Parking lot of Niagara aquarium 5-24-13 evening.

A man dressed in cargos and a camp shirt suffering from alopecia universalis sits on a bench on the edge of the parking lot.

A young man pulls into the parking lot on a used motorcycle. He's wearing a leather jacket, cargo pants, boots, a helmet, and a sling-style pack. He parks the motorcycle, replaces his helmet with a red ballcap with a small American flag logo on it, and pulls out a "Tim Hortons" carrier with two coffees from one of the bike's cargo boxes. While there are other cars in the parking lot, there's only one strange dude sitting alone on a bench. Tom walks up to meet him. On the way over, he uses "Scent of the True Form" because the dude's a little freaky looking.

The member 'Thomas Rhodes' has done the following action : 1 masquerade, 2 masquerade, 3 masquerade

#1 'RPS' :


--------------------------------

#2 'RPS' :

[Yup, that dude's a garou.]

He walks up to the bench. "Howdy. My name's Tom. Are you the one that wanted the caramel mocha frappuccino with a marshmallow on top?"

((PNym speak with a pretty mild accent, but his inflection and emphasis are a bit wacky))

Hey Tom, I'm not picky, i'll take what you got. A warm beverage on a cold day is all i'm looking for. Blondy says you aren't evil, but he didn't say much else, what's your story, what do you do and how can i use you in the future.

Tom has not yet sat down. "You remember what it was you did order?"

Extra large double double is my usual. ::stares almost blankly, his gaze moving all over except for the man's eyes, until questions are answered or asked::

"Yeah, that's the one." Tom passes over a big coffee cup and sits down.

"Blondie, huh? He never did give his name. There was also someone doing a pretty weak dog impression, and a huge fuckin' guy. Rollin' deep for a small island."

"Anyway, like I said, I'm Tom Rhodes. I understand my people and your people go back a long, long, long time. I'm no heavy hitter, but I like to get the overhead view, you know? And maybe come by afterward and clean up the scraps? We're kind of cousins, in a way, and our ancestors were on the same side in the big war a while back."

"So basically, I just moved to the area, and I wanted to get in touch with, um, your people. There's a war going on, and I think we can help each other fight it, right? I'm young, and while I'm tougher than I look, I'm no monster under the bed. So if shit goes down, I want to help, and if the shit goes down at me, it'd be awesome if I could get some help."

"Plus, I'd just like to, well, hang out. While 'birds of a feather flock together', my family tends to disperse geographically. Your cousins all kind of like to hang out together, right? It'd be awesome if there was someone I could, well, drink a coffee with, and talk about the problems that come from sometimes feeling like you don't fit inside your own skin. And while I've been working on my practical skills, my theology is a little weak. My eyes are fully open, but sometimes I don't know what I'm looking at, eh? It's pretty awesome to, you know, go on a trip to the other side of the border, I wish I knew someone that could translate to the locals, ya dig?"

"Shit, wait, you asked what I could do. OK, um. When I start milking, the cows don't complain, and I plow a straight row, is that good? Ha! No, seriously though, I'm a pretty good hand with a camera. My innocent prattle is disarming, and I use it to meet people and make friends. I'm about to start classes at SUNY Buffalo, and I know a guy that's getting me an internship at the Tonawanda Source. I'm so good at asking questions, even a dead body'll sometimes give me a few answers. And there are lots of times when people would freak out about a giant canine, but who the hell notices another bird, right?"

I like the cut of your wings flyboy. I gotta get some deeper permissions to give any guided tours. so i'll try and get that done quick like.

You've got my number, next time we get the gaggle of the kids together i'll definitely give you a ring and introduce you around.

Let me see your phone for a second, they used to say you can learn about a man by his shoes, I say you can learn a lot more by his phone.

"Sure, let me unlock it... OK, there ya go. Nexus 4. It's a present from my parents, so I'm trying real hard not to drop it. I followed a FAQ to root it, and I installed an antivirus and an ad-blocker, but I'm not really a computer wizard. I mean, I took a programming class, but the teacher only knew Pascal, and... yeah. Dude was trying his best, but he was counting the days until retirement. Anyway. Here ya go."

"And thanks about the tour. It's cool, I don't want to push you, but I also feel like I'm a little rude hanging around the area without so much as a friendly word with your grandmother. People tell me that she's cool, but it's like, you don't go hunting without talking to the landowner, you know? Even if all your friends say the owner's cool, you still outta ask yourself. It's just common courtesy."

::fiddles with the phone while continuing to talk::

i totally get ya, i don't know if you'll meet grandma, but i'll ask the landowner how he feels about it.

Do you know Gus Sarkov? He is a cousin of yours. I don't know how well you guys stay in touch on a national level, i wonder if that guy is still in town.

[[quick computers chop to get some relevant info from phone]]

[[edit: and we have a winner]]

The member 'Admin (Mtal Pnym)' has done the following action : 1 masquerade, 2 masquerade, 3 masquerade

'RPS' :

"I can't place the name, but that doesn't mean we've never met. I might have met him under a different name."

[What info are you trying to get from the phone? It has indeed been rooted, and has a standard antivirus and ad-blocker going. He's got some games, Facebook, flickr, a reddit reader, a wardriving aid, a GPS app, a weather forecasting app designed for pilots, a couple of email accounts, ebook reader, etc.]

[[grabbing the wifi IP thingy, i can never remember what its called. and checking through the apps to see pretty much exactly what you mentioned.]]

::gives a nod of approval when he sees the wardriving aid::

it's no thing, if I run into him i'll pass on your digits.

I'm glad to see you aren't stuck in 1942 or 1492 like some folk i know. If you will excuse me for a second i'm going to make a quick call.

::hands back the phone::

[The WiFi thingie is the MAC address, but it's unreliable- it can be changed easily by software. Your character probably also gets the IMEI and IMSI numbers, which identify the phone's hardware and the SIM chip; they require a lot more effort to change. With those plus access to the cell company's servers, you could track which cell stations the phone connects to. They're what the police use to track a phone's location.]

"Sure, sure. You want me to take a walk, give you some privacy?" Tom sips his coffee.

[[well played sir]]

If you wouldn't mind, with any luck i can get this wrapped up in a hot second.

*sips coffee again*

"You know, where I grew up it was Dunkin' Donuts coffee or make it in your own kitchen. This Tim Hortons stuff tastes different. I guess I just gotta get used to it."

*sip*

(Assuming someone walked away for the ensuing phone call and then came back together)

Agreed, I do not dislike it, but it is different. Let me know if you find a place in town with good Turkish coffee. It has been nearly a year.

Now to the prickly business, top dog is a traditionalist in some aspects. We are going to request a good faith effort or barter in order to allow you basic access. Does this sound do-able?

"Huh. OK, hell, he's the boss, it's his rules. I don't really have anything to barter with yet- I'm new in town, ya know? But if a good faith effort is good enough, I'll give it the old college try. I assume he's looking for some information? 'Cause if he wants someone beat down, I am totally not your man."

"So good Turkish coffee? I dunno what good Turkish coffee should taste like, but that's part of the fun! I'll buzz around and get samples, then figure out who the best local taste-tester is, and get a professional opinion. Shouldn't be more than a week. There's a big food company 'round here, Rich Products. I bet they've got lots of professional tasters. I kid, I kid! What's the the boss really want? But I was also a little serious, I'm not going to prioritize it, but if I get a lead on some Turkish coffee I'll give you a holler."

Information is probably the best. The only info I personally am looking for right now is a bird's eye view, and something a little closer to tree level, of Alleghany state park. There has been some weird happenings down that way, and more information would be helpful.

"Sure, I can check the place out. I, um... I don't know Sense Wyrm yet, but I'll see what I can find. It'll probably take me a couple of days, it's a big park. Can you be more specific about 'weird happenings' so I have a starting point? Like, lights in the sky? Strange smells? Pod people? Swamp gas explosion caused by a fracking truck leaking? Campers eaten by bears at above-average rates?"

Campers and hikers have gone missing,

::looks around cautiously::

but those are just symptoms of a Wyld resurgence. It is weird down there in a very serious way. My car grew legs and walked away, a squirrel burrowed into me, and I think the old alpha is down there working for the Wyld.

I don't know if you have and surveillance equipment usable in smaller forms, but I could hook you up with a small chest mounted squonk activated camera. Something kind of all purpose. You wouldn't be able to zoom or adjust settings but something is better than nothing.

"A camera like that would be pretty awesome. I love my Pentax, but there are lots of times it doesn't do me any good, you know? The downside of a chest-mounted rig is that it'd be crazy strange looking, not Veil breaking but it would still draw huge attention. It might be useful for certain occasions, though, when I can use it at night or at high enough altitude that it's not visible. So it'd need a long focal length lens. Sounds cool as hell, but I'd want to be somewhere more private than this to get the measurements taken, you know? Plus work out the controls."

"Anyway, the park's going Wyld-with-a-'Y'? Interesting. I guess I'll park my bike outside and check out the park under my own power. As I was saying to your warder buddy, I'm not as well-educated theologically as I'd like, so odds are I'll miss some subtleties, and I can't talk to any of the local spirits unless the 'Hablo Anglais.' But I can check out if the landscape has shifted from what's on the map, I can try to see if the effect is stronger or weaker in any particular area, and I'll look for any Wyld-mutated animals or people. It's already evening now, it'd be dark by the time I get there tonight, and that's non-ideal. So I'll check it out first thing tomorrow, and get back with you in a couple of days, OK?"

"Oh, wait, I should be looking for the old alpha dude too. What's he look like? Both when he's wearing his clothes and when he's not, you get my drift? If I see him, should I avoid contact, or try and talk?"

[You don't actually have to describe Casey to me.]

I see your point, a rig for night work would work best, infrared or basic night vision. I would defer to you on the actual camera stuff, I was just going to but something at the spy shop and hope for the best. If you find a camera setup you like just give me a call and we'll work on the other part. I have a secure location for that kind of work.

The guy in question generally ((insert Casey here))

I would strongly suggest not interacting with anything. ANYTHiNG. grass, trees, squirrels, rocks, dogs, anything. I don't know how long you can stay aloft, but not landing often would be my suggestion.

Work on the real world for now. We'll worry about the rest afterward.

"Okie dokie, I'll check it out. Enjoy the coffee!"

Unless you say anything else, Thomas gets back on his bike and drives away.

::waves::