16/02/2006
Big Red Barn(#3420RA)
The barn is built in the old style, a vast three level structure that is greater in height than a mere three stories, actually closer to five. Great wooden posts support the weight of the upper levels and roof, sunk into the hard-packed dirt floor of the first level like a sparse forest of regularly spaced, naked trees. The stalls and flagstones which once were here have been torn out to leave a rather open area where even crinos Garou may roam freely without fear of running into anything but the supports or the walls or the ladder at the back which allows access to the other two levels.
The first two levels are relatively open to each other, the second being only little wider than a catwalk going around all the walls but the front one, which has massive, twenty foot tall doors set into it. The third level is a true second floor except for a place cut out that allowed hay to be tossed down to the ground floor when the farm was actually worked. Now, it is a hayloft where Garou can sleep outside of the house.
The barn is reasonably quiet for once, as a Garou in Glabro stands in the centre. He moves suddenly, breathing sharply with each movement. Sometimes it's a block, sometimes a punch or kick, sometimes a throw, and sometimes it's a simple change of stance. With almost every move his position in the barn changes by one stride.
The barn door opens slowly, and a girl slips into the building. Her usual low-grade obliviousness doesn't even occur to her-the sound and sight of a fighter mid-practice draws her attention. The indian girl pauses mid-step, then shoves the door closed, making sure it makes a sound as it shuts.
Christopher continues his practicing for a while, before coming to a complete halt. He sees a girl of about his age watching and shifts back to homid. "Good afternoon."
Before you stands a boy, probably in his middle teens. He looks reasonably well built, but not much more so than other kids of his age. His face is framed by short black hair, and he isn't far off needing to start shaving. His face could be considered reasonably good looking, perhaps aided by the way his eyes are usually blue, but in some lights can seem to take on a green hue. If you were to look into those eyes, you might see a little bit of sadness.
The boy's clothes are reasonably neat, though they're obviously old. He is wearing a dark tee-shirt with a worn adidas logo and a pair of black jogging pants. He is wearing old white sneakers as well, though not so old as they have holes. He currently stands at about five and a half feet tall, but he isn't about to stop growing yet...
"Hello," Veronica replies, eyes flicking over his face and clothing. "Didn't mean to interrupt," she adds when she's done, face turning up to him. She crosses her arms over her chest and paces a wide path around the other. "I'm Ingtaq Cetaaq, Fledgling Little-Bird, Galliard cub of the Wendigo. My human name is Veronica. Who are you?" She stops, adopting a steady-footed, confident posture.
Christopher hesitates for a moment before he speaks. "I'm Chris Parker, Ahroun cub of the Shadow Lords," he says, not sounding particularly pleased about the last part. "Don't worry about interrupting."
The Wendigo cub seems to share his distaste. "I thought you were Fianna," she says simply, another look to his hair. "Was there a challenge?" Veronica takes a couple of steps nearer, one arm hanging by her side now, the other going to her waist.
Christopher shakes his head. "There wasn't a challenge, Cole-rhya simply didn't claim me. Vera-rhya did."
Veronica's lip twitches as that dislike deepens. "He should have taken you to the Fianna place, if they have one, and kept you there until you were ready. That is what my elders do with Pure cubs."
Christopher obvioudly doesn't understand the comment. "Pure cubs?"
"The children of the Two Brothers, Wendigo and Uktena, are called the Pure Ones," Veronica explains slowly. "Because we keep our kin and ourselves closest to the Ways. Pure. See?" There's just a bit of condescension in her tone. "Your elders probably won't agree, but that's why we're called Pure Ones."
Christopher nods. "I see. Unfortunately, as a lost cub, I was fair game for any tribe who decided they wanted me. The Shadow Lords spoke first."
All at once, Veronica just sort of drops the 'imperious high-handed Wendigo' act. She looks at the door, then back at Christopher. "That sucks. Nobody I've ever talked to likes the Shadow Lords, and you're kind of nice."
Christopher smiles. "Thanks. I do my best. Who knows: maybe Cole-rhya will decide to challenge for me. If not, I'll just have to put up with the situation as it is."
Veronica pulls a face, then turns a circle, trying to find someplace to sit. Finally, she chooses a support, leans against it, and inches her way down. "Not like the Fianna are really, really great, but better than the Shadow Lords. They eat people," she states, letting her butt drop to the floor.
Christopher chuckles slightly. "That I doubt. I know my current teacher's a sadistic bastard, and Vera-rhya isn't the most moral person in the sept, but I doubt they'd actually eat people," he says. Then he grins, and adds, "Not where there's witnesses, at least."
Veronica flinches, going a little pale. "Vera-rhya talked to my elders about it, while I was there. One did, and got caught, and then another one covered it up. That's why Jacinta-rhya's the Challenge Master now-because the one that covered it up was the one who tried to take Challenge Master."
Christopher frowns, looking a little sickly himself. "I see. I've been told it's possible to do things you'll later regret in a frenzy, but I never actually heard specifics."
Veronica gives herself a few moments of deep breaths to calm down. "I don't think it was a frenzy," she adds. "That's why it was so bad. But I don't know exactly what happened, that's just what the elders talked about while I was there."
Christopher's widen slightly, as though slightly surprised. "I see. I knew the Shadow Lords weren't exactly the most moral tribe around, but I wouldn't have expected a cover-up of something like that. Even if only because of the dishonour it might bring the tribe. It's not as though they can afford to lose much more..."
"I know. You should probably be careful," the girl says, looking up at the other. "I don't think it's...common, I just...y'know. They covered it up. Maybe Vera-rhya's different."
Christopher shakes his head. "I doubt it. From the way I've seen her act, the only reason she wouldn't stab another Garou in the back is that she'd want to find a slightly less... messy... method of getting ahead first."
That gets another wince from the Wendigo girl. "Ouch. I guess that's kind of what no-moons are like," she says, her lip twitching at some memory or another. "That sucks."
Christopher nods. "I know. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do about it, other than hope someone, and it would more likely be Cole-rhya if anyone, gets a challenge in. If that doesn't happen, I'll have to try and find a way to prove myself different from the average Shadow Lord. That, however, would probably have to wait until after I'm no longer a cub."
Veronica cocks her head at him. "You already are. You're not talking to me like I'm going to attack you, or like I'm retarded. It's a pretty good start."
Christopher smiles. "Ah. I never did get the hang of overwhelming arrogance."
Veronica smiles back. "I think there's enough of it going around, y'know? You'll probably catch it off of someone, sooner or later."
"I hope not," Chris says with an exagerated groan.
Veronica sticks her tongue out for a second, an action which is _certainly_ not Wendigo-authorized, then starts getting back to her feet. "Just, y'know, stay away from Circle Keeper," she says, shooting herself right to her feet and glaring at the boy in a vaguely dumb manner. "And the Get of Fenris," she imitates someone else's snarly demeanor. "And...like, y'know, all of the Silver Fangs," she cranes her neck right back, and crosses her eyes trying to stare down her nose at the Ahroun.
Christopher smiles ruefully. "I know. I met a Get and a Fang before I got claimed. The Silver Fang was almost as upset as I was about which tribe claimed me..."
Veronica's chin drops back to its proper orientation. "Uh huh. I guess they couldn't take you, though. You don't look like one. I met one of their kin a few days ago, and he was...nothing like you."
Christopher chuckles. "Indeed. As for the Get, I'm sure she was trying to get me to hit her..."
Veronica's sunny demeanor turns quickly sullen. "Probably. That's what they do. Was it the short one? I got her help on something Jacinta-rhya wanted me to learn, and she got all pissed of when I said quyana instead of english thank you."
Christopher chuckles quietly. "That sounds about right. Yeah, it was her. She gets a little bad tempered sometimes. When I first met her, she seemed close to frenzying because there wasn't enough mayonaise in the fridge."
Veronica snorts, then laughs. "I had another cub, Noisy Ghost, nearly flip out on me because I called her fat. Right after she called me little, and shoved me, too!" She pouts, the expression overexaggerated.
Christopher laughs slightly. "Perhaps you shouldn't have called her fat. I hear people can take it quite offencively. Especially when it's true..."
Veronica huffs. "Not my fault if it is," she says, a little bit of red along her cheeks.
Christopher smiles, shaking his head. "And I thought I was blunt sometimes. Sometimes the truth hurts."
"Haven't you had any other cubs trying to be all dominant? I know there are some Get in the house, thought they'd be like, all over you proving they're all big." Veronica tugs on her braid, making sure it's over her shoulder and straight down her back.
Christopher smiles. "And what do they do if someone decides they don't want to submit?"
"I called her fat," Veronica repeats, chuckling as she starts to pace a little aimlessly. "Get of Fenris probably punch you in the head or something. I think that's like, the default." She pats her hair down.
Christopher chuckles. "That sounds about right. I hope I don't get on the wrong side of one of the Get cubs then. I wouldn't want to embarrass them..."
Veronica raises an eyebrow. "Are you like, Jet Li or something? Like, a Kung Fu master? Or is it just because you're probably bigger than them?"
Christopher chuckles. "I wouldn't call myself a master, but I've had plenty of practice fighting in homid, and glabro isn't much different."
Veronica nods slowly. "That was the hard part for me. I'm still bad at it."
Christopher nods. "Would you like to spar? Perhaps I can point out where you're going wrong."
"Fifteen years of never even so much as getting looked at funny," Veronica says, already pulling off her jacket. "That's where I'm going wrong. Like, until this last little while, I've never, ever fought anyone. I just wanted to grow up, go on American Idol and make a million dollars. This is a pretty good replacement, except for having to hit people."
Christopher nods. "Well, everyone has to start somewhere. I can't say I enjoy hitting people either, I just have more practice than I'd like." He enters a fairly basic fighting stance, his feet go up and down, though they don't actually leave the floor. "Whenever you're ready."
Veronica adopts a fluid-looking fighting stance, despite her claims of inexperience. She sizes up the boy, then lashes out with a speedy left hook. "So, why do you know how to fight?" she asks, watching for the followup strike.
Christopher moves his left hand, blocking the hook fairly easily. He follows by turning so that the right hand side of his back is touching the left hand side of her chest, and thusts his elbow at his sparring partner's solar plexus. "Firstly, by being one of the least popular people in my school," he says, moving away to try and avoid a counter, "and secondly, by being a first dan black belt." The last part is said with a slight grin. "Hooks tend to be easier to block, by the way."
Veronica exhales hard over the elbow. "Ow!" she squeals, activating that classic defensive tactic of 'being a girl'. She doesn't counter, just resets herself in her opening stance. She makes a quick advance, this time jabbing her fist at him. She's graceful and quick, but there's no power and very little aiming going on in her blows.
This time, Chris moves to one side of the jab, and aims one of his own, using his left hand, at Veronica's face, followed by a slightly harder one with his right, to the ribcage. "Secondly, you need to aim your attacks more. You're fairly quick, but that's no use if you're not actually landing anything."
Veronica flinches away from the attack launched at her face, throwing her entire body backwards. "How do you aim, though? I know how to do the forms Jacinta-rhya taught me, just...not the aiming." The ribcage shot grazes, and she gives another short squeak.
Christopher backs off. "Do a simple face jab. It should be directly in front of your own face. A jab to the body should be lower down, but still straight ahead of you."
Veronica furrows her brow, then launches the punch. It's more of a cross than a jab, angling across the imaginary opponent's face. "How's that?"
(And then I had to run, so they continued practising fighting, then wandered off to their business)
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