2023-03-10 Honor to the Lupus
Honor to the Lupus
Participants: Elyse Lola Simon Niall Joan Liam Trillium Wren Enzo Paige
Storyteller: Piper (ritemistress)
Location: Heart of the Caern
Date and Time: March 3, 2023 - 5:20 PM
Summary: Piper performs the Rite of Accomplishment for Elyse due to her doing some Honorable deeds.
A Howl vibrated through the tunnels (and before hand there may well have been rumors). Rites are happening. Or one Rite anyways. A tale of renown. Get your butts down to the Caern Heart!
Once folks arrive in the hallowed space, Piper waits up front and center in her moot-day best. a Business casual cut navy blue jump suit and blazer. And she brought props. A circle of little 3d printed statuettes. A large clear vase of water in the circle with her. And what looks to be a mini dried tumbleweed she currently juggles from one hand to the next as she waits.
Trillium comes down slowly one handed as he descends downwards in his left hand is something wrapped in purple silk as he drops down with a nod of his head. Moving to find a wall to lean against it with a nod at Piper. "Hiya Go-Phish-Rhya!" He beams at Piper, than he places the silk covered item down as he lights a joint with that gold plated lighter, with that huge purple flame and than he clicks it off waiting for the rite to start.
Elyse really did try to dress fashionably for the event. She was just coming off a Guardian shift and is dressed in a mixture of fashions as a result. For pants, she's wearing a pair of thrift-store grey sweat pants that are easy to move around in, sinched above the ankle with a pair of low-top Converse shoes. On the top, she's wearing a sequined long-sleeve shirt with little hearts stitched into the sleeves. She pops down the ladder following Trillium and lands on her feet. "Trillium!" announces the lupus. "I am so glad you are here to see this!"
She crosses over to Piper and murmurs, "Thank you for doing this, Go-Phish-Rhya. I like your tumbleweed. Salsola tragus." She moves to stand nearby, brushing her hands over the shiny sequins on her shirt.
#legalizeawoo, says Lynn, and so it is done. Lynn emerges, and it is not clear from where. It isn't impossible she came out of the Umbra, which is probably pretty easy to do this close to the Heart and the presence of Concrete Coyote, and also, she can probably cheat. Lynn is, for once, not wearing her white techwear jacket aka Formal Wear, but she does pause to tug everything down, smooth off dust of unclear origin, and then declare "Yo" to Piper.
True to his word, Liam steps into the Heart on bare feet after the announcement. Boardshorts and tanktop are once again the attire of choice and nature is healing. His wild mane is tamed by a unicorn decorated scrunchy and a pair of Raybans that always sit on his head in some shape or fashion. With an easy smile he greets those he finds. Stopping to shoulder bump Piper briefly and murmur to her before flashing a broad smile towards Elyse. Hands lace together as he is not the Ritemaster, he vacates the space near the heart fire and takes a position of honor near the front of the observance circle that's forming.
Simon arrives with Enzo; the Glass Walker is clad in training/combat clothing, which betrays they were shooting the hell out of some targets in the Bawn's range before the summoning howl was heard. His Five-SeveN is holstered at his left side, the painted silver patterns contrasting with the black color of his shirt. Inclining his head in greeting, he leads his fellow Ahroun to some distance from the center of the ritual chambers, all the better to watch the honored Garou.
Joan is on her way, having been told about it from Elyse nights prior. She wishes she could dress fashionably for it but... she's kinda poor. She's wearing a black t-shirt with SummerSlam 88 on it, cut off denim jean shorts, white ankle socks and a pair of black tennis shoes. Her blonde hair is in a messy bun held up by a black hairclip. "Hey everyone." She says as she arrives, making sure to address everyone and offer a friendly wave.
Lola had always been a creature of ceremonies and rituals, and she was called to these moments more often than most kin, and her reverence for them could be found in the way she moved, the way she dressed, the quiet engagement. At the threshold to the Heart of the caern, she slipped her shoes and socks off, before moving deeper into the space.
Tonight she was in a pair of fitted, wide leg pants, a touch too long, that swept around her as she walked like the hem of a too long dress, and a fitted white shirt, her scars on display. The wisp of a kin, moved towards the front of the space pulling up next to Liam, giving Elyse a big cheesy smile, before looking to Piper, and giving a nod and tiny smile to the Tale Singer. Then she leans her head towards Liam and stage whispers "That's my friend up there." With a measure of pride, as if she's testing out this 'f' word.
Lynn's 'yo', gets a grin from Lola, and an upnod. And as the others pepper in they'll get their own greetings, but it's clear, her attention is largely frontward on Elyse and Piper.
A summer dress, bare legs and sneakers seem to be Paige's fashion choice today and she heads down to join the already gathered folks by the caern's heart. She smiles in greeting to those here, her sunglasses pushed up onto her head to hold her hair back out of her face.
Once a critical mass of people has arrived (and more importantly the would-be honoree), Piper jumps right to it with a clearing of her throat and a holding out of the dried weed clump in her hand.
"It's not easy to uproot oneself. If done without care and into the wrong soil, can end up just withering up and blowing away in the wind. If you want a plant to stand the test of time, you need to plant it deep. Tend it regularly. Fertilize it. And then with time...."
She drops the dried plant into the water in front of her. It wasn't exactly a tumbleweed, but one of those dried flowers that unfolds and blossoms out as soon as it makes contact with the liquid. Then it sort of hangs there, looking pretty, especially with the blue glow of the Caern's fungi catching in the glass of the vase.
"We can also be fragile when uprooted, when alone. Not too long ago, Echoes of Spring found herself in that spot as she came from her home to a new Sept. It's a journey most of us have made. Maybe a little bit more challenging still as a lupus journeying into a //city// full of millions of people. In a few short weeks she got busy learning what she could about her new home. About the spirits, about the city, about her sept mates. She's joined with the Guardians, to help serve where her claws and her skills are needed. She's also set about with an idea of her own. A plan. To help re-seed the city. It's not a small task and one that requires work of many, and so she's started setting out her own roots. Reaching out to each pack, finding ways to work with them and their territories. To help make our home a little greener, a little Wylder. That's a fair bit of Honor for one so young. Does anybody have anything else to say about Echoes of Spring?"
And with that, she pauses and looks to the crowd. Participation time!
Enzo follows Simon in and gives a look around to those gathered. There is a polite nod to the closest and a wave to the others. Dressed like Simon, for training he is unusually quiet and remembers to pull off his Daddy baseball cap to slip away for now.
Trillium steps forward slowly his hand is moves to lift his joint into the air, with a wink at Elyse. "Heart of Spring, leaps into life and with joy. She is one to try new things, trying to find their place and never shying away to support anyone that needs it. Trying to bring brighter days to our sept, to find her place. Starting so new on a such a grand project, one to make LA green and lush in ways that might warm the hearts of this city, trying anything she can to learn more about this world. She is awesome and she brings much to our sept in a short time." With that the garou steps back to exhales smoke into the air, as he loks over at the rest of them, to say whom wishes to add next.
Elyse offers respectful nods to the entrants, particularly Liam and Simon, closing her eyes in a slow blink of appreciation. The fact that she's in her homid form seems deliberate especially considering her wreck of an outfit. She offers a smile to both Joan and Lola, raising a hand to wave at each. She takes a deep breath to settle her thoughts as she stands in front of the small crowd gathering around the Caern.
She turns her head to look at the statue, murmuring something softly to herself and dipping her head towards the angel. Final prayer before the start. Piper begins to speak.
The way the tumbleweed blossoms out in the water causes her gaze to go wide-eyed; she looks to Piper and nods at each beat and settles her gaze on the crowd when asking for any other words.
Wren being who she is... the Kin lurks outside the inward-facing watchers. She's actually dressed for the occasion, as if things like this have a dress code - black trousers, with a Nehru jacket in bottle green and a paler-green dress shirt beneath. The duffel bag she drops next to her probably holds the street-kid clothes. With all the facial ink and piercings, it's as if some fashion house wanted to jump into nonbinary fashion and embrace body-modification subculture at the same time.
"She listens to her elders and is always curious, always ready to learn. In being so young, she's already taking on projects that could change the other face of the world that we are privy to, while also making lasting changes to this one." Simon comments in favor of Elyse. "There is Honor in that. Honor in desiring to change what must be changed for the better, knowing that it is never an easy project and difficulties mount up. We honor you, Echoes of Spring."
Lynn gives Enzo and Simon a nod of approval even if they are dressed nothing alike. Then the ritual begins.
"Yeah," Lynn says, after Piper speaks.
"Echoes of Spring came here from a place where she was established," Lynn continues. "I know this because she was settled enough to give some cub-scrub jackoffs the Rite of Wounding on our way to the conclusion of their Rite of Passage. I know that, because I was one of those jackoffs." A beat passes.
"She came to the city, not because she was born of it, but because she sought it out. I know that's hard for a lot of people, but she's taken to it like a duck in, like, water. I know it's extra hard if you was born in a situation like she did. I honor Echoes-of-Spring for coming to Los Angeles, and I also want to say: Thank you for getting the plant on."
Lynn adds, more editorially, "Also I guess I forgot to talk English good." She squishes her own face between her hands afterwards, although she does not seem ashamed.
"You're fine, Lynn." Simon remarks to the Theurge, giving her a thumbs up, and then falling silent as the event demands gravitas.
Trillium throws a thumbs up at Lynn with a nod at her and Simon as he exhales the smoke into the air. Turning to see whom will speak next, with a wide happy smile on his face.
Joan decides to add in next, stepping forward. "Echoes of Spring. Her and I are both from the same Sept. Her and I both came here to a new Sept, her alone and me... alone save for one Kinfolk. It was hard, and so much harder on her since she was alone. When she arrived I had greeted her and it was touching to me because when I arrived at the Western Eye she was the one who greeted me. I guess... what I'm trying to say is that she is so loving, and giving... and proves that day by day." She suckles in her lips for a moment, nodding her head and then adding in, "I'm happy and proud to see her standing there tonight."
Paige nods a little as she listens to Piper speak of Echoes of Spring, and then others besides. There's a few moments of thought before she speaks. "Echoes of Spring is curious without fear. She absorbs that knowledge like a sponge and shares it easily and freely with any who might wish." There's a moment where the academic smiles, clearly pleased with such a thing. She turns towards where Elyse stands, considering the young wolf directly. "She accepts when she is wrong, and seeks to right such things, as we all should. She is kind, and thoughtful and we are better for having her in our midst."
Lola listens, and a smile slowly grows, spreading her lips, as other voices join the choir. "Honor to Echoes of Spring, Honor to the Lupus who knew she was different, and sought where she belonged. A hard journey, but such a worthwhile one." She swallows a little thicker "Honor to the seeker, be it of knowledge, understanding, victory, or a home. May that be the last journey you make alone." It won't be, it never is, but she wants that for Elyse and so she says that. Blinking a little faster, it's been a weird week or two, but at least these are the good feels.
The lupus swivels her head to look briefly at Paige, then drifts her attention to Trillium at his words. And then Lynn, Joan, Simon, Paige, Lola are all speaking such kind things about her. She attempts to hold her stoicism, but she breaks into a wide grin, face awash in a joyful glow. She bows her head to the gathering and remains silent, her hand drifting up to brush at her face. She clears her throat and looks back up, attempting to smooth out her lips into a more neutral expression, pulse quickened.
Enzo takes up position with Simon and stands silent, watching. There is a wave over to Wren when she arrives and another for Trillium, before his focus goes back to the action.
Liam will wait until it seems most have said their piece before taking a step forward. "It's easy to become comfortable in what you think you know. Things taught to us by those we respect or who's words hold great weight in our lives. Stepping out of the shadows of the known and seeking the unknown takes an amount of courage, but I would say that it is Honorable to seek the truth of a matter. It's Honorable to embrace without prejudice. Echoes of Spring has shown that she not only seeks to honor the spirits and our ways but she seeks to honor her new home. Honor to Echoes of Spring."
+ROLL/+DICE> Piper: Charisma + Rituals vs. 4 -> 3 successes. (9 7 5 4 2 1)
Piper listens to each of the voices raising their own experiences with Elyse. And surely the spirits listen to. With a nod to each speaker before the next adds their piece. It's after Liam adds in his take that she gives a nod and turns to look expectantly to the little statuettes circled around her and Elyse. "What say you?" Their opinion is clear, if not verbal. As one by one the little frog and crow and coyote and unicorn and the rest begin to circle about like those little magnet toys. And with a smile, Piper turns back to Elyse and raises her voice loud and clear for all to hear, "Echoes of Spring has grown Stronger in the eyes of her Tribe, our Sept, and among the Nation. Let this be Known."
Trillium takes out his wooden clacker as the rites is ending now spinning now as he dances back and forth for Elyse. Nodding up and down with each step, as the rite is over he places the clackers back into his pocket.
Joan hears the familiar sound of Trillium's wooden clacker and it draws a smile on her features, eyes shifting over to him and she nods her head a few times.
Niall slips in quietly in the back. He catches the ending and claps for Elyse.
Liam doesn't wait this time, and as the spirits give their recognition, he smiles at their very presence. When it's declared a success and that Elyse is stronger, he tilts his head back and looses a surprisingly guttural howl of celebration. Singing his heart to the heavens in his joy at seeing the young grow.
Lynn takes a deep breath as the statuettes begin to move; the little-miracle that shows the sentiments of those on the other side of the Gauntlet, a damnable presence even if it's at its weakest here. At least, weakest for the city. And then they reach the conclusion and Lynn lets out an ear-splitting "WHOOOOOOH!" (Politely, she had not been standing RIGHT next to anybody. Maybe Enzo/Simon or Trillium? They'll heal.)
At Liam's words, Elyse stands just a smidge taller; her spine straightens. Hands at her sides, she closes her hands into fists, meets the Sept Alpha's eyes and nods, her expression resolute. She bows her head once more, but more out of respect to the moving statuettes, another quiet murmur of a prayer. She hears the final words of the Rite and opens her eyes, looking up to the crowd. "Thank you all," she calls out. Noting Niall's appearance, she smiles at him and waves a hand over her head.
She taps her fingers against her leg in time with the clacker and lets out an exhale. "I will do my best to uphold this honor you have bestowed upon me and work to further grow within this place. Thank you all for inviting me into this place," her voice more subdued than usual, awed by the power of the Caern, perhaps, but also by the strength of conviction that everyone should see her worth.
Wren closes her eyes as the noise breaks out, and shifts her focus to Elyse when the Lupus speaks.
Lola, the feral one, despite her polish on tonight's outfit, does the only reasonable thing. "Honor to Elyse!" And throws her head back, unleashing that rich, other worldly voice, in the best approximation of a howl she could manage, throwing her voice into the chorus. Only to let her head fall back, into a goofy grin as she looked up to the Lupus.
Trillium grins looking over at Lynn with a tip of his non existing hat, as he looks over et Elyse. "YOUR HOME! NOT PLACE!" He yells at the Elyse with a wink, as he nods at Lola. "HONOR TO ELYSE!" His voice is ringing out now that Lynn has broken that seal, that shouting at ear splitting and shattering levels is okay.
"Before too long you'll need to learn to lead this rite yourself," Piper offers to the younger galliard with a wink and a smile. "When you think you're ready to learn, just let me know." A clap to Elyse's back is a quieter congratulations than the howls of joy some others give, but then perhaps even louder with how rare the Talesinger doles out any physical attention.
Niall bows his head to Elyse at her greeting. When Lia. howls, Niall lifts his head and joins him in a howl of recognition and celebration! He looks to Joan, glad she was here for Elyse before turning back to the front. He continues to clap and shout for Elyse!
With a nod to Elyse, Simon flashes the Lupus a quick smile, still silent save for an occasional exchange with Enzo. For now, they linger, though Lynn's howl causes him to wince just a little, but he doesn't seem to mind. He is more of a quiet type, not very propense to noise when in certain moods, but he at least appreciates those that are.
Wren does not, in fact, join in the noise. Her hands, half covered by racing gloves, make little sound as she applauds. The Kin watches Elyse with steady eyes, though, and the dull clapping only stops when the rest of the accolade dies down.
+SHIFT> You shift into form Lupus!
+MDESC> You set your description to: Lupus.
+ROLL/+DICE> Elyse: Charisma + Expression vs. 4 -> 6 successes. (9 8 7 6 6 6)
Joan doesn't howl or clap for some reason, instead standing with her hands slowly lowering to idle at her sides and a big smile cuts across her features. Her eyes focused on Elyse's, so proud for her on this evening, just... continuing to watch her, until she sees Niall glance in her direction at the corner of her eyesight. She turns to him and nods briefly, then glances back to Elyse and starts to clap for her now.
"I will, Go-Phish-rhya. If --" Elyse cuts herself off, "Once I make Fostern, I will surely be asking you to teach it to me. To help the next generation." She takes a side-step and grins at Trillium, dipping her head to his point. Further away from the large angel statue, she changes into her breed form, tendons and muscles bulging and bending into place, bones cracking and slipping to pull her into the form of the black-furred wolf with light grey tint. She sits down and curls her tail around her legs, then tips her head back and opens her mouth to howl a cry of elation.
There are notes that weave in and out of the sound; her eyes close as her voice echoes through the Caern and up into the Bawn proper. The sound of thanks interwoven with something that calls to mind work-to-be-done. A feeling that one should watch her; that she's only just beginning, but allowing herself to accept this milestone. Her breath ends and the howl begins to diminish. She lowers her head and stands back up on all fours.
Lola watches. How can she not? The transformation is never something you take for granted, it never loses it's gruesome wonder. Lola listens, to the howl, and the subtle story weaving through it. Watch me, this is just the beginning. The gremlin's head nods her agreement to the sentiment. "She's only getting started." She murmurs.
Given the opportunity, Niall moves forward to stand with Joan. He listens to Elyse's howl and smiles. A bow of his head is sent in Piper's direction, as well as Liam. He let's tye clapping subside and stands shoulder to shoulder with his packmate
Trillium watches the change with a nod of his head, letting Elyse bask in her honor. His hands are shoved into his coat now, exhaling the smoke from his joint now. Moving for the exit with a nod at those he knows and taking that purple wrapped package with him in his left hand climbing upwards with the right.
Joan glances in Niall's direction once more, and moves to put an arm on his shoulder and lean against him a little, smiling in Elyse's direction. Her free hand giving a wave to Trillium as he starts to part.
Wren watches the wolf for a moment longer. Before quiet can entirely descend, she grabs up the duffel bag and turns to walk into the tunnels, away from the heart and the celebration.
Liam takes a moment after it's all done to give Elyse a warm smile, then one to Piper too, Ritemistress extraordinaire on this one. He gives her representations of the spirits a once over, a few more than the last time she'd done this. His grin grows some and he catches Niall's nod giving a salute in return. Observing for a few more moments he finally says, "Always good to see the growth, now back to work," it's part for himself and part for the rest. There's no sitting on laurels here.
Paige smiles at the claps and the clackers and the howls, her own hands applauding the acknowledgement of how much a part of it all Elyse has become, and continues to grow into. She laughs softly at Liam's comment and nods, turning to head out again. Back to work, indeed.
Niall listens to Liam and nods his head. He looks back to Elyse as he puts an arm around Joan's shoulder. He gives her a little squeeze and forehead bump. He offers a polite bow of his head to Elyse before turning to head back out.
"Back to training for us, Enzo." Simon comments to his packmate, adjusting the holster lazily before bowing his head in Elyse's direction. His way of congratulating her in wolf form. "DJ, Niall, good to see you." This to Joan and the Fianna noble. "Maybe we can meet sometime, yeah?"
Joan smirks when they forehead bump, looking out at everyone before offering a wave to everyone. She looks to Simon, "Yeah that'd be... That'd be awesome!"
Back to work! Echoes of Spring trots over to the others. She sends a mighty headbutt into Lola's side, then moves to shoulder check Joan, before looking off after Paige, Wren, and Liam. She dips her head to Niall and does a quick pass around the cavern, her tail wagging gently as she takes a few laps back and forth across the room.
"Dump some mags for me, y'all," Lynn tells Simon and Enzo, before turning into an arbitrary direction and wandering off. Elyse gets a squat down (nearer to eyelevel) and a firm upnod, followed by a grin, followed by Lynn resuming her walk-to-nowhere.
Niall pauses to look to Simon. "My door is always open." He tells him.
Enzo waves to everyone as Simon says its time to head out. Patting the dagger he wears to make sure it's still there he nods and then falls into step with his alpha.
"You got it, Lynn." Simon smiles to the Theurge as she goes to Neverwhere, and then inclines his head to the Phalanx's alpha. "I'll send a text to make arrangements soon, then." And he also flashes a grin at Joan for her enthusiasm, with a thumbs up and a wink to follow. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Joan smiles warmly towards Simon and nods her head, "Me too." She now turns to start following Niall on his way out.
"Niall!" Elyse suddenly calls in her human voice. She had taken the time to shift back into homid. "I want to meet with you at some point to talk about my Los Angeles Basin project. I think it would be useful to work together." Thankfully she remembered to dedicate her clothing this time.
Niall bows his head a bit to Simon and waits for Joan as she seems to be joining him. He pauses and turns toward Elyse. He nods, "As I said, my door is always open. I would welcome to hear what you have to say."
