Practical.

[flint_garou]

Everything has a price.

25 September, 2012
The moon is in the waxing Gibbous (Galliard) Moon phase (65% full).

The front door opens, to admit Flint into the mudroom and then the main room, and he pauses, tension evident in the way that he carries himself, but it eases significantly when he sees Alexandra. "Lex!" he greets, enthusiastically moving over towards them. "H-hi there Kitty." The greeting for the cub comes not too long after, as well.

Alexandra says, "Hey, up until the beginning of this year, my biggest problems were adjusting to the fact that I'd left my friends behind and that I'd have to find a new soccer team to play for and they might not be as good, so I know how that goes. My parents knew all about the Garou, but they didn't think I was one, so they were planning to wait until I was older to tell me anything. Granted, having your parents tell you that you can trust the person you're being left with, even if some of the things he's saying seem pretty unbelievable helps a lot." As her packmate arrives, she moves over to stand beside him and put one arm around his shoulders in a quick squeeze. "Hey, Flint."

Kitty shakes her head, "I had to walk away from my family. They know nothing, as far as anyone can tell." she admits. "So I'm a bit… offkilter." Her expression is warm as Flint arrives though, "Hey! How's it going with you?" she asks. "Anyone want anything to drink, by the way? Tea, coffee, anything?"

Flint wraps one arm around Lex and hugs the smaller girl back, and then moves over to perch on the arm of the couch. "I'm fine, thanks," he tells Kitty, clearly not so up on the 'asking cubs to get things' game. There's a deep breath, and then the galliard adds, quietly, on the subject of family. "I'd already… walked away. From my family. When I firsted, when I, became Garou," Flint says. "But my family don't know anything, either. I. Couldn't go back to them, if I wanted to, or if, they wanted me to."

"Apple juice, if there is any," Alexandra replies. While she's not likely to tell a cub to get her something, she has no issues with accepting an offer. "If they're not kin—or if you don't know they're kin—it can be tough, since you'd just be hurting them in the long run. And to the best of my knowledge, there's no way to tell whether they're kin or not, short of maybe changing in front of them, which isn't likely to end well, either. Walking away seems to be the most common thing, from the people I've talked to, at least."

Kitty nods to that, even as she pads off towards the kitchen, "In the first few days, when I was aiming to go home… I was told enough stories with non-ideal endings that I've at least accepted that I can't go home right now, for their safety." She gets out a couple of glasses, calling over, "You sure you don't want anything while I'm here, Flint?" She starts on pouring the other two glasses, "Am I allowed to ask how it was for you… when you changed? Or is it one of those social faux pas?"

The Walker gives a faint grin, and then looks over towards the kitchen. "Apple juice, then?" Flint asks, flopping backwards onto the couch and legs dangling over the arm of it. "I… when I was a cub, I ran away, once. I. Went back to my grandparents. I was lucky." Flint pauses, and adds, in the tone of the last thing he's saying on the subject. "They were lucky."

Alexandra says, "My first change wasn't much of a story, really. My parents knew enough to recognize the signs that I was probably nearing my change, so they took me to Nik—he's the tribal elder of the Shadow Lords. Hayden, who was a cub at the time, but left not long after her Rite of Passage, helped guide me through it."

"Lucky is good." Kitty agrees softly. "I was lucky… Lefty and Ky and Emma were there to jump on me when I changed." She almost giggles, "Next thing I know, I'm waking up in the old library, in a cage area!" She smiles to the other girl, "Seems like there's a lot of people who can be trusted around here, when push comes to shove." She gets out a third glass, and pours juice into that, before bringing the three drinks through, handing them out.

Flint manages a bit of a smile, and then sits up to take the juice when it's handed to him. "I had a kinfetch," he explains. "I'd. Anyway, Kavi-rhya and Mouse-rhya, and Devon found me. And I… like I said. I'd. Already walked away, so when. Kavi said, they weren't the cops, and n-not, and all. I figured it. Was as good as anything. Then we went to the basement, and. Mouse-rhya changed, in front of me. And it kinda. It… spooked me. Into changing."

Alexandra accepts her juice, taking a swallow of it before she says anything further. "That's one thing about being Garou. You're a lot more likely to see the best—and the worst—of people fairly quickly. It tends to come out when people's lives are on the line, and ours are on a regular basis."

Kitty settles herself back on the couch, curling herself up and sipping at her juice. "So I hear." she agrees, brushing her fingers to a pale while scar on her wrist. "Didn't take me long to get to the Rite of Wounding." she admits. "But that's more because I jump in with both feet, rather than engaging my brain first!"

Flint trails his fingers along his side under his ribcage, through his shirt, where his own scar from that is. "Heh," he says, quietly. There's another long sip of his juice, and then Flint adds. "The moon, well. Rage. Doesn't help either, with. Seeing those sides of people. We're angry. It's… a thing. And, you. Learn to deal with it, and all. The bigger moons, moreso."

Alexandra says, "That's one I still need to learn. Owen-rhya performed mine, back when I was a cub, but if the Shadow Lords ever end up with another cub, I need to be able to perform it for her. And for your sake, I'll hope that's something that your elders work on with you—can't really fault you for jumping in with both feet, but acting without thinking can get you killed. When you join a pack, too, as a Theurge, they're likely to be looking to you as the voice of wisdom."

"Oh… I don't know how to do Rite of Wounding yet." Kitty demurs. "Maddie is going to start working on Rites with me soon. I think we'll be going to spend some time in the Umbra, so that… well. Yes. As you say, I'm supposed to know about this stuff. But Maddie and Stars are excellent teachers, so it all be good." She grins a little towards Flint, nodding in agreement. "It's not been a full moon since my change yet. So I'll be treading carefully around you all for a while!"

The Walker grins again and nods. "Full moon is— it's. One thing," Flint says. "And it's. Good to. To remember, but. And. There's another thing. Auspice moons. So, for me, the gibbous. For you, t-the crescent moon. We feel the moon, like the full. During that time." Though Flint does seem to be handling it rather well today, relaxed on his perch on the arm of the couch. Only the measured and level breathing gives it away that he's actively working to remain relaxed and calm.

Alexandra smiles. "No, no, I understood what you meant. It just reminded me. But I've got plenty of time, and other things on my plate that need to come first. And good, if you've got multiple teachers that are your auspice, that helps a lot. The only Ahroun in my tribe was from another sept and was basically locked down somewhere I couldn't get to on my own, though we had a second return to the sept, so that helped. A lot of the rest ended up being practical experience."

Kitty smiles in rueful agreement, "Well, my teaches are all from the Gnawers—the Children of Gaia have no-one who is able to teach right now. However, luckily for me the Gaians and the Gnawers seem to work well together. Well, actually, I get the impression the Gaians try to work well with everyone, which is a good thing. And yes, Flint, I noticed that effect, I think. Although I'm lucky, I get the impression, being crescent. In some things, it's easier. Although all this spirit interaction is going to be a challenge. Interesting, but a challenge!" She glances to the clock and curls her lip a little. "Talking of teachers… I'm meant to be spending a good bit of time in lupus right now, so if you'll excuse me, I'll head to the garden."

Flint chuckles and nods. "'Course," he says. "It's. All good. And, you'll get the hang of it. I. Auspice stuff can. Be a challenge, sometimes." He shrugs, and gets up, and then settles down next to Alexandra.

Alexandra says, "Yeah, I guess not. You've got… what, two Ahroun as your elders? That's all I've met or know of, at least." As Kitty prepares to go, the Shadow Lord offers her a wave of farewell. "Work hard, but be careful out there."

Flint tilts his head to one side. "Jacob is. Kavi-rhya's packmate. Another Galliard. And, I think there's another. But." The galliard leans back against the couch, and glances at Alexandra. "Anything interesting, since. The dream?"

Alexandra says, "Haven't met him. Or any other. But then, it's been months since I've seen any of them other than Kitty or Topsy-rhya." She shakes her head to that. "Nothing big like that. I met another of the Furies, though—a metis named Zeke. And I'm teaching Phoebe how to use Echoes, and she's going to teach me Razor Claws after we're done, so that I'll be stronger in battle."

Flint grins at his packmate. "G-good," he says, quietly. "I talked to. To Nieve-rhya. She. Has the Lucent Witness. The fetish? The Bastet one," Flint says, taking another long sip of his juice. "I. She'll, bring it, so I can. Use the fetish, at the tenement, rather than. If I can't get to the park, and all. I'm… still thinking about it, I don't know how specific, to ask, what to learn, and such."

Alexandra says, "I've heard a little about that. I'm not quite sure I see the point, though. You can just learn a gift from a spirit, so you really don't need it for that. I guess if there's a rite that no one at Hidden Walk has, though, that might be worth letting some strange spirit mess around in your head. Maybe."

"Knowledge. Stories, memories," Flint points out. "Wisdom that. That there's. No other chance. To learn." It's the galliard in him, definitely. "The chance. In general. Even, doesn't matter what. I learn from it."

Alexandra says, "Bastet stories, Bastet memories. Not ours. And nothing comes without a price—use it if you want to, just make sure you know what the price is in advance, so you know if it's worth it."

Flint simply grins at Alexandra. "All are worth knowing, learning," he reiterates, and that turns to a small frown. "I. Yeah. I know. But there's something, there. That will be of use, that will be worth it. I'm willing to. To try, after all. Plus. No worse than, spirits and dreams and. Them, without asking us first." There's a shrug that follows.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to say the thing is a monkey's paw. Nieve-rhya is too smart for that," Alexandra replies. "But it's not like the dreams—in the one that Ky and I were pulled into, we were there physically. And even in the one that you and I shared, it was like we were there physically. I'm a lot more okay with that."

Flint purses his lips and nods. "Yeah. It's. What to consider, and keep in mind," he acknowledges, and then sighs, quietly.

Alexandra nods, taking a large swallow that finishes off her juice. "So back to what you said earlier, why would Nieve have to bring the fetish to the Tenement, anyway? Couldn't she just swing by the Tenement on her way to the park?"

The Glass Walker pauses, and shakes his head. "Easier if I. If she doesn't have to take me, back home after, too. She suggested it," Flint says, tone a bit tense at this subject. "It. It'll work out."

Alexandra frowns. "If using it is bad enough—for either of you—that taking you back afterward is likely to be a problem, I think I like that thing even less than I did before."

Flint furrows his brow at Alexandra, and shakes his head. "No. Not that," he corrects. "Just, time. Or if there are other people who. Are wanting to, at the park. It's just time." The galliard at least doesn't sound worried.

Alexandra shrugs. "I suppose there's a difference of the amount of time it takes to to walk one trip from the Tenement to the park, time-wise. But that part really just comes down to what works best for you and Nieve, anyway. Just sounded a little strange at first."

Flint curls on the couch and nods. "It'll all work. I'm just glad. For the chance," he says, with another bit of a grin. "Anyway. I. D'you wanna go over to the garage, work on stuff a bit? Just." Flint pauses, and qualifies, offering his pack alpha a faint and tense smile. "Just birth form, simple. It's. Moon's too big for else. But."

Alexandra says, "Sounds good to me. If you're done with your juice, I'll take your glass to the sink along with mine, and then we can head out that way."