12391/On the Subject of 'Jackals.'

On the Subject of 'Jackals.'
Date of Scene:	10 August 2022
Location:	Mercy's Garage
Synopsis:	Cael visits Mercy to recruit her help dealing with the were'jackals' - though they also end up talking about Jon's current situation, as well.
Cast of Characters:	Cael Becker, Mercy Thompson

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Cael Becker has posed:
    It's been... //a day// for Cael. A hell of a day. Her boyfriend was turned into a bird (the less said about it the better), she has only a day or so before the next full moon, and one of her friends had a suggestion for her that she's... //less than// thrilled about.
    This led to her calling Mercy in the morning to check that it was okay if she stopped by - followed by her doing exactly that. This time, she arrives in an obnoxiously yellow Corvette C6 - definitely not Mercy's kind of a car, but it seems to work for Cael. She's changed up her hair style, with the left side of her head now buzz cut down, with feaather like patterns shaved into it and painted in blue, teal, and golden yellow hair dyes. The rest of her hair remains blonde on top with rainbow hues dyed beneath, and is cut from extremely short on the left - to just beyond chin length on the right, in a diaganol line. She's also added a butterfly tattoo to the inside of her left wrist. Cliche? Maybe - but it means a lot to her.
    Parking her car in the small parking lot, she climbs out - no massive white dog following her - and makes her way towards the garage.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy is fine with a friend stopping by, though she had to work today. So told Cael to show up after she closed up shop and had time to clean up. She's been busy on her project car and not as 'in the loop' on some things. She's also worried about Lydia with what they learned. She's upstairs waiting on company, and told Cael to go ahead and show up knocking on he house door for Mercy. She's got a cat in her lap and a book she's reading up on, of all things, Egypt. Sure she had a degree in history but a brushing up doesn't hurt.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael makes her way up the stairs - taking them two at a time to knock on the door. When she hears Mercy call out to her, she opens the door, stepping in with a small, tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes. Whatever's going on in Cael's life, she doesn't seem happy about it - but she keeps things largely underwraps for the moment as she shoves her hands into her pockets, and looks around Mercy's small apartment. "Not a bad place," she remarks simply. "Uhh - thanks for making the time. So - turns out the whole jackal thing was bullshit - I'm a wolf after all," she says with a roll of her eyes. "One of my friends was looking more into these 'werejackals' that we'd been fighting and- yeah."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    The door doesn't quiet get to knock, Mercy's ears heard that fast accent and has started to learn some engine sounds. This gave her time to put the protesting Medae to the side. The door opening smoothly with mercy smiling on the other side. "It's fine," she says to Cael and steps back. She doesn't verbally invite in and just lets it be unspoken. "Why don't we talk over it and you can just relax. Feel free to pace if you need it." Once both are inside they inside the door shuts. "You want a drink? I don't have alcohol but I got some milk, water, tea, or soda."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "...no alcohol //or// coffee?" Cael asks.
    This is what hell is like. The thought brings a momentary quirk of amusement to her lips - though her expression immediately grows more solemn as she can't help but think of Jon, and their current state. "I, uhh- no, I'm good," she decides.
    Pacing, though - that's something she can get behind. She moves restlessly around the room as she explains without any preamble, "So- the wolves we were fighting, they've left the city. They're upstate, on the banks of the Hudson apparently - my friend was tracking them, and I- we were talking about what to do with them." She frowns deeply as she considers the three options they'd discuss. "The first option is just to get rid of them. They were murdering people. They could start it up again.
    "The second option is that we threatenthem - and give them a chance to change their behavior. 'Stop preying on people or we'll finish what we fucking started.' And hope for the best."
    She stops with her back to Mercy - running a hand through her hair before she adds, "The other option is... that even though I'm new to this, I've got more combat training than any of them, pretty much guaranteed. So I wipe the floor with whoever's in charge, take over, and //make sure// they stop hurting people. Since I'm the same sort of creature they are. Which... could mean just giving up on the idea that I can ever be 'cured' of this."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy says, "I think I got some really cheap basic stuff I try to hide in the office downstairs. But I don't drink either." She shrugs and knows she's in a minority. She returns to her seat and will likely soon have a cat again as she lets Cael do the like 8 solid strides back and forth that you can do in Mercy's small home. "These wolves are the rogue ones right? The ones killing and surrendering to all that is animal?" She is curious about the 'could start it again' because that implies they stopped.
    To Mercy that means two things. First, they got smarter about hiding bodies, or eating them. Second they're recruiting and building up the pack's size. Which is a horrifying though for her. She lets Cael finish the three options she's thought, eyes and nose following the woman's every move. "I think you going for a dominance play is bad form. You're outside that pack, no a part of it. That makes taking it over difficult. Also I have never, personally, heard of the 'bad dog be good' route working. Once you cross that line, it's a silver bullet for you. The hard line with clear danger and consequences keeps further monsters from happening. It sucks, I get it. Just hard to be scary with punishment once you let a multiple murder get away with saying 'aww shucks I will try harder next time. Sorry' to get out of a silver bullet to the brain."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "...you really think murdering all of them is the best bet?" Cael asks - there's a little surprise in her voice as she turns to look back towards Mercy, a frown on her features. "The way I understand it - we nearly wiped them out, including taking out their leader. They retreated from the city... and they're trying to build their numbers back up." So, yes, Mercy is very much right about that concern.
    "And what - we go in and kill //them,// too? What ties to they really have to these other wolves other than being their //victims// - like I was? They aren't murderers, yet. They're just- people. In a fucking shit situation. I don't like... killing people."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy knows this is going to make some see her in a different light. "Why would they stop, Cael? You gave them some wounds, but they're licking them to get better. If anything now they know they're not totally unstoppable murder machines. That means they'll get smarter. Do you think they're looking for people like Ghandi to join up?"
    Mercy gets up and goes out of the room for a bit to get to a gun safe she has to pull out two guns. One a pistol, one a rifle and then sets down a bunch of silver bullets for each type.
    "If we're certain someone they've 'recruited' is not a killer they get a chance. One chance," Mercy says holding up a finger. "If we come down on the pack hard and exterminate the prior offenders they will know we are serious. Those strays, those you can try to take under your care if you can stay top wolf. They you can show the right way." She shakes her head, "I've never heard of a werewolf that has gone rogue and murdering for fun ever. EVER get better. Maybe it has and I don't know it. But even the pack that raised me did it this way. You go rogue and you kill for fun and put others at risk. You die.
    If you go soft on the first day. They'll never respect your bite. It's true as a teacher, it's true for being a werewolf. You got to do more then cuff an ear," continues Mercy. "I'll help you out, not that I'm happy about it. I'll go to church, pray for their souls, even be sure their ghosts go on. But the murders don't get a do over. Not in my book. And not sure I can ignore it knowing where they are and they're recruiting either, Cael. The risk is too great." Mercy wets her lips, "you just need to see one bloody crib to know not to make that mistake again."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "They 'recruited' me," Cael points out flatly. "I don't know if that was on purpose or not - but no one else in that fight, even though they were injured, //turned.// Just me. We're not- really sure why. Is it just because everyone else was protected by the various powers they already possessed? Was I the only one vulnerable? Or was it deliberate? Was I somehow //targeted//?" She starts to pace again. She doesn't get any of those answers if they just go in and kill them all.
    "And how do we tell them apart? How do we know who's got kills under the belt, and who doesn't? You think they're all just going to willingly volunteer that information once we show up and just start putting bullets in people's heads?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy leans forward to put her elbows on her knees and to try and look calm. She's stayed seated to not rile up Cael's wolf either. She has literally years on dancing around werewolf behavior. "From my experience not everyone will Change and not even all survive it. It takes more then a bite or a scratch. You generally have to be really really hurt. Even then not everyone survives their first full moon."
    She watches the pacing start and says, "Well you said you know those that were in the first attack on you and some left to begin recruiting right? You kill all them. The rest get a stay of execution while you figure it out." She frowns as Mercy asks, "How many did you let leave after killing the leader? How long ago was that, and how many do you think have been 'recruited' to this?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "It was a //fight,//" Cael reminds Mercy in disbelief. "And they were weird, half wolf, half people... monsters, as far as I was concerned - how am I going to tell who is who?" she asks bluntly. "And how do we know all of them were there in that fight? I would imagine they weren't. So if that's our basis- it's so //ridiculously// prone to error as to be-" She shakes her head in frustration.
    She doesn't like this. She doesn't like //any// of this.
    "I won't kill innocent people," she says flatly. "And I just don't see how we'll know for sure."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy tips her head to the side some as Cael starts to yell and just watches her. Doing a slow mental count to twenty to give Cael's wolf some breathing space before things get too tense. She takes a slow breath and finally says. "More is going on then just this pack stuff. The women I met could handle this before. But that's you to deal with or talk about. If you'd come to me soon, maybe I could try to help more. If you really want me to, I can try to see if any ghosts of the victims are around to point the figure at their killers. Would that help?" Though Mercy clearly doesn't like that idea.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "There's always a lot going on. Welcome to my life," Cael answers. "Full moon's approaching. Some of my friends think I should stay a werewolf to try to take over a pack - when I barely know what I'm doing. And, oh yeah, my boyfriend was attacked horrifically by one of their best friends. This is- ... this is as soon after all this shit was dropped on me that I could come talk to you. I'm trying to-" She goes from pacing, to still again, as she takes a few deep, slow breaths. "I'm trying," she insists.
    "Look, if- if everyone agrees that our only option is to take out the more... violent members of this pack, then- I get that. I don't like it, but I get it. But I don't want to murder them all if we have another option. I don't want to be them."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "I'm sorry Cael. I didn't mean to add to your stress. I know a lot is going on. I only get some of it." Mercy's lips pushing to a thin line with her words for just a moment. "I'm happy to help. I won't go in all OK Coral on my own either." Mercy nods to the animal in her lap, "You want to pet Medae and see if it helps some?" Before she asks the more important question of, "Who is 'everyone' that you want to agree to a course of action." Mercy looks like she may want to say more but just shakes her head. "Doing what is right and good, isn't always nice," leaving it at that for now.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael looks at the cat uncertainly. It's no Bear but- well. Nimue was certainly a very nice cat. "Yeah, sure. I'll, uhh... try the cat. If you don't think Medae will mind me." She's still for a moment, then moves over to a chair, dropping into it heavily so that cat can be transferred over.
    "Everyone? Well... You, since I'm here talking to you," she says pointedly. "Jon. And Jon's friend, Moon Knight. They're, uhh... into Egypt stuff, the both of them." Yup. That's what you call avatars of Egyptian Gods - 'into Egypt stuff.' "Moon Knight was explaining to me that these wolves - in theory, they serve Anubis. Their ability - //my// ability is seen as a gift, a blessing, from Anubis. Which - great. Just great. Anubis is such a fucking asshole. Why //him//?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "Cats are not normally fans of werewolves, but Medae has never so much as twitched her stub tail about one before." Mercy uses the excuse of putting her book away to oust the cat, who in true feline fashion looks indignant and like she couldn't care less at the same time. Besides there's a new lap to be explored. After a mild sniffing at one leg she steps into Cael's lap.
    Mercy doesn't actually put her book away and instead tucks it under an arm. "Not sure I ever heard of a 'nice' god that ruled the underworld." She motions to Cael, "It sounds like they have more a handle on this then I do. I just know about the uh... breed I grew up with. You share a lot of ground but aren't totally the same." She also feels a bit of dark wry humor and can't hep but comment, "But if they serve Anubis doesn't that mean we can really just do the 'Kill em all and let a god sort them out' to solve the problem?" Though in hindsight, maybe better timing is needed.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael gives Mercy a //look// - then sets about petting Medae and scratching behind her ears and under her chin. "I'll have you know that I found Lucifer to be perfectly pleasant. And he has good pot. Lady Death is fine, too. I mean, you don't want to get on her bad side - but we always got along. It's only //Anubis// I have a fucking problem with. And now... I'm told if I wanted to get rid of this curse- sorry, //gift,//" that's how Anubis sees it, anyways, "I need him to sign off on it. Not fucking likely."
    She lets out a frustrated sound. "Not sure what Anubis would think about the way his supposed servants have been behaving, to be honest. My knowledge of Egyptian Gods is pretty awful."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy just shrugs and grins in reply to the look. The cat leans into the petting with a proper purr rumble that felines can manage. "If you believe the gossip I may have worked on a car owned by Lucifer, not that I met the um... individual." She holds up her book, "I done some reading. I studied history, however, and not mythology. Sounds like maybe the other two have a better grasp on this situation." She shakes her head, "I try to stay off the radar of those who can call themselves 'gods' and not be called on it too casually. I'm just a mechanic after all." Long as you ignore other parts.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Ending up getting noticed by Gods wasn't exactly my plan," Cael mutters quietly. "But that's the way it is."
    She lets out a heavy sigh, and never stops petting the cat.
    "Anyways. That's what's going on. We have to hunt down these werewolves and stop them from purposefully expanding their 'pack' and harming people. Try to figure out which of them are moral-less murderers, and which of them are relative innocents..." She frowns in thought. "...maybe Jon can judge them all. Compell them each to reveal their kills..." Would that be too much for them? Especially after everything they just went through?
    "...and we have to try to find Lydia. And we have to find a way tocompletely undo what was done to Jon. And- tomorrow night's the full moon." Her third full moon. God - has it been that long already since all of this started?

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy pulls out her little silver lamb necklace. "I'm faithful, but I know the stories and actually at times know when the shut up. Though it can be rare." Shaking her head, "We sure Anubis isn't mad if they're going off script? If they are killing and causing people to die, even by accident, that will likely leave some ghosts. May be a way for me to track and gain information."
    Mercy holds up a finger, "what happened to Jon?" She adds a new finger, "we will find Lydia and help her." Then a third, "Do you want to do your own thing, or take a ride to where we were last month?" Mercy has no idea what, if any, full moon plans Cael has.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Help her?" Cael asks - her entire body tensing. She has to pull her hands away from the cat for a moment - as she abruptly becomes afraid she'll grow too rough with the creature. "...I'm going to fucking kill her," she grits out - at the same time that a quiet voice in her mind reminds her - she was your friend. It takes her a few deep breaths before she begins petting the cat again, her gaze fixed down on her. "Chas thinks we might still be able to save her. I don't know."
    She scratches the cat for a few more moments before she explains. "She paralyzed- //temporarily// paralyzed Jon so she could... change them. Turned his arms into wings, and gave him bird-like legs, and feet, and a tail, and- it was grotesque. All against their will, of course. She- she //violated// them."
    And it was so wrong - and unnatural.
    "Anyways - we, uh- the plan is to go after the pack on the full moon. I- I mean, I should be able to stay... myself. I was fine last month." And so with the experience of just one month to go off of - they were just going to trust it?
    ...well. If she did lose it, her friends would be able to take care of her, she was sure.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy watches her cat but doesn't say anything. "So it's okay to just turn on a friend who may be getting influenced by a dark power to twist her actions. But it is -not- okay to murder uncontrolled murder machines of claws and fangs? Just asking for a friend so I'm clear," Mercy HOPES she can get Cael to see what point she's trying to go with. "If you want me to be there, I will be and I'll do what I can. You did fine for a second moon, once you let your hair down and relaxed the human side of the mind."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "You didn't //see// what she did to Jon," Cael grits out. "You weren't there. I-" She closes her eyes, pulling her hands off of the cat for a second time.
    Bear's big, and sturdy. She knows she can't hurt him - not really - if her hands inadvertently tighten. She's less sure when it comes to a cat.
    "We know exactly who did this to Jon. We know exactly who's responsible. My problem with killing the pack- It's not just one person. I'm not going to kill people without //knowing// they're murderous monsters. So don't fucking twist my words," she asserts angrily. "Like I said- maybe Jon can judge them. Maybe Jon can tell us which are monsters. That's- that's what he's supposed to do. That's what the Archivist is //for.//"
    She starts petting the cat again, trying to remind herself that it's the moon. The moon playing with her emotions. God, will it always be like this? Or will she get used to it, eventually?

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    "Didn't twist anything Cael. I asked a question. I even said I wouldn't hunt the pack. Gave in to your point that if they got new people in their number that they are victims and not necessarily feral." In Mercy's experience werewolves were calmer and easier to deal with if they thought you were being submissive. She then says that dangerous word, "But. If they are victims by what has been done to them. From what I know at this time, so is Lydia. That said, I find for werewolves when the moon is full. Best to focus on one problem at time and hunt it down until you made the proverbial kill before trying others."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "She //tortured// Jon," Cael points out tensely. "The only person I've ever been in love with. She paralyzed them, tortured them, and violated their body. //Changed// them without permission. I-" She shakes her head in frustration. "Chas and Rien want to try to save her. And I- I know we were friends - I know that's true. But if she can do this to //Jon,// then-" What can she do to people she doesn't care about? People without power? "And I want to hurt her for what she did." Her gaze are fixed on a point off, and away from Mercy. Why did she think she'd be okay to talk about all this stuff without Bear? What had she been //thinking//?
    Really - she hadn't really planned on talking about what happened to Jon.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy will come over to where Cael is and crouches before her. She gently shoos the cat away some and looks up at Cael. Eyes on the woman's chin to avoid direct eye contact. "If someone shots you. You don't wage war on the gun, nor blame the bullet. It's the finger that squeezed the trigger Cael. Did 'Lydia' do this or did something that is riding her and in her head do that? Because the vampire who writes girl-girl stories I met and likes my cookies, doesn't seem like the type to do what you're saying. Even THOUGH she's a vampire and I don't think well of vamps in general." She can't believe she is going to do this. "Do you need me to shift so you can just talk and I'll listen and say nothing for a bit?" She's not Bear but she is still a thirty five pound canine. Also they ran together last full moon, the wolf side of Cael may do better to remember Mercy's other form's scent better.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael looks down at Mercy for a moment, then off and away from her, as her mind continues to be a frustrated whirl of confusion emotions. "No," she says simply. She stays like that for a moment, then shakes her head, and pushes herself abruptly to her feet. "I should just- I should go. Take a run, or-"
    Use her key to go to the Velvet Room, where she can //kill things// in the training room. That- ...might be her best option.
    "I should go. I'll send you the coordinates for the Midnight Mission. We'll meet there, and go after after the werewolves."
    That said, she heads towards the door.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
    Mercy watches Cael stand and says, "We could always go together and jog through the bad parts of Central Park or Harlem and let you beat up some thugs together," she points out. Not the healthiest of ways to do things but werewolves do things differently,. "Bet you'll feel better."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael shakes her head. "No. I'm not gonna take my mood out on people - that's what simulations are for. Thanks, though. I'll- I'll send you the address," Cael repeats, before pushing her way out the door, and shutting it firmly behind her, jogging down the steps.
    She needed to get out of there. She could use her key on the door to the shop - and be in the Velvet Room in an instant.