095. Probe

The motley visits a Garou cairn for contrition.

***"You ever pick up a really old game, and remember how much you loved it?"***

In the aftermath of the battle of Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the motley disperses to rest: Patches spends time with Layla Measures-Twice, who urges her to think about they *all* were able to accomplish together; Sophia returns to her penthouse with Sir Xaeron, asking him to teach her Sovereign; and Braum, Kyoko, and Pasebakhaenniut have some late-night falafel, learning that in order to undergo contrition with the Garou, one must know *why* one is sorry.

The next day, Sophia and Patches are visited by Dr. Sayley, who manages to heal some of their injuries, although seems distressingly interested in their encounters with the vampires. Reunited at last, the motley hears from Sophia about her first visit to Veritas, and how she had hoped to raise the vampires' opinion of the Kithain by negotiating with them. Once she understood that they would never respect her, the night went about as well as it could, including Incisor telling them that she was cut out of the action, but isn't too angry, knowing that Sophia is OK.

The motley are picked up by members of Kaylie's pack in a sedan, although the alpha herself is strangely missing. The three are taken to the Mount Royal Park, where they move into the trees alongside the Garou. There they encounter a wizened woman, scarred and dirty, who introduces herself as Stinks-Twice, the one who will be in charge of their cleansing. Stinks-Twice immediately sniffs out Sophia as the one most "covered" in the "leech's stench", and tosses freezing water on the three of them: somehow, the water, the Eastern wind, and the dirt beneath their feet begin to pull Banality away. They all find their souls relaxed, and are advised by Stinks-Twice to "go and learn from others".

As the motley announce themselves, they are greeted by the gatekeeper, a very young man known as Ken Fury-Into-Nothing, who is suspicious of them. How can he know they are who they say they are? Braum enchants his coat and, placing it on Ken, he is overcome with the vision of the three Kithain (and especially of Sophia's beauty). He lets them pass into the Cairn: around a small pond, there is collection of lean-tos, seats, and an incredibly dense copse of trees. Pasebakhaenniut wants to teach them the rite of contrition, but is stopped by an angry older man, who yells that these outsiders are unworthy. They learn that the man is Charles' brother, and is still only trying to "find his place," and shouldn't be heeded. Pasebakhaenniut goes to a field to show the Changelings the rite of contrition, and discovers instead a tiny wolf cub with an image of golden wings on its hind leg. This, he explains, is one of Kaylie and Xaeron's cubs, who are due to be sent to the wild shortly, away from civilization (and away from Xaeron).

As the motley hear from a non-Garou guardian, Mabel about Kaylie's whereabouts in the "heart", Pasebakhaenniut suggests the three find an appropriate gift for Kaylie to seal their apology. The alpha herself emerges from the copse of trees, cold rage in her eyes. She wants to hear *why* Sophia did what she decided to do, and not inform the Garou of the leech presence. When she confronts Sophia directly, she demands a fight from the sidhe, who tries to explain that her need for violence is the reason she did not bring the matter to her; Kaylie, however, tells Sophia that a fight needn't always be bloody, and instead demands a staredown! The alpha Garou and her friend, the magnificent sidhe Baroness, lock eyes, force of will coursing through both. Sophia stares into Kaylie's soul, seeing the pain and fear in her friend, who is defeated, looking away. Sophia rushes to her and embraces her, saying that they will be proud to stand by her side any day, and that they are truly sorry. She presents Kaylie with her gift: a compass, altered by Patches to always point towards The Spark.

Patches receives a "call" (via owl!) from her father, who wants to know about having dinner; Sophia and Braum are taken aside and asked to stay, as the Garou will be saying goodbye to their leader that evening. Without knowing what that could entail, they agree, hoping to see more of the Garou society they have allied themselves with….