Penny offered to pay for the whole breakfast on her hotel bill. After all, she was quite well-off on her rewards, wise investments, and family fortune. Indeed, staff addressed her with great deference as Lady Penelope.

She was amused at Simon's discomfort at her question about hysteria, though she blushed herself when he spoke of openly menstruation. Biological matters really weren't a topic for polite conversation where she was from, despite the times when she'd examined monster kills and the Ripper's bloody deeds. Regardless, she found herself agreeing with, and approving of, Simon's advanced views on hysteria, having gotten at something she'd wondered about herself. 'That's very interesting, Father. It has seemed to me that anything that may afflict a man's mind may afflict a woman also, in much the same way, but then the doctors call it hysteria and blame it upon the uterus, and are unwilling to examine further. I do hope your views spread more widely.' She certainly did not mention the common treatments for hysteria, some of which were quite ghastly, though others were quite exhilarating.

She frowned at Simon's later words, his criticism of the women's suffrage movement, insistence on assigned gender roles, and variability between them, though she blushed again at the talk of castration. Did the priest have no manners? She could not wholly accept his views, but lacked the knowledge or experience to really say why. 'The emperor was depraved, but the boy had no choice and was cruelly butchered. It is a far, far cry from the practicality of pants to the working woman. Did not God create Adam and Eve equal and unclothed in the Garden of Eden? It seems to me that all else since has been an invention of mankind, or inspired by the Devil.' She left her objections at that.

*

'"Awesome"?' Penny repeated in puzzlement to Kate. 'You wear it to inspire awe or fear in the ghosts?' So, the word "awesome" apparently meant something different in Kate's time. Although she could understand Kate well enough, she had some odd turns of phrase likely not yet created in English that she had to think about.

A little stiffly, she placed a reassuring hand on Kate's as she spoke of her lost family. 'I am sorry for your losses.'

Stefan listened to each of them telling a bit about themselves. He found some of it to be very interesting, but kept his comments to himself about most of it. It was not for him to judge.

Stefan gave those there a slight bow. "My name is Stefan Von Stein, I am a doctor a medicine. I vas educated in Edinburgh, Scotland vhere I excelled in da field a medicine. Like you Father Cole I 'ave a interest in da mind, but medicine in general is a big part a my life, dhough some vould call it a bit unordhodox.

All my life da vorld a da occult 'as been dhere. My modher vas Gypsy an my fadher vas a doctor an scientist. I did not know 'im very vell, nor do I believe in vhat he did. I was 13 vhen modher left 'im. Ve vent back ta 'er people. It vas vith dhem dhat I learned dhat dhe occult vorld vas very open to me. I vas called a savant. I vould say I am just gifted.

Vhile I vas vith my modher and 'er people I learned dhere vays. Dhey taught me da old vays. Vunce I vas in medical classes, dhanks ta a backer I never knew. I mixed dhese old vays vith da vays dhey taught me. I vas considered by some ta be barbarian. Dhey called me magician, alchemist, quack, an charlatan, but I knew better. Da old vays can exist side by side vith da new vays a medicine. Vhen dhere vas not doctors a today dhere vere dhose dhat used dhese old vays ta cure da sik. It is vhat I do, as vell, but I mix da nu vith it."

Stefan looked at them for a momnent, then went on. "I vas first introduced ta da men a letters by somevun dhat knew a my fadher an vished ta know if I vas like him."

He looked directly at Miss Dreadful. "An I vould prefer you did not ask, for I am not like 'im, but I know it vill fester inside a you or you vill dig till you know. My fadher vas Victor Von Frankenstein."

Stefan went on with his story."I vas asked ta assist on a hunt due ta my knowledge a da okkult. Dhey needed me ta decifer some vritings. Vhat I decifered vas gibberish a a mind dhat had vent mad. It turned out ta be a ghoul. It is 'ow I got dhis limp, but dhat vas a long time ago. Most a my dealings vith hunting vould be dealing vith research, but I 'ave dealt vith dhose I must.

I came 'ere because a a feeling an Fadher Mikal sent me. I dhought it vas for my knowledge a da occult, but it vould seem dhat is covered vell by dhose 'ere already. So, ve vill see vhat use I can be ta you."

Stefan sat there quietly, then began sipping his tea.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:23, Mon 04 Nov 2013.

When Penny offered to pay for their meal, Simon looked ill again, perhaps even a bit green. He listened, though, not wanting to miss anything they had to say, especially Penny it seemed. When she spoke of Genesis he nodded, "I see your point, a very good one in fact. I will need to pray over this I think."

His guilt was really gnawing at him. How could she so flippantly spend so much money? The wealthy always amazed him with their ability to either not see suffering around them, or to simply not equate it with their own actions. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose...

Ian is an attentive and friendly listener, though he offers very little about himself unless asked. He does respond to the Father's question about his shyness with a bit of confusion at first. Shy? Me? Well, I'm not exactly the shy type if you haven't noticed.....Oh. You mean about asking to join you! He says with realization. He gives a sheepish grin. Well, honestly Father, I am a man of some....unfortunate vices as I'm sure you've picked up on. I have strayed a bit far from the church as of late and I thought the presence of one such as myself would make you uncomfortable.... He shakes his head awkwardly. I have been meaning to make my way back, I'm just not ready to make all the necessary changes yet, you know what I mean? It's on my list though, I can assure you of that. He adds cheerily. And if something doesn't kill me first, I should make a full recovery in a few years or so.... He grins widely, but for those with a keen enough eye, you can tell he feels somewhat guilty for his actions.

Kate smiled. "In my time awesome can also mean something that is really... neat, or outstanding. Like saying: 'oh you did an awesome job cleaning that up. Or it's a really awesome book!'" She shrugged. The word didn't work nearly as well when you had to explain it.

In response to Penny's condolences her smile transformed into a fake one. "It's okay. It was a long time ago." She took a drink of water, content to let the others do the rest of the talking. It was like they were characters out of books and Kate found it very interesting to watch them interact and give their different histories. More than anything she wanted her laptop so she could Google them all.

'Ah, they are Roma?' Penny said to von Stein as he mentioned being a Gypsy half-breed, demonstrating she knew the proper name for the travelling people.

Penny had not intended to inquire or investigate too deeply of her fellow hunters, as she knew hunters typically had secrets and personal tragedies. It would be impolite to delve, unless she had sufficient cause to do so. So she was surprised when von Stein chose make his revelation and singled her out as a cause. 'I hadn't intended—' she had begun when von Stein said he was the son of the notorious Victor von Frankenstein. She had heard some ghastly old rumours of the Frankenstein case, of experiments in vivisection and attempted reanimation via galvanism and darker arts. She felt a cold chill at the idea, but was understanding of von Stein's concerns. 'We are not our fathers, doctor. Nor do we have to be like them.' she said stiffly, thinking of her poor relationship with her own father.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:58, Tue 05 Nov 2013.

Stefan looked once again at Penny. "Ve both know dhat you vould a done it. It is part a vhat you are. A mystery must be solved, so I told you instead. Judgements are made in da name a da fadher. All I can do is try ta prove ta da vorld dhat I am not like 'im."

Late that night:



'Father Simon?' Penny repeated with surprise, having been distracted with thoughts of the case, of Belial and the Bentlys. She didn't quite know what to say; truthfully, she'd not given the priest much thought. Or rather, not much positive thought, given their regular clashes of opinion. 'He seems a devout and faithful priest.' she answered diplomatically, since manners were all.

Kate couldn't help but laugh. Penny was such a great detective but she was obviously oblivious to how uncomfortable she made the priest. "I couldn't help but notice....I'm pretty sure he's got a crush on you." She gave her friend a moment to process the information before adding. "He probably wouldn't do anything about it since he's a priest and all, but you might want to keep it in mind when you are talking to him."

'A crush?' Penny repeated, aghast. Although Kate had an odd manner of speaking at times, with phrases and meanings that might not be in use for a century, Penny felt confident that she could decipher her futuristic (or American) parlance. It was, like code-breaking and detective work, all a matter of context. Penny snorted in derision. 'Hmph. I am well aware of the good priest's feelings about me.' she answered indignantly. 'He may be "crushed on" me all he likes, but I shall not change to suit him... But, yes, I will keep it in mind.' she added with a sigh, more for Kate's request that Simon's benefit.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:27, Fri 18 Apr 2014.

Kate smiled at Penny's reaction. So she was playing dumb. A smart move, and it would probably help Father Simon feel better if he thought she didn't notice. "No worries, you don't have to hook up with him or anything. I just thought you might not know. Poor guy seems pretty uncomfortable. It's really awkward to watch."

"Hook up"? Ah, it was something to do with fishing, or like the boxing attack, perhaps referring to an argument or brawl. 'Indeed. The fellow has taken to staring at me — I do believe he's suffering from concussion. Well, it's a common complaint among priests.' Penny said, thinking of how appalled and dismayed — crushed, even — the conservative man of the cloth was at her radical political views, suffrage for women and all that. 'You needn't fear me, ah, hooking him up. We all play for the same team, after all.'

'Although if he knocks me up one night with some bible-thumping there shall be hell to pay.' she added darkly.

Kate laughed and it occurred to her that Penny probably had no idea what she'd said. Well tonight wasn't the night to explain it, but every time her friends comment about "knocked up bible thumping" came to mind it brought a fresh smile to Kate's face.

"We'll I'm glad you can hold your own against Simon," she replied. Honestly Kate wasn't exactly sure Penny understood what she'd been trying to tell her about Father Simon's feelings. She shrugged, it would be interesting to see how things played out in the next few days.

'Well, it is no great concern.' Penny brushed off the matter, not really wishing to discuss her quarrels with Father Simon. Maybe it was because she was so quick to disagree, or correct, or protest, to speak her mind. In her life, she'd often been chided for not holding her tongue as a woman should, by Father and others. Well, she'd never taken much notice of that, and wasn't about to start. Old attitudes simply had to be left behind.

She stared ahead at the streets of New York in the night-time, lit by the new electric arc lamps. Such technology was spreading far and fast; the turn of the century was coming and the world was changing for the better. Some insisted the world would end at the end of the century, but Kate was proof that it would not. It had to be a wondrous century, to produce marvels like Kate's portable telephone and a woman as free as Kate herself, no matter the oddity of her clothes. Penny felt she ought to see how Kate was adapting to being flung back in over a century, to such a different time. It had to have been quite a jarring transition. She looked back to Kate, asking, a little haltingly, 'Kate, how... are you settling in here? To this time, I mean?'

Kate thought about Penny's question for a moment before answering. There was a lot to get used to in this new time and she really did miss 2013. But it was also exciting to see how different everything was, and of course to be working with other hunters, even if the threat of the end of the world was looming over them. "I'm holding up alright. It will be better once I can get out of this dress. How do you wear these things all day?" She plucked at the fabric of her skirt with a frown. "There is a lot to get used to," she admitted with a smile. "But it's all good. We'll get things straightened out here and then I can find a way back."

'I suppose one grows used to it... But the corset wasn't necessary in this company, or, at least, you don't need to tight-lace it if you don't desire the wasp waist. It's terribly unhealthy, and is restrictive in a fight. The same goes for bustles, hobble-skirts, and the like. I have avoided all of these silly accessories; though it may be terribly unfashionable and unattractive of me, I am still alive and breathing!' Penny explained proudly. Ironically, and unbeknownst to Penny, it was probably her rare and rebellious natural curves rather than the exaggerated S-shaped hour-glass of high fashion that had fellows like Father Simon or Mister Shaw get so hot and bothered. 'Though, admittedly, I once wore an old-fashioned full-scale crinoline hoop dress to a ball — with a hem weighted with rock salt. I was a veritable fortress against ghosts!' she cheered.

'Well, anyway, I can get you a sporting corset if you wish, or re-lace that one more loosely for you. We could also try the simpler dresses and shorter skirts of the lower classes, or, if we may be so daring, bloomers. I also keep trousers and a bowler hat handy for going hunting, though I suspect certain gentlemen will be rather shocked... Personally, I'm looking forward to it.' she confided in Kate with a mischievous smile.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:17, Wed 23 Apr 2014.

"Yes fashion has changed a lot over the years," Kate commented listening to Penny's description with interest. "I would kill for a pair of pants," she added "and if the men want to be shocked then let them. They aren't the ones who have to tromp around in stupid skirts. I really don't know how you do it, corset or not." She snorted, " I can hear Father Simon's protests now. The man would have a heart attack if he could see the way they dress in my time. "

'Indeed, your ghost-hunting chemise was quite a shock,' Penny admitted, a trifle embarrassed to recall it, 'But after wearing a half-dozen layers of cloth, I can certainly see the appeal. Oh, to see a future world not so bound by high fashion or shocked by the sight of the female form.' she lamented. 'Still, skirts have their uses, especially for concealing weapons.'

Penny chewed on her thoughts for a time, intrigued by the customs of a liberated future, before quietly asking Kate 'Your clothes... might I try them on tonight? Just between us ladies?' At last, Penny broke and giggled like a girl at the scandalous idea, the image of her in a Ghostbusters t-shirt, and grabbed Kate for support lest she fall out of the cab.

Fortunately, the design of the hansom cab placed the driver above and behind the compartment, so he heard little of the giggly girl talk below.

"For sure you can try them on," Kate laughed at Penny's excitement. "I don't know what size shoes you wear but you haven't lived until you try on a pair of comfortable sneakers too." It was nice to talk about girl things and forget the strange events of the past day. "I'm pretty sure I have a candy bar in my bag too, she added.

'Food from the future, extraordinary! ...And did you have music on that portable telephone of yours? I should love to listen to it.' They were sure to have a merry evening, and after today's trials, Penny felt sure they needed it. And Penny felt glad to have a friend she could speak freely with.

"Oh there is music," Kate said with a grin. "You may not like it, but trust me it grows on you." They'd had the girl talk, there was going to be candy and music. Kate was reminded of the slumber parties she'd gone to as a kid. It was going to be a fun night.

Men of Letters Headquarters, Chapel

After arriving back at the Men of Letters headquarters, prior to the expedition to 1863, Penny followed Father Simon into the small chapel. Reluctant to enter a small box with something akin to claustrophobia, Penny began speaking outside. 'How should one address an angel?' she asked, thinking of Simon's earlier surprise and her own puzzled reaction to Castiel. She needed guidance. It was, essentially, a matter of manners. 'Castiel introduced himself to me quite plainly – he is not accompanied by heavenly trumpets and radiances, he seems too humble for that. And I must say I was too surprised and distracted to address him properly. I was lost for words.' For once, some might say. 'Thereafter, we conversed in an informal fashion, and later he visited me in, ah, intimate circumstances.' Penny bit her lip, embarrassed to hint at the encounter. 'It is hard to maintain a sense of awe. I like Mr Castiel, but I am not sure how to take him.'

Simon went behind the confessional but did not sit. Instead he leaned on the low wall, maintaining decorum for them both with the physical separation. "You may be surprised, Penny but Anglicans and Orthodox Catholics have more in common with each other then either do with the Roman church. We confess to God as well, however we have someone who aids us. If ever you need that, please come to me. Now to the question at hand. I know little about Angels, actually. I know a great deal about demons, but little about the Heavenly Host. Peter said, 'Even now there are Angels in heaven that carry deadly weapons.' There is scholarly debate on that, but the blade you gave me seems to answer it in my opinion."

He watched for her reactions as he went on. "How should we address an Angel? I suppose how that Angel wishes to be addressed. If this Angel is informal and wants you to be so as well, then by all means. If you need it's aid, then shouting for it would not be out of line."

He paused there so that the gravity of his next point came home. "Prayer, though, implies supplication and even worship. Calling on this Angel in the name of God or Jesus Christ would I think be acceptable to Him. Asking for the Angels aid, again in God's name and in the Angel's would be how I would go about things. Sometimes I get caught up in the semantics, and I apologize for that. Perhaps you meant merely that you communed with the Angel, in which case I think you are still in God's good graces."

At last, Penny shrugged and sat in the other half of the confessional. It seemed a curious contraption, placing barriers between them and the world. It gave a distance and privacy that seemed to aid in speaking freely nonetheless. She listened to Simon speak on angels and found herself in agreement. But she frowned curiously at the last part. 'Why would I not be?' she wondered, feeling her hackles rise, partially at their old feud, mostly for her fears at the Darkmoor taint. Relaxing herself, she let it pass. 'No, never mind, I know what you mean. When we think words into the heavens, it all feels the same. But, no, you are correct, it is not prayer. We simply call upon him, like with a telephone.'

'And I feel you're right, we should react and respond as he presents himself. It is the same for humans, after all, and Castiel is surprisingly human. Thank you.'

Penny sat quietly for a time, chewing her lip and reflecting on her other encounter with Castiel. She'd rather discuss it with Kate, though she hadn't, and indeed, couldn't, though the matter seemed moot now. Though their earlier argument still weighed bitterly on her mind, Father Simon was still a priest and it was a divine matter. Some day there would be women priests to make this easier. She spoke hesitantly, looking away. 'Perhaps I do have something to confess... When I said Castiel visited me in intimate circumstances, he, uh, came to me, privately, while I was, ah, bathing, in the shower...' Penny blushed, rosy pink colour coming to her pale face. 'He is as innocent as Adam in the Garden! I retained my privacy and dignity and there was no impropriety, I swear... Can there be impropriety with an angel? And can one – speaking hypothetically, of course – have, ah, impure thoughts about one?' Well, okay, there was a reason for asking...
This message was last edited by the player at 07:05, Mon 14 Sept 2015.

Simon smiled as he realized she understood him and dropped her defensiveness. "You are most welcome, Penny. What is a...tel-a-phone?"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_telephone
It took a long time for the telephone to become common. =-)

Simon sat in his place and opened the confessional window. Here he is at ease and very professional, yet still the same caring man. He takes on what can only be described as a doctor/patient outlook. He treats her with dignaty and respect and approaches these subjects delicately. At her confession, Simon grew thoughtful. "Would you mind if I first tell you what I believe regarding impure thoughts? God created us all as sexual beings, Penny. The Song of Solomon/Song of Songs celebrates a passionate sexual relationship within the bounds of marriage. When Christ warned against impure thoughts, what he actually said was 'When a man (or woman) looks upon a woman (or man) with lust in his (or her) heart, then he (or she) has already committed adultery.' I added the alternate pronouns because I believe this was meant for all of humanity. Men are guilty of physical lust more often than women, but not exclusively. Lust, though, is not any sexual thought. Lust is dwelling on improper thought about someone you are not married to, so within the bounds of marriage all sexual thought is welcomed."

He gave her a moment to absorb that before going on. "Because we are sexual beings, and not entirely rational myrmidons, we are expected to have these thoughts on occasion, even about those we are not married to. What then is the sin? I believe it to be dwelling on such thoughts until they consume our waking lives. That might be a bit...liberal...compared to some of my brethren in the cloth, but it is my view."

He went on, "It is possible to have impure thoughts about things other than humans. So yes, it is possible to have such thoughts about an angel. Now we come to another interesting problem. Is it possible to have such relations with an angel? I believe it is. Genesis 6: 1-10 discusses 'The sons of God' marrying and having children with 'daughters of man.' Nephilim, the Bible calls them - a Greek word that roughly translates to demi-angel. Sons of God is a Biblical euphemism for angel. Scholarly debate about it being such in that passage does occur, but for my part I believe that yes, a human woman can marry and have children with an angel."

He concluded, "I believe it is just as great a sin to deny our nature, being sexual beings, as it is to commit adultery. That is chief among the reasons I migrated to the Orthodox Church. I also think, Penny, if you have these feelings for this angel, perhaps you might discuss them with him? Who knows, he may reciprocate. It is even possible that I might have the happy duty of performing that right for you? I dearly hope so."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:39, Sun 13 Sept 2015.