Adrian's Task

[hazlogs]

Date: The day before the big battle to retake the caern.
Location: Jarred's Loft

Adrian sits on the couch, watching a dvd in lupus.

There's a knock on the door.

Adrian looks over at the door and cocks his head. he jumps off the couch and shifts up into homid. The nude 16 year old young man looks around for his jeans and slides on his 501's. He remains shirtless, developing muscles underneath his tan skin. He pulls back his hair and opens teh door a crack, looking out, "Hello?"

Salem stands there outside Jarred's door in black jeans and dark green t-shirt. A flat box of some kind is tucked under the Walker's arm; it's currently covered with a black cloth. "Good morning, Adrian," he says crisply.

Adrian stands up respectfully, but lowers his eyes, "Good morning Salem-rhya, Sir." There is a definate awkwardness and fear suddenly about the young man. He opens the door for you, "Please come in, Sir." He does not make eye contact, he's very respectfully and one might even say submissive to the elder.

Salem grimaces, his face tightening. "Don't kowtow. It's irritating. And call me 'Mr. Salem' if you must, but simply 'Salem' will do." Stepping inside, he removes his sunglasses and gives the apartment a glance 'round. He adds, a little less brusquely, "'Rhya' is an overly formal term, and not a good term to use in public in any case."

Adrian shuts the door behind Salem. He nods, "Yes sir, Mr. Salem" The 'Sir' part comes naturally off his tongue, as if it's something he's grown up saying. "Would you like something to drink, Mr. Salem?" He makes his way to the kitchen to get you what you ask for.

Salem turns his eye back to the cub. "No, thank you." He hefts the cloth-covered box under his arm, shifting it to hold in both hands. "Your Get teacher asked me to find a favor for you to do, in return for your... error... the other night. Do you remember?"

Adrian walks out of the kitchen and stands before you. he nods, "Yes, Sir. I've been wondering when you'd actually call it in." He shifts on his feet and starts to say something else, but then shuts up.

Salem nods, then _almost_ smiles. Not quite, but almost. It's more a relaxing of the tense coldness that radiates off him than a real smile; the corners of his mouth don't even turn upwards. But his gaze is a little less hard, a touch less critical. "If James had not suggested it, I would not even be here. Your mistake was a very simple one, one that every human-born cub makes. Easily forgotten. Still." He holds the covered box out toward the cub. It's about as long as a shoebox, albeit wider and flatter. "This, mnh, 'favor' shouldn't take much time out of your day."

Adrian nods, "If I had known, Sir, I defiantely would not have either disrespected you or nearly got myself killed." He smiles nervously. He's not making excuses, just agreeing with you. He takes the offered package, looking down at it, but not opening it up.

Salem clasps his hands behind his back. He nods toward the box. "Lift the cloth."

Adrian nods and lifts the cloth and looks down at what is underneath.

The box is made of hard, lightweight plastic with a mesh lid and a heavier bottom. Inside is a layer of damp soil, a few shredded strips of newspaper, and half a dog biscuit. And a large brown cockroach.

"His name," says Salem, deadpan, "is Leslie. And he's officially in your care."

Adrian looks up at you and back down at the cockroach. "I don't understand, Sir."

Salem explains, patiently. "I'm a Glass Walker. The totem spirit, the patron, if you will, of my tribe is Cockroach. Cockroach is an old spirit. He's a survivor, but more, he is adaptable and very much at home in the city. Unlike the spider, Cockroach has never given himself entirely over to the Weaver, though he understands it better than other tribal totems. Now, one way for a Garou to show honor to an Incarna like Cockroach is to care for his mundane relatives." He nods toward "Leslie," who's currently motionless but for waving antennae. "Like your new friend, there."

Adrian smiles and kinda giggles. He looks up at you, his eyes relieved and no fear any more in them, "Yes, rhya. I think I understand." He looks down at the bug. "What does he eat?"

Salem rubs at his bearded chin. "Nearly anything. The ones at home tend to be fairly partial to cat food. The canned variety. I would have asked you to encourage a few to roam free where you live, but I doubt that your host would be agreeable with that." Any humor in the Walker's tone is extremely dry, almost inaudible. "In any case," he adds, hands behind his back again, posture tall and straight, "I trust that you'll see that he comes to no harm."

Adrian nods, "Yes, Mr. Salem. I promise to do my best." He sets the pet carrier down, "May I ask you some questions, Sir?"

Salem arches an eyebrow, Spocklike. "Of course."

Adrian smiles and looks you up and down, "I'm told you've done a lot, that I should respect you." He shurgs a bit, "As I have no deathwish, I'm cool with that. But I'm curious if you're in a Pack? I assume you'd be Alpha, yes?"

Salem's mouth twitches. "I am," he says, "in a pack. It's called Synthesis, and we follow Cockroach. But I am not its Alpha. John Smith, called Walks-Thin-Ice, is."

Adrian sighs a bit, "Damn, I was hoping you were. I could use some advice on being an Alpha." He frowns a bit and looks down.

Salem eyes the cub critically, a frown tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you?"

Adrian shakes his heas, "No, Sir." He smiles politely, "Some of us cubs are getting together to make a practice Pack. Lyra, Aiyana, myself and hopefully... Jacob. They've made me Alpha." He smiles proudly, "Lyra's convinced that, however stupid it was when I stood up to you, that I'm a good leader." He stands up tall, "So, with some advice from folks wever stared a Cub Pack called Gaia's Own. I just wanna talk to some Alpha about teh job description, ya'know, Sir?"

Salem folds his arms across his chest. He regards the cub stonily for a moment, then asks, "What do you want to know?"

Adrian shrugs a bit and smiles sheepishly, "Anything... everything... what am I suppossed to do other then lead and protect them? Fight alongside them, help teach them and be taught by them? What makes an Alpha an ALpha???"
Adrian looks at you with earnest eyes that wish to learn.

Salem is silent a moment before answering. "You've generally got the idea," he says. "You're leader to your packmates, and their representative and spokesperson as well. In battle, you give the orders and co-ordinate. You also need to know, of course, when to delegate tasks to a packmember who's better than you in X or Y. Be open to advice and suggestion, learn to recognize a good idea when it's put out, but remember that the final decision rests with you, for good or ill." He pauses a beat. "Watch some old World War II films. _The Longest Day_ and _A Bridge Too Far_ to start with, then work your way upwards."

Adrian nods, "Thank you, Rhya." He looks down a bit, "I'm glad you didn't kill me. I was really trying to kep control and not shift and kill you. I was watching the veil. Good thing for me I learned the Litany at least." He smiles up at you kinda demurely.

Salem doesn't smile back, though he eases up on the frown. "Very lucky." With that, the Glass Walker takes a glance at his watch. "Is there anything else you wished to know?"

Adrian shakes his head, "Not if you're in a hurry, Mr. Salem." The cub looks down at the cockroach, "I'll take real good care of Leslie." He stands up.

"I'm sure you will," says the Glass Walker smoothly. He starts for the door. "Give my regards to Jarred and Jamethon."

Adrian opens the door for teh Glass Walker, "Yes, Sir, I will" He amiles as you leave, "Thank you for stopping by Mr. Salem."

Salem nods once, then departs.