Tenzin’s Merit Making: Street Sweeping Skirmish
Date: 2025-09-05 07:02
(Tenzin’s Merit Making: Street Sweeping Skirmish)
[Fri Sep 5 2025]
At Church and Franklin/span>/spanmorning/span>/span67F(19C) degrees, and the sky is covered by dark grey stormclouds. The mist is heaviest At High and Washington/span>/spanTamar listens quietly to Tenzin and Ekaterina, offering a small nod of understanding before she looks around the streets again. “It looks like it may just be the three of us then.”
“It does.” Ekaterina agrees with Tamar, the Russian not moving yet, allowing Tenzin to finish setting up and to explain what exactly the objective is.
“This is fine. Few are the interested in dispelling the darkness and lures of the supernatural,” Tenzin says of his own observations to Tamar and Ekaterina. The arrival of one other car brings him pause. As Balinda steps out, he gives but a silent nod to greet politely.
Balinda parks and gets out of the car, reaching for her umbrella to try to get some cover from the rain. She’s a bit late, but maybe that’s not so bad. Looking around, she tries to spot the monk organizing the gathering, and once noticing Tenzin, she walks in his direction. “Good morning”, she tells him, then her eyes move towards Tamar and Ekaterina, to whom she nods in greeting. “I hope you’re feeling better?” she asks to the monk she knows.
Tamar turns her head to watch the car when it pulls over, studying someone quietly once she climbs out of the car. “Balinda,” she murmurs, offering a polite nod of her head in greeting before glancing over at the corsa next.
Tamar turns her head to watch the car when it pulls over, studying Balinda quietly once she climbs out of the car. “Balinda,” she murmurs, offering a polite nod of her head in greeting before glancing over at the corsa next.
“Better,” the monk answers Balinda briefly. Another respectful dip of the head delivered to Alastair who joins the rainy day crew.
“Tashi delek. Welcome to our community volunteer work for All Saints. It is good to see more of you,” Tenzin greets the early morning birds with a humble bow. “Today, you will experience the act of merit making. It is something I have had the privilege of introducing to a few of you this week.”
“But to understand this, we must first understand karma,” the monk teaches, his voice steady with the cadence of one used to instructing. “Karma is the fundamental law of cause and effect, wherein the more good or bad you sow, the more good or bad you reap.”
“What propels the karmic wheel in either direction are your merits and demerits,” he states. “More merits mean you are more likely to have good karma. More demerits tip the scales so that bad karma chases you, instead.”
“So this morning, we will work on merit making through this simple act of service: sweeping the streets of our community.” He gestures for everyone to pick out a broom for themselves. The monk makes sure heavy-duty dustpans are also within reach.
Standing near Tenzin, Ekaterina looks over as first Balinda and then Alastair arrives with a raised hand in greeting to them both from where she was talking with Tenzin and Tamar.
Alastair drives up and parks out of the way, before stepping out of his banged up car and heading for where the group has gathered. “Morning” he says with a dip of his head, hugging his jacket close to his body. He’s clearly a bit bruised and battered, his lip is recovering from being split and he has a lingering black eye. He lingers close by as Tenzin speaks, nodding along, before he says, “So it sounds like I’m in the right place for the street clean up crew.”
Balinda seems a bit surprised to be greeted by Tamar, and looks a moment at her as if trying to figure out where did they met… and then she has an idea. “Ah! Good morning… I don’t think we were ever introduced – at least I don’t think I know your name… but I have been wanting to thank you for your help, that… other time.” She nods to Alastair too, but then listens to what Tenzin has to say – and when he gestures towards the brooms, she moves to pick one. After she does, she walks towards Tenzin again, to tell him “I’ve heard than more of your… monk brothers have been taking ill. Do let me know if there is anything I can help with that.”
Tamar listens to Tenzin but her focus is on Alastair, the unfamiliar face. She studies him quietly, gaze lingering on the split lip and bruised eye. It is only drawn away when Tenzin mentions that they should pick a broom and she wanders over to them, plucking one seemingly at random from the group. Then she looks back over at Balinda. “You are welcome, and my name is Tamar.”
Balinda apparently recognizes the name, and is again surprised – but replies “..ah. Well, if that is the case, I think your deserve my thank you for more than one time.” She smiles a bit and nods in the woman’s direction.
Ekaterina’s attention falls upon Alastair, the lip ad eye noted then- It’s dismissed. Tenzin has given instruction as to what the group are expected to undertake, and so Ekaterina steps over, soon after Tamar and Balinda, a broom is taken, shouldered, and the brunette steps over to accept a dust pan for the detritus that will be swept.
“Something I would appreciate the aid of a reliable set of minds and movers with,” Tenzin confirms Balinda’s rumors. He lets slide the same news to Ekaterina, Tamar, and — if hesitantly or thoughtfully — Alastair. “If you would be keen on helping with an investigation into something potentially dangerous, I would be humbled to receive your assistance.”
“For the moment, however, we focus on the work at hand.”
“In the monastery, sweeping is never solely about dust and leaves,” Tenzin explains to the gathered. He rests his hand atop his chosen broom’s worn handle. It’s a tall thing, plain-looking but straight. “We sweep to train the mind — to notice, be present, and care for the ground beneath our feet. Because a clear path outside can help us find a clear path on the inside.”
There is a fleeting little smile in response to Balinda’s before Tamar drops her gaze and inspects her broom which is apparently very interesting. Eventually she looks back up towards Tenzin. “I think karma is smiling on us,” she says as the rain stops.
upturns his face to the heavens that have dried their eyes, murmuring a brief, silent prayer.
“So it does. Today, we will practice that discipline here.” Tenzin lightly taps the bristles against the pavement. “Your task is simple: sweep until time runs out. We do this together. Sometimes, your broomwork may not be perfect. Sometimes, the wind will undo your work. Sometimes, you will only scatter the mess further.”
He gazes upon the crew with a faint hint of a smile. “But that is the way of practice — rest assured, no effort is wasted.”
OOC: Rules of the game can be seen on the broom fleet. Since we will be doing situational stat checks, the broom itself is RNG. Feel free to ask questions if anything’s unclear./span>Balinda notices the rain stopping and closes her umbrella – a good thing too, because she probably wouldn’t be able to do much brooming while holding an umbrella up in the air with one of her arms. “Please, let me know how and when I can help, I would be glad to”, she tells Tenzin – that being the real purpose for her coming here today, even if now she drops the topic and decides to stay for the sweeping.
Tenzin says “Let me know when you are ready to begin.“
Alastair makes his way over to pick up a broom as well, before returning to take a dustpan from Tenzin. Then, now equipped, he lingers by the group, adding in the monks direction, “I’m Alastair, by the way. We met the other day at your meditation thing.” With that, he prepares to get started.
“If I am able,” Ekaterina suggests to Tenzin, “I will of course aid you in what ever this mystery is.”
As Tenzin says though, that is for later, the sweeping is for now, and she listens to Tenzin as the monk continues explaining why they sweep.
“Da.” the Russian nods over to the ascetic. “I am ready.”
“Oh yeah, and I’m ready, sure” Alastair adds.
“I am happy to help also, if I can,” Tamar offers Tenzin’s way then looks at Ekaterina. “Are you going to introduce yourself, too?” she wonders before nodding back at Tenzin. “Ready.”
Holding the broom, Balinda nods to Tenzin.
“I am Ekaterina Perunova.” Ekaterina introduces herself, mostly for Balinda and Alastair’s benefit.
“Ah, nice to meet you, Caterina, I am Balinda”, Balinda replies to someone with a brief smile and nod combo, her attention then drifting back to Tenzin, from whom she is expecting some kind of instructions.
“Ah, nice to meet you, Caterina, I am Balinda”, Balinda replies to Ekaterina with a brief smile and nod combo, her attention then drifting back to Tenzin, from whom she is expecting some kind of instructions.
“I do remember. You were the hungry one. Ah, no — the one who needed to use the toilets?” Tenzin nods to Alastair, as he begins to lead the crew down the recently rained-on Franklin Avenue. “To any who do not yet know, I am Tenzin, currently one of the Wat Pang Sai.”
Round 1:/span>/spanOOC: Suggested roll is Strength and Stamina.
Tenzin begins to sweep, but keeps an eye on the participants.
Tenzin uses a broom: 30[36Meager30] 37The broom nudges a wrapper an inch, then the wind carries it right back. Truly heroic. -1
Let it be known that Tenzin is terrible at sweeping, hence he needed a crew of others to do it for him.
Ekaterina clucks her tongue. “Only open a week and we already have people littering.” the Russian grouces, heading to the nearest skattering of glass. She readies herself, takes up the broom, places down her dust pan to begin sweeping into it.
Tamar uses a broom: 30[36Crisp30] 37They sweep dirt and debris into satisfying piles; a passing grandmother admires your ability. +1
Balinda uses a broom: 30[36Meager30] 37The broom nudges a wrapper an inch, then the wind carries it right back. Truly heroic. -1
Alastair uses a broom: 30[36Crisp30] 37They sweep dirt and debris into satisfying piles; a passing grandmother admires your ability. +1
Ekaterina uses a broom: 30[36Patchy30] 37A little clearing appears… right next to an even bigger mess they somehow created. -2
Ekaterina makes some headway; Right into an even bigger pile that she’ll need to now handle. There’s a reason she’s not a professional cleaner.
Tamar is a pretty good sweeper, despite her protests about never having learned to do housework. Or maybe she just really wants to earn some merit points.
Balinda might have had some success imitating Tenzin – which is to say, her sweeping is as useless as the monk’s. Only the monk said that it is never useless (maybe he tells that to himself since he’s terrible at sweeping?), so maybe Balinda isn’t being useless either.
Alastair doesn’t do exceptionally well, but he manages to make a few decent piles of debris. It takes him a while though, and he doesn’t look particularly used to using a broom.
“Perhaps we should have invited someone from the City Hall to instruct us on these more advanced clean-ups,” Tenzin revisits a potential regret. He uses his broom to push a mini-avalanche of broken glass closer to the center, but it falls right back to where it was.
“Do you do this often, Tamar? Cleaning up shattered glass?” he notes, struggling through the shards.
The crew manages to clear out the bigger pieces, but a lot of finer puncture hazards remain, shining in the asphalt. They move further down the road.
Round 2:/span>/spanOOC: Suggested roll is Dexterity and Perception.
“Take care that you do not destroy the flowers, please,” Tenzin requests calmly of the street sweepers.
“I will do my best.” Ekaterina tells Tenzin. The dust pan is dragged along, slipped via heel and toe into place, and she moves for the beds, taking as much care as she can- She is not a professional cleaner….
Ekaterina uses a broom: 30[36Patchy30] 37A little clearing appears… right next to an even bigger mess they somehow created. -2
Balinda uses a broom: 30[36Respectable30] 37They sweep up a modest pile of trash. Not enough to impress, but enough to trip over later. +0
Tamar uses a broom: 30[36Artful30] 37What a poetic stroke of the besom! Dust flees like it owes them money. +3
Alastair uses a broom: 30[36Filthy30] 37Congratulations: the street is dirtier and they have invented airborne garbage. -4
In spite of being rather perceptive, Ekaterina is so focused on the flowers that in spite of the efforts to the contrary, she completely misses the pile behind her broom, focus before it, and so that litter mounts.
Tamar looks up from her intense focus on her work, blinking at Tenzin, “No, not really,” she murmurs, bringing up one hand to rub at the side of her neck. She gets back to work, this time focusing on the flowers. Delicate steps barely seem to make any boot prints on the muddy soil. No flowers crushed, no leaves bruised.
Alastair tries sweeping up as carefully as he can, but accidentally brushes a large piece of debris into the flowerbed, and curses as it crushes a few flowers. He picks it up with his hands and tries to fix things, but eventually simply mumbles out an apology.
“I think that if the city cleaners were better than us as their job, we would have less glass to deal with…” Balinda comments to Tenzin, in a way giving them a good excuse to be bad at this too, which is something she keeps managing to do. Avoiding the glass and trying to get the dust near the flowers, she avoids damaging any of the flora, and even avoids the wind’s direction, forming a pile that she then ruins by stepping as she turns to see how Tamar is doing it.
“The street cleaners are not doing very good at all.” Ekaterina opines in full agreement with Balinda’s assessment. “They should ask Tamar for tips.”
Tenzin hadn’t joined the group in broomwork this time. He simply plucks up pieces of plastic and abandoned bottles that nobody might be able to reach. “You are all doing well. Despite ah..” He winces as Alastair’s situation ends up undoing the young man’s own good work. “It is fixable. Do not worry.”
It is not fixable, but surely flowers are not too difficult to replace…
“This is so. I can only attribute it to the changing of hands who run the boroughs,” he agrees with Balinda and Ekaterina as well. “Tamar leads the first two rounds so far.”
Tamar blushes a little at Ekaterina’s comment, glancing at Balinda. But then she sees Lykaia gliding in and the girl straightens, holding the broom handle a little tighter and watching the silver-haired woman.
“Lykaia, feel free to grab a broom,” Tenzin offers Lykaia one of the remaining besoms from the fleet. The group is moving down the road to clean up the next segment.
With a mug of her black coffee, Lykaia comes to a stop near the crossing, looking the group over. Her eyes only linger briefly on Ekaterina before moving on to Tenzin. “Just making my rounds.” She answers someone. “You lot cleaning through? Didn’t notice there was cleaning troubles.”
With a mug of her black coffee, Lykaia comes to a stop near the crossing, looking the group over. Her eyes only linger briefly on Ekaterina before moving on to Tenzin. “Just making my rounds.” She answers Tenzin. “You lot cleaning through? Didn’t notice there was cleaning troubles.”
Ekaterina nods over to Lykaia as she arrives, returning soon after to sweeping along with Tenzin, Tamar, Alastair and Balinda
Round 3:/span>/spanOOC: Suggested roll is Stamina.
“We are cleaning,” Tenzin confirms Lykaia’s suspicion. Seeing as she does not join them, he takes back the broom and walks up to the blockage. The monk measures the leaf pile up to his waist, and looks forlornly at the tree. “A monstrous creature must have sneezed it clean.”
sighs as she sees the state of the tree, but as with Tenzin before her, Ekaterina steps up, dejectedly looks over the huge pile, the leafless tree and begins. Surely, what could go wrong this time?
Ekaterina uses a broom: 30[36Transcendental30] 37A single stroke, and the street is spotless. For a moment, they are the broom. +4/b>Balinda uses a broom: 30[36Artful30] 37What a poetic stroke of the besom! Dust flees like it owes them money. +3
Tamar uses a broom: 30[36Artful30] 37What a poetic stroke of the besom! Dust flees like it owes them money. +3
Balinda knows little about street sweeping, apparently, and also about this borough’s governance. “Who’s ruling this borough?” she asks Tenzin with curiosity, before stopping to greet Lykaia, “hi.” Then, she resumes her sweeping heading over the area where tree leaves have fallen – now caked wet after the morning rain. She to apply herself on them – the added weight demaning more of the action phisically, even if perhaps making it less of a precision work. This time, she does manage to do something useful.
It’s a miracle! Ekaterina has clearly noticed what Tamar was doing and follows that as the example. She doesn’t in fact fuck it up.
Alastair uses a broom: 30[36Steady30] 37They find a decent cleaning rhythm, broom swishing like a fiddle bow. +0
Tamar drags her gaze off Lykaia slowly, shifting it to Ekaterina for a few moments. She catches the corner of her lip between her teeth then gets back to work. She is clearly trying very very hard to stay focused on the sweeping and merit making, but she does murmur, “The Hand. Same with Bayview,” towards Balinda at her question.
Lykaia takes a sip from her mug, and makes a slight nod in return to Balinda. “Good morning, miss Balinda.” The answer Balinda is provided has her touch her temple lightly, before taking another sip from her mug.
Clearly, this group of people has more experience in the mundane art of sweeping leaves in the fall. Nobody makes any backwards progress; instead, they make good headway through the leaf pile much quicker than their earlier two obstacles.
This time, Tenzin has a little more emotion when he pipes up, “This is most excellent work, everyone! Ekaterina and Alastair were quite close on this one, but I think her leaf pile may be a bit bigger.”
The crew moves on, and one can hope a dump truck collects the refuse before the wind undoes their hard work.
Now that Balinda is getting better at sweeping, she steps to the side and puts the broom against the tree trunk, to reach for her phone and tell the others “sorry, but I have to pick this…” She picks up a phone call – and then speaks quietly to her phone about adverse reactions to some medicine. It seems that the rest of the sweepers will need to go on without her for a while.
Alastair seems to be learning a little, as he makes good headway sweeping up the blockage of leaves, collecting it into a neat pile out of the way.
Round 4:/span>/spanA thunderous CLANG resounds! Tipped over the side, a large dumpster spills its fetid innards out of an alley, onto the street. A pack of raccoons scampers wildly around the area, spreading the mess.
OOC: Suggested roll is Animals or Strength. But feel free to get creative, as with all the rolls.
“It’s alright, Bali– Shoo!” Tenzin threatens away the mangy critters with his broomstick, but there are too many of them for him to handle alone.
Tamar uses a broom: 30[36Filthy30] 37Congratulations: the street is dirtier and they have invented airborne garbage. -4
Progress only to be stopped by critters, and this is not a place for explosives. What can Ekaterina do but muck in. The dust pan forgotten, Ekaterina works on sweeping the debris back towards the dumpster with a roll of the eyes. Taser in one hand, she closes in, perfectly happy to zap the animals away before they can do too much damage.
Ekaterina uses a broom: 30[36Steady30] 37They find a decent cleaning rhythm, broom swishing like a fiddle bow. +0
“Gives me a few fantastic ideas actually.” Lykaia muttery quietly, drinking from her mug with the coffee again, watching Tamar, Ekaterina and Alastair deal with the raccoon bandits.
Tamar is a bit of a one-trick pony at times, and animals are definitely not her forte. Heck, her horse doesn’t even have a name. She heads off one of the raccoons with her broom, sweeping hard and sending the little critter tumbling and squeaking in protest.
Alastair uses a broom: 30[36Patchy30] 37A little clearing appears… right next to an even bigger mess they somehow created. -2
Broom working steadily, taser zapping, Ekaterina is able to deflect, and herd the racoons away, the threat of the zap keeping them back long enough for Ekaterina to at least make some headway.
Alastair literally sweeps a raccoon off his feet and urges him along, away from the pile of trash, but does almost get bitten doing it.
Tenzin hadn’t even noticed there was a raccoon behind him when he took a swing of his broom. It is punted away, back into the alley.
To keep things fair, Ekaterina rerolls, taser in one hand, endurance in the other. These pests must be removed.
Ekaterina uses a broom: 30[36Transcendental30] 37A single stroke, and the street is spotless. For a moment, they are the broom. +4/b>It’s a miracle! Racoons hate tasers, who would have thought. Ekaterina rides this to an inevitable success
If the monsters don’t spook it, the racoons won’t. Annabelle trots up on a pony like a rider shot, catching a bucking rest on its neck. The ruckus causes her to perch up, squinting. “Oh, hey guys. I slept in.”
The sight that meets Annabelle is one of many raccoons rabidly zipping around a trash-strewn area, where a dumpster had fallen over.
Tenzin walks up to the fallen giant trash bin and tries to lift it back into place. His broom is laid aside for a while, but he’s only got one good arm and the rest of his back to push with. “Sad Girl, you may grab a broomstick,” he gestures to the fleet.
Tamar shoos off a few more raccoons before looking back over at Lykaia for a moment. Then Annabelle arrives on a while pony and the girl smiles a little, lifting a hand briefly in greeting.
Annabelle casts a glance, and, nitrile gloves already donned, tumbles off her horse without any right to land on her feet. But she does.
She gives picks up a broom and gives Tamar a rifleman’s salute with it, perhaps smiling behind a face mask. “We’re not, like, exclusively attacking raccoons with them, are we?”
Lykaia takes another drip from her coffee before her gaze draws from Tenzin and their group down to her phone, typing something up on it quickly.
Annabelle uses a broom: 30[36Respectable30] 37They sweep up a modest pile of trash. Not enough to impress, but enough to trip over later. +0
Balinda certainly gets negative points for this round – while she does finish up her phone call, she sees the racoon infestation and does not try to help with it – on the contrary, she stays well away from the beasts, under the tree! “Hi Anna!” she calls out to greet Annabelle, but then busies herself with her phone instead of picking up her broom again – for now.
Annabelle puts in a days work of sweeping. It’s more fall leaves than trash, but trash is collected. “Good morning, Balinduuuhh.”
Tamar sets back to work sweeping up some leaves. “You two work together at the hospital, yes?” the girl asks Annabelle and Balinda.
“Good morning, Nurse Anna.” Ekaterina greets Annabelle, finally noticing her as the swarm of rodents disburse.
“yes” Balinda replies to Tamar, but is a bit distracted – and slightly frowning – as she keeps following up a conversation that now no longer is spoken but texted.
Annabelle’s head bobs in affirmation, returning greetings with a nod firing line. “I work there half the week now, instead of the whole week. But yeah.”
“Oh, you changed to part-time?” Balinda asks Annabelle, raising her eyes and looking at her curiously.
Alastair uses a broom: 30[36Transcendental30] 37A single stroke, and the street is spotless. For a moment, they are the broom. +4/b>Tenzin fails to get the dumpster standing, but at least most of the trash has been swept back into its maw. Tired from the shoulder-banging, he rejoins the group instead. Safe to say that he’d been keeping an eye on everyone’s progress, or lack thereof. “Not much left to sweep on this side of the borough. There will be more cars soon. We will need to wrap this up.”
The crew is led away from the alley, to the final stretch of the saintly street.
Round 5:/span>/spanOOC: Suggested roll is Strength.
“That is going to stick to car wheels and shoes,” Tenzin quietly predicts.
“Mmh.” Annabelle nods. “Between duties as a Shield, volunteer work and.. other stuff..” she keeps it vague. “I’ve just been too busy.”
Mirabel wanders down the street with a nosy look and pauses to peer at the cleaning crew. “Good morning,” she ventures. “Community service?”
Tamar uses a broom: 30[36Transcendental30] 37A single stroke, and the street is spotless. For a moment, they are the broom. +4/b>“My word,” Mirabel murmurs, looking impressed.
Lykaia looks up from her phone and makes a nod to Mirabel. “They are.” She tries to sip from her coffee mug, but finds it empty, her lips curl downward for a moment before the mug is put into a pouch along her belt. She exhales, keeping where she is, with her hands placing along her hips.
Tenzin grimly lines up the heavy-duty dustpans, the ones with lids that clang when they’re shut. “Good morning. Yes, we are but volunteers,” he greets Mirabel with one of his respectful nods.
Tamar nods her head at Annabelle and Balinda’s answers then gets herself back to work. Being the owner of one such gift depositing animal, she certainly knows how to manage mucking a stable. She lifts her gaze up to Mirabel briefly then looks back down again, “We are improving our karma.”
Alastair uses a broom: 30[36Respectable30] 37They sweep up a modest pile of trash. Not enough to impress, but enough to trip over later. +0
There’s a look of horror at the horse muck. Ekaterina doesn’t want a thing to do with it, but this isn’t about want, but inner enlightenment, and outer disgust must transition through and out via the process of merit making.
Surely, getting rid of this counteracts bad karma…
“Well, I can understand that” Balinda tells Annabelle with a nod, but she does not seem too happy about it. She does think it is time for her to resume picking up her broom so she doesn’t end up looking too bad, and, after sending a text, she does get the brook and tries to help drag ‘something’ out from the middle of the road.
Annabelle uses a broom: 30[36Patchy30] 37A little clearing appears… right next to an even bigger mess they somehow created. -2
Ekaterina uses a broom: 30[36Filthy30] 37Congratulations: the street is dirtier and they have invented airborne garbage. -4
Balinda uses a broom: 30[36Respectable30] 37They sweep up a modest pile of trash. Not enough to impress, but enough to trip over later. +0
Mirabel meanders over to Lykaia to form a pair of nosy onlookers, adjusting her glasses. “I know who I’m calling when it starts to snow and I need my driveway swept,” she mentions. “Put your back into it, Nurse Reeves!”
Ekaterina spews a series of Russion invectives that would make a sailer blush, eyeing the filth as though it kicked her dog.
“Can’t make the students put in the work for you at promise of recommending them to their PA?” Lykaia asks, looking at Mirabel, away from Tenzin and group. “Might as well make your life easier.”
“Nah…” Balinda stops sweeping and supports herself on the broom while raising her head to meet Mirabel’s eyes with hers, “I actually think I’m done here, work is how I get my karma, and after a full moon… well, I need to get going.” Maybe she’s just trying to avoid being convinced to shovel snow.
“Is it full moon already?” Tamar asks, looking up from her work at Balinda with a flicker of concern across her features.
“One or two of them, perhaps, but it’s a little early in the day. If I go into their rooms to wake them up, I imagine they’ll be miffed,” Mirabel tells Lykaia candidly and wiggles her fingers at Balinda. “It’s the thought that counts, Miss Reeves!”
“Hmm. Could always just ask them to be there early. They won’t be happy, but if it means easing up workload on their grades, they’ll probably appreciate it anyway.” Lykaia answers to Mirabel, her gaze drawing from her to Balinda.
Tenzin helps the street cleaners shovel and sweep these horse blessings into sacks. The city gardeners may pick those up in a minute, if nobody is looking to take home the fertilizer.
“I believe we must end here,” the monk raises his voice to carry across to everyone. “Your hard work and disciplined efforts have done you much good. You may feel healthier, tired but satisfied, and at peace knowing that you have done a good thing for your community.”
“We have had five rounds of obstacles. I will now announce the most productive of each.”
“Congratulations on the initiative” Balinda tells Tenzin, starting to walk away from the road and go return the broom to the pile of them, “-and do let me know when you want to take care of that health sittuation. I’ll text you my number, and you can find me on MyHaven under the name of bee – bee ee ee, like the animal.” Turning to Tamar and nodding, she replies “and we’ve had casualties already.”
“I think you overestimate their altruism, Miss Nightsong,” Mirabel remarks a little wryly and takes a moment to peer at Tenzin. “Who is that man with the cloak?”
“There are some wolves,” Annabelle sighs, tugging off her gloves and throwing them in the pile of trash, “that don’t witness the full moon as a curse but more a celebration. They choose to embrace the lunacy. So, yeah. Long shifts coming up this time of the month.”
“Tenzin.” Lykaia answers, a second delayed on the English translation, her gaze pulling back to Mirabel. “Temple Liaison, strike force. Is one of the most contributing members to the temple. Does a lot of good work.”
With the calling of the day’s successful? activity, Ekaterina returns her broom to the pile, heading to collect the dust pan and setting it beside the others as she waits for Tenzin to speak, and for Balinda, Annabelle, Tamar and Alastair to conclude themselves.
“For the broken glass accident, Tamar. For the flower beds, Tamar,” Tenzin states to those still here. “For the leaf pile, Cap– Ekaterina. For the raccoon dumpster, Ekaterina. Finally, for the… horses, Alastair.”
someone “It would seem we have a tie. Would you like to settle this with a tiebreaker or split the prize?” He doesn’t seem to notice he’s being spoken of.
He only tells Balinda, “I do not use the MyHeaven.”
“For the broken glass accident, Tamar. For the flower beds, Tamar,” Tenzin states to those still here. “For the leaf pile, Cap– Ekaterina. For the raccoon dumpster, Ekaterina. Finally, for the… horses, Alastair.”
“It would seem we have a tie. Would you like to settle this with a tiebreaker or split the prize?” He doesn’t seem to notice he’s being spoken of.
He only tells Balinda, “I do not use the MyHeaven.”
Tamar looks thoughtful for a few moments then nods at Balinda and Annabelle, “I know nothing about healing, but if you need someone strong or a guard, or even to ferry people during the full moon, I can help.” Her attention is drawn back to Tenzin when she hears her name before sliding over to Ekaterina.
“Ah. These spiritual types tend to be conscientious. Something about ensuring that their reincarnation is actually an upgrade,” Mirabel supposes and gives Lykaia a mild nod. Smiling pleasant, she asks Annabelle, “How are you doing, dear?”
“I did not come here to gain anything material, so I will concede it.” Ekaterina tells Tenzin, her own gloves coming off, tossed into a trash can.
Balinda nods towards Tenzin, not seeming to think that his lack of MyHaven account to be a problem. To Tamar, after thinking for a moment, she comments, “well, there was someone on the chat room showing a corpse, that should at least be carried to the morgue…” she suggests as one of the potential help actions.
“Prefer them over the Abrahamic religions. More peace from and within, morality on a fundamental philosophical principle than scripture.” Lykaia says, somewhere after Mirabel asks the wellfare question to Annabelle. She looks back at Tenzin, and then to Balinda.
Lykaia says to Balinda “The MyHaven that sent that out is one of the run-around monsters. Do not go.”
Annabelle sifts through her bag. She finds; several scalpels, a whole frickin’ arming storn, two skateboards, but not what she seems to be looking for. “I’m. . . . Okay.” She decides to put it after a long pause, sighing. “Pain is a five. I’ll be okay in a few days if I.. Ugh.” She remembers something and wilts. “..Well, I’ll get better someday.”
Annabelle says, tiredly, “I’m going on an adventure tonight. Yay.“
Ekaterina says “It is a far more reasonable faith than the sudo bastardizations of Christianity that plagues this city.“
“We’ve had some part-time help from the nurses at Saint Bartholomew’s over by the bay, but I’m not sure if their belief system fits into the traditional classifications,” Mirabel calmly answers Lykaia and gives Annabelle’s shoulder a familiar squeeze. “You’ll have to start being more careful, young lady!”
“What is it?” Tamar asks Tenzin. “I am sure Ekat and I can share it.”
“Goodness! Sorry,” Mirabel say, wincing.
Tenzin inclines his head reverently to Ekaterina. “An enlightened decision,” he opines of it.
He might hear the thoughts going around about his beliefs and that of others, but the man stays grounded chooses to pretend he does not hear. “But you all have done well. I recommend you take a bit of quiet reflection later today about how you can put this into practice even when not doing volunteer work.”
“You have my utmost gratitude for your assistance, friends. Tamar, I would humbly offer you…” He pulls something out of the back of the broom rack.
“Did see someone’s interpretation of it, but what’s the difference that you are observing, professor?” Lykaia asks, turning away from Balinda to Mirabel.
Annabelle removes her helmet and proceeds to walk it off, one marching foot in front of the other. “Tsss.. Haaauuh… Don’t be mean to Jesus. I’m sure he’s great.”
It is but one of the many brooms on the rack that Tenzin bestows upon Tamar. On the side has been chiseled into the wood a prayer in two tongues. “May you remember that with hard work, focus, and discipline, you can be… a Clearer of the Way.”
“Hm? Between enlightened monks and the, ah… devout nurses of Saint Bartholomew’s?” Mirabel asks Lykaia, uncertain.
Balinda is surprised by Lykaia’s words. “The… Oak person, that is the monster people talk about ? I thought it was someone who had just found a corpse… not that I collect corpses, anyway, I have plenty of work as it is.” Speaking of, che checks the time. Then, she checks Annabelle’s appearence with concern visible in her face. She hesitates, and then says for the umpteenth time, knowing she won’t be heard, “you should get into an hospital bed and stay there until you’re fully healed. Everyone’s body needs rest.”
“Sure.” Lykaia says, giving a glance to Tenzin and the broom bestowment before pulling back to Mirabel, and then to Balinda. “Yeah, oak is the monster that was located at the Mushroom cafe. This one’s probably a different one trying to find a way into the city.”
Raising her hands before her, Ekaterina claps for Tamar.
Having said her piece and decided to ignore the rest of the religious debate, she bows her head to Tenzin. “Thank you for the lesson, Brother- And congratulations, Tamar. You did good.”
Tamar takes the broom that Tenzin offers her, looking it over and slowly reading the message on it. “Thank you, Tenzin,” she says with a faint smile before looking over her shoulder at Ekaterina. “We are definitely sharing this!”
Mirabel takes a moment to consider someone’ question, squinting thoughtfully at the sky. “Well, the obvious one is their genders,” she supposes. “And I suspect the nurses are a little more pragmatic.”
Mirabel takes a moment to consider Lykaia’s question, squinting thoughtfully at the sky. “Well, the obvious one is their genders,” she supposes. “And I suspect the nurses are a little more pragmatic.”
“Yeah, thanks for organizing this” Alastair says to Tenzin, wiping off his forehead with the back of his hand.
“Blyet.” Ekaterina curses. “Very well.” she allows with a smirk.
“In the cafe? That picture didn’t look… I mean, I hope they didn’t bring the corpse to the cafe!” Balinda exclaims, not thinking straight – if she did, she’d realize the cafe can’t be much of a cafe right now if it was turned into some sort of monster lair. “Anyway…” She checks her phone again, and tells everyone “I must get going. Please stay stafe during this full moon!” And, with that recomendation, she walks away, towards her car.
Mirabel waves cheerfully to Balinda.