Walmartian Wallow

4/15/2005

06:28 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.

Currently the moon is in the waxing Half Moon phase (45% full).
Currently in Saint Claire, it is raining lightly. The temperature is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the north at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.03 and falling, and the relative humidity is 90 percent. The dewpoint is 46 degrees Fahrenheit (7 degrees Celsius.)
It is currently 18:05 Pacific Time on Fri Apr 15 2005.

Farmhouse: Hallway and Living Room
All doorways in the front part of the house lead to the front hallway, a J-shaped area with the short tail starting at the stairs, the front door hitting the bottom curve, the doorless opening to the living room halfway up the long side, and the also doorless opening to the kitchen and dining room at the very top. The hall has a simple wooden floor, and decorated with a generic print of soft-colored flowers hanging on the wall to the right of the front door, and a tall table sitting under the print which serves as a place to toss keys. A closet under the stairs serves as a place to hang coats or to toss shoes.
The doorless opening to the living room is halfway up the side of the hall's J, and the word cozy might spring to mind when looking into is, as it seems to radiate comforting vibrations. A long couch sits against the south wall beneath a large bay window curtained only by sheers that manages to obscure the view in but only filters the day's light. A variety of out-of-date magazines are strewn atop a low coffee table; more neatly presented are the plethora of books filling the small bookshelves which line the eastern wall. Three chairs sit about the room, focused inward, to allow group conversations. Large floor pillows are stacked in one corner of the room, except one, which lies carelessly in the middle of the floor, apparently left out the last time it was used.
An opening in the northern end of the hallway allows access to the kitchen and dining room at the back of the house, while carpeted stairs twist up at the other end of the hall, leading to the second floor. A door at the base of the J lets out to the front porch.
(Non-Garou, please "+view curse")
Contents:
Hope
NOTE: Current Farmhouse Residents (Updated: Mar 29)
Obvious exits:
Kitchen/Dining Room  Front Door  STairs  

Hope is wearing a oversized sweatshirt and little else, unless ther are shorts hiding under that shirt. Her face is a bit pale and she is favouring one shoulder. She is making her way toward the kitchen, eyes on the ground.

The front door opens and closes after sounding a few creaks from the porch outside, admitting one Gnawer ragabash. The no-moon is wet, having come in from the light rain outside. Her bandanna is swept off, hoodie pushed back, and she glances around before calling out. "Anyone home?"

Hope doesn't answer, but she straightens up a touch and glances over her shoulder. If looks could kill...

... Yi would still be alive, because she has that sort of duck's-back oil surrounding her at the moment. The ragabash regards the young half-cyborg girl standing midway between hallway and kitchen. "Good afternoon Hope," she greets her anyway.

Hope grunts and continues toward the kitchen, where she opens up the freezer and pulls out a popcicle. She tears open the plastic wraper and returns with the treat. Carefully, she sits down on the couch with a grunt and her left shoulder seems to be bothering her.

Yi doesn't impede the young girl in anyway, having moved to one side of the living room and seated herself not too far from the couch. She seems to idle there, like a car stuck in park with the engine still running. Then, she asks the girl, "What's wrong with your shoulder?"

Basil walks down from upstairs without a shirt, not seeming to be in the best of moods and looking a little tired. He doesn't even notice the others yet as he heads into the kitchen, opening the fridge for a bottle of water and slamming the door shut. He leans against the ice box, chugging it down.

Hope puts the popcicle in her mouth and just glares at the newly arrived Basil. "His fault," she mutters.

"Basil?" Yi's call to the other cub sounds out, as she does in fact notice him coming down. Her brow furrows as she senses the tension in the air. She makes no further comment to Hope's accusation yet.

The sounds of crunching plastic emanate from the kitchen as the cub crunches the bottle up. His shoulders squared he walks back out into the living room looking more Ahroun like then Yi's ever seen before, his face expressionless save for a dour touch here and there. He walks right up to the girl and looks her right in the eyes, his voice hard. "You ran. Someone could have seen you. Don't you ever blame me again, mutt."

Hope snorts. "Monsters," she hisses, then put the popcicle back into her mouth.

Yi frowns, and stands up from her seat to move and place a hand on the ahroun's shoulder. "That's Enough, Basil," the ragabash says sharply in rebuke and command. Hope though, isn't spared a hard glance as well. "We are Garou. Not /mutts/. I will not tolerate namecalling of that sort, so please act like you're older and know better than to say such things." Should her hand not be immediately brushed off, the ragabash drops it.

Basil grunts. "Your the one with metal coming out of your head, chrome dome. You see what they did to you, and you still think they were looking out for your best interest. And you thumb your nose as those that would fucking die to protect you." He glances back at Yi, then back at Hope, walking back into the kitchen. "If I was really a monster, I'd have just ripped your fucking throat out."

"Dr. Vissum was," Hope hisses, then closes her eyes and draws in a deep breath through her throat.

Yi certainly can hear all these things that are grumbled, and it's obvious she is displeased. "Basil, for the love of Gaia, your words only make this worse." She huffs out a frustrated sigh. "To think I was going to have it easy..." she utters to herself, rubbing at a temple with a couple of fingers while she mutters a few foreign words to herself. Letting the ahroun cub go cool off, she turns back upon Hope and stares at her long and unblinking. "Dr. Vissum is gone, Hope. Now your new life depends upon you. We, are trying to help you see yourself only. To learn more about yourself. But if you keep rejecting it, then what are you?"

Basil listens from the kitchen while nursing a soda, leaning on the wall near the archway, just out of sight.

"He is gone because you took him away," Hope growls softly. "You hurt him and then you took him away. I couldn't help him. I wanted too and you wouldn't let me, then you took him away." The small girl rubs at her eyes, which are a touch red.

Yi sighs quietly. "He couldn't stay with us forever, Hope. Some things cannot stay on this world the way they are," she notes. "Right now, you could only help yourself."

Hope actually bares her teeth at Yi in bitterness and Rage. "No, because you killed him."

Basil says "Yeah?" Pipes up Basil from behind cover. "And what are you going to do about it? You won't accept any training. Get any stronger. Or learn. You'll never be able to protect the ones you love."

Yi looks back over her shoulder towards Basil for a moment, but then turns back to the younger cub. "I brought no blade to his throat," she states evenly, the bitterness and Rage getting soaked in. "But at the same time, Hope, you did not help him not because you couldn't, but because you only sit here and snarl at us. Whining, grinding your teeth at us." She leans forward a touch, her posture reading confidence in a dominating status. "Now that all you have left to your old life is gone, Hope. What will you do?"

Air wheezes in though the girl's throat, as she glares at the coffee table. "You didn't stop the one who did it. You didn't try to help him, that makes you just as bad."

Basil comes from around the corner with his arms folded. "And you didn't either. You didn't have the strength or ability. If you think you are such a monster, why don't you just kill yourself? You are wasting my fucking air with this shit. Just sit here and wallow. It's so much easier to complain then it is to try, isn't it? Your just like the people that lived around me in the city. Never trying to get anywhere. Blaming all their problems on someone else. Do something!"

Yi straightens up, arms folding over her chest as she looks down at the metal-embedded cub, but her first words are to Basil. "Basil, I said That's Enough." She only gives a pause so that her words can penetrate the air. "Dr. Vissum's death was not my decision, and it was not in my power to stop it from happening. And right now it matters not. What matters now is you, Hope. What will you do?" She asks the question again.

Hope's fingers twitch. "I will do what I am supposed to do."

Basil takes a long swig of his soda and sits on the kitchen table, staring into the living room. "I feel like I need a drink or a smoke, and I don't even drink or smoke. This anger stuff is really getting on my nerves."

"The moon brightens," Yi says in explanation to Basil before she directs her words to Hope again. "And? What is it you are supposed to do?"

Basil says "I know, I know, I've been watching it ever since I learned about the whole 'Moon makes for pissy Garou' thing. I got into a fight earlier. Tell you about it later."

Hope drops the empty popcicle stick onto the coffee table and snorts softly. "Go away."

Yi inclines her head to the ahroun with a slight nod, but keeps her gaze on the other. "Oh you'll have to do better than that," she replies, that ragabash touch slipping into her tone.

Basil just watches from the kitchen, wondering what Yi meant by what she said. He doesn't interrupt the scarred woman again though, less he be cut good.

Hope stands and starts to walk away. "Not if it works." As she gets close to Yi, she glares at the Gnawer. "I never got to say goodbye, you know. The last time I saw him, he was terrified. More for me, then himself."

Yi faces down the cub, black eyes meeting hers without any fear or any hint of submitting. The glare might as well be towards a mirror. "You aren't the only one who has lost loved ones without being able to say goodbye," she states matter-of-factly.

Basil grunts from his position, keeping a wary eye on Hope, somehow amused that the woman that seemed to be defending her is now on edge with her.

Hope says "Were you forced to live with the ones that killed the people you cared about? Told that the people you loved were monsters?"

Yi gains a bit of a smile on her features that isn't one for pleasantry. "No, no I wasn't Hope. But in fact, /I/ killed the ones I cared about. It happened because I did not know what I was at the time, I was uncontrollable, and I didn't believe it myself either at first. No, I was not forced to live with others who killed my loved ones. I was forced to live with myself."

Basil feels the edge in his body grow dull, his anger replaced by sympathy for Yi. He doesn't way a word to her and merely remains a spectator. He can offer condolences later.

Hope's lips scrunch up, as if she has bitten into a lemon. "We have more in common then you think, then. Goodbye. With that, the girl makes her way toward the stairs."

Yi says nothing more, letting the girl climb the stairs in peace. The Gnawer looks after for a time, and then finally turns her gaze away towards the window beside the front door. The ragabash looses a sigh she had been holding, grinding her jaw a couple of times before noting on a softer tone to Basil, "Truth is never a pretty thing."

Basil stands up and walks over to Yi, giving her a light pat on the shoulder and offering a small smile. "Neither are we... And I'm sorry about your loved ones. And if I stepped out of line, I'm just... Not good today. And it's not going well, either."

Yi directs her gaze back to the cub, a hand coming up to brush her fingertips on his hand appreciatively. Then, she turns more fully to him. "I believe I promised you a trip to the city," she states after a moment, listening for any sounds from Hope upstairs.

Basil smiles a tired but genuine smile, the first he's done so since the evening before. "Yes, you did... Are we leaving now? Will it be a few days, or merely for tonight, Yi-Rhya?" The tension in his shoulders melts away and his voice smoothes out, seemingly back to his normal self.

Yi looks to the door, then back at the cub, gazing at his shirtlessness. "Perhaps you best get some temporary clothing from upstairs, before we go. The sun is beginning to set, and the rain has not stopped."

Basil looks down at his shirt, then lifts his fingers to splay out in front of him. "What? And deny the public my sexy beefcakeness? Alright, if you insist." He heads upstairs, grabbing another white t-shirt and heading back down before it's even on.

Yi lifts her brows only a moment before the cub's up and down the stairs, not really giving her a chance to say anything just yet. The ragabash shakes her head and a small smile touches on her face before she heads for the door right as Basil gets to the foot of the stairs once more. "I hope you are ready," she tells him. "The city is farther than you think."

Basil gives her a thumbs up and walks right to the door, taking up a position at her side. "Hey, I'm plenty ready. I just hope that the city is ready for me. My only regret is that I have no shoes... We'll fix that. Hopefully I won't shred'm. Shall we be on our way?"

Yi chuckles softly, but then bends down to take off her own shoes and socks. Tying the laces together, she slings the footwear with the socks balled in the foot openings over her shoulder. "If the cub can run citywards without shoes, then the cliath will show she can do it as well. Come." And off they go, headed for the outskirts of St. Claire.

Apt. 15(#2604RAJLh)
The apartment is muted in color, sporting cool blue Christmas lights that blink against the walls occassionally. Most of the mess that was within these walls is cleared to an extent of fair cleanliness. Furniture, it seems, is decidedly lacking save for lumpy beanbags and a puke-colored green Lay-Z-Boy gotten from the Goodwill store. There is a table, but it is a compilation of boxes, a couple of empty metal kegs and a sturdy plank of wood. The entire collection sprawls in a half-circle facing the small color TV and built in VCR, which perches against the wall atop a large metal keg. Its antenna sport aluminum wrapping, curled in some places for better reception. Below that, a Sega Dreamcast and its controllers sit neatly in a small box with games partitioned within it. The other side of the apartment contains boxes, some empty and some not. Set atop them is an old radio. Somehow, the emptiness of the apartment is still set off by little decorations and Stuff set strategically around and on the fuzzy brown carpet that sports a few cuts and scars. Amidst it all, a stamped-on smileyface rug greets the occupants and offers them to Have a Nice Day. (+view for rooms)
Contents:
TigerCharm(#3238h)
Obvious exits:
Out  

Yi and the cub run for... oh, well, a gooood long time. Though it seems like the ragabash has done that trip many a time and hence is used to the distance, perhaps not so much for the cub. She pointedly makes stops along the way for him to catch his breath, to wipe the rain from his eyes and the mud from his feet, and then also points out some landmarks she uses to guide her. As the sun completely disappears, they reach the very outskirts of St. Claire and she notes to him, "Don't worry about anyone looking at us." Leading the pair all the way up to East Bridge Street, when they finally do reach the ragabash's apartment, they're both rather soaked, either from rain or from sweat. "Please feel free to use the bathroom."

Basil is still panting pretty hard by the time they reach the apartment, his clothes wet, his hair soaked, but a smile still on his face all the same. His clothes are dirty in places from where the fell in the mud during the run, but he gave an admirable effort the entire way. "T... Thanks." He rasp out, glancing around the apartment. "Which way is it? Ugh. I'm so glad I've been running and training instead of goofing off. I'd have never made it otherwise." He lifts a hand to brush the sweat from his forehead, laughing a little bit.

Yi laughs, panting out herself, and then indicates the door just on the inside of the hallway. Inside, the bathroom is impeccably clean compared to the dinghy feel of the rest of the apartment. "Take your time. I'll be in right after you are done," she tells him. "Do you want a drink of water?"

Basil snickers and nods to Yi, taking care to wipe as much mud as he can off on the door mat before stepping in. "Yeah. And thanks. I guess I'll be here for at least a day, because there is no way I could run back tonight. Nor would I want to. I need some time to just hang out and cool off, with someone that won't suddenly go flying down my throat or infuriate me. You can use the rest room first though, your home. I can wait."

Yi dips her head once, deciding not to insist on her guest. The ragabash proceeds to the bathroom, shutting the door with a click and for awhile it sounds like the shower is running. Bit of a wait later, after Basil has had a good chance to explore around as much as he dares to with muddy feet, Yi emerges clean, wearing just the undershirt and pants to her clothing. The ragabash indicates the back bedroom with her hand. "I'll go get some clothes that you can try on," she says to him. Obviously, the shower is free now.

Basil stays still for the most part in the apartment, not wanting to track mud over his teacher's apartment nor get it on her furniture. "Thanks." Basil strips off his shirt, walking over to the bathroom and tossing his shirt into a corner. "Don't worry about finding anything too small. I doubt such clothes exist." He closes the door behind him, stripping down and hopping into a nice hot shower while Yi hunts for clothes. He takes his time under the warm water and cleans himself thoroughly, the fatigue of the trip being washed away.

By the time Basil is out, there is a set of warmups folded atop an extra white towel (likely pilfered from a motel) waiting beside the door. Yi is busily humming and scrubbing what is left of the mud tracked into the house, but not particularly in any rush to get rid of it. The scent of the deodorizer and cleanser is typical household product. Woolite knockoff, maybe. There's also the smell of something being heated in a old old microwave, and it smells like some kind of burrito.

Basil finishes his shower and kills the water, getting out and drying off with the ill gotten towel. The boy pulls the clothes on, rather pleased that they fit, even if he's still lacking in underwear. He can get that when they go shopping. He steps out and walks right over to one of the bean bags, crashing into it and stretching out with a yawn. "I've only been here for a few minutes, but it already feels more like home then a barn ever could. Reminds me of my real home. Guess it's true, you know? There is something about a woman's touch to a place. Looks good."

Yi glances up once the cub is out, and she smiles a touch. "It has been home for some time," she mentions, looking around at the blinking Christmas lights that somehow haven't burned themselves out too badly; either that or they were replaced through the times. "There is a burrito in the microwave for you, and help yourself to what I have in the fridge. It is not as bright as the farmhouse, but, it is home, yes." She waves her hands in indication of where things are. It seems like Yi is going to scrub out the remaining mud and let the cleaners sit. "Then we can head to the Walmart, or some store nearby that is open."

Basil gets up with a small groan and walks over to the microwave, licking his finger tips before grabbing the burrito with care. "Trust me. It's loads better then the farmhouse. I just wish I had a way to repay you, or do something for you for all of this. After all, I'm eating your food, sleeping in your home and so on. Doesn't feel quite right to take without giving something back." He sits down again and eats his burrito slowly, careful not to burn himself on or drip the heated napalm like contents of his dinner.

Yi only follows Basil to the kitchen to retrieve a pitcher of cold tea and a couple of mugs. Making her way back to the 'table', the ragabash pours. "It's not a problem. All the Bone Gnawers are welcome to my flat, as it stands. The only territory I would think of laying claim to, though, is the bedroom," she notes with a gesture back behind her, "and the kitchen." Of course, the kitchen. "But other than that, everything else is free to use." The ragabash drinks at her cooled tea, flopping down into the lay-z-boy with a sigh of relief and a rub of her thigh. "I keep it as memory of Jay One-Rage-in-Shadows and Nevada, Hatchet. We lived here together for a time, until they passed on."

Basil shifts enough to reach over and grab his mug with his spare hand, taking a sip before going back to eating. "Alright. Still, sooner or later I'll figure out a way to repay you. Or do something nice. At least help you cook and clean, after I can feel my feet again. And don't worry, I wouldn't even think of going into your bedroom. It would be terribly rude after all." Another bite and another gulp of tea. "What happened to him? You two were good friends, I take it? Musta been if he hadn't moved on after he got on his own feet. People tend to like their space, however little they can get in the city."

Yi sips at her tea even though it isn't hot, and nods. "Jay died after fighting a pack of powerful Black Spiral Dancers that had come to fight with our sept... and Nevada, died during the battle to retake the caern. Both died warrior's deaths, and both were honored by the Hidden Walk, and their gravestones are out at the Burial Mounds. I visit usually on the anniversaries of their deaths." She seems subdued, but at the same time, proud. "Bone Gnawers can be great heroes too."

Basil smiles in a sad sort of way from behind a dwindling burrito. "I know that. I know that from just looking at you and Olga what we can become. I merely hope that you, she, and many others remain living heroes rather then noble fallen. I am just sorry that I did not get a chance to meet them. They must have been great people to earn your friendship." He finishes the rest of the Mexican treat, and his tea, setting the mug down on the table.

Yi contentedly reclines in the lay-z-boy, sipping away at the mug of refreshing cool tea. "Jay was an ahroun, and one I am honored to have known. I think you and him might have gotten along, though Nevada might have challenged you for the sake of seeing who can talk more about themselves." She chuckles softly, glancing down into her mug and swirling the liquid about. "Whenever you would like to go, Basil. Let's just hope the Mystery Mobile will want to behave with a new passenger."

Basil stands back up again and heads over to the door, opening it up and glancing back at Yi. "You have a car then? Or something resembling one? Heh. We'd better be on our way before it gets much later. Do we need anything other then clothes and a pair of shoes for myself?"

Yi sets her mug down after she drains it, leaving it upon the table. Clean up later. "Oh, we shouldn't go walking around without shoes. Or at least..." The ragabash doesn't finish the thought, disappearing bedroom-wards before reappearing with a pair of black, cheap 1.50 sandals that look almost like they could break at any moment and are probably three sizes too big for the cub. "Here. Paw-pads for the human kind," she says with a slight chuckle, tossing them down for the cub.

Basil takes the sandals and tosses them onto the floor, slipping his feet into them with a smirk. "I prefer the real thing. I'm less likely to trip and break my ass in those. But I see what you mean. Let us be on our way, just lead me wherever it is we are going to. Ladies first." He gestures an arm out into the hall, glad he'll soon have clothes of his own.

Wal-Mart(#2672RJ)
It's big, even for a Wal-Mart, divided into section after section of things you and your home just can't do without. DIY projects and equipment both decorative and constructive, housewares, foods, furniture, clothing, toys, books, pet care, electronics, gardening, car care; yes, just about everything you need for this modern life. Wal-Martians are a frequent sight, reshelving things or trying to be patient with customers who are dense or unpleasant or both. People of all ages traverse the aisles, children running amok on the off-white tile while their parents shop, oblivious. Everywhere, signs announce low prices and sales. A photo developing center (boasting one hour service, though it never takes less than two), an optometrist, and a McDonalds each have their own enclaves, not-quite-separate from the rest of the store. There are two exits, the main entrance with its many registers, and the garden center, with its mere pair, both leading out to the massive expanse of asphalt that is the parking lot.
Obvious exits:
Front Doors  

Yi takes the cub to the Mystery Mobile, which is parked a couple blocks down and tucked away in a wider alley. The car is actually rather roomy on the inside, squeaky spring cushions, and true to its name, is all around in a condition to reflect the words, 'It's a mystery how it still runs.' But, like an experienced bronco buster, the ragabash cranks the engine to life and they're on their way. There are a few intersections where things get a little rough and the engine sputters, but a few scoldings at the vehicle and making up for it after with promises of the rather expensive fuel, the Gnawers arrive at WalMart just in time before the mobile dies in its parking space. Both Yi and the cub have to exit via the driver's side, but, well, that's how things are. Walmart Looms. Then the two enter the maw of the supermart, assaulted by bright lights and yellow happy faces claiming to have low low prices.

Basil gets out of the car when it stops and closes the door slowly, afraid of slamming it less it fall off. "Not a bad ride... Maybe you should get some engine cleaner or something for it in here though. What is it?" He ask, glancing for decals or emblems that have probably long since fallen off." Basil's nose wrinkles when he looks around the parking lot and notices the amount of cars, and figures it relative to the amount of shoppers inside. The store itself makes him shake his head. "In his house at R'lyeh, dead Cthulhu lies dreaming." Is muttered loud enough for Yi to hear as they make their way inside.

Yi glances quizzically at the cub, remaining so for a moment even after his quoting. "I don't know, really. Nevada never told me," she replies to him after, considering the MM like it was not any one car, but the frankenstein's monster of vehicles. She shrugs it off, instead heading inside further. "Pick out what you'd like," she tells him, unhooking the verbal leash on the cub and letting him roam free through the walmartian playgrounds.

Basil's natural Rage keeps the other customers of the store from being too annoying with him as he makes his way through the crowd, looking uneasy but not too much so. "Jeans and just t shirts, I guess." He says, grabbing a few pairs of cheap eight dollar jeans, moving towards the shirt area on the opposite side of a rather large men's section self surrounded by little round isles of hanging clothes. "Guess I'll get some blue shirts, and blacks. Christine says they are supposed to be my colors, or something."

Yi gives Basil a light pat on the shoulder. "Whatever you like," she repeats, and then with a smile that seems a bit more gremlin than Gnawer, trots off away from the men's section and is swiftly disappearing into the slowly dwindling shoppers. That leaves the ahroun cub alone to cope, as the ragabash weaves away. Her smallish bubble of Curse-space is not so much so, with only some people giving way, and others just giving rude, covert stares.

Basil's shoulders go tense but the cub takes deeper, slower breaths to try and ease his nerves. Taking Yi's words into his mind he idly wonders where she goes, picking out a couple three packs of cheap thin shirts. He hangs the pants around his neck, then wanders away briefly to get a cart. He mutters something at random to himself, tossing his assorted items into the cart. He tosses in two cheap plastic ponchos and a few packages of socks, wandering over to the underwear. He sits and stares at the many choices he never even knew existed, designs ranging from simple and bland to God awfully colored and oddly cut. He raises an eyebrow as he sees the models on the packages, then glances back at the Wal-Mart crowd. "Thank God this isn't truth in advertising... "

The Ragabash nowhere to be found after five minutes of shopping, the ahroun is left alone for the most part. That is, until he notices a Walmartian in telltale bright saturated blue vest hovering along the edges of his vision, waiting rather nervously and looking more often than one should in his direction.

Basil doesn't notice the store employee's watchful eye straight off, the cub busy with his curious study of undergarments. He picks up one of the thong packages with a bemused look on his face, wondering to himself just how you'd know it was on wrong save for the tag in the back. He's sure that merely putting them in the cart will at least get an eyebrow raise from Yi, and he tosses a cheap pack in with a chuckle, followed by a pack of boxers and a pack of briefs. "Variety is the spice of life." He murmurs, then decides to wander the general area, seeing what the store might hold, or if anything catches his eye.

"There anything I can help you with?" The Walmartian, Bob, finally asks. Mostly, Bob is eyeing the youth with a sort of suspicion that comes from seeing someone dressed so poorly as he walking with a cart so large as the ones of the superstore. Or, it could have been the thong.

Basil glances back over at the man, still casually walking away down one of the main aisles. "Oh, no." He says with a smile, remembering that he needs shoes. "Just looking around. Waiting for a friend to get back. I'm fine, thanks... Uh... " He squints for a moment. "Bob."

Yi still isn't anywhere to be found upon a renewed ping of the visual radar. Bob utters a short "ok, let me know if you need anything" to the cub before backing off, yet still hanging around in that annoying salesperson fashion like he's got nothing better to do. A phone rings nearby on one of the pillars, and Bob takes his eyes off the cub to go answer it. The exchange takes a little longer than usual.

Basil continues down the aisle, sales person forgotten for the moment, writing the meeting off completely. He hums to himself as he crosses through an aisle and stops dead, grinning as he sees a couple lava lamps. "Awesome. When I get some money, I know what I'm getting Yi." He says to himself, watching the pretty glowing goo dance for a few moments. He's soon making his way towards the shoe section, looking over the various sizes and styles of shoe.

Bob remains on the phone as the cub passes the lavalamps, and on towards the shoes. There's a wide selection for a Walmart, but nowhere near Foot Locker or Big 5's specifics brand names. Then, the big *crash!* of a couple of metal cage-like structures sounds. Over the PA comes the request for clean up, particularly in the toys section which isn't too far away, only a few aisles down. The cleanup? A red synthetic rubber ball smelling of cherry-scented chemical spray rolls past the ahroun.

Basil winces at the sound of the crashing... Whatever it is, glancing at the ball as it goes rolling past. He resist the urge to kick it and turns back to his shoes, picking out a few cheap black ones to try on, along with a pair of cheap black 'half boots' by Brahma. He sits down, slipping off the sandals and slipping his clean fit into a pair of sneakers to try them on, thinking about the way they feel as he walks.

Yi just like that, pops up not too close but not too far from the ahroun cub. "Done now?" she asks, breath a little bit quick, but nothing that isn't off the norm. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about Yi is the fact that she's got a grey longsleeve jacket tied around her waist in addition to the shortsleeve hoodie she has on.

Basil decides on the boots, almost jumping as Yi appears without warning. "Yeah. And try not to do that." He puts the sneakers away, throwing the boots in their box ontop of the child area in the cart. "Don't have nothing else to get. You got whatever it is you wandered off to get?" He takes notice of her jacket, but doesn't say anything.

"Mmhm," Yi notes to him rather cheerily, watching a couple of Walmartians head towards the cleanup and rounding up of rubber balls with a slight grin. "Let's go then." She glances down at the cub's boots. "Leave those on." Grabbing another pair of similar looking shoes, she puts them into the box the boots came out of, and sticks it into the cart. "Checkout time," she utters, stifling a laugh as a boisterous child has grabbed up three of the blue and green balls, too big for their grubby hands to hold onto, and moreover still successfully avoiding a flustered Walmartian.

Basil would ordinarily have qualms about stealing : If not for the fact he's tired, and he's rather enjoying his teacher's company. It isn't time to get on the moral high ground. He merely shrugs and continues walking along with the cart, smirking as he glances over at the chaos in ball form. "You did that, didn't you?" He murmurs, pushing the cart towards the check out counter. "Isn't the first time you've been here, huh?"

Yi only answers Basil with a glimmer in her eye, and a fox's grin. Directing them over and around past bored employees and zombie-minded shoppers, the ragabash tells Basil, "Go on ahead and wait for me out front." She makes no further mention of the boots on his feet. Standing rather patiently in line, it's not long before the newmoon is up front and making some purchases. When the shoebox comes up, she converses a bit with the dull-eyed employee and the box is set aside. The rest of the ringing up continues, and the ragabash pays for the bill with a couple of twenties extruded from her pocket. Nowhere near noticing the other cloth tied to her waist, the employee just rings up what was set on the counter and then sends Yi on her way with the big blue walmart bags.

Basil can't help but shake his head, though a smile mixed with a grin remains on his face the entire time. "Ok, Yi." He stops for a moment, glancing around him and for more store employees, then at some candy that crosses his field of vision. He heads for the doors with one more glance at Yi, looking casual but walking a little faster then usual, eyes ticking from left to right.

Yi walks right out of the WalMart without getting stopped, accompanied by a stream of a trio of a family coming out. "Don't look around so much," she tells the cub quietly, "And walk a little slower. Relax." They make their way closer towards the Mystery Mobile, when suddenly a Walmartian employee comes out of the front of the building and starts towards the two Garou.

Basil's shoulders ease back down when he leaves the ancient city of Walmar'lyek and is rejoined by Yi, staying close to her. "I can't help it." He whispers quietly to her. "I'm not used to this. It's my first time." He half whines, not noticing the tail. "You seem pretty experienced though."

Yi definitely seems experienced, and the sixth sense of a tail knows as well. She gives the bags to Basil. "Hang onto those and go on towards the car," she tells him outloud, before turning to face the employee. As the man nears, he isn't smiling, but he's not angry either. The approaching Walmartian reveals a piece of paper in his hand, and this he gives to Yi. "Forgot your receipt," he states with a shaky smile. Yi smiles back, dips her head with a small Thank You, and turns away to walk after Basil. The ragabash takes a glance back after they're right in front of the Mobile, seeing the Walmartian disappear back into the brightly lit maw. Yi opens the door with a look to the handle of the car, and the lock somehow pops open. She ushers the cub inside with a soft embarrassed chuckle. "Forgot my receipt."

Basil glances back as Yi leaves him with the goods, his fingers opening and closing, tapping on the hand bar of the cart nervously. He sighs as she comes back, having leant the cart against someone else's car while he waited for her. "Come on. Lets get out of here. We're going back home?" He ask, loading the car up with purchased items. He takes the empty cart and looks at the cart return across the road. Rather then actually walk twenty feet he gives it a mighty shove... And misses, sending the cart flying into a Ford Explorer with a loud crash. "Ehhhh... Fuck it." He turns and opens the passenger side door, climbing in.

Yi watches the cart rattle off, and hit the SUV with a small grimace. Then she slips in after the cub is inside on the passenger side, and starts up the engine with a choked splutter and a roar. "We are going back, yes," she tells him. "I don't think Olga will have much trouble with Christine out at the farm," she muses. And with that, the Mobile is pulling out with a shudder from the parking lot and back onto the roads. Once again, Yi's driving is... well, questionable. She's almost speeding where she doesn't need to be, and slow where there doesn't need to be slowing down, making the ride feel like a preclude a rollercoaster. Once the Mystery Mobile is back into the alley, the two walk back to the apartment.

Apt. 15(#2604RAJLh)

Basil carries the majority of the bags with his arms looped through the bag's holes, humming to himself as he walks up to the apartment door. "Thanks Yi. Shoes. Shirts. Underwear. I feel like a real person again... For the moment. Did you just snag that jacket for yourself, or did you get something else too?"

Yi hms? softly, shutting the door behind her. She goes about untying the jacket from her waist, and then empties her loot onto the table. The jacket isn't the only thing. Tucked inside the jacket is a flannel, which itself is tied inside with a couple of folded up shortsleeve shirts. Her own hoodie pocket extracted is just a stick of Wrigley's Doublemint gum, which she opens up and offers a stick out to the cub to. "I admit, on a budget like mine, one cannot afford this much stuff in one go."

Basil takes a stick and unwraps it, putting the wrapper in his pocket and the gum in his mouth. "It's fine. It's not like you are stealing to be greedy or anything, you are stealing because you got to... To survive and stuff. I can understand that. I'm just not very good at it or comfortable with it." He unloads the bags into neat little piles onto the living room table, slipping off his boots.

Nodding, only a little embarrassed now, Yi watches the cub. "I can dedicate which clothes you would like to have with you when you shift," she tells him. "But, pick your clothes carefully. It is not the clothes themselves, but the spirits that lie sleeping within them, that will bind themselves to yours. So even though they are only clothes, they are still yours to care for."

Basil smiles at her and notices a slight awkwardness to her, wondering briefly as to the cause. "I see... I'll have to have a couple days to see which I like best, but... What if they get damaged and ripped up beyond repair? I can get some new ones bound to me? Or do they fix themselves inside of me?"

Yi shakes her head. "They are still only clothes. And, as it is, if you are hurt in your spirit, they will be hurt with you. Some times the spirits won't be so tied, and maybe they will not be ripped. Other times, they do. They are strange that way." She shrugs.

Basil takes a seat in the same bean bag he was in earlier. "Thats kind of weird. The whole spirit stuff... But interesting. I guess after a while I'll learn more and get used to it, but I'm really hoping these clothes stay with me for a while. It sucks walking around naked, especially with my scrawny ass. Not big on the whole 'nude with strangers' thing yet."

Yi chews on the gum lightly, and then pokes through the other articles of clothing that are strewn onto the floor, checking out what Basil decided upon. "It is strange at first," she tells him, "but I suppose shyness is a quality many cubs will have."

Basil tries to blow a bubble with the gum and fails miserably, resigning himself to mere mortal chewing. "Especially if we all go through this so young. I imagine it's a bit easier for cubs that have gone through the whole high school showering routine. At least a little.

Yi laughs again, and spreads out the loot onto the table with some last minute stock. "I never went to high school," she replies. "Or, Hong Kong doesn't have quite the same system. Close, but not the same. Either way, my cubhood was my high school. Showering is not a problem that would come up, rather getting hurt to the point that the healers must rip your clothing away to perform the Mother's Touch."

Basil shakes his head at that. "I guess it's just another thing we'll have in common. Oh well... I never really liked school much anyways. It was full of pricks, like me. You know what? Screw all this depressing Garou stuff for a while." He gestures over at the TV and the console. "I'm not sure what that is, but I know it plays games. How about you show me what my poor ass has been missing with no TV and no video games, and school me good virtually?"

Leaning back casually into the chair she's flopped into Yi heartily agrees. "It is a Sega Dreamcast. Belonged to Jay, and I'm sure I know how to play at least a few games for it." The ragabash leans forward. "You want to play? How about a wager. The one to lose the most, will make breakfast tomorrow."

Basil says "Sounds good to me. Shall we play, Yi-Rhya?" He ask while flashing her a big smile, rubbing his hands together and shifting his body towards the television. "I've not played anything in a long while. I'm rusty as hell.""

Yi chuckles again, and then scoots forward to pick out some games. "Let's," she agrees. "And Basil," she notes to the cub, "You don't have to keep calling me Rhya all the time. Just Yi is fine." The ragabash smiles back at him, and then shifts around some games before finding a suitable disc to put in.

Back | Next | 2005 Logs | Main