Tapestries: Pablo - Tuesday, August 08, 2006, 11:52 PM

Most of the others have melted away now ... at least you can't see them anymore. It's just you and Gabrielle. You walk along the fence line, but she stops, turning back to you. "Okay," she says, "I can believe you might think that." She pulls her shirt up off over her head, revealing a bare chest. But before you can even react to that sight, her form is shifting and changing, growing and swelling in mass, covering itself with fur, and changing into a giant dark-furred wolven monster that's got to be at least eight and a half feet tall. ~This,~ she says, speaking in the gutteral growls you somehow instinctively understand, ~is crinos. The war form.~

Anthony stops when she does, giving her a curious stare. Is she about to offer some kind of proof? When the shirt comes off, he opens his mouth, a hot flush running through his cheeks. What the hell? It IS some kind of sex cult, thing, he thinks rapidly. Not quite. As his 'cousin' starts to grow, her rather attractive body flowing into a new shape as easily as air into a balloon, he gapes, stepping away rapidly. "Wh... A..." There's no voice left in his throat, the young man just staring upwards with an open mouth.

The lupine monster that was Gabrielle pauses just a few moments as you take in the impressive size and shape of the war form, before she begins to change again. This time, the muscles and size melt away, though the fur remains, and a few seconds later, a wolf, looking just as normal as any other wolf (you think) stands before you. She makes a couple of vocalizations, but if she is speaking, you're not quite sure what she's saying.

Anthony's legs feel weak. He wobbles in place, then drops to his knees and hands in an amusing imitation of his cousin. "Holy... holy shit," he manages at last, staring at her with wide eyes that can hardly believe what they just saw. "Y-you guys are for real," he says, his voice again squeaking embarrassingly. Then, just to make sure it wasn't some trick of the light, and to make sure he's not crazy, he holds his hand out towards her, palm up. "Gabrielle? Where do I keep my ring?" That'll be sure to mess up any regular canine, since he only told her where it was.

She grins a little, her tongue lolling, bemused, it seems, by your question. She leans over and noses at the chain around your neck, then takes a couple steps back, and, in an instant, is human again. "I'm glad you believe now. I think that's the first step, or something." She's bare-chested again, of course, and she leans down to pick up her shirt. "You need to get used to nakedness," she says, off hand, having made note of your reaction. "It happens a lot around here. There's lots of lookie-lookie, but no touchie-touchie," she says, chuckling.

Anthony sits back on his heels, staring down at the wolf as she noses his chest. He puts his fingers over the hidden necklace, a small smile playing over his lips. Fear is gradually replaced with amazement. "That's incredible," he replies, looking up at her when she is human once more. The whole transition between the shapes makes him realize how much work CGI has yet to do in movies. "Nakedness. Right. Wonderful." That's easy enough for you to say, he thinks. A young man may find being naked around grown women somewhat... embarrassing. "Give me a few minutes to think?" he asks, leaning back against a nearby tree.

Gabrielle nods, her smile easy, almost, well, affectionate towards you. "Sure thing, kid," she says. "It's a lot to take in." She sits down near you, an arm's reach away, perhaps, and goes silent for a moment. In the silence you can hear the noises of the forest. At the edge of human hearing, there is occasionally the sound of a vehicle at the nearby road, but for the most part, nature is all you can see, hear and feel all around you. The setting sun warms your skin, and the light dapples through the trees.

Anthony stares upwards for a long time, letting the events of the day sink in. It occurs to him that nearly any change in his daily routine would probably have been upsetting. Strange, it's like we're designed not to expect anything truly different happening. Or rather, we learn not to expect it. Still, here we are. "Just call me Tony," he replies after a few minutes.

Your cousin nods again, "Sure, Tony. And you can just call me Gabby, that's fine. Though it's not easy to speak human words in the other forms, so, Path-Knower is good too." She stands and stretches. "I got someone else to introduce you to, to help decide where you should stay, here."

Pushing up to his feet, he brushes the back of his pants off and flicks a climbing ant off of his knee. "Okay, Gabby. First of all, how are we related, exactly? My mom died when I was an infant. I didn't think she had any sisters. My dad never knew of any." He again follows you through the forest path, looking around himself with an alertness he always carries.

This place you're in... it's wild, all right, but not uninhabited. Most wouldn't notice, but you do. There are paths, there are tracks. People walk around here fairly frequently. Probably wolves, too, though you're not as skilled at noticing the traces of animals. "Ah, yeah," Gabby says, "Gosh, that might be as hard to hear as 'Hey, kid, you're a werewolf,'" and she looks back, giving you a little grin. She's trying to put you at ease, but it is obvious that 'people-skills' aren't where her strengths lie. Soon, in a small clearing, a small, two-story house appears. There are a couple paths through the woods to it, but no apparent driveway, as most modern houses would have. "What do you know about your grandparents?" she asks, heading towards the house.

Tony can tell you're putting on a good face for him, and he appreciates it. Even from a complete stranger, little acts of kindness like that always make him warm up quickly. "You could say that. I don't have any cousins on my father's side, either. I never got to meet my grandparents on his side. Or on my mother's side. Hell, I don't even know their names. From what my dad told me, mother never said much about her past."

Gabby exhales, a bit of tension relieved as she does so, and she nods once more. "We share the same grandfather," she explains. "Your mother's father is also my father's father. As I understand it, our grandfather's relationship with your grandmother was ... troubled. That's pretty typical with Garou-human relations. It has to do with the Curse and the way we make most humans feel just by being around them ..." She enters the house, which is unlocked, as she speaks. Inside, it's neat, but simple. "Whisper?" Gabby calls out, "Are you in here?" There's some noise, that sounds like a couple of pans being banged together, from the next room, and Gabby smiles, and beckons you to follow as she heads that way.

Tony touches the wall as he enters the house, just brushing his fingertips along the paint and feeling the smoothness of it. "So you're like my second cousin. Or something. Our parents would be half siblings, right?" He wishes he had his backpack of books with him, suddenly. If only to have something from the outside world to touch again, and keep him grounded. He feels like Alice, or Neo. "Still, that's more family than I've ever had." Smiling back at you, he heads into the kitchen area alongside.

The next room over, through a swinging door, is a kitchen. Like the first room, it's simple, maybe old-fashioned, like it's been decorated in the same way for thirty or fourty years. Still, it too is neat. Standing inside is a woman in a peasant blouse and bell-bottom jeans drying her hands in a towel. It's hard to guess her age, exactly. She's pretty enough, with shoulder-length dishwater-blonde hair, and maybe in her early to mid 30s, but the lines on her face and the look in her eyes seem ... older ... than that. She smiles at Gabby, and at you, and, setting the towel aside, she speaks, her voice in the softest of whispers: "Good afternoon, Gabby. Who is your friend?" Gabby nudges you, and murmurs, "She's okay, introduce yourself."

Anthony offers this new person another smile, nodding his head politely to her when he enters the kitchen. This house is cool, he thinks. Most of the houses he's been in are all new built things made of concrete and steel. Maybe if he had some friends, he would have the opportunity to see some older homes. "Me? Oh... Er." He thinks to himself quickly. "Anthony Meyer. An... Uktena? Pup. Er, cub." He looks back to Gabbie for reassurance. "That just clicked in. You guys consider me a /cub/?" The boy finds that highly entertaining.

Gabby smiles at you and nods. The blonde woman's eyes light up at your words, in what can only be described as delight, or joy. Again, she speaks, maybe a bit faster, but still in that light brush of a whisper: "Yes, Anthony. Any young Garou who has not completed his or her Rite of Passage is called a cub. It is not an insult, do not worry. I am Kelly Whispers-with-Spirits, adren Theurge of the Children of Gaia, Keeper of the Land here at the Sept of the Winter Night. And your auspice...?" she asks, but Gabby interrupts before you can speak: "We don't know yet. We just cubnapped him, like, two hours ago." She grins when she says that, full of pride.

Anthony grins a little, shaking his head head at Whispers. "No, it's just that I used to be a cub in Beaver's," he says with amusement. "Nice to meet you," he goes on, nodding again. He gives Gabbie a look of surprise, then embarrassment. "Sorry for, like, making fun of you when I saw you," he apologizes. "I was sure you were some kind of scammer." Walking to one wall, he looks out the window thoughtfully, hands folded neatly behind his back. "Sept of the Winter Night, you said, right? So this place is kind of like a holy place?"

Kelly's smile broadens, "Two hours? My, my, you are brand new, aren't you? How wonderful." Gabby dismisses your apology, still smiling, "Don't worry about it! I'm just glad it worked out, okay, you know? I'm sorry Sam had to knock you out." For the briefest of moments, Kelly has a look of mild distress at this news, but her smile returns shortly. A look passes between the two women, and Gabby just nods, and pulls out a chair at the table. Apparently, she's passed the teaching baton to Kelly, as she answers your question: "Yes, Anthony," she whispers once more, "The most sacred of holy places: a caern. It is where the physical world is closest to the spirit world, which we call the Umbra. We gather at these places, and form septs to defend them, and to refresh our connection with the Mother." She indicates a chair, "Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable. Would you care for some water?"

Tony accepts the offered chair, settling into it and crossing one foot over the other beneath the legs. "Yes, please, water would be great," he says, realizing just how thirsty he is. The explanation of the caern is chewed on for a quiet moment as he leans back in the chair, head tilted towards the ceiling. "I guess that shouldn't be much of a surprise, either. The Umbra. The name has a familiar ring to it." Lowering his gaze down to Whispers, he asks suddenly and with a curious look of fear. Defense. "Defend it against what?" he asks, suddenly having flashes of his father returning home from a tour with proclamations of impending armaggedon in the middle east.

Whisper's expression turns dour at that question. She steps to the sink, reaches up for a glass, and then fills it with water, which she sets before you. "The short answer is simple: The Wyrm. Evil. Corruption. Decay. The long answer is a bit more ... complicated. Our enemies are legion, but they all serve the Wyrm, wether knowing or unknowingly." She sits, then, and suddenly brightens, "My, I almost forgot, half the reason you probably brought him over here in the first place, Gabby," she says, "To figure out his auspice!" Gabby's expression also lightens at this and she nods. "That's right! I remember seeing you use that fetish when I was a cub; I'd hoped you'd still have it." Whisper nods and pulls something that looks like a small rock on a string from around her neck.

Picking up the glass of water with a murmured thanks, he takes a long drink. About to put it back down... then tilts it up to finish it off. "Sounds like a complicated issue. I look forward to learning it in depth." The idea of such a foe is interesting in itself. It also sounds, to his ears, a bit too simplistic. Bad Guys, from what he's read and seen, are generally more complex than simply being evil and bad. "My auspice?" Tony gives Gabrielle an inquisitive look.

Your desire to learn, your eagerness and acceptance seems to only make two already pleased women happier. They both grin, ear to ear, at you. Then Whisper closes her eyes and concentrates. Gabby nods at you, and explains: "Your auspice is the phase of the moon when you were born. It ... determines your place in our society. But, you know, it's more than just that. It's part of who each Garou is. It's part of your personality, your attitude, your interests. It's really kind of amazing, when you think about it." She laughs a little and says, "It's like astrology. Only, you know, /real/." Whisper opens her eyes then, and leans forward to show the smooth side of the rock she was holding. The image of a half-circle appears on the shiny surface. Her soft voice speaks: "The half-moon. Philodox." She is about to speak more when, suddenly, the kitchen door bursts open, and both of the women shoot to their feet. No apparent threat appears, however. Instead, it's a girl. She's small, maybe five feet, and wire-thin. Her face and body are young, like a seventh or eighth-grader, maybe. Her features are distinctively Native American, and her straight black hair is long, and braided into two pig tails. She's got a huge grin on her face, her white teeth shining as she sing-songs: "New Cub! New Cub! New Cub! Yay!"

Anthony is almost as quick to jump to his feet when the door opens so suddenly, one hand held out in a warding gesture. The sudden fright fades quickly as the girl starts to sing about his arrival. He sits back down in his chair with a thump, another amused smile crossing his face. "Nice. I see news spreads fast around here."  He was hoping to talk more about this auspice of his. Still, he shant be rude. "Hello there," he greets. Waiting for one of the two older women to make introductions, he continues to watch this younger one amusedly.

Rather than introduce her for you, the two women sit back down. Gabby seems ... exasperated ... at the interruption, while Whisper is, well, patiently bemused. The girl comes almost bouncing up to you, looking you up and down. "Hi!" She says, her voice almost as quick as Kelly's is quiet: "I'm Bits Little-Smiles, Ragabash Cub of the Wendigo. Who're you?"

Tony seems pleased to find out this girl is a 'cub' as well. His voice doesn't squeak, this time, upon meeting a new person. "I'm Anthony." He pauses, glancing at Whispers, then goes on. "Philodox Cub of Uktena." He offers a hand out to the slightly younger girl, smiling at her warmly. He likes her already. "Nice to meet you."

Bits just keeps on grinning, as she reaches out and shake-shakes your hand, though there's a bit of a surprise in her eyes. "Ohh!" She says, "So you're not the cub that Talks-through-Nights went off to go get." Immediately, she covers her mouth. "Whoops!" Whisper tilts her head, and asks: "Mary went off to get a cub, too?" Bits nods, her hands still covering her mouth. Gabby laughs at this news, "Two Wendigo and an Uktena! That'll sure get Grim-scowl's lederhosen in a bunch!" Whisper gives both of the other females a stern look, and they both sit down. "Bits," she comments, "it's all right for you to keep listening. And you don't have to do it from the other side of the door, okay?" The girl looks embarrassed, as Kelly turns back to you. "I am very impressed you picked your auspice up right away and put it into your introduction, Anthony. Very good."
Anthony doesn't do well with compliments. He just gives a mild shrug, a small smile, and nods his thanks back to Whispers. Listening to the words bantered between the women, he tries to make some sense of things. Having a context now for them, he finds it's not as confusing as it all was even an hour ago. "So are you new here, too?" he asks Bits, though it's pretty obvious she's been around for longer than he has, given her apparent familiarity with things.

Bits seems surprised, again, that you're still talking to her, apparently used to being quickly dismissed. She shakes her head. "Um, been about, um, like two weeks now." She's got a bit of a twang to her voice, you notice now; it's not a local accent. Seeing that you're talking to the other cub at the moment, Gabby leans over to talk quietly to Kelly about something. Bits grins again at you, "You're, like, really new, though, right? Are you gonna stay here?" she asks, eagerly.

Anthony, while obviously more mature than most his age, still seems a little more comfortable talking to someone closer to his. "About as new as they get, from what I can tell. I don't know if I'm going to stay here or what. I  don't know how that sort of stuff works, yet." He realizes that if Bits is a werewolf, too, then she must be able to go all beasty like Gabrielle did. He can't even fathom seeing this cute girl going through such a change.

Bits puts her hand on yours, smiling. "I hope so. It'll be nice to have, you know, a friend around here, like my age or something. 'Cause, you know, Whisper an' my tribe are nice an' all, but," she just grins again, sheepishly. Gabby pokes her head in between the two of you, and interrupts. "Yeah. I think that we're going to have him stay here, in the cub house," Gabby says, "Whisper here is sort of looks after the place, and helps teaching cubs about stuff. I'll stay here the first couple nights, to get you settled in, Tony, okay? And I'll be around to teach you tribal stuff, and we'll find you an auspice mentor, too." She smiles. "This is the first time I've ever got to teach a cub." Whisper stands, then, saying, "Let's go upstairs and we'll let you pick out a room."