View source for 10.05.2020: Dinner and a Rite

{{Infobox Log
|name      = 10.05.2020: Dinner and a Rite
|summary   = Ouray teaches Tabi a rite and the two join Dawn for dinner
|icdate    = 10/5/2020
|ictime    = Early evening
|players   = Dawn, Ouray, Tabi
|location  = A cabin in the woods (dun dun DUUUUN!)
|spheres   = Shifter, Gaian, Fera, Gurahl
|themesong = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVo803nKKYs "Blood in the Dirt" - Artizan (feat. Armanni Reign)]
}}

After a conversation about rituals, Tabi was given directions out to the cabin and told that there would be food if she ever showed up with need of it. Ouray promised to walk her through Purifying the Land or Rending the Gauntlet as she desired, and of course Dawn piped up that she'd be cooking because she's a wonderful kinfolk like that! The big guy is outside with an axe and he's slowly peeling a few rounds of wood down into suitable cuts for fires both inside and outside probably by the stack that's slowly growing next to him along the wall of the cabin.

Dawn is cooking for two bears, so she's gonna cook for two bears. She's got the wood fire grill going and several pork loins as well as a slab of beef lain out and gently charring with love and seasonings. The back door is open, the screen shut, so she can keep an eye on the rest of the makings on the stove. There's a newly made picnic table that's got a cloth on it, and there's already a basket of cornbread and fry bread out, covered with cloth to keep the critters off of them.

Tabi whistles softly as she wonders down the trail, following the given directions. She pauses, to shift her pack and then continues along. As she gets closer, she hears the familiar sound of wood being chopped. Closer still, the smells of cooking. With a smile, she picks up the pace.

Ouray gives a final solid thwack that splits a last log and sinks the axe into the stump with a chuff, using a sleeve to wipe his brow he ends up pulling at that same shirt a few times to get a breeze going. Moving to stack up the last bits he gives Dawn a fertive look and wonders, "Is there anything you need help with?" Of course the smells of food are high but he can still pick out one of his own and he turns to make sure he can give Tabi an enthusiastic wave and a, "Hullo!"

Dawn stands at the grill, tending to the meat carefully. She looks over her shoulder at Ouray as he offers and shakes her head a little. "I've got this. You're already stocking the cabin up for like...the whole winter." She grins, a fresh sizzle coming from the grill as the juices drip down onto the coals. "Relax, have some tea." She leans to look as he calls to Tabi, lifting the tongs to wave in her direction. "Welcome!"

Tabi returns the waves. "Evening!" She hustles the last little bit to the cabin. As she finally reaches the cabin, she puts down her pack and gives a more 'formal' greeting. Ouray gets a grin and a bow. "Uncle..." And Dawn gets a hug.

Ouray is also a hugger so Tabi doesn't get far without getting a scooped hug of her own from him as she goes to give Dawn her own. With the wood done and the meal on and tended to, the man seems to be without for a moment and then ends up poking around for dirty dishes he can run inside quickly. "I hope it was easy enough to find?" he asks of his adopted niece, cuz it seems to be quite official at this point.

Dawn grins and returns her hug with one of her own, careful to put the meaty impliment down before getting in for a snuggle. She, is also a hugger. Putting the cover on the meat to let the heat build up she holds up a finger, "Second. Need to get the fixings." Before following Ouray inside so she can slip past him and start getting things off of the stove.

Tabi giggles like a little cub as she gets scooped up. And then again as Dawn returns the hug. After a moment, she regains her composure, though her grin is much wider. She nods at Ouray's question. "Oh yes. Your directions were very good." She pauses. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Ouray is passing Dawn inside as she bustles about for dinner and he's already snagged any platters from up high for her, being used to getting shooed at this point. When he steps out onto the porch again he shakes his head, "She is a very capable hostess," he explains to Tabi with a chuckle before he gestures towards some of the clear ground not far away. "Come, I have the tools, I will show you the ritual by performing it here," he explains as he steps towards a cleared circle with a wooden bowl and knife in the center.

Dawn starts putting things into bowls, and as she comes to the back door she holds them out, "Here, put these on the table please." Passing them out as she gets each one prepped and ready to go. Once the food is all out the door she follows with a pitcher of tea and a few homebrew beer bottles tied together on a string, heading over towards the table with them.

Ouray can't help the goofy happy smile that comes from watching Dawn be all domestic but he's focused on teaching the younger bear a thing or three that he had to figure out on his own sort. "The secret to our cleansing ritual is our blood, I know it seems silly that that is the key ingredient, but it is, as well as calls to Gaia, and her children, asking them for guidance and protection as you bang your drum and do your dance." His drum is sitting there, old and worn with a semi-fresh skin on it.

Dawn drapes cloths over everything while they work, very fastidious about keeping things clean while they work. She pours three glasses of iced tea, taking one for herself as she sits down at the table. Her smile is warm, encouraging as she watches him settle into teaching mode, and she's quite content to sit there quietly and listen. Maybe she'll learn a thing or two, even if the skill is beyond her.

Tabi hmms softly and nods slowly. "I think I understand. There is a power and... symbolism in blood. A certain dedication to the task at hand... an investment, of sorts? Anyone can say they want to the Mother, but not everyone is willing to put their money where their mouth is."

Ouray smiles some and nods, "That is part of it, there is a small part of me that believes that our blood invoking the protections of Gaia are what call her most powerfully," he says before going on to explain why, "The wolves have access to cleansing rites, they can clean the taint of the Wyrm from a place, but when we do it our way it takes the pollution with it too, it cleans the dirt and the water all around. However it can take time, as it does take our blood. A square mile is enough to be felt, doing more than two square miles at a time can cause harm and so we must also take our time in performing the ritual," he explains and then smiles bending to take a handful of dirt before pouring it into the wooden bowl with a low growled chant to the ancestor spirits.

Dawn sips at her tea, looking between the two bears as they discuss the particulars of the ritual. She watches as he collects the dirt, and there's a fair amount of it with easy access as her garden has been freshly tilled and planted. She looks very excited to have the ritual done on her land, watching the big man as he starts to chant.

Tabi's blue eyes watch Ouray intently, trying to take in every gesture and motion, no matter how small. At the same time, she cocks her head - listening to the prayer he offers the spirits. She bobs her head, as the ritual plays out, there are similiar refrains to the 'lesser' cleansing rituals she already knows, but there are obviously portions that are significantly different. This ritual builds upon the others, like a house is built on a foundation. She smiles faintly, as reasons why her Bari-Jaan taught her the things he did become a little clearer.

Ouray feels confident that the spirits have heard him enough that he proceeds to the next part and digs a small well within the dirt in the bowl. His water skin is pulled out and held high, using the Gurahl's tongue to speak to the healing powers of water before he pours it into the well he's made. A look to Tabi is given and he smiles some, "Always dilute your blood with water to spread over a greater space without having to suffer too much," he gives her a trick of the trade even as the knife comes to bear and he cuts across his palm to bleed into the bowl as well, creating a bear tinged water that then mixes with the dirt to create a paste. He mixes this thoroughly and when it is done he smiles and nods to Tabi, "Now we must create a line, a path for the the purifying to know where it begins and ends." he tilts his head to bring the younger bear even as he walks out some yards to create some space around Dawn's cabin, a square mile to make it easy, with the log house being the center. He shows Tabi how he grabs a bit of the paste and then slowly draws it into the dirt to create a line. Maybe out of visual distance from Dawn he even does a bit of a dance to appease the spirits.

Dawn sighs softly, her glass getting put down on the table and her hands propping her chin up as she watches. There's a soft look of affectionate wonder as Ouray starts to mark out a boundary around her home, intent on clearing the land of any residual nasties that might linger. She glances to Tabi as she follows along, then back to the man as he dances a little.

Even though she knows it's coming, Tabi still grimaces slightly as Ouray slashes his palm. The young healer really doesn't like people to be in pain, even for a good cause. But she knows some things, unpleasant as they might be, are neccesary. And some things are definitely more important than a minorly inconvenient cut that will heal soon enough. She does give a slight grin as she gets let in on one of the tricks of the trade - so that's how you cover square miles of land. Clever. She follows her new mentor obediently, watching the dance carefully. Her legs twitch slightly, wanting to follow in his steps - but she resists the urge. She is here to observe and learn... not get her boogie on.

So it goes as he makes his way in an even pace around what would be considered Dawn's property, but really she is a good bear kin and only claims the cabin she's put up here. He's getting to the bottom of the bowl as he makes a wide circle around. Sometimes it is drumming, sometimes it is chanting to the spirits, but always there is some movement. He lays the pasty circle down and as they come around to the beginning of it once more he smiles to Tabi. "It is important to remember where you came from before you can get to where you are going, everything is a cycle, much the same the ritual to Purify the Lands is," he explains and only then begins laying down the last of that blood infused dirt paste to complete the circle. A breeze slips through the trees, the very wooden giants seemingly taking a breath as anything left that shouldn't be there is quickly escorted out by spirits or the very ground itself explusing some rotten water reserves deep under the surface.

Dawn laughs softly, reaching to catch her hair as the wind picks up to blow through the little yard behind the house. She's grinning like a fool, looking around as the hush goes through the clearing. Still she's quiet, she can keep her questions to herself until they're done, but she does go over to the grill to get the meat off of it now, the coals cooled down enough to keep things warm without drying them out.

As the ritual ends, back at the beginning, Tabi bows her head - with a mix of reverence and giddiness. Tonight, she has learned one of the Gurahl's greater secrets. It's not, ya know, fighting Mangi for someone's soul - but it's an awesome tool to have in the arsenal. And she is just one small step from being able to add that very tool to her own collection. She watches, impressed, as even this pristine land rejects some impurities. She looks to Ouray and smiles, bowing her head again. "Thank you, Uncle... "

Ouray seems sweaty, tired, exertion setting in even if he didn't do a whole lot, there is part of his very essence in the casting of the Ritual, but when it is done he is smiling even if he's a bit worn out. "You are very welcome," he says before giving Tabi a fond clap on the shoulder, "You will be getting nagged to cleanse wolf territories soon enough," he chuckles and then tilts his head towards the cabin, the food, and the pretty kinfolk beaming like a lighthouse, "Come, there is food, and we can talk by campfire. This is good," he states simply even as he moves to rejoin Dawn.

Dawn starts carrying over the slabs of meat, putting them down on the table amongst the bowls of potatoes, pasta, an assortment of veggies...as well as some of her cornbread muffins and honey butter; because Ouray seems to dig those. There are also regular biscuits if corn's not your thang. "Please, dig in. Leftovers will be sent home so if you don't get to something tonight I'll pack you a to-go container." She's beaming, "Thank you very much for seeing to my home." Her voice soft and warm as she thanks the big man, waiting until they've picked their spots before settling in at the table as well.

Tabi nods, making a beeline for her pack. "I brought you both a small gift - as a thank you for your kindness and hospitality. It was the least I could do. I should probably deal with it before too much more time passes." She opens her pack and carefully retrieves a soft-sided cooler bag from the top of the pack. "I hope you like salmon?" She opens the cooler bag and removes a good sized Pyrex baking dish with a lid. Inside can be seen several good sized salmon filets (enough for the two of you to have a good meal with the addition of a side dish or two) marinating. "They should be wonderful by tomorrow. The marinade is basically honey, soy sauce and garlic - with a few other spices for flavor."

Ouray is already salivating as it is with the meats he can smell being cooked and coming off the fire. Dawn gets wrapped up with one big arm and he's giving her an affectionate bonk of his forehead against hers before moving to sit at the table with a slight fwump. Clearly the big guy is making room for the tiny kinfolk still. Tabi's treat though earns an exceptionally loud stomach rumble and he wide-eyes at it, "I do not know when my family decided that feeding me so well was the order of things, but I am not complaining," he notes before licking at his chops and eyeing the pork and beef tenderloins, "Can we start eating?" he asks with a hint of hopefulness towards Dawn.

Dawn grins happily, nuzzling him back as he bumps noggins with her. She looks to the offered gift and beams, "Oh thank you Tabi. I think Salmon is a particular favorite." She grins and reaches to take the dish from her, "I'll just go tuck it in the fridge." Ouray's hopeful tone makes her laugh, "Yes, dig in. Eat, eat!" Then she's heading towards the stairs with the fish so she can tuck it away for tomorrow.

Tabi sits, laughing and relaxed. All that work and studying and stress still waits for her back in the city, but that's a lifetime away. Here and now? She feels better than she has in a long time. She should have joined the caern and surrounding communities years ago. She eyes the spread. with a quirked eyebrow. Where to begin?

Ouray is not a wolf, so when Tabi sits at the table, he promptly takes a thick slice of pork and a thick slice of beef and puts both on her plate before serving himself. A grin given as he encourages her to eat up. He's already also piling on some sides for himself before he tucks into the pork first and then a bite of beef, and then some taters, because bears are just hungry and it's all fucking delicious. Dawn can hear from inside the warble of a job well done as the bearman sings his praises to the cook while chewing voraciously, and uses his hands mostly.

Dawn comes back out and settles in at the table to dish herself up, joining in the meal. A small grin follows. "I'll have to look into it, and see if the creek is big enough to support it, but some of the classes in the area have been doing the Salmon hatchery program. If it can qualify I'll see if we can't let some fry go here, and maybe in a few years there might be salmon in the backyard."

Tabi isn't exactly dainty, by most standards, but she takes a moment to bob her head in silent thanks to Ouray for serving her and to Dawn for the Herculan task of cooking all this. She cocks her head. "Never thought of doing something like that." She grins and bobs her head. "The kids are in good hands - their teacher's a genius." And then she digs in. Barbeque! Nomnomnomnom.....

Ouray blinks a bit and then smiles with Dawn joining them, it's like a right family meal time even - the big guy might end up a lil misty eyed before the end of things! "Ommnn salmon," he mumbles softly while stuffing his own face without much hesitation. Dawn knows him and accepts him, manners and all. A grin is given to Tabi and he nods, "She is very smart, and very good with the children. She may end up over at the Kinfolk House teaching all the kinfolk too, but we still haven't met with Nascha yet," he explains before tucking into another bite or five of pork before simply serving himself another sampling of the meats.

Dawn nods slowly, cutting herself a slice of the beef to put on her plate. "I mean, it's kind of a win-win situation. Closer to home, I get to be around all the little ones here, sounds like it possibly pays better." She shrugs a little, looking over at Ouray, "Can't really see a downside." A glance around the property, "And it would let me fix up a few things here. Get some solar panels on the roof and have super hot water..." She sighs, sounding wistful. "Lamps are all well and good, and fun during bad weather. But having that little extra umph would be nice."

Tabi cocks her head at Ouray's comment. She grins, after she swallows the mouthful she was chewing. "I've been trying to meet with her as well, actually. Was trying to see if she had any need for some extra volunteer hands at the House. An extra medic and pair of heavy lifting arms probably wouldn't be amiss." She gives Dawn a little grin. "So, who knows, we might be seeing a bit more of each other."

Ouray is chewing through sides right now, clearing off his plate for some more meat - protein to fuel the massive engine that is his body. "I'm not seeing a downside either," he admits before blinking slowly, "Solar panels?" he asks because this is yet another new thing for the man who hasn't been awake for most of the twenty first century. "Well, I do know how to poke her, perhaps tomorrow night the three of us can venture to the Kinfolk House and see bout getting her out," he decides and then smiles, "I do not hate the idea of you two being at the Kin House doing good works," he says.

Dawn oohs and gets a little more animated, "They've invented a way to absorb the rays of the sun when they strike a surface and convert it into energy for homes. It's an amazingly clean way to power things. They can just be a little expensive. I mean...it's not like my house is huge or anything and it'd just be for lights and a water heater." She shrugs a little. Nodding to the mention of going to the kinfolk house she nods. "That would be a great idea. Get it all done at once so we're not having to pester her over and over again."

Tabi pauses, swallowing her current mouthful. "I... owe some service to the Sept. Or at least I feel like I do. I was working alone for too long." She shrugs. Funny that the younger of the two bears has had the more traditional upbringing. "And helping the kin families seems like both a noble cause and a good use of my skills."

Ouray is a little awed by that concept and it takes a while for it to settle into his mind. Electricity was just being harnessed when he went to sleep, and now someone can simply capture the energy of the sun and convert it into power for the home? He's chewing slowly before finally going, "Wow," in a simple response before nodding, "Then we will see if we can get solar panels," he says easily. Then a nod, "Yes that seems wise," he admits before tilting his head at Tabi for a moment, "We do not owe the Sept any service, my niece, it is simply our calling to help and provide succor for all even if there is danger to ourselves in the process," he tries to clarify to hopefully crystallize her motivations some.

Dawn nods and smiles softly, and a bit of a sparkle lights her eyes. A mischevious grin lights up. "Then a bigger bathroom with a giant tub." She's blushing as she takes a couple more bites of her meal, then mmms. "Pretty good if I do say so myself." She looks over at Tabi and winks before she starts in on her veggies.

Tabi nods. "I understand, but I'm about six years past my Gallivant. And I'm only just now taking my place in bigger local events?" She shrugs awkwardly. "It feels like I should have been here a few years ago." She pauses and chuckles softly. "Well, I think I've got the 'even if there is danger to ourselves' part down pretty good, if nothing else." She pauses and laughs at Dawn's comment. "You can never have too big of a bathtub." But then again, she's a rather large swimmer and surfer.... who can become an even larger bear. Tub size is important.

Ouray makes a low guttural sound of satisfaction before nodding enthusiastically, "This is great, Dawn, thank you," he turns and presses a kiss to her temple, daring that much affection. A shake of his head comes and he gives Tabi a reassuring smile, "You came when you needed to and not a sunrise too soon or too late," he counters and smiles, "You've been fighting fires and things in the mountains for a time, and now is the time to join the community that has become. Do not feel guilt over the timing," he encourages and then tucks back into food while teh talk of tubs has him blushing just a little.

Dawn smiles at the kiss, tilting her head a little as he plants a peck against her temple. "Ooooh, the pies!" She moves to slide out of her seat. They need winter padding she's going to provide it. Possibly all in one meal. She turns to head for the steps, hopping up onto the porch to dart inside. When she returns, she has a pie in each hand. Apple and a strawberry rhubarb.

Tabi gives Oubray a smile. "A Gurahl is never late. Nor is he early; he arrives precisely when he means to?" She realizes the source of the quote might go a little over her mentor's head, but the sentiment is pretty clear and fitting. And that's all that matters.

[[Category:Dawn]] [[Category:Ouray]] [[Category: Tabi]]