Tapestries: Pablo - Sunday, February 18, 2007, 4:54 PM

The four homids in this young pack are hanging about in their new shelter. Yiska, as is typical, prefers to remain outside. He finds the cold refreshing and more comfortable. It's still a bit awkward to be calling this one room cabin 'yours', but Stag's Burning Hooves have removed all their personal effects, and their shrine to Stag himself, so, it's kind of empty, really. Just some cots, a table, and a few chairs.

Shay lingers by the window. He's been rather quiet lately, the thoughts just atumble behind his eyes. It's a matter of selecting the right time for matters. 

Tony sits at the table with the other two, dealing out cards in clockwise rotation. He is teaching them how to play Asshole, a favourite card game of his. It's a good way to relax, too, and not think about things too hard for a while. "Come on, Shay. You look like a lost puppy."

Hope agrees, "Yeah, come on." Bits stage-whispers to the other two, "Maybe he's practicing being mysterious and spiritual!"

"Being a lost puppy suits me," says Shay. Although he doesn't sound like too sad about the matter; it's almost playful. Sliding off the window sill he crosses to drop down at the table. "You know, we should try to scrounge up some money. Decorate this place."

Tony deals Shay into the game as he sits. "Decorations imply a sense of individuality. We here on the Amish plantation don't believe in such things," he responds, poking fun at the Garou community's subtle technophobia.

Bits smacks Tony playfully, "You know, a Ragabash could feel unneeded with all the wiseacres around here." While Hope seems thoughtful, "I wonder if my college fund is still intact. I guess I don't need it now." A little frown crosses her face at the thought.

Shay looks over at Hope. "Well, no one says you can't like, have a life too. At least no one's said it yet." He rubs the back of his neck, "I mean Kursor's got a life, but he's a little ... against the grain. But if we're going to do stuff, we need money. You can't exactly do garou stuff on welfare."

Tony nods at Shay. "There should be no reason why you can't go to college. It'll just have to be delayed until we get our shit sorted out." He starts laying down his cards, playing the game out. "I only have a few hundred bucks, myself. I guess I could try to hit my dad up for some, but... I don't know. I don't want to trick him any more than I already have."

Hope smiles a little at both of them, appreciating the thought, though she seems a little unconvinced. "Thanks, guys." Bits leans back and peers at her cards, trying to read the others faces.

"Speaking of getting our shit together," says Shay as he plays along with the cards, "We do have some pack business to talk about. Y'know, decisions we all need to make for the pack, and decisions that could influence it." That last he says while pointedly looking at Bits.

Tony tosses another card out. "We need to pick a totem. And a purpose for the pack. I was thinking over the totems, and I was leaning towards Respect. Perhaps Thunderbird, or Loon."

Loon. Now there's the perfect setup for Bits to make a crack. But she doesn't. Instead, she just looks quietly abashed at Shay's look, still trying to suck up about that incident. Hope gives a glance around, and asks Tony, "Why Respect? I mean, I dunno, but I kinda think that's, um, kind of mainstream? Not that there's anything wrong with mainstream, it just doesn't seem to be 'us'. And Thunderbird sounds kinda ... native. I just worry about us white folks, you know. Not that I know any particulars except about Pegasus." She grins a big grin. 

Shay watches Bits for a moment before his attention shifts back to Tony. "Wouldn't our purpose come first, and then the totem? Because the totem has to reflect what it is we want to do? What I wanna know is, what are our options as to purpose? Aside from kicking wyrm ass, what are we supposed to... do?" He glances back to Hope, at a loss with regards to her comment about Pegasus. "Well, a Unicorn did save me." 

Tony raises his brows at Hope. "You know I'm Native, right?" He doesn't look Native, no, he looks pretty Germanic, except for his black hair. But he's Uktena, and his mother was pure Native American. "Anyway, Shay's right. What's something we all have in common?"

Hope grins a little, embarrassed, at Tony. Being pure Italian stock, her skin's darker than his, but... "Yeah, I meant, Shay and I. No offense, you know. Anyway." Bits purses her lips and considers Tony's question, but seems reluctant to come up with a suggestion. Hope ventures, "Crystal said it was pretty unusual that we all showed up so quickly together, and that we went on a Rite together." She hesitates to draw a conclusion from that, though.

"Well we're young," says Shay. "So we're cool and 'with it'. Uh. I don't know. I don't know what our Rite and presence really says about us, aside from just that whole... chance thing. It's not something that we can really *do*."

Tony leans back, thoughtful. "We're all young, yes. Relatively, anyway. Maybe we should look out for those even younger than us. Be protectors of children who can't defend themselves."

Hope says with a broad grin, "You mean, like, I'd get to beat the crap out of assholes who beat their kids? I could so totally do that."

Shay winces at Hope, before glancing back to Tony. "I think that's pretty uh, limited. I mean, we're *garou*; we can't really go beating down on humans. And how many wyrm are going to target kids?"

Tony looks surprised at Shay. "If you were a force of corruption, who would your first target be? The corruptable. And it's not just abusive parents. Orphans, refugees, slaves," he says, sitting up and looking like he's starting to get into the idea. "Just because it'd be our purpose doesn't mean that's /all/ we'd do. It's a direction for us."

Hope nods at Tony, "Yeah, that's totally what the Furies are all about! Well, you know, at least part of it, protecting women from the Wyrm. And, I mean, don't the Children of Gaia do that too? I mean, aren't you guys supposed to be healers?"

"Okay, I can get behind that," says Shay. "Dealing with helping those who are the most at risk, and who don't get the help all the time. So what kind've totem would be behind that? Vigilence, I mean?"

Tony grins brightly at Shay. "You tell us, Theurge-meister," he replies.

Shay sits back and looks thoughtful. "Okay, I can get behind that. Dealing with helping those who are the most at risk, and who get little help. The two that I can think of - Kelly kinda gave me a glancing over - would be Pegasus and Unicorn. Pegasus for protecting sacred places and girls, and Unicorn for the weak and exploited."

Tony gives a double snap of his fingers. "Unicorn," he says, nodding firmly. He gets up from the table and heads to the doorway of the small cabin, pulling it open and letting some cold air in. "Unicorn! Yo! Come here!" he calls into the night.

Bits and Hope both break out laughing. "I don't think that's how it works!" Bits says, giggling.

Shay just smirks. "Kelly needs to cast a Rite of Totem, and we have to go hunt down the spirit and... tickle it or something."

Tony huffs out a breath, then closes the door again. "Tickle it? Are you serious?" he asks. You never can tell with spirits, apparently.

"No. I donno what we have to do to get it to work with us."

"Ask really nice?" suggests Bits.

Tony suggests, "Maybe he likes sugar cubes."

Shay rolls his eyes and grins. "Okay. So we got that settled."

Shay steeples his fingers. "I had a vision the other night. Where the Moon, made of silver, came down and attacked Mammoth. I went to a theurge moot last night. Night-Spirit thinks that it's significant enough, but has everyone looking for signs, and I'm to be particularly careful."

Both Bits and Hope stop their laughing, and blink at Shay, "What?" they say, in unison. "Who attacked Mammoth?" Hope asks, confused.

Tony hmms at Shay. "The moon attacked Mammoth? That's... odd. That could mean a lot of things, couldn't it? Maybe the Garou are going to attack him? Or... A Garou, or something. Weird."

"The moon itself." He pantomimes a pendulum swinging down. "It swung down to the Caern. Then it started attacking Mammoth like it was a knife."

Hope looks between Shay and Tony, then asks, "Why would you get this vision, Shay?" Something a lot of people want to know... "I mean, if there's going to be real trouble, why wouldn't it be Night-Spirit or the Guardians or something?"

"I asked that of Kelly," says Shay. "She said it could depend on the spirit taht sent it, or why they did it, or a whole lot of other stuff. I really don't know why. Maybe it's a test or something." He rubs the back of his neck. "The pack that got kicked out of this cabin thinks I just want to get attention."

Tony snorts. "Those are the same fuckers that gave us shit when we first got here," he reminds the others. "If it's another test for you or for us, we'll give it the best."

Bits frowns at the part about Blackbones, "That's probably my fault. They've never liked me." She shifts around, looking at the ground, her face twisted and wrinkled in a way that a 14-year old's probably shouldn't be.

Shay leans forward. "Bits? When you were talking to the Spirit, it said you had a decision to make." He lets his hands settle on the table. "If the uh, if the decision could impact the Pack, that's something to bring up. If it's just your thing, I'll stuff it."

Tony shakes his head slowly. He doesn't think it's Bits fault that those guys are assholes. "I don't like secrets among us," he voices, looking at the table rather than at Bits.

It's Tony's gaze that makes Bits look, well, even more embarrassed. "I'm supposed to choose, between him and staying here, with y'all. I was just supposed to come here, get the Rite of Passage, and then go. But, you know, for some reason, I /like/ you guys."

"Oh." Shay smiles at that. "Cool. If you were going to go with him, where would you go?"

Tony frowns more. He likes this even less. "You were suposed to use us?" he asks. "Get some help so you can be considered an adult, and then go off?" His tone is angry now, hand curled into a fist. "Who is this spirit?" he asks.

The alpha's reaction is one Bits was afraid of, and it causes her to scoot her chair backwards, looking around. "My totem," she answers, ever so carefully choosing her words, and she gives a little apologetic smile, "You see why I couldn't tell anyone, it was part of the trick."

Hope, meanwhile, just looks confused, her dark brows furrowing. "Trick?"

Shay looks at Tony, before back to Bits. "Who was to be tricked?"

Tony continues to look pissed. But he doesn't say anything just yet. He folds his arms and stares at Bits with a look of hurt tickling his features.

Bits stands up, and clears her throat, getting a little of her composure back. "It wasn't meant to hurt anyone, I mean, we're all the same side, here, right? I was just supposed to come here, get put on a Rite of Passage, and pass, that's all. I didn't know there was going to be anyone else involved, you know? I /like/ you guys. I want to stay here, that's why I've not run." Her voice quickens, worried, "But, you know, you can't tell anyone, they'll kill me."

Tony stands up as well, eyes flaring. "No, we don't know, because you haven't told us." He cracks his knuckles down on the table hard enough to send some cards flying. "There's no secrets in this pack, you got it? It's a fucking rule, I'm setting it right now. If we're a family, then we are going to be a good one. If you want to stay in this pack, Bits, you come clean. Who's your totem? Why does he want you to leave? Why can't you tell anyone?"

Shay stares. He backs up some from Tony as well. 

Hope's breaths begin to get a little quicker... there's the taste of Rage in the room now and it's hard for the ahroun to keep her own from wanting a taste... her fists clench.

Bits's eyes dart around the room, looking for an exit, and wishing that Yiska was here. He'd understand ... though maybe he wouldn't. The only way out seems to be past Tony and Hope, so she squeaks a little bit, "If I tell you, will you promise to let me go? Not turn me in, not kill me?"

Tony gives a grunt. "We're not gonna kill you. I'm really pissed that you're keeping secrets, but still want to be with us. Tell us. We'll protect you if anyone has you under threat of death," he assures her, his tone sliding to one of faint sympathy.

Bits covers her face and holds her hands there for a long time. She takes a deep breath, then drops the bombshell: "I'm not really Garou. I'm Nuwisha. And passing as a Garou cub and as finishing a Rite of Passage was my challenge for rank, And now I've totally blown it. If I hadn't before."

Tony's mouth opens. Then closes. Then opens again. "Nuwisha," he repeats. Well, that explains a whole lot. A whole lot indeed. "Nuwisha. Wait. Hold on. Gabby mentioned them once. She said they were all dead."

Hope doesn't think it explains anything. "What the fuck's a Nuwisha?" Her eyes are a bit clouded, with both Rage and confusion.

Bits peeks from behind her hands, a bit surprised she's still in one piece. "Coyote, Hope. Where you're a wolf, I'm a coyote." She purses her lips and says to Tony, "There's... a few of us. Mostly doing what I was supposed to be doing. Tricking those who need to be tricked. Though, apparently," she sighs, "I /suck/ at it."

Tony is still twisting with his emotions. He's hurt that he was lied to and for so long. But Bits' reason is a legitimate one. He only knows that Nuwisha were were-coyotes, and suposedly all dead. Nothing else. If Bits really is one, then... yes, he could see the elders simply killing her. "Damnit. Damnit," he sighs. "The older ones would rip you up, wouldn't they?"

Hope is still just confused, so, she sits down.

Bits nods, moving ever so slightly towards the door. "Probably. That's what Garou do. Kill things. Very well."

Tony extrapolates what he knows of coyote myths and adds them to what he knows of Garou and the other shapechangers. "And coyotes would be about tricking people, right?" Tony drops back into his seat. "Sit down, Bits. We're not going to rat on you." He glances at the others. "Are we?"

Hope shakes her head, "N... no, I guess not." She keeps looking towards Tony for guidance.

Standing up, Shay crosses around the table before he touches Bits arm. Smiling to her, he guides her back to the table. "You're following your nature, Bits. I know it's upsetting to Tony and us, but 'tricking us' was as much your rite as Pangaea. And you're part of our Pack, weither your totem likes it or not." He hugs her from behind. "But can you really do what... you do, as part of a Garou pack? I mean, do you have your own..." For lack of a better term, "mission?"

Bits furrows her brow, but she does sit. "I told you, we're on the same side. It's the Garou who always get confused about that part. No humor." She rubs her temples, fully aware of the irony of this situation, trying to explain the problem with Garou to a bunch of Garou ... this is how so many Nuwisha get killed. And this makes her laugh, suddenly. "Coyote," she shakes her fist at the air, smiling ruefully. She avoids a couple questions, but answers Shay's, "Nuwisha have before. Been members of Garou packs. When it suited our purposes. Not me, never before... I always thought Garou were a little... uh, touched in the head. But, like I said, I /like/ you four, you know, in a way I never have had friends before. No one trusts the trickster." She's rambling a little, though at least the look in her eyes is amusement now, more than fear.

Tony gives Bits a closer look now. "How old are you?"

Bits gets a bit of a shifty look at the question, "You're not supposed to ask a lady her age. But, ah, 21. I'm just tiny. Always have been. It's a coyote thing."

Shay leans forward, propping his chin on the crown of Bits' head. "If you don't trick us, we will trust you. But you can't betray us." Then he pauses. And looks at Tony. Then says almost absently, "You'll have to tell Yiska."

Tony mmms. "Well, you can buy us liquour, then," he replies, as way of telling the girl that things are okay now. He shakes his head at Shay. "No. Bits can tell Yiska."

"No, I know Bits can tell Yiska," says Shay. He purses his lips and shakes his head, looking at Tony.

Hope frowns, "Okay, well, someone has to explain what it all means to me."

Bits puts her head in her hands. "Yeah." She says, "I'll tell him." She stands, then, "Yeah, I'll go tell him now."

Tony stands. "Hold on. You aren't going to run, are you?"

Shay turns to Hope. He points to Bits. "She's a were-coyote. She was told to blend in with the Garou until she passed a Rite of Passage by their rules. A totem spirit that gave her the mission gave her the ultimatum of staying or going with him to do her own solo thing. She decided to stay with us. But Garou like to kill were-coyotes, so Bits is all 'eek!'."

Bits bites her lower lip. After a moment, she shakes her head. "No. I won't run. I just have to think, for a little while."

Hope narrows her eyes, "I think I got that part. What I don't understand is why anyone would want to kill her." She looks at Bits, "I won't let anyone kill you, Bits. You're my friend."