Calendarlogs
Epigrams Book Club At The Black Rose 241019
In the cozy and ambient setting of the Black Rose Cafe, with its high ceilings supported by large columns and walls adorned with crimson wallpaper, a story unfolds among the attendees of Epigram's Book Club. The atmosphere, rich with the aroma of coffee and tea, serves as a backdrop for a discussion that veers intriguingly off-course, covering topics ranging from personal history to housing dilemmas and the unexpected wisdom of moths. Irene, taken aback by revelations of prison time and war, discusses potential living arrangements with Epigram, who seems to be evading a more direct confrontation with her personal issues. Harriet offers accommodation at her own place, boasting amenities that seem almost too good to resist. Lepia, in contrast, brings an air of mystery and introspection, especially with her unique affection for moths, drawing curious attention.
The narrative takes a sharp turn towards the philosophical and sometimes unsettling aspects of nature, driven by Harriet's and Lepia's fascination with moth lifecycles. Members share their insights on survival and the harsh realities faced by these creatures, leading to a broader contemplation of life's ephemeral beauty and the brutal, yet fascinating cycle of life in the animal kingdom. William, with his knowledge, adds depth to the conversation, highlighting the grotesque yet intriguing aspects of natural selection and animal behavior. The evening, filled with the exchange of books, personal stories, and a deep dive into the metaphorical significance of moths, concludes with a sense of camaraderie and intellectual fulfillment among the participants, eager to reconvene and explore more of life's oddities and marvels.
(Epigram's Book Club at the Black Rose)
[Fri Oct 18 2024]
In Black Rose Cafe
Large columns support the high ceiling which has
a large stained glass roof that, in the day time
at least, dapples the small cafe below in shades
of rosy reds, greens and dark gray shadows. Each
of the black painted columns are ornamented with
leafy vines that wind their way around them. The
walls are covered from ceiling down with crimson
lake hued wallpaper, embossed in a subtle raised
pattern of more of the blooms that lend the shop
its name. From roughly head height the wallpaper
gives way to darkly stained wood panelling which
then gives way to similar dark hard wood floors.
In the center of the room is a circular counter,
inside of which serves as the hub for the little
cafe that offers patrons a place to sit and read
while snacking or sipping on some coffee or tea.
It is about 55F(12C) degrees.
"Ohhh, prison," Irene says with a loft of her brows, and although she does her best to stay polite, non-judgemental, it's clear this open admission takes her aback just a touch. After a beat to consider, she ends up leaning into that discomfort after all. "So, you like war, and you just got out of prison -- but you're worried that /I/ might be a total ass?"
Epigram draws a deep breath and sighs then says, "I think it's time for me to start looking at housing, like I promised I would." She gets her phone out.
"Speaking of housing ..." Irene holds up her phone in front of Epigram, wiggling it about for a moment. "My place just got broken in, that's why I was looking at my phone before -- sorry for being rude. But uh, know I asked if you wanted to roommate maybe, and I feel like I should just be honest with you about that."
Epigram looks at the phone and then says, "Did you text me?" To Irene, but she looks like she's hiding something, like she probably saw the text and has ben just an utter flake, but wants to play it off like she missed it. "What do you need to be honest about?"
Harriet frowns a bit upon hearing Irene mention her home getting broken into. "I rent bedrooms out for three hundred a month to women in need of affordable places to stay while they figure things out. I also have two pools, a theatre, a gym, tennis courts, and various other rooms for entertainment," she shares.
"Bugs don't bother me." Lepia simply mumbles. "Some of them are quite nice, really. I do enjoy moths. They know many things, you know." A look of concern seems to cross her features at the mention of Irene's break-in.
"Just, you know." Irene smiles at Epigram apologetically, sliding her phone back into her pocket. "Offer's still on the table if you want to check it out, but seems like I might've moved into a high crime rate area without knowing it. I dunno if maybe you'd rather somewhere safer, or cheaper, I don't want to mislead you." Harriet's offer has her nodding in that direction, and she looks back at Epigram to see what she might say. A loose strand of hair is tucked self-consciously behind her ear, before she addresses Bear anew. "I bet people who live through war don't like war."
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at -irene and -hariett.
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at Irene and someone.
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at Irene and someone.
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at Irene and Harriet.
Lepia glances then to Epigram and Gabriella, as both of them leave, before she shrugs slightly, sipping down more of her tea and finishing off her muffin.
"Moths? Can you share a bit of moth wisdom with me?" Harriet asks Lepia curiously, obviously intrigued by the woman's claim about nocturnal insects. She looks to Irene and says, "Any area in Haven ends up being a high crime area, I feel. I had my home broken into a couple of times over the last month. They put cameras in my bathrooms, too... Which is why I check bathrooms now."
Gabriella really didn't want to follow the other woman into the bathroom, honest!
But... since Gabriella is standing up now, she yawns and tells peole around "well... I guess I should get going."
"Oh, it was?" Gabriella seems surprised - she really wasn't in her best form this past few hours. "Thanks I guess", she adds, looking around a bit self-consciously, and then just heading out.
Epigram returns, tucking her phone away and looking around. "I'm back," she announces, which is probably like really obvious.
"Echoes of existing paradigms; moths hide and grow in-between cloth, eat it, rearrange it, peer into hidden places." Lepia explains in a patient tone to Harriet's questions. "And in turn remain hidden themselves, until fluttering away."
"I think war is a tragedy to be avoided wherever possible," Irene philosophises to Bear in a diplomatic tone, her features cool and collected. She no longer seems to be in a bantering mood, and her words are oblique, carefully chosen, all traces of a smile gone. "But I think that, sometimes, it is made necessary by people who do not share that belief. It's not my place to judge those who relish in war that was thrust upon them against their will, who rise to the occasion -- whatever process they need to make that right in their mind. I don't particularly like those who fetishise it, and choose not to avoid it when it could've been."
After offering her politician's answer, Irene slides her gaze over to Harriet, seeming particularly curious as to what she thinks of all this, be it through words or expression alone.
William slowly walks behind the counter, glancing over at the tables and perking an eyebrow at what Harriet is saying "Is this about the book still... Or...?"
Bear listens quietly, seeming to pay attention, "Non-committal, a bit. But I get ya'. War is bad, but someone's gotta' do it. And its best they be good at it. Probably better if they enjoy it. Can't blame a fella' for their nature, if their nature is necessary, yeah?"
"Mm," Irene concurs to Bear quietly, reclining further in her seat to study the relative stranger intently. Lifting her gaze in William's direction, her lips widen into a warm, soft smile, and she asks him innocuously enough, "Will you be joining our book club?"
William shrugs a bit non-commitally at Irene, glancing over at the tables "Not sure... I already have a long list of books to go through- But I do like listening about it, plus, if I'm working might as well entratain myself"
Intently, Harriet takes in what Lepia has to share about moths. "I see. That is very interesting. How do we apply that wisdom to our own lives?" gets wondered next. She can hear what Bear and Irene are discussing, and furrows her eyebrows a bit. Catching sight of the look Irene gives her, she acknowledges it with a, "There are times when in order to preserve life, some lives have to be lost through war. I certainly would never relish in it, but I understand reasons for some escalations to that point. I also think people often rush to eat, rather than diplomacy. Ah..." She recalls, "One of the greatest books I ever read is 'Dignity, Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict' by Donna Hicks. That woman saved this planet from many wars through her work with various leaders across the globe. It's incredible stuff, and I do wish everyone was required to learn those ways while in school."
Harriet coughs, "Rush to war.. Not eat... Maybe I'm hungry."
"Well, raising them." Lepia lifts out a literal box of moth worms she carries around with her. "I like how they look, they're enjoyable." She then slowly peeks into the box by hoisting the lid, peering inside. "... They're doing well, would you like to see?"
"I think I'll add that to my reading list," Irene says to Harriet, but then she starts pushing to her feet. "Well, it was nice meeting you. Guess I'll see you next month, hmm?" She wiggles her copy of Old Man's War indicatively, and then settles her gaze on Epigram in particular. "This was a really great idea, Epi. I'm glad you came up with it."
Harriet does a double take as Lepia pulls out a tube.
Irene also turns to stare at the tube of worms Lepia abruptly produces.
Bear stretches out, arms above his head, stretching out languidly. His chair protests, making sounds of strain, and he eyes it with a suspicious look.
Harriet clears her throat, and says to Irene, "I think you'd like it," about the book, but it's certainly caught up in the tube of moth worms Lepia so unexpectedly has in her possession. "Yes, I suppose I would like to see."
"I'm worse," Irene wryly corrects Bear as she exits.
Epigram frowns at her phone and starts typing at it guriously.
In passing, Tabitha gets a friend smile and a wave from Irene.
Lepia carefully raises the lid on the plastic tub of moth worms, letting Harriet get a glimpse, if she actually chooses to peer inside of the tub. Dare she?
Bear lets his expression light up a bit as Tabitha enters, "Heya', Miss Tabitha. Howsit?"
Harriet does indeed dare. She's peering curiously into the worm tube Lepia offers when Tabitha walks in.
William gives a wave at Tabitha as she comes in
Epigram is busy frowning at her phone, then tucks it away with a long suffering sigh. "How could they, disgrace the name of book club." She sighs again and starts to tuck her phone away.
Harriet hmms thoughtfully.
Tabitha steps aside to allow for a few to leave as she enters, a moment given at the entrance to peer throughout the room to faces she recognizes. "Good afternoon," she greets all, with smiles to those she knows. She walks over to the smattering of tables to find herself a seat. "I hear that this is a book club... what is the topic?"
Epigram seems to be listening in on Tabitha, while trying to be sly about it. Like you can't tell what she's up to, you know, except for the fact she's watching her and sort of staring and cocking her head a little and like just painfully obviously listening in. She looks like she doesn't realize she's so obvious.
Ultimately, Harriet looks impressed with the worms in the wood shavings in the tub. "How did you even acquire them?" she asks Lepia, straightening her posture now that she isn't bending to examine the baby moths to be. Looking to Tabitha, she says, "Hello, Tabi. We are all reading Old Man's War by John Scalzi, and will be meeting again next month to discuss it," since Epigram, the club leader, is quiet.
Epigram is quiet! She's just also not as slick as she clearly is trying to be or maybe thinks she is. She even sort of nods to the words -harriet says. Then she gets distracted by her phone
"Turns out they just sell them in the fishing. A whole tub of them. I'm surprised they were selling them, surely they aren't useful for fishing." Lepia nods sagely. It seems she wasn't aware, of course, that a fishing shop would even have moth worms. Or -why- they would have them.
Lepia says "Fishing shop, that is."
Tabitha accepts the book from Bear and studies its cover before looking up to Harriet, "Ah, thanks. I'll try to find the time to give it a read for next month." She tilts her head to the side at Epigram, then turns her attention to Bear. "I'm good, by the way. Simply trying to figure out what I want to do with my Friday." She taps the book. "Nothing wrong with curling up with cocoa and a good book."
Epigram does the only thing that one can do when caught red handed. She quickly looks away and tries to duck her head from Tabitha and pretend she wasn't listening. She could use her phone to look at but that doesn't occur to her, instead she finds herself studying the ceiling lights and trying to pretend they look interesting.
Both of Harriet's eyebrows furrow again as I she pieces together what Lepia is explaining to her. She is... Looking at bait. Clearly, Lepia is not a Master Baiter if she isn't aware of why a fishing shop would sell moth worms. Not even a Beginner Baiter. "Oh, you rescued them. Well done. They shall have good lives. How long is a moth's average lifespan?" That is something she fully expects Lepia to know. A nod is given to Tabitha. "It took a long while for us to all agree on a book."
William gives a bit of a look at Epigram, before glancing again at Tabitha "I think Ashen is giving another cryptozoology class if you're interested in that..." He then glances over at Harriet, answering the question "A little bit more than a month... To two months, not more usually"
"Not long. Not very long at all. But that's fine. Some say that beauty sources itself from the ephemeral. I don't disagree." Lepia comments still, closing the lid back up on the tub before it is pushed back into a bag at her side.
Epigram is -really- interested in those lights! Like wow, what is it about them, the archtecture of what is almost certainly ordinary lights. Just when she thinks it is safe to stop pretending to be like, the most light obsessed person ever, she notices William noticing her and then, yep back at the lights. She even makes faces like wows and stuff because gosh darn is she not going to let herself be caught listening in on conversations.
Tabitha glances at her phone then shrugs at Bear in reply. She says to William, "I am not enrolled anymore, though. I finished up back in May. I don't know that I have it in me."
Bear waves at William, "Howsit, fella'? Doin' alright? Things good?"
William shrugs at Tabitha "I am not either, and I'm going..." Before offering another shrug at Bear "Could be better, could definitely be worse... I'm doing"
Bear stretches out, "If I don't find someone fun to hang out with, its either drag someone to do some sparring, or go to the bar and drink the evening away."
Harriet repeats William's answer of, "Two months." A nod is given in response in thanks to him and Lepia. "I think you'll give them a beautiful livelihood, Lepi."
"Two months." Lepia nods a few times. "Perhaps longer. We will see." She seems rather confident in the idea that they will live longer under her care.
William takes a moment to chip back into the worm conversation "I mean, that's once they reach the adult stage... Depending on the species, they can stay as larvae for quite long... Some even a year or two... But yeah, they have quite the short lifespan"
"So why did people decide to choose this book?" Tabitha asks, having found herself flipping through the pages some. She suggests to Lepia, "Could always give them a home in the Cauldron's garden."
"I could, yes, I could." Lepia seems to actually give Tabitha's suggestion some thought, looking back up towards the ceiling for a moment before back down at her. "Too many could eat the garden, however."
Bear peers at his phone, frowning softly. A sigh escapes him, and he moves to stand, "Sorry to ditch, but I gotta' go. Be safe, all of ya'."
"We'd not want that." Tabitha says. She starts to stand and stretches. "I am going to take my leave too, I think."
William gives a wave at the leaving Bear and another at Tabitha "Have fun out there"
"I'll be back for the discussion, though." Tabitha says those left. She starts to the exit with a wave to William. "Call or text sometime? I can probably help you with that thing in the early morning hours if you are still awake."
"Goodbye." Lepia offers someone a wave. "We should speak some time on what else can..."
"Goodbye." Lepia offers Tabitha a wave. "We should speak some time on what else can..."
Lepia says "... Oh. Took too long to think."
William tilts his head slightly before looking down at his phone, texting something
Harriet is still thinking about moths and how long they live, it seems, because she's asking both William and Lepia, "How are they able to prevent themselves from turning into moths for so long?"
"Conditions. Give them what they need, they emerge faster." A pleased look emerges on Lepia's face as Harriet asks more miscellaneous moth questions. "Much like people in general, I think."
William shrugs a bit, looking back at Harriet "Well, the thing is-" He gives a nod at what Lepia says "It's not really a choice, it is a combination of chemical requirements being met- The adult stage isn't as much of an adult as we see it but a dying stage, they change into it to reproduce, lay eggs, and die"
Harriet hmms thoughtfully as she listens to both Lepia and William, having an unexpected lesson in the lives of moths. "So, you withhold from them their needs, and they actually get to live a longer life, but if you allow them to thrive they simply die?"
"Mhm, mhm." Lepia nods. "An interesting way of looking at it. A reversal of the trend."
William shrugs a bit "I mean... Not really? If you withold them, they also die... Most of the chemical reactions that lead to the cocooing phase are actually just feeding- If you deny it from them, they die- If they feed enough to live, they'll eventually meet the requirements, cocoon, metamorphosis and die... An interesting case you can read about is actually larvae born without mouths, those are the ones that live the longest, and they do it purely on their internal energy, until it comes the time to, well, digest themselves"
Looking back and forth between William and Lepia, Harriet purses her lips some. "Ew," comes out at the last part that the man is sharing about the mouthless moth larvae. "That sounds awful and painful. Do they know why some are born without mouths? Is it a natural mutation, or one caused by something manmade?"
"Natural. Some are just born with the right amount of nutrients to just... Do it. On their own time." Lepia idly comments.
William chuckles a bit at Harriet, nodding at what Lepia said "Yeah, that- There's also species that don't have mouths, instead they have a little slit- And to feed they have to build traps and then liquidify the prey in order to consume..." He rests both elbows on the counter and puts his hands under his chin "But yeah, self digestion is kind of what happens inside the cocoon if you didn't know, it is the norm for them- The whole body rebuilding thing comes after their original has been melted and consumed by enzymes"
Harriet looks surprised over Lepia's response, and her lips part, perhaps just to exercise the fact that she possesses a mouth. Thank goodness. An exhale escapes it, too. "My goodness," gets said to William after that explanation. "Ugh..." comes out next about the getting consumed. "Nature is so wild. I saw a frog with a mutation the other day in a picture where its eyes were inside of its mouth."
Lepia gets a very amused look on her face, as she does a bit of short laugh, before saying, "So they can see what they're eating."
William nods his head "Oh, yeah, that's a classic... Do you know a lot of moles actually have eyes? They are just covered by a layer of skin and they are unusable... Nature sometimes is pretty gross in its ways, but then again... We are just as gross if you look at our insides, are we not?"
Harriet is amused by Lepia's words, and she flashes a quick grin her way. "I suppose that is a good reason," she says with a laugh following. Thens he blinks at William. "I... did not know that they ... supposedly did not have eyes, but... wow... I guess I have yet to really inspect a mole up close. Tell me about more of these kinds of things in the animal kindgom." Expectantly, the tall woman looks between Lepia and William.
William huhs a bit, nodding slowly "Well, there are some other body horror things..." He says putting a finger to his lips, tapping while he thinks "There's a couple things with penises that are pretty grotesque... Like ducks... Or without going further, cats and dogs- Do you know what's up with that?"
"Not really, no." Lepia shakes her head, her too-wide gaze turning now to stare at William, interest written clear across her features.
The narrative takes a sharp turn towards the philosophical and sometimes unsettling aspects of nature, driven by Harriet's and Lepia's fascination with moth lifecycles. Members share their insights on survival and the harsh realities faced by these creatures, leading to a broader contemplation of life's ephemeral beauty and the brutal, yet fascinating cycle of life in the animal kingdom. William, with his knowledge, adds depth to the conversation, highlighting the grotesque yet intriguing aspects of natural selection and animal behavior. The evening, filled with the exchange of books, personal stories, and a deep dive into the metaphorical significance of moths, concludes with a sense of camaraderie and intellectual fulfillment among the participants, eager to reconvene and explore more of life's oddities and marvels.
(Epigram's Book Club at the Black Rose)
[Fri Oct 18 2024]
In Black Rose Cafe
Large columns support the high ceiling which has
a large stained glass roof that, in the day time
at least, dapples the small cafe below in shades
of rosy reds, greens and dark gray shadows. Each
of the black painted columns are ornamented with
leafy vines that wind their way around them. The
walls are covered from ceiling down with crimson
lake hued wallpaper, embossed in a subtle raised
pattern of more of the blooms that lend the shop
its name. From roughly head height the wallpaper
gives way to darkly stained wood panelling which
then gives way to similar dark hard wood floors.
In the center of the room is a circular counter,
inside of which serves as the hub for the little
cafe that offers patrons a place to sit and read
while snacking or sipping on some coffee or tea.
It is about 55F(12C) degrees.
"Ohhh, prison," Irene says with a loft of her brows, and although she does her best to stay polite, non-judgemental, it's clear this open admission takes her aback just a touch. After a beat to consider, she ends up leaning into that discomfort after all. "So, you like war, and you just got out of prison -- but you're worried that /I/ might be a total ass?"
Epigram draws a deep breath and sighs then says, "I think it's time for me to start looking at housing, like I promised I would." She gets her phone out.
"Speaking of housing ..." Irene holds up her phone in front of Epigram, wiggling it about for a moment. "My place just got broken in, that's why I was looking at my phone before -- sorry for being rude. But uh, know I asked if you wanted to roommate maybe, and I feel like I should just be honest with you about that."
Epigram looks at the phone and then says, "Did you text me?" To Irene, but she looks like she's hiding something, like she probably saw the text and has ben just an utter flake, but wants to play it off like she missed it. "What do you need to be honest about?"
Harriet frowns a bit upon hearing Irene mention her home getting broken into. "I rent bedrooms out for three hundred a month to women in need of affordable places to stay while they figure things out. I also have two pools, a theatre, a gym, tennis courts, and various other rooms for entertainment," she shares.
"Bugs don't bother me." Lepia simply mumbles. "Some of them are quite nice, really. I do enjoy moths. They know many things, you know." A look of concern seems to cross her features at the mention of Irene's break-in.
"Just, you know." Irene smiles at Epigram apologetically, sliding her phone back into her pocket. "Offer's still on the table if you want to check it out, but seems like I might've moved into a high crime rate area without knowing it. I dunno if maybe you'd rather somewhere safer, or cheaper, I don't want to mislead you." Harriet's offer has her nodding in that direction, and she looks back at Epigram to see what she might say. A loose strand of hair is tucked self-consciously behind her ear, before she addresses Bear anew. "I bet people who live through war don't like war."
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at -irene and -hariett.
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at Irene and someone.
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at Irene and someone.
Epigram looks between the two like she has to use the bathroom. She gets to her feet and says, "I have to use the bathroom!" and starts to hurry off, with a glance back at Irene and Harriet.
Lepia glances then to Epigram and Gabriella, as both of them leave, before she shrugs slightly, sipping down more of her tea and finishing off her muffin.
"Moths? Can you share a bit of moth wisdom with me?" Harriet asks Lepia curiously, obviously intrigued by the woman's claim about nocturnal insects. She looks to Irene and says, "Any area in Haven ends up being a high crime area, I feel. I had my home broken into a couple of times over the last month. They put cameras in my bathrooms, too... Which is why I check bathrooms now."
Gabriella really didn't want to follow the other woman into the bathroom, honest!
But... since Gabriella is standing up now, she yawns and tells peole around "well... I guess I should get going."
"Oh, it was?" Gabriella seems surprised - she really wasn't in her best form this past few hours. "Thanks I guess", she adds, looking around a bit self-consciously, and then just heading out.
Epigram returns, tucking her phone away and looking around. "I'm back," she announces, which is probably like really obvious.
"Echoes of existing paradigms; moths hide and grow in-between cloth, eat it, rearrange it, peer into hidden places." Lepia explains in a patient tone to Harriet's questions. "And in turn remain hidden themselves, until fluttering away."
"I think war is a tragedy to be avoided wherever possible," Irene philosophises to Bear in a diplomatic tone, her features cool and collected. She no longer seems to be in a bantering mood, and her words are oblique, carefully chosen, all traces of a smile gone. "But I think that, sometimes, it is made necessary by people who do not share that belief. It's not my place to judge those who relish in war that was thrust upon them against their will, who rise to the occasion -- whatever process they need to make that right in their mind. I don't particularly like those who fetishise it, and choose not to avoid it when it could've been."
After offering her politician's answer, Irene slides her gaze over to Harriet, seeming particularly curious as to what she thinks of all this, be it through words or expression alone.
William slowly walks behind the counter, glancing over at the tables and perking an eyebrow at what Harriet is saying "Is this about the book still... Or...?"
Bear listens quietly, seeming to pay attention, "Non-committal, a bit. But I get ya'. War is bad, but someone's gotta' do it. And its best they be good at it. Probably better if they enjoy it. Can't blame a fella' for their nature, if their nature is necessary, yeah?"
"Mm," Irene concurs to Bear quietly, reclining further in her seat to study the relative stranger intently. Lifting her gaze in William's direction, her lips widen into a warm, soft smile, and she asks him innocuously enough, "Will you be joining our book club?"
William shrugs a bit non-commitally at Irene, glancing over at the tables "Not sure... I already have a long list of books to go through- But I do like listening about it, plus, if I'm working might as well entratain myself"
Intently, Harriet takes in what Lepia has to share about moths. "I see. That is very interesting. How do we apply that wisdom to our own lives?" gets wondered next. She can hear what Bear and Irene are discussing, and furrows her eyebrows a bit. Catching sight of the look Irene gives her, she acknowledges it with a, "There are times when in order to preserve life, some lives have to be lost through war. I certainly would never relish in it, but I understand reasons for some escalations to that point. I also think people often rush to eat, rather than diplomacy. Ah..." She recalls, "One of the greatest books I ever read is 'Dignity, Its Essential Role in Resolving Conflict' by Donna Hicks. That woman saved this planet from many wars through her work with various leaders across the globe. It's incredible stuff, and I do wish everyone was required to learn those ways while in school."
Harriet coughs, "Rush to war.. Not eat... Maybe I'm hungry."
"Well, raising them." Lepia lifts out a literal box of moth worms she carries around with her. "I like how they look, they're enjoyable." She then slowly peeks into the box by hoisting the lid, peering inside. "... They're doing well, would you like to see?"
"I think I'll add that to my reading list," Irene says to Harriet, but then she starts pushing to her feet. "Well, it was nice meeting you. Guess I'll see you next month, hmm?" She wiggles her copy of Old Man's War indicatively, and then settles her gaze on Epigram in particular. "This was a really great idea, Epi. I'm glad you came up with it."
Harriet does a double take as Lepia pulls out a tube.
Irene also turns to stare at the tube of worms Lepia abruptly produces.
Bear stretches out, arms above his head, stretching out languidly. His chair protests, making sounds of strain, and he eyes it with a suspicious look.
Harriet clears her throat, and says to Irene, "I think you'd like it," about the book, but it's certainly caught up in the tube of moth worms Lepia so unexpectedly has in her possession. "Yes, I suppose I would like to see."
"I'm worse," Irene wryly corrects Bear as she exits.
Epigram frowns at her phone and starts typing at it guriously.
In passing, Tabitha gets a friend smile and a wave from Irene.
Lepia carefully raises the lid on the plastic tub of moth worms, letting Harriet get a glimpse, if she actually chooses to peer inside of the tub. Dare she?
Bear lets his expression light up a bit as Tabitha enters, "Heya', Miss Tabitha. Howsit?"
Harriet does indeed dare. She's peering curiously into the worm tube Lepia offers when Tabitha walks in.
William gives a wave at Tabitha as she comes in
Epigram is busy frowning at her phone, then tucks it away with a long suffering sigh. "How could they, disgrace the name of book club." She sighs again and starts to tuck her phone away.
Harriet hmms thoughtfully.
Tabitha steps aside to allow for a few to leave as she enters, a moment given at the entrance to peer throughout the room to faces she recognizes. "Good afternoon," she greets all, with smiles to those she knows. She walks over to the smattering of tables to find herself a seat. "I hear that this is a book club... what is the topic?"
Epigram seems to be listening in on Tabitha, while trying to be sly about it. Like you can't tell what she's up to, you know, except for the fact she's watching her and sort of staring and cocking her head a little and like just painfully obviously listening in. She looks like she doesn't realize she's so obvious.
Ultimately, Harriet looks impressed with the worms in the wood shavings in the tub. "How did you even acquire them?" she asks Lepia, straightening her posture now that she isn't bending to examine the baby moths to be. Looking to Tabitha, she says, "Hello, Tabi. We are all reading Old Man's War by John Scalzi, and will be meeting again next month to discuss it," since Epigram, the club leader, is quiet.
Epigram is quiet! She's just also not as slick as she clearly is trying to be or maybe thinks she is. She even sort of nods to the words -harriet says. Then she gets distracted by her phone
"Turns out they just sell them in the fishing. A whole tub of them. I'm surprised they were selling them, surely they aren't useful for fishing." Lepia nods sagely. It seems she wasn't aware, of course, that a fishing shop would even have moth worms. Or -why- they would have them.
Lepia says "Fishing shop, that is."
Tabitha accepts the book from Bear and studies its cover before looking up to Harriet, "Ah, thanks. I'll try to find the time to give it a read for next month." She tilts her head to the side at Epigram, then turns her attention to Bear. "I'm good, by the way. Simply trying to figure out what I want to do with my Friday." She taps the book. "Nothing wrong with curling up with cocoa and a good book."
Epigram does the only thing that one can do when caught red handed. She quickly looks away and tries to duck her head from Tabitha and pretend she wasn't listening. She could use her phone to look at but that doesn't occur to her, instead she finds herself studying the ceiling lights and trying to pretend they look interesting.
Both of Harriet's eyebrows furrow again as I she pieces together what Lepia is explaining to her. She is... Looking at bait. Clearly, Lepia is not a Master Baiter if she isn't aware of why a fishing shop would sell moth worms. Not even a Beginner Baiter. "Oh, you rescued them. Well done. They shall have good lives. How long is a moth's average lifespan?" That is something she fully expects Lepia to know. A nod is given to Tabitha. "It took a long while for us to all agree on a book."
William gives a bit of a look at Epigram, before glancing again at Tabitha "I think Ashen is giving another cryptozoology class if you're interested in that..." He then glances over at Harriet, answering the question "A little bit more than a month... To two months, not more usually"
"Not long. Not very long at all. But that's fine. Some say that beauty sources itself from the ephemeral. I don't disagree." Lepia comments still, closing the lid back up on the tub before it is pushed back into a bag at her side.
Epigram is -really- interested in those lights! Like wow, what is it about them, the archtecture of what is almost certainly ordinary lights. Just when she thinks it is safe to stop pretending to be like, the most light obsessed person ever, she notices William noticing her and then, yep back at the lights. She even makes faces like wows and stuff because gosh darn is she not going to let herself be caught listening in on conversations.
Tabitha glances at her phone then shrugs at Bear in reply. She says to William, "I am not enrolled anymore, though. I finished up back in May. I don't know that I have it in me."
Bear waves at William, "Howsit, fella'? Doin' alright? Things good?"
William shrugs at Tabitha "I am not either, and I'm going..." Before offering another shrug at Bear "Could be better, could definitely be worse... I'm doing"
Bear stretches out, "If I don't find someone fun to hang out with, its either drag someone to do some sparring, or go to the bar and drink the evening away."
Harriet repeats William's answer of, "Two months." A nod is given in response in thanks to him and Lepia. "I think you'll give them a beautiful livelihood, Lepi."
"Two months." Lepia nods a few times. "Perhaps longer. We will see." She seems rather confident in the idea that they will live longer under her care.
William takes a moment to chip back into the worm conversation "I mean, that's once they reach the adult stage... Depending on the species, they can stay as larvae for quite long... Some even a year or two... But yeah, they have quite the short lifespan"
"So why did people decide to choose this book?" Tabitha asks, having found herself flipping through the pages some. She suggests to Lepia, "Could always give them a home in the Cauldron's garden."
"I could, yes, I could." Lepia seems to actually give Tabitha's suggestion some thought, looking back up towards the ceiling for a moment before back down at her. "Too many could eat the garden, however."
Bear peers at his phone, frowning softly. A sigh escapes him, and he moves to stand, "Sorry to ditch, but I gotta' go. Be safe, all of ya'."
"We'd not want that." Tabitha says. She starts to stand and stretches. "I am going to take my leave too, I think."
William gives a wave at the leaving Bear and another at Tabitha "Have fun out there"
"I'll be back for the discussion, though." Tabitha says those left. She starts to the exit with a wave to William. "Call or text sometime? I can probably help you with that thing in the early morning hours if you are still awake."
"Goodbye." Lepia offers someone a wave. "We should speak some time on what else can..."
"Goodbye." Lepia offers Tabitha a wave. "We should speak some time on what else can..."
Lepia says "... Oh. Took too long to think."
William tilts his head slightly before looking down at his phone, texting something
Harriet is still thinking about moths and how long they live, it seems, because she's asking both William and Lepia, "How are they able to prevent themselves from turning into moths for so long?"
"Conditions. Give them what they need, they emerge faster." A pleased look emerges on Lepia's face as Harriet asks more miscellaneous moth questions. "Much like people in general, I think."
William shrugs a bit, looking back at Harriet "Well, the thing is-" He gives a nod at what Lepia says "It's not really a choice, it is a combination of chemical requirements being met- The adult stage isn't as much of an adult as we see it but a dying stage, they change into it to reproduce, lay eggs, and die"
Harriet hmms thoughtfully as she listens to both Lepia and William, having an unexpected lesson in the lives of moths. "So, you withhold from them their needs, and they actually get to live a longer life, but if you allow them to thrive they simply die?"
"Mhm, mhm." Lepia nods. "An interesting way of looking at it. A reversal of the trend."
William shrugs a bit "I mean... Not really? If you withold them, they also die... Most of the chemical reactions that lead to the cocooing phase are actually just feeding- If you deny it from them, they die- If they feed enough to live, they'll eventually meet the requirements, cocoon, metamorphosis and die... An interesting case you can read about is actually larvae born without mouths, those are the ones that live the longest, and they do it purely on their internal energy, until it comes the time to, well, digest themselves"
Looking back and forth between William and Lepia, Harriet purses her lips some. "Ew," comes out at the last part that the man is sharing about the mouthless moth larvae. "That sounds awful and painful. Do they know why some are born without mouths? Is it a natural mutation, or one caused by something manmade?"
"Natural. Some are just born with the right amount of nutrients to just... Do it. On their own time." Lepia idly comments.
William chuckles a bit at Harriet, nodding at what Lepia said "Yeah, that- There's also species that don't have mouths, instead they have a little slit- And to feed they have to build traps and then liquidify the prey in order to consume..." He rests both elbows on the counter and puts his hands under his chin "But yeah, self digestion is kind of what happens inside the cocoon if you didn't know, it is the norm for them- The whole body rebuilding thing comes after their original has been melted and consumed by enzymes"
Harriet looks surprised over Lepia's response, and her lips part, perhaps just to exercise the fact that she possesses a mouth. Thank goodness. An exhale escapes it, too. "My goodness," gets said to William after that explanation. "Ugh..." comes out next about the getting consumed. "Nature is so wild. I saw a frog with a mutation the other day in a picture where its eyes were inside of its mouth."
Lepia gets a very amused look on her face, as she does a bit of short laugh, before saying, "So they can see what they're eating."
William nods his head "Oh, yeah, that's a classic... Do you know a lot of moles actually have eyes? They are just covered by a layer of skin and they are unusable... Nature sometimes is pretty gross in its ways, but then again... We are just as gross if you look at our insides, are we not?"
Harriet is amused by Lepia's words, and she flashes a quick grin her way. "I suppose that is a good reason," she says with a laugh following. Thens he blinks at William. "I... did not know that they ... supposedly did not have eyes, but... wow... I guess I have yet to really inspect a mole up close. Tell me about more of these kinds of things in the animal kindgom." Expectantly, the tall woman looks between Lepia and William.
William huhs a bit, nodding slowly "Well, there are some other body horror things..." He says putting a finger to his lips, tapping while he thinks "There's a couple things with penises that are pretty grotesque... Like ducks... Or without going further, cats and dogs- Do you know what's up with that?"
"Not really, no." Lepia shakes her head, her too-wide gaze turning now to stare at William, interest written clear across her features.