By the Waterfall
Contents:
Arlen
In the windiest area, Stormcloud comes down the valley from the northeast.
Actually, it was just clumsiness, but she'll take weirdness, too, especially given the slow burn Arlen's doing as she climbs out of the pool. "Fuckin' marvelous," she mutters, jeans making that annoying noise jeans make when they're wet.
At the center, Steven can't really help himself too much. He starts to snicker at the doused Fury. "I thought you did that on purpose," he says, still smiling.
Sepdet looks disheveled and despondent as she sloughs out of the mist by the runoff pool, nearly running into the soaked Fury.
Arlen glares at the Fianna, managing to skip out of Sepdet's way and continue glaring. "No," she says, grumpily, "It was entirely not on purpose." Stripping out of her jeans, t-shirt, and jacket, she lays them on a few rocks and shifts down to lupus.
From afar, Lightseeker drips on you.
Sepdet eyes Arlen tiredly, attempts something that might be a smile, and begins trooping aimlessly around the caern, fussing with nothing in particular. Stones picked up, dusted, put back. Bits of nearly invisible fur pocketed or swept away. Fallen sticks from the forest above set in straight lines. She gives Stormcloud a perfunctory wave, Steven a nod.
center
You head into the center and heart of the caern.
Center of the Caern
Contents:
Steven
Obvious exits:
Rock Slab Windy Spot WaterFall Steam Vents
Steven tilts his head, still chuckling softly at the Fury, although he stops when she starts to disrobe. That catches the Fianna by surprise somewhat. "Er," he says then, moving back a pace from the clearly not-in-the-mood Fury.
By the waterfall, If a wolf can smirk, Arlen smirks at Steven, before picking up her jeans and jacket in her teeth and moving them over closer to the steam vents. This done, she asks Sepdet, ~Consumer hasn't moved from its entrenchment?~
By the waterfall, Lightseeker heads west, fading somewhat into the steam.
By the steam vents, Lightseeker comes through the steam from the east.
In the windiest area, Stormcloud, having just entered the Caern, gives Sepdet a curious look as she passes.
Steven, if he notices Sepdet's nod, doesn't respond to it. He watches the wolf shuffle her things around the Caern instead. "What about the Consumer?" he asks. He nods to Stormcloud.
Long distance to Steven: Sepdet will assume it's still horribly wyrmy-smelling there, and looks like something's buried in the area, until told otherwise. ;)
Steven pages: OK.
By the steam vents, Lightseeker pokes the jacket right next to one of the vents. ~Apparently,~ the Fury tells Steven, surprisingly up on events, ~A goodly portion of the Consumer has burrowed under the Bawn and is lying dormant there. For how long, we do not know.~
In the windiest area, Stormcloud settles back onto his haunches to listen in.
Sepdet shakes her head grimly. ~It's still there, no change that I can tell. Ritemistress, gone. Warder, busy. Gatekeeper, missing.~
By the steam vents, This catches Arlen's attention. ~What?~ she asks, moving into the center reflexively. ~Have you no trace of him?~
By the steam vents, Lightseeker heads into the center.
Lightseeker has arrived.
Steven blinks at that news too. "What the hell?" he exclaims.
Sepdet crosses her arms. ~Not a trace, not a whisper. Kshema doesn't know where he is. And I was doing a g'dachting vision-vigil in the umbra for the last several days, and don't know when precisely he vanished. Nor where.~
Lightseeker rumbles, ~Have you tried Sense of the Prey?~
Steven snorts. "This is great fucking news."
In the windiest area, Stormcloud looks back and forth between the others casually.
Sepdet chews her lip. ~I don't have it. Questing Stone fails. Kshema should work as well as Scent of Prey, I'd think; Wind always stays with us unless we're far apart. Except when the umbra's played a strange trick.~ She continues more firmly, ~It's not time to panic yet. We patrol the umbra so much, sometimes it catches us for a few hours or even several days--the time gets off from the Realm, once in a while. But we need him back. Do you know anyone with Prey-sense? I do not.~
Lightseeker looks, briefly, forlorn. ~Ragedancer had it.~ Perking up slightly, she adds, ~And so does Wears the Woad. And, I think, Ever-Grinning. Not sure on that one.~
"What if he, um, died?" Steven says it, hanging back.
Lightseeker peers at Steven. ~Don't think we should assume that yet,~ she says. ~Umbra makes for weird time problems.~
Sepdet's hands tighten into fists. ~He's not dead,~ she says flatly. ~In trouble... yes.~
Steven shakes his head at Sepdet. "What the hell do you know? You're just some fucking mule. I bet you can't even say that for sure -- whether or not he's alive. I just think that if he's gone, then someone else should pick up the slack. Maybe permanently."
In the windiest area, Stormcloud shifts his weight a little from one foreleg to another as Steven speaks this last time.
Lightseeker's attention sharpens slightly on Steven.
Sepdet locks eyes with Steven. ~Who died and made you Warder?~ The words are so quiet it's hard to tell there's any anger in them.
Lightseeker settles down to watch this in fascination. Polite, no, but when'd that ever stop her?
Steven strides toward the smaller Garou. "If you want to make an issue out of it, mule, I'm ready to fight you. Right now. Right here. I just think that if you and your mule loving buddies are going to run out on us while there's a goddamn *uber*bane camping underneath our Gaia-loving caern, that maybe, just maybe someone should pull their head *out* of their ass and find a new Gatekeeper. Is that so fucking irrational?" He lifts his hand toward Sepdet, beckoning her out. "Come on. You want to party? Let's party." He gets a wild, feral gleam in his eye.
Lightseeker observes mildly, ~I do not love mules. I merely deal with competant people,~ as if Steven were talking to her and not ranting at someone else. ~Think carving up Guardians is counterproductive, personally.~
Sepdet glares up at Steven. ~And remove two more fighters from the caern's defense?~
In the windiest area, Stormcloud takes this moment to stand up and stride forward towards the center, his expression carefully kept neutral.
In the windiest area, Stormcloud heads into the center.
Stormcloud has arrived.
"Fuck you," the Fianna spits out angrily. "I called you out, and if you're not going to Challenge me or fight me, then shut the *fuck* up. Got it?"
Lightseeker says, icily, ~What, precisely, are you Challenging her over?~
Stormcloud settles into a spot opposite Lightseeker, keeping the Strider and Steven on either side of him, and resettles himself without a word.
Sepdet murmurs in the same flat quiet whisper, ~Because he's in the mood to pick on something smaller than he is, rather than actually offer any help to the caern. Yes?~
Sepdet contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
You shift into Lupus form.
Hope-Star dwindles to the size of a dog. Okay. Come on. I'm ready.
Steven watches this display and shakes his head in disgust. "Fucking crazy mule," he says with utter contempt. "You don't have the honor that Gaia gave ... I don't know... Kathryn." He turns his back toward the Strider, crossing his arms, and stalking down the valley.
Lightseeker says, ~Sometimes, Heart of Fury, I sincerely wish I could listen to you give sensible, rational ideas. At other times, I realize that is not possible.~
Hope-Star gives a sharp bark. Fight me, great warrior of Gaia. Or shut up.
Stormcloud straightens up a little, turning his head to watch Steven stalk, saying nothing just yet.
Steven pages: Do you *really* want me to do that?
Long distance to Steven: Hope-Star sighs. No. But my character kinda takes control. :P
You paged Steven with 'Sepdet is as tired of being kicked as Steven is tired of mule-lovers. ;)'.
Steven turns around, nodding, frankly, looking a little out of control. "Fine," he says, pointing out the Rock Outcropping. "Fine," he says again, more loudly, as he walks toward it. "Let's fight," he says simply enough, taking the warform.
Steven heads northwest, towards the rocky slab.
Steven has left.
From the rock outcropping, Steven comes towards the slab from the caern center.
Lightseeker rumbles, ~Still curious why, personally. Silly boy.~ Apparently, this settles her own involvement, as she trots over to the steam vents, ignoring the Fianna completely, shifting upwards to put her clothes on. Eventually. Once she enjoys the steam some.
Hope-Star does not. She paces after, ears and body erect and steps far more careful than usual, still staring at him with a look gone calculating as well as cold.
rock
You head northwest, towards the rocky slab.
At the Rock Outcropping
Contents:
Heart-of-Fury
Obvious exits:
Windy Spot Center Steam Vents Up the Trail
At the center, Arlen heads southwest, into the hot steam.
By the steam vents, Arlen comes into the steam from the caern center.
l heart
A sharp blue eye blazing with an inferno of Rage sears out towards whatever target it gazes on. Razor sharp talons backed by a mass of rippling muscles flex and unflex warily, barely restrained and ready to fly into a deadly storm at a moment's notice. A maw full of teeth are slightly agape and a low deep snarl can plainly be heard with each rise and fall of the creature's chest. Patches of oddly lighter fur criss-cross the form's torso. There is a scar running from the top of the left eye to the nose, a white filmy orb set in the left socket, in prominent contrast to the mass of brown fur. Tonight, four snaking streaks of woad crisscross the left half of the creature's lupine face. In addition to the scar, the third and fifth digits on the left claw are gone, neatly severed at the joint. When speaking, this creature's voice is animalistic but still resonate and powerful.
Hope-Star hops up onto the rock and begins to circle him like a smallish dog sizing up a potentially threatening new piece of furniture.
At the center, Stormcloud follows the other two, perhaps to bear witness, perhaps not. He doesn't give any indication.
At the center, Stormcloud heads northwest, towards the rocky slab.
Stormcloud comes towards the slab from the caern center.
Stormcloud has arrived.
From afar, to Heart-of-Fury, Arlen, and Hope-Star, Stormcloud is, btw, NOT on the rock. Just nearby.
Heart-of-Fury, full of hubris, drops into a laconic stance, and just watches the Strider warily. ~Anytime, mule.~
By the steam vents, Arlen retrieves her pack from the waterfall and pulls several apples out, as well as a book which she starts calmly reading, mostly naked as she is.
Hope-Star halts in mid-circle, planting hindlegs, and bursts forward, diving and aiming between his legs.
Heart-of-Fury snarls as the Strider charges and aims a good heavy stomp -- just like he was going to crush a bug -- as she speeds by him.
Using the momentum she's built up, Sepdet leaps up and snaps at the air, jaws wide and aiming directly for the thickest part of the Fianna's tail.
Heart-of-Fury's foot grazes the Strider as she zips by, her aim being slightly affected by the Fianna's tactic. Nevertheless, she manages to clamp on to near the end of the Galliard tail. With a mighty bellow, the Fianna tries to turn and shake the theurge off, aiming a swat for her exposed side in the process.
By the steam vents, Arlen keeps reading. Hey, it's warm near this vent.
Hope-Star twists and tugs and pulls, her mad coyote-dance clumsier than it used to be. The flurry of movement saves her from being hockey pucked across the caern, but a second and more serious gash lays her flank open as she shifts up to put more weight on his tail. She continues to swing around behind him, shaking her head like a terrier with a rat.
+shift hispo
Hope-Star contorts and blurs as she is transformed.
You shift into Hispo form.
By the steam vents, Arlen glances over, grins faintly, murmurs, "Expect the unexpected," and leans against a rock.
Heart-of-Fury snarls again, angrily, twisting his body, trying to get in a kick or a punch. Anything to get the insane theurge off his shredded and bleeding tail. He howls in pain as her teeth grind on him.
Hope-Star seizes her moment--the moment she starts to lose footing from the force of his lunging, she simply lets go. Anchor suddenly removed, Steven falls forward. Sepdet uses a precious second to brace and shove off the ground, paws slamming into his back as she uses the tipped Galliard's back as a hill, jaws aiming this time for his muscular neck.
Heart-of-Fury tries to move, or roll, but it's too little too late. Hope-Star's already managed to close her jaws over his windpipe. The Galliard goes still. She wins.
By the steam vents, Arlen, not paying any attention, takes off her underpants and gets slightly closer to the vent.
Stormcloud licks his chops, about the only thing he's done since the start.
Hope-Star releases the moment she feels him go still. Panting, she scrabbles off his back and hops to the ground, holding herself as erectly as she can with tail raised and ears forward. She makes no comment at all.
Long distance to Heart-of-Fury: Hope-Star burns a WP or 2 not to stumble getting off, and to try and look composed. She's hurting, yep. :)
Heart-of-Fury, moves to sit up, a bit, his head and lupine muzzle bowed. ~Submission,~ he concedes. His tail -- what's left of it, droops under.
Hope-Star holds her posture for a bit longer, formalizing the moment, but not rubbing it in particularly. Then she backs away and relaxes.
By the waterfall, Louisa comes down the trail from the rim above.
By the steam vents, Collin comes into the caern from the southwest.
By the steam vents, Collin heads back around the Wheel towards the waterfall to the east.
By the waterfall, Collin comes out from the warm steam to the west.
You paged Collin and Louisa with 'Steven is in Crinos, laid out on his nose on the rock, tail a bloody mess, showing throat, as you came down. Sepdet looks like she's been through a meat grinder on one side, looking almost composed. Almost.'.
Heart-of-Fury contorts and blurs as he is transformed.
Heart-of-Fury shifts into Lupus form.
Stormcloud is sitting near the rock outcropping, watching the end of combat without much of an expression.
By the steam vents, Arlen rolls over, langorously.
Heart-of-Fury shifts into lupus form, his shredded and bleeding tail still dangling limply. Head still bowed, he makes his way out of the Caern.
By the waterfall, Louisa walks down into the caern, her attention settling first on the naked Arlen near the steam vent. Nearly as quickly she averts her gaze with a small frown and catches sight of the combat and those involved. Her breath catches in her throat -- not that anyone would notice -- and she stumbles to a run toward the rocks.
By the waterfall, Louisa heads into the center.
Stormcloud stands and gives himself a shake, looking after the Fianna. This one would like words with you soon, Heart-of-Fury-rhya.
By the steam vents, Arlen finally decides to put her t-shirt back on, and then takes out a knife and cuts off her jeans pants, making a nice pair of funny that, cut offs, and puts them on as well.
At the center, Louisa heads northwest, towards the rocky slab.
Louisa comes towards the slab from the caern center.
Louisa has arrived.
Hope-Star sinks down to the rock only after Heart-of-Fury's back is turned, and begins to lick at the heavily-bleeding raked gash across her ribcage.
Heart-of-Fury may have heard the Talon, he may not have. There's certainly no indication from the Galliard. He continues to exit at his own dejected pace.
Heart-of-Fury heads along the rough trail up along the wall.
Heart-of-Fury has left.
Heart-of-Fury makes his way down the trail from the northern wall of the valley.
Heart-of-Fury has arrived.
Heart-of-Fury heads along the rough trail up along the wall.
Heart-of-Fury has left.
Louisa stops a respectful distance away, wringing her hands. She watches Heart-of-Fury leave then turns back toward Hope-Star, rushing over to drop down beside her. She asks simply, "Let me?"
Hope-Star swivels an ear towards the cub in confusion for a second, then a strange sort of apology. Sky's Laughter would not.
Louisa tries to parse that. Meaning.. she shouldn't? She squares her shoulders then shrugs out of Alex's jacket and whispers, "But I would." Not without the Strider's permission, she wouldn't.
By the waterfall, Collin strolls down into the Caern, then blinks quietly at the sight over at the Outcropping. He peers over, then starts over fairly quickly. "Sepdet? Hey? What happened?"
Hope-Star winces as she tries to express the thought. He said: Didn't they choose to be hurt? Do we use Gaia to help them do it?
Hope-Star lays on her less-gouged side then, baring the wound for inspection. But yes. You have my permission if you wish to.
Louisa shakes her head, "You didn't choose this. Did you?"
By the waterfall, Collin heads into the center.
By the steam vents, Arlen puts her book back in her backpack, and, irrational people gone, rejoins the conversation. "Steven was Steven," she tells Collin, wandering towards him.
By the steam vents, Arlen heads into the center.
Hope-Star looks after the small trail of blood left by the departed Fianna, eyes hardening. Yes, I did.
