Fresh Faces

[Nathaniel Dormur]

Nathaniel sat by the big dog of the group. Normally he might be afraid... But it was clear something worse than the prospect of an intimidating wolf was biting at him. He took the beer, giving a chuckle at her appearance, though that quickly faded. The young pup's eyes looked down and away.
"saw what happened, like you suggested. Went to the place you wrote down. Looked over the other side...."

A visible shiver at the memory

"How... How did that even happen?... And how, in Father and Mother's name, do we even begin the process to fix such a thing?"

The pup was obviously afraid, shivering somewhat- though he was also clearly willing to help (his being around still was proof enough of that).

"I know wounds like that existed- I've seen scars and what amounts to little more than cobwebs in other places... But something that bad? Nothing in my studies or travels could ever have prepared me for that..."

He took a drink, forgetting or just not noticing that it was actual beer (and lost in the memory of the event), almost choking and spitting out the beverage. He'd had drinks of course. Wine. In more formal gatherings... When he could convince people he was actually 21.

"MPH! cough cough... Sorry. Not at all what I'm used to."
Another dry chuckle, though the mishap seemed to have lightened his mood somewhat.

[Hector]

Hector watched and listened, his smile coasting as it turned slowly into a simple line.

"I'm not qualified to talk on the how and why of the spirit realms," he said with a shrug. "But we fix it by clearing out the wrong sorts of spirits and changing the herd till we start getting the spirits we do want. If that don't work we can only keep a watchful eye and tear down whatever grows there. Until we win or we die."

He was watching Emily now!

"Pizza!" He announced before going to forage.

[Emily Makerith]

"You may well regret that offer!" Emily replies to Matt, still grinning, before waving Brigit over to the fridge. "I got beer, coke... water, I guess? What can I get for ya?"

The Ithaeur nods at her Auspice brother.
"Yeahhhhhh, it's a bit fucked, right?" she says casually, though around her eyes tightens with worry. "As for the how, well... there was no-one to stop them. About 6 years ago the Pure did a huge ritual that cracked the Gauntlet. Packs stood against them, and just as they fixed it and things got settled.... boom. A Scourging. All the wolves, Pure and Forsaken alike, were gone, and the Azlu that survived just thrived." Emily blinks, there's a shrug, and another oversized bite of pizza. "Actually, tell a lie, not strictly true. There was a survivor, by fate or whatever. She was this scrappy chick that fought the Azlu every way she could. But she was alone, so it was traps, and abushing, and being lucky a lot of the time, more than she deserved, maybe. Still, one wolf can't fight a war. But she was smart-ish, tough, classy, with a great ass." There's a pause for another swig of beer, and a short burp. " Oh, and funny. She's Hi-larious. Great dress sense..." Emily will keep listing a highly biased view of her own qualities, grinning more and more, until someone cuts her off.

The Iron Master nods to her elder in the Tribe. "Hector is right though. We just have to start lancing bits, one block at a time. Might not get done in our lives, but it's the only way. Gotta start somewhere."

[Matt Joule]

Matt growls a low rumbling sound, showing teeth, though human in an obvious show of anger. "We just have to be smart. Use the fact that it's not all of them at once against us. They don't like each other any more than us, maybe less than us, some of them. So we hit one faction, then another. We gnaw at them more or less equal, but if we get a chance to end one, or make one so weak another faction will finish them for us, then we can do that." he says. "Guerrilla warfare, basically."

Matt looks to hector, the Alpha, for validation of the strategy, or rebuke. "To do that, you spooky types have to map out the terretories of the factions for us to know who we are hitting where." he suggests, looking at Emily Makerith and Nathaniel Dormur.

[Brigit]

As she is waved to the fridge, Brigit walks with Emily and, as she states her choices, Brigit accepts a coke with a smile.

She'd quietly stand on the periphery and listen as Hector and Emily explained the state of the Hisil to Nathaniel. Hector lays the truth on thick. Brigit didn't know of any Uratha who died of old age. The Hunt was eternal and, now and then, one of the hounds of Luna fell. Emily explained the history of Sacramento's Hisil in more detail, prompting that same expression of guilt from their previous meeting as the punk spoke of the scourging. Brigit closed here eyes to remind herself of a single truth.

You aren't on of them. Not anymore.

Momentarily satisfied with her internal comfort, Brigit opened her eyes once more and smirks as Emily begins to describe herself to add much needed levity. Then Matt speaks, presenting a clear strategy.

Spoken like a Suthar Anzuth.

Then the suggestion. Matt wants the Ithaeur to do research.

"I can help," Brigit says, finally speaking with a soft tone, "My penance isn't done yet... and I doubt the Enemy will just sit there and let you both learn everything you need. I don't know everything about the Hisil, but I have claws. You'll need them."

[Nathaniel Dormur]

they make it sound so simple, almost easy...

Nathaniel smiled a bit and set the beer down, removing his suit and hanging it somewhere before nomming on one of his pizza slices.

"There have to be some spirits around that would help us. Plenty that harbor ill will towards the pure- might take some searching to find them, but it'd certainly help supplement our forces, or at the very least remove another source of worry. I'm equipped for such negotiations, so... If we ever want to go spirit-searching."
He was in his element now- it was a boost of confidence, and it showed.

"I can also coax the Giraffes. Not Jackelopes... Not yet anyways. But if we don't have the time to search too hard, some chiminage and a relatively safe spot and we'll be golden. I... Ah... Don't have a permanent space yet- but preferably somewhere to perform the rite in privacy? I can assist in the creation of the Altar."
Altars weren't necessary- but some spirits 'admired' the work. Some.

"Lastly, in most mental pursuits I am... Capable. Same with social endeavors, spirits or not."

[Hector]

"That is one plan, yes." Hector responded to Matt's idea thoughtfully.

"Very fitting. Necessary Guile would no doubt approve. That will take time though. We need to know where our enemies actually are. I haven't seen any around the heart of the city. Yet. So. How will we find them?"

The Alpha opened the floor to the pack.

"Now thats the kind of twisted idea I like, Nathan." Hector turned to the Bone Shadow. "We need allies. Friends. The appearance of strength. Especially if we don't have it. We got one eye on the cops and we used to have some skilled Pathfinders; but we cant call on them now."

Hector thought for a bit.

"What do you need for this Alter?"

[Emily Makerith]

Emily's eyebrows vanish into her shock of blue hair. "Spooky types? You want a sneaky scout for finding positions. I look sneaky to you? So, like Chris. So sneaky he's right... THERE! the Crescent points enthusiastically to a dark corner and waits several seconds... for nothing. "Crap. That normally works. My point, anyways, is that unless we catch one and it spills its guts, one group of Azlu look a lot like another, and a lot of them... um... well, lets just say we were frictious neighbours?" She shrugs unapologetically, and begins attacking another slice of pizza like a starving woman. Where the hell did she put it all?

The Ithaeur gives Brigit a broad grin and crushes her can, already reaching for another. "Claws are great, just don't go all avenging angel on me, 'Kay? Been a while since we had another girl in the pack and my shouldera get tired from carrying these boys." she grins at the pack. This was the only way she'd gotten through the time alone. She wasn't changing now.


There's a slow nod at Nate's idea. Maybe he did know some. "Oh, they're there. Just... cranky. Except for Rachet," She jerks a thumb over to a work bench covered in tools."And Big Cat would like the idea of indirect help, sure. Wait... You can call...what?" The older Crescent sniggers. "Giraffes and Jackelopes? You mean Gafflings and Jagglings, right?" Emily manages to bite her tongue. "Um. Ahem. Sure. I mean, if you need a space, I do all my rituals here." She waves a hand around the garage, and the drain. "Makes cleaning up the blood easier. Random crap is easier to explain. Mechanics have superstitions too. But when we find what we want, I can call the Hunt. Make it Proper. Spirits like the ceremony."

[Chris Laurent]

Guess who's very very late. This guy! Chris rolls up to Emily's place at a full on run. Well a full on run for a human. He's still on two legs after all. Taking a moment to catch his breath Chris knocks on the front door then steps inside.

"Sorry I'm late." The Talon had more to say but the scents give him pause as he takes in Nathaniel and a new wolf. Who gets looked up and down, ..presumably she's a wolf. "Sorry, I'm Chris, life's been a bit busy recently."

[Nathaniel Dormur]

Oh! They... The Alpha actually wanted to hear more?... Ok then.

"It depends on the spirit I suppose. But given the city, a junkyard would perhaps be the best. The collection of spirits that could be drawn to such a place would be fascinating. I once thought of using a broken down car as the base of a makeshift altar- all the things a car could represent, technology, pollution, speed, metal, electricity, fire? It would make the perfect catalyst for summonings and negotiations."
It was worth the effort. Performing the rite meant PERFORMING the rite- anyone could say the words, do the motions. But going beyond that, turning it into a proper ceremony, meant a lot. And a bunch of wolves gathered around a blood-soaked burning car with a spirit atop sounded awesome.

Another spirit speaker? Good. She seemed to laugh at his slang terms for spirits, but that was kind of the point of the wording wasn't it? Granted she was probably laughing at him in this instant.

"Ah... yes. I figured it'd be a humorous title.You are capable of rituals as well then? What are your proficiencies? I am hoping to learn more, but it might not do well if we both are capable of the same rites- not all of them at least. I can summon the giraffes, and appease them with Chiminage. I can apply Luna's marks, and provide a respectful burial for our kind... And of course, as a Bone Shadow and a Crescent, I intend to become more proficient. My manner is usually more diplomatic- but with two Spirit Speakers, things can go very smoothly."

Nathaniel nodded at her motioning to some of the spirits. If they could rile enough of them, tell them of the Pure... It was an idea.

"Do you think we could set aside a time to call some of the giraffes? Do a trial run? I can collect the materials for chiminage."
A fire with rusted bits and an old license plate would make for a decent offering.... Oh? Someone new?... Wait. Nathaniel recognized the man. The first he'd met.

"Hey! Long time no see."