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Today is one of the rare days when the lodge is closed to those not affiliated directly with supernatural matters, on account of Weaver having come back from living as a spider in the Martyr's Tree to come be vaguely human with others and share what they've learned in the meantime.
It's not really for the benefit of the sleepers that they are not exposed to Weaver, it's for Weaver's benefit. They look like the 'whoopsie' stage of The Fly remake. Like everything that could have gone wrong to Jeff Goldblum went wrong on them. Spiky chitin manifests on flesh, one side of their jaw is unhinged and ... prehensile.
Then there's the overabundance of eyes.
Being pointed at while people scream isn't very good for the self-esteem. Which is how it came to pass that Balm and Weaver were sharing a light lunch, chatting back and forth companionably as some of the other lodge members filter in and out, pursuing their duties throughout the building.
Kayla arrives to the Lodge itself on foot, heading inside and greeting the other members they comes across warmly, as she often does, making their way to the area where Balm and Weaver were sharing their lunch.
There's obviously a bit of nerves involved, the way they clutch the book in her hand, after pulling it out of their messenger bag, but there's also joy of the highest order at the sight of Balm and Weaver and they approaches the area they're sharing. "May I join you?"
As per the usual, they are holding their little luncheon out in the main gathering room. A few tables with chairs are set out for those who care to join in, but it's being lightly attended this afternoon for whatever reason. Which means there's not only plenty of empty seats at other tables, but empty seats at their table likewise. Which makes the answer perfectly predictable.
Balm offers one of her warmer smiles and gestures with one of her knobby old hands at a seat nearby to her. "Best to sit close, Kayla. Unless you want to repeat yourself a very great deal."
Weaver makes the offer with their broken mouth and pronounced lisp, "I could attach your arm hairs to your aural nerv--"
Balm cuts that off at the pass, however, "No need, old friend. Not today, at least."
Weaver sighs longsufferingly, "I could let you see with your mouth, too."
Kayla takes a seat next to Balm and smiles at the Elder too, they try to speak a little louder too, to help with Balm's hearing. "Repeating wouldn't be a problem."
Then, they respond to Weaver's latest suggestions with a curious tilt of their head. "You mean like a snake does with its tongue, or like, tonsil turning into an ocular apparatus kind of way?"
They set the book brought on the table. "How are you two?"
"Enhancing the spatial perception of the mind by linking passive hearing with active vocal emanation. As with taste and smell. Essentially creating sonar. Having eyes on a tongue might be useful, though. Check on my flossing." Weaver's sense of practicality does not really exist in synch with the rest of observed reality, it goes without saying.
Balm chuckles at the suggestion, "If I need a new prescription next time I visit the eye doctor, Weaver, I may just take you up on that offer." Balm then answers the question at hand, "As well as my old bones will permit. No better than that, sadly. I don't think I'll be fighting any more Seers, however. Going to leave that to the young ones, I think."
Weaver answers more bluntly, "Well. And you?"
The thing about Fox is that she rarely asks permission for anything. The other thing about Fox is that she adores Weaver. She comes pap pap pap in from another room, in a t shirt and shorts, carrying her backpack. Then she drops her backpack next to the chair next to Weaver, and scoots it right up to theirs. That's so she can go through the reverse sneeze that is envulpenating, hop up on the chair, and flump her head into their lap for a nap.
Like you do while your player takes a nap, too.
"Good nap, Fox" Kay seems rather happy to see Fox makes an appearance, even if it's for a comfortable napping space. Their eyes close and they take a deep calming breath. "I'm in a good place in spite of a few new struggles I've been facing." they say, eyes returning to Weaver and Balm.
"I've managed to accomplish something recently that I'd like to share and maybe discuss something related to it."
This has Weaver's attention immediately. New Things are Weaver's jam. New Things are what Weavers are designed to collect and experience. So seven of eight eyes focus on Kayla while the one that hangs out on their left temple peers down at Fox in their lap. Awh. Spiny, chitinous, sharp little fingers begin scritching into fox fur. Brushing it out and clearing out some loose undercoat and stuck in forest cruft in the process.
"Of course! That's what we're here for! I'm happy to talk whatever it is through with you What have you accomplished? And how can we support you better in your next steps?"
She stretches her black-socked feet like a lazy kitten and yawns SO BIG as she settles in. Weaver's petting elicit a low, warbling happy sound as their fingers smooth her fur and brush out her undercoat, and Fox turns this way and that, also weaseling her way into their lap, so by the time she's sprawled on her back with her belly showing and her feet crooked kinda like a puppy passed out, she's abandoned that other chair. And then she passes out cold, and within a few minutes there are tiny little vulpine snores.
Hopefully they're not planning on moving soon.
Kayla pushes the book toward the Elder and the Talekeeper with a smile. "I mentioned to Elder Balm that my visit to the Underworld Emanation of the Martyr's tree has given me access to something relating to The Mother."
A short beat where they smile about the snoring sound that Fox is making "I've studied it and used what I learned on the trip and from said item to shape my soul into something new."
They point to the book. "My Daimonomikon, I still have to reach the highest point, but I felt it appropriate to share what's been done so far, if only to protect and preserve it."
Mei is a frequent visitor at the Lodge, so the fact that she's turning up today is no big surprise. Not as much of a surprise as Weaver being there to hang out, at least, which is something to which Mei unsurprisingly reacts when she comes in to discover it. Fortunately, her reaction is a brightened expression, with a wide smile that definitely makes it to her eyes, as well as her lips. The strange appearance of the Orphan doesn't seem to phase her, probably helped by the fact that they've met before on more than one occasion, and by the fact that her Master was an Orphan, too.
She waves as she approaches, including everyone else present in her smile, but doesn't interrupt yet.
"We would be happy to preserve a copy in the Lorehouse," Weaver states with their usual forthrightness. "It would be protected there, at least insofar as it would take wiping us all out, very nearly, to put the tome at risk there." Weaver lifts an arm to offer Mei a wiggly-taloned wave of greeting. Yoo-hoooooo! They go about brushing every bit of Fox that needs it, then settle their hand on her belly gently, just a constant present weight to help keep her lulled off to sleep.
Balm is the less practical and more tactile of the pair. She reaches for the book itself and draws it closer, pulling out her reading glasses to plop those on her nose. Even so, she squints down at the cover, and holds it a ways distant to help with her focus. Then she's peering OVER her glasses at it, then back through her glasses again until she's finally decided on what she's seeing.
"Oh, it's lovely looking, isn't it? You really put your heart into this, didn't you." She cracks open the cover to begin slowly paging through, though a tingle of magic about her suggests she's no longer resorting to her lackluster vision to engage with the text.
Kayla smiles Mei's way when she enters the room, greeting with a wave and a quiet invitation to join. Even gently pushing a chair for her with their foot. There's also a subtle pont of their finger to the sleeping fox on Weaver's lap.
They respond to Weaver's comments by acquiescing to their statement "I think that would be best for the sake of it. I've shielded it temporarily from temporal and magical tampering, but there's only so much I can do in comparison to our Lorehouse. I'll notify you as soon I can add the final chapter to it."
Then a look to the Elder and it's clear they're nervous for a moment. "I've learned a bit of craft over the years, I had to put some effort into this." a bright smile. "I can demonstrate the abilities if you're interested."
Untitled Goose Admin (she/her)01/19/2021
Mei pulls the chair out and takes a seat, then peeks at the thing that everyone's looking/talking about right now. "Nice to see you all," she says after a moment of satisfying her curiosity. "Balm. Weaver." She gives them each a slight bow from her seat. "And Kay, of course. I'm glad I've been running into you more recently. What's going on?"
"Kayla has reforged their soul and given us a book telling us how to do the same. Using tools and ideas gained from the Tree's emanation in the Underworld." That's Weaver, succinctly encapsulating what's going on in plain terms. Their attention returns to Kayla after answering Mei, "You can simply add your final chapter when the time comes, yes. We can return the book to you, or perhaps the working can be done within the Lorehouse, depending. In either case, this is cause for profound celebration, I think." Some of Weaver's eyes are focused on the book's pages, quite obviously.
"A demonstration would be most appreciated," Balm responds with a warm smile, "I'm eager to see these new abilities put to use." She even slides the book over into Weaver's care so that she can simply learn from watching.
"The first ability that it grants are sensory, I can sense a soul with but a touch, if anyone would like to volunteer." Kay explains, setting their hand, palm up, on the table. "I can study a life patterns more easily as well." They say
After a moment and letting the Spore cloud expand from them, sensing every life and dead form around her as well, not exactly easy to notice with the naked eye, but something is around them now, filling the room.
Mei looks at Kay and takes a moment to parse that statement, and then her expression lights up again. "Oh! That's pretty amazing!" she says, and that's prior to the actual magical effects beginning. "I've never actually seen a daimonomikon in person, only heard about them," she admits. "I understand the principles under which they're created, as an Adept of Prime, but I've never shaped my soul with a Legacy, so I can't actually put that knowledge into practice. Fascinating."
She looks at Balm and Weaver, then back at Kay. "I'll volunteer, so long as Balm or Weaver doesn't prefer to be a volunteer themselves. If they do, I'll defer to them."
Weaver's spiny hand immediately raises, because of course it does. All eager, with a little bounce in their seat that jostles Fox a bit, such is their excitement. Balm knows better than to speak up when Weaver's got a new experience to try out. She just smiles up at Kayla and tilts her head towards the Talekeeper.
Would you look at that, Kayla has (currently) two(2) hands! and reaches for Mei and Weaver, spending a few seconds to activate the power through touch, sensing both of Weaver and Mei's soul, in turn through what seems to be something lodged deep into their being. "I did not expect Spider hair to feel like that." they briefly comment on their own new experience.
She's Awakened, has not made a soul stone, has not had her soul tampered with, is not posessed, and has no Legacy attainments. She also hasn't eaten a soul and isn't suffering from any Paradox conditions)
Mei holds her hands out to take Kayla's, smiling in encouragement as she does. She knows Kay might not need that encouragement, but it never hurts to be supportive. Then she just waits to see what happens, not looking at all like she's concerned that something might be done she doesn't approve of.
(Weaver has no conditions, is awakened obviously, hasn't made a soul stone, has a Legacy but no other tampering evident, not possessed, maxed their attainments.)
"Be careful," Weaver warns, "they're sharp." And they are sharp. One gets the idea Weaver climbs well in this form largely by slamming their palms into things and lodging their spines in that way. Which makes for very interesting implications for unarmed combat, to put it mildly.
Balm looks on with a patient smile, content to observe the well-deserved showing off.
"I can sense the mark of the Orphan of Proteus on Weaver's soul and the traces of your awakening on your soul, Mei. The strange jarring disparity between before and after."
Kay makes a gesture around them. "I can expand the sense all around me, I can feel all living and dead things around me, it's a ton of information to process, but it's rewarding to know where everyone and everything is."
A smile follows. "Pushing further allows me to uses the cloud of these sensors as if I was touching it, for spells and attainment. I only need to expend potentia instead of pushing the spell" One of the chair, unused, suddenly turns significantly larger, almost touching the ceiling, for a few moments. The magic going through the cloud around Kay to touch it.
Mei listens and waits carefully, taking in what Kay is saying, and then arches a brow at the chair when it suddenly expands in size. "That's quite a party trick," she comments with a wry smile. "Just gotta convince people it's smoke and mirrors, and not actual magic, if you do it at certain parties." The fact that she's not entirely serious about that is, thankfully, quite clear.
"I imagine our friends in the black sunglasses would frown at too much of those goings on," Balm advises in a manner that implies she's not entirely in agreement with the whole notion. "But that is quite the clever use of microbial spores. What else are you capable of?"
"I could grant plant-like physical characteristic to anyone inside the cloud." They raise a hand with wooden nails and bark-like skin growing around the fingers, flowers sprouts ontop of their hair along with leaves.
They stand up and jump onto the table and turns into a Smurf-sized human with the same level of ability. "This is directly related to the sheer size of the tree in the Underworld, I felt dwarfed, small and humbled in its presence. That's what this power is meant to represent. It's only on me however." they move closer to Balm so that the squeakiness of the voice doesn't cause issues with understanding
"And I won't do party tricks with it." She reassure the people around.
"Also, the legacy's made Life a Ruling Arcana for me and I learned apprentice level Time Magic."
"Can you jump a starship across the galaxy along the mycelial network?" Mei asks, in a reference that may very well fly right past everyone else in the room. But she might also be surprised. The joke aside she says, "very impressive, especially knowing that these are things you've come up with on your own. I haven't found a Legacy that seems like it suits me yet, or gotten a firm enough idea of what I want from my magic to be sure of a path to creating my own. But I'm also not in any hurry."
"We have very few legacies of our own. Apart from the Tears of the Tree, this would be the first novel legacy to have emerged directly from our practices and belief system in ... over a century, I think. It truly is a cause for celebration." Balm seems inordinately pleased by all of this. If not surprised, in a 'I lived to see it' sense of that word.
"Perhaps, Mei, you could take up a service project for the community. Sometimes it's through the simple act of doing for others that we find what we're meant to be doing for ourselves. And, in any case, it turns your present frustrations and set backs into something creative and productive."
Weaver remains seated in silence, petting Fox, and staring at Kayla and the chair by turns. Just sort of passively bearing witness to it all as is their role.
"That is some star trek reference, right? Because I'm pretty sure I...read about it while researching mushrooms at some point." Kay responds to Mei "And no, I did not, in fact, manage to achieve that, nor do I think it will be my final attainment. I don't know Space, you see." A soft grin.
The small Kayla looks toward the gigantic chair and then weaver. "It should end in a few moment, I didn't make the spell last very long."
"I'm so happy." Then they look up, (and up) to Balm, joy and tears in their eyes. "Can I give you a hug? I can grow back up for it no problem."
"It is Star Trek, yes. Discovery," Mei explains with a laugh. "That makes sense for a reason why not, though." There's a pause before she asks, "I wonder if Space magic makes it possible to teleport to distant planets. Obviously I don't know Space either, if I'm asking these questions."
She gives Balm a smile. "I'm always happy to do work for our community, but for me the biggest questions aren't so much about what I'm meant to be doing as they are about how I might reshape my soul to better achieve those ends. Which isn't to say that service isn't a worthy goal in and of itself, or that I might not find the answers I need within it. Was there something you had in mind?"
"If you want to go to another planet, we can go into the Astral sometime, Mei. In fact, I could use some help on my next trip out. A second set of eyes, and the like. Knowing that the seers have been operating in the Astral and know the location of the Tree-- at least certain emanations of it --I'd like to spend more time there. Setting up security. Early warning systems, and the like. I'm not sure if something like that would interest you." Balm gives Mei a sidelong glance, as though the prospect of following Balm into the Astral wouldn't be an appealing prospect.
She then does offer her arms out towards Kayla with a fond smile, "Of course. Just, yes. Be large enough that I won't worry about squashing you, thank you."
Weaver continues staring. Literally just mentally recording everything for later archival.
Kayla returns to a normal sized self and slides off of the table to give Balm a warm, pleasant hug, the scent of flowers hanging about them, as the change they made to their own body remains for the moment. They hold it for a moment, before wiping at their eyes and then returning to their seat.
"Astral travel was very interesting when I did it, but I don't have many of the tools to make it on my own over there." Kay admits, voice still shaking slightly.
"It's not so much a thing I actually wanted to do, more that I was curious about whether it could be accomplished that way," Mei admits, and with a shrug she adds, "I imagine that it's probably pretty inhospitable to teleport to places without atmospheres and the like. But I'd be willing to come with you on an Astral journey, of course. I don't have much experience, but the only way to get it is to do it, right?"
She reaches over to put a hand on Kay's shoulder when Kay sits down again. "Nice work," she says. "All my jokes aside, I'm impressed."
Balm makes sure that Kayla gets just as much hug as she needs and then just as much more hug as she wants. Once it's well and truly squeezed out, Balm lets Kayla go with a broad smile, "We are very proud of you-- all of us --are very proud of you, Kayla. What you have accomplished, the gift you are making of yourself; these will be lessons taught for generations. Thank you, on behalf of our future."
Weaver clicks something sharp and hard in the back of their throat and sort of shakes out of their fugue state. No longer archiving, it must be. "Yes. Good work, Kayla. Very proud. Thank you for letting me be here for this." They cradle up the book they've been gifted more than a little covetously and remark, "I must return this to the lorehouse." And with that, the book disappears along with the rest of Weaver, too. Except a tiny speck of a spider can be seen sprinting over the table in the direction of the secured areas of the lodge.
Kayla is just brightly smiling even if their eyes are watering. "Thank you." overtaken by emotion for a brief moment, they go quiet and gather tissues to help contain the dam for a moment. "If you have any business or something official to ask for, Mei, take it from here. I need a bit of time to recover." a half laugh and sob follows.
Mei contentedly listens as the conversation goes on without requiring her input, focused (rightfully) on Kay for a little while. She offers Kay a reassuring smile when told that she's free to take a turn for any official business. "Oh, it's alright. Take whatever time you need. I really just came by to visit, though. Nothing official or serious for me, today. I guess I could mention that I've reached Adepthood in both Prime and Life," she adds, looking over at Balm too, with a slight shrug. "That's been the focus of my magical studies, lately."
Why they didn't just walk the book by hand is anyone's guess, because that spider is still running. And will be running for some time yet. But spiders were never known for being particularly smart. Just clever. And there's a difference, as can be plainly seen.
Balm smiles with pride at Mei's pronouncements. "And to think. It was less than a year ago that you awoke to us, Mei. I truly feel like the Children are in a good place. Poised to enter the future without me. It helps me to sleep peacefully at night, I don't mind telling you. To see us growing, rather than constricting. Thank you both for what you've given to us."
Kay breathes softly, finally calming down a bit from the rush of emotion earlier. They don't speak quite right away but, gently lean against Balm to show appreciation for the words as they gather their thoughts.
"I'm really happy to see you grow so much." they make the growth gesture, the same one from the gif too. "I'm sure you'll find where to settle your branches, even if it takes some time for you to find that out."
"Thank you, Balm," Mei says with sincere gratitude. She offer a slight bow at the waist. "You deserve to have restful nights, so I'm glad for any part I can play in ensuring you get them. I feel like any relationship that's functioning correctly should serve to benefit both parties, so hearing that what I'm able to bring to the Children of the Tree is valued, as I value what I get from my siblings, is certainly a blessing. Thank you."
"It's the nature of our lodge. The elders teach, the children learn. Until the children become the elders, and new children gather at their feet. Each generation trying to perfect the lessons we keep trying to learn. Building towards something greater." Balm gives each of them a fond smile and then lets out a content little sigh. "On that note, I think I'm going to go into my office, make myself some tea, and have myself a nap. Be well, both of you." And with that, Balm backs her chair away from the table and uses its joystick to steer her towards the elevator.
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