6414/Wet Dog Smell

Wet Dog Smell
Date of Scene:	02 June 2021
Location:	Apple Park: Salem Center
Synopsis:	While heros do great deeds, some quiet shifters run into a sprinkler. Hey, it's hot out!
Cast of Characters:	Rahne Sinclair, Gar Logan

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Rahne Sinclair has posed:
The sun beats down relentlessly; summer has come a bit late, but it is here in force. If this place was better known, there would be picnics or parties going on. The heat keeps it down. It's one of those dog days of summer, as the saying goes.

A small redhead looks out at the grass. This area was just being done up by the park's gardeners. There are keep out signs, as new grass has been planted in some areas. But there's something there that has her raptly attentive, and the gardeners...they've just left.

They turned on a sprinkler. She feels sweat all down her shirt. How often does she get this chance, without others to watch? In public, or semi-public? Nobody she can see, she inches forward. Then runs. Oh god, it looks so good.

As the water hits her face she sighs. She has to walk to stay in the water, as the sprinkler crosses the grassy field, but it soaks her down. "OOooooh, Laird Above. Thank you..."

Gar Logan has posed:
"Salem Center? I think this is it. There's that big school over that way.." Overhead, a green hawk soars as it nears the park. The reason there is a green hawk up there are not yet clear, nor is there an explanation for there being a green hawk in the first place. What a world.

As it passes over the park below, it sees the place is pretty much deserted except for a few people around, though one of them, the redhead, seems sectioned off from anyone else based on the layout and the arrangement of the trees and paths. Maybe it's curiosity that leads to the hawk circling as Rahne begins to follow the path of the sprinkler as it moves. What was she running for? Oh, yes. That /is/ a stream of water.

And it /is/ pretty warm. Continued circling. Maybe a run through the sprinkler is the right idea.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
The redhead, her hair nearly shaven levels of shortness, stands in the stream of water letting it pour over her. Oh. Bliss, she allows this to happen even though she knows that she'll owe penance. This. This, is a wolf moment. And she's doing it now, as a human.

She looks around, biting her lower lip with worry. Her shirt is drenched, if anyone were to see her now she'd scream. Or, keep it inside and hang her head. Or run. Or...or something.

But there's only the grass, trees. She sees a bird. The water messes with her sensitive nose, so she simply walks into the stream. Then turns her back to it, letting it soak her shirt, grinning. "Ah cannae keep doin' thes," she says aloud. a

Gar Logan has posed:
The hawk is no longer overhead by the time she looks that way again. A decision has been made. It's a question as to the identity of the woman or girl below - age wasn't easily determined - but she's in for a surprise.

What kind of surprise?

The sort where one of those mid-sized, energetic-looking dogs romps in from one side and seems to float past the stream of water, its mouth wide open. "Woo-hooooo!"

It repeats the leap from the other side, soaring past.

Wait. Did it just 'woo-hooooo?' And why is it completely green?

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
She freezes. The feeling in her fingers and her toes goes numb, and her eyes dilate a bit, when she hears the yell. Sees green from the corner of her eye. Turns.

Sees a dog. She falls on her bottom then, her heart racing, and the sprinkler shoots her right in the face. Spluttering, she shifts to one side and tries to track the dog's progress. Her shirt, soaked through, hides nothing. Luckily she has nothing to hide, it's like looking at a boy. "Wh...wha...?" That comes out of her mouth, and she turns her head to track the dog, left, right.

"Wot be...who?"

Gar Logan has posed:
After the green dog has had its fill of water and got a bit wet himself, he skids to a stop after the last pass and turns to look in Rahne's direction, head tilted curiously, one ear straight up, the other half-flopped over.

This is just in time to watch her stagger on the wet grass and take a blast of water, causing him to..grimace?

"Uh, you're supposed to /open/ your mouth if you want a drink. It works best that way," he says, his tail giving a brief wag.

Yeah, the dog just talked. Imagine that.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Oh boy. How to react to that. Alien dog. "I, um, do ye, um." She isn't the best under pressure, one reason why she's not left the school yet. "Alien dog?" she asks, uncertain if she should offer her hand, or turn and run. She splits the difference and tilts her head, showing her throat a bit. She's got some doggy body language going on.

Then, showing how little she gets what's going on, she asks, "Do ye need tae find yer space-ship? Ah dinnae know th' area."

Gar Logan has posed:
The dog has just been given a great opening to have some fun. He doesn't know a thing about this person, but she certainly seems to be caught as off-guard by this as one might expect to be. "Yes, yes, earth human. I am Comet from the planet Pluto. Or rather, your scientists have decided it is not actually a planet, but it does not matter to us. My people have been studying your planet for generations and we have seen the friendships you make with our less intelligent cousins. It is touching."

The green pooch pads closer, forgetting about the sprinkler enough that it spritzes him across the hindquarters, which sends him spinning with a yelp and a snap at the water. So ungraceful. "Ahem. As I was saying, you can understand me because telepathically, it helps us communicate with you." Trouble is, he's trying his best not to snicker and..it's just not working very well especially in light of the throat exposed to him.

There may be reason to doubt his story.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
With the sprinkler passing over them both, the refreshing waters being wasted on silly things like grass and plants, Rahne Sinclair peers at the dog. She frowns, her brows furrowing just the slightest bit, and she sniffs.

Yes, sniffs. Like a dog would sniff, as she's already on the ground anyway. "Yer bum's en th' windie," she says as she looks at the green dog, her head turning skeptically. Of the two of them she may actually be the more alien of them.

Translations available on request. "Th' Laird disnae loch liars. Bot he dae protect fools. Which be ye?"

Gar Logan has posed:
The dog's snickering sounds a lot like a certain cartoon character. Muttley.

The young woman's reaction to all this leaves him incapable of continuing the charade. "I'm not gonna pretend I understood all of that, but I'll be honest with you and you seem nice."

He gets spritzed again, causing him to move out of range of the water, or at least most of it. In doing so, his form changes from dog to human, still green, but also with a costume of some kind. "Beast Boy, of the Titans, but you can call me Gar if you want. You'll find few out there more fool than I."

A hand is offered for a shake. A more traditional one, that is. At least, maybe after she's decided whether or not to take it to help stand up. "I noticed you sniffing, too. And I am definitely not staring."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
He's definitely staring. Oh god, I'm basically naked! My life is over, a boy can see me.

The girl's face falls as she looks at the hand, then down at herself, then up at the boy. Then suddenly there's a wolf there, with that same red fur colour as the girl's hair was. And the girl is missing. It happened fast, almost a blink and you missed it. But the odd thing isn't the dog. Wolf, whatever.

It's that the wolf, huge as it is, is backing away. It looks like it's afraid. A predator that outmasses Beast Boy by quite a bit, clearly not wanting to engage.

She is, clearly, from Pluto or something.

Gar Logan has posed:
Gar Logan's hand drops back to his side, and if there's any disappointment in the reaction it's overshadowed by the fact there's a wolf before him. No matter that it's basically tucking tail and acting ready to run. "Dude! You're a shifter too! That's awesome! Aww, don't run away!"

He does the impulsive thing and takes a few steps in approach, holding that hand out again. "I don't bite! Or kiss and tell! I mean, I have someone, but I'm just saying I'm not like that and..okay, okay, just don't run off. I wasn't even thinking of anything like that!"

Deciding it might be best to just stop where he stands, the hand remains out but his palm is up in a 'peace' sort of gesture. "Please? We definitely have things to talk about."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
The wolf doesn't run, exactly. A few paces back, it turns and looks back at him. Then, as suddenly as before, the girl is there. Her arms are crossed over her chest and her face is looking down and away, her feet shifting restlessly. She isn't running, but if one has any empathy at all she may as well be.

"Ah nae be...good a' t-talkin'," she says, stuttering a little. Oh, that hateful stutter. Only when she's nervous. She turns her head, her green eyes looking up at the green boy. Nerves so obvious, she can hardly interact. This is no warrior, and she clearly did not mean to let him know. Yes, a shifter. And a coward. I'm a coward. I hate myself, so much.

Gar Logan has posed:
Back human? No running off? Good, good. That's a start. Gar motions toward a bench. "It's okay. I do enough talking for a whole room of people. Wanna go sit down over there? I can sit at one end if it makes you feel better. And I can look somewhere else."

He's already taking steps in that direction, his bare feet leading the way. "Man, this grass feels so nice, too. It looks like they just laid it down. That must be what the signs are for. We're trespassing!" Two degenerates, for sure!

Whether or not she follows, and naturally he hopes she does, he's going to try to crack through these defenses somehow. "I'm not gonna try to make you stay here, or talk about anything you don't want to, but you must have heard of the Titans? At least give me a chance? I was only trying to make you laugh with the Comet from Pluto thing, since you gave me the idea."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
She doesn't sit, but she does walk toward where Beast Boy has chosen to sit. Sitting would put her too close. She has instincts like the wolf she can become, though a much smaller one. An omega wolf if anything, the most submissive type. Not always weak, but always lacking in dominance. Loved by the pack, for the place they stand. And often...often beautiful animals.

"Ah may hae heard o' th...of ye," she offers as she lifts her right hand to run over her almost bald head. "Ah didnae get th' tellie en Scotland, en th' chapel." Anyone who hadn't already picked her for a Scot, and likely a shut-in, wasn't paying attention. "But...ye be Beast Boy. One o' th' great heroes?"

Gar Logan has posed:
"Okay, over there is fine." Gar still doesn't look her way, except for a few glances to keep tabs on where she's chosen to keep herself. "But I gave you my name. Do I get yours?" he wonders, hands settling in his lap. The costume certainly marks him as different, if the green everything didn't do the job already.

He realizes he's going to need to be careful here. She's skittish, timid, scared, all the things he knows most wolves /not/ to be. "So you can turn into a wolf, you're Scottish, you're religious, and you thought it'd be fun to go play in the sprinklers. I can appreciate that."

It's the last part he picks out to focus on. "A great hero? Is that what they say? No. It's like, we just try our best, you know? We mess up sometimes, and we've had some painful stuff go on, like Doomsday when Superman died. We lost people, and for a while it broke us apart but I think at some point we figured out there was still a lot we could do to help others. We're a big family first. What about you?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Her face says so much. If he were looking at her, he'd see the emotions pass over her features. How much should I tell him? Is he cute? What does he mean, what does he really mean? Are heroes all scared? Can you be a hero if you're a coward like me? What does it feel like to die? Do I trust him?

Does it matter, if I don't trust myself? She looks at the sprinkler. He mentioned that. It's important that he mentioned it. He thinks that being silly is something good. Maybe he's really not scary after all. Oh lord, I've been quiet for so long, he's staring. He's not staring, what? Why isn't he staring, do I not look pretty? Am I pretty? What ...say something, idiot.

After a good minute of standing there silent, she says, "Ah be Rain," softly,as if it's her name. "ah mean, Wolfsbane. Ah be Wolfsbane." She nods, but then she starts to wring her fingers. "Dinnae put stock en me, ah be nobody. Th' teachers hae been tryin' tae...ah mean, ah.."

The sigh as she fails once again to finish a thought is audible. "Trainin' es meant tae make ye good en a crisis." a...pparently that's related?

Gar Logan has posed:
If he knew all of what was going on inside her head, a lot of it would parallel places he's been, places he still sometimes goes to. If she knew him, and knew some of what he's put up to hide his own insecurities, what would she think? What would she say? You learn something about someone when you see their vulnerabilities and how they cope with them.

Clearly he likes fun, if the way he romped through the sprinklers as a dog was any indication.

"Rain?" he repeats, the way 'Rahne' sounds. "That's a very..Scottish name, I think. It must be, because it's yours. Right? And wolfsbane is also known as aconite, or monkshood, or other names. Very poisonous, but used as a medicine in real life and in some stories, for werewolves. But maybe it has another meaning for you?" Gar knows a few things about animals and certain things connected to them, that much is clear.

"Obviously someone who can turn into a wolf isn't a nobody, and since you can control when you change I'm gonna guess you're not an actual werewolf." The mention of teachers is a clue, a hint, but he doesn't push that just yet. "Training has always helped me figure out what I can do, helped me practice ideas and teamwork, and it prepares you for real situations. That doesn't mean it's always gonna work."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
Rain looks at him, as he recites a toxicology list for her codename. She blinks then opens her mouth, then closes it again. One thing she never ever does is talk over someone, so only when he's done does she dare to speak. Though really, she could have without being impolite.

Someone tell her that.

"Ah nair liked th' codename. Et sounds selly, laike ah'm m' own worst enemy." Wait, that might make sense. If someone actually knew me. I might...no. Talk it over with God, later. If he's listening.

"Ah hae ano'er name ah wan'ed tae use, but et be selly. Ye'd laugh."

At least she's talking, if not necessarily addrssing every single point brought up.

Gar Logan has posed:
"Are you? Your own worst enemy, I mean," Gar wonders, since she pointed it out in the midst of explaining that the codename isn't one she favors. "I'm not all that old yet, but I'm not a little kid so Beast Boy sounds a little childish, but I still like it and it fits me since I can turn into just about anything. I might change it someday, but I might not."

He remains in place, comfortable if nothing else, and he adds, "I love to laugh. Laughing is good. It's healthy. But I like to laugh /with/ people, not /at/ them. You can tell me it if you want, but you don't have to."

After a pause, he rubs one of his ears - they're pointy! - and he murmurs, "I really hope it's not Comet, because that'd be too much of a coincidence."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
She smiles, finally she smiles. It's a small smile but like the rest of her emotions, it's honest. She only smiles when she means it. "Ye be nice. Beast Boy nae be a bad name. Ye made et proud."

Then, on her own answer, she says, "Et be th' name o' a cookie." she says with a half-giggle. "Th' name ah was gonnae use. Ginger Snaps," she says. Then she blushes, and smiles just a bit wider, looking down again.

She made a joke?

Gar Logan has posed:
"Well, thanks. It helps to like your name," Gar points out. "But, you know, if you don't like a name that much, there's no reason you can't change it."

As soon as she mentions 'cookie,' he blurts out, "Chocolate chip?!" Then she gives it and he raises a brow. "Ginger Snaps? That could be, like, a play on words. You have red hair. You know, a ginger? And maybe if you get angry you get all bitey and stuff, so..the ginger snaps?" Yes? No? He adds, "Those were also some movies that came out about, uh, werewolves, and it was like this metaphor for maturing. And..yeah."

Maybe he's not sold on the name, but if it was meant to lighten /her/ mood then he's all for that! Yeah!

Then he asks, "Hey, wanna see something? What am I?" Still on the bench, he turns into a feline, not far off from the size of a housecat, with tabby striping all the way down to a ringed, bushy tail and all. It looks at her attentively. "I'm a wee kitty, aye?" he says, a rather poor attempt at a Scottish accent.

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
There are times, when a person is many things. Scottish. Werewolf, mutant, redhead, silly. Perhaps they're a shapeshifter, or something complicated like a writer, or a coward. And then there's now, when the girl in front of Gar Logan is just...a girl.

She smiles, hunching down a little to look at the kitty. She offers her hand, just a little. "Always wanted a kitten," she says, longing in her voice. Then she's all those things again, as she closes off her features. Draws back a little. "They all smell th' wolf. Ah've ne'er held a kitten en m' life."

The sadness never, fucking, ends. Does it?

Gar Logan has posed:
The Scottish wildcat is full-grown, therefore not exactly a kitten in size, but Beast Boy can pretend well enough. He is shameless in giving that hand of hers a bump with his head, just a friendly gesture. Of course, him speaking throws the whole thing off a bit, if the green coloration didn't already, but he says, "I can smell it too, but I can be a wolf so it doesn't bother me." How he speaks like this, it may be a mystery.

"Never? Not even as a child?" She still looks young enough to him that she might pass for mid-teens or so, but. "Do you want to?"

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
She doesn't want to talk, now. In fact the touch of fur on her hand, the first in her life, makes her heart stop. Just a little, not all the way. But there's no feigning it. She has NO IDEA how to pet a cat.

She pats the little Beast Boy on the head, kind of like patting a human, and blinks as she's rubbed against. She holds still, holding her breath. Then, "Nae." To answer both questions, but at least one of those is a lie.

And then, she stands. "Must...pray," she says, out of breath. She looks at him, taller for the moment but very small, and gives a little wave. It looks like she wants to reach out again, but there's so much emotion in it. To touch, when it's a boy, but it's a cat, and it's soft. Awkward, wierd, wonderful.

She stands. She knows, it's time to go.

Gar Logan has posed:
The wildcat has risen up to balance on his hind legs like he's a meerkat, like he's trying to get closer to a snack or a meal, but he lowers back down after seeing and sensing the conflict in the girl, the she-wolf, the one who is struggling with more than he knows. Maybe not more than he can identify with, but more than he would specifically be able to guess.

The patting, at least, leads to a friendly purr, but as she declines he cuts it off and even as a cat, Beast Boy looks a little sad and worried. As he returns to normal, the costume reappearing again, he does so while balancing atop the seat of the bench in a crouch. "Well, ahh, you be safe, then. And if you ever want to talk and get anything off your.." He almost says chest before catching himself, "..shoulders, you can call us at Titans Tower, or find me on social media if you use that, and send me a message. Or, you know, if you don't, I understand."

He sits back down and bites his lip enough that his underbite shows, a snaggletooth that pokes up. "And don't be afraid to run through the sprinklers again. And do stuff that makes you smile. It's better than the alternative. Believe me, it's a lot better."

Rahne Sinclair has posed:
If she smiles, she means it. That's something true about her. Her body is honest. So when she smiles, just a little at his offer of concern and compassion, it's a blessing.

"Ye be a good man, Beast Boy," she says. Not a 'bonnie boy'. A good man. Then she looks about, and says, "Maybe will come to this sprinkler again, if God allows et." Then she turns to look at him, bows her head deeply enough to hide her eyes.

And the wolf is there, turning to run off. But it pauses at the edge of the trees, to look back.

Gar Logan has posed:
"I try," Gar answers, and he gives her a wave back. "Doesn't have to be this sprinkler. Even the one at your house or whatever." Whether God allows it or not, it doesn't really register for him. To come back here is his choice, her choice, anyone else's choice.

All the same, he watches her for a moment after she's changed back into the wolf, and he sees her creating distance between them rapidly. By the time the wolf turns to take account of him, she'll see him still seated there with his head down, shoulders slumped just at that moment, his hands curled over the tops of his knees. Could be praying, could be thinking, could be momentarily down that he wasn't able to figure out a way to get more than a fleeting smile out of her, or even more than the brief laughter that came more from her giving the Ginger Snaps name than anything else.

Then, after his upper body rises and falls to signify a deeper breath, he becomes a hawk again and shoots out of the park, back in the direction of New York City and beyond.