"If you think that involved 'camaraderie,' you don't know a lot about it."
The woman rises to her feet, almost six feet of toned muscle, and crosses her arms. Despite the fact that she's far from the tallest or the strongest here, with grizzled, bearded men with hard eyes around her, she seems to have taken a definite leadership role. There's a young man a couple down from her that might be her son - strong family resemblance.

There are times when Valerie's infirmity is a disadvantage when dealing with others, and sometimes it's an advantage. In this case, it seems a mix of both - but the upside is that she doesn't look like she wants to pick a fight with a crippled girl. Arielle being as challenging with her looks as she is might create a problem.

"Tell you what - we're not at each others' throats, yet," Henry says, "let me buy a couple beers and we'll sit around a table in return for a talk, and see ourselves out."

"Now you're speaking my language." She looks him over. "Kuwait?"

"And Somalia."

She nods, and the tension falls a bit. Henry puts a few bills down and collects some beers. Arielle smirks at a heavyset biker who's eyeing her up.
"You wanna arm wrestle, big guy?"

"Arielle, please don't start a fight," Ethan says, tail twitching as he finds a seat at a small table.

Arielle, who well knows she hates beer, winks at her, chirping in Twin as they settle down. "Turn it into something better~"

The werewolf woman and her son sit across from them. Six chairs make for a crowded table, but they make do, with Ethan helpfully clearing off the basket of chicken wing bones - all crunched and denuded of marrow.

"Suppose she kept you all in the dark, huh? That's something I'll never understand with you mages - you trade in real families for, what?"

"Phenomenal cosmic power," Ethan says dryly, his tail flicking. It wraps around her leg, not that anyone outside their group (or her dad) can see it. "Some of us work to involve our families in our lives."

"Fair number of mages believe exposure without understanding limits the potential of growth into our world. That's the only ethical reason I can see why our mother may have kept us in the dark," Arielle says. She sits between Valerie and Henry, and lays her hand on her father's.

The solidarity of their family seems to have done more than any words to convince the werewolves to give them the time of day. The woman shrugs, knocking back a beer. "What's got you coming out this way, then?"

The son raises his brows as she casually transmutes the beer into a fruity cocktail. Jesus, eat your heart out.

"I know the place you're talking about, and I also know well enough to leave it alone," the she-wolf says. "There's a powerful spiritual presence there, but it contents itself with remaining where it is, unlike other spirits. All the way back to Indian times, the packs who have tried to mess with it have lost members, and I find myself a little concerned that your poking and prodding could wake something up that can't be put down."

"I wouldn't mind going," her son says, earning a sharp look from his mother.

"Now hold on, Jake." She turns to regard them. "You wanted to ask about your mother. Well, you'll find that's kind of the center of our issue. I was reluctant to say anything - I don't speak ill of the dead, even the dead I didn't particularly like - but you're clearly not the sort to object to a little harsh truth."

She downs her beer, putting the bottle on the table, and crosses her arms. "My husband at the time, Jake's dad, cheated on me with her. She used him, getting at our pack secrets through him. I'm inclined to think she put a spell on him. It was that which brought us into conflict, though we realized there was a spirit driving us to violence and decided to bury the hatchet. With that kinda history, what assurances do I get that you aren't like her?"

With her vision opened to truth, Valerie is treated to a little unvarnished truth all right - she's telling the truth, at least as she understands it. The parts about "using" her husband and putting a spell on him are opinion and supposition, mind.

Henry is taken aback and defensive, while Arielle makes sure to put her beer down. Her muscles are like iron bars, and she's very delicate about it, but a crack forms in the bottle regardless.

Arielle is thinking what she's thinking - their mother spoke very highly of loving Henry in High Speech. She did have a girlfriend before that, but did she have other lovers while dating their dad?

Apparently.

Charitably, she might have loved their father, enough to marry him and bear his children - however magical they are, they sprung from his seed in this life, and she was devastated when she found out her legless chromosome kept her from doing so without magic - but had lusts and passions he couldn't satisfy... but still chose not to be open with him about that fact. Less charitably, she was all those things, but wasn't above using sex as a tool.

It's interesting the range of responses. Jake is actually pretty okay with this - less because he's male, more because he isn't entirely human, or maybe he just didn't have a relationship with his father. To his mother, it's clear that Jake's dad was more than just a mate.
Henry is hurt, and Ari - well, Arielle is always passionate. Ethan lays a hand on her leg, since her hands are busy.

As she uses her magic, the she-wolf meets her eyes steadily, letting her say her peace, and nods. "I remember your mother spoke like that about the spirit. All right - fine. Jake? You want this, you go ahead with them. Might as well show them the way."

With that bombshell, they pay up and make their way outside. Jake pulls over one of the Harleys lined up by the wall while the four of them meet with Honey and Ashlyn.

"Oh..." Honey murmurs as they approach, her ears laying back and her spring-like aura turning a little damp. "Something bad happened, didn't it?"

"Let's get in the car," Henry says roughly.

"Dad..." Arielle sighs as the door slams shut, hands on her partially exposed hips. "Damn her. Maybe sometimes the past should stay buried."

While she gets into the car and they start back down the road, Honey and Ashlyn get the story from Ethan in whispers, and Valerie's phone starts to ring.

After she answers it, a smooth woman's voice greets her.

"Valerie Beaudry, hello. My name is Cynthia Drake, and I'd like to offer you a proposal."

Recollection flashes - an attractive woman approaching middle age, looking predatory on a cover of Wired magazine. Her startup produces drones, both land-based and airborne, and it's matured into a Silicon Valley company with surprisingly deep pockets. They produce augmented reality and neural network specialty equipment.

"I'm a fan of your videos, Valerie," she says. Val watches the trees go by on their route, following the wolf-cycle. "Both the old... and the new. I try to keep an eye out for young, talented engineers, after all, though after your recent videos I confess that it's likely I won't have quite as much to offer you as I'd originally planned.

"Let us cut to the chase, then, and separate the meat from the bone - I want to offer to help you continue your videos. Perhaps moreover, I wish to have access to your special talents - and in return, I'm willing to pay quite handsomely."

"Yes, I know of your kind's traitor foes, and I am confident that my lawyers will be able to resolve this issue for you. As for what you would be doing for me... I have a great interest in these perfected metals of yours. If you can imbue me an item now and again, that also would be part of your duties. My interests are not unsavory - I am no devil, Valerie. I want to see my business thrive, and I want to see the world change. That may be arrogant on my part, but I feel pride is an excellent motivator, and I see it in you enough that I believe you'd understand."

"I can have you at my office within the hour. Distance is no object."

Time, though, may be - Arielle turns in her seat, gesturing her to mute.
"We're almost there. I can feel it."

"I look forward to it. Good luck, on whatever endeavor you are on."

She hangs up after an exchange of goodbyes. Sometime during the conversation, Ikenga sent a text checking up on her, though they're low on signal (not that that's a huge barrier to Valerie - she could generate a cellular connection in the depths of the earth.)

The thrum of the motorcycle ahead fades as they pull up on the side of a dirt road in the middle of no where. Primeval trees rise from the hills, shrouded in mist even in the afternoon. The handsome werewolf comes over to the car, leathers creaking. "It's on foot from here in. Few hours walking, faster if you can run."

"Shame I haven't figured out flight yet," Arielle says.

"I've been practicing patterning Life a little," Arielle admits as they get started. "Might be wise if I gave you your legs back for this... I leave that decision to you, though. It's your cross to bear."

Honey looks excited. "Oh! I actually can be useful here! I have a contract that eases passage through wild spaces."

Jake looks back at them and she blushes, smiling at him. "You smell like otter. You aren't possessed, are you?"

"No! No. I'm a Changeling, I was abducted when I was little. I know some magic, though, because of it." She hugs her tail to herself. "...I am kind of ottery though, even if you can't see it."

Wire never would have pegged Honey for the kind of person to have James Dean-esque biker boys as a type.

Arielle draws the Patterning sign in the air, weaving powerful magic together in Valerie's body to strengthen her muscles, regenerating the decades old damage in s matter of seconds. If only it could last, but, for the second time since her injury, she's walking free and clear.

Henry watches his daughter stretch her legs out with a strained look. She's still a bit chubby - though she's noticed some pleasing tightness lately! Her weight is jumping up as her muscles recover - and the trek through the woods is going to be murder, but it's a beautiful thing to walk.

Ethan takes her hand, smiling, while Jake, who doesn't know the rules, merely looks confused as to why she doesn't do this all the time and remains politely silent.

"Want me to hold onto that?" Ashlyn asks.

"Nope! No one holds my sister up but me.

GM: -----
From the back of the car, Henry pulls out a hunting rifle, one he recently cleaned and stripped down. He hasn't been hunting in their living memory, but he kept the gun all the same. He looks over his daughter with a pained, difficult expression.
Their poor father - he's seen so many shocks to his system lately.

Honey, her nose twitching, takes off through the woods at Jake's side. The werewolf swells subtly, his ears taking on points, his form bulking, until he's just a bit more wolfish. Arielle not-so-subtly observes this, fascinated.
"It's beautiful. It's a sort of artistry I'd have trouble replicating with Life, a perfect transition. I suddenly wish I had a working knowledge of Spirit - I can see a bit of how the magic works through the lens of the Aether, but there's so many layers. No mage built this."
Valerie: If Lakshmi's magic on dad suddenly ended, she's kind of frightful of what would happen to him. The backlash would hurt, the loss of lucidity hurt even more. ...but all in all, this has been kind of a shitty day for all of them. She gives him a re-assuring smile, though, as the least she can do.

"It's pretty cool," she agrees, looking out at the transformation. "There's so much I'd like to know... where it came from, and what relationship it has with the supernal, its history, and if it can be somehow be simulated."
GM: "Questions for Heimarmene."

The trip through the woods is murder, though she has tricks to improve that. Kinetic efficiency is her very best friend.

It's a beautiful hike, even so, and only a childhood trip to the Redwoods rivals the beauty of these ancient trees. Jake is frequently alarmed at the sights, looking at Honey with new interest, while Ethan is quietly amused.

When they get there, it's like stepping into a new world.

The temperature rises steeply, and the nature of the plants changes - ferns and leafy greens. Before them is foliage so dense that to make progress, Arielle has to draw on the Primal Wild and part them like the Red Sea.

By the time they get there, everyone who isn't Jake or Ethan is sweltering. The rest of them dressed warmly for the mountains.

(Environmental Tilt - Extreme Heat)

Arielle's eyes are filled with tears even before they break through, and Valerie feels like weeping, too, because this is familiar.
GM: It's the kiss of the Aether.
GM: The sight is incredible
GM: A city spreads before them, or what's left of one, its green waters choked with dense jungle foliage. Buildings of something that look like stone but definitely aren't rise up in tumbled ruins, but even ages of weathering has had no real impact - the forces that destroyed this place, that weathered even a small part of it, were supernatural.
GM: The architecture is evocative of Mayan and yet far from it - instead of stones with fine joins, most of what she sees is all one piece
GM: "...*this* was here all along?" Jake asks in a strangled tone
GM: "I thought you'd been here?" Ethan asks. As a jungle kitty he's doing okay, though his clothes are a problem.

"We could never actually reach it before."
Valerie: This message has been removed.
Valerie: (oops)
Valerie: By the time they are approaching, Valerie throws in an Influence Heat to steer it away from them to at least keep them from heat stroking. The heat has become killer on her undertrained cardiovascular systems - even though her legs are fine, it's almost dizzying. (Influence heat: 3 succ. Resists extreme heat up to grade 2. Lasts for the week, and she'll hand it off to Ashlyn, along with her walker's spell.)

So when they stumble upon a great stone city that looks to have been poured into a mould then flipped around and laid out here, all while still recovering from a bit of heat based delirium, her breath is taken away. She reaches up to cover her mouth... It reminds her of the telescope, except...

Except it's really there. It feels as close as they can be to it without actually being in the supernal realm, and it's like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise adverse world. She takes a few deep breathes to center herself, though even she's misted up a bit so she has to wipe those off. "It's beautiful... Tragic, but..." She starts to head on down to approach, bringing her prime and force mage sight down to get to really take in its nature and presence.
GM: The Aether is close here, infusing everything, and Mandalas as big as city squares still turn, especially around the central building - the edges of what they see of the city are turned inward on higher dimensions, protecting it from further damage by paradox from without.

"Hey, boss?" Ashlyn looks at her - then she reaches out and taps something hard on her forehead.

That felt weird
GM: "This is so cool. It's like the demesne at the Consilium, only better."
GM: Arielle turns, and she sees the matching portal of a sapphire eye on her forehead. A golden shimmer hangs over the shoulder that has her lightning scar, and eyes show on multiple body parts
Valerie: "Uah!" She reaches up by reflex to swat at Ashlyn's hand. "Warn me before you do something like that!" She blinks three eyes at her, then looks over at Arielle. "...this place is really close, sis. Just about... closest we can get while here, I think."
GM: (As long as Valerie is within a Verge she can benefit from permanent mage sight and has no need to spend willpower activating Active Mage Sight)
GM: Arielle embraces her, eyes blinking shut to form shining little lines
Valerie: (Sexy!)
GM: "...It's like drinking water after dying of thirst."
GM: Honey holds her tail, and Jake looks at her, too
GM: Valerie knows why. No illusion can function in this particular Verge, ever
GM: It was like that in hers, too
Valerie: She squeezes her sister, for a moment just... basking in the feeling that, not far from here, relatively, is a raging storm of energy of Force, the sun of Prime, and a signed tower...

Slowly, once she feels strong again, her eyes re-open and she releases Arielle, feeling energized again. She smiles over at Honey. "Fantastic work getting us here."
Valerie: Though she glances sidelong at Jake, curious.
GM: "...huh."
"Oh, god - don't look at me." Honey dies of embarrassment.

"Lady - I'm a wolf who is also a man. Literally, werewolf."

"I don't want to be an otter though.."

"Then I don't see anything."

Honey looks at him, eyes shining.

His body processes some alien magic. She can see bright tattoos across his skin, glowing in different colors. One silver, others various
Valerie: She trains her eye of prime over him, just to see what she can see. Not many opportunities to study werewolf magic, she wagers!
GM: (Active?)
GM: (Most of it is life and spirit but all magic has a prime component so you can study that <3 Opacity 2)

Ethan peels off his shirt, stowing it in Ashlyn's backpack with the water and snacks, while Henry - takes pictures. Hey, not often you find this Lara Croft bullshit. No wonder Archaeomancers are popular.
GM: Ashlyn is loving the opportunity to cast spells without fear of paradox.
Valerie: (Given it's free, no reason to peek without active! )
Valerie: (also dad's name is Hank!)
Valerie: She doesn't quite get to peer past them as is, so she turns to him and tilts her head. "Would you mind if I observed you using your magic? I feel I won't get many opportunities to."
GM: (I clearly just want him to be Henry. Hank Hank Hank. Like Hank Green)
GM: (Only Seidr)
Valerie: (hehehe)
GM: Ashlyn passes out water bottles. Thankfully, the magic she's holding from her mentor is keeping the worst of it off (and hey, Ethan's trim, furry upper body is a nice sight.)

Jake looks over her, taking in her eyes and the glowing suggestion of her wing. "Kinda thinking I should clear out, this is getting a bit above me, if you know what I mean."

"We could use the help, if you're willing and able," Hank says, face unreadable as he looks out over the ruins, reloading the film in his SLR. Exotic birds call in the distance, but she doesn't see many birds - she sees winged lizards, almost like ancestors of birds, with their mouths full of teeth.
Valerie: "It's up to you, in the end, but you're the best we have to deal with spirits, if something does live here." She turns away to focus on the ruins instead. Probably best to focus her attention on finding the mystery and figure out why such a ... pure and beautiful place like this would be at risk of losing its supernal nature.

It seems so close and clear here, after all...
GM: He considers for a bit, looking at the more vulnerable members.
"All right - and I suppose you can look, if you don't touch."
Valerie: "Eyes only," she promises.
Valerie: To then begin Scrutinizing him, his tattooing and the magic from them.
GM: What she sees, driving her vision through prime while resting her poor sore legs, is fascinating. It's not mage magic, obviously, but there is a core of Prime - it's almost like his tattoos are inhaling spiritual energy and, like circuits, turning it into useful functions, organs of sorts that he seems able to use by pure instinct. She's hampered a bit by her lack of knowledge of the particulars, but every inch of him is in some way naturally magical, from his tattoos to the cells.
Valerie: "...whoa, that's cool," she chimes, falling back to passive mage sight for the moment. "It's like you're flexing some unseen muscle and just... making magic happen."
GM: "I would characterize it as my spiritual presence, but I'm not the expert."
(Ding 1 gnostic beat)
Valerie: "Maybe if I had access to the Arcanum of spirits, I'd see more, but this was interesting. Thank you."
GM: He nods slightly.
"You seem pretty decent. Most of what I hear about mages isn't great."

"My sister is basically sweetness and light incarnate. I'm the one who punches people."
Valerie: "I've made it a mission of sorts to... teach the world. Reveal magic, bring back the golden era of time before time when magic was just a way of life.

"...but there are real assholes among mages, who will take spirits and daimon and enslave them, or those who want to hold all the power and keep the rest of the world blind for their misbegotten gods."
GM: "Eh. Asshole werewolves, too."
GM: "I like his attitude."
GM: Arielle grins.
Valerie: "I think there's pricks in all ways of life." She snickers, then stands back up, feeling a bit better rested.

"So... we should probably go a bit deeper inside and see if we can't find out why this place could possibly lose its status as a verge. It's just so pure, I don't get it."
GM: "It's too pure for this world," Arielle observes, a bit too knowingly.
Valerie: "Yeah, but it's here, and letting it evaporate would be a worse crime. Let's get cracking."

She turns her sight active, letting all of her eyes open wide, and begins to wander, particularly towards what looks to be monuments and points of interest.