Zipper’s Bud, offer your sincerity

Fight night, somewhere in the middle-ish? Shortly after this
Ear and nose bandaged all to heck
@Eli
@Frank

---

-one thing, you should be efficient.

Shane stepped away from the one king he knew, moving back over to the corner where the medics had set up to see about tripling that number. Straight up approaching people he didn't at all know was not the new prince's forte. Took a lot of private reminders that he wanted to be a good leader in order to keep his feet moving.

Stepped up to the two, table between them and him. Tried not to interrupt conversation, but would if he had to. Cleared his throat gruffly.

"Fellas. How're you now?" Folded his arms. Tried not to scowl. Meager success.

The presence of someone approaching wasn’t new considering where they were at and that the medic table was more or less constantly in use. It was the clearing of a throat that had Frank looking over midlaugh from whatever it was Eli had said, cheeks hurting.

Sucking in a breath to get a hold of himself as a soft few laughs still escaped, he met the face with a wide smile. Curiosity and a roving gaze looking for any new scrapes would accompany before back up. The guy had already been here from what he could recall and there were bandages to prove as much.

”Good, good. How’re you doin’? That giving you any trouble?” A finger went up to his own nose and brushed it in reference.

Fao decided this was some point after Eli's fight, so his neck was lightly bandaged, but spirits were clearly high if he was over here giving his favorite medic a good giggle. His own expression decidedly flat but his eyes lit up with the sort of amusement he could only inflict upon himself, he looked toward their fresh interloper with some interest.

Frank made a good assumption, and Eli looked lightly to the too-handsome young man with expectancy. It was too bad the little cats had their own medic, he would have liked to work on that missing ear. Just one of the more unusual blows of the night.

Mmm. Hadn't considered it'd seem like he was coming over for medical shit. Shane shook his head, moving to adjust his own nose but aborting at the last moment and shoving his hand back into the crook of his elbow. "Not so bad."

From there... He'd sort of practiced this at home before the whole thing, knowing he'd have the responsibility. But it wasn't the same. Usually when Shane addressed a stranger they were looking to buy produce. He didn't go looking for people to sell to. Just sat with a beer and waited. This was a lot more socially proactive than he was comfortable with.

"Been uh..." Goddammit. Pitter patter. "Heard tell you, the both of you, run groups." Jaguars in Alameda and coyotes in... Fuck, he didn't know. Mmm. Best just not mention any of it. "Recently got one together in Hollowstone n'... Well, like, figured we ought know about each other n' suchlike."

waited kindly and then with the dawning realization that this was an effort to introduce himself officially to other group leaders.

”Hollowstone, huh?” He smiled, rising to a stand to offer a sure handshake, the jaguar sizing up the small cat and giving a reminder of the woman he had some unsavory thoughts about that shared the animal. But, he wasn’t her the same way Parker wasn’t.

”Good to meet you, I’m Frank and this here is Eli,” he motioned to his friend.

"That's me," Eli agreed, happy to stay where he was and look up at the third man. Curious but... you know, a little too cool to go around grasping hands and shaking earnestly and making all the bridges for everyone. Eli could navigate a social scene easy enough, but that didn't make him a go-getter.

"So you're my neighbor to the south, huh? The band is up in Camp Baron, so I guess you're right--best we know each other. What's your name, then?"

Preferences were already forming. Appreciated Frank's approach. Mirrored his own well enough. Bit more verbose, but stand, greet, name, handshake. Yeh, proper ritual. Usually Shane introduced himself with an offered hand and a simple utterance of his own name, but felt like some explanation had been needed here before getting to that.

Still, took the jaguar's hand—was a jaguar, contact confirmed—with a firm squeeze and shake. Frank. Would remember.

Other one, coyote, Eli, sat. Kept seated. Wasn't... Mmm. Wasn't as though the man'd kicked a puppy. Folk were different. Had to face that more now he was involved in things outside Hollowstone. Didn't have to like it. Preferred Frank. Of course Eli'd be the one located closer. Mmm.

"Shane," he finally got to, nodding once to Frank and then pointedly offering a hand to the coyote. A hand too far away to easily grasp from his seat.

A firm hand found his and he smiled for it, taking it back whenever was appropriate. With a name out, he nodded, committing Shane to memory.

”Are you the leader of Parker’s group,” Frank asked, looking off to the woman in question helping out elsewhere down the table.

Not a go-getter, but when someone offered him a hand, well...

He was a doctor. It was a thing he did pretty often, truth be told. Which was probably part of why he didn't jump on it in his personal life.

But when Shane offered his hand there wasn't much fanfare about picking himself up out of his seat enough to step and then lean for that shake--quick, if he had his way. Shane! He'd remember that. Probably.

Frank had a good question and if Eli didn't get locked into a deathgrip challenge handshake he was sitting back down, thank you very much.

Mmm. Good enough. Don't pick fights, bud. He gave Eli's hand the same brief routine Frank's had gotten. Brownish fur he briefly saw could've been coyote, yeah. Nose wasn't working well enough to confirm, but didn't figure there was any cause for a fuss.

Looked back to Frank, then down the way to Parker. Back to Frank. Nodded. "Can confirm. She, uh..." One hand gestured to his bandaged features. "Yeh. She's a good 'un. Lucky to have her. You-?" Fuck, he almost asked about Asha. Knew she wasn't in Frank's group, though. Fact there were two... Mmm, implied domestic issues or suchlike.

Shook his head, shifted gaze back to Eli. Just pretend he didn't know any other jaguars. But coyotes... "Kai one of yours?"

The confirmation on the heels of the shared handshake from Eli and Shane, found Frank happy for her. She’d seen to Shane, the vouching on his part aligning with the few interactions he’d had with her himself.

He nodded, following along with the question that then seemed to derail elsewhere from him to Eli. Odd, but that was fine, thoughts liked to change in a moment's notice at times.

Parker, right. Little lady down that way. She'd been doing this with them for a while now. Seemed skittish but competent. Eli hadn't gotten around to getting to know her more than professionally, but... he'd never been one to make a social web anyway.

All in all, his concern about the association between little felines was minimal. They seemed competent enough all around.

"Unfortunately, yes," Eli confirmed when things came back his way. And dangit, there he was again poking at his coyotes who weren't here to make it fun. "I kid, she's great. Been around these parts even longer than I have. She keeps me ready for anything."

First hint of a smile flickered across his face at the beginning reply. Yeah. Fuckin' handful. IIt faded into a nod of agreement with the rest of the assessment. Did seem to know her shit. Wasn't real keen to distribute comforting advice though. But then after a talk he'd had with Mateo not long ago, maybe that wasn't a bad thing.

"Met her 'fore the cat," he began, trusting they'd both understand his meaning following their little glimpses of spots and stripes. Never seemed to escape immediate notice that, whatever he was, it was a fuck of a lot smaller than whatever they were. He'd meant to brag a little about how he'd thrown her out of a bar before he even had were strength. But, mmm. Seemed impolite when the moment approached.

"Good mechanic," he blandly offered instead.

The comments about Kai, the coyote he’d heard and seen a lot about without much interaction besides, was started with a joking beginning before a more honest description. She was well liked even by Shane who’d apparently met her before his turning it would seem.

”Small world. Y’know I still haven’t had a real conversation with her even though she has her garage down in Alameda,” he mused aloud.

"She's sure something," Eli agreed, trying to imagine where Kai could have been to make an impression on this guy before he'd even been a were, but... well, you know, maybe not a question he wanted the answer to. Some things you weren't meant to know.

"She's all sass, so watch out if you ever do, Franko."

Alameda. Camp Baron. Jaguars and coyotes. More or less information he'd already gotten from Levka, but felt right hearing it from these two. Legitimate or suchlike.

Sharp little nod for the warning about Kai. "Yeh," he reinforced. Had been a good subject for banter. Friendly introductions. For a man who generally preferred being left alone, he was trying hard to be sociable here. Made a small effort to smile more, but found it hurt his battered face to force the uncommon motion. Settled back into his default mildly puckered glower instead.

Did have something else he thought worth addressing before he broke away. "D'you-wanna-know-what, I got a question. What, uh... Well, like, how's your experience been with vampires?" He looked between the two men, eager to get both perspectives.

All sass had him shaking his head for it, but taking the advice the two gave for the pointer it was. The edit to his name however found Frank not entirely sure if Elijah was poking fun at how Mathis addressed him or if it had simply been something pulled out of his head. Hmm. ”I will.”

Flicking his gaze back to Shane, he watched the smile fade to something that looked more comfortable for the man if not also on the verge of a headache. The topic sure did lend itself well to it.

Frank tried, really, to school his expression, but it still dipped into something sour, hinted with outright disdain. “Not great,” he rumbled out. ”A few here or there might chat you up all nice, but they’re all the same.” Lying fucking monsters that were better off back in the ground.

”Group of ‘em in Alder Heights threatened all the jaguars with silver a while back.” He motioned with a nod off-ward as if showing the direction to said area of town. “And the cheetahs haven’t had many great run-ins either. Watch your back with them.” That was of course the super short spark notes edition of it all when in reality, there were a lot more run-ins, experiences, and the here and now felt like the wrong place to list it all out.

You know, Eli didn't know if he'd ever talked vampires at length with Frank at any point.

But it was clear from the moment they poked the subject that they had incredibly different experiences.

For instance, Beauregard. The coyotes had had problems with him in the past, and the jaguars much more clearly as well. But at the same time... Well, Eli wasn't here to stick his foot into anyone else's grief. He'd support and defend his friends, but his personal encounters with Beauregard had been... well, helpful, if he was very honest. Between him and Tempest, Eli's dealings with vampires were counterpoint to Frank's.

But he respected the man too much to blatantly be like 'that's bullshit' at the notion that all vampires were the same. Held his tongue on the matter, and could not dispute the experiences the other had had.

The coyote was, however, willing to shrug. "I've found them useful. They're alright if you know how to deal with them. Or find the right ones. But there are plenty of wrong ones, I s'pose."

That last bit was really just a leniency for poor Frank's sake.

Mmm. >:[

Frank's perspective was about in keeping with everything else Shane had heard. Alder Heights vampires were the ones Asha'd warned him about. This Beauregard and co he'd never met. Unless that one vampire dog he'd pet for a bit was one of them. Likely. Had to wonder about the bird he'd found on his property, the woman out by the quarry lake. All counts had been as Frank painted; chatted him up all nice. Bit condescending. Not better or worse than he got from a fair few city folk and college kids, but with a stench he could do without.

Mmm.

Eli, though, muddied that all up a bit with... Wasn't exactly a glowing review, but... The least negative he'd yet heard from another were, supposed.

Mmm. >:[

Couldn't be fuckin' simple, could it? Have to keep asking.

Though his face had grown more dour with each word, he shook it off, resetting to his standard rbf and fishing out a pair of those same business cards for the produce stand he'd handed to Levka. "Kay, well, I'll think on it. Think you ought have my number, case one of your folk have a need out my way." Seemed less likely with the coyotes, since they'd be so near home anyway. But they'd also be more likely to get into trouble in Hollowstone, so.

Holding them out, one in each hand—even took a step forward to offer Eli's near enough the man wouldn't need stand, because he was fuckin' polite—he clarified at a grunt. "They're welcome at the farm."

Useful was a weird word to use for a vampire. As were the rest of the words coming out of Eli’s mouth. Frank’d heard similar, sure, but he wasn’t about to start ‘dealing’ with any of them if he didn’t have to for good reasons. It was great that his friend hadn’t had similar experiences to be completely honest. Still, at the end of the day, the man wasn’t painting a naive pristine picture and that said something. Shane would at least get the picture to watch his back regardless of who’s opinion was heeded.

A card was offered out along with a gesture to stop by if needed and Frank took it with a warm smile. Lifting the card between two fingers he’d add on. ”Same to you and yours. I’ll text you my info later tonight. It was great to meet you.” With that, he’d make to put the card in his wallet for safekeeping.

Yeah Eli wasn't looking to convert anyone with his opinion. It just... was what it was. It helped that Cliff was keen to be civil with vampires, too, and that was the fellow he had to work most closely with as leaders went. Best to agree on that front, and as Eli didn't have reason to not... well.

Shane had come over here with an intention, it seemed, and the coyote was happy to take the business card, pretty tickled by the novelty of it. Made him wish he had one of his on him, though his was emblazoned with his non-supernatural credentials. Oh well!

"Appreciated, I'll let them know for sure. And same as Frank, I'll shoot you a message. You're really up on this networking thing, Shane, I'm impressed."

Impressed from a man who had done very little of the sort himself. He talked to Frank because he liked Frank. He talked to Asha because she had owed him a debt of regret. And he talked to Cliff because he shared a backyard with the man. Other than that... well, he'd done very poor. So thanks, little cat.

Good enough. More than. Wanted both numbers, ability to contact them direct if something came up. Didn't want to ask. Glad that offering his own had drawn out the same.

Appreciated Frank's continued... mmm, sticking to the script or suchlike. Simple implication of thanks and a polite release from the social ordeal. Again, more less the way Shane'd have approached it. Bit more smiley. Nothing wrong with that. Drew another nod.

Eli though kept being harder to predict. Deviating from expectation. Mmm. Was a real nice thing he said, but it made Shane a bit uncomfortable. "Well, uh..." he faltered. Didn't know what he was doing with this were leadership thing, and this made it sound like his approach was outside the norm. Wasn't so much where he wanted to be.

"Seemed like, uh, thing to do," he waved it off. Thought of Richard for some reason. Hadn't seen the man since the craters incident, but had often come up to him all, mmm, unconventional back in the days Shane sold his produce up at Mercado. Similar feeling. Couldn't right say why.

The networking was definitely a good effort, something Frank nodded with. Getting running along that front hadn’t been necessarily a huge step for him having known a lot of the leaders before needing to jump in, but that first initial meet was always filled with some anxiety depending.

”Have you met all the other leaders here, yet?”

The thing to do, huh? Country boys were sure something. Shane was... distinct in a lot of ways, but also reminded Eli of more than a few old farmhands. Liked things solid, a certain way. He'd never fallen into that himself, in spite of his own father being one. That was why he'd been a vet instead of a pureblooded rancher.

Frank asked a question that sounded like it was coming to a point, and Eli didn't have anything to add. He couldn't even start pointing out the ones he knew to much effect. He'd done a great job of keeping to himself and the coyotes.

Slow as his thoughts often were, Shane wasn't one to start speaking before he was ready. So not much risk of listing what leaders he had met and possibly stepping on a hornet's nest of jaguars. Mmm. Exactly the sort of thing he'd stop himself from saying. Fuck's sake.

"Nope." Stick to just answering the question. "Had 'em pointed out. Uh, wolf, hyena, n' cheetah to go."

Though... wasn't sure he'd get to any of that tonight. Head hurt, he'd been prescribed a shift once home, still had an hour and more drive to get there, and had already been awful social on the Shane scale. Plus nobody wanted a new fight night thread at this point.

Wondered if Hope'd be up for driving the pickup.

No, but he was aware of who to go to. That was good at least, another step into making connections that could be hopefully leaned on later if needed.

”Ah, alright then.” Speaking of, he probably needed to eventually meet Dakila and the Pete in person at some point too now that Frank was thinking about it.

”We better let you get back to your night. It was great meeting you.”

"Yeah, thanks for stopping over, Shane." Eli was happy with it. Actually, he took a sort of secondary satisfaction it in, like Shane's approaching them like this had been an accomplishment for the coyote, too.

Riding on someone's coattails wasn't something he got to do so often, so he'd take what he could get here.

"I'll make sure to pass along your info where it makes sense."

Good. Wrapping up. Shane was ready to head home and was fair sure Hope'd been ready to leave since they'd arrived. This was a productive night, even if he'd initially hoped for more. Dipping his toes, as it were. Hadn't gone terrible.

Hard to complain. Head still hurt though.

"Kay, yeh." Either man received a meaningful nod. Didn't expect he'd see them often, but was glad to have names, faces, contact. Some notion of who he'd be dealing with if there was some fuss. Neither struck him as imminent threats to any of his, and that was really the big takeaway he was glad for.

"I'll talk to you," he offered in farewell, before turning to find his gal.