Storyteller Scene: Sunday April 22nd 2012- Introductions

Storyteller Note: I thought I'd get the ball rolling cleverly. Old Man has recently called in all of the newer Pack members (Cubs) to meet one another and discuss business. I'm letting the players choose whether or not they've been there for a while or are new (i'm hoping for a good mix of both). If you're newer to the whole experience here, though, and don't quite have a grasp of things, you might want to go with newly inducted


Old Man Moon sat in his arm chair, eyes intent on the open doorway. Just outside he could hear the sounds of the nearby trees rustling in the spring breeze. His face would betray little. A small, amused smile turned up on his otherwise cracked lips.

Two weeks prior he'd sent out a call for those new to the Flumen Spiritibus to meet on the Island on this day. He'd mentioned to tell the ferrymen mainland that they were there for the Old Man. If they did, they would be offered free passage to the Park.

His fingers wrapped around the edge of the armchair lightly and, without fuss, he waited patiently for the first to arrive.

Entering the room, David sees the familiar friendly face of the Old Man. Setting his backpack down he shows a friendly smile to the Old Man, chuckling a little as he does. Hearing the breeze, David decides to break the silence.

"Well well, looks like you haven't aged one bit Old Man. You're looking younger every time I see you! Haha"

David has known Old Man Moon for quite the time now, considering that Old Man Moon taught him most of what he knows. Since entering Portland, Old Man Moon has shown hospitality and is somewhat a father figure to him. David turns around to the window, admiring the beauty and the serenity that this island provides.

"Hey, Old man, it looks like I'm not the only one here," spoke a quiet voice from the doorway. Dameon walked in, slouching forward, and spoke up more. "It seems like yesterday since I ya' took me here, Old Man. Can't believe it's been two weeks." He shook his head, looked up at the unfamiliar man. "My name's Dameon, so... Nice to meet'ya, I guess." He extended his small hand, and looked around the room. He blinked his eyes a bit as the sun shone in his face, and turned back.

Hazel stepped off the ferry, waving goodbye to the ferryman. He was nice, and she'd taken the ferry to Old Man's Rest enough times that they were on a first-name basis with each other. She would be seeing him again soon, when she made her way back to the rest of Portland. As soon as she stepped onto solid land, she could feel the change in the atmosphere. The air was heavy with a subtle energy that was undetectable to most beings. This was the heart of their territory. The energy was tangible and it made the hairs on her arms stand up. It was home.

She stepped inside of the building, and was only mildly surprised to see that only three of the pack were there. The Old Man himself, Dameon, a newcomer, and David, another Elodoth. When Hazel had first joined the pack, there was a tenacious rivalry with David. She had left her first pack because there was one too many Elodoths. Eventually, she had lowered her hackles and had realized that there was no threat in David. They were allies, packmates, family in a sense.

"So, how's everything all been?" Hazel said as she stepped further into the room. Hazel had been a part of the pack since she was seventeen. It was home to her.

A wide smile appeared on the old Uratha's wrinkled face. "David, Dameon, Hazel," he said in succession, his words slow and metered, "I'm glad you could make it."

Shifting a bit in his seat, he leaned forward and gesture for the three to take a seat at the couches and chairs littered about the room in a crude circle. "Take a seat, or sit on the floor, it doesn't matter to me," he said as he slouched back in his seat. He'd been at this for a long time. He'd seen many cubs die and even more disappear. He'd even put some down himself. He was glad for those he had seen so far, however. He trusted them. Even if the trust was possibly misplaced.

"Have you all met each other?" he asks, his head canting to the side slightly as he lifts a hand to stroke at the rough, stark-white stubble on his cheeks.

"Haha, thanks Old Man!" David respected this man so much that he would lay down his life. After all, he was helping him find his actual father. Something he's dreamed of since he was a child.

"Well, I know Hazel, unfortunately. Wahaha! It's been sometime hasn't it Hazel?" Patting her on the back.

Grabbing him by the shoulder, he shakes him in a playful manner.

"Dameon, is it? Nice meeting you, glad you decided to stick with us! You're going to go places in life! Haha"

David has always been the type to be playful, although he knows when it's appropriate and when it's not. Taking his pack very seriously, he likes to show them that no matter who they are, he'll accept them.

David soon gets up and leans against the wall, arms folded.

"So, what is it this time?" His tone a bit more serious.

As David jokingly commented on Hazel, Dameon sat down on the cushion beside him. He shrugged off his playful attitude, and nodded at his commentary. He was never one for comedy, but he knew how to brush annoyance off. "Yeah, going places." He mumbled. He looked over at Hazel, and nodded at her, as if to introduce himself, before turning back to the Old Man.

Hazel chuckled at David's comments. He was a joker, that much was true, and they had been through their fair share. To be honest, David's aloofness was one of the things she had found most difficult to deal with about the fellow Elodoth. However, with time she'd been able to get over her own qualms and make her peace with him. Dameon on the other hand, was almost entirely new.

"Obviously, David and I know each other," Hazel said, her eyes flicking from the Old Man, to Dameon. "Dameon, however, I've only heard about in passing from the others in the pack." Hazel took a few steps towards him. She didn't want to seem too forward, she knew what kind of instincts kicked in when one wolf was met with another whom they had no previous interaction with. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Dameon. Welcome."

After this, Hazel turned her attention back to Old Man. She was still standing. Normally, she would have sat down, but she was feeling particularly restless and if she wasn't able to move around and pace then she would only get agitated.

An even wider smile appeared on the Old Man's face as he listened to David joke. While he wasn't exactly one for the humor of it, he loved seeing his pack-mates get along. With a firm look towards Dameon, he lowered his head in a shallow nod.

"One of the main reasons I've asked you here is to meet Dameon, as well as a few others," his words were calm as he lifted a hand and gestured towards the doorway. The sun was beginning to set outside, and a warm breeze would blow through the doorway every so often.

Taking in a deep breath, he lowers his hands back to his lap and looks between the three gathered once again, "There are other things, as well. But, I'd prefer to wait for a few more before we begin speaking on it."

"Hmm....I see Old Man." In the back of his mind, David knew this was something of great importance.

"Aside from that, how was your trip here, Hazel?" They're total opposites, but David enjoys her company, although she doesn't enjoy his. They keep each other balanced, which is a good thing considering how David can get in certain situations.

"Dameon,so answer if you want but, how was your first experience?" David asks with his eyes closed.

Davids first time was horrific. After the ordeal was over, he thought himself as a monster. Doomed to a curse that would outcast him from society. Not able to live the life he wanted. But through the Old Man, he later learned that he should take this as a gift. It brought great comfort to David knowing that there were packs like this, taking the battered and the scared, and changing their lives for the good.

He listened intently to the Old Man. He seemed wise, but far too patient for his tastes. When David spoke, Dameon lowered his head.

"I didn't enjoy it very much. It was surprising- there wasn't anything leading up to it." Dameon closed his eyes tight, and visions of that night flashed before him. "It took awhile, but I got used to the idea." He looked back to him. "What about you guys? What was yours like?"

Hazel didn't have time to respond to David's question before he was off on his own little tangent again. He certainly was something, and Hazel meant that in the nicest way possible. She didn't dislike David, she just had different ways of approaching situations, which, she supposed, was good for the pack dynamic. Didn't want to get too predictable or they'd get picked off. When Dameon started talking about his first change, Hazel's ears perked up. She was always keen to hear about people's first shifts. She found the stories fascinating, no matter how boring, bloody, or complex they were.

"Mine, I suppose, was normal," Hazel said after Dameon had finished. "As normal as those things get anyway. It was very... balanced for a shift. Organized. My arms shifted at the same time, as did my legs, and all the rest of my body's segments. Nothing prior to it that made me think it was coming on. I just got the feeling that I was being watched every now and then..."

|| ooc; I'm going to hop in the shower real quick, so if it gets to my part of the posting rotation and I don't respond after a few minutes, just skip me.||

The old man sat silent, quite intent on listening to the others gathered story of their first time. He was far too old to talk about his past. Far too smart to bring it up to those who are young. So, he was entirely content with sitting.

Outside the sound of a plane can be heard overhead, as well as the quiet breeze of the spring winds. The sun continues to set, it's red-orange light spilling in through the open doorway. The doorway opens up to a dirt path that leads off into a thick set of trees on each side. A half mile down is a break- two directions leading around the island, another heading down towards the 'docks'. Just opposite the doorway, on the other side of the home, the Jewitt Lake is visible.

David was very hesitant to answer the question. Creating an awkward silence in the room.

"Er...yeah...that was...was something different for me. I will never forget it."

David knew he was showing a side that he didn't want them to see. So he was quick to answer soon after he realized it.

"Yeah, it was a normal night. I changed, ran around a pier, ran from some cops. Haha, it was pretty painful!"

He knew is was acting weird, and if he knew, then they most defiantly knew.

"Er, haha, anyways, how did you come across Old Man Moon Dameaon?"

David was quick to change the subject.

Dameon liked listening to the others' stories. It made him feel normal... more normal than he ever felt. He basked in this feeling for a few moments, until David spoke to him.

"Oh, the old man?" He shook his head a bit. "I was off in the mountains, adjusting to my powers- it had only been a few months after getting them. I didn't know what to think, but..." He looked off to the Old Man. "Long story short, he saw me, brought me here, and asked me to join the pack. That's how things go normally, right?"

OOC: I'm off to bed, school in the morning. If it comes to it, skip me.

Oh no. They were getting to how they had met Old Man Moon. Hazel didn't like this story. She didn't like telling people about how she came to join The River Spirits. Don't get her wrong, she was proud to be a part of the pack, she just didn't like telling people about how she had left her previous pack. It made her seem like a deserter, or a traitor. And sometimes, if she didn't explain it right, it seemed like she had left her old pack for The River Spirits, which wasn't the case. She wasn't the type of person to go looking for greener grasses when her own lawn started to whither and die. Hazel kept her mouth shut. She wasn't comfortable sharing this story with someone she had never met before, even if they were pack. No offense to Dameon, but it was just the way Hazel felt.

Gwen stepped off the ferry and onto the land, grimacing at the land before her. Tightening her pigtails, she gripped the straps of her bag like a determined kindergartner as she began walking. As she drew nearer to the door, she could hear a man's voice. Without a second thought, she reflexively hid along the wall and, after a deep breath, crept into the doorway. She saw all the people in the room, recognizing the Old Man. "Hello?" she stuttered and clumsily smiled after the man finished talking. "I'm Gwen. I hope I'm not interrupting anything..."

It may be seen, by Hazel particularly, that Old Man Moon notices her discontent.

Every so often Old Man's eyes turn away from those gathered off towards the door expectantly. A small, amused snort escapes his nose at Dameon's words earlier. "Powers," he murmurs as the younger man speaks.

As his eyes pan towards Hazel, however, he clears his throat and sits up. "Tell me, Pups," he begins, his words lacking any sense of derisiveness or humor - his words merely coming off as fact, "How have you been in the city? All has been well? Have you been going on runs lately?" The word 'Run' comes off as something different. He doesn't mean a jog through the park. He means a full change. He means shifting into Urhan and bursting free of your humanly bounds and exploding through the forests. Swimming through the rivers with nothing but the fur on your body.

He asks if they've been letting themselves be free.

There was little time in between his question before he noticed the new woman stepping through the doorway. "Ah, Gwen," he began, his body slumping back a bit more as he casts a relaxed gesture towards a seat, "Have a seat." Starting with the young man beside him, he lists of the others gathered, "This is Dameon. That is Hazel, and David."

Before David could answer, he was stopped by the newcomer that had entered the room.

"Oh, welcome! You must be one of the new ones coming in! My name is David!" He was quick to move towards the timid women and grabbed her by the shoulders and shock her in a friendly manner.

He turned to the Old Man.

"I've been great! The mountains are great for my "special" exercises! I'll have you know, I might be catching up to you!" He said in a joking manner. David knew for a fact that he was no where near the strength of the Old Man, but the thought kept him going. He was inspired to be the best their is in the pack, becoming both physically and spiritually stronger as the days go by. The Old Man and his pack kept him going, ignoring his broken childhood with no family, and moving forward with his new one.

Hazel was grateful to Old Man Moon for changing the subject. Always aware, always subtle, Old Man Moon. She turned her head towards the girl who just walked in. She was cute. It wasn't in any kind of sexual way, that's just the way the girl was. She was a cute girl. Gwen. Nice name. A little odd, but nice all the same. When David, for lack of a betterm term, embraced the poor girl, Hazel gave her a sympathetic smile and a friendly nod before turning her attention back to Old Man Moon.

"More or less," she replied to his question. "I was able to sneak off into the woods for some alone time a few nights ago and just lay under the stars for a few hours." Her voice drifted off as she remembered how it had felt, the wind, the air, the grass beneath her paws, the starlight on her fur. He palms tingled and longed to feel the dewy grass pound beneath them again. She came out of her reverie blinking quickly. "Other than that," Hazel continued, "I haven't had much time for doing anything other than keep the Wards around our territory fresh."

Prying herself from the over-obtrusive man's grasp, she awkwardly smiled at the man and sat down, stashing her bag between her feet. Gwen glanced at the Old Man and gave him a respective nod as a greeting. Though she didn't know what quite was going on, she listened to the girl, Hazel, and waited for a chance to pop into the conversation when she knew exactly what was being discussed.

"I'd always been amused by the women marking the territory," the Old Man chuckles out as he gives Hazel a nod, "Just be glad the only thing that needs to be marked is this island. Some packs have places hundreds of miles wide."

The man speaks happily, almost nostalgically as his gaze turns up towards the ceiling. There's a moments pause before he lets out a brief shake of his head and crosses his hands over his lap.

David turns to the man as he speaks. He was always wondering how the Old Man lived his youth. It must of been exciting and just thinking about gave David chills. He was always fascinated by old stories told by those older than him. But soon he takes notice of his pause, and knows it's no time to think like a child. And then turns to Hazel

"So Hazel, has there been any trouble in your patrols?"

David knew Hazel could handle herself, but he was curious as to how she takes action. After all, they do make little to no contact and always in some sense, looked after her. Even though it was not needed. But they were both Elodoth, so he couldn't help doing it

Hazel turned her head towards David. "No, there hasn't been anything odd on any of my rounds, which in itself is odd." She turned to look at Old Man Moon. Everything was too peaceful. Hazel enjoyed the peace times, but they were few and far between. Even if there wasn't anything particularly menacing happening, they usually had something they had to deal with. A small outbreak of Azlu, a Beshilu infestation, a malevolent spirit corroding the park, something. The balance was tipping. There needed to be an even amount of peace and war times. They had spent too long in the peace times, and now it felt like he war times were fast approaching. It felt like the calm before the storm.

Hazel realized that she had been staring at Old Man Moon, directly into his eyes to be precise. She cleared her throat and turned to look at Gwen. "What about you? I know you're new, but have you come across anything particularly interesting?"