The Value of Gifts
8/6/2007
12:38 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waning Half Moon phase (47% full).
It is currently 12:34 Pacific Time on Mon Aug 6 2007.
Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 62 degrees Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the southwest at 6 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.98 and falling, and the relative humidity is 72 percent. The dewpoint is 53 degrees Fahrenheit (11 degrees Celsius.)
Farmhouse: Kitchen and Dining Room
Homey is the first word to come to mind when looking at the farmhouse's kitchen. Dark, wood-paneled wainscoting covers the walls to about waist height, dark beige wallpaper continuing to the ceiling. Twin refrigerators occupy the north wall, facing the large six-burner stove on the south. The kitchen counter runs the length of the eastern wall, broken only by the double-basin sink. Cabinets run above and below the counter and a twin-pane window is set in the wall above the sink. A small pantry is set into an alcove alongside the refrigerators, presumably holding the deep freezer as well as shelves of dry goods.
Some twelve feet above the floor, a large chandelier hangs from the ceiling, lighting the dining room and casting long shadows over the bar to the kitchen. A long table occupies the center of the dining room, three chairs setting along each side, and one on each end. On the west wall, a large window looks out on the trees alongside the western pasture. Set into the north wall is a large cabinet, its glass doors closed on shelves containing a full compliment of fine china and glassware as well as a few decorative nicknacks. On the east, a wide bar separates the dining room from the kitchen.
An opening in the southern wall allows passage to the front entryway of the house, while a sliding glass door in the kitchen opens to a clearing behind the house.
Contents:
Matt
Mick
Basil
Shot Glass
Obvious exits:
Hallway/Living Room Back Door
[look Matt (homid)]
A young teen, that looks no more then ninety pounds and just under five feet tall. Matt looks to be emaciated and possibly afflicted by Marasmus, a form of malnourishment. His skin tone is a pale off white and not the vibrant pink or tan normal to his peers, and places of his skin seems to be loose, the adipose tissue having been consumed by his body. His hair is a very dull blond color, without any healthy shine to go with it. His clothes are often dirty and slightly smell. Matt is rarely seen wearing any form of winter clothing, instead sticking with torn jean shorts and ripped tee shirt that just manages to pass school minimums. On closer inspection there is a feral sort of intelligence that lurks in his eyes.
[look Mick (homid)]
A young teenager of all North-American descent, a city slicker from a city with a capital C. Nearly unremarkable, his shoulder length sandy blonde hair and clear green eyes sometimes tend to attract attention. Less than imposing at 4 foot 9, and weighing in at just a bit over 95 pounds, the youngster goes about his day with an eternal if slightly crooked smile on his face. His accent, though, betrays he's not a west coast local.
[look Basil (homid)]
Somewhat more noticeable than the average teenager, he still wouldn't stand out much in a punk crowd. A deeply tanned white teenager, Basil stands at nearly six feet tall now ( or close to it ). The boy's hair has grown out to his shoulders, groomed but wild and dyed an electric red. His facial features have started to grow out and become more masculine, and if not for the three jagged scars over his right eye he might be called handsome. Above his blue eyes, his eyebrows have been dyed a slightly darker shade of red. Covering his neck is a thick studded leather collar with grease or something smeared on the metal to make it shine less. His once plain leather jacket has been added to. On one shoulder there is a rat, and on his back is the laughing head of an antromorphic coyote giving the viewer the finger with a banner beneath it that reads 'Fuck You'. Beneath it is a black t-shirt, tucked into a pair of tight fitting leather pants. A belt holds them up with a buckle which reads something, but it's hard to say what from anything but a few feet away. He also wears a pair of black engineer boots and heavy leather gloves of some kind ( typically ones that cover his forearms ) at nearly all times.
Apparently, there's alot of missing cushions in the living room, as they have seem to have migrated out here. A sofa cushion fort sitting in the middle of the kitchen, with only a two inch wide 'peep hole' facing the stove. If you looked inside, you might see a pair of eyes peering out...but, for now they appear focused on the stove.
Entirely oblivious to the insane goings on of some Garou in the kitchen, Mick enters from the outside. For once up early and half industrious, he had spent hours in the barn before it was even time for breakfast. Now seemingly seeking to carry on whatever he was doing, but inside, he takes a seat at the table, spreads out an old newspaper on the table and goes back outside. The sofa cushion fort? Either ignored or filtered out for the sake of sanity.
Matt hears noises in the kitchen, as the top of the fort pops up and turns slowly, a head seen from the extra inch or two Matt raises it as he glances about. Spotting Mick, the cub returns the fort to the direction it was in before going back under again.
It's from outside that Mick can see Yi make her way to the farmhouse, her direction incoming from the woods and across the barnyard. The ragabash even casts a wave at the Glass Walker cub. "Hello Michael," she greets him. The large sofa cushion fort in the kitchen gets spotted through the glass door, and Yi leans off to a side, brow furrowing.
Mick returns a few minutes later with a wood file and three small pieces of lumber. Having his hands full, he can only manage a nod and smile to Yi. "Hi there. No mousetraps today. On to bigger and better things. Coffee?"
Matt continues to be in the pillow fort, keeping himself quiet. The thing where if he can't see you, then you can't see him effect.
Yi clearly doesn't follow that rule. Still outside with Mick, she glances over his burden and with a shake of her head proceeds into the kitchen from the back door. She even holds it open for the Walker cub, so he doesn't have to fumble with the equipment. But her eyes largely remain on the oddity that is the sofa cushion fort. And once Mick is in, she crosses over to the entity. A foot pokes at the side, threatening a collapse.
Mick still studiously ignores the cushion fort, putting the pieces of lumber on the newspaper laid out on the table. Settling into a seat, he just shakes his head and takes the file to the wood, hollowing out a groove along a two foot length of oddly shaped wood.
Matt moves a foot inside the fort to stop that cruel assault, stoping the cushion from moving far enough to collapse. A moment later a few pennies and nickles are thrown out the front of the thing, from the two inch gap in it, between the front cushion and the roof cushion. A hiss comes along with the coins, "Go away, you'll scare the stove."
Basil walks in from the backdoor with two pieces of paper in his hands and a roll of duct tape around his wrist. The Gnawer hums a merry tune, ignoring the others in the house as he pulls off a couple large strings of tape and plasters the pieces of paper to the fridge.
A minute or two after Basil enters through the back door, Chris himself arrives, the boy looking generally wild, sweaty and grass-stained, but with a large grin on his face. This somehow remains fixed on his face as he takes in the scene before him. "Oooookay. Mick's building some new weapon of mass distraction, and Matt's being wierd. Nice to know some things /never/ change." He comments to the room at large.
Yi blinks as random coins are tossed out from the cushion fort in the middle of the kitchen, and she looks to said stove when it's mentioned. Not even a glance is given to the change that rattles to a halt on the floor, but her foot does push them together. "Matt?" she has to ask, when Chris identifies him. And as Basil comes in, he receives a brief look at what he's doing. And finally Yi just bends down to lift off the top of the cushion fort.
Mick keeps on working, smiling. "Ah yes, stability in madness. How soothing. And I'll have you know this is not yet another oddball weapon concept, it's in fact a commission for the Fenrir... rapid reloading crossbow."
Matt gives a small 'eek' as the roof is taken off his fort,looking up at Yi, he flails his hands in front of his chest a moment as he claims in a hushed voice, "Put it back! Quick! Before it sees me and you ruin everything!" The cub is sitting cross legged in the fort, on the floor, with a bag of coins in his lap.
Salee enters the kitchen and stops short when she catches sight of Matt's little pillow fort. She gapes and points toward the cub and his hiding spot with a questioning look.
[look Salee (homid)]
A teenaged girl standing about five-and-a-half feet tall peers at her surroundings, as though she wants to take in everything and memorize it. Her appearance is rather frail, fragile. Her limbs are long and slender, almost to the point of being bony. But as stark as she is in body, her face is the opposite. Her features are soft and delicate, with high cheek bones that accentuate her pale green eyes quite nicely. Deep red hair, a shade so natural, but so perfect it had to have come out of a bottle, frames her pale face, cut in layers that brush her shoulders.
Chocolate-coloured leggings hug skinny legs and a pleated, camo print skirt, trimmed with white lace, falls to mid-thigh. Under a matching army green crop jacket that hangs open is a black tanktop with distressed lettering screened on, reading: The Angels Have The Phone Box.
"Sorry, little-bro. 'Rapid reloading crossbow' and 'oddball weapon concept' kind of go together like hand in glove. You trying to work your way through the D&D exotic weapons list or something?" Chris grins at his fellow walker, shaking his head slightly. And then Matt is revealed in his fortress of solitude (and cushions). "Okay, Matt. So the stove is evil and wants to do bad things? That I can.. almost understand. The fort even makes a crazy kind of sense, if you look at the world through.. well.. a Matt-filter. But what the hell is with the coins?" He's so absorbed by the spectacle before him, he doesn't even notice Salee as she arrives.
Basil tapes his papers at all sides then takes a step back, rubbing at his chin. "The Chinese already made those a few hundred years ago." Basil mumbles at Mick, studying his papers. Both pages are brightly colored and done in an array of crayon colors, appearing somewhere between the artistic talents of a retarded ape and Bug. One reads 'Get sword training from the best in the place! Learn how to swing steel from a Fighter! Not free. Bring money, or trade - Basil. '. The other reads 'Eccentric Warrior seeks packmates who enjoy thinking, fighting, and long walks on the beach.'
Yi holds the cushion up at bay. She just stares down at the cub with a bag full of coins, looking up again when Salee enters the kitchen. "If all the cushions are in here," she comments thinly, "then who is sitting on the couch in the living room?" The papers taped up on the fridge get a longer glance after. It's like the ragabash is taking her time to parse the phrases written.
Mick nods to Basil. "That they did. I'm trying to copy the design. Problem is you can't exactly get them anymore these days. And I got asked to make a few, keeps me busy." He responds to Chris before Matt can. "The coins are his weapons, to keep the evil stove and all those who would storm his fort at bay. Something like that, right little dude?"
Matt glances in the direction of the living room, then back up to Yi. "Not me? I'm sitting in here Yi-Rhya. Like a good cub." He glances and looks over to Mick. "That stove has four mouths, and makes this clicking noise before it spews fire. I was just watching it all night, to make sure it didn't try to attack anyone, since I was told that it likes to burn meat, but it can't burn metal. So I got alot of coins to ward it off if it tried a sneak attack in the night."
Salee shakes her head as a physical indication that she's clearing her thoughts and then peers at the papers Basil's got taped to the fridge. "Long walks on the beach, eh? Last time I went on one of those, I discovered I turn furry." She shivers just a bit, obviously still uncomfortable with her lot in life. She's quickly /astounded/ once again by Matt's logic. "Uhm..."
After listening to Matt's explanation, Chris's jaw just falls open for a few minutes. "Erm.. Matt.. Hate to break it to you, but the Stove is tame and harmless. It only burns meat if you're careless. Normally it just makes it roasted and tastey and scrumptious, y'know?" He shakes his head a few times. "Y'know, sometimes I think I should start taking drugs. It'd probably make things make a bit more sense in this madhouse." And then Salee speaks. "Hey! Sorry I didn't get back to you the other night- something kind of came up."
Basil shakes his head at something or another, then puts a hand to his head and asks. "What the hell would a Get want a crossbow for when a bullet can do the job better every time? Those bows didn't shoot very hard, they used poison and all which is kind of useless. You can't really hide the normal ones, so you'd have to redesign it. Really, it's kind of a dumb idea they had unless it's for something very specific. Are you at least getting paid for your work?"
"If I did not know better," Yi says as she tucks the top cushion beneath her arm, "I would say you were lupus born, Matt." She looks over at Chris, just a touch of mock-disapproval. "And you encourage this behavior, I see. No drugs in the farmhouse." The crossbow conversation receives less attention, but is commented on. "Just don't put someone's eye out." A beat. "Sorry, Basil." And just to be contrary, she moves to quickly snatch up the front cushion as well.
Matt gives an eek and clutches onto the front Cushion, trying to keep it from being removed, so the rest of the fort dosn't collapse on him. "Chris! Mick! She's trying to kill me! Help!"
Mick sighs and stands up, putting his work down. "Well, I have something to do, which counts as payment for me. That and if I can make a prototype, I can start refining. Probably make them small enough to be hidden." Having said that, he walks over to the stove and holds his hand above a burner, looking sternly down. "Allright. By the power of Gaia, I hereby tame you, evil stove. No longer shall you work your wicked ways, and from here on out only serve to cook food. Gaia commands!"
Salee rolls her eyes and then moves further into the room to stand next to Chris. "Hey, don't worry about it. I ended up kind of busy anyway. If you ever need to find me, though, just listen for the violin." She then leans in close to whisper to the boy, following up with a giggle.
"What Get wants it anyways?" Basil asks, then snorts. "You should charge him some money. Good craft work should always be paid for, especially if the person asking for it is full of themselves." Basil opens the fridge and pulls out a can of soda, cracking it open to take a swig. "Don't worry, wasn't you, Yi. The person that took my eye was a raging closet case that covered for his tiny tiny Get peepee by suckering cubs."
"Matt, if you want to keep yourself safe from fire-breathing monsters, it's not a good idea to build a fort out of cushions which have a warning label on them about them being flammable." Chris grins. "But see, the stove is now tamed. It's an ally, and I suggest that we offer a sacrifice of some scrummy dinner to its firey embrace, which we will then eat." Then turning to Salee as she stands close to him, he quirks a brow. "Wow, you play? Sweet! You should give us a demo sometime.." He cocks his head at her whisper, chuckles, and then replies in a lowered voice as well.
Yi relinquishes the front cushion, but while Matt pleas for help she assaults the back one before he can reach for it. Whether or not she gets ahold of that back cushion, the fostern pulls back from her sofa cushion fort siege with her prize in arm. "If this were my kitchen..." mutters the CantoGnawer, heading out of the area for a moment towards the hallway beyond.
Matt eeks as he loses the back cushion, the other three crumbling into a pile of cushions around him. He stares daggers at Chris and Mick, "Never ask a ragabash for help." before he picks up two of the cushions, and makes for the path farthest away from the stove and towards the living room.
Mick shakes his head again and returns to his work. With half muted voice, he mutters to all who wants to hear "Sometimes I pity the Fianna." Breathing in deeply again, seemingly for no other purpose than dramatic flair or air circulation, he sees fit to answer Basil. "Hal. Poor guy claimed he couldn't improvise or scavenge. So I'm making this for him, if he gets the right materials. I get to keep busy and refine a rather excellent ancient weapon, Hal learns to scavenge and we both get a rapid reload crossbow out of the deal. No drawbacks."
Salee's eyes get wide and she stares at Chris for one incredulous moment before she bursts out laughing. "Are you serious?" She covers her mouth as she cackles. "Oh, I wish I'd seen /that/." She gets control over herself when she catches Matt's comment. She levels a stare at him that's not /quite/ a glare, but close to it. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I toyed with bow making. Real bows, not crossbows. I haven't really made anything, but I know how to." Basil tells Mick, then pulls out a marker to add 'Carpenter for hire' below the offer for sword training. "Then again I made the Guardian's bunker by hand, so there isn't much I can't make out of wood." He smirks, self satisfied with thoughts of his accomplishments. The Gnawer takes a few steps past the cubs, heading into the less crowded living room.
"Nah, it kind of sucked, actually. Couldn't make smoothies for a week until we got a new blender." Chris explains to Salee. As Matt storms out, he rolls his eyes a little. "Little-dude, household appliances do NOT hunger for your soul and meaty bits. Honest." A wicked glint appears in his eyes. "Well, except for the vacuum cleaner. That bastard thing only exists to chase after cubs. Especially when they're in lupus. It hungers for your tail."
Yi simply heads right for the living room, replacing cushions. The fostern ragabash doesn't comment on Matt's statement, either missing it or ignoring. Once she's replaced those cushions though, she turns back for the kitchen, thus passing by Basil and Matt again. Once she's returned to the kitchen, she gets herself a drink and pauses with the fridge door open. "Have you cubs," she glances to Salee as well before looking to Mick and Chris, "eaten yet?"
Matt replaces the rest of the cushions as he gets back into the kitchen, and shakes his head. "Nope. Was on an all night vigil watching the stove, before looking over to Salee. He puts his hands on his ears a moment, not saying anything.
Mick goes back to his business ignoring Matt, and smiles Yi's way. "Yeah, a few hours ago. I'm fine." A rush of breath over the groove to clear it of filings and dust, then held up to a critical eye to gauge the depth.
"Hey, Yi. I got you something." Basil calls out, digging around in his various pockets until he comes up with a fortune cookie in a plain wrapper without markings. The Gnawer lifts it up and dangles it in the air, waiting for her to take it.
The bony redheaded girl grins over to Yi. "Do I look like I ever eat?" Salee then responds seriously, "If you're making something anyway, I wouldn't turn down a meal." She then turns her attention back to Chris, "You really haven't heard me play yet? I thought I'd annoyed almost everyone by now."
"Not yet, Yi-rhya. But I'm still kind of worked up from my exercises." As if the boy ever STOPS exercising. "Won't be able to eat for a bit yet anyway." He then turns his attention back to Salee. "Not yet, no. I spend a lot of my time out and about- learning the woods, working out, getting used to lupus, that sort of thing." He pauses, and then grins. "Bit wierd for a 'walker, I know.. but I kind of like the earth under my bare paws and all that romantic shit."
Gazing at Matt's thin form, then at Salee, and then at Chris, Yi sighs like there's something about their replies that vexes her. "Ok then, you. I will make something." She cracks open the beer in her hand, taking a sip of it and glancing at the fortune cookie dangled at her. The drink lowers, set upon the counter top beside the fridge. Her free hand reaches to take the offered cookie. "What is this for?" She nudges the fridge door open some more with her foot, scanning ingredients.
Matt looks over at Yi, before finding a place at the table, putting his arms in front of himself as he just rests his chin where his arms cross.
Mick keeps on working, shaping the stock and first groove of the improvised crossbow. True to form, few things distract him when he's working.
"You'll see if you crack it open." Basil tells her with a small smile, putting his booted feet up on the coffee table. "Don't worry about making me something to eat, I'm just fine. So how have you been out on the bawn? Miss anything?" He asks.
A broad smile spreads across Salee's features. "I know what you mean! Still getting used to it myself. Jack's been taking me out for runs in the morning. I can't really keep up, but I have fun all the same." She tugs at Chris' arm excitedly. "I could play for you after I eat, if you like."
"That'd be great." Chris grins to Salee. "And hey, if you want to come out for some exercise with me, you're very welcome to. Mick just doesn't seem to have caught the fitness bug." He winks at the younger raggie. "You should both let me play drill-sergeant some. I mean, I was skinny as a rake when I came here- and now look at me." The boy flexes his rather well developed muscles in a manner that is somehow both proud and self-conscious at the same time. "'Cause the great thing is, if you push yourself too hard and rip something, a few minutes in another form and you're ready to start lifting again."
Yi looks curiously at the cookie in the wrapper. Then with a small idea and nod at Basil, uttering her small thanks, she turns to the other cubs. "You cubs want to see a magic trick?" she asks them.
Matt just looks at Yi, and gives a nod. "Sure?" He keeps his head where it is on the table.
Mick puts his work down for that offer, giving Chris a quick grin as well.
Salee squeezes one of those well developed muscles with a small giggle. "I don't know about drill-sergeant, but I might join you sometime! Don't know if I wanna be /that/ developed, though. Might ruin my girlish figure." She smirks and then peers at Yi curiously.
The squeezed muscle twitches fiercely under Salee's grasp. It would seem that unlike his previous display, this time Chris is DEFINITELY showing off. "Girlish figure, good. Being snapped in half like a twig, not so good." He teases Salee with a smile on his face. "But hey, I'd love a training partner." He then turns his gaze to Yi. "Ooooh, magic! Where are you gonna pull the rabbit out of, Yi-rhya?"
Yi motions for the group to gather around, bringing the fortune cookie into plain view. She pushes up her sleeves, revealing the leather wrist holster that holds thin throwing knives as well as the multitude of scars that criss cross the fostern's limbs, and thin burn scars encircling her wrists. She doesn't seem to mind though, as she presents the fortune cookie in a wrapper. "No rabbits here. But, watch closely now." A few seconds follow in silence, for the suspense. Yi doesn't move a muscle. And then seemingly random, the wrapper pops itself open at the seam. "Tadaa." She grins at the cubs, offering the cookie and wrapper over for inspection.
Matt blinks and just watches, eyes wide at the wrapper as he sees the magic happen. Really, he's stunned into speechlessness.
Basil shakes his head at the Ragabash and runs a hand through his red hair. "You're lucky you've got tricks that aren't kind of useless. I can make people fall over, find things, sometimes, sort of, and that's about it. Most of these gifts are completely useless for me."
"Okay, that's officially awesome." Chris states as he watches. "Is that a gift that we'll be able to learn later? Like, a new-moon thing? Because.." Here he throws Mick a look. "GodDAMN the possibilities.."
Mick watches and tries to find the trick. No finger pressure, no knife used... "That's incredible. If I could learn to do that..."
Salee nudges Chris gently with her elbow when he teases her. "Hush." And then Yi performs her trick and Salee's eyes get wide with wonder. "No /way/!"
Yi turns to Basil, plucking out the cookie afterwards and cracking it open to see what the paper says inside. The smile falters with a moment's bewilderment, and she looks back at the cliath ahroun. "'Sorry?'" she echoes of the slip. And to the cubs she replies, "It is a Gift, yes. Taught by spirits, and like many other charms, you too may be able to learn it if you can conduct yourself in such a way that pleases them enough."
"Wow.. Okay, well time for me to start sucking up to the right spirits then." Chris states firmly, before grinning. "Anyway, if people are going to be eating, will you guys excuse me? I'm all mucky and stinky and need to shower badly. For all of our sakes." And with that, he's turning and heading deeper into the house.
Matt gives an 'oh' and continues to look at Yi, switching his weight from side to side as he sits at the table. He looks To chris as he leaves, before back to Yi.
"Why don't you just tell everyone I did something nice?" Basil asks with a small sigh, running a hand through his hair. Basil waves to Chris then leans back in his seat, propping his head up with one of his arms. "I wish I had a Gift that did something useful. Like, pointing to a human or a Kin that'd be willing to blow me. That would be the best Gift *ever*."
Mick starts filing the wood once again, after hearing that it's a gift. "What spirit teaches that gift, Yi-rhya? And Basil, I think the very reason such a gift doesn't exist is because you'd use it."
Salee gapes at Basil. "You did /not/ just say that."
Matt looks between Mick and Basil. Then back to Basil, a blank expression on his face. "Give you a what?"
Yi nods at Chris as he goes, offering forth the broken cookie halves to be shared amongst the cubs as they so please. "If you would like that I tell people of what you have done, then perhaps I shall. But in a more ceremonial setting, then." She looks over the three cubs left, including the ahroun nonetheless. "Every Gift comes from a spirit, but should you find a Garou who knows of the charm you'd want to learn yourself, then you may ask them what it is that earned them such a favored piece of knowledge." She then looks to Basil, her impromptu lesson adding, "And know that /every/ Gift you learn is a boon. Every trick has its use. And there are countless possibilities to what the spirits know, and what you might be able to learn from them. Spirits are tricky as well, though, and they do not give up their secrets easily. And they will not teach those who do not follow their ways or serve their purposes either."
Mick gives Matt a look and opens his mouth to speak. A spark of realization and a brief flash of common sense close that mouth, however, without sound issuing forth. Clearing his throat, the cub remarks to Matt "Maybe when you're a bit older, I'll explain."
"God damn right I would. Nani stopped putting out, it's really annoying when a Kin that has a thing for you suddenly stops doing her thing for you." Basil pulls out a cigarette and lights up, glancing over at Matt. "It's what a girl, or sometimes a guy does when you buy them dinner." He explains, shrugging his shoulders at Yi. "Some Gifts are useful. Some others are more or less useless for other people. For example, the gifts Yi has as a Ragabash are much more useful than a Cliath Ahroun's. But my Gifts as a Gnawer can be better for living alone. Not that it matters since I don't have a problem finding a place to sleep, or food, so... Most of my Tribal Gifts are kind of really crappy. Now Walkers, they get to mess with machines with their Gifts. Unlock doors, cars, stuff like that one two three. Now that's useful. A Gift that just tells me where the nearest thing is, regardless of where, or who's carrying it, r that stuff? Useless."
Matt gives a look to Basil. "Wait...so if Yi buys me dinner, or makes me dinner, then I should give her a 'blowjob'?" he looks confused and looks over to Mick, "What?" before looking back to Basil to listen to his story on gifts. "And...what does Nani do by putting out?"
Pale green eyes grow impossibly wide as Salee's jaw drops just a little further. "/Basil/," she squeaks incredulously, cheeks turning a shade of crimson that almost matches her hair. "That's enough questions," she says as she cups her hands over Matt's ears.
"As for what spirit saw fit to teach me this," Yi says with a small smile, "I believe I should leave that to you to guess. But, unless you have seen the Umbra, the spirit world, for yourselves already..." Her words come to a halt as she parses something of the ahroun's words. She turns to him and frowns, straightening considerably. Her look back at Matt is coupled with a Very sharp, "No." And from her tone, it's rather commanding that line of conversation to end itself. She turns back at Basil then, lips thinning. "Basil, please. Your Gifts granted you are not a right by any means. It would be very unwise to call any spirit's boon 'useless'."
Mick just shakes his head and seems to suddenly become the great Yi supporter. "Basil, man, do you have any idea how long I spend a day just looking for things? You have spirits telling you where to find things, and how to survive? I'd love to know how to do that, seriously. All the things us Walkers say we can do? That's all great as long as you're in a city, as I'm finding out the hard way here."
"You don't get how the gift works. Lets say I go outside and I say, choose to look for... Oh, I don't know. Wood. It's always going to lead you to a tree, or a building, or something useless. Search for a gun? It leads you to a cop. Search for gun powder? It'll lead you to the ammo counter at Wal-Mart. You can't even use it twice in a row to try and 'reset' the hunt, y'know? It *is* useless." Basil glances at Yi, then looks back at Mick. "The Falling Down Thingy is kind of useful, but the thing that 'helps' me with humans ain't really. They're still terrified of me."
Matt whimpers softly, his ears cupped and being rebuked by Yi. Sure he's not lupus born? He keeps his chin on his wrists as he is hunched over the table.
Salee moves her hands away from Matt's ears and then takes a seat at the table herself. She feels rather out of place in this conversation and it shows in the way she makes a point of not actually looking at anyone else in the room.
Yi gives up with a small shrug and shake of her head, proceeding as she'd promised to prepare a meal for the cubs. The beer she'd left on the counter gets picked up and just drained halfway before it is set back down. She turns to the ahroun. "Well you know something I don't then," replies the fostern to her tribemate. "You would think making things smell sweet would be a useless talent, but I have found it to serve me before. But my point is, above these tricks, do not discount your own abilities. The magic trick is not what makes the illusionist great, but his own mind's wit to fool his audiences into thinking he is." She exhales softly, and starts grabbing things out of the fridge. Raw ground meat, vegetables, spices, garlic, other items. After a moment, she moves to actually turn on the 'evil' stove's oven, and start the flames above as well. Like an experienced cook, her trail around the kitchen is quick, purposeful, efficient.
Matt covers his eyes when Yi turns on the over, shaking slightly, until he dosn't hear the clicking noise. The oven isn't as scary. Instead he looks over to Mick for a few moments, "How old? Like...13?"
Mick cleans up the table, gathering wood chips and filings, bundling them together in the old newspaper like someone who just spent a while peeling potatoes. "No little dude, sixteen at the very least. Or in your case? 21."
The sliding glass door on the back wall of the kitchen opens and a rather sweaty looking Saul steps inside. He brushes his dripping bangs out of his eyes as he slides the door shut behind him, then raises his eyebrows at the crowd in the kitchen. "Heya.... everyone. I... think I should go take a shower."
"Welp." Basil rises up to his feet and stretches out, glancing only briefly at Saul as he comes in. "The moon is low, I'm bored and horny, and instead of debating about my useless Gifts I'm gonna go get screwed. Or try to go get screwed. Something like that." Basil waves to Yi then sticks his hands in his pockets, walking slowly towards the front door.
Matt tilts his head. "Screwed?" looking to Mick, "Can cubs get screwed?" before looking over to Saul and waving happily. "Chris is in shower right now."
Salee grins over at Mick. "Good answer." Basil, once again, stuns the girl into speechlessness. She looks up when the door opens, her face lighting up instantly. "Hey, you! What in the world have you been up to?"
Yi most notably does not answer Matt with any verbal reproach. Just a Look that sends warning of him treading 'shark' infested waters again. Looking at Saul then, she nods to the new cub, and notes at the leaving Basil, "Let's talk later, you and me." And then she goes back to cooking, tossing things into a large fry pan with a hot sizzling sound.
Mick tosses the paper and wood chips in the bin, gathering up his half finished crossbow stock and wood file. "Yi-rhya, I'd love to stay a bit longer and have some of that food despite of what I said, but I have a project to finish."
Saul grimaces, though whether at Basil's comment or the news about the shower is anyone's guess. His expression brightens as he notices what Yi is doing however, and he takes a step towards the stove, "Well, as long as the shower is full, can I trade some help with the food for a few plates of the food?" Hearing Salee's voice he turns around and gives her a wave, "Oh, you know. Running, playing in the woods, the like. How about you, anything interesting happening?"
Basil stops at the door and glances back at Yi, then looks towards the door again. "Why don't you just come outside for a minute and talk to me now? I'll turn on the bike engine if you're worried about privacy. If it's important it's better to speak now."
"Nothing terribly interesting. Figured out why you don't piss people off around here." Salee shrugs at Saul, poking fun at herself. "Also discovered that it's really unnerving to see yourself with a big ol' bruise on your face and a split lip one minute, shifting, and coming back out of it a few minutes later without a scratch. Disconcerting, I tell you."
Matt meeps softly, and gets really quiet, really fast.
Yi tosses what's in the pan, nodding at Saul. "If you would," she notes with a glance towards the cabinets, "mixing bowl and the deep clay dish up there." And she rattles off a few ingredients that sound like a breadstuff before turning off the top gas range, setting the lightly browned items aside to reply to Basil, "Because I told the cubs I would cook something for them, and I will. You go on." She looks back to Mick, nodding lightly. "Leftovers will be in the icebox." And she looks back at the others at the table, brows lifting at Salee briefly. "Learning about healing?"
Mick grins. "Wicked" and is out the door scant moments later, towards the barn.
Saul tips his head to the right at Salee's comment, "You'll have to tell me that story. Glad someone taught you how to shift though." He heads for the cupboards, fishing out the ingredients and tools Yi lists and following her directions. Glancing over his shoulder at Salee he says, "I run every day, you're welcome to join me if you want some practice on four legs. I could try keeping up on two, that'd be a helluva workout."
Hal walks in, looks about and smiles. "Quite the party here. Anything I can help with?
Salee nods. "Jack takes me out for a run with him every morning. But I wouldn't mind tagging along with you once in a while. I can't keep up with Jack... I just don't have the stamina." She sighs quietly, disappointed in herself. "But yeah, I learned about healing. I hadn't /wanted/ to, but it was either that or sit there and bleed all over the place."
And while the cubs do their thing, Yi does hers. Into the mixing bowl goes a decent portion of ground meat, and fragrant herbs are chopped up and tossed in. From the all and all it appears she's making dumplings of a sort. The fostern's instructions rap out to the Shadow Lord cub, having him mix up the short batter for the actual starch part. It's all in due time that things are cooking and fragrant smells are wafting through the kitchen and into the rest of the house. Yi pauses for a short break, picking up her beer and drinking from it on the side, before she looks back to Saul. "I do not believe I had the chance to meet you? I'm Yi. Called Runs-the-Gauntlet, or Runner, fostern ragabash of the Bone Gnawers." No hand extends, but she does dip her head once. There's also a pause, and a glance passed to Salee. "Jack?" she echoes lightly, her tone querying.
Matt just continues to watch Yi and Saul cook, keeping himself quiet as the cub rests his chin on the table, remaining as silent as he can.
Continues to follow Yi's directions, his ability to find utensils quickly showing he's spent a fair amount of time in this room. When Yi introduces herself he turns to face her, "Saul Verargert, Ahroun Shadow Lord cub. We've met before, but only briefly. I don't blame you for forgetting."
The smell of the meat cooking seems to be getting to Salee, as her face is turning that queer shade of green that it tends to so often lately. "Uh... I think I need to lay down. Saul, could you bring a plate up to the attic later, if it's not too much trouble?" She doesn't wait for a reply. "Thanks." And she dashes out of the room and up the stairs.
Hal follows Salee with his eyes as she hurries away, a look of sympathy on his face. "I could be all wrong, but I think something really bad happened when she Firsted, and it's eating her up inside."
Salee's fleeing departure gets her a concerned glance at her back, and the Gnawer seems to make a mental note before turning to the Get cub with lifted brows. "Did she say anything about it to you?" The question is directed to all the cubs present though, searchingly. And then she nods to Saul. "Shadow Lord," Yi fixates on that note, recognition coming back. "I remember you now." And yet there is less of a distance despite that reveal, and she looks him up and down. "You look taller. Older, I think." The ragabash flashes a small smile. "Come back to try again, then? You've survived through one."
Saul gives Salee a nod as she flees the room, though she certainly doesn't see it. He shifts his gaze to Hal, then to Yi, "She'll talk about it when she wants to. Some things you need to deal with by yourself." At Yi's second comment he smiles, "That is pretty much it, yes. One can only hope to learn from the past."
Hal shakes his head. "No, but she's been tossing her cookies every day that I've seen her, and I'm pretty sure that Jack-rhya brought her the day before I met her. I'm just guessing."
And there's that name again. "Who is Jack?" Yi presses curiously, looking even with more concern ceilingwards in the attic's direction with Hal's and Saul's replies.
Hal squeezes his eyes shut, concentrating. "Jack Salem is his full name," he says after opening them, "a Philodox of the Glass Walkers. Badly injured on one side of his face."
Saul shakes his head, "I've heard the name, but I don't think I've ever met the guy." He glances to Yi, "I'm guessing you haven't either?"
That name draws a stiffening of the ragabash fostern's form, as well as her eyes going wide. "Jack. Salem?" Those small eyes of hers narrow back down, and her brow creases significantly. She turns back to the cooking for silent seconds passing, occupying herself with a few fussed details and cleaning up. "He's changed his name back to what it was before," the Gnawer remarks softly. "So, Grey is gone. Jack Salem returns. She is a Glass Walker, then, that young girl up there?"
Matt gives a nod. "Well, yeah. But I've seen Felix try to seduce her to the shadow lord side. I don't know if she wants to change tribes, or if the shadow lords are trying to grasp at getting more cubs."
Hal looks over at Matt and nods. "She /was/ talking with Felix-rhya yesterday. I don't know if she's been formally claimed. Personally, I'd like Aja-rhya to have a chance to talk to her. I just get this feeling she needs to be healed from something."
Saul shifts his gaze to Matt, then back to Hal. He frowns and when he speaks it is to no one in particular, "According to her, Jack Salem instructed her to introduce herself as a Glass Walker. I'd say that's a good sign she's been claimed officially. Perhaps the only non-cub in the room has a different opinion, but it seems unlikely that another tribe will challenge that unless the girl /wants/ to join another tribe. And she seems content where she is, so perhaps we should leave it there?"
General concern turns to more of a focused look on the fostern's face, and Yi turns to the cubs about her once more. "There is a difference between the selfish want and discovering your true path. Even a Lost cub can be shown a way fitting to them. Gaia does not abandon her own." Her eyes swing up towards the attic again. "The choice of tribes, claiming of cubs, these are things the elders, your teachers, take very seriously. We do not simply bicker over you. You are not prizes to be won like bones over a kill. You are our /hope/ in this large, almost unending war against the enemies of our Mother. Laying claim without reason is as unwise as it is foolish. That is why you might learn of the tribes on your own, but in the end it is its elders and the totem who will decide if you truly can belong. Some take many times before they reach the right path." She looks over at Matt. "Some will learn from their mistakes and use that knowledge to seek out the right road for them." She looks to Saul. "But all do need a little help along the way. Or else, are we not pack animals?" She leaves off on that, just as the timer on the oven dings and indicates the food as ready.
Matt meeps softly, "Sorry Yi-Rhya." before he tilts his head back and starts sniffing the air, much like a wolf would. "Mmm, smells great though. Make sure the oven dosn't bite you when you try and get the food out." He looks up a moment, "But, Salee's path is not my path. I just hope Luna shows her the best path."
Saul turns and fishes a glass out of the cabinet behind him, then walks to the freezer and digs around inside for a few moments before shutting the door and sighing. He says something in a low murmer, then walks to the sink and fills the glass with water, "We need someone to stock up the drinks in that freezer is what we need."
[Saul pages: Yi, being close to Saul at that point, would have heard him say, "Yes, but some people's attempts to help end up hurting, ne?"]
Yi casts a glance towards Saul, and after a short second she nods. "Leave a note on the fridge. Someone will answer it." The seriousness shaves away lightly as she turns to Matt and smiles at him. "The oven, like every thing, should be treated with respect. Even it has a spirit, slumbering inside." She does, though, reach into a drawer to take out an oven mitt and slips that on, before opening it up. The scent of spiced beef dumplings wafts up, along with the warmth of the hot oven. Yi sets the dish down upon the stove easily. No burns, no bites. She takes off the mitt, fanning the top of the dish lightly. "After this cools a little, then you can eat."
Matt is out of his chair a moment later, standing near the oven as he continues to sniff the air, closing his eyes and enjoying the spiced dumplings, apparently having forgotten for the moment that the evil stove might wake up and bite him with burning flames.
"Will do," Saul says, before moving to lean against the counter next to the sink. He sips at his water and watches the pair next to the stove without comment.
"Matt, if you would get a plate?" Yi gestures towards the appopriate cabinet, and moves the dish to the kitchen table's center. "And you as well, Saul, if you would like to eat." She makes a motion of a sort of 'self-service' way, and has a look into the freezer and fridge in regards to the drinks before mentioned. The ragabash does a bit of counting, and then extracts some items to take with her outside. "See you kids in a little bit," she remarks.
Matt nods, and almost jumps to do what Yi tells him. He quickly sets the plate in front of himself, still sniffing the air. Well, if he had a tail, he'd be wagging. "Aubrey-Rhya said I have to eat more then I used to. She wants me to gain weight."
Saul waves to Yi and says, "Chris has to be out of the shower by now, so I'm going to clean up before dinner. I'll be sure to help myself when I get back, it smells real good, Yi." He drains the last of his water and heads out of the room.
[Later Yi performs Rite of the Sevens on said items to add to the farmhouse stash.]
Back | Next | 2007 Logs | Main