Family is who you choose

[Hector]

Hector ate like an animal. In hishu he appeared one of those smelly, deranged, vagrants who everyone avoids; the kind who speak loudly to themselves, yell and raise their voice at the wind, and who lash out at enemies only they can see. He already looked disturbing; his joyful gobbling only added to that - more animal than human - and it was magnificent.

He paused once, to add to what Bird had said:

"One way or another, you will tell us your story."

There was no mischief or malice in his voice when he said this. It was simply a statement of truth. Back to the masala... He stopped when the Ithaeur prepared her ritual; and this time he laid down the (almost) empty food packaging.

"I can help with that. As for you lot... I have some thoughts but I want to hear the pack's thought's first. I felt we worked together well given the situation. We held it together and cut a glorious trial across town. But before I let the glory of that run get to my head... I want your views."

"Em. I can give you backing while you work..."

He shuffled over to where Emily Makerith was working and sank to his haunches.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-07-19 06:08:53	Hector to provide backing vocals to the rite rolls 6 to Manipulation + Expression (10 Again)	10, 9, 7, 6, 2, 2, 2	2 successes

Somehow the Alpha managed a crude approximation of throat singing (more like a metal death growl) but he kept it low and muted to suit the mood Emily sought to evoke as she worked the Rite.

A cahalith will Cahalith.

[Bleeds Well]

Bleeds wrinkles his nose at the sickly sweet smell of blood and fester. Smells he’s accustomed to, but so strange that it comes so strong from a packmate. He stands and paces around the gathered, eyes on alert for trouble.

“We’ve got enemies at our doorstep of the most dangerous kind. They threaten our territory and need to be pushed out.” ​ as if it were that simple.

[Kelreth]

There's a slow nod as Tiny lays out the whys and the who's. Of the three only Tiny is the real surprise and Bird's decision to not participate is good to hear. "I do not envy that oath." A moment's pause as Bird gives a very wolf reason and then asks the question that needed to be asked. And Hector echos.

"I ah, I wanted to get a better view of who we were up against up there. There's some of our more fire obsessed several times removed cousins around and I wanted to see what the ones in the club were up to. Figured if the pack was handling one problem I could handle the other. Didn't expect them to pull fucking silver in front of humans though." Anger swells in Chris's words before he takes in a slow breath and nods to Emily and lays down.

Then mouths the words as Emily says them, this story is true.

Chris is going to spend what essence he has to heal and will end up with nothing left over.

[Tiny]

Tiny listens, and echoes with his own
"This Story is True. When the world was young, a great devastation rocked the land. The land erupted in sulfur, and fire fell from the sky. Smoke clogged the air, and death scythed with abandon. A wolf wandered the dying land, and saw her elder. The elder Iminir was strong, and noble and great in the eyes of the people. But still the elder choked on smoke, and bled from beyond burned skin. She bowed before the master, 'I see you, and you are showing weakness. You have failed Skolis, but you will not fail the pack.' She bent over his weakly resisting form, and performed the rite, commanding his body to heal even as he wished her to stop. He was shamed for all his days, and yet, those days were far more numerous because of her actions."

Tiny listens, and thinks of the pack, and his place within it. Right now the Irraka have given the info, its time to collate. He takes a big bite of curry and lays out the information:
"Alright, let me lay out the details then. We have Silver happy clubowners, who have a mangled member, though perhaps they have healed him. They know we know about them, and we hit them last, so they need to hit us next to balance the fight. They've got our faces from security cameras, so they may be able to figure out where they can hurt us back. Likely targets are Hector's and Bird's camps; Emily's or Bleed's shops. They could hit my car, as I don't have a real hard office to hit." He didn't mention his weakness, he was Iminir. And secrecy was the best shield for him. "Though that would be a pretty hard target to hit, being mobile.
And on top of that we have the firefriends we shamed down south. We are at risk of a pincer attack if the two coordinate, or a split attack if they are particularly tactically minded."

[Bird]

Bird's not one for songs and stories. He appreciates them, of course--he is one of the People after all. But he's not quick to tell a tale or lift his voice to Luna. Hell, he rarely lifts his voice in any situation.

However, this is a special occasion. This is important work. So, he tries to match Hector's growl-song with a wordless vocalization of his own, half singing, half humming. Somehow, he manages a decent accompaniment. Wonders never cease.

Carry a Tune, 1 success

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-07-23 09:29:10	Bird rolls 1 to Manip + Expression -1 (untrained) (10 Again)	9	1 success

Chris offers his explanation and Bird only nods. It makes sense. Heading out on his lonesome wasn't wise. But New Moons don't need Wisdom. They need Cunning. And Cunning can get you fucked. Because what you don't expect is sometimes what happens. Silver and all.

Tiny's summary of the situation is to the point, direct. Bird appreciates it and the look on his face should communicate that fact to the Elodoth. He breaks off his humming to speak:

"Shit gets real if they get together is what I'm hearing. What if we make sure they don't? Uratha or Anshega, wolves are wolves. We ain't good at getting along. What if we find a reason, make a reason, keeps them from ganging up?" It's a sly idea, something you would expect from an Irraka: a manufactured war. If their enemies are too busy fighting each other, they won't be able to turn their attention in the Call's direction. It would be delicate work. But Bird's not one to shy away from a challenge.

[Emily Makerith]

The Ithaeur begain to pour the pure water over the wound, pulling a clean cloth from her bag and gently cleaning the wound. She smirks, looking at Tiny. "I wasn't done."

3 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-07-23 11:16:10	Emily Makerith rolls 7 to Rite of Healing: Harmony +1 (Dalu) -1 Urban (10 Again)	10, 3, 9, 8, 2, 2, 4, 7	3 successes

She sighs and continues. "Aaaaanywho, Fenris-Ur knew this. But all living things grow. They heal, and recover - it is a part of life. He also knew, with all his strength, Urfarah at his strength was yet stronger, and the duties had fallen to him and his siblings. And so Destroyer wolf sought out his brother, Skolis-Ur, who understood the challenge and hardship the five children faced, and together they journeyed into the depths of the shadow, where there is no reflection in the material world. A place of concepts and primal, savage hunger. They say even Father Wolf did not go there unless needed. And they found Life, locked in the eternal dance with her sister Death as had been since time began."

She looks as Bird and Hector join in a rough accompanoment, drawing a smile.

"For a full moon they Sided with Death against the spirit of Life. Every night they found her, and with verdant growth she battered them away. Broken and bruised, they chased her the next night.... and whenever they drew near, their wounds began to close, so full of life was she. Forced to beat them within an inch of death, for life's nature is to go on living. They could not truly kill her any more than she could drstory death, but her power began to retreat from the world. And after a full month, finally, she asked why. Why they crawled back, bloody and unbowed, to fght her again and again. And when they confessed what they sought, she traded the rite of Healing for the support. And in return, the brothers fought alongside her against Death to restore the balance, and Death too retreated from Pangaea."


She breaks off from the Story to look at Chris. "It was still a stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid... stupid stupid plan." More blood is wiped from the wound.

2 successes

Date	Action	Roll	Result
2021-07-23 11:31:56	Emily Makerith rolls 7 to Rite of Healing: Harmony +1 (Dalu) -1 Urban (10 Again)	4, 8, 3, 2, 7, 2, 9	2 successes

The Ithaeur looks over to Tiny as he breaks things down. "They can fucking try. I've kept my garage for fucking years. Not about to lose it to some pissy Ivory claws."

She chuckles, pointing to Bird. "Oooh, smart. I like it."

More water is poured over Chris' wound.

That's 2 Agg healed so far

[Hector]

Hector graced Bird with a genuine smile when the Irraka joined in. He continued his throat-hum while Emily finished her story; as the Ithaeuer poured cleansing water over Chris' wound, the Alpha took it as a sign that the rite was drawing to a close. He switched from singing to talking.

"Its time to do something about our northern neighbours. Once and for all. Chris - did you get an idea of how big this Ivory Claw pack is?"

He closed his mouth hurriedly lest he continue. He was bound by more than one oath now and he suspected revealing any of his pet theories might be taken as weakness. So he let their errant Shadow 'advise' him. The Call had walked right over the Anshega territory and their den - there would be a reprisal. Treat Every Spirit In Kind; Give No Surrender That You Would Not Accept. In the Alpha's mind the path was now set: if he were in the Ivory Claw's position, he would be preparing for war.

Maybe it was time to go first, go hard, and go strong...

But what Hector really needed was hard data on their opponents.

[Bleeds Well]

Bleeds listens and listens and listens.

And listens.

And Grunts. "'Swhy I wore a mask Tiny." An unimpressed gaze moves across the rest of the pack. "If they come after Em's shop or my forge while we're around it'll go badly for em."

He nods at Bird's wisdom, "Like I suggested a while back, let's burn down the club. Em said they had some kind of a guardian spirit. We need to free that as well. How would an Ivory go about something like that?" He poses to the group

[Kelreth]

The Irraka had avoided eye contact with members of the pack. Instead looking up at the sky and somehow feeling like he was being judged from there as well. Makes sense though, almost dying then causing the pack to travel through hostile turf.

"It sounded like there are only three. The guy who stabbed me was running his mouth about them being hot shit back home and blah blah blah." Chris takes a deeper breath as Emily's work starts to do its thing. "Wanted to prove their worth as inheritors of some." A hand vaguely twirls. "Crazy bullshit. Bloodlines?"

[Tiny]

"So they are trying to prove something. Humiliation is the fastest way of breaking them. Pride is its own weakness. We burn their club, break a few bones, and snap pictures of them begging for their lives. Double points if we drop the pictures off with our southern neighbors. Intimidate one while humiliating the other, and making sure that gets back to their home in a way we couldn't. While I don't typically advocate for violence, Pay each spirit in kind."

Tiny nods firmly, without any bloodlust. It seems he really doesn't take pleasure in the idea of a fight. Though the gleam in his eye as he describes the humiliation is none too pleasant.