The library's ground level is one large room punctuated by even rows of pier columns that confidently hold the weight of the upper floors. The building is old but solid, its lath and plaster walls dark with age. Here and there some of the plaster has worn off to reveal the wooden slats beneath. Heavy, dark grained and decorated mahogany wainscoting runs the length of the walls, complimented by thick, ornate crown molding along the ceiling and each of the columns. It's clear from the dilapidated condition that the building's been abandoned for decades. There is a somber, sepulchral quietness to the place, even when alive with people, that is perhaps a ghostly echo of the rigid, required silence that its wardens demanded when the library was in its heyday.
Compact is the word for him: wiry, maybe 5'6" in his beat-up black combat boots, with a sense of compressed energy and imminence like a coiled spring -- or a cocked gun. Never quite still for long, balance flowing through the balls of his feet. There's a striking intensity to his narrow blue-green eyes, the colour contrasting with his fair skin and spiky copper hair; just below the left is what at first appears to be a faint mole, but closer inspection reveals as a small, long-healed scar. His features are appealing, with high cheekbones and a good jawline, but it's the confident mien and roguish smile that most often seem to draw people in.
He's wearing a long-sleeved, navy blue shirt, unbuttoned; judging by the white-on-red number patches on the left arm, the flag patch on the right shoulder, and the round fleur-de-lis patch to the left of the collar, it was once part of someone's Scout uniform... probably not his. Okay, the 'Boy Scouts of the USA' patch over the right pocket's a hint, too. There's a couple leather-and-bead bracelets on one wrist and a length of ball-chain disappearing beneath his collar; his nails were apparently painted black some time ago, since they're starting to show chips. Late teens, most likely, and when he speaks it's in a mellifluous, southern-accented baritone voice.
Shaggy brown hair and darker brown eyes frames this young boy's face. Justin has a slightly tanned complexion with a hint of Puerto Rican from his mother's side, Caucasian from his father's. He has a fairly lanky build that could use a bit of bulking upas he is built like a high school track runner. He wears loose fitted 'destroyed' blue jeans, simple tank tops, and worn down sneakers that are about five months in need of replacement, and during the cold, a thick green military jacket from his Grandpa. He looks like your average, ordinary American young teen that plays outside and is fairly active. Tall at five foot ten, he is a few inches higher than most his age for now.
In his Hispo form, Watcher's coywolf heritage is far less noticeable. He's far bigger than a wolf and dwarfs a coyote, resembling some primitive creature or an oversized hybrid of wolf, dog, and bear. As a whole, though, he still physically resembles his coyote heritage more than his wolf as a whole. He's smaller and leaner than most Hispo, with the longer ears and a lighter build. He's got a thick coat, though, and it lends him a bit of false bulk that usually makes him just look a bit shabby. His muzzle is a bit broader though not so heavy as a wolf, though in Hispo it hardly matters. Those jaws are massive, his paws and claws even more so. Overall, he's a tawny grey-ticked coloration with a darker saddle. His undersides are lighter and he has yellow eyes.
Day before the planned Tower shenanigans, so clearly the pack needs to get together for making sure things are more or less ready, and also for leftover pizza, since Felix happens to have obtained some. Probably still cake, too.
Heading inside the library is Justin, peeling out of his shirt and lobbing it on to his beanbag. It's hot outside for a change, and he is loving it. "Yo." He calls to Felix, then guns for the pizza.
Three-Mountains is just behind Justin, his tail wagging with glee to be back on familiar turf. He bounds in past the Ahroun soon as the door's open. He doesn't aim for the pizza but instead towards Felix, voicing noisy howls of greeting.
"Hey!" Felix calls back; he's got the food set out by the couch and beanbags where they usually sit, along with some soda. Whyever he didn't go along for picking Watcher up, it's presumably been handled, and he gives the Lupus a broad grin for the howls of greeting, then gives one back. It's not too bad given the whole human mouth and throat issues. "C'mere, have some food you didn't hafta kill first."
Justin snags up a slice of pizza, rolls it, then stuffs it into his mouth. "So, we all good to go for tomorrow? I got a shit ton of kool-aid and ah' built smoke bombs that's strong enough to set off sprinklers." He flops into his bean bag, then works his pants off to settle in his boxers.
Three-Mountains all but skips around Felix before joining Justin by the pizza. He deftly yanks a piece free and is swallowing it down in a few gulps. ~This will be fun. We will cause them much trouble. Maybe we will learn more too if they are too angry to hide.~
"I got about a metric shit-ton of glitter an' confetti," Felix says, reaching out to get an arm around the nigh-frolicking Three-Mountains and give him an affectionate squeeze of greeting. "Also like a case of silly string, lucked out at the dollar store. An' I already got two texts lettin' me know about tomorrow, so I think we're pretty good." He grins again, snagging another slice of the pizza, and stretching out along the couch. "Yeah, it'll be fun." Justin's pant shedding gets eyed askance, and he adds, "Though that reminds me, how close we plannin' to attend? 'cause we don't wanna stand out too much."
"Uh... maybe about across the street once the crowds forms, that way we can help direct traffic?" Justin asks as he squints his eyes a bit in thought. "I think if we can get enough people to cause a large distraction, we should be fine. Briari has been inside once and up a few floors and nothing happened to her."
Three-Mountains leans his weight against Felix's leg with his tongue lolled out. A thought does seem to occur to him and he huffs, turning his head to look at himself. ~I can not go like this. I do not look much like a city human either. Maybe I should not go so I am not seen.~
Felix rubs the Lupus's head, and nods to him, "That's parta what I was thinkin' -- not that you shouldn't go, just that we oughta get you dressed so you blend in better. 'cause yeah, kinda gotta go two-leg for this. Especially if we actually go in where the fun's gonna be. Folks might need some encouragin'." He can't help looking almost hopeful about that. "Anyway, you ain't gonna fit in my shit an' Justins'..." a glance and a slight eyebrow raise, "...well, I'm thinkin' we oughta just hit Goodwill an' maybe Wal-mart after we eat, an' see what we turn up."
"He could fit in my stuff. I think." Justin says as he rubs at his nose. "But yah, we can go to the Goodwill. I need more socks anyways. Should we bring any back up as well just in case shit goes sideways?"
Three-Mountains wags his tail, in agreement with this plan and clearly happy to be going given that and his whuff of agreement. He lifts his head to thump his muzzle against Felix's midsection to get his attention before sitting in front of the other Galliard. ~You are higher rank now. You should be Beta.~
"Yeah, he prolly could, but you dress like crap," Felix says, giving the other homid a grin. "What kinda back-up you got in mind?" Watcher's thump does get his attention, though, and the remark gets a small, brief laugh. "Funny you should mention it," he says, "'cause I been thinkin' about that, some. Didn't wanna just do the 'oh, I outrank you now so I'm gonna throw my weight around' thing. An' it ain't like you been doin' it bad or nothin'. So you want, I'll properly challenge you for it. But yeah, I kinda think we know that's where we stand. Same's we know J's Alpha."
Nodding his head, Justin said, "I talked to Slug last night. I'm taking over as Beta of the tribe while he is working on his Adren challenge. Should he fail it, things may change." He does give a glance over to Three Mountains for a bit, then back to Felix with a nod of his head. His shoulders sag back some as he takes another bite of his pizza. "Congrats then." He says to the Galliard. "And I dress awesome."
Three-Mountains snorts at mention of challenge. ~Homids like complicated. You can't challenge, I'm submitting.~ And simple as that, he flops himself down at the feet of the pack beta with a yawn and looks to tribal beta with an approving thump of his tail. ~Knowing your place is good. You are both good leaders.~
"Eh, I ain't that into complicated," Felix says to the other Galliard, reaching down to give his ear a light tug. "An' grats, J. But I'm still pretty sure you're gettin' your -some an' your -ful mixed up." He snags another slice of the pizza, the hem of his shirt riding up a little as he stretches out to reach it, and he glances at the decorated portion of his abdomen thoughtfully as he straightens the fabric back out again. "Y'know what we oughta do. We oughta get pack tattoos or somethin'."
"... pack tattoos?" Justin asks with a raise of his brow. "Uh ... you plan on being coyotes for life or until we die?" He says with an amused grin. "Sure, I'll be down to get some ink down. Whatcha got in mind?"
~I know what those are!~ Declares Three-Mountains proudly. ~Many of my tribe have them. I want one!~ He looks towards Justin and his question, blinking as if that wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. ~Packs are family. I do not want another pack. You both are my pack. Ohno is our totem. There is nothing else I would want.~
Felix considers this a moment. "Ain't 'for life' and 'until we die' basically the same thing?" he says, "But I ain't got no plans on changin' it, an' anyhow, even if somethin' did, ain't like the pack'd stop bein' part of who we are. Like, okay, maybe I live in another state now, but my crew's always gonna be my crew, also." He shrugs. "I dunno what, though. Just thought of it now."
"Sure, it can be the same thing." Justin says as he gives a grin, ruffling up the ears of Three Mountains. "Yeah, I don't want any other pack either. I like what we do here. Though, it'll make getting to Adren real hard for some of us." He admits with a nod of his head to Felix.
~When I was alone, I spoke to my ancestors.~ Three-Mountains says as he looks to Justin. ~I wanted to know if I was doing the right thing. He said, 'We do not tell Gaia what we will be. We listen and follow the trail she laid for us even if it seems like the wrong way.' Ohno found us. His lessons are hard and many do not understand, but it is what we are meant to do.~
"There's enough people in danger of dyin' of shock when they find out I made Fostern as it is," Felix says, with another shrug. "Anyway I don't reckon it's really somethin' I gotta worry about for ages. If ever. Later's just later, anyway. Now's now. An' now, we oughta go out."