"I want roses!"Xing gives an indelicate snort-laugh. "A rose?! Are those not for fawning teenage girls or useless rich women?" She leans in close, elbowing Sabelina a little too hard, "You are neither, I've seen this."
"They are also for Shelyn, the supreme beauty" Sabelina retorts.
"Mmm, yes, this is delicious!" Sabelina tells Kat this while admiring the corona the bartender has acquired. Her gaze continues onward, to look around the entire room. "It all so beautiful, everything." she murmurs dreamily.
Sabelina is of two minds on how much to drink. She wants her wits sharp when they go to meet the architect; but she also wants to retain maximum visual auras. She sips on the drink until she notices any reduction in the effect, then she stops.
No longer paying attention to the conversation, Senna is out of her seat and closely examining the monk’s shoulder and back, artistically and clinically.
She talks to herself as much as to Xing, ”Water, easy… Tien-style tiger… simple to replicate, probably need to make it more stylized since it’s got to be a lot smaller, unless you want the tower big. How much real estate do I have to work with?” Senna peeks under Xing’s shirt, pulls up her sleeves, examines her existing tattoos, and generally starts looking for open expanses on the other woman’s skin she can work on. She even pushes the other woman’s hair out of the way and examines the back of her neck.
”Pretty inked up already… so, smaller tower, more stylized tiger. Unless, you’ve got a clean thigh I can work on. That’d be ideal. Good canvas for a tower there… and your legs are so damn long.” Senna briefly considers taking down the other woman’s pants to see if she has open terrain on her leg… but (even through the booze haze) decides this probably isn’t the right venue given Xing’s shyness. ”Right! At some point, we need to discuss location and size or you can get naked for me.”
Senna turns her attention to the quality of Xing’s skin with a careful eye. ”Your skin looks to hold ink really well, especially the paler portions. Your other tattooists didn’t mention any issues, did they?” She runs a practiced hand over Xing’s skin and pinches her, observing how her skin reacts. She scolds, ”You don’t drink enough water. Your skin loses elasticity when you aren’t drinking enough water.”
It is a testament to how hard the Titan hit Xing and the Angst altered her perceptions that the Varisian woman violating her personal space - intimately touching and poking at her - did not immediately result in Senna being stamp-kicked through the bar. Strange days, indeed.
She looks back at Kat, "Are there any good book stores in town?"
Kat smiles at the sudden shift in the conversation - from tattoos to animal spirits to pubtending to literature. "Well, yes. We have several good book stalls and sellers. What kind of books are you..." her voice drops off. She seems to listen for a moment, then nods. "She, the architect, is free now. You can head over whenever you folks are ready. She says 'no hurry'."
Xing weathers the tattooist’s probing as best she can … which is to say with controlled breathing and a smile plastered in place. Sabelina’s words are a helpful distraction.
"They are also for Shelyn, the supreme beauty" Sabelina retorts.
"Ah, yes," she responds as Senna searches her scar-marked midriff, eliciting an unconscious flexing from Xing. "She's the goddess of butterflies and puppies and rainbows, correct?" She holds up forestalling hands, "I kid. I have no issue with Shelyn."
As Senna discusses placement and size of the tattoo, Xing hastily pulls her clothes back into place as she fully downs the last of the Angst.
"Simple and stylistic is great." She awkwardly reaches with her left hand to tap a spot on her right shoulder-blade, below where her current back/shoulder tattoos stop. "I was thinking it could go here. If this is the first step in a new, interesting journey, this is a good place to begin its chapter." A thought occurs to her, and she dips a finger in the remains of her drink and hastily scrawl the Minatan symbols for "first step" on the counter. "This could go below it, maybe?"
She seems to listen for a moment, then nods. "She, the architect, is free now. You can head over whenever you folks are ready. She says 'no hurry'."
"If you don't mind me asking, did she speak into your mind?" Regardless of the answer, she steps off the stool, ensuring her clothes are all back in place as her mind clears. "I am ready."
"Simple and stylistic is great." She awkwardly reaches with her left hand to tap a spot on her right shoulder-blade, below where her current back/shoulder tattoos stop. "I was thinking it could go here. If this is the first step in a new, interesting journey, this is a good place to begin its chapter." A thought occurs to her, and she dips a finger in the remains of her drink and hastily scrawl the Minatan symbols for "first step" on the counter. "This could go below it, maybe?"
Senna glances at the symbol, "I can do that." She frowns in thought, "I'm not sure if your shoulder-blade is the best spot for this type of tattoo, unless the shoulder is significant for your people... but we can figure that out."
She slugs down the rest of her drink as well and slides off her stool, shaking the last cobwebs from her skull.
She gives Kat a polite nod. "Thank you."
"If you don't mind me asking, did she speak into your mind?"
"Yeah. She does that on occasion."
Yash shot the second drink without much fanfare. As he sat listening, and the auras started to appear, his eyes widened. His attention had been on the rest of the establishment, but as talk turned to the spirits, he felt drawn back into the conversation.
"Dziadek jest moim mostem. Mówi do mnie, ale inni go nie słyszą."
"Huh. Apparently, you aren't the only ones concerned with spirits. Yash's grandfather is his bridge, but only he can hear him." To Yash she adds, "Proszę powiedz swojemu dziadkowi, że życzę mu dobrze."
When her glass is empty Sabelina gets up, ready to go as well.
"Thank you Kat, this has been a remarkable experience."
OH? Mama Cookie looks more closely at Yash. Well. I look forward to conversations with him. Perhaps. We'll see.
She gets suddenly distracted. In a single draw she finishes the rest of her drink. Then she shakes her head and blinks really hard.
Is anyone else seeing glowy bits around everyone else? Even Lady has a glow!
Kat nods. "You're quite welcome... And you'll be seeing those 'glowy bits' for another hour or so."
And so, our heroes leave Crossroads and cross the Table Green to find themselves yet again at the oaken door set into the white wall of the Campanile. A set of knocks yields a familiar telepathic response…
:: Come in, please. ::
You enter the Architect’s office. A plain rug covers the stone floor and tasteful tapestries add some needed warmth to the room by covering up much of the black stone walls. Bracketed by shutters, slit-like windows on three sides let in a modicum of light. The rest of the room’s lighting needs are met by four glowing balls of light that bob in each corner of the room. Additionally, one corner of the room is anchored by a circular metal staircase going up. Adjacent to it are a worn leather couch and a large potted plant. There is a sizable but utilitarian wooden desk located near the center of the room. The desk’s only remarkable feature is that the top is comprised of six squares of wood of very different colors, ranging from beige to blood red. You would describe the room as serviceable and spartan. The only other things of note are a large (1’ tall), nearly transparent crystal placed at the center of the desk and a life-sized statue of a cat, carved from a bluish milky crystal, that sits on the edge of the desk.
You wonder where the Architect is when the crystal cat blinks and its tail twitches. Its – her – thoughts reach you.
:: Good day. It is nice to meet you. I’m Anne… with an ‘E’. You wanted to speak with the ‘Architect’? I am she. :: You almost hear air-quotes when she thinks ‘Architect’ at you.
The cat stretches, much as a flesh-and-blood cat would, then reseats herself while looking around the office a bit curiously, you think.
:: You have questions? Ask. ::
Xing steps in curiously ... cautiously. Her eyes range quickly around the room, finally landing on the strange crystal cat.
Xing bows at the waist, deeper than you've seen her do before.
Sabelina also bows, with a flourish.
"We are grateful to be received into your presence Madame Anne. My name is Sabelina Kinbrace-Valognes, but I think you already know this."
Seeing Xing's hesitancy, she encourages you.
:: Come in. Come in. I don't bite. ::
Sabelina also bows, with a flourish.
"We are grateful to be received into your presence Madame Anne. My name is Sabelina Kinbrace-Valognes, but I think you already know this."
The cat dips her shoulders which you think is her version a bow.
:: Nice to meet you, as well. I had your first names but not your familial appellations. Thank you for adding another piece to your puzzle... And I am just 'Anne'. ::
Senna follows along and greets the cat with a smile and, given the cat's response to Sabelina, more information than she normally would offer. "Hi. I'm Senna Proviso, though it isn't a true family name. I'm a foundling."
Xing stands back up to her full height, looking at the cat, then the room, then the cat ... with a slight frown.
"Call me Xinxun Xhe." She pauses, her brow furrowing as she makes a few mewling sounds.
The mewling, meowing, and purring continues for a few seconds.
Anne smiles, if a cat can be said to smile, and continues telepathically in the Common tongue.
:: I appreciate the caution shown in asking that question privately, Xing. The answer may be of use to all of you, so I'll answer it openly - though it is putting the cart before the horse (a bit) in regards to this conversation... ::
:: This is my office, but you've decorated it with an amalgam of your unspoken assumptions. So, the decor is 'new' to me though the space is not. Overall, I like it. You have an utilitarian aesthetic that I appreciate. I've had a few newcomers that stuffed this room with a gilt throne and gods-awful gold trim, incense-burners, and statuary. ::
Mama nods in contemplation of this odd space that was decorated by them (somehow?) and continues the introductions, I'm called Mama Cookie by most. Have been for decades, but you seem like the sort that appreciates a full name. So. I'm Marbrix. I was born a Cinderfoot, but I've been a Hornbowler, a Berylforge, and a Greysparkle. It's a pleasure to meet you.
Lady steps out from behind Mama's skirts and speaks up. I'm called Lady. But my real name is... and she says something in a whispery, smooth language. Sylvan, if you know it.
:: An honor to meet you both. I'll call you Cookie, if you don't object, ma'am. :: She cocks her head at Lady's name. :: I don't speak that tongue but I appreciate it. My true name is unpronounceable given the limitations of vocal chords and the Common tongue. 'Anne' is easier on both tongues and ears... How are you finding Threshold? To your liking? ::
:: This is my office, but you've decorated it with an amalgam of your unspoken assumptions. So, the decor is 'new' to me though the space is not. Overall, I like it. You have an utilitarian aesthetic that I appreciate. I've had a few newcomers that stuffed this room with a gilt throne and gods-awful gold trim, incense-burners, and statuary. ::
Xing frowns. "What do you mean?" She pauses, trying to decipher the creature's words. "We didn't decorate this room. We just got here."
"And Threshold certainly is ... interesting. I have never seen anywhere quite like it. What is it?"
Xing frowns. "What do you mean?" She pauses, trying to decipher the creature's words. "We didn't decorate this room. We just got here."
:: Cart before horse… but I will try to explain. There are ‘laws’ in this world, yes? Like gravity. They are facts of existence that just ‘are’. If you toss a rock you expect – rightly – that it will fall down, unless magic or some other force acts on it. Different worlds have different ‘laws’ – like different gravities or different rates at which time ‘passes’. For certain places, that exist in and between multiple worlds, some of the laws are a bit stranger. One of the rules here, as real as gravity, is ”Perception is Reality”. Someone, somewhere told at least one of you that this is my office, and you formed an unconscious impression of what it must be like. Reality bent to match your cumulative assumptions even as you knocked. I’m just glad they didn’t say this was my throne room or my toilet. ::
"And Threshold certainly is ... interesting. I have never seen anywhere quite like it. What is it?"
:: There are many answers to that question. Some say we are a trans-planar city that travels through the multiverse. Some say we are a life raft. Some say we are an instrument of the Gods. Some say we are cursed and quickly leave us. Some say we are a community before anything else. Perception being reality, you could make a fair argument that all of those ideas are essentially true. I’ve been working on an analogy that explains Threshold more fully than any of those answers, would you like to hear it? ::
Yes, please. Mama says with a sigh. I'm a simple woman. Talk of extra planar whatsit had my head twisted.
Lady nuzzles her leg. Don't worry, we can talk it through later. she reassures.
Anne motions for you to approach the table as she pushes the big crystal firmly on top of the beige square.
:: Imagine that the green, blue, and yellow squares are countries in Golarion. And further imagine that each of the other three squares are entirely different planes of existence. The red one might be the Plane of Fire, and the other two might be the Planes of Elysium and Concordant Opposition. It doesn’t really matter. :: She indicates each square atop the table with her tail.
She continues, :: On another plane, a small jeweler crafts this extraordinary and large crystal, we’ll call it ‘Threshold’ which she has no intention to sell. She plans to keep and admire it. Nevertheless, one day the crystal is borrowed, or perhaps stolen, right before her eyes, and is whisked away to another plane… :: She pushes the crystal to the red square.
:: Our jeweler is clever and - being small – she manages to jump on the crystal before it vanishes. Now her crystal is on another world… She signals one of the lights in the corner of the room to come forward until it hovers directly over the table, casting a bright light on the crystal. You notice, given the clearness of the crystal, that the whole thing reflects and amplifies colors from the square on which it sits. Anne pushes it onto another square and again the colors showing through the crystal change. Even the angle of the light hitting the crystal brings out some hidden depth in the stone. She spins the crystal to reveal more depths and variants of color within it.
She presses on. :: The jeweler sees what you see now, that her crystal reflects a different beauty in different worlds, something she would never have seen if it had stayed in her beige world. Moreover, she sees that the complexity of her creation grows, that it evolves like a living being, that it gains new ‘facets’ every so often from world it visits… pieces of those worlds stick to the crystal and become part of its matrices making it more unique and complex. ::
Anne pushes the crystal onto the green square that represent some country in Golarion. Then she moves it onto the blue Golarion square. Back and forth, she bats the crystal between the two squares. Finally she pushes it onto the yellow Golarion square and leaves it, explaining, :: She travels with the crystal for a very long time. Over that time, she begins to see patterns in the movement of the crystal, some spots it visits often. Other spots, it only visits once. On those ‘visited once’ spots, the crystal more frequently acquires new facets that add bright new lattices to the overall design. ::
She concludes, :: Our jeweler knows patterns and matrices. While she cannot see everything, she begins to see intent and purpose in the ‘random’ movements of the crystal. ::
Anne bats the crystal onto the black square and twitches her tail, concluding her analogy and waiting for further questions.
As customary, Yash smacked his chest three times in greeting. "Yash."
As Anne's thoughts echoed in Yash's mind, he listened. His own questions reverberated in his head.
How did this come to pass? How old is Threshold? Do the spirits reside in the other worlds? Will Grandfather still be able to speak with me in another world?
The cat taps her chest with her tail, three times.
:: Anne. An honor to meet you, Yash. Jagdaz has spoken of you. ::
Sabelina blinks a couple of times, in befuddlement. It's not that she didn't understand what Anne has said, but rather a question of literally or metaphorically it should be interpreted.
"Do you mean then, we are presently inside a crystal?"
:: A good question. No... and yes. As I said, perception is reality and that reality is governed by 'majority rules'. Threshold is a 'city' because the vast majority of residents believe it to be so. When we first arrived on the Prime Material plane, local people could not accept a single cut gem the size of a city. It is, literally, unimaginable here... so they saw it as a city - and so it became. Once enough facets, er people, settled in Threshold and made it home... the pattern was set. Even being told this isn't a city, doesn't change the perception. So it is a city, and I am 'The Architect'... even though the city is a gem and I am a jeweler. ::
She continues, :: To clarify and be precise, you are in a city but only on the surface of the crystal. You aren't an integrated facet, yet. And you have the freedom to choose. ::
Mama's brow is furrowed in thought. You mean choose to become a facet? To bind ourselves to this City-Jewel? Can one un-choose? Both myself and the Lady Desna, whom I revere, greatly cherish our freedom.
Xing wears the same frown of concentration through the Architect’s entire metaphor, and even for a bit afterwards. She slowly looks around the room again, chewing the inside of her cheek as she ponders.
”I appreciate the metaphor. If I understand it correctly,” she shrugs as if to say I have no idea if that’s even true, ”it provides some helpful insights.”
She listens to Sabelina’s question and subsequent answer, raising eyebrows at the confirmation that this place is, in fact, a giant crystal. Cleary the Minatan hadn’t thought that would be the case.
”Yes, so you are a jeweler and this is a jewel. How literal is that? By that I mean … you made the jewel. Like a potter makes wheels? Or like a mother makes a child? Or like a tree makes shade?”
Xing nods to Mama Cookie’s astute question, as well, but it brings on another of her scowls. ”And what does it really mean to become a facet? Is that more metaphor? Or can one become — over time and through whatever it takes to assimilate — an actual piece of your creation?”
Mama's brow is furrowed in thought. You mean choose to become a facet? To bind ourselves to this City-Jewel? Can one un-choose? Both myself and the Lady Desna, whom I revere, greatly cherish our freedom.
:: This is where my explanation needs work... No one is 'bound' to Threshold. Some people have been with us for several years - residents and citizens - and then they choose to leave for any number of reasons. We do not try to change their minds. Being a 'facet' is choosing to be an active part of this community. Hopefully, that makes more sense to you. ::
”Yes, so you are a jeweler and this is a jewel. How literal is that? By that I mean … you made the jewel. Like a potter makes wheels? Or like a mother makes a child? Or like a tree makes shade?”
The cat blinks. :: Intriguing question... This is not my native plane and discussing the differences of my reality to this one could take the evening. I will attempt to put this in your terms. It is not mother to child. Though Threshold may have some glimmers of sentience, I have not 'birthed' it. It is very much more like a potter at a wheel. But, there are elements that remind me of a tree creating shade. ::
Xing nods to Mama Cookie’s astute question, as well, but it brings on another of her scowls. ”And what does it really mean to become a facet? Is that more metaphor? Or can one become — over time and through whatever it takes to assimilate — an actual piece of your creation?”
:: It is more metaphor. You are still - and will always be - 'you'. And Threshold will be Threshold. But, for those in our community, their perception of others alters slightly. Have you noticed people looking at you, or near you, oddly? ::
"Like the signs others can read, but are blank to us?"
"If you are the Architect, who is the Astromancer?"
"Like the signs others can read, but are blank to us?"
Anne considers. :: Not exactly, although the signs are a related result. In simple terms, you look 'different' to people that call Threshold home... In some ways it is similar to the auras you see from drinking an Angst. ::
"If you are the Architect, who is the Astromancer?"
:: If I answer the 'what', 'who', and - often poorly - the 'how'... it falls to our Astromancer to answer the 'where' and 'when'. Together we argue about the 'why' nearly daily. :: Anne's tail twitches suddenly. You think it is a sign of amusement.
:: I expect you'll want to speak with him next. He's right up the stairs. :: She indicates the circular staircase in the corner of the room.
Sabelina is anxious to know more about the 'where' and 'when' side of things, but she's not quite finished.
She frowns slightly as the wheels in her head turn over the 'why' arguments comment of Anne's.
"If you argue over the 'why' part, does it mean there is some sense of purpose underlying all this? Is Threshold simply happening, or is it building toward something, a purpose if you will?"
The cat's tail swishes subconsciously.
:: We agree there is or are purposes in much of it. I would not say 'all' yet because there are still gaps in the pattern. The Astromancer believes 'all' is correct. He has faith. ::
She bats the crystal to another square on the desk. :: To fully understand the purposes, we need to answer a few questions: Who 'moves' the gem now? And is it the same person who stole it initially? ::
"Czy to miejsce kiedykolwiek przestanie się ruszać? Po co w ogóle się ruszać? Czy jest coś, co próbujesz osiągnąć?" Yash inquires aloud.
Senna paraphrases."Yash wonders if Threshold will ever stop moving and why it moves at all? He'd like to know if there is something you are trying to accomplish?"
”Yash wonders if Threshold will ever stop moving and why it moves at all?”
:: I wonder that as well. We haven’t stopped yet, and it’s been 78 years. ::
”He'd like to know if there is something you are trying to accomplish?"
:: Principally, my goals are to: understand why this is happening, keep my people alive, and keep Threshold in one piece. Related to that, we have noted designs in many transits in recent years. We try to aid in accomplishing the tasks we believe are the aims of these designs. Our hope is that cooperation will result in learning more than resisting such attempts have. ::
Mama Cookie nods and then sighs. How young I was back then! Little tykes and all!
Another moment of private nostalgia passes before she focuses again and fixes a pinned stare at the crystal kitty. So. Suppose we stay. What are the terms of citizenship? Surely there's are common rules here. The extraordinary peace among diverse folk you've achieved here are testament to that much. And, secondarily, what do you get out of us joining? I get your the maker here and you're along for the ride like us to a degree, but to maintain the power you have there must be a hierarchy, and in a hierarchy the ruler always demands something of those who follow.
Xing sighs, ”Sadly, my travels have helped me realize most places are very similar … and few are worth actually making a home. People want to protect what they see as theirs, fearing to share it because they fear they will get less.” She shrugs, ”Not to say that this is necessarily the case with Threshold. Your creation here definitely feels different, but I guess time will tell.”
She frowns again, ”But these city-movements ... does everyone inside travel with it, regardless of their status or standing in the community? Do visitors and newcomers like us travel with it if it relocates?”
:: Related to that, we have noted designs in many transits in recent years. We try to aid in accomplishing the tasks we believe are the aims of these designs. Our hope is that cooperation will result in learning more than resisting such attempts have. ::
”What types of tasks have they been so far?”
Yash's eyes dropped down to the floor as his mind seemed to go elsewhere. He nodded as he spoke. "Yash know."
” I get you’re the maker here and you're along for the ride like us to a degree, but to maintain the power you have there must be a hierarchy, and in a hierarchy the ruler always demands something of those who follow.”
The cat almost smiles. :: The age-old questions, power and hierarchy… I’m not in charge in fact or as a power behind the ‘throne’, if that is your next supposition. I’d make a very poor ruler, we found that out long ago. The Citizen’s Council sets the rules and determines who oversees each necessary function within Threshold based on their skill set. Ultimately, all those intermediaries report directly to the Council. I’m an advisor to the Council and my portfolio is concerned with welcoming select newcomers, maintaining the structure of Threshold, and a few other tasks that are based on my unique abilities. ::
:: The Council doesn’t need to maintain power through elaborate means. The need for cooperation and a desire for each individual to survive are enough. I mentioned that Threshold is a life raft. That is not hyperbole. In soft worlds, such as Golarion, we seem much as any other city, and so it is. But when we are on the 111th layer of the Abyss, or any number of other hostile planes, everyone cooperates and works together or we die. There are environmental, physical, and ‘local’ dangers to overcome or keep at bay until we transit. In those situations, we are alone and only have our citizenry to rely on. Our community has unified through such experiences. We follow the Council’s rulings because we know they will do their best to save everyone and their decisions are based on the common good. ::
”What are the terms of citizenship? Surely there are common rules here. The extraordinary peace among diverse folk you've achieved here are testament to that much.”
:: We do have rules, largely common sense ones – no murder, no theft, leave your racial biases outside the walls, etc. And there are punishments for violations, as you would see anywhere else. Residency is a relatively easy and organic process. Stay with us for a time, agree to follow the established rules, then follow those rules… and you will become a resident. When you can read a ‘blank’ placard and can identify residents from visitors on sight, you’ll know Threshold has accepted you as a resident. Citizenship is another matter entirely. Citizenship is a responsibility, not a right. Many people born here never become citizens. Residents can only be granted citizenship by Council vote and it is based on repeated demonstrations of a resident putting the needs of the community above their own, often at great risk to themselves, or personal sacrifice. Citizenship is not based on your skills, martial abilities, or occult powers. It has to be earned through deeds and intent. ::
”What do you get out of us joining?”
:: As I said before, my goals are to understand the ‘whys’, keep my people alive, and keep Threshold in one piece. As your presence here is very likely not coincidence, we have reason to hope that you joining our adventure is part of serving some larger design. If so, you may help to reveal a ‘why’, and I (more reasonably) expect you will help keep people alive and help to preserve Threshold. If not now, then at some point in the future when your individual moments arrive. ::
“Sadly, my travels have helped me realize most places are very similar… and few are worth actually making a home. People want to protect what they see as theirs, fearing to share it because they fear they will get less… Not to say that this is necessarily the case with Threshold. Your creation here definitely feels different, but I guess time will tell.”
:: Our residents and citizens reflect who we are, so don’t take anything I say on faith. Speak with our people and address those concerns for yourself. Your experiences are sadly common to many prime material worlds, and some lower planes, so I don’t wish to minimize it… But I will point out that your experiences are based on travels in a single world around a single sun in a single plane of existence. Our values and society are based on decades of travel through scores of planes and interactions with a hundred races. Consider also… even if Threshold isn’t your final home, you will have the opportunity to sample many worlds with us and leave us when you wish. Are you more likely to find a perfect home by travelling through multiple worlds or is there a ‘perfect’ country in Golarion? Based on your previous experiences, how likely is it that Golarion has such a hidden gem you’ve never heard of? ::
”But these city-movements ... does everyone inside travel with it, regardless of their status or standing in the community? Do visitors and newcomers like us travel with it if it relocates?”
:: Everyone and everything within the walls goes with us when Threshold transits. Once the Astromancer believes a transit is approaching, we evacuate every visitor and newcomer from the city and recall our residents and citizens outside the walls. Only people who willingly choose to stay - knowing the risks - are allowed to remain when we transit. ::
”What types of tasks have they been so far?”
:: They seem to related to ‘righting wrongs’, addressing situations that are beyond the capabilities of the natives to effectively handle, or – infrequently – uncovering information that gives us some context for why we are involved in these efforts. At my most skeptical, I wonder if these are 'crumbs' to keep us following the design of whomever is controlling matters. ::
Mama and Lady share a meaningful look, then she speaks. Well, I have to admit I'm intrigued. I will stay and see what this is all about. I've already had a farewell to my family in Ram. They know what I'm up to, though I doubt anyone expected me to join up with a magical traveling town that's bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. I know I didn't expect it.
Count me in!
Count US in. Lady interjects. You don't get her without me!
Anne, the cat, nods to Cookie and Lady. :: I'm gratified by your resolve. You don't have to choose right now. We don't have any indications of transit, yet. Feel free to explore the city more and speak with others to address any concerns you may still have. If you decide to leave, I'd appreciate it if you gave me one more opportunity to speak with you first. ::
Using a claw, she scribbles notes on a placard which stays blank so far as you can tell. :: You'll find residents are now more willing to be forthcoming with you. ::
She looks to the other heroes, awaiting additional questions. She seems unbothered by the amount or nature of the questions so far.