2018.08.18: Revelation
| Revelation | |
|---|---|
| It takes some head butting, but Lleu finally comprehends what 'Cub' /really/ means. It's a depressing revelation. | |
| IC Date | Saturday, August 18th |
| IC Time | 08:04:27 2018, PDT. |
| Players | Lleutrim, Faith, Journey |
| Location | Old Hangar - Interior |
| Spheres | Shifter, Mortal+ |
Old Hangar - Interior(#14203RAM)
Good Bones. With sound structural traits and a lack of aesthetically pleasing qualities, this space doubles as an enthusiasts' work shop and a living space. The concrete floor is 80' by 240'. The high curved ceilings are 18' in the air at the peak, painted flat black to hide the conduit piping, ducts, and industrial light bars. Twin rows of four-foot high windows are 10' up from the floor and extend the full length of the hangar. Set in the front wall is a 20' wide rolling door with a smaller steel door beside it. The front third of the building is a work shop. This is separated from the rear two thirds of the space by an artistically welded 8' high wall of metal spanning the width of the hangar.
Behind the wall, a modern kitchen and bathroom have been added as stand-alone features. The sleeping space is obscured from the main living area by a large steel shelving unit. The primary gathering space is a set of three oversized couches drawn together into a u-shaped pit around a concrete and steel coffee table. There is a large dining room table with two benches. On the wall beneath the windows is a hand-loading table supported by two standard gun safes.
---
Outside the hangar is a large dumpster marked for scrap, two smaller ones for recycling and garbage. The amount of crap in them suggests that someone has actually been working her ass off on getting things pushed forward on the inside. The exterior seems to have been a little neglected, the grass over grown, the sparring circle and fire pit unused. Even the budding greenhouse is starting to get a little ragged.
Inside the hangar however, there's a blast of cool air when the front door is opened. The back of the space no longer visible from the front shop area. The welded wall is complete, and there's a dust curtain hung from ceiling to floor behind it to protect and separate the living space from the workshop. From the back, there's a sound of running water!
Lleutrim has arrived and parked his beat up motorcycle outside. He has a brief look around outside, then comes in and closes the door behind himself. Good not to let that cool air be wasted. "Faith?" His shades he slips into his jeans pocket and starts to walk around to have a look at the various changes she has managed since his last visit. Rather than call out several times, Lleu simply goes looking for her and takes his time to see what all has been done to the place.
The water is turned off and the woman walks out from under the arch, her face and hands wet from washing. She's wearing her typical bawn patrol clothing, hair back in a fierce bun. Her expression softens as see sees the man standing in the work shop. "Where's the babysitter?" Her lips can't help but pull into a smirk as she jogs up to you, intent on getting a hug, no matter who's looking at this point. "I missed you." She seems to have just about got the place under control, at least organized. She must have hired a small army to push it this far, this fast.
When he sees her, Lleu stops and watches Faith with a hint of a smile. He looks a bit worn and tired. His hands he spreads when she comes to him and he's glad to hold her close for a moment, "Ghost's outside. He'll be in, in a moment. I think he sympathizes a little and isn't too worried if you and I have a few seconds alone." Faith's hair may be bound severly back but Lleu caresses her brow and hair anyway, then down the back of her neck. "I've been missing you. A lot has happened the past few days. Everything went from boring and dead quiet these past few weeks to suddenly ... "
He draws a breath and looks around, "Let's sit. I'll catch you up? You can tell me what's been going on here?"
She presses in close, nuzzling against the apex of his shoulder and neck as she's held. It's more than what would be 'allowed' no doubt, but the comfort of his touch, scent, and proximity is needed in the moment. A slow kiss is pressed under the edge of the man's jaw before she settles back on the flats of her boots and slides a hand into his.
Leading the way to the back, some large couches have been put in place, replacing the crappy ones that had been present. These are more like the big furniture from the rental house. "Let me get you a beer?" She nods toward the full sized refrigerator humming next to a not-quite finished counter in what will be a full sized kitchen by the end of another week.
Taking in Faith's smell? Bliss. Even to him as a homid, it's something he can relish as a man and not just as a wolf. And now he's awakened to being garou? Even better than before. Her kiss prickles his skin with gooseflesh and for just an all too brief moment, Lleu pulls Faith's hips firmly against himself and feels the lovely shape of her backside. Wow, her proximity makes his abdominal muscles clench all up with a tingle, rousing his desire.
It's just as well she steps back to lead the way where they can talk. Back where he came in is the sound of the door being opened and Ghost coming inside.
"You have made some real progress here! I was starting to worry you were not going to get this off the ground. You are using the money I gave you to hire help? How's work going?" Lleu takes a seat on one of the couches and nods, "I beer would be great."
Ghost-on-Water walks in, "Hey, Faith! Can I have a cold beer too?" But lookie! He's brought not one, but two six packs to put into the fridge to contribute! "Lleu said we shouldn't come empty handed and he doesn't have saddle bags on that runt of a bike." Ghost grins.
"We need to get him over here more so he can finish his real ride.." Faith answers GoW, heading his way to collect the six-packs and give him a friendly shoulder-bump "You can have -two- of them, just cause I'm so appreciative of the company... there's also some leftover grilled chicken in there." Faith goes about putting up the gifted booze and pulling out some very cold bottles and a big ceramic bowl of cold chicken.
"I asked my siblings to come down for a few days to help out. They made a road trip and we had an old-fashioned barn raising,, sorta." That would explain why the fridge is packed with food and the placed crawls with the scents of other they haven't noticed before. "Your money's in an account for you, for later. Don't argue with me about it. We can talk about it later." The food and drinks are delivered, and Faith takes a seat on the opposite end of the couch from Lleutrim, we'll see how long that distance lasts.
Ghost /is/ appreciative! He gives the sic packs over and will gladly exchange for a cold one and a plate to pile meat on. Nevermind it's cold.
Lleu also accepts a cold beer and pops the top, "Thanks. That's real good of your siblings to come all this way to lend you a hand. I'm glad, and if I can meet them, I'll tell them myself how much I appreciate their help." Donnachaidh gives Faith a funny look, "I don't nee ... " Sometimes it's wiser not to argue with a bull headed woman. Especially if you love her. So, that's a battle he chooses not to have and instead, Lleu takes a drink of his beer as he eyes her.
"All right. So, I've been trekking into the umbra. A bridge opened up and with Nascha along to keep an eye out so I didn't do anything too stupid, I followed it. We came upon a baby deer, and it demaned that I tell it a story. We'd heard a buck call, and Nascha said Stag was near so, while the fawn looked all Bambi silly and not really like a real baby deer at all, I sat myself down and was respectful and told a it a long story."
"Spirits are different from things we're used to aren't they? I've never seen one. I just hear things about them when I listen to others talk during patrol." She leans into the couch with a bit of a frown. "I think it's weird, that they have an Uktena kinfolk teaching you about the umbra instead of a theurge. Especially given the lecture I'm getting about how important tribal lines are for kinfolk."
Faith's statement makes him blink, "You've been around the Nation longer than I have and /you/ have never seen a spirit?" He thinks about that, shares a glance with Ghost, then looks back to her, "So far, they've been dicks and assholes. But not all of them. Rocky's certainly not a dick." Rocky also doesn't say much. He shrugs, "I dunno. Why a kinfolk and not a garou - who's giving you that lecture?" She doesn't ask how the story with the fawn went so Donnachaidh doesn't continue it. Ghost feeding his face however urges Lleu to get up and make himself a plate.
She pulls her boots off and then tucks her feet under her on the couch. "Nope. I'm not.. uh, special like Nascha. They don't spend a whole lot of time teaching me more than pushups and rules. But.. what happened? I mean, with the spirit?" Faith puts her hands on her ankles as she leans forward a bit, rolling her shoulders back. Her head seems to be scattered at best - as she leaps back to something said earlier. "My siblings don't want anything to do with the Nation still. They might meet you some day when you don't have to have an escort, but that would be you know, if we're together."
"Ah, fair enough." That covers two of the three topics. Lleu piles up a paper plate with chicken and if there's some kind of hot sauce, honey mustard, whatever he gets plenty of it and maybe some chips too if she has any set out. He goes ahead and snags another beer as well before he returns to take a seat. One right next to Faith instead of the opposite end of the couch. Seems Lleu is less worried about loosing his temper than he was before.
"Oh, the little Bambi said it was a good story and well told but not original enough. Suddely we were falling through the sky towards the earth and moments later, hit the ground hard enough to feel our bones shattering! Not at all pleasant. I thought we were dead. Next thing we knew we were out of the Umbra and perfectly fine, the little shit."
A bite of chicken and once his mouth is clear, Lleu adds, "The next daw an owl visited me. He gave me a riddle to solve and it wasn't a hard one. I thought the answer was fire... " He grimaces, "Careful what you say around them. Suddenly the tree was engulfed in flames and we were back in the Umbra!"
Faith smirks as she shakes her head to the story, reaching behind the back of her neck to pull out the pins, letting the lockes of hair tumble free as she does so. Reaching over, she steals a chip from his plate. "Riddle contests are about.. wisdom, I think? That's one of the kinds of ways I've heard that spirits challenge garou when they want to learn gifts. I bet you'll be really good at that. But.. stories. I mean, s a galliard, did you tell a story about the nation? About the war? I mean, there's all kinds of stories but spirits are how the stories of renown are spread, they're usually bazillions of years old, so unless it's a story of something recent that's happened, that matters, I can imagine it would be all bored and shit." She snaps the chip off with her teeth and chews for a moment before adding, "Stormhowler, the Fenrir who was telling me about bloodlines, he's a Gal.. sorry a Skald. He didn't like it when I called him a Galliard. He said he'd tell me some stories about the Get of Fenris. Maybe you can come too?"
Ghost-on-Water, Lleu's primary NPC stalker when Halona or Nascha isn't with the Cub, is seated on a couch munching on cold chicken, chips and drinking beer while Faith and Lleu are seated on the other couch together. Donnachaidh is also eating and having a beer, his motocycle and Ghost's beat up pale blue Ford pickuptruck are parked outside.
Lleu gives Faith a nod, "Nascha said after that the fawn probably wanted to hear a more personal story of something I'd seen or done. I had told a story I made up, but was a mix of at least two older stories I blended together. So yeah, I think it bored him and maybe I'll get another chance yet." He grimaces, "Then the fire was eating up Nascha's tree, at least in the Umbra. I ripped off my shirt to cover her hair and dragged her down to her root cellar to escape the fire. We sorted out that Rocky could tunnel through the earth, which makes sense, so I thought about aquifers and how California is rich with them, below the earth. If he could tunnel down and tap water, and then squeaze the earth to force it up as a geyzer up through the hollow tree... Nascha thought it might work. But then we had to get out of there without being trapped under the earth and drown, nor be burned alive. Whether it was a test or not, it was real enough risk..."
Ghost-on-Water stands up, looking up and around, "Sh." Turning, and moving to a window, pulling the blinds back-
Journey is standing there at the window, face inches from the glass, looking at Ghost. "Hello." From the other side of the window.
Ghost does a slight start, and swallows, "Sh-Journey," Looking back to the others, then back, "Please come in." Then looking back expression clear, it was a formality, if Journey wants in, he's coming in. Journey vanishes from the window.
The kinswoman is seating on the couch next to LLeutrim, facing him with her legs crossed and her hands on her ankles as they're chatting. Her expression is somber as she nods slowly to the description of the situation. "Nascha's alright I'm guessing? I mean.. you're here, so.. it's kind of a given? I know she's.. special, but still I worry." A slow exhale and Faith raises a hand to push some hair out of her face. "I don't know spirits well. But I don't understand why one would burn her home down to test you." The appearance of the Elder is startling, and indeed if he wants in, he's coming in! The kin is up on her feet, watching for what direction he might be coming from with a couple heartbeats.. she'll start toward the refrigerator where the drinks are stored, just to get a head start on the offer of hospitality.
"Yes, we got out. I'm not sure if it was Nascha's doing somehow, or the owl's but she sprouted raven wings and ... that fucker, he gave me /fairy/ wings, damn it. Still, it worked and we flew up as fast as we could just as the water came gouting up through the earth and up through her tree. We both got burned and inhaled way too much smoke but then after we landed? It all went away as if it had never happened. Out of the Umbra and neither of us hurt. Nascha said it was a test. Yet again, I don't know if I passed or failed."
And then there's a Journey! Lleu watches Ghost and then he too rises as the elder comes in, setting his food and beer aside. "Shaderunner-rhya."
Journey comes in the front door. Yes it was locked and Journey relocks it as he comes in and approaches, "Hello." He repeats and looks around, "What's going on?"
"Good Morning Shaderunner-Rhya," Faith also greets the elder, her voice a little softer, her gaze lower than either of the garou present. "May I offer you something to drink or eat? Lleutrim was just being kind enough to check on me and the progress on this place. Ghost-on-Water Rhya is, once more being generous with his time so we could spend a few minutes talking about what we're each learning." She'll pause at the fridge to get an answer before she moves again, though she glances back toward LLeutrim, "You'll need to check with the others, but I think the people of the Fae are closely linked to the Fianna tribe in history and culture? I'm sure the wings weren't meant as an insult.. well, almost sure."
Lleutrim scowls about those stupid wings, "I felt like freaking Tinkerbell. Owl was surely being an asshole. Nonetheless I was grateful to escape the fire and the water."
Journey looks to Faith and nods, "Water please. And as long as the protocols laid out are being followed." He looks to Ghost and nods, then to Lleu, tilting his head, smiling faintly and lacing his fingers in front of him, "Oh really? Problems with Owl?" He asks in a light lilt in his voice, sticky sweet, like the excretions of some plants to draw in prey insects.
The kinswoman opens the refrigerator and selects a glass bottle of water, which she uncaps and wipes off before she carries it to where the Elder has elected to settle himself. There's something that causes her posture to stiffen as Journey inquires about Owl. "Protocols are certainly being followed, Sir. Anything less would be disrespectful. I'm afraid I don't know much at all about the spirits, so I'm very glad you're here. I know LLeutrim could really benefit from your wisdom." She adds, perhaps a little too obviously, "Isn't Owl the totem of your tribe Shaderunner-Rhya?"
"Protocols?" Which would those be? Presumably about the source of the water. Lleu picks up his food and beer and resumes his seat on the couch. "Yes, Nascha's been taking me through into the umbra. First I followed a bridge and when we heard a stag calling, found a fawn that came to demand I tell a story. So I sat down and told it a long story. But though it said I told it very well, it wasn't /really/ happy with my story and did something mean and painful to us. Then yesterday an owl came to me and gave me a riddle. The answer I gave was 'fire'. The next thing I knew, Nascha's great tree was on fire in the Umbra and I had to figure out a way to keep us alive. So I sent Rocky down to tunnel to water and apply pressure to geyser it up. We esscaped because Nascha did something, or the owl did, so we had wings to fly. Hers were a raven's but mine ..." Lleu grimaces, "Were fairy wings. I must have looked ridiculous."
When Faith speaks of owl and being Journey's pack totem, Donnachaidh gets quiet. Then he adds a bit more quietly, "Anyway, I /was/ and am grateful we could fly out and not die. And we got the fire out - my idea worked. But no idea if I passed or failed the test."
Journey nods to Faith, "Tribal. Like the relationship Stag has to the Fianna. Or Fenris to your Tribe." He then looks back to Lleu and listens. "You're worried about looking ridiculous?" He asks, "Sorry, you don't really get to make that call right now. I wear a fucking crown on my head in Crinos that was put there by a talking raccoon, you're talking to the wrong audience about looking silly."
Faith inclines her head to Journey's words when he expands a little on what she stated about the tribal totem.. stepping back to near where she was sitting before he arrived, letting the garou talk while she listens. She brushes her fingers against her hair again, and furrows her brow a little. "Ms. Bronwyn, Sir?" Curiosity gets the better of the kinswoman. "Isn't she a kind of spirit too?"
Lleutrim looks amused, "What, like a Burger King crown?" Yeah, he might snicker, "But fairy wings? I was kind of pissed. Yet there was no time for it." He shrugs, "What would the testing be about? Is this the Fianna feeling me out? How would owl fit in with that, Shaderunner-rhya?" Faith gets a sympathetic look because she always goes from being herself, to being this meak, submissive thing when other Garou show up. He pats the couch to invite her back.
Journey looks to Faith, "Not.. exactly, no. She's a Gorgon. Something else." He looks to Lleu, nodding slightly, "I've seen those.. um, no, it's made of crafted wood, has a talen in it.." He lifts a hand over his head, and flicks his fingers as if an idea bulb goes off over his head, "um.. shoots sunlight, anyway you FLEW, didn't you? If you're complaining about that embarassing you, then your training has been going pretty damn weak."
Faith moves to the seat that's indicated, and draws back into the seat. She again pulls her socked feet up onto the couch and crosses her legs as she settles her hands on her ankles. The kinswoman nods at the new vocabulary word, but she doesn't press for more. The harsh words the elder has for LLeutrim draw a frown, it's consternation over something, paired with a furrowed brow. She shifts her jaw and bits into the side of her cheek, keeping words to herself for the moment.
"Who's Bronwyn?" Nobody he's met and Lleu has no idea what they are talking about. What Journey says stops Lleu and he nods, "Yeah, I did fly. I admit, I didn't get to enjoy it. My skin was burning, my eyes were full of smoke and I couldn't /see/ or even breathe, so it wasn't exactly something I had a chance to focus on in joy." He sighs, "Anyway, you are right. Just at that moment it rankled my stupid pride." Jarhead. But maybe he's learning bit by bit that being garou is ... something else. Hard to let go what's been ingrained all your life.
Lleu finishes eating and drinks his second beer, setting the plate aside. "It's all very strange to me. Puts me off balance. It's not dull either, challenging."
Journey nods, "Yeah, it's Challenging, because you're completely out of your depth. You have pride because you worked hard for a very long time, served your country, blah blah, came back blah Cop, blah. So you THINK, because you have been in a frame of reference for so long that you've got.. skills, and strength and power. And amongst.. humans.. sure." He sighs, and shakes his head, "Human standards do not apply. You don't have the strength you believe you do in your bones."
The kinswoman glances up from her hands toward the elder, and then back to LLeutrim. While lips part, she closes then and glances over at Ghost-on-Water instead of speaking. "You want another beer, Sir?" Faith offers this to the new-moon, finding herself a distraction from the urge to interject.
Ghost is happy to give Journey and Lleu a little distance so he nods and heads for the kitchen with her. Donnachaidh listens, "Yeah, I think you hit the nail on the head. I really lost my temper with Jake a few days ago because he said what /everyone/ keeps harping in my face. About my life having just started. But I'm not about to discount my life up to this point. It's /half/ my life and none of you know what I have done, what I've gone through in the Corps, what I accomplished before now. I understand your point of view as well, and I'm trying. Yet I'm not some snot nosed teenager who's never done anything and is clueless either and I do resent being treated that way. A lot." Lleu sighs, "Human standards are all I have to measure by, Shaderunner-rhya. Anything else is simply going to take time and experience. The more people poo-poo my life before though? The more I want to knock out their teeth and want to tell'm to fuck off. No offense, but elders or not, I'd suggest trying a different tact because that one's not going to work." Donnachaidh's stubborn on that point. "Anyway, I do appreciate the patience and the teaching. I am trying to understand. It's awfully good to be going into the umbra and /doing/ things instead of just being preached at. I'm way better at doing than kicking my heels up for weeks without end, Shaderunner-rhya."
It's Faith's nightmare. Journey starts laughing. Much of the time Journey is flat, expressionless, his tone a deadpan delivery or dry wit, this is a change, A rich, mirthful laugh that he takes a moment to enjoy, before, "Okay, this hasn't happened yet huh? I thought Dragomir or someone.. okay kiddo, I know it's second puberty, and all, strange urges, hair in funny places, but let's go ahead and hit as many high points as we can here, and why don't you DO something and get your little candy ass off that couch and come over here and punch my teeth in? Or, as it was said to me once, 'Come at me Cub, show me what you have.'"
Ghost-on-Water moves around the scene to interpose between Faith and the other Garou. That's all he does in reaction.
Faith moves quietly behind Ghost-on-Water, she'd already paled considerably with the laughter. Wasn't there something said at one point, when she was making introductions a couple months ago? It will either be remembered or not. Now is not the time for Faith to intercede. She might be a little larger than the ragabash, but there's nothing at all that's going to keep her from all but hiding behind the offered buffer.
Lleutrim 'll get up off of the couch and he eyes Journey, "Dragomir already kicked my ass. I imagine you can as well. That doesn't change anything I just said. It doesn't have to do with dominance or fighting. All I'm asking is for people to lay off the whole 'your life only just started' thing. Is that such a ridiculous request, seriously?" He sighs and puts his hands on his hips. Lleu watches Journey, "I'm not particularly interested in fighting with you. That isn't my point."
Journey nods, saying, quietly and clearly. "That's because it won't be a fight, kiddo. It won't be training, it won't be sparring and it won't be -Fair-. It will be Discipline. It will be an exploration of your new limits, because you have changed. On a simple physical level. You are able to take far more punishment than any human ever could. Now, since you're trying to play the 'I know you can kick my ass so why do it' card, I'll play it."
Journey takes a careful, predatory step toward Lleutrim, "I am the person Dragomir is afraid of. I am not Jake, you pop off on me and turn your back to walk away without being dismissed, I will tear out a Kidney and shove it down your throat to ensure you remember.
"NOW. Lleu, Do you think I can't do it, or do you think I won't do it?"
Faith slowly raises her hand like a child in school. It is the Strider she's looking at, not the cub. However, she doesn't call out, make any noises, or otherwise attempt to actually step out from behind the new-moon. In fact, if Ghost-on-Water stops the kinswoman from making the visual plea, she will lower that hand with all the supplication she would show to the Elder himself. Kidney pie does not sound like something she wants a serving of after all.
Lleutrim is trying not to loose his own temper, "You ... are still uttlerly avoiding my point, Shaderunner-rhya. Why is this not even up for discussion? What the hell point is there in my learning to be a Galliard if we can't even have a conversation without you or somebody else threatening to kick my ass? Ripping my organs out /still/ has no bearing on the value of my life before my change. I'm not saying things haven't changed - they have, a great deal. But does that mean everything I ever learned, who I am and have been, suddenly has no value whatsoever? I should think .. if you have half the wisdom I'm told you have, then why can't somebody just /explain/ in nice, rational terms, why I'm supposed to piss on my life? Is this why people like Faith there practically cowers when other garou are around? Because she gets pissed on for not being garou?"
He takes a breath and keeps his baritone calm, "I should think it's my place to ask my teachers questions, and the place of teachers to teach. Not just to poo-poo who and what I have been before I came here. I'm not trying to be disrespectful, sir. I'd just like someone to explain it instead of rolling their eyes and telling me I don't understand. If you don't want me to hate the Nation, and resent all of you the rest of my life, then stop treating me like a damn 12 year old kid, and /talk/ to me. Tell me what I am asking to know, please."
Journey nods, "No, you have a point. You life has a value before this. It gives you an edge on other Cubs, a maturity, a potential. In case you haven't fucking noticed, or in case no ones clued you in to it, ELDERS are coming around to talk to you and show you shit and spend time and expertise on you, dipshit. As an Elder, I can say we have fucking better things to do. I just don't know which method of instruction is going to take with you, I can do reasoned discussion, and I can do you screaming in agony while your intestinal tract heals itself slowly. You're getting Challenge mode buddy, and you've been able to spit in that and walk away intact, but I'm not Jake."
Faith's hand has slipped down to settle against her stomach as the elder and the cub converse. So far, no blood on the walls and floor. She doesn't make another attempt to gather attention, only watches with a carefully controlled neutral expression from behind Ghost-on-Water.
Lleutrim takes a moment to just breathe. Nice and calm, try not to get frustrated and angry. "I'm not challenging anyone. Or I'm certainly not /intending/ to. This is who I am. I don't know how to function any other way and it is very frustrating. I get what you say. I owe Jake, Defiant-Storm-rhya an apology. I admit it. I will go and speak with him. Everyone wants respect - and even the Litany says, it goes both ways. The more people don't diss me, the more I'm going to respect them for trying to help me understand. /Dragomir/ got it. Sure he kicked my ass and I learned to be more respectful, but he also realized there comes a point to kicking my ass it going to make me your enemy, drive me away, or you'll have to simply kill me. I'm much prefer to learn and understand, Shaderunner-rhya." Lleu's careful not to make direct eye contact, trying to keep his tone respectful.
Journey snorts, "Oh you don't have to LIKE everyone in the Nations, that's just not gonna fuckin happen, but when the Wyrm comes, and it will, Lleu, and you will come face to face with true Black Spiral Dancers and it will come upon your mastery of what you are.." He waves his hand, "How many people you killed?" He shrugs, "Number, c'mon."
Faith is silent and still, just a piece of the scenery with the new-moon.
A brow is lifted, "You think I notched a knife and kept track? Dozens at least. Or if you include where I have had to give orders? Many hundreds at least. I'm not exactly /proud/ of people I have had to kill while I was in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, and even the Philippines. Why would you even ask that, Shaderunner-rhya?" Lleu indicates the couch, "May we sit?" he's not taking a seat at risk of pissing off Journey more, not without Journey indicating that they may sit. "You're right that I do not yet know what we are up against. Black Spiral Dancer? I can sum up my entire knowledge of what that is in probably a singl sentence. So, why isn't anyone teaching me what I should expect when I come up against one? I could run into one tomorrow, couldn't I? But no one has prepared me on what I should do when it happens."
Journey nods along with Lleu as he speaks, and shrugs, starting to say something then leans in, as Lleu questions the terms, and looks to Faith, then back to Lleu, "What have you been doing with those blocks? You should not be asking vocabulary questions."
Faith was looked at.. and she takes this as an opportunity to pipe in. "I was removed from all duty in relation to his teaching Shaderunner-Rhya. I have asked a half dozen garou to please begin teaching him. He has been getting basic etiquette lessons and some minor homid hand to hand combat Sir. He had not even been taken to the umbra before Nascha took him during the incident he was recounting when you came. I have not even been able to tell him that having an Elder take interest is like having a Colonel stop to pay individual attention to a Private." She talks fast. Very fast, hoping to get that all out there before someone shuts her down with a glare, or worse.
Lleutrim shakes his head, "I'm not aksing a vocabulary question, sir. I have some background on the words, I can reproduce the glyphs, and I'll know them if I see them." He cocks his head slightly and eyes Journey, is about to say something more and decides it would do no good. So he gets quiet and waits. A flicker of his gaze to Faith, then back to Journey, "I do appreciate when elders come to see me. I'm trying to ask questions. I think ... I would learn better if we moved past some of the basic things and got into the meat of it. How do you deal with a Black Spiral Dancer, Shaderunner-rhya?"
Journey stares at Faith, then looks to Lleu and points at Faith, "Kinfolk translation abilities." He waggles a finger at her, nodding. "Accurate." He frowns, looking at Lleu, "Do you even know how the universe really works? Black Spiral Dancers are Garou. Actual fucking Garou with skills and Gifts and no time for your bullshit, they'll eat you.. some, then likely throw you to the Wyrm to twist your soul into one of their own. Then.. just a guess, but most likely you will hunt down Faith and eat her."
Faith's hands fold at the small of her back and she resumes her quiet as it seems the Elder is oriented to the page the cub has been stuck on. Lleu's flicker of a glance elicits a slight furrow of the brow, as she doesn't quite manage to catch the full meaning of it. But that apparently can wait.
Lleutrim puts a hand to his face and rubs it, "Yes, I do understand .. most, if not all of that. Again, that isn't what I just asked, sir." Donnachaidh's starting to look like his head hurts, "I don't want you to take this wrong, please. But every time I ask you a question, you aren't answering the question I have asked. Wouldn't that drive you crazy, Shaderunner-rhya? This is the problem I keep running into with the elders. As if we are each of us speaking slightly different languages." Yes, trying real hard not to rile Journey's temper, "I'll just shut up and apologize for wasting your time, Shaderunner-rhya, and listen to whatever you have to say." Lleu gives up trying to ask questions.
Journey ahs, "Okay how do YOU deal with a Black Spi-you don't motherfucker, you will die or get turned. You are in no way up to that danger. That's why Ghost is here."
He nods, "Fuck it, okay, then we'll start at the beginning." He gets into his satchel and walks to a table, pulling a handful of objects from his satchel.
"Okay so. The universe is balanced between three universal forces. The Wyld." He takes a flat stone, smooth as if it came from a river, with a symbol etched into it, a swirling sort of symbol, "The Weaver." Another stone, placed next to the first, this one a crosshatch pattern, almost like a carved grid. "And the Wyrm." A third stone, making a small triangle, this one etched with a spiral pattern. "These are the three cosmic forces, the Wyld is the primordial stuff of the universe, and chaos. The Weaver is order and takes the raw chaos and spins it into material form, influencing the ways of Man and the works of Technology. The Wyrm was, once the force of recycling, taking the old works of the Weaver, and returning it to the Wyld, forming a cycle. When Gaia was in allingmant, this is how it was. This is no longer the case. The Weaver spins out of control, the Wyrm changed, becoming a force of half recycling, corruption. Decay, Rot. Evil. The Wyrm now seeks to corrupt all of existance, and Gaia cries out in agony, and calls to her children. Us. Those blessed to shift, and have her power granted to us by our Flesh and Spirit nature. BUT that's.. it right there, that's the forces causing tension in everything, the resonance drives, this Triat, THEY are the Music of the Spheres.
Faith is just quietly listening, if GoW will let her, she'll peek around him at the table - but she's not going to step out.
The Cub smiles a little, "OK, so why not just tell me outright that I run like hell or I'm going to get my ass turned to shit? I understand that answer." Lleu moves to better see and listen as Journey explains. "Yes, I know about the triad." Does he dare keep trying to ask more questions or just let it all go for today. "But /how/ would the Black Spiral Dancer do these things? I can't do /anything/ at all to combat it, to get away? What would Ghost-on-Water or you do if you ran into one, Shaderunner-rhya? Do garou kill garou in that case, or ... would you do something else?"
Journey looks at Lleu, and shrugs, "Okay I have no idea what you've been taught and haven't. I told you exactly what was going to happen if you met a Dancer. Garou kill Garou because it's Thursday. The Dancers have fallen to the Wyrm and are minions of corruption, they are to be killed on sight if you're able. You've killed, who knows, a hospital full of people? Likely not all of them were people but you thought they were. Ahead of you, you will be locked in life and death struggles against things that should not exist. Go to the Sept, go to the fires and sit down.." He stops and looks to Ghost, "Fucking stick him with the Galliards and make them tell him the specifics of the last few Moots." He shrugs to the Garou and looks back. "You'll be able to learn a lot of the basics there and hear some tales about the people you've met here. the things we've done and accomplished, and you'll have faces with names or something like that."
"All right, I'll do that, thank you." All of this sort of went sideways and splintered off in other directions. Lleu sighs, "You are right there's a lot I still don't know. I don't need to be taking up your time, Shaderunner-rhya. Maybe it will take years for me to ... figure out what's going on. I'll keep listening."
Faith moves her fingers through the hair at her temple as the new-moon is given instructions, and she looks past him to LLeutrim. She maintains her fairly neutral expression as she listens, before dropping her eyes to the floor of the space.
Journey nods, "Yeah, this is um, sitting in an Oxford study while the professor erases Quantum Theory from the board to teach a rousing lesson of long division. You can get a background knowledge around the Sept, or you can go to Andy and say this isn't working out, you need some other method because you're not getting it."
Lleutrim goes ahead and takes a seat and hopefully Journey won't bite his head off for doing so. "No, I think ... something just clicked. You have taken the time to explain something to me that I wasn't getting. That ... the things the Nation is up against would utterly eat me alive. That how things stand, even if you explain and teach me now to do things, I just don't have a chance in hell against even one of these Black Spiral Dancers. Maybe not for a long time. Is that what you really mean? Because it's depressing as hell if that's the reality I'm up against at my age."
Faith continues to watch and listen as the conversation slips back and forth between student and teacher.
Journey nods, "Lleu, yeah. Just as you would say to a young kid straight off the bus from Podunk, Nebraska with a duffelbag and dreams of being a Navy Seal even though he joined the Marines. 'You're Fucked.'"
He lifts a finger, "But you can become more. It will be more traumatic that the Corps, and it will move you beyond humanity completely and make you something vastly more. There is power, and glory and sometimes, SOMETIMES you get to see the good guys pull one out, and sometimes you can give justice where there was none, but a lot of the time it's fighting and fighting. The Real war is here, and you're old enough to know that's not rhetoric."
This is a revelation that is depressing as hell for the former Marine. Lleu nods, "That ... could have been made more clear to me. The fact that you are all so keen to kick my ass around to demonstrate how tough you are didn't ... make it clear how vastly overwhelmingly powerful these others are you are up against. I think Dragomir gave me a hint of it but I just didn't /really/ grasp it. No wonder you are equally frustrated with me."
Journey shakes his head, "No Lleu, I told you before, I said 'Boot Camp hasn't even begun for you yet.' And I was serious. Now it has, and with all the wonderful power in shape shifting you find, there's going to be time for you to learn new fighting styles, new lessons in understanding the truth of the world you lived in before. You haven't fallen down the rabbit hole, the ground turned into hands and drug you down it. You've been to the Nice Umbra. Around Nascha's place, There's more, there's things that would give Lovecraft the Hershey Squirts. That's something else for you to learn about, but start with the Galliards.
