02-21-2009 > February 2009 Moot
Center of the Caern
This is the central point of the 30-meter-wide clearing. The ground is a mixture of dark, rich, muddy soil mixed with clay, though there is an occasional patch of grass. At the center rests a large white boulder, immovable even by the strongest crinos. The boulder is shot through with streaks of quartz that produces scintillating colors when light strikes it just right. It is, for lack of a wholly adequate word, beautiful.
Around you, twenty yards in every direction, stretches the caern. To the southeast, a waterfall plummets over the edge of the chasm into a small pool in the caern; nearby, to the southwest, steam comes from cracks in the ground, perhaps some of the same water. Northwest, a rocky spar juts out of the ground at a low angle, showing a sloping but smooth top. The chasm walls narrow a bit to the northeast, causing some of the mist to swirl in that area.
Contents:
Kaz (Ears-to-the-Ground), Jacinta (Oncoming Storm), Mouse (First-Strike), Heart, Jacob (Strong-Heart), Jamethon (Reflection's-Howl), Kenneth (Far-Cry), Stacey (Pathwalker), Yi (Runs-the-Gauntlet), Cole (Dragon's-Fire), Viv (Bag-of-Snakes), Blackriver, KL (Raging Phoenix), Reggie (Snakepatcher), Lefty (Ferret), Chris (Walks-in-Darkness), Kevin (Power-in-the-Darkness), Jason (Mind-Breaker), Gren (Weird-Tree), Quentin (Speaker-for-the-Dead), Tim (Golden-Jackal), Jack (Fallout), Rommy (Wind-Brother), Heather (Gathers-the-Rainbow), Starcaller (Stars), Sean (Golden-Tongue), Norman (Icetrap), Grey-Fur, Riley, Harry, August (Hope-Turner), Troy (Wave-Singer), Jonas (Courage-Under-Fire), Coriander (Curiosity), Melodie (Wolf Mother Has No Mercy), Isabel (Unsolved-Mysteries), Bianca (Shadow-Soul), Fernando (Hummingbird), Quiet (Strikes-True), Ryan (Heart-Throb), Kavi (Ringtone), Zosia (Finds-Spirits), Cleofe (Thinks-Twice), Gareth (Shifting-Wind), Devlin (Dirt-Tongue), Amaryllis (Flower), Paul (Icicle), Jasper (Howls-Along), Amaya (Flash of Lightning)
First-Strike arrives in lupus, limping down into the Caern with a small amount of visible effort. The Walker elder looks like she has a nasty headache, and when she shifts to crinos, half-healed injuries are visible on her chest and stomach. She reaches up with one hand to press the palm against her forehead.
Gren and Jason slip along cheerfully chatting, to find their spot near their packmates. Jason's hair seems to have grown back black, but Gren looks just the same, beyond playing with some catgut.
Heather strides in silently, talking to no one, and sits in her pack, with Stars and Sean and Rommy. Beyond a small wave, she doesn't do much in the way of greeting.
Icetrap enters the Caern in Lupus, the Get waiting at the edges of the gathering and watching others as they arrive.
The alpha of Vendetta is already waiting for his packmates, in crinos form and pacing back and forth- he seems tense and a little agitated. Walks-In-Darkness grunts a greeting to each of his friends as they arrive, before settling down to a squat amidst the raccoon-loving huddle.
Thinks-Twice follows closely in lupus behind the Warder as they make their way down into the Caern, her ears back and tail low as she observes first hand just how many garou there really are. She quietly settles down within the group, glancing back nervously to the Wendigo elder and her eyes lingering on those faces she recognizes.
A small lupus trails in from the steam vents, nose twitching. Grey-Fur seems nervous, but also very, very interested.
Riley arrives in homid, as he's often wont to. He looks far less pale than he has at previous moots over the past several months, and his long, oily black hair has been shorn off to a more manageable length. Despite the improvement in appearance, he appears uncomfortable as he picks his way over to stand in his typical spot.
Wheezing slightly from the inertia comes the unusual sight of Harry, carrying a large suitcase. A dapper man, apparently over forty years of age. He looks around, sees nobody that he instantly recognises, and settles for finding an unpopulated spot of ground, away from most other people, where he sets his case down and opens it. From within, he pulls out a groundsheet, that he starts spreading on his little spot.
Gareth comes walking in at a slow pace, looking around for one of the other Fianna or many other cubs. He waves a hello to Jason, and eventually he finds a place to stand.
Kaz limps down the path next to the waterfall, and into the center, Amaryllis slightly behind her. She's explaining, "...and we make fun of what the Fool says, 'cause it brings us all together in harmony and shit like that, see."
Entering with August, Troy is in homid for the journey. His hands are in his pockets as he watches the other Garou arriving at the same time. He gives the Ahroun packmate a wordless glance before taking the Crinos once he gets to the center. Even in this form, he retains some scent from the city; car oil, cigarettes, processsed food, and other things like that.
Courage-Under-Fire is already there, for the moment sitting by himself in his own Crinos form, being really quiet.
Viv arrives with Paul in tow. She's talking to the cub in a low voice as they enter, and from the general air, it would seem she's giving him instructions about what to expect or how to behave at this gathering. They take up their positions a little way from other garou, and await developments.
Hanging out near Blackriver, Howls-Along slips along in lupus, settling near his elder and looking about all wide-eyed.
Amaryllis comes following Kaz, still in homid. She looks clearly intimidated by the gathering, a fairly typical wide eyed stare of the new cub, and just sticks near her elder quietly for now.
Icicle is walking in crinos, hammer slung over his shoulder as ever. He seems hugely excited, fur bristling and his tail wagging eagerly as he takes in the sights and scents of so many new garou.
Coming out from their territory, Masquerade's members march their way into the caern wearing fur and facepaint. With Pathwalker in the lead in crinos, Far-Cry flanking her right in hispo, Curiosity and Wolf Mother in their hispo forms respectively. The pack is somber and subdued in comparison to their usual selves, and an undercurrent of tension is present in the pack as they find their places to settle.
Night's Herald arrives upon the grounds of the caern as well, as silently as their totem would suggest. Speaker-for-the-Dead lays claim to an area about the circle, crouching down slightly to look over the gathered with an alert and interested gaze, ears pricked up, Golden lounging beside Heart to one side, Fallout making his way in beside them.
From the west comes KL, the Fury Elder, alone. Her hair is tied back in its customary plait, but it hangs down past the lines of her double-headed axe, Lady Enyo. There's a set to her jaw and an intensity in her eyes that is even stonger than normal. She looks around, and her eyes light on Viv, towards whom she moves.
Hope-Turner surges up from Hispo to Crinos as he walks along with Wave-Singer. Once in the Caern's center he crosses his arms on his chest, and eyes the others gathered without much expression. The Gaian members of Masquerade get a wag of his tail as they arrive.
Kevin, always self-effacing these days, seems to be doing his very best to hide behind Chris and pretend that he isn't here at all. He's at least made the effort to brush up for the moot, though, his hair combed and tied back and clean clothes on his body.
An unfamiliar black hispo-wolf enters on her own, Shadow-Soul stands off toward a side on her own, sitting back and observing.
Kaz settles down near Harry, giving him a small grin, before she looks around and about. She goes on, quieter, "And Chimera manifests? And it's /awesome/. I'll be translatin' shit for you, 'cause people talk in Mother's Tongue."
First-Strike pats Riley very lightly on the back, in an encouraging sort of fashion, before she starts to move toward her typical spot for the beginning of moot--the Steam Vents. She's still rubbing her forehead.
As the crowds gather, Strong-Heart makes his way to the center of the Caern and stands tall and poised. He gives the Garou just a moment longer to settle in, then tips his nose up to the skies. ~Garou of Hidden Walk, we come together now, as one, unified as Gaia's children and warriors. Come, howl with me as we moot!~
Wandering in with some of the others, Ryan dusts himself off a little, patting himself here and there as dust comes in small clouds and puffs of soot. After a minute, he resigns himself to his fate of looking like a Charlie Brown character and looks around for a few familiar faces.
Isabel makes her way down into the Caern, looking tense and a touch skittish as she makes her way into the center, eyeing the gathered crowd of Garou. She stays off by herself, alone, and shifts up into her Crinos form once the call for Moot starts, offering her own howl to the mix.
Riley lifts his head briefly at the pat on the back, offering a brief, uneasy smile at his elder. When the call comes to howl, he closes his eyes for a long time, utterly still. A look of frustration crosses his features, and he finally lifts his head and offers the best howl that he can, given human vocal chords.
Gren shifts to crinos, as does Jason. Weird-Tree lets a long undulating howl out, sounding joyful and wandering. Mind-Breaker's howl is sharp and excited, full of fervor.
Heather shifts, and adds a howl of her own, a little flat.
Darkness takes a deep breath, filling his lungs to the brim and then lets loose a long, keening call in harmony with the rest of Vendetta.
Shifting up to her war form, Thinks-Twice throws her head back and joins the group in a high pitched, enthusiastic howl.
Viv nudges Paul, and shifts through the forms as far as hispo, in order to give vent to a howl that mixes with the others.
Curiosity-Saves lifts her head to howl, something somber and sullen about the sound.
Hope-Turner throws back his head and lets out a long, loud, decidedly unmusical howl.
Kaz actually howls in homid, a 'yipyipyip!' belting out of her with great enthusiasm.
A young Asian girl is staying close to Shadow-Soul as the enormity of the proceedings truly hits her. She's quiet and attentive, and perhaps a little bit edgy and nervous as well.
Pathwalker offers her own tone to the howl, although for once there's something subdued about the tone.
Grey-Fur bristles at these metis, and also those howling in homid. He himself lets out a deep, passionate, atonal howl, as if to show how it's done.
Having taken lupus form, the better to both howl and to lurk in shadows with, Kevin adds a somewhat lugubrious ululation to the rest of the garou's din.
Wolf Mother Has No Mercy adds her melodic wolf voice to the howl, a bit more mournful than her usual energetic self.
Icicle throws back his head and lets out the loudest howl he can, his voice full of joy and childish excuberance. He brandishes his hammer in accompaniement, only stopping when he totally runs out of breath.
Shadow-Soul looks down at her cub next to her before she joins in the howl as well.
Golden-Tongue trots into the caern in lupus, keeping low and inconspicuous as he maneuvers around other garou, then he slips over to Kaz and nuzzles at her with a gentle lick, chuffing at Harry and Amaryllis. He seems to shrug, his tongue lolling out at the cub in a lupine grin when the howling starts, and he steps out to add his own "Awooo!"
At the announcement, Wave-Singer lifts his head and howls, in a decidedly less unmusical manner than Hope-Turner. His is less restrained than normal.
Courage Under-Fire stands and howls, himself, feeling his spirits lift as he does.
Predictably in hispo, Fallout gives a short, low howl, but he seems to be in a fair enough mood.
The Fianna cub shifts to his crinos form during the call of the howl, and he stands tall as he howls out. Gareth's howl mingles well with most of the other tones, and is full of excitement since this is the first time he has howled with so many.
KL swells into Crinos, Lady Enyo disappearing from sight, and adds her voice to the howl. While others may be subdued, her howl is full of barely suppressed rage and frustration.
Kaz reaches over to scruffle Sean, grinning a bit, though she soon returns to translating (and explaining) for Amaryllis.
Far-Cry's own howl is not as voluminous as it would be, deeply distraught in its undercurrent.
Sounds of four wolf-feet padding across the forest floor before it suddenly shifts into the heavy thuds of a crinos. Strikes-True slips out and into the area, moving towards the edge to settle down heavily.
Hummingbird throws back his head and pitches his howlon a sharp note of teeth-clenching dissonance. Making his way from the edges towards Viv and Paul, Icetrap shifts to Crinos to howl, rough-edged and intense.
Howls-Along's ears flick, but he lifts up his head at Blackriver's urging and lives up to his name as he gives a vibrant, proud-sounding howl that ramps in volume and confidence.
Harry withdraws a Thermos flask from his case, and a bone china teacup and saucer. Opening one, he fills the other. A slice of Victoria Sponge cake appears from a tupperware container. "Aroo," he says, conversationally, to no-one in particular.
Heart-Throb lifts his head as he surges up to crinos, offering a loud and bass howl rumble from him.
Once the howl dies down, Hope-Turner's feet carry him out towards the Caern's center, though his splayed ears, widened eyes and curled lips show he'd rather be doing anything but. Regarding the crowd in bewilderment, the Crinos Gaian starts to howl, ~Garou of the Hidden Walk! Tonight we rrr-~ And then his jaws snap down on his tongue. After a violent shudder of resistance, he continues the sentence in a subdued growl, ~...are... are really awesome Garou.~ His posture screams embarrassment as he hunkers down and scuttles back, not towards Wave-Singer, but off by himself.
Grey-Fur's ears swivel in confusion.
Kaz mutters something to Harry.
For those who have known him, there is none of the trepidation that sometimes marks Ringtone's posture at these gatherings. Instead, he stands almost proudly beside his alpha. His ears twitch, though, in slight confusion at something unspecified. He gives a rough shake, and heads toward the place where the winds swirl.
First-Strike crouches near (but not /in/) the steam vents, tail curling and hand rubbing at her forehead. She keeps making odd grimaces, especially with the ambient noise level rising significantly. Her eyes move sharply toward August, and her ears splay to either side.
Shadow-Soul tilts her head to look over at Hope-Turner at his outburst, puzzlement in her posture as well as, perhaps, some mild disapproval.
Gathers-the-Rainbow peers at her elder, ears twisting in confusion. She gives him a cant of her head, and looks to Wind-Brother and her packmates. Rrr?
Mind-Breaker and Weird-Tree look at each other and shrug, then look back to Darkness.
In the windiest area, ~The beginning!~ Ringtone shouts. ~To every story there is a beginning. Here, we sing songs of Glory, of Honor, of Wisdom; but most often, the songs we sing are only the endings of the story. Tonight, I will sing of the beginning of a story that all of you know.~ The galliard shifts from crinos to lupus, moving toward the edge of the caern, separating himself even from the swirling winds, until he is entirely alone.
The ragged form of an Uktena Ahroun shambles down through the rocky, rugged paths into the center of the caern. Snakepatcher regards the gathered Garou and winds his way through them.
Curiosity-Saves sits back as Ringtone starts, looking confused and a little tired, but listening.
Slowly, after she blinks for a few moments, Kaz shifts to crinos and gets to her feet. ~Ringtone. The time is later.~
Wave-Singer's ears go back as Hope-Turner finishes the sentence, and he just eyes the Gaian as he returns to his side, saying nothing.
Courage-Under-Fire just /stares./
Strong-Heart looks to Kavi but doesn't seem to object.
Pathwalker gives a confused, yet amused, look to August, but as Kavi steps forward too, she looks even /more/ perplexed.
Darkness blinks owlishly in confusion, glancing at his packmates as.. things start to get a little odd.
Shadow-Soul blinks at the Galliard, not seeming to know what to make of this.
Power-in-the-Darkness blinks three times. Once at Hope-Turner, once at Ringtone, and finally once at Snakepatcher. Snakepatcher, in addition, gets a turn of the head and a quick earflick.
Fallout stretches and settles beside his packmates (and not even secluding himself, this time!), shoulder even bumping companionably against Speaker's. However, his ears splay, and he looks up at Kavi in a bewildered fashion, something conflicted crossing his features. Not a word, though.
Harry mutters something back to Kaz, looking upward without noticeable surprise as she springs into Crinos.
At Hope-Turner's words, Strikes-True growls, baring her teeth and flattening her ears. As Ringtone steps up, Strikes-True snorts and thumps her tail.
Golden-Tongue sniffs at Harry's cake and licks over his lips before settling to take a seat. He swivels his ears a bit in amusement and confusion.
In the windiest area, Undaunted by the strange looks, or even by Kaz's comment, the lupus formed galliard continues. We are not meant to be alone, Ringtone explains, and lifts his head in a mournful howl. The howl continues, deepens and grows rougher as he shifts from lupus to hispo. It takes on more meaning, too, as it changes from simple howl, to Mothers Tongue, and the howl becomes a song. ~She passed between woods and wild. Fostern, ahroun, unafraid. She passed alone with confidence. Confidence, misplaced.~ The hispo paces, as he sings the next verse, tension reading as part of the story. ~They came upon her in darkness. She tried to run, tried to howl. Their gifts made escape impossible. Then she stumbled. Then she fell.~
Kaz strides over to Kavi, by the winds, and speaks urgently to him, but quietly.
Speaker's hand drops down to ruffle Fallout's head-fur absently, and then he rests both arms upon his knees--crouched lightly, ready to move as ever, his gaze sweeping over the gathering with bemusement stirring behind his eyes.
First-Strike's lips pull back from her teeth. She looks confused, and stressed, but as the story begins, anyone glancing at her might notice she looks as though she would like to be /anywhere/ but here, just now. The fur all along the back of her neck and her spine ripples, lifts, and flattens.
Runs-the-Gauntlet grunts as the moot proceeds on. For the one playing the Fool tonight, she doesn't seem disturbed in the slightest about a little change in the order of things.
Far-Cry winds up with his ears back and just trying to withhold a growl of discomfort. However, he turns to his packmates and scans their postures for the same oddness he displays at Ringtone's story singing.
Gathers-the-Rainbow hackles slightly, muscles tensing and pulling her lips over her teeth. A firm hand from Wind-Brother stops her from making any sound, but she relaxes. This isn't right, her posture seems to say, begrudgingly.
Hope-Turner sits stiffly with flattened ears. His eyes bug out at the goings-ons, and he hunkers down, pressing his nose to his paw.
Gareth's now amber eyes look between the movements of the people reacting to Hope-Turner, and then to the Garou singing, which has more of his attention.
Curiosity-Saves looks a bit upset at the subject matter, and she hunches down and moves over to nuzzle against Stacey.
Grey-Fur bristles visibly, and bulges into hispo.
Icicle looks to Bag-Of-Snakes in confusion, leaning in to her to softly ask ~This isn't like you said it would be..~
Amaya huddles a little closer to Shadow-Soul, unsure of her surroundings and the tension she's suddenly very acutely aware of.
~Tell me one I don't know,~ Bag-of-Snakes hisses back to her cub, lifting a dirty white hind leg to scratch her ear, and then sitting back on her haunches, giving Ringtone a piercing look.
Hummingbird's teeth bare in a silent growl as the Moot... begins. And then, abruptly, he relaxes and flips his tail around his front paws, rather catlike. A moment later and his tongue lolls out in mockingly silent amusement. Icetrap, slipping in towards the other Get, looks increasingly puzzled and mildly alarmed.
Golden-Tongue shifts himself into hispo, though he doesn't look upset, just curious, ears perked forward to listen attentively to Kavi as he watches Kaz go to speak with him. He leans to try to explain this to Amaryllis, after grunting something to Harry.
Mind-Breaker shrugs, and settles back for the story. Weird-Tree, however, keeps glancing at all the reactions, and flattening her ears to emit a soft whine. Too different! Eep!
Raging Phoenix growls angrily. ~They are playing their pranks again.~ She raises her voice to a shout. ~Show yourselves, totem stealers!~
In the windiest area, Ringtone's ears pull together at the top of his head. He looks at Kaz in utter confusion, but sits down on his haunches and wraps his tail around his side. His ears slide backward, and his head dips down, still confused, but turning apologetic. Why stop?
Heart-Throb raises a brow and then frowns a bit as he looks around a bit, cocking his lower jaw to the side. He turns and looks over towards Mouse and grunts a bit.
Curiosity-Saves looks over toward KL at her call, and looks suddenly on edge.
Amaryllis looks confused. She doesn't really understand what the wolf is saying, and wouldn't know the story anyway, other than that whatever's going on is upsetting people.
First-Strike rises with a sudden snarl, all her fur bristling. ~Respect the Moot!~ she demands, angrily. She's not looking at Kavi though, she's looking at the whisperers, and in KL's case, the shouters.
Darkness /bristles/ at KL's shout, letting out a low wordless growl at the very thought of 'them' being near.
Kaz says, ~It is the time for the Fool and the Caller!~ She claps a hand on Kavi's shoulder, clearly trying to bring him back to the center. ~Let Runs the Gauntlet and Strong-Heart have their place.~ She turns, starting to move, calling, ~Fool Caller!~
Gathers-the-Rainbow suddenly hackles, and though she doesn't vocalize, she looks /furious/ as she whips her head around, looking.
Weird-Tree gives a yap of fear and startlement and backs upwards near Darkness and Power-Up. Mind-Breaker looks around, on edge and ready to pounce.
Power-in-the-Darkness rises to his feet at Darkness's growl, then plops himself back down again at Kaz's announcement, looking as perplexed as a wolf ever can.
Curiosity-Saves looks around at the others, looking annoyed and angry. And she edges toward the pool, looking to reach and cross into the umbra.
Looking around the Caern and the other puzzled Garou, Courage-Under-Fire shifts down to the lupus form and pads his way over to Icetrap, chuffing something for just between them.
Hope-Turner's attention is also caught by the Fury Elder's outburst, and his lips curl back. His jaws part open, but as First-Strike and Kaz speak, he snaps them shut, and casts his gaze down, fur bristling.
Speaker's hackles rise as a low growl stirs in his throat, shifting back to a more ready posture; muscles growing tense beneath the mottled patterns of his fur, ears straight up. As the alpha begins to try and sort things out, he relaxes some, glancing to his packmates wordlessly--a shrug from Tim, an unhappy sound from Heart.
Harry pays close attention to the proceedings, slowly and neatly drinking his tea from a cup that, those close to him would notice, has a large crack in it where it has been repaired, and not particularly well.
In the windiest area, Ringtone's ears twitch, mostly back against his head, confusion and worry mingling with the apologetic reaction to chastisement. He slinks down to lupus and makes his way toward his alpha.
Curiosity-Saves heads southeast, towards the waterfall.
By the waterfall, Curiosity-Saves approaches the waterfall from the center of the caern.
Strikes-True flicks an ear towards the outburst, her claws dig into the earth, but her eyes remain at the center.
When the Fury Elder speaks out, Wave-Singer's eyes go really narrow, the growl rumbling in his chest before he stops himself at the Alpha's call for the next phase of the Moot.
Fallout hefts to his feet alongside Speaker; his ears splay, and a wordless rumble is given to... Kaz? He looks unhappy, and he takes a step or two forward, as though starting over to take -his- place, though he looks terribly confused.
By the waterfall, Curiosity-Saves's eyes stop on her reflection in the pool at the base of the waterfall.
By the waterfall, Curiosity-Saves gazes into the pool at the base of the waterfall, and suddenly she vanishes.
Kaz leads the way back to the center, telling Jack, who she almost missed, ~Later.~ She sounds very weary, all of a sudden.
Raging Phoenix lowers her head, after shouting at the sky, and catches First-Strike's look. Her eyes widen, and then suddenly narrow, and she visibly lifts a paw, showing her claws to the Walker Elder.
Runs-the-Gauntlet blinks as her name is mentioned, tilting her head as the talesinging is stopped. ~Wait, what? Huh? It's not my turn yet...~ she rumbles, although she takes a couple of steps towards where the Fool's spot should be.
Shadow-Soul just sort of eyes the entirety of the proceedings, eyes narrowed. She steps closer to Amaya, as if protectively.
Strong-Heart looks toward Kaz with a curious grin. ~Let Ringtone finish his story. Why would we stop his story before it is finished?~
By now Bag-of-Snakes is emitting a faint and low, but definite and continuous, growling sound, and her hispo hackles are starting to stand up.
Riley rubs at the back of his head, shaking it and looking perplexed.
Speaker blinks--and then he reaches out, snagging Fallout's scruff with a low growl, ~Wait, wait, brother...~
Kaz stops short and glares at Jacob, barely restraining a snarl. ~You and Runs the Gauntlet. Now.~
Ferret's ears twitch in confusion. She reaches out with a hand to reassuringly touch Ringtone as he comes back from his song singing. She looks a little confused and uncertain herself, but for his sake she remains calm and alertly looks around.
First-Strike's temper seems to be rising steadily. She looks sharply at Kaz, as if /Kaz/ were doing something wrong, but then she sees Raging Phoenix. Her fur simply /bristles/ everywhere, and her teeth bare. ~Respect. The. MOOT.~ Snarl. ~This is not an icecream social. Would you care to go and threaten /Chimera/?~
Icetrap squats back on his haunches, near to Viv and Icicle. Half watching the Moot, half inward-looking with his attention, the claw of one Crinos hand starts to trace patterns on the palm of the other, pricking out patterns in spots of blood. As others' Rage rises, the Get's seems conversely to ease. Hummingbird continues to watch with the appearance of immense enjoyment.
Thinks-Twice shifts uncomfortably in her place, casting uneasy glances to the group as she nervously backs up a few paces, just a bit closer to the Wendigo elder.
Fallout is briefly stilled by Kaz. ~But it's not time for the--~ And then he's snagged by Speaker, a growl rumbling in his throat, though he oddly doesn't protest that much. He just seems confused, leaning against Speaker's grip but not actively trying to break it. ~It's time for me to go up, after Ringtone,~ he explains in a very 'duh' sort of manner, though his features don't look happy about it.
Strong-Heart needs only one look from Kaz. Well, one look like /that/ anyway, to turn toward Yi and move into place. He seems rather frustrated by it though, and the fur on the back of his neck and shoulders starts to rise up as he forces himself with a bit of willpower to move up. A deep breath follows. ~We as Garou have a very special job that Gaia has given us. We are her defenders, and as such, we obey her commands and follow the litany that keeps us pure to her ways and wishes. We recite these ways now so that they are kept close to our hearts and actions!~ Strong-Heart turns a critical eye to all the gathered, then tips his nose up to begin the calling. ~Ye Shall Take No Action That Causes a Caern to be Violated!~
Golden-Tongue watches everything with wide eyes, then stands and looks about the edges of the caern. He grunts to Harry and nuzzles Amaryllis, then walks over to Kaz as he slips up to the Crinos form, then leaning close and whispering to her as soon as he gets an opening.
Raging Phoenix stalks across to First-Strike, every muscle in her body quivering. ~Did I savage your wits as well as your skin?~ she growls at the Metis Walker. And then she spins on the spot, looking at Strong-Heart with incredulity. ~This is all backwards!~
Grey-Fur also starts to snarl, quietly, almost inaudibly, most of his ire focused on Mouse. (The verystrange metis.)
Oncoming Storm seems nearly as uncomfortable as the cub, and though she reaches out with one clawed hand to touch her, reassuringly, her attention is mostly elsewhere. She looks to Mouse, to the galliards, to the Fool, and then to the stone in the center of the caern.
Runs-the-Gauntlet dances a little from foot to foot and at Strong-Heart's start of the calling, hurries to her position. She's eyeing the gathered Garou with an air of nervousness as the tenets are called into order. At this tenet, she barks out a high yipping noise, drawing attention to her antics as The Fool. ~I heard about an interesting phenomenon the other day. The humans are interesting. They have a belief that long ago, once upon a time, their ancestors who were created went to this sacred tree and ate of a forbidden fruit. They called it original Sin. Well you know, they then go on to believe that /all/ of their kind, because they're descended from those original sinners, carry that violation of their sacred places and things with them. Can you believe that? Imagine... us, carrying the burden that our ancestors took actions that violated caerns and holy places long ago? Clearly we're /all/ innocent of this law. The past is past! We don't need to dwell on this. Next!~
Ears says, distractedly, ~Curiousity went over. But yes, go to the other side.~ And then, she /snarls/. ~Mouse. Raging Phoenix. Do this elsewhere, or not at all. Meanwhile, /respond to the Fool/.~
Ears stalks towards the Walker.
Weird-Tree huddles between Darkness and Mind-Breaker, clearly on edge and nervous. She licks her nose a few times, flattening her ears.
Gathers-the-Rainbow, too, is nervous, and agitated. She surveys everything, looking for some sign of what's causing this disturbance. But she hackles at the fool. ~The Caern WILL NOT be violated! Look about you!~ She snaps her jaws.
Speaker maintains his grip upon his packmate firmly, not releasing him to step forward into the confusion of this moot--remaining silent, however, watching the proceedings with grim concern.
Grey-Fur is barely able to speak, so irritated and outraged is he. But he says, ~The present matters. The Now matters.~
Bag-of-Snakes seems unable to do anything but growl and growl. But she does at least turn towards Runner, and direct her growl at her, following the first retort from the fool.
First-Strike is also quivering. She looks pained, and confused, and most of all very, very angry. ~You're interrupting the Moot,~ she says, in a very tight voice. ~Sit. Down. Tearing me to bits won't stop you angering the spirits with disrespect.~
Strikes-True is. Not. Happy. Her ears flatten further and her claws keep digging into the earth.
Ears hisses something at Mouse, and then just /looks/ at KL.
Golden-Tongue trots to the pool near the waterfall quickly and looks into it to cross the gauntlet after orders from Ears.
Unsolved-Mysteries just watches from her corner with wide, wide, very confused eyes.
Golden-Tongue lightly touches the shimmering stone at the caern's heart.
Golden-Tongue's form seems to be more real for just a moment, then he vanishes.
Ringtone leans into Lefty's side, craning around to look up at her, his ears still flattened, tail tucked.
What do humans know? Power-Up rejoinders, trying to ignore the cold war breaking out in front of him. The humans do not even know we exist! Why should we take anything they think or do or say as an example to us?
Hope-Turner blinks at Runs. ~What,~ he grunts blankly. The conflict between Fury and Walker is also eyed. He moves closer to Wave-Singer and mutters, ~I'm so confused.~
Harry offers Amaryllis his cake slice. "Usually what happens is the fool gets shouted down by everyone else, however, who knows what's going to happen today?" He's trying to keep his voice down, but it carries rather.
Icetrap's head turns to stare at Viv, in disbelieving enquiry for the proceedings, then looks to the Fool to call out. ~Past, present, future, all are connected, n-none can be ignored. We defend, as we have, and as w-we will. Always.~
Riley seems too distracted by the event behind the event to give the fool his full attention. He chews his lower lip, fingers flexing and unflexing.
Climbs-the-Trees-of-Madness whines, then barks out, ~Violating the Caern violates the spirits. Why stop?~ Whine.
Darkness just looks bemused, joining in with Power-Up's commentary with a jerked thumb and ~What he said!~
Strong-Heart turns to the next tenet, only he seems to be reciting them in reverse order. A crease in his brow forms as he calls out that The Leader may not be challenged in time of war, and a deeper frown as the next, oddly ordered tenet is mentioned. The oddness continues on, ~Hidden Walk, though our war is hectic, The Veil Shall Not Be Lifted!~
Fallout still leans against Speaker's hold and rumbles unhappily, but he's too distracted to respond to the Fool.
Amaryllis happily accepts the cake, looking bewildered.
Runs-the-Gauntlet responds in kind at the reverse order during the Calling. At the next tenet on the subject of the Veil, she hunches in half, her voice suddenly growing quiet in a way that forces those listening to lean in. ~I'll tell you a secret about the Veil,~ she utters in a conspirator's tones. ~It doesn't exist. No really, think about it. The Curse inspires enough fear that most humans move from us like nervous prey in their herds. The Delirium covers our movements and makes them forget or see crazy things. And who is going to believe the fuzzy, poor quality evidence they collect on their cameras? Bigfoot, anyone? What's more important, healing your wounds and getting away, or stepping sideways in the prison bathroom mirror?~ She straightens up and looks smug. ~What better way to find out those who /aren't/ human, like our enemies the Black Spiral Dancers, or leeches, or namebreakers and worldwarpers? Or even better! We can find our lost Kinfolk by the way they don't react! So really, running around in other forms... you aren't lifting the Veil. It's not even there!~
Raging Phoenix steps away from First Strike, obviously unwillingly, but with the tiniest flash of a throat-show to Kaz. She growls angrily at the fool. ~Not all of them suffer the Delirium, imbecile. There are millions of them! The Veil must be maintained!~
Grey-Fur growls, ~Respect the Veil, for otherwise, we disappear and die.~ It's not really a response to the Fool's actual comments, but he's still looking confused.
First-Strike shuts her mouth, but Kaz gets an angry, angry look in return. There's a strong thread of body language, a protest that /this is the wrong way dammit/, but she doesn't voice it.
Gathers-the-Rainbow /snarls/. ~Such would endanger our Sept, Fool! What stops the Spiral Dancers from following us to our Caern? From pissing on our corpses? The Veil keeps us safe and forces us to atone for our past!~
Speaker, still holding to his packmate, raises his head to snarl a refutation of the Fool's words and at least attempt to pretend everything at the moot is going properly. ~So too will our enemies soon learn who -we- are, hearing the whispers of terrified humans and of those foes that fell not into madness--and slay us in our homes!~
~The wrymbringer humans kill their own brothers for looking and thinking differently,~ Hummingbird says in singsong howl, fluffing up into Hispo to call out. ~What will they do to those who are /not/ human? The less they see, the better.~
Mind-Breaker grins, and shouts out, ~Because if we lift the Veil, we don't get to keep our secret hideout!~ Weird-Tree merely whines, unable to sift through her mind as of yet to respond to the fool.
Darkness snarls out at the Fool. ~Yes, raise the Veil! I for one cannot wait to be hunted down and made into a rug!~ The tone of his words deeply sarcastic.
Showing up late, rather remarkable for the Ex-Warder and Gatekeeper, is Reflection's-Howl. He steps in at the crest of the higher path and makes his way down quickly as the laws are called, refuted, and those refutations are rebuked. Hearing this law's dismissal by the fool, he melts up to the Crinos and roars out from halfway down the trail leading up and out. ~The Humans are divided and hate /themselves/! You think they will not glory in the opportunity to band together in the face of a common foe? This is how they work! We will be the Aliens and they will be the Righteous Warriors. They will hunt us as we once did to them. The Veil is /all/ that keeps us alive to redeem ourselves for past mistakes and give /all/ of Gaia's children a future!~
Heart-Throb stands back to watch for a few minutes, crossing his arms over his chest, drumming the claws of his right hand along his arm. Soon he calls out. ~The monkeys make better Weaver portrait drawers, they are everywhere. They would hunt us down just as soon as they would our enemies!~
Gareth stands in crinos form, perplexed, and he looks at Dirt-Tongue and gives a slight nod. He then looks over at Mind-Breaker, to see if everything is alright, but the older Fianna seems to be thinking so.
Bag-of-Snakes finally ceases her growling. But it's only so that she can grow from hispo to crinos, and shake a huge clawed fist at the Fool. ~You fucking idiot! Have you got any brains at all in that fucking head of yours, you nong, or do you always stand there like a stunned mullet making random noises and hoping they'll form up into words?~ she thunders. ~The Veil protects us from the humans, and the humans from us, and if you weren't such an utter fizzbin you'd fucking well know that and wouldn't be standing up in front of everyone making such a fucking prize tit of yourself, you great bleeding drongo.~
Riley immediately jerks his head in Hearth-Throb's direction, scowling immediately. He grits his teeth, looking back towards the fool and taking a slow breath and mumbling angrily underneath of it.
Still on his reverse-ordered calling, Strong-Heart bellows out, perhaps with more oomph than necessary, ~Accept an Honorable Surrender!~ The Galliard looks frazzled now, the tenets called out with irritated reluctance.
Mind-Breaker looks over to Gareth and shrugs, offering a Go-With-The-Flow sort of vibe. It's clear he's a little on edge, but not so much as most around him.
Howls-Along is utterly baffled, and he just gives a weak, ~Breaking the veil is bad?~ and just looks more confused.
Harry finishes his tea, and holds out a hand for the cake plate. "This is more normal," he says to Amaryllis. "If there wasn't a veil, all of our shops would have to close down!" he yells at the Fool.
First-Strike looks angry, distracted, and now very confused. Kaz gets an extremely mixed look, but at least her fur is starting to calm down.
Icetrap stares at Viv again, his Crinos expression rather shocked and submissively disapproving. He looks back towards Runner for her next argument.
Far-Cry growls again and shifts in his position uncomfortably, looking multiple times towards the waterfall where his packmate has gone.
Amaya looks toward Shadow-Soul with an uncertain shrug of her shoulders.
Ears looks a bit distracted, but she grins at Mouse. Rather toothily.
Icicle just looks aghast and slightly slack-jawed at Bag-Of-Snakes and her.. 'colourful' rant.
Reflection looks utterly f'ing /shocked/ on the trail down and melts back to lupus to make it the rest of the way into the caern's center quickly where he bursts into Crinos. ~Why is Honorable Surrender coming after The Veil? Who has broken tradition? Why?~
Shadow-Soul looks back at the cub, and bumps a reassuring shoulder against her. No explanation, though.
Power-in-the-Darkness simply ventures diffidently that /he/ thinks the veil is a good idea. He seems to be growing more and more ill at ease; possibly he's remembering another occasion upon which the Litany was dealt with in reverse order...
First-Strike's anger turns hot again as Reflection speaks, and she turns an absolute /glare/ his way. Bristle.
Runs-the-Gauntlet listens to the various retorts, pausing at Viv with an odd look. All those grumbles and growls, and all the Fool can wonder just audibly enough is, ~What in the world is a drongo?~
~You are,~, is Viv's prompt and pungent reply.
Kaz bites out, ~Way to be on time, Reflection. The entire Moot has tried to be backwards. The fact that I got them to do it /at all/ was enough for me, as I was also making sure that the Walker and the Fury did not come to blows. If you would preside over the fucking Caller, do so.~
Riley drops his face into his palm, squeezing at the bridge of his nose as though to stifle back a headache. "Well, this isn't at /all/ fucked." He mumbles, opening his eyes as Kaz speaks.
Dirt-Tongue cocks his head at Gareth as if to silently ask, 'what's all this?' The cub smartly keeps his mouth shut though.
Fallout strains against Speaker's hold again, teeth flashing briefly before he looks confused again, backing up a step and ears slicking.
First-Strike turns and makes her way toward the Steam Vents, with extreme reluctance, and so much temper it's a wonder she doesn't just explode on the spot.
Hope-Turner just hunkers back, looking equal parts dismayed, confused, embarrassed and angry.
Runs-the-Gauntlet glances down to herself, then back up to Viv. The Fool shrugs and looks back towards the Caller, scrubbing a paw at the back of her head. Just randomly, she checks for bleeding.
Reflection lowers down to the lupus and looks as damn near pathetic as anyone has ever seen the Fostern since he was a Cliath, at Kaz's words. He then only gives a submissive whine and paws in the direction of the fool in form of apology and understanding.
Amaryllis looks increasingly agitated as the yelling continues, clearly more than the ritual intends.
Speaker's muzzle peels back from his teeth in a brief, low growl as Fallout pulls again. Promptly, Heart's hispo-sized bulk lumbers over to drop itself atop the philodox to hold him down, grooming his ears with long, wet licks.
Gareth just gives Dirt-Tounge a shrug of a furry shoulder, but his eyes show he has really no idea what is going on. His first moot, and it is all...odd.
Harry leans over near Amaryllis, speaking urgently in her ear.
Fallout is squashed under Heart's bulk, and he /snarls/, struggling and ragey and... getting absolutely nowhere. Oh the indignity.
Clearing his throat, Strong-Heart looks to the Fool again, ~Accept an Honorable Surrender! Come Fool, don't let them throw off the order here!~
Ears's expression relaxes a bit as Reflection responds that way, and she flashes him an apologetic look, before telling the Fool and the Caller, ~Finish.~ She drifts toward Mouse and mutters something to her.
Shadow-Soul looks to the Caller, and suddenly looks /amused/ at the words from him.
First-Strike flattens her ears and mutters something back.
Runs-the-Gauntlet startles again, shaken out of her Viv-induced halt by the repetition of the Litany law. Her expression goes a brief, oh right! And she responds... ~Well you know, I've been here at the Hidden Walk a while, and I've seen plenty of surrenders. Done quite a few in my time too. Oh yeah, I know the /whole/ thing by rote. Ears and head down, tuck your tail, crouch and lean just a little to the side like so. Don't forget the cringe! Make sure they see you cringe, those higher ups they /love/ that.~ She makes a point to demonstrate a rather forcibly acted out submission to an invisible higher up. But then, the Fool springs up again and with a snarl questions, ~The real question is... Do you accept your own actions? Is it breaking the Litany if you don't? How long do /you/ choose to honor your own surrender action?~ The Fool queries the crowd, then adds in explanation, ~I usually wait until the elder's finished with the whole 'going to throat you thing' and once their attention's elsewhere, that's when. I get in that special last note. You know, the one point that you /really/ are trying to get across that thick elder skull - hey, they /earned/ that thick skull, don't knock them for it - but you have to wait until all that formal challenge establishing dominance stuff's done and over with.~ Her clawed hand gestures in a 'Well what're you gonna do?' motion.
Dirt-Tongue sighs and shakes his head. His first Moot as well as he nears his Rite of Passage. He scratches his big crinos scalp in confusion.
Ears snorts. ~You surrender, and you behave. Period.~
First-Strike paces the rest of the way into the Steam Vents, and takes a seat in the middle of them. She closes her eyes, ears still splayed. Her agitation is practically broadcasting at this point, but she begins to make subtle signs in the air and draw them in the dirt, and murmur. Preparation.
Speaking of submitting and behaving, Fallout finally gives up struggling under the fostern ahroun, and though he does not look happy -at all-, he continues to suffer the indignity of having his ears and head groomed, growling all the while.
Reflection, once again and hopefully for the last time now that he is understanding what is going on, bursts into Crinos to offers. ~Only the weak and honorless would sully matters of respect and submission like that! Cowards all and they should be treated like the unsubmissive trouble-makers they are. Their very actions are an assualt on our ways and an attack on Gaia, for if they can not respect their elders, they can not be trusted in the war we wage!~
With a supreme effort Bag-of-Snakes refrains from a further outburst of anger and obscenity direct at the Fool. Instead she turns to Icicle, and mutters some words to him.
Gathers-the-Rainbow is on her feet, frothing, chest heaving. She visibly shakes as she has to hold herself back. She's however too furious to even respond to the Fool. Apparently the refutation hit too close to home. She looks like a puffball, every fur on her is hackled.
~If you have not learned to submit, you cannot learn to lead,~ Icetrap growls back at the Fool. ~If you cannot take orders, you do n-not understand enough to give them. And n-no Garou who understands w-would want to stand beside you in battle either.~
Raging Phoenix glares at the Fool. ~You are doing the wrong tenet again!~ she growls. ~You do not understand what it means to Accept An Honourable Surrender!~
First-Strike's eyes snap open, and she /glowers/ at the ground. Die, ground.
~Then,~ Speaker snarls forth, ~You have not surrendered.~
Power-in-the-Darkness gives up even trying to follow the course of events. From his sitting position he goes into a kind of sprawl on the ground in the darkest corner he can find of the gathering.
Gareth's lip curls into a snarl as everyone elses rage begins to feed his own. Something doesn't feel right, and the Elders aren't happy either.
Reflection turns his head to look over at Raging Phoenix's outburst and then tilts his head, confused expression as he slowly looks back towards the Fool. He seems utterly lost for a moment.
Far-Cry snarls at the Fool wordlessly, bristling along his nape.
Now pacing with building frustration, Strong-Heart continues to barrel through the litany (in reverse). His tail twitches and his eyes scan the crowd as he lifts his voice again. ~Combat the Wyrm Where it Dwells and Wherever it Breeds. This is our duty!~
Grey-Fur bristles, and looks completely unhappily lost.
Thud, thud, thud. Strikes-True is trying oh so hard to keep her rage in check.
Icetrap blinks, looking utterly confused now. Shaking his head and licking repetetively at his lips, he falls silent and goes back to carving patterns his own palm. Hummingbird continues to watch with almost malicious glee, his lupine grin widening whenever anyone shows signs of not understanding what they should be saying or doing.
Wave-Singer has been silent through all of this, trying to keep his own Rage in check in a Caern full of Garou. He's just watching, as if he could record everything going on just by looking, if he could.
Runs-the-Gauntlet seems to be doing fine through the rest of the Litany up until they get to the second (to last) tenet. It's there that the Fool opens her muzzle to reply, but nothing really comes out. A few seconds pass with her standing there dumbstruck, and then, she shrugs and utters helplessly. ~Uhhh... I got nothing. Good law! Maybe while we're at it, let's amend some. Combat the Weaver too! Fight the system! Woo! Go Wyld!~ She pumps a fist in the air, and then slowly lowers the fist as she adds, ~But not /too/ Wyld.~
Ears lolls her tongue just slightly, despite the rage rippling underneath her skin, and says, firmly, ~We fight Wyrm for a reason. Leave it that way.~
Riley looks /baffled/.
Gathers-the-Rainbow snorts derisively and forces herself to sit down, but does nothing to respond to the fool otherwise. She growls low, glancing among everyone there, trying not to hackle /too/ much.
~The Weaver is not set to destroy Gaia and those dwelling under her, Fool,~ Shadow-Soul calls out, ~We combat the Wyrm to restore the balance between the triat!~
Howls-Along whines and presses close to Blackriver, seeming confused, gaze darting about to all the faces.
Bag-of-Snakes seems to choke. She literally splutters for breath. Either the Fool's words have taken her power of speech away entirely, or else she's trying to say too many words at once and they have become jammed in her throat on the way out.
Icicle very casually edges a foot or two away from the side of Bag-Of-Snakes.
Far-Cry just sits down very heavily, and makes a rather human gesture of lifting a large paw to cover over his face. Insert groan here.
Reflection drops his jaw like he just saw a bizarre circus act and is thinking that what he just saw isn't possible... it can't be done. At least, this is what his expression conveys.
Gareth leans over towards Dirt-Tounge, his muzzle moves to show he is speaking, but in a low voice.
Ears now drifts over to Mouse.
First-Strike closes her eyes again, breathes deeply, and begins her preparations again.
Goosebumps rise on Icetrap's shoulders, where his hackles would be if he had any fur there. ~We. Combat. The. Wyrm. W-we. Keep. The. Law. The Law. As. The /Traditions/. Demand it,~ he snarls, Rage rising sharply.
Dirt-Tongue nods to Gareth and speaks low back to the other cub, pure annoyance in the cubs body language. Annoyance and confusion at all this.
Reflection lets Icetrap's words shake him from his startled confusion. ~The Wyrm would destroy everything! The Wyld, The Weaver, and even /Itself/! It must be brought back into balance. Sanity returned so Gaia can survive or /all/ things will perish!~
Strong-Heart continues through the litany, backwards, one by one, until the final tenet recalls that Garou shall not mate with Garou. Once that's called and argued, he shakes out his fur, and with a growl in his throat, moves to stand down and head toward his packmates.
First-Strike is, by this point, sitting rather still, eyes closed, head bowed, hands pressed against the earth. She's breathing slowly, deeply, and occasionally still tracing patterns through the dirt. Anger and frustration mark her though, and after a minute or so there's an abrupt bristling, followed by the motions starting over. Someone's having trouble.
Runs-the-Gauntlet looks grateful once the last tenet is rolled out, to which her refute is shortly delivered. The Fool mantle is cast off with a shake of her fur and she hurries away from the spot to stand back in the crowd.
Fallout huffs out to Heart. ~Fuck, let me -up-,~ he growls discontentedly, and now it's clear that he /quite/ thinks it's his turn, now.
Oncoming Storm turns from the Fool to look over at Mouse, angling the cub along with her. She leans close, her voice rumbling softly in Thinks-Twice's ear.
Ears watches Mouse quietly.
~Not until Kaz calls for you,~ Speaker growls softly to Fallout. Heart chuffs agreement.
First-Strike breathes in. Breathes out. Breathes in. The hiss of the steam vents doesn't occur in tandem with her breathing, but in discord, and while she's clearly trying to match them, she's also clearly having a /lot/ of trouble with this. She stops and starts again. And then she stops and starts /again/. There's an awkward sort of silence, and that stretches on. One minute. Two minutes. At four minutes, First-Strike's breath catches, and then she exhales. The ground exhales with her, a soft but audible hiss of steam.
At that, the Theurge seems to ease into the breathing of the earth. In, and out. In, and out. It's taking a while, a lot longer than usual, but the steam is beginning to build up around her, and the hissing is growing louder.
Now /this/ Howls-Along watches with complete and utter fascination.
Ears relaxes once Mouse begins to breathe more fluidly, and then she limps back towards the Night's Herald group, vaguely.
Grey-Fur twitches impatiently, and starts to pace.
Fallout growls at Speaker, but it's a bit wheezy. Having a big ahroun sitting on you is bad for lung capacity.
For the first time in the moot, Raging Phoenix settles down, watching First-Strike carefully, her muscles still tense, but well under control for now.
Amaryllis watches this with more interest, though still a bit more on edge than she normally is.
Thinks-Twice picks her ears up to Oncoming-Storm and then tilts her head to the side, studying her face. She nods her head in a human like gesture but stays very quiet and still now.
Darkness seems to grow more tense as the moot begins to get back on track, licking his lips with his long pink tonuge as the ritual continues and seems to start to take.
Reflection turns to give First-Strike his full attention now, holding his own breath as if in silent prayer that nothing else goes... 'weird'.
Unsolved-Mysteries watches First-Strike with a sense of worry and concern, her hands clenching as she waits for the Theurge.
Icicle appears to now be totally lost in the proceedings, but reverts to the good-cub stereotype of sitting down, shutting up and paying attention.
Dirt-Tongue looks across the gathering to Icicle and gives the Get cub a look of 'what the hell is going on'? The Fianna Ragacub is just lost.
Speaker's head looks up to the approach of Ears, his own ears pricking up hopefully.
Steam puffs from the ground at regular intervals now, misting around the Theurge and only occasionally drifting toward the rest of the Caern. It builds slowly but steadily until Mouse is no longer visible at all, and then, abruptly, the Walker Theurge /howls/. The sound is more angry than it usually is, angry and frustrated still, but the earth answers with an almost-roar that practically drowns the sound of the howl out entirely. Wisps of shapes dance in the mist cloud, never quite gaining enough clarity to be describable. And then, with a swoop, a great, mist-made owl figure plunges out of the cloud and circles over the gathered Garou, flying high over their heads.
Grey-Fur gapes.
Jaws dropping open, Howls-Along simply /gawks/ as his eyes go round as dinner plates.
Ears instinctively ducks, and then looks up, warbling a welcoming but somewhat wary howl of greeting.
Amaryllis looks seriously impressed. She whispers to her tribesmates, "De spirits! I see dem!"
Courage-Under-Fire just gives a shocked start at what happened.
Strong-Heart drops to lupus now, turning toward his packmates and hunkering close to them. He just seems plain old /off/ now.
Gathers-the-Rainbow hunkers down, flickering her ears. She eyes the spirit warily but howls in greeting regardless.
Shadow-Soul watches with fascination. Great fascination.
Runs-the-Gauntlet jumps at the sight of the owl-like figure, hunkering out of reflex. Her ears splay at the non-roar from the earth.
Oncoming Storm lifts her muzzle to give a brief howl of her own, touching the cub in encouragement to join.
Darkness 's eyes go wide, fur bristling in surprise and shock at the sight of the.. OWL? The howl he was starting gets choked off- but then he recovers and trys again with a different note- one of welcome to a stranger, rather than greeting a familiar friend.
Harry smiles at Amaryllis. "Well, don't tell everyone," he says to her, "or they'll all want one." He does look up though, his eyes sparkling slightly, and the corners of his mouth twitching into a smile.
Thinks-Twice jumps a bit, startled by the display and leans closer to Oncoming-Storm, watching the spirit curiously. She lifts her voice in a howl to join in the greeting.
Speaker's head snaps up at the sound of the angry, frustrated howl.. and his own lifts to mingle with the sept's own, a deep and welcoming echo to the misty owl-shape sweeping overhead.
Weird-Tree backs up swiftly against Darkness, tail poofing. Owlowlowlowlowl! She squeaks and yips a greeting.
Strikes-True's howl is not full-hearted, more robotic since her attention is on the owl.
Icetrap gives a soft and rage-tinged whine as he watches the misty owl, a sound of loss more than awe that melds into a note of enquiry. Hummingbird eyes the bird, and then stretches out on his stomach, sphinxlike, to watch.
Reflection is full of supressed growls until the howling of the Earth. The Fostern then howls out to meet the coming of the spirit. ~Welcome Chimera! Your gracing us with your power and beauty is joyfully welcomed as always!~
Fallout can't really howl, being stuck under a fostern. Therefore, he just eyeballs the swooping owl.
Gareth's ears roll back when he looks up at the misty-owl. He seems wary, and ready to duck if it comes at his head, but he does not growl or show any sign of anger...it is obviously a spirit, and he must respect it. As everyone else begins to howl, the Fianna cub give out a welcoming howl that does the Children of Stag proud.
Hope-Turner gives a small, stifled howl to the Owl, his voice full of caution.
Dirt-Tongue blinks at the mist spirit. He looks around and gives a small howl of welcome, hearing others do it. Just follow along, do what you see others do, after all. His voice grows stronger as he hears Gareth join in. His eyes watch the green haired Metis with a smirk.
Behind the owl, other figures follow. Some fly, some run, some bound, but all of them are as high up as the massive bird shape, and all of them are recognizable. A weasel is first to emerge, bounding swiftly after the bird of prey, and then a big, fat rat trundles after. A raccoon dashes between them both, followed by another weasel that leaps playfully on the first for a mid-air tussle. A big old bear ambles behind these, and then comes a swooping Wyvern, and behind them, a stately figure with a woman's head and torso, a lion's body, and great big wings. Last to emerge is a cockroach, trundling along steadily. The mist cloud is much diminished, but those who look at it might spy the shapes of many, many different faces.
Far-Cry stands at the sight of the owl-shaped spirit, sniffing at it rather suspiciously. As it changes shapes though, he stares much more intensely.
Ringtone whines in confusion, leaning heavily into the fostern ragabash at his side.
Gathers-the-Rainbow suddenly gapes, and howls towards the Bear. ~Leuk!~ She makes as if to stand, but pauses, whining.
The Alpha murmurs something under her breath, and then looks over to the Owl pack.
Heart-Throb goes a bit wide-eyed as so many spirits come walking into the caern, looking around for about for anyone that might have an explanation.
Pathwalker lets out her own whine, although it's wistful, yearning. She leans steps back a touch closer to her packmates.
Runs-the-Gauntlet realizes after the changes that take part in the spirit figure. ~Chimera!~ she howls out brightly.
Oncoming Storm's ears twitch as she studies the shapes of mist, an intensity in her gaze.
Speaker's gaze regards the many misty forms that form and vanish once more for long moments--familiar, every one, close to the heart--and then he nods a bit to Ears as she murmurs lowly to them. Heart gives Fallout a last lick, and then pushes off of him to release him at last.
As the figures come tumbling out, Strikes-True's ears flatten once more in wariness and annoyance.
Darkness lets out a mournful sounding whine at the sight of the raccoon-spirit as it passes, reaching out one hand instinctively towards it.
Raging Phoenix lets out a cry at the sight of the weasel, a largely wordless one, a weird mixture of longing and anger.
The Fostern Fenrir, once Warder and belonging to a pack that called Bear it's totem, seems to study the view above for some time. Soon, all Reflection's-Howl can cry out is, ~Return to us!~
Weird-Tree keeps ducked away from the owl, but looks at the Raccoon. She whiiiiiiiines.
Thinks-Twice casts an excited look at Oncoming-Storm and she does a small prance in place as the spirits emerge. A light whine escapes her throat, asking if this is a good thing?
Hope-Turner yaps a surprised ~Hey!~ at the sight of Wyvern. ~Ember?~ he murmurs as the spirit flaps on by.
Suspicion dawns, and Fallout watches all of this, not even really noticing Heart's last lick. However, his ears flatten and he gets to his feet, moving up to crinos with a ragey sort of eagerness that's almost unnerving. Still, he only growls, snatching up the bone that lies nearby, and starts to slip over in that direction, though he's giving Mouse plenty of time to wrap up.
Hummingbird's eyes light, and he shifts into a sitting position. /Now/ he howls, excited and gleeful and fierce. Icetrap's eyes widen, the Get glancing around at a few of the assembled Garou- Reflection, Mouse, Jacinta- and then back at the parade of spirits. *Welcome!* he calls to them, the howl strangely pitched as he uses the Gift of the spirit's speech.
Without warning, the mist animals begin to vanish. The fat rat and the raccoon dissolve, as does the cockroach (still trundling at the back). The two weasels disappear next, and so does the sphinx. Wyvern disappears, Bear is suddenly gone. The owl flies alone for a few seconds longer, and then it too dissolves into mere mist again, which drifts up and away over the ridge. The mist cloud at the steam vents blinks at the Garou through many differently shaped eyes, and there's a sense of wings spreading, enfolding the entire Caern as though it were some kind of odd, misty embrace, and then there's only Mouse, and shapeless, dissipating mist. The Theurge doesn't give her usual pronouncement. She just squats where she is and looks at the ground.
Strong-Heart whines softly as things continue, leaning in toward his packmates a little closer.
Ears says it for her, as she resettles near the Gnawers. ~The Inner Sky is open.~
Reflection stares at Mouse, studying her as he did the spirits shown overhead. He looks significantly disturbed.
Runs-the-Gauntlet leans in the direction of the ritemaster. She howls out a soft note of welcome to the caern totem.
This time, Strikes-True rises up a bit and her hackles rise at the sense of being enfolded. Her tail is stiff and sticks out behind her as her lips pull back to expose fangs in a silent snarl.
Strong-Heart lets out a heave and looks toward Lefty with a somewhat confused expression. His ears lower and he leans in to her.
Ferret is just as confused as everyone else. Her ears swivel and twitch, then flatten with concern. She returns the look, but doesn't know what to say.
Fallout takes a few steps toward his place, and then abruptly pauses. He's caught there for a moment, and the shaggy crinos gives his head a shake, rage still welling about him. He moves up to take his proper spot; he waits for a moment or two for things to settle, trying to regain some sense of dignity back. Still, an eye is cast over the gathering, the bones are lofted, and he just says, ~Respect the bones,~ in an irritable snarl before they are snapped. ~The cracking of the bones begins! Let those who would introduce themselves to the sept come forth.~
First-Strike's ears go very, very flat. She wraps her arms around herself, sits right there in the Steam Vents, bows her head, and huffs through her teeth. She looks the definition of Unhappy.
At the urging of Blackriver, Howls-Along shifts to crinos and slinks forth; the bones are taken, and the cub looks rather nervous. ~I'm Howls-Along with his Ancestors, and I'm a crescent-moon cub of the first tribe.~ That said, he slinks back and hands back the bones and goes to take his place back by Blackriver.
At the mention of 'First Tribe', Strikes-True makes a face.
Wave-Singer's tongue lolls, showing teeth and good feeling as the cub introduces himself. There is pride in his posture.
Gathers-the-Rainbow manages a wag. Welcome.
Hope-Turner wags his tail slowly at the Silver Fang cub, vaguely encouraging.
Thinks-Twice nervously walks her way out of the group and to the center, taking the bone in her hand and looking it over for a second. ~I am named Thinks-Twice,~ she begins, her voice growing in strength. ~New moon cub of the Wendigo." After her words ring out, her eyes find familiar faces to her among the Fianna, Vendetta and others before she hands back the bone and strides quickly back over to the Warder's side.
Gareth takes a step forawrd, ~I am Shifting-Wind, an Ahroun cub and a child of Stag, a Fianna. I am proud and honored to be given the chance to prove myself and become a member of this Sept and the Garou Nation.~ He nods to those he knows and to new faces as well.
Darkness 's face tightens slightly as Thinks-Twice makes her introduction, but he shrugs and chuffs in welcome at her anyway.
Talk of Wendigos has caused Strikes-True's eyes to loll to the side. The Fianna gets a soft snort.
Speaker's gaze sweeps, lingering consideringly upon Thinks-Twice as she withdraws.
Icicle steps up to make his own introduction, warhammer slung across his shoulder as he stands tall and proud. ~I am Icicle, Paul. Fullmoon, Fenrir. Cub.~ The crinos boy literally stands to attention as he talks, his introduction clipped as a soldier on parade. Having spoken his piece he moves to stand-easy, and then stalks back to Bag-Of-Snakes.
Oncoming Storm watches Thinks Twice as she makes her announcement, and her jaw opens in a lupine grin as the cub returns, approval in her gaze.
Dirt-Tongue moves forward and looks around, ~I am Dirt-Tongue. No moon Cub, child of Stag.~ A pause then a smile and a greeting, ~Hey.~ He gives a wave of a big furry paw and steps back.
Mind-Breaker grins at Dirt-Tongue and gives him two fuzzy thumbs up.
When given the bones, Wave-Singer offers another approving lupine grin to the Silver Fang cub as he steps up. ~I am known as Sings-the-Waves-to-Silver, ot Troy in his human form. I am a Gibbous Moon of the first Rank of the Silver Fang Tribe, formerly of the Sept of One Bright Star, former son of Lion. Now, I am a member of the Hidden Walk and a son of Wyvern, in the pack known as Wildfire.~ With that, the silver-furred wolf steps down, handing the bones back respectfully before walking back to Hope-Turner's side.
Reflection gives approving nods to each of the cubs that step forward so far. When Icicle comes to stand and give his introduction, Reflection's-Howl gives a growling huff of approval.
Fallout passes along the bones as the introductions come and go, expression entirely neutral.
Strikes-True thumps her tail before baring her teeth, though not in a snarl.
Hope-Turner gives a warm chuff of approval when his Fang packmate introduces himself. His ears perk and his tail thumps a few times.
Thinks-Twice continues to watch the faces of those she knows as she settles down next to Oncoming-Storm. The Warder's 'grin' is returned easily though and the cub slumps a little weight into her.
Bag-of-Snakes has calmed down somewhat following the departure of the fool and the bemusing appearance of the spirits. She digs her nose approvingly into Icicle's flank following his introduction and bids him well done.
Stepping forward, Heart-Throb takes the bone up and looks around, ~I am Heart-Throb. Homid Full-Moon Cliath of Those-Who-Walk-Upon-Glass. Formerly of the Pack Broken-Arrows. I have secured land away from the monkeys so there is less land in hostile hands that surround this bawn. I am honored to join this sept." he announces before handing the bones back and making his way back to his former position.
Grey-Fur pads forward, shifting up to crinos -- but staying on all fours -- once he gets to the bones. One paw on the bone, he howls, an aching, high noise, and then says, ~I am Grey-Fur, of the Red Talons. A half moon. I and my tribesister Bloody Throat are here to protect the wolves. I am finishing chiminage-- if you want to learn Rites in the Talon way, come seek me in Wolf Woods.~
Icetrap's ears perk as the Talon speaks, the Get looking at him with interest.
Red-Talon definitely has Strikes-True's attention. She narrows her eyes at Grey-Fur but remains very still.
Gareth bumps shoulders with Dirt-Tounge, and gives him a wolf headed nod after their introductions. He then looks to the other Full Moon cubs, and then to the one who is a Red Talon.
Fallout's ears flick at Grey-Fur, but he still maintains a stoic sort of neutrality.
Dirt-Tongue takes that shoulder bump with a smile and then offers his fist for a pound. Fianna Pride.
Grey-Fur thumps into a seat again, ears flickering at the attention.
Reflection gives an affirmative whuff at the Red Talon's words. Waiting now for the next bit of business.
Once it's her turn, Unsolved-Mysteries makes her way timidly forward, taking hold of the bones. She turns to face the Gathering, taking in a deep breath. ~I am very grateful to be here. My name is Unsolved-Mysteries, Theurge of the Uktena.~ There's a beat before she adds, ~Cliath.~ Another breath. ~I have traveled here from the desert to the south, and I am honored to be working on my chiminage to this Sept.~ Introduction given, she offers back the bones and makes her way back to her little corner.
Ears regards the new Uktena with interest. And gives her a thumb's up.
Shadow-Soul stands to her feet, shifting up into crinos as she walks over to take the bones. ~I am The Shadow Has No Soul. I am a first rank, born under a dark sky and Thunder's child. I have been without a sept, but I am currently working on chiminage to join this rather... /unique/ one. As a new moon, I can appreciate the unorthodox, if only for its ability to teach. I hope to be getting to know the members of the Hidden Walk better in the months to come.~ And, introduction given, she passes the bones back to the Truthcatcher and moves back over toward Amaya, slipping back down into hispo.
Icetrap comes forward to take the bone with a short nod of thanks, his movements uncomfortably formal as he stands stiffly before the assembled Garou. ~I am Holds-Back-the-Ice, Cliath Godi of Great Fenrir's blood,~ he says, starting a little too quietly to be heard but raising his voice to become clear enough to reach the back. ~I w-was rited at the Sept of the Slaughtered Bull, and am now a member of the Sept of the Hidden Walk. I have s-studied Rites for two years, learning some of the w-ways to please the spirits of a Caern through the turning of the s-seasons. I w-will teach Rites to those who wish to learn, if they are ready, and I w-will spar w-with any who dare.~ His lip lifts mometarily in the ghost of a lupine grin. ~As the Elders allow and as it is asked of me-~ he looks towards the Alpha, the Warder, and then the Ritemaster, carefully not meeting their eyes- ~I w-will use what I know to help strengthen the Caern and the Sept.~ Handing on the cracked halves of bone, he returns to his previous spot, head high but his body language saying that he'll be happier once he's back out of the spotlight.
Reflection pounds one fist into the palm of his other hand, as Icetrap finishes speaking, with a halted grunt of approval.
Amaya gets a little nudge from her tribemates, and so stands up and moves toward the bone holder. She looks at them a little uncertaintly, and given the guidance of the others, turns to introduce herself. She remains in homid, but speaks out the introduction rather clearly. "I am Amaya Hatake. A new cub of the Shadow Lords. A Theurge, given the name Flash of Lightning." She looks back to Fallout and hands the bones over, bowing respectfully and offering a nervous, under her breath, 'arigatou' before heading back to her tribemates.
Grey-Fur looks ostentatiously bored by the English.
Amaryllis makes her way up to the bones at the urging of her tribesmates. Nervously, she says in heavily accented English, "I am sorry I do not know de wolf speech or de transformation yet. My name is Amaryllis, like de flower, Tee-urge cub of de Bone Gnawers. I am most humble before dis excellent collection of de Garou peoples." She hands the bones back to Fallout, and quickly makes her way back to her fellow Rats.
Thinks-Twice huffs a greeting through her nose at the other cubs, her tail wagging lightly behind her.
Grey-Fur snorts at the mention of Bone Gnawer, and relaxes dismissively, as if to say, no wonder.
Fallout eyes the cubs as they introduce and re-take their places, and then waits a moment or two; and then, finally, he rumbles, ~Announcements.~
The bones are passed, and the alpha of Night's Herald rises from his place to step forward and accept them into his clawed hand, his back straight, body language bespeaking pride. In his wake, Tim and Heart rise as well, though they hold their positions rather than coming forward. ~My brothers, Great-Heart, Golden-Jackal's-Fireblade, Cleans-Up-the-Ashes-of-the-Fallout and I, Speaker-for-the-Dead, have set forth to find a spirit that would take us as its children--and we have found him, Ghost, a spirit of wise Owl, to guide us. So we introduce ourselves once more before the sept, as Night's Herald, watchful amongst the city's shadows. Our territory has been claimed in the East Elson district of the city, and the waterfront.~ The bones are held back to the Truthcatcher - his packmate - with a brief, fierce and toothsome grin before Speaker turns to step back to his brothers.
Ears looks just the slightest bit disturbed at the mention of owl. And yet, she beams happily for the pack.
Unsolved-Mysteries turns her gaze to Golden-Jackal as he speaks, her ears perking in recognition, her posture curious, interested.
First-Strike brushes a palm against her forehead again, though she seems to be finally paying attention to the proceedings once more.
Hummingbird's ear twitches once at the mention of Owl, the Uktena glancing towards the members of Night's Herald with a decidedly ambiguous reaction.
Touching the cub on her shoulder, Jacinta leaves Thinks-Twice's side and moves up to take the bones. ~First,~ she rumbles out clear and loud. ~As many of you already know, the Totems of this Sept's packs are disappearing. Many are already gone, and Chimera has told us that they will all be lost, if we cannot change the course. She gave a dream to me, and in it I saw the Wyrmcomers, their weapons, their war, holding me captive. I say it means it is the Wyrmcomer ways that have caused this. The Lady of Mirrors tells that we have a lesson to learn. LEARN IT!~ She snarls out these last words, lips curling back from her teeth. ~Follow the Ways. Do not treat our helper spirits as mere toys or tools. Respect the spirits, respect the ways!~ She draws in a breath, letting it out slowly and her fur settles. ~Second. Another of my tribe, Sings Truth in the Morning, has joined us. He is currently seeking the source of the disappearance of our totems. His chiminage is set. Give him welcome when you find him.~ She doesn't pause long, looking out over the gathering. ~Finally. As you have heard, I have claimed the cub, Thinks Twice. For nearly a full turning she has been among us, unclaimed, untrained. She is of too great promise to be wasted, so I have begun her training. If you think she is better for your tribe than for mine, come find me, and prove your worth.~ That said, she hands the bones back to the philodox and retakes her place by her cub.
Ears's eyes narrow, as she looks at Jacinta.
Mind-Breaker looks displeased, at least, but says nothing.
Fallout flicks his ears back slightly to Jacinta, and only dips his muzzle slightly before turning his attention to the next speaker.
Given the bones again, Wave-Singer bows his head once before speaking. ~Recently, Wildfire was given a vision by Wyvern, in which we were trying to run to her as the ground crumbled beneath us. Soon, after Finds-Spirits spoke to Mind-Breaker of Vendetta, Wildfire encountered a Raven spirit masquerading as Ember, our totem. After mocking us, the Raven disappeared, and our pack link faded. Though, Finds-Spirits, our Theurge sister, is not sure if it was a Raven spirit at all. Members of Wildfire have spoken to some of the other packs, and we have found that almost all of them are having the same trouble with their totems missing or their links fading. We are speaking to as many as we can, to try and gather information. If this is also happening to your pack, please speak to any member of Wildfire about it~ He turns his head, giving Jacinta a very respectful nod. ~The information is excellent. Thank you.~ That said, the Galliard returns the bones once more and sits.
Power-in-the-Darkness cocks his head on one side at Jacinta's comments on Thinks-Twice. He says nothing, though.
Something that Quentin announced has Walks-In-Darkness looking absolutely spittingly furious- fit to explode. He lets out a fearsome snarl.
Weird-Tree looks perplexed, and whines softly, but keeps quiet otherwise.
Hope-Turner keeps his posture neutral when Jacinta speaks, and then sits up, and gives Wave-Singer his full attention. He grunts concerned agreement.
Thinks-Twice listens carefully as her new elder speaks but immediately ducks her head once she's brought up in topic, her eyes flittering from face to face in the crowd. She stops fidgeting though once Oncoming Storm returns to her side and the cub can finally relax, tucking in next to her again.
Pathwalker flattens her ears, looking deeply disturbed and concerned as these last announcements are given. There's a faint whine from her, and she leans more in Far-Cry's direction.
Unsolved-Mysteries also looks disturbed by the talk of last totems, shifting her weight from one foot to another anxiously.
First-Strike listens intently to Wave-Singer, before she finally slinks from her perch in the Steam Vents, and makes her way toward Fallout. She takes the bones, and stands straight, eyeing the gathering. ~First, I want to give this reminder again. Garou of the Hidden Walk, the city is a precarious place. You are /always/ watched. There are /always/ eyes. There are /always/ ears. If you go there, remember the Veil, and be careful of your actions. The humans /will/ take notice, and so will our enemies. Be. /Careful/.~ There's a little bit of a growl to her words, but she's not focusing on anyone in particular.
~Secondly,~ First-Strike continues, ~I went with Oncoming Storm when we spoke to Chimera. Chimera gave me a dream as well. I was trapped in a small place that smelled like paper and wood, with light coming down from above. I shouted and no one came. I banged on the walls and no one came. I couldn't get out, and then the entire room tipped over and there was a strange noise.~ Her nostrils flare. ~Dreams can be interpreted in many ways, and I don't know which one is the right way for this dream. But I will echo Oncoming Storm's words. /Respect/ the spirits. They are not your underlings, they are not toys or machines, and if they are disrespected, you /will/ see punishment.~ Her eyes narrow to mere slits. ~This may apply to our current situation, but it also applies to /all/ things. I tell you as a Fostern Crescent Moon, /respect the spirits/, or you won't enjoy what happens.~ She hands the bones back.
Reflection steps forward and takes the bones to call out. ~I have news as well. It has been spoken to me by Finds-Spirits of the Silver Fangs, that a spirit she could only call a 'Raven-Shifter that was not really a Raven' spoke to the totem Ember and tried to persuade it into abandoning the pack. It spoke of Garou being useless. Ember defended the pack and did not want to leave. It sounds then, as if there was some sort of fight between the Raven-Shifter and Ember. And that Ember was taken north from their glade. It was also said that the spirit that gave this information was reluctant to do so, and not so coincidentally, was surrounded by Blackbirds. This is the story as related to me. I too hunt the cause of this and the solution. I am working on a potential plan and need the help of Ragabash who are strong in the Spirit World. If this is you, come find me please.~ With this, he hands the bones back and steps down.
Weird-Tree perks a little, at the last, looking thoughtful.
Grey-Fur tilts his head, looking baffled at the mention of Raven.
Harry stands up from his groundsheet, and ambles towards Fallout, collecting the bones. He studies them for a moment, then looks up around the Caern, still in homid. "I've not got an announcement. I've got a couple of simple little questions," he says, his moustache twitching slightly. "I would like to know at what point the killing of a child is the result of the failure of the teacher, rather than a flaw in the child." His eyes roam over the assembled Garou. "When an untainted, innocent child is killed at the hands of an adult... the hands of a teacher... at the hands of someone who should be protecting him... when do we ask "is it the teacher's fault"?" He raises his voice slightly. "And I want to know... when did we start killing cubs in anger and not in sorrow and with Gaia's love in our heart?" Louder still. "And when did our Philodox stop investigating the murder of our children, and start allowing these crimes to pass unchallenged?" A moment's pause, and then he smiles, inclines his head, his voice dropping back to a normal level. "Just a couple of questions." He doesn't immediately hand back the bones, though.
Grey-Fur bares his teeth at the English.
Gathers-the-Rainbow starts to hackle again, teeth bared in a hefty snarl, and fur stiffening.
Hope-Turner growls low in his throat, not so much at the language used, but at the content.
Ears rises to her feet and holds out one hand, as she paces towards Harry. Clearly, she would like the bones.
Oncoming Storm snarls as Harry begins to speak, lips curling from her teeth.
Thinks-Twice flattens a bit at the man's questions, glancing up nervously at Oncoming Storm.
Fallout's ruff starts prickling up a bit crankily, a growl edging in his throat, gaze zeroing in on the gnawer standing near him.
Bag-of-Snakes gives Harry what might be called an old-fashioned look, which from a crinos is distinctly fearsome.
Darkness folds his arms in thought as he watches the Gnawer ragabash talk.
First-Strike eyes Harry with something like tired confusion. In effect: bwuh?
As the Gnawer asks his questions, the Galliard Gaian, Strong-Heart, tenses up and turns his eyes hard on the Garou that spoke them. ~If you so dare to suggest that those questions should be aimed at me-~ He actually cuts off short of the threat, swallowing back rage and forcing his willpower to hold. ~It was no murder! Our cubs are precious to us. But so too are our ways. Those that continually fail to accept these ways, these /instincts/ that are born into us, should be released from their duties and given to Gaia that she might see them reborn. It is a burden. A heavy one. And one that I do not need an out of touch Cliath lecturing me on.~
Courage-Under-Fire just /glares/ at the Gnawer, and keeps his hands and feet on the ground as his elder speaks up.
Ears stills and removes her hand, grinning mildly over at Jacob, as she sits back down.
Gareth's amber eyes glance over at Dirt-Tounge when the questions of cub-culling is brought up.
Reflection eyes Harry with daggers in his gaze. His fur prickles and froth forms at his fangs... until the Alpha steps forward. His fur is still prickling though, when Strong-Heart speaks. He looks back to Ears... and at her reaction just nods.
Ringtone shrinks in toward his alpha as Jacob begins to speak, looking up at the beta of his pack furtively.
Gathers-the-Rainbow turns a hard look on her elder, glaring hard, but not with the Rage she directs at Harry. Still, she takes a moment of fierce fighting with herself, and manages to sit back down, flexing her claws.
Icicle throws a glance at his fellow cubs- eyeing them in perhaps a judging manner. Harry's words are merely met with a disgusted sneer, the young ahroun seeming to discount them totally.
Hope-Turner grumbles, ~That's fucking right,~ under his breath at what Strong-Heart says. He makes it a point not to look at Harry.
Oncoming Storm snarls further when Strong Heart speaks without the bones, lips curling in a dangerous display of teeth.
Harry looks at the bones in his hand, looks at Strong-Heart. Looks back to the bones in his hand. "And I thought I was the one that was disrespectful," he says. "And to be honest, I have no clue who you are. Is that your guilt talking? Did you kill one of your cubs in anger? Was he embarrassing you?" He looks around. "I'm sure that at least one philodox would have checked. You know, got around to making sure. You know, checked on the old eighth." A pause. "Oh well, I guess not. It's not an important part of the litany, after all." He hands the boens back and returns to his seat.
First-Strike rumbles with severe irritation.
Gathers-the-Rainbow absolutely and utterly barely contains herself this time. Claws dig into the ground, and she looks livid.
Stepping up once more and taking the bones, he addresses those gathered. ~I say again, my name is Heart-Throb. As my chiminage, I have taken great effort to take land from the monkeys and put it in our hands. With the land I plan to make a place of safety and security underground for many purposes: training, living, storage, and any other way that might benefit this sept. I will create it alone if I must but I ask for help. In addition, those that wish may leave their cubs with me, I will teach them how to fight in the eastern ways, the western ways. With claw and fist. With spear and dagger. I will teach discipline, survival, and the Litany to those who would come. I ask for help. I ask for assistance. I ask for trust.~ And with that, he hands the bones back and returns to his former place.
Pathwalker is unable to hold a low growl at Harry's words, and she moves away from her pack to stand next to Strong-Heart supportively.
~He's the Gaian Elder, moon-calf,~ Hope-Turner snarls under his breath to Wave-Singer, in response to Harry's words.
Strong-Heart's eyes burn with anger. He lets out a rageful snarl, moving toward the Gnawer at speed. It's only the proximity of his packmates, Ferrets Out the Wyrm and Ringtone, that the Gaian is held back.
Speaker's head tilts, slightly, considering Heart-Throb thoughtfully at his words--but soon enough he's back to watching, listening, to the conflict and anger stirring amongst the moot. His own opinion, whatever it is, is held silent.
Fallout snatches the bones back with an irritable growl, half directed toward the out-of-turn speakers; ~We are not children,~ he growls, in a dark rumble that is just a tad sharp. ~Do not -disrespect- the bones. You can speak when you hold them!~ This is half-snapped, and August gets a full mouth of teeth bared in a growl, before he relinquishes them to Heart-Throb, still looking unhappy.
The ground around Bag-of-Snakes is covered with scratch marks now where the full-moon Get has been taking out her anger on the ground rather than let it spill into the moot and cause further disruption. Her face is a picture of Garou fury, though, and it's plain that she is reaching the end of her string.
Ears rises to her feet again, asking for the bones (and getting them) from Fallout. ~Works-Every-Angle, may I remind you you shouldn't oughta be speakin' English? And also, may I ask you where you get the idea we /don't/ consider it both fault of teacher and student? In any such situation? When I had to cull a cub, long ago, it weighed on me. It was wrong. It was the fault of teacher, of student, and the situation, and I did it in sadness /and/ in anger. And... a half moon should ask about it, as they should ask about many things.~ She asks him, ~Do you wish to respond, or shall I move on?~
Pathwalker does tear her attention away from the tension in her tribe to give Heart-Throb a curious look, seeming interested in this chiminage of his. Her attention's soon drawn back to Ears, however.
Gathers-the-Rainbow shrinks, in an effort for calm, into lupus. Still hackling, she starts pacing around Wind-Brother, whose attempts to calm her don't seem to be helping. She barely holds back low growls of utter frustration, and something in Kaz's words heighten that.
Hope-Turner dips his head down at the admonishment from Jack, and stalks away to hover on the edge of the precedings.
Harry stands back up, slowly... painfully slowly... shifting into the "war" form. Patches of his fur are missing, most of it looks like it's too old. He takes the bones back. ~I really am sorry~ he says, his voice creaky from lack of use. ~It was obviously a misunderstanding. I'm sure the Philodoxes have investigated every single cub killing.~ He pauses, and looks at Kaz, disappointment in his eyes. ~When you want to come back to the Bone Gnawers, Ears-Rhya, I'm sure we'd be glad to have you.~ He moves to hand the bones back to Jack, and head back to his place.
Speaker's head jerks up slightly, gaze flickering to Harry--a sudden flare of anger there, muzzle peeling back from his teeth in a wordless snarl.
First-Strike snarls, sudden and loud. She stares at Harry, every single bit of fur bristling angrily.
Rainbow suddenly stands very, very, very still, and looks over at Harry with a look of pure and unadulterated Rage. Again, it's an effort, a very, very, very hard effort and she's wearing thin now, but she carefully and forcibly stalks behind Wind-Brother and lays down, turning her head away from the moot.
Hope-Turner jerks his head up in surprise, and, from his distance, /stares/ at Harry in utter mortification.
Ringtone rises at Harry's words, his eyes bright and sharp and wide. He rises from lupus to hispo, posture tense and angry.
Riley, silent for some time now, remains so. He wordlessly tucks his hands into his pockets and watches - either too uncertain of the situation to contribute, or certain that any contribution he may offer would escalate the situation.
Ferret, her one good hand still firmly holding Strong-Heart in place, groans a little at Harry and shakes her head.
The Wendigo elder, takes a step toward the rock slab, one arm sliding in front of the cub and pushing Cleofe back behind her.
Darkness lets out a load, long snarl at Harry as he speaks again- whatever consideration his words were being given obviously lost. His talons curl into furious fists.
The Snarls and tension in the air is enough to cause Thinks-Twice to scoot herself closer to Oncoming Storm and she more than willingly tucks in behind her.
Weird-Tree suddenly is upset too, a feat for the Gnawer.
Howls-Along finds a spot to curl behind his elder, too, all wide-eyed and intimidated.
Kaz stiffens. Getting control of herself, she takes the bones again, and considers Harry for a long moment. ~I ain't left,~ is all she says. There's a silence, until she adds, ~I'll talk to you later, if you want. This ain't a Moot matter.~ Looking around, she goes on, ~OK, so, announcements. Gimme a sec, here.~
Fallout bristles a fraction, gaze following after Harry, but he only snorts and returns the bones to Kaz, still looking displeased.
The Galliard goes on, ~As for the Totems -- it may not may not have anything to do with Wyrmcomers or whatever the fuck. I do know it /probably/ has to do with a fox spirit wandering around and wanting to test our loyalties, because of... something really unclear that happened some time ago. So this is a trickster, testin' us. So /I'd/ be all good with people who wanted to teach him a lesson, later, teaching him... lessons appropriate to his nature-- /after/ we have our Totems back. Because at least eight of the 11 are gone, mine included, and we have to find them. Period.~ She pauses. ~Also, there's a fox /shifter/ around, by the name of "Rajani". She ain't, as far as I know, with the fox /spirit/, and she's here to help with a bane that's makin' fomori... But you know, she's a fox shifter. So don't take her at face value, basically.~ She looks around. ~And, last thing. Dagger's Edge won the Challenge for the Master of the Challenge. Go him. After this Moot, it'll be him you go to, not me. Meanwhile--~ She meets Fallout's eyes, checking to see if it's OK, and goes on, ~Meanwhile, Challenges. My packmate, Scar, failed in his challenge to Jacinta. There are, however, others...~ Her attention drifts to Rommy, now.
Bag-of-Snakes's face and body language doesn't become any angrier at Kaz's announcement of Kenneth's appointment as Master of Challenges. It's not clear whether this is because of self-control on her part, or simply because it's not possible for her to display any more irateness that she already is.
At the mention of the fox-shifter and her name, Walks-in-Darkness bugs his eyes out slightly in shock.
Hope-Turner blinks in incredulity over several things Kaz says.
Ringtone seems to settle, though he remains in hispo, and his ears twitch at the words of a fox shifter, he leans forward, as though he might be able to catch her scent just from Kaz speaking.
Fallout has no real reaction to any of this, and easily acquiesces to let Kaz continue having the floor, gaze averting with a dip of the muzzle.
Rainbow remains resolutely turned away from the moot, though she looks a bit less tense.
Howls-Along's general posture is sort of an alarmed 'what!'. There are /fox/ shifters, too?!
Oncoming Storm grunts, bringing the cub back up beside her, and crosses her arms over her chest.
Rising, and devoid of his artificial armaments as has been the case at many recent moots, the Wind Brother steps towards Fallout with an air of solemnity, and accepts the bones. ~Two things. First, I owe the Sept a long-due apology,~ he begins, lowering his head with a sincere, if measured, humility. ~Many, many moons ago, when I was a new and unproven member of this Sept, I carelessly brought my silver spear into the Caern during a moot. No one was harmed, as the weapon was never wielded with hostility to any of those gathered, nor was there any ever intention as such. However, regardless of my motives, the unintentional, if long-past, insult to all of you remains unresolved, so I wish to lay the matter to rest by announcing to all of you /and/ the gathered spirits my heartfelt apology: I was wrong. Let my mistake be a lesson to all that might repeat it: Always be mindful of and courteous to your fellows.~ A brief pause. ~And second: Cries-no-More-rhya, I challenge you for the rank of Fostern!~
Touch Deer, quiet and hanging back at the edge of the caern until now, steps forward once the Gaian makes his challenge. He makes his way through the garou and up onto the stone dais. ~Rommy, I have spoken to several Sept members about you. You have been here a long time, and you have fought in a good amount of battles, but everyone agreed you have made mistakes, and some even think you should not be allowed to try for Fostern. You've already tried, and been refused, once. At least you have apologized to the Sept for one mistake...but your ambition may exceed your skills and reputation at this point, still. I'll accept the Challenge, but it will be difficult, very very difficult. I will explain the details to you after Moot.~
The Wind Brother nods with a mixed pot of relief and anxiety, which he promptly swallows quickly. ~I understand. The outcome will speak of my readiness, or lack thereof.~ Handing the bones back to Kaz, the Wind Brother steps away and returns to his place.
Ears takes them back, and her attention drifts to Chris.
Oncoming Storm seems almost more annoyed at the apology than at the challenge itself, and she looks to her packmate as he comes to her side with narrowed eyes.
Stepping forwards from his packmates, Walks-In-Darkness strides forwards to collect the bones and make his speech. ~I am Chris Walks-In-Darkness, cliath ragabash of the Glasswalkers tribe and Alpha of Vendetta. It will soon be approaching two years since I was rited; I have fought the Wyrm hard in that time. I have lead a pack. I have scouted into dark places and came out with knowledge and my hide. I have protected the city streets. I have retrieved and trained cubs into cliathhood, and I have taught Kin in the art of defending themselves. I bear scars honourably won.~ He takes a deep breath, his entire body seeming electrified- his tail flipping behind him nervously. ~I seek advancement. Lefty-rhya of the Bone-Gnawers, I challenge you for Fostern rank!"
Power-in-the-Darkness remains silent, as he's been silent almost all the moot; but his tail moves as his alpha speaks. Thump, thump, thump behind him, it goes.
First-Strike's attention slides from Chris to Lefty. She still looks generally pissed off from Harry's questions.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a certain ragabash releases a soft clicking noise with his tongue, folding his arms. Riley manages to restrain himself from speaking, however.
Weird-Tree relaxes and thumpthumpthumps her tail as well. Mind-Breaker can barely restrain a whoop of excitement, so he settles for a fist punching the air.
Speaker's ears flatten back in surprise, his head drawing back slightly... attention sweeping from Chris to Lefty.
Oncoming Storm's teeth clack together and a growl leaves her throat. Her opinion is not in question.
Finds-Spirits rests beside Wave-Singer, watching the proceedings with the air of vaguely detached amusement. While she doesn't move her head, her eyes move toward Lefty.
Fallout just -stares- at Chris for a long moment, before his attention swings to Lefty, too.
Thinks-Twice shifts down to her lupus form and lays down next to her elder. When Darkness gets up to speak her tail begins to wag and she lifts her head to listen.
Raging Phoenix gives a low rumble, but whether it is approval or disapproval is impossible to determine.
The fostern Gnawer ragabash comes forward. ~Walks in Darkness, I accept the challenge. But you are young, and however much /you/ think you're ready, I have my doubts. And I am not alone. Therefore, you need to prove to me that at least some of those you would call 'yuf' feel you're ready to join them. The main task I have for you will remain a mystery until you've convinced them. I will give one clue, each, to five fosterns of this sept--one for each of Luna's faces.~ The Gnawer scans those around, as if searching for certain faces. ~Raging Phoenix will be the ahroun. Dragon's Fire the galliard. Blackriver the half moon. Mouse the crescent. And Runs the Gauntlet your ragabash. You must talk, ask, beg, cajole, /convince/ them you deserve it. Use your Gaia given skill as a son born to her dark face. The clues, when you have them, will lead to your true test. I warn you, though, it will not be easy. And you must do it alone, and without the trappings of the Weaver that you love so much.~ Ferret, once done, steps back.
First-Strike slants Lefty another look when her name is mentioned.
Ringtone takes a step away from Lefty as attention is drawn to her, and he looks between his tribemate and his alpha several times. His ears twitch, confusion and a mixture of other emotions read in his posture.
Darkness stands tall, unable to prevent a grin as the challenge is accepted- though his expression moves to a more calculating one as the terms are fully explained. Each of the names draws a different reaction- some interest and eagerness, others a slightly more unhappy expression. He nods as she finishes though, merely nodding to her terms in acceptance and graitude, before heading back to rejoin his pack.
Raging Phoenix looks incredulously at Lefty, her eyes wide. Then she gives a snort of laughter, and turns partially away.
Bag-of-Snakes looks between Darkness and Raging Phoenix, the anger fading from her a little to be replaced by thoughtfulness.
Oncoming Storm snorts angry, annoyed. Her clawed fingers dig into the fur of her upper arms.
Finds-Spirits seems amused by something. Very amused. She nudges Wave-Singer in the ribs with her elbow.
Wave-Singer remains really, really still at that, but gives his pack sister a most curious look.
Ears looks around. ~OK. Speaker's challenge to Strong-Heart's been extended. Rune-Scar's has been voided. Anyone else got anything to say?~
Rainbow tenses slightly, worn raw, but says nothing, makes no move.
Dirt-Tongue watches everything quietly, sitting next to the other Fianna cub. Now, this part, is highly interesting.
Ears, seeing no one else, trundles down the mound and over to Kavi. ~Go to it, Ringtone,~ she mutters, and then creaks down into a seat next to Harry.
~The cracking of the bones has finished,~ Fallout rumbles, before dropping down to hispo and trotting stiffly over to rejoin his pack; he's ragey and irritable, but he does settle back near them.
First-Strike looks as though she would like very much to leave as Kavi's turn comes up again. Her ears lay back, and anger gives way to a great deal of unease. Still, she settles in place and waits.
The hispo formed Glass Walker stretches, rolling his shoulders and lengthening his spine. Slowly, but with growing confidence, he picks his way toward the place where the winds swirl. ~The beginning,~ he says again, just as he did at the start of the moot. Tonight, I will sing you the beginning of a story.~ Then, again, he settles into lupus at the very edge of the caern. He waits for a long while his small form almost lost in the shadows of the canyon walls, before he begins in truth.
In the windiest area, His howl is low, mournful, speaking of isolation and separation. We are not meant to be alone, Ringtone explains again, and then slips into the song. The howl continues, deepens and grows rougher as he shifts from lupus to hispo. It takes on more meaning, too, as it changes from simple howl, to Mothers Tongue, and the howl becomes a song. ~She passed between woods and wild. Fostern, ahroun, unafraid. She passed alone with confidence. Confidence, misplaced.~ The hispo paces, as he sings the next verse, tension reading as part of the story. ~They came upon her in darkness. She tried to run, tried to howl. Their gifts made escape impossible. Then she stumbled. Then she fell.~
Ears starts to look disturbed as she listens.
Thinks-Twice curls up tightly in her lupus form with her head on her paws, her ears up to listen in on story time.
Fallout nudges both Speaker and Heart with his large dire-wolf head, posture giving somewhat of a begrudging thanks for holding him back, and then pays attention to the story.
Pathwalker shifts her weight uncomfortably as the song starts, then moves back to her pack, what members are there, at least.
In the windiest area, Ringtone roars up into crinos, acting out the battle as his strange howl-song continues. ~She fought. Strong and fierce and wild. She fought. Through the darkness, through the fire. Rage filled her heart, rage filled her mind, and the frenzy came.~ He draws in a breath, growing still except for the wind that tousles his fur. ~It gives us strength, but not enough. While she was lost to rage, she lost the fight.~
Darkness settles bakc in amongst his pack to listen to the song, still bleeding tension into the surrounding air.
Rainbow gets to her feet and pads away from moot, up the trail, and into the forest, clearly not happy.
Grey-Fur bares a tooth at nothing in particular.
In the windiest area, ~They held her fast, the alpha's pack. But she had not yet lost the will to fight. She dared him kill her, and he but laughed. He'd make her one of them before she died.~ In crinos, still, he drops to all fours and paces a circle. Then, slowly, shifts all the way down to homid, crouched down as far as he can. He stretches his arms out to the sides, holding them tense, as if bound. He howls again, a clear, strange sound from a human throat, mournful, and afraid. ~Held fast!~ he manages to shout on key, tears and rage showing in his eyes. ~No escape!~ His arms fall to his sides, and curl around his knees.
First-Strike rather abruptly stands, slides neatly to lupus, and heads out of the Caern. She's trying to make it look casual, but it's easy enough to see through that. She goes as fast as she can while still maintaining a thin veneer of 'casual'.
Ears snarls quietly.
In the windiest area, Just when it seems that he must be done, he bursts again from homid to crinos, jumping up to his full height. ~The Wyrm's children know their work well,~ he sing-howls. ~They strip you bare of self and soul. Over and over, taking your will, and only the strongest ever survive.~ Defiance shows in his posture, now, hackles raised and ears pulled forward. His black lips pull back from pink gums and white teeth, and he turns out to the crowd with a snarl. ~She fought! She ran! Over and over, until she could see the day she would have no more.~
First-Strike maintains that 'casualness' until she hits the trees. And then she's gone /fast/.
Pathwalker is tense, ears flattened, but forcing herself to listen.
Something in Kavi's tale seems to shake at Hope-Turner's will. He looks suddenly like he wants to leave, standing on tiptoes. He begins to pace around his packmates.
In the windiest area, ~But she held to hope! She held to pack and tribe and family. She held to life and Gaia's love, and she survived until we came.~ Ringtone pauses again, circling, extending one clawed hand to indicate all of the gathered. ~Returned to us, her hope diminished, she felt the loss of what she'd been through.~ The melody turns mournful, and slow, the howl soft and almost dying out. As suddenly as he stood, before, the strength of his song returns. ~But then another packmate taken, and she did fight! And they did win!~
Pathwalker eases some at this part of the story, although at the mention of missing packmates, she starts to look about with a touch of concern.
In the windiest area, Gesturing, almost pantomime, Ringtone gives body to the words he sings. ~She saw it clearly, Spirals defeated, her packmate returned, hale and sound. From then she knew the truth she needed. Where there is life, there is a chance!~ Once again he extends his arms, but this time in a gesture of will. ~The fire in her belly grew, fear turning clear to angry rage. Given the chance, shed see them defeated. The rest you know. The rest you've heard.~
Watching Ringtone as he tells his tale, Finds-Spirits reaches out a hand to catch at Hope-Turner's arm as he passes. She offers a wordless sound of reassurance, strained as she is beside the anxious ahroun.
In the windiest area, ~She Walks the Path of the Moon became a hero, fire and hope, became her tools. She nearly fell, tasted lime of her defeat. But she rose up, against her fear, and led us all to victory. Let her story bolster yours, let her courage shine a beacon. Let her strength kindle yours, let her fire light your way.~ Finally, the story seems to be truly finished, as the galliard slips once again down to lupus and makes his way back to his alpha's side.
As the song comes to an end, Jacinta turns to regard Stacey, tongue flicking out to lick her muzzle.
Hope-Turner stops as Finds-Spirits catches him, setting his jaw. And then the Talesinger ends his story, and his eyes move from pack to tribe sister.
Pathwalker's concern eases slightly just as Kavi's story comes to a close, and she straightens at his words, giving him an approving, grateful look, as much as she can manage.
Ears says, ~Fuckin' damn right,~ firmly.
Harry, back in homid, has been listening closely, an appraising look on his face.
At the conclusion of the story, Courage-Under-Fire lets out a short, pleased howl at the story of his Voice.
Crossing back through the waterfall pool, Curiosity comes back into the moot. However... she is not unchanged. The normally white-furred hispo's fur is now rainbow-colored in a 'camouflage' pattern from head to toe. She stumbles back over, seeming mostly regretful as she moves to rejoin her pack.
Reflection gives out a howl in answer to the story, it is full of hope and rightous, glorious fury.
Golden-Tongue re-emerges from the umbra by the pool at the waterfall's edge, stepping into the water slightly before moving back and turning around. Immediately noticeable is the fact that he's utterly devoid of color, every part of him is a shade of black white and grey. His fur otherwise maintains the same pattern though. He looks around with flattened ears, huddling sheepishly and waiting for Curiosity to cross over.
Fallout is caught from the actions of the Talesinger to -stare- at Sean and Curiousity.
Weird-Tree is immediately distracted by Curiosity and Golden-Tongue's reappearances. Her ears cup forward and she trains her attention on them.
Speaker, too, stares at the reappearing Garou.
~What did we miss?~ Curiosity asks to the gathering at large, seeming a little disoriented and unsteady.
Ferret reaches out to scruff her Walker galliard packmate in a fond way.
Reflection cuts his howl short as the colorful and colorless duo come through the Gauntlet. He just... ever so curiously tilts his head at their arrival.
Finds-Spirits's blue eyes narrow as she studies the returning garou.
Ringtone looks up at Lefty, his ears slicking back against his head. Jamethon's howl catches his attention, and even more so as he cuts off.
Ears levers herself to her feet. ~Everything but the Revel,~ she says, as she looks to August, and then back again. ~I will guard, and find out what you have found?~
Pathwalker lifts a hand to her forehead as she spots her packmate looking... different. ~...I think that I will stay and help guard, and hear what happened to Curiosity.~ She gives an apologetic look to Auggie.
Golden-Tongue hangs his tongue and pants softly, then he nudges Coriander as she leaves and scampers back over to Ears, he glances to August curiously, then leans close to whisper to the Alpha. The whisper that comes out is very weak and strained, a quiet squeak.
Hope-Turner jumps up at the look from Ears and moves anxiously into the Caern's center once more. ~Okay. Now for real,~ he mutters under his breath, before belting out a loud howl, ~Garou of the Hidden Walk! Tonight, we Revel!~ He looks around at the gathering, gaping his jaw in a lupine grin, puffing out his lanky Crinos frame. ~Let's go!~ And with that, the Gaian bounds towards the reflecting pool, to reach through to the Shadow.
Weird-Tree keeps trained on the arrivals. Bwrr?
~Oh...~ Curiosity says to Ears' answer. She looks over to Sean, her head tilting as no words actually come from him. But, she looks back to the Alpha, to give a chuff of agreement.
Hope-Turner lightly touches the shimmering stone at the caern's heart.
Hope-Turner's form seems to be more real for just a moment, then he vanishes.
Fallout stares after the two for a moment, but, hey, Revel! Baring teeth in a ferocious grin, he heads after August after delivering a chomp to Speaker's ear. Let's go! And, he's off to go cross over.
Heart-Throb watches the different-colored arrivals and turns, making his way over towards them.
Thinks-Twice pulls herself up to her feet, looking around at everyone before looking to Jacinta for an answer os what's happening.
Speaker muffles a yelp at the chomp--snorting, and then he's off with a howl of his own, bounding along with the rest of Night's Herald into the darkness.
Grey-Fur takes off after August, energy itself suddenly.
Finds-Spirits watches after her packmate with a wistful look before turning toward Oncoming Storm, assuming the sort of stick-up-someplace posture that Silver Fangs are known for. ~Oncoming-Storm-rhya. I offer my services to help guard the caern while the Sept goes on Revel.~
Fallout lightly touches the shimmering stone at the caern's heart.
Fallout's form seems to be more real for just a moment, then he vanishes.
Golden-Tongue flattens his ears at the howling and looks around to listen, huddling near the Alpha as everyone runs off, meeting the eyes all watching him, here and there. He sulks slightly in realization that his arrival is a little late.
Oncoming Storm watches the pair returning, her eyes narrowing slightly at their appearance, and then turns her attention to the cub, explaining. ~They go to hunt an engling. A spirit that gives of itself so that we might regain spirit and strengthen the caern. You will stay, and I will teach you, while we guard against threats that might come.~ She turns to the approaching Silver Fang, ears twitching backward once, and then dips her head in assent.
Rainbow is suddenly loping down the path towards the waterfall. She takes a moment and disappears into the umbra.
Ears watches the Revelers leave. She moves from Sean to Curiousity, urging Sean to come with her, and looks at the Gaian. ~Y'all. What went on?~
Icicle throws a pleading look at Bag-Of-Snakes. ~Can I /please/ go on the Revel, Viv-rhya? I know it's dangerous, but let me go hunt!~ He's almost hopping from one foot to the other as everyone storms off.
Heather lightly touches the shimmering stone at the caern's heart.
Heather's form seems to be more real for just a moment, then she vanishes.
Reflection heads towards Ears with a short yip to announce himself. He seems to be regarding Sean and Curiousity and their response to the Alpha's question.
Pathwalker moves closer to Coriander, looking very confused. ~Yeah, what the heck happened?~ she asks. ~You guys were gone forever, and you're... changed...~
Howls-Along seems a bit baffled, and stares at the two. Slowly, ears skewing, the young theurge trots toward Kaz, Sean, and Curiousity. He whuffs lightly to announce himself, but seems rather curious.
Finds-Spirits inclines her head regally toward Oncoming-Storm before pacing, like so many others, toward the newly-arrived pair. She chuffs a soft greeting to Howls-Along, acknowledging the cub.
~No!~ barks Bag-of-Snakes firmly to Icicle. Then, as though she feels she owes it to him, she goes on. ~It is too dangerous. Soon enough, you will be ready. But not now. I know you long to be there. But a good garou knows patience as well as fighting skills.~ She thumps him on the back, none too gently. ~Remain here and greet me when I return.~
Weird-Tree trots towards them too, on all fours, though she is in Crinos. She looks clearly curious, but makes no sound or presumption.
Thinks-Twice tilts her head to the side and then plops down on her haunches, examining Finds-Spirits as she comes closer. The stranger only gets a minute of her attention before she's focused on the oddly hued pair nearby.
There is a pause, but Curiosity shifts through her forms to land in homid. And looks at that, her skin and hair are stained in that same colorful pattern. "There were Wyldlings playing with the moot. That's what had everything all jumbled up. They said they were helping someone named Heyoka. There were also a pair of foxes there, watching the wyldlings. I think Sean may have had more luck with his than I did with mine." The girl looks over toward the monochromatic Philodox.
Howls-Along also dips his head respectfully towards Finds-Spirits, greeting her quietly with a submissive but not cowering posture. And then, his ears turn forward with interest.
Ears narrows. ~Heyoka means... backwards, kinda.~ And then, with dismay, ~/Two/. Shit, no wonder.~ Then her attention drifts to Sean, and her eyebrow raises, questioningly.
Ears narrows her eyes, too.
Heart-Throb comes to stand next to Pathwalker and shakes his head with a bit of a grunt. ~Are they changed? Are you sure? Looks like they fell afoul of artists colony.~ he comments before listening to Curiosity.
Golden-Tongue nods and opens his mouth to speak, making some movements with his lips, then he hesitates and stares ahead slightly as he tenses, then tries again, in utter silence. His fur bristles and he feels his throat with his hand, then backs away a few steps, teeth baring as he stares down at the ground and makes what looks like they would be some ferocious barks if they were audible. His teeth click together lightly at least. He flattens his ears with wide panicked eyes, then looks to Kaz and shifts down to Homid, trying again. Interestingly he looks ever stranger in homid, his skin a colorless shade of grey, his hair flat black, his lips an ashen color. And shill his mouth works fruitlessly, as he cheeks darken to a shade closer to charcoal. He then just points at Curiosity with a defeated and worried look, before rubbing at his face and staring at the ground tensely.
Dirt-Tongue just watches everyone from where he sits quietly.
Ears listens-- or, rather, fails to listen-- to Sean. Concern drips from her posture. ~Did you guys... Happen to piss off the Wyldlings?~ she asks Coriander, casually.
~Oh good. One half of the story cannot be told.~ After listening intently to Coriander's part of the tale, Finds-Spirit had tilted her head toward the gnawer. Her ears flick in annoyance and she taps one clawed hand against her leg as she waits for the answer to Kaz's question.
Howls-Along just stares at Sean, and the hispo'd cub says, ~It's like he's one of those old movies,~ he gawks, voice quiet and slightly wondering, but he just sidles over near Finds-Spirit and listens intently.
Weird-Tree sits back and itches her ear with her hind leg before looking at Sean with confusion.
Pathwalker looks up at Heart-Throb with some amusement. ~Hey, welcome aboard,~ she offers to him. ~We'll have to talk more about what you're building. But later...~ She turns her attention back to Cori, ears flattening. ~So, it is Fox spirits? She wouldn't piss them off on purpose,~ she adds to Ears, in defense of Cori.
"It's a spirit's name, too. That might explain a few things, if his name means backwards!" Cori seems... far too excited about it. "Uh oh. Sean, it looks like you need a pen and a piece of paper fast," she notes before looking back to Kaz. "No, Kaz-rhya! They weren't mad. They wanted us to stay and play. Uh. I think it was trying to hug us."
Reflection scratches at his own chest fur for a moment and coughs. ~I had thought the chaos was somehow intentional from how things seemed when I showed up. Wish I knew something was going on. I should have gone over.~ He looks over towards the Waterfall, ~Perhaps I still should.~
Ears says, ~Ah,~ and relaxes. ~Don't need no paper.~ She regards... everyone, and they hear, in their heads, Kaz's voice. ~Tell it to us, Sean.~
First-Strike reappears on the edge of the Caern, looking a little sheepish, and still rather rattled.
Ringtone looks up at Mouse as she reappears. He takes a few steps toward her, ears slicking back and head and tail low.
Finds-Spirits's ears splay when Kaz's voice appears in her head and she rocks restlessly from foot to foot as she waits.
Golden-Tongue shakes his head vigorously and starts to attempt to pantomime, pointing at Cori and staring a little dance with a happy face. Then he throw a finger in the air with a look of realization, and slips into lupus form. However, without the ability to vocalize even lupus speech is stunted. Playing! Not upset. is all he gets off as he scampers around in exasperation, then his ears perk at the advent of mental speech. A wave of relief spills over the mind link, and then he states the obvious. ~Gah! I can't talk! I'm like a silent movie!~ he communicates excitedly, then goes on to tell. ~There were two foxes and three wyld spirits. Uh, I caught one of the foxes and made it answer me truthfully. Their names were Heyoka and... ~ he pauses, and glances at Coriander, realizing that's a contradiction. ~Well, the one I spoke to was named Renardt. They brought the wyld spirits to do this to our moot. Because Traditions become aged and less useful and meaningful if not questioned. He said.~
Thinks-Twice suddenely sits up very straight, her ears pulling forward and her head tilting one way, then the other as voices sound in her head. Poor confused pup shakes her whole body out and focuses intently on Sean.
Howls-Along startles at the voice in his head, giving his head a -hard- shake. He sidesteps sharply and then tips his head as though he has something tickling his ear, both ears flattening, and then he blinks, seeming baffled but accepting it for now.
Coriander lets out an 'ooo' at Kaz's voice in her head, but falls silent to listen to Sean's tale, nodding along with the majority. "Mine didn't say he was Heyoka, but he said Heyoka would be annoyed if we summoned him. But I think we should!"
First-Strike turns a little of that sheepishness toward Ringtone, still with an attempt to seem casual. Hello, she chuffs.
Reflection gives a sharp laugh at Golden-Tongue's announcement. ~Am I really that old?~ is all he grumbles lowly, aloud and not in the talking-hive-brain-speak.
Ringtone tenses at the voice inside his head, eyes closing tight for a long second. Letting out a breath slowly, he looks up again to Mouse, posture reading of anxiety and apology. He glances back toward Kaz, and then up again to his elder, asking if she heard.
Weird-Tree stumbles around and swishes her tail this way and that. Then she starts to wag. ~Gaia speaks to me! It sounds like Kaz and Sean!~ She looks ridiculously happy.
First-Strike looks confused at the apology, a lupine equivalent of 'what?' She heard, she confirms. It was a good song.
Golden-Tongue flattens his ears at Reflection's laugh with an amused look, but doesn't answer. ~I asked about the totems. He said that we must seek them out to find them. He said they are in the umbra, and not in immediate danger, but something would happen if we took too long. He said we need to speak with Chimera!~ he then looks around excitedly, as if expecting to see the Caern's guardian totem somewhere. ~Did Chimera come?~ he then looks at Gren and blinks with an amused look, hanging his tongue out and snorting... silently. A fond sense of pity for the Metis plays over the mind link.
Ears listens to Sean, and then calls to Mouse, ~Hey, Mouse, you want in on the Mental Speech? Golden Tongue's expaining what was going on in the Umbra.~
First-Strike seems rather reluctant by the offer from Ears, but she assents all the same.
Ringtone licks his muzzle, apology still in his posture. He glances back to Kaz as she speaks, and then up again to Mouse, as though now his question had been answered. Ringtone can show you what you missed.
Finds-Spirits looks toward Reflection, grunting softly. ~I was thinking that was what would have to be tried next. I have not heard from the Corax still,~ she adds.
Thinks-Twice shoots a look to Jacinta with the rest of Sean's explanation, apparently finding something very interesting in it.
Reflection gives a rather expressively telling look to Kaz as it is mentioned that we must speak with Chimera. ~I have a plan about tracking them down. I need some help though.~ He looks over the various gathered, ~It involves a spirit I have had dealings with before. The Hrafn. A Raven trickster spirit of Fenrir's brood. One would welcome the chance to beat another trickster spirit at this game.~ He looks to Kaz directly, ~If you want more details now?~
First-Strike clearly misunderstands Ringtone's offer. She heard the song! she says, rather quickly.
Weird-Tree shifts to hispos and trots and galumphs back and forth, the massive green-furred wolf seemingly having fun listening. ~Gaia has advices! About the gone-Patches and other ones! I can tell! I can tell! And it's not counting to seven!~ She seems inordinately excited now. ~Talking to Chimera!!~
Ears, with a glance, lets Mouse into the link, and also sends her a short burst of concentrated Sean-info. ~Chimera came to Moot, but we gotta bug the Gatekeeper to actually, y'know, /talk/ to her.~ She nods slowly to Reflection. ~Do tell.~
Howls-Along is just fascinated.
First-Strike grunts. ~I talked to her already,~ she sends. ~Oncoming Storm and I. That's how we got our dreams.~
"I need to go to the rest of the pack. To catch them up and show off my new colors," Cori says with a bright smile. "If it's alright, Kaz-rhya?"
Ringtone sinks down, looking away from the Glass Walker elder, tail tucking tight as he drops into a low crouch.
First-Strike looks toward Ringtone, and then looks toward him again right after. This time /she's/ the one apologizing with her body language, and she leans against him, very slightly.
Pathwalker shakes her head at Curiosity, looking amused. ~I'll be nearby, watching over things. You know...~ she adds, looking towards Kaz. ~I had an odd dream, too, when I slept here last night. But I can't really remember it. Something about mirrors? Or maybe it was glass... It was reflective, anyways.~
Golden-Tongue ponders for a moment. Then directs his thoughts at First-Strike and Jacinta as he looks towards them respectfully. ~Did either of your dreams have any clue about a location? Where to look? Do you remember what was outside the cages?~
Ears says, over the link, ~Yeah, well, no offense, but Opening the Caern and just kinda conversin' with Chimera are two different things. I do, however, admire and respect the fact that you /did/ it, and that you are pushin' the respect angle, because it's fuckin' vital.~
~Our totem was taken north from her place in our territory,~ Finds-Spirits says in a distracted enough voice. Her eyes flicker from speaker to speaker, gathering information as it appears.
Amaryllis makes her way over to a nice tree, and leans up against it, taking a nap while her elders discuss things in a language she mostly doesn't understand.
Oncoming Storm slips from crinos to glabro, giving her cub a solid nod and then turning the majority of her attention to Kaz. ~The dream was clear. Wyrmcomers held me in a cage. Wyrmcomers of old. Of the first days of occupation. Their weapons. Their ways. Trapping me.~
Reflection nods and after other folks conclude talking a bit, continues. ~The Hrafn is very good at what it does... though it gets very annoyed at Ahrouns, none should be around lest it rouse very nasty and unavoidable tricks being played on them. Anyways, the idea is thus. A group of unpacked Garou take Raven as a totem, except it is not Raven. It is Hrafn they bond to in disguise. The pack waits for this so-called Shifter spirit to come to Hrafn... who agrees to go along with the Shifter spirit without a struggle... and leaves a trail for the bonded so-called pack to follow. I'm no tactical mind perhaps, but it seems sound to me. I wouldn't mind input and of course, help.~
First-Strike says, with a sudden, angry snarl, ~We /talked to Chimera/. Days ago. I said so.~ Her temper flare is large but brief, and is almost immediately replaced with apology. In the waking world, First-Strike flinches and looks away from the others.
Ringtone settles some at the touch from his elder, dropping to the ground and resting his chin on his forepaws.
Golden-Tongue looks at Finds-Spirits, seeming most interested in what she says, as well as Reflection's plan, though he's slightly confused by it. ~Shifter spirit took totems? What shifter spirit?~ he asks.
Finds-Spirits is watching Reflection and nodding along to his words, as if this isn't news to her.
Reflection relates quickly what he spoke of during the moot to Golden-Tongue.
Oncoming Storm's lip curls at Jamethon's plan, though she doesn't say anything to support her obvious dislike of the plan.
Ears tilts her head at Zosia. ~I ain't had that specific a fix. Interestin'.~ To Mouse, she says, ~I heard you the first time. But...~ She angles a glance to Jacinta. ~Dreams don't often mean the /explicitly/ obvious thing. Bend a little on it, pursue it in weird directions? And, Reflection...~ She trails off. ~If you can do it /respectfully/ and not in the same way that /led/ to us having fox spirits pissed at us? Please do this. But /only/ if you can do it respectfully.~
Finds-Spirits bows her head slightly to Ears, a hint of amusement in her expression. ~I...had a chat with a tree.~ The theurge leaves it there for now.
First-Strike's irritation continues to rankle, though it's clear she's trying to beat her temper back down. ~Chimera said that we couldn't stop what was happening, and all the totems will vanish soon. She said we didn't need to worry about her, because the thing that was behind this wouldn't mess with her. She said it was a lesson. That whatever is doing this 'rarely leaves lessons unfinished'. She said that 'what began within the nest would haunt us until we learned to fly'. And that we couldn't give up, or we'd lose.~
Ears tells Jamethon, ~If you can do that respectfully, go to it.~ Giving Mouse a grin and Sean's head a ruffle, she limps off, the connection lingering.
Mind-Breaker sits among his pack, eyes and ears on the discussion around him, listening and taking in the strategizing and planning of the other Garou. His mind seems elsewhere though...and finally, he pushes up to his feet and makes his way over in the direction of the Warder and her newly claimed cub. "Oncoming Storm-rhya, Thinks-Twice..." A toothy, feral grin is given to the latter and the Fianna lowers himself to a crouch before the Fostern, waiting to be acknowledged.
Golden-Tongue ponders and glances up to Ears, then nuzzles her when she pets him, lifting his spirits as he wags his tail rapidly. He turns back to the conversation and suggests, ~First strike. Maybe that's where a pack spirit is trapped, where you dreamt you were trapped.~ He ponders another moment. ~Can you remember the sound and let us hear it in our minds?~ he asks, curiously.
Thinks-Twice is easily distracted by the sudden appearance of a particular Fianna and her tail wags naturally behind her. She ducks her head in greeting to Mind-Breaker, bouncing like a playful pup. However a quick glance is given back to the Warder and she straightens up a bit in an instant, though her tail still wags behind her.
Weird-Tree squirms cheerfully, and finally ceases her gallivanting. She rolls on her back and chuffs, letting her legs splay any which way while she listens to "Gaia."
First-Strike looks dubious at the suggestion. ~Inside of a box?~ she asks. Still, she provides the noise. KaChunk Swoosh! ~It could also be a factory,~ she replies.
Ringtone lifts his head at the strange sound, staring up at Mouse.
Oncoming Storm's eyes narrow and she turns her gaze to Sean, first. ~We both dreamed of being captive, but they were not the same. Chimera's dream for me was not even of this time. As Ears to the Ground said, it was a dream. The symbols in it are what are of import. It does not translate directly.~ Then she glances across at the approaching Fianna, and her eyes narrow further. She lifts her hand from the cub's ruff and crosses her arms over her chest.
Mind-Breaker's spirits perk up further at Thinks-Twice's enthusiastic greeting, but he turns back to Oncoming Storm when she turns her attention on him, eyes averted and tone respectful, ~You were right, the Sept has been too slow to snatch up Thinks-Twice. In the future, I won't be slow with my intentions...~ Another glance and a grin is given to the cub, ~I have not spoken to Dragon's-Fire-rhya about it yet, but if he is willing to take another cub into our tribe, I wish to challenge you for the claim to Thinks-Twice.~
Golden-Tongue ponders, ears flicking at the sound, and he tries to figure out what it might be from. ~This one will listen and search for that sound, maybe.~ He glances to Oncoming Storm and flattens his ears. ~Maybe it's nothing. But...~ That's all he says before he sees Jason come and Challenge for Cleofe, and his ears twist, looking a little displeased.
The cub ducks her head down at Mind-Breakers words and her ears splay to either side of her head nervously. She wags her tail to the Fianna but leans her weight against Oncoming Storm. This one will go where its best for her. This one wants to be settled. These words are to both her new elder and challenger.
First-Strike breathes out, rather heavily. Her attention is diverted briefly toward Jason and Jacinta, and one ear twists to the side.
Reflection sniffs at the gathered and huffs towards Jacinta. ~Oncoming Storm-yuf. The spirit I look to get help from lives for this kind of thing. No disrespect is there. At the very least, it may help to shed light on just what is happening in a way we /can/ act on. If you have another actual plan to follow, I am willing to stall my own. But we must take /some/ action.~
Oncoming Storm blurs from glabro to crinos, hands leaving her arms to ball into fists at her sides. She snorts out a breath and her lips peel back from her teeth. ~When you are elder of your tribe, you may challenge for the cub. Not before! If your /elder/ would challenge for her, he is welcome to come.~
Thinks-Twice instantly cowers at the sudden display from the Wendigo elder and she shoots Mind-Breaker an uneasy look as her tail tucks itself firmly beneath her. She scuttles backward and leaves the pair facing eachother.
Mind-Breaker stays silent for a moment as Oncoming Storm shifts up to her warform, head down and staying submissive. Then he looks up, briefly at her to say, ~Then I will ask him to challenge on my behalf. Thank you, Oncoming Storm-rhya. That's all I have to say.~ He stays crouched, though his gaze turns to Thinks-Twice, and she gets the briefest of winks from the Fianna.
First-Strike's attention snaps to Jamethon again, and all of a sudden, she's bristling again, barely biting back an angry, angry snarl. Her temper reverberates through the mental link.
Golden-Tongue flattens his ears and flicks his tail in a disgruntled way, for those reading his body language, they might read, Her decision. He also says over mindspeech, ~They should let the cub choose.~ He does seem vaguely annoyed. He looks thoughtfully at reflection a moment, then is silent, widening his eyes at the angry elders.
Thinks-Twice pulls herself up slightly and gives her whole body a good shake so that her fur sticks out on end a bit like a puff ball. Mind-Breaker still gets the same uneasy look and Thinks-Twice trots carefully back to Oncoming Storms side, ears flickering forward for just a moment.
Ringtone looks up at his elder as she bristles, pushing up to his paws and moving close to her side.
Weird-Tree squirms onto her paws and scuttles away from Jacinta. Her tail tucks and she whines, glancing at Cleofe with a big doe-eyed apology.
Oncoming Storm turns a snarl to the cliath philodox, all the tension and anger at the situation multiplied and turned on Sean, instead, as his words ring inside her head. ~Still your tongue!~ she growls, verbally and over the link, her anger a near match for the Glass Walker's.
Golden-Tongue lowers his eyes, though he bristles slightly. He is of course, utterly silent. His ear flatten and his tail hangs despondently, as he looks up to Cleofe for a moment.
Thinks-Twice whines softly back to Weird-Tree. Oncoming Storm gets a brief glance and her eyes close painfully for a moment at Golden-Tongues words.
Mind-Breaker winces at Golden-Tongue's words, shooting the Gnawer a quick, warning look. One hand waves at Thinks-Twice, in what's attempted to be a calming gesture.
First-Strike continues bristling, though her attention slides between Jacinta and Sean.
Weird-Tree backs up a lot, tail tucked, and hunkers down as if shouldering the apology for everyone. Though, not actually.
Oncoming Storm's jaws clack shut, her lips covering her teeth. She eyes Sean. Warily. Angrily. But then turns from him dismissively and with an effort to calm herself, slips back down to glabro. "Assirtuaten, Malruk Umyuaq," she says, her voice clear and cool.
Thinks-Twice flips her ears up to her elder and her tail begins to wag behind her at the sound of her words. All the garou present get a quick look, her eyes lingering slightly on Golden-Tongue and Mind-Breaker before she trots back over toward Oncoming Storm's side, plopping down into a seated position.
Golden-Tongue lifts his ears at the Warders words, then glances up at her before turning away and trotting off a little, getting some space between himself and the other garou. He eyes Mind-Breaker and Thinks-Twice too.
Mind-Breaker watches Thinks-Twice carefully for a moment, looking between her and Oncoming-Storm. When the dismissal isn't forthcoming from the Wendigo, he stands slowly and makes his way back in the direction of his pack. There's no more tension in his posture now, though something seems to have sapped his confidence as well.
First-Strike turns abruptly, making to stalk back off the way she came, out of the Caern and into the trees.
Ringtone gives a rough shake and then turns to follow after his elder, loping quickly to catch up.
Thinks-Twice watches Mind-Breaker as he turns to walk away from them and the slightest whine escapes her throat. She takes a single step in his direction and then stops, falling back onto her haunches. The pup sulks and drops her head, staring at her paws.
Golden-Tongue watches the cub with flattened ears, and looks frustrated, before he trots over to Mind-Breaker, wagging his tail slightly Though what he wants to tell the other garou isn't exactly clear. This one yes cub. Elder soon. He looks at the Fianna, to see if he understands.
At Thinks-Twice's whine, Mind-Breaker pauses in his trek back to his pack and looks over at her curiously. He offers a falsely-confident thumbs up at her, which looks quite odd with a long claw on his digit. When Golden-Tongue comes over, the Gnawer gets an absolutely baffled look from the Fianna. The Crinos crouches in place, pointing at the ground between the two of them, "Write it out?"
Jacinta crouches as the cub returns, threading her fingers into the cub's ruff. She leans down, watching the others move off, and focuses her attention on the young wolf. "Come. Take two legs and come. I will show you the umbra, and we will speak of what you have seen."
Golden-Tongue perks his ears, then writes in the dirt with his claws, writing garou glyphs. He sniffs at the Fianna, widening his eyes and looking for comprehension.
Thinks-Twice looks up to her elder and then in a whirl, takes her birth form that shows so much more of the emotion on her face; sadness bitten sharply with bitterness. She nods her head to Jacinta and waits to follow her, not lookin again to the other garou.
Jacinta takes her birth form as she nears the center stone. "Have you done this, before?"
Cleofe follows close behind and shakes her head. "Definitely not," she admits, flashing a weak smile.
Jacinta gives a single nod, showing her understanding with a bob of her brows. "We are part spirit, you and I. All Garou. Part spirit, part flesh. Once, all of Gaia was connected in this way, but the Weaver's madness split the world in twain, and the Gauntlet now separates spirit from flesh. Ii-i?" She stands at the stone, one hand tracing the edge of one of the facets, almost reverently.
Cleofe listens quietly, nodding her head slowly. "Makes sense so far," she says, glancing up to her.
Mind-Breaker smirks as Golden-Tongue writes his message, giving the Gnawer a shrug and a nod. He looks in Cleofe's direction as she heads off with Jacinta, one ear tilting down before he leans in and mutters a quiet reply to Golden-Tongue, wiping away the message in the dirt with one hand. ~Cubs are only allowed as much choice as the elders will allow. Yes, he could, and I hope he does. It's what I'd do. And it doesn't matter if Jacinta doesn't want my challenge...it'll still be up to Cole whether or not the Fianna can even handle another cub. We're...kinda swamped right now.~
"Assirtuq," Jacinta answers. "Because we are part spirit, we can move between. We cross the Gauntlet and move between Realm and Umbra, between the world of Flesh, and the world of Spirit. It is not always easy, and often dangerous. I will teach you, tonight, and show you the umbra in the faint light of the knife moon. But you are not to go without me, or another I designate as your teacher. Understand?"
Golden-Tongue hangs his tongue and nods his head in apparent understanding. Then he scratches in the dirt some more.
Whatever conversation continued around her goes completely unnoticed, her attention on the Warder. "Ii-i," she responds after a moment, bobbing her head. The cub shifts uneasily on her feet, tense by her current surroundings but pretty focused nontheless.
Mind-Breaker grins and nods at Golden-Tongue, reaching out to give him a hefty pat on the head. ~Keep working for it. Give em respect now, and they'll give respect later, right? Also, you look and sound like an old silent movie.~ After that, he stands and heads back towards his pack again as they start to head out of the caern.
Jacinta's lips curve upward, her mood improving by degrees as she falls into the role of teacher. "Assirtuq. The Gauntlet is thicker in some places, thinner in others. Here, in the center of Grandmother's Heart, it is the thinnest we will find. In the scab, the city, it is much thicker. Even experienced angalkuq do not cross alone in the scab." She looks for understanding in the cub's face, and then brushes fingertips across the surface of the stone. "To reach across, you must first find your reflection. Seek to see the spirit within you, seek to see it full and hale. Once you find your reflection there, focus on pulling yourself through. I will remain, until you begin to find your way through, then I will step through and join you."
Golden-Tongue wags his tail, then scampers after Mind-Breaker, attempting a bark that goes nowhere. He tries to stop him and scrawl something else in the dirt, then can't figure out how to write it. He tries over the mind link. ~Bogart? Was bogart... but he's not silent. Damn. Chaplin maybe... or Buster Keaton?~
Cleofe tries her hand at a smile and nods. "Hookay," she huffs, clearing her throat and looking into the stone. She finds her reflection quickly but her eyes narrow as she stares intently at it for a moment. Nothin. The cub suddenely rubs both hands on her face, pulls her hair around her shoulders and huffs another breath, trying again to stare at her reflection, refocused. A minute or two passes and then the cub freezes in place, still as stone.
"Calm," Jacinta says softly. "Breathe as you seek. Do not fight yourself, but seek to free yourself. Calm." She watches, continuing to speak softly, without being distracting, giving the cub gentle encouragement.
Cleofe stares intently, her breathing calming considerably as an additional minute or two begins to pass before the cub begins to disappear, eventually vanishing from sight to those remaining in the Caern.
Jacinta follows, almost immediately, once the cub starts to reach successfully. For her part, her reaching seems near instantaneous.
Jacinta lightly touches the shimmering stone at the caern's heart.
Jacinta's form seems to be more real for just a moment, then she vanishes.
Cleofe lightly touches the shimmering stone at the caern's heart.
Cleofe's form seems to be more real for just a moment, then she vanishes.
Mind-Breaker cackles and tries his hand at the mindlink. ~Testing testing...cool. Yeah, Buster's a riot, let's go with that.~ He shifts down to homid and gestures for the Gnawer to follow him, tapping at his nose and grinning. "C'mon, I feel the need for some booze..."
Golden-Tongue sniffs, nostrils flaring slightly, and follows along amiably. He keeps mostly quiet, for a moment, then asks over mindlink, "Where do you want to go?" And then, "Cole let off the prohibition?"
Jason grins and shakes his head. "Never was, for cliaths. Lucky me, eh? Just gotta keep it in moderation..."
Back | Next | 2009 Logs | Main