Stray Returning

1/17/2004

11:30 AM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Currently the moon is in the waning Crescent Moon phase (31% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is clear outside. The temperature is 42 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the northeast at 9 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.03 and rising, and the relative humidity is 43 percent. The dewpoint is 21 degrees Fahrenheit (-6 degrees Celsius.)

Zoo - Cafeteria(#3222RJ)
This was a cafeteria once upon a time, complete with running water and a microwave. Now, the only thing left in the room is the countertops and openfaced cabinets, the remainder having been stolen long ago. The available shelf space has been partially filled with non-perishable food items and certain food-products where you don't want to look all that closely at the expiration date. A plastic four gallon container has been placed on one of the counters and is periodically filled with drinkable, if not entirely fresh, water. A metal drum sits near one of the room's window, providing light and a cooking fire when put to use. Scattered around the room are several old couches and chairs. A menagerie of colors, styles, and conditions. From the bright orange and pea green of the sixties, to the colored floral patterns of the eighties.
In the very center of the large room, a monument has been built out of blood stained wood, soot covered bricks, a single sign written out in red spray paint. The monument stands just over four feet high and the sign defiantly states: NEVER AGAIN.
Contents:
Renee
Obvious exits:
Out  

[look Renee (homid)]
Renee stands at a height of 5'4 inches tall and is probably somewhere in her early to late teens. The young woman's hair is mid shoulder length and the brown strands are tied back in a simple braid. The Gnawer's eyes are a deep chocolate brown and underlined by dark circles. The young woman seems to have lost some weight recently and is thin to the point of sickliness. Fine white scars decorate Renee's gaunt face, near-invisible testimony to a difficult and violent existence. Something about the woman is oddly disturbing, despite her nervous and perpetually submissive behavior.
The Gnawer's lean figure is clothed in a plain red long-sleeved shirt; the cuffs are far enough back to expose the edges of white bandages. Blue denim jeans partially cover a formidable pair of black, scuffed, steel-toed boots.

[look Yi (homid)]
Hidden under the Cantonese heritage and careful masks of calm is the cunning danger of the wolf within, peeking out in Yi's manner of observing her surroundings in a discreetly alert manner. Though petite at about 5'4" with a slim, boyish figure, she hardly gives off the impression of a helpless, fragile woman. Her straight, long black hair streaks with highlights, adding just a bit of color to enhance her dark eyes and give her the classic Asian girl appearance that would blend her into the crowds. Her outward style of clothing is designed to match that feeling of subtlety with a charcoal black military peacoat covering a deep red crew tee and jeans fitting comfortably to her figure. Rugged black boots balance out the accessories with her silver-buckled leather belt and thin neck chain. One who pays attention to her might notice the thin scars upon neck, forehead and her limbs which make her look as if she had gone through some rough times before. (+detail Yi's Scars) Aside from that though, she moves with a fluid grace and speaks with a mixed, distinct accent of one whose native language clearly is not English but good enough to be considered fairly fluent.

Renee is seated on an old and sagging arm chair, a brush held in her right hand as she studiously works on the knots in her hair. Eyes closed, the Gnawer isn't paying any real attention to the outside world.

Nearly a month has passed by, with barely a word heard along the wind from the Gnawer ragabash. Since Salem's ultimate 'disowning' of her, Yi took to a different way of reacting. Though there weren't words, there was scent, and the strays of St. Claire had found amongst themselves a red furred stranger for awhile. Today, however, she has returned, both to her homid form, and to her tribe's sanctuary. Tentatively now, she makes her presence known to anyone within the cafeteria with an announcing cough. "Anyone here?"

Renee eyes crack open and she slowly looks toward the sound of the voice. "I am," she rasps, dryly.

Yi sweeps her own hair back behind an ear, stepping towards the arm chair. The atmosphere grows tense about her as she makes to approach her pack and tribal alpha. "Renee," she acknowledges, slipping into the other's view. "I-- I'm back." This said with a heavy bow of her head to the galliard, seeking apology, the ragabash flickers her eyes up to look at her.

Renee looks down at Yi and seems to have trouble focusing for a moment, before reconizing her packmate. "Hello Yi," she says quietly. "There is some food, if you're hungry."

Yi doesn't respond to the offer except with a short grunt. Not hungry for food, says the grunt in its concise form. "Will you speak with me?" The ragabash looks over the galliard, noticing the unfocused feeling about her. Particularly, the moment of unrecognition. Her brow furrows. "There are things... that must be said."

Renee sighs heavily. "You're not going to pester me the way Alicia did, are you? Kept demanding I talk to her, then got upset when I couldn't figure out what she wanted me to talk about." The Galliard shakes her head. "What do you want to talk about?"

Yi shakes her head at this. "There are times when running away will save your life. This, though, is something that keeps coming back. Like fleas." Reflexively she scratches at her neck, though she does look clean and without parasite. "But, I simply want to know what you plan to do now." The marvel that her voice has returned to normal still doesn't escape her, as she speaks slowly enough to hear her words to their full extent.

Renee goes back to brushing her hair, which is rather greasy and obviously hasn't been washed in some time. "Don't know really. And, I'm sorry."

"If you don't know, then we all don't." It is a matter-of-factly statement, though there is the undertone of worry slipped into the reply. Yi tilts her head slightly, still watching Renee. "And what of Squeaker? What will become of her?"

Renee shrugs and uses her fingers to work on a particularly stubborn knot. "She is fine. Craig does well with her, even if he does get all scratched up."

Yi nods at this, but paces back and forth, showing discomfort. "And our pack?"

"I screwed up Yi," Renee murmurs. "Megan-Rhya said I wasn't good enough to be a leader and she is right. I'm not. What kind of Alpha attackes her own packmate and locks her up, then can't do anything to help her. What kind of Alpha gets her entire pack into trouble, instead of protecting them. What kind of Elder, shames her entire Tribe."

Yi thinks on this for awhile. Her pacing slows as she draws herself up to stand a little straighter, and then answers quietly, "The kind that is also... partly human." She says it in seriousness, gazing straight towards Renee like there isn't anymore reason for her to be angry.

Renee sighs and closes her eyes, sinking back into her chair. "I'm sorry for locking you up Yi," she finally murmurs. "That I couldn't make Salem give you something else to do."

Yi lowers her eyes at mention of Salem, though only briefly. Drawing in a breath, she steps a pace closer to the galliard and bends down to an ankle-touching squat. Now it is her eyes looking up at the tired alpha. "You did it because you felt need to. I thank you for it, because it saved me once again, from myself. From my memories." The ragabash softens in tone, matching the murmur. "As for Salem... he made his decision. You can say, he -did- give me something else to do, because he has passed me on to Rina. But my concern is this... that you too, are stuck treading in the waters of the past."

Renee frowns faintly. "No, he didn't. He didn't come here because of me. I don't know why he came here, but it wasn't because of me."

Yi looks off towards the door. "The important thing is, we are still alive. We still have another chance." It is a statement said with a faint tinge of something hopeful. She then quickly stands up, brushing off minute bits of dirt from her clothes. "Renee, if there is one thing I learned from this past month... it is that change is life. There is no room for past troubles when one is surviving on the streets." She glances back to the galliard, wondering if perhaps what she says makes any sense to anyone else.

Renee grunts softly and just continues brushing her hair. "Thought about doing that."

Yi nods slowly. "Things look very different, when one is no higher off the dirty ground than a dog's leg away." She looks at the ground, from way up 'high' as a human. "It has been awhile, too, since we lost our kin at the church."

Renee flinches at the mention of the church. "Was going to do something about that," the Galliard mutters. "Should have never let it happen in the first place."

"And I visited the old junkyard," Yi states plainly, hearing the other's muttered words. "Now, all trails are cold, but..." Her eyes drift to the sign, painted with the red words. The silence does the talking, before Yi interrupts her own thoughts. "Either way, I feel that change is needed. We were lost. Now we need direction again."

Renee sighs softly. "Are you going to give us that direction, Yi? You could, you know."

Yi glances up searchingly. "Does a fool take the king's throne to rule? No. But the fool does point out the holes in the king's armor." Her eyes comes back down, leveling off. "But..." she drifts as her mind works at a faster pace than her words. "I think if we hold a moot of our own, we can find that direction, king or no king."

Renee mmms. "I guess. I don't know what we'd talk about."

Yi says, "Everything. Anything. What do people in family reunions talk about? Gossip." She starts pacing again, the idea buzzing in her mind before she turns to Renee again. "How long was it since we last gathered together? To exchange news, jokes, talk? Too long. Do you not miss those days when we could just come into our safe haven, and finally relax?"

Renee sets aside her brush. "Not since I called the last one, when I introduced Craig to the Tribe. A long time ago."

Yi gestures as if to say, 'You see?' The thought of another moot seems rooted to her mind. "Then I think it is time for another. Something must be done about our family. Our pack."

Renee sighs again. "What would you have me do?"

"Call the moot," Yi suggests firmly. "We can meet here, and get to work on what needs to be done, and what we don't know needs to be done."

Renee rubs at her face. "I'm tired Yi and I feel empty inside. Craig can do it. He'd make a good leader, if no-one elese wants the job."

Yi's momentary enthusiasm is just that. The brief light of motivated fire dies down as she turns her gaze back to Renee, instead shifting into a more sympathetic, understanding expression. "Craig? Or even Olga, perhaps. Na, right now is not the time to decide that." She approaches the galliard in the chair and holds out a hand, offering her half of a handshake. "If you are hungry, then eat. If you are thirsty, then drink. If you are tired, then rest. Life is too simple to be complicated."

Renee takes the offered hand and gives it a squeeze, then lets go. "Not hungry, but thanks."

Yi shakes a little more firmly than she remembers ever doing so. The other hand, coming up to hold Renee's in hers, touches with a friendly gesture. "No matter what happens, Renee, we are still family." Her eyes gaze towards the galliard's steadily, with a light that had been absent in the times before.

Renee smiles, actually smiles. Even if the expression is a little weak and tired. "Yes, I know. I thought that you might have forgotten that."

Yi echoes the smile, the expression accompanied with a no-moon's twist. Then, with a dip of her head, she lets go and turns to exit the cafeteria to head back to the streets.

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