Secrets of Coyote - RPLOG
Participants
Date
11/11/2012-
Log
An envelope, embossed with golden lettering,
"To a Mr(s). Angus ua Fianna,
4000 Main Street,
Fairhaven, CA
Zephyr Tower, Box #29354,"
is slid under the door of Angus's lab. Within, a rather cryptic message, "Meet me and Coyote on 11/11/12 at 1730 PST. Come alone." No return address, no markings to identify the sender, just the message.
Angus stares at the envelope once again as he rechecks the location. It seems he had finally arrived at his destination and looked around half expecting to see some great throne that the Coyote was sitting on to glare at him. Instead he just found....A cave but yet it was a stange cave that gave off an odd feeling to it which made him feel nervous. "Hello..I got your message..I was told to meet you here?" His voice echoed oddly inside the cave as he waited for an answer.
The only sounds to be heard were the echo of Angus's voice, his heartbeat and breathing, and the ever steady 'drip, drip, drip' of cave formations. That is, until something sends the coyote-morph sprawling across the dank cave floor. The mystery assailant pulls Angus to his feet, binds his hands with a pair of wire-ties. With arms bound around a stone column, escape appears nigh impossible without assistance.
Angus didn't even get to react as he was thrown to the ground by an unknown Assailant and then bound to stone column. He had hoped he could of lefted his muscles and kept the ties loose, that was until he realized they were wire-ties which made that idea impossible,and when that failed he slumped against the stone column and glared straight ahead as he, once again,opened his big mouth. "What skipping the foreplay already are we. No talking just tying I see how you are...whoever you are."
"Relax, I have no intention of hurting you. On the contrary, this is for your benefit, not mine." As the words reach the coyote's ears, a large object blocks the cave's entrance and sole source of light, and Angus is cast into total darkness. "Rely not on vision, for it is the most easily fooled of the senses." Fingers run along down his ears, and trace a path along his muzzle in the darkness.
Angus trys to get a good look at the wielder of the voice. "My own benefit what are you talking about?" But even before he is answered the entrance is either blocked off or closed as the room is plunged into total darkness. He cringes feeling the voices fingers tickle agains his ears and then trail down his muzzle before he nods. "...Alright I'll see what I can do." Following the instructions he closes his eyes and trys to cast out with his other senses.
There's a chuckle from the voice. "Don't recognize me by scent? Perhaps I should leave you colorblind, or steal your vision altogether for a few days, maybe then you'll learn to advantage of that wonderful organ sitting on your face." Footfalls, with the quiet tapping of claw on stone. Suddenly, something presses against Angus's nose, warm air expelled against it, a hint of slightly rancid meat on the breath. "Recognize me yet?"
Angus hadn't really been thinking to much about that scent until he was actually trying to use his nose. Once he did he recognized that scent instantly and tried to supress a growl. "I recognize you alright Redd...what are we doing here."
"Good! There's hope yet for you. And You, my friend, are here to learn from me. Learn secrets, that simply by knowing them, will allow you to decide that, say, this apple..." A quick slicing noise, followed by a slice of apple being forced into Angus's mouth. "... Would be better suited as an orange." Another slice of fruit reaches the coyote's tongue, halfway through it's transition to citrus. "You must understand, however, that such power comes at a personal cost. If you aren't careful, these powers can, and often do, cause troubles that we mortals are incapable of dealing with on our own." The sound of a match being struck, filling the cave with dim light. The flame reveals a candle, which, once lit, lifts the veil of darkness. Even as the darkness lifts, Redd is nowhere to be seen, the candle, orange, and a box of matches sitting, alone, a few feet in front of Angus.
Angus crunches both the apple and the orange before opening his eyes to what would seem like a blinding light after all that darkness. Glance around and still not seeing Redd he frowns. "They seem to be very powerful secrets indeed then but why me and why now? I thought I had failed my so called initiation test." He hadn't forgotten what he had learned already as his ears swivel around trying to catch the bearest hint of Redds movment as he also trys to catch his scent.
"Failed the first, you did. Begun the second trial, we have." Redd's voice was almost sing-songy in tone. "Such a silly coyote you are, tried for the harder of the two options, you did." A tiny pair of hands hold onto Angus's ears, as a tiny face appears in front of Angus's face.
Angus was not very entertained as his ears were pulled and glared at Redd as he finally came into view. "Since when were there two options and if I remember right I didn't get to choose I was pretty much forced." As he continued to glare at Redd he tried to wrench his ears out of his grasp.
"The result t'was...Amusing, to say the least. But I expected you to do better. It turned into one of those troubles I spoke of, indeed." The tiny coyote dashed to Angus's nose, jumping and diving off almost as if the muzzle were a springboard (It played the part surprisingly well). As Redd reached the ground, he vanished. In moments though, a paw-like hand rested on Angus's shoulder. "Such fun it is to be at the focal point of our patron's power, ain't it?" Redd's voice came from behind now.
Angus watches the little yote standing on his nose. "Do better? I managed to turn Cerris into a roadrunner and didn't get killed for it." As Redd jumped off his nose it causes him to sneeze, blinking he looks around for the little yote before he felt the hand on his shoulder and heard Redds question. "It's...amusing to say the least but there is something off I think."
"Something off? No, nothing's off... Except the communicators, of course, no reception underground. What you feel the presence of a great power, one whom's stories were told for centuries in these lands. Remember last time we were here?" Redd whispers this into Angus's ear, then stands and whistles. "Here we have more power than anywhere, if you recall." A scritch behind the ear, and Angus is left there, his hands still tied up. "You should be able to slip out of those, if you work at it."
Angus sat there quietly as Redd told him that no communicator worked and then nodded as Redd whispered in his ear. "Yes I remember the last time we where here, but what I was actually hinting at was Smokie? Where you go she usually isn't far behind...and besides if this is some big coyote thing wouldn't she be here?" As Redd scritches his ear he leans into it before he is finally told he doesn't have to wear the restraints anymore. Nodding he takes a slow breath before concentration, a slow heat starts to gather in his palms as he weakens and softens the nylon ties holding his wrist together until, with a snap, he can easily break them with his strength.
"Smokie will be here soon enough, in the meantime, have a plushie." Within moments, Angus's open mouth has something stuffed inside. Fuzzy, probably mostly cotton, maybe a bit of polyester. Most certainly a plushie, though. "Smokie should be here in five, maybe 10 minutes at most? Won't be long, regardless."
Angus didn't even get a few minutes to breath before Redd is shoving a plushy down his throat, pretty much silencing him for a few seconds,and causes him to stare at Redd before spitting the thing out. "Well good I would hate to leave Smokie out of this and have her getting bored also Why in the world did you do that? The thing just tasted nasty."
The plushie spit out, landing on the floor. If someyote were to look at it, they'd note it looked a lot like Smokie, even with the missing half-ear and the little pouch around its neck.
Angus finally decides to give the Plushy in his hand a good look, noticing the familiar features on it. "...I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that Smokie is already here isn't she?" He frowns as he still can't seem to get the taste of the plushy out of his mouth as he rolls his shoulders, the shoulder rig he was wearing had been cutting into his shoulders when he was tied up and he wanted to get some feeling back in his arms.
The plushie's eyes gleam. It seemed to move, turning it's head to face angus, its stitched mouth turning up into a smile.
"Your shot in the dark strikes true, Smokie has been here the entire time. Rather rude to just spit somebody out like that though." The candlelight played off of the teeth of Redd's grin. The coyote pulls the plushie out of Angus's grasp, and brings the toy up to his mouth, where he takes the toy's muzzle, and begins blowing into it like one does a balloon. Within a minute, Smokie is standing full size next to Redd, although she still looked very much like an oversized plushtoy,
"Remind me not to accept any plushie like gifts from you Redd, and I apologizes for spitting you out Smokie...I'm just not a fan of your taste." Chuckling Angus stretchs, placing his arms above his head,before looking at Smokie again. "Nice look by the way, but the eyes combined with the smile is a little creepy."
Smokie makes a squeaking, artificial-like yipping sound, before padding up to Redd and nuzzling him. She keeps her head trained on Angus the whole time.
Angus stares at Smokie as she starts squeaking. "Smokie the squeaky toy. I bet dogs would love you" Chuckling to himself he leans against the stone pillar. "So what now?"
The plush coyote grins wider, until the stitches over her mouth begin to pop loudly in the cave. In her mouth is a light that glows in the darkness, brighter until a burst of flame emerges. Flashy. She blows fire over herself, the plush fabric burning off into ash and disipating as she seems to grow into a real, flesh-and-fur coyote again.
"First, we sit down. I believe we should tell Angus some of the tales of Coyote's great feats. Don't you agree Smokie?" Redd hugs Smokie close, before sitting the way any canine should. "Would you like to hear these stories, Angus?"
Angus blinks and is blinded for a short moment as Smokie burst into flames and turns to Redd. "Well I wouldn't mind a story or two." Still watches Smokie he sits down as well. "I've heard a few of his tails but I'm always open to hearing more."
The fire burns down and the little coyote stretches her legs. Her fur is fresh and clean and soft, her body feeling healed. Even in the dark, her shape stands out. She smiles, and sits back on her haunches next to her Redd, leaning on him. A smile. Yes, she loves telling stories... She knows the perfect one.
Angus sits quietly and watches Smokies fire burn down. "Nice party trick can you make smores as well?" Turning back to Redd he yanws and leans back. "Ok so what story are we going to start with?"
Smokie frowns at Angus. That wasn't even hurtful or anything. Indeed, it just made that bound yote sound scared and somewhat less intelligent. She was getting fairly tired of this... And so the small coyote takes a deep breath, and moves to her four paws. With her mouth closed, a raspy, growling voice asks Angus, "What will make you take this seriously?"
Angus shakes his head and is a little suprised when Smokie talks. "..Sorry, I'll cut it out now. It's a personal habit that I can't seem to kick, starting to call it foot in mouth syndrome." Taking a deep breath he nods. "Ok I'll take it serious I promise."
The coyote nods, sagely. Appropriate responce. She was kind of hoping he'd have something smartass to say, that would give her an excuse to play with him some. She had a story for that, too, but that would be later. This story, though, required a little something. "How were the stars put into the sky, and why do they make pictures?"
Angus held back the urge to make a smartass remark and nods. "Well if I remember right Coyote had a hand in it." Shrugging he waves his hand. "Last time I actually had any interaction with any of Coyote's stories was when I was on a Vision quest..and that was a long time ago."
Smokie grins, yes, something to work with. She begins to pace around in the cave, as told by the clicking of her claws on the rock floor. She snorts a bit, before she begins. "Back in the beforetime, all the animal-people were fairly... prideful. But even full of pride, Coyote had a great mind. Coyote was an artist, a jack of all trades. He could hunt AND weave, sew and skin. He could do both women's work and men's work. Some say that's because he was both." A pause.
Angus raises and eyebrow and looks down at his form. "Have you looked in the mirror lately Smokie because I think that whoever said that might be right."
Smokie stops, and turns to stare back at Angus. Her eyes glow gold in the darkness and, as she opens her mouth, the familiar glow of fire returns. She pads over to where the prospect stands. "What was that, PUP?" she snarled, before turning to bark at Redd, telling him to tie him up again. She wasn't REALLY mad. This was good in a Coyote. She just wanted to make sure he had it in him to keep it up.
"Since he escaped the zipties, methinks steel cables are in order?" A pair of cable crimpers and at least two meters of 1/8th inch steel cable is in Redd's hands, as he approaches Angus. Within minutes, Angus's arms and legs are both tied together.
Angus sighs as he is once again tied up and the smartass comments keep coming, even if a few of them are just plain horrible. "What the collar isn't enough have to add steel cables to spice up the foreplay?" He squirms and tests his new restraints before going back to stare at Smokie and the glow that was coming out of her mouth. "And just so you know this PUP thinks you should get a job working partys, People would love that little glowing trick."
Smokie growls louder. She hops up on him, using him as a ladder. And even if he tries, somehow, to move away, Smokie could balance on two paws. She puts her forepaws on his stomach, leaning in heavily. "Foreplay, Angus? Do you want foreplay? I can breathe fire... Will that be hot enough for you? Certainly, interesting for a blowjob."
A whistle, inaudible to the human ear, but leaving the ears of both Smokie and Angus ringing, pierces through the small cave. "Smokie! The story." Simple as that, and Redd drags them back to the topic at hand.
"Sounds Kinky, OH!" Angus smiled as he tried to squirm in his restraints. "I was going to have a barbecue in a few days and if you come we won't even need a grill....can you do burger to or just roast whinnies? I bet people would love a Smokie burg-" He was going to continue..that was until someone just had to blow a whistle and cause his ears to feel like soome had just smacked a bell near them. "Ow Redd...just ow." He blinks for a second before shaking his head and glaring at Smokie. "Thats right your supposed to tell me a story..about Coyote right?"
Smokie was starting to get really worked up, really actually pissed. Well, not actually pissed, but she loved playing with her toys. her tail was wagging as she was getting ready to retort, until the whistle blow felt like it stabbed her in both ears with icepicks. She yelps and falls back onto the ground, putting her paws on her ears, whining for a bit. She yaps an upset bark, before shaking it off. "Okay, story..."
"Yes, Stories must be told!" Can't let things get too off course. Redd grins and puts the whistle in a small pouch, "Tis the proper way to pay tribute, methinks."
Angus grunts as Smokie falls back and manages to kick him in the stomach. "Hey watch it...that's not a good place to be kicking at the moment." As he continues to stare at Smokie his ears swivel towards Redd and he nods. "Yes Smokie tell the story." Looking at her he gives her a big toothy smile. "Pleassseee!"
Smokie rubs her half-ear with her paw, sighing. She begins again. "So, Coyote was an artsy fella. Now, this was back before there were stars in the sky. All the animal-people complained to Great SPirit that the night was too dark, y'know. They couldn't hunt in it even with the full moon, and even the bats couldn't see well... So Great Spirit decided that they needed stars in the sky, every night.
Angus nods as he can't really do much else. "Ok this story is starting to sound familar...go on." Squirming a little to get confortabe he fails and only manages to fall on his side and grunts. "A little help here...."
Smokie smiles down at Angus, laying on her stomach slowly. Her muzzle is close to his, and he can smell her delightful scavenger breath every time she speaks. This is gonna be a looong story. "So Great Spirit knew just the person to do it," she continued happily, ignoring his plight. "Coyote! He was the only one who was creative enough to be trusted to put the stars in the sky beautifully, with pictures of things OTHER than himself!"
Angus looks at her for a few seconds before sighing and leaning his muzzle away so he didn't get a full blast of her breath. "So I'm guessing Coyote tricked the other animals somehow then?"
Smokie shakes her head, "No, not at all. Coyote DID boast about getting the task, though, but no one was really jealous. The birds kinda were, but birds are jealous of everything. They woulda ate the shinies. No, Coyote boasted and drank until it was time to get started, and climbed the tall ladder up the side of the Big White Teepee into the sky..."
Angus gives her a curious look as he trys to wiggle around in a more comfortable position. "So what happened next then?"
Smokie laughs, yapping loudly. It echoes in the cave. "He tripped! He was putting the stars in beautiful patterns in the sky. But the air is so thin up there, savvy? He started to get light-headed. He was walking along, his hand in the bag of stars, and tripped on one. They spilled all across the sky. That's why we have the milky-way.
Angus smiles. "Oh I would love a Milky-way I'm starving!" Smiling to himself he continues to look at her before shaking his head. "Sorry stupid comment, please continue."
Smokie frowns a bit, bopping Angus on the muzzle with a paw, before relaxing. "Well, it looks pretty, but the only thing that happened, was all the animal-people called him a fool. Oh, stupid Coyote can't do anything right. Coyote is a ditz... And even the Great Spirit told him, 'Coyote, you dun goofed,' but he didn't have anyone change it. Eventually, they grew to like it, but they still gave Coyote hell about it."
Angus whinces and leans away from Smokie as she bops him on his nose. "Ow hey! ok ok I'll stop." He looks at her for a few seconds before turning his head away to sneeze. "That's not good, I'm guessing Coyote didn't like that at all?"
Smokie nods sadly. "Coyote didn't. That would lead into the next story, which I may tell you later... But that's one of many tales. Coyote has much more tales than Inari, even! Do you know how old Coyote is?"
Angus shakes his head and frowns as his arms start to fall asleep. "No idea really, but I'm guessing he is extremly old....mind helping me up now my arms are starting to fall asleep."
Smokie snickers a little, a snorting-laugh-growl. "If I can." She nuzzles under his head to help him try to right himself. She's pretty small, though, she can't do much.
Angus manages to, after a few trys, sit up with Smokies help and gives her a nod. "Thanks...so how old is Coyote anyway."
"I heard he was the first being that the Great Spirit made. Though Smokie may know better than I." Redd grins towards his mate. "Did I hear correctly, or am I misinterpreting something?"
Smokie smiles over at Redd, sitting back on her haunches. "Some say that. I've actually heard a number. You'd know more about the number, but it's ten to the tenth power, ten times..."
Angus looks at both of them before leaning against the stone pillar again. "Thats pretty old actualy, so I've always wondered.
Angus looks at both of them before leaning against the stone pillar again. "Thats pretty old actualy, so I've always wondered....what happened to Coyote and why haven't we actually met him...I mean we are in his layer right?"
Redd holds up a small travel mirror in front of Angus's face, the glass is cracked, but it still works. "Take a good long look," He points at Angus's reflection, "That's him, right there, see his grin?" Sure enough, regardless of Angus's expression, the reflection was grinning ruefully back at him.
Smokie doesn't even need to look in the mirror. Instead, she stands up, her tail hanging but sweeping, as she takes a step back into the darkness.
Angus stares at the mirror for a few minutes before his gaze flicks back to Redd. "So what your saying is that Coyote lives in anyone who dedicates themselves to him or are you saying that we are all part of Coyote?" Leaning back he gives Redd a confused look before he notices Smokies disappearance.
"Sort of. By dedicating ourselves to Coyote, we accept a small portion of his power and it shapes our form, as you see in the mirror, and by now you should well know. But it also allows us to shape the form of others, once he's taught us how." Redd runs a finger along the outline of Angus's ear, "Tell me, can you hear him?"
Angus tiltes his head as Redd explains what he was talking about, but when his finger runs against his ear it twitches and he shrugs. "Um...not at the moment no but...I'll see if I can try and hear him."
The sound of claws on the cave floor. That could be Smokie, but in the silence, they sound much louder. They echo, airy, almost unreal. The seem to draw deeper into the cave, before pausing, and then returning.
Angus glances at Redd as he starts to here something moving farther in the cave, and his ears fold back. "Well I do hear something....And I don't believe it's smokie." Turning back to the darkened part of the cave he stares off into the darkness and continues to listen.
Again the soft pawsteps from the back of the cave, slowing as they near... A pair of gold eyes, but highed up from the ground than Smokie would be...
Angus notices the pair of gold eyes in the dark and his ears fold back, He was tied up at the moment but if he was free he would have probably taken a few steps back when he saw them, but as it were both his legs and his arms where tied so all he really could do was just sit there and ponder on what those eyes might be connected to. "
The eyes seem to come closer, as a figure strides out of the darkness on two legs... But it is not a normal anthromorphocized Coyote's figure. It's much more surreal, like a regular coyote on two legs, paws folded together inside a loose, hanging poncho, with a hood up over its head. Only the muzzle sticks out, only the eyes can be seen through the shadow of the hood.
Angus stares at the figure for a few minutes before glancing at Redd. "...Is that who I think it is, or is Smokie playing a trick on me?" Turning back to the figure he tiltes his head and gives them a curious glance. "Nice outfit, I think the poncho really completes the look."
"Smokie! That's where you went, come over here and help me teach Angus our secrets." Redd grabs the pounchoyote by an arm and pulls Smokie back towards him. "First we've got to slice these ties though." A pair of cable cutters is produced, and Angus's wristbinds are removed.
Angus rubs his wrists as the wire ties are removed. "Um thanks?" Looking back up at the two his gaze switches from Redd to the pounchyote and he starts to glare. "...you know I actually thought you were the real Coyote for a second there."
Smokie laughs, that yapping laugh again. Or perhaps, just yapping! Yes, there's no humanspeech laugh in there. The ponchoyote grins out from under the hood. "Who's to say that I'm not the real Coyote? Perhaps I am. Perhaps Redd is! You can never tell who Coyote will appear as."
"Wait wouldn't that mean I could be Coyote hm?" Angus jokes as he continues to rub his wrists. "So what secrets am I supposed to be learning anyway?" Looking back up his gaze is once again drawn towards Smokies poncho and he smiles. "thats a good look for you by the way."
The Smokie smiles, nodding a little. "I do enjoy it. The things you can find in the backs of caves, on skeletons."
Angus quirks an eyebrow at that statment. "skeletons in the cave...well can't be any worse then having skeletons in the closet." yawning he stretchs his arms over his head. "What is with you two and tying me up anyway, It's starting to cause my arms to cramp."
smiles softly. "Angus, when Coyote made man, Coyote made man out of clay... Clay can be re-wet to be made malleable again. What does this mean to us, the children of Coyote?"
Smokie smiles softly. "Angus, when Coyote made man, Coyote made man out of clay... Clay can be re-wet to be made malleable again. What does this mean to us, the children of Coyote?"
Angus nods and for once doesn't make a smartass remark. "Well, I guess that means that, if we choose, we can reshape the clay into any form or shape we desire right?"
"Indeed, and why are people so malleable today? The nanites. They act as water does to clay. They wet it, and allow it to be freely shaped again and again." Redd grins, continuing. "Knowing this, Coyote helps us to play the part of the potter, and shape the clay as we wish."
Smokie nods, "Precisely. Yes. People are just clay in their unrefined state.. Especially their minds. But what Coyote gives us, Coyote makes us able to shape them. But even we are still clay, in body, perhaps in mind."
Angus tiltes his head as they speak. "What do you mean by the their minds, I've never heard of a Coyote messing with someones mind."
"The mind is soft, easily changed. Ever noticed how instincts are different from one form to the next? That's the form meddling in your mind." Redd snickers quietly, "People who go feral, their mind is extremely soft, the innoculations can harden it some, but not enough to prevent them from feeling new instincts or urges."
Angus nods. "Ya the instincts can be a pain in the ass, but wait if ferals minds are so malleable....what exactly can we do with that?"
Smokie laughs, "Hah! Only what you can. We cannot directly manipulate a mind... But some psychology, with some form-changing to impose instincts... It can become an art to indirectly influence a mind."
Angus chuckles and shakes his head. "So back to the part about peoples forms being malleable, I've seen that in work when either of you change another persons form when they ask....but there has been one thing that has been bugging me." Sighing he nods. "Is it possible to...force another persons form, without their permission?"
"Very possible, but they can resist it, however. Especially if they've got some way of changing on their own." Redd nods, "However, with experience, one gets better at getting through those resistances. For example, there are very few beings for whom I cannot change completely and utterly, species, sex, sizes, even give them a dozen cocks if I wished. This takes a long time to master, however."
Angus taps his chin and then tugs at the bindings still on his ankles. "But isn't that putting to much power in our hands, I mean what if a coyote decides they want to go rogue and abuses their powers?"
The coyote in the poncho shrugs. "Dunno, Coyote eats them, or something. Honestly, we've never seen it happen.. But when it does, it will reflect on all of us. Every coyote in Zephyr was initiated by either Redd or I... Well, every one that I've seen."
"Wait so you two are the only coyotes who have been recruiting others?" Angus asks as he continues to fiddle with his bindings. "Thats...A little suprising really..I would of thought others would want to help with that."
"Only ones we know of, and now that you know the first of many secrets, shall we head home? Maybe next time we visit, we shall see the trickster himself?" Redd grins, and cuts the anklebindings. He offers a hand to Angus.
Angus takes the offered hand and stands up. "Ya sure we can head home...but I still want to learn how to change others." He sways on his unsturdy paws for a few seconds before nodding. "Alright ready to go when you are."
Smokie happils drops back onto all fours. She slides out of the poncho, and then under it, so it lays across her back like an oversized saddlery blanket. Now again to silence and the waking world.
