Glissa's Living Room(#271RAJ$)
Bay windows facing east light this cozy yet airy room. Its walls are papered with restrained (and thus fairly inoffensive) Victorian fleur-de-lis in pale gold on off-white. Several small, unfinished Scandinavian tables, some doubling as low stools with cushions on them, are filled with videotapes or oversized books. North there is a door into the kitchen, tall bookshelves, and an inset curio cabinet; the west wall is dominated by a large fireplace (+view for a closer look), and southwards a wide doorway opens into a study. Set low under one window and slightly to one side there is a TV, VCR, and stereo with CDs scattered about, but the TV is covered right now with a muted green scarf atop which perches a cunningly-made dragon made of shiny, scaled fabric. A black futon-sofa sits facing the windows, its frame again made of pale, smooth, unfinished Scandinavian wood. The pictures on the wall reflect the eclectic nature of the house: a photograph of two women (one Glissa) sitting on the roots of a beech, another of a volcano's summit spewing bright fountains of fire, a somber brown picture of a crane on a cypres tree silhouetted against the setting sun, a Star Trek poster, and a tiny picture of a Minoan snake-goddess. The room is lit by a large crystal chandelier.
A stout door beside the fireplace leads out to the front hallway.
Contents:
Ophelia(#3263Ip)
Juliet
Obvious exits:
Front Hallway
@tel #22
Rocky Beach(#22RJ)
A small, narrow beach of sand and sun-warmed rock stretches out along the eastern shore of Lake Arthur, marking a break in the dark forests that border the clear water. The lake's smooth surface spreads outward from the waterline like a sheet of black glass, reflecting the pale light of the moon. Trees line the edge of the water, their dim silhouettes marking the edge of the woods to the north and south.
Just to the east, the stony ground slopes gently upward to a large meadow; north and south of the beach, thick forest shrouds the lakeshore in a veil of leaves and wood. The water of the lake spreads out westward, the wooded far shore visible in the blurred distance. The island rises from the lake almost due west of here, a rocky oasis resting on the glassy surface.
Contents:
Rush
Obvious exits:
Into the Water Meadow
Glissa appears as a shadowy figure crossing the meadow, walking rather slowly with a large bundle on her back. She is singing, and leans on a walking stick.
l rush
It's a wolf. Well, kinda. Well, okay, maybe not wholly. Actually it looks more like a fox. When you first gaze at this wolf, it's a bit - difficult to make out that it is just that, a wolf. It's below average height, only standing about 2.5 feet at the shoulder or so. While it's build is slight, underneath the fur, muscles ripple, showing more lasting power and speed, rather than brute force. A black leather, spiked collar is worn around its neck. A small charm of some sort is set in it, and a single gold ring hangs from its left ear.
He (and at closer look it -is- a 'he') is colored rather oddly for a wolf. White fur covers most of him, save for a few locations. His feet, ears and tail, which are all jet black, hence his slightly vulpine appearance. Set within his face have to be two of the most beautiful amber eyes you've seen, glinting slightly in the light.
All in all, he doesn't -seem- too belligerant. But, he moves with an unspeakable grace, an only a wild animal can do. And a flash of fang quickly reminds you, despite the collar, that he -is- wild.
Rush is idly pacing, nose amongst the rocks, apparently trailing - something. His tail is held semi-aloft behind him.
Glissa doesn't catch a glimpse of the wolf at first, although she scans the area carefully. A peeping sound at her back causes the woman to smile, drop stiffly to the ground, and carefully ease out of her pack. She hoists from it a well-wrapped wriggling toddler, who makes a pleased squeal and grabs at her hair. "Here we are, munchkin."
Rush lifts his head at the sounds, ears aloft. A single forpaw raises slightly, as he peers across the landscape to see, or more appropriately, smell, what he heard.
Glissa leaves the pack in the grass and shepherds the wobbly youngster through it until she reaches the gravel. "One...two...three...whee!" She lifts the girl up in the air, over a larger rock tossed up on the beach during some storm. "There we go." She glances up towards the water, and suddenly stops, pulling the girl close to her breast. "Oh. My. Good evening," she says softly towards the shadow.
Rush hardly moves, only inclining his head slightly, catching the scent on the breeze. After a moment's pause, and a very curious look on the 'wolf's' face, the flick of a tail indicates his mood. But no more.
Glissa betrays no fear, only respect, carefully lowering her eyes and covering her teeth in a gesture which, for a wolf, would be submissive. She coaxes Julie's head down, watching her child with more wariness than the wild animal. "Are you a good wolf, or a bad wolf," she murmurs softly, as if it were a private joke. "I don't think we've met before."
Rush tilts his head slightly, puzzled, but makes no further motion, towards, or away, from you, or your child. Instead, he sits back on his haunches, wathcing instead what -you- do.
Glissa smiles with covered teeth. "Well. A good evening to you, at any rate. If we intrude, say so. I was hoping to catch some of you tonight...you're _her_ people, after all." The woman ruffles Julie's scant puff of black hair. The girl, restrained by her mother's other arm, waves a tiny fist at a bug moving across a pebble, not having caught sight of the animal yet.
Rush shakes his whole body, and turns his nose towards the rather strong wind, peering into it, for a moment. Afterwards, his gaze returns to you. But, clearly enough, there's no malice, nor any kind of belligerance.
Rush pages: If I remember correctly, he saw you once, in DWR.
Glissa stays exactly where she is, with the confidence of one used to wolfish behavior. Julie grows a bit restless, and squirms petulantly when Glissa keeps her from straying.
You paged Rush with 'You did indeed. :)'.
As he watches, seemingly amused, his left ear decides to flop over. Settling down onto the ground, stretching out his forepaws before him, a yawn escapes him, but his eyes never move.
Rush pages: This scene rings powerfully familiar, don't you think?...
Glissa loosens her hold on the eleven-month-old, who's beginning to build herself up to a squall of indignance. Happily, the toddler lurches forward towards a stick. She falls over, immediately, and continues to grope for it. Glissa eases herself into a more comfortable position, watching with the air of a mother wolf.
You paged Rush with 'It's a tradition. Glissa comes here often to watch wolves. :)'.
Rush pages: And them to watch her, as well. ;)
Rush tilts his head slightly, watching the child, with rapt amusement, and quiet attention. His nose extends a bit towards her, sniffing, tail thumping the ground behind him, ears raising.
Julie finally notices the big doggie. With a squeal of glee, she bumbles to her feet, fails, and begins crawling towards him, her tiny Osh Kosh's skittering small pebbles. Glissa gives an alarmed noise and reaches for her. "Julie. Not Daddy. No."
Rush lifts his head, tensing slightly, as the child approaches. The air of curiousity about him does not change, but he doesn't seem to keen on the idea of a human child meeting up with him... Pausing a moment, as you speak, his gaze flicks over to you, ears aloft, studying for a moment, before they travel back to the wandering child.
Julie lets out with a loud angry cry as Glissa scoops her up. The woman turns her rapidly against her breast, muffling the yell, and backs up clumsily and trying not to move too quicky. "Dammit. Shhh, Julie. Shhh." She jiggles the girl up and down, watching the wolf worriedly with downcast eyes.
Rush bows his head, both ears lowering to either side, tail drooping, looking almost chided.
Alex has arrived.
Rush is laying several paces from Glissa, on the beach itself, looking over at the woman, and her child. Right now, he's kind of hunched, ears to either side, looking a bit chided, not really noticing Alex's entrance, just yet.
Glissa relaxes, as she sees the wolf doesn't look too upset by the baby's crying, but she continues to back up, still trying to soothe Julie's irritated squeaks and growls.
Alex comes wandering down the meadow quietly, his steps careful and almost just a bit unsure.
If anything, the wolf is only upset at the -volume- of the child's crying, not the fact that it is crying itself...
Glissa finally sits down at the edge of a clump of grass, cradling the youngster against her knee. "Upsa-daisy. There you go. Shhhh, okay? Not daddy. Shhhh."
Alex stumbles slightly on an unseen rock as he nears the beach. He recovers quickly and frowns to himself as he continues on.
Rush lifts his head suddenly, his eyes, and ears, pointed towards the sound of the stumble, the scuff of rock.
Glissa blinks as she catches sight of someone else behind her, scanning the meadow for her discarded pack. "Go slowly," she says in a low voice, squinting. "Wild animal."
Alex slows, widening his eyes and sniffing the air out of habit, which does him little good in this form. "Glissa?"
Rush watches the newcomer, with an intense wariness, and curiousity at the same time, unmoving from his simple position on the ground. Lifting his nose slightly, he tries to catch the man's scent.
Alex draws closer and squints at the wolf, trying to see better in the dark. "Nope, not that I know of. Then again I might even miss Cloud like this. I feel like I'm blind and deaf."
Glissa asks in a low voice, stroking Julie's cheek, "Cloud?"
Alex smiles and settles to the ground beside Glissa. "I think you met her last time I was out here."
Rush tilts his head slightly, watching the two of you, and settling into his position, as well, as if listening to the conversation. Far be it from him, however, to add to it...
Glissa's brows raise. "Oh!" She blushes, though it's barely visible in the moonlight. "I remember." There's an embarrassed curiosity in her tone, but she doesn't voice the question.
Alex grins, sensing the possible question. "Yes, the rest were ours."
Glissa shakes her head wonderingly. "I...I'm still getting used to this." She kisses Julie's forehead self-consciously. "I hope I'll be ready, if Michael ever disappears off into the woods and comes back with five little furballs. We're moving out here now, you know, to be closer to the rest of you."
Alex smiles warmly. "That's great, it will be good to see you more often. As for the other, I don't think you have to worry about that with Tep."
Glissa blushes. "Well. I wouldn't stop him. He's _my_ Michael, but that hardly means he can't be someone...er...somewolf's...too."
Rush turns his head to one side suddenly, as he catches sight, or sound of something... for the rest of you, it sounds like a cricket. For Rush, it's a plaything, and off he bounds, after it...
Alex nods. "True. In my case it wasn't my idea, initially, but now I really like it. Cloud's wonderful."
Alex grins as the wolf takes off.
Glissa looks after the strange wolf and smiles. "He's a cute one." She coughs. "No disrespect meant, of course."
Alex nods. "That he is." He smiles and then leans in closer to Glissa, for a better look at Julie. "wow, she's getting bigger."
The cricket stops, and so does Rush. A click of it singing, and off he goes again. A snort follows, as the thing bounces off his noseand he tries to snap at it. Then tries to use a paw. Both of which are rather unsuccessful.
Glissa smiles up at Alex. "Indeed so. She's starting to talk and walk, too. She already knows 'Garou'. Right, Julie?"
The girl says a googly word that might well be "Groob".
Rush stops, right there, in mid leap, looking over towards the three humans, ears aloft.
Alex chuckles. "That's wonderful. Sometime we should get our kids together for a while. I think they'd all enjoy it."
Glissa smiles ruefully. "I don't know. Julie's just a baby...she might grab a little ear and get bit for her trouble...wouldn't you, Bluefur? Oh yes you would." She grabs one of the baby's small ears lightly and wiggles it, making the girl squirm and push at her hand, giggling.
From afar, to Glissa and Alex, Rush sighs and has to get going. :(
Alex smiles. "I think she'd be safe, but I understand."
Glissa adds thoughtfully, "And your wolf-lady might not take too kindly to my little one. She's a careful creature."
Rush has disconnected.
Alex nods. "Cloud is wary of humans, mostly because she spent time as a pet once, unfortunately. She's remarkably tolerant for Red Talon Kinfolk though."
Glissa blinks at the term. "That's... another tribe, yes?"
Alex nods. "Yes, one made up solely of wolves, their views on things are often rather extreme."
Alex nods slowly. "I know that there are a few like that, and I really wish that it was possible to let them know."
Glissa sighs. "I guess...you're right, you really can't."
Alex shakes his head. "Not easily. I suppose it would be possible, with certain gifts, to create and manipulate dreams so that the person in question lived as an animal first hand in their dreams, but I don't know of any other way."
Glissa laughs at that. "No, I mean...Michael has explained to me, how you can never let most of the human world know what they're missing. It would be too dangerous to give them that knowledge."
Alex grins. "Then there's that. I think it's hard enough for us sometimes, and we're both, and neither. I know I no longer have the balance that I once did."
Glissa tilts her head, a little sad. "I haven't seen you in a long time," she says simply. "Not that I can blame you. The city grows more evil each passing week. I am glad to get this one away from it." She kisses the quiet child softly.
Alex nods sadly. "That is why Josette took the twins and moved out. We felt it would be safer. I stayed behind to continue my work here, with my pack, but once Deepsprings died I was never the same."
Glissa looks up, a bit pleading. "I have to admit, my feelings are torn. I keep feeling somehow that your people should be able to _stop_ it, as if it were your duty, when it's humans' fault this is happening. But then I fear every time Michael goes off for work. And I know in my heart you're doing all you can."
Alex says "We try, and even then it sometimes isn't enough. Recently though things have been looking better. We've recliamed a caern from the Dancers, and this year's Hunt was a success - the first since I have been here."
Glissa shakes her head. "I don't even know what half of that means," she says ruefully. "I guess I'm still living in blissful ignorance. But it's the children dying, the murders, the gangs, the drugs..._that's_ what I see, in my own little world."
Alex sighs and nods. "That is what I used to fight the most. It has been a long time since I've done that."