2019.07.05:MeetingoftheMetis

Meeting of the Metis
Skully and his packmates meet Iris and her son.
IC Date	July 5th, 2019
IC Time	Evening
Players	Iris(st), Branton, Skully, Johanna, Khol, Troy Jameson
Location	Living area at the caern
Prp/Tp	None
Spheres	Gaian Garou
Theme Song	A theme song for the log

Branton has set up a long term campsite in the living area of the caern, a sizable tent set up for privacy even if its not needed for weather as much in the underground space. There is a small fire over which there sits a pot of stew, near by there's a barrel of spring water and a basket of wooden cups. All together a cozy and domestic scene.

Iris comes from the direction of the little-garou's-room, looking as though she did not get a very good night's sleep, the standard bags under the eyes, looking tired and worn out. Her thin dreadlocks have a few leaves and twigs stuck to them, as does her clothing. Yawning mightily, she blinks rapidly and opens her eyes REALLY WIDE to try and wake up a bit. Alongside her is a metis kid walking on all fours, which makes it easier to stop every five seconds to sniff things really intently. His pelt is a riot of patchwork colors (all of the natural-color variety), and he doesn't sport any particularly obvious physical deformity. If he were standing upright, he'd probably be about as tall as Iris, with a heavier bulk of course, but being a kid he's not yet all HULK MUSCLES or anything yet.

"UuuuAAAAAH-Waaaatch out... you-might-get-what-you're after... Cooooool babies; strange-but-not-a-stranger," comes the whatever-the-antonym-of-melliflous baritone of Skully long before he's visible, along with heavy treads in the pace of his signature long-legged lope. The great cyclops himself can be spotted soone enough, tromping through the woods of the underground and /CARRYING A GODDAMN TREE OVER HIS SHOULDER/, like he does. He even manages to underline his natural weirdness with the next lyrics, which are of course, "I'm. An. Or. Di. Na. Ry. GUY. BURNIN' DOWN THE HOUSE.".

Johanna comes along on into the area of the caern with Khol walking with them. Baby is left at home with kinfolk babysitter. "I did not get a chance to talk to them too much, but I figured this is a good chance to help out, and you should meet him too. Skully should be ..." and she trails off. No need to finish the sentence when the big guy is here - large and in charge - as usual.

Khol nods to Johanna as he walks with her "You know Im always glad to meet new people, and offer help where I can." he gives a wave to Skully when he see's him.

Branton smiles broadly at Iris's return and then he laughs and offers a wave to Skully "Hey there! Working on something with that tree? Or just restocking fire wood?" Johanna and Khol get recognized and a offered a friendly wave as well.

Iris greets Branton by flopping gracelessly onto the ground next to him where she can lean and use him as a human pillow. "Is the caffine ready yet?" she asks groggily, and then picks her head up when Skully appears. "Hey there, Jolly Green." she greets with a tired smile, which is passed on to Johanna and Kohl when they appear. "Hey there." The metis cub sits himself down a little ways away as well, and watches as the wendigo comes along with his pet tree. "No-one blinded me. No-one." he wuffs softly, in a somewhat dreamy tone of voice that doesn't appear to be directed at anyone in particular.

Skully stops his singing and his marching when he comes across signs of habitation, catching hails and waves and using it as an excuse to lean his tree on a big rock and stop for a bit. "It's gonna be a totem pole," Skully answers Branton first, shrugging his shoulders. "For my place. Went an' scoped out the young growth an' took measurements on which trees'll impede the growth'a which other'ns, found a dozen or so to mark an' take down, grabbed this'n first." The big Metis adusts the timber axe slung over his back, reaching to his belt and nabbing a pair of hatchets instead. He flips them casually, treating them like toys while keeping his eye on his totem tree. He pauses for a second, then does a ninja-like series of hack-hack-hack-hack attacks that just snap away spare branches like a buzzsaw, clearing part of the bole so he can make a few slashes about 3/4 up the trunk. "Figure it'll be about /there/ I hack off the top as too thin, but I got plenty'a use for the wood." He raies a hatchet to his brow in a salute to Johanna and Khol, then notes the Metis cub, tilting his head to the side and asking bluntly, "What in the name'a Luna's tit...?"

Johanna smiles and waves to them. "Hello Mercy's Messenger! Branton. Pink." Although she does not know if the cub even knows of her to begin with. She does have a basket with some goodies in it for them, and offers it to Iris and Branton. "Since you all are staying here, figured you might want some things. Khol always makes fresh bread and muffins and such. All natural ingredients." She let's Khol say anything more about what they brought foodwise for them.

Khol smiles a little and offers "I also rolled out and dried some fresh fruit.. " he indicates small packets "No artificial ingredients, and little ones, so long as they are even started on solid foods, love them.. and they last forever." he smiles "I hope thats all right for treats.'

Having got caught up by an anxious cliath who wanted a quick tip on emoting through storytelling, Troy follows after with his guitar slung over his shoulder. He's wearing a pair of torn denim shorts and a simple tank top to soak up the sun. Offering up a bright smile, he lifts his hand upwards.

Branton has set up a long term campsite in the living area of the caern, a sizable tent set up for privacy even if its not needed for weather as much in the underground space. There is a small fire over which there sits a pot of stew, near by there's a barrel of spring water and a basket of wooden cups. All together a cozy and domestic scene. Iris and a multicolor metis cub are sitting near by as Branton grabs a metal coffee pot from where it sits in the edge of the camp fire, not caring about the temp much at all as he grabs a cup and pours her some "Here you go." Then to Khol and Johanna "That'd be great thank you." then to Skully he says "I know right? Welcome to the next chapter of Iris' backstory."

"Iris, please." the Fury requests with a smile at Johanna, "Too much formality makes me itch." Just too Wyld to handle it. She takes a cup from Branton with a quiet and fond thank you before telling Khol and Jo, "Aw, thank you guys. I love home-made fruit roll-ups. And I especially love dehydrated strawberries. It makes me think of eating really delicious packing peanuts. Just, you know. Iiiiiif you happen to run into any in your kitchen." But with Skully blurting out about moon tits, the tired and underslept Iris winces and says, "Ah shit, I forgot. Skully! I'd like you to meet my son, Pink Foyd, Black Fury metis cub born under the wanning Gibbous moon." She's noticably less uncomfortable introducing the kid to Skully than to, say, a non Metis like Johanna or Alecto. The metis kid, when introduced, just staaaaaaaares at Skully like a giant creepy ewok. After a little bit of a prolonged pause, he rumble-wuff quietly, >>I saw you in the trees. I wanted to help you, but I got in trouble. Hello.<<

"Did I miss the part where I's readin' /previous/ chapters in her story?" Skully asks with blunt confusion, scratching his forehead with a hatchet blade before using the tool to gesture at Iris. "So this's your doin'?" he asks, making a wavy gesture with his hatchet... and then realizing how casually he's just sort of gesturing and waving deadly weapons around. Right. The goliath turns and swings his gorilla arms so that the hatchets both WHANG! loudlly into the trunk of his tree and stick, then turns back around with furrowed brow and thinned eye, crossing his arms over his chest. "Y'all can't jus' /adopt/ a Metis like you're buyin' a pet labradoodle, y'know?" he says tersely, square jaw setting for a moment in a didactic scowl. "It's more'n jus' a big responsibility. They ain't exactly sellin' copies'a 'What to Expect When You're Expectin' a Classic Hollywood Monster as a Kid' over at the Sept commissarry, mainly on account ain't no one never written the book. I know parents say shit about the Terrible Twos or whatever-the-fuck they call 'em, but with a young Metis it's more like the Terrible Entire Decade of a Hyperactive Tornado Child Who Can Kill a Cougar. An' I get Miz Iris that you're tryin'a tell me you know what you're doin', but I'll believe /THAT/ when I....". Skully stops his tirade, looking confused, and seems to be rewinding the tape back in his head and re-listening to what he heard. A couple times. /It is not registering/; you could probably go poke him in the eye without him blinking. It takes a /while/. When it seems like maybe someone should slap him or throw water on his face or something, Skully just sort of... crumples. Like his huge legs literally fold under him and he just falls straight down so he's sitting on his ass Indian-style, hands on his knees, blinking. "Right. Your son. Right," he rumbles in that Baloo-like voice of his, taking a deep breath, and finally /looking/ at Pink. He bows his head deeply to the youngster, clearing his throat, and answers, << Probably best you listen to what your mama tells you, Rainbow, but next time you got my permission to come along. I'm Skully. It's nice to meet you. >>. He stops then, clearing his throat again and blushing a bit under his ruddy skin, and says sheepishly to Iris, "Umm... I'm sorry."

Johanna at first was about to get right on Skully for his misunderstanding, but when he stops and gets it, she does not. Just comes up along Skully, and places a hand on his shoulder. "We are all here to help. Is there anything you need brough? It looks like you are getting a good setup."

Khol steps up onto the other side of Skully, just behind him. He doesnt reach out to touch him, but is there in a clearly supportive role. His expression is gentle and kind. "Anything you need. Just let any of us know. Food, Clothing, wood for heat or cooking.. a break for a while so you can rest.. we will find a way to help. " he chuckles "And As My wife pointed out, I love to cook, so, If you want someone else to do the cooking for a meal or two.. just tell me."

Continuing to smile, Troy offers a wave as he gives a light bump of his shoulder against Johanna's as he comes up to her side. "Hey guys." He says happily, then turns his attention to the new Metis. "His name is Pink Floyd? That is awesome. I love that band. Wish You Were Here is one of my favorite songs." He says as he taps the guitar on his side gently with his fingers. "Good evening everyone."

Branton does not seem dismayed or distressed at Skully's...energetic processing of the situation, he just waits. He's worked with and around Skully often enough to know he'll get to it eventually and then he does. When he names the cub Rainbow though, branton laughs a bit "Considering his momma's name and the mythology behind it? Rainbow fits." Johanna and Khol get nods as well "I'll have shopping lists eventually. We've got finances covered but just having extra hands around for when we can't be in more than one place at a time would be amazing." Troy gets a nod "How's it going?"

"Yeah man, Pink Floyd came directly out of my own personal vagina." Iris says with a quirked grin at Skully. No real better way to make 'no no, I made this one!' perfectly clear! She shrugs though at the apology and certainly doesn't seem to have taken any offense at all, "No worries, friend. It's a complicated story, but the short and sweet is he started acting out a lot at the sept I left to come here, so they delivered him back to me as quickly as possible." She TRIES to make that sound all non-challant, but there's a certain 'before he burns down everything' vibe to her tone. "So... Yeah, he's here now, and um... Trying to make sure he meets the correct people, do all the due diligence stuff and figure out, you know. What to do now. I still need to tell my packmates, and have them make the trip over here for that too, but I kinda figure..." she checks her watch-less wrist, "Yeah Jess is probably passed out in the pond for a couple hours and Isla's probably doing solo badass practice." And AH SHIT, she completely missed Troy (and we'll blame that on RL), "Hey!" she greets with a smile. "Yeah, I was... On drugs and in therapy, and that's not a good way to name your kid but there it is. It still works." Pink mostly just focuses on one thing at a time, eyes drifting off of Skully a minute and then sliding back there. He has that 'did WAY too much LSD in the 70's' sort of vibe to him, even as a kid. "Next time." For a Galliard, the kid is not super verbose in conversation, voice quiet for a Garou and sounding a touch detached and dreamy.

"/I/ was jus' here to get a /tree/," Skully murmurs in what is for HIM a very quiet rumble when Johanna states they're all here to help, still pretty flabbergasted. His packmates all keep offering assistance and suggestions, but he's still sort of absorbing the /what/ of the situation because the /how/ and /why/ are generally not parts people want to discuss. Finally, he says aloud, "He needs things to do. He's gonna be bored easily. Caerns are boring places for kids. There's no one to play with." That series of statements causes him to sort of snap-to, blinking a couple of times and rolling his eye to do a quick visual check of... yep, he's sitting on the ground, his packmates are all standing around him, it's not all that weird because even sitting down he's just so /huge/. Right. "Well... an iris is a lens, like a prism, which... yeah. Rainbow. Whatever. I get that it was clever, but he's a bunch'a different colors. It's neat-lookin', kiddo -- Pink -- so's I thought 'rainbow'. Ain't no insult intended; folks used to call me 'Numbskull' back where I's born, but I ain't never let it bother me none.". He takes a huuuuuge ol' breath, shoulders slumping a little, and finally looks at Iris directly. "Yeah, umm... we do that. Actin' out. Mama always said I's a good boy but a bad child. I ain't /meant/ to get into trouble, but seems like every good idea turnt into a bad result. I... we take a lot'a lookin' after. Gaia's way'a constantly remindin' you'a the rules, I guess.". He looks back to Pink, studying the youngster carefully and letting him moonily look around and notice things in his own way. Finally, the older Metis interrups the kid's reverie by asking, << What do you like to do, anyhow? >>

Johanna grins a bit with the comments about how the boy was named. "Could have called him Sue. I think Pink is a fine name. We'll make sure Honor's Keeper makes it over to meet with you all, but something tells me that my Alpha here will be of very good help for you all."

"Hello Branton. I'm doing good. It's nice to see you guys again." Troy says with a happy smile as he rocks on his feet, watching the back and forth with his Alpha and the new Metis. He looks curious at the drugs and therapy part, but he doesn't dig any deeper. "I'd be happy to spend time with him as well as he is a Galliard. I wouldn't mind being an auspice buddy."

Khol falls quiet now, listening and paying attention wihtout further comment as yet.

Branton nods at Skully's mention of activities for Pink "That's one of the reasons I'm staying out here for the moment with Iris while he gets settled in, help keep him occupied and such." When skully asks his question of the Boy Branton listens, curious to see what sort of answer he gets. Troy gets an encouraging nod, that's a good idea.

Iris nods her head to Johanna and says, "I sent a Gaffling with a short message, hopefully it didn't get lost along the way and he got the message." Iris nods to Troy in a very 'have at it!' sort of way, smiling and seeming pretty danged happy with the reception thus far. She nods to Skully and says, "Yeah... I don't... There's a lot of things I don't know yet." And there's no way to sum up a ton of back story and emotion in a single quick reply, so she just leaves it at that for now. Soap opera time can come later. For now though, she puts an arm around Branton while Pink chats up the older metis. Tilting his fuzzy yead this way and that, his pupils dilating here and there at random, he begins to twitch his clawed fingers in some pattern that makes sense only to him. Counting, playing the piano, it's not real clear. But he thinks on the question for a long moment before answering quietly. >>I like to sing, read, and see.<< he answers, >>I like crickets, they're very pretty when they sing.<< He abruptly gets distracted by nothing, eyes wandering off track followed by him making a few quiet foghorn-like sounds, which seems to make him happy, as he produces a large and goofy canine grin while staring off into the middle distance.

Skully's single dark eye follows the youngling carefully, his head only moving as far as it has to in order to keep up with him but his eye locked on the piebald Pink the entire time. He takes in the answers with a slow, patient nod, letting the distractions run their course while he chews on the answer. << Mercy's Wings is a Moonsinger, too; plays music an' sings, knows all kinds'a songs. I sing, but I ain't no good at it; never learnt no better, but I know the words to thousands'a songs. My dad gave me his iPod when I's a kid, had all his favorite music on it. He went to the spirit place a long, long time ago, but I still feel like he talks to me through that music, in his way. >> The big brute isn't so much ignoring everyone else as he's just not /looking/ at them, and he's adopted that low, patient tone he uses when speaking with children, cubs, and particularly skittish Kinfolk. He pushes back up to his feet, rising up-up-UP to his full height... or so it seems until he stretches and shifts very casually into his birth-form, just turning fucking /gigantic/ before padding carefully to within about a dozen feet of Pink. << When I's your age, I used to take apart the machines on my farm. Mama said it was fine so long as I could get 'em back together right an' workin' proper, so I only got in trouble 'bout one in four times. >>

Johanna can understand the speech, and for now keeps back with Khol and Troy. This is time for the metis' to bond hopefuly. She nods and places a hand on Troy's shoulder. "Music could be a way to helping as well. I'm glad you have offered your guidance."

Nodding his head, Troy smiles. "Back home in San Francisco, I'd help help the Metis learn English by teaching them to sing. Disney songs work the best." He says as he lifts a hand to Pink Floyd and wave happily. He leans in against Johanna a bit, giving her a grin.

Branton makes sure Iris gets coffee and stew while Skully has Pink's attention, at least most of it. Deftly seeing to things as he lets iris lean on him, literally as well as metaphorically.

Khol leans over and speaks softly to Johanna and Troy, his voice soft enough that, unless you have very sharp senses, you likely dont hear it if your not one of them "That child is not stupid at all.. He has the earmarks of Autism. He isnt catching social queues, but is very perceptive.. just has trouble filtering it."

Pink's pretty comfortable with Skully's transformation into God Of Bigness, staying sitting and watching the fellow. >>Your singing was pretty.<< he opines simply, and then tells the cyclopse, >>I took apart things, but I was in trouble.<< Iris helpfully interjects here, "You took all of the nails out of the kinfolk house without asking and it collapsed, baby." Pink tilts his head and stares at his mother like 'I dont understand the difference or the problem with this'. His eyes then catch Troy's waving hand and lock on, staring until it's put down to rest again before dragging his brain back into the world of paying attention. It's a tough job. >>Your wings aren't the same as my mom's, but they're supposed to be.<< he informs Troy. Having finished up some Go-Juice (coffee), Iris sets her cup down and makes with breaking into the snacks. Stew by Branton, stuff Khol brought, passing stuff out to whomever might want some and insuring her kid has some on hand. Garou metabolism and all that. Not that Pink notices.

Giving a warm smile back to Pink, Troy slips the guitar off his shoulders, then peels his tank top up and over his head to reveal his heavily scarred body. He turns around so that the new cub can see the feathery Dove wings tattooed along his shoulders. "I have wings of my own, I can't fly with them yet." He says with a grin over towards him. "I an named after my first pack, Mercy's Wings, who fell in contest with the Wyrm over in Africa. I honor them with their name and sacrifice they gave to Gaia with their lives."

<< My girl tells me the same thing, an' I ain't believe neither of you, >> Weathers-the-Storm replies to Pink mildly, chuffing a wolf-laugh and glancing back as Iris offers an explanation for the statement. << I have a room in my house that's just for broken things, >> he explainds, nodding once. << You can't break anything in it; it's already all broken. You can fix it, or take it apart, or try to make something out of it, but you can't /break/ it. If you want come over some time, I'll show you how the tools work and you can choose what you do with them. You can tell the tools from the broken things because they all have this on 'em. >> He reaches down with a claw and neatly scrapes the Wendigo glyph in the dirt, nodding once. << Those are the tools; everything else is junk unless you decide it isn't. >> He demurs when the youngster focuses on Troy, using that moment to look back to Iris and rumble, << He needs rules. Clear ones. >>

Johanna leans in with Khol, and looks happy seeing them all converse and just be together. It figures that Skully has that room and it is so nice for him to offer time there to the cub.

>>But they're supposed to be.<< Pink insists quietly, leaning waaaaay in to have a look at the glyph Skully scratched into the earth, and give it a good sniff. The exhale from his big muzzle scatters part of the glyph, and his inhale snorts the rest, resulting in him sitting bolt upright with his eyes closed, sucking in quick short breaths, and then ACHOO EVERYWHERE! He's going to need to take a minute to deal with dirt in his sinuses.

While the kid metis is having a Moment, Iris gives an agreeing nod to Skully and says quietly, "Yeah, I mean.. He *had* rules, it's just.. yeah, acting out time. I just, I.. I don't know him, like at all, and he just.. *does* things and I don't know *why* and!" She cuts off, and raaaaaar!'s silently in a frustrated freak out. DEEP BREATH. "River got this potion for me for like connecting with his head I guess, and I'm kinda looking forward to that. I honestly would not mind some help with doing that if any of you are like... Interested in mystery magic tea, maybe?"

Branton grins and shrugs at Troy as Pink spaces out on his story, it just happens sometimes. Branton glances to Khol, dude's probably not wrong "Elder Farshi mentioned that Pink's at least aware of the Umbra. He was reacting to spirits and such." Then to Iris "I'll drink anything once, it was good of her to offer."

Khol smiles just a little "Its often not helpful to touch anothers mind if you dont know how.. thoughts are like butterfly's and can easily be damaged.. even if you only touch them lightly, and a childs more than any other. Instead,Try to figure out his context.. what is it thats getting his attention. My Guess is he is seeing things that we are not, and that there is a lot of color involved.. A Gentle touch of changing your context to his, will likely help." he smiles "And help him find outlets, like Skully is.. something thats at least not negative, even if it cant be fully positive every time."

<< He already makes perfect sense to me, >> Skully offers unhelpfully as the younger metis keeps sneezing out dirt, shaking his head. << Sometimes what you sniff takes the opportunity to examine you back, >> he warns not-unkindly, letting Pink take time to steady himself. He folds his arms over his chest, making a weird whine-growl that sounds like it /should/ be a Garou word, but /isn't/. He rolls his eye, then offers, << I also built a forge. I make stuff there out of metal. Hard work, but satisfying. I made those hatchets. And I'll use them to make a totem pole out of the tree. And I'll use that to make a home for spirits. >>

Iris nods her head and gestures back and forth between he and Branton, "Yeah, that part seems for certain, at the very least he's keen to the spirits and I can understand *that*, but like..." She's having trouble articulating her thoughts, but no one ever claimed she worked well under stress. "Is it wrong to use it? I mean I know he's got a kid's attention span and thought process, but if it helped me understand him better, that's gotta be good, right? Lady assured me it wasn't dangerous, and I'm not trying to change anything, I just wanna... *get it*. I don't want to be a bad mom, and right now, I'm a super bad mom." She spreads her hands at Skully, "I'd like to feel like that."

Pink wipes his muzzle on his hand a few times, and finally get his sinuses glyph free with a couple extra - smaller - sneezes. >>Salmon flavored.<< he notes appriciatively to himself. >>Don't worry, my mom is just panicing. I scare her. I think your totem pole looks very nice.<< Iris replies in a somewhat panicked tone, "I am not panicking!"

Johanna walks over to Iris, and places a hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be fine. I think whatever you can try to reach out understand each other is worth trying. Just relax and take it a moment at a time here. You've got this. I believe in you. You have a whole village.. nay a whole Nation to help you."

"Totally not panicking." Troy says with a small smile upuon his face. He settles himself down, then brings his guitar over his lap to begin strumming the strings in a light melody. "But we are all here to support you."

Branton nods at Pink and considers before speaking "I can't wait to see it. It still looks like a log to us." Then Iris is freaking out a bit "And if what River makes runs out I can probably brew something like it. I haven't done the research yet though."

<< That word doesn't translate very well to English, >> Skully gently chides Pink with a shake of his head, waving a hand in a soothing 'I-got-this' manner that is /not/ subtle. He whuffs, considering his words carefully, and says to Iris, << You can't do this on your own. >> He pauses, then scratches around the empty abyss of oblivion that is his right eye socket, and elaborates. << Not unless you plan on going far away and staying in once place alone. He needs rules and he needs things to do. Always. >> The Metis mountain turns back to Pink then, looking down at him with all the serious gravity of a Crinos elder, and nods slowly. << It scares them. They expect to have children who will /grow up/ to be Garou. No one tells them what to do with children who just /are/. Elders choose not to help to underline that it is a burden they earned themselves. They are /also/ afraid. And that is a lot to put on you. >> He whuffs, looking pensive as he crosses his arms over that broad chest, leaning down some to look Pink in the eyes with his single shining golden orb. << You are not a fool-cub. What do /you/ think? >>. He reaches out to poke the other metis with a sharp claw, just enough to prick him and make his point. << How do /you/ handle it when no one else knows what to do? >>

Iris gets caught up in a horrible loop of do-I/don't-I while Pink ponderizes Skully's questions to him, giving them a real good thinking while his mom hops to her feet and dives into the tent. >>Mom says no fighting, Den Father says no fighting, Elders say no fighting, all the rules are 'no fighting', except sometimes learning. I stop fighting, and sometimes get learning, but I also get in much trouble. I am doing it right.<< Pink answers in quiet wuffles and grows like a canine makes while dreaming. He points a claw towards Branton, he doesn't say anything, but he points with a purpose.

Johanna now just listens while her fingers still rest on Iris' shoulder. She is there. Silently. But there, while the Fury works this out.

Skully gives an impatient-Alpha-father chuff and his tail swishes swiftly, low and left-right-left. He growls a little, but not at Pink; instead he just sort of casually reaches over and rips a scraggly shrub out of the ground and chucks it blindly over his shoulder. << You find him someone to fight every day," he says to Branton, waving his hand. << Me. Honor's Keeper. Changed cub. Cliath. Someone. He needs to fight. That's just part of him. Every day, like sleeping or eating or teaching. And you set goals on things he has to /do/. What to learn, what to make, what to clean, what to fix. Not just 'no fighting' or 'no howling' or 'no running off alone'. Also 'yes cutting wood' and 'yes reading twenty pages' and 'yes meeting three new spirits'. 'No' only eliminates options; it doesn't eliminate /trouble/. >> Amusingly enough, it's Branton who's getting the Den Father tone the most, out of everyone.

Branton frowns slightly when Iris bolts into the tent and then he looks back and sees he's being pointed at "Oh I'm maybe not the best example. I spent a lot of time learning what the consequences might be and sometimes do it anyway, if I decide the punishment is worth it. I figure sometimes the right thing to do breaks the rules." Branton pulls himself up short, as he remembers he's talking to a five year old "But that's always a last resort anyway." Then looking to Skully Branton nods, Skully's instruction getting absorbed dutifully "Makes sense to me."

Khol seems content to listen now, watching and smiling a little, he does offer, about the potion "I would only use that as a last resort, or for an emergency. Its easy to become dependent on that.. and that would be bad for you both."

Iris takes just a minute in the tent, long enough to rummage around in her Bigass Purse, before coming out again, with a vial of Stuff in hand. She comes around and picks a few stray hairs off of Pink before scritching his ear. Before she can lose her nerve, she whips the top off the coffee pot and dumps both the fur and the vial in. No going back now that you've ruined the coffee for everyone! So she serves herself up a cup and has a sip, trying to drink a bunch despite it being very hot. "Just the once!" she insists, but that's what ALL the adicts say! "Well, anyone wanna join me I guess uhhh... Have a coffee."

<< This isn't Tae Kwon Do for Health, brother; young Garou need to /fight/, >> Weathers-the-Storm says without rancor, shaking his head at Khol. << It is what Luna wants. We Garou-born can't help it. Mama made me wrestle the pigs if she wasn't willing to come toss me around herself, but either way I fought /every day/. >> The big bloke watches Iris do her thing; coffee, fur, serum, and all. He rolls his eye and 'whuffs' once, commenting, << It's like you think you're the mother of Burning Man. >>

Johanna nods, "Well, when you ask it that way." She is willing to join and learn from this experience, as it is offered.

Branton will take the offered drink, won't even be the weirdest trip he's gone on with Iris. The Burning Man comment gets a chuckle "She's dating me. So there's that."

Khol smiles a little "the mind is not the body. but yes.. its good to challange, but remember it is a childs mind. I will watch over you all.. if there are issues, I can get in faster, and cleaner under my own ability.. So I can help ensure everyone's safety.. If you all are all right with that."

Pink Floyd bursts out laughing at Skully's comment to Iris, he finds that absolutely hysterical, though in a quiet and subdued sort of way. Just cannot stop snickering. Iris stops trying to burn her tongue off and sets her cup down, doing some huffing and puffing to try and cool her mouth off. She ends up laughing as well, Skully and Branton both make that worth a darn good chuckle! "I think he meant this," she tells Skully with a tap of her cup, "for the 'just for emergencies'." She looks to Kohl to see if she's way off base though.

To (Johanna, Branton), Iris pages: This probably doesn't register much for Branton but the early affects of the coffee is the slow revealing of the different planes

Skully seems confused at Iris' explanation, looking at the cup, and asks, << In case you need to 'emergency trip balls'? >>, seeming to find the idea ludicrous. He snorts loudly, then looks back at Pink, thinning his eye and staring for a long time. Without otherwise moving or letting his intention be known, he suddenly asks the youngster, << There are three birds on one limb of one of these trees. Which tree? Tell me before one of them flies off. >> He jerks his head up, gesturing to the branches above them.

"Hey that is a *thing*, man!" Iris says to Skully, defending the emergency ball tripping. "This isn't too bad, I'm not noticing a huge difference yet or anything, and I'm still conscious, I think, sooooo. I dunno. Maybe it doesn't mix well with coffee..." She huffs a little bit in presumed failure at having wasted her potion.

Branton takes a moment to slow his breathing, making it measured and regular as the warmth of the tea flows through him he starts working himself towards a meditative state, wanting to be properly grounded and centered before making contact.

Announcement: HoneyBadger shouts, "IC: There is a slight tremor in the ground. Glasses rattle, pictures go willynilly on the walls. A few more sensitive car alarms start to go off. No damage. Nothing bad. Just a brief shaking."

To (Johanna, Branton), Iris pages: This probably doesn't register much for Branton but the early affects of the coffee is the slow revealing of the different planes (repage because of the earthquake)

Pink looks up and around, still chortling a bit, but after many moments of just casting his vision around, he says with a shake of his head, >>All of the birds are in all of the trees, and there are no birds in any of the trees. That tree has a bug." he offers, pointing at a nearby tree amongst many, and offers Skully an apologetic spread of his hands. >>I cant see or hear the birds.<<

Skully whuffs patiently, then swings his long arms out swiftly to clap both of his hands together. It is loud, jarring, and sudden; if you weren't looking at him before, you certainly are /now/. His right hand moves pointedly to his face, and he puts a claw right up to the light-eating empty socket. << I have only one eye, >> he points out unnecessarily, << and I saw them. I was listening to everyone else, but I heard them. I was breathing slowly through my muzzle, but I smelled them. Am I better at smelling than you, Garou-born? Do my ears work better? Do I see better with one eye than you do with two? >> The words are not a harsh rebuke; they are a lesson, not an insult.

Skully relaxes again, taking a deep breath and closing his eye. He seems at peace, almost meditative, and bows his head quietly. Finally, he says, << There are red stones on the ground here. There are blue stones on the ground there. There are white stones, and yellow stones, and black stones, and gray stones. Which stones are a lie, cub? >> He opens his eye again, looking at Pink for a long moment before giving a wolfish smile.

Also the fucking earth starts quaking pretty noticeably because GODS DAMN IT I FORGOT TO PUT IT IN MY POSE.

To (Branton, Johanna), Iris pages: Red sparks errupt from Skully's hands. Sounds begin developing colors all around and occasionally producing odd physical responses as though you've been touched. Glyphs you might happen to notice around the area register strange tastes in your mouth. There's a low, constant stream of unintelligable whispering in the back of your hearing as the potion kicks in, and occasionally nonsensical sounds, such as the sound of popping soap bubbles for just a moment, heard only through your left ear. It's probably neat at first, but as the alchemy tunes people in to Pink's wavelength, it starts to get psychadelically overwhelming. When the earth trembles, the ground glows a dull brown mixed with green, and reality wiggles just slightly like jello.

To (Johanna, Branton), Iris pages: *from his hands when he claps, I mean

Branton starts fiddling with one of his rings, turning it around his finger in rythym with his breathing. Keeping his own body and perceptions controlled and isolated as he sorts through the perceptions he's picking up from Pink. He tilts his head a bit like he's listening /hard/ to something.

Pink flinches at the clap, eyes going wide at Skully. >>I don't know.<< he says in answer to the rhetorical question, before looking down to the ground, left and right. >>I don't know.<< he answers again, though neither time sounding upset, offended, or small, Soft spoken, he sounds as though he's being completely honest, looking to Skully for the answer to the mystery. And then earthquake! He presses his paws to the ground, looking in awe at the world around him before pointing to the ground as the tremmor ends, >>That one.<< he says, pointing to no particular stone, but basically 'the earthquake'. Iris is caught totally off guard, both by the loud clap and then the earthquake, going from home "Whoa!" to another "WHOA!" in point five seconds, "Don't clap that hard!" she says, totally blaming the earthquake on him! He's huge enough, it could be true, you dunno.

Johanna feels her head spinning - and not in the normal good way at all. "Did the earth ... move?" She looks into the coffee cup a moment and then to the others. She tries to shake it off but whoa...

Skully is unsettled enough that his shining golden eye goes wide and both hands brace on the ground, but he barks a loud Crinos laugh and says, << I think that was Eshtarra's clap, not mine. >> He checks visually to make sure everyone is all right, then sighs, chuffing another laugh.

<< That was not the lie; we all felt /that/, >> he replies to Pink, picking up three stones and bouncing them on his palm. << White. Black. Gray. Those are /true/, >> he notes clearly before putting them back down, dusting off his huge hands and shrugging. << Red. Blue. Yellow. One of them is the lie. But only one of them. >> He swings his head back to Iris, then Branton, then Johanna, and asks cheekily, << Is the ground still shaking for you? >>

Iris is just sitting there wide-eyed, panting just a little bit, and looks like oh god, the mushrooms are kickin in man! "Wha. Why does it. What." Pink Floyd, meanwhile, works on the enigma before him as the earth calms itself back down, and is clearly thinking the problem over in his head, scratching at his chin and flicking his left ear a couple times. >>Red.<< he answers, although he sounds hesitant and unsure. >>Lies sound like red, don't they?<<

To (Branton, Johanna), Iris pages: Every sound within your hearing, all those little things that make up the world around you that you take for granted begin to create visible cues to their existance. Spirits leave tracers in their passing, and even everyone's voices are made in puffs of color. Pink's voice is a twilight, misty blue-purple, Iris's is a greenish yellow. Things also start appearing and dissapearing out of your field of vision. A tree becomes a stump, but when you look back, it's a tree again. A rock moves three feet to the left, but is in the right spot again when you look right at it.

Branton blinks a couple of times before holding his eyes shut and counting slowly and regulating his breathing c a r e f u l y before opening his eyes again. "What the actual fuck."

Johanna just closes her eyes and listens for a moment before opening her eyes again. "The colors... Why do I taste blue?" She feels like she is on quite a trip now.

<< They can, >> Skully agrees, bowing his head and reaching down to put a hand on the ground. << She will tell you. Gaia does not lie, cub; you may always trust her and never suffer for it. >> A simple lesson, and a vital one.

With that, the big ol' Metis shrinks back down to his human form, which isn't all that small. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a black cigar, lighting it right up from the tip of his finger and taking a big pull before puffing out two smoke rings. "Wakan tanka put the tobacco leaf down t'teach us how to say that this thing'r that thing's holy, One'a those things's teachin' a lesson. So here's a lesson, cub; if'n someone asks you a question, the easy thing t'do is to consider an /answer/. The harder thing t'do is to consider the /question/. You couldn't answer mine quick; is that on account you ain't know the answer or on account I wasn't all that clear on what I wanted? Sounds like folks ain't clear with you a lot, an' you jus' got used to it. They don't understand you, so why bother to understand them? I say this; if'n you understand 'em an' they ain't understand /you/, that makes /you/ the smart one."

Pink gnaws on this wisdom (figuratively speaking) for a while, really considering what Skully is telling him while Iris, Branton, and Jo have their trip and wig out quietly. >>I'm not always sure I understand me, but I think I understand you.<< He looks over at the three others and says, >>Are they going to be okay?<< Iris is staaaaaaaaring at her hand. Holy shit. Her *hand* man. Her perfectly normal *hand*!

Pink also adds a question back to Skully, >>When I'm not sure of which thing and I ask, will my teacher make a different question that is more clear? No one is ever very clear.<<

To (Johanna, Branton), Iris pages: It evens out at this point. Enjoy your hour long case of really extreme synesthesia and screwy sensory perception!

"No, but they'll stop bein' stoned eventually," Skully replies to Pink with a shrug, just dismissing the concept of 'okay' for these three in any meaningful sense. He sighs, getting up to his feet and yanking his hatchets out of the tree he hacked down before just going at it like a buzzsaw and thwacking away at branches and chunks of bark. "Rainbow, I can't speak for all the teachers you'll ever have, nor for the answers they're like to give; I can say, though, that /askin'/ is one way to work toward better understandin', an' if they /ain't/ clearer after that, the fault's on /them/. You ask /me/, I'm gonna try to meet you there."