Signing up time 1.1

He had had some time to think. He had realised that one way or another, his old life was over. Even if by some miracle, he could repress what he was there was no escaping it. His mobility was restricted and all the things out there to get him would make his life hell. (and lets not think about colateral damage) From a pragmatic point of view, joining up was the only realisticaly sensible choice.

And then it had hit him that the job of his kind was not entirelly similar to what he had been doing before. In essence, they were hunting for rogues. The difference was of course the perps the spirits rather than people but still, it fitted well. Maybe he was going to have to go for a boring day job but his night job might actually be worth it. That was the one thing that had risen his spirits.

It was now just after 5PM. He had chosen to go at this time to have a chance of anyone being in when he came. He had been able to remember the place where Rifle Breaker had taken him and had parked his car around. This time, he was wearing the bullet proof vest and had the gun under the coat. His paranoia streak rebelled at the idea of separating from them now.

In more casual clotinh now, he walked to the place and knocked on the door.

"Come on in." Rifle Breaker smiles as he lets you in. "So, what have you decided, Ciaphas Mordant?"

"Indeed I have. If I'm going to live a life as a werewolf, I might as well do it correctly. Sign me up."

"Good to hear. So, what are you doing about your job?"

Going inside, Ciaphas removed his shades.

"I figured I'd go with a psycho scam. I'll make them believe that my mind finnaly snapped at the job and that it would be better to move me in a desk job. Considering I have a reputation as... someone who would rather cut his own arm that stop ground work, they won't suspect me of lying on that of all things. The fact I'll be ready to visit the department shrink will help in convincing. Some people might still be suspicious. That's where layer B will come. You see, I've been moved here due to... the league of legitimate business men back home having taken a dislike to me. I'll give the impression that I have recieved threats, which isn't exactly a lie but and that I moved to a desk job to avoid accidents happening to me or people I know. I might think of a layer C some time later."

"If its threats you need, I can provide a homemade bomb in about two days to go off at the wrong time, used to do that sort of work back in Europe all the time."

Cue a awkward silence as Ciaphas tries to think on the implications of that last statement. What did Rifle Breaker do in the old days ? Yeah, know what ? He really didn t want to know.

"That will not be necessary. It's best to remain in the subtle for now. If a bomb goes, there will be an investigation and we don't want that. The threat approach will only be implied. It will be the... what I'm trying to hide. A red herring."

"Sure thing. Just want you to know if that ever needs to come up. So, given any thought to a tribe yet?"

"Must admit my mind has given time to these thoughts. Seem like more or less a division of duties among our kind if my analysis is correct. So I asked myself, what path would correspond to my abilities best ? Where could I be the most useful ? The answer, in my opinion, the Iron Masters. They are the ones specialising in city and human problems. I've being doing that for tge last few years. Better to stick to what you're good at."

"I can respect that. I'll call a pack meeting soon and we'll see about getting you initiatied. Randall Richardson is probably the most likely tutor for you."

"Nice... That reminds me, how did you know my name ? Back in the park. That has been nagging me since."

"Its a gift you can learn. With the help of the spirits, you can learn someone's name. If things go exceptional well, you can learn all the names that a person has ever answered to."

"Well, that's a useful trick. Anyhoo, any words about the rest of the pack ? Afteral, if I'm going to be working with you.."

"Well, it looks like its going to be you, me, and White Paws. That will be the pack."

"Three stooges huh ? We'll see how that works out... Just out of curio, what exactly do the pure have against the rest of us ? I can guess from the choice of name that there's probably some ethnic cleansing bullshit behind it but what is their pseudo justification for doing so ?"

"Long time ago, big bad papa wolf was king. He got old and wasn't able to do his job. Our ancestors took him out. Their ancestors said fuck you, and have declared war ever since."

"Boy, talk about taking the whole sins of our fathers thing a little far. Guess you can't cure stupid."

Ciaphas started to read his news again, opening it at the real estate pages. A few places were circled.

"Mind telling me where's our turf. Will help me choose a place to rent and stop spending nights in low budget hotels."

"No worries about that. We are a pack, share the space and all that. Basicly we are taking the southeast corner of downtown and midtown. I'd like to get the whole pack together to discuss this first though." He flips open his phone and texts his pack.

A short while after receiving the text White Paws shows up at the apartment. "Hey guys. So, what's going on?"

"We got one to join us. Now we need to figure out what to do as a pack, what we want to claim, and who wants to lead."

Ciaphas saluted White Paws.

"Hey."

When Rifle mentionned the descisions that would require making.

"Well, I think I can contribute on questions 2 and 3. Location wise, I'd appreciate including the Police Department, that would make my life easier. I suppose you two might also hve similar geographical preferences. On the third one, I think I'll abstain from being boss considering my knowledge is still at early stages."

White Paws starts biting his thumb nail as he thinks of what they need to do. "Well as a pack we need to find a locus, a totem spirit, and start to hunt down rogues spirits." Then looking at Ciaphas he says, "And you and I both need to learn the First Tongue."

"I'll hold an intensive course then. But I think you should run the pack White Paws."

White Paws face turns to a look of surprise. "What? I thought you were going to be the Alpha."

"A good storm lord does the best he can. And I can be a better omega than an alpha to you guys. As an alpha I can tell you to do things my way, as an omega I can make you learn to do things your way. Besides, did the alpha thing for 50 years, got tired of it after a while."

"Well, if you put it like that. Lets expose the situation here. We're a new pack, and we do not entirely know each other yet. And that not knowing includes our skills and personalities. It would be logical, if we want to nominate a leader, to actually know each other better. Not a good idea to pick up blind. So, anyone want to show his CV first or shall I do ?"

Rifle-Breaker gets frustrated with the silence.
"I was a Basque seperatist fighter for 20 years, then I had my change. Fought some more against the Spanish Pure. Lost. Fled to Georgia. Carved my way solo through Southern Pure for about 20 more years. Got to Sacramento when Eternal Sentry put out the call."

Ah so that explained the skills he mentioned, well it was that or IRA to be honest.

"Well then I'll go second. Like I mentioned I was a detective sergeant at the homicide brigade of the LAPD. Good at sniffing around and years of having suspects and witnesses bullshitting me has given me a gift to read people well. Then some local gang considered I was sniffing to near the skellies in their closets and tried to off me. Luckily, first change came to the rescue. Since I was on a death list I got moved here. The rest you know. Now as my skills go I've got got deductive skills, I notice things and I'm faily good at telling when I'm being lied at. I've seen my load of dead bodies so that doesn't exactly shock me much anymore even when the killer gets creative. I have basic close combat and marksmanship training as part of the job too.
On the negative side, I'll cite my complete lack of experience and knowledge in werewolf matters. I have also been told that I get annoyed easily and that I sometimes get overenthusiast when the time to arrest has come. Also I've never been the expert at office politics. I'm one of these guys too busy doing the job to bother about that stuff. I think I've covered my CV now. White Paws, you have the mic."

Didn't think this was going to turn into a job interview. "I was in my third year at a two year college when I changed. My grandpa and his pack found me soon afterwards and inducted me into the Storm Lords. I tried my best to learn everything they taught me. I guess it wasn't I didn't learn fast enough cause they just sorta dumped me here. I'm good at staying out of sight, I'm not to bad at tracking, I'm no stranger to fighting, can't say that I'm good at reading people but I'm very perceptive. And I can usually keep a cool head under pressure." Would I really be able to lead a pack?

"So, I'm not alpha. Figure out who is going to be."

"Well how about we do a trial period for the time being ? Either you (points at White Paws) or me can act as alpha for the time being. See how things go. Once we're better established as a pack, we discuss the subject again. A trial period we could say. Unless you want the post more than me I can assume the role for the time being."

White Paws has been staring at the floor thinking. Rifle Breaker wouldn't have said it if he didn't believe that I could do it. Why am I hesitating? This is what a Storm Lord is suppose to do, lead. Still looking at the floor he says, "No, I'll do it. It seems... right, I don't know how else to say it." Looking up he says, "Yeah, I'll be the Alpha. Yes, I can do this.

Rifle Breaker has the barest hint of a smile crease his lips. But says nothing.

"Ok... boss."

Ciaphas also seems to have a small smile on his face. Thnigs were starting to shape up. When he hard heard White Paws say that he was a Storm Lord, he had recalled the brieffing about tribes and that these were meant to be the leadership. All he had neaded was a little nudge.

"We'll start with Ur. It means wolf. Hence Skolis Ur- winter wolf, Uratha-werewolves" and so on.

Narration: It takes the better party of a few days, but the two of you are able to quickly learn. Its almost as if you knew the language already, and were merely remembering it.
(you can both purchase it, and go into xp debt if you so desire.)

End Scene.