7/4/2004
02:07 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Porch
A lathe-turned wooden railing runs the length of the porch save where the steps are, well-worn with use. To the right of the stairs, a wide swing is suspended from the overhang which shelters this area; to the left, a small table is the centerpiece for several chairs pulled around it, all of which face out to the front yard and the fields and trees beyond. The entire area holds an atmosphere of peace and comfort during these summer days, lending itself well to evening reading, small talk, or just watching the stars. Low shrubs snuggle up to the porch held back by the railing, their flowers filling the air with the sweet scent of greenery.
An aging screen door newly refurbished stands between the heavy inner door of the house and the outside air. Four steps lead down to the lane, a number of pots with small flower seedling carefully arranged alongside them.
(Non-Garou, please "+view curse")
Contents:
Flash
Lucas
Obvious exits:
Front Door  Lane  

Flash walks along the rail a few steps without apparant difficulty and then turns to face the cub, arms behind his back. "So if the positions had been reversed... if the one you didn't like was the one beaten up..." Before Lucas can answer, the Ragabash waves a hand dismissively. "Nah, forget that. The _correct_ answer to that one is easy. Even an idiot would know what to say."

"It depends on the tribe of the idiot, I'd say." Lucas says with a quirk of the eyebrow, "Besides, who's to say I liked him at that point. I'd never even met him."

Flash smirks. "Yes, but you told me you _didn't_ like the other guy."

Kenneth swings open the front door, looking much like he would have wanted to jerk it off its hinges. The headphones in his hand are being fiddled with, and from the look on his face, they don't look like they're working properly. Not until he looks up and sees the other two, does he stop halfway in and halfway out of the entryway. A particular look goes to Flash, as he doesn't recognize him.

[look Flash (in Homid)]
       He's tall but gawky, a rail-thin, bit-over-six-foot beanpole with short, bleached-blond hair and muddy blue eyes. While he's not out-and-out ugly, his youthful, nerdish features are not particularly handsome, either, and depending on what he's wearing he looks to be anywhere from his late teens to his mid-twenties. His tenor voice, which tends to rise in octave when he's worked up, has an accent that's hard to pin down.
       He's currently dressed in a ratty black t-shirt and a pair of faded, tattered cutoff bluejeans. Around his neck is tied a bandana colored like the American flag.

"Not many do, as I've come to learn." Lucas remarks, "And I determined I didn't like him at that moment. It was the first I ever saw him." As the door opens, he turns his eyes over to the Shadow Lord and offers a lopsided grin. "Hey."

Flash fixes Kenneth with an intent, pale-blue gaze, a smirky little smile still lingering around his mouth. He remains balanced, barefoot, on the porch railing. "Happy Fourth."

Kenneth narrows an eye at the beanpole of a man on the railing. "Yeah," is his grunt of a reply, before he looks over to Lucas for somesort of explanation as to why that man happens to be standing atop the porch railing. Barefoot. And aside from that, the other question. "You know where I can get a screwdriver? Small one."

Lucas shrugs his shoulders, "I got knives, but, dunno if those'll help." He looks then to the Metis on the railing, "Got anything, Flash? I doubt they have anything inside, at least that wouln't be real hard to find."

Flash makes a show of searching the pockets of his cutoffs, swaying slightly on the railing as he does so. He names the bits of trash found as he lets them drop down to the wooden boards below. "Paper clip, nickle, nickle, penny, dime, penny--" He pauses to peer at it, then goes, "Ooh, 1948. That's a keeper." More searching. "String, eraser... no, that's just lint. Oo, cherry Starburst!" He tosses this toward Kenneth. The wrapped candy is covered in pocket-fuzz and is squishy.

Kenneth swipes at the Starburst, catching it with his left. It's almost reflex. Looking at the quarry in hand, he doesn't say anything for awhile. Then... "So this is Flash." The statement is more for Lucas, than anyone. "You want to join /this/ guy?" Without looking to the other cub, he gazes back at the bandana'ed man, and in turn considers tossing the Starburst back. "Thanks man, but melted candy ain't a screwdriver. Y'want it back?"

"Nice to find someone without their thumbs up their ass." A pause. "Well, you know." Lucas grins at his own words, "Ya want my pocket knife, Ken? It might be small enough."

Flash refuses the candy's return with a very serious-sounding, "No backsies," and then hops off the rail and leans against it. Long fingers drag back through his unkempt short hair.

Kenneth has that sort of 'uh-huh' look of dubious nature for Flash, but rolls a shoulder and sticks the candy in his pocket. Nodding to Lucas, he now has a free hand again. "Sure. Knife'll have to work for now. Damn left side doesn't want to work." A glare is send to the earpiece on the headphones. He remembers then, glancing back to Flash. "Kenneth Saitou-Sardelis. Shadow Lord cub, an' halfmoon. You?"

Lucas shuffles around in his back pocket and pulls out the smaller of his two knives. It's a pocket knife about four inches long. He passes it over to Ken, eyeing the broken headphones.
Lucas pages: Weirder stuff has happened.

Flash hooks his thumbs into his beltloops. "Flash Gordon Romero," he tells the headphones-kid, with a slanted smile. "A.K.A. Shit-Eater. The resident idiot savant without the savant and deformed freak. Mule Stargazer Ragabash."

"And you both know me, minus the cub name, because I still don't have one." Lucas says with a smirk. "I ran into that problem the other day, when I was in Lupus and asked for my name. Try as I might, Lucas just doesn't translate."

Kenneth takes the knife with a short nod of thanks, looking back to Flash, particularly at the odd deedname. "Parents must've not liked you, for that name." Which name, though? Flipping the knife open, the Slord looks back to a screw along one of the metallic parts of the earpiece. "Who'd you run into?" he asks Lucas at first, glancing between the two. "And if you're a metis, what's wrong with you?"

Flash answers Kenneth with a smiling, "Absolutely nothing. I'm perfect in every way and more beautiful than most."

"And there's your answer." The Ahroun says obscurely, then answers the halfmoon. "I didn't recognize him. Some wolf named Paws."

Kenneth looks Flash up and down. "Must have a hard time keeping off the ladies," he replies perfectly straightfaced. "You must be stealing their hearts with that name of yours, Shit-Eater." He fiddles again with the headphones, unscrewing one of the attaching bolts. "Don't know a Paws. What's he look like?"

Flash inspects his fingernails, which currently have dirt under them. "Well, yanno, some girls like the freaky stuff," he remarks idly.

"I didn't pay him much attention, honestly. Pretty average looking." Lucas doesn't seem too terribly concerned about the guy, and just shrugs his shoulders. "So... is Shit-Eater your only name, Flash? I heard some Garou have a few names."

Kenneth hms at that. He too looks at the Gazer, if just out of curiosity for that one split-second, before going back to the phones.

"Moon Calf, Shit-for-Brains, Lowest-of-Low, 'you fucking honorless little shithead coward'..." Flash shrugs. "I kinda lose track, to be honest."

"That's a list of fine names." Lucas says dryly, obviously not liking them, but then, that's how the world works, isn't it? "You got yourself a name yet, Ken?"

Kenneth looks back at Flash, somewhat put off at the names listing. "Who the hell's doing your dubbing man? Or maybe I should ask, what's your fascination with shit?" He shakes his head, glancing back at Lucas. "Don't have one. Don't need one yet. I thought these names come with that rite of passage. How 'bout you?"

Flash gets a dangerous little gleam in his eyes, and his smile widens into a tight-lipped grin. "Oh, you'll get names before you Rite, if only so we'll have something to call you in wolf and Mother's Tongue."

"Exactly," Lucas says in regards to Flash's explination. "Names like Lucas and Kenneth aren't gonna translate. I couldn't say my name to anyone while I'm something other than human, which'll cause problems I'm sure."

Kenneth eyes Flash, given the change in his expression. Then, he shrugs. "So you can make something up and use it. Easy-queasy," he grunts, finally prying open the headphone earpiece and setting a couple of parts onto the porch railing.

"Lemon-squeezy?" the Gazer finishes. He suddenly notices the headphones, and a light goes on 'ping' behind his eyes. "Oh, you're the _meatloaf_," he says in realization, and without warning swoops down to snatch up pieces of headphone.

Lucas blinks at the Ragabash, "Meatloaf?" He mutters in confusion, then looks to the Philodox, his lips stretching into a thin line.

Kenneth glances up only in time to see Flash snag the plastic piece he'd set down. And what seemed like the cub's calmed demeanor suddenly flares in a lightning quick change towards the worse. The pocket knife in hand comes down in a stab right for the offending hand holding his possession.

Flash, if nothing else, knows how to dodge a blow, and his hand remains unscathed. His teeth flash at Kenneth in a grin, and then the Ragabash is off, bounding down the porch steps and toward the treeline with the small electronic pieces.

The pocket knife thunks heavily into the wood of the porch. Kenneth's resulting growl rumbles like thunder, and before Lucas has a chance to stop him, the broken headphones are nearly thrown onto the porch deck, and the Slord cub is off after the Gazer.

[From afar, to the room, Flash nods. Flash is heading for the forest at top speed. Funny how he's good at running like a coward. :>]

Lucas comes charging down the steps after Ken, his knife in hand, savagly jerked free of the wood and nearly leaving half the blade still embedded. "/Stop/! Both of you!" He barks out, that alpha in him naturally trying to bring the situation to order, the leader in him coming to the surface. But, yeah. One is way ahead of them both and the other is probably too enraged to listen. So, good luck to him.

Kenneth indeed, is not about to listen to Lucas at this point. Full moon riding his mind like a skilled rodeo cowboy, the philodox is far from any creeds of calm. He's hot on Flash's tailpipe, and looking very much like he's going to rip him a new one if he catches up.

"Shouldn't be so attached to material things!" Flash calls out, without looking back. One arm shoots upward, fist closed around the pieces of Ken's headphones. Then, as he continues racing down toward Sunrise Road at the end of the lane, the closed hand is slapped over his mouth. Hope those electronics aren't sensitive to mule-saliva.

Lucas is a second away from saying fuck the rules, getting four legs, and running them both down. It's ooohh so tempting, and the full moon whispers in the Ahroun's ear like a blonde woman dressed all in red. Do it. "God dammit it all..." He mutters and pants, fuming.

Oh no he didn't. Oh yes, he did. Kenneth roars out, "Get your scrawny little ass back here you little shithead!" Veil or no Veil, he looks about ready to pop. Again.

Fortunately, the treeline's not too far, and for some time, Flash leads the two cubs on a merry chase. He pops into lupus -- fast and small and lithe -- as soon as he's under the trees, and now the cubs can see why he's a Metis -- the big hairless ears and batlike face are definitely not wolflike. In and out and 'round and 'round, and not all the cub-rage in the world can defeat the wit and wiles and an experienced Ragabash who knows the turf, so to speak. Eventually, the cubs lose sight and trail of the Stargazer... and there's a good chance they're not even sure which direction leads back to the Farmhouse. Damned no-moons. Damned tricksters. Damned mules.

Bawn: Western Forest(#3018RA)
Tall Sitka spruce and sequoia crowd around and above you. Many of the trees are old, their branches twisted into impossible shapes, trunks broad and draped with lichen, mosses and creepers. Tendrils of moss hand down from them like green spiderwebs, snaring the unwary with cold, ghostly fingers. The patches of younger growth are dense and pale, needles tinged with silver. Matted undergrowth huddles sullenly in the occasional small clearings, clutching with thorns and burrs at the legs of those who would pass. Deer seldom venture here, but the forest is full of rustlings, and tiny glints from wary, watchful eyes.
The forest spreads out to the east, bounded on the west by Sunrise Road. From farther to the west, one can occasionally hear the distant sounds of the town of Kent's Crossing.
Contents:
Lucas
Obvious exits:
Highway 22  Overgrown Path  Sunrise Road  Farmhouse  Caern of the Hidden Walk  Creek  Central Bawn  Southern Bawn  Northern Bawn  

So it was lucky that the cubs and the Gazer had reached the woodlines before Kenneth really lost it. The resulting mad dash through the woods had one lupus Gazer and one hispo Shadow Lord crashing headlong through brush and briar. When the Gazer disappears, though, it leaves the cub in one hell of a frenzy. Anyone travelling nearby would have heard the crinos roar, as the Shadow Lord cub tore quite a bit of bark off the trees and swore vengeance. When Lucas arrives, at least, Kenneth has lost the red haze in his eyes and instead stands in the carnage of claw marks on bark. The crinos shakes with fury, rather than being tired from the chase.

Having gone lupus moments after Flash, Lucas did his damndest to follow after. He may not be fast, but his lungs are real strong, and he paced them both. Now, unwinded and annoyed, the black wolf swells up into the larger hispo as he approaches the Shadow Lord. ~Gone.~

Kenneth twitches some more, before ears and eyes whip around to face the hispo. The towering Lord growls heavily, lips peeled back with white fangs bridged together at the ahroun. ~I know that!~ he snarls, before turning back to the trees and darkness. At the moment, though, he's too pissed off to think that maybe he could track the Gazer by scent. With another furious snarl, he carves a fresh set of five slashes into the nearest tree and punches a whole new dent into its side. The pain only fuels his anger.

Lucas is more aware of the idea he might be tracked, but doesn't fill the other in on it. But then, who's to say the ragabash doesn't have pleanty of tricks to hide his trail? Lucas does, however, bulk himself up another step and snarls from his full, crinos height. ~Don't you dare take this out on me.~ He warns, inwardly cursing the no-moons. Some part of him reminds that it's their job, but the other part just wants to smack their skulls in.

Kenneth glares eye for eye at the other, but it's not him who he wants. That much he knows, in the misted bit of his brain. With ragged pants, he finally calms down enough to shift back to his breed form. "Fuckin' hell, I'll kill him. Goddamnit." Now it's less of the fury, and more of a pain inside. The Shadow Lord glares at the heavy claw marks and crinos fist sized dents he's dispensed on the trees, and runs a hand through his hair. "Fuck."

Lucas growls bitterly and lets out a big, rumbling snort. Once he's satisfied Kenneth has calmed down, the Ahroun shrinks from the warform to that of his birth and levels his eyes on the Philodox. "Alright, time to explain. What's so important about those headphones? They weren't just expensive."

Kenneth closes his eyes, head tilting back as he sucks in a few more deep breaths, willing down the rage that bubbles so easily on the surface. He doesn't answer Lucas for the moment, reopening his eyes and gazing around again. He hasn't a clue where he is.

Lucas waits with alarming patience for an Ahroun on the full moon, at least it looks like it to anyone who can't see the Rage boiling and bubbling under the surface like a barely dormant volcano, kept back only by sheer willpower. "...well?" He says with a rumble to his voice, his arms crossed tightly across his chest.

Soundlessly, stealithy, a pair of lupus eyes peer at them from the underbrush. The sounds of crinos rage and destroyed foliage had drawn him here. He watches for a moment, assessing before striding in through the greenery. He chuffs a greeting, announcing his presence. Hello, cubs. Are you fighting?

Kenneth wipes off a piece of dirt onto his jeans, clearly still angry. At the appearance of the lupus, he narrows his eyes at the wolf, before clearing his throat. "Was a gift," he says evenly to Lucas as a reply. He doesn't say anything to the unknown wolf, though, not caring to explain just what happened.

Lucas turns his eyes away from Kenneth towards the wolf, and narrows them just as quickly. "...you." There's recognition in his eyes. "No, we're not, but it's none of your buisness regardless." He says gruffly to the wolf.

Paws settles onto his haunches, still a goodly distance away. He chuffs softly and nods to Lucas. As you wish, No-Name. Speaking of such, would you like a name? His ears splay a bit, his tongue lolling out.

Kenneth gazes back off to the woods, trying to get his bearings both in direction, and in his head. He's more than upset. Once he's figured out that there's a clear line where he had been running through the woods and tearing things up along the way, though, he'll be able to get back. He doesn't say anything.

"Not from you, unless you'd like it to be Slays Those Who Walk in Shadow." Lucas remarks dryly, "Now if you don't mind, we're busy."

Todd cocks his head, and chuffs. I suggest the Ritemaster, then. He is good with names. The wolf's ears flick a bit, as he lapses into silence.

Kenneth turns back to the other two, sighing out heavily again before he grits his teeth and schools his expression back to something calmer, something more neutral. That doesn't help the darkness that envelopes his cold gaze to the wolf. "Who're you?"

Paws nods to the Lord. I am Paws, child of Rat. A trickster. The wolf's ears splay, the lupe panting a bit.

[look Paws]
Slightly scraggly and lean is this specimen of the common wolf. An expert would note that he isn't yet full grown, but he's a healthy looking specimen so far. His fur is a darkish gray, almost charcoal. It looks a bit uneven and ragged, as if its not in prime condition. Black guard hairs speckle his coat, and groups of them form a series of irregular stripes along his back and flanks. The wolf's face is oddly intelligent, his slate gray eyes glimmering with interest.

The fullmoon cub's black eyebrows come close together, staring hard and firm at the Ragabash. Then, it dawns on him, with the faintest hint of red light. "Todd."

Kenneth narrows his gaze at the wolf, not liking much of that introduction. It's what Lucas says that makes him put two and two together as well. He looks scrutinizingly at the wolf, gauging his reaction to see if this is the same.

Paws is perhaps the most neutral wolf on the planet. His expression hadn't changed a bit since right after his introduction, which was technically correct. He looks at the other two cubs, his eyes showing nothing.

The silence of the Gnawer only seems to aggravate Lucas, and he bares his human teeth in an awkward, silent snarl. "Let's get going." He says to Kenneth, then turns away to begin tromping off in the direction he thinks the farmhouse is in.

Kenneth takes a moment longer to regard the lupe, before he too turns. "Farm's this way," he points out, a thumb jerking towards one particularly broken up tree, and the carnage beyond. Or so he thinks.

Paws chuffs softly. Smart.

Lucas stops and regards the path indicated by Ken, which wasn't the one he was on. Hunching up his shoulders, he goes in the direction of the broken and mangled vegitation with a purely intentional look on his face.

Kenneth tosses a glare back at the no-moon, before he sets off on the path where he thinks leads back to the farmhouse. His lips draw tight, hands shoving deep into his pockets as he stalks off in that direction. With luck they'll find the farmhouse again.

Paws flicks his ears. If you are lost, I could lead you.

"No." Comes the response, sharp and swift on the Gnawer's heels. Lucas jerks his eyes to face him as he speaks, pride and Rage erupting in his eyes, unconciously standing taller and straighter. "We don't need help."

Kenneth says nothing to the offer, considering he doesn't hear or see the lupus' body language. "C'mon Lucas. Think I know where we are." That said, he continues towards the west, eyes turning here and there, looking for signs of their passing. It's difficult going, though.

Paws shakes his shaggy head. So full of rage...

But Lucas doesn't move. He's standing there, straight and rigid, staring directly at the Ragabash. "Yeah, I am. I'm an Ahroun. Don't like it? Take it up with Gaia."

Paws chuffs. No. It is not that. I am very glad that you are full of Rage to serve Gaia with. His ears flick the bit. The question is, are you directing it properly?

Kenneth continues on down a certain path, until he looks behind him and sees that Lucas isn't there. He doesn't say anything but there's a growl at the tip of his tongue. Stalking back to the spot he left, he sees the confrontation. "What the fuck are you still wasting time on him for?" he growls out.

"Because I'm sick of it!" Snaps Lucas in the direction of Kenneth, his pupils shrunk and eyes blazing. "Who the fuck are you, to tell me if I'm doing something right or wrong? Who are you to judge?" The Ahroun snarls at Paws, "I don't see you with a rank. Neither, do I see you with a pack or friends. You know why? Because I haven't met a single person that likes you, or can stand you. None. Even your Elders shake their head when they hear of you, and you have the /nerve/ to tell me that /I'm/ doing things wrong?! FUCK that."

Paws chuffs out softly. He is keeping so cool he might be stone. I never said such a thing. I just asked a question. That is my job. I am a Questioner of the Ways. His head cocks a bit, his tongue lolling out. There is no need for personal attacks, cousin.

Kenneth rolls his eyes, and stares straight back to the lupus. "It's a full moon out there. Don't push it," he warns the ragabash, with a tone that clearly implies if the lupe is smart, he would leave Lucas well alone.

"Oh yeah? Well, Questioner of the Ways, maybe you should learn when to keep your mouth shut, before it gets you killed." Lucas is furious, his knuckles gone white and shaking with tension, and the Rage can be heard in his voice, deperate to be freed. "I told you once before. Don't lecture me until you're shining with perfection."

Paws tilts his head up, exposing his throat. As you wish. And with that, the lupe turns to trot off.

Kenneth takes a step closer to Lucas, eyes going to the ahroun as the lupe shows throat. He waits to see what the ahroun will do, considering the action from the ragabash.

The moon and the Litany drag at the two parts of the Ahroun's brain. One wants blood, the other wants control. The show of throat and backing off, in the end, is what saves the Gnawer this time. The dominant beast in him is satisfied by the submission, and his Rage simmers back down. Still he stares after Paws, silent as the grave.

Paws melts into the underbrush, silent as an oiled knife. Damn stealthy Raggies.

Kenneth again, shoves his hands into his pockets. "Accept surrender. You've won. Now let's get outta here," he tells Lucas again, turning away from the scene for the second time to make his way towards some semblance of recognizeable country.

This time, Lucas follows after Kenneth, shaking his head to try and clear his brain of frustration. "Damn Ragabash." He says, a curse the Philodox could probably agree with.

Kenneth silently continues on through the forest, forging the path back. It is just a matter of time before he figures out some part of the treeline, and breaks out into the daylight. He winces at the rays, but has a look around.

Lucas calms down as they track their way back, slow but sure. "About time... how many trees can there be?" He mumbles, squinting up into the sun as the trees fade away.

Kenneth rubs a hand against his pants and then huffs out at the sight of the road. "Thank fuckin' God." The Shadow Lord looks up and down the dirt strip. "I don't know, but that's one too many trees for me. Think we go that way next." He points up the road. "What'dyou think?"

"Works for me." Lucas checks the dirt, for footprints or signs of passerby's. "I think we passed by here. Yeah, see." He points out a set of tracks, human mostly, though there's a sudden shift of one track from shoe to paw prints. These ones, the Ahroun scuffs out.

Kenneth sees the track before it's scuffed out, and then takes hint to search around for a couple more. Once those prints are eliminated, he follows the tracks back towards the house, and back to his headphones.