2016.09.26:OfWolfandWoman

Of Wolf and Woman
Billy teaches Tabia some of the basics
IC Date	September 26th
IC Time	Evening
Players	Billy_Bojangles, Tabia
Location	The member's only room at the Curry Corner
Spheres	Gaian Garou
Theme Song	Metallica - Of Wolf and Man http://youtu.be/nkIgCs1XH5U

So while Tabia was given some leave to have some alone time for thinking or whatever, Billy has busied himself with eating everything left on the table. He even licked some of the bowls clean, which probably explains why he has dried marsala sauce on his nose. Right this second he's nursing a beer and reading a book that is clearly meant for children who are learning to read, with thick pages, widely spaced large words and so on. He's using his finger and silently moving his mouth while he sounds out words and reads up on the adventures of Donna Iguana.

Tabia has eaten some, though after everything that's been dropped on her, it's hardly surprising that she doesn't have a huge appetite -- but hey, Billy more than makes up for that lack, right? "So, uh, Billy. Will you...will you do it again?"

Billy looks up as he's rejoined, brows raised in questioning interest as the request is made. "Do what again? Oh! Be a wolf, you mean? Yes I can! I like being a wolf way better anyways, the only downside is being so short compared to everyone else." Right, the ONLY downside! He sets his book down and gets out of his chair to repeat the demonstration from before, dropping quickly into his breed form and telling Tabia emphatically, "BARK!"

Tabia walks over toward him. There's still some fear in her scent, though nowhere close to what there was the last time. She crouches down, starting to reach out, then hesitating, and finally draws a deep breath and looks him straight in the eye -- though none of her other physical cues suggest anything resembling challenging behavior -- before reaching out to touch him. "Holy shit," she whispers, because there's really no question that it's a trick of some kind at this point. "You...can still understand me when you look like that, right?"

Billy leans forward to attempt to touch noses with Tabia, which will also likely result with his tongue going right up her nostril. It is how it is, and I never claimed Billy had dignity or nobility of any kind! In fact, just to prove this point, he gracelessly falls onto the floor, rolls on his back, and assumes an upside down U shape while giving Tabia his very best Big Puppy Eyes, paws all tucked in and everything. He can do adorable like a mu'fucker. At the question, he makes something of a jerky head nodding and replies "Yap!"

Tabia has zero experience with wolves, but dogs she knows, so his rolling over like that is a request she recognizes. "Okay, this is just weird. 'Cause I'd swear you're askin' for a belly rub, an' I'm havin' a tough time fittin' that in with the big guy I just saw a few minutes ago." Well, okay, maybe less so with Billy than with most guys, but still. She reaches out to give a somewhat hesitant scritch.

Billy makes a stupidly happy face and peddles one of his back legs while his tail goes bug nuts and sweeps the floor. But only for a minute! Oh sure, this is just heavenly, but dang it if this keeps up he'll end up going to sleep and then what kind of information is Tabia going to get? Aside from the fact that he does bark and twitch in his sleep. So after a minute he rolls over and onto his feet, shakes out thoroughly and sits his butt down to once again shift to homid till he's sitting on the floor and grinning stupidly at Tabia. He's either Forrest Gump simple minded, or he's way more wolfy than the average wolf man. "That is called 'lupus'. Means 'wolf'. And this is called 'homid', means 'man', I think." He gestures to his form when he says it's homid. "Those words are also the names of our breeds. You were born to people, so you are homid breed, and I am born of wolf, so I am lupus breed. Get it?"

Tabia can't help but laugh as his leg starts going, then watches closely as he changes back to homid. "Wait, what? Born of wolf? And...what happened to your clothes when you turned into a wolf?" She was a little too overwhelmed to think of that the first time.

Billy nods his head and says, "Yes! Okay, one thing at a time, I'll 'splain the clothes in a minute. See, we're not mutants or anything, we're hybrid creatures made through magic a looooooong long time ago. The smartest creature, man, was mooshed together with one of the best predators, wolf, and tied together with pure spirit. Cause of that, we have direct relations to each other, even if it's super spread out and distant. You're related to real live wolves and I'm related to real live people. Our family trees get *super* weird in places. You and me, we're like distant cousins, same as with you and George, and you and Monica, we're all related. Most of us you meet are homid born, cause wolves are getting rarer and rarer so there's less and less lupus born and more and more homid born. Also I think maybe homids are just really horny or something."

Tabia snerks. "Don't know if you've ever been to a club, but yeah, that's pretty much all the proof ya need that humans _are_ pretty horny."

Billy shakes his head and tilts it curiously, "I have not. What is a club? Is it like this place?" Oh right, the clothing thing also. He explains then, "My clothes changed with me because I have performed magic rituals on them, to bond myself to my clothing. It is infused with my personal spiritual essence, so when I change, it changes with me. Without the ritual, my clothes would just tear off, but not in a sexy dance kind of way. More in a RAR! I DON'T FIT IN PANTS! kind of way."

Tabia says, "That must be how the Hulk does it, too. Except his are only infused with spiritual whatsis above the knees. But man, you've really never been to a club? It's kind of like this place, except it's darker an' packed fulla people, there's really loud music playin' and lotsa dancin', and if you want to you can get wasted. Mostly alcohol, but the people that want 'em can usually find drugs, too."

"I'm only four," Billy says with a smile and a shrug, "I haven't been to too many places outside of war in the last year, and I've been so busy learning how to do people things lately. You know, reading, counting numbers, how to do monies and things like that. What you're describing though sounds a lot like revelries! My tribe, the Glass Walkers, we are city folk, almost all homid born, I'm a weird exception but... that's a really long, weird story that I'll tell you about later. Anyways, when I was in the army, the squads would get together some times for something like that, music and dancing to release some rage and worship Gaia through sound and electronics. Kept us all from going crazy, brought us closer when we needed it, and also it was just super duper fun."

Tabia looks confused by that. "Outside of war? Why would you care about a buncha people fightin' somewhere halfway around the world? An' since when does the Army use wolves? I mean, I know they use dogs, just like the cops do, but that's different."

"Well, that's part of that long and weird story I mentioned," Billy says, and then clarifies, "War dogs are a big part of the army, and the marines and stuff, regular dogs and sometimes cross breeds too. My mom was a wolf-german shepherd mix, a kinfolk of the Glass Walker tribe. That means that she was related to the tribe and had that blood in her veins, but wasn't a shape shifter like us, she just carried the bloodline. My dad was a Glass Walker homid, a garou like me and you, and they were partnered together in the army. So I was kennel born on an Army base with people that knew what to expect, so I grew up there on the fringes of the human army. The whole reason we were involved with the army at all, and the whole reason there were garou packs, is because war is very very bad. When you send young humans out to kill other young humans, they do not deal well with it, it breaks their minds and their spirits, allowing evil to settle inside of them and make them monsters. The garou's job in the Vietnam war was to fight that evil, the humans were destroying things enough as it was, but they didn't need to be made even worse by bad spirits. When a human is broken enough inside, an evil spirit can possess them, and make them actual real life monsters that prey on the weak. During my tour, we murdered many American and Vietnamese troops both because of what they had become. At a certain point, a man can not be saved and must be put down like a rabid dog, the men that had necklaces of ears feeding rot scent up their nose, men that raped innocent villagers or beat them for not speaking English, or men that grew so hateful of american troops that they tortured them. Without garou to fight on the fringes of the humans, all the world would be swallowed by horror."

Tabia eyes Billy. "Wait. I thought you said you were four? Vietnam was way before I was born, an' I'm nearly twenty." Sure, there's lots of other things in there that could throw her for a loop, but that's the big one for her, it seems.

Billy nods his head in agreement and goes on to explain, "The world is a lot bigger than the things that you see around you right now, it's bigger than the planet that you're taught about. There are many, MANY layers to this world, all the layers of reality that have been made over the eons, making the world like... like an onion. There is this plane, physical and real and normal to you, but right on top of this there is another layer, the spirit world. This is where spirits live, it's where water isn't just water, it's a home for water elementals, the same for fire and the ground under us and the sky. It's a reflection of this world, but separate. There is yet another plane, the world of death, where the spirits of the dead humans go. You know ghosts, yes? There are many more layers besides this. Also, you only see one moon, but there are worlds that orbit our planet, worlds made of concept, like the concept of war or atrocity or chaos or any number of things. Now, I said that war is very very bad, and I said how men do terrible things, and these terrible things lure and feed certain worlds, like the Realm of Atrocity. Every terrible thing that has ever been done in this world exists as a continuous memory within that world, playing over and over again. When I was at war with my pack, the terrors of war brought that realm so close that it touched our world and my pack was pulled within. There, we.. It is a bad, bad story, but the simple version is that we lived and died there, and when I died, I was returned to this world to live with the terrible things I experienced there. Many many years had passed while I had been trapped there with my pack, and when I found my way home again, the world had changed. I have only been back in this real world for less than a year."

Tabia says, "Okay, I didn't follow mosta that, but...spirit world, weirdness, just got back? I can kinda wrap my head around that part. Kinda. Whew." She thinks for a moment. "Okay, maybe bring it back to down to earth a bit. George said I'm a Silent Strider, you said you're a Glass Walker. How many of these tribes are there?"

Billy laughs and nods his head, saying, "Yes, that does start to get into pretty advanced stuff, but you can boil it down to 'Billy got trapped and then got out and a buncha time had passed'. We can get into all that stuff later on when the more simple stuff is lodged in your head. There's lots of tribes though, and we all have a purpose. There's um... Silent Striders, the messengers and scout types, and Glass Walkers are the ones most attuned to the city and the ways of technology. The Uktena are native american, from down here in the south, they're... you know, shamans and stuff, they're close to the earth and the spirits. There's also the Wendigo, northern natives from the cold places, they are great warriors who fight with the same cold ferocity of a blizzard. The Black Furies are greek, I think, warrior women that liberated themselves from the shakes men would place on them. Lemme see... Silver Fangs, they're like nobility, but I think they're a little crazy too, because noble people inbreed a lot. Bone Gnawers are a little bit like us Walkers, they're at home in the city, but they are the dark alleys and tent cities where Glass Walkers are the polished glass towers. Fianna are Irish warriors made entirely out of songs and whiskey, and the Children of Gaia are hippies that are closest to humans and bring the love of the earth mother. Shadow Lords are from the harsh mountains of Europe where they fought the vampires in terrible wars. They are the whisperers behind the thrones, and the ones who tear down any leader not fit to govern. The Red Talons are the opposite of my tribe, they are all wolf, savage and brutal in their defense of the wilderness, and the Get of Fenris are the old norse warriors, the battle berserkers and children of Thor."

Tabia says, "And all these different groups actually manage t'work together? 'Cause some of 'em sound like they'd be more likely to throw down."

Billy shrugs his shoulders and waggles his head, saying, "Mmmm... Most of the time, but not always. A long time ago we were much more spread out, we had our specific places within the world, but as humans advanced and brought travel to new heights, all our tribes spread out and out and out, over lapping each other all over the world. People could have one night stands in different countries and spread the blood lines to new places. We have to *try* to work together though, because we are all on the same side even if our ways are different. We fight some times, but we do not war with each other. This is where the moon phases come in to play. See, there are all these tribes and each tribe has a purpose, but how could you keep a Red Talon and a Glass Walker from killing each other? So the moon gives us wisdom, splits us up so that we can manage ourselves. You Ragabash, you question things that are said, you play devil's advocate to force us to think and to be wise, finding the holes in plans and bringing debate so that we can learn and grow. Theurges, the crescent moons, they govern the realm of magic and spirits, the half moon Philodox like me, we bring balance and judgement, help others to weigh the pros and cons of a thing to make good decisions, we mediate disputes fairly and govern challenges to ensure that we work as a people instead of annihilating each other. Galliards, the gibbous moons, they keep our history alive and make certain we learn from our successes and failures, they bring fact and truth to law in the form of epic tales from true events. Ahrouns, the full moons, they are the warriors, those that lead in war and walk the front lines of all battle fields. With this separation, we keep our peace."

Tabia says, "Okay, so tribes. Lots of those. Then the whole moon phase-job thing. Five of those. An' wolves that turn into humans an' humans that turn into wolves. Can't say I got it, but I'm at least mostly following it."

Billy nods his head understandingly and smiles, "It's okay, it's a whole lot to have to take in all at once, but fortunately you don't have tot are a test or anything. And you get used to it over time as you meet people. We introduce ourselves to each other all the time so you will hear people say just what they are and soon it will be very common place. Like, I would say that I am Billy Bojangles, rite named Very Good Boy of the Glass Walker tribe, I am Cliath, born of wolf under a half moon. So I have said the name people call me, the name I earned when I proved I am no longer a cub, my tribe, my rank amongst our people, my breed, and the moon I was born under. Soon, when you introduce yourself, you will say the same things. Something like... I am Tabia, homid Ragabash cub of the Silent Strider tribe. Or something kinda like that. Whatever you way you like that rolls off the tongue best.

Tabia says, "Very good boy? So rite name...that's like an initiation kind of thing? And then it includes rank, job, and birth. That part I do get, though it seems like it could get really long."

"It's how we measure our growth and knowledge," Billy says, "See we all start out as cubs, we're young in here," he taps his head, "We know little and are like children in a new world, so we have to train and learn. When we have learned much, about our tribes, our history, our laws and ways, when we have that all packed in our heads, then it is time to prove we are ready to be adults. We are given a rite of passage, some great challenge that tests what we have learned, tests our honor and courage, tests our wisdom and lore. If we fail, we must stay cubs and keep learning. If we succeed, then we earn a name and are given a new rank. Cub becomes Cliath, and that rank proves to all of the world that you are worthy of learning basic magics, it proves you're ready to go to war, or to teach the young, or any number of things that a grown up does. But still you keep learning and proving yourself, and eventually you challenge to earn a new rank. This goes and goes until you have learned so much and done so much and have become so great and wise that you are an elder of your people, worthy to lead and guide all below you in rank. Like George, he is a great Elder now in rank, proven to all the Nation that he is wisest and most honorable and glorious, fit to lead and teach."

Tabia asks, "So I'm guessin' we gotta learn pretty fast then? Or was George just faster'n most, to hit Elder an' still be pretty young? He did say he was higher up the totem pole than Monica, an' I'd put her at at least a few years older than him."

"Age does not matter, it is drive and dedication," Billy says with a nod of his head, "A man can remain Cliath his entire life if he is not willing to learn and do more than the basics. It's not hard to learn and to give yourself over to it though. I mean, you learn to fight, but you must also be willing to take that learning into real battle, face danger and fear and earn glory for yourself, be spoken of in epic tales about battles you've been in. You can be basically honorable, but you must be willing to learn all the finer points of that, and the same with wisdom. Like teaching you, I don't *have* to teach you these things, but because I am willing to, because I spend my time teaching you and being kind and patient, I prove that I am wise for making sure a young one learns, and I am honorable for speaking truths to you and making sure that you can be good and truthful by my example. Any of that make sense? Personal renown can get weird and complicated at times."

Tabia says, "The 'earning glory' part seems pretty straightforward. Kick ass, take names, make sure your friends hear about it. But, uh, speaking truths? Not to _everyone_, I hope, 'cause if you all are expectin' me t'be some kinda knight, that's gonna make it really damn hard to make decent money at pool or cards. Oh, an' if you're only four, you may be higher up in this Nation that I'm supposedly part of now, but I'm an old fart by comparison."

<Phone> (Text to Billy from George) Still with New Girl? People to meet at the forge. I can come back to cc or meet you there

"No, no not to every single person, it's mostly..." Billy pauses, thinking a moment and then saying, "I can use me as an example. I will never lie to you or to any one else of our people. If I do wrong, I will admit that I have made a mistake because that is the right thing to do. If I am to be someone others can rely on to be fair and to judge honorably, then amongst our people I must live absolutely by my word, I can never ever be thought of as a liar. But in the world of humans or other creatures, I *must* lie, because I *must* protect our secrets at all costs, as that is the *law*, and so I have to uphold that law. This doesn't mean I have to be cruel or conniving, it just means that I have to guard my tongue, and even if it makes my stomach feel gross inside, if I am asked a question that might threaten our secrets, then yes, I must lie. This is true of glory, I will always fight fair with our people, but with others, I will defend myself only and not bully others with my rage, and if I must fight the true enemy, evil, then I will use any and all tactics at my disposal without being evil myself. To be wise, I will learn things, and if someone says that I am ignorant, then instead of arguing and being mean, I will say yes, maybe I can learn more, and find the person best able to teach me, as I teach you. When I teach you, I will tell you real lessons, even when I must admit to terrible things our people have done. Without admitting to our own atrocities and crimes, you can not be expected to learn right and wrong or to learn from the mistakes of our people's pasts."

Billy yelps at a ding in his pocket and whips out his phone to slowly read a message and then sloooooowly hunt and peck a message back

<Phone> (Text from Billy to George) want me bring girl two forg? she can met peepl two?

<Phone> (Text to Billy from George) if you think she's up to it and you can talk her into it

Tabia says, "Okay, now that's a little easier t'work with. Basically boils down to 'play nice with your peeps, do what needs t'be done with the rest'. An' yeah, I'm sure it's actually more complicated than that, but gives me somewhere t'start from, anyway." She quiets down then, not wanting to distract him while his attention is so focused on the phone.

"Yes, more complicated, but you have the basics and that is good." Billy says, pausing a long minute to message a second time before putting his phone away. "Okay, how about we take a short break from learning stuff, that way your brain don't explode. George says there are good people to meet at the place where I live and I thought you might want to come and meet them. You can practice introducing yourself. Remember that part?" He stands up and offers Tabia a hand. "You're *really* gonna love the trip over there, trust me."

Tabia reaches out to take his hand. "My bike's outside, if it's very far. At least gives us an option other'n walkin'."

"Wont need it, but I'll bring you back to it." Billy says, "Just make sure you keep a hold of my hand, I don't want you to fall off the path. Not super sure where you'd end up if you did." He closes his eyes briefly, and then right in front of where they stand a tear opens in reality, spewing silvery light that warps and breaks apart into rainbow hues, forming into a tunnel through physical space with a silvery moonlight floor. "C'mon!" he says, and leads Tabia into the tunnel for an extremely short walk.