Doin' it Rite

[Bird]

Emily's faux-outrage gets a smile and a wink, "Oh definitely," he replies. Bleeds Well's request is met by a raised eyebrow and a shrug. Who knows what the Rahu is on about.

He disappears and returns with a beer for everyone present, double fisting them by the bottle-necks, his lit cigarette still dangling from his lips. Sets them down, chooses his own, twists off the top, plucks the cigarette from his mouth, and takes a long swig. His satisfaction is clear.

He glances to Bleeds, "Sensuous." Tips his bottle in a small salute, still wondering what it could mean.

"I know the Dedication Rite," he answers Hector. "Not much else." Which is why he's here. Another sip off his bottle. "But I'm down to learn."

[Emily Makerith]

The little mechanic wolfs down her burger without a hint of embarrassment, ketchup smeared across one cheek. "Mmmkah," she mutters thickly. "Dedication is easy enough. If you can do any other Rite, you can dedicate. Takes minutes, can be done anywhere." She roots into the bad and shoves some fries into her mouth. "Thimple Talenth are thimilar."

She swallows loudly. "Otherwise, I know a bunch of others, but they need you to understand a bit more about how rituals word. My favourite one is probably still my little bird messenger," She nods to Hector, "Which is great for contacting people living off grid. Might be best if we start with Shared Scent and Dedication - there's enough of us that we should have it in the back pocket nowadays. Hold on." The Crescent drops her burger on the top of her bag of food and bounds up the stairs.

Returning shortly with a sturdy box of assorted ritual materials - feathers, a decorated knife, a pair of leatherbound journal-like books, candles, a small drum, chalk, incense, carved wooden sticks. Most out of place is the lighters and bright pink notebook covered in pictures of various male actors and bands. She places it on the side and pulls out a rather jagged looking knife with a bound leather hilt.

"MMkay." She places the box on one bench and retrieved her food. "Grab what you need for the Rite of Shared Scent. If I remember it's a blood one?" She polishes off her burger. "Just be careful if you need the books - They're literrally irreplacable. Well. Except the one I made, if you can tell them apart."

She smirks God, I'm Hi-larious!

[Hector]

Hector grunts while he digs through the food and selects something for himself.

"All right then, let's start with that."

He polished off a greasy burger and wiped his hands on his ragged garments.

"You said something about Talens?"

[Bleeds Well]

Bleeds Well pulls the knife from the box.

“More important than this, I need a fresh taste.” He scans the pack, “who wants to be bit?”

[Bird]

Bird's steady drinking his beer, eating his grub, watching the proceedings.

When Emily says something about her little Bird messenger, he gives her a curious glance. Can't help it.

But learning Share the Scent was his initial request, so he looks pleased at the decision.

When Bleeds asks for a volunteer, he takes a big swig off his beer, puts it down and steps forward.

"I got you," he says to the Rahu. Why not? He's been bit before.

[Emily Makerith]

Emily rubs her jaw thoughtfully, notices the ketchup on her fingers and begind licking it off. "Talens? Like.... simple fetishes. The Decay Dust I threw together after... um..."

After Brigit ate someone.

"....errrr..... we found that body one time. usually one-shot things but they're super useful." The Ithaeur wolfed down some more fries. "They're, -gulp-, like, the same process to make any of them. Same ritual, even. Just need the right Spirit and the right deal. Helps if you can trap spirits as well, but since you're usually dealing with Lesser Gafflings to do so it's not really needed."

She see's Bird's look, and slips him a wink. "You'll see."

She leans agains the counter ands watches, ready to learn.

[Hector]

"One shot fetishes, huh? Now they sound useful. Think you could spend some time and show me how you make 'em?"

He took a moment to crack open the beer he had been offered and guzzled loudly. His wild eyes narrowed and tracked Bird as he offered to go first.

"I'll go next."

He saluted the Irraka with his beer, lurched upright and moved to join Bird and Bleeds Well.

[Bleeds Well]

Bleeds Well drops the knife back into the box and carefully pulls off the coat, setting it to the side, keeping his poorly kept secret. He hits the switch on the garage door, watching it close, the rattle of chain bringing privacy down around them. As he steps back towards Bird he ripples into a true child of Destroyer Wolf. The broad squat head of Urshal flexes as Bleeds Well opens a maw that has crushed so many of the Call's foes. This weapon of destruction ginelrgly envelopes Bird's offered arm. Cuspids like daggers effortlessly slice open the tender human flesh. Bleeds Well tastes the coppery flavor and knowledge floods his senses.

His head pulls back from Bird, doing his best not to salivate on the Omega as his mass shrinks, but head height remains the same.

The feral-man form of Dalu gives Bleeds Well's already shaggy curls an untamed look. A wild look in his eyes his head falls back and he howls, a lilting call to his pack to join the hunt with him. The note holds on a singular sound, an easy harmony for Emily and Hector to match. At the howls crescendo he grabs the knife from the box and opens his tongue with a quick slice.

He passes the knife to Hector and Emily, for them to taste the blood coated blade. Predator's eyes fall back on Bird. Sharing the scent intensified it, even with the weak nose of a man, Bird's scent fills his senses.

  15 success of 10 needed, tracking by Bird by scent gives a +5

Date		Action		Roll		Result
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[07] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		10, 9, 6, 6, 8, 5, 10, 1		4 successes
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[06] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		4, 10, 7, 10, 3, 2, 5, 7		2 successes
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[05] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		2, 2, 5, 4, 7, 9		1 success
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[04] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		7, 3, 7, 1, 2, 8		1 success
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[03] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		9, 5, 6, 4, 1, 5		1 success
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[02] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		5, 3, 7, 1, 9, 10, 10, 2		3 successes
2021-03-30 19:13:54		[01] Bleeds Well rolls 6 to Shared Scent (Harmony+dalu-2urban area) (10 Again)		8, 10, 2, 6, 1, 9, 3		3 successes

The predator subsides and Bleeds Well fades into Hishu, "One note, one cut. Pretty simple as rite's go."

[Bird]

Times like this, it's easy to see why his old pack christened Bird Fa-ninna. It's his quiet watchfulness, the unnerving intensity of his eyes, the way he seems to be cataloguing every detail. Those eyes track Bleeds Well as he goes about his preparations.

When the Rahu slips into Urshal, Bird feels his skin itch to join his packmate. Run out into the night on four legs. Hunt.

But then Bleeds Well takes Bird's arm in his mouth and draws his blood. The Irraka does not flinch, just watches with that same focus.

When the howl rings out, his throat hurts. He wants to match that tone. But Bird knows he is the subject of the rite, not a participant. Besides, a New Moon knows how to shut up his song.

Bleeds tastes the knife, the knife tastes his blood. Tastes Bird's blood. And is passed to the Alpha and the Rite Master.

"One note, one cut," Bird repeats, as if in a half-trance. His steel-trap memory fixes the detail. Blood trickles down his arm. He absently traces the flow with a finger, tastes it while he continues to observe.

He looks to Hector and Emily for their reactions.

[Emily Makerith]

"Oh, sure Cheif. It's a bit like a temporary pact. Get a spirit to do a thing, but unlike fetishes, they wear off after a moon or so. Still. A lot of useful stuff in there," she replies to Hector. "Plus, you only need gafflings to power most of them, so you don't need a lot of mojo to pull them off."

The Ithaeur watches Bleeds Well closely. It was simple enough, as he said - easier than most Rites she knew - but that didn't make it any less useful. She takes the knife and licks the blood from the blade without hesitation, linking the scent to the Uratha before her in her mind.

Emily nods in agreement, thinking carefully. "A lot of hunt Rites are practical. Less ceremony, more speed. Still, good to know." She turns. "Okay then - dedication. A lot of peeps pick it up early, cuz not being butt naked after a shapeshift helps us blend in. Something about the Herd not knowing, or something." Her grin is broad, belieing her fake ignorance. "This one is also blood in nature - several of the simple, early rites are so they don't need tools to do. You take a knife, or your claw, or a bit of glass, or whatever," she demonstrates as she does so with the ritual knife, "get some of your blood and smear it on the item you wanna dedicate. A circle is traditional, but it doesn't need to be perfect. It's the blood that's important. Fuck, I've been able to do it with my initials. Stay quiet while you do it though, calm. Focus on the blood in your veins. We always say blood binds us - for us, and the spirit nature in our red stuff, it's literally true. After a minute or so of the focus, the blood will absorb into the item and vanish - that's it." Emily looks around. "Oh, another thing. One ritual should do a set of clothes if you've marked them all at the same time as a par tof one ritual. But the stronger your Nature, your Rage, the more things you can dedicate. Our Primal natures become more wild, more spiritual, and let us bind more things. And it means you dont end up in the buff if you drop into the Hisil and out again."

She swigs her beer. "All make sense?"