The Game is Afoot

Beta Ryker · 1 The Game is Afoot Mon Mar 25, 2013 11:11 pm

Beta Ryker

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Ryker slipped his hands into the pockets of his black hoody as he made his way through the crowded city streets. All the lights and noise and smells were giving him a rather impressive headache, but he was used to things like that. Paris was at least as bad, if not worse, so he was pretty used to it. Not to mention, things at most of his races tended to get a little…exciting, so who was he to complain about a bit of city noise?

His nose twitched slightly as he sniffed the air again. Following this particular bunch of scents was proving to be slightly challenging, given the urban camouflage, but he was managing. He took a slight skip in his step so that his black converse shoes would be spared splashing through a puddle of…he would rather not figure out exactly what was in the puddle. Huzzah for living in the city, right? A short while later, though, he found what he was looking for.

The scents that he had been following intensified rather suddenly and he turned, peering down the almost too stereotypical dark alley. He saw a bundle of blankets that he figured was probably some homeless bum, but that was all. A frustrated growl escaped his lips and he could feel his other self getting impatient. You had better not have taken us on a wild goose chase, the wolf snarled at him. “’Ay, it took both of us to follow that smell, thanks. If this is a dead end, which it’s not, then it’d be both our faults,” Ryker muttered in his light brogue, drawing a curious stare from a young woman passing by. The Irishman just gave the woman a charming little smile and wave before making his way into the alley, once more sliding his hands into his pockets.

Well, he was certainly right about the source of the smells. This alley was literally inundated with the scent of werewolves. Plural. More than one. Excellent. Making his way a little further into the alley, Ryker decided not to call out, but rather just wait. Someone would come, of that there was no doubt. He also needed a pack, of that also there was no doubt. One thing that he had learned from his family was that people were the most valuable resource. If he was going to get anywhere in this city, he would need to garner the support of a pack and, from what he had heard, the pack that claimed this territory sounded like it would suit his needs perfectly. Inside his pocket, his fingers drummed out a quick tattoo as he waited for someone of the correct disposition to come along.

Alphess Noctavia · 2 Re: The Game is Afoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:22 pm

Alphess Noctavia

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She'd been jumping from tall buildings to other rooftops, making her way over the dark alleys in search for others willing of joining her pack, or maybe a mortal she can get a meal out of for the night. Noctavia's long jet black hair blew back as the wind hit her face with every leap, It felt like flying, almost as if she was defying gravity all together. It'd felt like centuries since she'd been getting this much exercise, however, it had been yesterday and the day after that for her whole life she did this. The complete rush of freedom made her wolf want to jump out of her human suit and run forever.

A black worn-out Converse sneaker pushed her off a ledge, and flipping into a front flip, gracefully landing on the other rooftop with a screech to the rubber soles. Noctavia stopped to brushed off the dust from her ripped skinny jeans that wrapped around her long legs. Leaning against the outer rail that bordered the top, she gazed into the twinkly lights of New York City. Darkness had always been her friend, although the lights of the city that never sleeps always made her feel like a kid again. Not that she wished to be an infant, it was just the view that changed her perspective of things. At the most, she was up four stories, not as high as her usual which ranged from either ten to fourteen stories but she was in the Projects at this point. Her keen sense of smell could register everything in a two-mile radius, It reeked of werewolves like her, as well as the smell of drugs and other alcohols people had outside.

The Projects were the entire opposite of what she was. Her pockets were always filled with more than any of those kind of people made in a hour and she'd been living under a million dollar roof for centuries as a twenty-four year old. She sighed, propping an arm filled with various tattoos under her chin. "Worthless beings, they don't deserve to walk these lands if they can't even pay their next meal. Pathetic." Noctavia was a bitch, arrogant to the core and cold-heartedly evil. She was highly intelligent though, always knew her opponent before they could make their first move. Most of all, fast. No one could out-run her, not even the most powerful werwolf could beat her in a one on one competition.

Noctavia's thoughts were then interrupted by the noises of a passing bystandar, tapping in a rhythm against the damp concrete. She walked to the side and peered down, only to see a man in hoodie walking with a swagger with every step in identical Converse sneakers like hers. "Hm.. interesting..." Her tongue licked her right canine, over-thinking if she should introduce herself and maybe talk him into joining her pack or go back to her view. She shrugged and with one hand cart-wheeled herself over the balcony, straight down into a perfect landing only a few feet from the man. "Well hello there." She tilted her head, eyeing the shifter inch by inch.

He stood only a few inches taller than her and was wearing a similar black hoodie like her, only her's was unzipped, revealing a yellow and black band t-shirt underneath. "What brings you here, shifter?" She put ethasis on the shifter part specifically because he was indeed a werewolf like her. The fact of whether he was bitten or pure-breed poked her in the back with curiosity. It was easier to train pure-breeds since most already knew what was coming. Bitten werwolves on the other-hand...not so much. Of course she wouldn't have the time to train one with all the recruiting she must be working with, but wouldn't mind taking an Apprentice under her wing during her nightly exercises.

Last edited by Alphess Noctavia on Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:50 pm; edited 1 time in total

Beta Ryker · 3 Re: The Game is Afoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 8:18 pm

Beta Ryker

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Ryker adjusted the position of his hoody on his shoulders, realigning the seams correctly, and continued waiting. It was not that he had been waiting a particularly long time, just that neither he nor the wolf inside him was in the mood to be waiting around. There were important things that they planned on getting done tonight and standing in an alleyway, waiting for someone that they didn’t even know was not very high on their to-do list. Ryker resisted the urge to check the time on his phone. Someone will be here, he thought, both to himself and the wolf, who he could feel veritably pacing back and forth in his mind.

His waiting was finally brought to an end, though, as the scent of a nearby werewolf reached his incredibly sensitive nose. Even compared to other werewolves, Ryker’s senses had always been incredibly acute. Unfortunately, though, this time he could not pinpoint where exactly this scent was coming from. It belonged to a female, certainly, he decided, and it seemed to be coming from above. Ryker tipped his head back to peer at the surrounding building tops from beneath his hood, only to have his gaze intercepted halfway up by a falling figure. At first, he thought that someone had grown tired of living and decided to throw themselves from the top of a roof and commit suicide. However, he quickly discovered that to not be the case as the same scent that had caused him to look up wafted to him from the somewhat striking woman. “Good evenin’,” he replied, allowing his accent to fully color his words. He matched her exploring gaze and took in her whole body. When he caught sight of her shoes, he smirked slightly. “Nice shoes,” he added, lifting his black eyes back to her face.

When asked what had brought him out into this rather fragrant section of town, Ryker shrugged slightly before posing his answer. “Well, I’m in search of a pack that’s gonna be worth my time. And, to be perfectly honest,” again that smirk returned to his face as he met the black haired woman’s gaze. “It seems like you could use a pureblood or two in your pack,” he said, being perhaps a little brazen to what he believed was the leader of the pack that he was requesting admittance to, but he had always believed that it was better to ask for forgiveness than permission. “The name’s Ryker Dahling, by the way. It’s nice to meet you.” Everything about Ryker exuded confidence, from his slightly cocky expression to the bent of his shoulders and posture to his gaze, which never left the female standing in front of him.

Alphess Noctavia · 4 Re: The Game is Afoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:01 pm

Alphess Noctavia

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She looked down at her black sneakers, she'd had them since the 70's, only then it was considered as being poor, then as it is now to be a world-wide phenomenon to wear Converse. Noctavia's piercing emerald eyes went back up to meet his gaze. "Thanks," she pointed down to his identical pair. "You too." Her smile was crooked, but held a small bit of gratitude. "A pack eh?" She tapped her chin and eyes his build carefully.

He was muscular, and tall, if he was as strong as he appeared there was a possibility of making him her Beta. When he mentioned he was a pure-breed and that there were more supposed to be on their way, Noctavia almost jumped with joy. Thankfully, her body stood emotionless. Her emotions had always been locked away deep within her immortal soul, never even showing anything, unless it was either bitchiness or sarcasm. Both seemed to overpower the rest and take over her body, the dark side of her made her feel unstoppable, like nothing could hurt her. "Pure-breeds...hm.. well, I'd be more than welcomed to have you as a part of my pack."

Noctavia saw potential in this man, wanted to see what he was capable of, yearned to see him in action. She wondered how many friends he was expecting. There were werewolves near, but none of which seemed to be headed in their direction. She rolled up her black hoodie's sleeves passed her elbows, exposing her various tattoos upon her forearms forward towards Ryker. "Dark, Noctavia Dark." The Alphess's lips curled into a lopsided smile.James Bond much?....I said hush, you! "It's nice to meet you as well, Ryker. I'm the Alphess of the Eternal Darkness pack. Where you from?"

Last edited by Alphess Noctavia on Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:52 pm; edited 1 time in total

Beta Ryker · 5 Re: The Game is Afoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 10:26 pm

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Ryker watched the female think. He decided to give her time, not wanting to seem like he was trying to rush her or anything along those lines. In light of that, he stuffed his hands further into his pockets and leaned back against the wall, being sure to keep his head slightly back so that his hood did not hide his eyes. A small smile pulled at the corners of his lips when she processed what he had said, but he kept the reasons for it completely to himself. However, when she said that she was more than happy to admit him into the pack, Ryker heaved himself off of the wall and grinned at the woman, who had introduced herself as Noctavia Dark.

“Quite the name, ya’ve got there, Noctavia,” he commented, allowing his brogue free reign with his voice. “Well, my family’s originally from Ireland. I come from a long line of purebloods and we generally like to keep it that way. Most recently, though, I am from Paris, France.” He decided to keep his reasons for moving across the pond, as the Brits would put it, very private. Even if she asked, chances were she would not get a straight answer. “Eternal Darkness, huh? Does have a bit of a ring to it, do’n’t it? So tell me a bit about this pack o’ your’s, Miss Noctavia.”

Alphess Noctavia · 6 Re: The Game is Afoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:19 pm

Alphess Noctavia

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It was no surprise when he said his family originated from a long line of pure-bloods in Ireland, for he had the charm of an Irishman. "I'm from upstate New York, however I've been to Paris, nice place. Last time I was there it was..." She thought for a minute and bit her lip. "Twenty years ago I believe..." Noctavia nodded. "Sounds right. The French are awry people, couldn't stand them, so I left early, back to the big city." She'd taken Spanish, French, and Dutch during her repetitive years of many, different high schools. The Alphess looked up to see a latter that led to a stair way on the apartment's side, she instantly had the urge to climb it and sit, to answer Ryker's questions.

She cocked her mouth to the side, considering whether she should or not. Deciding not, she looked back down at the male and pulled her hood down that shadowed her eyes. Her obsidian colored bangs were tucked behind her ear, showing for once both of her emerald hues. She shrugged. "I liked the name, it held a little of what we do and my last name." She turned her one wrist over, revealing her family's pack crest, a wolf heart with a danger trough it. "That's the Dark pack crest, and this is the Eternal Darkness crest." Noctavia twisted her opposite wrist, appearing a crescent moon with a bursting sun in the center. Her lips pursed at the family crest tattoo, sinisterly. Her family exiled her for being a monster, a sin.

Noctavia looked away. "My pack is powerful, but small so far. I plan to recruit and persuade as many strong werewolves as I can. No other pack would want to mess with us," Not even the Bravehearts. "We spend most of our pack time in the Franchesca Hotel, a few blocks down from Manhattan Square. The packmembers would usually hunt during the night, jumping over skyscrapers." She pointed up and smirked. "That's why I came from up there. I wasn't hunting, just enjoying the view...and getting fresh air." The fact that she was in the Projects, getting fresh air was quite humorous to her.

"For fun, it's usually scaring mortals or fooling around at the hotel." She leaned in closer and looked up at Ryker. "And get this, we have a game room." The women leaned back and snickered to herself. There really was a gameroom at the hotel, but no one wanted to play with her since she couldn't get beat playing a game of pool. She'd learn it ages ago from some drunk that walked into a bar outside Albany, New York. The intoxicated man was quite the player, even when he was filled with alcohol. "Care to verse me sometime? Betcha I can empty your pockets on the first game." Noctavia spoke in a teasing and challenging tone.

Last edited by Alphess Noctavia on Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

Beta Ryker · 7 Re: The Game is Afoot Tue Mar 26, 2013 11:52 pm

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Ryker chuckled slightly when she mentioned the French being awry. “They may be, but you can’t deny they’ve got some of the best food out there,” he said, grinning widely. When she displayed the two crests tattooed on her wrists, Ryker arched an eyebrow. He did not miss the slight look of distaste that danced across her lips when her eyes fell on her family’s crest. Well, it looked as though there was some interesting history buried there.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” he said, holding up a finger to forestall further explanation. “If our pack is called Eternal Darkness, why is the crest two sources of light?” He looked up at Noctavia’s face, hoping for an answer that made sense. Regardless of the answer, he just shrugged once it was given and let Noctavia continue.

“How many members are in the pack, counting ourselves?” Hopefully it wasn’t too small. Or comprised entirely of Wilders. Ryker could just imagine himself playing babysitter to a whole slew of young werewolves that had no idea what they were doing. Needless to say, the picture was not entirely pleasant. The mention of the pack’s home piqued his interest, though. “We live in a hotel? You know, come to think of it, I’m pretty sure that I’ve driven past that hotel once or twice. Pretty nice place, i’n’t it?” Of course, he left out the fact that he had been driving past it in excess of a ninety miles per hour. He arched an eyebrow, giving Noctavia a slightly lopsided grin. “I tend to be a bit of a game aficionado, myself. What sorts of games do you keep in this game room of yours?” All in all, this pack did sound like he would fit in rather well.

Alphess Noctavia · 8 Re: The Game is Afoot Wed Mar 27, 2013 8:34 am

Alphess Noctavia

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"Good point." She glanced down to the pack's crest, and pointed to the moon that circled most of the sun, tracing it's curve. "See the how the moon swirls through the following burst from the sun's rays, well from where I came from it shows power. Like as if the moon is over-powering the light, hence the name Eternal Darkness. The moon may be a source of light, but basically everything that the crescent is followed by is darkness. Great question by the way."

Noctavia was surprised to know he was so observant, very little of their kind questioned her on her tattoos. "Yes, we live in a hotel, strangely enough. It's a nice hotel, filled with various rooms and things for our pack to enjoy. I still like the Game Room the most though." She snickered. "We don't have the biggest pack, but it's growing. So far I've recruited a few not including you." Her hands found their way to her pocket, swaying from side to side. "Anytime, anywhere, Ryker. I'll play you and we'll then judge who's the champion. I prefer playing pool myself, however we have Pac-Man, foozeball, a pool table and more."

She bit her lip some more, almost drawing blood as she thought. What else....what else... "Oh! There's also an open bar in the center of the Game Room. I make a mean margarita." Noctavia arched a challenging brow. "Willing to try some?"

Last edited by Alphess Noctavia on Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:53 pm; edited 1 time in total

Beta Ryker · 9 Re: The Game is Afoot Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:20 pm

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Ryker listened as Noctavia explained about her tattoo. Honestly, it did not make a whole lot of sense to the Irishman, but what can you do? It’s not like he was out to change the pack’s crest or anything. In the end, he just wound up nodding his head with a brief, “[color=red]I see.”

As he listened to her tell him more about their hotel home, Ryker found that the whole situation reminded him, a little bit unfortunately, of the Lost Boys from the story Peter Pan. But he shook those thoughts away as quickly as he could. It was just a place to stay while he looked for her. He gave Noctavia a slightly roguish grin. “Well, it’s good to hear that I’m not the only one that you’ve found. Can you give me a guess as to the percentage of purebloods to Wilders? Are there any other purebloods, aside from yourself?” he asked, nodding to her. Call him a stickler for tradition, but some doctrines of his family’s teachings were harder to get rid of than others.

Her challenge to a game competition was met with a more than slightly cocky grin. “You’re on, Miss Noctavia. And as long as you don’t wind up poisoning me or something nasty like that, I’d be happy to try your drinks.” As an Irishman, and werewolf, besides, he was quite confident that he could drink anything that she could mix up with hardly any ill effects at all. One perk of genetic alcohol resistance, he supposed. “So, does my Alphess have any plans for this evening?” he asked, looking into her bright green eyes with his own black gaze sparkling slightly in anticipation. “Or would she mind giving the new kid a tour of the hunting grounds?”

Alphess Noctavia · 10 Re: The Game is Afoot Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:17 pm

Alphess Noctavia

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She looked passed his broad shoulder, further down the dark alley where they stood, she saw the opening were speeding taxi's and people crossed over to the opposing sidewalk. Noctavia had been out for quite some time and wondered what time it was. She lifted her arm, appearing down on the small hands of her golden wristwatch she was given in the 1800's. The time shown was 1:48 a.m., her eyes averted back to Ryker, slinking her hand back to the hoodie pouch. "I've recruited fourteen to sixteen pure-bloods so far. As for wilders, I tend to keep them to a minimum. I prefer pure-bloods, they're more experienced, stronger, wiser and faster."

Her legs were getting tired of standing, she needed a drink or something to eat. All the exercise she'd manage to burn from jumping to random roofs from her hotel to the Projects were taking a toll on her she didn't enjoy. "I'd be more than willing to verse you, however I'm starved." Noctavia pointed her finger up from where she fell. "I know a place over on Montino St. near the hotel. Want to join me for a drink and something to dine on? Maybe when we're done we can go play a game or two." She smirked and smiled trying not to be such a let-downer.

Last edited by Alphess Noctavia on Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:54 pm; edited 1 time in total

Beta Ryker · 11 Re: The Game is Afoot Thu Mar 28, 2013 2:03 am

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Ryker arched an eyebrow when he heard the number of purebloods that Noctavia claimed to be a part of her pack. Fourteen was certainly more than he had heard reported. It was not inconceivable at all, though, that there was a handful of them that managed to stay out of the limelight whenever possible. Or, also not inconceivable, Noctavia could be stretching the truth just a tad bit in order to impress him or something. Or possibly Ryker had miscalculated slightly. “Fourteen?” he repeated, eyes widened slightly. “That certainly makes for a damn good start. I know packs that are much older that don’t keep that many shifters around, let alone that many purebloods. Very impressive, Miss Noctavia.” Ryker gave a hearty grin and his black eyes sparkled slightly. If there were that many purebloods running around in the pack, was there really any danger from another pack? “What about the other main pack in this area?” he asked, cocking his head slightly. “Do you have any guesses as to their numbers and strength?”

At the mention of food, Ryker’s eyes lit up a bit. “Oh, that’d be lovely. Does this place serve steaks, though? It’s been a while since I’ve had a nice, juicy steak, you know?” Ryker reached up and slid his hood back, revealing his stylishly disheveled black hair, and then bowed his head slightly. “Thank you for accepting me into your pack, Alphess Noctavia,” he said, then straightened and popped his hood back up. “Now that the formalities are out of the way, let’s get some food, huh?”

Alphess Noctavia · 12 Re: The Game is Afoot Thu Mar 28, 2013 12:14 pm

Alphess Noctavia

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She was shooting the breeze a bit when she mentioned fourteen pure-breed. However, she didn't really care how many she had. Noctavia had her eyes set on this man in particular. Something about him made her want to look deep into his soul and search for what he is capable of. His weaknesses, strengths, and potential. She rolled her neck to the side and popped the muscle, a bad habit she possessed. His question brought her attention, clenching her jaw at such the pack she knew of by the name, Braveheart. The Alpha was a weak, and despicable man. He deserved nothing, not even the power to rule over such a pack outside New York City in a dainty cabin. The name hissed like a snake in the back of her mind. "They reside on the other end of the city, near the backcountry surrounded with wilderness. I don't know how many are within the pack, but I do know their Beta. The pack's name is Braveheart. We don't mention that name unless it's serious business."

Her finger tucked a loose strand of hair back behind her pale ears that hung with bright gold hoops, and her birthstone on the upper part of her ear. "Their Alpha is a man by the name of Gabriel Braveheart. The Beta is a fierce women with bright red hair. You can't miss her. Most of the time she can be spotted at the club Rapture, being fawned over by arrogant mortal gentlemen. Don't mess with her, she's packed with several knives. I'm sure she'd be more than happy to whip out on another without thinking twice. She's fast, but not as fast as me." Noctavia was being cocky, the women was very fast for being a pure-breed. She could outrun anyone that would challenge her to do so.

Ryker's black hues seem to have a sparkle of light within them. As he spoke his large hands pushed back the hood of his black sweatshirt, revealing a jet black, chopped haircut that he pulled off quite nice. "They do have steak." She bobbed her head back. "Come on, I'll pay." Her black polished nails gripped the edge of her hood, tugging it back over her long hair. Looking up, she reached for the latter, heaving herself up onto the ledge. She snickered down at the brute. Now way were they walking from the Projects to down town. It'd take to long, and she wasn't a patient women. "I'd keep up if I were you." She echoed below in a teasing voice. If he followed her the same way, she could judge his strength and skills from a far. Surely he has done the same at least a couple times in his past life.

Noctavia climbed to the apartment's roof, four stories from the alley's floor, grunting in every pull of her weight. Her emerald gaze looked down to see if he was behind. She snickered, leaning against the rail, waiting for him.

Last edited by Alphess Noctavia on Sun Nov 10, 2013 3:55 pm; edited 1 time in total

Beta Ryker · 13 Re: The Game is Afoot Thu Mar 28, 2013 6:50 pm

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Ryker lifted his eyebrows at the change that came across Noctavia at the mention of her “rival” pack. Apparently, the reports that he heard saying that they were not on the best of terms were completely accurate. That assumption was only heightened by the malice in her voice when she spoke of them. The mention of the Beta of pack Braveheart, though, caused Ryker to scowl slightly. “Aye, I’ve seen her once or twice in the club. Can’t say that I care too much for her. And you say she goes around armed? Gutless pup,” he sneered. Due to his upbringing, as well as the extensive training that he had received at the hands of his family, Ryker held a significant dislike for any werewolf who felt safer armed than simply using their own natural abilities. “[color=red]Well,[/color” he said, taking a moment to clear his head. “[color=redI’ll be sure not to provoke her too badly, then.[/color]” Back on his handsome face was that impish grin of his.

When Noctavia confirmed that there was steak at this restaurant, Ryker grinned. “Then, by all means, lead the way, my Alphess.” The challenge to keep up was met with nothing more than a slight quirk or Ryker’s lips, quite resembling a cocky grin, though subdued for the sake of his Alphess. No sooner had she climbed off the top of the four story ladder than Ryker started bounding up, taking the rungs four at a time. When he got to the top, he gave a big leap, but latched his hands onto the very top of the ladder, flipping himself into a somersault. He hit the ground in a tucked roll and smoothly lifted to his feet before turning to watch the Alphess to see where she was headed next. Being a Traceur trained in France certainly did have its benefits.