>>5381925“Honestly, me and mine will probably take a breather here too, if you don’t mind.” You say as innocently as you can manage. “But first! Gather ‘round, everyone!”
GG, Rath, Julia, Francine, and the Dream Team quickly assemble at your command, with your girlfriend’s phone at the ready as you pose, the device held several yards away by one of your Hundred-Handed limbs before Sauti sheepishly asks if she could take one for you.
“So I believe I understand the general concept of a ‘selfie’, Darling, but what’s all this really for?” Francine asks when you’re done, arching one eyebrow as you and Gina stand shoulder-to-shoulder to peer at the screen.
“It’s more for the Skinternet than anything. To get the word out, y’know?” Gina replies, biting the tip of her tongue as she scrolls through a variety of filters.
“We need to let people know that the Lodge has been rebuilt.” You continue as your girlfriend tweaks and nudges the photo to really make the meaty colors pop. “I figure it’ll be one hell of a morale boost to see Lodge 2.0 back up and running.”
“Oh, it’s more like a ‘fuck you!” to the Cord, one I can get behind.” Laughs Rath, who rests her chin between your and Gina’s shoulders to watch the latter’s handiwork. “Also, what’re we gonna call it? ‘Lodge 2.0’ doesn’t really vibe, if I’m honest.”
“Oh no, honesty’s the best policy, I agree.” Francine says pointedly before stalking away with a smile once Rath sticks out her tongue at the good doctor.
“New Beela-?” Gina starts to offer before you and Rath ‘boo’ as one. “Or maybe just…’The Island’?”
“I like ‘island’ being in there…” You hum thoughtfully. “We could go the full pun route; ‘Noman Island’.”
Rath snorts, giving the thumbs-up and prompting Gina to enter a small block of text just underneath where the nine of you stand cramped into the frame. You nod in approval, reaching out to Orwell with one more small request.
“Hoo, you know how to keep a girl busy!” Orwell laughs, clearly still riding the earlier high while you try to ignore Gina mouthing ‘sure does’ against your ear. “So, the sign you’ve got posted on the outside with all the rules and junk, you want that in the metadata or front-and-center?”
“The latter, if you please—along with the occupancy limit and square footage, which you should still have from the original specs.” You request.
“Oh, for sure…and you know this is gonna be a shit-show, right? Like, grade-A, high-class chaos, yeah? I mean, I trust your judgement Shu, but the original Lodge was only stable because it had a rotation of powerful Daughters running through it regularly. People nobody wanted to mess with—it’s what kept people in line. There was a *presence* there which could only really be replicated if you had the family on rotation in the Lo-…I mean, ‘Noman Island’.”
(Continued)
