Walkabout

[Matt Joule]

Matt is out walking, looking uncomfortable actually, striding rapidly down a city sidewalk in the bright, mid day sun, looking frustrated. Then he slows, sniffing the air and spots someone familiar, actually smiles!

He sees Chris Laurent, although he doesn't know that much about him, Emily Makerith did most the talking when he met him before, no surprise there. From that brief encounter, he knows they are Pack, and that should be all that matters.

"Hey. 'Chris', right? I'm 'Matt', in case you don't remember." Matt says, smiling, looking down at the shorter man. "You look better than last time."

[Chris Laurent]

The smell of wolf hits Chris as the big man speaks. Pivoting the Talon looks up, not corn-fed, at the glowering Rahu. Something flashes through the Irraka's eyes, something just wants to punch Matt to prove a point. Then Chris suppresses that feeling and finishes eating the hotdog he had bought.

"Yep and I remember you. Hard not too." The Talon grins at his own joke. "Thanks, I've been working on not getting into fights for shits and giggles like Emily pointed out. Kind of boring some days though." Chris dismisses the notion with a shrug. "How you doing? Sacramento working out for ya?" A napkin appears and Chris uses it to wipe down his hands. Can't get this set of business casual clothes dirty for no reason.

[Matt Joule]

Matt's lip curls as he senses a surge of aggression, then it subsides. "It sucks though, not getting it out somehow, huh?" Matt chuckles. "We should have a go sometime. Just for fun. I haven't had anything since I got here. A couple close ones, but turned into nothing." he says. "I even thought the old guy was up for trying me, but he left. I kind of miss him." Matt muses. "Nathaniel would probably faint if I tried to get something going with him. And Emily...might be up for it, but...that just feels wrong."

"Anyway, do you have to go somewhere? I slam code from home, but they're fumigating the whole place. I got my stuff packed, but I can't just pick a place to stay off of Yelp, you know? I gotta walk around and see if it smells right for myself. Just a hotel room, a suite big enough to set everything up." he rambles enthusiastically. "What do you do again, Chris?"

[Chris Laurent]

The blur between what makes a Rahu a Rahu and what calls someone to swear to the Destroyer is something Chris still hasn't really worked out. It makes sense on some level but aggression isn't the only thing that the Talons look for. For Irraka at least.

"You may have an idea." Chris flashes a toothy grin. "I'd be down for that. Probably should find somewhere a bit secluded in case it gets loud." Then he shakes his head. "I miss him too but Luna does what she wills. And ya.. we may have to make sure that Nathaniel can fight." Emily proved that she could rumble months back but the other new guy? Ya.. Chris has concerns.

"Don't tell Emily that or she might throw down right there to prove you wrong. Or do, I'd enjoy watching her fight again." That grin is back. "Ah day job? I was lazing about for a couple months then my sisters decided they wanted to extend the family business into town. So I get to be the face of that... mess."

[Matt Joule]

Matt grins, "She's a fighter, huh? Well, I didn't think she was weak." he pauses a moment in thought and then grins again. "I think I want to practice a little before I would pick a fight with her. Don't wanna be embarrassed. She probably knows tricks, like training. I...pretty much just learned by doing." he muses. "Which works good enough for real, but play fighting, I can look pretty bad."

"You have...family?" Matt sounds surprised. "I mean, I don't know. I guess I do too, but nobody who would keep track of me or anything. My 'rents were old when they had me and died. Nothing big, just got older and died from it." he says. "They were okay. They didn't get me, but they didn't rag me about it. Told me I was special, like it was a good thing. I didn't Change until after they were gone."

"So...what's your family business? You have to dress up...some kind of financial stuff?" Matt asks, curiously, "Like a bank, or insurance company?"

[Chris Laurent]

A snort is how Chris holds back a laugh. "Emily instigated the last round of brawling I'm aware of." Then he takes a look over Matt. "No training? How'd you get away with that being.." A hand waves up and down at Matt. "You?"

"Ah yep, my sisters pretty much took over the family business after they graduated from college. They were happy when I moved down here, they didn't have to worry about me being an embarrassment to them." Fingers scratch at a five o'clock shadow that is several days old. "I was a bit of a shit before Luna came. Well..questionable on that but I have purpose now." Any grin the Irraka had falls to a melancholy but happy smile. "But ya, they sent money my way to keep me out of trouble and then called in that debt."

"Hmm kind of finance? At least that's what they want me working on. I didn't go to school for the more complicated stuff."

[Matt Joule]

"Oh." Matt says, smiling at Chris Laurent's recounting of Emily Makerith, starting fights. "She's funny. Acts tough. I guess she can back it up too." he says, "But on her, it looks broken, like it's not natural." he says. "Fixing things and building things looks like her thing, but I guess she makes a point of showing she can break things too." Matt ponders.

He shrugs, "Yeah." he says, grinning. "Looking like me, I didn't really have to learn to fight. I was into violent video games, not real life, and most people don't want a piece of me anyway. Some people want to prove something, push me, but I learned early, people like that just want to look good. I hit 'em while they are talking, messed them up enough that they didn't look good, even if they were winning. They didn't want to do it anymore."

Matt laughs, "All that fancy shit is for small people, trying to learn tricks against big people anyway. Most of it is more trouble than it's worth to me to try to 'port over to my size, with all the rules for practicing." he says. "Basketball was about the only thing really made for my size. I hated that too, but i had to learn some just from always getting dragged into games...." he says with a low snarl.

"Before my Change..." Matt recalls, "I hardly ever fought, and when I did, I just knocked them down, and kept kicking them until someone dragged me off, and no one else would try me after that."

"After the Change..." Matt said, "I had to be more careful. I actually tried to avoid fights, cause...I want to Hulk out. Even if I don't...I bite. Nobody wants that on their practice mat."

Matt shrugs again. "I know there's some tricks to fighting, you know, tooth and claw. That would be great. Do you know about that?"

[Hector]

Hector is out and about too. Not that any of the herd are trying to notice as a raggedy man with a feral aspect scrounges for food, cigarettes, and anything else he can find in the trash can's dotted around the street.

The Alpha pauses, face slack as he hovers over a trash can. He spies two of his pack. Hauling a large canvas bag onto his back, the homeless wolf slides over to the giant and the Irraka.

"Chris! Long time no see. How you doin' man!" Hector cackled, seemingly as mad as his appearance.

He only grinned mischievously at Matt. There was no need for more words.

[Chris Laurent]

"Guess I'm the opposite, I had to learn how to fight because I was never really that strong. That and I had a problem with causing problems." The Irraka isn't really sure of a better way to explain that. Or why he can pick locks. "You are not what I thought a big ass Rahu would before this life." Then a hand waves up and down at Matt. "Aside from that attitude." Followed by a toothy grin.

"Ah no, I know some of us can learn how to fight like that but I spent a lot of time learning to blend in even when fighting." Which reminds Chris that his fetish needs another tending too. It's more than the smells and the movement, its just something about Hector that always stands out to Chris. The Irraka bows his head and shows his neck before responding to his Alpha.

"I'm sorry I've been a ghost. This city is a mess on both sides." He shakes his head. "Not a good reason to have been rogue for so long though."

"I hope things haven't been too crazy?"

[Matt Joule]

Matt scowls, "I never met another full moon. I'm just me." he says a little defensively.

He nods, looking a little disappointed at Chris Laurent's admission of a lack of knowledge of their form specialized fighting style. Then he senses the Alpha's approach.

Matt smiles back at Hector, the Alpha, subconsciously lowering his head in submission to the shorter man.