2017.11.14: Challenge for Charlene for Rank

Challenge for Charlene for Rank
Brooke presents her Challenge to Charlene for the rank of Fostern
IC Date	November 14th, 2017
IC Time	Morning
Players	Brooke, Charlene
Location	Prospect Roasters, Smoke and Barley Private Dining
Spheres	Gaian Garou

Brooke enters the shop and heads to the counter to make an order, when she sees Charlene. She takes in a deep breath and foregoes the counter for now and walks over to her. "Hi! I think we met briefly before. My name is Brooke Spencer."

Charlene is sitting in a corner of the coffee shop with a wall to her back, a coffee cup at her right, and a guitar across her knee. Her hat is on the table in front of her, upturned, with a note that says 'All Donations to be Given to the Prospect Women's Shelter' with a few bills here and there, as well as some coins, that people gave for music. Stopping her song - an acoustic Red Hot Chili Peppers cover of Dani, California, Charlene looks up and blinks at Brooke, narrowing her gaze for a moment before it all clicks. "Ah, yes. Partners with Ana, Mary-Sue and Dragomir, if I recall correctly. How are you?"

Brooke smiles and nods. "That is correct. I am very good, thank you for asking. Am I bothering you? I was hoping to speak to you soon about something important to me."

Looking around the coffee shop, the morning crowd has already thinned out leaving a few people working on their novels, reading the paper, or having conversations. Charlene shrugs and nods her head in assent, gathering her hat and tucking the bills - around $50, all said and done - into her breast pocket, putting her guitar in its case and sitting back. "Sure thing. Ah've got t' ask y' 'bout th' butterflies on yer property too. Here might not be th' best place...." She tilts her head. "Feel like lunch? Smoke an' Barley's close an' ah've got some credit t' pay off."

"That sounds like a good plan, and lunch sounds great." Brooke replies. "I've got my car out front if you need a ride."

"Sure." Charlene says amiably, getting to her feet and following you to your car.

---

The drive to the Smoke and Barley doesn't take long, with traffic on Tuesday morning being light since everyone is already at work where they need to be. Charlene takes her guitar into the dining room, leaving it in the inner coat room with explicit instructions for no-one to touch 'her baby' on pain of being fed to the fire elemental.

She's kidding, of course. Mostly.

Once the pair are safely in the Smoke and Barley, situated at a table, with drinks and food orders placed, does Charlene change the subject. "Okay, Brooke...what'cha got f'r me?"

Brooke looks to Charlene, and says, "Alright, well, Charlene, I've been busy working with my new pack, and around the Caern. I believe I am ready to challenge for the rank of Fostern."

The Fury grins, taking a sip of her tea and settling back in her chair. "Blunt an' right to th' point. Jus' what ah' like from someone challengin' me." She gestures to Brooke with her right hand, inviting her to continue. "Well, tell me yer deeds. Why do y' think you've earned th' right t' challenge?"

Brooke sits up straight in her chair, feeling almost taller than her 5'4" frame. "Not long after I arrived here, I started taking a patrol around the Caern, and in my first day doing that, I fought alongside Sebastien, and together we destroyed 2 Pantasmi armed with silver. I did not get hurt, and I protected Sebastien when he did. Later, George called upon me and several other Cliaths to fight alongside him and some elders to fight and destroy a pack of vampires. None of us got hurt that day, but those vampires were toasted. More recently, I've been helping protect the Caern from oolaraths that attacked when we were trying to investigate and remove the roots from those mutated wolfsbane flowers. I've also kept up with chores and guarding the Caern." She pauses, taking a breath. "My pack is honorable, and we are training and ready to defend the Caern, the kinfolk, and the Sept as a whole. I am proud to be the Beta, and support my alpha Dragomir, and I know I am ready for the next rank."

Charlene sits and listens to the stories as Brooke tells them, nodding from time to time as she relates her deeds to the higher-ranked Fury. "A lot of fighting. A lot of time spent with your pack. Honorable. Spending time with the chores at the Caern. Shows you have an idea of what Duty means." She looks thoughtful for a moment, taking another sip. "Very well. Brooke Spencer, Hushed Blaze, Galliard of the Glass Walkers, Packed with Terminal Velocity, I accept your challenge. Meet me at the Caern on the Galliard Moon, and be prepared to use your skills as a Galliard to tell something that no-one here knows."

Brooke bows her head, "Thank you, Charlene. I will strive to go above and beyond with my skills and show you I am ready for this honor."

Charlene nods. "Your challenge is to find a story that no-one here in the Caern knows. Something specifically Garou related. Preferably historical. Something that sheds light on something." She grins. "Tell me that story and you'll have your rank."

Brooke takes mental note of what she says and smiles, "I will do just that. It will be my honor to share the tale to you and whomever else is present." Her mind is already spinning and planning.

The food comes, then, plates of meat, smoked to perfection. Charlene sighs happily, taking a bite of some sausage before she speaks again. "So, your territory. Y'all've got a gorgon wanderin' 'round there, goes by th' name of Deacon. Ain't male or female, flies around like a wooden butterfly. Ah'm tryin' to determine if this is a problem. You know anything about it?"

Brooke shakes her head as she reaches for a piece of meat. "No, I have not seen it myself. But I will talk with Drago and the rest of my pack and see what they know. I'll certainly keep a closer eye around, make my patrols longer as well. I do not have experience with these..gorgons. What should I be looking out for with it?"

"That's the thing. We've got a Gorgon around here - Bronwyn - an' when she heard 'bout this'un, she expressed th' thought that she'd like t' eat it. They're pure chaos. Pure Wyld. An' gettin' those two in th' same room might be like invitin' a pyromaniac to a gasoline plant, givin' 'em a box of matches an' then goin' on break."

Brooke shakes her head, "Yeah, we cannot have that. Certainly this thing needs to be investigated and see what it wants...or if it can go elsewhere. Away from the Caern."

Charlene nods. "S'why I'm goin' to go an' talk to it, s'best I can, jus' to find out what th' hell is goin' on, why it's here, an' stuff like that."

Brooke smiles, "That would be excellent." Her phone buzzes, "I'm so sorry, I should get going. Work actually calls. Some days my clients need so much help with their systems. Thank you for your time, and I will see you soon with a great tale to tell."

"I'll be waiting!" Charlene calls as you head out.