[Wyrmbreaker] It's been a few nights since that rather catastrophic incident in the commons. Lukas hasn't been at the Brotherhood all that time. He's here tonight, though, stepping in out of the cold in an overcoat, a scarf, gloves, hat. It's cold again outside, snowing again, that brief promise of spring revoked.
The restaurant is closing down; the dining room growing quiet, one last holdout table of patrons getting to the ends of their meals as a waitress delivers the check. Wyrmbreaker assesses the situation, and then heads toward those wingback chairs near the fire. The flames are burning down. He adds another log, dusting wood flakes off his leather gloves before stripping them off. The scarf next, unwound, and the newsboy cap after. Last, the overcoat, shrugged out of and tossed over the back of the chair. Seating himself, he gets his phone out and dials Nathalie's number.
"We have to discuss some things," he says -- to her or to her voicemail. "In particular, the other night with the cub. I'm having a drink downstairs in the Brotherhood. Why don't you join me?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "I'll be there in a few minutes." And, true to her word, she's there in, well, a few minutes. She slips inside, spots Lukas, and heads in that direction. Before she's even acknowledged, she drops to one knee, arms crossed over her thigh, head down. "Lukas-rhya."
[Wyrmbreaker] By the time Nathalie shows up, Lukas is still on his smartphone, engrossed, a faint, private little smile on his lips. And Nathalie doesn't just take a seat like a normal human being. Or stand there like a child waiting to be chastised. Then again, she's neither human nor a child.
So she does what she feels is appropriate. She starts to drop to one knee like a supplicant before a monarch, and Lukas bolts upright to catch that wrist she's trying to cross over her thigh -- pulls her back to her feet before that knee she's trying to lay on the floor can touch down.
"Jesus Christ," he whispers between closed teeth, "humans are still around."
And there are. That last lingering table -- three men, two women, coworkers from over on the Loop by the looks of it -- are just now counting out the tip, eying Nathalie with bemusement and perplexity as they gather up their coats to go. Nathalie and Lukas can hear Danny at the bar wishing them a cheery goodnight, and Nathalie can see the charismatic young kinsman winking at them. Defusing the situation. Drawing attention away.
Lukas lets go of Nathalie, nodding her to the other wingback chair.
"Have a seat."
[Nathalie Bystrov] She sits, head down. "Thank you."
[Wyrmbreaker] So she has a seat. And behind them, the humans are ushered out summarily with calls of goodnight and have a safe drive and thank you and come again. The door shuts behind them, and behind them again -- two layers to keep out the cold. Then it's just Wyrmbreaker, Nathalie, and a handful of kin cleaning up the tables with small sounds of silverware on ceramic.
And Lukas doesn't look at her. He frowns into the fireplace, leaning back in his chair again, the very picture of the brooding Shadow Lord. His clothes are modern, his haircut, his shoes -- but his face could be timeless. He could be his own ancestor, plotting the downfall of some Silver Fang five hundred years ago. He could be his own descendant.
Or he could be himself. Two short years ago he sat here all the time, Cliath; dreamt his idealistic childish little dreams of victory and strength and power for his pack, power in the name of the greater good. Dreamt of making Edward Bellamonte a king. And now, two years later, Ed is long gone, and with Spiderman had it right all along. With power came...
well. Responsibilities like this. He turns to Nathalie, firelight etching shadows into his frown.
"What happened the other night, Nathalie?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "The cub nearly lost it. I tried to control it non-violently, and made a calculated risk. I tried to stare her down." She pauses. "I then tried to take her down without using claws or fangs, so I wouldn't risk killing her. I tried to show mercy." Another pause. "I failed, repeatedly, and nearly lost my life and got the Kin I was trying to protect killed. I was foolish, and I failed." The last word is nearly spat, as if simply saying the word fills her mouth with a vile taste.
[Wyrmbreaker] [sorry, was afk!]
"What led to the altercation? Why was the cub so worked up in the first place?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "It was her moon. Our moon. I don't remember the specifics, to be honest. Certainly I wouldn't provoke her intentionally."
[Adara Mires] She came back from a walk she took after meeting with Amunet and Adamidas. She still wasn't sure if she would say iot went well or not, only time will tell. She stepped in, dressed in flat soled boots, worn, faded jean a tank topk being exposed as she takes off her warm winter coat. She pass a hand in her har, who used ot be lnog and dark brown, but now were medium lenght and auburn, to get some of the flakes off it.
She looked around, seeing Nathalie and Lukas talking. Shadow Lord business it seem. She offer a smile and slight bow to Lukas as she pass them at a distance by and a smile to Nathalie. She didn't want to intrude. If they wanted them closer, they will let her know. She went to order herslef a beer, wondering if she should go up in the common room, since Ki was sleeping on the floor of her room..again.
[Wyrmbreaker] [percep + subterfuge: is she telling the truth?]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 3, 4, 4, 7, 9, 9 (Success x 3 at target 6)
to Nathalie Bystrov
[Nathalie Bystrov] ((yes, she's telling the truth. seems to be quite earnest))
to Wyrmbreaker
[Wyrmbreaker] "And how did it end? Were you finally able to put the cub down?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "No." Her expression is...Strange, somewhere between ill and furious.
[Nathalie Bystrov] ((sorry, clicked the wrong button)) "I was down and the cub would have killed me. Kristen healed me and a Garou I don't know brought the cub down after I'd weakened her."
[Wyrmbreaker] "How did it end?" Repeated, Lukas's voice is a firm, gentle pressure.
[Wyrmbreaker] [whup!]
[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas's fingers tap on the scrolled arm of his chair for a moment as he stares at Nathalie -- long and hard, assessing. Then he nods a bit.
"There's this, at least. It's not as bad as I thought. When I first heard about the incident from Kora, the Fenrir Alpha, I thought you were making the exact same mistake you had with the kinswoman. Throwing your weight around; laying hands on that which was not yours. I'm glad to see that wasn't the case.
"Kora, the Fenrir Alpha, will be dealing with the cub from her end. Put that out of your mind. The cub is her tribe's responsibility now, as she should have been from the start. Kora will have to deal with both the cub's spiritual welfare after losing her mind to the Wyrm, with whatever contrition may be necessary, and with the proper control and discipline of her tribe's cubs.
"You're my responsibility. And here are the issues as I see them. First, the simple issue: I think Kora has the wrong impression of the situation right now. She seems to think you had bullied a cub into succumbing to a Wyrm Frenzy, and then continued to toy with and bully her instead of putting her down as you should have. I'll let her know what you've told me and what your intentions were, but you should go before her yourself and explain. And don't grovel. Don't be arrogant, but don't prostrate yourself before her either. Your penance will be paid here, with me. You will not carry that with you.
"Second, the deeper issue: you're right. You failed when the cub started to lose control, and you failed to nip the situation in the bud. You tried to stare her down -- an action you knew could lead to her losing her wits. You gambled. You lost. When she did, in fact, lose her wits, you tried to show mercy and gambled again, this time with the lives of everyone around you. You lost again. If this other Garou had not stepped in, if Kristen had not healed you, you might be dead now.
"I don't need to tell you this. I can see by your shame that you already know. You already know you should have put the cub down at the first sign of rebellion, insubordination or loss of control. It was your right. A cub has no rank; even as a Cliath, you didn't need to answer a challenge from her. When you did, you only drew things out and endangered everyone.
"You tried to show mercy; you showed weakness instead."
A pause.
"Here's the thing, though. I don't think the lesson you should take away from all this is 'never show mercy again'. I think what you need to learn is when and how to show mercy -- and when not to. And that's not something anyone can teach you in a few words.
"I can tell you this, though. My packmate, Honor's Compass, recently attained Adrenship. One of her questions was the difference between mercy and weakness, leadership and tyranny. She had her own, excellent answers, but the view of a Silver Fang Philodox is different from that of a Shadow Lord Ahroun. To me, the lines are as simple and complex as this: a leader acts for the greater good of the whole. A tyrant takes the whole and bends it to his own benefit. A leader knows mercy has its place. A tyrant fears mercy and cannot see the difference between it and weakness.
"Maybe there was a time when such paranoia and selfishness had its place, but these days that kind of behavior is akin to hoarding treasure in a burning house. We must be leaders, not tyrants, because tyrants will not win this war. And I think more than any other tribe or auspice, we are called upon to balance on that very fine point between leadership and tyranny, mercy and weakness. A leader must be strong. A leader must know when mercy is justified, and when it is only weakness.
"In this particular case, it's my opinion that utterly crushing an unranked cub out of anger and pride is dishonorable. Killing her for challenging you is dishonorable. Accepting her challenge and letting it blow out of proportion is equally dishonorable. Quelling an unruly cub for her own good, and for the good of everyone you protect, is honorable. Is, in fact, its own form of mercy.
"So in the most pragmatic sense, it comes down to this: you need to learn how to quickly and reliably end a fight without endangering anyone, your opponent included."
[Nathalie Bystrov] She shrugs slightly, eyes still on the floor. "I am a killer, Lukas-rhya. I always have been. It's how I was trained. It is difficult to fight the instinct to kill. Clearly, there is a middle ground, and I have yet to find it."
[Wyrmbreaker] "Well." A hard, humorless sort of half-smile. "Start looking for it. Because Ahrouns that are nothing but killers end up dead sooner rather than later."
[a little slow -- MTing and getting STed for!]
[Adara Mires] She hasn't been noticed by either Shadw Lords, the conversation seem to be pretty intense. She stop at the bar, gettin herself a beer and then leaned against it, waching around as she slowly drink from her bottle. Her merald eyes scan the place, it was pretty empty now.
She start cahtting with the bartender about nothing and everything. She knew the staff pretty well now and she is known to spend time downstairs and chatting with them. Not overly, because it would hinder their work, but late night, when there's not many customers around, it tends to happen.
[Nathalie Bystrov] "I will." She nods slightly. "It won't happen again."
[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas is -- merciful enough, perhaps, not to point out that that's what she said last time. Nonetheless, it's there in his eyes, and maybe Nathalie can see it. It's not quite doubt. It's closer to a sort of cynicism. Or perhaps just knowledge:
that it's hard, so very hard, to do as well as you want to do.
The two wingback chairs face each other, and they face the fireplace. Nonetheless, Lukas can see Adara now -- over by the bar. He glances at the other for a moment before returning his attention to Nathalie. "Is there anything else you want to talk to me about?" he offers.
[Nathalie Bystrov] "Nothing in public, no. Though I have something to run by you in private at some point."
[Adara Mires] She felt more than saw Lukas's eyes on her. When an Adren look at you, you better be aware. She offer him a polite smile and small bow before he turns back to talk with Nathalie. So she return to her small chat with the bartender. She continue to drink form her bottle, smiling at something the kin said and replying back, making him laugh.
Sheseemed pretty relaxed, jsut enjoying a drink, probably before going to bed as the time was passing by and the night wasn't getting younger.
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] The door kicks open, and in walks the Strider. Well, it's not quite fair to say it "kicks" open. It's not like she kicked the door down as if she was in some Sylvester Stallone or Jason Statham film. And that's not to say that she's never done so...rather, she's a big fan of kicking down doors when the situation warrants it. Remember that hotel room in Detroit? Ahh, good times. Poor little tweak dealer didn't know what hit him. We're getting distracted again. Right. The point is, she's already had to pay for a bed. Paying for the door...not so wise.
So she walks in the front door sans a kick, looking around. She hasn't been here since the incident in Room 9, which was more of an argument than an incident. She's in an...okay mood, at best. Seems like she joins up with a pack and then everyone's leaving or dying or shit. If Kate even goes on a day trip to a petting zoo in Kenosha, she's gonna develop a complex. But no such problem for now, just the Strider being the Strider. A grin masks all the problems in the world.
Lukas gets noticed first...it's only natural, considering she's his Alpha and all. She gives him a grin and a nod, and looks over Nathalie a moment before leaving them alone for now. Looks like they're talking business. Adara is noticed as well, and she starts in that direction.
"Heya, chica. What's shaking?"
[Adara Mires] She offer awarm smile to Sarita when the Strider walks closer "I'm doing good. Spoke to Stefan on monday, sat down with your sister tonight. Things went, ok, I guess. We both left the sitdown alive and well" She smiled softly "Seriously, we have divergent opinions, but in the end it's not up to us to decide, so."
She shrugh "I was asked to do something, I did. Amunet has a different view, and it's ont my place to say who's right or wrong. We talked about it, her proposition will be submitted to lUkas eventually and he'll decide if he want something city wide with no specifics, something specific here or a mix of both. No matter hte decision, I'll help any way I can because my duty is to the Sept"
She grin "How about you? What's up?"
[Wyrmbreaker] Wyrmbreaker gets up, his head turning as his packmate enters; she gets a ghost of a smile, a wry little two-finger salute off the corner of his temple. Then he looks back at Nathalie.
"Now's as good a time as any," he says. "Would you prefer to talk up in my room?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] She nods again. "That would be fine, Lukas-rhya. It won't take very long."
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She cocks an eyebrow and grins. "Wow. And most people just give me a 'Ehh, same old same old.' I can't wait 'till you have a real story to tell."
She grins. Galliards. "I'm okay." The grin quirks. "Ehh, same old, same old."
She looks at Lukas, and the gesture--the Strider's own--directed back at her gives her a chuckle.
Uh-oh. I'm rubbing off on you., she says through their pack link.
[Adara Mires] She grin at her reply "If I ever have one, I will ask you to sit down and will pay for the drinks"
She chuckled at her answer "That bad heh?"She say in a teasing tone "Seriously you look you're doing ok, better than last time we saw each other" Ok, she won't mention that part of it was her mentioning Asha..the other part included a possessed man getting run over and Amunet being stabbed.
She drank from her bottle before asking "So what brings you here at this lovely hour? Just visiting, or something serious."She smiles "And as always, none of your business isalways an accepted answer. I'm just curious by nature"
And she had to, after all, a Gallaird is on a perpetual quest ofr knowledge, storiesand songs. When one become complaisant, they become useless. Asking questions was always the best way to learn. Some people have stories to tell and they don't even know they do
[Wyrmbreaker] [gah! sorry this took so long. i'm also trying to organize the pigsty that is my bedroom *LOL*]
A curious glance at Nathalie, then. "I don't mind if it takes a long time, Nathalie," he says. "You're my tribe. You might become my packmate. I have time for you."
Up the stairs, then -- a chuckle sent back at Sarita across the pack link. I won't worry until I start living in a van, he ribs back. For all of Lukas's size, he's surprisingly quiet on the stairs, each step taken with a sort of firm deliberation. The commons room is empty, but he bypasses it anyway, unlocking his room door and holding it open for Nathalie behind him.
The room is the way she remembers it: very neat, not very lived-in. There was a time he slept here every night. These days -- far less frequently.
When the door shuts behind her, he gets two bottles of water out of his closet, tossing her one. Then he sits on his bed, leaving his desk chair for his guest, as it were. "What's on your mind?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] She follows him up to his room. Once there, she remains standing, eyes downcast. "I...Have been working on a project. I wanted to tell you before I continued and perhaps ask for any assistance you can provide. You have heard that Amunet is trying to organize the Kin, yes?"
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] "I am better. No one's about to die--that I know of--and I'm pretty chill." She takes a seat next to the Fury and orders a Carona.
"As for why I'm here..." She shrugs. "Just came for a drink and not having to deal with the crowd, y'know? I love a good bar, but every now and then I just wanna go...well, you know."
She pauses there, and you can almost feel coming. If you've ever watched 1980s sitcoms, you just KNOW it's coming. But you can't stop it. It's like watching a train carrying a load of blind orphans on a collision course with a fireworks factory. You don't know what's gonna happen, but it's going to be explosive and bad, for sure.
"Sometimes you wanna go...where EVERYBOOODY KNOWS YOUR NA-A-AAAME..."
[Wyrmbreaker] I have been working on a project --
"Look at me, Nathalie," Lukas interrupts, waiting until Nathalie has raised her head before nodding for her to go on. He listens, then, nodding at the question. "I think my mate was going to try to make the meeting, but got delayed. What's your project?"
[Adara Mires] She chuckled at her answer "Sure, your name is Sandra right?" She say teasing with a big grin.
"I od know what you mean. Sometimes a quiet drink with random people you know is a good way to spend the night. And it's good to see you agan Sarita, without any crisis"
Well for now at least. No pack Alpha crmubling down on them for killing a posssesed packmate, no possessed people stabbing kin, nothing except two women, warriors of Gaia, having a drink. She gently clinked her bottle to Sarita's
"To quiet nights? May we enjoy them when they come for they never last long" She smile and drank.
Maybe the raganash won't agree with that statement, but she kinda liked it.
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She smiles a bit, considering. "How about...to pleasant nights. Whatever that may be."
[Nathalie Bystrov] She looks up when he says so, eyes locking on a place somewhere around his throat, definitely not meeting his eyes. When she starts to speak, the words start to come out slowly, at first, then faster, tumbling out in a torrent. "I viewed it as...An opportunity, for the tribe. A powerful one. For information and..." She pauses. "Not to control, but to guide them to our advantage. Mutual advantage, of course I contacted the Kin and offered my services. As...an advisor, someone to help with decisions or discussions that only a Garou can help with. She agreed. I think she thinks she can manipulate me, but I'm not sure." Another pause. "I have been cultivating relationships with the Kin. Adjusting their perceptions of me, so that they see me as...On their side, one could say? Some of them trust me, and if I was able to assist Amunet in her project, I could keep up to date with their project and ensure that any problems are smoothed over before they become an issue, and to help ensure that we don't end up with more Kin like Carter."
[Adara Mires] She nodded to the Strider "Sounds pretty good to me" She finish her beer and order another.
""So, beside the same old. Anything exciting planned? Anything new of the Kin hunter? I haven't heard anything in a while, nor about the threats to the Caern rom companies buying lands around the Caern. I was wondering if someone else had and I was just out of the loop"
She start her new bottle "I mean I hear things but not everything." She shrugh
[Wyrmbreaker] "Like a liaison to the kin?" Lukas is frowning faintly as he twists his bottle of water open. "I think it's a good idea to keep lines of communication open. I'm glad the kin are organizing, and I'm glad you've been proactive about staying in contact with them. We need our kin as much as the other way around. But it troubles me that there's so much us and them lately. The Garou 'side', the kin 'side'. The implication that we each have our own agenda and they don't mesh at all, when really there's one shared agenda for the entire Garou Nation. It wasn't like this before Carter showed up."
[Nathalie Bystrov] "Something like that. A..Shepherd, one might say." Something about that amuses her, and she smiles, an odd smile without any hint off warmth to it. "They feel...Unheard. At least some of them do. Disrespected."
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] "I haven't, no." She frowns and shakes her head, taking a swallow of her beer. "I've been fairly out of the loop myself, unfortunately. Keep trying to meet up with peeps but it ain't happening for various reasons."
[Adara Mires] She smiled "Give me their names, I'm gonig to lassoed them and tied em down for you. Might actually be fun to do"She wiggle her brows
""Seriously, I hate it happens. But I"m sure you'll get to gather them soon. Just howl very angrily at them, they'll get hteir butt in gear and show up" She say smiling
"Or like I said, tie em up." She drank with a grin
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She chuckles. She seems genuinely amused by the Fury's joke...but then, she always seems amused when there isn't a crisis facing them that's a matter of life-or-death (or life-or-Amy). "It's less their fault then mine. Too much shit percolating around this old brain and around this old ass. If you wanna tell Kristen at some point that I wanna chat with her, that'd be cool."
[Wyrmbreaker] There's a sort of answering smile that flickers humorlessly across Wyrmbreaker's face. "It's this goddamn democracy thing, you know," he says. "This idealistic notion that you're born with a right to be heard and listened to and respected so that anyone who's accomplished so much as surviving to age eighteen can have their voice matter. That's not even how this country runs anymore, but that's still what they teach in schools. That's still what our kin, and half our cubs, believe.
"It's not the same in the Garou Nation. It never was and never will be, not so long as there's a war to fight. Here we earn our respect. It's a privilege, not a birthright, and the kin have to understand that they're bound to this law as much as we are. Kin will get respect as they earn it. Just like the Garou do.
"Who's complaining, anyway?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "I agree. They need to earn their respect. But some are losing hope of ever being able to." She shrugs. "I would hesitate to name anyone in specific. But...Carter's viewpoint is one with a lot for Kin to like. It's a philosophy that must be nipped in the bud. And what better way of showing Kin that their opinion matters than by having a Garou to listen to and act upon their concerns?"
[Adara Mires] She nodded "I'll tell her. Anyone else you need to contact? I see so many of us coming and going here that if I can help spread the word, I'll be happy to help you" She say with a smile, drinking some more
"And I hope things will slow down for you a little, so you can have other things moving forward." She wasstill leaning against the bar, watching Sarita, smiling softly
[Wyrmbreaker] There's a flicker of tension along Wyrmbreaker's jaw. Then he takes a drink from his water bottle, leans back on his bed until his shoulderblades touch the wall.
"What concerns?" he asks.
[Nathalie Bystrov] "Any that require the assistance of the Garou." She shrugs. "I don't know that there are any right now that require immediate action. But Amunet knows she can voice these concerns to me, and that I will try to help with them. And if she's one of the leading voices of the Kin..." She shrugs.
[Kristen Burke] Speak of the devil and she appears. Well okay, she's not a devil but she does come into the downstairs area. She's wearing her lovely white woolen coat and her furry cap and practically glowing. Oddly, though she hasn't just come from Derek's. It was snowing and she was out in it. Some day, she'll likely hate the snow along with millions of residents of the midwest but for now it is still novel and a thing to be celebrated and so she had to go out and play in it. Not that there was really any accumulation just the falling snow made her smile.
[Wyrmbreaker] Wyrmbreaker thinks for a moment, brow tense but not quite frowning, fingers tapping restlessly on the side of his water bottle.
"You spend a lot of your time, Nathalie, attending to the concerns of kin who have yet to prove themselves of worth to the tribe or the Nation. You're warding Neda because she won't go into the protection of the tribe. Now you want to also be the comments and suggestions box for a coalition of kin that have yet to accomplish anything.
"I won't stop you if you feel this is where your talents are best used. But do you really have time to waste on this?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "I'm not warding Neda. Not anymore. I've extended this beyond my time. "I don't think it's a waste of time. I believe that a bit of work now can avoid problems in the future. If it consumes too much of my time, then I will move on, but I believe it could be an invaluable source of information we can't get in other ways."
[Wyrmbreaker] A quirk of an eyebrow -- a tangent, "Where's Neda, then? Just by herself?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "No. I'm still protecting her. But rather than just telling her that I would be protecting her and demanding information from her, I've made her feel that she's the one in control."
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] "Thanks, I appreciate it." She's looking up behind the bar while she drinks, and she doesn't see Kristin come in. She sighs and cracks her neck to either side.
"So what else is new with you, Adara? Anything good?"
[Adara Mires] She shrugh "Like Isaid earlier, ntohing terribly bad nor good. I do my thing, help where I can, foughts 3 BSDs with Simoon and Janis. Had a hmmm divergence of opinion with her about collateral damage and it made me wonder if I was too soft on humans or if she stopped caring. Also..where the line is.
If you kill monters who leaves someone in pain, shock and with probably psychological sequels. Do you kill that person saying she's weak? Or that maybe, the one barely conscious might have seen peopel shift? Or do you let them live and hope they will find strenght to survive and move on?"
Her eyes move to Kristen and she beam the young woman a smile "Hey hun, we were talknig about you a few minutes ago" She leave her bottle on the bar and give her friend a hug
"How have you been? Hanging with your guy?"
[Kristen Burke] She grins. "Good things, I hope? I've been good. Some yes, though not tonight. Tonight I had a date with snow! Isn't it lovely? So pure and drifting so gently as it falls from the sky. How are you ladies?" She hugs Adara and nods at Sarita.
[Wyrmbreaker] Lukas is quiet a while, his pale eyes glittering as he thinks. After a moment he sits up, capping his bottle again.
"If I understand you correctly, Nathalie," he says quietly, "you're trying the subtle approach. Trying to make the other party feel like they command the situation while you in reality hold the cards.
"Am I reading you right? Is that what you're trying to do -- with Neda, and with this kin coalition? Maintain control over them by letting them feel that they're in control of the situation, and that you're their ally?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] "Yes. Precisely."
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] "That's a good, solid philosophical question." She nods to Adara. The usually flippant Strider is thoughtful, frowning a little as she considers it. "I kind of see where she's coming from? On the potential Veil breach, I mean. That's the only part of her standpoint as you're puttin' it here that I agree with, though. We don't cull humans. Last time we did that shit, none of your ancestors you can probably name where even twinkles in the twinkles of twinkles in their great-granpappy's eyes."
"And if she's gonna try to use the Litany as an excuse...well." She shrugs. "I ain't no Philodox, but the Litany tells US not to suffer our people to tend our sickness. That's personal adminition, and it has nothing to do with deciding that someone else is weak and just killing them for it. That's some flat-out cold-hearted bullshit there. Besides, the Litany are our laws, not human laws. If we tried to apply the Litany to humans, it just wouldn't work. Not to say we can't hold humans to high standards, but...well, you should ask Janis if she respects the territory of the humans, and if she would accept an honorable surrender from one instead of killing them because they saw something that broke the Veil."
"You got the right idea. The Litany isn't an excuse for 'Oh, a human saw us, Veil might be broken, gotta kill 'em.' That's the easy way out, and if you ask me--Veil got broken, then someone fucked their shit up. And they shouldn't necessarily get to take the easy way out. I'm in agreement with you."
Then she sees Kristen and smiles. "Hola, chica. How's it going?"
[Kristen Burke] She looks between them with a tilt of her head as they discuss the breaking of the Veil. She's curious but she doesn't interrupt. Her brows furrow a bit, as she listens. She pulls her hat off and sets it on the bar and works on removing her coat, laying them on the bar after she's done. She doesn't have the true context and only half heard the initial question so she doesn't really want to step in and offer an opinion that might be way out in left field.
[Adara Mires] She listen to Sarita "Thank you for taking the time to answer that seriously. I'll have a talk with Janis about how she sees things. Time has passed, we both cooled down. So we might be able to sit and talk about it. And I agree with you about the Veil. We were in a situation where they shifted on us, we struck back. I wish we could have taken the time to be sure the woman hadn't seen anything or remembered anything before she killed her.
What's done is done. Sadly both might have died from their injuries before the medical care could arrive. rendering the point moot. I will check with her, in case something similar happen but the humans could be saved. I did learn a few lessons that night, about rushing in to help humans without asessing the situation better. I hope I can teach her a different lesson so we both grow wiser from that"
She smiled to both woman "Hey, you two needed to talk, so, this is me stepping out of the spotlight and aloowing you to discuss what you need" She smiled and picked up her bottle again, drinking from it
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She nods to Adara, though the frown is evident in her features when Adara mentions that the human in question was actually killed. That hadn't been entirely obvious from the previous statements by the Galliard.
She looks at Kristen, who didn't hear or just didn't respond to the Strider's direct greeting. So she tries again. "Hey. How you doing?"
[Wyrmbreaker] "That's a dangerous game to play," Wyrmbreaker observes, "built entirely on a rather fragile base of what is, stripped bare and unvarnished, a form of deceit. Your would-be pawns could turn on you viciously if they discover the truth. They'll feel manipulated, betrayed, even if you haven't abused your power. Or worse, they could walk all over you if you're not careful about where you draw the lines.
"In all truth, what you're proposing works for plenty of Shadow Lords. And in the end, I'm a pragmatist. As long as you're not actively working against me or the war effort, as long as you're ultimately still using what information or influence you gain in the name of sept and its unity in the face of the Wyrm, I won't stop you from doing what you want.
"And it's not my style, nor the style of my pack.
"I like you, Nathalie. I think you have real promise, real honor. I'm genuinely a little perplexed that someone so upfront and honest as you've been with me would suggest something like this. It's not how I'd handle it; it's not how I thought you'd handle it at all. But if you do go through with it, then we might not be the best fit for each other in terms of packing up.
"That's not a veiled threat or a manipulation tactic. It's just the truth, as I see it."
[Wyrmbreaker] [whoops, change that "and it's not my style" to a "but it's not my style."]
[Nathalie Bystrov] "It's not about pawns and power, Lukas-rhya. Sometimes people can't see what's best for them. Look at Carter. The silly Kin repeatedly insists on threatening to draw a gun on me, when all I want is to ensure his safety."
[Kristen Burke] "Still doing good." She chuckles as she's asked again. "And you?"
[Adara Mires] She pass a hand in her hair when Sarita frown and nod "Yeah, exactly" As if the woman had spoken "Simon was there, not sure if he approved or was taken by surprise."She look up as if looknig at somethingg on hte second floor "I wonder if I should speak to LUkas, Kora or simply Janisand make sure it doesn't hapepn again. It'll never happen on my watch, with anyone. I got caught by surprise once. Not again"
And she shut up, for Sarita and Kristen to talk., slowly drinking her beer
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She shrugs. "M'all right, I suppose. Can't complain." In truth, she probably could. But now's not the time. "Haven't had a chance to catch up with you on that whole kin-hunting thing."
[Wyrmbreaker] "I believe that. But I also believe in being honest. Brutally so, sometimes. I know it's not always the best tactic; it's not a moral judgment I'm passing on you.
"But if the kinfolk came to me with concerns and quibbles -- and sooner or later, I'll probably go to one of their meetings and say this there -- then I'm going to assess how much they've contributed before I assess how I'm going to deal with it. The same thing goes for anyone.
"If they don't pull their own weight, they don't get to be coddled. And I won't go through the trouble of pretending, either, no more than I'd go through the trouble of pretending for a cub, a cliath, a fostern, or anyone else.
"Which brings me back to my point. You do things how you want. But I'm telling you how things are -- and will be -- done in my pack. And if you can live with that, then by all means, run with us, see how we fit. If you can't, I'll honorably release you to find a pack that fits you better."
A brief pause. "As for Carter -- if he ever goes so far as to pull a gun on you, disable him and bring him to me. Whether or not a kin and his peashooter can actually damage you, an open threat on your life is unacceptable. Is corrupt. If he pulls a gun on you, that means given the chance, he'd probably pull silver on you as well."
[Nathalie Bystrov] She nods slightly, inclining her head to the side. "Fair enough. I will take that into consideration. Thank you, Lukas-rhya. As for Carter...I will do my best to disable him should he pull a gun on me."
[Kristen Burke] "Mm." She nods. "Well, Dr. Gladecu helped me confirm that it's most likely Black Spiral Dancers that we're dealing with, using dark gifts to make them invisible. Wind also mentioned Lune teaching a gift that plays tricks with light. After talking to Stefan, I suspect it may have been a reference to a Silver Fang gift that allows for the garou to shine with a silvery light that would brighten dark corners. I have the knife with the blood of one of the creatures on it and can use Rite of the Questing Stone to track at least a general area of the location. Joey and some others were going to do some tracking as well so I believe we're going to launch a two pronged search to help narrow the area a bit more."
[Wyrmbreaker] [quick but important percep+emp read to see how nathalie feels about what lukas just said about brutal honesty vs the subtler approach!]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 4, 6, 7, 8 (Success x 4 at target 6) [WP]
to Nathalie Bystrov
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She listens, nodding a little bit, and then grins when Kristen mentions Joey and tracking. "Oh, cool. Well, then, I'm in the loop, I guess. 'cause I was planning on doing some tracking with Joey on something, and I gotta assume that's it."
[Adara Mires] She listened to everything her roomate was saying. She knew part of it but not about Joey's expedition. Maybe she should talk to the Rotagar about joigning. After all her last scout mission didn't go too badly. Well, she'll try to reach the young woman soon. If not, well there will be other opportunities. She wasn't worried about that. A lot of things seems to happen in this city after all.
She drank from her bottle, watching them
[Kyle] got to bail again. mother in law just arrived so time to be sociable :) catch you all later I hope
to Adara Mires, Kristen Burke, Nathalie Bystrov, Sarita Ecos de la Risa, Wyrmbreaker
[Kristen Burke] She nods and smiles. "Well, perfect then. Are there any Silver Fangs among the group that is tracking do you know?"
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] "Dunno, to be honest. So far, I just know of me and Joey. She's organizing the whole thing. Did you tell her one would be useful?"
[Nathalie Bystrov] ((she's torn. kind of taken aback, but doesn't seem inherently opposed.))
to Wyrmbreaker
[Kristen Burke] "Not yet." She shook her head. "Will you be talking to her soon? If so the gift is called Lambent Flame."
[Sarita Ecos de la Risa] She nods. "Cool. I'll ring her up, I've got 'er number."
A little smile. "We'll get it sorted out."
[Adara Mires] She finish her bottle and put ut down, still listening. She ordered herself another beer and some hot cider for Kristen, handing the Theurge her drink with a smile. She drank from her bottle "Well if you need another person, I could join the party" She say to Sarita
[Wyrmbreaker] For the second time tonight, Lukas is silent a while. He looks at the Cliath; looks long and hard. A different sort of stare, this time. Less critical. More curious. Deeper, perhaps.
In the end, he takes a sip from his bottle, twists the cap on and lowers it to the ground as he stands to see her out.
"We're not often taught truth is the best," he says quietly. "But then, our teachings come down from thousands, tens of thousands of years ago. And if the Tribe has one strength above all else, it's our adaptability. We obey evolution. We follow what works; abandon what doesn't.
"Think about it, Nathalie. Let me know what you decide."
[Kristen Burke] She nods. "Thank you. And I'm certain we will. I'm hoping this one is down to a track and root out the taint situation. Hopefully it will be pretty cut and dry." Her face lights up as Adara brings her the cider. "Thank you!"
[Nathalie Bystrov] She nods, slightly. "I will. Thank you for your time, Lukas-rhya." She inclines her head agian,then makes her way out. ((just saw the time and wow, it's bed time for me. g'night all))
celebration.
9 years ago