[Thoth Massri] He had travelled into the depths of Bronzeville in search of the redheaded Metis known as Rory. The woman held warden over Gina, and it was to her that Thoth must go to claim the Strider kin as his own. He moved steadily, carefully, one never knew what another garou would do when challenged so he was prepared, his pack was upon his back, and his knife tucked safely away in its sheath within the pack. No weapons visible as the man walked down the street in the direction that Gina had given him.
His face was hard with concentration as if a great many things weighed on his mind at the moment, and he intended to clear his mind of one of those things today, one way or another.
[] [eek! sorry guys! this was empty a SECOND ago!*runs*]
to Rory, Thoth Massri
[Lila] [eek! sorry guys! this was empty a SECOND ago!*runs*]
to Rory, Thoth Massri
[Rory] She isn’t hard to find, really. She’s something of a fixture in certain parts of the ‘Ville, and on into Chinatown itself. She’s often seen wandering, sometimes stepping into various establishments to fix something or another, often in exchange for food rather than money, to feed herself and her pack.
Today, she feeds herself. She slips from the side alley door of a small eatery, where a man who dwarfs her in size – 6-5 and 400 pounds easy – is thanking her for her help, and giving her a togo container piled full of the messiest and most delicious chilli cheese fries ever seen. She ducks her head, color splashing across her cheeks as he compliments her. He’s not sure why he feels so uneasy about her – but he pushes past it due to the fact that her fingers are near magic when it comes to fixing his ice machine, and she’s saved him 500 bucks, easy. A little discomfort and some free food and having to decipher her speech is a small price to pay.
She steps back, and waves a little, before heading to the mouth of the alley, sunlight catching on those curls, bloodred and shining, as she settles to the cement right at the corner of the lot, sets her pack by her side, and digs in.
[Thoth Massri] Like so many others, it was the bright red hair that first caught Thoth’s eye, that color was simply impossible to miss, and when he finds her, he heads for her, his boots beginning to sound heavily against the pavement to announce his approach. When he gets within twenty meters of the woman he stops and regards her for a long moment, considering the metis, considering her strength. But for the moment he remains silent.
The moment passes, and he resumes his walk, bringing him closer and closer to the little red head. When he was a comfortable distance from her he called to her. “Greetings, are you Rory?” His voice rumbled from his throat, authoritative and powerful.
[Rory] It’s easy to underestimate Rory, easy to dismiss her as weak. Not only is she built slender, lean, on the smallish side – she is shy, timid, and soft spoken. She is often demure, and content to back down. Despite the press of rage that is higher than most, she has a natural control, a coiled strength easily tucked away until needed, control taught by years of beatings in the name of training – and it’s all wrapped up in an innocence, mingled with genuine curiosity.
It’s very, very easy to underestimate the metis.
She hears his steps, feels his presence as he comes closer. She doesn’t lift her gaze just yet, shoving a mouthful of the fries between her lips first, her belly grumbling it’s discontent of it’s empty state. He calls out, and green eyes sweep this cement distance between them, climb up along his height before briefly – so briefly – touching his gaze and lowering again, right back to her meal.
She takes another bite, and then curls slide over her shoulder as she nods.
[Thoth Massri] “My name is Thoth Rory, we must have words, and actions.”
He says as he steps up to the metis, he is not aggressive, in fact he’s plainly neutral in his tone. He looks down at the woman, not in a condescending way, but simply due to the height of him. He can feel her rage, and he can imagine the formidable warrior that she must be.
“Do you know who I am?”
[Rory] She carefully closes the box that contains her dinner, and sets it on top of her backpack. He comes closer, and she stands, up to her full height – which isn’t very much at all next to his own. She wipes her fingers off on her jeans, and then tuck her hands deep into the pockets as she nods slightly.
She knows.
“You want Bina gack.”
[Thoth Massri] He was surprised by her words, and had to puzzle them out for a moment before he realized that they were inverted, but then he nods slowly, letting her know that is exactly what he means. “I have come to challenge for Gina. She is strider kin, and I would have her, to protect her.”
He cant’s his head to the side slightly, looking at her. “Will you deny me this?”
[Rory] She doesn’t seem to notice her words invert the way they do, as if she hears only what she intends to say, rather than what she actually does.
She answers first with a question of her own. “You think I can’t hotect prer? That I haven’t wone dell?”
She hunches her shoulders slightly, and takes a breath, and then relaxes again. There is tension there, and something else too. A sense of impending loss, perhaps. Or blossoming violence…
“Bogeymen grotect Pina. She has Bogey baby in her belly.” Well, a 2 in 3 chance anyway. “If you win claim, how you thandle hat?”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth shakes his head to her first question. “She is alive, and unhurt, I do not question your ability to protect her. But she is Kin of my Tribe, and I would see her protected by her own.”
When she asks about the baby his face grows harder at the question and he shakes his head. “The child is Gina’s, she will decide how to handle her child. I will see to their welfare, as she is of my tribe, by extension…so is the child.”
His words are firm and sure, he believes them completely, hes either a fanatic…or a particularly secure individual.
[Rory] Her gaze narrows. “And what of the Wather’s fishes. It is his child too – what of tis Hribe.”
[Thoth Massri] “Wather’s fishes….” He seems to say back to himself quietly as he pulls the words apart and puts them back together in the order he believes is correct.
“If the father was so concerned for his child, why has he not claimed Gina as his mate? One of them must wish to claim their responibility to her and to her child.”
He stands firm, legs apart ready, but not hostile despite her obviously growing displeasure.
“If any of these potential fathers cared for the child to be within their tribe…they would have mated with Gina.”
[Rory] She snorts. “Even Gina knoesn’t dow who the father is. How can one stand and clay laim? You wish all three to remand dights?”
She shakes her head, curls bouncing. “No one claims what is freely given. Even I know that. The child is a mifferent datter. If a Bogey Baby – Fenrir or Ladowshord, they have rights to the child. Would you deny this?”
[Thoth Massri] “I believe if one of them cared enough for her…they would.”
He says slowly as his hands bunch into fists, he tries to keep his tone even, he really does. His eyes widen slightly as he finds out that the child is very likely the offspring of either a fenrir or a shadowlord, surely he knew it wasnt of his Tribe, but still…it hurt to know.
“I am here to dispute claim of Gina, the baby is her’s if the child is born true, then at that moment they have a right to the child. At this moment…the child is within her, and they do not hold claim over her.
[Rory] “The BABY is THEIRS. not hust jers.”
She will not budge one little inch on this. She slides her hands from the pockets of her jeans when his hands clench. She makes no aggressive move on her own, but is ready should he swing.
Her voice is quiet- but there is no doubt the emotion behind it. Gina is her FRIEND. “I cold hlaim. You say nothing to assure me you will see to ber hest interest, or that of the baby. You remand dight on Tribe alone, and while I’d naturally step aside, there is this matter to fettle sirst.”
Even now, her gaze remains respectfully lowered, never meeting his own – that she stands up for this shows how important Gina is to her, and how much she cares for her welfare – and that of the baby. “None of tour Yribe has helped her or claimed till now. I claid laim where no one else was willing. This matter bill we settled before I relinquish it.”
“The Father ras hights. If you deny that, then you will have to hake ter from me by force. If you cannot – she will remain mine, and by extension, Bogeymen.”
[Thoth Massri] Thoth’s voice goes quieter, almost becoming a whisper. “The baby would be theirs…if they would step forward to claim her.” His words come out slowly, each of them forming independently as he watches her, watches her for any sign of aggression, they are both obviously on edge.
“I claim her because I care for her, she has been hostess to me, has shown me kindness that i have not seen in some time and if my Tribe has so disrespected our kin I would find them and punish them myself.” His voice becomes lethally stern at that moment, hearing that his own Tribe had forsaken their kinswoman.
“Wether they are involved in the childs life is Gina’s decision, I do not make claims on a child that is not mine, I am not a fool.”
[Rory] “And cey than’t until they know who the baby belongs too.” she says it with a huff of exasperation. It would be easy if Gina knew who the culprit was, if Rory could simply say ok. But she must protect her Alpha, and her packmate in this – so that they have the decision to make. Whichever way they decide, she wants them to at least have that chance.
It’s something she’ll never know. Something she’d die to have. Something stolen from her along with her ability to speak clearly. Among other things.
He submits that at least it would be Gina’s decision, and he would not stop the Father from laying claim to the child, and perhaps Gina at a later date. One step down.
“Do you seek to grotect Pina, or control her?” An important distinction.
[Thoth Massri] He frowns at the question, and his face goes sour, like he had tasted something entirely loathsome.
“Insult me again and we will fight one way or another.” He growls, his voice dropping even deeper then normal, but he is still in complete control. “I seek to protect her, would I give her the ability to decide what is best for her child if I chose to control her?”
He shakes his head at that as if the answer should be blatantly obvious.
[Rory] Part of her flinches, it shows in a ripple under her skin, in the way the muscles flex to be ready for a swipe, a swing, pain that always follows when she is doggedly stubborn on a point. A point that needs clarified.
“I didn’t mean must jatters with the child. I never sought to control Gina, just hrotect per. Ler hife is her own.”
Too many tribes in Chicago control their kin, every little aspect. she won’t let it happen to her friend…
[Thoth Massri] “I want her companionship and her friendship, perhaps her heart. Tell me, if she is so close to you, would I manage to get any of these things if I tried to control her? Think on it.”
His voice is still low, and he is holding himself remarkably in check, his rage is low, but that should not matter in this situation, something else is keeping him from getting very, very angry.
“I would be better off trying to controlling the roads of the world.”
[Rory] “I am stot nupid.” this, too, is spoken quietly. “I just have bo te sure.”
She looks up then, and in a moment of daring, meets his gaze, her own open and honest. She cares for Gina – Gina was her friend before any of this, and accepted her willingly from the start. That goes a long way with the metis, and she cares deeply for her friend. Writ in her gaze is only that – the wish that Gina be happy and well cared for…
And too, in those eyes, the pain of having her friend taken away from her.
She drops her gaze then, just as suddenly as she’d lifted it, and crosses her arms over her chest, protectively. She knew it wouldn’t last. Someone would find her unfit, someone would take Gina away.
Her voice low, achingly soft. “If you hurt her, I kill will you.”
[Thoth Massri] “I assure you Rory, I would sooner rip off my own arm and feed it to the wyrm, then hurt any of Owl’s children, especially one such as Gina.”
His resolution to that fact is complete, he means every last word. He reads what is in her eyes and he shakes his head.
“Your friend is not leaving Rory, she will remain, and is still your friend. I would not stop such a thing.”
[Rory] She nods, slightly. They keep saying that. She’s only experienced the opposite – only time will tell. She reaches for her food container, though she has lost her appetite, and then her pack, which she lifts with ease though it’s far heavier than it looks. She slides the strap over one shoulder, and then nods again.
“Ok.”
It is the weight of the world on her shoulders, not just that of the pack, as she turns to go.
[Thoth Massri] Thoth raises a brow and considers this turn of events, its certainly not what he had expected.
“You simply accept? It is your right to issue a challenge to prove my worth.”
[Rory] She pauses, and then sighs, and painfully admits. “Falance without Bault said it was to only last until one of Gina’s Tribe came to clay laim. Gina mold te she would accept you as warder. To fight you would only prove de mishonorable, and make you find fore mault within me than my birth dictates.” and by birth, her faults are many in the eyes of all.
“Gina is my friend, and this hakes mer happy. You state you will not keep the Bogeymen grom Fina and the baby, and most importantly, you nill wot hurt her. You keep to that, and Gina hemains rappy, and you are worthy. You don’t…” a slight shrug. “You don’t, and I will take her back. Fy borce.”
[Thoth Massri] “My interest…is in Gina, her safety and her happiness are what matters here. I will see to them, if I fail I will give her up to you.”
He counters his voice just as sincere and certain as it was before.
[Rory] She nods once, and reaches up with fingers that tremble slightly to tuck her curls behind her ear. She then simply turns, and starts to walk away.
[Thoth Massri] He watches her go, a curious look finally crossing his face, the Metis acted in way’s he had not entirely expected, and he had come expecting some form of test….but as she walked away he now fully understood that there would be no test…and in turn he moved to walk away, heading back to the halfway house, with news…good news for once.
[Rory] He had been tested. Just not in the way he expected. Either way, she hands off her meal to the homeless guy on the corner, and soon disappears into the streets of Bronzeville.