[Thoth Massri] Another day another part of the city, a few more days and Thoth would have a mental map of the entire city he was pleased about this, but his stoic features did not betray the fact. He walks down the street at a measured and steady stride, a pace that has likely seen him across miles and miles of terrain.
He is dressed simply, in a pair of sturdy looking boots of a make unknown to the america’s, made in a place where a pair of boots were a commitment for life. His pants are a fading pair of blue jeans, ripped slightly in some areas. While his shirt is a long armed green cotton shirt. Overtop of it all he wears a thick woolen poncho to keep out the cold.
His senses takes in everything, not a detail missed, not a sound or smell not noticed. A man used to watching, and knowing his surroundings.
[Marni]
Dice Rolled:[ 8 d10 ] 2, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8, 9, 9 (Success x 4 at target 7)
[Marni] The day after the bonfire, and she woke up STARVING, wrapped around some kin or another that she’d found to warm her up in the woods, to welcome spring back in the correct and true way…. after all, springtime is a celebration, right? Right.
She mumbled a goodbye, swatted the gnawer boy on the ass, and then crawled her way out of his hovel and started to prowl. Food.
Sniff. sniiiiiiiifff. sniffsniffsniffsniff.
She grins, because some stupid idiot left his lunch on top of his car, and it went toppling as he drove off. She’s on it in seconds, dashing from the alley to lay claim to the bag – keeping Chinatown clean, dontcha know? – and scoots back to another alleyway, climbing up to the first floor fire escape with a clatter of metal grating against the bricks. She settles to sit, her legs hanging over the edge, and digs into her breakfast/lunch/meal.
“Oh SCORE. Mongolian beef… AND sesame chicken!”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth had been a little way’s down the when the curly haired woman had dashed for the bag that had fallen from the roof of a car pulling away. He watches her, his eyes intent as she examines the contents for a moment before dashing down the alley. He knows what he feels and he knows what he saw. He’d seen enough of that sort of activity in his life from fellow garou to have a pretty good idea that he had just witnessed the snatch and grab of one of Rat’s children.
He strides up to the mouth of the alleyway and stops, he looks down, and then up to where Marni has perched herself and had begun rifling through the contents of the bag. He waits a moment before stepping into the shadowed alleyway and watches carefully as he does so. You never knew who else was living there.
“Hello.” He says in a rumbling basso of a voice. The timbre of it almost like a distant thunderstorm.
[Marni] She grabs the sesame chicken container, and even finds a set of chopsticks in the bag. She snaps the later apart, and digs into the former, legs swinging happily as she rolls her eyes in delight – not just good food, but fresh and WARM food…
Heaven.
She sees his shadow before he comes to the alleyway, sees it hesitate, and then step in and find her on her perch. She grins down at him – shameless, shameless Marni – and waves with the chopsticks, before digging into her stolen bounty again. “Heya. Hungry? Nuff here for two…”
Four, really. If one wasn’t Marni…
[Thoth Massri] Thoth regards the woman, his face neutral and unwavering as he gazes up at the woman. When she asks him if he’s hungry his head shifts from left to right, a barely noticeable move, but he does shake his head.
“It is your find, you must enjoy it.” He says slowly, his accent is strange, deep and thick, it doesn’t sound like it belongs anywhere in the america’s at least nowhere Marni has heard of. He comes to a stop not far from the woman, but far enough that he does not really have to look up that hard to see her.
“What is your name?”
[Marni] “Oh I will.” Enjoy it, she means. Marni is certainly a creature who knows and understands enjoyment – even in the little things, things other people don’t even think about… from a gutter find, a dumpster dive, to a romp in a box, a cuddle in an alleyway… so many things that people don’t even think about… it’s ALL enjoyable, as long as one is as in touch with what makes the world tick as Marni is.
She leans forward, her shoulders bracing easily against the bars as she shovel another mouthful in, chews and swallows.
“Marni. You?”
[Thoth Massri] He hears her name, and a slight smile crosses his face, it is small and most might not really call it a smile, but it is the best she is going to get it seems. He takes a moment to study Marni, and its not in the way of a man finding her attractive, you might say its more like a scientist looking down into a petri dish, sizing up the newest critter hes found.
“My name is Thoth Massri. I have been looking for someone named Marni. You might be her.”
His words are cryptic and he doesn’t seem to let on about much, or explain his reasoning for what he says. He either expects people to get it, or not.
[Marni] A brow arches toward those curls as she grins at him, her smile at once impish, full of fun, and oh so very knowing. “Oh have ya now… I daresay I’m the only Marni around these parts – and depending on whatcha want, I might very well be your girl.” A beat, and a wicked grin. “If it involves cuddling, I’m DEFINITELY your girl….”
Shameless, incorrigible Marni.
She nods to the space next to her. “You comin’ up t’chat – there’s room – or want me to come down…”
[Thoth Massri] He seems to make no comment on her suggestion of snuggling or cuddling, he simply strides towards the ladder and begins his ascent, the ladder creaks under his weight but he doesn’t seem to care. When he reaches her perch he sits down cross legged and waits a moment before speaking.
“I am not here to cuddle. I am here to discuss your pack.” There…its out in the open, she can tell hes not the sort for to much idle chit chat, at least not right off the cuff.
[Marni] “Bummer. I give really good cuddle…” She pouts at him once he sits down next t her, her lower lip sticking out playfully – and from here he can see her eyes are dark, so dark, and sparkling. Every inch of her is playful, truth be told, even as she continues to eat.
She arches a brow, slightly, as he jumps right in. “Is that so. And just what is it you want to discuss?”
[Thoth Massri] “Membership.” He says plainly, it almost seems like that would the end of his speech but something catches in his eyes, like he had to remind himself to say more, or speak further on the subject.
“I am fresh to this city, the dust of other places still clings to my clothes. But I am here with purpose, and that purpose is to aid this city. To so properly I need a pack.” His eyes narrow as he considers what else to tell her. “Another daughter of Rat has told me of your pack, and the totem you follow. It is agreeable.”
[Marni] She studies him as he talks, the chopsticks never stopping as she works to fill her belly, to replenish the energy she’d spent through the night (random rat boy was a very HAPPY random rat boy). It’s a never ending balancing act, to keep her curves nicely padded in all the right places, while her very metabolism works against her.
“Umhm.” A beat, and then she turns to face him, pulling her legs up and crossing them. “Think ya better give me your full intro then, and tell me why you think you wanna pack with a couple streetrats like me an’ Indira…”
[Thoth Massri] His back was already ramrod straight as he sat facing the ravenous gnawer, but as he is asked for a full introduction he seems to sit a little straighter, a little stronger before speaking to her. “I am Thoth “The Scales fulcrum” Massri, Philodox of the Silent Striders.”
He pauses for a moment, his head canting to the side as he looks about briefly. “You are..street rats, i am a wanderer. our lives are not so different in that we both survive off our surroundings, off of our environment.” He pauses, his words coming slowly, carefully. “Your totem is one I respect, and is one to be respected, if i am to do as I intend, such a totem would be beneficial to my cause.”
[Marni] She stabs her chop sticks into the container, sets it between her thighs in the little pocket formed by the way she’s sitting- criss cross applesauce – and wipes her hands on her jeans. She nods. “And I am Marni Geller, known to the nation as Sticky Fingers and you prooooooobably don’t wanna know exactly why. Cliath Raggie, gnawin on that there bone. Spitfire.”
She nods, and listens as he talks, and then puts her chopstick into motion again. “Your a wanderer – we done lost our Alpha recently. He done disappeared, and we can’t find him. Before that our newest brother had to return home across the pond. Striders, by all things told an’ your own admission, wander. We give ya a trial run, all things go well – how we gonna know you ain’t gonna get that itch and wander off ‘n scratch it somewhere’s else?”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth shakes his head, this time more noticeably and his face almost looks like one of a man who has been insulted, but not quite enough to make something of it. “I have come to pledge myself to the caern and the area about it. So long as the Wyrm’s servants remain here in these great numbers…i will never leave.”
His rumbling voice adds further weight to his words, he says them like a dedication, almost as if it is something formal. “If i wander, it will be no further then thirty miles from the cities edge, it will suffice.”
[Indira] Marni told her that she would be in Chinatown for lunch. Indira doesn’t need to be told twice: there’s wonderful food in Chinatown, and tourists and restaurants alike have a tendency to toss out a lot of perfectly good food around there. Needless to say, she spends quite a bit of time in its back alleys.
She finds Marni by scent, though they don’t have a means of communicating through their totem anymore. Sighting the other Gnawer sitting up on the fire escape along with…a new guy…Indira eyes them for a moment and then, grinning, makes her way up to their level. “Hey guys. ‘Sup?”
[Marni] She arches a brow slightly, as he looks just almost like she insulted him, and her lips quirk into that little knowing grin again. He certainly can’t be touchy if he’s gonna run with her and Indira. Well, unless cuddling, then touchy-feely is expected, but when just TALKING… yeah.
And Indira pops up right in time and Marni’s grin warms, lights up her eyes as she tugs the bag out from behind her and offers it to her pink haired sister. “Sesame chicken AND mongolian beef. Two containers each. Think there’s some rice down there too and a couple eggrolls. Some idiot left it on top his car and drove off! Can you believe?! TOTAL score.”
But she probably means Thoth. Marni nods toward him. “This is Indira – the other half of Spitfire as we stand currently. Indira, Thoth. Strider. Wants to join up with us. And if ya go outside the city – ya gotta at LEAST hit the Woods – 60 miles.minimum. We just had our bonfire out there. Spring renewin, and shit.”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth takes a moment to look down at Indira, and inspects her much as he did Marni, with a judging eye and a calm demeanor. But in the end he nods to her in greeting. “Hello Indira.” His voice rumbles as he does so, and it is oddly neutral, he seems to play his cards close to his chest. As right now he gives no indication as to wether he is happy to meet her, or upset she showed up.
He turns his gaze back to Marni for a moment and nods slowly as she tells him about the distance to the woods. “It was meant as an example, I will not be leaving for long, one way or another. I will remain, and do what must be done.”
[Indira] Indira grins toward the man, giving him an appraising look as she reaches for one of the egg rolls. “Hey man. Nice ta meet you,” she says, as she takes a seat there on the fire escape with the two of them and bites off half of the egg roll.
Indira’s not the alpha. She isn’t a leader; for most of her life she’s been a perpetual little sister, following the instruction of first her literal older brother and then Max, who filled the same role. But she decides she ought to ask questions of Thoth anyway. “So why are you interested in joinin’ up with us?” she asks him, around a mouthful of fried vegetables.
[Marni] Marni’s never been much of an Alpha either – but she does tend to take the reigns more than Indira – though sometimes? They do it at the same damn time, so much so that they’re seen as one of the few packs that are so connected they tend to THINK alike..
Marni points the chopsticks at Thoth with a grin. “I asked him that too. He wants a pack of respect, a totem of respect -and in a town fulla cunning warhounds, we’re it.”
A beat, and a nod. “So. Here’s the thing. Me and Indira here. We’re tight. And we’re gnawers. And we ain’talways the most respected. But if you come in and trial with us? We’re alpha, until such time as you might want to join up proper, and challenge for it the right way. We ain’t gonna follow now upstart asshole who thinks he’s better than us either – so don’t be that way. We know what we are. We’re comfortable as we is. You gotta be comfortable bein around that. And we talk about cuddle time a LOT…”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth’s brow furrows as Marni states her claims, her demands even and he takes a moment as she comes to a close to look between the gathered women, the only two members remaining of the spitfire pack. His nostril’s flare for a moment as he considers his options, and as he considers them, it is the only outward sign of feeling that he gives them, despite being called an upstart asshole.
He leans forward now a little, his fingers interlacing as he places his elbows onto his knees and regards the pair. “I do not care….” He says briefly, and it almost seems like that might be it, but he speaks again after a pause. “I do not care if you are respected or not. Nor do I care if you wish to lead jointly, as foolish as that may be. Nor do I care if you wish to talk about…cuddling.” His head tilts to the side as he says the last part, his voice almost sounding…friendly for a moment before his face grows serious.
“I only care, that you will do what must be done, and that we will be there, as a pack. When the time comes that we are needed.”
[Indira] Indira grins at her packmate as Marni brings up cuddle time, and then flashes an even wider grin toward Thoth. She’s curious about how he’ll react to the concept of cuddle time; hopefully not poorly. Guy needs to be able to have fun, after all.
“Soun’s like we’re sorta on the same page,” Indira says, reaching for one of the cartons. “I feel like we oughta be doin’ stuff ta help the city. Not jus’ breakin’ shit, like fightin’ the Wyrm, but buildin’ stuff too. There’s a lotta people aroun’ here that the pure breds don’ give a shit about. If we get somebody that’s inta helping ’em, they’re good by me.”
She nods toward Marni and then looks back at Thoth. “An’ I think we both wan’ somebody that’s gonna be like family ta us, y’know?” She places some of the food in her mouth with the chopsticks and asks around it, “An’ what do you mean by ‘do what’s gotta be done’?”
[Marni] “Even apart, we act as a pack, as one, working toward the same goals. Like she said – we’re Family first.”
So far, he gives as good as he gets – and Marni is ALWAYS testing the limits. Pushing, prodding, poking. It’s her job. It’s what she does – and she does it well.
And his little, almost friendly comment about cuddling makes her grin, and wink at Indira.
[Thoth Massri] His gaze turns completely to Indira as she asks her question and his eyebrows rise a look on his face like that should be obvious. “Whatever is necessary to see that the caern, and the land of this city are safe, pure, and free. What else is there?”
“The people are part of this, as unknowing as they are. They’re strength is ours, and our strength must be unstoppable. I do not argue your idea Indira.” He says it in a strange way…but then maybe english isn’t his first language. He seems to have agreed with her. His gaze comes to rest between the two of them, and without a word he seems to nod, its an approving thing, he seems to have found something acceptable.
“Mama was correct. This will work.”
[Indira] “Fuckin’ awesome,” Indira says cheerfully, and begins to give the carton in her hands a little more attention. She doesn’t seem put off by his odd phrasing; she’s been around quite a few people who did not have English as their first language through her short life. “Mama’s good people. Glad she poin’ed you at us.”
She looks over at Thoth again, carefully maneuvering some noodles and vegetables around the ring in her lower lip. “Where’dja get here from?”
[Marni] She watches Indira for any objections, and when she speak, Marni nods and grins. She reaches over and nudges her sister in the shoulder, friendly, comfortable, touchy-feely, and nod.
“Alright. Run with us a bit, and if we fit, we’ll take ya to see Volcano and see if ‘e agrees. We got extra rooms in the ‘house Max left us too. We’ll expect ya to live there with us, patrol with us. I’ll show ya where it is when we’re done chattin.” a beat another nod. “House is paid for – we scrounge to make ends meet otherwise.Share and share alike – it’s our way. Like this…” She nudges the bag. “I always share. Ya want some, help yaself, always.”
A beat and a question of her own. “Got any kin?”
[Thoth Massri] His brow furrows once more as he sits up, and he seems to consider something like it has left a bad taste on his tongue, but he looks between the pair and seems to swallow it back. When the question regarding kin comes up he nods. “None that I claim as my Ward, but I have met Gina, a kin of my tribe. She has been my hostess and given me shelter. It will be a sad thing to refuse her hospitality. A thing i do not like.”
He waits to see what their response is to that, but he turns to Indira once more and answers her question. “Before now, south africa, before all…Sudan.”
[Marni] [Whatchoo thinkin… bad taste, hm?]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 2, 3, 4, 5, 5, 6 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[Marni] “I ya can’t say whatcha mean now – how you ever gonna when we’s pack…” softly. She caught that look, even if she can’t quite decipher it.
[Indira] “Sudan, huh?” Indira asks. She asks this mainly because she can’t offer any real comment on the place; she’s only vaguely aware of where the Sudan even -is.- Africa, she assumes. She’s just heard people talk about it as one of those places where wars happen.
Marni cuts in, and Indira looks sidelong at her as she asks Thoth that question. Indira nods in agreement. “You can tell us, man.”
[Thoth Massri] “I would remain where I am, I have not yet repaid Gina for her hospitality, it would be unacceptable to leave without doing so first.” He says that part like its a law, or a code. Or something that just has to be done.
“Once that is done, Then I shall join you in your home and make it mine as well.”
[Marni] She scrapes all the rest of the meat in the bottom of her container into her mouth, and chews it, studying him while she does so. When she swallows, she nods.
“Fair ’nuff. We pay our way too – just ain’t always the way ya think it might happen.” There’s that grin again, as she chuckles. “I’ll show ya where the house is, and where we patrol – that’s the Back of the Yards – and even in the in between time, see that ya hit it often enough. We also take our turn at the Caern as the Warleader commands. You can add in to the Spitfire rotation.”
[Indira] Indira nods when he explains hospitality, not really understanding his need for it or the unspoken law but deciding to let it slide without a lot of questions. “Lookin’ forward ta havin’ you with us,” she says. “House feels real empty with jus’ the two a us.”
[Thoth Massri] He at last shows another form of emotion, a curious gaze given to Marni as she talks about paying their way, but he remains silent on the topic for now.
There is a brief show of relief when they accept his requirement, and he settles forward, his elbows on his knee’s once more as he slightly folds his bulk over once more. “Thank you, it would not have been right to leave before. But I am for the pack, and will join you as soon as I am able.”
[Marni] She just grins at him, when he looks at her curious like, and there’s a sense that if he won’t ask the questions, she ain’t gonna offer. And even if he DOES? He might not get the answer he expects. She knows the stereotypes She just doesn’t care.
“Alrighty then. Oh. And we gots us a friend up in Lake View. Ain’t our kin, exactly, but he’s a hella cuddle buddy and has a KILLER pool. He knows he can call on us if he needs something. Name’s Ray. ShadowLord. Just so ya know.”
And she’s digging for an eggroll, because her belly is perpetually empty. “Ain’t any others that I know of that we would drop everything for kinwise – unless Indira here’s got a snuggle bunny I ain’t know bout yet…” That grin? pure tease…
[Indira] “I got family, but they’re all up in Detroit,” Indira says. Then the look Marni gets is thoughtful; she -does- have a lot of family after all, and Vikram probably can’t keep an eye on all of them. “Maybe I’ll see abou’ movin’ some of ’em down here. I got a lot a brothers.”
[Marni] She perks up.. “brooooooothers ya say…”
Shameless. Completely shameless.
But she does duck away from any well deserved swat that comes her way, chuckling.
[Thoth Massri] Thoth sits comfortably enough as he listens to their banter, and watches them interact. For the moment though he remains apart from it, aloof and cool.
“For now…I must go. I must learn the rest of this part of the city before I return to Gina’s and try to find a way to repay her.” He looks between the pair of them, almost looking at them like he hopes its alright. Before he starts to stand.
“I will be with you soon, I promise.”
[Indira] Marni does not get a swat. Just a big smirk as Indira shovels more food from her carton into her mouth with the chopsticks. “You don’ wan’ any a ’em, Marni. They’re all stupid. My big brother prob’ly can’ watch ’em all though.”
She raises a hand to Thoth as he announces his intent to leave. “See you roun’, man. Tell Gina I said hi, okay?”
[Marni] She nods, slightly. “No problem. Come find us at the house when ya wanna run your first patrol. One of us’ll take ya and show ya around.”
She winks at Indira though, and chuckles. “Ain’t said I wanted em for deep conversations…”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth nods one final time, before pushing up from his crosslegged position. “I will tell her.” He ignores the sexual innuendo for the time being, but he does grin, and shake his head. Before beginning his decent to the ground.
Once he reaches it, he heads off at that steady, measured pace, and he is quickly out of sight.
[Thoth Massri] ((Thank you both for the fun, but i needs me some sleep, so ill catch you both later!))
to Indira, Marni
[Marni] (thank you! night!)
to Indira, Thoth Massri
[Marni] She waits until he’s gone, and then arches a brow at Indira. “Whatcha think?”
[Indira] Thoth makes his way off, and Indira watches him go. Thoughtful, munching away still at her food. Once he’s gone the Ahroun turns her head to look over at Marni. “Seems like an okay guy. Real fuckin’ serious, though. Gotta get ‘im ta lighten up.”
[Marni] She chuckles and nods. “My take on him too. We’ll give hm a run, but no pressure. He don’t fit, he don’t fit. No harm no foul. He DID smile a little tiny bit at the end – maybe he just needs to get laid.”
[Indira] “Yeah, maybe,” Indira says, and then she thinks of Gina and lets out a snort of laughter. “Though, I mean, if he’s livin’ with Gina an’ he ain’t fucked her yet, I dunno if there’s much hope for him. I mean, Gina’s real nice an’ I really like her, but…”
She grins and shakes her head, finally setting the empty carton aside.
[Marni] That makes her laugh. “I’d heard stories – but well, I don’t swing that way, so never went to see for myself.”
and then she grins… “Ray’s at work. Wanna go skinny dippin in his pool?”
[Indira] “Hell yeah,” Indira says, straightening up and dusting off the back of her pants. “Race you,” she adds – and promptly swings over the side of the fire escape, letting herself fall to the ground, knees bending to absorb the shock.
And she tears off, happy with her long head start. At least, until she realizes that she needs Marni to show her where she’s going.
[Marni] She laughs and shoves the leftover food in her backpack, zips it up and then tears off after her sister – then shows her the way.
[Marni] (and yes! fade! Whoo! Thanks for playin!)