5/23/2004
07:53 PM
Logfile from GarouMUSH.
Currently the moon is in the waxing Crescent Moon phase (31% full).
WWNP: North Forest(#2431RAh)
Carefully watched by the National Park Service, Wolf Woods is largely free of human influence despite the number of tourists it draws in each year. A few service roads and hiking trails criss-cross the low hills, through the thin underbrush. The trees are evergreens for the most part, though there are enclaves of oaks here and there. Here and there, trees are marked with small metal plaques - red near the north border of the park, and green further south - to tell humans what wolf pack's territory they are passing through.
This region extends about five miles south from the northern edge of the park, from the Lake Arthur annex and the edge of the old park in the west to the mountains in the east.
Contents:
Alicia
Rifthealer
Eamon
Firewatcher
Obvious exits:
Park Road Park Gate East South North
A few days after the investigation by park rangers and police alike, the 'scene of the crime' is left empty for now. Detectives and authorities have gone back to their offices to puzzle out what collections of evidence they have, but without any real suspects they have no case. As it were, the sliver of crescent moon shines above, waxing towards the half.
You paged the room with 'Oh, so you know, there's yellow tape around the trees and park rangers are monitoring the area a lot more closely. Anyone trying to get into the park needs a good reason to, and permits if you're planning on camping.'.
Ever-Grinning and Firewatcher lead Resonance to Wolf Woods, the scene of the crime. The Fianna ragabash immediately heads back to the spot where the target hid, Firewatcher and Owen having shown him a few days ago. He sniffs around to reacquire the scent if he can.
Firewatcher stays with Rifthealer and Guards-Flame while Ever-Grinning works, putting her own nose to the ground more speculatively than business-like, sifting through the scents left behind by the human investigators, and possibly any wolf or Garou.
The campgrounds, though empty of people, is full of scents. Animals and humans alike have strayed through this area. The scent of blood as well as cold metal, soap, lotion and other things. As far as humans go, there's a slew of scents to pick and choose from.
Having not yet encountered the scene, Rifthealer is sticking close to Guards-Flame and Firewatcher, her ears pricked up stiff as picks as she investigates with an obvious curiosity. She wonders if she should be on the lookout for anything specific, besides that which Ever-Grinning searches for.
Padding quietly after the others, Guards-The-Flame sniffs the air curiously as she goes, tail swaying side to side behind her in a wagging fashion.
Ever-Grinning sniffs around the tree a bit more, then noses a particular spot on the ground. He looks up at his packmates and chuffs quietly. I have it now. It's a few days old, but I can use it.
Firewatcher flicks an ear in acknowledgement We will follow you.
The scent leads off through the woods, following a separate path from the rangers. It's more roundabout, but leading towards the main campgrounds. At times, it breaks off in places where it looks like the person might have stepped into a puddle or otherwise. But, the good news is that the scent is uncovered.
Ever-Grinning closes his eyes for a moment, concentrating on the target. Once he has a lock, he heads off in the indicated direction. He runs at a steady pace.
Rifthealer steps lightly as she follows her older packmates, taking a moment to whiff up a noseful of the trail they follow before she picks up the pace and lopes along.
Firewatcher doesn't really look for the trail as she moves along, simply sniffing the air and the ground for danger as she expects Eamon to be using his gift more than physical clues.
Good ol' lupus noses. They lead on, closer towards the main campgrounds with nothing but fresh woodsy air and the faint, everpresent scent of jeeps and concrete. The rangers have been on their regular patrols. It's not long before the scent leads to the camping grounds parking lot, to one particular car spot.
Firewatcher's ears slick back to her skull as they approach the parking lot, and before they reach it, she huffs. I suppose I would have been smart to have someone bring a human machine down here to get into the city.
Ever-Grinning slows up a bit as he gets closer to the parking lot. He peers toward the spot where the scent trail leads.
Rifthealer settles behind the others and blinks out at the parking lot. So what do we do, she asks with a tilt of her head and a soft, quizzical whine. We can't take one already here, we'd be seen.
Ever-Grinning chuffs. He's in the scab. The gift can still lead me there.
Indeed, while the scent trail stops here and dissipates into a jumble of cars, gas, and other air 'fresheners', the trail sensed by the ragabash's gift leads down the road, further into the city. But, the city is a long way from here, even for a lupus.
Firewatcher can get the machine from my den. The Fianna's 'den' of course being in the pack's territory.
To the car it is then! Eamon's gift leads the way, heading away from Kent Crossing, away into the city, and then heading west out of the city towards the collegiate parts of town. Even with all the easy spots, sometimes the trail winds around the campus as if the gift itself were trying to puzzle out the 'prey's' location.
Eamon rides along with Megan, occasionally sticking his head out the passenger-side window and giving Megan directions.
Dakota peers out the window and drums her fingers on her thigh, furrows her brows but keeping quiet as she watches the scenery go by.
"Mmm.." Alicia murmurs as she settles back in the car, watching the world pass by as she lets her eyes stare into space. She has been very quiet most of the ride, seemingly deep in thought about a few things.
In addition to winding around campus, the trail does start spiralling into the more residential, off-campus housing. More particularly, frat row. It's not long before the group finds itself circling in the area of Beta Alpha Theta frat. Those following the news or local student rumors would recall that the hospital victims belonged to this fraternity, and were almost always seen hanging out or causing trouble.
Megan doesn't stop driving, but glances sidelong over at Eamon. "We've passed by the BAT house five times now. Is your gift going wonky, or is it trying to tell us something?"
"You know.. I got the name of that guy we're looking for." Alicia murmurs softly from her spot in the back. "The fourth friend of that group."
Eamon nods. "Yeah, he's in there. Park somewhere nearby. I want to watch for a minute." He glances back at Alicia. "Oh yeah? What is it?"
Wishing she knew a bit more about all of this involved, Dakota looks between the three and then to the area they keep driving around.
Megan finds a place to park that's within eyeshot of the house but not in front of it, turning to look at Alicia in the backseat. "You did?" she asks, bewilderedly. "How? Owen had no freaking clue who the guy was, didn't even see his face."
It'd be obvious to those who knew about the mini-group. Hence, Alicia should know.'.
"Its John Stiegler, but on the streets, we call 'em Back. He's in his early twenties. He got a lotta hook ups. I used to pass him rocks a few years back." Alicia says softly as she clears her throat. "I ran into him a short while ago near the bike shop downtown. He pulled a shotgun on me, I pulled some nines. I recognized him but I don't think he recognized me." She murmurs softly. "He's a quiet guy, until you put a few drinks in 'em. He was real buddy buddy with the three guys that got landed in the hospital."
"And are you for sure," Megan asks the galliard, "that he lives here?"
The BAT frat meanwhile, is a three-story typical frat house. The front lawn is clean for now, but the air still smells of barbeque. Lights are on in the house, shining through the various windows.
"Yeeup. He's a BAT. How much you wanna bet Dak an I can stroll up there and get in through the front door?" Alicia asks with a grin on her face.
Eamon watches the house steadily, almost as if trying to stare through the walls.
"Probably could." Dakota agrees with Alicia, a lopsided smirk touching her lips. "Bring a six pack with us and they'll think we're goddesses."
Megan scowls darkly. "No. This was just a fact finding mission, and Alicia, you shouldn't be drinking while pregnant. With no description, we still can't be sure it's this guy you know, but it's a start. Time to feed the info to the Glass Walkers and let them run with it." She re-starts the car up.
"I didn't plan on drinking." Alicia says with a snort, almost offended.
Eamon clenches his hands. "So we're not gonna pull this guy out and see what he knows?"
"Anything we should do in the meantime?" Dakota asks from her seat as she peers to Megan.
Megan shakes her head at Eamon as she begins to drive off. "No. We're trying to *squash* something akin to a veil breach, not make it worse." She then sighs, glancing up at the rearview to catch Dakota's eyes. "I'm open for suggestions, but I'd planned on just feeding the info to the Glass Walkers. They and their kin have been doing the work on this. Well, them, and Owen, since he's a face these bozos can ID, he and Erika."
Eamon sighs. "Damn. Got my knuckles all lined up for nothin'. All right. i guess we are supposed to be a 'communication' type pack, right? Let's get communicatin' then. Lead on, leader."
"How about," Megan says, "I lead myself home, and Eamon, why don't you try to find Owen and tell him what we found, and Alicia, you find Natalie and tell her everything you know about this 'Bach' character? And Dakota and I will sit back and knit baby booties or something." She gives the theurge a wink in the rearview.
Dakota gives the Alpha a raised-brow stare through the rearview mirror. Then, in a defeated sigh, the Theurge slumps down in her seat and sighs. "I feel so useless."
"Hey," Megan says to Dakota, "when we have spirit foo, it's going to be all you, all the time, and *we're* going to be making the baby booties. Don't worry, I'll find something for you," she reassures.
Alicia lets out a soft breath and glances out the window to the Frat house, then murmurs. "Dude.. we're like /right here/ tho'." She says with a huff, then flops her head back against the chair.
"And it's not going anywhere," Megan says, tone turning a little flat, as she finds her way back to the eastbound road to return to Kent Crossing.
Eamon says "Don't worry, he ain't going nowhere I can't find him."
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