Ankh had set a dinner date with Animus and West for a calm Friday night to discuss some things. She enjoyed cooking and they enjoyed eating and food and conversation always seemed to go well. She'd finished the preparations early and had just placed the last touches on the table setting.

She moves to the kitchen and starts bringing out food to let stand on the table. The boys should be ready soon enough. She just hoped they enjoyed steak. Ankh is not a vegetarian and is very fond of meat. She knows West doesn't mind but she isn't quite sure about Animus. Still, there would be enough other side dishes to make up a meal if he wasn't interested.

The smell of food summons Animus quicker than a verbal call ever could. It's not long at all before he's standing by the table. He breaks into a grin. "Looks good. Smells better. You sure know how to cook."

Ankh looks over to him with a chuckle as she sets down another plate of food. "If you lived with Kai, you'd know how to cook too. I swear that man could eat a mountain of food and still profess to be hungry."

She finally has everything into place and gestures to the table. "Go ahead and dig in. I am sure West will be around in a minute."

With that, she takes up her own plate and begins to stack steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, spiced apples, and biscuits onto her own plate before sitting down in her spot and preparing to dig in.

Animus loads up his plate as well, and although he certainly isn't skimping on any of the side dishes, it's the steak that dominates his plate. This one clearly likes his meat.

He chuckles good-naturedly. "I'm starting to like Kai already, and I haven't even met him."

Ankh laughs and takes a seat preparing to dig into the food. "I don't know about that. He was.......an impulsive individual. He also had this thing about chinese food that used to drive West nuts. I made it a couples times a week just to keep him on his toes."

She smiles as she remembers those times. Kai had been a good Arrow and she missed him greatly. She doesn't go into what he'd done to her. How he';d kidnapped her and had to test her before she could join the Order. How he'd demanded she betray her Cabal. It had all turned out all right in the end, but the lesson had taught Ankh never to let her guard down around people she doesn't know.

"He is a good Arrow though and he taught me how to speak Chinese, kind of. He gave me a book and I taught myself the language so I could read it. It took me a while but I finally managed to work it out. I think I might look into learning Russian next. It's a beautiful language to speak."


"I've never really felt the need to learn another language. Aside from Atlantean, of course. Have you found it beneficial?"

After a moment, he asks the question that has been rattling around in his head for a while. "Before the Living Stones fell apart, Armstrong told me a bit about Legacies: what they are in general, some of the background and goals of her own. Since then, I've been wondering what others are out there, but I've never really had someone I could ask."

The front door opens, and West comes in carrying a grocery bag.

"Hey, sorry I'm late... wow that smells good," he says, clearly surprised that Ankh had decided to cook. Holding up the bag, he actually smiles.

"Blackberries. I'm making pie tonight."

Setting the bag down, he assembles his own plate and joins the pair at the table.

Ankh looks surprised herself at West's pronouncement. She opens her mouth as if to ask him something but thinks better of it and instead takes a bite of steak. If he wants to make pie then she isn't going to argue.

She chews thoughtfully for a few moments and then turns her attention back to Animus. "Honestly, I don't know that much about what other ones are out there. I know of mine, Orphans of Proteus, and maybe one or two more that are for the Thyrsus, but that's about it. My mentor didn't really have a whole lot of knowledge in that area so I could only glean a bit from him. Since I chose to become an Orphan though I have to admit my studies haven't fallen much to them since."


Animus looks up as West enters and fills his plate. "Hey West. How is everything going? I was just asking Ankh about Legacies."


West listens to Ankh as he begins to eat. He attacks his food in a quick, efficient slices and forkfuls that don't seem rushed, but the food rapidly disappears... a carryover from 'trash can' meals in the military.

He nods as Animus explains, and waves his fork at the kitchen. "Well, I'm making pie. We used to go out an pick blackberries whenever they were in season, but there were always acres and acres of cattle grazing range to go to. I just hope these work out... they look like they've been juiced up with fertilizing chemicals and stuff."

"It's all about ingredients."

West seems oblivious to the talk about Legacies, unless he's trying to say something.

Or he may just be a blackberry pie fanatic.


Ankh quirks an eyebrow, not sure if he is simply avoiding the subject or if he is just oblivious to it. She glances at Animus, wondering if maybe he has a clue. Finally, she decides maybe taking the direct approach would work better. It seemed she had to hit him over the head with everything else, why should this be any different?

"Would you happen to have some advice for Animus here? Or should I just continue with my ignorant ramblings and hope I get it right?"


 West looks a bit surprised. "Well, isn't it a question about the, ummm, refinement of the Soul? I really don't know Animus well enough to comment, other than esoteric knowledge on Legacies that Thyrsus and Arrows follow..."

It's quite clear he's oblivious to the fact that this may be exactly what Animus is looking for.


Animus flinches visibly at Ankh's self-deprecation. Where had that come from? Finally after a couple seconds of silence, he looks over to West. "But that's exactly what I'm looking for. I know next to nothing about my own path's Legacies, and I'm trying to get an idea of what is out there."


Ankh crosses her arms and leans back in her chair giving West a discerning look. Then she suddenly smiles as an idea comes to her.

"Tell you what, we'll help you make the pie and you talk to Animus about what you know. That way the pie gets done and Animus gets his answers all at once. Then, we can eat warm pie."

West shrugs at the suggestion, a shrug Ankh has come to know means assent.

"Well... that's kind of backwards," he says, turning to Animus. "Let's... start with you. What are your, hmmmm, interests and abilities? To some degree these things are indicators of the beginning of your Soul's, ah, destiny... for lack of a better term."


Animus is silent for a long moment, thinking back through his life, organizing his thoughts. The question had been simple enough, yes, but it wasn't to be answered lightly. The soul wasno small deal. Finally, he begins to speak. "I've always had a certain fascination for the Shadow, it's denizens, and their protectors." He chuckles. "Even managed to unintentionally find my way there before I awakened. Nearly died from that one." His glance briefly flicks to the scar running the length of his forearm, then back to West.

"But with the local Shadow so desolate for so long, I found another interest. The raw experience of being an animal, of knowing its senses, living out its habits for a time, there really isn't anything like it." He hesitates just a bit, realizing how strange the next part might sound. "Sometimes I even let the animal consciousness take over, to more fully experience it, or to clear my mind." They would judge him as they saw fit. But he felt that Ankh, at least, would understand.

West paused for a few moments, a look of mild surprise on his face. "Ummm... Ankh? Have you told him about your Legacy?"

Weird.

Thrysus.

A confused look crosses Animus' face. "Only the name. Why?" Why was West acting so strangely all of a sudden?

Ankh looks slightly guilty and shakes her head in the negative. "No, I have not."

She turns in her seat to face Animus and looks as if she is trying to come up with something that seems a bit difficult for her to explain. "The Orphans of Proteus are a unique lot. Most of what we learn is about shifting and how to understand the animals we resemble. I am not your basic Orphan though. Most of us can be found in heavily wooded or wild areas and we generally keep to ourselves. Most of us try to understand and emulate the form we prefer to use. Like mine is the polar bear. We can understand them and speak their language in a way by using body language and the various sounds they make. Since I was basically raised in a hospital and have lived in a large city all my life, I fall more into the urban orphan category. Most of them keep to themselves and shun urban life for the most part. However, if you are interested in shifting and understanding your various animal forms then maybe the Orphans would be a good Legacy for you."


Animus' eyes glisten for a moment. There was an entire Legacy that did this? It seemed incredibly validating, knowing that he was so far from alone in his pursuits. He looks back at Ankh. "It is, I'm sure of it. This really means a lot to me."
Ankh glances at West again before responding to Animus. "I.....can teach you, if you'd like. But teaching you the Legacy is new to me, so I will have to ask for patience. I am not sure how to go about this and I may need West's assistance."

She looks at West again knowing that his Legacy is centered around Awakening those who have the potential but are still sleeping. Maybe he could give her some pointers on how to go about teaching Animus. Surly if one had enough patience to Awaken someone then he would have enough patience to help explain the more technical side of the Legacy. Unless that is not what is required and she only need show Animus what she knew. Maybe it would be more a case of showing him and then having him pick it up from there.

West listened, focusing all of his attention on what was being said. While he was a bit of a specialist in Legacies, and knew a great deal about the myriad ways to refine the soul, seeing one passed on --other than one's own-- was a unique opportunity.

"I... would assume you would teach as you were taught?" he asked.

"I follow a Legacy of... possibilities and causality. We begin by studying the way things interact, and the chain reactions and doors that open. I'm not sure how much of a help I can be, but, sure, I'll help. I just wouldn't want to, hmmmmm... to limit his development with improper methodology."

Life was one of the Arcana that he himself had never developed. The weaving of events, the causation of effect, moving through reality were things he understood; these were things that did not change him physically, but allowed what he already was to alter reality to suit his needs -- rather than altering himself to suit reality.

Ankh brightens as she realizes exactly how to go about teaching Animus. "I'll teach him the right way, actually."

She turns to Animus with a sheepish look. "I was taught kind of backwards and I don't want to put you through that because it was rather confusing at the time. You have a much better grasp on your mana and how it works. I.....didn't know a whole lot before I became an Orphan. We'll start with something simple. What animal is it you have the best affinity with? We'll start with their mannerisms and language. I am sure you can already shift into whatever you want, so that will be the easy part. Learning their language is the hard part. We also focus some on our healing aspect, so I will show you that too."


Animus smiles slightly as he senses the presence of his familiar. There was no question here, no hesitation. "I'm closest to wolves." It was almost too perfect to believe. He had thought to enquire about Legacies, and the one for him had been right here. Ankh was truly an amazing person.


"I'm still getting help with the pie, right?" West asked, now that it was becoming clear that he was superfluous.

Ankh's eyebrows go up in surprise. "Of course. I wouldn't miss the chance to learn to make blackberry pie."

She stands and begins picking up dishes. Before they could get started on the pie the kitchen needed to be cleaned again. She speaks to Animus as she picks up dishes and other serving plates. "Wolves eh? Can't say I am surprised by that. All right this should be easy enough. Believe it or not wolves are one of the easier animals to understand. Their language is rather simple and their politics are mostly based around dominenece. They do have a somewhat intricate pack structure but they are almost entirely pack based. It is very rare to see a wolf by itself and when you do it is almost always because it is old or hurt or has some other weak quality. Wolves have a healthy respect for strength, speed, and a pack mentality."

She pauses for a moment and looks back at Animus. "You will begin to develope the qualities of your chosen animal. You might start to form a pack mantality as well. But we will cross that bridge when it comes. You must first learn to understand the animal."

She heads into the kitchen and starts wahsing the dishes and putting the leftovers away. Ankh is a huge fan of leftovers. There is nothing like getting up late at night and knowing you have some steak, mashed potatoes, and veggies waiting for you in the fridge.

Animus glances toward West first. "Just tell me what to do and I'll help you."

Then his focus shifts to Ankh, taking in her words and mulling them over as he follows her into the kitchen. "I think I can handle all that." Then he grins. "We might have to deal with the pack mentality sooner than you expect. Remember St. Patrick's day? The emptiness, being alone, was getting to me. That's why I changed my mind about going."

Ankh glances at him out of the corner of her eye as she continues to wash the dishes. She considers his words for a few minutes, mulling them over. Then she asks another question.

"How well do you handle animals? I would assume you are at least decent as all Thyrsus should be, but I have seen some who have no clue when it comes to dealing with domestic animals, nevermind wild ones. If your skill is lacking, then we will have to work on it."

She concentrates on scrubbing a pan. "As for the pack mentality..........I think I understand. It is not necessary for me to be around others all that much...." She glances over her shoulder and looks at West before turning back to the dishes. "I saw a lot of death when I was young. The slow wasting away kind of death. I find that I get a lot of comfort from having people around me who aren't going to get sick and die. I know what you mean about the emptiness."

Animus shrugs. "I'm not the best at handling animals, but I'm certainly not bad at it. I'm better at dealing with the land itself." He shrugs. "I guess it depends on what 'good enough' is, but I'm usually a quick learner, so I doubt I'll have too much of a problem."

Ankh finishes wiping down the counter and then looks at Animus. "Good enough means that you won't get attacked or eaten. Generally."

She starts pulling out what West will need for the pie and tries to explain further. "Although, like I said, wolves are some of the easier animals to speak to. They aren't scavangers, so they won't eat just anything and they aren't very partiel to human flesh. Mostly they hunt when they need to and are more neutral to their surroundings then most. In other words, if you leave them alone they will most likely leave you alone. If you attack them, they will take you down. The hard part is getting one alone long enough to establish a relationship with it. What we should do first is take a trip to the zoo. They have a few wolves there and even though they aren't the happiest lot they will be the easiest to learn from."


Animus shares a brief glance with Guards-the-Pack before responding. "There is a wolf spirit that I've established a relationhip with. I imagine he'd be quite happy to be around his physical counterparts. I think a visit to the zoo would be good for both of us." Indeed, Guards-the-Pack perks up visibly at the suggestion. Animus scratches him behind the ear, a gesture sure to look rather odd to any who can't see the spirit.


Ankh stops moving, the surprise evident on her face. "Oh." She says, a little lost for words. It was true that most Thyrsus had a familiar of some kind but Ankh had never really considered it.

She glances at West again, wondering if he'd already known, before returning her attention to Animus. "Can he teach you the ways of the wolf? Or is it a different kind of communication?"

Yes, she is Thyrsus but she knows next to nothing about familiars, nevermind spirit ones.

West looks over from the sink, where he's washing blackberries and shrugs with a smile. He hadn't known, but wasn't surprised. To someone who rearranged Time and Fate to their suiting, petting a phantom animal wasn't that weird.

Animus considers for a moment. "Up until now, I've only communicated with him in the normal manner for spirits. But he should be able to teach communication in the manner of wolves." Animus chuckles. "Although I think he might rebel if we called off that visit to the zoo." It was amazing how well things seemed to be falling into place.

Ankh nods absently, considering what Animus said about the spirit helping him with the language. She smiles at the mention of the trip to the zoo. "Oh no, we will still need to go. Now that I think about it, your friend may be able to help with their body language but it might be tainted as well. You already know his mannerisms and therefore it will be easier for you to read him, whether you are aware of it or not. That may hinder you when dealing with other wolves. He might be able to help explain the reasons why his kin are the way they are though. That would give you a more in depth understanding of the animals then someone else. Which could prove to be a very big advantage for you."

She starts stirring some ingredients into a bowl after West hands them to her and gives her instructions. "When would you like to make the trip?"

"Yeah, you're probably right about being able to read him. I guess we can meet in about a week. Should be a fun excursion."


Ankh smiles. "Excellent. We'll start there then. The rest of it should be a breeze for you since you're a Life Master."

She hands the bowl to West and watches him continue to make the pie.


"I want to go," West added. He began to roll the pie dough, and showed Ankh the berries, sugar, and flour, and made a mixing gesture.

It'd been years since he'd been to the zoo.


Animus glances between the other two. "I'm fine with making it a Cabal outing. Speaking of which, Tug's really been hurting, ever since they got Falx. Living alone, the constant reminders of what he's lost, that can't be good for him. I'd like for him to join us. Is that okay with the two of you?"

Ankh opens her mouth to tell Animus that it is certainly fine with her but then closes it and frowns. "I thought Tug was making a Cabal with other people? If not, then of course he can join us. I was going to talk to you and West about that myself. He seems like he needs people right now and I think we would be good for him. I don't know how close he is to others but......I like Tug and I hate to see him in such pain."

"Of course," West replied, a bit quickly.

While some other time, under different circumstances, he might have made a joke or observation about the Thyrsus brigade that seemed to be surrounding him, the truth was that he felt the same.

As acting Magister for the Ungala Draconis, Tug was his responsibility, and although he could see, and understand, the man's pain -- he'd had no idea what to do about it.

Animus grins. "Thanks. I'm glad we'fe all agreed on this. Now I think we have some pie to finish making?"