Trapdoor Spider
9/13/2005
07:51 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waxing Gibbous Moon phase (68% full).
It is currently 19:48 Pacific Time on Tue Sep 13 2005.
Harbor Park -- Fountain
Situated in the center of a large, open meadow is a clustering of six trees, a flower bed, a few steel-and-wood benches set firmly into concrete, and a flagstone courtyard that is dominated by a large fountain.
The fountain is a wide circular pool of water some fifty feet across and about five feet deep in most places. The sculpture in the center is a mix of old and new, traditional and modern: eight concrete-and-stainless-steel slabs about six feet high are set in a rough Stonehenge-like circle around the center of the fountain. Water flows from their tops, cascading in bright mesmerizing sheets to the pool below. Rising above the steel circle is a large marble statue of the Water Bearer, an androgynous figure draped in robes of flowing water. It bears a large jug carved with various Greek symbols, from which pours a seething torrent of water into the pool at its feet.
Cars on the nearby street have an excellent view of the park as do any residents of the tall buildings which line the waterfront.
The murky waters of the Columbia River flow swiftly along the east side of the park. Bracketing the park to the west is First Street and the city of St. Claire. Recent construction work is creating an earthen berm several feet high all along the borders of the park in all directions.
Contents:
Tabitha
Elanora
Masao
Nikolai
Obvious exits:
Harbor Park Meadow
Blinking a bit in surprise, Tabitha coughs and clears her throat before looking towards Elanora. Placing two of her fingers by the side of her forehead in a lazy salute, the redhead nods, "Yes mistress." Her eyes then snap towards Nikolai, "And I ain't that young." Crinkling her nose, she turns towards Masao and jerks her head with a wink, "Come on, misery loves company."
"You seem as if you could use another hand." Nikolai remarks to Elanora before stepping aside. Even if he isn't in her way, this is her project. He's just along for the view and backup if needed.
Pulling a stone on a string up into her hand, Yi appears at the far end of the park, headed towards the fountain. As she approaches the gathering by it, the fostern's face is set with a relatively (..relatively..) calm expression. "Masao," she calls out first. Then, "Nikolai." A dip of her head to him. The other girls gets a brief once-over, but no recognition.
The lines and shapes that make up this young woman's face hint very strongly at latino descent. She has a sloping nose, rounded cheeks, and lips that are somewhat too thin for the rest of her. Her build is moderate--she's thin, without much in the way of curves either at hip or bust level, but also without anything beyond simple, healthy muscle tone to fill her out. At a height nearing 5'9, the term 'beanpole' would be appropriate.
[look Elanora]
Certainly the most overwhelmingly striking feature of this woman is her coloration--or in this case, lack thereof. She has very pale skin, far too pale for her bloodline to produce, and her hair, while at first glance seemingly white blonde, is in fact far closer to being sheer white, with only cream highlights to break the starkness of it. The only real color on her face, beyond the penciled in eyebrows, comes from her eyes--light blue these are, quite striking but almost watery, and a pair of thin framed glasses almost always obscures them.
Raggedy works well here. This woman looks like she dug most of her wardrobe out of the bins at a goodwill store--possibly a more well-to-do goodwill store than most, but still. Her jeans, for instance, look incredibly worn, but they haven't actually got holes in them. Her tennis shoes, while ancient and more brown than white, are still in one piece. She's got a battered old baseball cap on her head that is so faded that the team it initially advertised can no longer be made out--the cap is turned so far sideways it is nearly backwards. She's wearing two shirts--one fairly clean white one with no sleeves underneath, and a faded old red plaid button-up over, which has been knotted near the bottom.
Elanora's lips thin once more, but her attention is on Tabitha, and not the elder Fang. Whatever answer she was contemplating is lost, however, as Yi arrives, and she abruptly shifts the focus of her attention. "Before we go, Tabs, there's a rule we're going to have to cover first."
[look Tabitha]
There is nothing special about the girl at first, a simple plain-Jane. However, she does seem to exude a rather tense air as if she is barely able to control herself. The girl appears to be in her mid teens and stands about five feet six. Her most eye-catching feature is probably her hair. A rich and deep red color, her hair is similar to that of a darkened penny, reaching just past her shoulders. The girl's irises are a bright hazel, although the color tends to be shadowed by the constant redness of her eyes. Her nose is aquiline in shape, set above her small mouth and pale lips. As for her pale, olive-toned body, she is all limbs, their length further enhancing her gangly appearance. She has a runner's physique, with a lithe musculature and strong legs.
For now she is wearing a gray shirt that looks perhaps a size or two too large on her, the shirt swallowing her upper torso and practically reaching the middle of her thighs. Her sweatpants, on the other hand, are a size too small for her; the navy-blue pants barely reach her ankles. As for her feet, she has them covered in a pair of old and beaten down running shoes with no socks for protection.
"Oh. Shit." Masao whispers at hearing her name, not having to turn and see the caller to know who it is. The smile falls off her face and her shoulders hunch a bit as she shuffles to face the Fostern. "Um. Hi, Yi." Already the cub has adopted a demeanor that would equate her tail between her legs in other forms.
"Yi." Says Nikolai with a dip of his head to the Fostern. "We meet again, I see." Otherwise, the Silver Fang sits back, looking between Gnawers and Walkers as he finds himself in a growing sea of urrah.
Coughing and clearing her throat, Tabitha murmurs quickly, "As long as Elanora-Rhya is alright with it, of course." Lifting her eyes towards Yi, Tabitha studies the woman quietly at first before she bobs her head as she realizes that the other woman knows them. Elanora snatches her attention however, and Tabitha blinks back up at her elder, "Yes'm?"
Yi gives her cub a look. "What trouble are you causing now, hm?" The question is mildly chiding only, more on the side of curious. Nikolai is responded too with a "Yes, it appears so." The two Walkers are again given a glance. Elanora at least, is given a short nod. "I believe I have seen you at moot. Yi, Runs-the-Gauntlet, Fostern ragabash of the Bone Gnawers."
"If you screw around," Elanora says, tone terribly pleasant, "And I mean in even the slightest, littlest bit, I'm not going to be a happy puppy. And /if/ you get back alive I will skin you. 'Kay? Clear?" And just like that, she looks to Yi. "Elanora Soto, Skip Tracer, Cliath Theurge, Glass Walker, and so on and so forth."
Masao pipes up in a small voice with a bat of the eyes thrown in, "Naaaaaathin', really! I was gonna go back to the Odeon, but Tabs saw me. They were gonna go do spirity things and stuff." One foot scuffs against the ground as she relaxes a little under the lack of more overt disapproval.
"Yes Mistress." Despite her words, Tabitha actually sounds sincere, the girl's tone even sounds a bit more somber. Snapping her mouth shut while the Elders are talking, Tabitha slides her eyes towards Masao as she grins. Hearing the introductions, Tabitha blinks up before blurting out, "Tabitha, Galliard, Glass-Walker, cub."
Nikolai rolls back his shoulders as he stifles a yawn as his eyes shift around, instinctivly wary of anyone listening. However, the small crowd of Rage is enough to ward off what few visitors the park gets at this time of night. "I should introduce myself, though Yi and I have met. My full name is Nikolai Petrov, Burned-By-the-Dragon's-Blood, Ahroun and Cliath of the First Tribe. Shall we be going, then?" He adds after just a brief pause. "The moonlight is limited."
Doesn't take Yi long to put two and two together. She, however, inserts herself to bring the equation to five. "Going into the Shadow?" She takes a step towards Masao, /now/ giving the cub an ever-so-slightly stronger glance. "If you are, then I will come with you all."
Elanora squints. "What's with the damned mistress stuff? Makes me sound like some sort of dominatrix. --Yeah, well, if we're going, we're going. You first, Nikolai? Who wants to play lookout?"
"Masao, Ragabash cub of the Gnawers, called Pokes-Her-Nose-In...though probably Tanned-Hide or Tailless-Wonder after this." Masao says, offering a sheepish glance to Yi and lacing her fingers behind her back. "You can torture me with more scolding later? I promise I'll listen."
"Aw, come on, I bet you're definitely a top in the sack." Tabitha flashes Elanora a grin before taking a quick side-step away from the other Glass Walker. Stuffing her hands back into her pocket, Tabitha bobs her head but hushes, looking a bit more excited than when she first arrived.
"The Umbra is no place to play games." Nikolai remarks to both cubs before looking to Yi. "Care to follow me?" He asks, waiting for a reply before moving closer to the fountain and focuses on the stiller water at the outermost edges to better pass through the sticky city gauntlet.
"No, it is not. And considering the hospital's explosion not long ago, we have not had a chance to make certain of the damage," Yi notes with a narrowing of her eyes. She nods to Nikolai. "I will come, after Masao." Turning to Masao, she notes, "Take you time. The Gauntlet here is thick, but imagine yourself crossing into the beyond."
Elanora moves over to the fountain, grimacing. "Right, after me, Tabs." And then she too turns her full focus onto the water, allowing her eyes to hood.
Umbra: Harbor Park
The Umbral ground beneath your feet here is lush with vegetation, an oasis of life amidst the concrete and webbing of the scab. Trees stand proud and tall here, their branches full of leaves. Shrubs line the outer edges of the park, tangled with encroaching webs. The fountain stands out boldly from even the surrounding area, the sleek lines sharper and more pronounced. Clean pure water roars and cascades from the figure in the fountain's center, falling into a cold clear pool that looks quite inviting. Spreading out from the fountain, the rest of the park is a green veldt that seems to radiate life and strength. The river banks the east shore of the park, bridged by a massive rusty bridge. On this shore, the glade seems to have spread out on to it, vines winding around the supports. Further across the river, the bridge melds into the scab again, flaked with rust and covered in webs. The river itself is clean within a few feet of the shore, but black ooze seems to encroach menacingly from the murk of the rest of the river.
A walkway leads out of the Glade-like atmosphere of the park from just north of the fountain. Eastward, the dark span of the bridge stretches over the vile river. Dark streets lead west and southwest into the blighted Umbra of the city.
Contents:
Elanora
Dragon's-Blood
Tekkie
Obvious exits:
North Southwest West Bridge
As the Garou slip through to the other side, they are greeted with a rare sight. Instead of the horrible doom and gloom of the cityscape, they are met with a beautiful park full of life. The water of the fountain roars with life as it spills about and the trees are thick and tall. In the distance the bridge can be seen, barely hidden in the darkness. Just beyond the glade is the rest of the city, dark, tall and looming. Though decrepid as it may be, to those of the Urrah, there is almost a feeling of coming home, a tugging of the heart.
Spider webs run rampant across the roof tops of buildings and the bridge, twined together as if they were made of steel, making sure everything is secure and in place. The sky is a rolling black pit with a bit of streaks of light zipping in and out of the clouds. There is a quiet rumble, and above all, that bright angry red star, staring down at them with a flickering dull gleam.
And there, half bound in sticky, silvery, ephemeral threads that fade and reappear like silk made of steel, is Nikolai in Crinos. The Silver Fang is snarling, straining at the cords of the Gauntlet, but despite his strength he seems stuck fast and hard.
Yi pierces the Gauntlet with a ready swat at invisible webs, the action finalized by the Gnawer fostern's shift to Glabro. Though she went in after, she turns to reach once more, and assist the Fang ahroun through with a heavy, but firm "grasp" of his spirit.
Elanora makes the entire passage in homid, but the moment her form has solidified on this side of the Gauntlet she shifts, smoothly and without hesitation, straight through the forms and into lupus. Her clothes and her glasses disappear under her pale fur as she takes an experimental step in her new form, and gives a brief shake, starting at the head and working backwards. The theurge turns toward Nikolai, but as Yi is there first, she waits, one front paw slightly raised.
Tabitha finds herself stuck crossing the gauntlet, seemingly held back by the silvery cords as well. As soon as she realizes that something is wrong, the cub starts to panic, struggling wildly against it to try and free herself.
Tabitha's plight is apparently more pressing. Skip Tracer turns back, nosing toward the cub and pulling, much like Yi is doing, in an attempt to help her through.
Masao takes a long look around after attaining the other side, eyes wide but mouth closed as she takes in the dichotomy of the glade and the mess beyond it. Craning her head a bit at the snarling Fang and the stuck Tabitha, she shivers a little and slides up into Glabro rubs at her arms fitfully.
It takes a bit of work and effort, but Gauntlet Runner /finally/ manages to tug the larger, stronger Crinos through the webs as they creak and protest. After tumbling through, Skip Tracer begins her work on Tabitha which is an easier, smoother ride. As the webs break away and reform once more into the shadow, they find themselves alone, for the moment.
*Pop* Comes through the rest of Dragon's Blood, fur standing completly on end as his form shudders and pales like the reception had gone bad before it comes fully into focus with all the alarming clarity of the Umbra as the rest of him comes across. Snarling in both frustration and perhaps embarassment, the Silver Fang with flattened ears shakes himself of the crawling, sticky feeling of the Gauntlet like fleas in his coat. ~All these years and I still get stuck.~ If he could turn red under that fine white coat, he would be.
Yi shrugs slightly, backing away with a few steps from the humiliated Fang and turning to take stock of cub and Walkers. "It is a struggle in this city, no matter the moon." She looks towards Masao. "You are okay?"
As soon as she is freed, Tabitha takes a few stumbling steps before she shifts down to Hispo. Shaking her fur and trying to get a grip on things, Tabitha blink and stares around herself in wonder, her maw dropping open in a very human-like expression of awe. Tongue lolling out, the huge she-wolf turns around slowly to take it all in. Wow.
Masao bobs her head and smiles, "I'm okay...just realizing how different this is then back at th' Caern. That and I hadn't really seen no one get that -stuck- before. It's creepy." Straightening up and dropping her arms, she puts on a braver face while taking another look around. "Wow is right..."
Elanora offers Tabitha absolutely no exposition. Rather, she settles back on her haunches to one side of the cub, who, at the moment, is positively dwarfing her. The Theurge is clearly tense--she's not looking at the beautiful scenery at all, she's examining the Weaver-bound city beyond it.
Even the smells are different here in the Umbra, more potent, rich with both life of the Glade and decay of the city in the background. The wind quietly blows through their fur and ears, whistling along.
Dragon's-Blood circles around the smell group with his fists forming and slowly uncurling. ~See anything?~ He asks of the two older Garou, settling himself at a point behind the group to circle the two cubs and keep them between the elders.
[Tekkie pages: Since you got the highest perception, you'll notice that on one of the near buildings, a pair of red eyes gleam patiently. A pattern spider, spinning its webs. Its obviously paying attention, but not aggressively.]
Yi nods slowly at Masao's commentary. She too, looks to be scanning beyond the boundary of the glade, making a careful once around with the fountain as center point. She pauses while looking towards a nearby building, and then moves her gaze off. Towards the hospital, or where it should be in the case of Umbral reflections no matter the building site, with a definitive tilt of her chin. "First, let us clear one thing. If anything attacks us," the ragabash puts down, "the cubs will return to this fountain and step sideways as quickly as they can. We," she indicates the rited, "will follow soon enough, but do not wait. And if you do not see us come through in five minutes, get help."
Eyebrows quirking upwards on the young Hispo's face, Tabitha blinks at Yi as all the awe-ness drains out of her. The cub snaps her jaw shut with an audible click before she lowers her head and flattens her ears. Tucking her tail close to her hind legs, Tabitha shifts about awkwardly. Attack, run back.
Masao cocks her head towards Yi and nods firmly, "Gotcha. No heroics. I know the drill." Staring off at the bewebbed end of the bridge in the distance, she lets out a breath and rakes her hair back from her face. "When in doubt, get the fuck out."
Skip Tracer eases back into a stand, and quirks her ears, indicating a negative to Dragon's-Blood, and strong agreement with Yi's orders. She takes several steps forward. That lupine nose is put to work immediately, as if the Theurge hopes to sniff out anything unusual.
Dragon's-Blood sniffs the air himself as he studies the webs of the city. ~I would not suggest going further than the park, not with the cubs. If what you said about not scouting is true, there is no way to tell if the city is any more dangerous than normal.~
Yi considers this. "Well, a little danger never hurt anyone." The euphemism of the century is followed by, "But let us have a look around the park, yes. Keep close," she tells the cubs, before starting off first. "Ask questions if you have them. And if you see a spider or anything else looking at you, try not to bother it. They are very... cranky."
Tabitha starts to move as well, keeping close to the elders as her eyes wander. Seeing Elanora sniffing at the area, the girl starts to do so as well, trying out the new place's scents to see if it's anything like 'back home'. However, despite her nose being close to the ground, the she-wolf keeps her eyes flickering about her in curiosity.
Skip Tracer takes the pseudo-lead, moving slowly, and pausing every now and then to give a particular leaf or grass tuft an extra close sniff. Her path is about as meandering as it was when first entering the park--overall a wide circle, but a very lazy looking one.
"Cranky eight-legs are off the poke with a sharp stick list. Ten-four." Masao says quietly as she follows Yi, letting her head scan back and forth like a radar tower.
Tekkie pages to the room: Which direction are you guys headed?
As the small proto pack begins their journey through the city, they get one block, two blocks, three blocks away from the Glade. All feeling of being safe and at home slowly but surely, slips away from them. As they pass by a gas station on the right, one can see pollution spirits hovering around the decrepid pumps. To the left on the buildings, Pattern spiders simply mind their business as they crawl along the roof tops, spinning webs and communicating with light twidders and twitches of their forearms. The Garou at the moment are all but ignored.
Dragon's-Blood takes up the rear guard, letting the two other rited Garou lead the way through the city after a thorough investigation of the park. His hackles are up, paying careful attention all around for any signs of too much attention being paid them. So much for taking in the scenery.
Yi leads on, and the further away the group gets from the glade, the more cautious the ragabash gets. "So, you see, the spiders are called Pattern Spiders. They weave the webs that create all you see covering. There are spirits for just about anything." Talking to take up time, and instruction. "Maybe we should investigate the hospital. On our way back."
A slow and barely audible huff of surprise escape from Tabitha at the sight of the spiders and spirits. Her eyes are wide and bright, barely blinking in order to not miss anything as she follows. Spiders, beautiful.
Skip Tracer is employing the wolf's strongest senses, smell and hearing, to their utmost limit, though her eyes are almost unfocused, and they never wander much farther than the ground beneath her nose. A shiver of uneasiness slips over her form at Yi's suggestion, and she turns one ear back. Not with the cubs.
Skidder, skidder. A slight scratching noise can be heard from just within an alleyway as they walk. A pair of blue, glowing eyes can be seen, belonging to a smaller pattern spider, one that is about the size of a cat. It shifts one way, then the other, almost as if it was drunk. It makes loud chirping noises, sounding more like a gizmo winding down to its last breath. Bzzt. Bzzt. It thumps into the side of the wall, skidders back a few steps, then starts forward into the dark alley.
"Beautiful but deadly...especially the big ones. Ever see a spider eat a fly, Tabs?" Masao says softly, gazing at the rooftops and their inhabitants warily. "Yeesh, fuckers are huge..." she trails off, eyeing the tipsy spider and looking puzzled, "Is that...normal?"
~No, not with them.~ Agrees the Silver Fang with a low rumble in his throat. ~That is a task for adults alone, not fur cubs to witness. This life will give them enough nightmares without showing them what might be there.~ Wrinkling his muzzle at the sound, Dragon's Blood bristles and turns to focus on the spider and moves closer to keep himself between it and the cubs.
Yi only manages a short, tense chuckle. "I was kidding," she explains, also glancing after the spider. "Hm. No, not usually. The Weaver's children pride themselves on being exact. Never wasting their movement." She looks past the spider, down the alley, squinting into the dark.
No, and I don't think I want to see it, either. Catching sight of the drunken spider, Tabitha crouches close to the ground in alarm. Her ears perk up as she bristles. That does not look good. Maybe it died.
Skip Tracer takes a step forward, drawing level with Yi as she too peers after the spider. Her tail is stiff, almost straight out from her body, and her body, already tense with nerves, grows even tenser. Not normal. Weaver things do not act like that.
The spider continues its sidestep dancing, mewling out in obvious pain as it whaps itself once more into the wall, before letting the darkness swallow it up. The noises continue to be heard, followed by a loud clanking of metal.
[Tekkie pages to Skip Tracer and Yi: Soon as your eyes adjust to the darkness, you notice that the spider is stumbling forward. The alley is empty, save trash on the ground and an old rusty dumpster that has seen too many years. The ceiling is open and you can see the sky easily.]
Masao frowns and moves a fraction closer to the other Gnawer, craning her head a bit toward the alley. "Okay. Good t' know that's not pea-the fuck?" she squeaks, edging back towards Tabitha.
Dragon's-Blood growls lowly in his throat, continuing to focus on the alley. ~Well, I do not intend to follow it. We should get the cubs out of here.~ The Crinos' tail fluffs up like an angry cat, curling up at the tip as his ears flatten against his skull.
Yi frowns at the sight of the spider's stumbling. "Then, stay here," she notes to the Fang. "I will be back in a moment." Stepping forward into the alley, the Gnawer follows after the spider at a distance.
Tabitha can't help but take a few steps closer in Yi's direction to try and get a closer look. However, she hangs back and remains with Masao and Dargon's-Blood.
Skip Tracer folds her ears back as Yi takes after the spider. She paces a length after the Gnawer, just enough to try and keep her within view, even though her eyes are squinting terribly. A swift lash of her tail warns Tabitha to stay with Dragon's Blood. There's an implied 'or else' on the end of that--someone's on edge.
As the two Garou slip into the alleway, they get tucked away into the darkness, and all the others can hear is the scuffling of paws and the tick tacking of the spider.
[Tekkie pages to Skip Tracer and Yi: As you two follow, you notice that the spider continues its wobbly back and forth dance. It bangs into the walls a few times, then finds itself tucking itself under the dumpster. The dumpsters lid is wide open and reeking of trash. From beneath it, the spider squeaks.]
Masao seems a little unnerved by the sounds that the spider made, rubbing at her ears uneasily and watching the older Garou until they slip into the darkness.
"Tracer," Yi notes, glancing behind her as she hears the sound of paws padding after. "Do you know the gift of Spirit Speech?"
Dragon's-Blood looms above the cubs as he guards over them, nose and eyes on the alley and his ears swiveling around atop his head like radar to keep track on their immediate surroundings. ~Remember what you were told. Be ready to run if we order it.~ Rumbles the Ahroun lowly to the pair.
Tabitha lets out a soft whine of resignation before sitting on her haunches next to Masao, her tail swishing excitedly. At Dragon's instruction, the Hispo gives a rather human-like nod.
Once more, Skip Tracer draws level with Yi, even going so far as to stretch her forepaws out in front of her in order to get lower and peer at the hiding Weaver spirit. No, she replies. And then, in rough and careful words, she addresses the spider, ~What is wrong with you?~
The blue eyes, all many of them, stare back from behind the dumpster. Its obviously frightened, trembling and tucking itself behind a large leg of the dumpster. There is no reply to the Garou speech.
Masao glances up at the much larger Fang and nods sharply, dropping down into a light crouch and draping her arms across her knees. "Ready to beat feet for a hasty retreat." Her eyes are mostly on the alley, though they do flick up and around at the other inhabitants of the area.
Yi glances from theurge to spirit, and then shakes her head. "If Salmon were with me now," she murmurs. She turns around, glancing back towards the alley mouth. Her nose wrinkles slightly at the smell emanating out of the dumpster-spirit, but she makes no comment. "We should return to the cubs and Nikolai."
Dragon's-Blood remains a quiet guardian over the cubs, but one on fullest alert as he continues to pays close attention to their surroundings.
Skip Tracer chuffs agreement, though she pulls almost reluctantly away from the spider spirit, and can't resist a glance over her shoulder as she turns. Go first. I will follow and watch your back.
Yi nods slightly, also giving the spider a last glance before heading back towards the alley mouth. "We are okay," she calls out, to notify the others.
Masao relaxes just slightly at the call, but not much more than that. "Good. Good." Easing up from her crouch, she looks back the way the small group has come and fidgets a little.
Tabitha lets out a gruff sigh, getting up to her feet and shifting her weight. She glances down both of the rounds to see if there are anymore drunken spiders around. Are you going to check it later? There has to be something wrong with it.
Either Yi spoke too soon, or she forgot to knock on wood. Either way, mere moments after she's called the all clear, there's a sudden scramble of claws on pavement behind her, coupled with a sharp, startled yelp. Skip Tracer's form, if it can even be seen in the gloom (that white fur ought to make it easier), suddenly grows significantly larger as she shifts to crinos--but something has her by the back legs.
Dragon's-Blood doesn't relax, but he doesn't look like he is going to until they are back on Gaia's good solid earth. He straightens up at word from the other two, ears pricking up briefly before going straight back again at the yelp. A threatening snarl rolls up from the Ahroun as he bares his teeth and claws, taking a step forward but holding back to keep watch over the cubs and keeping them within arm's reach.
Yi spins around as movement and a yelp behind her startles the ragabash out of any tense confidence. As she does so, she's shifting by reflex, moving back to grab for the Walker theurge.
Tabitha jumps in her place by surprise, eyes widening as her tail stiffens and her ears perk. Bristling once more, the Hispo crouches down and starts to snarl, baring her teeth.
"Crapcakes!" hisses Masao at the sharp sound, shifting down into lupus and bristling defensively. Tail stiffly out behind her, she growls lowly and pins her ears back. Go now?
As Yi spins around, she notices that Skip-Tracer has been yanked off her feet and is scrabbling for a grip on the concrete. A pair of thick rope like webbings have shot their way out from under the dumpster, dragging her back with surprising strength. Straight out of a horror film, everything goes wrong. The noise and the racket has caught a few unwanted stranger's attention, in the form of a large Net Spider that is peeking its head over the roof down at the pair.
The worst part is, the Dumpster has now come alive and the garbage inside has taken a shape of its own in the form of a huge slathering tongue and razor sharp teeth are now protruding from the lid. CHOMP! It snags ahold of the Theurge's leg as it bends itself over, the metal folding inwards.
Spanish doesn't translate terribly well with crinos jaws, but Skip Tracer makes a very good try at it--releasing a garbled, furious cursing that just /might/ come out to something like 'MotherfuckingWeaverlicker!' but that's hard to tell around all her snarling. She digs the claws of her hands as hard as she can into the pavement itself, trying to stop her backward progress, while the leg that hasn't been chomped attempts to kick viciously at the jaws of the thing holding her.
Runner snarls a curse, ears flattening as she surges forth. Ragesped and angry at the trick played, the Gnawer grabs for the webbing and tries to cut it with her claws. She doesn't yet notice the Net Spider, focused on freeing the Walker as she is.
Dragon's-Blood twists his head up and spies the sinister Weaver spirit staring down at them, eyes going wide as the pupils in his eyes shrink. ~Net Spider!~ He snarls out in warning to the other two Garou, continuing to keep the cubs as close to him as possible. Every muscle is tense, ready for action. ~...wait here. Keep still and quiet, cubs. Try not to attract attention to yourselves.~
Tabitha's snarls immediately stops as she tries to peer through the darkness and see what's going on. Dragon's-Blood's exclamation snags Tabitha's attention towards the spider on the building, her eyes bugging out even more before she starts to bristle once more. Dragging her eyes back towards the alley, Tabitha digs her claws into the ground as much as she could. We should help. She needs help.
Poker sinks down to the ground and makes herself as small as possible, sitting as still as possible despite a bit of anxious trembling. Growling at Tabitha, she twitches her tail slightly. Quiet. Can't help if the spider decides we would make good food.
The dumpster is starting to shake itself like a rabid dog, tasting blood. It refuses to let go, even when Skip-Tracer dents it with each powerful kick from her Crinos leg. Its hard to flail about with her other leg locked into place by the webbing, but the Gnawer Ragabash is all the more willing to help free her. One leg is salvaged as her claws slice deep and rip the webbing away. Her claws come up bloody as she finds them razor sharp and the leg of the Theurge is gnawed to the bone. Chomp. Chomp! The Dumpster continues to bite down, trying to gulp the Glass Walker backwards into its waiting maw.
From above, the many red eyes of the Net Spider continues to stare over the roof at the two combatants, then starts to shoot a stream of webbing down at the alleway, starting to attempt a seal up. Chaos needs to be taken care of.
Runner doesn't even bother to check her claws. ~Let go of her!~ she barks out, kicking the dumpster hard and clawing away at what holds the theurge. The Net spider is still ignored, for the sake of getting the Walker out in time.
Skip Tracer's head twists wildly, first at Dragon's-Blood's warning--which inspires another creative curse--and then back toward the dumpster as it once again chows down on her leg. The theurge releases a wild snarl. As her leg is freed from the webbing, she attempts to brace it against the metal side of the dumpster itself--and then she does the unthinkable. She strikes, with rage fueled speed and power, at her own leg, aiming for as close to where the monster's teeth are biting as possible.
Dragon's-Blood watches the battle with every bit of fur on end and wide eyes. ~Cubs, go. Move careful, try not to be noticed at all cost. If you are, run. Run hard and run fast. Run for your life. Help each other through at the fountain. If we do not come back, tell the others. /Go!/~ He hisses out to the pair.
Tabitha hesitates, she can't help it, every bone in her body is telling her to lunge forward, to slash away at the web. Taking a step forward, towards the alley, the hispo stops at Dragon's words before turning towards their original path and start to trot quietly towards the park.
Poker rises slowly, deliberately, from her crouch and begins to move as cautiously back towards the fountain. Going! On edge, she scans the way before her anxiously, only sparing a few brief glances back at the other Garou and sticking closely to Tabitha for safety's sake.
As the Gnawer starts kicking away at the dumpster, she creates one large dent after the other into the metal side. The monster makes not a single sound, save the grating of its jaws. Skip Tracer does the unthinkable and simply loses it. She twists herself forward and digs deep, yanking herself back at the same time her claws slice through her already maimed leg like a hot knife through butter. There is a snap of bone, blistering white hot pain, then nothing. She tumbles to the ground as her leg gets devoured by the beast.
The spider above continues to fire its webbing down upon the alleyway, starting slowly at first, but anyone can notice that the entire right side is starting to grow solid and thick. Its starting to get darker in the alley for the Gnawer.
After making sure the cubs are getting with going, Dragon's Blood whirls around the face the chaos. Snarling, he erupts forward with the speed of Rage, nothing more that a blur of white and silver as both sets of claws raising as he begins to furiously rend at the webs beginning to coat the alleyway.
Runner glances at the theurge in horror when the Walker's leg snaps off. Another curse rattles up as she finally notices the alley getting dark, and with a grab for the theurge she starts to drag the crinos out of the way of the dumpster spirit, making for the exit.
Tabitha keeps glancing behind her as she makes her way towards the park. Trying to see what's going on, to remember details and to try and see what's happening to the others.
For the first few paces, Skip Tracer is complete dead weight in Runner's arms--her ears are drooping, her eyes are closed, and were it not for her labored panting, she could be mistaken for deceased. Then she shrinks--not to homid, but down through hispo and to lupus, sluggishly, as if she's not quite sure how to do it in this state. That's all the help she offers Runner just now--some weight relief.
Poker keeps her eyes on the trek ahead, eyeing the spider denizens with trepidation should they decide to notice the pair of cubs.
The webbing gets torn away by the fierce and powerful strikes of the Silver Fang as he moves with such a power and grace that its hard to believe he is a Cliath. The Net Spider ontop of the roof will have none of that as he starts to crawl along the tall building down towards them, chittering, spitting out a glob of web that nails Dragon's-Blood on the back of his head.
That's all the help she needs, as Runner scoops up the lupus underneath one arm like a furred football and hauls ass for the end zone. ~Dragon's Blood! Get out of here!~ She glances up towards the net spider that's coming down.
Tabitha lets out a soft huff as she notices Dragon being hit. She hesitates a moment before glancing towards Poker. We should go back. They need help.
From afar, to the room, Tabitha stares. Err...Should we go back? Sorry, need caffiene.
Skip Tracer's tongue is lolling out one side of her mouth, her jaws slightly parted. The furred football does nothing so much as continue to bleed, tremendously at that, from her severed limb.
Poker pauses in her tracks and looks back, letting out a short whine. We should. Yet we would be in the way. Fighting each other is one thing, fighting whatever they are is something else. Whuffing nervously, she continues on, picking up the pace a little bit. Come on, come on!
The thunk on the back of his head goes unnoticed as the Silver Fang twists and turns, clawing at the webs in his way as he works to fight back out of the alley and follow after the the others.
The Net Spider reaches the bottom of the alley and looks ready to pursue, but the sight of the Venus Fly dumpster catches its attention. Chaos must be repaired and thus, the two do battle with each other now. Within minutes, the dumpster is cocooned. Its a painfully long three block run, but nothing else seems to leap out at them.
Tabitha tears her eyes away as she nods towards Poker, agreeing full-heartedly. Picking up her pace, Tabitha frowns as they approach the park. Is it me or did it get darker?
Poker pauses once she and Tabitha reach the pool, shifting back to glabro and eyeing her reflection in the water pensively. "It's not just you. It is darker. You didn't see anything, right? Nothing on our tails? I hope not." Casting a look back for the others, she shakes her head and turns to the pool again. "I'll go first and you follow, in case you have any trouble, a'ight?"
Runner bursts out of the webbing not long after the Fang, her Walker-burden still in tow and side slick with blood not her own. The ragabash only gives command to the ahroun to catch up with the cubs, and when they do, the Gnawer doesn't look happy. ~We need to stop her bleeding.~
Dragon's-Blood lopes after the Gnawers and Walkers, ears flattened. ~Runner! I have an idea!~ Be afraid when a Silver Fang, addled as they are, develops an idea. ~The webs contain, use some to try and stop it.~ He says, tearing off some of the gunk that got fired at the back of his head. Ick. Net Spider loogie.
No. Nothing. Go, I'll follow. Reaching the fountain, Tabitha shifts up to Crinos before shrinking back down to homid, keeping her eyes focused behind her.
Runner slows, considering. Then she nods. ~Try it,~ she says, out of ideas and concerned about the bleeding. She shuffles the wolf forward, laying the theurge down.
Masao is starting to focus on her reflection when the others arrive and jumps a little. Turning sharply, she blinks owlishly and pales just a little at Skip Tracer. "Shit. Ow. Was just 'bout to go over, should we wait?"
Skip Tracer offers no resistance to this, verbally or physically. She flops slightly as she's settled on the ground, a movement that /might/ be interpreted as an attempt to get up, but all it manages is to flex the muscles of her chest and forelegs. She gives a very, very soft whine.
Dragon's-Blood crouches down over the Theurge and tries to wrap the webbing around the Walker's severed leg like a strange, spirtual gauze. It takes a great deal off effort to keep it from sticking to his hand instead of her leg, but in the end he does manage to wrap it around the injury. Hopefully it works.
Tabitha's face pales considerably as she watches them work on Skip's leg. "Oh shit is right." Glancing back at Masao, Tabitha urges her onwards, "Go on, we'll only hold them back."
Runner grimaces at the sight of the webbing and the injury, but stays around. Then, turning to the cubs, she rumbles. ~Dragon's-Blood, go with the cubs. If you can find someone with a car, then bring them. And if not... well. I will try to help her across before the sun rises in the Realm.~
Masao swallows sharply and nods to Tabitha, turning to gaze into her reflection again. "Right, right. Just get the fuck outta Dodge."
==============================================================================
Message: 7/7 in folder save Received: Wed Sep 14 00:22:27 2005
From: Yi
To: Dragon's-Blood, Tabitha, Skip Tracer, Masao, and Jeremy
Cc: Grey, Trent, Aaron, Basil, Scratch, Natalie, Tu, Olga, and Kevin
Bcc: Yi
Subject: Umbra ONS aftermath
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IC: After sticking the net spider's webbing on the Walker's wound, Nikolai stepped across the Gauntlet with Tabs and Masao. The three of them returned to the Odeon, getting the keys to Yi's Mystery Mobile. The Gnawer's junkheap was parked in a nearby alley, unlocked because no one wants to steal that POS. The car itself is stubborn as all hell, and after near-frenzy-worthy frustrations and cursings and threats for the junkyard, the vehicle started. Once it was rolling, the MM brought its occupants over back to the park. Yi and Elanora, still semi-conscious and soon suffering from the effects of bloodloss, were packed into the back of the MM. All were carted back to the safehouse, with Yi driving. Tabs was sent in first to get a garbage bag, and that bag was used to cover up Elanora's leg. Tabs and Elanora were dropped off at the safehouse, with Elanora cleaned up in the shower best they could manage and bandaged with what first-aid kits might've been found on the Common side. Tabs was ordered to make sure Natalie, Grey, or Trent knew about what happened and to look after Elanora, and then Yi, Nik and Masao left. The bag was taken with the departing group. Yi drove Nikolai back to wherever Nikolai is staying at, and Masao and Yi dropped back to the Odeon to crash. The bag of blood was disposed of, probably in some dumpster. (Hah, irony.) The MM was left as was with the blood. The inside of that car is not one that should be admired for its upholstery anyway.
Any more details can be gotten via participants. Anyone in the Odeon at the time will note Masao having gotten Yi's keys to get the car with, and later Yi and Sao returning, with the fostern quite bloody. Anyone in the safehouse at the time, well, obviously you'd notice the commotion of cleaning up the theurge. So there.
==============================================================================
Options: +add note=, +delete, +forward, +move, +reply, +replyall, +save
Back | Next | 2005 Logs | Main