Clean clothes and Bridge building
{{ | date=09/18/2018 | cast=
| place_name=Milwaukee Junction | log=This sketch was meant to be realistic, but the perspective is all wrong. Bird descending a tree? Alma looks at Note playing in the tree. Note is definitely not boxy. Alma sighs but decides to roll with it. This sketch is now cubist and not illustrative.
It seems that Alma is rather engrossed in her painting and does not notice Charles until he is a few feet behind her. The Gnawer palms something into his pocket, then clears his throat to announce his presence.
Auduban had to start somewhere. The sound of a throat clearing grabs Alma's attention, and she looks around until she finds Charles behind her. "Hello," she says. Her smile is not very pronounced, and she is nervous.
Charles tilts his head to the side, as he studies the woman for a moment. "My apologies if I have caught you at a bad time." A pause. "I don't mean you any harm."
"It's not a bad time," Alma says. "I just didn't realize someone was walking up behind me." She looks down at her sketch. The watercolors aren't even prepared yet. "I'm working on getting better at this." She takes in a breath and asks, "How are you?"
Charles lifts a hand and scratches at his scruffy cheek. "I'm well. I have been attempting to assist where I can. Tell me, you spoke of what sounded like removing Banes from the souls of their victims?"
Alma has a very large boulder to push up a hill, possibly forever. "I'd like to be able to do things like that one day, but that's a long ways off. I need to learn a lot more."
Charles mms, clearly turning something over in his mind for a moment. "Would you be inclined to practice if a suitable subject was provided?"
Alma looks interested and hopeful. "I would like to try. I don't know if I would get very far, and I'm worried I might hurt the person. Will there be a healer around? and someone who already knows how to remove banes?"
Charles shakes his head. "I know stories of those who can do it and the victim tends to die, but their spirit is clean when it enters the cycle and the Bane can be destroyed. I could ask a healer to help, but I suspect that all that would do if perlong their suffering. I may be able to find one that has been recently corrupted, as I have been made aware of someone who is assisting in the production of corupted spirits - what we call Fomori." The Gnawers draws in a breath, then releases it slowly. "I will be frank with you Ms. Alma, there is a ruling from one who outranks me, that we are not to work with your kind, for fear of secrets being shared and making ourselves vulnerable. While there is some wisdom in this, it is also foolish to ignore an asset. I believe that we can engage in an Honorable relationship, so long as their are clear barriers in place as to what is and is not permissible. The one who made the ruling is no longer here, so I hope to speak with one above her and see if a groundwork can be laid. A treaty of sorts. But," and at this, Charles picks at the ratty sleeve of his shirt. "The one I would have to approach is human-born and wealthy. My birth will stand against me, as will my Tribe and appearance. I can do nothing about the first two, but I can make myself look presentible to a human. I was hoping that you could help me with that."
Alma cocks her head and considers Charles' words. "That is a lot to unpack. I don't know why your birth counts against you. Jim once explained to me that some people are born Ravens first. Is it like that? I work with corvids, and I didn't find it disturbing. I guess people find all kinds of things disturbing." She frowns, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised.I will certainly help. Uh, will you let me know when I'm being offensive? I do not know much about what you are talking about."
Charles' nose wrinkles up briefly. "Yes and no. I am not human born, nor wolf born. I am Metis," he says, pronouncing it differently than the Native American word. He pauses, clearly considering how to continue. "I do not know my parents and those who raised me never spoke of them, but they broke one of our Laws and I was the result of their transgression," he says, spreading his hands apart. "I was born deformed, sterile, and in what you would consider the form of a werewolf. I learned to shift about a year and a half ago. To wear a human skin and to look like one of you."
Alma is about to say that he doesn't look deformed to her but considers that this might actually be an insult. "...and you need to learn how to present yourself in a human way to someone with a lot of privilege? I think I can help. Or at least I can try. I have some practice with that? Maybe not enough. I also have practice in trying to be neurotypical."
Charles shrugs. "I would like to appear less shabby to a human. Humans do not consider the homeless worthy of respect in most cases and I do not want that held against me."
Alma sighs. "That's often how it goes. I can help you try and present
as someone who isn't homeless. Ok, so first thing," she gestures to the center,
"We have a clothing swap and laundry service. We can try and sort through
what's available in the bin right now, and see if anything looks appropriate
for what you need. Is it business casual? Hmm, are you familiar with what
business casual means? Nevermind, we'll figure it out. If there isn't anything
appropriate in the bin, we can go to a thrift store."
She explains, "I've been meaning to go shopping for clothes. You can come with me. But before we do that, you need to take a shower. Humans typically take showers every day, or every other day. They also use things like deoderants and stuff. I can help with that too. You might like things that are advertised as unscented. Uh... or maybe it's better not to use deoderants when you got the meeting with that guy? But for shopping, it's better to use a deoderant because that's what humans expect. You don't want to look too 'off'. We can practice on poise and how to look at people too. Homeless people often stand differently than housed people."
Charles takes all this in, face screwing up. "I get the feeling that this will be quite the process and I do appreciate your assistance. I will return for favor in kind, so long as the request is reasonable and within my power."
Alma says, "Thank you. I appreciate it. And... have you heard of the
concept of 'paying it forward'? Basically, if I do a service for you, you do
not necessarily have to do a service for me directly in return. You can do a
service for others. For me, that will be a sort of service. Does that make
sense?" She tilts her head at Charles, "but you don't have to. Whatever makes
you comfortable. I just wanted to let you know--I just wanted to let you know
my custom."
Her face wrinkles in confusion and she admits, "I'm not always the most
normal person. And, if you work with me, you need to know some of how I am not
normal. We can talk about it at some point. I will try and introduce you to
people who are more normal so that you can have a better range of people to
talk to. It will let you compare notes."
"Okay, first, let's look in the clothes bin. If we don't find anything appropriate for your meeting, we will at least find something appropriate for shopping in a thrift store--you need to look more tidy than you currently do when you go shopping. You'll get treated better. Then, we need to figure out where you can take a shower. How much money do you have a month? You can join a gym and have access to their showers. Or, do you know any place that has facilities like that that you can use? If you don't..." She considers. "If you don't you can use my place, but only when you aren't angry? I have a niece I'm responsible for. Her parents died. I protect her."
"I have no money and I would never knowingly endanger a child," Charles replies, as he crams his hands into his pockets. "It would be a dishonorable thing to do." He points up at the sky, even though the moon is not currently visible. "The larger the moon, the greater Luna's pull on our Rage. Your legends get that much right. The moon is big right now. When it grows smaller, my Rage will be easier to control. What you must understand is that if I try to leave because I am angry, you must let me leave. That is how I keep safe. I was not born under a full moon. My Rage is not that great. I can control myself, if I am permitted to do so. You understand?"
"Thank you for letting me know. I don't know that much about how life works for you." She hrmms. "Ok, I will show you where I live. I will introduce you to my niece and let her know that you are one of the homeless people I know. She understands that I volunteer around town and that I work with all types of people. She won't ask too many questions. People value their privacy. Speaking of which..." She trails off and looks at Charles, curiosity obvious in her face.
Charles rubs at his cheek, looks to the side, then back at Alma. "Yes?"
"There's something called Security Culture. I can print out an essay for you, or let you read it on my laptop. I've had to learn about it because of--even before I woke up as a mage--because of how immigrants and undocumented people get treated. I've also had to learn about when to talk to the police. And when to tell them anything. Basically--never talk to them if you can manage it, and if you can't--never tell them anything. If there is something I'm not supposed to know, don't tell me. If there is something I guess or that you tell me and it needs to be a secret, tell me that. By doing this, I'll have a better idea on what it is okay for me to talk about with other people. I don't know what happened to cause the ruling you are dealing with right now, but whatever happened I want to make sure I don't do that."
Charles nods. "I am uncertain as to what secrets were shared. You would have to ask Ms. Maya that question. I will endeavor to not share anything sensitive, that would endanger my people. I would ask that you not share what I am, unless I give permission. While upset, you have perhaps, given away more than you realize at times. While accident can be forgiven, repeated incidents reflect poorly on the Honor and Wisdom of the speaker."
Alma nods, "I hear what you are saying."
Charles extends a grubby hand towards Alma. "An understanding," he says with a smile. "And the start of a working relationship."
Alma shakes his hand. }}
