Tam's single room apartment didn't have much of a kitchen, but with a toaster oven, microwave, and crockpot, she managed to turn a morning's grocery shopping into a fine stew with garlic toast, a heap of salad, and a tastey desert of rasperry's over buscuits smothered in cream. Everything was laid out on a folding card table covered in a forest green cloth. The plates were cheap, but at least they weren't plastic. The chairs, however, were plastic.

Tam looks at her clock and sees it is almost time for Orphan to arrive.

Orphan gets ready early, dressing in something a bit nicer than his usually rough-and-tumble outfit - grey dockers, his usual workboots, a white knit shirt under a big, bright-colored Hawaiian shirt, worn unbuttoned but long enough to hide his pistol in the back holster.

He wasn't sure what to bring - this wasn't a date, not really, so bringing flowers sounded kinda not right - but he thought he should bring something. Since Tam was new around here, he thought a plant would be nice, kind of a housewarming gift, not as forward as flowers. So then it was what kind of plant to get. Cactus? Too prickly. Aloe? Practical, but not too interesting. Finally he decided on an English ivy - vibrant, lively, growing. That'd work.

He arrives right on time and knocks on Tam's door.

Tam is wearing navy blue slacks and a white button-down shirt. She is barefoot, but she is home. Her hair is loose and springy.

Tam heard the knock and hurried to the door. She didn't open it immediately, waiting a second or two to gather herself. When she opened the door, she saw the ivy and smiled.

"Did you know I am interested in gardening? I'm not what you would call a green thumb, but maybe this little one will help me start in earnest. Some kind of spice would have be good, though, since I cook, and aloe is so awesomely functional."

Tam stopped herself, and when she resumed, she spoke more slowly.

"I'm sorry. Orphan, please come in. It is a beautiful ivy."

Tam steps back to allow Orphan to enter.

"I have dinner cooling on the table. Welcome to my humble little hole in the world."

"I'm glad you like it," Orphan says, smiling when Tam lets him get a word in. "I didn't know for sure you were into gardening, but I figured it a good bet, and that a plant's a nice housewarming gift." He reminds himself to go with the aloe next time.

He walks in and looks around. "Where'd you like me to put the ivy?" he asks, looking around to get a sense of what Tam is into. He pays special attention to any artwork, music or books she might have around.

Tam's 'apartment' is actually a finished attic above her landlord's garage. It is large enough for simple living, but the ceiling contours to the roof on either side. At the sink, plastic shelves hold chaotic piles of cheap wooden utensils and ceramic cookware. The bed looks lumpy, as if the top blanket were thrown over an unmade bed. There are a few small lights and many large candles. A yoga mat is rolled up in the corner next to wooden practice knives as well as a few steel blades, one big enough to be called a machete. Amidst the pile is a cheap mp3 player wrapped in cords for earbuds. There is no TV, but an old Mac laptop is half hidden under the head of the bed. The closet is closed, but the edges of a couple garments can be seen sticking out from under the door. The double window is open and on the wide sill, a necklace of animal bones is heaped upon some opened envelopes.

"Just put the ivy over on the window sill."

Tam lights a couple candles and places them on the table. She leaves two lamps on.

"Dinner is done, as you can see. Have a seat."

"Smells wonderful," Orphan says, as he sets the ivy down on the windowsill. He then goes to pull out Tam's chair for her to sit.

Tam sits in the plastic chair, but smiles and says, "Now you are just being silly. I'm not much for formalities. Sit down and dig in."

"Fair enough,"Orphan says, smiling. "The Legacy I follow, the Brotherhood of the Demon Wind, a lot of them see themselves as modern-day samurai, so a lot of them are into ritual and formalities and all that. It kinda gets ingrained when you go to someone's home, you know, even though it's been over a year since I've seen any other Brothers."

He serves himself up a hearty portion of stew and salad, as well as a slice of garlic toast. "Everything looks and smells wonderful," he says. After taking and swallowing a bit of the stewe, he says "Add 'tastes wonderful' to that review, too."

"Thank you,"says Tam, smiling proudly.

"Demon wind? I'm hoping there is more symbolism in that name than description."

She hasn't sensed anything demonic about Orphan, and she is fairly confident about these kind of things.

"I know nothing about the Japanese culture. I know that the Samurai played with sharp pretties, but that's about it. What drew you to the Brotherhood? Or did they hunt you down for recruitment? If I ever joined a Legacy, it would have to be The Gardeners of the Shadow, or something like that. I like gardening, but cultivating a rich spirit ecology fascinates me."

Her shoulders droop and a frown creeps onto her face.

"The current state of affairs around here depresses me. Nobody seems to notice it, but Phrymides has politely reminded me that my fanciful whims are not the heart of the world, and there are mundane concerns that are just as important."Tam brightens up."From what I hear, the Arrows are looking at some adventuring."

"Blame translation from Japanese," Orphan explains, regarding the name of his Legacy. " 'Wind of the Fierce, Avenging Spirit' or something like that would probably be a little more accurate. Strike fast, strike hard, strike before they see you coming, that sort of thing. It's kind of a family legacy for me, I guess. My dad was a Brother, and I took his place when he died, to carry on for him and get a better feeing of who he was, what he was all about. My Mentor, Typhoon, was his Mentor. So, I found out a lot of it is about honor and discipline. But also cool swords," he emphasizes, grinning.

After chewing and swallowing a bit more stew, he adds "Oh, and the 'Brotherhood', it's not all Brothers, we have Sisters, too. Some of the older guys aren't comfortable with that, but guys who deal with Time need to accept that times change."

Listening to Tam talk about the local state of things, and how some have reacted to her concerns, Orphan doesn't say anything at first, but he smiles when she asks about adventure. "We've been on some adventures, and more to come, but some of them haven't worked out too well." After a moment's pause, he decides he doesn't want to ruin the mood by talking about Granite Park. "No lack of adventure on our end, though, that's for sure."

About that other stuff..." he shakes his head. "I don't know Phrymides, but the idea that whimsy and fanciful things aren't important in the big scheme of things... well, that doesn't fit with how I understand magic. Sure, it's not really unicorns and rainbows and bunnies out of hats, but magic is all about wonder and possibility. As to the mundane stuff, yeah, that's often serious stuff, serious danger and serious problems, but whimsy and fanciful ideas... that's where creativity and hope come from, and those are about as important for dealing with those 'mundane concerns' as anything I can think of."

Tam ate her meal, enjoying what she had put together, occasionally, speaking with a full mouth. While not a complete slob, she didn't spill or drool, her practice of table manners would have made an etiquette school marm twitch.

"I always had a friendly, but distant relationship with my parents. They were mundane Catholics of the Irish flavor. All that church stuff, the ceremonies and rituals, never made much sense to me. Instead, I preferred to wander in the woods, listening to the voices. I didn't know until later that I was actually hearing the echoes of the spirits around me."

Half way through her stew and salad, Tam started to pick at her dessert.

"I had a mentor on the East Coast. Her name was Falling Leaf. Brilliant woman. She is the one who guided me on my path. She even taught me how to use a knife. I'm not the strongest of girls, but a blade is more about finesse than power. At least, if it is used properly."

Having filled some sweet craving, Tam returned to what was left of her stew.

"Did your Brotherhood go into the philosophical side of blades, or was it all about the proper way to cleave unto others."

Tam smiled slyly as she said that last few words.

Orphan eats as Tam talks about her past. He eats slowly, taking time, focusing right now on nothing other than Tam's words and presence, and the pleasure of the meal. Mindfulness, a Buddhist concept... doing things fully, to gain the most from the experience. He goes back and forth between the salad and the stew, saving desert for after.

"A lot of the Brothers get very into the philosophy side of things... bushido, the Samurai code, but also broad ideas, like how different ways of using blades reflect different elements, different Supernal concepts. That goes along with what your Mentor taught, how to use a blade with finesse, not just power. We also think about how, looked at the right way, Time and Space are illusions, and what this means for combat. Being Arrows, it all gets back to combat eventually."

Orphan takes a drink and smiles. "Some of that I'm still trying to wrap my mind around, though, I gotta admit. But I'm reading more different stuff than I'd ever thought... philosophy, history... I've started reading physics and chemistry, even."

Orphan looks down to his plate for a moment, to guide his fork, and when he looks up, Tam's eyes catch his attention. He falls silent, fork halfway to his mouth, just looking at her. When he realizes he's doing that, he looks down again, takes a bite and thinks "Okay, I probably looked like a gawking dork right then." He smiles shyly, knowing that if Tam's paying attention, there's no way she's going to miss his blush, given his pale complexion.

"I've started my own studies, trying to catch up from where I left off out East. I'm not much of a bookworm, but I really should do some reading once in a while."

Tam finishes her soup, then starts to nibble at her salad. She notices Orphan's stare, then blush. She smiles.

"What are you blushing about?"

She grins even more as she realizes he will probably blush even more. She quickly tries to change the subject.

"Time and Space. Two things I haven't studied. I have an interest in Space, though. The Shadow occupies the same space as this side of the Gauntlet, yet it isn't 'here'."

Orphan is about to reply to Tam's question, and probably blush a bit more, when her subject shift saves the day. Multidimensional reality and the time and space being illusory are much easier things for him to talk about.

"Yeah, that's the way I hear it. I don't know a lot about the Shadow or the Spirit stuff, really. I studied with a Thyrsus for a little while, back before I started my Legacy studies, but I mostly focused on Life while I was working with him, not so much the Spirit side of things. Acually, Spirit's one of the three Arcana I've not studied yet, along with Forces and Prime. I'm a Disciple of Fate and Time, and an Initiate or better in the other five. How about you? Other than Spirit and Life, what do you use a lot?"

Tam shrugged.

"I have an affinity with Life, but I really haven't focused on it. I feel a parallel between Spirit and Prime, but I haven't figured out how the two are entwined. I'm working on that, though."

Tam finishes her salad, then moves on to complete her assault on the dessert.

"Ghosts and anything the Death arcana encompasses really freaks me out, but someday, I would like to look into it. I am curious how ghosts and spirits differ. Tell me about Fate and Time. I know little about how they differ. I always thought they were basically the same thing. I mean, with Life and Spirit, they are shadows of each other, but they do have separate realities. Time and Fate, however, seem to be just two sides of the same coin, different only in the perspective one takes."

Orphan nods, takes another bite of stew and one of salad, then a drink, nodding. "Give me a sec to think about how to explain that best I can. I think about these things a lot, but putting them in words to explain them to someone else..." He shrugs.

He is clearly giving the matter some thought as he takes a few more bites. Finally, he says "I think I can give it a shot. Hopefully this makes sense.

"Fate is about what knowing what will happen, and why, and how things connect, and being able to change those things. It's about the way things are supposed to be, Supernally... really, it's about knowing what will be, and what Is. It's less about when it will happen, than that it does happen."

Orphan takes another drink of water before beginning. "Time... is tricky. Sleepers see time as linear, moving forward, cause and effect. That's an illusion, both Supernally and in terms of quantum physics, as best I can understand the physics. Those that can understand Time can see backwards or forwards in time, or even sideways... sort of like what physicists and science fiction writers call alternate realities. Sometimes we're able to change what would otherwise happen, or change the present by shifting some things over from one of those alternate timelines into ours."

Orphan takes a couple bites of salad and a quick sip of water. "Now, there's sort of a paradox here - the logical kind, not the Abyssal one. If Fate is about what Is, or what's supposed to be, and Time is shifted... then it's possible to change what Is. I'm not completely sure about this, but I think this connects back to those alternate realities... that somehow, all of them are part of the Tapestry, part of what Is and what should be, so even though we switch some threads, it's all still fits together. So, in terms of Time and Fate anyhow, Paradox - the Abyssal kind, I'm talking now - is trying to shift things too far, so you risk unraveling the Tapestry."

Orphan shrugs, then serves himself a bit mroe stew. "That's sort of the best I understand it, at least. I've asked Typhoon if what I've figured out is correct, and all he says is 'Yes... and no.' " Orphan says this last bit in a slow, deep tone of voice, then chuckles. "Sometimes he drives me nuts, but I really do love the guy... um, you know, in a completely manly, hetero-buddies sort of way. Anyhow, does that make sense?

"And hey, I'm sorry I'm sort of a slow eater. This is great, though, and I like taking my time to enjoy it fully."

"Food should never be rushed," says Tam. "A lesson I still have yet to learn. Patience is not my strong point, if you haven't noticed by now."

Tam has finished her plates and her cup. She stares off into nothingness for a moment. Then ...

"So ... Fate is like a network of veins and Time is the blood within? The veins of Fate give Time direction and connection, a structure to flow through. And we, um, no, our perception of time is merely along for the ride through the structure of Fate. There are other veins that a mage can connect to, and such a mage could dilate or constrict the veins to change the flow of blood, I mean, Time. Some mages can even go upstream, well, their perception can, or look further downstream. Is my metaphor working?"

Orphan thinks about the metaphor for a bit while chewing a bite of salad. Finally he smiles and nods. "Yeah, that makes sense." He grins wider. "Typhoon always got on me for not seeing how things all connect up, said that's what the Supernal is really all about. That seems to come easy to you, and the way you put that gives me something to think on. So, that's something else cool about you."

Finally finishing his main meal, Orphan takes a bit of dessert and savors it. "This is great, too." He pauses a moment, then says "So, other than me helping you with clean-up, what's on your mind for after dinner?"

Tam overlapped her hands on the edge of the table and leaned forward. Her eyes were wide. Her smile was nervous. Then she blurts out,“You scare the hell out of me.”

She pauses only moment, trying to keep her brain ahead of her mouth, but once the floodgates open, her brain is left way behind.

“What I mean is … well … I don’t normally go for guys like you. I’m not sure what I mean by that. It doesn’t matter. I’ve never been good with relationships. Part of me is saying, ‘Okay, I like this guy. Just fuck him and drop him. Just get it out of your system.’ Another part of me says, ‘Keep your distance from this guy. You like him, so don’t screw it up by jumping him.’ And somewhere in between, I realize I like you. You are growing on me.”

Tam grabs her empty cup, looks in it, but finds it empty. She looks back at Orphan.

“My early relationships … I really shouldn’t call them that for how short they were … they were with some decent guys. I made some stupid decisions and I broke their hearts. After that, I just kept to the shallow types.”

Tam drops her hands into her lap and looks down at her empty plate.

“When we first met, I was like, ‘Whatever. I don’t need a play toy, right now,’ but the more contact I had with you, the less I thought of you as a play toy. I like hanging out with you. I like how we work together when something strange happens. And that is just freaking me out.”

Tam looks up at Orphan. There is a vulnerability in her eyes he hasn’t seen before.

“Sorry to dump this on you, but it has been bouncing around my brain.”

Orphan smiles and reaches for Tam's hand. "Nothing to be sorry about. Feelings are what they are, and you're sharing yours with me. I'm honored... and I like you too, and I've been having you on my mind."

He grins and adds, "So, listen to the Time and Fate guy. Don't focus on the past, and don't worry too much about the future. It'll be what it is, and we'll deal with it... or we'll make it what we want it to be."

Tam sighs and smiles big, dropping her eyes to her lap. She looks up at Orphan's hand on hers, the she looks into his eyes.

"It is funny to think that a Thyrsus needs to be reminded to live in the now. Both the spirits and the creatures of the wild don't worry about what happened and what ifs."

She pauses, letting her feelings 'feel' and her thoughts wander.

"What was your awakening like? What did you see?"

Orphan smiles and says, "I could go into more detail some time if you want, but the short of it... I found myself on a trail through impenetrable woods. In one direction, I saw only the dark woods, in the other I saw a tower. I was given a choice... to stay on the path others had set me upon, and stay on the road to nowhere that had been my life, or I could go forward and master my own Fate."

Leaning a bit closer, still looking into Tam's eyes, he said "So, from the time I Awoke, I've kind of believed in living in the now and making things happen."

Tam stared back into Orphan's eyes.


"I've always kind of lived in the now. That's how I ended up finding a path that didn't exist and following it to my own tower. In fact, I was being followed by something and in my haste, I literally ran into the base of the tower. Then I began to climb."


Tam tilted her head to one side, as if looking at Orphan in a different light.


"I think we have more in common than we realized, despite the different paths we walk."