Currently the moon is in the waxing Gibbous Moon phase (73% full).

Currently in Saint Claire, it is a cloudy day. The temperature is 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius). The wind is currently coming in from the north at 8 mph. The barometric pressure reading is 30.28 and falling, and the relative humidity is 43 percent. The dewpoint is 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius.)

Chaser sits with her back up against one of the posts marking off the edge of the sidewalk where it meets the plaza of the Marina. She has her knees up, and a large sketchpad rests on them; she's drawing with pastels in the fading light, roughing out the colors of the sunset and the silhouettes of boats.

Yi knows this is pack territory, but so far she hasn't encountered any of the Get who guard it. That's usual, seeing as the city is a big place and uptown no different. Spotting Chaser, the Gnawer slows in her walk. The telltale sound of boots on sidewalk announce her, but even her steps are quiet. "Didn't know you were an artist," she says within hearing range.

"Yeah," Chas says, without looking away from her work. Her eyes narrow as they glance to the boats, the horizon, then return to the page. "Used to do tats."

Yi takes up a spot a small distance from the Get, her eyes straying to the subject of the drawing. A step back, a small lean, and Yi glances fleetingly to the drawing itself despite the woman's hand moving over it. Then she rights herself and clasps her hands behind her back. "Your drawing is nice," she comments softly. "How is the territory?"

Chaser wrinkles her nose, and adds a streak of yellow to the sky. "Quiet," she mutters. "Too quiet." Her nostrils flare, as if she catches the scent of doom in the air.

"The calm before the storm, na," Yi notes quietly. "Well I didn't mean to walk in on your pack territory. Just thought I would see how things up here are, how you and others have been. I was going to ask some things, but I will do that later. Since, you're busy." She nods to Chaser and her drawing, pushing off her post. "See you around."

Chaser glances over. "Saright. Call us if anything's up with the sewers. The quiet... makes the hackles go up."

Yi gives the Get nomoon a short pseudo-salut. "Will do," she replies, walking back the way she came.

White Stag: Pub(#3123RJ$)
The pub takes up the vast majority of the first floor of the building and is partitioned into two sections by the long, mahogany-finished bar that runs along both sides of the seperating wall. On the one side, the place has a more restaurantish feel: booths occupy the spaces beneath the windows, and tables with sturdy chairs are arranged in a pattern that allows waitstaff easy access. On the other, the place has a more typical pubbish feel: the tables are closer together, more stools belly up to the bar, and the usual barroom diversions -- color television mounted in a corner near the ceiling and canted down to provide a clear view to most patrons, a billiard table, and a few dartboards -- are present.
The decor of the place is much as one would expect. There is the obligatory Irish flag hung over the door that leads back into the lobby and a couple of neon signs and mirrors proclaiming this or that particular beer, while the mirrored partitioning wall behind the bar is laden with just about every liquor imaginable. Of note, however, is a particular painting that holds a place of honor near the bar rather than being comingled with other, more mundane paintings and photographs of Irish cities and landscapes -- it depicts in exquisite detail the last stand of a mortally wounded warrior who has lashed himself to a stone dolmen in order to continue to fight on, alone, against an onrushing army. Atop the dolmen, watching the warrior's courage in the face of death while spreading her blue-black wings as if in anticipation, is a large raven.
In addition to the archway that leads back out into the lobby, there's a pair of swinging doors marked 'Employees Only' that lead from behind the bar back into the kitchen and beyond.
Contents:
Brian
Obvious exits:
Lobby

Brian's seated towards the back, away from most of the other customers, poring over a copy of the day's newspaper while nursing a glass of some amber liquor. The aura of menace he wears about him is nearly palpable -- perhaps the reason why the clientele allows him such a wide berth.

Her grace is much like a fish flopping around on mud, looking for the sanctuary of water. After much asking, and a couple of hasty rebuttals, Yi pushes aside the Irish flag and glances around the inside of the pub like a cowboy from a different city stepping into a saloon. Her entrance turns a few heads, then a couple more once they realize she's not exactly the blue eyed type. For about a minute, she simply stands there. Then, her boots take her down towards the bar while her eyes scan for someone. Namely a bartender, who doesn't seem to be attending the bar yet.

The bartender makes his way over to Yi after a wary few moments, and a wordless conversation passes between him and the tall man seated in the back. Still, customer service: "What can I get for you?"

Yi glances about again, looking around at the clientele for a moment while the bartender takes his time coming over. When he does, she looks at him straight on. "Yes.. ah...Do you know, where I can find a man named Brian? I am looking for him, and some of his... acquaintances... told me he would be here, most of the time." Her English, accented with the peculiar Canto-British mix, is smooth as a brook over rocks.

The bartender simply gestures -- gestures towards the tall fellow ensconced at the table in the back.

Yi looks towards the back, then nods with a quiet thank you to the bartender before proceeding towards the back table. She exchanges a glance with one of the men sitting at a nearby table which she passes, and nothing more. As she comes up to the table, her head dips slightly, eyes lowering in cultured habit.

And Brian's eyes flick up from his study of the paper as an easy smile tugs upwards one corner of his mouth. "Evening," he offers, pleasant enough through his Kerryman lilt. "Y'seem sort of lost."

"For a moment, yes. I had some trouble finding this place," Yi replies, remaining standing at the table. "I was.. looking for you. To ask for your help." Her eyes don't rise to meet his, though they train themselves carefully on the paper he's reading, or the drink in the glass. "About some of the.. problems... that you and I sometimes have to face." Her voice remains quiet to keep the words within an invisible bubble about the table.

Given the distance that the clientele provides him particularly, there's little risk of being overheard -- yet nonetheless, Brian, too, lowers his tone to a conversational murmur as he folds over the paper and sets it aside. "What problems are those?"

Yi takes in a short breath, brow furrowing to a small crease. "Oh, some underground. Some, worlds away." She chances a glance to his face, to see if he's looking at her or some other direction. Her head remains bowed, even though she's standing.

In fact, Yi has his undivided attention. "Underground. 'Fraid you're losing me, there." The oblique approach clearly hasn't failed -- Brian's easily aware that there's -some- subtext at work, here.

Yi gazes back, fleetingly. "I came to ask, for some help. We have... ah, more than just rats in the sewers below the city. Our efforts to clean it, though, have been met with with little success." She glances back towards the general clientele, watching as a few of them turn back to their drinks the moment she turns. Then her eyes go back to Brian. "I thought I would ask someone known for their experience." At this, she smiles a small ghost of a smile.

Brian tilts his head slightly, here, comprehension finally lighting in his expression, his eyes. "What sort of help would you like from me?" And it's not a challenging question, just a curious one, as he adds, "My pack, such as it is, isn't really suited to fighting in places like that. And we're not so comfortable with friends of Rat, you know?" He keeps to that low murmur, not that customers are daring look at him, much less try eavesdropping upon him, anyway.

Yi nods slowly. "I had hoped, you could provide some assistance in the fight. And a bit of strategy. I'm not a fullmoon, though I was the one who called others at the moot to help. There are many willing but they need a leader. I do not know enough to be one. I just... I was hoping you could help, develop a plan of attack. We have one, to start from the park and work our way north. But it is not enough, and too slow. We go two steps forward, one step back. We just need... strategy. I was hoping you could help with that. And, I thought, it would provide some boost to our spirits, knowing we had the leader backing us.

Brian's lips purse in a thoughtful frown, here, and he leans back in his chair; after a few moment's comtemplative silence, he explains, "Last time I tried to help out with some shite in the city, people got their noses all bent out of joint -- accused me of coming late to the party and trying to take all the credit. Never mind that I made a point to acknowledge everyone except myself, -everyone-, at moot, and lost a packmate in the fighting. You sure that's not going to happen again, if I poke my nose into this?"

Yi clasps her hands in front of her, looking at the table. "I cannot say. I do not know the others well enough to speak for them. I can only speak for myself. Jay and I were the first into the sewers, since I came. We discovered a very bad area, under Osprey Circle Fountain. That is uptown, in the higher class districts. But after scouting downtown, the problem has spread down to just a block away from the Harbor Park borders." She shakes her head. "Inactivity from our parts has made them strong, allowed them to strengthen their position. It is no longer our territory, but our place to take back. I know... I would appreciate the help." She looks up at the alpha, eyes hardening slightly with her brow furrowed. "Those who accuse you of taking the credit, are only in it for the credit themselves. I am not here, with my head bowed to you, to offer you a chance to add tally marks of battles won and lost. I'm here because we do need help. We need someone with experience, to lead. To help with tactics. To help with morale. We have options... but I'd like a fighter's opinions."

"Tell you what," Brian offers, with an easy smile -- and still from that laze back in his chair. "I'm thinking there's a whole gaggle of Garou involved in this wreck, already? You get them all together some night. Invite me along. You -- all of you, together -- bring me up to speed. I'll bring along my thinking cap and we'll all talk shop over a couple of pints, and go from there. How's that?"

Yi listens to Brian with a contemplative look, the churning of her mind evidenced even in the darkness in her eyes. "I can try." Her eyes gaze at the man sitting, lazing in his chair. "With respect, Brian-rhya... I think we have talked about the situation enough. I can tell you everything that has happened since I came right now. Bring you... 'up to speed'. Then, I wouldn't have to run around trying to herd Garou like a sheepdog." She wets her lips, then looks back down to the table cloth.

Nonplussed, Brian leans forward, now, to wrap his fingers around his glass and sip idly at its contents. "I'm listening," he offers through a somewhat tighter smile.

Yi looks from the alpha, to the chair. "May I, sit down first?" She has been standing, this whole time of course.

"Good Lord, yes," Brian laughs, and gestures with the rim of his glass towards the chair opposite him. "Take a load off. Want anything? I think they've mostly stopped cooking, but I could bribe one of the kitchen staff to throw together a sandwich or something for you."

Taking a seat across with a grateful dip of her head, Yi sighs with some relief. Being up on your feet all day isn't exactly a comfort to the peds. "No thank you, though.. some water would do," she replies. "So.. I should ask first. What do you know so far? Besides that I told you Osprey Circle is where we think the center of it is."

Brian'll slide his own glass of water -- untouched -- across the table towards Yi, all the while shaking his head. "Nothing past what I've read in the papers -- you know, that there was that explosion in the gas lines, which I assumed was you all, fighting some damn thing or another down there. I've... been less involved with the sept than I ought, since... well. Since a few months ago." His smile fades, there -- Yi might guess some personal tragedy substantially altered the man's life's focus. "What happened?"

"From the beginning, then," Yi nods, her expression perhaps reading Brian like a book. She thinks a moment, before starting. "Jay, who died fighting Spiral Dancers... he and I went on the first scouting trip. I forget now, who told us to go. But we took a route from the north of the city. I thought since it was cleaner up on top, it would be better down below. But when we got near Osprey Circle fountain in the finance district, things went wrong and we had to get out. We had some problems trying to get something Wyrmy out of Jay, but in the end it was solved. The second scouting trip, I went with Chaser, Ethan, and Joey. Signe, Sepdet, Banecruncher, Julie, Jamethon, and some others were our backup. We started from a spot near the park on Bridge street. We moved south to north, but Signe's party was ambushed by banes, and we ran into one before regrouping. From that, we know the problem is spread out." She takes the glass of water, and gives it an experimental sip.

"A little while passed, and without much action but we picked up again. Signe, Kaz, Sepdet and I had a meeting to see what was to be done. We decided since it was dark, inside, we would set up lights. Sepdet would help by trying to summon some electricity and light spirits and even a sun spirit. But before she can do that, we need to set a light system up. We did a third scout, that time to see the Umbral side. In the Umbra, there are some fear-causing spiritwards. We found out that light worked well, at least in the Umbra. So we have taken two parties below to set up lights. The first time, John, Kaz, Chugs, Leonard and myself, we got five up, about a block from Harbor Park before we ran into trouble. The second time, I went with Joey, Kaz and Bernie to set up three lights north from where we stopped before the same monster from the first time came back. Both times, yes... gas explosions. We've tried to use fire, but it's resulted in two explosions, both I think from old gas pipes. We're thinking of flooding the sewers, but it would bring whatever is down there out into the open and into the river. That might cause some Veil breaches..."

Brian listens to all this patiently, and when Yi's through, nods slowly, pensive. "Backwashing the sewers is probably a bad idea, yeah," he agrees. "Have you thought much about trying to, you know, build yourselves a beachhead?"

Yi tilts her head after taking another sip of water. "Beach..head?" The term it would seem, is unfamiliar to her.

"Back about a year and a half ago," Brian explains quietly, "there was a big Realm-side explosion at the power plant, which threw corruption out all over the city. Clutches of banes parked at the Rialto, Harbor Park, the church -- everywhere that the city Garou could think to hide, to try and fight. Basically we got pushed right out of town." He pauses there to throw back the rest of his drink. "Back in the forties? Allies got pushed right out of mainland Europe by the Germans, until 1944, when they invaded Normandy, and established a beachhead there. A strongpoint in enemy territory, from which they could build up their own forces and -push-. That's what we did. Attacked the Rialto Umbra, killed what was there, and then liberated the city a piece at a time." Another pause. "'Course, the city's big enough that we were never sure we got the whole thing, and since there's this mess in the sewers, I'm thinking we didn't. But the same principle applies: carve yourself a foothold smack in the middle of the enemy's territory. Put him on the defensive."

Yi takes another sip, and next a gulp of the water before setting the glass down with a pensive look. "We have Harbor Park. They knows we're there, I'm sure of it. The time I went down with John, Kaz, and Leonard, I was scouting something north and west. It sounded like... like a bubbling pot of stew. 'Gooey' in a way. But when I was pressing on to find it, we ran into trouble. It kept retreating back towards the north and deep city. I'm sure something's there. I just don't know what. We have a.. sort of 'beach head' in Harbor Park, but no such place right in the middle of it." Her sigh carries some frustration. "I would almost say to straight out attack Osprey Circle, but we don't know what is down there and I don't want anyone to die needlessly."

Brian's gaze climbs ceilingwards for a few moments -- perhaps he's mentally mapping the city, these contacts. "What if," he begins, almost musingly. "What if you cracked open the sewers about midtown -- I think the Gnawers used to gather in an old fallout shelter, there. Split the enemy's forces -fwwt-." He makes a cutting gesture with one hand. "Right in half. And tackle half the problem at a time, while just holding the line. Otherwise... otherwise you're trying to contain this giant blob of a problem, and it's got all sorts of points at which it can flow out and away from you."

Yi glances up at the mention of shelter and Gnawers. "Fallout shelter?" Her eyes are kept on the alpha. "Sepdet mentioned a shelter. A bomb shelter, when she was in the sewers for awhile. Is it the same one?" Then she brightens a bit. "If we can have a base underground, it would be good. Don't need to cut the snake at its head yet.. just cut it in half..." She trails a moment. "Do you know where it is? Where the shelter is located?"

Brian's answering laugh is a bit wry. "Been quite a while since I was there -- it'd have to be years, honestly. I could probably find my way back if I had a copy of the sewer blueprints in front of me. I do remember it's under midtown." Pause. "A Ratkin used to live in it."

Yi's brows arch. "You have spoken with the ratshifters before?" Yi smiles and laughs softly. "I thought no one saw the others. Grandmother told me there were many, back before the War of Rage." She then tilts her head at Brian. "So, if I brought you a map, then you could find it?"

"It wasn't exactly a pleasant conversation," Brian chuckles with that same wryness. "Probably, probably. It might take me some time to get my bearings, and I might have to have a couple of you stealthy types confirm matters. But yeah, I think I can get you there."

Yi runs a hand through her hair, and nods with a dip of her head. "Now we're getting somewhere. Thank you for telling me. Maybe there is some hope in getting things done faster, and actually standing up instead of slinking around with tails tucked and hoping we don't run into uglies while we string Christmas lights in the sewers." She glances around, finally, at the rest of the clientele just to check on who has come and gone.

Brian lifts his shoulders in a mild shrug, his smile -- muted -- resurfacing. "Glad to have helped, even a little," he allows. "And, you know, I've a set of claws that aren't too terribly dull, if you'll keep any glare out of my eyes."

Yi smirks a bit. "Glare? There's barely any light downstairs. That's why we have been taking trips to put some up. Still a lot of darkness though. Sepdet's invited the sun down too, hoping maybe if we have a set up of mirrors, the sunlight will reflect during the day to keep some uglies out of the area." She shrugs, then laughs softly and bows her head to Brian. "It would be an honor to fight alongside the sept alpha. If you need shade, I'll bring an umbrella."

A chuckle, here, just a bit strained, and Brian taps one finger lightly against his temple. "Old war-wound," he confesses. "Some of the Silver Fangs like to light up like goddamned spotlights, and these green beauties can't take that kind of light, particularly when they're all adjusted to the dark. And don't talk about it being an honor just yet -- not until you've actually seen me fight, hm? You might change your mind, after."

Yi lifts her eyes, and tilts her head at him. "I haven't fought alongside you, no. But I've heard stories. There was one... was it.. you called a troll from the mountains, or something of that sort. Steven-rhya was impressed." She shrugs again. "Besides, you don't seem that bad a man. Not overpoweringly oppressive, or anything..." She nods a bit. "But if you insist... then I'll have to take you up on your offer, and bring you down to the city sewers. You might get your clothes dirty or burnt off, so I'd recommend wearing something you can work in." She smiles.

More laughter from the Irishman, and, shaking his head, he mutters, "Serves me right for not keeping my trap shut, hm? I still think it'd not be a bad idea to get everyone together, Yi. This plan I've come up with -- it's off the cuff, and folks might not want to take the risk. And that ought to be their priviledge, to tell me to get stuffed. I'd like to see their faces, though."

Yi smiles pleasantly, standing up from her chair and moving off to the side of the table. She dips her head again in a bow to the alpha. "I will do that. If there is anyone to blame, then, it would be me for asking for the help. I hope though, that accessing resources unused would seem like a good idea these days." She straightens up. "I must get going now, though. There is still a city to patrol, and work to be done... wolves in sheep's clothing to herd." She gives a light chuckle. "I will come find you again, when I have them penned up in some place, na?"

A lift of his chin, and Brian offers Yi a brilliant smile. "You be careful. But try to have a good evening."

"I will," Yi answers. "Good night, Brian-rhya. Gaia watch you." She bows again, and takes a step back before turning to exit the vicinity. This time she doesn't pause as a couple of the clientele give her some odd looks, and she nudges aside the flag over the doorway to disappear the same way she came in.