The Strange Sickness

01/18/2005
11:24 AM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 56 degrees Fahrenheit (13 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the south at 12 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.16 and rising, and the relative humidity is 93 percent. The dewpoint is 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius.)
Currently the moon is in the waxing Half Moon phase (54% full).
It is currently 11:05 Pacific Time on Tue Jan 18 2005.

Jermantown Avenue, Industrial Sector
From warehouses a few blocks away from the river, across a chunk of city more than a dozen blocks wide, factories brood over the streets like dark dragons over their piles of treasure, greedy and all-encompassing. Huddling around the factories are smaller, less imposing buildings that are probably warehouses, or storage locations for trucks. The factories spill fumes into the air, darkening the area and blanketing it in a stench to mark humankind's domination over the world. Some of the warehouses stand empty, some are boarded over, and some, on the northern and western fringes of the area, have been converted to bars, with bizarre lighting, frequent brawls, and music that blares loudly at all hours of the night. There are no residences here for anyone to complain, and the factory workers populate the bars thickly. Throughout the area, trash and oil mingle together on alleyway streets, impeding the paths to the dumpsters at the ends of many of the alleys.
Contents:
Joey
Obvious exits:
Odeon Theatre  Filthy Alley  East  West  

This's the Odeon Theatre, it says so up on the marquee, which hangs tattered and precarious over a faded and graffitied image of a young naked woman with her breasts and pelvis blocked off with black. Within the ticket-taking bubble that juts out into the sidewalk is a female mannequin with all her fingers broken off and crude anatomical graffiti to identify the naughtier bits. Two once-glass doors, now covered with plywood, lead in. Broken glass, from the shattered windows, from beer bottles, from other unidentified objects, clutters up the corners, along with the other debris of city life.

Joey is on her way home amid the rain. Her hands are in her pockets, and her head is low as she walks towards the Odeon. Puffy eyes and a red nose are rubbed at every now or then as she walks along. She's soaked to the bone, but doesn't seem to be overly affected by that at least, of course, the temperatures are a bit warmer today as well.

Standing outside the Odeon, Yi's leaning against one plywood wall doing a very questionable act: smoking. The lit orange front pulls back a couple of millimeters as she takes a puff, watching the rain, but upon seeing Joey coming up, the elder ragabash snubs the end of the stick against a wet spot on the wood.

Joey isn't paying attention to anything around her today, which is likely not the wisest choice of actions considering her recent efforts to unscoop any info on the Gang showdown. It is only when she gets closre to the building she calls home, that she stops to look up at the person filling the shoes. A hand wipes at the rain (or tears) that coats her face. "Oh, hey Yi." A big sniffle rumbles through her nose.
The mail has been sent.

Yi hms at her fellow ragabash, noting her appearance and general sniffle. "Good morning," she greets calmly, before sniffing once herself and pushing off from the board. "You know, if you need an umbrella you could ask..." Her eye travels up and down the soaked girl. "Come, let's go inside and warm up."

Joey shrugs a shoulder, "Didn't know it was gonna rain so much- and once yer soaked, it don't much matter anyway." She gives a nod to the going inside part though, and looks around quickly to make sure no one is paying much attention, then slips inside.

Stepping inside behind Joey, Yi takes off the baseball cap over her head and shakes off the bit of damp that still resides on the rim. Her jacket, too, comes off like a shell being shed and she pushes up the long white sleeves of her shirt. "I don't think the rain was filled with salt this morning," she mentions, slipping her gaze upon the other ragabash. Inside, a leftover box of pizza long gone cold resides upon a battered counter - likely from last night.

Joey slips off her coat and hangs it up over the turnstyle, leaving her in just a pair of wet jeans and a baby-tee that is now far too tight and revealing for such an innocent girl. She looks up at the other with some confusion in her gaze, "Huh?" The pizza box is spotted, but bypassed, as she goes to find her satchel and whip out some dry clothes.

Yi shakes off her jacket. "In other words, is these something bothering you?"

Joey shakes her head in a horrible attempt at a bold faced lie. She squats down and rummages through her bag, pulling out a pink shirt with a yellow daisy on it, and a pair of ragged baby blue sweatpants. Modesty not being something she has a problem with, she gets to changing right there where she sits. After a moment of thought she adds back with a calm retort, "Didn't think the rain gave off smoke either."

Yi quirks a grin, but shrugs off the jab. "I used to smoke a lot. Uncle forced me off of it, but..." She walks over, an ever so slight limp in her right leg, closer to her tribesister. "But some times, the pain is just too great. Crying is cheaper." Her dark brown gaze sweeps from the bag to the sweatpants.

Joey sets her other clothes out to dry, smoothing them out a bit. They're clean, sort of, and whole. A shopping gift from Alicia, and the outfit she uses to go out and act normal in. "Does smoking even hurt us? I mean, will it hurt the baby?" She sniffs again, pushing the moisture off her hair.

Yi's mild grin fades off so quickly, one could almost hear a magical poof sound effect. She turns and starts walking off towards the nearest seat, easing into it. "Smoking always hurts some one," she notes afterwards with her hand resting lightly on her lower stomach. "But, this one will hurt no more."

Joey looks up then, eyes narrowing at her tribe mate, "What do you mean Yi?" she asks now, her tone full of concern for the other over her own concerns.

Yi sighs, tilting her head back and turning so she can look at Joey. "You know what I mean. The baby is no more." Her gaze breaks off again, and the hand on her stomach slides into a pocket of her jeans.

Joey blinks at the news, lowering her head, "God Yi, I'm s-sorry, I shouldn't have said anything..." she sighs heavily, shaking her head as she scratches at a spot on the pair of wet jeans.

Yi sits up some more, shaking her head. "No, it is fine," she replies with a glance back. "I noticed, only a couple days ago myself. It is my fault, you know? I did not take care of him... her... well enough. And besides... I guess I am better off without the burden. My life is too crazy to have one. But you are sad too. What is bothering you, Joey?"

Joey is crying as Yi relates the news to her, one shoulder shrugging upwards. "It seems stupid compared to what you have going on. I don't want to cry over it, I'll get used to it." She sniffs again, "I just, I sorta am figuring out I lost something too I guess."

Yi winces as she forces herself up off the seat, walking over to first place a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey. Nothing is stupid when it comes to what goes on in our heart." She leans, looking to match gazes. "I... haven't told anyone yet myself," she adds, her own throat swelling slightly. "But now, all I can do is make sure those who I do have, are not unhappy."

Joey looks up then, eyes still teared up. "It's Di-" she pauses, "It's dumb though. I'm horrible at being Garou, and it's not getting any better. I cry over the stupidest shit, and I'm just bad at everything." Her eyes tip down again, "And you got stuff way worse to deal with than me, so I don't wanna bother you with my stupid issues."

Yi breathes out softly, her eyes a little red herself but probably from tiredness. "That isn't true," she comforts, drawing the girl into a small, but warm hug. "You passed your Rite. That is proof enough you are Garou. As for 'being Garou', no one can say what that is."

Joey easily accepts the hug, retaining her title as the most cuddly Garou ever. She whispers softly then, "I lost someone I cared about Yi, someone who really cared about me too- all because I'm not a good enough Garou. And it hurts. It really hurts, and I feel like an idiot about the whole thing. And and I wish I could change, but I don't think I can."

Yi keeps the hug on, but a frown and a narrowing of her eyes unseen tells silently of her opinion there. "Who was it?" she asks, keeping her voice a calm level and quieted tone. "Was it those boys from that pack?" It's here she lets go, but keeping her hands on the arms of the younger ragabash, looks into her eyes searchingly.

Joey shrugs, unable to meet that gaze which seeks her eyes out. "Not all of them. Just one, h-he was my best friend, and he hates me now." She swallows hard as another trail of tears drips from her cheek.

"So that leaves two out of the three," Yi calculates, "And one of them is another Shadow Lord. Which leaves..." She lets go fully here, turning and slipping her sleeves back down to cover her wrists. "He said you weren't good enough?" she asks again, this time not disguising the slow swell of anger coloring her question.

The lobby doors flip floppily open, shoved back by a heavy fist, bouncing on their hinges and coming back to hit Olga in return as she clumsily enters. She sends her bag tumbling away, heaving it towards a wall, and hunches up her shoulders around herself at the bone-biting chill the walls do little to keep out. She doesn't stop when she sees the two Ragabash, the bright blue darkness of the room concealing the seriousness of their expressions. "Hey Jo," she calls out to them. "Hey Yi."

Joey gives a nod to Yi, "Yah kinda. He said he gave me a chance and I turned away from it... that he only had so much to give me, that all that believing in me didn't work out, and that he has a pack and a reputation now... and he can't," she stops again, "He just can't be my friend like he used to I guess." The disruptive din of one Grand Duchess breaks the conversation and Joey hurries to sniff up her tears and wipe an arm over her nose. "Hey Olga." Quiet and mousey.

About to curse out in her native tongue, Yi cuts off with the sudden entrance of the Gnawer theurge. "Hello Olga," she greets quickly, but tensely. The rankled ragabash, though, looks back to Joey. "Bloody Get. All they can understand is fighting and fighting and more fighting."

"Yeah I know," Olga agrees automatically, looking between the two without too much curiosity, but with a definite sympathy. "Stupid fuckin' hairy-bagged neanderthals." She doesn't ask for explanation, but she does abandon whatever project she was about to take up, walking over to them, her step slowing when she sees the redness on Joey's face. Still she doesn't ask, she just tucks her chilled hands in her dirty pockets and waits.

Joey bites at her lip a moment, nodding to Yi before she glances up to Olga. "Ran into Dillen today, he's done with me." She shrugs, "I'm not worth his time anymore, and.." she sighs, "Well screw him anyway. He's just a dumb boy." Though the words are tough, the evident betrayal she tries to fight against is obvious.

"We'll see who is done when he is dead," Yi spits out, making her way around the theurge towards her shed jacket and baseball cap.

Olga glances back at Yi as she goes, lips clenching tight at her statement, and then she looks back at Jo, not advancing any and not drawing back. "Seriously, Jo," Olga says firmly, voice level, "kid was never your friend, not really. He never had any idea who the fuck you were. Never."

Joey hurries up to her feet then, looking to try and hault the other. "Yi! No! Don't.." she stutters after the other, reaching out to grab at her arm. "Just let it go, please?" she pleads with her, "Just forget about it, I'll get over it, and him. Olga's right, he was never my friend, i's my fault for thinking different. Don't hurt him, please."

Yi slows at putting on her jacket, hampered by the other ragabash's hand. She looks over, first to Joey, then to Olga, then back. "Friend or not... He is a hypocrite. What kind of Garou invites another to a pack, and then rejects her because she declines? That is utter bull-shit."

Olga confirms Yi's statement with a hollow "Yep," but then she qualifies it after a second or two with an equally hollow, "but nothin' to be done about it, 'cept to mark the kid in our bad books." She moves after Joey, watching the girl carefully, coming up behind her until she towers benignly over. "You guys heard 'bout Bree's pups? Raul's I mean, but Bree was lookin' after 'em," she asks, voice heavy as she tries to sluggishly change topic.

Joey shakes her head, her face pale. "Just let it go Yi. I don't wanna start a war with them, or the ShadowLords. He's got reason to be mad I guess.. it'll blow over." Suddenly the young Ragabash is the one doing the soapboxing. She is thankful too when Olga changes the subject, turning back to look at the other, nodding. "Yah I think that's bullshit. No way they'd do what she said they did."

Yi sucks in a long, deep breath, closes her eyes and works on letting it go. She's somewhat successful, and recognizes the change of topic. "I heard, but did not hear any details. Tobin had already performed a Rite of Cleansing, before Megan could go investigate." The lack of formal titles serves as indication for the Asian Gnawer's remaining tension. "And the one left?"

"Still up there," Olga answers Yi's question slowly, noting the tone like she's cautious of it, like she's trying to make sure her own words skirt around it. "We'll bring 'er back to us, but now's not the time for it. Bree said the thing was like a sickness, I don' want it spreading to our dogs. I want the pup checked out first, thorough. And I want to find out what the fuck did this, 'nd that means I want you two." She doesn't answer Joey's question, but she raises her hand to the girl's shoulder, giving it a strong, hard squeeze, either in sympathy, or in reassurance. "If this thing plays on y'r Rage, you two're the ones we gotta put in point."

Joey narrows her gaze, shaking her head, "I don't understand Olga. What sickness, what's wrong with the last pup? And how would it play on our rage? And..." she mumbles out a quick list of uncertainties.

Yi takes a little bit to parse the elder Gnawer's words. "So, should we go up there and ask Aubrey about what happened again? Though, from what I heard, we are waiting for it to happen again. Megan says she wants to investigate it herself, when it does." Not using the conditional 'if', Yi flips the cap back onto her head and tugs it down, glancing sidelong to Joey. "I think we ourselves another assignment."

"That's awful nice of Megan to offer us her help like that," Olga says, voice tense, almost snappy. She rubs at her cheek and answers Joey's question first, to let her anger die down a little. "I don' know what it is, Jo, that's why I want to dig around. But Bree said it was like a sickness, that she `caught` it. If the sickness's still in the dog I don' want it catching. And it plays on your rage 'cause it drives you mad, and rage doesn't exactly weigh in on the side of sanity." She yanks her hand down from her face, looking up at Yi, her voice still tense and run-through, but without the snideness of earlier. "I want to go up there ourselves and look around. Bree's nice and all but I don't got too much respect for her as an investigator. From what I heard she done shit all. I want us to sniff around."

Joey ohs then at this, nodding her head. "None of the others are sick though, right? Badger is fine. He's not acted funny at all." She looks to Yi then, her mind clearing from the Dillen-thing to focus on the well being of the puppies. "So we're heading over there to look after the pup?"

Yi could be seen grinding her teeth with the tension she feels from Olga's words. "Our kin, after all," she agrees without touching upon the subject of Megan. She takes a step off to one side, but stiffens up as she tests her leg, this time really muttering a Canton-curse. "If we do not find anything though," she continues with a couple of quick breaths, "I think we should check on the other side of the mirror, just in case."

"We'll see where our noses lead us," Olga answers more easily now, drawing away from Joey's back a half-step. "If they lead us there that's where we'll go," she further answers Yi with a nod of her head, before looking away, off at the theatre, like she could see through to the one waiting on the other side, listening and straining, "but I'd want to wait a week anyway." The Theurge pulls away from them both now, moving over to one of the sticky walls and leaning her back against it, just beneath a blurry picture of a pair of half-naked people with a provocative but bizarre title. She glances at Joey, bobbing her head and then shaking it in mute answer to the girl's quiet questions. "Oh, and if either of y' see Raul anywhere," she says, her voice sluggish and frustrated, her eyes turned up, "tell him not to be such a damned puppyfucker. It's causing headaches."

Joey gives a faint nod. "Yah alright." She looks between the two of them then, pausing for another moment. "I'm glad I'm a Gnawer guys, you two, you mean everything to me ya know? I'm gonna toughen up and not be such a pain for you guys."

Yi on the verge of saying something about Raul, breaks off with Joey's claim to get better. "Ah. Well in exchange, my New Year resolution will be..." She trails, licking her bottom lip with a thought, "To better my English reading skills. Sound good?"

"For my New Year's resolution I promise if I ever fuck a dog, I'm gonna find a way to get it to wear a God damn condom," Olga says with a dirty snort, scratching at her neck. She glances up at the pair quickly, heavily, though once she's watched them for a second or two she snorts again and a smile breaks buckling out across her face. "Your English is fine, Yi," she says to the older Ragabash. "'S cute. `Different.` And you're not a pain, Jo. You're a nuisance, there's a difference." The ribbing, meant as a joke, is followed by another smirking grin, and a stretching out, tucking her hands in behind her head.

Joey rolls her eyes, "Oh well that's a relief Olga. Thanks." She takes in a deep breath and after a moment, moves to hug Yi. It's a big, sincere hug, with a whispered 'Thank you Yi.' Yet is careful not to squeeze too hard also. "I think I feel better now, I mean, still sucks, but I feel like I got things off my chest."

Yi gives Olga a brief tongue-tip raspberry, like she doesn't believe the compliment paid her to be true. "You tell that to Jeremy. He throws a fit every time I go to visit him and have to ask him what this means, what that means, and why should anyone want green eggs and ham." She would say more, but is hugged without warning. And this she returns warmly, before patting the other raggie on the head and wiping off some of her still damp hair. "Thank /you/, Joey. I think without you two, Benny and Simon, this tribe would be very lonely."

Olga's lips quirk out and she says, more quietly than she'd spoken before, rougher too, "Yeah, Tribe's not exactly bursting at the seams right now. But, we get on, I guess. How you guys been, anyway?" The Theurge looks up suddenly, her question hard, heavy yet almost uncertain.

Joey chuckles a little. "Was talking with one of the boys down at the park today, I think I got him hooked, but his friend is giving me trouble, thinking I'm too nosy. That's where I ran into Dillen. Jake said he'd catch up with me, so we'll see." She shrugs a bit, "Nothing important to pass on yet."

Yi looks sideways to Joey for a moment, before ducking her eyes underneath the faded black rim of her cap and shrugging. "Same. One year older, and realized again that I am definitely not an ahroun." She tips her head to indicate her leg. "And... it doesn't seem like there will be any baby showers for this tribe any time soon." At this last bit, she swallows a growing lump and attempts a smile, managing just barely.

Olga gives Joey a congratulatory kick, more of a tap really, combined with a broken, twisted grin. Yi's first statement is met with that same grin: "Thank God f'r that," she says dismissively. "Ahrouns. You're way too good natured to be one of those anyway." But the jesting manner dies down and away at the last thing Yi says, her smile buckling under, unable to match Yi's, unable to fake it. She scuffles her feet a second, kicks a toe at a tuft of carpet, and then says quietly, Jesus. I'm sorry Yi."

Joey looks to the other Ragabash with sympathetic eyes, her mind whirling behind that gaze. She glances down again and flips over the wet set of clothing that she has laying out to dry. "We should go see a movie or something. Or go get some mexican food someplace."

Yi shakes her head again, lifting her shoulders up with a shrug. "I thought it would be better for you two to be the first to know. The pack, well, they can find out after. After all... the Wyrm waits on no pregnant mothers. And we... have enough little ones as is. But a movie sounds good. That one of Phantom of the Opera, I saw on the television, looks very pretty." After carefully placing the smiley mask on, she nudges Joey. "Who is Jake?" The question almost takes on a motherly, investigating tone.

"Who _is_ Jake?" Olga asks Joey as well, tone matching, though it's not quite pulled out of the drudging sadness Yi's announcement brought on. She's willing to change the topic, though, if Yi is, and she doesn't seem to mind if it's at the younger Ragabash' expense, either, and she watches Joey with unsympathetic interest.

Joey gives a little scowl, "Jake is business. That's all. He ain't my type and he ain't kin, and I wouldn't trust his pecker further than I could throw it. He's in with the Bridge Street guys, a little, and so I am just ya know, getting friendly enough to see if he drops his guard and spills some info."

Yi ahs and figuratively steps back. "I haven't heard very much from my sources, except that most of the other groups are not taking the rumors of werewolves seriously. The Brothers are losing ground though."

Olga bobs her head, seeming less interested now that it's merely business. "Good, Jo," she says though, encouragingly. "Good." She looks at the theatre door, expression getting a little distant, and then the big Theurge lumbers up to her feet, unsteadily, one hand against the wall. "Tha's good, too, Yi. Could've blown up on us, but looks like things're tighter in hand now, eh?"

Joey wiggles her nose to try itching it without rubbing it as she is apt to do. "How soon ya think it'll happen? I mean that they go in and finish cleaning up?" She leans back on her hands then, looking between the two. "His buddy is real nervous, Jakes. Some of 'em seem real jumpy, some of 'em are sorta just thinking this is silliness."

Yi is tempted to run her hand through her hair, but ends up hitting cap. She just puts her fingers on the cap and taps. "That is normal, but it could be a calm. Most every city Garou is on the look out just in case, though. Maybe they will take care of each other, maybe things will smooth over. Who knows?"

"Luna knows," Olga says cryptically. "But she ain't telling." The Theurge pushes off the wall with a twist of her shoulders, steadying herself and then nodding her head towards the theatre, the rest of her starting that way a second after. "How's the kid been?" she asks curiously, as she goes to check in on her.

Joey shrugs, "I just got in Olga, sorry." She leans back then, flopping down to lie on her back. "I can go play with her for a while if ya want. I haven't spent enough time with her lately, I feel bad."

Yi tightens her lips a bit, and then leans on her left. "She was sleeping, the last I had checked. I thought to give Benny a short lunch break," the ragabash starts to say.

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