Time, passes

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Pencil note in hasty, messy scribbles, written in several sessions dated 27/5/08
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Seems I been so caught up in tha four walls of Tha Library I have missed stuff out in tha city. I feel kinda torn between two sets of duties. I keep tha late watch, tha wee small hours when most of Toxia sleeps. Tha hour of tha wolf till tha cold grey hours before tha dawn. Means I miss most of tha traffic, but I meet tha lurkers and crazies. Tha big news mostly passes over me as I curl in tha corner upstairs or in a dark corner. Just tha way it is. Nocturnal, I guess.

Portia reminds me, gives me an earful that she never sees me anymore, that i'm always cooped up in ta safety of Tha Library. I don’t argue it, I have been. It don't matter that I got duties and catchin up ta do. I need ta get out more. Yet, I got stuff I been doin. Learnin, bein a face of tha Institute. Seein ta tha well bein of my Family. And still, I’m a workin Shifter. I need a mission. Purpose I got. Station I got, I been wonderin if I’m doin enough. Who knows. Poncho knows, that’s who. Tricky bugger has been lookin at tha books, checkin tha chalks and doin tha numbers.

We had some damn awful luck recent like with Praetors. Arcann, Lorne. Totally different ways, but still. Nareth's been gone a long time too. I know she comes in now and then with tha King Tide, but her seat is lonely. New faces, or at least, new ta tha roles, Joah, Merma and Lari have been promoted ta reward service and so we got extra hands ta keep busy. Just like back in tha 7RAR-L, we got section heads. Bloody good thinkin. Exactly what I needed. We got our Covert Ops, headed by Comerade Bork, Her Ladyships Left Hand (gotta keep operational security ya know. Media + Public Relations is Poncho's baby. Paranormal Studies will go ta Joah I figure, bein tha lab-coaty type. Magical Research seems likely ta go Lari's way, beein recenty back from tha beyond herself and all Agelified.

Library operations I think might go ta Merma. She's got an affinity fer book learnin. Her Ladyship and Poncho asked me ta look over tha list and see if there was anythin that struck my fancy. Ya know, there was one thin, one job that seemed ta jump out at me and latch on. I just grinned my most canine toothy grin at em both and handed tha list back ta Poncho sayin what ta some mighta been tha furthest from their minds. Somethin ya might think me mad ta suggest.

Diplomacy.

I'm gonna take tha job of tha Institute's Diplomatic Praetor. Ha. If only Drill Sgt Cunninham could see me now. Never thought he'd toilet train me and teach me ta eat my Kibble'n'Pal with my FRED (thats P38 ta ya septics) and now I’m gunna be representin a movin and shakin civilian research Institute in a volatile target rich environment. He'd be spittin chips if one of tha other SNARL's hadn't torn off his arms after one too many slaps with his marshalin crop.

I know it's Poncho's old post. I know a lot rides on it. I hope I can hold my head up ta tha task. I got friends in all tha Factions, more or less. No enemies ta speak of, fer my part. I been around long enough that folks get ta know my face and scent. I figure they can trust me ta be me, at least. So, respect i'll see if I get, but with Coyote's favor and tha Goddess' grace, i'll do a good job, come back with my shield, or on it, as they told us they used ta say in tha swords'n'spears days.

Sometimes ya just have ta wait and watch, and somethin good wanders in front of ya on tha trail. I was worried I was just bein a fireside General. I'm no Sir, I work fer a livin, now I got somethin ta do. Just gotta show My-She that there is a place fer her in tha Institute, that tha unique spark she's got, Priestess, High and humble is just as important as tha Nephilum, tha Angels and tha Elder fuckin Fangers who start ta go toe-ta-toe with them fer years. That a witch is just as needed as a broken soldier Shifter like me. I know what it is ta run alone, ta follow and ta lead. It was drilled inta me beyond instinct. I hope I can show her. Tha Family's stronger with her. Takes all kinds in this Family. It's what makes us, us.