| Logs |
2020 May 08
| Goblin Town |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
General Info
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| Realms: Goblin Town Logs |
A Cinnamon Girl
The next morning Mary is awakened by Josie who went out and got the milk. The look on her face is hopeful and eager, "You said pancakes, right?" It's starting to become clear that the reason all the pictures are up pretty high is that Josie could easily knock them off anything lower with the way she wags. Mary giggles as she notices that! She's actually already in the kitchen, having found a large apron to swathe herself in, and is carefully organizing the various elements of her planned breakfast. Josie finds Mary, in fact, with the table set for two, and several neat little ramekins of the dry goods already measured out. There's also a pot ready in the oven, and a pan ready on the stove! Josie -- wisely -- doesn't try to help unless asked. It is, after all, a kitchen not meant for two people when one of them is seven feet tall and has an entirely too enthusiastic tail.
Mary beams at Josie, "You bet! Let's see if we can make this work, okay?" She's estimating a bit more than she'd ordinarily like -- she prefers nice, precise numbers and measurements, after all! -- but she finds she has a good eye for guessing just how many chicken eggs can be replaced by one goose egg. She whips the batter together quickly, then gets a few little test pancakes started in the pan. After that she grins hopefully at Josie, "So, ready to be a guinea pig with me? I've got the butter out, but I didn't find the syrup. Want to pour some OJ too, maybe?"
Josie ohs! "Real maple syrup doesn't have to be in the fridge. It's... oh... probably too high... Hold on." She reaches a shelf that really is too high for Mary and brings down a glass jug with a cork stopper. The breakfast goes swimmingly. Josie is enthusiastic about the food and chatters about small things. "Oh! I'm going to need to look human a little while today."
Mary is thrilled at how well the pancakes turn out! She makes some honkin' big ones for the honkin' big werewolf, and smaller ones for herself... and she happily tops them both with a fried egg each -- for that yummy yolk-y flavor! She slathers butter and syrup on her pile, devouring it with deep, satisfied pleasure... then looks up at Josie, still chewing as she nods interestedly, "Mf? Hw ghm?" She swallows, giggles, then adds, "How come?"
Josie seems to be of the opinion that more syrup is better. She licks her chops and says, "I'm going to see Liane. And her place is tiiiiny. Like, I can't even stand up in there in this form. I like to check on her sometimes. She's old and she's a little frail. Shane checks on her every few days and I go the days he can't."
Mary nods, "That makes sense!" She smiles as she adds, "That's really nice of you both, too! Should I stay or go?"
Josie's ears flush and she says, "You can come if you want. Liane's like me. She likes people but she's one of the oldest people in the street. She came over on a ship a long time ago."
Mary tilts her head curiously at Josie, "Um... is it... embarrassing if I come?"
Josie shakes her head, smiling shyly, "I just am bad at compliments."
Mary nods slowly, somewhat bemused -- but she checks to be sure: "So... Liane is... First Nations? Or a werewolf?"
Josie blinks, "Oh! No. Liane is Dutch. She's a spinner. She was one that didn't know she was special until something happened to her. She tells really great stories, too."
Mary nods at that, completely understanding not recognizing one's own specialness! She smiles, "Well, if it's all right for me to come, then I'd love to hear her stories too, with you?"
Josie disappears into her room and when she comes back, Mary sees what Josie was talking about. The copper-skinned young woman has lovely black hair that's cut quite short and she's built very square and stout. Out in the normal human world, she would be considered quite plain and definitely not the idealized 'Indian Princess' type. In human form, she's not quite 5'6". Mary has hastily cleaned up dishes and put away food as much as she can while Josie was changing. She quickly washes her hands as the human-form werewolf emerges, "That was fast! Um, okay -- I'm ready when you are!"
Josie smiles a little shyly, "I've gotten good at the change. When it first happened, I had to struggle to get back to human." She scoops up an armful of clothing and heads out with Mary. There are more introductions of Mary as "Brown" and Josie comments that she's going to need a different name soon. The human-form werewolf waves and calls up to Liane from the street before they climb the stairs up to the little apartment over a seamstress' shop.
Mary grins a bit excitedly, admitting to Josie that she spent part of last night checking out names on her cell phone! "Though, umm... your wi-fi seemed a bit... spotty sometimes? Or was it me?"
Josie nods, "You can get some service here, but there's no towers actually on Coblyn and the only place to get really good wi-fi is a little tea shop right there at the end of the street. They've set up a repeater to sorta steal signal from a coffee shop nearby."
Mary ruefully adds, "Plus I should probably recharge soon." She beams as she adds, "But, but I have a list of possibles now!"
Josie smiles, "You can use my charger. I have a cell for when I go out of the street." Josie knocks on the door calling, "Liane! It's Josie! I have a friend with me!"
Mary whispers, "Awesome -- thanks, Josie!"
Josie smiles as a voice, a bit creaky but friendly, calls for them to come in. When they enter, it's easy to see why Josie has to be human for this. The ceiling is so low that Mary could reach up and touch it with her fingertips. In the little sitting room is a woman that looks like she might -- MIGHT -- be a few inches taller than Jarek. Upon looking, Mary recognizes her as the little old woman Josie said hello to up on her balcony last night. Mary blinks with interest, staring around wide-eyed as she absently pushes her glasses back up her nose again. She smiles at the old woman -- she'd actually recognized the name and wondered if it was the same person! "Good morning, ma'am!"
All around Liane's little sitting room are examples of fiberwork. Embroidery. Weaving. Quilting. There's an ancient-looking spinning wheel in one corner and a basket of something beside it that's being slowly made into yarn. "Good morning, child!" She starts to get to her feet and Josie hurries over to help her, "You just missed Shane."
Mary blinks curiously at that -- hadn't Josie said Shane took alternate days? "Is everything okay with Shane?" A bit shyly she adds, "You have a lovely home, ma'am! Your, er... sewing stuff? It's really beautiful!"
Liane laughs quietly, "He said he wasn't sure if Josie would be coming because she had a friend staying with her. I'm glad he was wrong." Liane moves very slowly and very carefully, "Thank you, child. Thank you. I have been doing it for a very, very long time." She takes the clothes from Josie and says, "You are rough on your trousers, Josie-girl."
Mary giggles at that, her voice teasing, "Must be all the wagging?"
Josie ducks her head again and mutters that she can't help it! Liane pats Josie on the hand and smiles at Mary, "Sit. Sit. I will bring cookies." She smiles, "Josie is a good girl. It is a good thing that she is so friendly and enthusiastic!" Her accent is very slight, but it is obvious she came from somewhere else.
Mary giggles again! She sits as ordered, leaning to whisper to Josie, "But I like your wags!" Josie grins and bumps Mary with her shoulder in a friendly way. This young council member does simply seem to enjoy having Mary around. Mary adds to Liane, "Would you like a hand, ma'am?"
Liane tut-tuts, "I am not so old I cannot mend clothes yet, child!" She settles in and reaches into a sewing basket at her side, "Now... Josie, have I told you the story of Kobus van der Schlossen?"
Mary blinks in perplexity... she'd meant help getting the cookies, actually, but... well, if the nice old lady has forgotten then Mary's certainly not going to be rude enough to point it out! Josie is the one that gently says, "She means with the cookies, grandmother."
Liane blinks and laughs, "Ah. I remember the old things and forget the new. Yes, please. Help would be good."
Mary beams with a sort of relieved sheepishness at Josie, mouthing, 'thank you!' -- then hops to her feet, "Love to! What can I do for you, please?"
Liane smiles as she says in her creaky voice, "They are in the little cookie jar on the counter. There is milk in the ice box. Please, pour some and bring us all some treats. There is a tray there, too..." The cookies Mary finds are rich and buttery, and have been stamped in some way with a stylized nettle leaf.
Mary happily -- if also very carefully -- finds the cookies, glasses, milk, a tray. She grins as she realizes: there are a lot of placemats she can pick from to lay on the tray, so everything looks nice! She brings everything back and sets it on a little table so it's within everyone's reach, "Is this okay?"
Liane thanks Mary for the help. She's already mending a pair of trousers that absolutely must before Josie in her werewolf form. "Now... the story..." Mary settles into a chair with her cookies and milk, listening with fascination. Since Josie is eating without concern, Mary figures it should be all right for her to do so as well! Josie is nibbling the cookies happily and listening with rapt attention. Even in her human form, you can almost see her ears pricked up with interest. The story is of a sort of Robin Hood figure and Liane has the cadence and gift of tone and volume that makes for a truly excellent storyteller. The trousers she's mending don't look mended when she's done. They look like there was never a problem with them to start with.
Mary is quietly impressed -- both by the exciting story and by the repairwork! Josie whispers, "That's why everyone brings her their mending."
Mary nods with enthusiasm! -- and whispers back, "I can see why!" She grins as she adds, "Plus, bonus: story!"
Liane laughs, the sound creaky but cheerful, "I always tell stories. They are a spinning and a weaving all their own, you know." She holds up the trousers, "I will have to work on the rest, but I know these are your favorite pair. You bring them every week!"
Mary grins at that! She knows the jogging pants are a favorite too -- but she's still wearing those! Then she blinks at a sudden thought and brightens, "Oh! Is it all right to ask what species people are, Josie? Like... Fionn and John -- and Liane here?"
Liane laughs warmly, "It's fine to ask. You will not always get an answer. Now, child, what you do think Fionn is?" Josie is grinning at that, too.
Mary grins and answers promptly, "A giant!"
Liane looks pleased, "Yes! You are perceptive! Fionn is a giant. He is a relative of another Fionn, long back along his line. There are many stories of his grandfather. John is a trickier one."
Mary looks first surprised, then pleased -- she'd not realized something so general as 'giant' would be an actual species! She hesitates on John, though... then says, "Well, if I'd met him anywhere but here I would never have thought he was anything but human, honestly. Umm..." she frowns consideringly before saying slowly, "Some sort of shapechanger?" Mary blinks at another curiously intriguing thought: if all of Liam's 'side' of the Council are currently here for the upcoming meeting... then that means it's a good bet all the members of the other 'side' are on Coblyn Street too! Or... at least in the city currently? She wonders a bit excitedly if she'll meet any of them before the Council meeting.
Liane nods and smiles, "Yes. Yes. A shapechanger. John is a mirror of a sort. You see John as the most normal, non-threatening person you can think of."
Josie nods, "I don't know the name for what he is. He told me that some of his kind use their ability to do... bad things. John doesn't. Or hasn't. And Elias trusts him."
Mary blinks at that... then looks faintly disappointed, "Really? Well... poop. I hope he wasn't offended by being sort of... well, smooshed into that shape?" She frowns then as something tickles at her brain, muttering, "Trusted, trusted... I should know this... oh!" She brightens, looking pleased, "A rakshasa?"
Liane looks very pleased with Mary, "You are a very bright one! Yes. That is the name for him."
Josie smiles, "John says he likes taking different shapes. And apparently he can look completely different to two people at the same time! Isn't that amazing?"
Liane laughs warmly, "Our Josie is enthusiastic about everything."
Mary beams at Liane, "Thank you, ma'am!" -- then nods with enthusiasm to Josie, "Right?! I remember reading about that and thinking -- it must be exhausting!" She considers, then grins, "What did you see, Josie? I saw basically a very forgettable human, you know?" She adds curiously, "They're from India, I remember. He's a long way from his home, isn't he? Or do a lot of supernaturals just live all over the world, wherever they happen to wander?"
Josie grins, "But you trusted him, didn't you? You felt like he would take very good care of you and your gold? To me, he looks a little bit like my father. Not identical, you know, but you know how you start to associate certain features with particular personalities? He's got crows' feet and laugh lines and skin that looks like he's out in the sun every day all day."
Liane nods, "Yes, yes. From all over. We are in a place, in a country, that has drawn peoples from all over the world."
Mary huhs thoughtfully, considering... now that she's away from John she can't help but wonder... "Um... did Liam trust him too? And does Shane?"
Liane smiles softly, "Yes. Liam did trust him, and Liam did not trust easily. Nor does Shane." Josie smiles, "Shane says that John has always acted impeccably and always gives fair trade. I don't know if that's the same as trust."
Mary nods thoughtfully, "Okay. Thank you."
Liane's smile is still gentle, "Shane is a warrior and a knight. He gives everyone respect and trusts them as long as they give him no reason not to trust them. He does not wear rose-colored glasses."
Mary nods to Liane, "Yeah, I'd kinda gotten that impression." She grins again shyly as she adds, "So... can I ask what you are too, ma'am?"
Liane smiles, blue eyes twinkling, "I can spin straw into gold. Does that give you an idea, child?"
Mary looks thoughtful, "Then... either the same thing Rumplestiltskin is, or a princess? Or wait -- actually if I'm remembering correctly there are a lot of fairy tales with that in it... right?"
Liane chuckles softly, "Yes. Like Rumplestiltskin. A goblin. A poppart. But like John, I am not a wicked goblin. I trade for the things I need."
Mary murmurs, "Poppart..." under her breath... then looks curious, "I've never heard of a poppart before, ma'am! May I ask what it actually is?"
Liane says, "A kind of goblin. A knocker." Liane taps her foot on the floor of the little sitting room and there's a strange rattle that seems to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once. "We are a strange breed, we goblins. We are lumped all together, you see?"
Josie murmurs, "Poltergeist."
Mary blinks and startles a bit, glancing around... then looks back at Liane with awe, "So you... you're a poltergeist and a weaver and a gold-spinner? Wowsers! How do you keep from accidentally destabilizing the gold market?"
Liane laughs delightedly at Mary's reaction, "I do not spin straw into gold anymore. That is how. Precious things should stay precious, you see? I think I am the last that has that knack."
Mary nods slowly, still clearly fascinated, "Still... from straw! Wow!" She grins at Josie, "This is awesome! Did you know this already?"
Liane smiles, "It is easy to make things that look alike be alike." Josie grins at her, "I did. I've heard a lot of her stories." Liane smiles fondly at the werewolf, "She is insatiable when it comes to stories."
Mary blinks interestedly at Liane, "Oh! Like, um... like the Law of Similarity? So is the gold in short, thin sticks then?" She blinks at another thought, pushing her glasses back up her nose as she curiously asks, "So... are there magicians too, then? Or just supernatural creatures?"
Liane smiles, "When you twist new straw around itself, you get something like a chain. And then you can make gold chain out of it." She is sipping her tea and mmms, "Yes. There are magicians. Human ones. Most of them seem to have something back in their history or they've got a... hmmmm..." She's obviously looking for a word, "Patron."
Mary looks puzzled, "Like... a medieval lord or something? Are they all poor or something?"
Josie is simply nibbling her shortbread and sipping her tea with a smile. It's clear she's happy that two people she likes like one another. Liane shakes her head, "Not so... almost like a master and apprentice. Sometimes the magician's powers flow through them from their patron. Sometimes it is inborn."
Mary says, "Huh! Okay." She considers for a bit, then adds, "Can supernatural creatu- er... entities learn magic too?"
Liane says, "I have seen it. But it is often not so much learning magic as finding out what they can do. It is not so much a learning as a remembering."
Mary grins a bit excitedly, "Really? Oh, cool! So... so how do we do more remembering, please?"
Josie speaks around a mouthful of shortbread, "Exf-perimen'in'." She hastily swallows and then says, "I had a dream about shifting shape. I mean, I knew it was possible because it's hereditary and stuff and my father is a shapeshifter. But my mom was something else. Shaman. I woke up and I talked to my dad about it. He said it was racial memory or something."
Liane smiles her serene and almost impish smile, "Genetic memory, child."
Mary nods thoughtfully as she glances back and forth between the two women. "OK... so next step after a name is a safe place to experiment... right?"
Both women, the young and the old, nod with smiles at Mary. It's Liane that speaks, "Yes. Safe spaces are important. Coblyn is, in general, safe from outside interference. But it does not mean that every place here is safe for every person."
Mary nods emphatically, "Boy, I know that one already!" She looks wry, "Walking the street alone is nowhere near as fun as walking it with Josie here." She grins almost shyly at Josie as she adds, "Oh! Also, um, last night? I... sorta made a list of possible names! Want to hear them sometime?"
"I'd like to hear them, Mary!" Josie enthuses. She beams, "I like helping people." She somehow manages to give the impression of wagging despite her current lack of a tail.
Mary grins, "OK! Want to hear them now, or should we go someplace else so we're not bothering Liane?"
Liane nods and smiles, "And Josie has been exploring this market since she was smaller than I am. Her father brought her and almost everyone loved him. Even those that disagreed with him." Mary looks a bit wistful at that, even though she smiles. She wonders what it would have been like to wander Coblyn with Liam... then mentally gives herself a brisk shake: enough of that! The past is past -- now she gets to live in this wonderfully amazingly weird new future! Liane catches that look and smiles gently at her, "You are here with us now, child. It is never too late for wonder." She is nearly finished with her cookies and tea, "I'll do the rest of your mending today and you can pick it up on your next visit, child."
Josie stands up and starts to gather dishes, "Let's go somewhere else. Liane is probably sl..."
Liane picks up and laughs quietly, "I will nap soon. I am old. I need a lot of rest. Like a baby."
Mary nods and quickly gets up to help clear dishes. She smiles shyly at Liane as she does so, murmuring, "Thank you for the lovely welcome, ma'am... and it's really nice to meet you!"
Liane is arranging an afghan over her own lap and smiles up at Mary, "It was a treat to meet you as well, child. You must come back. Especially if you have things that need to be mended."
Mary giggles at that! "Not yet... but maybe soon!" She beams and waves as she and Josie leave, and she grins at Josie outside Liane's home, "What a nice lady! Are all the older ones so nice?"
Josie shakes her head seriously as they walk along, "No. Not at all. But the younger ones aren't always nice, either. Some of the really old ones have seen so many people sorta pass through their lives that they have a hard time caring about anyone else because everyone else is temporary."
Mary looks startled at that thought! "Whoa... how old are folks like that?" She frowns consideringly as she adds, "So... how long do folks like us tend to live?"
Josie is humming a little as they head back to her apartment, "That's a tricky one. Elias is going to probably live centuries more if someone doesn't... well... anyway. But I'll probably only live to a hundred, hundred and five. Liam was apparently born before the Norse invaded the Celtic islands. So he was really, really old. Jarek is something like nine hundred years old or something. Liane says she's at least six hundred. But she always says that at least part. Aisling is hundreds of years old, too. Shane's dad, Quinn? He's also several hundred years old. But Vanya is only about a hundred and seventy-five."
Mary looks faintly boggled, "But then... but that means... wow! So I might live for... like, for centuries?!" She's not quite ready yet to face the potential ramifications of perhaps living past a millennia, however!
Josie looks mildly surprised and nods, "Yeah. You could. You probably will. For a dragon, you're a baby." It doesn't seem to occur to Josie that this might be something offensive to say. Mary just looks more boggled! She walks along silently next to Josie for a while, mentally trying to grapple with the shocking ramifications of that bit of knowledge. It's probably a good thing she's with someone known to be a huge werewolf, in fact... because she's quite gobsmacked -- and not really looking where she's going!
They stop a place or two along the way and Josie picks up some apricot preserves that are in an earthen crock, and some crumbly white cheese. There's also a loaf of some kind of dark, dense bread to go with it. She makes sure Mary doesn't step in front of traffic or bump into more than the normal amount of people. It's a bustling little place, in its way. Mary shakes her head sharply the second time Josie has to guide her away from an incipient crash, apologizing sheepishly to her new friend. "I just... I mean, wow! I never thought -- I didn't realize...! Uhh... I mean... wow, you know?"
Josie is grinning as she guides Mary back into the apartment, "Little bit strange and weird and cool, huh?"
Mary nods emphatically! "Not, uhh... not really something I ever expected to have to, like, cope with!" As Josie closes the door behind Mary, the young woman pauses, standing in the middle of the room, "Ooooh... that's why John said what he did -- and why Liam did what he did! He was making sure I could find a home here on Coblyn -- so I wouldn't be alone in a century or two... right?"
Josie hmms and looks up from where she's puttering in the kitchen to put together food, "How do you mean?"
Mary sounds a bit excited as she follows Josie into the kitchen area, "Remember, John said that was enough gold to buy a really lovely house on Coblyn, and live off it for three or four human lifetimes? That's what Liam was doing, I think, with the gold -- making sure I could- oh... wait..." Her voice trails off as she thinks... then she sighs, "Wait, let me guess: homes on Coblyn Street are a limited resource, so they really rarely come onto the market?"
Josie smiles, "Oh! Well, yeah. They're a limited resource, but there have been a few come up. Like there's this great little loft down the street. It's all maid-in-the-garret-y. And there's a house between the cobbler and the baker."
Mary worries a bit nervously at one finger as she considers... then she shakes her head, "Well, I don't have to decide immediately, right? So..." she brightens, "so want to hear my list of maybe-names?"
The werewolf motions around her own little home, "Dad calls this the ambassadorial residence. It's been in my family for a few centuries... but it's been updated over the years. Used to be basically a big square room." She brings the cheese, jam, bread, and some smoked meat of some kind over on a tray, "Let's hear 'em!"
Mary beams as she flops into a nearby chair, pulling out her cellphone, "OK! So here's what I've got so far. First, there's the fire related names: there's Mishal, which is more a boy's name, and is Arabic for fire. There's Kai, which also means fire and is also a boy's name -- it's from Scotland. There's Alina, which is a girl's Greek name, for ray of the sun... and Kyra, which is a girl's name that means Like Ra or like the sun... and there's Thea, which is Greek for goddess." Mary looks a little sheepish as she adds, "That one's probably... overkill for me..." She hastily continues, "Uh, and there's, um... oh! Names that are more related to color? Like Tawny, or Cinnamon, or Ember, or Amber." Shyly she adds, "I... kind of like some of them? So... well, what do you think? Oh! Also, there's MacKenzie, which apparently is Irish Gaelic for, umm... either fire born or son of the wise." She frowns thoughtfully, "I wonder if I could get away with just maybe Kenzi...?"
Josie listens to the names, nodding slowly, "I like Amber. Or Ember. Ember means red and well, an Ember. Did anyone tell you Liam was red?"
Mary blinks at Josie, "Red? Like... red hair?"
Josie blinks at Mary, "No. Red. Like red scales." The werewolf adds, "His hair was sorta red. Where it wasn't white."
Mary's eyes get wide for a moment as she stares at Josie... then she half-whispers to herself, "Scales... like a dragon?! I might someday be able to become a dragon?! Oh my god!" Still wide-eyed, she asks Josie, "Did you ever see him that way? What did he look like?! I wanna know, please?!"
Josie's head tips curiously and she laughs, "Of course scales like a dragon. He was a dragon! So are you. I did see him that way, but not often. Dragon-shaped dragons are dragon-sized, too."
Mary is almost bouncing in her chair with excitement, "Yes, but-but -- what did he look like?! What kind of dragon, you know? Like, like will I look like he did, or what?!" She hesitates, struck by a horrible thought! If Liam's hair was reddish, and he was a red dragon... does that mean she's going to be a dull brown dragon... the same color as her drab hair?! She swallows hard, squinching her eyes shut -- there's no guarantee that will happen! She... she shouldn't borrow trouble... right. Not... not going to worry about that now.
Josie giggles at Mary's excitement and there is that impression again that she would be wagging. "He was a western dragon like... Hmmm..." Josie hops up and goes to the shelves and brings back an encyclopedia. It's W-X. She leafs through until she gets to a page about Wales and turns it around to tap the flag, "Think if that were a real animal."
Mary stares intently at the dragon -- then feels almost dizzy with excitement as she whispers, "Oh my god... I might be able to fly?!"
Josie is smiling, "The red was more... uhm..." She looks around the room as if trying to find something to compare it to. "Have you seen, like, red leather seats in a restaurant? Like a really old, expensive steak house?" She grins at Mary's comment, "Well, you'll have wings. Probably."
Mary blinks at Josie, suddenly crestfallen, "What? What do you mean, 'probably'?"
Josie pats her friend's knee, "I mean that if you're like your grandfather, you'll probably have wings. Just like my dad told me that I'd probably have grey fur. Chances are really, really high. But there's genetics and... uhm... genetic... drift? I only understand that part a little." She's quick to add, "But it's like... dragons have wings. You not having wings would be the weird thing, right?"
Mary stares at Josie for a moment... then nods a bit blankly, "Uhmm... ok. So... maybe a dragon." She thinks about that for a moment more... then sighs. "Well, I guess only time will tell." She mentally crosses her fingers, though: not a brown dragon, please! Just about any color would be fine -- but not dull brown! Instead she changes the subject, asking shyly, "So, um... well, what did you think of... Cinnamon? Or... or Kai?"
Josie giggles, "Not Cinnamon. It..." She lowers her voice and says, "It sounds kinda like a stripper name. Like Candi-with-an-I or Cherry or something." She speaks more normally as she adds, "But I like Kai. Even if it's a boy-name."
Mary blinks, wilting a little at the news that she almost named herself like her sister, "A... stripper?! Oh, um... yuck." She sighs thoughtfully, staring at her list of names. "Kai... could work? ...I guess?" She feels weirdly off-balance right now -- as if she's got too many things to cope with all at once. The news about potentially being able to become a dragon, coupled almost instantly with the odd information about color, has her worried and anxious. Is she going to be the most boring, drab dragon ever... just like she's the most boring, drab person ever? That's what her genetic family were worried about in regards to her, after all...
Josie looks worried. Even in human form, her sense of smell is sharp and she caught a whiff of stress, "Did I say something to upset you?"
Mary shakes her head as she looks up at Josie, "No, not you. I just, um... every once in a while it's... like, almost too much to deal with?" She smiles a bit weakly as she pushes her glasses back, "I... this is all really kind of... of shocking and scary-strange in a way, still... you know?" She takes a deep breath, "And -- and let's do something else for a while, okay? Can we, um... oh! Can we go look at the garret and the house that are for let? And... are the folks from the other side on the street right now too? Like... can you point any of them out to me, maybe?"
Josie looks relieved that she hasn't upset her new friend as she nods, "I can see that. I mean... I grew up with it, so it's not weird to me, but I can see how it would be. I went to human schools for a few years when I was little." Josie stands up and says, "I'll get changed. We could see them around, yeah. I mean, there's on the street, but it's a weird street."
Mary looks relieved, "Okay!" She really doesn't want to hurt Josie's feelings at all -- the young werewolf has been so very kind to her, after all! She glances at her list of names again and sighs softly. Some of them were so pretty... but she's not sure she's pretty enough to 'wear' such names. As Josie changes, Mary mouths the words very softly, "Scirocco - warm wind... Azar - fire... Hotaru -- firefly... Ilona - sun ray... Kalinda - sun... Jacaranda - purple blossom... Jackie, maybe?" She smiles with soft rue to herself, tucking the phone away. Names, she decides, are very difficult things to find!
Josie comes out of her room several long minutes later and she's in her lupine form again, "I really do like Amber. I mean, amber's this stuff that started out as sap. Like, just sticky stuff out of a tree, but it turns into a gemstone! One that lasts forever. And it's like solid-y honey, so it makes you think of sweet things."
Mary smiles up at Josie and nods, then curiously asks, "Was it hard for you to find a name too?" as she follows the werewolf out of her home.
Josie is cheerfully wagging and is wearing -- if Mary is right -- the pants that Liane mended this morning, "Sorta? I mean, it's short for Josephina. And that's the female name for Joseph. And it means 'He will add' or 'God will add.' So it's saying that there's more to me."
Mary laughs at that, her mood lifting, "OK, that's cute!" She heads down the street with Josie, looking around with interest, "So... did Liam ever stay here?"
Josie is trotting along, nose raised as if she's smelling as well as looking, "When he came to the street he stayed with Elias mostly. I mean, he had his house with his wife and he stayed there most of the time. Almost no one knows where it is, though."
Mary murmurs amusedly, "Probably wise..." She's staring interestedly around herself again -- Coblyn Street is still astonishing and new to her!
Coblyn Street, like its inhabitants, is a mishmash of periods, places, and aesthetics. A couple of the shops look like modern stores with glass storefronts. Most of them look as if they've been lifted out of various cities sometime before the beginning of the twentieth century. The people moving along it range from very human looking to alien in a way that might be disturbing to a human. Limbs that are longer than they should be. Shapes that suggest that they're only sort of looking normal. And then there's Josie and a couple of other people with animalistic features. They even pass a person going the other way that seems to have dragonfly wings folded down their back. Mary stares in awe at the more unusual-looking entities, though she tries not to be rude about it. She also stares with fascination at the wide and wild array of goods for sale, after all!
There are foods from all over the world. Fabrics and clothes in just about any style you can think of and there are various specialized vendors. One seems to be selling candles in various shapes, sizes, and colors. Another has a small silversmithing setup that Josie takes a detour around. There's a person doing caning that's in the midst of mending a chair and with a fantastic, half-finished semi-sculptural piece of furniture behind them. There's even a cobbler. Mary sniffs and stares a little longingly as they pass a bakery -- then blinks, "Oh! Wait, Josie, wait -- I have some money now, right? So," she grins excitedly up at the werewolf, "wanna share a pastry with me, maybe?"
Josie grins and says, "Just as I was going to point out the little house by it. This place makes the best strudel you have ever tasted!" The werewolf trots across the road, barely looking either way and apparently expecting Mary to follow after her.
Mary hastily does so, almost scampering after the much larger werewolf! Traffic might easily pause for Josie, but Mary has no such illusions regarding her own impressiveness! The little house Josie was talking about looks like someone picked it up from the Black Forest and set it down between the two businesses. Mary blinks and beams at sight of the little house -- how cute and cozy looking! But first: strudel!
The baker (like apparently everyone else on the street!) greets Josie like a friend. Said baker is plump with apple cheeks and very blonde hair pulled back under a kerchief. Her accent is very much Germanic and she is introduced as Uta. She's wearing a dirndl dress and there's flour on her bodice. "You have brought me a friend, ja?"
Mary beams at the baker, "Hello, Uta! Josie says your strudel is the best, so I thought we'd try some!"
Uta beams all over her friendly face and says, "Of course it is! I will give you fresh!" She turns around and... she's gone.
Mary blinks at that! -- then looks up in perplexity at Josie, "Uhh... what just happened, please?"
In the next moment Uta is there again and holding out a pair of clean wooden plates. One has apple strudel, the other cheese. From the corner of her eye, Mary catches the cheerful flick of a tail. Josie looks down at her friend and says, "When? When she turned around?"
Mary startles slightly at Uta's abrupt reappearance -- then cautiously reaches out to accept the two plates, "Thank... you...?" She nods mutely to Josie, offering her the plate with the larger strudel on it... under the not-unreasonable assumption that a really big person will have a correspondingly bigger appetite!
Uta says, "I give you the best two! You split them!" She's still smiling happily and her tail flicks.
Josie giggles, "She's a huldra. She's kinda... not there from the back."
Uta laughs warmly, "I am too there from the back! But I look like what you would expect to see around you. When I lived in the forests, I looked like a hollow tree. Here, I look like one of my little shelves of cubbies!"
Mary's eyes are wide as she breathes, "Truly?! Whoa... that is awesome!" She grins shyly at the huldra as she adds, "Thank you, Ms. Uta! So, um..." she hands the other plate to Josie too, then reaches for her bag, "how much do I owe you, please?" Having money, she decides happily, is just... nice and grounding -- like she can do more things without worry!
Uta just seems to be naturally enthusiastic about, well, everything. She beams at Mary and says, "What kinds of things do you have to pay with?" When Mary gets out some of the money John gave her, the huldra hmmms and considers and then takes two of the small silver coins, "That will be enough!"
Mary looks relieved, "OK! Thanks again!" She tucks the rest away, then gets Josie to hold the plates low enough that she can carefully cut the two strudels in half. She swaps them so each plate has half of each strudel, then grins up at Josie, "How's that? This way we get more flavors!"
Josie seems quite happy about that and she leads Mary back outside where there are a couple of little tables. One of them has a sturdy, wide bench that Josie sits on and settles the wooden plates atop, "Uta's very sweet. She used to be..." The werewolf makes the 'hourglass body' motion and grins, "But she is now, as she says, fat and happy."
Mary tilts her head curiously as she nibbles on the apple strudel half, "She... had babies? Is that what happened?" She knows her mother had a horror of pregnancy making her 'lose her figure' -- though Mary can't help but wonder if some of that was due to her father's apparent disgust with 'fat' people. Mary herself, alas, fell into that category... [but,] Mary firmly adds to herself, [Dad's not here, so he doesn't get a say in this!]
Josie grins, "She did! She fell in love and got married. But her husband isn't Christian, so there was none of that losing her tail nonsense. He's a sailor, so he's gone a lot. The house? It used to be theirs, but they moved to a bigger one when they had kids."
Mary blinks startledly at the news about christianity... then wonders if she even has a religion. It was... kind of a non-starter in her childhood home, honestly. So... guess it doesn't matter? She smiles, licking her fingers clean before she says happily, "Then I'd love to see it! Also, you were right -- these strudels are amazing!"
Josie wags, thumping the wall behind her, and beams, "And Uta is very sweet. She keeps telling me that I don't eat enough." The werewolf is surprisingly tidy about eating. Once they're done with the strudel, she steps into the bakery again and gets the key from Uta. It's the kind of big, heavy key you'd expect to go in an old fashioned door. Mary watches with avid interest. She really likes her cozy little apartment back in- oh! She hastily whips out her phone to make a note: must call her job and let them know she'll be at least a week more! Plus... she grins a little guiltily to herself -- she might not be coming back at all, honestly!
Josie unlocks the door and has to duck to get under the lintel. In fact, she has to duck to stand in the place at all. It was clearly built by someone that couldn't have been much over 5'9" given the low ceilings. The place is built of sturdy timbers fitted carefully together with walls filled with something that looks almost like adobe. It has been painted a bright, cheerful white both inside and out. Everything about the place speaks of an intention to be there for a very long time. The fireplace is broad and is apparently set up for cooking, complete with a little bread oven in the wall. Mary looks around with a mix of fascination and intentness -- she's quite fastidious about where she lives, after all. Hmm... she's not much of a cook, so the bread oven is nice but not really applicable to her. However, the place seems tight and clean -- that's good! She heads for the bedroom and bathroom next.
The bedroom is actually in the loft of the little house. The bedroom is surprisingly modern. The tub is a heavy, iron, enameled clawfoot tub with a shower curtain that seems somewhat retrofitted and a handheld shower head that can be attached to the wall. Mary beams at that -- excellent! She wonders absently where the water and electricity come fro- she looks around hastily. There is electricity, isn't there? There is electricity. But it's also obviously been retrofitted even if the fittings have been carefully put in place. Mary looks relieved -- she couldn't read at night without electricity! She hmms at the bedroom -- small, but livable... then searches for a place she can make into an office.
The downstairs is mostly one big open space that could be partitioned off as anyone might see fit. The loft upstairs could also be partitioned off. It's clear that Uta and her husband moved quite soon after having a child because there's no separation that might be a nursery. Mary smiles thoughtfully as she looks around. This... could be quite nice! She grins up at the patient Josie, "Let's get out of here before you get a permanent crick in your neck, okay? I'd like to see the loft as well, before deciding."
Josie grins, "I'd have to be in my other shape before I could visit here, true. But it's a nice little house." She ducks out and trots next door to give the key to Uta. The loft is above the closest thing Mary has seen to a factory on Coblyn Street. And even that's a bit of an exaggeration. It's a tailor's shop with four seamstresses. The sewing machines are quite antique and do not run on electrical outlets. Instead, they are run on foot treadles. The noise of them is almost completely inaudible in the little loft above the building and Josie says that the shop is shut down at 5:00 on the dot unless there's some sort of big do that has them working overtime. Mary nods interestedly -- she thinks the treadle machines are rather cool looking! If the sorta-factory doesn't have electricity though... does the loft?
It's not that there's no electricity. It's just that the sewing machines don't use it. There are electric lights and there is electricity upstairs. The little bathroom in the loft is old-fashioned in the same sort of way as Uta's house, but there's no shower. Just the tub. Mary whews quietly at seeing there is electricity! Then she pads around happily through the loft to check it out. How high are the ceilings, for example? Can Josie stand upright? Could a shower head be retrofitted onto the tub? Does the kitchen come with a full complement of equipment -- like a refrigerator and freezer, a dishwasher, stuff like that? Is the loft a very small footage, or is it situated on a large building?
The ceilings are plenty high for Josie and there are a couple of skylights. There's a refrigerator that looks like it's from the fifties and a gas range, but there's no dishwasher. The loft itself is roomy enough for Mary to make areas be an office, a living room, and a bedroom. The floor space is very similar to the little house, just all on one level. The rest of the attic space seems to be storage for the seamstress shop. Mary hmms at that. Are there separate entrances for the loft and the storage space? She doesn't really want people needing to tramp through her home for business reasons, after all! The entrance to the loft is an outside stair that's mostly made of iron. On second look, it's likely that it was originally just a fire escape. There's a second entrance from inside, through the storage space, but the little apartment is in the back corner of the building. No one would have to go through her space to get into the storage. Instead, they'd have to go through the storage to get to her space.
Mary frowns at the door between the storage and the loft, heading over to examine it closely. Hmm... looks like there's a good deadbolt on it -- ok, that's doable! She glances around again and smiles. This sort of feels like it used to be the sorta-factory owner's living space! Okay, she likes both of these. So, next step: monthly cost, and how far they are from wherever the Council tends to gather! She feels pleasingly like she's getting things done as she heads back to Josie, "Cool! Okay, now I need to do some cost comparisons... and I'd also like to find out where the Council gathers while it's here too, please? Might as well know how far I have to walk, you know?"
Josie nods and trots along with Mary on her explorations. The loft turns out to be for rent and the cost is somewhat... amorphous. The seamstress that owns the place now seems to have an idea of money from around 1860, so it's equivalent to about $50/month. The house is for sale and would be Mary's for good. The house is a little closer to the meeting hall for the council, which turns out to be in an older building that Josie tells Mary is set up sorta like the place in which they wrote the Declaration of Independence. The architecture does certainly seem to be from the 1700's, with tall windows and very classical furbelows.
Mary thanks everyone for their patience and information, then hmms to Josie later, as they sit and have some afternoon snacks: "I think now I have to consider for a bit... like with the name. I mean, the loft is nice -- but if it's raining? No fun getting there! The house would be more expensive in the short-term, but I really like the idea of owning it myself... even though it has some space that I wouldn't use very much, like the bread oven. The loft would need a whole bunch of refurbishing, but you can stand upright in it." She has another bite of food, then grins wryly, "Pros and cons on both of them, honestly! What do you think, Josie?"
Josie beams, thrilled to realize that Mary is taking her into account on these places, meaning that her new friend wants to spend time with her, "Well, like at Liane's place, I can be in my human form to visit you in the little house. And the bread oven is kinda built into the wall. It's not like it would get in your way. The loft is big enough and it's nice and airy. But if the seamstress sold the shop..."
Mary blinks, "Oooh, good point! I hadn't thought of that." She considers through a few more bites... then sighs regretfully, "Josie, I'm so sorry... but I'm really starting to lean towards the house, you know? I hope you don't mind... though -- oh! I could make sure the living room has a nice, soft, low rug or futon or something that you could comfortably sprawl out on in wolf form, if you wanted?"
Josie grins and wags happily, "That could be nice. And I don't mind not being fuzzy to come visit! I do it all the time with Liane. And I have to go all human if I'm going off the street for some reason." She ducks her head shyly, "I like that you want me to visit."
Mary grins up at Josie, bumping her shoulder in a friendly fashion against the werewolf, the way she's seen Josie do with others. Of course, considering the mass difference, Mary bounces off a bit more than really bumps... but she just laughs and says, "Of course I want you to! You're like my BFF here!" Josie beams at the bump and just barely stops herself from sweeping Mary up in an enthusiastic hug -- rather like the one Shane blocked, out of not wanting the werewolf to scare the new person! Happily Mary says, "So, can we get the house today? Or -- oh, wait!" She lowers her voice, adding more quietly, "Would I have to give my real name?"
Mary pauses, considering that statement. Her... 'real' name... in a way, she's never really felt like a 'Mary Brown' -- not the way her family seemed to see her, at least. So... does that mean she can pretend her new name is her 'real' one? Or... she brightens excitedly as it hits her: she doesn't have to pretend! She can make her new name her 'real' one -- both legally in the human world, and here! She laughs quietly, excited at that thought -- then says to Josie, "Want to know why I liked the name Cinnamon? It's 'cause it may not look like much -- it's just a brown stick thing, you know? But it smells wonderful, and it makes other things really wonderful too! Plus," she grins with a hint of uncharacteristic mischief, "if you treat it wrong... it can burn you!"
Josie tips her head curiously and says, "Why would you? Uta's real name probably isn't Uta. My real name isn't Josie..." She pauses and ahs, "You're asking about a deed, aren't you?"
Mary nods several times, her eyes bright with happy excitement, "Yeah! Is there a deed or anything that needs signing?"
Josie laughs at the name explanation, "I can see that. Cinnamon is just bark... but it has a bite!" She giggles at her own small pun, "As for the name, you will be for all intents and purposes whatever name you give. My little place was signed for with my dad's mark and then with mine. It's not my name, but it's my legal... uhm... mark."
Mary laughs delightedly, "Oh, that's good -- I didn't think of that one!" She nods happily, "Okay then! So, um... can we go get it now?" Suddenly the idea of her own cozy little home here has become enormously attractive to her! It hasn't quite registered that she's almost thinking of the place as her new little cave/lair/nesting spot/first new horde element that she picked personally! She adds a little shyly, "I, um... I hope you don't mind...? but... I, um... I kinda like Cinnamon? I'm still not, uh, not really wanting to, like, advertise who and what I am, after all?"
Josie grins and looks around, "We'll need to take you to the clerk to register your mark if you want to buy the house today." She pronounces 'clerk' in the British way so that it sounds more like 'clark.' The werewolf smiles at her new friend, "If it's the name you like, it should be the name you use!"
Mary blinks at Josie, absently shoving her glasses back into place... and then the absolute wonder of Josie's statement hits her! No sneering at her choice? No sniggering behind her back? No deep, disappointed sighs... all of which are what her fam- no, her... her former? Her... blood family? Genetic family! That's it -- that sounds distant enough! The thought takes only a fraction of a second, though -- and in the next instant Mary leans over and flings her arms about Josie in a deeply relieved, almost tearfully happy hug!
Josie is surprised at the hug, but also quite obviously tickled! She wraps her arms around Mary in turn and squeezes, but not so hard as to hurt. However, Mary does find herself lifted off the ground in her new friend's enthusiasm. Josie isn't sure exactly sure why she's being hugged, but that part doesn't matter! Mary almost sniffles as she's carefully set back down, "You -- I, that -- that's the nicest thing anyone's said to me!" She rubs her eyes, careful not to smudge her glasses, then beams up at Josie, "OK! I'm ready when you are!"
Josie isn't sure what she said. Telling Mary she should use the name she wants doesn't seem remarkable to her, but she's happy her friend is happy. The werewolf starts trotting down Coblyn and says, "They'll take a hair from you at the clerk. But the hairs are stored with John, so they're super-secure. It's not like... DNA or anything. It's magic. Not science." After a block or so, though, Josie asks curiously, "What did I say to get a hug?" Her head is moving side to side and she's occasionally smiling and waving at people.
Cinnamon trots along breathlessly next to Josie, trying to keep up! She huffs, "Whu- oh! Right!" She beams as she adds, "You didn't make fun of me for my name choice! You actually said I should pick the one I wanted!" She may be breathless, but the sincerity in her voice is very clear, "That is so super-awesome-kind of you!"
Josie blinks down at Cinnamon, "Of course I did. Because it's your name. Names are important. You shouldn't wear one that feels bad." She motions to a building down the block, "Clerk's office is in there. It's the same building where the council meets... sorta keeping most of the legal stuff in one pl-" As Josie's talking a voice says, "Well, well. I didn't expect to see you anywhere near here when the council isn't in session, Josie." The voice is cultured and has just the tiniest hint that there might be something Teutonic in the speaker's background.
Cinnamon blinks, turning with a smile to see who the new person is and simultaneously shoving her glasses back into place. She wishes vaguely that she were in better shape -- whoever this is, her first impression is going to be all huffing and puffing! She giggles internally at that thought. After all, shouldn't dragons be able to huff and puff if they want? Josie doesn't roll her eyes physically, but there's some of the sound of it in her voice, "Hello, Marcus. I do occasionally come down here for things other than council business."
Marcus is, well, Aryan. Tall, blond, blue-eyed, pale skinned. He's built in that sort of slender but not scrawny way. The shoulders are wide enough to make him seem masculine. The blond hair is long and pulled back at the nape of his neck and he's dressed impeccably. It's a modern suit and likely tailored. Charcoal grey fabric with a darker pinstripe and a cobalt blue tie. His eyes slide over Cinnamon, seem to dismiss her, and then move back to Josie, "And what is the business that brings you down here."
Josie's voice is as firm as Cinnamon has yet heard it, "My business."
Cinnamon blinks with interest -- so this is Marcus! The third of the younger group in the Council! She's absolutely used to being overlooked, to the point that she expects it, and is now staring with avid curiosity at the, um... man? She wonders what he is, wracking her brains, trying to remember all the things she'd read about the supernatural creatures... ah! Right: check for pointy ears, talons, feet on backwards, pointy teeth, strange eyes... what else... hmm...
Marcus is somewhere in the young Johnny Depp league for gorgeous men. But he's got that feeling of being made of unobtanium. Aloof seems to be his default setting. He looks like he's likely something similar to what Hilde is. He does have delicately pointed ears and his eyes, when looked at closely, seem to be covered with contacts. The pupil never changes size. Marcus chuckles and shakes his head and then he looks at Cinnamon, "New friend?" He manages to sound like the answer doesn't matter a whit to him.
Cinnamon smiles shyly, "Hello! Yes, I... I'm Cinnamon! May I ask what species you are?" She gleeees quietly, internally, to herself -- yep, she's definitely a new person now! She continues studying the young man with frank curiosity. He's very cute, she thinks... and looks like he's quite aware of that too!
Marcus' eyebrows go up and he examines Cinnamon more closely. "You may. I'm an elf. And you?"
Cinnamon says, "An elf! Oh! You're like Hilde then, right? Or... no, wait... is that, er..." she glances up at Josie, "There's banshees and... what was the other? Jewelshees or something like that?"
Marcus doesn't precisely scowl, but his brows draw together, "No. Not like Hilde."
Josie manages not to grin and looks down at Cinnamon, "Beansidhe... like Shane and Aisling. Gealsidhe. Hilde is ljosalfaer. Marcus is an elf. They're sorta cousins, but not the same thing. Sorta like chimpanzees and gorillas are both apes, but they aren't the same species of ape."
Marcus' voice is icy as he says, "My people are from the places now called Austria and Germany. Hilde's people are from the fjords."
Cinnamon nods slowly, her brow furrowed as she carefully murmurs, "Bahn... shee. Jeel... shee. Lll...yohs alf... arrr. Okay. Got it... I think!" She grins cheerfully up at Josie as she tugs gently (and completely ineffectively, considering the size differential) on the werewolf's arm, "We should hurry, right? We don't want the office to close or for Uta to change her mind!" She beams and waves at Marcus as she turns to head off, "Nice to meet you, Marcus! Have a nice day!" Josie is grinning as Cinnamon seems utterly unconcerned that Marcus is pretty and powerful. Marcus doesn't deign to call after them, but he takes in the mention of Uta's name and starts down Coblyn toward the bakery without seeming to be making a beeline. That's easy, since Coblyn isn't really straight.
Once they're out of sight and earshot of Marcus, Josie whispers, "You weren't overawed by him. That probably pisses him off, you know..." The werewolf is leading Cinnamon into the building that really is the kind of architecture one would see around the time of the American Revolution. The office they're going to is up two flights of stairs and down a fairly dim hallway.
Cinnamon is blushing as she glances up at Josie trotting easily next to her, and whispers, "Oh my gosh, I totally blanked on what to say to him! I hope you don't mind that I ran off?" She fans herself slightly as she blushes more, adding, "Not overawed, no, but... whew! He's cute!" She laughs ruefully as she adds, "Those kind never notice me, so I can stare if I want, y'know?"
Josie giggles -- that sound always sounds a little odd coming from someone her size -- and nods, "He's super hot. I mean, if he weren't a complete and utter ass, I might even have a crush." She smiles down at the little dragon-kin, "Oh, people here will notice you. Marcus was just concentrating on poking me."
Cinnamon gives Josie an amused and disbelieving look, "Who, Marcus? Nah, he glanced at me... but he didn't notice me, you know? Not like, um..." she blushes even more, "like as someone interesting and sexy!" She's quite used to what that looks like, having seen it enough on the faces of the boys and young men her sister has attracted all through her life.
Josie blinks again, "But you are! Just because Marcus wasn't staring doesn't mean people aren't going to. You've seen people around here. Sexy comes in a lot of different forms." She knocks on a door that has a small brass plaque that just says "CLERK." Cinnamon blinks confusedly at Josie. Her? Little Mary Brown, sexy?! Or wait -- no! She's Cinnamon now! She grins happily to herself, still panting as she catches her breath. Josie smiles down, liking that grin. There's a creaky voice that calls them to come in. The werewolf opens the door and ducks her head under the lintel, motioning Cinnamon in with her. The younger girl wobbles in breathlessly after her new friend.
Inside the room there are shelves. A lot of shelves. What seems like too many shelves for an office whose dimensions would seem to be perhaps 8' X 12'. And they're all full of ledgers. There's also a desk with a small wizened person at it with one of those ledgers open, "What do you need, Josephine?"
Cinnamon smiles shyly at the little person, waving once, "H-hi? It, uhh... er, I mean it's me? Uh, I need something?"
The person... likely male, given the beard... looks Cinnamon over and mmms. He's got the kind of skin that looks like it would burn badly if he were in the sun more than about three minutes and a beard that's mostly white but streaked with carroty red. His head is completely bald. There are more of those pointed ears and he's got knobby hands, "And what is it that you need?"
Cinnamon glances up at Josie, momentarily at a loss, "A... thing with a hair... I think?"
Josie giggles and says, "She wants to register her mark, Llewellyn. She's new to the street." Llewellyn looks at Cinnamon, eyes narrowed. Cinnamon, as a veteran of many years wearing glasses, recognizes that look as someone who doesn't want to admit they need corrective lenses.
Cinnamon smiles brightly again, oddly relieved at recognizing that! "Yes, please! Um, let's see..." She runs her fingers through her short-cropped hair, "will any hair do?"
Llewellyn motions Cinnamon closer, "Any hair will do. Or a drop of blood. In the old days, you could use spit, but people got all squeamish." He looks Cinnamon over carefully and says, "And what is your official name?" He's holding an old-fashioned quill pen above a line in the ledger.
Cinnamon's eyes widen at the little old man -- then she blinks worriedly at Josie, "M-my of-fficial... er, is that the... the name we just talked about?" She glances down at her fingers, noting with relief that there's at least one hair tangled there. She hesitantly offers it to the old man, "Is th-this, er... okay?"
Josie's voice is low "Your official name is the one you use on the street. Like mine's Josie..." her eyes cut toward Llewellyn, "Josephine. It's not like... your birth name. It's just for like, official things, like deeds and contracts."
Llewellyn reaches out with one knobbly hand and takes the hair, examining it, "This will do nicely."
Cinnamon sighs in relief as she releases the hair -- then beams excitedly as she announces (officially!), "I'm Cinnamon!"
Llewellyn lays the hair aside carefully and then scratches the name in the ledger, "Do you wish a surname?"
Cinnamon glances inquiringly at Josie, not sure if she needs one. Or wait... what was the first surname Rebecca had given her for Liam? Cinnamon frowns consideringly... then grins -- O'Donnell, that was it! "Cinnamon O'Donnell, please!"
Llewellyn nods and starts to write the name. Then his head comes up and he peers at her closely, "Ah. Yes." His handwriting is beautiful as he writes 'Cinnamon O'Donnell' in the ledger and then turns it toward Cinnamon, offering her the pen, "Please make your mark."
Cinnamon blinks, reflexively accepting the pen, then giving Josie a perplexed look, "Do I... sign? Or... put a hair there? or what, please?"
Josie smiles, "Your mark. Sigil. Something you can put on paperwork to mean you. I mean, you could do just a regular signature, but most people don't. Once you've made the mark..." Llewellyn breaks in, "Once you've made your mark, I'll perform the cantrip to link it to your hair."
Cinnamon blinks again, abruptly unwilling to sign! This is special -- she doesn't want to mess it up! "Um... what did you put, please, Josie?" She tries hastily to think: what would be a good sigil for her?! A... match? Just a squiggle? Initials? Something else entirely?
Llewellyn rises from his chair and moves to a shelf as Josie answers, "I put a little pictogram. Sort of a..." Llewellyn puts another heavy ledger on the desk and flips through it rapidly. Next to Josie's name (Josephine Moonsdaughter) is a circle with a little sketchy pawprint.
Cinnamon blinks at Josie's mark... then giggles! "Oh, that's so cute!" She thinks a moment, then grins and pulls out her cell phone, "I know! I'll check for symbolism for cinnamon!" She taps quickly and surely, then starts reading... then brightens, "Oh! Cool, cinnamon is associated with the element of fire and the sun! Got it now -- thank you for waiting, sir!" She tucks her cell away, then picks up the pen again, and draws a little circle with a wavy, pointed sort of crest all around it. Once she's done, the other two can see: it looks like a stylized sun! Cinnamon beams happily, "How's that? Is that okay?"
Llewellyn looks at it and nods, "That will work. It's similar to another, but theirs has an embellishment." He lays the hair on the sign and murmurs something in a language that Cinnamon doesn't know. There's a little flare of light from the sigil she wrote and then Llewellyn takes the hair and tucks it into a little white envelope, turning it over and saying, "Please put your mark on the envelope."
Cinnamon is still beaming excitedly as she carefully draws her sigil (her sigil! How awesome is that?!) on the envelope. Llewellyn nods and seals the envelope (sealing wax and everything) and puts it in a small basket with other paperwork, "Now, Cinnamon O'Donnell. Your mark is now legal for any and all contracts, agreements, and suchnot as you may need to conduct here on Coblyn Street. Should you go to another enclave, you'll need to bring a letter from this office or register your sigil with their clerk."
Cinnamon is almost glowing with excitement, "Thank you so much, Mr. Llewellyn!" She turns to Josie, almost bouncing on her toes, "Can we get the house now?!"
Llewellyn actually smiles at the joy on Cinnamon's face, "You're very welcome, child. Especially if you are who I think you may be."
Josie giggles and nods, "We can! Thank you, Llewellyn! I'll see you at the next council meeting."
Cinnamon laughs, waving as she almost skips out after Josie, "Thanks again, sir! Have a nice day!"
As they're headed down the street again towards Uta's bakery and the little house for sale, Cinnamon is almost skipping next to Josie, she's so bubbly! "So do we need to go to the bank first or can we just go tell Uta or is there something else I should do or what's next or something else?!"
Josie is trotting along with Cinnamon, tail wagging cheerfully, "Let's go to the bank first. John will want to know what your sigil is." She giggles, which sounds weird in her deep, rumbly voice, "Then we can take the money to Uta. She'll be happy to sell the house... and a happy huldra is a good thing. You'll probably never have to buy bread ever again!"
Cinnamon laughs startledly at that, "Oh! But... oh, she doesn't have to do that! I mean, I want to purchase her lovely little house!" She hesitates for a moment, then curiously asks, "We... don't need to tell Uta first, then? So she knows not to sell it to anyone else?"
Josie shakes her head, "It's been for sale for a while, but other people didn't like it for various reasons. Too small. Not fancy enough. I don't get that, though. I mean, it's a great little house." The fact that it isn't fancy enough might seem a bit odd because there are plenty of small, modest buildings along the street. Perhaps it's because those homes and buildings have been with their owners for quite a while. Status symbols are common in all societies.
Cinnamon nods enthusiastically several times, "I know, right? It's going to be so cozy!" She beams again, clapping her hands as she adds, "It's going to be such fun to fix it up nice!" She thinks for a bit as they trot along, her eyes shining... then tilts her head curiously at the werewolf, "Hey, Josie? What would you suggest for the bread oven? Seems a shame to waste the space, but... not sure what to put there?"
Josie thinks as she trots along, tail wagging and claws clicking on the sidewalk, "Well... you're a dragon, right? Maybe use it as a little vault? I'm sure you can find someone that could fit it out that way. There are a lot of craftspeople in the street. John might know who could build a vault..." She continues, "And you could even hang some art over it. Not everyone's been in that house, so they wouldn't know there's something in the wall there. And it's really heavy sort of cured brick?" Her ears flush, "I asked Uta about it. She built it herself."
Cinnamon says, "Ooh! Good idea!" She continues beaming as she trots breathlessly along next to Josie. Just as they pause due to reaching the bank, Cinnamon looks up and pants happily, "Hey, Josie? Thank you so much for being such a good friend!"
Josie looks down at Cinnamon with her head cocked, "You're welcome. Thank you for letting me! I liked Liam. He was very nice to me. When I was missing my dad after he moved back to the village, Liam used to bring me sweets and tell me stories." She then realizes Cinnamon is panting and her ears go even redder, "Have I been going too fast? I've got long legs..."
Cinnamon breathlessly tries to both nod (about friendship) and shake her head (about going too fast)... and ends up sort of bobbling confusingly. For some reason that makes her think of bobble-head dolls, which makes her start giggling! Once she starts she can't seem to stop -- she just feels so incredibly good here, compared to the rest of her life! She ends up leaning against Josie, laughing breathlessly until she can't laugh anymore. Josie catches the giggles and holds onto Cinnamon so she doesn't fall over. She lolls her tongue at Cinnamon and says, "Let's get the money. It's going to take some time to get the whole place fitted out, you know. You can stay with me or maybe Elias or Shane if you need to, in the meantime?"
Cinnamon nods breathlessly, wiping tears of laughter away as she grins up at Josie, "Okay! Sounds awesome!" She giggles again, grabbing Josie's much bigger, clawed hand, "Let's go make this wonderful thingie happen!"
Josie nods and grins and they head into the bank. John smiles and stands up to greet them, "Hello, again! Back so soon?"
Cinnamon beams excitedly again -- she's so delighted! "Yes, thank you! We found a house for me -- I'd like to pay for it, please!"
John smiles and says, "Of course! How much will you need?"
Josie says, "And she's registered her sigil and a new name. We'll need to change her records."
Cinnamon beams and nods repeatedly, not quite bouncing on her toes as she clasps her hands together and tells John the amount she needs. After that, though, she pauses, then adds a bit worriedly, "Or... would it be better for me to give Uta a scrip signed by you and I? I don't want her to be endangered or anything, walking through town with a lot of treasure?" The word comes easily to her lips -- but then she also feels her new little house will be a treasure for her too once she's done fixing it up!
John nods, "A note of credit, yes. Something like a cheque out in the normal world. Since it will be countersigned by me, Uta will know it's good." The rakshasa can't help smiling at the bouncing dragon-kin, even if he doesn't know her species. He moves into the vault and returns with the note of credit. After Cinnamon has registered her sigil with the bank, he has her put her mark on the note and countersigns with his own. It's a winged heart encircled by what looks like three squares to create almost a star.
Cinnamon tilts her head as she studies the sigil... then smiles, "That's really pretty, John! Thank you so much." She grins up at Josie after carefully tucking the little scrip into her bag -- which is equally carefully slung in front of her the way Shane showed her! "OK! Let's go make Uta happy -- and me too!"
John smiles, "Thank you very much, Cinnamon." He nods in approval as he watches how careful she is with the scrip and the bag.
Josie grins and heads out, saying hello to Fionn on the way past. Marcus is coming out of a house nearby just as Cinnamon and Josie leave the bank. That seems to pique his interest and he moves across the street toward them on an obvious intercept course. Josie's head tips up and she rolls her eyes as she catches Marcus' scent. She doesn't want to bring Cinnamon down from her cheerfulness at having the new house.
The little bakery is smelling more of sugar and spice than of bread when they arrive. Cinnamon is almost glowing with excitement by the time they get there! "Uta! May I have a moment of your time, please?" She can't help pausing long enough to sniff with slow, profound pleasure. Are all her mornings going to smell this good from now on? She thinks she can certainly live with this! She giggles happily at the thought. Uta is quite pleased to sell the little house and -- much as Josie said -- she gives Cinnamon a basket full of breads and cookies along with a little twist of salt in a muslin bag. Cinnamon is almost breathless again at the huldra's generosity, thanking her repeatedly -- the young dragon-kin is almost in tears with how wonderful everyone is being to her! Uta is all smiles and reassurances that she is happy the house is going to the new denizen of the street. Then she explains that the bread and salt are, partially, a housewarming gift. They're meant as protection.
Cinnamon's eyes go wide with fascination at that! "Oh, wonderful! Can you tell me how I use it to protect my lovely new little house and me, please?" She listens carefully, pulling out her little notebook to write down what she's told to do -- she wants this new little home to be perfect for her!
Uta gives her directions. Telling her to sprinkle the salt on her hearth and across her front door... adding quickly that it's not the same as spilling salt! The huldra than ohs! and smiles at Josie, "I remembered something from your people, too!" She hustles into the back of the little shop and comes back with a few sprigs of sage and a small iron pot, "You can bring the pot back when you're done!"
Cinnamon blinks at the new gift, her tone wondering, "My... people? Er... thank you, though... I'm not sure what to do with these -- I'm sorry?" She wonders with faint amusement if everyone is going to know the dragon's child is here within the day. She wouldn't mind, but that she knows Elias wants it kept secret for now?
Josie grins, "My people, Cinnamon. It's for smudging, I think. Though I can't see how there'd be any bad spirits in there!" As they're talking, the door opens and Marcus enters, looking around casually.
Cinnamon says, "Oh! Can you show me how to do that, please, Josie?" She brightens, beaming at Uta, "Thank you again!" As she gathers up her goods she laughs delightedly, "Marcus! How nice to see you again. Have a nice day!" -- then nearly darts out the door, she's so excited! She gets to start her new life beautifully with all these lovely gifts... and even if Marcus is a weenie, he's certainly easy on the eyes! The thought makes her giggle as she skips happily next door... with her new house's key in hand! Marcus is starting to open his mouth to say something when Cinnamon dashes past him, followed more slowly by a grinning Josie. The elf is certainly quite disconcerted by being ignored so completely when he's used to being alluring to people that don't know him.
The key to the little house has a satisfying heft to it and turns easily in the lock. Cinnamon sighs happily, just staring at the unlocked door for a moment. As Josie looms next to her, she looks up and smiles -- and Josie can see tears glimmering in Cinnamon's eyes. Her voice is a little choked, "Oh, Josie, just think! This is... my first step into my new home... and really into settling into my new life!" With that, she flings the door open and calls out, "Hello, new little house! I hope we'll be very good and long-term friends!" She steps ceremoniously over the door jamb, then turns and beams up at Josie, "Please come in! You're always welcome in my home!" She giggles as she adds very softly, "Plus, once you're in I'll scatter the salt -- will that keep cranky elves out?" She blushes a little at her mischief, but is still grinning broadly!
Josie lolls her tongue happily at Cinnamon and wags, "That's a kind of magic in and of itself, you know. If Elias ever comes to visit, you'll need to explicitly invite him in, too." She ducks her head and follows her friend in, laughing, "You'd need an iron horseshoe for that, but then that would keep out Shane and Aisling and Hilde."
Cinnamon looks a bit wistfully at the top of the doorjamb, "I remember there was an old iron horseshoe over the cabin door at one of the camps I was sent to over the summer, once." She thinks for a moment, then smiles up at Josie, "But I'd rather have my friends be able to come over, so you're right -- no iron horseshoe!" With that she considers for a moment... then as she carefully scatters the salt over the doorjamb she murmurs very softly, "Thank you, salt, for protecting me and my house!" With that she closes the door, then turns and does the same at her hearth -- though there she adds, "Also, please help me always make good meals with love, just like Uta does?" After that she sets the bread and salt and smudge down, then turns and grins at Josie, "Okay, how do we do this smudgy thing, please, Josie? -- and once that's done, would you like to share some bread and salt and water with me here?" She giggles as she adds, "I hope that makes up a bit for you having to scrunch up so much in here! I'll make sure there's a nice big soft rug or couch or something that you can stretch out on too, okay?"
Josie grins and sits down on the raised hearth. There's no fire there so it's comfortable and not dangerous for her cheerfully wagging tail, "You light it and you waft the smoke around. Into the corners and around the doors and windows..." She cranes around, "The hearth, too. It's technically an opening into the house." The werewolf grins and says, "I'd like that. But I can also come in my smaller form." As she's explaining smudging, there's a knock at the door and the werewolf mutters, "Please don't be Marcus..."
Cinnamon blinks thoughtfully at that... then nods slowly, "Okay... let me try this, then." She lights the smudge, quietly murmuring, "Please help me, um... clear any bad spirits or thoughts out of this little house?" She glances inquiringly up at Josie as she starts waving the smudge slowly around, especially around the hearth, windows, and doors -- is she doing it right? She also calls out absently, "Moment, please -- smudging!" to whomever is at the door.
Josie nods and her tongue lolls again, "The sage will know what to do. Plants have wisdom, you know?"
The person on the other side of the door laughs and says, "Please finish your cleansing. I'll be right here." It's definitely a male's voice and a familiar one -- and just as definitely not Marcus. It's Shane.
Cinnamon beams at Josie, "I didn't know, but I'm glad to learn that!" She laughs and calls, "Thank you, Shane! Be right there in a moment!" -- then continues happily smudging. She even starts quietly singing as she does so -- nothing dramatic or tremendous; just a small, happy, murmuring song of how pleased she is to be here and how thrilled she is to actually have good friends and a lovely, warm, cozy new place to live. Cinnamon takes her time, since Shane said it was okay, and before she stops she glances over at Josie, still smiling, "How's that? Did I do it right?" She sniffs happily, adding, "Doesn't it smell wonderful too?!"
Josie points up into the loft and grins, "I love the smell of sage. Of sweetgrass. Of cedar. They're all good for this."
Cinnamon says, "Oh! Good point!" She shifts her hold on the little smudge bundle so she doesn't drop it, then clambers carefully up the ladder to the loft. A moment later her soft, happy voice can be heard still singing quietly, "...is my little house... she will keep me safe and warm... I will keep her neat and cozy... 'cause I love my little home....!" Josie giggles at her friend singing happily about her house protecting her. Cinnamon peeks over the railing at the loft's edge a moment later, still beaming, "OK, we're all good now! Got the windows and everything here -- anything else you can think of?"
Josie nods and says, "That should be it!"
"Awesome!" Cinnamon carefully clambers down the ladder again, then looks with a bit of perplexity at the still-smoking smudge stick... then brightens, "Oh! This must be what the pot is for!" She carefully pokes the smudge into the iron pot until it seems to be out... then turns and heads for the door, "Coming now, Shane!" Opening the door, she happily adds, "Thanks so much for your patience, and please come in -- good friends are always welcome!" Josie tucks the little iron pot with the sage in it into the fireplace to let the last of the smoke go up the chimney.
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