Erich is a buffoon. Ruby remembers him riding the baggage claim turnstile like an excited child when they went to the airport. Which is why it's odd to hear sense coming from this one. Then again, he also shielded her from a half-dozen bites meant to eat her flesh when they went to the airport too.
People are strange like that. They do the unexpected. Like impress you.
But then, things turn sour, just as she anticipated they would. When Tamsin holds out the lion's skull for anyone to take, Ruby takes it. If it's not something she should do, she trusts her wardens enough to stop her. She takes human form then, because talking with a mouth full of sharp teeth just tends to shred her tongue, and screw that. She'll take a less powerful form. They see her as a child anyway.
"Hi. I'm Ruby. Some of you know me as Javed's student. And I am a cub, so I'm not going to suggest anything specific here. You lot should know what the best course of action is. But I helped kill this," she says, raising the skull above her head. "So I'll hold on to it one last time, if that's good by ya'll.
"As a newcomer to this life and these traditions, the only thing that has made a damn bit of sense to me, the only thing that even keeps me here is the fight we face. And it's sad that the things we fight seem more close to each other than we are.
"I think we need to focus on one thing. Unity, and however it is best to accomplish that. One of the first things I experienced here was the judgement of the leaders of Cold Crescent. Without knowing any of the context for it all. So I'll leave you to guess where my opinion has been regarding the level of camaraderie among us.
"The reason why I want everyone here to start showing a unified front is because we don't have time for this shit. No matter what is decided tonight, we need to start acting just as allied as what we face. It's essential to our success in the fight. I know that after tonight, there's going to be a lot of shitty attitudes out there no matter what happens. You understand? I, a complete rookie, have absorbed that much about the community here.
"So don't let that happen. Change my mind."
She holds the skull out for anyone else to take, at that point.
They aren't going to like it, she knows, her being a rookie who calls them divided -- some child who has the gall to shame them. But she's not afraid of the day she's put in her place, or the day someone puts a claw through her head for that matter. They want to come at her, let them come. It would just show how fucked up they are anyway.
Ruby's seen so far, a judgement. She's seen a kinfolk trying to goad an Ahroun into a fight in public on a full moon. She's seen a whiteboard at Cold Crescent meant to be filled with names of hopeful leaders filled with provocation instead. And she's seen herself, losing herself, turning on those she should be closest to, and a community that seems dedicated to pushing those enraging buttons as hard as it can toward whomever it can. She's seen so much stupidity, so much waste, so much loss that it all turns to ashes in her mouth.
They want a challenge? Here's a challenge. Change her opinion of this wretched place.
People are strange like that. They do the unexpected. Like impress you.
But then, things turn sour, just as she anticipated they would. When Tamsin holds out the lion's skull for anyone to take, Ruby takes it. If it's not something she should do, she trusts her wardens enough to stop her. She takes human form then, because talking with a mouth full of sharp teeth just tends to shred her tongue, and screw that. She'll take a less powerful form. They see her as a child anyway.
"Hi. I'm Ruby. Some of you know me as Javed's student. And I am a cub, so I'm not going to suggest anything specific here. You lot should know what the best course of action is. But I helped kill this," she says, raising the skull above her head. "So I'll hold on to it one last time, if that's good by ya'll.
"As a newcomer to this life and these traditions, the only thing that has made a damn bit of sense to me, the only thing that even keeps me here is the fight we face. And it's sad that the things we fight seem more close to each other than we are.
"I think we need to focus on one thing. Unity, and however it is best to accomplish that. One of the first things I experienced here was the judgement of the leaders of Cold Crescent. Without knowing any of the context for it all. So I'll leave you to guess where my opinion has been regarding the level of camaraderie among us.
"The reason why I want everyone here to start showing a unified front is because we don't have time for this shit. No matter what is decided tonight, we need to start acting just as allied as what we face. It's essential to our success in the fight. I know that after tonight, there's going to be a lot of shitty attitudes out there no matter what happens. You understand? I, a complete rookie, have absorbed that much about the community here.
"So don't let that happen. Change my mind."
She holds the skull out for anyone else to take, at that point.
They aren't going to like it, she knows, her being a rookie who calls them divided -- some child who has the gall to shame them. But she's not afraid of the day she's put in her place, or the day someone puts a claw through her head for that matter. They want to come at her, let them come. It would just show how fucked up they are anyway.
Ruby's seen so far, a judgement. She's seen a kinfolk trying to goad an Ahroun into a fight in public on a full moon. She's seen a whiteboard at Cold Crescent meant to be filled with names of hopeful leaders filled with provocation instead. And she's seen herself, losing herself, turning on those she should be closest to, and a community that seems dedicated to pushing those enraging buttons as hard as it can toward whomever it can. She's seen so much stupidity, so much waste, so much loss that it all turns to ashes in her mouth.
They want a challenge? Here's a challenge. Change her opinion of this wretched place.