Storytelling Moot
7/27/2007
03:36 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waxing Full Moon phase (86% full).
It is currently 15:32 Pacific Time on Fri Jul 27 2007.
Currently in Saint Claire, it's a sunny day. The temperature is 74 degrees Fahrenheit (23 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from variable directions at 3 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.04 and falling, and the relative humidity is 46 percent. The dewpoint is 52 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius.)
Around the Story Tree
This quiet little clearing is home to soft grasses and bright flowers almost year-round. Near the center stands the Story Tree. The squat pine has broad branches for sitting under, and a thick, climbable trunk for a Garou to sit in. Sharp, green needles can be found buried in the grass.
A pathway leads out to the northwest toward the Caern, and a much less-worn path leads into the forested foothills to the east.
Contents:
Aubrey (Spirit), Ayita (Long-Suffering), Cedric (Lightning), Fernando (Hummingbird), Fred, Jacob (Dance-Ender), Kavi (Ringtone), Kaz (Ears-to-the-Ground), Khem (Brightside), Lara (Sun Clencher), Lefty (Ferret), Matt (Found), Moon Otter, Olga (Fat-Ripper), Reggie (Snakepatcher), Ruth (Nutcracker), Salem, Salee, Stacey (Walks-Middle), Tatt (Wildcard), Val (Finds-Stories), Vera (Culls-the-Herd), Yi (Runner)
Obvious exits:
Forest
Kaz hauls a large bag with her as she makes her way to the Tree, to join a couple of other large bags.
Found makes his way to the Story Tree, picking up scents of others before he makes a quick move to get ahead and find a nice place. Among the grasses is a nice soft place as the wolf plops down there, tail wagging happily behind him.
Nutcracker pads quietly and uneventfully towards the tree and curls up near the others also arriving, tucking her tail neatly around her forepaws. She eyes the others with friendly curiosity, her tail-tip wagging a gentle greeting to those she knows. Fernando, by contrast, stalks into the general area and then proceeds to lurk restlessly on the outskirts, his eyes darting all about and his expression dark.
Cedric would see carrying a mere bag as beneath him, no doubt. The handsome, languid Silver Fang appears on the scene clutching no mere carryall or duffel, far less a brown paper supermarket bag. Oh no. He's using both hands to carry no less than a brown wicker hamper which appears to be quite well laden, and those with wolf noses will scent a variety of good things inside.
Kaz gives Cedric a fascinated glance. "I don't actually know you, but I don't bet your stuff's f'th' Gnawer challenge, right? You mind my doing the Sevens on it, later?"
Fred pads quietly towards the group, pausing to sniff at the air now and again.
Cedric gives Kaz an amiable look. "The Sevens? You want to play, ahem, 'craps' on top of my hamper?" The Silver Fang appears to have got hold of the wrong end of the stick. "Well, wait till after the jolly old storytellin' and the feastin' is done, what?"
Kaz blinks at Cedric in confusion. "No? The Rite of the Sevens. That is, sorta multiplies y'stuff. Your food-y stuff, I mean."
Ayita arrives to the Story Tree with a canvas shoulder bag swung over one shoulder. She looks around her, finds Fernando, and walks towards the other Uktena. Aubrey appears from another direction after a few minutes after Ayita's arrival. The Theurge walks directly towards Kaz. "Hey Kaz," she says to the Fostern. "May I have a moment of your attention?"
"Oh! You must pardon me," Cedric purrs to Kaz. "I'm not a rites type of chap, on the whole. Never stumbled across that one. But if you can do what old J.C. did with the dashed loaves and fishes, then be my guest, old fruit."
Kaz is, clearly, delighted with Cedric. She might talk to him just to keep him talking, save for Aubrey's interruption. "Cool," she tells Cedric, and looks over at the Uktena. "Yo?"
Salem enters the clearing, pausing at its boundary to remove his sunglasses and hook them over the neck of his undershirt. His body language is very still, very controlled, his expression schooled into aloof neutrality as he surveys the gathering.
Yi arrives as the others are coming in, chatting with the Gaian elder, Stacey. Seeing the fair turnout brings a smile to her face, and the pair find a spot to sit and observe. Yi, in particular, looks towards Kaz with her large bag. A smile flits over her lips. She looks a bit excited.
Fernando regards Ayita expresisonlessly for a moment, then offers her a sudden flash of a grin and makes room for her in his chosen patch, well away from most of the others.
Brightside comes slinking in rather sleek and stealthfully almost along with a sizable group, more behind them. He sits in the shade and watches silently.
As the Garou of Hidden Walk gather, Jacob remains off in the outskirts of the clearing. He's pacing back and forth, shoulders rising and falling with tense apprehension. It would be clear to any who saw him, whether wearing their homid or lupus forms, that the Galliard looks deathly nervous. A hand constantly runs through his shaggy locks as he recites to himself with inaudible murmurs.
Found is alone for the moment in the grass near the tree, but the wolf seems content, tail wagging happily behind him as he watches others come to hear the stories.
Culls-The-Herd makes her arrival with little fan-fare, overly large in to hispo form. Following her is a stranger.
Aubrey leans towards Kaz, saying something quietly to the woman before taking a step back and seeing what the Galliard thinks of this idea.
Cedric places the hamper down carefully, and beams around at the gathering crowd, all white even teeth and firm chin.
Kaz regards Aubrey, then nods. "Sounds good. I got a few other big ones I wanna do, too, but that one's... real necessary."
Kavi follows Vera into the clearing, taking it all in as somewhat overwhelming. He carries a guitar case in his left hand, and a canvas bag is slung over one shoulder. He seems to breathe a little easier when he spots some familiar faces, and offers Kaz, and then Jacob, a brief grin.
The Galliard Uktena takes a step over to Fernando and settles in the patch of grass beside him. "Osiyo," the woman greets her tribemate. "I have a story tonight," she says with a broad grin.
Culls-The-Herd shifts into her birth form and looks around, before approaching the clearly nervous Jacob. "Hello," she greets pleasantly.
Sun Clencher ghosts in, pausing briefly, one paw raised, in surprise at the number of people. Then she joins her tribemates, in relief.
Aubrey dips her head and smiles to Kaz. "Excellent," she retorts, "I would be more than happy to retell it to the Sept."
Fernando's teeth flash again. "Ari? Kusa," he replies to Ayita, with delighted approval. The presence of another of his Tribe seems to have relaxed him somewhat, but he continues to ignore the others save for the constant, darting glances of suspicion.
Jacob returns a nervous smile to the Walker, Kavi, as he spots him. As he turns to pace once more, his hands fuss into his pockets as if scrambling to find something that is not there, and then Vera addresses him in greeting. He turns quickly, nodding to her, "Vera-rhya. Hi. We got a good turnout, it seems." And yet he looks anything but pleased about that.
"Everybody loves a good story," observes Cedric genially, slipping his hand inside his own hamper and withdrawing a chicken pate vol-au-vent which he nibbles on decorously.
Fat-Ripper comes in to the clearing, accompanied at this time not only by her bag but also by a whole sledge of things. It's all tied to the back of an upturned picnic table, the dragging of which has cost her many calories and exertions; she drags it in only to the very edge of the clearing, and stands there with haggard breath, watching the Garou there with anxious anticipation.
Lefty strolls into the area of the story tree holding a grocery bag in her good arm. Aja trails after. The Gnawer wears a mischievous grin and looks around for the sullen Gaian galliard. She spies him and heads that way, gesturing for Aja to follow.
Kaz quite visibly brightens at Olga's appearance. "Dude!" she shouts. "Let's get this goin', whaddya say? C'mon, lay it all out up here!"
"You'll do fine, Jacob," Vera says soothingly to the nervous Gaian. "I have asked Kavi to help you in discovering more about the Dancers."
Slipping into the area, Aja looks over the crowd for a specific face as she follows along Lefty, her own grin set easily on her lips. When Lefty spies him, Aja moves along with the Bone Gnawer to the spot. "Nice turn out."
Ayita reaches over to touch Sun Clencher while shifting the canvas bag off her shoulders and onto the ground. "Osiyo, Lara." she greets. She reaches into her bag and takes out a few apples, which she then offers to her tribemates.
Kavi turns as he hears his name, and his lips draw tight together. He doesn't approach, but nods to Jacob, confirming what Vera has said.
Nutcracker hops onto Homid feet and trots over to Olga. "Need a hand?" she offers. "Or is the table going there?"
Salem remains aloof at the edge of the gathering, thumbs hooked loosely into the front pockets of his black jeans, playing the observer.
Found looks over to the food, smelling it as he wags happily, nose in the air. His ears folded back, Found seems like a happy wolf, waiting his turn for something tasty to gnaw on.
Jacob's attention is on the alpha, but he does notice the incoming Ragabash Duo. He gives the Adren a somewhat more relaxed nod at the news she gives him, "That's great, I look forward to having his help. Glad he found you before this thing started too." The Gaian nods to Walker once more, before turning a quick glance to Lefty and Aja. "Excuse me, I need to lay down some house rules." He takes that moment to slip toward his soon-to-be packmates. "Hey guys." Oh yes, the Gaian looks like a nervous wreck. "Don't.. don't do anything.. you know, troublesome."
Fred reaches the edge of the clearing near Salem. The scarred Walkers gets a leery look, as the old wolf scoots around him.
Seeing Olga, Aubrey waves towards the Bone Gnawer elder. The woman shakes her head as she watches quietly from one side of the Story Tree, observing those gathering. She looks across at Salem when he enters and crosses her arms. "Haven't kicked the bucket yet, Salem?" the Fianna calls across to him with a teasing grin.
Lefty looks at Jacob like he just stabbed her in the chest. "US?!" she says, feigning true hurt. She pulls a bottle of Jack Daniels from the back. "For after," she tells him. "But maybe now I'll keep it myself."
Yi catches sight of Salem when Aubrey calls him out, her brief conversation with the Gaian elder ending with a small fade out. Rubbing a hand on the back of her neck, the ragabash diverts her gaze elsewhere to look around at the more incoming. Olga's appearance gets a faint but evident smile.
Reggie wonders up on one of the well-used paths to the story tree, until he's halted by an upside-down picnic table. He stops, bemusedly studying the sledge.
The picnic table is laden with garbage bags, like Santa's sleigh if he'd taken 3/4 of the year off. The runner's beneath it are makeshift and close to collapsing, and so the Theurge welcomes Nutcracker's help, with a tired chuff, even though, in the brief rising of her ruff, it's obvious that she's, while grateful, at least a little unsure of the woman's offer. Even so, she's very careful not to move too quickly as she pushes the picnic table towards the centre of the clearing, and begins to unload, garbage bag by garbage bag.
Scanning over the crowd, Aja takes a moment before she blinks back towards Lefty and Jacob at Jacob's words. She frowns and moves to nudge Lefty's shoulder, "So I guess we should have left the rotten tomatoes back at the farmhouse." At the sight of the Jack Daniels, well, suffice to say Aja has one of her trademark beaming grin on. Ooooh yea.
Kaz starts rummaging in her bags. She produces several picnic blankets, and sets, over on one of them, off to the side a bit, several dead geese, a pigeon or three, and a cat or two. (For the lupus among us, of course.) On another blanket, she sets a plethora of bagels, breads, cookies, and pastries, chocolate, lemon, sprinkled, and otherwise. Some aren't even sugary. There's a thought. Also, there is a frostinged birthday cake. (It reads, 'Hippy barthday, Derlene?', which would probably be why it was rejected.) On a third blanket, she sets quite a few McDonald's bags, Taco Bell, some Wendy's bags, and the produce of a few other fast food emporiums, like Yin Ten Chop Suey. She also lays out candy bars, Doritos, jerky, Cheetos, nuts, a few sausage and egg sandwiches, and other convenience store goodies. She rummages in yet another bag and comes up with a few roast chickens, and quite a few baked potatoes, along with smoked salmon, some canned seafoods, fresh veggies and fruits, and a few canned veggies. Also, a pizza or two. And some mozzarella sticks.
Ruth quietly lends a hand as directed or as seems most useful, opting for Glabro after testing the weight of some of the bags.
Found sniffs the air happily, shifting his weight from side to side as the lupus starts a slow belly crawl towards where all the food is. Apparently the scents wafting about is driving him wild.
Cedric moves the wicker hamper he brought over to join the other food, and throws the lid open revealing a large quantity of rather high-class picnic-type food and nibbles. One might suspect the guiding hand of Lucey in this, and one would be right.
Kavi sticks to the edge of the clearing, just watching for now. His attention stays mostly on those he knows, though it wanders over the others from time to time.
Kaz also produces some beer, other beer, a third kind of beer, and Coke. A lot of Coke.
Fred pads over to Kaz, standing to one side and just behind her as she unloads the food.
A large black bird makes an appearance, flying in on silent wings and finding a perch near the top of the story tree.
Jacob grins faintly at his companions as he waits for things to get rolling, "Yes, you two." Another sigh is expelled as the food spread is set out, and a rather green color washes over his features. "Christ that is a lot of food..."
Kaz glances up at the bird, and produces a plastic bag out of her pocket, dumping its (somewhat oderiferous) contents next to the geese.
Brightside gives a look up at the bird in the tree, himself a silent and watchful observer rather than a direct participant. He even leaves the free food alone... for now.
Lefty watches the food being brought out, her eyes widening to the point of bulging. "Gnawer heaven," she states. The Jack Daniels is tucked back in its bag and put away for later, and she wanders to the food, trying to decide what to pick at first. The bird gets her attention, but it can only distract her briefly from the food.
Ruth seems more inclined to help set things out than to actually eat anything.
Found eventually makes his way to the edge of the food, closer to the fast food then anything else, but he sits there and sniffs at it all happily, mouth watering as his tongue hangs out. He dosn't touch yet...he's only a cub.
Fernando accepts the offer of an apple from his Tribemate, but does not even seem interested by the other food on offer.
Kaz tells Lefty, "Not yet, I gotta do the Sevens first." She rummages in one of the last bags, getting a ham, some more fish, various different kinds of cheeses, deli meats, curious oddities from other countries, knives, forks, and (not quite as important in this company) a can opener.
Lefty blinks at Kaz, grinning and stepping back.
Fat-Ripper's selection of comestibles is more obvious and more easy, as is evidenced by the clink of glass and plastic as she and Ruth pull the picnic table along. The food is unimpressive: there's as much bread as one could want to eat, of every kind one could want, from sourdough to rye to pumpernickel, most not more than a day old; there's vegetables and fruits, as much as the Gnawer could stuff in a bag, tomatoes and lettuce and papaya; and there's not much beyond that, a couple slices of salami, with unpleasant looking detritus attached to it. What she manages to bring is liquor, letting it clatter out of the bag: there's a cheap bottle of vodka and a cheap bottle of bourbon and a cheap bottle of rum, each of them not more than half filled, and a full but half-sized bottle of rye, the pride of the group, apparently. There's three bottles left in a case of S.P.A., stuck in the cardboard, and apparently a bottle of sambucca's broken and washed over all the others, leaving a nasty, sticking, licoricey smell and feel to the rest of the bottles. Fat-Ripper grunts in annoyance when she sees the spill, but, nothing she can do, she merely gives Ruth a quick nod of thanks, and lurches back a couple steps, her mood not good.
Ruth finishes what she can do to help, then seeks out a patch of grass to rub her hands on and clean off the stickiness from the bottles.
The metis sets to arranging a few things, and then steps back. She sets her flute up quickly, and starts playing, for long enough for her to get lost in the music. At which point she brings herself back from that edge, and the melody, up until now a jazz/blues combo, melds into 'Food Glorious Food' from Oliver. And then, she starts to sing, as some things start multiplying and expanding.
Is it worth the waiting for, if we live til 24,
all we ever get is Wyyy-rm
Ev'ry day we sit and view, hope that they will change the
meeeen...u!
Still we get the same old Wyyyy-rm.
There is not a crust, not a crumb can we find,
Can we beg, can we borrow, or cadge,
But there's nothing to stop us from getting a thrill
When we all close our eyes and imag...ine
Food, glorious food!
Grilled hot dogs and relish
While we're in the mood --
Cold Jello and mustard.
new roast beef and steak tips,
What next is the question?
Rich Silver Fangs have it folks, In-di-gestion!
Her voice is not by any means perfect, but it is a pleasant alto, and it certainly gets the point across, as she finishes the song, to the accompaniment of rather more food than when she started.
Cedric almost chokes on his glass of mineral water at that last line.
Yi just manages to keep from laughing with the song and keeping herself attuned to the rite. But when the food starts to multiply, and the lyrics reach her ears, she covers her mouth with her hands.
Found sneezes and barks happily.
Kavi watches, awed by the results.
Fred's attention is clearly focused on all the bottles that are being unloaded. His attention leaves the spread Kaz is laying out, as he heads straight for the bottles. He grabs the nearly full Rye bottle in his jaws and moves a short distance away with it.
Kaz calls, "Hey, Fred, before you do all that, can I ask y't'like, judge?"
Salem arches one thick black eyebrow, and his lips quirk into an amused little smirk. When Kaz is finished, the Glass Walker applauds lightly and without irony.
Ruth oogles. There can be no other word to describe her reaction. Fernando, on the other hand, seems less than impressed.
Jacob remains standing, watching and listening to Kaz as she sings. He grins at it, but remains otherwise focused on keeping, well, focused.
The Fianna Theurge looks up as the black bird flies over their heads and lands at the top perch of the Story Tree. Aubrey squints her eyes. "Its that Val?" she asks no one in particular. The Fianna leans over to snatch up some of the food that Kaz had brought with her, apparently the Fianna has no issues with where the food /actually/ came from. At the comment from the Fostern, she drops the bag back down again. "The Gnawers sure do know the meaning of a 'family gathering'," the Fianna says outloud. Then, she giggles at Kaz's song and claps her hands together. "Bravo!"
Ayita doesn't look the least bit interested in the food that the Gnawers have brought with them. She takes a large bite out of her apple and watches the others in silence.
Fat-Ripper's attention is focused on the ritual, for the first few moments, her ears splayed intently, her nose at the air like she might smell the magic in it. It's only Fred's actions that snap her from her reverie of spirit and ritual: ~Remember to judge the meal as is fair, Philodox,~ she snaps at the man as she snatches her jug. ~Not as your addictions hold you.~ The derision in the adjunction is obvious, as her lips slip back from her teeth.
Cedric recovers, sets his glass down and applauds politely. "Bravo. Jolly clever," he says to the woman who is still quite plainly a stranger to him.
Kaz basks in that accent. "I'm Kaz, by the way. Bone Gnawer Galliard, in case it wasn't obvious. Member've Vendetta, Fostern, an' metis."
Found grins and looks about, the lupus wagging his tail as he seems to give in, and suddenly has a bag of burger king in his jaws, suddenly the lupus moving off to find a place to sit in the grass with his newly gotten gains.
Lefty grabs a slice of pizza before it gets cold, cheese gooing out in long stripes as she munches. "that's good," she says around the mouthful, moving along the tables to the coke.
Jacob looks down to the Gnawer at his side, and as the cheese oozes out from her mouthfuls, he quite nearly loses his stomach. A hand comes up and he hurries his attention back on the events in front of him, rather than the food.
"Cedric Ambermere, Silver Fang galliard," parenthesises the bearer of that name to Kaz. "Fostern homid and member of Havoc the glorious." He lifts his glass in a brief toast to the organiser of the event.
Reggie follows along behind the makeshift sledge, and soon enough his curiosity about the contents gets quenched. After a long hesitation over the bottles, he leaves Olga's table untouched to head over to Kaz's pile of food, snatching some of the jerky and greeting the Galliard.
Fred was trying to slink off a short distance with his newly claimed alcohol. He places it on the ground and shifts into his birth form. Scratching at his tangled beard, he picks up the bottle and heads over to Kaz. "Alright, I'm 'ere." Olga's little outburst causes the Philodox to snarl back at her, yellowed teeth flashing her her direction.
Kaz says, with a small grin, "No snarling in homid. So...?" The question hangs, interested.
Lefty blinks, wiping her greasy mouth with the sleeve of her ruined arm. "What? what'd I do?" she asks Aja.
Aubrey picks up one of the fast-food bags and a coke for herself before looking for a spot to settle herself in for the next few hours or so of stories.
Ruth seems a little hesitant about just starting straight on in with food still. She does squeak with delight on spotting something among the offerings, however. She pounces, and lifts out a box of plain crackers and a small brown jar, retreating to a free spot with her 'kill'.
Trying her best not to laugh, Aja leans over towards Lefty, "I think Shaggy over there is developin' sea legs." She returns, "Or something of that sort. Pass me the fries before they snag it all."
Lefty snags the fries and hands em to Aja. In doing so, she spies some donut holes, and with a grunt the box is grabbed and tucked under her arm for later.
Found tips the bag over where he sits with it, before he pokes his head in. Tail wagging behind the lupus, some ripping noises can be heard from inside his fast food bag before his head reappears with a patty of greasy Burger King burger held in his jaws, mustard and ketchup smothered on his nose.
Fat-Ripper's grin back is near vicious: blame the almost full moon, if you like. She watches the Philodox with avid attention, impatient for the verdict, and the stories, to start. She crouches low against the ground.
Cedric continues munching cheese straws and chicken vol au vents, interspersing nibbling with beaming at all and sundry to the extent that one wonders whether his glass contains only mineral water.
Fred grumbles low in the back of his throat, then walks past Olga and goes after all the food she brought. Walking away with one of the fresher loaves of bread, he moves over to the pile of food provided by Kaz. When he is done inspecting that mound, he comes away with a roast chicken. With chicken, alcohol, and bread as prizes, the Philodox gives his verdict. "Ya both managed tao bring lotsa food, but Kaz 'er brought more stuff an' clearly worked harder at gettin' stuff. I'm gonna say she wins."
Yi twists her gaze from one Gnawer contestant to the other. With the verdict, she lowers her hand from her covered mouth. And having not touched a thing brought until the challenge results is declared, her response is just a very loud gurgle of her stomach.
Kaz gives Fred a sincere kind of smile, and mutters, "Rock on." She finally fetches some food for herself-- McDonald's, and some smoked salmon-- and settles at the base of the tree again. "OK, so this isn't actually a Moot, so I'm not howling or anything. But this is a Galliard gatherin', so before we do stories, if anyone--" Her gaze rests on the Galliards present, first-- "Has news they want to share, please do."
Lefty watches the older Gnawer make his inspections and then declare a victory. Lifting her good hand in the are, she lets out a loud cheer. Unfortunately, the Jackal's Voice renders it a spine-chilling squawk. wincing at herself, she decides to shut up and munch a fry or two.
Fat-Ripper moves readily but not fast. There's neither acquiescence in her gait, nor agreement, but there is respect, and she lopes towards the Fostern Gnawer with bowed head. Mutely, halfway there, she accepts the decision, holds for a second still, and then just as dejectedly she moves off back to the point she'd originally occupied. Only then, when she's there, does she deign to howl.
While the Gnawer Challenge is being judged, Vera makes her way over to Cedric and his food. "That's an interesting looking pastry," she comments quietly. Up in the tree, two more black birds make an appearance. One considerably smaller then the other two.
Kavi watches the procedings from his place out of the way, but when Kaz asks for news, he turns to look at Jacob, brow raised.
Jacob looks around at Kaz's opening, and then lifts a hand up. "I do Kaz. It'll be brief, but it's important." He clears his throat, and at least in this task, shrugs all manner of nerves from his being. He steps toward the Metis Gnawer and gives a nod, waiting for her to give him the go ahead.
Found looks for a moment about, before looking to Kaz, seeming to have something to say as he lets his hamburger hit the ground. He stands up, but waits to be called on.
Aubrey looks over Kaz and Okga, her pieced brow inching up. "This was an elder challenge?" she asks, appearing out of the loop. Then, she waves enthusiastically to Yi, urging her to sit near the Theurge.
Kaz nods at Jacob, then Matt.
Kaz also grins at Aubrey. "We're unique."
Salem's gaze flicks over to Lefty at the sound of the Gnawer's distinctively-Jackaly noise and studies her for a second or two, his expression impassive.
Fat-Ripper howls long and loud.
From Around the Story Tree, Fat-Ripper can be heard to howl, ~Bone Gnawers, those who are of the Sept of the Hidden Walk, know this: Ears-to-the-Ground is your new Elder. She won the challenge, and you must follow her, as much as you followed me.~ A little more quietly, a little less obviously, with a little more amusement, she adds, ~As much as you followed me, at least.~~
A jaunty whistle filters from the forest bordering the western edge of the clearing. Some of the Garou may or may not recognize the tune of 'Oh, Suzanna', beneath all the sounds of noshing and talking and howling.
Cedric sets down his glass again and applauds Kaz heartily. "'Ray, 'ray for Kaz!" he calls out.
Fred takes his chicken, bread, and booze off to one side and digs in.
Cedric sets down his glass again and applauds Kaz heartily. "'Ray, 'ray for Kaz!" he calls out. Then he turns to Vera. "Cheese straws of old England," he says to the alpha happily. "Lucey makes 'em. Do help yourself. Greatest in station, what?" He waves a gracious hand at the hamper.
Yi winces too, with the squeak coming from Lefty. She glances over at her fellow ragabash with a grimace of sympathy, and catches then the wave from Aubrey. Excusing herself briefly from Stacey's position, she heads over towards the food to grab up some of that smoked salmon and a slice of pizza, before heading towards the Fianna. The birds up in the tree get a small glance as Olga howls, but nothing too scrutinizing. Words are staved off with a bite of her pizza slice, and Yi looks beyond Aubrey for a moment into the woods at the song.
Jacob looks around a those gathered and waits for the group to settle into their pastries and wrappers and meats. His posture comes upright as he gathers in a deep breath. "Many of our Galliards have already been told, but this welcoming turn out is a great avenue to further spread the information. Jacinta has returned! She has returned and upon the full moon she will share with all those who follow The Ways, what she has gained. All those that would see the Caern strengthened and revitalized, all those who would call themselves Gaia's Warriors are welcome. Do not let laziness or quarrel keep us from doing what Gaia commands of us! This is vital to the strength of our caern and sept, vital to our survival in this war. Come on the full moon."
Kaz puts in, "Which is to say, t'morrow."
Vera crouches down and rummages though the hamper, selecting a few small items and a drink. "My thanks, Cedric. I find my myself hungry all the time, these days."
Salem's attention shifts away from Lefty as Jacob makes his announcement. Black eyebrows jump, reaching toward his hairline.
Lefty turns to listen to Jacob, eyes narrowed and curious. "Huh," she says, biting into a burger she snared as well.
Ruth joins in the congratulations offered to Kaz. At Jacob's announcement she nods, although it does not seem to be a surprise to her. Then she dunks a corner of her plain dry cracker into her brown jar of brown gunk before nibbling it with every indication of pleasure.
Vera frowns faintly, looking troubled.
Fat-Ripper's Crinos ears are keen enough to hear Vera's comment, and it draws from her a rebuttal: perhaps she's freer released from the bounds of eldership, or perhaps she's merely testy. ~What?~ she asks, sharply enough to carry but quiet and withdrawn enough that it need brook no answer. ~Our food's not good enough for y'?~
Among his Tribemates, Fernando remains aloof, showing no reaction to the words flying around.
At the western edge of the clearing, the whistling dies down and a tall, dark-skinned woman with dreadlocks steps out of cover like she's on a stroll in her own backyard, thumbs hooked in pockets. She stops as her boots reach the fallen-needle carpet of the clearing and leans a shoulder against the nearest tree, watching. The smell of burnt tobacco drifts vaguely from her direction.
Sun Clencher sends a little bark-howl of approval up at Jacob's news.
"You've come to the jolly old right place," Cedric begins in reply to Vera. "Food galore here, for every palate. Nobody goes hungry tonight thanks to Lucey and these good Gnawer folk here." He cocks his head sideways as another stranger enters.
Aubrey watches Yi, glancing in the direction that the Ragabash is direction her attention to before beginning to munch on a few fries that appear from the bag. The Fianna pulls a flask out of her pocket and gestures it at the Asian woman. "Take a whiff of this," she indicates to the bottle which contains a potent fairy brew. She then is quiet when she listens to the announcement.
Found waits to be allowed to speak, before he nods and changes forms to the of the glabro, before seeming to notice at last the condiments on his face. With a quick wipe of his hand to get it off, he looks about and says "I bring three things of news to share among my elders of my auspice. In importance, I note that the Uktena known as Lara has passed her rite of passage, and is now known as ~Clenchs-the-Sun~." He struggles with the name in glabro, but continues on. "She has held onto the river of her rage, and controled it when it burned most like the sun. The spirits have made thier choice known, hail to the newest Cliath. Gaia guard her, Luna guide her, and may the Wyrm submit to her." He pauses before he continues on, "I am currently trying to find a new place for the antlers of the great spirit stag Ciancarw. His strength is one garou should look up to, and to leave the antlers as they are would be disrespect to such a spirit. I'm looking for suggestions, and ideas, moreso with the Theurges help." then he pauses, and adds in, not so bold, "And, I'm seeking a tribe. Any elder intrested, I would love to speak to." Moments later, the glabro returns to lupus, tail curling around his side.
Kavi notes the arrival of the woman with a smile and a nod. One stranger more or less makes no difference to him.
The young Galliard Uktena shifts in her seat and pats the top of Sun Clencher's head as she sits beside her tribemate, and what looks to be also her closest friend.
Sun Clencher looks faintly surprised at Matt, but also pleased.
Fernando still doesn't react much to the words, although he does straighten at the mention of Sun Clencher's name, and give her a fierce and proud smile.
Salem's expression is pursed, thoughtful; his brows have furrowed. Out of the corner of his eye he notices the dreadlocked newcomer, then abruptly double-takes, snapping his gaze over to her with obvious recognition. The aloof, neutral mask slips, betraying astonishment, disbelief. Then, with a pleased, thin little grin, he makes his way over to her.
Kaz looks around again, gaze stopping on the woman Salem is going towards. Her eyes widen, and she gives her a small wave, but rather than saying anything else, just looks to Ruth. "You're up."
Salee hanging as far back from the crowd as she can manage. A perpetual wallflower. Sure, she was invited along, but the girl still doesn't feel as though she belongs. The apprehensive look on her face is absolutely unmistakable. Apprehensive, and maybe even a little afraid. She all but clutches the tree she leans against.
Sun Clencher tilts her head up at Fernando, lolling her tongue a bit.
Ruth looks at the dreadlocked stranger with a puzzled frown, then relaxes as Salem appears to recognise her with probably the happiest expression the young Gaian has ever seen on the older half-moon's face. As Kaz speaks to her, it takes her a few moments to realise that it is she who is being addressed, and she drags her attention back to the gathering. "Me? Oh! Um. Okay."
Taking the warform, Nutcracker settles back on her haunches. A flick of an ear and a twitch of fur reflect her slight nervousness, but this eases as she begins to speak. ~I am Cracks-the-Nut-of-Truth, half-moon of the Children of Gaia. I am not story-moon, but there is at least one story that is mine to tell. I shall tell of how I became Cliath and earned my name.~ Her choice of words is formal, even a little archaic, but not unsuited to the telling of a tale. ~The full tale is long, so I ask your forgiveness now for giving you only the best meat from the bones now.~
Kaz looks on with interest.
Found watches and listens...and apparently, the burger that was in front of him, no longer is.
Sun Clencher sits up a little. Someone else's Rite tale, her tail seems to say.
Yi peers closely at the offered flask, sniffing as noted. Her immediate reaction is to pull back a moment at its strength, and cough. It's after a few blinks that she looks back at the Fianna, a questioning look passed to her.
~The sun was high in the sky when a cub called Trips-Over-Paws was told to seek Runs-the-Gauntlet-rhya at the heart of the Caern of the Hidden Walk,~ Nutcracker continues. ~There, the Gnawer told her that she was being sent on her Rite of Passage, marked her for the journey with the proper Glyphs and words, and told her where she could find what she would need to journey to the place of her Rite. I need not bore you with her journey,~ Nutracker adds, ~for the cub was also bored by it.~ She lifts an arm and gestures away somewhere in the distance. ~Far that way lies the Sept of the Silent Rains. That is where the cub found herself. The Sept there was divided, with two pack alphas each trying to tear out the throat of the other and their packs each supporting their own alpha. It is a small Sept of only three packs and no others, and with two packs at war-~ The half-moon breaks off, and spreads her hands in an eloquent gesture. ~The few half-moons there were of high rank, but were at a loss as to how to stop the fighting other than to demand obedience, and such obedience would only last until another perceived failing or insult sparked another fight. They had asked at other Septs for a wise Philodox to help them. They were sent a mere cub.~
Cedric beams at Found, then divides his attention between Ruth's story, and shooting occasional covert glances at Vera as though trying to fathom why she's so hungry today.
Kaz sucks on her teeth. "Thassa predicament."
~What could a cub do?~ Nutcracker asks, rhetorically. ~A cub cannot demand obedience. A cub has no reputation for wisdom that might encourage other Garou to listen to her advice. Her words drew only anger when she first spoke to the pack alphas. All the cub could see to do next was what she did do. To listen. She listened first to the Sept Alpha, Slipper-rhya, who told of the two packs. One pack, Stormfront, followed Cougar, and was led by the Get of Fenris Ahroun Age-of-Winter, whom most called Freezer. The other pack, the Cracker Jacks, followed Flea and was led by the Fianna Ahroun Crushes-the-Wyrm-Like-Brittle-Bones, whom many called Bo. The two packs had arranged to fight a Wyrm-nest at the edge of the territory of the Cracker Jacks. Stormfront were to lead, and the Cracker jacks were to bring Talens to help, and to be backup for the fight. When Stormfront called to start the fight, the Cracker Jacks did not arrive until the fight had begun to go badly. One of the Cracker Jacks was killed, and the Cracker Jacks forced Stormfront to retreat from the battle, and that is where the argument began.~
Tatt doesn't budge from her spot at the edge of the clearing, and her expression betrays nothing but a fond little smile as she watches the goings-on. Salem's approach gets a full show of teeth and an offer of an outstretched hand, but she stays silent out of respect for the story.
The Gaian half-moon seems to be fairly into her story, now. ~The cub went next to the Cracker Jacks, to listen to their side of the story. At first the alpha spoke only of Freezer-rhya's impatience, and hastiness, and how his stupidity had caused the death of a packmate. But the cub listened more, and Bones-rhya spoke more. The cub learned that the Cracker Jacks had been in the Umbra, asking a spirit for aid in the fight, and so had not heard the call to battle. She learned that the Cracker Jack who died had been with Stormfront and not with the Cracker Jacks when the fight was called. She learned that when it came to the fight, another great Wyrm creature had appeared that they had not found when they had scouted before the fight, and this was why the Cracker Jacks thought it better to retreat and prepare better than to keep fighting. She learned that the Cracker Jacks wished for time to mourn their dead, while Stormfront called them cowards for not hurrying back into battle.~
Sun Clencher listens to this intently, eyebrows going up. So alike, and so different.
Aubrey continues to slowly chew on her fries while listening with interest to Ruth's story. When the Fianna hears some movement behind her, she turns around to see Salem approaching Tatt. Her eyes widen immediately and she waves enthusiastically towards the woman. She remains quiet though, for Ruth's sake, while elbowing Yi.
Lefty grabs a bag of cheetos, too, and finds a place to sit with her loot, munch, and listen to the stories. She invites Aja and Jacob to sit with her. While she eats, she pays attention to the story and its teller, but also of the various people and conversations. The gnawer's attention does wander a bit.
Nutcracker draws a long breath before continuing, ~The cub asked them, did their Totem spirit approve of what they did? And when they said yes, and she could see that they considered their Totem's wishes, she asked them, did Freezer-rhya also consider /his/ Totem's wishes. The pack could see that it had offended Cougar when they made Stormfront retreat. But that alone did not make peace, because the Cracker Jacks still blamed Freezer-rhya for their packmate's death, and Freezer-rhya was showing no sign of taking time to mourn that death quietly. So the cub asked, this Freezer-rhya, is it like him to be quiet and never to avenge a death by rushing into battle against the Wyrm that killed another Garou?~ Nutcracker pauses, and lets the words hang in the air for a moment. Finally, she continues. ~Then the Cracker Jacks stopped snarling, and were willing at last to see through the eyes of Stormfront, even though they knew that Freezer-rhya was not the sort to see things easily through any eyes but his own.~
Despite her statement that she is hungry, Vera merely nibbles at her food as she listens to the stories.
Sun Clencher puts her head down on her paws. Huh.
Salem wordlessly clasps hands with Tatt, the Glass Walker returning the Strider's grin with a toothy one of his own. Then he turns his attention back to Ruth's story, diverting it only to catch Salee's attention with a gesture and beckon her over. His body language is less stiff, less icily controlled.
~The cub thought then that it was time to listen to Stormfront's story,~ Nutcracker goes on, ~and so she was led to them, taking with her a message from the Cracker Jacks- for Stormfront to join them in battle against the Wyrm, and this time to finish the fight. The cub listened to Stormfront. She heard that Stormfront felt the Cracker Jacks had not defended their territory well enough against the Wyrm, allowing a nest to grow so close to their borders. She learned that it was the one of the Cracker Jacks with them who had come across the new Wyrm creature, and had been killed by it. She learned that Stormfront knew they were losing the fight and were likely to all die, and that they were all determined to fight on to the end. She learned of Cougar's great anger at them for having been made to retreat, even by force. She learned that Freezer-rhya thought the Cracker Jacks too slow and cautious for a pack of war, even one that followed Flea. But she also learned that there were those among each pack who had once been friends with those of the other pack.~
~Then the cub reminded Stormfront that the Cracker Jacks were to bring Talens, and asked them if they had known if these were ready or would need time to make,~ Nutcracker says. ~The cub was a little impatient herself, though. She forgot to listen, and to see the changes her words might make, and whether perhaps the pack themselves would start to understand the reason for the Cracker Jack's late arrival at the fight. She told them a little too quickly that the Cracker Jacks had not heard the call to battle because they were in the Umbra, making ready. It made Freezer-rhya angry, instead of helping him to think beyond his own mind. Yet, one of Freezer-rhya's packmates, the Theurge Tina, who told Freezer-rhya then that they had all known Freezer-rhya would not give enough time for preparation, and that one of the Cracker Jacks had stayed with Stormfront for just that reason, so that the Cracker Jacks would have warning even if they did not hear Freezer-rhya's signal.~ Nutcracker pauses, her _expression a little sad, a little wry. ~It was not Freezer-rhya's way to show remorse, nor to be pleased to have his impatience shown as a fault. But rather than try to persuade one who would persuade /himself/ better, in time, the cub then chose to give the message from the Cracker Jacks, to see if the packs could now start to heal the wound between them by fighting side by side. And the cub announced that she too would join them in battle.~
Jacob finally takes a seat beside the two Ragabash. He's focusing on the stories though, and in that, his own tension has been temporarily misplaced as his interest locks on the words her hears before him.
Sun Clencher whuffles at this last statement, in evident approval.
Cedric leans forward, snagging another cheese straw, listening to the saga unfold, rapt.
Nutcracker takes another breath. ~The packs did not leap at one another's throats when they met again,~ she says. ~Although they growled. They growled a little more when the cub was asked, who should be leader, and the cub decided that as this was a fight to continue and not a new fight, the leader should not be challenged and Freezer-rhya was therefore still alpha, but still they did not fight each other. They crossed into the Umbra, and there the Wyrmthing known as a Dratossi tried to snare them with lying visions. They fought free inside their minds, in time to save themselves from another death, and began the fight in body. The Dratossi was a huge beast within a pit, purple and black and horrible, with claws like a crab, and the ground all around sloped so as to draw any nearby towards the pit. Four Banes were with it, rushing to join the fight.~
Found eventually gets partly through his burger king bag, before he makes his way over to where booze is. Sniffing about and avoiding the bottles with the spilled alcohol scent, he picks through and finds a bottle of orange flavored vodka, to which the wolf closes his jaws around and returns to where he was.
~The ground beneath the Garou started to give way,~ Nutcracker continues, tensely. ~It drew them closer to the pit, as the banes closed on them and the Dratossi's claws attacked them. The cub was helped free by one of the Cracker Jacks, Sinker, but then turned back to catch another of the pack as she was wounded and fell, and helped pull her free too. The battle against the Dratossi was one for greater warriors than a mere cub, a fight for the Ahroun who had already seen many many fights. The cub did what she could, looking away from the fight she could not help with and guarding the wounded Garou, and she saw one of the Banes leaping towards her, it's mouth ringed with rows of teeth. And then the cub did fight, blocking that gaping mouth with her own arm, clawing at it, with her weight dragging on the Wyrmspirit to slow it down- and she was not alone, as Sinker also came to help. Even so, she was badly hurt, and the pain was too much, and it became dark for her.~ Nutcracker's voice hushes with awe. ~And through the darkness came Unicorn, galloping through fog, nodding her head with approval. And Unicorn lowered her head and touched her horn to the cub's shoulder, and there was fire and burning pain... and then... quiet.~
Sun Clencher gives a triumphant little yelp at the mention of Unicorn.
There is a silence, and then Nutcracker speaks in more normal tones. ~The cub woke, but she was no longer a cub. The Silent Rains thanked her, for Stormfront and the Cracker Jacks were able to fight together when the need was there, even if there would always be difficulties between the children of Cougar and the children of Flea. Each at least could see that there was a place for both in war. The new Cliath was named Cracks-the-Nut-of-Truth, as there had been hard skulls to see into. That is the story of Nutcracker, and that is the end.~
Sun Clencher's yelp turns into a brief, triumphant howl.
Found gives his own yip before making his layered howl of triumph. Hail the newest of Gaia's warriors. No longer a cub, but a warrior!
Tatt tones her grin down an octave and settles deeper into her lean against the tree, completely at ease next to one of the sept's least-ease-causing Garou. She turns her attention back to the storytelling cub, but also scans the gathered faces surreptitiously. As the tale ends, she claps out a firm six-beat applause.
Cedric listens to the story end with a smile. Then, about ten seconds after everyone else at the moot, the penny drops for him that Ruth has been telling her own story, and he breaks into applause again. "Bravo! Jolly decent tale! And a jolly decent garou too, what?"
Salee doesn't notice Salem's gesture at first, her eyes wandering the gathering, trying to soak everything in. Finally, she scurries quickly to Salem's side, eyes questioning.
Brightside gives a chuff of pleasure at hearing the story, a definite approval.
Yi, having stopped to listen to the story in its full, actually lets out a light laugh at the end of it. "A clever name for a half moon," she remarks.
Brightside also looks over to Tatt most obviously every now and again, for any who seem to notice him at all, another Strider being there as he is obviously is worthy of his attention.
Lefty applauds in the best way she can. This time she keeps her mouth closed--around her current munch of Cheetos--and instead slaps her thigh several times with her good hand.
Salem makes an abortive introduction between his newest student and one of his oldest friends. "Sally, Tatt. She bites, but only occasionally." Only a minor smirk betrays the Walker's dry sense of humor.
Fernando listens impassively to the story until the description of the fight. He pays more attention to that, his expression dour but his nod at the end reflecting grudging approval, but he does not join the applause.
Jacob gives a hearty cheer to the tale from the young Galliard, smiling and nodding his approval.
Kavi smiles as the tale completes, and the smile eventually becomes a broad grin.
Kaz says, "Awright, so I'm up next." She scans the gathering, looking for one person in particular. Finding him, she goes on, "I ain't tellin' big huge stories this time. I'm gonna talk about the Ice King sometime in the next couple months, or the time Wyld changed the Caern from flat to the way it is now. But this time, 'cause Ruth just talked about getting her Rite name and all, I just wanna talk about how my packmate's name changed." Kaz glances toward Reggie again, grinning just slightly. "He used t'be Rags Torn To Rags, which I never asked him about, but didn't seem to be... somethin' completely happy. So now he's Snakepatcher, an' I'm here t'tell y'all why." There's a pause and she adds, "Briefly."
Stacey, though silent, also gives her newest cliath tribemate a big grin. She mouths out a 'good job!' at her.
Lefty snickers quietly to herself at Kaz and Reggie, munching the Cheetos like they were popcorn and she at a movie.
Kaz goes on, "Back when I was mostly living in Portland for awhile, Reggie found a Purity Spirit. I don't actually know why or how, I just know he did. When he tol' me th' story, he said it was lost, and that he'd promised to take it home. So durin' the spring, he and my pack-- Kev there, and Morgan, who ain't around lately-- decided to do just that. They went over to the Shadow, an' started trekkin'. Went over hill, over dale--" Her voice briefly takes the tune of the old song, there-- "and up this big assed mountain. That... never ended. Given what I know of the Umbra, that makes sense, reallly. Anyway, he said they had an adventure or two, although he didn't specify what the heck /that/ meant, and then... They got to the Aetherial Realm." Here she stops, briefly, voice full of awe.
"Congratulations!" Aubrey calls out to the newly rited cliath after her story is told. She sips on her soda while easing back with her elbows in the grass behind her. Then, to Kaz's announcement of her story, the Theurge gives a thumbs-up towards Reggie and a smile.
Yi looks, well, puzzled at Kaz. "Aetherial Realm?"
Tatt smiles down at Salee with a wry motion like she's tipping a hat. Salem gets a light cuff in the shoulder with a tattooed fist, and then she lifts a finger to motion for silence. Not unlike a tall, Garou librarian.
Salee keeps her hand to herself, given this tidbit of information. She nods to Tatt in greeting. Not a word.
The ragged-wolfskin wearer chews on dried jerky as he listens to announcements and stories, taking a moment before he realizes Kaz is now talking about him, and Reggie raises his maimed right hand in a wave to the crowd.
Cedric lifts his hand to his brow and salutes Reggie, acknowledging his wave.
Found tilts his head, he listens quietly as he works the cap off the vodka bottle, spilling a bit before he quickly begins to lap at it. Watching the others as he seems to enjoy the orange flavored taste.
Kaz answers Yi's question by description. "My pack went to the freakin' Aetherial Realm and I didn't get to go!" says Kaz, fond envy leaking out of every pore. "Also, the only one I've been able to get the story out of is Reggie, and /he/ just said it's full of stars. Which, yes. The whole /point/ of the Aetherial Realm is that it's full of stars-- it's the home of Phoebe, it's the home of Hyperion, it's--" She gestures, bringing her hands together, then flinging them apart. "It's... an infinite plain of heavenly light, of /course/ it's full of stars. And yeah, sure, all moon bridges go through it, but that just /ain't the same/ as bein' in the place an' bein' able to explore."
Ayita looks rather bored and has generally the same body language as those she is sitting among. The Galliard then sits up a little, while she may seem to ingnore Reggie, he is still her tribemate.
Sun Clencher regards Reggie with intense interest. Kaz, not so much.
Yi ahs, tossing a bit of that smoked salmon onto her partly eaten pizza slice. She looks pensive as she listens on, casting a brief glance at Aubrey's stash of liquor.
Brightside is frankly, quite interested in this story. The moment the Aetherial Realm was mentioned he sat up from his laying position and moved forward a foot or two to better get the nuances and details.
Fernando scowls as the story progresses, his attention wondering away to fall on the other interactions going on around the Tree.
Jacob turns his attention between Kas and Reggie, a sincere grin tipping into his features. He seems to be enjoying the tales, settling in comfortably beside Lefty and Aja. In fact, he leans back and ends up kicking his legs out so that his feet shake gently against Lefty's own leg in idle twitch.
Found shifts to homid as he grabs the bottle and bag in front of him and scoots among the grass closer, before tilting his head back and taking a nice gulp of the vodka, and seeming to hold it in his mouth, eyes wide.
She shakes her head, smiling wistfully. "Anyway, so they flailed around for awhile, finding they could walk and all that, although since Morgan's agoraphobic, she wasn't havin' so mcuh fun. Anyway, eventually they met what /Reggie/ says was the fucking Midgard Serpent. Me, I don't buy that, but it certainly was a... goddamn immense dragon, made of stars. Larger than anything ever was or could be. Blindingly bright. It was a little whacko, because it had this missing piece, see... So Reggie told Kevin, who's a lot more limber than Reggie, to go stick the Purity Spirit in there, and, after some jumpin' around and worrisome moments, Kevin did. And lo and behold, it was what the Dragon was missing. So I guess..." Kaz trails off. "I guess they met the spirit of Purity Itself up there."
Cedric's eyes widen at the mention of the Midgard Serpent and he shoots Reggie a look as though hoping that the Uktena will confirm that he's heard aright.
Lefty's mouth hangs open in astonished dis-belief as she stares between Kaz and Reggie.
Yi looks puzzled again, but there's a certain blink of surprise at the Uktena ahroun mentioned. Then it's back to Kaz. Yi chews away and gets a drink from the tables.
Kaz says, "So anyways. Reggie's Snakepatcher now. An' I /really/ enjoy callin' him that." She finds the Uktena again. "Mr. Snakepatcher-yuf." Her glance slides, now, to Cedric.
Aubrey energetically claps her hands for Reggie. "Well done," she proclaims.
Brightside peers with lupine eyes back and forth between storyteller and Reggie, jackal-like ears perked near-impossibly high. The Philodox Strider gives a few chained-together chuffs now, all greatly joyful and appreciative.
Nutcracker forms an incongrous picture, a crinos dipping crackers into a jar of goo and eating them as she listens, very carefully and seriously, to Kaz's story. At the end she looks about, eyes resting briefly on Kaz, on Reggie, and then on the little cluster of Uktena who have kept mostly to themselves, before returning to the gathering in general. She wuffs applause at the end, and nibbles on another cracker.
Jacob lets up a hollar at this, applauding both for the tale, and for the man it was about. He glances toward Reggie with a wide smile, nodding at him in genuine celebration of what was accomplished.
Cedric finishes the last bite of his cheese straw and stands up, applauding Kaz's story, though still glancing at Reggie. "Am I the next act on stage, what?"
The newly renamed Uktena, nearly drilled through with stares, holds his hand up again in a open-palmed wave at the crowd, then briefly, though vigorously, applauds at Kaz.
Matt grins and smiles, finally swallowing the vodka as he glances over to Cedric happily.
Ayita pulls out something from her canvas bag and then disappears into the wood, but not before quietly telling her tribemates that she will return soon.
Kaz says, "Ayup, boss, that's you," to Cedric.
Cedric looks around the gathering of garou. "Well, jolly pleased to see you all here, folks. For those of you who didn't know me before today I'm Cedric Ambermere of the Silver Fangs, a fostern galliard. Now, normally I'd tell a tale in crinos form, because it's the most fittin' form to tell most of our stories in, but for some reason I felt like a bit of a change from the norm, and I'm goin' to stay in this shape. Here's why. Back when I was a little squitty kid and had just been sent away to Harrow, before I Firsted or anythin', they made us read this huge poem in English class. I hated the bally thing at the time. But recently I came across it again and found it was... rather sort of Garou-like in its epic quality and so forth. I guess the lesson is, don't make the mistake of never lookin' at somethin' or someone twice. And here's the poem." He pauses for breath a moment before beginning to read.
Kaz continues to seem smitten by Cedric. Or possibly just his accent.
Fernando grunts, says something quietly to Sun Clencher, then rises to his feet and stalks away into the forest.
Salem tilts his head very slightly, looking quizzical.
Matt watches Cedric, currently...happily buzzed, but he's got a whole ton of vodka in front of him, and not the tolerance built up yet.
Lefty still can't get past the astonishment at Kaz's story and Reggie's tale. But, when Cedric starts to talk, the Gnawer cannot help but playfully mimic the stuff-British-upper lip accent with exaggerated stereo-typed gestures. At least, she does so til she catches Jacob's eyes and is reminded about tonight's 'Rules'. With a scowl, she settles down to eat more Cheetos.
Tatt shifts her weight and folds both tattooed arms loosely across her chest, laserlike attention fixed on the well-dressed Brit.
Yi listens to Cedric carefully too, though looking quite less puzzled at him. Her brows lift in curiosity at his poem.
Salee lets her head tip to one side as she fixes Cedric with her undivided attention. She doesn't even fidget as she usually would.
Cedric begins the poem, reading in a loud, thundering, rhythmic tone.
Lars Porsena of Clusium,
By the Nine Gods he swore,
That the great house of Tarquin
Should suffer wrong no more.
By the Nine Gods he swore it,
And named a trysting day,
And bade his messengers ride forth,
East and west and south and north,
To summon his array.
East and west and south and north
The messengers ride fast,
And tower and town and cottage
Have heard the trumpets blast.
Shame on the false Etruscan
Who lingers in his home,
When Porsena of Clusium
Is on the march for Rome.
The horsemen and the footmen
Are pouring in amain
From many a stately market-place;
From many a fruitful plain;
From many a lonely hamlet,
Which, hid by beech and pine,
Like an eagles nest, hangs on the crest
Of purple Apennine.
Kaz seems to have read this before; she tilts her head just slightly, muttering, "...Huh," as if the connection wouldn't have occurred to her.
Ayita appears from out of the woods, wearing a traditional Cherokee tear dress made out of royal blue material with patchwork diamonds along the shoulders and the bottom of the dress. She has let her dark hair go, which cascades down to her shoulders. It is not very often that one sees a Garou in a dress, much less something as traditional as what the Galliard is wearing.
Matt listens and seems to mimic Kaz. Tilting his head, he just looks plain confused.
Cedric keeps reading, verse after verse, in his rolling voice. Every now and again he scans the audience, as if to gauge their reaction. Or perhaps to make sure they're not falling asleep; the poem may be rousing in one way, but it /is/ rather long. Awfully long, in fact. The tale it tells is of a brave Roman hero who blocks a bridge over a river against an oncoming army.
Hew down the bridge, Sir Consul,
With all the speed ye may;
I, with two more to help me,
Will hold the foe in play.
In yon strait path a thousand
May well be stopped by three.
Now who will stand on either hand,
And keep the bridge with me?
Then out spake Spurius Lartius;
A Ramnian proud was he:
Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,
And keep the bridge with thee.
And out spake strong Herminius;
Of Titian blood was he:
I will abide on thy left side,
And keep the bridge with thee.
Horatius, quoth the Consul,
As thou sayest, so let it be.
And straight against that great array
Forth went the dauntless Three.
For Romans in Romes quarrel
Spared neither land nor gold,
Nor son nor wife, nor limb nor life,
In the brave days of old.
Brightside is listening raptly to the poem, when Ayita arrives however, his attentions shift. His expression unchanging, he none the less drinks in what he sees, ears still perked towards the poem's teller.
Kavi also seems to recognize the poem, and his head bobs slightly in rhythm.
Jacob looks interested and somewhat surprised at the Fangs choice, but not disappointed. He lets out a low sigh of contentment as his eyes close and he lets the very words paint the picture in his mind.
Tatt closes her eyes as she listens, nodding to herself.
Kaz just starts to smile, somewhere in there.
Matt seems to listen and smile too, shifting from side to side happily as he seems to get to the beat of the tale. He dosn't know what rome is, but he knows what the three are doing, fighting off the army.
Salem rocks his weight back onto his heels, head slightly cocked as he listens, his expression attentive but closed.
Lefty looks from her left side to her right, Jacob on one side and Aja on the other. The Gnawer grins wide and leans back to enjoy the poem some more.
Yi narrows her eyes as the names roll off the Silver Fang's tongue. That slightly puzzled look starts to return, but it's largely studying, attentive.
Ayita brushes down her dress with her hands as the black Cherokee woman returns to her spot next to Sun Clencher. Her dress seems to flow with her movements, while listening to the trailing end of Cedric's poetry.
Those who like poetry may enjoy Cedric's recital. Others may find it a longer beyond belief, and the latter class will doubtless be the ones who are relieved when Cedric comes to a crescendo after many more stanzas.
...And in the nights of winter,
When the cold north winds blow,
And the long howling of the wolves
Is heard amidst the snow -- (Cedric pauses and grins here.)
When round the lonely cottage
Roars loud the tempests din,
And the good logs of Algidus
Roar louder yet within;
When the oldest cask is opened,
And the largest lamp is lit;
When the chestnuts glow in the embers,
And the kid turns on the spit;
When young and old in circle
Around the firebrands close;
When the girls are weaving baskets,
And the lads are shaping bows;
When the goodman mends his armour,
And trims his helmets plume;
When the goodwifes shuttle merrily
Goes flashing through the loom;
With weeping and with laughter
Still is the story told,
How well Horatius kept the bridge
In the brave days of old.
He finishes, looks around one last time, sighs, and flashes one more of his gleaming smiles.
[[Cedric pages to the room: And if anyone wants to read the thing in full, here's a URL: http://www.englishverse.com/poems/horatius]]
Aubrey, sitting next to Yi, looks a little lost by the Silver Fang's words at first. Then, the woman's brows lift and she nods approvingly towards the man's choice of words this evening.
Matt grins, and holds up his bottle of vodka, and says "Glory to the three who held the bridge."
"Good evening. I am Ayita Youngblood ~Suffers-The-Pain-Of-Her-Ancestors-In-Visions~, Cliath Uktena Galliard. Before I begin my story, I would like to share with something that I was told to my kinfolk mother." The Songkeeper pauses, while taking a step forward once the Fang has finished. "When her father was young, his grandfather taught him a number of wise things, among them was about life. 'A fight is going on inside me,' he said to my grandfather. 'It is a terrible fight and is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too.' Then, my grandfather asked him, 'Which wolf will win?' He replied simply, 'The one you feed.'" The Galliard takes a pause in silence before she continues on, "Now, I will share with you a story..."
Kaz doesn't actually glance at Matt at this brief koan, but she nods, firmly.
Salem grunts at Ayita's opening and nods almost imperceptibly.
The Uktena Songkeeper returns to ber canvas bag and removed from out of it a drum. Those that are familiar with it can see that it is Ayita's usual drum, one that she calls her practice drum. When she begins to beat her hand on the drum, her feet also begin to move in a well-practiced traditional dance. "In the beginning..." the Songkeeper begins in a slight breathless voice, "the people say, the Dog was put on the mountain and the Wolf beside the fire..."
Moon Otter quietly appears on the edge of the clearing, settling back onto his haunches and remaining inobtrusive.
Kaz is not at all familiar with Ayita's drums, nor her rhythms, and leans forward, interested.
Yi takes in the prologue with a small smile. The drum brought out suddenly gain her interest as well.
The young woman's beats and dance start off mirthful and happy. She hop-dances around in her moccasins, which have been equipped with bells that rattle with a playful sound to match the tempo of her movements. "In those days, Wolf had a place among men. Wolf was happy." Her beats and movements slow, bells ceasing their tinkling sound. "When winter came the Dog would not stand the cold," The young Uktena snarls, "and drove Wolf from the fire!" Ayita's beat picks back up, but this time it it is at a maddening tempo along with her movements. The Galliard's dance steps seem to give the deception of running away. The bells on her moccasins tinkle heavily as they beat against them. "Wolf... wolf ran into the mountains."
Kaz doesn't seem to pay much attention to the words; she's drinking in the dancing and the drumming.
Cedric, who has seemingly recovered from his classical epic, has seated himself once more with nibbles and mineral water, and watches Ayita's dance politely but without the rapt interest that has marked his reaction to some of the others.
Reggie slaps an open palm against worn jeans in time with the dance, and he nods vigorously, encouraging the young Galliard on.
Jacob watches the tale-dancer with rapt interest. He's shifted back to sitting up now, arms draped around his knees as he takes in the rhythmic story.
Matt takes a good swig of vodka as he listens, smiling as he's feeling quite cozy by now.
Tatt shifts her gaze around the clearing, unmoving despite the drum's contagious voice.
The tempo slows again. "In the mountains, Wolf discovered that they suited him so well that he prospered and increased." The Songkeeper's drum beats continue, although they stagger with the turning events of the short story. "Wolf ventured back down from the mountains and killed some animals in the settlements. The men did not like this and got together to kill him." The beats suddenly stop as does the girl's dancing. Those in the audience can see that the young girl is breathing heavily from the intensity of this form of storytelling, especially doing so alone. Then, suddenly they pick up again, hoping around and beating energetically on her practice drum. "When his brothers heard of this, they came down from the mountains and took such revenge..." The girl stops her movements once more, breathing out of breath. "They took such revenge that people forever have been afraid to hurt a wolf." The young girl bows her head and takes a step back from the invisible stage.
Kavi watches the dance, the corner of his lip quirked upward.
Kaz applauds this time, enthusiastically. "Rock /on/! That was a good show." She pauses, and looks around, finding Kavi. "Dude. You wanna do somethin', here?"
Sun Clencher howls approval.
Kavi's brows rise as Kaz speaks to him. First surprised, and then pleased. "I can." He grins and hefts his guitar case.
Salem applauds Ayita as well, though his gaze shifts sidelong to Tatt as his clapping peters off. He quirks an eyebrow at her.
Brightside apparently thinks this is as good a time as any. He shifts up to the homid and stands, leaning against a tree. From a pack slung over his shoulder he takes out what looks like a bottle that once was Jack Daniels, the label cleanly peeled off and now containing a lighter brown liquid, with herbs of some kind that swish inside as he opens it and tilts it back to take a long swig, attention on the closing story now as Khem steps to the side and offers the bottle off to none other than Tatt.
Kaz settles down to focus on the newcomer.
Lefty applauds as well, cheering the young Songkeeper by slapping her good hand to her knee again. As Kaz offers Kavi a spot in the storytelling, Lefty elbows first Aja and then Jacob. "See that kid?" she says. "He's new, but I really like him."
Ayita bows her head and returns to her place near Sun Clencher. The young woman is breathing heavily, yet smiling. A rookie couldn't have preformed something as difficult as Ayita had just done. Her drumming is also very practiced.
"I am Kavi, Ringtone, gibbous moon of the Glass Walkers, only recently arrived," Kavi introduces himself as he moves toward the tree. Dropping his bag, he settles himself into a crook between the roots. Smoothly pulling the acoustic guitar from its case and into his lap he says, "This one in English. I havent found a guitar suited to claws, and Mother's Tongue is harder to rhyme." He takes a second to gesture outward with curved fingers, and then he begins. His clear, tenor voice is well suited to the piece, and his fingers practiced with the instrument. The ballad he sings isn't one the others have heard before. It tells of Wire in the Blood, a fostern crescent moon of the Glass Walkers, who died while defending the caern at the Glass Spire from umbral attack. Set in a minor key, the melody is both haunting and triumphant, for while Wire in the Blood died; she was successful in holding off the foe until others arrived.
Matt smiles happily, and raises the bottle of vodka for the story.
Jacob looks to Lefty with a grin, "I met him this afternoon. I got nothing but good vibes on him. Hey Aja, what do you think of Blue over there?" He grins at her widely, perhaps expecting the younger Ragabash to find the Garou... appealing. "Gives Cole a run for his money maybe?"
Salem straightens his stance, his interest turning keen as Kavi sings.
Cedric also displays rather more interest when Kavi breaks into song, tapping one aristocratic foot along with the beat and smiling beatifically.
Kaz leans forward, again possibly concentrating more on the technique than the words. "Hot damn!" she says, grinning, once he's done. "You're /definitely/ a good 'un." Her glance slides to Yi, who had spoken to her earlier, and raises an eyebrow invitingly.
Tatt lifts a hand and rubs her mouth thoughtfully, watching the performer's fingers on his instrument with interest.
Matt mmms softly, and happily, listening to the music. "Wish I could play music like that."
Kaz mutters to him, "You c'n learn."
The song of heroic deeds complete, Kavi cases the guitar and pushes to his feet, grinning at the attention. "Thanks."
Catching the look from Kaz, Yi sets her food and drink down, wiping a hand on the grass beneath. When she steps up to tell her story, the Gnawer ragabash gazes around to the others before she shifts to her warform. Around her neck appears a long pendant carved from wood but painted white, and it is this she takes off from her around her neck. It's a bear of Native American looking design, holding a many petaled flower. Over the flower is a fish's head snuck into the design of the bear, hiding. One side of the bear has been carved the profile of a rabbit, while on the other a bright star has been painted in red. On the back an odd-looking snake coils up and over the head. The inside of the bear's mouth and some of the defining lines have been painted red. She holds it up to show the others, allowing them to observe before she begins. ~When I look around and see the new faces, the new names, and smell the new scents that come and go on the Bawn, I think to myself: It is good to be alive. It is good to know that around me there are Garou who care about this place, and about each other. It is good that they care enough to seek with themselves a spiritual bond, to join together so closely that one can only reflect that this is what a family - for us Garou who are not normally able to keep our human or wolf families together because of our Curse - is to us. I speak of packs, brothers and sisters. And tonight I would speak of my first pack. Salmon's Leap.~
~Salmon's Leap was originally not meant to be of Salmon's brood,~ Yi continues. ~We called ourselves Avalon, and we were to find Lake Arthur Island as our protectorate. Sepdet Hope-Star, metis but eventually challenged to become an adren, theurge of the Silent Striders - she was our alpha. And in a sense, like the star her name describes, she was a guiding light. Though she was a Child of Owl, and I a Child of Rat, we made our peace with each other. I found peace in her presence. It was she who came to me and asked me to join her, the Wendigo and the Uktena in forming what we hoped to find as a pack under the Black Unicorn - defender of those who could not defend themselves. Still, it was not to happen as we thought, as spirits seem to... have ways of understanding our intents and pressing their own.~
Kaz stands up, now, and leans against the tree, intent.
Runner smiles faintly in memory. ~Ouroborus, the Circle Snake pack, came back to us in the Hidden Walk before we fully gathered ourselves. Lead by Andrea Drinks-Deeply-from-the-Bitter-Cup, adren theurge as well of the Children of Gaia, this pack... it was thought they had been lost to quests in the deep Umbra. It turns out they had gone to the Silver River, Erebus. And they returned. I had never seen such Garou so changed, but we needed no convincing to allow them the honor of Lake Arthur Island in the wolf preserve. In place, we took to the far lake of the Wendigo territory, the one whose waters twinkle as the stars. Rainbow Lake, it is called here. With our new territory, though, came the need for us to re-evaluate our bonds to the land as much as our hopes for the spirits we looked to, to bind us.~
Cedric starts to drink in this story. A tale of Garou is evidently meat and drink to the Silver Fang galliard.
~It was not easy, but at the same time there was a feeling that this was meant to be. Hope-Star guided us. Soulcatcher, the Wendigo elder and fostern theurge, he grounded us. Little Bear the galliard, he not only brought the buffalo back to the lake, but I will never forget he brought me back many a time from the edges of despair with his stories, his songs. And there was Flamecaller, Uktena's child and born of the full moon, dark in skin, but so bright was his fire for life.~ Runner pauses there, letting out a sigh as she peers at the pendant. ~Who would have thought, a Bone Gnawer as myself would find her place amongst them? But they came to me, and I joined them.~
Tatt stiffens at something mentioned in the new story, and lifts her head to glance at the sky above the clearing.
After another pause, Runner wraps the hair cord over her hand, the pendant slipping into the large pad of her palm. ~Our totem quest was not a struggle, but in the end we came up a little battered and the wiser for it. The quest itself, we had only to ask. We asked ourselves. What was Buffalo? What was the Black Unicorn? What was Salmon? And then, we answered what they meant. What did it mean to be a pack? These things we asked, and we called to the spirits to answer us - to see what they would say about us. 'A pack is a union of Garou in heart, mind, and purpose, under one spirit that embodies and strengthens their bond. They share the same hunt, the same dreams, the same challenges. They speak the same language of the spirit.' These were the words Hope-Star spoke of a pack. These words we all understood, and when it came for a spirit to answer... a small, black rabbit came running up to us, chased by spirit foxes.~
Jacob listens intently, his mood sobering and becoming more reflective of the story.
Aubrey squeals in the audience as she hears names of familiarity. Apparently she is aware of this story and may others about Salmon's Leap.
Matt listens, sobering, even though by now he's become a bit drunk.
Kaz just smiles as she listens.
Kavi moves back to the edge of the clearing, but his attention is drawn to the Bone Gnawer's telling. His eyes focus on her mouth, her words washing over him.
Salem's gaze is half-lidded and distant, thoughtful.
~We protected the rabbit. We asked Fox to take from us instead, and allow the rabbit to live so it may have kits in the spring. And before our eyes, the rabbit leapt high, diving into the water. It was not Rabbit, but Salmon in disguise, spirit of strength, wisdom and sacrifice. Shapeshifter, as we are, because she understands the meaning of change, for every year the salmon swim up the river to give birth and die, to change from life to death to life again for others. It was as if the meaning was shown to us, all in that instant. Salmon.~ Runner speaks the name of the spirit with a reverence, and nostalgia. ~We called her Silverscale, and I still remember the flashing of her fins, the shimmer of her scales. Each one was like a star, each one glittered like light upon the water's surface. And from Avalon, leapt up the new pack, Salmon's Leap. We had each suffered, struggled, and survived. We had each made our way up the rivers of our lives, dashed ourselves again and again against the rocks and still persevered. These were the ways Salmon understood, and she told us to continue. Our duties would take us to wherever Gaian spirits needed help. We would give aid to them, and remind other Garou of their half-spirit natures.~
Runner looks around again to the faces gathered, to old packmates and those not. ~So that my friends, is the story of how Salmon's Leap began our swim up the Great River together. I am sure there are plenty of stories to tell of what we did as a pack, but I leave you with this tale instead. Think well on it, and share of its wisdom. And I pray that you too, find your packs to be as close a family as I did.~ Her tale ended, she dips her muzzle down with an acknowledging bow of her head. The pendant is slipped about her head again, and she shifts back to her breed form once more. It disappears behind her clothing.
Matt oohs and smiles. "Interesting pack. That too would be cool to do one day. Find my own meaning for it all."
Kaz says, quietly, "/Yeah/. You told it right, Yi." She falls silent for another moment or two, and then, shaking herself out of her sudden brown study, calls, "Yo! Tatt! You gonna just sit there, or you wanna give us a song!"
Lefty grins at Yi for a bit. she doesn't cheer this time. She just nods approvingly.
Khem shrugs as Tatt politely declines the drink, unscrews the top before taking another drink before screwing the cap right back on. His attention now fully on the story, when after Tatt is called upon by Kaz, he looks to his side at her with interest.
"And she did a mighty fine thing for this sept too!" Aubrey calls out to Yi when she finishes. Then the woman's attention perks as Kaz suggests Tatt to sing.
At the edge of the clearing, the dreadlocked woman snaps out of her reverie with a blink. "_Mierde_, amiga, what if all I've got f'you is a story?" Tatt's harsh rasp of a voice carries clearly, and she's already pushing away from her tree to head to the open center of the gathering.
Kaz's grin widens. "Then I will go home happy. C'mon, amiga. Go to it."
Cedric shrugs. "Story's good... whoever you are," he adds, still evidently suffering from 'satiable curiosity.
Sun Clencher's ears perk up at the Spanish.
Jacob looks on to the unfamiliar Garou, eyes squinting. It's obvious that some of the gathered know her, but for now the Gaian looks as if his curiosity it greatly piqued.
Salem remains standing where he is, though his mismatched gaze follows the dreadlocked Strider with a gleam.
Matt dosn't know spanish, but gives a smile. "Story!"
The lanky tattooed woman--familiar to some, though not all--snorts a bark of laughter and flashes a smile at Kaz, cracking her neck like an athlete limbering up for a race. "Name's Tatt," she sketches a bow, "Silent Strider, Gib-Moon, perpetual Cliath, occasional member of the Sept of the Hidden Walk. Now, let's see... Once upon a time." She stops, sucks her teeth for a moment, then mutters, "Shit."
Kaz flashes a smile right back and relaxes.
Cedric nods to Tatt like a nursery class teacher encouraging a hesitant and backward child. "Good start, old bean," he murmurs. "What comes next?"
Tatt squints into the air thoughtfully. "Aright, this one needs a preface. You for a preface?" She sweeps a look around the clearing.
Kaz says, "I ain't into /telling/ prefaces, but I can /listen/ to them..."
Ayita picks up her things and tells her tribemate that it is her time for patrol. She then heads off towards the woods, leaving the gathering.
Salem quirks an eyebrow. "How much of a preface?"
The Strider cracks her neck again, loudly, and then her knuckles, then begins an easy pacing in the space she's got as she speaks. "So. There was a sept. It was a real rag-tag bunch of folks, y'know, the kind most of the Nation wouldn't give two shits about. ~Gaia's Armpit,~ some people called it. Wasn't really 'cause it stank--/too/ bad--although some of the Pure Tribes might disagree... anyhow, it wasn't like most other septs. See, this sept was sitting on some old, old power." She winks broadly in Yi's direction. "Caern's are like that, hey?" The Strider pauses and squints up at the boughs of the story tree, scratching the back her neck like a lazy old hound, taking her own sweet time.
Cedric chuckles at the name Tatt gives the sept, but apart from that he shuts up and listens.
Salee has eyes only for Salem it would seem, more interested in his reactions to the storyteller, than to the storyteller herself.
Kavi tips his head to the side, reaching up to fiddle with one of the hoops in his ear as he listens to Tatt. The form of the telling is obviously different from his expectation, though not unappreciated.
A slanted smirk twists itself across Salem's lips; Tatt obviously has his entire attention.
Matt listens again, coming back to drunken attention.
"That wasn't the only thing that made this sept different. The real big deal was that this sept had a history--a /Rep/, so says the street. Rep was, this sept's roll call held all the tribes, one time or another." She pins a random onlooker--Kavi, this time--with a direct stare. "/Think/ about it, amigo. Thirteen tribes. Thirteen families with their own stories, their own issues, their own way of lookin' at things, and their own secrets rottin' in the basement. All livin' under the same little roof." An ink-marked index finger tips towards the sky above the clearing. "The United Nations, it was /not/. But--" The Strider's scarred voice catches, and she breaks into a sharp cough.
Yi glances up with Tatt's name being called. And she stands quite straight, staring at the arrived Strider. It's hard to describe her expression as something other than surprise, but there in her parted lips is delight. The wink, of course, is noticed. Yi blinks back in return. Clearing her throat lightly, the ragabash takes a very long gulp of one of the alcohols she'd pilfered from the table and settles back down. This time there's a real smile on her face.
A very dim hint of understanding starts to think about forming somewhere on Cedric's face as he listens.
Khem steps over, after another drink from his bottle, and offers it now to Kaz with a grin as Tatt continues in. Apparently he is in a sharing mood, if anyone is willing to accept. He looks to Tatt as he holds the bottle out and gives a stiff nod accompanied by a 'hm' sound.
Tatt clears her throat, regains her composure with the smoothness of a practiced performer, and rasps on: "But. This patchwork buncha folks, they managed not to fall apart--Gaia fuckin' know how that happened, and any Garou in the Nation wouldn't be able to tell you if you asked." The Strider's expression turns derisive. ~Lawbreakers,~ she spits it out harshly, to nobody in particular. ~Wyrmcomers. Urrah. Metis. Charach.~ Letting the words sink in for a moment, she begins again, "Low-rankers. Upstarts. Cowards. Weirdoes. Freaks. Deserters. /Under-fucking-achievers/. Hell, the straightest-laced one'a that sept coulda been called a good-for-nothin' nonconformist just for settin' up /shop/ there. The Sept of Gaia's Armpit was," she coughs dryly, "Quite a piece of work."
Salem mutters, "Amen."
Kaz starts shaking her head, with the smallest of smiles. She takes the bottle willingly, and sips. (A small sip.)
Jacob tenses as the story goes on, an uncomfortable shiver settling in his bones. He shifts his weight, starting to fuss and fidget as he watches the woman recite her tale.
Cedric looks puzzled for a moment, the dawning light on his face fading again.
Kavi is rapt in his attention to the tale.
Yi takes another drink. But she listens, and eyes the speaking galliard from around her tilted hand.
Matt keeps listening, thinking.
Lefty's stopped eating, her eyes intent on the dread-locked Strider telling the tale.
Khem stands with a pleased grin as the bottle of mead is accepted, and steps away, gesturing for Kaz to pass it on to someone else. With that he moves back, leaning against a tree and listening raptly to Tatt's story of fools.
Tatt looks off into some middle distance for a moment, then refocuses herself with a sharp clap of her hands. Rubbing her palms briskly together, she picks up the thread again: "So. Once upon a time, that sept fell--fell /hard/--to a bunch of fuckin' Dancers. Lost a lot of of fur, a lot of blood, and a lot of lives. Not to mention the Caern." She looks at the ground grimly.
Kaz crosses her arms in front of her, and nods.
Cedric winces and draws a sharp involuntary intake of breath.
Matt eeps, and looks at Tatt with wide eyes.
Kavi leans slightly forward as he listens, eyes unblinking.
Salem merely grunts; like Kaz, he nods.
The Gaian's breath comes more ragged now, and while he looks as if his very desire would be to turn away, Jacob's eyes are held fast to the Strider and her words.
Salee seems confused by reactions of those gathered, but she cannot deny the change in the air. Whatever happened in this story was clearly bad, she reckons. Tatt finally has the redhead's full attention.
Kaz takes another sip of the mead, absentmindedly, and one of her hands reverts to a crinos paw. Briefly, she is distracted from the story by an internal conflict; eventually, her hand shifts down again. She offers the bottle, respect for it in her eyes, to Lefty.
The Strider nods a slow affirmative to Matt's drunken squeak. "I know, right? Totally fucked situation. Wasn't no cavalry comin', neither. But, y'know... Once upon a time? That little good-for-nothin' sept took it /back/." The Strider meets a few more pairs of eyes as she says those last words quietly into the silence, and then drops her gaze, dusts off her hands on her jeans, and adds, "The End."
Lefty eyes Kaz for a moment before she reaches out to silently take the offered mead. It's brought to her lips, where she drinks deeply. Lips purse, and she nods to her new tribal elder, in appreciation. The mead is offered back, with thanks.
Kavi's gaze slides from the talespinner to Jacob, chin lifting slightly in recognition.
Cedric seems taken aback by the sudden happy conclusion. "Woo hoo," he says, in some confusion still, and then he turns sideways to whisper to the nearest person to him, which happens to be Kaz. "/Was/ she talking about here?" he hisses.
Kaz makes a motion to Lefty; pass it around. A laugh escapes her at Tatt's ending. "Yyyyeahhhh...." she says, still chuckling. "You got the number, there..." She nods at Cedric. "She was." A moment later, and she adds, "I gotta thing, too. Story. Kinda relates."
Matt looks back at the strider, wides still open, "Wait? That's it? They just took it back? No big tales of heroic garou? Courageous packs who gave it thier all? Those who died, and should be mourned?"
Lefty turns to her other side and hands it off to Aja, grinning a bit.
Kaz quirks a very small smile at Matt. "We're doin' that next time. Promise."
Salee blinks with confusion, frowning slightly as she peers around.
"We'd be here all night," says Salem, after Kaz.
Matt gives a half-drunken whimper to Kaz, then looks down after Salem speaks.
Kaz takes a step forward. "Ok, see. She just talked about the big shit. Me... I'm jus' gonna talk about a kid. Malachi Gardner by name. He was kind of a sullen punk. Hated the city, hated the people buggin' the shit out of him, just hated lotta things. And then, to the surprise of like two people, he Changed. And... he still hated the City. Also, most of us Gnawers, who were the ones claiming him."
The Strider Galliard glances aside at Matt, with a half smile. "It happened once," she rasps. "It can happen again." The moral of her story delivered, she cedes the floor.
Cedric's eyes flicker from Kaz to Tatt and back. "Hope not," he mutters, though it's unclear exactly what he is referring to.
Kaz says, "I kind of liked him. He didn't talk much, and he had some've them ancestor memories-- one've them was from the Vietnam war era, and he thought we was keepin' him in a POW camp. That was all kinds of entertaining. But he tried hard, even though he couldn't deal with the city and everything about it. He was always kinda hunched into himself, protectin' himself from things that never quite came. He called himself Bites-Everything, and it fit. Eventually, we traded him off to the Gaians, and he went on his merry way. The first time I saw him runnin' in lupus, in the Caern... It was like he was a totally different person than the hunched up, miserable guy he'd been in the city. He was free. He was home." She falls silent, not speaking. Then, after the pause elongates, she goes on.
Kavi's attention remains on Jacob for several beats after Kaz begins her tale. But eventually he shifts to her, and his open curiosity reads clearly in his expression.
Matt keeps listening and watching Kaz.
Salem's gaze shifts sideways down to Salee, gauging the cub's reaction, then turns his attention back to Kaz.
Tatt resumes her spot by the pair of Walker's, hunkering down in a squat to listen to Kaz's story.
Jacob takes a long moment to shift out of the one tale and into the next. In that brief shifting of attention, he catches the gaze of the Galliard Walker, he swallows hard and gives the other a faint nod. Shifting himself once more in his seated position, the attention returns back onto Kaz and her tale. The Gaian's nerves have begun to creep back in now, and he looks a fair bit distracted.
Kaz says, "So anyway, as Tatt jus' remided us, it happened here. Black Spiral Dancers came here. The goddamn enemy. By trickery and by havoc, they took the damn place. He was the cub they stole, who they held as a hostage. He was the one whose throat they slit. /He/ was the one we shoulda done better for. Him, and Gaia, and all the fallen heroes." She stops, and looks down at the ground. "And we're gonna, this time. Jacob?"
Cedric's eyes go wide at the mention of Malachi's fate, and his own throat develops a lump, it seems. At least, he swallows quite hard, although he's not drinking his mineral water at the moment.
Matt whimpers softly. "Did...did he die fighting? For gaia?"
Pale green eyes grow large as Salee's lips form a surprised 'o' shape. Her breath catches in her throat and stays there.
Khem gives a low sigh, shaking his head as he listens on.
"Poor little bastard didn't get a chance, I heard," says Salem darkly, in answer to Matt's question. "Slaughtered like a lamb for dinner."
Lefty grits her teeth. Then, as Kaz announces her would-be packmate, the gnawer whistles and claps her knee again. She nudges him, offering a grin.
At the call for Jacob's name, Aja glances towards him and grins broadly, moving to clap him on his shoulder for luck.
Determination shows in Kavi's eyes as the galliard nods at the end of Kaz's tale and returns his attention to Jacob.
Matt gives a soft whimper, and curls up in a ball where he sits.
The moment of truth comes, and the order of the tales seems to have filled Jacob with a new round of tension. With a deep breath the Child of Gaia rises up into his war form and steps forward. The deep scarring along his chest is fully visible, as is the dedicated, multi-colored bracelet that always adorns his left wrist. He scans the crowd briefly, making sure they are quieting down and ready to hear his tale. ~Garou of Hidden Walk, we gather to retell the stories of our deeds. We have heard many of the old stories tonight. Glory, honor, wisdom. These are the very creeds we strive to follow, and it is in our actions, not our words, that they speak most loudly. Yet these actions need words to be remembered- and these words ned to be respoken, so listen to them, remember them, and let them strengthen you. For now, I tell you a story of what has happened just recently, with the very sept members you sit with now taking the stage for this tale.~
Kaz just shakes her head at Matt, grimly. Then, she listens.
Cedric swallows again, takes a drink from his fizzy water, and fidgets uncomfortably.
Dance-Ender paces slightly to his left now, ~The Rite of the Great Hunt, midsummer's eve when Helio shines longest of all the days. This night when the dark powers of the wyrm are at their weakest, we hunt. We had all gathered; Culls-the Herd as our Alpha, Spits-Out-Nails, Lightning, Cycle-Breaker, Silvertip, Hummingbird, Untangler, Old Gnawer Fred and myself. We readied ourselves with claw, fang and fetish. We called upon our gifts and our rituals to aid us in the coming battle. We danced on the edge of rage as we waited for our prey.~ Here he pauses, his pacing coming to a dead halt. ~And it never came.~ His ears flicker then, clawed hands coming into fists. ~The rite had failed.~ A growl pinches his throat then as he looks around and lets the listeners react.
Salee finds it hard to stay focused now that she can no longer understood what's being said. She can tell it's important, sure, but there's only so much one can garner when you don't understand the language. She starts breathing again finally, slow and even, watching the crowd rather than the speaker.
Salem touches Salee on one bony shoulder and starts to murmur in her ear. Translating.
Kaz shivers, one more time. Bad mojo.
Yi, having gone quiet as the stories of the caern fall are related, looks away upon mention of Malachi. That gaze stays away and directed towards the woods the entire time, and do not return until Jacob begins his story. And when they do, her eyes are filled with determination.
Salee snaps to attention instantly, leaning as close to Salem as she dares so that she makes sure she doesn't miss a word. She resists the urge to ask questions, expecting the answers to come in time.
Even Cedric can't be in any doubt what story is being told now. He watches Dance-Ender, head upright and jaw square.
~What began as failure would soon change. Gaia asks us to be wise, and in the spoiled rite, she showed us her own unfailing wisdom.~ Dance-Ender rises up more fully now, tail swishing emphatically behind him as if it were a cape drawn dramatically around. ~As we stood there, gathered and frustrated, a shadow crept toward the stone of the clearing and we saw the enemy before our very eyes; a wretched wolf pup, fur boiling with moss and worms. It looked to us, and Culls-the-Herd gave the command as it turned to flee. "~Do not catch it! It may lead us to others!~" she said, and with her command, the gathered formed up with their alpha and gave chase.~ As the Gaian speaks of the beginning chase, he leaps forward to a four pawed crouch, eyes intent upon the Garou there as if he were looking at them as if they were the very prey he spoke of.
Kavi listens as though trying to memorize every word, his own lips parting to mouth someo of the words.
Matt meeps softly, and just rocks where he sits, the vodka cuddled between his knees.
Tatt nods to herself slowly as the Gaian's story unfolds. Surreptitiously, she begins fiddling with a small white piece of paper and a leather pouch retrieved from her pocket.
Salee gasps audibly and jumps at the change in posture.
Cedric leans forward a tiny bit as the story builds in tension.
Kaz yet again finds herself judging technique before words, and this time shakes her head abruptly and tries to refocus on meaning.
~We chased this decrepit pup, and as it ran, leaving its wake of stink and decay in the scent of the air, I saw its tail snap alive like a serpent sprouting from its hindquarters, hissing and posturing. It ran on paws of glass, reflection in its gaze as it lead us further and further.~ Dance-Ender leaps three giant paces at this point of this tale, growling and snarling. ~That is when the scent fell heavy upon us. The Fallen- The Dancers of the Black Spiral. We could smell them. The pup erupted into a cascade of shattered glass then, sinking seamlessly into the earth below and leaving a clean scent where it had fallen. It was the scent of the others that we could not clear from our nostrils. The enemy was here, upon our own land!~
Yi clenches a fist tightly at the new turn to the story.
Kaz snarls.
Salee clutches at Salem's forearm tightly, completely unaware that she's doing it.
Lefty manages to swallow her own snarl and keep her Jackaled voice from interrupting her packmate's tailspinning. Nevertheless, she grits her teeth at the turn of the story.
Kavi's lips pull back in a silent snarl.
~Culls-the-Herd then knew what had occurred; Chimera herself had lead us to the enemy. The enemy which had been not more than a few turns away from the farmhouse. Once more our alpha gave the command, "~To Lupus everyone, and be silent!~". Without hesitation, the hunting pack obeyed, slipping to lupus and falling in behind their alpha.~ Dance-Ender pauses once more, his steps remain on four paws though he is yet in crinos. This time he searches out the cubs gathered, ~This pups, shows you the importance of our litany. There was no question to her command, and as she guided us to silence and instructed us to remain steadied, each and every member obeyed. She moved through the shadows, indistinct and with the stealth of night itself guarding her. We could all smell them, and hear them as well. They were just..out... of our reach. And yet we held steady as the alpha commanded us.~"
Kaz mutters, "Fuckers."
Salem's voice is tight as he continues to translate the words into English for the benefit of his newest student. His eyes are intent on Dance-Ender.
Cedric can't suppress a chuckle at Kaz's pungent comments. "Quite so, old top," he agrees.
Moon Otter looks sidelong at Vera, clearly impressed, before returning his attention to the storyteller.
Yi lets go of a tightly held breath, eyes still stuck on Jacob.
Dance-Ender roars up now, leaping up and out and landing bipedal to let out a slash of his claws at the air. "~Attack! To me, Attack!~" she called out and we rushed in by her command. Most of us took to our warform, claws at the ready and eager muscles coiled and responding on instinct alone. There were four of them; four Dancers lifting up their howls of challenge and hatred. We moved in swift and hungry for the hunt. Culls-the-Herd moved off to serve as a distraction, to sever the pack and make them weaker. In the distance, the booming echo of shots fired roared against our own growls.~
~All at once we moved; Hummingbird with his steeled mace and Silvertip pairing off to attack a large hideous Dancer. Culls-the-Herd continued her circling to flank the group and go after the lone shooter. One of the foul beasts took to Cycle-Breaker, only to find myself and Spits hurrying to tear at its flesh. Lightning drew forth his klaive, meeting his opponent like a royal avenger. The monsters were hideous, bone and blood and scabbing sores covering their bodies. Another had eyes as large as dishes and attacked not with claws but by raping at our minds- this one, this one taunted at your very thoughts, trying to warp your vision and focus.~ Dance-Ender paces back around, then drops to lean heavy on his hands, claws driving into the earth below as he lopes toward the cub Salee. In a whispered growl he repeats their taunting, twisting his voice in mimic, ~You'll be one of us, yes yes, soon you will be one of us my lover of hate.~
Kaz's teeth bare reflexively.
Cedric's jaw is slowly and steadily dropping open. He's completely, totally rapt, lost in the story.
Lefty watches Jacob move towards the cub, and the look in her friend, his words, and the way he speaks them sends a shiver down the Gnawer's spine.
Yi bites back a snarl in her human throat, fists clenching all the harder. Her body tenses as Jacob creeps towards the cub, as if readying to leap forward and stop him.
Dance-Ender leaps back to the center of the clearing then. ~The cacophony of the battle was shattered as more shots rang out, and the cry of the alpha alerted us that they wielded silver in their fired weapon! But our own weapons would prove to be no match for them. Silvertip rose up to drive his spear into the chest of the enemy he and Hummingbird attacked, and with instinctive coordination, Hummingbird drove the mace forward to help drive their foe upon the weapon until he was fully impaled. Cycle Breaker clawed at the face and belly of the very beast that kept her pinned below, unrelenting and fierce in her attacks as Spits continued to tear at him from behind. Like the heroes of his ancestors, Lightning's klaive rolled against his target, slicing into her until there remained nothing left to keep her standing. Below me, the taunting bitch hurried to step sideways and escape my attacks, but to no avail. They were felled, every last one of them, and the remaining Dancer came charging in on the pursuit of Culls-the-Herd. It met the rage filled gazes of the hunting pack that remained standing the pack that had slaughtered his own. His last action was to bite in half the phone he had carried, and then he fell to the force of our attacks.~ The Gaian's voice has taken on a tone of excitement and revelry now, his steps sure and guided as he retells the details of the story.
Salee squeaks and clutches tightly to Salem as the Crinos approaches her. She doesn't like what he's saying when she doesn't understand it. And when translated, she likes it even less. The teenager finds herself hating the Dancers immediately.
Salem stifles a wince as Salee's tiny little fingers dig in just a wee bit too intently. He glances down at her, then clears his throat.
Salee jumps and lets go of Salem's arm. "Sorry," she hisses quietly between her teeth.
Kaz mutters, again, "Fucker."
Catching his own breath, the Galliard moves to finish the tale. ~We stood in the glory of our victory, many of us bearing wounds from the violent battle. Culls-the-Herd remained stoic, despite the silver piercing her body, and commanded us on what should be done next. The injured were tended and the bodies gathered for a proper disposal. I chased the scent trail left behind as the others set to their own alpha-given tasks. We had defeated the entire pack that laid in wait to ambush our safehavens, and we had not lost a single of our own. A night of glory for the Garou of the Hunt! For the Garou of Hidden Walk!~ An intense look is given to those gathered, ~What began as failure, by Gaia's wisdom and Chimera's grace, ended in glorious success and honorable defense of our territory. Now Hidden Walk, do not let our efforts be forgotten, or our stories, old and new, and do not shun the fight ahead of us. We have drawn first blood on the enemy of this Sept this time around, and we will not stop until they've no blood left to draw!~ The story ended, the Crinos form of the Gaian returns once more to homid. He stands there looking completely lost and breathless for a moment, and then with a hiccup of repressed nerves, turns as if he wants nothing more than to hide back among the gathered and their blankets.
Cedric glances at Kaz again, but makes no comment this time.
Salem absently tugs the cuff of his sleeve, mutters a "Don't worry about it," to Salee, and continues playing Garou interpreter.
Kaz yells, "Damn right we won't!"
Khem reaches into his bag and takes out a can of Murphy's Stout. Opening it and raising it to the sky, the Strider speaks up now for the first time, with a nod he calls in pure voice, Irish accent strong, "Fight The Wyrm Where It Dwells and Breeds." It is spoken like a toast to drink to, which he does.
Cedric finally sits back as the tale comes to an end. "Jolly good story, that. Seems familiar somehow..." He gives a little smile. "Well spoken, that lass."
Yi waits until the story finishes, but she pipes up to ask her question. "Jacob. You said you tracked them north, last time. You said they came with intent. How far did you go? Did you find more of them?"
Kavi gives a single nod of agreement to Jacob.
As the tale is ended, Moon Otter steps free of the edge of the forest to join Vera by her side, huffing a respectful and soft greeting. You led well during the Great Hunt, rhya.
Lefty whistles again, loud and shrill, but at least she's not cheering with her Voice. Slapping her knee again in applause, the Gnawer climbs to her feet and retrieves the bottle of Jack Daniels.
Jacob turns back to answer the question, still working to settle himself. "Three days north, until the rains washed their scent trail from the earth. They knew exactly where they were going. The trail was direct and decisive." He looks as if he might be about to say more, when suddenly the Gaian turns to hurriedly excuse himself to the edge of the clearing with a hand over his mouth. Perhaps it was a smart move that he had none of the offered food.
Kaz looks at Moon Otter in fascination. (She's heard of him, but never met him.) But she makes no move to introduce herself, instead grabbing some more food and flopping into a seat near the tree, listening to Jocob's answer intently.
Khem seems now, to go a bit unfocused. Just relaxing as he drinks, looking around but at no one in particular.
Salem shifts his eyes to Moon Otter and stiffens slightly, studying the red-black wolf with a very bland expression.
Kavi stands around, now that the stories are done, just watching quietly from the sidelines.
Salee watches Jacob hurry off, a small smile playing on her lips in spite of herself. Suddenly, the cub doesn't feel so bad.
Reggie eases out of his position after listening to the stories quietly, and searches among the remaining food for any more jerky, and makes off with the last of the salami.
Yi peers after Jacob as he runs off, standing up from her spot now. Seeing how there aren't any more stories, the ragabash fixes her gaze on Kaz for a few seconds. Then with no other warning than that, she shifts to her warform and begins to howl. The howl is just one to rally, one to call herself amongst the defenders of the territory here.
Taken aback by the howl, Kavi watches Yi with a mixture of interest and uncertainty.
Kaz falls immediately down into crinos and joins Yi in that howl, atonal and dissonant and sincere.
Lefty has kept silent for most of the storytelling. The Gnawer can't be blamed for failing that now. Watching Jacob run off to hurl makes her laugh. The Jackal's Voice twists it into a shrill cackle. It is an odd and discordant accompaniment to the wolven howls. Shaking her head, she moves toward Jacob and pats him in the back once he recovers a little. "You did just /fine/, really."
It takes the second Gnawer joining in before Kavi seems to understand the howl, but once he does, he's quick to add his voice as well.
Moon Otter, almost as if acting upon instinct, joins in the spontaneous howl coming from the Story Tree's clearing. His voice wobbles and dies as Lefty's voice grates like nails on a chalkboard across the other voices.
Reggie's just biting down into the salami when he hears the howl, and he rips away the salami from his teeth as he transforms into a ragged crinos, adding his howl to the other voices.
Ears winces at Lefty, but keeps going, until she runs out of air and falls back into homid.
Jacob looks up as Lefty joins him, an uncertain gaze about his features. He wipes at his mouth with the back of his hand and then turns to look back. He doesn't waste much time, joining the others by returning to crinos and lifting his own passionate howl to the sky. As he does, his hand comes to rest on Lefty's shoulder both for support and gratitude.
Vera remains in homid as those around her howl, placing a hand on her belly and smiling.
Salem remains in his birth form as well, though casts a wary glance down at Salee to see how she's reacting to all this shapeshifting and howling going on around her.
Runner's howl runs long and lilting, through Lefty's shrill cackling and even growing louder to rise above it. Her arms lift towards the skies, cupping the bit of view she has past the giant tree's branches with her claws as if to catch the stars beginning to shine. The ragabash finishes her wolf song last, letting it fade away with a tongue-lolled panting. Her arms drop back to her side, and she looks around again to the others. ~Sorry,~ she rumbles light and distinctly un-apologetic with a thin grit of her teeth in a defiant smile. ~Had to do it. Now... if you all don't mind... Take some of this food and drink, please, and get it to those who could not attend?~ She glances over to Kaz though, ears cupping forth as if to ask for approval of this suggestion.
If the wide-eyed stare Salee has as she looks around, coupled with the fact that her face is so pale that it's nearly blue is any indication, the answer to Salem's question is Not Well.
Ringtone remains in Crinos for several beats after his howl dies down. Then, slowly, he resumes the form of his birth.
Moon Otter gestures towards Salee and asides to Vera, but certainly loud enough for others to hear: That one looks about ready to piss herself. New cub?
Jacob retakes his homid form and turns to Lefty. "Thanks, for being here. Both you and Aja. It meant a lot." He swallows, running a hand through his hair as he looks around again. "Hey, I want you to meet someone. C'mere." At this, the Galliard moves toward Kavi with a somewhat sheepish smile on his face. "Kavi. Glad you made it, let me introduce you to Lefty."
Kaz nods at Yi. "Been figurin' on takin' the leftovers t'Regan Hope, but folks as need it here should take some too, yeah."
Vera glances over at Salee, standing at Salem's side. "That would appear to be the case," she murmurs back quietly in response Moon Otter.
Sun Clencher shakes out her ruff and looks around curiously.
Salem lets out a soft breath at Salee, but doesn't comment. "...So," he says briskly to the cub, ignoring what he caught of Moon Otter's remark, "what do you think?"
Snakepatcher finishes the salami in a few bites, as he moves over to Kaz.. ~You did good~, he informs the Gnawer, and he continues moving, off into the woods.
Kavi grins, regaining his center. "We met," he says, his smile falling on Lefty for the moment. "Yesterday. Though there's lots here I haven't seen before."
Kaz grins after Reggie, wordless.
Lefty lifts her hand to ruffle the galliard's shaggy head. "No problem, kid." The bottle is placed in his hand as she offers another small grin. As he introduces her to Kavi, the Gnawer nods. "Yeah. How's it going, Blue?"
Salee shrugs slightly, shaking off the shock. "It's... different?" She glances to Salem, trying to put on a neutral expression and only marginally succeeding.
Runner, with the nod, flicks her ears in acknowledgment and moves to take some of the less savory (for human consumption) items. ~For the rats in the forest,~ she rumbles by way of explanation to the new Gnawer elder. And snagging a few more things for herself, she starts to move off back into the woods.
Sun Clencher pads over closer to the Shadow Lords, ears swiveling.
Kaz thumbs up. "Oh, we should tell Vera about our thing, shouldn't we?"
Salem tilts his head at Salee. "Is that all?"
Vera lightly rubs at one of her hears, grimacing a little. "I am glad you could make it, Moon Otter, if only for the latter part of the story telling."
Runner pauses at Kaz's interjection, glancing down to her gathered items, then to Kaz, then to Vera, and back to Kaz. She gives a shrug.
"Interesting," Salee offers questioningly. "I honestly don't know what to make of all this... All the.. the changing. That was we- /new/." She's rather proud of herself for the quick correction.
Kaz calls, "Hey, Vera-rhya, you wanna know about our Ronin now, or later?"
Jacob ohs at this, seeming surprised and pleased. "Oh. Good. Yeah, we met earlier. I thought he was interesting before, but he plays guitar too. That adds a few notches right off the bat. Got a good earful of stories here tonight," he explains, still somewhat bashfully.
Salem is about to reply to Salee, when the word 'Ronin' snags at his attention; his eyes snap toward Kaz.
Vera hmms, attention grabbed by Kaz's question. "Certainly. What have you learned?"
Moon Otter lolls his tongue at Vera good-naturedly, and then that good nature is wiped clean as he looks towards Kaz after she mentions a ronin.
Lefty adds, to Jacob, "Kaz too. We were talking music. And I said that when I get out from under this...thing," she gestures to her throat, "We should all start a group."
Kavi's smile doesn't fade, though it does become a bit more forced at Lefty's voice. "It's good. I met Vera, as you can see. Got a task to take care of." He glances toward the Shadow Lords, and then back. "I should start taking care of that, soon."
Runner moves to stand by Kaz again, but remains silent in her support.
Kaz limps over. "She's kinda whacked, she's a former Gnawer, and she lives down the west end of town, in one've them shacks." (She gives the actual address, too.) "She abused Matt and Jacob, if only by deprivation, and I don't... know much else other than that. The Umbra've her place is pretty clean, though."
Runner's only comment is to add, ~She killed her mate, Get of Fenris kinfolk. According to what her son said.~ There's a glance around for said cub, but only cursory and not finding him.
Jacob nods to Kavi. "Help with the scouting coming up, right? Vera mentioned it earlier. I'm not in charge of the one run, Wildfire is, but you're more than welcome to come with the lot of us. Uh, me, Lefty here and Aja, I mean."
Salem stands very still, listening to the two Gnawers' report, his eyes half-lidded. The fingers of his right hand twitch, not quite closing.
The smile fades as the discussion turns to more important matters. "Not that. I mean, I'd love to help, but that's not the task I've been given. Something more suited to my background than some others, I think."
Vera purses her lips, as she takes a moment to think over the situation. "I see. Ronin can not be permitted to run free in the protectorate. They are dangerous, especially those who are 'wacked', as you put it. Is the murder of the kinfolk the reason she is now a Ronin? I have not known the Bone Gnawers to cast out one of their own lightly."
Kaz says, with a sigh, "I don't actually know. I didn't ask Matt in detail, and I ain't never heard of no Spackleheimer around here for... all the time I've been here. I could ask him; I was waiting til I talked to you about it, though, because if you decided on death, I didn't want to have him all riled up about it."
"Yeah?" Lefty returns, a question in her tone. "What exactly?" She offers Kavi a Cheeto from the bag she still holds.
Moon Otter flicks his left ear in irritation, clearly not at all pleased with the conveyed news of a kin-slaying ronin within the city. He bites back any spoken opinion on the matter however, as this is clearly a matter for the sept alpha to handle. His gaze wanders searchingly, appraisingly, over Kaz and Runner, as they seem most knowledgeable of the situation. And their body language might betray unspoken thoughts and opinions.
Salee senses that this is one of those things that she isn't meant to understand just yet. She leans over to Salem and says quietly, "I'm going to head back to the house." She smiles genuinely, "Thanks for having me along. I mean it." Without waiting for a response, the girl hurries off, more energetic than she has been in days.
Jacob looks to Kavi. "Oh. Sorry- Vera mentioned to me that she'd asked you to help in rooting out more about the dancers? I just assumed." He nods to Lefty's question.
Kavi shakes his head at the offering, his eyes saying thanks, but no. "There was a cell phone they had. I have the pieces, now, and we'll see what I can pull from it."
Lefty's eyes widen, remembering the phone from Jacob's story a moment ago. "Oh, that's an excellent idea. Awesome." She decides to munch on the yellow-orange puffs herself.
Runner replies to Vera's question, ~She killed him, according to her son, because he deceived her. Planned to take him back to whatever sept they came from, to see him claimed, trained and rited as a Get. But she found out, and in her rage, presumably...~ The ragabash doesn't finish, but her ears splay in disapproval.
Salem distractedly nods to the departing Salee, his attention still mainly on the talk of the Ronin. Wordlessly, he moves closer.
Vera nods and scratches at her cheek, then heaves a heavy sigh. "She can not be permitted to stay here," The Adren eventually responds. "She was cast from your Tribe and would not be accepted back, I can thing of no others that would take her in and her mind is damaged. The greatest kindness would could give her, would be to return to to Gaia. Give her a chance at rebirth."
Kavi turns around, gaze flowing over the alpha as her decision is rendered. His expression is schooled into blankness, but curiosity dances in his eyes.
Vera pages to the room: First would in the last sentence should be a 'we'
Kaz just nods. "Yeah. It kinda makes sense to me." She almost slides a glance to Salem, but fights it back to Vera. "I mean, mercy's all fine and good, but... Sometimes, you just gotta do shit. Want me t'hunt her down, then? I mean, with a couple other folks?"
Jacob ohs at this, nodding at Kavi. "Right. No no, that is good news. Oh hey. Listen, I spoke with Hummingbird, after I'd trailed them. He said they smelled of the city and that they had city things on them. Now, I tried to get more info from him, but he's Uktena, and pretty traditional, so there wasn't much else to get. But he said, namely, that the corpses smelled of rats. If that ends up helping you at all..." The Gaian sighs, still regaining his color. "Will you let me know what you find in your investigating?"
Moon Otter takes his eyes off the pair of Gnawers long enough to look up towards the Alpha and huff his concurrance with her decision. If she has lost her mind and is alone, she could also be a danger to the veil--and certainly any future cubs if she intercepts their kinfetch.
Salem's jaw tightens. His face rigid, he abruptly walks away, leaving the clearing.
Kaz finally does look over at where Salem was, and just winces.
Runner turns her glance sharply to the Gnawer elder, ears pinning back. ~She has done nothing yet to us. Hell, she delivered a cub. Had another son, a kinfolk son. I heard they keep him at the Walker safehouse. You would kill their mother?~ She turns back to Vera. ~At least let us find out why she is Ronin, first.~
Kaz glances at Yi. "Yes," she says. "And she abused those same kids. I call that doin' somethin' to us."
Kavi turns back to Jacob and nods. "Of course. And, if you'll have me, I'll happily lend my claws to any hunting that needs done."
Lefty's attention is pulled from her conversation with Jacob and Kavi to the Gnawers and Lords. She frowns a little but does not interrupt.
Vera frowns, lips pressed into a thin line. "That could get messy and dangerous, not to mention the Veil. I would prefer to do things quietly, if at all possible. Perhaps you could assist me in arranging backup? I believe that I can deal with her myself, but there is always the chance that something could go wrong." At Yi's words, the Adren sighs. "She abused both. She killed a Get kinsman - For which any Get of Fenris might seek revenge and the children of Fenrir do live here."
Jacob smiles at Kavi. "You are more than welcome. If you can fight half as well as you spin your tales, it'd be an honor to have you there. I need to-" he too pauses to turn his attention on the other conversation as it grows more intense. "I uh." Distacted much? "Need to stretch my legs. You'll be around later Kavi?"
Kaz gives Vera a mock-salute. "Sure thing. I can... hang out Umbrally. Kinda thing." She sighs. "I'd really rather not, Yi. I'd really rather... Reclaim. But there's some things..." She trails off. "Some things that just make or break a situation for me. She used claws on her own /kids/. For example."
Moon Otter waits a little until options and opinions are offered before he then chimes in with his own thought. Perhaps this might be a good matter for a philodox to preside over, along with the Get elder here.
Sun Clencher pads over closer and mentions, I am a half moon.
Kavi is also distracted by the other conversation, but he nods to Jacob. "Yes. Oh. Except that I should probably go back to the safehouse to work on this.
Runner stiffens up at the mention of the claws. Her eyes go back and forth from Vera to Kaz. ~Then, for my own conscience... let me go with you.~
Lefty looks from one to the other, gaze settling finally on Vera. She eats another Cheeto.
"Only if you remain with Kaz, unless I need help," Vera replies firmly, then looks over at Sun Clencher. "So yo