Terribly Polite
9/3/2005
04:47 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waxing New Moon phase (0% full).
It is currently 16:44 Pacific Time on Sat Sep 3 2005.
Bawn: Central Forest(#2876RA)
The forest is dark and quiet. No, not quiet. Listening. The ancient firs rear up all around, branches interwoven in a dense roof of dark green. Fallen needles lie in a thick carpet on the ground, heaped up around the drifts of undergrowth clinging to the scarce patches of light reaching the forest floor. Every sound seems muffled, and the sharp scent of pine hangs in the air like the clouds of midges that swarm ceaselessly beneath the branches. Even the many deer who roam here seem to step more quietly than usual, and the songbirds seldom sing.
The forest spreads out around you in all directions.
Obvious exits:
Burial Mounds Story Tree Caern of the Hidden Walk Western Bawn Southern Bawn Northern Bawn Eastern Bawn
The fostern's woodstrek is not without announcement. Despite efforts to be quiet, there's only so much stealth a person can muster deep in the woods. That, and the Gnawer travels with another purpose. She pushes a branch out of the way with a hand, looking about.
Basil comes into view and is bare ass naked, though he isn't facing Yi at the moment. The Gnawer is scaling a pine tree in the buff some distance off the ground, at least a good twenty feet in the air. Though he's moving slowly he's moving higher still, only pausing to test branches and catch his breath.
It's difficult not to spot something pale and pink in the middle of greens and browns. Yi's eyes follow upwards, brow lifting towards the naked cub in curious observation. As she comes up to the tree's base, the ragabash calls from below. "What are you doing, Basil?"
Basil glances back over his shoulder, then lifts a hand to push his long hair from his eyes. "Yi? Oh, hey. I'm bored as hell out here, and I figured I might as well train since my wounds are healed up." The boy starts a rapid decent from the tree, shifting once his feet are on the ground into the form of Crinos. ~Whats going on?~
Yi backs away to give space when the cub descends. "What happened to your clothes?" she asks, blinking a couple times and examining the cub for the supposed wounds.
Basil has no wounds currently, but there are faint traces of what appears to be blood on his belly fur. ~I'm not allowed to wear any until I take my old ones back from Tamara, pretty much.~
Yi shifts her gaze off woodswards a moment, a distant bird's cry distracting her. "I see. And have you gotten along better with her now?" She turns back. "I remember you telling me not long ago that you hated being taught by her."
Basil shakes his head. ~Not really. I don't hate her any more, but I still don't like, or trust her. And I won't until she sticks up for me for following her orders. People still rag on me for what happened with those damned pigs.~
Yi leans up against the tree, resting her leg. "As they should. To forget your mistakes is foolish. To not learn from them, even more." The ragabash's gaze shifts to a spot on her shoe, rubbing lightly on the ground. "You should not blame her for your lack of action." Her gaze returns to the ahroun.
Basil lifts his hands up and lets them fall, shaking his head. ~I was following the orders of an Elder. Like I was told that I should. What if I left to attack the others, and Tamara came back to the ambush spot with the pigs expecting our help?~ He waves a hand. ~Nevermind. Debating this will get me nowhere. If I'm not getting looked down on for being a 'coward' then I'm being looked down on as being an Urrah Bone Gnawer. I'll be out of the woods soon though.~
Yi points her finger accusingly at the crinos. "A rited ahroun would /never/ lead danger to cubs, No Matter if she thought to ambush them elsewhere. No matter how many there are behind her calling for her death!" She turns fully to face the cub. "What you did was stand there and watch your fellow Garou fight for their lives. No matter your excuses, Basil, you did nothing." Her finger lowers, turning into a fist. "And you dare to make excuses, make theories and guess, 'what if's. What if Tamara had died before she could come back? What if the pigs had killed your septmates right before your eyes?" She gets up in the cub's face. Chest, rather, with his furred warform towering up over her. "You are looked down upon not because you are a Gnawer, but because you never stand up and take responsibility. You make too many excuses. An ahroun who makes excuses? What should others think? You tell me."
~So you're saying I'm a liar.~ Basil states flatly, looking down his nose at Yi. ~Do you honestly think I would just stand by and watch other Garou die even if I didn't like them? Tamara was attacked by Clemency posing as a Black Spiral Dancer, and I defended her even though I don't like her. I defended her to the best of my abilities, and when another Garou came posing as a Black Spiral Dancer, I still didn't run!~ The Crinos lifts a paw at his side and points a finger back at Yi. ~How many cubs would do that? How many cowards would do that? For the last fucking time, I'm not a coward and I do stand up when I need to. When it really counts. I was wrong at the Caern during the pig attack, ok? I was wrong. But I swear to God I'm going to Rite, I'm going to get a pack, and I'll become one of the strongest Ahrouns to ever sleep in the alleys and streets of Saint Claire. And then I'm going to kick Brom's ass with my big furry Urrah foot.~
Yi swats at the crinos' paw to knock it away, brow creasing. "I never called you a liar or a coward," the ragabash utters through gritted teeth, abruptly turning away and glaring off into the woodwork. A fog of silence rolls in, and then the fostern ever so slowly smiles. It's small, but noticeable. She does not yet look back to the crinos. "I will only call you a cub. A cub who has potential, even if no one else sees it yet. But then, I am the ragabash. I see things differently, always." She looks back, finally, the smile reduced to a light in her eye. "Do you really want to beat Brom that badly?"
Basil lowers his paw away from her when she taps it, and the Ahroun's scowl gradually fades into neutrality. ~A lot of people do. And it's really annoying.~ He takes a few steps back and leans back against the pine tree, moving to scratch his back against the wood. ~I wanna be a Cliath already. Training is all well and good, but all I can think about is the Rite. And getting out of these woods. It's boring as hell out here and I don't run into my friends that often. I can't even remember the last time I even heard any good music.~ He gestures at Yi. ~Thats simple. Because he's an egotistical jackass that deserves to be beat down. Plus he's forbidden one of my friends from seeing me, and according to Poe, one of the reasons he looks down on me is because he thinks I might be gay or something. Did I mention he's a jackass?~
Yi rubs at her chin with a fingertip, the slightest of smiles not disappearing from the look in her eye. "It is well and better you should not see Poe, if all that comes of it is getting your friend in trouble. Do not be selfish about it, Basil." The ragabash glances back up to the crinos' face. "The woods are never boring, if you can find something to amuse yourself with. Even... climbing trees with only your bare skin. Hm. Sounds like something Leonard would have made his cubs do." She takes in a breath. "Training is more than just physical. This is not a summer camp, you know. What you learn out here is what will serve you for the rest of your life, no matter how short that may be." She goes back to leaning upon the tree. "Because Poe has been forbidden from seeing you, means Brom does not trust you. And if he does not trust you, maybe you should think about why that is."
Basil snorts at Yi and looks away from her, his voice dropping to a few notches above a mutter. ~Easy for you to say. You have more than three people you can just hang out with. Now I have two that I rarely see. I don't even have any cigarettes.~ He stares off into the woods for a bit, then shrugs and looks to Yi. ~To me, they are boring. Watching birds is fun once and a while, but there isn't much else other than that. I need books. I enjoy movies. I enjoy kicking the door panel in on an expensive car, then waiting for the owner to come back and totally flip the fuck out.~ He sighs a bit and lifts a hand to his head. ~I've been meditating. I've been training. I know I'm not just here for no reason. But I need to do something fun every once and a while, or eat something cooked.~ He shrugs again. ~Brom would act the same way even if I was a stand up Ahroun. He looks down on all Bone Gnawers.~
Yi cocks her head to a side, digging into a pocket. She pulls out a crumpled pack towards the cub, shaking out one of the few sticks left inside. Cigarettes, old but sharply smelling still of tobacco and bad chemicals, made pungent through lupine scenting. "Though I do not see much good that will do you. No one is allowed to smoke on the Bawn unless you are doing so for rituals." The ragabash glances off a second. "Mostly." Then she looks back. "Have you ever been locked away in a dark box for a couple of months? With the only food to eat is rotting fish and maybe.. your own shit? I do not recommend it. But, if you ever do end up doing such a thing... you learn to entertain yourself quickly, without books or movies or expensive cars. But that is my life's experience, not yours. And it is not Brom's experience either. Why should you care if he looks down upon the Gnawers?" She waves her other hand. "/All/ Garou look down upon the Gnawers. Gnawers look down upon Gnawers."
Basil reaches forward to pluck one of the cigarettes out with his figners then just stops, letting the paw drop, his other paw lifting to rub at his temples. ~Then why offer them?~ He shakes his head again at Yi. ~And if I was a monk I'd have true inner peace, but that isn't who I am, and it isn't what I've experienced as you said. I enjoy books, movies, and music. They are what amuse me and make me happy, along with video games and hanging out with friends.~ He shrugs again. ~I care because he annoys me. I care because I know if I ever beat him, it'd shake him. It might even make him think for a minute, or figure out 'Oh wait, blood and tribes don't equal skill'.~ He stands up straight again and rolls his shoulders. ~Have the others gone on their Rite yet? And I was still wondering why Aaron didn't get stuck out here too.~
"I offered because you said you wanted one, and I had one," Yi states matter-of-factly, intoned with perhaps more meaning behind it unsaid. She draws a stick out of the pack with her teeth, but doesn't light up. The package slips back into her pocket. "You want to know why I think Brom has come here? Because Gaia sent him here." The ragabash looks off once more. The cigarette in her mouth rolls from one side to the other. "Signe is with child and in the middle of her adren challenge. Jamethon, as he is Gatekeeper, must tend to the caern's Shadow and spirits. Maybe it was destined, another elder for the Get to be brought here. One that teaches the old ways of the Get, so that the cubs could learn." The newmoon peers back at the ahroun.
~Having cigarettes you can't smoke is like having a car you can't drive.~ Resist-the-Dance leans down until he's sitting against the tree behind him, his arms hanging off of his knees. ~I don't care why Brom is here. He's an ass, and he ensured I won't see one of my few friends for a long time. He's a Philodox but he only cares to hear one side of the Caern story. If he wanted to be an Ahroun so bad, he should have renounced and become one. Crap like 'My Tribe is better then your's because I'm this tribe!' is part of why we're all so broken apart. It isn't much different then me saying I'm better than someone because they're a Jew.~
Yi seems content to have the unlit cigarette out there, bobbing up and down slightly as she speaks. "You /should/ care. You should care because he is the elder of your friends. He is a good philodox because he follows the Traditions, and a great Get of Fenris because he is a good fighter. A fighter who will never tolerate those who do not combat the Wyrm, no matter the excuse. And when your rite comes, the Wyrm will not wait for you to be ready, you know. No, Masao and Aaron have not gone on their rites yet. Do not think you are the only one who is training, Basil. They too, have their own abilities to strengthen, their own weaknesses to cover."
Basil rolls his shoulders again. ~Well I don't care. Because of him I'm more alone in the woods than I was before. Now that I have friends, or had some, being alone is even worse. Nothing to do but train until you're tired which doesn't take a lot of time, then all you have is time to think. Thinking all day by yourself in the middle of nowhere is a real shitty way to pass the time.~ The Garou kicks a fallen branch to the side, well clear of Yi. ~You all already said I was ready once. I just want to do it already, to get it over with, to know one way or the other. Aaron made the same mistakes as me, but he isn't out here. Why?~
Yi folds her arms over her chest. "Why should he be? He was found later than you. If you were so ready to go on your rite, and you made such a mistake, what does that say about you? Honestly, Basil." The ragabash shakes her head. "Is the world /so boring/ out here that you could not think of something to do yourself? Would you rather I find Touch Deer, or Seeker, or Tamara and ask them to give you chores to do on top of your training?"
Basil shrugs. ~Because he screwed up too? Why am I the only one being punished?~ He shakes his large head again and rises up to his feet. ~Yes, the world out here is boring, and no, I don't need any chores. I already train all day until I'm too tired to move, and I fight most every time I run into another Garou. Chores would just be a worthless distraction. What I meant was I could use some entertainment. Something fun. All work and no play makes Basil a dull wolf.~
"But you are never too tired to complain," Yi points out with a wry smirk. "Training, punishment, that will depend on your view of it. As for play, well. It depends on how you look at your training, doesn't it?"
~Not when I'm unhappy, bored, and tired. If you give me something to complain about, I will.~ The Gnawer states bluntly. ~Lets see. Training with TD was kind of fun for a while, since I got to compete with others and hang out with my friends. But Tamara made TD stop letting me come with the others. When I spar with other Garou, they mostly always win and I end up sitting around all day healing. When I'm healing, I can't hunt, so I starve. Yeah Yi, this is so fun I could piss myself.~
Yi looks skyward, breathing in deeply and sighing with a shake of her head. "You have a great idea of what it is like for those in the city then. The same can be said for the homeless and the poor. You were too comfortable, it seems. And now that you are not allowed to see your friends, it will be a test the bonds between you." She pauses, thinking of phrasing. "Can you survive out here by yourself? How much do you depend on your friends... and how much do they depend on you? How will it matter, when the future comes? These questions.. have you ever asked yourself?"
Basil snorts. ~I'm not worried about the survival of people I don't even know when I'm just getting by myself. If they want to survive, they can claw themselves along tooth and claw just like I'm doing now. I'm an Ahroun. I'm going to help the homeless and the poor by killing the monsters that would eat them or kill them just for fun, and by protecting them from scum like those idiot thugs if I have to. They can handle the rest themselves.~ He snorts again. ~Three of my friends offered to sneak me food and clothes, and I refused all three of them multiple times.~
Yi chews on the end of her cigarette lightly. "Do you see the backwards part of what you say? How can you not worry about those you don't know, but help the homeless and the poor?" She gives the crinos a confused look at first, soon replacing it with a pensive one. "Well, I will talk to Tamara and Olga." The ragabash scratches the underside of her chin in thought. "And see just how far along you really are." She smiles at the cub, wider this time. "Ready yourself." By the time her statement ends, the ragabash is sweeping upwards in height and build, growing red and ivory fur all around.
Basil shakes his head again. ~I mean not helping them in the 'Heres some money, heres some food, blah blah blah' sense. And Olga seems to think I'm doing better, I guess. So does Tam in a way. I just want to do it already.~ He raises an eyebrow at her but turns his side to her, a large pair of heavy black leather gloves appearing on his arms. ~What? Are we going to fight?~ His ears twitch and flutter then go still, and he merely stands there, staring at her.
Runner, now slightly better matched with the other crinos, peels back her lips in an all-round toothy smile. She then pounces towards the ahroun with claws and jaws all bared, no warnings or answers provided. And to her credit, the ragabash's strike is decidedly swift, though not quite undodgeable.
Basil doesn't shy away from the Ragabash's strike, having been semi expecting a blow to come. His reactions are slower than her's and he doesn't bother to dodge her strike at all, the large furry beast instead just launching himself right at her. He lifts one paw and slashes at her face with the swiftness of Rage, then claws at her mid section with his main hand, putting all his weight into forward momentum to take her hit.
As the claws come, the ragabash's crinos form twists and instantly melts away. The strike to her face misses entirely when the fostern goes lupus. The strike to her midsection grazes the newmoon's backfur, but nothing much more. It is the forward momentum of the cub's crinos form that she takes advantage of with her shrunken size, ducking low and inserting herself right between his legs with her hind end obstructing. Sure she might get kicked, but even better if she manages to trip him.
Resists-Dance falls forwards with nothing in front of him and the Lupus suddenly going through his legs, the second time he'd had the same trick done to him. He barely manages to turn enough to land on his shoulder instead of flat on his face and immediately tries to roll away from the scene, shifting into the form of Hispo as he recovers and tries to find his bearings.
Runner darts away into the brush as the crinos trips and falls. Just as suddenly as she attacked, the ragabash disappears into the thick woods. The environs goes silent, the air heavy with anticipation.
Resists-Dance glances left and right for a minute, then gives a brief sniff at the air. The large wolf turns as quick as he can to his left and bolts, taking off between the trees as fast as he can while listening for a pursuer.
The cub runs. And runs. And as he listens, the sounds of running do not come - at least, not beyond the sound of his own paws hitting the forest floor hard. Pursuit, it seems, is not happening. And still the fostern ragabash has all but disappeared, leaving the ahroun to himself.
Resists-Dance doesn't stop or slow down at all as he barrels through the forest at full tilt, panting, trying to draw air into his lungs as fast as he can. He only starts to slow when he comes to a small clearing not too far from a larger one, scattered with pine needles and branches of various sizes and shapes. He slows to a trot and looks at the ground, sniffing at the air as he moves around. He stops after only a few minutes and slumps, seemingly out of breath, taking a few steps backwards. He growls quietly at nothing, looking frequently from left to right.
Nothing brings up the hackles like the feeling of being watched. Into the clearing the cub retreats, waiting. And waiting he continues to do, for a very long time. Minutes tick by with nothing but his own beating heart to keep him company. Yet this far into the forest, the sounds of twilight begin with the setting of the sun. Somewhere towards the west, a lone bird twitters its nightsong.
Resists-Dance doesn't move from the spot he's in, though he does seem to let down his guard a little. His posture gradually starts to loosen up and his hackles start to smooth over, but he does keep glancing from right to left.
Runner must be around, surely, though unseen and nigh unscented, there really is little to give her away. Minutes tick further on, with the sun getting low to the trees. Just as the cub's guard loosens, the sound of twigs cracking comes from the south.
Resists-Dance stays in his spot even when he hears the sound, keeping up his visual scans even though his neck is getting sore from all the work. It seems that nothing short of a fire or a silver rain is going to get the Hispo to budge from the spot.
Or a stag. From the southern direction, a large deer jumps gracefully up and over a bush, leaping into the small meadow. It sees the hispo at least, wheeling with a snort away from the monstrously sized wolf as it flees the area just a tad quicker than it had before even.
Resists-Dance jerks up into a straight stance when the deer comes into his clearing, then settles down again when it runs off, giving a quick glance all the way around him. He fades back down into his slightly slouched stance and opens his muzzle for a large yawn.
The yawn is detrimental. Just out of the corner of his eye, the cub spots the muddy red and ivory furball that zips towards him at breakneck speeds. Runner pounces, again, this time leaping high and shifting once more with the speed and ease of one who harnesses the Beast. Her lupine form expands greatly, as if it were absorbing the air itself and forming into a massive hispo. ~Gotcha!~ she howls, pseudo-warcry.
Resists-Dance's jaws promptly snap shut when he sees the movement on the edge of his vision, watching the Garou charge forward than jump into the air. The Hispo rolls over onto it's belly as if submitting, but it quickly burst into the form of Crinos. He kicks his feet as straight out and as fast as possible towards the attacker, trying to impale her with his rear claws.
Runner might not manage to pounce directly atop, but 400 some odd pounds of hispo is hard to kick off. Claws catch the Gnawer ragabash's belly, slicing but not drawing too much blood past a few scratches. The ragabash's initial attack is deterred for just moments, not quite enough to keep her from recovering and lunging in while the cub is turned over. Her hispo jaws go straight for his throat, not to tear it open, but to hold.
Resists-Dance tries his best to wound the Ragabash when he kicks her, but there isn't a whole lot he can do before she's at his throat. With a heave of his large furred chest, he turns his head back and submits in a show of throat, going limp underneath the Ragabash. ~I swear aside from one Garou and cubs, I can't beat anyone. How much training does it take?~
Runner clamps firmly, tightening for a split second before she lets go, sits back and gives herself a decent shake. The scent of the few droplets of blood from her stomach area presents itself to the keen wolf's sense of smell. ~There will always be stronger, faster, better Garou. But, I would be ashamed to show my face if I lost to you. But you did scratch me.~ She lolls her tongue nonetheless, panting slightly from the exertion. A forepaw lifts, and she licks at the scratches she received, an ear turning towards the cub.
Resists-Dance rises up into a sit as soon as Yi is off of him with a small groan, shaking his head. ~Any idiot can scratch someone in Crinos. With all this power, only a truly inept Garou wouldn't be able to cause a flesh wound. I can at least do that much to everyone I fight.~ He lifts a paw to scratch behind his head, mindful of his claws. ~If I can't even beat friendly Garou, I'm screwed against Spirals unless I find some silver. Or a tank. Or a silver tank.~ He glances at Yi's belly wounds, then looks back into the woods. ~Or a big ass bomb.~
Grey paces slowly through the dark forest, and though no lupus (and wearing his birth form anyway), he's not inept at moving through the woods at night. A polished stone hangs from a string in his hand, swinging gently, just a bit out of time with his careful steps. Wind direction and wolfish senses being what they are, his scent -- tinged strongly with the city but not, for once, with the acrid stink of cigarettes -- and the sound of his approach are noticeable long before he comes into view.
Runner stops licking when she's satisfied with cleaning what scratch she has. Sitting with the cub beside her, the fostern bumps her nose against the other's arm. ~You have the warrior's blood. You will win, eventually, but you must learn from your losses too. As for the Spiral Dancers...~ Here the ragabash fades into a low, almost curse-like growl, ~they will be dead before they reach you here.~ The growl tweaks itself slightly with the scent of the Walker wafting through. Yi looks in the incoming wind's direction, ears pushing forward.
Resists-Dance shakes his head again. ~Eventually. You all won't always be here to protect me, not after I rite. Especially not if I manage to find somewhere other than the Odeon to live. Will just any silver damage? What about silver plating? Or dust?~ He glances up when he hears the sound of someone approaching, then looks back to Yi, more concerned with her than whoever it is. ~At least good old explosions and fire fuck up everything.~
Grey pauses, his head cocked at the sounds of deep, growling voices conversing in the Mother's Tongue and then squints down at the stone, which is barely visible in the darkness. A quick tug on the string yanks the stone up into his hand, and it disappears into a jeans pocket as he moves, with intent, toward the hulking hispo shapes.
Runner looks intently into the dark, nose working and ears twitching. The ragabash breaks her gaze off just long enough to rumble her reply at the cub. ~Destroying everything gains nothing. And you will /know/ when silver is harmful.~ The ragabash slowly rises to all fours, returning her gaze towards the direction of the approaching Philodox.
Resists-Dance glances over towards where Yi is looking with a shrug, looking back to her. ~I'd rather find out without touching it... ~ He shrugs. ~Collateral damage. Acceptable losses. Bombs are messy, but they work really really good. Boom is better than clang, smash, or pow. Though claws are pretty good at what they do.~ He ponders for a moment, unaware of Grey. ~Do you think a Crinos could fire a recoiless gun?~
The new arrival is the one who answers, and with a flat, authoritive, "No. The claws are too big. And the war-form's not made for handling complex tools. You want that, take Glabro, or Homid form." Thomas Grey has arrived. He looks toward Yi for a moment before inclining his head and greeting her with a coolly polite, "Three-Blades."
[look Grey]
Thomas Grey is a man hard-used by the world. It shows mostly in his face, a hawkish visage that's extensively scarred down the left side, twisting keloid making a ruin of aristocratic features. If not for the scars, he'd probably be fairly handsome in a severe sort of way. The angles of his face are sharply defined, the nobility in them scoured nearly to the bone. His thick, shaggy black hair brushes near his shoulders, often hanging messily in his face. There's grey at the temples, visible if one inspects closely. There's grey in the few days' worth of stubble on his face, too, around the mouth; he looks older than his thirty-something years. His deep-set eyes -- the right dark brown, the left pale and clouded -- have the shadowed look of someone who does not sleep well.
At six-foot-three, he stands taller than most men, and an inherent athleticism indicates that he could probably hold his own in a fight. There's also an aura of pent-up violence about him, a tightly-controlled rage within the lanky, muscled frame that could be lethal if unleashed.
He's dressed in a light grey long-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of loose-fitting blue jeans. His black combat boots, like their owner look as though they've been through a few wars.
Runner flickers her ears once as the Walker philodox's voice sounds. ~Grey,~ the ragabash rumbles in reply. ~Three-Blades can also be called Runs-the-Gauntlet now too, fostern as she is.~ She 'grins' to the halfmoon, actually looking fairly pleased to see him. To the cub, she adds, ~What he said is right. Leave the guns for human hands, and claws to warform.~ Her attention doesn't stay away from the Walker for too long however. ~You and your tribe are well?~
Resists-Dance jumps some when he hears the words of the other Garou, turning quickly to look over the older man. ~Glabro wouldn't have the strength to fire a big gun like that.~ He says, quickly recovering from his surprise. ~And the beauty of machines is that you can modify them when they don't work, when you need them to do something else.~ He lifts a hand to briefly cover his eyes. ~It's not a gun. It's a high explosive cannon with a floating thing in the breech to reduce the force of the recoil. And it's a stupid question anyways, as I'll never find a cannon and enough ammo to matter.~
Grey is distracted from answering Yi by the cub's answer, and Basil finds himself the sole focus of the Glass Walker's intent gaze. "And where are you going to get this device? Where are you going to store it? How do you plan to transport it? And what the hell are you going to do when you've brought the federal authorities down on our heads and murdered dozens of innocent lives because you just /had/ to go for the biggest bang?" The educated voice is chilly with disapproval.
Runner waits in patience, looking from philodox to ahroun, letting the point sink in.
Resists-Dance thinks for a moment or two. ~I suppose I'd have to experiment somewhere to learn how to make more controlled bombs, or do it where the police don't care. Or do it where it looks like a meth lab exploded. Killing the innocent people would create suffering and then in turn would feed the Wyrm, but would killing a group of say... Spirals, or powerful formori with less chance of harming Garou be worth it? We already kill innocent people to protect the Veil. This would be killing them to better the world. Shitty... But... ~
Grey's upper lip wrinkles up slightly, showing teeth in an expression of disgust that's both human and lupine. "Killing to protect the Veil is sometimes unavoidable, and /usually/ occurs because someone's been stupid or careless." Someone like Basil, is the implication, judging from his tone of voice and the way he's looking at the cub. "Because someone decided to take the easy way out or decided that those human lives were unimportant. Because they're just /humans/. Just /mundanes/. Not as important as /us/." Dark moon or not, this is clearly a subject which trigger's the Walker's anger. His nostrils flare as he draws in a breath and pulls himself upright with a flick of his head to jerk a stray lock of hair away from his good eye. "Tamara has asked me to talk to you about firearms, their uses and their limitations. She seems to think you're of the opinion that you're unarmed and helpless without a gun."
Runner twitches her ears again, hackles bending but not lifting. Her eyes, though, have shifted upon the cub and are just staring at him, piercingly. Dark moon it is; the ragabash's moon. She doesn't look too pleased by the cub's words either, but for the most part is not outright horrified.
Resists-Dance lifts his hands up to his chest defensively. ~I've already had one fight tonight. I don't want another. I'm not talking about that anymore.~ He drops his paws onto his lap, giving only the briefest of glances at Yi. ~I don't think I'm unarmed. But I think they're useful, especially against other humans with guns. And if a shotgun can take down a deer yards away, what happens if I press a double barreled shotgun with magnum slugs to the back of a formor's head and pull the trigger? Or what about mercury bullets? Not useful for the Umbra, but... ~ He glances at Yi. ~She uses knives. Human weapons can't be completely useless.~
Grey folds his arms across his chest. "Did I say they were? No. I personally used a fifty-caliber rifle during the battle to take this caern back from the Wyrm. I've done more than my share of sniping. And many Garou use knives and other made weapons, from the cheapest switchblades to the mightiest Grand Klaives. They have their uses. They also have their drawbacks and limitations. For example... how old are you, Basil?"
Runner licks her muzzle, rumbling in comment. ~The Walkers and Guards-Flame helped greatly with their human guns and armor. And I use knives because I know what they can and cannot do.~
Resists-Dance shakes his head. ~No, Grey-Rhya. That is a very large gun though, do you also have one of those big dubya dubya two m-gees? How far can you shoot from?~ He suddenly seems very interested in Grey. ~How did it to against the targets? What did you shoot? Do you know anything about explosives?~ He lifts his hands and lets them fall again. ~I dunno. I hate knives. At least the small ones. Even when I hit a human in the neck with one it barely did anything, so I got some bigger ones.~ He shrugs again. ~Thirteen. It's a number that suits me well.~
Grey shakes his head slightly. Ignoring the cub's sniffing after details regarding the so-called Big Fucking Gun, he sticks to brutal practicality. "Legally, you're not allowed to own, purchase, or be in control of any firearm. Not even a rifle or shotgun to be used on a private range. You're certainly not legally allowed to possess a handgun or a concealed-carry permit. Which means, if you're running about the city with one under your jacket and you get into a tight spot with the police, needing to protect both the Veil and the lives of those who are /also/ sworn to protect the city, you're given the added complication of having to get rid of a highly illegal firearm. Or have to deal with the problem of being /caught/ with said illegal firearm." He shifts his weight slightly from one foot to the other. "And that doesn't even take into account the effects of the Curse. You're an Ahroun. Therefore, you make /at least/ half the humans you meet nervous. That includes the police." His eyebrows rise. "Do you know what happens when police get nervous? How about when they get nervous and have a reason to believe you're /armed/? A kinfolk friend of mine used her /completely legal/ firearm to take down a man who had shot and killed another and was threatening to kill again, and she /still/ had problems with the cops."
Runner glances back to the Walker, ears perking again. Kinfolk mention sparks recognition in the aagabash, and she visibly works to recall any possible specifics to the incident in mind. The attempt doesn't go on for very long.
~Legally I'm probably not supposed to carry knives, or kill rapists gangters either. Where I live, where the Gnawers live, it's nothing like around your house. But you already know that. I can't even remember the last time I saw a cop car around there, and no officer in their right mind would walk that beat. I'm not completely stupid, you know. I see the way everyone acts around me now. They treat me like a monster somewhere in the back of their heads, because they know whats inside of me even though they can't see it. I know full well about that. I've seen it enough.~ He looks off to the side for a moment, then looks back to Grey. ~There are situations where I could use them. That range can be important, especially when they have them too.~
"Trust me, you'll get in less trouble for a knife than a gun." Grey's eyes narrow. "And don't /think/ I don't know how it is where you live, on the south end, by the wharves, around Bridge and Regan, in the industrial sector. I've walked those streets. I've /lived/ on those streets. I was patrolling that area when you were still looking for pubic hairs and figuring out that you might do something with your cock besides piss out of it." He spits out a Slavic-sounding word. "In fact, I was fighting the Wyrm while people were killing each other in Sarajevo. You think south-side St. Claire is hell? Imagine it during a full-scale war, with bombs dropping from the goddamn sky. And /that/, boy, was /nothing/ compared to the Scar Realm. That was /paradise/ compared to the Umbra's vision of the ultimate urban blight. I fought and survived /that/, too." His nostrils flare again, and the mismatched eyes glower at the young Crinos with all the weight of rage, experience, and ancient breeding behind it. "So you can quit thinking that you know better than me about the tough life in the city. I know more than you. I've lived more than you. Understand?"
Runner's response with the growing tension coming from Grey is visible. Her stance gets just a touch stiffer, her expression towards the philodox just that twinge more grim. But still, she lets the halfmoon's words soak into the air.
Resists-Dance lifts his hands up again in the same manner he'd done before. ~I didn't know. Not a lot you can know about someone you've never met before. I never said I knew /better/, I was just saying I knew a little.~ The Garou looks like he wants to ask a question, but doesn't. ~Why would you want to go to a place like that? The Scar realm, I mean?~ He shakes his head. ~I know that there are worse places than St Claire. Yi's told me about a lot of shitty things she's been through. I know just about every single Garou has had some terribly shitty awful thing happen to them, and again, and again... ~ He lowers his gaze again, feeling the weight of the other Garou's anger baring down on him. ~I guess if I live long enough, I'm going to be just like a lot of you.~
Grey's nose wrinkles. "I shouldn't have to spell it out for you, boy. If you'd open your eyes instead of your fucking mouth, you'd see I'm old enough to be your fucking father. Do you think I got these scars during a shaving accident? Do you think, as a Glass Walker, I don't know about guns or how they can and /can't/ be used?" His eyes narrow. "A simple answer, please. Yes or no."
Runner, with a twitch of her ears, notes that Grey's maybe old enough to be /her/ father too. Chalk one for the ragabash's humor, disturbing though it is for herself.
Resists-Dance opens his mouth to say something, then closes it again without looking at Grey. Theres a long silence between them as the Gnawer finds an interesting spot on the ground to look at, then says a quiet. "No."
Grey flicks a glance sidelong at Yi, catching some of that comment. He grimaces, but turns back to Basil without responding to the remark. "When I tell you something about how possessing an illegal firearm can make your life difficult, do you think that I /might/ know what the jesus-fuck I'm talking about? Yes or no."
Runner this time refrains from commenting, instead glancing towards the cub. Her manner gets just a touch curious.
Resists-Dance seems to have gotten awfully distant and quiet all of a sudden, especially for a usually chatty and relatively bright Ahroun. ~Yes.~
Grey grunts. "Good. Let me reiterate, then. Guns are useful, but they can get you in trouble. Large-scale weapons are difficult to obtain unless you have very good contacts and a great deal of money. I doubt that you have either. The death of civilians is something to be avoided, not shrugged off as collateral damage. Thanks to the Curse, most of the human population is afraid of you and will react accordingly... sometimes with violence." His eyebrows rise. "As for humans armed with guns or knives or whatnot, remember what you are. A Garou. You can survive bullets. You can survive being knifed. You can survive the most brutal gang-beatings. And, for your information, nothing unnerves an armed opponent more than someone who keeps coming despite having no visible weapons. Someone who shows no fear."
~No matter what you look like,~ the ragabash inserts with a thoughtful rumble.
~I wish I did have those things... ~ He quietly says after that. ~I've seen the way humans react to that. I've seen the way they fear the Crinos, or that look in their eye when-.~ Resists-the-Dance pauses and raises a paw to his forehead, rubbing at his fuzzy temples. ~I need to find Tamara and get my damned cigarettes back.~
Grey shakes his head slightly and glances again over at Yi. "Congratulations on your Challenge, by the way." His temper is cooling, but doesn't go away entirely.
Runner glances up at the philodox, no concealment of surprise there. In fact, it's disbelief. ~Thank you,~ the fostern replies, ears splaying, quickly shifting towards a pleased gratitude. Then the ears come forward again, the ragabash adding, ~And though I do not know if Holds-the-Line wants it, I hope it is not too much to pass on to her my thanks, for her coming to the challenge.~ She glances back towards Basil a moment. ~I would worry more about getting your clothes back, first.~
Resists-Dance rises up to his feet in a slow, tired sort of way without looking at either of the Garou. He turns and starts to walk off out of the lcearing and into the woods, but his pace is slow and there is easily enough time to stop him if they wish.
"I'll let her know," Grey says to the Fostern, keeping that tone of cool, but proper, courtesy. He glances over as Basil starts to leave, nose wrinkling and his mouth twisting into a little grimace, but doesn't make to stop the cub from slouching off.
Runner swings an ear towards Grey, but her eyes remain on the cub. ~Hey!~ she barks at him. ~Is that how you thank an elder who has come all this way to teach you?~ The elder Gnawer's tail thumps hard on the ground.
Resists-Dance pauses in his steps without turning around, and speaks in a low, hoarse whisper. ~I'm sorry, Yi-Rhya, Grey-Rhya. May I please go?~ He doesn't move an inch, waiting for the say so from his Elder.
Grey unfolds his arms and pushes his hands into his pockets, letting the cub's elder handle things. By the look on his face, he remains completely unimpressed with the young Ahroun.
Runner sniffs, tail twitching as she weighs the request. Then she rises to her paws again, and turns to Grey. ~The cub will learn, eventually. Or else.~ Then looking back over her shoulder, she replies with a chuff of dismissal to the cub. ~I will find Spider-Eyes soon and speak to her.~
Grey nods to the Fostern. "I'll take my leave of you, then. Gaia watch your steps." He inclines his head to Gauntlet-Runner. Terribly, terribly polite.
Resists-Dance walks off into the woods without another word, pausing just in sight and sitting on his knees with his back to the duo.
Runner dips her head just a touch. ~Gaia grant you good hunting, Grey.~ Hers is polite as well, but a touch warmer.
Grey, dismissed, heads back through the bawn, heading westward.
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