Noisy Bells

[Hector]

Hector watches Necessary Guile.

So it was a test, then. And a call to arms. Maybe. Hector was more than a little concerned when the totem indicated it wanted to bring the children of Luna and the Wolf together. Perhaps it was in its nature to have multiple options. Perhaps it was a veiled reference to the recent rupture within the pack.

Hector could not deal with that now...

"I like Allen's idea. We do need some recon. How about you look into the Anshega then, Allen. You and Nikolai here! We do need to know where they hunt. And how many there are. And if there stragglers... Or something we can safely hit. Or their herd who we can put the squeeze on. Anything of value."

He turned to the Elodoth, nodding to him and the other Storm Lord more generally. Allen Brackett Nikolai Wojcik

"We are in the dark and that can't stand. We need to know their strength and their weaknesses. There is Glory and then there is stupid. Charging off after 'em right now would be stupid. Can you do it? Can you find out about them without letting them get your scent?"

He turned to Bleeds Well . "You said there was something up with that Casino. Why don't we check it out - make sure our flank is secure before we start taking other matters in hand? Just us two. I don't want to alert... anything... if there actually is something going on there."

He turned to the others.

" Emily Makerith Nathaniel Dormur try and find out just what is going on with the spirit courts. Take Matt Joule and @Brigid with you. For back up. Never know when you'll need to show your strength in the Shadow. See if you can pin down what is riling the spirits up. Report back: if its us we will need to prepare the correct rites to make amends; if its a particular spirit we may have to show our strength and mean it."

Turning back to the totem spirit he continued - abit more loudly so they could all hear.

"We need a plan. Cunning demands it. And charging off... like wolves... will only make more noise. And we don't want that. We want to be sneaky; stealthy; cunning - just like our totem Necessary Guile. So we will break our large pack into groups - each one with a task. A task to see and learn. A task to prepare the way... for when we do stuff. A hunt is better once the ground is prepared and the lay of the land understood, right?"

Feels like I'm laying out some scene suggestions, so feel free to push back if necessary Kelreth
Woland and Hiver seem interested in the Pure.
Xadun @Typhuzuzu13 are best equipped to help with the spirits but can probably use some help Stray Ruach

Myself and Mark can look into the casino. If this is Mark plot we can juggle some toons.

What do you think?

[Brigit]

As Hector gave his order, Brigit came to see that she was being forced to speak. The Alpha seemed to have forgotten her exile or felt it was not something to be considered.

Brigit felt differently. Thus, she stepped forward from her place on the periphery.

<<My penance is not done, Alpha,>> she said, reminding the man of her status. She spoke in the First Tongue, for Guile remained present, <<I will not stain the Honor of this pack by hunting with them until my task is done. When I achieve the Glory you has demanded, that will change. Until then, I remain apart.>>

Then a glance to the Crescents.

<<I cannot go with you.>>

There was some solemn resolve in her tone. Brigit was serious. A punishment was not a punishment if concessions were made for the sake of convenience. The Talon understood well what this meant for the pack. They were down a warrior. However, Brigit also knew that it was better to handicap them than dishonor their mission by joining.

[Emily Makerith]

Emily listens to Hector outline the plan. It sounds... interesting, putting the relative unknowns together, but on the other hand, all the unknowns in the same place. She nods to Hector. "You're the chief, chief." Her and Nate had the most experience with the city's spirits, and having Matt around wouldn't hurt.

When Brigit says she cannot come, Emily chews her lip, but nods curtly. The Ithaeur already had her own thoughts on what to do with Brigit.

The punk looks to Necessary Guile. <<Do you have knowledge of which courts we could start with?>> she asks respectfully.

[Bleeds Well]

The thug is stoic in his ragged clothing and shaggy hair and beard. If Alpha wants the two of them to investigate an underground club then, they'll do what is necessary. A haircut, a trim, and some thrift shopping is in order. Outward appearances are easy to change, it's much harder to stop being a shithead storm lord.

He has his marching orders, but sticks around for the answer to Em's question. Blue is wise while Hector leads them to glory. An idea Alpha/Beta relationship. Maybe the Iminir will grow up a little having to deal with the pure, unlikely. I just hope they don't get themselves killed with their foolish mouths.​

[Nathaniel Dormur]

Brigit won't be coming... That was unfortunate. But Nathaniel had already had this talk before- this was her path. It was rude to try and change it.

A nod to the Alpha's words- Matt seemed... A bit better around spirits. Nathaniel trusted him to remain composed, of course- and was happy to have him around. <<I'll gather the supplies.>> He figured there'd be mostly gafflings- and cat based. Nathaniel thought gathering chiminage wouldn't be so difficult. Catnip and fish maybe? That didn't sound too expensive. If they were in abundance, there might also be no need to call them.

Then waiting to see if their Totem had any suggestions. Nathaniel wouldn't turn down the advice.

As per the other tasks, the crescent was sure the pack was competent enough to handle them. Things were falling into place.

[Nikolai Wojcik]

The girl...Brigit? alienated herself from their stratagem. For whatever reason, it seemed personal, and therefore potentially dangerous. Everyone was.

And that would never change.

Nonetheless, he knew the weight of guilt. Shame. Penance. He had seen in it in the sunken pits of clients on their last dime, offering the last of their small pitiful selves to some emanation of justice. An emanation with tattered black wings.

The Irraka imagined tracking the Pure would not be as difficult, considering his own connections to law enforcement. But he had made a career of finding faces and collecting debts. He could not speak for Allen. They would speak when it was necessary.

For now, he would skulk and wade in the murk. But he would not pounce. Not yet. Cunning demands it.

<< Looks like I'm going fishing. I'll leave the haul at your feet. >> The First Tongue is like sandpaper. It is not quiet, nor is it subtle. But respect was long overdue. Less to the Talon and more to Necessary Guile.

[Kelreth]

<<I am not close with either court by inclination and joining with this pack. I only know that their lesser kind are starting to poke around.>> Guile replies to the Half-Moon then looks intently at the No Moon Iminir with its gibberish before looking at the Rahu Talon for a moment with blank eyes.

The totem bobs its head to Emily. <<I will have to be more blunt the next time I find errant Forsaken in the city.>> A glimmer of a cheshire cat smile creeps onto the normally stoic face of Necessary Guile before being hidden by a paw that wipes it away. Dark eyes move over Brigit and Matt as they remain quiet before moving back to the Alpha who says things.

Then to Brigit. <<If you seek atonement Moonless one then your former brethren would be something to hunt. They gather outside the pack's territory that way.>> Guile raises a paw and points towards what should be East in the Material world. <<Near the place of healing by the place of flying machines.>>

<<There are two courts competing for dominance. One is a court of machines and other noisy things your fleshy kind have created. The other is one of nature and noise that are being roused by the old one that was awoken recently.>> Dark eyes glance at Nathaniel at mention of the roused old one.

Teeth flash in a grin at Nikolai's words. <<Do that stoic one and do it with guile.>>

Current plan of breakout threads, this is not set in stone but just to keep things orderly at the moment. Wolves can move around as they want when the threads open.

Casino to the north of the river: Hector and Bleeds Well
Pure Recon: Allen and Nikolai
Pure Hunting?: Brigit (this could fold into the above depending on RP concerns)
Spirit Courts: Emily, Nathaniel, Matt

Chris can get thrown into the Spirit Courts threads if Mark is cool with it as well.

[Matt Joule]

Matt grunts his obedience to the Alpha and his satisfaction. Spirits can be fought tooth and claw without restraint while the Pure...are not to be killed, even when they do not accept the same restraint, a tactical situation requiring distasteful subtlety.

Matt grins at Nathaniel and Emily, a fearsome, battle thirsty grin.

Nonetheless he manages to school most of the scowl off his face as the totem spirit acts like a cat--which is to say 'acts like it's the boss of us'--instead of a partnership. He forces himself to show the required respect; the Pack needs its allies.