Andrea laughed, her bushy foxtail swishing behind her. "Oh Jessie, just don't go to your moot. No need to not worry about me. How could I be not unsafe here in my own home?"
"Ah know. But Ah worry. It's mah job," Jessie drawled at the pooka. Highlights of Boston touched her country accent.
Lorraine clasped the thin woman's shoulder. "It's all right. I'll be here."
"And heavily armed?" Garou asked with a slight grin.
The sidhe grinned back broadly. "As always."
"Okay, then," the Garou nodded.
"Then don't get a move on!" Andrea said, tossing Jessie her battered leather coat. She waved her hands at her. "Don't scoot! Don't scoot!"
Jessie descended the stairs and pointed a bony finger at the guardian spirits at the entrance. "Ye keep an eye-ball peeled, ya hear me?"
The guardians woofed in agreement.
"Damned straight."
Out of Rei Memorandi Jessie walked. Dressed in secondhand stone washed jeans, a ruffled silk shirt, and new Birkenstocks along with her oversized leather jacket, she strolled the streets of Boston with a bounce in her step. In the past weeks, she'd made a place for herself amongst the inhabitants of the Fae household ... but sometimes it didn't feel quite right. Something didn't smell right: not spoiled or rotten, just... too sweet or too bright.
And just every once in a while she'd get a peek of a swishing pooka tail even when she wasn't in the Fae freehold.
She stopped and leaned against a corner signpost. A passerby not paying close attention might think she had a case of the sniffles. But to her Garou senses, the sign told her that this was the meeting place.
A cab pulled up. The window rolled down. "Take ya somewhere?"
"Yeah. It's party time." She stepped over to the cab, sniffed through the open window in a friendly manner, and climbed in.
They drove off. Jessie slouched bonelessly in the back seat. "How's it goin', George?"
"Not bad, Jessie. How's the Lady Andrea?"
"She works too hard," she replied. She slid in the seat as the cab quickly navigated the hazardous streets of Bean Town. "Which is why Ah ain't been to no moots. Ya takin' the night off?"
"You betcha. My old lady's a bit peeved though." He turned to grin at her. "She's pregnant again."
"Sheee-ot!" Jessie laughed. "How many will that be? Six? What do you think she is? A lupus?"
"Hey! Even our kinfolk have an easy time... "
Jessie good naturedly kicked the back of the driver's seat. "Yeah? Well you have the litter and tell me how much of that there myth is true!"
George laughed and pulled over to pick up another fare.
"Aaron!" Jessie exclaimed as a young man jumped into the cab.
"Jessie!" he whooped. They rubbed their faces together.
George rolled his eyes. "Lupuses! Slide over, boys and girls; we got lots more people to pick up."
Within a half an hour a loaded vehicle rolled up to a row of buildings in a rundown industrial area. Unlike just a few weeks ago, the streets were swept clean and touches of new paint could be seen on the buildings.
The cab emptied out like a clown car at a circus.
George climbed out and waved a hand at the old factory. "Like the new digs? We cleaned it, straightened it up and got lots of room to moot-out in. We even gots lofts for rent -- cheap. In a year the yuppies will be clamoring to move in."
"And all us poor folks will have to move out!" said someone extracting themselves from the back seat.
George smiled. "Not this time. We're keeping it for ourselves."
Jessie strolled into the refurbished factory. The machines were gone, leaving a broad empty floor that was rapidly filling up with other BoneGnawers. Aaron grabbed her and dragged her over to a group of canines doing the traditional sniff and wag.
"Come on and go lupus with us!" Aaron bounced. His eyes gleamed and he dropped his head to whisper conspiratorially, "It's garbage night."
"Ah'd love ta! But Ah've been spendin' so much time in lupus Ah started to ferget how ta use the bathroom," she admitted. "Best Ah stay homid fer a while."
"What about next week?" He wagged his eyebrows like a puppy's tail.
"Damn! I gotta stay with Andrea late night..." she grinned at him. "Let me see what Ah can do."
The Opening Howl interrupted their discussion. Joining their voices with the others', they let out a primal sound that resonated from the physical world on into the Umbra.
As the moot progressed, Jessie felt a familiar glow. It was the sight, the sound, the smell of her own people. That was something she'd truly missed especially since her own pack had moved on to the next battle without her. The quiet aching loneliness was softened by being amongst other Garou.
She sat back and relaxed during the Cracking of the Bone. It was mostly local matters that didn't really relate to her, although she kept an ear opened for any juicy bits of gossip.
"Jessie Smiles-of-Sunshine! Get over here!" an old man called out.
She jumped up and scampered over, a little surprised to hear her name. "Yes, Grandfather?"
The old man grinned at him. "Jessie, you came to us a stranger. But you've shown yourself to be a useful member of our society. And we all thank you for that."
A raucous cheer came from the surrounding 'Gnawers. Jessie scuffed her foot. "Ah, 'taint been nothin'."
"We'd like to honor you with an additional title. How does that sound, Jessie Smile-of-Sunshine Who-Guards-the-Lady?"
Agreement screamed from the Garou around her. Jessie could only blush. "Ah thank ye. Yer too kind."
"We call on the Spirits to Witness!" a Theurge called out.
The crowd let out a low, haunting howl and the air became thicker. Jessie felt herself in the eye of a growing tornado as the Theurges chanted.
"RAT!" "HEH!" "BEANTOWN!" "HEH!" "MONKEY!"
At the calling of her totem's name Jessie raised a fist in the air.
"HAH!"
The ethereal wind died down and the BoneGnawers pounded on the floor. "HEH!"
The Grandfather raised his hand and the crowd grew silent. "But there is another matter. You spend so much time with the Shining Ones it's starting to rub off on you, Jessie."
She looked down at herself in a panic. "Am Ah gettin' shiny too?"
"We think a good brawl will help keep the pixie dust down," the Grandfather said sagely. He waved his hand.
Agreeing howls echoed his sentiment and a broad circle opened up around her. A brawny man stepped into the makeshift ring.
She studied him quickly. Ahroun, she guessed. She'd fought Ahrouns before. There was an unspoken rule in most brawling: if the first shot goes to the Ragabash the last would go to the Ahroun. It was that last strike that worried her. But sometimes she could use their Frenzy against them as they fell into mindless Rage while she could still think, still plot.
"Grandpa," she said with easy-going reverence, "the Lady jest bought me these new threads." She pointed to her shirt and jeans. "They ain't been Dedicated. She'd be mighty upset to see me wreck 'em so soon. Mind if Ah strip?"
"The Doctor has been a good friend." The old man nodded. "Let's not upset her."
She turned her back on her opponent and shucked her clothes. She folded them neatly and stuffed them in a small plastic bag someone provided. Naked, she turned around and walked into the ring.
The Ahroun's eyes ran up and down her.
"Caught ya lookin'," Jessie grinned wolfishly. Her arm shot out like a piston. It transformed to crinos length in mid-strike and her fist popped him solidly in the jaw.
His head snapped back and he staggered under the surprise attack.
"Perv," Jessie added.
The moot howled with laughter.
The man growled and leaped, changing into crinos as he flew the air.
Jessie dropped flat on her back. As he sailed over her she kicked both her legs upward, transforming them also. Her attack missed his genitals but struck him firmly in the hips. The upward thrust caused the Ahroun to tumble in the air. He landed ingloriously on his back in the audience.
"First blood to the Ragabash!" the Grandfather announced as healers ran to those caught under the flying Garou.
A few loud whoops came from the crowd. "Ragabashes rule!"
Jessie finished her transformation to crinos as her opponent gathered himself back up. He stood and shook a finger at her.
{"Bad Dog,"} he growled.
Uh-oh. A smart one.
They circled each other. Jessie didn't know this guy but she knew herself. She was fast and nimble. Some told her she was dangerously unpredictable. Maybe it was time to get crazy.
She waded in with a full frontal attack. He batted back her initial strike but she still got a cut in. He returned her blows with ferocity. Her speed kept most of the strikes from doing much harm but she was getting far more than she was giving.
As the slugfest continued, Jessie changed tactics every few moments, trying to keep the Ahroun off-balance. Her opponent took her blows with stride and returned them with interest. He was stronger and more experienced than she was. She danced and riposted her attacks like General Lee -- but he took the punishment and kept going like General Grant. Unless she got a lucky shot in the outcome was easy to foresee.
She saw an opening and jumped at him. It failed to connect and he struck her hard in the gut. Down she went, clutching her stomach. The Ahroun lifted his fists in the air in a victory gesture. She spun on her ass and slashed at his leg. Her claws sliced it and he howled in pain. Now she had a chance to leap at his stomach.
But he fell on her and pinned her with his jaws.
"Enough!" the old man proclaimed.
The Ahroun rolled off her and she lay on the floor, breathing raggedly. A Theurge stepped over and looked them both over. "You'll be fine," he said a moment later.
She shifted back to homid and someone wrapped a blanket around her. "Ouch."
The Ahroun shifted to homid and limped over to her. "You fight well for a joker," he said with approval.
She looked at him with one eye. "Still caught ya lookin'."
He laughed and pointed to her. "Watch it!"
"Yer the one who was watchin'," she replied with a grin.
"Do you want to get whipped again?" he grinned back. "Go rest, girl."
They laid her down in a less populated area of the floor and the moot continued. A male homid came over and knelt down next to her. "Hey there. You're crazy. Like me. I like that in a Ragabash."
"Hey," Jessie replied. She didn't recognize him but she didn't know all the Gnawers in Boston. "Was that you cheerin' me on?"
"One of them," he admitted. "I'm a visitor, like you. Heard rumor that you might be coming so I had to come see you."
He got down closer. "You know, you're famous."
"Who? Me? I'm jest a Good Dog."
"Yeah, yeah. But you know, you're doing an important job watching Dr. DelAssandro. I think you should be rewarded for that."
She brightened. "Yer takin' me out to dinner? There's this all-ye-can-eat place..."
"Shhhhh." The man removed a necklace from his neck. It was a simple leather strap with a turquoise stone set in it. He draped it around her neck. "It's special. It will let you take someone into the Umbra with you." He winked at her. "Just in case."
Her eyes widened. She sat up and gratefully licked his face.
He took it with good grace and stroked her head.
She started to smile at him but her grin faltered. "Yer not Garou," she whispered.
He drew back slightly and licked his lips. He looked about to make sure that no one was within earshot. "Well. No. But I swear by Luna we're all Ragabashes and we're all on the same side. How'd you know?"
"Ye don't taste right." Her eyes glowed with wonder. "I've heard about coyo-"
He touched her lips with a finger. "Keep a secret?"
"Sure." She touched the talisman. "No tricks?"
"By the moon I swear; no tricks. This time." He winked again at her. "You know, you are the best people to play tricks on." He stood and smiled at her. "We'll be around. Good luck." He walked away.
"Thank ye," she whispered to his back.
Aaron trotted over with a few other lupuses. He waved his tail expectantly at her.
He didn't need to say anything. Jessie smiled broadly at him. "Well, Ah am feelin' better and Ah'm already naked...."
The next morning at Rei Memorandi, Andrea and Lorraine were sitting in the kitchen eating breakfast. Andrea nibbled on her danish. "I heard the shower not running last night. Was that not Jessie?"
Lorraine smiled. "It was. She was quite a sight to see -- and smell -- when she staggered in."
"Was she not all right?" The doctor was concerned. "She is not gentle but her people... they are very unviolent."
"Um... it was garbage night..."
Andrea dropped her pastry and held her hands over her ears. "Not TMI! Not TMI!"
As if summoned Jessie shuffled into the room dressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She yawned, "Mornin'," and began to rummage through the cabinets.
"What do you need?" Lorraine asked.
"Coffee. Don't want no de-caf this morning."
The two Fae exchanged panicked looks.
"Not espresso..." Lorraine breathed.
"Nah. Ah remember the last time. Aha! There's mah Columbian blend."
The sidhe and pooka let out sighs of relief.
Jessie set up a small coffee maker and pulled out bacon, eggs and bread. "Anyone want some?"
The two Fae shook their head and Jessie started frying. Between flipping the bacon and popping toast in the oven she juggled three coffee mugs.
Andrea intently looked her over. "You did not get into a fight?"
"A little brawlin' is good fer a Garou," Jessie replied, catching the mugs behind her back. "Keeps ya limber."
"Did you have an ungood time?"
"Yeah." She picked up a sugar cube, put it on the table, inverted one mug over it and inverted the other mugs. She shifted them around swiftly and grinned at Lorraine. "Find the sugar?"
"Uh-uh," the sidhe shook her head. "I know you. I always lose at this."
Andrea shook her head. "You don't not look the same."
Jessie winked at the pooka. "You pick."
Andrea cautiously tapped one mug. Jessie picked it up to display the sugar beneath it.
Jessie picked up a cup and the sugar cube. "It's balance. If Ah stay around ye folks too much Ah become Enchanted." She poured the coffee and dropped the cube in the mug. "Not the best thang. If Ah stay a little enchanted it's okay 'cause Ah can see some things Ah normally can't."
"Like Changelings?" Lorraine ventured.
"Yup. Since Ah have to worry about not only nasty Wyrm thangs, but nasty sidhe thangs." She draped the bacon and the eggs on her toast and looked at Lorraine. "Present company excluded."
"Nice to know."
"Jessie, we have to unhurry -- we have to be at the hospital not soon."
"Yeah! Ah'm doing Song Therapy!" She sat at the table with her breakfast. "Ah can wolf this down in no time."
Just before they left the kitchen Lorraine looked at the two inverted mugs still on the table. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she picked them up.
Both had sugar cubes hidden underneath.
"Bitch!"
Laughter followed her.