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Role-Play Log
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Mystery,

You Slay Me! Plot

Emitter: Stiles

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Players
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NPCs

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Artifacts

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Factions

Beacon Hills Pack, Angel Investigations

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Music

Giles' Briefing from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, "Hush"

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Stiles (with considerable help from Giles) briefs the pack and Angel Investigations on the mysterious Gentlemen.

March 17, 2017 -- 10:00 AM
Beacon Hills, Republic Theater

It started, as things so often do, before it really started. On Thursday, March 16th, Stiles had texted Angel to request help in planning further investigation into the mysterious labyrinth beneath Beacon Hills. They had all agreed to meet Friday morning, but then things got weird.

Everyone woke up unable to speak.

Stiles had a particularly rude awakening, when his demonic boyfriend, Lance--not to be confused with his alpha werewolf boyfriend, Derek, and shut up, it's complicated, and polyamory is totally a thing, so quit judging already!--showed up at Stiles' house with his heart literally torn from his chest. It only got weirder from there. Now, with Lance's body magically preserved and the demon's essence riding shotgun in Stiles' body (and not being allowed to drive at present, because boyfriend or not, nobody likes to be a passenger in their own body).

So, a morning of frantic texting had ensued. Stiles contacted Giles (which totally rhymes, now you think of it, which is weird to realize in the midst of a crisis where nobody can speak) in England. Giles sent Stiles (seriously, it's like a children's reader) a bunch of information, which Stiles compiled to pass on to everyone. Inviting everyone he could via text (while others were sent to keep an eye on various parts of the city in case of other forms of trouble in the midst of all this), Stiles arranged the gathering at the theater so everyone could figure out how to handle the problem.

Stiles now stands in the auditorium, cell phone in hand, as he greets everyone as they arrive--by, y'know, waving, since nobody can talk.

Speaking of people not talking, Derek Hale is also on hand. The big alpha is standing by with arms folded and expression somewhere between neutral and grim, keenly observing the goings-on and, unsurprisingly, being even more terse than usual.

Malia is standing slightly off to Derek's side. If Stiles had not informed Derek about the problem people were having with speaking, it's entirely possible Malia and Derek would not have noticed until much later. Neither of them seem to talk much and since talking is just something she recently started doing again, she's not looking all that bothered. Focused, yes. Worried, no.

She is paying particular attention to body language and scents. Unlike Stiles, she is not waving or greeting anyone, just watching them intently as they enter.

Perched on the edge of the old stage, Soo Park sits across from Lydia. He'd rather be out with Jackson, watching the werewolf's back, but he knows he's also needed here... And Jackson can handle things without him. Probably. Maybe. You know, if you'd all just learned sign language like I suggested last year, this wouldn't even be an issue. Soo signs to Lydia, looking more than a little put out, before crossing his arms over his chest and breathing out hard through his nose. Soo's had this particular terror before, and it's not as scary this time around. Mostly because everyone else can't speak, either, and it's not because a freaking werecat used him as a chewtoy. Good times.

... Me... I... nevermind. Just text. Lydia signs back. She's learning, she really is, but unless it's talking about cute boys or bad fashion, she isn't likely to know the signs. Lydia's sitting primly in one of the seats, her ankles crossed, looking pretty and well put together as always, though she's traded the floral skirts and delicate blouses for a more rugged pair of jeans and a cat t-shirt that may well be Soo's, her long hair pulled back in a knot at the nape of her neck. And look, sneakers!

Aiden settled into a seat near Lydia upon arriving. His normally brooding brow is even broodier than usual, and there's a mild scowl on his face. The only person he can easily communicate with, now, is Ethan--so there's that--but he's also not at all happy with the situation. Phone in hand, he shoots Lydia a text as he waits to see what the meeting will be about.

Ethan had been getting ready for school when the text arrived, which means he was already showered, shaved, and dressed, textbooks packed, hair perfect, and a hearty breakfast of ham, bacon, Canadian bacon, sausage patties, and sausage links on the table. Also scrambled eggs, toast, and pancakes, because the Carver boys like a good, balanced breakfast before facing the horror of high school. Ethan hadn't even noticed he wasn't able to speak until the text from Stiles arrived. Frowning, he'd tried to call upstairs to Aiden...only to discover Stiles was right. So after a frantic telepathic conversation and a quickly-wolfed meal, Ethan is now slumped beside his twin, arms crossed over his chest and looking rather grumpy. How's he supposed to take his French oral exam if he can't even talk?

Ryan peeks into the room and clears his throat softly, more out of habit than anything else, before entering into the room. He looks at everyone and smiles nervously, dressed quite neatly for school, as he so often is. His attention drifts from person to person, though for the moment, he takes a seat by himself, his head a jumble of confusing thoughts. He'd never been a mute before, and he found himself preoccupied by his thoughts.

Angel was never a man of many words. Now he's a man of 0 words. Which...for the most part, suits his broody nature just fine. For this expedition, he'd brought Faith and Willow along, although he hadn't noticed the silencing effect until it was too late. Communication is going to be interesting. He does notice a new girl in the 'hometown' group. He lifts a questioning eyebrow at Derek, figuring the not too talkative other leader will understand most easily.

She can't talk. Well, Faith has always preferred the language of violence anyway. It's going to be, she thinks, more of a problem for Willow. She's dressed in pretty much her normal style - jeans, combat boots, a leather jacket that gives a bit of armor type protection...just a bit. She just flanks Angel as he comes into the area, glancing around.

Willow, when she gets on a roll of excited chatter, can and will talk at a speed that can at times make one wonder where she manages space to breath. Dressed in her usual style that borders on adorable, Willow has her hair in braids that brush at her collarbone. She bites at her lower lip, trying to think of exactly what spells she can cast that don't involve a power word.

Liam was sitting between his boyfriend. What? Stiles doesn't have the copyright on polyamory in the pack. Even if he thinks he does. And besides they're all were so its less weird or something? Anyway Liam was between Ryan and Ethan and texting on his phone, Had he been there the whole time? Probably, without soung to add to his usually adorkability he was much less noticable.

Derek catches Angel's look and returns it with a firm nod, as if to say that yes, she's with the pack. When he notes that Malia seems apprehensive of Angel, the alpha unfolds his arms to place one hand, reassuringly, on the were-coyote's shoulder. There are no words, but as usual he seems able to convey what he needs to without them. Angel may smell strange--like the other one that attacked her--but he's not an enemy. Somehow, Derek conveys all this with a look. It's probably a were-thing.

As everyone settles into their seats, Stiles gives a final nod and rummages in his pocket. With a minimum of fumbling, he gets out a remote control and clicks it once, lowering the lights, then again, to start up the projector. Within a few moments, a text frame appears.

I got in touch with Mr. Giles early this morning. He made us a video and explained that these bad guys are called "The Gentlemen." Watch the video.

After that frame has held for a while, the video transitions into footage of Rupert Giles in a darkened office with an overhead projector. Scans of the slides appear in the lower right hand corner of the video to make them easier to read, probably added later by Stiles. Meanwhile, Giles goes through his presentation.

Gentlemen-Slideshow

Gentlemen Slideshow

WHO ARE THE GENTLEMEN?

THEY ARE FAIRY TALE MONSTERS. -- This slide is accompanied by a garish line drawing of a grinning monster in a suit, clutching a hand bag.

WHAT DO THEY WANT?

There'a pause, almost as if Giles were waiting for the audience to respond, before he hastily puts on the next slide. It consists of the word HEARTS with a simple drawing of three hearts above it.

The slide after shows more of the monster figures standing on a hill, overlooking small houses. THEY COME TO A TOWN.

The next slide shows one of the Gentlemen pulling thin strands of something from the mouths of stick figures, down below the hill. THEY STEAL ALL THE VOICES, SO NO ONE CAN SCREAM.

THEN...

The next two slides show a grisly depiction of one of the Gentlemen standing over a sleeping person in bed, then cutting out their heart.

THEY NEED SEVEN. THEY HAVE AT LEAST ONE.

Here, Giles addresses the camera directly, "I'm certain you will all feel inclined toward a swiftly violent resolution, but I'm afraid it's not that simple."

A drawing of one of the Gentlemen follows, bristling with swords. IN THE TALES, NO SWORD CAN KILL THEM.

The final slide shows a little girl with shout lines coming from her mouth, and the Gentlemen lying in a heap on the ground. BUT THE PRINCESS SCREAMED ONE... AND THEY ALL DIED.

There, Giles looks to the camera again. "I'm afraid that's all I know at the moment. I'll send a... text... if I discover anything more. I recommend that you all patrol the streets tonight, however. They will doubtless be intent on collecting the remaining six hearts as soon as possible." Sighing heavily, Giles shakes his head. "Good luck, everyone, and please do stay safe."

Questions? Comments? Ideas?

Thanks to her time at Hale House, even if some of these were new faces, a lot of these smells were familiar. Since Malia had yet to be formally introduced to most of the pack, she was just matching scents to faces, using mental shorthand to come up with such gems as Vanilla Werething and Flower Fruit Girl followed by Scowl Boy and Not as much Scowl Boy. The nervous one reminds her of prey, but Stiles has been more than clear about how they don't treat people that way. So while not aggressive, Malia does not return Ryan's smile, she just gives him a long considering look.

When Faith, Angel, and Willow enter, Malia recognizes Willow and is about to nod to her when she gets a whiff of Angel. At that, Malia's body language shifts: her muscles tense, she narrows her eyes as they flash bright blue, and she bares her teeth. If she'd been able to make a sound, the growl would be easily heard.

Thankfully, before things can escalate and she can get out her claws, Derek's hand is on her shoulder. She stops, looking to Derek, the question plain on her features and they seem to come to an unspoken understanding. She relaxes a bit, shifting her weight slightly, moving into a vaguely defensive stance. However, she is still keeping a wary eye on Angel, often glancing between the vampire, Willow, and Faith, mentally trying to come up with how that works.

When the lights dim, she gives the presentation most of her attention and as soon as it is over, she just looks around the room. She certainly has nothing to add or share at the moment.

...Amateur. Soo signs at Lydia, before hopping down and draping himself with all the grace of a housecat into Aiden's lap. It's not even remotely a romantic gesture, more an assumption of ownership. Aiden is Lydia's, Lydia is Soo's, therefore, Aiden is Soo's. Platonically, at least. It's easier to watch the display from the seats, and Aiden is safer to sit on than the rickety old chairs... and there's no Jackson.

Once the slides are over, Soo raises his hand, flailing it briefly, before he starts to sign... and then lets out another puff of air as he remembers. A few seconds later, a text flashes across Stiles phone, and thereby, the screen, Swords don't work, what about fire?

Bitch. Lydia signs back, but it's mostly smiling. When Soo drapes over her... boyfriend...? Lydia just looks amused, reaching over to run her fingers through Aiden's hair before turning her attention to the big screen, mentally critiquing the production values. She'd have made a full blown Power Point, with music, and cited her image sources in the footnotes. Maybe some nice transition sequences. But considering Giles is, well... not a teenager, the finer points of a good presentation can be forgiven.

The sudden appearance of Soo in Aiden's lap doesn't really bother him as much as it probably should, but then, he lives with Ethan and, half the time, Liam and, increasingly, Ryan. He's used to odd hijinks and whatnot. So, Aiden just lets the werecat do as he will. He resists the vague temptation to pet Soo, though, just because that seems weird somehow, no matter how cat-like he is. Besides, he's far too busy being pleased with the attention he's getting from Lydia. But, then the video plays. Aiden watches, looking mostly puzzled, and when it concludes he holds up a hand, flicking out his claws, and gestures to them as if to say, Are you sure these won't work?

Ethan digs out his phone and begins tapping the screen, frowning as he has to keep backspacing over typos. Finally, his text appears on the screen: Last time I checked, we don't have any princesses. Except Soo. He glances toward the werecat, bracing to dodge any claws that slash his way. Another few moments of tapping, then a new text appears: What about a Banshee scream? Lyds, can you scream?

Ryan watches the slideshow for a moment, then tilts his head curiously. Yet another oddity in his life, now. He looks over to Ethan and then to Liam, then rubs the back of his neck. If we can't speak, how can she scream? the corgi-fellow's voice whispers through the room as he types out the message on his phone and shows it to Ethan. It would become clear after a moment that, judging by the odd clairty of the whisper and lack of echo that it was just an errant thought rippling through the nearby minds of Ryan's friends. By the perplexed look on his face, mostly blank, it doesn't seem as if he even realizes he's done it.

Liam sees the part about a princess screaming, And well Lydia is only the princess of a highschool. She is very good at the screaming part. So he comes up with a brilliant plan to destroy all the gentlmen in one fell swoop. He pulls out his phone txts to Lydia Hey Lydia before we came over I relized I didn't have anything to wear so I went to your place and tried on all your shoes. Don't worry I didn't break ALL of them... only like the ones that aren't sneakers. There that should do it... granted he won't survive the backlash, but its a small price to pay. He doesn't answer Ryan nor does he seem that surprised by the thoughts though to his knowldge this is the first time Ryan has done it in human form

Angel first tries to point up, then taps himself on the head and gestures at Cordy. Realizing this probably isn't as clear as he'd like, he takes out the phone and instead texts, Victims first. If the Powers give you a heads up on who needs to be protected, let us know. It was nice to see Giles again, even if it was just by the means at hand. Pity he'd left town a while back. As for patrolling, he nods at his team. They'd get right on that, particularly if they get a clue on where to go first.

Cordy huffs, indignant at Ethan's text, and waves her hand to get his attention, then points to herself. Her crossbow sits cradled in her arms like some kind of extremely unstable infant as she texts Lydia fairly regularly. She doesn't know proper sign language, but that's why phones were invented. Tapping out a text message on her own phone, she holds it up at the werewolf: Me = Princess

Then she takes the phone back, erases that text, and types out another one to show. Lydia is honorary princess it reads.

Cordelia points, as forcefully as she can point, in Lydia's direction, to punctuate this to Ethan.

But when Angel texts, Cordy looks up at him and frowns slightly. She sets her phone down and waves her arms all around, as if to say...everyone! Of course!

Faith Lehane tugs out her phone. Texting, good idea. She fires off one to Angel. << We need to deal with the silencing thing THEN the Gentlemen. If what they need is a scream... >> She suspects quite a few people here can manage a princess scream. Cordelia comes first to mind.

As the presentation begins, Willow perks up when she sees Giles. Maybe she'll get a glimpse of Tara? But there is no sign of her ex and Willow slumps in her chair with a pout. So instead, she watches the slide show, with a look of concentration on her face, and looking up above her head from time to time when suddenly there is the sound of a bubble popping and a cartoon style thought bubble appears over her head.

(( Is it working now? ))

Looking up above her head, she beams with joy, giving Faith, Cordelia and Angel a poke to show off what she just did.

(( Look! Isn't this cool? )) says another thought bubble over her head with a popping sound. And then Willow remembers that she is perfectly capable of telepathy, giving her head the V8 treatment.

Derek keeps his hand on Malia's shoulder for just a bit longer. The presentation is informative, and even if he'd seen it before Stiles showed it to the assembled group, he takes the opportunity to watch, to read, and to think more about it. Not altogether different from his usual approach, not that different from day to day life with the gruff alpha, he lets his posture and slight movements and expressions speak more than words anyway.

Breathing in deeply, Derek's nostrils flare. He picks out all the texting and frowns softly, before reaching into his pocket, pulling out his own phone and tapping to access his own text prompt.

Then he becomes immediately distracted by Willow's display, staring at her, the bubble, and then back at her, before giving a questioning sort of expression to Angel. As if to ask, is she okay?

Once Ethan texts him, Stiles shifts his phone to the texts panel, allowing Ethan's text to be projected up onto the big screen for everyone to see. Any further texts he receives, for the moment, will also be projected up there. He pauses in surprise at the bouts of telepathy, then gives a look sour enough to compete with Derek at his sourwolfiest, then taps out a message on the screen.

I guess there's no way to get us all telepathically networked or something?

Liam's message prompts a patented look of exasperation, and Stiles taps out a message again. Liam, no. Just no.

So no idea how we get our voices back. Willow if you know a way to find someone who can still talk that would be great. Also that telepathy is seriously cool. Angel's right. Our first priority is protecting people. Second is finding a way to get our voices back. Then Lydia and Cordelia should scream the balls off these Gentleducks.

A moment, and Stiles adds, Gentle-fucks. Stupid autocorrect.

Sighing silently, he gives a big shrug, waving the remote around, and texts again to the big screen, So we need a research team and patrol teams. The sheriff (my dad) already knows all this so he'll let us know if they spot anything weird.

As people offer up ideas, Malia takes a moment to consider each of them in turn, taking in deliberately deep breaths, holding it for a few seconds, and then exhaling slowly. A lot of this is over her head so she appreciates Aidan's suggestion of using their claws and smiles ever so slightly in his direction. She's decided she likes that one.

As more words flash on the screen, Malia glances over to catch them. Thankfully, Derek and Stiles did tell her that Lydia was a Banshee, even if Malia still really doesn't know what that means since lore is really low on her knowledge tree. As a coyote, she didn't spend a lot of spare time reading and now she's far more interested in training than books. She figures if it is important, Derek or Stiles will tell her and until then, she doesn't much care one way or the other.

Ryan's voice, whisper, whatever it was, causes Malia to look around the room, trying to locate the source. As she is doing this, she catches sight of Willow's thought bubbles. Malia clealy looks confused by all of that and Derek's reaction just confirms that feeling. Research team or patrol team...Malia is fairly certain which one of those she will wind up on.

'You wish I was your pretty princess.' Soo signs, not caring that he's the only one who understands himself, (that's his usual state anyway) sticking his tongue out at Ethan and snuggling in closer to Aiden, smirking at Ethan as he does. Yeah, so he's worried he'll never be able to speak again, and about Jackson, and about finals and graduation and prom and a million other stupid teenage things too. At least he still has humor? HE ALWAYS HAS HUMOR. Texting, Soo fires off 'Patrol team with Jackson? He's by himself right now and... worried. Not that he needs worry, he's amazing, but...'

Liam gets A LOOK from Lydia, and she shakes her head at Ethan. Already tried, it seems. Not a good sign. She kind of shrugs a little, as if to imply it MIGHT be possible in the right circumstances, but mundane screams are out. Quick, someone find her a dead body! She gives Cordelia a thumbs up, then texts her. 'How do I get from honorary to real deal? Does it involve Sapphic rituals, or do we save those for the nerdier redhead?'

Aiden looks generally irritated with the whole situation, but he does spare a smirk for Malia and a little grin when Cordelia indicates that Lydia can also be considered a princess. That's clearly not far off from the truth. He does give a serious response, sending a text: Scott and Jackson can't do all the patrolling. I'm on patrol duty too. He doesn't do research, dammit.

Ethan's brows draw together for a moment, then the texts, Didn't know you were a princess, Princess. That's cool. He has no idea what Soo signed, but the tongue-sticking-out makes the message pretty clear, so he returns the favor, before texting again: I can do research, but I'd rather be on patrol. Plus I'll pack the picnic baskets. Hey, why don't we all get comic book speech bubbles?

Ryan pouts as he looks around. He's still not sure where he stands with all of this, or what help he can really be. Though, the moment does pass as he looks between Liam and Ethan and pats the hands of each of them reassuringly. He takes his phone again and begins to text. -I would like to help. Should I go around with people? What are we looking for, exactly?-

The chosen one with the chosen chin normally talked and quipped a mile a minute, but just because he had a supernatural frog in his throat didn't mean he couldn't make his voice heard. As he sat at a desk cluttered with a chainsaw and a shotgun inside a holster and a leather strap, Ash made sure he got the last of his HI-C juicebox, the sound of oxygen and droplets of juice loudly escaping through a straw filling the room periodically. Eventually after an earth-shattering belch, the older man tossed the garbage aside(good luck, whoever was sat to his immediate left!) and stood up abruptly while clearing his throat. His left hand grabbed the sawed-off and raised it high in the air, for all to see. It wasn't...it wasn't loaded, was it? He didn't bring a loaded, illegally modified firearm on a school campus, right?

In any case, the man's fake, wooden right hand came up to touch his adam's apple, trying to signal something. Moments later, he jerked his head to the left. Did he want them to go somewhere? Judging by the sound of the hammer of that gun clicking, he was very adamant.

(Translation, which anyone is free to understand or misunderstand: The guys who took our voice, let's just go shoot 'em in the head! Bunch'a pasty-faced pansies! Translation may or may not be embellished.)

Liam grumbles all around and doesn't even raise an eye at all the weirdness. This is his life. Belated he starts handing out snacks from his santa bag, magically giving everyone their favorite snack.... and it apparently Also includes mugs of something for those who prefer a liquid diet. He looks at Lydia to see if he's on research or patrol duty, because lets be honest he knows who the REAL true alpha is. HE texts out to stiles So it can go up on screen, Whoever is on Patrol duty be careful. All this fear is making it hard on our were wold noses. Too bad ALL the bad guys don't just wear Nookie. HE makes sure to hug both Ryan and Ethan reassuringly, however. He's sure they'll make it out of this. I mean they beat a Hell goddess last time. This was no where near as terrifying.

Angel finds it a little unfortunate that there's not a specific target to protect. It means they're basically looking for floating needles in a haystack instead of having specific 'go there, save this person.' Which makes this ever so much less convenient. So he texts 'Protecting everyone means we need to fan out over the city. Whatever's blocking our voices is probably with the enemy. If weapons don't work, do not engage. Just keep them chasing you instead of people who can't defend themselves. Also, if you need to defend yourself against an invulnerable opponent, jujitsu's the way to go if you know it. A being whose skin can't be pierced can still be thrown.'

Road trip Cordy taps out, holding it up to Lydia with a disarmingly sweet smile. To anyone around the two of them, it might just be recognizable as the kind of smile that indicates the promise of a certifiable good time.

Still, thinking about it and unsure if text plus smile actually makes it clear enough, Cordelia hurriedly writes another text and shows it. Pylea, hot guys & I dub thee Princess Lydia of Pylea it reads, surrounded by sparkles and crown emoji. And there's one flexing emoji.

Once that's been read, Cordy taps idly through her phone's various menus and apps and, after a few seconds of that, turns up an image of a handsome, smiling man who looks like he's performing at a renaissance festival. Anyone who knows him will recognize Groosalugg.

Then Cordelia is given...a deluxe black forest brownie like the kind she gets at that one place with the only slightly pretentious little boutiques. She brightens up, giving Liam a smile in return, and sets her phone down to eat with one hand and catch the crumbs with the other. There will not be crumbs on her ensemble. And as Angel gives his usual briefing talk, Cordy pays attention between bites and occasionally nods. That sounds right.

But then she frowns and looks for a moment like she isn't sure what to do. Eventually deciding to rest the brownie on the crumb hand, she takes her other hand and, propping her phone on her leg, Cordy taps out another message and holds it out. Which team am I on? There's a glasses emoji and a kangaroo with boxing gloves, which presumably is the closest she could find to a fighter at short notice.

Faith Lehane shoots Ash a look. Sure, shooting them, not a bad idea, but it's apparently not the way to solve this one. Faith takes a deep breath. She texts, 'Assuming it's an artifact...but it probably is for this duration and range. Willow?' Because she's well equipped to make a good guess.

Reading the screen, Willow nods to Stiles when he asks for a telepathic network. This is so much harder to do when one has to find work arounds. Power words just make things sooooo much easier. She looks deep in thought in her chair, not noticing as the converstaion goes on for a moment. She starts to smile and then there is this horrified look on her face. She gives her head a shake, eyes still wide as if she just saw her parents having sex.

The mention of a research team and a patrol team causes the witch to nod. She knows what team she is on. Another research project. That spell she is thinking of using is looking more and more tempting each day. And then she is handed a brisket sandwich, just like Nona used to make. Awwww!

Derek raises an eyebrow at Willow's response. After a moment's thought, though, he can't disagree. It's been difficult at times wrangling the pack, especially with so many of them being younger and, naturally, more in the grip of hormones and trying to find their places in the world.

Absently, he's grateful in the back of his mind that Boyd and Erica, along with Isaac, are camped out at Hale House. It'll keep them safe, and they'll keep it safe. A trio should be able to at least retreat effectively, in a worst-case scenario.

Like most of the gathered heroes, Derek has no doubt as to which team he will be on. He's best at patrolling, creating strategy and synergy. He looks to Malia, confirming that she, too, has decided. It's probably not a particularly difficult decision. They've trained together plenty in the past couple of weeks. They'll be able to do well together without a single word spoken between them.

Trying to convey this to Stiles, Derek waves a hand, pointing to his chest and then flexing that arm. There. That should be adequately communicative and clear.

After a few moments, Ash realizes that he's just standing there looking like an idiot, so he slowly uncocks the boomstick, and sits down while back in it's little leather hidey hole. Absent mindedly taking the can of beer from the Foodpasser (and thinking, Huh, this kid drinks Shemp's Beer, too?), Ash looks around...and realizes that everyone is on their phones. Of course! Incredible how easily he can pop the tab and take a swig all with just one hand, and even more impressive how he was able to take out his Nokia flip-phone and send a message to Cordelia, the only one whose number he had.

hey whatare u guys talking about the gentulmen ? hey were around a bunch of dogs & wizards can they track a stealen voices trail??? it was took by magicifig ure that stuff might leave a trail right : )

Stiles doesn't let his gaze linger on Derek's flexing arm. (Okay, he totally does.) But he flashes a grin, nods, and taps out a text. Okay Willow. Taking your word for it. So research team is Me, Lydia, Willow, Cordelia, Liam, and Ryan. Patrol team is Derek, Malia, Soo, Angel, Faith, Ethan, Aiden, and Ash. He raises his eyebrows as Liam hands him a box of seasoned tater tots, though he flashes the pack's wolf-pup a grin and a thumbs-up for his trouble before popping a tot in his mouth, then setting the rest aside for the moment. We do know one thing. Their first target was Lance. A demon. A Knight of Hell. These guys are for real. Also they might be targeting supernaturals. Otherwise Lance is about the dumbest possible target they could have gone for. If it IS an artifact then we need to figure out what it is and how to Mt Doom it ASAP.

When Derek confrims her thoughts, she just nods. Even if she's still figuring out the whole two-legger human thing, she at least seems to understand him.

She gives Ash a glance, mostly wondering about his hand and not at all rebuffed by what others might consider rude. If anything, he seems rather interesting.

Right after that, it is Malia's turn to get handed her favorite snack, she isn't handed leftovers from a dumpster or something much more, well as Stiles might say, gross. If this had happened a week ago, it would have been jerky, but to commemorate surviving her first full moon and not murdering anyone, Stiles introduced her to the wonder of nachos. The next day, she discovered tater tots. So it is that she is handed a plate of tater tot nachos. All the wonders of nachos on top of a bed of tater tots. It is delicious.

Oh, everybody's gaze lingers on Derek's arm. Soo hops up from Aiden's lap and leaps back up onto the stage in a single fluid motion, and, weight still entirely on his hands, turns himself about to sit, legs dangling once more. See? Soo can flex his arms, too! They're just... puny. When he's handed a packet of tuna, Soo glowers at Liam and signs 'Not funny' which... translates really well... But a few moments later, he's opening the tuna and eating it directly from the little sealed envelope, making soft sounds of delight.

Finally drawing her hand from Aiden's hair, Lydia runs it down his neck, pausing briefly to squeeze one strong shoulder and down to bicep, before she moves it back for texting. 'Roadtrip sounds good. Meantime we figure this out.' Looking up at Liam, Lydia raises an eyebrow, as if suggesting Liam should decide. She and Stiles could probably handle the bulk of the research with Willow and Cordy, but... more is better. Plus... snacks.

Aiden relaxes down into the seat, almost lulled by Lydia's attentions, especially with the sudden lack of Soo in his lap. He's quite sure of his role in all this, so he doesn't have any questions, and it's not like he could say anything, anyway. So, he just offers up his most confident smirk and a nod, reaching around to gently massage the back of Lydia's neck. She's probably not too worried, he figures, but even if she were, he's there to be all reassuring and suchlike.

Ethan is handed a small Tupperware container of fresh-baked oatmeal raisin cookies (which he somehow baked himself), and he flashes Liam a grin, before offering one to Ryan, then chomping another himself. Now that the teams have been divided up and the tasks set, Ethan is content to sit back and munch cookies until it's time to saddle up and head out. His brows draw together again, and he makes lip-smacking noises toward Liam, reaching out a hand in a gimme-grabby motion that he hopes makes his meaning clear -- what good are cookies without milk?

Liam was in the process of handing Ethan milk when he Ethan made grabby hands. Contrary to popular belief he wasn't a savage... Cookies without milk?. HE then shrush and puts his bag up for the moment. And ofcourse Ethan made the cookies. About half of hat ethan bakes ends up in the bag of holding to be given out later. He sighs and waits to be told what to do. Cause he's a decent fighter and stuff, but atleast in the pack he's the only one that speaks archaic latin other than Lydia. He just shrugs and waits to be told what to do. Then suddenly tilts his head and brings txts stiles again so it goes up on the big screen. Has anyone tried to talk to the local Fae? This seems like it violates the accords.

Angel is handed a warm mug of...well, blood. Because the magical backpack can handle his particular diet. As much as he does his best to hide the contents, he's probably not fooling anyone, because they either know him or they can smell the blood for what it is. Still, instinct and habit makes him discrete about it. I believe it's been left up to me, concerning the Accords. If they decide I need backup, they'll send some.

Cordelia had intended to go back to eating the rest of the brownie Liam also miraculously had available, when she receives that text from Ash. It gets him a slightly pained look in return, which he may not notice, but she can do this. She's good at this kind of thing.

With a few taps, Cordy just forwards the text to Stiles, and she smiles to him a little too warmly. He can explain, or address this, or whatever.

After that, she gives a thumbs-up in Ash's direction and starts back on her brownie. When she receives Lydia's text, she just nods pleasantly. They're sitting right next to each other, anyway.

Faith's favorite snack? It might not be her favorite so much as her favorite right now, but that would be a gooey, chocolatey brownie. She smiles at the backpack, then turns back to the crowd. 'I think I might be your backup, Angel' she sends, although there's no tone, there's amusement in her face and her eyes. 'Patrol team is fine by me.' Faith, as Angel knows, hates research. She'll do it if she has to, but she hates it.

The conversation turns again and again as Derek takes in all the details and focuses on keeping them all correct. There's the question of the local Fae...and he frowns in thought, thick brows lowering. Carefully, he taps out the message to Stiles: We should check on the local Fae. I haven't heard from them.

When he looks up, however, the alpha sees Ash's text on the screen. He narrows his eyes, looking over at the man. Dogs? Really?

At this point Ash hadn't actually been sitting in his seat, because he was actually half-stood and watching a few rows ahead of him. At this angle, he was watching the boiling hot red liquid in Angel's cup with a scrunched up face of disgust, his mouth agape and occasionally shaking his head and mouthing the word 'no' whenever the vampire with soul brought it up for a quick swig. He never looked away however, often times angling his head for a better view. Out the corner of his eye he saw Cordelia give him a thumb's up, and instantly his face changed, flashing her those pearly whites even as he clicked his tongue and winked. And then a voice boomed inside his cranium and the older man's sudden gasp and intake of air was audible to those closely around.

He in fact had already twisted off his rosewood hand and had tossed it aside (to let it bounce suddenly on Ethan's desk and/or lap) and was grabbing the chainsaw...when he looked around and seemed to realize it was Willow. His eyes got wide until he suddenly gave a big sigh of relief, shaking his head and clutching his chest, before giving Willow a mix between a lighthearted chuckle and a sudden angry sneer, pointing his index finger at her. He seemed oblivious to any stares his cool tweetertext might have been earning him, but that would probably change once he calmed down from the psychic Willow scare.

Stiles settles back against the stage a big, leaning on it, and resumes munching on tater tots thoughtfully. He smirks a little, approving of Malia's choice, and mimes toasting her with one of his tots, eyebrow raised. Soo's antics draw a silent chuckle, and his gaze sweeps past Lydia and Aiden's affections. Ethan and Liam get a good-natured eye-roll, right up until the mention of the fae. Frowning some, Stiles picks up his phone and taps out a message on the big screen.

No idea on the fae front. No contact yet. A moment later, he adds, At least the Nemeton is locked down now.

At Ash's rather sharp reaction, Stiles taps out a frantic, Dude chill. Just us good guys here. He also extends one hand in a placating gesture, sighs soundlessly, and gives the room a big shrug. Tapping another message, he concludes, That's all we have for now. We should split into groups for patrol. Research group will meet at the Magic Box like Willow said. NOBODY GO ANYWHERE ALONE.

Malia had been voraciously munching on her tater tot nachos (what, food not being scarce is a new thing), content enough in the moment to know her place in things. Seeing Stiles toasting, she mimics the action.

Then the wafting scent of the blood in Angel's cup reached her nose. While she was more familiar with the metallic tang of blood than might make some people comfortable, this does make her turn to look in Angel's direction. When she catches sight of Ash, also looking upset, she feels a bit more vindicated. She then turns to look back at the screen, seeing the bit about wizards and dogs and furrows her brow. She doesn't take the dog comment as an insult; she just figures Ash has the typical two-legger muted sense of smell and can't tell a...well better not think too hard about what he can or can't smell.

hen there is the bit about splitting up. Malia glances to Derek, silently wondering if it will just be the two of them or not.

Shit. People are staring at him. ACT NATURAL. Soo finishes off the pouch of tuna, letting out a happy little contented sigh while licking his fingers. Totally normal human behavior. Just be thankful he isn't bathing himself on the stage or waking up naked in somebody's bed. The dog comment gets a glower, and Soo makes a rude gesture that needs very little translation and texts 'I am a CAT, thank you very much. And in keeping with my feline nature, I shall show you my anus!' And then he's hopping off the stage and heading toward the door, winking. 'Going to link up with Jackson. Many patrols. Much searching. Such spooky.'

'... Wouldn't be the first time he's shown us all that.' Lydia texts, smirking. And then she's snuggling up to Aiden, for just a moment, to give him a very tender kiss and a look that makes it very clear that he's expected to come back in one piece. 'Research time. Willow, Cordy, Stiles and perhaps Liam... Wanna see if Mr. Knight is still at the school library? Or we can go to my place, I've got the Bestiary and pretty good wifi.'

Aiden leans in to give Lydia as reassuring a kiss as he can, flashes her a grin, and then hops to his feet. He claps Ethan on the shoulder, then makes a let's go gesture and heads after Soo. They aren't supposed to be alone, right? So they can make sure Soo gets to Jackson okay before they split off on their own. As he goes he gives a wink to the room, and then he's out the door.

A sideways glance at the departing cat, but he is hooking up with somebody just outside. Faith finishes the brownie and then settles back, glancing at Angel. She's assuming they're going to patrol together, soon, once he's finished his...beverage.

Ethan was just taking a long swig of milk as Aiden slapped his shoulder, when suddenly there's a hand in his lap. And not the fun kind! His eyes suddenly glow blue, and he's on his feet a moment later, holding the wooden hand at arm's length, trying hard to growl and snarl through his bared fangs...but there's no sound, of course. Spinning around to look accusingly from one person to the next, he mouths, What the hell is this? Who's throwing body parts around? His eyes land on Ash, whom he doesn't recognize...and who happens to be missing a hand. Eyes narrows, he begins stalking toward the man, clearly intent on returning the hand (or at least ramming it into one orifice or another). After all, this guy made him spill his milk!

Liam has no idea what is going on with Ethan currently because he's busy stuffing his face with powerbar flavored cookies and thinking about the options. Three hot brainy girls, and no danger. And possibly the hot librarian... Or his boyfriends and a good fight. This is a serious philosophical dilemma for him. What does he do. Liam ponders this pressing issue oblivious to all other things.

Angel comes to some quick decisions. Cordy is a veritable library of knowledge now, and if she gets a vision, she can text him. Willow prefers to research anyway, and really needs to focus on finding the lost voices. Which is probably easiest to do with magic anyway. So Angel comes to some conclusions. 'Cordy and Willow join the research team, I'll take Faith with me. Derek, if any of yours want to come with me, let me know.'

Oh god, it's going to go to violence now. And it was going so well! So, as VIP of Public Relations of Angel Investigations (self-appointed) Cordy shoves the last of her brownie in her mouth -- expertly not even slightly smearing her lipstick -- chews, swallows, and steps between Ash and Ethan, offering Ethan a bright smile and gently, delicately reaching over to take the hand. She mouths "thank you" to Ethan and winks at him, not in a flirty way so much as a I totally know, he's not the most sensitive person in the world, but he's ours one.

She turns to flare out her eyes at Ash and just push the hand at him to take. To him, she mouths "you're welcome" very clearly, before returning to Ethan and sliiiiding an arm around him to walk him after his twin. Sure, she knows he's not interested. She's got a good sense of that. But who's complaining about walking with a hot twin? All things considered, this meeting has gone incredibly well for Cordy: gourmet brownies, twin hunks, touching base with BFF Lydia. She gives Angel a nod on the way out. Research will put all her knowledge to good use. Besides, what can she do in a throwdown, compared to werewolves and vampires? She's not chipping her manicure already.

The "no voice" thing needs to be taken care of. Tout de suite. But with everything else going on, she can deal. Temporary setbacks.

Derek nods to Angel, just once, then quickly hunt-pecks the letters in a text to him outlining the various pack groups and availabilities. Derek is available too, with Malia. Probably as a pair, for reasons best known to the two, even though Stiles and the other pack members will have been made aware of her neophyte status and need for guidance, not to mention Derek feeling much better knowing where she is. This is really her first major crisis with the pack. He needs to see how things go firsthand.

And so, once everyone starts to settle into their places and go their ways for the specific purposes, Derek walks over to Stiles -- squeezing Malia's shoulder softly first, to reassure her before moving away -- and once he's there, he offers a gentler smile to Stiles than most have ever seen cross his face. It's going to be all right. The promise is in his eyes.

Ash was on his feet when it looked like the group was piling out and dispersing, and had already put on and fastened his harness when he caught the sight of the stocky wolflad approaching him. With his right hand missing and a beer in his left, it might have looked like Ash was just some random old timer in blue denim, but underneath that exterior was a survivor made of tougher stuff. Battle hardened and driven mad by the forces of evil, Ash's brown eyes didn't glow in the dark or anything fancy. But they flashed with a brief moment of insanity even as he stood up and walked toward the boy. Turning his head to the side as he drank nearly half a can, his eyes never left the potentially dangerous situation in front of him. Although he did stick out his right stump, toward the hand in an obvious expectation...or perhaps a sort of message or challenge?

That got interrupted when Cordelia got between both hardheads, and instantly that cagey wileyness was replaced by a sort of sheepish surrender. Exhaling through his nose, he nodded after a few moments, as close to an apology as he could get without vocal chords, even as he popped the hand back on, and tossed the empty can aside so he could pick up the chainsaw still on the desk. He vaguely remembered hearing that they should go in groups, but that didn't make any sense to an inebriated, ready-to-drive Ash. Just how dangerous could a couple of floating froot loops in bowties possibly be?!

Stiles spots the trouble brewing between Ash and Ethan and starts forward, flinging his arms up in protest and forgetting momentarily that he can't speak. He's a few syllables into a silenced rant before he gives up, frustrated, and... realizes that Cordelia has it covered. He sighs, running a hand through his hair, and then goes to give Derek a tight hug and tender, lingering kiss. After he steps back, giving Derek a firm nod, he mouths "Be careful." Then, giving Derek a last hug, he heads over to follow the others out. They have to hit the library and look for Mr. Knight, then regroup at the Magic Box. And maybe, if they're lucky, they'll even find something useful.

Willow is deep in thought. A whole town full of wolves. Wolves with control. Their warmth. The way they sniff at your hair when you are both just starting to wake up in the morning. There is a wistful smile on the redhead's face as she is totally not paying attention until she comes to suddenly and realizes everyone seems to be standing up. Well, this is awkward in that whole caught snoring in college sort of way.

Malia had been directing some of her attention in Angel and Ash's direction, but Derek's gesture redirects her gaze. She nods to him and since smiling is not really her thing there isn't a huge change in her features, but it is clear she appreciates the thought. Then she catches sight of Ethan's movements. That body language she can easily read, even if she isn't sure what it causing it.

Instead of getting involved, she is perfectly fine to sit back and see what happens. The expected showdown is circumvented by Cordelia. Malia isn't sure how she did it, but she is certainly curious. As people leave, Malia begins to relax ever so slightly since large groups still make her edgy and vampires doubly so. Whatever happens next, she knows she is with Derek and they will handle it. That or Stiles will, either way she has faith in those two and if they think this group can handle it, they will. It's as simple as that for her.

As the groups break up and go their separate ways, of course, the big questions remain: If the only way to kill the Gentlemen is with a scream, then how can our heroes restore their voices in order to do that? How can they protect Beacon Hills from an enemy they can't harm? With luck, perhaps they'll discover answers to both, but one thing is certainly clear.

It's going to be a long, long day.

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