I threw myself to the wolves, only to learn the tenderness in their howl, and the loyalty in their blood.
– Isra Al-Thibeh
In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.
– Friedrich Nietzsche
This is not for you.
– Mark Danielewski
Background
Born in Munich, Germany where her mother was a citizen (her father is a US citizen, hence her dual citizenship), Liesl grew up spending 4-6 months at a time at elite boarding schools, quickly moving through the grades, completing multiple years at a time and eventually graduating high school with AP college credit at age 16. On her month-long breaks from boarding school, her friends knew was that she spent the time with her family (i.e. father and "relatives"; she told those who asked that her mother had passed away soon after she was born) somewhere in rural New York. (However, Garou rumor has it that her mother, Greta Bauch, GetKin, did not die soon after Liesl was born, but was spirited off to another Sept on another continent to continue to perpetuate the Get bloodlines.)
From there, Liesl moved on to attend Columbia University (NY) via full academic scholarship where she completed degrees in Political Science along with an MBA graduating magna cum laude at age 20. She interned at an established law firm and volunteered on the NYC mayoral campaign, followed directly by a much contested NY gubernatorial campaign. This was successful enough that she landed a high-level job by age 22 at a prestigious lobbying corporation in NYC and began in earnest to learn the ins and outs of being a 'Fixer' for the junior senator's re-election campaign. It didn't take her long to break through the glass ceiling, quickly learning how to leverage favors and work in ways both above board and far below what would be considered ethical to attain a reputation of ruthless success (see 'hooks' below). The more she networked, the more favors were earned and leveraged. Her future, not only in NY, looked incredibly bright: she was quickly becoming a priceless political commodity groomed for the national political stage.
- GAROU & CAREER BACKGROUND
Growing Up: What? Were you raised by wolves?
Pure Blood 3 Liesl has a renowned hereditary family tree three generations back on both her paternal and maternal sides, though the renown on the maternal side is legendary. She spent her 3-4 week breaks from boarding school living in the wild with her father's (fostern, philodox; Mikel Holds-the-Line "Tone Deaf" Kruger) Get of Fenris, all-male pack in the New York Sept (Sept of the Forbidden Apple). Her philodox father has always been very systematic, hard-headed, and heavy-fisted while deeply connected with his daughter in spirit if not in demonstrative word or compliment. If Liesl had been born Garou, she would have been born under the capricious new moon of the Ragabash. This doesn't mean she's a jokester or silly, by any means. Manipulative? Her father takes pride in her ability to use people to their greatest worth, to measure what her goals are and take the most efficient and beneficial road to reach her intended outcomes, with one foot in the present and one planted in the future, cultivating long-term networks and allies, and burning perceived enemies in ways that will never be traced back to her.
Affectionately named 'Moon Fire' as a child by her father's pack, Liesl learned how to navigate Garou politics as best a kinswoman can, she learned to live in the wilds with her father's pack, was fiercely protected by them, but also challenged both physically and psychologically. Somehow along the way, perhaps because of her blood, perhaps because of the time living with the raucous and ruthless Get pack, she developed a deep affection for them and the ability to not only tolerate but find herself (now and then) dangerously drawn to the rage inherent in Garou. Merit: Gall 2
She learned how to navigate garou politics as well, the place of kinfolk (granted, she was a somewhat-revered daughter of a fierce and honored warrior-judge within the tribe, welcomed by his pack as if she had a lupine form), and a general understanding of what opinions Get had of other tribes, of the different auspices, and of the thin line to be walked when dealing with creatures borne of rage. It's not so much that she was spoiled as how she charmed the ruthless warriors by giving herself over entirely to the audacious and uncompromising demands of her father's pack, of the tribe, and how fully she embraced the scouring identity they placed on her slight shoulders. She never complained that she couldn't change forms, instead working that much harder to keep up, to make the battle hardened pack more proud, to be better, to be a part of what they were. To this day she runs regularly, most often between 8-10 miles at a time.
"It's complicated."
In a sense, Liesl's blood is the spark igniting the conflict that brings her to Detroit. Her father spoke to her on countless occasions as she grew up about her duty to the tribe, the importance of her blood and her propagation. She understands that and doesn't resent it as one would expect a headstrong young woman to. Her father's good intentions to mate her to a good friend and fellow Get warrior was met with unexpected but passive resistance from Liesl. She avoided the warrior, stubborn as her father and recklessly seducing an 20 year-old Galliard Glass Walker who she'd met on several occasions. It wasn't meant to become something long-term or deeply romantic (or by any means to reproduce); instead simply to prove her independence. She was quite scarce around her father for a few months, had a dangerous fling until the night less than a week previous to the day of her arrival in Detroit when her father learned of the entanglement. Needless to say he was displeased.
Mikel is in the awkward position of needing to a) salvage his reputation (bruised at the hand of his daughter, no less!), b) deal fairly but decisively, and visibly with his daughter's unacceptable behavior and choices, c) get her away from the Glass Walker ('Alias', aka Feeds Bullets) while trying not to give in to the impulse to murder the young Glass Walker, and d) recognize that his daughter has inherited a good portion of his swagger (proud of that as he may be, he has to both protect her from behaving so recklessly, while making sure she learns how to balance her place in the larger scheme of Garou in general).
So, this leads to Liesl being sent off with a curt set of instructions, (rules even!) to Detroit of all places. Away from the culture and society, the sheer electricity and carefully built network of contacts and allies in New York, and away from her father's pack. She is not pleased. But for every expressionless, evenly spoken word from her father, she knew she had made this bed for herself. At least, she'll remind herself, she didn't have to mate with that old packmate of her father's who always smelled of sauerkraut, thought body noises were a meaningful measure of moods, and kin were little more than domesticated beasts.
What her father doesn't know is the state of affairs in Detroit. It remains to be seen what he'll learn of it and how he will react to his daughter's presence there. Aside from using her political clout and MBA to benefit the current state of corruption in Detroit and the Garou there fighting to regain the city from the Wyrm, her tax law expertise, Liesl has been charged with one other signficant task: a brash, young Ahroun Get cliath (Marc) is close to losing his life entirely if he can't get his rage under control. She is to report back to her father if he cannot toe the line, cannot contain himself and his rage. She will be there to "clean up any mess" that might result from a potential, final loss of control. The two have only met upon arriving in Detroit. Although they are tribemates, whether the complext dynamic between them is more adversarial or complementary remains to be seen. In time, Liesl may regain her father's favor by satisfactorily performing this task; and if she happens to decide to take out her aggravation about living in an uncivilized war-zone, away from NYC and time with her father's pack on Marc, he's a perfect whipping boy. Garou aren't the only ones in the tribe who need to work out agressions.
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