It is currently 19:30 Pacific Time on Thu Jun 19 2003.

Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the southwest at 10 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 29.84 and steady, and the relative humidity is 55 percent. The dewpoint is 44 degrees Fahrenheit (6 degrees Celsius.)

Currently the moon is in the waning Gibbous Moon phase (65% full).

In the southernmost part of the bawn, a good-sized reddish wolf gnaws at the haunch of a young deer. The bone is almost entirely denuded of meat and is a few days' old, but there is, apparantly, still plenty about it to interest the lupus. She pauses every moment or so to lick her chops and sniff the air, ears perked.

Kaz's scent is probably tangible long before her muffled swearing is. "...fuckin' branches..." She's evidently coming down the railroad tracks, though not directly on them.

Rain-Falls-Up's head snaps up at the human speech, ears and nose turning like radar toward the source of the sound and the unfamiliar scent. She licks her chops and sits up, facing the direction Kaz is coming from.

Eventually, Kaz comes close enough to actually see the Talon, and she stops short. "Yo?" she says, evidently a greeting. Then, after a moment's study, experimentally, "Or are you not so good at understanding the English?"

Beautiful, this woman isn't. Most people wouldn't even call her interesting, although there is a spark of something, deep down in there. Even so, most people would call her homely, if they bothered to call her anything at all. She's about 5'6" tall, and burly. Not fat -- It's the kind of burly that's all muscle, just not well defined muscle.

Her hair is brown, distinctly curly, and in her eyes. Constantly. The part that's not in her eyes is about shoulder length. Her eyes are distinctly odd, although it's hard to tell, given how often she hides behind her hair. They're yellow, and look almost cat-like. The rest of her face isn't offensive, just boring. The nose is a bit big -- maybe it's been broken, or maybe she was just born that way. Her chin is broad, as are her cheekbones. Classic features for a man that don't at all work on her. There's a wry, cynical smile often playing about her lips that does nothing to add to her mostly non-existent charm. Makeup, it's clear, is of very little use to this person.

"Battered" would describe her choice of clothing quite well. Grey trenchcoat, tired blue jeans, an oxford shirt hanging open, with a t-shirt underneath. Her sneakers are black, and she often has a black hat jammed over her head.

Long distance to Kaz: Rain-Falls-Up sniff sniff. Typical urrah smells, I assume?

From afar, Kaz nods. French fries and dirt and all that. Though she's been doing some woods wandering of late.

Rain-Falls-Up licks her chops again, her manner wary, not quite certain what to make of Kaz. Her hackles are slightly raised. She does, however, indicate that she understands human-speech.

Kaz comes to a stop somewhat near Rain, but not near enough to be invading her space. "Yeah, but would you rather I was speakin' Mother Tongue?"

Rain-Falls-Up stands up and answers that yes, she would prefer that. The Talon continues to seem uncertain of Kaz, but after some hesitation lowers her tail, taking a more submissive posture.

Kaz, clearly, seems, if not reluctant, at least somewhat embarrassed, as she says, "Hokay," and shifts into hispo. One ear flops. ~I'm Ears. Bone Gnawer and Galliard. Fostern, and, if it wasn't obvious, metis. I ain't Wyrm.~

Her name isn't quite accurate. Her ears are pointing up. Those big, bat-wing like ears that, if she didn't smell like a Gaian, would remind a lot of people of some Black Spiral Dancers. Of course, given Garou, some people don't bother to find out, first. Plus, there are the eyes, the ones that are a greenishyellowish mixture that look a bit more like cat's eyes than might be comfortable. She's also got a large notch of a scar on her left shoulder. Other than that, she looks like the doggish equivalent of a dire wolf. One that sheds a lot.

Rain-Falls-Up startles visibly at the Dancer-like ears, pulling back with bared teeth and bristling hackles. She moves back several steps, then stops. The Gnawer's claim not to be Wyrm settles her only a little; she remains visibly uneasy. Ears flattened, she introduces herself as Rain Falls Up, no-moon of the Red Talons and a guest of this Sept.

Ears continues to look more embarrassed than ashamed, though shame is a component of it. ~Yeah. I take some gettin' used to. Sorry I didn't warn you ahead of time. Me, I'm a member of the Walk, though I just came back from... kind of a long trip.~ Inquisitive, she takes a step forward. ~Red Talon. Why have you come here, then, where there are so few lupus?~

Rain-Falls-Up, edgy, moves to keep the same distance between them. She manages to be respectful, barely, and it's awkward; the respect is something deliberate and fights against instinctive distaste. There used to be more, she answers. Even of her own tribe. She wanted to find out about them.

There is, now, wry sympathy for Rain's reaction in Kaz's posture. ~You don't have to hang around with me if you don't want, you know. I mean. I could leave you alone.~

Rain-Falls-Up suggests that if the Gnawer were to resume homid form and speak human-tongue, it would be a good thing.

Ears lolls her tongue in half-amusement and, in fact, shifts into homid. "Sorry. I didn't know if lack of understanding was better than, well, instinctive revulsion."

Rain-Falls-Up edges back forward and sits down near her gnawed deer haunch. I know human-speech well enough, she tells Kaz warily. Just do not use too many of... the strange words. The ones that change from season to season.

Kaz quirks a small smile, as she leans against a tree. "Right. Keep it simple. Sorry." Apologetic, isn't she? "Anyway, yeah, there did used to be a lot of lupus. I came here when there were only three. And they have retreated."

Rain-Falls-Up looks troubled. She has heard this, and thinks it is very sad. There are less lupus everywhere, and less wolf-kin.

Kaz's regret is clear. "Yeah. It's... well, it's a sign things are getting worse. I could learn a fuck of a lot from you guys..."

Rain-Falls-Up tilts her head to one side, and all of a sudden looks quite intent. You wish to learn wolf ways, Bone Gnawer?

Kaz crosses her arms and looks down at the wolf. It takes her a moment, but she eventually says, "Yes."

Rain-Falls-Up lifts one forepaw, the scarlet one, and then sets it down. She considers for a moment, nostrils working visibly. Eventually, she agrees, she can teach you this. She is willing to teach you this.

Kaz blinks. "You--" Her voice is, clearly, slightly shocked. Then she just shakes her head. "Ok. Um. Thank you. Would you like to learn..." She trails off. "No, I'm not even going to offer city stuff. But do you know many Rites?"

Rain-Falls-Up does not appear interesting in learning about the city, this is true; the Talon's ears flatten at the suggestion. She considers the question of rites. I know how to greet the moon and two rites for the hunt. I know how to bind objects to the self and how to make myself move in perfect silence.

Kaz nods thoughtfully. "I can find things if I know someone's name. Think that'd be useful? I also can speak to all animals, which I think is a Gift you guys know, too, isn't it?"

Rain-Falls-Up's tongue swipes out and over her nose. She gets up and approaches Kaz to sniff at her feet. Her body language remains somewhat tense. Yes, I know the speaking-to-beasts. I do not know the rite-of-finding.

Slowly, Kaz crouches. "I can teach you. If you would like. Either now or later. If you find you do not want my company, you can learn it from someone else."

Rain-Falls-Up cranes her neck, the sniffing nose moving upward until it reaches the Gnawer's face. She explores around hair and the nearest ear.

Kaz stays carefully still, though her own nose flairs, scenting what she can in this homid body.

Rain-Falls-Up smells like the woods and the wilds; the scent of untamed wolf is strong. Eventually, she steps back and sits down, looking more or less satisfied. I will learn the rite from you. And I will teach you wolf ways.

Kaz also sits, leaning against a tree. "...Why?"

Rain-Falls-Up quirks an ear. I will because I will.

Kaz considers that. "Ok. That works. You want I should teach you first? It's a damn useful tracking gift..."

Rain-Falls-Up pauses to scratch at her neck with a hind paw before answering. Yes. That is good. Learning to be as a wolf will take much time.

Kaz quirks a smile. "Ain't that the truth. And -- if I... make you too uncomfortable... I'm ok with not learning from you."

Rain-Falls-Up scratches herself again, states that the Gnawer simply startled her, and then bends down to grasp one end of the deer leg-bone in her jaws. Her front half lowers, hind end still raised. Shift, she urges Kaz. Shift and play.

Kaz studies the Talon, then shrugs, falls into lupus, and grabs at the other half of the deer bone, growling a little, quietly, clearly not serious.

This would be a perfectly normal mutt, if a little large, if it weren't for the ears. The big, batwing-like ears that, to Garou, just scream "Black Spiral Dancer!" Good thing she smells clean. Then again, some Garou don't bother to check first.

Her coat is a mixture of black, white, and grey, and her eyes are an odd greenishyellowish mixture that don't look normal, somehow. They're faintly worrysome, really.

Rain-Falls-Up growls back, her tail starting to wave, and pulls back on the leg in a series of short jerking motions, hind paws digging into the ground.

Ears stays glued to it, until she thinks Rain is pulling /too/ hard, at which point she lets go.

Rain-Falls-Up stumbles backward, drops the bone, then grabs it up again and starts dragging it, head held high, toward Ears, her path at an angle to the Gnawer. Her tail waves, the bone is hers, is hers, is hers, and no one else shall have it.

Ears dives, at the bone or at Rain is unclear; she seems to be aiming for bone, though she may tumble into Rain as she goes.

Rain-Falls-Up drops the bone as the Gnawer barrells into her and goes down with a surprised-sounding wuff. She is not angry, though, far from it. The Red Talon rolls, wriggling belly-up for a moment before scrambling back to her feet -- all of which gives Ears enough time to grab the bone.

Ears does, in fact, grab it, and heads off, in a random direction, incredibly slowly.

Rain-Falls-Up splays her ears, looking quite pleased with the unfortunately-eared Bone Gnawer. Then she's off like a rocket, charging forward to make another grab for the bone.

As Rain makes a grab for the Bone, Kaz dodges-- which puts enough weight on her much abused left forepaw to break it yet again. She tumbles with a yip, bone still grasped in her jaws; she's had enough practice at this to let her momentum shove her back upwards, but she's lost some speed.

Rain-Falls-Up takes the advantage offered her and grabs the other end of the bone, and then, abruptly, puts on the brakes, yanking at the prize with clenched jaws.

Again, Kaz goes tumbling. She seems used to it, though, as she rockets upwards again and ears forward happily, really does dive on Rain, this time. There is no snapping involved, just wrestling.

The two Garou indeed wrestle for a short while before the Gnawer winds up on top (hey, how often does _that_ happen?) with the Talon squirming underneath her, growling and tail-wagging at the same time.

Ears growls a little herself, for emphasis, and then, abruptly, licks the end of the Talon's nose and rolls over onto the ground, panting in amusement.

Rain-Falls-Up snaps the air playfully and sprawls out, half on her side and forelegs spread. She plays her ears and notes, approvingly, that Ears will be a good student. Play is important. All wolf things come from play.

Ears scrambles up into a half sitting position, looking at the Talon. Tracking?

Rain-Falls-Up licks her nose. Tracking is hunting and hunting is learned through play. One pup gets a good thing and hides, another searches and finds. They play, one wins. One who wins much becomes an alpha. One who loses much becomes an omega. How to move, how to kill, how to fight, everything from play.

Ears considers this. That fits. It's how we did it. We just /talk/ more.

Rain-Falls-Up lolls her tongue out, panting. She agrees and knows there is much talking. Many times, too much talking.

Ears, being a Galliard, admits that she kind of likes talking. But I also like /doing/. Many of my people don't seem to.

Rain-Falls-Up looks quizzical, wondering which 'my people' Kaz refers to.

Ears means, homids. Folk of the scab.

Rain-Falls-Up's ears tilt backwards, her nose wrinkling in distaste. Yes. Human-hives. _Very_ much talking there.

Ears's ears, meanwhile, flip forward. You have visited scabs?

Rain-Falls-Up pulls her hindlegs under her, reclining in sphinx-posture. While she does not deny this, neither does she seem interested or willing to speak of it further. She only states that they are very bad places -- an opinion which is not surprising, coming from a Red Talon.

Ears snorts. I knew /that/.

Rain-Falls-Up is surprised at this reply. All the ~urrah~ she has met before have said the opposite. The Weaver-Garou especially say very foolish things, and loudly.

Ears flicks an ear in the equivalent of a shrug. I understand them and I think they have their uses and I can survive in them better than I can survive here, but that doesn't mean I think they're healthy. They have to be cured.

Rain-Falls-Up sits up, her hackles fluffing up; she disagrees and feels very strongly about it. Cities cannot be cured. Cities must die.

Ears flicks an ear, though not aggressively. I do not think we will ever even begin to agree on this.

Rain-Falls-Up settles back down again, slowly, acknowledging this difference between them. She makes a little 'hrf' noise and licks at her uncrimsoned paw.

Ears gets up and noses the Talon. I should run. But we will scent each other again, and I will teach you things.

Rain-Falls-Up lifts her muzzle up and licks the Fostern under the chin. Yes. And I will teach _you_ things.

Ears agrees, and lopes (slowly, with a limp) off toward the Caern.