Book 1: A New Day

Patrick watches the exchange between the would-be pack leader, and the actual pack leader. "Yo, Diana, come grab a seat. Let Misha handle ber bi'niss. Let's jaw a bit."

There had been an old conex box along the far wall of the warehouse, and Patrick had claimed it the moment he saw it. He had cleaned it thoroughly, and made a cozy little home inside the box, but he also had some chairs sitting on top of it. At the moment, he was sitting on the edge if the box, legs dangling over the side.

Diana throws Patrick a wary look, trying to figure out what he wants. Actually trying to be friendly or just rubbing salt in the wound.

She walks over and leans and looks up at the ragabash with a sigh. Look Patrick if you're looking for an argument or to belittle me more honestly I'm not in the mood. Otherwise.. '

She pauses tp look at the box before attempting to hop up and join him. It's not as graceful as she would have liked, but she gets up and sits down though with some distance.

'.. I'm listening.'

"So, I read about a study that was done once," Patrick begins. "I dunno if it was, it may just be a... what the hell do they call those stories that like, warn you or teach you something?" He grabs his phone and types on it for a moment. "Allegory. That's the word. It may just be an allegory.

The study took ten monkeys, put em all in a room. They put a ladder in the middle with bananas at the top. But any time a monkey tried to climb the ladder, all the monkeys got blasted with a fire hose. Eventually the monkeys stopped trying, right?

So the researchers took a monkey out, and added a new monkey. New Monkey headed to the ladder, and the 9 old monkeys beat up the new monkey because they knew what was coming.

So then they pulled another old monkey, and put in a new monkey. Same same, and even the previous new monkey beat up the new new monkey.

Rinse and repeat. Eventually, there were ten monkeys who had never been blasted with a fire hose, but none of them would go for the ladder. Because that's just how it always had been."

Patrick glances over to Diana. "We're the monkeys. And the traditional ways? That's the other monkeys beating us up so we don't climb the ladder. They don't even fuckin' know why, it's just always been that way, right? But we aren't just wolves. We're human too. We have higher thinking capability than just wolves. We also are some of the first shifters in twenty years. Why should anyone else define any of us?

So let me ask you something, Miss Student Body President... you have this whole weight on your shoulders. Tradition and expectation and shit, yeah? But that's who they want you to be. Those are their expectations. It's just like parents who were never good at music or sports or those gross-ass little kid beauty pageants, who push their kids to excell so the parents can live vicar... vicarous... look, they're using their kid in place of themselves. And we generally agree that's a shitty thing to do and bad parenting, don't we? Controlling, unfair, possibly damaging, and just not good to do to kids, right?

How is it different just because it's shapeshifting and not a flute or a football?

So anyway, I was going to ask you... if you weren't weighed down by Tradition (trademark and copyright), if you didn't have to be Diana the Alpha... how would you define yourself, if the choice was left up to you? Who are you?"

With that, Patrick puts his phone in his pocket and hops off the box. "Good talk," he says, offering a wave as he wanders off and leaves Diana sitting with her thoughts.

"Fuck you Bastian."
Misha gave Sebastian the finger as her other hand plucked the cigarette from her mouth after a drag. As she exhaled a cloud she casually flicked the blunt at him as she headed on to see the old guy.

There is an unimpressed look on Diana face as Pattrick starts going on about monkeys but she listens.

Her lip curls at the mention of bad parenting, and Patrick's nerve of calling her Uncle controlling. That wasn't it. She resists the urge to cut in, to point out it was just wanting what was best for her. High standards meant she could be the best she could.

It was completely different. Right?

She snaps out of her thoughts as Patrick's goes to leave and she jumps down next to him.

'Oh no. Not good talk. I listen to your speech you listen to mine.'

'You think this is still about the Alpha thing? Yes I'm upset. But I lost. I said I would accept that so I have. So I'm trying to do what you just said. That's why I' m still here. Be Diana the good pack member, Diana the Theurge. Make sure everyone is okay. What to I get for it? Treated like shit, insulted when I opened my mouth?

'Tel me, if I had won, would you let me talk to you like that? To anyone like that? But somehow it's okay? Why? Because she didn't want to be leader and I did? Her voice is starting to raise and she glance around and looks round the room, looking to address anyone else who also might be listening inm

' You' re right. We're smarter than wolves. And smarter than monkeys. We can communicate with one another. Look out for one another. A pack knows each member, watches their backs, their weak spots. They don't demean one another, or keep kicking just because they got off to a wrong start. Guess what?That's also pretty fucking damaging.

She wanted to go on. Ask what was so wrong about a tradition of fighting monsters nd protecting people, but some of his words were annoying close to home., even as she tried to justofu it to herself.

So what if her uncle was a little harsh or strict at times. He had just been preparing her. Getting her ready to live up to mothers, her ancestor name. Protect people.

Too many thoughts were running through her mind, too many to sort through.

She brings a hand up to squeeze her other shoulder, and sighs. The look of defeat flashes across her face once more and her next words are back to being quiet again.

'Look I'm trying. It' d be nice if you all bloody realised that. '

Patrick smiles, but it's gone before he turns around.

He walks back to the box as Diana talks, and putting a hand on the rop of the conex vaults back up rather gracefully.

"I know you are. I mean that, bee-tee-dub. But I think you're trying to do better within the context for what you were taught is 'right.'

You are trying to do better at making sure we don't go up the ladder. But you aren't questioning why we can't go up the ladder in the first place.

And Misha? It's all words. Do I think she'd swing? Yeah. And I'd clap back. You wanna yell and get hyphy? Go for it, you might feel better. I don't really care about yelling. I listen to ideas, not people. She can yell all she wants. I ignore her same as I ignore you. That said, a good idea is a good idea. Whether it comes from her, or you, or Rat Food, or another pack.

But I'll say one thing... you haven't answered my one question. Guessing you need more time to think?"

While he was happy to have a place to sleep, Paul was a little underwhelmed about living a squatter's life. His first thought upon seeing it was, "I hope it doesn't get too cold in here." Otherwise, he spent as much time as he could at the local university scouring their library. It was quiet, and a way for him to get away from all the bickering the pack was prone to.

Serendipity was his guide, and he soaked up as much obscure history as he could hoping that he could learn more about anything that might have contributed to the situation he was having to deal with now. Geopolitics, religion, and even some old citation research on people who had studied spirits and the occult. He vainly hoped to find a reference to the elemental they'd just crossed paths with, information on the Wyrm, or anything else that might help them in the future.

He kept in touch via SMS with the others so he was always on hand when needed, if needed. With someone as aggressive as Misha calling the shots he wasn't sure where he'd be needed. "Just send me a message," he'd tell the others before heading out. "SMS, DM, or whatever acronym is needed. I'll respond."

Not all tradition is bad, you do realise that right?' [/]b] She looks back up to watch him.[b]'even with your monkeys... They were not able to communicate why the ladder was bad for all so they were forced to punish one. While the newer ones never had to face the hose there is no knowing what would have happened if one got to the top, if the hoe would come back.'

'What if ..instead there was monkey who's job was to fight the hose. To protect the others so they don't have to make that choice. Or even know they have to? Then if one day that monkey just.. decided not to. They decide to just ignore all they had been taught. Because their guardian was to strict? Because they just decided to not care? Then a lot more people get sprayed with water. Taught what is wrong how to think.'

She taps a foots, clearly agitated at Patricks queries. ' My ancestors., my mother. We fight vampires. Other monsters. The hose. We protect people. That's what my mother did. That what I want to be. ' Of course she did. Who didn't. Alpha or not she had a duty.

'I... however am beginning to realise.. that perhaps trying to drag everyone else into that is not necessarily the best as Misha said. Don't you dare tell her I said that.' She looks up at the ceiling. ' But...forcing people into a fight they do ot want to be a part of is not protecting them.

That was what she wanted right? The family was warriors. Except she was a theurge. Still she had to lie up to that. She would be a coward not to...Why was Patrick asking annoying questions?

Patrick can't help but chuckle without even realizing it when Diana mentions Misha being right. "Bet. I ain't no snitch."

When she finishes, Patrick mulls over her words for a bit. "Yeah, some traditions are f###in' amazing. Tradition in and of itself ain't the problem. But traditions should be followed by choice. See, blind devotion is a problem. And if you have to force people to follow your tradition? Your tradition might be ass.

But you said your ancestors did the thing, your mom did the thing, now you gotta do the thing. You say you want to... but do you want to because you think it's amaze-balls? Or do you just want to to make the fam happy? Because those are very different. And I think you might be getting 'em twisted. And that is why I asked you, who you wanted to be. And no disrespect... but from where I'm sitting? I'm not sure you really know." When he says the last line, the tone of his voice changes. It gets softer... almost sounding sad.

Patrick falls silent for a bit, before asking Diana a question. "You got a boyfriend? Relax, I ain't asking you out. I'm asking, because they say you gotta love yourself before you can really love someone else. But... that really isn't just true for love. You gotta know yourself, and be honest with yourself. You gotta make peace with yourself. That's hard to do.

But real talk? I feel like at least you're closer than the rest of our pack."

"Two packs? Last I count there's three here." Misha threw back at Moon-Shine River Walker. For some reason the strongest pack didn't feel inclined to handle a job. But that wasn't even the most important matter to drive through the old man's skull..
"Plus I don't work for you old man. Maybe Bastian here likes to play lapdog, but I don't."

'I do.. I think. I mean it's not like I can just let others get hurt when I can do something. It's.. Why just sitting around here is so frustrating at times. I don't want to just exist...I want.. ' To be useful. That was it. To needed, wanted by people. That was why Misha' s constant dismissal hurt, the fact she could live up to expectations if what other want from a leader as well.

She falls silent, unsure how to express it without sounding stupid and just shrugs.

She looks alarmed at the boyfriend question before she continues and then shakes her head. [b]'I haven't exactly had any time for that sort of thing, with school, training, this. Besides there's no point after I' ll just be.. ' She suddenly stops again a look falling across her face before she sighs. ' Arranged marriage. Don't say anything... She knew what he would say. Re iterate his points. She'd never. Rely given it much though before. He'd always knew that was the plan, never considered what it would be like otherwise. Now she was being made to think about it and everything was too confusing. To many questions, thoughts.. She was need time to herself to think things through. Let his words settle.

'I don't know about that. They seem happy here at least. Misha' s made it's clear it's what she wants... What about you then. You got everything you want to be figure out. Clearly its not a wolf.... Don't tell me you don't enjoy being able to shift, at least a little bit?

"Honestly? It's a pain in the ass," Patrick chuckles. "I got nothin' against the human body or nothin', but it's hard to conceal what you're packing if you keep endin' up naked." There's a pause, allowing enough time for the double meaning to settle before he adds, "I'd be perfectly content to just stay in human form. Besides... most of what I do, I can't do it in the other shapes. They don't exactly fit in, y'know?"

'I can help with that you know. Well hope to be able to. The naked thing I mean...There are rites. I just need to find someone to teach them.

;..I guess I get that. Still I find it exhilerating. Especially just.. being able to run around for a while.

"I did all my runnin' 'round as a kid. Did... did you not?" Patrick swings his head around to look straight at Diana, and between his tone and his expression it's obvious the question is as serious as it gets -- he's not being demeaning at all.

'Of course I ran as a kid. You have to keep up fitness ..and thats not what you mean is it?' She shrugs. 'There wasn't exactly time for just 'running around'. School, learning about this world, training.. even now I should be spending my time but...I'm jut letting myself indulge a ]little while this is all still new.' '

Patrick smiles and shakes his head, patting Diana on the knee. The touch, while breaking the "physical barrier," was clearly not intended as an expression of affection. "You just wait till the county fair rolls around. Life is meant to be lived, and the Prom Queen clearly needs to get started on that."

With that, he hops back down off his conex box and starts to walk off again, pausing as he asks, "Good talk?"

She tenses at the contact, clearly not sure how to react, and her look of aprehension just grows at the mention of a country fair.

She does give a smile and a nod however as he goes to leave again. 'Yeah...good talk.'