2023.03.10 Magpie Moments
| 03.10.23 Magpie Moments | |
|---|---|
| Stolen moments with friends are precious. | |
| IC Date | 03.10.23 |
| Players | Irsa, Trey |
| Location | Sept of the Enduring Spirit |
| Spheres | Bastet, Garou |
Mystic Valley - Deep Forest(#1747RJU)
The forest floor of the Large Cavern begins to slope sharply downwards into a deep, subterranean valley, the pathway ages ago etched into long, wide steps worn by countless feet and paws over the years. The walls of this valley cavern are high and extremely steep volcanic rock and granite slabs, the ceiling of the cavern so high that the valley has taken on its own internal weather system. Hundreds of feet overhead, the vents and cracks allowing sunlight to filter through can no longer be seen, light spreading as though the valley were lit with a gentle and unseen underground sun of its own. Mist from underground streams and waterfalls create en endless cycle of clouds, brief rains, and evaporation into clouds again, while breezes from any number of caves and tunnels bring fresh air and move the clouds through their false sky.
The subterranean forest is thickest here, towering evergreen trees are dwarfed by the sheer size of the valley cave, weeping willows hang curtains of greenery over meandering streams and pools of mineral water. The steep, unclimbable valley walls are dotted with vines and bushes that have, against all odds, found purchase and growth potential. Stone pathways wend and meander through moss and wild grass along the valley, creating miles of walkways all throughout this sacred place.
A large central meadow has become a meeting point for the valley. Near enough to the Large Cavern's steeply stepped pathway and with wide stone avenues branching away to living areas, shrines, and the amphitheater. A well maintained seating area takes up the middle of the meadow, with a stone pit made for a large bonfire, several old logs and small boulders pulled up around it for comfortable seating. A large and ornately carved totem pole stands tall nearby, detailing the leadership of the Caern. Also nearby, a massive stone tablet jutting four feet out of the ground has inscribed upon its polished face the rules of the Caern, unmissable by anyone in the area.
The caern is quite at this time of day. Most of the Garou and Kin are still making their way back from their hunting and patrols, or tending to family duties. It probably comes as no surprise to see a truly Enormous Wolf, brown-furred and heavily scarred, half-dozing beneath a large oak tree at the edge of the meadow. Birds chatter in the leaves overhead, completely unimpressed by the massive creature below.
Enormous Wolf just looked at you.
Trey is here, as he is more often of late -- he's got his usual backpack on his shoulder and a bow secured to its outside. The quiver's hidden inside, fletching peeking out through the open zipped space, proving the bag's bigger on the inside. His boots are off, for the moment, and he's walking across the forest-cave floor with ease. He spots a familiar Dire Wolf, and while he's not going to wake her, he surely wants to say hello, so he finds a nearby spot to flop down onto a relatively comfy spot.
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A magpie swoops down from its perch to pluck a stray tuft of fur from the wolf's flank. The huge beast snorts awake and makes a half-hearted snap at the bird, juuuust missing its tail. Mocking calls sound from the magpie as it stuffs the fur into its nest. Enormous Wolf huffs and rolls onto her feet, jaws gaping in a huge yawn. 'Rrrrrrrrrff,' she growls in greeting as she spots Trey.
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Trey chuckles and half-heartedly swats in the general direction of the magpie as it flies off. He's not serious, but it's amusing. "Hey," he says in reply, offering her a finger-wave. "Why's that magpie picking on you? Target of convenience?" Probably, but he's prone to asking questions anyway. Just his nature. "How're things going?"
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Enormous Wolf shakes out her ruff and begins to shift, smoothly making the transition to her human form. "That thing? Eh, just messin' with me. It don't mean no harm, corvids play with wolves all th' time." She turns her head from side to side, working out a crick in her neck. "So, how ya settlin' in? Local wolves an' spirits mindin' their manners?"
Bones snap and break, shrinking and shaping into a new form. The creature before you becomes a dark, scarred woman.
Irsa says, “As for me? It's goin'. But you first.”
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Trey nods his agreement and shifts to cross his legs, resting his hands on his knees. "Oh, everything's been great," he says, "I mean, not everything is perfect but it's all bee good enough that I can't grouse. People here, too. Supposed to be in the patrol rotations soonish, so I'll be around a lot more."
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Irsa joins Trey on the grass, flopping down unceremoniously. Her olive-green pack has reappeared with her clothing, and she set it aside to lean against it. "Good, you'll def see me there," she remarks. "Just got back from one a few hours ago. Nothin' outta the ordinary, I'm happy t' say. That wasn't the case a few months back."
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Trey ohs at the 'a few months ago' and asks, "Were there problems this far in? That sounds like people with a death wish, but... yeah, what happened? S'before I got here." He pauses and adds, "I met your packmate Jackie last night -- she seems pretty cool."
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Irsa cracks her knuckles thoughtfully. "Well, nothin' that was a direct threat to th' caern itself. More like, someone stupid damaging th' forest. It displaced a few wolf Kin, a lotta local animals and pissed off the spirits. Short version? We had a real, real stupid Ahroun who decided to build a motherfuckin' castle in th' middle of the woods, I shit you not."
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Trey's jaw drops. He blinks twice, and then closes his mouth, realizing how foolish he looks. "A castle. In the middle. Of the woods. Right next to the caern." He facepalms and laughs helplessly. "Answer: your Ahroun. Question: What has five forms and no common sense?"
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Irsa snorts. "Ya don't know th' half. Did it to impress one of th' Kinfolk, of course. Happens she's also a Changeling." Her jaw shift from side to side for a moment. "And also t' show off his pure breedin'. You know, cock of th' walk and alla that." Her eyes roll theatrically. "I'm all for bein' proud of your family, but some people just stand on their family rep, and demand respect that ain't earned. Two-leggers are lame. Especially when they're dudes."
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Trey ooohs. "Oh yeah?" He sidles up and murmurs, "Might know her, I... have some connections to the Fair Folk. Shh." He presses a finger to his lips and grins. "So... is it someone I might know of? I gotta know." His eyes roll at the pure breeding remark. "More like inbreeding," he mutters, "In his case. Yeah. I'm proud of my people and my family are the best by me, but... I don't think it makes me special. Hell, no. Being *awesome* makes me special." And he grins in that feline, not-taking-himself-too-seriously way he has.
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Irsa jabs a pointing finger in Trey's direction. "My man Trey gets it in one. Yeah, it's hella stupid, but I don't make th' rules. My tribe's considered th' Omegas of th' glorious Garou Nation, we're lucky to even visit a caern, in most places." She thinks over the request, but it's definitely not a secret in Shifting circles. "Tinlin's her name. Fianna Kinfolk. Lives out in th' woods near Wendigo territory. I dunno if you've run into her, or any of North Wind's people."
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Trey shakes his head. "Nah, if I made the rules there would be less stupid and more silly, but that's me. And... I hear you on that, my kind is lucky to see one, unless it's held by the Uktena or Wendigo, usually." He nods and says, "Know of her, didn't meet her. Only one of the Wendigo here I know as more than a face and name is Sergei Howling-Wind , met him the other day and talked about the patrols. I know there's a lot of Fenrir here, though."
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Irsa jerks her chin towards the cave entrance across the meadow. "Howling-Wind'rhya's a solid wolf. Knows his business, and he's damn patient for a full moon. Ya can't go wrong meetin' him first outta th' gate. Ask him, he'll show ya where Wendigo territory lies. They got it marked, but I dunno if you can sense it or not." She grins as the Fenrir are mentioned. "Yeah, they got a whole settlement of 'em here, one of th' biggest Tribes in th' area. Jackie ain't the typical stereotype of one a' their Kin, which makes her even more awesome. What'd ya think of her? And how'd ya run into her?"
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Trey says, "I can smell wolf-markings but I don't have the level of discernment to separate the tribes that way. At least not yet. Howling-Wind was here with his mate and his cubs. It was... surprising in the best way. My kind, we don't even usually get to see our kittens. I think maybe I'd want to, someday." He hrms, and then nods agreement. "I liked her, she seems really sharp. I think she was kinda overwhelmed with two strange wolves and an even stranger cat all at once there -- she gave Branton a lift the other night to the Frog Brothers' place. My general impression of her was that she was pretty level headed -- even with praise, she wasn't taking too much glory over the leeches even though as Kin, she really *should*, to some extent. It was... I dunno, it was good to see someone not spun up on herself, having perspective even when she's done impressive things."
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Irsa's grin widens, making that impressive scar on her mouth gape even wider. That's a lot of teeth showing in there. "That was so fuckin' epic, I ain't gonna lie. You got no idea how thrilled I am t' have a gear head in th' pack. Too many wolves and their Kin don't know how machines and engines work, or how to use 'em. It's a modern world, and if you live in the city? Better know how t' use th' Weaver's tools against it. Plus? She's got a great sense of humor."
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Trey's nod is eager, but sincere. "It's important to be able to function in the world we've got, not the one we wish we had. A lot of my tribe avoid civilization. It's a bad idea, just for the reasons you said. These things are mysteries, too. Things to learn and use. You don't win a war with an arm tied behind your back. Having her is going to open up a lot more options for your pack. I'm still impressed you chose to have kin in your pack. This place... I think that despite a few bad examples building castles, it just seems like there's more people with some perspective than most places."
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Irsa shrugs at the remark about pack kinfolk. "It ain't uncommon with city Tribes. Glasswalkers load their Kinfolk up with gear an' weapons, especially if they're Dies Ultimae. Mine, they tend t' be info-gatherers, crafters an' even combatants. When th' Enemy comes knocking, sometimes y' gotta fight or die. Rat's taught us well." She cracks her knuckles once again as she thinks over the sept's recent events. "It ain't bad here at all, truth. I get respect here I definitely wouldn't get elsewhere. It ain't nowhere near as deadly as where I came from."
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Trey nods. "I think it's that the city tribes are like you said, able to adapt to modern issues and tech. Able to be clever, change with need." He mmms, and says, "Yeah, I got some more word about one of my folks... not my tribe, but a Bastet... who got tangled up in some stuff in your old hometown and wound up dead, because that was better than how he ended up before that." He shakes his head. "One of my Kin told me that one as a warning. I took it as such."
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Irsa snaps her fingers. "Right, I remember hearin' about that guy. Um... I don't remember his name or tribe. Somethin' about him wantin' to restart th' War of Rage? Branton filled me in waaaay back."
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Trey nods again. "I was told he was better forgotten, and given all I heard, yeah, it is. But restarting a War... yeah... last thing any of us need right now is another war." He exhales, looking rueful. "Not enough of my kind that we take the loss easy, and it still kind of haunts me. My tribe, we're usually loners. But being alone too much, too long... and your riddles become worms eating your sanity."
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Irsa shifts her jaw. "Wolves gotta lot t' answer for there. We fucked up, killed a buncha innocent Fera an' stole their sacred spaces. Ain't right, won't ever be." She seethes a bit, but its directed at her own kind. "I blame our human blood for it, all th' way. And our stupid 'We're th' Warriors of Gaia' bullshit, like other Fera don't fight."
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Trey looks at her, and says, "I always wonder just how much of me comes from the human side. It's one of those unsolvable problems that come at night when I can't sleep. If we'd all cooperated, if we'd all done our damn jobs... we'd have a very different world. But one thing to remember. Carrying the past is good as long as it doesn't weigh down your today. We can fight together now. I'm glad for it, to have some of the Garou I can see as allies, friends."
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Irsa grunts and extends her hand in an offer to fist-bump. "Solid. I get angry a lot, ain't gonna lie. Does it come from being human? Or prejudice? Multiracial woman, an' dirt poor to boot, it don't get much better for hate lobbed my way. I dunno. It's a good question ta ponder, for sure." She hauls herself to her feet and cocks her head as she looks at Trey. "I gotta jet, but remind me to introduce you to Eclipsing-Tempest. He's a Kitsune, and also one a' my pack."
