Magister at Escrowe Farm

[hazlogs]

DATE:  Friday, November 13, 1998
Place:  Barn at the Escrowe Farm

Stands-Proud falls backwards, but this Theurge was taught to fight dirty. Feet 
   are planted in the cub's stomach and she continues to roll, effectively 
   making Meina Air-borne. ~Never underestimate your opponent to play a 
   little..dirty. Oh and speaking of dirt..~ Stands' paw digs at the dirt and 
   hay, sending a bunch of it towards Meina's eyes.
Megan comes into the barn, expression black, thrusting her arms into the 
   pockets of her jacket as she looks for and finds the two fighting Garou. 
   Wisely, she remains out of the way, finding a piece of wall near the door 
   to hold up with a shoulder leaned against it.
Silver Searcher growls as she lands hard on her side, and even louder as her 
   eyes are stung with dirt. ~Dirty? At home, we fight dirty.~ She launches 
   herself towards the blurry image of Stands-Proud. Both arms are out in 
   front, elbows at her chest, and her form low.
Stands-Proud gives an exaggerated yawn and jumps to the side. Her hands are 
   then poised as to bat any stray strikes as the Locomotive Meina goes 
   barrelling past. Suddenly, she straightens, letting her guard down. Pale 
   green eyes fix on Megan with concern. She holds up a paw to Meina just in 
   case she gets the notion the Theurge forgot she was there and the cub 
   thinks she can sneak in a sucker punch.
Megan shakes her head, then adds to the motion, "Go on, Kris, don't mind me."
Silver Searcher does not notice Megan, and quickly grabs the outstretched paw. 
   Talk about a red herring. Kris is quickly pulled into a swinging circle, 
   with Meina pivoting on her feet. One she gets enough momentum, she lets the 
   crinos fly to wherever it may go.
Stands-Proud spins and effectively gets tossed on her butt! That warrants a 
   growl since she held up a paw in a precise 'Hold on a minute' guesture. She 
   begins exersicing some of that experience as she begins swinging her arms 
   in a whirlwind-ish motion. Hay and anything else is tossed about Meina, and 
   even Kris' silvery form is difficult to see. And if that didn't make things 
   bad, the winter coat launched on the cub's head makes things worse. So 
   Meina doesn't see the punch that lands to the side of her head.
Megan just continues watching in brooding silence.
Silver Searcher yelps loudly, reeling from the punch. As she lowers down, and 
   away from the punch, her far foot is already digging into the dirt and her 
   shoulder pointed at Stands-Proud.
Stands-Proud steps back away from the falling cub. After a few moments, the 
   coat is yanked from her head. ~We'll have to fine tune your skills. The 
   Garou you may encounter in combat are not street scum from the scab. They 
   have Gifts. They may have Klaives. They could have Silver. And above all, 
   they can be oh-so-much experienced in fighting in Crinos than you. Once you 
   become comfortable in the War-form, moves such as this~ She gives an opened 
   claw strike at Meina's muzzle ~Become more like instinct~
Silver Searcher grabs the wrist, twisting back. She growls, and her eyes 
   sparkle: it's clear she's not in her right mind. ~Silver? I am Silver 
   Searcher. I crave it.~ Her hand clamps down with the force of an insane 
   person who cares nothing for personal safety.
Stands-Proud narrows her eyes, ~If you wish it so, then I will skin that 
   purebred pelt off of you with a Klaive!~ In response to the insane 
   guesture, Meina gets a series of punches between the eyes. She turns to 
   look over her shoulder, to Megan, ~Really. I felt the moon was alright to 
   have combat training without risking this.~
Megan smiles tightly, but there's little humor in the gesture. She continues 
   watching the training with the same kind of brooding intensity of a raven 
   waiting for a higher predator to finish their meal, so he can begin.
Silver Searcher growls deeper, lower, as her forehead is smacked several 
   times. But it doesn't slow her down. Her hand tightens to the point of 
   shattering bone, and her other hand joins it as blood begins to trickle 
   from her brow.
Stands-Proud says, ~Let Go, Silver Searcher, or I will rip your pelt off!~ The 
   growl from the other Fang gives it proof that the threat isn't hollow. 
   Unlike Meina, Kris still has a free hand, which ceases in it's beating of 
   Meina's forehead. Instead the hand smacks Meina's muzzle upwards so it can 
   latch on to her throat. ~Snap out of it! It's Kristine, Meina. Surrender.~~
Silver Searcher's hands twist in opposite direction. Kris's words fall on deaf 
   ears as her arm snaps. Meina's head is held high, her breathing stopped. 
   Froth forms at her mouth, and she seems likely to tear that hand right off 
   unless she's stopped.
Megan begins growling very softly, body tensing at the sound of the snap and 
   it becoming obvious that Silver Searcher isn't immediately backing down.
And that is the straw that breaks the camels back! Stands drops, both 'knees' 
   landing square on Silver's Diaprham. She's up again, and another drop. This 
   is repeated several times, while Kris' hold on Meina's throat tightens. 
   ~I'll skin you, cub! Let go!~
Silver Searcher twists her hands as far as they can go, like a little child 
   seeing how far the straw will stretch before breaking. Her eyes begin to 
   roll back in her head as she looses conciousness. Conscienceness? 
   Con'shus'ness.
Stands-Proud's arm is all but useless at the moment thanks to Silver's 
   twisting. It's lax in any movements, and if she keeps twisting, the 
   bones'll begin to poke through that pretty silver fur. She gives one last 
   'drop', focusing all her weight on getting the air out of Meina's lungs. 
   She seems anxious to get the cub to pass out.
Bone does poke out, from the top of Kris's wrist. Meina's grip is strong, and 
   steady, all the way up until her eyes close, and everything about her goes 
   limp.
Megan's eyes narrow to mere slits, and she looks like she's going to say 
   something for several seconds before she actually does. "Unless you're 
   trying to punish her, Kris, I think that's enough."
Magister enters the ground level of the barn through one of the doors.
Stands-Proud pulls away quickly, and she stares at Meina. If the Moon was 
   stronger, she'd probably end up attacking the prone figure. She shakes her 
   muzzle, ~Not honorable.~ She looks to Megan, ~I had to get her to pass out. 
   She became..~ She pauses trying to find the word, ~mad.~ She holds her 
   wrist, and winces.
The barn door creaks open. Magister pokes his head in. "Hello?"
Megan is leaning up against the wall near the door as the Shadow Lord cub 
   enters, and she turns her head to look over her shoulder when he does. "Hi, 
   Magister," she greets. He might notice that despite the politeness of the 
   greeting, there's an edge to it, and the Fianna definitely seems to be in a 
   black mood. She turns back around, straightening up out of her lean and 
   beckons to Stands-Proud. "Come here and let me straighten your arm out 
   before it heals itself that way and I have to re-break it."
Magister returns the Fianna's greeting with a twitching, brief smile and a 
   nodding duck of his head before his glance skims over the scene. "Um," he 
   says, slipping inside and closing the door closed shut carefully behind 
   him. "Am I interrupting?"
Silver Searcher slowly shifts down into homid. Her lower ribs and stomach are 
   bruised badly, and her face is covered with froth. She is completely out 
   cold on the floor, naked.
Stands-Proud lopes over to Megan, dropping her head in a prone position of 
   humility before the Fianna. Oh and she's in Crinos. She holds up the 
   bloodied paw to Megan. ~Meina shouldn't be too harmed. The blows were aimed 
   to her stomach mostly, to push the air out of her lungs. I feared a frenzy~
Magister coughs and averts his eyes. No, he doesn't /really/ want to gawk at 
   nubile female flesh.
Megan seems completely unaware of nakedness or lack thereof, or for now, 
   Magister's embarressment. She does shift up to glabro, though, as 
   Stands-Proud comes over, for the strength to twist Kristine's mutilated arm 
   back into relative straightness, even as the healing process begins on the 
   bone. ~I know, I do not fault what you did.~ She eyes the theurge. ~What is 
   wrong? Why do you drop your eyes?~
Magister pushes his glasses up his nose, stepping along the wall to give the 
   pair some room and still adroitly avoiding looking at Meina. In fact, his 
   attention is rather morbidly fixated on the limb-straightening.
~I talked with Velia and she always seems to make me want to be extremely 
   humble before my elders, I'm sorry.~ The Fang gives a very odd grunt as the 
   bones are set. She closes her eyes, then glances up to Megan with a slight 
   grin. ~I promise I won't rip her pelt off using a klaive.~
Meina is still uncoonscious.
Megan holds the bones in place a few moments, until she can feel that they are 
   mending under her overlarge hands, smiling grimly. She rips a snort at 
   Kristine's comment. ~Of course not. It is much more fun to do it with your 
   bare hands.~ She finally removes hers, and cuffs the theurge lightly 
   between the ears. ~If Iceheart wants you to be humble before your elders, 
   then you do it with everyone else. But if you do it with us too much, *I* 
   will rip your pelt off with my bare hands.~ She grins then, a feral one 
   full of pointy teeth that isn't entirely re-assuring because of rage 
   lurking underneath it, held in check.
Magister's left eyebrow lofts upwards. Pushing his glasses up his nose again, 
   he asks, politely, "Er. What happened?"

Magister's desc:
          Too thin, too intense, and far too damned quiet -- at seventeen 
   years old, Magister already has the look of disturbed genius, though most 
   people think he's just disturbed. He's about five and three-quarters feet 
   tall, at most, and perhaps a hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet, a 
   narrow-featured, skinny youth. Narrow, wire-framed glasses over deep-set 
   brown eyes add to the "starved intellectual" image, and his long-fingered 
   hands sport fingernails that have been bitten to the quick.
          Hair so dark that it's nearly black is shaved close along the sides 
   and back of his head, with the top left much longer, though still far too 
   short to put into a ponytail. On the whole, he's somewhat attractive, but 
   only to those who happen to like the "thin weird guy with glasses" type.
          The kid wears a lot of black, which generally suits him. Black 
   jeans, dark gray t-shirt, black eighteen-hole Doc Marten type boots. A 
   "Happy Noodle Boy" pin is fixed to the left lapel of his black trenchcoat. 
   The back of the coat bears the brooding image of Johnny the Homicidal 
   Maniac, his eyes hidden in shadow, torso wrapped in mummy gauze, and arms 
   crossed like a Pharoah's over his chest, the blades of wielded knives 
   pointing downwards. 

Stands-Proud sits back, remaining in the War-Form. ~Well, Let's see how you 
   are when you get called, -again- soiled goods. Then feeling everyone in the 
   pack, especially you, venting.~ There is a large amount of concern in her 
   voice as she turns to lope over to her coat. She picks it up and drapes it 
   over Meina's form. She gives the cub a good poke, just enough to get a 
   groan out of her at least, before turning back to Megan, ~It's true, isn't 
   it. The thing that's wrong. She is dead, isn't she?~ She quelches the urge 
   to embrace her packmate. That would just look batty while in Crinos.
Meina groans indeed, turning her head to the side and coughing loudly. She 
   sits up partway, and catches the jacket by the brim before it falls. "Who's 
   dead?" she asks in a raspy voice, before laying back down with a cry of 
   pain.
Megan shifts back down to homid again, glancing from Kristine at her question, 
   to Magister. She decides on answering the cub first. "I *think* Kris was 
   trying to teach Meina a lesson about combat and Meina went a bit...off," 
   she puts delicately. But then she moves to the nearest post and leans her 
   shoulders back against it, to respond to Kristine tersely. "Yes. She is. 
   And now I have things I have to do for her. Things I owe her."
Magister nods faintly in response to Megan's explanation, and his gaze flicks 
   cautiously back toward Meina. Dark eyes study the other cub solemnly from 
   behind the wire-framed lenses.
Stands-Proud offers gently, well, about as gentle as she can being in Crinos 
   still, ~Shift up to Glabro, your wounds will heal.~ She turns to Megan and 
   lopes slowly towards her. She glances to her arm, then nods before shifting 
   to her birthform. "Megan," She reaches out to rest a hand on the Fianna's 
   shoulder, "If there's anything I can do to help, at least offer a shoulder, 
   let me know?"
Megan says to Meina's question, simply one word. "Esther." She turns back to 
   Kristine, smiling at the theurge and reaching up to take her hand in her 
   own, squeezing it. "Of course. There is one thing you can do for me, 
   although it's not completely related. You need to come over and meet Gannon 
   and Maire tonight, or sometime this weekend. And then I need you to do me 
   yet another favor for me, and keep an eye on them."
Meina does so, with a small amount of effort. The jacket only barely covers 
   her now, and she has to turn to lengthwise to keep her semi-descent. She 
   coughs again, deeper, and looks over at the two emotional people. It 
   reminds her of some old TV show. Where the guy is at his own funeral, and 
   he doesn't know he's dead. Is this dead person they're talking about her? 
   Meina, still being in her muddled state, thinks it possible. But the 
   possibility is gone as an answer is provided. "Oh," she states and lays her 
   head back.
A gentleman might offer Meina his coat. But Magister doesn't seem to subscribe 
   to the laws of chivalry. Hands folding ito into the pockets of his own 
   coat, he wanders over toward Meina, his eyes managing to stay away from any 
   part of her but her face. "Why don't you shift to wolf form?" he suggests.
Kristine smiles slowly, then blinks. "Gannon and Maire? Who the hell are 
   they?" She tilts her head and quirks a brow. Meina's 'oh' gets the cub a 
   quick look from Kris, and she points to a chest. "Like I said before, I 
   sort'a took the liberty of supplying some clothes just in case a sudden 
   shift happened and people were left naked." The explaination can either be 
   for Megan or for Meina. In either case she turns to look at Megan, "I can. 
   You know I'd do any favor for you, but who'd look after the cubs?"
Meina slowly turns on her side, and she is in lupus as she reaches what would 
   have been her hands and knees. Good idea, she tells him, and lays down on 
   her other side, sighing deeply.
Kristine looks to Magister, and raises a brow, "She can shift to lupus if she 
   feels her wounds are completely healed. I don't want her complaining about 
   a tummy ache because four hundred pounds landed on it." She offers a slight 
   grin to Meina.
Magister relaxes visibly as Meina transforms, a brief smile twitching across 
   his lips. It fades as he glances toward Kristine, his expression bemused. 
   "Hmm?"
Meina gives Kris a flick of her tail. This works.
Adam enters the ground level of the barn through one of the doors.
Megan laughs, although it's tinged with bittersweet sorrow. "My love and my 
   child, respectively. And, you don't need to be near them night and day or 
   anything. I generally split my time between here and there, and then only 
   during the two weeks around new moon. I would just feel better if I knew 
   someone I trusted was keeping an eye out on them, just in case, and since 
   you're pack and live in the same complex, it'd be easiest for you."
The door opens a little, a think crack of light breaking the darkness inside 
   as Adam slips inside, quickly closing the door behind him. At the sound of 
   voices, he stops by the now-closed door, and stays out of the way.
Silver Searcher slowly rises to her paws. Now, can someone tell me what the 
   hell just happened?
Kristine just gives a wave to Maj to signal the end of that topic, "Would you 
   be a dear and fish out some clothes for her in that chest, Maj? She'll have 
   to go to the house sometime, and it's a bit chilly out there. Which means a 
   trip in her birthday suit would be slightly out of question." She quirks a 
   grin, then turns to Megan, "Sure, then. I can keep an eye out for them. And 
   I'd be happy to meet them. Maybe we can have dinner or something." She 
   pauses, "None of those fancy things, like you'd expect." She blinks then 
   looks to Meina. Coughing she answers, "I was teaching you combat in Crinos, 
   I guess you 'blinked out' or something. Not quiet a frenzy, and you tried 
   to rip my arm off my body. So, I dropped on you several times. That's why 
   you're tummy was sore."
Magister glances up as the barn door enters, his gaze flicking over Adam 
   before it turns back toward Silver Searcher. The Lord shifts his weight 
   back to his heels, then nods to Kristine and does as asked, heading over to 
   the indicated chest. Without a word.
Silver Searcher shakes her head slowly. I don't remember. She seems very 
   troubled by that.
Adam inclines his head to the others as his eyes rest on the male Cub for a 
   moment. He wanders over, away from the others, and climbs up the ladder 
   into the loft.
Megan glances over at the sound of another arrival, giving Adam a narrow-eyed 
   gaze and the impression of someone whose rage isn't in the best of shape, 
   but nods to him curtly although politely enough. She turns back to 
   Kristine, and jerks her chin in the Fang cub's direction. "If you want, if 
   she picks out one garment of clothing she'd be comfortable wearing, 
   especially in the winter, I'd be willing to perform a rite to dedicate it 
   to her. It's getting a bit too cold out to be running around sky-clad."
Magister misses Adam's look, being busy rummaging for appropriate clothes from 
   the chest. The Lord straightens up after a moment with the expected items 
   and heads back over toward Meina.
Silver Searcher hops up and nips the clothes from Magister's hands. Thank you. 
   She wiggles her way into the shirt, and begins to shift. As soon as she has 
   hands capable enough, she pulls on the pants and fastens them.
Kristine turns to see who Megan indicated to, and tosses a wave to Adam. As 
   Maj returns with the clothes she nods, "Thank you very much for helping 
   out, Maj." She turns back to Megan, "Now about helping you cope with 
   Esther. I can go find a few trees for you to beat up if it'll help you. Or 
   find Steven, perhaps?" Though the suggestions can be viewed as jest, 
   Kristine's expression remains one of utmost concern.
Magister acknowledges Kristine's thanks with another twitching smile and leans 
   back on his heels, arms folding across his thin chest.
Adam perks up as the Fostern mentions Dedication. He wheels around, as much as 
   he can in the smaller space, and climbs back downward.
"We'll talk about it," the Fianna says quietly, but then looks to Silver 
   Searcher again. "So, work it out, if you want. Help her to choose 
   something. Just one piece, though. I have some things I'd need to gather, 
   anyway."
Adam turns to the Fianna from the bottom of the ladder, curious. "Um...what 
   things," he asks. He shifts in hsi spot, showing a little nervousness.
Silver Searcher looks between everyone curiously. Rite of Dedication? Right 
   now?
Kristine smiles a bit to Megan. She gives her hand one more squeeze, before 
   walking over to the pile of clothing. "Let's see, I think there's this huge 
   sweater in here. One you can like, drown in." She looks over her shoulder 
   at Megan, "By the way, I want to talk to you about Questing Stone." She 
   suddenly holds up that sweater, black. "Ah HAH! Here it is. See, it's huge. 
   If you get it Dedicated, it could act like a dress. And it'd be warm for 
   the winter."
Magister adds, deadpan, "And the perfect color, too."
Megan glances at Adam, shifting on her feet in a manner which might remind 
   some of a lurking predator. "Clean earth, fresh water, some wood for a 
   fire," she answers the Gaian. She then skewers both he and Magister with a 
   look. "Rituals are best with more people. If both of you would help me to 
   find the things, then the quicker this would be. If one of you would draw 
   some water from the pump, and the other go and collect some wood for the 
   fire, it'd be helpful."
Magister unfolds his arms, nodding. "I'll get the wood," he offers, and snaps 
   off an odd salute -- right arm extended, rotating in a small circle three 
   times, and then snapping his hand back against his forehead. A Rimmer 
   salute, from _Red Dwarf_, delivered completely deadpan and without a trace 
   of mockery. Then he heads for the barn doors.
Kristine snorts a bit at Maj, but her eyes are grinning. She waits for meina 
   to accept the sweater for dedication. "Anything you want me to do, outside 
   of sitting here and looking pretty." The humor is slightly forced, after 
   all she's got megan's Rage filtering and she almost had her arm ripped off 
   not more than ten minutes ago. As Maj makes his salute, she shakes her 
   head. "Strange child."
Adam nods once, and his pace quickens as he scurries soundlessly to get the 
   water from the pump, grabbing a bucket by the door as he goes.
Meina looks around, her head spinning slightly. "We're doing the Rite /now/?" 
   Obviously sees the answer is yes, but asks anyway. Glancing at the sweater, 
   she gives a brief nod, then a bigger one. "Yeah, yeah, that's good."
Megan grins another feral smile at Kristine. "Just sit there, and look pretty. 
   I'll be back soon." She, too, leaves for a time, taking longer than the 
   others.
Meina gives Kris a confused look. "Uh, what did you say happened?"
Kristine hands the sweater to her. "Put it on, try it out for size. You'll 
   probably have to take it back off again. My clothes were a mess when 
   Derrick dedicated them for me." She nods a bit, "Yes, now. Megan's right. 
   It works better with more people. The energy is magnificent." She spaces 
   off for a moment, then blinks, turning to Meina. "You went batty and tried 
   to rip my arm off."
Meina rubs her head as she looks at the sweater. "Rip your arm off? But, I, 
   ah.. I don't remember." She puts the sweater on over her other one. It 
   fits, a few sizes too big, but it fits.
Kristine tugs a bit at the sweater, and nods, almost motherly. "Yes, that will 
   work. It covers the necessary body parts. Though I still believe Modesty's 
   rather useless being part wolf. I mean they are, in a way, naked." She 
   sighs a bit and shrugs, "It can be a number of things. I thought the moon 
   was alright to teach combat in Crinos."
Meina frowns. "I don't think I frenzied. I mean, I get serious about my 
   fighting, but..."
Magister shoves the barn door open with a shoulder, his arms full of the 
   necessary wood. He's humming quietly as he enters, but cuts it off abruptly 
   as he kicks the door shut again.
Kristine shakes her head, "I don't think it's a frenzy either. If you did, you 
   would be more interested in ripping my -head- off, not my arm." She turns 
   to look at Maj, then gives a soft smile, "Hello again."
Magister sets the armful of wood down near Meina and then straightens up 
   again, brushing off his coatsleeves. "Kris? 'Cub' if you have to, it's a 
   title after all, but don't call me 'child', hm?" He pushes his glasses up 
   his nose and squints at her, gravely.
As the door is about to close from the Shadow Lord's entrance, Adam reenters, 
   balancing precariously with a bucket of water in each hand. He walks over 
   to the Cub, and sets the pails down, bending at the knees to prevent any of 
   the water from spilling.
Kristine quirks a brow, "You needn't be so sensitive, Maj. It was, after all, 
   just a phrase." She guestures to the sweaterclad Meina, "So, what'cha 
   think? We need a male opinion. It's part of the female ego." She quirks a 
   grin.
Meina gives Kris a look. "I don't need a male opinion," she comments.
Magister gives Meina a laconic thumbs-up and glances at Kris again. "It's not 
   a very good phrase," he replies, lips moving in that faint, brief ghost of 
   a smile that's characteristic of him. "No offense."
Kristine raises a brow, and grins, "Who me? Offended? Nah. It doesn't happen 
   that easily, dear. And I meant no offense to you. So, I gather we're even, 
   right?" She waves a hand, "Have a seat, take a load off." She glances over 
   her shoulder at Adam, "We using the force yet?" There's a slight charge, 
   like the Theurge is trying to vent energy in other ways than knocking 
   someone's block off.
Magister makes a slight waving gesture and steps back before dropping himself 
   down croslegged on the floor. "I take it the same rite can be done in 
   different ways."
"Not that I'm aware of," the Gaian fires back. "This is Megan's Rite, 
   therefore her force." He stands back up, and nods to Magister. "The Rite's 
   done differently, denending on Ausipce."
Meina looks between everyone oddly, then just sits, leaning forward on her 
   elbows.
Kristine looks to Maj and then blinks at Adam. "Boy, I'm stepping on 
   everyone's toes," she murmurs to herself. "Derrick used a combination of 
   blood, dirt, water and music when he dedicated my clothes."
Magister rubs at his chin, where a few meager bits of stubble can be seen. 
   "Mm. This should be interesting. Moon Otter's method was very... primal."
Megan is the last to arrive, coming in carrying a wooden bowl that some may 
   recognize from being kept in the kitchen of the farmhouse but in a 
   different place than the rest of the dishes. She takes in the items 
   collected by Magister and Adam, and grunts. "Good," she comments simply. 
   Without pausing or speaking to anyone else, the places the bowl down 
   slightly off from center of the middle of the barn. One of the buckets of 
   water is placed, also off from center, to the relative right of the bowl. 
   She then begins crafting the makings of a small fire directly opposite from 
   the bowl, to the right of the bucket.
Adam raises an eyebrow at the Fang, curious. "All Hayes did was ask me about 
   the meaning of spirit and bonding one as he did it."
Meina watches Megan closely, though it's clear she still detatched from what's 
   actually going on. "So, what do I do?"
Kristine smiles a bit, nodding at Maj, "Sounds like Moon Otter-rhya." She 
   blinks, "Still shocked at his role as the Fool from the moot." She shrugs a 
   bit with a small grin and addresses Adam, "It was charged, definately. 
   Seirian and Dusty." Here she stops and takes a breath, "They were singing 
   and Derrick pops up with, 'This'd be a perfect time to dedicate those 
   clothes'." She then turns to watch her packmate, "In Megan's charged state, 
   this might be interesting."
Magister pushes himself up and back into the catcher's squat, balancing on the 
   balls of his feet and using a hand to steady himself. His head cocks 
   slightly, his eyes watchful.
Adam backs away from the two buckets, and finds his hands in front of him 
   while he watches. His eyes are intest, looking to each object to study as 
   many details as he can.
Kristine's interest is there, but her concern is overshadowing it. She's not 
   taking much note of the details, instead she's watching her packmate like a 
   hawk.
Megan finishes with the fire, then stands. "You," she says, apparently in 
   answer to Meina's question, then points to a spot midpoint in the line 
   between the bowl of earth and the fire . "Stand there." She then assesses 
   the other three, and points again, this time to Adam. "You, go there," she 
   points to the water. To Magister, "You, go there," she points to the fire. 
   "Kris, you go there," which is an empty spot directly opposite the water 
   buckets. The Fianna takes herself around to behind the earth.
Magister hauls himself up and moves obediently to the indicated place.
Adam stays in his spot, smiling to himself as he sees the pattern. He lowers 
   his head.
Meina stands in her designated spot, still wearing her shirt. She adjusts it 
   on her, then looks over at Kris briefly before turning her attention to 
   Megan.
Kristine blinks a bit then stands up. She ambles over to the empty spot, and 
   studies the small circle. She rubs her chin, and quirks a brow at the set 
   up.
Megan smiles, albeit grimly. "Five. Good," she comments to no one in 
   particular, then moves to where Magister is. Out of the pocket of her coat 
   comes a book of matches, which she uses to light the small fire. When it's 
   caught, she lets it burn down some, and uses the time to explain, starting 
   with Kristine. "I need you all," she says to all of them. "To participate. 
   You," she says to the theurge, "should step forward and blow air onto the 
   sweater when I give you the signal. You'll know it when I do it. You," she 
   says, looking to Magister, "should take up one the stick I'll show you, 
   burning, and lightly touch the sweater when I signal you to. Try not to 
   hurt her, okay?" she asks, the humor in her expression not entirely 
   pleasent. She turns to Adam, "Should sprinkle her with water from your 
   fingers, however it's easiest for you. You," she says to Meina, "should 
   open yourself to the feeling of Gaia, and shift to crinos when I signal 
   you. Any questions?"
Adam nods slowly.
Kristine shakes her head, "None, sister."
Magister nods as well, his expression bemused, head cocked to one side.
Meina shakes her head slowly. "No."
Megan moves back to where Magister is and takes a stick held back from the 
   fire, placing it half in, half out. It is bigger than the rest, thicker, 
   and there's enough outside of it to take up when the time comes. She moves 
   to behind Kristine, turning her to face Meina with her hands on the 
   theurge's shoulders. "I call upon the watch guardians of the East, of 
   Leinster and St. Raphael, and on the powers of Air. Part of this sweater 
   which we dedicate to this cub, Silver Searcher. Become one with it, and 
   her."
Kristine steps forward, and, after taking a deep breath, blows all of that air 
   out onto the sweater. Once she's finished she steps back. She turns her 
   head up to Megan before looking back to Meina.
Megan takes one, two, three stately steps to Magister, fairly radiating 
   surpressed rage, her dark green-black eyes glittering with "the force", as 
   Kristine termed it earlier. She stands behind the skinny Shadow Lord cub, 
   placing her hands on his shoulders much as she did Kristine's, and says, "I 
   call upon the watch guardians of the South, of Munster and St. Michael, and 
   on the powers of Fire. Part of this sweater which we dedicate to this cub, 
   Silver Searcher. Become one with it, and her."
Magister pulls his head back slightly, eyeballing the 'force'-y Fianna with a 
   guarded look. His mouth tightens as he takes up the burning stick and 
   touches it to the sweater, very lightly, not allowing the flame to linger 
   long enough to catch on the sweater's threads.
Megan repeats the ritualistic movement to stand behind Adam, copying the hand 
   pose. She says, "I call upon the watch guardians of the West, of Connacht 
   and St. Gabriel, and the powers of Water. Part of this sweater which we 
   dedicate to this cub, Silver Searcher. Become one with it, and her."
Adam solemnly dips his hand into a bucket of water, goosebumps rising at the 
   sudden chill. The Cliath lifts his hand out, and moves to Meina. He circles 
   his hand over the Galliard Cub, dangling his fingers so droplets of the 
   water cover both Meina and the sweater.
Megan moves once more, to the north, and takes up the bowl herself. She 
   intones again, "I call upon the watch guardians of the North, of Ulster, 
   home of Cu Chulain, our greatest hero, and St. Uriel, and the powers of 
   Earth, Gaia herself. Part of this sweater which we dedicate to this cub, 
   Silver Searcher. Become one with it, and her." When she finishes her words, 
   she takes some of the dirt collected in the bowl and tosses it with an 
   underhand flick of the rist to pelt Meina and the sweater in little 
   strikes, a rain of earth. Respectfully she puts the bowl down and closes 
   the short distance to where Meina is. She takes the girls hand in her own, 
   reaching up to dab the galliard's fingers in the oozing blood from the claw 
   rake Kristine gave her earlier. "I call upon the watch guardians of Center, 
   of Mide and of God, and the powers of Spirit. It is here where Gaia is 
   whole, all parts in one. And like it," she says, then moving the cub's 
   bloody fingers to brush over the sweater in a circle on her chest, "this 
   sweater becomes one, realm and spirit, dedicated to Silver Searcher, a part 
   of her." She makes a slight gesture, prompting her for her turn.
Meina tenses up as the ritual moves on to her. She watches intently as Megan 
   goes about her words and actions, and she shifts quickly when told to.
As the Silver Fang cub shifts, the sweater stretches with her. As hair 
   lengthens and covers, it disappears, not in shreds, but as if absorbed into 
   her silver body like water into a sponge. When the shift is completed, 
   Megan lets out a pent-up sigh of relief, formality seeming to drain out of 
   her like wine from an overturned cup. She reaches out a hand to touch 
   across Meina's muzzle in a brief gesture of 'welcome', then takes a step 
   backwards, mood returning to darkness but not quite so obviously rageful.
Silver Searcher opens her eyes up and looks down at Megan. She gives a lupine 
   smile and nods. ~Thank you.~ Then she looks around at everyone else, still 
   smiling. ~Thank you all.~
Kristine takes a deep breath, and closes her eyes as if revelling in the 
   energy of the Rite. Afterwards, she shivers, "I like that version. Better 
   than Derrick's way. though, music would've been a nice touch." She now 
   sounds like she's rambling, but at Meina's words she snaps out of it and 
   blinks owlishly at her, almost as if it's taking her a few minutes to 
   comprehend. "Yes, yes of course. Though, most of the thanks goes to Megan." 
   She turns and walks over to the Fianna, a hand reaching for her again.
Megan takes Kristine's hand and gives it a squeeze, the gesture companionable 
   more than anything. "You're welcome," she says gravely in answer to Meina's 
   thanks, then smiles thinly at Kristine. "Everyone's version is different. A 
   lot of it is based on auspice; it would be hard to learn it from a 
   different one. And if I was a better Fianna, I'd use music. As is, I make 
   do with what I am, and simply call on the Fifths."
Silver Searcher shifts back down to homid, her shirt reforming around her. She 
   grins and paws at it curiously, sniffing. "Weird. But good." She doesn't 
   seem to realize she's not wearing any pants.
Adam nods, taking this information in to mull over later. As Meina shifts back 
   down, he idly turns around.
Meina yawns suddenly. She smiles to everyone again. "Thanks. Thanks, Megan," 
   she says to her in particular. "I'm gonna go get some sleep," She says, and 
   wanders to the house.
Megan chuckles quietly. "I'm glad." She tugs on Kris's hand. "C'mon. Let's go 
   into town to grab some food, and I'll introduce you to Gannon and the 
   terror."