2019.12.05: Old California Theater Clean up Pt.1

Old California Theater Clean up (Meat Side)
Brooke put out the call for garou to get together and split into two groups to scout the Old California Theater for the Wyrm, and cleanse it before the Kinfolk workers get in there to demo and rebuild/remodel.
IC Date	December 5th, 2019
Players	Brooke ST, Chayse, Dominic, Jasper, Konstantin, Rian
Location	Old California Theater ( G St. and Fifth Ave. )
Spheres	Garou Gaian Urban

Old California Theater - Foyer

History: When it was completed in 1927, the California Theater was opulent and modern. The auditorium was five stories high and included a huge Wurlitzer organ to enhance the theater experience at a time when virtually all films were silent. It had 2,200 seats, a wrap-around balcony, gold leaf ceilings, murals on walls and ornaments throughout.

By the mid 1970’s more modern theaters and multiplexes were beginning to crowd out venues like the California Theater, and it began to be used more for shows and special events.

When the Old Globe Theater was destroyed by an arson fire in 1978, the California Theater was used in its stead until the Old Globe was rebuilt. But declining business meant less money for maintenance and the theater began to look dated and shabby. In 1988 a renovation was undertaken that restored much of its original luster, but the owner defaulted on loan payments and the building was finally locked and boarded in 1990.

In the nearly three decades since then, the building has continued its decline. A local church rescued the organ before an arson fire damaged the interior, but time has been no friend to the structure. A leaky roof has led to water damage, and rodents and other vermin have infested the building. Before it was sealed off, squatters used the building as a place to live.

Description: You are in the foyer of the Old California Theater. What once was a grand sight, is now only a grim shadow. The ceiling is falling in from rot, the walls are faded and riddled with holes, and the marble floor littered with trash and dust. A double stairwell leads up to the balcony seating within the hall. On each side of it are double doors leading into the ground floor seating of the hall. From time to time, you hear the squeaks and skitters of rodents moving about. A smell of mold, rot, and rat shit fills the air.

xxxxxBrooke rounded up the troops, and gave the overview of the history of this place. It is in the best position to be their gathering space for big events for future Urban Moots, but before that can possibly happen, it must be scouted out and any Wyrm creatures killed. Then be cleansed, cleaned out, and safe for the kinfolk workers to come in and save this falling apart building that deserves much more love than the disease and death that is absolutely obvious from the first moment the doors are opened.

xxxxxThose that are breathing and have a sense of smell even in the slightest will be quick to notice the overwhelming smell of mold, and decay. The lint balls have grown to ginormous size, and the floors are littered with more than trash. The eerie sounds of aching wood, and beams, scuttling of rats and and cobwebs all over tell you - this is going to be a big job.

Always up for a little Urban Exploring, Chayse seems excited from the moment the old Theater comes into view. He grins up at the structure and nods as a crooked grin crawls over his jawline. He slides into the lobby and gives it a pause, turning as he takes everything in. It stinks. It's a /mess/... But the young philodox seems to just see something /more/ about it. There's a twinkle in his eye and he says, "can you imagine her in her heyday?"

"Its hard to imagine anything in this....mess." Dominic's nose would be squeezed shut if that were capable. "I have a feeling we might be dealing with rodents of unusual sizes." And thats about all that'll be coming from Dominic, he had the forethought to bring those mesh respirator masks that were only fabric, drawn up and over his nose now.

Jasper doesn't see what the place could be, or what it used to be. He sees it now. And it seems to enchant him. Maybe it's the rats. When he gets inside, he twirls in place, taking the entire entranceway in, with wide owl eyes, his own rodents perched on his shoulder (two albino laboratory rats), and a respirator on his face.

Konstantin pulls up to the Old Theater is his black BMW, the bass thumping with music to get him pumped up for tonight's events. Chorniy pulls into park and Konstantin steps out, dressed in a pair of black kicks, black athletic pants with white stripes down the side, a throwback black Brooklyn Dodgers baseball jersey and a black baseball cap, his usual dedicated gear. He puts a bluetooth earpiece on his ear and takes a wooden baseball bat from the back seat. Coming into the lobby behind Chayse and Rian he says, "Can't wait to test the acoustics." He reaches into his pocket and takes out his own respirator mask which he has decorated with wolf teeth.

xxxxxA rat runs by Jasper's foot. Did it ... did you see? Did it have 3 eyes?

"I know, right?" Rian says, and has much the same look on his face that Chayse does. Sure, it's a horror show now, but he can definitely see the was and potential will-be. "Smells like an old refrigerator though." Now that he's in and has the privacy and time to do so, he starts making sure his Stuff is situated. Making sure his knife isn't blocked by a strap, checking his gun and making sure it's ready to rock before holstering it again. Possibly just going ahead and kicking on a few protective gifts cause hey why not, adjusting his mask and all that.

xxxxxCrunch. Konstantin steps on ... those are bones. But of what small creature?

"I didn't know I needed that in my life, but I need that in my life," Jasper chirps, voice muffled by the respirator, as a three-eyed rat goes skittering by. He looks like he's about to freak out in the best way.

Konstantin looks at the bottom of his shoe to make sure he doesn't have anything sticking to the bottom of it. "Well, something has been eating good in here. So watch out."

Rian becomes an uncomfortably hot Neanderthal.

xxxxxThere! Did you see? Cockroach went right over Chayse's shoe! Wait, cockroachs are as big as guinea pigs? No, it wasn't that big.. was it?

Konstantin glances over at Rian as he shifts into Jason Mamoa. "Not a bad idea. Should probably go ahead and do that too." He pops his jaw and takes his glabro form.

Chayse looks around to those that have come out on this little expedition together and maybe makes a mental head count. Not that he's afraid they'll lose anyone, but you just never know. He stretches out his arms, intertwines his fingers to crack his knuckles, then side-to-side pops his neck as he strains into his glabro form. He slides his respirator across his nose and mouth and upnods to Rian. Through his rather studly underbite, he asks, "OK, where to, boss?"

xxxxxA spider drops from above on a strand of web, just missing Rian's head.

Rian fulfils his role as Ahroun by being ridiculously confident, cocked locked and ready to rock, smiling while doing his weapons check and all. He is Inspiring! (1 automatic success on any WP rolls we run into for everyone except Rian). He completely misses the spider, which is good because screaming like a 5 year old girl might ruin the whole inspirational thing. "Alright, everyone have a sniff around for taint, see if we can spot anything or zero in on it. Stick together, squishiest people in the middle please, and um... Yeah, let's go this way. Unless something screams 'hey you have to go the other way'." He just kinda picks a random direction through the lobby.

Wait. Looking like the epitome of our auspices? Dominic manages to seem spacey and airheaded at least. Eyes cast upwards to watch the ceiling for a few moments before he shifts upwards into Crinos! He is expecting to have to squish through doorways but he won't be frontman if Squishies are in the middle.

xxxxxA fine shower of ... asbestos maybe? Mold? I'm not sure, but it is falling from the ceiling.

Jasper is trying to collect that giant cockroach, running after it, hands outstretched, as the others shift into more warlike forms. Apparently they have bad feelings or something, but the raging pronoiac is happy as a clam.

Chayse nods to Rian and shuffles Konstantin behind Rian and gestures for Dominic and Jasper to follow suit, He'll take up the rear. As they move along, he opens up his senses... The hairs on his arms lift and he lets out a bit of a rumbling chuff. "Wyrm," He growls, identifying the sense. "In hallway," he tilts his head back and pops his neck once more, letting the crackle of sinew carry him into his warform. He steps through, but then to the side to gently lay a paw on Jasper's shoulder.

xxxxxCreeeeek! It feels like someone has opened a door, as a strange gust of wind blows through above your heads, causing the building to moan.

Kostya remains in Glabro for now instead of trying to shove a bunch of Crinos into a hallway.

Rian nods his agreement, looking back to his compadres and saying, "Okay, let's- ... Someone collect our Merlin." he says instead with a sigh that's both fond, and totally expecting this. But, with confirmation, he too warform's up, somewhere in the back of his head super surprised at the staying power of the floor under all this weight! While Jasper is collected, he takes a minute to sharpen his claws on the floor. Sorry, floor. He doesn't often get to BE crinos, so if he can for a minute? Then sure, why the heck not. Once they're all back together (hopefully), it's time to slink forwards. Or stomp forwards. Whatever it is that Garou do when they're fucknormous.

Death Before Dishonor shifts into a white werewolf - Delirium in effect (+rules The Delirium).

Kostya reaches back and steers the Merlin. "Yo Merl, let's keep up. We'll catch it on our way out."

Jasper gets pulled away from his roach collection mission, and Chayse can feel him start to grow furry, shaking his head and shifting up into Crinos form. Like Rian, he's a white werewolf, though he lacks the pure breeding (earthly pure breeding, anyway!), and his eyes are mismatched. He's also got a pair of rats still on his considerably larger shoulders.

Kostya shifts to crinos since it seems everyone else is doing it. Not gonna be the shortest guy in the group. "Fuck it."

Old California Theater - Hall

Description: You are in the hall of the Old California Theater. 1,900 plush red seats surround a large stage with a curtain hung over it. The balcony overhead holds an additional 300 seats. Everything is in a dilapidated state and getting worse by the day. As you walk around, you feel and hear crunching beneath your feet. A new scent fills the air in addition to the others. Death... In the darkness, upon closer inspection of the floor you see fragments of crushed bone leading up to the stage. Looking at the base of the stage the trail of bone ends and you can see a large pile of human skulls centered on the stage itself, as if someone was collecting them and putting them on display as a warning to any intruders...The squeaking and skittering of rodents can no longer be heard. Even the mice and rats know the presence of an apex predator.

xxxxxYou step inside and crunch with every step. The foyer may have been bad, but this is even worse. Cockroaches larger than normal, rats with red eyes, and mold .. grey... everywhere. It is like small parasitic fomori are spread throughout this place. The decaying curtain on the stage, that once assured the crowd that it was a safe place from fires due to all the asbestos here is ripped, hanging in homage to a bygone era with stains, and dried blood spatter on it. There is something though moving... it looks like... a tail maybe? Just showing under that curtain. Those that sense wyrm know that whatever is there, it is the center of the stench currently. Even with it all surrounding them, it is the biggest stink.

Turns the Tables taps Chayse on the shoulder and points at the curtain with his bat, then pantomimes the curtain falling down on whatever is behind it and everyone beating the hell out of it. He is very animated in this action. He loves playing charades.

Chayse, having known Konstantin since childhood, understands the charade. He socks one paw in the other palm, and nods. Then, he lightly taps Rian/Jasper and Dominic on the shoulder, thumbs over at Kostya to relay his idea of a plan. In the meantime, Chayse looks up at the ceiling, and to either side to get a better picture of what they'll be dealing with on all sides of this issue.

Dominic squeezes through this doorway, being careful not to up-end doorjams or anything! Gotta have something to fix up. A chuff as if blowing through his nose might banish the stinky-icky. But then the Garou halts at a tap on the shoulder to lift eyebrows towards Chayse. Then a nod. Yes. Flank.

Rian crunches a couple steps but then stops, and also he'd pocketed the mask before shifting up but I forgot to say so. Is that a tail? He motions towards the skull strewn stage at his broheims, and he for one seems to think this plan is just aces. I mean, 'jump on bad guy and beat them senseless' is always a great plan in his book. He tries for stealth, but that might not be an option with all this crap on the floor.

Kostya steps back as everyone else gets into position to start wailing on whatever is behind the curtain. He adjusts his junk, taps the bat on the bottom of his kicks, chokes up on the bat and then tosses an invisible ball into the air and swings for the fences. There's a *pop* and rattle and the curtain falls.

Chayse lowers his bulk a bit from the waist, large clawed paws flexing as his right foot finds purchase behind him to push off. He can almost hear the crack of the bat, ad his ears twitch as he waits for it... And is out of the gate as soon as the curtain falls, racing towards the opposite side of the stage from Rian.

xxxxxThe curtain falls and suddenly there is a ROOOOAAAAARRRRR!!!!! Something is underneath it, and grows up and up and up! Finally there is the unmistakable ripping of that old material, and emergence of the furry back, with green claw marks on it. This beast is hunched over, having suffered many injuries that he never recovered fully from. It begins to turn around, limping as one leg is deformed and withered. One eye is missing, and a hand is completely missing. Again, it roars at you all, and would charge you if it could.

Galaxy-Brain's ears, previously up and alert and eager, fold back at the sudden reveal of the sorry-looking beast. <<Are you okay?>> he asks, stupidly, the thing visibly -not- okay, and clearly not wanting them in its house, likely the last out of the gate, because of this pause. Is -that- what Chayse had sensed?

Rian as well, all glorious Lorreal fur flying as he rushes the stage with his brosephs. In the back of his head the voice that was amazed about the floors goes on a bit, wondering what exactly this thing is, what happened to it, how'd it get to this state and are there salvageable portions of its soul, the sort of thing that Jasper is asking out loud. Deep stuff. The whole FRONT of his mind, however is RAR! OPPONENT! MURDER IT! which is way, way simpler. Claws and teeth!

"Oh no." Lights-The-Hearth cinches his fang dagger back into place in its sheath about his neck. He'll step forward though, to try and get to the front of the Conglomeration of Furry Beings. The CFB. A long sniff, then another. "I don't think it's okay....Well then." Its nearly a whine from the Theurge.

<<What if he isn't a Spiral?>> Jasper protests, but reluctantly joins the fray, teeth bared in a snarl, before he tells the creature, <<Sorry!>> and bites down into the hide that has already been scarred by the Wyrm. But does not manage to pierce it.

Kostya drops the bat and slams his claws hands across his chest. In Garou his roars, <<Come at me, bro!>> and rushes at the metis. Instead of attacking him though, he reaches down with boths hands and grabs the curtain and YANKS, trying to send their enemy onto his back to make him more vulnerable to attack.

xxxxxThe Metis Garou moves as best he can toward Turns the Tables, but Galaxy-Brain jumping on him trying to bite, makes him flinch as he tries to dodge. He roars again, only to have the curtain underneath him slip from under his foot, and he falls back onto his rear.

Someone once told Rian he's a piss poor Ahroun, he's not, but holy shit is he a piss poor warrior! Not that it's his fault, GOD DAMN IT! He lunges at the tainted metis, mostly feeling himself trying to aim, trying to connect with his claws, but the damned curtain and fur intercept his claws. There's a little part of him that feels bad, this is a sad fight even disregarding the random rolls. Poor fucker's all alone, out numbered, kinda fucked up, might not even be an actual Spiral, but 'shoot first and ask questions later' is just how it goes. Soft hearts get stabbed, don't get suckered by the wyrm, all those old teachings.

CBtS lopes towards the stage with determination in his eyes, >>He's Of The Wyrm!<< He declares, laying one hand on the edge of the edge of the stage and leaping up to claw down the beast just as it falls backwards and Calms comes up short.

<<Caught that!>> Lights-the-Hearth grumbles with all the wonder of the Garou language mixed with a headcold. With attacks of a less lethal nature, this war-form Silver Fang winds up a haymaker that lands into the shoulder of the hobbling wyrm trying to get at someone else in his group!

Take THAT, guy who said I was piss poor! Rian actually manages to draw some blood, sure that first one did no good at all, but he's all jacked up on imaginary Baja Blast and Rage, the Ahroun swiping twice more in rapid succession. Proof of him definitely not sucking for a change is revealed by his snowy white fur suddenly going very slap dash with dark red, getting a few unfortunate pieces of Bad Guy stuck to him while attempting to turn this poor fucker into a canoe.

Turns the Tables pumps his crinos fist like an umpire at home plate. <<You're OUT!>>

xxxxxWith the Wyrmy Apex Predator down, out, and a pile of chunks, the smaller creatures are coming out toward them. Not threatening, but no longer fearful. While the smell here is still nasty and mold and wyrm are still around, the ambience has changed to not nearly as oppressive as it was before. There is a bit more light in here even, if possible, although part of that may be because the curtain is down.

'Storm pulls himself to his full, crinos height and looks around at the skulls and at the eviscerated body beneath Rian. His eyes shift towards Kostya and the ever-serious wolf chuffs, gently >>OK, 'Tables. That's enough<< He steps on the creaky wood, each footfall bringing him closer to his homid for until he's just a man, once again. He kneels beside the fallen beast and furrows his brow. "His nightmare has ended," he confirms, but looks back up to Rian as he stands and clasps a hand on the Ahroun's sturdy shoulder. "Good job, DBD." Then, to Jasper and Dominic, "let's see if we can't get a Cleansing going, yeah?"

Galaxy-Brain immediately switches gears. He's gonna get that roach, yes indeed. Or the three eyed rat from before. Or anything, really. <<That was kind of pathetic,>> he remarks, however, of the sad creature they put down. <<One minute!>>

Turns the Tables reaches down and scoops up his bat and raises it up to his shoulder. In his crinos form, it looks more like a billy club. <<You gotta celebrate a plan that goes flawlessly, brah>>. He slides one end of the bat down the back of his jersey to scratch an itch. <<Merl? Come on, we got shit to do!>>

>>Cleanse first. But then don't you dare leave this room, young man!<< Rian says with a claw pointed at Jasper while shifting down as well. He's totally fine with the theurge chasing after oddities, but not if he ends up out of sight! "I've got some cleansing stuff..." he digs in his pockets for a little case, about the size of a hard shell glasses container, where he's got a little pure water, a willow sprig, a lighter, that sort of thing.

The roach! Or the rat? Dominic isn't seeing any of that, but is nodded towards 'storm as he regains the Homid form complete with clothes and shoes even! "Yes. Lets. I assume we're leaving the skulls for the kinfolk?" He is stepping carefully through grossness. "Ick. I'll change my opinion once this place is stripped down to drywall...or dry asbestos..." His chin lifts to sniff lightly.

Kostya looks like he is just about to use one of the skulls as a baseball but then changes his mind at the last minute, dropping it behind him all casual like so no one sees him. He remains in his crinos for the cleansing, because roaring and scaring away Wyrm taint ain't nearly as cool in your homid. He follows the instructions of whoever the rite leader is and remains serious enough throughout the rite. Once it's over however he slaps his new brothers on the shoulders and asks, "What are we doing to celebrate?"

Galaxy-Brain's cargo pants pockets are a lot larger while he's in Crinos, and in a cockroach goes, popping the button closed with the pads on the tips of his fingers. Then he heads over to Rian, to go help the ritemaster with the cleansing!

Since Chayse is also familiar with the Rite, he sets to work to assist Rian immediately. When it's time for the howl, he again takes his warform and lets the rafters of the old theater reverberate with his thunderous call. He keeps a watchful eye on his packmates and Dominic, his rather serious nature already settling him into the role of protector even though he seems happy to let Jasper scamper off after as many oddities as his pockets will allow. It goes without saying each critter that goes home with them must pass his wyrm detector, though!

When business is handled, little critters kidnapped, and no horrifying sounds of any other packs being murderized elsewhere, Rian is game to start heading out with the gang, while texting Brooke to let her know the job's done and there's a gross pile of ew that they can't take care of themselves, what with the Umbra being a mission zone at the moment. Nothing ruins a fight with a bunch of banes quite like some asshole popping in just to dispose of a body! "Well I think a drink's certainly in order, we could hit the pub or a club? Have a pint and talk over how we did."

Dominic moves to stand in the growing ritual circle. He is well aware of how THIS business goes. Scare the taint away! Howl to the rafters! Hope nothing avalanches on you! "Anything to wash down the stench of rat shit, guano probably and the chalky taste of asbestos."

Kostya taps the side of his head, "Yo Chorniy, pull around and cue up the victory mix. Time to party, partner."