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Purely Curious

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  1. #1
    A
    Allen Brackett

    Their first encounter with Brigit was not free of... tension, but then again few werewolf meet-ups are, especially when a new guy comes along and advises you to do things (even if he tries to be polite about it). That said, Allen counts that night as a success, in no small part because the Blood Talon agreed to speak with him further on her past allegiances.

    The Pure Tribes were something of a hobby of Allen's, and the Izidakh were his favorite tribe, if you can call it that. Even studying the madness, sickness and fanaticism they hold in so high regard can be intoxicating... how much more so must it be to actually live it?

    In the Tur, Allen waits. In a T-shirt and slacks - you gotta dress for the occasion, and Allen's imagination failed to produce a Suthar Anzuth who would appreciate a suit and tie. Questions race through his mind as the Storm Lord collects himself. He did not come empty-handed: there is one brown paper bag containing a number of burritos he bought in a place nearby (they're still warm!) and another bag with a bottle of Knob Creek and some plastic cups.

    You just don't ask people to open up about their abusive, cultish parents on an empty stomach. That would be rude.

  2. #2
    Brigit's Avatar

    Presence
    (Confident)
    Retainer
    (Ezekiel 'Zeek' Walters)
    New Identity
    (Bridget Walters)
    Brigit

    2
    PRE

    Brigit was posted near some train cars that provided a good vantage point across some of the fields in the yard, somewhat near where she had first encountered Allen. Finding her was not hard.

    Though Sacramento's weather was a far cry from the brutal winters of her youth, the weather had still been chilly enough lately to warrant the Blood Talon to match the look of many of the Herd. A pair of blue jeans accompanied an old gray hoodie, a denim jacket, and some well broken in brown leather work boots. Brigit also wore a black beanie though her blonde hair hung loose and cascaded from the beanie to just past her shoulders. In general, the outfit spoke to Brigit's want for practicality over fashion, as did her lack of makeup and accessories.

    Seeing the approach of the Iminir, Brigit's dark eyes were soon upon, granting him a simple acknowledging nod, but remaining silent until he approached close enough for them to have a modicum of privacy. The gaze shifted to the paper bags before finding the man's face.

    "You need something, Allen?" she asked.

    That much seemed clear, Brigit had offered to answer Allen's questions should he be accepted by the Alpha and he had been. Had he come to learn her story or was their yet another reason for his arrival? The food she smelled spoke of a want for information, a common enough method of bribery for intel among the People.

  3. #3
    A
    Allen Brackett

    He smiles when he sees her.

    "Good evening to you, too" The smirk becomes a bit wider, it's clear there's no actual offense. Allen is clearly in high spirits tonight "And everybody needs something, especially when they deny that they do. It's fortune cookie-grade philosophy, but it's true" It's what allows his entire modus operandi to exist. Get to know what a person desires, then give it to them if they are a friend, bargain it away if they are an ally or exploit it if they are an enemy.

    Allen gets a few inches closer and opens up the bags to reveal their contents.

    "I know asking about one's time among the ranks of, let's not mince words here, Forsaken's mortal enemies is no small thing, so I brought food and drink. It's the least I could do" He admits "I was always interested in the Pure Tribes, but interviewing someone who's lived that life and had the strength to pull out is a rare priviledge" Even if you have people on the outside, the change of heart has to come from within. It was a hallmark of high moral and mental strength as far as the Storm Lord was concerned "Shall we sit?" He asks and proceeds to find some sort of metal container, large enough for both of them to rest on it with some appropriate distance.

    "So, if you are still willing to honor me with your story, I'd like to start at the beginning: how did you end up with the Fire-Touched?"

  4. #4
    Brigit's Avatar

    Presence
    (Confident)
    Retainer
    (Ezekiel 'Zeek' Walters)
    New Identity
    (Bridget Walters)
    Brigit

    2
    PRE

    Brigit grants the Storm Lord a nod as he opens things up with a brief mention of philosophy. She even gives him a slight smile, but her general demeanor doesn't shift much despite the showing of the booze and food.

    "I ain't that big on drinking, sorry to say, you'll find others in the pack a little more swayed though,"
    she says, "but alright. I'll take a burrito. Told you I would chat, didn't I?"

    At the mention, of sitting she shrugs, "You do you, I'll keep standing though."

    She had to give the Tur at least half a mind, after all. Incoming Uratha could easily pass through, if the recent arrivals of Allen and Bleeds Well were anything to go on.

    Leaning against the container, Brigit nabbed a burrito and unwrapped it, giving it a bite and surverying their surroundings as Allen spoke. Once he spoke his first question, the dark eyes of the Suthar Anzuth found his face and she swallowed, freeing her mouth for speech.

    "In that case you really are starting at the beginning,"
    she said, "I was born among them. I grew up in a compound led by a pack of Izidakh, with the Alpha being my grandfather. Known about the People since I was pretty young."

  5. #5
    A
    Allen Brackett

    The Storm Lord shrugs at the gift of firewater being rejected, clearly not taking any offense "No apology necessary. And yes, you did agree to talk, but you are within rights to rescind that agreement at any time, for whatever reason. Misdirection is good as a battle strategy, but what we're doing here should be all about informed consent" God, he sounds like a shrink. Not surprising, since he technically was one.

    Allen watches, sitting, as Brigit positions herself, eats and observes. Patiently waiting for and listening to her answer.

    He doesn't look particularly surprised that was not a Forsaken-turned-Pure-turned-Forsaken again. One, the Anshega prided themselves in having breeding grounds for soldiers rather than racing around to get a nuzusul when they pop up. Two, he somehow doubted that the pack which showed Brigit clemency would do so if she's already betrayed the Tribes of the Moon once. Still, her status as alpha's granddaughter must have been special "That's certainly ideal. For them. Nevermind stripping the auspice away, I bet it's way easier when you can ritually ensure the new werewolf never gains one" Obviously, though, he had limited knowledge on how either of these procedures worked, and wouldn't perform them even if he knew how "But an isolated compound obviously provides other advantages. The Pure can be surprisingly adept at propaganda, and Rabid Wolf's disciples are said to elevate it to an art form" The pen - or spoken word - can be mightier than claws, and this is what makes the Fire-Touched so dangerous, in Allen's humble opinion much more so than either of their two brother tribes.

    "Am I right to assume they began... teaching even before their Rite of Initiation? If that was the case, what techniques did they use? Were they more forceful, or gentle and charming? When they were proselytizing, were there other people with you, or did they focus on you specifically?" That's obviously a lot of questions, but they are really all branches of the same tree - namely, Brigit's earliest years, when they must have considered her not just free of Forsaken influence, but human socialization in general.

  6. #6
    Brigit's Avatar

    Presence
    (Confident)
    Retainer
    (Ezekiel 'Zeek' Walters)
    New Identity
    (Bridget Walters)
    Brigit

    2
    PRE

    The gaze of the Once-Pure finds the Storm Lord yet again when he begins to talk of consent and strategy. Allen talks a lot, but he was far from the first in the pack Brigit had met who had done so.

    "Uh-huh,"
    she said, granting Allen the affirmation she was at least listening.

    To the comment of the ease regarding the Rite of Purity Brigit raises an eyebrow.

    "It changes the way your First Change comes and I'll admit I was treated better for never having an auspice,"
    she said, "but life in the compound itself? Never easy."

    Granted, he had not said her experience was easier than a Forsaken traitor, but Brigit still felt she needed to make it clear. The expectations of her grandfather had not been easy to satisfy.

    Granting a nod at Allen's words as he explored the other benefits of the compound.

    "That's true. It allowed them to control what he heard and ensured we were held to the faith when we became nuzusul,"
    she admits, "That said, there was more to it than that. Our compound was a legal township and the families there were certified to teach in the home. That kept Child Services and other figures away and the Allies of the community kept away the rest."

    Turning her eyes to the sky she sighed.

    "Truth be told, Allen? If we could achieve the same, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but the People cannot breed on our own and bringing in the Herd like my grandfather's pack had done can get... messy,"
    she offered, speaking from experience, "That said, it did make things easier to manage and I'll admit the wish still hits me from time to time."

    Then came the flurry of questions in rapid fashion. Brigit didn't cast Allen a judging look nor did she look at him at all, her gazed affixed as it was on some distant part of the yard.

    "They taught us the basics, sure, but we were still of the Herd even with we were Wolf-Blooded,"
    she answered, "We knew the Izidakh and two other tribes were the favored sons of Father Wolf and that those People who were led by those who had betrayed him were followers of the Devil that is Mother Luna, but the finer points of the faith were not gifted to us."

    A side glance is offered as Allen seemed to venture dangerously close to assuming the life of the Pure was a largely inhuman thing.

    "You realize our war is a war of faith, right?"
    she asked, "The Urdaga may be right, but painting the Anshega is singularly cruel will earn you no insight. The only ones who get close to that are probably the Ninna Farakh and even they are not wholly without affection, especially when one among their Wolf-Blooded families shows the signs of becoming nuzusul. My family was still a family, even if their beliefs regarding the death of our Father were wrong and their practices maim the Hisil beyond the natural balance we must protect. They were forceful when they needed to be, charming when it counted, and gentle when they knew us Wolf-Bloods had been pushed to our limits. Just as the Urdaga are with members of their own blood who grow to learn of the Uratha."

    If they had been completely devoid of the thought to ensure some comforts and feelings of belonging, the compound would have never endured.

    "My youth and adolescence saw me attending large gatherings, kinda like church that the Herd attends," Brigit said, willing to continue, "More personal instruction did not happen until I was Found to be nuzusul. And then I became honored. In the eyes of the compound I was destined to be a holy soldier in our war, so my training as a warrior shifted from firearms to a more... hands on approach."

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  8. #7
    A
    Allen Brackett

    Allen doesn't particularly mind her not answering hismusings in a full sentence, in fact he'd be surprised if she did. This wholebit was like a form, 'terms of service' that you just sign or not. Not a point of larger discussion.

    "Why do you assume I think it was easy?There's nothing to 'admit' - being brought in by the Forsaken is not exactlyhand-holding, I think it's kind of a given youth among the Pure is at leastthat, in all likelihood -worse" Even more likely for the Izidakh. These people equate pain with wisdom and insight, the insanity of their inferiority complex alone is mind-boggling.

    "So that's just a question ofpracticality? You don't think creating a fiefdom like that, which would at least threaten the Oath's vow of secrecy and theduty of respect we owe to both spirits and humans factors into this? I'll bethe first to admit networks of human allies are a necessary thing, but there isno claiming the moral high ground to power-hungry spirits who would likenothing more than to use humans as they please when you do the exact samething" It was hard enough already to deflect the accusations of hypocrisy.Allen could see the benefits of keeping breeding stock, but considers the wholeidea dishonorable. For what it's worth, he blames Brigit's incompletedeprogramming. How do you even fully grow out of an experience like that?

    It's interesting that the one thing which made her look back at Allen was the question of the techniques the Pure used.

    "I'm not saying the Pure are cartoonishlyevil villains who get cranky if they don't maim something every five seconds.They are certainly complicated beings, most of whom are bullied into theculture of hate that defines the Anshega. But the main difference between usand them is not that we happen to be right in a debate, it's something morebase" The Blood Talon might be right that this is a war of faith, butthere is simply no symmetry between the dogmas of both sides, not even close"After you Changed, could you have left the compound, no questions askedand no repercussions?"

  9. #8
    Brigit's Avatar

    Presence
    (Confident)
    Retainer
    (Ezekiel 'Zeek' Walters)
    New Identity
    (Bridget Walters)
    Brigit

    2
    PRE

    Brigit nodded at Allen's words.

    "True enough,"
    she offered as she took a bite, "And yep, my entry wasn't exactly... without pain. The Urdaga who brought me in nearly killed me before I was willing to listen."

    At the discussion of a fiefdom, Brigit shrugged.

    "I never said it was the right thing to do, dude,"
    the Once-Pure said, "It's just tempting to think about. Honestly, though, if the People could fuck without birthing abominations, the compound thing could work. You wouldn't need the Herd."

    The burrito now mere remnants, Brigit would ball the wrapper and relaxed.

    "That's just a fantasy though, so let's think about it another way,"
    Brigit said, looking to the Storm Lord for the first time since he sat down, "Tell me about your parents, Allen. Was one of them of the People?"

    She let the shift settle in before continuing.

    "I ask because that is the case for a lot of us,"
    she continues, "And for many Urdaga that means an absent parent who doesn't show up frequently enough until you experience the First Change. They are thrown into a Truth they have no way of understanding after that. Not for a few years at least."

    "I might be spiritually and mentally fucked in ways that may not make it worth it, but let's be real. I at least knew the truth before I experienced the Change and when I was declared nuzusul, I understood what that meant," the Once-Pure says, "Can you say the same?"

    Allen's question of the compund is meant with a shake of the head.

    "I left only to attend to the territory. Once Changed I was part of the pack,"
    she answered, "I had an obligation to ensure the security and sanctity of our holdings, so I left to patrol. Sometimes alone, but usually with a few packmates, but that's not unique to the Pure either. For the Forsaken it depends on the Totem, yeah? Necessary Guile expects fluid numbers. Most don't and if you leave an Urdaga pack without telling them your liable to get your ass beat. I get what you're saying though. I'm not defending the Izidakh, but there is more complexity than good and evil. Most Pure are pretty damn gray and, beyond the war and our duty, they worry about the same damn things. You might be sorta gray yourself. I know I sure as hell am."

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  11. #9
    A
    Allen Brackett

    Holy shit.

    Allen was not exactly a saint by werewolf standards - he certainly sometimes cut corners when it came to his tribal vows, and it's not like ordering pizza is a deadly sin - but he was still Elodoth, still clung as he could to the straight path of Harmony. And of course, Brigit wholeheartedly admits this whole compund idea is wrong, with Allen having no reason to doubt her. Still, he worries - those are the kind of fantasies you are not supposed to have. Just like you're not supposed to enjoy dismembering dolls who just happen to have your mother's face.

    "But they cannot. And for good reason - unihar aside, insularity like that breeds only weakness. There are simply too few of us to produce the needed diversity" He wasn't a scientist, and it's not like he really understood genetics, but he did watch Wrong Turn.

    The Storm Lord was a bit surprised when Brigit fires a question of her own, but her reasoning is viable. The insight she got was limited and flawed, but at least she got something "My mother was uragarum, my father - one of the Uratha. It's true I didn't exactly have a normal childhood, by human standards, and that I was kept in the dark until the Change. But so what? With only one parent I got to learn self-reliance, and after the dust settles you actually see the necessity of that model - if my father stayed at home, me and mom'd have a big fat bullseye painted on our backs" Not to mention that it's cruel to make humans rely on you when you can get killed or invesigated for murder any day.

    Although in that moment his Elodoth nature kicks in. Maybe he was made to believe that it was necessary, just as Brigit was made to believe her induction into the Pure was the one true way? With millenia iof rituals and traditions, can you even say how much of your will is truly your own?

    At least the blonde's answer to his question is more or less what he expected "Exactly. You were never presented with a choice, whereas swearing the Oath is always voluntary" Which is not to say you'll get a pat on the back and a bus ticket home if your refuse, but at least you won't get killed, so there is that.

    "It's not about a simple dichotomy 'Urdaga good, Anshega bad'. That's reductive and stupid, and most importantly - not true" If the Pure were irredeemable, this conversation wouldn't even happen, yet here they are "I fully acknowledge we all have had to do something morally grey in our lives, but let me frame it as a historical analogy: during World War II the American forces have on multiple occasions executed German POWs, which was without any doubt a war crime. But what the Germans did was a thousand times worse and, more importantly, systemic. That's the main difference between the Tribes of the Moon and the Pure Tribes - we live in the present, they live in the past, hating the fact the world is not as they'd like it to be. That hate poisons everything decent and gentle about individual members of these tribes" He says, his tone and expression serious.

    "I don't mean to sound preachy" It was more a statement of intention than an apology, but it will have to suffice "Speaking of gentle things: what were the bonds like in the compound? You spoke of churches and holy wars, but no army can afford to be on high alert all the time"

  12. #10
    Brigit's Avatar

    Presence
    (Confident)
    Retainer
    (Ezekiel 'Zeek' Walters)
    New Identity
    (Bridget Walters)
    Brigit

    2
    PRE

    Brigit only shrugs at the final comments of the compound, clearly not deeming it important enough to dwell on.

    The Once-Pure glances to Allen as he answers her question, a wry smirk on her lips.

    "You think I'm not self-reliant?"
    she asks, "Cute."

    Then she gestures her hand dismissively.

    "Relax, though, I know that's not what your saying,"
    Brigit said, before offering a crumb of her "Both of my parents were uragarum and remained only uragarum, much to old grandad's disappointment."

    There is a simple nod to Allen's statement of choice.

    "True enough,"
    she said, "but it's less of a choice when you think about it. Refusing renders you a Ghost Wolf and places you in the middle of our conflict with the Anshega. In the best of cases, those People who choose to not swear anything are ignorant. At worst, they're cowards. I am neither. Taking the Oath is to accept your duty."

    Blunt and direct. That is truly how Brigit felt. Even the Pure had the balls to pen their own Oath in accordance to what their Firstborn decreed. Certainly, there were those Uratha that did not abide by the beliefs of the Urdaga or the Anshega. Such individuals abided by beliefs that their origins came from a different sort. And they were wrong, but ignorance could be corrected in time. However, there were some who wished to ignore what it meant to be of the People entirely and Brigit had little patience for them.

    As Allen began to push along with his analogy, Brigit listened with interest for a moment before her expression glazed with a look of distance. She was half-listening, but it sounded like Allen was still justifying his desire for a clear war against Anshega. On the Pure, they were unlikely to agree so there was no desire on the behalf of the Blood Talon to keep talking to a wall.

    "Think what you want,"
    she said, "So long as you hold to the Oath, I don't care."

    A chuckle sounds as Allen begins to realize how he is coming off.

    "I doubt that, but it's cool,"
    Brigit says, admitting her own thoughts. Allen was wordy and passionate. Brigit doubted he would allow himself to sound off any differently than he wanted.

    "Yeah... not all of it was bad,"
    she continues, choosing to answer the Storm Lord's question about the compound's community, "We were tightly knit. Growing up in a community that forces you to work closely with each other to survive will do that. We lived in the woods so there was always something to do too. Dirt bikes, hikes, hunting, or even bon fires by the lake... I spent my entire upbringing in a place where the stars shined without the interference of the lights from the Herd's cities. So, it was beautiful too."

    She'd shift lightly.

    "I'm cautious when I talk about it,"
    Brigit says, clearing her throat, "My heart knows that the uragarum and Uratha who live in my grandfather's compound are on the wrong path. The Hisil there reflects it as well, but the reality is we remember the best of times more than the worst. Outside our war and our dealings with spirits, my memories speak of a life that was more good than bad. That's because my heart also knows that the Anshega there and those who dwell with them are my family. Flesh and blood. That's probably why you and I will never agree on the Anshega, Allen."

    "For you, they are an threat you can detach from yourself and it shows when you speak of them," Brigit continues, "When I speak of the Pure, I'm talking about my grandfather, my aunts and uncles, cousins, and childhood friends. For me, they are a family that lost its way."

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