It is currently 18:32 Pacific Time on Tue Feb 7 2006. Currently in Saint Claire, it is mostly cloudy. The temperature is 49 degrees Fahrenheit (9 degrees Celsius). The wind is calm today. The barometric pressure reading is 30.21 and falling, and the relative humidity is 68 percent. The dewpoint is 39 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius.) Currently the moon is in the waxing Gibbous Moon phase (64% full). Umbra: Harbor Park The Umbral ground beneath your feet here is lush with vegetation, an oasis of life amidst the concrete and webbing of the scab. Trees stand proud and tall here, their branches full of leaves. Shrubs line the outer edges of the park, tangled with encroaching webs. The fountain stands out boldly from even the surrounding area, the sleek lines sharper and more pronounced. Clean pure water roars and cascades from the figure in the fountain's center, falling into a cold clear pool that looks quite inviting. Spreading out from the fountain, the rest of the park is a green veldt that seems to radiate life and strength. The river banks the east shore of the park, bridged by a massive rusty bridge. On this shore, the glade seems to have spread out on to it, vines winding around the supports. Further across the river, the bridge melds into the scab again, flaked with rust and covered in webs. The river itself is clean within a few feet of the shore, but black ooze seems to encroach menacingly from the murk of the rest of the river. A walkway leads out of the Glade-like atmosphere of the park from just north of the fountain. Eastward, the dark span of the bridge stretches over the vile river. Dark streets lead west and southwest into the blighted Umbra of the city. [Scene begins in the Realm.] After spending most of the day bawnside to heal, Emma has returned to the city and given Grey the call. A time is set and the rendezvous at Harbor Park is scheduled. Emma waits there now, resting on the edge of the fountain. She moves stiffly, and beneath her clothing is a telltale sign of bulk that can mean a heavy bandaging has occured there, predominantly on one leg and one shoulder. Still, there is a fire in her eyes as she waits for the Walker. Grey arrives in good order, showing no visible sign of his battle with the fomori this past weekend; he doesn't even limp as he makes his way toward the fountain and the small figure perched upon it. "Evening," he says, once he's within earshot. Emma looks up and nods, "Hey." Rising to her feet, the young Alpha takes in a deep breath and glances around the area. "Ready?" Grey gives the area a look 'round as well before turning back to the Get. "Ready," he affirms, with a nod. Emma focuses on the task at hand as she reaches through the gauntlet, landing once more into the umbra this day. She remains in homid this time, saving the careful wrap job for the trip home. Since Garou are vulnerable while passing through the Gauntlet, Grey watches her back -- and the area in general -- not crossing over himself until after she's disappeared. Vex is not immediately seen, but the great wolverine's form soon separates itself from the gibbous moon shadows that dominate the Park umbra. The spirit's dark form looms like an exaggerated silhouette against a wall. Two glowing red eyes help define the weasel's head, as well. When he senses Emma's presence, he lumbers closer, and only when nearly face to face with the Glass Walker does the bristling, masked bundle of rage stop and rise up onto two feet. He shows his powerful teeth. Emma remains at the rear of this game of introduction, having already informed Vex she would be bringing new members to him for approval. She gives only a faint nod, body recoiling into a tightly wound spring of rage fueled by Vex' own presence. Grey's back stiffens, and his chin jerks up a bit, defiantly. He stares right back at the big spirit, meeting stare for stare and glower for glower. It's hard to gauge whether the wolverine spirit admires the Glass Walker's boldness or is angered by it. Either way, it fuel's the spirit's own desire for conflict. The show of teeth turn into a spitted his, and Vex also shows off his claws, shining in the blue moonlight like curved daggers. It's a challenge. Emma simply folds her arms over her chest. Her gaze however, holds an anticipation that would unsettle the dead. She looks eager to watch as the challenge is initiated. Grey rolls his shoulders back and expands into the war-form with the ease and skill of a hard campaigner loading his rifle. His most recent wounds show now, the remnants of them; his chest-fur is in patches, showing bare, reddened flesh. Shaking his mane out of his eyes, the grizzled Philodox snarls at the spirit and shifts his weight to a battle-ready posture. ~Bring it.~ Vex lets out a snarl of his own. It comes out as an almost gleeful sound. The body of the large spirit is not that different than its real world counterpart, except for its scale. The compact frame coils as if to strike, but all that comes is another spitted hiss. Those sharp, curved claws flex away from the short but strong legs, and then the strike does come. With unbelievable speed, Vex launches himself for the vulnerable Glass Walker's midsection. He does so with abandon, not worrying about his own safety as long as his teeth find their target. The spirit his the Grey square in the midsection, the force of the blow knocking both back to tumble in a heap on the ground. The young Get gets a pleased look on her face, the trademark smirk lifting one corner of her grin up as she watches the fight unleash. Grey's fury springs free like a greyhound at the starting gate, and if Emma has never seen the Glass Walker truly 'let go', she's in for an eyeful. Like the pack spirit, the one once called 'el Diablo' fights without restraint, ripping and tearing at Vex's form with superhuman speed and ferocity, and soon both are covered in blood and gore. For a moment, he's underneath the big spirit, but this daunts the Glass Walker not at all; with jaws latched onto the burly junction of neck and foreleg, he hugs the spirit to his chest and brings his clawed feet up to kick with the disembowelling fierceness of an alley cat. The two lock in a death grip, muscles and fur blurring together into one monster. The Park's umbral ephemera scatters around them in the wake of their ferocious tussle. Blood also flies, and when the two finally separate, it's hard to see who got the worst of it. For his part, the spirit shakes with unspent fury, but the look in those round, red eyes has shifted from disdain to respect. He limps back to where Emma is, circling the young Get oncebefore making his way once again toward the Walker. Emma stands there with nostrils flared as the fight continues. It takes a good part of her concentration to keep herself stilled and under control as the scent of blood reaches her senses, and when it is finally over, the tension remains in her like a violin string pulled to taut and ready to scream. She watches as the spirit circles her for the second time today, then trails his movement to the Walker. Grey pushes slowly to his feet. Though he shows no sign of feeling pain, he's unable to put his full weight on his left leg, and blood slicks freely down his body from the rents made by giant mustelid claws. Even for a Crinos, he looks like nothing human, and his jaws gape wide, snout wrinkled up from his top fangs, as Vex approaches him again. ~Want more?~ he asks the spirit, making a slight beckoning gesture with one clawed hand, as if he wasn't nearly dead already. His posture and tone are full of grim, defiant readiness. This time when Vex approaches Grey it's slow and purposeful. His black nose pokes out toward the Walker's gaping wounds, sniffing and inspecting. There's a gentleness to the probe that belies what happened moments earlier. At first there's no answer for Grey's inviting question, but then, he strikes again. This time, however, it comes without teeth or claws. This time, the wolverine lifts his tail and 'attacks' the Walker with musk. It's a mark--one that cannot be mistaken. 'This one is mine', it says. That done, the spirit begins to move off--albiet slowly, and still limping. Vex pages to the room: Er, It is a very skunk-like smell, yes. :) Grey must have dealt with wolverine spirits before, since he doesn't act at all surprised at getting sprayed. Even so, he /does/ wrinkle his muzzle and sneeze explosively at the smell. Long distance to the room: Grey laughs. How long's that gonna last? From afar, to the room, Vex htms. Good question. Say, a oouple days? sound right, Em? :) Emma smiles more widely now, offering the departing totem a faint nod before turning to look at the Walker. "Welcome aboard," she offers, tone still taut, but genuinely pleased. "Now we just need to mend before the revel," she notes with a dry chuckle. From afar, to the room, Vex | http://www.turtletrack.org/Issues02/Co06292002/Art/wolverine.jpg Grey sneezes again and sinks to his haunches, hunkering there in the Umbral park, all blood and fur and muscle. ~The Revel,~ he growls slowly, and then nods. ~Yes.~ The two Garou return to the physical world and give farewells, each returning to wherever it is they find most comfortable for healing. For Emma, at least tonight, it's the brownstone. A final glance is thrown over her shoulder as her new packmate veers off to his own destination, and as she returns her attention ahead of her a wicked grin dances upon her face.