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Coalition for Better Understanding Between Human and Lycanthrope Communities,[1] or simply The Coalition or The Furry Coalition,[2] is an organisation founded in St. Louis by the lycanthope community.

Founding[]

The concept of an association of the lycanthropes of St. Louis was originally proposed by Marcus Fletcher, the former pack leader of the Thronnos Rokke Clan, sometime before The Lunatic Café; however, it was rejected by all of the other were groups because it was clear that Marcus wanted to use it to rule over them.

It was later suggested as a means for all the were groups to work together and support each other by Anita Blake in Narcissus in Chains.[3] It is formally established after Narcissus in Chains and is described as "a shapeshifter coalition to promote better understanding among the groups." Anita is chairman.[4]

Agenda[]

The Coalition provides help to any were-animal in an emergency, encourages information-sharing among the coalition member groups, and spreads awareness of were-animals to humans through the radio, television, and public speeches. In a way, they act as a general PR (Public Relations) firm for Lycanthropy.

Anita describes the development of the Coalition in Incubus Dreams:

"The coalition had originally been designed to promote better understanding and cooperation among the various animal groups, but [they'd] branched out to dealing with the human world, to try and promote better understanding with them, too."[5]

Further development is revealed in Bullet:

The Coalition helped new shapeshifters adjust to the change in lifestyle, and kept them from shifting early outside safe houses.[6]

Services[]

They have a help hotline, offer counseling and support to both new and existing weres and their families, and give informational seminars to the public. (NiC)

  • Emergency help line[7]
  • Monthly meeting for family members[8][9]

History[]

By Incubus Dreams, the Coalition is officially formed and public. Micah works with it full time as coordinator and earns a salary.[10][11] They have a law firm on retainer.[12]

When the werefox Gil is hit by a car, someone called the emergency contact number in his wallet, which was the Coalition's phone number. Teddy went to the hospital to assist and wait for a lawyer. That same night, a separate incident with a new werewolf afraid he'll turn in a bar calls Micah away.[13] The following day, Richard and his girlfriend Clair pick up Gregory when he calls the number because his car broke down; Gregory called the Coalition number because no one was answering at Anita's place and he was worried.

By Micah, Micah is working with the coalition about 60 hours a week.[14] By Danse Macabre, Micah is running the Coalition and the help line. His job is so involved that he would need to hire someone to help or replace him if he were to help raise a child.[15]

By The Harlequin, Micah is appearing on television on behalf of the coalition.[16] Donovan Reece has also been talking to other cities about how well the coalition is doing, and the coalition has "had some phone calls from other cities, wanting details about how it works."[17] Although Anita was originally chairman, she states in this novel that Micah is head of the coalition.[18]

In The Harlequin, Micah kicks the werelions out of the coalition since the leader Joseph does not come to assist Anita, Richard, and Jean-Claude when they are near death, which is seen as breaking the treaty. Haven checks with the other coalition members before challenging Joseph for his pride,[19] and he brings the pride back into the coalition.[20]

In Flirt, Micah is recognized from an interview he did for the news as head of the Coalition.[21]

By "Dancing," Micah is "interviewed a lot by the media" for the Coalition. He's come up with a "sanitized" version of how he and Anita got together which he shares with the press when asked, and he gives that version to Zerbrowski and his wife Katie:

"I came into town hoping to find a city that would understand what I was trying to do with the Coalition. Anita was there when I met the other wereleopards, and it was love at first sight for me."

This indicates that the official public story is that Micah was already developing the Coalition by the time he met Anita, but that is not true; the Coalition was created by Anita after he and Anita met.

By Affliction Micah has been on national news for the Coalition, and the media has shared stories that he and Anita live together.[22] The Coalition has a location with front offices, and Micah seems to have a separate office.[23] There's an unfounded rumor that the Coalition is recruiting people to become lycanthropes, which has been embraced by a branch of religious conservatives.[24]

As Jean-Claude describes:[25]

"Our Micah travels the country talking to various animal groups, helping them deal with their problems. He promotes better relations between normal humans and the lycanthrope community. He has become the public face of the movement and is often called to handle disputes hundreds of miles from our lands."
"Micah and his Coalition are called in across the country to settle disputes between diverse animal groups so they can avoid violence and be more 'human'. When a group of people turn to the same person time and again for leadership, what does that mean, ma petite?"

Jean-Claude believes that Micah, through his work for the Coalition, is becoming a sort of "high king" for the lycanthrope community in America.[25]

It's revealed that Micah and his guards have been engaging in fights for dominance as part of Micah's work with the Coalition, forcing some groups to join. These can be fights to the death, and these fights are kept secret even from Anita; she figures it out only when Domino slips up, and he and Socrates refuse to confirm it or tell her more in an attempt to keep it quiet.[26] Although the Coalition relies mostly on diplomacy, Micah describes how these types of fights come about:[27]

"It started with invitations from groups that wanted to hear about the Coalition. They wanted to join, and then we had a few groups that attacked the ones that had joined us, because one of the things they agree to do is not make war. We're trying to make a no-war rule that sticks like the Vampire Council did with the vampires, but lycanthropes don't have centuries of obeying a central government. Some of them want to keep their independence or simply think that werelions are better than werewolves, so they don't want to be in a mixed animal group, which is the whole idea of the Coaltion."

Micah also sleeps with some of the female dominants to bring in some groups.[27]

In Jason, Envy says that Micah, as head of the Coalition, is "becoming the leader for all the animal groups in town, and even across the country."[28]

By Crimson Death, the Coalition has become a national organization.[29]

Members[]

Leaders[]

Participating groups[]

Also see[]

References[]

  1. First named in Incubus Dreams chapter 05.
  2. Incubus Dreams, chapter 46: "So he (Gil) depended a great deal on the “Furry Coalition,” as the local shapeshifters and even the local police had started calling it."
  3. Narcissus in Chains, chapter 46: Anita discusses the possibility of a coalition with Donovan and Micah.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Narcissus in Chains epilogue chapter.
  5. Incubus Dreams, chapter 46.
  6. Bullet, chapter 02.
  7. Incubus Dreams, chapter 24: Richard says, "Gregory couldn’t get anyone here to pick him up. He got worried. On his way over, his car broke down. I was next on the list at the coalition help line."
  8. Incubus Dreams, chapter 18: "The coalition is offering a monthly meeting for family members. I thought we’d given flyers out to the werewolves."
  9. Bullet, chapter 02: "Micah and some of the other local leaders had come up with an idea for a family support group, where the members of the families that weren’t shapeshifters could talk freely about their parents, siblings, or even grand-parents."
  10. 10.0 10.1 Incubus Dreams, chapter 73: Micah says, "I am the coordinator for the Coalition for Better Understanding between Lycanthrope and Human Communities."
  11. Incubus Dreams, chapter 05: "... the salary he (Micah) drew from the Coalition for Better Understanding Between Lycanthrope and Human Communities didn’t cover designer suits."
  12. Incubus Dreams, chapter 11: Teddy tells Anita, "I have taken the liberty of calling the law firm that the coalition has on retainer."
  13. Incubus Dreams, chapter 11.
  14. Micah chapter 05:
    "I draw a decent salary from chairing the Furry Coalition."
    "You’ve earned the salary, Micah. You average, what, sixty hours a week?"
  15. Danse Macabre, chapter 16: "I would need more help running the hotline and the coalition. We would have nearly a year to train someone to help me, or even replace me, if that’s what was needed."
  16. The Harlequin, chapter 20: "Through us, Micah was in charge of the furry coalition hotline, which meant he was beginning to be the go-to guy for most of the lycanthropy community. He was the liaison between us and the larger community. His television time was even going up. He gave good sound bite."
  17. The Harlequin, chapter 25:"He’s (Donovan) also begun talking to other cities about how well our furry coalition is doing here. He’s not trying to start another coalition, just talking about it. We’ve actually had some phone calls from other cities, wanting details about how it works."
  18. The Harlequin, chapter 36.
  19. The Harlequin, chapter 38: Haven says, "Your Nimir-Raj has kicked Joseph and his lions out of the coalition. I’ve checked with the wererats, the werehyenas, and your Ulfric. They’re all cool with me doing what needs doing."
  20. The Harlequin, chapter 38: "It means that once I kill Joseph and take over his pride, I’ll be a permanent member of your coalition. I’ll be the local Rex."
  21. Flirt: "Don’t bother hiding the eyes," Bennington said, "I saw the interview you did for the news. You’re the head of the Coalition for Better Understanding Between Humans and Lycanthropes, and I know you’re a wereleopard."
  22. Affliction, chapter 01.
  23. Affliction, chapter 02.
  24. Affliction, chapter 14.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Affliction, chapter 04.
  26. Affliction, chapter 67.
  27. 27.0 27.1 Affliction, chapter 68.
  28. Jason, chapter 01.
  29. Crimson Death, chapter 01: The Coalition was a national organization that was slowly but surely forging the country’s different types of shapeshifters into a cohesive group with one voice, shared goals, and they looked to him to lead them toward those goals.
  30. Incubus Dreams, chapter 11: "Richard had allowed the wolves that wanted to help to join the coalition."
  31. Incubus Dreams, chapter 11. The only werefox in St. Louis, Gil, is carrying an emergency contact card with the Coalition's number, showing that he is a member.
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