From the Ashes Reborn (IC)

[Spectrum]

In Front of the Apartment

AJ grins a bit, looking Catherine up and down again, "Well, since you don't have any questions, I've got two. What's your number and what are doin later?" yikes, lame! Well, that does explain the odd looks from earlier.

He laughs again, "Yeah, she was an okay cook. I mean, she didn't get out much, but she really cared about the garden and sometimes she'd spend the day over there, helping to supervise." he shrugs, "You want to go see it? Not much to look at anymore."

As he starts to guide you over, "Interbred? Hey, I dunno, she attracted cats, tons of the little guys, kinda like she attracted people." he smiles a bit more grimly, "People tried to adopt as many as we could, but you know, its hard, one more mouth to feed."

Bodega

Carlos laughs a bit, doing a swanky little wiggle of his cane, "Actually, I was going to start walkin that way home.." he carefully adjusts his bag under his arm as he shuffles on across the parking lot, between the arms of the 'estate'. "Eh, you're spreading word about Ms Clementine, we'll work out something. The old dame was always big on paying it forward."

The Gardens

Soon the entire group gets to the garden from different directions. Seems that the garden has seem some better times, left not as attended as it once was. There are even some signs of repaired abuse.. At the same time, there is a familiar resonance to the place, this is a place of power, much like the studio.. someone Loved this place and while the power has faltered, it might be restored. As far as plants go, tomatoes, peppers, basil and cucumbers are the big attractions and show the most love. In one corner, there is a small thriving rose plant full in bloom. A small black and white kitten is stretched out beneath it.

[Coyotzin]

Hypatia "Pat" Burgess
HP: 1 Cond: ^_^;;;

"Riiight... We'll work on your smile later." Pat smiled sheepishly and led the way to the bus stop.

"I don't have a car." She said, but wondered if she could just make one appear. She opted not to push it. "So we're going to take the bus; it's a vehicle paid and run by the city that travels in fixed routes, so that people who want to get between points along that route can do so quickly and with little expense. I don't suppose you have any money, right? I guess my bus pass will do."

Pat wasn't sure how to feel, walking side by side under her umbrella with an actual demon. She didn't think Lilith was the kind of demon that figured in horror tales. Her manifested body was too small for her attitude. That kind of ego and forwardness belonged to someone much taller. And curvier.

"So..." She said as they waited at the bus stop. "How did you manage to come to Earth unsummoned? I mean, it must take a great deal of power..."

[Mr.Sandman]

Catherine McMars
HP 1

Catherine laughs "Later I think I will be working on this paper. Maybe I will get some time to hang out with my girlfriend... My friend, who is a girl, that I am not involved with romanticly, not that I would have anything against that, if thats what your into, or would mind if she was or anything. She is a great friend, a really great friend, and great looking too, not that I notice. I am going to shut up now, lead the way." Catherine lapses into an embarrassed silence. Her jumbled thoughts and private fears and hopes regarding her close friend had just rushed from her mouth at the first stranger showing any romantic interest in her, it was humiliating. She quickly jots down her number and gives it to him, a deep red spreading across her entire face.

[timothy]

Tommy
HP - 1
Luck - 2
Condition - amused

Tommy watches with interest as Catherine stammers her way through her conversation with AJ.

<Wow, is that what I look like when I try talking to a girl?>

Soon, however, his interest is turned to the garden.

"This is amazing. Mrs. Jackson was responsible for this, right?

"Did she get everyone to come in and help with the planting and stuff, or just special people?"

As he waits for an answer, he moves slowly to the rose bush, crouching and holding out a hand and making crooning noises to the kitten.

[Hound]

Lilith
HP: 1

When Pat asked about Money, Lilith began to laugh and cackle. "Mr. Rabbit! My wallet!" The stuffed rabbit bag on her back suddenly began to shake violently on it's own, as if it were suddenly alive, and all at once the stuffed animal vomited up a large blue bag straight up into the air. The young demon caught it with ease and held it up with pride.

"My family is one of the wealthiest in my domain." She opened the bag and revealed dozens of golden coins each one a bit larger than a bottle cap. On the face of the coin was an twelve-legged spider, and on the tail end was some runes that were in demon.

"These should do just fine." Lilith beamed with pride.

Pawn shop!

[cobalt-blue]

(OOC- Hope I understand this correctly. Currently under influence of serious painkillers)
Shannon North
Condition: Curious
HP 2
Shannon studied the garden making note of the various plants as well as the cats. With a smile, he said, "I bet the garden doesn't have too much of a problem with rodents or birds."

[Spectrum]

The Garden

AJ grins widely, from ear to ear and around the other side, "Thanks.. Catherine. Yeah, maybe you and your friend who's a girl and another friend and me and my brothers can get together sometime and you know, go out or something sometime." poor deluded fool.

Carlos carefully pushes his cane into the soft earth. "Yep, she really did some supervisin', telling everyone what to do and you know, she was damn good at it too. She just had a way about her, you didn't even think before doing it.. and *his voice lowers* you found that you didn't quite mind it either. We all came together to get this garden going." he frowns, kneeling down on creaking knees to pull some weeds, "Shame way to pay tribute to her memory, letting it go to pot like this."

The kitten gazes up at Tommy, pawpawing at his hand. There's an odd lurch there for a moment, like right sizing, but not quite.. a spark of something and then is quickly gone again.

Go ahead and make some appropriate rolls and/or questions, I suspect that I'm not giving enough clues and its slowing things down.

[Coyotzin]

Hypatia "Pat" Burgess
HP: 1 Cond: ^_^;;;;;;;;;;

Two days ago, Pat would have been freaked out by a cute bunny backpack suddenly animating and spouting a bag of gold coins. How much things can change.

She looked at the coins, which would be the perfect prop for LARPing, except these were real. Oh, Pat did not doubt that it was real gold, the problem lay in the fire under which they'd been smelted and minted.

"Ah..." She blinked. "I'm afraid your money is no good here, as currency. You might sell them at... well, a pawn shop, but they'd only pay for the weight in gold, unless you can convince them to pay extra for the craftsmanship, and..."

Pat thought back. She loved to visit pawn shops and used goods stores. There were literal treasures hidden there for costume-making. She had once thought of those shops as magical, but she was now afraid that at least one of them actually was. She'd have to visit all her old haunts with her new awareness, just to check.

"...well, if by any means we stumble upon someone who actually knows what they are worth... there will be Questions."

The capital Q made it into her inflection, implying how bad that could go for Lilith, or both of them.

[Hound]

Lilith
HP: 1

Lilith frowned, she hated it when others were right about things. She did not look forward to meeting any Hunters. Lilith knew she had the power to be very convincing and excellent at lying, but even she could not hold up a blue pen and convince someone it was red. Her lies had to at least have plausible deniability.

Then an idea struck the young demon. "You are a witch. Can you not simply use your magic to glamour the silly hue-mons? Make them accept the trade with out questions? Or perhaps you have the power to transform this gold into human minted gold? Can't you simply snap your fingers and magic us there?"

Lilith frowned and folded her arms "If you do not have such power, then I suppose I could fly you there. Water is falling from the sky, the hue-mons in the area are carrying shields over their heads to protect them from the water. In such a situation, I think it would be simple enough to fly over head with out drawing attention. After all, how often do hue-mons really look up?"

[Mr.Sandman]

Catherine McMars
HP 1

Catherine laughs nervously "Yah, maybe" before heading over and inspecting the plants. Something definitely felt familiar here and she casts her eyes over the plants looking for some that seem different from the rest.

Notice=11, Ex. Botany= 20

[cobalt-blue]

Shannon North
HP 2
Condition: Inquisitive

Shannon listened to the folks describe the old lady as well as her leadership style as he took notes. Looking around, he asked, "So would you say she was the kind of person that simply inspired you to do better?"

[Spectrum]

The Street

Lilith should be shocked, as something vaguely familiar pulls up to the corner before them. Well, it looks like one of the large demon movers.. but it doesn't have wings.. or belching forth black clouds of smoke (okay, maybe a little puff here and there) and it definitely doesn't have a team of demon stallions (or hooo-mans) pulling it.. but you recognize it for what it is, a bus! Then again, only poor people use those things. And the *sniff* witch you're with does look to be rather lacking in power and thus, poor.

The Garden

Catherine has an odd impression that she could actually speak with the plants if she chose to change into a closer phase and in truth, feels a compulsion to do so... But even without those senses, she can easily pick up on while these sweet plants had a good start, all the proper love and caring.. in recent weeks and months that they haven't been tended to as well. Mostly, what is here are things that you've read about (and probably personal experience) as things that aren't hard to grow here, while maybe not the most native choices, at least are well suited to the climate and overall growing conditions. You're pretty sure that if you chose to spend the time, you could make this place thrive once more.

I actually chose the list of plants here from a easy guide to gardening in the Chicago area. Should be close enough to accurate.

With Shannon's question regarding the matron's leadership, Carlos and AJ take a look at each other and laugh about the same time. Carlos reaches out to AJ for help in getting up, "Oh, I wouldn't say that she inspired us to do better, you just found yourself doing it." AJ follows up quickly, "Most of the time she didn't even need to say anything to you, just a single look and you Knew what you were supposed to be doing before you got lazy and forgot." Switching back to Carlos, "She was a great ol' dame, they don't make many like her anymore."

The cat takes one more look at Tommy, sniffs a few times and scatters, running up towards one of the apartment buildings.. looks back, stares impatiently.

[timothy]

Tommy
HP - 1
Luck - 2
Condition - hmmm...

Tommy watches the kitten's strange behavior. (Well, it would be strange to anyone who hadn't lived through the recent events Tommy and his friends had lived through.) His decision was made almost without a thought.

"Um, guys, I'll he back in a couple of minutes, okay?"

Although phrasing and inflection make it seem like a question, he doesn't wait for a response before following the kitten.

[Mr.Sandman]

Catherine McMars
HP 1

As much as she feels the urge to Catherine does not feel this is the time to turn all green and viney if they would like to keep their cover. A(and B and C)J is probably like them, but she is not sure and the old man most likely is not. Instead she turns to AJ and says "Can you find me a watering can and a pair of gloves? I am going to see what I can do for these plants." She would have to come back later, in plant form, but for now simply making them better would be enough.

[RdMarquis]

Julie Watson
Condition: Sympathetic
HP: 4

Julie smiles sadly. Based on what they told her, she did have a suspicion Ms. Jackson had been exercising some kind of control over these people. But considering their fond memories and the fact that the neighborhood seemed to be in decent shape, she decided to reserve judgment. Julie was becoming aware of what she would describe as a desire to protect these complete strangers. "She had been with you a long time, I take it?"