Left on the Doorstep

[Sunny Day]

The white Chevvy Cruze, the back end covered in stickers from places from the south east of America, idled along the street. Inside the white car, which Sunny called "The Marshmallow," the Cahalith was comparing a crumpled piece of paper to the building numbers and finally found the place she was looking for.

The car came to a stop, and Sunny Day stepped out, stretching. She had been driving for the better part of 13 hours, the last leg from Phoenix to Sacramento having been a longer drive she had expected. She would have broken it up, but honestly... alone hadn't suited her, not out on the road.

She moved aside a bag from the boot, and pushed her guitar case to the side, and opening the cooler pulled out the six pack of craft beer she had picked up that morning. Charon's Ticket had said that Tiny would understand the beer reference and that Sunny should pick up some before she arrived. Whatever the case, it was a reference she didn't get.

She made her way to the door, double checked the number and knocked.

[Tiny]

Swiftly there is a response of "just a minute" from inside the townhouse. It's a three story brownstone in the downtown area with little in the way of decorations. She hears someone messing with the door, and the sound of something scooting across the floor. The door opens slightly.
"Yes, who is it?"
A short bald man in a suit answers. There is the smell of pizza, and perhaps something burning as he opens the door.

[Sunny Day]

The woman on the other side of the door was five foot four, and was wearing a pair of jeans and a rolling stones shirt.

"Sorry about the hour, I've been driving all day." She said, her voice melodic as she moved back away from the door to allow the older wolf space. "I'm a friend of Karen. Of Charon's Ticket. Iowa?" She seemed to be almost asking, before she brandished the beer forward. "She said you owed her couch rental, and that you didn't leave debts unpaid. I'm uh, here to collect."

She winced her face a little, as though apologising. "Just for a little while, I swear. Danger was coming to their pack, and I'm still too green to join them. So... just a few weeks?" She had missed the bit where she introduced herself.

[Tiny]

The door opens wider, and she can see moving boxes in the hallway. He stands slightly shorter than her, an even 5'.
"I do owe her, so that speaks of some truth. Tell me, her pack went hunting wile I talked to distracted a storm spirit. What did they hunt?". She notes his eyes follow the beer like a dog with a treat.

He stands confident and relaxed, but she can see that he's set up to lunge at her slightly higher throat.

[Kaliska]

She smiled, and put down her bag. She had expected something of this. Her eyes rolled up slightly, pulling the story from her memory, then set her voice and sang quietly. Despite her best efforts, her voice carried, something distinctive in it making it hard to supress. It had a country vibe, and would be well suited to an acoustic guitar.

When Skolis-Ur's child called his kin
The rampaging river, freezing sky
The ferryman's pack crossed the line
Dispatched the fallen who refused to die

The eyes of the law pulled low
The Pack and Spirit entered fight
Bodies ridden, broke and worn
But Magath banished by breaking light.

She focused back, voice falling away. "Magath. Ghosts and Crime spirits were being bound up and sent into the Cedar Rapids area. It was before my time, but I know it was something to do with a true crime podcast."

Sunny pushed her hair out of her face, and smiled. "And the Beer is apparently an injoke between you and Karen. She is the Alpha now, took it up when One Quick Strike fell. Just so you know."

[Sunny Day]

She smiled, and put down her bag. She had expected something of this. Her eyes rolled up slightly, pulling the story from her memory, then set her voice and sang quietly. Despite her best efforts, her voice carried, something distinctive in it making it hard to supress. It had a country vibe, and would be well suited to an acoustic guitar.


When Skolis-Ur's child called his kin
The rampaging river, freezing sky
The ferryman's pack crossed the line
Dispatched the fallen who refused to die

The eyes of the law pulled low
The Pack and Spirit entered fight
Bodies ridden, broke and worn
But Magath banished by breaking light.


She focused back, voice falling away. "Magath. Ghosts and Crime spirits were being bound up and sent into the Cedar Rapids area. It was before my time, but I know it was something to do with a true crime podcast."


Sunny pushed her hair out of her face, and smiled. "And the Beer is apparently an injoke between you and Karen. She is the Alpha now, took it up when One Quick Strike fell. Just so you know."

[Tiny]

Tiny nods his head in time to her song. "Well sung, come in. Your beer alone would have bought a month, but with Charon's favor, you are welcome until you have your own place." He picks up here bag and brings it into the house.
The place is sparsely decorated, with several moving boxes attached in corners.
He sets her bag by the stairs.
"First room on the right is yours. Bathroom is the next room. I'll have some towels and things for you after I get them unpacked."

He leads her further into the house, and she finds the bar to be fully decked out. A full size wine closet, though only a quarter full, sits next to a beer fridge and a small bar cart.

"Welcome to Sacramento. We have only one pack in town, run by a Cahalith Iron Master, with a sneaky cat totem. We have lots of troubles, including shartha and the pure."

He geta three beer glasses from the freezer, and pours three glasses of a black stout. "In memory of One Quick Strike. She earned her name through decapitating a rat host. May we find inspiration from her deeds."

He drinks deeply from his glass, leaving the third glass untouched.

He sends a quick text to Bleeds Well
Letting him know about the newbie. He always liked scaring the piss out of them.

"So, with all that completed, who are you?"

[Sunny Day]

Her quick eyes took in the house as they moved through. "Just moved in yourself?" She asked, before seeing the bar properly. "Or just slow to unpack maybe? Or you just have your priorities straight I guess." She smiled.

"Oh, sorry, yeah. To the people I am Sunny Day, to the herd I am Charity. Fiuremekir Cahalith of the Hirfathra Hissu." Moving between first tongue and english seemed almost effortless to her, but perhaps there was a part of the Cahalith in that.

"Hopefully I won't need to impose for long, I just need to... get settled and find some people to run with, and then I'll be good. Thanks for being so understanding."

"To One Quick Strike." She drained the beer eagerly, her mouth surprising her with how dry it had got from the anxiousness of not being accepted in. She knew she was low on places to go, and Tiny's hospitality was appreciated.

"I was there for her funeral, recorded her story. That's what I do, I record the stories of the fallen and the spirits. It's what we owe to each other."

[Tiny]

"Yes, just moved in last week. Drinks are priorities, the Uratha are a thirsty lot. I don't have anything expensive, but everything is tasty, and quantity is a quality all its own." New license means new price sheet, which means he'll be able to pay this thing off if he lives long enough.

"Well Sunny Day, welcome, I go by Matthew to the Herd, and Tiny is one of my names, I also go by Oath's Bastion. I like to hold seminars on the oath, so feel free to discuss it at the next one." That he and Bleeds Well would chase each other in verbal circles like cartoon dogs was worth the surprise.

"Ahh good, another of the gibbous will help with balance. Help yourself to whatever you'd like. Tacos or Sushi sound better for dinner? As much as i'd love to say it, i'm only a decent cook, and your first night in town deserves something delicious. Sacramento's really good for food. Sushi and mexican are fantastic, indian is really getting great, Chinese is hit and miss, but the burger joints are like little league teams, everyone's got their favorite and all of them are usually pretty cheap."

"Take all the time you need. As a former couch surfer, I know how helpful it is to know that you always have a place, and rent here is kind of aweful. When you get settled, you'll find a place. I do legal work, so send me any contract before you sign so I can make sure they don't screw you." Perks of pack membership, free legal advice. Perks of pack membership, not dying when the spirits came knocking.

He drinks deeply from his beer, enjoying it. "She was one who encouraged me to take charge and be more direct. Some other time, you'll have to sing her dirge. The whole pack should hear it, if you plan to stay with us. The pack never turns away anyone who wants to join, but you don't get true membership until you stick around. Sacramaneto is a tough nut, and I've only been here for a few months. Even still, I've seen People come and go." He shrugs, finishing the beer. He grabs a bottle of wine, a red from Pennsylvania. He opens it with the well practiced hands and pours a glass, holding up the bottle to see if she wants a glass.

[Sunny Day]

Sunny moved to lean against one of the boxes, folding her arms. "Thanks Matthew. I look forward to discussing the oath's intricacies." She pulled her phone out, and began opening a delivery app. "I'll get dinner, don't stress. You are putting me up, it's the least I can do."

She flicked around on the app as she kept talking. "Couch surfing is tough. I know when we were touring we would sometimes have to sleep in the car when we couldn't afford motels, and a lot of church basements. It's a rough life. Was it tough studying law while you were doing it?"

The blonde finally found the taco place and passed the phone to Tiny. She hadn't done sushi before, and wasn't game to try it yet. "I'll be sticking around for a while, don't worry. I'll sing her song, and maybe a few more. We will have time for all of it. Must be rough having such turnover. Hard to train pack tactics, for sure."