The Found Arcana - Seventh Interlude [IC] Options

[Tecumseh]

Cheese is bought without being shot. Cheese is melted, then spread. The oven warms up the place pleasantly on a cold February evening.

Mato wakes up from his nap and eats lustily. Probably more than his fair share, really, but he readily offers to buy more for the next cheese night, including some parmesan for Jawsey's farewell dinner.

"Doc said I might be hungry," he says between mouthfuls of melted cheese on bread. He's even spread some tomato sauce on them to make a sort of flatbread/pizza. "Said the healing body would boost my appetite to fuel the repairs. I wonder if the calcium in the cheese is what's tasting so good to me? I could drink a whole liter of milk right now, I swear. Or chocolate milk, ooo...."

He looks lost in the thought.

There's some wine to go with the bread and cheese, but Mato hardly touches it and AM not at all. But Mato seems livelier than he did before - certain than during his three-day coma - and, if anything, seems somewhat renewed. Curiously, there's a little more life in his eyes, a little more wit. He doesn't seem quite so dull as he used to and he even goes so far as to light a candle for the table, fold the napkins, and put some music on to make the kitchen a little classier.

"I don't remember much from when I was 'out'," he says. "I'm vaguely aware of the passage of time. Like you know when you sleep ten hours versus six? It's not like you can remember the ten, but you know it was more than six. And I feel like some subconscious part of me was thinking. Not dreaming, or if I was dreaming I don't remember any of it, but processing..." He seems a bit lost for the right word. "...life."

[Beta]

Although it wasn't the party that Jawsey had started off wanting, it turned into a nice night. Why is that I'm finally comfortable hanging around casually when I'm leaving? Or maybe that is why I'm finally comfortable, because I don't have to worry about where this is leading?

As a bonus to the fairly quiet night, the next morning is not too painful, and at some still fairly hour he is back in the kitchen, link in hand, looking up ideas of what to do with all of that meat.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby enjoyed the communal meal. The bread had come out just right and the simple Swiss Emmentaler had just the right amount of sharpness.
He partook only very moderately from the wine, knowing full well that his totem loved nothing more than him losing his grip on his own reins.

To Mato he said: "Milk, yes, that's a drink to build a body with. I can get you some. Pierre's supplier keeps a small herd about 10 Klicks south from the dairy.

I visited you daily to give you a status update on what was going on. Seems like the doc was right and it was a bit of a waste of breath. But good to hear that there was something going on in your head. I was worried that you'd end up as a vegetable..."

Afterwards at the trid watching, Bobby turned into a small housecat, sitting right next to Mato and purring. He knew for a fact, that purring not only helped cats to heal faster, but also transfered to those in contact with the little furry vibration specialists."

[Gilga]

AM settles for some raw cheese and then some pizza-like pastry. She makes some tea to go with it, refusing the wine. "You were very lucky, the spirits have blessed you with a strong body and talented friends. Did you have any unusual dreams? Sometimes this kind of experience can radically change people.

[Tecumseh]

"I like cats," Mato says. He's unsure whether he should pet Bobby or not. He's tempted to, but it might be an odd development in their relationship. Plus, Mato's metal hands are not exactly soft and warm like a metahuman's. In the end, he refrains, but he looks pleased enough to have something warm and purring next to him.

<<Friday Morning - February 10, 2079 - Touristville, Redmond>>

It's the morning of the party. You're enjoying your obscene lattes. Most of the art seems to focus on nuts and butts, with the occasional pair of breasts. The art style seems to be evolving day-by-day. This morning, Mato not only has a butt drawn on his foam but the bubbles have also been shaped to represent flatulence.

"No dreaming, no," he tells AM. "But I feel clearer. More lucid. Maybe that's from sleeping three days when it's usually three hours. It makes you wonder if the studies observing the short- and medium-term effects of the sleep regulator are perhaps influenced by the manufacturer conducting them." This last part said with a smirk of irony. This is also new; Mato is not much of a smirker. Perhaps his subconscious knows that Jawsey is leaving and is now developing a personality to help fill the void.

"But I've been laying around more too since moving hurts. That's been giving me more time to think and reflect. Perhaps that is contributing to things."

He claps, a jarring metal-on-metal sound.

"Alright, menu. Jawsey, are you still thinking pasta? I know a recipe for venison Bolognese that would go well. I'd grind up a few kilos and get them going sooner than later. The secret is 'low and slow' so I'd start after breakfast and it'll be rich by dinner."

[Beta]

"I was thinking pasta, because a real-food sauce without meat still tastes good, and is cheaper than meat. Now we have meat. But I guess pasta is still good? I have all the ingredients, and the pasta is fresh so it would be a shame to have to freeze it for later. So sure, let's do it. Put up an ARO of the recipe and let me see if we are missing anything for it."

He'd put more of his focus on vegetables, even at the risk of falling into elven stereotypes. But he does like nicely prepped veggies, he can't help it. So using Mato's recipe makes sense, those who crave meat more get something designed to work with meat, and he can still also make salad, asparagus, and the mushroom ragout. Better, all of that can be done while the sauce for the pasta is doing its thing.

[Tecumseh]

Mato drafts the ARO on the fly. He either seems to be working from memory.

"The secret ingredient is milk, preferably whole. We also need butter. If there's no butter at the dairy, we can churn it ourselves from cream. Bobby, can you arrange for it? Do they have a reasonable approximation of Parmesan or do we need to go to Bellevue for some of the imported stuff?" Mato transfers a generous sum of nuyen for the dairy products. Perhaps there is some lingering guilt over the cheese he consumed last night.

"Next, mirepoix: onion, carrot, celery. A bit of oregano. I would recommend garlic but not everyone is so inclined. Porcini mushrooms are similarly optional.

"Some wine, preferably white. Red works better if you skip the milk A can of tomato paste. Some dried mushrooms. A bit of venison broth. I can set some of the bones in the soup pot while we arrange the rest. I need to grind the venison anyway. Yes, very good."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby replied: "I'm on it, but I'v got to hurry though. Pete will get in trouble if the Ancients learn he is dealing on the side. Butter and Parmecano are no problem though.
Garlic yey, mushrooms nay - for me the stuff only tastes right if I'm in a form with tusks.
I'll go by the the flying fruit sellers - those day laborers usually manage to skim some produce from their jobs - and the night shift should be out and about right now."

[Gilga]

She responds to Mato, "Well, it is a remarkable recovery. Doubt anyone else could have survived this." she says with a bit of envy in her voice, while she is used to weighing as much as a potato bag and traversing the world knowing that any person, males, in particular, is physically stronger and a potential threat. She cannot but wonder how much life could have changed if she was born male, with some physical gifts. Would mother lock her in the house to stay out of trouble even then?

The food discussion is very difficult to AM, and it takes some effort to not fall apart. They are all wonderful and contributed their part and discussed foods to prepare, and they had rich experiences with real foods. Whereas, she never ever considered eating cheese or drinking wine or deer. Had she ever gotten these kinds of foods, she would have sold them to someone else for more urgent needs.

She admires her friends for it and yet feels so different and so alone. It stings to realize just how much she missed her entire life. How she settled on the Almost food cheap brand, and perhaps vitamines if she could afford them.
Whereas the rest of them have experienced this wonderful variety. They ate to enjoy - not to survive. Jawsey and Bobby have had wine, and Mato has had deer so many times that he has a favorite part!

She feels broken, poor, and desperate, whereas the rest of them are thriving. The future seems a bit intimidating as moving to a better neighborhood would imply associating with more people that have lived rich and interesting lives. People that enjoy food and drinks and do freaking yoga or something equally stupid. Too many changes, too fast she needs to breathe.

She excuses herself and gets to her and Jawsey's room, masking her foul mood as much as possible. "Fucking magic lodge and traditions," she comments due to the comfort of the magic lodge, and then it hits her, if Jawsey leaves, they not only make less money, her part of the rent gets higher. Bobby wants to move somewhere else - even more expensive, and she is barely out of debt and with a thousand new expensive desires.

There she listens to sad music in her earbuds - and eventually lets out a few tears. "One day, I'll have a closet full of shoes and a room for dresses, and in my kitchen, I'll have all these fancy foods, like cheese and wine and meat... but even then, I'll probably still feel the most comfortable in oversized male clothes and with Almost pasta for dinner." she says, frustrated.

[Tecumseh]

Mato notes something amiss with AM. He is sometimes tempted to accept these as Women's Issues or Female Trouble, but in this case he suspects otherwise. His olfactory sensors give him subtle hints about fluctuations in hormones and he does not think that they are to blame here. Instead, he attributes it to Jawsey's departure. Maybe some sort of elven camaraderie, or maybe it's a magician thing.

The work goes smoothly. Mato processes the bones to make a quick stock during the morning. At lunch, he pan fries the venison heart.

"It soaked overnight," he says, trying to coax the others to try it. "Salt, pepper, garlic, butter, that's it! It's tender. I even took out all the coagulated blood." Oops, too much information. In his defense, it does look far more attractive than the liver and onions. The heart is browned on the outside and pleasantly pink in the middle, like a lovely steak. Anyone who tries it will find it much more accessible than the liver.

Then it's the afternoon's work. Low and slow is the order of the day for the Bolognese. While that's simmering, Mato mops the floors and cleans the bathroom in anticipation of guests. Then it's time to shower, shave, and dress like you're having company.

"AM," Mato says. "I only have my uniform from Pike Hall. It's a little much. Can you make this shirt and pants look nicer? I'm, ah, a little behind on laundry."

[Beta]

Jawsey could tell AM wasn't happy, but glimpses at her aura suggested that she was carefully locking down emotions, so he chose to respect that choice. Maybe it would be better to cry together and get uncertainties about the future out? But that had never been their relationship, and now was not the time to change it.

So he worked quietly, first on helping get the slow cooking items going, then on a bit of primping of the house, then back to the kitchen. The liver was at the least educational, a stronger taste than he'd normally choose, but if he spent any amount of time on the mainland of Tsimshian it may pay off to be familiar with the best cuts of game. When he'd finished his taste, he thanked Mao "For the liver, for the education about game, and for everything else. When we met I didn't expect to learn much from you, but not only did I learn a lot, I learned not to make that sort of judgement so quickly. Or at least, to try not to."

But eventually he needed to go and lie down for a bit, to rest his back before the final preparation rush. Which meant facing AM.

He kept his comments simple "Use this lodge in good health. I've bought materials from Five-Finger Gao, to ship up to Haida Gwai. I'm going to make my own lodge up there, I don't trust finding one that I can access. Whenever I use it, I'll remember this one that we prepared together. You are the oddest shaman, but you've opened my eyes up so much, I hadn't realized how much I'd bound myself by certain stereotypes. Anyway, you are more talented than you even realize, I think. I have no doubt that between you and Trouble, SIS's magical needs are going to be well met. And decking. And talking. And cleverness. You are like the hero out of a story, you know?"

[Gilga]

Ripped out of her blues, and looking a bit of a mess she is initially stressed to see Mato, but then he brought the suit.
"Sure, let's make you handsome. Their colors are a bit off by today's standards, and clothes are a bit dated, but all that we can change. I change my own clothes all the time, this is how I create an illusion that I have more to wear than I actually do."

She thinks a bit and comments, "Wear it and come again. "I do my mods in front of the mirror so I can see how things seat on you and keep this thing exactly at your current measurements. " she comments and quickly and humbly asks for Iktomi's help with handling the drain of this spell. The blessing also has a side-effect of stabilizing her emotion and bolstering her confidence. She likes it -- and hates it.

"Feeling guilty?" She comments about Jawsey's desire to leave the lodge with her. "Lodge was quite expensive, we each placed over a grand into this project. I was expecting to buy your share or perhaps split it? Have something to remember me by?" she comments, feeling a bit awkward that someone would give her an expensive gift without asking for something tangible in return. Gifts are intimidating because they create an emotional bond, which is why she did not take any of the free stuff from Urubia.

Commenting on the 'odd' comment, she says "Shapeshifters choose unusual followers" she shrugs, "First of all, complimenting shamans on their magic is like complimenting a farmer on the rain. These gifts are given by the Wakan Tanaka to serve their will... and I betrayed my own mother for these gifts, I am the villain, trust me.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby retuned sometime later with his haul: a basket full of various vegetables - not the best looking (you wouldn't either if you get smuggled in a long coat from a greenhouse complex - but reasonable fresh and priced.

The last two days they had spent on food what they usually spend in a week.
And that was including his usual steeling and foraging.

But the real food just was so good...

Bobby disagreed with AM about the importance of status symbols, but not where food was concerned.

"We really need to help Cutty getting those hydroponics going - and buy shares." He announced.

[Tecumseh]

Mato shoots an ARO to AM of the look he wants to emulate. (OOC: to be clear, he doesn't want to wear his suit, so he's just having AM doctor a shirt and a pair of pants.)

AM, powered by Trouble, has no difficulty in duplicating the look. Mato looks almost incredulous at the results.

"Wait, can you tweak the label?" he asks. "Make it look like this." AM does so easily.

"This is remarkable," Mato says. An idea seems to be churning under the surface. He looks up at AM and makes eye contact.

"You could make a killing churning out counterfeits and knock-offs," he says. "This piece is 95% perfect, which means that it will fool 99.9% of people."

He points to the label on the inside of the shirt. "On an authentic piece, the stitching for the label would be tight and evenly spaced. Here's it's a bit loose, a bit crooked. It wouldn't fool a professional, but your average consumer? Frag yes!

"Think about it: everyone in Bellevue is either striving to move up or afraid of falling into Redmond. They want the look, they want the labels, and a lot of them are willing to cut corners to get there. You could take a solid but unremarkable piece by Wellington Bros or Vashon Island (OOC: both Medium lifestyle brands) and turn them into reasonable replicas of Très Chic or RhineGold (OOC: two High lifestyle brands). You could flip a 150 nuyen piece from Ares Victory into a 1,000 nuyen piece by Wuxing KoGo. You don't sell it for 1,000, you sell it for 450 or 500. Expensive enough that the buyer thinks it's legit, just a bargain, but you're still tripling your investment."

He slaps her on the shoulder to express camaraderie. He takes care to do it gently so as to not shatter her clavicle.

"What do you say? You want to rip off a bunch of Bellevue rich folks?"

[Gilga]

AM grins, manipulation spells come more naturally to her than others, she feels that the trickster just enjoys changing things and with a sense of fashion Glad you are happy with the transformation. The only way for me to appear socially acceptable is with such a small wardrobe.

AM thinks and then thinks again. I want to rip off rich kids as an ideology, and I do need the money. My equipment costs a fortune, and I am not yet finished paying for the Erika. So anything that gets me to upgrade a cyberdeck is tempting. It is frowned upon to use Wakan Tanaka's gifts in this particular manner. I feel like I am bending the rules a little bit now with creating interesting outfits -- but starting a clothing business and commercializing sorcery is taking the shaman code very far. I would have to abandon it completely, I guess, and I sometimes feel like I am drifting in that direction regardless.

She seems a bit pensive I'll tell you what, I can do it, but I cannot do it publically. If you really think we can get away with it without police or other criminals taking an interest in us - then you might have a good business venture. Let me know if you want to give it a go.

[Tecumseh]

Mato nods.

"You keep it small to avoid scrutiny," he says. "Word-of-mouth only. You're an elf, which means you'll be popular in Bellevue. The clothes we're selling? Just your secondhand things, or the things that didn't fit quite right. If someone wants a receipt, you can doctor one up quickly with the Erika. If someone tries to bust us, well then we're actually the victims: we thought you were wearing the real deal!"

He looks her over, the thin elf in oversized male clothes. AM's fashion sense might strain the credibility of the story, but there were ways around that.

"People want to believe," Mato continues. "They want to be fooled, especially if it's convenient to do so."

Guest are due to start arriving soon.

[Beta]

After AM's comments shakes his head in mock dismay, and replies "You are a doofus sometimes. I'm emotionally invested in SIS, I want it to succeed, to thrive. Starving the decker of cash doesn't help that. I've paid my debts, I can afford a new lodge. Could I instead take some more clothes or doodads or something north with me? I suppose. But eventually back home I'll need to make do with what I can eke out of that situation, and I don't think another thousand nuyen will make that much difference. I think knowing that you are solidly positioned will be of more value to me. But if a gift really disturbs you, rest confident that I'll happily take a future favour in payment. I'm sure I'll have need of favours at some point, and leaving you with a little less debt to pay makes it all the more likely that you'll be able to do that favour some day."

When he finds out about Bobby's latest haul, he seeks him out "Bobby, your talents for 'bargain' provisioning are amazing. I guess neither of us are that many generations removed from living off the land and water, but that was certainly nothing like what you pull off. I'd be excited to see what you manage next, except then I get sad that I won't be here to experience it. You have such a unique set of talents and so much imagination in using it. You are really the secret weapon of SIS, in that whatever is needed you can find a way to do it. Combine that with AM's breadth of magic, and it is a formidable amount of magic. Honestly it makes me feel less bad about leaving, between Trouble, Watcher's and your ability to get almost anywhere I don't think the team will miss a beat on the magical surveillance front."

"Actually, if anything, maybe you could take advantage of my departure to add more technological prowess to the team? I feel like a scientist would be useful, someone who could do all that neat analysis of physics, chemistry, and biology. Or someone good at making gadgets. Or frag, even a rigger, although you'll have so much magical surveillance that might offer less advantages."

With the new haul of food, he starts figuring out some appetizers that they can make. A bit of the remaining cheese on a slice of zucchini and a cracker ends up being quite satisfactory in his opinion. After thinking about it a bit he seeks out Mato and offers him one. "I'm going to prepare a plate of these for nibbles as people arrive. After tasting, do you feel we need a meat based appetizer, too?"

[Gilga]

She responds to Jawsey "You are just so different than anyone I have encountered before. Nobody in my entire life has given me a thousand nuyen gift. I grew up in a place where anything has a price, a terrible and impossible price for people like me. No reason to be nice to me, I have no backing, no money, no family safety net, and no legal status, people either exploit or ignore my kind of people. In fact, I wish I belonged to some people, my identity is nothing but the pain of being tossed to the rim of society, but it is a lonely feeling, and I feel nothing in common with the rest of the people in my status.

As for SIS, you are talking as if it is a thing of consequence, it is not. SIS would end either this month or some month in the future nothing good ever persists. "

To Mato she says , "Alright, keep it small and find a hobby like Yoga or something with fancy clothes, and gossip about how I know a guy selling them cheaply after classes."

Then to Bobby I have done research in hydroponics, and I think I have some basic models we can build out of junk. Either deep water culture for vegetables, or even Kartky for Lettuce and wicking buckets for trees. I am also looking into studying a few spells to make the entire thing more cost-efficient, but my spells would only be needed once we get a system up and producing, which would take a month or two."

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby laughed at Jawsey's remark: "Getting in is the easy part - getting out with the goods is where I always could count on you. I'll miss you - your great potential as well as that undeserved inferiority complex. Do me a favor: When you get back to your people, be proud of what and who you are. Slap any loudmouth across their fragging piehole and have one of your spirit give them an atomic wedgie. You've got the chance to invent yourself anew. You are the one who danced with a dragon and came back to tell the tale. You have a whole network of friends and contacts in the big city and if necessary you can call on us to lay down the law. You are a fragging emporer compared to your people. Never let them forget that you are due their respect.

I've talked with Razak meanwhile. He says he knows of a particular hard case that might fit in with us. We'll see how that goes."

Bobby nodded to AM: "I think I'll do a bit of studying on that myself. It's amazing what you can do with a little research and a lot of hard work."

[Beta]

To AM Jawsey replied "I refuse to believe that the world has to be that bleak. History is full of examples of communities working together to make things better for all. These times are bleak, but I don't believe that no small bubbles of good are impossible. Improbable maybe, but not impossible. So enjoy the lodge, and ponder the potential strength of community."

At Bobby's words he laughed "I haven't said much about it, but part of going back is exactly that. There, I matter. What I do matters, what I say might change things. I won't be a great power of the country or anything, but maybe something of a local one. In part from having magic, in part from my experiences in Seattle, including SIS. So damn straight I'm heading back with my head held high."

[Gilga]

AM finds Jawsey's response extra painful. Pockets of goods are possible? Why only in her thirties when they needed them the entire time. Would she bring her mother to Seattle finally? Somewhere safe as she wanted, if they are moving out of Redmond, then perhaps the guys are speaking of getting another place in addition to SIS, which means that SIS would be empty and empty. "Jawsey, I paid the Mafia about sixty thousand nuyen in less than a year. Not including ten percent monthly interest. I can handle renewing our lodge, I really can, and you are not starving me. That said, if you are truly okay with it then I would not offend you by refusing your gift. So thank you so much."

She pauses and then comments in a friendly manner "... and I still hate it that you leave, I've learned a lot from you and your confidence. Playing your sidekick in negotiations and seeing the way you can network have been inspirational. Studying with you has been a delight."

[Tecumseh]

There's a knock. Your first guest. Mato goes to answer it.

"Walon, oh spirits, what have you been rolling in?" he asks bluntly.

Walon comes in, looking like a vagrant off the streets because that's pretty much what he is. He's a legend on the streets for not giving a frag to an exceptional degree, to the great admiration of the Halloweeners and Crimson Crush. This evidently extends to his personal hygiene.

Mato grabs him by the elbow and steers him toward the shower. Ideally that bathroom wouldn't be occupied and steamy when the other guests arrived, and one might also prefer that Mato be more diplomatic about things, but perhaps there is some wisdom in addressing the issue now, early, before it discomforts other guests.

Walon passes by and it's clear he's been indoors much recently. Things maybe aren't so bad as Mato made them out to be, or perhaps the ork's olfactory sensors are rather sensitive to the topic. Walon, for his part, looks absolutely delighted about the prospect of a shower. One might wonder if he counted on this and arrived early for this very purpose.

"AM, can you do anything with these clothes?" Mato asks her once Walon is disrobed and showering.

The doorbell rings. It's Lysander, holding a bottle of something.

[Gilga]

AM wears her good clothes after she modifies them. She never wants to wear the same outfit twice but only has a single outfit. She decides to go on the line of a very modest but clearly feminine outfit with a long dress with almost no skin, minus a small cleavage. Not that she has much to fill it with, but she likes the shape of her body in that dress, and the way the soft fabric manipulated by magic to her exact proportions hugs her skin without being too tight and seats perfectly as if she visited the tailor just before a party. She praises the spirits for understanding that a woman cannot hang around in her Regalia all day and chant. Especially if Black is coming, she does not want her good friend to see her in men's clothes she wants to appear a bit more successful and on the right track. Kira is so optimistic about the future money flow AM has, but in the meanwhile, she is still giving Bobby everything she makes. Then when there are unexpected costs, she borrows more, feeling like a child that needs more pocket money. She does not feel very successful day today. While she does not like to admit it, she is very much relieved that Jawsey has left her the lodge, even if she suspects that it is his guilt for leaving her to fend for herself.



When Mato suggests she do something with the stinking clothes of their squatter friends, she smirks to suppress a laugh for some reason, the idea of using magic to clean the filthy clothes seems absurd. The Shaman code would not allow it, not that she follows it - well, she tried and did for a while, but then came vanity magic, and she likes to have a fresh outfit every time she dresses up. Now Mato suggests starting a side business and she does not turn him down right away - no, she would do that alright because she needs extra money. She waits for months to buy things, and she is tired of being afraid all the time or for owing her freedom to Bobby as much as she admires her friend. She wants to be her own person... A person that always has a generous credstick in her pocket.


She tells Mato , "Sure, the cleaning ritual would take about 25 minutes, but the clothes would smell like flowers when I am done with them.". She takes the clothes, barely touching them, so the smell does not stick on her, all the way to their washer/dryer. Then she places the clothes in the drum, selects the quick-wash program, and blesses the machine "We are forever grateful to the Wakan Tanaka for giving us home with a washer-dryer machine. She leaves the washer drier working and returns to the party, placing a mental note to hand Waylon his clothes back once they are ready.


She manages to miss Lysander's entering, but Bobby and Jawsey are there. She can almost hear his smile finding the situation absurd, or perhaps it is just her overactive imagination. When she returns, she can see Gau&Fenghuang arriving, Gau seems tormented he always does, and his serious face scans the small house with disapproval or interest whereas their place is not much more impressive. His wife
Fenghuang seems fresh smells very good and is wearing a yukata with elaborate drawings of texture and style. AM rushes to hug her and kiss at two cheeks "You look wonderful" she comments, and receives a similar response. Yet, the two quickly gossip about arcana and alchemy and a bit of sorcery. While Fenghuang follows a hermetic tradition that works entirely different from AM's version of shamanism, a lot more rigors a lot more logical, and less personal. AM is a scholar and the two find a common interest in universal magic theory, she sometimes wishes that she had learned some logic-based tradition it would have been easier to adopt but that wasn't in the cards for her.


Gau seems a bit out of place and nervous and is looking for something to drink to smooth the transition. He does not know the rest of the guests but when he finds Mato he asks about his health and well-being. He has likely heard AM talking about Mato's injury in their shop where AM spends a lot of her time studying.

[Jack_Spade]

Bobby welcomed Lysander with a rare smile: "Glad you made it. Thanks for the wine, it will make an excellent addition to the dinner we prepared."
Lysander looked around with undisguised curiosity: "So that is the infamous SIS agency. I somehow imagined it to be somewhat more..."
"...Tribal?" Bobby suggested with a frown.
Lysander shrugged: "Well, you are four native americans. I would have thought you'd celebrate your heritage a bit more."
"Frills cost extra and we are a no frills business for the most part. But it's probably my fault - you are dealing with me most of the time and I'm relying on the image of the savage."

Lysander just shrugged again: "Nevertheless, it looks quite cosy - and you repaired the damage to your front quite skillfully. Almost as if nothing ever happened..." There was a tiny barb and a hidden question there, that Bobby almost felt compelled to answer. Almost. Bobby shrugged in turn:
"The situation is ongoing. When we reach a resolution, I'm sure to let you know. For now, let me take care of your coat and take a chair. For drinks just help yourself to whatever you want, we've set up what's available here on the counter."
Bobby indicated to the small collection of bottles on the kitchen counter as well as the rather larger collection of six-packs.

[Tecumseh]

Mato can't have Walon clogging up the bathroom for 25 minutes. He goes to his room and retrieves a shirt and a pair of pants. Waylon is barrel-chested and big for a human, maybe even bigger than Mato, who is on the lean-and-hungry side for an ork. Walon emerges from the bathroom cleaner and smelling better. He wears a too-tight shirt from CrimeTime's Dejected Nation tour in 2072. (Regardless of Jawsey's feelings for orxsploitation music, he will absolutely have heard of CrimeTime.) Walon goes straight for the six-packs on the counter.

Lysander has brought an elven wine for Tir Tairngire. He turns out to be knowledgeable on the subject. "The Tir has at least 20 areas of distinctive winemaking, including some just outside of Cara'sir." This is the city formerly known as Portland. "This is from the hills just west of the city. I had to debate between a cabernet sauvignon or Zinfandel. I went with the cab-sav. It's medium-bodied and should pair well with" he sniffs the scents coming out of the kitchen "a red sauce."

The label indicates that it is called Delara. Jawsey knows that this means "quiet" or "serene" in Sperethiel. Lysander knows that Jawsey knows so he expands on it. "There's a street rumor that they put just a touch of Leäl in each cask because people swear they wake up not remembering anything. I'm pretty sure that's just the alcohol though."

Mato responds to Gau about his health and well-being. He goes into rather too much detail about his vertebral fracture until Gau's wife, Fenghuang, skillfully pivots away from medical details.

"I apologize," Mato says, seeming to recognize his error. "My father would tell me not to discuss religion or politics at the dinner table. And then my mother would swiftly add 'medical details' to the list."

Fenghuang, eager to change the topic, inquires about Mato's parents.

"Oh, they've been dead for years! A violent car crash. If they had survived the traumatic brain injuries they likely would have suffered from tetraplegia and disfiguring facial injuries from the way they hit the [blah blah blah]..."

Fenghuang blanches and turns toward the wine to escape.

Black comms AM: <<Running late!! Can't wait to see you but I can't decide what to wear...>> She attached two photos, one a traditional little black dress that's a dinner party classic, and the other a vest-pants ensemble that's a little more Redmond chic, which is to say urbanware that's both hip and armored. She asks AM her opinion.