New City, New Start and Lots of fun

[Samuel Banks-Walker]

He sighed it was the only outward sign of his less than pleased state. Lying even by omission caused certain stressed responses. It was similar if not the exact same as being fearfully anxious. A testament to professional liars was they knew as much and through training produced less of the stress chemicals. Their bodies simply grew accustomed to a certain amount of stress. Non professionals ie normal not sociopathic peoples produced buckets of the stuff in various situations of stress. That more than the many micro expressions was a clear sign that something was off not what exactly just that there was something there.

A good interrogator with the added sensory information would unveil the truth of most things in vary few moments. “No need to be worried Phoebe. This conversation is… to better have strategies to keep you and the Pride safe. You due your ignorance of what might transpire and them from anything that might jeopardize their private lives. This doesn’t mean anything malicious merely precautions in advance. Things such as with the state of things it’d be better to be circumspect in having you meet the others of the Pride. And your background experiences as to suss which end of the pool to start you in. The better and more thorough you are the better I am able to properly facilitate things.”

He allowed that to sink in before going on. “I myself travelled around Europe for many years. My work kept me always on the move. I was able to ensconce myself in the local Prides fairly easily as I carried each of the experiences I’d managed”

[Phoebe Ravensdale]

Phoebe listened and she could understand what he was saying but it might be time for a bit of her sass as her father called it. "Let me tell you somethings about me and maybe we can work our way forward from there. First I hate lying and will avoid doing it at all costs except if it's to protect my pard or family I will do it then but lies tend to get messy so I use my brother's recommendation and only report what is needed. It's all true but protects those things that aren't mine to tell. My loyalty to my pride is absolute. Once it's given it won't waver and there won't be anything I won't do for them. I don't tell secrets whether it's a former pride or not. I don't scare easily and I'm a sink or swim girl. Toss me in the deep end and I'll come out of it fine and I'll do my utmost to make sure those I protect come out safely as well. I don't generally have a problem fitting but to quote my grandpa always learn the rules of the game beforehand o you know if someone is cheating. It's why I asked each Rex has a different standard I don't always do well with them. But I try. "

She hoped that helped answer whatever lingering doubts might be in his mind. She was trying to be good. But blunt was much more her style. Maybe she should stick with that and stop trying to be what she wasn't.

[Samuel Banks-Walker]

He dropped his chin and fixed her with a withering outright glare. He in doing so allowed the truth of him to sit more firmly between them. Lions did not challenge lionesses I was one of the standard unspoken rules carried across all prides. As doing so meant so many baser things about them. It was sadly also why other far worse things often took place within particularly less noble and honorable Prides and coalitions.



"A lie of omission is still a lie. Most people lie to protect. Either themselves from the potential fallout of their poor decisions. Or others due again the fallout of their poor decisions." He began his voice dropping as the subtle growl of his beast creeped in.

“It is my calling to protect my Pride. It is my responsibility to insure they are safe. And it is my honor to do so with all the tools available to me. I don’t need to be protected from anyone’s poor decisions. To withhold is omission which we’ve covered is in fact a lie. And whether you understand it is also a threat to the Pride; if I can not trust you how in all good conscience could you ever assume you could be welcomed as anything more than a liability. You spoke about your families armed forces service. To join the military you must divulge and maintain a level of trust to your superiors. They must know and trust everything you’ve provided so that you are allowed the honor of joining. And they do so solely based on the verification of the information you’ve provided. If you would like to try again to answer a direct question without any subterfuge, asides, disseminations, or childish attempts to phrase your disrespect as valid and honorable I will extend a further few moments. If not do believe that while your company has procured your stay it will be very disastrously eventful.” 




Raising a brow he interjected before she could balk, “Don’t take this as a threat. It is a promise that the same assurety that I have secured this location is the same very self same focus I apply to protecting my Pride as their Rex from all threats foreign and domestic. It would be foolish to allow a threat to roost within ones domain. To further my point, I told you I traveled through during my younger days. My greetings and call forwards to each pride was the same. The pertinent details being, my name where I was most recently as well as had been. My business what if anything I witnessed or was involved in. You see not everything I did was appreciated or respected by everyone. I stole professionally before building the Exauda into something more legitimate. So even as each Pride were lions I had no intentions of deceiving them by not being forth coming. By letting them know what and who I was as well as what and who I'd run across they could accept me honestly and I could potentially do the same. because unlike any other beings in the world the lions of the Pride were the only people in the world who could truly come close to understanding me, my drives, how I survived and thrived. Placing anything above the Pride to which I was seeking to reside was tantamount to spitting in their faces pissing over their legacy and betraying their trust. Most people say respect is earned. That is not true Respect, true respect is given until it is betrayed. Everyone has fought their own battles to arrive where they are when we meet them. Not respecting that climb not giving as you would expect to receive from the outset is a precedence you can not truly come back from easily.”

[Phoebe Ravensdale]

Phoebe felt the cold wash of power which was a Rex. She dropped her eyes for a moment to accept the reprimand as it was given. She was trying to figure her next step so he wasn't going to be welcomed ok that sucked but well it's not entirely unexpected. How to proceed is the question. Her cat wasn't happy in the least but she had more control than to let such things be displayed. She also knew that speaking so bluntly might not be a good idea but it was something she felt she needed to do. She chewed on her cheek for a moment. Weighing the options and the risks as she saw them.

She grits her teeth and took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her cat. Once she had better control. She took another moment before she decided to speak. "Everything I told you before was the truth the only thing not mentioned was there was an incident at the end of my second week studying the ruins. Me being a lion isn't advertised though most of my crew knows. Anyway as I was saying the local Jaguar King apparently had issues. I was taken from my hotel room. They didn't think to check me when I'm somewhere new I'm always armed I managed to get a knife in one of them slit the throat it was silver but there were five others. I was only held for a day or so before a group of lions they seemed more military then anything I have seen before broke me out. "

She fell silent after that letting him say whatever was needed. Though she was making a mental list of what might need to be done. She sighed internally and thought about where else she might go. She didn't like the thought but she tended to try to be practical.

[Samuel Banks-Walker]

Samuel raised a brow as Phoebe chastised herself and he was sure began planning an escape. He crossed his arms as he shored back his shielding. She spoke unburdening herself of a time that most would have held in more than a small regard. She instead knowing from her upbringing that she’d been made privy to something that wasn’t for public consumption. Exhaling as he’d come to a final result.



Stress compounds never lied. He nodded ascent standing as it was clear they’d not be finishing in the moment. The appetite had clearly been quelched. “Come with me.” He said standing. “We’ll go to the roof. One of the peculiarities of this building is that if you stand in the right location on nearly any floor you can hear the entire happenings in the building.” There was no need to belabor the fact of the many myriad cameras and various other surveillance they were under. Paranoia was a life skill that usually insured a longer life.



Waiting for her to stand he led her through the two upper floors to an access door which led to the service portion of the roof. It was marked for employees only but was in fact one of the few open secrets of the building. Since its retrofitting this portion of the building had been turned into a private rooftop garden and patio. It was part of the extreme level package for a nights dining and as such most people did not in fact know it was here.



Once on the roof he gave a her second to take in the space. "Eliachem the master of the city calls lions. He has been very patient and not pushed any attempt to join or call any lion. I would of course stand against him if he resorted to that but so you that you are aware and caught off guard. As an outed lycanthrope even with such a small group of those in the know… I would normally insure they were unable to speak on their knowledge before allowing you to meet the Pride. We are always at war with the city being as large as it is there is always a threat to the Pride or my Borough which needs tending. As such the level of trust needs be absolute amongst the pride as whole. While there are laws and people to enforce them else where in the land of our community there is Just us."



Moving further into the rooftop he continued speaking, “Lets try a month as New Yok is not for everyone. It’s the accelerated class. But at least we know you have the bravery necessary to give it your all. Welcome to the Ombra Del Passato, Phoebe Ravensdale. I will have you picked up in the next day or so. That you might meet the Regina.”