Freedom, Justice and Anarchy

[evolution]

Name of Thread: Freedom, Justice and Anarchy
Characters Involved in Thread: Raylan Shephard, Kate Cliff
IC Month Thread Occured: June 2007
Brief Description of Thread: Rain does a little cliff side contemplating, and Kate gives him an ear.

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Freedom - Refer to an absence of undue restrictions and an opportunity to exercise one's rights and powers.

Anarchy - A theory that regards the absence of all direct or coercive government as a political ideal and that proposes the cooperative and voluntary association of individuals and groups as the principal mode of organized society.

It's strange how those two things are so intertwined, constantly walking a razors edge. For the Sons of Anarchy, and namely Raylan Shephard, those two words were something defined their mission in life. To be free to do as they wish and to have what defines Anarchy - the will and power to handle things at their own discretion. Most would say what the members of the Sons seek are to be outlaw's, to be above the law and while most of these men would not begrudge anyone that judgment, the Sons know that their brand of justice is true. If someone rapes a little girl, the guy likely goes to jail for a very long time, but within the system, he's got all he needs; three hot's and a cot. Whereas SAMCRO would do what most would want to see done, even if they only secretly agreed. The man would be either be incapable of ever using his dick again, or he would be killed, plain and simple. Anarchy for these men isn't necessarily the lack of any government, but a less involved one. When SAMCRO was originally formed it was a simpler time. Raylan can't vouch for what they charter was looking for then, but in the here and now, the simpler times no longer exist. Running guns and dishing out their own brand of justice on anyone that would want to corrupt the town they call home was what defined them now.

Raylan was near the outskirts of Charming sitting upon the dry and dusty ground at the edge of a cliff. Over the edge was a small valley and at its base was a twisting dry river bed running through it. It was about as scenic as Charming truly got and was a place that Raylan discovered and liked to come to to think. He had been in the club for nearly a year now and had come to see a lot of things within Charming and within the walls of the Sons of Anarchy clubhouse. He could remember seeing men being killed during his time in the military, even doing some of the killing himself, but then it was for his country, to preserve the freedoms that his country has bestowed upon its people. But after being discharged from the military and branded insubordinate despite the fact that he saved the lives of his entire squad, he saw things so much differently. It was only after he joined the Sons and saw a member kill another man did things take on a new meaning. Despite the fact that this man had committed murder, he was the one protecting the freedoms he was given. What Raylan was doing in the middle-east was just something that his commanding officers fed the troops to keep them motivated. War was so political anymore it made him sick to think he devoted so much of his life to that cause.

Keeping this all in mind, Raylan never doubted himself for joining the Sons and never doubted it's members in their actions. Clay Morrow was a perfect example, the man held a lot on his shoulders on a daily basis, from running a legitimate business, to gun running. From expanding his contacts and branching out in other ways, being the King, being president of the SAMCRO was difficult and something that he couldn't imagine taking on. That's why he never really questioned anyone's decision making, besides, it wasn't really his place being that he was really only a grunt in the grand scheme of things.

Taking a drag of his cigarette, Raylan held it in for a brief moment before exhaling. He had finished with it and flicked the butt over the edge of the cliff that he sat at. A crisp breeze broke the otherwise hot air and made him close his eyes and enjoy that feeling for as long as it lasted. Looking back over his shoulder, he admired his motorcycle which was resting in the shade of a tree only a few yards from where he sat. Raylan was dressed in a pair of ripped blue jeans and a white t-shirt that read 'SAMCRO' in distressed blue lettering as well as his cut and black harness boots. He always carried and had a Glock 31 as well as a butterfly knife on his person, never knowing when he might have to defend the club and its members. Raylan contemplated going back to the clubhouse, but knew there was nothing he was really needed for, and besides, someone would call if they really needed him.

[mavrick]

Kate hated L.A, it was too big, too loud and she couldn’t afford to be pulled over. Going from the Hills to Charming was easy, deserted highways and local P.D were less likely to run a check on her, especially when she pulled a sweet face and looked all innocent. But LAPD was a different thing altogether. So when her oldest sister had called her, asking her to come down and see her, Kate had been hesitant. For starters, Annie only ever asked Kate to come see her when she wanted money. Add onto that the fact she hated L.A, it made for a perfectly fucked up day.

And Annie did not disappoint.

Kate was now broke, and her sister, high on whatever the hell was cheapest, did not make for good company. But she had stayed and listened to her woes, comforted her and did not argue back when Annie had started in on it. She was worn the hell out by the time she left to head back to Charming, at least June was more pleasant to be around, even if she did despise the fact Kate hung around SAMCRO like some kind of disease. She couldn’t help it, it was part of who she was. Her dad liked to shelter her, try to keep her safe, sent Cyrus out with her when she wanted to go places. Clay actually recognised her as an adult, and even asked for her help with things, it was easy to see which one she preferred.

She didn’t go to Charming all that often, but when she did, she always stayed a while. It was hard to leave, to go back to her overbearing father. She usually only returned when June went off at her, and they got into a big argument about her being some clubhouse rat and a sweet butt and so on. They hadn’t gotten to that point yet, she’d only been there a week after all.

Reaching the Charming borders, Kate rolled along at a reasonable pace, the traffic light enough for her to roll between lanes and amuse herself. When she spotted Raylan’s bike, parked under a tree on the side of the road, she recognised it immediately. She felt a lump of anxiety rise in her throat, hoping to hell that he was okay. The last thing she wanted to do was stumble onto some grizzly murder. She pulled over, parking her bike next to his in the shade of the tree. It was warm, and Kate took great joy in taking off her leather riding jacket, as soon as she’d stopped the heat had set in. The helmet was next to go, and when she looked around, she spotted Raylan sitting by the edge of a cliff, no blood, no death, always a bonus.

The short blonde breathed a sigh of relief.

She swung her leg over her bike, standing upright and stretching her aching back out. The dirt crackled under her boots, and she strolled over towards Raylan. “You okay?” she asked, figuring he would have heard her bike, or recognise her voice. She didn’t know Raylan all that well, he hadn’t been in the club for all that long. She knew he was ex military, that he made her laugh, was a nice guy, and was good looking. She figured she would come to know the rest with time.

[evolution]

He heard a bike pull up and only glanced back for a moment after realizing it was Kate. He heard her approach by the sound of the dry earth crunching under her foot falls. When she asked if he was okay, Rain could hear the concern in her voice, even if it was only just. Smiling, he looked up at her and replied, "Yeah 'plus eight', I'm fine." The 'plus eight' reference was to the show Kate Plus Eight, formerly John & Kate Plus Eight. Raylan's humor was simple yet made you think for a second, especially if he was using pop culture references, and most of the time it went over the older members' heads. "Found this place when I first came to Charming. Usually come up here with I need to think." he told her in retrospect. When one thinks of a biker in its purest sense, people jump to the 'outlaw' conclusion. No one thinks that they are men and women just like everyone else that have families and have jobs and the whole reason that they join a club is share their passion and enthusiasm for everything motorcycles. It's the one percent-er clubs like SAMCRO that deal in other, more shady transactions on top of the everyday life that lead people to assume all bikers are 'outlaws'.

Raylan knew that when he decided to join the Sons, when he decided to be part of a family, that he would be getting involved with other things that were more criminal - but in the end, finally having a family was worth the trade off. However, when things became tough or the burden was getting too heavy, he would come out here to think, even talk to his parents from time to time. Patting the ground beside him, he offered what amounted to a seat next to him. He exchanged words with Kate on several occasions, telling jokes or just being witty, and she always seemed to smile and laugh. She was a little bit of normal in an otherwise crazy world. Removing and lighting another cigarette, Raylan raised the cylindrical roll to his mouth and took a drag. As he exhaled, he asked Kate without ever looking at her, "How do you do it 'plus eight'? You grew up in this life sure, but it's gotta get overwhelming for you too. How do you deal?"

He contemplated the thought that he probably sounded weak asking her something like that, but in all honesty, he was positive every single man or woman that was part of a MC - one percent-er or otherwise - had to have a way to vent and/or otherwise get themselves focused and keep their world from crashing down around them.

[mavrick]

Kate watched so little television, that when Raylan had first called her that, she’d asked him to explain what he was on about. When he told her, she just added it to the list of nicknames she hated. Why couldn’t anyone call her Kate? Why did it have to be Kid, or Blondie or some other ridiculous thing? She did what she always did when she got called a nickname, she ignored it, instead focusing on what Raylan had asked her instead.

She honestly never would have used the word ‘overwhelming’ to describe how things got for her. She loved her life, the people she grew up with, the men she hung around. She didn’t know any different, and unlike her sisters, she didn’t wish for any different. She gave a shrug and sat down in the dirt next to Raylan, thankful for the jeans she had on because it wasn’t particularly comfortable.
“You take the good with the bad,” she said simply, not sure what else to say on the subject. “It’s all worth it in the end.”

[evolution]

"Take the good with the bad huh? Fair enough." he said with a nod, yet not looking at her and just extending his gaze towards the scenery. "Ya know, when I first came out here, I had no idea what I was doing. I was so mad with the way my career ended in the military and just so pissed at the system that I just got on my bike and rode. I didn't have any family, no one I was attached to, so disappearing off the radar was simple." Raylan was speaking almost as if he was expecting Kate to be taking notes, pausing between sentences. He lit up another cigarette, offering one to Kate in the process. "And then somehow I found myself out here; heard about the Sons and somehow felt like it was right for me. To have family, brothers and sisters that would die for you." Rain stopped himself a moment, taking a drag from his cigarette and lowering his head to look at the ground. Turning his gaze towards Kate, he continued.

"SAMCRO is one of the best things that could have happened to me, and yet I never would have dreamed that a motorcycle club could be so much..." His mouth hung open as he looked around with his eyes, searching for a word, to which he ended his sentence with, "more." Looking back out at the valley before them, he felt another breeze caress his face and Rain closed his eyes as he continued to confess to Kate what was on his mind. "It's strange, in the Navy, we had a reason to kill and protect, but with the Sons, we have entirely different reasons - and the crazy thing is, they make more sense and are more just than what the government tells us now." Raylan took a long drag of his cigarette, flicking the ash off the tip then letting it rest on his lips again. "But the one thing the military and the MC have in common are the pressures. You see some crazy shit, and you just have to unwind some times, ya know?" Rain was looking at Kate again, this time seeing if she could relate. He wasn't exactly hoping for a deep meaningful conversation but he liked the fact that he could use her as a sounding board, just to get some of this shit off his chest.

[mavrick]

Kate listened, like she always did. She had always been a sympathetic ear, having grown up in an MC, having to deal with all the bullshit that could be associated with it, guys could relate to her where they couldn’t with their old ladies. It always made Kate feel like she had a purpose, when she was tired and frustrated with her dad for not taking her on as a prospect, being told to stay away because it was too dangerous, something like this would happen and it made her feel like she was there for something, instead of being a fifth wheel. She held her hand up in a simple ‘no thanks’ gesture when he offered her a smoke and she pulled one of her legs up at the knee, the other dangling over the cliff edge.

She glanced at him as he continued to speak, nodded and listened and was genuinely interested. She didn’t know much about Rain’s past, and she liked knowing about the boys, they were like her brothers, she was supposed to know them.
“You’re not alone,” she said when he finished up, looking at her again. “They all need to unwind at some point. You just work out what does it best for you, and then wander on home again when you feel better. No one asks, no one tells, it works.”

Kate wasn’t sure if what she said was designed to make him feel better, but it was the truth. Sometimes shit got hectic, and occasionally people needed to take a little break from it all and sort their shit out. She’d seen it happen to all of them, in SAMCRO and the Tribe over the years, and it always worked. They always came back, feeling better, focused. Maybe Rain just needed some time to unwind, take a run to Vegas, or go fishing… she didn’t know what would work for him, but she did know that with the times how they were, she doubted he’d get the opportunity to unwind any time soon.

[evolution]

Listening to her explain that he wasn't the only one that felt the way he did, it brought with it some comfort, some relief to know he wasn't bat shit crazy. Raylan simply nodded his understanding and glanced her way sporadically. They both sat in silence for a moment before Rain finally picked himself up off the ground, saying as he did: "Thanks. Thanks for listening Kate. SAMCRO doesn't have much in the way of therapist, so I guess that'll have to do." A smile had formed upon his face and at the same time he as extending his hand out to help her up as well. If nothing else he was relieved to be able to get some of the things he had on his mind out in the open for someone to listen. He couldn't imagine someone like Tig giving a flyin' fuck what Raylan thought and Clay, well he always assumed he'd just call him a pussy, hand him a beer and say get over it. But after he thought about it, he imagined all those men wearing the Reaper had the same feelings Rain did, they just handled them differently.

Just as he was about to say something to Kate, Rain's phone began to ring. Fishing into his pocket and removing the flip open device, he realized it was the prez. "It's Clay, I gotta take this." he told the young blonde, figuring she'd understand. After a minute or so, Rain was off the phone and had a look of urgency on his face. "Well the boss man wants me back at the clubhouse, something about Indian Hills. You headin' back to the clubhouse too?" He figured he probably already knew the answer considering the fact that normally when Kate was in Charming, she was with the Sons. Walking over to his motorcycle, Rain sat down upon the machine and threw his helmet on, buckling the chin strap. He then set about starting up the cycle and revving the engine, allowing it to warm up.

[mavrick]

Kate was the therapist, or at least that’s how she saw herself sometimes. For guys who didn’t have Old Ladies, she was the logical next best thing. Then there were the guys who didn’t offload on their women, and so she became the sympathetic ear instead. It didn’t bother her, the secrets never got too much for her, she never forgot what they said or how they felt, it was how she helped them. She felt a smile spread over her features, mirroring Raylan’s. She took his hand as he offered it and he hauled her easily to her feet.

She gave a nod he indicated he needed to take the phone call, and as he wandered away from her to talk, she took a moment to look out across the scenery. It was pretty, quiet and calming. She didn’t often pay attention to her surroundings, when it was home, it was just background. It was only when you were somewhere new and exciting that the scenery became something you actually wanted to look at.

She turned around as Raylan spoke to her again, she listened, wondered what could be going on in the Hills, then shook her head as he asked whether she’d be going with him. “Nah, I’m gonna head home, I can’t feel my ass and I wanna get off my feet.” She smiled, and followed him to the bikes, throwing her leg over her own and starting it up. She watched as Rain waited for his bike to warm up, then rode off back to Charming.

Kate wasn’t far behind, but gave him his distance and turned off to head home as they reached town.