ic Ghosts and Grimalkins: Family Matters

[RocketLord]

GM

 

1 PM, Saturday April 6th, 2024

West End, Freedom City

Silberman's Books

 

It is a lovely day. The sun is shining over Freedom City, the birds are flying about and singing. A nice Spring day, the kind of day where it seems like nothing can go wrong and everything will be fine.

 

Silberman's Books is an institution by this point, slowly inching closer to having been part of the city for 80 years. The current owner is of course one Lynn Epstein, otherwise known as Grimalkin. Her relationship with Casper Church, the friendly neighborhood Ghost, has progressed quite a bit lately, and it is time for Lynn to meet Casper's daughter, Carrie.

 

Everything will of course go perfectly well and there will be no issues or troubles ahead. 

 

Right?

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

This is the right thing to do... isn't it? Casper really likes Grim a lot. He really wants to see where things can go, and well... They've known each other for a few years, and they're together now, so he really should introduce Carrie to Grim, but... it still feels weird, in a way. He 's never done anything like that before, since he and Carrie's mom divorced. He has no idea how she'll react, but, time to see.

 

Casper opens the door to Silberman's and holds it for his almost 10 years old daughter. He is dressed in a pair of well worn blue jeans, a white t-shirt and an open light brown jacket, but otherwise looks like his usual tired self. He is smiling as Carrie steps in and looks around. She is about 130 cm tall, with her long brown hair (in the exact same shade of brown as her dad's) tied into a neat braid on her back. She is wearing a black t-shirt with the logo from the old Freedom Friends cartoon, a light blue skirt and blue tights, with a denim jacket over the shirt, and a dark red backpack over her shoulders. She pushes her square glasses up her nose, once she notices they're down.

 

"Lynn's gotta be around here somewhere. She's great, I think you'll like her a lot, Peanut," he says, a hand on his daughter's shoulder. 

 

"Does she work here?" Carrie is looking around by now, eyes wide. "This place is awesome."

[Heritage]

GRIMALKIN 

 

"Actually...I own the place."

 

Lynn Epstein appeared right behind them, wearing a vintage sky-blue Star Wars T-shirt beneath her brown Silbermann's Books apron, as well as comfortable jeans and and a pair of light hiking boots. Her big brown eyes and warm smile were framed by an artless mop of curly brown hair. Even in human form, there was something elfin about her; she stood about a head taller than Carrie, slender and graceful, but seething with mischief just below the surface.

 

The bookseller offered the young girl a warm handshake. 

 

"Hi, I'm Lynn, and can't tell you how happy I am to meet you!"

[RocketLord]

GHOST

 

Carrie stops in her tracks when she hears the voice behind her and then spins around, looking up at the woman that's barely a head taller than her with a questioning look, then looks at her father with a somewhat unsure expression.

 

Casper looks back with a half smile and shrugs, before Carrie turns back to Lynn.

 

"Carrie." She is obviously holding back, sounding reserved. "You're my dad's friend, right?" 

[Heritage]

GRIMALKIN

 

Inside, the shapeshifter winced, instantly aware of her misstep; what sounded charming in her head instead made the young girl wary.

 

You're such a showoff, Lynn. Gotta go for the big entrance, even if it's not the best play. First impressions, and all that.

 

Lynn nodded and sighed. "Yeah, I'm friends with your dad. And sometimes I try too hard." She gestured around with one hand, taking in all the bookshelves and vintage posters on the walls. "Welcome to my family's bookstore! Your dad tells me your quite the reader; what kind of books do you like to read?"