[Church Basement]
Contents:
Aiyana

From the eventful situation of last night, Yi has taken particular interest in your activities. Today, she came not too late, not too early in telling you to 'bring your things'. Here, she waits in the Church basement, in one of the classrooms emptied out of things save a mirror and blankets. The kin upstairs are quiet, for once, or at least you can't hear them from down here. Contents that were in her shoulder bag are emptied now, set over the floor in a line. Sage, it looks like, as well as a jar of some kind of brackish paste. "You know what is to happen, do you?"

Aiyana stands over near one of the walls, her arms folded behind her back and her posture giving off a very nervous vibe. "Yeah...I think," the cub replies in a low voice, her eyes glancing from side to side a couple times. "This is gonna be really serious, huh? Like, one of the most important things of my life?"

Yi laughs genuinely. "I admit my Rite was done with other cubs. You will be going alone. But where the spirits decide, you have to remember who you are, Aiyana. The next time you see Jeremy or any of us, you will be cliath. Come closer, and sit." She gestures to a circle, duct taped onto a somewhat ratty looking sleeping bag that's open. "Remember all that was taught to you, and all that you learned." The jar of paste is opened - and it actually smells pretty good. Kind of like, honey, except it's black.

Aiyana takes a deep breath then lets it out, her shoulders relaxing a little. "A'ight." Slowly moving towards the bag she neatly sits herself down inside of it, folding her legs under herself, her eyes locked in on Yi with all of the attention she can muster. "Let's get this show on the road," the cub says, somehow managing to get a smile on her lips. "See how much I've paid attention."

The Gnawer ragabash nods with confidence, before her form shifts to that of the war. ~Aiyana, Bone Gnawer cub, born under the light of Sister Moon's fully opened eye, you will be going on your Rite of Passage.~ Her words are formal, uttered with a low toned growl throughout. Carefully, her claw and finger dip into the jar she holds and upon your face, cautiously, glyphs are drawn on. ~All that you remember, take with you on your journey. Bring back the pride of the Warriors of Gaia with you.~ As Yi steps back from you, the wall seems to come alive with eyes. Beady, red, and by the hundreds, they blink open from the darkness and stare hypnotically. In one way, the Gnawer newmoon truly looks evil - a dark pied piper with her horde of... ratS? Yes, the chittering grows louder and louder, until the sound is deafening to your ears. Underneath the squeaking and chittering, an undertone whisper reaches into your mind. ~Remember, Aiyana. And good luck.~ Your eyes must shut tightly to the incessant sounds of the rodent requiem, and then all at once, it silences and you are plunged into darkness.

(Doot doot doot, give or take some suspense time.)

"Aiyana! Aiyana, come on! Ay, forget it. I gots to take Papi to the doc. See you later!" The voice of the older, but still relatively young woman disappears under a fuss and mix of English and Hispanic scolding. The splutter of an automobile coming to life even rumbles through your bedroom door - that's how thin the walls are in this place. Your eyes open to a horrifyingly pink and pastel bedroom, broken up only by windows and a large old wooden vanity that clearly doesn't match with the furniture. Scattered about are pieces of clothing from another age. Come to think of it, that's your black drape jacket and miniskirt. Ridiculously long socks, fishnet stockings... and those boots with tassels, too.

Aiyana closes her eyes as the glyphs are drawn, her body tense but still, remaining that way until Yi's finished speaking. "Thank you," she whispers softly, to both Yi and to the rats, and once the chittering has stopped the cub finally dares to open her eyes again. "..huh?" She glances around, a bit confused while getting to her feet, hands reaching out to touch objects that don't fit into her recent memories. "Where..am I?" She picks up the jacket and studies it, running a hand over the fabric, then turns towards the door. "Down the rabbit hole, so I guess I'm Alice now."

The room itself is fairly small, but somewhere in it is the comfort of 'home'. The jacket is cheap in material, long enough to reach past one's miniskirt. All of it, black. Looking around some more, you see pictures of yourself, all black and white. One picture in particular, has a whole crowd of friends in what has to be 'old' outfits. You've seen them before - back when zoot suits came back and were the rage. But that was the late 90s. Who knows what period it is now. The smell of a cooling breakfast wafts through the bottom draft of the bedroom door.

Aiyana decides to put the jacket on, not being one to run around in her jammies (at least, not in unusual places like this), then decides to make her way towards another part of the house. She stops long enough to examine the picture, even going as far to grab the frame in her hands to get a better look, before setting it back down to continue on her way. The ever tempting lure of food leads the girl in the direction of where it's coming from, and she calls out along the way. "Hello? Am I the only one here?"

The small two-bedroom 'house' is empty. When you look at some more pictures hanging along the hall, you see - to your horror - yourself in those very odd clothes of the period. And your hair! It's huge, almost like a beehive. Yet, you're in there smiling along with everyone else, the pachucos and pachucas from some vague memory of the past. Your older sister, who just left with Papi, is also in that picture.

Eyes widening, Aiyana takes a few steps back from the pictures. "Eh? Where am I? Or...when am I?" She tilts her head to one side, touching these pictures just like the past one, then heading towards the wonderful smell of breakfast. "Almost like home, I guess. Kinda." She's trying to fight off the confusion still gnawing at the back of her brain, trying to get her thoughts straight. "Gaia, what'd Yi do to me?"

After you dress, eat a breakfast of prepared, somewhat cooled eggs, warmed tortillas and cereal, a shadowy figure in a wide brimmed hat appears and knocks at the kitchen door. You can tell already it's Donald by the peculiar way he knocks. The other guys call him Don, or "Duck" for short. He's a relatively cool-headed guy... Really. He lets himself in, dark brows arching at the sight of you. "'Ey, 'Yana, lookin' nice. You ready to go? Joseph's already there checkin' on stuff." But what about school, you ask yourself? And when are you, actually? Duck's fashion sense is clearly muted. For now, he is dressed in a regular white shirt and horribly brown plaid slacks. He must not have much cash, by the look of him. His hair stinks a little bit from the grease, combed into a ducktail hairstyle of the 1940s. He gives you a quirky smile, waiting to see if you're ready to go.

Aiyana blinks, caught off guard, but eventually manages to stammer out some type of coherent response to the kid. "Ah..lemme get dressed, man! I'll be right back!" She sprints back upstairs, does a quick costume change, and once she thinks she looks suitable enough hurries back downstairs to meet Duck. "Ready, but..ah, refresh my mind, where're we goin' again? I think I slept too much last night and my brain's all fuzzy." Conjuring up an embarassed grin, she gives the guy an apologetic look. "Sorry."

Donald waits patiently, knowing they have plenty of time really. "We get to check out that new dance hall that you Black Widows were willing to host tonight's party at, by Elysian Park." The Black Widows, your memory recalls, is the gang of pachucas who have similar styled clothing to what you're wearing. Black on black; female zoot suiters. Duck looks even more quirky when you reappear all dressed up and hair done. "C'mon then." He leads the way out into the streets. Don leads the way, down the familiar streets of Los Angeles and through the barrio. Now, you see clear cut signs that this is not the 21st century. The automobiles are old. You see American flags flying on some higher class homes; patriotism is at a seeming high beyond the border of the barrio. "Can you believe that, eh?" Don gestures at an abandoned, looted house. Scrawled in red paint above the other obscene phrases are the large words: JAPS GET OUT. "S'a good thing Song wasn't there when the MPs came. They'd a gotten her. Think she's gettin' used to chasin' out the gatos though."

Aiyana rubs the back of her neck as she follows quietly after the guy. "Oh, yeah! Can't believe I forgot about that. Yeesh, how stupid am I, huh?" She grins a little, then gets that somewhat confused look on her face again. "Yeah, that'd suck. So, where'd Song get off to?" She's hoping to find out a little more about the situation she's in, without making herself look too obvious. "And what's gonna be goin' down at this party? I hope I'm prepared for it. Don't wanna look too much like an idiot."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout her or the party, chica," Duck replies, gesturing a greeting to two other guys down the street. "S'a good thing we can hide like the rats if we need to. That's what Song's been doin' all this time, playing the bitch. I just hope she don't think herself too much like one once this stupid war's over." He looks over his shoulder once at you, slowing so that you can walk beside him. "As for the party, man, it's going to be a blast. I heard the other muchachos got quite the swingers to play tonight. Joseph, though, he wants to make sure things are gonna be ok, and not get broken up by the pigs again. S'not like we had booze last time."

Aiyana stuffs her hands into her pockets, nodding to Don's words. "Hey, sometimes you gotta hide to survive, these days. Better than bein' dead, or worse. And maybe bein' a rat's not such a bad thing. They're pretty smart, y'know?" Her eyes study the area around her some more. "Hey, I'm always one for a party. The wilder the better, long as it doesn't get too outta control. As for pigs, eh. Tell 'em to screw off and be done with it. They just wanna ruin everyone's fun."

"We're gonna pick up some stuff on the way - what's a party without food, right? Oh, but you don't have to hold 'nuthin'." Donald remains the gentleman along the way, chattering to you about various things. You're going to meet Joseph for the first time, leader of the 42nd street gang you heard about. Also, this will be the first time the Black Widows decided to actually bring themselves down to the level of the 'Bone Gnawers', much to the chagrin of the Slick Chicas, another all female pachucas gang that networks into Los Angeles' Hispanic community. Your ear almost gets talked off to the point you think Donald has to be a galliard, almost Kaz-esque. By night time, you both have walked quite a few miles and at some point gotten a ride or two from friends of Don's. Now, the dance hall looms out in the near distance, brightly lit on its front facade. "You ready, chica?"

Aiyana's mind boggles at the amount of info being pumped into it, but she handles herself well enough. "Hey, bro, I'm always ready. Let's do this." Cracking her knuckles out of habit, she studies the dance hall with visible interest, anxious to see what awaits her inside. "Hope this party rocks. I could use a good night out, after some of the stuff I've done lately. So, we just stroll right in, or do we got some kinda secret handshake goin' down?"

"Bro?" Aiyana is awarded with a strange look, but an appreciating smile. "Damn, I never heard any Black Widow go and call me that. Don't ever let Juanita hear you call me that, else she decide you aren't fit for them, eh? Much obliged to ya," Duck tips his head. "Secret handshake? If there was one, I missed out. There, y'see? Ay, Joseph!" Joseph is at the dance hall, waiting outside and talking to a few others. Clad from head to toe in a bright blue zoot suit, yellow tie, black shirt and shoes, he looks so much like a Hispanic version of Jeremy. Brown eyes and coal black hair combed back, he turns as a guy in a black zoot suit points out the approaching pair. Joseph lifts a hand from his cane to wave at Donald and Aiyana. "Check it out pachucos," he says with a tip of his head. "Told you she was pretty, eh?" They nod with big smiles. "Prettier than Juanita, that's sure!" jokes one pachuco in purple, his hat's feather waving about as the group laughs and teases the purple-man about his date to the dance. Joseph makes his way over to the duo, giving Don a smile of appreciation and a flourish of a bow to you. "Aiyana, you look fabulous tonight." His voice smooth and lyrical, accompanying the swing music in the background, he bids you to take the crook of his arm once you're passed off by Donald.

Aiyana chuckles. "Hey, any guy I tolerate is a bro to me, no matter what. We'll just keep that between you and I, right?" she replies with a smirk, her gaze drifting towards the newcomer. Her brows furrow a bit before she realizes that no, it's not who she thinks, but even then it's still too close for comfort. "Hey," is her greeting, accompanyed by a brief wave. "And if you keep it up with the pretty stuff I'm gonna have to teach you guys a lesson with my fists." A teasing tone's in her voice now as the girl relaxes, adapting herself to this unfamiliar territory. The offered arm is accepted, a bit hesitantly, but taken all the same. "Do you really wanna see me dance? I mean, I'm horrible at it. Honestly."

"Whoa, hey, are you kidding? Every girl can dance. It depends on the guy she dances with to not make himself look like a fool next to her," Joseph replies. The others have gone in, now that Joseph is finally going inside. "And I don't hit girls - especially Black Widows. No female fury for me, thanks." Duck holds open the door as you two step inside.

When you go inside, the place is alive and bumping with color and swing. A rainbow of zoot suiters and young girls in miniskirts dance around the hall, all in all enjoying themselves on a regular night. Is this a stomping ground? No, but there's enough commotion to make a moot seem like a picnic. Joseph brings you around to meet various faces and learn names, but there is one with whom you don't meet approval level. "Manuel," Joseph states, "Say somethin' pretty to Aiyana, eh? She's gonna be with us." Manuel wears a deep black zoot suit with a cheap black felt hat; the obvious rebel. Working his fingers down to his pockets, he leans back, head tilting and lips pushing out, jaw jutting as he looks you up and down, sizing you up. His arrogant gaze travels over the curves of your body. "She got nice legs," is his uttered conclusion, tension rampant through his voice.

Laughing a little, she nods towards Joseph. "Good point. But that doesn't make me any better of a dancer. Thanks for the vote of confidence though." As soon as she steps inside of the hall Aiyana's eyes widen, and she just manages to hold back a cry of surprise. She wasn't expecting anything to this extreme, at all. "Hey, not bad. Not bad at all. Think I could learn to like this," she comments to her companion, but the happiness quickly fades from her voice as she turns towards Manuel. Arms folding over her chest in a defensive manner, she manages a somewhat polite, if not chilly nod to the guy, but that's as civil as she's going to be to him. He doesn't even get a verbal response.

"Yeah, but next time you wanna get a girl, you look above the southern horizon, eh Manuel? Tell her about how pretty her face looks - how she... shines with the radiant beauty of the moon." Joseph smiles at you charmingly again, laughing partly with the other youths at Manuel who scowls and looks off. Duck seems to have gone his own way, lost in the swirl of bodies. "Would you like to dance?" the charismatic gang leader asks, eyes all on you like spotlights.

Aiyana rolls her eyes, but she's smiling again, so she's not too bothered by Joseph playing gentleman. "Sure, I'll dance, but first you gotta do somethin' for me. What's up with that guy, huh? Got a rod up his ass or what? You'd figure at a place like this, he'd be havin' the time of his life." Shaking her head, she glances back long enough to get a second study of Manuel.

For once, Joseph doesn't seem to answer with charm. Leading you off towards the dance floor, he leans into your ear to answer. "He's not too fond of the Black Widows, is all." The swinging song comes to a fading stop, followed with a brief pause. Then, the interlude of brass blares out over the audience. If you follow Joseph's lead, he is actually quite the dancer despite his weaker left leg. "Manuel's also got a lot of anger in him - been that way since birth, I heard. Duck can tell you more." Speaking of him, the Gnawer galliard is out on the dance floor too, cuttin' up the boards with who you recognize as Juanita and her flagrantly ridiculous hairdo that seems to be way overdone. "There's just some things we don't get to know about guys like Manuel."

Aiyana ohs softly, then decides to just give this whole dancing thing a shot, even if it's not her style. "I'll have to check Duck out later, then. See what's up. I'll also keep my distance from Manuel, for now. Got enough anger in myself, don't want to see what'd happen should we clash, y'know?" Having finally adapted to the style of music being played she's dancing somewhat better, not quite as good as some of the others around but she's good enough. "Eh, worry about him later. I came here to have fun, so that's what I'm gonna do."

And so you do. Fun is there to be had, certainly, and everyone seems to be enjoying the gathering so much. The party continues under the swirl of brass, babes and boogie. Joseph, Don and Manuel all seem to have claims in their own ways in the hall as they make their ways around. Don cuts up the floor easily, clearly the best dancer in the room. Manuel has a fair job at the slower dances, though he doesn't seem to get many girls close enough to have conversation. Mainly, the black suiter leans against the walls unobstructively. Joseph makes the rounds after his first dance with you, chattering with others and leaving you to chatter with others. He doesn't dance to anything but the slower songs which are few and far in between as is. When he does though, he steals much of the spotlight in his snazzy blue suit. Just as things are getting quieter, the night wearing on, Joseph sits down beside you with a cup of water in hand and cane in the other. "How're you feelin'? You think the Widows and 42nd have a shot at being allies?"

Having the time of her life, Aiyana's a ball of energy as she flits from group to group, talking with anyone who'll talk to her. Once she's settled down long enough to sit with Joseph, she brushes a piece of hair out of her face, then lets out a tired, but content sigh. "I'm feelin' great, man. This place is just what I needed." To the second question she's quiet for a moment, not really sure how to reply. "I've seen stranger things happen. Y'never know. Guess it's just how fate wants to play tonight. Though, if it means anything, I hope the answer's yes."

"Yeah, I'm hoping too. Though, maybe I should ham it up with Juanita before chicas hatch, eh?" Joseph laughs. He looks about to say something, but someone runs in from the door behind you and looks around. Spotting Joseph, this gaunt-looking youth in a floppy pair of red suit pants and white shirt comes weaving and skidding up to Joseph. Glancing at you strangely, he leans in to whisper in Joseph's ear, his hair frazzled at the edges. Joseph's high humor evaporates volatilely, and he stands up with effort, drink forgotten. He makes a motion for you to stay. "Sorry Aiyana. Something's just popped up. Let's go Cuda." With that and a look of business, he follows after Cuda towards the dance hall exit. Not too long after, you see Donald and Manuel also breaking off from their positions and making their way towards the doors.

Aiyana starts to reply, but the change in mood doesn't settle well with her. Once the guys have left she gets up, trying her best to move for the closest exit without drawing attention to herself, to see what's going on. Feels like trouble to her, and she doesn't want to see Don or Joseph getting into something while she just sits on her rear. She's gotten oddly attached to the two guys. "Man, just when my night was goin' good, too," she mutters to herself while pushing open the door.

Outside, the air is cool and night has settled in well. The night's moon is a new one, melded into the sky's shadows. As you exit the dance hall, you see Joseph, Manuel, Duck and Cuda making their way down a path leading into the park. The group makes their way towards a shadowy copse of trees atop a hill, where sounds of struggle ensue. Under the light of the crescent moon, a heavy lupine yelp turns respective heads, accompanied with some hard human shouts of pain and drunken cursing. That yelp causes Manuel and Duck to break off from their investigative walking, and the two race on into the trees with some yells of alarm. Cuda remains with Joseph, staying with the leader though the duo heads in the direction that Manuel and Duck ran off in.

Aiyana sticks to the darker areas. Stealth's not really her specialty, so she needs all of the assistance she can get. The yelp makes her pause in her steps, eyes straining to see just what's going on up ahead. The swearing doesn't go unnoticed either and she picks up speed, rushing but not quite sprinting, doing more of a fast walk while still trying to hide her presence from the others. Although, if they're Garou it's a feeble attempt but she tries nonetheless. "Figures things couldn't go right," the cub whispers to herself, all while trying to keep an eye on the shadows around her. You never know what might jump out of them.

Squinting into the darkness, the forms of a trio of sailors gather around a large dog chained to the trees. The dog, a bitch, flattens her ears with teeth bared menacingly, bleeding from bruises and wounds as she snarls at her harrassers. Her lips sink down slightly at the sight of the approaching four, before she again tugs at the chain around her neck defiantly, howling out. Duck! Manuel and Duck race up the slope yelling curses at the sailors. A couple of them, burly fellows, turn to face the approaching zoot suiters with sneers. "Heeey, look. This'll be a real party now that there's Clowns." Manuel is the first to reach the top of the hill, where he gives no warning before his strike. Black jacket and hat go flying off onto the grass as the bad-tempered Manuel lays one hell of a haymaker into the jaw of the first sailor, sending him sprawling back. Duck arrives soon after, circling around the second burly navyman who grins drunkenly, breaking his bottle of beer on the side of a nearby trunk. "C'mon you fuckin' taco," he taunts.

Joseph puffs up to the top of the hill, where he surveys the scene. "Cuda, go free Song," he says calmly, drawing out a wicked dagger that was hidden at the top of his cane.

Aiyana crouches down once she's not too far from the scene of the fight, her eyes narrowing and one hand on the ground to balance herself out. She's not going to go running into a fight that's not hers, at least not yet. Not until she's sure that the guys could use her assistance. "Knowin' my luck I'll break some stupid territory rule or somethin', leapin' into a battle like this," she growls softly, shaking her head. But the sight of the dog is almost enough to send her charging into the fray, throwing punches like the rest of them. She resists that urge, for now.

Cuda gives Joseph a brief nod, before moving off to one side of the flurry of fists. Song suddenly takes up to barking encouragement to the brawling suiters, when the third, skinnier sailor makes the unfortunate mistake of placing his ankles within range of the dog's jaws. A howl of pain issues forth into the night, but from a human throat. "Don't look at him, look at me!" Manuel chides the burly sailor he fights, landing a second, then a third, and a fourth smack of fist to face. Duck has a little bit more trouble, being weaker than his opponent. The talkative youth is bodily lifted slammed up against a tree before getting tossed away down the hill. Duck rolls down the grass, curling for a moment in pain. Joseph's enraged cry counters the haughty laugh as the gang leader sinks the dagger into the arm of Sailor2. He's backing off the moment the knife goes in, neatly avoiding a swipe from the injured sailor. Finally, Song is freed and the dog is upon all three of the sailors like a flurry of rage, biting, mauling and causing quite a bit of havoc. Screams of fear and pain finally escape from the trio of sailors and with a heavy punch, Song is stunned while the sailors make a hasty retreat. "We'll get you, you fuckin' tacos!"

Seeing the fight's pretty much over, Aiyana finally dares to show herself and rushes towards the group, mainly in duck's direction to see just how badly he's injured. "Geez, guys, trouble follow you everywhere or what?" the cub says once she's close enough, not looking the least bit worried about getting yelled at or punished for being somewhere she's not supposed to be. "And to leave me outta it, that's even worse."

Song and Manuel looks as if they are about to give chase, but a slash of Joseph's hand stops them. "That's enough," he says raggedly, retrieving the bloodied dagger by his feet. Song barks, now that you are closer to the group, you can see the dog looks amazingly like Yi in her lupus form. Duck struggles up to his feet, dazed and looking ok. Joseph eyes you carefully at this point, trying to determine something about you. "What do you mean? It's been like this every day. That's just the way things are. We get shit, and we give shit back," Joseph replies. "Ten fold, or more," Manuel adds with a grunt as he wipes off his dew-covered hat. "I don't care what's goin' on on the other side of the world. We got our own nazis as is," Duck breathes out. Giving you a faint, pained smile Duck adds, "Besides, you'd mess up your hair. We can't have that." Cuda reappears not long after as well, saying simply, "They're gone." Joseph brushes off his dagger, making his way back down the hill. "C'mon guys, there's still a party goin' on."

Aiyana smiles down at Song, holding out a hand for the canine to sniff should she wish to. "Yeah, but don't you get sick of it? I mean, I like fightin' as much as the next person, but there's only so much of it you can do before it gets pointless. You gotta have a good reason to continue a battle, right? If not, ain't it just a waste of resources, and think about the friends you could lose." She pauses, unable to believe she just said that. "Anyhow, I would not mess my hair up. I'm just that good." A wry smile's tosses in Duck's direction as she offers to help escourt him back to the building. "I swear, men. You'll do anything to kick ass."

Song whines softly, investigating Aiyana's scent before retrieving Joseph's cane for him. "They want it, they can get it," Manuel rumbles with another disapproving scowl at you, like you don't belong here. "Hey we don't go cruisin' for fights. This world is fucking itself up with the War already. Like the bigwigs couldn't learn the first time around," Duck growls out. Suddenly the youth's leg buckles underneath him and he crashes forward with a curse. It's then that the dark liquid staining his shirt appears. "Stupid fucking tree." Cuda moves in, before commenting, "We can't go back with Duck like this." Joseph agrees with a nod. "Fine. Let's head back home." The leader turns to you. "You can go back with Cuda to the dance. We won't be long, and if Juanita asks, tell her Duck wasn't feelin' well will ya?"

Aiyana doesn't scowl back, but instead just grins at Manuel, before turning and moving towards Duck again. "Hey, how come I have to go back? What if I wanna help, and not sit around worryin' my damn head off all night, huh?" Her smile fades into a disapproving frown even as one hand goes down to rest on her hips. "I mean, unless you guys got one hell of a reason for me to stay here, I wanna go with you. I wanna help."

"'Cause I'll be fine, 'Yana, tru-- trust me," Duck protests, waving off help. "The reason is, 'cause you're a Black Widow," Joseph says gently. "And we're 42nd. The last thing Juanita needs to hear is that there were sea-nazis cruisin' for suiters and their dates. She'd go batshit." Duck glances at Joseph, before looking back to Aiyana. Song barks again, impatiently. Manuel silences the dog with a look, before stepping up close to Aiyana. Really close. "What's it to you? Is this some kinda spywork Juanita's got you goin' on? Huh?"

Aiyana takes the explination, but that doesn't mean she likes it. "Fine, fine. I'll go back. But if you got any trouble...call, a'ight?" She goes to turn and walk away, but Manuel's now blocking her route, and is very much in what she likes to think of as her personal space. "Man, I ain't no spy. I just happen to actually give a damn about other people. If you got a problem with that then take it up with my conscience." Shaking her head, she goes to move around the agressive fellow with as little confrontation as possible. "The rest of you, try to stay outta trouble, a'ight? I don't wanna have to haul your unconscious asses back from anywhere!"

Joseph walks over, tapping Manuel once on the shoulder. "Yo, back off. She's not family, but she's a future ally," the leader says calmly. Manuel continues to carry his suspicion, but snorts again, watching you as you move around him. Duck tries to smile reassuringly, but Manuel's suspicions keep him a little wary. Song paces nervously, but then Cuda steps in to beckon you back to the hall. "We'll see you tomorrow," Joseph says quietly, turning away to help Duck along.

Aiyana lets out a mental sigh of relief, glad that no confrontation took place. Nodding to Duck and Joseph she begins to head for the building again, still looking none to pleased about having to go back. "Yeah, yeah. Keep in touch, a'ight?" A faint smile, and the girl shoves one hand into her pocket. The other's used to pull open the door to the hall once she reaches it. She then enters, but not before sparing a moment to glance back over her shoulder. "Yeesh."

Cuda accompanies you back into the hall, where the music still blares out in an assault to the ears. As you step in, the youth looks you up and down. "You seem to like Duck a lot," he comments offhand. "Were you gonna jump in and save him if he really were in trouble?"

Aiyana nods to Cuda as her eyes watch the crowd. She's not in any mood to have fun at the moment, so just takes in the music and the emotions coming form everyone else. "Yes. I would've. I would've done it for any of you, to be honest. That's just the kinda person I am."

The red-wearing pachuco doesn't respond, but makes an inaudible grunt in response. "They coulda killed you, those sailors. Or did worse. Then Juanita would've blamed the 42nd, and then what?" Before you get a chance to respond, he moves off into the crowds, leaving you alone with your thoughts. Gradually, the party winds down and the crowds disperse into the night. You can return home, though there is so much more to experience. Too bad Cuda wasn't enough of a gentleman to walk you home, like Joseph or Duck would've done.

Aiyana sighs. "Some people just never learn," the cub growls, her desire to get back into the swing of things having died off by now. Grabbing a glass of water before she exits the building she steps out into the night, looking around as she ponders where to go next. This isn't her territory or her time, no matter how hard she tries to blend in. "Could go for a map right about now, but ah well." With a shrug she picks a random direction and walks in it, hoping it'll lead her somewhere vaguely familiar. Like that house from earlier.

As you walk along, the shadows get longer and longer until the darkened alley you travel of East Los Angeles is nearly pure black. The stores are closed, and it seems that you're lost. It's not until you are particularly aware that you are being watched, that a quiet whimpering sounds from the far end of the alley.

Aiyana stops and lets out a quiet sigh. She's not surprised by the fact she's lost, but she doesn't seem too bothered by it either. The whimper causes her to turn, glancing in the direction it came from, before she decides to go investigate. "Hello? Someone there?" she calls out, but not in a loud voice. She doesn't want to draw attention that she doesn't need.

The shadows seem to move as you come closer, resolving into a huddled, gaunt looking dog. The mutt looks like a lupine skeleton with skin, by the look of him, until your footsteps cause him to look up at the noise. The movement of his head is so minute, it seems like he's still just sitting there in self pity. With clear effort, the mutt licks his lips and pushes himself to his paws, slinking forward with head down. Help me, he whines pathetically. Hungry. Lost. Yet, it seems like he is on his very last leg. One wonders if helping him would really help.

Aiyana crouches down to get a better look at the dog, feeling her sympathetic nature tug at her emotions, but also at the same time she's wary. She's not sure why, but she is, and she keeps a hold of that rational feeling to keep herself balanced. "Are you injured?" she asks, trying to see if he has any visible wounds. "Where's your family? Did you get lost or somethin'?"

Lost, hungry, the mutt whines again. He's not hurt, but he looks so ethereal. As you talk to him, his ears, rags best, perk upwards. He sniffs your body in hope, but it's a futile gesture. The mutt licks his chops again, considering you. Help me, he whuffs softly, squeaking a little in his whine. Help me, wolf.

Aiyana bites her lower lip. "I...I don't have any food on me. I'm so sorry. If I did I'd be more than glad to give you some. Um, are there any stores around? I might be able to get you some that way. I'm a little lost." She glances around to see if there's any suitable looking dumpsters around that might hold something edible.

Tilting his head, the dog snorts. You are young, he chuffs, suddenly with more confidence and less strain. You are lost, he adds. Then, he turns in a circle. I am lost, too. Suddenly, the mutt doesn't seem all that weak, but he still looks skinny beyond belief. He stops once he turns three times, facing you. I know you, wolf. You are only a cub, aren't you? I can smell it. He leans closer, sniffing. You smell young. Change, cub. Or can you not understand the wolf's tongue?

Aiyana manages a hint of a smile. "Yeah, I'm still young. I've got some learnin' to do, it seems." After making sure there's no one around to spot her, she allows herself to shift into her lupus form, giving her body a good shake once she's changed. Sorry. It's been a while since I've had the chance to run on four legs. But since we are both lost, maybe we could help each other out? She quirks an ear towards the other canine in a hopeful expression.

The Lost Dog scents the air, then sniffs at you for a long moment. Funny cub, he notes aloud in a whuff to himself. You don't know your way, but the rats say you do. They said you'd help me. Help me find a good meal. He licks his chops, drool escaping the edges of his lips. Maybe you can. The mutt circles you slowly. Maybe you can. But, you need to know something about your nose, pup. The dog bumps you on your side briefly. Smell the world. That's the way to go. If you are lost, you can smell your way home. But most of all, if you are hungry, you can smell your way to food. Here, the dog's ears droop. But, my smell isn't so good anymore. You smell for me. Smell for me, and I'll smell you home. If the dog doesn't make any sense, it could be because he just needs a bite. He looks at you face to face, muzzle to muzzle. You /are/ a lot meatier than he is...

Dancing-Fighter lets out a quiet, curious whine as she watches the dog. The rats know many things I don't. I guess that's why I'm here, to learn more. She stands firm as she's nudged, the muscles in her side tensing faintly. Smell for you? But your nose is your nose, and my nose is my nose. Guess I could try, though. Tilting her head back the cub sniffs at the air, first in one direction, then another, as she tries to find both food and the house she started out from. Well, let's get you something to eat first. I'm in no hurry tonight, and I'd hate to see you starve. Besides, I could go for a bite myself.

You paged Dancing-Fighter with 'Taking a good whiff around, you could smell the garbage, piss, feces, the local cat. However, rather faintly, there's a much sweeter smell. You didn't think your nose would be this good, or maybe you're just lucky. But the sweet smell of food, fresh made perhaps, smells just like donuts. Down the alley, around the corner at least.'.

The Dog looks at you expectantly, giving your nose a lick before you smell. Gotta have a wet nose to smell good, he comments with a toothy dog's grin. His teeth look worn and yellow, too.

Dancing-Fighter sneezes but her tail's wagging. Hey, I think I found something. Follow me! The cub trots off at a decent pace, but keeps slow enough so that she hopefully doesn't leave him behind. If we're lucky there'll be lots, so you can share it with any friends you might have.

The Dog follows you around the corner at an easy lope. For one so bony, the look of his body and the feel in his eyes seem a little off once in the light. Sure enough, the two of you come upon a massive find - that is, a squad car. A uniformed arm hangs out of the window, and in that hand is a very large, very sugary looking chocolate eclair. From the car's open window comes the gentle snoring of a human.

Dancing-Fighter's tail wags a little more and she glances towards the dog. Stay here, I'll see what I can do. Dropping down onto her belly she slinks forward, wriggling almost like a snake as she tries to avoid alerting the cop to her presence. Closer and closer the cub gets, until she's near enough to try and pull the donut out of the man's grasp with a gentle tug of her teeth.

For once, something is easy to do. The delicate, fluffy dessert slides out of the policeman's fingers, greeting your tongue with the sharp, sweet taste of chocolate and pastry. You could smell the fat it was fried in, and the cream and sugar inside. The Lost Dog shivers in the lack of moonlight, periodically looking up and down the street, sniffing vainly.

Dancing-Fighter almost takes a bite for herself but a glance back reminds her of the reason she came here. Trotting back over to the dog she places the deep fried treat at his paws, then sits down. You eat first. You need it way more than I do. Just be careful you don't eat it too fast and get sick, and try to avoid the chocolate if you can. I'll keep an eye on the man over there.

The Lost Dog whimpers as you approach with the donut, slobber dripping onto the cement road. Before you even set the dessert all the way down, he licks off the chocolate frosting with a rasp of his tongue. A nip and a bite later, half of it's gone down the dog's gullet. He sits back, before nudging the donut to you with a paw. You have shown yourself generous, young cub. For that, I thank you. The rats were right - you know the way. They will show you how to go back to your home, but before you go, I will give you my Gift. The gift of smelling. He gets up again, washing you gently with a few licks of his chocolatey tongue. His breath falls upon you, but it isn't anything like a dog that is alive. When examined, his form gets fainter, more ethereal. *May you never be hungry again, no matter how lost you are...* The words of the dog sound in your mind, rather than your ears. A spirit's way of speech, one might assume. In the next blink, the dog is gone and you are left with a little more than half the eclair.

Dancing-Fighter crinkles her eyes in the best imitation of a smile that she can muster in this form as she watches the dog eat. As the other part's offered to her she ponders declining, but that wouldn't be polite, so she bows her head in thanks. Gift? What gift? That certaintly caught the young wolf by surprise, given the curious posture to her body. Hey, wait! Where are you...going... She whines, sniffing where the dog just was and finding nothing. Was that a spirit, she wonders aloud before taking a small bite of the donut. Just in case any of the rats are around she leaves a piece behind, then heads for the opening of the alley, shifting back to Homid once she's sure it's safe to. "Man. The night just gets stranger and stranger," the cub murmurs, the tone of her voice edged in barely contained excitement. She has her first gift, and she can't wait to tell her friends.

The chitter of rats poking their noses out from the alley's corners greets your ears. Before you even finish your comment on how strange the night's been, you notice the piece of donut you left behind being swiftly carried along by a particularly spotty brown rat. It stops and looks at you, whiskers atwitch in a funny way, particularly with the donut in its paws.

Aiyana chuckles. "You'd best be on your way before one of your bigger brothers or sisters takes that from you. Or before some human comes along and chases you off before you get a decent bite." She stays in place, watching the odd little rat to see exactly what it's up to.

The rat squeaks, performing the interesting feat of stuffing its whole mouth with eclair before skittering forward and climbing up the nooks in the brick wall. It jumps up onto top of the 8 foot wall, scuttles down the other side of the wall for a short time before it reappears. It seems to be waiting for you.

Aiyana blinks and quirks a brow. "Wait. You expect me to jump up there? I'm not Spiderman, you know," she says to the rat while walking towards it. "I mean, I could just do it in another form, but what if someone sees me? Last thing I need is to get hunted down by some psycho who thinks I'm Bigfoot."

The Rat swishes its whiskers at you, as if it's humored. It has a good look around, obviously not worried at all about other humans. Instead, those beady eyes stare back at you expectantly. One might even think, if you understood the language of rats, it was scolding you with its squeaks.

Aiyana sighs and throws her hands up into the air. "Fine, fine. But if I get caught, I'm gonna report you to the head rat. Or whatever you guys have." After looking around for herself, she presses her body against the wall then shifts into Crinos long enough for her to make a leap for the top of the wall. Once she makes it up she goes back to her normal form, glancing towards the rat. "Happy now, little one?"

Amused, the rat squeaks with some kind of rodent approval. Very happy, it would seem. It scrambles down the side of the wall and jumps onto a pile of trash before running on down the alleyway on the other side. Occassionally it stops to wait for you. Doesn't seem like there was anyone around to see the shift.

Aiyana carefully edges herself over the side of the wall, sliding down and coming to a somewhat ungraceful stop once she hits the ground. "I'm still behind you! Don't worry!" the cub calls to the rat as she chases after it. "But where are you takin' me?"

The brown rat squeezes around the corner, running along the street with you trailing behind. Eventually the neighborhood looks a bit more familiar, even in the dark. That row of trees, the junky car on the lot, and finally the gated front yard of your 'home' comes into view, a victorian styled abode that looks more than just worse for wear. The rat stops after squeezing through the fence to the other side. The car is out in front, a cheap, used Ford truck that is truly in need of a paint job.

Aiyana makes her way past the troublesome fence and smiles to the rat, then bows politely. "Thank you little one. I never would've found my way back here. And tell that dog friend of yours thanks too!" Waving now, the cub heads towards the house and looks for the best way to get in without alerting the adults inside to her presence. Luckily she's had to do stuff similar to this before.

And thus is the end of an exhausting day in a world of the past. The pink walls loom into your view when you reenter your bedroom as silently as possible. The quietly snoring form of your older sister sleeping on the pull out bed downstairs continues. Whatever your thoughts are, they gradually meld into the bliss of sweet sleep as it overcomes you.

The night waxes with a full moon tonight, indicating a passage of time. What more, the dance of lights in the starry sky show that you aren't in the Realm, but the Umbral side of the world you feel you know. A cool, constant breeze flows down the Shadow'ed alley you find yourself in, alone. From afar, to the room, Aiyana wonders if this connects to where we left off last time, or is Ay in the here and now, in the alley itself?

Aiyana rubs the back of her head a little, blinking her eyes as she tries to clear the hazy feeling taking up most of her skull. "Man. Wow. I'm almost scared to see what's gonna go down this time," the cub mutters to herself while spinning in a slow circle, trying to get her bearings. Or at least, a good grip on the reality she's in now.

A constant low whistle of the wind blows its way through the alley, playing with loose ethereal pieces of Umbral-dirt and trash. In the Shadow, your being is the spiritual projection of yourself, and thus you find your regular, St. Claire dedicated clothes on you this time. None of that, weird beehive hairdo stuff. But, that means you're also without a friend in this unfamiliar Shadow. Around you, wraithly, yet solid buildings and silky spirit-spiderwebs cover the expanse of a city. Outside on the actual street, the faint outlines of Pattern Spiders climbing over their webworks can be seen. This is definitely the Umbra, but as to where... you're not sure. Briefly, a stronger breeze ruffles your hair from behind.

Aiyana's eyes squint a little as she begins to walk forward, towards the entrance/exit of the alley in hopes of spotting something, anything familiar to her. The wind causes her to shiver, if only for a second or two, and she lightly wraps her arms around her waist for warmth. "Wiggy." Frowning now, the Gnawer hits the sidewalk leading to the street itself and looks around.

"Wig-ee," comes a fleeting, tiny voice that brushes past your ear, another gust of wind swirling your hair and clothes against you. Once at the mouth of the alley, looking around you spot buildings - and realize, the buildings look like the ones you passed by. This is Los Angeles once again, of the 1940s. The continuous building of the city is obvious here, with the multitudes of webs that string over and connect in patterns that are in some ways, beautiful and in other ways, angering.

Aiyana stops, the voice catching her off guard and even making her jump a little. "Someone there?" she whispers lowly, not wanting to attract the attention of something that might not be so friendly towards her. She continues down the street, occasionally pausing long enough to look at a building she thinks seems somewhat familiar. "Damn. If I could just find that house again, I'd be set. Least I'd know where I am, instead of bein' here."

There's no one there, only the buzz of spiders productively spinning. Walking down the street, the wind picks up into a strong gust from behind - strong enough to push you slightly. "Where is she going?" asks a faint voice on your right. "Come," sounds the voice to before you, even though there's no one there. "Trust. Come." Another push from behind urges you forward down the street; a street, you realize, is the 42nd.

"Hey..Hey! What's goin' on?!" the cub snaps, a little louder this time as she's pushed down the street. "What's the big deal? Coulda just asked, y'know?" Aiyana grudingly obeys, however, picking up speed and going into a light jog in the direction of 42nd. "At least gave me some warnin', or somethin'." Her body starts to tense once she's right by the street, as if she's anticipating something very bad to happen.

Jogging along, the wind guiding you from behind, you can feel the slight changes and whirls of the breeze playing over. "Full moon," calls an old (somehow it just seems that way), ghostly chord. You are blown to a small lot between buildings. Immediately, you recognize a familiar building - one that is familiar to yourself of the 1940s. The mind puts a series of recent memories in: the pub & parlor that Joseph, Manuel, Duck and Cuda like to hang around. A little further down, you know, is the movie theater that runs more newsreels, propaganda and an old Goofy cartoon now and then. Once in the lot, the wind suddenly ceases and the buzzing continues.

Aiyana glances down at herself, and her brows wrinkle once she realizes she's got her normal attire on. "All...right then," she comments softly, then looks up at the building. "So, what now? Want me to go in?" the cub calls out to the mysterious voices even as she's walking towards the entrance. "What trouble are you guys gettin' me into?"

Talking to the air, you feel your breath wafting before you as if it were being pulled away. "Full moon," the voice starts up again. "Dancer," says another similar chord. "Fighter." "Warrior." "Gnawer." "Gaian." The words echo from four cardinal directions, whirling about you in whispers until a gasp of wind sucks a flurry of Weaver webs together. A miniature tornado develops a few yards from you before your very eyes, visible by the shimmer of webs in its grasp, bits of dirt and a sliver of paper all twirl around and around faster than your eyes can parse.

Aiyana tilts her head to one side as the words rush towards her. "Yeah, that's me. Got anything else to add?" Her movement towards the building is put on hold and she moves for the whirlwind instead, taking wary, cautious steps and ready to spring away at a moment's notice. "Fancy trick there."

The tip of the tornado slides over the ground towards you, the funnel waving from side to side. *Come closer, Fighter.* This time, the words are not audible, but sound in a spirit's way of communication. *I bring you a Gift...* The funnelcloud's tip lifts and dips, lightly touching the ground again and again. This time, it moves away from you towards the empty lot, sucking in speckles of dirt of loose spider webbing.

Aiyana relaxes somewhat but shoves her hands into her pockets. "A'ight...gift, you say? Like what the old dog gave me?" She's curious now, her steps quickening as she hurries towards the whirlwind, a little anxious to see what awaits her this time. "Do you want me to do anything? Like, hunt down more food, or save an old lady from a burnin' building?"

The tornado 'hisses'. *Fire... Fire consumes us. No. No saving.* The cloud sways back and forth, around, never truly remaining still. *The Lost Dog tells us you hunt for Gifts. Rat whispers you are one who fights... meant to fight.* Strands of your hair pick up in the slight breeze of the air vacuum. The wind seems to be carressing the individual locks. *We teach those who fight about the wind. About the power, that lies in mere air. About the beauty of the breeze. But, we are so often forgotten...* The tornado slows in its rapid spinning, drooping over.

Aiyana closes her eyes a little, peering out at the tornado to make sure it doesn't try anything odd. "I hunt 'cause I'm a Gnawer, and we have to hunt to survive on the streets. I fight 'cause I was born to, and to protect my family. I do both because if I didn't, I wouldn't be much of a member of my tribe, y'know?" She leans towards the breeze, feeling it swirl towards and around her, almost soothing in a way. "I won't forget. I want to know. I want to learn what everyone else tosses aside, 'cause they don't think it'll be tough as another Gift they might learn. I'm here, so lay it on me, guys. I'll even tell others about you, so they won't forget either. Any spirit willin' to spend time with a cub like me deserves some respect."

The spirit whirls about, even though it's hard to tell if there is such a thing for it as a front or back side. *Dance! Dance with us!* The tornado sashays its midsection. *Not the way the ones who dance in circles harm us. Dance with us?* At this, the tornado grows bigger, sucking in the Umbral air like crazy as it gets excited. Grinning a little, the cub nods her head. "A'ight." She calls up memories from the moots, the wild, carefree dancing she's done there, and lets herself go. Soon she's spinning around and whooping like she has no sense whatsoever, dancing without a single care in the world as she tries to capture even a hint of the energy coming from the whirlwind. She wants to dance like it, without meaning or reason, doing it for the sole purpose of doing it. And she does.

Amazingly the tornado doesn't seem to be doing any damage to the surroundings, save for the sucking in of webs and weeds. *Yes!* The air pops here and there, whistles from above and below, working itself into a soft but incessant whirlwind's roaring. *Dance! Dance and learn!* Here, the wind shoots out a gust that knocks you off balance, but before you smack your head on the tough floor, your spirit-body is swept back up and balance is restored. Again, the wind touches you and you fall, only to be lifted with the strength of the blowing breeze. The process continues over and over as you whirl around and around the lot and dance wildly, the whole time the tornado with your partner.

Aiyana starts laughing, her grin now a full fledged smile. She's having the time of her life, although she's a bit glad that there's no one around to see her acting like a loon. She lets out an excited but surprised gasp as she almost falls, then spreads her arms out at her sides when she's lifted again. "It's like crowd surfin'!" the cub exclaims, her voice almost breathless. "Except I don't think I'm gonna get dropped!" Even as she starts to tire she keeps on dancing, trying to match the whirlwind move for more until it's done and, in a heap of giggles, she'll let herself fall to the ground.

Though there is no music, the wind seems to provide for the moshpit feeling with its own roar of air swirling around the Umbral lot. There is even a rhythmic clapping and popping that results from the wind-spirit's manipulation of its element, sound produced from vibrations in the air. The wind doesn't get tired, either - but it is a spirit, and spirit power does eventually get used up as well. Each time you fall and rise again is like a roller coaster, the rush working itself with the odd, innate lesson. The whirlwind finally blows itself out as well. The final moments of its charming course slow and swirl to a stop, depositing you in the very middle of the lot. The air disperses in majority, but a tiny wisp of wind remains, tickling your face and the weeds about. "Thank you," it 'breathes' into your ears. "Remember us..." Then, the wind spirit flows upward into the starry night, skirting upwards to join the rest of its kind.

Aiyana smiles and waves towards the departing winds. "I'll remember! I promise! Thank you too!" She's still out of breath, panting faintly while getting back onto her feet, but she'll live. "Gotta wonder what that was all about," the cub says to herself while heading back over towards the building. Maybe she'll find some answers there. "Whew."

Remember the wind. What now? A new voice hails you from down the street. "Hey! Hey you!" The voice is masculine, somewhat young at that. Across the street, on the sidewalk and coming over towards you, is a man. A man? In the Umbra?

Aiyana glances up, her senses coming back to her in a rush of energy. "Huh?" Back to defensive mode now, the cub's hands go into fists and her eyes start to narrow. "Can I help you?" She's beginning to move backwards, just in case she has to make a sudden run for it.

"Hey, thought you were almost in trouble there," says the man now that he comes into view. He looks somewhat ragged around the edges, clothed in what looks like a huge blanket with rags beneath, and a jaunty fedora stuck on his head.

Aiyana shakes her head. "Naw, I'm cool." She's wondering how much this guy saw, and if she's going to have to do anything. "But thanks for the concern. Um..anything I can help you with, or should I be movin' along?"

The man tips his hat to ya. "Well, that depends. More or less, I came along to help you." With a swoop of his blanket-like cloak, the man swirls and covers both you and him in the impossibly huge fabric, plunging the both of you into the dark. Struggling doesn't seem to help, but it does feel like you're restrained by rough, prickly rope. There is no light, no moon, no stars - only dark.

Aiyana opens her mouth to say something, possibly about her needing no help, but she's too slow. The cape engulfs her and she feels herself starting to panic. She doesn't scream, but the urge to lash out with her fists is strong, and so is the urge to run. She first tries to back away and look for any sort of exit, but finding none, resorts to allowing a low growl to rumble up from her chest. "Who're you, and what the fuck are you doin'?!"

"Quiet, cub, I know what I'm doin'. But you don't seem to know yours," comes the man's voice. The feeling of the ropes slips off - fade off, rather. You find yourself in a new location that looks much like the Rialto, but isn't. A door previously unseen opens, revealing the fedora wearing man and his blanket, or cape as it were. Now it's a full blown cape. "Senorita, I present myself as... Jack. Jack Stone, otherwise called Whistle-Stop. And this, my young friend, is Life." He waves a hand, and blinding lights come on to light up a huge stage. You can feel the wooden planks that creak beneath you, old and sturdy.

Aiyana stops her ranting for now, but the urge to yell is still there. As soon as she feels herself being freed from her restraints she flexes her arms, even throwing a couple of test punches into the air to make sure nothing's still clinging to her. "Where am I? Or again, should I be askin' when am I? Cause that seems to be the trend with me lately. Like I'm that guy offa Quantum Leap or some shit." The sudden appearance of lights makes her wince and cover her eyes, peeking out from beneath a hand towards the odd guy. "Life? What, now I'm on some kinda game show?"

Jack looks at you, arching a brow. "Quantum Leap? I'm afraid that isn't anything but a hare's leap away." Ok, maybe this guy's a little off his rocker? "Oh, come now, surely you know the saying? Life is a stage, and all the people merely players in it. To mangle my mutable mentor's ministry." He flashes a charming smile, the way Joseph's smile had looked. "But I have a deal here." He approaches you slowly, suspiciously. "One that you must accept." His voice is quiet, entreating, and compelling.

Aiyana tilts her head questioningly. She's considering the possibility of this guy being a fruitcake and if she should run or not, both of which are sounding like good chances right about now. "Yeah, but I'm not much of an actress," the cub replies, taking a step or two back from the man as he advances. "A deal that I have to accept? Can't I get a warnin' or somethin' first? I mean, it's not smart to go chargin' headfirst into somethin' you don't know a thing about."

"Oh, but you will like what I have," Jack continues, striding across the stage, the spotlight following him. When he gets closer, he looks definitely a lot less ragged, and a lot more handsome. His eyes, dark pools of coffee brown, stare into yours. "You may not be an actress, but you can make someone believe you are." A hand comes out, beckoning you closer, because his voice is softer, harder to hear. "So far, you've learned of what a hungry dog wants, and what the wind wants... but, my dear, do you know what You want?" The question sounds rhetorical, but Jack seems to pause for an answer.

Aiyana watches Jack move across the stage, and soon after she begins to follow him. "What I want?" she echos, sounding a little on the confused side. "I want... I want to make my family proud. I want to be able to join 'em on their hunts, and to not be that little cub who has to stay back so I don't get hurt. I wanna be able to protect my family, like I'm supposed to, like the moon says. But most of all, I wanna be a Garou. Not just some kid pretendin' to be one of the big dogs. I also wanna prove to Salem that I'm not just some little girl stealin' his Kin, too," she adds with a smirk.

"Stealing Walker kin?" Jack laughs heartily. "Ah, but you will appreciate this. His voice suddenly a murmur, suddenly level, he spins again and smiles. "What if you don't pass, mm? Look at where you are." He gestures to your surroundings, unfamiliar and certainly putting you on the spot. "Do you know where you are? Who you are? You're just a cub now. A cub, struggling through her Rite of Passage, without even a clue of what she's doing stuck in the past." His voice is accusing, stinging - perhaps he really means it. Perhaps, he really wants you to believe it; at least he seems like he believes it. "I swooped down on you like any kidnapper could, and you did nothing. What can you tell me that will convince me you're going to get out of this situation you're in now, hm?"

Aiyana forces herself not to frown. She's expressionless now, doing her best to stare Jack straight in the eyes while he talks. The cub continues doing so even after he's done and she begins to reply. "Those are all true, yeah, but so what if I'm still findin' my way? I've obviously done well enough to get here without too much trouble, and the spirits seem to get along with me pretty well, so I must be doin' somethin' right." Her eyes crinkle a bit at the edges as the frown attempts to appear even more. "Everyone struggles at some point in their life, but it's whether or not you drown that matters. And I don't plan on drownin' anytime soon." Crossing her arms over her chest the cub finally allows the expression to win, tugging the corners of her lips downwards. "I did nothin' 'cause I'm not the type to start fights. I prefer to finish 'em. Why fight when you might be able to think your way outta situation? Besides, I don't know if you're on my side or not, and I'd prefer to make friends, not enemies. Though if you're not a friend, then I'll do my best to stop you, cub or no cub." She takes a step towards Jack. "As for convincin' you, well, actions speak louder than words. So when the time comes for action maybe you'll believe me. But I somehow doubt I'll prove it to you any other way."

Jack's lantern-smile doesn't fade as you frown at him. Like the two masks of comedy and tragedy, he represents one half. "Exactly," he points out. "You did Nothing. You're supposed to be a warrior, and a real warrior knows when to start a fight." He sucks in a breath. "And avoid them," he concedes slightly, looking off back to the 'audience'. All at once, the lights that were shining blindingly dim, with the house lights brought up. There, in the audience, all the faces of the Garou you've met, both alive and dead, amidst the faces of people you've seen on the streets of St. Claire. They all stare at you impassively, almost judgingly. "I only seek to make a deal, cub. You show me you're worthy - convince me that you are - of receiving such a precious piece of my knowledge. Be careful as you answer now; the audience is watching." He gestures with a curl of his fingers reining in the crowd. They get up and cheer for Jack in standing ovation, and then with a sharp whistle from him he silences them. "Now... you have the floor my dear. Whatever you wish to say... whatever you remember of Joseph, Manuel, Duck and Cuda."

You paged Aiyana with 'Additionally, all those Garou include Garou kinfolk in the audience. No pressure! :D'.

Aiyana tries her best to remain neutral through all of this, but she's starting to shake. Just little quivers of nervousness, but they're still there, although you'd have to be really close to her in order to see or feel them. Her eyes search the crowd, constantly scanning and never settling on one face. "One chance, huh? One chance to prove myself. It's like school, 'cept the stakes are much higher," the cub mutters softly. She lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding as she ponders over her words, not wanting to say the wrong thing. Not after coming this far. "Well, don't have much to say about 'em, to be honest. I'm not one for talking." She looks out to the crowd again, "But here goes nothin'. First one I met was Duck, and I liked 'em from the start. Same with Joseph. Even though I didn't know 'em, I felt like I'd still fight by their side, even if they didn't ask me. They treated me like I was one of the group, even if I had no clue what was goin' on. Cuda was, well, he was Cuda, I guess. Said what he had to say, and while I might've not cared for him all that much, I still would've fought for him. He was a brother, and family has to stick together." The Gnawer pauses and lets out another breath, steeling herself against another nervous tremor that causes her shoulders to jump. "As for Manuel, I knew we were gonna butt heads from the start. He tried to push me around, but I wouldn't budge. I did give him his space, though, and didn't start anything with him. I respected his territory like you're supposed to, even if it was just a personal bubble type of thing. And even though I could just tolerate him, he was family as well, and if he would've asked I would've fought for him too. I would've fought, and died, for any of 'em. It's my job. It's my privledge. It's what I was born to do, and what I will do until the day Gaia decides to reclaim me. Even if I don't pass this little test, I'll still fight whenever and wherever I'm needed, reguardless of what rank I have. Long as I'm needed, man, I'll be there to help protect my family and the Mother. It's all I got to live for these days." Standing there she falls silent, nervous to the point where she looks like she may pass out, or worse, but she doesn't move from her spot. She just stares at the floor underfoot, wishing that a hole would swallow her up so she wouldn't have to face all of these people anymore.

The crowd remains impassive at first, listening to your recounting of experiences with the four of the forties. However, it is your words that follow that bring them closer to the edges of their seats, trying to hear what you say under all the nervousness. When you finish, there is an eerie silence. Then, the sound of Jack's cape sliding against his form gets louder. Closer. By the time he reaches you, the man has morphed into a huge Crinos of 9 feet, black and brown with a blaze of white fur on his face from muzzle to the top of his head. A large claw reaches under your chin, gently tipping it up so that you can see the looks on the faces of the audience. What you see is... pride. Smiles. Looks of general approval. All of them come from the Garou and Garou kin - the humans remain ambivalent but even some of them are murmuring in indiscernable tones to each other. ~Lift your head up, ahroun. You are a warrior, and no one will tell you otherwise.~ Jack's heavy musky scent seems to be a quieting aroma, toning down your nervousness. ~To convince anyone of what you believe, you must first, convince yourself. Do you understand?~

Aiyana steels herself, body tensing to the point where she probably couldn't move unless she really had to, at the sight of the Crinos towering over her. She half expects it to come charging, roaring angrily for blood, but once it doesn't she relaxes a little bit. The look of the crowd helps to calm the cub down further, at least so she's not shaking anymore. Lifting her head as told to, she feels the point of the claw moving from her flesh, with cool air replacing it. "I understand, Jack-rhya," she replies in a low, even voice. "But in order to convince myself, I'll have to use actions, 'cause like I said earlier they'll say more than words ever will." A brief nod, almost to herself, and the Gnawer looks the Crinos dead in the eye. "And I've got a lot to say."

~So it shall be,~ Jack rumbles. ~Be calm, young warrior.~ His large claws travel until they reach your forehead, where the prickle of the tips being gently drawn in some patterns on your skin can be felt. ~Others will one day look to you for inspiration. When that time comes, you will have to persuade them to join you to fight for what you believe is true. You will do so through words, and through actions.~ The air glyph-drawing finishes, and the claws lift. The crinos turns to the audience and unleashes a beautiful haunting howl that only galliards really seem to possess. ~So it shall be! The warrior will continue on her quest, seeking the Glory, Wisdom and Honor of her kind!~ The audience rises, clapping in ovation, whistling out encouragement. A chant starts up of the three Creeds; Glory, Wisdom and Honor's paths pouring from the mouths of the crowd and rushing to your ears. The words eventually turn into the chitters of rats much like before when you started the passage rite. Once again, your eyes shut, and in the roar of the crowd fading away, darkness - sleep - once again falls upon you.

The darkness of slumber gives way as the mind registers a chittering noise. It is accompanied with tapping. Tap. Tap. Incessantly, irregularly, the noise coalesces into something that sounds familiar. The sound of a finger rapping at your chamber door. "Aiyana? Aiyana... wake up." The sound of your elder sister's voice, calling for you. "You gotta phone call."

Aiyana mutters softly, eyes refusing to open on command of her brain for a few seconds. Eventually she rolls herself out of bed and lurches for the door, pulling it open and looking around. "Huhwha? Phone call? Who's callin' me?"

Not long after you open the door, a phone's receiver and the machine itself is all handed to you. "It's Joseph," your sister Maria whispers. "Don't talk so loud. Papi's sleeping on the couch downstairs." Maria turns away, casting a brief glance at you before heading back down the flight to tend to your respective 'father'. Ear to the receiver, Joseph's voice comes over the earpiece. "Aiyana? Hey Aiyana, are you there?"

Aiyana grabs the phone and leans against her doorway, shutting the door as much as she can without cutting the phone cord in half. "Yeah, it's me. Wassup? Did I miss somethin' again? I was sleepin'."

The door itself is rather old, and thus wear has put some extra space for easy cord slippage. No worries about getting cut off. "It's... It's Duck. I think you better come over. Meet you at the Diamond, alright?" The Diamond being another location of your past knowledge, is the local baseball field at Elysian Park; a sort of no-man's land between Black Widows territory and the rest of the gangs that claim corners in the area.

Concern flickers over the Ahroun's face as she nods, even though Joseph can't exactly see it. "A'ight. I'll be there in a few. Try not to get ito trouble without me, cool?" Aiyana glances around, spotting clothes that'll be easiest to toss on once she's off of the phone. As soon as the convo's over she grabs a shirt and some pants, gets dressed, and races down the stairs towards the front door. "I'm goin' out!" she calls, hoping her sister'll hear her as she shuts the door behind her.

There's no protest as you head out the door. Maria seems to have gotten used to your random exits and entries - as if only when you don't come home for 48 hours is she going to start to fret. For that matter, you have some normal, comfortable clothes lying about in your closet that's easy to slip into too - overalls, a workman's shirt, an overcoat, some grey, worn sneakers. Or you could go with the whole dance-hall ensemble again.

At the Diamond, Joseph is there on the pitcher's mound and waiting, in a less noticeable zoot suit but a deep blue suit all the same. The familiar drape shape is unaccompanied by any hats or sparkling chains. His cane is everpresent, leaned upon for support. Manuel, too, is present in his black suit. He obviously doesn't look too happy, but you know he hardly ever does. Joseph though, seems to have gained a crease of worry on his brow.

"Aiyana, great. I've called Cuda too. Said he'd be here." Manuel scowls, looking away and around the flat grassy area. "Anyway, it's Duck. You know how he said he'd be alright and stuff? Well, he's not really alright. Hasn't been. He's sick, Aiyana... and we can't figure out why."

Aiyana nods to both of the guys once she arrives, tucking her hands into her pockets and making herself as comfy as she can get. "You try takin' him to a hospital or anything?" She asks. "Or does he refuse to go? I ain't no doctor, man, I'm not sure what to do in this kinda situation."

"Does it look like we gonna get help from some doctor?" Manuel growls out in disbelief. "You forget what the whiteys hate or what? Fuck, Joseph, you're gonna owe Juanita a fat one." Amazingly, there is a silver of concern in Manuel's words, amidst the distaste. Joseph narrows his eyes at Manuel. "'Ey, we get what we can Manuel, so shut the fuck up." Touchy tonight, the two stare at each other eye to eye. Manuel breaks off the gaze first, but only because Cuda arrives from the shadowy copse of trees you had seen before. Joseph sniffs, and tilts his chin to Cuda. "Now that we're here... I'll tell ya why we didn't take him to a hospital. S'cause none of us got the money for it, for one. Duck don't got enough change to eat let alone see Bugs. And, last time before he passed out in his own puke, he said it wasn't anythin' a doc is gonna figure out. But the first thing is, 'Yana... we gotta make sure you're real."

You paged Aiyana with 'The way Joseph says that last statement is really testing. As if you're in the spotlight again.'.

Aiyana listens to Joseph's words, nodding a few times. "Yeah, yeah. Guess I get it now, but we gotta do somethin' before he dies on us. And standin' here talkin' isn't really the best way to help, right?" The guy's final words cause the cub to stand up straight, her eyes locked in on his own as she removes her hands from her pockets, letting them hang at her sides. "Make sure I'm real? What do you mean, huh? Last time I checked I was real, but somehow I got the feelin' you won't believe me. So bring it on. How're you gonna prove that I'm real, Joseph? Lemme see what you got."

Joseph turns away, signalling to the two 42nds to follow him. Whether you tag along or not is partly, a test. They move on to the darkness of the trees, unlit by anything but the stars and a full moon. Definitely a touchy night, tonight. Cuda turns his head to glance over his shoulder at you, his eyes beady and glittering before he takes the initiative and trots off ahead.

In the trees, at the very spot you remember the dance hall fight at, they stop and surround you. "Alright. Duck also tol' me somethin' 'bout you that he had a hunch about. But, we're gonna make sure of it." The leader's voice is steady, but cold. "Are you... Garou?" Joseph's hands rest tensely on his cane as he asks the question, watching your reaction carefully. Manuel gives off a vague scoff, hands slipping behind him into the hem of his pants. Cuda remains expressionless, a hand touching a tree, staring right at you.

Aiyana glares skywards, as if asking Luna why tonight of all nights. But she's controlling herself pretty good so far. So far. The question gets a smile from her, even as she moves closer to Joseph. "That's it? I thought it was gonna be harder than that. I wanna know if you guys are, first. Eye for an eye, y'know, that sorta thing. But lemme ask you guys this, what do you think I am? If you guys are, you should know. Right? If not, then, well, I'd rather not give an answer until I know how safe I am right now."

Joseph says nothing in reply looking to Manuel and Cuda. Cuda comes around the tree, but it's Manuel who is extraordinarily fast. Too fast for the eye. In seconds, you are shoved up against a tree and the flashing cold touch of a blade is at your throat. The black suiter's smile is unnervingly cold. "Just answer the question, Ai-ya-na," he growls, drawing the syllables in your name out. Cuda wipes off his nose, keeping a fair distance from you and Manuel, silent as ever. Joseph comes up from the side, setting his cane down again and eyeing you - almost, expectantly.

Aiyana starts to move, but the other guy's much faster. And he's armed. Body tensing, the cub tries her best not to lash out for any part of Manuel she can reach, instead letting out a breath as she tries to keep her cool. "I -am-," she grunts back, eyes narrowing a little. "And if you don't believe me, I'll prove it. Once that damn knife's away from my throat. I don't feel like chokin' on my own blood this evenin'." Her voice lowers to a snarl with those last words, eyes darting back and forth between the group.

Joseph's eye jerks to Cuda, who nods once. Manuel gets an unspoken signal from the leader, and he lets you go, backing off in one smooth step. "I knew it," Manuel grunts aloud. "Juanita's such a bitch." The dagger is slipped back into its sheath, and the tension in the air seems to relax just a bit. Joseph comes up, a somewhat approving smile crossing his features. "Sometimes, it's tough to tell on the streets. I'd give introductions more thoroughly, but for now, you got Manuel, Duck and Cuda. Ahroun, galliard, philodox. We didn't wanna show you any secret stuff until we were sure." Manuel looks as if he's baring his teeth in the grin he displays. Joseph, though, what is Joseph? "So now that we know, we can go see Duck."

Aiyana hmphs and brushes herself off, checking her throat after to make sure Manuel didn't get overzealous. "It's a'ight. No harm done. I'm Ahroun, if that makes you guys feel any different about me," she adds with a hint of a smirk. "So, now that we're all one big happy family, let's go. Don't wanna get there and find out we're too late. Unless you guys got any more questions, that is. Or macho contests, stuff like that."

"No... I think we're better off movin'." Joseph starts back down the hill. Manuel looks barely impressed by your claim to his auspice, but with a grunt and notion for you to follow up, he makes his way to Joseph's side. The two exchange hushed words. Cuda opts to remain just inside earshot, but the gaunt youth eyes you every now and then. A car sits out on the street, painted in similar blue to Joseph's dance-hall suit, but very faded and blotchy. "Get in," the leader says to you, motioning for you to take the backseat. Cuda and Manuel cross to the other side, Cuda sitting in the back and Manuel getting shotgun. "We'll be goin' to Duck's house."

Once you're in and the driving goes on, you see the remnants of the barrio passing by. Duck's house is but a joke. It's actually a spot squished between two buildings, where a ton of cardboard boxes have been set up to be almost castle-like. A tower of boxes leans precariously, supported only by the bent up fire escape that holds the uppermost box against the brick wall.

Aiyana follows after the group, but keeps her own distance from them. Just in case. She slides into the car and scoots over, not wanting to intrude on Cuda's space, while also wanting to give herself some breathing room. The drive over is a quiet one on her part. She doesn't say a word; she just stares out of the window until the car comes to a stop and snaps her out of her mini daze. "Here already? What's the plan, anyhow? How're we gonna cure him? Unless one of you knows a good Theurge or somethin'."

A theurge? As you speak the words, the memory inside your head sounds a few names. Amongst the Black Widows, you remember, there are also three Garou. Juanita is one. Mace, another. It's Beth who comes out most prominently in your mind. Beth, a Fianna theurge. "/You/ know her," Joseph stresses. "We only know about her." And, you realize, this separation of Garou has been ongoing for sometime. That's what Duck was talking about, babbling all over the place to you that night he took you to the Dance Hall. Once everyone is outside of the car, Manuel is the one who leads the way in this time. The ahroun even pushes his way through to the front, leaving Joseph behind with you and Cuda. Of the huge pile of boxes (and it is really quite impressively set up; each box is big enough for a person to climb into, and duct tape connects much of the cardboard together) the ahroun opens up a flap and crawls in without shame. At first, there is a lot of nothing - just the sounds of the city of angels going on with life. Then, there is a shifting of paper around in the inside, and Manuel exits out of a different flap. He turns, and scoops out a ragged looking dog, laying the mutt on his side. You can see quite plainly, there is a growth coming out from the dog's rib cage near the spine, and it is quite black and splotched in some white spots.

Aiyana frowns and lets out a quiet sigh. "Things jsut go from bad to worse," she mutters as she steps out of the car to follow the group once again. The cardboard house is given an approving, somewhat bemused look from the cub, but that good humor's ripped right out of her as soon as she spots the dog. "Shit, man! What the hell's wrong with him? Shouldn't we go get Beth? I mean, won't she heal him? She has to, right? He's Garou, and that's what family does!" She doesn't look panicked, but the tone of her voice is urgent, rushed, somewhat angry.

Duck, you notice as it's quite obvious he is the sick lupine, pants out a little weakly. Manuel stands over the mutt, glaring daggers at the growth. "So it'd seem," Joseph replies. "But this is how it is, Aiyana. We don't step on the Black Widows' turf, and they don't come onto ours." In a flash in your mind, you remember - the Black Widows have a lot of scorn for the 42nd Street gang. They wouldn't associate with them really. "It was Duck's idea to try an' set up another agreement over at the dance hall that night, but you remember what happened. I didn't want Juanita to get the wrong idea. That maybe we'd set her up or something." Joseph crosses over to stoop down and pet Duck's head. "We got her, Duck. Aiyana's here. And you were right." Manuel steps forward, his own animosity displayed right out in the open. "The last time we tried to get you chicas to help, you fuckin' ditched us and left us to get hung. Why? 'Cause it wasn't smart. Only Mace even gave a shit. I still say we don't need no fuckin' Widow's help. We could go ask over in West Cov for help, Joseph. Ain't no way I wanna let any Spider-girl touch 'im." Manuel stares at you challengingly, just waiting for the excuse.

Aiyana looks ready to tear into something as her eyes narrow and darken faintly in color. "That's just fucked," she mutters, her upset gaze moving towards Manuel now. "Hey, I don't give a shit whether or not you want my help. You ain't the one sick here, now are you? So fuck off and lemme get a look at Duck, a'ight?" With a snort she moves closer to the lupine, trying to get a good look at the abnormal growth on him. "Geez. I still say I should go get Beth, tell her I'll owe her big time if she'll fix this guy up for me. She'd do it, and if she didn't, I'd make her."

Manuel clenches his jaw, tensing as if about to strike out at you as you push past him. A strong glare from Joseph stops the ahroun, who is left furiously guarding. "Hurt him and I'll fuck you up," Manuel snarls in warning before crushing his back to the wall and watching your every movement. Joseph seems to be tense too as you come closer, but he is mostly preoccupied with petting Duck's head. The gang leader looks to you when you mention Beth again. "Will she? I'm not so worried about you tryin' to get her to come... but more like tryin' to convince Juanita about it." Duck whines vaguely as he slits open an eye. The galliard sniffs, before chuffing softly. Sorry I couldn't give you a more proper welcome.

Aiyana doesn't reply to Manual, but her posture shows that she'd love to, preferrably with a fist. "I frankly don't give a damn about what Juanita thinks at this moment. We got a sick bro here, and he needs to be taken care of. Sides, we've got enough problems with outside stuff killin' us off, let alone worryin' about some stupid internal argument. We're all Garou, damnit, and if she won't help him I'll find someone who will, even if I have to force 'em into it." The cub manages a smile down at Duck, then goes to lightly scratch him on the head. "It's a'ight, bro. you just lay there and rest. We're gonna get you some help. Cool?"

Joseph and Manuel sort of stare at you as you mention 'bro' yet again. It's like it's unheard of - a similar reaction to the one Duck gave you when you first said the word. Joseph then makes some decisions, standing up with effort after the strain he put on his leg by stooping. "Ok. Cuda, you get to the Junkyard and fix up an area where we can work. Manuel and I will take Duck over in a bit." The leader looks to you, serious but somehow, considerably less tense this time and a bit warmer in demeanor. "Aiyana, it's all on you now. Get Beth to come help, at least. Juanita probably ain't gonna be happy when you tell her, though. Be careful." Joseph then turns to Manuel, nodding. "We'll take the car." You know where the Black Widows hang out, but it's quite a ways back the way you came in the car.

Aiyana nods as she looks up towards the gang, not really wanting to leave Duck. "Fine. I'll meet up with you as soon as possible, with a Theurge. You've got my word." Her expression's stony except for her eyes, which are glimmering with nervousness. "See you guys in a few." She lets out a sigh as her body begins to change shape, melting down into the form of a mutty looking lupus that sprints off down the road. She forces herself to run as fast as she can, stopping only to take the occasional break to catch her breath, before hurrying off again.

The shortcuts you remember make things a little faster, but with each pound of paws on pavement the images of Duck's sick looking, filthy body drum into your mind. Even worse, though, is the thoughts of what you are going to say to Juanita and the others when you tell them that they have to help the 42nd gang. 'Filthy mutts', is a voice that rankles in your mind - Juanita's.

When you get to the hideout, you see it is considerably different from what the 42nd Street has. Tucked away a series of blocks from the park, a short, narrow alley expands into a wide, weedy lot, bordered on one side by a huge concrete pillar and with an abandoned two story building. An oil drum burns brightly with fire within, providing a source of light and warmth in the center of 'the gathering circle'. No one is around, but they're likely inside. A huge inverted colored black widow spider is drawn on the door of the building. You know the secret knock.

Aiyana shifts back once she reaches the headquarters, after making sure no one's around to see her do it. The cub rushes up to the door, hand shaking as she manages to bang out the secret knock, her body tense as she waits for someone to answer. She's half tempted to yell but she doesn't want to ruin whatever chance she may have. "C'mon...hurry up. I ain't got all evening," she grumbles impatiently.

Heavy footsteps come to the door, and it's opened after a second or two of undoing locks. As you enter, the relatively well-lit corridor leading off into a wider meeting room is occupied with a couple of girls - that's what they are, really. You know them though; Jenny and Penny, human twins who took up a pact with the Widows in exchange for shelter and protection. The one who answers the door though is a large woman, by way of weight rather than height. This is Katrina, and she doesn't look very pretty at all by the period society's standards. Your interests though, lie in the backroom. "Hey Aiyana, Juanita and the others are in the back." Katrina smiles nervously, as if seeking your approval for something, but it could be that she's noticing your Rage.

Aiyana nods to Kat as she moves around the woman. "Thanks. I won't be too long. Just hope they're not busy." And even if they are, too bad the cub thinks to herself. Walking through the building is an odd experience, as everything looks familiar and new all at the same time, causing her to narrow her eyes in annoyed confusion. "Hey! Juanita, got some free time to talk to me?" she calls out once she hits the back area, not really expecting an answer as much as a harsh talking to.

Leaving Katrina and the twins as guards, you travel down the hallway to the back, where Juanita and Mace are. Juanita is sitting at the couch in the back, watching an ancient black-and-white television. When you call out, she looks over her shoulder and waves for you to come on over. The leader of the Widows is fairly young - 20 you presume, but no one's really had the sense to ask. Hispanic and Italian mixed, Juanita is part fire, part sass, and all bitch. Mace almost seems like the female equivalent of Manuel, but she is Get by descent. "Whatcha need, Aiyana? Those mutts down south didn't piss you off did they?" asks the Widow leader.

Aiyana heads for the couch and leans against the back of it, resting her weight on her arms which are now folded on the top of the back of the couch. "Nah, nah. Just gotta ask a favor of someone. Seen Beth around? I really need to talk to her, right now. I mean, right now as in fifteen minutes ago kinda right now." She nods a greeting towards Mace, then looks back to Juanita. "And please don't tell me she's gone somewhere and isn't comin' back. I can't deal with that kinda news right now."

Juanita takes note of the tones you're using. Her casual demeanor goes from casual to a lot less so. She stands, striding to the television and turning off the whooping cowboys and hollering Indians. "Beth's upstairs. Why?" Clearly the leader is interested, but also serious in a suspicious way. Juanita's dark eyes stare blackly at you, while Mace comes off the wall and makes her way over to listen in on the conversation.

Aiyana shakes her head as she turns to move for the exit. "No reason. Just got some stuff I gotta do. Don't worry, I'm not in any trouble or anything, and neither is Beth. I'll be back in a little bit." She ignores the questioning, intense looks from the other two, but she knows she's not going to be able to leave this room without answering a few questions first. Even so, her pace quickens and she tries to hurry towards the upstairs area.

"Beth!" Juanita suddenly calls out sharply as you turn away from her. "Get down here, now!" When you turn, you see Juanita growing up in height and gaining a bit more fuzz around her face. ~She'll be down here shortly,~ the Widow leader growls out in the Mother Tongue, flexing her fingers as she examines the small claws on her hand. ~Don't be stupid either. Beth doesn't go anywhere without my knowing where.~ Mace says nothing, but it's obvious as she looks at you that you are clearly breaking convention.

And, there's a reason why the convention is in place. You can hear Beth coming down the stairs, creaking along until she opens the backroom door. Beth... is huge. She rivals Juanita's glabro form in height, even though she's in homid, and the black hood of her cloak is pulled over her head, shadowing her eyes. "Yes, Juanita?" comes the woman's voice, quiet and submissive.

Aiyana stops dead in her tracks, her shoulders tensing as she fights down her growing temper. "Deep breaths," she whispers to herself, before turning to face Juanita. "I need her help, her talents to fix up a friend of mine. Got hurt real bad in a fight, and if Beth doesn't come with me they'll die. Don't worry, they're family, so none of us'll have to hide or anything. Please, Juanita, you really gotta let me do this. Just this once. I'm beggin' you. I won't ask for another thing in my life from you, if you just let Beth go with me now. Please."

"Who's the friend?" Juanita interrogates gruffly, clearly not in the mood for your plaintive roundabout whining. ~You come in here so eager to talk to me, and then you want to take Beth out? Don't fuck around with me. Where, when, who, what and why?~ Mace steps up partly as Beth enters, eyes fixing on the hood of the taller woman. "You know the rules Aiyana," the Get advises quietly. "You know that Beth don't get to go out without Juanita's go ahead." Juanita keeps her glare directed at you - like Beth's presence is barely noticed in light of your insubordination. The hood comes off, revealing Beth's face. It's all normal... except she has two things very wrong with her. One, her eyes are yellow - wolf's eyes. The other, the two horny bumps poking out over her ears and curving slightly. Horns.

Aiyana's temper begins to rear its head again, and one can almost feel the Rage coming off of the young Ahroun. "Duck. My friend Duck." She waits to see if Juanita recognizes the name before continuing. "He's got some kinda thing on him, and if someone doesn't take care of 'em he's gonna die. So I promised his crew I'd go and get some help. There, that good enough?" The razor tone to her voice is barely kept in check, but it's still there. "C'mon. I gotta do this. Please. The longer we're here, the less time Duck has."

[Aiyana puts the Persuasion on Juanita...]

"Duck?" Juanita echoes the name, the name harsh over the Glabro's voice but there is some recognition to it. However, your tone taken with Juanita isn't accepted as well as it ought to be. Still, it's probably a record that Juanita hasn't given you a beating for talking to her like you are now. Beth steps forward a pace, wolven eyes shifting from one face to the other. "I go with. Go with, Aiyana. I like Duck." The metis also puts the spot on the leader. "Duck in trouble. Save Duck." Juanita breaks off her glare at you to stare disbelievingly at Beth. ~What? You...~ Wow, does she looked pissed off. Mace, after eyeing you carefully, touches a hand to Juanita's wide shoulder. "You say he's gonna die, Aiyana. If he's going to die, then he's going to die. If you think he has a chance, though..." Here Mace looks to Juanita, who is fuming and likely thinking of so many ways to slice you up with her claws. "Just tell us where you're going and then get going."

Aiyana stands her ground, starting at Juanita. "See, Beth has no problem with it, and I'll take good care of her. No one'll lay a finger onher while I'm around." She smiles back towards Beth while taking a step away from the now very unhappy Juanita. "I know he has a chance, long as we get to him in time. Sides, I don't think Gaia'd be too happy if we just let one of our own die because we're all stubborn bitches, huh?" The last part's said with a hint of a grin. "We're goin' to the Junkyard. Have to haul ass, but yeah, we won't take too long. I'll have Beth back before you know it."

Mace nods as you finally give all the information that is needed. Juanita throws Mace's hand off her shoulder with a spastic twitch, making like she's about to stop you from going anywhere. Then she halts herself, nostrils flaring and eyes staring daggers. Beth cowers back, eyes turning down to the floor. The Black Widows leader whips her head around to eye Mace, who for one time and one time only stares back. "Let 'em go, Juanita. This is one time I'm not going to let us run away from them." Mace gives you a 'go on' nod, before fishing around in her pockets and tossing you a ring of keys. You know these keys are for Mace's car - Mace's most prized possession. "Haul ass," she says, stepping between you and Juanita. "And Beth. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." The metis nods emphatically, slipping her hood back over her head and almost literally skips out into the hallway and out the door to the car around the back of the pillar outside.

Aiyana doesn't waste any time getting away from the wrath of Juanita. The keys are quickly snatched up and she goes running off after the enthusiastic Beth, making sure she doesn't wander off anywhere before they get to the car. "Hey, thanks for doin' this," she says to the Metis with a thankful smile. "I wasn't sure if I could convince anyone to help me or not." After unlocking the doors the cub slides in, getting a feel for the car before she even attempts to drive it. She waits for Beth to get in then speeds out of the headquarters area, probably breaking a few driving laws as she rushes to get to the Junkyard. "Might wanna buckle up there, huh?"

"Beth likes Duck," the metis says with a slow grin just visible from underneath the hood. "He smell funny."

The Junkyard is something you could compare Lancelot's yard with. Huge heaps of scrap metal awaiting process and refinement include anything and everything from rusty tin cans, to refridgerator handles, to whole piles of bicycles and other unidentifiable bits of metal. However, as you remember it, these piles were a whole lot bigger. Because of the War, the need for metal has put the Weaver machines and forges into overtime. The part of the Junkyard you're going to, though, is a part way on the border of the acreage. When you get in the vicinity of the yard, you have to slow down to avoid being taken for some intruder - as well as to protect the paint job on Mace's ride. Pulling into an open area and parking, you and Beth are able to leave the car without anyone spotting you. Beth seems to also know this area well, as she is off and going in a particular direction before you can stop her.

Aiyana laughs at Beth's comment as she feels her nerves beginning to relax a little. Navigating her way through the Junkyard she parks the car in a spot where she hopes nothing will happen to it, then gets out and goes running after the Metis. "Hey, wait up! If anything happens to you I'll be dead, man!" She keeps an eye out for either signs of Duck and the crew, and for anything unpleasant that might be lurking around the corners. "You know where you goin', Beth?" the Ahroun asks, in a low voice.

The shadows of the unlit yard yield little to the human eye. Beth continues on the lead until you both reach a wide circular area blocked off with walls of scrap. Joseph and Manuel are there, with Duck lying in the middle of an arranged circle of metallic bits. "Hey! Wh--" Joseph's voice echoes out first, seeing Beth stroll in like a huge monstrous shadow. Manuel gets up with a hostile growl on his breath, but when Beth pushes her hood off her face, the ahroun seems to sit back. "You gals see Cuda on your way in?" the 42nd leader asks. "Where's Juanita and Mace?"

Aiyana waves to the group, then shakes her head. "Nope. Didn't see 'em. Why? He gone missin' or somethin'?" Her gaze falls to Duck to see how he's doing, then focuses on Joseph. "Juanita is back at the base, ready to tear me a new one. I'm guessin' Mace's busy tryin' to calm her down. Mace lent me here car to get here, so you guys better appreciate all of this. I almost got my ass handed to me for even askin' about takin' Beth anywhere."

Manuel watches Beth ever so closely as the towering metis makes her way over to Duck. She touches him just once on the splotchy growth and stumbles backwards, an anguished squeal tearing itself from her throat as if she had just touched a white hot flame. Joseph turns to look at Beth's ministrations, but has a sense of cool to him now that you have arrived and brought help as you had promised. "Cuda's probably on patrol then. Makin' sure to keep innocents outta here and all. And you know if Duck's healed up, he'll be all the more insistent that we show the Widows our appreciation."

Aiyana snaps her head in Beth's direction, moving to stand next to the tall Metis. "Hey, you a'ight? Take it easy. Don't injure yourself healin' him..." she trails off, glancing over a shoulder towards the leader. "Duck'll get healed, I'm sure of it. And if we can finally get our groups to stop fightin', well, that'd just kick tons of ass. Then maybe Juanita won't wanna school me when I get back to the building, y'know? Who knows, maybe this is the beginnin' of somethin' better for all of us. That'd be nice."

Shifting to Crinos, Beth's hood expands into a large cloak that she takes off and slips underneath the weakened galliard. Now in the warform, the metis' deformity is absolutely glaring. Huge horns sprout from her head, curving around like bighorn sheep's. Her eyes though, remain wolven. ~He's infected with the Wyrm. I must do a Cleansing.~ The Fianna theurge looks to you, before motioning you to step back. ~Guard. There will be Wyrm here.~ Manuel curses, shifting to a towering black and brown Crinos as well and taking up a point a few feet from the circle. Joseph moves to stand by Manuel, a few feet away.

Aiyana nods as her own form swells up into Crinos, one somewhat floppy ear flicking back while she steps away from Beth and Duck to go pace back and forth nearby. The moon remains above, mocking her, and even more than before she finds it tricky to hold back her temper. ~Let's hope everything goes smoothly,~ she rumbles, brows wrinkling. ~I have no patience for any Wyrm creature stupid enough to try and mess with any of us tonight.~

Beth's ministrations start up, the Fianna going into a growling dance, slow at first and then getting faster everytime there is a revolution. Duck twitches constantly throughout the whole thing, the growth on him throbbing. Just as the Rite of Cleansing seems to be at its peak, a shot rings out. Manuel drops like a stone with a howling cry of pain, clutching his stomach before managing to shift to homid. Raspy breaths issue forth from the ahroun. The sound is overshadowed with a sinister laugh. ~Ignorant Fools,~ echoes the laughing voice from somewhere above you. Joseph doesn't move from his place at all, even though he is but a few feet away from the ahroun. His eyes are also searching the tops of the junk heaps. "HOW DOES IT FEEL? The burn of Silver..." The haunting voice is unmistakable. Beth's ears and Joseph's eyes rivet to a tall central heap. The 42nd Street's leader hisses out in surprise. "Cuda..."

Dancing-Fighter's eyes widen as the shot echoes through her ears, invading her brain and ringing loudly. ~What was that?!~ she barks out, muzzle peeling back from her fangs in a snarl. ~Cuda? What do you mean, Cuda? Joseph, what's up?~ She moves back towards Beth and Duck as she tries to guard them from whatever attack comes next, her muscles tensing underneath the shaggy coat of fur. ~Why's Cuda shooting at us, with -silver-?~ Her eyes are blazing now, the fur along the back of her neck prickling up like quills on a hedgehog, her talons digging into the ground so she won't let herself go rampaging off towards the heap.

At the mere mention of silver, Beth shifts down to homid in a flash. Her concentration is broken - the Rite, unravelled in a mere millisecond. Her harsh breathing of effort pants into the night. "Aiyana," she whispers, eyes darting around frantically. From the shadows around the heaps, the clinking of chains and steps of people come along. In the background of navy blue and black, white lapels and hats are tossed away or twirled around fingers. "Cuda! What the fuck are you doing?!"Joseph roars out, infuriated as he looks around and undeniably admits to himself that they are strategically surrounded. The cock of a couple of guns sounds in the night. "Doing what I've been planning to do for years now. Take my rightful Fucking place as leader of the pack!" From the shadows, a few sailors step out and grin menacingly.

A roar of anger tears itself from the Ahroun's throat and before she can even stop herself, she's shaking a large, clawed fist in the air and calling Cuda every bad word she can think of, even if most just come out as a multitude of snarls. Moving back even further she goes to stand directly in front of Beth, before hissing an order to her. ~Once you get the chance, grab Duck and head for the car. Find the keys if you can, if not, just hotwire it or something, then go and get the rest of the crew. But don't move until you're sure you've got a clear path out of here.~ Narrowed eyes glare in Cuda's direction as the Crinos flexes her claws, wanting nothing more than to tear him into ribbons. ~You picked a foolish night to challenge your leader,~ she spits out, fangs still bared. ~Because I'm in no mood to deal with your foolish ambitions, you little punk.~

"What the fuck?" Joseph cries out, unbelievably angry. No one has ever seem him so angry. So hurt. Manuel groans, but the ahroun snarls and staggers to his knees still pressing a hand to his gut. "Fucking TRAITOR!" he howls out, eyes riveted to the silouhette on top of the junk heap. "THAT'S RIGHT!" Cuda calls back gleefully, literally dancing atop the metal mountain and sending bits of bars down beneath. "Ever since you were made Fucking leader, Joseph. KIN have No Place as leader! I, the Barracuda of the Barrio, I'm now on top! I am Top Dog! I am the fucking-- gah!" In the frantic victory dance that ensues, the metal plate that Cuda had been precariously dancing upon slips from underneath him. Down the gaunt youth tumbles, shifting along the way into a huge black furred crinos and digging his claws into anything and everything he can to stop his plummet. ~Get Them!~ he howls in command. The sailors suddenly charge at once, leaving you no time to plan out how to protect those vulnerable.

Dancing-Fighter snarls and finally lets herself go, her taloned feet kicking up chunks of the ground as the cub goes charging for the closest sailor. ~Beth, grab Duck and GO!~ she howls, even as she rears back and swings her claws for the sailor's body. ~You waste of flesh! I hope you rot in the belly of the Wyrm itself, you backstabbing little whining whelp!~ She tries to focus strictly on the sailor, but it's hard to do when she's trying to keep an eye on Beth and Duck at the same time.

Joseph pulls out a large revolver from his side and already begins firing into the onslaught that rushes towards them. Beth hears the command and rips back up into Crinos, scooping up Duck into her arms. She howls a war cry, rushing blindly towards the nearest duo of sailors that somehow aren't affected by Delirium. The reason becomes clear, as the Fianna's claw strikes cause them to scream and suddenly protrude with extra limbs, tentacles, claws and fangs. She gets delayed, ripped into but her hunch over Duck shows her bearing the brunt of the attack. Amidst Joseph's firing, Manuel snarls as the Rage channels into his movements - the ahroun leaps into a fray of fomori that shows the true power of an ahroun on a full moon. Three more sailors advance, and the crack of chain smacks you on the muzzle as a newspaper to a pup. Two of the three sailors suddenly morph, one with an impossibly long spikey tongue, and another with a mouth on his stomach and putrid smell emanating from him that almost makes you retch.

Dancing-Fighter grunts, then growls as the chain bounces off of her. Beyond riled now, she's got enough sense to notice the odds aren't in her favor. Then it hits her. She spins around in place, calling to the wind spirits, before lashing out with a hand towards the sailor with the spiked tongue. ~Come, Wyrmbeast, and dance with me! You might even like it!~ the Crinos taunts with a sneer. ~I learned this move from a frisky little tornado the other day!~ She's trying to make her way over to Beth, but another thought hits her. Joseph's only Kin? Now she's torn between protecting them both but knows a moment's hesitation could get them all killed. She'll go help Joseph when she notices he's in major trouble, and for now goes after the sailors coming her way.

The Spike-Tongued Sailor wiggles the snakey appendage tauntingly, his mouth opening with rows of lamprey-like teeth. "With pleasure," the fomor replies and whips his tongue at you, wrapping it around your neck and squeezing mercilessly. The spikes pierce in amidst the strangling. "Hold her nice and still!" calls the Mouth-Gut one, lumbering forward with huge fangs protruding, gnashing together as he gets closer. Manuel seems to have Joseph's protection covered, but one ahroun can't go against 3 fomor at once. Joseph continues to back up, firing and reloading his gun when he gets the chance. "Manuel! I'm outta bullets!" he cries, drawing out the dagger from his cane and tossing the rest of it aside.

Dancing-Fighter howls in pain, clawing and swiping at the tongue wrapped around her throat. ~Get away from me, you FREAK!~ the Crinos bellows as she rears back, muscles bunching out from under her fur. She tries to get a good grasp on the tongue and, once she's succeeded, pulls on the pointy appendage hard enough to (hopefully) rip it right out. ~I'll teach you not to spread your filth while I'm around!~ And if claws just aren't good enough, those fanged jaws of her are more than eager to bite off a chunk of the former sailor.

Beth headbutts a fomor headon, skull crashing against the other's with a wet, sickening crack. The fomor goes down, twitching and clutching a smashed skull but not yet dead. The Fianna howls in pain as two fomor attach themselves onto her via claw and fang, and she whirls around and around until the both of them are lifted off the ground and sent flying into junk heaps, one getting impaled on beam of sharp metal and the other crushed beneath the avalanche of metal that comes down.

Cuda finally drops down from the heap, and starts in a mad dash towards the Fianna and the galliard. Utter unnatural darkness descends upon the Fianna and the traitorous Cuda, blacking out the Crinos from view but certainly not from sound. Howls sound, as well as the crazy laughing whooping from before.

The sudden pull on his tongue sends Spike sailing straight towards you, and while he was eager to have a good bite, your fangs meet his in an extremely twisted kiss. Mouthgut leaps towards you, aiming for a tackle that sinks his teeth into your left leg and almost engulfs the thigh.

Joseph sees Cuda going for Beth, turning his gun away from Manuel and the fray to point it at Cuda. However, when darkness blacks the Garou from view, he's left with no choice but not to fire anymore rounds at risk of hitting Beth or Duck. "Damnit!" he curses aloud, only to be knocked down with a punch from a human sailor that sneaks up on him. "Cry for mercy, you fuckin' burrito!"

Dancing-Fighter cries out, a wavering sharp howl that's almost painful to hear. She tightens her jaws down on whatever bit of the sailor-thing's flesh she has then twists her head to the side, letting her fangs rip straight through it. As the other one manages to get a hold on her leg the pain shoots up through her entire body, feeding her anger. She reaches down, forcing herself to remember the frenzied dance her and the wind spirits shared as she attempts to forcefully push the sailor-thing with the extra mouth away from her long enough to give herself some breathing room.

The Gift of the Falling Touch works like a charm, as the dance launches Mouthgut off and into a heap of sharp pointy metal bits similar to one of Beth's attackers. Spike is unexpectedly torn head from body at the force of the jerk, a section of his spine coming along with him. The foul taste of tainted acidic blood slips down your tongue, burning into your throat. Just when you spot a third sailor about to come upon you with a menacing club that is protruding spikes all over the place on its tip, an arrow flies out of nowhere and a howl rings out. ~Rip them apart!~ comes the cry, Juanita's jubilant, bloodthirsty warcry filling the air from above. An upper and lower torso go sailing past you, sliced in two. Mace, in full fledged silver grey-furred Crinos, puts Mouthgut out of his misery.

The inky black that has enveloped Cuda, Beth and Duck in its grasp hasn't gone away, and neither have the sharp yipes and howls of pain that emanate from it. Manuel has gone down under his attackers, six in all, half human, half fomor. Joseph brawls with his attacker in a stalemate of fists and fury, but in a low kick to his left leg he cries in pain. Juanita, Black and full of Fury, notches another arrow from the quiver on her back and lets it fly. Joseph's attacker is speared through with the force of a huge arrow big enough to be a miniature spear.

Dancing-Fighter spits out the chunk of sailor-thing as soon as she can, not wanting that awful taste to linger any longer than it has do. A satisfied look crosses her face once she sees what happens to both of the creatures. As she turns to take on whatever else is coming at her, Mace appears and the xub lets out an excited, but brief, howl. ~Nice timing, sis!~ she cries out, feeling her energy return to her. The wounds, the cuts, she can still sense their burning on her flesh, but none of that matters now. Her team's here, and that's good enough for her. Spinning around she goes storming off in Manuel's direction to give him a hand, or claw rather, with taking care of his attackers. ~Hold on, I'm coming Manuel!~

The shivering heap of chains, clubs and lashing Wyrm-spawn appendages suddenly bursts open as Manuel roars out in a Rage-filled frenzy. The ahroun knocks down the humans for the count, as well as a fomor that gets gutted. There's not a time to waste, though, as in a sharp yipe and a wet crack, Cuda is knocked out of the circle of black, his muzzle crushed in and virtually useless. He knocks right into you, sending you off balance. Beth staggers out of the shadow sphere, unable to stand and flopping over, nearly crushing Duck in the process. Juanita howls in fury, ripping down the metal hill she stands on towards the metis.

Joseph lies where he remains, groaning for a moment before sitting up dazedly. The terror of Manuel's frenzy whirls around as the ahroun's claws finish the two fomor left straggling on him. Mace does her own job as she spots a sniper finally showing himself. Roaring in sheer battling goodness, the Get rips out a metal rod from the nearest pile and hurls it towards her mark.

Dancing-Fighter oofs, staggering back as she flails, trying to regain her balance. A low snarl tears itself from her muzzle even as she's pushing herself, forcing herself to get back up, and she does. ~Too close for comfort, huh?~ the Crinos taunts as she lashes out with her claws for Cuda, long, curved appendages seeking out his soft, tender flesh over and over again.

To note, Cuda looks fairly beat up with that flattened muzzle, and a few heavy clawings on him. But, he's very much alive and still dangerous. And, he has ears that are too long to be wolven anymore. Howling in pain as claws rend his flesh once more, the traitorous Crinos tears himself away from you, stumbling back. Bald ears flatten against his head and he chuckles lowly. ~Come and Get it, bitch,~ are the Dancer's spluttered growls, coming to the ready.

Dancing-Fighter snarls and spits in Cuda's direction, with no second invite needed. He deserves every bit of pain he's about to get. Lowering her head the Crinos charges towards Cuda, aiming her skull for his upper chest in a form of headbutting, minus the horns. She's trying to knock the wing out of him, or at least break something impirtant on him. ~I'm gonna rip you into chunks and serve you to the Wyrm!~

~Beth! Oh, Gaia.~ Juanita's black-furred form crumples to the knees, before she howls out. Mace closes in on you and Cuda, only to receive a shot of silver into her shoulder from the sniper she impales. The man tumbles with a cry to his death. Almost as quickly as Manuel had risen from the dead, so the ahroun tumbles down again. His claws rend the last attacker in two, at the wet slap of the fomor's tentacle sends the full moon into unconsciousness once more.

Cuda snarls with glee as you charge directly at him, waiting for the right moment. Speed powers his moves, as he dodges your attack with a jump to the side. All ten of his claws sink into the softness of your belly, wiggling uninvitedly before pulling out. A shove on your back sends you to the ground.

"AHWOOOOOOOOOO!" The howl bubbles up from the pit of her stomach and forces itself out of her mouth and into the night sky. One hand goes down to clutch the gaping wound in her stomach ad she teeters to the side, barely standing, but still refusing to go down. She conjures up what strength and what fury she has, growling like a wounded bear as she tries to figure her options. Running bad, leaves her back open. Staying just as bad, but she has no choice. Praying to Gaia and whatever spirits might be within earshot the cub swallows down her mounting fear and goes for the Dancer again, claws swiping for whatever part of him she can reach, all while she howls for help, hoping someone will hear her.

Claws out and laughing, Cuda greets your coming with open arms and open jaws. Just as he is about to launch himself at you, though, the whooping laugh is cut off. A huge arrowhead protrudes from one side of his neck, and the feathered end of the shaft on the other. Your claws strike true, ripping four gashes of Rage from the Spiral's shoulder and down into his gut. The feeling of intestines meets your fingers as they tear out of Cuda's body. He stares at you unbelievingly, claws raising up, but they clutch at the arrow buried in his neck. He topples sideways. The blood oozes out as Cuda's body makes its last shift into the homid form. The Dancer lies dead at your feet.

Mace stumbles forward as she finally manages to get to you. The Get moves just in case you fall, to catch you. Juanita stands there with bow held out in the classic end-form of longbow archers, a picture of Artemis' chosen huntress through and through. Beth, still in crinos, lies protectively over Duck, not moving at all. Joseph staggers slowly to his feet, but only to move to Manuel's prone form on the ground.

Dancing-Fighter manages a single step forward before collapsing, her form melting back to a bloodied and shaking Glabro, but even so she's smiling. "...wow. What a ride," the Ahroun coughs out as she lifts her head to gaze around the battlefield. "Hey....Beth? Manuel? Guys?" Grunting she attempts to stagger towards those not moving, but her body almost quits on her. All she can do is fall to her knees as her wounds try to mend themselves. "Are they a'ight?" The rush of battle fades from her system and is quickly replaced by worry, even a bit of fear, as she awaits to see what fate has decided for her friends.

In the end, thus is the picture of the battleground that the cub will have to get used to. Flesh, blood, bodies of tainted souls and Gaian lying in a sad contradiction to the pictures of life. Joseph slowly rises to his feet again, eyes looking to you. Then, things seem to freeze in place. From the shadows of a junk heap, a dog steps out. making her way over towards you. Her voice is quiet, calm, and rather hypnotizing when it reaches your ears... or rather, it is spoken in the way the spirits would speak. ~They call you Dancing-Fighter, don't they, Aiyana? I believe that. You were a cub. But through these tests, you have proven yourself to us.~ Us? Hundreds, thousands of beady red eyes start to glow from the junkyard heaps, the chittering starting off low and rising in pitch. ~In the face of all dangers, you charged towards the enemies like a true warrior. Like a true leader in times of War, you remembered to protect those who were too weak to defend themselves. Like a true Garou... you have slain the Wyrm, and raged against those that harm Gaia.~ The dog, you recognize as Song, looks you eye to eye. Everything else is frozen. Everyone, except you.

Aiyana spins around in a circle as the world she knows vanishes, replaced by the squeaking, the chittering of the ones her Tribe looks after. A respectful bow is given to the rats, then to the dog, as she kneels on the ground. Her gaze, when it finally meets Song's, is steady and even, with just a hint of Rage flashing in the corners. "I just do my job as it is asked of me, Song-ryha. Nothing less, but sometimes more, whatever's required. I fought because I didn't want to see my friends die, even if it meant that happenin' to myself. That's what an Ahroun does. We protect, we guard, we fight."

~Never did you forget your place, and never did you run and desert your friends, your family, your cause.~ Song's voice gets a little louder, staying above the squeaks and sounds of rodents. ~You chose to fight. You chose to be a true protector. Gaia's Own. A Guardian Warrior. Remember... Remember. Remember that you have proven yourself, and you will strike fear into the hearts of those who dare harm the ones you care for, and the home you care for. Now wake up...~ The words of the wolfdog fade softly. ~She-Who-Strikes-Without-Fear...~ The world once again slips into darkness under the horde of rats that chitter in harmonic symphony. Even then, the squeaks and sounds fade into the quiet feel of the city. As your eyes open, the familiar setting of the church basement, lit by the dancing candlelight, greets you. Yi, sitting by the wall, stands and walks over to peer down over you. "How do you feel, cub?"

You paged Aiyana with 'Additionally, when you wake, there aren't any injuries to your person. But, you'll feel a slight soreness all over yourself, and particularly in your midsection. :)'.

Aiyana opens her mouth to say something, but reality comes crashing down upon her like a wave and the best she can do is gasp for air. Sitting upright, her eyes are glazed over for a few seconds until her brain clears, and she shakes her head at Yi with a grin. "No...cub," the Ahroun coughs before clearing her throat. "Not a cub, sis. Not anymore. I'm now She-Who-Strikes-Without-Fear, A -Cliath- of the Bone Gnawers." As she speaks she's getting to her feet, reaching out for something to support her weight on, while checking her body to see if she's going to regret moving. Nothing. "Not surprisin'."

Yi's arched brow melds back into place as the Gnawer ragabash grins. A wholehearted, genuine smile that hasn't been seen on her features for a long time plasters itself all over her face. She helps you up, but only to draw you into a hug. "She-Who-Strikes-Without-Fear... welcome to the Family. Yuf. Come. We will howl in celebration tonight." The new-moon remains grinning, thus leading you out of the basement and back into the church proper.