2014.05.09:CaernChat

Caern Chat
An easy going night at the Caern
IC Date	May 9th, 2014.
IC Time	Evening.
Players	George, Trekome, Rianna
Location	Forest Caern - Living Area
Spheres	Gaian Garou, M+/Kinfolk

Deep Forest - Living Area

Deep, green, lush vegetation encircles around and about on the rich ground below one's feet as they pass through this thick section of the underground forest. Small rocks, medium-sized shrubs, and murky, watery puddles of mud lie strewn about on the shadowed, brown earth while entangled roots strangle against massive tree trunks that reach high up into the sky above. Monolithic trees loom like sacred monuments to the gods as they hover with their tremendous twisted branches overhead, their leaves whispering secrets that only the creatures of the forest can understand. The thickness of the trees within the area equal past several meters across as they tower high and reach over to create a canopy covering the forest tops. Shadows dance just outside one's vision for those that pass through this section of the dark forest and play tricks with the mind's eye.

The sounds of nature surround all in the deep thickness of the woods in this damp area. The light chirrup of frogs in a nearby pond and the fluid, waving fluctuations of crickets break the cool, thickened air whether during night or day. There seems to forever be an eerie misty haze that settles like thick tendrils throughout the woods around these parts for some strange reason, lurking around the flora and fauna making it difficult to see especially at night. The area seems dark and foreboding during any time of the season in this neck of the woods. Strange, unnerving, sounds of the surrounding naturae forever befuddle one's senses, seeming to mislead the listener into a rush of anxiousness, and confusion. The woods are known to be a place of mystery as well as danger for those that don't belong here, and all too often easy to lose one's sense of direction.

Contents:

Rianna

Trekome

Obvious Exits: Bushy Mud Hut <BMH> Mystic Valley <MV>

Trekome is sitting with Rianna by a small fire, a daypack, and a cooler with a whole lot of cooked venison in ziploc bags. The meat still looks warm too! "I'm learning some, but I think I need one of the tribes to accept me before I can learn too much more. I also gotta see if I'm allowed to break the veil with Father Cross so he can teach me a few things as well. He pretty much called me out as a Garou without me even saying anything about it, so I'm pretty sure he knows."

George comes padding down the train towards the living area pulling a travois behind him that has a field dressed wild boar on it. Not an enormous specimen, perhaps a hundred and twenty pounds alive and significantly less now. When he sees Trekome has meat ready to eat he smiles broadly "Perfect. I've got this one ear marked to try and make ham and bacon out of rather than just tossing whole on a fire. He really needs to hang and drain first."

Trekome laughs when he sees George bring in more meat and grins. "Well, the fire is still going, and there's plenty of fuel. If you don't want to taste hickory you might want to let it die down some and put different wood on it though." He holds up a bag of venison and grins, "Still warm, and it's the seasoned like grandpa taught me."

Rianna waves at George as he enters. She's busily eating from a plate of venison fresh from the fire, talking lightly with Trekome. She's actually smiling. Who is this girl, and what did she do with the real Rianna. "Hey George, what's up?" she says. "You should have some of this. It's excellent."

George grins as he drags his carcass over to the hut he's got set up and ducks inside to get it hung. He peeks out the open door to continue the conversation while he works "I'll be over to have some in a second after I wash up. Did I hear something get mentioned about training with Cross?"

Trekome nods to George, "He offered to teach me a few things to help stand watch at Images better, and so I don't get in over my head if someone hassles me around here. I figured it might be a good idea to take up his offer." He pulls out another paper plate and sets aside some of the meat.

George nods and shrugs at Trekome as he finishes up his work and turns to the bucket of water and wash rag to start scrubbing off "I suppose there's no harm in it. Like I said the other night he and his lady already know, and he knows what he's not supposed to ask." he says with a meaningful look at the cavern around him "The choice to let that situation stand was made by wiser heads than mine. He probably already knows you're garou yourself from the way we interacted the other night and I find myself curious other than basic fight training what he thinks he's really got to teach one of us....I imagine he's got an assortment of lore stocked away about those that go bump in the night. He was a vampire hunter for many years for all that he's mostly retired now."

Trekome hmmms and nods, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to ask him what he knows. If anything, it'll just reinforce whatever y'all can teach me, and maybe he knows a few quicker ways to kill off a few things, or at least ward them off. Maybe he can show me how to sense some of the things that aren't quite human too... would be handy to know before I go rushing headlong into a fight." He finishes his plate and then opens up another bag to grab some more venison. Mmm... venison.

George finishes washing up and tends the fire in the smoke box before he closes the hut up tight and pads over to get something to eat "There's a gift of our people called 'Scent of the True Form' that you'll be able to learn eventually though it won't come as easily to you as it would a Philodox. He might be able to teach you ways to spot them without using powers, signs to look for and all that but our abilities come from the spirits and that's something he can't help you with." Taking the plate set aside for him he takes a bite before continuing "Really your quickest way to deal with most anything that'd need killing is almost always going to be claws and teeth but at a post like that you're almost better off keeping to skin rather than fur and treating it like a sentry post, if something you need more that fist and muscle to bounce out turns up? Get the non-combatants clear and call for help. At least to get 'weapons free' authorization, you savvy?"

Trekome nods at that and takes a bite from his plate. "Get the civvies out to avoid collatoral damage, and to make sure no one sees what actually goes down. Father Cross said that my shotgun should suffice as a warning to most, and if that doesn't deter them then they're either stoned off their ass or they're something that I need to use claws and teeth for. I might be able to make some more exotic ammo to deal with some of the folks that are a bit more popular around here too." He shrugs. "I agree though... it's not a combat zone, it's a coffee shop. If I can avoid a fight then all the better. A couple people though... they're questionable, and they definitely make the hair on the back of my neck stand on end."

Rianna nibbiles a few more bites from her morsels of meat. Letting the two Garou discusss for the time being. The inability to use one's Crinos doesn't exactly concern her, after all.

George nods and shrugs "I bet the old man can teach a whole shit ton of vocabulary, words to listen for so you'll know what the assorted supernaturals are talking about. That'll help you narrow down a bunch of what would be going on and maybe help work out a way to talk them down. Not every disruption's going to turn out to be like the Rippers."

Trekome headtilts slightly. "The Rippers?" That probably has a long story to it. "And yeah... I learned pretty quick that most of the time you don't need to go weapons free... Half the time when there was tension it could be smoothed out without having to shoot. The rest of the time... either get out or get ready. But like I said, this isn't the sandbox, and I don't need to carry a rifle around everywhere."

Rianna smiles a bit as she hears Cross mentioned. "I bet he can help you," she says, biting into another piece of meat. "He seems so wise. And so -powerful-." She chews and swallows a mouthful. "He's helping me get stronger, too," she says. "He's totally gonna hep me Take A Level In Badass."

George grins as Rianna perks up and he noms some more venison "I just ask that if there's something you need help with please don't pull a Cherazart and go crying to him first. Learn what you can first but if things are getting out of hand with someone call for help sure but call the Nation first. There was a whole mess a while back that wound up with the Elders being embarrassed and a whole ton of our people being pissed off. He can be an ally, sure but we need to manage our own affairs as much as we can. I'll make sure you have the phone numbers to call when you're in the city, there's a sizable contingent of bone gnawers and kinfolk that can at least get the word out for reinforcements."

Trekome gives a nod at that, "Take care your own, get help from others only when needed. I know that concept pretty well from the Corps." He grins, "Nothing more embaressing than having to call a sister service in to try to handle a mess that we could've done ourselves. Makes us look weak and unorganized, and an easy target. No one wants that." He finishes his plate finally and uses the bandana he had to pat himself clean. "I'll keep a mind that there's a fair number of Bone Gnawers and kin, and probably more Glass Walkers than I thought in the city. I'm sure that I can handle most stuff pretty well. If all else fails, I'll give a shout to whoever I can on my burn phone."

Rianna looks beween the two, giggling softl. "Well," she says. "I'm pretty sure that if there's anything bad going down, I'll be hiding behind some of you guys anway. So I'll just point and scream 'helm meh melp meh!'. That should suffice, I would say, so far as going to the Nation for help is concerned."

Trekome blinks and looks at his phone. "Shit, speaking of Cherry... gotta run."

George snickers and nods to Rianna as Trekome takes off "That'll more than suffice. Really getting more levels in bad ass ain't a wrong plan to have though lots of times your best plan is going to be o.e.r. Observe, Evade, Report. Taking attacks of opportunity's good too, so getting you something with a little bit of sharp and pointy going on's a good idea. Maybe even a spelled blade if we can find a hedge witch to whip one up, unless you learn how to make your own. The spirits in fetish weapons don't generally answer to kinfolk but I'm sure we can find a way to get you something special if you're interested."

Rianna hmms. "A sword?" she says. "I dunno. I mean. I guess that could be cool and all, but. I don't know that I could learn how to use one. Knowing my luck, I'd just wind up sticking myself with it." She finishes off her venison, tossing the paper plate into the fire. "Oh man, that was good," she says with a soft smile. "But yeah. Mostly I'm just working on getting stronger. I think it's starting to work." And true enough, she -does- seem to have started filling out somewhat. It's hard to tell what with all those pesky clothes in the way, but she does seem a trifle sturdier.

George grins and shakes his head "Nothing so big and brutish as a sword, I was thinking a knife or maybe a machette. You more strike me as built for speed over power. That and a knife is easier to control if your not used to weapon work, I can show you how to use one sometime if you want. Not with full bellies though."

Rianna nods her head. "That could be cool," she says. "I'd appreciate that." She hmms, tapping her lips with a fingertip. "A knife fighter, huh? Yeah, you're right. That -would- be better. And a lot easier to hide. I mean, last thing I need is to keep getting stopped by cops because I look like an extra from Highlander, right?" She giggles.

George snickers and nods at Rianna "Being able to conceal your weapon is a big selling point and with you working out the way you have the fact that its so /easy/ to control I think will make it perfect. I don't even carry a sword myself, I have the Fang and that's more than enough."

Rianna nods her head. "I still don't like the idea of having to fight," she says. "But... I guess it's true what they say. When you gaze into the Abyss, the Abyss gazes into you. Now that I'm learning about the Garou Nation, I'm going to have to deal with its enemies. I'll need to be ready." She smiles a bit. "But not right this second, maybe," she says. "I'm stuffed. And I'm in too good a mood to think about badassery."

George nods and shrugs as he flops on the ground after setting his plate aside "And if I have to jump up and defend you and get a stomach ache you'll make me some peppermint tea with ginger and honey to make it better right?"

Rianna laughs, waving a hand. "No," she says. "But I -will- hit you with my power. I'm not feeding you mint tea, that's just weird." And psychic healing powers -aren't- weird?

George chuckles and grins at Rianna "I remember my third foster mom swore by that tea for tummy aches. Maybe I'll ask Doctor Hayes if there's anything to it. Powers will fix it better if you have one that'll suit though."

Rianna cocks her head to one side. "I'm a psychic healer," she says. "Didn't you know that? I thought for sure everyone around the caern knew. I mean. Word gets around, you know?"

George shakes his head as he continues to just lie there "Sure I knew that, doesn't mean I knew fuck all what that /meant/ or what sorts of injuries or ailments it can fix. I know my healing gift isn't useful for much beyond tissue trauma and keeping your insides on your inside. Wouldn't do a thing for a stomach ache, at least I've never tried to use it for that."

Rianna nods her head. "I can do illness or injury," she says. "I haven't had a cold since I was seven. I'd just fix it myself." She sits herself down on the cavern floor so she can lean against the rock. Sighing happily as she rests her hands in her lap. "You know," she says. "At first, I wasn't sure that coming here was a good idea. You know? I mean. You're cool, and Trekome, and Bryan, and a few others are cool. But... a lot of the others aren't so cool. A lot of people here've been mean. But. I think I'm starting to find my niche."

George nods and shrugs "I'll have to remember that, though garou themselves are immune to most illnesses. As far as folks being mean? Next time Sahael starts giving you crap, yell back. I think he might be pushing so hard to give you an excuse to learn to stand up for yourself because usually I've found him to be way nicer than me."

Rianna shakes her head. "It's not just Sahael," she says. "That Lars dude. And the other Get that was hanging with him. They were being total douche-canoes." She huffs a small sigh. "But. Well. Whatever. You're cool to hang with. And there's others, too. So I'm not going to let a few jackholes ruin things for me here. I mean. You guys are family, right?"

George nods and shrugs at Rianna "Well the Get pack around here's told me that they specifically don't handle kinfolk relations, maybe there's a reason for that. And yeah, we're family. That's how this works, who hasn't had a big brother or cousin or whatever they wanted to sock in the mouth. I only had fosters till my first change but hey, my point stands."

Rianna nods her head. "Maybe things won't be as bad as I was afraid," she says. "And... even if they do get bad... well. Back at the Rising Forest Caern, they only had four Garou. A ton of Kinfolk, but only four Garou. I don't think we'll have the same problems here."

George blinks over at Rianna "Four? Here we got like four dozen, makes for a lot less prince of the earth ego tripping bullshit when you're in a much bigger pond I guess."

Rianna shrugs. "It was a small caern," she says. "And there never were many Garou to watch over it. My dad used to tell me that there were lots more, but that fewer and fewer Garou were born each year."

George frowns as he thinks about it "I heard the same thing but my first change was a year and a week ago, and I didn't grow up in the nation hearing all the old stories. We work the problems we have with the resources we have right? All the should've beens and might've beens ain't gonna keep a fomori from eating your face."

Rianna nods her head. "Yeah," she says. "We just have to stick together. We're all the world has left, you know?" She settles a hand on her tummy. "And who knows? Maybe someday, one of my kids will be Garou. That'd be, you know, cool and different."

George nods and grins at Rianna, giving her a thumbs up "I've run into stuff about being garou I think is a load of crap, tensions between the tribes and with the Fera. Gang land type bullshit I though having a hundred percent authentic mission from /god/ would get us past. We gotta do the best we can though and the misfits have been trying to help people with getting along better. If more of the folks around here had a mom like you I don't think we'd be having such a hard time of it."

Rianna blushes. "Well. I guess we'll just have to wait and see, won't we?" she says. "I'm going to have kids someday. Grandpa always said it was the most important thing I could do for the Garou Nation." She looks down at herself. Again, that dreamy smile. "I just hope I can do it right. You know?"

George nods and frowns as he thinks back to another kin baby that almost was "Yeah, better to wait until you're sure you're ready to do it right than change your mind part way through."

Rianna laughs softly. "Well... I mean. I'll have plenty of help, right? I've got all you guys to be aunties and uncles. They'll have plenty of family to help them grow up."

George chuckles and nods at Rianna, his mood brightening "Right, it takes a village and all that. I know Eloise loves babies, she's so happy to finally have one of her own. She's a certified midwife on top of everything else. And you know I'll be right there with baby's first lockpicks."

Rianna giggles. "Now don't you go corrupting my kids!" she says. "You're a bad influence!" She grins, resting her hands on her middle, sighing happily. "Naughty boy. No biscuit!"

George snickers and nods at Rianna as he sits up a little bit and puts a hand over his heart "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." before giggling himself a bit.

Rianna laughs musically. "Oh, you are -bad-," she says. "Good thing I can totally see through your bullshit." She sits forward a bit. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were all, like, thug life and all that shit. But. There's a lot more to you than that. Like. I totally didn't expect you to be an awesome skateboarder."

George nods and grins at Rianna "I grew up in central Wyoming for fuck sake, how thug life could I possibly be? I front that because that's what people expect to see. And I really do love skate boarding, I got good at it because there was nothing else to fucking do."

Rianna nods her head. "I can dig it," she says. "There wasn't much for me to do where I grew up either. Except climb trees. -Lots- of trees around my house." She leans forward a bit. "So... you're a Ragabash, right? A Trickster?"

George nods and grins "The Questioners of the Ways. If a tradition needs to be worked around, we're the ones to figure out how. If a tradition needs to be over turned we're the ones to pester and heckle and point out all the reasons its terrible."

Rianna giggles. "You make it sound all... formalized. I mean. That's cool. That there's a -reason- that there's Garou whose sole duty in life is to make people laugh. Sometimes, people need to be pointed out for the dickholes they are, you know?"

George shrugs and nods "I get shit for being an overly formal pain in the ass sometimes but not all our traditions are bad ones. Some of the formalized civilities and ways of doing things are there to help us control our Rage. That's what wound up resulting in Kaydin's murder and his murderer's exile. Coloring outside the lines that shouldn't have been ignored."

Rianna blinks. Owly-eyes briefly. "Who's Kaydin?" she asks.

You say, "sits up and ponders "He was a Bone Gnawer Metis Ahroun that got busted back to Cliath from Fostern for being a shit for brains. He'd crossed so many lines I had gone to the elders for a formal kill order. I ain't sorry he's dead, I just think it sucks how it got done.""

Rianna boggles. Blink blink. "That's. Dude. That's jacked up. I mean. Was it -really- that bad? The things he did? I mean. Like. Was he, like, boffing Wyrm things or something?"

George ticks off a list on his fingers "Assault of a female kinfolk of another tribe. Sexual Assault, multiple counts of a whole laundry list of victims. Risking the Veil by sexually assaulting a mortal policewoman. Shifting to Crinos in public, falling to frenzy in public, falling into the Thrall of the Wyrm in public, falling into the Thrall of the Wyrm a second time in the caern. Taunting another garou to try and make them frenzy in public. And that's all just off the top of my head."

Rianna's eyes get wider and wider. "What. The actual. -Fuck-?" She actually looks somewhat pale. "Dude. That's. Just. Ate -up-. No -wonder-. I mean. I hate the thought of killing anyone for -anything-. But. Seriously. This Kaydin dude sounded like he was a rabid wolf. Or. Like. A total manwhore. Probably both. How did he get past his Rite of Passage, if he was that fucked up? You know?"

George nods and shrugs "And that's not counting the shit I never found out about. He was here before I arrived, and in a proper pack with an Athro alpha of his tribe. Probably under more control then? Or it got covered up better? But when Ray left town and didn't take Kaydin with him.....that was the stressor as far as I can tell."

Rianna considers. "So this Ray dude was his pack alpha? And he... just -ran-? Dude. What a -bitch-. Like, seriously? How does someone like that get to be a pack alpha?"

George shakes his head at the comment about Ray "I don't know why he left town or why he didn't take Kaydin with him Maybe he didn't know how really off the meds crazy Kaydin would get."

Rianna shakes her head. "Still. Just up and leaving? That's totally irresponsible. He should have known better." She sighs softly. "I'm sorry you had to be involved in something like that. It just sounds awful."

George frowns and shrugs "Its part of the job. The ragabash of my tribe in particular are like the internal affairs of the nation. We exist on the edges of the law so much we're in position to see when someone else crosses the line."

Rianna sighs a bit. "Still. That's not okay. You shouldn't -have- to deal with that kind of fucked up shit. The Garou are supposed to be the -good- guys, not the Charles Manson of serial rape!"

George grins and nods at Rianna "Yeah but its better that there's someone here to deal with it when it does come up than have no one to stop them. Speaking of, have you met a Glass Walker Ragabash named Tom?"

Rianna shakes her head. "The only Glass Walker I know is Trekome," she says. It's about this time that her smartphone starts chirping an alarm at her. "Oh, -shit-. I was supposed to be home an hour ago, I got class!" She shoots to her feet. "I gotta run. Take it easy, dude!"