Tapestries: Pablo - Thursday, August 24, 2006, 8:19 PM

Tony stands in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing his teeth quietly. He's kneeling down in order to see himself, however, as he's decided that it might be fun to try and brush in Crinos. And it is, from an educational standpoint; he's learning a lot about what the inside of his new muzzle looks and feels like. But, he goes back to normal to finish up, since gurgling some water isn't something he's going to try like that. He'd make a proper mess. Once he's done, it seems that his nightly hygeine is completed, and he heads downstairs for a drink.

As you head down the stairs, you meet Gabby heading upwards. She meets you with a broad grin, "Oh, hey. Was just coming up to look for you. How're you doing, Tony?"

"Not too bad," he replies with a smile, shuffling back upstairs so she can finish the journey. "How about you? Did you see Yiska, is he doing better?" he asks quickly afterwards.

Gabby leads you back to your room, nodding, "Yeah, he just has a headache. That's the good thing about us, we usually heal fast." She opens your door and looks around, "Have they moved the new kid in here with you, yet? The Gaian?"

Tony shakes his head. "No, not yet," he says, moving into his room and twirling a chair around for you to sit in. The place looks pretty much the same as when he first moved in, except for his books now placed on the desk and several sheets of paper with various notes scattered about. "So, what's up?"

She flops one of the beds, sitting up in it, and moving around the pillows for some support. "Checking in with you, seeing how lessons are going. Seeing if you are okay after last night, and this afternoon." She grins wildly, "Among other things."

Tony can't help but grin back, though he isn't entirely sure what's got you in such a good mood. He wouldn't call last night's events something to smile about. "Oh, I'm fine," he assures you as he sits on the other bed. "I just felt bad about Yiska, and... I was pretty pissed over how they talked to Bits. She's younger than I am, and they treated her like she was trash. But I was real glad to see them repremanded," he adds with a smile.

Gabby shrugs, "I told you. They are total asswipes." She chuckles. "Anyway, I was going to ask you about Bits. What do you think about her?"

Leaning back comfortably on his palms, he gives a shrug of his own. "I think she's cool. I like her." He gives you a curious smile. "Why? Is she in trouble?"
Gabby shakes her head. "No. I just wondered. I'm curious." She grins again. "It's a Uktena thing, you know. Curious like cats, we are. You know, but better looking." She makes herself laugh a bit. "I had planned on asking Crystal to send you on your Rite of Passage alone, but now I'm suspecting the Wendigo want you guys to pack up for some reason." She shrugs. She smiles a little, "You know, she's got a fetish. I'm terribly curious where she got it."

Tony laughs at that as well. "Much better looking, yes. Smarter and more sociable, too." He looks surprised at the talk of his Rite of Passage. Isn't that like a year off or more? "The Wendigo want us to pack up? Really? Huh... I hadn't considered being in a pack, to tell the truth." One thoughtful look is replaced by another as he grins at you. "I've got a Fetish, too. I love plushies. But don't tell anyone, okay?"

Gabby rolls her eyes. "Not that kind of fetish. And that's just disturbing, anyway." She smirks. "Didn't I tell you about fetishes and talens yet?

Tony laughs again, then shakes his head. "Nope, not yet. But now you have to, or you can't leave," he informs you mock authority.

Your cousin ohs and shakes her head, "Sorry about that. Anyway, a fetish or a talen are an item that have a spirit bound inside to them. A Garou can activate the item and use some of the spirit's power to assist us in some way. Like the little stone Whisper carries to detect auspices. That's a fetish. The difference between the two is that a fetish is permanent, or at least until one releases the spirit, but a talen is one-use and then the spirit is free to go."

"I see. Interesting. What Fetish does Bits have? Is it that bracelet thing she always wears?" he asks, leaning forward now and trying to recall any time he may have seen her use it or make note of it. "Do you have any fetish or talens?" he asks as well.

Gabby nods at your first question. "It is. But I have no idea what it does. Only that it's magical. I mean, technically, I could take it from her, as I'm higher in rank, but I think that's kind of rude. And probably would end up with my ass being kicked by Night-Spirit." Then she shakes her head, "I don't have any fetishes right now, though sometimes I make talens when we're getting ready to go take something nasty on. I'm afraid I don't know the fetish-binding Rite yet. I'd love to learn it, though, but probably won't happen until I'm fostern. Which again, hopefully will happen soon. I'm itching to challenge."

Tony decides that he will ask Bits about her Fetish the next time he sees her. "I'll ask her about it." Standing with a stretch of his back, your cousin paces back and forth a few times. "Who would you challenge? -- Oh, hey! Is my mother's ring a Fetish?" he asks suddenly, grabbing it from around his neck.

Gabby rubs her nose and nods. "That's one of the reasons I brought it up. If you'd like, I can talk to the spirit inside and see what it does?"

Tony takes the chain over his head, piling it into his palm and passing it over to you with only a moment's hesitation. If he doesn't trust Gabby, who can he trust? "Sure. Go ahead," he says eagerly now, sitting beside you to watch closely.

She takes the ring reverently. She's very careful with it. "One of our gifts, our tribal gifts, that is, we can sense magic around us. Talking with spirits is something most Theurges learn. You probably won't hear anything. But, if we were in the Umbra, you might." She concentrates on the ring, and is quiet for a long moment. Then she smiles. "Speaking of cats... there's a cat spirit in there. She says that she can help you see in the darkest night. Also, she says she is very, very bored, and hopes you will use her once in a while." This makes Gabby chuckle.

Tony looks between your face and the ring in several quick twitches, trying to see or hear or feel anything out of place. Perhaps a sense of a third party being in the room, now, a slight tickle he can't quite place. But whatever it is, he wasn't expecting you to call it a cat. And certainly not to have it express boredom. He laughs as well, head tilted. "So... how do I ask her to do her thing?"

Gabby carefully hands the item back to you. "First, you have to attune it to yourself. Which is usually not too hard. Hold it carefully, concentrate on it, and ask the spirit inside to help you. You don't have to say it aloud, you can talk to yourself."

Tony slides the chain out from the ring, then tries it on a few fingers until he finds one that fits. "Okay... Let's see." He flexes his fingers, then takes a deep breath. Eyes closed, the young cub starts to think at the ring, probing with questioning thoughts in the same way he tries to picture the other forms.

You feel a pleasant tingling, and with a little effort of will, you feel a connection grow between you and the ring, stronger even that the connection you felt towards it before. Now it pulses with a little bit of life. "How does it feel, Tony?" Gabby asks, leaning forward.

Tony smiles to himself, rubbing the jeweled surface. "It feels... weird. Like there's an electric connection or something, in my head. Really freaky." He leans closer to his hand. "Hello? Hello, cat spirit?"

Gabby smiles broadly, "Good, good, that's right. But you don't have to talk out loud to it. It probably won't talk back, since you don't speak spirit. You just have to /want/ it to work, and it will."

Tony gives a small humm. "Right." Squinting, he focuses on the want, the request to have the ring work for him. An unworded request for help. And quite suddenly, the world around him lights up. Wherep reviously there were shadows everywhere, now there are simply darker shades of grey. "Oh, sweet!" he exclaims, his eyes wide and a stunned smile on his face. "Look! Everything is so bright!"

Gabby laughs, "Great! I have no idea what you're talking about, but great!"

Tony realizes you obviously aren't seeing what he is. So he explains, "It looks like someone turned on all the lights. But..." He frowns slightly now, looking at his hands and the covers of his books. "No colour. It's all greys." Some of the writing on those books covers, being about the same alpha shade, are completely blank to him now.

Gabby hmms and nods. "That's very interesting. Would be very useful during the day in the Umbra, or under a new moon. I wonder if it works through Shroud."

"During the /day/ in Umbra? And what's Shroud, some kind of... magic shadow thing?" That's what it sounds like, anyway. He's pretty sure he played an RPG once where Shroud was the name of the 'Blind' spell. He doesn't share this info with Gabby, though.

Gabby grins, tilting her head, "Yeah. It's like turning all the lights off in a room or two. Making it totally dark. It's one of our gifts, and... well, anyway, yeah, Helios... the sun... doesn't shine in the Umbra. The only light there is cast by Luna, the moon. That's why we only go there at night. It's dangerous during the day."

Tony ahs. "Well, that's cool. So, night in Umbra is day in... uh, the here. Anyway, I get it." He looks outside, bemused by the way the terrain seems to be lit from everywhere and nowhere, like some badly rendered CGI lighting. "Man, I could really be a hell of a thief with this."

Your cousing tsks softly, "That might anger the spirit. I mean, she allowed herself to be bound to help Gaia, not be used for nefarious purposes. Besides," she chuckles, "New moons are the thieves. Let them do the dark sneaking. They're the best at it." Gabby leans forward, and places a hand on your shoulder, her voice quieting, "Do you remember the part of the Litany that says 'The First Share of the Kill for the Greatest in Station?'"

Tony snickers. "I wouldn't be a thief. I don't like stealing stuff. I'm just saying, it's awesome to see like this. Very useful." He glances down at your hand, then nods slowly. "Yes, I remember it. Why?"

Gabby leans back, "Some Garou will use that as an excuse to take fetishes from those of lower rank. I mean, a wise alpha will distribute fetishes to those who can use them best, but there are folks out there, well, who will hoard." She thinks for a minute, "Not anyone at this sept, I don't think. Except maybe the Get. But, you know, since you're just a cub, I think it's probably best if you keep it a secret that you have it, you know? By Gaia, I'd hate to see your family heirloom taken away by someone who is greedy."

Tony immediately decides to resume his practice of keeping the ring hidden about his neck and under his shirt. The idea of someone pulling rank to steal his stuff... especially his only true posession, would probably end in a fight he'd lose. "Understood," he says seriously, sliding the ring from his finger and watching the world darken once more, natural lighting returning.

This action makes Gabby wrap her arms around you in a hug. "Besides, we're Uktena. Secrets are what we're all about." She laughs.

The hug is returned warmly. "Secrets. I like secrets. I could deal with learning more, I think. So, what are these tribal gifts you mentioned? We can sense magic?"

Gabby grins as she leans back. "Yes, sensing magic, speaking with spirits and Shroud. Those are the gifts that Uktena can learn, when we are cliaths." She frowns, thoughtfully, "There are others, but they are really rare, and honestly, I don't know them. Before your Rite of Passage, you'll be taught three gifts. One homid gift, one half-moon gift and one Uktena gift." She bites her lip, "I guess I should say what gifts are, first. They are, well, I guess you could call them magical powers, that we are taught by spirits in the service of Gaia to help us against the Wyrm. They're different from Rites, because Rites are rituals that are, let's say, part of our culture, do you know what I mean? They're mystical, but they are also ritualistic. Does that make sense?"

Tony nods a few times, rubbing his chin. "I get to learn some gifts before my Rite? Well, that's pretty cool. Who teaches them? Can you?" he asks with a grin, standing before you with his arms folded. "And yeah, it makes sense. Kind of the difference between a certificate and a diploma," he says, snickering.

Gabby shakes her head, "No, gifts are taught by spirits," she says, "But I'll summon the spirits for you, and ask very nicely." She grins.