Garden Salads w/ Gardenias

[Anima]

A stone path leads from the front of Anima's craftsman home around the side to a back yard. Trimmed hedges hide privacy fences, and ivy wraps its way around an arch the contains the gate to the backyard. The wooden gate is unlocked to today and propped open by a little stone gargoyle, a sign of welcome to an invited guest.

The backyard is a lush wonderland of manicured growth. A variety of herbs, flowers, fruits, and vegetables grow with no discernible categorization to their location. Several trees bear fruit already, a lemon tree, avocado tree, and nectarine already show ripe fruit, while apple, pear, and peach look not far behind. In the rear center of the garden, isolated by a waist high white rot iron fence.

A small patio nearer the home boasts a small fire pit and several lounge chairs. Anima lounges is lounging in one, waiting for Kaze and admiring the growth all around him. On a small metal table sits ripe fruits and vegetables, all the makings for the freshest of salads.

[Kaze]

Kaze arrives, calling out, "Hello? It's Chris." at medium volume at the gate. When he is sure that he is expected and has the right place, he enters to find Anima lounging in a magnificent garden. Huh. So orderly.

"Wow. This is amazing!" Kaze says, looking around and also noting any indication of the number of inhabitants or guests. Looking for clues as to whether Anima is living alone or whether he has frequent guests. From what he's said in the past, Kaze would guess neither, but he doesn't know.

[Anima]

Unfolding his legs Anima rises quickly with enthusiasm.

"It's so good to see Chris. Come on in, and close the gate behind you please. Don't worry, my little sanctuary is open only to you today. You may be at ease here."

He motions toward the chair by the unlit fire pit. "Have a seat, can I get you a drink?" He makes towards the patio door of the home.

[Kaze]

"Thanks!" Kaze says to Anima. He ponders, since Anima is using the name, 'Chris'. Sure, outside he called himself that because, neighbors. Are we doing code? Just have to wait and see. Anima might just be respecting the name Kaze used so far. Which bring up the question, what name does Anima go by?

"Um, oh sure." Kaze says, "Thanks. What are you drinking?" He asks.

[Anima]

Anima disappears inside, calling back out “I have some fresh squeezed oj and some cheap champagne for a little lunch time mimosa action. Nothing quite so nice as day drinking on a day off.” He returns to the patio carrying a pitcher of Orange juice in one hand a bottle of champagne in the other.

”So tell me, how have you been? Any interesting projects on your palette? I’ve been learning to spot souls myself.”

[Kaze]

"Um. 'O.J.' would be great, thanks!" Kaze calls out in return.

He pours himself some orange juice and sips it for a minute, pondering Anima's question. "Man, you know what? I am interested in so many things right now!" He says, grinning. So much for code, tho. 'Spotting souls' huh?

"I am trying to learn some Space, though." Kaze offers.

"So, 'soul spotting'...what does that mean?" Kaze asks. "Like, checking out people walking around, or like checking out places that are supposed to be haunted?"

Wasn't he into studying biology, or neurology or whatever? Brain stuff? Like solid brains?

"I thought you were doing brain research?"

[Anima]

Anima hmmms along while he pour himself some champagne. Adding a bit of OJ he looks up.

“space is intriguing. The connection between ideas made manifest in the corporeal realm...”

He takes a sip turning to find a seat.

“Well, my brain research has been focused on finding the location of the soul. Where does it reside? Is there a corporeal location for it? What is the human equivalent to a spirit? And how different is the awakened soul? It occurred to me after stimmy studies in life and spirit and mind, perhaps the soul is the realm of death.”

[Kaze]

Kaze nods, "Yeah, the Sympathetic thing is really interesting. I mean, information is just...there, in the connections."

He listens and then smiles. "I don't know, dude. It kind of sounds like it just hasn't been anywhere you looked yet, so you're thinking it has to be in the next place you're gonna look."He says lightly.

"That's interesting to know that your brain research was looking for the soul though." He says more seriously. "Do you know why you're interested in studying that? Like, for me, I guess my faith is enough for me in that area, not that I think I have the answers, just that I'm not really worried about it because of my faith."

He shrugs. "I'm more interested in this world. But, yeah, Death is definitely a thing, for me, that is all about this world, like how entropy works and shutting down energetic reactions." Kaze says.

He shrugs again. "Obrimos." He says by way of explanation, grinning.

[Anima]

He nods along to Kaze's explanation. "Faith... interesting. For me it's the lack of presence in the Shadow. If one were to take a trip across the gauntlet, or just pierce the veil, peak behind the curtain. You'd find all sorts of wizards! You'd see the influence of humans, both unawakened and enlightened everywhere. You'd also find puppet masters pulling the strings, pushing emotions, events, concepts ideas, and feeding off of them. But you'd be missing one thing. People. You can walk through a warped recreation of Sacramento, or perhaps Sacramento is the warped recreation of what is there, but there'd be no people. The things you see the most around where people are, are the things you expect, lust, hate, fear, pain... sex and death create more resonance in an instant than just about anything else you'll find. They echo across the landscape. But no souls, no human spirits. Death did hold the answer. Finally, my search is over for the existence of the soul. I can perceive their health. It beggars the question what could be done with a soul. What kind of power does it have, and why is the soul the purview of the Necromancers and not the Mighty? Did you know Death holds nearly no sway in the Shadow? Spirits don't die, but merely re-incarnate, and reincarnation is written in the Stone Book."

He grabs a plate and begins to arrange a salad as he speaks, absent-mindedly as the tangent picks up steam. "With all the connections between Paths, what we could all accomplish with a little more trust and openness is truly staggering."

[Kaze]

"Huh." Kaze says, sipping his O.J. and munching his salad and listening.

"Nope. Did not know that." He says. "So, Death shows the condition of someone's soul, the way Life shows the condition of their body?" He asks. "Is that kinda how it works? Sorry if I'm way off base; Death has always been harder for me to understand."

Wow. This is the second time he's had a conversation that made Death seem more interesting than he had given it credit for.

"And Spirit is for...not human souls? But, then...what are ghosts? Spirit is for talking to the too, right? Not just for talking to like, conceptual Spirits like Lust or whatever?" Kaze asks, sounding genuinely interested and at the same time a little put off on Spirit, perhaps based on the idea it doesn't connect to the Soul.

He glosses over the part that sounds creepy, like Anima wants to steal souls and use them to power up something. Give the man a chance; that's probably not what he means at all...?