2018.12.15: Stalking the Enticer

Steele Fitness Academy
A temporary pack of Garou follow up on one of the leads discovered in 2018.12.1:Steele Fitness Academy, and spend a night fruitlessly stalking a fomori.
IC Date	Saturday, December 15th, 2018
Players	Hjalmar, Drey, Aleksandr, and Waziyata (ST)
Spheres	Shifter Gaian Garou

The sun went to bed almost six hours ago, but the city of Prospect is still awake. It's prime night life time. Clubs, bars, movie theaters and restaurants are doing a bustling business and, although the little gym called 'Steele Fitness' doesn't share a street with the nightlife scene, it's only a short walk away. The next block over, there are people standing in lines or chatting and smoking drunkenly. Some of them are giant, beefy mongoloid types that might be frequent fliers at the gym.

But the gym itself is dark and closed, with blinds drawn shut to hide whatever's on the other side of the bar-lined windows and glass door. It is wedged between a narrow alley bearing a dumpster and a bail bonds outfit, also closed. Across the street are a little corner convenience store (glowing faintly yellow with a trickle of late-night customers and a single clerk), a barber shop (closed) and a massage parlor with a glowing, neon 'OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT' sign and no windows to see inside.

Waziyata is in the form of a dog, tonight. A big, off-white husky with no apparent collar or leash as she strides along the sidewalk. Her tail and ears are held high and confident, excited even, as she takes in the sights, smells, and sounds of the city at night. She is straying a bit ahead of her companion for the night, the garou who has volunteered to take her for walkies. Or at least, to be her escort outside of the caern until the Elders decree she can be trusted to fend for herself again.

Aleksandr doesn't like the city in general, but sometimes you have no choice, and he's well aware the city is far more tainted than the country, so this is where the battle is often fought. He follows along behind Drey for the most part or with her. He knows enough how to blend in with humans and his Rage is low enough not to set off too many alarms. He doesn't actually motion to the gym, so much as look in the direction, having explained what happened previously. "This is the place." He reaches into his pocket, standing across the street from it, and pulls out rock on a string. It spins a little, having just been pulled out and uncoiled, back and forth, as it slows and eventually stops, with Alek looking at it. He hasn't started the ritual yet, it's simple though. He has the woman's name, and her make up kit. Or her presumed name anyway.

"Shall we?' Alek looks over at both of them, and raises a brow. "It would be helpful to have way to communicate over distances. As it may be prudent for you to lead, Two-Souls."

Tainted or not, the city is Drey's... territory. There are no marked lines or patrols, but there's an almost tangible change in the youth when they leave they finally step into the concrete maze. Not quite relief, but something similar. Like a taste of home, even if it promises to be fleeting. For the sake of 'fitting in', she has foregone the more extreme make-up and piercings, even pulling her hair back into a long braid. The rest of her clothing is the same as they may or may not observed on the patrols -- black cargo pants, too worn to make any sound, and a white, baggy wifebeater. And of course the black trench coat. We mustn't forget that.

The comment about communication has her lifting a 'brow at Aleksandr, and then glancing pointedly toward the excited Waziyata. "You got a cell phone?" Who doesn't, nowadays? "Waziyata's gonna have to... hear what she can hear. How you do at talking to her?" The young woman's English is already flavored by a Spanish accent, and speaking Garou in Homid form is never... easy.

Waziyata is panting a doggy laugh as she looks back to the two homids, tongue lolling out. Her ears lay back and her tail wags as she pads back toward the two. <<Scream loud. Use whistles. Call phones. Easy.>> A pause there, as she nears the two and turns about in place, looking over the surrounding street and a car parking at the convenience store to eject a man in shorts and a teeshirt, who heads for the convenience store door. Then she looks back to the two homids, ears perking up again. >>I am ready.<<

Aleksandr hasn't changed, but with the dirt on his clothes, and his strange non expression, he could probably pass for a homeless person. A simple t-shirt and his own set of cargo pants, though not black. He holds the string and rock out before him, examining it, and then loos up at Drey and her words. "I do not. I am not fond of the Weaver when I can avoid her." All of this is said at barely above a whisper. A glance to Wazi and back. "Puddle Jumper can understand me, and I can understand her. That is how we communicate." A brow raises a little, a small hint of confusion as if he may have misunderstood something.

A glance at Wazi. "The point is to not draw attention, Puddle Jumper." He gets the idea of tracking, he just does it in a forest. Stealth is golden. A nod then, and Alek concentrates on the stone. He has her cosmetic case in his backpack. Slowly, slowly, the rock starts to spin?

The city brat glances between Aleksandr and Waziyata with another quirked 'brow, but doesn't voice any questions regarding cells, Weaver, or bizarre communication skills. She looks instead toward the stone that Aleks pulls from his pocket, her expression growing slightly skeptical as she regards the... thing. Yup, things from the woods are Weird(TM).

Waziyata gives a grumting sigh in response to Aleksandr's words about stealth, ears and tail both drooping some at the frustrated expression, fur bristling just a bit. She doesn't actually snarl at the theurge or get particularly angsty with him, but she does turn her back on him pointedly, then move several steps away from the homids once more. Moody ahroun, much?

The rock on the string only twirls aimlessly for several seconds as Aleksandr brings his mystic spirit juju to bear. It just doesn't seem to want to follow the trail. But as the man stays focused and tries the ritual a second time, the stone finally shows signs of life. At first, it jerks a little bit, moving erratically from side to side and then front to back. Then it spins again, almost purposefully, before tugging subtlely to the west - deeper into the city, toward the coast. The rite worked! It found something to point at.

Aleksandr seems his usual unbothered self when Wazi turns her back on him, and says so much with her body language. There are times the Silver Fang in him is so very obvious, like in this instance, when he is so dismissive. Because at that point he pays Wazi zero mind.

His eyes open when the rock starts spinning and he finds his focus for the ritual. When it stops, he points that way, looking up at the sky, as if using it to discern something. "West. This is as good as it gets." He starts walking that way, keep the spinning string off to the side, to make it seem like he's simply playing with it. Just a crazy homeless guy here. He motions to the other two to follow.

"You got a Ouiji board, too?" Drey drawls to a probably-oblivious audience, before shaking her head slightly and drawing a deeper breath. "West. Don't stay too close to me. You look like a fuckin' hobo, and she..." There's a glance toward Waziyata's 'dog' form, and for once, she breaks her typically unyielding expression to try and convey apology to the Lupus. "Sorry, but you look like a hobo with a messed up dog." Yeah, apology needed.

"We both goin' West, aigh'? As long as there's anybody to see us, make it look like it's a coincidence that we're goin' the same way." That said, the woman's reaching under her coat to pull out... a cell phone? Yup. A once-pink iPhone that has been painted solidly with black nail polish. There's even a bit of the polish on the screen, should one look closely enough. But it doesn't seem to matter, for she's not even clicking past the security code before bringing it to her ear, and starting to rattle off something or another in Spanish as she starts... West. Just another teenager on her phone.

Waziyata seems content to be ignored by Aleksandr, as she ignores the man in turn, attention turned to the convenience store and the people moving in and out of it. Her ears stay perked up, head tilting a bit to one side, tail wagging a little as she watches the people zoo. Out front, a middle-aged man loiters with a black and mild, smoking and staring off into the middle distance. A young couple is stepping out of the store, carrying giant fountain drinks. But then, the two homids are on the move and Waziyata turns, stalking after the theurge, several paces further back from the man.

The rock leads down the street several blocks into a seedier part of town, until it begins to tug a little south-by-southwest. The target is moving. The rock now points deeper into a short strip of dingy clubs and rough bars, interspersed with a tatoo parlor.

Aleksandr gives Drey a little shrug. He seems to know what a Ouiji board is though. "Ghosts are more of a Silent Strider thing. I have never seen the realm of the dead." Yep, she got a matter-of-fact answer to her sarcasm. He doesn't get sarcasm apparently. He glances then at Wazi, but his expression doesn't change so whether he thinks offense should be taken or not, it's hard to say. He does stop walking as fast and slow his steps, looking down into a garbage can, so Drey can get some lead time. Then again maybe he's whispering to a trash spirit. Then he's walking again, watching his string like a crazy person.

When the rock starts moving, it's not supposed to do that when you're walking in a straight line, it takes him a moment to realize what's happening. He's completely uncaring of the part of town they are in, too. A lot of the humans would recognize the predator right away. Even at that though, he's unbothered by the dangers. He coughs suddenly and then switches directions, making a subtle hand gestures Drey's way about the change in direction.

Aleksandr's cough has Drey turning almost entirely, bronze gaze flickering toward the Garou and his rock even while she raises her middle finger toward no one in particular, muttering something undoubtedly offensive at the made-up 'acquaintance'. If nothing else, it gives her time to thoroughly assess whatever the Coincidental Hobo is trying to convey.

Waziyata follows along at a slow pace, meandering, sniffing about, inspecting things and watching the human world curiously as Aleksandr and Drey do their best impersonations of angry cellphone girl and crazy hobo. For her part, she doesn't need to do anything special besides hang out and wait for the homids to do their thing. Perk of being a 'dog'. Then, action is afoot and Aleksandr is turning and starting off in a different direction, his rock pointing elsewhere. The 'husky' watches curiously, then turns and stalks after the man. Drey's confusion gets a soft chuff. <<This way.>>

The stone stops moving after a moment, now oriented toward the southwest, having backtracked just a little. The new street is busier than the last, with a handful of people outside enjoying the night air smoking, talking, laughing, arguing, or just walking. The nightclub at the end of the street probably isn't one of the fancy ones, but there is a short line waiting to get in. The few passerby in the streets mostly ignore Aleksandr and Drey, though the unleashed 'dog' gets nervous glances when she is noticed.

Aleksandr gets to sell the crazy hobo tory a little longer, as he seems to walk rather wildly around, following a rock. No doubt, it isn't the Rage that probably gets him a bit of a wide berth as he passes anyone. Especially as every so often he mutters something to himself. Crazy. Or if you're close enough, and know the language, you recognize it as that of the spirits. He pauses, in the middle of the street for a moment, all the more crazy, to check the stone and then follow it again. He's no actor, but Theurges don't need much pretend to do crazy.

As others begin glancing toward Waziyata, Drey takes the opportunity to do just that. Watch the 'dog' and 'hobo' wander off in a new direction, even as she keeps walking on her own path. It's not until the other two are /almost/ out of sight that whatever Spanish she's speaking grows quick and heated, and she stops in her tracks, as if prompted to do so by whatever 'conversation' she having.

And now she's turning, not even having to feign the part of irritated teenager as she switches roles with the other two. Now who's stalking who? At a much further distance, mind you. /Just/ close enough not to lose their direction, while still putting on her little show with the cell phone.

As Aleksandr follows his swaying rock along the street, trying not to bump into any walls or garbage cans, Waziyata turns and trots ahead of the man, tail wagging low and lazy as she moves a short distance along the street. Then she stops and turns to look back at the 'hobo', wagging her tail again, watching and waiting as he shambles his odd, swaying way further along the street. He'll catch up to her soon enough, she's only a few short human strides ahead and seems to have eyes only for him at the moment, even as much of the small crowd begins to part before the two like the red sea - several people cross the street to get out of the way of the homeless dude with the scary dog.

The stone is now pointing directly toward the nightclub at the end of the street, or perhaps beyond it, at something of an angle as Aleksandr follows along. Obviously, he's too distracted with figuring out where the spirits want him to dance the next step of his jig without stepping on Wazi to pay much more than cursory attention to his surroundings. Just like a true hobo. Despite her bumbling companions' inadequacies, though, Drey sees everything. As Wazi stops and turns back to Aleksandr and the 'homeless man' follows his rock, a massive, muscle-bound black dude comes stomping through the crowd from the opposite direction. His head and face are shaven except for a well-groomed goatee, and he wears a tight, black sleeveless muscle shirt and athletic shorts, with a pair of nikes on his feet. He's no more than six feet tall, but walks with the grace of a predator. He's also trailed by two hulking steroid junkies, each with biceps as big around as most men's thighs, dressed in similar gear, although their shirts bear the 'Steele Fitness' name. The three are laughing and talking amongst themselves, boisterous, high-energy, and about to step on the oblivious Wazi and Aleksandr.

Aleksandr moves over towards the club, but he doesn't go straight towards it, instead he stops at a garbage can on the street, nearby, trying to look through it and figure out his rock and what it's saying to him. He's oblivious as he mutters in that strange language, maybe actually having a conversation with a city spirit. He doesn't see the big men coming towards them, or if he does, he pays them no mind.

Oh. Wonderful. Drey manages to play pretend with her cell phone and watch the proceedings at the same time, though her 'brows do knit slightly as she watches the pair weave and... collide. Well, perhaps the hobo is drunk? And dogs aren't brilliant. That's what she seems to be going with, for she's doing nothing to intervene with the disastrous pair. Well, she /wasn't/.

The appearance of the Steele Fitness crew draws what comes off as an idle look, and there's another sigh from the youth. Rather than let the too-graceful thugs run directly into her ungraceful companions, she's pulling the cellphone down to press against her shoulder, as if blocking out sound. "Yo, Alex! Come back here, I got that leash I told you 'bout, from my brother's old bull? You gonna get shit for Waz just walkin' loose like that." Apparently the teenager has a soft spot for hobos. Or dogs. And in fairness, she /is/ reaching under her trench coat.

Waziyata is just oblivious today. She watches Aleksandr another moment, then turns and begins sniffing at something on the ground, tail and ears perking up. The tail starts to wag just a bit and she noses closer to whatever has her attention, though she pauses, ear perking toward Drey at the woman's call to the two. Waziyata doesn't turn and prance over, but she does look up and see the three big dudes coming directly at her. Hurriedly, the lupus backs up, then turns and darts first one direction, then bounding and turning about to trot the opposite direction, as if evading the big dudes (and drawing attention directly to herself) before she's running past Aleksandr, and across the street and away with a barked <<Chase the bad dog!>>

The big black dude (who, on closer inspection, absolutely reeks of Black Spiral Dancer pure breeding - as strongly as Aleksandr does of Silver Fang breeding) grunts in surprise at the prancing, barking dog before him. "Fuckin' mutt," he snorts at her, gaze following her as she runs past Aleksandr and then across the street, before he looks to Aleksandr and frowns in a slow, thoughtful, mean expression. The two bodybuilders with him chortle softly, then come to a halt as the black man does, looking from him to Aleksandr and then Drey. "Somethin' wrong, Brotha Daryl?"

Even with the mispronunciation of his name, and it happens a lot, it's very familiar to him. Aleksandr glances Drey's way, but he's a little slow at the pretend. Standing there trying to figure out what she's doing and what her plan is, as he hasn't quite got to what she's pretending. It dawns on him, however slowly and surely having the effect of annoying Wazi, he slaps his leg, he's seen this before. "Come on, girl." It's said with a broken Russian accent to make it sound almost drunken. He walks a little back towards Dre, slowly. "She's not bothering anyone." He's keeping his sentences small. He walks steadily away from them and after the door. "Oh no." He smells the Pure breeding and he knows Brother Daryl, sort of, but he doesn't more than glance at the man and keep walking away. Not a lot of Bone Gnawers have Pure breeding, or none. This could be a problem.

It's becoming pretty clear that Aleksander doesn't spend much time around... well, normal people. Drey still has the phone against her shoulder, and as she watches the pair start running off, she's actually taking a few quick steps toward them. It just so happens that those steps are /away/ from the emerging Dancers. "Ah, fuck it. Crazy bastard."

She shrugs, and the phone is brought back to her ear as she moves back to the sidewalk that the other two Gaians have run away from. She doesn't move any closer to to emerging steroid pack, but instead stops to lean against a relatively clean bit of brick wall belonging to some closed shoe store. She reaches into her coat's outer pocket, pulling out cigarette and lighter, and when it becomes necessary to use both hands, uses her shoulder to keep that phone against her ear. Still chatting away in Spanish, and now fully occupied by the task of lighting one of those cigarettes. Just stopping for a smoke.

Waziyata leads Aleksandr on a merry chase to just around the corner and into an alleyway, where she hunkers down to hide behind a dumpster. Because it's the little things in life that really count, like making a silver fang face the choice of hiding behind a big pile of stinky trash or standing blatantly in the open for potential enemies to see. Rather than 'speaking' to the Silver Fang, she just goes quiet, ears up and alert.

Daryl watches as the homeless Russian chases his giant dog, before snorting and shaking his head, "Crazy motherfucker," he comments, his words wry. Then he starts prowling along the sidewalk again, giving Drey an obvious and appreciative once, then twice over as he passes her by. But he doesn't even have the common courtesy to catcall her or ask her to ride him home or any of that kind of stereotypical thing you might expect. He passes in lustful silence, then chortles and turns to speak to one of his flunkies, "Anyway, anyway, tonight. Yeah? Me, you, Johnny, and that crazy bitch will hook it up right-" The three resume their conversation as they meander down the street. Behind them, the rough and rowdy bar they exited continues its nightly business. Disaster avoided?

Aleksandr is moving quickly, but as quickly as he can, belying his true speed, maybe thinking it's a good way to sell the hobo story, even if he sort of been caught. He does follow Wazi though, trusting Drey to be wise with her own decisions. Surprisingly, to Wazi or not, Alek has no issue crouching behind a dumpster and out of view. He does so, like a sitting wolf, though he does cover his nose with the back of his sleeve. Even in this form, the city stinks. And then he waits, for something or nothing. His stone still turning and trying to get back it's directional focus.

"Yeah. Listen, I headin' down this alley place, so my connection might get shitty. Fucking brick walls." She lapses into English just long enough to mutter those words, before she's dropping the lighter back into a pocket and returning to the standard multitasking of one-hand with a cigarette and one hand on the cell. "Fine, fine, fine..." Those words are drawled, and then she's lapsing back into Spanish... something or another. Heading straight for that alley, and down it, should nothing persuade her from doing do.

When Drey joins them in the alleyway, Waziyata emerges from her hiding spot, tail wagging again. <<Good. Now, we find the lady.>> The 'dog' tilts her head a bit, looking between Drey and Aleksandr then, before settling her attention expectantly on the man with the magic stone.

Once the direction is settled upon, the group can ease its way out of the alleyway again, moving further down the street and toward that night club at the end of the next block. It's a relatively short trip made long by the vagaries of pretending to be homeless, stray dog, and/or angry mexican teenager, but they eventually reach the club itself. It has a line of a dozen or so young people waiting to get in, a single bouncer at the door who is merely 'normal' big. Each of them are dressed in fetish rave gear, not a good match for any of the members of the night's recon pack. But the stone points directly to the building. Or maybe beyond it? If the group takes the time to circumnavigate the building, the stone turns to orient toward it as the first corner is rounded, proving their quarry is inside.

Aleksandr is just getting the stone back to steady and pointing where it should be when he hears Drey's voice enter the alley. He rises with Wazi, though he glances past Drey to the street beyond, just in case. His teeth clench a little now, and one could swear he growls just under his breath. Likely due to Daryl, someone he held back until now. The Theurge does not like how that man stinks. Only Wazi saying what she does brings him out of it. "Yes, it would be prudent to avoid more of them for now." He looks down at the stone now. Back to the club and he does have the presence of mind to circle the building, or at least to verify the direction. He knows this rituals weaknesses, all too well. Stopping behind the club for the moment he confirms to the others. "Inside. She is inside. Not where I was expecting us to go. There may be nothing to be learned here or not." He tries to peek across the umbra, but the gauntlet simply offers him too much resistance at the time. The attempt isn't visible, but the small curving of the corners of his mouth, downward, is.

Catching sight of the less-than-savory crowd before she's actually run into them, Drey is side-stepping to meander in the same direction as Aleksandr. It's anyone's guess whether she actually /heard/ the other Garou, but some things are just obvious. And wandering into what is most likely a Wyrm nest is one of them.

Waziyata moves along the side of the club as well, sniffing and investigating a bit, looking curiously at the people waiting in line to be allowed inside and the bouncer keeping them out. Then she follows behind the club with the two homids, waiting silently as Alek investigates. Eventually, she chuffs: <<We go inside? Or wait?>>

The backside of the club is silent and empty, though the muffled thump of music can be felt more than heard through the walls. Voices are chattering loudly out front, excited, happy voices - some of them a little too chemically happy or boisterous. The sound of music grows louder for a few moments, then quieter again - someone was probably let inside.

Although the gauntlet is too thick to see through here, when Alek attempts, he can sense the taint of corruption on the environment. As always, the city itself bears a residual taint on almost everything. Slimy, gross, but low level and background. In the more immediate foreground is a spike of negative energies on the other side of the wall. Somewhere in the club, there are multiple tainted beings, moving amongst the crowd and chaos inside. Three, at least, one near the front of the club. One upstairs, and one somewhere in the middle of the building, perhaps on the dancefloor?

Aleksandr actually frowns. The small little threaten of his lips turns into a brief frown, and then what can only be a wolf's snarl. It's a weird twisting of a human face. Before he almost gags, just a little, like he might throw up. "Bad taint. Many inside. Almost as bad as gym." His voice is very quiet, barely above a whisper. "Place, itself, more tainted than normal." He sighs a little. "May want to look inside, but have to be careful. One near front, one in the middle and one is up." He doesn't suggest what one is though. He also looks to Drey, brow raised. This is really more her territory, or so he's assuming. It's not his, to be sure.

Drey has managed to catch up with Aleksandr and Wazi, and she's stopping just near enough to hear his suggestion. "Uh... fuck no," is her solid response. "'Less you /want/ to walk into a trap? They'll sense me before I get in the door, and there's no way either of you in getting in. You got what you want; it's another nest. Counting our buddies back there, we got six already. The odds are /not/ in our favor."

Waziyata growls quietly at Aleksandr's report, shifting her stance a little, glancing up at the building. Then she looks back to the other two, ears perking up expectantly as Drey says her piece. <<What do we do, then?>> the Ahroun repeats her question in a low whine. The muffled thumping of the music continues unabated, careless of the three garou outside.

Aleksandr only nods at what Drey says, he is not arguing her logic, to be sure, it all rings true. But he looks back to the building, considering it. "It is a public place. Wyrm doesn't risk the Veil either, when they can help it. It serves them, also." He shrugs at that, not ordering anyone to do anything, or even suggesting it. "It's that, or we wait for her to move again." This, eh says as he points at the stone, still pointing towards the building.

Hjalmar sits in the car, waiting for any signal or news from the others. With him looking the way he does. He's taking caution. Not wanting their target to get spooked by his appearing closeby. He looks around as he waits, taking in all the details he can whilst listening in on Drey's phone broadcast.

Between the questing stone and Alek's sense of the wyrm taint in the area, the group's target of the night, Linda, is likely the one in the middle of the building. The stone twists and turns just a little, tracking her movements back and forth in a very tight, rhythmic arc as Aleksandr considers it. The booming dance music flares again as someone else enters or exits the club, then is muffled once more. Scuffling footsteps and echoing voices can be heard in the alleyway nearby, around the corner, toward the front of the building where the Garou came in. They aren't loud or excited voices, or threatening or tense. A moment later, there is the sound of a lighter and a smell of cigarette smoke.

The trio of Garou ultimately decide to wait it out and see if the woman will emerge. And emerge, she eventually does. The stone follows her progress as she moves back and forth throughout the building, even once going upstairs. But after several hours, she finally comes back down and then the stone is pointing a direct line in the direction of the front door, through the club. She's either on her way out, or merely oriented with the exit. Either way, it might be go time.

So they wait. Alek takes the time to give them each a nightshade talen. Just in case. He wasn't sure what they would find, but they are here now. He spends the time watching the stone for drastic movement. He's fairly quiet, but he always is. Every so often he speaks to the air in that weird tongue, as if inquiring from a spirit about something. Or he really is just weird and talks to himself. The stoen finally takes her towards the building and Alek watches it, just to be sure. "I think she is leaving." He rises from the weird couch he was in, and nods to Drey. "Your turn." For his part, he takes the talen and drinks it down. He's going to hand back, but he's not taking any chances now with the cover of night.

Waziyata takes the nightshade offered to her in her mouth. She keeps it on the ground nearby as she wiles away the hours of waiting, pacing back and forth, scratching occasionally, sniffing things until she loses interest in the smells behind the club. Then she is merely laying and waiting quietly, probably even dozing a little as the time passes. Then, Alek gives the word that it's time to act and the lupus perks up. She glances at the homid, thumps her tail against the ground a time or two, then crawls on her belly over to the nightshade talen. <<Open.>>

If someone takes a moment to open it for her, she takes it carefully into her mouth and rolls onto her side again, tilting her head in order to let the liquid fall into her mouth. She suckles at it, an action unnatural to most grown wolves, and then she too fades into the night.

Drey isn't happy with the decision, and she's not hiding it. But nor is she taking off. In the end... they're in the city. The concrete jungle, which only she has true experience in. There is some hesitation when the talen is offered, but then she tips it back. And so she does her part, shaking the boredom of waiting to begin trailing their actual target.

Out front, Hjalmar is parked down the street in his borrowed car, keeping an eye on things. He's only seen the usual night-time foot and car traffic for an area like this, between the 'all night massage parlor', the bar, and the club. But now, two o'clock in the morning has hit and the clubs and bars are closing down. There has been a steady exodus of people leaving both bar and club for some time, but now with the arrival of last call, the final press of bodies is staggering from the club in various states of undress, some with coats wrapped around their skimpy outfits, some without.

As the three shadow-formed garou round the corner from their hiding spot behind the building, they find themselves presented with a new puzzle: a throng of inebriated young people, mostly in very high spirits, exiting the nightclub, whose throbbing music has finally gone silent. People are loading into cars or merely staggering down the street, and Aleksandr's stone points directly into the mass of bodies.

Hjalmar, however, catches sight of the target: Linda is 'dressed' in heart-shaped stickers that cover her nipples, what looks to be a pair of panties, and high heels. She's laughing and hanging off the arm of a short, dark-skinned man who is only a little bit taller than her, and who walks with his arms possessively around her. The two are very distracted with one another, even as they make slow progress through the crowd to one of the parked cars.

Aleksandr is still looking down at the stone as they come around the corner, so he probably misses their target entirely. His eyes come up and search the crowd, but he seems to not come up with anything. He's careful to stay out of direct street light or the like and stick to the shadows as he moves around and skirts the crowd looking for the woman. Trying to compare the stone and the people, but failing rather badly.

Ah, a rave. Just the thing one wants to come head-to-head with after hours of stalling outside the dance club. Drey is drawing a measured breath, heard if not seen, and she's whispering in the darkness, "You want me to get closer? Feel out the breeds?" And also reveal her own, no doubt. No glory without risk.

Waziyata stays near to the other two garou, tail held straight back as she looks out over the sea of humans exiting the club. Her tail wags slowly, invisible but felt gently brushing against the other two garou as she waits. At Drey's question, the 'dog' chuffs softly. <<Wait and follow? Too many humans.>>

Linda is spotted in the crowd now, giggling and red-faced, pulling the short man she's with down for a lingering kiss before she's pushing against his chest. He says something and she laughs again, before he's opening the car door and urging her inside. With her out of the way, the man is visible for just a moment. Short, dark skinned and bald, dressed in all black with a grinning skull on his teeshirt. He glances over the sea of bodies a moment, then flashes a grin at the girl in the car before closing the door. Then, he is circling around to the driver's side.

Aleksandr can't be seen all that well, but maybe an outline since Drey knows he's there. He shakes his head all the same. "Better to stay back. Keep your breeding down wind, so to speak. Follow her from afar." He finds her in the crowd and points, continuing to skirt in the shadows. "There." Then glances back at the other two, never fully losing eye contact with the woman. "I do not know what she might reveal, but I am simply hopeful for something. If this fails, we have another lead. But knowing what she is, is something. Be careful." All of it said very quietly. "Taking car, could be a problem." He can still track her the old fashioned way, but that will be tough.

For one who often considers /any/ people to be too many people, Drey's voicing no argument to Wazi's chuffed suggestion. Back to waiting. There's a sharper sigh from the youth when she sees their 'target' get into the car, and turning bronze eyes first toward Aleksandr, and then down to Waziyata. "You still got Hjal on car duty, or...?" She manages to keep her voice steady enough, but the girl's rolling her shoulders back with an almost-hidden wince. Almost.

<<Yes.>> Waziyata answers Drey's question. Then the wolf goes quiet, watching and waiting as people mull about, moving to their cars or stumbling down the street in multiple directions. It won't be too long before the site is mostly cleared out, but it hasn't happened just yet.

Meanwhile, the man climbs into his car and slams the door. It is still and silent a moment, then the engine squeals to life and the headlights come on. Another moment passes, and then the car is pulling out of the parking spot. The two are on their way somewhere.

"No time to discuss." Aleksandr glances around for Hjalmar and the car. "We follow, form a distance then, using the stone. Will be faster with Shieldbrother driving, less accurate, perhaps, but faster." He sighs, he hates vehicles. He hates the city, really. His gaze falls on the other two, or their general direction anyway. "And before the nightshade wears off. Good plan?" He is, actually, asking. "If not this, if this brings nothing, we go to cosmetic company. I suspect that will be a blight, too."

Shadow or otherwise, the youth has retreated from the taut circle of decision making to prop her shoulders against the nearest wall and stare at the other two. When Aleksandr offers a structured course of action, a shoulder is raised in unexcited acquiescence, and she's pushing herself away for the wall. "Works for me." Drey is unbothered by vehicles, but she seems to have the 'sit and wait' tolerance of a teenager. Go figure.

Waziyata gives a little whine at the talk of following in the car. Is she the rare dog that doesn't like to go for a ride? Maybe. Either way, she offers no real objections to the plan, instead following after the other two through the shadows once the coast is clear and the car can be reached.

Inside the car, Hjalmar sits at the wheel, waiting. He startles when the door opens itself, glancing back, but then relaxes at the explanation offered. Rather than wasting time on questions or arguments, he starts the ignition and then pulls out in turn, navigating carefully through the still semi-crowded street now thick with departing traffic. It takes a few minutes before the group is free of the immediate thicket of people departing and able to begin following the stone. The trip lasts several minutes and, at first, it seems as if they are going directly back to the gym. Instead, the group rides past the gym in Hjalmar's Scooby Van, dark and silent save for one light glowing in a rear window, placed low to the ground. A basement?

But that isn't the mission for tonight. Instead, Hjalmar drives the group slowly and carefully through the city, moving progressively away from the commercial district the gym and clubs were in and into the nearby residential zone. Do the girl or boy live in a house? Are they rich enough for that? If they do, it isn't where the stone leads. Eventually, the group arrive at a gated apartment complex. Hjalmar pulls into a visitor parking spot adjacent to the gate before glancing back, "Jump the fence? Or do we know the code?"

Weaver contraptions. Aleksandr does not like them, and he does not feel comfortable in them, but he gets in all the same, starting up the ritual with the stone again. A sigh, not looking at more than the stone as they drive too much and directing Hjalmar. One might suspect the movement outside the car makes him uneasy. Surprisingly, as they pass the gym, he is paying attention and the light catches his eye, brow raising. Another night, but another clue, and he turns his attention back to the stone. Tonight, it's the girl, and the least likely to know what and who they are. It was why he picked her in the first place, he's a beacon otherwise. He turns to Hjalmar and shrugs. "How would we know the code?" Though eyes flow to Drey. "Unless you got a trick up your sleeve, no moon?"

Drey climbs into the car when it appears, and slouches predictably once she's taken her seat. Her eyes follow the passing scenery as they go, trusting Aleksandr to interpret string-rock without her. Still an active participant, and /technically/ willing. When the car stops and Aleksandr addresses her, bronze eyes flicker toward the fence and lock. "I don't got any hoodoo voodoo, but I've gotten past more'n that..." Hands are raised, black-nailed fingers wiggling.

The shadow dog in the car just lays down on the backseat, head on Drey's lap. She doesn't try to stick her head out the window like one might expect. She stays quiet through the trip, until the car stops at last and then she sits up and looks out. She eyes the indicated gate, then pants softly, a wolfish laugh. She paws the window control, waiting quietly as the little electric motor whirrs to lower the pane to its maximum open (halfway). She growls a little at that, but then stands up on the backseat, tail brushing against Drey's face in the close confines. Waziyata hesitates a moment, then throws herself at the narrow opening in the window, slipping through it with a spray of dog fur left in her wake. She lands on the pavement in the dark outside, disappearing from view.

A moment later, there is a shadow over one of the few lights in the parking lot, distinctly shaped like a canine leaping over the tall gate. A soft sound of clicking claws on pavement can be heard on the otherside, then a quiet chuff. <<Come! It is easy!>>

It probably isn't so easy for those without lupus gifts and in human forms. The gate is easily eight feet tall if it's an inch. But luckily, it is 3:30am and nobody seems to be out and about to witness any of the group's shenanigans.

Aleksandr shrugs. "Do whatever you believe you can. There is other ways, always other ways." He gets out of the car, gladly, he really hates being inside it. He studies the gate for a long moment as Drey does what she is going to or not. He looks over his shoulder and looks, by his minimal facial expressions, that he might be arguing with someone unseen. A shrug then and a sigh. He takes his little crouch, watching Wazi leap over the fence with a little bit of a frown. "Veil, Puddle Jumper. Veil." That is all he gives as a warning and then goes back to his consideration. Every problem has a solution, but this one is on a timer. It's a two foot vertical, but he looks around, and then decides to try to climb it, outside of any light. Stupid cities.

"Mm, no," is Drey's response to Aleksandr's choice in techniques. After all, she'd have more difficulty with the steel bars than trying to follow Wazi through the bushes. "Fence doesn't go all the way 'round... c'mon, this way." Whether Aleksandr makes his ploy for olympian or Wazi continues to chuff behind the bush, the indignant youth is starting off into the shadows, disappearing along the sidewalk path and toward the car gate.

In short order, the invisible Waziyata is meeting the invisible Drey on the sidewalk path. She can be heard snuffling over, panting, and huffing a quiet greeting even though she isn't visible. How did she find Drey? Probably because the woman is stinky. Oh so very stinky. Then, Waziyata is panting a laugh at the sounds of Aleksandr scaling the gate. <<Veil, Many Names. Veil. Humans are scared to see shadow monkey climb and fall down. Never notice shadow wolf jumping.>> Her words are wry and teasing.

In short order, all three are finally inside the gate.

Aleksandr struggles, in minimally to get over the gate, probably catching his clothes and ripping them on one of the bars, but he gets over. Just in time to see Drey stroll in with a sigh. He's normally so perceptive, how did he miss that. Either way, they are across. He looks down at the stone and the direction and then motions towards it. "Let's go." A glance at Wazi. "What I am doing is normal. Any human can do. What you did, is not. Your form alone raises questions. Noe let's go." Another, heavier sigh.

Waziyata just wags her tail in response to Aleksandr's words, following after the two 'humans' as they advance through the parking area of the apartment complex.

The stone leads the group past several apartment units in a row until they come to one set toward the middle of the community. Dozens of cars gleam silent in the night, only a few stray lights reveal the world around them. Almost all of the apartments' lights are out, the complex asleep, but the stone points directly toward a second floor unit with the lights on. A shadow moves past the window inside, but it doesn't linger or withdraw the blinds.

The staircase is external to the building, just a set of concrete steps up to a balcony/porch with three separate units opening onto it. Beneath are three more units opening onto the ground-floor porch. It should be an easy matter to climb the stairs unnoticed, if the group should choose to do so. None of the other five apartment units seem to have any lights on.

Past the fence and having the decency to keep her expression straight after Aleksander leaps the fence, she's looking toward Wazi. She smirks slightly and tips her chin toward the wolf. What can you say? They have history. She makes her way toward the lit apartment unit, though pauses a few yards back to look toward Aleksander. "Wanna wave your rock around before we do anything drastic?" Painfully sardonic. Fortunately, neither of them understand such teenage behavior.

Aleksandr stops then, looking from stone to light and back. He pockets it for now, and then looks to Drey. A brow raises, but then he points to the lighted apartment. "There. She's in there. We should take a look, but?carefully." He doesn't even want to think what they are doing, but considering he felt her power, he can guess. And by his expression, he wishes he couldn't. "Don't know if it is her place or his. If not hers, might be a waste of time, but?you are the Ragabash Two-Souls. Nothing drastic, just reconnaissance." He motions for her, and then looks to Wazi, as if for objections. Back to Drey. "We are gathering information for now, nothing more, until we see a plan of action."

Waziyata's tail wags again in the night, a shadow amongst shadows. But she doesn't seem to have a whole lot to say at the moment. Instead, she turns and begins sniffing about along the ground, investigating in silence, apparently content to let the two homids decide the next step of the plan.

>>It does not smell like her.<< Waziyata decides, after some investigation. <<New smell of Black Spiral girl. Old smell of humans and animals. I do not think she lives here.>>

Drey is moving up the staircase, just another drifting shadow in the night, slipping alongside the wall until she's as close to the window as she can safely manage.

When Drey moves up the staircase, all is quiet and peaceful seeming in the night. As she nears the window to listen in, she gets close enough to see that the window is dirty and dusty, it hasn't been cleaned in probably a very long time, the blinds behind it browning with age and accumulated dust. Quiet music is thrumming inside the apartment, and a murmur of voices can be heard - one male, one female and giggly. They aren't near enough the window to be understood distinctly, but a glance reveals a shadowed form moving inside the room, then falling out of sight with a squeaking of bedsprings. She's probably spying on something intimate.

For her part, Waziyata sits down in the grass. Her ears perk up and she waits quietly for the two homids to do whatever they're doing. After a few minutes she asks, <<Why do we not look through the Umbra?>>

Aleksandr waits near Wazi, and Drey does her thing. "Perhaps, nothing to be learned, but if she is as I expect, we might learn of her nature. These sort of things feed on dark emotions." Or sex, which she might be that kind, but he doesn't speak that one, he won't. "If not, we scout through cosmetic place." He crouches down a little, near the wolf, and as if Wazi read his mind, he tries peeking, blinks and shakes his head. "Gauntlet is thick, peeking difficult, can cross, I suppose. Not sure what might be found, but we could always cross and peek inside form the Umbra, but dangerous if guardians." A shrug. "Can try." He's not against it.

Instead of answering Aleksandr, Waziyata shifts her weight a little and stands up. She gives herself a shake, then turns and paces away from the man, ears laying back and then perking up as she takes her turn to try peeking through the gauntlet. She looks about, moving slowly and carefully, sniffing here and there, then chuffs quietly. <<No bad spirits. Some little ones. Some spiders. City things. Trash things. It does not look guarded.>>

Drey's sighing to herself, too soft for Homid ears to catch, as she shifts back to the wall-part of the apartment and returns her shoulders to the wall. The bad guys are getting it on. Such vital information. Her gaze shifts toward the other two as they begin playing with the Umbra, simply raising a pierced 'brow as she watches. Missing the right footwear for that particular sandbox...

Aleksandr failed to look across, but the Lupus are always strongly connected to the spirit and he shrugs. Apparently he trusts Wazi's ability to do it. He pulls a mirror from his backpack, a simple thing, not much more that a piece of mirrored glass. He stares at it and sighs. The push against the gauntlet is tough, and he frowns at the mirror a little, before glancing around, his image starting to slip.

For her part, Waziyata just stays put. She continues watching the umbra as Aleksandr makes his agonizingly slow way through the gauntlet. She pants a quiet laugh as she watches him do it, but otherwise doesn't speak up or comment on anything.

Once the theurge has made it into the umbra, he'll find the spirit reflection of the apartment complex. The buildings are vague and shadowy, not quite old enough to be fully realized, but still old enough to have their basic structure in place. Few spirits are about, and those that are are typical city fare. Spiders, electrical elementals, a cockroach spirit. Nothing out of the ordinary or especially scary. It looks like he'll have little trouble climbing the spirit stairs and making his way into the apartment to poke around, if that's what he chooses to do.

This is not exactly what Aleksandr would prefer to do or is particularly good at, spying on people, but he's come this far. He does move to the apartment, slowly and quietly, and avoids the spirts as he can. Most of them are genuinely neutral to him or favorable anyway, but the Theurge is careful not to disturb them all the same. Once he is near or at the apartment, he does the absolutely unthinkable and peeks across, already know he doesn't want to see what he's going to, or suspects he is.

When Aleksandr peeks through the gauntlet inside the apartment... Nothing amazing happens, except that he sees inside the building. It appears to be a studio apartment, one large room with a bed on one side (actively and enthusiastically occupied by Linda and the man of the night, who is tied to the bed and obviously quite enjoying himself despite it). The apartment is a bit unkempt, smells of old clothes and stale air. There are dishes in the sink, popular hiphop music playing low, and the pairs' abandoned clothing on the floor. Of particular note is Linda's purse, sitting on the countertop separating the living space from a small kitchen area.

Not much to do here. He can't take the purse and would it even matter if he did? At best, that makeup kit is tainted, but what's one more cleansing going to do in the scheme of things. It's not worth the risk of discovery besides. So much done, but time wasted. Aleksandr sighs and comes back out of the complex on the Umbra side, and then near where he entered, he crosses again. He looks to Wazi and Drey, once he signals her back. "I do not think we will find anything here. We could follow her for a long time and may come up with the same results. Besides, I am already aware that the cosmetic company is bad. They use using wyrm spirit energy there. But that will be more dangerous and we still know very little." He gives a faint shrug. "We should go."

Drey pushes away from the the wall after Aleksander voices his deduction, moving as quietly as before, to nod and then follow after the pair.

For her part, Waziyata stands up and turns her attention back to the physical realm at Aleksandr's return. She tilts her head a bit, watching the man, listening to his reply. Then she chuffs softly. <<Better to look at the Gym, next time?>> Then she gives herself a shake, and turns to trail along after the theurge, back out of the apartment complex and into the gathering predawn.