[Mama Ankle-Biter] (1..2..3..NOT IT!!)
[Marni] (not me!)
[Karl Holds the Line] The silver-grey muscle car pulls to a stop half a block from the cardboard palace of Mama, and Karl gets out, locking the door behind him. Dressed as always in simple jeans and a dark tee, he stops and glances around, then sits back against the hood of the car. His packmates are near-by. No need for him to try to find his way to them.
He seems a little distracted, as if he has a lot on his mind.
[Mama Ankle-Biter] The sound of the car alerts the small Gnawer’s attention. She doesn’t poke her head out of the series of cardboard boxes taped/glued/strung together, but instead emerges out of a growing pile of refuge that is tucked up under the rising concrete slope, where it meets against the underside of the overpass. She perks up, tilting her head from side to side, a mangy looking mutt that crawls out. She shakes off her fur, bits of candy wrappers and newspaper sticking to her black and gray speckled coat.
The wolf rummages around, gripping a plastic bag in her teeth that was near bulging and pulls it out. She turns, prancing down the slope and towards the car with her tail swaying in the breeze.
[Marni] Marni’s been househunting. Ok, Apartment hunting – looking for something that she and Ray can both agree on – it keeps her and his baby off the street, and it’s cheap enough she only feels a little like she’s taking advantage. Sigh. She said no – but he wanted to so very much, and sometimes, saying yes is the easy way out, even when it’s not very easy at all.
She hears the car, and Mama heading that way, and scoots out from the Palace to see what’s up. she’s clean, and so are her clothes – and everything else she owns is shoved into the pack she hikes up on her shoulders.
[Karl Holds the Line] ”Hello guys.”
It would have been so easy to reach out through the shared pack-bond to greet his pack-mates, but it is just not the same. There is a strange comfort in your own voice, not having the need to call on the totems speedy messenger here. He fixes pale blue eyes first on Mama then on Marni, offering both a warm smile, if a small one.
“What you got there Mama?”
A glance to the plastic bag the theurge carries in her mouth. How a human could mistake the small wolf for a dog was beyond him, but the mind sees what it wants to see, and no one wanted to see a wolf in the middle of Chicago, even one digging through thrash. To the Rotagar, it is impossible to mistake her for anything but what she is.
[Mama Ankle-Biter] In more populated territories, where people roamed in congested herds, the Gnawer would not be in her natural form. Here, near the overpass that borders Bronzeville and Chinatown, she is afforded some privacy. Not many people, except the random vagrant or gang banger is going to come this far. Even if word spread about the small blond that dwells under the bridge like a little troll. They know to stay away.
The spirits in the area are quick to warn the Theurge of any danger. For now she is comfortable and safe from view. She drops the salvaged shopping bag at Karl’s feet. Head bending to nose through it, peeling back the sides to expose the bright clear liquid of water in reused plastic bottles.
Gnosis water for the both of ya. thoughts filter into the minds of homid-born over the totem link as she replies.
[Marni] She sinks to a comfortable couch by Mama, and helps her open the bag, a curious gleam in dark eyes as she discovers bottled gnosis inside. “Sweet!”
Course, she was kinda hoping for some beef jerky, but well, this is likely more handy and will certainly last longer than any foodstuff within a mile radius of the perpetually hungry ragabash.
[Karl Holds the Line] Karl crouches down with Marni and Mama, reaching out to brush fingers against the fur at the lupus’s neck, then in the same motion brushes his fingers across Marni’s arm as she helps to open the bag. He looks down at the bag and smiles, nodding.
“You are too good to us Mama. Thank you. This will come in handy.”
The Rotagar half closes his eyes as he draws in a deep breath. Even with the smell of the city, this close Mama’s scent is strong, and Marni’s just slightly less so. The Fenrir has become a little more instinctual since joining with the two tohers.
And then he smiles, looking up at Marni.
“That reminds me. Do you know how to make the gaia’s breaths? “
[Mama Ankle-Biter] Three each, don’t use’em up all at once… stuff takes time to make…
The lupus was the dirtiest of the trio, unlike Marni, she hasn’t visited the brotherhood in a few days to consider a shower or clean laundry, she has spent most of her time digging through the refuge and it’s starting to show – or smell… She sits back on her haunches, head turning, lowered as a hind paw comes up to scratch at her ear vigorously. The touch from Karl flicks an ear forward, she stands up to pad closer to the Fenrir.
Her head drops down, sniffing at the ground, at his boots and pantlegs. She bites at his left ankle, shoving her small weight against his calf to try and unseat the Fenrir from where he stands playfully.
Those are in the bag too. Know how to make them, why?
[Marni] She tips her head slightly, and then laughs. “I ain’t know how t’make anything, really. Cept trouble. Lots and lots of trouble.”
She smirks, and pats her belly, and then wraps her arms around her knees as she remains crouched comfortably. All too soon she won’t be able to sit this way anymore – so she takes advantage of comfort now.
[Karl Holds the Line] He laughs a little and sits down, crossing his legs easily, leaning forward a little to look into the bag, then up to Mama, smiling.
“I know as well. Just thought if Marni did not, I could show her how, or at least make sure she had some, but you beat me to it I see.”
He does not take any of the healing talens, he has his own. One of those things that all Fenrir learned to make, to help them always stay in the fight. Unconsciously, he lays an arm over Mama’s shoulders if she stays close enough, fingers curling a little into her fur.
“Trouble finds us. Might as well make it ourselves and have some illusion of control over it.”
Said with a wry grin almost.
[Marni] She takes a bottled gaia and a couple of the healing talens and tucks them into her bag. She’s been avoiding trouble as much as possible, to give the lil bean time to make itself well and truly at home in effort to make sure it stays there. Partially to really piss off Lukas. Mainly because she cherishes the life inside her already – as does Ray.
“I’d like to learn.”
[Mama Ankle-Biter] A wet nose is brought up into Karl’s face, brushing along his cheek and throat. He can take in the more unwashed pungent odor of their four-legged leader. She wiggles her way under his arm and across his lap, smacking her tail in his face. The Gnawer scoots away, returning to Marni’s side to brush up against the other Gnawer, flopping down beside her.
Can teach if Marni wishes… can teach to make gnosis water as well, in case something happen to Mama
The wolf sneezes a few times, her thoughts continue to echo in their mind, buzzing faster than a normal humans. Mama need Stuff and Junk and things. Need to feed the Spirit growing under the bridge
[Karl Holds the Line] He laughs again as the dirty little wolf brushes up against him, pushing at her playfully, grinning a bit and then looks over at the two gnawers as Mama lays down beside Marni.
“I am so getting a portable pressure washer.”
Said with a grin that is half serious and half playful.
“I would love to learn how to make these things… As for junk and the like? I’ve never been much of a collector, but give me a hint of what you need and ill scrounge, borrow or steal what we need.”
The Rotagar shifts again, laying down on his side. They make for quite a picture, all spread out on the ground next to the car. Karl lays down on his side, elbow to the ground, hand holding under his head.
“I am sure I don’t know a tenth about scrounging compared to the two of you, but I am a quick study, and I would like the chance to test out my new gift.”
[Marni] “Nothin better happen to Mama.” A low growl, even as she nudges the wolf, and nods. “I can help find stuff. Ray’s footing the bill for me to get an apartment close by too. I gotta clean it out and there’s a lotta Junk and Stuff in there I can cart down here too.”
It was cheap. And she got it because she said she’d clean it out. Has too, before she lets Ray see it… he wouldn’t be happy about the current condition of it at all.
[Mama Ankle-Biter] Found me a Trash Heap-spirit, it’s small, but figure ya keep feeding it, nurturing it, make it grow. Trash heap may draw urban englings…
She considers them for a moment, How are ya’ll fairing?
[Marni] (i gotta go to work. Marni’ll hang out for a bit then head back to apt cleanup.)