Forsaken of Federal Hill

It's been less than a week after the community BBQ and Luke has insisted the pack honor the request of the local Protectorate and meet with their young Elodoth. He's gathered everyone in the office a few minutes early to remind everyone to be polite and listen to what she has to say, which strangely draws attention to the fact that their pack lacks their own center of balance, their own half moon. If the blonde man had been in wolf form you'd swear his tail was already wagging as he waited for her arrival.

Helen waited in the lobby of Mercury Enterprises for Roland to finish up with his meeting and take her out to Federal Hill. Things had gone a bit better since her initial faux pas at the park. Luke and her had built a bit of a friendship she felt and the others at the very least tolerated her. Her experience was a valuable asset to the young pack and she really enjoyed helping them on the few opportunities she'd been asked to. Mostly for knowledge, but once on a trip to the Hisil while they sought a suitable totem for their pack.
It was too bad they were likely to conclude business today, and she'd be headed back to Baltimore proper. But she missed did the Claws of Progress, especially Eric. It would be nice to spend some time with them before Eric found something else for her to do. All things considered, if this was her lot in life now, she felt she could enjoy it. She'd still rather find a pack and a home, but traveling the territory and helping other packs succeed, convincing them to join the cause... that could be great. Who knew, maybe she'd get so good at it she'd get to meet Max Roman himself. That would be amazing.
Her ears picked up a familiar whistling and her head cocked towards the escalator. Sure enough Roland was on it, Frank on the step behind him. Helen smiled and waved up in his direction. As he exited he made straight for her, grinning ear to ear.
"Lovely as always, Ms. Valentine, when are you going to let me hire you?" he asked the same question every time. She knew he was serious too, but her life wouldn't allow her that job, no matter how much good she could do with it. So she just returned the smile.
"When you change your dress code policies, maybe." she teased. Roland clutched his heart in mock pain.
"You'd probably be worth it, but the pain it would cause me to see interns wearing vans and khakis... or for Christ's sake a polo no. I'm sorry, we're at an impasse again it seems. Shall we go meet our famous friends?" he said offering her the crook of his arm as he put on his signature ruby glasses. She took it and they started out the door.
"You do know Cho has no stakes in the Outreach, nor it's financials, right?" while she explained to him that Luke and Rashid were legitimate celebrities, she still knew he meant Cho. He pat her arm gently.
"I remember. I just think it's stupid."

Rory spoke in the office directing his comments at everyone and no one. I for one don't like it. We've been fine by ourselves so far and I don't see why that can't continue. he shook his head What really bothers me is that she didn't "fit in" he made air quotes with his fingers so now she is being Thurston us, and worse we have the protectorate looking over our shoulders expecting this to work out not only for us, but for her as well. Just puts us in a pickle.

Rashid yawned. He wasn't bored, he just wasn't terribly interested in these debates and how they turned out.
"Listen, I know it goes against common sense, but the girl HAS helped us out. Yes, she doesn't fit with them, but she fits with at least one of us. Rashid looked pointed at Luke, hoping the kid would mellow out a little, his energy was almost contagious.

Besides He shrugged into his chair, trying to get everyone in a more receptive mood. I'm more than happy to see if she would fit in with us. It's this Protectorate thing we really need to be together about. Alliances are good and all, but do we want to go all in with a group that can and might draw our resources for something that doesn't concern us?

Rose shrugged. She held no animosity toward the woman but didn't exactly want to welcome her with open arms either. Rose knew she had been helpful and she appreciated it. Admired the woman a little, even. But that didn't mean the pack needed her. Well, okay they had no elodoth of their own, obviously. They could use one. But that didn't mean it had to be her.

Rose glance at Luke, his impatience for Helen's arrival had him damn near bouncing in his seat. She rolled her eyes. It bugged her, that Luke liked the elodath so much. They'd known her for all of a week but judging by Luke's behavior, you'd never know it. "All right, I'm not outright saying no, but it's been one week and all we really know about her is that she didn't fit in anywhere else. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing but it should be noted. We could use an elodoth, though. If we do agree to let her in, Rose gestured to Luke, "I vote she be his responsibility."

Luke suppressed a growl at Rory, of all his pack mates he had a hard time understanding the man’s logical approach to everything. He was, and would probably always be a creature of passion and even though his interests were a little self serving, his instincts were telling him this was the right thing to do. Luke was glad when Rashid backed him up, at least sort of even though he was pointing out that he wanted this more than any of them.

”This doesn’t mean be belong to the Protectorate at all, but it will help keep them from breathing down our necks. I don’t know about you guys, but I’d rather have one little wolf hanging around here than a pack of pissed off ones at our doorstep. Several packs if I understand what Helen has told us correctly.” Luke finally settled against the desk, losing a little of his excitement from the negativity in the room. ”Anyway, she said she wanted to help people and what better place to do that then here, at the community center?”

Rose’s idea made him rather nervous, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust Helen, well as much as he could from barely getting to know her but she out ranked him. He didn’t have a whole lot of confidence in his ability to keep her from doing something that she really wanted to do. That and he really didn’t want her to feel like he was babysitting her.

Finally he stood up and paced a little again, they didn’t get that this was more than welcoming in someone from the local Protectorate, it was about making the pack whole. ”Look, we’re a good team and I’m sure we don’t need an Elodoth but we’d be foolish not to at least see how we work together. Mother Luna gave us our different faces for a reason, we are all spokes in one large wheel. Yes, the wheel will turn without a spoke or two but that’s not the design intended. A half moon is balance, the center of the cycle and as much as we all have our strengths and talents, we need a center. Spin that wheel off balance, it will eventually wobble, falter and fall off the axle. Luke shrugged and leaned back against the desk. ”That, and she’s really cute.”

Rory didn't want to be antagonistic but if anything Luke's assessment of her looks irritated him. He would probably reject the most capable person if they didn't look good enough or bat their eyes. Of course coating everything in spiritual destiny only rubbed salt in the wound. Help? By that logic I should invite the guy who knocked off 20% of the price when he fixed the a.c. because he liked what we are doing here. I'm with Rose on giving her a shot. Heck, I'm pretty interested to hear what she has to say and an increase of our numbers is always beneficial especially when hunting. She will either fit in or not, and that should be evident pretty quickly. She hunts well with us, or not at all.

Rose sighed impatiently. "Please tell me you did not just use her looks as a checkmark in the pro category." She glared at him, not at all impressed. He looked unashamed. "I said she should be your responsibility because you're so gung-ho to have her with us but if you can't handle the commitment..." she let her voice trail off suggestively. Rose knew it might piss him off to imply he couldn't handle it. Reverse psychology, who knew, it might even work.

Frank opened the door and Roland stepped out. He turned and offered Helen and hand, which she took, and she was up and out as well. They walked into the Outreach together, Frank as usual opening the door.
"Look, Cho's at the reception desk." Roland pointed out, a little excitement in his voice. The way he talked about it, the conversation they'd had at the park went rather well. She elbowed him lightly and rolled her eyes.
"Please stay on task Ro." she sighed. He sighed and nodded, then jokingly held out a pinky to swear by. She shoved him playfully at which point Cho looked up, noticed them and took his headphones off.
"Oh uh... oh snap. R-Roland, Helen the uhm, the guys are waiting for you. I mean, that is, you probably know that. My b-bad. I-I'll go let them know you're here." he smiled at them, pushing a button on the big office phone beside him. "H-how've you guys been?"

”We’re going to give the A.C. guy repeat business aren’t we?” he said perhaps a touch too growly but he could accept that Rory was at least going to get her a shot, even if he did sound doubtful still. Luke glared at Rose, he didn’t appreciate being goaded and the tone in her voice spoke wonders at what she was trying to imply. ”I never said I wouldn’t take responsibility for her and if you’re trying to imply something about my commitment just say it out loud.” Taking a half a step towards her, his could feel hackles were up and body slightly shifting towards Dalu. He didn’t like being needled at all or the implications that he wasn’t committed to their cause, couldn’t commit to a woman or whatever she was trying to get at.

Now, Rose, That is one point I disagree with you on. Helen shouldn't be Luke or anyone's responsibility but her own. Luke is a a member of the pack- He's in. I don't like the idea of if Helen doesn't work out then she walks and we loose Luke too. That is ridiculous. Luke had a lot going for him, Rory was pretty sure he always had. Rory agreed with Rose and didn't think responsibility was one of Luke's strong points though, and Rory didn't want anyone in the pack put at a disadvantage. There was no logical benefit to it. Helen on the other hand wasn't a part of the pack. Of course It'll be interesting sting to hear what Bah-more's opinion of her is, and she of it.
I
The phone buzzed indicating she had arrived. Rory got up to get the door.

Sit down. She's here.

Rose mumbled under her breath, miffed that everyone seemed to have misinterpreted her point. She would never suggest that Luke, or any of the pack, had to walk because of someone else's actions. She just wanted someone to be there for Helen if she joined and they were already friends anyway so what was the problem here? Well, she admitted to herself, I could have worded myself better. Luke still looked like he wanted to bite her. If he was that eager to take a lb of her flesh they could talk about it once the meeting was over. "Ok, final thought from me before she joins us, I say we welcome her. I hope she fits in." Rose sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, satisfied and hoping like hell it wasn't a mistake.

Cho showed them both in and after the initial pleasantries Roland took over a moment.
"As I was saying at your event in the park, Ms. Valentine here brought your Outreach Center to my attention, as some of my other investing partners already had interest in reaching out (haha I didn't even mean for that to happen out reach, reach out) and offering support. I guess you could call us an Interest group. We're interested in stopping this city's decline into poverty, disinterest in art and education, and rise in gang activity. I have a particular interest in the Federal Hill community, as before I went away to school, I spent most of my childhood here. This used to be a museum, as you may or may not know, and it's hardly the only place of learning to close it's doors under the weight of Baltimore's recent decline." he let his words sink in before continuing.
"To that end, my partners have come up with twenty-two thousand dollars. Hopefully this will be enough to pay off any credit card debts you've accumulated, and leave enough money to renovate the place. This money is being given as charity from our non-profit foundation. There are no strings attached here. We don't seek to influence your organization in any way. We do ask that you continue the work that brought you to our attention, but if you decided to use the money to become drug dealers, there's nothing we could do about it. So, talk it over. Ms. Valentine is a trusted friend of myself and my partners, so any questions you have can be directed to her. I'll wait outside for your answer." he rose up, slid the paperwork to Rashid and stepped out of the room. Roland really did not enjoy business meetings, and often brought someone to do all the boring legal stuff. It worked really well for Helen though, as she had some things to add that he wasn't privy to. Once he left she cleared her throat.
"Like Roland said, this is not an attempt to influence you. But I want to disclose that the other two companies, Hunter Holdings and Green Solutions Incorporated are owned by local packs, both of which are part of the movement to create a lasting Protectorate in Baltimore. I know Eric and Micky well enough that I am comfortable promising that they will not pressure or leverage this donation against you. There's no honor in it." she met Rashid's eyes when she said that, as he seemed to be in charge, or at least his opinions held the most weight.
"But besides that, I was sent here to liaison between your pack and a pair of your neighbors; the Keeper's of Luna's Lore and the O'Donnel Family. The Keeper's are part of the Protectorate movement, and I've spent time with them. They've got no real problem with your pack, other than your borders aren't marked. They offered to teach you the rite of Hunting Grounds if none of you knew it, but they insist your pack draw up those boundaries soon to prevent any disputes. The O'Donnel's I don't know personally, but they fought alongside Eric in the recent war to take Baltimore back, and they trust his judgement. They said so long as you don't block their access to the police department, they won't challenge your claim to Federal Hill." she was pretty sure that covered everything.
"I can step out and let you talk in private if you like."

Rashid perked up when the door opened, professional appearance and all that. He listened intently to the offer, and thought about it intently. If the funds were legitimate, that would go a long way to help everything out. Sure, he wasn't one to keep outstanding debts when he had the choice, but there were always renovations to be done and welfare updates to be had.

"The money itself has no strings attached, other than the usual for a listing of donors and support to spread their name then?" He needed to make sure that was spelled out, the others didn't manage the Outreach as their full jobs, but maybe they can appreciate how he keeps the place running. "I would like to see the business model for our donors though, so we know exactly who it is that is giving us support."

On the shift of tone, he had to make sure he got heard on the pieces that concerned him as well, he scratched behind his ear before starting to speak. "Now for those boundaries, I would be happy to discuss official legs and be happy to allow access through for the nearest Precinct, as long as they were aware that we have an employee there currently that would continue to work there to maintain a scene of order and a reason to have a beat patrol in our area to keep those unaware safe from themselves. Outside of that, more immediate concerns need to be discussed with the group.
He looked at each of the others in turn, hoping there wouldn't be an outburst before Valentine left.

Luke had just backed down again and was trying to shake his annoyance off when they entered the room. He grinned broadly and flashed Helen a wink as everyone was properly introduced and hands were shook. He wasn’t a politician or an accountant but he listened to what Roland was saying carefully in case Rashid asked their opinions on it later, and also to see if he caught any indications that what the man was saying was false.

”I would be more than happy to learn the rite of the Hunting Grounds or we can send Echo since she is a skilled ritualist,” he shrugged as he took the documents that Helen had to offer and passed them off to Rashid seemingly unaware the act illustrated the underlying dynamics that had developed. ”You don’t need to step outside, we’ve already discussed things and would like to know if you would be interested in coming and hunting with our pack for awhile. Not as a liaison for the Protectorate mind you, but to lend us your knowledge of the area and maybe help us with establishing our territory with the least toes stepped on.”

Helen's eyes widened at what Luke said. What did he mean, hunt with them?
"Oh... uhm. I could probably stick around a while. Give me time to pack some things. Can you give me a time-frame so I know what to pack and can let my friends and family know?" she looked from Luke to Rashid, more than that and she might get her hopes up.

Rashid smirked at Valentine's uneasiness. They started on an awkward note, but maybe this had a chance to work.

"The offer is sincere Ms. Valentine, I can assure you of that. You have already proven you can work with us, and I wanted to have everyone here for us to invite you to join us, not just for one or two hunts. Everyone has voiced their concerns, and none have been major enough to warrant denying you this chance.
Gesturing out to the rest of his pack in a welcoming manner, he stood up.
We would love to have you join us, see if you would be a good fit as our pack's Half Moon, and ambassador between us and the local packs.

Helen didn't know what to say. This was so unexpected. She felt like she was going to cry. She looked them all in the eyes, praying this wasn't some cruel joke. They seemed sincere. She couldn't help it and a few hot tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Thank you guys. I'd love to join you. Gosh," she wiped her eyes. "I so didn't expect this. Sorry, you must think I'm an idiot crying like this. Figured I was leaving today, and... I'm a little overwhelmed. Can I have a second?" she spun the chair around and cried into her hands for a second. They asked her to join. She wasn't some nuzusul they found like with Eric's pack, or someone pawned off on them like the keeper's pack. They worked with her, and they decided they wanted her around.
She smashed down the small voice that told her she had already washed out of two packs, that this wouldn't be any different. Because it already was different. They picked her.

Luke came up behind Helen and placed a hand on Helen’s shoulder. ”Hey, I know Rashid is big, hairy and growly but working with him is nothing to cry over,” he managed to look serious for a moment before grinning ear to ear. ”Kidding! I cry every morning I wake up with this goon next door, but you did say you wanted to help people and what better place to do it than here at the community center?”

Why was she crying? Never mind. Well I'm glad we have all this settled. We all have our own living arrangements, so any move -if you move, is up to you. Rory looked around the room and when his eyes rested on Rose he was reminded of his responsibilities and role in the group When you're ready I'll introduce you to our totem. At the present though, once you compose yourself, I'm sure we should complete the business with your colleague.