goneawaycomms

North.

[ There's not a split second's hesitation there, he just answers as simply as breathing. ]

I'd trust him with absolutely anything. Do you want to talk to him together?

I don't think I've introduced myself to him yet. If you think that's the best way to get him in on this, I'm down.

I could tell him myself but you should meet him. He's a really good guy, don't mind the drunken germaphobia.

I'm happy to meet people. Especially in pursuit of fucking up whatever Jorgmund is trying to do to Wash. [She grins.] Plus, I have a bet with myself about how many adults here I can convince to give me piggyback rides.

Well add another one to your tally, you can absolutely have a piggyback rides from me.

[ But back to Wash for a moment, because she said something interesting earlier. ]

You said there were a few steps between this conversation and doing something about it. And you know this place better than me -- did you have something specific in mind? I'll check his head for starters, but what if it was the truth?

I said there were a few steps between this conversation and shaking down the org chart. [She shrugs and gives York a self-depreciating smile.] I spend a lot of time with people with a strong belief in solving problems through direct violence, which is unfortunately not viable here. Yet.

[Because she intends to commit copious amounts of violence eventually. The expression she's wearing is almost certainly disconcerting on the face of a teenage girl.]

Once we've got a team together and you've confirmed cranial scarring, I know someone who might be able to get us access to his memories. It's invasive, obviously, so I didn't want to jump directly into it, and I'd like to do it as respectfully as possible, but we're going to need the information so that we only do minimal damage in the process of helping him.

[ York nods; he'll do his best to find out about the scarring asap. ]

Does anyone else know about this, or am I the first person you came to about it? The person who can access memories, maybe?

You're the first person I've spilled everything to. I was feeling out South, though more as a way to distract him if necessary since literally the first thing the two of them did when she turned up was get in a fight. And I talked to his buddy Tucker, too. He... [Stacia makes a face.] He'd do everything he could to help Wash, but I don't get the impression he does "subtle". Like, at all.

South can't be trusted. And I've only just barely met Tucker, so I can't vouch for him but you're right. He doesn't seem like the subtle or secrets type.

I'll get a look at his head. We'll start with that.

Can't be trusted how? To have Wash's best interests at heart or in general?

[Stacia raises her eyebrows.]

I'm not looking forward to spending the rest of my life stuck here. I've got shit to get back to. So I'd like to know what kind of people I'm working with, even if we don't bring her in on this.

In general. She's a selfish backstabber. Or... back-shooter, technically.

Well, it's always nice to know which direction the backstab is coming from. I'll keep working on her anyway, but she's definitely out unless we need someone to fight Wash for whatever reason.

Do you think I should hit up North tonight, or give him a bit to recover from the whole thing with what's-his-butt?

I think give him tonight to unwind a little... tomorrow, maybe? Sooner's better than later on this.

[Stacia makes a face.]

Yeah, that looked like a whooooooole thing that calls for some recovery time. Possibly some pot or platonic snuggles, but the former's hard to come by around here and I don't know any of you well enough to offer the latter.

But I'll hit him up tomorrow. Drop your name so he doesn't think I'm trying to lure him into an ambush and eat his face or something.

I don't have any pot but I can handle the platonic snuggles end of things.

Sounds good. Thanks for looping me in, Stacia. I'll hit you up when I get a good look at his head for scarring.

I appreciate the help. This isn't the kind of thing I'd want to do on my own, and it's probably better if it's his friends keeping me honest about it.

[ York nods; Wash is being very slow to trust even with him, so it probably would have taken Stacia a lot longer to get close to him. ]

We'll figure it out. And it's good that you care about him, hopefully he'll see that.

[Stacia grimaces and slumps in her seat.]

I get what you're saying, but fuck is it depressing that something like this qualifies me as "caring" about him. He's a person who's being mind-fucked and exploited and -- and twisted by monsters that just so happen to be human instead of wearing their malice and horror on the outside. Anyone with an ounce of morality or empathy in my position ought to be willing to do the same.

[ York is quiet for a long moment, because she's right but. Well. This is just what their lives are like. And she can understand if that's hard for her to grasp. ]

Mind fucked and exploited and twisted is kind of what we're used to, Stacia. The bar's so low it's almost on the ground.

[Stacia grumbles and shoots him a glare that's mostly without heat. He's not at fault, he's not her target, he's even being gentle with her because from his perspective she's a teenage girl with less life experience than he's had. But she's a Garou and everything that's wrong with the world makes her furious, because being a Garou means that the Rage is always there, telling her to do something, to fix it somehow by tearing into something with claws and teeth.]

I know, I know. And I'm sure there are people doing the same thing or worse back in my reality, and I know being mad about it doesn't actually do anything. [She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, then offers him a weak smile.] I'm not expecting you to fix it or anything, I'm just venting internal pressure because if I don't do it somehow, I'll literally murder someone. Literally-literally, not teenage-girl-who-actually-means-figuratively-literally.

[ York tilts his head curiously, sizing her up. She's not kidding. ]

I appreciate the warning, and feel free to vent. It makes me angry, too.

...is this literally-literally part of your werewolf thing? Or are you way more badass in this form than you look? Or both? Por que no los dos?

[Stacia's smile this time is more genuine.]

It's mostly a werewolf thing. Don't get me wrong, I can absolutely murder someone when I'm shaped like a cute little girl at this point, but it's a lot easier when I'm over eight feet tall and covered in a protective layer of fur, with a mouth full of knives and talons on my hands and feet. I get pissed off, I can go full horror movie monster like-- [she snaps her fingers] --that.

Buuut if I have a choice, I usually prefer to use guns; preferably a sniper rifle. One, it keeps me way the hell back from the fighting, and two, most of the other werewolves I know are even bigger and badder than I am.

Good to know. And I'm a fan of snipers, they've saved my ass many times. It's a smart choice and a good skill to know.

[Stacia giggles.]

Yeah, I like picking up useful skills. I might have to cheat to graduate high school, but I can shoot guns, shoot whiskey, pick pockets, comport myself among European high society without embarrassing anyone, and have my way with other people's computers. Which are all probably more useful, all things considered.

York

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