2018.09.08: Fingers in my Ears

Fingers in my Ears
Faith Leaves Sten to Find a Ride Home
IC Date	Saturday, September 8th, 2018
IC Time	9:00 pm PDT.
Players	Sten, Natalie H., Faith
Location	Smoke and Barley - Private Dining
Spheres	Garou Gaian Fera

--- Smoke and Barley - Private Dining(#9526RA)

Wood paneling shines in warm tones from the walls, the large stairway leading downwards into a large expanse. Glyphs are etched railing, giving texture as one's fingers graze over the wood. Full spectrum lighting brightens the room and keeps the plants that fill the corners lush and full.

Faith drives Sten into the town using a battered old pickup truck that she parks in the alley out back.. Prospect is quite a city. It's not very tall, more like a sprawling urban metropolis than images of places like New York or Los Angeles. She'll point out some of the bigger sites to him, and even drive him over the Coronado bay bridge and through downtown before taking him to the Gaian owned private room in the popular urban restaurant. "So.. yeah when I got here I was on the Gang Suppression Unit, but now I work Internal Affairs, and sometimes on the SWAT team.. it's not as dangerous as a lot of the other jobs I've had. But I guess I cause a lot of issues because I notice when things aren't right and point it out."

Sten nods to her "I see, so this is a safe place then?" shaking his head "Going to take me quite a while to get used to a city like this, I mean Upsala was close but this is a lot larger and a lot more people" shaking his head again. "And what exactly do they do here?" looking around

"Upstairs, is a full sized restaurant and bar.." Faith explains as she nods, having brought him through the kitchen. "It is safe here.. to talk about garou and kin business, at least anything that's not super private. You can assume anyone you meet in this private dining area is kin, garou, or fera." She looks toward the door to the main room, then offers, "If you want, we can go up there and look around? I don't tend to have a natural reaction to rage so sometimes it's hard for me to tell which of you make humans uncomfortable."

Sten shakes his head "I am no Ahroun but most people are a bit put off by my size and my rage" shaking his head slightly. "It is probably for the best if we remain here, and generally ahroun and galliards are those that make people uneasy, some philodox but only the more rage filled ones really. All depends really"

"And some of you learn gifts or have fetishes that make it easier too I hear," answers the kin as she offers you a chair and a menu. "Would you like me to get you an ale from the bar? They don't charge here.. mostly we all put in - time, money, effort. There's a sense of community in this place if you can get past the politics and general drama."

Sten looks towards the bar "I don't think they have any German lager do they?" then back to her "It has been quite a while since I had one. It was rather nice when I was visiting the black forest"

"Of course they do.. I think the regular tender is a Fianna." Faith laughs as she goes behind the bar to draw the Skald drink. "They have everything from Helles to Dunkel.. what's your preference?" She sets out a large heavy glass as she's asking. "I mostly don't drink anymore myself. I get mean when I do.. or at lest more vocal.. and we're trying to curtail that right?"

Sten chuckles "Drink and be merry Faith, what is life if you do not enjoy it?" shaking his head "Dunkel ware sehr schon" grinning ear to ear "I rarely get to use my language skills around these parts"

She draws the dark heavy larger for him and grabs a basket of chips for the table at the same time. She's put a glass of iced tea on the tray for herself. "No, you don't understand.." explains Faith more seriously. "The last time I got drunk, they shut down two city blocks because of the bar brawl that broke out - they just never caught on I started it."

Sten smirks "Impressive" grinning to her "Never been in a bar brawl... unless you count a longhouse as a bar" he seems to ponder that

"What's a longhouse?" asks Faith as she sits back to the table with him, serving the lager and chips and setting the tray to the side. "It's not impressive.. I used to be a nice girl. These scars, the fighting, all of it started about three years ago. I sometimes wish I was boring again. Except I wouldn't have met LLeu - or you!"

Sten shakes his head "I doubt you would remain boring for long" smiling to her "Thank you though." taking a deep drink from his lager "Mmmm yes... longhouse is a long house... mostly made from logs, fire in the middle where you can gather when it is cold, sept has several of them in the bawn and in the caern"

"That's interesting.. this is the only sept I've ever been to." She looks up over the table while taking a sip of the iced tea. "I hear it's really different from other places, more relaxed. Which I guess is good for me in some ways, and harder in others." Faith sets her glass down. "It's hard to follow rules when they're amorphous."

Sten chuckles "Some misinterpret them like that Fang for instance" shaking his head "It is always that way, thinking they know better then others, don’t have to be Fangs either" grinning and taking another sip "Many Sept are different, the one in Germany was a lot of open areas, dense woods and no buildings at all. Norwegian one was inside a mountain lots of caves and tunnels.. was interesting"

"I hope I get to see them someday, the other septs." Faith explains as she smiles, "I want to try to fit in as much as I can about the nation into my head before I have children. I want to teach them to love their family, not be afraid of you. It'll give them a good head start. I've seen it - like with Shaderunner and his little boy. And the other children at the kinhouse. My life would be so different if I'd grown up with stories like the one you told me today instead of.. other things."

Sten nods "There are many sad stories as well" he sighs and shakes his head "Rage is a curse and a blessing at the same time, kin are the only thing that makes it worth it. We can become slaves to what makes us Gaias warriors" shaking his head "We can hurt those we love, without wanting or meaning to.. and that is a horrible burden" sips his lager again looking to her

"It doesn't take rage to hurt the people we love.. " answers the kinswoman, "A lie, a theft, even just strong words said out of love and an overabundance of caution can cause hurt that can't be repaired." Faith takes a drink from the glass of tea and picks up a chip, "But you know, if you learn to live with the scars, life's not nearly as rough as some people make it out to be."

Sten looks to her "Not everyone escapes with just scars... some kin don't make it alive if you are unlucky" shaking his head "My uncle killed my aunt, it was an argument, a stupid tiny thing, really. He was never the same after, he died two months after, he took a lot of wyrm with him, but it was a needless death"

"And how many times as a kin said a careless word, and sent a garou off into a frenzy they didn't come back from.. or one kin to another, resulting in a death or a suicide. I see it every day in the human world, people hurting each other." Faith shrugs her shoulder lightly. "When, not if, I die, like I said, I just want to know that I did something to help before that day gets here."

Sten chuckles "You do not need to know everything, just the essentials. Knowing of other septs doesn't help that much, knowing how to act with honor and wisdom will" nodding to her with a smile "If you ever have kids they will be as fierce as you I believe"

"If?" Faith shakes her head quickly. "When. Unless I die first, there's nothing that's gonna stop me from being a mom. I want that more than I want the sun to rise tomorrow." She smiles as she pops another chip in her mouth. "Lots of them. I told LLeu that'd be a deal breaker - you know, if he didn't want rug rats."

Sten chuckles "Man you deep in planning with him huh?" looking to her "You made it sound like you just met and fallen, a fling of a thing, but here he is asking for your hand and you talking about children" he lifts his glass to her "For the two of you" he looks at the small amount of liquid in the glass and downs it. "Now where did you get this?" rises to his feet to go get more

Faith points at the bar, "Third set of drafts from the left on the second row.." She laughs a little, her cheeks brilliant with color. "We actually, maybe met three months ago, but life moves fast, like you said.. and we both keep getting told it's probable he won't live to even see Fostern. I dunno.. some days, I just wanna.. hit the fast forward button on life I guess. I know how to be a good mom. And maybe once I'm that, everything else will fall into place."

Sten laughs heartily "Do not let life run away with you, Live -every- moment" moving over to get the lager and finds it and fills it up to the brim with a very large foam crown and then moves back with a grin. "Every moment is the last and all that shit, he will live longer then that, I will probably die before he does" smirking "Though he did get a good beating"

"I know right? I wanted to go run up and throw my arms around him like a big old mama-hen.. I thought that would totally wreck him in front of Weathers-the-Storm and Lights the Darkness though." She gives a healthy sigh. "I guess I know even less about relationships than I do about being a kinfolk. I never even dated before I got dropped off on Eye of the Storm's doorstep, literally. You should have seen the expression on LLeu's face the night he met Eye of the Storm and asked permission to take me out on a date... I had no idea I'd brought home a lost cub, and Eye of the Storm was like.. Russian Mobster Hard on the guy."

Sten shrugs "Dragomir is a Russian mobster, no offence, but most Fangs that play hardball are really" taking a deep swig from his lager with a grin "I know what you mean... I mean.. I haven't dated before... there were some kin that were interested but, never got that far. My family was shrinking in power and well... lost a lot of the pull to me I guess" another swig

"I don't really understand the power and politics. Honest? My parents left the nation over it, because they loved each other and the families had other plans." Faith shakes her head. "I went for a motorcycle ride after work with Lleu one day and it just... clicked? Is that even a thing? I don't know. But I told him I'd wait and he told me he would too. So here we are, waiting, and not allowed to be alone in the same room together because apparently cubs who get - over excited are prone to waking up with pieces of girl strewn across the room."

Sten nods "That has happened yeah" he downs the rest of the lager and gets up to get himself more, then finds a larger container and grabs that and fills instead "You are well off though... you don't have to think about the future of your clan and family, that you are the last hope for your bloodline, and you better get some good sons or your sister is under the pressure... you know" he sighs and sits down and drinks a swig

"Oh.. gods.. no uh.." Faith shakes her head. "No.. like I told you, um.. but at least from everything I hear here - this place? They don't let kinfolk just get pressured like that." She wraps her hands around her glass. "But I'll bet there's lots of kin that would want to? I mean you come from an important family, and a line of warriors. Right? I think I'm one of the least well-bred kinfolk in this whole area. Maybe that's why no one's really concerned who I end up with?"

Sten laughs "MMmmmm no clue, pressure isn't from anyone... there is no one to pressure her but herself, I won't but she will so... yeah" he sighs "Prominent family in the sept I came from, long history some heroes, but we dwindled down to just me and my sister now. There was a time when my clan ran the entire sept, Father was the last of that Era, son of a high ranking garou is attractive, big strong family... but when the family dies off, when there is only that son left... yeah nothing much left" another swig "Not politics, just intelligent thinking. "Who will get me the best chance, where will I be most comfortable, right?" chuckles "Well here I am... and I have no fucking clue what I am doing" another swig

Natalie unlocks the door, and descends into the private lounge.

Faith shakes her head a little bit, sitting back in her chair with her mostly empty glass of iced tea. "I guess I never thought about that for Garou. But.. like I said.. place is swarming hip-deep in rich eligible and beautiful women so, pretty sure you'll find one to take home if you start asking them out." She's currently sitting with Sten at a table, eating chips and chatting about sex, of course, because what the fuck else does anyone talk about these days?

Natalie comes down the steps as the door swings shut behind her. The tall, tall woman stops at the bottom the stairs, gaze sweeping the room, pausing on the fire pit and fire elementals briefly with a tug of a smile at the corners of her lips. The dusky skinned woman then dips her head to Faith in recognition and greeting before her gaze flits over Sten briefly. Then long legs carry her toward the bar. There she says to the tender, "Iced mocha and an order or ribs and fries please." Must be supper time for the woman.

Sten is seated with Faith having a large container which probably was not meant for lager but the small glasses had him running back and forth and it was annoying. "Oh yeah? Where and none of them are Fenrir, but I am learning that matters little about here you know? I met a nice girl though... but what about the bloodline?" he sighs and takes a large swig. "And I am just a Cliath, out of town Skald, not exactly impressive with all the high ranks running around." even for the large Fenrir he is getting a bit round on the foot

"Well if there's no Fenrir here why don't you go up the coast to Dunsmuir? I mean.. they won't talk to /me/ but it's a whole sept of Fenrir and I bet they'd talk to you." The tall blonde has a couple bruises on her face, with a swollen lip. She's wearing a turtleneck sweater and loose jeans with leather boots. She raises her hand and flashes a peace sign at the woman who comes in, "Evening Miss Natalie, how is Mr. Hunter?" She then gesture, "Stormhunter-Rhya, this is Miss Natalie.. Miss Natalie, please feel free to join us? I'd love for you to meet Sten.. " she glances at the alcohol and sets her glass down. She's not about to try and cut anyone off.

Natalie turns at the familiar voice and the smile returns. "Sure." She takes the iced mocha s soon as it's set on the bar and she pushes away, striding with that deceptively slow looking stride toward the table. "Hunter's good. So busy working on the helicopters," she laughs, "I guess I'm a helicopter widow sometimes." Her eyes sparkle with humor though. She's not upset it seems. Sharp gaze turns to Sten, "Hello. I'm Natalie Matthews."

Sten nods to Natalie "I am Sten Blixt, Stormhowler, Cliath Skald of the Fenrir, son of Eric Blixt, Ironheart, son of Johan Blixt, Starsinger, born to Fimbul Winter sept. Pleasure to meet you Miss Matthews" his accent was a bit broader then it was when he entered, definitely a bit of a European melody to his voice.

Faith chuckles softly as she answers Natalie, "Well, you guys can always dart over to the hangar in one for dinner some time, I'd love to see you. I've got more than enough space on the airstrip to land one even if we've got a full house - which never happens." She pauses and adds, "I didn't know a Skald was the Get of Fenris name for a Galliard until I met him."

Natalie tips her head and takes a drink from her mocha. She nods to Faith as she sinks into a chair, "Nice to meet you Sten." A pause, then, "I'm Bastet." She then looks to Faith and says lightly, "We may do that some time. Got a line on a copter for ourselves, not just Jake's. Though he's given us free use of the Tower's birds whenever we want. Hunter's been teaching me to fly. It's incredible!"

Sten looks between the two "So Hunter has a chopper? And what is the Tower?" nods to her as she mentions Bastet "Ah yes.. cats...not a Simba are you?" looking to Faith then Natalie.

"That's so awesome.." Faith answers the woman about the flight, "Iris grabbed me once and took off with wings.. I think that's about as far up in the air as I ever wanna get with my feet again. I'll stick to the motorcycles and squad cars." She glances over at the bar and seeing Natalie's plate in the window of the kitchen says, "I'll get that, I'm gonna grab another iced tea too." The woman stops as she looks back down at Sten's question. "Hey.. you might be my boss but don't be an asshole to my friend. She has nothing to do with that bullshit - and it's not even your bullshit to stick your nose in anyways."

Natalie looks up at Faith as she stands up, her smile growing, "Thank you." she says genuinely, and then looks startled at Faith's outburst to Sten. She turns her gaze to Sten, looking thoughtful, "No. Not Simba." she says simply, and doesn't offer more than that. She then adds, "I don't want any trouble if you've got beef with them."

Sten shakes his head "Only got beef with the one ripping into her" motioning to Faith" looks to her "I am not your boss.. Sure I am trueborn but really? Do I boss you around and tell you what to do?" shaking his head and empties the container "Mmm jo den var lite mycket av det goda... lugn och fin nu" shaking his head abit "I got nothing against cats, or bears... or.. well anyone really.. I just don't like people ripping into my friends"

"We don't." Faith answers Natalie's statement about trouble, just short and to the point. She leaves her glass on the bar and gets Natalie's plate from the bar to bring it back over to her. "Just my vagina for the last hour... and the situation is being handled at the diplomatic level, here it needs to be handled. You're being a dick because you're drunk, and I'm going home. You can get a ride with someone else." The tall blonde turns her attention then to Natalie. "I'm sorry. PMS.. but please drop in for dinner sometime?"

Natalie frowns, turning her gaze to Faith, and she reaches a hand out, "Did a cat hurt you?" her voice is low and quiet, but her gaze darkens, "Do you know what his name is, or have a description?" She turns her palm up, "You don't have to go. We can find a better topic."

Sten looks to Natalie "Am I being a dick? If I am I do apologize.. it is not my intentions" he looks to Faith "Faith... I am sorry, stay please? I won't drink anymore, I already felt I hit my limit, just give me 2 minutes and it’s all been processed again"

Faith reaches out and gives Natalie's hand a squeeze. "There was another, misunderstanding, between me and August.. and Dragomir's handling it. If it was anything more than irritation, if I got ripped into, I wouldn't be here to bitch and moan about it - right?" She looks over at Sten then, and down at the half-pitcher stein he's been drinking from. "You told me not to be rash. If I stay here Imma say or do something way more rash than telling you off. The staff can get you a lift back to the caern or I can call someone for you. I need to go see LLeu anyways." The kin looks back at the pretty, dark skinned woman, 'We're good?"

Sten nods "Alright, give him my regards. I am glad he is alright. Take care of yourself and him" looking between Natalie and Faith with a soft smile.

Natalie gives Faith's hand a squeeze though she gives a soft growly sound. she nods though and says, "We're good. Hunter and I will fly out sometime soon. Have dinner. Maybe you'll trust him enough to take you up. It really is quite amazing in a copter to be above the ground. My only problem with it is the noise level. Good headphones though, takes care of that for the most part. Walk safe, Friend."

"I trust Hunter, and you.. with my life. Maybe they'll let us do a double date with me and LLeu?" She bends down and gives the woman a gentle peck on the cheek. Faith then tells Sten, "Thank you for your patience and infinite understanding of my feminine issues. PMS can be a bitch." She turns to leave and sends a text from her phone as she heads for the back door.

Sten laughs "Infinite understanding?" shaking his head "Patience perhaps, understanding, eh.. just going with the flow" waves at her and shakes his head putting his stein to the side.