreciates that. "It's nice to see a place like this, a place that represents our bonds in its very construction. Down there, it can all get a bit confused sometimes."

"I have come to appreciate him, when I am here I leave a offering of his favorite things for him to enjoy though he demand no payment. I remember the angle from when I was a little boy, he would look in through the window at me when I went to bed and he always made me feel safe." Jeffry said with a warm smile.

"But there is also a sadness there now in that he might wait forever for my mother to return, that being said guarding this house have become his purpose and somehow he fill me with hope, if her summoned spirit friend is still here, perhaps that means my mother is still alive out there."

Meridia's heart hurts a little to hear about Jeffry's spirit sentinels and his mother.

"I hope she finds her way back to you, wherever she has wandered..." She says, aiming to comfort him a little, but also herself.

"It may not be ideal but it certainly beats complete blindness." Serge said with a shrug, "Feels like an entire world is cut off to me."

"Not just the one world, hundreds... And there are spirits of things out there that you can't imagine too. Probably some stuff you don't ever want to imagine." Meridia comments wistfully, thinking of both wonders and horrors that roam in the furthest reaches.

"It'll be more rewarding once you eventually pick it up. If you have the drive to learn about them, spirits can be very exciting. There's so much out there to see."

[Jeremy Silverstein]

[Morgan's House]

"Thank you! It is cool, it can be. Spirit is an important part of everything, most people don't tend to think about it too much though. Everything starts falling apart when we neglect to care for the spiritual though."

"My practice is relatively holistic in nature, but I mostly tend to deal with spirits that reflect values and beliefs, beings of devotion and faith. That sort of spirit. Sometimes I work with lost and forgotten things, fading things. Other than spirits though, there's Ephemera, which is what everything is made of over there." She doesn't outright mention her affinity with the dead, it can seem a bit creepy without context.

"I know that's vague, but it's hard to really describe it in words. I'll show you sometime!"

"Ahhh I think I get it. You deal with the more abstract stuff. Stuff like the spirits of Honor or Virtue right? That's definitely a unique angle. You know speaking of abstract I would love to meet a spirit of Imagination or Creativity one day. Feel like I could learn a lot from them." Serge said sounding impressed by the Choristers magick.  

"If you don't mind me asking, do you have any fancy way to summon spirits? The way people summon spirits is just as interesting as the spirits that are summon. Everyone got there own unique quirks. Ritual circles, Dances, Rap Battles. Please tell me you do the last one."

"I wouldn't want spirit sight constantly, they can be a little clingy at times, and I'd get far too distracted. Take it as a blessing you don't have to see it all, all the time."

The Unicorns are less horrible than she imagined, but perhaps more eerie too. She looks over the picture with some admiration, appreciating the talent there.

"You're an impressive artist, although we should find some non-tentacled unicorns out there for you to draw next time, maybe."

"Haha Thank you. I do my best. After 18 years you tend to get good at something whether you want to or not." Serge said sheepishly doing his best to hide just how much he enjoyed the praise as he placed the picture back into his sketchbook. "There's certainly no shortage of inspiration here that's for sure."

"That is true, Umbrood can be anything and just about any event, place or item or person can manifest one, there is a limitless number of them."
Jeffry agreed.

Colin smiled wryly, "And meeting every single human would be any more viable, hmm?"

Jeffry gave a bit of a chuckle at that.
"Mr Wainwright do have a point Mr Yager."

"The difference between 7 billion and literal infinity is quite substantial. Both are incredibly difficult but one is at least theoretically possible to reach. Though I guess at the end of the day there functionally the same." Serge said with a chuckle.

"More studying and less complaining kid."
Amadeus said glancing over at Serge.
"I do certainly recommend learning how to see and interact with spirits young man."
Jeffry agreed.

He nodded, "You know, I would not be entirely too surprised if we could find a few spirits willing to teach you - our friendly cooking-fume spirit, for example, could be a good instructor, and she's quite the conversationalist."

"Well he would first need to be able to interact with them before he can learn from spirits."
Amadeus commented.

"Not just the one world, hundreds... And there are spirits of things out there that you can't imagine too. Probably some stuff you don't ever want to imagine." Meridia comments wistfully, thinking of both wonders and horrors that roam in the furthest reaches.

"It'll be more rewarding once you eventually pick it up. If you have the drive to learn about them, spirits can be very exciting. There's so much out there to see."

Serge sighed with a mixture of envy and longing. "You don't need to tell me twice. I have a very active imagination. But to actually experience those dream worlds in person.....That's certainly a goal of mine."

He glared down at his second piece of Banana Bread as if it were the cause of all of his spirit problems. "Why won't you reveal yourself to me Banana Bread Spirit? Why won't you love me?"

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Paul's Grocery]

Meridia shakes her head. "No apologies needed, I forget myself all the time."

She listens as the woman speaks, fascinated with her journey through the world and her own unique path to magic.

"Don't worry too much about Awakening, when you're ready for it, it will come. Besides, it just matters that you're making a difference, and I would say the same to any Sleeper who used their mundane talents to better the world." She assures.

"And of course, I'd love to meet your student! I'm not sure if I would be the best teacher, but I hope I can at least demonstrate some basics if he has a knack for learning." She's a little worried about him being so young, but she wouldn't complain if someone as warm as this lady had taken her under their wing while she was growing up.

"Well, I'll be sending warm birthday wishes and a prayer in the morning for his future."

Meridia feels a warmth in her heart. There are kindhearted people in the world, all around.

"Perhaps you are right Miss Porter, even if hedge magic are generally known as a trap since it keep you locked on a path of linear magic which is hard to discard, but perhaps we will see what the future brings."
The woman said warmly.
"Thank you I will tell my student of your well wishes I am sure he will appreciate them, and tell him you arranged for strawberries for his cake as well."
She added with another smile.
"He is a skilled young man I am sure he would appreciate your lessons, and there is always wise to take every opportunity to learn."

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

Meridia nods. "I'll bear that mind, thanks."

The old mage nodded at that.

The Chorister appreciates that. "It's nice to see a place like this, a place that represents our bonds in its very construction. Down there, it can all get a bit confused sometimes."

"Well Horizon was built on an idea of unity Miss Porter, it do not always manage to live up to that ideal, but perhaps this small corner of it, the house my father build for my mother can."
Jeffry said with a warm smile on his face.

Meridia's heart hurts a little to hear about Jeffry's spirit sentinels and his mother.

"I hope she finds her way back to you, wherever she has wandered..." She says, aiming to comfort him a little, but also herself.

"I hope so to...ah forgive me young lady being back in this house always turn me into an sentimental old fool."
Jeffry said with an embarrassed shrug.
"Anyway do feel welcome to stay here as long as my Chantrymates are here and we will help you back to Boston once we are done on Horizon, is this agreeable to you Miss Porter?"

"Not just the one world, hundreds... And there are spirits of things out there that you can't imagine too. Probably some stuff you don't ever want to imagine." Meridia comments wistfully, thinking of both wonders and horrors that roam in the furthest reaches.

"It'll be more rewarding once you eventually pick it up. If you have the drive to learn about them, spirits can be very exciting. There's so much out there to see."

"As long as you are careful."
Helena said.
"Not all spirits are friendly and those who are might be so alien that a friendly hello kills you."
The Flambeau warned then she waved her fingers over some water she had poured onto a plate, the water froze to ice and then she wriggled it loose and handed the ice to Serge.
"You can start by having a look at the spirits around this house they should be safe as long as you respect them."
She said.
"And that ice will last for a while."

"The difference between 7 billion and literal infinity is quite substantial. Both are incredibly difficult but one is at least theoretically possible to reach. Though I guess at the end of the day there functionally the same." Serge said with a chuckle.

"You forget all the human beings in other worlds and realms, infinite numbers of realms and worlds."
Beatrice commented wryly then she added a bit of a grin.

He glared down at his second piece of Banana Bread as if it were the cause of all of his spirit problems. "Why won't you reveal yourself to me Banana Bread Spirit? Why won't you love me?"

"Because it takes time and effort to learn to see spirits kid."
Amadeus said with a sigh.
"You have to work for it."

[Warpmind]

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

Meridia looks a little embarassed still, but she accepts his grace with a nod of acceptance.

"I wonder what they represent... Such a strange image! I'm sure they have their place in existence though." Meridia isn't exactly in love with the image in her head regardless of her curiosity.

Colin smiled wryly, "I suspect they mean that someone, perhaps someone Awakened, with an active imagination, was suffering from cheese-induced dreams."

Jeffry gave a bit of a chuckle at that.
"Mr Wainwright do have a point Mr Yager."

"The difference between 7 billion and literal infinity is quite substantial. Both are incredibly difficult but one is at least theoretically possible to reach. Though I guess at the end of the day there functionally the same." Serge said with a chuckle.

"You forget all the human beings in other worlds and realms, infinite numbers of realms and worlds."
Beatrice commented wryly then she added a bit of a grin.

He chuckled, "When the distinction becomes a mathematical thought experiment, there's usually no practical difference to speak of."

"Well he would first need to be able to interact with them before he can learn from spirits."
Amadeus commented.

He nodded, "Well, true - but that can be arranged by someone else calling on the instructing spirit. And Shimmer is quite the remarkable spirit in that regard."

"I wouldn't want spirit sight constantly, they can be a little clingy at times, and I'd get far too distracted. Take it as a blessing you don't have to see it all, all the time."

The Unicorns are less horrible than she imagined, but perhaps more eerie too. She looks over the picture with some admiration, appreciating the talent there.

"You're an impressive artist, although we should find some non-tentacled unicorns out there for you to draw next time, maybe."

He shook his head, "No, do not go looking for non-tentacled unicorns. Not up close, anyway - they're just not safe."

"Not just the one world, hundreds... And there are spirits of things out there that you can't imagine too. Probably some stuff you don't ever want to imagine." Meridia comments wistfully, thinking of both wonders and horrors that roam in the furthest reaches.

"It'll be more rewarding once you eventually pick it up. If you have the drive to learn about them, spirits can be very exciting. There's so much out there to see."

"As long as you are careful."
Helena said.
"Not all spirits are friendly and those who are might be so alien that a friendly hello kills you."
The Flambeau warned then she waved her fingers over some water she had poured onto a plate, the water froze to ice and then she wriggled it loose and handed the ice to Serge.
"You can start by having a look at the spirits around this house they should be safe as long as you respect them."
She said.
"And that ice will last for a while."

He gave Helena an approving nod, one eyebrow slightly raised, "That is an impressive lens - revelatory powers notwithstanding. But yes, even spirits who are not hostile can be alien enough that they pose a threat, not out of malice, but out of a lack of understanding of... incarnate needs. There was the spirit who wanted my face, for example, not quite understanding that I rather need it to remain alive. Fortunately, I convinced her to accept a different offering instead."

Serge sighed with a mixture of envy and longing. "You don't need to tell me twice. I have a very active imagination. But to actually experience those dream worlds in person.....That's certainly a goal of mine."

He glared down at his second piece of Banana Bread as if it were the cause of all of his spirit problems. "Why won't you reveal yourself to me Banana Bread Spirit? Why won't you love me?"

"Because it takes time and effort to learn to see spirits kid."
Amadeus said with a sigh.
"You have to work for it."

He sighed, "I am told most items require a century of tender, loving care and use to Awaken on their own... I'm quite sure the banana bread is not quite that old yet. It would probably not taste as good."

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Paul's Grocery]

Meridia's Post:

'Exactly. And security is a skill like no other.' a tone of annoyed frustration entering the Etherite's tone. 'Would you trust a first-aider try to surgery on someone?'

Meridia's Post:

'Sharpening combat skills is a good start.' she replied with a little shrug, looking at the array of canned foods, wondering what selection they had.

[Concordia]

Anja's Post:

'Wait... I know this stuff.' she replied, remembering in her auto career on the occasion an "exotic" required imported parts. 'Ain't there like, an exporter on Earth you can hook up with?'

[No need to think about the weight of the bag o' coins or anything, Great One. Merely a little fact which may or may not return as a flavour comment etc later on.]

[Recently-picked fruit is alive, yes. But it is also a physical object. I'm not saying that a Matter-changed fruit would be done perfectly (will be sterile etc) merely that for the purposes of say, someone to eat the fruit as food it might be enough.]

[Oh, Nick's trying to work out if the meat counter at the grocery is self-serve or with a person...]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Morgan's House, Lunch]

He chuckled, "When the distinction becomes a mathematical thought experiment, there's usually no practical difference to speak of."

Beatrice gave a bit of a giggle at that.

He nodded, "Well, true - but that can be arranged by someone else calling on the instructing spirit. And Shimmer is quite the remarkable spirit in that regard."

"Yes if someone want to go through the effort of doing that then that is certainly possible Mr Wainwright."
Amadeus replied.

He shook his head, "No, do not go looking for non-tentacled unicorns. Not up close, anyway - they're just not safe."

"At least the ones on Horizon is not to friendly."
Amadeus said.
"But Bygones out there might be more...benign."

He gave Helena an approving nod, one eyebrow slightly raised, "That is an impressive lens - revelatory powers notwithstanding. But yes, even spirits who are not hostile can be alien enough that they pose a threat, not out of malice, but out of a lack of understanding of... incarnate needs. There was the spirit who wanted my face, for example, not quite understanding that I rather need it to remain alive. Fortunately, I convinced her to accept a different offering instead."

"I mean look at it like with talking with someone from a completely different culture. How you place the tea pot might be a deadly insult, even a veiled threat in Japanese society, and the common wave to say come here and look at this is calling someone a bitch in Arabic countries, then multiply that with spirits, fae and other such beings, the way you say good morning might actually be a insult so grave you get yourself and your descendants cursed for ten generations."
Helena said with a self satisfied grin about the lens she had made for Serge.

He sighed, "I am told most items require a century of tender, loving care and use to Awaken on their own... I'm quite sure the banana bread is not quite that old yet. It would probably not taste as good."

"There is probably a banana bread spirit though which you can contact throught all banana bread."
Beatrice mushed.

[Concordia]

Wait... I know this stuff.' she replied, remembering in her auto career on the occasion an "exotic" required imported parts. 'Ain't there like, an exporter on Earth you can hook up with?'

"The problem is that it is costly to travel to Horizon so few want to do it just to import goods, so it is more filling space on Umbra ships or trade caravans which is already going here, so arranging some sort of regular shipments is a pain."
The woman said with a sigh.
"And it would have to be an Awakened exporter and they are not that easy to find. I had a Glasswalker werewolf I worked with for a while but he have gone missing."

(OOC: Feel free to use what coins you prefer.)

(OOC 2: I am a physical object that do not mean Matter is used to make me grow wings and fangs.)

(OOC 3: No the counters and shelves of the grocery store is not self aware.)

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Concordia]

Anja's Post:

'Glasswalker; what's that?' giving a frown, then waving it way as an irrelevant tangent. 'And to be honest, I don't see it being that hard a job... like, more setting up shop somewhere and getting to know all the locals with ships. Y'know, saying "if you're going to Horizon, take some of my cargo too and I'll make it worth your while". Used to pull this gig back in Detroit, me.'

[Yet Matter might give your corpse fangs, methinks.]

['Self service', not 'self aware'. Traditional delis/butchers etc have a person behind the counter who serves the items, while a modern supermarket it's much more pre-packaged help yourself affair.]

[Anja Rebekka Schultze]

[Concordia]

Glasswalker; what's that?' giving a frown, then waving it way as an irrelevant tangent. 'And to be honest, I don't see it being that hard a job... like, more setting up shop somewhere and getting to know all the locals with ships. Y'know, saying "if you're going to Horizon, take some of my cargo too and I'll make it worth your while". Used to pull this gig back in Detroit, me.'

"They are werewolves, more concerned with urban life than forests."
The shopkeeper said.
"Well you are welcome to try and see how easy it is to coordinate shipments to Horizon if you can pull it off maybe you can get a tidy profit, let us see you get things through customs, set up a shell company without the Union suspecting anything, arranging shipment with all the different travelers and captains, each one which have to be negotiated with individually. I mean this is my job it is not like I have not tried all the years I have been doing this."
The shopkeeper said with a shrug.
"You will find that Horizon is a chaotic mess of bureaucracy but go ahead enjoy put me out of business since it is so easy. That is basically what I do, I ask induviduals to bring me supplies, and I get some but large scale import that is the tricky bit."

(OOC: Yes a dead body are Matter.)
(OOC 2: Yes you pick things out of the shelves, put it in your basket and then go to the counter and pay with the clerk.)

[Nicole Bouchard]

[Concordia]

Anja's Post:

'Me? Nah. Too busy, like. I mean, I do have a few contacts in Boston and know the ways to hide purchases from the Union, but if nothing else I ain't got the, like temperament for that kind of thing. And I said "not too hard", not "easy". Don't see why they might not even be able to sell some Horizon stuff on Earth too, now I think of it...'

[I've planted enough seeds for that idea, methinks. That, perhaps the shopkeeper might team up with a few others in Horizon and see if they can't sponsor someone to act as an importer/exporter operating out of SH. I mean, if nothing else SH has the apartment space and could do with a Custos manager/super.]

[Sent a PM, Great One. But no hurry, really.]

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