CoR Desmond & Ragenard: Prospective Perspectives

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Tiko

Draconic Administrator/Mentor
Mentor
Administrator
Location
Bloodstone Railyard
As written by @Tiko and @Dashmiel

Ragenard tapped the last of the ashes off the stub of his cigarette into the large novelty ashtray at his desk and immediately lit another one from the still living ember absentmindedly. He stubbed out the old snub against the bottom of the ashtray, right where the wolf’s eye would have been in the silhouette graphic. A grunt of satisfaction he didn’t realize he was holding escaped him as he took a long drag on the new smoke and turned his attention back to his laptop and the paperwork arranged around it.

Between reinforcing and renovating the rail yard plus covering the basic needs of various members and other expenditures, things were not trending well. The fact that they would need a cash infusion soon was clear but they couldn’t sustain themselves off single event takes for long. They weren’t a small bunch of high school hoodlums raising hell for beer money. There were families depending on Ragenard finding a way for them all to subsist in this world that made eking out a legal living for them a meager and unappealing…prospect.

That was the other issue. Liam, the Corre kids, and Rian were all promising prospects, but the pack still needed more new blood. They couldn’t maintain a hold over all of Vargeras diminished as they were, let alone get any of their old schemes re-started without more manpower.

Ragenard was shit at not scaring people however, so he didn’t fancy any recruitment initiative he could conceive of. I guess that’s why I have a second after all, Ragenard thought as he ignored the mental kick he wanted to give himself. He didn’t expect him to have any more cousins hiding about, but Ragenard reckoned Desmond might have a better idea of who to send where on the lookout for new talent than just Ragenard’s old classics. He would still want to hit up his contact at the LPD records office, but his other idea of just posting someone on every seedy bar to see who starts bar fights probably was a shit idea and he ought to let Desmond do his job. Ragenard cracked his knuckles and set out to find Desmond amidst the Railyard.





Desmond was out back working on some modifications to an old train cart that had been discovered in one of the many buildings of the train yard. It had been largely ignored up until now. Recent events had brought it to attention that the rail yard lacked proper facilities for containing more inexperienced - or drunk - pack members.

The holding cell made for a good temporary solution, but after Chloe had nearly battered her way through it a couple of days ago, Desmond had set to work on a solution. The old bank cart was quite the relic, but solid. With a few modifications it would suit their needs well.

Currently he was crouched down amid a spray of sparks as he worked on the newly installed doors. His face was obscured by the welding helmet he wore.

Ragenard came upon him, one hand shielding his visions from most of the sparking. “Yo, Des!” Ragenard called out loudly over the cacophony of the welding rig.
 
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Desmond paused what he was working on and flipped the face plate on the helmet up. From the look of him he had been at work on the train cart for a while.

"Everythin' okay?" Desmond asked as he stood up. "Liam said you were lookin' fer me. Figured you just be wantin' him out of yer hair, or you woulda texted. I figure you got a couple more hours yet before he turns up to tell you he can't find me."

He used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe the sweat and grime from his brow.
 
"Liam said--yeah, that's...my exact words were 'aask a wiser an' 'ess dense kin member to 'elp ye explain why a gun-railcart 'ent a good idea'," Ragenard said with a lapse into an Iverian accent for effect as he beheld Desmond's work on the bank cart. He raised an eyebrow in exaggerated suspicion. "Hopefully he didn't sway you with the 'We can 'ang artillery guns Rah. Like real 'uns an' all!'" Ragenard asked.
 
"Well, he's 'ad worse ideas," Desmond replied with a grimace. "At least this one doesn't involve livestock. I still don't know how the stupid little shit got that cow inside of Bastien's truck."

"I'll send 'im for more weldin' supplies later to keep 'im busy," Desmond said with a wink. "Should I let 'im finish before I ask 'im 'ow he plans to move the cart?"
 
"Nah. That's the beauty of it he says. A big hole in the middle and we can pull it. Bless his heart, he thinks the familiar brutish stamina you all got inherited is the norm," Ragenard snorted. "Good kid. Balances out the other prospects while keeping that requisite self-deprecation in the bottom rung centered on himself with good humor. I almost could believe it's intentional". He shook his head in amusement and gestured at the train car. "Preparing my exile chambers for when you take over?"
 
"Like this thing could hold you for long," Desmond answered with a snort of his own. "I 'ave somethin' else in the works for that. This is just for the more ornery of us," he explained. "Chloe could use the place for practicin' as well. The divide between 'er and 'er wolf half is unlike any that I've ever seen. She's less volatile, but she still blacks out every time. An' well, you've seen what she's capable of."

The matter had been troubling him for some time now, and there was a genuine touch of worry about him.

"I suspect she's actin' on instinct when she shifts," Desmond added. "I don't think she's a danger to any of us, but she could be to others if she feels threatened."
 
"It's not a bad idea," Ragenard said of the armored cart before he paused for another drag as he mulled the situation over. "There's more ways to be a danger than by trying to maul someone though. Despite what she's achieved, what if she's stuck in a situation where plans need to change? Even I can listen and adapt when in wolf-rage..." Ragenard let the smoke out through his nose as he quickly shook his head and gestured crossing his arms. "I'm not saying she can't stay. I'm saying she needs a commitment to achieving control if she's going to be so close to your pants that she has to tear anymore assholes for you now that you're Second, which means you being surrounded by pack members on occasion."
 
"That's assumin' she doesn't figure I had it comin' an' just walk off," Desmond replied with a chuckle.

"'ard to know what she'll do and when she'll do it, without knowing what's goin' through 'er head. Is she capable of reasoning? Humor? Sometimes I think so. Other times I just see a wolf starin' back at me. We're making progress though, if I can just find what's holdin' 'er back. I think we should move ahead with makin' 'er an official prospect though. Standin' on the outside lookin' in isn't doin' 'er any good, and she's shown where her loyalties are."
 
Ragenard chuckled. "I'll make sure Julienne knows it was technically your idea since you brought it up first, but that's fine with me," he replied to the latter sardonically. "Whatever her issue, I'm sure she'll get over it. Takes a certain kind of stubborn to put up with you so she's certainly got the constitution. Though if it turns out trickier, let me know. I actually know a few someone's that may help."

The thought of which one would be the better help and the path he'd taken to each one brought forth that obnoxious feeling like he should be laughing at himself again. Baba the Witch or referring Chloe to his therapist would be the more straightforward but pricy options and that brought a measure of guilt due to circumstances curtailing his ability to give the pack earning opportunities at the moment. He didn't want to sound like a lunatic by suggesting Desmond tell Chloe to try and get some coffee in a hole in the wall at the PQ to see what happens and if the odd proprietor took a liking to her plight though, for all that it was cheaper.
 
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