Attention Quick-Mart Shoppers

[Emily Makerith]

While utterly indifferent to the cigar smoke, Emily meets the gaze head on and grumbles audibly at the threat. "You'd have to catch me first...shit." Realising she's spoken aloud, she curses quietly, but it's easy to hear in the car. She hits her head back on on the headrest and sighs.

"Sorry about that. Um. You know you're meant to have a good cop to go along with this normally, right?" Emily says with a nervous smile, trying to lighten the mood, before becoming serious. "Okay, so, you're not a joking type. Thing is, I've been on my own for a while. And it's felt wrong. But I'm not some new-turned cub, okay? I can take care of myself, and if I meet your Alpha I know how this whole thing works. Low Honour the High, an' all that - Thing is, you came here all tall, dark and scary, trying to intimidate me. You might wanna remember the last part of that Oath, huh?"

It's said lightly, but she watches him cautiously. She's pushing back against him, just a little, trying to get him to back off. Since the car is full of smoke anyway, Emily lights her cigarette and takes a long drag.

"Fact is, I didn't know there was a whole pack actually formed up in the city again. Just Spirit whispers, and you must know that isn't exactly a reliable source all the time. And...... I'd like to meet some other People," she adds hesitantly. "Y'know. Especially if they know stuff about the cityscape. All I've been able to do is keep a really small bit of the Hisil in check. I don't know what it's like all over town. If I could work with you guys... maybe I could do the role I'm supposed to be doing a little better." She shrugs. "What d'you think?"

[Tristan Hardt]

If Tristan has an opinion on Emily's comeback, he doesn't voice it. He just turns his eyes back to the road in silence. One hand on the wheel and the other floating the cigar out the open window.

The look he gives her over comment about jokes is as much a confirmation as anything. He just stares for a moment. Eventually, with his eyes back on the road, he responds. Incredulously. "You're 'sorry'? For what? You're being vetted for shit's sake. I need to know how you're gonna react to things. Look, kid, I don't doubt you know your way around life. You've survived this long, and I've seen People far worse off than yourself." He doesn't seem at all offended by her showing some spine. If anything, there's an interested gleam in his eye. But not being one to shy when challenged, he adds "Nu Bath Githul. You might not know it about me, but its part of every damn day of my life. In both skins. The Herd isn't going to raise the alarm if they see me being direct. Shit, they're more likely to think something's up if I weren't. But that's my job. In the pack. To keep the wool pulled over their eyes when things go south. When a girl goes missing and is found ripped to shreds in the woods, I'm on the scene to keep them thinking it was an animal attack."

The next bit earns a slow nod. Tristan loops the car around another turn, making his route a very large 'figure 8'. The gas station approaches again. This time on the left. "Felt empty to me when I first got here. Only met the others by chance. And believe me, everyone I met was a little suspicious. For a whole city like this to feel that empty... you'd have to expect us to be wary of strangers. But my instincts don't point to you being one of the Pure. So yes. You should meet the others. Pack would be stronger with another member in it. Long as you don't get yourself or the others killed." And there it is. Just as his words lean towards something damn close to approaching congenial, he ends on a sour note. If she knew him a little better, she might have felt comforted that he'd been that 'nice' about it.

[Emily Makerith]

"Uh huh," Emily retorts, unbowed. "That door about being wary of strangers swings both ways buddy. If we bumped into each other in a backwoods park I thik we might have had to do this a different way." She's smiling as she says it, though. She takes another drag on her cigarette.

"You know what? I was sorry because I was hoping when I found another wolf I'd make a good first impression. And I kinda blew it, and I'm trying to catch back up. I was nervous as hell - meeting another wolf like that was like being thrown at a crush before you know what you're saying to them. And on top of that, I don't like being pushed around. And since I'm getting you really wouldn't think twice about putting me to the floor, you really would have to catch me because I wouldn't make it easy for ya," Emily says, still watching the Beta. "So, yeah. Vett away. Just don't call me kid. I'm twenty-six." She rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I know. I have to carry ID eeeeeevereywhere."

The blue-haired girl clucks her tongue a few times and sips her coffee. "So, uh, vetting. Well, I'm kinda what's expected of a Crescent. I've got a few rituals under my belt. It's nice to still be wearing pants when you come up off four legs." Another sip of coffee. "Most of my learning was spirit-based, as y'might expect. I like cars, keeping my hands busy." There's another pause as she watches for a reaction. When none comes, she ploughs on. "I'm a Scorpio that loves partying, nights out hunting and long romantic walks through the Hisil." She watches expectantly. "Come on Tristan, throw me a bone here. Are all the pack as serious as you?"

[Tristan Hardt]

"You're right about that..." he answers, slightly under his breath. He doesn't smile. He doesn't frown either.

He lets out a short, clipped breath through his nose - just shy of a snort. "Forget about it. Like we've both already seen, there aren't a lot of us running around in Sacramento's woods. Have to be a little cautious. The pack may be full of strong individuals, but we're tiny. Damn near insignificant, and I'm not proud to admit it. If the Pure ever caught wind we were here, death would be swift. If we're lucky." He doesn't comment on the whole 'catching her' part. Sounds too close to a kid's game, or some kind of flirtatious thing. Girl's half his age. Speaking of which. "And anyone who's never seen a Betamax tape is a kid to me. Facts of life. You do something to impress me and maybe I'll start calling you something else." This gruff, matter of fact rousing might just be his friendly side. He hasn't run her off, thrown her out of the car or threatened her life. It's a good day. For her.


Tristan nods slowly. It'd be good to have an Ithaeur running with the pack. His own first change seemed to leave him blessed, taking more strength from the half moon than most would under their own. So yeah, maybe he believes in luck. Something to be said for a pack with a wolf for every face of the moon. Lucky. Got to be. He eventually catches her looking at him, and he offers her a half-hearted shrug. He takes another puff of the cigar before answering. "Well no, I guess not. Chris seems pretty down to earth. Friendly type. And Hector... yeah. We've never fought. Then there's you. You seem a hell of a lot better mannered than Viola." The little shit. "You both dress about the same, though." And yes, he might have just answered a pack question and thrown her name in the mix. Of course it's not his final decision. But she's ready to meet Hector.

"Point out your place when we get close. I'll drop you off. If you're thinking of meeting the pack... we're holed up in the railyards near [landmark] and [address]. Can't tell you how the others will receive you, but if I'm there I'll let'em know you were invited."

[Emily Makerith]

"Bitamax?! Whatever, old timer," Emily quips lightly. If she noticed him throwing her name in the middle of the pack list, she doesn't draw attention to it. "Just sounds to me like she has good taste. I get what you mean though. I do. Somebody's gotta keep an eye on the bigger pictures. If you're looking at the humans, it lets others pay attention to their thing. For me, it was spirits. And cars. Though I think the first might be more useful for your pack, huh?" She takes a sip of coffee and another drag on her cigarette, flicking the butt out the window.

As the squad car turns the corner, they approach a small garage on the right of the street. "Just here. It's work, home and everything in between." She sounds a little forlorn. "So, I hope this works out, because you already know where I live. Look... Um. I'd really like to meet them. The Pack, I mean. Well. Actually, I'd really like to meet another Totem spirit, but there's, like, a way of doing things, y'know?" She sighs and slumps into the chair. "For what it's worth, I'm really glad you bumped into me today. I'd forgotten how much I missed talking about this stuff to someone who's not a stray gaffling that got interested in the stray werewolf." Emily opens the door and slides out, but turns around. "So, uh... If you're meeting up some time soon, here's my number. Call me and I'll come meet you all. I really don't wanna stroll across your territory uninvited." She hesitates. "Um... and Tristan? Now you know I'm here, just... don't be a stranger okay? It's good to know someone's here."

[Tristan Hardt]

Meta-magic! Since Emily's post could basically pass as a goodbye, I'll go ahead and close this one out. So it can have 'happened'.