GLoG 92: Generosity, Love, Opportunity, Growth

[billtodamax]

In search of a fortress

Looks like Elvish to me. Gan says, after a moment of study. Probably have better luck with Gusil. He says, handing one of the drinks to Khannie and another to Olon before starting to pour a third for Endok. Olon takes hers and drinks some as she glances around, spotting Gusil in the corner. Thanks Gan! She says, starting to head off toward a small group of dwarves sitting in the corner of the room. Gusil! We need help!

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

Khannie gets a beverage!

"Thanks!" she says, tucking the book under one arm so she can take the cup in both hands. Then she takes a little sip and-

"Gahk!"

Sputters comically.

"What is this?" she asks, completely blindsided by the flavor. "It tastes like a snorlax smells."

Hmm.

That probably isn't a complement.

She's temporarily forgotten about the book quest.

[bc56]

Lake, evening

The Tiefling doesn't respond to the dwarf approaching. She seems lost in thought. It's not until the dwarf sits down next to her that she reacts at all. "Uh... uh, hi?" She says timidly.

[billtodamax]

In search of a fortress

Gan looks up from pouring a drink for Endok and chuckles at Khannie. Finest dwarven ale. Not had any before? Can be a bit of an acquired taste. He says, passing a mug to Endok before looking through the kegs he has behind him. Maybe some rum might suit you better? He asks her from behind his back. The rum's really nice. Endok tells Khannie.

Meanwhile Olon seems to have gotten into an argument over with the other dwarves. They have the smiles of adults playfully arguing with someone else's child. She might be occupied for another post or so.

Lake, evening

Evening lass. She says gently, finishing up with her rod but not casting it just yet. Do you want to talk about it? She asks, turning to look her in the face. She has a kind look on her face for someone armoured so heavily.

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

"Does it taste gross, too?" Khannie inquires skeptically. "I remember watching a movie with Zebes about pirates, and one of them was complaining about all the rum being gone, because this lady used it to set things on fire? Is it okay to drink stuff that catches on fire?"

That seems like a totally justifiable thing to be worried about.

She looks down at the cup again.

"What's it made of, anyway? It made my throat sting."

And she only drank a teeny tiny little bit!

Because it tasted so bad.

Why would anyone want to drink something that tastes so gross?

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"*Snif*. Yeah." The Tiefling sits in silence for a little while. "I'm Sekhmet."

[billtodamax]

In search of a fortress

Well, that's why I don't deliver it to those lazy fu- fellows at the forge. Musn't swear around the child you're feeding alcohol to. No there's no worries with drinking this stuff. He says pouring her a glass of dwarven rum. It might sting a little though. A good sting. He concedes. Dad says ale's made of pig tails. They're what we make cloth out of too but the bit that you brew is different from the bit you make cloth out of. Rum's made of sweet pods but it's not actually that sweet. Dad says all the sugar turns into alcohol. Endok knows a lot about alcohol production.

Olon meanwhile is wrapping up her argument and has started to drag over a dwarf who's smiling patronisingly.

Lake, evening

I'm Rath. The dwarf says, setting down her fishing pole leaning up against the bench. So, Sekmet, - Rath is not good at making the sound in the middle of Sekhmet's name - what's on your mind? She rests her arms on her legs and rests against them.

[bc56]

Lake, evening

Sekhmet breathes deeply. "Home," she says. She's only been in the Nexus a couple of days, and it's still fresh in her mind. She looks out over the lake again and picks her woodcarving back up, gradually starting to work on it again.

[UncleWolf]

"I don't watch a lot of movies." But the name makes it pretty clear. "But that's, I mean, it sounds like it could be a lot worse than it is."

Anchor is filling out a chart so if the alien doesn't awaken anytime soon, the nurse will know what to do.
Wait, is Leap saying...? This is all twisted around.
"Sweet of you, but I'll take it plain."
"And yes, I'm a proper researcher at the lab here. So ... you can call me 'Doctor'. I mean, if you don't mind going into more detail about your particular type of chimera...?" Anchor then grabs up a clipboard and pen. She can take notes!

Infirmary

All three mugs get filled with hot coffee and one set over next to Anchor before Leap settles down by tucking her spider legs beneath her body. "To begin with, the source of magic where my species is from is called The Flow. It is akin to an ocean of magic literally flowing through the world. Witches and Alchemists can manipulate it via bending it to their will or using formulae to do it for them respectively. Those who make Chimeric creatures tend to be the former, meaning that we're usually temporary at best but those who are particularly talented or thoughtful can make entirely new species." She takes a moment to blow on her coffee but as it is too hot she doesn't take a sip just yet. "The crux of the matter however is that you can only really create what you know. As the field of genetics isn't something back home apart from the thought of "Oh, these species can interbreed" or "best not to bang my cousin", it means that my genetics don't truly match what I am. Apart from some different markers, I'm genetically human. It's just that my species has been shaped by The Flow to be a different form and to have other traits show up more dominantly. I don't understand it much more than that as I have talent in neither Witchery nor Alchemy, but that's how it's been explained to me and how I've put it together."

Finally she takes a sip of coffee followed by another before sighing. "The kill-switch...it is both hormonal and magical in nature. Like a deep-seated racial curse set to trigger when certain conditions are met. Age, pregnancy hormones, time of year, and so on all start building up and once they reach a point, there is a limited amount of time before it triggers. And yes, that does mean that technically I get pregnant before the host mother does. It's a bit like..." She pauses, trying to think of the word. "Sea ponies? Something like that. It's just a mess, but if I'm successful, I grow further. If not, I still grow, but the spider comes out more and I turn feral. There's stories of driders regaining their senses after a while, but I've never met them."

[billtodamax]

Lake, evening

Missing your family? Rath asks, reaching up to put her hand around Sekhmet's shoulders and draw her in to lean on the dwarf's shoulders. How long's it been?

[Recaiden]

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

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

[bc56]

Lake, evening

Sekhmet recoils slightly from Rath's touch before allowing it. She wasn't expecting it, that's all. She replies, "Three days now."

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

Khannie gasps.

GASPS!

"But... but kids aren't supposed to drink alcohol, right?" she says, absolutely flabbergasted by this development. "Or at least that's what I've learned from movies and stuff. Kids aren't supposed to drink that stuff until they're grownups."

This is no doubt news to the dwarves.

Not drink booze until you're an adult?

What kind of insanity is that?

What kind of dwarf wouldn't be drinking ale from a young age?

A pretty undwarfy dwarf, that's what kind.

[billtodamax]

Lake, evening

It gets easier. She says. You never stop missing them, but it gets easier. You found somewhere to stay here? Landed on your feet ok? If sheer bloody mindedness was enough to get a goblin underground then a demon shouldn't be too much of a stretch.

In search of a fortress

Gan and Endok seem confused. But then what do you drink? The obvious question. Do humans really not let you drink alcohol until you're an adult? Gods how would you ever get your kids to sleep. Gan says, mostly to himself.

Gusil said he'd help. Olon announces as she arrives. The dwarf she's towing bows slightly by way of greeting. Hello hello, I've been told there's a magic book.

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

"Daddy usually gets me some water before bed. Sometimes some warm milk?" Khannie replies, still gobsmacked by this whole exchange. "I go to sleep real easy most nights. The bed at my daddy's house is WAY nicer than my old bed."

Given that it was a bed in a pokemon village?

Basically a heap of straw.

Not that comfortable, all things considered.

But then what's this?

A new dorf approaches!

Khannie thumps the book down in front of him.

"This one right here! I found it at the market place and used my allowance to buy it 'cuz it must be a magical wizard's book!"

It does look pretty fancy.

But it's still not actually a spellbook. Still a hand-written cookbook.

Though whether or not Gusil wants to inform the children of this...

[billtodamax]

In search of a fortress

Gan and Endok look horrified. Water? Like for sick people? Olon Khannie drinks water all the time! Olon looks at Khannie in shock, while Gusil looks over the book and tries to stop himself from laughing at the exchange. Milk too. He helpfully chips in, Olon and Endok looking extremely weirded out.

Khannie milk is for cheese. Endok tells her seriously. Do you really drink milk? Olon asks suspiciously. Maybe Khannie was just playing a joke on them.

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

"Milk is for other stuff too!" Khannie replies defensively. "Like ice cream and yogurt and cooking stuff and... I guess cheese, too? Haven't you ever had cereal with milk in it? Or oat meal? Oh! Or milk for dipping sandwich cookies in!"

Those are some of the major high points of milk usage, as far as Khannie is concerned. For sweet things!

Yogurt with a little honey. Or perfect oatmeal with just the right amount of brown sugar.

Or even a nice warm glass of milk before bed.

"Do dwarfs really not drink milk?" she asks.

Gosh.

This is so weird.

She's learning lots of new things today.

"I think some of the candy we got for Spooktober probably had milk in it? Milk is used for lots of cooking things."

[billtodamax]

In search of a fortress

You drink a lot of milk. Says Olon.

Miss, you're a human yes? Gusil asks, setting down the book. Well there you are. See Olon humans aren't as good at drinking alcohol as we are so they have to drink other things when they're young, poor dears. He winks at Khannie over the heads of Olon and Endok. Wow really Khannie? That sucks! Imagine having to drink water all the time.

Now I've got a spell here you might be able to try but it's pretty complicated. You'll probably need some ingredients from the kitchen up above. He pulls a sheaf of paper out from his pocket and scrawls on it in dwarvish, occasionally checking back to the book. He's found a cake recipe and is spicing it up a little to make it sound more magical. Once he's done he hands the sheet of paper to the kids. Good luck.

[Purple Eagle]

Off to see the DORFS!

We're not mortals we're dwarves. Olon says confidently. Endok nods along. I bet that means we could go. PLUS Tuskfang is a woblin which is like a goblin plus a wolf which definitely makes him good enough to go. Endok is still very jealous of Tuskfang's ears. OH I bet Brinika can take us! She's pretty much an adult. Olon has had a brilliant idea.

[Off to see the DORFS!]

"Yeah! Cheasadh moves there when Aunt Tralka adopted her," Tuskfang says, his tail wagging. "What's a 'mortal' mean?" He then asks. "Is a woblin or a dwarf a mortal? Brinika is older than us, though."

[Off to see the DORFS!]

Asher tries to figure out how to explain what a mortal is using his limited childlike vocabulary, but being an angelic being has its perks, because he blurts out the answer. "A mortal is a being that is subject to death. M-Momma said you'll grow faster than me, b-but I'll meet your d-des-descendants." Sometime in the future, still-preteen Asher will be looking at the adult woblin who's his agemate even though they don't look it, or something.

"I w-want to meet everyone and be their friend!" Asher declares, when all these new people he's not heard of are brought up. "M-Maybe I'll ask my momma if me and Tusky can be brothers! Won't that be nice? T-Then we can go to Underside all the time!"

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

"Because it's good!" Khannie objects. She's feeling a little defensive and vaguely irritated. What's wrong with drinking milk, huh? That's a totally normal thing. Then she nods to the older dwarf. "Yeah, I'm human, just like my daddy."

That's usually how it works, Khannie.

Children are the same race as their parents.

Unless, of course, magical nonsense gets involved.

Then things get complicated.

"It doesn't suck that much. There's lots of good things to drink that aren't alcohol. Like chocolate milkshakes! OOH, I should take you guys to Miltanks some time their milkshakes are the BEST."

See?

Now they have a quest for the next time they visit Khannie's house.

But there are other more important things right now.

Like the 'spell' that was just handed to the children.

"What's it say, what's it say?" Khannie asks excitedly.

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"Uh, yes. I'm fine, I think." Sekhmet doesn't look fine, she looks sad. But how often does someone say they're not fine?

[billtodamax]

Off to see the DORFS!

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

In search of a fortress

Khannie will see the spell is more of an alchemical concoction, that nevertheless involves lots of chanting and candles and exact timings. Also a lot of milk, curiously enough. Stripping away all of the panache (that Gusil was frantically inventing as he wrote) is a basic cake recipe.

I don't think we have most of this stuff. We can get the sugar and the eggs and the milk I guess. Olon says.

Lake, evening

Good to hear. Rath says, still sounding concerned. Well we got plenty of room underground. Plenty of food and drink too, if it comes to it. She's trying not to push too hard. Kids can be so skittish. You carve much? She asks, looking at the piece Sekhmet is working on.

[Rebonack]

[In Search of a Fortress]

But Khannie can't read dwarven script!

She'll have to rely on her friends to translate!

"Sugar, milk, and eggs?" she replies a bit skeptically. "Are you sure this is a spell? Those sound like things you would need for baking."

Uh oh.

She's kind of sharp, isn't she?

Gusil might need to add some clever misdirection, otherwise she'll get wise to the scheme!

Or the kids might just realize they're baking a cake.

Who knows!

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"I, uh, underground?" Sekhmet glances down automatically. "Uh, no, I don't carve much. I, uh, just need to finish this." Her carving doesn't really look like anything, just a tapered piece of wood right now.

[Morty]

[Off to see the DORFS!]

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

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

[billtodamax]

In search of a fortress

I bet it just looks like stuff you'd need for regular baking so wizards can get all the stuff they need without anyone catching onto what a cool spell they're casting. Olon says. Look we need to set up a ring of candles and stuff and there's a chant here we have to say and you don't have to do any of that stuff if you're just baking. Endok, who definitely had also read that far ahead, nods vigorously.

Lake, evening

Rath chuckles gently as Sekhmet stares down. It's where we live, lass. Dwarves, y'know. She takes a keener interest in what Sekhmet's carving. What's it gonna be? A person or something? Maybe distracting her will get her happier.

[bc56]

Lake, evening

"Oh, uh, it's a wand." Sekhmet answers, "For, uh, doing magic."

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress]

"Well..." Khannie mutters. "I guess we should try it and see what happens?"

An hour and a half of shenanigans later...

Khannie is now staring at the lopsided, somewhat sad looking pastry that just came out of the oven.

It... smells nice?

But it doesn't seem magical at all to her.

"That was definitely a cake recipe," she concludes.

A sidelong glance is cast at the book she bought at the market.

"I think maybe that merchant lied to me when he said this was a magic book."

[billtodamax]

Lake, evening

Oh aye? What sorta magic do ye do? My kids have been very keen on it. Rath says. She doesn't really know anything about magic but maybe this will cheer up Sekhmet.

In search of a fortress

Maybe it's a magic cake? Olon says hopefully. By now they've mostly taken over the GLoG kitchen, scattered candles everywhere, and generally made a mess of the place. I think a magic cake would look better. Endok says. Do you think we should eat it? They both look at Khannie. It's her magic book.

[Rebonack]

[In search of a fortress (or maybe a real wizard book)]

Khannie wrinkles her nose at the cake.

"It looks really plain," she says. "It needs frosting. Or, oh! Maybe ice cream? I bet they have ice cream in the freezer."

And then she begins rummaging through the freezer for the ice cream in question.

"Normally plain cake is boring but if you have ice cream to go with it then it's good," she explains.

It's important to explain this stuff to the dorfs since they don't eat much milk-based food besides cheese? That means they don't know all the best ways to eat ice cream.

"Aren't there other kids who live in the campground here?" she asks, gesturing at the surrounding camp with a fist full of spoons. "Maybe they want some cake, too?"

It would be a shame to eat this whole cake by themselves.

That's a one way ticket to a belly ache.