Forgers and Fetishes

[Emily Makerith]

The Crescent shrugs. "Yeah... but think about falling to it alone. The loss of control. Not having a pack behind you." She shivers. "I... wasn't in a good place."

The cigarette is smoked some more, and the butt flicked into the oil-drum barbeque. "Must have been one hell of a fight. I bounce back from just about anything. And never heard of a Rahu Ritemaster before. I mean, I don't see why it can't be done, now I think about it, just never heard of it." Emily blows the smoke into the cooling evening air. "I never bothered learning that. Now we're hunting as a pack much more, might be a good idea to pick that up."

The Ithaeur chuckles. "You got it, buddy. That being said, I was neevr in a pack big enough to have a Warmaster before. Say, can you be Ritemaster and make people laugh? I'm not sure 'serious and elusive mystique' really fits my whole image, y'know?" she chuckles again.

[Bleeds Well]

He shrugs, “I don’t see why not. Nothing in the oath says we have to be stereotypical. You did a pretty good job of mystique with Allen the other day. At least for a little while."

"We have allies in the hisil I haven't met yet? Anything I should know that no one's thought to tell me?"

[Emily Makerith]

The punk shrugs. "Yeah, but I can only keep it up for so long. Guy seemed to use big words all the time as a way of repeatedly saying 'my way is the right way' instead of listening to what I was trying to tell him." She pulls the velcro open on the coveralls down to her chest, exposing pale skin to the air. "Hey, let me ask you something. If I gave you a hammer, and it was obviously fine, would spend half an hour asking yourself if it was still fine before using it? Or, like, have you every bothered to fix a Rite that works perfectly well?"

That one gives Emily pause. "Have you actually met Necessary Guile yet? They're a real wise-ass, and the transience of a lot of the pack means they're a bit flighty, but that's Clarion Call's Totem. Come to think of it, I haven't really dressed that spirit down - seemed kinds rude, to do it to a totem." The mechanic rubs a hand around her shoulder, and jerks another thumb back inside the garage. "There's Ratchet, though I'm not sure you could count him. Barely leaves this place. We have Eyes-with-wings, a Gaffling that agreed to watch for the Anshega. Called it up myself, and wasn't too shabby. Other than that, we rely largely on rep." She shrugs. "I have to balance my time to do what I love and do my duties. Building up ally spirits, especially since the Pure reared their head, has been firmly in the 'nice but lower priority' list of things to do. But, as far as Rep goes, I'm pretty high among the Lesser Gafflings. Jagglings can be awkward fucks, but the Greater Gafflings seem to be at least begrudgingly respectful half the time."

[Bleeds Well]

The bearded beast shrugs. "Depends on the hammer honestly. Right hammer for every job. Some are good for pounding, others are good for nailing." BW smirks.

"The behavior of spirits does not surprise me. Especially with this pack, look at our motley group. You're the most branded of us all, but even you don't not carry rep that significant. We're like a party of pups, still making a name for ourselves. I'm happy we're not chasing glory, and we respect wise actions, but we have a way to go before any spirits of note will give a shit about us. We're fleeting creatures before immortal beings, or something appropriately mysterious and mystical." He sticks out his tongue at Lady Blue, "see if I can do it, you can pull it off."

[Emily Makerith]

Emily, in line with expected maturity, sniggers loudly. "Nice."

Eyes narrow playfully. "Oh, bite me. I can do it. And it's fun, sometimes. I just don't like people being pretentious."

The Crescent starts heading back inside. "Can I get you a beer or something? Also, if you look across, you can see what it's like over there. It's a mess."

[Bleeds Well]

BW bares his teeth in fake snarl that turns into a toothy grin. "Sure, I'll take a beer."

He follows her, eyes focusing on world apart. "The world's a mess Blue, that's why we exist. To scare it straight. Got an IPA?" Beggars can't be choosers, but it's been weeks since he'd had a good beer.

  Peeks across

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2020-03-19 15:10:54		Nikolai rolls 6 to Break Grapple (Str + Brawl) (10 Again, WillPower)		7, 8, 10, 1, 9, 3, 7		3 successes

[Emily Makerith]

There's no fence in the back garden in the Hisil - just several yards of sandy tracks, becoming more buildings opposite the street. A tangle of giant furry spider legs - four to five feet in length, are bound to another post near the edge. Looking further into the distance, a few dozen yards away, the thick, heavy webbing can be seen going from one side of the shadowy street to the other, with many shredded webs dotted around.

Emily slips back inside and into the office, pulling out a pair of IPAs and throwing one slowly to Bleeds Well.

"Yeah, I know it. But this here - this place around here - is the frontier of what we've fixed as a pack. We joined it and the territory together, so that gave us more than enough space to cover." She shrugs.

"What were things like back where you came from?"

[Bleeds Well]

Eyes focus just in time to snatch the beer from the air. BW thumbs the cap and raises the bottle in toast and thanks before he takes a slow sip, leaning against the doorframe.

"Not nearly as urban, that's for sure. The Dakotas are a different landscape, more open and wild. My Grandfather's pack, the pack that raised me and taught me what it is to be Uratha, has a vast expanse of land they claim as their own. Sometimes a pack from one of the reservations will try to take a piece, but they usually settle those disputes quickly. His pack has been going strong for more than twenty years. Their hisil is well maintained. The spirits have great respect for them, lesser jagglings regularly show up at Tur gatherings and occasionally even a greater Jaggling would be willing to trade favors. There was an order to everything I suppose, it felt like the People were ahead of the curve, and proactively working to stop problems before they arose. A different world from what we have here. Perhaps that's why Father led me here? To help make that difference. Or to learn from best, I shouldn't be pretentious because I've been hashtag blessed." He pauses to take another sip, unsure if he should go on.

Voice growing a little quieter he continues, "It was also lonely for me. I was finally accepted into the Tribe, but never allowed to join the pack. They called me initiate for years. Many, years it felt. I was given duties, I had to patrol, and learn and apprentice myself to my Grandfather. But never fully accepted, I was less than an Omega. I couldn't sleep with the Pack, or in a house. I was forced outside and near the edge of the territory. I had to hunt my own food, no one was allowed to share with me. I couldn't fight with the Pack for many years, but I had to come trail behind and watch. When they let me battle with them I rejoiced internally, I thought I was finally being accepted. But once I earned three brands I was given my tribal initiation and then chased off the land. That's when Father gave me his sign to go West." He stands up straighter, taking another pull from the bottle. "A better education than many get I'm sure. And without the heartbreak that fills the stories of our people. I'm a lucky one.

[Emily Makerith]

Emily listens closely. "Woah. Impressive. I mean, the old pack used to hold a chunk of the city, but it sounds like a drop in the ocean compared to that." She raises an eyebrow and drinks her beer. "Blessed? Learn from the best? I mean, I'll do what I can. What happened to your father, anyway?"

The Crescent frowns, looking down at her beer. "Wow. A better education than.... wow. That sounds like... well, awful. I mean, I grew up with People all my life, and I never had anything that brutal." She shrugs. "And, like I know my life is not, in any sense, a 'normal' upbringing and many get a more rough start than I do, but werewolf parent and child is very, very abrasive. Both better and worse your dad always, always always knows when your period is coming before you do. Better because there's definately Ice-cream, worse because I was so angry I was certain I could take him in a fight." She drinks the beer. "I was wrong, but the garage and anyone in the way paid the price."

[Bleeds Well]

He smirks, at the perceived misunderstanding. "My Dad was my Grandfather's greatest disappointment. He was Blooded but never changed. Same for my Mom. I've had almost no contact with them since I was 16. I have one real Father now. Wolf. Well two maybe, Fenris... It get's confusing I suppose when we take the spirit into things. Mother probably is on a pedestal in my eyes because she's so much more aloof. Perhaps that's what drew me to the Lodge of the Fury Choir. To be close to the lunes is to be close to Mother. Fuck... we need a werewolf therapist Blue."

He takes another swig shut himself up.

"And now the whole pack knows each other's bodily functions intimately. I think Matt has a glucose intolerance or something. I can always smell when he's been drinking beer," he chuckles at his own joke.